Running out of time, which way had Kai gone? I couldn't scent her. The forest was making me dizzy. They hadn't been joking, even as a Goddess I couldn't walk safely in these woods. I bared my fangs and shot off to the left path, racing down it as hard as I could. I swung my tail, drawing a line which deflected a cursed fruit from my form. Dead end, my brain could barely wrap around that.
"Hey c'mon furball, you're going the wrong way, we'll end up stuck here for forever if you don't figure this out!" That was Issun, the annoying little green bouncy ball which stayed on my head. I was tempted to 'eat' him to make him shut up. I remembered that he tasted bad and decided against it. I swung around and beat a fast track back to the fork, taking the other path. I emerged from the 'tunnel' only to see snowballs rolling straight for me. I used inferno on the torches nearby to melt the snowballs and kept running. I had to get out before time ran out.
I raced through the forest, slipping all over the ice and barely getting through. Finally I reached the middle, where Kai was waiting. Issun suddenly became rather touchy and sullen. I didn't care. I dropped onto my belly and began to pant. I would catch my breath, visit Ponctan and then go find that silly little cub Lika.