While she understood that it was clearly important, the information that Shujinko and Khameleon had to share was a complete surprise to Li Mei. She still struggled to take all of it. She kept replaying it in her head. First, she'd let Khameleon in and they'd sat down to talk.
After some deliberation over who should speak first, it was decided to allow Khameleon the first go:
"For the past several months, Syzoth, my lover, has been in collaboration with Shang Tsung as you already know, as well as a group of my fellow Saurians he has recruited to his cause, including my brother, Chameleon. Their intentions eluded me, but it was apparently important enough that Syzoth broke his ties with Kotal Kahn. I was the only one who he remained in consistent contact with outside of his group. He had otherwise disappeared off the face of Outworld entirely. Before he agreed to meet with me, I had attempted to ask Kotal Kahn if he knew anything of his whereabouts.
You see, Syzoth has a history of playing the follower, a habit of his I've tried to break...unsuccessfully, it seems. My greatest fear had been him dying in the name of some pompous master. I had even once tried to persuade him to aid me in an assassination attempt on Shao Kahn, but I failed. I tried killing the emperor anyway, and Syzoth was forced to fake my death in order to maintain his place with Shao Kahn. I only revealed myself again after Shao Kahn was dead.
I had suggested that Syzoth use his station with Shao Kahn's heir Mileena to gain a better standing for our people. He instead joined in a coup against her. Kotal Kahn was always respectful to my dear Syzoth. That respect is why he agreed to help him at all. But Kotal Kahn has done little for the Zaterran people. We are no longer actively oppressed, that much is a blessing, but we were making no headway towards actually restoring our race. Organizing those of us that were left, at least, so we could have a sense of community.
For the longest time, Syzoth and I had sought a way for our people to flourish once more, after Shao Kahn all but exterminated the Zaterran people when he conquered our realm. We had considered even procuring Zaterra's separation from Outworld, but Kotal Kahn despises the idea of any realm leaving its merged state. I think he simply fears what he cannot control.
This group Syzoth is a part of now. Their goal is apparently to restore our race. They serve a new master with the power to do so, and the power to make Shang Tsung subservient to whoever they are. I thought it was dangerous from the beginning, and urged Syzoth to turn away. I fear he's become a puppet again, just as he was under Shao Kahn. But he seems too committed to his goal. If his master will bring back our people, then perhaps my worry is for nothing. But I fear that false promises are at work…"
After she finished, it came Shujinko's turn:
"The master you speak of, Khameleon, is one I know all too well. You see, I have trained as a Shaolin monk in Earthrealm since the day I was born. My parents were Shaolin, after all. Alas, they are both gone now….their lives sacrificed in Mortal Kombat against Outworld. From there I lived in a small village, in the care of Master Bo' Rai Cho, and with the other children of the village like my dearest friend, Apep."
He chuckled at this point in the story.
"Ah, we used to play out the Great Kung Lao's battle with Goro, one child would get on another's shoulders to mimic their four arms. Anyway, when I was about thirteen, I was contacted by some form of astral being. He identified himself as 'Damashi', and claimed that he was sent by the Elder Gods themselves to guide me on a quest in their name, and that I was their champion.
I was an adventurous child, and eager to prove myself. The weight of the task also increased my confidence. And so I accepted the task. To aid in my quest, I was even granted the power to learn and duplicate the skills and abilities of other warriors that I would meet in my travels. After receiving my final lessons from master Bo' Rai Cho, set out, my goal being to collect six mystical relics called the Kamidogu from six realms: Earthrealm, Outworld, Edenia, Orderrealm, Chaosrealm, and the Netherrealm. The task would take me decades, well into my old age. I travelled across many realms, including to Outworld years ago, when I visited the city of Lei Chen.
In the later years of my quest for the Kamidogu, I first met Raiden, the protector god of Earthrealm as I was told Shao Kahn once was for your realm. Raiden told me of visions he had received of the future, and of threats to the realms he had perceived and sought to put an end to before they could fully manifest. I learned that my quest had been folly. Damashi was a mere facade, masking the identity of an evil beyond comprehension. Raiden and I hatched a plan. Rather than placing the Kamidogu in the altar that Damashi had directed me to, I delivered them into Raiden's possession so that he may safeguard them. Raiden also devised a ruse in which the name 'Kamidogu' would be misconstrued as the name of six blood magic daggers. Furthermore, I became a teacher at the Wu Shi Academy, both to mold the next generations of Earthrealm's warriors and keep up appearances.
All the while, I pretended to still be a part of Damashi's schemes, until I went to retrieve the final Kamidogu, the Kamidogu of Edenia, and came under attack by Shang Tsung and his allies. Only to be saved by you, Li Mei."
Li Mei herself had stayed quiet for several moments after, trying to wrap her head around it all.
"Wait…so you had mentioned something about some supposed 'one true ruler of Outworld'," Li Mei pointed out as she was gathering her thoughts. "And the way you both talked about it makes it sound like you aren't referring to Shao Kahn, Kotal Kahn, or Mileena."
"No, I don't know who Syzoth now calls master," Khameleon explained. "But it sounds like it is the same person who manipulated Shujinko under the guise of this 'Damashi'."
"I know who our enemy is." Shujinko said, his tone of voice conveying complete seriousness.
Li Mei and Khameleon were now listening intently at this point, until there was a knock on Li Mei's door.
"Who could it be now?" she wondered aloud. "Excuse me a moment." she said to her two guests.
Li Mei went to the door and opened it, to see a much older woman, probably close to the Outworld equivalent of Shujinko's age although chronologically ranging in the centuries, in a simple brown garb on the opposite side of it.
"Oh, Blanche," Li Mei recalled, already familiar with the woman. "What brings you here?"
"Oh, I hate to trouble you deary, but I just need some food," Blanche explained. "I would've gone down to the marketplace, but I've had so little money ever since Kotal Kahn started with these taxes. Also would've asked my neighbor….but that soul stealer got to him. My grandson offered to steal me some food, but you know how the emperor is about bread thieves."
"It's no trouble at all, I completely understand," Li Mei empathized. "Go ahead, come in. I'll prepare some food for you. I was going to cook some for my guests here anyway."
Blanche nodded, and walked in, setting her eyes on Khameleon and Shujinko.
"Ooh, a Zaterran," she observed. "Haven't seen one of them in a while."
Khameleon wasn't entirely sure what to say, so she merely waved.
"And who might this be?" Blanche asked, gesturing to Shujinko. "Is he single? He's quite handsome."
Shujinko himself certainly hadn't expected the comment, conveying an expression of surprise.
"Now Blanche, I know you and your husband didn't work out," Li Mei recounted. "But don't go bothering Shujinko here."
"Ohh come on Li Mei, do you know how hard it is for a woman my age to find somebody?" Blanche complained.
Li Mei shook her head but retained a warm smile.
"Don't worry Blanche, I'm sure you'll manage," She motioned to a small table in the room. "There's some tea on that table, all three of you are welcome to it. Something to have while I prepare the food."
"Thank you Li Mei," Blanche said graciously. "You're the Elder Gods' gift to Outworld, you know that?"
"You're too kind." Li Mei said modestly.
"And even if you won't set me up with your friend over there," Blanche teased, gesturing to Shujinko. "I hope you find yourself a woman one day."
"That's very kind of you." Li Mei responded with gratitude through a heavy blush.
Blanche nodded and went over to the table, pouring herself some tea.
"Do you two want any?" She asked Shujinko and Khameleon.
"No, thank you." Khameleon replied.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt." Shujinko answered.
Li Mei meanwhile went to the small kitchen of her home and began preparing a meal for her guests.
"So, Shujinko," she said. "You mentioned that you knew what exactly it was we were dealing with here?"
"Aye," Shujinko confirmed, as Blanche handed him a cup of tea and he summarily thanked her. "The threat that menaces us is an ancient one. I almost didn't believe Raiden when he first told me."
"Who?" Asked Khameleon.
Shujinko sighed and looked at the ground for a moment.
"Onaga. The Dragon King."
The room was dead silent.
Li Mei was the first to say anything. "Who...who is that?"
"Oh by the gods…." Khameleon said quietly.
"Ah yes," Blanche recalled as she overheard their discourse. "The old emperor."
"What?" Li Mei asked.
"Shao Kahn was not the first to rule Outworld," Shujinko explained. "He usurped the throne from another. From Onaga."
"I was still young when Onaga reigned," Khameleon recounted. "He was a conqueror like Shao Kahn, but held a certain respect for Zaterra. Our then-king, Tetsurri, even began to adopt some of his tyrannical ideals, much to the detriment of our people. At least, that's what my parents told me at the time.
My brother was one of a number of elite Zaterran warriors who agreed to serve Onaga. Chameleon became devoted to the Dragon King, and was even granted new powers by him. I wouldn't understand it all until much later, I'm afraid.
Chameleon told me that Shao Kahn poisoned Onaga in order to seize the throne, murdering the Dragon King's chosen heir, a warrior by the name of Draxxon, and proclaiming himself emperor. Zaterra was the first of his conquests. Shao Kahn… he destroyed my home. Almost everyone I knew…. gone."
"That's awful…." Li Mei sympathized. "I'm sorry…."
"You are at no fault, Li Mei." Khameleon assured.
"I hadn't even been born…" Li Mei admitted.
"From my understanding, Shao Kahn did much to bury Onaga's reign," Shujinko recalled. "Until he faded from history...into mere legend."
"I was about your age when the old emperor fell," said Blanche to Li Mei, seemingly off in her own world of memories. "He was rather imposing, but...he did keep things orderly."
"That would explain why Onaga would recruit your fellow Zaterrans to aid him," Li Mei pointed out to Khameleon. "Making use of proven allies. Shang Tsung is likely only involved for his own selfish gain, from what I know of that snake."
"And I know what it is that Onaga truly desires," added Shujinko. "The relics I sought for the Dragon King, the Kamidogu, are weapons of the Elder Gods themselves. Onaga, as Damashi, told me that they had been used to forge the realms themselves after the Elder Gods had defeated the One Being."
"...'One Being'?" Li Mei questioned, clearly confused.
"I am unsure of exactly what he was referring to," Shujinko admitted. "But from what I have learned from both Raiden and Onaga is that the Kamidogu, when united, can allow for reality itself to bend to the user's whim."
"And you said that you were looking for one of these 'Kamidogu' when Shang Tsung and his group attacked you," Li Mei recalled. "Meaning this…'Dragon King' likely now has one of them, while the other five are with Raiden."
"Indeed," Shujinko confirmed. "Raiden has changed much in the past year….but even still, I believe he can keep the Kamidogu from Onaga's clutches."
"But if this 'Onaga' is powerful and has such grand ambitions...why does he need Shang Tsung and my Syzoth? Why did he even need you?" Khameleon asked.
"You said when you were a child, Shao Kahn poisoned Onaga, yes?"
Khameleon nodded. "And now he's returned."
"Not quite," Shujinko corrected. "When Raiden told me of his premonitions of the future, he warned not only that I would give Onaga the power he sought, but also of the Dragon King's resurrection. 'Damashi' is Onaga's means of manifesting from beyond the boundaries of death itself. Raiden said that Onaga held a mastery over death, even commanding an army of undead warriors that was believed to be undefeatable."
"So...he is without a physical form?" Li Mei assumed. "Some manner of bodiless spirit."
Shujinko nodded. "But I fear that may not be for long. In the future Raiden saw, Onaga used a vessel as his new body."
"What kind of vessel?" Asked Khameleon.
Shujinko locked eyes with her. "Your lover. Reptile."
Khameleon gasped. "Syzoth?!"
Shujinko nodded. "When he discovers the Lava Shrine that contains the Great Dragon Egg, his fate will be sealed."
Khameleon stood up immediately. "We have to do something! We have to save him! We have to stop this monster, here and now, for the good of every realm and every soul in it!"
"Khameleon, calm yourself!" Li Mei instructed, pulling her attention fully away from the meal she had been preparing. "I want the suffering of others to end just as much as you do, but if we act rashly, we could doom ourselves before we even have the chance to save anyone else."
"Li Mei is right," Shujinko agreed. "We must plan, strategize. Learn how to put an end to the Dragon King's machinations before they may even begin."
Khameleon huffed. "I suppose you're right."
"You three are really quite dramatic," chimed in Blanche. "You really mustn't stress yourselves out so much, it's bad for your health." She pointed to Shujinko and Khameleon. "It's no wonder your hair's gone white."
"Thank you for your concern Blanche, but this is serious," Li Mei explained. "Countless lives are in danger."
"Certainly sounds like they will be when the old emperor finds out how Shao Kahn and Kotal Kahn have been running this place since he took his long nap," Blanche said with a chuckle. "Certainly won't be happy."
"All the more reason to stop him." Li Mei decided.
Serving the food she had prepared for her guests, she then went over to her bedroom and pulled out a wooden case, which inside held a sword, a Kunin Dao to be more precise.
Li Mei walked out with the sword now sheathed and fastened to her belt.
"Shujinko, I think now might be a good time to start that training." She decided.
"I would be honored, Li Mei," Shujinko agreed. "For your first lesson, weapons like that blade are better off not left at home when you're about to enter combat, even to save the life of an old man like me." He chuckled.
"I didn't know I'd be saving your life until I was already doing it," Li Mei countered. "All I had been looking to do was track down the soul stealer, Shang Tsung. And maybe pick up some momentos for a few of the Edenians in the neighborhood. Kotal Kahn's been particularly hard on their people lately."
"I see." Shujinko responded.
"As for the sword," Li Mei continued. "It used to belong to my grandmother. She fought in the Outworld armies, mostly to keep Sun Do in good standing with Shao Kahn. She may have even served the 'Dragon King' with how old she was before she passed away. I had promised only to use it for a righteous cause, and I see no better cause than this one. Outworld may not be perfect, but it's better off without Onaga's iron fist crushing it all."
"Agreed," said Khameleon. "He has to be stopped."
"In due time," Shujinko assured. "For now, let us eat, and then Li Mei, I will give you some basic training to start off, as we are short on time. I saw a merchant selling maps of Outworld on our way here. If we procure one, we may be able to discern Onaga's base of operations, and be able to put a stop to his machinations before they can even truly begin."
Li Mei and Khameleon nodded in agreement.
"Sounds like you three are going off on a little adventure." Blanche chimed in.
She wasn't wrong, admittedly. After the meal, Shujinko taught Li Mei a number of basic Shaolin techniques, which combined with her own self-taught fighting style and the lessons she had already taken in swordplay, he deemed her ready for combat should the need arise.
"Although, you already possess the bravery of a warrior, the most crucial element." He had said.
The three then left for the marketplace, at least after Li Mei made sure that Blanche got home safely. The place was bustling with activity like usual and Khameleon had assumed her human guise in order to better blend in.
They also had to be careful not to appear suspicious. Osh-Tekk soldiers were posted at just about every street, and the strict laws in Outworld following Kotal Kahn's ascent meant that the soldiers could act on any number of occasions and with absolute force at their discretion, making keeping a low profile the best option.
This was also part of the reason that Khameleon had elected to disguise herself. She was the only direct link to Reptile, and knew that Kotal Kahn would want any information he could to find his old ally, even if it meant detaining her to find out.
Eventually they found the merchant they were looking for. He was an older Outworlder in a simple grey and blue robe and a bamboo hat, with a walking stick he kept leaned against his stand.
"Ah, Li Mei, good to see you," said the man. "What can I do for you?"
"We just need a map, Braan," Li Mei explained. I'll give you 10 ruby koins for it."
"Oh c'mon, you know how hard it is to run a business with the new taxes!" Braan argued. "I was lucky when the last time Kotal Kahn's lackeys came over that Mileena showed up somehow and took care of 'em. Now that's a leader I can get behind!"
"Braan, we really don't have time to talk politics, it's important." Li Mei insisted.
"Map's worth at least 24 koins," Braan tried to bargain. "It's the lowest price I can offer."
"Fine," Li Mei conceded, handing him the money. "And...thank you."
"Of course," Braan responded. "Really Li, I would've sold it to you for less, but times are tough."
"I understand," Li Mei sympathized. "But if we're lucky, they certainly won't be getting any worse."
Braan chuckled. "I appreciate your optimism."
"We've all gotta hold onto something." Li Mei pointed out.
Braan smiled at her, nodding in silent agreement. Li Mei then returned to her two allies.
"Ok, we've got it," she told them, unfurling the map. "The two of you know more about the 'Dragon King' than me, where might they be hiding out?"
"What about here?" Khameleon pointed to a spot on the map. "The Lung Hai temple. Stories I've heard say that defeated warriors are sacrificed there to some sort of 'Great Sea Dragon'. Do you think that might refer to the Dragon King?"
"It's certainly possible," Shujinko acknowledged. "Although dragons are often fixtures of legend around the realms. It could also simply be unrelated."
"It might be the best lead we have," Khameleon argued. "Nothing else on this map seems like it would be staging ground for the Dragon King."
"Maybe we shouldn't just look for places that Onaga might be," Li Mei suggested. "But also places where Shang Tsung might set up his operations."
"Perhaps there," Shujinko pointed to a small group of islands labelled as "The Mystics". "To my recollection, Shao Kahn's Shadow Priests would congregate on these islands. Shang Tsung may be among them."
"Wait, there!" Khameleon exclaimed, pointing to three volcanoes on the map. "The 'Abyss of Fire'."
"What makes you think that?" Li Mei questioned.
"Shujinko, you said that in Raiden's visions of the future, my Syzoth would come across a Dragon Egg within a 'Lava Shrine'," Khameleon recalled. "If there's anywhere where one might find a 'Lava Shrine', it is likely to be the Abyss of Fire."
"That seems like the place to head," Li Mei agreed. "But the area is highly volcanic, and it'll likely be very dangerous."
"We have all faced danger before," Shujinko pointed out. "If we are careful, and stick by each other, I believe we can manage."
"Your concern and faith are appreciated," Khameleon said graciously. "I thank you for joining me not only to save the realms, but to save my lover as well. Perhaps my brother might even be reasonable..."
"Think nothing of it," Li Mei replied. "It's simply the right thing to do."
"Indeed," agreed Shujinko. "We will end this threat, born of Deception."
"Let's be off then." Li Mei decided.
The other two naturally agreed, and the three soon left Sun Do. The path to the Abyss of Fire would be a long one, almost halfway across Outworld, and a perilous one to be certain. Some dangers they could anticipate. Others would be completely unknown.
One such threat to their journey was that of D'Vorah, who had been tracking them ever since she was dispatched by Shang Tsung to hunt them down. Dispatching some of the smaller insects at her command into Li Mei's house to listen in on them, D'Vorah was now aware of their plans, and was following them disguised by a heavy black cloak and hood so as to be inconspicuous and avoid being noticed by Kotal's forces, who would undoubtedly want her head on a spear for betraying the current emperor. Not to mention the Outworld rebels, who would likely want the same. And the Tarkatans…..and the possibility of the Red Dragon or Black Dragon clans still operating in Outworld.
D'Vorah was hardly the sentimental type. It wasn't so much that she felt alone, she preferred solitude, just….vulnerable. All, she realized to herself, as a direct result of her own actions.
It had all started when the Kytinn's hive Queen had elected to send D'Vorah as an envoy to the rest of Outworld, leaving their small island that Shao Kahn had subjugated so long ago and attempting to gain favor for her people through service to the subsequent rulers of Outworld.
Mileena's rule was in its infancy. She was still getting used to power on this scale and unsure of what exactly to do with the throne. She was simply fulfilling the plan that her father had late out for her. In spite of this, D'Vorah had been willing to wait out the adjustment phase, even offer herself as an advisor, until she was approached by Kotal Kahn and Reptile.
In the subsequent confrontation that lead to Kotal usurping rule of Outworld, D'Vorah proved her worth to him by killing the Tarkatan general Baraka, a reverent defender of Mileena who would likely have swayed the entire Tarkatan race against Kotal if he wasn't properly dealt with. D'Vorah continued to aid in dispatching any threats to Kotal's rule, all with the ultimate goal being for the Kytinn to gain a place of prominence in Outworld's society.
But the more time that D'Vorah spent away from her hive, the more she became accustomed to living as an individual. The thoughts of the hive mind became fainter voices in her head, and her voice a quieter one in the collective. She began to crave freedom from the hive, something Kotal Kahn was not knowledgeable enough in magic to give her.
And then came Quan Chi. The sorcerer made an incredibly tempting offer. She would serve as an inside agent among Kotal's inner circle on behalf of the Brotherhood of Shadow, aid in Shinnok's ultimate machinations in any way that she was instructed to, including delivering his infamous amulet. In return, Quan Chi promised to use his sorcery to free her from the hive mind of the Kytinn, and allow her to do as she pleased once her service was over.
Had he truly even possessed the power to carry out the deal? D'Vorah would never know. She saw with her own eyes the sorcerer beheaded by Hanzo Hasashi. Shinnok was now gone too. And for her betraying Kotal Kahn and killing Mileena, though rumors she had heard suggested contrary to the latter, she had earned the ire of almost every party in Outworld. D'Vorah was now entirely unwanted.
She held no desire to return to the Kytinn hive in shame for failing her original goal. Besides, the closer she got to the hive, the more likely it would be that they would read her thoughts and learn of her attempted betrayal. She had no options and a monumental target on her back, until Shang Tsung approached her with an offer of his own: Protection from her enemies, not to mention their ultimate downfall, and the freedom she had been promised to receive by Quan Chi.
It was too good to refuse, and D'Vorah was intent on proving her worth as she had once had to with Kotal Kahn. Killing the enemies of her current master tended to garner her their favor, so D'Vorah had no intention of abandoning a proven tactic.
She would kill these three, present their heads to Shang Tsung, disappear in the shadows as part of the ruse he had constructed to maintain the loyalty of the Saurians, and then continue to serve as a personal assassin until finally, the being Shang Tsung called master, Onaga, a being she only knew about through the memories of the elders of her hive, reawoke and took control of Outworld. And finally, D'Vorah would receive what she was promised.
And so she followed them, taking to the shadows when she feared being noticed, waiting until the three would leave a populated area. D'Vorah wanted no witnesses, or at least so few that she could kill them in relatively short order.
Eventually, the three travelers were in a small and rather remote village with minimal presence from Kotal Kahn's forces. Unbeknownst to them, the perfect setting for D'Vorah to strike.
She wasted no time. Her four extra limbs and the sharp stringers on each end of them burst out from the cloak she had been wearing, along with her wings, much to the shock of everyone around her, including her targets. D'Vorah rushed right at them, only to be knocked back by a telekinetic attack courtesy of Shujinko.
"I told you we were being followed," Khameleon reminded as she unsheathed her sword. "Though I admit, this was not the pursuer I would've expected."
"Why do you attack us, Kytinn?" Shujinko questioned.
"This One is merely following orders," D'Vorah explained. "Orders to kill you."
She lashed at Shujinko again, intent on using the clawed ends of her fingers as melee weapons, but Shujinko caught her arm, and subsequently knocked her back with a palm strike to the torso.
"D'Vorah," Li Mei recalled. "Figures you'd slink into the company of monsters like Shang Tsung and Onaga after you betrayed Outworld to Shinnok."
"You are quite bold to call This One a traitor," D'Vorah responded. "You are the one who ferried refugees off to Earthrealm without Kotal Kahn's approval."
"Don't pretend like you ever cared about his authority," Li Mei rebuked. "So what now? Did Shang Tsung send you to kill us after we got in his way?"
"That about sums it up," D'Vorah admitted. "But This One's duty is more aimed towards preventing further interference."
"This doesn't make any sense," Khameleon argued. "Syzoth would never allow you to kill me!"
"Reptile does not know I have been sent to kill you," D'Vorah explained. "And he never will."
With that, D'Vorah spewed a bluish acidic substance from her mouth, aimed at Khameleon. Khameleon simply raised a hand and the acid stopped in mid-air.
"A foolish tactic, bug," the Saurian pointed out as she began forming the Kytinn's intended assault into a sphere. "In Zaterra we mastered the art of controlling acid on a level unparalleled throughout the realms. And well, when you combine that with a few lessons in pyromancy…."
The sphere of acid suddenly began to glow and smoke, becoming superheated in mere moments.
"Your attempt on my life just became the very thing that might end yours." Khameleon finished as she launched the sphere of superheated acid at D'Vorah. The Kytinn attempted to dodge the attack but it still managed to graze her side, burning her insect exoskeleton and causing her to screech from the searing pain.
D'Vorah retaliated by trying to stab Khameleon with one of her stingers, which Khameleon narrowly dodged. While the Kytinn was distracted, Li Mei jumped in and kicked her in the face landing and unsheathing her sword, which she aimed at D'Vorah's neck.
"Listen to me and listen well," Li Mei instructed. "We have no desire to harm you, much less kill you. But we will defend ourselves if you choose to continue attacking us. I am offering you this one chance to simply leave, not be a pawn in the schemes of Shang Tsung and the Dragon King."
D'Vorah snickered. "You foolishly assume that This One shares your 'honor'. A fatal mistake."
She aimed all four stingers at Li Mei and nearly killed her, before Shujinko pulled her back telekinetically and then fired an ice ball at D'Vorah. The Kytinn flew over the freezing attack and lunges at Shujinko only for Khameleon to teleport in a lime-green burst of energy and appear above D'Vorah, kicking her to the ground.
"You can teleport?" Li Mei asked her Saurian ally when she landed.
"Moderate distances, yes," Khameleon admitted. "Not enough to speed up our journey to any significant degree, unfortunately."
Li Mei nodded. "Well, it was worth a shot."
Meanwhile, D'Vorah climbed to her feet, only to be met with Shujinko.
"This One's master considers you the most dangerous," she told him. "This One fails to see how much of a threat an old man can be."
Shujinko's fists burst into flame.
"How about we find out?" He offered.
D'Vorah cackled in her arrogance, and launched her stingers at Shujinko only for him to grab two of them with his flaming hands, burning the Kytinn immediately and causing the other two to recede from the pain.
"Moth to a flame…." he said to himself, chuckling.
Shujinko then let go and kicked D'Vorah with green energy at an accelerated speed. She in return released a burst of acid from one of her hands, which Shujinko froze mid-air, ultimately being distracted long enough for D'Vorah to kick him in the face and send him stumbling back.
D'Vorah went to kill him with a stinger, only for Li Mei to intercede and slice the end off with her sword.
D'Vorah attacked her instead, but the next stinger was cut off by Khameleon. The Kytinn lunged at them both, only for Li Mei to launch herself in return, punching D'Vorah in the face several times until both landed, at which point Khameleon elected to intervene and kicked the Kytinn away.
D'Vorah was now staggering. She had not anticipated much difficulty in dealing with her opponents. Then again, she was more accustomed to one-on-one confrontations. These warriors were also quite skilled. But she had to complete her task. Failure could mean the revoking of Shang Tsung's offer and perhaps even death. To say that the sorcerer and the Dragon King intimidated her would be an understatement. But given the situation at hand, it almost seemed like her options were die now or die later.
That point was further made when Shujinko formed a bow and arrow out of spirit energy, something he'd learned during time spent with Nightwolf years prior, and aimed it right at D'Vorah's head.
"Leave, bug," he insisted. "Now."
Both Li Mei and Khameleon brandished their swords to accentuate the point.
D'Vorah decided she would die later. Prolonging her life was one of her strong suits, and she elected to play into that as she extended her wings and buzzed away.
"Well, that was certainly an ordeal." commented Khameleon.
"Indeed," Shujinko agreed. "You both fought well."
"I doubt I could have done as well without your training." Li Mei said modestly.
"You may still have much to learn, but do not doubt yourself, Li Mei," Shujinko advised. "In fact, before we continue on our journey, I would wish to give you your next lesson."
"Oh?" Li Mei asked. "What is it? More combat techniques?"
"Not exactly," Shujinko clarified. "I wish to teach you how to harness your chi into energy. We Shaolin most commonly manifest our chi in the form of flames, but I sense a more unique energy from you, Li Mei."
"If you don't mind my asking," chimed in Khameleon. "But what is 'chi'?"
"In the White Lotus Society, we understand chi to be the basic life force of all living beings," Shujinko explained. "An energy innate to us all, the manifestation of the very soul into the physical world, typically achieved through the study of martial arts and harmony with oneself."
"And you believe that I have what it takes to harness this inner power?" Li Mei asked.
Shujinko shook his head. "Actually Li Mei…I know you do."
Li Mei couldn't help but smile. "I thank you for your confidence in me, Shujinko."
"And after you are finished with this training, we will resume our journey?" Khameleon asked.
Shujinko nodded. "Yes."
"For the good of all realms," said Li Mei.
"We have to."