Chapter 13
Bulls on Parade
Part 2
The Dogs Attack
Norah paced impatiently on the balcony of Black's room with nothing but the activity happening to hold her attention— and failing to. She felt guilty that she couldn't put more focus on what was going on in Z'unkahrah, but her encounter previously with Black played continuously in her head, and it was enough to deter her thoughts.
Even after they had taken a break from each other, Norah felt less than content. In many ways, she was afraid, but only because she knew the moment he discovered she had placed one of his guns to his head, she would have every reason to be frightened. She had become unhinged, more so than she could ever recall being with a person. In a way, it scared her more than the thoughts about what he would do to her once he found out.
In hindsight, she also felt the exact opposite and couldn't find the need to care anymore if he did or not. The less rational side of her, the angrier side, argued that what she had done was needed and honest, even if others would not necessarily agree with it; one of them being Bert. Her only fault about this was that she didn't actually go through with it, and there was nothing to celebrate.
Nevertheless, there was some perverse empowerment holding the gun to his head she couldn't identify and felt despicable for wanting to relish in. It continued to persuade her that she should continue to act in a similar aggression towards him despite the reality that her actions might bring her an undesired retaliation from him.
She scoffed at the thought of the expected vengeance he would deliver to her. They both knew it was coming, and the only fact she regretted was that Bert had stopped her. The way she saw it, no matter if she was scared or not, was that in the end, he had forced her hand. To do whatever she thought necessary to end the abusive period of tribulation the gunslinger gave her from the start— no matter how detestable or brash.
It would not have been right to of shot him while he was unconscious and sick.
You are right. It would be better to do it while he was awake— so you can see the smugness wiped from his face.
You are not a killer, nor deserve the right to be one.
But no one would argue that you did not have a sound reason.
I don't want to kill.
Coward.
She ran her hands over her face. Her moral conundrum plagued her, and she was ambivalent about whether she made the right decision about not pulling the trigger.
Or if she even could have.
Bert had made the decision for her with his intervention. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had not been there to scorn her. If she would have truly gone through with it despite her reservations. Norah couldn't lie to herself; Bert's words had cut but not for the reasons he had intended.
The more she thought about what he had said, the more she felt the wound fester at her already harsh assessment of her incapability to kill someone who had done her wrong. There was also another issue with Bert's intervention that bothered her greatly. A small suspicion that, granted, she was letting spiral a little out of her control as she paced the deck of Black's room.
Erron Black had no issue when it came to killing anyone, and yet Bert had not reprimanded him for it. Perhaps it was because of their mysterious previously embedded friendship was why he was so eager to aid him and show her more contempt for her actions. She felt somewhat like a cast out at the assumption, especially since Bert was supposed to be a friend of hers.
Norah wouldn't call it jealousy, but it was something similar and far more poisonous. She couldn't recall Bert giving Black a belittling word when there was a gun placed by her head. Nor any feelings of disappointment with her character— yet she was the one being treated like a child! Who was Bert to judge her? His transgressions were far more irreversible than hers!
She exhaled hotly out of her nose and crossed her arms over her chest as she paced with her ire green eyes on the door.
They had remained in the closed washroom for some time now, and she could hear their voices muffled through the wall. The only time the door had opened was when Bert had dug through Black's cabinet adjacent to the balcony and pulled one of the mercenary's black sleeveless shirts before gathering his boots and hat from the floor.
Bert had flashed a pointed look before he returned into the washroom that she understood; warning her to remain in the room till she had permission to leave. It had been exceedingly difficult to stay in Black's room after that look. Bert being the only shackle that prevented her from moving, and she was beginning to feel her will pull towards ignoring him.
She could hear them arguing heatedly in the room about whether he was fit or not to leave; the only conversation she was able to make out through the wall. Bert argued against him leaving, and Norah couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal enter her thoughts. Why did he care so much for him? He had done nothing to deserve it from what she had witnessed.
Norah couldn't be his room any longer, and she didn't care if Bert would be angry with her.
She passed by the washroom, looked to make sure that Bert or Black hadn't heard her move and opened the door to Black's room. She exited out, closed the door and marched in the direction of her room briskly.
A small weight of tension lifted off her chest when she left the room, although she still wiped a small, frustrated tear with the back of her hand that had escaped on its own accord.
However, when Norah rounded the corner, she wished she had listened to Bert and stayed.
A scraggly beast of a man halted when he saw her, and she did the same; mostly out of fear than surprise. He was in rags and she could smell him from where she stood. When he saw her, she recognized the smirk that he gave her and it made her blood freeze. She noticed that his hair was as greasy as his skin and had red rings around his wrists and ankles blistered red on his flesh. She knew they were from irons and that this was undoubtedly a prisoner.
A prisoner walking free in the palace that she had the misfortune of encountering.
She had taken Kotal Kahn's advice and concealed her knife in a more hidden location — around her calf — but she doubted she would be able to reach it in time. He glanced at her perversely up and down as she heard yelling coming down the hall; making her eyes dart past him.
He took a step towards her, and she ran — running for the only safe spot she could think of.
She ran as fast as she could, but the pounding footsteps behind her of him giving chase made it feel as if she was running so slow she wasn't moving at all.
Norah had almost reached Black's room when she felt him grab a chunk of her hair from behind and pull back. She cried out in pain, her head snapping back, as she felt some of her hair ripped from her scalp. He grabbed her from behind, picked her up and she screamed involuntarily in horror.
On instinct, she felt her elbow connect with his nose as he threw it back as hard as she could. Her elbow flared in pain, and she heard something break; like a snap of a wooden branch.
He growled in pain and dropped her on the ground with a thud. She glanced back briefly to see he was more than displeased. He glared at her, ruthlessly furious, as two symmetrical streams of blood poured out of each nostril as his chest rose and fell with each heated breath.
"You little bitch!"
She turned to flee once again but felt him grab her by the throat from behind, making her let out a strangled groan from her crushed windpipe before he tossed her into the wall hard, earning a loud yelp from her. Before she could twist around, she felt him grab her by her hair again and slam her forehead against the stone of the wall.
Norah hit the ground before she even realized she was on it and her vision blurred with painful intensity. She blinked when she felt him roll her on her back. When she felt his weight on top of her and each of his hands on her thighs, it was enough to snap her awake and she shrieked in anger. She continued to scream while throwing her hands in wild punches towards his face. It all earned grunts of pain from him as he tried to clamp her hands into a vice while he also moved to straddle her waist.
"GET OFF OF M — !"
She screamed again, this time muffled as she felt his hand cover over her mouth harshly. Norah could taste sweat and blood on his palm as she continued to scream through it. Her eyes blazed with a mixture of rage and terror as she whipped her head under his forceful grasp. She felt one of his fingers push past her lips by accident, and she opened her mouth, letting it fall in more before she sank her teeth hard into his flesh. He groaned out in pain, and she tasted blood before he managed to withdraw his hand from her face.
Norah reached for his face, trying to hunt for his damaged nose but he swatted them away.
Thinking quickly, Norah brought her right leg as close as she could to bunch up her skirt to reach for what she needed. She felt the handle and pulled it out of the thick piece of cloth tied tightly around her calf and grimaced when she felt it slice her skin as she drawled it out.
Norah aimed for the side of his neck.
The second he caught her wrist and felt how strong he was despite his emaciated state, it was then she wished she had refrained from grabbing it at all.
They glared fiercely in unison at each other, Norah with determination while his demeanor portrayed savage anger as they fought for control of the knife. Both of them using their hands to push it at one another. They both knew he had more strength than her and she felt trepidation at her disadvantage being pinned underneath him. At this point, even with the tip pointed at his neck, she was pushing while he was trying to pull the knife towards her.
Incomprehensible dread filled her when she felt the knife start to point in her direction as he buried his fingers in her wrist with a bruising grip. As the blade began to hover down, inching down closer to her shoulder, her eyes widened in fright and she moved one of her hands away for his face.
His other hand shot out and pinned her wrist to the ground and she held her breath when she felt the tip of the blade scratch against the thin layer of protection her shirt provided.
She had her eyes squeezed when she felt the point dig uncomfortably into the flesh under her right collarbone. Norah heard herself whimper a pathetic 'no' before she screamed involuntarily from the white-hot pain that shot through her shoulder and chest.
She could feel her flesh separate against the steel intrusion, the muscles peeling away as her strength faltered by the pain and gave him leverage to push the tip in deeper.
A sudden shower of blood coated her face and chest at the same time her ears rang. His slack released and she heard him fall slowly on the ground next to her. She didn't know why and only focused on the piece of steel and the scorching pain she felt explode across her chest and shoulder from each frightened breath.
She wanted it out of her and with a pained moan she reached over and grabbed the handle. When she did, it sent a burning twinge inside her skin while she felt her eyes brim with tears.
Norah sucked in a breath, held it, and ripped it out with a wail; the muscles afflicted tearing even more by the suction she felt as she pried it out. She opened her eyes and noticed the ceiling was blurrier than usual as she rolled on her side; blood already soaking her shirt and skin heavily like someone placed a hot, wet washcloth on her.
She looked up to see Erron Black standing outside the door with one of his six-shooters in his hands. He had a shirt, hat and his boots on again, appearing to be feeling better although it was obvious he was still wrestling with remnants of the cholera with each small cough. Even with the wound in her shoulder, causing her to grimace in pain, she frowned heavily that it was his bullet that had helped her.
He saw her ungrateful look, lowered his revolver and shrugged his shoulders lightly at her; as if silently telling her he wasn't happy about it either. Bert rushed over to help her as she struggled to stand with the knife still limply in her hand. Bert lifted her while he pressed his hand over her wound causing her to hiss.
"Didn't you hear me say not to pull the knife out?" he questioned brusquely, his eyes hard, but she could see that he was thankful she was alive.
Norah shook her head; she must have been too focused on the pain to hear him. She heard something rip and looked down to see Bert tearing a part of his black shirt to wrap it around over the top of her shoulder, under her arm and over the wound. Bert gave a small sympathetic look before he gripped both ends and gave a sharp tug. It earned a whimper of pain from her, the cloth tight as it tried to smother the bleeding.
"Keep your arm —"
Bert never got to finish what he was saying when they heard a macabre chorus of growling coming from the end of the hall. She heard Bert curse under his breath as Norah felt the color drain from her face when she saw 5 Tarkatans looking in their direction when they rounded the corner.
The prisoners loose were bad enough, but the Tarkatans were far worse.
They seemed to look past her and him and when she turned her head to look at Erron Black, she made the connection of who they really wanted to sink their teeth into more than them.
Kotal Kahn's guard.
They ran for them and Norah felt Bert all but drag her towards Erron Black's room. Black fired his gun again and she didn't bother to look back to see if he managed to hit his target. Bert shoved her in first, followed by him then Black, who fired another shot.
All of them seemed to have the same idea and turned around to push the door to close it. Before the door could latch, an arm blade snaked its way through. The door buckled underneath them as the other Tarkatans on the other side tried to push in.
Norah, Bert, and Erron Black grunted as they attempted to keep the door from opening and spilling them into the room. Norah was at the far end, pushing with her back, with Bert in the middle and Black trying to avoid the arm blade that swung for him.
She could hear them snarling and grunting; wanting desperately to get in and she was fearful they might for a moment. The mercenary aimed his gun through the crack in the door and shot at the Tarkatan that kept the door pried open with his arm.
The arm fell out of view and they managed to get the door closed, though unlocked. Bert and Norah moved towards where Black was, putting more weight on the end before they managed to hold the door steady. Norah pushed the wooden block across the door with her good arm and latched it closed while Bert and Black held the door.
As all three of them backed away, they watched the door bang loudly on its hinges. They held their breaths for a moment, wondering if the door would cave in. Much to their relief, the door held up for the moment, but they were still adamant about trying to get in. Norah started to see more shadows being cast through the cracks in the door; there were more of them on the other side.
"So much for leavin'," Black grumbled bitterly, his eyes narrowed, as he refilled the chambers of his revolver.
After catching a moment, Norah looked over her shoulder to see movement beyond the balcony. She walked over to it, trying to get a closer look and noticed the palace crawling with Tarkatans.
They scrambled around the walkways that overlooked the training courtyards below like a plague as they fought any Osh-Tekk or person not of their campaign in their way. More ran into the courtyard below before Norah saw Bert and Black look over the balcony to see what had grabbed her attention.
"How in the hell they get in here?" Norah heard Black complain through his teeth.
Bert sighed with a shake of his head: "It doesn't matter. They're in here now."
The sound of something heavy hitting against the door made her jump, and for a moment she thought they had managed to get in. The door began to buckle in; splintering as they heard the Tarkatans grunting from the other side. Erron and Bert also noticed and approached hastily.
"It's not going to hold," Bert announced apprehensively.
"No shit," Erron Black agreed. He cocked his revolver and tilted his head towards the cabinet at Bert. "Go get my rifle."
Bert nodded slightly and walked over to the cabinet to open it, retrieving Erron Black's ivory rifle from within. Bert hooked his thumb underneath the lever action and pumped it, making it click before he turned to her.
"Stay there," he instructed her.
She agreed silently, placing her hand on her bloody shoulder and feeling it stain her palm, as they walked over to the door. The cook and the gunslinger approached the door, leaving her behind them as they stared intently at the wooden door. Bert raised his gun to his shoulder and turned to Black, who had his revolvers aimed at the door.
"Shoot them through it?" Bert suggested indecisively.
"Only if you want to ruin the door and get them in here faster," Erron countered.
The door splintered and Norah took a step back out of instinct. She saw an arm blade cut through the broken section of the door and pry away the cracked section. The piece gave away to reveal a fanged mouth on the other side that snarled for a moment before his head exploded from Black's bullet.
The door continued to camber in and with the small fissure in the door, they could see that there were several more than they thought on the other side.
Seeing Black shoot through the opening, taking out the single Tarkatan, gave her an idea through the muddled mess of her panic and pain as she turned towards Erron Black's cabinet. She wedged the fingers on her uninjured arm between the wall and the thick piece of furniture and much to her disappointment it only groaned a couple of inches forward. The action sent a flare of pain through her and she squinted her eyes shut.
"What're you doin'?" Black asked her with annoyance.
She gritted her teeth at them, "Move this in front of the door so only a portion of it can open. Then shoot them one at a time!"
Bert's eyes widened for a moment before he exchanged a glance with Black, who seemed irked that he didn't think of it himself. Without another word, Bert ran over to assist her on the other side of the cabinet.
"We'll funnel them," Bert said. He looked over at Black, who was still standing where he was. "You gonna help Erron or are you going to just stand there?"
Black rolled his eyes but rushed over to help as well. Bert and Norah managed to slide the cabinet away from the wall as Black moved around it to push against the back of the heavy dresser. It was hard to move and all of them grimaced in a combination of struggling to move it and the screeching it made against the floor of the room.
Norah looked up to see that the door began to fall apart, revealing more openings where they could see the Tarkatan's ever-present malicious grins looking in with glee that they were almost inside.
"Wait!" Black shouted, stopping them. "Turn it around — my ammo is in here."
Norah and Bert paused for a second but then complied, understanding that they would need access to the cabinet doors. They pushed, moving it counterclockwise until the doors faced towards the gunslinger.
"Push on the other side," Black told her, as he came over on her side. She did just that as Bert started to teeter the cabinet over. She pushed with her back, digging her heels into the floor, as Erron Black pulled, sending it on its side and blocking the door, except for a small section where the lock was.
Even on its side, it covered the open sections created by the brutes trying to get in, making it an acceptable blockade. However, sending it on its side caused Black's contents to sprawl on the floor; sending his clothes and metal ammo boxes to the floor. Black sighed irritably at the mess but ignored it as he went over to the door.
Bert also came to his side, placing the butt of the rifle on his shoulder as he pressed his cheek against the gun to look down the sights.
Erron glanced over to her. "Get the lock," he ordered with a nod of his head.
Norah went over to the door, scrunching herself as much as she could with her back pressed uncomfortably into the roof of the furniture. She reached across her body and grabbed the wooden lock as she waited for them to signal her to unlatch it. Norah could feel where their shoulders and feet hit against the other side of the door and it, unfortunately, sent a wave of pain through her injured side each time.
"Ready?" the gunslinger asked the older cook. The corner of Bert's mouth tugged; a silent yes.
"Don't shoot me by accident," Black jested with a grouchy tone; as if Bert may actually.
"I know how to use a gun, kid," Bert scolded.
"I'm older than you, idiot," Black corrected with a frown.
"You don't look it... kid," Bert threw back with a smile.
Norah waited, gulping, as she looked at the both of them. They stared intently at her, letting her know to pull the latch and with one swift movement and she did. The moment the door was unlocked, the door opened little by little from each assault on the door, before the first Tarkatan was able to squeeze in.
He was greeted into the room with a single shot from Black's revolver before he collapsed dead in front of them. Norah ducked into a crouch and stayed on the ground; not really of any help as she felt the door begin to open inch by inch, and stupidly they filed in. All of them too eager to kill and met by a bullet by either Bert or Erron Black's bullets as a welcome.
One of them must have seen her through the cracks of the door, because suddenly an arm blade plunged its way through the wood. Norah could see the small dents and caked blood on the blade as it missed her nose by mere inches. Another shot rang and she saw the Tarkatan's shadow slump on the door on the other side. She looked over the blade to see Black cast a side glance at her for a moment. Bert pumped the rifle and looked at the gunslinger as well; a small pile of Tarkatan heads poking out of the doorway.
"They're backing off," Bert told him, his eyes still fixed on the door.
Norah breathed a sigh of relief. Black gave a glance at her arm, then to the arm blade still stuck through the door before he shook his head. Bert and Black pushed the bodies of the dead Tarkatans out of the way of the doorway before Norah rose carefully, avoiding the blade and locked the door.
Black walked towards the direction of the balcony, letting his empty cartridges spill on the floor carelessly, before reloading with the bullets from his belt and flicking the chamber close. He stopped in front of her for a moment but didn't say anything. Instead, he gave her a strange look that she could not place; as if contemplating something to say that was neither cruel nor kind. His eyes did harden for a moment and she glared in return.
Whatever it was he had on his mind was interrupted when she heard Bert come alongside her. Black walked off, marching towards the balcony as Bert examined her further.
"You alright?" he grimaced with concern.
"Yes, it is nothing," she told him. Bert raised an eyebrow at her, both of them knowing it wasn't merely a scratch.
"I'll be right back; this is soaked through," he said, indicating to the makeshift bandage he gave her earlier. He walked towards the washroom and returned with a couple of white cloths a few moments later. The bleeding was tapering, but the wound still leaked and it hurt worse than the branding did. Bert removed the black bandage and placed the white cloth against her shoulder, causing her to squint her face in pain from the pressure he applied. He put the other white cloths to the side for a moment on the table.
Norah cast her attention away from her shoulder and turned to watch as Black looked at the movement below from his position on the balcony. He sank to his knees and placed his arm against the railing, holding it steady. She noticed the gun move slightly sideways along the plane of the railing, as if tracking someone's movement before he fired— but he had also let out a cough as he did. He cursed under his breath, probably from missing his intended target and twirled his revolvers back in his holsters.
Black noticed Bert's attention towards her and frowned.
"She ain't dying," Erron Black jabbed with a drone. "But if it's really that important to you and you're done with my rifle, there's a needle and some string in my trunk. You can sew her up with that."
The corner of Bert's mouth picked up in annoyance before he tossed the rifle towards Black, who caught it easily. The older man softened, a sincere smile of sorry on his face before he patted her cheek gently and went to Black's trunk.
Norah walked over to Erron Black's chair by his table and sat down while Bert rummaged through Erron's things. Black marched over from the balcony and grabbed one of his ammo boxes without so much as a glance in her direction.
She wasn't sure what it was, but it was almost as if the tension that had been clouding the air previously had settled. It still didn't mean the two felt anything but enmity towards each other. Norah wasn't sure if the excitement of the Tarkatans almost getting in, or because the palace was under attack, but she found it surprising he didn't bring up anything about what had happened before.
As soon as his rifle was loaded, he set to work— picking off whatever Tarkatans he saw running down below.
She decided to glance at the floor and noticed her knife among the mess; she didn't even recall dropping it but must have when she went to move the cabinet. With a scoff, she lifted herself from the chair and plucked it from the ground. She frowned at the layer of blood two inches in length on the blade— her blood— and thought he had plunged it in deeper; it felt like he did. With a sigh, she wiped it on the fabric of her skirt before lifting it and placing it back in the cloth tied around her leg.
Bert came back a couple of minutes later with a needle with a spool of thick, white thread and a jar with clear liquid she recognized and thought she would never see again. There wasn't much left, perhaps a cupful, but the grudge for it and its owner returned in her like someone gave air to dwindling fire.
Bert unscrewed the cap on the jar and gave a whiff. After he was finished grimacing in repulsion, he turned to the mercenary. "Is this moonshine?"
Black fired a shot, looked over his shoulder and lifted his head in a lazy nod of acknowledgment. Norah rolled her eyes at his gesture before she saw Bert hand her the liquid in his hand.
"It tastes awful, but it'll dull the pain," Bert informed her.
"I remember the taste," Norah replied, casting a resentful glance at the gunslinger's back. "I would rather endure the pain."
"Are you sure, Norah?" Bert asked with a concerned look.
She nodded before she watched as he dipped the needle in it before he grabbed another clean white cloth behind her and tipped the jar to soak the material.
Bert waved a finger at her and cleared his throat uncomfortably; asking her silently to lower the bloody side of her shirt so he could do what he needed. She rolled her eyes but dropped the right side enough for him to get access; all the while holding her left arm horizontally of her chest for modesty.
He sighed and placed the cloth against the wound— earning a pained yell from her when he did.
"Sorry," Bert sincerely apologized, wiping the blood away. He gave her a small, unsure smile. "You sure you don't want to drink it?"
"Yes," Norah answered with a hiss; her eyes closed.
Bert gave a chuckle. "I stand by my previous statement after your Marking then. You're a tough kid."
Despite the pain, and the company in the room sharp-shooting nearby and whatever their previous history, she smiled in appreciation at Bert's words. She still felt foolish for letting herself get wounded, but she felt warmth from the small bit of credit Bert gave her.
"Thank you, Bert," she whispered with gratitude.
"Don't thank me just yet, kid— we haven't gotten to the worst part, yet," he chuckled softly as he threaded the needle with the string.
She turned her face away, not really wanting to watch, and whimpered loudly in pain when she felt the small pointed end of the needle run through her skin. She placed her forehead on Bert's shoulder, hissing in pain as she sought comfort from the stinging. He didn't seem to mind as he continued to pull the string uncomfortably through her.
They heard pounding at the door and looked to see another Tarkatan face through the small hole in the door. Erron Black noticed it too and with almost a bored expression, turned away from the balcony, aimed and fired.
His head blew apart and they returned back to what they were doing prior to the interruption.
Norah moaned in pain, burrowing her face into his shoulder as her eyes wept and gripped the material of her shirt with her left hand; white knuckling it.
As he continued to help her, fixing her shoulder, she regretted her previous thoughts of animosity she held towards Bert. Norah remembered why she thought of him as a friend and she was thankful for him being here with her; she seriously doubted Black would have been as thoughtful to suture her wound.
She was unsure how Bert felt about her at the moment since the last time they talked moments ago, he conveyed nothing but disappointment with her. He seemed to forgo his previous thoughts for the moment, but she could still see him glance at her somewhat with the same conviction.
"He knows," Bert related to her in a somber tone. "I talked to him."
Norah felt a wave of dismay and chagrin run through her at the testimony, but before she could address it, he quelled her fears.
"He isn't going to do anything."
She squinted her eyes in suspicion at the words. "Why?"
"Because despite his stupid thick skull, I think he understands, even if he won't admit it," replied Bert. She wasn't really sure if she felt convinced since his tone still held a small morsel of uncertainty.
Norah noticed out of the corner of her eye, Black cast a glance over his shoulder before he turned his attention back below and fired another shot.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked him guardedly.
"I just have a way of telling because of my previous experiences," Bert answered with a sullen sigh; as if recalling something unpleasant. "You know the thing about revenge is, while you think the issue is resolved and you'll get some false peace of mind from it, in the end, you end up chained to it and all that changes over time is that the weight gets heavier. Even if you can find forgiveness for what you did, you're still dragging it around."
"Did you kill someone Bert?" she asked with a blatant and melancholy tone.
He didn't pause, but she heard him sigh. "Yes, Norah I did. Someone I cared about."
Norah's heart sank at the testimony. "Why?"
She felt the needle stop and she saw his head lean forward. "I ask myself that all the time and I've never found a good answer for it. Back then, I thought it was because she lied when she said she loved me. I was just too ignorant and loaded I don't even remember, to see that she really did."
"I am sorry," Norah told him. She regretted that the words sounded somewhat hollow; unsure really of what to say.
"Don't be. I earned my torment," Bert replied before he resumed. She let out a small whimper as the needle went through another layer of skin.
She felt his hand at the back of her head, smoothing her hair; a small way of comforting her and apologizing for administrating pain despite it was a necessity. The gesture seemed alien to her and she thought of recoiling from it, but in a way she didn't even know she had been longing for it. Not even her own mother had done anything similar and her father hadn't been an everyday practitioner in tiny, silent actions that let her know that he cared. His hand both ripped out her heart and filled it with shame at the same time, and she didn't prevent the tear that ran down her face and soaked into his shoulder.
"Kid, you ever read Hansel and Gretal?" he questioned lightly, almost as he knew he was asking a rhetorical question.
"No."
"Well, to cut it short, the kids use breadcrumbs to find their way home after they wander lost on the trail. There's a witch they have to kill and they end up shoving her into her own oven. They return home and they live happily ever after."
Norah raised an eyebrow in confusion at the story. It did seem somewhat familiar, perhaps her father had told it to her once before.
"Anyway, the point I'm trying to get at here is you're starting to wander down the path Erron and I have. I don't particularly like that at all, by the way. I don't want you to lose your way. Even if you got to beat the birds away, make sure you find your breadcrumbs to get back."
She absorbed his words with a frown. Although, she understood completely what he was telling her, and she now could discern why he had been so upset that he had seen her with a gun to Black's head, she still had a hard time still accepting that Black could relate. If he did, Norah couldn't help but wonder what had sent the mercenary down the same metamorphic trail to begin with.
Tanya and Rain had finally managed to locate Kotal Kahn in a small open training courtyard. When they reached it, they noticed he was also accompanied by several of his personal guards doing their best to battle off the Tarkatans trying to reach the center of their tight circle — the Kahn in the center.
Although it looked like Kotal Kahn at first glance, there was something about him that sent a small flutter of suspicion through her. She narrowed her eyes, studying him as he fought with his snake-headed sickles and killed his own fair share of Tarkatans. She could not explain it, perhaps it was just her naturally distrusting nature when it came to all things, but the way he moved seemed different from when she last fought him.
He was a decent fighter, yes, but the way he fought seemed more inept. Also, she wasn't sure, but he seemed to of shrunk a couple of inches in height.
Tanya shrugged it off and twirled the handles of her yellow tonfas absently. She noticed that Rain was staring at her as well with an incredulous look and she could tell that he also had the same conjecture about him. They said nothing to each other and proceeded into the circle.
The Pyromancer ran for the center as Rain accompanied her on the left; both of them skirting around the smaller fights between the Osh-Tekk and the Tarkatans. A couple of them managed to break off the squabble with their Tarkatan and, seeing the Kahn in danger, flew with haste to stop them.
Rain stepped out of the way and attempted to drive the point of his elbow into the back of the Osh-Tekk's neck, but failed when the Osh-Tekk rolled forward out of the way. Rain narrowed his eyes as the Osh-Tekk swung at him but managed to block his sword hand with the back of his forearm. The Osh-Tekk swept Rain's leg out from under him, causing the Edenian to fall to the ground to his back. He stabbed at him, but Rain rolled out of the way in time, jumped to his feet and delivered a hook across the skull-mask of the warrior's face. He extended his arm out and caught him in a large water bubble; subduing him.
Tanya charged towards Kotal, unwilling to wait for Rain, and found herself face to face with another of the personal guards that meant to stop her.
She blocked the sword with the long body of one of the tonfas. Tanya hooked the sword down, making it catch on the sickle, but he untangled it and swiped for her head.
She ducked, the sword almost grazing her, and flipped the end of her other tonfa up and drove the pointed end into his abdomen. He screamed in pain and tried once more to swing the sword at her head that she quickly dodged before planting her other tonfas sickle into the side of his neck.
She pulled them out, watched as he fell forward, and gave a small smug chuckle and turned around to be greeted with a fist by another Osh-Tekk guard.
Tanya wobbled back, caught by surprise before she glowered and charged him. Unlike the other one, he did not have a sword and she felt sad that he would not be as a challenge. The Pyromancer swung the sickled-end for his throat and frowned when he caught the outside of her forearm and gave her a knee to the stomach. Tanya hunched over from the blow, tried to stab for his knee cap with her other weapon, but he shrunk it back in before he swept her leg and placed her on her back.
She hit the ground with a groan, his grip still holding onto her forearm. He meant to stomp on her stomach, but Tanya put one of her spiked heels to the ground, lifted the same leg and straightened her other leg to deliver a sharp blow across his face with her foot. His head snapped to the side and he released her forearm, allowing her to roll backwards to her feet.
Quickly, she threw one of her weapons and felt a grin pull on her face when it landed just below his navel; it was not her intended target but close enough. He cried in agony, his hands reaching towards the bladed weapon and distracting him long enough for her to drive the other tonfa's long, pointed barb through his throat and exit the other end. She reached down, grabbed the handle of the tonfa buried low in his torso; her hand still on the other tonfa.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's impolite to strike a lady?" Tanya sneered playfully before she pulled out the tonfas in unison. The Osh-Tekk fell limp as soon as she freed them and she fixed her attention on the Osh-Tekk she really wanted to harm.
Tanya raised an eyebrow as she heard electricity zapping and the cry of pain and looked over her shoulder to see Rain lifting one of the guards by the neck and electrocuting him with a bolt of purple lightning.
With his skin burnt and peeling off in flakes, Rain dumped him to the ground and joined Tanya.
Kotal Kahn stared at them, his blue tattoos glowing a little dimmer due to the fatigue the night gave him, but stared at them both with hostility nonetheless; a warrior's determination burning in his eyes.
Tanya snorted at it, "The face of Outworld!"
Kotal Kahn narrowed his eyes, "Also its voice."
Tanya tilted her head at him; although his voice was deep and baritone, but the way he delivered his words seemed less imposing than their last encounter.
"Yes, about your voice," she began, her eyes dark with both amusement and doubt, "It does not seem to bring any warm feelings of familiarity."
His face was deadpan at her declaration and Tanya disregarded it for now since Rain didn't comment as well; she noticed he did narrow his eyes with suspicion, though.
"We will silence it, nonetheless," Tanya spat, shaking the blood off her tonfas with a jerk while Rain's hands glowed with an amethyst hue.
Rain shot lightning that Kotal Kahn missed by rolling to the side, barely regaining his footing before Tanya was upon him. He managed to block Tanya's sickle by catching it with the curve of his own and pushed it away. Tanya tried for his unguarded side, but he blocked it as well with his other weapon. He push-kicked her away, earning a groan from her as pain flared across her exposed midsection.
Kotal swiped at Rain's head, who barely managed to lean to the side out of the way before Kotal managed to cut the side of Rain's bicep with the other sickle. Rain growled and clutched at his wounded arm as Tanya ran for him once more.
Kotal raised his arms over his head and brought both snake-headed scythe weapons down upon her, but she blocked them with the bladed bodies of her tonfas; she glared at the decorative serpent's fangs that barely reached her face. He planted his foot on her knee, causing their weapons to unlock as she stumbled back with a cry of pain; her leg bruised and aching but not broken.
Rain threw a hook that Kotal Kahn blocked with the outside of his arm-guard, before swinging for Rain's head with his other hand. The Hydromancer ducked out of the way before side-kicking into the Kahn's torso. He groaned but advanced, hacking his weapons through the air that the Hydromancer dodged with each step he was forced to take back to avoid being sliced again.
With Kotal focused on Rain, she tossed one of her tonfas but frowned when he batted it away before it could land in his sternum. Rain roundhouse kicked him across the face, causing the Kahn to spin on his heels.
Tanya summoned a ball of fire within her palm and chucked it at him, but he leaned out of the way and ran forward towards her. He tried to slice her with the thorns on the outside of the scythe with a backhand, but she blocked his massive forearm with her smaller one. He attempted to cut her from the side but was ripped away from her by a jet of water that pushed him away.
He landed with a grunt on the ground and jumped to his feet. Rain teleported behind him and push-kicked him in the back. The Kahn turned and swiped at Rain, who ducked low before upper-cutting Kotal in the jaw.
With him preoccupied, Tanya ran to retrieve her discarded tonfa. As she bent down to retrieve it, she noticed one of the personal guards pull his sword from a Tarkatan's chest, give the Kahn an unsatisfactory look and darted off.
She looked to the side and noticed that two other guards also followed and watched their retreating forms with a puzzled expression.
Now, why would personal guards suddenly abandon their Emperor when he was clearly in danger?
Tanya heard something cutting through the air and dropped to her chest, laying it on the ground quickly, as one of the Osh-Tekk's scythes missed the back of her head. She grounded her teeth and rolled back to her feet, both tonfas in hand.
Rain blasted him with a jet of water, forcing him backwards, before he raised an outstretched hand and summoned lightning where Kotal Kahn stood; electrocuting him. The Kahn quivered in pain before Rain ceased and blasted him with another powerful stream of water; sending him on his back.
Rain teleported once more and reappeared in a kneeling position next to his head. Rain grabbed the Emperor by the neck and pummeled his face with a series of brutal punches. Kotal Kahn dazed, but not completely succumbed, gave him a hook of his own. The Hydromancer landed on his rear but before he could roll to his feet, Kotal Kahn sprang up and delivered a crushing knee to Rain's chin.
The Hydromancer snapped to his back with a cry of pain, landing on his back as Tanya ran to aid him. She used her smaller stature to her advantage and ducked low, sliding her knees against the stone and sliced deep into the back of his thigh as she passed.
He grimaced in pain, the back of his thigh bleeding heavily, before she whipped her body around, stood and stabbed both sharpened barbed points into his muscled back. He cried out in agony. His back arched backwards as she brought both of her feet up, sank her spiked heels into his flesh and used him as a platform to both backflip and pull her weapons out in unison.
Kotal stumbled forward in pain before Rain grabbed the back of his feathered headdress and brought his head to his knee, breaking the Osh-Tekk's nose.
He fumbled back, bewildered with pain before Rain twisted his body sharply and delivered another roundhouse kick across his face. He fell to his knees and managed to block Rain's knee with both hands before it crashed into his face, but it didn't save him from the sharp hook across the side of his cheek.
The injured Kahn landed on his back and before he could pick himself up, Tanya threw her tonfa. She smirked at the cry of pain he let out when it hit its mark in his palm, penetrated through and cemented his hand into the stone. He flimsily raised his other hand and Tanya threw the other yellow weapon and copied her previous throw; now pinned to the ground by both of her tonfas through his hands.
Kotal Kahn gritted his teeth in misery, his palms bleeding profusely. The Edenians hovered above him with delectation. Despite that they had beaten him, Tanya couldn't help but feel a small sense of being let down; even at night, she thought they would have received more fight out of him.
Tanya noticed Rain looking at her with his arms crossed over his chest; his eyes silently conveying the same feeling as her. Tanya shrugged, perhaps they were both giving him too much credit.
"The oh, so powerful Kahn, who thinks so little of us," Tanya mused, her eyes dark. "Which would explain why the price for our heads is so cheap. Do you reconsider your insulting set price, now? You have to agree, Ko'atal, that our skills at least bump up the price a little."
"Perhaps you wish to revoke the bounty you have placed altogether being at our mercy —" Rain gave an annoyed huff as he was interrupted by a Tarkatan racing up to address them.
"Kotal Kahn has been spotted —" the words stopped dead in his mouth when he saw who was pinned to the ground and blinked in confusion.
"That is impossible," the Tarkatan mumbled with disbelief, "I saw him myself!"
Tanya and Rain looked at each other, seeking confirmation that they agreed they may have been deceived. Rain sighed in annoyance as he dropped his crossed arms while Tanya clicked her tongue and shook her head at the trapped, counterfeit Kotal Kahn. She knew there was something wrong about him, now she knew why.
"You are not the Kahn," Tanya stated blatantly, her eyes hard.
"Where is he?" Rain demanded, taking a step forward.
Despite the pain, the decoy lifted his chin proudly with a warrior's hubris; not willing to say a word to them. His loyalty irritated the both of them.
"We are not amused," Tanya declared with an ireful tone and a scowl on her face.
Without another word, and miffed that their time had been wasted, Tanya walked forward, lifted her foot up and stomped it into his chest brutally hard.
His eyes bulged as he cried out in horrendous pain, her foot buried so deep she could feel the stone floor through the layer of flesh she hadn't managed to break through with her heel. He was still alive, though, and she brought her other foot up over his face, her knee high and sank it into his mouth; crushing his face in.
Just as she felt the blood warm the leather of her shoe, she lifted the boot in his face out, earning a sickening, soggy and scraping sound as she freed her foot. His torso lifted slightly as she stepped back on her bloody shoe and raised the one in his chest, producing the same grotesque sound.
Tanya looked down at her soaked boots with a small, saddened sigh as his blood started to stain the leather and turned to glance at Rain, who had an eyebrow raised at her.
"Do you have something to say to accompany that look?" Tanya prodded, the corner of her mouth tugged up; waiting for him to say something stupid.
He said nothing and waved a dismissive hand her direction before he followed behind the Tarkatan; letting him lead ahead to where the true Kotal Kahn was.
Tanya had let out a small 'pfft' before she went over to pry her tonfas out of his hands. She grabbed the handle and tugged, only to find that it would not budge. She placed her foot on his arm and pulled— it would not move. She huffed and went over to the other, giving it an attempt before she sighed in displeasure that it would not come out as well.
She still had her naginata strapped to her back, the poor weapon going unused this entire time. The Pyromancer shrugged indifferently before she kneeled next to his head and gave a small, derogatory pat on his bloody forehead in mock comfort.
"Hold on to them for a moment if you would be so kind?" she asked the corpse with sarcasm, "I will return shortly to collect them."
One of Kotal Kahn's personal guards ran along the parapet wall searching for his real Emperor somewhere in the hazardous labyrinth of the palace. He knew that the Kahn's double, Matlal, stood no chance against the Edenians and he had to make sure he was aware his deception may have been discovered.
They were meant to serve as a distraction, meant to cull the Tarkatans away from Kotal Kahn and annihilate the small force that had infiltrated the palace. Although, they were not informed of Rain and Tanya as part of the assault.
He had been on his way to warn Kotal Kahn when he had been cornered by 2 Tarkatans chasing him along the pathway along the curtain wall of the palace. His sword had been lost and he was retreating to gather an unused one lying by another Osh-Tekk guard that lay dead beside it.
He dove for it, grabbed the hilt and plunged it into the stomach of the Tarkatan that ran into it. The other Tarkatan swiped his arm blade and cut him across his chest before he managed to roll out of the way— unfortunately forgetting to withdraw the sword from the other Tarkatan's torso.
He rose to his feet and held up his arms, the outside of his forearms meeting the inside of the Tarkatan's to prevent him from cutting him in a deadly embrace.
The fanged monster tried to chomp at him and the Osh-Tekk struggled to keep him at bay as his teeth snapped at him loudly inches away. He kicked, hitting the hideous brute's kneecap and causing him to fall to one knee. The Tarkatan howled in pain before he overpowered him and managed to break the block. The Osh-Tekk had to dive away, a horrible cut now in his side and hit the ground with a cry of pain.
He rolled on his back to see more Tarkatans running towards them along the wall and the one he was fighting standing above him and bringing his arm back.
He never did get to impale him due to a green, humanoid, covered in a brighter green mist fly over the wall towards him that the guard recognized. The Osh-Tekk rolled out of the way as the Tarkatan paused and sensed something amiss.
Reptile, sailing through the air, saw the Tarkatan who happened to be in his path, grabbed him with both hands on each side of his head, flipped over and pulled the surprised Tarkatan towards him as Reptile landed on his back. Using momentum, he planted his clawed feet into the Tarkatans ribcage and pulled him over his head and over the ledge of the wall with the push of his feet.
The Tarkatan screamed on the way down until his neck snapped on the ground of the courtyard below. The Zaterran jumped to his feet and threw a snarl at Ermac, who floated with ease over the ledge of the wall.
"I said gently!" he spat with annoyance at the hooded mystic.
Ermac didn't respond and instead turned his attention towards the other Tarkatans that made their way towards the three of them. The Osh-Tekk pulled the sword from the body of the dead Tarkatan as they unsheathed the blades from their arms and engaged them.
Reptile lept on top of the nearest one, knocking him down and standing on his chest before tearing at his throat with a couple of savage swipes with both of his clawed hands. A Tarkatan aimed his blade for the Zaterran but failed when the Osh-Tekk's sword slit his throat, causing the beast to twist on his heels and fall on the Tarkatan behind him.
Ermac placed both of the Tarkatans in a telekinetic hold and pushed them away from the group, causing the pair to bowl into the other 4 Tarkatans still advancing on the walkway.
They fell with annoyed grunts before one screamed in alarm when Ermac dragged him from the group by his foot. Ermac lifted his victim up and turned him upside down until his head levitated over the ground. Ermac dropped his hand and caused his head to fall violently towards the ground—breaking his neck.
Another charged them and Reptile spat a pool of acid at his feet. The Tarkatan noticed in time and skidded to a halt, however before he could retreat, Ermac wrapped a green bind around his head and forced his face into the pool of acid. The Osh-Tekk grimaced, the sound of sizzling barely audible over his gurgling screams of pain as he boiled to death face-first in the acid.
His body went limp and the last 2 Tarkatans used their dead compatriot like a stepping stone over the pool of acid. One of them managed to dodge one of Ermac's telekinetic balls of energy and the mystic blocked the arm blade, punching the Tarkatan once in the stomach and the face. Ermac hooked him across the face, spinning the Tarkatan to face the other way, before Kotal Kahn's guard, twisted his hands, pulled them away and ripped the Tarkatan's body in half right down the middle— soaking the other Tarkatan in his blood.
Blinded by the spray of blood, the Tarkatan faltered, wiping it from his face before he felt excruciating pain engulf his chest and let out a scream. His entire back, including parts of his ribs, organs and flesh exploded when Ermac passed energy into his body and forced it out the other end.
The Osh-Tekk guard nodded in satisfaction and with the threat of them eliminated, informed both guards of the dire situation.
"The Edenians found the Emperor's double," he told them, holding his bleeding side with his hand. "We must warn the Emperor of this. It will not be long until they discover that he is a deception."
Reptile and Ermac looked at each other, then back to the guard.
"Where is the Emperor?" Ermac questioned, his tone forceful.
"I do not know," he answered regrettably, "but we must find him quickly."
Reptile turned back to Ermac, his eyes widening slightly as if a thought crossed its way into his mind. "Ferra/Torr and Black are still within the palace— Ko'atal would not linger far away from them."
"Erron Black is indisposed," Ermac corrected before he nodded slightly. "The Emperor will be with Ferra/Torr."
"Let us hurry," Reptile stated ardently, "They cannot be far and neither can those filthy wretches."
Ermac was indeed correct; Kotal Kahn had not wandered far from the symbiotic pair's side. Despite the size of Torr, the brute and Ferra were able to remain relatively quiet as they bid their time.
Most of the Tarkatans ran along the outside walls, choosing to attack the guards and rummage through the palace. Ferra/Torr and he stayed on the outside, fighting and killing any that ventured near the courtyards by the housing units of the palace.
He was still hunting for Rain and Tanya, who he assumed were probably doing the same. Even though the Edenians chose to do this engagement at night, they had done so when the hour was late and the Osh-Tekk ruler knew that he would not have to wait long for the sun.
A mistake on their part that he would use to his advantage.
Matlal was a good warrior, they had trained many times together, but his servant understood the risks impersonation would bring him if Kotal Kahn ever decided to use such a ruse. He had a heavy heart regarding it and the Kahn never thought he might need the trick, but it was a necessary tactic to deplete Rain and Tanya's force.
If they found them before the sun, so be it. However, it did not hurt to have the option of a backup plan. Especially of the grave possibility the combined force of Rain and Tanya might actually prevail even with Ferra and Torr by his side.
He knew the two would not depart far from one another, but he doubted they would remain in the company of Tarkatans who had other chores in the palace to work on. Tanya didn't concern him as much as Rain did and he was detestable to the fact that he may be transporting more soldiers in and could overwhelm their numbers.
Even with the male servants assisting, they were not warriors— especially when there was both an unexpected ally and foe that had not been taken into account. It turned out the prisoners in the dungeons had escaped. Although some were eager to skin a piece out of the Kahn's hide— which the Emperor and Ferra/Torr took care of with little effort— some opted to partake in whatever pleasures they were presented in the midst of the chaos.
Some were not as deplorable as the others and either assisted with the Tarkatans from either self-defense or because at the moment, the ones that imprisoned them were reluctant partners who did not want to see the Tarkatans take over the palace.
One prisoner actually aided both of them and he was surprised he did not request anything of leniency for his efforts. Kotal Kahn knew he could not escape the palace if he wanted to, but perhaps he thought helping the Emperor that had imprisoned would earn some gesture of good faith so the Kahn would reevaluate his sentence. He had suspected this theory and it was why he questioned his motives.
The prisoner's reply: "You are not the one that placed me here— I am responsible for that and accept whatever punishment I am due. I have made peace with it."
The Kahn gave him permission to leave after that, the discussion was satisfactory enough to let him leave despite that he left his cell. Before he had left, he informed him that it was Rain and Tanya that had freed them all. Even with the small amount of information provided, knowing that Rain and Tanya passed by the dungeons on the way left Kotal Kahn to believe they might have used the escape tunnel located near the catacombs. The two were not far from each other and it meant that there could be more in the palace than thought previously.
It irked him that they had found a route that could be easily exploited. Once this was over, he would destroy that bothersome tunnel like he should have done a long time ago; this time his council couldn't talk him out of it.
The familiar sound of gunfire he attributed to only one individual, echoed across the palace and made him tug the side of his mouth in confusion. He had thought Erron Black to be outside the palace walls along with Ermac and he wondered what the former Earthrealmer had been doing the attack; since now he was only hearing his firearms go off.
He was close by; he could tell by the loudness of the discharge which he grew accustomed to being in Black's presence.
"Bang-Bang!" cried Ferra, looking down from her perch on Torr's back.
He gave a simple nod in response before he heard rapid footfalls of charging Tarkatans springing out of the doorways and running for them. Kotal raised his macuahuitl and tossed it at the obvious easiest target— or rather targets.
The heavy, wooden sword impaled the Tarkatan leading the group, exited out his back and only stopping inside the chest of another Tarkatan that happened to be behind him. Two for one.
The Tarkatan speared in and out, fell backward and landed on top of the unfortunate partner behind him, pinning the other to the ground as his body slid down the club with a wet scraping sound.
The ground shook underneath his feet and he stepped out of the way as Torr charged the group of Tarkatans with Ferra cheering loudly as they bowled down the unlucky Tarkatan that didn't move out of the way quickly enough. He flew and Kotal Kahn heard the bones of his back snap as he hit the stone wall; he was dead before he hit the ground.
Ferra ran up onto Torr's shoulders, jumped off and let Torr grab her ankles. He swung her over his head before throwing her at another Tarkatan in an underhanded toss. With her arm blades extended out in front of her, she gave a cackle, before she buried them deep in the chest of the Tarkatan. He fell to the ground with her pummeling him with her gantlets over and over.
Another Tarkatan ran to intervene but was grabbed by Torr, who held him steady, before she sprinted over and sank her blades into him as well. Torr dropped the dead Tarkatan before grabbing Ferra and placing her back in her saddle.
Kotal Kahn raised his arm, blocking the Tarkatan's arm blade with his metallic arm-guard before delivering a punch to his fanged tooth mouth. His head snapped back while Kotal spun on his heels, placing himself behind him, grabbed both sides of his head and gave a hard twist.
Another charged him, swinging and missing his head, as he ducked low and delivered a crushing uppercut to his stomach. He hunched forward, crying out in pain, before Kotal Kahn grabbed him from behind his head and brought his face to his knee; breaking his jaw and sending shattered teeth scattering to the ground like ivory coins.
The Emperor leaned to the side, escaping the arm blade the swiped parallel to his body but missed. He drove his elbow into the side of the Tarkatan's ribcage, sending him to both knees, clutching a hand to his side. Kotal Kahn reached his hand for the handle of his macuahuitl, freed it from both of the dead Tarkatan's bodies, swung it high and buried it in the Tarkatans head. He sawed it up, pulling it before pushing him away with a kick to the back; the halves of his mangled head bleeding heavily onto the stone.
Kotal spun around, hearing heavy footsteps behind him and decapitated the Tarkatan that tried to skewer him from behind. His head rolled away, bouncing across the ground like a child's ball.
He heard screaming to his left and glanced over his shoulder to see Torr suspending a Tarkatan in the air with a grip on both of his sides. Ferra jumped on Torr's shoulders with a sadistic glee before she stabbed his face repeatedly with each of her blades. Torr threw his body at another Tarkatan, who groaned in pain when it collided with him.
Kotal Kahn sensed movement behind him and swung his sword club, bringing it horizontally to his body as a rather large Tarkatan tried to slice him from behind. They pushed, issuing a tug-of-war with his macuahuitl pushing against the arm-blades that crossed vertically over the club. They bared their teeth at each other before the larger Tarkatan managed to push him off.
The Emperor noted his attire before the arm blades slashed at him once more, blocking them with the jagged obsidian shards along the length of the club. He threw a punch, connecting with the Tarkatan Commander's jaw; the decorative ropes, tied along the biceps of muscled arms, indicated that he was of higher rank than his subordinates.
Kotal Kahn swiped the club for his knees while the Tarkatan jumped high to avoid. He swiped a blade for his face, which Kotal blocked with his arm-guard. The Tarkatan arched his other blade up for Kotal's heart, which he managed to block with the macuahuitl by sweeping it in front of him like a broom; the obsidians barbs screeching harshly against the stone.
Kotal pushed off the blade he had against his forearm but felt the Tarkatan deliver a sharp hook to his face to force him away. Kotal missed the blades as he spun on his feet, wobbling to gain his footing before the two regarded each other vehemently.
"You shall finally pay!" the Tarkatan Commander growled, "For your false claim to the throne as well as your demand for our heads to decorate your Courtyard!"
Kotal Kahn scoffed gruffly at his ill-tempered allegation: "A price to pay for allying yourself with your fallen Empress, who also ascended the throne to Outworld on false terms."
"Her claim was far more legitimate than yours!" he cried, swinging his blades for his head that he leaned out of the way off. He swiped his other blade downward and Kotal turned his body to the side to avoid it. He lifted his club up, but the Commander missed it by jumping back out of the way. Kotal, batted the macuahuitl sideways at him, trying to slice him across the stomach horizontally, but only managed to cut his clothing.
The Tarkatan Commander's lips curled irritably at the sliced shirt.
"You speak foully of my ascension," Kotal Kahn spat, "yet here you are aiding two that are more than undeserving of the throne as Shao Kahn's construct. Your thirst for retribution for your failed rebellion has blinded you in seeing you have chosen traitorous allies that will be your undoing. You do speak truthfully when you say, I will see your heads decorate my Courtyard and it will be sooner than you have perceived."
The Commander snarled, charging him. He jumped and side-kicked into Kotal's stomach, causing the Emperor to grimace as he stepped backwards.
Kotal Kahn dodged the tip of his blade, barely missing his nose by inches, and swung his macuahuitl at him that he, unfortunately, rolled out of the way of.
The Emperor heard another behind him and twisted his body, bringing the club around with him, and sliced off the arm of the Tarkatan that tried to stab him with his back turned.
He yowled in pain and grasped his bleeding stump before Kotal bunted the end of the sharp club into his throat; slicing his throat and pushing him to the ground in unison. Kotal Kahn turned back to see the Commander's blade descend upon his head which he blocked by lifting his club across over his face.
The Kahn saw the sword come under, attempting to stick him in the side that he blocked with the outside of his forearm's metal guard. He felt the tip scratch lightly against the skin of his side and used his foot to trip him, causing him to fall on his back with a grunt.
Kotal Kahn stomped on his wrist and kneeled on the other arm, pinning him to the ground. He brought his macuahuitl's long side against the flesh of his neck and began to saw into his windpipe with the obsidian spikes. The Tarkatan Commander screamed briefly before his voice drowned out by his own blood that bubbled out of his mouth; some of it spraying on his face as he continued to dissever his head from his body.
As soon as his head rolled to the side, Kotal Kahn stood and faced whatever foe decided to challenge him next. He saw another Tarkatan run for him, although he did not make it far when Torr threw Ferra in his direction. She grappled onto his back by hooking her legs around his waist, reached her blades around the front of him and stabbed him in the chest. She twisted the blades with a delightful cackle and pulled them out before he fell over face down.
She stood on his lifeless body as Torr came to collect her with fast, heavy strides. She jumped up, catching his massive arm as he bent his arm to put her on his back. He grabbed another Tarkatan, holding him dangling by an arm before Torr threw him up as high over his head as he could.
The Tarkatan screamed as loudly as he did being thrown up as when gravity pushed his body back to the unforgiving stone ground below. His back broke on impact, causing him to cough up blood, as he wheezed laboriously on the ground. He did let out one final scream, however, one out of fear when he saw Torr jump and land both of his massive feet on top of his damaged body.
Ferra laughed, "Good boy, Torr! You squish him good!"
There were only a few Tarkatans left, looking doubtful whether they could successfully finish the task with their brethren lying dead before them.
That was until, they were joined by more Tarkatans accompanying them. Kotal grumbled a bit under his breath while Ferra and Torr welcomed the new set of arrivals with a childish chortle and a roar.
They had not received this much attention before. Kotal Kahn knew to assume that Matlal was most likely dead.
With that speculation in mind, he knew to anticipate Rain and Tanya anytime now.
To Be Continued...