Read Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Chapter 7 for Free Online Page A

again, and he looked like he was still irritated  with what Teiei had said before.
    Taiki had originally been cheerfully riding on the tenba, but that feeling rapidly disappeared.
    He felt as if it had all been his fault.
    - - - - -
    Hien and Keito entered into a deep part of the Yellow Sea, gracefully passing through the rocky  crags, and arrived at a place south of the Five Mountains--the base of Mt. Kou.
    Gyousou, who had been riding in front, stopped Keito upon a hill that was connected to a savage- looking rock which was protruding upward, and came down off the saddle. At this time, the moon could still  be seen in the sky.
    "Sir Gyousou, is this the place?" asked Risai, after she had stopped Hien. Gyousou nodded gravely.
    Risai lifted Taiki down off the saddle. He looked at the ambitious Gyousou from the side.
    "Uh... Sir Gyousou..."
    "Yes?" Gyousou's tone was impatient. He unloaded the packs that had been tied to the saddle, not  bothering to look back at Taiki.
    With Gyousou's back towards him, Taiki lowered his head. "Just then...the nyosen were a little  disrespectful."
    Gyousou stopped what he was doing and sighed. His air of determination subsided as well.
    "...You do not need to apologize to me."
    "No... Actually...I am very sorry, Sir Gyousou, and Madam Risai too."
    Risai had found a suitable place in a corner surrounded by crags to prepare a fire. When she heard  Taiki say this, she couldn't help but laugh a little.
    "You need not think about it. I know that it's very normal for the nyosen to worry."
    "No!" Taiki looked at the two of them.
    "I...am an ailing kirin."
    The two looked at Taiki, making him feel embarrassed, so his face turned red.

    "That's just a metaphor..." Taiki tried his best to find a suitable way to describe it. "Teiei wasn't  doubting the abilities of Madam Risai and Sir Gyousou. It's because I can't quite take care of myself, so that's  why she was so anxious."
    Risai smiled warmly. "Kou, in this world, you are someone whom no one can replace. You shouldn't  sell yourself short."
    Taiki shook his head. "No! The nyosen worry so much because I can't do any of the things a kirin is  supposed to be able to do! That's what I think it probably is... I...don't even have any shirei."
    Gyousou and Risai both opened their eyes widely, and then exchanged glances with each other.
    Since kirin cannot stand blood, they have no way of holding a weapon and fighting with others, even  if their opponent is a youma or a youju.
    Thus, the ones that are able to help protect the kirin are his shirei. It is common knowledge that a  kirin possesses a countless number of shirei. If a kirin does not have any shirei, that means that he has no  way of protecting himself.
    "And it's not just that. I cannot transform either."
    After hearing this, Gyousou and Risai were even more shocked.
    "I should have a lot of shirei and depend on those shirei to protect myself, but I don't have even one.
    If we have to run away, I should be able to run away by changing into kirin form, but I don't know how to  transform."
    Telling other people about how useless he was made him feel ashamed. Taiki couldn't help but shrink  down his body a little bit.
    "That's why the nyosen are so extremely worried about me. They've thought up all sorts of methods  to try to cure me, and even specifically asked the Taiho of Kei Kingdom to come help me.."
    When he thought about how worthless he was, and how that made everyone around him worry about  him and concentrate their care upon him, Taiki had no choice but to feel sad.
    Gyousou gently patted Taiki's head with his big hand.
    Taiki looked up and saw only a warm expression gazing in his direction. Though it was still the  Gyousou who sometimes frightened people, he occasionally had a kinder side to him.
    "We were not planning on using any shirei, so please don't worry."
    "At least...I still have a nyokai."
    Gyousou smiled. "That is reassuring."
    Gyousou's hand, which was bigger by