Chapter 3: Lakes and Ruins

"There must be more rooms and places within this great building, I imagine?"

Monolith was seated with her back to one of the rooftop garden's pillars, sword laid across the ground in front of her. She had the scabbard in her hands and was trying to figure out a way to make it safer for her to use, so she could avoid stabbing herself in the back again.

"Of course, but much of this place has collapsed," she replied. "Passages have caved, and doors have been jammed shut. Stairs have crumbled."

Mono had recently finished nursing the strange infant and was walking around the garden, looking through its roof towards where the rest of the Shrine rose higher. "How come the building still stands? All the ruins here are older than anything I know of."

"Magic," Monolith grunted. "The gods and humans built these places together. The war destroyed a lot of it...not enough magic remained to keep whatever was left standing in one piece."

Mono was silent for a while, continuing her slow pacing around the garden. One of the nimble fawns bounded by her, chasing a dove.

"Don't ask me about the animals," Monolith grumbled. "I have no bloody clue how they got here."

"That sword looks almost too big for you," the woman said in reply, coming around the side of the pillar.

"I probably used to be bigger," Monolith replied, irritated. "Bigger, stronger, and more capable. What kind of pathetic being stabs themselves in the back with their own sword?"

Mono knelt down next to her. "No human could wield something like that. So it must be a god, then, that can. Since you seem to think so little of us, you should be reassured that you are at least better than we are."

"I am a shadow of my former self," she growled. "Barely worth being called a 'god'. And I don't think so little of humans…"

Mono gave her a look. "Perhaps you shouldn't project your insecurities about yourself onto other people, and then you won't."

Monolith ground her teeth together audibly. That one hurt.

"Don't you humans discourage women to talk so frankly?" she said through her clenched teeth.

"We do, but I'm smart enough to know when to be a good little girl and when I don't have to," the woman replied. "And, last time I checked, there wasn't a man around to tell me what to do. So I'm going to tell you, you need to stop feeling so sorry for yourself. It's painful to watch."

Monolith threw down the scabbard, anger knotting in her chest. "I am not - argh!" she couldn't bring herself to defend her sullen mood, because she knew Mono was overwhelmingly right. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, stony brows low over her eyes.

"You're ridiculous," Mono snorted. "I didn't know gods were so childlike."

Monolith snarled and threw her arms up, getting to her feet and storming away from the woman. "Leave me alone!"

Mono compiled, and Monolith curled up in a corner of the garden, fuming. Her whiskers were pinned back against her cheeks, stiff with anger. The acrid scent the emotion produced was overwhelming.

I really am acting like a child.

She risked a glance over her shoulder, seeing Mono half-hidden behind one of the pillars. Her sword and scabbard were in front of the pillar, untouched.

Her pride hurt. And that seemed to be a strange thing to feel, seeing how down on herself she had been. A moment ago, it would have seemed like she had no pride left to be wounded.

I am not scary enough? I thought the humans feared the gods. But even as she thought it, she knew it wasn't true. The ancient humans certainly hadn't; respected, yes, but never feared. There wasn't much of a reason for the modern humans to either, seeing how most of the gods had been forgotten to time. If she had to guess, she'd say that the modern human only read about the gods in books, and heard about them in sermons. But their long absence from memory would have relegated them to nothing more than mystical idols.

She wrapped her arms around her knees, ruffling the regrowing fur. Mono was over by Agro now, petting the mare's nose. The horse smelt of pain, but of happiness and love at the same time. It was such a pure, beautiful scent.

The animal is more noble than I. Monolith shoved the scents out of her mind, but she couldn't help but look over at the creature, who was watching Mono with liquid eyes.

The horse knows her. There is no doubt. And if the horse knew Mono, then Mono probably knew who the rider had been. But, so far, she had been very vague and tight-lipped on the subject. Monolith felt an urge to bring up the subject, to try and dig at the woman, but it faded as fast as it had came, replaced by guilt.

This fighting is pointless. She was wasting her time, and her energy. She stood and walked back to the pillar, kneeling to pick up her blade.

"We should be going to the next colossus," she said, voice level and eyes unreadable. Mono looked over her shoulder and nodded in agreement.

They walked out of the Shrine in silence, Monolith leading the way. She didn't look back at the mortal woman, but kept her eyes fixed to the east, where her soul was calling. The only sound besides their footfalls was the occasional babble of Mono's strange child.

Monolith hunched her shoulders. The child still made her uncomfortable.

They entered a path along the cliffs, the wind whistling past their ears. The stone wall to their right threw long shadows, their coolness making Monolith's skin crawl. The shadows in this place seemed unnatural, as if they had some ounce of consciousness to them. She could sense this mysterious presence with new certainty; it smelled of ice and wind.

The path wound onwards like a serpent, eventually turning from the cliff and into a narrow pass. The fuzzy outlines of ruins were visible to Monolith's eyes, and her soul called from somewhere within. She could smell water, fresh water.

They reached the edge of a lake, the water coming upon them quite suddenly. There was no way to continue but swim; the ruins were far out of reach. The bank was a steep cliff, providing no easy means of returning to dry land.

Mono stopped and took a seat at the edge of the bank, saying nothing. Monolith didn't bother to look at her; if the mortal wasn't going to say anything, then she wasn't going to waste her breath either.

She stepped to the edge of the bank and dropped to a crouch, staring at the water. Her eyes were too weak to see how deep the lake was; the water was a dark, obscure sheen. There was no point in waiting around, so she took a breath and dove right in.

The chill hit her like a slap to the face. She spluttered a bit upon resurfacing; Mono definitely snorted at her struggling. She ground her teeth together and swam away, heading for a low arch in the ruins. It looked like her only way through.

She took a breath and dove, entering the arch. Chunks of stone had broken off here and there, making the facade irregular. The rest of the ruin was lost to the dark depths. She moved quickly through the arch, lungs protesting at having to hold their breath.

You lasted over two thousand years without taking a single breath, and now you complain about a few seconds underwater? I despise being this close to earthly mortality.

She resurfaced on the other side, a tower rising in front of her. A carved ladder ran up its side, which she gratefully climbed, glad to be out of the cold lake. At least she left behind only a small cloud of dirt and dead skin in the water, compared to the horrific pollution she had been shedding before.

The ladder led up to a bridge, crossing more of the dark lake. The bridge connected to another tower; she ascended a short staircase and walked onto its fence-lined balcony, marveling at the ruins spreading around her. Pillars and towers rose from the water, moss crawling up their sides. The building she stood upon rose yet higher, grand arches and spires holding on to their last bits of ancient glory. The lake itself was quite large, nestled in a bowl formed by the imposing cliffs.

The piece of her soul was somewhere in the lake, hidden amongst the ruins. She wasn't looking forwards to more swimming, but it wasn't like she had a choice.

The iron fence surrounding the balcony had a gap in its bottom, where a corner of stone had crumbled away. She dropped to all fours and crawled through the gap, pressing her belly to the ground to avoid scraping her back on the jagged fence. She tumbled headfirst into the water and swam away with a kick of her feet, moving under the surface of the water.

It was eerie and dark in the lake; she felt like some levithan might rise from the depths and swallow her. She pushed aside the thought and kept swimming; hopefully the colossus would have scared away any other monsters.

She rounded a ruin and stopped, surprised. The moss-covered corpse of the colossus was floating on the surface of the lake. Made of stone. And floating.

She rubbed her eyes, making sure she was seeing correctly. The magic of the vessel must've been strong enough to counteract physical law...magic had a way of doing weird things like that.

I guess it is sensible...perhaps the colossus cannot swim well, so they made it to float. These ruins may have been dry when the colossi were first created as well...perhaps they did not plan to have their arena flooded, and the poor beast became trapped when it did.

Either way, she wasn't looking forwards to fighting in the water. Her swimming was painfully slow, and she doubted she could dodge blows from her foe with efficiency. Hopefully, she could wield her sword well enough to parry them.

The beast looked strangely small, but much of it was hidden under the water. She swam up to it and set a hand on its surface, stone with almost the texture of leather, growing moss and mildew. The fur on the beast's back was soggy and clogged with pond scum.

Ew. She hauled herself up onto the soggy surface, the corpse bobbing unsteadily. She had the chance to get on top of the beast before it was even awake; might as well take it.

She knelt and put her hands to the surface below her. The souls were swirling around angrily; they didn't like being stuck in the water.

I call you back to life!

The colossus jerked sharply, water around it surging. Its head erupted from the surface, bucking wildly. Monolith was thrown sideways as the beast flailed, body rolling.

It has wings! The colossus was beating its avian appendages against the water's surface. The magic on its wings was very taut, the kind of spells required to give the stone beast the ability to fly complicated beyond what Monolith thought would be possible for humans. A swimming colossus, sure. But a flying one? That was magic of a very high degree. Some of her own people weren't even capable of flight, and they were many times more powerful than humans.

Fly it could, but the colossus wasn't very good at swimming, mostly moving in circles. Monolith almost felt bad for it as it flailed, emitting cries like a trapped hawk.

The colossus' taloned feet found some broken piece of the ruins below it, and it surged upwards, body breaking through the surface. Its wings beat downwaters, free of the grip of the water, and the colossus sprang into the air. Monolith was buffeted from its back by the sudden movement, hands slipping from the wet fur. She tumbled head over heels back into the water, bouncing off the colossus' long tail as she went.

She resurfaced, watching the colossus fly away. Curses. I guess nothing can be easy.

Despite its size, the avian beast was very good at getting lost amongst the ruins. Monolith swam after it until she realized it was a lost cause; she snorted, shook her head, and turned for the nearest piece of dry ground.

The colossus came screaming around the corner of a ruin, water in front of its wings thrown into the air. Its stone talons kicked forwards; Monolith yelped and dove under water as the beast passed overhead. It squalled angrily, flapping away to turn for another pass. Monolith dragged herself into an archway in one of the ruins; the colossus went blazing by the entrance, wind buffeting through the tunnel.

If I had my wings...Monolith impatiently cut off the thought. She'd killed the first three colossi with sharp metal bars attached to tree branches. She had a pretty good track record so far, despite her seemingly hopeless situation.

And a mortal did it, so…

She peered out of the tunnel. The colossus was circling above the lake, more peaceful now that its quarry had gone to unreachable places.

I need to get on it somehow. Either by jumping from the ground or disabling the magic it uses to fly. While the colossus had still been a corpse, she had seen how intense its magic was. It took a lot of effort and careful design to make a stone beast fly. Even after the damage it had sustained when the mortal had fought it, the magic had healed near to perfectly once it had been repowered. And it seemed to be working just fine.

I haven't yet gained my ability to harness magical energy, so I won't be disabling anything anytime soon.

She waited until the colossus had passed overhead, and dove from her shelter, hiding in the shadow of the ruin. She flipped over to her back as she swam, so she could watch for the colossus' return. It eventually appeared over the top of the ruins; upon spotting her, its eyes glowed angry orange.

Perhaps when it dove, she could grab onto one of its feet…

A good idea, but not a fruitful one. The colossus moved alarmingly fast, and its talons were smooth stone, nothing to get a grip on. Instead, she found herself thrown along the surface of the water, skipping like a stone. Her chest felt like someone had thrown a brick against her sternum.

The colossus was swooping around for another pass, so she dove under the water and let the shadow fly overhead. She needed solid ground, something she could jump from. But none of the ruins seemed suitable for that.

All of a sudden, there was a wall of stone bricks in front of her. She stopped suddenly, reeling with surprise. Her weak eyes hadn't spotted the structure through the murk of the lake, even when it was only a few strokes away. She resurfaced, spluttering, to see what the structure was.

Three squares of stone, in a line, flush with the surface of the water.

Well, I think these will be useful.

She hauled herself onto one of the platforms, shaking her wet fur miserably. The colossus passed by overhead, shrieking. It flapped to the edge of the caudera and tilted its wings to turn.

Monolith quickly stood up, bending her knees. The colossus swooped downwards, stone beak opening savagely. It flew at her like a bullet, talons kicked forwards and wings extended wide from its body. The water of the lake surged up around it, pushed away by the wind of its passing.

She leapt for the beast, eyes fixed on the green-tinted fur on the front of its wings. Her hands contacted the mildewed surface and latched on tight; she was thrown down against the beast's wing, its momentum barely disrupted by her impact. The colossus pulled into a climb, wings beating downwards, lake shrinking away below them.

Monolith found herself frozen with fear and shock as the beast climbed; it was only once it began to flap its wings, threatening to toss her off, that she regained the movement in her limbs. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, her chest still emaciated enough that the rapid movement was visible.

Flying is a wonderful experience, but only when you're the one with the wings!

The colossus leveled out, wings stabilizing. Monolith dragged herself onto the beast's shoulder, feeling for the nuances of its magic. The energy was concentrated on its wings and tail, the portions of its body necessary for flight. At the tips of its wings and tail, where its body was thinnest, the magic was stretched tight, nearest to the surface.

Of course the weakest points on this beast aren't on its body...that would've been too easy. Monolith winced as the colossus shrieked, sound grating her ears. The streaming fur on its back ran all the way down its long tail, but not all the way down its wings. She would have to make a run for each wingtip, praying that the beast did not choose that moment to flap.

Maybe we should handle the tail first…

She oriented herself with her nose to her chosen destination, trying to ignore the constant dropping feeling in her stomach. The colossus' long tail was held out straight behind it, tilting ever so slightly whenever the beast ruddered. Monolith waited until the colossus completed another turn away from the rising cliffs before starting to move, loping on all fours down its back. She kept her eyes fixed on the end of its tail, refusing to look down as she left its body behind.

She felt like she was running down the length of a ribbon. It was terrifying.

The end of the colossus' tail was a round, almost fanlike shape, with five serrated points. Had Monolith been in a safer situation, she would've been fascinated to study the aerodynamics of the beast and how it flew, a mix of magic and physics. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

She drew her sword from her back, wind whistling with a piercing hum around the edge of the blade. The colossus shrieked, almost as if speaking to the sound. It flapped once, almost making Monolith drop her sword. She ground her teeth together and drew her weapon back, sourly cursing her shaky hands.

She drove the sword through the beast's tail, rewarded by an ear-piercing shriek of pain. The colossus tucked in its wings and dove into a spiral. Monolith, this time, actually did drop her sword.

She regained her grip on the bleeding tail, growling in frustration. Once the colossus leveled out again; she held her hand out. Her blade dutifully reappeared in her fist, and she drove it through the tail for a second, then third time. The magic snapped beneath the blade's biting edge and the colossus flapped frantically, ruddering lost. The magic from its wings quickly spread to its tail, stabilizing it. The colossus had gone into another death spiral in the meantime, though this one was more of an uncontrolled tumble. It pulled out of its fall just above the surface of the lake, close enough that Monolith saw their shadow on the rippling surface.

She hastily sheathed her sword over her back and started to climb back up the colossus' tail. She paused for a rest on its back, surveying the length of its wings. From the best she could tell, it did not flap often, preferring instead to glide, conserving its magical energy. It flew back and forth across the lake, turning once it encountered the walls of the caldera. It never once tried to approach the exit to the ruins, the path that ran away from this flooded place. Something held it here, more tethers of magic.

Probably a good thing; the humans would probably be terrified if a giant, stone bird swooped over their village.

The beast had leveled out, completing a turn. Monolith inhaled deeply and ran for its left wingtip, practically diving onto the patch of fur. She clung there for a moment, regaining her composure, and withdrew her sword from her back. The bird chose that moment to flap, and she yelped like a scared dog as she was tossed about, clinging on by just one hand. The colossus leveled out, and she plunged her blade through its wing, withdrawing it quickly so she could hold on with both hands as the beast screamed and flipped upside down. The fluid spraying from its wing was vanquished almost immediately by the fierce wind that was whipping around them.

The magic had already been broken, with only one strike. Giving the colossus the ability to fly had made it a dangerous foe, but also a glass cannon.

But Monolith still had one more wing to pierce, across two stretches of unforgiving stone. And the colossus was beating its wings with even more ferocity, magic just able to keep it airborne.

She judged her next move the best she could, waiting until the beast had leveled out and seemed unlikely to flap in the next few seconds. She bolted for its back, feet hitting the stone surface of its wing. She had misjudged; the colossus lifted its wings in preparation for a powerful downstroke and she was thrown onto its back. She bounced and rolled, skittering towards the edge of the beast's back. Her hands clawed for a hold desperately, and she just barely managed to grab hold of a handful of fur, stopping her fall. Her feet kicked out into empty air; she ground her teeth together so hard she felt blood spring up from her gums. Bending her arms, she hauled herself back onto the colossus' back and to safety. She lay flat on her belly, panting while her heart pounded out of her chest. Her whiskers were whipping around her face in the wind, stone beads whacking obnoxiously against her cheeks.

Too close. Way too close.

She shakily got to her feet. There was only one spot left for her. She could do it.

The colossus leveled out, wings spread wide. She bolted for the end of its wing, dashing on all fours. She dove to safety, grabbing the fur of the wingtip just before it dipped away from her, the stone beast tilting into a turn. Her feet skittered and she slid towards the far-away ground, fur twisting under her hands. The colossus completed its turn.

She withdrew her sword from her back and plunged it through the beast's wing without hesitation.

The blade pierced through the fur and flesh, breaking through the underside of the wing. She ripped it free, grey fluid spraying from the jagged wound. The colossus gave a strangled cry, wings locking up. It tilted forwards and began to fall, light gone from its eyes.

Monolith held on tight to the stiffened wing, praying that the body of the colossus would soften her impact against the surface of the lake.

The beast broke through the water with a resounding crack, like it had struck against solid ground. The impact travelled through its body, hitting Monolith so hard she lost her grip on its wing. Her sword went flying out of her hand, cutting through the surface of the lake and vanishing.

She went tumbling into the water, flailing her arms. She resurfaced with a splutter, trying to find where the colossus had gone to.

The stone corpse hadn't bobbed to the surface yet, but there were colorful tendrils streaming from the water, so she knew where it was anyways. She paddled over to the zone, searching for souls she recognized.

My friend! There was another gold tendril amongst the masses, and it was hanging near the silvery pieces of her own soul. She reached her hand out, inviting the fragments into her body. Her own soul approached joyfully, the golden one trailing behind. It followed her soul through her skin, joining with the other fragment of itself.

She felt something shift amongst the pieces of her soul. There were now more masculine pieces than feminine.

Monolith lifted his head, feeling a warmth run through his body, dispelling the cold of the water. His spine was elongating, forming a tail. It resembled the tail of the colossus he had just slain, and he knew it was his own.

A tail by which to rudder, but yet no wings. He was disappointed; a soul with the ability to fly would have surely resided in that colossus, helping to stabilize the magic it used. Flight was no small feat, even for the gods.

At least I can say I am halfway there. Wings without a tail was just as useless as a tail without wings.

And the tail was helpful for another thing; swimming.

He kicked his legs, lunging forwards in the water. He undulated his tail, and it sped him along the surface with great speed. When he returned to the low arch that had led him into the flooded arena, he dove smoothly and swam through the tunnel with the efficiency of an otter.

He burst from the water on the other side, shaking his head to shed the water from the whiskers dangling from his muzzle. Mono was sitting on the top of the steep bank, looking down at him, holding the strange child in her arms. She looked away after a moment, saying nothing.

Monolith poked along the edge of the bank until he found the easiest place to climb up. Once at the top, he shook himself vigorously, chasing the water out of his patchy fur. While his limbs were still mostly hairless, his pelt had grown down his back from his head to the tip of his tail. There were two furless slashes between his shoulders, where his wings should've been.

He stood up, shoulders high, and walked over to Mono. She looked up at him as he approached, expression hidden.

He could sense that she was still annoyed with him. And he was still annoyed with her.

"I think you grew taller," she said.

He looked down at his feet, patchy hair growing on his shins. "I probably did."

She got up, replacing the horned child in the carrier on her back. "I could see the colossus from here. I never would have expected one to fly."

"It was a feat of magical engineering," Monolith said. "The magic that went into that beast was extraordinary."

"I can't believe he killed all these things," Mono muttered, quiet enough that another human wouldn't have heard, but Monolith did.

He looked back to the lake and held out his hand. His sword reappeared in his grasp, and he held it with renewed strength and balance.

"I acquired another piece of my friend's soul," he said. "He was not split into nearly as many pieces as I, and I wonder if I will be able to fully reconstruct him. Though I have no physical body to offer to him as a vessel."

"A soul without a body is but a ghost," Mono said, repeating an old phase she had learned from her mother.

"A human soul," Monolith corrected. "A soul of greater power has more sway."

"But still, in the grand scheme of things, is but a specter," Mono replied.

Monolith dipped his head. "You speak true, my lady."

They began the walk back to the Shrine, maintaining the somewhat-uncomfortable silence they had arrived in. Mono seemed steadily unconcerned with the matter; she smelled of cool neutrality. But there were hints of turbulence.

She is indeed a steady creature. Monolith felt a little guilty about his unwanted coddling treatment towards the mortal, but he wasn't about to apologize. Not while his pride was still hurt from her words.

"Have you remembered anything else?" she finally asked as they walked the cliffside path.

Monolith shook his head. "My friend's soul had nothing but peaceful memories of the time before the war, as did mine. My memories of my life of peace are almost complete."

"When will your memories become fruitful?" Mono sighed. "Dormin was vanquished by the humans, but they were unable to kill him, so they cut him into sixteen pieces, which they sealed inside the colossi. My ancestors dedicated their lives to defeating him."

"And yet, he was still powerful enough to convince a human to free him," Monolith grumbled. "With all the souls he had amassed from my allies, he must have been unspeakably powerful. Too powerful for the humans to slay."

"It is a cruel fate indeed, for my people to have tried so hard, yet foiled so easily," Mono muttered. "I wish I had not this part to play…"

"If not you, then someone else in the future," Monolith told her. "Another thousand years, another thousand chances. Magic is strong, but never unbreakable."

"And where are we now?" Mono said, voice edging on helpless. "What of Dormin? We can tell he was not reborn, for if he was, the world would be in chaos. He is the most evil of gods. But such a being cannot simply vanish."

"I pray something befell him, and he was slain," Monolith growled. "He deserves no less."

"I pray for the safety of my people," Mono whispered. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

Monolith bowed his head. "He may be hiding out in the Higher Lands, seeking a body to possess. The magical energies of our homeland nourish our souls and clear our minds. The other souls freed from the colossi have all gone there, to recover from their terrible imprisonment. After such a long time in chains, the soul is weakened."

"How does one get to the Higher Lands?" the woman asked.

"Godly souls can freely access the Higher Lands," Monolith told her, "but a godly body requires the heart of a soul to transcend. I also require my ability to fly."

"Can humans go to the Higher Lands?" she asked.

Monolith shook his head. "The magical energies are too strong, and would destroy a mortal body."

"Too bad," Mono said. "I would have liked to see Dormin's demise, though if he is up there, I guess I cannot. To see it and know it is real, and that my people are safe."

"You refer to your people," Monolith inquired. "Are you some sort of royalty?"

The woman looked suddenly secretive. "I have allegiance to my kin, friends, and acquaintances," she said ambiguously. "I care about them as if they were all my own."

She smelled of guilt. And of sadness.

Monolith looked away. Unraveling the mystery of Dormin was one thing; this woman was a completely different game.

"Blasted lizard!"

Monolith dove after the reptile just as it's silvery tail vanished around the corner of the small shrine, hitting the ground with empty hands. Mono was standing nearby, arms crossed with a sort of unamused expression.

Monolith shook his head angrily, letting out a huff. The had been wandering for quite a long time, first through a heavily-wooded grove, and now on the edge of a great expanse of desert. In the woods, they had been going in circles unwittingly, unable to find the path out. The tall trunks and thick growth made traversal difficult, leading to nothing but frustration.

Monolith peered around the corner of the shrine; the lizard had climbed up its side, staying out of reach from the ground. He reached up and grabbed the edge of stone projecting from the shrine, pulling himself up. The lizard was sunning itself on the wall of the building, still just out of reach. Monolith crouched, eyes fixed on the reptile. He jumped, feet scrabbling against the wall, hands reaching. The lizard squeaked and ran, little feet in a flurry. Monolith's fingers came down on its tail; it detached and the rest of the lizard ran away unscatched.

Monolith frowned, clutching the tail. I guess this will have to do.

He was still chewing on the morsel as he descended the shrine, returned to where Mono was patiently waiting for him. She was looking out towards the desert, where the sun was bright and ruins projected from the sand like the masts of a sunken ship.

"There's another beam of light out there," she said.

"I can't see it," Monolith replied. "But I do feel a piece of my soul out there. It's call is weak."

He was currently focused on a strong call coming from the south. Walls of stone, both natural and unnatural, rose around that point, hiding it from sight.

"I have been thinking," Mono said as they approached the rising cliffs. "Every colossi you kill, you release all the souls from within it, and they rise dramatically into the sky. They are going to the Higher Lands, like you said, and there they can rest and regain their strength. If two pieces of the same soul encounter, can they reassemble themselves, even without a host body?"

Monolith nodded. "Most likely, if they recognize each other. The souls I have released will be seeking each other, and bodies as well. Though the gods have been gone from the Higher Lands for a very long time, the magical creatures of that realm should have persisted. They will make for weak hosts at best, but hosts nevertheless."

"So the gods may return," the woman questioned carefully.

"Indeed," Monolith replied. "And that is why it is of utmost importance that I regain my powers. Many of Dormin's supporters were trapped inside the colossi with him, and now that they are freed, they may try to reassemble. I must return to the Higher Lands and restore order, before they have a chance to regain their strength."

"You have regained five parts of your soul," Mono mused. "By the time you have regained them all, all the gods will be freed as well. Will it not be too late?"

Monolith shook his head. "Even with my soul intact, I will not be at my full energies for many days. Neither will they, and I have the advantage of not having to search for the pieces of my soul once they are released."

They had reached a crumbling ruin, a temple front set into the rising cliffs. The facade was tall and severe, columns and piers separated by empty arches. There was a path open at its base, blocked in part by many collapsed stones. Beyond the cave-in, stairs led downwards, below a grand arch decorated with geometric designs, a great sunburst at its center.

Monolith's eyes set on the sunburst. "I know these symbols," he said. "This temple belongs to one of my greatest fellows, a being of warmth and life. He brought together the dust of one thousand comet tails, shaped it into a ball, and breathed fire into it, creating the sun."

"We have a legend like that," Mono told him. "But the god trapped himself inside the ball of dust and fire because he was hiding from his wife, the moon."

Monolith snorted decisively. "Hiding from the moon? That's ridiculous. They weren't even married."

"Do you remember what happened to the sun and moon gods?" Mono asked.

Monolith's eyes glazed over, trying to remember. "No, no I can't."

He hopped over the first set of fallen stones, pausing to make sure Mono was able to follow. She climbed somewhat awkwardly, balancing the infant on her back, but refused his offered hand nevertheless. Feeling a little snubbed, he hopped off the stone and started down the stairs, beneath the great sunburst.

The stairs wound downwards, broken in places and littered with pieces of stone. Here and there, blocks had fallen from the walls, providing more obstacles to climb over. Hopping over them, Monolith hit his tail against rough edges once or twice, forgetting to hoist his reacquired appendage over the ground. He flicked his tail irritably, trying to shake off the sting of a particularly sharp stone, and only succeeded in slapping it against the ground, making the ache intensify.

Bloody hell. Do I really need this thing?

He was so absorbed in his irritation he almost walked off the edge of the ruins, where the building suddenly expanded into a great balcony, overlooking a shattered courtyard.

"By gods…" he heard Mono mutter behind him. At the end of the courtyard was a massive, slumped figure that could only be the slain colossus. It had left a trail of shattered stones and rubble in its wake.

"It has certainly made a mess of this place," Monolith commented. "You should stay up here, my lady. It is a long climb down."

"I do agree with that," the woman replied, and took her seat at the edge of the balcony. The infant on her back babbled and waved its arms, asking for attention.

Monolith, still feeling acutely uncomfortable with the child, quickly began his descend down, a dizzying crawl to the torn grass below. He moved hand over hand, feeling too unsure to try and move much faster than a sloth's pace. The wind whipped briskly around, but not strong enough to shake him from his perch. He reached the ground unscathed, pausing for a moment to massage his fingers.

It was a long walk to the corpse of the colossus. It must have shattered through the many rows of stone that intersected the courtyard; what else could have broken them? The jagged edges were fresh, unworn by wind and rain like the rest of the ruins were. Monolith crossed the rubble, feeling his heart start to beat anxiously.

The colossus was slumped in an unrecognizable pile, covered in sprigs of grass. It had fallen in front of a long, covered porch, the end of the courtyard. It must have chased the human here, and then met its fate.

The human must have used the cover of the porch to some advantage. A good note to make, for it would probably be necessary.

Monolith knelt next to the corpse, putting a hand on the dusted surface. The souls inside were sitting grumpily, segregated as usual into their two groups. He could feel the piece of his, glowing strong. It responded to his touch, straining against the bonds that held it.

Then come alive, and break free!

The mound shuddered as the colossus reawoke, dirt spilling from its sides. Monolith darted into the shelter of the porch, crouching against the back wall as the beast rose. It rumbled deep in its chest, massive hands flexing. It stood up fully, shaking a head adorned with a most impressive beard.

It does not know I am in here. The beast seemed unconcerned, facing away from the covered porch. It took a step away on its stone hooves, ground shaking. Monolith tiptoed forwards, bow in hand. He drew an arrow, aimed for the beast's broad back, and fired. The shot hit true, and the colossus snorted angrily, head swinging around. Monolith replaced his bow over his back and bent his knees, preparing for the beast's attack.

It took a step towards the porch, eyes turning orange. One hand made a slow swipe at Monolith; he quickly stepped back, into the full shelter of the porch. The colossus followed him, grumbling. It seemed confused by the porch, hiding from view the small creature that had attacked it. With the sound of stone grating against stone, it crouched down to peer between the columns, putting its left hand against the ground.

The pendulous beard was almost brushing the ground. Monolith had no doubt about what the human had done.

He bolted for the beard, leaping from the ground and latching onto the long hairs. The colossus jolted back, surprised by the sudden movement. Monolith wasted no time, scrambling up to the beast's shoulder. From there, he could feel the magic pulsing beneath his feet, strained thin in three places.

On his hand? Well, that would certainly be tricky. The nearest spot was atop its head, unsurprisingly. Monolith clambered to the spot, unsheathing his sword. The colossus bucked mightily, tossing him about. He yelped and gripped tight, managing to keep his footing. When the colossus abated for a moment, he plunged his sword through its skull, rewarded with a great fountain of grey fluid. The magic bent, but didn't snap, so he stabbed it again, the colossus bellowing in pain.

One down! He half-climbed, half-fell to a safer place at the base of the beast's neck. The next spot was on the left side of its back, quite low down. Should his hands become weary, he would have to climb back up the beast's back to find a place to rest.

I should pace myself. He waited until the colossus had finished its round of shaking, and started to descend. The fur down its back was interspaced by ridges of stone, blue-grey in color. The mottling of its earthy skin was almost beautiful.

Unfortunate. Monolith had no qualms about driving his sword into the creature's back, except for when it flung him around mightily. He gritted his teeth and held on until he could stab again, feeling the magic break. He retreated to his safe perch on the beast's back, feeling a little more confident in himself than he had in awhile.

This is going...alright.

But the last weak point was on the back of the beast's left hand, and there was no clear path for him to climb down the thick, leathery arm. A ring of stone rounded its bicep, and others around its wrist. Besides those items, there was nothing else to grab onto.

Monolith edged to the front of the beast's shoulder, hands and feet gripping the stone that guarded its shoulder. The colossus was walking, arms swinging with each step. He watched the left hand move forwards, then back.

He pushed himself off the shoulder, hands reaching. The arm swung forwards, and he bounced down its length, missing the ring around the bicep but landing just above the stones around its wrist. He managed to grab them just as the colossus snorted and lifted its hand, trying to spot the interloper on its wrist. He quickly skirted around the ring, making his way to the back. The colossus shook its hand angrily, and he was tossed about. His tail slapped the back of the beast's hand, and he felt the magic pulse angrily.

It was very strained, being the only point at which the magic was still intact. He drew his sword from his back, letting himself swing downwards with the motion of the colossus, and stabbed the great blade through its hand. The beast bellowed in pain, muscles tightening. Its head was thrown back, and it took a last, stumbling step before tilting towards the ground, colorful souls spilling from the puncture on both sides of its hand.

Monolith was tossed, landing ungainly. The piece of his soul practically slapped him across the face as it entered his body, so excited it was to be reunited with its host. He grunted, stumbling to his feet. His legs felt heavier, and when he looked down, he could see rings of stone appearing above his knees, stacking themselves upwards to form armor for his thighs and hips. With the armor came heaviness, but also strength and confidence.

He inhaled deeply, sheathing his sword over his back. The other souls were untangling themselves above the colossus, and shooting off into the sky.

His eyes widened, spotting a green tendril. Wait! He cried, reaching out to the fragment. He recognized it. It was a healer's soul.

I need your help, he pleaded with the tendril, which had paused in its climb into the sky. I remember you. You were always behind our armies, ready to throw yourself into danger to save the injured. You were a hero. I have another soldier that needs healing.

The soul drifted uncertainly towards him, considering its options. It was only a fragment, and for sure the rest of itself was out there somewhere, if it went looking for it. But it recognized the being standing before it as its commander.

The tendril wound around Monolith's outstretched hand, snaking up his arm. It absorbed through his skin, and he felt infused with great energy and comfort.

The healer's memories flashed through his mind. Running from shattered building to shattered building, dragging the injured to safety, energy flowing from his hands to heal them. The roof above him exploded, and he was thrown to the ground. Stone rained down above him, trapping his legs. A great shadow reared overhead; Dormin.

Monolith broke free from the memory with a gasp. He shivered angrily, wrapping his arms around himself. Despicable coward, stealing the souls of peaceful healers.

He started back for the towering wall, the figure of Mono just barely visible at the top. The climb upwards seemed a lot farther now that he was at the bottom, rather than at the top.

Bother. He wasn't going to get to the top by complaining. Better start climbing.

He hauled himself onto the balcony, panting with exertion, whiskers drooping. He dragged himself away from the edge and flopped down on his belly, limbs splayed.

"Long climb?" Mono asked coyly. Monolith grumbled angrily, tail twitching.

Once his legs no longer felt like jelly, he stood and brushed the dust from his chest, preserving what pride he had. "I have obtained a piece of a healer's soul," he told the mortal woman. "I can heal your horse, I believe."

"Then we must move quickly," Mono replied. "I want her to suffer no more."

They fled back to the Shrine with great speed, almost unbelievable for a woman carrying an infant and a god with only part of his soul. They crested the wide steps of the grand building with heavy breaths; they had not spoken a word during the journey, so fast they had been walking.

"Learn anything else important?" Mono asked between breaths.

"Dormin is scum," were the only words Monolith could manage to get out.

They climbed to the rooftop garden at a much slower speed, Mono pausing to smooth out her dress, almost too self-consciously. Or at least Monolith thought it was too self-conscious.

The horse was standing in a circle of doves; when they approached, the birds fled. She raised her head and nickered, eyes bright despite her pain. She hobbled over to Mono, who took the mare's muzzle in her hands.

Monolith knelt next to the mare's injured leg, placing his hand on her flank. He could feel the pulsing of the blood through the injured site, the shattered bone unsuccessfully trying to reform. The horse had another fracture in the same leg, and a small one in her hip. They were slowly wearing her out, the pain drawing the life from her.

Monolith shut his eyes. Such a brave beast deserves to be treated like a true hero, not left to die in banishment.

Energy flowed from his hands, palms glowing green, like new growth. The energy had the warmth of the summer sun, the sweetness of a flower's scent, and the briskness of flowing water. It wreathed around the injuries; bone mended, tissues sealed, and inflammation vanished. The mare snorted, head lifting and eyes brightening. Monolith took the splint from her leg and she tentatively pressed her hoof to the ground. Feeling no pain, she nickered with great joy, head turning to observe her healer with thankful eyes. The scent of her joy was so strong it was almost overpowering.

Monolith placed his hand against the mare's cheek. "Anything for such a brave creature as you."

"Her name is Agro," Mono told him. "I can't recall if I told you that before, but you should know."

"It is good to make your acquaintance, Agro," Monolith said to the horse. "I hope your memories are clear, for once I can read them, I am sure you hold many answers."

After that act of healing, he felt drained. Moving from the horse, he took a seat against a column. "I must rest," he told Mono. "Healing takes much energy from the soul. And I would like time to reflect on my journey so far."

"Take whatever time you need," Mono replied, petting Agro's nose. "I can rest easier now that Agro is healed."

Monolith tilted his head back against the column. "That horse means a great deal to you, does she not? Is she your horse?"

"Not really," the woman replied, averting her gaze. "I didn't do a lot of riding in my lifetime."

Monolith looked away. "She belongs to the person who brought you here, to bring you back to life. That as much is obvious."

"Of course," Mono muttered. "Of course he would."

"You sound like you do not like this guy," Monolith quipped. "An unwanted suitor, was he perhaps?"

"It's more complicated than that," the woman replied tersely. "And I don't really want to talk about it right now."

"As you wish," Monolith bowed his head respectfully. "I won't press"

"Thank you," Mono whispered, looking away. "I just need time. I can explain once I feel better about the whole situation."