"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster . . . when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you"
-Friedrich Nietzsche
I awoke to the cold air the next morning. It should be the middle of the summer and yet the air was cold? I could almost see my breath in front of my face.Yuri seems to still be unconscious so after I checked him I looked around.
Around this time everyone else was coming to.
After everyone was situated I spoke.
"First things fist we need to immediately check the power. See if you can get it restored" I began
"I wish the fog wasn't so dense so we could see the sun to find time and location but it's useless to wish for such things
"I'll have two of yout posted on a constant watch. There are 3 of you so rotiatio shouldnt be a problem. Look out for signs of land or other ships." I continued
"And lastly...wher the hell is the captain and his helmsman? We need to search the yatch and find them."
After spending 30 minutes looking for the captain and his helmsman we gave up the search.
(Well just as I though everything is fucked) I botched to myself ( I have to rebuild the generator)
We spend the next 3 months floating and I have almost finished rebuilding the power system. Yuri still hasn't woken up and I'm frankly worried for his health. We have ran out of food 3 days ago and morale is at an all time low.
"L-land" I heard one of the assistants who was on watch called out
(God, If you existed I would thank you) I thank the gods
"R..Really?" Clark jumped up rushed outside
He was the worst part of this whole ordeal. How can people like him be so confident? Do they just create lies to make themselves feel better than blindly follow it?....it's a mystery I'll never figure out.
We followed after this punk and sure enough there it was. Poking through the fog....land.
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(Coniferous trees....?) I looked across to my colleges and I saw on their face that they were thinking the same thing
"Were do you think we are" Clark asked. Up ahead I could faint glow of fire.
"...somewhere up north it seams." I said
"Well, We'll find out soon enough" finished (It'll probably take almost an hour for the yatch to drift to shore ahead.)
(The cold air...the Coniferous forest in front of us.....just where are we?....)
As our boat approached land we saw some movement in the distance accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves which later disappeared.
After we made land fall we disembarked.
We have walked for few hours before we ended up in a clearing. What greeted us was a scene of utter carnage.
"Madness......" The old man muttered while Clark threw up
Before us was a field of dead bodies. Blood, guts and brain turned the ground to mud....The smell, the smell was terrible.
(Why haven't we been able to smell this stench up to now?....This battle must have just happened.....battle?...) A movement from the corner of my eye broke my train of thought
I hurried over to the body that I had noticed moving
He was an averagly built man in his late 20's. He wore leather armor that frankly exposed too much skin for it to be used in battle to my liking...His face is covered in grime wich made my stomach turn when I remember what that grime is. There seem to be some blue pain on some of his exposed skin
He had an arrow sticking out of his sholder and a huge gash down his lower left arm.....he was loosing a decent amount of blood...He was covered to much blood to clearly make out his injuries.
When I knelt down next to him he looked at me in confusion and curiosity
"....Cé go bhfuil tú..?" I heard him speak.
(Celtic?...) I thought to myself
"..Ní chuireann sé ábhar......Glacfar uaisle diabhal..cough.."
(He seems to be getting angry thinking about some stuff)
I looked around and I noticed few banners and flags sticking out of the ground
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This flag coupled with the scotish flag littered the ground around me
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Then these flag were much further out on the battlefield.
I immediately put the pieces together.
"Someone! Get me a first aid kit now!" I yelled.
Luckily one of the assistants was smart enough to bring it along.
My number one concern was the bleeding arm. I can't have him loosing to much blood and fall into a hemorrhagic shock.
I took some rope out of my backpack and cut it to about 3 ft long. I then wrapped it around his brachial artery which is located in the inner elbow to stop the bleeding. I twisted the rope then took a stick made another twist over it. I then Tied the ends together. I made a tourniquet. I rotated the stick to Dighton the rope until I was sure it stopped the bleeding.
The man just looked at me with curiosity in his eyes.
I then took a bottle of water and gave it to him to drink.
He as he was opening the bottle like i gestured to him to and then I saw a blur wiz past my face and and making an impact noise behind me....
I tuned my head to see what I was and I saw the old man's body falling down. I quickly ran to him to see what has happened.
There was an arrow sticking out of his throat and he was gargling blood.
"No..." I said with disbelief
I turned my head to see where the arrow came from.
Just over the horizon I saw about 25 men who were covered in blood galloping on horses. Then I noticed about 10 of them knocking their arrows.
(Shit!)
"Everyone take cover!" I yelled while tossing a dead body over me
I looked through the grime and I saw the fools running.
I watched it happen in slow motion....
Clark grabbed one of the assistants and turn him into the path of arrows. (That bastard!) I felt immense rage rising.
As I was trying to get up from under the body I saw arrows impact the assistant that Clark used as a human shield and the other 2 as they just about made it to the woods.
By the time I got myself freed and stood up Clark was gone. (....Fuck!) I cursed in my head. (Doctor Williams....where doctor Williams...?)
I turned around to look then I heard a loud thump.
(Wh....at?) I was on my knees...I turned my head to my left where I heard the thump. I saw an arrow sticking out of my left shoulder. (Shit..) I thought
Soon the galloping got louder and the horse mounted man encir me and the guy I was patching up behind me.
"Cladhaire..." I spoke in Celtic
"Is he formidable or just stupid" I heard one of them ask his buddy.
"Shooting fleeing unarmed men...fucking cowards the lot of you!" my rage was boiling over...the old man's blood still fresh on my hands
"Eh? We got a tough one don't we? A heard another ask "Let's make a bet fellas!" He called to everyone. Then he rested his eyes on me.
"If you win then we'll let you go free and if you loose then.well.....I'm sure you know.." He said pulling his sword out
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"Free?...Yes Im sure you'd let me go...what prevents you buddies from killing me later?" I said while breaking the arrow of, grunting from the pain as I stood up
He made an evil grin as he picked the edge of his sword "smart one aincha' lad?" He mused
(I only have one shot at this....) I said to myself gripping my trusty pen. I'm glad it wasn't my right shoulder that got hit...
While I was in the military I went and trained in mixed martial arts. I trained with outfox mma in Virginia Beach and I have studied Mui Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, Judo and Boxing.
I have studied for about 4 years. Before I got introduced to Master Hoy Lee. I have trained under him studying Jow Ga. When I became proficient in all forms and weapons.
I then studied in Niten-ryū style swordsmanship. Later on I studied Systema under Vladimir Vasiliev. By far I'd say that this was the most effective combat system.
I had extensive experience in hand to hand combat. That is part of the reasons I had a clear mind. The main reason is because I'm emotionally dampened to the point that death doesn't faze me and the other is because I have already deduced my situation
Judging by the flags I saw I and what THAT person said, this is Scotland in 1298. This must be the Battle of Falkirk. Men of this time we're so versed in combat style ouside their own.
"Hope ye ready..." He said menacingly.
He slowly walked up to me before stopping about 10 ft in front of me
In a blink of an eye he stepped in and preformed a horizontal slash from his right aimed at my neck
I expected this. He probably wants to finish this quick. Well so do I.
I instantly steped in diagonally in ti the direction of the swing as if to meet it. This move required nerves of steel. Stepping in, I dropped my body weight as low as possible before spinning off of my supporting foot.
I spun toward his back my pen aimed at his jugular of the left side of his neck. My pen sunk deep into his neck (.....this isn't enough...) I thought as I pulled my pen out.
Before he could cover his wound I stuck my fingers in it feeling around. (There!) I hooked my finger onto his carotid artery and I pulled as hard and fast as I could. Blood sprayed everywhere (I'm....still not done..) I said to my self as I fought back nausea.
In systema they teach you that if you're surrounded you should go for the toughest looking one and take him out in the worst way to instill fear in the others making you gain the advantage. It's unlikely that I will survive...but at least put up a fight. I will not die a coward so this was the best strategy
After having his carotid artery ripe out of his throat he stumbled forward and collapsed face first.
The noisy clatter and laughter that I haven't heard up until now got replaced with silence
I walked up to the now dead warrior who's name I don't even know and broke his neck
I stepped onto his shoulder bladed to gain leverage and then I violently twisted his head. The silence was broken with a loud snap
I reached in through the wound I made and grabbed his cervical vertebra. It was snapped clean in half when I broke his neck. I grabbed it and I pulled it towards the direction of the wound. It was messy but it didn't take long before I ripped his head off his body. I grabbed the by the protruding vertebra and lifted it high in the air.
"WHICH COWARD IS NEXT!?" Yelled
I looked around and they all were shocked
"....I've won.....?...I'VE WON!" I heard one of them yell as they irrupted in complaint and laughter as I saw him collecting silver coins from everyone
(They he wasn't kidding when he was talked about betting..) I though as I glanced at the now headless body.
I saw some comotion towards my right as I saw the the guy who I patched up early in limping toward the edge of the crowd closer to me. He was supported by 2 men. I saw him whisper something into a stocky man's ear. He then signaled to someone else. They left the encirclement and walked toward me. One was standing in front of me and one was behind me.
He motioned to another and they through a sword towards towards me. I caught the sword out of the air then spinning it around transitioning from left to right side to learn it's ballance.
When they saw I was ready they rushed in in a pincer attack.
The guy in front of me swung diagonally across my chest and the guy behind me charged in with his sword point pointed twards my back
It took but 1 step for them to close in. I rolled to my right to dodge their attacks.
The who swung diagonally used the momentum of the swing to spin around and meet me with an upward slash. At the time the one who was about to stab me before dashed in to cut of my path of retreat (shit..) I gritted my teeth
When I landed he was already behind me preparing to slash my back. Using my back wards momentum I lowered my body weight while my momentum stilled pulled me back I slid backwards between his legs.
Wile sliding under I grabbed and lifted his ankles which caused him to slam face first in the gore. I was now behind him. With sword in my hand I leaped forward, my sword point aimed twards the back of his neck.
"THUMP!" a loud familiar sound resounded again.
I felt my consciousness slip. The arrow struck my back while I was mid air.I fell on top of the person I was about to kill.
I rolled over and looked. It was the guy I patched up
"...Fucking...ungrateful bastard.." I coughed as I lay there
The guy who was laying next to me slowly got up out of the mud with his sword still in hand.
He raised the point up over my neck. (...I..I guess this is the end..? How disappointing ......I wanted to accomplish so much more..) I though as I closed my eyes to embrace death......
"Duty heavier than a mountain......Death lighter than a feather.." I said to myself
I waited for the blow, the sharp pain. Any indication that I have been struck down(....nothing?)
I opened my eyes and I saw him. William Wallace. Or at least I think he is...(These guys must be the rebels) I thought
"Ungrateful arn't you?" I quietly said. Speaking at a regular tone hurt too much
"You're still alive are you not?" Wallace replied
"Heh" I chuckled wich was greeted by a sharp pain. (...hurts to much to laugh...)
"What was it you said?...about duty.."
"Oh, that?....It's from a book I've read once called the wheel of time.....Death lighter than a feather. Duty heavier than a mountain....It's truely a man's quote.....caugh..Each man has a duty that they must fulfill....But death is easy.....it's a cowards way......." I said "A real man stays alive to fulfill hid duty to who ever it is to.."
"......" Wallace stared at me in silence.
"Then to whom is your duty to...?" He asked breaking the silence
"..mankind....." I answered.
He looked at me in deep thought than spoke to the monstrosity of a man next to him. "Have everyone move to the location we set up on..."
"What about him my lord?" The humongous man gestured toward me.
"Well bring him along" He answered before leaving to make preparations
The huge man who wallace left casually walked towards me
"..who the fuck are you...?" I said
"Hamish" he said cracking his knuckles.
"W-What are you-" I was interrupted with a giant fist flying towards my face.Then darkness......
"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."
-Friedrich Nietzsche