History is an important matter. We are taught history in order to avoid repeating it in the future. History can become skewed, and great stories can become lost. This is one such story.

Our story starts out in Japan, during the Edo era sometime in the late 1600s. History books don't record this event, which was probably the sixth, maybe fifth, most destructive human event ever. The only record of this event is a poem called "The Ballad of the Ennead"

In conflict centuries old,
Senceless destruction is their way.
They fight not for land or gold,
But for no tomorrow, today.

Our saviors, a group of nine,
Saved the world centuries ago.
A story like those divine,
A story that has ne'er been told.

Masamune in Europe forged
A sword with a soul all its own.
When a novice found the sword,
It became a force quite well known.

A sorcerer form Japan,
Warupei with his evil made,
A sword which destroyed its man,
Yokishima, the evil blade.

The Ennead beat the two;
The Masamune flung into space,
Yokishima sunk in blue;
And thusly freed the human race!

Most historians dismissed this poem as bunk, saying that no such battle could have ever happened in the late 17th Century. Recently, however, several memoirs have turned up in various places in Europe and Asia, chronicling a cataclysmic battle three hundred years ago.

Shiroi is a simple merchant. His job is primarily transporting goods from town to town. Since his wife died, he constantly worries about his daughter and her well being.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Nihiri?" asked the concerned father. "The tanuki village is miles away, I'm going to be gone for a week."

"Dad, I've been alone before. I can adapt to your absence." said Nihiri, annoyed by her father's constant worried state.

"Please don't be a problem for Grandma and Grandpa."

"I never am."

So Shiroi started his traveling. However, this day, his routine has taken him on a different route, over an abandoned bridge which is said to be home to kappas. Though he is not a superstitious man, Shiroi throws caution to the wind. He has reason to be afraid. Kappas are notorious for pulling humans underwater, drowning them, eating their livers and drinking their blood through the anterior--or so the legends say. Maybe, if he meets a kappa, it'll be a curteous kappa, and will bow its head if he does so. If that doesn't work, he brought some cucumbers to barter with for his life. As he walked past the bridge, a shadowy figure emerged.

"What's in the bag, pal?" asked a wisecracking kappa. His only joy in life was scaring other people.

Already nervous, when shiroi realised that a Kappa was standing right behind him, he fell to his knees and begged for his life. "Please don't eat me! I beg of you!"

"Eat? You? Please! You're low in fiber, high in LDL cholesterol, there's no way I'd eat you."

"Here have my cucumbers! Take them!" Shiroi poured his cucumbers onto the ground.

"Way to go genuis, you dropped cucumbers on the ground. Now what do you want me to do? Eat them for your enjoyment?"

"No, please, I meant no disrespect."

"You'd think you'd ask someone what they like before you give them a present. Anyway, my name's Kyuri, what do the mammalian morons call you?"

"Shiroi, sir"

"Wait, you're the same Shiroi thank keeps carving your name into cucubmers and throwing them over the bridge?"

"Yes..."

"Next time, carve your name, or better yet, my name into some Bavarian chocolate and throw it over the bridge."

"Listen, it's been nice knowing you, but I've got to pick up a package at the tanuki villiage. Maybe you know the way?"

"Know the way? I was born knowing where that place was. Just leave it to me!"

Kyuri had taken Shiroi off the normal route, telling him that it was a short cut. However, Kyuri barely knew how to walk, let alone knew how to get to the tanuki village.

"Kyuri, are you sure this is a short cut?"

"Of course. It'll cut the time it takes to get there by half."

Serveral days went by with no sign of the village or the road.

"I've had it up to here with this path," said Shiroi raising his hand above his head. "Where's the village?"

"Okay... I know you're mad... uh, but I'm sure that..."

"This is pointless" Shiroi remarked as he sat down on a nearby rock. He let out a sigh. "I should never have trusted you."

"Uh... watch this!" Kyuri used his might to lift up a nearby tree, trying to impress his troubled companion. "Impresive, huh?"

Shiroi looked over at Kyuri and then turned his head away. He looked back and something caught his eye. "There's a sign!"

"Right where I knew it would be." Kyuri tossed the tree away. "Let's see what it says."

"Well read it."

"Uh... why don't you read it."

"Whatever. Tanuki Village straight ahead. Heh, I guess it was a shortcut."

"That's what I'm saying... I mean... Uh, was there a doubt in your mind?"

The man and kappa passed together through the gates of Tanuki Village. A sign to the left of the gate gave its name, and a bit of graffiti had crossed out the u and replaced it with a pair of oo's, reading Tanooki instead. Kyuri was wary of the sign at first, thinking they had found Tanooki Village instead of Tanuki Village, but Shiroi convinced him that they were essentially the same thing.

"You may want to cover yourself," Shiroi said to his companion. "I doubt the people here will react calmly to a water demon."

"How rude! I take great moral offense at the term demon. I prefer friendly water wisecracker. Or Bob." Kyuri crossed his arms and pouted through his turtle beak.

A villager crossed their path, took Kyuri in with a long glance, and went screaming back toward his home.

"A robe would be nice," Shiroi persisted.

"I don't need one. If these baka think that all demons are evil, then they obviously don't deserve to be in my greatness."

Another villager walked by, took Kyuri in with a glance, then pointed to the ground. "Your sandal is undone."

"Baka! I'm not falling for that one."

The villager pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it at Kyuri's feet. Kyuri grinned and bent to scoop it up, then grimaced as he watched the water trickle from his domed head. The villager grabbed for his sword, realized it was in his other hilt, and ran home.

"Aww! Gets me every time! Shiroi? Shiroi!?"

"Will you wear a robe?"

"Yes!"

"And a hood?"

"YES! JUST PUT ME UPRIGHT!"

***

Shiroi entered the shipping house and bowed to the post master. Kyuri walked in behind him, dressed in Shiroi's spare clothes.

"Shiroi, you are late."

"Forgive me. The shortcut I took was not nearly so long as my guide thought..." He glanced at Kyuri, who shrugged.

"Very well. I shall fetch the package." The post master disappeared into another room. Shiroi turned and struck Kyuri on the head, then quickly withered when the kappa bore his teeth.

"Don't you go blaming me. It would have worked if you men carried shelter on your backs like the superior kappa."

"He noticed that you did not bow, as well. I could lose my work over this."

"You're not very gratuitous, are you?"

Shiroi sighed. The post master returned before he could reply, carrying a wrapped sword.

"Here it is. This sword is to be delivered to St. Stephen's cathedral. You will meet Bishop Arturo Desmond and give it to him for his display. We have been instructed not to touch the handle under any circumstance."

"St. Stephen's?"

"Aw, that's right around the block," Kyuri said. "No biggie."

Shiroi glared at him. "There are no cathedrals in Japan."

"Correct. St. Stephen's in Vienna, Austria."

"AUSTRIA!?" They cried together.

"Perhaps now you will not be late." The post master gave Shiroi a stern glance as he handed the sword over.

"What kind of sword is it?"

"A very strong sword. It is called... the Yokishima sword."

"Now then," the Postmaster continued. "You are late already. To ensure the delivery of this package, I will be sending my assistant with you."

Shiroi paused, "Wait! An assistant, but you told-"

"This is very important. No mere child's errand."

"I understand..."

"Baku-chan!" the Postmaster exclaimed. A moment later, a small child emerged from another room with a bemused expression.

"What is it?" Baku asked. "I was dreaming and just about to-"

"You may dream later," the Postmaster explained. "You must take these two to St. Stephens."

Kyuri grunted, "Heeeey! Just a moment here! I am perfectly capable of getting there myself!"

"We have established that your shortcuts are by no means reliable," the Postmaster interrupted. "Is that not right Shiroi?"

"Yes..." Shiroi answered hesitantly.

"Good," the Postmaster said as he retrieved the blade from a box. The blade was wrapped in a thin cloth, but they could easily surmise that it was of Japanese make, crafted in the slendor katana form favored by warriors of this country. "Shiroi, I am trusting you with something of great value. It is imperative it reaches the cathedral at all costs. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Shiroi said bowing. "We shall depart as soon as we gather what we need."

Shiroi and Kyuri left the post house in low spirits. Baku followed at a distance, picking up all of the fallen leaves he could find.

"Well this is great!" Kyuri said, throwing up his arms. "Just what I need, another human to look after! And young too! That's even worse!"

"I need to go back home," Shiroi said quietly, otherwise ignoring his companion. "I need to let my parents know where I'm going, so that they can watch my daughter longer." He glanced at Kyuri. "We can pass by your river, if you want."

"That sounds about right to me! You and that child can go to Austria yourselves, but not Kyuri!"

Baku made a 'tsk' sound, still examining the leaves in his arms. "I thought that you would want to go along, kappa-san."

Shiroi and Kyuri traded glances, then turned to the boy. "Uh... what kappa? Where?"

"You, baka." Baku looked up at them. "I can see right through your disguise." The boy dropped the leaves, keeping only the largest one. "I like this leaf. I think I'll name it... hmm... Guisseppie!"

"Look here, you little brat!" Kyuri said, storming up to the boy. "What I am is none of your business! And now that you know, you know that I can gobble you up in three seconds flat!"

Baku stared into Kyuri's face a moment, then burst into laughter and fell over. "HA HA HA! Eat me? HA HA HA! Yeah right! Your sandal's undone! HA HA HA!"

Kyuri grimaced at the boy. "Can I eat him now?"

"I don't think..." Shiroi said, stepping forward.

"Eat me? Please! No kappa has ever outwitted Baku before!"

"There's always a first!"

Kyuri lunged at Baku, tossing away Shiroi's spare clothes. Baku smiled wide and held up his leaf. A burst of smoke accompanied his sudden transformation into a brick wall, upon which Kyuri dashed himself unconscious. Shiroi ran up and caught his companion before his head could drain of water.

"Kitsune!" he cried, dragging Kyuri aside.

Baku giggled. With another puff of smoke, he was a boy again. "Kitsune? You offend me, Shiroi-chan! If anyone's playing mean tricks here, it's your kappa friend."

"Then... what are you?"

Baku sighed and disappeared into smoke again, now becoming a child-sized raccoon. "I'm a tanuki, of course. A little young, but..." He returned to his boy form. "Smart enough to know that it's easier to go around as a human. Everyone asks you for favors when they know that you're a tanuki."

Shiroi shook his head. "Two demons stalk me at once? Perhaps it would be better if you both went home. All I want to do is deliver this sword and be with my daughter again..."

"Oh, but we can't leave you!" Baku ran up to him. "Do you remember that dream that I was telling Baito-san about when you came into the post house? I've had it ever since the Yokishima arrived. It starts out with a man just like you and a kappa just like him coming to get the sword. Then I come along, and the three of us are on water, I think with a fourth, and then... and then... Ugh! That's all I can remember!"

"So...?"

"Don't you see? My dream says it all! The three of us are, dare I say it, destined to travel together! As soon as Baito told me you were coming, I convinced him to let me escort you."

". . ."

"Look Shiroi-chan. I know you're afraid, you're worried, you're thinking you wish you could just live a normal life. But when destiny comes knocking, you can't say no. I never have, and I'm all the better for it.

"And besides..." Baku winked at him. "Even young tanuki like me can give rewards to those who take their advice."

Shiroi sighed. "All right. Let's go to Austria."

"You won't regret it!" Baku jumped up and down, waving his leaf. "Now, you'll have to carry your friend. We don't have time for him to recover."

Shiroi turned to Kyuri and grimaced.

"Your hometown has a port, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. We'll use that one. I'm pretty sure that the water at the end of my dream was a sea of some kind."

Shiroi pulled Kyuri onto his back with great effort, then took a few trudging steps toward the village's exit. Baku walked behind him, twirling the leaf.

"Well? Come on already! Let's go!"

Shiroi shook his head. He was already having regrets.

At last they returned to Edo. The travel was much shorter because of Kyuri's meddling, and Shiroi had less time to spend with his daughter. At the dawn of the next day, the ship would have to leave. Baku had taken Kyuri to the harbor to refresh. Shiroi returned to his home.

"Son, must you go away?" Asked his father.

"I'm afraid I must. I shall return as soon as I can."

"You know, you're daughter feels neglected." scorned his mother. "She went to the river. If you really love her, you'll go see her."

"Mother! I can't believe..." But Shiroi couldn't continue. His words were useless. Even though he was going to see his daughter anyway, he knew she didn't understand.

At the river bed, he found his daughter swirling a weed in the water.

"Nihiri..." Shiroi was at a loss for words.

"Daddy... Why do you have to leave?" The child's question seemd so simple, yet the answer was not.

"I have no choice. Ever since your mother left us, I've been struggling to find work. If I don't take this job, we'll starve."

It wasn't a good answer, or for that matter the real answer, but it seemed to satisfy the girl who was halfway between sadness and disappointment.

"But I need you!"

"I need you too, my child, but assuredly, I will return."

"But can't you wait..."

"No, I must leave," said Shiroi, "The MV Rotterdam leaves very soon, I can't miss that boat."

Shiroi and Nihiri hugged goodbye, tearfully.
*************************************
Shiroi boarded the ship MV Rotterdam with his two companions. "Great," he was thinking, "a Kappa and a Tanuki. What next, a Tengu? An Oni?"
Kyuri was well covered, and Baku was in his suitably human form. But based on all his experience, however little, he had with them, he knew things could get ugly. And being confined on that ship with them could cost him his sanity.

"Sayonara Japan, Sayonara Japan!" yelled Baku incessantly when the boat pulled up the anchor. Shiroi walked to the other end of the ship. He hoped he'd lose them.

He then noticed one passenger who stood out...a European female who just wasn't like the others...

Shiroi, being very shy in nature, tried to keep to himself. Being previously married (weither his wife left him or died, we can't be sure of--his memorandums never stated), Shiroi was uncomfortable around women. He and the stranger would have never spoken had She not taken the initiative.

"Well, hello there!" said the woman politely.

Shiroi was disturbed, and at a loss for words. She may have been European, but the two could communicate from their first enounter. Eventually, she would teach him Dutch and English. For now, Shiroi managed a simple, "Hello."

"Isn't it beautiful?" The woman peered over the harbor.

Shiroi had lived here all his life, and for the first time realized what he was really going to be missing.

Before Shiroi could say anything in response, not that he didn't have the time, he just wasn't sure how to respond, the woman introduced herself. "I'm Elizabeth, daughter of the ship's Captain."

Many people have questioned the vailidity of this, Elizabeth was an english name, but only Holland had trading rights with Japan at this time. The most widely held consensus is that she was of English and Dutch heritage, though nothing solid has been discovered so far.

"I'm Shiroi, Miss Elizabeth."

Over the next few months, a strong friendship would develop.

The day had passed, the night fallen. Baku lay in the cabin designated for him, Shiroi, and Kyuri alone, trying to recall what had happened next in his dream. He kept getting as far as their meeting with a fourth member, who he speculated was a sailor he had met earlier named St. John Starling. After that, though, his mind would blank.

"Hmm..." he said to himself. "This isn't working..."

The boy pushed himself out of his bed and began to pace. He needed something to jog his memory, like a smell or...

His eyes fell on the Yokishima sword. It was still carefully wrapped in cloth, laying at the foot of Shiroi's bed. He stepped over and picked it up, then glanced at the leaf that he had left on his bed table.

"I've been having my dream ever since the sword arrived. But I keep forgetting. Maybe if I just hold it a little bit..."

He waited... and waited... and waited...

Nothing. He looked at the leaf again.

"Well, maybe if I actually touch the sword, and not just feel its shape." He started to pull away the cloth around the handle, then stopped. "Wait a minute! Baito-san said that none of us were allowed to touch the sword..." He looked at the steel handle, wrapped in a velvet black ribbon. "I wonder..." He reached for it. "I wonder why..."

As Baku's hand approached the handle of the Yokishima, it turned back into a tanuki's paw. He paused again, confused. He hadn't changed it back.

His paw began to shake. "What... what is this sword?"

"Man doesn't wield me...

"I...

"wield...

"Man..."

Baku dropped the sword, staring forward. He bent down and carefully wrapped the sword again, changing his paw back into his hand.

"And I despise all others, tanuki..."

He pushed the sword under Shiroi's bed with his foot, then sat back down in his bed, again looking over at the leaf.

"I, uh, I don't know what just happened there. I think... I think I'll go up and get some air. Yeah, air."

He stood and ran up onto the deck.

***

Kyuri stood on the deck of the ship, looking over the rail. He was greener than usual. "Ghuu... stupid wavy ocean... I miss my river... this stupid sea is so rough..."

Shiroi and Elizabeth stood together on the deck, away from Kyuri.

"So you have a daughter, do you?" the lady asked.

Shiroi nodded. "She is a blessed child. Straight from the heavens, I always say." He glanced down. "I hate to leave her."

"Well, it's only a month of sailing until we reach Amsterdam. You'll be reunited with her sooner than you think." She stepped back and walked around in a circle, arms outstretched. "The Rotterdam is the fastest ship in the Arctic Ocean, so says my father."

"You don't believe your father would exaggerate?"

"Quite the contrary. I've already counted on it. The Rotterdam is perhaps... the second fastest."

"Which is the first, then?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "None registered. But there's likely a pirate ship on the sea faster than this one."

"Pirates?" Shiroi considered the new concern. "Is there a chance we'll be attacked?"

Elizabeth turned and looked out to the ocean. "Perhaps... But I doubt it."

Baku came running on to the deck, drawing away their attention. "Shiroi-chan! I just remembered! My dream!"

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, well, I had a dream that the three of us, Shiroi, Kyuri, and I, would meet someone and sail on a boat to Austria, but that's not important. What's important is that I think we're in danger." He turned to Shiroi. "The next part of my dream had to do with our ship being attacked."

"No pirates indeed," Shiroi said, looking at Elizabeth.

"No no, it wasn't pirates. There was some other thing accused of attacking ships. I thought you might know."

"Are you referring to the monster known as the kraken?" Elizabeth asked.

Baku grimaced. "What would the kraken look like, Elizabeth-san?"

"It is said to be a giant octopus that wears a spiked shell over its head."

"Shimatta!"

Elizabeth placed a hand to her mouth. "Such language from a child!"

"Forgive me Elizabeth-san, but I fear that I saw the kraken in my dream. And we are sailing right towards it."

The idea was hard to believe for Elizabeth. The kraken was just a legend, after all. Even Shiroi, now acquainted with some legends, was wary.

"Hey..." Kyuri said, pushing himself up. "What's that?" He pointed out to sea.

They turned and ran to his side, growing apprehensive with every step. Kyuri pointed out a green, chitinous mass floating in the water. Its size was easily comparable to the ship's mast. The water was dark and inky below it.

"That's it!" Baku exclaimed, pointing.

"If what you say is true..." Elizabeth said, "then we must alert my father at once. He can turn the ship around before it's too late."

"It's already too late," Baku said. "My dreams says that we'll have an encounter. All we can do is prepare for it." He turned back to the cabins. "I'll be right back. I have to go get Guisseppie." He ran off.

Kyuri rested his chin on the rail and stared at the monolith. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Many people have argued that if krakens existed, they'd be attacking ships today. In fact they do. Today, ships are much larger and made of metal. When krakens attack ships today, rather than sinking them, they often get pulled into the propellers of the ships and killed. Ships of this day and age were much smaller and made of wood, an easy target for a bull kraken. Oddly enough, though there is substantial evidence of their existance, no one around today has seen a live kraken; several have been found washed up on beaches.

Many sailors gathered to the side of the ship to see the mighty kraken. The ship had not been attacked yet, but the captain had no intentions of keeping it that way. the cannon fire did nothing The Captain had given orders to fire on the kraken with the cannon. The kraken was swift, andto it other than make it angry. Needless to say, it was probably the crew's provoking, rather than the kraken's hostile nature, that caused the clash.

The kraken swam out about half a mile, before returning to ram the ship. However, the ship was large and hardy, more than a match for the angry monster. Enraged, the kraken wrapped its tentacles. around the ship.

The Captain shouted to his crew, "Pry those things off my ship!"

The crew tried with all their might, but to no avail. Three of the crew members did pull one tentacle off, only to be knocked down by it. The Kraken, in an angry rage, tried to pull the ship under. The ship rock left and swayed right, while all the time Kyuri tried not to loose his lunch.

"Kyuri! Give them a hand!" shouted Shiroi.

"I can barely walk on this hunk of junk, let alone fight off a monster."

"Fine! We don't need you! When Baku comes back with Guisseppie, our troubles will be over."

"Fine!"

"Who is Guisseppie?" inquired Elizabeth.

"More like what," replied Shiroi. "Guisseppie is Baku's favorite leaf."

"And what could a child and a leaf do to help us?"

"Uh..." Shiroi had forgotten that only Kyuri and he knew what baku really was.

"Well?"

Sweat rolled down Shiroi's face as he tried to come up with a reply. Finally he said, "I was... just trying to... make Kyuri mad.. and help us."

Elizabeth chuckled a little. "Let me show you how it's done." She walked over by Kyuri.

"What do you want?" inquire Kyuri.

Elizabeth slapped him.

"What was that for?"

Kyuri was slapped again.

"What did I do?!"

After a third slap, Elizabeth shouted, "My father's ship is in danger. If something isn't done everyone aboard will die."

"I wouldn't say everyone."

Another slap hit Kyuri face. It was probably the hardest slap thus far. "Get out their and help. Now.

"Yes ma'am!" Kyuri stumbled away to help the crew.

Shiori ran to where Elizabeth was. "That was amazing. You should probably come with us to keep Kyuri in line."

"Aww. It was nothing."

Baku stumbled below decks, as water began to fill the insides of the ship. He managed to get into the room he had been sharing with the others. Desperately he searched until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing the slender leaf in his hand, he ran above decks hoping he could help.

"Bring it down!" the captain shouted as two of the kraken's tentacles attempted to pull down one the mast.

Kyuri, showing an incredible sense of balance, quickly latched on to one of the tentacles and started ascending towards the mast. He began climbing the slimy appendage until he reached the midsection. Then in a flash, he bit into the tentacle and started sucking. He continued to do so more and more until at last, the tentacle seemed to wither and turn into dust.

The kraken howled in pain from beneath the ship. The crew stared in horror as a humongous mass of flesh emerged from the water. Even more horrifying was the soul-piercing eyes. The same eyes that had driven even the most sturdiest of sailors completely mad. And like when most legends occur, humans react irrationally.

Several sailors threw theirselves in the water, preferring to drown than face the wrath of the titanic beast. The captain retreived his musket and accurately fired a bullet straight in the eye of the kraken. The captain threw the now useless weapon away and grabbed the nearest solid object around.

The kraken went wild. It thrashed against the ship, killing many of the sailors. As one of the tentacles came thundering down on the ship, Shiroi quickly tackled Elizabeth down, pushing her away from the titanic appendage. At that moment, the crew stood in shock as a strange mysterious figure emerged from below decks.

He was dressed in a dark blue robe, had a japanese straw hat, and in his right hand - a scimitar shaped like a question mark. Without a word, he launched himself at the beast, slicing tentacles every which way, causing the kraken to hiss and recoil it's damaged appendages. Kyuri, who at the moment was draining the life from one tentacle, was even impressed himself.

At last, bleeding and missing several tentacles, the injured Kraken let out a final mournful groan and submerged beneath the sea. Kyrui jumped back on deck, but his clothes had been shredded and his hood lost. The mysterious warrior had vanished without a trace - a second later Baku came running up from behind a crate.

Elizabeth looked at Kyuri in shock, as did the rest of the crew. "What... is that thing...?"

Had the crew been Japanese, they would have been terrified. Since they were Hollandic... they were terrified, but on a different level. You have to remember, this was 1700. People in the new world were burn-them-at-the-steak-if-they-disagree-with-you kind of people. Certainly, Kyuri wouldn't be treated much better. Well, maybe not, but the captain had a fondness of strange animals. "Bring him to my quarters! I wish to talk with him."

The surviving crew members violently pushed Kyuri along to the captian's room. On sailor pulled a knife on Kyuri, an act for which he was drained of his blood. The other sailors might have helped them, had they not feared a similar fate. Kappas may not have been hostile creatures, but certainly they'd defend their life. Kyuri entered the cabin. It was much nicer than his own. He'd been sleeping on a cot, whereas the the captain had a nice beed with silk sheets. His floor even had carpet. The captain was looking out a porthole at the chaos the ship had been through.

"What do you want from me?" Kyuri asked in a hateful tone.

"Why, my friend, I want you!" Responded the captain in a very suave tone. "I am a collector of exotic and strange animals, much like yourself." The captain reached for a musket on the wall.

"Well, I'm afraid I need myself more."

"You don't seem to understand. I won't take no for an answer."

"Well that's to bad." Kyuri tried to run out the cabin door, but he was shot by the captian's musket. It's probably a good thing that he has that shell of his. He didn't get anything more than a scratch. Kyuri was in a bad mood, but this took the cake. The ran twoards the captain and wrestled the musket out of his hands. Since his hands are webbed, he couldn't use it. Therefore, he simply threw the musket twoard the side of the cabin. The two wrestled each other out of the cabin and off the ship. The captain drowned, but the aquatic Kyuri was pulled back to the boat where, more than likely, he would have faced beatings from the crew. That is, of course, unless the first mate acted to pardon Kyuri. And she did. Elizabeth was not only the daughter of the captain, but also the first mate, and now acting captain.

"If any of you dare harm him or his friends, then so help me, you'll be plunged into the sea," said the new acting captain."

"But Miss Elizabeth," one of the men said, drawing his knife. "He killed your father."

"I know..." Elizabeth said. She walked over to the spot where Kyuri and her father had fallen off. "Give me a moment, please."

The crew surrounded Kyuri and backed him against a wall, drawing out their weapons. Kyuri merely crumpled, not only sick from the motion of the ship, not only tired from his scuffle with the captain, but now sure that the ocean water that had gotten into his head was poisoning him. Baku moved to stop them, holding up Guisseppie, but Shiroi held him back.

"Leave him be!" Elizabeth ordered, without even turning. Hesitantly, they put their weapons away.

She turned now to Shiroi and Baku, beckoning them to her. "A word, please."

They walked over. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry," Shiroi said. "I know you held your father in high esteems."

"My father had his own flaws..." She stared into the water. "Kyuri... did you know about him?"

"We did."

She looked at them, a hint of tears in her eyes. "Why would you bring a monster like him onto this ship, then?"

"He is only vicious when provoked. And even if he did get riled, we brought some cucumbers along to try and calm him."

"Most 'monsters' aren't vicious, really," Baku said. "I hate to change the subject, but have you seen Starling-san anywhere?"

Elizabeth pointed to the sailor whose blood had been sucked out by Kyuri.

Baku blinked. "Huh. I suppose I was wrong about him."

"You didn't warn us or anything," Elizabeth said, returning to the subject. "If we had known, then..."

"You wouldn't have let him aboard?"

"We could have taken greater measures to hide him, or dealt with it then and not now. Aside from a merchant and a sailor, my father was a hunter. He likely tried to kill your friend; another trophy for his game room back home."

"And Kyuri fought back?"

"Yes. I cannot condemn him then if it was in self defense, even if my father was the victim." She pushed herself away from the rail, wiping her tears. "I give him pardon. You may take him to your room now. It might be best if he stayed there until we reach Amsterdam."

Shiroi nodded and walked over to Kyuri. Elizabeth turned to Baku. "It may be wisest if... uh, Guisseppie, stayed in your room as well."

Baku gave her an odd look. "Why, Elizabeth-san?"

"That Japanese warrior who saved us was you, was it not?"

"Umm... I don't know what you're talking about..."

Elizabeth sighed. "Don't take me for a fool, child. You were the only one below deck when the kraken striked, and he came from below deck. Then I saw him disappear behind a crate which you came out from behind moments later. Without ever coming back from below deck, might I add."

Baku glanced down. "I thought I was fast enough that no one could see where I went."

"I've heard about the tanukis. But most of the crew haven't, and they may treat you as they did Kyuri. Which is why I think Guisseppie should stay below deck..."

Baku nodded.

"And now that I know you're a tanuki, perhaps you can do me a little favor..."

"GAAAAH!" Baku tossed up his arms and followed Shiroi and Kyuri below deck.

Elizabeth watched them go, then turned to the crew. "Come on! Let's see if the ship can make the rest of the trip."

The men grunted and followed. Baku turned at the stairs and watched Elizabeth go. "I was wrong about St. John Starling. Maybe I won't be wrong about her too..."

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