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Back The Ring of Wind Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

The shuinsen entered open water without further resistance. By now, the mainsail had been fully raised and trimmed towards the wind. The ship immediately picked up speed and pulled away from Hikari Harbour.

Behind, Jack could hear the heavy beat of drums as the samurai crews rowed after them. Powered by oar and sail, they were quickly gaining on them. One of the seki-bune was forging ahead of the others when it came to a juddering halt, its bow suddenly veering off to one side. There was a wrenching of wood and half the jetty was dragged into the sea – the seki-bune’s anchor having been tied to the harbour structure.

But that still left two seki-bune and a fearsome atake-bune in pursuit. These appeared to have escaped the Wind Demons’ sabotage tactics. As they raced after the shuinsen, the armed samurai on-board shot arrow and musket at the ninja pirates fleeing in their rowing boats. The Wind Demons paddled hard for the safety of their own ships, but they were being picked off one by one … until Captain Kujira’s Killer Whale rounded the headland and lay down a barrage of suppressive cannon fire.

Glancing back towards the harbour, Jack spotted a blaze coming from the top tower of the castle. For a moment, he thought this was the work of Captain Wanizame’s crew … then he realized it was a distress beacon, its rising flames visible for miles.

40

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Sea Fog

Jack scanned the dark skies from atop the main mast and located the pole star. The shuinsen had struck a course dead south. Behind, a lone seki-bune pursued them. The other two Sea Samurai ships had been intercepted by the Wind Demon vessels and they were now engaged in a full-scale sea battle. The thundering blast of cannons rolled across the water and the muzzle flash of guns lit the sky like a distant storm.

The seki-bune kept coming, relying upon its oarsmen for speed, its main mast having been crippled in the firefight. But the wind-powered shuinsen, weighed down by its precious cargo, was considerably slower. Only its head start on the seki-bune was preventing their immediate capture. Skullface gave orders for every inch of sailcloth to be raised, planning to maintain their advantage for as long as possible in the hope that the samurai crew would eventually tire.

As the chase went on, they soon lost sight of their fellow Wind Demons and their fate in the battle remained unknown. But the castle beacon continued to burn brightly on the horizon – sending its distress call into the night sky.

Jack stayed aloft, keeping an eye on the stars and committing their course to memory. If he and his friends did manage to escape from Tatsumaki’s clutches, then he needed to know their way back to land from Pirate Island. But such a prospect was becoming more and more unlikely as the heavy beat of the oarsmen’s drum increased and the seki-bune gained on them.