open The Aftershock of the Colossi

[Colenso Rivers 85]

(Sign up and ooc https://mlpforums.com/topic/151674-devotions-of-the-colossi/)

Over a thousand years, long after the death of the colossi of the forbidden lands by the efforts of the boy Wander and even after his final passing, after the last people and mythical beasts of the forbidden lands had passed, he was sealed away. Him and sixteen others. Their resting places, tombs of stone close to their once majestic idols, whom they served the most devoutly, apparent due to their inhuman traits and the power they were blessed with. They were the Children of the Colossi, and they were too sacred to be destroyed by the efforts of Lord Emon so they were sealed away.

 

This day, they awoke from their slumber, Monstantia, the Child of Gaius. His black, gem like eyes flashed open, his striated tanzanite irises flashing in the abysmal darkness that surrounded him after he awoke fully. His first breath was invaded with water. He had to orient himself, no time to think, only to survive. He lifted himself onto his crystal arm and began to charge forward on all fours at an okay speed. Fact was, Monstantia couldn’t swim, he wasn’t built for it, and he was too heavy to stay afloat. The mud and filth at the bottom of the freshwater body he was under was clouding the water behind him. He trusted his divine guidance, which was realistically no more than instinct, but he was convinced he was above such things, that it was the truth of the world that smiled upon him and granted him his sense of direction. His guidance proved successful as light began to shine through the grey waters, the floor of filth sloping upwards and the pressure began to give. He was losing his grip on life though. During his thousand years, his energy reserves had slowly trickled to a feeble amount and it hadn’t helped that chilling water had flooded his lungs. But as his vision slowly faded, his limbs heavy and numb, he finally stumbled out of the water and ejected the water out of his back plates, it erupting as he hacked, landing to the ground on his stomach, the light of the sun warming him and sending energy pulsing into his body from his arm.

 

As he laid there for a moment to recuperate, he racked his mind for the closest memory. He made note that he had somehow lost his shield. He would have to get a new one. After about five minutes, it came back to him in fragments. A battle. Lord Emon. He did this. Wait! He couldn’t just lay there, he had to check on the safety of the others. He lift himself off of the ground and turned around to see the pillar of Gaius surrounded by a lake. “Dear Dormin, what has happened?” The spire was in decrepit condition; the pathway to it destroyed, and had filled with water. How long had he been down there? He looked around to find nobody and nothing, and he couldn’t see Gaius. He shouted at the top of his lungs “GAAAAAIIIIIIUUUUUUUUS!!!” Which echoed through the crater, but met no reply but it’s very own. He knew he couldn’t reach Gaius anymore, not with the lake.

 

But nothing could kill the colossi, they were the gods, and he had confidence that they could outlast humankind. Still, it was his job to know, so he would check on the nearest colossus, Quadratus and its Child.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[Drago Ryder 641]

@Colenso Rivers @The Narwhal Muffin

 

Somewhere in the mountains to the north,there was a cave near the summit that held the frozen statue of a dragoness reared onto her hind legs, as if she were trying to run from something, Over the next few minutes, the material the statue was made of, a polished marble, began to liquefy and melt away, As the dragoness inhaled, her eyes opened to see her current position and used her flame to clear away the rest of the matieral on her scales. The dragoness then spread her wings and stretched. "Hopefully the others are ok." She thought to herself.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Monstantia ran towards the ridge above Quadratus, to only be stunned by the image of a mound of dirt and plant life growing around stone structures. What once was armor for Quadratus. How? How had things become this way? How was this even possible? He fell to his knees and just stared at the mound, for hours. He was all that was left. If they killed one of the most defenseless of their idols, then why would they have spared Gaius. Day was moving on when the call of a falcon snapped him out of his trance of despair. He had to do something. He stood back up and began to walk towards the temple of Dormin. When those in the forbidden lands felt lost, they were drawn to the temple of Dormin, if there was anybody left, they would be there.

[The Narwhal Muffin 183]

Grumbling at the dark, Sicarius awoke. He was tired. Exhausted. The last thing he remembered was being sealed off into that horrible cave. The familiar, pervasive stench of the moss and bats that he had grown accustomed to was now replaced by that of ashes and blood, the smell permeating the wet air.

Deciding that a dark cave was not where he wanted to be, he wandered out of the abysmal hole-in-a-rock.

The light pierced his eyes. Recovering from the blinding light, he gazed upon the destroyed ruins of a once-prosperous town and was suddenly hit by a flash of something else: realization.

Realization that the world he knew was gone, burned to a crisp. Realization that a feeling he had had for a thousand years, a feeling he couldn't shake, had been true: The Colossi were dead. Realization that he was weak he was afraid, he was frail, after all these years of pretending to be the best in the world.

And his mind was shattered. His viewpoint from so high-up had been brought down.

But still, for some reason or another, he felt that even without Kuromori, he would never let himself be lowered.

[Drago Ryder 641]

@Colenso Rivers @The Narwhal Muffin

 

It didn't take long for Star Dancer to find the exit to the cave she was in and noticed the wasteland in front of her. She had no idea where she was and she was debating on whether or not it was worth the risk to venture onward. The dragoness then flew into the air and towards the temple of dormin in an attempt to find another refuge.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@The Narwhal Muffin,@@Drago Ryder,

After several minutes of his eyes locked on the temple, he stepped forward onto the steps, his crystal spikes clicking against the stone staircase. No voices, and when he could see into the temple, his heart was filled with despair. The statues of the colossi, broken and dead, nobody in sight. He approached the alter of tribute and let himself lean and fall against it. Yes. This is where he belonged. To become one with the stone. There was nothing left, he had failed. Damn Emon.

[Drago Ryder 641]

@The Narwhal Muffin

 

Star Dancer was a few miles away from the shrine when she noticed Sicarius, and glided above the somewhat larger dragon. "Glad to see I'm not the only one alive." She said, giving a slight smile. The dragoness didn't move close to him though in order to give herself enough time to stop him from attacking her should she need to.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Drago Ryder

[The Narwhal Muffin 183]

@The Narwhal Muffin

 

Gale was a few miles away from the shrine when she noticed Sicarius, and glided above the somewhat larger dragon. "Glad to see I'm not the only one alive." She said, giving a slight smile. The dragoness didn't move close to him though in order to give herself enough time to stop him from attacking her should she need to.

Sicarius glanced over at the other dragon. He knew better than to attack her, since he'd probably get himself killed. Instead, he just shot her a cold stare before turning back to further gaze upon the ruined town.

It still baffled him. How people could ever turn against the Colossi. How the Colossi could ever fall, much less by the hands of men. He couldn't see how any of it could ever happen, or what he would do now that it had.

[Drago Ryder 641]

@The Narwhal Muffin

 

Star Dancer noticed the cold look the dragon had given her, but didn't really call him out on it. Instead, she simply looked over the ruined city and was shocked by the sheer amount of destruction. The dragoness then turned her attention back to Sicarius and noticed that he seemed to be distressed. "I can tell that you weren't the one that did this. My name is Star Dancer. Who are you?" 

[The Narwhal Muffin 183]

@The Narwhal Muffin

 

Star Dancer noticed the cold look the dragon had given her, but didn't really call him out on it. Instead, she simply looked over the ruined city and was shocked by the sheer amount of destruction. The dragoness then turned her attention back to Sicarius and noticed that he seemed to be distressed. "I can tell that you weren't the one that did this. My name is Star Dancer. Who are you?"

 

"Why should I tell you?" Sicarius grumbled. He didn't need to share his name with such filth.

He then realized that he should not be so hostile to the most likely far moe powerful dragon. He turned back to her.

"My name is Sicarius, not that it matters. It is not important what I am called. What matters is that the Colossi are dead. They have fallen by the hands of men, something I once thought impossible. You should really get out of this place, for if anything left here doesn't kill you, I surely will." He couldn't actually kill the other dragon, this statement was just so he could be left alone.

[Drago Ryder 641]

@The Narwhal Muffin

 

Star Dancer rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Fine. It's not like I'm dealing with a lod either." She mutterd under her breath. "If you need me, I'll be at the temple of Dormin." With that, the dragoness lef Sicarius to his own thoughts.

 

@Colenso Rivers

 

It didn't take long for Star Dancer to arrive at the temple and she simply walked in. It didn't take her long to see another figure and she slowly approached.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Drago Ryder

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Drago Ryder, 

Monstantia could hear the clicking of talons on stone echo through the temple, where he stood, turned and pointed his crystal arm at the dragon in place of a sword. His tone reflected his title and status accordingly, "Emon is going to have a lot o-" Then he could make out the details. It was part of his job to know and check up on the other colossi and their children regularly, and even if his mind was drawing nothing for her name, he knew she was the child of Phaedra. He lowered his arm and asked, "What of Phaedra?"

[The Narwhal Muffin 183]

Sicarius didn't care much about the other dragoness at first. He ignored her, almost forgetting about her the moment she left. After all, he had more important things to do, like...

Well, maybe he wasn't exactly preoccupied at the moment. But still, he did not associate with inferiors.

And then, just for a second, for the first time in as long as he remembered, he figured that maybe he was being a bit harsh.

"Maybe I should follow her," he thought to himself. "Whatever business she has at the temple of Dormin could be interesting."

"Wait..." he thought suddenly. "I recall that name..." He knew of the name "Star Dancer", but he couldn't quite grasp from where. Then it struck him. She was the child of Phaedra! He spread his wings and rushed to the temple as fast as he could.

[Drago Ryder 641]

@The Narwhal Muffin @Colenso Rivers

 

Star rolled her eyes and looked at each crumbled statue. "It's good to see you to, Sicarius." She said. "As for Phaedra, she shares the same fate as all the others." There was a hint of anger in the dragoness's voice, but it seemed to be controlled for the time being. "Assuming he followed me, there should be another coming her very soon as well." 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Drago Ryder,

It took all of Monstantia's strength not to collapse from despair, but as he racked his mind for what he would do, or even say next, he stumbled out, "Ah--- Yes, oh, we...." Then fell to his knees, his arms holding his torso over the raised stone slab. Tears began to flow from the hols in his mask like face and he muttered, "I'm so sorry."