The Wings of Dreams

out from its base, as far as the eye could see, was a broad expanse of green. The Yellow Sea.
    Aside from the Kongou Mountains looming to their left and right, there was nothing particularly unique about the view.
    “The Yellow Sea looks awfully normal to me,” said Shushou.
    Overhearing her, Gankyuu said himself, “You don’t say.” He knew the Yellow Sea like the back of his hand. A corpse hunter who didn’t would soon become a dead corpse hunter.
    Small bands separated from the throngs in the plaza twos and threes. These were the corpse hunters, committed to hunting the Yellow Sea until the next Day of Ankou. About to follow them, stopping and casting bewildered glances at the prevaricating crowd behind them, were those setting off on the Shouzan. The entire group came to at least five hundred.
    Many of those going on the Shouzan were accompanied by a group leader. It was not unusual to see travelers surrounded by a dozen bodyguards. Most carried weapons and not a few had horse-drawn wagons heavily laden with supplies. Of these, perhaps only eighty were actually going on the Shouzan.
    Confirming this, Gankyuu breathed a sigh of relief. Twenty years ago, the kirin had stepped forward to select the next emperor or empress, and so the Shouzan had commenced. It was hardly surprising that the number of people making the attempt would have dwindled over those two decades.
    Kyou’s Day of Ankou notwithstanding, this could be called a good gathering. Relying on their good graces should significantly lessen the hardships of the journey.
    In any case, these weren’t the kind to whine that since saving their own skins was all that mattered, their escorts were there for their own good, and all the supplies were theirs. Even if they thought it, it wouldn’t be in their natures to say it. After this, the heavens would test those dispositions.
    Their bodyguards and their generous supplies would soon become necessary. There was a limit to how much a single haku could carry and the road was long. However they economized, they couldn’t bring enough along to cover the entire distance. If any unforeseen incidents arose and they ran low, he’d have to light a fire under the haku’s splendid walking skills and cover the remaining ground by air.
    Youma, however, targeted fliers above all, making flying significantly more dangerous than proceeding along the ground.
    “All right, then. We’d better get going,” Gankyuu said when Rikou caught up with them. He took a look at Rikou’s kijuu and his jaw dropped. “That’s a suugu.”
    Rikou smiled. “Ah, so you have a fondness for kijuu too.”

    Shushou tugged at Rikou’s sleeve. “Gankyuu is a corpse hunter.”
    “How about that!” Rikou said, sounding both surprised and impressed.
    Gankyuu knelt down in front of the suugu. “This guy is really something. Do you catch him yourself?”
    “Nothing of the sort. It was given to me.”
    “ Given to you?” said the even more amazed Gankyuu. He glanced up at Rikou, who had imparted this information with hardly a second thought. If Gankyuu could capture a suugu and sell it, he’d never have to venture into the Yellow Sea again. “What I’d give to have such generous friends like that.”
    “I see you have a haku. You catch it yourself, Gankyuu-san?”
    “Gankyuu is fine, without the san. The chap who can capture and bring a suugu to heel deserves a san, not a guy like me.”
    Shaking his head in disbelief, Gankyuu inspected the suugu. Even Gankyuu had rarely seen a suugu up close. He’d almost captured one once. But it was too fast and too strong and too smart to fall for the trap he’d laid. The very annoyed animal proceeded to maul three of his companions and ran off. He was only grateful afterwards that nobody got killed.
    Suugu came in mostly-white and mostly-black . This one was more of the former, and with black stripes on a white coat, the more common. Either variety had the same swirl of color in their eyes and the same long tail.
    The suugu looking back at Gankyuu showed neither an aroused mood nor irritation. Maybe a detached sense of superiority. The ferocity he had once witnessed was nowhere to be found. That such a beast could be so tamed was itself extraordinary.
    Thoroughly fascinated, Gankyuu rose to his feet. Shushou said to him lightly, “I’m going to ride with Rikou. He says that Seisai won’t mind.”
    “Yes, yes. A suugu’s probably better than a haku, Miss. However—”
    Shushou cocked