Hoori watched the lead ship crest a large wave and become air born. They still hadn't sighted Ryujin, but with the sea this tumultuous he had to be close. Dark clouds reduced how far they could see across the ocean's surface, and when he looked out he could only count ten ships even though there were over twenty in the fleet. The ship rocked violently as a wave crashed into its side, spraying sea water into his face. The air was thick with the smells of the ocean: salt and fish.
His boat was occupied by other sailors, some he knew and some who had travelled from far off cities to help take down the dragon. There were also soldiers on the ship, but they were staying below deck for now. They didn't know how to sail so it was Hoori's job along with the other sailors to get them to their quarry.
For a second he thought he saw the long serpentine body of Ryujin between the waves but as quickly as it had appeared it disappeared under the surface. A long bellow rang out across the sea, breaking through the shouts of sailors and the roaring wind. It was here. The lead ship had located him.
There was a silence as everyone stopped, realising what this meant. Then they set to work. Hoori's ship was the closest to the lead, and another ship had changed course heading towards them. The men worked the ropes and sails, picking up the wind to get into position.
Under the water's surface he saw it. The sea was an inky black but Ryujin was a brilliant blue, the colour of the sea on a peaceful day. He was not peaceful though. Ruler of the tide, he caused storms and would attack any boat that he didn't like the look of.
Now they were his target. The dragon broke the surface between Hoori's boat and the other fleet ship. His fins flared and a loud roar echoed across the water. Hoori could see the treasure of the sea on Ryujin's forehead like a third eye. “Quickly, he's here! Get the Harpoons!” Hoori shouted across the din.
Hoori moved over to the mounted harpoon launchers and aimed. He pulled the trigger and a spear flew through the lodging into the dragon’s body. Ryujin let out a howl and turned towards the other fleet ship that was still moving into range.
The boat listed as the dragon swam away from them. The harpoons were designed for taking down whales, not something as powerful as this. Hoori slipped down the deck as the boat was pulled towards the sea. The other sailors were also struggling, holding onto the launchers or ropes.
They just needed to hold on a little longer. His fingers burnt as he held on to the rope of the harpoon that was still embedded in the dragon. Once the other ship landed a harpoon he would recoil again. He looked over towards the other boat and saw them firing towards Ryujin. However, each spear fell into the water harmlessly. Hoori could see the fear as the men frantically reeled the harpoons back in.
Before they could reload, the dragon reared up and began to wrap itself around the other boat. “We need to cut the rope or he’ll take us down with them!” Hoori shouted. “Knife! Get me a knife!”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
One man who was gripping onto the mast unhooked his sheathed dagger and slid it down the ship. Hoori reached for it but the dagger slipped between his fingers, just before it fell into the water he managed to clutch onto the ties of the sheath. He yanked the blade out and cut through the rope. The ship righted itself, sloshing water onto the deck and throwing Hoori onto his back.
Hoori grabbed the ropes for the sails and turned them so the ship moved towards Ryujin. The dragon's long body was wrapped around the other boat and slowly getting tighter. With one last rotation, Ryujin crushed the deck of the boat. Many sailors had already jumped ship but the rolling waves weren't any safer.
The other boats had caught up and made a semicircle around the sea dragon. Each one began to fire and harpoons rained down on Ryujin. “We have to load new harpoons,” Hoori called to the other sailors. A young lad opened a chest and picked out a long spear, lofting it to Hoori.
He loaded it into the launcher and fired it at Ryujin. Two more harpoons flew towards the dragon from the boat. Only one landed in his scales, but all the boats had managed to tether him now. This time when he tried to pull away, the boats stayed still except for the rocking of the ocean.
A second horn bellowed across the sea, signalling them to return to port. Hoori and the men got to work turning the ship and sailing home with their mark. It was slow work against the wind and waves. Ryujin had risen up out of the water, pulling against the harpoons.
The boats continued to pull at the dragon's body, drawing it through the sea. It unhinged its mouth and water began to swirl in front of its gaping jaw, creating an ever growing orb.
“Get down!” Hoori cried, hitting the deck. With a deafening cry it unleashed a torrent of water that obliterated the ships closest to itself. Splinters of wood rained down into the ocean and he could hear the screams of sailors and samurai caught by the blast.
Ryujin had destroyed three boats, but still didn’t have sufficient strength to pull against the boats. The dragon collapsed back into the sea, causing a wave that rocked the boat. The wind changed and the dragon stopped resisting. Its energy had been spent and the ships pulled it into the harbour.
Large metal walls separated the city from the raging ocean. Each wave spun a turbine that powered the capitol. Here the sound of the waves was drowned out by the grinding of gears, and the smell of the ocean gave way to that of smoke and iron. They moved into the confines of the port and as Ryujin passed the gate there was a metallic clang as it closed shut, trapping them inside.
Footsteps came from below deck and the samurai appeared holding rifles. Two carried up a large cannon and started locking it into place. One of the men shoved Hoori back. “You've done your job,” he said. “Now let us finish it.”
Hoori nodded and moved out of the way. The men were heavily armoured and rattled as they got into position. An older man raised his hand and then lowered it swiftly. “Fire!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
The air filled with the sound of gunfire. Sharp and sudden, echoing around the harbour. The smell of smoke and gunpowder filled Hoori's nostrils. He found himself sweating.
Ryujin thrashed in the water as bullets struck his body from every side. There was the boom of cannons and the large metal balls smashed into the dragon. A final one crashed into Ryujin's jaw, and he fell into the water and stopped moving. Blood slowly spread from the dragon's body, turning the water black.
Silence fell over both the sailors and the samurai. No one moved or spoke. Everyone waited to see if Ryujin was finally dead. Then the general on Hoori's ship raised his hand. “Ryujin, Ruler of the Sea, has been slain. Collect the treasure of the ocean,” he ordered.