Drifting through the hell of earth

Chapter 8 The Hush Before the Conflict

A student dashed into the third-floor classroom, flung the window wide, and peered out, breathless with urgency. Little Fly, the tiniest in the troop, scrambled up a classmate's back, eyes wide with curiosity, "What's going on?"

"Could it be the mountain wolves prowling into town?" the student muttered, his eyes fixed anxiously on the shadows in the dark, trying to make out shapes.

"Are all those shadows wild wolves?" Little Fly's voice quivered, his eyes darting fearfully.

A shriek pierced the room, snapping all eyes to the window.

"See that? Like phantoms of the night, they paused in the gloom, then darted forth. They're swarming towards us!"

A girl's voice rose in alarm, "Their eyes blaze red, not the green of forest spirits. They're like demons unleashed!"

"No way we're letting them in!" Little Fly declared, tumbling to the ground. "And A-Lai, is he still out there? Why's he dragging his feet?"

"A-Lai was by the door just now," came a reply from the crowd.

"Has he lost his wits? With a legion of beasts at our doorstep, one kid can't hold the fort!" Little Fly's voice trembled, and he began to search the room,

"Where's grandpa?"

The dark shadows made the air feel spooky as they got closer to the school, making it look like the school was completely trapped.

"The fence is really tall, we made it strong with the headmaster, the wild wolves can't get through!" some villagers told themselves to feel better.

"But these are huge, as big as baby cows; I don't think the fence will stop them!" another villager said back.

The nervous villagers rushed to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the school's front door. All they could see were the backs of a young man and a boy.

The young man's shoulders were set, firm and unyielding, while the boy, though smaller, stood with an equal measure of resolve. Together, they formed an unspoken pact against the encroaching night, a symbol of hope amidst the swirling sea of uncertainty outside.

"That's Dan and A-Lai," someone whispered. "These young men are crazy. The wolf-infested swamp could devour them without a trace!"

"Only a few days of Kung Fu training, and they think they can handle wolves?" another villager scoffed. "It's time to teach them a lesson, , otherwise they never learn."

Dizzy Dan gripped his torch tightly, his anxious gaze scanning every corner of the darkness.

"These wild wolves are putting up a grand show, and we haven't seen Big Brother or Second Brother yet. Looks like they're in danger."

He turned to A-Lai, a boy shorter than him by a head.

"Although A-Lai is young, he is fearless. I must caution him; though he's learned martial arts for several years, he is not yet ready to face such ferocious wolves."

His voice was full of guilt. "A-Lai, go inside. I'll handle this on my own."

A-Lai's gaze was steady; he gave a determined shake of his head. "Uncle Dan, this is my school. This is the moment I've been training in Kung Fu for."

Dizzy Dan said anxiously, "A-Lai, it's too dangerous. What are you doing here, kid?" He spoke as he picked up a large wooden stick, trying to find a suitable weapon.

A-Lai's voice carried a hint of resolve. "Uncle, you knew it's dangerous, so why don't you go in too? You can't act rashly just because your older brothers might be in trouble!"

Dizzy Dan's voice was low. "I have to avenge them."

A-Lai sighed, knowing it was futile to persuade Dizzy Dan. "Sigh, then we'll both stay here and see what's coming."

Dan thought, this kid is stubborn; once he sees blood, he should be scared. At that point, he will leave without me needing to tell him.

"I gave you 10 minutes!" Dan said out loud while he was lost in thought.

"10 minutes for what?" A-Lai asked, puzzled.

Dan remained silent, yet in his mind, he was counting on A-Lai to wait for 10 minutes before dashing into the building once he encountered the enormous creatures.

In front of them, the creatures that looked like wolves were smart, not just attacking wildly but slowly closing in with a creepy patience. The low growls from the back seemed to be a secret signal.

They didn't notice, but the wolf-like creatures shook, and from their dark, rotting shapes, tiny creatures popped out. They were small, coin-sized, with patchy dark green spots and odd patterns, sneaking through the fence gaps to start their sneak attack.

A-Lai took a light sniff and picked up a faint, metallic smell.

"Uncle Dan, do you smell that?" he asked.

The smell was weird and getting stronger. A-Lai had a good nose, but this smell made him uneasy. It was like it was warning them of trouble coming.

Dan replied, "I don't smell anything. Maybe it's just how they smell because they don't bathe."

He stood there, scanning the surroundings. The wind whispered, as if sharing some secret.

"That is strange!"

A-Lai could not help but gripped his spear tightly, his palms slightly sweating as he tried to steady himself. The spear in his hand felt heavy then usual. He ran his fingers along the wrapped bamboo shaft, the oil-soaked cloth strips slowly absorbing the sweat from his palms.

In that moment, his ears caught a faint sound, like a low, hissing cry from something lurking in the dark.

"Dan, did you hear that?"

His heart skipped a beat, but he inhaled deeply, trying to stay cool. This was no time for fear; he had to be on his toes.

"What noise? A-Lai, if you're scared, it's okay to go inside. No one will think less of you!"

Dan was bracing himself for the big wolves' looming assault.

A-Lai's brow creased, and he stayed silent. His eyes grew large, and he moistened his parched lips.

He came from a far-off village in the mountains, hidden by thick woods. His Master may have been a tiny, elderly man, but he had passed on incredible fighting skills and secrets to A-Lai.

His Master trained A-Lai to study leaves from a distance until he could spot every detail, then to look even further. With years of training, A-Lai could now tell if the soft shine of the moon was on water, dew, or something else.

Now, countless tiny, squirming things he'd never seen before were creeping up on them, quiet as shadows. Even though they were hard to make out, A-Lai yelled,

"There's something small crawling up from the earth!"

His call pierced the night, startling everyone at the school's entrance.