Page 13 of Night of the Dragon

“To Tsuki lands,” Daisuke confirmed, as if he couldn’t believe our good fortune.

Jotaro nodded. “As soon as I can find and gather the rest of my crew,” he said. “We cannot leave this cursed place fast enough. But, whoever you are, you have my eternal gratitude, strangers. You saved this town, my crew and my ship. If I can be of any help, you have only to ask.”

“Actually...” Reika stepped forward, smiling. “There is something you can help us with.”

6

In the Crow’s Nest

TATSUMI

Idid not enjoy being on a ship.

Not because of the ocean, or the constant rocking of the ship itself. I was a strong swimmer and had been trained on all manner of unsteady platforms since I was young. Seasickness had never been a concern for me, unlike the ronin, who had been consistently and loudly miserable ever since we’d set sail from Umi Sabishi Mura.

It was the notion that I was, essentially, trapped on a small vessel with several other souls, and there was no escape—for anyone—should I get the sudden, bloodthirsty desire to slaughter them all. I could feel those urges now, that hunger for violence and carnage that never went away. I had spent the past day and most of the night in the crow’s nest, far removed from the crew and the rest of my companions, so my demonic nature wouldn’t be tempted to indulge in a killing spree.

Don’t lie to yourself, Tatsumi, whispered a voice inside that wasn’t entirely my own.You’re hiding...fromher.

I shut the voice out, closing my eyes, but I couldn’t escape the truth of it.Yumeko.Ihadbeen thinking of her a lot lately. Ever since the terrible night when she had freed my soul from the demon possessing it, the fox girl was all I could think about. I worried for her in battle and felt hollow when we were apart. Even now, though I knew she was safely below on the ship, I ached to see her, to hear her laugh. I wished...

Wishing is for fools, Tatsumi.Ichiro’s voice echoed in my head, cold and logical, repeating one of the many tenants of the Kage demonslayer.Wishing for what cannot be only weakens your resolve. You are the Kage demonslayer. You must never waver, you must never question yourself, or you and everyone around you will be lost.

“Tatsumi? Are you up here?”

My heart leaped as the familiar voice that had been haunting my thoughts for days on end sounded directly below. Across from me, four slender fingers curled over the edge of the crow’s nest, just before a pair of black-tipped ears poked over the rim and Yumeko’s face appeared, her hair streaming behind her in the strong wind. She spotted me, and her lips curved into a smile.

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She pulled herself up the side and half crawled, half fell into the basket, wincing as her forearms hit the floor of the crow’s nest. “Ite. Well, that was exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified to look down. Even the old camphor tree in the forest near the Silent Winds temple wasn’t this tall.” Still on her knees and clutching one of the ropes with both hands, she peeked over the edge of the basket, and her ears flattened to her skull. “We are certainly very high up, aren’t we? I hope Reika doesn’t get too cross if I decide to stay here all night.”

“What are you doing here, Yumeko?” I asked, not moving from my place against the side of the basket. Seeing her made my heart pound, but whether from excitement, fear or something else, I couldn’t tell.

“I was worried.” The girl scooted around the mast toward me, never letting go of the ropes or the edges of the crow’s nest. “I haven’t seen you in nearly two days, and no one else could find you, either. I thought you might have...decided to leave.”

I frowned. “We’re in the middle of the ocean,” I pointed out, gesturing to the endless expanse of water surrounding us, glimmering in the moonlight. “Where would I go?”

“I’m not a shinobi.” Still on her knees, she scooted closer, her knuckles white from gripping the ropes. “I didn’t know if you had some secret Kage magic that let you become a fish or something.Eee.” A gust of wind tossed her sleeves and made the basket sway, and she closed her eyes, hugging the mast. “Well, that decides it. I’ll be staying right here until we get to Moon Clan territory. It shouldn’t be long until we reach the first island, right?”

It was now fairly crowded in the crow’s nest, as the basket wasn’t meant to hold more than one person. I sighed and got to my feet, gazing down at the girl still wrapped around the mast. “Give me your hand,” I told her, holding out my own. She reached for me, stretching out her arm and grasping my palm, but kept one arm wrapped around the wooden post. “Let go of the mast, Yumeko,” I told her, and her ears flattened again. “Trust me,” I soothed, keeping a steady grip on her hand. “I won’t let you fall.”

She nodded and gingerly let go of the post. I drew her upright, but as she stood, a vicious blast of wind caused the sails to snap wildly. Yumeko winced, looking like she wanted to glue herself to the mast again, but I pulled her forward so that she was braced against me, one hand clutching my shoulder for balance while the other gripped my fingers like a vise.

“Get your feet under you,” I told her softly. “Bend your knees and feel the rhythm of the waves as they move. Sway with the ship instead of letting it toss you around.”

“This is certainly not like climbing the camphor tree,” she muttered, staring fixedly at the fabric of my haori as she found her balance. “Even when the tree swayed, there were branches everywhere that you could grab if you slipped. Right now, there is nothing but air between me and a very long drop to the planks. Reika will probably lecture me if I break my neck falling from the mast.”

“You’re not going to fall,” I said. “Relax, and feel the ship move. Once you’re comfortable with the rhythm, it will be easy to climb back down.”

She straightened, finally lifting her gaze. Atop her head, her fox ears pricked forward, and her posture relaxed against me. “Oh,” she whispered, sounding awed. “You can see the whole ocean from up here.” She gazed around at the glittering black expanse, the waves rippling silver beneath the moon, and drew in a slow breath. “It really does go on forever, doesn’t it?”

Her fingers brushed my skin, trailing a line of heat across my arm, and my heart thumped in my ears. I was suddenly very aware that we were all alone up here, far removed from our companions and anyone who might see us. Not only that, our bodies were very close. I could feel Yumeko’s slender form leaning slightly into me for balance, the softness of her under my fingers. In the past, having someone so near had made me highly uncomfortable and desperate to put distance between us; now I was filled with a terrifying, incomprehensible urge to pull her closer. “You should go back down,” I said gruffly. “Ushima Island isn’t far. We’re scheduled to pull into the port of Heishi at dawn.”

She nodded absently, still gazing over the water, the moonlight reflected in her eyes. “Everything is so big,” she murmured, as if loath to speak any louder. “It feels like we’re the only things out here. Just a tiny fleck between the ocean and the sky. It makes you realize how small and unimportant you really are. Like you’re a bug who is trapped in a spiderweb, and you’re fighting so hard, thinking that you’re caught in this grand, life-or-death struggle, but really, you’re just a bug.” She paused, a faint smile crossing her face. “That was one of Denga’s sayings. I never used to understand what he meant, but now... I think I get it.”

With a sigh, she tilted her head back and looked up at the stars. “I feel like a bug right now, Tatsumi,” she whispered. “How am I supposed to stop Genno, his army or the coming of the Dragon? I’m not that strong.”

“I’ll be your strength,” I told her softly. “Let me be your weapon, the blade that cuts through your enemies. I can do that much, at least.” She shivered against me, and my heartbeat picked up in response. “Strength isn’t the only key to winning a battle,” I said. “You told me that yourself, remember? You have other ways to fight, Yumeko.”

“Fox magic,” Yumeko murmured. “Illusions and tricks. I don’t have real power like you or Reika. I’ll try, Tatsumi. I’ll fight as hard as I can, but Genno already knows what I am—how useful will my magic really be?”

---