Manticore's Log

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
Morning workout: 45min

2km walk

Bench press (bar only)
50 reps
10s active rest
25 reps
10s active rest
10 reps
10s active rest
5 reps

Incline Bicepscurls 1kg
100 reps

Incline sit-ups with feet anchored
100 reps
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
Today's dinner was japanese curry

IMG_20230119_185148169.jpg
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
I have been enjoying writing as of late and thought I would share a few words each day. I have about 8 chapters so far and adding constantly so of course feel free to give feedback and critique or just enjoy the story.
:bouncebounce:


The Prologue (1/7ish)
The Journey of a Boy

As I try to focus and recall my memories, I am confronted by a sense of confusion and uncertainty. My mind has been shrouded in a dense, ominous shadow for a long time, clouding my thoughts and obscuring my perception of the world around me. It's like trying to see through a thick mist, blindly following the currents of an unknown river without any idea of where it will take me.

This sense of disorientation and uncertainty can be unsettling, leaving me feeling lost and adrift in the world. I begin to question the very foundations of my being, wondering who I am and what my place is in this vast and complex universe.

---

I was ten at that time, living with my family, leading a peaceful life taking care of my younger sister while my parents worked the land. Every day started the same way - my mother would wake us up and ask me to watch over the boiling rice while she set the table and my sister went to fetch our father.

Breakfast was an important time for our family; my mother always said it brought friends and family together, and we always spent some time around the table as a family. The rest of the day, my mother would be busy gathering herbs in the garden and my father would be tending the fields or selling goods in the nearby village, while I looked after my sister.

As my mother and I were preparing breakfast, we heard a commotion outside and my mother asked me to take a look. When I opened the door, I saw three menacing men on horseback riding up to the front gate. My father was looking back at me with fear in his eyes.

The menacing men demanded my sister, their voices rough and threatening. My father stood firm, his expression one of fierce determination as he tried to protect her. Father shouts at my sister to run back in the house without looking back. But my sister was frozen in fear, unable to move.

I tried to go to her, to help her, but before I could take a step, my mother rushed out of the house. I saw the fear in her eyes as well. She grabbed me and pulled me into her arms, shielding me with her body as she shouted at my sister to come to us.

My father was already leaping over the farm fence, ready to fight for his family. The situation was tense, the air charged with danger as we all tried to escape the threat of the unknown men.

As the bandits draw their swords, father charges towards them with a fierce determination in his eyes. He will fight them with all his might, protecting his family and his home. Despite being outnumbered, he refuses to back down.

Mother holds me tightly, shielding me from the violence and chaos. She whispers comforting words, trying to calm my trembling body. My sister stands frozen, tears streaming down her face as she watches our father fight for our lives.
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
The Prologue (2/7ish)
The Journey of a Boy


My sister stands frozen, tears streaming down her face as she watches our father fight for our lives.

With a fierce roar Father launches a furious attack, wielding only a scythe, and tries to protect my sister from the bandits. But with a single, swift strike, his life is taken and the scythe is shattered. His lifeless body is tossed aside like a rag doll, his head hitting the ground next to him with a sickening thud. The man who took his life shows no remorse nor hesitation in his actions.

My sister still stands frozen, the tears streaming down her face have stopped as if there is nothing left, Mother holds me tightly, trying to shield me from the horror unfolding before our eyes. It's a moment that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

As the blood continues to flow out from father's body, it drenches the grass in a sea of red. My sister stands petrified, her feet coated in the sticky, red liquid that was once my father's blood.

The large man calmly sheaths his sword and dismounts his horse, looking at my sister smiling with a twisted malice on his face. As the man approaches my sister, her cries turn into wails of despair and terror.

Mother’s cries and pleads for my sister to come to her fall on deaf ears as the man reaches out to grab her. She knows what is coming, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. Mother holds me tighter and tighter with every desperate scream, her grip nearly suffocating me. The screams of my mother and sister are the last thing I hear before as my vision grows narrow.

The large man ties my sister's hands together and throws her over his shoulder, her screams echoing through the air as she is carried away. Mother pleads and begs for him to release my sister, but he pays her no mind. He mounts his horse and rides off, leaving the other two bandits behind to deal with us.

As he disappears into the distance, my sister's cries grow faint and eventually fade away completely, leaving behind a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Mother holds me tightly, her body shaking with grief and fear. I can barely breathe, my vision continues to shrink until my sister is the only thing I can see. My sister is gone, and there seems to be no way to bring her back. The other two bandits turn their attention to us, and I can't help but feel like this is the end. All I can do is wait for the inevitable as mother continues to plead and scream, clinging to me as if I'm the only thing left in the world.

The two bandits that remained cackled, one of them kicked father's head before picking it up and tossing it towards Mother. The other smirked and said, “Let's get rid of the boy and take our time with the woman. That way we can have some quiet too. The boss only cares about little girls anyway.”

Mother is unable to take her eyes of fathers head and does not appear to understand what is happening anymore.
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
The Prologue (3/7ish)
The Journey of a Boy

Mother is unable to take her eyes of fathers head and does not appear to understand what is happening anymore.

As the two bandits approach us, licking their lips and undoing their belts, a sudden silence fills the air. Out of nowhere, a man appears behind them, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

The bandits are frozen in their tracks, as if they are being forcefully kept from moving, their eyes darting back and forth in confusion and fear.

This mysterious man has appeared in the blink of an eye, without any sound or movement, but his presence is undeniable. Without any emotion, he dispatches the two bandits with ease, or perhaps they were already dead as soon as he appears. The scene is surreal and terrifying, leaving Mother and I trembling with fear and uncertainty.

Mother let out a sob of cautious relief, I finally felt able to take a deep breath and feel some sense of relief since walking out the door. I feel that we will be safe with this man.

As the bandits crumpled to the ground, their lifeless bodies hitting the earth with a resounding thud. And yet, even in that moment of victory, the man who had saved us remained shrouded in mystery. Without so much as a glance in our direction, he spoke towards the horizon.

The man's voice is cold and emotionless, but there is a sense of authority and power in his words. "I am sorry, but I am forbidden to intervene. I can see all that has happened here, but I am not allowed to act. However, I do not have to stand by and watch these beasts ravage you and kill your son. I have other business to attend to. This was the only kindness I could offer in your time of need, I'm sorry”

Mother, overcome with emotion, clings to his clothes and begs for him to save her daughter.

“You seem to think that I have any control over this situation. I am simply an observer, bound by fate to witness these events unfold but not to interfere. I have no power to save your daughter, and your pleas for help are futile. Now, unhand me, I have other matters to attend to. Leave me be and accept your fate.”

Mother notices father's head and collapses to the ground, her sobs echoing through the air as she reaches out and cradles father's head in her lap, as if trying to comfort him in death.

The stranger's words seem to fade into the background, drowned out by the sound of Mother's grief.

His eyes dart only for an instant in our direction, the man sighs as he continues to scan the horizon.
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
The Prologue (4/7ish)
The Journey of a Boy

His eyes dart only for an instant in our direction, the man sighs as he continues to scan the horizon.

“Your pain weighs on my heart but the burden of grief is not mine but yours to bear. It does however appear that a strand of karmic fate has formed with the boy. Although duty binds me elsewhere and I cannot break away to save your daughter. I will grant you another kindness in hopes of dispersing the karmic bond for his safety, mine is a perilous path”

He picks up a fence branch, blows off some dry grass, inspects it and taps it on the ground a few times and rubs it with a cloth drenched in oil. The stranger turns his head for the first time to face me.

“You cannot hope to save your sister as you are now boy, you need to train and grow stronger so that you can protect what is yours in the future. This staff is sturdy, keep it with you, always, until it is a part of you. Only then will nothing else be taken from you”
The man offers me the crude staff.

“Master! please train me so that I can save my sister” I beg the wandering swordsman who saved us.

“Boy, you have conviction but lack strength” looking back to the horizon once again

“You are too old to join my masters temple and not worth the resources it would take to train you, I must return to my charge.”
He leaves me with these words “The first lesson of this world, there is no justice, the best you can hope for is revenge. Ponder these words and a path will form beneath your feet, it is up to you whether you walk it or not”

After those words he disappears as if he was never there, the silence is lifted and only the cries of loss remain. When there are only dry tears left I begin to bring mother inside, she is slouched over me barely able to stand on her own refusing to let go of fathers head, as if she is holding both fathers and sisters life in her arms. I sat her down on a chair at the table.

Even though it's well past midday. The table is still set for breakfast, it seems like such an incomprehensible concept now, mother is whispering something but I can't understand her.

‘That's strange, my sister's plate is a bit too far to the left. She would have to reach for it, and my cup has fallen over.’
I walked outside to call my father to breakfast but the sky had grown darker, it must be approaching dusk.

‘That's strange’

I gather breath in my lungs to call father but there is no need, I see him there on the ground. My vision narrows and I hear myself falling to the ground.

I wake up the next morning to the brisk coldness of dawn. My clothes are soaking wet and stained red with the blood of my father. He is still laying there, undignified on the muddy road, there is a crow on his chest.

Hatred and anger blackens my eyes, I dash towards my father’s body and swing my staff towards the crow. I hit the crow and it explodes in a puff of feathers.

‘Nothing else will ever be taken from me!’
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
The Prologue (5/7ish)
The Journey of a Boy

‘Nothing else will ever be taken from me!’

I hit the crow with my staff again and again, the man’s words ringing thru my ears over and over. After hitting the crow so many times I feel dizzy, I lean against my now blood drenched staff.

I see the grave marker near the tree for our house cat we buried last year, my sister would cry for days on end. I remember my father had a hoe around the back of the house, he dug the hole with only three swings.

I walked around the back and it was still there. I brought it with me to the tree, there was a spot where he would always take a midday nap unless mother caught him of course. It's a lot harder to dig than father made it look after just a few swings. I hit a big root. I took my staff and bent the root out of the way, it was hard work and I spent the entire day digging.

As I walked to my father’s body I stumbled over a pile of dirt. I was exhausted and it was dark and I only wanted to rest for a little bit but a sharp craw from the crows flying above woke me up. I dragged my father to his favorite resting place beneath the tree. It will now serve as his final resting place and to push the mounds of dirt on top of him. When the hole was finally covered I gave him one last hug and fell asleep on top of the grave.

A few nights have passed, mother has not been sleeping, she has been going to village everyday to plead for help but the militia have been unable to help, the bandits have been kidnapping young girls from other remote farms as well and everyone is in panic.

Yesterday she went to the nearest town to see if they could help. She left early in the morning and came back at night. She had also bought more herbal tea since we were running low.

She has been brewing herbal tea every night in order for us to fall asleep but tonight it tasted strange, bitter and soft smell of almond, I wake up from another nightmare it was the same as all the other I felt a bit sick and threw up during the night, mother is still sleeping so I go back to bed.
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
The Prologue (6/7ish)
The Journey of a Boy

She has been brewing herbal tea every night in order for us to fall asleep but tonight it tasted strange, bitter and soft smell of almond, I wake up from another nightmare it was the same as all the other I felt a bit sick and threw up during the night, mother is still sleeping so I go back to bed.
It is past dawn and mother has not woken up yet. It's the first night she has been able to sleep since it happened, I will let her rest. It's noon and she has not gotten out of bed. I will prepare dinner and leave it outside her door for her to eat when she is ready.

It's the next day mother has not eaten her soup, only nibbled on the bread and left it outside the door, I will let her rest…

The third day I saw a fat rat eating the bread, a flood of anger washed over me. I swing and hit the rat with my staff.

‘Nothing else will ever be taken from me!’

The rat is crushed and the floorboards split in half and the door flies open. Mother was still in bed, she did not wake up from the sound so I walked over and took her hand. It's ok mother it was only a rat, don't be scared. Her hand was cold to the touch and I saw a teacup lay beside her in the bead. It's the bitter tea she made for me.

I buried my mother… ‘No justice, Nothing else will ever be taken from me!’

I train with the staff until my hand blisters and bleeds, every day and every night I train,

‘Nothing else will ever be taken from me!’

“There is no justice” I mumbled under my breath

‘I will save my little sister from the bandits by my own hands, if she is dead I will have revenge by my own hands and I will bring her back and lay her to rest next to father and mother. I will keep them safe. Nothing else will ever be taken from me!

The man told me to get stronger. I will head to town and find the lord and make him help me. I've been there once with my father. It was a day's travel along the dirt road to the east. I will have my revenge and I will bring my family back together no matter the cost.’

I journeyed to the city with the clothes on my back and the staff in hand. I grasp the staff hard and blood begins to roll around my knuckles follows the staff down and drips on the ground, the road was longer and harder than expected.

It leads up a steep hill and through a mountain pass, the city should be just on the other side of the pass. As I make my way to the mountain pass it is already getting dark, now I just need to get to the other side.
 

Manticore

Active member
Warrior Monk from Sweden
Posts: 31
"If you fear that death is the end you are simply not willing to go far enough"
The Prologue (7/7)
The Journey of a Boy


As I make my way to the mountain pass it is already getting dark, now I just need to get to the other side.

I hear a terrifying snarl behind me, I quickly turn around and it's a large wolf looking for its next meal, it's larger than I have ever heard father describe them. My first instinct is to run but I remember what father told me “If you face a wild animal don't run, stand your ground and make yourself appear big and make loud noises”

The man who gave me this staff, gave it to me so that I could use it. I need to face the beast with conviction and show strength. I'm tired from the long hike but I must do what my father and the man told me, I barely manage to lift the staff over my head and scream as loud as I can.

At first it seems to work, the wolf is confused but suddenly it leaps at me, I don't understand what has happened. I wake up looking up at the twilight sky. A warm feeling fills my body, I'm so comfortable I feel like I could fall asleep at any moment.

Suddenly an icy chill runs thru my body and my chest starts to burn like it was on fire, I look around there's blood everywhere a sudden howl pierce my ears the wolf is standing over me ready to bite down. Luckily I'm still holding the staff.

I barely catch the wolf's bite with it, it gnashes and bites at my face. I am not strong enough to hold its ferocious bites back but my elbows are pinned to the rocky ground creating a strong defense. The wolf bites down on the staff to throw it to the side. I am still able to hold on to it and I am also tossed away with it. I land hard and I am tossed over to my stomach, the wolf makes another dash towards me, I can not do anything else except close my eyes and weakly swipe the staff in front of me as I anticipate the bite.

I hear a sickly gurgle but the bite never lands. I am paralyzed by fear, and silence befalls the night once more.

The bite never comes, I look up and see a row of big teeth just in front of my face, it's a grizzly sight. The upper half of the wolf's head is missing, the smell and sight is too much for me, I begin to heave, more blood than bile comes up, there is no hope for me, even if the wolf is dead I will die here tonight.

I hear whimpering and tiny snarls behind me, another wolf? I am not able to get up from my knees, my legs are not working. I turn my head and see four tiny wolf pups huddled close to the rock wall. Our eyes meet and I see the same despair I had just a week prior, my eyes blacken with anger I can not stand that look, I snap my head to the right and grab the staff, I point it to the pups and scream with my last defiant breath, everything goes dark.

I do not know how long I waited for death, I wanted to see my father, my sister and my mother again. I hope they will forgive me for not saving them, for not protecting them, for not avenging them for not being the hero… I hope we can be a family again.
 

Gandhalfit

Well-known member
Druid from TLV
Pronouns: You there
Posts: 924
"Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being... it is up to all of us to become his moral superior. Vetinari/Pratchett"
:birthday:
Wherever you are
 
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