Over the Waves Part 7 (The Blind Captain)

At dawn, the Binggongchang drifted through still waters when the lookout spotted a ghost ship approaching — silent, splintered, and crewed by a full complement of animated skeletons. It moved without wind or sail, dragged across the sea by three massive rusted chains, each pulled by something submerged.

As the ghost ship closed in, one of its crew climbed the mast — a skeletal figure dressed in the once-elegant cloak and hat of a merchant-captain, his face hidden behind tight, white bandages. When he reached the top, he transformed — soft, pink flesh bloomed into a clumsy, winged horror, which lurched into the air and landed in the crow’s nest of the Binggongchang.

There, Bangqiu appeared midair, invisible no more, and unleashed a barrage of magic missiles, ripping away the creature’s outer flesh to reveal a skeletal face grinning beneath.

“Oh, a wizard!” it said with glee. “I’ve been looking for another wizard. I think we can help each other.”

On the deck below, chaos stirred. Bo-Jing, eager to strike, misjudged the distance and fell into the sea. There, he found the chains belonged to three scaled and clawed monsters, fishlike and fiendish, pulling the ghost ship forward. They lunged for him — but he drew upon his ki and a blessing from Shoji, grabbing one of the chains and vaulting upward. He scaled the side of the ghost ship, dodging fangs and slashing as he climbed, leaping from wall to mast in a storm of blade and water.

Back in the sky, Bangqiu hesitated at the creature’s offer. He responded with a trio of flaming shurikens — but they were deflected by a giant skeletal hand conjured from nothing. The fight was on.

“Why am I fighting this one alone?” Bangqiu shouted.

Shoji called back calmly, already directing the crew to stay below. He called on sacred light, shielding Bangqiu from the worst of the lich’s magic. He moved through the fray, chanting prayers and guiding his allies — a steadying force amid the mayhem.

Bayan attempted to climb the mast but was caught in a web spell, dropped by the lich. Arrows passed harmlessly through the lich’s spectral body until Damai’s magical shots found purchase. Bangqiu and Hyamsam combined their power, launching a final wave of elemental fury that brought the creature down — it vanished in a burst of flame.

With the captain gone, the deck skeletons crumbled to dust. Meanwhile, Bo-Jing killed the sea monsters, severing the ghost ship’s means of propulsion.

The group crossed to the ghost ship and descended into its rotten interior. Beneath the deck, fish-zombies waited in the shadows, but sunlight piercing the hull held them at bay. Following Shoji’s advice, the party broke open more holes in the deck to let in the light.

Bayan crashed through the rotted floor into a pool of ankle-deep water and stood firm in a patch of sunlight. There they discovered a strangely pristine wooden crate, marked with a symbol they had seen before, glowing faintly and sealed tight. When Bayan touched it, she fell into despair and wandered toward the shadows. Shoji and Bangqiu worked together — one casting, the other grounding her spirit — and Bo-Jing dragged her back into the light.

Bangqiu went above desk and called for Kafka’s assistance in opening the crate. About a dozen sohei brought axes to chop their way into it.

 It was grueling work, physically and spiritually. The effort in chopping through a single plank reduced a disciplined monk to tears.  When the hole was large enough, Bangqiu squeezed inside. The contents were strange and-- except for a large, highly-reflective mirror and some spools of gold wire-- did not, at a glance, seem to deserve such protection. Nevertheless, Bangqiu called for baskets, sacks and ropes so that the entire contents of the crate could be removed from the ghost ship to the  Binggongchang. 

As the sun was setting, Bangqiu followed the last of the dubious treasures—a large jar filled with dark liquid—out of the hole and back to his own ship. Once everyone was accounted for, they cast off from the ghost ship, tossing an oil-soaked torch behind them. The sailors had brought up the long oars and those who had strength joined them in rowing the ship slowly forward through the seaweed-choked sea. All night, they watched the ghost ship burning. Those who slept pretended to forget their dreams.