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Back The Ring of Wind
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 walkway was the busiest and the widest so far, allowing men to pass three abreast. It skirted the outside edge of a series of buildings with open shop fronts. But these shops didn’t offer the typical wares. Many were bars selling cheap saké, or gambling dens where pirates could lose their riches on the toss of a dice. A tattooist had set up business in one cabin and was etching a black sea dragon on to the burly arm of a Wind Demon. In the store next to them, a woman and man haggled angrily over a vicious-looking battleaxe – the owner, clearly not getting the price she wanted, was threatening to show her potential customer how sharp the blade really was.

As Jack walked along the suspended street with Li Ling, he felt the eyes of many pirates following him. But they weren’t the usual looks of astonishment at his blond hair and blue eyes. They were hungry, greedy stares.

Li Ling noticed the attention too and whispered, ‘There are rumours that you’re worth one hundred koban to the Shogun, alive or dead!’

Jack didn’t know whether to laugh or be seriously afraid. But, whatever the actual bounty was now, he was a walking treasure chest to these pirates. He could only hope that Tatsumaki’s influence was great enough to protect him from such lawless men.

‘BELOW!’ came a cry.

Li Ling pulled Jack into the cover of the nearest shop front. A splatter of brown-stained water dropped from above into the lagoon.

‘I promise, you don’t want that sort of rain to land on your head,’ she smirked.

As Jack glanced over the rail, his eyes happened upon the skiff. The little boat was moored in the shadow of Captain Wanizame’s Great White.

The promise of freedom was tantalizingly close.

45

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Wind Witch

‘Why don’t you have your fortune told?’ suggested Li Ling, pointing to a dark smoky cabin with dead snakes, dried lizards and bat wings hanging from the beams. ‘It’s customary for every pirate to visit the Wind Witch.’

‘Have you visited her?’ Jack asked, wrenching his eyes away from the skiff and giving the macabre shop a dubious look.

Li Ling nodded, her face beaming. ‘The Wind Witch knows all. She told me that I would make a great pirate one day, and would command the South China Sea.’ She gestured for Jack to go inside. He was about to protest, but Li Ling urged him forward. ‘It’ll be worth it,’ she promised. ‘I’ll wait for you.’