Chapter 120
A/N: Name error last chapter, it's Nol-rog, not Nor-og. Enjoy!
Ju Peter continued limping towards The Hog Cabin, furious over the loss earlier. Ju Peter's eyes were locked on the tavern, only focused on one thing, finding Norog. Ju Peter's conversation from earlier with Richart going on in his mind.
"Lords of the land?" Ju Peter asked, "More skinwalkers? What makes them deserving of the title?"
Richart nodded.
"Well, to be blunt... no one and I mean no one can defeat a Lord of the Land in one on one combat. It has never happened in the two decades they've been here." Richart said.
Inside The Hog Cabin there was a massive celebration being had for the new recruits, by the skinwalkers who'd won the battle anyway...
"Champagne and victory in the air, we toast to those who couldn't be here, the tears we shed, the blood we spilled, but tonight, we celebrate and build!" The skinwalkers in the tavern all sang in unison.
Almost twenty new skinwalker soldiers, whom were just normal marine soldiers earlier, had now become giant, muscular, long beareded, all white goat men. They sat at their tables traumatized, and filled with survivors guilt. They survived the slaughter, but were now forced to live as skinwalkers. The cruel irony was that they were still soldiers, just in an army they didn't ask to be in.
Ding ding ding ding ding!
A massive black goat man skinwalker with silver and gold armor and two giant axes at his sides, stood tall and tapped the bottom of his glass with a spoon. Everyone stopped singing and paid attention. The bar was packed, not just with skinwalkers, but anyone of any faction were allowed in The Hog Cabin... if you survived the Wretched Woods long enough to get there.
"Today was a great day. Our enemies were vanquished and for the few we lost, we only gained more! To our newest recruits. May you serve our faction with everything you have." The goat man said.
"WOO HOO! TO THE NEW RECRUITS!" A giant honey badger skinwalker yelled.
The soldiers looked at each other and around the room. The skinwalkers in the bar genuinely seemed happy the now goat men were apart of their cause, despite forcing them to be apart of it.
"Much more work must be done, but you need not worry about that, fore tonight, we drink!" The goat man yelled, holding up his glass and chugging his rum. The skinwalker soldiers cheered and drank their rum.
BURST!!!!
All of a sudden, the door to The Hog Cabin burst open, and beaten Ju Peter stood at the entrance, his head low. The entire bar came to a halt. Everything and everyone was quiet. Ju Peter looked up and looked around as the skinwalkers stared at him. Ju Peter used his life force to search for Nolrog and spotted his energy in a room at the back of the bar.
Nolrog laughed as he was fed grapes by his servants, Marcus, arms crossed, was sleeping with his back against the wall. Ju Peter breathed out heavily and began walking through the bar.
All eyes were on Ju Peter as he walked by the bar. The rooster skinwalker bartender cleaned a glass as he eyeballed Ju Peter. Ju Peter's life was spared this long because he was outside of his armor and the skinwalker soldiers did not recognize him, except for the recently transformed skinwalker goat men.
"Ju-Ju Peter sir!" One of them yelled.
Ju Peter ignored him.
"P-Please sir it's us! We need help! Take us back to the Holy Land!" Another yelled.
"Holy Land? Nothing like a little post traumatic stress disorder is in order to get your day going..." A giant ant skinwalker whispered to a bear skinwalker as it sipped its rum.
"No it's true! We're not soldiers of this god forsaken army! I-I'm a human being!!! My name is Mike and I've got a loving wife and a beautiful kid! Please!! Mr. Ju Peter!" Mike yelled, sobbing and screaming, Mike grabbed Ju Peter's arm.
"PLEASE TAKE US BACK WITH YO-"
Ju Peter's eyes glowed red and he reached down and grabbed Mike's neck, choking him.
"WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mike choked.
"You don't have that life anymore. You're a skinwalker now." Ju Peter said coldly.
Mike cried heavily, tears flowing over Ju Peter's fingers.
"HOW-HOW COULD YOU?!" Mike yelled.
The other skinwalker goat men watched with sadness and anger.
"Alright, alright that's enough." The rooster bartender said.
Ju Peter loaded up a punch, hardening his fist.
"LIFE FORCE!" Skinwalker soldiers yelled, throwing tables to the side and quickly jumping up, running towards Ju Peter to attack him.
"I RECOGNIZE HIM! HE'S A SOLDIER! THAT KNIGHT!" A coyote skinwalker soldier yelled.
The bear skinwalker from earlier grabbed Ju Peter up by his neck from behind, choking him. Mike, stressed from everything going on, ran out of the tavern and into the Wretched Woods, sobbing uncontrollably, the other skinwalker goat men ran after him, using this opportunity to escape.
Ju Peter elbowed the bear twice in the side, breaking its hold. Ju Peter then turned around to face the bear, who threw a punch with its metal gloves with spikes on the fists.
Ju Peter dodged the blow but was blown into the wall and landed through a table. Ju Peter groaned as the bear celebrated with the other skinwalkers. Wind circling his body.
"I see..." Ju Peter said, standing up, but as he began to walk towards the bear, a fox skinwalker, with a flaming axe on his back, grabbed the back of his collar. Ju Peter looked back at the smirking fox.
"Sup." The fox said, grabbing Ju Peter's head and slamming it into piano keys. When Ju Peter fell back, a silverback skinwalker grabbed him with one hand and threw him against the bar wall, shattering the liquor glasses and shelves.
"HEY! THAT'S COMING OUT OF YOUR TAB BENSON!" The Rooster yelled.
Benson smriked as the skinwalkers laughed at Ju Peter, who struggled to climb the tavern counter.
SHATTER!!!!!
Glass shattered as the rooster skinwalker cracked a glass bottle over Ju Peter's head, knocking him back down.
"Just stay down boy." The rooster laughed.
Inside Nolrog's personal room, he laughed away, neither he nor Marcus checked to see what was going on because fighting was an every day and night thing at The Hog Cabin.
Ju Peter groaned and slowly got onto the counter and breathed heavily in and out. Ju Peter put a hand up.
"L-L-Let me... sp-speak to your boss..." Ju Peter said.
The giant black goat man skinwalker walked over and lifted Ju Peter's face, getting a good look at him before he choked him, lifted him over the counter, and slamming him through a table.
"And why would we let you do that?" The goat man skinwalker asked.
Ju Peter grit his teeth before becoming dead serious.
BURST!!!!!
The doors to Nolrog's private room burst open and Marcus was immediately on offense. Nolrog was annoyed.
"Who's there?!" Marcus yelled.
"HM?! DIS BETTER BE GOOD! YOUS INTERUPTIN MY FEEDING TIME!" Nolrog yelled.
"T-Terribly sorry sirs! But-But we have a human here who wants speak with you!" The black goat man skinwalker said.
"Who da hell does he think he is?!" Nolrog yelled.
Immediately, Ju Peter came hobbling in.
Nolrog and Marcus immediately got ready to fight.
"You idiots brought one of those marines in here?!" Marcus yelled angrily.
"He brought himself here! We were gonna kill em we was, but..." The goat man skinwalker was interrupted.
"BUT WHAT?!" Nolrog yelled.
"I want... to become a skinwalker." Ju Peter said.
Nolrog and Marcus couldn't believe it.
"Lies." Nolrog said.
"And not just any skinwalker..." Ju Peter breathed heavily in and out.
Nolrog and Marcus stared with anticipation.
"... I want to become a Lord of the Land..." Ju Peter said.
Marcus and Nolrog's jaws dropped to the floor. Ju Peter was dead serious.
"It can't be done! Even with my immortality I wouldn't fight a Lord of the Land!" Nolrog said plainly."
"And even if you did kill and become a Lord of the Land, you can't change back." Marcus said plainly.
Ju Peter used his life force to detect one of them was lying.
Ju Peter looked at Marcus.
"But there is a way... isn't there." Ju Peter said.
Marcus was shocked Ju Peter knew he lied.
"N-No. There is no way." Marcus said.
"I'll get to the point... we want this island under our World Government flag, just like you want this island... help us help you..." Ju Peter bargained.
"HA!" Nolrog squealed, "Yous comes into my turf, kill multiples of my men, and kidnap my third in command and yous expects me to work with ya?!" Nolrog laughed.
"We won't even be on the island, just over seeing it from afar, we will guarantee you get the entire island to yourself if you help us. We'll turn a blind eye to all the robberies, all the killings, kidnappings, and whatever else you filthy disgusting lot like to do in your free time." Ju Peter said, looking at Marcus and Nolrog.
Nolrog was fascinated and ready to say yes, but waited to see what Marcus would say.
Marcus put his head down and sighed.
"...I was a young, very wealthy, and very successful soldier before... this." Marcus said, looking at himself.
Ju Peter stared at the horse skinwalker.
"Life force had been around a decade at this point... when we were fighting with some ogres who were attempting to cross the Unwelcoming Desert into Barbarios territory, which is the Great Kingdom's territory by extension." Marcus said.
"I told Joy Boy not to send me out to that hellish desert with that GOD DAMN COWARD WILMOT!" Marcus yelled through his teeth.
Ju Peter continued to listen. Nolrog looked at Marcus out the corner of his eyes.
"When the battle seemed lost... he ran... like the coward he is... while telling US to continue fighting for our kingdom and to never give up!" Marcus got louder, tears forming slightly. Marcus looked back down.
"We... we ended up winning the battle but the other few men died not long after the battle from their wounds. It was just me and my horse left... but he too was wounded..." Marcus shakily said.
"I was hungry... and thirsty... I-I just needed to eat!" Marcus yelled, tears falling.
Ju Peter's eyes widened slightly, knowing Marcus was eluding to having to eat his horse to preserve himself.
Marcus wiped his eyes and looked at Ju Peter.
"I told you all this... because you're right.. there is a way to turn human again, it's so insane no one would ever think to even try it, so of course it's gone on so long without being discovered." Marcus said, "I mean eating the heart of the animal you wish to become."
Ju Peter stared stoically at Marcus, but actually became shocked when Marcus slowly turned into a human again. Marcus was revealed to be a muscular, dark skinned man, with short black hair. Tears fell down his face once more as he stared at Ju Peter.
Marcus didn't say another word as he transformed into a horse again.
Ju Peter nodded slowly.
"If you really want to become a Lord of the Land you'll have to eat their heart... if I had a recommendation... I'd go after Lord Wyrm, a gigantic sand worm that will no doubt try to eat you once he realizes what you're there to do." Marcus said.
"Then if yous can survives his insides you can eat his heart!" Nolrog squealed.
Ju Peter looked at Marcus and Nolrog.
"How... do I know... you're... not just trying... to get me eaten?" Ju Peter asked weakly.
"Look at ya! Yous is all beat up! You wouldn't have made it dis far if we wanted to kill ya so bad!" Nolrog pointed out.
Ju Peter silently agreed.
"I can lead you to the Unwelcoming Desert but after that you're on your own." Marcus said, looking at the floor in front of him instead of Ju Peter.
"F-Fine..." Ju Peter said.
"Wait for me outside, I'll be out in a moment." Marcus said.
"Let me ask you something." Ju Peter said.
Marcus looked at Ju Peter.
"Why don't you walk around as human? Knowing you can change back?" Ju Peter asked.
Marcus was slightly surprised.
"Once I found out I could turn back, I made my way back to the Kingdom and I got a heroes welcome. I bumped into Wilmot and invited him out to celebrate my return and to accept his apology and I killed him." Marcus said, "I've been on the run ever since. It was a disguise at first but some old acquaintances ratted me out and now there's really no reason to change back."
Ju Peter nodded and was then led outside by the black goat man skinwalker.
Marcus and Nolrog watched them leave.
"They're going to send search parties from the Kingdom for Richart and from wherever that marine came from." Marcus said.
"Yup! And then we do what we do best!" Nolrog laughed and squealed.
"Just seeing if that plan was still on." Marcus said.
"Of course! We're increasin' our numbers and gettin' in that Kingdom by any means necessary! Yous got your revenge already, but I still gotta make Jambavan pay!" Nolrog squealed as Marcus walked out of the backroom.
Temple of Raizin Graveyard (City of Nroc)
Donggggggg...
A bell tolled as dirt was shoveled into a grave by a lizard man in a black suit, black shoes, grey gloves, and a wide brimmed hat.
Donggggg...
Collector's eyes shot open as he breathed in and out. Collector raised his had to block the dirt.
"St-Stop! I'm alive!" Collector yelled.
The Lizard man jumped with surprise and stopped shoveling.
"Uh... e-excuse me?" The lizard man asked.
Collector slowly got up and climbed out of the grave.
"THE DEAD HAS RISEN!" The lizard man yelled.
"No I haven't you fool!" Collector yelled.
Collector pat his chest to feel that his wounds were healed do to an eternal healing enchantment he placed on himself far before he and Cyclone ever came back in time.
"Your wounds! They're gone! May Raizin be praised!" The Lizard man yelled, bowing down and praying.
Collector looked around and the jungle city and could hear the bell, that seemed to never stop sounding, loud and clear.
"That bell! It sounds like the one on that fir monster..." Collector said.
"Excuse me sir? This is the Temple of Riazin, my name is Yuzk (Yuck), the undertaker." Yuzk said.
Collector shook Yuzk's hand, deciding it was safer to be friendly with any lizard folk he met just in case.
"It is a pleasure to meet you undertaker, my name is Collector. If you don't mind I had a few questions to ask. I'm new here on this island you see." Collector said.
"Oh of course, I'll answer anything! You'll need to know everything you can if plan on journeying into the city." Yuzk said, as the two began walking.
"What's going on with this city, Who the hell is Raizin, and what the hell is the rumor of the Highland Forest?" Collector asked.
Yuzk gulped.
"Well... Nroc was a beautiful Utopia... before the power they call "life force" came to be. The plants became gigantic and did a lot of damage already, then, for some unknown reason, knights from Joy Boy's kingdom and the Barbarios waged war on this city... killing any lizard man, Ogre, and skinwalker they could find. It was a complete blood bath." Yuzk said, looking at a statue of Raizin.
"But General Raizin and his army of 200 ran them off... he immediately became Lord Raizin to us... but to those who didn't want to follow him, they were banished to the sewers below the city. Please, whatever you do, never go in the sewers!" Yuzk said.
Collector gulped.
"As far as the Highland Forest sir... rumor has it no one who sets out for that place... ever comes back..leading just as many people skeptical to if it even exists in the first place.." Yuzk said.
Collector's eyes widened with fear.