Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Chapter 7

Everyone has ridden their youju here."
    "Oh..."

    Some of the beasts looked like tigers, and others looked like lions, while still others looked like  horses and cows.
    "Can youju be subdued too?"
    "Youju are caught, and after they're tamed, they go through training. Come, and watch your step.
    After we go inside, please remember to bow towards the alter once."
    Taiki stopped looking around, turning his eyes forward, and realized that Hoto Palace was right in  front of him.
    Hoto Palace was not quite like the structures inside Houro Palace, as all four sides had walls, and as  soon as he was out of the view of all those people, Taiki was really able to heave a sigh of relief.
    The interior of Hoto Palace was both high and spacious, and an altar faced the entrance; it felt a lot  like the central hall of a temple.
    Taiki did as Teiei said, and after he bowed towards the altar, he walked to the wall and made an  incense offering. Then he was taken onto a platform adjacent to the wall on the right side of the room. If this  were a Japanese-style room, we could say that the platform was about eight tatami mats wide. It was backed  by the wall of the palace, while bamboo blinds hung down on the other three sides. The blinds facing the  front had already been pulled up, and inside there was a chair. When sitting on the chair, one could see  everything between the entrance to Hoto Palace and the altar.
    Taiki sat peacefully in the seat and quietly watched as the nyosen busily offered incense. Suddenly  feeling eager eyes gazing upon him, he looked over and realized that many people had gathered at the  entrance to Hoto Palace. After the nyosen finished offering incense, a large portion of them came to the  platform in succession. When they had all assembled themselves on the platform, the blinds were then  lowered. Taiki heaved a sigh.
    "You should feel much more relaxed now," said Teiei as she smiled.
    "I get really nervous when so many people are staring at me."
    "You'll get used to it in no time."
    "Can I call Sanshi to come here?"
    "Yes, as long as the blinds are down."
    After Teiei said this, Taiki called upon Sanshi, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared next to his  feet. He laid on her leopard portion as she wrapped her arms around him, making him feel much more at  ease. Sanshi comforted Taiki by hugging his head, and Taiki felt that her hands were so warm.
    "You look so nervous. But actually, you don't need to be so tense," said Teiei with a smile.
    "My mind knows this, but my body isn't listening to its commands... What do I do now?"
    "Those who've climbed the mountain will come and offer incense. Before we return, all that is  required of you is watch them one by one as they do so. If you become bored with this, you may go outside  and chat with the people outside."
    When Teiei had finished speaking, there was already a person inside of the palace offering incense.
    The movements of this first person to come in were abnormally stiff, and he walked like that up to the altar.
    "Taiki, do you feel any ouki?" inquired Teiei next to Taiki's ear. Taiki shook his head, signifying that  he didn't know. Teiei understood what meaning Taiki was expressing.
    "No matter. If you do feel the ouki, then you can call us to you and whisper it to us."

    "Okay..."
    The person for whom offering incense was not easy, walked in front of the platform, and after taking  a bow, he kneeled down. This man was old enough to be someone's father, and his build was big and fat, like  that of a sumo wrestler. Taiki struggled to listen to what the nyosen and the man were talking about by the  platform. However, the revelation--up to now, Taiki still wasn't clear on how it would manifest itself--did  not seem to come with this man.
    Seeing Teiei's expression of inquiry, Taiki shook his head. Nothing strange happened that could have  been the revelation. Taiki quietly watched people entering one after another to offer incense, and after two  days, he began to feel bored.
    On the fourth day, he finally decided that he wanted to walk around outside.
    The offering of incense occurs for only a few hours in the morning. Taiki sat on the platform and  watched those offering incense. At first, he had thought that these people who weren't nyosen were very  refreshing. Since everyone's appearance and clothes each had their own special traits, it was interesting to  see everybody's differences. However, very quickly, he began