Taiki had noticed the walk before, how it blistered his feet and made his knees ache. Now he didn't. He noticed nothing except the face of the man next to him, angular and harsh and somehow foreign, despite being as familiar as his own. He longed to talk to Sanshi, to feel her arms around him, to feel her stroke his hair and nuzzle into his face, but it was impossible to summon her in the middle of so many people

As they walked, he whispered to Gyousou. He spoke quietly of what had happened to him, where he'd been, why he hadn't returned. He told him of what he remembered, and his life in Hourai. Despite the fact that nothing he said garnered a single eyeblink of reaction, Taiki kept speaking, desperate to make a difference.

He could feel Riyutsu watching him. He didn't care.

During his second week living on bread and gruel, the gang of workers reached a still clear lake, one of the mountain spring lakes that filtered down through miles of gems, still sparkling at the bottom. The drivers unclasped the manacles of each man, lending credence to what Riyutsu had said about the cuffs being only to keep food riots from breaking out. Then, they herded the workers into the water, regardless of the cold. "You'll be arriving in the capitol in three days," said the man who appeared to be in charge. "This is your last chance to wash the stink of the south off of you."

Taiki submerged himself gratefully, letting grime and dust and worry slip away. His clothes would be wet later, would drip down into his boots, but at least they would be clean. He lay back, floating in the water for a moment.

Kouri.

Taiki choked on a mouthful of water, sputtering and coughing as he thrashed upright. The voice was stronger now, more clear than it had been before. Taiki made up his mind, and grabbed Gyousou's arm. "Come with me," he said, and took off across the water.

He heard shouts from behind him, and didn't care. They started to shoot, and Taiki ran faster. He'd known they were lying about the cuffs being for the workers' own safety. No one shot at escaping employees.

He knew, knew where the voice was coming from now. He could feel it, sending his nerves tingling. He ran, and ran, and fortunately the man he'd grabbed was putting up no resistance, running alongside him, face as blank and emotionless as ever.

Kouri, are you there?

"I'm here, Master," Taiki panted, and summoned Gouran with a thought. He was there, as a monstrous wolf large enough to carry two people, and took off faster than Taiki could run on his own, heading unerringly for that place in Taiki's mind. "I'm coming."

Gouran's muscles bunched, and he cleared small hills with powerful leaps. He covered more ground by running than many Kiyju did in flight, but it wasn't fast enough for Taiki. Gems sparkled in his vision, blinding him, pain concentrating in his forehead, and he clapped his hands to it. "No, no, no," he whispered, focusing on the voice, trying to block out the pain. That was what had happened last time, and he wouldn't let it happen again. He gritted his teeth, but the pain was so bad tears burned his eyes, leaving hot trails down his cheeks.

He wouldn't give up.

He wouldn't lose focus even for a second, even for a moment.

Gouran sensed his urgency, and increased his speed until the shining country was a shining blur.

Kouri.

"I'm coming, Master."

He needed to go faster, needed to be what he was born to be, needed to fly to his master's side, the swiftest creature in the world. If he lost Gyousou now, after all this, it would be his fault. His, for not being the kirin Tai needed. His, for letting his master down again.

Back then, he'd been an ignorant child, and had done only what he'd been told.

Now he would do what he knew was right.

The man behind him didn't ask questions, didn't raise alarm. He didn't say anything, just as he hadn't said anything except the most mundane of pleasantries in the last week.

An eerie noise echoed through the air. For a distracted, wild moment, Taiki thought it was a hunting horn, and hunched further over Gouran's back. Then, he recognized the hunting cry of hungry Youma.

They chased him by air, drawn by the energy of such a large shirei. Gouran turned and snapped at the closest one, a massive hawk-like creature with talons nearly a foot long. He grew extra teeth just for the occasion, and the youma retreated with a shriek.

The voice was growing fainter again—not moving, not retreating, but fading. "No," Taiki whispered. "No, you can't."

He launched himself off Gouran's back just as another hawk-like youma came down, and Gouran nipped off its head. The man tumbled off of his back as well, and Taiki grabbed his arm again. "Fast," he panted. "Run as fast as you can. And then run faster."

Pain shot through him, but it didn't matter. His feet felt like they were going to fall off, but that didn't matter. He was close, so close, and something was wrong, something was different, but then it was over.

He collapsed onto his face, falling down onto cold, dark earth.

He lay there for long minutes, trying to catch his breath, wheezing, gasping, inhaling gem dust and dirt. The air felt different, stifled somehow. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was underground.

He climbed to his feet, slow, shaky, as if he'd been stretched and hammered all over. Smooth, warm hands helped him up, combed his hair back with sharp fingernails.

Taiki relaxed gratefully into Sanshi's touch. "What happened?" he asked. His head pounded, and there was no sign of what he'd come to think of as Gyousou's body.

"Leg up," she said, and he lifted his leg, then the other as she dressed him. "You tried to transform," she explained gently, straightening the rough peasant clothes he'd been wearing for travel.

"Did I?"

"I do not know. I couldn't catch up to you, though." She smiled, then kissed his forehead. "Whether you ever transform in your life again, you'll always be my Taiki."

He embraced her, strong and grateful and apologetic for all the times he hadn't known she was there. He couldn't blame her or Gouran for killing his family. They hadn't known what they were doing. "Is he here, Sanshi?"

"I do not know."

The dark had never bothered Taiki. He set off into the tunnels, picking his way down and down and down. With every step, he grew more certain.

His Master was close.