act17mini

How did you catch it, whatever this... THING is?

The detector is vibrating! Is that your colossus, Mudrock?

Yeah, I saw it by the road on the way back.

It was working just fine yesterday, maybe a little slow, but nothing was broken. Then it suddenly ran out in the middle of the night and wouldn't come back.

Couldn't sense it with Arts, either. It's like something was interfering... do you know what's going on?

Maybe it's under the influence of a revenant fragment.

Revenant? What do they have to do with it?

Well... actually, can I see the colossus first?

Be careful. It lashes out at anyone. All my guys here have taken a few hits.

Did it break, uh, Stick's arm?

No, he broke it in a fight over some work at the construction site.

Come on, Mudrock, you wouldn't stand up for me back there, and now you're doing this in front of some outsiders?

Did I not stand up for you? I took all his work. He spent the whole day in the sun without getting a single grain of corn.

Anything else I should know about the colossus?

It seems to be scared of me. It runs away as soon as it sees me. I would have caught it a long time ago, if I wasn't worried that it would topple the furnace if it got into the plaza.

Nothing else, really, Nymph... it's Nymph, right? Be really careful, if it was the revenant that made it go berserk.

There aren't many Djaj in Kazdel. I don't want to get one hurt, as soon as I met her.

A-Alright, thanks for the advice.

Nymph takes out her detector and cautiously approaches the colossus.

One step, two steps... as she takes the third step, the detector emits a screeching alarm.

So that's it!

No, it's not... it's there.

The Djall points to a crack on the colossus. A piece of rubble seems to have gotten lodged in it.

It is fixed to the colossus like a hateful eye, no matter how the colossus struggles.

I sense something strange.

It's pain that has lasted centuries... hatred that has lasted a hundred times longer.

(Hoarse howl)

This is a revenant fragment, Mudrock. I think that's why it went berserk.

People were attacked, but not injured. I didn't think about why that was, but now... I think it just doesn't hurt the Sarkaz.

...I see. The revenant are like Kazdel. They reject anyone who isn't Sarkaz.

We need to get the fragment out. Can you help me, Mudrock? You created this colossus, you should be able to control it.

Make it stay still. Just a little while will do.

Okay.

Mudrock raises a hand to the colossus. It seems to feel the threat and struggles even harder.

The metal wires began to break where they have been weakened by rust, stirring up clouds of dust as they hit the ground.

The red glow in the colossus's eyes grows brighter, and all present hear a cold, eerie voice in their heads.

Oppression... revenge!

Banish! Banish! Banish!

All you see is hatred... you could not even tell Sarkaz from outsider. You still raise your fists?

That is not what a revenant should be. Alright then... let it go.

Are you out of your mind?

...Got it. Scatter on the count of three. Three, two, one!

Banish!

Kazdel, for Sarkaz, only!

What are you, then?

You're not a revenant, or a Gargoyle. You're just a broken Arts Creation... shouldn't you get out of Kazdel too?

Mudrock, look out!

The colossus begins to emit smoke from every crack and fissure. It seems to grow larger, raising a right fist that has almost grown to the size of the shack.

It is about to bring it down on the young Sarkaz.

The Djall's staff starts to glow. She looks into the colossus's eyes and resolutely recites a few words in Sarkaz. The red light in the construct's eyes grows dimmer with each word.

The shadows behind Nymph become increasingly sinister, as though ready to leap from the gravel at any moment.

An instant before the shadow pierces the ground, Mudrock grabs her hand and snaps her fingers.

Snap—

The Arts that hold the colossus together are dispelled, and the construct collapses into a pile of gravel and stone. The fist that it tried to bring down turns into a strong gust of wind.

Before the dust settles, the faint, yellow sunlight has wiped away the last vestige of the sinister shadow.

I can find my way from here.

It's okay, I'm going to Rhodes Island's branch office here to report on the revenant anyway. We're going the same way.

Is it safe to put it in that little box?

Totally safe! It's Lichcraft.

As for you and your friends... I know the guard on duty today. I can have him sneak you out of the city without drawing attention.

Why should we leave?

Just like that colossus, there are a lot of people here who won't tolerate an outsider living next door.

Your people need to eat and sleep, but that's not any easier to come by in the city.

Maybe I didn't bring them here just to eat and sleep.

In the past, not so long ago, there were more than just Sarkaz in this city.

People came from far away to teach, heal, build. They weren't here just to eat and sleep.

You mean Babel... but they left, and you know as well as I do why they left.

It was just a dream, like the kind you get when you're running a fever. I'm glad it was part of my childhood, but it wasn't always a good thing for Kazdel and the Sarkaz.

Kazdel is fragile... it can't handle anything like that happening again.

Are you speaking for yourself, or for all Sarkaz? Kazdel is not so fragile, from my point of view, and the Sarkaz have never been that fragile.

The bad can be avoided. The good will always be good.

There are things that Kazdel has to face. Kazdel is the last hope for some people, and they can't live in the settlement outside the city forever.

You're Sarkaz. Your friends aren't.

They trust me, like I trust Amiya.

Amiya... Rhodes Island. I've heard about your ideals. They're... attractive.

Now I'm even more curious. What is Rhodes Island like?

You can come with me to see Amiya. It's not far, just past that street.

She's in Kazdel?

Let me do this first, though. I said I would, and the one I promised... I'd rather not get on their bad side.

Nymph waves the box. The spinning rocks within make no sound.

Mudrock nods and walks toward the Furnace.

(Yawn) You done chatting?

Yeah. Where do we go next?

I would say the market on the east side, but they're long done for the day.

Why don't we call it quits too?

Hm... but I feel like I forgot something. What could it be?

Hm...?

Oh no! Bean Sprout's cart!

Isn't Nymph back yet?

I'm gonna get a bump bigger than Big Head's head if he comes back first!

What are you worried for? Nymph always comes through.

Look, over there—Nymph!

My cart! Thank goodness!

Isn't there someone to thank besides goodness?

Thank you! Thank you so much! The ghost didn't catch you, did it?

Stop scaring Cherie with that ghost and monster talk! Just some thugs up to no good. The Consultant taught them a lesson.

But the homes there are in disrepair, and the roads are really narrow. You should avoid the place.

Really? But they saw a bunch of people getting chased around by the monster from one end of the city wall to the other!

Maybe the ghost is after you, Nymph.

Maybe you should teach me a few more words today, just in case you can't come tomorrow.