Roar of the Earth

A brilliant shaft of light pulses from my blade as I hold it up to the sun. Breaking into many smaller rays, they meet at a fine point when I angle the light to the southeast. I’ve found my next target.

Guiding light

Mounting Agro, we spur off with our newfound bearings. An utterly bleak landscape rushes past; its sheer desolation becomes overpowering as I realise we are the only living things from here to the horizon. Solitary though it may be, this world is not without beauty; a comforting solace overcomes me when taking in the majestic plains and canyons.

Parting ways

The sun disappears overhead as we approach a narrow gorge. Winding our way through the tight cliff faces, Agro and I reach some crumbling ruins, seperated from us by a body of water. With no way for him to cross, I dismount Agro and dive in. I can sense my horse waiting patiently for me at the riverbank as I make my way through the submerged gate and in to the heart of the ruins.

Being watched...

Coming up for air, I feel the lakebed shake. Rubble falls from the ancient ruins and the water around me is momentarily blackened by the shadow of the colossal beast above. Flying low, it soars just a few metres over my head, its massive wingspan fully extended and enormous tail skirting the surface. I duck back in to the water on a reflex as the beast flaps its massive wings, coming to a perch on a pillar in the center of the lake. It has noticed a disturbance in the water; its massive eyes are now trained on my distant, splashing form as I climb out of the lake on to a small row of moss-covered stepping stones. It does not know what to make of me – a tiny intruder dwarfed not only by its own size but the scale of its domain. Planting my feet firmly on the small stone, I show it what to make of me.

I mean you great harm

Gripping my bow, knocking an arrow and drawing back the string, I take aim at one of the behemoth’s great eyes and loose. For a few tranquil seconds I hear nothing but the lapping of the water at my feet and the soft whistle of my arrow sailing through the air. I close my eyes and savour the brief moment, only to be interrupted by the distant sound of my arrow piercing flesh. The monster reels from the impact and lets out a deafening cry of pain, shaking the pillar as it spreads its colossal wings and takes to the sky.

The beast knows my intent.

My bow still drawn, I train a second arrow on the creature as it circles the lake, carefully keeping out of range. Its massive shadow stretches across the water, eventually throwing me in to darkness as the beast eclipses the sun. Momentarily disoriented, I lose my aim and falter. Seeing this, the beast changes direction, suddenly going in to a dive and accelerating toward me. The sun no longer obscured, light returns to my world and I look up just in time to see the silhouetted colossus coming straight for me, metres above the water. With no time to think, I drop my bow and run off the moss-covered stone, jumping head-on in to the massive form.

Holding on

I feel the impact of the beast’s body on mine and blindly grab at anything that will hold. My stomach reels as I suddenly begin to move through the air at incredible speed, carried the momentum of the colossus. I begin to slip, then manage to grab what appears to be long fur on the creature’s wing. The lake drops out of sight as the beast gains altitude; I climb on to its back and plant my feet firmly on its hard, rigid body. Now keenly aware of my presence, the colossus flaps its enourmous wings and turns, rotating its body to throw me off. The level ground under my feet rolls away and I find myself flying through the air like a helpless ragdoll. The beast’s long body rushes past me as I begin to freefall, desperately flailing my arms for something to grip. Levelling off and regaining its balance, the colossus flaps its monstrous tail which collides with my airborne body. The impact nearly sends me flying in another direction, but I manage to get a hold of the tip of the creature’s tail and stop myself from plummeting to the murky waters below.

Pickup up speed

Hoisting myself up, I grip the creature’s fur and inch my way along its tail. The wind constantly assaults my tiny form; the rain now falls horizontally and the surrounding country is nothing more than a blur. The beast is moving so fast that it takes all my stamina to simply hold on. Reaching the weakest point of the tail, I summon the strength to draw my blade, raise it high above my head, then plunge it in to the creature’s flesh.

Damaging the beast

The colossus lets out a pained roar, and begins to twist and turn. Closing my eyes and holding on for dear life, I move with every flap of its tail and twist of its body. When it finally calms down, I turn my head and look along the creature’s body to its massive wings. The only way to put this monster down is to take away its flight. With that in mind, I continue inching my way along the massive spine. Picking up more speed, the wind and rain become even more intense, drowning my senses as I crawl forward. After what feels like an eternity, I reach the beast’s colossal wingspan. With nothing to grip between the body and the wing, I wait for the creature to stop twisting, then leap through the air.

Leap of faith

The beast’s wing rises to meet me as I tumble through the air, clumsily landing and missing my grip. I panic as the world begins to fall away, but manage to get a hold of the edge of the creature’s wingspan. My weight starts pulling the creature back towards the earth and it continues to twist and turn in an attempt to throw me off. Twisting upside down, I now hang from the massive wing with nothing between me and the lake below.

Gripping my sword, I summon every last ounce of strength for this final act. Raising the blade, I let out a pained cry as I thrust high over my head, tearing through cartilage and bone. The colossus curls its wing and roars in pain, yet I continue to hang on, bringing my weight to bear as the beast begins to tumble to the earth. As the world rushes up to meet me I feel my strength begin to fade; slowly my fingers uncurl and I fall to the water below.

The colossus falls

My body numb, the impact is painless. The sounds of rain and wind roaring past me fade as I sink deeper in to the calm, peaceful water. I close my eyes and savour the brief moment, only to be interrupted by the sound of the beast’s massive form crashing through the ruins and coming to rest in the water ahead of me.

Returning to the surface, I see the shadow of the colossus begin to fade. And on the far, distant bank of the river, Agro waits for me.