A/N: Hey, I have good and bad news. While yes, Chapter 12 is finished, (yay) it so far has been one of the hardest chapters to edit. So instead of posting this in the middle of February or something, (Anyone whose read this story will know what I mean) I've decided to post what has been edited. Once again, I hope you enjoy!
22 A.M.K.
The soldiers lined up in front of him. He knew what he looked like, his mouth blazing with a smoke that hinted at the hottest fire Outworld had ever seen. Charging at him, they found no victory.
All they found was death in his jaws.
He had no idea how much time had passed. A day? A week?
Walking further into the tundra, he was naked, his eyes glancing at the distant mountain peaks. He sighed and instinctively turned his gaze upward. There was an aurora borealis, colors that were scarcely found in Outworld.
But his admiration was soon interrupted.
More guards, huddled up in the furs of the giant aurochs came up to him. He stared them down, noticing that one of them was covered in the steely blue plumage of frost phoenixes. Phoenixes were a popular creature in his homerealm, but he had never seen one, as he rarely journeyed south enough to be into their range.
He let forth a small burst of his flames and the guards instantly flinched. Their faces, what he could see of them behind their Osh-Tekk masks, quivered with doubt and fear. Most scattered and ran, a few charged him, but he tore them to shreds, breathing his fire and hissing at any stragglers.
He was left to himself after that.
When he smelled his environment, he could only pick up the smells of the stubborn lifeforms who had evolved to survive in the tundra. He stared into the distance once more, where he could see a slow herd of muskox. They were white of wool, nine feet tall, and rotund. Their horns were carved, and they had pierced noses, a sign that the giants, the only humanoids able to withstand such cold, had tamed them. This meant a few things, tamed mammoths, mastodons, and aurochs were to be near and if their herder was gone, he was either dead or off fighting some ice dragon.
He scratched his chest, there were no landmarks, but he followed the footprints of the guards he had scared away. Eventually, he smelled something he never expected to.
"Nitara?" Her smell came back to him. He could remember first meeting her, she was fighting in Vaeternus, but she always had one fatal flaw. One small movement of her fingers told him when she was going to attack. He had defeated her not seconds after she challenged him, but she soon became a friend. Vampires were record keepers and she helped preserve cultures with Zyvith.
A few more moments and another smell hit him, his best friend… Syzoth. He smiled, but also grew confused. Kotal had thrown him into the tundra, if he was here...
And then, Karanba, the young tarkatan who was like a son to him. He could remember bringing him back to the academy. He had always been small, but he could recall watching over him as the years passed.
Then more smells came to him, the ones of a few of his other students.
His tongue zipped back into his mouth, and he started walking to his right, the smell grew stronger.
"The beach," He said to himself. "Of course…" He started walking. The closer he got to an ice cliff, the stronger the smells grew. There were a few scents muddling it, an aurochs, or even a frost dragon, quivering at the sight of a distant fire.
He closed his eyes, and knew where his friends were. He sprinted, and finally, crashed into Karanba. When they landed, the tarkatan was in a red cloak, the same kind that Zyvith had kept in his wardrobe.
"Master Viper?!" He said, confused.
Zyvith jumped off of him.
"Is… is that you?" He said, his eyes jumping around his uncloaked body.
"Karanba!" Zyvith, soon after jumping off, ran back to embrace him.
They were silent, so happy to have seen each other again, so unbelievably happy.
For too long, he had felt alone, left to the horrors of his own mind, but Karanba was part of why he had escaped. He was far more than just a student.
"You must be cold, considering… I just… can't believe that I'm seeing…" Karanba trailed off, his eyes taking in state of undress. "Would you like my cloak?" He asked.
Zyvith readily took it, but as he put the hood back on his head, he didn't reactivate the enchantment. He looked at his hands, his left was a giant scar. But then he saw his right, the ring lay on it… Jade and he got it shortly after his proposal. He smiled, and although his mind filled with memories of her as a revenant, grey of face and orange of eyes, he smiled that he had gotten to see her at all.
"Where are the others," Zyvith asked.
"They're at the ship, making sure it stays together through the cold."
"I want to see them."
"I'll take you back there," Karanba said.
They carried on, walking through the heavy ice and snow, the sky colored green above them, almost like Jade's eyes.
22 A.M.K., A Few Days Later...
Her horse went down. She landed gracefully enough, a cursory glance to her right showed that her mount was dead. It had the horns of a goat, and its body was that of a horse who had decomposed further than any living thing she had ever seen.
Liu Kang had landed too, Quan Chi next to him behind a boulder. Red and black energy sparked at the tips of fingers and he shot them at the invading military.
"Jade, we have to ensure Quan Chi's passage," Kitana said to her.
Jade looked to the rest of her companions, Kabal and Kenshi were fighting, locked in a savage sword duel. Stryker, Smoke, and Sindel were suppressing fire, shooting, screaming, and smoking out the military men. But that was when Kung Lao was sent flying, landing on his back. Jax walked up, accompanied by two demons who had escaped Quan Chi's control, Sareena and Ashrah.
Sindel blasted the earthrealmer toward a pool of lava, Kitana went after Sareena, and Jade attacked Ashrah.
She threw her glaive, nearly cutting Ashrah's throat. The demon stepped back, unsheathing a sword. Standing on her hands, Jade let her staff took form, it raised her into the air, and she brought the metal down to the earth. She kicked herself to her feet, Ashrah having jumped back from the assault. The demon swung her sword at Jade's belly, but missed and was hit by the end of the staff. Stumbling backward, Ashrah summoned her magic, and sent it forth. Jade dodged it, but was met with a swift fist to the face. Recoiling, she saw Ashrah run toward her. So, she let her staff extend into the demon's stomach. Jade then kicked Ashrah's nose, the demon falling from the impact. Ashrah teleported behind Jade, and thrust the sword, but the edenian grabbed it with two golden claws that Zyvith had made for her.
Jade ripped the blade from Ashrah's hands and swung it, cutting her enemy across the chest. The demon didn't falter in her assault, jumping onto Jade. Ashrah teleported them away from the battlefield, but she wasn't the only one who could do so. Jade enveloped them in a green mist and simply teleported them back. Struggling to the floor, the edenian got the upper hand, punching Ashrah's face. Their fight grew more savage, the demon kicking and thrashing as Jade clawed at her face. Ashrah shot her magic at the revenant, and it sent her flying. Quickly regaining her footing, Jade unsheathed her staff and cast a purple aura around her. The edenian sprinted across the battlefield. Ashrah shot more magic forth, the crackles sounding like lightning. But it passed straight through. Jade took the channeled power of the aura and thrust herself forward in a kick. She found Ashrah's stomach, and sent the woman spiraling back. Jade ran forth to the body.
"Jade… wai-" Ashrah screamed in pain as the staff crashed onto her ankle.
"Hold your tongue," Jade said, aiming for her shoulder.
"Jade…" Ashrah was panicking, her emotions pasted to her face. Her wildly jumping eyes were a clear message she was searching for something to say. "Think about what Viper would've wa-"
Jade picked up the insufferable woman. She was dressed all in white, she had a hat and veil, and her brown hair was tied into a knot. Looking at her never would've given away that she was a demon.
"You come here… and ask me what Viper would've wanted?" Ashrah was terrified.
"Why don't you ask him," Jade sneered, grabbing her necklace, but a sudden wave of energy sent her flying.
"Jax, but of course," Jade thought to herself.
Little did the Earthrealmers know, Quan Chi's plan was to be taken behind their defenses. "They were idiotic to come here," Jade thought to herself, standing, still holding onto her necklace, the gem pulsing a heated and hateful energy.
"You know," Jax said, his metal arms glowing a purple too similar to Viper's eyes to be comfortable. "I agree with Ashrah."
"You didn't know him… not like I did!"
"Jade," He started, his tone assertive but friendly. "My daughter just gave me a call telling me about how much he helped her and her friends, about how without him, they would've been killed by Kotal."
Jade's mind started to wander. It settled for a brief moment on his face... red and black, silver and purple. But, she also grew angry, and after her few moments of rage, she tugged on her necklace. She had asked Quan Chi to enchant it with a conjuration spell twenty years ago, when Viper had left them. But when the necklace had come back to her, it was bastardized and practically remade. The amethyst had grown far darker, and looked like an ouroboros.
"You all want to talk to Viper? Here!" She took the channeled magic and threw it onto the ground in front of them. A vague shade of a saurian creature took the battlefield, its appearance grew more similar to her husband's, and finally the purple sheen overlapped his black cloak.
It flipped, jumping back and forth across the space between her and Jax. When it crossed the distance, it flicked its tail into the earthrealmer's chin. He was sent back, almost toppling into the lava again. Jade sprinted, about to strike Jax, but Kenshi interrupted her.
He shoved her backwards with his telekinesis, and swung his ninjato. Jade dodged under it and tore at the side of his face with the glove of golden claws. He sent a burst of telekinetic power at her but she teleported behind it and attempted to stab him with her glaive. Versions of himself, made of what seemed to be pure magic, tried cutting or jumping on top of her. She dodged them, but underestimated Kenshi's speed. He grabbed her with a telekinetic hand, pulling her forward. He kicked her in the stomach, and unsheathed his sword, nearly cutting her in two. She rolled to the side, letting her staff take form. The weapons clashed, the metal rang out, the sparks of blue and green magic flashing through the air. Teleporting to his back, she jumped onto him, bringing her glaive to his chest. He only barely grabbed it on time, throwing her off of him with a wave of telekinetic energy.
But had to loosen his grip on her wrist to do so.
Before she was sent flying, her glaive had pierced his chest. Standing, she saw Kenshi running towards her. She threw her staff at him, and he stopped in his tracks. The rod bounced from the ground, a few pulses of the imbued magic hitting him. Jade closed the distance, he swung his blade one last time, trying to cut her, but she ducked and brought the staff to his groin. Then, she twirled to his back, kicked him in the calf, grabbed her staff and brought the end of it to his head. He was knocked unconscious.
Jade next turned to Viper, but Kitana tapped her friend on the back.
"Quan Chi is at his castle, get Viper back here so they can capture him," Kitana said.
Jade called for the saurian, he was in the middle of a vicious battle with Jax, but at her voice, he came running to her.
As they retreated, Zyvith got to her side. She looked at the loping beast next to her, his eyes were empty. Multiple times, she tried using the shade to pretend that Viper was still with her. But, he would never snuggle his snout into her face, she would never be able to rest her hand or head on his heart and feel it race to her touch. He would never recite her books or poems, never bring her food or drink, he would never wrap his hands about her waist or pull her in for a kiss, and not once did he speak. She pushed the thoughts out of her head, counting those that were running back with her. Kitana, Nightwolf, Sindel, Kabal, Stryker, Kung Lao, and Smoke.
Viper used to be among them, in the days of his revenancy.
22 A.M.K. Hours Later, The Sweetwater Sea...
Viper ate ravenously. Talula stood next to him, she had cooked with Karanba, and they offered him the first bite of everything.
"We can make more… if you're hungry, Master," She said.
"No, I'm fine," He responded.
Reptile, however, still wasn't quite sure of what he was seeing. He had seen deformed saurians, but Viper's was the most severe case he had ever laid eyes on. His head was that of an actual lizard. His legs were structured in a way that, even when they were completely straight, he always stood on the balls of his feet. In fact, there were even times Syzoth would see him crawl on all fours.
But, Reptile soon dropped his reservations and grew happier to see his friend. There were more people on the ship. The others who sat at Viper's high table were further in, looking at a map, making sure they were on course.
When Viper stood, seemingly sated. Talula, the feline girl, was towered over. He started walking, his tail was long and spilled onto the wooden boards of the ship's insides. He disappeared into the hallway, but, despite his size, they never heard his footsteps.
"Did you expect him to look like that?" Reptile said, walking over to the girl.
"Truth be told? No. But, he saved me from the brothels, so…" Talula's eyes were silver like a dagger, her fur was a dark brown striped with black, and she had a few patches of orange. Her ears drooped low but soon shot back up. "I don't much care if he's..."
"Me neither," Reptile said. He took a closer look at Talula, she may have been the last of the felines. Every saurian that had ever lived, save he and Viper, were now dead. Reptile thought about when he had stuck by Shao Kahn's side. Two decades had passed since those days, and he had fought for Outworld. Viper though… he had taken another side. He cringed as he remembered it, Kabal and Stryker had tried to shoot him off the side of the building. He dodged them, and incapacitated Kabal. But, as he got into a fight with Stryker, his mind was elsewhere. Viper.
"We're not far from Zaterra," Talula said.
"Good… it's been too long since I've seen the land."
Reptile and she walked up to the deck, where they saw Viper take a mating necklace from Karanba. He held it in his hand so delicately, his claws softly tracing over the amethyst. He gazed into it as one would gaze into the stars.
Nitara was at the back of the ship, using a telescope to seek out any approaching navy that Kotal may have sent after them.
He could still remember the moment they had first found Viper, walking in that icy wasteland. They had interrogated some of the guards down there, and when they finally revealed he was stuck on some cliff, in an ancient cage that was used to hold frost trolls and ice demons, Talula and Karanba had volunteered to search down there. When they saw him again, in all his animalistic glory, he was strangely calm. He greeted them all telling them how glad he was to see them. But, Reptile was glad that they didn't find him brumating, or worse: dead.
He walked to the back where Nitara looked up from the telescope.
"Nothing," She answered.
"Good," Reptile was still a small bit sad. Kotal had been his friend, and part of the reason he was alive in the first place, but he and Viper had known each other for hundreds of thousands of years.
"You know, if you ask me, you did the right thing," She said, resting on some seats built into the ship's back.
"Thank you, but I feel… strange," Reptile scratched his chin.
"What for?" Viper's voice broke through. He stood, seven feet tall, snout-faced but strangely warm. His scales made the cloak look dull in comparison.
"Kotal," He answered. Reptile glanced at Viper's chest, his necklace hung there, a watching eye.
"Hmm," He sat with them, his tail was raised over the side of their ship. "I admit, my opinion of the man was never quite high. Tell me more of what troubles you?"
"Shao Kahn reprimanded me, after my failure to kill Johnny Cage. In the next tournament, I kept failing. Eventually, the Emperor exiled me."
Reptile took a few moments to recall the night Kotal had stolen into his chambers, he wasn't a trained assassin… more of a warrior than anything. His footsteps were loud, and when he drew his knife, it smelled of soldiers' blood rather than a commanders'.
"Kotal stole into my room, I prepared to fight but... then he left."
Reptile had been invited back to the throne room after that. Kotal stood to the side as Shao Kahn made them partners.
"I probably never would've seen you again, had he not been in Shao Kahn's court," He said to Viper.
A silence passed between them.
"Why do you two dislike him so much, anyway?" He looked to his two companions, the vampire and saurian. They gave each other a look, Viper gestured to Nitara.
"I was for him, at first," She said. "I can still remember that day, I was in the Shokan Kingdom when I received news of his reign. Sheeva and I were good friends, I bid her farewell, telling her I was to get a new assignment from Kotal."
She paused, they all knew of what happened with the Shokan.
"Then, he cut Goro's arms off," She said, hatefully. "I couldn't ever see Sheeva again, for she was the new Queen of Shokan. Besides, Kotal never cared for my council, I wanted the realms to be returned and unmerged. But, he always believed that a united Outworld was stronger… true enough, I suppose."
She took a cursory glance at a small ship in the distance, it was too little to be a war galley, so she continued.
"Maybe I believed in it for too long, started believing it was true… I didn't want to realize that the realms couldn't be unmerged," Viper took her hand into his, and she smiled a little.
"Well… I guess it's my turn, eh?" Viper said, leaning forward in his seat.
"One of the things we agreed on was our taste in women," He said, smiling sarcastically. "I love Jade," He said. "Always will."
He took a long pause, his necklace gleaming from the sun. Reptile thought it was strange, funny even, to imagine him and Jade. Even if he wasn't interested in edenians, he recognized beauty in her. But to imagine her with a giant lizard…
"One day, she told me that he had asked for her hand in courtship. Which, I know, is not a fair reason to hate someone for this long, even if I love Jade," His smile disappeared.
"I was born to a fisherman, my mother often grew violent at the sight of me. So, for the early years of my life, I thought myself fortune's fool… but then I learned to make a fool of fortune. I had to work hard, study for days on end to reach where I did," He said, his face like ice.
"You know, he had to go on a tria-"
"I know about the Osh-Tekk 'trials of manhood,'" He said. "But, despite my calling him a fool, I think he did learn from them."
"Maybe my disdain for him came just because I didn't like how he flaunted how great he was… painting himself blue and wearing feathers as if they were his hair."
He looked at the Sweetwater Sea, a sea that had once spanned all of eastern Zaterra.
"Maybe… maybe I was just jealous. Jealous that for so long, I was ashamed to be called Zyvith… that I was ashamed to look the way I do. Jealous that he was a great sun god, and I was the serpent or dragon or great beast of a monster that the heroes and deities always kill in their legends," He didn't laugh, and was silent as Syzoth processed what he said.
He looked at his ring and necklace, smiled once more, and said: "But I didn't need any of that… I had something far more important."
"You have a beautiful name," Reptile said. "Zyvith, I mean."
"My father named me... the second I hatched," He smiled. Reptile could imagine a small baby, he had seen the great artwork of the dinosaurs that saurians had evolved from. He imagined Zyvith's parents, holding an infant who seemed more raptor than babe.
"What does it mean?" Nitara asked. Zyvith smiled, and scratched his chin.
"That's something I think I'll only let Jade know… for nine thousand years she was the only person who could remember my face, I bet."
"We're at the shores," Talula said. Reptile sprinted to the front of the boat to see it. He jumped out, and fell into the ocean. He sifted through the waters and fell onto the black sands of the beaches. Some turtles and tortoises were there too, their shells having markings that would soon glow. Viper joined him, they were two saurians, blessing the Elder Gods for their lives.
22 A.M.K.
Viper walked up to the front of the castle. The gates were large and welcoming, words in saurian scrawled onto the top. He was welcomed by his students, most who, although finding his appearance interesting, still loved and cherished him. They tackled and hugged him, having learned of his condition in a freezing wasteland. He wrapped his arms about each of them, feeling the weight of a small army piling on top of him.
"My children," Thought Viper.
A few hours later, he had gotten all of Jade's things. He looked at her staff, her glaive, her necklace. He held the red beads in his hand, they had been repaired since Kotal had ripped it from his neck. He packed his things once more, placing her weapons and the kirehashi on his person. An interruption came by way of a knock on the door. He answered for them to come in.
Looking up, it was Nitara.
"Oh hello, I was just about to contact Johnny… find out where everyone was."
"Yes, about that," She said. "Reptile and I were talking, neither of us want to go to your funeral, so we plan on traveling with you."
"Then what are you still doing here? Pack your things, we'll be talking to Raiden and the Earthrealmers soon," She smiled, and left, her leathery wings huddled together.
He secured his weapons, making sure he could easily unsheathe them and put them back. Lifting a small communication device that Raiden had given him. It sparked, a few moments of buzzing. Johnny's voice could be heard.
"Viper?" He said, surprised.
"Johnny!" He smiled, it had been long since he had last seen his friend.
"We were planning on staging a rescue for you, but... I see you're ok!"
"Yes… Cassie, her squadron, what happened to them? Are they alright?"
"Yes, they got out!" Johnny said, his voice was loud. "How are things on your end! We might need some help, we're planning on restoring the revenants!"
Viper's mind was filled with more pictures of his friends. The people that had fought by his side for Earthrealm, he didn't know them for long, but there was a special bond people had after fighting side by side.
He saw Jade. He smiled, thinking of restoring her to her original form.
"I think I know who you want to see again, eh Viper?"
"Yes! I can get there!" He paused. "I… Reptile is with me, Nitara too… I can bring some of my students as well."
"Good I-" He stopped. "I'll have to call you back… Hanzo is here."
Zyvith put the device into his pocket.
"Hanzo?" He thought, his mind conjuring up an image of Master Hasashi, a man who had been a revenant with him. But he shrugged it off and went to his traveling companions. Viper walked down the steps, and found Nitara in the library, she was reading. He looked up and found Syzoth on top of the bookshelf, near the ceiling he was reading, too.
"You know, you've made quite the library," Nitara said to him, flipping to a page about races few in Outworld had even heard the name of. "Vaeternus had libraries like this…" Nitara said.
"How long has it been since you were there?" Zyvith asked.
"Too long," Nitara said, sadly.
"Maybe after this Shinnok ordeal is over, you could go back there?"
"I assume that's good news from Earthrealm, then. And yes, I'd love to."
"We finally going, then?" Reptile said, from above.
"I don't know, you seem to be enjoying your reading time up there," Viper shot back, sneering at his friend. "And no, there's one more thing we need."
There was another person Zyvith wanted to take: Karanba. He walked over to the front of the academy, and found a few of his students. Talula and Karanba were at a table, reading or drinking.
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I need to borrow Karanba," The tarkatan stood. "Karanba, I would ask that you join us in our mission against Shinnok," Viper said.
The tarkatan looked surprised for a moment, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape.
"But… who would run the academy?"
"Talula, it's about time you've led the students, don't you think?" She looked up from her book, a smile on her muzzle.
"What do you say, Karanba?" Zyvith turned back to his pupil.
"I… I'd love to," He said, a smile reaching to both his cheeks.
"Well, pack your things, my boy. We'll be waiting in the library," Karanba sprinted off, a jolliness to his stride.
2014 A.D.
Johnny was forced to his knees as Hanzo pounded his fists into Quan Chi's face. Sonya wrestled against the Shirai Ryu, her movements dramatic and desperate. It was sad, tragic even, that Scorpion, the man that Quan Chi had arguably wronged the most, was now the cause of many other people's pain. In his mind, the demon needed to be killed, his crimes were innumerable and if he didn't die, then justice hadn't been served. But even then, Johnny's mind turned to the faces of his companions who had died twenty-two years ago. As Hanzo kept beating Quan Chi a purple portal warped into existence, out of it walked D'vorah.
She called out Quan Chi's name and sprinted over, dueling briefly with Scorpion. His wakizashi met her ovipositors, and managed to wound her, but she pierced his shoulder. D'vorah ran to Quan Chi, and he weakly requested for his amulet. But as soon as he did, a kunai impaled his chest.
"Get over here!" Hanzo screamed, pulling him across the ground.
Even while he was about to be decapitated, all Quan Chi cared about was his amulet. D'vorah threw it towards him, and he chanted a spell. But, in one single swipe, Scorpion decapitated him.
For a moment, everything was silent. Then, out of nowhere a pillar of orange and purple light beamed from the amulet.
There he stood, Shinnok.
"Free us, now!" Sonya demanded, but it was too late. Hanzo nearly cut Shinnok's throat, but he was flung backwards with a stroke of Shinnok's hand. Kenshi, Sonya, and Johnny charged, despite knowing they were no match for a Fallen Elder God. He confirmed their reservations when he raised his fingers and flicked them back with a pulse of energy.
"How small they are," Was the last thing Johnny heard clearly before he had truly come out of disbelief.
Shinnok was in Earthrealm.
There were some blurred voices, speaking of the newly deceased Quan Chi, but nothing clearer than that was heard. Johnny groaned, tossing and turning on the pavement.
"There will be no surprises from you, Mr. Cage! Bring him," Shinnok spoke, bitterly. Suddenly, there was another warping noise. Six revenants walked out of the portal, although which six Johnny didn't know.
Johnny really only knew one thing… war wasn't coming. It was here.
22 A.M.K.
The portal to Earthrealm was littered with corpses. Barren and sandy around them, the land was scorching hot and his non-saurian companions were sweating, hunched, and panting from the long journey.
Sun Do was completely empty.
How a once lively town could transform into a creepy and decrepit land of ghosts was… unsettling.
He walked toward the portal to Earthrealm, he could remember his first time there. Johnny had taken him to see many different wonders of the place. Zyvith sighed… he was a good friend, one that he was glad to have fought alongside. Sonya had also been nice to him. She was usually on missions, so they interacted less, and he could tell she sometimes found his behavior strange. Nontheless, he would be glad to see them both, and their children.
He turned his attention back to the corpses, smelling them…
"Nightwolf?" He thought. Curiously enough, he had met the shaman before he had partaken in the Mortal Kombat Tournament. He was older than he seemed, and Viper had often journeyed to ancient Earthrealm to watch its development.
Shao Kahn sent him there over the years. After he met Jade, she would sometimes come with him. For the most part, he observed from afar, gathering all the data that he could. But the few times over the centuries that he had made his presence known, some people would cower at his sight, or strangely enough, would worship him. Whether it be Sobek, a Dragon King, Fu Xi, Cecrops I, a Djinn, Glycon, Tlaloc, or Jormungandr, he carried a great many names in Earthrealm and he had to admit… it was kind of entertaining.
But Viper's attention was on the corpse, and the peculiar smell of the shaman. He turned his head to the pile that lay farther west. They were cleaved in such a manner that left them nearly unrecognizable. He didn't need the smell to know that it was Kabal's work. He could remember the man, he was ashamed of his new form. But Viper had known how to play the monster, and he didn't want Kabal to go through it. So, he had made sure to treat him kindly, even in the midst of a battlefield.
Some other bodies had bullet holes. Stryker, that was the only answer that made sense. He could remember the man: just, upright, serious. He was unmoving as a boulder, almost as if he was made of stone. Viper had thought he was a good man, if not a little quiet.
"Hold," He said, having taken in the scene.
"What's that?" Nitara said, her hand pointed at the sky. There was a bird, too big to be a crow, and not shaped like a vulture. When the sun hit it directly, it was completely translucent.
Nightwolf had spotted them.
"Who could've done this?" Karanba asked. Viper exchanged a look with Reptile, their eyes spoke of similar revelations.
Zyvith was about to answer Karanba, but the tarkatan was grabbed from behind, a blur of grey zipped away and reappeared a few feet away from them. Kabal stood there, his gas mask was a red and black not much darker than his skin. He unsheathed his one of his hook swords and put it to the tarkatan's neck.
Stryker jumped out of the shadows and held Nitara at gunpoint, his weapon only a few feet from her face. Nightwolf was next, but he stood farther back, a spectral wolf by his side. It was orange, glowering and hateful in its expressions and growls.
"Viper, I suggest you turn back, lest you meet the fate these men did."
"And I'd ask what you're doing here, Nightwolf. Besides killing Kotal's men," Viper discreetly formed a knife out of his acid.
He wasn't going to use it yet, if there was a chance that he could negotiate, then he would take it. They had been his friends, even as revenants, he held remorse for them. He had been one of them, plotting with the Dark Lord Shinnok. Plus, two of his companions were tired, they wouldn't last long if the fight went on for more than a few minutes.
"Isn't it simple, we're stopping Kotal from entering Earthrealm," Stryker said.
Viper's mind turned to D'vorah. She had always been duplicitous, and her 'love' for Kotal was flimsy at best. Zyvith connected the dots, if Kotal was throwing men at Earthrealm, there had to be something he wanted there, and if his thoughts of D'vorah were correct, then it had to have been Shinnok's amulet.
"Shinnok's amulet… I suppose D'vorah has taken it from that dramatic fool?"
"If you attempt to stop us, you'll only die sooner," Stryker said, his gun never moving from Nitara's forehead.
"That's an answer in and of itself," Zyvith read more signs, the faces of the revenants. They weren't here to surrender or compromise. He would have to fight them. But he probed them for more answers.
"So, if I'm getting this correct… D'vorah stole from the Emperor, he assumes she's working with Earthrealm because Cassie's platoon escaped, and now you're hatching some master plan behind Earthrealm's defenses?" He could remember Quan Chi's warped face. He would prowl along his castle, his shadow seeming to move independent of him. As it all came together one final time, Viper realized that Shinnok's amulet and Quan Chi's resurgence in Earthrealm only led to one possibility. The Fallen Elder God's return.
"You know… I have to applaud Quan Chi," He said. "He may have been a demon sorcerer, but he was a demon sorcerer with a brain."
"Turn back, Viper," Kabal said, his hook swords sliding gently across Karanba's neck.
"You know… I really did prefer it when we were on the same side," He sighed, and threw his dagger. It landed square in Kabal's mask, causing the revenant to stumble back, wheezing oxygen from the breathing apparatus. Nitara quickly spurted magic from her hands, hitting Stryker in the chest and lifting him off the ground. Zyvith, in the meanwhile, was attacked by the spectral wolf. He grabbed it by the throat, and crushed its windpipe, watching it whine and wither before any further damage could be done. Reptile had been fighting Nightwolf, breathing acid at a rapidly descending ethereal bird.
Nitara had been struggling with Stryker, her magic giving her a clear advantage over the officer. But Kabal threw his buzzsaw across the earth, cutting at the vampire's ankles and sending her headfirst into the sand. Karanba slashed his blades at the man, keeping him from further sabotage.
Stryker was about to kill Nitara, but Viper flipped across the earth. He jumped onto the revenant, his feet grabbing the gun. Leaping, Viper ripped the firearm from Stryker's grip. As soon as he landed, Zyvith kicked a cut of flames at the revenant. Dodging, Stryker took out his truncheon. He swung, but Viper was too fast, and raked a claw against the officer's chest. Within seconds of his previous attack, the saurian pushed his palm into Stryker's mid-section, ignited his hand, and sent the man flying through the sand, steaming. Zyvith pounced after him and slammed his tail into Stryker's cheek, knocking him back even further. The revenant desperately shot up, sand pouring from his body, and punched Viper in his chin, but the fist merely deflected off the saurian's scales. Stryker realized this and scrambled for the truncheon he had dropped. He went to all fours and dug through the sand, only barely finding it in time. But while Stryker had been busy feeling relieved, Zyvith grabbed the weapon, and broke it in half. They squared off, the revenant charged in a desperate attempt to attack, but Stryker didn't cross half the distance between them. Viper letting a bloom of fire erupt from his hands and mouth, setting Stryker on fire. The revenant fell to the ground, the fires slowly suffocating in the sand.
As the saurian walked over, he noticed a row of glass sticking out of the sand. He examined it, while waiting for Stryker to rise to his feet.
"You used to fight for Earthrealm. You used to defend the innocent, protect those that couldn't protect themselves, Stryker," Zyvith said, not turning from the sculptures of glass.
"I was blind. Quan Chi cleared the icy haze from my eyes and showed me that death was the legacy of life."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Stryker, for it would appear that you weren't unblinded, but merely walked further into the mist."
Stryker sprinted toward the saurian one last time, but Zyvith merely struck him with his tail, thrusting the revenant backwards. The sand swept up like a blanket, slowly falling back to the earth.
Viper turned to the rest of the battlefield. Karanba and Kabal were still fighting, the hook swords and bone blades collided. The tarkatan was doing quite well considering he was fighting Kabal, a master swordsman with super speed.
Reptile had fared alright so far, but Nightwolf had spectral animals at his beck and call. A giant bear swung its claws wildly at Syzoth. The saurian dodged under them, and flipped himself onto his hands, kicking the bear in the jaw.
With an ethereal arrow primed, Nightwolf smirked. The spectral creature was merely a distraction. But Reptile swiftly jumped onto the bear's back and sent it loping toward the revenant. The animal dissipated as it came crashing over to its conjurer, the shaman shaking himself free of the myopic haze, glaring at the saurian.
Zyvith ran to the battle, hissing as Nightwolf sent forward a pack of spectral wolves. The saurians spit out a half-circle of acid, only some of the wolves were graceful enough to stop, most being melted by the vitriol.
"You know how to heal a wound like Nitara's?" Viper asked, as they finished killing the beasts. Reptile nodded and took off.
Picking up one of the few wolves that had stopped in time, Zyvith threw the animal at Nightwolf. The shaman dodged and knocked his bow. The arrow flew but Viper spun out of its range and loped towards him, smacking away the surviving wolves with his tail. He got close enough for his claws to reach and jumped onto the revenant. Viper's toes grappled onto his waist, the talons of both his feet and hands dug in as he bit the man's shoulder. Nightwolf tried to stab him with a knife, but the saurian simply constricted his tail around the shaman's neck, choking him. Acid cascaded the saurian's teeth, burning into the already bleeding wound. Cursing, the revenant wildly and desperately thrusted his weapon into the saurian's chest. Viper felt a few of scales start to budge and some blood trickling down his chest. Kicking himself off of the shaman, Zyvith retreated from the blade.
Nightwolf recovered from the wounds and brought a stroke of lightning from the skies. Zyvith flung himself back, but was hit by the blast radius. The saurian fell into the sand, and was met with the revenant pouncing on him. Nightwolf tried stabbing him, his knife aiming for Viper's heart. But Zyvith slammed his tail into the shaman's neck, and bit onto one of his wrists. Nightwolf recoiled and the saurian kicked the revenant off of him.
"Well, I knew you had it in you, Grey Cloud," Viper said, standing up, pressing his hands into a smoking spot on his chest.
"Do not refer to me like that, for I am Nightwolf," He said.
"There was a time when you didn't mind hearing that name, a time when you weren't malignant."
"I let myself die by Sindel, but I should've thanked her instead of cursed her," He said, manifesting a tomahawk of pure green light.
"Raiden offered me help when Quan Chi was cleansed from my soul… I was a fool not to listen to his and Bo' Rai Cho's teachings more carefully."
"Raiden is the fool, Sindel is the reason I met Quan Chi, and now… I am a victim no longer!"
"Nightwolf," He started. "You are a victim, a victim to your own vindictiveness."
Nightwolf flung his tomahawk. In response, Zyvith took out the glaive and threw it, knocking the axe out of the air. Quickly, Zyvith let Jade's staff take form and leaped from the sand. He landed on the end of the metal, bounced off of it, and jump kicked Nightwolf's cheek. Grabbing the staff with his tail, he slammed the end into the shaman's chin.
Flipping back onto the sand, the staff in his hands, he whipped it around his body, channeling the destructive power, adding it to his fire. With a few more swings, the magic flared into the air. Nightwolf reacted too late and was hit by a bright collision of energy.
Zyvith walked over to the smoking body of the shaman. He was unconscious, and very lucky. Most would've been killed by such a burst of magic, but revenants were quite resilient. Zyvith saw his face, warped beyond comfort. Sighing, Viper reclaimed the glaive from the sand.
The saurian turned, where Kabal loomed, silent and holding his hookswords. Karanba was bleeding from his arm and had been retreating.
Zyvith came between them.
Kabal's mask hissed, air escaping from the ridges in the metal.
The revenant said nothing, one of his hookswords moving toward Viper's direction.
For a few moments, nothing happened. No spoken words, no actions… nothing.
Then, Kabal suddenly ran forward and tackled Viper. The two went flying through the sand. Wrapping his tail about the revenant's leg, Zyvith and he tumbled, the portal slowly disappearing from sight. There were statues of people long forgotten littered about the desert, sticking stubbornly out the sand. They stood and began to fight, Zyvith's kirehashi clashing violently with Kabal's hookswords. Viper cut against the revenant's body, a swath of bright neon orange falling into the sand. Kabal ran, he was a master swordsman, but the saurian had been wielding blades when he hadn't even existed. Using his impressive speed, the revenant returned, smashing his fist into the saurian's chin multiple times. Then, Kabal sped off, further into the sand.
The two of them chased each other through the fields of ancient ruins, almost as if they were playing a child's game. As they ran, Kabal turned and threw a knife, but Viper propelled himself upward with a jet of fire, dodging the blade. He landed on top of Kabal's back, causing them to fall onto the scattering sand. The revenant regained composure and pierced his hookswords through the back of Viper's shoulder. Pulling on the blades, they tumbled further along the hills of the desert.
But Zyvith wasn't finished. He shot streams of vitriol from his mouth, and Kabal quickly scrambled away from it, unlodging his sword. He stood a few feet away, his hookswords ready to tear through more flesh. Viper joined him, before long, his scales would move back into place, trying to repair the damage.
"Kabal!" Viper said, his claws bloody from the battle. "Why, why do you take relish in your actions? Why must you kill the realm you died for?"
The wind was strong, dust and sand choking the sky.
"I could remember a time when you and I weren't tearing each other to shreds, no?" Kabal said avoiding the question. "You made me feel as if I were none changed, during a time when I felt inhuman."
Kabal swung his blades through the air with such grace that most would grow wary of challenging him.
"A shame that now I'm not human."
Viper loped after him. Kabal charged, their speed unparalleled by any in the realms. Zyvith shot a pulse of fire and it burst into a cacophony of flames. Landing straight in Kabal's face, he stumbled backward. Viper sprinted towards him, but the revenant slashed at the saurian's chest. He recoiled from the sudden movement of the blade, feeling the swing's breeze at the scales of his torso. In response, Zyvith slammed his talons onto Kabal's feet, and punched him. Kabal's mask partially broke, not enough to kill him, but enough to knock him out. Landing on all fours in the sand, he collapsed.
Viper stopped for a few moments, sitting cross-legged, his back hunched and his tail curling around his legs. He lay on the soft earth under him, his eyes closing. As he rested, he could remember coming out to the deserts of Outworld.
Jade would always be there, their mounts whinnying and chirping at the sun. They would sit, his head resting in her lap with her hands cupping about his face. As he basked in the heat, she would smile, and he would grin crookedly in response. He would nuzzle his snout into her face, pulling her head in for a kiss.
"Master?" The voice of a young tarkatan broke through the silence. His eyes fluttered open, his thoughts and visions of Jade scattering.
Reptile sauntered up behind, supporting Nitara on his shoulder. The vampire had stopped bleeding, but she was limping. Karanba was with them as Viper stood, he brushed the sand off of him and took a look at his companions. Reptile hadn't sustained much damage, but Nitara looked half-dead, and Karanba was panting like a dog.
"Nitara, how's your leg?" She put some weight on it, but Kabal had cut it too deeply for her to walk.
Viper thought for a few moments, his mind turning to Shinnok. The situation had changed, if they were to stand a chance against a Fallen Elder God, they would need an army. Plus, Zyvith had no intention to drag an injured vampire to Earthrealm.
"We have to go back," Viper said.
"What?" Nitara spoke. "I- I can fight!"
"No, you can't. Kabal saw to that, Nitara," Zyvith turned, and looked back over the dunes. "If we're going to Earthrealm, we'll need an army."
The saurian turned to his traveling companions. "We need to gather the students, send owls to those off on missions."
"How long will that take?" Reptile asked.
"I'm not sure, only a few are away, last I checked. But, we'll be needing to get as many with us as we can."
They took off: a tired tarkatan, a limping vampire, and two determined saurians. As the hours passed and they climbed out of the sand and back to the swamps of Zaterra, Viper knew... knew that a war for the fate of Earthrealm was on the horizon and they would have a crucial role in it.
2014 A.D.
Cassie held her mother in her arms.
"Mom, where's dad?" She asked.
"Shinnok…" She answered, half-dead.
"Mom, mom… where'd they go?" Cassie probed. Sonya fell, her face planted into the side of the pavement.
"Mom?!"
"Your father…" Scorpion spoke. "Shinnok's prisoner… at the Sky Temple…"
Cassie looked to the west, her eyes trained carefully on the foreboding shift of the winds. A stroke of lightning flashed down from the heavens. Raiden.
A/N: I'll try to get Ch. 12 (or what was originally planned to be the rest of Ch.11) edited soon. Thank you so much for your patience, this story has been really fun to write. Once again, I hope you enjoyed!
Sincerely, The Swampian