Shadow Part 1, Genesis

Chapter 8

Cato's body was tossed through the ragged door, snapping the hinges as it came crashing to the ground. Dust rising and Aeliana's skin beginning to shudder intensely, Cato rolled over his head, landing face flat to the first pile of hay where Octavius slowly followed.

"Ugh..." Cato groaned as he coughed up blood. "At least you're doing better than your wife did."

Laughing in agony, Cato pushed his chest off the ground, revealing the red soaked neckline of his light grey shirt. Covered in blood from his swollen wounds and his face stinging in pain, the dark figure in front of him grew fierce as it came near.

Continuing to walk and progressing closer after each step, Cato pushed his body from all fours in a sudden response and stood quickly. Stumbling backwards and taking no time to balance himself, he lunged forward, throwing an awkward right handed hook to Octavius' jaw. Missing due to Octavius' swift reaction, but without giving up, Cato huffed and puffed while he advanced again. His left arm luanched towards to Ocatvius' chin and his corresponding leg dove forwards. Failing again as Octavius simpily stepped back to dodge the incoming strike, Cato became more exhausted and enraged, hurling his opposite fist down to into Octavius' chest. Colliding into nothing but thin air, a foot's length from physical contact, Cato's adrenaline slowly drained as Octavius took advantage.

Right arm extended, back slouched over and head tilted to the ground, Cato felt the explosive sensation of Octavius' knee crush his nose.

"Pagh!"

Nose broken and beginning to bleed, Cato let out a massive grunt as he fell on his behind. Triggering all of Aeliana's muscles to contract at once, from the impact of Cato's fall, she held her eyes shut while the moon's rays strengthened and penetrated through the cracks and holes from above.

"Is this what you want Cato?!" Octavius screamed as the psychopathic beast turned to swiftly crawl away.

Clasping his left hand over his nostrils as he looked back at the enourmous man standing over him, Aeliana opened her eyes to see Cato's hunched back and speedy legs hurrying to the end of the barn. However, with his head becoming dizzy, his nimble but uncoordinated legs crossed over, causing Cato to stumble over in the pile of hay obscuring Aeliana's vision.

"Hahaha!" Cato bursted out in laughter as he tripped over, beginning to sniffle and tear up while he laid beside the table of farm eqipment. "You don't even know! This is what he wants!" Managing to grin, even though doing so caused Cato's lips to tremble, he noticed a sickle waving from a nail on the table's edge.

"What who wants? You psycho maniac!" Octavius replied while his frown narrowed and his knuckles cracked.

Cato's face rose. He looked to Octavius without an ounce of fear, and while the sickle swayed well within his periphirial vision, he shouted.

"God!"

While Cato's shriek blasted through the barn, he reached for the metal tool with his right hand, forcing his body off the ground as he twisted around and clutched the utensil in his fingers.

Standing adjacent to one another, Octavius hesitated from the unexpected answer. However, as Cato arose with his body slumped over, sickle in hand and blood dripping from all openings his face had, Aeliana watched as Octavius remained tall. Arms by his side and glowing with fury, Octavius' hands tightened to the point where his nails dug into his skin and blood seeped between his fingers. Aeliana felt her stomach roll on itself as she saw the outside world shoot off in a flash.

Moving swiftly, Cato straightened his back and brought the sickle high above his head. Driving his arm down to Octavius' collar bone, Cato dove his right foot forward to gain as much power as possible, slashing through the neckline of Octavius' tunic.