('Short Change Hero' by The Heavy)
In the storm a Xinhua woman (Qiu) works the decks alone of a temple
warship. Stumbling over the dead, she works the rigging from the
broken wheel.
In tears she begins dragging the bodies to clear her path, lightning flashes sight of a dark spirit clinging to the underside of an overhang, whispering names in the wind.
Qiu turns to the decks below. Oarsmen are slung dead over oars, lightning flashes the spirit smiling and licking her lips, whispering names.
She drags the bodies and dumps them over in the storm, one by one, all too heavy. The spirit crawls rarely seen along the ceilings watching.
She drags heavy wooden crates from around the ship to the oars, attaching the tied upright in a row across both sides of the oar's deck then to the newly rigged wheel.
She pulls it and brings it down, fixes the rigging to the below deck, then opens the forward invasion gate to the storm.
...
With a deep breath she lifts the broad pole and pushes against the last of the row with a roar, knocking the oars one by one, the ship moves.
She lines them up again, lifting and dipping the oars,
She lifts the pole and pushes hard with a roar, the goes behind to the wheel pulling hard. The ship knocks through half sunken wreckage.
The spirit sits at the bow whispering names as Qiu dumps the last of the bodies. She returns below.
The ship edges out from storm and the last of the wreckage.
________________
The stranger and Shumi lie in bed ~
Shumi - "Are you gonna tell me your name ?"
The stranger smiles and kisses her nose.
Shumi - Giggles, "I'm just saying I have no idea what to scream when you do that thing."
The stranger - Giggles then a breath, she looks at her, "They never gave me one."
Shumi - Stroking her hair then smiling, "Me neither."
('Power to the People' by The Chi-Lites)
Out
to a sailing scene, decks and crews shown, post battle repairs, a
display of the various ships and their workings through the song.
A calm wind, beautiful sail ~
________________
Samurai in the street - "! Miyamoto Musashi ! You ..."
Musashi - A distance away for showdown, "Oh shut up !" He drinks from his bottle, "Sullen cow."
Samurai - "You ..."
Musashi - "It's always the same you know. You've got your ..." He gestures around, "archers on the rooftops ..." He waves around, "Hello ... hello ..."
Rooftop motion crouches low.
Musashi - "You have your warrior best ! At your side. You'll send them after the archers are dead of course. Coward."
The samurai draw back in shock and hubris, the sound of stretched bows across the wind.
Musashi - "The same every time. And now you will talk of your own elevation in my death. Knowing it would be so, yet knowing it would not be your victory. A random arrow, you believe, to kneel me before you. Anonymous. Excrement."
The lead samurai growls to speak ...
Musashi - "So I was thinking along the path, how to approach this differently. Indeed every time they just send another like the dead before and then dead again. The same the same ..."
Samurai - Grip tightening, "You will ..."
Musashi - "This once I say this. One good man step forth. Any man. Step forth and fight at my side. I care not for skill, we together will kill all opposition to the one good man who would swear to me to rule in peace and feed his people. All. This moment."
A murmur around, then silence.
Musashi - "Hm. So be it." He reaches into his robe.
Farmer - "Wait !" He walks up to stand next to Musashi. "I do not know about rule. Only food. I grow food. These dogs eat it. The people starve."
Musashi pulls off his broad hat and stares into the man's eyes, deeply analyzing ... he grabs the back of the farmer's head and puts hard their foreheads together.
Musashi - Whispering, energy crackling between them, "Do you swear it to me, Miyamoto Musashi, upon your sworn life that when I return, your people are fed, this land in peace, with guard ready to defend it ? Prepared as the seed in your fields ? Baked like your bread ? Will you do that which is required ?"
Farmer - "I will do this."
Musashi - With a roar, "! Swear it ! Swear it to Musashi."
Farmer - "I swear it upon your most jagged blade, let it touch my heart if I fail."
Musashi - Whispering, "Good. Then let us kill these men and be done with it."
He throws the man into the crowd and flings the ribbon blade through a rooftop archer's eye. The others turn to see as he's pulled violently from the roof, all losing temporary sight line on Musashi as he spring forth replacing his hat, charging the street samurai.
The farmer disappears into the watching crowd as field tools are passed around between, disappearing behind the nearby buildings.
The samurai roar to charge.