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

various palaces and look around. He remembered that when he had previously seen the gate open, there  was a green cliff wall behind it. Now, in place of the wall, there appeared a set of steps.
    The steps looked as if they were made out of crystal, and a light passed through from beneath them,  brightening up its surroundings. On top of the unusual steps, a white bird that resembled a crow waited for  Gyousou and Taiki's arrival.
    The nyosen were prostrated and spread out in a row. Gyokuyou bowed deeply towards Gyousou and  Taiki as they proceeded to the gate.
    "Long live the King and the Taiho."
    Gyousou and Taiki returned the bow.
    At the white bird's urging, Gyousou took one step up and immediately his back became rigid. In that  moment, Taiki was so frightened that the blood left his face, thinking that Gyousou had actually received a  punishment. He held his breath and watched for something else to happen. He discovered that nothing  unusual occurred. Gyousou continued up the stairs.
    It wasn't until Taiki took the first step that he understood why Gyousou's body had suddenly stiffened  up.

    --It felt like an electrical current passing through.
    A stream coursed from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head, and deeply imprinted itself in  Taiki's mind:
    "It has been said that in the Beginning, there were Nine States and Four Barbarians.
    "The Common People did not know of Order. The Son of Heaven knew of Order, but ridiculed it and  did not honor it. He spurned the Will of Heaven and Earth, neglected the Way of Benevolence, and  exceedingly disregarded Law and Discipline. Every time Smoke took to the Wind, the Ravages of War  spread for Thousands of Miles and the Four Corners of the World were covered in Ash. Men and Horses  were lost and the Flow of Blood carved out Rivers.
    "At this, Tentei felt Sorrow, as He could not find the Way to a Solution and lead them to Order. The  People indulged in Obscene Voices and enjoyed themselves selfishly.
    "Tentei lamented and sent down a Resolution: I will now completely destroy the Nine States and  Four Barbarians, and return to the Past of the Creator. After the Creation of the World, there will be Order.
    After the Beginning of Things, there will be Law and Discipline."
    It was as if someone was guiding him, and he took another step up.
    "Tentei created Thirteen Kingdoms. The Kingdom in the Center was the Yellow Sea and Mt. Hou,  and He asked Oubo to protect this Place.
    "The Remaining Twelve Kingdoms, He distributed to Rulers, and to each, He bestowed Branches  which were the Foundations of Kingdoms.
    "Upon the Branch, there was a Snake that held up the Sky.
    "Upon the Branch, there were Three Fruit. One Fruit fell and formed the Throne. One Fruit fell and  formed the Land. One Fruit fell and formed the People.
    "The Branch then transformed into a Jade Brush. This was the Creation."
    There was no time to consider the meaning of these things.
    "There is One Fundamental Principle. The World must be governed with the Way of Benevolence.
    "The People must not be oppressed, War must not be waged, the Taxes must not be severe, nor must  the Laws. The People must not be sacrificed, the People must not be enslaved, the Public Land must not be  appropriated. The Violation of these is Inexcusable. Follow the Way, and Respect the Virtue. The Peace and  Health of the People are the Fortunes of a Kingdom."
    With every step he took, more information was written.
    "This is no more than: The Duty of the Son of Heaven. The Duty of the Prime Minister. The  Formation of the World, the Formation of the Kingdoms, the Formation of the System. What the Way of  Benevolence is, what the Rituals are. What must be done, what must not be done. What must be established,  what must not be established."
    He walked up the stairs as if he were attached to them, and when he came back to his senses, Taiki  appeared under the light of the sun. He immediately heard the sound of the red gate closing behind them.
    The two were already standing at the top of the steps. The eyes of the white bird that was watching them  sparkled in the sunlight.
    Just as the closing of the door made that faint sound, Taiki recovered his ability to hear.
    At first, the sound of waves came to his ear. He hastily looked around him, and what unfolded in  front of his eyes, as soon as he looked, was an endless ocean.

    "A sea of clouds..." It wasn't until now that Taiki understood. The sea of