"Thank you for telling us." He pulled her away before she could say anything else.
Once they were out of earshot, Suzume broke free of his hand. "That's it? How are we supposed to get across?"
Makato shook his head. "We keep looking. There's bound to be someone willing to help."
She sighed heavily. She never thought finding a way across would be the hard part.
Despite the old woman's warning, they went to the shore to wait until the ships came in. As the first ship came ashore, Makato flagged them down. Two men operated the tiny dingy, which hardly looked water-tight to Suzume. As it brushed against the shore, Makato approached with a bow. The fisherman's weathered face was painted with suspicion as he watched Makato.
"Excuse me, we are seeking passage across to the island beyond, would you be willing to take us?" Makato asked.
The man stared for a moment without answering before turning back to gather up the line on his ship as if they were not there at all.
"We're talking to you!" Suzume raised a fist, prepared to use force to get an answer, when Makato put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't, it's not worth the trouble."
"I hope the umi-bozu sinks your boat," she muttered a curse under her breath as she glared at his back.
They repeated the process several times with similar results each time. One fisherman spat in their direction, giving her the impression of what they thought about their question.
"That bastard." Suzume did not hold back her curses this time. "Do you know who I am? I should call my yokai army down on your head."
The man who spat at her glared at her. His face was leathery from the sun and his hair was streaked white.
"You should get your wife under control. Beat her if you must," the fisherman said to Makato.
"Beat me? You'll regret that once I'm done with you," Suzume snarled and Makato and Tsuki had to physically restrain her from flying at him.
Suzume's anger rose to the surface. That was the last ship, and they still didn't have a way across. Kaito had probably flown across. Flames erupted all over her body, fueled by her anger. The fisherman saw and took a terrified step backwards. The flames burned Makato's hand who was not as quick as Tsuki to let go when her temper was on the rise. She felt the pain in her hands as she stared down at her palms sparking with flames, growing into a blaze. Her anger was a white hot poker in her gut, closer now than ever before.
The other fisherman along the shore stopped what they were doing to stare at the girl on fire. Suzume looked around at the collection of their faces, old men beaten by the elements, afraid of legends of a monster. She'd fought worse. But now she had their attention.
"You see what I am capable of? Give us a boat or pay the consequences."
Her threats had the opposite effect and the fisherman gathered in a circle around her and Makato, carrying a mix of makeshift weapons, spears meant for bringing in nets, and clubs made out of broken pieces of wood.
"What sort of monster are you?" the fisherman she had almost burned asked.
"Your worst nightmare!" Suzume snarled. Balling her flaming hands into flaming fists. The power came so much easier when she was angry, but she could use that anger to teach them all a lesson.
"Get it to together. Now is not the time to lose control," Makato said behind her. He did not attempt to grab onto her this time.
"And why not? We wasted an entire day looking for a boat. We've done it your way, now lets do it my way." She threw her hands up preparing to shoot fire at the nearby villagers.
Noaki grabbed her by both shoulders, forcing her to face him, despite the fire dancing along her flesh. She glared at him and attempted to yank her body away, but he held fast onto her, despite the fire that was running up his arms.
"This is not you."
"You don't know me." Her voice rose an octave, giving away her lie.
"You don't need to become a monster to be powerful."
She knocked his hand aside, not willing to listen to his good advice.
"They brought this upon themselves."
Suzume turned to face the fisherman, raising up her fiery hands and pulling energy into her from all directions. She would burn every last one of their ships. Perhaps that would teach them to scorn her.
But before she could draw all the power into her she felt Makato's energy wrapping around her, suppressing her fire. She spun in place to face him, teeth bared in a snarl.
"What do you think you're doing?
Makato grabbed onto her wrist, this time refusing to let go. She felt his power flow into her and like dirt thrown onto a flame, his power attempted to smother the flame that was burning up inside her. She couldn't break free of his grip before the fire was put out and all the anger drained out of her completely.
"They're humans, just look at them."
Suzume blinked. The rage was already starting to dissipate and when she looked at the fisherman she didn't see terrifying men brandishing weapons but instead frail old men. The one carrying the harpoon looked like he would blow over in a strong wind. Was I really about to murder them all? What is happening to me? She had been blinded by her rage. It was like she became a different person entirely.
"Both of you need to leave this place now. You're not welcome here," said one of the fisherman who had stepped forward. But Suzume could see his hands trembling.
Noaki stepped in front of Suzume, sword drawn. They all took a visible step backwards as Tsuki joined his father.
Makato held up his hands. "Please, we don't mean you any harm."
"We don't want any trouble. Just leave us in peace," the old man at the head of the fisherman said.
"And we don't intend to harm you. In fact we can assist you. If one of you will loan us a boat, we can rid you of the umi-bozu."
There was an ripple of murmurs that ran through the group.
The fisherman glanced towards Suzume and then the two armed men in front of her.
"We're going to exterminate an umi-bozu?" Tsuki asked under his breath.
Suzume's gaze slid towards Makato, wondering what he was thinking. It seemed against his nature to be this reckless. His gaze was fixed on the fisherman who continued their debate.
After a few minutes of furious deliberation, the spokesman took a step forward.
"We will give you a boat only if you promise to leave this place and never come back."
Makato bowed to the old man. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. No one crosses that water and makes it back alive."
35
The sea was dark and endless. Suzume stood at the bow looking towards the ocean. Now that she was looking at it up close she was beginning to have second thoughts. The fisherman's ominous words continued to ring through her head. Would Kazue's power even be enough to defeat the umi-bozu? Behind her Makato unfurled a sail riddled with holes. It stank of must and Suzume crinkled her nose at it.
"Do you know how to sail a boat?" she asked him.
Makato pulled a line tight, tying it around a piece of wood at the back of the ship in a way that inspired some confidence. "In theory; I've read about it."
"So not really." That gnawing anxiety continued to scratch at the back of her mind. Perhaps they shouldn't try this. But if she changed her mind now, it was like admitting Kaito was right. That she didn't know how to lead.
"Are we even certain this thing will even stay afloat?" Tsuki asked as he kicked gently against the mast. Debris rained down on their heads. Suzume made an umbrella out of her hands to keep any of it from landing in her hair. Who knew what creeping crawling creatures or moldy fragments were hiding in this ship.
"My lady," a voice shouted to her, the sound almost stolen by the wind. Suzume frowned and searched for the source. Tohru waved to her from the shore. The Namahage refused to get on the boat, not that there was room for them. They were afraid of the water it seemed. Not that they would admit it. Even now they hovered far up the beach well out of the reach of the waves that
were slapping onto the shore.
Suzume waved back at him. She was glad for an excuse to be rid of them. The Namahage had served their purpose. They'd brought her here, and she had no more need of Tohru's overprotective attentions.
But the Namahage shouted for her once more. With a frustrated exhale, she moved towards the back of the boat, thinking she could hear him better if she got closer to shore. He held something in his hand, which he was waving at her, beckoning her to come to him. But she couldn't make out what he was saying over the thundering of the waves. They'd already pushed off from the shore and the boat bobbed in shallow water. But even so she wasn't jumping into the freezing water for no good reason.
As Suzume squinted to better see what Tohru was holding, Makato did something and the sail pulled taut. Suddenly they were jerked forward and farther away from the shore and any hope of hearing what the Namahage wanted to tell her was lost. All Suzume could do was watch his form shrink on the horizon. I'm sure it was nothing, she thought and turned her attention back to the open sea.
Once they were on the open water, the rocking of the ocean swayed the boat, and just to stay upright Suzume had to hold onto the side of the boat. The Namahage's last request was quickly chased from her mind.
They veered back and forth across the bay, zig-zagging their way towards the open ocean. The jerking motions had Suzume's stomach turning over and she felt that morning's breakfast threatening to make a second appearance. But it wasn't until Makato tried moving the sail and almost knocked Tsuki overboard that Noaki took over navigation and Makato was exiled to the front of the ship with Suzume. For a while he simply stared out at the ocean without speaking.
"You don't need to worry," he said, breaking the silence.
"Who said I was worried?" Suzume said with a toss of her head. The wind caught her dark locks and unfurled them behind her like a flag. Now that Noaki was piloting her stomach had settled.
Makato nodded down towards her white knuckled grip on the edge of the boat. Suzume released her hands but only a little, she still felt like she might tip over with the force of the rocking of the ship.
"Is sailing supposed to be this unpleasant?" she asked.
"They say you'll get used after a while."
"How long is a while?"
"Some accounts say days?" The uncertainty in his tone was not comforting.
"Great. Lets just hope this dingy can get us to the other side in one piece for now." Or we don't have to face the umi-bozu.
Getting out of the bay seemed to take an eternity. The boat moved painfully slow. A steady spray of water soaked Suzume's clothes to the skin, and no matter where she moved on the tiny vessel she could not avoid it. Then the wind blew, making the water like ice against her skin.
Suzume shivered, her teeth chattering as the breeze blew through her water-soaked clothes. For a while the only sound was water lapping against the sides of the boat and the sound of her own teeth chattering. She made the mistake of looking back to where they had come, and it seemed too close for how long they had been on the water and their destination much too far away.
But she was too cold to even complain. She rubbed her arms up and down, trying to keep herself warm. At least being cold distracted her from thinking about what might lurk beneath the dark surface.
"What will you do once you get the stone?" Makato whispered into her ear. He looked over his shoulder towards Tsuki, who was leaning against the mast, and then to Noaki whose gaze was trained forward, one hand on the rudder.
Suzume clutched her arms tighter around herself. "What else: become stronger."
There was a long pause. "What if it isn't enough? What if it only leaves you wanting more?"
"I won't make Kazue's mistake," Suzume scoffed. This was all to prove to the dragon that she was strong.
Makato did not comment and the silence that fell afterwards was only punctuated by the slap of water on the side of the boat. After a few minutes Makato said, "I used to think I wanted to get my memories back, but now I'm not sure. Sometimes what we think we want isn't what will make you happy."
"Not for me. I'm never going to be helpless again." Though she had found a somewhat dry spot, she got up to walk away from him and headed back to the front of the ship. She didn't need his advice.
As Suzume looked out onto the water she saw the mouth of the bay approaching. Hills slid into the water on both sides, like two arms embracing them. No one spoke as they approached it. Suzume held her breath, waiting for something to rise out of the sea and try to stop them, but they sailed out without incident.
Beyond the break it was much quieter. The distant roar of the crashing waves faded away as they skimmed across the ocean surface. In the distance, the island loomed.
Looking at it from here she felt an even stronger sense of nostalgia. Kazue had been here, perhaps she too had sailed a ship out to the island to hide the Sea Stone. They were on the right track, she was sure. And once she had the stone, then she would look for Kaito. I cannot wait to see his face once I show him the Sea Stone.
Water dripped down onto her forehead. Suzume looked up to find dark gray clouds gathered overhead. Great. Now it's raining. Curiously the wind died down, and the sails went slack. Noaki adjusted the rudder and moved the lines without any success. They were dead in the water.
"What happened?" she asked, but got only confused looks and shrugged shoulders in return.
A bad feeling was creeping its way up her spine. She turned back to the front of the ship. There was what looked like the beginnings of a wave a few leagues in front of their boat. She squinted to get a better look, it seemed to be growing in size, swelling up to almost the same width as their boat.
"Draw your staff!" Makato shouted as he drew his bow and arrow.
"What's going on?" she said as she pulled her staff from its sheath. As soon as she did, the fire encased it without telling it to. "Is that the umi-bozu?"
"It looks like it! Hold on!" Tsuki shouted as he too drew his own sword.
The wave came towards them, growing in size, but not cresting. As it approached them it was almost the same height their ship. The fire stone, I need it. Suzume patted her clothes searching it but it was nowhere on her. It was then she realized what Tohru had been trying to give her. I left the fire stone with the Namahage. She groaned aloud.
Makato looked at her with a raised brow, but she only shook her head in response.
Before the wave crashed into their ship, a dark shadow burst out from under the water. It rose up into the sky, looming high above them. Suzume craned her neck back to look at a pair of bright white eyes blinking down at her. Water dripped off its massive smooth head. The sea, which was calm before, started to churn beneath their boat, rocking it from side to side.
The creature plunged back into the water creating massive waves which washed over the boat, almost knocking the boat over. The force of the wave knocked the staff from Suzume's hand and sent it flying across the vessel.
Suzume spit out water and looked around. She wasn't the only one who had been bowled over. Everything was quiet. Water lapped against their ship. She felt a tingling along her neck that said the umi-bozu had not finished with them. Suzume scrambled to her feet and lunged for her staff.
"Where did it go?" Suzume asked once her staff was back in her hands.
Noaki had abandoned guiding the ship and had drawn his twin blades. Tsuki similarly had drawn his weapon.
"It's circling," Makato said ominously.
A chill ran up Suzume's spine as turned her head in circles looking for the yokai. Listening for the monster. She thought she heard a splash to her left, but that may have just been the waves crashing against the side of her boat. She peered over the side just as the monster burst up from the left side of the boat. It rose up out of the deep, a large bulbous black mass. It seemed to go on forever, rising from the water and towering above them dripping water down upon them like rain. The ship rocked as it created waves with its arrival. It opened
large eyes with small pupils and the whites of the eye were enormous, stark and terrifying against the black skin.
The fire rose up to her protection and she felt that familiar spiraling feeling once more. The flames were licking up her body, reacting to the immense spiritual pressure of the creature above them.
"Don't give into the power!" Makato shouted to Suzume, but he sounded as if he was a million miles away. She had no control over it even if she wanted. Suzume was doubled over, clenching the staff to her gut. Not now. Not now. She cried out as something electrocuted every inch of her body.
On the opposite side, a giant hand burst out from under the water and wrapped around the ship. Noaki lunged for it, hacking at it with his swords, but it merely bounced off the thing's slippery flesh. Makato ran backwards, shooting arrows imbued with spiritual energy but nothing could break through the creature's hide.
The creature closed its grip on their ship, squeezing, and the boat creaked and groaned beneath the pressure. If Suzume didn't do something, the entire boat would be smashed. Suzume hands burning with flame; Kazue was trying to take over her body.
Take control.
With sheer force of stubbornness, she pushed back Kazue's influence. The mere effort left her limbs shaking, but the fire remained and lighting her staff. She swung it at the creature's hand. When her flame got close it screeched and retreated, fearing her fire. Bits of broken wood flew with the quick retreat. And cracks in the bottom of the boat let water seep in at an alarming rate.
"The ship's going to sink," Tsuki shouted.
Suzume was staring up at the creature, whose massive hand was coming back down towards them, transfixed in place and unable to move. Her fire wasn't enough to deter it. She was nothing but a child in comparison to this thing's brute strength. Noaki grabbed her around the middle and pushed her out into the water and away from danger. They plunged into the icy cold water and she gasped as she hit, swallowing a large mouth full of salt.
The hand smashed into the boat seconds later, shattering it into pieces. Once she was in the water the fire was extinguished from her skin. And somewhere in their fall she'd lost her staff. But she wasn't worried about that and instead flapped around in the water trying to keep her head a float. She was sinking like a stone. Makato shouted out for her, somewhere in the chaos. Waves were rising up, flowing over her head. The force of them was pushing her and Noaki apart.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 63