Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue

spotted Sanshi just as she came out of the spirea tunnel.
    At the end of the tunnel, there was a small, circular open area covered with soft green grass, and  spireas had grown all over the surface of the crags around the vicinity. One bush was situated right on top of  the tunnel with its long and thin white branches hanging down, as if it were a curtain of beads covering the  entrance to the tunnel.
    When Youka pulled aside the flower curtain, she saw Sanshi leap down from the top of the rocks.
    Youka put down the bucket of water from Kaidou Spring that she had just filled.
    Nyokai were able to traverse freely upon the crags, unlike people or horses. Thus, it was not unusual to  see Sanshi jump down from above, but it had already been a long time since Sanshi had made an appearance.
    "Sanshi, you're back."
    The nyokai had passed through this maze and went to the east to look for the Taika. Whenever she  traveled to a distant place, she would not ordinarily come back within the space of a month.
    The nyosen at Houro Palace all knew the reason for her trips. She always searched until she was  completely exhausted and came back with a weary look on her face.
    "I just came back from getting some water. You should rest here for a little bit."
    When Sanshi heard Youka say this, she obediently bent her four leopard legs and crouched under the  spirea flowers with her snow-white body.
    "But you were gone so long this time. Did you go to the edge of the Yellow Sea to search?"
    If she could have, the nyokai would've liked to cross the Kongou Mountains at the edge of the Yellow  Sea, to look even farther east. There was no living creature that could go over the Kongou Mountains. No  one knew the reason, but this was a rule from very ancient times.
    "Here, drink a little."
    Youka pushed the wooden bucket to Sanshi's lips, and Sanshi drank water from the bucket.
    She watched as Sanshi took a few gulps and then lifted her head. Youka took out an embroidered  handkerchief from her sleeve and moistened it. She then gently wrung it dry and used it to cover Sanshi's  foot. She had been supporting Sanshi with her hand, so she knew that Sanshi's feet were radiating heat.
    "Ah, your feet are so swollen."
    She wrapped Sanshi's claws with the cloth. Sanshi closed her eyes in relief, and leaned her head gently  against the bunch of spirea flowers, her weight causing the flowers to drift down in succession.
    A long time ago, all the spireas here had been pulled out with their roots, not one remaining.
    --That was ten years ago.
    "Comfortable? From now on, don't go so far."
    Sanshi didn't reply, but Youka didn't mind, because Sanshi had always been like this.
    The powerful shoku that had previously descended upon Houro Palace didn't alter the shape of the land  on the Five Mountains, but the places and landscapes outside of the Five Mountains underwent a great  change. The fruit of the white tree was thusly swept away to an unknown place.
    At that time, the nyokai had wept profusely, but afterwards, no one ever heard a sound from her.
    Youka used the handkerchief she had moistened and carefully applied it to Sanshi's legs.
    "Does it still hurt? You should go to the river and soak them in the cold water."
    She poured out the water that was now warm. Sanshi wordlessly stood up and walked aside.
    However, Sanshi wasn't headed toward the river. She wanted to return to the Shashinboku. Youka  knew this much, but she didn't stop her.
    This was because Youka could understand Sanshi's feelings.
    At first, Teiei had told her that after the fruit of the kirin hatched, Youka would be able to help take  care of him.
    When she was a part of the human world, she knew that the ordinary person didn't have the chance to  see a kirin. When she had finally become a nyosen, taking care of Taiki was originally going to be her first  meaningful job and also her first opportunity to come close to a kirin.
    She would never have thought that the fruit would disappear like that. Youka, who had originally filled  her heart with anticipation, had been disappointed by the loss. And because Sanshi lost the one she was to  nurture, the breasts on her upper human half had shrunk to the size of a girl's, leaving only small bulges. In  addition, the feet on her lower leopard half were now extremely red and swollen due to all the long-distance  running she had been doing. Similar to Sanshi, Youka held in her heart the pain of emptiness.
    The fruit had