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They step through and move along with the flow. There are meany restraints selling wonderful smelling food. They are offered samples by young ladies before long both of their hands are filled with skewers that are packed with all kinds of cooked meat to vegetables. They take a moment in a quiet backstreet to eat them and use a cloth to clean their hands as best they can. Then they return to the busy narrow street to continue to Kujocho for the place they are after lies just outside. When the Great Warrior spots the Toji Gojunoto looming ahead he knows they are nearing their destination. Unmei no Saikoro is a large building that is considered bigger than the Toji Kondo. The paper lanterns with the names of, various games, move in the light evening breeze that blows across the street. All of a sudden the establishments doors slide open and two well-built men throw a man out into the street. They can clearly see he is blind drunk and one of the big men quickly blocks the drunken from king and the Aoi Koi view. He coughs and announces, “Your highness, please leave this low life to me. Karasu, is in the dice room. You and your escort are welcome to participate.”
The other bouncer comes down the steps to offer an arm to the king. “Please allow me, your grace, to escort you.”
The Masked Warrior gently pats the side of the man’s face. “Oh you are a darling,” he says with a slightly feminine voice. “Asuka, come take me other arm.”
“No, he is welcome to take my other arm. Please, come with me gentlemen,” says the bouncer and escorts them both inside.
The air is heavy with the sent of tobacco and opium. From the entrance they can see each of the eight rooms are packed with people playing games and the dice game is nothing like what Commander Ōtomo was expecting. Instead of been seated on the floor, the participants are standing around three sides of a long table, that is split up into grids. There appears to be just one man playing, he is holding a handless cup and plate together and is rotating them around in a circle. At the head of the table is an elegant man who is dressed in a lady’s Kimono the whole garment is covered in fans and flowers. Even his hair has been placed into a neat style of a Geisha. A long pipe is in the corner of his mouth and he is performing the same actions as the man at the foot of the table. “Come now,” calls the owner, “what will it be, odd or even?”
Beads of sweat start to roll down the man’s face, he slams the plate and cup down on the table and calls, “Even!”
They both lift off the cups to reveal two black dice with red dots for numbers and the owner begins to laugh. His opponent cries with disappointment when he sees his dice total up to odd, where Karasu’s dice are even. He sighs and pushes over his last token. The owner points a hand at him and shakes his head. “I did warn you not to go against me when I have well over twenty years experience and you have none. I suggest you leave before you lose more money.”
The bouncer who escorting the king and the Aoi Koi performs a quick bow to both of them before he rushes over to stop the man drawing his Tanto. He pulls the man’s hands behind his back and pushes him out of the room.
The legend makes his way over to the foot of the table and picks up the dice. “Karasu, you certainly taught him a lesson.”
The owner is a little baffled to see the king in a new mask in which his mouth is exposed is now standing at the base of the table. “Why, Yūrei Senshi, this an unexpected surprise, care for a game?”
“I am afraid, I am here on business for we, Commander Ōtomo and I are looking for a bandit leader, who might stink of a very fragrant oil and using gold and uncut gems.”
Karasu walks down to him and pats his chest. “I hope you are not here to start trouble, hmm?”
“No, not at all. I can assure you my escort and I will be very discreet, is that not so, Asuka?”
The Commander gives a few nods. “Yes, you will not know we are here.”
The owner plays with the Aoi Koi’s beard and enquires, “Are you a gambling man?”
“I have to say no, sorry it has never appealed to me.”
“Oh, I see your escort is the sensible type to keep you out of trouble, is that it, your highness?”
The Great Warrior chuckles and winks at Asuka. “Yes, you could say that for I need to remain focused on the job.”
The owner links arms with the king and escorts him out of the room and across to the card room. “Well, there is your man at the Black Jack table, flashing that gold around. The girl by his side is from the Peach Orchid down the road. According to the owner that awful man brought her with a ruby.” Karasu quickly unfolds a fan to obscure his and the king’s faces. “Madam Peach also told me he seems to know the girl and demand her freedom. The girl is terrified of him and was hoping Madam Peach would keep her. The brut just picked the girl up slammed the ruby on her desk and left. She also told me the girl is marked with a black koi on her right shoulder blade. The mark of those bandits.”
“Ah, I see, she was able to escape him once… I guess it was only a matter of time before he found her again. I will handle it.”
“Well, I leave you both to it,” the owner pats the legend’s chest and plays again with the Commander’s beard before he walks away.
Asuke breathes a sigh of relief and whispers, “My word, he is flattering. Nor is he afraid to touch you.”
“I’m afraid you are going to have that beard played with a lot. He has a thing for clean cut men, especially when they have a status. We are doomed. He is not going to let us go until we have had a least one game with him. I should warn you he will want you to play dice with him and he will show you what to do.”
Commander Ōtomo emits a nervous cough and plays with the coiler of his Kimono. “I see… Well, shell we continue?”
The Great Warrior gives him a soft nudge and begins to make ways over to the girl. “Ah, found you at last, beautiful. Madam Peach told me you had been taken by a man. I take it is this brut right here?” The lady is too afraid to speak, she manages a nod and the masked man places her behind him. “Bastard, taking my favourite woman against her will.”
The bandit rises and snaps, “Get lost, you masked freak! She is mine.”
The dealer leans slightly forward to inform him, “You idiot! That is the king and the man with him is a Aoi Koi.”
The colour drains from the leader of the bandits face. He swallows hard and apologises, “I am so sorry, your grace, she did not tell me she was your girl.”
Asuka shakes his head. “Did it not occur to you to ask, for Madam Peach is well aware this lady is our king’s favourite.”
“Fuyunobara, is this true?”
The lady has clicked the king is buying her freedom. “Yes, and I enjoy being with him. At least he does not use stolen money to pay for me.”
Yūrei pulls her close and asks, “What are you saying, my dear? He took that bag of gold and jewels from someone?”
“Yes, my sweet, he has been boasting he and another man took it from a Dragon.”
Commander Ōtomo grabs the man’s arm and tells him, “You fool, the Dragon will come searching for it… I can just see him turning up to collect it.”
The Great Warrior escort the lady over to the doorway and points his hand to a door marked office. “Go and wait for me in there. Tell Karasu it was me who sent you, all right?”
The young lady gives a slight bow and runs across the hallway. The legend returns to the bandit leader and begins to search him. “You had better return the Dragon’s gold to me. That way I can return it and save this place from being destroyed.”
The man quickly reaches into his left sleeve to bring out a cloth bag and sets it down on the table. He performs a slight bow and declares, “This really blind me… its just that I have never seen so much gold and jewels. It was all just lying there in that cave… Lieutenant Nakan Yuuji was the one who claimed it was empty. Yet I knew he was lying. Yet I still helped him take it… I am a fool. Your highness, I do not blame you if you sentence me to death for what I have done through my geed.”
Yūrei sighs and shakes his head. “No, no one will be put to death. I nor Tenjō are like that. We will be sentencing you along with your surviving men to the Mine where you will remain until the Dragons see that you have done enough hard labour to understand that power and wealth means nothing. Come on, off to jail with you.” He goes on to escort the bandit leader out of the gambling house, down the packed street to a small police station. Once he has explained to the chief the man’s crimes, the bandit leader is thrown into a cell to await Dōngjì fēngbào or one of his sons to take him to the Mine, that is based in Hyogo. On his return to Unmei no Saikoro the Masked Warrior makes his way in to the office to find the owner is giving the young lady a cup of tea.
Karasu rises and walks over to whisper, “The poor girl is afraid she has not seen the last of terrible man.”
Yūrei takes hold of the owner’s hand and informs the girl, “My dear, I swear to you, you will never ever see him again. He is facing life in a cell or in the Mine for what he has done. I am also here to offer you a place of safety, Akai Tsuru (Red Crane).”
Karasu smiles and tells him, “Funny enough I was just telling her about that place. I hope you can also persuade her to go.”
The Great Warrior kisses the back of the owner’s hand and goes and takes a seat by the nervous lady. “Trust us, if you really want a new identity, a fresh start then Akai Tsuru is the place to go.”
The girl turns her back on him before she removes the top section of her Kimono and undergarment. “The problem is the moment anyone sees that tattoo, they will know I once belonged to Yoru no Koi and I was Ueta brother's woman. Rin though did not want me, so I was handed over to Shin who treated me like prostitute.”
The Masked Warrior stroke the tattoo that lies upon the lady’s right shoulder blade. “I can remove it,” he offers in a soft voice. “I am not going to lie, it will be painful.”
The girl looks over her shoulder and nods. “Please do it.”
Karasu takes hold of her hands and gives her a cloth to bite down on. He watches the king close his eyes and slows his breathing. His lovely soft pink lips begin to move yet he does not speak a word. The girl’s eyes open wide and she starts to emit small groans of pain. The owner gets her to bite the cloth as the pain intensifies and is concerned about the black mist, that is beginning to appear over the woman’s shoulder. After a few minutes the mist is gone and girl is no longer in pain.
“There we go,” says Yūrei, stroking the lady’s back, “it is gone. It might feel a little sore for a few days and the scare will fade.”
The girl takes a few relived breaths and replies, “Thank you, for giving me my life back. I will go to Akai Tsuru.”
“I am pleased to hear that. Karasu, I am sure you can help her?”
The owner’s eyebrows rise and he states, “I like the way you come in here to grab your bandit and help this lady in the process and expect me to do the same when you have not played a single game.”
The Great Warrior moves around to him and answers, “All right, if I play a round of dice with you will you help the lady?”
“Only if that lovely Commander of yours joins in?”
“Deal.”
Karasu lies the lady down and tells her, “You can rest here, my dear, and I will be back shortly to collect you.”
The woman nods and watches them leave the room.
The Masked Warrior spots Commander Ōtomo is standing in the hallway, he links his other arm with him and tells him what his happening Asuka is more than happy to play around with the owner. They return to the dice room where they go on to play the game and Yūrei gives the Commander a hand in shaking the dice. Asuka’s eyes are fixed upon the king’s slider hands as they rotate the shaker together, his hands feel so soft against his skin and remind him of Einar's. He also notices Karasu is often looking at him and gives him a soft smile which he returns. Once they have won two games the owner is willing to help the lady and before they leave Karasu plays with Commander Ōtomo’s beard and winks his left eye at him.
“You are welcome to come and play again,” says the owner.
“I might if I am in the area,” answers Asuka, “it has been fun.”
“Well, I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. Yūrei Senshi, you must visit more often, for you are always a joy to gamble with.”
The legend kisses the back of the owner’s hand. “Pleasure as always. And I wish I could say to play—”
Then the girl he helped comes trotting over to them. She grips the king’s right forearm and babbles, “Rin, he is up to something.”
The Great Warrior gets her to take a seat on the floor. “Calm yourself, my dear.”
The lady takes a breath and explains, “I know Rin is planning to hit a small, isolated village that lies outside the Handa Gokuraku-ji Temple that lies in Gose, Nara. I have no idea why he was so fixated on it.”
“It is all right, you can only tell me what you know.” The Great Warrior, helps her to rise. “At least I know it is not over.”
“All we can do tomorrow is warn the village,” suggests Commander Ōtomo, watching his king nod in agreement.
Karasu places an arm around the lady’s shoulders. “Come, you must rest and eat before you travel.”
Yūrei goes on to open a portal back to the isolated monastery and they step through. Asuka helps him to remove his boots in the hallway and walks with him down to a small room. The only source of light is a low lit brazer, they both take a seat around it to keep warm and few minutes later a monk enters carrying a tray of tea and two bowls of rice.
Asuka picks up a bowl and says, “I still cannot believe what is happening. For twenty years the last of the Sasaki have managed to live in hiding and because of two men's greed their lives are once again under threat… I am sorry, the last thing you need to hear is me moaning.”
The Great Warrior smiles. “You can moan all you like for it will save me doing it.”
They both laugh and the legend continues, “It shocks me what you mortals are willing to do for gold. Those boys did not deserve to die, yet it is their own fault when they are so determined to carry out their leader’s commands. Oh, well, all we can do is carry on.”
They continue to eat and pour each other a cup of Dragon tea. Commander Ōtomo lies down and softly enquires, “Might I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything and I will do my best to answer.”
“I was going to ask you, is it wrong for me to fall in love with a god?”
Yūrei lies down next to him and answers, “No, not at all, if the god shows you the same affection?”
Asuka nods. “Yes, he has told me he likes me and I am welcome to have a night with him. I just keep thinking it is wrong… especially giving I am an Aoi Koi.”
The Great Warrior rest himself upon his right elbow and uses his left hand to give him a tap on the chest. “You worry too much. In the past if any of the Aoi Koi spent the night with any god it shows loyalty and respect.” He begins to wonder if Asuka is in love with his leader and just afraid to say so. It makes him inform him, “I can tell you it is not easy for Tenjō to flirt with anyone and it was Einar who taught him how.”
Commander Ōtomo sits up and gasps, “What?”
“I am serious, my husband really influenced him for the better. You see, I met Tenjō first and my word he was nothing like what I was expecting. He was too strict, too serious which was down to his parents, they were quite stiff.”
“I am surprised to hear you say that about them. I bet Einar was a shock to them?”
The Masked Warrior starts to chuckle and nods. “Einar was not only their first encounter with a Western Soul Drinker, he was also the famous Ink Heart. I do not think I have ever seen two people grow so pale in an instant of him just stepping inside the room. My husband just takes everything in his stride, he looked to me and then back to them and told them to breathe and treat him the same way they would any family member. You know yourself he is fun to be with, right?”
“Yes, he is amazing and can be a right tease.”
“That is how his mother taught him to be fun and to never take life too seriously. She was speaking from a mortals point if view, that life was too short and they needed to learn how to have fun and enjoy life, like she did. Also Einar’s father wanted all of his sons to learn what it was to be mortal, and above all have a sense of humour. My husband was a bit of an eye opener for Tenjō’s parents. I never once told them what he was like or that he was the son of a clan leader. Nor did they expect him to speak Japanese, which I found very strange when we had been apart of the country long before the language and culture had changed. It also showed them that my husband refused to call this island Nihon to him it will always be Wa or Lóng guójiā, Dragon country.”
Commander Ōtomo nods. “Yes, I too have heard him call this country that. I also like it when he stands at the back of the court observing and only speaking when he needs to or bring an end to an argument. I have often said he comes across as more Dragon than Soul Drinker.”
Yūrei chuckles before he informs him, “That again is down to his father making sure his children knew the other gods and Einar along with the twins stayed with their elder who had a Dragon lover, who spoke their language. I should say the Dead Language.”
“Ah, I see, that is why you had a language barrier when you first met him.”
“Yes, until he heard me speaking the Dead Language. You see it never occurred to his elders to teach the children Chinese. I mean even to this day my husband will mutter or complain in Nordic, which he did when he was in Tenjō’s court for the first time.”
Asuka is all intrigued and quickly asks, “Please tell me what happened?”
The Great Warrior smiles and has a drink before he replies, “You have to understand my husband is used to dealing with a loud court where both sexes inform him of any problems that are happening in or out of the village. Another thing was he was seated on a stage and in front of him were seating for the women and the elderly, and behind that the men would stand. So, to walk into a court were everyone is seated on the floor and everyone was taking turns to speak and no one voicing their opinion was a little strange to him. One day he had enough of everyone being too afraid to go against their leader. Einar stood up rubbing his lower back and when I heard him grumbling in Nordic I was thinking any second now he is just going to have a go at them. He started to walk up the centre of the room with his hands behind his back. Then he turned to face Shinji, Tenjō’s father and went, ‘This is no way to do things. It is no wonder you are at war with one another’. Einar took a breath, shuck his head and continued, ‘This will not work when everyone is too afraid to offend one another, including their leader. Seriously killing one another just over an opinion is ridiculous and it has to stop. Another thing, women should be involved in this court for they are just as much apart of this clan. I know from experience women know far more of what is happening than you men. Main reason women like to natter. Also women are more observant, for they will alert you far sooner than any man when there are strangers in the town. You just treat women as nothing more than a baby factory, this also has to stop. Women should be respected and honoured just the same as any man’. He folded his arms and waited to see how they would respond.”
“My word I bet everyone was against him having women involved in the court?”
“He mainly said it to prove his point that no one within that room would stand up and say no you cannot have women in court, because they were afraid to dishonour or course offence. My husband’s eyebrow rose, he sighed and went, ‘This is what I mean, all you men are cowards to voice your opinion. I mean it this whole honour and respect nonsense needs to be left at the door. In my court no one is afraid to rise and object or voice their opinion. Also women are encouraged to speak aloud. And when they do men are silent until the lady has finished. Also no man ever speaks harshly to a woman and if they do, it is an hour of hard labour. However, if it is two ladies going at one another within my court, the punishment is the same. You see there is no difference between the sexes in my town, everyone is treated exactly the same’. Einar just stood waiting for someone to say something. Eventually one of the officers looked up at him and questioned with a voice full of worry, ‘You are the one who oversees everything and passes judgment?’ My husband frowned, he crouched down in front of him, and pointed a hand towards his own face, as he asked, ‘What am I?’ The officer quickly responded, ‘A Soul Drinker’. Einar’s eyes blinked and he informed him, ‘Yes, however, I am the seventh son of a seventh son and that holds great significance in my land’. He rose and stated, ‘Because I am the seventh son of a seventh son, I have been in charge of my own court since I was ten. I have capabilities that are beyond anyones imagination. Also all of you here should be obeying Tenjō for he is a Light One and going against him, you are going against the gods. Tenjō, you should show them your power by doing this’. He throw his hand towards the floor and made the entire room shake.”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7Nwftz5Yr
“No way! Then again that is so him.”
“It sure is and it suddenly made everyone realise they were dealing with a very powerful god.”
Commander Ōtomo nods in agreement. “Can I ask you what is the meaning behind the seventh son of a seventh son?”
The Masked Warrior holds up seven fingers and explains, “Einar’s father is the seventh child of an unbroken line, meaning there are no girls born. The same thing with my husband. In their folklore this grants Einar with special powers such as healing. I have witnessed him healing a broken community, because he has such a clam nature and no task is any trouble to him. This is a perfect example, one morning a group of famers turned up at the court. In that group was one lady and they were all thinking the same thing that their leader would not bother with such a trivial matter. They were wrong because to my husband the farms are essential for the town and any small matter needed to be brought to his attention. The poor woman was shaking like a leaf and the men were doing their best to calm her. Einar went to her and gave her this reassuring hug, which helped to clam the lady and she was able to tell him that the farmer, who was brought forth by some big men, had been blocking the flow of water to the lower farms. She was explaining to my husband that some gran was accidentally growing on his border, so he thought that gave him the right to stop the water. Einar being the way he is, gabbed the man who was causing the issue and gave him a lecture on the fact that nature cannot be controlled and told him the lady wasn’t lying. The man had to do a week of hard labour on the very mountain which supplied the town with water. Of course this stopped any further issues with the farmers and life returned to normal.”
Asuka smiles. “I really do admire how calm Einar is with everything. And you are right he is willing to take on any task even when we think it’s not worth his time. He really is amazing and a great influence to all of us. I will say I like it when he is tapping Tenjō and telling him to stop be so serious.”
Yūrei pats him on the knee and questions, “Do you have a crush on my husband?”
Asuka clears his throat and quickly changes the subject. He pretends to yawn and says, “It is getting late I should let you get some sleep.” He begins to rise only to be pulled back down by the king who looks him in the eyes.
“Oh, no, you don’t getaway from me that quickly. Come on, you can tell me, are you in love with Einar?” The Commander sighs and nods. The Masked Warrior gives him a pat on the arm. “I read you completely wrong, I thought you had a crush on Tenjō.”
“No! No way! That man is too serious for my tastes,” responds Commander Ōtomo with a slight chuckle to his voice. “This is what I mean, I should not have feelings for your husband.”
“Ah, that is why Einar calls you, ‘sweet dumpling’, it is because he knows you have a crush on him. This is what he will say to you, ‘life is too short, you should live it to the fullest. Love who you want to love, otherwise you will regret it in the end’. His mother taught him to never fall completely in love with a mortal for one day they will be gone and he would be like his father, forever morning her loss. That is why my husband is happy to have fun with a mortal for he never wants to end up like his father who is sadly a broken man, who regrets falling so hopelessly in love with a mortal. I should tell you now Einar and I are not married.”
Asuka’s eyes blink in shock and he quickly questions, “What? Then why do you call each other husband?”
“Ah, I will give you a hint, you have a wonderful husband. Or oh, is this your husband?”
Commander Ōtomo’s eyes open wide when he realises it is society who perceive them as a married couple when they are not. “Now I understand why Einar plays on it and he has hinted that it is us who see you that way as a married couple.”
“Exactly. Now this is the truth, the reason he returned to me was not because he had fallen in love with me. It was because his world just seemed so empty without me. Another thing was he had grown used to being in China and he also knew that I would understand he was being drawn to where he lives today, Tower Island. I will never forget the moment we landed on the shore looking at the looming towers, Einar placed a hand to his chest, closed his eyes and whispered, ‘I’m home’. That is when it dawned on me he was indeed the great Einar who was sadly lost during the Black Bird Attacks and Death promised to realise his soul when the right child was born. And we come full circle, for it is all down to him being the seventh son of a seventh son and thus the great legend was reborn.”
“That explains why he is so unique. Thank you for clearing things up with me. I am going to ask him out on a date.”
Yūrei gives him a pat on the chest. “Good for you and once our task is over, take him somewhere nice.”
Asuka sighs and states, “I still cannot believe how many men have lost their lives—”
There is a sudden gust of wind which makes the entire building shake and the king quickly stands up. “Dragon,” he says, trotting over to open the doors that lead out on to the covered walkway, just as magnificent Forest Dragon comes into land in the garden. He goes on to inform him, “I need to get the men out of the hut and to safety before they join the others. The only problem is I have no idea how to get them down without them freezing to death.”
Yūrei claps his hands and blurts, “Conjurer.”
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