That Was By Far Easier Said Than Done

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

I was starting to understand this form. So that's why things seem to disappear sometimes.

With that knowledge I could go hunting. Better than any human hunter. Far better. Although I still had to learn to differentiate between silhouettes.

A glimmer in the corner of my eye Another hare I lept for it. But I overdid the jump. The hare got away.

Damn it! I need to learn to control my strength, my new won abbilites. But I was hungry and it's hard to concentrate with a growling stomach. I went for bigger prey.

I climbed a tree, with ease. Looked around for movement. It took quite a while till I saw some suitable prey. A deer, probably, it came all the way to the tree I was sitting on. Like it wanted to be eaten.

Picture The White Deer by EternaLegend

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I went back to the stream to wash off my blood and see how big the wound really was. It cost some time and energy but I'd rather check on that and maybe fix it somehow than leave a blood trail after me. Who knows what or who might sniff me up thanks to that.

The holes in my hand weren't that big, he did bite me two times so naturally there were four, two on the back of my hand, two inside of it. There wasn't much blood running from them tho, the bleeding had been worst in the beginning.

I tried moving my hand around a bit, into different positions I could think of that I'm using while hunting. But there was nothing that really caused much more bleeding than when I relaxed the hand.

A bit more when drawing my bow but I guess I had just to be a bit more selective with my prey, and more accurate with my shots.

I went on, looking for any kind of tracks of animals, focusing on my senses to hear if there's anything nearby. I found another hare, but this time I managed to sneak up and get it with my bow. Hit right in the head, quite a lucky shot I had there.

Guess that means one more to go, and then I'll eat something. My stomach growled Yeah I know it's time, I know that I'm tearing at my reserves, just gimme a bit more time

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Morrowind Soundtrack

First the other hand, then my feet, head after that, then legs & arms and in the end my whole torso

that was the first time I actually looked into the pond again and didn't just drink from it

I had longer hair than ever before was quite a bit taller and naturally I had aged a bit even gotten a few stubbles I had 'gained' a few scars all over my body too

But I didn't stop there, didn't walk back home I had to learn to control this turning to the best I could

Transforming my whole body took a few winters & since I was sure this wouldn't be the last time I had to do it I had to drastically improve that time

It took a bit longer than another two winters nearly reached the third but in the end I was able to turn within a few days and although it took far less energy now I still felt like I could eat an elk afterwards

Picture cave by pilot-whale

Music Morrowind Soundtrack by Jeremy Soule

Note from the Author

I know I'm a lil late but, Happy 2k16 to everybody ^^

© 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

Dreams

A Way of Life

Then I snapped out of it.

What the hell am I doing? How could I accept to be this demon, to continue to live like it?

It was like I had lost myself, my own thoughts. Somehow. I had been controlling this body. But all this time, it wasn’t my will who steered me.

Did IT take over on that clearing? When I gave up on life?

I didn’t want to stay in this form. I wanted to become myself again. To rid myself of this unnameable horror. And so I did what had to be done.

I need ITs… help. ITs… counsel. IT knows how to shift shape, it can surely teach me how I can regain my body. My face.

I went back to the cave. Found a place to lie down. To sleep.

Is it that why dragons do sleep for eternities? Do they too search for something in their dreams?

So I went where I first had met IT. Where ITs domain lies.

To my dreams...

Picture Sleeping Dragon by Disse86

Music A Way of Life by Hans Zimmer

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

It was a horrible view.

What was left of my hair were a few long, light strands. By far longer than my hair.

My eyes were… black. Deep black. Like ITs territory. The left one looked like it could fall out every moment.

As I saw my mouth… or rather jaw, my heart stopped.

Nothing that would resemble lips in any way. Two rows of razor sharp teeth. Like I had a mouth filled with daggers. And it was wide. Very wide. My… jaw… went nearly from ear to ear.

How could I close this mouth? I would surely hurt myself.

I tried. Now I knew where the blood had come from while deer hunting.

I bit right through what one could call my “skin”.

My skin looked like someone had burned it off. I had neither ears nor nose.

I could’ve never dreamed of such a creature. Not in my wildest nightmare. But there I saw it. Worse than the worst thing I could imagine. And it was my reflection.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

The beck ended up in a pond.

There were no animals in sight, but that came probably from me just stomping through there, which was quite mindless to do.

My main thought was that I had gotten to my destination and now had to find a place to hide.

I pondered whether I should hide in a bush or in a tree. And after some time I came to the result that it was in many ways better to sit in a tree than in a bush. Better look over the area, no need to worry about predators sneaking up, I could actually move a bit sitting on a branch, in a bush I'd have to sit still all the time. And after deciding whether tree or bush, I only had to find a suitable tree.

The trees near the lake all seemed very young, not one having any branch that would be thick enough to endure my weight.

It took me some time to find a suitable tree. It wasn't directly by the pond, it was a few paces off. Behind some younger trees.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

Once more I have a note for you people out there :D Actually, this time, I wanna thank you all. It's about a year now since I've started this blog and began posting episodes and I am really happy how this all turned out.

So to all my followers, new or old, official or lurkers, trustworthy or... supsicious; Thank you

For now I focused on turning back my arm instead of overthinking this.

The main problem with my current situation was, turning back that arm costs me lots of strength. This other body has kind of it's own will. It doesn't want to go 'back'. It want's freedom, which is definitely understandable, but I can't give it that. So it was, as always, a fight to turn back the arm.

Fight may be the wrong term, it's not like fighting someone or something. Not like a classic brawl or arm wrestling where it can go back and forth between both sides. It's more like... something I have to beat down, that simply takes the punches without getting hurt much by it. It needs many, hard punches to go down... if that makes any sense.

And that costs me energy, which means I have to eat & drink more afterwards.

The first meal usually is the biggest, then it goes down drastically meal by meal till I'm back to 'normal'.

This time it was just the arm, so a hare or three as first meal would surely be enough, tho I didn't have that much left.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Thoughts

But what now? I had learned to transform by will, had gained back my human self.

There was something I still had to do but... I was much to scared of that scared of going back to my dreams scared of continuing on that path wherever it leads.

So what else do I have left? Living out here would be an option, no one has come yet to solve this monster problem I guess it's true what they say; Out of sight, out of mind

But then again, it would be quite lonely out here peaceful, at least at peaceful as it can be with IT around but very lonely

And I could walk around without problem I got this transforming thing under control But how to continue out there? I can't stay with Martin & Ruth, I'm unsure how much they did notice, and I don't want them to live in fear

But I should at least them tell what happened or at least bits of it, maybe just that I'm alive They should know at least that

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016