Been watching RWBY lately, and thought I would take a shot at writing a fic. Main concern here is how the action scene turned out, so any comments directed at how I can improve that would be appreciated, though comments in general would be helpful.
Enjoy!
A Farmer's Life
Hector Forester sighed as he climbed out of bed, brushing his bedhead out of his face. It was his least favorite day of the year. Knowing there was little he could do to get out of it, he resigned himself to facing it and getting it over with. Pulling his clothes on haphazardly, he made his way down to the kitchen, where his mother was already setting up breakfast.
“Stop slouching.” She said without looking up as he entered the room. Immediately, he straightened himself out, but the frown on his face remained. “I know you don't like this, but it's important to keep the farm running properly.”
Hector didn't reply, instead staring sullenly out the window as he took his place at the table. Daisy had probably been up for awhile already, judging by the dishes already in the sink. She got off easy, as always. Hector shook his head, clearing those thoughts out of his head as he settled into his chair, trying to focus on the work that was to come, instead of grousing about his sister.
“It's your favorite. Think of it as a thank you for the hard work you're going to be doing today.” His mother said, bustling over to the table, depositing a plate loaded with pancakes and bacon on his plate. He stared in disbelief at the massive meal in front of him, before she brought over a pitcher of syrup and began slicing fruit onto his pancakes. “The orange juice is fresh squeezed, and the toast with jelly should be ready in another minute or so.”
Hector fought off the desire to grin, trying to keep his sullen mood, but it was a losing battle. Mom generally didn't make much besides oatmeal in the mornings, and while it was good and filling, it wasn't exactly tasty. It was rare that she took the time to make a meal like this. There weren't any stores nearby, so she had to make everything from scratch. She had probably been working on this for hours.
“Thanks mom.” He managed to say, taking a moment to savor the delicious scents, before descending on his plate like a ravenous beast. He knew his mother was smirking at how easy it was to buy him off, but the food was heavenly!
After clearing his plate, he was given seconds before he could even ask about them. He ate at a more sedate pace this round, taking the time to enjoy the food, savoring every last, flavor filled bite. Hector considered asking for a third helping, but thought better of it. He had work to do, and stuffing himself would only make it more difficult to finish it.
“Thanks again, mom.” He said sincerely, his poor mood alleviated a bit, getting up from the table, giving her a hug as he took his dishes to the sink.
“No thanks necessary. I know how difficult days like today are of you. I wish your father was still around to help out.” She said, her eyes getting that faraway look they had whenever she thought of him.
“Yeah, me too mom.” Hector replied, ignoring the old pain that still appeared whenever they talked about him.
“Feeling better?” She asked him, refocusing and looking him over from head to toe the way only a mother could manage.
“Yeah. Still not happy, but that's par for the course I guess.” He answered, pulling on his boots and grabbing his axe.
“Good. Stay safe out there son.” She said, before turning her attention back to the kitchen, already preparing the meals for the rest of the day.
His bad mood alleviated, at least in part, Hector made sure he hadn't left a mess behind, before heading out towards the fields, hefting his axe over his shoulder. It would take a few minutes to get where he was going, and during the walk, he let his mind wander.
For the most part, the farm took care of itself. Despite being well beyond the borders of Vale, the Creatures of Grimm weren't too much of a problem, probably because it was just them out there. There weren't enough people to generate a full out attack. Sure, there was the occasional attack by an Ursa, Nevermore, or a pack of Beowolves, but they had grown used to such things, reinforcing the farm's borders to keep most of them out, and the few that did make their way in generally didn't live long enough to be a threat.
Of course, that was part of the reason for Hector's bad mood. Fighting off the desire to spend the rest of the day wallowing in his misfortune, he finally arrived at his destination, and prepared for the difficult task ahead of him.
Before him lay a docile herd of cows, the lifeblood of the farm. Sure, there were the orchards, the fields, and the other livestock, but the majority of their income came from the cattle. Over two hundred cows provided thousands of gallons of milk to a sizable portion of Vale, allowing the production of luxuries like butter, ice cream, and various other dairy products. For the most part, they took care of themselves, grazing the fields without concern, but every few months, they needed to be moved to another area, allowing the field to recover.
It was time to move the herd, and while the cows were docile for the most part, willing to go along with it as long as he didn't make a nuisance of himself, the bulls, one in particular, were not. Rudy was the undisputed leader of the herd, cowing (for lack of a better term) the other bulls with little effort. His ill temper kept most of them at bay and drove all but the most persistent of predators. For the most part, it was a good quality in a bull, except on these rare occasions when you needed it to follow your instructions.
Hector approached the beast cautiously. As long as he could get Rudy to go along with this, the rest of it would be easy. Doing everything he could to avoid riling the bull, he gently placed a hand on his side, causing the bull to look over at him, shooting a glare at the unwanted intruder.
“Easy boy, easy, we're just going back to the barn for a bit, then moving on to the next pasture. Nothing to worry about, just some nice, fresh, juicy grass for you to munch on.” Hector tried to soothe Rudy, but the ill tempered bull was having none of it. With a snort, Rudy lowered his horns, digging at the ground with his hooves. Hector held on to hope that the beast was merely showing his prowess for a brief moment longer, before the bull roared, and knocked him over before taking off.
With an exasperated sigh, Hector pulled himself to his feet, readying himself for the oncoming attack. He watched as Rudy turned around, gathering speed at an alarming rate as he charged at the unfortunate farmhand. Waiting until the beast was almost on top of him, he jumped to the side, rolling back to his feet as Rudy turned around for another charge.
“I don't want to hurt you buddy! Just calm down and this will all be over soon! Don't you want some nice, fresh grass?” Hector called out, but it only seemed to make the irate animal even more furious. Rudy charged again, and with a sigh, Hector drew his axe. As the enraged bull passed by him, he shifted to the side, lifted the blade above his head, and deftly brought it down on Rudy's exposed neck.
Rudy fell to the ground, tumbling head over heels before coming to a rest a few feet away. For a brief moment, Hector hoped that was enough, but the bull quickly scrambled back to his feet, completely unharmed, and more bloodthirsty than ever.
Hector groaned in frustration, even as Rudy readied himself for another charge. This was why he hated working on a farm on the outskirts of the kingdom. The only real way to protect yourself from the Grimm out here, where the police and Hunters were almost nonexistent, was Aura.
Aura was something possessed by all living things, though only a few managed to unlock it on their own. It was this power that allowed people to stand against the creatures of Grimm, and endure trials that would kill an ordinary person. Against the Creatures of Grimm, it was often the only reason one could survive an encounter with them. Out here, on the edge of civilization, unlocking the potential of your aura was a necessity for survival.
Of course, that was as true for animals as it was for humans. Grimm didn't hunt them with the same fervor as they did humans, but they would still attack an animal given an opportunity. Without aura, half the herd would have been killed off by lone Grimm attacks. Awakening their aura was the only reason they could keep the farm functioning without an extensive support network.
Such benefits were more of hindrance when you wanted the animal to listen to you, and they had no intention of doing so. Rudy had survived to become leader of the herd thanks to his impressive aura, mastered over countless conflicts and fights against the Grimm. Hector wasn't an expert, but he wouldn't be surprised if Rudy could match up against a Hunter.
Bracing himself, Hector dug his feet in, trying to meet the next charge head on. It was a brave, but pointless gesture. Animals, by and large, tended to be stronger than humans. When one had the power of Aura to augment that already impressive power, it was no contest. While he wasn't impaled by the horned, Rudy did manage to scoop Hector up, shaking him like a rag doll, before tossing the unfortunate farmhand skyward.
With a scream, Hector came crashing down dozens of feet away. While he wasn't injured, his own aura protecting him from the worst of it, being tossed around like that still hurt. As he regained his feet, he braced himself for another charge, before noticing the disturbing silence. Looking around, his eyes locked on to Rudy, and immediately regretted it.
"Now that's just not fair." Hector groaned to himself, watching as the bull's horns flashed with brilliant light, coalescing into a burning sphere of power hovering between them. As with all Aura users, Rudy possessed a semblance, a unique ability the enhanced the user's power. In this case, the ability to shoot lasers at whatever happened to be bothering him Normally used as an improvised bug zapper, Rudy set his sights on a different target this time. With a mighty roar, the beast unleashed the power of its semblance, sending a beam of pure power rushing towards the unlucky farmhand. In the instant he released that attack, Hector swore he saw a look of smug satisfaction in Rudy's eyes.
Hector would have dodged, but he was caught between the bull and the barn, and rebuilding the barn again wasn't something he was looking forward to. Reigning himself to the inevitable, Hector braced himself, standing his ground against the oncoming onslaught. It didn't help.
The sheer force of the blindingly brilliant barrage of light drove him backwards, his feet sinking into the ground, until Hector lost his balance, and went flying. Spinning through the air, Hector resisted the urge to vomit before coming back to earth, crashing down and bouncing up again and again until finally coming to a rest near the barn surrounding the farm. As luck would have it, his younger sister was sitting there, watching with a look of undisguised amusement.
"Need any help brother?" she asked.
"No, I've got him right where I want him." Hector managed to gasp out as he struggled to his feet. As painful as that attack had been, it had bought him some time to recover, and more importantly, think of a plan.
It also let the beast build up momentum, but one thing at a time.
Hector's mind raced as he struggled to come up with a solution. Meeting it head on was suicide, that much was obvious. He needed to come at things from a different angle. A flash of inspiration struck, and he sprung into motion.
Hector dashed away from the barn, towards the edge of the pasture. Rudy let out an enraged bellow, before changing course and following after him. Hector kept running, despite the ever shrinking distance between him and his foe, charging forward until he reached the edge of the farm, where he braced himself against the fence surrounding the farm, hurling himself to the side. Less than a second later, Rudy collided head on with the fence.
Calling it a fence wasn't exactly an accurate term. Sure, it worked as a fence, but out here on the frontier, where monsters and beast had power that most city folk didn't see, a regular wooden or barbed wire fence just wasn't going to cut it.
This fence, was designed to withstand the force of both Grimm and rampaging, aura enhanced, animals. It was reinforced to the point where it was closer to a fortress wall than a fence. Concrete and re-bar formed the core of it, coated with a thin layer of titanium on either side to prevent major damage. Even then, it bore countless marks and scars inflicted over the years from various assailants.
Hector lay on the ground for several long seconds, his eyes closed in case his gambit had failed, and Rudy was already bearing down on him again. After the first few moments with a distinct lack of pain, he worked up enough courage to crack open an eye. Rudy was right beside him, but the force of his charge had pierced right through the fence, trapping the bull. Hector chuckled for a minute, watching the futile struggles of his bestial foe.
Without the immediate threat of impalement, Hector took a moment to consider the best approach. Already he could hear the barrier groaning as Rudy tried to tear himself free. His horns began to glow, and Hector stopped gloating, and sprung into action. Best to strike now, before the beast could free itself and there were right back where they started.
Hector closed his eyes for a moment. He probably should have done this before coming anywhere near Rudy, but the bull could sense when he was using his aura, and always took it as a challenge. It took to long to activate to use when Rudy was attacking him, but now that he was immobilized... that was a different story.
As Hector focused, an awareness seeped into him, making him more conscious of the world around him. The sun seemed brighter, the earth more fragrant, he could even hear Rudy's furious heart beat. The world was brilliant in its strength and beauty, and he drew upon that, pulling the power of the earth into his body, making him far stronger and tougher than even his aura could accomplish. He had used it almost constantly since he unlocked it, hefting hay, moving equipment, and all sorts of difficult, but mundane tasks.
Like this, it might have been a fair fight between man and bull, but Hector had learned long ago that fighting fair didn't have a place here on the farm. Instead, he walked over to the trapped bull, grabbing him by his hind legs, and used that power to pull Rudy free from the wall, spinning the helpless bull around like a professional hammer thrower, before finally twisting and hurling the hapless beast upward.
Hector watched for a moment as Rudy sailed towards the sky, before launching himself after his helpless foe. With a powerful cry, he brought his axe to bear against the bull, launching a barrage of blows meant to bring Rudy to his knees.
Attack after attack landed on the stunned beast, Hector used both his axe and his own limbs, chipping away at it's impressive stamina. Finally, as they reached the apex of their flight, he raised his leg, bringing down a crushing blow on Rudy, sending the bull plummeting back to the earth. Gripping his axe in both hands, Hector fell after him.
The bull fell to earth with a resounding crash, Hector following moments after, landing a final, devastating blow with his blade, bringing the axe down with a resounding crash. This time, it was enough to pierce through Rudy's aura, landing a devastating blow, crippling the beast's ability to resist him any further. Rudy went crashing down, and lay on the ground, panting from exertion. The bull struggled to regain its footing, but collapsed, unable to rise. Hector waited for a long moment, in case it was a feint, but it seemed the beast had finally been defeated.
With a groan of relief, Hector staggered over to the fallen beast, grabbing it by the horns and forcefully dragging it to its feet. With a pained low, Rudy struggled against this latest indignity, before giving in, and reluctantly following his lead. Hector hauled Rudy across the pasture, past the other cattle, before dragging him back to the barn. Rudy continued to struggle against him, unwilling to accept his defeat, but with his aura depleted, it was a futile gesture. Over the course of several long, frustrating minutes, hector dragged the belligerent bull over to the barn.
Daisy was still there, and rose to greet the triumphant warrior and his utterly defeated foe.
As soon as she laid hands on the battered beast, the last vestige of resistance vanished, and Rudy became as docile as any of the cows, rubbing against her with clear affection.
Hector cursed her way with animals.
“Did you have to be so rough on him?” She asked, examining Rudy for any signs of injury.
“I was rough on him? Did you see what he did to me?!” Hector demanded.
“It's your own fault for being so aggressive. If you didn't provoke him so much, he would listen to you. Rudy couldn't hurt a fly without a good reason, could you Rudy?” Daisy lectured, rubbing her hands soothingly over the normally recalcitrant bull. Rudy seemed content to let her comfort him after his recent defeat, though not enough to keep him from glaring at Hector. Hector held back a groan. That look meant that he would be twice as much trouble next time around, more if Daisy wasn't around.
“I still don't see why you can't do this instead of me. They actually like you, and it would go a hell of a lot faster than with me doing it.”
“You know I'm not around all of the time. I've got school most of the week, and I've got plans besides living here on the farm like you want to do. It's not my fault you want to spend the rest of your life working in the dirt.”
“Better than life in the city. We've got almost everything we need out here, and anything else is just a day's ride away. Besides, out here, we don't have those crazy criminals riling up the Grimm.”
“No, we just have to watch out for them every moment of every day.” Daisy retorted.
“Vigilance is a virtue, and the dogs and the other animals handle most of the trouble on their own.” he returned. “You know mom doesn't want you moving to the city, especially with all the craziness that has been going on there lately.”
Daisy seemed to hesitate for a moment, before shaking her head, “No, I'm not going to put this off. You'll just come up with another reason after this, and another after that. Before you know, it, I'll be your age and still working here on the farm!”
“I'm only nineteen, you know.” He said good naturedly.
“Aged like a dried up avocado.” she replied snarkily.
“That doesn't bode well for you then.” He said, earning a light slap on the back of the head.
“Well, if you can say things like that, I guess you're ready to get back to work brother.” Daisy said, almost pushing him out of the barn. “That's one thing I'm looking forward to once the summer is over, not hearing your sarcastic comments.”
He fought against her for a moment, before giving in. As they reached the door, he turned around. “Love you sis.” He said, drawing his sister in close for a bone crushing hug.
“Love you too you big lummox.” She murmured, before pushing him away, “Now get back to work!”
Hector turned away, leaving her with her far more affectionate animals, still sore from his earlier fight.
"All this work for a few gallons of a milk. Sometimes I think the Hunters and Huntresses have it easy." Hector sighed to himself, hoping that none of the other cattle would be nearly as difficult. He eyed the remaining bulls warily. Rudy was the big trouble maker, but the others could see how exhausted he was now, and were more than likely to try and assert their superiority over their keeper.
Already, he could see them sharing glances, plotting against him. None of them were as big or experienced as Rudy was, but they weren't above fighting dirty.
Maybe Daisy was right. City life couldn't be any more dangerous than dealing with these monsters. With a sigh, Hector hefted his axe, preparing for the next bout. The day was going to be rough no matter what he did, so he might as well get it over with.
"Don't forget, you need to take care of the chickens once you're done with the cows!" Daisy called out. Hector dropped his axe, and nearly fell to his knees in despair. The cows were difficult enough on there own, but dealing with the chickens as well? Unlike the bulls, they had no problem working together and enjoyed ganging up on him, even when he wasn't bothering them. When they were actually provoked...
He didn't want to think about it.
Suppressing a shudder, Hector squared his shoulders and moved forward. The sooner he was done with this, the sooner he could move on to more pleasant activities, like digging his own grave. Not only would it be less stressful, but it would probably save him a lot of suffering in the long run if he just laid down and died. With that cheerful thought in his head, Hector slung his axe over his shoulder, and got back to work, a cloud of dread hanging over his head.
Truly, the farmer's life was one fraught with peril.
Enjoy!
A Farmer's Life
Hector Forester sighed as he climbed out of bed, brushing his bedhead out of his face. It was his least favorite day of the year. Knowing there was little he could do to get out of it, he resigned himself to facing it and getting it over with. Pulling his clothes on haphazardly, he made his way down to the kitchen, where his mother was already setting up breakfast.
“Stop slouching.” She said without looking up as he entered the room. Immediately, he straightened himself out, but the frown on his face remained. “I know you don't like this, but it's important to keep the farm running properly.”
Hector didn't reply, instead staring sullenly out the window as he took his place at the table. Daisy had probably been up for awhile already, judging by the dishes already in the sink. She got off easy, as always. Hector shook his head, clearing those thoughts out of his head as he settled into his chair, trying to focus on the work that was to come, instead of grousing about his sister.
“It's your favorite. Think of it as a thank you for the hard work you're going to be doing today.” His mother said, bustling over to the table, depositing a plate loaded with pancakes and bacon on his plate. He stared in disbelief at the massive meal in front of him, before she brought over a pitcher of syrup and began slicing fruit onto his pancakes. “The orange juice is fresh squeezed, and the toast with jelly should be ready in another minute or so.”
Hector fought off the desire to grin, trying to keep his sullen mood, but it was a losing battle. Mom generally didn't make much besides oatmeal in the mornings, and while it was good and filling, it wasn't exactly tasty. It was rare that she took the time to make a meal like this. There weren't any stores nearby, so she had to make everything from scratch. She had probably been working on this for hours.
“Thanks mom.” He managed to say, taking a moment to savor the delicious scents, before descending on his plate like a ravenous beast. He knew his mother was smirking at how easy it was to buy him off, but the food was heavenly!
After clearing his plate, he was given seconds before he could even ask about them. He ate at a more sedate pace this round, taking the time to enjoy the food, savoring every last, flavor filled bite. Hector considered asking for a third helping, but thought better of it. He had work to do, and stuffing himself would only make it more difficult to finish it.
“Thanks again, mom.” He said sincerely, his poor mood alleviated a bit, getting up from the table, giving her a hug as he took his dishes to the sink.
“No thanks necessary. I know how difficult days like today are of you. I wish your father was still around to help out.” She said, her eyes getting that faraway look they had whenever she thought of him.
“Yeah, me too mom.” Hector replied, ignoring the old pain that still appeared whenever they talked about him.
“Feeling better?” She asked him, refocusing and looking him over from head to toe the way only a mother could manage.
“Yeah. Still not happy, but that's par for the course I guess.” He answered, pulling on his boots and grabbing his axe.
“Good. Stay safe out there son.” She said, before turning her attention back to the kitchen, already preparing the meals for the rest of the day.
His bad mood alleviated, at least in part, Hector made sure he hadn't left a mess behind, before heading out towards the fields, hefting his axe over his shoulder. It would take a few minutes to get where he was going, and during the walk, he let his mind wander.
For the most part, the farm took care of itself. Despite being well beyond the borders of Vale, the Creatures of Grimm weren't too much of a problem, probably because it was just them out there. There weren't enough people to generate a full out attack. Sure, there was the occasional attack by an Ursa, Nevermore, or a pack of Beowolves, but they had grown used to such things, reinforcing the farm's borders to keep most of them out, and the few that did make their way in generally didn't live long enough to be a threat.
Of course, that was part of the reason for Hector's bad mood. Fighting off the desire to spend the rest of the day wallowing in his misfortune, he finally arrived at his destination, and prepared for the difficult task ahead of him.
Before him lay a docile herd of cows, the lifeblood of the farm. Sure, there were the orchards, the fields, and the other livestock, but the majority of their income came from the cattle. Over two hundred cows provided thousands of gallons of milk to a sizable portion of Vale, allowing the production of luxuries like butter, ice cream, and various other dairy products. For the most part, they took care of themselves, grazing the fields without concern, but every few months, they needed to be moved to another area, allowing the field to recover.
It was time to move the herd, and while the cows were docile for the most part, willing to go along with it as long as he didn't make a nuisance of himself, the bulls, one in particular, were not. Rudy was the undisputed leader of the herd, cowing (for lack of a better term) the other bulls with little effort. His ill temper kept most of them at bay and drove all but the most persistent of predators. For the most part, it was a good quality in a bull, except on these rare occasions when you needed it to follow your instructions.
Hector approached the beast cautiously. As long as he could get Rudy to go along with this, the rest of it would be easy. Doing everything he could to avoid riling the bull, he gently placed a hand on his side, causing the bull to look over at him, shooting a glare at the unwanted intruder.
“Easy boy, easy, we're just going back to the barn for a bit, then moving on to the next pasture. Nothing to worry about, just some nice, fresh, juicy grass for you to munch on.” Hector tried to soothe Rudy, but the ill tempered bull was having none of it. With a snort, Rudy lowered his horns, digging at the ground with his hooves. Hector held on to hope that the beast was merely showing his prowess for a brief moment longer, before the bull roared, and knocked him over before taking off.
With an exasperated sigh, Hector pulled himself to his feet, readying himself for the oncoming attack. He watched as Rudy turned around, gathering speed at an alarming rate as he charged at the unfortunate farmhand. Waiting until the beast was almost on top of him, he jumped to the side, rolling back to his feet as Rudy turned around for another charge.
“I don't want to hurt you buddy! Just calm down and this will all be over soon! Don't you want some nice, fresh grass?” Hector called out, but it only seemed to make the irate animal even more furious. Rudy charged again, and with a sigh, Hector drew his axe. As the enraged bull passed by him, he shifted to the side, lifted the blade above his head, and deftly brought it down on Rudy's exposed neck.
Rudy fell to the ground, tumbling head over heels before coming to a rest a few feet away. For a brief moment, Hector hoped that was enough, but the bull quickly scrambled back to his feet, completely unharmed, and more bloodthirsty than ever.
Hector groaned in frustration, even as Rudy readied himself for another charge. This was why he hated working on a farm on the outskirts of the kingdom. The only real way to protect yourself from the Grimm out here, where the police and Hunters were almost nonexistent, was Aura.
Aura was something possessed by all living things, though only a few managed to unlock it on their own. It was this power that allowed people to stand against the creatures of Grimm, and endure trials that would kill an ordinary person. Against the Creatures of Grimm, it was often the only reason one could survive an encounter with them. Out here, on the edge of civilization, unlocking the potential of your aura was a necessity for survival.
Of course, that was as true for animals as it was for humans. Grimm didn't hunt them with the same fervor as they did humans, but they would still attack an animal given an opportunity. Without aura, half the herd would have been killed off by lone Grimm attacks. Awakening their aura was the only reason they could keep the farm functioning without an extensive support network.
Such benefits were more of hindrance when you wanted the animal to listen to you, and they had no intention of doing so. Rudy had survived to become leader of the herd thanks to his impressive aura, mastered over countless conflicts and fights against the Grimm. Hector wasn't an expert, but he wouldn't be surprised if Rudy could match up against a Hunter.
Bracing himself, Hector dug his feet in, trying to meet the next charge head on. It was a brave, but pointless gesture. Animals, by and large, tended to be stronger than humans. When one had the power of Aura to augment that already impressive power, it was no contest. While he wasn't impaled by the horned, Rudy did manage to scoop Hector up, shaking him like a rag doll, before tossing the unfortunate farmhand skyward.
With a scream, Hector came crashing down dozens of feet away. While he wasn't injured, his own aura protecting him from the worst of it, being tossed around like that still hurt. As he regained his feet, he braced himself for another charge, before noticing the disturbing silence. Looking around, his eyes locked on to Rudy, and immediately regretted it.
"Now that's just not fair." Hector groaned to himself, watching as the bull's horns flashed with brilliant light, coalescing into a burning sphere of power hovering between them. As with all Aura users, Rudy possessed a semblance, a unique ability the enhanced the user's power. In this case, the ability to shoot lasers at whatever happened to be bothering him Normally used as an improvised bug zapper, Rudy set his sights on a different target this time. With a mighty roar, the beast unleashed the power of its semblance, sending a beam of pure power rushing towards the unlucky farmhand. In the instant he released that attack, Hector swore he saw a look of smug satisfaction in Rudy's eyes.
Hector would have dodged, but he was caught between the bull and the barn, and rebuilding the barn again wasn't something he was looking forward to. Reigning himself to the inevitable, Hector braced himself, standing his ground against the oncoming onslaught. It didn't help.
The sheer force of the blindingly brilliant barrage of light drove him backwards, his feet sinking into the ground, until Hector lost his balance, and went flying. Spinning through the air, Hector resisted the urge to vomit before coming back to earth, crashing down and bouncing up again and again until finally coming to a rest near the barn surrounding the farm. As luck would have it, his younger sister was sitting there, watching with a look of undisguised amusement.
"Need any help brother?" she asked.
"No, I've got him right where I want him." Hector managed to gasp out as he struggled to his feet. As painful as that attack had been, it had bought him some time to recover, and more importantly, think of a plan.
It also let the beast build up momentum, but one thing at a time.
Hector's mind raced as he struggled to come up with a solution. Meeting it head on was suicide, that much was obvious. He needed to come at things from a different angle. A flash of inspiration struck, and he sprung into motion.
Hector dashed away from the barn, towards the edge of the pasture. Rudy let out an enraged bellow, before changing course and following after him. Hector kept running, despite the ever shrinking distance between him and his foe, charging forward until he reached the edge of the farm, where he braced himself against the fence surrounding the farm, hurling himself to the side. Less than a second later, Rudy collided head on with the fence.
Calling it a fence wasn't exactly an accurate term. Sure, it worked as a fence, but out here on the frontier, where monsters and beast had power that most city folk didn't see, a regular wooden or barbed wire fence just wasn't going to cut it.
This fence, was designed to withstand the force of both Grimm and rampaging, aura enhanced, animals. It was reinforced to the point where it was closer to a fortress wall than a fence. Concrete and re-bar formed the core of it, coated with a thin layer of titanium on either side to prevent major damage. Even then, it bore countless marks and scars inflicted over the years from various assailants.
Hector lay on the ground for several long seconds, his eyes closed in case his gambit had failed, and Rudy was already bearing down on him again. After the first few moments with a distinct lack of pain, he worked up enough courage to crack open an eye. Rudy was right beside him, but the force of his charge had pierced right through the fence, trapping the bull. Hector chuckled for a minute, watching the futile struggles of his bestial foe.
Without the immediate threat of impalement, Hector took a moment to consider the best approach. Already he could hear the barrier groaning as Rudy tried to tear himself free. His horns began to glow, and Hector stopped gloating, and sprung into action. Best to strike now, before the beast could free itself and there were right back where they started.
Hector closed his eyes for a moment. He probably should have done this before coming anywhere near Rudy, but the bull could sense when he was using his aura, and always took it as a challenge. It took to long to activate to use when Rudy was attacking him, but now that he was immobilized... that was a different story.
As Hector focused, an awareness seeped into him, making him more conscious of the world around him. The sun seemed brighter, the earth more fragrant, he could even hear Rudy's furious heart beat. The world was brilliant in its strength and beauty, and he drew upon that, pulling the power of the earth into his body, making him far stronger and tougher than even his aura could accomplish. He had used it almost constantly since he unlocked it, hefting hay, moving equipment, and all sorts of difficult, but mundane tasks.
Like this, it might have been a fair fight between man and bull, but Hector had learned long ago that fighting fair didn't have a place here on the farm. Instead, he walked over to the trapped bull, grabbing him by his hind legs, and used that power to pull Rudy free from the wall, spinning the helpless bull around like a professional hammer thrower, before finally twisting and hurling the hapless beast upward.
Hector watched for a moment as Rudy sailed towards the sky, before launching himself after his helpless foe. With a powerful cry, he brought his axe to bear against the bull, launching a barrage of blows meant to bring Rudy to his knees.
Attack after attack landed on the stunned beast, Hector used both his axe and his own limbs, chipping away at it's impressive stamina. Finally, as they reached the apex of their flight, he raised his leg, bringing down a crushing blow on Rudy, sending the bull plummeting back to the earth. Gripping his axe in both hands, Hector fell after him.
The bull fell to earth with a resounding crash, Hector following moments after, landing a final, devastating blow with his blade, bringing the axe down with a resounding crash. This time, it was enough to pierce through Rudy's aura, landing a devastating blow, crippling the beast's ability to resist him any further. Rudy went crashing down, and lay on the ground, panting from exertion. The bull struggled to regain its footing, but collapsed, unable to rise. Hector waited for a long moment, in case it was a feint, but it seemed the beast had finally been defeated.
With a groan of relief, Hector staggered over to the fallen beast, grabbing it by the horns and forcefully dragging it to its feet. With a pained low, Rudy struggled against this latest indignity, before giving in, and reluctantly following his lead. Hector hauled Rudy across the pasture, past the other cattle, before dragging him back to the barn. Rudy continued to struggle against him, unwilling to accept his defeat, but with his aura depleted, it was a futile gesture. Over the course of several long, frustrating minutes, hector dragged the belligerent bull over to the barn.
Daisy was still there, and rose to greet the triumphant warrior and his utterly defeated foe.
As soon as she laid hands on the battered beast, the last vestige of resistance vanished, and Rudy became as docile as any of the cows, rubbing against her with clear affection.
Hector cursed her way with animals.
“Did you have to be so rough on him?” She asked, examining Rudy for any signs of injury.
“I was rough on him? Did you see what he did to me?!” Hector demanded.
“It's your own fault for being so aggressive. If you didn't provoke him so much, he would listen to you. Rudy couldn't hurt a fly without a good reason, could you Rudy?” Daisy lectured, rubbing her hands soothingly over the normally recalcitrant bull. Rudy seemed content to let her comfort him after his recent defeat, though not enough to keep him from glaring at Hector. Hector held back a groan. That look meant that he would be twice as much trouble next time around, more if Daisy wasn't around.
“I still don't see why you can't do this instead of me. They actually like you, and it would go a hell of a lot faster than with me doing it.”
“You know I'm not around all of the time. I've got school most of the week, and I've got plans besides living here on the farm like you want to do. It's not my fault you want to spend the rest of your life working in the dirt.”
“Better than life in the city. We've got almost everything we need out here, and anything else is just a day's ride away. Besides, out here, we don't have those crazy criminals riling up the Grimm.”
“No, we just have to watch out for them every moment of every day.” Daisy retorted.
“Vigilance is a virtue, and the dogs and the other animals handle most of the trouble on their own.” he returned. “You know mom doesn't want you moving to the city, especially with all the craziness that has been going on there lately.”
Daisy seemed to hesitate for a moment, before shaking her head, “No, I'm not going to put this off. You'll just come up with another reason after this, and another after that. Before you know, it, I'll be your age and still working here on the farm!”
“I'm only nineteen, you know.” He said good naturedly.
“Aged like a dried up avocado.” she replied snarkily.
“That doesn't bode well for you then.” He said, earning a light slap on the back of the head.
“Well, if you can say things like that, I guess you're ready to get back to work brother.” Daisy said, almost pushing him out of the barn. “That's one thing I'm looking forward to once the summer is over, not hearing your sarcastic comments.”
He fought against her for a moment, before giving in. As they reached the door, he turned around. “Love you sis.” He said, drawing his sister in close for a bone crushing hug.
“Love you too you big lummox.” She murmured, before pushing him away, “Now get back to work!”
Hector turned away, leaving her with her far more affectionate animals, still sore from his earlier fight.
"All this work for a few gallons of a milk. Sometimes I think the Hunters and Huntresses have it easy." Hector sighed to himself, hoping that none of the other cattle would be nearly as difficult. He eyed the remaining bulls warily. Rudy was the big trouble maker, but the others could see how exhausted he was now, and were more than likely to try and assert their superiority over their keeper.
Already, he could see them sharing glances, plotting against him. None of them were as big or experienced as Rudy was, but they weren't above fighting dirty.
Maybe Daisy was right. City life couldn't be any more dangerous than dealing with these monsters. With a sigh, Hector hefted his axe, preparing for the next bout. The day was going to be rough no matter what he did, so he might as well get it over with.
"Don't forget, you need to take care of the chickens once you're done with the cows!" Daisy called out. Hector dropped his axe, and nearly fell to his knees in despair. The cows were difficult enough on there own, but dealing with the chickens as well? Unlike the bulls, they had no problem working together and enjoyed ganging up on him, even when he wasn't bothering them. When they were actually provoked...
He didn't want to think about it.
Suppressing a shudder, Hector squared his shoulders and moved forward. The sooner he was done with this, the sooner he could move on to more pleasant activities, like digging his own grave. Not only would it be less stressful, but it would probably save him a lot of suffering in the long run if he just laid down and died. With that cheerful thought in his head, Hector slung his axe over his shoulder, and got back to work, a cloud of dread hanging over his head.
Truly, the farmer's life was one fraught with peril.