This is just another game.
Another pawn, sent out to destroy its so-called usurpers. But of course, the effort is futile. The pawn is erased. And then it repeats. Till all the little pieces are gone. Till they are all but a distant memory.
It is only a matter of time.
The way back to the Drylands base was a tiresome one - one full of silence, thinking, and sand. Night had again engulfed the land in its great shadow, and with it, a harsh and icy chill that gnawed persistently at Tanya's skin. She navigated through the hazy mist, using only the moon and its light as her anchor to home.
Pacing swiftly through the desert, she bunched up her clothing and clung to herself before she let her mind wander away from her immediate reality. She thought about the past long hours of daylight she spent her energy planning, snooping about and discreetly poking her nose in matters reckoning the mutant warrior masses. Many days had she wasted confronting different targets, all of which were innocent in the end. Many nights more had she arranged men to go out and do her dirty work, only to return empty-handed with shame. But it had finally paid off, hosting this endless search for these small annoyances that could easily trip up their entire rebellion; they could take no chances, and they could afford no fall back. Rain and Carcerus were accosting the wildlife issue head-on, and the Edenian herself had managed to sniff out the mole. At least she found relief in that.
Though, as many good things had to come to an end sooner or later, that relief was short lived when something caught her ear, causing her to emerge from her thoughts and engage in her surroundings. Tanya was on high alert, for she certainly did not feel she was alone…
A silhouette swooped in and attempted to topple her, but she jumped out of its way, equipping her naginata and whacking the unknown opponent on the back. It let out a groan, enabling it to where she could identify her little stalker more easily based on its upper register.
"Empress Mileena," she smirked with a quick bow of her head as she settled into her battle stance. "Did you miss me?" The half-Tarkatan picked herself up from the ground and wiped the grit off her clothes as she came forth with her answer.
"Well," she murmured lowly in a seductive purr, "isn't it obvious?" she began to approach Tanya slowly in a predatory prowl, her head turned to the side, which the other woman began to sidestep in the other direction so they would begin to circle each other. Based on the distance they were from home, she determined that Mileena was very eager for her return; she could see the anticipation in her eyes. The Edenian estimated they both were in the midst of the crater's gate and the rebel base camp about half-way, but it was hard to see through the fog.
"I would believe a figure of your status would not dare waste her precious time for these games," she pointed out slyly, sheathing her weapon so she could stretch her muscles.
"This is not a game, my dear," Mileena said, catching her off guard. Tanya's body tensed as she watched the hot, orange glow of her Tarkatan irises intensify. "this is merely a warm welcoming. Besides, we have all the time in the world, and we're alone…"
"What do you propose?" the Edenian prodded. She ceased her leisurely strides and backed off, raising her fists.
"Come closer," Mileena beckoned her over with one finger. Judging by her eyes, she openly taunted the woman as she tilted her head back and looked down her nose at Tanya. "Perhaps I shall tell you."
Her last words were the indication to the start of their, rather, more-than-friendly spar. Intrigued as she was, Tanya did not leap at the initial strike, for she knew she was not as swift - and dauntingly ferocious at the same time - as her superior. Instead, she hung back and awaited Mileena to come attack her. Her defensive course of action received a chuckle from the other.
The Edenian tried to suppress her smile - she knew exactly what she was doing. If she was to stand her ground to perform her greatest, let it be so that the empress would reach the highest extent of her power as well. There was never a time where she would reject a good challenge with her, even if she had just returned for the first time in over a few long and arduous months traveling from camp to camp to operate on them.
Mileena threw herself forward with such sudden force that Tanya almost lost her footing and stumbled backwards in an attempt to keep up with her. It turned out to be a false move, and she held back. Laughing quietly to herself.
"Shifty," Tanya commented breathlessly, her heart beating out of her chest. By the look on her face she clearly wasn't expecting a farce like this.
"You know it," the half-Tarkatan growled in a playful manner. "If I'd have known better, I think you would have known how my body moves by now."
"Not in the way you always… no."
"Then perhaps more rigorous training sessions are due. Are you familiar with this one?" Mileena murmured and disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke. Tanya braced herself, looking about her surroundings vigilantly, but the mist was not helping to lessen her nerves one bit. She kept the most attention on her back, for the memories began to flow back fresh into her mind of their previous encounters when they practiced together. She knew it was her weak spot. But she also couldn't recall on how or when Mileena appeared, so she was reliant solely on the sound for her cue to block against the spring attack. Before the midnight ambience of the desert drove her into paranoia, she turned her back at the exact moment the other woman appeared from above, kicking her in the chest and sending the surprised Edenian flying backwards before she hit the ground with an audible hiss from the sand.
"I - I…" Tanya struggled to catch her breath again as she clutched at the point of impact that pulsed a dull pain. "Remember. That… now!" She saw Mileena approach languidly with a triumphant smirk on her face. Conjuring a small burst of speed, she tumbled backwards and got onto her feet. She rose her fists in defense at the ready, with a determined look in her eyes - which, in turn, made the empress quite amused.
"It has been ages since we've last met," Mileena said. "You have seen me. Now, I wish to see you." With that, the mutant dashed forth towards the Edenian, testing her worth. Tanya dodged with ease and retaliated, tripping the woman in her seemingly clumsy advance.
She frowned, glaring down at her opponent, for she knew she was mocking her. She lifted her leg as a warning and prepared to stomp all her vigor out on Mileena, but not before she grabbed onto her ankle and dragged her to the ground with an animalistic, wild strength.
Tanya let a short cry of pain escape her lips as she was acquainted with the hard-packed sand once again. Her reaction excited Mileena all the more…
She was about to bolt back up to her feet to reciprocate, but then she felt a presence hovering over her body. It was unusual, because in that instant something changed abruptly in the air around them. Slowly, the shadow of a figure guided her eyes up and up, until she met a pair of sunset-bright Tarkatan slits staring back down at her. She averted her gaze to avoid having the embarrassment of looking at Mileena for too long. She spoke as she felt the odd silence approaching them. However, as soon as she opened her mouth, something unintentional came out.
"Oh… !" She gasped as the mutant dug her nails harshly into her thigh. She was beginning to feel the tension in between them as other woman drew closer and closer. Overwhelmed by a gentle sensation she hadn't felt in a long time, she froze in place. She turned her head away as Mileena crept up to face her. She could feel her mask brush ever-so-softly against her cheek, the heat of her body pressing down into her own. Even if contact from the woman above her was so uncharacteristically silken and just as nearly virtually nonexistent, she had gotten a strong surge from the center of her being that spread out in its entirety. It made the tips of her fingers go numb. It made her get goosebumps. It made her heart race. It made her feel so hot - it was then that she had remembered what this feeling was, and so she craved for more.
Her hand trailed down her leg with her fingers still sunken into her flesh, steadily creating a long scratch mark as she did so. The discomfort made the Edenian shudder under her weight. And then Mileena whispered into her ear. "This is merely just the beginning, Tanya. It appears to me that time has made you so, so… soft." All of a sudden she seized the woman underneath her, climbing to her feet and pushing her back. In succession Tanya blinked away the haze in her eyes and attempted to snap out of her drunken stupor. She found herself flustered and her face had a dark red tint to it. The act only added to her chagrin and caught her totally off guard, even if she already knew how dirty Mileena tended to play back then - now she played it both ways. It was clear to her that she was, indeed, in need of more rigorous training than she originally thought if she was to keep up her skill, no matter the obstacle thrown her way.
The way Mileena took advantage of their close ties in order to distract her frightened Tanya. In this encounter, this warm welcoming, she was giving her a lesson. A wake-up call.
"I can see in your eyes that you desire me," she purred and readied herself to pounce upon Tanya again, who was still in a bit of a daze. She gritted her teeth together and grinded them harshly before she raised her fists, centering herself into her battle stance for a second stand. This time, she wasn't going to let her focus slip out from underneath her. She looked much more determined than ever.
"So come for me."
"… You'd better count on it."
~( OuO )~
"No. No! Stop! STOP! That is not -"
A loud crash shook the ground.
"Ugh. Idiots." Baraka held his head as he watched a couple of his soldiers lose their balance with a stack of wooden crates only to descend to the sandy floor. The boxes splintered into a million tiny pieces, spilling out its content of an assortment of stolen weapons. The two Tarkatans scrambled to their feet to try and pick them all up, but to no avail. Baraka plodded over impatiently as they kept dropping things over and over again.
"Salangi ash'te! Get out of my sight you dogs, or I'll gut you where you stand!" he roared and threw his meaty arms into the air. He glared down at them as they scampered away from the wagon, whimpering with their tails in between their legs.
"Shka… ! A natahn lam, katali saie?" One of the warriors cursed under his breath, jostling his comrade to confirm what they had done.
"Saie, saie," he nodded solemnly with a visible shiver down his spine. They looked at each other as they went on their way back to their tents, until one of them shouted to get the other's attention. "Hey!"
His friend bumped into someone and he let out an annoyed growl. Little did he know who, exactly, he encountered before turning to face the stranger. The confidence melted from his face. And then he went very, very pale.
"Stand aside, Tarkatan," Tanya stood still as a stone wall as she looked down upon him with an indifferent, authoritative tone. With the flick of her wrist she suggested he move, but he was too frozen in fear to budge.
"A saie ehn say lati? Baraka talay rgo sina, eh?"
"Empress…" she started, but before she could speak to the man in front of them he dropped to their feet and bent his chest to his knee, with both hands grappled into the ground before him.
"Silence, Ambassador," Mileena commanded and told the soldier to rise and look straight into her eyes. He obeyed wordlessly, bunching up his courage to stare back at her.
"M-my deepest apologies, Kahnum," he stuttered. By the way he furrowed his brow and returned his gaze to the ground, he scolded himself inwardly. All of a sudden her eyes shifted to the side. She saw a small group of onlookers peeking out from their tents. Just the notion of her staring at them spooked the handful of waking warriors and they disappeared back inside. The woman squinted at him and frowned. Removing her mask, she hissed sharply, baring her fangs at him in a savage display of Tarkatan dominance.
"Cennao. Pualsi rgo hala qatay ti," she whispered to him. Clearly shaken, the soldier got the message and fled back to his quarters. Mileena turned to Tanya, who was still standing calmly by at her word. "Now, you may speak."
"I wish to speak privately, now that this has passed," she murmured.
"Is that so? Come." The two headed side-by-side into the largest tent that was marked the center of camp. Baraka alone was next to the entrance tending to a carriage supply of tools amongst a small pack of helpers. He stopped at the sight of Mileena and Tanya's return while barking something to the other figures of lower status, and then walked inside.
The empress was very pleased by the commander's progress. She scanned over the few wagons they managed to snag from the current kahn's grubby paws. From what Tanya could see the men taking up their hands to the beast-driven vehicles worked ever harder the closer their leaders came to pass them. She didn't show it, but she chuckled silently to herself at this. She felt a dozen pairs of eyes target their backs as they went inside the tent house.
Upon entering the darkness of this wide open room, a wave of cool air pushed through and enveloped Tanya's body, causing her to let out a relaxed sigh, as the morning sun had beaten down on her relentlessly in the mere hours she spent in the dunes. The empress' place of residence felt so familiar to her, as she had stayed here before she journeyed out into the desert and ended up planting herself within the crater-lake's reaches to the near west. This multi-room space - divided into four smaller areas - was made up of a main chamber, a planning office, sleeping quarters, and the smallest room that posed as a bathroom. Within the main chamber they currently stood in, Tanya imbibed in the memory of arranging the decor and furniture she ordered herself to make Mileena's living space the least bit more liveable.
"So," the Edenian was the first to shatter the silence abound around them. "About Carcerus."
"Ah yes. Baraka's little flower boy," Mileena scoffed as she plopped herself down on a seated pillow. The commander scowled more in agreement to her statement than offense. It was apparent that he despised the creature as much as his superior. "Give me good news. What say you?"
"I sent Rain to accompany him on a vacation to the mountains. He walked right into our trap, the miserable little snake," Tanya replied. "Do not worry, Empress. Rain will have disposed of him soon enough. It is only a matter of time."
"Oh please, worry?" Mileena laughed as she leaned back. "A Son of Argus - a demigod, versus an ant."
Author's Note: S'up y'all. I thought it would fun to make up some Tarkatan language, based off of Mileena's command in Kotal Kahn's chapter of MK:X: "Rrgo na-TAY!" I figured if she spoke that way to other Tarkatans, they wouldn't completely understand English. Oh and I also learned that they aren't very bright, so… It's just nonsense words of course (hopefully they don't mean something bad in a language in the far east O_O), a bunch of random syllables I thought would sound kind of like the phrase said in-game. Here's all the silly sayings' translations down below:
Salangi ash'te! = Stop it!
Shka… ! A natahn lam, katali saie? = Damn… ! We screwed up, didn't we?
Saie, saie = We did, we did.
A saie ehn say lati? Baraka talay rgo sina? = What is this we did you speak of? You were being a bad boy to Baraka, eh?
Cennao. Pualsi rgo hala qatay ti. = Return [to your quarters]. Reflect on your mistakes.
Westcoast Witchdoctor Thank you! ;)