What?! No, you are mistaken pal, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin… If  so, I would be kicking some a***s in Sony after the last OVA’s characters development…

 

Notice: Be warned.  It will include violence, some uses profane language, and some extent of explicit sexual contend.  So keep on reading at your own risk.   

    

The story begins few month before the events of Kyoto Arc, so it will include spoilers and some elements from it as well as from the Revenge Arc, although my fic will not follow either the series or the manga, and I will break some rules.(No, do not be afraid, the canon pairings (except OBVIOUSLY for Enishi/Asiyah) are STILL there)

 

Thank you for your kind reviews.

Please, make me happy and review this…

I will be working on my second fic, Sakuras on White Snow soon, so stay tunned.

Thank you to those who made suggestions and comments.

 

 

Hana, a very SPECIAL THANKS TO YOU.

 

Mara: 

Arigato!

Thanks!

Muchísimas Gracias!

Geili Magnum!

Shukran!

 

 

And go to Tales of the Meiji Era site. They have moved to a new server and have very good pieces it is worth to look into. So go and update your bookmarks!

http://ellone-loire.net/tfme/i2.html

 

Thanks to you too, MIR!

 

Additional Note: This chapter could be a little boring, but it is necessary to read it if you want to understand the plot, because some of the characteristics of "mystical/legendary/magical" beings are explained here as well as the nature of each Kingdom or Sphere or World that will be mentioned along the fic.    

 

So I request that you to take note of the explanations. They will be useful in the future to help you understand the plot.  

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Of Legendary Creatures and Mystical Beasts

 

Chapter 5: Games

         

Asiyah had finished her business in Shanghai many days ago.  However, she was somewhat reluctant to return to Beijing.   

 

Asiyah moved even closer toward the window.  She could not help but stare at him...  Her eyes followed Enishi's every graceful movement thoughtfully with undisguised fascination as he performed his katas from her room. 

 

Actually, his true nature, hidden in human form, was revealed in the lethal elegance in which he carried them out.  

 

She finally knew why she had surrendered to the crazy thought of saving Yukishiro Enishi from certain death in the desert, risking everything for a mere human she had never seen before.  She had come to the sudden conclusion at the precise moment she had seen him stepping into the ballroom at the British Consul's reception.  

 

The answer was so simple she was truly perplexed as to why she hadn't thought of it earlier. 

 

Yukishiro Enishi was not just another simple human being.  He was not even the half-breed she had believed he was when she discovered him dying on the desert sands.  

 

In essence, Yukishiro Enishi was the Great Tiger walking among human kind. 

 

This was definitely not a common sight in the current era.  

 

She sighed and chuckled lightly afterwards.  She surely hit jackpot when she found him.   Or maybe had it been her fate in first place?  

 

The dynamics between the diverse Kingdoms, worlds, or universes, were very complex indeed.   

 

The Great Maker had created an infinite number of diverse worlds or Kingdoms, in many different levels of existence, which were vastly unaware of each other's existence.  

 

The nature of the beings that inhabited each one of these Kingdoms was unique.  Humans had been created of pure material substance, and because of this origin, they grow attached to material things and are less sensitive. They possess weaker senses and thus cannot perceive the subtle phenomenon occurring around them. They almost lack magical knowledge or powers of any kind, and they are not conscious of other worlds or the beings that inhabited them or their visits to human realm.   

 

Beings like her.  

 

She belonged to the Kingdom of the Jinn[1] .     

 

Her kind was shaped from pure energy, and their creation preceded the human one by eons. Due their very nature, they can alter matter, transforming it into energy and modeling it to their desire. They cannot create anything anew, but they can reshape cosmic energy. The human myth concerning Jinn fulfilling material wishes for their supposed human masters has its origin in such abilities. They can also move as quickly as light and thus travel to wherever they wanted, even among the diverse worlds. And although the use of magic was limited by Order of the Maker, they could also use it in situations that required it. It was their true right, and they used it. 

 

Besides, once fully awakened their nature was as fierce and devouring as wild fire. 

 

The other Kingdoms, which have certainly influenced human life, are those of the demons and the mystical beasts. 

 

The Kingdom of the demons was basically comprised of rebellious Jinn and other creatures (as humans themselves) who turned to destruction, and they suffered some degrees of chastisement in this level, although they were granted the power of interfering in human lives and other creatures that surrendered voluntarily to them.  

 

Historically, they had little or non-existent influence in the golden past, but as millenniums past, they became stronger and stronger. 

 

On the other hand, the Kingdom of the magic beasts, which was before extremely influential on human fate in the long gone past, had become almost inconsequential in terms of human intervention.   

 

When the Maker decreed the limitation of magic usage, and the establishment of the scientific development settled on the human conscience, the magical beasts had gradually stopped walking the Earth, and instances of their incarnations in humans grew more and more uncommon.  

 

There were two ways that these ancestral spirits walked among humans. 

 

One of them was through the momentary possession of the body of a man, and the begetting a baby with a human female. Through this act, a dual creature was born, man or woman who maintained all the human characteristics but under duress or exceptional circumstances, they could use the abilities inherited from the magical spirit, which endowed them with great force and capacities impossible for a normal human being.   

 

The other way they used to incarnate, less frequent by far, even in the golden old times, was the complete fusion of the mystical beast within the soul of an unborn child. 

 

The resulting being was always a male, and though he possessed the body of a human, he was in fact the mystical beast himself walking on the Earth with all his fabulous powers and abilities, although he controlled them only after the complete awakening of the Beast. 

 

The main difference between the actual mystical beast and the half-breed was that the second could only partially access to some beast's characteristics and only during moments of extreme necessity, whereas the first, after the spirit of the Beast had awakened stopped aging and could access the spirit's power completely.

 

And most importantly, according to the nature their master or their consort, they became Protectors or Destructors.   

 

The mystical beasts incarnated themselves only when a grave disturbance was about to rise among the spiritual forces of the human realm and their role was to reestablish the balance. 

 

Anyway, they used to be very unpredictable and dangerous since they were bound to the influence of the one who first woke them up, and this marked them as being highly unstable.  

 

Only a sorcerer, a wizard, a demon, or a Jinn could control them, and not without taking high risks to their own safety.

 

Since the risks they took were greater than the advantages they could derive from the bonding of a Mystical Beast, the witches used to expose the mystical beasts to deadly situations at early age in order to exterminate them without allowing them the opportunity to wake up. 

 

This was commonplace especially in the Clan of the Islands whose headquarters were in Japan. If they could not get the child slaughtered in the usual way, they used to turn some of them against others, in the rare occurrence when more than one Mystical Beast walked the Earth at the same moment. 

 

Thus by managing the threads of other's fate, they exposed themselves to a lesser level of damage.  

 

Demons and mystical beasts had a very complex relationship, if any. 

 

Generally, demons could acquire absolute domain of the beasts if they were able to capture them and to wake them up before other had done it, but they never held dominion for long spans of time. 

 

Magical beasts were the natural enemies of demons, and the influence of these over them could only be a very brief one, although even a brief period would turn the beasts into Destructors. The relationship between Demons and Beasts usually ended in mutual annihilation.  

 

Lastly, Jinniyeh were the only ones able to sustain a Mystical Beast under absolute control of himself by becoming his perpetual mate. As both of them were pure magical beings, the relationship worked on a basis of equality with both in control and neither as the master. Jinniyeh awoke Beasts, in order to let them to reach their full potential as Protectors.  

 

Since Jinniyeh usually lived inside the Clans, a union with a Mystical Beast was highly unlikely, but in the rare occasions that it was allowed, it was strictly regulated, and it was allowed only for very, very, very specific reasons. Actually, it was a known fact that such a union had not taken place in over five hundred years.  

 

Jinn society was a matriarchal one due to a long war that almost annihilated their kind.  Males had brought their Kingdom into a bloody confrontation that had lasted for almost three millennia. For that reason, in the mind of the Jinniyeh, men were only the source of problems and wars   

 

When males had been decimated almost to nonexistence, the women took control of society and government, reversing the traditional social order. From then on, the Jinn males were bonded into perennially confinement, kept alive only for purely reproductive purposes, locked far from the cities and urban centers until they reached the age of thirty-four years. When they arrived to that limit, they were simply and swiftly exterminated so that they didn't reach the maturity of their own powers, which occurred when they arrived at their thirty-five birthdays.  

 

Since Magical Beasts were incarnated as men exclusively, Jinniyeh never trusted them, and for that reason, although the association could be very positive, it was generally avoided. 

 

Also, once the union was consummated, it could be terminated only through death, especially for the Jinniyeh, since if the Magic Beast at some time died, she inevitably died along with him, On the contrary, the rule didn't apply to Magical Beast; if the Jinniyeh died before him he survived but was crippled until he could find another suitable mate. 

 

As she no longer belonged to any Clan, and most importantly, she didn't have to obey their Laws, she would get the Beast for herself.  

 

She wouldn't lose this incredible opportunity.   

 

The Great Tiger would be hers.   

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

As she had every morning since she'd accepted his invitation, she repeated the ritual during his early morning practice.   

 

He pretended to ignore her presence, concealed behind her room's great windows, and she acted as though she didn't know that he was aware of her careful observation.  

 

He found the situation quite amusing; it was almost like a cat playing with a mouse ... the only question on his mind was who was playing which role in that game because the situation between both of them was in a sort of perpetual movement.  

 

Neither Heishin nor any of their contacts had been able to uncover anything on her.  She simply seemed to have risen out of nowhere. Without family. Without friends. Without a past.  

 

Common sense told him that it was pretty much a risky situation. She could very well be working for some government agency, for the police, for some enemy or even for a foreign power.

 

But after a thorough investigation, his men had only been able to discover was that she didn't have attachments to anybody, either friend or foe.  

 

For the time being, that was enough for him.  

 

His efforts until then had been focused on quenching his desire of vengeance. 

 

However, his experience in the desert and his recent meeting with Asiyah had given him a new interest to pursue.  

 

First, he had an honor debt to pay to the woman hidden behind the appearance of a young girl (another mystery to add to her, because her behavior was that of a mature woman, accustomed to moving with absolute ease to independence and authority.  She surely was not a young little lady).   He had chosen to settle it in a way that was convenient and mutually beneficial for both of them.  

 

The presence of a woman in his life was both helpful and opportune.  He had never had the inclination, the time, or the necessity of pursuing romantic interests.   

 

His mind, spirit, and soul were completely devoted to satisfying his vengeance. That was the very motivation that kept him alive despite all the pains, despite the living hell he went through. The others aspects of his life were subordinated to achieve that goal.  

 

When some physical necessity arose (he was a man, after all), he simply made use of his resources to choose the right partner according to the situation.   

 

However, it was expected that a boss, once secured into the position, had at least one or two concubines or permanent wives. It was a question related to the position inside the syndicate. It gave an air of reassurance, trust, and stability to the subordinates.  After all, Triads were meant to be a sort of Clan or close family, and it was expected that the boss himself shaped his life into the Confucian principles. 

 

He had made it to the top several years ago, and he didn't even try to find a partner.

 

He was able to avoid the subject due to his youth, which had given him some freedom and an excuse, at least for a while.   

 

She was his private property before the eyes of all Shanghai's society after the public encounter at the Consulate and her acceptance of his personal protection upon herself. Xian's comments about her to the other bosses turned her into a sort of untouchable being as far as everyone was concerned. She was, to them, his official consort now, a concept reinforced by her residence at his state.  

 

On the other hand, it was crystal clear that Asiyah was aware of the social implications of his company and her permanence at his place, but she had made it apparent that those things neither troubled nor worried her. Besides, nobody in their right mind, knowing of their relationship, would dare to bother her.   

 

And it was there where she benefited.  

 

No official would try to blackmail her; her shipments of jewels would be safe of bandits and accidents, and although there would be comments whispered behind her back, nobody would dare to insult her to her face in public.  

 

On the other hand, he thought, none of the women that he used for pleasure were suitable for public meetings, no matter how high ranked in their profession they were.   

 

They were not mere whores. They all were chosen because of their abilities beyond their obvious sexual skills. They had to be able to keep up a conversation, to know how to play musical instruments, and they were well educated.   

 

However none of them possessed the appropriate stance, the grace or elegance of a true lady. Besides, they all lacked the intelligence he would require from any potential mate.  

 

Asiyah was a true lady indeed, in that refined, delicate style that his own sister had possessed. She was also extremely intelligent.  

 

In fact, he had not tried to seduce or spring any move on her for those specific reasons, despite the fact hat she was living under his own roof, and maybe she even expected such acts from him.  

    

If he had any opportunity, or she gave him a sign of being interested in him, then without a doubt he would claim and mark her as truly his.   

 

And then their small game would come to an end to become real fact. 

 

Then he would truly have an appropriate mate to match his position inside the syndicate, a fact that would continue to be of use to both of them...   

 

However, no matter how pleasant the idea was, it was definitely not a high-priority issue in his life.  

 

He had more important matters to think of, and the completion of his Earthly Vengeance, for one, was at the top of his list.   

 

But still, he couldn't let go of his thoughts about her. 

 

Of course, there were other reasons to be obsessed with Asiyah: he didn't like mysteries. Mysteries meant danger and trouble, and he had always had managed to solve those that had arisen just before his eyes. 

 

Her first name, Asiyah, was a "mystery". 

 

He had to know more about her.  

 

From her solitary arrival in the desert, to the way she had left him and his men in Dunhuang, to the way she had settled down and moved herself into the business world, being a woman on her own without male sponsorship her in an age and a place where most women were subjected to arranged marriages from the cradle, everything screamed that he had a lot to discover about her if he wanted to know who she really was.  

 

The satisfactory sound of his Shuugeki Tou Sei[2] rendering an old and rickety tree that was not in harmony with the rest of his garden into tiny bits drew a satisfied smirk to his face. And it also put an end to his musings.  

 

It was enough for one day.   

 

He sheathed his sword and then raised his eyes for a brief instant to the window of Asiyah's room. 

 

Suppressing a grin, he spun to return to the house with the intent of taking a bath.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The mutual dislike between Heishin and Asiyah grew by the day.  She could smell the traitor lying beneath his polite facade.   

 

Heishin saw her as a potential distraction for Enishi's revenge, which would mean he would have to wait longer for his appointment as Number One in the organization.  

 

Heishin wanted the position and the organization.   

 

There were only two ways to obtain it: getting rid of Enishi, something he had just failed to do, or speeding up events in order to carry out Enishi's Earthly Justice as soon as possible so that Enishi could fulfill his promise of handling over the his power.  

 

He wanted Enishi completely devoted to his obsession. Without any distraction.  

 

He had to convince the woman to leave.  

 

He would send her away using the same methods his boss applied to his female "guests" after having enjoyed them, although Heishin was well aware of the fact that she had not actually slept with Enishi.  

 

Enishi had always been almost too traditional in his erotic pursuits. 

 

He only asked for young females. Very, very young ones, girls whose physical appearance never surpassed eighteen years old. He never brought older women into the house or enjoyed them anywhere else. Or boys, as a matter of fact. He knew Enishi had never ever accepted those as presents, despite the fact most men in his position had enjoyed such pleasures at least once. 

 

No, he only took young women. 

 

Just like the one called Asiyah.  

 

Heishin thought he understood his boss's urgent searching for her when he saw the young, sophisticated beauty at Lord Berry's. It was only logical for Enishi to look for that gorgeous girl, though Heishin was quite shocked at first, since he had imagined her as a wild, slippery, untamed nomad. He had found a stylish creature in front of him instead. 

 

But facts weren't always as they seemed, and the situation was not as simple as he had first believed it to be.  

 

With each passing day his boss became even weirder, he thought.  

 

Enishi had plagued him for two months with that woman's search, and now that he had her at his house, they had not shared a bed during any of the seven nights she spent there.  

 

Was there any motive other than to derive pleasure from a woman to look after her so obsessively?  

 

He shook his head, and a deep sigh resounded from the walls.

 

He had given up to try to understand the reasons behind Enishi's acts long ago.  

 

He entered Asiyah's quarters with a subtle smile, determined to end the situation quickly and cleanly.  He would trick the girl in believing she was treated like a discarded toy, adding to the insult of whore's gifts. 

That would definitely get her out of there in the blink of an eye. 

 

-         Ah ...Good morning...Asiyah-san.

-         Good morning, Mister Wu. How may I help you?

-         Ah ... Well, it's rather difficult for me, you know, but it's my job…I'm sorry if I disappoint you…Yukishiro-san has instructed me to give you these gifts and to communicate to you he will be too engaged in his business to see you for the next few days. He also commanded me to receive your instructions to assure your safe return to Beijing with the maximum protection and comfort.

 

Asiyah was dumbfounded as she received a red silk dress with embroidery and some golden bracelets. 

 

He was discarding her for some unknown reason (maybe she had bored him to death…), and hadn't even had the courtesy to tell her personally.   

 

He had the nerve to send his lap dog instead. 

 

And to add to the offense, he sent with him the typical courtesans' gifts.  

 

It wasn't that he had any obligation toward her. As far as human standards were concerned, he had already thoroughly paid his supposed "debt" he thought he had incurred with her for his rescue in the desert.  

 

However, she was infuriated at the dismissal after the fuss he made over her search, as she had heard from Heishin's mouth himself and others, and after almost forcing her to accept his hospitality -- he was almost throwing her onto the road to Beijing. That was the behavior of a spoiled brat, a spoiled brat who was bored of his newfound toy and threw it away into the street. 

 

Mystical Beast or not inside him, that day he would receive a lesson that he would not easily forget. She started to walk to the door. She would find him and would say two or three things to his face. And maybe, just maybe, he would have a brief glimpse of a Jinniyeh's anger… 

 

As he had planned, she was furious at the boss. It was time to go for the kill… 

 

-         I'm so sorry, Miss, but it's my job...  You should not get angry ... He always behaves this way, and therefore he won't understand why you are angry with him... And you would put me in a hell of a lot of trouble if you were to go to him to make a scene- These words were carefully calculated to increase the young girl's anger and to expedite her immediate departure.

-         Good morning, Asiyah...- Enishi had just entered the room and was drying off his wet hair with a towel. Asiyah always marveled at how his hair could defy gravity, even then… 

 

Enishi glanced distrustfully at his associate. He had not been comfortable with him around since the Silk Route incident. He had his suspicions, but he couldn't prove them yet. He was thinking in disposing with him anyway. After finding a suitable substitute, of course. He still needed someone who took care of the details… 

 

-         Heishin, shouldn't you be in the yards?  Why are you here yet?

 

Heishin turned visibly pale the moment he noticed his boss's eyes resting on the dress and the bracelets, and he began to shiver uncontrollably when Enishi moved his hand toward the gifts. Enishi knew them well enough to recognize them for what they were meant to be. He knew exactly to whom these things were given and why.   

 

Curious as to how the events would turn out, Asiyah decided to wait for the first movement of either of the two men standing in front of her before she made her move. 

 

-         What the bloody hell are doing these things on Asiyah's quarters?

-         Ah ...Enishi...  I... Let me explain you…

 

If Asiyah had had any doubts concerning Wu Heishin's duplicity, now it was clear to her that he was playing his own game against Enishi, and he had tried to drag her into it. 

 

For some unclear reason he tried to get rid of her without of Enishi's knowledge. 

 

She was pretty sure after seeing Heishin's reaction to Enishi's probing gaze, that if he ever knew what his subordinate has just attempted, Heishin would have a very, very, very bad time. 

 

The signs of complete terror in Heishin's face and his arm hanging in the sling suggested it to her.  

 

And then she got an idea... 

 

It was safer to wrap him into his own trap, binding him to a truce in exchange for her silence… 

 

-         Mr. Wu wanted my advice concerning some gifts he was considering giving to a dear friend of his. - Asiyah found herself staring at Heishin's astonished face with a glint of amusement in her emerald eyes.-While the dress could be considered somewhat... acceptable, the bracelets are... mmmm, how could I put it? They certainly are not fitting…for a friend, I mean. Yes... that is the definition... They seem like an extra payment for a cheap slut, instead of a gift to a dear friend. What do you think Enishi?

-         Oh… Do you think really this about those things?-  Enishi did look at her in surprise, and his attention was now focused on her words. That was a fact that she would keep in mind for future reference.

-         Definitively. That it's my specialty, don't you remember?-Asiyah turned to Heishin, a wide smile spread across her face indicating to him that he was now at her mercy-  Ah, it seems that there are other occupations that require you Mr Wu.  I believe that we can finish our business later. I believe I have just the right thing for your friend. Come and see me later, and we will discuss a reasonable price, and since you are the associate of Enishi-san, I will guarantee a very, very, convenient price just for you…

-         I would like a piece of advice too, if you don't mind, Asiyah- said Enishi in a flat intonation. 

 

Enishi knew that something was going on under his nose. He could smell Heishin's fear and Asiyah's enjoyment in torturing the guy. He was not somebody who was easily fooled. 'Never mind', he thought. He would find out eventually. 

 

-         Ah... I see... Do you also have dear friends to whom you want to give some gifts?

 

Both men look at her in bewilderment. Enishi raised an eyebrow at the evident double meaning of her words and the bold insolence of the youth pronouncing them.

 

-         Is any Festival approaching?  I wonder just because all of a sudden, everybody wants to offer gifts to their friends… Had I known of this, I would had brought a larger stock with me.  Ah, it's a pity...- she pretended to pout, but the mischievous glint in her eyes was evident to both men. She was making fun of them both… and they all knew it.

-         Mind you, now that we are talking of business, I was considering to have a chat with you about some future investments I was planning that you may be interested in... and that it is the reason I have come to see you so early... "

 

Enishi made a clear gesture to his second-in-command, indicating that he should leave them alone. However he could hear his boss's words as he left, words that made him groan and put an end to his hopes of getting rid of the woman easily.  

 

-         Have you ever considered the possibility to move your operations to Shanghai?  I think it could be very profitable for both of us. I could provide you with…

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

  

N of the Author:  

    

 

The characteristics of the magical or mystical beasts:  Although they are drawn from some aspects of traditional legends and beliefs of many ancient cultures, including the concept of the ancestral protective animal spirits, they are mostly adapted to my vision and reinterpretation of these beliefs.  

 

As for the nature of the Demons and Jinn (geniuses), this is based on general lines in the Islamic conception of these beings, with some important modifications. The Jinn according to the Islamic religious tradition is beings that live in kind of a parallel universe (Surah

(Chapter) Al Fatihat (the Opening) of the Book says about God: Lord of the Worlds (or of the Universes) in one of their ayats (verses)). They are created of pure fire (it could be interpreted as energy). According to the Islamic tradition and the Sacred Koran, they live, have their own social system and laws, marry, reproduce, and die -- although the rules of both universes are seemly different, and perhaps the time elapses in a different way in both. They are subtler beings that the humans, and while their universe crosses with ours, for this reason, while they can perceive the humans, the humans because of their material nature, they cannot perceive them in return unless they decide to be seen.  

 

Regarding the Demons, Iblís (or Shaitán, the king of the Demons) was a Jinn that rebelled against God, and those Jinn that followed him, as well as the humans that submitted themselves to his suggestions, are considered demons. As Jinn, they have power over handling energy, but  contrary to the Judeo-Christian conception of the demons, they don't have any power over believers, and they are allowed to seduce the sinners only, tempting them, but they can NEVER force them to carry out anything against their own free will. 

 

Jinn, humans and demons possess free will, except the angels who were made to obey and can't chose for themselves. Angels' nature discourages disobedience in them.  

   

According to the Islamic faith, the same as in almost all the traditions of the East, magic exists.  

 

In accordance with the Islamic conception (since the character of Asiyah is a

Jinn, an exclusive creature of the Muslim tradition, I base myself on the concepts of this faith), the magic was taught to the men and the geniuses by the angels, but due to the improper use of by men, it was prohibited expressly from the advent of the Islam. However, the fact that the last two Surahs of Karimul’ Qur’an (Noble Koran), called the Surahs of the Incantation, are generally used as protection against the charms, this indicates that magic is real for Muslims, and that they believe in the existence of sorcerers (those "that blow over the knots" like they are defined in these Surahs or chapters, since to blow over the knots chanting spells was a common form of magic among pre-Islamic women), sorcerers who still practices magic.

 

Anyway, look at the notes, the first one, to see a larger article on

Jinni 

 

888888888888888888888888