Outworld...
It has been seven hours since Kitana had arrived back at her home. And it almost looked like everything had gone to chaos. But with the help of Outworld's leaders, it all had been restored. And the citizens were able to pick themselves back up. The first matter of business was to put the city guards on high alert, and to send scouts all over the realm to see if there are any anomalies that occurred. It was best that they all are kept on guard in case if any dragon stumbles upon Outworld.
As the day turned sour, Kitana decided that it was time she would rest. Doing all of this political work made her head feel a bit. Being Kahn of an entire realm meant a lot of things that she had to do. And having the time to rest was probably the most satisfying thing she could ask for.
About a half hour into the night, she stepped outside of her kingdom to clear her mind. Of course her maidens advised her not to do so, but she assured them that she could take care of herself. And that she dealt with worse things than dragons. Plus, all of this turmoil and political matters gave her a headache. Surely they would all understand what she was going through. If not, then that would be an issue. That is why she let Kotal take control while she is out.
She walked along the side of the canyon where D'vorah's old hive was located. It has been so long to the point where the Outworlders began to question whether or not D'vorah was killed or missing. But it mattered not for Kitana. If D'vorah would attack her she would see it coming. And besides, would the Kytinn want to attack the Kahnum of Outworld when the bug herself is at half her strength? Probably not.
She looked around and saw nothing but sand, dust, and a few animal skeletons that stretched for miles. She saw a few lizards crawling through the dirt of the canyon, but vanished minutes after. She wondered if there would be anyone else out here in the dark. But that wouldn't be a great chance since nothing travels in the dark in Outworld. Or at least, anything human, tarkatan, or any other political race.
While walking, she thought about everything. Her right of ruling, Earthrealm, the struggle against the dragons, including her past during Shao Kahn's rule. She thought of the tasks that he would give her, and how she would executing them. But she also thought of the deception that was brought upon her by that monster. She thought of the beasts that were just like him, and wondered if they two desired conquest. But that would be impossible, since dragons usually would stick to the shadows.
But then again, those were just mere thoughts that were crossing her mind. Who knows what could be the reason of there dissent. Perhaps someone could be doing all of this. Or perhaps,something. But that mattered not. Because they were everywhere, which meant that any location in the realms could be under attack. Even Outworld.
But the realm was too much of a wasteland to be in the brink of attack. It would be impossible for any dragon to try to invade it. But that subject would not last. Including all of the coin that they stored in the cities. Which Kitana feared would be the architect of their destruction. Which gave her a thought of doing the first thing in the morning. But for now, she thought of enjoying the peaceful moonlight that shined over the desert canyon.
But within her time of relief, she heard something. It sounded like lightning twisted with a force that she could not understand. Next thing she knew, the ground started shaking. Which did not sound like good news. But that was not it, the winds started to pick up. And the hurricane-like noise filled the air once more. She took out her fans and looked around her. Trying to find the source of this disturbance.
As she looked around, she saw that dirt and sand rising up and swirling in the air. It almost made her temporarily blind, but she still could see through it. She also listened very closely to try to find out where it all came from. And to her observation, it sounded like it was coming from above her. When she looked up, she first saw nothing, but when she looked back up, saw something very extraordinary.
Because out of the blue, a large metal object appeared out in the sky. Almost as big as a fortress. It had a whole in the middle of it with a massive, glowing ring in the inside. She turned towards it and saw that the light started to illuminate. By then a pulsating sound started to fill the area around. And as it got louder, the light became brighter. It almost looked like a sun in the night time. Kitana shielded herself with her fans to avoid being blind and turned her body slightly to the right.
And although she was able to shield herself, there was still that pulsating sound that got louder. By then, she started to hear a little rumble before an electric sound came into the air as well. She peeked out of her fans with one eye and saw a ring within the glowing ball spinning rapidly. And in a matter of seconds, another, smaller object that brazenly appeared from the object, was sent crashing through the earth just a hundred miles from where she was standing.
And after a moment later, the glowing ball from the cube started to fade. And the medal thing started to power down and sit there in the night sky. Leaving Kitana very puzzled.
"What was that?" she asked herself.
She tried thinking of an answer. But there would be just too many possibilities. Some were just too impossible to imagine. While others could not be of the subject. But besides that, she thought of what she could do next. Envy plagued her current thoughts and was unable to think of one. But as she was thinking, she thought of too possibilities.
Either she would go back to the castle and send out search parties to investigate this sudden disturbance or... she could go over to the crash sight and investigate the scene for herself. Yet, there was a feeling in her that if she went to investigate, she would be on her own. With no one to back her up against the odds. Then again, she dealt with worse odds than this. Shoot, she brought down the mighty Shao Kahn. And he was an even larger opponent than she was.
But either than that, she also had this feeling of going out there and dealing whatever it was that was out there. Ambition soaked her desire to do something. It was a feeling that she had long thought of doing since the time she had discovered Mileena in the Flesh Pits. And at that time, she had to fight Jade to even set foot in pits. Which was something that she did not enjoy doing. Fighting her friends instead of her enemies.
That was something that her revenant would do. And she is not her revenant. In fact, she was even stronger and smarter than her duplicate. Which made her a better example for herself, and all of Edenia and Outworld. Even Raiden, her mother Sindel, and Shang Tsung couldn't deny it. Especially since they had their doubts about her. Which made them wrong to judge her.
But after another moment or two, she finally made up her mind. She took a deep breath, exhaled out, and then walked to the direction where the object landed. Ready to face whatever threat was over there. No matter what the stakes were. She was Kahn of Outworld, and she would do anything to ensure the protection of her realm. No matter what the cause.
She walked for a whole thirty minutes. With no sign of anything that would pose a threat to her. Which was most annoying. For a murderous assassin like her, she liked a bit of bloodshed every time she would go out by herself. It was in her nature. She was raised to be a killer. But not in the right way. She was strong. And that's all she had to be.
However, as she kept walking. She started to get lonely too. And at a time like this, she could use some company from Liu Kang and Jade right about now. Yet, with Shaolin Monk being in Earthrealm defending its Jinsei, along with sculpting the Sands of Time. And her ex-bodyguard running off with the Osh-Tek that she calls friend and ally, there weren't really a lot of options.
She could try Kung Lao, but his overheated ego made it impossible for her to keep her from slicing him in half. She would try Sonya, Jax or Johnny Cage, but they have their own problems. And then there are the grandmasters, Scorpion and Sub Zero. Not impossible, but not doable either. Probably because they wouldn't go five minutes without trying to rip each other apart. Or at least, get competitive at some point. And that leaves Cassie and her team.
It could be something worth doing, but they're too young to understand the relations that older folks like her have. Especially since they were newbies of their training squad a couple years back. But as these options faded, she started to feel a bit lonely again. Filled with isolation and emptiness.
But as she looked at her surroundings, she started to get a layout in the environment. She took notice of her new surroundings and kept her guard up at all times. Part of the lessons that she was given when training to become an assassin was to be aware of what's around you. Even if it is either friend or foe that intrudes did not let fear consume her. Not even a hint of it. She stood fast. Prepared for the first thing to make a move on her. And even though there was no one around besides herself, she still sought otherwise.
She listened through the air. Seeing if there was any other sound that may be present. And yet, all she could her was the wind blowing calmly through the darkness, and her own self breathing with it. And she was not happy about it. But it did not stop her from losing it. She had to stay focused. Anything could happen. No matter which direction it comes from.
However, after walking a couple more miles, Kitana started to think that there was nothing out here that would be an actual threat. Even though she swore that she saw something crash land in this specific area. But as she took a few more steps, she heard something. She quickly turned around and pulled her fans out. Pointing them at the direction of where the sound came from. And it appeared to have come from a small patch of bushes in that same direction she was looking at.
She narrowed her eyes. Anticipating whatever threat would pose to her. Now that she was aware of one. As the bushes rustled, she tightened her grip on the fans. Anxious to fight this unknown threat that would show itself from the bushes. And as seconds passed, the unknown enemy showed itself. Which would appear not as an unholy monster...but a small, harmless desert lizard.
Which had green scales and yellow eyes. And for an assassin ready to kill at first sight, as now left a bit confused. It crawled up onto a rock and bluntly stared at the Edenian Kahn. In return she lowered her head and started to cease her fighting stance. Which also leaves the lizard puzzled a bit before taking off into the desert. Once again making Kitana feel alone.
It was almost disturbing to feel this kind of way. In fact, now the place was now so empty, she could see a tumbleweed pass by her from her right side. And with the moon at it's highest peek, she now decided that it was time to head home. But before she could do so, she heard something again. But instead of it approaching her, it was heading right towards her from behind. She takes out her fan from her right hand, turns around, and slices the thing that would ambush her from behind. When it dropped, she turned towards it and saw a huge bug. Bigger than the average beetle.
And there she knew. Whenever there was bugs, then a mysterious Kytrinn would not be far. But before she could even find her, a shadow of a long tentacle came into view. Before it could hit her, she turned around and blocked it with her fans. And next thing she knew, she was now face to face with D'vorah herself. The bug tried to go for another attack, but Kitana knocked her block off before it could attack, and then back flipped a couple yards before having to deal with any other attacks further.
After that, she stayed in her fighting stance and confronted the intruder herself. Who in return had her four tentacles from her back out.
"D'vorah," she said. "A pleasant surprise seeing you out here."
"This One knew that your curiosity of the mysterious object would draw you out," D'vorah replied.
"Then why be fooled enough to attack me alone?"
"This One ensures the Hive's survival," the bug answered. "By killing you, Outworld will pose no threat to it."
"i find that impossible to believe,"Kitana joked. "But that doesn't matter. For too long you've threatened my people with your filth. Today is the day justice catches up to you."
"We shall see princess," D'vorah shot. "Otherwise This One will enjoy your death."
"Sure, but before we settle this," Kitana pointed out. "Let me ask you something. When you were still appointed with Kotal Kahn, did you kill Mileena by his order?"
"This One killed many on the behalves of others," said the Kytrinn. "Including your father. Mostly because he was weak and stupid. Like you and the rest of your Edenian filth."
"On the behalf of Milleena and Jared,"said Kitana. "You die!"
And without further due, the battle began. Kitana made the first move. Swinging her steel fans at the Kytinn. In which she blocks with her tentacles. Since the tips were almost metal-like, it caused them to not break. After a couple more swings, D'vorah makes her move by attempting to stab her. Where the Edenian Kahn dodges them in style. And then retaliates with another few strikes with her fans.
D'vorah had never faced the Princess of Outworld before, so this made the battle a bit challenging for her. But if she could defeat Mileena, than there is no doubt that she would be able to defeat her duplicate. So she strikes back, using her tentacles to immobilize the young queen. Then yet again, Kitana was able to block those strikes with her fans. And after a few more strikes, the Edenian Princess retaliates with two swings along with a kick in between the Kytrinn's legs.
And then sends were rolling in front of her. One of which Dv'orah recovers and delivers a blow to the face. One that startles Kitana for a bit. It took her a moment to recover, but she was back at it and decides to go on the defense. Where D'vorah delivers two strikes. One of which Kitana blocks and returns with a swing to the face. Fortunately for the bug, she was able to pull back before her face could be sliced.
Then Kitana changes tactics, doing a low spin in a attempt to knock D'vorah off balance. Which fails to do so. And yet, within that strike, she was able to spin around and do a crescent kick right across the Kytrinn's maw using her opposite leg. The kick was enough to throw the bug off balance and fall on he face. There, she starts walking towards D'vorah so she could finish her off.
But upon her approach, the Kytrinn sent a swarm of bugs straight at the princess. Which cut her off guard while she recovered. And delivers a double kick in response. Causing Kitana to fall back a few feet. With quick reflexes, Kitana got back up on her feet and pressed the attack. She slashed her steel fans at D'vorah, tempting to wear her down. But instead, the Kytinn blocks her attacks.
After a couple more strikes she at D'vorah, who dodged the attack and took the opportunity to take the offense. And soon, Kitana was now left blocking the bug's attacks with her fans. And pretty soon, the fatigue started kicking in her. She couldn't keep up with D'vorah's attacks. Making her vulnerable. And after another strike, D'vorah saw an opening underneath Kitana's left arm and went for it.
Using her left tentacle, she struck a blow at the Edenian Kahn and stung her just underneath. The blow slowly paralyzed Kitana. Making her vision too blurry. Now the Kytinn turns the tide as Kitana blindly strikes her twice.
D'vorah blocks those two attacks with all of those attacks and returns with a quick strike to the chest. Which dazes Kitana. And without hesitation, she tackles the princess over the cliff and sends her falling to the bottom. Using her wings to hover herself as she watches the Edenian descend to the ground.
Upon impact, Kitana laid motionless for a little. The fall almost broke every bone in her body. Yet once again, that wasn't the case. But she was still beaten. She could only slowly get up to her knees and watch the Kytrinn fly towards her. She shook her head a bit and was about ready to get up. But before she could, the Kytinn stabs her in the shoulders with both of her upper tentacles and immobilizes her. And then grabs the sides of Kitana's face closer to hers.
"You were always weak Princess," she berates. "Now This One ends your misery."
As she got closer the Kytinn started opening her mouth. Where thousands of crawling bugs started spewing out. Most of them nearly went into Kitana's. And to Kitana, this was probably the worse way to die. But it also was familiar to her as well. Because if she could remember correctly, this was the same thing she did to Mileena when Kotal came to power.
And now she was about to suffer the same fate. Which made things feel both disgusting, and to suffer a death like that would mean that the victim would have to suffer thousands of bugs crawling inside them. And that was not a death she wanted. But unfortunately, from the looks of things, this would be a death that she would have no other choice but to witness.
However, before D'vorah could devour the Empress with bugs like her sister, a ear splitting screeching sound filled the air. It was loud enough to cease the Kytrinn's final attack on her. But not only that, but she also heard the sound of wings flapping not far from them. Kitana clocked one eye out, looked up and saw, to her and the bug's horror, a purple fireball coming from a rock just above them and headed towards them.
It hits D'vorah in the face before she had time to recover. Causing her to loosen her grip on Kitana and fall a few feet backwards. She took that as an advantage and quickly climbed back onto her feet. She back flipped a few feet away before standing her ground. She knew that running from a fight would be considered a sign of weakness. Which she learned greatly during her time with Shao Kahn.
By then, there was a bit of movement by the rock where the fireball came from. D'vorah took notice of this as well, and became prepared for anything that could happen next. Both Edenian and Kytrinn asked themselves, Who would possess this kind of magic? For a being to pull a stunt like that is something that no one from Outworld could pull. If the answer was more than what they hoped for, than the interloper would be bigger than both of them.
Kitana seemed to be a position that was out of reach from the rock, while D'vorah was a bit closer. She snapped out of her time of thinking and moved herself slightly away from the rock. For every step she took, so did Kitana. After a while of doing this, Kitana accidentally steps on a twig. Which gets the bug's attention. She turns around to see the Edenian Empress just behind her. Not moving a single muscle. But while they locked eyes, D'vorah noticed that the princess did not bring her guard down.
But before the two of them could do anything else at that moment, they heard something that caught their attention once again. And it sounded like the bellowing of a large beast. They both slowly turned their heads back to the rock and saw what looked like a large bat hanging from a tree above the rock. Then, the branch growled as a pair of wings extended at the opposite sides. Kitana shifted her body a bit in case of another threat. And D'vorah did the same thing.
Slowly, the beast crawled down from the branch and dropped onto the first thing that became visible was a row of spikes that went from head to toe. Within those spikes, as a blue-ish glow that glimmered in the moonlight. It was too dark to make out, but it looked as if its scales were black as night with a charcoal color to it.
Slowly, the creature started to climb up the rock and its body started to become visible. Two massive forearms came out and touched the edges of the rock. Indicating that this creature has four legs instead of two. After that, that's when they saw its head rise. Seeing it, along with the rest of the minor details, signified to Kitana that this was the first dragon to ever come into Outworld.
Though she couldn't tell if it was like the rest of them. Because most of the other fire breathers would attack at first sight. Or even through the air. Is it buying its time? Or is it waiting to see if we are easy snacks? These were questions that she wondered as she looked on. Even though, this dragon seemed to be different.
Unlike the others, this beast shared some characteristics like Drogon in terms of color. While adopting to the other physical trails like Saphira and Elliot. But one other difference she noticed was its biggest fiercest warrior in Outworld was around 15 feet tall. This creature in the oth er hand had to be at least five times bigger.
But the terror that seemed to bring with its size, shape, and facial features that identified its wrathful ambitions was reinforced with a roar that was loud and powerful enough for many to hear from miles away. Plus with its wings extended out to show its superiority. It was to the point where Kitana tripped and fell on her back. In which D'vorah stung in the shoulder with her tentacles shortly after she saw that the empress was vulnerable. The strike was enough to paralyze her, which also dulled her vision. She could now see only blurry images of both the bug and the dragon.
But the cry was enough to reach the dragon's ears and caused it to snap its head back in surprise and confusion. He did not expect something to go like that. From the rock, the creature's green eyes saw the downed empress crawling backwards as the bug-like lady moves in to finish her off. But despite her efforts, turned towards the dragon again as it warble. It lowered itself from the rock and investigated the scene further.
It sniffed a couple of times as it looked from Kitana to D'vorah, and back to Kitana, and back to D'vorah again. For them, it was hard to tell what the dragon was thinking. But to Kitana's fortunes, this thing seemed more interested in her than in D'vorah. Which she couldn't tell if it was a good sign or a bad sign. But she was soon about to find out after the dragon looked at her one last time.
After that, it turned its full attention towards the bug, and growled at her most viciously. It lowered its eyes, giving a nasty glare as it continues to snarl at D'vorah. Then, the dragon stands on its hind legs before unleashing, a mild, yet imposing roar. Telling the bug to leave the empress alone. But with no knowledge of dragon language, D'vorah took that was an act of aggression and decided to start a fight.
She starts with sending a swarm of flies from her chest at the dragon. Who blocks it out with its wings. After a few seconds, he opens them back up and quickly shoots another fireball at her. The blast disarms her temporarily. Which gives the dragon an advantage. In lightning speed, it jumps from the rock and tackles D'vorah to the ground. Pinning her against another rock just several feet to the right of Kitana. Which she could barely see.
There, D'vorah was merely hopeless. Its paws were crushing her neck and she had no chance of escaping now. The dragon glared into her eyes, showing his fury and his might and delivering it to her soul. Without saying anything, she pleaded for mercy. That he would spare her life and she would never see her again.
The dragon did not give her a sign right away. But after a moment of being in that position, he starts to raise up. Preparing to make the final kill. D'vorah was almost giving to accept her fate. But before he could do so, he only delivered a ringing roar to the face. Once it was done, it snorted before letting her go.
And next thing Kitana knew, D'vorah disappeared within the underground in a flash. Not leaving a single trace. And given a few more seconds, that was the last she ever heard of D'vorah. And never saw her again.
But now that the bug was gone, this only left Kitana with this new dragon. He turned his head towards her and stared her down. It seemed as the look on his face was intense since he was a dragon, but suddenly, there was a shift in the eyes of this beast. The first look was more slit-like, almost similar to a cat. But what she saw now, was a more round-ish kind of look. Almost like a dog to her.
But this feeling was short lived when it started to move closer to her. Kitana did not know what she could do next. The strike temporarily paralyzed her. Making her vulnerable to this creature. She got up on her knees, sat back, and closed her eyes while looking down. Hoping that it would either finish her off or go find something else to feast upon. But before that decision would be made, she thought of everything that went on in her past life. About Liu Kang and how he freed her from Shao Kahn's corruption.
About Edenia and how peaceful it was to even be in such a home. And how she led the rebellion against Shao Kahn and eventually became Kahn herself. Her whole life was but of many extraordinary events. Events that had good memories and horrifying ones. But now it is all in the hands of one beast that could end it all. So she accepted her fate, and would hopefully join her mother and father in the afterlife.
Or was she? Because after seconds passed, she felt something nudging her chest area. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see the dragon, nudging her chest with its head. She had so many questions that were unanswered. What is this? Is it a sign of mercy? Or is this something else? By then the dragon nudged her a couple times before helping her back on her feet.
By that time, the sting from D'vorah began to wear off. So she could regain her senses. She turned a bit and saw the dragon in a sitting position while staring at her once more. Tilting its head slightly in surprise. And though she was still in shock, she started to become curious about this dragon. 'There is indeed something different about this one. But what was it?'
She looked into its eyes. Trying to see if she could find the answer to her question. And through its pupils, she saw the most unlikely thing ever imaginable. Through the appearance, she saw a vicious beast in need of endless destruction. But through its eyes, she also saw something...like an intelligent and gentle creature. Whose soul reflected her own. Almost if he was not giving and sign of conflict, but a sign of peace instead.
'Could it be true?' She wondered. 'Could this be the one that Raiden spoke of?' This was a question that was up to her to decide now. Without the others she could not be able to confirm her theory. But for now she did not know what to do first. She was still in a state of shock. She took a step back in basic instinct. But to the dragon, it seemed to be a sign of fear. Once it did, it snapped its head back with its ears opened up. Kitana seemed surprised about this, since she did not know what it meant.
But next thing she knew, the dragon looked down with a sad expression on its face and slowly turned around and started walking away. There Kitana felt confused. What did she do wrong? Did she do something that would cause the dragon to be like this? or was it something else? Either way she could not let this happen.
To come across a creature that saved her from near death and watch it leave would be a big disgrace. Plus, if she theories are right, then this thing might be the one creature that would save them all. So it would be a big dragon was only feet away from her before she finally said something. And it only took one world.
"Wait."
Just hearing that word drove the dragon to stopping where it was. It turned its head around and coked one ear up as if it heard her say something. Which she did. But what she did next was unknown to her. She took a few steps forward and stood still shortly after. The dragon had an expression like if it was listening to what she had to say next. Kitana took a moment before doing what no other person has done before. She attempted to communicate with the dragon.
"Thank you," she started. "No one has ever done such a thing like that."
By then, the dragon takes a moment before facing her again. It lets out a few soft crooning sounds while moving its head up and down. Almost as if it was trying to communicate back. But through those sounds, Kitana couldn't even understand what it was going at. The dragon seemed to realize that and tried a different approach. It instead tried using louder roars and flapped its wings to see if she would get it.
But after a minute of doing this, it saw that it was getting no where and froze. He hoped that she would finally get its message, but she stood there dumbfoundedly. And after looking at her face, it dropped down to its legs and groaned in embarrassment. It almost seemed hopeless. If it could not communicate with her, than how would she be able to understand it.
But before it could give up, it thought of something. Its antenna's perked up and it slightly lifted its head. And the next thing Kitana knew, she saw the dragon stand on its hind legs and sit in a sitting position. Then it started to make hand motions with its paws. As she looked on, the motion started to now become familiar. Almost like if it was a type of sign language that she long knew, was now being used. She just couldn't remember the name of it.
The dragon was saying if she could understand him now. Putting To respond to this, she made a few hand motions that she could barely remember now. Extending the palm of her hand, curling it up in a ball and pulled it to her chest. Which meant 'yes' to her intentions. It took a moment for the dragon to fill it out, and his reaction was more surprising than hers.
A smile started to appear on its face, and the next thing she knew, the dragon started to jump up and down while excitingly warbled. It bounced around a couple times before stopping and turning back towards her. Then he got back up on his hind legs and began to have a full conversation with her. Or at least, he did most of the talking. He said to her that she was most welcome for saving her life. And that he had no intentions on harming her. Which she became relieved of.
"You know,"she said. "I've heard that most dragons just destroy their enemies and show no empathy to their victims. If that is what you doing before. Is it?"
The dragon did a bunch of more motions in his response, and told her exactly what he was doing before. And also saying what it felt like to be vulnerable to a species slightly superior to him. And he could not let it happen while he could still do something about. He also mentioned that unlike most of the people he saved, she was the most grateful for his assistance. But Kitana looked at him slightly confused.
"You've helped others before?" she asked.
He did more motions, telling the Edenian Kahnum that he didn't always fly on his own. She was about to question why, until he showed her. The dragon shifted its body to the right and pulled up its tail. And from what she saw, there were two tailfins at the edge of it. One of them seemed to stick naturally, while the other one was sort of mechanical.
"Well," she said slightly. "This should explain a lot."
The dragon shook its head before doing more motions with its right paw. He explained that it was made by another human was just as humble as her. And was the reason that he was given his freedom back. But speaking of freedom, he asked her if there were any other dragons in the area. And Kitana thought about it for a moment.
'He seems to be unaware about all of the other dragons showing up,' she wondered. 'Raiden and Liu Kang said that the dragons only attack side by side. Does that mean that he is separate from them? Because if he is, than that should give us an advantage. But should I tell him? How would he respond to this? Would he join them and become their partners? Or would he resist and turn against them? Ugh, this is so frustrating. I've heard of many dragons, but none like this one. If he joins the crowd, than this could be a problem. I just need more time to figure this out.'
Kitana then decided to that she would not take the risk. He might find out about the situation, but for now she must keep it a secret. For the sake of the future.
"I assure you not," she said. "There aren't any other dragons here. But there used to be. But they're all gone now. Hunted to extinction by an evil emperor named Shao Kahn. But do not panic, the emperor is now dead. For several years and counting."
The dragon nodded his head in understanding and respected the events that happened. He however told her that this 'Shao Kahn' fellow probably thought of them as thieves, murderers, and weapons of mass destruction that needed to be disposed of. That brought an sympathetic expression on Kitana's face. Not being able to help but feel horrible for it. For she went through the same thing. But instead of being hunted to extinction, her people were instead conquered by the old Kahn.
"You were hated by humans before?" she asked.
He slowly nodded his head and looked at the ground. Kitana knelt down right beside him and comforted him for a short bit. Without touching him of course.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "I know what it's like to be hated by others."
The dragon began to explain about his past. About his how he met a boy among a race called vikings, who once hated the likes of dragons And how he soared his life and formed a bond with him that would last forever. He tried to persuade his people that his kind wasn't what they think they are, but in anger, the leader of his tribe captured and tortured him. Using him as a compass to find the next where the other dragons were hiding. But at the end of that day, everything changed. After the defeat of a queen dragon, the boy's people began to accept dragons and allowed them to live among them.
Soon the boy and him began a mission to unite the two species as one and set out to spread their influence. But within those years, many people could not accept this and vowed to kill every last one of them. It was only until they found the Hidden World when they were safe. But it meant leaving his human friend. Who was the most honorable of them all. And ever since then, vikings have disgraced his kind. Rejecting them as equals and made vicious attempts to wipe out their entire race.
As Kitana listened to the story, she couldn't help but pity the poor dragon for having to go through all of that. it was easy to spot the sorrow on her face. This creature, given to its backstory, seemed like he had a difficult time surviving knowing that someone would kill you in your sleep. But was comforted by a human who would actually care for him. But life did not play fair with him and forced him to leave the only friend he had. To suffer a fate of being hunted and unappreciated by many who would see them as killers. And this was all because he was a dragon.
Thinking of all of this made Kitana look at the ground and wondered if she could do anything to help.
"It must've been hard for you," she said. "Having to deal with such horrible ordeals what would haunt you for the rest of your life. And to think the Tarkatans were the most hated."
The dragon did not know what she was getting at, but he thanked her for understanding his condition. Not only that, but he also added that it would be worth it if he had another human friend. One that would accept him for what he is and not judge him based on the type of species he is known to be. Kitana thought about that and might have thought of a solution.
"I may not know a few human friends you might know," she said. "But I think I can help you if you trust me."
The dragon turned his head towards her and urged her to continue.
"There are a few friends of mine where I come from," she explained. "In the past, we fought for each other and not with each other. And that bond has been as deep as I know. Aid me back to my palace, and I'll make sure you sit at our table. And I'll even name you...my trusted friend."
The dragon was taken by surprise by the offer that this human has given him, even though he just met her. Yet, no one has ever made him such an offer. But how did he know he could trust her? This might be a trick that she could pull off without him even seeing. He needed to know if she could be trusted. He motioned another sign to her. One that was asking how does he know if she isn't lying.
"I give you my word," she responded. "And the word of an Edenian is more truthful than anyone in the realms. Now I ask, will you offer my friendship?"
To prove that her word was true, the dragon started to see if she spoke truth, through sheer will. He looked down at her hips and suspected weapons to be there. When she looked down two, he noticed that he spotted her two knives that she carried. She slowly reached her hands for them, but was stopped when the dragon started growling at her.
Suspecting that weapons would mean harm to him, she carefully pulled them out and tossed them to the side. The dragon relaxes for a bit, but does nor keep his guard down. It slowly approaches her, taking small, short steps. And then stops half way. The next move was now Kitana's. She did not know what he was getting at, but a sudden feeling inside her spoke to her about what to do next.
She gradually took a few more steps as well, and nearly five feet apart, she held out her right hand with her palm extended. Seeing the hand, the black beast breathing heavily a little before slowly approaching it. Now only arm's length near, it jolted back a bit, which surprised Kitana. She then assured it that it was okay, and the beast calmed itself. It started glancing at other directions and eventually looking back at her.
Kitana closed her eyes. Trusting her instincts in this extraordinary moment. She took one final step and reached put, and it happened. She felt the palm of her hand touching the tip of the muzzle of the dragon. After that, she slowly took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Seeing that the dragon had its eyes closed, and was softly purring. And to Kitana herself, her had done what no one has done in a thousand generations. She had befriended a dragon. A creature that people had seen as enemies for years. She was completely shocked.
"This is...incredible," she managed to mumble.
After this, the dragon opened its eyes and parted from the touch of her hand. And then stared back at the Edenian himself. There they shared a look of trust that bonded the two. But all of that was interrupted when a animal cry was heard from a distance. The dragon turned around and saw a great black wolf standing on top of a rock and howling in the moonlight. Once it was done, it faced them with bright red eyes. And at first sight, the creature growled at them. Turning towards them with his wings extended.
And out of the fog, Kitana started to notice other wolves appearing out of the darkness. With bright red eyes as well. They snarled at them, snapping their teeth and drooling with slobber. There were six of them. The one on the rock had a red stripe that ran from the tip of its head, and down to its back and tail. Presumingly the alpha of the group. With one paw, black creature turns back to Kitana and motions her run. She hesitates at first, but eventually she nods her head while walking backwards.
Apparently, she retreated to a nearby tree and hid behind it to watch the scuffle that was about to happen. Of course she would bail at any moment, but this was to be something that she had to the beast had no problem dealing with D'vorah, but if he was to be the one that would hold the future in the realm's grasp, then she must prove it.
On the other hand, the dragon turns back to them and issue a warning roar. Advising them to turn around and go back home. But the wolves do not heed his warning. Instead, the alpha wolf barked in response and then back up. And next thing he knew, several other wolves showed up. Increasing the number from seven to about twelve.
And it gets worse by the minute. Soon, there were from that to eighteen of them. And no one without the aid of magic would be able to take on an army of wolves. Yet the dragon did not back down. Instead, he stood his ground. Lifting his chest up and accepted their decision.
The alpha wolf back up towards a rock and allowed the other wolves to move closer to the dragon. And fighting the pack in three fronts, the dragon crouches low and continues to snarl. His wings and tail were ready to do some heavy damage, from Kitana's observation. The wolves moved closer. Bidding their time to strike. And after a moment or two, they finally made their move.
The wolf closet to him charged first. Running up a couple yards and then leaping forth in the air. But its attempt to pounce was futile, when the dragon turns around and tail whips it as it was coming. Causing it to fall back and crash into two of the other wolves. Two other wolves charged forth from other sides. But the dragons flaps its wings twice into the air before shooting a plasma blast into the ground. Which sends the two wolves back into the opposite directions. And then landing back into its fighting stance.
Another wolf attempts to sneak attack him from behind, but the dragon snatches its neck and throws it to the ground. While still down, the dragon grabs the wolf by the tail and uses it like a pair of a spike ball connected to a chain. He wings it at the other wolves, hitting a few of them while also using his tail. Then he flaps up to high ground and tosses the wolf towards a few members of the pack.
Yet the wolves still kept coming. Kitana started to notice that more wolves started to come from the way she had come from at the right side. And coming from where the alpha was, wolves started to pop out like ants. Pretty soon, the numbers increased from twenty, to at least fifty and more. And no one without the aid of magic would be able to fend off an army of wolves. Which was most interesting indeed to Kitana. She has seen this dragon hold its own so far, but let's see how he does against far better odds.
Surrounded on almost all sides, the black beast tries to thwart them off by trying to scare them. Mostly jumping at them and lashing out while keeping his distance. But like hyenas around their prey, they jumped back and the came closer again. Almost trying to harass him. But eventually, the dragon came back to his previous position and took on the defense. Waiting for them to make their next move while looking at the alpha wolf.
After another moment, the wolf in front of him attacked first. Leaping up and attempting to bite the dragon's face off. But the black creatures crouches low and shoots a plasma blast right at it. Causing to face of the wolf to explode. Then others started to join in. Two wolves tried attacking from other sides. But they were met by a smack tail whip combo that the dragon used to repel the attacks. But the assault kept coming to him.
One wolf jumped on his back and bit down on the dragon's neck. Piercing his scales which leaked with blood. But the dragons grabs the wolf by the face and tosses it towards the crowd. Soon the number of wolves attacking him increased from one to three. But the dragon held his own. Delivering crucial blows and firing plasma blasts. But to his satisfaction, he was not able to notice that the alpha wolf had left its rock.
Kitana did, and looked in every direction to see if she could find it. Eventually she did. And noticed that it was somewhere within the pack just a few feet away from the rock. She watched it sneak around to the dragon's backside. And during that time the creature was on its hind legs holding a wolf in his jaws and swiping two other wolves with his wings. She watched it closely. Observing what its game was.
But to this new tactic, she saw that it was looking at one particular part of the dragon. When she looked at what it was getting at, her eyes widened in fear and shock. She thought of telling the dragon, but with the horde of wolves coming in, there was no way she could be able to reach him. But before she could make a decision, it was too late.
The wolf waited for the right time, and once it was, it leaped out and bit the dragon by it's right hind leg. The dragon roared out in pain, and then was tackled to the ground by a wolf who pounced at his back.
"NO!" Kitana yelled.
The dragon tried to get back up, but was soon cut off by the numerous horde of wolves who rushed upon him. And Kitana could only watch as the entire pack throw themselves at the beast. Creating a huge pile with their own bodies. Overpowering the dragon's sheer will. It was a horrible sight that Kitana has experienced. And to see that the alpha wolf seemed to enjoy it was impudent to her. Such vile animals were these wolves. Throwing their bodies on a bigger animal until it eventually suffocates to death.
She had to do something. Standing her hopeless will not save the creature's life. And it would only mean that she would be a coward. Waiting for something to happen was a foolish way to think of this situation. And she clearly try to motivate it in this position. The dragons looked pretty piled up by the number of wolf bodies. So she had to take action before this creature would suffer the fate that would be soon to come. She had to aid him.
So she stepped out. Walking towards the pack ready for combat. None of the wolves began to notice her. Which was a perfect way to intervene with their attack. She takes out one of her fans with her right hand, does a bunch of fan tricks, and then flings the fan towards the piling crowd. Which does an extensive amount of damage. It cuts them in half while slices legs, paws, even faces.
It went from the left side, to the right, around the circle, and then back to her hand. But it didn't go unnoticed. Because the alpha wolf spotted her as the fan flew and try to cut her off. It barked a couple times at the other wolves. And next thing she knew, most of the wolves broke off from the dragon and headed straight for Kitana. Who was prepared to deal with filth like them.
About five wolves began to stalk her, waiting for her to make a move. But by that time, she already had both of her fans ready. After reaching about four meters, the first wolf charged at her. And with one swing, she slices the wolf across the face as it jumped into the air. Leaving it scarred for life. That's when the second wolf came from the right side. Which she cut an arm off shortly after. The rest followed shortly. Which she began to cut down whenever they were close.
This bought the dragon enough time to attempt to overthrow the piling wolves. Unfortunately though, there were still a lot of wolves that were piled up on him. Which made it difficult to try to get up. But it did give him the opportunity to fight his way out. The first thing he did was grab the wolf to his left by the leg. Which was the closest to his muzzle. Then, he swings it around and knocks a bunch of wolves that were holding him down.
And then tempts to take off to the skies. Which was a success. Even though he had a few wolves that were still on his body. Which he also shook off moments later. Back on the ground, Kitana was busy repelling the attacking wolves. Which took a massive amount of effort to do. But for each attack, led her straight to the cliff that was right behind her.
She swished at one attacking wolf from the left side. And then slashed another wolf coming from the right side. When one wolf attempted to tackle her towards the cliff, she ended up tossing it over it herself. Which sent it falling to its death. She looked back to see two wolves charging at her as well. In which she created a mini tornado using her abilities, causing them, as well as seven other wolves who were dragged towards it, hovering up in the air. And with one swing, she sends flying in all directions. Three towards the pack while the rest falling off the cliff.
One thing that she noticed was the while the wolves were attacking, most of the pack stayed where they were. Waiting under the command of their alpha. Who slowly crept through the crowd and appeared in the middle front. As she looked on, she heard a bellowing sound from a distance. When she looked beyond the cliff area, she saw the dragon u-turning and flying in her direction.
When she looked back at the pack, she saw that they were ready to make their final assault. Kitana stood there for a moment. Thinking of her next suddenly, she thought of one. It might work on her behalf. But the question was: 'Would it work for him?'
She slowly backs up towards the edge of the cliff. The pack closes in. Snarling and barking as the creep up on her. As she got closer, Kitana put her knives away and prepared for the worse. From afar, the dragon got sight of this, and feared for what was about to happen. Indeed it was insane, but it was something that he could not allow. With fierce dignity, the dragon rapidly accelerates to her position before she would do what is destined to happen.
For she was really close. So close to the point where her heels touched the edge. She closer her eyes and took a deep breath. For the wolves, they did not know what it meant. But they did know the intention of ripping flesh. And hers' was the only thing from miles around. And they will have their next meal. Because it had to happen. It was the natural order of things. And they must have it.
After another moment or so, the alpha wolf barked loudly. And the entire pack charged with the alpha leading. Ready to rip the very skin off of the Edenian warrior. But as they charged, she leaned backwards and fell off the cliff. Leaving some of the pack members to nearly slip from the edge.
Above the cliffside, the dragon panicked. And went for a dive straight for the Edenian Kahn. Giving all of his effort to try to catch her. But she was falling fast. So fast that he had to give more than what he already had to save her. He was about halfway there before the reached the edge of the ground. And with one final flap, he was already in range.
But before he could catch her, they both hit the ground. Creating a mini shock wave and produce a whole lot of dust. Above the cliff, the wolves stared down to see the outcome of it all. At first they saw nothing. And thought that the two would be dead by then. But as the dust cleared, a bellow was heard down there. And the dragon ascended to the skies. With the fallen princess in his arms, unharmed.
The dragon looked down at her from upside down. And she gave a thumbs up in response. Then he looked back up and started heading back towards the cliff. But while going back up, he tossed her into the air. She did not know why it would do that, but before she knew it, the landed on the dragon's back. Holding onto a small section of its neck.
And next thing she knew, she was soaring through the sky on the back of the beast. Feeling the cold wind that stained the night sky. It was so unexpected, that she had no time to think about it. It was almost like a flash. But either than that, they turned back and headed towards the pack after getting a hundred feet above. Which was unfinished business in the dragon's mind. She felt herself going at rapid speed as the dragon dived down towards that cliffside.
She then started to hear a high pitched sound from the dragon. One that almost sounded like a sonic boom. At the bottom, the wolves were oblivious to what was about to happen. Clueless to the amount of danger they are about to be in. Halfway down, the dragon extends its wings a bit and fires a purple fireball right in the middle of the back. Causing a massive explosion that sent many wolves flying.
Many of them were set ablaze while the rest of them were forced back. But above all of them, the alpha was more aggravated to see it's pack being cut down by a creature bigger then it. More aggravated that it would not be able to bring down such a prey as this.
For the dragon though, he seemed to feel a bit good to do some action. But from his satisfaction, he also looked like he wanted to go straight to business. For it was unfinished after all. He looked back at the pack leader, and then continued to fly up to the sky. Right around a hundred and then feet, they turned back and went for another round. But this time, Kitana felt that same sound like before was getting loud. And she did however, notice that the dragon was going at a incredible amount of speed.
She looked down and quickly realized what the dragon was getting at. 'He's aiming for the alpha wolf. But will it work? Will taking out the wolf leader do the rest of the pack? That is a big risk to take. I just hope that he is just as honorable as I am.'
Before she could say anything after that, the dragon delivered yet another purple fireball at the middle of the pack. Sending more wolves flying into the air. The pack leader got back up and search for the two of them. Yet there was a catch: There was no sign of both the dragon and the girl. It looked around. Trying to see if it could spot them.
It looked back into the ash that was building up from the explosion and saw nothing. But as the dust cleared, it saw something hidden in the darkness. And at amiss, the dragon came charging at the alpha wolf through the dust. And grabbed it by the neck with his jaws before it could have time to escape. And then raised his upper body up so that the wolf was looking down towards them.
And with no other way to try to break, the alpha wolf has nowhere to go. Kitana shortly climbed off his back and faced the other pack members. Who stood there in fear of their alpha. She took out her fans and began to push them back. Putting space between them and the leader. It seems now that the two of them have the upper hand.
But was mercy an option was the thing. Kitana looked back and at his eyes. And saw hot fire burning in his slit pupils. And judging his emotion, he looked like he wasn't playing. It made her a little nervous for a moment. Because this was more than what she had hoped for. And even though she understood the meaning of vengeance, this was something far better than she thought it would be.
Then suddenly, just before she could think of something else, she saw the dragon turn it's head and throw the alpha wolf towards the tree. With a thud, the wolf hits the tree by the back and collapses to the ground. It slowly got up to its feet, but was then pinned to the tree by the dragon with one paw. The wolf squirmed. Shaking real badly so it could try to break free. But the dragon's firm paw made it impossible for escape.
Then it looked at his face. Which was pierced with anger and rage. Like it was a creature from hell itself. He lifted his head back, screeching loudly as a blue light glowed from within his mouth. Kitana saw this, and knew what was about to happen. And she knew that she had to stop it. So before the dragon could make the final kill, she ran a couple steps towards the dragon and said something.
"Wait," she said. "Please don't do this. This is not the way. The wolf is beaten. No longer a threat to us. "
The dragon looked back at her. Listening to her words carefully. And also saw the look on her face. She seemed worried. Worried about what he would become if he did this. And at that moment, the dragon paused for a bit in its thoughts. Was this necessary? Would killing this mere wolf do anything to benefit the two of them? Would the pack not forgive him for his actions and try to exact revenge?
As those questions pawned into his head, he looked back at the wolf. And saw the cry of mercy in its eyes. The same eyes that D'vorah had given him. Yet inside him he thought that this could not go unanswered. This creature's pack jumped him and brought him to his knees. Surely he could not let it live after that. Yet heeding Kitana's words would also be a wiser choice as well. She was a noble woman. The first of many to do so. He did not know how she did it. But he was very dumbstruck by this choice.
But the choice was his to make. And his alone. And after a moment of thinking, he finally made up his mind. He raised his body up as if he was gonna make the kill again. Which also horrified Kitana. Given to what she saw, she did not know that it would be so vile. As for the wolf, it squirmed even more. Not wanting to except death. But if it was to be this way, then this was his fate.
Halfway, the dragon stopped. Peering over the defeated wolf. Kitana looked on to see the worse that was to happen. But before she could guess it, the dragon drops down and roars at the wolf's face. After a moment of doing this, it stops. And then slips his hand off of the it's neck. Allowing it to drop to the floor. The wolf coughs a bit from being held by the neck.
And then starts heading towards the path to the right side. It stops for a moment and looks back. But before it could go even further. The dragon starts running in it's direction. Causing it to scram even more. The black silhouette snaps at its tail for a second before slowing his pace. Kitana looked at the rest of the pack. Who followed it shortly after.
Once it was at a larger distance, the dragon starts roaring. Showing his superiority over the much smaller weaker animals. The entire pack disappeared into the night sky as the moon lit up. On a rock, the pack leader stops and looks back. Seeing that the dragon was still roaring.
It was trying to humiliate it for its failure. Which will go on for as long as the wolf leader could remember. It would not forget this day, and slowly swore revenge on the dragon and the woman. After a moment of looking, it finally disappeared into the darkness. And was never seen again.
Once it was gone, the dragon looked at Kitana. Who was more surprised about what just happened than the dragon was. Given to the fact that they just defeated an entire pack of wolves single handedly. He looked into her eyes. And saw that they will filled with great pride. Not in herself, but for him. He had done what no one has done before. Taking on an entire army without the aid of magic.
And in her mind, her questions were indeed answered. He was the one. He was the one being to thwart off this invasion and bring peace to all of the realms. Yet despite that, it came with a cost. She looked and saw that there were numerous amount of scars that ran down the dragon's body. Scars that leaked with blood. However, the dragon did not look effected by this. As if these scars were nothing to it. Like it was completely fine.
Well, almost fine. When she went to confront it, the silhouette stumbled a little bit. But managed to reach her. She touched the sides of his face. Feeling the cold scales that covered his body. She did not know what to say. This all happened so fast, that she could even barely think of anything to say. But as seconds past, she finally came up with what to say.
"Thank you," she let out. "You saved my life. Risked yours to secure my protection. I am truly indebted to you."
In response, the dragon sat up and lifted his right paw. In the same sign language it used before, he said to her that it was nothing. That it was something that he had to deal with all the time. But he also said that she should not be thanking him. And that he should thank her. Kitana was surprised. She looked at his hand motions and began to hear him say that if it weren't for her, he would've died in that pile.
He also said that if she had not jumped off the cliff, they would've devoured him. Which he couldn't allow. He began to say that she had courage. Courage that he knew from a man he once knew. And then he began to state that he owes her his life and that he would do anything to ensure that their debts are paid. In that moment, a window of opportunity sprung into Kitana's mind.
But something stopped her from opening this window. Which were several other questions that popped into her head. And when there were questions, thoughts and concerns also lurked about.
'I'm friends with a dragon. But should I be? After all, he saved my life. And spared that wolf. He indeed has the honor and wisdom of a true hero. But will he always have honor in him? How would everyone in Outworld react to me taking this course of action? No, how will all of the realms react?! Should I tell them? Should I inform Raiden and Liu Kang that I did this sort of thing? What would they think? Would it cause a problem? Or even worse, would it bring them to conflict and start a fight?
From what I have seen.A fight with this dragon would cause the deaths of many...and to all who it would deem a threat. I cannot take the risk.I need more time. to think. He remains a secret...for now. Until proven otherwise. But he cannot stay here. That pack will come back with a great vengeance. And plus if I stay here, they would send search parties for me. I guess it should not be a problem if I can bring him into the castle without anyone seeing. But can it be possible?'
Kitana decided to that she would test this course of action for now. But she would need a bit more time to think on other terms while heading back to the castle. This could work out. If things go as planned. She could not allow anyone to compromise this whole operation. Otherwise the dragon would be exposed.
She looks back at the dragon and touched the side of its head.
"Hey," she said in the same sign language. "Is it okay if I ask something of you? If you would allow me?"
The dragon gave her a thumbs up in allowance.
"Are you okay with seeing things outside the world of humans?" she asked.
The dragon looked confused for a second. He told her that he is and asked her why. And she told him.
"You have shown great courage within the actions that you just did," Kitana stated. "Actions that go by the greatness in honor. And if you allow me, I offer you refuge at my own castle. And invite you as my personal honored guess. If you are still looking to be one. The choice is yours. And please, choose wisely. You are one of few beings with freedom. As am I. "
The dragons eyes lit up as soon as she said that. Like said before, no one has made his kind such an offer that was as wise as the wind and sand. Yet he had to think real hard about the decision. It something worth taking in. And while he did not know where he was for a extensive amount of time, he could not refuse the offer. His knew friend had proven herself well to be trusted. And ever since the viking boy, the dragon has not let anyone else ridden on his back. But before he could decide, she added on.
"But there is a catch," she said. "For meeting the people, that might have to wait."
The dragon warbled in more confusion.
"You see," she started. "My people have hated outsiders for a thousand years. In the era of Shao Kahn, Earthrealm was to be one of many outsiders. And due to your appearance... they'll attack you at first sight. Amd it will take me time to convince them that you are not a threat to us. But in the meantime, I'll have you in one of the rooms in the palace. Food and water will be brought to you. And you will have my greatest hospitality. But it won't happen if we don't move quietly. Can you do that for me?"
Now the dragon was a lot more suspicious. To hide in the shadows was something that he had to deal with his entire life. And now to do so again was something that was not entirely right. But he did not want to disappoint his new friend, along with the entire 'realm' that she associates with. More than likely that he did not want to start a panic amongst the new world that he stumbled upon. And besides, if it meant getting answers and receiving guidance, than he could work this thing out no problem.
He lent a thumb up with his right paw in agreement. And also asked for her name since they didn't get a proper caught Kitana off guard for a bit.
"Oh, by the gods," she said. "Where are my manners? My name's Kitana. Kitana Kahn. What about yours?"
The dragon's eyes widened a bit. Almost if it was alarmed by this question. He looked down and thought about it for a moment. And then realized that it had been too long since he knew his real name. Ever since the time of the vikings. Perhaps it's because he's been away from them for a long while. He turns back to Kitana and tells her just that.
"That's unfortunate," she said in response. By then, Kitana took a time to think and then thought about an idea. "How about I give you one? Surely we both can think of something for you."
The dragon nodded its head in agreement. Which made Kitana giggle a bit.
"Now, let's see...um...How about...Midnight?"
The black silhouette's eyes shrunk for a moment, and then he nodded his head in a no type of way. Mainly because it was like a name for female dragons.
"No," she said. "Okay, um...how about Nightclaw?"
The dragon's face now froze for a second. It wasn't a bad name to him, even for his size and appearance. But as he thought about it a little bit more, he realized it seemed to be a bit too powerful for him. And he shook his head no again.
"Darkwing?"
He shook his head again.
"Hookfang?"
After she said that name, the dragon started growling at her. Almost if he was familiar with that name and must have really hated it. And Kitana clearly could see that. And even though she wasn't offended, she still thought that naming a dragon would not be easy.
"Well," she said. "I'm clearly out of ideas. What about you? Do you have any names in mind?"
The noble beast froze for a minute. Asking himself if it was a good idea. He did not know much of dragon names. But if Kitana was counting on it, then he could not disappoint her. So he had to think for a bit. His ears laid back, and his eyes looked in another direction. For figuring out a good name for her to call him was really hard. Especially since he could barely even think of one.
So he tried thinking of his past. Seeing if there could be anything that could help him find a name for him. Yet, there wasn't a lot to think about. Since his past was really long. But that's when his thoughts led him into thinking of Hiccup. The first human friend he had in his life. And he had everything that a good friend should have. Nobility, strength, courage and wisdom.
He surely was something to him. But as he thought about him, something popped in his head. His ears flung up and his eyes widened. He finally found something. It was a name. A name that his partner gave him while he was in the hospitality of the vikings. And he was sure that it would work. No one has ever called him by the name that was given to him by his partner.
Yet, he thought if his new human friend could understand it. He needed to find a way to prove to her that the name had any use. And he thought of it. He warbled something to her. Which caught her attention. Then, he opened his maw out. Showing every tooth he had at her. And she was gonna ask him why he would do this, until suddenly, she saw his teeth retract into the upper parts of his mouth. Showing only gummy parts of his mouth.
At that time, Kitana squinted. Leaning forward to see if she would get it. And after a few more seconds, she guessed what it meant.
"Toothless?"
The dragon shook his head in response. Reassuring her that this was the name he wanted. In the honor of his rider.
Kitana thought of the name for a minute. She could see why he would want that name. Given to his gummy mouth that served some purpose in the name. Yet, she wondered why he would be named that. Given to the fact that he is a force to be reckoned with. But, if Baraka or Ermac can be called names for people with such a reputation, than there is no other reason to say otherwise.
"You know," she said. "I think it suits you. 'Toothless'. It'll do you just fine."
The newly titled, Toothless jumped up happily to be called that name once more. Than he went up closer to Kitana and nudged his head into her chest. As if he was trying to hug her. When he was done, he looked up and into her eyes. The Edenian Kahn's hands were at the sides of his head. And she too looked into his pupils. Seeing all of the happiness and joy that were in them.
"You're most welcome, she said. "Welcome to Outworld, Toothless."
And with that, Toothless pulled to the side and offered her a ride on his back. She hesitated at first, but was then reassured that no harm will come to her. And she gracefully climbed up on the back of his neck. And with one flap of his wings, the dragon took to the skies. Letting out a loud bellow as he and his new friend head deeper into the realm of Outworld.
