The Eye of the Kami

It had only been a few hours since she had dozed off when she was awoken by hushed voices in the room. It was Captain Yoko and Kondo, and they were conversing quietly by the door. She would have rolled over and gone back to sleep, but there was an urgency in their voices that made her stay awake.

“How many did you say?” hissed Kondo.

“Three ships, port side, still quite a ways’ off but I’m sure they’ve spotted us,” the captain whispered. “We noticed them an hour or so ago, but I didn’t think it was worth waking you if they weren’t going to busy themselves with us. But they’ve stuck around, and they are drawing closer.”

Kondo cursed under his breath.

“Is that fear?” Yuki thought. She had never seen Kondo panicked before. She opened one eye and saw him pace a few steps.

“Barbarian filth! What if they are after us?”

“We can try to outrun them,” the captain replied. “Two of the ships seem quite big and heavy, but they have one corsair that might catch us.”

There was silence for a few moments, then Kondo spoke. “Well, keep them off us as long as you can. Perhaps we can lose them once we turn east.”

“We won’t hit the strait until morning,” the captain replied, gravely.

“Well, Captain,” Kondo said with a sneer. “Shall we put your ship’s reputation to the test?”

“The men won’t like this,” the captain said nervously. Eager to leave, he hastily bowed and then proceeded out of the room.

Yuki could not help herself. She sat up. “What’s going on?”

Kondo strode back to his side of the room and began rifling through his bags. “We’re being followed by barbarians,”

“Barbarians?” Yuki wondered out loud. “What do they want from us?”

“What do they want from anyone?” he returned, still searching. “They come to plunder and kill and eventually to invade.”

“Invade?” Yuki asked, surprised by his choice of words.

He pulled his head away and looked at her with a quizzical expression. “Don’t you know? The barbarians have been encroaching for a long time now, many think they are getting ready to invade the Islands.”

“And how would I know that?”

“You seem to know quite a bit,” he answered. “They think the Islands are ripe for invasion after a long and brutal war. Fortifications have been destroyed, and armies reduced to fractions of what they once were. They are right in that respect, there is little left to defend the Islands from attack these days. However, so far, they have relegated themselves to picking off ships that go too far west, and right now, that is us.”

“Do you think the Islands will fall to the barbarians?” she asked, still stunned by the gravity of what she had just heard.

Kondo paused. He had finally found what he was looking for. It was a large multi-pronged hook of some kind, attached to a long, raveling rope. He peered at it for a few moments, judging its integrity.

“I agree that there is little left to defend the Islands,” he said, still looking down at the hook. “But I don’t think they’ll be able to do it.” He rose, tucking the hook and rope to his side and patting the hilt of his sword with his left hand. “The War of Ashes burned away the weakness from our lands,” he said, his voice lowering to something like a growl. “What remains is as hard as steel.” There was a gleam in his eyes that made Yuki’s blood freeze in her veins. It was the same as the day he had incapacitated Souta so cruelly.

He strode for the door and passed through, but she followed quickly behind, not wanting to be left alone in such terrifying circumstances. By this time, the entirety of the crew had been summoned and was on the deck, peering off the port side and murmuring amongst each other. It was the middle of the night, but the light from the stars and moon overhead provided ample vision. Yuki looked out as well. She, too, could see the images off in the distance, the faint outline of three ships with high masts appeared in the distance. Kondo observed for a moment and then spoke, the intensity of his voice drawing their attention from the approaching threat.

“It seems that the three intend to catch us,” he said. “If they do, they will board and either take us as captives or slaughter us outright.” His grim words hung in the air for a moment.

“Then we are doomed!” one man suddenly cried out.

“It’s the woman’s fault, she brought this on us!” hissed another.

Yuki took a step back, realizing that some of the eyes were on her, bending their evil intent upon her.

“Cast her over, and the curse will be lifted!” another member of the crew shouted. It was followed by various cries of assent.

“If you truly want to die tonight that would be the surest way,” Kondo threatened, stepping in front of her. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword. The crowd began murmuring once again, but it sounded harsh and deadly. “I was merely stating the realities that lie before us,” he continued, “But we need not perish tonight. Those heavy battleships won’t be able to catch us at top speed, and they’ll have to decide to send one or none at all.”

“Even against one, we are not a fighting crew!” one of the men barked back.

“It’s true,” Yuki thought. “This is no fighting crew.” She had observed them over the course of the day. Many were old, well-seasoned but unlikely to do much against battle-hardened warriors. Others were lame or had been mutilated in some way. They could accomplish their specific tasks on the ship, but could they fight? From what the captain said, this ship was built for stealth and speed, not for battle, and the crew was a reflection of the ship.

“You will not have to fight,” Kondo returned, lifting his voice. “But you must deceive them into thinking that you can. I want you to bring up the stores of weapons. Sharp or dull, I want everyone armed. I also want you to light the torches, I want them to be able to see you. If they think we are prepared for battle, they may hesitate and let us pass unhindered.”

“And if they don’t?” another of the crew asked.

“For now, do as the man says!” the captain interrupted, stepping in from the side. “Get to it lads and get this ship clipping at full speed! Let’s show those barbarian scum how we harness the wind!”

From that moment on, time seemed to fly by. The crew had scattered and were hurrying with palpable urgency. Old, rusty swords and pikes were being brought up from below deck and distributed while other men climbed up the masts and worked the sails, while others tossed crates overboard to shed weight. Kondo had gone up to the helm of the ship where the captain was piloting, edging the boat left or right depending on the direction of the wind, doing his best to keep the fastest speed possible. Kondo was looking out towards the port side, standing still like a predator in the brush. The Hino bobbed up and down more violently now, carving through the water with a mighty wind at its back.

After a half hour passed, Kondo spoke up. “They have pulled back the battleships,” he said. There was a hint of elation in his voice.

“And the corsair?” the captain asked, holding onto the wheel with a death grip.

“Still on us and closing.”

Yuki wandered over to Kondo’s side. Since his speech, she had been able to move about freely, and nobody seemed to notice her in this time of panic. Even Kondo’s thoughts were elsewhere.

“Let’s get some more distance from those battleships,” he commanded, keeping his eyes out on the horizon.

From Yuki’s vantage point, it was clear that though they had lost two of the ships, the third was closing in. It was no longer a faint outline in the distance, but a fully realized ship, slender but strong with the tall, rectangular sails that were the hallmark of the barbarian fleet. Her heart began to race.

“They’re going to catch us!” she said out loud.

Kondo did not bother to look at her, but she knew that he agreed with her assessment. He kept his eyes on the ship, searching for details. After several minutes passed, he finally stirred. “Captain! Stop the ship!”

“What? Are you mad?” the captain bellowed. “They’ll catch us for sure!”

Kondo turned around and grabbed the captain’s arm, tearing him from the helm. “Do as I say!” There was a raw intensity to his words that shocked the captain into submission.

He stumbled from the helm as if in a daze and waved to the crew. “All hands! Stand down!”

The crew could hardly believe their ears, and it took a great deal of shouting from the captain to get everyone to listen. Eventually, they slowed to a stop.

“You’re dooming us all, Captain!” one of the deckhands shouted.

“Perhaps I am…” he said softly, looking over his shoulder at Kondo, who was still gazing out from the helm.

Kondo turned back to examine the crew who had once again assembled on the deck. The corsair was now quite clear in view, streaming towards them inexorably.

“I don’t need fighting men,” Kondo stated, his clear voice quieting the crew. “But I need men with courageous hearts.” He began to step down the stairs to the main deck. The moon was behind him, catching the steel at his side, and it shimmered brilliantly. The crew stood a little taller and collectively stepped closer. “I need you to buy me some time,” he said, looking over at the captain. “I don’t need you to fight but don’t surrender quickly either. Hold your ground, draw it out, and make them haggle with you. They don’t intend to sink us. I believe they want this ship for themselves now that they’ve tasted our speed.”

“What about arrows?” the captain replied, his eyes bouncing back and forth from the crew to Kondo and then towards the approaching corsair.

“At first, get behind some cover. But these barbarians aren’t patient folk. They’ll want to board quickly.”

“And what will you do?” Yuki asked. She had almost forgotten that she wasn’t supposed to be saying anything. She was not even supposed to be out of her cabin.

The eyes of the entire crew moved towards her and then back towards Kondo.

“Fifteen minutes,” was his enigmatic reply. Then he took one last look at the ship that was now only a hundred yards off and moved to the starboard side. He hopped onto the wooden railing, nodded to the crew, and then fell backward.

There was an outburst among the crew as they rushed to the edge of the ship to see what happened to him. But there was no sign of Kondo in the black waters, and they had not even heard a splash when he fell. They then turned back towards the captain, with a look of mutiny etched on their faces. The captain, however, did not back down.

“We don’t have time to discuss this!” he roared. “Get to cover!” He was right, for at that very moment the corsair had pulled aside them, and terror gripped Yuki like never before. The shouts of the men on the other side were like the howls of wolves.

A strong arm grabbed her. “Get inside lassie!” It was the captain. He pulled her towards his personal cabin and thrust her inside, slamming the door behind him.

Yuki could hear the pop of arrows hitting the deck and cries of distress. Men were screaming at each other, and the chorus of barbarian war chants echoed in the background. She could not believe this was happening. She thought that she had already experienced the worst.

After several minutes, the arrows stopped, and an utter silence remained. Then, several loud cracks filled the air, like the sound of wood against wood.

“They are boarding,” she realized, the terrible reality seizing her. Although she could barely bring herself to breathe, her hand reached out for the door, opening it slightly so that she could see what was happening. It was more terrifying to listen than to see.

Several thick men were advancing over the planks that now connected the two ships. They were armored with studded leather and animal skins, and their helms were lined with fur and had long plumes that waved in the wind. They carried long-shafted spears and tall kite shields made of heavy wood and tanned animal hides. They moved slowly, but in formation, pushing their way across and onto the Hino. The man in the center was especially tall and fierce, and he had a long black beard that went down to his chest. His armor glittered in the moonlight, revealing that he alone among the throng wore a metal breastplate, though it was partly hidden by all the skins that draped over him.

As they boarded, the captain did his best to keep his men from quailing.

“Hold!” he repeated. “Hold!”

The crew held out their pikes and lifted their swords, but it was clear that they were terrified. They trembled as the heavy boots landed on their deck, and slowly stepped back at their advance.

The man in the center, the tall one who wore the breastplate of silver, stopped suddenly and ordered his men to halt. His voice was deep, and his foreign words sounded harsh in Yuki’s ears.

“Lay down your arms or perish!” he commanded to the men of the Hino. His voice was even more terrible put in their own tongue. It was like a blast of lightning in a storm.

“We are people of the Islands,” Captain Yoko responded, his voice was strained but clear. “It is our custom for introductions before we engage in battle.”

“Ho!” the barbarian said with a laugh. “So, is that the way of it? Do you wish to fight after all? Must I summon the full force of my ship, or will my elite guard be enough? You do not have the look of warriors, though even your true warriors are like bugs in my eyes.” He stepped forward, separating himself from his retinue. “Besides, it is our custom to head straight into battle, and leave the discussion for the bards and women.”

“These are our seas,” the captain shot back. “And you shall abide by our customs.”

“Very well,” the outland leader said with a dismissive wave. “Let's make it short then. I want to open up your bowels with my blade.”

The captain shuddered but forced himself forward, distinguishing himself from his men. “I am Captain Yoko, and this ship is the Hino. By law, these seas are within the boundaries overseen by our Lord, the Mashige Shōgun, whose title is High Commander of the Emperor’s Armies, and Defender of the Eastern Islands. An unprovoked act committed against this ship and the people therein would be considered an act of belligerent aggression against our nation and may also be taken as an act of war.”

Yuki was impressed. She had taken the captain to be a bumbling old seaman, but his words were elegant and well-spoken. This was the reason why he was the leader of a ship whose sole purpose was evasion. There was far more to him than she realized.

The outland leader mulled over his words for a moment and then spat. “I am the Khan Hǒkra of the West Plain. I serve the Chieftain Karak Khahan, the Emperor of All Lands West and East of the Central Grasslands. His reign extends to these waters, and beyond to the edges of this world. Thus, your pathetic Shōgun is committing treason by declaring himself a ruler without consent. Your ship and everyone in it belongs to him, and we will take it by force. Let your Shōgun think what he wants. There is nothing he can do to stop our advance across his worthless islands. Even now a great armada gathers on the western shores of Chuan and will roll across your islands like a wave. If you surrender now, I will allow you to live and work as slaves on our warships. If you do not surrender, you will all die.”

The cruelty in this man’s face was obvious, and Yuki did not believe that he would keep these men as slaves, even if they did surrender. She was stunned, paralyzed, unable to do a thing. Fear held her, and all she could do was hold down the scream that burned like wildfire in her throat.

The captain did not speak for some time and appeared to be considering the Khan’s words. He looked back at his men, some of whom were quivering, and then back at the Khan, whose eyes were as hard as steel.

“What will it be then?” the Khan finally barked. “Life or death?”

The captain’s jowls shook as he opened his mouth to speak. His hands gripped hard the spear in his hands, and he stood tall and defiant.

“Death!” A clear voice shot through the air, but it did not come from the captain. The Khan instinctively turned around to see where the voice had come from, as it seemed to emanate from the barbarian ship.

“Kondo!” Yuki whispered, recognizing his commanding voice.

Everyone’s attention had shifted to the man standing at the far end of the boarding planks, with a sword in one hand, a torch in the other, and a gleam in his eyes.

“Who are you?” the Khan snapped, but his eyes were on his ship.

Kondo grinned. “You must be wondering how I got here. How I stand here now, on your ship, unmolested?”

The Khan said nothing, but Yuki could see the muscles in his cheeks tighten.

“Do you see the blood on my sword?” Kondo asked, moving the torch closer so that everyone could see the crimson stain upon it. “This is the blood of your crew.”

“My crew?” the Khan said aloud. A look of disbelief washed over him.

Kondo nodded. “And as for your ship.” He tossed the torch behind him. It landed on the wooden deck and began to burn brightly.

The Khan’s mouth gaped open and shut.

“Now, since you have all gone about obeying the forms, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kondo Daisuke, Captain of the Shin-Shadowhand.”

The Khan seemed to balk at the name, ‘Shadowhand.’ Even the crew of the Hino seemed anxious at the revelation.

“As a man of war who intends to take over our islands, I’d imagine you have heard of us.”

The barbarian scowled. “I have indeed. You are filthy cowards! You fight in the cover of darkness and use magic and witchcraft against your enemies. You kill without warning and defile your victims. You are not warriors, but demons!”

“You are correct,” Kondo acknowledged. “In everything but cowardice. I single-handedly took your ship, and now I will consume you as well. You mentioned two options, life, or death, and I tell you now that I choose death, but it won't be our death. It'll be your own. You dare to threaten our lands? May your great Khahan come himself and see what true fear is!”

With that Kondo rushed forward. The Khan’s retinue doubled back across the plank to meet him, while the Khan unsheathed a large, curved falchion from his side. There were six men, seven if one counted the Khan, but the planks were only wide enough for two side by side. Kondo used this to his advantage, as he met them in the middle, their blades clashing with a sound that echoed across the sea. Yet only two at a time could reach him. Kondo moved so fast that Yuki had to push her head out of the door to see, and even then, it was like a blur. She heard the rigid howls of men being cut apart and loud splashes as they hit the water below. He dodged left and right, sometimes standing at the very edge of the boarding planks, but never losing his balance. He carved his way through three waves of warriors, sending spurts of blood and severed limbs into the sea as an offering to the depths. Then he turned to face the Khan.

“Your men need to learn better spatial awareness in close combat,” Kondo advised, twirling his sword and then settling back into a fighting stance. “They are overly used to fighting on the wide open plain. Our lands don’t afford that kind of space. It's too bad you won't be able to bring that lesson home.”

Behind him, the barbarian ship had already caught fire, and a blaze was growing from the main deck and was quickly working its way up the masts. The light from the blaze illuminated the details of both warriors staring at one another.

Although Kondo was a tall man, this Khan was taller and thicker, with hard, veiny muscles contracting under leather and hides. He was heavily laden with layers of armor and skins, making him seem even bigger than his formidable size afforded him. His thick, metallic, falchion sword was like a meat cleaver designed to carve human flesh, and his spear tip was sharp and deadly. It looked as if Kondo stood across from a bear, whose full wrath had finally been kindled.

Yet despite this, it was Kondo who appeared to have the advantage. He was calm, still, and patient. He was completely aware and unphased by the risk of imminent death. It was as if he had been there before, countless times, the way he looked at the man who wanted to kill him. His lithe katana glittered in the moonlight like a holy sword dipped in the rivers of heaven. Yet he was no angel. He was the wolf, lean and lethal and most of all, hungry.

The Khan gazed at his ship and then back at Kondo. He flashed his teeth with rage. “I’ll kill you!” he roared. The big man lunged first with his spear, but Kondo, who was running forward, carefully dodged it and jumped aboard the Hino. It was a fortunate move, for as he did, the thin boarding planks that had caught fire from being connected to the barbarian ship, finally splintered, and collapsed into the sea. This sundered the connection between the two vessels once and for all.

Kondo turned around but was nearly hit with another spear thrust, and only managed to turn away at the last second. The Khan lunged with his curved sword but was met by Kondo’s katana. The two battled aboard the Hino for several heart-wrenching moments, neither giving any ground to one another.

“They are testing each other,” thought Yuki.

Kondo was fast and agile, but the Khan’s attacks were heavy and powerful. Kondo circled the Khan, while the monstrous warrior lashed out with his spear, keeping him at a distance. He had to be careful, for one blow from this barbarian would be enough to kill him outright. The reverse scenario was likely not the same, for the barbarian was thickly armored. Kondo had to be precise if he was going to take the big man down.

He suddenly sprang forward, getting inside the man’s spear range, but was met with a heavy blow by the falchion. Kondo parried it but was thrown back by the sheer force of the strike. Yet now he was in range of the spear tip and had to duck his head to avoid being skewered.

“Something’s wrong,” Yuki noted. She studied Kondo for a moment and then a realization came to her. “His arm! He has not fully recovered from his wound from Goto.”

The two warriors clashed once again, and this time, like the time before, Kondo was pushed back. The ship in the background was now completely alight in flame, and its intense heat could be felt even from where Yuki knelt, at the threshold of the captain’s quarters.

“His strength!” she whispered, watching her captor intensely. “He cannot push through the Khan’s defenses!”

“So,” the Khan taunted, taking a brief respite. “You think you will just bring me down like you did my ship? Did you think it would be that easy?”

Kondo nodded, shifting his stance slightly. “You will die by my blade, fool.”

“Hah!” the Khan laughed. “Today I may pass on to the Great Plain above, but not before I shed your blood as my final offering!”

This time the Khan heaved himself forward, unleashing a blindingly fast barrage of attacks upon Kondo. Her captor did all he could to keep from being struck, but in the end, it left him with his back towards the edge of the ship.

The Khan growled with delight as he continued his relentless assault. Kondo pivoted left, right, then back left, and then flung himself on the ground to avoid the spear. He quickly jumped up and dodged again. But each strike from the Khan grew nearer to the mark, and he was throwing more power behind each swing.

“What are you doing?” Yuki wondered aloud. “He’s going to crush you!”

The Khan doubled back to keep Kondo in his range, but this time as he did so, his boot slipped on a small puddle of water that had been flung on board from a crashing wave. His ankle twisted, and his knee shuddered and gave way, and he lost his footing. Kondo had been prepared for this, perhaps even intentionally guiding his foe closer and closer to the puddle, and immediately pounced. His first strike ricocheted off the man’s metallic breastplate, but his second, a swirling downward slash, loosed the Khan’s head from his shoulders. There was a look of pure horror etched across the man’s face as it rolled its way toward where Yuki knelt.

She pushed herself back away from the terrible sight and covered her mouth, for she could feel herself wanting to gag.

Kondo stood deathly still, as he watched the huge corpse slowly collapse into a heap on the deck. He then turned his gaze to the burning corsair, which was now slowly sinking into the ocean, and filling the air with a hideous steam. He produced a cloth from inside the fold in his black uniform and cleaned his sword before sheathing it with a click. The men of the ship gathered closer to him, marveling at what they had just witnessed. As this was happening, the faint glow of the eminent sun spread across the eastern horizon and filled the survivors with the warmth and hope of day. It was a sight to behold, and even Yuki could not help but smile.

At last, Kondo turned back and spoke. “These men are not used to water combat,” he said, noting the puddle on which the big man slipped. “Their strength is drawn from solid land, not the changeability of the sea. It's a shame that our lord Shōgun has so few ships left.” He then faced Captain Yoko and bowed. “Thank you for the fifteen minutes. You did well, my friend.” Finally, to the crew, who was gazing at him in wonder, he said, “I do not think it likely for a seafarer to withhold a good tale from his friends at the inn, even with a threat hanging over their heads. I simply ask that if you speak of this night, leave out my name and my position. Use another name if you must. Can I ask you this one favor in light of what I’ve done?”

Each man nodded his head, while some bowed deep and low, recognizing the magnitude of what had just happened. Kondo glanced down at his left arm, which was again bleeding. Only the faintest wince of pain crossed his face, and that only for a second. “Please excuse me,” he said at last. “I need to rest. I’m sorry to have to ask you to work this long and hard, but it is imperative that we get clear of these waters and make it to the New Capital on time.” With that, he strode across the deck and entered his chambers.

This request did not seem to bother the crew, who were just happy to have survived the night. Each went on to his station, laughing and singing with the fullness of life in their breasts.

Yuki remained on the floor of the captain’s quarters. She could not believe what had just happened. Kondo, her contemptuous and hateful captor, had saved them, all of them, from a fate so terrible that it was hard to even believe. He led well and inspired everyone around him. What was more disturbing to her was that for a few moments in time, she had worried about him, not just because he was the key to their survival, but because she did not want to see him perish.

“Who am I?” she wondered, looking down at her palms as if they would reveal to her the answer. “Why am I so weak?” She could not think of an answer. So, she did the only thing she could do. She stood up, walked onto the deck, and watched the sunrise.