Raven's Quest

by Karen Hayes-Baker

  “Are you sure of your sister’s whereabouts? We do not want to put her at risk or that of my loot come to think of it,” Thom finished his mind returning to the lovely girl he had tried unsuccessfully to cast from his dreams.

  Hayato turned to Jun who reported what he had learned from the Westlander introduced to him as Stefan.

  “She held in bartizan off East tower along with your treasure,” Karasu related with a bitter edge knowing what he said to be a lie. Lying to the pirate satisfied him. He could not help himself. More and more, he realised, his irrational dislike of the Kapitan had more to do with his jealousy of him made worse by his brother’s intimation of Mizuki’s regard for the pirate. “Entrance from great hall. Jun knows way. Your bombardment not touch this part of castle if possible. If not possible we cannot proceed as you plan.”

  “Oh it can be done. The castle is huge. We will concentrate our firing to the northern wing. From memory tis quite prominent. Its demolition will give Kurohoshi enough to keep him busy and if we create a further diversion in the city then his soldiers will be preoccupied with a panic stricken population. Added to the volcano they will not know what has hit them. They will think themselves under assault from their Gods,” Thom replied with a cruel sneer that made Karasu’s skin crawl.

  “But there innocent men and women. Children may die,” he protested in a small voice. Thom shrugged.

  “The necessary sacrifice of war,” the Kapitan answered, “Think what has been done to your own people. They were innocent too.”

  “But that done by soldiers not by these people.”

  “Karasu?” Hayato interrupted awaiting his translation. Karasu dithered watching the Kapitan and his First Mate, phased by their indifferent willingness to kill and not even for a cause they necessarily believed in. It further convinced him of Devlin’s profligate depravity; of his desire for merely profit and his wicked enjoyment of the suffering of his fellow man. He chose, conveniently to forget the compassion shown to the dead mother and child, the saving of his own life. Instead he dwelt only upon the murder of two soldiers and the now proposed razing of a city. He reluctantly recounted the Kapitan’s words to his brother and the Samurai and was dismayed to see their happy collusion.

  Hayato grinned broadly and nodded with conspiratorial approval. Furuki lifted his saki glass in toast and Hiraiwa stood rapidly and offered Devlin his hand calling him a noble brother in his own tongue. Karasu did not have the heart to translate. Instead as food was brought to the table, he drifted away to stand alone on the foredeck staring at the nebulous shadow overhanging the distant mountain and thought how well its sombre darkness fitted the hellish fate of the city beneath it.

  An hour later, as a breeze picked up from the sea rushing landwards and thunder clouds formed on the mountaintops promising the afternoon deluge that had been missing for the past few days, he was joined by Aledd. The big, sandy haired man leaned on the rails and followed his gaze to the north.

  “Tis a foreboding sight is it not?” he said by way of opening conversation, although he did not wait for an answer. “We saw an eruption like this in the Southern sea a few years back. It went on for weeks. We ploughed back and forth looking for Imperial merchantmen and the like and still the smoke bellowed from the mountain’s belly. I have little understanding of such phenomena but I know they kill and they can kill more than man can.

  “You think the Kapitan heartless and greedy. You think he is only interested in profit. Let me tell you a story. He is a young man. Twenty four, nearly twenty five. I forget exactly. When we first set out upon this voyage we encountered a small row boat full of sailors. They were from Iberija. Their ship had been sunk by an Imperial Battleship and they were the only survivors. There had been a few skirmishes at the time between the Vitric Empire and Iberija.

  The sailors had been left to die of starvation and thirst in their little boat. We found them five days later, drifting helplessly in the Great Ocean, half dead and burned to a crisp by the sun. The Kapitan gave the order to take them aboard the Rose. He gave up his cabin for the worst of them and set our medic to care for them. He slept upon the floor of the men’s quarters, not wanting to deprive any of their bed, though in truth he should have. You know he is the son of our leader, of the Queen?

  “Whatever, when the sailors were recovered he risked all our lives to put them ashore, not somewhere remote, but right in the harbour at The Narrows, the Iberijan fleet are anchored there.

  “So you see. He is a brave and honourable man, although a little too reckless at times, but that comes from youth and his conviction of invincibility. You think he takes life lightly, but tis not so. You think he comes with you only for the treasure. This may be true, but I doubt it. He is not ruled by material wealth, but you must know this. We are not this far from our people at the whim of a rich boy’s fancy. This is his passage to manhood. If he returned to the clans with nothing they would see only a failure, one not worthy of ultimately ruling them after his mother.

  “For two years we have plundered as you put it, but if we do not retrieve our loot, we cannot go home, not without him losing the respect of his people and his crew. So you see he has little choice. Do not hate him for the role fate has thrown him.” Aledd finished his rare monologue and straightened, stretching his back. Then he walked away without another word leaving Karasu even more confused about his feelings towards his foreign companions than ever.

  THIRTY-SIX

  The old hag shuffled around the cave muttering to herself and jibbering some words that held no meaning for the imprisoned girl cowering in the pit. Mizuki feared the witch more than anything else she had hitherto experienced. There was something tangibly maleficent and utterly vile about the creature that her very presence made hope wither and die before it could even find root, let alone blossom. Mizuki shuddered violently as she listened to the soft cachinnations and garbled chanting of verses above. Every so often the witch would cast an eye into the pit; opalescent, milky white orbs that filled the girl with skin crawling fear.

  “Soon my pretty, soon you will be his and the seed of Akuma will grow within your belly,” the witch crowed and laughed loudly before shambling out of sight again rambling to herself.

  Mizuki heard a wild chanting and the rattle of what sounded like dice or bones in a cup, a scratching of nails upon glass and then a soft muttering and a girlish giggle. A scraping noise as if furniture was being dragged and rearranged and through the thin light that filtered into the cave from outside and the flickering of yellow torchlight, shadows danced upon the roof above, looming hideously grotesque. Mizuki covered her eyes with her hands and sat in her pit quivering with terror. The smell of the old woman pervaded the cave and made the girl feel sick, more so, as it mixed with the sulphurous odour that had become more evident since her incarceration.

  “Dear Kami please help me,” Mizuki whispered to herself.

  “They will not hear you in here. This is his place,” the witch called back shocking the girl. She cannot have heard.

  “Evil Majo!” Mizuki screamed suddenly filled with rage, although she shook from head to foot with fear not anger. Harsh, cruel laughter answered her cry and shuffling footsteps returned to the rim of the pit. The girl looked up into the pale eyes of the harridan.

  “You should not sound so disgusted my dear. You look upon your own fate. Soon you too will be his and you too will become Majo. It is your destiny just as it was mine, so gaze at me and weep. I too was young and beautiful, but Akuma cares nothing for such worldly vanities. One day you will wither and bend just as I have, but you will be the chosen one, the bearer of his glorious offspring. You will give him what I could not. A way back into the world. You should be honoured,” the woman said with a sneer.

  “I would rather die!” Mizuki shouted back vehemently her passion now greater than her dread.

  “No, you will not do that. He needs you. You should rest now, though your spiritedness is heartening. Tonight Kurohoshi comes to join you. Wh
en you are joined as man and woman then Akuma will take my son’s place. I look forward to presiding over your deflowering,” the witch added with a gleeful cackle and turned away.

  “Come back you evil hag!” Mizuki cried feeling suddenly deprived and needing something to vent her spleen upon. She knew too well when the anger died the paralysing fear would return and she fought to retain her ire, but as the old woman’s footsteps faded into the echoing distance so did the girl’s rage. Once more the cold wrapped itself around Mizuki’s heart. She looked around the pit and resolved that she would kill herself rather than become a slave of the Devil. She stared at the bucket of water and wondered whether she was brave enough to drown herself in it. Would her desire for life ultimately prove too strong? It was one thing to plunge a knife into one’s guts. That took only one reckless act of daring and afterwards, if courage failed, it was too late, the deed done. But to hold one’s head under water for the time required to drown required a determination that Mizuki was not sure she had. She shivered again and stared at the bucket and she pledged an oath to herself that if no one came to save her she must save her own soul.

  She sat down on the straw and sought her brother. She needed his comforting company now. But as she closed her eyes and cast her mind forth into the world beyond a tremendous growling rumble hammered through her chest, the ground shook and the stench of sulphur filled the cave and made her retch. The rumble grew to a deafening roar followed by a series of thunderous explosions that caused the girl to clap her hands to her ears with a cry of pain. The ground heaved and bucked throwing her across the pit with terrifying violence. Mizuki hit her head hard upon the wall and fell backwards dazed. Still the world convulsed and the air reverberated with crashing fulminations and just before she passed into unconsciousness she thought she saw several pairs of baleful red eyes squinting down upon her through the dark and the dust.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  The Orca had resumed her passage toward Hana-Shi-Ku when the mountain above the city suddenly ejected a black, dense plume of ash and rock skywards with ear-splitting explosive force. On the bridge Thom and Aledd dropped instinctively to their hands and knees and covered their heads. One booming detonation followed another and all around the ship the sea danced with fish leaping from its surface as if fleeing an unseen predator. After five minutes the explosions merged into one continuous rolling thunder that never abated, but growled with destructive menace. The men on board the frigate slowly gathered their nerves and rose from their cowering positions to stare landwards and to where the city lay.

  “Holy Solei!” Thom gasped as he stared towards Hana-Shi-Ku. Aledd stood speechless his mouth agape and the helmsman prayed audibly. Another body ran to join them. It was Hiraiwa closely followed by an ashen faced Karasu. All four men gazed awestruck at the volcano before them, smitten dumb by the astoundingly terrible sight.

  “Mizuki!” Karasu muttered quietly his eyes glistening with tears and he pushed his mind out to reach her, but he found nothing, the void between them was empty and dead. The ronin turned to Devlin catching his eye with a look of such piteous dread that the Kapitan felt his heart miss a beat and his blood run cold. Without hesitation Thom ran to the helm and rang below for full speed. He pushed the pirate at the wheel away and he altered course directly towards the city beneath the billowing mushroom cloud.

  “Hell Thom, are you bloody mad?” Aledd cried over the din.

  “We need to get there before nightfall now my friend. There is no time to lose,” Thom returned his eyes alight with a fevered determination.

  “But the volcano! It will surely kill us all. Think man! Forget the loot. We can get more. Tis not worth risking our lives for,” Aledd reasoned thinking that Devlin had taken leave of his senses.

  “To hell with the loot! That is not why we must get there. We have to get the girl Dafidd,” Thom shouted back.

  “What? No bleedin’ way man! I cannot let you kill us all,” Aledd cried, astounded. He decided there and then that he was willing to commit mutiny. He made to lunge at the wheel when the tip of a curved sword caught his under his chin.

  “No Mr Aledd. We not turn and flee. You not interfere if you want to live,” Karasu said and bowed his head a little apologetically. He did not remove the blade from the First Mate’s throat.

  Thom felt a stab of remorse. He understood Aledd’s fears, in fact he shared them, but he was saddened that his First Mate had seen fit to enact mutiny and was glad but also surprised at the ronin’s intervention.

  “I’m sorry Dafidd, but I will not change my mind. If you want to mutiny then jump overboard. Tis not far to the shore, I am sure you will make it unscathed, but do not try and stop me again or it will not be our priest friend that holds you at sword point, but myself that slices your guts apart.

  “I understand your fear, but look at the volcano. See how the wind is blowing the cloud landwards. We are not in so grave a danger as you think, and yon eruption will aid our plan. I have no doubt that chaos and panic reign in the streets of Hana-Shi-Ku. Add to that our bombardment and our task is made easy.

  “Come my friend, do not desert me now. We may still salvage our treasure yet. What do you say? Has my brave levtenant lost his heart for adventure?” Thom finished with a smile.

  Aledd gazed at him for a moment flicking his eyes momentarily to the volcano and then back. It was true, the monstrous cloud thundered high into the upper reaches of the atmosphere and at its climax it bent landwards spreading into an anvil whose flat face drifted north westwards. For a long time the big man said nothing while he thought through his Kapitan’s words and wondered whether the lad had the courage to plunge the sword into his neck. He knew that Devlin was not joking with the threat to kill him. The Kapitan would do it, but would the priest? He squinted at Devlin and saw the arrogant smile curl his lips.

  “Trust me,” Thom shouted and for some inexplicable reason Aledd did. He could not say why. All of his instincts cried out to run in the opposite direction, told him that his Kapitan had just signed his death warrant, but still his heart quickened its beat in excited anticipation as he became infected by Devlin’s lunacy.

  “I must be bleedin’ mad,” he muttered and returned the grin.

  “Prepare the port and for’ard guns then Mr Aledd,” Thom ordered and as Karasu lowered his sword the First Mate touched his forelock in salute and hurried to gather his gun crew. This was insane he knew, but now his fear had been replaced by reckless fervour and he rallied the men ready for action.

  “Thank you Karasu. I think, perhaps, now we are even. Tell me though. Would you have gone through with it if he had not listened? Would you have cut his throat?” Thom asked the ronin without taking his eyes from his destination. The plinian eruption fascinated him. He was sure he could see dark and twisted faces within its boiling mass and vaguely contemplated that it was like watching for pictures in the burning embers of a fire. Every now and then lightening ripped through the ash cloud brightening the black into dull ochre yellow.

  “I do not know. I not think my actions through. If honest I glad he obeyed you,” Karasu replied, the relief in his voice obvious.

  “Hmm. So am I mate. Because if you had killed him then I would have had to kill you,” Thom flicked a smiling glance at the young man, noted the expression of alarm and felt better for it. “We will be within range in a half hour. You and General Hiraiwa may wish to prepare whoever is coming ashore and let your brother know,” he suggested and laughed softly to himself as Karasu and the Second Samurai disappeared from the bridge and as he reflected upon the madness of what he planned.

  The citizens of Hana-Shi-Ku would not have shared Thom Devlin’s optimism with respect to their safety even if they had any inkling of it. The day had become night. The tenebrous light requiring torches to be lit in the middle of the summer afternoon. The towering column of gas, ash and other ejecta cast the city into premature darkness, robbing the day of its warmth as it did so. The steady fall of light and fluffy ash
that had plagued Hana-Shi-Ku with its irksome insidious dust, but which in reality had been little more than an inconvenience, had been replaced by the clattering of pumice and other occasional larger and more deadly missiles.

  Overhead lightening flickered and crackled as the static electricity accumulated in the hot ejection and billions of minute particles rubbed and jostled one another and discharged. The city beneath jigged and danced in strange monochromic strobe flashes, terrifying the people and animals into panic. Tremors added further to their misery, collapsing buildings already weakened by previous earthquakes and sending deadly debris crashing down upon the fleeing citizens who struggled to escape through choking sulphurous fumes, swirling ash and a barrage of pumiceous rock.

  Countless numbers fled to the harbour in search of a boat and an escape to sea, but most vessels had already gone, taken by their cowardly owners before the masses could seek refuge. Others fought their way through the clogged streets towards the city gates only to find their way barred by soldiers following the ridiculous orders of Lord Kurohoshi and preventing the exodus of their own people, preventing their flight to safety.

  A further blast of titanic proportions sent people to their knees and the volcano disgorged fresh ash, denser than ever that cast Hana-Shi-Ku into total, absolute darkness. The citizens were blinded, they walked with arms outstretched and then covering their heads to protect themselves from the falling debris. Hot pyroclasts fell upon wooden roofs and timber framed houses setting alight a good portion of the town. Where the fires raged people ran screaming, certain that Hell had descended upon them. They cried to their Kami for deliverance, but their screams could not be heard above the roar of the mountain above. Ash began to fall ever more heavily and people had to stop and shake themselves to remove it, choking and coughing as it seeped into their lungs. By the time the Orca was within range of her target the desperate citizens of Hana-Shi-Ku had retreated into those buildings still standing and not burning and they cowered together in huddles, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers together with complete strangers. They huddled together and they prayed.