Dark Cave Ambiance

I found a flint and iron, neatly bound together with a piece of thin rope, a small whetstone and some dried flesh in the pockets of that guy. His bow looked fine too, and it also was stronger than mine, so I took it. Arrows included naturally. I hadn't looked what Lord half'n'half had with him yet, but that guy definitely seemed to be the better prepared, and probably more skilled, hunter of the two.

Naturally there was blood on all of his stuff. Have to wash that off later, at least as good as possible.

But more importantly... I turned my attention towards the horse again.

I cut out a few chunks of meat and inspected them closely. Doesn't look foul... doesn't smell foul... nothing moving inside... Guess it's all good then

I went a bit away from the site. Altho I was eating chunks from that horse, and I guess it wasn't hard to see that someone had cut chunks out of that horse, I didn't really want to be seen there.

I made a fire and roasted the meat on it.

Ok, lesson learned, no more drowsy excuses for not sleeping up in a tree. That there could have ended seriously badly... or it would have if...

Hey! You awake? Why'd you get me out of that mess?

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Immediately I felt a stinging pain in my lower arm & dropped the bow. I was unsure what happened, but as I looked at my arm it was red as fire.

“Hit yourself with the string?” she laughed as Ingrid came out of hiding.

“What?”

“You hit yourself with the string, that's why your arm is red, and why the arrow fell short. Put some snow on the arm, it helps”

I did as she said. It really was relieving.

“But else quite a good first try. Anyone showed you how to use a bow before?”

“Not really... No. I just... observed you. Did what you did.”

“Ok then...” She got the bow from where I dropped it “... I'll have to show you.

You know how to hold it, nothing really difficult but it's important. But one thing about holding it you did wrong, any idea what? I can hold it like you just did, maybe you'll see it then”

I looked closely at her holding the bow. There was nothing unusual. Held it like she normally did too.

“...can't really see any difference to usually”

“So that's where the problem lies, you didn't observe closely enough. See, usually I hold the bow like this”

She bent her left arm a little to the side instead of holding it straight

“And basically, that's all there is to not hitting yourself with the string”

“...thats all?” I was baffled, but as I thought about it I understood it

“Yeah, that's all. Now to aiming” She gave me the bow

“Lets see...” She looked around “hmm... try hitting that tree over there”

“Funny, we're surrounded by trees”

She made a ball out of snow and threw it at one of the trees “Know wich one I mean now? Try hitting the snow from that snowball”

I took an arrow out of the quiver, put it on the bow, bent my arm this time, drew and released.

The arrow went past the tree

“Try once more”

“...if you say so”

I shot another arrow at the tree, focusing on the snowball

Past the tree again, but this time on the other side.

“When do you release the arrow?”

“What?”

“I know you've heard me boy, don't play the fool here”

“I... I don't know. When I focused on the spot I wanna hit”

“So you have no idea. Ok. Take another arrow, draw the bow, but this time, hold it”

I did as she said, this would soon get difficult to hold. She approched me.

“Look at me now, no need to focus on where the arrow is going.”

She put her hand on my chest, through the bow, if I would let go now I would definitely hurt her. I would probably even hurt her badly.

“Now, focus on your breathing and your heart. Be sure it all goes nice and slowly”

She put her head on my chest, probably to hear my heart beat. Even more danger if I'd let go now. She might had done that on purpose. To force me to hold out.

“Slower, come on, I know you can” her voice got softer, less tense... more relaxed

I focused on my breathing. Took long, slow breaths in and long slow breaths out. After some breaths there began to form a pause between the in and out breathing. Not long, but for an instant I didn't breath at all.

Simultaneously I also noticed how my heart was beating slower & slower. As if there was a connection between those two.

Ingrid lifted her head from my chest and looked me in the eyes for an instant. She rashly turned away and focused again.

Her voice was tense again, but with a bit of an weird soft undertone “Ok, good. You notice the pause between every breath? That's when you release the arrow.”

She still had her hand on my chest. I must admit, I did forget that I was holding the bow there for a moment with her head on my chest, but now I felt it in my arms again. She looked at me again for a short moment, but this time with an evil grin. As if she found it amusing to see me struggle holding the bow.

She lifted her hand. I began breathing in.

Focused on the snowball.

Released.

Hit!

Note from the Author

That got quite a bit longer than intended, but I hope it makes up for the left out episode.

Thanks for reading & a good weekend to ya all ^_^

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Awakening

Mystic Moods

I woke up.

Hasty I looked around to see where I was, but my vision was blurry. There was a slaugthered animal right in front of me. But even that I couldn't see clearly. My hands were deep inside of its lacerated stomach.

I pulled my hands out. But instead of fingers, I had claws. Four of them on every hand -- if you could call them that. And all of them Razor sharp.

Then I saw something, in the corner of my eye. It stood out from that blurry mess, nearly shining. What was that? And where was I? I went towards this gleaming thing. Why is it so big? Wait --- I'm walking on all fours?

That gleaming thing -- was it a human? It looked like it. Two arms, two legs, head, body & it was definitely standing on it's legs. I tried saying something but I couldn't. The only thing that came out was a screach.

The Human threw something at me. It was long and the tip was warm. And suddenly it disappeared. Only the warmth stayed, this burning warmth. As I looked back up again the human was gone.

Where am I? Why does everything look so weird? What happened to me?

Picture James Heller's Claw Arm Sculpt by Prototype 2

Music Ambient Fantasy - Mystic Moods

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

New Theme

Note from the Author

Sadly I have to change theme since the Library Theme from Themes By Eris does not seem to work anymore.

I'll take a look into it and see if I can fix it by myself but I can't promise anything. And even just the fixing might take a few weeks. So for now this blog is back to Optica, either till I fixed Eris' Library Theme or found a good replacement.

Beat by Memories

Looking at it afterwards I’m unsure what I thought. Although he was just an image from my memories, I did barely know how to fight.

The only experience I had was the training with that one guard. And hitting at a tree stump on my own.

I didn’t even know how to use a sword properly, and I had the brilliant idea to fistfight with this guy.

Oh shit-

He came at me with a right. By acting like I had a shield in my hand, I actually managed to block that.

It was a hard swing, It hurt like hell. But I had a small success there.

I was actually able to block that p –

He hit me under the chin.

I felt how I bit through my tongue, then lifted off the ground. Still pushed by his punch.

I woke up again. Panic-stricken, sitting up instantly

He beat me. Should have expected as much.

Picture DOWN + B by vashperado

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Brink

The guardsmen both just went away. Still laughing.

The man looked back at me. He was still extremely tense. The people in the croud started mumbling, talking. About me, about the hunter, wether his tale could be believeable. He took the chance and ran. I never saw a man run this fast. While running he shouted something I didn't quite understand. It was something like 'Yer 'ill al' be sorry for not listenin' ter me.'

The crowd was still standing around us. I could feel their gazes on me. Suddenly Ruth, who had been in some stadium of shock-like parlysis, spoke up.

'Do ya believe a lil' wahn loike 'im could do that? Daan't earwig ter this drunkard 'unter. Rather worry abaht findin' a new 'cause 'e won't be comin' back.'

Picture Taboone-Full by mintyfreshmangos

Music Brink by FesliyanStudios

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Wåkëy wækêy lørds$släyérrr

“What?!”

At first I felt panic when I woke up, but I noticed that I was on a branch so I moved slowly. I cautiously looked down.

Not that high, can easily climb down.

Said, done. I was back on ground again, looked around to see if anything was nearby.

What happened? Last thing I remember was... In front of my inner eye I saw Lord stuck-up grinning at me, nearly felt the thud in my back, that I was pushed onto my knees, and saw something blurry protruding from my right flank.

I grasped for it immediately, but there was nothing there anymore.

A bad dream? No... I was... hunting... and became the hunted

While thinking I walked by myself. Suddenly I kicked into something mushy. Instinctively I looked down.

Oh fuck!!

The moment I saw it all that happened flushed into my mind.

I had blacked out as I got that hit in the back, and IT took over. Killing first someone on a horse, sliced open the horse, then decapitated the man. Then pushed his claws into Lord Rage's chest while he was begging for his life and... ripped him apart.

Guess that is part of him then.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I took and chewed a bit on a piece of the dried meat

Let's see... the hound noticed me... I waited a bit... ran out the back of the bush... …next thing I know I stumble over the root of a tree... and end up over there... where Lord Half&Half and his companion are lying. Hmmmm... Any more...? … …

Oh right, he swung his sword into the tree... about head height-- gulp... I remembered what could have happened if that tree hadn't been there.

But, what could have happened shouldn't hinder me at following back my steps, so I searched for exactly that one tree... in a forest.

Surprisingly it didn't take as long as expected. I found it after trying a few dozen trees.

Ok, I found the tree... let me think... he stood there... I stood there... came like this... uhuh... uhuh... guess I came from there then.

And I followed the way I thought I came from.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I just ignored him in that moment, even considering that for a moment could have been a severe risk.

Another high swing from Lord Whatever. I managed to pull myself together and dodge it, even tho I had to use my left leg again.

AAARGHHH!!! without this leg... could beat him... attacks... too open

Another high swing. He seemed to be getting slower, taking longer between each swing. They didn't look as powerful anymore either.

I noticed something moving in the corner of my eye. I risked a short look only to see that his hound was about to jump at me. I held up my arm as defense. He bit right into it.

Lord High-and-mighty grinned at me triumphantly.

Suddenly something gripped and pulled on my other arm too. I took a quick look

Another hound? From where?

A short hissing sound behind me. Then something hit me in the back. It pushed me to my knees.

I looked down at myself, something metal-ish gray and pointy was protruding at the side of my stomach. I couldn't make it out clearly, my sight got blurry all of sudden.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I gave away my presence a bit rashling in bushes, cracking twigs, jumping through tree crowns, even a short growl

That's was the first time he actually looked afraid guess he must fear wolves good then that I aint one

The whole encounter itself was over before it began

I screeched, loud, and I was less than a dozen paces from him He fell on his rump, spilling some of the baskets contents

It was filled with vegetables So I was right with the selling stuff

He was crawling away from me, stumbling over potatoes and carrots

I am able to arouse such fear in people without them even seeing me

I jumped out of a bush, landed right over him he just sat there, paralyzed by fear I leaned over him, getting on all fours Still trying to 'run' from me he got closer and closer to the ground As there wasn't any more room between him and the dirt the moment I was right beside his ear Saliva dropped on him I really am one of these fiercy monsters, even drooling The moment the saliva hit his face

He pissed himself and fainted

Picture [Study] old man by GDYang [EDITED]

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016