Ch 32 The Lizard-Men

"Have you ever... thought about..."

Sophie was being coy one day after some gardening was done. I lifted up a cup of water to my mouth.

"Having a baby?"

I choked on the water I was drinking. She hurried over and began to pat my back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

I coughed a few more times and began to try clearing my throat.

"It's okay. Just caught me by surprise. Ahem."

"What, ah... What made you think of that? Ahem."

My throat was still scratchy.

"I... It's just, elves only have a mating season once every 30 years or so, where having a baby is possible. Since I am 90, I am fertile for the first time. I won't be fertile again until around the age of 120."

"I guess that does make sense. You were 89 when we first met."

"Yes. My... time, just started about the same time I got sick on the way here."

She got really embarrassed all of a sudden.

"B... B... But, you don't have to. I was just curious if you ever thought about that kind of thing. If... If you wanted to, I wouldn't say no."

Her face turned sad.

"I know it still hasn't been long since... Mery. If it's too soon to think about these things, I understand. And if you aren't sure, It does not have to happen right away. I should be fertile until the end of the year. If you change your mind..."

She was right. I don't think I am over Mery yet.

"Its not that I haven't thought about children before. Honestly, It frightens me. What if the potion has an effect on my child. Would I be dooming them to a horrible life? I would need to think about it before making a decision like that."

"I understand."

She looked a bit disappointed.

Sorry, Sophie. This topic just isn't for me right now.

That night, I had been summoned to the darkness for the first time in about a month. My curiosity was split between finding out what the new light is and going to the light of wisdom. I could possibly get new info from either one. I decided to try the newest light.

With the light of wisdom on the other side of the room, I could now decipher that the new light was next to the 'sorrow' light. I could see that the lights would run in a circle if, I was able to unlock more. They were beginning to curve in a formation. Based on the size of the lights, possibly ten lights in total could be unlocked.

I stepped onto the new light, unsure of what or who, I would find. Like previous times, the first time seems to take longer than subsequent activations.

It turned bright orange. Probably the brightest light yet.

I heard footsteps from behind the light of wisdom. The figure was tall. The outline became more clear as he approached. It looked like a man in a trench coat and a wide brim hat.

"A pleasure."

I knew that voice.

"This asshole..."

I said.

"Now now. I'm no enemy. Unless, you think fear, is the enemy. All I ever do is protect you!"

It was definitely the voice that I heard in my nightmare. The one where my clones were running from the spiders.

"Yeah, real fun game. People died because of you!"

"Me?"

He scoffed.

"I have no power here nor there. I did nothing but, talk to you in your dream state. Your own mind did the rest. The power of suggestion is powerful, on those unaware. If you had a more firm grip on your reality, maybe none of those cats would have died."

As he spoke, he nodded his head, removed his hat and showed a grin of rotten teeth and long greasy hair.

"That was on you."

I wanted him gone. I had a true dislike for him.

"Whoa now, don't think that. I'm not here to torment you. I want to be your buddy. This power you have awakened, you could raise an army with it. It can empower your allies and turn the tide of a full-scale war."

"More death? Pass."

"If you can use it properly, You can even just intimidate with it. You don't have to kill."

He was jittery and creepy to look at.

"You could even use this power to turn a little caterpillar into a steed faster than any horse!"

"Why do you want me to use this power so much? What's in it for you?"

"GROWTH."

He had a deep but, loud and sinister tone to his voice that echoed.

"The more you use a power the stronger it gets. The more practice you get, the more refined the ability."

I began to move forward to the light of wisdom. I was done listening to him.

"Nonono! Wait!"

He got in front of me to block my path.

I reached out to push him aside. My hand went through him.

All I did was move a cloud of orange smoke and he reformed as though I had done nothing.

"I don't have form here. Neither do you. This place. It resides in your mind!"

His mannerisms reminded me of a certain, time-traveling eccentric scientist who was played by a popular actor back on Earth.

I walked through him since he would not get out of my way. I stepped on the light of wisdom.

"Ohhhh. He won't come while I am here. He don't like the others. He comes out when you summon only him. Now... If you summon him then someone else. That's a different story."

I was stuck with this lunatic.

"Lunat...! Listen, He even told you before, right? The others have not lied to you. Why would I?"

"Why indeed. Why do you want growth? I restate my previous question. What is in it for you? What would growth do, for you? Make you stronger? To the point that you can take over this body?"

"No. No, nothing like that. I am only a servant of you, forevermore. We all are! We may have different personalities but, we are all... You."

He put both hands out as far as they could reach and put on another creepy-ass smile as if revealing a truth of unprecedented caliber. If this was true, though. It might help in learning more about myself. I thought about the boy. I walked over to the light that would turn red. The boy was quick to show himself.

"You met 'him?' I'm sorry."

He knew that the man representing fear was annoying.

"Oh come on! Annoy...! I only want what's best for you!"

I ignored him. I never actually confirmed my assumption about the boy.

"Are you the one who represents rage?"

The boy tilted his head before responding.

"I suppose. However, I feel the word anger is more appropriate."

As he spoke, I was reminded of pictures of myself in the past. This boy looks like me when I was around the age of five or six. Minus the creepy eyes, this boy really was me.

Sorrow Is the part of me that came from Mery.

Fear really is just a self-defense mechanism. Saying that he only wants the best for me would be in line with that reasoning. Maybe that's what I would look like if I was truly afraid of everything I came across. Too scared to do anything but rot.

Wisdom. Maybe he is the image of what I unconsciously think I would look like in the future.

"OH!"

Fear called out.

"It looks like time is up. Call on me anytime!"

He bowed before he vanished with his crooked grin. I looked around but Anger was already gone. I woke up.

"That was... Interesting."

"Whaaaa... wasss."

I think Sophie was still half asleep. She looks so cute next to me. I kissed her cheek and saw her release a smile. I got up to make breakfast.

After we had our breakfast, I decided to tell Sophie that I was going to see the lizard-men today.

"The rain has let up and I want to go see them sooner than later. I want to find someone. Also, they may have more information on the potion of Rage. Whoever it was that made this place maybe. I will leave Gleamour with you. It's the only way in or out."

"Okay."

I made sure she knew how to use it. I also showed her a little setup I made. I left a string hanging just outside the door. Whether it is open or closed, I can pull this string and it will make noise at the entrance of the cave. I hung some objects that will clang against each other and tied them to this string. The string itself is hidden well so, random creatures or rain should not set it off.

I knelt down and pet Goby on the head.

"Take good care of her, okay?"

He yipped at me twice. I gave Sophie a hug and left. I was on my way to see the lizard-men.

I found the path and followed it northeast. I eventually came across the split in the path that led into the peninsula.

"This is it. I hope Wab is here."

I traveled a full day before I found any signs of a sentient race. It was not welcoming though. Lizard skulls on posts with signs that had horrible blood-drawn pictures of death and weapons.

The further I went, it seemed that the trees got shorter and shorter. The color changed from forest green to a prairie tan or yellow. I was still far from any mountains but It seemed there was a massive desert prairie before me. The lizard-people lived in a desert.

They cant ambush or hide from predators or prey. No wonder its hard living here.

"On the bright side, they cant ambush m..."

Two sand ground covers lifted up before me and lizard-men popped out before I could finish my thought.

One hit my face hard. The other hogtied me.

I was being carried back to their village. Similar to Wab, they had coloring schemes and wore only a loincloth. One was bright orange with black dots all over. The other was a singular pale red color. Including Wab, all three had a yellowish soft underbelly covering. It covered the underside of their chin down the neck, over the front of the torso and down the underside of the tail.

"Hey, do either of you know Wab?"

The one who wasn't carrying me, looked at me.

"Why do you know him?"

"Oh, I fought in a troll arena with him."

"Wait, wait, wait. YOU!?"

He busted out laughing. My captor had stopped too.

"What's so funny?"

"This thing claims to be the one who helped Wab. Survived a hit that could make a dragon woozy and then lobbed in half by the ceiling grate. I'm surprised you know who Wab is but, that 'human thing,' died there. No question."

"If you find Wab, I'm sure he could tell you otherwise."

"He is out hunting. He won't be back till tonight. You will have been lunch by then."

I let out an annoyed sigh.

"Whatever."

"Hehehe, You have some balls though. You aren't showing any fear of your predicament."

"You wouldn't want me to."

"Oh, What you gonna do? Piss yer pants? Poor baby. BUAHAHAHA!"

I figured I won't have to concentrate on getting to my destination at this rate. I may as well see if I can meditate with Wisdom and learn something new.

I shut my eyes and controlled my breathing. It worked. I was in the darkness. I could still feel my body moving though. I hope I don't get seasick like this.

I walked over to the light of Wisdom. It turned green. I looked up but he was not there.

"Do you think I could learn how to use the strength I had in the elf city?"

"Of course. Maybe not by the time they try to eat you. But, that is of no consequence to an immortal."

"I would like to try and learn that then. Please teach me."

"With pleasure."

I spent what felt like only ten minutes folding my body into different positions and breathing. Concentrating on a feeling of anger without an image attached. He said

"The image that is attached to anger is what can send you to the deep end. Let go of any images that you associate with anger. But never forget what anger feels like. The memory of the feeling is what will get you where you want to go. The image is what will drag you down into the depths of the feeling itself. It is the same for all feelings. Images can burden you. The feelings themselves empower you."

This made me think of Mery. If I ever wanted to use the power of sorrow, would I have to forget about her? I don't think I could ever do that. The power itself is so destructive. I think that would be a last resort anyway.

"Ah, You do not have to forget about someone you loved. Just forget the images that remind you of sorrow. Remember her when she was happy. Remember her smile, Remember the things she did that made you happy. Replace your sorrowful thoughts of her with happy thoughts. Then forget that they ever made you sad in the first place!"

Easier said than done.

"This is a practice that masters have trouble with. Though, most masters do not have an eternity to practice."

"Will I really live forever?"

"Immortality is immortality. You will not age and you can not die."

I was jerked out of my mediation. My body hit the ground hard.

"Ow man, what the hell?"

Both of my captors looked at me like I said something they were not expecting.

"What?"

They shrugged and waved me off before they left.

I was near a cooking fire in the middle of a village of cloth huts. The huts reminded me of teepees. Some large, others small.

My bindings were tight. I began to play with them to see what I could do. Nothing really. They gave way just enough to prevent me from pulling off a hand. I had an idea though.

I was able to roll my body closer to the fire.

It was hot.

I managed to get my bindings close to the fire. I haven't had any experiences with getting burned. I don't know If my body will just regenerate like usual. Burnt flesh does not just disappear like a lost limb.

I discovered that my fire pain resistance was not very high. It took all my strength to not shout out in pain.

I heard snapping. I pulled on my bindings. My hands were free.

I rolled away from the fire. I looked at my hands. They were charred and smoking, the same as my feet. I could not move individual fingers like this. I tried touching one hand to the other. Some top flesh fell off.

I was well done.

How do I fix this?

Wait. I'm in the middle of a camp of lizard-men. They like fighting and entertainment. Let's see if I can make use of that.

I looked around. No one was paying attention to me. Maybe they were not expecting me to get loose. I saw several males and for the first time, females. Their anatomy varied but, could be surprisingly human-looking. They still had scales, claws and varying colors but, some looked surprisingly attractive for lizards. The females wore loincloths like the males as well as tunics, tank tops and other kinds of simple cloth tops.

I inhaled a big breath.

"HEY! IS IT REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE THIS EASY TO ESCAPE?!"

Several lizards looked at me now. Several more arrived from hiding places.

"This dweeb is the dumbest one we have ever caught. We wanted to see how you would attempt an escape. We were going to hunt you down and watch you despair. That was going to be the game but you are just too stupid."

"Well, I want a different game. One I don't think you will refuse."

The biggest-looking lizard approached me. He had a deep yellow coloring with red stripes.

"And what game do you think will amuse us?"

"I want to see your fastest warrior in action. I want someone who can try to slash off my arms and legs with one claw, in a single swoop. He won't be fast enough to do it, I'm sure."

The lizard-men could not contain their laughter. It was almost contagious. If I wanted them dead I could just start laughing along with them. Though, that depends on the spirits around here, if any.

I should ask Wisdom sometime if, there is a way to know what is around.

"Oh wow. Buddy, that was the best joke I have heard in a long time."

"Am I laughing? It wasn't a joke."

They were laughing even harder now. Roughly 50 lizard-men and women. I think I need to do something to sober up their laughter.

My hands were still burnt. I'll just pick up this chunk of burning wood from the fire and throw it at the big guy.

I struggled with it but, I used both hands to manage. It landed right in his face. He stumbled back in fright and began clawing off the embers on his face.

He had a furious look and everyone around went dead silent.

"No one disrespects me like that."

He slowly strode closer to me.

"Oh, So I can't disrespect you but, you are allowed to disrespect me? I gave you a laugh, the least you could do is give me what I asked for. Not like I asked for something impossible or difficult. You lose nothing from doing what I asked."

He snarled. A slender and sleek-looking lizard-woman placed a claw on the torso of the large one to stop him.

"Lets just do what he wants. Just like he said, we lose nothing."

His wife maybe? Some sort of matriarch?

"Is Wab back yet? He knows more about the speedrunners."

The large lizard asked the female.

"He probably won't be back for a while yet. How about Kloo?"

"Kloo? That should work. Someone go find Kloo."

The big lizard looked at me with very angry eyes. I just shrugged.

"The nerve of this thing."

My feet felt like they were still on fire. It was not a pleasant feeling to keep standing on them. It was like my flesh was about to fall off the bone. I couldn't even feel the skin anymore. That made it even harder to stand. I think I can feel some regeneration under the dead flesh but, it's slow. Maybe because the old flesh is still there.

I've been waiting to try something. I feel like I could force my regeneration into overdrive. I hope I can pull it off here.

A dust cloud began to form in the distance. It got bigger as it got closer. Almost in a flash, a thin lizard-man was before the big one in front of me. The new one had forest green color scales with sea-blue spots.

"What's up, boss?"

"This thing. Ask it."

I was pointed at.

"I gotta answer to this fleshy thing now? What kinda' shit is this?"

"I want you to come at me with max speed and try your best to cut off both of my arms and legs with one stroke of a single claw. I will try to dodge it. Can you do that?"

He began laughing like the others had.

"Ee-heheh. Boss, you serious. This thing wants...."

"Think you cant do it? asking too much of you?"

Kloo was annoyed at me.

"I could cut you into a thousand pieces before you hit the ground. This is child's play for me. Boss, are you serious about this?"

He saw the big one's face. He was deadly serious now.

"Ah... R... Right away, boss."

He backed up about 50 feet away from me.

"Just whenever, or what?"

"I will count down from three. When I say one, you go."

"Whatever you say."

He mumbled something. Probably 'lunatic.' I rolled up my sleeves and pant legs to avoid ruining my clothes. Again.

"Make the cut, just below the rolled-up clothes. Ready?"

He nodded his head.

"THREE... TWO... ONE!"

I could not even attempt to move before it was over.

That was fine by me. This was more of a favor to me than anything.

I Imagined my hands making fists as hard as I could. I imagined my feet holding up hundreds of pounds.

Before the speedy lizard-man could turn around, my limbs were back and fully healed. I was standing before my limbless body would have touched the ground.

Explosive regeneration, achieved.

"What's the matter. Couldn't do it?"

I heard gasps and murmurs in the background. Kloo had a look of amazement on his face.

"Wha... What the? I know I got your limbs. I felt my claws go through your flesh and bone. What?"

He walked closer.

"Wait a minute."

He saw my old limbs on the ground. He picked one up.

"I did get you. What are you playin' at, here?"

He sliced off my left arm for a second time.

I used this opportunity to reinforce my newfound explosive regeneration and combine it with attacking.

I hopped closer to him and imagined I was about to punch him like a boxer. My fist was grown back, and in his face, before I could finish my imaginary punch.

He fell back onto his tail.

"Wha?"

The big guy stomped toward me.

"You! Are you the one who has the powers of Master Rage?!"

"Master? The potion is in me, yes."

He bowed before me.

"Uh."

The rest of the lizard-people followed suit.

First I was a prisoner of the elves.

Then a friend of the panthers.

Then frenemies with the humans.

Then became one of the Setangyan people.

Then an ingredient for soup with the trolls.

Then an enemy of the mermaids.

Then the bad guy of the Setangyan people.

Now, a... deity? To the lizard-men?

This world just keeps throwing me for a loop.

"Master Rage is the one who created the potion. If you have his power then you are our leader!"

"You don't fear my power?"

"Fear it? We live in its shadow! The others who fear it, also fear us! This is how we have survived for so long. We are but servants to Master Rage!"

So Rage must be a name, not simply a description of what it does.

"If you know all this, why are the other races so ignorant of these facts?"

"They fear the potion as a weapon and treat it as though it can only cause destruction. It is simply a boon. If it is used as a weapon, then it is so. If it is used to protect, It is a shield. The user determines how it is used. If you wish our people to die. You need only to ask. If you allow us to live, we will forever be your servants."

"I am not the kind to... wish death on just anyone."

"We have wronged you. You were tied up like a beast. Burned in your attempted escape and attacked relentlessly by one of us. We are not deserving of forgiveness."

The large lizard stood up. He walked over to Kloo and picked him up at the waist.

Kloo's eyes went wide. I could hear him whisper.

"What the hell are you doing?!!"

Kloo was placed directly before me and the large lizard bowed back down before shuffling backward.

Kloo was afraid to move. He had no idea what to do or expect.

"Okay. I will offer forgiveness to your people. Under one condition."

I could feel the air tense up. I took a few steps toward Kloo. He was more scared than ever. He was shivering and sounded like he was having trouble breathing.

"That condition...KLOO!"

He began hyperventilating.

"Hee huu hee huu hee huu hee huu hee HEEEEP!"

He passed out and fell backward.

"Psh Hahahaha..."

I practically slapped my mouth shut when I realized I was laughing. I looked around.

"Please don't..."

It was quiet for a while.

"May I ask? What is the condition, Master?"

Nothing seemed to happen.

"Ah... The condition. I have two conditions actually. The first is that you answer this next question. Do you know if there are lesser spirits around here?"

"There are not, Master. The entire land of the lizard-men is devoid of them."

I let out a sigh of relief. I really wish I could tell where they are and aren't.

"The second condition is that you all must apologize to Kloo, when he wakes up. For attempting to sacrifice him, when he only did what was asked of him."

The large lizard-man looked up in surprise.

"Ahh.."

He lowered his head again.

"As you wish, Master."

"Also, please stop calling me master. My name is Lake."

"Yes, Master Lake."

Uhg. That's not what I meant.

This is good though.

I may be able to bring Sophie here, sooner than later.