Young Samurai: The Ring of Wind

by Chris Bradford

  The afternoon passed slowly in mournful silence. Although Cheng had never truly been a part of their group, his kindness and courageous interventions had saved their lives on a number of occasions and they each grieved over his loss. Jack had become used to the pirate boy’s gentle presence and would deeply miss him.

  ‘Not having arrived at the Yellow River, the heart is not dead,’ murmured Yori. ‘I must remember to tell Sensei Yamada that. It’s a good life lesson …’

  ‘And one we should heed now,’ said Jack. ‘Our journey isn’t over. Remember, where there are friends, there’s hope.’

  Yori managed a brave smile at their shared saying. But it immediately faded as a brutish guard opened the door.

  ‘Next,’ he grunted, shoving a scrubbed and cleaned Saburo back into the room.

  Having eaten, bathed and changed into a fresh kimono, Jack felt revived and was ready to face the challenges ahead. Between them, they’d agreed a plan to bide their time and observe the Wind Demons in their lair. They would study the pirates’ defences for weaknesses, use stealth to acquire weapons and provisions for the necessary sea voyage, and keep an eye out for a suitable boat to steal. Having travelled to Pirate Island in the dark of night, they also needed to discover their approximate location in the Seto Sea. Only then could they hope to make a realistic escape from the isolated isle.

  The door opened. ‘Follow me, gaijin,’ ordered the guard gruffly.

  Leaving his friends in the room, Jack was led on to the balcony. With the sun setting behind the citadel, the crater below had fallen into shadow. Torches were lit along the walkways, their flames looking like burning lava against the cliff walls. But it was the lagoon itself that bizarrely gave off the greatest light. The waters sparkled luminescent blue, swirling in dotted fans of light as if an entire galaxy of stars had dropped into the sea. The vision was truly magical and for a moment Jack could only stare in wonder.

  ‘Sea fireflies,’ said a voice from behind.

  Jack turned to see a girl with short black hair, almond eyes and thin delicate lips. She wore a silk Chinese blouse of jade green, with a matching skirt embroidered with silver clouds.

  ‘That’s what Tatsumaki told me.’

  Jack did a double take. ‘Is that you, Cheng?’

  The girl nodded, then bowed. ‘Li Ling is my real name.’

  ‘We thought … you were dead …’ he said, flustered. ‘And a boy!’

  Li Ling smiled apologetically. ‘I’m sorry to have deceived you, but I couldn’t risk telling anyone. Tatsumaki, though, saw straight through my disguise.’

  ‘But why pretend in the first place?’ asked Jack, getting over his initial shock.

  ‘I got the idea from Hua Mulan,’ Li Ling explained. When she saw that Jack had no idea whom she was talking about, she continued, ‘Mulan was eighteen when she joined the army disguised as a man. She fought for the Emperor for over ten years to become the greatest female warrior in China. We still sing of her exploits in the Ballad of Mulan. I wanted to be just like her – but as a pirate. And the Wind Demons would never have let me join their crew if they knew I was a girl.’

  ‘How wrong you were,’ said Tatsumaki, appearing from behind a billowing curtain. The Pirate Queen was robed in an ankle-length dress of red silk brocade, a golden Chinese dragon shimmering from the lower hem to the tip of her mandarin collar. ‘Now you know that girls make the greatest pirates of all.’

  36

  Octopus

  ‘Boasting as always!’ bellowed a voice thick as tar. A large barrel-chested pirate with heavy jowls and bloodshot eyes limped towards them from the direction of the citadel gate. He carried a vicious-looking trident, which doubled as a walking stick, its wooden end thunking loudly on the deck with each step.

  ‘Captain Kujira, I’m so glad you could join us,’ said Tatsumaki. ‘This here is Li Ling, a promising new recruit; and Jack Fletcher, the gaijin samurai, who needs no further introduction.’

  The pirate captain offered Jack a stiff bow, while studying Li Ling out of the corner of his eye.

  ‘Another girl determined to follow in your footsteps,’ he smirked, directing his comment at Tatsumaki. ‘I hope she knows what she’s letting herself in for.’

  ‘Feeling threatened, are we?’ interjected another female voice.

  A pirate woman of Amazonian build strode over. Dressed in a long flowing robe of deep-blue velvet decorated with white curls of cresting waves, she seemed to part the very air as she walked. Beneath her robe Jack glimpsed a bodysuit of black leather armour, and crossed in her belt were a pair of sai – dagger-shaped shafts of steel with two curved prongs projecting menacingly from their handles. The woman’s dark hair was tied back by a pure white bandanna with the red emblem of a shark’s fin stamped at its centre. Several bands of gleaming gold encircled her muscular biceps. But most distinctive about the pirate woman’s appearance were her black-painted fingernails, which had been sharpened into points, making her fingers look like talons.

  ‘I’m Captain Wanizame of the pirate ship Great White,’ she declared.

  Jack found himself compelled to bow. What the captain lacked in natural beauty compared to Tatsumaki, she more than made up for by her domineering presence.

  ‘Me, feel threatened? Never,’ snapped Captain Kujira, making himself stand a little taller. ‘Always delighted to have more female company.’

  At that moment, Captain Kurogumo made an appearance. He entered with a tall man of yellow complexion. Armed with a slim blade in an emerald-green saya, the man wore a simple olive-coloured kimono of glistening silk. He had a narrow, elongated skull and a thin nose that was little more than a pair of nostrils. Having paid his respects to Tatsumaki and the other pirate captains, he turned to Jack and introduced himself.

  ‘Captain Hebi of the Jade Serpent,’ he said, his voice slick and sibilant like a snake sliding through grass. The unnerving impression sent a cold shudder down Jack’s spine. ‘So you’re our guide to the treasure of the world’s oceans?’ he continued, his tongue flickering along his lips. ‘I’m fascinated about what lies on the far side of these seas.’

  Mesmerized by the pirate’s dark piercing eyes, Jack felt his mouth go dry and his limbs grow heavy.

  ‘Captain Hebi, you’ll have more than enough time to question Jack later,’ interrupted Tatsumaki. ‘Let’s attend to more civilized matters first.’

  The Pirate Queen clapped her hands and two servants parted curtains to reveal a long, low table set for dinner. Lanterns lit the open-air room and incense burned to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Bowls of steaming white rice were interspersed with plates of exotic fish, their flesh forming a rainbow of colours – white, yellow, pink, red and black.

  Tatsumaki invited them all to sit. Jack took his place between the hefty Captain Kujira and his captor Captain Kurogumo. As they settled down on their cushions, the servants poured out fresh water and cups of hot saké.

  ‘Itadakimasu,’ proclaimed the Pirate Queen, raising her cup. ‘We thank the Seto Sea for all she provides … and the trading ships for all she doesn’t!’

  ‘Itadakimasu!’ the captains responded heartily, lifting their cups too.

  Picking up their hashi, they began to feast upon the banquet before them. They were not long into the meal when there came a screeching from behind. Saru’s red face bobbed out from a window and she scampered over to leap on to Jack’s shoulder. The monkey started cooing gently in his ear and grooming his hair again. The pirate captains laughed at the touching display of affection.

  ‘I’ve never seen Saru so fond of a stranger,’ said Captain Kujira, popping a red slice of tuna in his mouth.

  ‘Ow!’ cried Jack as Saru tugged at a lock of his hair. He tried to push the troublesome creature away. ‘Will you leave me alone?’

  ‘Think yourself lucky,’ remarked Captain Wanizame. ‘She usually claws prisoners’ eyes out.’

  Jack immediately stopped grappling with the monkey, fearful of such a vicious reprisal, and s
urrendered to her hair pulling. But every time he brought a lump of fish or rice to his mouth Saru went wild and flailed her skinny arms.

  ‘She’s hungry. Give her this,’ said Tatsumaki, passing Jack a small plum.

  Saru took the fruit from Jack and examined it carefully. She then dunked it in Jack’s cup before popping it in her mouth. Jack was astonished.

  ‘Snow monkeys are highly intelligent,’ Tatsumaki informed him. ‘Not only does Saru clean her food before eating but she loves to bathe in hot springs, just like us.’

  ‘I didn’t know there were springs on this island,’ remarked Captain Kujira.

  ‘No, there aren’t. That’s why Saru uses the ofuro next to Jack’s room.’

  Jack almost choked on his rice at the thought of having shared a bathtub with the monkey. He caught the sly grin on Tatsumaki’s face and wondered if it was her idea of a joke. But somehow he didn’t think so.

  ‘Captain Kurogumo, I was worried for you yesterday,’ expressed Captain Wanizame. ‘That storm was a hull-breaker.’

  ‘The Black Spider’s a tough ship,’ replied Captain Kurogumo.

  ‘I heard the gaijin saved you and your crew,’ said Captain Hebi.

  Captain Kurogumo grunted. He clearly had no wish to disclose his inability to ride out a typhoon before the Pirate Queen.

  ‘A sea anchor, I believe,’ continued Captain Hebi. ‘Ingenious. I must have one made for my ship.’

  Tatsumaki raised her right eyebrow in interest. ‘Captain Kurogumo, you never mentioned this.’

  ‘The boy’s a fine mariner,’ he admitted. ‘And, by all accounts, a talented navigator too. He gave us quite a chase when we first pursued the cargo ship he was on. But we caught him.’

  ‘Only because of the dragon!’ said Jack, his pride pricked by the captain’s suggestion that he’d been captured through the pirate’s more skilful seamanship.

  The Pirate Queen and her captains shared an amused look.

  ‘Jack, your value is increasing all the time,’ said Tatsumaki. ‘I’m even more intrigued. Where does all this knowledge come from?’

  ‘My father,’ Jack replied proudly.

  ‘He was evidently a great man.’

  ‘He certainly was,’ said Jack. ‘Until Dragon Eye murdered him. But now my enemy’s dead, all I want is to go home.’

  The table fell silent at the mention of the infamous ninja’s name. All the Wind Demons appeared unsettled, as if someone had walked across their graves.

  In an attempt to break the tension, Li Ling asked, ‘Where’s home?’

  ‘London, England,’ replied Jack. ‘That’s why we’re headed to Nagasaki. To find a trading ship to take me back.’

  ‘Why Nagasaki?’ asked Captain Kujira. ‘Osaka has plenty of vessels you could use.’

  ‘Japanese ships couldn’t handle the open ocean. They sit too low and don’t carry enough sail,’ explained Jack. ‘Only a European galleon can sail that far.’

  ‘How far is far?’ enquired Captain Hebi.

  ‘Two years’ sailing. Mostly out of sight of land.’

  Captain Kujira whistled through his teeth.

  ‘I can see now why you value this rutter so highly,’ said Tatsumaki.

  Jack nodded. ‘It’s my father’s life work.’

  Captain Kujira looked to the Pirate Queen. ‘It’s all well and good possessing such knowledge. But it seems an unnecessarily long and hazardous voyage simply to pirate foreign lands, when we already have a supply of rich pickings on our own shores.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Captain Wanizame. ‘Any venture would be highly dangerous without the appropriate ships.’

  ‘We could build some with the gaijin’s help,’ Captain Hebi suggested.

  ‘He may be a sailor,’ snorted Captain Kurogumo, ‘but I doubt he’s a shipbuilder.’

  The Wind Demons continued to debate the prospects and pitfalls of pirating the greater oceans. As the discussion progressed, Jack sensed his value to the pirates rapidly dropping – along with his and his friends’ chances of survival.

  ‘There are riches beyond your wildest desires,’ interrupted Jack. ‘In the South Americas alone, you’ll find cities of gold, streets of silver, rivers of jewels. If you pirated the Spanish and Portuguese galleons sailing in those waters, you could fill this entire crater with treasure in less than a year.’

  The Wind Demons gazed with avaricious eyes over the expanse of the lagoon. The image of it piled high with gold and jewels whet their piratical appetites.

  ‘Such a prize is very tempting, if not irresistible,’ said Tatsumaki. ‘Don’t you agree?’

  The pirate captains nodded vigorously and Jack was relieved to have bought himself some more time.

  ‘Ahh, the main dish,’ announced Tatsumaki with delight as four servants brought in a tray and placed it before the Pirate Queen.

  A large gelatinous blob sat in the middle of a huge plate. Tentacles spiralled out from the body, rows of suction cups pearly white and glistening in the lamplight.

  The dish writhed and reeled over the tray.

  ‘Live octopus! My favourite!’ said Captain Kujira, licking his lips.

  Jack stared at the quivering mass, unable to hide his disgust as each of the captains hacked off an arm.

  ‘Live octopus builds strength and stamina,’ pronounced Captain Wanizame, shoving the thrashing limb into her mouth and chewing appreciatively.

  Captain Hebi dangled his in the air and, like a fish gobbling a wriggling worm, let it slide down his throat. Captain Kujira bit into his fleshy tentacle, its powerful suckers sticking to his chin so that he had to prise them off before swallowing each piece.

  Tatsumaki caught the horrified expression on Jack’s face.

  ‘Before going into a sea battle, it’s customary to eat octopus,’ she explained, dipping her tentacle in soy sauce. ‘With its eight arms, the creature protects us against enemies from all directions.’

  ‘You’re going into battle then?’ asked Jack, struggling to keep the contents of his stomach down.

  Nodding, Tatsumaki ripped off a quivering octopus leg and handed it to Jack. The tentacle continued to writhe in his grip.

  ‘All of us are – so eat up!’

  37

  The Life of a Pirate

  It took every ounce of Jack’s willpower not to gag. The actual taste of the tentacle wasn’t a problem – the flavour was mildly pleasant. But, as he chewed the rubbery flesh, the octopus’s suckers stuck to his teeth, tongue and roof of his mouth, making it almost impossible to swallow. With continual grinding, however, he managed to take most of it down.

  Li Ling wasn’t so successful. She started choking on her tentacle, a piece of octopus determinedly clinging to the back of her throat. Her face went blue as she gasped for air. Only a heavy-handed slap between the shoulder blades from Captain Wanizame saved her from suffocation.

  ‘I thought you said she was a promising recruit,’ sneered Captain Kujira to Tatsumaki.

  Upon hearing this jibe, Li Ling snatched the last leg of the octopus and stuffed it in her mouth whole. She chewed manically, her cheeks and eyes bulging, before swallowing hard. The tentacle disappeared in a single gulp.

  ‘Li Ling has the makings of a great Wind Demon,’ laughed Tatsumaki with some pride.

  More saké was poured and the Pirate Queen raised her cup for a toast:

  ‘Bound by sea and storm, we the Wind Demons pledge to plunder; to destroy all samurai with lightning and thunder.’

  The pirate captains clamoured their approval and downed their drinks. Encouraged by Tatsumaki, Li Ling did the same, coughing hard as the fiery alcohol burnt her throat. But Jack refused to join in their ritual.

  ‘Don’t you wish to be a Wind Demon too?’ said Tatsumaki.

  ‘No,’ replied Jack. ‘My father said pirates are the plague of the oceans.’

  The genial atmosphere at the table died. The pirate captains glared fiercely at him, Captain Wanizame drumming her sharpened fingernails on the tab
letop as if wanting to rip the skin from his body.

  Tatsumaki, tutting at the remark, held up her hand to calm her captains. ‘Jack merely needs educating in what it truly means to be a pirate.’

  Fixing him with her startling brown eyes, she declared, ‘The existence of the sea means the existence of pirates. The lands surrounding the Seto Sea are among the poorest in all Japan. Much is barren or too steep to cultivate. The communities around its shores and on its islands are constantly in threat of starvation. So the people depend upon the seas for survival. But, when drought or typhoons hit, what can good men and women like us turn to in order to survive? Daimyo Mori and his samurai won’t help. So we must help ourselves.’

  ‘By raiding, stealing and killing others!’ exclaimed Jack.

  ‘And how is that any different to what the Sea Samurai do?’ challenged the Pirate Queen.

  ‘The samurai protect these communities from pirates like you.’

  Tatsumaki laughed. ‘The samurai are bigger thieves than any pirate. They do nothing, yet they tax the poor to fill their own stomachs, even when the farmers and fishermen have barely enough to feed their own families. At the slightest sign of resistance, they raze villages to the ground, destroy their fishing nets and sink their boats. Make no mistake: daimyo Mori rules with an iron fist. He shows no charity to his people.’

  Having heard the tales of daimyo Mori’s cruelty and witnessed with his own eyes the brutality of his navy commander Captain Arashi, Jack was compelled to believe Tatsumaki. He’d also encountered similar stories of samurai persecution and indifference when he’d fought for the farmers of Tamagashi village. Resistant as he was, Jack found himself being swayed by the Pirate Queen’s argument.

  ‘The Wind Demons don’t pillage such communities or steal from struggling fishermen,’ she asserted. ‘We only target the Sea Samurai and rich traders – cargo boats, grain ships and vessels carrying rice tax. Then we redistribute our gains to those less fortunate.’