POV Narrator:
The Colossus carefully leans over the alcove's ledge and observes the ground far below. “Zohn, prepare to hold on tight, I’m going to start moving soon. Just tell me when you’re ready,” The Colossus warns Zohn. Nodding his head, Zohn quickly makes his way towards his home. In the centre of his courtyard, Zohn finds his spear still embedded in the granite floor. Strengthening his determination, he grips this spear.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Zohn signals to the Colossus that he can begin to move. Hearing the confirmation, the Colossus slowly makes his way out of the alcove. The volcano’s side is a sheer cliff rising for kilometres into the sky, with no sign of stopping. Grabbing his previous handholds, the Colossus prepares to start climbing again.
Steadily, the Colossus makes progress up the volcano’s steep side. Meter by meter, he climbs relentlessly, showing no sign of fatigue or hesitance. As he climbs, he spots unusual sights and beautiful locations. At two thousand meters, the cliff is lined with exotic birds’ nests and other unique foliage. The Colossus, in the birds’ eyes, is a calamity ravaging through their home. The poor Colossus is woefully unaware of the disaster that he’s caused.
At the height of five thousand meters, the Colossus is finding it harder and harder to spot the ground far below. The air is thinning out, and any signs of vegetation are dwindling. Each meter they rise in the air, the cold air is steadily becoming colder. Zohn can only do his best to hold on, even in these harsh weather conditions.
At the elevation of six thousand meters, the Colossus finally breaks through the cloud barrier surrounding the lone volcano. The sun shines directly above the Colossus’ head, signalling that it's midday already. “It looks like we’ve made a lot of progress in a decent amount of time,” The Colossus reassures himself, knowing that his climbing efforts weren’t in vain.
At the height of eight thousand meters, lava falls can be seen flowing out from within the gigantic volcano. Tons upon tons of lava and solid material flow out of these lava falls every second. The air around these giant lava falls reverberates with incredible heat. The air feels warm here, giving some relief to the poor goliath freezing in his home.
At the height of nine thousand meters, a thick layer of frost begins to coat the Colossus’ body. Unable to bear these conditions anymore, Zohn finally speaks up, “Col can you stop for a moment, I need to get myself something warmer to wear.” “That won’t be a problem; I could use a little rest myself,” The Colossus readily agrees, even though he didn’t seem tired at all.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Prying his frost-covered hands from the shaft of the spear, Zohn quickly makes his way towards his storage room. Grabbing bundles of warm blankets, Zohn returns to the courtyard. Wrapping himself in a bundle of heat, Zohn grips his spear tightly. “Ahh, much better,” Zohn sighs in relief. “Okay, let's continue our ascent,” Zohn signals the Colossus to start climbing again.
Looking at the sun descending lower and lower in the distance, the Colossus continues his climb with determination. Steadily the Colossus is nearing the volcano’s peak. His goal is getting closer, and he’s being filled with anticipation. With his last bit of strength, the Colossus finally places his hand on the volcano’s peak.
Slowly pulling himself up, the Colossus finally stands upright at to very peak of the volcano, with the sun setting majestically in the background creating a heroic scene of a hero triumphing over evil. Not that the Colossus ever did anything heroic. In front of the Colossus, a lava lake stretches out, forming the mouth of the volcano. Zohn exits his house, still covered with the bundles of blankets, and walks next to the Colossus’ head, staring out at the lava lake stretching out in front of him. Strangely, no volcanic fumes emerge from the volcano.
The Colossus takes a large stride into the lava lake. Zohn quickly shouts in shock, “What are you doing!?”. As if struck out of a trance, the Colossus turns his head towards Zohn. “What I’m looking for is waiting for me inside this lava lake, I just know it,” The Colossus replies, trying to reason with Zohn. Zohn stares at the Colossus, dumbfounded by his answer.
“What is it that you’re looking for? We’re companions, so can’t you just tell me.” Zohn asks the Colossus in a pleading tone. The Colossus stares at Zohn intently, then he finally relents and asks in a calm voice, “Zohn, do you remember when we talked about the titles that I need?”. Zohn thinks back, then he finally remembers, “Yes, I remember our conversation, but what does it have to do with entering this dangerous lake?”.
“I have this unexplainable hunch that the title that I’m looking for is only obtainable by entering this lava lake.” The Colossus explains to Zohn. Zohn stares at the Colossus with concerned eyes, then he finally lets out a deep sigh. “It seems that I just have to trust you, you haven’t let me down yet. I’m sorry I doubted you before.” Zohn agrees with the Colossus’ plan and a large childlike smile forms on the Colossus’ face. “You won’t be disappointed.” The Colossus states with confidence, reassuring Zohn of his decision.
Methodically taking his first proper step into the lava lake, the Colossus starts to sink into its depths. When lava neared his waist level, the Colossus stops sinking, much to Zohn’s relief. With his next step, the colossus reaches the lake’s centre. The lake is merely a hundred meters wide and not much of an obstacle for the Colossus.
After reaching the lava lake’s centre, the Colossus sits down. Zohn panics as the lava level rises but calms himself when it stops just at the edge of the Colossus shoulder. The Colossus quietly closes its eyes, and a smile appears on his face. “It looks like your trust wasn’t misplaced, Zohn. This is precisely the place that I needed to visit.” The Colossus says to Zohn in an ecstatic voice filled with confidence.