Chapter 8: Shattered Icicles
Hayate tilted his head sideways in shock. Kei looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I thought I heard Gou calling me," he explained, shaking his head as if to empty out the ghosts from inside. He stilled his mind, but he didn't hear Gou again and he couldn't feel him either.
"They must have removed their talismans by now," Kei said, returning to his keyboard.
"I don't feel them either," Hayate said, chewing on his lower lip.
Kei tossed a sandwich at him. "Quit worrying about it, Hayate. Gou is the perfect person to accompany Sasame."
Hayate caught it with one hand in the air, unwrapped it, and bit off a bite. It tasted like sawdust in his mouth. He washed the taste away, and turned his attention back to Kei. They were almost finished. Hajime and Shin were meeting with them later to review the last minute details. Everything would be ready to go after Sasame's ceremony.
Sasame and Gou began at the small Church where Takako had attacked them slightly over a week ago. It seemed like a lifetime. Gou stood where Sasame had lain almost lifeless, and said a short prayer of thanks.
In front of the communion alter, Sasame inspected the room. The shock he felt at seeing Takako rejecting her Pretear powers, changing into the Saihi, attacking his best friend surged back. He had rushed in without thinking. One hit and he was down. Hayate drew her attention away from him just before he passed out. He listened for any sounds of Takako. He listened with his heart first and then with his Knight talent. He narrowed down the sound pathway. Was that her? He wondered.
Silently standing among the broken glass, Gou watched the sunlight dance on its surface, casting butterfly shadows on the walls. A tendril of fear crept inside him, making him shiver from the arctic emptiness that he felt. He felt the desolation left from Mannen's absent multiplying inside him. He fell to his knees from the weight of despair on his heart. Gou's hands hit the floor with a thump and he could feel the jagged edges of glass slicing his palms and knees. At least I can still feel something, he thought, the cold hasn't taken over all of me.
Sasame looked over alarmed by Gou's reaction. Gou labored to pull himself upright. Trembling from the fearsome cold, he waved Sasame away. He collapsed on a pew, closing his eyes, waiting for the ceiling to stop spinning. Sasame peered over the pew down on him. He heard Sasame's voice as if it were coming from beneath ocean waves. Gou, Gou, Gou, the waves roared, crashing over him. Hayate! Hajime! Shin! Kei! He called repeatedly. Hayate! Hajime! Shin! Kei! Kei! Kei! Kei! Cold water splashed on his face. He sputtered, and wiped it away with his arm. More poured on. He sat up and opened his eyes, seeing Sasame holding a bucket of water, ready to splash more on if needed. He put up his hand to ward him off. "Enough, Sasame! Enough!" he called out, the dread ebbed away quickly.
"What happened, Gou?" Sasame asked concerned.
Gou had no words to explain what had just occurred to him. "Did you trace her?" he asked, changing the subject, anxious to finish the task quickly.
Sasame nodded, "I think so."
Gou pulled himself up and dusted off his knees. He looked at his palms, but the injuries were superficial. "Let's go, man."
Hayate and Kei quit working instantly to respond to Gou's call. When they appeared at the old Church, they found Shin and Hajime wandering around the sanctuary confused. "You heard it too?" Hajime demanded.
They shook their heads yes. "It doesn't make sense," Hajime grumbled. "I'm sure they've removed their talismans by now."
Kei looked at the drying water and bucket lying on its side next to the pew Gou had been lying in minutes earlier. "Gou's wearing the velvet bag?" he asked, remembering his own journey fifteen months earlier. Shin had worn it when they went together. Shin nodded. "Maybe Gou's connecting through the velvet," he suggested.
"That's never happened before," conceded Hajime, "but then, Gou and Sasame have never gone together before, according to Mannen's notes."
"Think we can convince him to store them on the computer next time?" Kei complained. He hated the idea of having to skim all those journals for valuable information when it could be organized in databases and charts, and easily accessed.
"Why were they here?" asked Shin, worriedly.
Hayate perched on the lectern and surveyed the room carefully. "Takako," he said, surprising himself. The word hung between them in the room like a note lingering after a concert.
"If that's true," Kei said softly, "We're running out of time."
"I'm ready," Shin replied swiftly. Kei nodded.
"We'll have to wait for the next call," Hajime said ruefully.
Be careful, Sasame, Gou, Hayate pleaded silently, but there was no response.
Hayate tilted his head sideways in shock. Kei looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I thought I heard Gou calling me," he explained, shaking his head as if to empty out the ghosts from inside. He stilled his mind, but he didn't hear Gou again and he couldn't feel him either.
"They must have removed their talismans by now," Kei said, returning to his keyboard.
"I don't feel them either," Hayate said, chewing on his lower lip.
Kei tossed a sandwich at him. "Quit worrying about it, Hayate. Gou is the perfect person to accompany Sasame."
Hayate caught it with one hand in the air, unwrapped it, and bit off a bite. It tasted like sawdust in his mouth. He washed the taste away, and turned his attention back to Kei. They were almost finished. Hajime and Shin were meeting with them later to review the last minute details. Everything would be ready to go after Sasame's ceremony.
Sasame and Gou began at the small Church where Takako had attacked them slightly over a week ago. It seemed like a lifetime. Gou stood where Sasame had lain almost lifeless, and said a short prayer of thanks.
In front of the communion alter, Sasame inspected the room. The shock he felt at seeing Takako rejecting her Pretear powers, changing into the Saihi, attacking his best friend surged back. He had rushed in without thinking. One hit and he was down. Hayate drew her attention away from him just before he passed out. He listened for any sounds of Takako. He listened with his heart first and then with his Knight talent. He narrowed down the sound pathway. Was that her? He wondered.
Silently standing among the broken glass, Gou watched the sunlight dance on its surface, casting butterfly shadows on the walls. A tendril of fear crept inside him, making him shiver from the arctic emptiness that he felt. He felt the desolation left from Mannen's absent multiplying inside him. He fell to his knees from the weight of despair on his heart. Gou's hands hit the floor with a thump and he could feel the jagged edges of glass slicing his palms and knees. At least I can still feel something, he thought, the cold hasn't taken over all of me.
Sasame looked over alarmed by Gou's reaction. Gou labored to pull himself upright. Trembling from the fearsome cold, he waved Sasame away. He collapsed on a pew, closing his eyes, waiting for the ceiling to stop spinning. Sasame peered over the pew down on him. He heard Sasame's voice as if it were coming from beneath ocean waves. Gou, Gou, Gou, the waves roared, crashing over him. Hayate! Hajime! Shin! Kei! He called repeatedly. Hayate! Hajime! Shin! Kei! Kei! Kei! Kei! Cold water splashed on his face. He sputtered, and wiped it away with his arm. More poured on. He sat up and opened his eyes, seeing Sasame holding a bucket of water, ready to splash more on if needed. He put up his hand to ward him off. "Enough, Sasame! Enough!" he called out, the dread ebbed away quickly.
"What happened, Gou?" Sasame asked concerned.
Gou had no words to explain what had just occurred to him. "Did you trace her?" he asked, changing the subject, anxious to finish the task quickly.
Sasame nodded, "I think so."
Gou pulled himself up and dusted off his knees. He looked at his palms, but the injuries were superficial. "Let's go, man."
Hayate and Kei quit working instantly to respond to Gou's call. When they appeared at the old Church, they found Shin and Hajime wandering around the sanctuary confused. "You heard it too?" Hajime demanded.
They shook their heads yes. "It doesn't make sense," Hajime grumbled. "I'm sure they've removed their talismans by now."
Kei looked at the drying water and bucket lying on its side next to the pew Gou had been lying in minutes earlier. "Gou's wearing the velvet bag?" he asked, remembering his own journey fifteen months earlier. Shin had worn it when they went together. Shin nodded. "Maybe Gou's connecting through the velvet," he suggested.
"That's never happened before," conceded Hajime, "but then, Gou and Sasame have never gone together before, according to Mannen's notes."
"Think we can convince him to store them on the computer next time?" Kei complained. He hated the idea of having to skim all those journals for valuable information when it could be organized in databases and charts, and easily accessed.
"Why were they here?" asked Shin, worriedly.
Hayate perched on the lectern and surveyed the room carefully. "Takako," he said, surprising himself. The word hung between them in the room like a note lingering after a concert.
"If that's true," Kei said softly, "We're running out of time."
"I'm ready," Shin replied swiftly. Kei nodded.
"We'll have to wait for the next call," Hajime said ruefully.
Be careful, Sasame, Gou, Hayate pleaded silently, but there was no response.