Hello everybody! I know I haven't updated with anything here in a while, but I'm really excited to do this story because I'll also be posting it over on my account on tumblr (same username/URL, igot2ne1problems) with additional illustrations! So if you'd like to check it out over there too, be my guest!
"You speak with me," Stryker demanded.
"I will have my audience with the emperor," the deity responded calmly, an undercurrent of immovability marking his tone.
The three paid no mind to the stifling heat of the lava pools below where the group stood, dwarfed by the wrought-iron gates to the lair overlooking the expanse of the kingdom of the dead. Nearby a pillar of writhing corpses reached out mindlessly to the sound of their voices, blindly grasping at false salvation.
The ex-NYPD agent narrowed his yellowed eyes at the god, sneering at the way he was capable of looking down on the revenant. Noticing this, the cop's ally stepped forward.
"You'll be seeing your way out now," Kabal hissed. Immediately Raiden could see his grip tighten slowly on one of his hook swords. He stood his ground, small patches of lightning beginning to flicker across his crossed arms in anticipation of the imminent conflict.
"Is our guest making his exit already?" interrupted someone from behind, the low, husky voice familiar to Raiden, despite the hollow echo and snide tone that tainted its former appeal. He turned to face the newcomer and noted the former queen's taunting smirk as she sauntered up to the group, the enenra trailing close behind.
"If this is how you treat your 'guests' I hate to see how you greet your enemies," Raiden retorted humorlessly.
"'Guests' typically dignify their hosts with more tact," replied Enenra.
"You heard him, buddy," Stryker jumped in before the thunder god had the opportunity to respond. "Off you go."
The cop nudged him harshly with his kali stick; Raiden knocked the offending instrument away, provoking an already agitated Kabal to draw both hook swords from their holsters. Raiden clenched his jaw, irritated but pausing to assess the situation. He hadn't come all the way out here to turn back now.
"I assure you it is a matter of the utmost urgency," Raiden continued, his voice level. "I have something that I believe your rulers would be interested in seeing."
He subtly readjusted the strap of the satchel hanging over his shoulder, letting his hand fall on the flap at his waist, patting it lightly and noting the furtive glance the guards seemed to give the long nails that could no doubt do well in protecting the contents. They looked back to each other, Kabal shaking his head.
"No deal," Stryker barked back at the protector god. "Beat it, buddy."
Raiden's eyes narrowed. He looked around, and seeing that he was flanked on all sides by less-than-friendly forces, pulled himself up to his full height, tightening his grip on the strap.
"Very well, then," he conceded as he turned to make his leave. "I have no doubt Kotal will be more than pleased to add it to his collection."
He crossed Sindel on her left, locking his gaze briefly with the fallen matriarch's. He could see her eyes widen - subtle, but telling - at the implication of his words as he passed her brusquely, continuing along the beaten path of scorched dirt from where he had entered. He strolled along in silence for a moment, listening intently.
"Stop!"
He paused, a small grin creeping onto his lips despite himself, unbeknownst to the revenants. He fixed his expression before turning back around to see Sindel marching formidably in his direction. She left him with little opportunity to get a word in before reaching out and forcibly gripping his arm.
"You will come with me," she commanded, the remnants of Quan Chi's corruption pulsing softly through the cracks of her skin.
He flung his arm out of her grasp. They stood for a brief moment, two pairs of tainted, fire-colored eyes locked in mutual distrust. Sindel brought up her hand, beckoning mockingly with one finger, silently ordering Raiden to follow her as she turned around and made her way back to the fortress. He sneered, but held his tongue and readjusted the strap on his shoulder before quietly following in her footsteps.
"Enenra," she barked as he passed the group. "Trail him. Your friends stay here, at the gate."
Without another word the former Lin Kuei was hot on Raiden's track, leaving Stryker and Kabal to resume their station.
The trio continued wordlessly, passing through the atrium of the foreboding castle. The only light guiding their way was from the paltry torches resting in their casings along the walls, the only sound the muddled, echoed clicking of the queen's heels across the stone floor.
Head high, Raiden did the best he could to make sense of the surroundings; shadow swallowed most of the decorum, but through tall, narrow, glassless windows came slivers of blood-red sky from outside. In one a monstrous bat-like oni could be seen soaring across the hellscape.
The sound of concerted exhalation alerted him from behind; Raiden turned to look at the smoke demon out of the corner of his eye. Puffs of ash escaped the revenant's mouth, trailing behind him as his orange glare cut straight through the cloud, keeping a close watch on their guest.
Raiden broke eye contact, returning his attention to the front, where he caught a glimpse of the silver-haired queen's own wary gaze from over her shoulder. Just as quickly she turned back to face her front, taking even strides without comment.
Likewise he continued to follow in silence, wondering when they would be reaching their destination.
"I certainly hope you and you friend here are indeed leading me to the throne room," Raiden commented dryly, his polite tone barely disguising the implied threat it intentionally carried.
"This is the fastest way," she barked without turning to him. "Unless you prefer the scenic route."
He did not respond immediately, instead clenching his jaw and readjusting his strap for the third time. They continued until they approached an open archway, the interior so pitch black Raiden couldn't see past the torch that sat in its iron casing. He watched Sindel take it out and hold in in front of her, illuminating the staircase beyond the entrance where they stood. Without checking behind her, she immediately began her ascent. The two behind her followed without question.
The three continued in silence for another minute, Raiden carefully maintaining his footing when the flame of the torch wavered and shadows swallowed the steps before his eyes. Suddenly he felt a strange sensation traveling across the back of his hand, the brush of something lightweight and barely tangible. He swatted at it, feeling the flimsy fibers of cobweb disintegrate at his touch. He continued in his attempts to brush off every trace before he began to experience the peculiar sensation of being watched once more. His eyes shot up, unintentionally meeting with hers before she quickly broke their gaze again.
"I remember a time when I was given a much warmer welcome on your behalf," Raiden commented, still rubbing his hand to check for remains. She gritted her teeth, irritated at his interpretation of her gaze as an invitation to speak.
"That was a long time ago," she retorted, holding the torch higher when its flame began to shrink.
"Just reminiscing," she heard him say, his voice lowering to almost a growl, the last word uttered pointedly.
"People change," she snapped back. "You would know."
There was a brief pause as the accusation in her words settled in.
"If circumstance demands it," he responded, notably more ominously.
"And to whom exactly do we owe the pleasure of these circumstances?" she questioned bitterly. She obviously hadn't prepared herself for his answer.
"In your case, Shao Kahn."
She stopped halfway between steps, whirling around and almost knocking the deity in the head with the lit end of the torch. Their companion took her gesture as a sign and immediately seized Raiden by the arms, clearly ready to bring their visitor back to the foyer at the signal.
"We do not say his name here," she hissed, holding the torch but a few inches from their guests' nose.
"Pitiful," Raiden replied, undeterred, even as the tip began to turn red from a few moments of exposure. "Even after his death you cannot bring yourselves to utter his name."
"Even after his death," she retorted, bringing the torch back to highlight her distorted, scarred countenance more clearly, "we remain."
She stared at him, reading the small signals she could in the dark. His expression was stony, the glow from his eyes shrinking to slivers as they narrowed at her insinuation. Sindel whipped back around and continued up the staircase, at a decidedly more enlivened pace. Raiden felt the Enenra's grip loosen before a small shove in the square of his back indicated to him to keep moving.
They traveled up the remains of the staircase in charged silence, seemingly for eternity as the steps continued winding in a counterclockwise pattern, each one just like the last. Soon even Raiden began to grow irritated; he glared at the back of his guide's head, with each step a bit more certain he was being duped, led to betrayal.
Right before he considered taking action, he could see Sindel approach a flat surface. A small handle of iron was the only adornment on the panel. She grabbed it and pushed forward, the dim red light of whatever room they were entering spilling into the staircase. Sindel moved forward, clearing the way for Raiden who ducked to avoid hitting his head on the arch of the portal. He surveyed the room; on his right, columns plated with twisting coils of bronze. On his left sat two thrones fashioned into what resembled bats, lined with blood red satin and stationed before enormous stained glass windows. As the enenra exited the staircase behind him, Raiden noted no sign of the king and queen he had come to see anywhere.
"The emperors?" he asked bluntly, expecting an answer from Sindel.
"Wait here," the enenra answered for her. "They shall arrive shortly."
The former Lin Kuei began to make his way to the standard entrance of the throne room, pausing when he noticed the absence of his fellow revenant at his side.
Sindel stood rooted for another moment, wearing an odd expression as she seemed to observe the thunder god, who had kept his eyes trained on the less-than-cordial ninja now a quarter of the way across the room. He broke his gaze and returned it to her upon realizing she had not moved and saw the strange look she gave him.
For the first time since he arrived, Raiden truly saw the twisted imitation of his old friend standing in her place. Memories of their time together, under different circumstances, flooded back to him, but as hard as he tried he could not reconcile the images of the two in his mind. His countenance grew stony, his expression unreadable as the former queen finally began to turn away, giving him that unusual look until all he could see was her back as she followed the other revenant out of the room.
