Chapter 5: Cloud-Fallen Collector

Chapter 5: Cloud-Fallen Collector

Finn knew better than to attempt to flee, let alone fight it. He kept himself completely still, even so much as opting not to breathe as he listened to his own heartbeat trickle to a slow pace.

'...Just pass,' he hoped, listening to the colossus searching the area.

While he had confidence in his ability to remain undetected, the same couldn't be said for the man beside him.

Damian clutched his axe close to his body, trembling with heavy breaths. It wasn't a display of cowardice, rather an inability to calm his adrenaline; Finn understood that.

'Just stay calm—endure it a bit longer,' Finn thought, unable to say it out loud.

Though neither looked at it, they both felt as its attention turned to the building they were in. The presence of the colossus closed in as its mouth was just in front of the shop.

He could feel its breath expelling into the store like a hot wind, carrying with it a stench of foul meat. Even its breathing was enough to cause the structure to tremble in its colossal might.

There wasn't a thought in either of the men's minds as they remained still, almost too still as they forgot to breathe.

Just as Finn felt his chest throbbing, aching for oxygen, he felt a weight lift from the ground as the tremendous sound of the giant rising up reverberated through the ground.

"Are we...good?" Damian hesitantly asked in a whisper.

Finn sat up, glancing over the top of the flipped-over countertop as he saw the translucent-skinned entity climbing back into the sky as if stepping on the air itself. It was an unnerving sight, though relieving to see it leave.

"It left," Finn told him.

"Phew..." Damian exhaled, regaining his breath.

As they both stood up, there was still an air of unease that weighed down on them. It was an encounter that made one feel small and insignificant, like a mouse cornered by a predator; an eye-opening experience.

"What was that thing? It was huge," Damian asked, still fixing his breathing.

"A Cloud-Fallen Collector," Finn answered. "It was in Avalon Online–the fact it's real now is probably the scariest thing I've seen. That's why this area is a ghost town–it collected everyone. We can't fight it, not at our current strength."

The truth of what they encountered settled in with an unnerving look at reality. Beyond mere goblins and cyclops, it stood as an existence far too cruel to reasonably understand.

Damian looked around at the desolated, green-walled tea shop, "So, what now? If that thing is waiting above, then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Finn carefully peeked just beyond the front entrance of the shop, seeing the terrifying colossus curling up into a fetal position in the sky as it once more camouflaged itself as a cloud, "The best we can do is just wait until it drifts away. The problem with that is..."

"Man, I don't think that made it any less scary," Damian remarked with a shake of his head.

As Finn led the way through the narrow alleyway, they came to its end, facing an open street with the next alley just across the way. There was no way around it, they'd have to cross.

"Shit–can we make it?" Damian asked.

Finn stood right by the edge of the alleyway, watching as the far-spanning shadow of the colossus in the sky slowly passed over the street, "Yeah, just need to be quick."

As he glanced back at his warrior-classed companion, he took notice of the fact that Damian was still carrying his axe, even though the prospect of a fight was not something to look out for at the moment. At first, he thought the man simply kept it out to remain ready at all times, but now he thought differently.

"Hey, Damian. You know how to recall your weapon, right?" Finn quietly asked.

"What? What's that?" The salt-and-pepper haired man asked.

Finn held a furrowed expression before holding his hand out, "Like this."

The concept of the "weapon" he bound to himself was thought of as the dagger manifested in his grip without a word. In the same amount of ease, it was recalled back to nothing.

"Woah–how'd you do that?" Damian asked.

"Just think of storing your weapon, like into a conceptual pocket. Then when you want it, just think of holding it," Finn instructed him, "That's how it was in Avalon."

Damian nodded his head and focused with a grunt, clasping his hands before–poof. The large axe vanished without a trace.

"Ah, that's handy," Damian remarked.

"Yeah. It'll be easier for you to move now," Finn said. "Won't have to lug around that giant weapon."

He led the way, making the first dash across the street as he swiftly sprinted from the alleyway over to the next sidewalk. Just as he reached the other side, he ducked into the alleyway, turning back to gesture for his friend to follow.

With a lot less grace, Damian followed behind with a dash of his own, running beneath the drifting shadow in the sky. Just as he reached the other side, the warrior slid into the alley before releasing a breath of relief.

"Safe," Damian said.

"Nice one. Let's keep moving," Finn said.

By some miracle, the shadow of the colossus in the sky above was avoided as they traversed outside of the Chinatown sector.