Samoorai Yak

Chapter Ten

Turnabout

"So it is time then, to take the fight to Doctor Noh, General Tso's diabolical henchman? Excellent!" Egg Foo Yung said, rubbing his hands in satisfaction.

"But sir, what about the contract from the Ninja Pigs?" I asked, but Egg Foo Yung dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Evidence is not enough! You must defeat and capture Noh, and force him to reveal what he knows, discrediting General Tso."

"Doctor Noh is aboard a flagship which is hiding in Tai Foon Vortex in Khotan Skyway. Seek him out - he will surrender, I'm sure. Then bring him to me." Egg Foo Yung said, and with that, we left for the Santo Oro.

Sailing to Tai Foon Vortex, Rena ordered the men to batten down the hatches and tie themselves down as we approached it, and we hung on tight as we passed through swirling winds.

The winds died down, and we got up to find ourselves in the eye of the vortex, with a giant junk the size of a man-o'-war in the center of the calm.

"Starboard battery, fire!" Emmett shouted, and eight heavy iron guns answered him as they struck the hull of the flagship. The enemy crew, having no cannons of their own, responded with arrows and gunshots.

"Where did they get those muskets!?" Rena asked, and I looked through my spyglass to see that the muskets were new, and not in the second-hand condition that suggested that they were scavenged off a battlefield or bought from foreigners.

"It doesn't matter now! Make ready!" I shouted, and the starboard battery hurried to reload as the Santo Oro came about.

"Riflemen, standby to return fire!" I shouted, and Bonnie led several men to the starboard bulkhead, armed with their rifles. "Fire!"

The starboard guns roared as they fired round shot, and the men shouted as we heard an almighty crack like a tree falling. "Her mainmast is down! We've got them over a barrel!"

"Prepare to board! We take her a prize, men!" Rena shouted, and the men roared in approval as they prepared the grappling hooks.

"Grappling hooks away!" The men shouted as we came about on the flagship's starboard side, throwing the grappling hooks onto her bulkheads.

"Hook us in! Bring her close!" Rena shouted as the men began pulling the flagship closer to us. "To arms! To arms!"

"Man the swivels! Cover from the quarterdeck!" Bonnie shouted as she fired her sniper rifle. Drawing our swords and leaving the pilot's wheel to Milo Graytail, Rena's first mate, we led the boarding party assembled on the weather decks onto the flagship.

A demonic-looking Goat wearing black robes was waiting for us on the deck of the flagship, and his hands were glowing green. "You have caused much trouble for my lord, but now I see you are just another bunch of Yakooza thugs. Soon you will stand powerless before me!"

The Goat that could only be Doctor Noh then fully covered himself in green energy, and he flew above the flagship.

"A glow worm?" I asked, and Rena answered, "I think the look he's going for is more glow dragon."

I then heard loud crackles coming from the deck of the Santo Oro, and I looked to see Nikolai flying on his staff like it was a broomstick, leaving a trail of blue electricity behind him.

As Nikolai and Doctor Noh clashed in the sky, the rival crews duked it out on the decks of the flagship, cutlass clashing against katana, and tomahawk clashing against wakizashi.

"Grenade!" Some of the Santo Oro's crewmen shouted as they threw them down the hatches, and I heard explosions coming from below.

I then heard a loud shout coming from above, and I looked to see Nikolai smash Doctor Noh through all of the flagship's decks, and she now threatened to sink beneath us.

"Everyone, withdraw!" I shouted as I fired my pistol into the air and made a shooing gesture with my hand back to the ship, and they didn't have to be told twice to retreat to the safety of the Santo Oro.

A second later, Nikolai landed safely onto the deck of the Santo Oro, with an unconscious Doctor Noh slung over his shoulder. Being smashed through six thick layers of deck planking made of exotic hardwood by a master sorcerer would do that to you.

Nikolai then unceremoniously dropped Doctor Noh onto the deck. "It's over. Doctor Noh's been captured... We have to tell Egg Foo Yung."

We sailed back to the Yakooza's cave on Rokugara Island, where Egg Foo Yung was waiting for us at the hidden dock inside the cave.

"You've done it! You've captured the right-hand man of General Tso! Let me put him somewhere... I know just the place!" Egg Foo Yung said, and two of the burliest Yaks took him away to another part of the cave to be interrogated, while another took us to an overlooking ledge.

As my trusted associates and I looked over the ledge, Egg Foo Yung tied Doctor Noh down to a wooden chair as the Goat came to. "Egg! You were behind this? I humbly apologize for hiring the ninja who took your piece of Marco Pollo's map!"

"What!?" Rena whispered angrily, but I patted her shoulder to calm her down so we could listen to Doctor Noh, who pleaded, "Set me free, and I will return it to you! General Tso has it - he plans to trade it to the Armada for gold and guns!"

"General Tso plans on seizing the imperial city, ousting our sleeping emperor, and ruling all of MooShu for himself! If you set me free, I can get the map piece back and we can forget this ever happened!"

"But doesn't Egg have the map?" Ratbeard asked, and I answered, "We'll see about that."

We climbed back down to the mouth of the cave that was the interrogation chamber, where we crossed our arms in front of our chests and glared at Egg Foo Yung as he stepped out of the cave.

"Ah, I guess I have egg on my face. Matthew, I fear I have not been completely honest. I no longer hold a piece of Pollo's map, but we can recover it." Egg Foo Yung said.

Rena gritted her teeth as she put her hand on the hilt of her sword, but I held out an arm to stop her from doing anything stupid, and Egg Foo Yung said, "Now is not a time for blame, but for action! You must race to General Tso's lair on the isle of Khotan, defeat him... and take back the piece of Pollo's map!"

"Why, I ought to cook you...!" Rena said as she started towards Egg Foo Yung, but I grabbed her wrist to drag her away. "You heard what he said! Now's not the time!"

Rena reluctantly let the matter go, and we returned to the Santo Oro to set sail for the isle of Khotan.