The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

for Risai's benefit.
    "Next time, I'll take a more careful approach. Like going up to people and asking them about weird stuff that might have happened six years ago. It'll take time, though."
    "Yes."
    "During that time, it'd be nice if somebody ran into him in China. In any case, we can't keep imposing on Hanrin and Renrin forever. Not to mention Keiki. Kei still needs a lot of work. Sooner or later we're going to have to resign ourselves to the reality of the situation, and the search will no doubt end up on the back burner. When that time comes, I want you to understand."
    "No, not at all. I know these things can't be helped," Risai said, struggling to keep from betraying too much emotion.
    You can't keep asking for more, she told herself. Though having been deprived of an arm, she was regaining her health. She knew that something calamitous had happened to Gyousou on Kan'you Mountain at the outskirts of Rin'u. Regardless of how the search for Taiki turned out, she could return to Tai and resume her search for Gyousou. Her journey to Kei had not been in vain. Her link to Gyousou still existed.
    "Even in that case, we're not talking about casting Tai aside. We have promised to do what we can for the refugees from Tai and those who still remain in Tai."
    "Thank you," Risai murmured, almost despite herself.
    At that moment, a light flashed across the dark room. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw faintly glowing doorway deeper back in Ransetsu Hall. She got to her feet. The doorway led to a short corridor. Down the hall and around one corner she came to a small building called the Kokinsai.
    The light was shining from the center of the Kokinsai. It looked like the light of the Moon shining through a window. But there weren't any windows in the Kokinsai. And there was a new moon this night. A round patch of white light glowed upon the floor, but there was no other light source. That was to be expected as well. For the light was coming not from above, but below the floor.
    "The Gogoukanda," said Risai, stepping into the room.
    The ring of light slowly widened until a human figured slipped out. One person at first, then followed by a second. At the same time the two of them emerged, the light faded as if retreating into the distance and winked out.
    "Ah, Risai," Hanrin said. She raised her voice and said, bolting down corridor and into the library. "Rokuta! Something strange is afoot!"
    "Strange?" Rokuta was leaning back wearily in his chair. He quickly righted himself.
    Hanrin nodded. "The shirei are saying they won't venture any further. They're quaking in their boots."
    "What?"
    "They're saying there's no way they're getting any closer than they are now!"
    "I don't understand a thing you're saying. Renrin, what's going on?"
    "What she said." Ranrin came into the hall with the same concerned look on her face. "It doesn't make any sense to me either. The shirei are spooked. Something wicked this way comes. That's what they all keep saying."
    "Wicked?"
    "Yes. Hanrin wanted to go back to Taiki's home town for another look around. But the shirei said that a Big Bad was lurking about, and they weren't going one step further."
    "What do they mean by that? Weren't you there previously?"
    "That's correct. According to the shirei, it was there before, but only in whispers. Juuko? Could you please explain?"
    "Yes," a voice answered dryly.
    From behind Renrin's skirts, a small, tailless dog appeared. The beast narrowed its one blue eye. Along with the hair hanging down like an old man's eyebrows, it created a perplexed-looking expression.
    "Like I said, there's something wicked going on over there."
    "Like what?"
    "I wouldn't know. Except I'm not getting up close and friendly with it."
    Illustration
    "That's not helpful. You said it was there before?"
    "Yes." Juuko seemed to shrink away from the thought. "That's the way I remember it. Before, I caught a fleeting glimpse, so fleeting that it barely registered. I put it out of my mind. But the other night there was nothing fleeting about it. The whisper had turned into a whirlwind. Something unholy. I'm sorry, but I'm not getting anywhere near it. Taiho or no Taiho."
    "What does 'unholy' mean? Is that the kind of vibe it's giving off?"
    "No, that's not it. Something calamitous. Something impure. Something dangerous. Though this creature would seem to come in a small package, it is anything but diminutive. We are keeping our distance from it."
    "Diminutive?" Rokuta hazarded