Click. Click. Click.

Sounds of wooden clogs hitting the ground at a steady pace grew louder and louder.

Jin was running, running in great leaps and bounds at breakneck speed down the corridor. Doors of every shape and size lined the corridor. When Jin had first entered the corridor, he had turned back and noticed with no surprise, the doorway through which he had entered was gone. He had started examining his surroundings, wakizashi held loosely at his side. At first, he had tried to open some of the doors. No door yielded to him. He saw Japanese paper doors, Western doors with their hard wood and little round things set at the side of the wood, metal things which sparkled dimly in the firelight from the torches set into the wall. Further experiments with the doors yielded no results except for a bruised fist. He heard things behind the doors as he flew past them, long legs beating out a regular rhythm against the floor.

Whispers, shouts, screams behind every door. He heard his own language behind paper doors, wooden doors, silk curtains that fluttered in a nonexistential breeze. Hisses, cries and moans permeated the corridor. Jin felt sick. He had sat down to rest a few minutes ago in front of some wooden monstrosity, leaning his back against it. The minute his flesh touched the wood, it started shifting beneath his skin. He had gotten up and resumed his pace again.

His normally smiling face was grim with concentration as his eyes focussed on the rectangular opening that had appeared a few minutes - hours? Back. Light shone out of it, pure white light. That should mark the end of all this running and doors. As he drew closer and closer to the opening, he unsheathed his wakizashi. No sense in going into something unprepared. And after that samurai thing... No, he was certainly not going to be taking anymore chances, wherever this lead him. He was looking forward to a nice, long rest when this ended.

Jin charged out of the opening, wakizashi at ready, mind and body prepared for some sort of weird spirit or demon behind it. Instead -

"What?"

Warmth and light blazed throughout the room, kindly provided by the fire that burned in large braziers aligned in two neat rows at the side of the walls. Huge, white pillars twisted up between the braziers, and when Jin tipped his head back, they met a huge white arched roof. Colourful pictures, beautiful things adorned the walls. When Jin stepped closer towards them, he realized something. The pretty Western lady was pretty, sure. But the people surrounding her... He backed away from the walls after seeing their faces. Or more accurately, the lack of faces. And directly in front of him, across the room was a huge human - no, not human, winged thing. He hurried towards the statue and when he drew closer to it, he realized that again, like those pictures... It was pretty much a twisted thing. A book lay at the feet of the statue. Beside it were paper and a feather. He bended down, picking up the object.

He froze. Footsteps, muffled footsteps grew louder and louder. Jin placed the book on the ground and turned. Beside the doorway where he had emerged, the other doorway which he had not noticed was beginning to open. Jin felt his expression sour. What was it going to be now? Maybe it's human. Hopefully. He thinks that he might be able to handle a normal, proper human if they pick a fight with him. Jin stared at the doorway hard, his hand tightening around the hilt of his wakizashi. The doors flew open, and another man stumbled into the room.

Wait. Blue hair?

This man was strange. Western? No, he was quite sure Westerners did not have blue hair... Or any other person from around the world. As he edged closer to the weird man, he called out, tentatively, "Hello?" The thought that Blue might not understand him struck him a bit too late. And anyways... His grip on his wakizashi tightened. Who knew what he was doing here? Blue looked up, green eyes widening.

"Hey there."

"Mm." He understood. That was good enough. Blue was looking around, taking in the huge room.

“Hey, that’s one bigass statue, isn’t it?” Blue jerked his thumb towards the statue standing right opposite them. As he spoke, he strode towards the statue, bending down and picking up the book where Jin had placed it.

“I suppose so,” Jin said, feeling his old familiar smile slipping back onto his face. At least this guy was human. And he looked normal, except for the bright blue hair. “Your name?”

Blue looked up from the book. “Arount Vestrick. What about you?”

“Jin.” He moved towards Vestrick, Vestrick. It didn’t fit his tongue, the way the syllables and sounds fell off it. “How did you get in here?” If this man entered through a similar doorway, it stood to reason that he knew what was happening. At least, a lot more than Jin. Who had just entered some creepy house and got whisked off to some demon place. Lucky him. When he got home, if he ever did, he was gonna get some food and bath.

“I got lost in a forest, third time that happened this month. Cut through some snakes, killed a couple of things and –“He gestured towards the book. “And I picked up this book which said it could grant a wish of mine, went home, and did what it told me to do… Went through a mirror… And that’s that. Now,” The blue-haired man said, a grin spreading across his face as he unsheathed his sword. “If you would kindly sign on this paper with your blood and leave.”

Jin stepped back. He looked at the blue-haired man, who had just pulled a sword on him. As Jin stepped away from Vestrick, his mind began to work. This man, this asshole said that he picked up the book, who could grant a wish of his. And he went through a mirror.

“Hey,” Jin said. “What d’you mean, wish?”

“It told me if I completed its tasks, it would grant a wish of mine.” Vestrick shrugged. “It’s pretty convenient for me. After all…” And here his face grew angry and his grip visibly tightened on his sword. “I’m looking for someone. So, if you’d just, y’know, sign this paper in your blood and leave, I’m free to continue.”

“A wish.” Jin repeated. He repeated things when he couldn’t understand what exactly was going on. It was a stupid habit, which he thought he had grown out of. Father had often teased him on that. Father. And Mother. A wish…

Jin felt his grin crack.

“Sorry. Why not you sign with your own blood and get outta here. You just told me some good stuff. And… you know, if you hadn’t just pulled that sword on me and just told me to sign with my own blood… Maybe I would’ve listened. Who knows? Either way… I think I’ma gonna go on.” As Jin spoke, he edged towards one of the big, black braziers, hand slipping into one of his sleeves and pulling out a knife. If he could just poison this guy, he could finish this fight quickly.

Vestrick shrugged. He didn’t look too surprised.

“I told ya. Now you’re gonna get hurt.” So saying, he surged towards Jin.

Jin kicked the brazier. He might look frail, he might look skinny, but damn, he could be strong when he needed too. The brazier flew through the air, spilling coals and fire everywhere. As it did, Jin shot towards Vestrick, knife and wakizashi at ready. If the brazier didn’t knock him out, or the fire failed to sufficiently deter him, Jin could at least make sure he wouldn’t be able to stand and fight. Vestrick didn’t look scared. He looked… Oh, shit. He looked amused. Happy, even. Whatever that meant, it didn’t bode well.

Vestrick raised his sword hand. He gestured. And the burning embers suddenly changed course midway towards him. With a loud hiss and pop, the embers shot towards Jin, who was currently heading straight into them. Jin yelped, Vestrick laughed and the embers went on straight on towards Jin. Then the brazier hit its intended mark.

Vestrick yelled when the heavy metal pot slammed into his stomach, sending him flying into a pillar. Jin shrieked as a barrage of burning embers rained down upon him. He dropped down to the ground, rolling out of the way as the embers hit the ground. Some landed on his poor blue kimono, burning it. Jin snarled, hopping up and beating out the small fires with his blades. Vestrick was lying against a pillar a few metres away from him, groaning loudly as he shoved the brazier away from him. Jin hurled his knife. At the last moment, Vestrick got his sword up and deflected it.

“Huh.” Jin scowled. Sometimes, Jin sincerely wished he could have a more effective method of fighting ranged fights. Getting up close was sometimes overrated. And after that little demonstration? No way was he going to get close to that man. Especially… Jin realized with more than a little horror. Especially when this entire hall was covered with those braziers.

“Hey! YOU SCREAM LIKE A GIRL!”

“Well, fuck you!” Jin retorted. Vestrick shot him an aggravated glare as he got up, wincing as he did so. The metal brazier was hot when it smashed into his stomach, burn marks showed up on his shirt. “I’ve got a bloody dislocated arm here, and you just sent a metal thing flying into me!”

“Who told you to not get out of the way?” Jin snorted as he moved further and further away from Vestrick. “Stupid.”

“What did you –“

“I called you stupid. Stupid.”

“Right!” Now Vestrick looked angry. “Right! I’ll give you a fight, you girly bastard!”

“Girly –“Jin spluttered. Then Vestrick moved.

Jin shot out of the way before a pissed off Vestrick swinging a sword cut into him.

“Oh, you’re fast.” Jin sneered as he dusted his kimono. Poor thing. It had always been so routinely abused by him. “Woulda thought that a big asshole like you would move slowly.”

“Why do you wear a dress anyway, eh?” Vestrick spat as he turned around to face Jin, hefting up his sword again. Jin’s face paled.

“A dress! This is a kimono, you uncultured, heathen bastard!”

“I call it like I see it. It’s. A. Dress.”

“It isn’t a dress!”

“Oh yes, it is.” Vestrick pointed his sword at him. As if on cue, a blazing fireball from the brazier behind him rose up. He gestured again. Jin’s mouth fell open.

Oh, shit.

He just managed to scramble of the way before the fireball smashed into him and when he moved towards the side, he felt the air above him stir as an arrow whizzed past his head. Jin tumbled behind a pillar, panting slightly. This isn’t fair. Not at all. First some dark samurai, now a blue-haired man who can control fire. And who can fight at both short and long ranges. His mind added most helpfully. This hall was covered with braziers… But he couldn’t, couldn’t risk throwing another brazier and getting a bunch of embers after him again. He wasn’t even sure if Vestrick could just conjure a bunch of flames out of thin air. But that man had a dislocated arm. If he could get close to him, close enough to dislocate it again… Oh, that would hurt.

“Hey! Are you coming out!”

Vestrick swore under his breath. Controlling existing flames, even if they did not take much out of him, was still exhausting to a certain degree. He raised his bow and shot at the pillar the girly bastard was currently hiding behind, the arrow hitting it straight on and bouncing off. He was rewarded with a shout of, “I’m behind the pillar, idiot!”

“Stop calling me idiot and get out!” Vestrick bellowed back. Jin breathed deeply. He wanted to end this fight, fast. There would be only one chance. Jin grinned. His long sword and wakizashi sheath clattered onto the ground. Deep breath, now. There was a blur of blue as Jin leapt out from behind his pillar, Vestrick yelled at the same time, “Tajr infelda!” Flames enveloped the air where the blue figure formerly was.

Oh.

Vestrick looked down. Jin grinned back up at him, a painful, nasty grin. The wakizashi flashed and pain shot up Vestrick’s legs as both his ankle tendons were severed with one blow. As his legs collapsed beneath him, he opened his mouth, only to have a fist stuffed into it. Jin dropped down on Vestrick, sitting squarely on the chest of the bigger man. With the fist still in Vestrick’s mouth, he removed Vestrick’s sword and hurled it a few metres away. Vestrick bit down on the fist.

“OW!” The fist did not budge. Vestrick swung his arms. Jin’s legs slammed down onto his elbows.

“Oof.”

“I’ll remove this fist.” Jin said, voice calm and cold. “And you tell me what this deal with the book is.”

Vestrick looked at him. Jin glared. “Or I’ll just sign your name with your own blood onto the book myself, when you’re dead.” Vestrick nodded. Jin removed his fist.

“It grants a wish.”

“And? And?”

“Just that! It grants a wish!”

“What did you do to get here?”

“I drew a glyph –“Jin’s confused face told him everything. “I drew a symbol onto my door. It opened into a stone room. Defeated a giant electric snake in there and walked through the mirror, where I met you. Do you even know what’s going on?”

“No.” Jin’s reply was fast and simple. “I just walked into a house. Next thing I knew, I was fighting for my life against a samurai. Thingy. Walked through the mirror too. Does this book have any limitations on what kind of wish?”

“Shouldn’t be. I don’t think so. At least, it didn’t say.”

A wish.

Which had no limitations.

Jin felt his breath quicken as he stared into Vestrick’s angry green eyes, not really seeing them. His Mother and Father. He was… what, 23 years now? Eight years. It had been eight years. Bringing the dead back was stupid, an unwise thing. In fact, the old legend was often used to warn people about doing such things. He certainly did not want to raise up a rotting corpse of his mother and father both. But eight years. Reincarnation… His mind worked frantically. How long did it take? How long did it take for humans to reincarnate? Factors must be counted in too, how they lived, what they did. He was pretty sure both his mother and father did not do anything wrong or too evil in their lives. He wilted slightly when he remembered his father was a former swordsman. A merc, if he was going to be nasty about it. He would have killed some in his time. It would probably take a longer time for him. Jin batted the thought away. He’d deal with that when he reached that bridge.

‘Hey? Hey?”

“Shut up.” Jin poked Vestrick with a finger as he stared blankly at the pretty Western girl’s face. Reincarnation. Drawing in a deep breath, he forced himself back to the present. “Get up.”

“I can’t, if you hadn’t noticed.” Vestrick’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “In case you haven’t noticed, I can’t stand up exactly, what with you sitting on me and cutting my ankles.”

“Then –“ Jin was about to rise. Then paused. He looked at Vestrick’s hands. “Hm.”

Within moments, Jin was dragging a very, very disgruntled Vestrick with both his gloves stuffed into his mouth. He wasn’t about to take any chances. Jin was walking backwards, hands gripping Vestrick’s arms together as he dragged their slow, steady way towards the statue and the book. Finally, they reached the winged statue. Jin released Vestrick, sat down and passed the paper to him. When Jin released his arms, Vestrick’s hands immediately moved up towards his mouth. Jin lifted up his retrieved knife and pointed it at Vestrick warningly.

“No. You keep that there. Now, just write your name!”

Vestrick looked at him. His expression was angry, hateful even. But he did not move. He just sat there, blood trickling from his ankles and pooling onto the ground and two black gloves stuffed into his mouth. Jin sighed. He wasn’t surprised. He reached out, (Vestrick flinched slightly) and tugged the gloves out of Vestrick’s mouth. The look of surprise was priceless.

“Hey. I don’t like to kill. I will kill. In fact, I make it a must to do so when I was back home. But this book says that you’ll be send home, and I’m guessing that wherever you come from is far, far away from my home. Japan. Ever heard of it?” Vestrick shook his head. “Yeah, thought so. So, I’m not gonna kill you. But, see, this parchment says that the loser has to sign in their own blood. And then they’ll be brought back home. It sounds like a pretty good deal to me, honest. So.” Jin nodded towards the parchment and feather. “Are you going to sign it, or what?”

Vestrick stared at him. Then he laughed. “What’s your wish? I thought you wanted to go home? After I told you there was a wish to be gained… Your whole expression changed.”

Jin hesitated. “I want to find my father and mother.”

“Yeah? What happened?”

“They’re dead.”

Vestrick’s green eyes widened. “You’re not gonna plan to bring them back, aren’t you?”

“Never.” Jin waved an impatient hand. “I’m just gonna find their new bodies. And – and maybe I’ll stay at a distance, take care of them at a distance. They couldn’t be much more than little children. It’s just been eight years.”

“Huh.” Vestrick snorted. “If I did that, I’ll be looking for years. My whole village got annihilated, hey? By some winged man. He’s strong, really strong.” Vestrick’s hands balled into fists. “I’m trying to get stronger. And when that happens, I’ll hunt him down and kill him.”

“Ah. I see. One of those revenge things.” Jin hesitated for a moment. “I never thought about it.” He froze, as the words hit him full force. “I never thought about it before.” Vestrick was watching him with mild interest. Jin shook himself slightly. “Well, I’m not gonna think about that. I already know what I want. Go home, Vestrick. I don’t like to kill.”

Vestrick was watching him. He looked surprisingly cold and calm, very unlike, Jin reflected wearily, the man that he had fought with only just a few moments ago. Then he spoke. “You find your parents. What about my revenge?”

Jin paused. He turned his blade over in his fingers.

“When you sign this thing… it is clearly stated that you are allowed to leave this place, and no further harm will come to you. You will be alive. You still have a chance to look for your killer. Train yourself, gather up an army – “

“You didn’t bother looking for your parent’s killers.” Vestrick interrupted him. He snatched the paper and feather from the ground. Lifting up his thumb, he used the quill to prick his finger. A droplet of bright red blood welled up. “Think about it, you girly bastard.”

Vestrick signed his name with many huffs and sighs, flourishing the quill unnecessarily and finally throwing the parchment at Jin when he finished with it. He spat onto the ground when he finished. “Those gloves, I don’t really want them anymore. Taste just couldn’t get out of my mouth.” Jin stared. He picked up the parchment, looked at the strange red script.

“Sure you didn’t write my name instead?”

“There isn’t a name of your type where I came from, Jin.”

“Huh.” Jin rose, padded over to the statue. He looked up at the hole. And he realized much to his utmost horror that he had to tiptoe – tiptoe to reach the hole. It did not help matters that he heard Vestrick sniggering behind him. He rammed the paper scroll through the hole with much more force than necessary. A loud clanking was heard, as the metal grille behind the statue rose up. At the same time, the door Vestrick came through swung open. Both exchanged looks.

Jin shrugged. Vestrick sat there, waiting patiently.

“Aren’t you going into the damn thing?”

“Screw you.” Jin’s voice was mild and pleasant as he padded towards the archway. There was a soft rustle as Vestrick moved behind him. Jin turned around. Vestrick stopped. Jin grinned. It was a pretty nasty grin. Vestrick froze.

“What –“

A few minutes later, Jin straightened his back. It certainly felt a hell lot safer without having Vestrick conscious and breathing down his neck. Jin wouldn’t put it past Vestrick to attack him when his back was turned. He knew that he himself would do that if he was in Vestrick’s situation.

“Always better to be cautious.” Jin whispered to himself as he looked at Vestrick, currently lying on the floor with a huge bruise blossoming on his forehead in front the doorway which he entered through. Jin had bandaged up the other man's ankles with the purple shawl. “Sorry, though.” Jin spun on his heel lightly, striding towards the archway, gathering up momentum as he did so.

This was gonna be interesting.

And with a faint smile, Jin plunged into the welcoming archway.