Read Online ICO: Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe, Alexander O. Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Miyuki Miyabe, Alexander O. Smith
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crowd of men, crying and calling out Toto’s name.
Toto’s eyelids fluttered, and the elder saw his lips move, but there was no sound. Though he was covered with dust and scratches, he appeared to have been spared any serious injuries. His legs lay limp across the bed and his arms were clutched tightly across his chest.
The elder noticed that Toto was holding something. He took a breath, and in a loud, clear voice, announced, “Everyone, thank you for bringing Toto back to us safely. This is a time for all to rejoice. However, I must ask that, for a moment, you leave me alone with the boy. There’s something very important I must discuss with him.”
Most of the men hadn’t even realized the elder was there among them until he spoke. Quickly, they stepped away so that he might reach the boy, but Toto’s parents would not leave the boy’s side.
“I’m sorry,” the elder apologized to them, “but my duties require that I speak with Toto alone.” The elder looked at each of their faces in turn. “The physician will be here shortly. I need only a moment’s time before he arrives.”
The fate of our village might very well depend upon it, he thought.
Finally, they seemed to understand. Toto’s father gently touched his wife’s shoulder and they stood. Tears streaming down her face, his mother rubbed Toto’s head and cheek before she left.
Once everyone had gone, the elder gathered up his robes and hurried over to Toto’s bedside where he knelt.
“Toto. Do you know who I am?”
Toto’s head nodded slightly.
“Can you speak?”
The boy’s dried, cracked lips parted. “E-Elder…”
The elder placed a hand on Toto’s forehead. It was as damp and cold as clay never touched by the sun. He rubbed the boy’s skin and his hand came away covered with a fine gray dust. The feeling of it between his fingers sent a shiver up the elder’s spine, and he recalled what he had seen from the pass in the Forbidden Mountains.
The elder touched a hand to Toto’s arm and then to his legs. Everywhere he touched felt cold, and everywhere was covered by the same ashen dust. His clothes were infused with the smell of the stone city.
“You went beyond the mountains.”
Toto blinked and nodded.
“You went through the pass and down the other side. And then into the city.”
Toto nodded again.
“You saw the people turned to stone?”
Toto’s lips formed the words I saw.
“And you saw something else. What?”
In response, a single tear fell from the corner of Toto’s eye, and his entire body began to tremble.
“You met someone, didn’t you? Who? What did you see in that city of death?”
Toto’s breath quickened as though he were struggling to wring the last strength from his tiny frame. “F-face.”
“A face? What kind of face?”
“A woman…a woman’s face. I was…afraid,” he managed through tears.
Pity swelled in the elder’s heart, but his fear was greater. His hands clenched into fists. “Did she chase you?”
Toto closed his eyes and nodded. The elder’s blood went cold, and his heart began to beat raggedly in his chest.
“You have gone to a place where you should never have been and done something you should never have done.”
Toto’s small teeth chattered. “I-I’m sorry.”
Toto tried to move his arms on his chest, but they seemed to be stuck together. Toto’s slender muscles tensed and the layer of ashen dust covering his skin cracked and began to flake, like rust falling from iron.
“I found…this,” Toto said, finally loosening his arms enough so the elder could see what they held.
It’s a book—an ancient book.
“The book…”
The elder gently grabbed Toto’s wrists, helping the boy loosen his grasp.
“The book protected me,” Toto said in a hoarse whisper, and his eyes looked up at the elder. He was trying to give him the book.
Once the elder had helped Toto pry his arms far enough apart, the book slid easily out. Quickly, the elder caught it in his
Toto’s eyelids fluttered, and the elder saw his lips move, but there was no sound. Though he was covered with dust and scratches, he appeared to have been spared any serious injuries. His legs lay limp across the bed and his arms were clutched tightly across his chest.
The elder noticed that Toto was holding something. He took a breath, and in a loud, clear voice, announced, “Everyone, thank you for bringing Toto back to us safely. This is a time for all to rejoice. However, I must ask that, for a moment, you leave me alone with the boy. There’s something very important I must discuss with him.”
Most of the men hadn’t even realized the elder was there among them until he spoke. Quickly, they stepped away so that he might reach the boy, but Toto’s parents would not leave the boy’s side.
“I’m sorry,” the elder apologized to them, “but my duties require that I speak with Toto alone.” The elder looked at each of their faces in turn. “The physician will be here shortly. I need only a moment’s time before he arrives.”
The fate of our village might very well depend upon it, he thought.
Finally, they seemed to understand. Toto’s father gently touched his wife’s shoulder and they stood. Tears streaming down her face, his mother rubbed Toto’s head and cheek before she left.
Once everyone had gone, the elder gathered up his robes and hurried over to Toto’s bedside where he knelt.
“Toto. Do you know who I am?”
Toto’s head nodded slightly.
“Can you speak?”
The boy’s dried, cracked lips parted. “E-Elder…”
The elder placed a hand on Toto’s forehead. It was as damp and cold as clay never touched by the sun. He rubbed the boy’s skin and his hand came away covered with a fine gray dust. The feeling of it between his fingers sent a shiver up the elder’s spine, and he recalled what he had seen from the pass in the Forbidden Mountains.
The elder touched a hand to Toto’s arm and then to his legs. Everywhere he touched felt cold, and everywhere was covered by the same ashen dust. His clothes were infused with the smell of the stone city.
“You went beyond the mountains.”
Toto blinked and nodded.
“You went through the pass and down the other side. And then into the city.”
Toto nodded again.
“You saw the people turned to stone?”
Toto’s lips formed the words I saw.
“And you saw something else. What?”
In response, a single tear fell from the corner of Toto’s eye, and his entire body began to tremble.
“You met someone, didn’t you? Who? What did you see in that city of death?”
Toto’s breath quickened as though he were struggling to wring the last strength from his tiny frame. “F-face.”
“A face? What kind of face?”
“A woman…a woman’s face. I was…afraid,” he managed through tears.
Pity swelled in the elder’s heart, but his fear was greater. His hands clenched into fists. “Did she chase you?”
Toto closed his eyes and nodded. The elder’s blood went cold, and his heart began to beat raggedly in his chest.
“You have gone to a place where you should never have been and done something you should never have done.”
Toto’s small teeth chattered. “I-I’m sorry.”
Toto tried to move his arms on his chest, but they seemed to be stuck together. Toto’s slender muscles tensed and the layer of ashen dust covering his skin cracked and began to flake, like rust falling from iron.
“I found…this,” Toto said, finally loosening his arms enough so the elder could see what they held.
It’s a book—an ancient book.
“The book…”
The elder gently grabbed Toto’s wrists, helping the boy loosen his grasp.
“The book protected me,” Toto said in a hoarse whisper, and his eyes looked up at the elder. He was trying to give him the book.
Once the elder had helped Toto pry his arms far enough apart, the book slid easily out. Quickly, the elder caught it in his
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