"The Beginning of a Warrior's Tale"
The dark of the forest was comforting, but the hiss of the wind on the leaves reminded her of the destruction that destroyed her home. She shivered remembering the look of pain and anger on her father's face when the mutant drove its arm-blade through his chest. How could this happen? We never did anything to this Emperor Shao Khan and he killed everyone... She shivered again, this time more violently than the last time. The pain in her side kept her from letting tears flow. Why? She closed her eyes trying to pass out from her pain, but instead she remembered the events from before. *Flashback* "Oh father! You really shouldn't have...I didn't expect you to do all this!"
The room was decorated in bright colored flowers and lighted candles. Many different trays of food had been prepared and were set up all over the room, a room suitable for someone's birthday.
"I knew you would object so I decided to let you clean up after." Her father said with a smile in his eyes. "Besides Trevaunna it's not everyday my daughter turns 1000."
"Well according to immortal behavior and aging I feel not a day over 20." Trevaunna laughed.
Soon all of the villagers and farmers arrived and joined in on the festivities. *Present* Trevaunna opened her eyes and looked at the dark clouded sky through the thick tree tops. Why? She closed her eyes again and swallowed her sob. *Flashback* The food had slowly started to disappear as well as the crowd of people. Trevaunna sat on the chair across from her father, conversing with him about the memory of her mother.
"I wish my mother would have stayed here with us. Alas, I do understand her reasons...it would have been nice to see her everyday though." Trevaunna mused.
"Yes, it would have been good, but with her mortal life being so short it would have been too painful to have her here. I sense she is here in spirit." Trevaunna's father pointed at her and smiled. "I see her everyday in you." He paused. "She would have been proud of the warrior you've become. Because I know I am."
Trevaunna took another drink from her cup and savored the taste of the sweet wine in her mouth before she swallowed it. "I know. I think I feel guilty because your people are immortal and hers are not, but I still ended up with the immortal kiss of life." Trevaunna took another drink from her cup and then looked around to see who remained in their home. *Present* Trevaunna suddenly inhaled sharply remembering what came next. If only I had more time to say what I never said to you! *Flashback* A bright light lit up the darkened sky outside of the little cottage just then. "What is this!" Trevaunna said jerking her thoughts from serenity to panic. Her father raced to the door only to meet a blast of fire and debris. "FATHER!!" Trevaunna screamed. Quickly she tried to reach her thrown father but was met by a mutant who picked her up and threw her against the wall. *Present* Trevaunna started breathing with labored gasps. *Flashback* The mutant walked slowly toward her fallen body. Trevaunna shook her head and tried to recover her senses before the mutant took flight against her. With a failed attempt she tried to kick out at the mutant, but was stopped by its slimy hand against her throat. She reached up and gripped its arm with her hands and with choked speech Trevaunna tried to ask it a question. "OO-O...*pant*...RRR-RR- OO-O...*pant*..."
The mutant smiled and a long tongue lashed out and caressed the stalactite which were its teeth. "You be slave for Master Khan!" It said with a hoarse breath.
Trevaunna looked down at the mutant whose bladed-arm kept a permanent bind on her throat. Knowing her breath would cease if she didn't do something she kneed the mutant in the stomach hard. With a grunt it let go and tried to grab her again. This time she was prepared.
Outside the cottage another mutant, the leader, stood and watched the horde of mutants destroy and kill the villagers with a smile on his face. *Present* Trevaunna could hear her quick breaths and the sound became too eerie for her to handle, she quickly put her hands up to her ears and winced in pain. *Flashback* "Bring them here!" The leader mutant said, he was wearing a white vested shirt with red lining and the look of shear pleasure painted his face. "They must pay for trying to betray Emperor Shao Khan!"
Trevaunna watched in horror as the mutant reached for her father's hunched figure and forced him to stand to his feet. He stumbled painfully to get to his feet, but the mutant ended up knocking him back down by punching him in the stomach.
Trevaunna tried to force her way past the mutants holding her, but it was futile. "Please...don't kill us! We do not know of this Shao Khan!" She pleaded with a bloodstained face.
The mutant looked at Trevaunna and growled. "Well this will serve a reminder of Shao Khan's wrath."
Trevaunna held her breath as she watched the mutant drive his arm-blade through her father's chest. The blood gushed out and her father's face twisted up in pain and anger. "Don't- hurt...*pant*...my...*pant*...daughter!" He gasped. Trevaunna realized what he was about to do at that moment. Her father trained her and the other villagers to understand the earth realm way of Ninjitsu and the use of their smoke bombs and other tools came to be useful during times of turmoil and her father was about to use them now. Quickly she took one last look at her father's pain-stricken face and as soon as the white smoke clouded the vision of the mutants she elbowed her way from the mutants who held her and ran deep into the forest. *Present* She laid there in her own blood and cried in a way she had never cried before. The wound in her side kept her from passing out, but it didn't stop the tears from flowing down her face.
The wind crept through her hair and on her skin. The night sky still glowed with the fire of her village and the smoky haze lit up the surrounding area. It had been three hours since the attack but Trevaunna felt only a minute had passed. I will get revenge for this! If it's the last thing I do! She thought angrily as she clenched her fists. I will become an even stronger warrior for my father's sake and then I will kill this Shao Khan! The undoing of these feelings suddenly came when the curse of sleep swept over Trevaunna. For tonight the grass would be her bed and the trees her blanket, but a new home called her name.
The dark of the forest was comforting, but the hiss of the wind on the leaves reminded her of the destruction that destroyed her home. She shivered remembering the look of pain and anger on her father's face when the mutant drove its arm-blade through his chest. How could this happen? We never did anything to this Emperor Shao Khan and he killed everyone... She shivered again, this time more violently than the last time. The pain in her side kept her from letting tears flow. Why? She closed her eyes trying to pass out from her pain, but instead she remembered the events from before. *Flashback* "Oh father! You really shouldn't have...I didn't expect you to do all this!"
The room was decorated in bright colored flowers and lighted candles. Many different trays of food had been prepared and were set up all over the room, a room suitable for someone's birthday.
"I knew you would object so I decided to let you clean up after." Her father said with a smile in his eyes. "Besides Trevaunna it's not everyday my daughter turns 1000."
"Well according to immortal behavior and aging I feel not a day over 20." Trevaunna laughed.
Soon all of the villagers and farmers arrived and joined in on the festivities. *Present* Trevaunna opened her eyes and looked at the dark clouded sky through the thick tree tops. Why? She closed her eyes again and swallowed her sob. *Flashback* The food had slowly started to disappear as well as the crowd of people. Trevaunna sat on the chair across from her father, conversing with him about the memory of her mother.
"I wish my mother would have stayed here with us. Alas, I do understand her reasons...it would have been nice to see her everyday though." Trevaunna mused.
"Yes, it would have been good, but with her mortal life being so short it would have been too painful to have her here. I sense she is here in spirit." Trevaunna's father pointed at her and smiled. "I see her everyday in you." He paused. "She would have been proud of the warrior you've become. Because I know I am."
Trevaunna took another drink from her cup and savored the taste of the sweet wine in her mouth before she swallowed it. "I know. I think I feel guilty because your people are immortal and hers are not, but I still ended up with the immortal kiss of life." Trevaunna took another drink from her cup and then looked around to see who remained in their home. *Present* Trevaunna suddenly inhaled sharply remembering what came next. If only I had more time to say what I never said to you! *Flashback* A bright light lit up the darkened sky outside of the little cottage just then. "What is this!" Trevaunna said jerking her thoughts from serenity to panic. Her father raced to the door only to meet a blast of fire and debris. "FATHER!!" Trevaunna screamed. Quickly she tried to reach her thrown father but was met by a mutant who picked her up and threw her against the wall. *Present* Trevaunna started breathing with labored gasps. *Flashback* The mutant walked slowly toward her fallen body. Trevaunna shook her head and tried to recover her senses before the mutant took flight against her. With a failed attempt she tried to kick out at the mutant, but was stopped by its slimy hand against her throat. She reached up and gripped its arm with her hands and with choked speech Trevaunna tried to ask it a question. "OO-O...*pant*...RRR-RR- OO-O...*pant*..."
The mutant smiled and a long tongue lashed out and caressed the stalactite which were its teeth. "You be slave for Master Khan!" It said with a hoarse breath.
Trevaunna looked down at the mutant whose bladed-arm kept a permanent bind on her throat. Knowing her breath would cease if she didn't do something she kneed the mutant in the stomach hard. With a grunt it let go and tried to grab her again. This time she was prepared.
Outside the cottage another mutant, the leader, stood and watched the horde of mutants destroy and kill the villagers with a smile on his face. *Present* Trevaunna could hear her quick breaths and the sound became too eerie for her to handle, she quickly put her hands up to her ears and winced in pain. *Flashback* "Bring them here!" The leader mutant said, he was wearing a white vested shirt with red lining and the look of shear pleasure painted his face. "They must pay for trying to betray Emperor Shao Khan!"
Trevaunna watched in horror as the mutant reached for her father's hunched figure and forced him to stand to his feet. He stumbled painfully to get to his feet, but the mutant ended up knocking him back down by punching him in the stomach.
Trevaunna tried to force her way past the mutants holding her, but it was futile. "Please...don't kill us! We do not know of this Shao Khan!" She pleaded with a bloodstained face.
The mutant looked at Trevaunna and growled. "Well this will serve a reminder of Shao Khan's wrath."
Trevaunna held her breath as she watched the mutant drive his arm-blade through her father's chest. The blood gushed out and her father's face twisted up in pain and anger. "Don't- hurt...*pant*...my...*pant*...daughter!" He gasped. Trevaunna realized what he was about to do at that moment. Her father trained her and the other villagers to understand the earth realm way of Ninjitsu and the use of their smoke bombs and other tools came to be useful during times of turmoil and her father was about to use them now. Quickly she took one last look at her father's pain-stricken face and as soon as the white smoke clouded the vision of the mutants she elbowed her way from the mutants who held her and ran deep into the forest. *Present* She laid there in her own blood and cried in a way she had never cried before. The wound in her side kept her from passing out, but it didn't stop the tears from flowing down her face.
The wind crept through her hair and on her skin. The night sky still glowed with the fire of her village and the smoky haze lit up the surrounding area. It had been three hours since the attack but Trevaunna felt only a minute had passed. I will get revenge for this! If it's the last thing I do! She thought angrily as she clenched her fists. I will become an even stronger warrior for my father's sake and then I will kill this Shao Khan! The undoing of these feelings suddenly came when the curse of sleep swept over Trevaunna. For tonight the grass would be her bed and the trees her blanket, but a new home called her name.