So You're Probably Wondering...

=Me=

Now that the whole spiel inside of my mind was over and I have my new weapons working, I could honestly say that I feel God-Like; invincible even! Color me sacrilegious, but I honestly feel like I can beat Ares in an arm wrestle!

Getting back to matters at hand, I flexed said appendages as I watched the Nemean Lion circle me like any other predator. Now if my memory is correct, Heracles could not damage the lion with physical weapons like arrows or spears. Of course, swords and other sharp edges are included in this list, making me believe magically constructed arms will prove just as ineffective.

Good thing these battle gloves around my hands, sharpened at the points to make rendering flesh easy, are mostly used for blunt attacks. Plus, with everything I learned while in Nexus...

You know what. You guys deserve to know what the hell I’m talking about.

PAUSE THE SCRIPT!!!

After I had fallen unconscious when we hit the water earlier, the strangest thing happened to me. I awoke in my body...as in my human body. I was a little freaked out by the all black background my mind was sporting, but that dreary and monotonous color was swept away by a rapid change in the scenery.

Before me was a throne room and a rather droll one at that. There was no color, simply a monotonous shade and tint of grey appearing on everything. Trophies and busts depicting some rather draconic-looking figureheads swept the sides of the large room and tapestries depicting great struggles and bloodshed drooped from the ceiling like banners.

I wasn’t interested in all that crap though. What I was interested in, however, remained immobile and in front of me.

No throne room is complete without the centerpiece to bring it all together. This throne room housed four thrones, however, and on each of them was an alien that resembled my new body in the real world.

From right to left, their color schemes were dark-blue and black, crimson and orange, solid black, and sky-blue.

I was a little taken aback by the flickering flames corresponding to their color schemes on the tops of their thrones. All of them were looking at me with analytical eyes, observing me with every ounce of their attention spans. I merely raised an eyebrow at the sheer weirdness of it all.

“So is someone going to talk, or are you gonna keep staring at me?” I asked out loud, putting both hands behind my head and leaning back while standing up. I leaned far enough to crack my back, then slowly raised my bent figure so that I was comfortable with my hands still behind my head.

“The latter seems more...productive.” The dark-blue and black one responded with an air of haughtiness that made me cringe.

“Bluebloodmuch?” I thought with some mirth as I just got around to deciphering what the alien had just said.

“What do you mean ‘productive’? Are you implying that you’re learning more about me from just looking? That’s absurd.” I responded with a dismissive wave. I heard a collection of chuckles emanate from the other aliens present at my aloofness to one of their members.

“Absurd, you say?” The alien that had addressed me began as he chuckled briefly, “A guppy like you would know nothing about our capabilities. You are no more than a wyrm with an uppity mouth.” The dark-blue one snapped with some venom hidden in the word ‘wyrm’.

“You can take that ‘highly dignified’ tone of voice and shove it. I’m looking for answers, and if your only purpose is patronizing me, then I have little time for you and your half-assed assumptions.” I responded with a glare.

Did I mention that the aliens in front of me were silhouetted in black, the visible aura of their respective magic colors leading me to the conclusion of their color schemes. That being said, I can’t really see their facial expressions save for their eyes which glowed just as bright as their respective auras.

“Insolence! How da-”

“Stop.” The sky-blue one’s mouth opened as his strong voice sent a shiver down my spine. “You will do well in remembering the pecking order, Sylvan. You do not have the authority in chastising our little friend here, nor do you have the authority to speak. One more transgression, and I’ll see you properly flogged.” The sky-blue one hissed at the dark-blue and black maned alien, who visibly shrunk back into his seat.

“Good. Now that annoyances have been quieted, I must extend an apology to you, Mr. Justin.” After that, the alien dipped his head in apology. Was not expecting that from the ‘Alpha Male’, so to speak. “Nevertheless, we still have need to converse with one another. As you know, this realm is hidden in the bowels of your subconsciousness. We have deemed this area Nexus, which is just a fancy way of saying ‘a connection or series of connections linking two or more things.’” The alien explained as I nodded, one of my questions being answered long before i could ask it.

“Thanks for telling me that, it was starting to get on my nerves a little bit. Now that it’s been cleared up, I just have a question before we begin my interrogation of you all.”

“Ask.” The sky-blue one responded quickly as his eyes lidded and he leaned back into his throne.

“Who the hell are you guys?” At my question, the crimson and orange one scoffed as if he was insulted in some way.

“Not all who sit atop of these thrones are male, human. You’d do well to remember that.” She remarked with a commanding voice just like the sky-blue one. Her voice though, was of a higher pitch and radiated so much scorn and hate. Even her scowling visage, which I’m basing on her narrowed eyes, seemed to radiate a murderous and palpable hate that had my lungs in a chokehold.

 “What did I just say!?” The sky-blue one yelled at the alien woman, who cringed at the volume and harshness of his tone. “I grow tired of repeating myself! Make me do so again, and I shall see both of you flogged to the highest degree!”

“...Sorry.” The woman whimpered as she too sat back in her throne, opting to remain quiet for some time...hopefully.

“As for who we are, I’m pretty sure you know at least two of us here. If not, then you’ve only displayed your inattentive nature and mannerisms to us all, giving me free reign to mock you to my heart’s content.” I frowned as I felt the alien’s mouth turn up in a grin.

...A smug grin. Ah, shit.

“By your expression, I’m guessing you already figured out who I am? Good. Names need not be given if that is indeed the case. Now to see if you were paying attention. The dark-blue and haughty one at the end,” He leaned forward and stretched a hand out towards his explained destination. His sky-blue outline wiggled about like tendrils or tentacles, forming obscene shapes before dissolving into the air. “Do you remember his name? Should you remember, then I promise to send you back after a little lesson in the Omega Draconic Combat Arts. You should also know that he’s been operating the body while you remain here, saving the dog-woman’s life.”

“Doesn’t make him any less of an ass.” I added dryly, making the aliens snicker as the dark-blue and black one...what was his name...Ah yes! Sylvan rose from his throne and started walking towards me at a threatening pace, making me ball my fists up in preparation for a fight.

The alien, standing at a colossal eight feet, peered down at me from his raised-head position. Oddly enough, his frame was still thick with that awesome black silhouette. I frowned as he belittled me without words, thoughts of striking him in his groin and beating the fuck out of him in his pained state entering my mind quickly.

“Problem?” I offered with a smug grin. I heard some more snickers from the back, but I saw Silas Epista, the sky-blue one, stand up. That action alone silenced the snickering crimson and black aliens.

Sylvan didn’t find my comment humorous, seeing as how I’m flying through the air at breakneck speeds after he picked me up and threw me into the sky. Of course I was screaming, not in fear of the flight mind you, but of the inevitable impact an-

Zip!

I was caught by a burly arm abruptly, taking the wind out of my sails. Gasping from the impact, I craned my head up to see Silas flapping his wings and looking past me and quite possibly, at Sylvan. No, not quite possibly...most likely.

“You’re in luck, Mr. Justin. It seems Sylvan has taken to disobeying me after your little quip back there. But I’m afraid that if he beats you here, seeing as how he challenged you with the Omega-Draconian-Overhead-Throw Challenge Move, then he’ll have free reign of the body until he’s knocked out by stupidity.” Silas explained as we slowly drifted back down to the ground.

“Hold on...You’re saying my body’s up for grabs, and that I’ll be stuck here with all of you if I don’t win!?” I panicked, making the alien snicker as we finally landed and he let me go.

“Precisely. Now I kn-”

“HE JUST FUCKING TOSSED ME LIKE I WAS NOTHING!!!” I screamed at him.

“If you would ju-”

“There’s no telling what he could do to me if he actually got serious!”

“Now see he-”

“Holy shit! That means I’ll be stuck in thisboring-ass room with a bunch of boring-ass aliens who probably speak somefreaky-ass alien gibberish an-”

I was promptly backhanded. I felt my toes leave the ground a little as my head jerked to my left. I didn’t fall, but the hit was strong enough for my brain to become realigned.

“Now that you’re done, I expect you to put on a good show. It’s not everyday we get to watch an interracial duel!” I whimpered at Silas’s hulking form, having to crane my neck up to stare at him with my puppy-dog eyes. It seems as though all these aliens stand at least eight feet tall. Well, I’m pretty sure it’s the males who get this big.

Which makes me wonder...Why is Silas’s body so small in real life? Odd.

“Now what kind of idiot do you take me for; of course I’m going to even the odds! You just have to remember some basic spells as I gift you with something...spectacular.” Silas smiled, his silhouette doing nothing to conceal the expanded mouth he sported. “Now hold out your hands.”

I did so quickly.

“I’ll be opening your Blood Limits now. It’s going to hurt...” He paused and adopted a mischievous twinkle in his eye, “...A lot...But I think the rewards outweigh the pain.” After he finished his sentence, I began to draw my hand back in fear of this ‘pain’. I nearly shit myself as his cereal bowl-sized hands swallowed mine. He even stepped forward onto my feet, immobilizing me.

“Blood Limits?” I asked. He breezed past my inquiry.

“You might want to think of something cute.” I gave him a look that said, 'Is your dumb contagious?'

“What? It’ll help with the pain, you sissy.” He finished with a playful scoff as he snapped his index fingers to attention against the backs of my hands. I then heard what sounded like a blade sharpening, letting me know that he just extended his claws.

I gulped as he turned my hands over....so that my wrists faced him.

“Not to...sound pessimistic and all...but won’t I bleed out...unless you do something!?” I yelled at him as my vision began to blur.

“Medico.” Silas deadpanned as my wounds closed up, but his fingers remained inside my skin. I felt my spine crawl at what I was looking at now. His Snickers-sized index fingers are currently slid under my skin like an overweight IV unit’s needle. I groaned in pain as every contraction brought forth new agony. Gods this hurts like a bitch!

My skin bulged out to accommodate the new addition to my anatomy.

“Now’s the part where you think of cute and happy things, Mr. Justin. If you thought that last part was bad...” He trailed off, letting me know what I was in for.

“....Alright....” I mumbled out as I tried blocking out the pain. I don’t know shit about cute things! Oh man, this is gonna suck major dick!

“If you’re ready then I’m starting. In order for this to work, you and I must speak the same phrase at the same time. No lag, or else the spell won’t work and you’ll die. Am I understood?” He asked me. I nodded vigorously, my brain already formulating the phrase.

“Then I take it we’re going to be using Latin?” Silas asked again, making me nod quickly.

“Then prepare yourself.” Silas closed his eyes and rolled his head back, taking slow but deep breaths.

I followed suit, trying to mimic him and null this pain as quickly as possible.

“This will only work if we are one, Mr. Justin. Now focus on feeling my pulse within you.” Silas explained seriously, making me snort.

“Did I say something humorous?”

“No... But I think I need an adult.”

Needless to say, I had a wonderful time smacking the taste out of Sylvan’s lips with these gloves of mine. I don’t get how Silas and all those other aliens are in my head, but something tells me they’re on my side...for now. Regardless, Mr. Epista actually performed a blood transfusion with me to quote on quote; “Unlock my Blood Limits.”

Now that I mention it, Ido feel a little empowered. Huh, the more you know...

Anywhore, the Nemean Lion was still circling me slowly, keeping a constant growl going in hopes of intimidating me.

Yeah...because I fear you so bad.

Stupid cat.

Seeing as how I was doing nothing more than wasting precious daylight now, I proceeded to sigh loudly. The lion flinched, digging its claws into the ground as it waited for an attack that wasn’t coming.

“Stop being such a pussy.” I chuckled when the sound of a hand slapping a face reached my ears.

The lion, however, did not take my quip as a sign of humor and charged me. Did I move?

Hell yeah.

Was it to run away?

Hell no.

I sidestepped the beast at the last moment, jerking my right hand back as it went up in the sky-blue flames of my magic. Wasting no time, I proceeded to throw my first punch. It connected with the lion’s side beautifully, allowing me to hear the euphoric sound of bones breaking underneath the amplified strength of my blow.

The lion’s body took the shape of a boomerang before flying towards some trees, impacting a tree hard enough to crack it up the middle and bend it a little too. I winced from the power of my blow, watching as the lion slowly staggered back up to its paws. A permanent grimace of pain was plastered over its face as it slowly turned its body to face me again.

“By the way you’re panting, I can tell you’re in a lot of pain. What, did I crack all your ribs or something?” I asked the lion playfully, knowing it couldn’t talk back. It did what I thought it would do; it charged me again, but it winced every time its paws hit the ground during its run.

“You just don’t get it.” I shook my head as the Nemean Lion jumped into the air, raising one of its claws in order to swipe at me. Okay, why do lions like that move? I’ve seen it happen in the show before too!

Rememberthis?

Of course you do. Which also states that I remember it as well, henceforth, dodging it won’t be so hard.

I ducked and jerked the same fist back just as the wind from the strike jostled my mane a bit. Knowing the blow was done, I springboard from position into a well-executed uppercut, hitting the Nemean Lion clean in its chin.

Its body left the ground, flying into impossible heights.

This is what I’ve been waiting for!

I stopped and jerked the same fist back.

“Levo!” I exclaimed, my glove echoing my voice as it glowed a little brighter.

Not enough.

“Levo!” It glowed to a soft and shimmering light-blue.

“Levo!!” I yelled, feeling the strain of raw magic pouring into the blood of my arm. Think of those black things a doctor uses on your arm, but amplify that pressure times twelve and you’ll see where I’m coming from!

The glove began twinkling as little balls of my magic seeped off the sides.

Just...one..more!

“LEVO!!!” I yelled out, hearing the glove echo my voice as it became engulfed in a whiting sky-blue aura, as if it were on fire! Just as I finished my powering-up phase, the Nemean Lion entered my field of vision from the cloud it had disappeared behind. Its arms were still flailing about as it fell.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on its roars, using them as a sure-fire tracking system. As they got louder, I knew he got closer. When the roars were right in front of me, I shot my fist out and found purchase on what felt like the lion’s soft underbelly, stopping its roars abruptly as the force of the blow shattered everything in its body, killing it instantly.

“Flamma Technique: Chesto.” I breathed out and slowly retracted my hand, the Nemean Lion’s body still hanging in the air. As soon as my fist reached its side, the body fell from the air in shambles. The Nemean Lion’s head seemed to roll non-stop, while everything else went limp.

After all, I did just shatter and implode everything in its body. I learned that technique from Silas himself, during that little transfusion. That’s also how I got my gloves. Well, that and beating the snot out of Sylvan.

Do you guys want to hear about it?

Eh, I don’t feel like being sidetracked right now. Maybe later, savvy?

I looked down at the mangled body, taking in my work with a smile on my face.

I hissed as a sharp pain blazed across my chest. I looked down and noticed something that shocked me greatly.

Five large claw marks were carved into my torso, slashing diagonally up to my right.

“When did he fucking clip me!? This shit fucking hurts!!!”  I hissed as another dull throb went came. I have a very low tolerance for pain, so I promptly readied a medico spell. I pressed my gauntlet against the-

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” HOLY SHIT!!! I FORGOT IT WAS STILL ON FIRE!!!

FUCK!!!

FUCK!!!

I took a deep breath after hastily removing the offending armament. Great, now the wound was cauterized. Can healing magic heal something that’s technically healed!? Only one way to find out.

“Medico.” I said out loud, hoping the healing magic would fail. I kinda like these scars of mine. They add to my ‘mean face’.

I felt the magic surge through my torso, but curve around my chest; or more accurately, my wounds. The blood cleared up, what little there was left anyway and that was the extent of the spell's effect on my body.

I frowned at the new scars for a little, then thought of all the benefits to having them. I’ll definitely turn a few heads, if you know what I’m saying!

“Guess the fight’s over. Now for the hard part.” I thought glumly as I looked at my hands. Silas had warned me of the repercussions in using these rings, and of using that technique the first couple of times. Let’s just say that the hard part involves me getting hurt...badly.

I steeled my nerves.

“Deactivate.” I spoke.

My hands exploded.

No, you read right.

My hands....fucking...EXPLODED!!!

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“Aw, what the fuck!?” I heard Diamond yell as she ran from the bushes. I jerked my head at my hands.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” I yelled again as my essence dripped onto the Nemean Lion’s body.

“The hell do I do!? How can I help!?” Diamond strided up to me quickly and touched my bone stubs.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” I yelled at her angrily, tugging my stubby appendages away from her offending touch.

“MEDICO!!! MEDICOOOOOOO!!!”

I calmed down, feeling a little woozy at the blood loss as Diamond and I sat next to one another. Turns out, the gloves are made to explode after battle. The more you know...

“That...was badass and terrifying at the same time.” Even though the statement was supposed to have some type of hype behind it, Diamond’s face was wrecked with exhaustion. I don’t know why, though.

“Well I have a tendency for being both. Now that I think about it, where did you keep that dagger from earlier?” I asked her with a raised eyebrow, making her chuckle before raising her own in amusement.

“You’re sure you want to know?”

“On second thought, no.” I amended quickly as I closed my eyes and shook my head. It earned me another chuckle from the Ex-Alpha.

“So...what do we do with this big fucker?” She sassed, making me chuckle at her colorful description of one of the most dangerous beings a man could fight. A man, mind you.

“I turn his furry ass into a cape. I used to be real big on this type of stuff back home.” I started with a smile. “Even though I can’t take the body with me as proof of the kill; I think a cape should clear up any suspicion, with a live demonstration of course.” I already knew how to skin this huge fucker too, if greek mythology was anything to go by.

“Yeah, that sounds good and all, but how are you gonna do it? His fur’s impenetrable, remember?” Diamond stated as she got up groggily and started circling the lion’s body with a hand on her chin. Detective Diamond Dipshit, reporting for duty!

“We use his claws. Back on my planet, Nemean Lions were prevalent in fictitious works of literature. You could only imagine my surprise that we found one here...” I looked up and inhaled a large quantity of the murky air. “...Wherever here is.” I stood up and walked up to the Nemean Lion’s head, placing a hand (Yes, the spell helped in accelerating the regeneration process of my body. The scars on my chest are there to stay, “unfortunately”.)

“Lions and other derivatives...is that the right word?” Diamond stopped her circling and looked up into the canopy, trying to recall if it is indeed the right word for the occasion. She shrugged her shoulders. “Bah, you know what I mean. Anyways, lions normally stick to savannahs and other large, grassy outcroppings and plains. The only lion derivative that seeks homage in forests and what not are Manticores.”

She looked at the Nemean Lion’s corpse and pointed a finger at it with a sour expression.

“And that, is not a Manticore.” She stated with some distaste. I ‘humphed’ at her explanation.

“I don’t think that really matters now that it’s dead. Anyways, help me skin it, would ya?” I took its massive paw in my hand, struggling with the added rigor mortis weight on the limb. Too much strain.

“Oh, and don’t lift its paws to get at the claws. They’re a little heavy.” I warned her as she got down on her knees and studied one of the beast’s back paws.

“Then how do I extract the claws? They seem to be inside the toes, but I don't know how to get them out.”

“Push the paw slightly until you have it on its side.” I began as I stopped what I was doing in order to escort her through this. This is one of those times where I prefer being alone in these endeavors. Far be it from me to stop someone from helping, even though they’re only good for pissing themselves in fear and screaming.

Dog piss stinks to low hell and back.

“Alright...now what?”

“Do you see the pink pads?”

“Uh huh.”

“Apply pressure on each one that’s underneath a toe.”

“You mean like thi-”

*Scrik!*

“AH!”

“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” I asked with a hint of worry in my voice as my head turned to inspect her body.

“No...it just scared me.” Diamond stated with a roll of her eyes and a dejected sigh.

Snapping the claws was easy enough, but skinning the actual lion took two hours. It only took that long because Diamond kept ‘accidentally’ nipping herself with the claw. She must really think I’m some type of idiot because every time I went over to touch the girl she sighed in content.

Attention whore.

All in all, the lion was now a skinned corpse. I had a marvelous gold fur cape able to repel all physical attacks secured around my body. The bottom of the cape barely touched the ground, sweeping the dirt by a fraction of an inch. The pelt was wide enough to encompass my entire body except for my feet, wrapping around my form with a great warmth.

One of the sharp claws under the lion’s disposal held the piece together just under my chin.

“So how do I look?” I asked with a smug grin as I flourished my new cape.

“Like a pompous asshole, but I guess you didn’t want my honest opinion.” Diamond said with a smile, making me roll my eyes and start walking past her.

“Why can’t anyone say I look nice!? Just once is all I’m asking!”  I complained within my head, giving an exasperated and exhausted sigh as I trudged on along the riverbank.

I heard footsteps, large but light, as Diamond followed suit.

“So what now? Do you think the guys noticed that we’re gone?” Diamond asked as she found her way into my cape’s embrace. She leaned against my left side and looked up at me as we walked.

I batted an eye at her before returning it to the “road” ahead of us.

“Oh, I have no doubt that our colleagues know of our disappearance. But as for what we do now...we follow the river. It’s gonna lead us out of this rainforest or to a settlement near it. The wet ground makes good for farming, as long as the river doesn’t flood, you see.” I stated as I stepped over a fallen tree.

“Oh.” Diamond’s sound of realization carried a hint of fear. Can’t have that.

“Don’t worry. I got your back as long as you got mine.” I smiled at her, even though I kept my eyes on the road. Her response was to snuggle into my arm more and nuzzle it with her head.

“No one said I was scared.........but thank you.”

It wasn’t long before I had to carry the woman on my back because she fell asleep.