They had been blessed with fair weather and a north-westerly wind, on the back of which the Sea Dragon had kept running for three days without misadventure. Jīnwū was glad of it. With the ships of the Fleet and Squadron leader now long out of view, the crew of the Sea Dragon had been given plenty of time to digest the sudden change in captaincy.
Human nature was what it was, Jīnwū supposed, and he could not blame them for the resentment which fouled the air of the Sea Dragon's decks. Wei Gang had been a successful pirate, and popular with his crew. Had not rumours of his intent to break from the Nian Shou fleet, and sail independently, it was likely he'd have made Squadron Leader at some stage in the future. As Jīnwū had heard it, though, Wei Gang was the kind of man who didn't like waiting. The pirate's ambitions had reflected his physical stature: they had grown so large as to be easily noticed.
The cool dawn wind whipped Jīnwū's braided hair across his back and shoulders as he waited for the navigator Chengde's appraisal of their progress. When Chengde finally finished taking measurements with the celestial navigation board he bowed slightly and made for the charts room. Jīnwū followed. Chengde was an aging pirate, well past forty years - though he hid his age by the simple expedience of shaving his head so none could tell his hair was greying. "Captain, with the fortuitous winds, we have covered over six hundred miles." Chengde unfolded the relevant section of their charts. "Assuming they, as our information suggests, extend their trading trip through Gur'yeo then we should be able to intercept them within two days if we presume their passage to pass south of the shark straits"
Sensible merchants, unless they had somehow obtained the privilege of trading with the reclusive nation of Wakoku, tended to avoid their territorial waters. The shark straits were formed by what might have once been an island chain, but now formed a running hazard of jagged reefs due south of Wakoku. It wasn't a guaranteed way for a merchant to avoid Wokou pirates, of course - the right kind of prey was worth a longer, roundabout trip - and this prey certainly was. But still, the Nian Shou Fleet had received the information about this merchant in a timely fashion, and acted promptly in assigning a hunter. Jīnwū nodded his thanks to Chengde "Then we should head nor'east at beam's reach if we are to be able to intercept them with a running wind at the time of engagement. Plot the specific course we will need to take, Chengde. I will convene a meeting with all the senior crew this evening.
The ship was a flurry of activity at dawn. There were hundreds of tasks, and men assigned to them. Cleaning and disposal of nightsoil, tending to the ship's chicken coops and swine in the bulkhead holds, checking ropes, checking the caulking, and countless other tasks besides. The morning martial practice, divided over two watches, was something of an exercise in relaxation by comparison. The crew performed the taolu of their martial arts in order to keep ready for battle and as a subtle means of establishing the various pecking orders among the general crew. Jīnwū had made certain over the past three days to attend alternating sessions of morning training. The whip-like fluidity of his movements provided a stark reminder as to how and why the small man had become the captain of the Sea Dragon. And at the same time Jīnwū could gauge the worthiness of the men who would be engaging the merchant's guards. It had, at the very least, served to show that the ship's first mate Jun-Seong could be relied upon in a fight. His mate had been, thus far, tight-lipped and unreadable. But he performed his duties efficiently, which was what mattered to Jīnwū at present. Time might help open the pages of that particular book.
The sun had begun its descent when sharp-eyed Heming called out from the lookout's position "Sails on the horizon! Wokou!" Jīnwū cursed under his breath. He had no reason to doubt Heming. The Wokou's sails were very distinct to an expert, due to a slight difference of shape and rigging. Jīnwū dashed to the foredeck and shouted to the ship's drummer "Sound the battle drill." As the ship's drum began resonating throughout the Sea Dragon, Jīnwū gathered his weapons and ascended to the top deck. He expected any man of the Nian Shou fleet to know where to gather when the war drums pounded. The time of the watch determined which men were assigned to battle duty or sailing duty at the commencement of a battle cadence, and each man was well versed in where they had to be when the drum sounded.
Jīnwū waited for the Wokou ship to come into view, calling out orders to adjust their course into a more favourable wind for the engagement. The Sea Dragon's archers, some twenty in number, readied their quivers. The boarding parties readied their boarding grapnels while the grapnel launchers were hauled up, wheeled into position, then locked in place. Out of the corner of his eye, Jīnwū could see his first mate organising the men who would be in the primary assault. Jīnwū approached him "Jun-Seong, I'll be joining the initial boarding action." If the Sea Dragon's past reputation had any merit to it, then any of the mates should be able to give adequate orders regarding the ship's positioning during the engagement while Jīnwū lead from the front. As the Wokou's ship drew closer, and both vessels began shifting course to engage, Jīnwū asked Jun-Seong "What are your thoughts on the battle to come?" Around them, men shouted and rushed, getting equipment into position and adjusting ropes and sails in accordance to the needs of the helmsman.
The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
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Ryu Jun-Seong
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- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
It was a fine day for piracy. The northwestern wind favored their engagement and the men were in high spirits for having just...changed...captains. This Jīnwū fellow seemed capable, if a bit small in stature, which made Ryu feel a bit awkward standing aside him and having his own captain stand in his shadow. Wei Gang was one of the only people he had met who had all but matched his size (and vastly outgirthed Ryu himself). I need to quit thinking about Gang, he told himself. It was a mantra he had repeated in his head since the day Jīnwū took over the Sea Dragon. At first, Ryu was mortified and quite confused; he'd never sailed under anyone but Wei Gang, the stern but fair pirate who had saved Ryu's life when all sense and tradition demanded he be thrown overboard as a stowaway. And to have all that taken away from him in an instant...Quit thinking about Gang.
Ryu surveyed the deck and the approaching Wokou ship. He'd engaged Wokou many times and come out alive, so his chance of injury was negligible. It didn't look any different from any other Wokou junk, and certainly not a serious threat to his crew. It's not your crew, Jun-seong. But it was. The crew belonged to him and he belonged to them. Lu Jīnwū may be the captain, but as first mate and highest ranking veteran officer, he felt confident in his position. Not that he aspired to be captain; a mate's role suited him perfectly.
A cannon sounded a thundering report, shaking Ryu from his thoughts and realizing he had not answered Jīnwū's question. I really should be directing the crew...bah, they know what they're doing, they can manage for a second. "I don't have any worries, captain. We've met Wokou many a time." With that, he turned to direct the crew. As Ryu turned around, he clasped Jīnwū's shoulder, doing his best to make sure it was firm but not malicious, and added, "It's Ryu, Captain. Call me Ryu."
Ryu surveyed the deck and the approaching Wokou ship. He'd engaged Wokou many times and come out alive, so his chance of injury was negligible. It didn't look any different from any other Wokou junk, and certainly not a serious threat to his crew. It's not your crew, Jun-seong. But it was. The crew belonged to him and he belonged to them. Lu Jīnwū may be the captain, but as first mate and highest ranking veteran officer, he felt confident in his position. Not that he aspired to be captain; a mate's role suited him perfectly.
A cannon sounded a thundering report, shaking Ryu from his thoughts and realizing he had not answered Jīnwū's question. I really should be directing the crew...bah, they know what they're doing, they can manage for a second. "I don't have any worries, captain. We've met Wokou many a time." With that, he turned to direct the crew. As Ryu turned around, he clasped Jīnwū's shoulder, doing his best to make sure it was firm but not malicious, and added, "It's Ryu, Captain. Call me Ryu."
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Jīnwū took the correction without complaint. The firm request by his first mate to use family name instead of first name at least let him know where he stood. "Well, Ryu, time to let out some frustration." Although his first mate seemed unconcerned, Jinwu knew well enough that overconfidence could lead to a ship's sinking. He cast his eye over the approaching junk. It was slightly smaller than the Sea Dragon, but he could make out a few dozen of fighting men readying themselves. Small boarding boats were being prepared for battle in the typical wokou fashion as their archers prepared to provide cover for their raiders.
Jīnwū gauged the situation. The wokou were close hauled to the prevailing wind, and the Sea Dragon still running with it. Jīnwū bellowed "Haul her about to starboard, I want us angled and lined up with the bastards!" The Wokou had chosen to sail into the wind to slow their pace in readiness to deploy their boarding boats but there would be a moment where, as the sea dragon curved in to line up broadsides, they could launch the grapnels onto the forecastle of the wokou vessel. However, the timing would have to be precise.
"Archers, when we are almost in position for the grapnels, show yourselves to the enemy and take cover for their first loosing. Return fire in two volleys. I want the grapnels launched with the first volley." Jīnwū clapped Ryu on the shoulder "See to it. I'll be landing with the second volley. Make sure our men get across fast. Our moment of opportunity will be small, but critical." The Wokou had more archers than the Sea Dragon did, but that was their way. Archery support to pin down the defenders while their boarding parties climbed up the side with grappling ropes. It was an effective way of doing things, because to shoot down on the boarding ships, an archer would expose themselves to the Wokou archers at the same time. Far better to clear out a nest before the main engagement even began. Jīnwū knew what he had to do, but would his men follow? There was no choice, really, he would have to take a leap of faith.
In all too short a time, the moment came, and Jīnwū shouted "Archers! Present and cover!"
As expected, the Wokou on the bow were swift to loose a swarm of arrows when the Sea Dragon's archer's appeared. The raiding party and archers took cover behind the bulwarks as the arrows flitted past or thudded into the wooden planking. "NOW! Archers! Grapnels!" The archers stood, loosed, and ducked. The grapnel crews with their paired launchers fired their devices. As the archers drew back for their second volley, Jīnwū bounced back and drew in qi, sprinting forward as the archers loosed. He bounded onto the bulwarks as the Wokou archers took cover from the fire, and launched himself into the air.
The grapnel crews worked frantically, winching back on the chains which linked the hammock-like boarding net to allow the grapnel's hooks to gain purchase on the enemy's bulwarks. Jīnwū sailed gracefully through the air, buoyed by the qi coursing through him, and landed on the forecastle behind the sheltering archers. In a second his Gōu Yú Biān was out, the hook-and-chain whipping through the air to slice into bows, bowstrings, and flesh. He had given his crew an opening. Now he hoped Jun-Seong would take it.
Jīnwū gauged the situation. The wokou were close hauled to the prevailing wind, and the Sea Dragon still running with it. Jīnwū bellowed "Haul her about to starboard, I want us angled and lined up with the bastards!" The Wokou had chosen to sail into the wind to slow their pace in readiness to deploy their boarding boats but there would be a moment where, as the sea dragon curved in to line up broadsides, they could launch the grapnels onto the forecastle of the wokou vessel. However, the timing would have to be precise.
"Archers, when we are almost in position for the grapnels, show yourselves to the enemy and take cover for their first loosing. Return fire in two volleys. I want the grapnels launched with the first volley." Jīnwū clapped Ryu on the shoulder "See to it. I'll be landing with the second volley. Make sure our men get across fast. Our moment of opportunity will be small, but critical." The Wokou had more archers than the Sea Dragon did, but that was their way. Archery support to pin down the defenders while their boarding parties climbed up the side with grappling ropes. It was an effective way of doing things, because to shoot down on the boarding ships, an archer would expose themselves to the Wokou archers at the same time. Far better to clear out a nest before the main engagement even began. Jīnwū knew what he had to do, but would his men follow? There was no choice, really, he would have to take a leap of faith.
In all too short a time, the moment came, and Jīnwū shouted "Archers! Present and cover!"
As expected, the Wokou on the bow were swift to loose a swarm of arrows when the Sea Dragon's archer's appeared. The raiding party and archers took cover behind the bulwarks as the arrows flitted past or thudded into the wooden planking. "NOW! Archers! Grapnels!" The archers stood, loosed, and ducked. The grapnel crews with their paired launchers fired their devices. As the archers drew back for their second volley, Jīnwū bounced back and drew in qi, sprinting forward as the archers loosed. He bounded onto the bulwarks as the Wokou archers took cover from the fire, and launched himself into the air.
The grapnel crews worked frantically, winching back on the chains which linked the hammock-like boarding net to allow the grapnel's hooks to gain purchase on the enemy's bulwarks. Jīnwū sailed gracefully through the air, buoyed by the qi coursing through him, and landed on the forecastle behind the sheltering archers. In a second his Gōu Yú Biān was out, the hook-and-chain whipping through the air to slice into bows, bowstrings, and flesh. He had given his crew an opening. Now he hoped Jun-Seong would take it.
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Ryu Jun-Seong
- Outsider
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Jīnwū leaping over to meet the Wokou almost coerced Ryu into following him. His muscles rippled in a mix of anxiety to fight and fighting to keep them from fulfilling that desire. His niuweidao was sheathed over his right shoulder, the spatha his left. Hip scabbards were much too cumbersome. Surveying eyes showed the Sea Dragon was already swinging on a pivot around the starboard side of the wokou vessel, but another volley was needed to secure the ship. Then he trusted He Zhang, the officer below deck, to know when to fire broadsides as he and the rest of the boarding contingent charged across the gap. Ryu drew his niuweidao and used it to point as he yelled.
"Archers, keep your heads down! Grapnels, we need a nice, sturdy hold on that starboard hull. Furl sails!" Seconds later, as Ryu felt the timbers beneath him shake with the impact of the grapnels' second round. "Boarding time, boys! Group on me, we're ready to try the gap! Mind your heads and don't stop moving!" He was interrupted by the thunder of a full broadside. Cannon fire tore into the side of the wokou vessel, cracking timbers and shaking both decks.
Instead of wasting more time, Ryu sheathed his drawn sword and sprinted toward the edge of the ship. Running between two of the grapnel emplacements, Ryu used his momentum and a touch of qi to leap onto the railing and vault off of it. He landed on a taut rope and bound off once more to reach the other deck. Niuweidao and spatha were drawn instinctually and tasted blood almost immediately. The struggle to pull his spatha from the base of his now-limp victim's neck left him barely enough time to reflect the blade of an assailant. Qi aided the guard, causing a minute push off the block to knock the opposing blade far enough away for the spatha to once again meet flesh. No qi was required to aid the blade's sinking in between ribs.
Spinning around during the moment's reprieve, Ryu was relieved to see that the two ships had been fully drawn together, or at least enough so that the rest of the crew had swung across to join the struggle. His misappropriation of attention was a mistake. A wokou pirate who had quite luckily been deprived of his situation had come up behind Ryu in the mere second the latter spent looking back and sent a kick into the back of his skull.
Stunned, Ryu dropped to a knee. Not wanting to repeat his error, he leapt off of his strong foot toward the railing, hoping to regain a favorable position. Ryu spun, ready to take on the unarmed pirate, but was met with the heel of a hand to his chest. Ryu only caught a glimpse of his assailant, but that one moment caught him by surprise. He's small, too small to do that. Qigong. Must be the captain. But not dressed like an officer. Dangerous. His vision of the unknown qigong practitioner vanished as Ryu tumbled over the edge of the railing.
Panicking, Ryu stabbed with all his natural might at the hull of the wokou vessel. When he found purchase, he fueled the thrust with qigong to ensure it would hold. Panting, Ryu sat hanging for a moment. He sheathed the niuweidao, not wanting to drop it. In its stead Ryu drew one of a pair of sturdy knives he kept in sheaths on his bandoleer. Ryu repeated the thrust with the knife, slightly higher, and was immediately glad he was so expeditious in doing so. The timber Ryu's spatha was sunk into splintered and gave way, leaving him once more hanging by one hand. Ryu repeated sheathing and drawing with his left hand and used te knives to, slowly and painfully, climb his way back up the few feet to the railing. His progress was impeded by rumblings he figured were cannon shots. Why is Zhang still firing? Ryu finally reached a place where he could sheath his knives and grab a baluster. Ryu sapped the last of the qi in his Zhong dantien to pull himself up and over the railing. Then, trying to keep down, Ryu hid in a corner, niuweidao once again drawn, but he was unsure of whether or not he had the fortitude to defend himself should an armed pirate, or worse, his former assailant, attempt to dispatch him.
Luckily, it seemed most of both parties were occupied with engagements of their own. Ryu couldn't even see Jīnwū. A flicker of self-reprise came over him. I was entrusted to lead the troops. Yet, he reasoned, they were to be trusted. He had gotten them this far. And further tactical decisions would be handled by the captain, hopefully. He was capable. He would have to be.
Ryu couldn't see much of the battle from his vantage point, but the tumult of sound and smoke in the air was encouraging. Neither side had completely fallen yet, and the smell of pitch meant the wokou vessel was aflame. Who did that?, Ryu wondered. So many unusual eventualities. For now, the large pirate merely wiped the sweat from his brow and waited for some scrap of his strength to return to him.
"Archers, keep your heads down! Grapnels, we need a nice, sturdy hold on that starboard hull. Furl sails!" Seconds later, as Ryu felt the timbers beneath him shake with the impact of the grapnels' second round. "Boarding time, boys! Group on me, we're ready to try the gap! Mind your heads and don't stop moving!" He was interrupted by the thunder of a full broadside. Cannon fire tore into the side of the wokou vessel, cracking timbers and shaking both decks.
Instead of wasting more time, Ryu sheathed his drawn sword and sprinted toward the edge of the ship. Running between two of the grapnel emplacements, Ryu used his momentum and a touch of qi to leap onto the railing and vault off of it. He landed on a taut rope and bound off once more to reach the other deck. Niuweidao and spatha were drawn instinctually and tasted blood almost immediately. The struggle to pull his spatha from the base of his now-limp victim's neck left him barely enough time to reflect the blade of an assailant. Qi aided the guard, causing a minute push off the block to knock the opposing blade far enough away for the spatha to once again meet flesh. No qi was required to aid the blade's sinking in between ribs.
Spinning around during the moment's reprieve, Ryu was relieved to see that the two ships had been fully drawn together, or at least enough so that the rest of the crew had swung across to join the struggle. His misappropriation of attention was a mistake. A wokou pirate who had quite luckily been deprived of his situation had come up behind Ryu in the mere second the latter spent looking back and sent a kick into the back of his skull.
Stunned, Ryu dropped to a knee. Not wanting to repeat his error, he leapt off of his strong foot toward the railing, hoping to regain a favorable position. Ryu spun, ready to take on the unarmed pirate, but was met with the heel of a hand to his chest. Ryu only caught a glimpse of his assailant, but that one moment caught him by surprise. He's small, too small to do that. Qigong. Must be the captain. But not dressed like an officer. Dangerous. His vision of the unknown qigong practitioner vanished as Ryu tumbled over the edge of the railing.
Panicking, Ryu stabbed with all his natural might at the hull of the wokou vessel. When he found purchase, he fueled the thrust with qigong to ensure it would hold. Panting, Ryu sat hanging for a moment. He sheathed the niuweidao, not wanting to drop it. In its stead Ryu drew one of a pair of sturdy knives he kept in sheaths on his bandoleer. Ryu repeated the thrust with the knife, slightly higher, and was immediately glad he was so expeditious in doing so. The timber Ryu's spatha was sunk into splintered and gave way, leaving him once more hanging by one hand. Ryu repeated sheathing and drawing with his left hand and used te knives to, slowly and painfully, climb his way back up the few feet to the railing. His progress was impeded by rumblings he figured were cannon shots. Why is Zhang still firing? Ryu finally reached a place where he could sheath his knives and grab a baluster. Ryu sapped the last of the qi in his Zhong dantien to pull himself up and over the railing. Then, trying to keep down, Ryu hid in a corner, niuweidao once again drawn, but he was unsure of whether or not he had the fortitude to defend himself should an armed pirate, or worse, his former assailant, attempt to dispatch him.
Luckily, it seemed most of both parties were occupied with engagements of their own. Ryu couldn't even see Jīnwū. A flicker of self-reprise came over him. I was entrusted to lead the troops. Yet, he reasoned, they were to be trusted. He had gotten them this far. And further tactical decisions would be handled by the captain, hopefully. He was capable. He would have to be.
Ryu couldn't see much of the battle from his vantage point, but the tumult of sound and smoke in the air was encouraging. Neither side had completely fallen yet, and the smell of pitch meant the wokou vessel was aflame. Who did that?, Ryu wondered. So many unusual eventualities. For now, the large pirate merely wiped the sweat from his brow and waited for some scrap of his strength to return to him.
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Jīnwū had but a moment's grace to appreciate the prompt ferocity of the Sea Dragon raiders' boarding action. Backing off on his own assault, the small stayed only long enough to smash through the forecastle archers' remaining bows while the rest clutched for weapons better suited for close-quarters fighting. Jīnwū knew there was a wisdom to that. With the number of men clashing on the wokou junk's deck, he would rapidly run out of room to effectively use the chain of his Gōu Yú Biān. Switching the hook-sword handle to his left hand, Jīnwū let the sectioned chain wrap around his left arm as he drew his second hook sword with his right.
The next couple of minutes were a blur, Jīnwū fighting desperately to stay free of the archers while moving into a position where he could support, and be supported by, the rest of his crew. One archer fell with a slashed throat, a second one stopped with a hook raked through his hamstring. Jīnwū's left arm began to tire from the weight of the chain and resisting the impacts of the wokou's attacks, and a cold line marked his cheek where blood seeped from a cut. One pirate's straight-edged blade had nearly ended Jīnwū's career then and there,
Jīnwū vaulted back over some barrels to give him a moment's breathing space, and witnessed the sharp snap-kick delivered to the base of Jun-Seong's skull, and the precise heel-strike which followed, knocking his first mate off the edge of the ship. That one was dangerous. Jīnwū hoped his first mate could swim. But there was little time to dwell on it, as a wokou crewman swept an iron-studded club at him. Jīnwū ducked into a low crouch and used the hooks of his swords to sweep the wokou off his feet, finishing him with a slash of the crescent-bladed guard across the pirate's throat. With Jun-Seong nowhere to be seen, Jīnwū sprang to the nearest engagement, where four of his crew faced five wokou, and parried a falchion strike which was about to end the life of one of his crew. He stomped a kick to the wokou's knee, causing the enemy pirate to lose balance, and his own crewman took the opportunity to run the wokou through. A hook into the eye-socket of another wokou shifted the tide of battle in their favour as Jīnwū pulled the wokou out of position and stabbed the pommel blade through his neck artery before pushing him into the path of an advancing pirate.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jīnwū saw the unarmed pirate jolt the jaw of one of his men skywards, following up with a crushing strike to the throat. The Nian Shou pirate dropped like a sack of turnips. A second Nian Shou pirate cut at the wokou with a dao, but the unarmed man span out of the line of attack, striking the weapon arm into an overextension of the strike, then dropped him with a hammer-fist to the base of the skull. Jīnwū cursed, then shouted to the men he'd just helped free from engagement "Move towards the stern, support the men clearing out the other archers." Jīnwu took a moment to draw in a deep breath, allowing the qi to begin circulating through his system again while his men started their advance, then turned his gaze on the unarmed man causing havoc near the entrance to the lower decks. Killing him would undoubtedly shift the battle in their favour and avert potential catastrophe. Jīnwu put away his second hook sword, and unwrapped his Gōu Yú Biān once more. Speed and confusion would be his weapons against such an opponent.
Jīnwu took a running start, and with the assistance of the qi flowing through him, began a twisting leap, spinning through the air as he manipulated the chain dart of the Gōu Yú Biān into incredible momentum. The unarmed wokou sprang aside as Jīnwu landed, but his two crewmen were slower, and a flurry of strikes smashed their weapons from slashed wrists and crushed fingers. The sharpened back of the hook-sword handle scythed into their flesh as Jīnwu span through the gap between them where their leader had been but a moment before. At this point, though his opponent had such an unassuming appearance, Jīnwu could only assume the unarmed man was the wokou captain. His chain lashed out like an arrow, but the wokou captain rolled backwards and through the door leading below-decks. Jīnwu felt little choice but to follow. Closing one eye for a moment to avoid complete loss of vision in the darkness, Jīnwu entered the wokou ship.
In that moment, Jīnwu almost died. Only the hiss of rippling cloth caused the pirate to flinch back as a dagger embedded itself in the wood next to him. He'd fell into the enemy's pattern, assuming him completely unarmed, and almost paid the price. Above-decks, the battle raged, although the archer support now favoured the Nian Shou crew. The Sea Dragon had lost over a dozen men to the engagement, though many more wokou lay sprawled and bloody on the upper deck. The boarding action had been so ferocious as to prevent the wokou from having the opportunity to board the Sea Dragon in return, but their defence of their own vessel had been frenzied. Frantic melees were spread out all over the deck, with no sign of the wokou being willing to cave into the Nian Shou assault.
Below-decks, Jīnwu's vision adjusted to the darkness, and movement in his peripheral vision allowed him to witness the wokou captain dashing into the following room. Holding the dart end of the Gōu Yú Biān like a dagger in his left hand, Jīnwu swiftly pursued his foe. Terse shouting from ahead warned Jīnwu of the obstacles to come as wokou pirates were ordered to intercept and kill him. In the confined spaces, though, the wokou could not get enough space to properly surround him, and the numerous close-quarter attack possibilities of the Gōu Yú Biān gave Jīnwu many options to defend and attack simultaneously.
A wokou stabbed at his gut; Jīnwu diverted the blade with his hook sword's crescent guard and punched him with the hand holding the chain-dart. As the pirate reeled back, Jīnwu used the dart to slash his throat, then ducked the large cleaver which the pirate's companion hacked towards his face. The cleaver thunked into the planking beside Jīnwu, who swung an elbow into the pirate. Pushed against the wall, the pirate was too slow to retreat when Jīnwu raked his throat and neck with the blades of the crescent guard. Ahead of him, he could hear the sound of arguing, and soon another wokou came rushing out. Jīnwu kicked a bucket into his path then sliced through the wrist holding the pirate's blade. Pressing forward, he stomped a kick into the back-pedalling pirate's sternum, then stabbed the curve of his sword's hook into the wokou's throat. The smell of smoke began to filter through from the deck below. That was never a good sign.
Jīnwu's pursuit took him past the section of wokou decking hammered earlier by He Zhang's broadsides, and he noted that some evidence of return fire could be seen in damage to the Sea Dragon's port-side planking. Their carpenter, Baojia, would be kept busy with that for a while. As Jīnwu dashed on, he found himself slowed by the necessity of navigating past large shards of shattered planking and mangled corpses slicking the passageways with their blood. Fortune had truly smiled on the Sea Dragon, and He Zhang's cannons, this day. A flare of illumination to one side caught Jīnwu's eye, and he saw the wokou captain with a torch setting flame to ropes dipped in pitch. The ropes themselves were fed into barrels. This was trouble. Jīnwu sprang forward, slashing a diagonal line with his hook-sword. The wokou captain leaped backwards to avoid the strike which would have cut him from hip to shoulder, and Jīnwu whipped out with the chain-dart, knocking the torch from the wokou's grasp. His next slashes, as the wokou captain regained his balance, severed the burning ropes. Jīnwu relaxed his body to remove some of the excess and restrictive tension which had built up in his muscles while he addressed the wokou "What kind of man sinks their own ship before the battle is over?" In truth, it was more a move to buy time than true curiosity, but the wokou surprised him with an answer in passable Tian Xian "You are mistaken. My ship is sitting over there, waiting for me to take ownership. It is your ship I am now sinking."
The logic, Jīnwu had to admit, was sound. "I am Lu Jīnwu of the Nian Shou. I would have your name before I kill you." The wokou captain smiled "I am Mizuro Sasori. It is good that you are confidant." Jīnwu barely had a chance to react at all as the small throwing dart Sasori had palmed pieced the air. He shifted stance, but a moment too late, and the small steel dart thudded into his thigh painfully. Sasori kicked a barrel over onto the still-burning torch and dived into an adjoining room before Jīnwu could properly retaliate. It would only be a matter of time before the pitch ignited. Jinwu cursed and limped after Sasori who had headed back above deck. By the time Jīnwu reached the deck himself, Sasori had already sprung into a melee between wokou and Nian Shou pirates, picking up two discarded wakoku shortswords enroute and cutting down one of Jīnwu's men.
The next couple of minutes were a blur, Jīnwū fighting desperately to stay free of the archers while moving into a position where he could support, and be supported by, the rest of his crew. One archer fell with a slashed throat, a second one stopped with a hook raked through his hamstring. Jīnwū's left arm began to tire from the weight of the chain and resisting the impacts of the wokou's attacks, and a cold line marked his cheek where blood seeped from a cut. One pirate's straight-edged blade had nearly ended Jīnwū's career then and there,
Jīnwū vaulted back over some barrels to give him a moment's breathing space, and witnessed the sharp snap-kick delivered to the base of Jun-Seong's skull, and the precise heel-strike which followed, knocking his first mate off the edge of the ship. That one was dangerous. Jīnwū hoped his first mate could swim. But there was little time to dwell on it, as a wokou crewman swept an iron-studded club at him. Jīnwū ducked into a low crouch and used the hooks of his swords to sweep the wokou off his feet, finishing him with a slash of the crescent-bladed guard across the pirate's throat. With Jun-Seong nowhere to be seen, Jīnwū sprang to the nearest engagement, where four of his crew faced five wokou, and parried a falchion strike which was about to end the life of one of his crew. He stomped a kick to the wokou's knee, causing the enemy pirate to lose balance, and his own crewman took the opportunity to run the wokou through. A hook into the eye-socket of another wokou shifted the tide of battle in their favour as Jīnwū pulled the wokou out of position and stabbed the pommel blade through his neck artery before pushing him into the path of an advancing pirate.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jīnwū saw the unarmed pirate jolt the jaw of one of his men skywards, following up with a crushing strike to the throat. The Nian Shou pirate dropped like a sack of turnips. A second Nian Shou pirate cut at the wokou with a dao, but the unarmed man span out of the line of attack, striking the weapon arm into an overextension of the strike, then dropped him with a hammer-fist to the base of the skull. Jīnwū cursed, then shouted to the men he'd just helped free from engagement "Move towards the stern, support the men clearing out the other archers." Jīnwu took a moment to draw in a deep breath, allowing the qi to begin circulating through his system again while his men started their advance, then turned his gaze on the unarmed man causing havoc near the entrance to the lower decks. Killing him would undoubtedly shift the battle in their favour and avert potential catastrophe. Jīnwu put away his second hook sword, and unwrapped his Gōu Yú Biān once more. Speed and confusion would be his weapons against such an opponent.
Jīnwu took a running start, and with the assistance of the qi flowing through him, began a twisting leap, spinning through the air as he manipulated the chain dart of the Gōu Yú Biān into incredible momentum. The unarmed wokou sprang aside as Jīnwu landed, but his two crewmen were slower, and a flurry of strikes smashed their weapons from slashed wrists and crushed fingers. The sharpened back of the hook-sword handle scythed into their flesh as Jīnwu span through the gap between them where their leader had been but a moment before. At this point, though his opponent had such an unassuming appearance, Jīnwu could only assume the unarmed man was the wokou captain. His chain lashed out like an arrow, but the wokou captain rolled backwards and through the door leading below-decks. Jīnwu felt little choice but to follow. Closing one eye for a moment to avoid complete loss of vision in the darkness, Jīnwu entered the wokou ship.
In that moment, Jīnwu almost died. Only the hiss of rippling cloth caused the pirate to flinch back as a dagger embedded itself in the wood next to him. He'd fell into the enemy's pattern, assuming him completely unarmed, and almost paid the price. Above-decks, the battle raged, although the archer support now favoured the Nian Shou crew. The Sea Dragon had lost over a dozen men to the engagement, though many more wokou lay sprawled and bloody on the upper deck. The boarding action had been so ferocious as to prevent the wokou from having the opportunity to board the Sea Dragon in return, but their defence of their own vessel had been frenzied. Frantic melees were spread out all over the deck, with no sign of the wokou being willing to cave into the Nian Shou assault.
Below-decks, Jīnwu's vision adjusted to the darkness, and movement in his peripheral vision allowed him to witness the wokou captain dashing into the following room. Holding the dart end of the Gōu Yú Biān like a dagger in his left hand, Jīnwu swiftly pursued his foe. Terse shouting from ahead warned Jīnwu of the obstacles to come as wokou pirates were ordered to intercept and kill him. In the confined spaces, though, the wokou could not get enough space to properly surround him, and the numerous close-quarter attack possibilities of the Gōu Yú Biān gave Jīnwu many options to defend and attack simultaneously.
A wokou stabbed at his gut; Jīnwu diverted the blade with his hook sword's crescent guard and punched him with the hand holding the chain-dart. As the pirate reeled back, Jīnwu used the dart to slash his throat, then ducked the large cleaver which the pirate's companion hacked towards his face. The cleaver thunked into the planking beside Jīnwu, who swung an elbow into the pirate. Pushed against the wall, the pirate was too slow to retreat when Jīnwu raked his throat and neck with the blades of the crescent guard. Ahead of him, he could hear the sound of arguing, and soon another wokou came rushing out. Jīnwu kicked a bucket into his path then sliced through the wrist holding the pirate's blade. Pressing forward, he stomped a kick into the back-pedalling pirate's sternum, then stabbed the curve of his sword's hook into the wokou's throat. The smell of smoke began to filter through from the deck below. That was never a good sign.
Jīnwu's pursuit took him past the section of wokou decking hammered earlier by He Zhang's broadsides, and he noted that some evidence of return fire could be seen in damage to the Sea Dragon's port-side planking. Their carpenter, Baojia, would be kept busy with that for a while. As Jīnwu dashed on, he found himself slowed by the necessity of navigating past large shards of shattered planking and mangled corpses slicking the passageways with their blood. Fortune had truly smiled on the Sea Dragon, and He Zhang's cannons, this day. A flare of illumination to one side caught Jīnwu's eye, and he saw the wokou captain with a torch setting flame to ropes dipped in pitch. The ropes themselves were fed into barrels. This was trouble. Jīnwu sprang forward, slashing a diagonal line with his hook-sword. The wokou captain leaped backwards to avoid the strike which would have cut him from hip to shoulder, and Jīnwu whipped out with the chain-dart, knocking the torch from the wokou's grasp. His next slashes, as the wokou captain regained his balance, severed the burning ropes. Jīnwu relaxed his body to remove some of the excess and restrictive tension which had built up in his muscles while he addressed the wokou "What kind of man sinks their own ship before the battle is over?" In truth, it was more a move to buy time than true curiosity, but the wokou surprised him with an answer in passable Tian Xian "You are mistaken. My ship is sitting over there, waiting for me to take ownership. It is your ship I am now sinking."
The logic, Jīnwu had to admit, was sound. "I am Lu Jīnwu of the Nian Shou. I would have your name before I kill you." The wokou captain smiled "I am Mizuro Sasori. It is good that you are confidant." Jīnwu barely had a chance to react at all as the small throwing dart Sasori had palmed pieced the air. He shifted stance, but a moment too late, and the small steel dart thudded into his thigh painfully. Sasori kicked a barrel over onto the still-burning torch and dived into an adjoining room before Jīnwu could properly retaliate. It would only be a matter of time before the pitch ignited. Jinwu cursed and limped after Sasori who had headed back above deck. By the time Jīnwu reached the deck himself, Sasori had already sprung into a melee between wokou and Nian Shou pirates, picking up two discarded wakoku shortswords enroute and cutting down one of Jīnwu's men.
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Ryu Jun-Seong
- Outsider
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Ryu's qi was exhausted and it was frustrating. He had been entrusted with leading the men in the boarding and here he was, bruised and tired. The anger at his situation was all that fueled him. Ryu stood from his recuperation. He was fed up with fuming. The crisp sound of sword against scabbard revitalized the sore muscles in Ryu's arms; he gritted his teeth, once again ready for battle even without the aid of qi. The spatha met the muscular bare back of a wokou pirate in a fatal stab, then had to drop it, still embedded, as another assailed him from the right. Ryu rotated on his left heel to meet the new threat, shifting approach to adapt to a single weapon. Another parry allowed Ryu to shove the other combatant's blade aside and attempt to finish him off with a leg sweep. Ryu spun and kicked out but almost fell when his heel thudded against the sprawled leg of the pirate he had dispatched moments before. Silently cursing himself, Ryu clambered back deftly and adopted a crouching defensive posture.
The glint of metal caught the corner of his left eye and it became immediately evident that the spatha, sticking out of dead flesh like a makeshift grave marker, was necessary. Ryu slowly rotated around the pivot of his combatant to retrieve the other blade, who was slowly advancing as Ryu backed away. All the while, the niuweidao parried and sliced independently while Ryu struggled to grip the hilt and maintain his defense. He pulled it free in a rising motion just in time to dodge a swipe at his chest, but the heave impeded his agility and he felt a hot streak erupt in a shallow diagonal across his chest. The warmth flowed slowly down his torso; Ryu didn't even have to look at the wound to know it was going to hurt but wouldn't slow him down too much, luckily.
Ryu used his opponent's extension against him. Rushing forward, he shot a quick jab to the inside of the pirate's elbow with the fist clenching the hilt of his niuweidao. The pirate could not stop Ryu from wrapping his heel around that of his opponent and pulling back, the opposing forces unbalancing and felling him. But as he tripped backward, the pirate's dagger, which had been drawn unseen by Ryu a moment before, wildly slashed at Ryu's face (a slice that was surely meant for his throat). Ryu, adrenaline surging after the second wound, spun both blades around in his hands and thrusted down, spatha sinking into the pirate's bare solar plexus and niuweidao sloppily scything across a section of midriff, setting Ryu off balance. The pirate was dead, though, and Ryu made sure to retrieve his blades immediately to avoid a situation like before.
Ryu took time to examine the second cut, making sure no more wokou were heading his way. It cut jaggedly across Ryu's forehead just south of his head wrapping, starting at the supraorbital foramen and rising across the eyebrow and over the top of the supraorbital ridge. It was a shallower cut but the blood flowed more freely, and Ryu made sure to lower a strip of cloth over it and tighten the knot to ensure no blood entered his eye. As he did so, he reminded himself to keep moving. Where is Jinwu? He had seen his captain rush out of his sight as he was recovering from the climb. It worried Ryu that he had not reappeared. As if to answer his wondering, the pirate who had knocked him overboard earlier emerged from below deck, followed swiftly by a beaten but furious Lu Jīnwū.
Ryu quickly assessed the situation: the Sea Dragon's crew now far outnumbered the wokou, he was injured and sapped of qi, Jīnwū looked as if he was in nearly the same condition, and the wokou captain (if that's what he was) looked very angry indeed and ready to fight just as well as when he assaulted Jinwu earlier on. Time to back off. "Nian Shou, converge on me!" Ryu shouted, backpedaling but still ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. This wasn't the best time to lead the charge, as it were: it was time to let the tactician in Ryu turn the last of this battle in favor of the Nian Shou. The last of the wokou were converging around their captain. Most of his own troops were scattered on the deck to the fore of his own position. "Fan out! Surround the wokou dogs!" Ryu himself kept backpedaling until he met railing, then sheathed his spatha and rested, the familiar salt of the sea stinging in his wounds. More smoke. That's not good. The smell was growing stronger as well, but there wasn't much to do about it. Ryu forced himself to assume Jīnwū had drawn the same conclusions.
The Sea Dragon crew carried out orders well. Most of the crew seemed healthy enough; no limbs were missing and only a few seemed seriously injured. Wisely, they backed off without being told. One, a former powder monkey named Hang Zi, eyed him with a wince from the gash in his side. Ryu nodded his head sharply in the general direction of the Sea Dragon, granting silent permission to retreat to the safety of the Nian Shou vessel and its surgeon. Zi's wound wasn't bleeding very profusely but it looked deep and organ damage was a distinct possibility, and Zi was a small man with delicate innards. A flash went through Ryu's mind's eye of a time when Zi got quite drunk and ended up ill for weeks. In fact, if Zi had a stronger constitution he would probably be a mate; he had a good head on his shoulders and had been with the Sea Dragon since it was commissioned.
Clear your head, Ryu, the first mate reminded himself. This wasn't the time to reflect on the personal lives of his crew; there was a battle yet to be won. There was a moment's hesitation as the crescent of Nian Shou pirates gazed upon the defensive ring of wokou, then bloodshed erupted once more upon the unforgiving timbers of their enemies' own vessel.
The glint of metal caught the corner of his left eye and it became immediately evident that the spatha, sticking out of dead flesh like a makeshift grave marker, was necessary. Ryu slowly rotated around the pivot of his combatant to retrieve the other blade, who was slowly advancing as Ryu backed away. All the while, the niuweidao parried and sliced independently while Ryu struggled to grip the hilt and maintain his defense. He pulled it free in a rising motion just in time to dodge a swipe at his chest, but the heave impeded his agility and he felt a hot streak erupt in a shallow diagonal across his chest. The warmth flowed slowly down his torso; Ryu didn't even have to look at the wound to know it was going to hurt but wouldn't slow him down too much, luckily.
Ryu used his opponent's extension against him. Rushing forward, he shot a quick jab to the inside of the pirate's elbow with the fist clenching the hilt of his niuweidao. The pirate could not stop Ryu from wrapping his heel around that of his opponent and pulling back, the opposing forces unbalancing and felling him. But as he tripped backward, the pirate's dagger, which had been drawn unseen by Ryu a moment before, wildly slashed at Ryu's face (a slice that was surely meant for his throat). Ryu, adrenaline surging after the second wound, spun both blades around in his hands and thrusted down, spatha sinking into the pirate's bare solar plexus and niuweidao sloppily scything across a section of midriff, setting Ryu off balance. The pirate was dead, though, and Ryu made sure to retrieve his blades immediately to avoid a situation like before.
Ryu took time to examine the second cut, making sure no more wokou were heading his way. It cut jaggedly across Ryu's forehead just south of his head wrapping, starting at the supraorbital foramen and rising across the eyebrow and over the top of the supraorbital ridge. It was a shallower cut but the blood flowed more freely, and Ryu made sure to lower a strip of cloth over it and tighten the knot to ensure no blood entered his eye. As he did so, he reminded himself to keep moving. Where is Jinwu? He had seen his captain rush out of his sight as he was recovering from the climb. It worried Ryu that he had not reappeared. As if to answer his wondering, the pirate who had knocked him overboard earlier emerged from below deck, followed swiftly by a beaten but furious Lu Jīnwū.
Ryu quickly assessed the situation: the Sea Dragon's crew now far outnumbered the wokou, he was injured and sapped of qi, Jīnwū looked as if he was in nearly the same condition, and the wokou captain (if that's what he was) looked very angry indeed and ready to fight just as well as when he assaulted Jinwu earlier on. Time to back off. "Nian Shou, converge on me!" Ryu shouted, backpedaling but still ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. This wasn't the best time to lead the charge, as it were: it was time to let the tactician in Ryu turn the last of this battle in favor of the Nian Shou. The last of the wokou were converging around their captain. Most of his own troops were scattered on the deck to the fore of his own position. "Fan out! Surround the wokou dogs!" Ryu himself kept backpedaling until he met railing, then sheathed his spatha and rested, the familiar salt of the sea stinging in his wounds. More smoke. That's not good. The smell was growing stronger as well, but there wasn't much to do about it. Ryu forced himself to assume Jīnwū had drawn the same conclusions.
The Sea Dragon crew carried out orders well. Most of the crew seemed healthy enough; no limbs were missing and only a few seemed seriously injured. Wisely, they backed off without being told. One, a former powder monkey named Hang Zi, eyed him with a wince from the gash in his side. Ryu nodded his head sharply in the general direction of the Sea Dragon, granting silent permission to retreat to the safety of the Nian Shou vessel and its surgeon. Zi's wound wasn't bleeding very profusely but it looked deep and organ damage was a distinct possibility, and Zi was a small man with delicate innards. A flash went through Ryu's mind's eye of a time when Zi got quite drunk and ended up ill for weeks. In fact, if Zi had a stronger constitution he would probably be a mate; he had a good head on his shoulders and had been with the Sea Dragon since it was commissioned.
Clear your head, Ryu, the first mate reminded himself. This wasn't the time to reflect on the personal lives of his crew; there was a battle yet to be won. There was a moment's hesitation as the crescent of Nian Shou pirates gazed upon the defensive ring of wokou, then bloodshed erupted once more upon the unforgiving timbers of their enemies' own vessel.
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
The Sea Raven's wings were clipped. Though the throwing dagger jammed in Jīnwū's right thigh had missed major arteries, it seriously hindered his ability to move, let alone perform the nimble acrobatics he was known for. Sasori by contrast was moving gracefully alongside his men, causing havoc for the Nian Shou boarding party, and directing his men in a fashion which was slowly moving them closer to the Sea Dragon's boarding nets and consolidating the wokou position on deck.
A quick glance around showed that Jun-Seong was trying to contain the wokou manoeuvering with a wider formation. Jīnwū's first priority would be to try and separate Sasori from the general melee. "Ryu, to me! Gongming, take five men and keep them from the nets." Gongming, one of the Sea Dragon's better fighters, had impressed Jīnwū during morning practice. Jīnwū moved to the far edge of the Nian Shou concave furthest from the boarding nets, supporting his men there while he waited for Jun-Seong. He needed to separate Sasori from the brawl, but he'd need Jun-Seong's help.
A quick glance around showed that Jun-Seong was trying to contain the wokou manoeuvering with a wider formation. Jīnwū's first priority would be to try and separate Sasori from the general melee. "Ryu, to me! Gongming, take five men and keep them from the nets." Gongming, one of the Sea Dragon's better fighters, had impressed Jīnwū during morning practice. Jīnwū moved to the far edge of the Nian Shou concave furthest from the boarding nets, supporting his men there while he waited for Jun-Seong. He needed to separate Sasori from the brawl, but he'd need Jun-Seong's help.
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Ryu Jun-Seong
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- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Ryu felt the assumption of victory fade with the wokou movement toward the nets. He had assumed falsely that the pirates had assumed a defensive circle, but it seemed that they were grouping to mount a push toward the Sea Dragon itself, making a very effective and potentially fatal bait and switch, seeing as the smoke was beginning to roll much more noticeably. It was surely a large fire. Still, Ryu was confident in victory, enough to keep him steeled against the circle of wokou as he rushed to Jinwu's defense. Must keep the wokou from the nets. Must keep the captain safe. Must defend myself. Keep blood out of my eyes. Kill their captain. He wouldn't be easy to take down, but his weak point seemed to be overaggressiveness. Ryu wasn't sure if he could exploit it and there was no way to communicate the observation to Jinwu without alerting the other captain of his revelation.
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
The moment Jun-Seong reached his side, Jīnwū hissed "Their captain. In a moment I shall make him move to the left. I want you to attack into the gap he leaves while I push him further away from his men. Ensure our own men make use of the opportunity, and when able, return to my side." The moment he was certain Jun-Seong had heard him, Jīnwu drew in qi to lighten the burden on his injured leg, and yanked the throwing knife from his thigh with a grimace.
A moment later Jīnwū flung the knife at Sasori's flank as he moved forward, lashing out with his Gōu Yú Biān's chain dart to drive Sasori further from the men he was fighting alongside. He hoped that Jun-Seong would live up to the potential he had seen during the morning exercises, and prevent Sasori from rejoining the ranks of his men. All around them the battle raged fiercely, but Jīnwū's goal now was Sasori alone.
A moment later Jīnwū flung the knife at Sasori's flank as he moved forward, lashing out with his Gōu Yú Biān's chain dart to drive Sasori further from the men he was fighting alongside. He hoped that Jun-Seong would live up to the potential he had seen during the morning exercises, and prevent Sasori from rejoining the ranks of his men. All around them the battle raged fiercely, but Jīnwū's goal now was Sasori alone.
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Ryu Jun-Seong
- Outsider
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Ryu had a two-front battle to fight. He deftly unsheathed both of his blades and stepped into the gap when Sasori reacted to Jīnwū's aggression, repelling a qiang-wielding wokou that attempted to follow while still trying to keep the dueling captains in his peripheral vision. Ryu decided the best course of action was to be proactively aggressive, hoping to deter any would-be attackers from distracting Jīnwū before turning on the wokou captain himself. Unfortunately, the qiang wielder was not easily repulsed and countered Ryu's attack with his own brand of aggression. Fortunately, the woldo discipline Ryu practiced was similar enough to common wokou qiang techniques that Ryu's experience gave him an edge.
The qiang wielder spun and delivered a fierce one-handed thrust at Ryu's face which, though telegraphed, almost grazed his face. Ryu succeeded in parrying, however, and countered with a stab of his own which also missed the mark, leaving both overextended. The wokou was the first to retreat, which served Ryu's purposes well. As he retracted the shaft of his qiang, the wokou was prepared for a counterattack, but as Ryu struck low as would be expected, he suddenly pulled back and used his spatha to stab high from the side, catching the wokou's sinewy collar. Ryu thrust deep into the wokou, surely a death stroke. The blade removed cleanly and Ryu turned to assist his captain.
Jun-seong's aggression had paid off, but came with a cost. The wokou, with his dying breath, struck once more and cut deep into his killer's side. Ryu, loosing a pained grunt, instinctively dropped his niuweidao and grabbed the shaft, preventing it from digging even deeper. The stab might have been fatal had he not reacted as quickly as he had, and as it stood, it would inhibit him. Ryu ground his teeth as he removed the head of the qiang from his side and retrieved his dao, raising the oxtail to repel any assailants from the rear. When he saw there were none, he resolved himself to aiding his captain against the wokou captain, even if it meant his own end.
The qiang wielder spun and delivered a fierce one-handed thrust at Ryu's face which, though telegraphed, almost grazed his face. Ryu succeeded in parrying, however, and countered with a stab of his own which also missed the mark, leaving both overextended. The wokou was the first to retreat, which served Ryu's purposes well. As he retracted the shaft of his qiang, the wokou was prepared for a counterattack, but as Ryu struck low as would be expected, he suddenly pulled back and used his spatha to stab high from the side, catching the wokou's sinewy collar. Ryu thrust deep into the wokou, surely a death stroke. The blade removed cleanly and Ryu turned to assist his captain.
Jun-seong's aggression had paid off, but came with a cost. The wokou, with his dying breath, struck once more and cut deep into his killer's side. Ryu, loosing a pained grunt, instinctively dropped his niuweidao and grabbed the shaft, preventing it from digging even deeper. The stab might have been fatal had he not reacted as quickly as he had, and as it stood, it would inhibit him. Ryu ground his teeth as he removed the head of the qiang from his side and retrieved his dao, raising the oxtail to repel any assailants from the rear. When he saw there were none, he resolved himself to aiding his captain against the wokou captain, even if it meant his own end.
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Jīnwū pressed his advantage as strongly as he could, kept Sasori moving with lashes of his chain dart, and for a brief half minute successfully ignored the pain in his leg. The wokou leader, Sasori, retreated from Jīnwū in an orderly fashion. He hopped back out of range of Jīnwū's chain with each strike, his twin blades shifted swiftly to cover himself from the deceptive angles of Jīnwū's attack, while he waited for an opening.
Closer to the boarding nets, Gongming fought with shield and curved Piandao, he and his five comrades holding their ground tenaciously. The Nian Shou pirates had also begun to understand what was at stake, and fought more fiercely to contain the wokou to their own ship. More of the Sea Dragon's crew began moving across the nets to support Gongming and push back the wokou, while the Sea Dragon's archers - now unopposed - began the slow and careful process of picking off whichever Wokou could be seen separated from the general melee.
Jīnwū's men closed the gap their captain and first mate had created in driving off Sasori, and the wokou captain chose to change his tactics. Knowing Jīnwū was too injured to chase him effectively, Sasori instead retreated across the deck to where the Sea Dragon's archers would not be able to draw aim on him. Jīnwū cursed under his breath, but followed. Every moment he kept Mizuro Sasori from the general engagement was a moment where the Sea Dragon's men could continue to increase their advantage over the frenzied wokou.
Sasori had chosen a more confined space to make his stand where the barrels and the stairs up to the raised forecastle prevented Jīnwū from using his chain as freely. Paired blades clashed against hooksword and chain dart, while Jīnwū sought an opening and Sasori sought to wear his already injured opponent out enough to finish him. Jīnwū's injury forced him to use more stationary techniques, and Sasori slowly pressed his advantage. By the time Jun-Seong entered Jīnwū's peripheral vision, the smaller pirate was bleeding from a gash on his left arm and a light slice across his ribcage. Sasori had suffered a damaging strike to his knee from an opportune short cast of the chain dart.
Jīnwū shouted "Ryu, can you contain him for a minute? Even better, please kill the annoying bastard." Personally, Jīnwū hoped Jun-seong would kill him, as his larger first mate's weapons were better suited for this kind of cornered engagement. Sasori had chosen his spot well to counter him, but that could prove an error with Jun-Seong's entrance. Jīnwū moved out of Jun-Seong's way at the last second as his first mate approached, lashing with his chain-dart to prevent the injured Sasori from escaping the corner. As Jun-Seong engaged, Jīnwū moved up the stairs to take the high ground and limit Sasori's chances of disengaging. Jīnwū, noticing for the first time his first mate's injuries, waited for an opportunity to strike Sasori from above. Jīnwū's chain hummed as it whirled in the pirate's hands, waiting to be unleashed on the wokou captain below should Jun-Seong be driven back.
Closer to the boarding nets, Gongming fought with shield and curved Piandao, he and his five comrades holding their ground tenaciously. The Nian Shou pirates had also begun to understand what was at stake, and fought more fiercely to contain the wokou to their own ship. More of the Sea Dragon's crew began moving across the nets to support Gongming and push back the wokou, while the Sea Dragon's archers - now unopposed - began the slow and careful process of picking off whichever Wokou could be seen separated from the general melee.
Jīnwū's men closed the gap their captain and first mate had created in driving off Sasori, and the wokou captain chose to change his tactics. Knowing Jīnwū was too injured to chase him effectively, Sasori instead retreated across the deck to where the Sea Dragon's archers would not be able to draw aim on him. Jīnwū cursed under his breath, but followed. Every moment he kept Mizuro Sasori from the general engagement was a moment where the Sea Dragon's men could continue to increase their advantage over the frenzied wokou.
Sasori had chosen a more confined space to make his stand where the barrels and the stairs up to the raised forecastle prevented Jīnwū from using his chain as freely. Paired blades clashed against hooksword and chain dart, while Jīnwū sought an opening and Sasori sought to wear his already injured opponent out enough to finish him. Jīnwū's injury forced him to use more stationary techniques, and Sasori slowly pressed his advantage. By the time Jun-Seong entered Jīnwū's peripheral vision, the smaller pirate was bleeding from a gash on his left arm and a light slice across his ribcage. Sasori had suffered a damaging strike to his knee from an opportune short cast of the chain dart.
Jīnwū shouted "Ryu, can you contain him for a minute? Even better, please kill the annoying bastard." Personally, Jīnwū hoped Jun-seong would kill him, as his larger first mate's weapons were better suited for this kind of cornered engagement. Sasori had chosen his spot well to counter him, but that could prove an error with Jun-Seong's entrance. Jīnwū moved out of Jun-Seong's way at the last second as his first mate approached, lashing with his chain-dart to prevent the injured Sasori from escaping the corner. As Jun-Seong engaged, Jīnwū moved up the stairs to take the high ground and limit Sasori's chances of disengaging. Jīnwū, noticing for the first time his first mate's injuries, waited for an opportunity to strike Sasori from above. Jīnwū's chain hummed as it whirled in the pirate's hands, waiting to be unleashed on the wokou captain below should Jun-Seong be driven back.
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Ryu Jun-Seong
- Outsider
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Pitting Sasori's twin wakizashi against Ryu's own pair of weapons was a deadly matchup. Blades whirled and Ryu's eyes threatened to fill with tears as sweat oozed into his wounds and as his movements twisted them. The three wounds throbbed immensely but adrenaline fueled his weary muscles, replacing what very well should have been the aid of his qi. Sasori had quickly turned on him and engaged, hoping to overpower the obviously wounded first mate before turning back to the captain, where he would likely also prevail. Ryu was determined not to let that happen. Blade clashed against blade, but no metal bit flesh. Yet. The two fought to a standstill, any strike parried and all attempts at gaining an upper hand thwarted. But the enemy captain always seemed to surge ahead by a step and Ryu feared this duel would be lost if either Jīnwū or another Sea Dragon crew member did not assist him. Ryu spared a half a second to glance over at Gongming's predicament, hoping to see him rushing to Ryu's own aid, and was rewarded with a hilt-grasping fist to the cheekbone. Ryu's head hit the deck with a crack audible over the din, and Ryu prepared to die. That one momentary breach of self-confidence and now he was going to die. My only duty I have failed. That is my only regret.
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Jun-Seong's moment of inattention, and Sasori's strike, were what gave Jīnwū the opportunity he needed. The moment Jun-Seong was knocked clear of his enemy by Sasori's punch Jīnwū's chain-dart whipped out. The captain of the Sea Dragon was swift to push forward with his good leg, and followed the chain as it struck under Sasori's ear, Jīnwū dropping a knee onto Sasori from above before the wokou captain could finish off his first mate.
Sasori, stunned by the chainstrike which had smashed and cut the joint between jaw and skull, was knocked to the deck like Jun-Seong had been a moment before. Jinwu shifted his position, raised his hooksword up, and swung it in a tight arc, cleaving through Sasori's neck. A moment later the captain of the Sea Dragon had picked it up and, with a couple of steps to get a clear view, lobbed it into the centre of the mass of wokou fighters.
The sight was enough to momentarily shock many of the wokou, and though it was but a slight shift in concentration, the Nian Shou crew capitalised on it with a renewed surge of aggression, pushing into the knot of wokou pirates. Gongming, sensing the wokou's shift from aggression to a more defensive mindset, backed up slightly, then led his men in a charge on the wokou as archers prepared his way by loosing arrows into the gaps where he and his men had temporarily broken off.
Jīnwū returned to Jun-Seong. "Hey, Ryu, get up. This ship will be turning into a funeral pyre soon. It's not the best place to go taking a celebratory nap." The captain offered his first mate a hand to help him regain his feet. Smoke continued to billow from bellow decks, casting a haze over where the Nian Shou were slowly cutting down the remaining wokou.
Sasori, stunned by the chainstrike which had smashed and cut the joint between jaw and skull, was knocked to the deck like Jun-Seong had been a moment before. Jinwu shifted his position, raised his hooksword up, and swung it in a tight arc, cleaving through Sasori's neck. A moment later the captain of the Sea Dragon had picked it up and, with a couple of steps to get a clear view, lobbed it into the centre of the mass of wokou fighters.
The sight was enough to momentarily shock many of the wokou, and though it was but a slight shift in concentration, the Nian Shou crew capitalised on it with a renewed surge of aggression, pushing into the knot of wokou pirates. Gongming, sensing the wokou's shift from aggression to a more defensive mindset, backed up slightly, then led his men in a charge on the wokou as archers prepared his way by loosing arrows into the gaps where he and his men had temporarily broken off.
Jīnwū returned to Jun-Seong. "Hey, Ryu, get up. This ship will be turning into a funeral pyre soon. It's not the best place to go taking a celebratory nap." The captain offered his first mate a hand to help him regain his feet. Smoke continued to billow from bellow decks, casting a haze over where the Nian Shou were slowly cutting down the remaining wokou.
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Ryu Jun-Seong
- Outsider
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:18 pm
- Name: Ryu Jun-Seong
- Race: Human
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
A nap. Sometimes, Ryu wondered about this new captain. He rose at Jīnwū's command anyway, though it pained his side immensely. He saw the melee continuing and wondered if it would be better for him to just lie down and make it his funeral pyre. No. Adrenaline of battle turned to pure survival instinct and Jun-seong quickly sheathed his blades in preparation to run back to the nets and crawl in his bunk to die, but instinct was soon quelled by discipline and he slowed, waiting for his captain to take the three or so paces necessary to take the lead, then continued after him. Ryu decided he would not again enter battle, but neither would he back away like a coward.
"Captain, if I may have permission, I will attempt to return to the Sea Dragon, leading those with casualties. If you would be kind enough," he stopped to wince in pain, "to ensure the crew covers us as we traverse the boarding nets, I will lead the injured across." Then, without waiting for a response from Jīnwū, he added, "Winds be at your back, captain, and I'll see you back on deck, hopefully with my spirit within my body." With that, he mustered up his remaining strength to flank around the side of the fray and yell, "Those injured, return on the nets; the rest of the crew shall cover our escape. Don't let the wokou dogs follow us!"
"Captain, if I may have permission, I will attempt to return to the Sea Dragon, leading those with casualties. If you would be kind enough," he stopped to wince in pain, "to ensure the crew covers us as we traverse the boarding nets, I will lead the injured across." Then, without waiting for a response from Jīnwū, he added, "Winds be at your back, captain, and I'll see you back on deck, hopefully with my spirit within my body." With that, he mustered up his remaining strength to flank around the side of the fray and yell, "Those injured, return on the nets; the rest of the crew shall cover our escape. Don't let the wokou dogs follow us!"
Re: The Sea Dragon's First Voyage: Baptism of Blood - PW126
Jun-Seong wasn't the only one limping. Jīnwū's clothing was becoming stained dark from the injuries he'd sustained. He nodded at Jun-Seong's request "Make it happen. I'll help Gongming with the vanguard. I don't want any of our men left on this deck." The battle had already turned in their favour, and Jīnwū aided where he could with a cast of his Gōu Yú Biān's chain dart, distracting and injuring wokou that tried to push out of the containing ring of Nian Shou warriors.
By the time the wokou had been killed, the smoke had grown thick and the heat from belowdecks could be felt among the sounds of warping and burning timber. The boarding nets grew taut as the wokou vessel began to list to one side as water began to enter the affected bulkheads. Jīnwū bellowed "Every man capable of it, help those too injured to make it back across."
Slowly, the Nian Shou pirates made their way back to the Sea Dragon, and Jīnwū took a moment to pay his respects to the fallen. Only when the last of his crew were safely aboard the Sea Dragon did Jīnwū join them. The ship's surgeon, Xiaoren, was already at work, giving instructions to lay the injured out, prioritising his immediate attention to those with the most serious injuries.
Jīnwū would not be certain until they could properly check, but he had seen at least twenty of the Sea Dragon's crew dead on the decks of the wokou ship. A merchant vessel would have surrendered long before the stage that battle had reached. That was what Jīnwū hated about the wokou: never in his life had Jīnwū come across a wokou vessel which surrendered. Admittedly, in this case Mizuro Sasori had been a dangerous adversary, and given his crew no choice in the matter.
Jīnwū eyed the column of smoke which arose as fires slowly but surely claimed the wokou's crippled junk. "Xiaoren, I want Jun-Seong seen to swiftly, as I will need all senior officers gathered this evening." He gave new orders to the helmsman Jingshui "Bear due east for now, until I can have Chengde work out a new course. We need to get away from the smoke. It will be a beacon to any other wokou that might be in the area." What an absolute mess. Jīnwū knew Baojia would be belowdecks working on adhoc repairs to their hull. He headed for the charts room, where he had a feeling Chengde would have weathered out the combat.
By the time the wokou had been killed, the smoke had grown thick and the heat from belowdecks could be felt among the sounds of warping and burning timber. The boarding nets grew taut as the wokou vessel began to list to one side as water began to enter the affected bulkheads. Jīnwū bellowed "Every man capable of it, help those too injured to make it back across."
Slowly, the Nian Shou pirates made their way back to the Sea Dragon, and Jīnwū took a moment to pay his respects to the fallen. Only when the last of his crew were safely aboard the Sea Dragon did Jīnwū join them. The ship's surgeon, Xiaoren, was already at work, giving instructions to lay the injured out, prioritising his immediate attention to those with the most serious injuries.
Jīnwū would not be certain until they could properly check, but he had seen at least twenty of the Sea Dragon's crew dead on the decks of the wokou ship. A merchant vessel would have surrendered long before the stage that battle had reached. That was what Jīnwū hated about the wokou: never in his life had Jīnwū come across a wokou vessel which surrendered. Admittedly, in this case Mizuro Sasori had been a dangerous adversary, and given his crew no choice in the matter.
Jīnwū eyed the column of smoke which arose as fires slowly but surely claimed the wokou's crippled junk. "Xiaoren, I want Jun-Seong seen to swiftly, as I will need all senior officers gathered this evening." He gave new orders to the helmsman Jingshui "Bear due east for now, until I can have Chengde work out a new course. We need to get away from the smoke. It will be a beacon to any other wokou that might be in the area." What an absolute mess. Jīnwū knew Baojia would be belowdecks working on adhoc repairs to their hull. He headed for the charts room, where he had a feeling Chengde would have weathered out the combat.