Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue

remove the chain on his wrists.
    She gently rubbed the skin where the chain had bound Taiki's wrists, and then she stroked his cheek  and brushed his hair. Then she spoke to Taiki, who was near tears again.
    "This makes me so angry. You must have been so scared! I am going to take you back to the palace  now."
    "But Sanshi..." He looked at Sanshi, who was standing quietly to one side. The nyosen shook her head.
    "Not yet. Don't worry about her right now."
    Though he still wasn't clear on what had happened, he did know that Sanshi was injured for the sake of  protecting him.
    He wanted to know if her wounds were serious and to thank her and treat her wounds, but just looking  at her with blood all over her body, made his heart feel like it was being squeezed. Since Sanshi's body gave  off a strong smell of blood, no matter what, he would not be able to be close to her.
    He carried a mood that was hard to get over as he let the nyosen pick him up. His whole body ached,  and as a result, he really wanted to cry before the nyosen had even walked one step.
    - - - - -
    After they entered the big gate, he saw Youka.
    All the nyosen who ran over to him saw Taiki's appearance and cried out. The nyosen who was  carrying him explained what had happened to them, and after they heard, they rushed outside.
    "Really...this is too much!" said Youka, as she stared angrily out the gate. Then she anxiously reached  her hands to Taiki.
    "This is really unfortunate. You must have been so scared. Are you all right?"
    "Sanshi..."
    Youka nodded her head in understanding.
    "Sanshi's fine. Although a nyokai's wounds might look very serious, they will heal very quickly. But  did you get hurt?"
    "I don't know."
    "At any rate, we should return to the palace first. Sanshi will clean her body before she comes back, so  you don't need to worry."
    Taiki finally nodded his head.
    "You don't need to be so sad. There was nothing you could do. Kirin have always been creatures that  feared blood. Even to the point that some kirin will get sick when they just smell blood!"
    "Really...? The other kirin are like this too?"
    "Yes, so you don't need to feel so ashamed. After Sanshi comes back, I'll help treat her wounds."
    "Okay..."
    Taiki reached his hand out to Youka, and Youka picked him up.
    Afterwards, all the nyosen who had come rushing argued about who would carry him back, all along  the road to Rosen Palace.
    After they got back to his bedroom at Rosen Palace, Youka brought a big basin of medicinal water and  let Taiki soak in it.
    She carefully checked Taiki's body for injuries and then delicately washed his body as she listened to  him tell her about what had happened to him. She listened and silently cursed the foolish man several times.
    "Do you know what was actually going on?" Taiki still didn't quite understand the cause of the  occurrence.
    Youka smiled at the puzzled and anxious Taiki. "It was because I was too careless, thinking that  since the spring equinox had passed, everything would be fine... Please forgive me for my mistake."
    "You didn't make a mistake."
    "No, I should have been more clear with you. Luckily, you didn't get any serious injuries. When you  fell off the crag, I'm certain it was Sanshi that caught you. After she comes back, you need to properly show  her your appreciation."
    "Yes..."
    "Also, please promise me that you will never, even if Sanshi is with you, cross the big gate of Houro  Palace without a nyosen accompanying you. No, please promise me not even to get near to the big gate."
    "I won't go out there."
    Hearing Taiki say this, Youka nodded her head. And then after Taiki got out of the bath, she wrapped  him up with the towel in her hand.
    Youka carried Taiki to his bed and lightly wiped his body clean.
    "...The kirin will choose a ruler."
    "How is the ruler chosen? Shouldn't the child of the king succeed him?"
    "No, the kirin chooses him."
    "I don't understand..."
    "Actually, I'm not too clear on it either. After all, I'm not a kirin. But it's probably like this: the ruler is  decided by Tentei, who holds the highest status in the Heavens. After he compares the natures of many  people, he chooses the person who most fit to be the ruler."
    "Oh..."
    "And then Tentei will inform the kirin of his choice... Oh, he doesn't just use his mouth to tell the kirin!  It's just that when the kirin meets the person who should become the ruler, he will know naturally that it is  him, because the kirin