4 Jin'ei's Plot

The frost's frigid fingers still clung to the foliage when the four friends set out to retrieve their belongings. The sun had begun to peek over the mountains, but with the gray clouds that blanketed all but a few patches of the sky, it didn't look like it was going to warm up very quickly. It was too cold to snow, so the clouds could only mean rain, if anything at all. With the lack of the morning sunlight, everything appeared drab and discolored, the trees weary and tired from holding up their frozen leaves. It wasn't exactly a great way to start the day.

Misty shivered as the chill air nipped at her legs and arms. If the others felt cold, they seemed to be ignoring it, making her feel a little envious. If she had thought to grab her pack before running off through the forest like a frightened animal, she could have put on a warmer set of clothes. She scolded herself for not being able to keep a clear head under the stress, not so much for forgetting her pack, but for giving way to her fear. She'd been in hazardous situations before, some more dangerous than that, at least when you looked at them from the right perspective.

Ash was caught up in his own thoughts enough that he didn't notice the cold. His hand kept slipping into his pocket, fingering the medallion and wondering what it had to do with the strange turn of events. Even more prevalent in his mind, was the worry that this problem might keep him from his tournament. He couldn't miss it, it was the Bridenbecker's Memorial Cup. No trainer would ever pass up that kind of opportunity.

Brock's thoughts were also about the medallion. It didn't appear to be anything special, but Lotus had reacted to the sight of it so vehemently. What could it be? Was that little trinket what Jin'ei was after? If it was, why did he want it enough to kill for it? Perhaps the Lotus always acted that way. After all, he was more than a little eccentric and he couldn't quite be sure what was going on in the old man's head. He decided to ask.

"Lilly?" he spoke up. "What was the deal with your grandfather?"

Lilly shook her head, her eyes wide with shock. "I don't know," she said. "On rare occasions, he'll get serious about things, but I've never seen him like that before. He looked like he was scared out of his head."

Ash took the medallion from his pocket. It was definitely the medallion that had made Lotus act so strangely. He wondered if it was dangerous and considered throwing it back into the river. The medallion apparently didn't approve of that idea, for the moment the thought entered his mind it grew icy cold. With a surprised gasp, he let it drop from his hand, grabbing a hold of its string before it slipped completely out of his grasp.

Misty saw it and asked, "What about that thing?"

Lilly glanced at the medallion and shrugged. "I've never seen that before, either," she said. "It could be an artifact from before the scourging, which might explain my grandfather's reaction to it."

"Artifact?" Ash asked.

"Scourging?" Misty added to the question.

"The dark age," the magician explained, "when those who practiced magic were hunted down and killed, which is why this isn't a common art any more. Before that time, a lot of powerful magical objects were created. Most of them have been accounted for, but at least twelve of them are still missing. We call those the 'lost artifacts.'"

"And this?" Ash asked, again holding up the medallion.

Again, Lilly only shrugged resignedly. What it was and what it did was beyond her knowledge. Her grandfather might have had an idea about it, but that didn't seem to help them in any way at the moment. They would all just have to wait until he could figure it out. If he actually could.

They came to the clearing where the three friends had set up camp the night before, where what Lotus had said about Jin'ei proved to be correct. The area was completely undisturbed and it was only with some coaxing that Pikachu or Murkrow could be convinced to come anywhere close to it and, even then, they would not go far from their trainers' side.

Brock checked the fire pit first. The fire was out, of course, but strangely, theembers were colder than they should have been and even had bits of frozen moisture clinging to them. Just to be safe, he stirred up the ashes with a shovel anyway, burying them under the dirt. Without wasting any time, he quickly began to gather his camping gear, Ash helping him.

Misty went straight to her backpack, immediately pulling her coat from it and putting it on. She slipped a pair of wool pants on over her shorts, ignoring the slight discomfort in exchange for the warmth. After slipping on a pair of mittens, she, too, went to help the others.

Only with all four of them pushing at once were they able to move the fallen tree enough to get at the tent. It was useless now, its tarp torn and poles snapped. Brock and Ash rolled it up as best they could and put it back in its bag.

"Lilly," Misty asked as Brock made a quick check of everything, "where do your parents live?"

Lilly winced slightly at the question. "They don't," she answered after an uneasy pause.

Misty was about to apologize, but Ash interrupted her.

"Don't what?"

"Live," Lilly replied. "We were in a car crash when I was young and they didn't survive."

Brock stopped loading his pack for a moment and slapped Ash on the shoulder with the back of his hand. Ash glanced at Brock questioningly, and the older boy glared at him with a look of shock.

"I'm sorry," Misty said quickly.

Lilly shook her head. "It's alright," she replied. "I live with my grandfather now, in spite of everything."

"In spite of everything?" Ash asked.

Again, Brock hit Ash on the shoulder, shooting him an even more shocked glare, while Ash's expression was just as blank as the first time.

"My dad and Grandfather didn't get on well. They always shouted at each other, but he was my closest relative, so Dad must have figured it would be easier that way." She slumped down on the stump of the tree that Jin'ei had knocked down and sighed. "Sometimes I think he wouldn't be very happy with me if he were still alive."

"Why not?" Ash asked.

"Dad didn't like magic," she said. "That's why they were always fighting."

Brock's fist landed heavily on the top of Ash's head, bringing tears to the young boy's eyes. With a groan of pain, he grasped at his head, glaring indignantly back at Brock, who returned the look with an expression of utterly stupefied frustration.

"What?" Ash demanded.

Brock threw up his hands in defeat, heaving an irritated sigh as he shoved the last of his gear into his hiking pack. "You dolt," he muttered as he lifted his pack up and strapped it to his back, turning to Lilly with an apologetic glance.

Ash stared, clueless, at Brock, then looked to Misty, who also glared at him coldly, then to Lilly, his eyes begging for some explanation. For a moment, Lilly tried to hold herself back, stifling her chuckle and covering her smile with her hand. The effort became futile and her laughter burst through, Ash's shoulders slumping dejectedly at the sound of it. Putting her hand on her forehead, Lilly stood up and started back toward the cottage.

"So, this Jin'ei guy," Misty asked, changing the subject. "Is he a magician too?"

"Actually, he's an esper," Lilly said.

"What's an esper?" Ash inquired.

The boy glanced quickly at Brock, ready to evade any oncoming blows. When he saw none were coming, he looked back to Lilly for the answer, who again chuckled slightly. Ash's brow furrowed in frustration. Why was she laughing at him?

"An esper is person who has high level psychic abilities," Lilly explained.

"You mean, like Sabrina?" Brock asked, remembering their visit to the Saffron City gym.

Lilly thought for a moment. "Actually," she replied, "I think Sabrina is just an adept. It's very difficult to become an esper or a sorcerer, especially if you try to do it on your own, like Sabrina does. Most people get help from a guild to train."

"Wait a minute," Ash interrupted. "If Jin'ei isn't a sorcerer, why would he want a magical thing?"

"Some of the magical artifacts were made for espers," Lilly explained. "If this really is one of the lost artifacts and the thing Jin'ei is looking for, it makes me wonder exactly what he's thinking. He would be forbidden to use any of the powers that it could possibly give him."
"Pi?" Pikachu said.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, echoing his pokemon's question.

"Jin'ei was thrown out of the order almost four and a half years ago," Lilly went on. "He's not allowed to use his powers. He'd get into serious trouble if the Conclave finds out about this."

Lilly suddenly gasped, stopping mid-step. A terrified expression came to her face as she glanced about nervously. Her friends looked at her curiously and she suddenly shuddered.

"Grandfather's going to be furious," she whispered fearfully. She dropped to her knees and tugged on the brim of her hat. "Oh! I'm in so much trouble now!"

"What's wrong?" Brock asked.

"Promise you won't repeat anything I've said to anyone," she begged, reaching out and clinging to Brock's vest.

"Why not?" queried Ash.

"Because, if you do," Lilly replied, sincere dread filling her voice, "we'll all be in a very wretched situation."

Seeing the complete horror in Lilly's eyes, the other's quickly agreed to the promise. Lilly calmed down a bit, releasing Brock's clothes, but her uneasiness did not ebb, even after she had risen to her feet. She dusted herself off a bit and then sighed.

"So, what's the problem?" Misty queried.

"I've told you too much," Lilly answered. "There are rules against telling people about us. You aren't even supposed to know that I can do real magic."

"Why not?" Ash asked again.

Lilly began to draw circles in the dirt with her boot, avoiding eye contact with her friends. "The Conclave considers it dangerous to tell people who aren't in the orders of magic or psyonics about us. People don't understand what we do and because of that, many fear and hate us. The scourging happened because that fear became so overwhelming that it drove them to hunt us down. They nearly wiped us all out. Ever since then, the Conclave has tried to keep our existence a secret and they're very strict when dealing with those who endanger our order."

"I can understand why they would be," Brock stated. "But, why would telling us be dangerous?"

"Because there are still sorcerer slayers in the world," Lilly explained. "Most people wouldn't believe you if you told them about the last time we met, but if one of the slayers were to hear it, they might be able to find us. Very few people outside the order know about us and those that do are watched carefully."

"Does that mean . . .?" Brock started.

"Yes," Lilly replied. "Ever since the Conclave found out, every guild in the world has been keeping an eye on you when you come to their cities. You've probably met some of us while traveling as well, though they won't have revealed themselves to you."

"You didn't get into trouble, did you?" Misty asked.

Lilly nodded gravely. "I'm currently on a ten year probation. I'm forbidden to use any magic and I will automatically receive five demerits when I'm tested for rank advancement. I'm also held responsible for anything that should happen because of what you say or do. If the Conclave is forced to take action, they will do the same thing to me that they do to you."

"What would they do?" Ash inquired, almost afraid of the answer.

"It all depends on what the council member who is given the decision feels is appropriate," Lilly said. "Judging from similar situations, they would probably be satisfied with having us muted, or something like that."

"That seems a little harsh," Misty remarked.

Lilly laughed, her countenance bordering on hysteria. "That's nothing," she told them. "I'd hope for a punishment like that. It's only because you wouldn't intentionally cause harm that something so merciful would be considered. Under other circumstances, the Conclave has been known to order people driven insane, or even executed. It isn't exactly notorious for leniency."

There was a grim silence as everyone digested the information. Ash swallowed hard, imagining a number of terrible things that could happen. Realizing his danger for the first time, he suddenly felt sick to his stomach and his knees buckled. Misty caught him before he fell and held him steady. For a moment, he allowed her to hold him, then let go and sat down while he tried to find the strength to stand.

"Why would you want to have such cruel leaders?" Brock demanded. "If someone purposefully tried to hurt you, I'd understand, but that's just nuts."

Lilly winced at Brock's harsh words. "It's not really as bad as I made it sound," she admitted. "The Conclave isn't cruel, they're just strict is all. They would only do something like that if it was absolutely necessary and, since your children, they would probably decide that you would only have to suffer the punishment for a year or so and then let you off with a warning. They don't enjoy doing those kinds of things, but their first concern must be for the safety of the order. In fact, the current leader of the Order of Sorcery got his position because his predecessor killed himself out of guilt for what he had been forced to do."

Ash, finally finding the strength in his legs, rose to his feet, accepting Brock's help. "Well," he nervously remarked, "Given the choice, I think I'll keep this to myself."

The others agreed with the sentiment. Lilly smiled, but her eyes still held an edge of worry in them. With another sigh, she turned around and started back to her home.

"Let's get home," she said. "It's time for lunch."

---

It was around four o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was finally beginning to peek out through the clouds, though it was just about to set and there would not be enough time for the day to warm up. The dreary day didn't seem to bother the wild pokemon gathered around a spring, however. They casually huddled around it, drinking its cool water without so much as a thought about the chill air. They could handle the cold. They knew how to survive, even if the forest around them were assaulted by a blizzard. This time, however, the blizzard seemed to be on the inside.

They had never experienced this unnatural cold before. They glanced about nervously, searching for the source of their discomfort and shied away from the spring, fur standing on end. They couldn't see it, but some evil was fast approaching, and this strange enemy continued to drain the warmth from their bodies. One by one, the animals darted from the area in panic.

Moments later, Jin'ei materialized in a flash of light, standing in the water at the edge of the spring, swishing out his new cape with a ridiculous and unnecessary flair and letting his hand come to rest on the rapier that now hung from his belt.

Rogers had spent a few hours that morning sharpening the blade and cleaning away the dust it had gathered. Now, his weapon was at its best, just as he was, and ready for use in battle. He didn't actually expected to use it, but it looked good and would make for an interesting conversation piece when he went out from now on. Not to say he couldn't use it; Rogers had taught him the finer points of fencing when he was young and if the need arose, he could defend himself well enough. Mostly, however, it was bravado.

Jin'ei was so pleased with himself and his great plan that he didn't notice that his feet were cold until the water seeped through his shoes. He opened his eyes, glancing down and finally realizing where he had landed. With an exclamation of disgust, he leapt from the water, his back thudding against a tree. He inspected his footwear with a frustrated groan and shuddered at the sight of the filth, cursing his poor aim.

After taking a moment to shake the wetness from his feet, he began to absorb the details of his surroundings. Near the spring, he saw an oak tree with a split trunk, just as he had hoped to find. He had spent the earlier portion of the day reading his old books and studying maps, trying to locate the person would solve his problems for him. Supposing that his sources were correct, he would find him soon and then that doddering old fool would regret that he crossed paths with Artemis Jin'ei.

Little was known about the man who referred to himself as Lupus, the hunter. There were numerous speculations as to how he had been killing for the past two millennia, ranging from the plausible to the bizarre. Some sorcerers believed that the hunter was invincible, that he could take blow after blow and feel no pain, pushing forward until he had completed his kill. Others thought he was a monster, some horrible demon summoned or created by magic experiments gone terribly awry. The most likely theory, however, was that the name, "Lupus," was simply passed down from generation to generation to instill fear into the minds of his victims. Whatever the case was, one thing was certain; once Lupus set his sights on a target, there was no escape. It was that fact that interested Jin'ei.

He marched on through the forest, trying to locate the hidden cave where Lupus dwelled. Many sorcerers had also tried to find the slayer, hopping to catch him unaware in his home. Those who returned had never found him. He liked the reputation that this slayer had.

He didn't care much for the cold air, however. Or the trees, or the mud or anything else that made nature different from civilization. Why someone would want to live in such a place was beyond his ability to understand. With the annoying insects and animals, the dirt everywhere, the freezing winters and hot summers, he would just as soon tongue a snake as make his home in the forest. A revolted groan escaped him as he again thought about his soiled shoes. He thoroughly regretted that he had been wearing one of his better pairs. It would take him months to find another pair of such quality and most likely cost him a great deal of money. Again he cursed himself for his poor aim.

Where was it? The cave should have been close. His two minutes in the dirty outdoors had already worn down his patience. Only the thought of his goal allowed him to continue, but he was beginning to feel that he would rather deal with the problem personally then spend another minute in the filth of nature.

The path suddenly came to sharp incline, too steep to climb safely. He followed the cliff wall in search of an easier path, muttering angry curses under his breath as he brushed aside the numerous tree branches that hung out in his path.

An angry growl caught his attention, his hand moving to the hilt of his blade. Turning around slowly, he faced the houndour. The dog pokemon advanced on him menacingly, its teeth bared and its ears held rigid and defensive. He backed away from it, his hand instinctually moving toward the rapier that hung from his belt. There were several more warning growls as the rest of the pack came into sight. Despite his loathing of the animals, he was pleased to see them. It meant that everything was going as he had planned.

He continued to back away from the wild dogs until he came upon the cave, a large opening in the rock draped over with vines of ivy. Grinning in exhilaration, he began to slowly approach the opening. Before he was able to reach it, another houndour leapt down from its resting-place above the entrance. It barked furiously at him, staring him down with its ruthless, fiery gaze.

Jin'ei swallowed hard. Even though that particular dog was smaller than the others, it had a much more aggressive attitude. He wouldn't be able to get near the cave unless he could get passed it and it wasn't going to let him go by so easily. He could have used his psychic powers to fight it off simple enough, but he was sure that the slayer had some fetish for the foul beasts and he didn't want to get on the bad side of someone as dangerous as Lupus. He cleared his throat and then spoke loudly enough that anyone in the cave would be able to hear him.

"I wish speak to your master," he said. "Where is Lupus?"

The houndour growled and continued to advance toward him. For a moment, Jin'ei wondered if he had really found the right place. Fear crept into his mind as the wild dog hunched back, preparing to attack.

"Hold, Dokoto," came a brusque voice from within the cave. "Let him approach."

The dog stopped, looking back toward the cave questioningly. Again the voice ordered it to move aside. With a final disapproving snarl, it stepped away from the entrance and sat down, never once taking its eyes off the intruder.

"Enter."

Swallowing the lump of fear in his throat, Jin'ei walked slowly toward the mouth of the cave, eyeing the dog suspiciously. He stopped just outside the cave and stared through the mess of vines into the darkness.

"Come closer," the voice ordered.

Jin'ei took a deep breath to calm himself and moved forward into the blackness, pushing aside the botanical veil. The light from outside dimmed the further he went until he couldn't see more than a few inches in front of his face.

"I am Lupus," he heard to the left of him. "What do you want?"

Jin'ei turned in the direction of the voice. "I can't see you," he said.

Lupus laughed cynically. "That's alright," he replied. "I can see you."

Jin'ei gasped softly, his hand once again closing on his rapier. "That's rather disturbing."

Again, Lupus laughed at him, a hollow, mirthless laugh that unnerved the esper. "Well," he prompted, "speak your business quickly."

Jin'ei took a step back, scowling at the slayer's impertinence. He took a moment to concentrate, forcing his aura to glow, softly at first, but gradually increasing in intensity until it illuminated the entire cave. In the lavender glow of his energy, he laid eyes on the legendary sorcerer slayer for the first time.

Sitting on one knee and leaning against the wall, Lupus glared at him, a long, curved sword grasped firmly in his small hands. Dressed in a fur cowl, leather hide clothing and almost knee length boots, his nomadic appearance made Jin'ei frown disapprovingly. His arms and head were wrapped in strips of bandage-like cloth and the collar of his cloak was drawn tight over his lower jaw, a long black scarf hanging about his shoulders. Not a single part of his body was visible.

Jin'ei could understand the cover, though; he would've wrapped himself up like a mummy, too, if he had been so grotesquely deformed. His flat nose and oddly shaped jaws jutted outward and his forehead was too small and sloped forward at an almost unnoticeable angle. Pressed against his head by the bandages, Jin'ei couldn't make out the exact shape of his ears, though they were clearly too far up on his head.

It was the slayer's green eyes that were most discomforting, however. His sharp, unblinking glare had an inhuman quality to it, like a wolf staring down its prey. Under the ever-wary scrutiny of those forest colored orbs, Jin'ei suddenly felt small and helpless.

Sweat began to trickle down the back of his head. He smiled, forcing himself to maintain his confident appearance. The grip on his rapier slowly released and he cleared his throat.

"Greetings, sorcerer slayer," he said, bowing low with feigned graciousness. "I am Artemis Jin'ei."

"I don't care what your name is," Lupus growled impatiently. "Speak your business. And step back, you reek of fear."

Jin'ei started, unconsciously backing away. The slayer sneered at him with his eyes, pleased that he had so easily established his dominance of the situation. Jin'ei grimaced indignantly, upset that he had displayed weakness and angry at the effrontery he was being shown.

"Speak," Lupus barked. "I grow tired of looking at you."

Jin'ei snorted. "I've come to ask for your assistance," he said, trying hard to mask the anger in his voice. "I have found a very skilled sorcerer. He is too much for me, but I'm sure one of your skill should be able to kill him. He lives in a small cottage thirty miles east of Blackthorn City." Jin'ei reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a roll of ten thousand yen bills, throwing it at the feet of the slayer. "Consider that a down payment. I can pay four times that much when you complete the job."

He waited for Lupus to reply, forcing himself to remain patient. The slayer remained motionless, looking at the money indifferently for a long time. Finally, Lupus rose to his feet. As he reached for the wad of cash, Jin'ei noticed that the slayer couldn't bend his thumb normally and had difficulty grasping it. With an angry grunt, Lupus threw it back to Jin'ei. He approached him slowly and threateningly.

"Keep your money," he said. "I have no need for it and, besides," he put his face so close to Jin'ei's that the esper could feel his breath, "I don't like your attitude."

He began to walk toward the cave entrance. Jin'ei glared at him for a second, his rage building up.

"How dare you . . ." he started to shout, but the words stuck in his throat.

Lupus turned around slowly, glaring at him questioningly. There was no emotion in his eyes, no hint of anger in his expression or his posture, yet Jin'ei felt terrified of that cold stare. It was empty, heartless; possessed by a single-mindedness that existed beyond the ideas of good or evil, driven neither by desire, nor need. He saw nothing in the slayer's eyes, nothing but the capability for murder and the memories of an undying hatred, which had, itself, faded out of existence. With a frightened gasp, he stumbled backward and tripped over a large stone, tumbling painfully to the ground. Satisfied, Lupus turned back and brushed aside the vines, looking out into the brightness. Jin'ei rose to his feet and followed him out of the cave.

"Thirty miles east of Blackthorn, you say?" he asked.

"That's right," Jin'ei answered.

Lupus took another step and looked up at the sky, considering the distance. Dokoto moved beside him and he scratched the dog behind the ears.

"Three hours," he said finally. "Tonight, the sun will set on a sorcerer's life."

Jin'ei's eyebrows popped up in confusion. "How will you get there?"

"Run," Lupus replied, as though it the answer should have been obvious.

"But it's almost sixty miles," Jin'ei stuttered.

Lupus thought for another moment. "Three hours," he concluded. "I could probably make it in one hour, but my companion has to keep up." He turned to his cave and spoke to the pack. "I will be back late tonight. Do not let anyone near our home while I am away. And you," he added to Jin'ei, "I don't want you here either."

Jin'ei nodded easily. It wasn't as if he had been intent on staying anyway.

Lupus took another step forward, then threw back his head and let loose a howl so savage it couldn't possibly have been human. The rest of the pack joined in the feral chorus, sending a chill up Jin'ei's spine. One by one, the dogs ceased their cries until only Lupus was left, continuing until his howl slowly faded. Without another word, the slayer and his companion bolted into the forest and disappeared in the distance.

Jin'ei remained motionless for a moment, staring with wide, horror-filled eyes, amazed by the inhuman speed with which the slayer moved.

"What the hell is he?" he wondered.

Suddenly, the other houndour began to bark at him fiercely. Jolted out of his thoughts, he darted away in panic. He stopped a safe distance away and looked back at the cave. He shuddered with pure dread. He had never felt such fear before, not under any circumstances. But that was good, he realized. If the hunter could make him afraid, then the sorcerer wouldn't stand a chance.

Smiling, he concentrated on his home and then was gone without a trace.

Author's Note: Now we're starting to see some real changes from the original draft. I'm most interested to know how Lupus comes across to people in this scene, so, for those of you who read this, please write a review and tell me what you think about Lupus's character at this point. If you've already read the first draft, tell me how/if it differs from the original.

Thank you.