“The ship! What ship?”
“Your ship, from Kyo-To-Shi,” Hayato replied.
“The Orca!” Stefan burst out laughing. He laughed until tears stood in his eyes and his sides ached. Both Hayato and Kouhei stared at him as if he were quite insane. “Forgive me Sir, but you have been truly fooled. The Orca could never sail. She has no fuel for a start and after sitting in the harbour at Kyo-To-Shi these past twelve years I am sure she is so well rusted and riddled with holes that she will sink before she leaves the harbour.”
Kouhei squirmed uneasily and Hayato simply gazed with disbelief as the dread fear mounted within him. He had escaped through good fortune, faithful servants and the will of benevolent Kami, but Mizuki was still a prisoner and he had pinned all his hopes upon the pirate Kapitan to help secure her rescue.
It was a little after midnight when Jun and four other men reappeared. Kouhei spotted them running across the street through the grey ash and he leapt to the door letting them through before they even had chance to knock. He dashed back to his post and gazed into the night trying to ascertain if the men had been followed.
“My Lord,” Jun said with a deep bow as he stood before Hayato. He lifted his head and studied the young man before him. He was glad to see an improvement.
“You look much better than when we left you Sir,” he observed with a bright smile.
“Yes thanks to our friends here. It is good to feel clean once more. I feel almost human again. Unfortunately my physical strength is little improved. All the kindness in the world cannot heal a broken leg,” Hayato replied returning the First Samurai’s grin.
“It will heal in time Sir and your strength will return very soon now that you are amongst friends.” Jun turned to Kouhei and bowed.
“Akika-san, we owe you a great debt. I know you fear for the safety of your family and yourself, but I hope that in time you will see that you have done our country a great service by sheltering Lord Oyama. However, we will not impose upon you any longer.
“We should leave now Sir,” Jun turned back to Hayato. The latter nodded and pushed himself to his feet wincing at the pain that shot through his injured leg.
“Sadly I will need assistance Jun,” he uttered lowly feeling not a little shame at his reliance upon others.
“Of course. We have a cart outside across the road. It is not exactly how I would wish to convey my Lord Presidor, but it will serve the purpose for now,” First Samurai Furuki answered and indicated to Riki and another Samurai to help Hayato to the cart. The men hurried forward and half lifted their ruler towards the door. He bade them stop before they left the house.
“Akika-san and Marrel-san, I thank you for your kindness. When I regain Kiki Province I will ensure that you are both justly rewarded,” he acknowledged graciously and bowed respectfully to the two men. Then he was whisked away across the street and into the murky night. Jun made to follow.
“Where are you taking him General, or can you not say?” Stefan called out as Furuki reached the door and peered out. Jun turned and considered his reply for some moments.
“I would rather not give details, but we will be leaving the city. We have a ship to meet,” he said at last.
“You really think this pirate will come for you?” Stefan scoffed.
“Yes. I do not doubt it. He is with Lord Oyama’s younger brother and one of my most trusted levtenants. By now the rest of my men are with them also,” Jun returned.
“If he has not killed them both.”
“He has not.”
“How can you be so sure?” Stefan demanded.
“Because he wants his gold back,” Jun answered. “Thank you for taking care of Lord Oyama and for the information you gave me.” With a smile and short bow Jun left running swiftly through the soft ash to join his men.
“Well, you can relax now Kouhei. They have gone and I wish them luck. I still do not hold faith that the pirates will help them. Besides, the bloody ship will never sail,” Stefan muttered. He walked to where Kouhei still peered through the window and placed a comforting arm upon the little man’s shoulder.
“I have to admit I quite enjoyed our little adventure Kouhei, though I think that you did not. Too much adrenalin for one day eh? Come. Go to your bed and in the morning when the sun blazes through your windows you can rise knowing that you have helped a good man and you can bring your family home. And I will bid you goodnight and return to mine,” he reassured and patted Akika on the back with friendly affection.
Kouhei offered a weak smile and watched his friend return to his house next door. For another hour he stared at the street outside until finally sleep demanded his obedience and, agreeing at last that Stefan had been correct in his assumption that all was well, he gave in and trudged to his bed.
Some time just before dawn a loud banging awoke the little translator from his dreamless slumber. It took him a while to realise what had woken him and he reached for his spectacles with fumbling hands. He had been in bed barely three hours and still felt exhausted and he was tempted to lie down again, but the banging sounded once more. It was someone at the door. His heart flew into his mouth and panic welled within him. He rose and wrapped a light yukata around him before creeping into the kitchen and staring at the door. The thumping of a fist on wood made him start with such violence that he knocked the chair over that he held onto for support.
With his whole body shaking he slowly crept forward to the door and turned the key. He lowered the handle holding his breath at the same time, his mind hoping it was only Stefan, although logically he could see no reason for his good friend to return at such an uncivilised hour. As his hand depressed the lever the door flew open sending him reeling backwards onto the floor. His glasses fell from his face and as he reached out frantically to retrieve them a foot landed deliberately and heavily upon the spectacles crushing them into the wooden floor.
“Search the house,” a harsh voice ordered and then a face lowered to that of the translator. “Akika-san I think we need to have a little talk. What do you know about the escape of a prisoner?” the voice demanded.
Kouhei could not recognise the man who spoke to him. He could not make out the face before him from the blurred image his eyes perceived. He felt the terror well inside him and thought his heart would surely fly out of his chest it beat so violently. He wiped the sweat that poured from his brow and shuddered with fear. The man before him laughed cruelly.
“I see that I am not wrong in my assumption. You do know something. Well is there anything?” the voice turned his attention to the men clattering around the house upturning furniture and scattering the contents of drawers all around.
“No Sir. Nothing Sir,” a reply called back.
“Yet you know something do you not Akika-san. I smell the fear on you. It is like piss, you cannot hide it,” the man pulled back Kouhei’s head roughly by his pigtail and then pushed the little man away from him. Kouhei fell backwards and hit his head on the table leg. It sent a cascade of painful stars through his brain and he put his hand up to the bruise that already swelled egg-like upon his temple. He felt dizzy and sick, but how much of that was due to the blow to his head or from the dread panic he did not know. He could not think clearly.
“Bring him to the castle,” the voice shouted and rough hands grasped the little translator under his arms dragging him to his feet. He dare not fight, he knew it was pointless. He was half carried, half pushed outside. He heard a soft whimpering, like a child and slowly realised it was himself. Ashamed he forced himself to be quiet. Someone shoved a hand square in his back and he fell forward onto his hands and knees, his fingers digging into soft grey ash, some of it flying up into his nose making him sneeze. Someone grabbed his hair and started dragging him. He cried out in pain and his hands flew to his scalp in a vain attempt to free himself. A stinging blow across his face brought blood to his lower lip and he was aware of the wet trickle of tears upon his skin.
“Dear benevolent Kami help me to be
brave,” he thought to himself as another blow sent him reeling to the ground again. He landed face down in soft suffocating dust and as a fist found his right kidney with a sickening crunch he drifted into unconsciousness.
THIRTY-TWO
“Karasu my dear brother can you hear me?” Her mind called out through the darkness. She waited, hardly daring to breathe and then she felt his relief flood through her brain like a blinding white light.
“You are alive! You are unhurt? Why have you been silent?” His questions came rapidly as his relief turned to concern and, she sensed, a little anger.
“It has not been safe to contact you dearest.” She smiled to herself as she pushed her thoughts outwards.
“Not safe. What do you mean? Is it safe now? Where are you?” He demanded. She sensed his anxiety and tried to appease him by hiding her own fear.
“There is another Sennjo in the castle. It is Kurohoshi’s mother. I saw it. Oh Karasu she is evil, a Majo even. She is everywhere within the castle. I sense her probing and searching and I feared to contact you. She would have known what we planned and it would have defeated our goal. She would have told Kurohoshi and he may have killed Hayato.” Mizuki explained.
“But is it safe now? Can she not sense us?” Karasu asked.
“I am no longer in the castle. She cannot find me here. Her ability is not as strong as mine and besides I sense she is busy on other plans.” Despite her reassurance to her brother she shivered and wrapped her arms around her body.
“Not in the castle? But where are you? How can we find you?” Karasu pressed.
“I am in a cave, but its entrance is within the castle in the East tower. You must find that. I think there is another way. It is not dark all the time here. Light gets in from somewhere and it is quite warm. But I do not know from where the light comes. Kurohoshi brought me through the castle. I can lead you from there.
“Hayato is safe. First Samurai Furuki has him. They will be at the rendezvous.” She changed the subject.
“He has escaped? But how?”
“There was an earthquake. Jun found him and helped him to escape. He will tell you more when you see him. Take care of our brother. He has suffered much.
“I am afraid, Brother. I do not have much time. What they plan for me cannot happen. It must not happen. There is more at stake than my life. There are many malevolent Kami here Brother. I can feel them all around; their cold fingers caress my skin. They are waiting for their time with me and they are impatient.”
Mizuki failed to hide her terror. It was too strong, too paralysing to bear alone and she hung her head to cry when she felt his own dread at her words.
“Do not cry Mizuki. I will find you. We are almost there. I will be with you soon,” He soothed as he sensed her distress and he opened his mind fully so that she stepped inside and her consciousness sat entwined with his in a comforting embrace.
There was a loud knock on the door.
“We have arrived Karasu-san,” Taku called.
Karasu snapped from his dream state, wrenching himself from his twin and for a moment he felt the dizziness and the brief sense of desolation as their souls drifted apart. He blinked rapidly in the sunlight as it filtered through the porthole to his left and he dragged himself to his feet and stared through the small round window. It was true. They had arrived. They were in a wide bay fringed by trees to the north and cliffs to the south. The water glistened blue and sparkled with reflected sunlight and in the distance a group of people stood upon the sandy beach. Yet all was not as perfect as this first utopic view would lead him to believe. In the distance he could hear a menacing rumble. It was akin to thunder and at first that is indeed what he thought it was, but unlike thunder there was no abatement. It remained a constant growling vibration. Karasu rushed to the main deck, guilty at leaving Mizuki so desperately alone and with such suddenness, but anxious to be reunited with Hayato, to learn of his escape. He ran to the port rails and leaned across straining to recognise the distant figures. He thought he could make out Jun and perhaps Hayato, but he was not sure.
“Lowering a boat now to fetch them,” Thom said as he joined Karasu by the rails.
“My brother is with them. They got him out,” the ronin replied.
“How do you know? You cannot surely tell from here can you?” Thom enquired.
“My sister told me.”
Thom nearly laughed but remembered that the twins were Gifted and could communicate. He had heard of such before. His own mother had told him that she could converse with her grandmother by telepathy, so he let it be.
“I do not like the look of that,” he said instead and pointed to the north where a grey-black cloud hung ominously over a conical mountain top enveloping the summit in a dense shroud of billowing, smoke-like vapour.
“The mountain awakens. She said there evil Kami. Now I know why,” Karasu muttered almost to himself as he followed Thom’s indication. “We must leave as soon as others are on board Kapitan Devlin.”
“That, my naïve friend, is a volcano. It has nothing to do with your Kami or whatever you want to call them. Tis an act of nature and I for one will not be going any nearer to it than I have to. I value my life as should you. And, if your brother is here as you seemed to be convinced he is, then you no longer need to go to Hana-Shi-Ku,” Thom protested with passion.
“But Mizuki there still. We cannot leave her. And you forget gold,” Karasu tried to persuade.
“Aah the gold! I had forgotten about that,” the Kapitan returned mockingly.
“You afraid Kaptian?” Karasu asked scornfully. I too can poke fun Thom Devlin. “I thought you afraid of nothing. Surely you not fear mountain,” he derided.
“UH! You can laugh all you want, but that is one enemy I have no control over. I like my chances to be even if not stacked in my favour. I am no fool Karasu. You may not fear that volcano, but tis only a fool who would dismiss the danger it poses so freely,” Thom grumbled and stalked away to supervise the lowering of the boat. Karasu smiled to himself and returned to watching the shore line, but occasionally his attention was drawn by the distant rumble, to the volcano above Hana-Shi-Ku.
In a little over half an hour they lifted Hayato on board the frigate via a hoist. It was a somewhat unceremonious embarkation for someone of his noble stature, but he was, at last, safely with friends and family. As Furuki Jun and his men climbed on deck to join them, Karasu knelt in front of his brother and bowed. Looking on Thom thought it a strange greeting between siblings and exchanged a condescending grin with his First Mate.
“Brother it is good to see you. Please do not bow before me. I have not proved myself worthy of our father’s good name and cannot think to take his place as yet,” Hayato said to his younger sibling and offered his hand. Karasu took it and the two brothers embraced as equals.
“I am sorry Karasu. You are ronin and it is another burden upon me. I owe too much and I cannot repay the debt in full I fear,” the young Lord Oyama uttered with sadness. His voice held a trace of depression.
“There is no debt Hayato. Did you really believe I could spend the rest of my life in seclusion knowing what had befallen my brother and sister?” Karasu appeased.
“Mizuki, you have heard from her? She is still well?” Hayato’s concern for his sister drove away his self pity.
“Yes. I was with her not an hour ago, but we must move fast. We must make haste to the city, but I fear the Kapitan will need some persuading now. He fears the mountain.”
Hayato glanced at the pirates standing to one side of the deck. He saw Devlin with arms folded; an expression of haughty arrogance upon his features.
“He is a proud man Karasu, but not a fearful man. I must admit I had my doubts he would help us, but Mizuki had faith from the start and it seems she was right. I think he will still take us there. I think perhaps the attraction of gold is not quite enough. We must appeal to his compassionate side Brother.”
“Huh! You think he has one? I have been wi
th him for days now and I do not understand him yet. One minute he seems reasonable, the next he vexes me to the point where I wish to strike him. He plays games with people Hayato. I do not think he knows the meaning of compassion,” Karasu spat surprised at the irritation he felt. He hung his head with shame as he remembered how Thom tenderly cut the body of the dead woman from her spike in Sakura Street and laid her infant in her arms. He knew he was wrong.
“You think not? I think he is as vulnerable to that emotion as you or I. You forget I have seen him when he had little hope and I know he is fond of Mizuki.”
“Fond of! What do you mean?” Karasu snapped his head up angrily and swung his gaze to the Kapitan.
“I mean he met her whilst we were both in the dungeon beneath the castle. I noted that he was quite struck by her beauty, but more than that, I think they made a kind of connection. We can use his compassion for her to persuade him to help us rescue her. Although, I suspect he will feign interest only in the gold,” Hayato explained and held out his arm. “Come; help me to somewhere we can all talk. We need to plan if we are to act soon and my Westlandish is not as good as yours.”
Karasu took his arm and supported his brother as they headed towards a stairwell. Jun hurried forward to assist.
“We need to talk Kapitan,” the ronin shouted back to the pirates not daring to look Devlin in the eye. He did not trust himself to hide the overwhelming resentment he felt at the inferred relationship between a pirate and his dear sister.
“What is wrong with the snotty little sod now?” Thom muttered to himself. “Dafidd, check the wood supplies. If we need more to get back to the Rose, send some men ashore to cut some. I think we have enough, but I do not want to be marooned in the middle of nowhere,” he instructed and followed Hayato and his entourage below.
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