In The Beginning, The Traveling Itself Was Very Exhausting. I Took Breaks Often, Even Tho I Walked At

At first she used me mostly for carrying her game. I stayed in the back, observing her. And already through that I learned a bit about hunting. But she was always silent. Never said a word. Only gave me hand signals. Pointing to places, sometimes mimicing what she wanted me to do.

After a while tho she had me closer by her. Showing me what different tracks look like, whispering to me what you could tell from them. What kinda animal it was, the animals size, if it was hurt, how fast it was going. And all that from just a series of footprints.

After some time of just showing and describing she began having me look around in the area. Look for tracks, tell her what I'd read from them.

In the beginning I was often horribly wrong. I stopped counting how often she had slapped the back of my head for being wrong. But afterwards she always asked me questions about the tracks. Why I thought it was that animal, why at that pace etc. I got better with time. But I still made mistakes, but then we followed the tracks. I'd always knew there was something wrong when she let me go in front and trace the tracks.

The first time I mixed up deer and boar tracks was also the last time. That time I couldn't fathom how fast Ingrid was up in that tree. But after thinking about it, it definitely is understandable. She was on guard, she knew what tracks I was following and she had keener ears than me. She probably heard them already from far away. I was too focused on not losing the tracks.

Happy I survived that, but I guess I wouldn't if that Sow hadn't been distracted by her piglets.

Note from the Author:Sorry for not posting anything last friday. I wasn't really in shape to focus much on anything other than slow mewsik to be honest. So I had rather a day without a post than a day with a crappy, headache-filled post.

Thanks for reading and hope you leave some feedback.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

...Nightmare?

Underground

After that everything was black. But not the usual black like coal. It was... empty. It had this feel of... nothingness to it. Like there would never come anything afterwards. And there never did.

Suddenly I got the feeling that something was there with me. I saw it in the corner of my eye. But when I tried to look at it, it was gone.

Ssø yöû fînãlly cãmë tø mê

What? 'Who is there?'

Ha Ha Ha Ha Î'm ssûrrë yøu wânnä knøw zät

Suddenly something jumped on my back. I couldn't move so I fell. I had no idea where up and down where but I knew I fell.

Picture source unkown

Music Underground by ◄-NATURE-►

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

' 'tis 'im! Guards! Guards! Capture dis monster!' All people stopped up immediately, and all gazed upon wich the man was pointing.

Me.

Two guards came. Both with there sword drawn, but as they noticed there was no danger, they sheated them again. 'What's happenen eya?' One of the guards asked

'Dis fel -- tin' dare, it ate me game.'

'Coost be a bit mower specific? Yom a hunter, many people ate the mate yaouw bren. That is naaa crime'

'Naw. Yer don't git waaat oi say. Yer man ate me game. Oi 'ad jist shot it, den yer man 'oofed over ter it. As oi came ter 'imself an' asked waaat yer man wus doin' 'is bake wus al' deformed wi' razorsharp teet an' yer man 'ad claws.'

The guards looked at each other. They had to hold back their laughter 'Is that the same kind of story loike that 'un with the three-headed elk yaouw met?'

The man was baffled 'Naw! listen ter me-'

The guards nearly pissed themselves from laughing 'It's alrooight, we'll let yaouw get awoy with this unneeded call fer help since yaouw gave us a bostin loff.'

Picture Deer-ner is Served by Hjoldir-Hildwulf [EDITED]

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Underground

One night I was back in that blackness. I hadn't been there for a long time, but I knew what it meant.

'What do you want? Why am I here again?'

Döñ't ÿøu rrëmëmbërr? ha ha ha ¥øú S$àîd ït ýûørr$sêlf.

'I don't know what you're talking about!' I tried locating IT but it was like the first time. Always just in the corner of my eye.

¥øu töld mê tø $st@¥ qüíèt, ûñtïll ýøû ¢ôüld fîñd øût whø Î äm

The moment IT said it I remembered it like it was yesterday. That really worked back then. IT really followed the wish of young foolish me. But would IT do that again?

'I banish you foul thing from my dreams, from me, whatever you are!'

Ha ha ha ha Ï æm ñøt før¢cêd tø föllôw ¥øûrr ëvérý wî$h, bøý. Î chøsê tö

Picture Blackout found on 巫女miko's blog

Music Underground by ◄-NATURE-►

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

And again I woke up.

''GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!!! There gotta be something I can do about this Bastard.''

Annoyed at my own uselessness I went out of the cave again. I was hungry, but it was the middle of the night. ''Guess I'll have to switch to beast eyes''

I jumped through the trees, I had gotten pretty good control over this body in the past time. Using much of it's potential.

Only got a hare that night.

But on the way back, as I was inspecting my claws, I got a flash of insight.

''Why don't I use my claws? I know how to use them, I just need to bring them forth. I'm far better at using them than fighting with my hands, although I just hunted prey with them so far.''

This idea was groundbreaking to me, I just had to be able to actually turn it into action.

I needed to be able to turn by my own will.

I knew how to turn my eyes, I knew the sensation of it.

This concentration, combined with this stream of... Something.

I had just to repeat this with my arm...

Hopefully.

Picture when rabbit howls by Anklebones

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

A Hug

Helos

He opened the door. I walked in behind him.

'Martin, where 'ave ya been?'

'Met th' wee un on th' way'

'Wee wahn?'

I came forth from behind Martin. I saw in her eyes that she was exactly like him, only wanted to protect the people dear to her. And it seemed like I just became one of those people.

'Wot 'appened ter ya lil' wahn?' She came down and hugged me tightly. I didn't resist, it felt like paradise. I wanted that moment never to end. This warm, sincere hug. Like the one from a worried mother.

Then, still hugging me, she looked at Martin. 'Ya think...'

'Aye, ah think he cam fae that toun'

Picture Black Butterfly by Selenada

Music Helos by Scott B. Morton & Michael Verrette

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

“Ingrid-”She broke me off aggressively

“No, I won't give you a chance to refuse. You know, my father, he was a bastard. He was once a hunter of this small village. But you know what? He was the worst hunter you could imagine. And know what he did when he came back without any game? He beat me. To a pulp. But the worst part hasn't come yet, everyone knew, Ernest too, but no one gave a shit. And one day, I went with him on the hunt. I persuaded him somehow to let me join. Wanna know what I did?”

“I-”

“No, I told you, no chance to refuse. That day, I took a knife with me and... and...” She paused for a moment, got calmer “He didn't come back with me that day, and neither any time later.

As I came back alone... at first some people asked where he was. As soon as I looked into their eyes they knew, but still I... sarcastically... I told them that he... that he saved me from a boar and didn't get up from that. They all knew he wasn't that kind of person. He had never done that... not for me.”

At that point she was overflowing with hatred and sadness. Tears were running down her cheeks. She dropped down to her knees. And nearly out of reflex, since it just felt like the right thing to do, I held her in my arms.

We sat there like that for a moment.

Still sobbing she said “Now it's your turn...”

“I... I...” I sighed “Where should I start? My village got burnt down. Everyone got killed, except me. I don't know who it was, but this one guy was shouting 'Hail to the king' all the time.”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

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

Routine

And again, I woke up.

Damn it, I need to try again, be stronger.

I took another walk to the pond, got some water. But I went back at once to try again.

I gotta beat him somehow, I just gotta block better. ...And I need to hit him too.

So I went back to the realm of dreams. And again I woke up directly besides him.

''Back for 'nother beating? Ha Ha Ha'' ''Not this time'' ''I'm ready boy, come at me whenever you want''

I hesitated for a moment He let's me do the first hit?

But he didn't wait for me to attack him. Again the right swing. Wich I managed to block. & again the undercut. Wich I again failed to block.

And again, I woke up. ''For fucks sake!''

Again, a walk to the pond and back again. Again, I went to my dreams.

And... Again. I was beaten.

This continued for some time. I have honestly no idea for how long. I lost completely track of time, of day and night. When I woke up while it was bright I used my own eyes. When it was dark I used the beast eyes.

I fully went into routine, doing the same thing day after day. In between hunting a deer since I got hungry, but that wasn't often.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

How could I've been so dumb not getting that. That also explains why there are nearly now plants in or directly by the pond.

That means the source of whatever danger, is directly inside the pond, or a bit further up the stream. I saw the fox drinking from the stream, and I drank the water myself even further up, it must be safe there.

I decided to go further up the stream again, hide and wait there. There weren't going to be any animals near here anytime soon, that I was sure of.

I'm unsure if you can hear this, and if you might still be ignoring it but... Thank you, probably saved my arse there

Î dïd zæt før mýssëlf, rrêtård

I didn't expect any other answer from IT so I didn't bother saying anything else.

After a while of walking upstream I found myself a new branch to sit on. The sun was already near the horizon and it began getting darker. I climbed the tree cautiously and sat myself on the branch. As usual it wasn't comfortable, but it was safe

...unless I'd fall down in my sleep.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016