The feast was brought to a halt as the pirates came through the wall, its defenders left dead in their tracks. The change in commotion caught the Captain’s attention. He rose to see his men engaging the bandits and his crew gathered around him, wondering if they’d get out to help their crewmates. He was glad Kita had pulled it off. “But where is she?” he said to himself.
The answer came clad in black and holding a key. “Look what I found,” Kita said cheerily as she unlocked the cage and let the pirates out. She pointed to a stack of crates, “Your weapons are over there.” The pirates made haste in retrieving them and returned to their captain. Cyril handed Leo his sword.
“Your gun was missing, cap’n,” he said, “We looked but couldn’t find it.” The Captain nodded. He figured one of the bandits had swiped it.
Leo faced the warriors, “Alright men, let’s show them what we’re made of!” His crew cheered and set off into battle.
The Captain turned to Kita. “Thank you,” he said with a nod. She smiled.
“It’s not over yet, though,” she responded. “There’s still one large problem to take care of.” He nodded again. She ran off past him, heading into the ongoing battle as he made his way to the table.
Leo moved towards the bandit king, who was still at the head of the table. The Captain climbed atop the opposite end and began walking down its length. He increased his speed into a full sprint as he hit the last stretch of the table. He gave a fierce cry as he leapt from the end of the table at the beast of a man.
Brutus spun around to see the lone pirate sailing through the air towards him. He jumped back, barely dodging the blow. Leo hit the ground hard but kept his composure. He kicked himself up off the ground and unleashed a hurricane of attacks. Unarmed, Brutus used his gauntlet-clad arms to protect himself. The Captain let off for a moment and stepped back. Brutus took this opportunity and came in fast, his massive fist leading his body.
Leo didn’t have enough time to completely avoid the attack. He was hit hard and was sent spiraling to the ground. He rose, grasping his left shoulder. The large man tried once more but this time the Captain was ready. Brutus’ fist caught only air as the pirate moved out of the way. Leo struck quickly, splitting the flesh of his enemy’s arm. Brutus grunted and threw all his weight through his arm at Leo. The blow caught him square in the chest and sent him hurdling through the air. He hit the ground a few yards away. He tried to rise but his body denied him the ability. Brutus trudged over to where the Captain lay. He chuckled as he picked the pirate up with both his hands. Leo’s arms were pinned to his sides, causing him to drop his sword.
He stared hard into the cold eyes of his enemy. Brutus stared back for a moment before glancing over the Captain’s shoulder. The brute did a double take and glared at whatever was behind him. Leo didn’t care what it was; he knew this was his only chance to take the monster down. He kicked with all his might, his foot crushing up between Brutus’ legs. A soft crunch and a grunt of pain freed Leo from the bandit’s grip. Brutus fell to his knees, grasping his damaged groin. The Captain quickly retrieved his weapon and brought it up to the neck of his nemesis. “You’re tough,” he said, “but you’re not that tough.”
Kita cut down with ease the bandit that had flung himself at her in an attempt to bring her down by sheer manpower and greater physical build. This was only the seventh idiot to try this tactic and she was becoming rather annoyed. When she noticed a piece of her mask hanging loosely from her face where his blade had hit home, she tore it off completely before spinning and thrusting her blade behind her into the stomach an oncoming bandit.
Shaking his blood from her sword, she turned in time to see the traitor, Rhea, with a six-shooter aimed right at the captain’s back and a murderous smirk on her face. Kita had little time to act. “Leo!!” she screamed as she ran with lightning speed and tackled him to the ground. In the process, she chucked a shuriken at the weapon, knocking it from Rhea’s hand. Unfortunately it had already been fired and the bullet grazed her right arm as she and the Captain fell.
“Are you nuts?!” he yelled as he rolled her off of him. “This is no time for you to be on top of me!”
“This is a perfect time for me to be on top of you!“ She winked and added, “You can thank me later.” They stood in one fluid motion, back to back and facing their respective opponents. “Avenge your friend. I’ll deal with her.” He nodded and he returned his focus to the ugly oaf in front of him. At the same instant they broke from each other and lunged into battle with their rivals.
Rhea had scrambled for her gun after Kita’s shuriken knocked it from her grasp. As the ninja woman had begun her attack, Rhea managed to get a hold of it again and fired three blind shots. Kita threw two throwing knives to intercept or block two of them while dodging the third bullet entirely. She drew a short blade from the inside of her left boot and lunged for Rhea’s throat.
The bandit woman was not about to let herself be taken so easily. She fired another shot as Kita got too close to dodge it and it penetrated her right shoulder just below the collarbone. She cried out in pain as the bullet tore threw the flesh and muscle. She dropped her knife as she clutched her shoulder with her free hand and Rhea took advantage of her momentary distraction. She drew her own sword from her back and swung it low at the ninja’s exposed waist.
Kita leapt into the air at the last moment and a thin line of blood dripped from her stomach as Rhea’s blade skimmed over her. She flipped and landed several yards away. With her dominant arm nearly incapacitated, drawing her sword proved to be a difficult and painful task. What normally took no time at all took several precious seconds now, but once out of its sheath she tossed her sword over to her left hand in time to block Rhea’s attack.
Even though she was restricted to her left hand, she knew she was a better swordswoman than the dirty traitor she was dueling. After blocking several poor attempts and low swings, she found her window of opportunity. Rhea had swung her sword back after a failed attempt at the ninja’s neck and was preparing to swing it back when the other woman, with surprising quickness, thrust the sword forward and straight through her neck. For a few long seconds they stared at each other. Kita’s eyes were cold and merciless as she watched the fear in her opponent’s eyes. “There’s a special circle of hell waiting for traitors like you,” she snarled just before she ripped the sword to the side, in effect, beheading the bitch that had caused her new friends such pain.
The battle raged on around her as she stood still, the blood of her enemy still dripping from her blade. She held her shoulder gingerly and after staring at the dismembered head before her, turned back to see how Leo was faring.
Brutus had recovered slightly and was able to stand. Leo’s arms seared with pain from being crushed. He swung his sword the best he could, but Brutus shielded himself with his giant arms. Leo was growing tired and weak. I can’t stop now, he thought to himself, I’ve come too far. He gripped his sword with two hands, his shoulder still aching from the earlier punch.
He thrust his blade at Brutus’ throat, but the beast caught the sword between his gauntlets. Brutus quickly crossed his arms, disarming the Captain once again. The bandit king dove forward, looking to crush Leo under his weight. The Captain was fast enough to avoid the attack, and Brutus hit the ground. Leo kicked at the back of Brutus’ head in an attempt to smash his skull. It seemed to have little effect on the brute. For being so empty, his skull was thicker than expected.
Brutus rolled away from him and pushed himself up off the ground. He looked around, spotted what he was looking for and took off for it. About thirty yards away, Brutus had picked up a huge battle axe, with a human skull set between the dual blades. He gave a threatening swing and shouted, “Now it’s time fer Roddy to ‘ave ‘is revenge!”
“That must be Roddy’s skull,” Leo mumbled, “that sick bastard.” The Captain stood ready to dive to one side and avoid the deadly blade. Brutus came right at him, heaving the axe over his head. His eyes were locked on the pirate, causing him to leave the approaching ninja girl unnoticed.
Kita came running towards the Captain, a pistol in her hands. “Leo!” she shouted as she drew nearer, “use this!” She sped up and threw the weapon to him.
So that’s where my pistol went, he thought as he grabbed it from the air, cocked it, and pointed it towards his rival. Brutus was moving too fast to stop himself. Even if he had tried it would have been too late. The Captain sprinted towards Brutus and slid feet first towards him. With just a few feet between them, Leo secured his aim between the bandit king’s eyes and pulled the trigger. Blood and grey matter filled the air behind Brutus. His face was a tattered mess. His sudden death stopped his legs and he lurched into the air. Leo covered his face with his arms as he slid right under the airborne man. He came to a halt as Brutus’ body met the dirt with a loud thud that rippled through the air.
One of the other bandits witnessed this event and cried out in disgusted terror. “Oh my god!” he screamed, “he killed Brutus!” More and more bandits ceased their fighting to view the faceless body of their master.
Soon Rhea’s decapitated corpse was found. “They got Rhea, too!” Another shouted. The pirates stopped their assault as the bandits began to flee in horror. They couldn’t go on with both their leaders dead. They ran for their lives and didn’t turn back once.
The Captain called Cyril over. “I want you to go and check on everyone,” he said to him, “and report back to me with any casualties.”
“Aye aye, cap’n” came the curt reply and he set off.
Leo walked over to see how Kita was doing. “So,” he said as he approached her, “where did you get my pistol?”
She gave a little smile, “Oh, so that was your gun?” She pulled back the ripped cloth on her shoulder to show him the wound she had sustained from Rhea. “I guess that means that this is your fault,” she said jokingly. He let out a slight chuckle.
His eyes softened and with his tone sincere he said, “Thanks for saving me back there. I owe you my life.” With her mask off, he could see her face redden ever so slightly. “I am very grateful.” He locked her gaze with his as he took her hand and lightly brushed his lips upon her fingers. For a few moments they didn’t look away from each other. Kita’s heart was pounding in her head, she almost failed to notice the medic approaching them.
“Cap’n,” Cyril said, breaking the tender moment. “I have some grave news.”
“What is it, Cyril?” Leo asked, finally breaking his gaze from the blue-eyed ninja woman before him.
“Eight of our men are dead,” he said rather quietly, “and there are others who are wounded.”
The Captain stood silent for a moment. He looked out over the ravaged camp. “Gather the dead. We shall give them a proper burial at sea.” he said finally. Cyril nodded in agreement.
As Leo began giving orders, Kita wandered the battlefield. She collected her shuriken and throwing knives from the bloodied, lifeless bodies of the bandits she had slain. There were a lot of dead men, but what halted her were the bodies of a few women who had been caught in the crossfire. She waved over a few of the pirates to help her carry away the innocent victims.
“What are you doing?” Leo asked as he saw his men carrying some of the bandits’ dead away. “I said to leave them where they were!”
“I asked them to help me,” the ninja informed him as she ran over. “These women were not supposed to be in the battle. I expect they were probably even slaves. It’s not fair to make them suffer the same fate.” He nodded at her pleading gaze and she followed the men to make sure the burial was done properly.
Leo supervised the extraction of his men to the shore. Everyone left carrying someone else or helping to carry off some of the loot. Cyril was hard at work mending to the most severely wounded so as not to lose any more men. They’d only lost eight men to the ruthless bandits, but at least twelve were wounded with four of those in critical condition. The Captain placed a reassuring hand on the medic’s shoulder. It had been a long day. “Keep up the good work Cyril. I promise you’ll have plenty to eat and drink and a nice long rest after this.” The young man’s smile was small and tired, but he diligently kept working.
Jeremiah had brought some men from the ship out to the shore to help with the wounded and the treasures. He waved to Leo as they came closer and was grinning from ear to ear, eager to be of some help. Leo chuckled to himself as he waved back to the old man and continued his patrol.
Lucas was busy loading their dead into one of the boats and ordering a few men to take it back to the ship. He’d cleaned the blood from his face and an eye patch covered the right portion of his head, protecting the wound he had suffered in the battle. His dark hair was mussed up and his body slouched with fatigue. The Captain came over and clapped an arm around his shoulder. “You’ve done well, boy.” he said with a smirk.
“Thank you, sir,” the new first mate responded automatically. “I was just doing my duty.”
Leo patted him on the back and replied, “You’ve gone above and beyond. You’ve accepted your promotion without the slightest hesitation, even in light of Phineas’ death.” He stopped talking for a moment and looked out to his ship, trying to choke back his grief.
The young man at his side looked to the sea as well. “No one can replace Phineas,” he said quietly. “I certainly don’t intend to. But I want to make him proud and live up to everything he did and was. Maybe after many more years I can be half the pirate he was.” Tears streamed down his face from his good eye and he tried to resist the trembling sob that managed to escape.
The Captain wiped away a tear that threatened to roll down his cheeks as well and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder again. “You’ll do fine,” he said and hugged him briefly. “You’ve already proved yourself worthy of being my first mate by your actions today. I have the utmost confidence in you and expect great things. I knew what I was doing when I made you second mate all those years ago.”
He smiled again and Lucas nodded. “Thank you, sir,” he said again.
“Of course,” Leo said. “I’ll let you get back to your task. You seem to have things under control.” With a final reassuring clap on the back, Leo left Lucas to get the dead men back to the ship. He wandered the camp, half wondering where their ninja friend had gone. He spotted the men she’d borrowed earlier sitting on a log, waiting to have their minor injuries looked after. “Oi! You two, front and center,” he ordered.
They rose and briskly walked over. “Aye, cap’n?” they said in unison.
“Where’s the ninja woman?” he asked.
“She sent us back after we buried the dead bandit women,” one said. “She said she was gonna go clean her wounds and get something to eat and she said to tell you she’d see you before we left.”
Leo smiled at them both. “Thank you, gentleman. Get yourselves back to the ship. Cyril will treat you there once he’s had some rest.” They saluted him and headed to the second rowboat that was returning to the ship. They had managed to fit all the loot onto one rowboat and had already sent that one back. There should be enough to trade for food and supplies in the next port town they came across, but he had no idea where they were to even get to one.
The sun was beginning to get low in the sky by the time they had gotten most everyone back to the ship. Only Lucas, the Captain, and a few other men remained. He began to wonder if she really would come to see them off. They couldn’t stay too much longer. They had to find another island with a port town to get more supplies so Cyril could better treat the wounded.
Just as the men were loading the final boat back to the ship, a flicker of orange and black caught his eye from the edge of the forest. He turned to see her leaning against a tree at the tree line, mask-less with her hair down and floating in the light breeze. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Lucas and the men before turning and jogging over to her.
She grinned and watched him from where she stood, waiting for him to get close enough to talk to. “I almost thought you were gonna leave without saying goodbye,” she said coyly.
“Yeah, I thought the same thing about you,” he replied. She had tightly bandaged her shoulder where the bullet from his gun had torn threw, leaving a nasty wound, and he noticed the arm hung rather limply. There was a thin line on her face from where the bandit had successfully cut threw her mask and another on her stomach from her battle with Rhea. She had other minor gashes and scrapes, mostly evident by the tears in her clothes. “Are you alright?” he asked.
Kita nodded. “I’m fine. Are your men okay?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Cyril’s been working hard to make sure everyone survives.” She glanced out to the ship and stared for a few moments in silence. “You know,” he said, breaking her train of thought, “we lost several men out there and many good fighters. We could use someone with your talents on our crew.”
She turned her gaze back to him and he was complacently pleased that she seemed surprised. After a minute of staring at him in bewilderment, she shook her head. “I couldn’t. The sea isn’t the place for a ninja.”
“You still think I’m a ninja,” he replied without hesitation, “or you likely wouldn’t still be here.” She looked awa
The mournful cry startled her, waking her from her dozing. It was so full of pain that her own heart ached for whoever had unleashed it. As it echoed over the island she recognized in it the voice of the Captain and immediately leapt from the tree in which she had been resting to hurry to his camp. Even before she arrived she knew no one would be there.
Their meager little encampment had been ransacked and destroyed. The tents were beaten, crumpled piles of snapped wood and torn fabric. The remnants of their small fires had been swept through and the burning embers scattered around the site. Evidence of a small skirmish attracted her gaze on the eastern edge of the tiny refuge. From there, a trail of footprints led off down the beach.
It was evident to her that whoever had attacked them was not very smart. Anyone with any intelligence planning such an attack and capture would know to cover their tracks so reinforcements wouldn’t be able to follow. She used it to her advantage and tracked them a mile and a quarter before the trail turned into the woods. They had cut down a path for themselves and made it even easier for her to continue following the remaining half mile to the massive wall that had been built around the large establishment.
Sticking to the shadows, she climbed up a tree at the edge and surveyed the camp. There were at least twenty tents on the inside of the crude barrier and barbarous men and women walking about. From what she could see, the women were preparing a feast as the men set up tables and chairs for the evening meal. Those that weren’t hard at work assisting with the preparations were off sparring or tending to the few children running around.
On the south side, directly opposite from her viewpoint, she noticed a small, rather poorly constructed cage holding several people inside it. When she focused her vision and looked harder she recognized the captives as the pirates. She wasted no time in running over to them. She leapt from branch to branch in the trees around the encampment, purposely dropping a twig here and there to spook the bandits on guard duty.
She stopped just before the makeshift jail cell and slowly moved out from the bushes. “Are you all alright?” she whispered.
The place reeked with a mix of familiar scents she immediately associated with fear. When the men turned around to investigate the source of the voice she could see that some had vomited or urinated themselves. A few had apparently done both. The Captain was positioned in the middle of the group as several of his crew huddled around him, patting him, talking to him and simply trying to be of some comfort.
One man broke from the small cluster and came over toward her after recognizing her as a non-threat. His curly strawberry-blond hair was covered in dust and grime and his blue-gray eyes were puffy and bloodshot. He appeared cleaner than the rest as far as the presence of bodily fluids covering their clothes went, but he was observably the most fatigued. “We’re all a little bit frazzled right now,” he said quietly, the weight of their loss present in his tone. “I’ve been doing my best to calm the men down, but I don’t know how they’ll overcome this.”
Her eyes narrowed and she raised an eyebrow as she asked, “Why is everyone so terrified? I thought pirates were tougher than this. Surely, your pride must be sore from being taken captive, but to wet yourselves from something like this?” Her forehead wrinkled and he assumed she was frowning. “Honestly, I’m a little disappointed in you lot.”
He might have smiled had it not been for the gravity of the situation but instead he shook his head. “It’s much more complicated than that,” he replied. “We have been betrayed. Then on top of that we had to witness the brutal murder of our first mate. It’s hit the captain hard,” he whispered as he glanced back to the group.
The ninja girl sobered up and in a whisper asked, “Would it be disrespectful to ask what happened?”
He hesitated for a moment but she looked sincere enough. “The bandit king ripped him in half. It wasn’t pretty.” He looked over to the fire and added, “Then they burned the body. Most of the men are terrified.”
She wrinkled her nose. She had smelled the foul scent of burning flesh earlier on her way to them but hadn’t been able to place it. “Bastard...” she snarled under her breath.
The Captain finally noticed her presence and he called over to the man with whom she’d been conversing. “Cyril! What’s going on?”
He leapt to his feet. “Sir! The ninja girl is here. Maybe she can help us!” he answered hopefully.
Leo scoffed and turned away from them. “And what can she do? She’s just a lone ninja. There’s no way in hell she can do what a large group of mighty pirates such as ourselves could not.”
She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head before they softened and she rolled them. She sighed, then turned back to Cyril. “I’ll be back,” she whispered to him and then retreated to the shadows once again.
When she had gone, he made his way back over to his captain. “Sir, with all due respect, I think you were too harsh with her.” Leo made no movement whatsoever and gave no indication that he would satisfy the medic with a response. Cyril sighed then shrugged as he continued. “She’s out there and we’re in here. From where I see it, she can do a lot more than we can,” he said, addressing Leo’s previous question.
The Captain continued staring at the fire for a few minutes. “I know you’re right,” he said after a short while. “I just don’t understand her. And my best friend is dead, murdered before my very eyes. I’m stuck in a cage and can’t do anything to avenge him.” The leaping flames reflected in his eyes, giving the illusion that they were actually in them. Cyril felt himself shudder at the sight. “My mind is racing,” Leo continued. “We trusted Rhea and she betrayed us. Quite frankly I’m not so sure I’m willing to trust anyone right now. Especially not some rogue ninja.”
Cyril knelt next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he began, “but she’s different from most ninjas we’ve ever encountered.” He fell silent for a moment, letting that observation sink in before he asked his next question. “What did she say to you earlier anyway?”
Leo thought back to the conversation they’d had in the clearing. He had prided himself on his ability to see through people who were bullshitting him and judge a person’s worth based on first impressions. She had been genuinely sincere. The brief hug had communicated that to him. “That we can trust her.“ A shadow of a smile flashed across his face as he answered the medic’s question.
Cyril grinned, pleased that his captain was looking hopeful. Mere seconds later, their new friend returned. “Willing to accept my help?” she asked Leo directly.
He nodded. “I’m sorry for being so rude before.”
“Later,” she said, cutting his apology short. “First we’ve got to get you guys out of here.” Captain, medic, and ninja all exchanged affirmative nods. “Alright,” she began, “the camp is roughly eight hundred square yards and by my estimation there are about one hundred fifty bandits. They’re preparing a feast to celebrate your capture.” She paused then added, “You’re quite the celebrity, captain.”
He mock-bowed before composing himself again in seriousness. “There’s no way the ten of us can fight all of them.” The ninja girl cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at him, warning him not to count her out. “Even with eleven,” he said apologetically. They sat a few moments in silence. Suddenly he slammed his fist against the bars in frustration, eliciting laughter from a couple bandits that were wandering past at that moment. They had been left, for the most part, unguarded. There were always a few of the barbarians nearby though, just in case. When they had gone out of ear shot, he whispered, “If we had the rest of the crew, we’d be able to do it.”
“I’ll go get them,” the ninja girl said without hesitation.
The Captain blinked and stared at her, seeming to contemplate it for a moment. Then he frowned and shook his head. “No, they’d never trust you.”
“I can tell them you sent me!” she protested. “What else would I be doing enlisting their help?”
He sighed. “They’d think you were the one who captured me and were simply coming for the rest of them.” He looked down briefly then to Cyril and back to her. “They’d probably kill you in a heartbeat,” he added solemnly.
She furrowed her brow and slumped her shoulders, clearly sulking. “There must be something to get them to trust me without killing me on sight,” She silently cursed the bitter rivalry between sea-farer and land-loper.
Cyril sat in silence as the pirate and ninja contemplated what to do. The Captain was fiddling with the pendant around his neck, as he tended to do when he was thinking deeply about something. It was the only thing he had left of his real parents and it never left his neck. Of course, his crew knew nothing about the secret of his parents, but what they did know was that he had nearly killed a young thief who had attempted to make off with his pendant.
It was black as the obsidian it had been crafted from. There were traces of metal forged within it to make it stronger, but nevertheless it was smooth with no visible imperfections. On the front had been carved a crescent shape and all around the edges was an inscription in characters of a language the Captain and his crew were unfamiliar with.
She watched as he twirled it through his fingers. The light from the fire would catch it and reflect off it every few seconds. To Cyril, she appeared to be eyeing it because she was staring at it with an intense curiosity. “Where did you get that?” she asked hesitantly.
Leo shrugged and replied, “It’s just a keepsake from my parents.” She looked to him for a moment then back to the pendant as he continued to play with it. Her face softened and she wasn’t as focused on it, but still she didn’t take her eyes off it.
The Captain stopped suddenly and looked at it as if for the first time. His eyes brightened and at the same time the ninja girl must have had an idea because they both straightened and exclaimed, “That’s it!”
Cyril looked from one to the other. Leo was clearly excited but the ninja girl seemed slightly confused. “You can take this to them,” he said as he began to pull it over his head.
She blinked back her surprise. “No,” she stammered, “No, I couldn’t. That would never work.”
“It’s alright,” he assured her. “I’ll give you the Code as well.”
It was Cyril’s turn to show astonishment. “But Cap’n, that code’s only meant for pirates! Surely you don’t mean to share that with a ninja?”
Leo flashed a sly grin at his medic. “I do. Besides, weren’t you the one earlier who told me we should trust her?” The young man nodded grimly. “It’s the only way they won’t kill her on sight and you know it.” Cyril glanced to the ninja and saw she was staring at the pendant as though she were hesitant to take it. The Captain pushed it toward her, urging her. “You’re going to need it,” he said.
She sighed and wavered a moment longer before gently taking it. “Should I, you know, wear it?” Leo nodded and she slowly put it over her own head and tucked the pendant in the fabric of her top. Heaving another sigh, she asked, “So what’s this code?”
The Captain leaned forward and motioned for her to do the same. He looked around cautiously to be sure no one was watching or listening. When he was sure they were okay, he whispered it in her ear for her only. She nodded that she understood and stood to leave. “Wait, before you go,” he started, halting her to make sure he wouldn’t forget this time, “what is your name?” She knelt back down and whispered something in his ear before giving him a wink and disappearing into the woods.
Cyril frowned and folded his arms across his chest, indignant that he’d been left out of their private conversation. “What if she doesn’t come back?” he asked sourly.
Leo smiled. “She will,” he said without hesitation. “She will.”
The medic grunted and laid back. “Well then I’m gonna get some rest before our battle tomorrow. I just pray she’s not too late.”
“Don’t worry so much Cyril,” the Captain replied. “You’ll turn that pretty head of yours grey before you turn 30.” The medic stifled a chuckle then rolled over to sleep in the filthy cage. Leo looked into the fire briefly then glanced out to the woods where she had vanished. I know you’ll come back, Kita.
*******
She made her way back to the ransacked camp as quickly as she could. The pendant around her neck made her proud but slightly uncomfortable. Kita knew that having it in her possession was not necessarily in her best interest. It was the emblem of a ninja who belonged to the clan of the Crescent Moon, the most elite ninjas in the world. She herself had been a member of an elite clan, the clan of the Noble Wolf, second only to the Crescent Moon ninjas. But she had shed her clan title when she left and became a rogue. To be wearing an emblem from such a high ranking clan, especially one to which she did not belong, could mean immediate exile, or even death should she be discovered with it.
For the moment she didn’t worry. She had never come across any high ranked ninjas in the area other than herself. In fact, if she encountered any ninjas at all, they were of much lesser clans and simply passing through. They would either assume she belonged to the clan or that she was under the protection of it. Maybe one day I’ll start my own clan, she thought as she made her way to the little camp.
She could see the ship moored not too far out. Even in the dark, she felt she’d be better off swimming to it. Rowing would take longer than necessary and she wasn’t fond of the idea of sitting out in the open on the off chance they saw her coming and mistook her for an enemy before she could get to them for help. No, she would swim.
She moved fast and dove into the warm waters of the bay. Keeping low as long as possible, she only came up for air every couple of minutes. She was nearly 24 years old, but she tended to have the attention span and personality of a 5 year old and normally would have had to focus hard to restrain herself from swimming after the schools of fish and exotic sea creatures all around her. However, the severity of the circumstances kept her determined and focused on her task.
In just ten minutes she reached the starboard side of the ship and climbed the anchor rope up into the belly of the vessel. At this point she realized a minor flaw in her plan; making her presence known without causing a ruckus. She stuck to the shadows, trusting in her ability to remain hidden from sight until she wanted to be seen.
She thought to maybe corner someone wandering off on his own and explain the situation. Unfortunately, most of the crew was asleep, with only the bare minimum awake to stand guard and patrol the ship. It would be easier for her to take any one of these but she wondered if they might raise an alarm when she tried to speak with them.
Just when she had resigned to wait until morning, the second shift watchmen came out to relieve their friends of their posts. One happened to be an older gent who spent the first bit of his shift talking to himself. She watched him for a few minutes when suddenly he looked over at where she was hiding. He smiled and waved. “Don’ worry,” he said gaily, “It’s jes me ‘n Bob here. You kin come out if yeh like.”
Kita looked around nervously. She didn’t see anyone but the old man. “Where’s Bob?” she whispered.
The man stared at her then laughed boisterously as he patted the mast. “Why, this is Bob righ’ here! How kin you nawt see ‘im?” She smiled. So he wasn’t talking to himself earlier, she thought. At least, he doesn’t think so. She chuckled to herself and slowly emerged from the shadows. His jaw dropped slightly as he got a better view of her. “Yer... yer...”
She threw her hands up by her head, showing she had no weapons. “Don’t be alarmed, I’m not here to hurt anyone!”
He nudged the mast with his elbow and grinned from ear to ear. “Bob, we gots a real ninja on our ship!! And she’s a perty one too.” He took off his hat respectfully and inclined his head to her in a small bow. “My name’s Jeremiah!” he said extending his hand to her. “Yeh already met Bob.”
She giggled and offered her hand to him as well. He lightly kissed her fingers and squeezed her hand before taking his hand back. She bowed to him in return for his graciousness and then asked, “Do you think you could take me to whoever is in charge in your captain’s absence? He sent me to get help.”
Jeremiah nodded quickly and took her arm to lead her to the second mate’s cabin. He was a bit shorter than her and she couldn’t help but smile at his eagerness to help. Instinct made her hang back as he woke the second mate. “Lucas! Lucas, come out! I got someone important who needs ta speak with yeh!”
Lucas came out rubbing his eyes until he saw the ninja standing in the hallway. “Jeremiah! There’s a ninja!!” he yelled.
“Yessir!” the old man smiled. “She says she was sent by the cap’n himself!”
“Likely she’s the reason he’s not back with Phineas and the others already!” Leo had warned her, but still Kita had hope that they wouldn’t kill her just yet.
You've been waiting for it. Here it is. The epic story Nick and I wrote. Posted in 3 parts because it's so long.
Pirates, Ninjas, and Bandits, Oh my!
He was the greatest sailor to ever brave the high seas. He had the best ship a captain could ask for and a fine crew of willing men and women. They had been gathered from every port he’d stopped in during his first year of travels, nearly a decade ago. He was revered among them as the greatest pirate to have ever terrorized the open waters. He was well-known in many port town taverns and garnered respect wherever he went. He was Captain Leo Peaches, and he was also hopelessly lost.
The Captain was a formidable force among his crew. Standing just under six feet tall, with eyes green as the sea and dark curly hair windswept and sprinkled with ocean salt, he was the anchor that held his shipmates fast to his magnificent vessel, The Eternity. He surveyed the coast from his post with his golden spyglass. He had long ago tuned his senses to pick up the slightest movement from the shore and the vast forests beyond. He would not risk mooring his ship where there was any suggestion of an ambush from the shadows.
“Razlo!” he bellowed over the din of his crew busy at work.
A shriveled, bent man with silver-gray hair pulled back in a loose queue down his hunched back walked over to him. His stride was strong and contradicted the weakened appearance of his body. “Aye, Cap’n?”
Leo swiftly put an arm around the old man and pulled him near. Looking around to be sure no one was eavesdropping on this impromptu private conversation, he asked in a whisper, “Do you have any idea where we are?”
Razlo shook his head. “Nay sir. Where we be?” he responded, eyes wide and expectant of a fantastic yarn or myth about this particular sea or the island in sight.
“I have no fucking clue! That’s why I was asking you!” The Captain threw his hands up in exasperation before placing them on his hips and walking back over to the starboard side of his ship. “I hate to admit it Razlo, but I think we’re lost.”
The old man had followed him over and leaned against the railing. “Why don’t we go to that island Cap’n?” Razlo shifted his gaze to the wooded landmass.
“They’ll be waiting for us, that’s why,” the Captain curtly replied.
The old man cocked his head in bewilderment. “Who will?” he asked.
“I dunno, Razlo, but I know they’re there.” The Captain gave the old man a pat on the back.
“Cap’n!” a shout came from behind, “Cap’n! We’ve got a problem!”
“What is it, Cyril?” The Captain turned to see his medic running toward him.
Cyril had been on the ship as long as anyone else and he knew all there was to know about injuries and diseases. He had treated almost every member of the crew at least once, and every time they had made a solid recovery.
Cyril choked out the words, “It’s Phineas, he’s barely breathing!”
Phineas was the first mate and the Captain’s closest friend. The blond-haired, blue-eyed man had been with him through everything and always had his back. A recent attack left Phineas wounded pretty badly.
*************
They had come swiftly and surprised them. Two ninjas leapt from the darkness and came at the crew on either side. The Captain quickly looked around. "There are only two of them! They're no match for us!" He shouted to his men.
The first ninja launched himself over a few men and tucked into a roll. He spun around and snapped his arm out straight. Three pirates hit the ground, shuriken protruding from their chests.
The Captain charged straight for him. The ninja saw him coming and readied himself. The Captain brought his sword down hard and fast. The ninja swung his blade up just in time to block the attack but the force knocked him to the ground. His speed was no match for the mighty pirate. The Captain gave a quick jab and blood began to spray from his throat.
Phineas had engaged the second attacker. He was not the warrior his captain was, but he was by no means an unworthy adversary. The ninja had pulled out two blades and was unleashing a fury of blows upon the first mate. He defended himself as best he could, waiting for the moment to strike. After several more blows, he finally saw his opportunity. The ninja stopped for a moment and stepped back with his left leg. Phineas wasted no time in bringing his heel down onto the exposed knee. The ninja dropped his weapons and buckled under the pain. He understood his defeat and tried to escape. He crawled as fast he could but was halted immediately. Phineas' sword cleaved his assailant's skull, leaving him lifeless on the ground.
Having seen the Captain defeat the other ninja, Phineas sheathed his sword and turned around. He was face to face with two more ninjas. The last thing he felt was the cold steel in his back, and the hard ground against his face. His eyes fluttered and everything faded to black.
*************
"You said he was going to be fine!" The Captain was getting worried. He had almost lost Phineas before and didn't want it to happen again. Rhea, one of his newer recruits, had helped him defeat the four ninjas and prevented them from killing him. He was glad to have her aboard his ship.
"One of his scars has reopened and seems to have become infected. Normally this isn't a big deal. There's just one problem," Cyril said, "We're out of the supplies I need."
"What do you mean?! You just stocked up not more than a week ago." The Captain was becoming angry but he calmed himself, "What do we need to do?" He didn't need to ask, as he knew what they had to do. They had to go to that island.
"We need to head to shore. Presumably, I can get what I need in the forest," Cyril spoke the words Leo didn't want to hear.
"Lucas!" The Captain called for his second mate.
"Yeah, cap'n?" He came jogging over.
"Gather me a group of men to go ashore. We need men who can fight; we don't know what's out there." he ordered.
"Aye, cap'n," Lucas began to head towards the rest of the crew.
"Lucas," the Captain shouted, "one last thing." He turned back towards him.
"Make sure Rhea's with us. We'll need her in case things get ugly." Lucas nodded and set out to gather their forces.
*************
The Captain eyed his men. Lucas had done a fine job of selecting them. "Alright men, listen up," he pulled their attention to himself, "We need to get to that island and get supplies for Phineas." He began to pace back and forth, "I won't lie to you, I know there's danger out there. I can sense it. We need to do this, for the sake of Phineas. Are you ready?" The men cheered in approval. "Well then quit wastin' your time and prepare the landing boat!" The Captain ordered. His men immediately got to work and within minutes the boat was ready and Phineas was on board. They couldn't waste time, so they had to bring him along and patch him up on land. A sense of foreboding began to swell inside the Captain, but he pushed it away and set out for the island.
*************
Off on the island, lounging in a tree on the edge of the forest, a dark figure sat observing the incoming ship. It was a young woman dressed in black and wearing a mask. There’s a ninja on that ship, she thought to herself. She knew, of course, because she was a ninja too. And as such she could sense other ninjas. This bothered her though, since it wasn’t just any ship that was sailing towards her island. It was a pirate ship. Pirates had captured one of her own. There was only one thing to do. “I have to rescue him!” she cried out.
She carefully plotted how to go about the rescue. She couldn’t afford to screw it up. She was a great ninja, an elite even, but she had a reputation for being a bit of a spaz and maybe even too soft. She didn’t hate pirates like other ninjas did and because of this disagreement in opinions she had left her clan to venture on her own.
From her viewpoint on a branch high up in the tree, but hidden from view, she watched as the flag on the mast came into focus. Soon, some of the crew would get into the small rowboat and come ashore. She figured she would lure one of the crew members away and steal his clothes. She gambled on the possibility of there being another girl or someone small enough that she could make it work. When they went back to the ship she would go with them disguised as the crewmate she’d abducted. It’d be tricky, but it was a fantastic plan.
When she saw the rowboat approaching, her heart leapt into her throat with joy. The pirates were bringing the captive along! Instead of possibly having to fight the entire ship, she’d only have to fight maybe twelve or thirteen. She quickly adapted her plan to a ground attack. She knew she was fast enough. She could run back and forth along the edge of the forest throwing rocks and branches and dulled shuriken and make it seem like an ambush.
*************
“It’s an ambush!” the Captain cried as projectiles came at them from several directions. He quickly calculated that there were at least three, maybe four. Most likely, though, there were more than that. Ninjas were great at keeping hidden in the shadows and they never worked alone. You could never be sure of how many there were. He’d learned that lesson too late in his most recent encounter in which he’d lost several fine men and had his first mate mortally wounded. He didn’t want to make the same mistake and miscalculate again.
Suddenly a blur of a shadow darted out from the tree line and three of his men went down. Several others had been bruised with rocks or scraped with twigs. Leo was not pleased in the slightest and focused his attention on the continuing barrage.
The Captain waited for the black blur to circle back around. He readied himself and with great speed he charged right at it. His victim was sent tumbling. He stared, slightly in shock, at the ninja that now stood before him. Small and slender, he thought to himself, looks like a female to me. "Rhea!" He turned to her, "Make sure there are no others. This one's mine,"
"Aye," she responded.
The Captain gritted his teeth and turned back to face the ninja. She just stood there staring at him. He lowered his stance and brought his sword up. She didn't move. "It looks like I'll be making the first move," he mumbled to himself. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and broke into a full sprint. She drew her sword, ready to defend.
The strength and speed of each blow was equaled by her defense. He gave everything he had. He wasn't going to let any ninjas live after what happened to Phineas. Neither of them let up, but she didn't strike at him once.
Leo was growing tired of this game. "Don't fuck with me!" He thrust his sword into the ground. She took a step back, slightly confused. He had hoped for this. He snapped his sword up, launching dirt everywhere. She shielded her eyes and failed to notice the incoming boot. His kick hit home in her stomach, sending her flat on her back. He leapt up over her, coming down sword first. She rolled to the side and got up. He pulled his sword from the earth and came at her full force.
After several more blows, their swords were locked. Neither the pirate nor the ninja backed down. Her icy blue eyes were the only part of her face which he could clearly see and they were focused but slightly bewildered. After several moments she quirked an eyebrow and then a gentle voice spoke from behind the mask. “Why are you fighting me?” she asked. “I’m trying to save you!”
The Captain blinked back his surprise before exerting enough force to break the deadlock. She flipped back through the air to a spot several yards away. When she had stabilized herself he demanded, “What in blazes are you talking about?”
She tilted her head slightly to the side. “You’re the ninja!” she replied and slowly lowered her sword.
Rhea saw this hesitation and glanced to her captain, looking for a signal to attack while the ninja girl had her guard dropped. He saw what she was thinking but jerked his head a quick “no” and then lowered his sword as well. “What did you just say?” he asked with an air of command rather than polite suggestion.
She thrust her sword into its sheath with a slight irritability that bordered on vehemence. The pirates that stood behind the Captain flinched and prepared for an attack that did not come. He made no move and watched her gaze. Her eyes scanned the group, lingering on each member for a few seconds before moving on to the next. She ended with Rhea before looking back at the Captain with an eyebrow quirked again. “What are you doing cavorting with pirates?” she asked.
He looked at his crew and then back to her. “Uh, because I’m the captain of this ship!” he replied as he jabbed his finger in the direction of his beloved vessel and stuck his sword in the ground, leaning on it.
The ninja girl blinked in surprise. “But, you’re a ninja.”
Leo laughed. “I think you’re a little confused.”
“No, you’re the one who’s confused,” she replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You seem to think you’re a pirate!”
“Because I am!” he yelled.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Look, I’ve never met a pirate who could match me blow for blow in battle, captain or otherwise. And as a ninja of my caliber I can sense other ninjas over great distances. I sensed you on that ship.”
“Well my dear,” he replied as he put his hands on his hips and rolled his head in her direction, “I am Captain Leo Peaches of the pirate ship Eternity and you,” he pointed at her, “are delusional.” Her eyes narrowed and he assumed she was frowning behind the mask.
The Captain was not a skeptical man, but he had never once heard anything so extraordinary that actually made him question its validity. Truth be told, he had never known his real parents. The man he’d always revered as his father took him aside one day when he’d reached an appropriate age to inform Leo that he was not his son. He’d been assured that, no matter what, he would always be a pirate. The idea that his parents might have been anything other than pirates had never entered his mind. It had also never occurred to him that he had always had a heightened awareness where ninjas were concerned. He’d never told anyone this. Not even Phineas knew. It was his secret.
When the ninja girl spoke again her voice was still gentle but held a sense of irritation. “You really believe you’re a pirate?” she asked and he nodded. “And you’re not in any trouble?”
Again he nodded but then changed his mind and shrugged. “Not me personally, but I’m in urgent need of supplies.” He glanced back at Phineas and then noticed the three men she had felled. A sudden surge of anger rose in him and he pulled his sword out of the ground and jabbed it in her direction. “And you just killed three of my crew!”
Fear flashed through her eyes for the briefest of moments and then she shook her head. “No I didn’t!” she cried. “I just knocked them unconscious! They shouldn’t have died!”
The Captain signaled Rhea to investigate the condition of the three men lying in the sand. The ninja girl still made no move to draw her sword again or attack in any way whatsoever. Rhea checked all three crew members on the ground. Each had a pulse and were all breathing fine. “They’re alright sir,” Rhea called over. “Just knocked out.”
He sheathed his sword and looked back at the ninja with his head cocked to the side in bewilderment. She met his gaze and held it steady, though she said nothing. He couldn’t make any sense of the situation. “Since when does a ninja spare the lives of pirates?”
He really hated the fact that she wore a mask because he wasn’t able to read her expressions. He usually sized up a situation and acted based upon what he could read in the faces of his opponents or crewmates. She had looked down briefly. He thought he saw something; was it sadness in her eyes? When she returned her gaze to him and met his eyes, hers had narrowed and he could sense that she was serious. “Not all ninjas hate pirates,” she stated coolly, her voice lower and laced with frustration.
Before he could respond, she dashed off back into the forest in a blur. He could feel his crew tense as one when she disappeared, as though they were just waiting for another volley to come from the shadows. Leo waited for a few minutes then finally turned to his crew. “Well then, let’s set up camp and organize a search for some supplies.”
They remained silent for a moment. Still no one dared to move. Rhea was the first to speak. “Sir, are you sure it’s safe to do that? What if she comes back with reinforcements?”
Leo knew that this was a valid worry, especially after their last encounter. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re so concerned for our safety, Rhea. It’s good to know I can trust you.” He smiled and scanned the faces of his crew. Somehow he knew that the ninja girl meant them no harm. “This seems to be a pretty remote island. Plus, if she had others, they would have ambushed us altogether and not left us alive.”
Rhea still seemed uneasy but when Leo squeezed her shoulder and nodded his assurance to her, she relaxed and turned to the crew, barking out orders to set up camp. The Captain supervised and made sure everyone was doing something. Once everyone had been assigned their tasks, he went to the tent where Phineas had been placed on a makeshift cot to rest. The first mate was dozing but Leo could see the discomfort on his face. He noticed that the bandages had been replaced recently and made a mental note to thank Cyril later.
He felt like talking to someone, but there was no one he trusted as much as he did Phineas. Even though his fi
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