TMoSD: *uses a cane to forcefully drag out her guest while waving happily to the readers* Say hello to the readers, Kung Lao.
Kung Lao: *waves mechanically to the readers*
TMoSD: *casually throws her arm around his shoulders* Whoo boy, that was some party at the Edenian Palace last week, huh, Houdini?
Kung Lao: What did you just call me? And take your arm off of me.
TMoSD: Grouch. But, anyway. Back to last week. Man, I'm so glad that I got wasted, because when can I get to tell someone that I actually got to curb-stomp a nobleman in the nuts? *sighs happily* Good times.
Kung Lao: And you are actually proud of that accomplishment?
TMoSD: I am, actually. Thanks for asking.
Kung Lao: *pinches the bridge of his nose in irritation* Unbelievable. There is a question, however, that to this day, has still baffled me.
TMoSD: Which is?
Kung Lao: Why did Queen Sindel and Princess Kitana not immediately kick you out of the festivities right then and there?
TMoSD: Uh, duh. It's 'cause they love me too much. But, to be fair, he deserved it. He was a perverted jackass! And what's worse, is that he had the audacity to slap me on my backside as I passed by his table! I swear, it's people like him that have absolutely zero respect for personal space that pisses me off to no end.
Kung Lao: Must every word that comes out of your mouth be so blatantly vulgar?
TMoSD: Oh, you should know better than anyone that I only get foul-mouthed when I'm irritated. And if you can't deal with that, then tough shit. What you see is what you get.
Kung Lao: *sighs wearily* Unfortunately, that statement is true. By the Elder Gods above, why must I suffer such punishment?
TMoSD: *rolls eyes* Oh, stop being so melodramatic.
TMoSD: *as she mischievously looks the shaolin monk up and down, she smugly adds as she lightly elbows him* Well, damn, Houdini. You sure showed me. I would have never, in a million years, pegged you for the aggressive type. Heh. It looks like the little dragon has bite in him after all.
Kung Lao: *eyebrows furrow in confusion* Will you please stop calling me by that ridiculous name? And what in the name of Lord Raiden are you talking about?
TMoSD: Oh, come on, dude. Don't think I didn't notice the look in your eyes when that one guy kept looking at Jade in a lewd way all night. So, 'fess up. You felt the exact same way I did when I stomped that noble's face into the floor, didn't you?
Kung Lao: No, I did not.
TMoSD: Uh-huh. Right. So, you're just going to look me dead in my eye, and tell me, that, had your girlfriend not politely told him that she was going to basically castrate him if he didn't leave her alone, you weren't going to straight-up deck the fucker in the mouth for his inappropriate behavior?
Kung Lao: No, I would not have. Because, I am not you.
TMoSD: *raises a eyebrow skeptically as she drawls lazily* Yeah, I don't believe you for a second.
Kung Lao: Believe me or not, that is your decision. But, I stand by what I have said.
TMoSD: *sings* Why you gotta be so rude?
~The Edenian Tigress and the Shaolin Dragon~ [Prologue]
As the evening sky became a blank canvas, the elegant hues of scorching reds, calming violets and serene pinks that splashed across it in a brilliant explosion of color its paints, the only light that permeated the private bedchamber of one of the resident monks was a slowly diminishing candle; the melting wax dripping around its base as the soft glow of the flickering flame played dancing shadows across the walls.
As the monk quietly kept watch over a beautiful woman with skin that had been kissed by the warmth of the sun in his bed from his post in a wooden chair; his metal-rimmed derby hat resting comfortably in his lap, her heavily bandaged chest rose and fell with uneven breath; every sharp inhale causing her a great deal of pain.
It broke his heart to see his beloved suffering like this.
As he gently took hold of the woman's soft, small hand into his larger and calloused one in an attempt to ease her suffering, he reminisced about the vile beast that had inflicted such wounds upon her, and he inwardly grew angry as a result.
It was a dreary afternoon, which, in the nightmarish realm of Outworld, was considered to be normal weather. The atmosphere alone felt so unsettling, so surreal, as if the very hairs on the back of your neck suddenly bristled in nervousness and thousands upon thousands of invisible eyes were keeping a constant watch on you without notice.
The sky, black as a bottomless pit, gave off an otherworldly vibe as it had always done for millennia and the three moons that glowed in an intense and disturbing shade of orange set the stage for a sparring session between two lone souls.
A handsome monk of Chinese descent was dressed in a sleeveless black vest with delicate silver stitching trailing down its sides like a river; fearsome lions painted the same metallic silver as the stitching that made up the design of the chest facing towards each other; a lone blood red Chinese symbol decorating its back.
Baggy cerulean pants and well tailored leather boots covered the lower portion of his body. Short, onyx bangs that became wild and unruly on some days shyly hid underneath a black derby hat that was comfortably perched on his head; its edge rimmed with a thin sheet of metal.
"Do not go easy on me, Lao," a beautiful woman, the monk's sparring partner, lightly teased as a playful smirk gently tugged upon soft, carnation painted lips. "Come at me with everything that you have."
"As you wish, Jade," the shaolin dragon replied as he bowed to the woman in a exaggerated manner; a gentle smile tugging upon his own lips as his rich chocolate eyes danced with amusement.
As he readied his weapon, a broadsword that curved downward, his partner focused her attention solely upon him; her emerald orbs sparkling with mirth as caramel fingers that were outfitted through openings in finger-less onyx gloves curled protectively around her metallic bojutsu staff.
The woman, Jade, was dressed in a simple corset that was colored a rich forest green with black trim outlining the sides and onyx pants that fit snugly around womanly curves and rounded hips that endorsed her voluptuous figure rather well; toned abdomen and ample cleavage shyly peeking through the soft fabric.
Emerald and black boots with jade gemstones embedded into them stopped midway up long and shapely legs and hair that was carved from indulgent chocolate fell to the small of her back as she adjusted her position.
With a look of fierce determination defining her attractive features, once the emerald eyed seductress rushed her opponent, the unmistakable sound of metal colliding against metal resonated throughout the clearing, and when she backed away from the shaolin monk for a few moments to gather her bearings; mentally analyzing his movements as she did so, she inwardly smiled to herself.
There was one way to get past his defenses.
As the beautiful verdant eyed warrior motioned for her partner to come at her, he obeyed her request without hesitation, and the moment just before he struck, she used her staff as a pole vault to launch herself upward; avoiding cutting herself on his bladed hat as her thighs lightly squeezed his neck when she landed on his broad shoulders.
"Well, well. It seems that you are in a bit of a predicament, hmm, love?" Jade coyly teased as she placed her partner in a rather...awkward position. "Oh, however can I rectify this mistake?"
And then, as a mischievous smile crossed the emerald eyed goddess's lips, she brought her partner crashing down into the dead, cracked foliage beneath his feet; his moans of pain low and his vision swimming in cloudy haziness when she released her hold over him.
As Jade towered over Kung Lao, she shifted into a stance that earned her the title of "Shadow Lioness" in her younger years under Shao Kahn's iron-fisted reign, and without giving him the chance he needed to recover, she pounced upon her downed prey.
"Do you yield?" the verdant eyed warrior asked when she sensually straddled his waist.
When she did not receive an immediate response, she climbed up his body in a seductive manner; gently pushing her well-endowed chest against his own as she lightly pressed the cold metal of her staff against his warm throat as she growled lowly "I will not ask again. Do. You. Yield?"
As he shook the last few remnants of dizziness out of his vision, Kung Lao ground out as he quietly stared into his partner's eyes "Yes, Jade. I yield."
"Good boy," Jade confidently replied, a proud smirk gracing her lips before she climbed off of the monk that lied beneath her, and with an offered hand, she helped him to his feet; a embarrassed flush of scarlet quietly coloring his cheeks when she did.
"My goodness, Jade. Was there really need for such an underhanded tactic?" the shaolin dragon asked his beautiful partner quizzically.
"What can I say? I seem to be in a playful mood today," the emerald eyed seductress answered simply.
"Oh, is that so? Well, if that is the case, then I suppose you will not mind if I do this," the shaolin monk mysteriously replied before he disappeared in a whirlwind of chi energy.
And before the verdant eyed temptress could accurately pinpoint her partner's location, a muscular arm suddenly wrapped itself around her waist as it gently held her against its owner's broad chest; the metal of a broadsword gleaming in a deadly white as it was pressed dangerously close to her throat and goose-flesh rose on the back of her neck when he huskily whispered into her ear "Well, well. It seems that I have caught you, my little mouse."
"Oh, my sweet, gullible feline. How long will it take for you to realize that this little mouse is far too clever for such simple tactics?" the emerald eyed warrior replied in false sweetness as a arrogant smirk crossed soft lips before she aggressively drove her elbow back into his stomach with a gentle amount of force; the air briefly knocked out of his lungs as he involuntarily released his hold on her.
And when the spar finally reached its conclusion, normally calm and collected breathing becoming ragged and heavy, and when he returned his weapon to the leather sheath placed on his hip, the shaolin warrior softly replied "I think that is enough training for one afternoon. Come. We should return to Earthrealm so that we may rest our weary bodies for a while."
"I must admit, that does sounds heavenly," the verdant eyed seductress replied gently as she firmly held onto her staff to steadily support herself. "And it will be a most welcome change of scenery from this dreary and depressing place."
"Now, then. If we plan to return to Earthrealm, we had better depart now, because the Living Forest lies upon the border of the Wastelands, where the bulk of the Tarkatan horde has taken residence, and we will not want to be here when they come here to hunt. Thankfully, a dear friend of mine will be able to safely guide us through the treacherous terrain as we travel further inland to reach the Forest's heart, where a portal will be awaiting us," the emerald eyed warrior comfortably explained.
Mentally noting that they were the only two souls present, as a small, shrill whistle met the shaolin monk's ears, a puddle of shadow began to pool at his partner's feet before the form of a ferocious dragon climbed out of the inky wetness; black water easily sliding off of its lithe, sleek frame much like that of a duck as it lazily stretched its wings, which, if his math was correct, was estimated to be approximately fifteen feet in length, which added to the beast's already intimidating appearance.
Fatally sharpened claws the shade of softly glowing moonstone gleamed ominously under the eerie moonlight and webbed ears of the same color twitched as a weathered, leather saddle hugged a soft underbelly that was surrounded by smooth, onyx scales; heavy iron bracelets encircling its front foreleg and right hind leg.
Serrated spines that were colored a rich violet ran from the base of its neck down to the edge of a strong, thick tail; a deadly mace that served as the tail's tip swayed about in eager anticipation and the haunting gaze that was reflected within its liquid metal eyes was as clear as the surface of an unblemished mirror.
As the tattered violet scarf that was placed around the dragon's elongated neck blew in the sudden presence of the chilling wind, the emerald eyed seductress commanded for her companion to lower itself to her level; the ancient beast obeying without question as it allowed for its master to stroke its scales in a soothing manner and she casually spoke to it in its native tongue.
"Lao, I would like to introduce you to my faithful traveling companion, Kuraiatsu, but I call her "Rai" for short," Jade replied fondly; her tone warm and motherly as she gently stroked the dragon's snout. "You see, when I still served as an assassin to Shao Kahn, I happened upon a nest while out on a reconnaissance mission, and I noticed that a dragon, which had just hatched from its egg, scuttled around as it curiously surveyed its surroundings in its first half-hour of life. So, as I mentally noted that the creature's mother had all but abandoned her, as I gently picked her up, she struggled to escape from my grasp at first, but then, when she grew accustomed to my touch, I gently placed her into my knapsack. And from that day forward, I have properly raised her from infancy, and we have been inseparable ever since."
As the dragon's forked tongue lazily tasted the air currents, the emerald eyed woman continued "So, even though she sometimes views me as the mother that she has never known, I am more commonly referred to as her mistress. I would even go so far as to say that our friendship fiercely rivals that of my unyielding loyalty to the Edenian crown."
"Ah, I see," the shaolin warrior replied gently. "Well, then. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kuraiatsu."
As he approached, thin tendrils of smoke softly billowed from the ancient beast's nostrils as lethally sharpened fangs were aggressively bared in a ferocious snarl and her maced tail swayed in a defensive manner.
"Calm yourself, Rai," Jade lightly scolded as she tenderly rubbed the side of her beastly companion's neck. "Kung Lao is a friend. He has done nothing to deserve your irate demeanor."
As the emerald eyed seductress commanded the dragon that stood beside her to lower herself to her level so she could lift herself into the saddle; the feeling of sleek, powerful muscle that lied beneath bony scale and worn leather familiar between her legs, as her partner tentatively climbed onto the saddle behind her, as she rose to her full height, she asked "Can you lead us to the portal in the Forest's heart, girl?"
As Kuraiatsu nodded intelligently in understanding, as clawed feet began to tread across cold, dead earth in stoic silence; maced tail swaying in annoyance at her mistress's choice of "traveling companions", the shaolin monk's heart grew disquiet with uneasiness.
He couldn't help it.
He knew that his imagination tended to wander when he got nervous.
And it didn't help that the dark, depressing atmosphere of this realm was adding to his growing apprehension.
Hopefully, nothing would happen the further inland they traversed...
Once the two warriors and ancient beast entered the Living Forest; the trees that gave the area its namesake lowly growling at them in warning and the carcasses of unfortunate passersby that hung from the nooses of rope that wrapped around frail, sickly branches greeting them as they passed, when they emerged into an empty clearing, an inactive portal, which was illuminated in a sinister black light to better reflect the souls of the dark inhabitants of Outworld, shone ominously in the darkness.
When Jade gently commanded her draconian mount to lower herself so she and her partner could disembark, she did so without complaint, and when she disappeared into her mistress's shadow without first being dismissed, she apologized as she sighed wearily "I sincerely apologize for Rai's aggressive behavior towards you earlier, Lao. She is usually so well-behaved."
"Do not worry about it, Jade," the shaolin dragon reassured his partner gently. "Just give her time. She will eventually become comfortable around me."
"Hmm...I hope that you are right," the emerald eyed seductress replied in a slightly doubtful tone before she recited an ancient Outworldian incantation that had once been used by the legendary Dragon King in millennia's past; a more pleasing hue of violet replacing the sinister black light as the dormant portal became active.
"Come. We should hurry through before it closes," Jade gently advised as she stepped half-way into the portal. "There is no telling when the bulk of the Tarkatan horde will be upon us."
With a gentle nod, as the shaolin warrior followed behind his beautiful guide, as the portal closed behind them, crimson eyes shone in the inky darkness; wicked smiles showing saliva leaking through flesh-tearing fangs as the thought of a new hunt beginning soon awakened a kind of blood-lust that hasn't been felt in so long...
As an active portal safely opened in the Academy's courtyard, the two warriors were promptly greeted with a sea of pink as the cherry blossom trees that had bloomed in time for the arrival of spring showered the grounds in a gentle blizzard of petals; the koi fish that lived in the pond across the way lazily swimming in circles under a wooden bridge as their colorful scales quietly shimmered in calming cerulean waters.
As the shaolin dragon led his partner by the hand to a lone bench, warm sunlight finding them once they sat down, the verdant eyed seductress leaned into his chest, feeling content, and if she were being completely honest with herself, lethargic, as his protective aura washed over her in calming waves.
"Have I ever told you that you have the most alluring eyes?" Kung Lao asked in a sweet tone.
"Yes, you have. Quite recently, in fact," Jade teased playfully as a soft laugh bubbled up in her throat. "But, please. Tell me again what it is about my eyes that you seem to find so alluring."
"Well, when the sunlight hits them at just the right angle, they gleam like finely polished gemstones. And when you look at me, I always seem to lose myself within gentle pools of liquid emerald. But, above all else, there is one other trait, that even still to this day, has managed to keep me enraptured. Do you know of what I'm talking about?" the shaolin warrior asked curiously.
"Yes, I am certain that I already know," Jade replied softly as her partner's strong, gentle heartbeat thrummed proudly in her ears. "But, please. Tell me of what you speak."
"Well, as you might have already guessed, it is unrivaled beauty," Kung Lao replied with comforting warmth, as if it were the most obvious statement in the world."It is said that beauty is held within the eye of the beholder, correct? Well, if that is indeed the case, then the eyes that I have become so fond of are every bit as beautiful and wise as the woman that even now is leaning against me."
"You truly flatter me with your words, Lao," Jade replied softly as her dark cheeks flushed a dark scarlet from being complimented so extensively; slender caramel fingers intertwining with her partner's as the topic of interest quietly emerged from underneath hooded blankets. "You know, I sometimes wonder what I do that elicits such praise from you."
As the shaolin warrior captured his soulmate's lips in a quiet kiss; making sure that the thin sheet of metal that rimmed around his hat did not touch flawless caramel skin, it seemed as though time had stopped for only them, and when they broke away for air, when he gently picked her up and placed her on his lap, he wrapped his strong arms around her waist and he gently rested his head upon her shoulder in a loving gesture.
For a moment, the verdant eyed warrior could have sworn that her shadow twitched in a momentary bout of agitation.
But, she paid her imagination no mind and merely banished the issue to the far recesses of her mind.
"I am the luckiest man in all of the six Realms to have such a beautiful woman like you by my side," Kung Lao warmly replied as he placed a tender kiss against the side of his beloved's slender neck; the familiar scent of lavender reaching his sensitive nose. "I love you so much, Jade."
"And I wholeheartedly return your love, my brave shaolin dragon," Jade whispered quietly; a dizzying smile playing upon full, carnation painted lips as long, ebony lashes lightly fluttered when she gently nuzzled him. "To the end of time and beyond."
However, as with all living things that began their life in this cruel universe, the peace between the two lovers had unfortunately reached its end.
No matter how hard that they wished that it could have lasted between them for only a few minutes longer.
As a foul stench began to emanate from the dense bamboo forest that lied to the north, when the putrid scent reached Jade's sensitive nose; causing it to burn in irritation, a low growl bubbled up from deep within her throat and her soft emerald eyes darkened into a shade of forest green.
"Hmm? Jade, is something wrong?" Kung Lao asked worriedly.
"Tarkata. They are north of here. I could never forget a scent so foul," the verdant eyed seductress lowly spat; the venom that danced upon her tongue hardened her soft, sweet voice, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste in her mouth that was sharper than any sword's edge.
"Then, our course of action has been laid out before us," the shaolin dragon replied in a gentle, yet, serious tone as he allowed his partner to rise from his lap. "Come. We must defend the Academy from these foul beasts."
"Yes, of course. Let us be swift," the emerald eyed vixen answered simply.
And without another word between them, the two warriors hurriedly made their way towards the forest.
As the two warriors stealthily approached a camp that was set up within the forest's heart, as they hid behind a large boulder, as they formulated a plan to better assess the situation that presented itself before them, they noticed that a group of the beastly warriors were huddled around the still warm carcass of an unfortunate passersby that had stumbled upon them on accident; lethally sharpened teeth and claws gruesomely tearing soft flesh away from resilient bone as blood splattered against the earth in a twisted display of art and their eyes lit up in a bout of maniacal blood-lust.
As Kung Lao softly uttered a prayer to the Elder Gods for the poor soul that was being torn to ribbons, wishing him safe passage into the afterlife, a low, angry snarl bubbled up within Jade's throat, and as she pointed towards a lone Tarkatan guard who was scouting the vicinity for intruders, her shadow twitched wildly in response to her command.
Mentally noting that no other bystanders would happen upon their camp, as the vile beast was heading back to join with the rest of his brethren, a low growl suddenly sounded in his pointed ears, and as he circled around himself in paranoia; metal blades that protruded from leathery skin gleaming wickedly in the sunlight that streamed through the tall and wispy bamboo stalks, as inky fangs viciously clamped around a leg that was covered in plated armor, his cries were swiftly silenced as he was dragged into the darkness.
"Cowards! Show yourselves!" a menacing roar ground out through gnashing fangs as it bubbled up deep in the throat of the leader of the Tarkatan horde; his metallic blades unsheathed in anger. "Do not hide from us while you slaughter our own like Earth cattle!"
As the two warriors quietly emerged from behind the boulder to meet the savage's challenge, they coolly met the gaze of every Tarkatan within the vicinity; low, chilling roars of rage sounding like a organized chorus in their ears, and when a lone beast stepped forward to challenge them, his deranged and calculating crimson eyes lit up with a demonic light.
"Well, well. If it is not Queen Sindel's faithful lapdog and her mangy mate," the leader of the vile Outworldian beasts, Baraka, growled as he addressed his adversaries; his tone temporarily loosing its tempered edge to become cool and composed. "It has been quite some time since I have seen you last, humans."
"Vile beast," Kung Lao challenged in a unnaturally cold voice; words of soothing warmth promptly frozen over with several layers of frost. "You and your foul demon warriors are defiling sacred ground. Leave now or you will face execution."
"You are more than welcome to try, human," Baraka smugly replied as he called his lesser warriors to battle in his native tongue; several pairs of metal blades shrieking horribly as they clashed against each other, as eerie scarlet eyes that glowed with murderous intent fell upon the two humans that were surrounded from all sides, he added "But, as you can plainly see, you are clearly surrounded from all sides with no chance of escape. What hope do you have now?"
As Jade elegantly twirled her staff in one hand; pools of liquid emerald narrowing in cold anger, as one of the Tarkatan warriors charged her, when he came within striking range, soft, caramel fingers gently pressed against leathery skin; distorted, demonic cries of agony sounding a moment later as the blood vessels within his arm violently burst and horrific tears marked it like a twisted map as his blood ran in rivulets to the earth below.
As indescribable pain hazily clouded the demonic beast's vision, leaving him open for attack, the verdant eyed seductress growled icily "Farewell, half-demon spawn of Outworld," before she crushed his windpipe in one, swift motion; glowing crimson eyes rolling into the back of his head as he crumpled to the earth in a lifeless heap.
As another one of the savage animals rushed her; rage clearly guiding his erratic movements, which in turn, affected the wild swings of his metal blades, as Jade calmly evaded his poorly executed advance, with a light shift in her weight, she aggressively rammed the lethally sharpened end of her staff into his temple; skin and flesh easily tearing like wet paper as it effectively impaled him through his brain.
As warm, oily blood splattered against the rich forest green of her corset and loud growls of pain-induced agony sounded in her ears, a cynical, spine-tingling smirk unabashedly crossed soft, carnation painted lips, and as Jade firmly took hold of her staff and freed it with minimal effort; not disgusted in the slightest as unsightly splotches of brain tissue met pools of liquid emerald, she used the heel of her boot to scrape off the wet, squelchy muscle that remained.
"I will enjoy feasting upon your remains, you uncultured wench," a dangerously low growl sounded from the left of the verdant eyed seductress as the presumed partner of the dead beast on the ground; his enraged scarlet eyes burning with an intense hellfire.
But before he could approach, he was momentarily blinded by a flash of white, and then, as howls of agony tore free from his throat as the fleshy stump that was once his arm was severed with clean cut precision, as it fell to the earth with a heavy thud; blood gushing out of it like a scarlet waterfall, as Kung Lao calmly approached the vile beast from behind, as a rich cocoa flame coldly burned within normally kind and loving eyes, as he placed hands to either side of his temples that had become callous from years of wielding a broadsword, he began to twist until the sky was torn asunder with the sickening noise of bones cracking, and he promptly joined his dead comrade as he too crumpled into a lifeless heap on the soft earth.
As righteous fury clouded his vision of the two humans that singlehandedly laid waste to his proud Tarkatan warriors as they left nothing but carcasses behind in their wake, Baraka promptly rushed Jade; dark gray metal blades slicing the molecules in the air in half as she used her staff to elegantly dance around his attacks.
Suddenly, a pair of leathery arms caught the emerald-eyed goddess from behind, as pearl white teeth bared in a ferocious snarl as she became furious with herself for not thinking to survey the area more thoroughly, as Baraka watched his voluptuous captive struggle to escape to safety as he approached, in a momentary bout of perverted glee, as weathered fingers roughly fondled her large breasts through the soft fabric of her corset, a rough tongue confidently poked out to taste the incredibly soft skin of her caramel cheek as it left a trail of saliva behind in its wake, and as wicked laughter rumbled deep within his throat, he impaled her through her taut stomach; his twisted smile only growing when a fierce cry of pain erupted from her throat when his blade pierced clean through the base of her spine and exited through the torn skin and muscle in her lower back.
As warm blood dyed torn caramel flesh a disturbing shade of maroon, as Jade fought to remain conscious, she quickly succumbed to lightheadedness and her vision swam hazily, and when she finally lost consciousness from bleeding out onto the earth beneath her, when the vile beast that was holding her captive tossed her to the side without any remorse at all to speak of, it was then that Kung Lao felt something burn fiercely within the depths of his spirit, an emotion that he hadn't felt rise to the surface since he had been told of the Champion of Mortal Kombat's tragic death.
Pure, uncontrolled rage.
As the shaolin warrior threw his hat in a wide, arcing motion to decapitate the monstrous beast who held his partner still while his leader dared to touch her in the most heinous way imaginable; his head rolling from hunched shoulders onto the earth below as the stump where his neck once was poured blood like a geyser as his body joined alongside said head in a lifeless heap, he commanded his preferred weapon of choice to return to him in the same manner that a boomerang would.
As he returned his beloved hat to its rightful place on his head; scarlet dripping noiselessly from the thin sheet of metal as it gleamed wickedly in the sunlight, pools of melted chocolate glared coldly at his adversary as he hissed dangerously "You would dare to lay your filthy hands upon the woman whom I love above all else in this world? Take a good look around you, Baraka. Because, just as your underlings now lie dead all around us, you will soon be joining them."
"Then come, human," Baraka replied coolly as he readied his blades for battle. "My blades are thirsting for your blood."
As the shaolin warrior skillfully evaded every strike that was aimed towards his heart with the grace of a apparition, the battle between human and nightmarish beast soon devolved into nothing more than metal blades wildly thrashing about; a deafening roar of frustration bubbling up in his throat with every strike that he missed.
And when fist met a tough, leathery jawline when he promptly punched his opponent in the mouth, a sharp, cracking noise as well as a cry of angered surprise sounded in his ears when he staggered back in a daze; the taste of scarlet copper thick on his tongue as blood welled from his gums and a few of his teeth were knocked out.
As Baraka took a moment to spit out the blood in his mouth onto the earth next to him, lightly tanned fingers fiercely clamped around a weathered windpipe, and as the leader of the otherworldly barbarians aggressively clawed at his throat in a futile attempt to pry them away; incoherent snarling upon his dry, cracked lips as the visage of a black derby hat that was edged with a thin sheet of metal and was rotating in a manner akin to a saw-blade into the soft earth met him, as Kung Lao sent his opponent spiraling to the ground with a well placed spin kick to his jaw; incessant ringing sounded in his ears and his vision blurred in before hands with a deceptively strong iron-like grip clamped around his legs and he realized far too late after the clouded haze had cleared that he was forcefully being dragged towards the saw-blade hat; inhuman roars of agony reverberating throughout the forest as he was gruesomely cleaved from the waist down before they were forever silenced.
As the rest of the Tarkatan warriors that did not engage in battle scurried off into the forest, like misbehaving dogs with their tails in between their legs as they were hopefully locating whatever portal they used to travel to Earthrealm to get back to Outworld, with a sigh of exhaustion that the shaolin warrior did not realize he was holding, when he returned to his partner's side, he noticed that the color in her face had grown incredibly pale and a pool of her blood had accumulated underneath her.
So, as he gently cradled her in his strong arms; careful to mind her injury as he did so, as adrenaline fueled legs raced back to the Academy, he silently prayed to the Elder Gods to not yet snuff out his beloved's fiercely burning flame before she had a chance to recover.
When Kung Lao returned to the Academy later that evening, one of the elder monks had calmly approached him; gently inquiring as to where he had been the entire afternoon.
But, when he took notice of the blood that had long since dried on his vest and cheek as well as the emerald eyed woman that lied in a unconscious heap within his strong arms, he explained that he had happened upon her while on his daily constitutional in the forest, and he needed to tend to her injuries.
The statement, was of course, half-true.
Still, he disliked lying to his elders like this.
Once the shaolin dragon briskly watched down a long hallway and made a left turn, which led to the bedchambers for each of the monks that resided in the Academy, when he found his bedchamber, he gently placed Jade on the firm mattress and covered her with a handmade quilt that had been given to him as a gift years ago by a close friend before he quietly closed the heavy metal doors behind him.
As quiet chocolate eyes scanned over the interior of his room, he noticed that an old wooden washbasin idly sat in the corner of the room, and as he picked it up and brought it with him over to the wooden chair that he knew he was going to be sitting in for the next few hours, he lit a candle before he claimed hold of his favorite tea kettle; boiling the recently changed spring water that lied within as he held it directly over the open flame.
Once he felt certain that the water had come to a boil, the shaolin warrior poured it into the washbasin; steam promptly rising from it in thin, billowy wisps, and as he patiently waited for the heated water to cool, he prepared a spare sewing needle and thread that was luckily lying next to the now melting candle.
Once the steam had dispersed, the shaolin dragon submerged a washcloth halfway into the heated washbasin and wrung it out thoroughly before he lifted his partner's bloodied corset over her injured stomach; dusky caramel skin broken and flesh and muscle were gruesomely torn open.
With gentle precision, Kung Lao began to carefully clean the dried blood away from his beloved's stomach, and once the washcloth became dyed a disturbing shade of maroon after it had been cleared, he knew that he had to close the wound before it became infected.
Recalling upon what very little he still remembered about mending injuries with only a simple needle and thread, he began to work as best as he could under the dancing light that the diminishing flame was providing him with; small, piercing tool constantly weaving in a zig-zag pattern through torn muscle and broken skin to help mend it.
Once the closed wound had been thoroughly examined and he severed the thread with a simple bite, as he gently pushed his beloved's body into a upright position so that he could easily slide her corset off of her, when he placed said article of clothing on the quilt that covered her from the waist down, her full breasts were exposed to his heightened sense of sight.
As sun-kissed cheeks flushed scarlet with embarrassment at the sight of his partner's well endowed chest, as he briefly turned away; awkwardly clearing his throat as he did so, he surmised that even though he was a monk who had been raised underneath the innocent teachings of the pacifist Shaolin to swear to a life of celibacy, he was still, at the end of the day, a man.
A man who had...needs, whether he decided to think about them or not.
As Kung Lao found his thoughts unconsciously drifting as he allowed for his mind to wander for only a moment, his mind's eye began to naughtily conjure the mental image of him making love to his partner for the first time in great detail, and his cheeks flushed an even darker shade of scarlet until he was fairly certain that he would pass out from heat exhaustion.
As sharp teeth gently nibbled upon the dusky skin of her earlobe, she writhed deliciously underneath his gentle ministrations as her bare chest was pressed lightly against his own.
When the desire to pleasure the woman that he loved above all else in this world blossomed within him like a newly budding flower in the spring, those same lips suddenly abandoned her ear as they slowly traveled down south to leave a burning trail of kisses upon the slender curve of her neck, between the valley of her ample breasts and on the navel of her toned stomach.
When she eagerly spread her shapely legs apart; a swollen, pink pearl shyly hid underneath the hood of her mound, and as he gently flicked his warm, wet tongue across said pearl to coax it out of hiding, he felt her nails dig roughly into the soft flesh of his back as long, dark lashes lightly fluttered against sensitive skin; the soft mewling of his name beginning to intensify in pitch as her spine arched in ecstasy.
And when he slowly entered her, he groaned quietly when he felt every inch of his manhood being utterly consumed by liquid heat; her inner walls involuntarily clamping around him as the minuet expression of pain that flashed across her lovely face was quickly replaced with one of pleasure and her womanly hips soon began to buck wildly, outwardly clashing with the tempo of his slow, torturous rhythm as he gently thrust in and out of her.
"Please...don't stop," she whimpered breathlessly as she was ready to be thrown over the edge; pressure steadily building up in her lower belly like a geyser. "I'm so...close."
And soon after, as her wild howls of pleasure sounded in his sensitive ears, a low growl tore free from his throat as he emptied his seed into her unprotected uterus. And when he withdrew himself from being buried so deep inside her, their cheeks flushed scarlet as their bodies glistened with sweat and their breathing became heavy, as he quietly flicked his tongue across her drenched womanhood one final time, he committed the taste of her sweet nectar to memory as it rested comfortably upon his tongue before they fell asleep some time after; a exhausted but satisfied smile present upon their lips.
With a spare roll of medical gauze that was luckily lying around, the shaolin warrior began to wrap bandages around his soulmate's curvaceous form; starting from just underneath her shoulder blades, and from there, he continued to make his way down south until he reached the rim of her hip hugging pants, carefully minding the wounds on her toned belly as he modestly covered her ample bosom.
After severing the final strip of gauze with his teeth, just as he had done with the sewing thread earlier, when he felt that he was pleased with his work, he gently laid the love of his life back down onto the pillow; making certain that she was comfortable as he lightly adjusted the bandages so that they wouldn't irritate her while she slept.
As he placed a loving kiss against sun-kissed knuckles, he quietly pulled the handmade quilt up over his emerald eyed goddess's slumbering form, and as a stray strand of chocolate hair fell in in front of her, as he gently pushed said strand behind her ear, he would patiently wait for her to awaken.
And patiently wait he did.
After he gently washed the dried blood away from his immaculate vest and cheek, there was nothing left for him to do but wait for his better half to awaken, and around a couple of hours or so, when Kung Lao began to quietly drift off into a light slumber of his own, an almost inaudible moan passed through soft, full lips, and he diverted his attention towards her as she was regaining consciousness; caramel eyelids lightly fluttering open to reveal pools of liquid emerald as they shyly hid behind dark, thick eyelashes.
"Hello," the shaolin warrior responded quietly; a small smile forming upon his lips.
"Hello yourself," the emerald eyed seductress hoarsely responded, as if she had spent the entire afternoon swallowing sandpaper.
"How are you feeling?" he asked gently; concerned greatly for his partner's health.
"Well, other than feeling a light numbness in my stomach, I am otherwise fine," she answered simply.
"I can imagine," he mused as he rose from the wooden chair that he had been sitting in for quite some time; the unmistakable sound of the muscles in his legs popping uncomfortably and his bones lightly cracking to re-align themselves into a more comfortable position as he stretched.
As soft verdant eyes were cast downward, Jade replied in a slightly embarrassed manner "Thank you for tending to my injuries, Lao. I hope that my being here has not become a nuisance to you."
"No, of course not. Why? What in the world could ever compel you to think that you could ever become a nuisance to me?" Kung Lao asked in a worried tone.
"Hmm...I do not know. I suppose that my thoughts momentarily drifted towards a very dark place. And for that, I apologize. I will not bring the matter up again," the verdant eyed seductress replied as dark hands gently grabbed at the thick quilts that generously covered her.
"Alright. Well, so long as you are feeling all right, I suppose I won't worry too much," the shaolin warrior replied in a breath of relief as he placed a gentle kiss against his partner's forehead; her dark cheeks flushing a dark shade of scarlet at the intimate display of affection.
As Kung Lao made for the heavy iron door, he asked "I will not be gone long. I am going to head to the kitchens to prepare a bowl of chicken soup for you, since I realize that you must be famished. Is that alright?"
"Well, after the trying afternoon that I have experienced today, that sounds absolutely divine. Thank you," the verdant eyed seductress replied softly as soft, pink lips upturned into a grateful smile and her long, dark lashes batted playfully at him.
As Jade briefly pondered over what she may have during her incredibly long life to gain the good graces of the Elder Gods if even a terrible monster like her was considered worthy to truly deserve someone as wonderful as her shaolin dragon, as she blew a quiet kiss after him, the sound of a metal door closing sounded in her sensitive ears.
After twenty minutes had passed, a deliciously delectable aroma reached her sensitive nose when the visage of her beloved met her calculating emerald gaze when he emerged into his bedchamber; his calloused hands placed underneath the underside of a simple, yet, charming wooden bowl; matching spoon gently soaking within a heated bath of chicken broth as vegetables such as chewy carrots and softened potatoes gently bobbed within said bath like buoys in the ocean and squiggly noodles danced in a humorous routine as they inched along the broth's surface in a random manner.
After she promptly finished her supper for the evening, as Jade lied back down on the cool pillow; drowsiness quickly overcoming her as her caramel eyelids began to grow heavy as a result of having her belly filled with warm chicken broth, she blissfully complimented "Mmm...that broth was absolutely delightful. Thank you. I am quite full now."
"I aim to please, my love," the shaolin dragon sincerely replied as he bowed to the woman whom he loved above all else in this world before he claimed the now emptied wooden bowl from her hands and placed it next to a candle that has long since melted down into nothing more than a waxy stub.
As the shaolin dragon removed his boots, he quietly climbed into the empty space beside his other half; making certain to mind her bandaged stomach as he pulled the thick quilts over them, and as she lied against him, as strong, loving arms gently encircled her shapely waist, as he placed a quiet kiss against the nape of her slender neck, she laughed softly into the darkness.
As silver moonlight gently filtered in through soft, billowing drapes, illuminating everything within a ethereal glow, it mattered not if the world were to end tomorrow. So long as the two lovers had each other, they would be perfectly content with that decision.
TMoSD: *sings as the giant spiders in Dragon Age Origins appear on the screen* Oh, Bitch, you got me fucked up. You can suck my left nut...
Kung Lao: *stares at the authoress in confusion as he walks into the room* What are you talking about? You do not have...
TMoSD: *holds him in a headlock* What did I just say?
Kung Lao: *growls as he gets out of the headlock*
TMoSD: *snickers as she notices the phonograph sitting in one corner of the room as she replies sarcastically* Wow, you really know how to keep up with the times, huh, Houdini? No, really. Don't decide to get too wild and throw a party out of the blue or anything.
Kung Lao: *cheeks flush scarlet as he grumbles* It is not my fault. You know that I do not understand 21st-century technology.
TMoSD: *raises a eyebrow as she checks her Facebook account on her smartphone* Yeah, I kinda figured.
Can you lovely people on "ze interwebz"do me a huge favor and please leave a review so I can stop holding up this sign that says "Will write for food" on it? I would really appreciate it if you did.
Also, if you have an idea for a future chapter and want to submit it, then you can, as the "cool kids" say nowadays, "Slide up in my PM's" and I'll take a look at it. ; )