Chapter 146A Cross that Bears

Both of us rushed to our clothes, they had been hung out nicely, nicely dried. Nuru really did think of everything. I gathered all my clothes and wanted to start dressing myself until I realized it wasn't that easy. I looked at Hitori, blushing, and he looked back with the same questioning look in his eyes. What would we do?

Hitori spoke first. "I can't dress outside, the woman is waiting there..."

I nodded meekly.

"With our backs to each other?

Again I nodded.

Slowly and very nervous I turned my back to him and started to undress. I felt very uncomfortable dressing myself in the company of someone else, let alone a guy. But... I wanted to share myself with him, to hold him close and feel him. If only I dared. I glanced back at him with only my clothes in front of me. I hadn't put anything on yet.

Why did I look now...

I looked at him and saw him trying to get dressed, looking as nervous as I did. His body looked good though... No! Don't think on that. Feverish I started to drop the clothes on the floor and get dressed. I was fully dressed before I dared to look again. Hitori was grinning a little, looking at me casually. Fully dressed as well.

In dirty clothes though, something had to be done about that. Later.

Hitori nodded towards the door to set me into motion again. It worked, my gears started grinding and moving again. I dashed to the door and opened it, seeing a worried Faith before me.

"What's going on?" I asked, Hitori falling in step behind me.

"You really won't believe me. Follow me!"

She turned around and ran through he corridors. Every now and then she looked behind to see if we were still behind her. We were. She didn't run as fast as she could, as Hitori still had to be able to keep up. We didn't head to the living-room but to the front door. Afentis was standing there, looking as calm as always, though there was an air of anger around him.

I was getting really worried.

"What's going on?" I really had to know.

"Look outside." Afentis opened the door.

There was a bright yellow light from outside, moving slightly. There was a loud sound that reminded me of a big campfire. In horror I stepped outside, wanting to see.

Through the gate I saw a pole in flames. Someone had placed a pole in front of the castle and put it alight. I held Hitori's hand while we walked through the gate, afraid of what to find on top of the pole.

But what we did find was strangely worse. What we saw was in another context a normal, even welcome object. It was something that gave people hope and faith, giving even the lonely people something to hold on to.

It was never my sign, but I knew it's value.'

A cross.

A burning cross.

The flames desecrated the form, made it darker, made it angry. Made it wrong.

A part of me was saddened by this display. Abuse of an object held so dearly by so many people. Who would do such a thing?

But the better question was...

Who had done it here?