He kept evading and countering them.
His pipe was bloodied, and a lot of gashes adorned his flesh, blood coloring his white clothes, tarnishing them as much as the red in the soil.
He didn't know how much time passed.
It felt like hours since the Eclipse had started, and he felt this would only continue. He dodged a swing of a bone sword, countering it with his pipe, cutting the golem.
As soon as it died, another one arrived, forcing him to move yet again.
He could hardly breathe… Executing the same dodge, he was about to cut the thing again but stopped abruptly.
His body was sent flying backward as a fist smashed his ribs.
Looking at the golem, Ethan gulped as the flesh in it deformed and his shape went back to normal, the fist going back to the deepness of its stomach.
"Kukuku," Ethan's eyes narrowed as the thing laughed, the same laugh that Agar showed him. A sound he was beginning to hate. "What's the matter, human… Are you not enjoying this painting? How about I use blood a bit more… innocent?"
His eyes widened and, looking to his left, he saw a boy, the same age as his sister, being held by his feet.
"No!" He raced, trying to stop what was going to happen, but felt a tug in his leg, a tentacle hoisting him from his leg. Then, three more found their way towards him, keeping both his legs and arms held.
"Now, watch." The golem commanded as his brethren ate the child from the waist up, a chomp was heard, and, after gulping it down, the remains of the corpse were thrown away, carelessly.
And then, the screams resumed, the poor kids being killed one by one, until only his sister remained…
She looked at her powerless brother with fear etched on her face as a golem slowly made its way towards her.
"Big brother… help…" And then, a bone fist crushed her skull, killing her instantly.
No… he lamented, trying to force his way out of the bondages, tears spilling from his eyes as he kept using all of his strength, but the thing's tentacles just didn't bulge…
"Now, to take out your means of protecting yourself…" Ethan then felt his right wrist being crushed, forcing the pipe he was holding out of his hand and toward the ground. With cruel laughter, the monster crushed it under his foot.
"I… why…" He cried, his anguish heard throughout the smoke-filled street, a cacophony of the same laughter permeating his brain, further breaking his spirit.
"Now… let us continue our fun… I wonder, who should I kill next… Should it be your oldest brother? Or should it be that damn priest?"
Then, Ethan was flung aside, his body ricocheting from a rock, scraping his skin as he kept crying, his head a mix of sadness and anger.
His gaze then found the retreating form of the demons, each marching to a specific location…
No… His eyes widened as understanding dawned on him. Forcing himself to sit straight, he ran as fast as he could, evading the golems, who hadn't paid much attention to him.
Almost as if he was trash.
But, at that moment, he couldn't care less. The place they were heading was to his father's farm, specifically, the bunker where they hid when the mountain bandits or a particularly heavy storm came.
It was a family secret, something no one knew about…
All Ethan could do was to warn them. Warn them so that they could escape, regardless of what happened next. So long as his family was fine, he was okay with that…
Please, please carry me faster, my legs.
Ignoring the burning sensation in his lungs, ignoring how difficult the climb in the hill their bunker was, the boy focused every bit of his focus on his legs.
With a mighty yell, he finally got there, jumping on the fence and forcing himself to get to the bunker.
His fist banged on the iron door again and again.
"Open! Please, Father! Sam, Jesse, please! We gotta move!"
The door opened, his father's hair was unkempt, his fear-stricken face morphing into relief as his eyes fell on Ethan's.
"Thank Seth you're here, son!" He got pulled on a warm embrace. Ethan felt the exhaustion beginning to wear him down, but he could not sleep.
Not yet, at least.
"The others… are they…"
"Jill, Bonnie, and Alex are down there. Jesse and Sam ran to find you… I hadn't heard from them since."
Ethan gulped and moved out of his father's embrace, his eyes shifting as he contemplated his next move.
They had to escape, but he could not abandon the others. Even if Sam didn't believe in him, even if Jesse was annoying as hell… He could not allow them to die.
They were still family…
"I'll find them… you guys head south."
"No. Our bunker is safe… no one knows of it. And we have to get your sister as well…"
"They know, father!" His anguish was palpable in his voice as he kept wailing. "And… and Liz's dead… I saw her… one of those monsters killed her… and I couldn't do anything…"
He forced the tears down and looked back, trying to locate Jesse first.
Thanks to the hill that they were in, Ethan saw everything happening in the village…
His stomach churned as his eyes took in the innumerous corpses, mangled bodies, and compatriots being killed.
Shaking his head, he doubled his focus, finally locating Jesse's windswept, black hair.
"Father, I'll see you guys outside!" He then began to run, ignoring the yells of his father. Using gravity to aid him, Ethan arrived at the foot of the hill soon enough… but…
In front of him, thousands upon thousands of Flesh golems were, stopping him from advancing.
Gulping, Ethan tried to pass them, but the air was forced out of his lungs as a kick sent him flying.
Rolling on the ground, he tried to rise but didn't have enough strength.
He could hardly keep himself awake…
His eyes began to flutter as sleep tried to take hold of him.