Chapter 16: Wrath of the Vale Guardian
The colossus towered over Ashen Vale's plaza, its red sigils blazing, stone limbs cracking the earth. Jason gripped the Farthalin, its crimson pulse a storm, whispering: Farthalin. The vision from the statue—colossi converging—seared his mind, the scar screaming. The battle—it's now, the colossus's wrath upon us. The system's ping burned: [Resolve Points: 4400%]. 4400% Resolve Points—this fight's pushing me to my limit. Lynn stood by the statue, third manuscript in hand, rune stone flickering, green eyes wide. "The grid's pulling it!" she shouted, voice strained. She's fighting. Celia's dagger gleamed, violet eyes locked on the beast. Ren's warhammer tensed, red hair a beacon, sister's dream iron. Toren's blade flared, his glyph-etched armor steady.
The colossus roared, glyphs pulsing, a stone fist smashing the plaza. It's stronger. Jason dodged, blade sparking against its hide, pain lancing his shoulder. "Hit the sigils!" he barked, instincts sharp. Celia darted, her dagger slicing a glyph, violet eyes fierce. "Like my brother's kills," she snarled, sparks flying. Ren swung, warhammer denting stone, roaring: "For my sister!" His fire. Lynn's rune flared, green light weakening the beast, her glyphs straining. Toren struck, his blade carving a sigil, voice steady: "For Kaldor!"
A figure charged from the mist—tall, lean, glyph-etched spear glowing. Koran's a leader, his presence commanding. "Ashen Vale's mine," he growled, spear piercing a glyph, the colossus staggering. A leader. Toren nodded. "Koran's cell holds the Vale." The beast's eyes burned, glyphs flaring, stone shards flying. Jason parried, his blade chipping, then slashed a glyph, its light dimming. It's working. Celia struck another, Ren's warhammer cracked a third, and Lynn's rune sealed a ward, the colossus collapsing, dust choking the air.
Koran's spear gleamed, his eyes on Jason's Farthalin. "That stone's trouble," he said, voice low. "But you fight like us." He's cautious. Koran leaned on his spear, his gaze distant. "My cell guarded Ashen Vale for years—until the grid turned. Lost half my runners to colossi like that." A heavy past. Ren's breath hitched, his voice rough: "My sister faced beasts like this. Died saving runners." His pain. The system pinged: [System Insight: Defeated colossus. Reward: 350 Resolve Points. Resolve Points: 4750%.] Lynn's rune stone dimmed, her eyes on the statue. "The grid's unstable," she said, voice taut. More are coming.
Lynn unrolled the manuscript, her fingers tracing a glyph pattern. "The core's rift is widening—Mistveil's statue might stabilize it," she said, green eyes narrowing. A plan. Voren crossed his arms, his voice low. "Mistveil's a gauntlet—glyph-beasts, rogue nests. We'll need a ward stone." A challenge. Toren nodded, his blade resting. Koran's cell can scout ahead. We move at dawn." A strategy. Jason felt the Farthalin's warmth, its whisper a dark thread—power and peril entwined. This strength—it's a burden I can't shake.
A tremor shook Ashen Vale, glyphs flickering, shadows moving. Not alone. Koran's gaze met Jason's, a nod of respect. "Mistveil's next," he said, spear ready. The Farthalin's whisper surged, a darkness coiling, pulling Jason toward the next statue—and its guardian.