Childhood - Bjorn

Growling Like a Wolf

Vista Point

Still walking while lost in thought I bumped into a tree. Ouch! Wait --- it's already this dark? I need to find a place where I can stay this night.

After looking around for a short time I found a suitable tree and climbed it. It's been a long day walking, my feet are hurting and my belly is grumbling. I hope there is a town on the other side of this forest.

After a while I fell asleep -- with my stomach still growling like a wolf.

Picture Blood Tree by FreShPAiNt [EDITED]

Music Vista Point by Kai Rosenkranz

© 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 followed the trail of blood coming from this half of him. Although the blood had already dried, the scent of it still occupied the air. This heavy, sweet and metallic scent... it made me sick. The still air and the burning sun didn't help it.

As I found his other half I nearly threw up.

It was exactly like one would imagine. He was lying in a dried pool of his own blood, the scent was so thick you could taste it. His entrails were nearly filling up the hole where his other half should be lying.

I've gutted a quite a few animals with Ingrid, but this was nowhere close to it. The blood didn't smell the same. The entrails were nothing like those of an animal. Even the dead stare was horrifyingly different.

I turned around to get a bit away from him, but there was already the next dead guy in my view. That must be the other guy I saw in my memories. He's got a horse... or he had... so it's probably the same guy.

I went closer to inspect him.

Completely contradicting the feeling I had just now, I suddenly got hungry. As if a hole just opened where once my stomach was.

“Seriously? Now!? I'm surrounded by all this death and you think I should eat something now?!?!” Right, I did talk to myself. Loud. Why should I have cared, I was probably the only one around right now.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

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

Sunrise

Explore 01

I woke up. It was already morning. I was still on that branch.

It was just a nightmare. I was very relieved. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. But I had something wet on my hands. I opened my eyes again and looked at my hands.

I was so scared I fell of the tree. For a moment there I forgot what I just saw. The pain from falling down did cleanse my thoughts for a second.

Picture Master Study: Forest Sunrise by Illustrum

Music Explore 01 from Fallout 3

© 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

He's right... it's my fault... I really killed two humans... decapitated one... split the other apart... I guess it's right that I have not much empathy for those two... after all they weren't just any humans. They were two humans trying to kill me.

For a long while after that my mind felt silent and empty. There was still stuff going on but... no 'main' thought.

It was already past midday when I caught myself and my head began working again. I still stood there, with the bow in my hand and the other stuff on the riverside.

I took the quiver on my back and wore the bow also over my chest. The knife I attached to my pants, and somehow managed to do the same with the flint & iron. Whetstone and meat I kept each in a hand.

Ok, got all my stuff. What else was on the plan... cleaning the stuff... some water... and... right, looking for where I left my bow before I had to run from the hound. But... where should I start?

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I gently stroked through its fur “I thank you, Brother. May your spirit pass on, while your body feeds me”

Yøû ssërióùssly köntinûé wïz zât? Cøme oñ, $hê åïnt 'røùnd nømôre. Jüst kîll ít ænd bê dönê wïz ít.

I held the rabbit up at its hind legs, took a club lying nearby, and hit it in the back of the head. I tried poking an eye, to see if its really dead.

It was.

I fastened it to my belt, and continued.

Did you want anything?

Why ærê yøu sstïll dôiñg zåt? Shæ âiñt 'røûnd tö nôtïce íf yøù dön't.

What does it matter if Ingrid is 'round? She introduced me to it, but I don't do it for her. I do it to show some respect to my prey, to thank it for giving me its body, its flesh. But why do I bother to tell you, it's not like you'd listen anyway.

Büt zêræ ï$ nø ssëñssê în døing zåt, ïts nôt åwæ-

How would you know that? Can you tell? If you can, tell me how

Î... Ï... Åh fück yøû hümâñss ånd yøûr ëmótìónàl sstüff! $sînk mørë rrråtiønæl, lësss êmøtiônål. Yöúr kìnd îs zë ønly ånimæl zât døe$s zæt, zê ønly kînd zæt ssínks êmøti-

Again, how do you know? How can you be so sure?

Didn't hear any more from him after that. Did I corner him? Interesting, doesn't happen very often.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I woke up As tense and abrupt as usual But for the first time I was thankful for it

I looked at my hand it was still normal

What happened there what happened to me?

I was still clueless only had the assumption that it came from the claw

but how could that be? How could just that claw make me that hideous?

It doesn't matter at least not right now

I know how to turn my body back I just need time

And it wasn't just time I was out daily, to feed, to replenish my energy but I ceased to count the days after a while

I remember there beeing three snowy seasons but I do not know how many there were before I managed to turn my hand

in the end I learned how to channel my energy more effectively it actually took less and less work to turn a part of my body

Picture Snowy trees by TheMichaelMacRae

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

It took quite some time to find any tracks at all, other than those on that bush.

At first I tried looking for any traces of animals eating any other plants in the area, but finding that was near to impossible. Out of old habit I tried looking for any tracks on the ground, in the grass or in the dirt. But didn't find anything significant.

Around the time the sun was at it's highest I found a small beck.

There I took a break. Ate a bit, refilled my flask and sat down for a moment. And although I had been walking around in that forest all day it was the first time I really noticed all the chirping around me.

I was just sitting there in awe for a moment.

Those dozens of chirping birds around me, the small stream besides me, how the sun lighted up the forest right now. It was a great moment.

I wish I could have captured it somehow, and taken it with me.

Picture Stream by abyss1956

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016