Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue

been swept away ten years ago. All the nyosen had said that Taiki would never return and  that, in a short while, the Shashinboku would bear a new fruit. This would mean that the kirin who had  disappeared had already died in an unknown place.
    Though it had been like this, they still refused to give up hope. Since then, Sanshi still went back and  forth through the east to search, and in her heart, Youka constantly thought of Taiki. Youka would pray for  Sanshi, prepare a few necessities for her, and in her spare time, learn how to take care of a kirin. She could  not help but want to do these things, and thus could empathize with Sanshi's pain. And Sanshi was the same.
    Of all the nyosen, she was closest to Youka.
    After she watched Sanshi's tired frame leave, she picked up the water bucket.
    When she turned her body, preparing to get more water, a nyosen moved the spirea flower curtain and  came out of the tunnel.
    "Isn't Sanshi here?"
    Youka turned her head to look at the path that Sanshi had taken, but she could not see her outline  anymore.
    "She went to the Shashinboku."
    "Can you quickly go get her?"
    "But I have to go get water..."
    "This is an order from Genkun."
    Youka opened her eyes widely.
    "I think we've found out where Taiki is."
    Youka rushed to get Sanshi, and then the two of them ran to Hakki Palace to see Gyokuyou.
    All the buildings in Houro Palace are either palaces or temples. Because the crags are able to block the  wind and the weather on Mt. Hou is inherently good, neither cold nor hot, the buildings only need to have  roofs as shelter from the rain.
    Youka walked on the small paths, ran up five sections of white stone stairs, and hurried onto the white  stone floor of the palace. At the same time, Teiei was also running in.
    "I've brought Sanshi here."
    Youka kneeled upon the octagonal floor. Gyokuyou nodded her head from the chair in which she was  sitting.
    Teiei lifted her head.
    "Have they found the Taika like I've heard?"
    "The Kirin of En helped us find it."
    "Then it must be right!"
    This was almost a miracle. All the nyosen on Mt. Hou had already lost all hope. In Mt. Hou's history,  there had never been a kirin that was found after being lost for ten years. Kirin have drifted to Hourai before,  but they were all found and returned within five years. The length of ten years was really so long that Teiei  was shocked.
    Gyokuyou smiled.
    "It should be right... Since the kirin drifted to Hourai, it has turned into a taika, but a kirin can still  sense another kirin's spirit. Thus, I asked the kirin of various kingdoms if they could cross the Empty Sea to  look for Taiki. We finally received some news today."
    After the fruit was taken away by the shoku, in another kingdom, it was deposited in the womb of a  woman and turned into a taika.
    "Was he discovered by En Taiho?"
    Gyokuyou used her glazed fan to cover her lips as she laughed.
    "It seems as if En Taiho often crosses the Empty Sea to go to Hourai. I have always thought that if  anyone could find the Taika, it would be him. I didn't think that I would have guessed right."
    Actually, kirin often run all over the place and it's not particularly special, but right now, no one  concerned themselves with that.
    "We heard that he had discovered a kirin in Hourai. Currently, the only kirin whose whereabouts are  unknown is Taiki, so it should be him."
    "Yes..."
    With this talk, it seemed as if the kirin would really return!
    "Then I should assemble the nyosen immediately..."
    Gyokuyou interrupted Teiei mid-sentence.
    "There's no need."
    "But..."
    Gyokuyou turned to look at a blankly-staring Sanshi, who was standing behind Teiei and Youka. She  set her fan on the table and then reached out with both hands.
    "Sanshi, come here."
    Sanshi slowly strode toward Gyokuyou.
    "I told you that we would find Taiki and bring him back. I didn't trick you, did I?"
    Gyokuyou took Sanshi's hand.
    "Please forgive us for making you wait so long."
    She patted Sanshi's hand.
    "There's a gate where the roots of the Shashinboku are. You should go. And this time, use your hands  to pull Taiki back to us."
    Sanshi's round eyes filled with tears, but she didn't cry. She turned and flew out the door.
    Gyokuyou squinted to see Sanshi's figure getting farther and farther away. She waited until Sanshi  turned onto a small path and was not visible anymore. She turned to Teiei and laughed cheerfully.
    "At last, a season of celebration has come to