Jack looked upon the wretches while refraining from breathing. Something he had come to enjoy as soon as his flesh on his upper body returned. It was time to see if he needed to breathe, as the smell of these former judges caused him to remember Carcosa.
"Show me their strength. No offense my former Judges, but you appear to snap if I look too hard." Jack folded his thick arms as he looked from Dr. Hollowell to the former Judges.
"L-let me..!" One of the Judges weakly got to his knees in grunted pants.
Dr. Hollowell waved her arms to the pair of assistants that were within the Lab with them, as they quickly brought over a large femur bone.
"This is the femur of a Black-Fang Hell Hound. Superior beasts of this land. Fast, agile, but most well known besides their aggression and crazed hunting abilities, is how strong their bones are... This one has also been processed into a Holy bone... Tripling the strength of it, hahaha, SHOW THEM!" Dr. Hollowell boasted and explained as the bone was placed on blocks before the shambler-be-Judge.
The shambler grunted as he lifted his decayed pocked arm high above him, and with a balled fist brought law a sweep of air that rose and a roaring sound that soon was followed by a climactic crack!
The Shambler fell back to his knees with that sickly thud, as blackened yellow beads of sweat cascaded down his form as if he had stepped out of a nightfall shower.
Leslie spoke first, "What's your cultivation, Former-Judge?" She took a step and placed her hand on Jack's left arm, which he loosened, allowing her to tangle her arms with his left arm, though still folded. Jack's eyes never left the shambler, as he waited for this good question to be answered.
"I am a Grand Master rank cultivator, though my Cultivation never prevented me from carrying out my judgments in the name of the God-King." The Shambler spoke in groans.
"This is what I'm talking about!!! Hahaha," Dr. Hollowell crowed.
Eris spoke up, in a rare instance, "Wouldn't you have to be Knight rank to bust that femur?"
"I'd say King rank really, as it's a Holy bone." Jack nodded, after a moment of thought.
"My thoughts also, God-King, my thoughts also!" Dr. Hollowell quickly brought up, as she wilted after, "But in their current conditions, it would be impossible for them to exert this strength at all times on a battlefield."
Jack unfolded his arms, as Leslie continued to hold on to his left, while Jack used his right arm to rub his chin, as he turned slightly to see an agitated Emily.
It seemed while they were watching this performance, Emily was scouting about for food of any kind. She had even cornered an assistant, whose bearly revealed face from their hood showed their fear of the toothy grin of Emily's.
"Emily!" Jack shouted over to her, interrupting her hunting.
Now with the attention of those surrounding them pulled to Emily, the assistant quickly escaped to another part of the lab and into a side room.
Leslie sighed, a habit picked up from Jack, while Eris shook her head.
"Nothing to eat here, Dr. Hollowell?" Jack turned back to the good Doctor.
"Well... We have a bit of foodstuffs for Us that work down here... Isn't much really."
"Any test subjects that are no longer of use?" Jack continued.
"None that aren't a pile of goo."
"I see... Excuse me a moment then," Jack patted Leslie on the head, as he untangled his arm from her, as he walked over to Emily, while Eris stood next to Leslie. Dr. Hollowell nodded her head in understanding, as the shamblers continued to kneel on the floor.
"Emily, come with me just outside the lab for a moment," Jack spoke, as he passed Emily. Emily trotted behind Jack, as he eyes swiveled around the lab one last time, as she continued to search for something to abate her hunger.
After crossing the threshold of the lab door, and closing it behind himself and Emily, Jack turned to her.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this... Well, this should work." Jack spoke cryptically, as he raised his left arm in front of himself.
"Emily... I hope this doesn't disturb you." Jack continued cryptically.
Emily tilted her head now watching Jack, as his voice carried uncertain notes.
Jack's right hand formed a claw-like look, as he brought it down on his left fleshy forearm, as he with great force plunged his talon-like fingers into the flesh.
Blood of a gold flicker erupted from the five puncture wounds, only to be exacerbated by the pulling of his right hand, as most blood burst from the opening wound.
Jack continued to pull as the flesh of his left forearm lifted and tore along to his wrist until finally, it came detached from his left arm completely leaving his left arm exposing the bloody bone underneath with it's darkened runes.
Sweat beaded upon Jack's brow, as he spoke, "That feeling has been a while..." His voice wary, as blood rained from the wound falling upon the floor. As each plop of blood that fell released a small snap sound and a flash of light, to Jack this looked like bang snap fireworks from his last life.
Jack then pulled his attention from the wound to Emily, as he extended his right hand holding his own flesh to her.
"Eat this."
"I... Uhhhh..." Emily's mouth salivated at the sight, but she shut her mouth quickly, fighting the urge to snatch the piece of flesh.
"I allow this. I can grow this back. It's not like I can't... Just in the future, don't eat me in my sleep, if I ever reclaim my flesh on a more permanent basis." Jack humored.
"A-are you s-sure...?" Emily spoke, as it was hard for her to talk through the saliva that threatened to spill.
"If I've already done this, don't you think I'm certain... Plus... I have a theory I want to test, and this seems a good enough time... Now eat of my flesh, Emily, as Eris has drunk of my blood... Have life eternal, so that We may be together when the end wakes up."
Hearing his words, Emily spoke them to herself, "Eat of his flesh... Life Eternal... I will long for you forever... Would you let me touch your soul forever?"
"Yes..." Jack answered.
Emily took the flesh handed to her and gorged upon it.
As she ate, Jack brought his wounded arm to him, as he held it by the wrist. It seemed in the small amount of talk, it had already stopped bleeding.
"Even a god can bleed, huh... If it bleeds, then it can die." Jack whispered to himself, as a dry laugh sounded beside him.
Jack knowing the sound of Yoggi's laugh didn't ask, as he watched the flesh knit itself back together in a display of dark apotheosis.
Black tears spilled from Emily's eyes, as she ate.
Jack sensing something, looked up to see Emily crying.
"What-What's wrong?" Jack asked quickly.
"Is this how you really feel???" Emily asked through a mouth full.
"Ummm... What are you asking?" Jack released his left arm and touched Emily on the side of her face as she cleaned some of the black tears.
"...I thought... I thought I had despair... I thought... this flesh... your flesh..."
"Shhhh... We can talk about it later..."
"What happened to you???" Emily looked up, now that the last bite was gone, she continued to chew.
"That... I'd like to know most of that myself. I only remember a few things... It seems having a fleshy brain somehow helps me remember, but I feel that it's also hindering some of my thought processes..."
Emily swallowed, and then pounced on Jack, as she climbed him to get to his face, as her lips locked with his.
Startled, Jack slowly brought his right arm around her to hold her in place, as he indulged in his second consort, even if time was counting down to the end of the Underworld.