Young Samurai: The Ring of Wind (35 page)

‘FIRE!’ ordered Jack to the gunmen.

The
Koketsu
roared with cannon blasts. Jack watched the
daejon
arrows arc into the smoke-filled sky.

‘For all our sakes, your plan had better work,’ said Tatsumaki.

Jack could only pray that it would. The Pirate Queen had taken some persuasion to stop her ramming raid, but once he’d pointed out the
Nihon Maru
’s weak spot she’d understood. Hurried adjustments to every cannon followed, the gunners toiling hard as they shifted their weapons into the steepest possible trajectory. Ropes were lashed together and fed out of the portholes before being secured to the
Koketsu
’s stern. Every Wind Demon, except the gunnery crews, was assigned to the oars. But the most difficult part of the plan was to ensure the
daejon
arrows hit their target first time.

There would be no second chance.

When the head gunner had been assured of their accuracy, Tatsumaki gave Jack the privilege of issuing the firing order. For a brief moment, Jack had hesitated. He’d questioned himself about aiding the Wind Demons. But with his survival and the fate of his imprisoned friends at stake, he’d realized there was no other option. Between the Sea Samurai and the Wind Demons, the Pirate Queen was the lesser of two evils.

The
daejon
arrows shot upwards, their tethers trailing out behind them. The Sea Samurai on the battlements ducked as the ten projectiles soared past. They entirely missed the
Nihon Maru
’s battlements. Jack could just imagine the relief on the samurai’s faces … and the utter shock and bewilderment as the iron-tipped arrows struck the
Nihon Maru
’s keep. They embedded themselves in the whitewashed walls up to their flights. A unit of samurai rushed to rescue their lord from the keep’s upper tower. But Jack’s plan wasn’t to kill the
daimyo
.

‘ROW LIKE THE WIND!’ he shouted and threw his weight behind the nearest oar with six other men as the drummer took up the rhythm.

The
Koketsu
surged away from the
Nihon Maru
, gaining speed with every oar stroke. Then the ship suddenly jarred to a halt as the ten ropes tied to its stern snapped taut.

‘Keep rowing!’ grunted Jack.

The oarsmen pushed and pulled on the
yuloh
oars, their muscles bulging, sweat pouring down their backs, as the
Koketsu
’s timbers creaked and groaned with the strain.

Jack glanced through the stern porthole. The
Koketsu
appeared dead in the water, all forward momentum lost.

‘ROW HARDER!’ he cried above the drummer’s insistent beat.

Like a tug-of-war between David and Goliath, the
Koketsu
fought against the monumental bulk of the
Nihon Maru
. But the command ship was immovable.

‘It’s
not
working!’ said Tatsumaki, glaring at Jack.

‘It will,’ he replied. ‘Just give it a chance!’

But doubts were being raised in his own mind too. However hard the Wind Demons rowed, they were simply not powerful enough to overcome the mighty
Nihon Maru
. The pirates plunged their oars in again and again. The ropes stretched to their limit. Then two of them snapped. Jack’s plan was fast unravelling.

‘COME ON!’ he roared. ‘FOR YOUR QUEEN!’

A tremendous burst of effort came from the Wind Demons and the
Koketsu
edged over a wave. Three more ropes broke. Oars dived into the water, propelling the
Koketsu
onward. Jack stared in desperate hope at the command ship. With its keep being dragged sideways, the deck was now heeling dangerously. The Sea Samurai, finally understanding what was happening, rushed to the port side to counter the perilous slant of the deck. But the
Nihon Maru
had reached tipping point.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall
, thought Jack.

Strong and immense as the
Nihon Maru
was, he’d realized its design was top-heavy and unstable. The command ship’s superstructure was its Achilles heel. Like a harpooned whale, the
Nihon Maru
keeled over. A final pull from the
Koketsu
’s oarsmen sent it crashing into the Seto Sea.

With their command ship down and sinking slowly beneath the waves, the remaining Sea Samurai ships floundered in confusion and panic. Their fighting spirit crushed by their
daimyo
’s defeat, they turned tail and fled.

The Wind Demons on the
Koketsu
gave a triumphant battle cry. Their call was echoed by cheers from the
Black Spider
and the other surviving pirate ships. The battle for Pirate Island had been won.

Second Wave

‘The Wind Demons are forever in your debt, Jack,’ declared Tatsumaki. ‘And so am I.’

They stood upon the armoured roof, the Wind Demons hailing their victory as the
Koketsu
docked at the lagoon jetty. More pirate ships limped in, their crews battleworn but jubilant.

Jack bowed respectfully to the Pirate Queen. ‘You can easily repay that debt.’

Tatsumaki raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

‘Release me and my friends.’

She pursed her lips, apparently reluctant.

‘Do you think I should, Saru?’ she asked, turning to the monkey upon her shoulder. Saru bobbed her head enthusiastically and Tatsumaki smiled at Jack. ‘Your request is granted.’

‘Also, hand back my swords and our weapons.’

‘That’s acceptable to me,’ replied Tatsumaki, nodding amiably, ‘though it might be harder to persuade Captain Kurogumo to part with those Shizu swords of yours.’

‘And return my father’s
rutter
.’

Tatsumaki laughed at his audacity. ‘Next you’ll be asking for a boat!’

‘That had crossed my mind,’ replied Jack.

The Pirate Queen studied him. ‘Are you certain you don’t want to stay here as a Wind Demon? We can protect you from the Shogun. And you’ve proved yourself a fine pirate. I’d even make you captain of your own ship.’

It was Jack who laughed out loud this time. His father would turn in his grave at the thought of his son becoming a pirate. He shook his head. ‘I have to get to Nagasaki. I must return home to my sister.’

Tatsumaki nodded. ‘I suppose we all seek different treasures in life,’ she replied wistfully. ‘I’ll arrange a boat for you.’

‘And the
rutter
?’ pressed Jack.

The Pirate Queen’s expression became hard as a diamond. ‘I’m afraid that belongs to me.’

‘But we made a blood oath!’ exclaimed Jack, holding up his scarred hand.

‘I only promised to set you free,’ replied Tatsumaki coolly. ‘And that’s exactly what I’ve agreed to do. Think yourself fortunate that you and your friends are escaping with your lives.’

Jack felt cheated and angry. Without his father’s
rutter
, his whole future and that of his sister Jess were at stake. But, surrounded by armed Wind Demons, he was in no position to argue. And why should he be so surprised by Tatsumaki’s mercenary decision? She was a pirate, after all!

‘Don’t look so resentful, Jack,’ said Tatsumaki with a conciliatory smile. ‘I’d be happy for you to remain with us as our pilot to the South Americas. Together we could rule the seven seas … even sail to England …’

She let the suggestion hang in the air.

Jack didn’t say anything, realizing that she was simply trying to appease him with the possibility. But their ultimate destinations were totally opposed. He wanted to sail home. Tatsumaki wanted to plunder the oceans. He’d never reach England that way. And even if they eventually did, they’d be blown out of the water for being pirates by the British Navy! Besides, Jack still held key information to the
rutter
and he had no intention of
ever
revealing those secrets to Tatsumaki and her Wind Demons.

‘I’ll make my own way home,’ he said eventually. ‘With my friends.’

Tatsumaki sighed in disappointment at his decision. ‘Then you’re free to go.’

‘Look!’ cried Li Ling, emerging from the hatch. ‘It’s Captain Kurogumo.’

There was a great roar as the
Black Spider
came alongside, Captain Kurogumo and his crew punching the air in salute to the
Koketsu
. Upon the main deck was the golden-shell figurehead from the
Nihon Maru
.

‘It’s
solid
gold!’ yelled Captain Kurogumo, baring his sharpened teeth in avaricious delight.

‘We should melt it down and make you a throne, Tatsumaki, now that you’re Queen of the Seto Sea!’ pronounced Captain Hebi as he approached the
Koketsu
and performed a ceremonial bow.

The Wind Demons gave an almighty cheer at this new title for their leader.

Gazing upon her exultant followers, Tatsumaki said, ‘It won’t be long before we have enough gold to make thrones for
all
of us!’

Another cheer erupted from the Wind Demons.

Captain Hebi was joined on the jetty by Captain Kurogumo and the other surviving captains. Jack noted there were pitifully few left.

‘Where’s Captain Wanizame?’ asked Tatsumaki, searching among the grime-streaked faces for the Amazonian pirate.

Captain Kurogumo spat in anger. ‘Those cold-blooded samurai slaughtered her and every soul on the
Great White
.’

‘What about Captain Kujira? He was on the final assault with us,’ said Tatsumaki in growing disbelief at their losses.

But the
Killer Whale
wasn’t to be seen anywhere among the battered fleet.

Captain Hebi’s expression darkened and he shook his head regretfully. ‘We’ve paid a heavy price for this victory.’

‘We may have lost many souls … 
but
we’ve won so much more,’ Tatsumaki proclaimed, trying to rally their spirits. ‘Tonight we celebrate our conquest and honour those who died this day. Tomorrow, we commence a reign of piracy on a scale never before witnessed. We shall rule this sea by LIGHTNING and THUNDER!’

The captains roared their approval and the Wind Demons went wild, stamping their feet on the decks and clashing their weapons. Standing among the baying pirates, Jack wondered at the terror that was about to be unleashed upon the Seto Sea. Then, cutting through the noise, he heard a bell toll three times.

Tatsumaki and the pirate captains heard it too, exchanging uneasy looks as a rowing boat powered across the lagoon from the sister island.

‘SEA SAMURAI … sighted on the northern horizon!’ panted the lookout as he reached the
Koketsu
.

‘But they’re
defeated
,’ exclaimed Captain Kurogumo.

The lookout shook his head. ‘It’s a second wave!’

Dismay and alarm spread among the Wind Demons. They looked to their Pirate Queen for guidance.

‘We’ve beaten them once,’ said Tatsumaki, undaunted by the new threat. ‘We can do it again.’

‘Tatsumaki, we don’t have the strength to fight another battle,’ argued Captain Hebi.

‘Are you suggesting that we
run
before the Sea Samurai?’

‘What other choice do we have? We might not be beaten but we’re certainly broken. Just look around you.’

Tatsumaki eyed their war-torn ships and wounded pirates. Livid at their weakened state, she nonetheless agreed with his assessment. ‘Come hell or high water, we’ll have our revenge on these Sea Samurai. This war is
not
over!’

‘But what about our hoards of riches?’ challenged Captain Kurogumo. ‘Are we simply to surrender them to the samurai?’

‘Certainly not,’ replied Tatsumaki, her resolve hardening. ‘Grab what treasure you can, then make for Demon Island in the Sea of Japan.’

Not needing to be told twice, the pirate captains and their crews disbanded. They surged up Pirate Town’s walkways in a frenzied rush to recover their stashed riches before the Sea Samurai fleet arrived.

Tatsumaki gathered her more disciplined crew together. She sent the gunners to restock their ammunition store, the other Wind Demons to load essential provisions for the voyage ahead, and the oarsmen, chosen for their strength, were ordered to accompany her to the citadel to retrieve the best of her treasure.

Jack was forgotten amid the whirlwind of activity. He was left behind on the jetty as Tatsumaki and her oarsmen headed for the bamboo lift. Pushing his way through the unruly mob of pirates, Jack hurried after her but was stopped by the strong arm of an oarsman.

‘Sorry. No room for passengers,’ said Tatsumaki, closing the gate behind her.

‘What about the boat you promised?’ asked Jack, realizing he and his friends would be stranded without one.

Tatsumaki gave a half-apologetic smile as the lift rose into the air. ‘It’s everyone for themselves now, Jack. Remember, we’re pirates … not samurai!’

Cursed