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PROLOGUE
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PART 3 - THE LOVE OF WANDER
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As they stood there laughing, Wander couldn't help but thinking that moments like this would've been much more frequent if it weren't for that damned prophet all those years ago. He had first met Wander when she had ran away from home, and she had passed outside of where he lived.
Thank god she didn't die.
She had gone days without food, as no one would let her buy any or give any to her for free, due to her supposed "cursed destiny". Wander didn't care if she was cursed or not, all he knew was that she was one of the most caring people he had ever known.
The doors shook hard as something slammed into them from inside the church, and Wander took this opportunity to take Mono to the safety of his... home. By home though, he meant a small enclosed area between the houses that no one but him and his friends knew how to get to.
Wander had no parents of his own, having been found on the steps to the church while a young child. Surprisingly however, he grew up not believing in what the priests and priestesses were teaching him, finding their methods somewhat unneeded and violent for his own beliefs.
Once going in between some houses, Wander led Mono up crates and over rooftops until they finally got to a small enclosed area created by the walls of houses, where they dropped into to the safety of a mattress, small fire and storage of food.
"Wow, you did this?" Mono finally spoke, holding Wander's arm cozily.
"Yeah," he replied, smiling at the warmth given off by her arm, "It took me a while to save up for the mattress, but in the end I got enough. It was either that or hard floor."
"But," Mono asked, confused at Wander's choice of home, "You've been invited to homes all over the village, even invited into the church itself - why do you choose to live here?"
"Well," he said, lowly, "It's not that I prefer this place, it's just that the only reason they want me to live with them is that they think I'm 'blessed' or something, just because of where I was found. I'd rather be appreciated for stuff that I've actually accomplished, you know?"
Before Mono could reply however, a roofslate from the building next to them broke off, making them jump back in fear, but it was too late however, as the slate fell onto Mono, smashing over her head and making her pass out cold.
"MONO!" Wander screamed, picking her up quickly and wincing at the blood pouring out of her forehead. He placed her down on his mattress and left to get help.
Returning to the area of the church, he screamed for help but no one was around to hear him.
"She's going to pass away," a voice came from behind Wander suddenly, making him turn ready to strike, "Put down your fists boy, I'm not here to hurt you."
"Lord Emon," he cried, "It's Mono, she's hurt badly and - what do you mean she's going to pass away?"
"The Gods intended for this to happen," he started to walk slowly towards him, "On the Colossi could help her now, but that's a fools errand for sure - only death awaits the man who steps into the Land of the Colossi. Death and banishment."
"I am afraid of neither," Wander said, determined to do anything to help Mono.
"I'm sure over time you'll think differently. For now, she'll pass on. It's for the best."
Before Emon could carry on with any of his rather pessimistic statements, Wander sped through the church and to the back, where a sword was held by a statue. As the legend went, this sword of stone from the church would turn into a sword of holy power upon entering the forbidden lands. Of course, this was never proven as no one ever dared leave the village for fear of the colossi that inhabited the world outside of it.
He pulled it swiftly from the statues arms and fled back out of the doors, holding the sword as best as he could despite it's weight - being made out of stone and longer than his arm, it was bound to be heavy.
"If you leave with that now," came Lord Emons voice from somewhere behind him, "You leave the grace of the church, and are no longer a blessed man."
Wander cared not about being blessed or being in the good graces of the church - all he cared about was Mono, whom it was time to save.
It was time to enter the forbidden land. Time to enter the Land of the Colossi.