Gekokujō - A Warring States Tale

Ch.2 - Lord Sarutobi's Customs

March 18th, 1585

Niigata, Sarutobi Clan Territory

A crowd of Japanese fishermen and workers rushed about in the harbour, some pausing briefly to gawk at the Justinia in the distance or even at the odd looking foreigner (her) in their midst. Makoto, despite adopting a Japanese name, still felt bizarrely out of place amongst these people. She hurried to keep up with her father's baggage train, following it as it snaked its way through the massive harbour towards the customs office. She knew that the Lord Sarutobi himself was in attendance, and that made her feel even more small.

Glancing every now and then in the windows of the various buildings that lined the streets, Makoto briefly observed some younger women in a room playing some sort of lute. One stood apart from the rest, her hair a glossy black and her skin an almost deathly white. She was playing the lute for her other companions, who dressed in plainer clothes. The raven-haired woman was wearing a blue furisode, decorated with bright pink blossoms. She must have caught Makoto gawking through the window, and returned an equally shocked look. 

Makoto sharply darted away from the window, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. She hadn't intended to stare, but it all looked so foreign to her she couldn't help it. Already fascinated with Niigata, she picked up her pace to keep up with her father's team. 

A few minutes later, the team of Europeans arrived at the door of Lord Sarutobi's customs house. Several men barred the entryway, armed to the teeth with blades sharper than anything Makoto had ever seen. Upon seeing the distinctively dressed team of merchants, they gently stood aside and let them in. Makoto, a little ways behind, hurried into the expansive building after them. 

The first thing Makoto noticed were the floors. While in small areas wood planking could be seen, nearly everything was covered in woven floor mats. These were nothing like the soft carpets and rugs like back at home, but rather spartan looking instead. A young man with light brown hair beckoned her towards him.

"Mind taking those boots off? You can put them here," the man spoke in quick Japanese as he gestured towards a wooden plank where several pairs of shoes were placed- she noticed one pair was her father's. 

Makoto stuttered, "Oh, of course! I'm sorry I didn't see them." Her Japanese was shaky at best, and she blushed as she quickly shed her boots. 

"No worries, I know you're one of the voyagers my father is seeing. You're not an official, right?"

"I'm not, I'm Williams' daughter. He's the merchant organising negotiations with Lord Sarutobi- is he your lord?" 

The young man chuckled as he guided Makoto towards what she assumed was the main hall. "Yes, he's my father in fact. Although it's my brother Sasuke who's with him for the formalities. I'm Hiruzen. You?"

"I'm Asahara Makoto, or Margaret Williams. I hope my Japanese isn't too rusty."

"Sure, you could use some help. I see you've taken a Japanese name, I guess that makes things easier for us. Your foreign names sound bizarre." Hiruzen responded with amusement, and quickly glanced into the main hall. "There they are, my family and your company. Try not to attract too much attention, it looks like they're busy." 

Quietly walking across the matted floors, Makoto felt like hiding behind one of the screens that divided the hall. Many officials, clad in finery, kneeled around a larger man. This man must have been Hiruzen's father, the Lord Sarutobi himself, as he was dressed in a rather crisp looking mon-tsuki. He briefly looked up, and his aged brown eyes caught the gaze of Makoto, acknowledging her only for a moment before returning to speak with her father and an interpreter. Arthur Williams spoke decent Japanese, but even he looked intimidated by the presence of the Sarutobi family. 

Adjusting herself at the end of the room, Makoto observed several company men showing various European goods - wool, wooden crafts, papers- and one even hauled over a large wardrobe, ornately carved. Lord Yasuke was clearly impressed, as he intently observed the range of objects her father arrayed before him. His gaze drifted to the arquebus. The collection of heavy muskets were spread across on a vermillion carpet, their refined barrels glittering in the afternoon sunlight. 

"These are your weapons I assume?" Sarutobi asked through the interpreter.

"Indeed, your Lordship. These heavy muskets, or arquebuses, were crafted by finest gunsmiths in England. They use musketballs as ammunition.." Arthur waved his hands over the bag of cartridges that lay adjacent to the guns, "and occasionally we prop them up on stands to improve accuracy."

"These 'guns'... do they pierce armour?"

"Precisely. While some men wear plate armour on their chest, most men can use these weapons now. They are most deadly compared to swords, and I understand they would give you a leverage over your enemies." 

The lord's expression noticeably darkened. "They seem useful, but vile. What honour is there in simply shooting a man dead?"

Arthur Williams was about to respond when several armed guards burst into the room, and the other Sarutobi officials immediately drew swords. 

"My Lord! The enemy has been sighted at the gates- I think they're targeting the customs house!" The guard shouted, and ran to defend the family. 

Lord Yasuke practically jumped to his feet, and commanded, " Prepare for an assault! Arm all the men you can and we can repel them!"

"No! It's too late- they've already breached-" The guard's plea was cut short by a deafening explosion, and the wall of the house practically imploded. The walls caved in as both samurai and European scrambled for cover, and Makoto jumped to her feet to flee. Across the room, as the support beams of the house barely held up, she could see her father trying to pull a figure- Lord Sarutobi- from the rubble. Within a matter of seconds, another massive boulder hit the roof of the house, effectively crushing all inside the main hall. 

For a brief moment, she could see her father call out in despair, only to disappear under a mountain of rubble and wood. Men around her screamed as they fled the building, and Makoto sprinted out the back exit towards the courtyard, her heart racing. She had just witnessed her father get crushed by a massive boulder along with the lord. And she had stood there, utterly frozen. Boulders, falling from the sky. She could barely see, let alone think. 

Her head spun, as she stumbled through the courtyard towards the trees. A few men around her dragged themselves from the wreckage, another few ran to repel the invaders. Through the dust, she could see spouts of fire arcing over the walls of the city. Men howled and shrieked, swords raised, and ungodly sounds of men being cut down rang in her ears. All of a sudden, another boulder came into view, soaring through the air right towards the ruins of the manor. Head throbbing, Makoto dove for cover and screamed in absolute fear. What hellish land was this place? A few moments later, she pulled herself up in a daze and the world became blurry around her. 

She coughed a couple of times from the dust, and pushed herself towards the trees. Maybe she'd be safe there, maybe she'd be cut apart like the rest of the men, and drown in a pool of her own blood. I need to take this risk.  It's my only chance, Makoto thought as she stumbled through the forest, the sounds of warfare echoing behind her. Father, Captain van Roos, Lord Sarutobi, his son Sasuke, and Hiruzen. As far as she knew, they were all dead. A sob made its way out, and she felt tears sting her eyes. In that moment she had felt utterly hopeless. The day had barely begun, and already Makoto thought it was her end.