Uni catchup
My last entry was rather somber but I still think it needed to be said. That being put aside, as to not retread old ground, If anything I am now getting ahead with my uni work. I figured out that I was pretty much a month behind on my dissertation. So for the next 2/3 weeks my entire life is revolving around this dissertation trying to catch up. I have all but cut myself out of social activities (bar 1 or 2) and use the time to get back on track.
I managed to do my methodology in one day. Not too shabby if I must say so myself. Now comes the difficult bit, I have the task of finishing off analyzing my videos, all 108 hours of it...
On the side the data that I have already analyzed is being put onto excel ready for me to start my results section, including full statistical analysis, the only part of the dissertation I'm not too sure on. I have also made a start on my introduction section, its been recommended we get it between 3500 and 4000, I'm currently sitting at about 1000. A few days of work on that and I reckon a draft should be done ready to hand in for review by my supervisor.
In other news I have also started a lab report assignment in my Animal Behaviour and Welfare stream. It involves a series of practicals over the coming weeks on introducing a novel object to goats, to investigate neophobia. Its a nice little study in all honesty, quite straight forward. To make us more effective as a class we were split into four groups, each responsible for a separate area of the study.
Team 1: Heart rate monitoring
Team 2: Goat management
Team 3: Time management
Team 4: Behavoural recording
Me and my table decided to go for the actual heart rate monitoring for the simple fact that 4 out of the 6 of us did a sort of pilot run with the heart rate monitors back last summer after our second year had finished. To my surprise I volunteered myself to become a supervisor for our group, something that is a wee bit out of my comfort zone I guess! Whats the worst that could happen?
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| "Volunteering as supervisor" Creepy, I know. I saw an opportunity I took it. I regret nothing! |
Bring me that Horizon
I have also been thinking about how I can expand the blog. I feel like I'm not updating it regularly enough, so I am planning on introducing and Animal of the Week entry, which will focus on some of my favourite and some of the more unusual animals we share this planet with. if you have any animal requests please let me know and I'll include them!
i am also thinking about doing another feature about the many weird that take place in the animal kingdom, such as courtship rituals and defense techniques. To make it a bit different from just pages and pages of writing I was thinking of doing them as little videos, that I'll upload to YouTube, as they will be more heavily visual subjects. Again, any thoughts and suggestions would be great.
Escapism
That's the update on uni all done, I think I've included everything that's recently happened. don't mean to make this sound a bit dull, but outside of university not a lot has really happened (due to having to drastically reduce my social life). A necessary evil. My escapism is working a treat, I'm still losing my self in music on a very regular basis, headphones on, volume full and let the music inspire me. Its calming I guess. Its almost catharsis.
It also helps me on my extra-curricula endeavor, Absolute Zero. At the moment its a useful thing to keep my imagination ticking over, if not to distract me sometimes. I really want to start calling it my book but I'm unsure as to if it will pay off, not only that but there is always that little niggle in the back of my head which stresses over 'will it be any good?', 'will people like it?'. If anything it makes me wary. either way, I know I should share something instead of just talking about it theoretically. I am currently sitting on over 20'000 words and writing the 4th chapter. I have made myself prematurely edit a section of it. In doing this I will be posting the entire prologue for Absolute Zero and the Prologue for Renegades. Feedback would be hugely appreciated for both of them, after all I want/ need this to be the best piece of writing I have ever done, to justify the time spent on it. Leave your thoughts in the comments! (There are probably still spelling and slight grammatical errors, for which I apologize)
Absolute Zero: The Wretched and Divine
Prologue – Your
Betrayal
Last testament of
Lieutenant Luke Young
I’ve been in this hole
for weeks now. My last request was for a leather bound book in order to write
my last moments in this life down in the vain hope that the words find the
right ears. I was a lieutenant in the Cydonian Royal army under the command of
General Sebastian Oric. I am awaiting death by hanging due to a charge of
treason; unlike many of the innocents here in these cells with me awaiting the
same fate, I am overwhelmingly guilty. I have been an instigator of fear and
terror for my whole life. Too many people have suffered at my hands because I
have been ‘following orders’ or ‘protecting my kingdom’, but in reality the real
villain I should have been fighting is the one inside of me and every soldier
in Cydonia, including the King, the right honourable King Simeon.
My ledger is dripping
in blood and my act of treason was a bid to free myself from the chains that
bound my mind to my cause. In all honesty to die now is not the freedom I
expected, I have no intention of dying with a soul as rotten as an apple left
out in the sun. I have chosen my fate and this will not be it. By the time you
dim witted guards have read this it’ll be too late; I will be a free man. I am
not placing a personal vendetta, but just be aware that the next time your
blade goes to strike someone ‘plagued’ by magic potential, my sword might just
be in the way. To my mother I will say sorry for tarnishing the name of you and
father, seeing as that was so important to you, and to my once friend Sebastian
Oric I will say, you were wrong.
I will find redemption.
I’m not a good person, but do not think that means I am incapable of doing good
things.
Shouting and loud noises echoed
around the cold, stone walled dungeon as the two cell guards looked up from a
leather bound book. Above them, the courtyard of the Palace, in the city of
Cydhelm descended into chaos. King Simeon and General Oric yelled at the top of
their voices for guards to race after the fleeing figure of Luke Young who had
escaped the noose man’s rope. A multitude of soldiers ran after him out of the courtyard
and over the bridge into the busy city ahead. Luke was soon lost within the
crowd, people barging and shoving him in every direction, he was unable to
react due his hands being bound by thick rope; he stumbled to his knees before
moving his wrists against the exposed sword of a passer-by, relinquishing the
ropes restrictions. Luke quickly got up and punched the man before running off.
The punch caught the recipient off guard, causing a misinformed fight to break
out within the crowd. Luke glanced back with a smirk on his face; it was a perfect
distraction which could just give him the advantage he needed to reach the
docks. Luke had every intention of escaping the city; it was a goal he would
see happen, no matter the cost. He turned off down into several side streets
and then into the open plan market which was closed for the day. Stalls and
makeshift wooden shops filled the area; this was a hive of activity during the
day drawing crowds from all around the city. On one stalls to the left of the
market square, a stone had been placed with precision, it had a white stripe of
paint across it. Luke began to feel a sense of relief at the sight of the rock,
everything was going to plan. He ran over to the stall and threw the rock to
the side, underneath lay a hooded cloak which he swiftly swept around his
shoulders in a bid to distort his identity and he tied the cords together
around his neck to ensure it stayed where it was. An old piece of parchment lay
underneath the cloak which he quickly took hold of, placing it in the pocket of
the cloak. Behind him he could hear the muffled noises of guards attempting to battle
their way through the crowds. All of a sudden a handful of soldiers appeared in
the market square and spotted Luke. They shouted to the others who were
reaching the entrance to the market and began to charge as the fugitive swiftly
took off, running through the market, diving and jumping over various stalls
whilst avoiding flailing swords and spears around him.
The market square soon closed
down into narrow streets once more, which were mostly empty, to Luke’s
disappointment. With nothing but the
light emitted from lanterns on the sides of the streets, illuminating the
narrow concourses, Luke had no choice but to navigate the maze of a city in
order to escape. Arrows zipped past his body at a rapid rate, knowing it was
only a matter of time before a bolt hit him he lunged through the door of a random
house. The weak wooden door easily crumbled under his weight causing Luke to
crash to the floor in a heavy handed manner, he caught his breath and held a
hand against his winded abdomen as he stood up in front of a stunned family. A
guard appeared in the door way without warning and drew his blade, Luke quickly
turned, grabbing the guard’s wrist and shattering his elbow with a fast strike
from his other hand to incapacitate him, shatters the joint causing the guard
to fall to the floor in agony as Luke dashes away up the stairway of the house.
Luke runs off as soon as the deed was done he found his way onto the rooftops. The
bells around the city began to ring echoing all around him, he realised that
the city is now on full alert, he marked the quickest way to the docks from his
position, it was now or never.
Luke, now running with a sense of
urgency, leapt from rooftop to rooftop with guards hot on his heels with every
stride. General Oric prowled the streets beneath him, placed upon the back of a
black stallion; he barked orders to the soldiers who now flood the streets.
Luke utilised his close quarter combat training on multiple occasions to non-lethally
dispatch guards that got too close to him. As the docks came into view, Luke
jumped off the next rooftop, landing on his feet on the street below; he hastily
stood up to see the general behind him. He stumbled backwards, whilst trying to
catch his breath; he was exhausted with his efforts now paying a toll on his
weakened body. Without hesitation Oric signalled his troops to charge down into
the docklands, Luke murmured to himself
“You’ve got to be joking…” He looked
up to the sky, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The brief moment seemed
like an age to Luke, he calmed himself sufficiently in the brief seconds he was
stood still. He opened his eyes and quickly turned round catching a crossbow
bolt, mid-flight. His mustered concentration caused him to begin running again
as a booming voice in the distance echoed around the docks
“Kill the coward!” As Luke reached the grand
pier, Crossbow bolts continued to zip past him, striking several buildings and
falling short thudding to the ground around him. All of a sudden a flash of
light flew towards Luke from in front of him; he jumped over it just in time. It
exploded behind him causing flames to engulf a section of the pier blocking
Luke from the guards. The soldiers were halted in their tracks and they stumbled
over one another to prevent themselves from falling into the fire. A confident
Luke looked to see his younger brother Mikah standing at the edge of the pier
in full armour, wielding an imperial crossbow, which fired the explosive bolt.
“Get to the boat! They are
closing the gates!” Mikah yelled at Luke. He proceeded down the side of the
dock into a medium sized Imperial vessel. Luke halted and turned to face the
trapped guards and the general who displayed a look of pure disdain towards his
prisoner, he proceeded to bark at him “Hand yourself over Luke and I will show
one last bit of respect and make your death quick, for old times’ sake”, Luke
chuckled under his breath whilst shaking his head. He looked directly at the
forlorn general and replied over the noise of the raging flames “You lost the
right to give me orders in Tulasa, Sebastian.” “You’ve lost your way boy, you
are the martyr as to why immature children shouldn’t be given such high
responsibilities, you will not even die with honour, I pity you” Oric retorted
in a calmer manner whilst climbing off his stallion. Luke walked backwards
towards the boat, as if to reassure himself that it was still there, “I know
you’re trying to stall me by talking general. You did train me after all!” He
smirked at Oric, who was becoming more visibly angry once more, Luke continued
before the general could open his mouth. “Remember this, when the end arrives for
you, this was your betrayal… not mine. I’d rather die on my feet then ever live
on my knees”. Luke jumped down onto the boat just as it hastily sailed off
through the docks and out into the Cydonian inlet. Oric let the anger swell up
inside of him, knowing he had no hope of ever catching the fugitive now he was
out in the open water. He yelled in frustration and climbed back onto his
stallion.
Out in the Cydonian inlet the
spherical moon was the only source of light for the three man crew of the
vessel as night fully engulfed the land and calm ocean around them. Luke walked
up to his brother on the main deck of the ship and placed an arm upon his
shoulder and jokingly said, “Good shot, although if you ever fire a bolt at me
again I will kill you”. The pair chuckled in relief and hugged as the third
member appeared from behind the ships wheel approaching Luke with a warm smile
he stated
“It is good to see you friend, I
wasn’t sure the noose man would accept the bribe to hang you by weak rope”. “Evening
Sal” Luke responded, firmly grasping his hand “I’m glad it did pay off, I had
no plan b” he finished. The trio stood silent in a circle for a few minutes,
soaking up the calmness of the water around them. Luke then took the parchment
out of the cloak pocket and opened it up; it had nothing except a rough drawing
of a sword followed by two lines of ancient language. “So where to now?” Sal
asked, Luke took one last deep breath and simply replied “east”.
Renegades
Prologue – Massacre
Fire raged all around me, like the fire storms the dragons of old
bought with them. It is said that the decimation caused by the Drakes
gave life to Evermor, but not here, this fire was different. Although
dragon like, this storm had been created by an entity far more
dangerous. Rochere trembled in fear when the faceless king left his
tower. This was his final massacre, a reminder that money does buy
power. The faceless king had taken everything from me, he had ripped my
soul from my scarred exterior. Whereas before I would have selfishly
laid down and died, today I do not fight for a solitary cause, I do not
fight for my own freedom, but for that of every being who looked up to
me when I was weak, those who now grab my arms and lift me back to my
feet as death reigns around me. This night ends one of two ways, the
faceless king dies or I get swallowed up by an ocean of despair as the life leaves my body.
As
I regain myself I look up and ready my blades, fire explodes from all
angles. Out of the smoke and ash the king appears in his pristine
silver armour which reflects the pain he causes. He carries nothing but a
spear in one hand, his face as blank as ever, covered with a false
mask to hide the monstrosity that lies beneath, two horns stand tall
above this mask, a symbol of the demon he was so quick to embrace. He
had never showed sympathy and he didn't understand the concept of
empathy; this why he has to die. There is no redemption for someone who
doesn't feel pain. Years of training had boiled down to this point,
every stroke of my blade will carry the weight of all those who
suffered alongside me. I am nervous, I do not know if I can succeed, it
is at this point, the deep voice of my mentor echoes around my numbed
skull.
"If you cannot kill him, at least shatter his mask, break the shell
that shelters him from the harsh reality of his actions. If you fall
make sure that you inspire, let everybody in that field of battle
around you see that he is nothing more than a mortal". It was at this
point a growl exploded from the silver king in front of me.
"I won this battle when you escaped all those years ago, yet here you stand, determined to die. I told you this was suicide". I
stared at him, all that fear, all that pain and anguish flooded to the
surface. My eyes narrowed; my grip on my swords tightened as a single
tear slid down my face.
"No, this is a war" I replied. I ran at him.
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