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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

‘Sea dragon!’ screamed one of the crew, his eyes wide as the moon with sheer horror.

Unable to believe his eyes, Jack yanked hard on the tiller, desperately attempting to alter their course. The Golden Tiger veered away and was blessed with enough momentum to head back into open water. But there was little hope of escape. The mainsail was ablaze with hellfire and the Golden Tiger was crippled.

‘Cut the rigging!’ ordered Jack, relinquishing the tiller to the captain. ‘The whole ship will go up in flames.’

Miyuki raced along the deck to where their canvas bag was hidden. She pulled it clear and began to hand out weapons to Saburo, Yori and Jack. The captain was in too much of a panic to wonder why his pilgrim passengers carried samurai and ninja swords. He was furiously waggling the rudder in a fraught attempt to propel the Golden Tiger away from the sea dragon’s lair.

On deck it was raining fire. Jack unsheathed his katana and in one clean sweep sliced through the first of the halyards tethering the burning sail. Miyuki hacked with her ninjatō along the other side.

‘Clear the deck!’ warned Jack as he severed the last of the rigging.

Like a dying phoenix, the mainsail tumbled from the sky. Sparks flew like fireflies and there was a great crackle and splutter as the canvas extinguished in the sea …

But half still lay across the deck, burning fiercely.

Yori thrust at the blazing canvas with his shakujō, trying to push it over the side. Rushing to his aid, Saburo and two of the crew grabbed the last remaining lengths of bamboo and shoved with all their might. The sail slipped over the guardrail and the roar of flames died. Darkness engulfed them once again and an eerie silence descended – all that could be heard was the lapping of the waves against the hull.

‘Where’s the sea dragon?’ asked Saburo, breathless, staring into the black recesses of the cave.

Their eyes adjusting to the night, Jack and Miyuki scanned the waters surrounding them. Off their port bow, a great shadow loomed.

In the chaos and confusion, the Wind Demons had caught up.

Their vessel drew alongside the Golden Tiger, its deck towering over them. Without warning, several sections of the gunwales fell away and smashed on top of the Golden Tiger’s guardrail. Great iron spikes bit into the deck, holding the Golden Tiger fast. An instant later, black shadows swarmed across the bridges to board the crippled cargo ship.

A crewmember screamed as the steel tip of a blade burst through his chest. Blood spewing from his mouth, he collapsed to the deck, dead. Behind, a ninja crouched, his sword slick with the man’s entrails.