The Siege
Hao Xuan turned around as quickly as his body would let him and screamed at the top of his lungs, "MONSTERS!!! MONSTERS ARE COMING!"
**
The tree line was almost four kilometers away from the farmhouse. With the beast's speed and numbers, it would only take a few minutes for the first wave to reach the mansion.
He ran down as fast as he could, falling twice in the process, and ran out of the warehouse. As he got close to the mansion Mr. Khan came running towards him.
"Monsters? How many? Where are they coming from?" he asked hurriedly.
"Hundreds! Hundreds of them coming out of the forest all at once! They should be here within a few minutes, we have to get out, quick!" Hao Xuan replied in a panic, pointing at the stables.
"Get out? How can we get out? We can't outrun them on foot and we don't have enough horses to take everyone," Mr. Khan replied gloomily, his tone bleak. "We can only depend on the barrier and hope it holds till the guards get here," he finished.
At this point Maaz came running over as well. Mr. Khan looked at Hao Xuan and shook his head, signaling him not to talk about it anymore.
"Go to the sheds and grab any weapons you can find, then come to the mansion quickly," he said to Maaz and Hao Xuan as he ran back first.
Hao Xuan explained the situation to Maaz as best as he could while they both searched the sheds for anything useful. There were a few sickles and axes which they brought back to the mansion where everyone else was nervously waiting for them.
As soon as they got in, Mr. Khan put the protection stone in the crevice beside the door and a bright white bubble appeared around the whole mansion.
"Stay away from the barrier, we can go out but nothing else can come in," he said as he took an ax from Maaz.
"I'll go up and see how far they are," Maaz said running up to the second floor, Hao Xuan and Sam followed him.
There wasn't any roof access, only an attic which was the highest place on the farm other than the warehouse. The trio reached the attic window and peered towards the forest.
The monsters were close enough now that they could easily be seen with the naked eye because of the bright moonlight.
There really were thousands of them, coming from every side. It wasn't just them that was in danger, but everyone around them for a hundred miles or so would also be attacked.
Hao Xuan realized it was going to be a bloodbath one way or another. There weren't enough guards or hunters to get to everyone in time….
"Can you hear them?" Sam suddenly mumbled.
"Hear what?"
"The sound of their legs stomping across the ground, weirdly, it sounds like a war drum from those old movie- Ow!"
Maaz slapped him on the back of his head before he could finish the thought, "Stop saying dumb shit like that!" he cursed.
Seeing them still mess around put Hao Xuan's heart at ease, even if for just a moment.
He looked the other way hoping to catch a glimpse of the guard's outpost, but there was nothing for miles around. Then suddenly another bright bubble popped up on the left side, much further away, and then another and another. It seemed like everyone else in the vicinity was aware of the incoming monster horde.
With nothing else to see they went back down to the living room. As they entered, Mr. and Mrs. Khan looked towards them with hopeful eyes only to see Maaz shake his head, confirming their fears.
There was no help coming anytime soon.
Olivia and Emilie were huddled together with Kay, their oldest sister. She was the same age as Hao Xuan but seemed much more mature for her age in his eyes.
"Sis, I'm scared," said Olivia in a quivering voice, holding Kay's hand tighter.
"Are the monsters going to eat…us?" Emilie asked weakly, looking towards her mother.
"Of course they are going to eat us, that's what they do they're mons-" Kay irritatingly mumbled to herself but a crisp smack to the back of her head silenced her.
Mrs. Khan glared at Kay while picking up Emilie, "No baby, of course not."
As Hao Xuan heard those words his heart skipped a beat. Were they really going to die? This new life of theirs had just now started, would it really end so abruptly? They came to this great new world and he was already going to leave it without ever stepping out of this farm?
He was saddened by the thought but couldn't see any alternatives. What could he do?
He looked towards the family, at Kay and Mrs. Khan trying to console the twins, Mr. Khan, Maaz, and Sam holding various farming tools standing by the windows, waiting for their inevitable demise.
He didn't want any of them to die but...it was almost inevitable.
They had done nothing but be kind to him and make him feel happiness beyond what he had ever thought possible. He had only now started living, so how could he let it all end so soon?!
'There has to be a way!'
BOOOM!
The barrier shook intensely, the monsters were here.
There were thousands of them running without even looking where they were going. Rather than an attack, it seemed more like they were running for their lives.
'What could make so many of these creatures come out of the forest fearing for their lives? Was it the meteor? If you could even call it that. What exactly is going on?' Hao Xuan's thoughts ran wild.
Even at this time he couldn't hold his inquisitive nature in check.
Unexpectedly, most of the creatures bumped into the barrier, got up, and continued running while many others ignored the barrier completely.
But some of the bigger ones stayed. For example, a few creatures that were as big as calves, had four extremely long legs and a small hairy body. With the face of a bat, it looked like they came straight out of a child's nightmare. (Links in Authors Thoughts).
These creatures were just standing there, not attacking nor running away. Just….looking.
Another monster stopped behind them as well. It looked like a mix between a moose and a bear. As big as a bus, it was huge to say the least, reaching even the second story of the mansion while on all fours. It was the biggest one out there and from the looks of it, the deadliest as well.
There were a few other different kinds of monsters that had stopped outside the barrier. After a few minutes, the majority of the horde had gone past the farmhouse, with just those creatures outside.
And then suddenly, the bear hybrid came running over at full speed and charged into the barrier, making it shake and slightly dim for a second.
Hao Xuan's expression turned ugly instantly. Even with just these few creatures, the barrier wasn't going to hold out for very long.
The twins started crying loudly. The men tightened their grips on the tools, ready to fight. Everyone knew it wasn't going to end well at this point. Despair was in the air.
Even Mrs. Khan who was usually very calm and collected had tears in her eyes as she held the twins in her embrace while humming a tune so they wouldn't hear the beast's growling.
Hao Xuan's heart bled.
Why? Why wouldn't the so-called all mighty "Ancient Ones" help? They certainly had the capabilities to do so, it was nothing for them so why wouldn't they help? They brought them here and then left them to die to some wretched beasts?
Hao Xuan slowly backed out of the room without being noticed, which wasn't hard at this point. With a troubled expression, he looked at the floor below and then the ceiling above before his knees bent and he fell down to the floor.
'Please, Ancient Ones, Gods, whoever is listening, just keep this family safe. If you just need a sacrifice or someone to suffer then I'll do it in their stead, whatever you want, I'll do it. But please keep them safe! I beg you! Just one little miracle and I'll be grateful for a lifetime…please…' he prayed and prayed with closed eyes and folded hands, negotiating with the powerful unseen beings.
This was the second time he was praying in his life and it still felt as hopeless as the first. Praying was supposed to cleanse a person of their sins and make them feel content but Hao Xuan never felt that way.
To him, it felt like knocking on a door that couldn't be opened anymore. Yet here he was, down on his knees like a beggar. But if it would save these innocent people then it would be worth it.
BAM!
BAM!
The barrier got hit again and again, dimming ever so slightly every time but nothing else changed. There was no heavenly thunder sent to burn these beasts to ashes, no angels descended to protect the house and its inhabitants.
The heavens were blind and no one was coming to help them.
Suddenly a heart-wrenching scream came from afar. Hao Xuan ran to the window and like a flame in the wind, the bubble in the distance flickered and then broke.
He recognized the voices. It was their neighbor, the small family of five. They were quite a distance away but Hao Xuan could still hear the children's screams for a few seconds before it all went silent.
He stared at the place for a few more seconds and could already see what was going to happen when their own barrier inevitably broke. It would be a massacre just like that one.
Hao Xuan placed his right hand over his chest and felt his heartbeat. Maybe his heart was going to stop soon but not without a fight, not like this!
'Not like this!' he repeated.
He liked this place so he wouldn't let it go just like that. Finally, he had made up his mind and as soon as he did, an old brown book appeared in his subconscious mind without him realizing it.
It flipped open on its own and a passage on the first page lit up: With one swing the Gods Slayed, and with another, the Abyss sundered!
It sounded like a traditional overhyped cringe-inducing catchphrase one would hear in a video game. Hao Xuan would have laughed at it if he saw it himself.
The words lit up with a reddish-golden color and the small vortex of Spiritual Energy that was always surrounding him finally began to enter his body. But Hao Xuan was in a world of his own right now and couldn't feel anything due to the rush of adrenaline.
He ran into the living room where they were all gathered.
"Aunty, is there any cooking alcohol in the kitchen?" he asked peering towards Mrs. Khan.
Bewildered by the sudden inquiry, she thought for a few seconds and then got up herself and went into the kitchen. She came back out with several bottles.
"Thank you," Hao Xuan replied with a resplendent smile.
Everyone was shocked by his actions. And that blinding smile! They had never seen him smile like that in the few weeks they had known him.
Actually, he had never smiled like that before in his life, ever. All the knots in his heart were undone. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Right now he didn't have to think anymore. His body moved on its own.
'One step at a time, I will do it myself, don't need to depend on anyone else from now on!'
As soon as the thought appeared in his mind he felt an external power enter his body. As if a connection was established between him and the surroundings, allowing him to feel everything that was happening around him.
At that moment Hao Xuan felt like he could destroy the world with a single punch. His thoughts were focused and his mind clear. He had a plan!
"Please hold on, I'll go get help. Don't give up!" he said to the family, looking at everyone present once before running up the stairs with a huge grin on his face.
Everyone in the living room was completely shocked, did he finally snap?
Hao Xuan reached the attic once again, opened the window, and stepped out. The stable was right in front of him but still about four meters away. (13~ feet)
Normally there was absolutely no way he would even think of making such a jump but there was no other way anymore. And that strange power was still lingering inside of him. He felt like he could fly with its help let alone jump a few meters.
So without wasting time thinking about it he grit his teeth and jumped!
The windowsill broke to pieces under his feet by the sheer power exerted on it and he 'flew' through the air and landed on the stable roof, barely making it. He found the top window and climbed inside.
His heart was beating like a drum and for a few seconds that was all he could hear.
He looked around in the darkness, slowly making his way down. The stable door had a hole in the bottom about a meter wide and it looked like something had chewed through it.
'Oh no! Did a beast get inside?!'
He sprinted towards the back where the horses were kept but staggered upon seeing the blood. Of the three horses he could already see two from afar. Their bodies had large bite marks the size of watermelons around their necks.
As slowly as he could, Hao Xuan grabbed a nearby pitchfork and raised it up like a weapon. Step by step he walked over to the last stall where his horse was kept. He could still hear heavy breathing on the other side.
With gritted teeth he jumped and landed right in front of the stall, once again being caught off guard.
The first thing Hao Xuan saw was a giant black shadow glaring at him and then a dead beast under it.
"You're okay!" he let out a breath of relief.
Using the pitchfork Hao Xuan pushed the beast aside. It was like a jaguar but its mouth was almost twice as big as its head. There were hoof prints on its body and it had been squashed to death under the stallion's weight.
Neigh!
Seeing another silhouette appear out of nowhere the horse neighed loudly and threateningly stomped on the ground with all its might.
Hao Xuan swiftly lowered the pitchfork and inched closer with his raised hands above his head.
"Whoa whoa, it's me look, it's me," he stood in the moonlight that was coming down from the cracks in the roof and revealed himself. The horse took one look at him before calming down, surprising even Hao Xuan.
"That's a good boy...relax now, everything's fine," Hao Xuan ran his fingers through its mane while inspecting for injuries. There were a few small scratches but nothing big.
Hao Xuan couldn't help but take another look at the dead beast while muttering to himself, "You sure showed that thing huh? No such thing as a free meal..."
Neigh
The horse bobbed his head up and down in agreement, almost as if he could understand what Hao Xuan was saying.
**
Seeing as his ride was secured Hao Xuan started looking around for a weapon and some rags.
He found a dibber and tied it to a wooden rod to create a makeshift spear. Then he found some rags and tied them around the digger and poured the alcohol over them before stuffing the rest of the rags in the bottles, making some good old Molotov cocktails. He unlocked the main doors too.
After making sure everything was ready he went to the back of the last stall. The horse was still obviously agitated and neighed when he saw Hao Xuan arrive.
"Shh Shh Shh, hey, look at me, everything's going to be okay," he whispered while caressing its mane. The strange power in his body moved yet again, through his hands and into the horse, calming it down and even empowering it with new strength.
The horse looked into his green eyes which seemed to be shining like lanterns in the dark.
At that moment, Hao Xuan felt like he was connected to the horse mentally. If he thought about something, the horse would understand. A strange feeling indeed.
"We're going to go save everyone, together, and I need your help. I know it's scary but I can't do this alone. You like them right? Everyone treats you so well, you wouldn't want them to get hurt right?" he said to the horse, trying to make himself feel better.
He knew the horse wouldn't be able to understand him, but still.
The horse neighed in response, catching him by surprise.
"C-Can you understand me?" he asked again and got another neigh in response.
Hao Xuan was utterly shocked, how was this possible? Were the animals in this world so intelligent? Or maybe he was just neighing to everything Hao Xuan said?
BAM!
A loud thud came from outside, bringing him back to reality. The barrier was going to break soon!
With a deep breath Hao Xuan got on its back.
"Let's go…er, that reminds me, I still didn't name you right? My bad, how about Joey? I'll call you Joey," he said patting the horse, getting another neigh in response.
"Alright, let's do this!" Hao Xuan mumbled under his breath. This was meant more for him than the horse. His heartbeat increased yet again and he felt like throwing up but forced it down.
"Yah!" Hao Xuan clicked his heels and Joey trotted out of the stable, slowly picking up the pace before going into a full-blown gallop.
They circled around the mansion once, making as much noise as they could.
"Hah!"
The Khan family who had all but given up at this point, suddenly heard a neigh and looked outside to see Hao Xuan with a large stick and a clanking bag of bottles on his back riding towards them on Joey.
FWEEEET
With a loud whistle Hao Xuan came running around the mansion, successfully becoming the center of attention. He adjusted his position and ran straight into the heard of monsters, lighting his homemade spear on fire on the way.
"My God, what is he doing, he'll get killed!" yelled Mrs. Khan, panicking, and rightly so.
Hao Xuan pierced the first two little spider-like creatures that were too slow to react, hearing a loud screech in response before running out of the herd once again when suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye.
The Bear hybrid was looking right at him. It was thoroughly incensed by this little creature's antics, stood on its hind legs, and roared.
GROOOOWL!
It was taller than the entire mansion while in that position, more than nine meters in height. (30~ feet)
Hao Xuan's heart almost stopped as he looked at the massive shadow and at that moment he knew that he clearly wasn't a match for the creature no matter what.
So he lit the Molotovs and started chucking them at the pack of beasts.
A few landed in front of the mansion's entrance creating a blaze. A couple landed on the bear and its fur started burning intensely. One of them landed right in the middle of the herd and fire splashed everywhere.
Screech
Kreeek
The creatures started screaming and running around but to Hao Xuan's surprise, the bear stood still, just looking at him through the flames that had engulfed it completely. It was like the fire couldn't hurt it at all but Hao Xuan could smell the burnt hair and skin.
The bear let out a deafening roar and charged towards him.
"Oh shit, what the fuck is wrong with that thing?! Why is it coming after me while it's getting burned alive??!" Hao Xuan almost got a heart attack looking at the absolutely massive behemoth of a fireball coming straight at him.
"Run Joey, RUN!" he screamed.
Hearing Hao Xuan's orders Joey took off like a rocket, heading straight into the fields.
At first, the distance between them continued to grow but over time the bear's speed kept increasing. Even the fire that was around its body was slowly extinguished due to the sheer air pressure.
'Not good, it's going to catch up at this rate,' Hao Xuan thought while glancing back. Even with Joey's speed they couldn't outrun it for too long!
But at least he had managed to bring the biggest threat away from the residence.
'The barrier should hold for much longer now.'
They ran for ten minutes straight before Joey started getting slower. Even with the boost added from Hao Xuan's 'strange power' he couldn't carry on running like that for too long.
"We can't stop Joey! The mansion is still in our view, it could go back. No matter what, we can't stop," Hao Xuan urged but he didn't know what good it would do.
"Please...don't think about anything else, just run...run as fast as you can...as far as you can..." he murmured.
Hao Xuan's eyes lit up like torches in the night and all the remaining power went through his body towards Joey.
With a loud neigh Joey broke out in a mad sprint which was even faster than his top speed. The distance between them and the half-burnt bear hybrid started increasing.
Hao Xuan felt extremely tired and almost fell asleep. He could barely keep his eyes open as the exhaustion began to set in. He slapped himself and bit his tongue trying to stay awake.
With weary eyes, he looked back and smiled when he couldn't see the light of the barrier anymore.
"Good job buddy, we did it. We saved everyone," Hao Xuan whispered in a barely audible tone. All he wanted to do at this point was sleep.
'Nothing would be sweeter than a bed right now,' he thought.
Just as he was about to doze off a voice echoed in his head, a gentle voice he had never heard before but still it sounded familiar.
"Master…at…my...limit...sorry," said the voice in an apologetic tone, and then a muffled boom before sounded before Joey went limp mid-stride.
The world turned upside down before Hao Xuan could even process what was happening and he got thrown off Joey's back.
He landed in the field after spinning in the air a couple of times.
BAM
CRACK
Sounds he had never heard before came from his body as it rag-dolled through the fields.
Hao Xuan was so drowsy that just managing to keep his eyes open was all that seemed possible, but still, he forced himself to get up after a few seconds.
The world was spinning, he was confused and concussed and didn't understand what was going on but still, he slowly limped over to Joey to check his condition.
He wasn't moving. There was a gaping hole under his left leg from which blood was gushing out even now. His heart had exploded.
Even in his current state Hao Xuan could understand what had happened and it left him teary-eyed.
'Was that really Joey's voice at the end?' he wondered.
If that was true then he knowingly ran until his very heart exploded, all to save the family and him.
"Good...boy, you sleep now," Hao Xuan whispered while brushing his mane.
RUMMBLEE
Tears streaming down his face, Hao Xuan looked up and saw the bear running towards him. But he was so very sleepy that every waking moment felt like torture.
He almost hoped the bear would reach him sooner, just so he could taste the eternal sleep.
Having given up all hope, Hao Xuan closed his eyes ready for the end when he saw the family members' smiling faces flashing past his eyes. They were waving at him, calling him over.
[You're gonna give me another chance to beat you in the race, right?] Maaz asked with a cheeky smile.
[ME TOO! Next time I wanna go too you promised~] Emi hopped up and down from the side, pulling at him with puppy dog eyes.
Hao Xuan chuckled.
"Is this what they mean when they say life flashes before your eyes on death's door? Haha, alright, I'll try to come back," he muttered to himself.
Hao Xuan looked around for the makeshift spear and found it quickly since it was stuck under Joey's body. He pulled it out with some effort and used it as a crutch to stand up.
All the pain hit him at once.
He had broken quite a few ribs in the fall along with his left hand. His right eye was bruised black and blue, swollen to two times its size. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off he could feel the pain of those injuries.
Barely standing upright, he used his right hand to hold the spear and aimed it towards the bear hurtling at him.
"Come at me you ugly son of a bitch, it's not going to be an easy dinner," he said with a grin.
The bear saw Hao Xuan get up in that state, ready to fight, which angered it even more. How could such a little thing that can barely stand dare to bare its fangs towards it?
It stood up on its hind legs in response and growled loudly before bringing its forearm down.
'If that attack connects, it will be all over,' Hao Xuan thought seeing the massive paw looming over him but he couldn't do much at this point.
His body was already going numb from the pain and he couldn't move at all. So he held the spear in his hand and closed his eyes, waiting for it to land.
'At least it'll be quick…'
Rumble
Rumble
Out of nowhere, the ground started shaking, and the sounds of a rolling thunder came from the back, much like the galloping of countless horses. He slowly turned his head halfway and saw an entire army coming towards him.
Hundreds of horse-like creatures with fully armored soldiers on top of them. His heart shook looking at the scene, it was the most magnificent thing he had ever seen.
With blades as long as the horses themselves they rushed down in golden armor. But just as they reached Hao Xuan and the bear they parted like the red sea and went past them without slowing down at all.
The bear also stood still, stunned at this sudden turn of events.
Hao Xuan heard a swishing noise and a voice speak up from the front.
"Oh my, now this is a nice surprise. A child against a fully matured Alces, you've got some guts boy," it said.
Hao Xuan turned to the front to look at the speaker.
It was a large, bearded man smiling at him. In his right hand, a massive Glaive.
"Were you the one calling for it?" he asked curiously.
There was a gurgling sound from behind the bearded man. Hao Xuan leaned over to the side and saw the bear standing there with a blank expression.
It tried to roar but more gurgling noises escaped from its gullet and then a second later, the right side of its body cleanly separated from the left and fell down.
Hao Xuan's vision blurred and just like the bear's body, he also fell back with a loud thud.
The last thing Hao Xuan saw before passing out was the bearded man standing over at him mumbling about something.