AoP | B2 | Chapter 53: Protect (Patreon)

A splash. Then cold. So cold it bit into Colossus' inside. The darkness dragged him under, deeper and deeper.

Is this what it's like to be dead? the scorpion wondered. The thought wasn't scary. It was quiet. At least he had done the right thing up until the end. He had protected Seth—the one who had given his life a purpose. I wish I could have helped more… protected him longer… been his unbreakable shell forever.

But things didn't always go the way he wanted.

Then another pull, a violent tug from the rushing dark. Colossus' left pincer scraped against something rough, and the feeling wasn't cold anymore. It was just… wet.

Water?

The realization trickled through the haze. He wasn't in the void. He was sinking.

Air! The thought came like a command, raw and instinctive. I need air!

He thrashed with all his strength, his powerful legs churning against the current. Yet despite the effort, his body felt so heavy, as if he had a mountain chained to his back.

Why am I so heavy? Am I fat? No… that's muscle. And my shell.

Colossus' head finally broke the surface. He gasped, sucking in a lungful of frigid air before the river tried to pull him under again. For what felt like an eternity, he fought against the current, a desperate battle with the water. Ultimately, his body was thrown violently against a riverbank when the underground stream turned.

Without wasting a second, Colossus hauled himself out, his claws finding some grip in the mud and rock. Once free he collapsed onto the shore, completely drained, his limbs trembling with exhaustion. 

For a moment, he closed his eyes. I can't take a nap… even if a nap would be great. I have to find Seth.

The large scorpion shook his head to chase away the haze clouding his mind. The world swayed for an instant before settling, then he pushed himself upright and saw it: an Earth Elemental standing a short distance away, its back turned to him. Instinct took over. His body lowered, pincers spreading wide, tails coiling like three drawn bowstrings.

But the golem-like creature wasn't looking at him. Its jagged head was tilted downward, focused on something clutched in its stone hand.

A human.

Dangling by the foot, limp and motionless. A woman. Her hair hung like a soaked banner and drifted with every rumble of the Elemental's movement.

She's sleeping? Colossus blinked. That's… a strange moment to sleep. With a faint twitch of his tails, he nodded. But I understand. I would also like a nap.

A split-second later, he recognized her. She was the woman who had fallen from the other bridge. Fragments of memory surged through Colossus's mind. Should I protect her?

He remembered seeing her at that strange place, where Seth had been in so much pain. She had been there. Fighting against the crimson-haired woman—his future-mother… Well, that was what Big Brother Nightmare had called her.

Was she the one who hurt her?

Colossus frowned inwardly before shaking his head. No. She was the one who got beaten. So… should I protect her?

The large scorpion hesitated as the Earth Elemental studied the limp woman in its grasp. The question was gnawing at Colossus when finally the answer came, clear and simple as stone: When you don't know what's right—protect.

That was always the best thing to do.

Quartz Armor flared to life, spreading over Colossus' body in a glimmering wave of crystal light as he charged forward with a hissing battle cry. The scorpion rammed into the Earth Elemental with the force of a battering ram. The creature stumbled, surprised by the attack, and dropped the woman. 

The scorpion immediately placed himself between her and the Elemental, snapping his pincers in a clear warning. He could defend her, that was what he was good at… but how was he supposed to take this thing down? He wasn't with Seth or Big Brother Nightmare. He was the fortress that could block the storm, not the spear that pierced it.

A faint rustle behind made Colossus glance back. The woman was beginning to stir. She pushed herself up on her hands, her eyes slowly fluttering open.

Colossus froze. How do I tell her she's safe? I can't talk to humans like Big Brother Nightmare.

After a moment of hesitation, he clicked his mandibles softly, the rhythm gentle, almost like a lullaby. Please understand.

All of a sudden, the scorpion sensed an imminent danger and whipped his head back toward the Elemental. The golem-like enemy slammed its fists down, which caused a volley of sharp rock spikes to hurl toward them.

Oh no! Colossus cast Sandstorm Dome; the swirling barrier erupted around them, shattering the projectiles into dust.

He hissed at the Earth Elemental in indignation. Hey! I'm trying to communicate here!

The Elemental roared and charged. Colossus turned his head just enough to glimpse the woman—her eyes were so wide he thought for a moment they might pop out of their sockets.

She's scared.

He brought his attention back to the oncoming mass of stone. There was no time to think. He needed to protect her.

With a surge of aether, he unleashed Scorpion Charge. The cavern floor split beneath his weight as he met the creature head-on. The force of the impact sent tremors through his shell, but he held his ground, his eight legs digging into the cavern floor. The brawl began. The Earth Elemental swung its stone fists left and right, hammering against his carapace. Colossus met each blow, blocking, pushing, holding like a perfect fortress. One that would never break.

Yet no matter how hard he struck, he barely left any scratches on his opponent's stony hide. The Elemental's defense was too strong. Colossus could defend, but not win. Not alone.

He glanced at the woman. She was on her feet now with the same expression of fear—or disbelief?—he couldn't tell. But it didn't matter. He needed her help. Lifting one of his massive pincers, the scorpion gestured toward the Elemental. Help me!

Yet the woman didn't move; she just stood there, staring.

Ahhh, she doesn't understand!

Colossus shook his head in frustration and spun back toward his enemy, bracing as its boulder-like fist slammed into his shell once again. Clicking his mandibles, he lowered his head to lunge at that stubborn heap of stone—when a flicker of movement caught his eye.

The woman was charging in, a dagger now in her hand. Yes! Finally! 

A rush of joy surged through Colossus's chest. He let out a booming hiss and unleashed Chitinous Taunt, his body vibrating with a deep, guttural rumble that ripped through the cavern. The Earth Elemental froze mid-swing, its attention snapping back to him.

Good. Look at me.

The moment the creature turned to strike, Colossus let the brown aether of Desert Aegis flow outward. The shimmering barrier expanded to cover the woman, who darted in to strike.

Her dagger scraped across the Elemental's body, sparking harmlessly against the stone. It barely left a mark—no more than Colossus's own blows. She was quick, faster than he'd expected… though speed meant little without weight behind it.

Colossus blocked another punch meant for her, claws locking against the impact with a jarring crack. I can protect… but protecting also means helping her win.

He couldn't just stand here and take hits forever. He had to do more.

Drawing a steady breath, he focused and reached deep within himself—into the will to shield, the need to endure, the promise he'd made to always protect. Aether churned in the Well, a violent storm beneath the shell, yet he dug even deeper into the most primitive part of himself. The essence of who he was.

Colossus poured that raw, unshakable intent into his aether. His tails bristled, the tips glistening with a viscous, dark-olive liquid that hissed as it dripped onto the cavern floor. With a guttural snarl, he launched himself forward, his tails snapping forward like a trio of spears.

They hit the Earth Elemental and pierced its rocky hide with a sickening crunch. The dark fluid pumped into the creature's body, spreading through its mineral veins like ink in water. The Elemental roared and tried to pull away, but the damage was already done. The previously impenetrable granite around the wounds turned gray and brittle, flaking away like dry chalk. Cracks began to appear across its stone body as if the spell was draining some of its Toughness.

Seeing the opportunity, the woman behind him lunged, her aether-coated dagger slashing in quick succession at the creature. The Elemental roared in pain, and Colossus charged, slamming into it once more with Scorpion Charge. The blow stunned the weakened creature, its body freezing for a critical second. The woman didn't hesitate. With a final cry, she drove her dagger into the Elemental's chest. The brown glow of its eyes flickered out and died as the creature collapsed into a heap of lifeless rock.

The moment the last crumbling stone hit the ground, a heavy silence fell over the cavern.

The woman, breathing heavily, spun around and reared back, her daggers raised defensively to ward off Colossus.

I am a friend! the scorpion thought, trying to project the feeling toward her. 

He brought his massive pincers together just below his mandibles in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. But the woman didn't lower her stance, still glaring at him. He shook his head once more, then focused on gathering aether in his throat the way he'd seen Big Brother Nightmare do. Once he'd done that, he pushed the energy out while trying to shape it into the sound he wanted.

“Frrriii-eeenndd…” The word came out as a deep, guttural rumble.

The woman's brow furrowed. "Friend?" she shot back, her voice laced with disbelief. "I'm at war with your master!"

War? Colossus tilted his head. That's the thing those humans are always talking about around Seth?

The scorpion gave it another try, changing his word-choice. A faint ripple of aether escaped his maw. “Tem-po-rarr-yyy… frrri-eeenndd?”

The woman's lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze swept over him, from his towering height, to his newly forged shell. He felt her examining him, assessing his defense. Is she realizing I am a fortress she cannot break? Colossus wondered. Or that I would be a great partner to defend her? 

After a long moment, she slowly lowered her daggers. "Fine. But only until I find my brother."

And Seth, Colossus thought before scuttling forward to gently bump his head against her side to seal their new friendship pact.

"Whoa!" the woman exclaimed, stumbling back. "No touching! What are you, a dog?"

Colossus lowered his head. “Soorr-ryy,” he rumbled. "Head-bummm…"

The woman looked at him, and for the first time, the hard edge in her eyes softened with something like weary amusement. She let out a long sigh and lightly bumped his head with her fist. "There," she said before turning away to face the riverbank. "Now let's find my brother."

And Seth, Colossus added inwardly again as he quickly followed her.