The Way Back 2 (Return of the Blind Captain II and Almost home)

Over the days the followed, Bo Jing, Bayan, and Shoji directed the efforts to remove wires and other eldritch attachments from the Binggongchang. They considered throwing these objects overboard or leaving them on the beach, but at last elected to keep them in a waterproof sea bag, well doused with holy water. Other sohei were sent ashore to fill their water barrels, collect food, and recruit additional crew members. Upon their return, the sohei reported that they had found a good spring, but food was scarce, and they had alienated themselves from the local inhabitants, who seemed to have encountered the blindman and associated him with the benevolent newcomers. But the sohei contended that they had learned how to sail the ship at least as well as the sailors who had hired on back in Zhou Dang. Shu Yin, in studying the blindman’s books and nautical charts had learned that if they could find a westward current, their return travel could be accomplished in about a month. They had enough water, and their chances of finding food, in the form of fish, were better on the open sea than in this accursed land.

And so the Binggongchang began its homeward voyage. Early setbacks came in the form of submerged reefs and the kelp fields, but one night when they found the westward current, there was a stirring below decks. A walking skeleton, with burning red eyes emerged from below, sending the sohei not terrors. It was the blindman, and he demanded an explanation. Bo Jing directed him the bag where they had secured his instruments. Opening it eagerly, he splashed himself with holy water. Screaming with rage, he lunged at the nearest sohei, threatening to kill him if his demands weren’t met. Bo Jing drew his katana and attacked. The blindman release the sohei who fell to the deck, trembling and retching. With a last kick, the blindman turned and ran toward the captain’s cabin. Shoji castigated him with a blistering sermon; the blindman screamed and stumbled, but continued his mad dash, pushing other sohei out of the way. The blindman made it to the cabin and closed the door, but Bayan was right behind him. She battered the door down and found the blindman holding his spellbook and a small box, while opening the cabin window. Bayan splashed him with a vial of the holy water from Saradin’s cave and the blindman was consumed in a burst of blue flame. Bayan suggested the book should be destroyed. They doused it with oil and set it on fire. After it had burned for a few minutes, they cast it into the sea. They did the same to the wooden chair that had been set at the nexus of the gold wires. The small box, was empty, but they decided to keep it.

The voyagers on the Binggongchang enjoyed several days of smooth sailing, even finding what appeared to be verdant island. After sending a boat ashore, they found that it was blessed with waterfalls and fruit trees.

After leaving the island, the Binggongchang sailed into a fierce storm. The sky was so dark, that Shu Yin could not get a bearing day or night and Bo Jing ordered the crew to out all their efforts into keeping the ship together rather than holding a particular course. Days and nights merged together. When the weather cleared one fine morning, they beheld a huge island or continent, and as they approached, a small location of human settlement.

The first people they encountered were fishermen piloting small, narrow boats. The fishers were friendly and greeted the voyagers in a language that Bayan recognized, having heard Beatriss use it in conversations with Tetsukichi. Shu Yin confirmed that they were in northern Zipang, close enough to home that they could afford to linger. The Binggongchang was anchored in a sheltered harbor and the voyagers were welcomed ashore.