In Wake

XIII: Fluß Mammut

Twelve wispy, black figures stared at the man who lie unconscious on the ground as the room began to tremor violently. The statue of Celosia burst apart, falling into dull-colored pieces on the ground. Lin remained completely still as Agro slowly came into the temple, walking over. The horse gently nuzzled the man, trying to awake him.

Lin suddenly leapt up, swinging out his sword- Agro shot off with a panicked whinny to the back of the temple. Lin's eyes seemed to be aglow with pure rage- when he realized what he was doing he dropped the sword, looking around. "Ugh… ! Agro?"

The horse stayed far away.

"I'm… I'm so sorry!" Lin got up and picked up the sword, walking for his companion. Agro fussed and moved farther away, prompting Lin to drop the weapon. "No, please, it's alright! Agro…"

Eventually Lin was able to approach Agro, moving slowly and calmly. He managed to calm his friend down with a few quiet praises and petting. Lin spoke as soothingly as he could, "There… I didn't realize… I'm very sorry."

Thy next foe is… Pelagia… The whispers floated through the temple like a breeze, Paradise floats on the lake… A silent being wields thunder… A moving bridge to cross higher ground…

"…alright." Lin led Agro back to where the sword lay, picking it up and quickly sheathing it. He passed by Mono with a long gaze, out into the grass. The sky looked a bit grey at the moment, as if threatening to rain. Lin sighed out a heavy breath, walking to the small altar outside of the temple. It had been awhile… so he knelt down before it and clasped his hands in prayer.

He spoke out quiet wishes that floated off on the breeze… he took awhile before standing back up. Drawing the sword, Lin raised his arm up to catch the light, but noticed, right away, that the veins down his arms had gotten even darker. He temporarily put down the weapon to examine himself. He could see the black coloration actually throbbing through his veins, barely reaching onto the back of his hands. A dark band of color was splashed across his wrist where he had broken it before. Gently, Lin touched it…

His skin was suddenly aflame with pain, and he let out a yell- he squeezed his arm tightly against his waist, trying his best to dull the sensation. Eventually it calmed down, leaving him panting; Agro cautiously stepped closer to him. Lin let out a heavy breath, "I think I'm alright now…"

Again he raised the sword; the light focused northeast. Slipping it back in its sheath, he climbed atop his horse and soon both of them were off. Again the path took them almost directly under the massive bridge that connected to Dormin's sanctuary, but veered off onto a narrow, twisted earthen bridge. The entire ride across it was nerve-racking as dust fell off the edges and the rock itself vibrated; but it was quick to cross. Lin pulled back on the reins to ease Agro to a halt as they came into a dense woods packed between the mountains. A little stream gurgled and ended off the far edge, water pouring down into the ocean below. Carefully Agro walked through the brush and around the trees, before coming to another opening.

Lin brought Agro back up to speed as they went up a path between the canyon; they came to a halt as the path abruptly ended by some pillars. Between the arches, water thundered through, down across the edge into the ocean. Beyond the mighty structure was a massive body of calm water; Lin checked with his sword, the lights focusing within.

"Alright, you take care." Lin slipped off Agro and walked up to the pillar at the end of the path. He leapt up and grabbed the lip of the pattern around it and shimmied to the back end. Lin ran across a strip of land and leapt off the end into the clear water. It was quite cold, causing shivers to run up the man's spine. Slowly he swam to a stone platform, looking over the body of water and odd, circular structures that rose up. The water was unnervingly still, so Lin carefully walked forward and touched the surface.

Large bubbles began rising up from the water, the surface rising up as a stony figure rose up. The head burst out in a spray of water, the colossus rising to full height. The curved face glared down at Lin, letting out a low growl. Slowly Pelagia began charging up power, sending blasts of electricity at Lin. He yelped and instantly dove underwater.

He could hear the massive creature move in the water as he passed by, coming up for a breath of air. Lin started for one of the other platforms, diving back under as more electricity was thrown at him. Luckily, it fizzled on the surface before it had any effect. Lin scrambled up onto the surface, heading behind the pillars- he was struck in the back with the electricity, instantly gasping and stumbling forward, twitching. He gasped and pulled himself behind the center pillar of the structure, shaking.

Hmm… Dormin's voice filtered into his mind, A little static electricity brings thee down that quickly?

"No, I'm fine…" Lin shuddered, listening as the colossus sniffed around for him.

Focus thy efforts on getting on its level…

"Ugh…" Lin peered around the edge, finding Pelagia to be staring directly at him. Lin gasped, but took as long as he could to examine the beast- upon its head, a crown of cracked and chipped stones that resembled rotten teeth glowed. They were obviously painful, as black rot could be seen within the cracks and dips. Lin pulled his bow off his shoulder, pulled an arrow from his quiver, letting it fly. The weapon hit against one of the stones, causing Pelagia to bow its head down in pain. Taking the opening, Lin leapt out and grabbed a hold of the flat head, then was quickly risen up.

The 'fur' on the head was more like grass, complete with pockets of weeds. The colossus numbly moved its head around, looking for the warrior; Lin stumbled around for a moment, wondering what exactly to do. Carefully he clambered up to one of the stones, pulling out his sword. Smacking it against the 'tooth', Lin nearly fell backwards as Pelagia groaned in pain and started walking directly forward. It slowly marched toward the building directly northeast, but came to a halt.

"Ah…" Lin smacked the stone again and waited as the colossus lumbered forward. When it got close enough, he leapt off the head and onto the top of the building. He quickly ran around behind a raised stone, avoiding a sudden electrical discharge. He carefully took his bow and an arrow, suddenly standing up. He made a face at the creature before letting another arrow loose at one of its eyes.

Pelagia snorted with irritation as the arrow bounced off its rocky face, rising up halfway out of the water and slamming its blunt front legs against the structure. The rock splintered and cracked as it rested its weight against it and began to power up. Lin spotted the soft furred stomach, leaping off the edge and clinging on. Instantly the glowing weak spot appeared under Lin, as he fumbled his bow around his shoulder and drew the sword. Before Pelagia could move, the sword was stabbed in- the colossus shrieked, smashing forward against the stone structure. It completely fell apart, leaving only the cracked and chipped platforms, the bricks falling into the water. As Pelagia started back down into the water, Lin let go and swam away in order to avoid being trapped. He rose with a gasp in the water behind the colossus, looking back. It was busily trying to find where Lin had gone- so Lin took the chance to shimmy up its tailbone, running back to its head.

Lin smacked the stones on the left side of Pelagia's head, causing it to turn violently in the same direction. Lin forced it forward with quick slices at the middle stones, again leaping off. He repeated his original tactics of taunting and launching arrows at it until it rose up again; he leapt forward onto the belly and stabbed at the weak spot several times more.

Pelagia stumbled forward in pain, sliding sideways off the platform as Lin tore away. It let out a loud groan as it collapsed completely, falling into the water. Lin gurgled as he was pulled down into the water, still attacking the area even though the glowing symbol had long since vanished.

He was no longer within his own mind; his body was reacting on impulse. Even as his breath waned away and his lungs ached, he was still clinging on underwater and attacking. His rampage was only ended as the black tendrils came shooting out of the wound and running right through him. The Ancient Sword slipped from his hands and settled at the bottom of the pond as Lin inhaled dirtied water and passed out. The sword glimmered at the bottom, vanishing with a 'puff' of soft light…

The body of water again became silent, forever.

"We're ready… have they found Lin?"

"No, my lord…" One of the villagers spoke to Emon, "He's not in the village right now."

"We'll have to just take the time we can."

Lin had gone to the edges of the forest where he lived, Agro standing off to the side. In irritation, Lin was shooting arrows off into random trees; not three hours ago had he been scolded by Mono. He had been trying to keep his eye on her all day, following her about… it finally had tested her patience and she ordered him to leave. So there we was, taking his anger out on the woods, with little else to do at the moment…

He didn't realize that when he would come back…she would be gone.