A loud grinding noise came from outside his small prison. Ico jerked his arms in an attempt to free them from the wooden handcuffs. The grinding noise came to a sudden halt, and the room was quiet once more, save for the distant sound of wind.
Ico moved again.
The jar, for lack of a better name, began to tilt forward. It fell out of its small inset in the stone, broke open. Ico spilled out, onto the ground eight feet below. He landed on his head, and was knocked unconscious.
He was walking on a spiral staircase, high above the floor. Looking towards the center of the stairwell, he noticed a cage suspended from the ceiling. Ico ran faster up the stairs. As he came to the cage, an inky black substance began to spill out, and spatter the floor hundreds of feet beneath the cage. The form of a person appeared from the blackness; the form of a girl. Ico tried to call out to her, but he was being pulled back through the wall. The rock scraped against his hands, and he saw a black shadow pass over his body.
Awake. Ico struggled to stand, his arms and legs feeling like stone. In his mind, the dream he had just experienced surfaced. He had to find her. What was she doing in a cage?
Ico took stock of his surroundings. He was standing on the lowest floor of a large chamber. Jars like his own lined the walls. He imagined what was held in those jars: bodies of the village's previous sacrifices, horned boys just like himself, taken here and locked away, forsaken...
Enough. There was no use dwelling on these things now. He was alone, utterly and totally alone. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, but the only reply was an echo.
Fear raced through his mind. What could he do? He was alone, trapped and alone in a centuries-old castle on an island in the middle of an ocean. His only hope was the girl he had seen in his dream.
There were three staircases at the far end of the room. Ico began to climb the middle one, towards a lever mounted on the top wall. As he got closer, he broke into a run, a run of desperation, hoping this lever would somehow let him out of this place. He reached the lever, jumped, and pulled it downwards. As he did so, another grinding noise came to his ears, the sound of a door opening below him. Ico descended the stairs, and for the first time, noticed a door directly below the staircase. It was open. He stepped through it, into a much smaller room.
Windows. There were windows above him, reachable only by a ledge, which was reachable... how? There were crates across from the ledge. Ico climbed up the containers, and leapt from the highest one, in an attempt to reach the ledge. He didn't make it.
Falling hard to the ground, Ico yelped. Pain shot through his entire body, and he feared he might have broken his ankle, or his legs. He stood, however, and the pain quickly subsided.
How to get to the ledge? There was a chain hanging from the ceiling... maybe he could climb that, and leap to the windows.
Ico jumped and caught hold of the chain, and began to scurry upwards. He oriented himself so his back faced the window, and jumped away from the chain. Landing, he slammed against the wall beneath one of the windows. Dust was kicked up from his fall, and he sneezed. After adjusting to his new orientation, he climbed through the window, and into a strangely familiar room.
A gigantic spiral staircase circled around the room, ascending all the way to the ceiling, which itself seemed to reach the sky. A cage hung from the ceiling as well.
A memory of a dream flashed through Ico's head, and he climbed the ladder leading to the staircase quickly.
Ico dashed up the staircase. His breathing quickened, along with his pulse. He sensed maybe he should slow down, but he couldn't bring himself to. There might be someone in that cage, he thought to himself. Maybe she knows how to escape. Maybe she can lead me out.
Ico reached what was seemingly the end of the staircase, but noticed another chain. He scrambled up the chain and continued running up the stairs. As he got closer to the cage, he slowed down. The wind was growing louder the higher he climbed.
A girl sat in the cage, with her face turned towards the floor, and her back turned toward Ico.
"Is anybody there? Who are you?" shouted Ico to the girl, but no response came. "What are you doing in there?" he asked, and still no reply. "Hold on. I will get you down," Ico stated. But he realized he had no idea how. Looking around, the staircase had broken off just a few feet away from his position. He could see a lever on the other side.
Ico prepared to jump, but had second thoughts. The gap was large, maybe ten feet across. He'd never make it. He would fall and break every bone in his body. There had to be another way.
Glancing up, he saw an open window. Sunlight streamed through it. He climbed to it, and stepped through.
He landed on a balcony protruding from the castle's wall. It served, apparently, as a viewpoint of the rest of the fortress, for it offered a breathtaking view of the surrounding environment. Water surrounded the castle on all sides, with land just barely visible across the ocean. Ico paced around the balcony, coming to another open window, leading back into the spiral staircase room. He climbed through it, and landed on the other side of the shattered staircase, just a few feet away from the precious lever.
Sighing in relief, Ico pulled the lever. The cage began to descend quickly towards the floor, and the girl stood up in alarm. She stared up at Ico, but her face was too far away for him to make out her features. It was time to meet her.
Ico climbed back through the window, and then back into the staircase via the other window. He sprinted downwards, shimmying down the chain, and sliding down the ladder. Running over to the cage, the girl stared at him.
"Can you get out?" he asked. She did not respond, just stared at him.
Ico looked around again, and noticed another ladder opposite from the one leading to the staircase. He climbed it, and came to a ledge just three feet from the top of the cage. From there, he leapt onto the cage, hoping maybe the girl would say something, or climb out.
As Ico landed on the cage, the chain it hung from snapped, and the cell crashed to the ground. Ico struggled to keep balance, but he fell backwards, onto the ground. A torch fell nearby him, bathing him in yellow light.
The cage's door had also broken open. Stepping through, the girl looked around the room, and then at Ico. She was glowing, apparently with no outside source. Her entire body seemed to radiate light. She approached Ico.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" said the girl softly, her voice the sound of wind blowing through trees.
"They... they tried to sacrifice me because I have horns. Kids with horns are brought here," replied Ico, his voice quavering, and he began to scoot backwards. The girl kneeled in front of him, and extended her hand towards his face.
A black shadow covered the wall behind her.
"Were they trying to sacrifice you too?" Ico asked. The girl just looked at him.
A being emerged from the shadow.
It, too, was a shadow, with two pinpoints of light at its head, eyes. It pounced at the mysterious white girl, slung her over its shoulder, and began to walk towards a black portal in the floor. The girl screamed, and Ico stood up quickly, grabbing the torch from beside him.
The creature entered the portal, and began to drag the girl through as well. Ico rushed to her and grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling her out.
"What was that creature that came after you?" stammered the horned boy, his eyes wide with fear, his entire body trembling. The girl merely shook her head.
"It's too dangerous for us to be here! We have to get out of here!" Ico said, and gripped her hand tightly in his.
The portal began to glow white, and the same shadow-creature stepped out.
"Stay away from her!" shouted Ico, swinging the now-extinguished torch at the being like a sword. To his surprise, the creature leapt backwards, as if frightened.
The horned boy leapt towards the creature, letting go of the girl's hand. Smashing his stick into the being's side, inky-black liquid spurted from the creature, and it began to rush towards the girl.
Ico was faster.
He swung the stick towards the creature's head, causing another copious burst of black liquid to spatter the wall. It quickly evaporated into the dusty stone.
The creature would not stop. It pounced at the girl as if rabid, making chittering noises like a wild animal, outstretching its claws toward her.
Ico's stick connected with the being again, and again, and again, until the creature fell and didn't get up again. Its body dissolved, sinking quickly into the stone floor. The portal faded as well, and black smoke took its place.
Ico stood triumphant, then remembered the girl. She stood behind her cage, trembling, terrified. Ico ran to her and grasped her hand tightly.
"My name's Ico," he began, "and I'm going to get you out of here."
Ico moved again.
The jar, for lack of a better name, began to tilt forward. It fell out of its small inset in the stone, broke open. Ico spilled out, onto the ground eight feet below. He landed on his head, and was knocked unconscious.
He was walking on a spiral staircase, high above the floor. Looking towards the center of the stairwell, he noticed a cage suspended from the ceiling. Ico ran faster up the stairs. As he came to the cage, an inky black substance began to spill out, and spatter the floor hundreds of feet beneath the cage. The form of a person appeared from the blackness; the form of a girl. Ico tried to call out to her, but he was being pulled back through the wall. The rock scraped against his hands, and he saw a black shadow pass over his body.
Awake. Ico struggled to stand, his arms and legs feeling like stone. In his mind, the dream he had just experienced surfaced. He had to find her. What was she doing in a cage?
Ico took stock of his surroundings. He was standing on the lowest floor of a large chamber. Jars like his own lined the walls. He imagined what was held in those jars: bodies of the village's previous sacrifices, horned boys just like himself, taken here and locked away, forsaken...
Enough. There was no use dwelling on these things now. He was alone, utterly and totally alone. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, but the only reply was an echo.
Fear raced through his mind. What could he do? He was alone, trapped and alone in a centuries-old castle on an island in the middle of an ocean. His only hope was the girl he had seen in his dream.
There were three staircases at the far end of the room. Ico began to climb the middle one, towards a lever mounted on the top wall. As he got closer, he broke into a run, a run of desperation, hoping this lever would somehow let him out of this place. He reached the lever, jumped, and pulled it downwards. As he did so, another grinding noise came to his ears, the sound of a door opening below him. Ico descended the stairs, and for the first time, noticed a door directly below the staircase. It was open. He stepped through it, into a much smaller room.
Windows. There were windows above him, reachable only by a ledge, which was reachable... how? There were crates across from the ledge. Ico climbed up the containers, and leapt from the highest one, in an attempt to reach the ledge. He didn't make it.
Falling hard to the ground, Ico yelped. Pain shot through his entire body, and he feared he might have broken his ankle, or his legs. He stood, however, and the pain quickly subsided.
How to get to the ledge? There was a chain hanging from the ceiling... maybe he could climb that, and leap to the windows.
Ico jumped and caught hold of the chain, and began to scurry upwards. He oriented himself so his back faced the window, and jumped away from the chain. Landing, he slammed against the wall beneath one of the windows. Dust was kicked up from his fall, and he sneezed. After adjusting to his new orientation, he climbed through the window, and into a strangely familiar room.
A gigantic spiral staircase circled around the room, ascending all the way to the ceiling, which itself seemed to reach the sky. A cage hung from the ceiling as well.
A memory of a dream flashed through Ico's head, and he climbed the ladder leading to the staircase quickly.
Ico dashed up the staircase. His breathing quickened, along with his pulse. He sensed maybe he should slow down, but he couldn't bring himself to. There might be someone in that cage, he thought to himself. Maybe she knows how to escape. Maybe she can lead me out.
Ico reached what was seemingly the end of the staircase, but noticed another chain. He scrambled up the chain and continued running up the stairs. As he got closer to the cage, he slowed down. The wind was growing louder the higher he climbed.
A girl sat in the cage, with her face turned towards the floor, and her back turned toward Ico.
"Is anybody there? Who are you?" shouted Ico to the girl, but no response came. "What are you doing in there?" he asked, and still no reply. "Hold on. I will get you down," Ico stated. But he realized he had no idea how. Looking around, the staircase had broken off just a few feet away from his position. He could see a lever on the other side.
Ico prepared to jump, but had second thoughts. The gap was large, maybe ten feet across. He'd never make it. He would fall and break every bone in his body. There had to be another way.
Glancing up, he saw an open window. Sunlight streamed through it. He climbed to it, and stepped through.
He landed on a balcony protruding from the castle's wall. It served, apparently, as a viewpoint of the rest of the fortress, for it offered a breathtaking view of the surrounding environment. Water surrounded the castle on all sides, with land just barely visible across the ocean. Ico paced around the balcony, coming to another open window, leading back into the spiral staircase room. He climbed through it, and landed on the other side of the shattered staircase, just a few feet away from the precious lever.
Sighing in relief, Ico pulled the lever. The cage began to descend quickly towards the floor, and the girl stood up in alarm. She stared up at Ico, but her face was too far away for him to make out her features. It was time to meet her.
Ico climbed back through the window, and then back into the staircase via the other window. He sprinted downwards, shimmying down the chain, and sliding down the ladder. Running over to the cage, the girl stared at him.
"Can you get out?" he asked. She did not respond, just stared at him.
Ico looked around again, and noticed another ladder opposite from the one leading to the staircase. He climbed it, and came to a ledge just three feet from the top of the cage. From there, he leapt onto the cage, hoping maybe the girl would say something, or climb out.
As Ico landed on the cage, the chain it hung from snapped, and the cell crashed to the ground. Ico struggled to keep balance, but he fell backwards, onto the ground. A torch fell nearby him, bathing him in yellow light.
The cage's door had also broken open. Stepping through, the girl looked around the room, and then at Ico. She was glowing, apparently with no outside source. Her entire body seemed to radiate light. She approached Ico.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" said the girl softly, her voice the sound of wind blowing through trees.
"They... they tried to sacrifice me because I have horns. Kids with horns are brought here," replied Ico, his voice quavering, and he began to scoot backwards. The girl kneeled in front of him, and extended her hand towards his face.
A black shadow covered the wall behind her.
"Were they trying to sacrifice you too?" Ico asked. The girl just looked at him.
A being emerged from the shadow.
It, too, was a shadow, with two pinpoints of light at its head, eyes. It pounced at the mysterious white girl, slung her over its shoulder, and began to walk towards a black portal in the floor. The girl screamed, and Ico stood up quickly, grabbing the torch from beside him.
The creature entered the portal, and began to drag the girl through as well. Ico rushed to her and grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling her out.
"What was that creature that came after you?" stammered the horned boy, his eyes wide with fear, his entire body trembling. The girl merely shook her head.
"It's too dangerous for us to be here! We have to get out of here!" Ico said, and gripped her hand tightly in his.
The portal began to glow white, and the same shadow-creature stepped out.
"Stay away from her!" shouted Ico, swinging the now-extinguished torch at the being like a sword. To his surprise, the creature leapt backwards, as if frightened.
The horned boy leapt towards the creature, letting go of the girl's hand. Smashing his stick into the being's side, inky-black liquid spurted from the creature, and it began to rush towards the girl.
Ico was faster.
He swung the stick towards the creature's head, causing another copious burst of black liquid to spatter the wall. It quickly evaporated into the dusty stone.
The creature would not stop. It pounced at the girl as if rabid, making chittering noises like a wild animal, outstretching its claws toward her.
Ico's stick connected with the being again, and again, and again, until the creature fell and didn't get up again. Its body dissolved, sinking quickly into the stone floor. The portal faded as well, and black smoke took its place.
Ico stood triumphant, then remembered the girl. She stood behind her cage, trembling, terrified. Ico ran to her and grasped her hand tightly.
"My name's Ico," he began, "and I'm going to get you out of here."