Chapter Two - The Forbidden Lands

The hawk drew lazy circles in the sky, air thermals carrying it higher as the wind stirred its downy feathers. It flew above the vast expanse of plain and desert; of forest and water. Nearby were its fellow birds of prey, its kin, following the same cyclical motion far above the terrain. Above the towering mountain ranges it soared, forever bound to the clouds and the azure heavens from which it observed the earth below with an ever-watchful eye.

Wander knew the largeness of these lands already. He felt small, a tiny speck in a world of nature's massive creations; of an ancient people's towering temples. And he should never forget that he was merely an intruder on lands ruled by mountainous giants. He often wondered how it would feel to fly like these hawks. Would he then fully understand how massive these lands were? He hadn't nearly explored half of it, and yet he felt as if he'd gone a million miles already.

Exhaustion crept over him like the subtle blanket of night, weakening his limbs and numbing his mind. The reluctant hero was no stranger to this feeling. Every time he brought one of those massive beasts down, those walking mountains called Colossi, the adrenaline which gave him strength to fight seemed to just drain from his veins. He would rest for a day or two, and then continue on this fated mission. It had only been just under a day since he'd defeated the second Colossus, the slow-moving Taurus Major called Quadratus. Still fourteen more waited for him somewhere in the depths of this cursed world.

Wander slowly rose from his seated position by one of the two staircases in the stone temple where he stayed day after day. It was the Shrine of Worship, where he had arrived when first coming to the Forbidden Lands. Where he sought out the supernatural being Dormin, and where his quest had first been assigned to him. That day changed the future and it changed the past. For he knew that after all was said and done, after he had fulfilled the task of bringing down these sixteen beasts, he would never be the same. That was okay with him.

It was okay because of the driving force behind all this. The reason he came here, the reason he was fighting. Wander walked slowly over toward the flat stone slab in front of him and fixed his gaze on the fair-skinned woman lying lifeless upon it. She was his lover and his purpose. He could blame her for the sacrifices ahead, but he never would. He would do anything to once again feel her soft touch, and the comforting warmth of her breath on his neck. This was why he had come. He reminded himself every day that his quest was not in vain. The thought of her living again was the one thought on his mind every hour, every minute, every second. This was all worth it for her, his beloved Mono.

And how could he forget the one making this all possible? Wander turned and looked fondly at his one and only companion in this lonely world. The ebony stallion standing not far away kept him sane through the insanity that was his task. Without his steed Agro, this mission would never be deemed possible. He would be truly alone if not for this wonderful animal. He could do nothing without Agro. He would be nowhere, only lost in the depths of his grief.

These two beings were the fuel to Wander's fire. If he did not have a will otherwise, Mono and Agro would give his desperate mind this power. Determination crossed his weathered face. When he doubted himself and this task, all he needed to do was think of his lover and his steed. All would be well, then.

As Wander looked at Agro, he suddenly saw a look of discomfort cross the stallion's face. Nervously the horse nickered and started slowly backpedaling, casting fleeting glances to the light-filled, circular hole just above them; carved into the ceiling of the Shrine. It was where Dormin's voices would sound when They talked to Wander, telling him in cryptic riddle form where to find the next Colossus. But Dormin had already given Wander information about the fourth Colossus when he returned to the Shrine after defeating Quadratus. What could They want?

"What is it, boy?" Wander tentatively asked, stretching out his hand to the stallion. "Why are—"

His second question was quickly cut off as a steady rumbling filled the walls of the stone temple. Wander's heart leapt in fear – this had never happened before. Were the walls about to cave in? Was the temple, his sanctuary, about to collapse and leave him homeless?

He took Agro's reins with his outstretched hand and tried gathering the spooked horse to him. He was about to grab Mono, mount his steed and flee when Dormin's dream-like voice echoed off the walls of the temple.

"Wander…"

Wander glanced up warily. "Dormin? What is happening?"

There was no reply. The rumbling grew louder and the floor of the Shrine began to quake, as if the earth was about to swallow up the entire structure. Agro, however strong his will was to run, stayed faithfully by his master. Wander's hand was still gripped tightly around the horse's reins. He'd never let go.

His eyes were fixed on the circle, his heart pounding like thunder across the land. He found it difficult to keep his footing on the shaking stone, but he held on to Agro for support. As Wander watched in astonishment, a body came slowly floating down from the circle of light. He squinted to get a closer look and studied the body in more detail.

This was a muscular-looking man, dressed in a cobalt blue long-sleeved shirt and pants like the color of desert sand. He wore boots that were squared at the toes, with protective braces over them. He had a travel sack at his hip and armored gloves that extended from his forearms to his palms, leaving slits for his fingers to poke through. One shoulder was guarded by the same solid metal. There was a red cloth around his neck, and goggles around his forehead. The man had blonde hair slicked back, and a tuft of facial hair dotted his chin. But what Wander noticed most of all was the man's abnormally huge pointed ears. They stuck out on either side and were extremely hard to ignore.

Wander knew this man was not dead, for his body was not limp. He was very awake. He appeared to be immobile, but his dark-colored eyes were darting back and forth rapidly. They came to rest on Wander with hostile apprehension, and the Colossi-Slayer glanced away momentarily. What was going on?

The man was laid down softly on the stone floor, and immediately he jumped to his feet. As Wander watched, he put his hand down by his hip and grabbed air. Glancing down, the man appeared to be shocked and horrified to find that whatever he was searching for wasn't there anymore. There was fire in his eyes as he looked at Wander again, but Wander could sense vulnerability pulsating from him.

"Who the hell are you, where the hell am I, and what the hell is going on?!" the man demanded, and his deep, gravely tone caught Wander off guard. Rather, it was the anger that startled him most. He didn't know how to react, but he did know he couldn't answer the question. It had been forever since Wander had interacted with another human. If this male was even human at all. He couldn't take his eyes off those strange ears.

"Thou hast been sent here to complete a task…" Dormin said, startling Wander. The man looked up as well, far more apprehensive than Wander. He nearly collapsed on the floor, and was scanning the ceiling as if he'd see Dormin appearing from somewhere. Wander knew better than that.

"Me?" the man asked, incredulous. His attention was drawn from Wander to the circle of light.

Wander didn't know what to make of this. What did They mean? What was the motive for sending this strange man into the Forbidden Lands? His head was swimming as he awaited Dormin's next words. His heart was heavy with dread.