Free Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze, Prologue by Kaze no Umi Meikyuu no Kishi Book 1

that that thing was still wrapped  around his hands now, like it was a chain of thorns.
    He knew that he had fallen off the crag.
    He was now laying on the ground which was piled full of rocks, with his body in an unnatural position.
    He was on his back with stones under him.
    Having fallen from such a high place into the bottom of a valley, and passing by so many sharp rocks,  logic dictates that he must have been wounded. However, right now Taiki was not clear on whether or not he  had been injured, or if through a miracle, he was only lightly hurt.
    He could only feel the strong beating of his heart. His hands and feet were already so cold he could not  move them, and he was dizzy as if he had a fever. He couldn't wipe the bright red pigment of blood away. It  occupied his mind and was so vivid that there was no way for him to understand what was going on in front  of him.
    He wanted to shake his head forcefully so that he might wake up a little bit, however he couldn't even  blink his eyes. Was his inability to move due to an injury? Or was it because he had just seen droplets of  blood? What was actually going on right now?
    "You monster!" He heard a coarse voice calling out, and finally understood what it was that he was  looking at.
    It was a man. He was a big man who was holding a sword in his hands.
    And that sword was pointed at Sanshi!
    "I'm not going to be beaten by a nin'you! Go the hell back to the Yellow Sea!"
    He raised the sword and sliced it down quickly.
    (Sanshi!)
    He wanted to shout, but he couldn't make any sounds.
    The edge of the blade made an arc in the air, brushing past Sanshi's body. Sanshi had reached out in an  attempt to grab a hold of his throat.
    The tips of her white fingers had been stained red. In the next moment, Sanshi's wrist sprayed fresh  blood as the edge of the sword crossed it.
    (Stop!)
    He shut his eyes tightly, secretly wishing that he wouldn't have to open them again. He was already not  sure if he was still breathing or if his heart was still beating.
    He didn't want to open his eyes, but all of a sudden a strong force tugged at his hands, and he opened  his eyes in shock. Before he was clear on what had happened, he had already rolled off the rocks.
    His back was struck and just as he wanted to cry out, his wrists were being tugged again. He looked up  only to see his two wrists being pulled into the air. Around his wrists was a thin chain that was connected all  the way to the man's hand that wasn't holding the sword. Whenever the man moved a little, a sharp pain  would occur in his shoulders and elbows as if they were being dislocated. He was dragged forward on top of  a crag in this way, with the upper portion of his body rubbing against the top of the stones, causing him a  piercing pain.
    "Who are you?"
    The man was pointing his sword at Sanshi as he looked at Taiki. He looked very angry.
    "Why is your hair like this?" The tone of the man's voice sounded like he was blaming him, but Taiki  didn't know how he should reply.
    Sanshi jumped in front of the man again. He swung the sword at her and cut her leg. Bright red spots  sprayed from Sanshi's body once again.
    The man glared at Taiki again and twisted his long, cruel face as he yelled at him loudly.
    "Boy, you aren't a kirin?"
    Kirin? Of course he was a kirin. Everyone had said so.
    Could he answer him like this?
    But right now, he was more worried about Sanshi!
    Sanshi...
    (Ah... She's bled so much...)
    Whenever the man moved, Taiki's wrists would be jerked at. It was so painful, he felt like his whole  body was going to be ripped apart.
    "Damn it! And I thought you were a kirin. I spent all this time and I end up with a little brat and a  nin'you following me!"
    Sanshi lunged at the man again, but met only his sword as he swung it at her. More blood droplets  splattered onto the ground. Sanshi backed up as the man moved forward a few steps, causing Taiki to be  dragged along again, the sharp