STORY OF THE WANDERING COLOSSUS.
A tale from the lost Legends of Lazarus.
By Andy Williams.
The legend of the wandering colossus is a curious one, throughout the kingdom the tale is known by all, passed down generation after generation. Some say the colossus is a huge beast that wanders the wastelands looking for lost travellers to eat, others say its a cursed wizard looking for the one that cast its curse hoping to reverse the curse that torments it. Others say it’s nothing but a myth based on a small truth which over the generations has become a story about a huge creature that was probably nothing more than a large animal. None of these theories are true!
This is the true story of the colossus. Over 1000 years ago lived a wizard named Alder, he was a wizard of nature, protecting all the flora and fauna around his home. Each day he would walk the forests and fields using his magic to encourage the trees to grow taller, the flowers to bloom brighter and the creatures to become stronger. All those that lived near Alder flourished. Alder loved his work but also realised he was limited by the distance he could walk each day, he wanted to help more, but how? For several nights he pondered by his fireplace sipping on Greenroot Beer. One particular evening, feeling particularly tired and out of ideas he heard a small knock from the kitchen. Alder was used to creatures making their way into his home and settling down for the night, but nonetheless he thought it would be worth having a look to find the source of the noise.
In the kitchen he stood silently listening, rattle! An upturned bucket in the corner moved. He walked over and lifted the bucket to find the most curious of creatures. Not a mouse as he expected, or a rabbit but a small marshland spirit hiding away. Not uncommon in his area but he hadn’t seen a marshland spirit for quite some years, the spirit looked weak and particularly small. Alder brought the tiny spirit creature into his living room and placed it by the fire, feeding it a single drop of reviving potion which was enough to bring the creature back to more of a lively state within a few minutes.
Over the next few weeks the spirit stayed in Alders house, it could leave whenever it wanted, but chose to stay. The creature grew rapidly and after a few months was too large to stay in the house so moved to sleeping and living close to the house. Alder enjoyed the creature’s company and the creature enjoyed his, over time they became un separable. Years passed and the spirit was now several times larger than the wizards house, living in such close proximity to Alder had granted the spirit the ability to grow unnaturally large! Alder thought back to the time when he wished to travel further and help more of the creatures and plants than he currently could and he had an idea, he instructed the spirit to dig directly under his house and then stand. Alder now had a travelling home with his best friend. Together they travelled the lands as far as the eye could see, and then some more.
One particular day Alder left his home to explore a dense forest which the marshland spirit could not venture into. The creature waited for Alder to return, days passed, which turned into weeks and then months. Something had happened to Alder. After some time the creature decided to search for his best friend, first around the perimeter of the forest and then venturing further and further in his lonely hunt to find the lost wizard. It is said that the creature is still searching for Alder, occasionally spotting the odd wandering wizard hoping its his long lost friend. This is the true and sad story of the wandering lonely colossus, so if you see him on your travels don’t be afraid and run in fear, stop and say hi, he is the gentlest of giants in the kingdom who only wants his friend.