The Ghost of the Red Seas, Part two: Unwelcome Guest

The Ghost of the Red Seas, Part two: Unwelcome Guest

“What the hell do you mean you didn’t get it!?” Jordan yelled incredulously as both he and Gallo were sprinting down the wide boulevard, trying to make it to the wharf before the rather large and angry crowd of eastern peasantry caught up with them and proceeded to carry all sorts of wonderful things involving a variety of farm utensils. And torches… and axes… and well, yeah.
“How was I supposed to know the guy was destitute!?” Gallo retorted, “He was an aristocrat he was supposed to be rich!”
“Then why didn’t you leg it out of there!? You didn’t have to kill him!”
“He smelled funny”
“You’re hopeless!” Jordan shouted as both skidded around a tight corner, knocking over a wheel barrow of fresh fruits and vegetables that a street merchant was trying to peddle to the other peasantry that wasn’t out to murder them. It would be a safe bet to presume he’d go after them too, what with a couple hundred feet trampling all over his wares…. Because of them.
“Hey! At least I grabbed some gunpowder! This place is full of it.”
“I’d rather gold.” Jordan replied.
“Quit whining and just leg it” Gallo said just before a small metal object whizzed past his left ear and lodged itself in a crate stacked up against the entrance of a local dwelling. As he rushed past it he saw it was in the shape of a four pointed star.
“Ninjas!” He cried allowed, this was a bad time to be chased by ninjas. “DB leg it!”
“DB?” Jordan questioned.
“Shut up, and move!!” He bawled, and quickened his pace and jumped up on a few crates and hen cages that were stacked on the edge of the wharf against the bow of a moored ship that looked oddly bedraggled and weather beaten. And he jumped clean off of the crates, knocking more then one of them over, causing several cases to break and cages to burst open as panicking hens and chickens fled the sudden violation of their previously contentment. Flapping wings and making a splendid amount of noise, throwing up their loosened feathers into the air along with the splinters of wood and pieces of Heaven knows what was inside the broken crates previously. He landed, rather painfully onto the deck of his Pirate skimmer, a single cabin boat designed for travel between islands. The entire effect would’ve looked rather spectacular in a movie, (especially because it had happened by accident), but as you’ll appreciate, there was no such thing in those times.
Jordan, thinking Gallo had fallen or injured himself in his jump, carried on and sidestepped the mess and jumped onto the boat. Landing back first onto Gallo. After much cursing and swearing, the two hurried with the paddles to push off from the wharf. And they were soon too far away to be swum to quickly enough or even pounce upon by the leaping ninjas. ‘Accursed bastards’ Gallo thought viciously to himself.
Well I believe and explaination is in order, how the hell did an infamous loner like Galloglasses allow one such as Jordan onto his boat? Well let’s start at the beginning... In other words 5 hours previously;

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Gallo had an odious headache. This little map of his was becoming a pain; whoever was leading him on was obviously playing with him, half of his clues were false and mocked him, the other half of the clues lead to the first half of the clues. Gallo would enjoy allowing his rapier to feast itself on the blood of the one who has been doing this. Right now he just wanted to get drunk. He was fiddling with his rosary as he always did when he was troubled, drunk, absent minded or… well ok, he always messed about with it in his hand. Circumstances had occurred in such a way that he ended up in another eastern settlement, this one not as heavily dominated by the Ninja lords. Or even the shogun for that matter. Thankfully, they served more then just sake here, but nothing strong enough to get him proper drunk. He sighed and looked around, the typical drunken peasantry reclining at the low lying tables and having a good time. Gallo hadn’t done this much kneeling since the days when he was being raised by monks along with other orphans of the nobility back in the old country. Just at that moment someone walked up from behind him, put a cup of sake on the table, folded his legs and sat across from him. He was no peasant.
“Wasn’t expecting to find another pirate here” The young man said, Gallo remained silent. The young man looked up at him and smirked slightly, he was rather smart, dressed in a light shirt with a firm leather strap across him, and Gallo could see the butt of a crossbow from over his right shoulder and a rather large rapier at his side. He had very proper wind swept hair and looked very much like a land lover of high nobility. Much like Gallo himself was back in the old country. But that’s another story.
“Don’t talk much do you?” The man sniggered, “Any way my names Jordan. Nice to meet yo-”
Click
Jordan looked down, and saw one of Gallo’s pistols poking from under his robes and aimed at his crotch. This eastern custom of kneeling at table was turning out to be quite useful.
“Erm…” Jordan said
“Why are you here?” Gallo said softly, casually drinking his whiskey. His eyes not moving from Jordan’s face. Gallo knew quite a bit of intimidation, a lot of people think flaunting your abilities or looking smug and aloof can give an enemy an impression of one’s superiority. Which is a sure fire way to get yourself killed. People are much more afraid of those who do not waste time. Have someone by the balls, (figuratively or otherwise); you keep on yanking till the person is sure you’re going to rip them off. They will then proceed to tell you anything you want; the first girl they loved, where they hide the family gold, the undergarments of their stepsister, etc, etc, etc.
Works every time.
“I-I” Jordan stuttered .
Click, Gallo’s other pistol appeared.
“I’m Jordan, Dancing Sword; I heard the Ghost of the Red Seas was in town and I-”
“Wait, who told you the ghost was here?” Gallo asked quickly but quietly. The other patron were paying no attention. Thank God.
“The local Daimyo” Jordan said, “Posthumous bloke, goes around town talking loudly to his noble men. Its hard not to overhear his gossip.”
Now this was interesting. Gallo mused, Daimyos tended to be rich, what, with being the underlings of the Ninja Lords and the Shogun. ‘I wonder how much gold he holds in his pocket while he’s on the market…’
“Hmm” Gallo mused. “Well you heard wrong.” He said at last.
“Excuse me?” Jordan said, suddenly confused at his captor’s last words.
“The Ghost of the Red Seas is not here” Gallo lied”, “He’s a myth,” He lied again “A story mothers tell their children so that they grow up fearing the pirates” Ok, that was a half truth.
“Then who are you?” Jordan asked
“Bob” Gallo lied, he raised his eyebrows comically to give Jordan a hint. It took him a while to understand what Gallo meant. When he did he sighed with relief, and Gallo give him a light slap over the head for almost telling the whole village that he was there. He had a reputation to keep.
“So DS,” Gallo began, this little nickname seemed handier then Jordan of Dancing Sword, “How would you like to make gold?”

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The plan was set. The Daimyo was marching down the market place stopping at each stall in turn. He was a rather large and rotund man, jovial looking. He stopped to laugh and to joke with every stall keeper. Gallo was watching. Behind the row of stalls was a long alcove, which served as excellent rain cover for the stall keepers and their goods. Gallo walked along casually, glancing sidelong at the Daimyo and his companions. This was going to be ridiculously easy. The Daimyo ‘s group spread across the breath of the road as thus; four samurai at the left end, two noble men in the centre, and the Daimyo himself on his own on the right. Closest to Gallo. Now all he needed was for the group to reach Jordan’s position and the plan could proceed. They had knocked out the gunpowder merchant so his stall was empty and no-one would see Gallo when he made his move.
“Ahoy! Ahoy! Avast ye, yon rand rubbahs!” Jordan yelled, swinging a rather large bottle of sake as he pranced about the street as a drunkard. He looked the part too, his clothes were a complete mess. The daimyo stopped and chuckled.
“Out of the way! Let the lords pass!” One of the four samurais yelled as they moved forward to take away the miscreant.
“No stop!” The Daimyo ordered “This is free entertainment, let him continue!”
The rumour of the Daimyo being easily amused seemed to be accurate.
Jordan proceeded to dance and sing some rather…. Descriptive and socially unacceptable lyrics that made the Daimyo roar with laughter. Gallo made his move. The Gunpowder stall seemed pretty useful. He stole a few bags and put them under his robes in his many hidden pockets and continued. He reached forward, ever so slowly, his fingers almost reaching the pooch behind the Daimyo. (Keep in mind that Gallo was crouched low behind the stall here, about below waist height) He undid the buckles and reached inside… Only to find it empty, Gallo’s eyes widened in frustration. Then he felt something. He took it out and looked at it…
“Oh sweet mother of…” It was another clue. Gallo stared dumbstruck at it for a few seconds when, all of a sudden, the most unexpected of unpleasant things that could’ve happened right there and then. Happened.
The Daimyo farted. In Gallo’s face. Gallo reeled and yelled back wards, the samurai yelled in alarm and drew the swords. Gallo, his eyesight blurred by the sudden blast of noxious gases, tried to draw his pistol and fire back at them. He did so…
Too bad, his aim was off and the speeding, red hot bullet landed in the heart of a rather large bag of gunpowd-
Kaboom. Gallo was farthest from the stall at this point so he and Jordan were merely knocked back a few feet. ‘Merely doesn’t do it justice, they were knocked clean off their feet and their senses along with it. The Daimyo and his group were killed flat out. When he came to, (and when his ears stopped ringing), He turned and saw a lot of angry people running towards him. A lot of very angry people with a lot of very sharp pointy things running towards him. He presently decided this was a good time to leg it, Jordan was way ahead of him.

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“….And that’s how we screwed up!” Gallo finished at last recounting the tale to his new shipmate. Jordan looked back at him sternly.
“That’s got to be the biggest crock of Bull-” Jordan began, but a rustle in one of the storage bags in the one cabin boat began to move. Both en drew their rapiers and rose to their feet to face the strange thing. Suddenly, two little hands appeared and tugged the opening of the bag wide enough for a very small, although richly dressed girl to climb out. The two men stood there dumbstruck.
“Who are you?” Jordan asked.
“And how you get onto my boat?” Gallo asked, although a b it more sternly then Jordan.
“M-my names, Tanny” The little girl replied “I-I’m so sorry misters, I-I was running from home.” Tanny replied. Very scared looking, it was hard not to have pity on her.
“A runaway?” Gallo stated, rather puzzled
“Runaway from where?” Jordan asked, lowering his sword, “Who’s your parents?” As if the answer to that question would help them now out in the middle of the sea.
“My father” The girl replied, “He’s a bad man.”
“Who’s your father then?” Gallo asked, also lowering his sword.
“The Daimyo” Tanny replied. There’s was total silence after that.
“Oh crap” Gallo said at last.