Chapter 10: Awakening of the Colossi
The statue's glyphs pulsed, casting blue light across the plaza as Jason stood, the Farthalin burning in his grip, its whisper a roar: Farthalin. The colossus vision—Kaldor's glyphs flaring-seared his mind, the scar screaming. It's alive. The system's ping—[Resolve Points: 2550%]—felt like a pulse. 2550% Resolve Points—this power's a double-edged blade. Lynn held the second manuscript, her rune stone glowing, green eyes locked on the statue. "This is it," she said, voice steady, robe shimmering. She's certain. Celia circled, her dagger ready, violet eyes scanning the mist. Ren's warhammer gleamed, his red hair tied back, sister's dream iron. Voren's runners guarded the perimeter, blades drawn.
Lynn knelt, her rune stone tracing the statue's sigils, the manuscript's ward map guiding her. "The rune-war's lords locked Kaldor's power," she said, voice low. "This statue's a node—unlock it, and we wake the grid." Kaldor's heart. Jason's Farthalin flared, its crimson light syncing with the statue. It's connected. A vision hit: a colossus awakening, Kaldor glowing, a voice thundering, You're mine.The colossus—it's calling, its voice a command in my skull. He gripped his blade, senses taut, the mist thickening.
Celia's voice snapped, "Movement." Shadows stirred, not rogues—a glyph-beast, stone and sigils, eyes red. It's a guardian, forged from the statue's power. Voren's runners shouted, blades useless against its hide. Jason charged, blade slashing, sparks flying. Like a tank. Celia darted, her dagger striking sigils, violet eyes fierce. "Like my brother's kills," she growled. Ren roared, warhammer denting stone, his voice a vow: "For Kaldor!" Lynn's rune flared, green light weakening the beast, her glyphs precise. We're enough.
The beast fell, its glyphs dimming, but the statue's hum grew, glyphs blazing. Lynn's rune cracked the ward map, the statue's eyes glowing blue. It's working. The Farthalin surged, crimson light flooding the plaza, a power rushing through Jason—strength, clarity, Kaldor's pulse. It's mine. The system flashed: [System Insight: Unlocked statue. Reward: 400 Resolve Points. Resolve Points: 2950%.] Lynn's eyes widened, her rune stone syncing. "The grid's waking," she said, her voice trembling. We did it.
A tremor shook Crags, glyphs flaring, a shadow towering in the mist—a colossus, its sigils red, eyes locking on Jason's Farthalin. It's real. The ground cracked as it stepped forward, its voice a rumble: "Farthalin—give it." Jason raised his blade, the Farthalin's light clashing with the colossus's red glow. Celia struck, her dagger targeting a sigil, but the stone deflected it. "It's too strong!" she shouted. Ren charged, warhammer slamming the colossus's leg, cracking stone, his roar defiant. Lynn's rune flared, green vines binding its arm, her voice sharp: "Jason, use the Farthalin!"
Jason focused, the Farthalin's power surging, crimson light piercing the colossus's chest glyph. The beast staggered, its roar shaking the plaza, but it didn't fall. Lynn panted, analyzing the sigils. "It's tied to Kaldor's grid—disrupt the statue's flow!" A plan. Jason nodded, slashing the statue's base, the Farthalin syncing with its glyphs, a feedback loop shattering the colossus's stance. Voren's runners joined, their blades striking weak points, and the colossus retreated into the mist, its sigils dimming. We held it off.
Celia wiped her blade, her voice low: "That thing's not done." Ren nodded, warhammer ready. Lynn clutched the manuscript, her eyes on Jason. "The Farthalin's power—it's amplifying the grid. We need to control it." A risk. The Farthalin's whisper roared, a darkness coiling, pulling him toward the colossus—and Kaldor's fate.