The room was old. One chair was knocked over, another only had two legs. Aside from a large table squished into the corner the room was bare. Here and there odd little bits and bobs stuck out. A pair of needles, a ripped book, a moth infested piece of wood. Han walked on small feet, bare and uncovered, in the safety of his father's study. He had not been allowed inside until that day. That fateful day...
Han sucked diligently at his paw. He stared up in wonder at the masses of phials piled atop the table. They seemed to contain a kind of smoke inside them. Only this smoke was of so many colours. Most were a dull grey, but there were a few of bright greens and yellows and reds and purples and orange and turquoise and... Han blinked. It was too beautiful. He reached forwards and grabbed one phial. It looked like glass but felt so much heavier. He held a phial of crimson in one paw, his other one still in his mouth, getting sucked dry. Removing his paw he unscrewed the lid, and watched as the gas floated up into the air. He sniffed at it curiously. It smelt of nothing, but stung his nostrils.He sneezed. Suddenly the whole room made him feel uncomfortable. He shook his head. Whatever that stuff was it wasn't good. He sneezed again. His head spun. He felt dizzy.
"Mama !" His little voice cried as he fell onto his knees, a trickle of blood pouring from his nose.
"Mama !" He coughed up blood.
"Don't worry. I'm here." He looked up at a pair of bright green eyes. A snow leopard held out her paw towards him.
"Here. Take my hand."Confused and suffering Han held out his paw.
"No ! Han don't touch her !" He heard his dad shout from the doorway, just as the tips of his paws skimmed the leopards'.Too late. "Thank you." She murmured, before dashing towards his father.
"That was the day my life came apart. That was the day I met Baba Yaga." Han shivered. Suddenly a gust of wind blew open the door, and put out the fire. Han squeaked, his claws unsheathing instinctively. Qadim closed the door, before putting a warm paw on Han's shoulder. Han jumped suddenly, but remembered where he was.
"Don't worry. Whatever she was, she can't get you now."
Han shivered. "You have no idea what she can do."
Han collapsed on his side. He was paralyzed. He watched in fascinated horror as the leopardess sliced the air with claws tipped with metal. She then kicked Han's father square in the chest. He crumpled. He reached a paw towards his son as a final goodbye. Then the leopard brought her foot crashing into the wolverine's skull. His head burst open. Han half-gagged, half-screamed.
The leopardess picked him up almost tenderly. She waved her paw, and all the room's multiple weird and wonderful objects flew towards her outstretched paw. Han felt as if he had been thrown into the air.
He found himself in the enchantress's grip, looking back at the house that had once been his home.
"Mama !" He shouted with all the strength he could muster.
Then the house erupted into huge, black flames.
"Mama ! Mama ! Mama !" He cried, his eyes streaming with tears. Then when he realised that there was no rescue he whimpered pitifully. "Mama".
Qadim stared at Han with an expression of pity. The wolverine seemed close to breaking down, and that was years after that experience.
Han removed his vest of armour, revealing a furless torso. Several scars were built into his body. There was one particularly deep one where his heart was, so large that Qadim could see the wolverine's beating heart throb. The cat gagged reflexively.
"I know I'm not a pretty sight. But I never asked to be like this."
Han shrieked as the familiar sense of pain encompassed him. So much pain. Even though the metal claw only dug into his belly, his whole body screamed in agony. Every nerve on his body was burning.
"Where is it ?" She hissed, tearing at his skin, pulling at his flesh, letting his blood drip onto the cold, stone floor.
Even if Han knew the answer he wouldn't have been able to say it. The pain was too severe for him to do anything other than scream.
"Every day, for as long as I can remember, she would come. And every day, she would cut somewhere else. I got this", he showed his deep scar, his heart throbbing visibly under it. "When I asked for water."
Qadim raised a paw. "I've heard enough-"
Han looked like he hadn't heard him, and continued anyways. "But one day, it all changed."
"So. Have you got any answers for me ?" The leopardess asked, her paws on her hips, her eyebrows raised.
Han choked out his answer, through a parched throat and the fear of more pain. "I told you before. I have no idea what's going on."
The leopardess sighed. "Not what I'm looking for." She stalked forwards as Han braced himself for the torture he knew was coming. He screwed his eyes tightly shut, to avoid making contact with those bright green eyes. The eyes of hell itself.
Suddenly there was shouting, the sound of combat. The clanging of sword on sword, the banging of a door. The she-devil looked annoyed more than anything. "Wait here. I'll be back soon." She turned and walked away.
That was the last time Han saw her alive.
The door flew open with a crash, startling the leopardess. This was followed up by a meteor hammer which caught her square in the chest. She was winded, but not out of fight yet. She teleported forwards, grabbed the intruder by the head and smashed his face into the wall. Blood squirted everywhere. She turned back to Han. "Now that that rude interruption's over, why don't we get back to business ?"
The blade of a katana popped out of her chest. Blood welled up around the wound, staining her clothes crimson. "I'm not that easy to kill." The intruder growled. He withdrew the katana and swung at the back of her neck.
Blood flew everywhere, as if she had been made of the stuff. Her head landed square at Han's feet, her green eyes somewhat less felt no pity. Only disgust. The intruder stalked forwards.
He was well armored, with plates of that strange glass coating his suit of bronze. He swung once and Han's chains snapped, no longer a part of him.
The wolverine fell to his feet, batting aside the dead head of the looked up at his rescuer. He had a plain face, his brow furrowed. Putting aside the katana the lupine reached a paw towards Han. The wolverine shook his head, too scared to touch anything after what he'd been through.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." The wolf lifted the young wolverine as if he weighed nothing, and put him softly to his feet. "Come. We're going home."
"After that the Lin Kuei looked after me. I was never one of theirs, but they were nice enough, and let me join in their training sometimes. They let me keep an axe, but I didn't want to intrude on their business. So I left. My travels have lead me here."
Qadim nodded as Han sat down suddenly, replacing the plate to hide his scarred chest. Qadim grimaced as he remembered that the wolverine had yet to say how he had acquired the money. Still that experience was traumatic to say the least, and he wouldn't press on further, at least not yet. Han stifled a yawn.
"I guess I'm sleeping here." The wolverine said suddenly, as if he had never discussed anything as depressing as his life story to a near stranger. Qadim blinked.
"This room stinks of shit, how could you sleep here ?"
Han smiled knowingly. "Baba Yaga doesn't let me smell anything."
Qadim nodded."Fine. As long as you're comfortable."
Han lay back, and let sleep take him. For Qadim, it wasn't as easy. He sat down in the corner for a long time. If this was the kind of shit competitors went through to get into the tourney, then his son was hopelessly outclassed. He stared into space. He felt pity for Han, and was anxious for Badr. But he knew that for once he was powerless.
Meanwhile, outside in the starry night, another figure stared. But not at space, but at the window of the second floor, where he could see the Ajam's fast asleep. And one in particular. Badr. Chang Shuimian's beak twisted into a half smile. He couldn't wait for the tourney to start.
Footnote: Huh, 1.5k and I still haven't filled up all of Han's backstory. I like it. Next chapter is where the tournament begins, so I will announce that the OC gathering is over. I have twenty major competitors, that's five more than last time, damn I had no idea this fic would be this big. Still, unlike last time the competitors will be getting removed at more regular points. Next chapter is gonna be a BIG one, I have to get all the competitors introduced in detail, and set up the First Task. Aaaaan Between Brothers still needs to get finished up.
First world problems ya know.
Anyways as for Han's backstory, well it's not really going to be expanded on here. Baba Yaga, the chi phials and the Lin Kuei are all for another fic, one thats stars three of my less known/more lame OCs. XD, so you have that to look forwards to. Enjoy.
