Matthew dragged the heavy cart up the steep incline. Xhuzi followed closely behind, as the path was too narrow for them to walk side by side. The thick foliage choked out the sunlight, casting a damp chill over their bodies.
Matthew was lost in thought, stumbling every now and then as the cart's wheels hit loose rocks on the path.
I guess this really is a fantasy world. In all the years I've been here, I haven't seen something as weird as that creature. I guess Father and the rest really weren't exaggerating…
After turning a corner, the courtyard gates came into view. The front entrance was grand and awe-inspiring: tall porcelain-white walls, a massive bronze gate separating the two halves, all topped by intricate decorative tile roofing.
How grand. Looks like something straight out of a novel.
Matthew snarked internally, but his face remained composed.
"Brother, look at how amazing the entrance is. It's so cool and imposing, fitting for a great Lord."
"Yes, it is quite a spectacle, but don't lower your guard. I've got a bad feeling about this place."
Xhuzi, who had moved up to walk beside him where the path widened, nodded solemnly.
As they approached, the grand metal doors began to slowly part before they even stopped. A loud creak filled the air, and the settled dust whipped up, disturbed by the heavy movement.
The two didn't stop but continued forward into the courtyard. Matthew and Xhuzi looked on with surprise at the female attendant standing just inside the entrance.
She was shorter than Matthew and only slightly taller than Xhuzi. Her body was covered head-to-toe in white linen attire, and her head was wrapped in a grey headgear with a white veil across her face, leaving only a narrow slit for her eyes.
Bowing her head slightly, she spoke. "Welcome to the residence of the Great Beast Lord. It must be such an honor to deliver the Lord's offering firsthand."
"It truly is. This place is simply too amazing, I really am honored to be here. Don't you think so too, Xiengfeng?"
"Yes, this place is quite wonderful, but to me, this is nothing more than another task I have to complete to help the village."
The woman looked at the two young men. "It is good you are aware of the grandness of this holy place, but you, boy aren't you being a bit too close-minded?"
Matthew cut in quickly. "Forgive me for my poor choice of words, I didn't mean to come off as rude. Maybe I have just been closed off in the village for too long…" He paused, a risky thought crossing his mind. "Or maybe it is you who is close-minded, having stayed here for so long."
"I assure you, the Lord wouldn't allow for incompetence, such as close-mindedness."
"If that's true, then he would truly be a great Lord. Ma'am, I would like to know when we will be able to rest? We've traveled quite the distance and night is soon upon us." Matthew said, wishing to end the conversation before he said something regretful.
"Speaking of rest, the Great Lord wishes to speak with you two before giving any further instructions. He is currently in the main villa waiting for your arrival. Let us hurry now."
The brothers left the cart near the entrance and followed the attendant. As they walked, Matthew made sure to observe the courtyard. Internally, he couldn't discredit the construction, on top of the prestigious aesthetic, it was immaculately maintained.
They arrived at the villa entrance, which stood open as if swallowing them whole. A loud, bellowing laugh filled the room as they entered.
"Is this all of you? Well, what an impressive bunch of children. To be able to come this far on your own is truly commendable."
The Lord sat on a large throne in the center back of the room. The boys dropped to one knee in unison. "We humbly greet the Lord and pay our respects."
Head still bowed, Matthew spoke. "We thank the Lord for such praise, though this is nothing compared to what the Lord can do."
Taking the opportunity, Matthew sized up the Lord without being noticed. He was tall, even while sitting likely towering over the guards outside if he were to stand. He possessed bright golden feathers that emitted a faint glowing aura and striking golden eyes that could make a man collapse under their gaze. He shared the avian features of his guards, but he wore no mask.
"Oh child, why compare yourself to us Beast Folk, let alone myself? You should be proud of your feat, even if it's insignificant to someone like me. As everyone knows, all beings have their place including you."
"How wise, Lord," Matthew said, cupping his hands.
"Stand, stand. No guest should have to stay kneeling this long. It's quite surprising that your village was able to reach this year's offering. Weren't the seasons bad this year?"
Xhuzi kept his eyes shut and bowed his head forward. "We worked extra hard to meet it, Lord. It's our duty, after all."
"You are truly amusing. Even if you weren't able to gather it in time, I would have been lenient and let your village sort it out over time. What kind of Lord would be so unforgiving?"
Matthew bowed again. "You are truly too kind."
"It's merely the way of the Beast Folk, hahaha. But it is getting late. I shall let you two go rest now your tiny bodies must be more than exhausted."
"We appreciate your concern, Lord, and we shall be off."
"You are welcome guests in this estate. I do wish to see more of you two in the years to come. You have more promise than the other batch they usually send here. Maybe I'll mold you into proper servers."
"We wish to learn much from you too, Lord," Matthew said, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his composure.
"Server, prepare two rooms for my guests. Give them the ones on the leftmost side of the villa."
"Yes my Lord, your will is my command."
They quickly left the Villa Hall, trailing the servant they had followed earlier. They walked past the many rooms encircling the courtyard, eventually reaching the East side of the estate.
"These will be your rooms. Wait a moment while I prepare them."
The boys nodded as she turned and entered the quarters. Matthew and Xhuzi waited, whispering about the strange events of the day. Only a short moment later, the servant girl returned.
"The rooms are ready for you two." She looked towards Xhuzi. "The room on the left is for the youngest one." She shifted her gaze to Matthew. "And the room on the right is for you."
She turned to leave but paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "And one last thing: make sure not to leave your rooms at night. If anything were to happen, the Lord bears no responsibility."
Matthew clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing as he watched the attendant walk away.
I don't know why, but what she said doesn't sit right with me.
He forced himself to relax before looking at Xhuzi.
"Xhuzi, let's head inside. It's late now. We'll talk again in the morning, okay? Make sure not to leave your room. I don't trust this place."
If something happens to you, who's to say they'll spare me?
Xhuzi looked at Matthew. "Okay, brother. But I do have to say, today has been really amazing. Who knew the Lord would be that cool? I can't wait to tell everyone at home about this place."
A wide smile plastered onto his face as he gazed at the rooms ahead. He took the initiative to walk to the left room first.
"Sleep well, okay? See you in the morning!" Xhuzi said with a beaming smile, waving his hand before disappearing into his room.
Matthew nodded back and entered the room on the right, closing the door firmly behind him. He stood by the entrance, inspecting the space. It was spacious and well furnished a wooden dressing cabinet stood on the right, and nearby sat a table with small wooden stools. Matthew glanced to the left side of the room and saw the bed.
Hmph. A bed. I haven't seen a proper bed in a while. This place is a lot nicer than anything in the village. So why would the Lord let us stay here for nothing at all? The other villagers never stayed the night when they delivered offerings, so what changed?
"I really don't feel easy in this place," Matthew sighed, lowering his head.
He walked toward the bed, trying to suppress the excitement of finally laying on something comfortable. He sat down, plummeting into the mattress's soft embrace. As he laid his head on the pillow, it felt as though he was being absorbed into warmth.
His eyelids grew heavy instantly. It was unnatural. He fought the urge to close his eyes. He couldn't let himself become careless, especially now. After sometime a sudden, sweet scent of incense filled his nose. Before he could react, his consciousness was pulled into sleep's embrace.
Later in the night, a figure appeared near Xhuzi's room. It was shrouded in darkness, but its giant stature was unmistakable. It entered the room, moving with a terrifying grace that made no sound.
It closed in on Xhuzi, who was dead asleep. With a sudden motion, it grabbed him, its massive three fingered talons clamping down over the boy's mouth to silence him. Xhuzi jolted awake, eyes wide with terror, but it was useless. He couldn't struggle; he was completely helpless against the creature's strength. Just as quickly as it had entered, the figure vanished, taking Xhuzi with it.
Matthew woke up violently. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, his hands gripping the bedsheets so hard his knuckles turned white. He scrambled up and headed for the door, alarm bells blaring in his mind.
What the hell happened? I just fell asleep? No way, I wouldn't just doze off like that.
He sniffed the air.
Wait. The smell...
The lingering, sweet scent of incense hung in the room.
I smelled this right before I passed out. It was a ploy by the so called Lord.
On top of his frantic thoughts, his body screamed with an uneasy instinct a gut feeling that something had gone terribly wrong, similar to the chill he felt when they first arrived.
"Xhuzi!"
He rushed out of his room and barged into the room on the left without knocking. It was just as he feared… empty.
Matthew forced himself to calm down, thinking carefully despite the panic rising in his chest.
I can't just go around and wildly search every room. I'll be killed on the spot if I'm too arrogant. But what else can I do? Where would they take him, and why?
He scanned the room. If it were him, he would want to do this quietly.
The rear exit.
Determined, he rushed toward the back of the estate, avoiding the brightly lit corridors and sticking to the shadows. As he ran, his body seemed to surge with more energy than he usually possessed. He felt faster, stronger as if the danger had unlocked something deep inside him.
He spotted a small building near the rear exit with light spilling out from under the door. As he got closer, he heard muffled noises inside.
Matthew didn't hesitate. He rushed the door, lowering his shoulder and ramming it open with all his strength.
Inside, a giant figure that barely fit in the room turned to face him. It was a guard, but this time, he wasn't wearing a mask. Behind the dominating figure, Xhuzi lay on the floor.
Matthew's heart dropped. He wasn't sure if his brother was dead or just unconscious, but a deep gash ran across Xhuzi's body, blood oozing out onto the stone floor. He knew that if he didn't deal with the guard immediately, Xhuzi would die of blood loss if he wasn't gone already.
Shit. I know I'm stronger and faster than most people back home... but how the hell am I supposed to beat this guy?
The guard scoffed, leaning his spear against the wall. "I won't be needing a weapon to handle a child."
He dashed forward, stretching out his hand. His fingers were tipped with steel-like talons. His speed was simply inhuman, he intended to end this in a single move.
Matthew dropped into a fighting stance he had seen boxers use back on Earth. He watched the giant explode toward him with blinding speed.
In the last moment, Matthew dodged to the left, ducking and rolling to the giant's side. He used the giant's massive size and the cramped room to his advantage. The guard's momentum carried him forward, his claws striking the wooden wall and getting stuck briefly.
Matthew seized the opportunity. He lunged for the spear the guard had left against the wall. He spun around, weapon in hand, wanting to end this now.
But as he turned, the guard ripped his hand free and swiped backhand at him.
Matthew raised the spear to block, but the difference in strength was too great.
Crack!
The wooden shaft snapped in half. The force of the blow continued through, carving a shallow gash across Matthew's chest.
He was thrown back, stumbling but keeping his feet. He gritted his teeth as blood dripped from the corner of his lips.
Damn, this hurts. I can't last much longer if it keeps going like this.
His muscles burned, screaming at him to stop, but he tightened his grip on the broken spear. He held the front half the one with the metal tip.
This is my last chance.
The guard looked at him with amused eyes. "You've exceeded my expectations, boy. But it changes nothing. You die here."
Matthew was backed into a corner. There was no way out. He knew he had no other option but to risk it all.
He waited for the guard to move, biding his time.
The guard raised his arm, straightening his hand into a spear-hand strike. His deadly talons aimed directly at Matthew's heart.
"I guess this is where you die, kid."
"Like hell it is!" Matthew screamed.
He didn't dodge. He dashed forward.
He gripped the broken spear with everything he had, using all his remaining strength to thrust upward.
Thwack.
The guard's hand pierced through Matthew's chest, the bloody talons erupting out of his back.
But the guard froze, looking down in surprise.
The broken spear in Matthew's hand was buried deep in the guard's body, right below the ribcage, piercing the heart.
"You bastard..." the guard choked, coughing out a clump of blood. "Why would you... now we both die."
Matthew chuckled weakly, blood bubbling past his lips. "Let's both rot in hell, you piece of shit."
For a fleeting second, Matthew's eyes flashed with a distinct purple glow as he twisted the spear deeper.
The guard collapsed backward, landing near where Xhuzi lay. Blood pooled out, mixing with Xhuzi's on the floor.
Xhuzi suddenly coughed in agony, stirring briefly before falling back into unconsciousness.
Matthew, bleeding out by the second, slowly drifted away.
I failed... I couldn't save you, Xhuzi. I failed again...
I guess I'm really going to die. But this time, I don't think I'll wake up.
Everything faded to black as Matthew fell face first onto the ground. The gruesome fight had ended as quickly as it started. No one would know what happened here only a brutal scene would be left behind.
As Matthew finally faded out, he heard a faint female voice calling to him. It felt like a tether, pulling at him, helping him cling to the last threads of life.
In the same moment, a figure entered the room. They stepped over the carnage, placing a hand to their chin.
"I knew I sensed something interesting here. Lucky for you two... you've caught my interest."
The figure looked down at the boys.
"It might not be your time to die just yet."
The villa went quiet again after the chaotic moment, leaving the fate of the brothers in the hands of the stranger.