Read Online ICO: Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe, Alexander O. Smith - Free Book Online Page B

while the sun still remains in the sky, you must sing festival songs. Those who can play instruments, bring them and play. Once the sun sets and the village gates are closed, all must remain inside, save those men who are on watch, and no one is to make a sound. Rest your bodies and sleep holding hands, that you may bar entrance to nightmares. When the dawn comes, we will do again tomorrow what we have done today. These next three days are the most important.”
    The people of the village looked at the elder in bewilderment. His instructions to work all the looms flew directly in the face of his earlier command that only the loom in the weaving room might be used during the Time of the Sacrifice. Some wondered if he had gone mad—but the elder permitted no discussion.
    “I need you to follow these new orders, and follow them well. On the morning of the fourth day, we will set the signal fire and summon the priest from his lodgings. He will come that day and take Ico with him to the Castle in the Mist.”
    “But, Elder, why light watch fires around the village if we are not preparing for war? What’s going on? Why do these things without reason?”
    “There is a reason,” the elder replied firmly. “And this is war.”
    When all instructions had been given, the elder left for the weaving room. Without a word, he took Oneh’s hand from the spindle and tore the half-woven Mark from the loom, nearly startling her to death.
    “What are you doing, husband?” she cried, her face flushed. “What is the meaning of this?”
    The elder put both hands on Oneh’s shoulders. “When the knowledge and courage once separated are again together bound, then the long-cursed mist will lift, and the light of the ancients will be reborn upon the land.”
    “What…”
    The elder reached inside his robes and withdrew the book, opening its cover and showing it to her. “Look. See the design drawn here? See how it is like the picture of the Mark I gave to you?”
    Oneh looked between her husband and the open book. He was right. The resemblance to the Mark was striking, though it was not a perfect match.
    “ This is the Mark you must weave for Ico. Throw away all you have done until now. You must make this new Mark as quickly as you can. We have no time. We must weave it together while the strength of the village still holds.”
    A light shone in her husband’s eyes. It was that light, more than his words, that moved her.
    “Will this new Mark save Ico?” she asked, grabbing her husband’s sleeve.
    The elder nodded. “I pray so, yes. And then Ico will save us all.”
    [7]
    A THIN LIGHT drifted up from the bottom of the pool, washing over Ico like a fresh, chilly breeze.
    “Think it’s deep?”
    “Probably.”
    “We could try swimming down. I bet it goes somewhere,” Toto said, tossing in a small stone.
    “It’s cold here, but I like it.”
    “Yeah. Really cleans out the chest.”
    These are memories, Ico thought. This isn’t happening now. We were exploring the cave. We found a pool of water. I almost dropped my torch …
    Ico opened his eyes with a start.
    A thin light trickled through the small window at the top of the cave. Dawn, probably, he thought. His body was frigid down to the bone, and everything ached. He hadn’t been able to sleep well the night before due to the cold. That explains my dream.
    It hadn’t been easy descending into that cave with Toto. There had been a lot of scaling up and down sheer rock. But thanks to the cold he hadn’t even broken a sweat. He remembered the sound of his chattering teeth echoing off the walls of the cave.
    The dim phosphorescence at the bottom of the pool was beautiful, yet fleeting—a spectral gown worn by a dancing ghost. He could close his eyes and see it. There was Toto, standing next to him, eyes sparkling, enchanted by the light in the water.
    Things had been busy in the village outside his cave these last three days. He heard drums and bells and children singing,