It Was A Horrible View.

Heartbeat

I stretched down. Slowly. To not startle it.

The tree gave off a creak. Shit, I'm too heavy. I need to get the pace up a bit.

The deer looked around immediately, staying like that for a moment. Turning its ears around. But it relaxed again and continued grazing.

I hung motionless for that time, holding my breath. Even when it had already relaxed again. But I continued, stretched myself further and further. Suddenly, a drop of blood. I saw it right in front of me, falling down, slowly. My heart stopped as I saw it. Oh shit The drop landed on the deers head.

To this day I am unsure how long, or rather short, that moment actually was. In my eyes it looked like it took an eternity. But as I look back on it, the deer wasn't even able to react to the blood of drop before I had sliced it in two. I didn't expect my claws to be that sharp, but it was nearly like I just sliced through nothing. Like I sliced through the air. There was no resistance in the deers body at all. Before I knew it I was down on the ground. Standing in between two halves of a deer. I looked at both of them. Besides of other fluids, blood was flooding out like there was no tomorrow. But the deer, it was still alive. At least the half with a head. It all went so fast, it didn't notice that it died.

I bit off its head, to stop the suffering. Even though I'm a monster, an abomination, I'm a merciful hunter. There's no need for suffering, at least if I'm able to end it.

Picture The human heart by SkarlettFury

Music Heartbeat 60 bpm found on Jeroen Klap's Channel

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Underground

And suddenly, I was there.

This blackness all around me.

Hey! -- Does it have a name? -- I know you’re there! I need your help!

Sssøö, yôü €åmé aftærr åll. Ýøû wånna knòw whät Ï’m cællêd, æh? Whÿ døn’t yôü leårrn yøurr øwn nåme fïr$sst?

My own name? But I know my name, I’m Bjorn.

Hr Hr Yøü sssêrïøusslý $till bêlïevæ zât? Wëll, sîncæ yôu cån’t wãlk ‘rrøûnd åskin pëøplê ‘bøût it, I’ll tell yøu. Sssincë yøu, 片 Kata, åctûally føûnd më yøursêlf.

Did IT just call me 片 Kata? How can that be my name?

IT sighed Yôü gûýss næverr lêärrn. Yêsss, ýøurr rRRëâl nåmë is 片 Kata!

Ok, Ok, I got it. 片 Kata. So, what do they call you?

Thåt, yøü’ll hâve tø find øût yöûrrsssëlf.

Music Underground by ◄-NATURE-►

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I waited in the bush

Maybe he didn't notice me but just heard a sound here

He came closer, about a dozen paces in front of me he began growling.

Hê såw yøü hahaha

I know. Shut up. What now? Run or... don't run...? run or not...? run or not...!?

The hound was just a few more steps from me, I had to decide... NOW!

Run!

I swiftly turned around inside that bush and began running as quick as I could

Is it at all worth to try running? Guessing from the guy on the horse this hound is trained for hunting, such a large one probably for deer or stags, I can't outrun him. Gotta outwit the dog somehow.

I ran for my life, not looking back once. I heard the hound still running after me, and I think I heard some hooves a bit further back too. I tried focusing entirely on running, to not stumble over roots or similar, but I felt that I didn't have any chance to outrun him, I really had to outwit him somehow.

Outwit a hound... outwit a hound... come on, I need some good ideas now

I tried looking around while running, but no ideas came up, just trees everywhere, and this quite shallow beck that the hound would just run over like I'd do.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

She clapped half sarcastically“Lucky shot”

“...thanks, any chance you could... give me some tips for the more precise aiming too? Like... hitting that snowball over and over again?”

“Not much to tell you there, look at your target, focus and gather much experience. You'll learn the best way to aim through just shooting and hitting or missing. And don't get impatient, latter will happen more frequently.”

“Ok, thanks”

I thought about her words; Look at your target, focus and gather experience. Guess of those three I'm mostly lacking experience... which isn't easy to acquire, but that's what makes it worth the work

“It's just like reading tracks, either you hit or you miss. Only more literally”

I nodded in understanding “I'll give that stag another try. You... do whatever you feel like...”

“I'll be in the bushes behind you” She said with a smirk and disappeared out of sight again.

Ok, first I'll see if I can find those arrows.

I found the arrows. At least three of them. The one I shot at the stag I never saw again. As soon as I lost contact with it while still in flight it was doomed to be lost forever.

After that I took on hunting down the stag. It was exhausting following it, it ran quite a bit. But I managed to track it down. Although I was wondering how Ingrid was holding up, and how we'd get that big animal all the way back, naturally only IF I was able to get it.

I was in close vicinity to him again. Was already down crouching. He was feeding of something growing from trees. Curious, never seen that before. Gotta ask Ingrid about it later.

Wåtchà tãlkîñg 'bøüt, bûddý?

Oh not you, fuck off for a moment, would you?

Nãh, Ï fêél lìkê $sstæyïng

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Burning Flesh

Horoathea Mass of Aegorath

I dreamt of the Attack again. The screams, the smell, it was all there. I just stood at the edge of the forest. Looking at the sea of flames. But still I heard the screams like I was standing right there. Smelled the burning flesh as if it was my own.

In the middle of it, were the screams of my mother. Those screams filled with pain & agony. Although they were mixed with all those other screaming people, you could hear her pain clearly.

I wanted to run into the forest, to make it stop, but I couldn't move. I was frozen in place. And then I saw a light moving away from the village. Towards me. As it came closer I saw who it was. It was that guy who set my mother on fire. He grinned at me from a distance & shouted 'All Hail the King!'

Picture Inner Flames by JudgePikachu [EDITED]

Music Horoathea Mass of Aegorath by Halgrath

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

He began shouting unintelligible at me. His face turning more and more red with every word he said. After a few sentences his head was red as embers, I was just waiting for his hair to burst up in flames.

The sight was so amusing I couldn't at all focus on what he was saying. I managed to hear out a few words like poaching & hanging. At first those sent a chill down my back, but then I realized something. What can this blown up snob do to get you there? I mean unless I'd feel guilt towards him, and cooperate with him, I wouldn't expect that he was able to capture or bind me somehow.

He did wear a sword, which might help him, but all I had to do was stay out of his reach. Seeing the way he rages at me, he doesn't seem like he'd be a good fighter. Might only use it for giving the final hit to his prey.

And I do faintly remember a few guards, how to react to them. So if I think fast... No, I don't have to underestimate him, I only got a knife, and it's been years since I had anything like training.

But I've got a knife. As long as he hasn't drawn I do have a chance.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

The Plan

And after that? I could travel

Maybe, just maybe, I can find a way to rid myself of IT Perhaps I'll find out what IT really is, what IT wants from me

And even if I'm destined to live with IT till the very end I'll get to see new places, learn new things Probably help people in need Maybe even hinder something like back then, when my hometown got burned down, to happen again

And so my plan was set Only one question was left Where should I get some clothes from now? I could rob a caravan or the like, naturally without hurting anyone, just taking what I need

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

She left shortly after Wasn't anything here for her, she said, so she didn't want to waste time

I had a few questions I wanted to ask her What she'd tell that guy if she met him again, where the nearest town is, what her name is but I didn't want to keep her, wasn't anything important anyway and in my current situation I did neither need nor want company Especially not some stranger who'd see me eat nearly a quarter of a deer, half raw, and in less time than some need for a 'normal' portion of meat

I found some branches, sharpened them on the rock walls of the cave, put some meat on them, and placed them over the fire

I was hungry, and that made me impatient so I held one stick right into the flames it took only a few moments till it was scorched on the outside but that was all, inside it was still as raw as before I didn't care, I did that a few times till that hole in my stomach began to fill Then I became patient enough to wait, but there still was one problem I had no idea of cooking, so it was still raw in the center

After eating all the meat I had prepped earlier, I put on the clothes They weren't completely dry yet but at least no longer soaked So I went to the road, by the pond on the way there, only had to choose which way to go now, east or west I'm unsure but I think I came from west, better go east then, I'll have to tell them that I'm alive some other time

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

The start of my day was successful. Quite successful to be honest. 'Discovered' some (most probably) edible plant and had already found a way to enhance my meals with it. In my opinion a very good start of the day.

But the day continued, and so I had to continue too.

Continue looking for any tracks of animals. Preferably something large like a deer. Something to get a bit of profit out of.

I remembered the the berry bush I found. There had been some animal eating from those.

I inspected the bush again. The traces were on the upper part of the bush, so it couldn't have been a rabbit or the like. Might have been a deer. Or at least something similar in size. A cow maybe... here in the forest? Well you never know.

As I inspected the bitten of stalks I noticed that they were already dry and brown were it got severed. Guess it's been some time since something fed from that bush.

But I didn't give up. Up until now I had only known how to trace animals by their tracks in the snow, now I could maybe learn how to follow them by other kind of traces they leave.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

Sorry to say this but atm I've got some privat stuff going on so I probably won't be able to post anything for a week or two... maybe three, will see how everything works out.

Thanks for reading

Nice week to all of ya :)