Thar Shaddin

For some idiotic reason, Ryu's mind went from primary desire being to lie down and have his body mended to wanting to be up and about giving orders and plotting the Dragon's course. Funny how the mind worked. Xiaoren was giving him immediate attention though, which was a favor not lightly turned down, So Jun-Seong lay still and let the surgeon pick at his wounds before liberally wrapping them in strong linen. "You're lucky the wokou were not more precise," the surgeon said, his diction extremely sharp and precise compared to the usual drawl of a sailor, an appropriate analogue to the work of his hands. "Their blades missed all major arteries and organs, but you mustn't be lifting anything heavy for a few days. That puncture in your side is deep and you don't want anything to burst. I suggest you meditate for a bit each day as well, to accelerate the healing process."

Ryu gave Xioren the look he always gave when he suggested meditation. The surgeon, for whatever reason, thought it to be a cure-all solution. An oddity of an aging mind, perhaps. The elder man swore on his ancestors' graves he had no ability to practice qigong, and owed all his expertise to "years of practice, and a great deal of patience". Still, his movements were so precise and his fingers so careful Ryu couldn't imagine the other being completely devoid of at least a little knowledge of the Huang discipline. Just enough. The man never makes a mistake, not that I've seen anyway.

The man truly was a mystery. He had joined the crew of the Sea Dragon a moon or so before Wei Gang's death, after the previous surgeon met an...unfortunate end at a drunken mate's hand. He had it coming, really. The former surgeon had been an imbecile, and belligerent as well. Nothing like the placid, arbitrating Xiaoren.

Ryu stood abruptly when Xiaoren had finished, eager to get back to Jīnwū and the direction of the ship. The wokou would surely see the smoke and come flocking like the vultures they were. Where are my...? Nevermind, I'll get them later. The captain. And Ryu jogged away, giving the deck a practiced overview before turning to meet Jīnwū. He stopped himself. The crew had won a hard-fought battle today and here they were, a good deal of them simply leaving the dead behind and resuming duty as before. Ryu had known well several of those who had perished in the battle. I did the same thing; the life of the Nian Shou resumes, just as a stone tossed in the ocean does not impede its current. It would be good to speak to the men; they'd seen he and the captain both injured and seeing Ryu well (or more so than before) would raise morale.

"Men of the Sea Dragon," Ryu shouted to the crew on the deck. "You, we, have triumphed over the wokou dogs as we always have. We have lost brothers, good men and sailors as good as any of us. But to halt for a moment on their account is not our way; for we are the Nian Shou; we are the ocean and the ocean stops for no man!" Ryu raised his fist, trying not to wince as he realized too late it was on his weak side, and let out a cry of victory, echoed by the men, who had turned to hear his words. Then Ryu Jun-seong lowered his fist, smacked the knuckles audibly with his palm, held the salute for a moment, and turned to head below deck to find his captain.

Jīnwū had finished poring over charts with Chengde, and was headed belowdecks, when he heard the cheers from the deck. That was a good sign, in Jīnwū's opinion, that the men hadn't taken the losses as badly as they might have. But then, death was a constant reality in their line of work, and the men who sailed in the Nian Shou fleet had to be more resilient than the average sailor. The cheers also served as a reminder that he was still something of an outsider to the crew. And yet, as much as he should have been up there as part of that celebration, there were urgent matters to attend to before he could reasonably determine the Sea Dragon's next course of action.

When Jun-Seong went looking for Jīnwū, he was easy to find, with crewman directing him to where Baojia was working. Baojia, a short and stumpy man with thick muscles, was temporarily splitting his attention between the damaged hull and Jīnwū. "Look, I'll do what I can, but I tell you proper repairs require a calm patch of water and no damn movement for a few hours after that." Jīnwū nodded "Fortune willing, I can give you that within an hour or two. Until then, do what it takes to keep us from taking on too much water. We can't sit around here, or we are asking for trouble."

Jīnwū turned when he noticed Jun-Seong, and mentally noted the fresh bandages. Xiaoren evidently knew how to do his job. It was also a reminder that his own visit to the old man was getting long overdue, as his blood-soaked clothing and stinging wounds took every opportunity to remind him. With Jīnwū's focus on the First Mate, Baojia took the opportunity to turn away, and renewed his instructions to the men assisting him as he continued to patch up the rents in the Sea Dragon's hull. Jīnwū nodded to his first mate "Ryu, good to see it was nothing too serious. What can I do for you?"

The crisp report of a fist meeting an open palm signaled Ryu's salute to his captain. Spotting Baojia, Ryu made an assumption and asked, "Captain, when will we be ready to sail? It would be wise to expend as many resources as needed to repair the damage quickly." Ryu would oversee whatever necessary; he'd seen ship repairs before and they could take some time.

Jīnwū responded in kind, fist to palm. His arm stung from where Sasori's blades had left their mark. The captain smiled tightly "Feel free to tell Baojia something he didn't already know." Jīnwū nodded to where the ship's carpenter was busy at his task. "We are moving immediately. I've already given Jingshui the word to have us bear east. We'll be close hauled in an effort to keep the damaged side from taking on more water than our men can bail." The small pirate looked again at the damage to their hull "We'll need to move her gently, though. At least until we are far enough from the smoking wreckage here for Baojia to get things patched up properly under better working conditions. Fortunately, he tells me only one of the bulkheads have taken on water, so we're at no risk of sinking unless a storm ruins our day." Ideally, they'd haul into some island cove, but the nearest islands were a couple of days in the wrong direction to where their prey should be passing by.

Still, this was what happened when one entered the contested waters south of Wakoku to steal prey from under Wokou noses. The Nian Shou claimed the entire ocean outside of Tian Xia. The Wokou refuted that notion violently, and the Nian Shou were happy to oblige them in the recurring vendetta. "What I need you to do, Ryu, is to find me the names of every man of ours that died today. I counted at least a dozen on the wokou's deck alone. Find who is missing from each watch, and bring me a list of the fallen. I'm going to postpone a meeting of the senior crew until we are safely away and becalmed. Xiaoren and Baoijia will need a chance to rest when that time comes, and Chengde will need to consult the charts again once we have stopped for proper repairs."

What Jīnwū now needed to do was to see Xiaoren himself. Hopefully the surgeon had been able to see to the more critically wounded sailors already. Still, there was something else he'd better do first. "Before you go: you and the men fought well today, Ryu, against one of the most seasoned crews of wokou I have seen in a while." The skill of the wokou captain had been no joke either, as the blood running down his stomach and legs reminded him. "You will be busy again soon, because when we take the merchant ship, we shall be offering 'recruitment, ransom, or death'. We will need to replace our numbers, and I'll be needing you to get the newcomers in shape. But for now, get me that list. You will find me with either Xiaoren or Shen."

Ryu saluted once more and turned, jogging back up to the deck and deftly maneuvering up to the poop deck and settling himself on the railing where he would be able to easily survey the main deck. Ryu already had a list of perished crewmates in the back of his mind, constantly returning to the beginning of the list when he reached the end. Xi Jang, Ho Min... Jinwu was right; there were over a dozen. Seventeen, by his count, leaving a hundred and a handful remaining, more than enough to keep the Sea Dragon on course.

Once again, Ryu's mind shuffled through the list of dead spirits, some of whom Jun-seong had known for years under Wei Gang. Gang... Ryu's eyes wandered as his mind did. They settled on one of the battens on the mainsail, a large length of which hung limply from the rest, swinging like a pendulum. The sailcloth that had formerly been attached to the splintered piece of batten flapped wildly in the wind. Ryu's eyes didn't need to be told where to travel; they did so of their own accord, observing and making sure the timber wouldn't drop on an unwary sailor and the rest of the sail would remain intact. Gang...Ryu deftly leapt off the railing, landing with uncommon grace for one of his size. Now, where is it...

He turned and walked calmly into the captain's quarters, not bothering to knock. He immediately started searching through the various chests and nooks lining the walls, sweeping away dust and combing through the jetsam. Where would the old man have left it? There. Ryu hefted an old hardwood quarterstaff, heavily notched, from its place behind a large chest. And the knife? Tossing the staff to his right hand, Ryu climbed atop the chest and peered closer behind the chest. The old man never could keep all his things in one place. Ryu reached down and grasped the hilt of an equally old, equally dusty knife, slightly chipped along its edge but whole.

Ryu had never held them before, but many times he had seen Gang cut notches in the staff, mumbling prayers as he did, or late at night simply hold it and muse silently. Once, when he was freshly made a mate, Ryu asked why he did so. "As captain," the elder explained, "one holds the life of many men in his hands. It is the captain's duty to guard them, and though he may perform his duties to their fullest, some slip through his fingers. You see, young Ryu, the citizens of Tian Xia pay tribute to their ruler. As Nian Shou, we reject their authority, but all must answer to a higher power; it is the way of the universe. In our case, the sea is our Tianlong and the lives of our brethren are the currency we must pay." Ryu could remember how Gang had raised his sharp eyes to meet Ryu's own. "The advantage we have over a simple farmer, however, is that we may sharpen our coins and forge them into weapons, that they may resist their fate. That is why we are Nian Shou."

Ryu shook himself from his memory, left still standing there with the old pair of implements, notched with record of all the souls lost serving the Sea Dragon. Not serving...we are here to escape servitude. We are here by choice. And with that thought, Ryu lay both staff and dagger back to rest in the dust and went to find the quartermaster to tell him he needed a knife and a staff.

Jīnwū made his way to where Xiaoren was tending to the Sea Dragon's injured. The captain nodded to the old surgeon "Your work is impressive. How fare our men?" Xiaoren finished sewing up a large cut on a man's leg "They fare about as well as you look, captain." The old man stared pointedly at Jīnwū's bloodsoaked clothing "Can I hope that you are ready to patiently lie down and receive some treatment? Before infection takes you from us as quickly as you arrived?" Jīnwū allowed himself a small laugh "Thank you, Xiaoren, that would be for the best."

Xiaoren got to work swiftly. Jīnwū's ruined shirt was cut off him, and the blood washed away with water. A small amount of rice wine was splashed over the wounds to disinfect them before Jīnwū got to experience once again the joy of being sewn up like a torn garment. "Try to meditate through this. It will help with the recovery and reduce the amount of involuntary squirming." Jīnwū nodded, and complied. As with his qigong exercises, he let the act of breathing consume his awareness, and a relaxed stillness crept over his body as qi flowed through his body. Xiaoren spoke his thoughts aloud as he worked on sewing the cuts. "Once I have you sewn up, I will need to apply moxibustion. With this much bloodloss, we have to encourage the tuīdòng qi and fire meridians if you are to experience a strong recovery."

Jīnwū let Xiaoren's words drift loosely on the edge of his awareness, and focused on his breathing while the ship's surgeon went about his task. Xioaren roused him when it was time for the moxibustion. The surgeon carefully placed small cones of mugwort on the principal meridian points which needed stimulation and lit them with a taper "When these start to sting the flesh, remove them. I must return to the other injured now. Jīnwū nodded "Thank you, Xiaoren. Do whatever you can for them. They fought better than I expected."

With no choice but to wait, Jīnwū mentally reviewed his first days on the Sea Dragon. His crew still viewed him as an outsider, which was to be expected, but they had not let that affect their fighting spirit. It was a positive sign for things to come. Now all he had to worry about, ship repairs notwithstanding, was the upcoming capture of the merchant vessel. It would be inevitable that some of the enemy crew would refuse the Nian Shou way of life, and would lack a compelling reason to hold them for ransom. Which meant it would be his duty to kill those whose only crimes were to fall to his assault. The reality of that fact put ice in his stomach. He'd not even considered that problem when accepting Yi Sao's offer to challenge Wei Gang. But he knew that she had considered it, and no doubt thought this to be the cure for his primary 'weakness' as a Nian Shou fighter.

As each cone of mugwort began to sting his skin, Jīnwū removed them and placed them in the ceramic bowl provided. The blisters would scar over and heal within a couple of days, but the increased flow of qi in those areas should help with the overall healing process. Jīnwū went to his cabin to get a replacement shirt and, like Jun-Seong, entered without knocking. Unlike Jun-Seong, the reason he didn't knock was because they were his quarters. Jīnwū gave a crooked half-smile "I honestly don't think either of us are in the best shape for you to be presenting a formal challenge here and now, Ryu. So, given it's probably not that... What exactly are you doing in here?"

Jun-seong was rather startled upon running into the captain. He had been solely focusing on Gang's staff and neglected the fact that he was trespassing in his superior's private quarters. "Captain, uh. You see, you were with Xiaoren and he moves at a tortoise's pace and I didn't expect you to be back so soon-" he broke off and turned, burying his face in his hands. Too much change at once. Where is Gang? Dead and gone, Ryu. Or, Jun-seong. Whoever I am. "I was fetching something of Gang's. But now I don't want it. Which doesn't mean you may take it. But I can't tell you to do that. But I am." Ryu turned once more to face his captain. "I need to see the quartermaster. Sir," he said sharply to excuse himself, accompanied by a crisp salute, maybe too much so.

Jīnwū raised an eyebrow "The quartermaster can wait. I am justifiably worried that your preference, with whatever it is you were trying to achieve here, was to sneak into my quarters behind my back rather than coming to me directly." Jīnwū cast his gaze around the room, to see if anything stood out while he spoke "It does not speak well for your character, or your overall trustworthiness."

The captain rubbed his jaw-line thoughtfully as he spoke, turning his attention back to Jun-Seong "However, your actions on the wokou ship suggest you are not the kind to back-stab me. You'd have had plenty of opportunity today were that the case. And I can assume you were were given your rank for a good reason. So I'm going to give you this single opportunity to explain yourself, your actions, and intentions. In full." Jīnwū's tone was level, his voice quiet but assertive "And I expect you to leave nothing out. We have plenty of time."

Ryu was seething. This upstart had the gall to treat him like a child; Wei Gang would never look down his nose (and there was plenty of nose to look down) at any sailor, much less his Jun-Seong. Ryu gritted his teeth and repressed himself, but calming himself had never been his strong suit. "I was fetching something of Gang's. It's rightfully my property, I would argue, both as highest ranking officer under the late captain and he who was personally closest to him. I'm not a child, and have no reason to come into your quarters simply to spite you; there are many other ways to accomplish that goal, nearly all more tactful and all more effective. If you must know, Gang had a tradition that I intend to uphold. It was rather personal, but I assure you it's perfectly benign. Now, may I fetch the quartermaster...sir?"

Once again, Wei Gang's stern and crisp voice entered his mind, from a situation similar to this one; Ryu had been caught taking back his sword, his very first, after Gang had taken it for recklessness. "Jun-seong, why does the bird not leave its egg having the strength to fly out of the nest? Simply because it is not ready yet. You will receive your weapon when you have proven yourself worthy of it. Now go help He Min like you are supposed to be doing before you lose your dinner. Ryu wasn't sure he wanted any dinner at the present moment.

Jun-Seong's response was not what he had hoped for. Jīnwū was less than impressed with his first mate's petulance. But he kept his cool, as per Yi Sao's teachings. His voice maintained its quiet, neutral tone. "No. You may not. Not if you wish to remain the first mate of this vessel. Sit, Ryu Jun-Seong. That is an order."

Jīnwū gestured to Wei Gang's old chair. "I am, at present, going to assume that grief has caused you to forget basic Nian Shou laws. I am going to do you the favour of reminding you of the relevant ones here in private, rather than causing you to lose face with a public reprimand. When a captain is killed in an official and sanctioned duel, their ship and belongings are considered to be under the stewardship of the new captain. Which, I had hoped I need not remind you, is myself. You witnessed the duel, and know that it was a lawful event on fair footing." Prior to the outcome, most of the betting odds had suggested it would be a one-sided match in Wei Gang's favour, and some speculation had arisen at the time that Lu Jīnwū was the one who had lost favour with Nian Yi Sao.

Before Jun-Seong could have a chance to cut in, Jīnwū continued "These are, therefore, my quarters. If there is a need to access something within these quarters, then it is tactful and effective to seek me out and make the appropriate request." Jīnwū used Jun-seong's own words to drive home the point.

Jīnwū evaluated the current first mate. Yi Sao's information had suggested he was level-headed and responsible, but perhaps the information had been inaccurate. "It is clear to me that you have an issue with me. As you were chosen by the captain I killed, that was to be expected. What I did not expect was such underhanded approaches when you could have simply asked, as per correct protocols. You have overstepped the bounds of your authority, Ryu Jun-Seong, and failed to explain your actions in a satisfactory fashion."

Despite the pain of his wounds, and the difficult nature of the situation, Jīnwū's face remained expressionless. "This essentially leaves us with a limited number of options. Firstly, on the basis of your service up until now, I can recommend you be transferred to a different ship. It is not an entirely uncommon practice in circumstances such as these. Secondly, you have the right to challenge me for my position, and I shall accept the challenge if you do.If you are a better fighter than Wei Gang, you may find yourself a captain sooner in your career than you expected." And if that happened, Jīnwū would at least get to avoid the imminent moral dilemma he'd worried about earlier. But his duty to Yi Sao could not allow him to do anything less than his best in a challenge, lest it reflect poorly upon her. "Thirdly, you can accept that Wei Gang is dead, come to terms with the fact that my defeat of him has made me the new captain. Perhaps then you can act like a proper member of the Nian Shou fleet and do your duties without behaving shamefully."

Jīnwū's expression turned grim "Or fourth, you can bring about my death using dishonourable and underhanded tactics, then go independent for as long as you can outrun the Nian Shou fleet." Every once in a while, a captain succeeded in doing so for a year or two. "Of the four options presented I would personally prefer the third option: swallow your pride, concede that you have made an error in your behaviour today, and apologise like a man. Then the status quo can be maintained, and we can return to the more pressing concerns of the Sea Dragon's condition in the aftermath of today's battle, along with any traditions pertaining to that." Jīnwū pinned Jun-Seong with an icy stare "I don't need any of you to like me. I just need you to follow the laws of the Nian Shou fleet. But now is the time to make your decision, Ryu Jun-Seong."

Yi Sao had once spoken of moments on which someone's many potential futures were balanced, where the slightest push in any direction could determine the course of their life. Jīnwū felt, as he locked gazes with his incensed first mate, that this was one of those moments.

Crows peck his eyes out, Jīnwū was right. Scanning the floor, brow furled in contemplation, Ryu spoke softly, "I have overstepped my bounds. But before you dismiss me or lay whatever appropriate punishment upon me, allow me to tell a tale. When I was a young boy, Wei Gang could easily have had me killed as a stowaway, for that is what I was. But I stowed away in a bid to escape my former life, and Gang thought that ideal close enough to his own regarding the Nian Shou that he kept me on board. I've been a powder monkey, a cabin boy, a lookout, and a mate. The reason I am here tonight is because of another instance which occurred a few nights after I was made a mate.

"Gang called me into his quarters to show me a simple staff, notched deliberately many times. I asked him why. He replied, "As captain, one holds the life of many men in his hands. It is the captain's duty to guard them, and though he may perform his duties to their fullest, some slip through his fingers. You see, young Jun-seong, the citizens of Tian Xia pay tribute to their ruler. As Nian Shou, we reject their authority, but all must answer to a higher power; it is the way of the universe. In our case, the sea is our Tianlong and the lives of our brethren are the currency we must pay. The advantage we have over a simple farmer, however, is that we may sharpen our coins and forge them into weapons, that they may resist their fate. That is why we are Nian Shou."

"Today after the battle, the names of those we lost haunted me as if their very spirits were at my back. I simply intended to put them to rest by engraving their memory upon Gang's staff; I changed my mind after I held it and decided to start anew, for your sake. I was going to present the new staff to you in the morning. That is all.

"Please forgive me, captain."

Jīnwū nodded once. So the first mate was a bit of a romantic. That was unexpected, and a relief. "Apology accepted. If you had come to me with this request, of course I'd have agreed to it. Those men fought and died at my side as well as yours today." The captain scratched at an old scar "I'm glad that's out of the way, Ryu. I can tell the crew look up to you, and the last thing I need is to damage that. A captain and first mate have to work together, or a ship's morale falls to pieces."

The notched staff had caught Jīnwū's attention before, and he had initially thought it was some kind of record of Wei Gang's victories. He glanced at the simple memento mori and wondered why Wei Gang, whose philosophies had seemingly been transferred to his first mate, had become caught up in the idea of independence from the fleet "You would have had a chance to tell me all this when you'd brought me the list, you know." Jīnwū permitted himself to relax his facial expression "It wasn't idle curiosity when I asked you to gather a list of those who died today. It was so we could adequately prepare for the funeral rites."

Jīnwū saluted Jun-Seong "I think we can call this a misunderstanding and put it behind us. Given your preoccupation with those rites, I can assume you've gathered the names? Good. Your next task is to check with Xiaoren to confirm the status of our injured, in case we need to add to that list, then get the quartermaster to prepare such materials as needed for the funeral. After that's done, I'd appreciate you telling me what the men have come to expect for such occasions. Now... are we at peace, Ryu Jun-Seong?"

"Yes, captain," Ryu said with a fierce salute, quite sincere this time. "May our seas be as peaceful." And so Jun-seong parted from Jīnwū's quarters and once more went to Xiaoren. The elder was as busy as ever, tending to a nasty gash down Xī Ho's lower leg.

"Ah, Jun-seong. I would ask if you have meditated for your health, but you have not. How may I be of service?" Xiaoren called as Ryu approached him from behind.

Ryu cleared his throat. "The captain would like a report on the injured. Have any been lost?"

"Only one. Qian Liu. He was already ill with an infection and I advised him to stay on the Sea Dragon, but he went anyway and ended up paying for it." Xiaoren's regular, pensive diction did not sway; he had seen many sailors die in his time, arguably too many. Ryu stood quietly while Xiaoren finished patching Xī Ho's leg and giving him the general benediction of meditation and rest. After the doctor was finished, the wound didn't look as bad as it had when open. Then again, that was usually the result of Xiaoren's practiced touch.

Ryu sighed when Xiaoren turned to face him. "Very well. I shall inform the captain. Are you prepared to give the funeral rites?"

"Indeed, as always, Jun-seong." Xiaoren would never call him Ryu, for reasons only known to his own mind. "I shall prepare the papers myself, but you must fetch the coins from Jūn Xū yourself. I trust you know how to prepare them. Bring them to me when morning comes. Now away, I must tend to your brothers."

Ryu turned and went to find Shen, who was below deck with Jūn Xū. "Shen, if you would, Xiaoren requests burial coins for our deceased. Eighteen." The stoic purser turned from his task and fetched a ceremonial box. When opened, it contained hundreds of gold coins, specifically crafted to ensure a soul's passage to the afterlife. Shen grabbed a handful and dropped them on the table.

"That is eighteen. Is there anything else you require?" Ryu pursed his lips. The purser had never been one for tradition, but he was amazing with numbers and quantities, to a degree Ryu had never seen a match for. Ryu spoke not at Shen, but at Jūn Xū, who was nearby aiding Shen with his current task.

"From the armory, a quarterstaff and a simple knife. Not for the ceremony, but for myself. You can deliver these to me in the morning." Ryu left feeling satisfied, with the coins making a slight tintinnabulation in his deep pocket. He let loose a yawn that brought tears to his eyes and suddenly all semblance of energy left him. He was exhausted, he realized. I need to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. And sleep he did, after delivering the coins to Xiaoren.

Jīnwū returned Jun-Seong's salute, and watched his first mate leave. The moment he was alone Jīnwū slumped into his chair. Ocean's Breath, but he hurt. Xiaoren was a skilled surgeon, but all that meant was that he'd heal up properly, it did little to stave off off the fatigue and discomfort caused by his wounds.

The new pirate captain stared at the ceiling. Would Yi Sao approve of how he'd handled that small crisis of authority? Would she consider the losses in his first battle a failure? Ah, it did no good thinking such useless things. Jīnwū shook his head, blaming his wounds on the maudlin turn his thoughts were taking. What he needed was fresh air and productive activity.

For the next hour Jīnwū wandered the Sea Dragon, checking with the crew to ensure that all who needed Xiaoren's aid had presented themselves to the surgeon, gauging morale and commending them individually for their efforts. Such gestures would have little impact at first, Jīnwū knew, but Yi Sao had made it clear that earning the loyalty of a crew could take months. 'Lead by example' she had declared 'show to them that your worth as a captain goes beyond the ability to kill one man.' When his casual inspection was completed, he leaned agains the railing of the Sea Dragon and stared off into the unending horizon. Compared to the ocean, all men were small, yet even the smallest man could use his wits to ride it.

Jīnwū, finally relaxed enough to consider resting, took his battered body back to the captains quarters and fell into a deep sleep.

Morning brought no peace. Much was to be done, too much, and Jun-seong was growing a deep headache, an aftershock of the previous day's trauma. His side stung as well, but physical pain was not what Ryu was afraid of. The funeral for his fallen brethren would be today. Ryu rolled more than stood from his bunk and grabbed what little he needed to start the day. The quarters were hot, but there was a light breeze on deck. The first mate stifled a yawn and calmly observed the overnight skeleton crew handing over their duties to the morning shift and trudging back to crew quarters for a few hours' rest. Surely they all knew the funeral would be that morning. As much as Ryu would love to sleep for a few more hours and allow the entirety of the crew to attend, tradition dictated the rites be performed in the morning, so the dead souls would have time to reach their destination over the course of the day and avoid...whatever stalked the night in the spirit realm.

Ryu had forgotten the coins. Absently cursing himself, he ambled back to his quarters and grabbed the cloth bag that contained them. Returning, Ryu noticed the red tint the clouds held that morning. Appropriate. Now to wait for Xiaoren (who always insisted on attending), Shen, and whoever else from the crew wished to attend. I would wait for the captain, but he's awake. That's just Jïnwū.