Stoned

Lion bashed the door forcefully.

Crash!

The momentum made him roll outside where It was still dark. The blue moon which covers 1/3 of the sky feels like an eye observing everything. The Volcano of Amsk spouts grey smoke which twinkles red under the influence of starlight. A creature standing 7 feet in size with its hunched back and protruding spikes can be seen moving within the fields. It destroys 3 fences with every swing of its sword-like claws.

'A Wraes!'

Lion was surprised. Why was a Wraes here? It's common knowledge that Chaos Monsters such as Wraes don't survive long outside the forest because they need chaos energy every second to survive.

With its skin glistening blue, it moved quickly on the field. Towards a child, around 7 years of age wearing a red dress. That's Abigail, the only daughter of Giro and his wife Annie.

"Abigail!!!"

Lion screamed at top of his lungs and sprinted to intercept the monster. His speed not losing to it.

The Wraes howled crazily when it saw Lion. It raised its two arms and brought it down. Lion knew he will be overpowered easily by the monster, and using his running momentum, he spun his body counter-clockwise towards the monster's left. Seeing this, the monster spun its right arm almost instantaneously trying to catch him, but he underestimated Lion's strength. With a forceful push of his right arm, he parried the claws with the weight of a few hundred pounds. He then made a deep slash on the wrist of the monster.

Kek! Kek!

The Wraes made a low growl and if incense by the scene of its blood, it madly swung its arms randomly. Lion is not affected though, he dodged, parried, rolled, and all sorts of moves to battle it out with the Wraes. He's careful with his moves while also checking the situation in the surrounding.

Giro and Annie together with Martin, their oldest was looking at the scene in horror. Earlier the shriek of their daughter woke them from the embrace of sleep. Giro has been athletic, thus he was fast to open the door and saw the scene where Lion was intercepting the monster. With trembling hands, he took the pitchfork and held her daughter's wrist. He's just a common stable master, the worst he has seen is a wolf. Although he has heard tales about Chaos Monster, he always thought it was an exaggeration created by the drunken fantasy of his friends in the tavern.

"Giro! Hide behind the stable! It's dangerous here!"

When Lion shouted that, the Wraes kicked his leg making him stagger backward. Then the monster hunched its back and 3 spikes came flying from it!

'Shit!'

Lion ignored the pain from his leg and lunged forward! 2 spikes hit his body, one on his right shoulder, another on his abdomen. 'NO!' He heard the third spike's buzzing as it passes his ears, trajecting to the family of four. They saw the spike shooting slightly away from them, and they were pretty sure it will miss. But when they saw how it suddenly changes direction to them, like it has its own free will, they became scared. Martin the oldest even shrieked 'Kyaaah!' like a lady and frantically run East leaving his family behind. The pale Giro carried Abbie and held Annie's hand as they sprinted like no tomorrow toward the stable. But the trajectile was fast and after 3 seconds there were less than 20 meters between them. Giro saw this and gave her daughter to Annie, her crying wife kept pulling his hands but the spike is already pointed at Giro's heart, 2 meters separating him from death. Giro closed his eyes and spread his hands, at the back of his mind he was already accepting his fate.

"Sorry Annie," Giro said.

"CLANG!" Then, the sound of metal colliding can be heard reverberating in the valley. Giro wondered why he can't feel the warmth of death as others call it when he heard a thundering voice from the distance.

"OPEN YOUR WHORE EYES!!!"

He did. He saw the spike lay meters on the ground together with a short silver sword. He looked at his chest, 'It's beating' he subconsciously thought. He saw the Wraes lunging on the fallen Lion. Then he realized what happened.

"RUN LIKE A HORSE!" Again, he carried his daughter and held his wife towards the back of the stable where 'he' said is safe. Fortunately, this time no spike chasing from behind.

+ + + + +

Without a sword what can he do? He threw his sword to intercept that trajectory saving Giro, though that resulted in him giving the Wraes a chance to attack his back. If not because of his quick reaction, he might have already perished.

Lion rolled to the side as the claws of the monster slapped on the ground sending dirt and grass on his face. He picked a huge stone at his side and then threw it hard at the head of the creature. The creature got stunned giving Lion time to stand. He pulled the spikes he has on his shoulder and abdomen making blood flow freely.

'F*ck.' The pain made him curse as he held at each of his hands the spikes half as long as his sword.

'This can be used.' He thought. Without anyone to protect Lion can now act on the offensive. He observed the monster in front of him. There's this feeling that this Wraes is different.

'It's a male since it can control its spikes. An Alpha probably? I killed its mate and thus it's here for revenge. But why is its skin so cold?' Lion frowned. Wraes are supposed to be warm, so warm that your skin will burn once you touch them. That's why Lion spent an hour cooling the corpse of the Wraes he previously killed.

The Wraes started to recover. When it saw Lion staring at it, it howled and charged at him.

'Yeah, I'll strangle this troublesome guy first.' Lion smirked. If anyone asks him what he wants, first is a peaceful life, the second is... Yeah, fighting.

The Wraes performed a cross-cut using its two hands. Lion ducked, barely avoiding it, and stabbed the spike on the creature's left elbow, producing a 'creak' sound as its left arm fell limp.

"GAAAH!!!" The red eyes of the monster showed malignantly as an air-piercing shriek sounded in Lion's ears.

"Shut the f*ck up!" He punched the creature's head. Using the spikes, Lion stabbed its eyes then kicked its chest, pushing him away from him. It wobbled around, opened its mouth and shrieke-

"GA- Booom!"

A huge stone delivered itself on the Wraes' face, completely embedding the spike into its brain in one fell swoop. The mighty creature now lay down peacefully.

"Stoned to death! Hehe- cough! cough!"

He touched his stomach, blood won't stop gushing. He wanted to examine the corpse but his consciousness couldn't handle the pain and fatigue anymore. The last thing he saw before the feeling of sleep bliss turned on him is countless lights and voices drowning in the celestial scenery of paradise...