Chapter 5: Breath's Death

The door closed behind him suddenly with a loud slam. He was trapped inside the corridoor. There was a door at the end of the decorated passageway but it was guarded by yet another monk. He looked much the same as the ones from the Chinese Shaolin temple but with a slight difference. He seemed lighter somehow, more agile as if he were walking on air. Nunchakas were in his hands he gazed forward at Subzero without blinking or even the slightest spasm of a muscle. Deadly eyes stared at Subzero as if only just awoken they gazed at him. It was almost possible to imagine that he had stood there since the temple itself had been constructed round his feet.

"You cannot pass here" he said solemly looking him up and down. His bald fore head seemed shiny as if it had just been polished.

"A lot of people say that to me" replied Subzero clenching his hands together "What would you do if I wanted in whether it cost lives?" he edged closer taking the cloak off he threw it to the floor.

"I'd say you are very careless with your life ninja" he replied not moving an inch "You will have to kill me to pass into this temple. My life binds the door shut, yet some how I doubt you will suceed"

"How many people have tried before me?" he asked gazing passed the monk at the door. That was his objective but he had to be careful. From this point on things could only get stranger.

"You're the sixth, five of the others died, I have never been beaten"

"Never? That's a pretty good record, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to break it"

"I would turn back if I were you ninja, don't say I didn't warn you before I send you to your death"

"Death visits those who die" he replied coldly "We all die sooner or later, and thus the fear of death is irelevant. You evidently don't realise that"

With a rush of ice he extended both hands forward. A bolt of freezing water sped out towards the guardian but the monk jumpped high his legs gripping the walls so that the bolt passed halmlessly under him into the door. Subzero approached warily as the monk hopped down. He wouldn't be able to win a swift victory, he'd have to do this the long way round. The close proximity of the coridoor meant that he wouldn't be able to use the full extent of his abilities, something that the monk with those capable sticks in his hands could use to his own advantage.

Nunchakas may look like feeble sticks but in the hands of a master they are deadly weapons. Subzero knew this and quite willingly backed off as the sticks flailed out missing his head by a hair. The chain could be used to choke a neck, the sticks could be held in one hand or two and there were hundreds of different ways of holding the weapon to get the perfect advantage over an opponent. This guardian obviously knew the lot or he wouldn't be serving the wind god in this vital position.

Disarmament was a big priority right now as the sticks had their heart set on bashing Subzero's head in. He was forced slowly to back away down the corridoor the way he had come. But he knew that sooner or later he'd end up with his back against the wall, he had to stop that at all costs. With sudden force Subzero kicked out and hit the monk in the shins. The monk's foot flew back and he sank to his knees for a second, as he rose Subzero punched him in the face hard sending him onto his back. He still held the weapon for dear life as if it was what kept him alive. Maybe it did.

He aimed an ice blast while his enemy was still on the floor but again he dodged out of the way this time just in time. You could see the nervousness in his eyes. The monk charged forward but slipped forward on the icy puddel to meet another fist in the face. He slipped backwards wobbling and crashed to the floor. The floor cracked with a stone splitting sound. Subzero looked down in surprise to see a large gap had run right under his feet and up the wall. The blow hadn't been that powerful had it?

The monk came agressive again the sticks flaying out but was wary this time of the icy patch on the floor. He stepped expertly arround it and was careful to keep his legs guarded from his previous mistake. It would take something more daring to catch him out this time. A stick flayed out faster than Subzero expected it and caught his thigh. Boy that hurt and he had no wish to be hit again. He backed away yet again as the sticks advanced like combine harvister blades. He blocked a blow with the wrist pad suddenly and grabbed hold of the stick. There was tension a moment as the monk tried to relinquish his grip on the weapon.

He pulled hard and strained, Subzero let go suddenly and it slammed into the monk's face sending him backwards slipping again on the ice. Subzero came forward while the monk tried to regain his balance and kicked him hard in the stomach. He never realised how one patch of ice could aid him so much.

The wall cracked and part of the ceiling came down over by the door. A loud high pitched sharp wistling came in through the crack as plaster and rock cemented itself on the floor. Was it just his imagination or was that sky he could see inside the mountain?

Again the monk stood wearily to his feet but this time stayed on the defensive. Subzero approached slowly both eyes watching each other like Tigers. The monk's left eye was black and Subzero knew he had him on the run. He tried again with the nunchakas swinging them back and forth but with less confidence than before. He blinked once and Subzero slid forward on icy feet and shoulder butted the monk into the door. The door cracked and the Nunchakas dropped to the floor. Now he had the monk trapped against the wall and Subzero would be dammed if he didn't take up the advantage. His punches came fast now and every one he brought to the monk's face caused plaster to fall and cracks to line the walls as if the walls themselves were the monk's will power.

With a charged icy blow he stretched forward and smashed the monk fully in the chest, to his surprise the whole door and wall gave way breaking away into the wind. With a cry the monk fell down into the darkness. A great torrent of wind roared out from the sky. He backed off as part of the floor fell away and gazes up in surprise as the rocks parted to see not a temple, but a horizon.

This was some kind of magic created by the wind god, he knew with no doubt. Below he could see the storm rumbling and flickering with electricity. He was up in the sky and in front of him tall pillars rose up out of the mist their bases going below the clouds into infinity.

He peered over the edge at the gaping abyss. The clouds rolled and he watched the rubble and screaming monk dissapear beneath the cloud line "I don't believe it" he muttered with a breath of white air. The only question now was: Was this real? He put his foot precairiously over the edge and lowered it. It went beneath the floor, he took it up again quickly with a shudder.

"Alright" he breathed hard stepping back "This is real... nothing I can't handle"

He rubbed his hands carefully together and with a light hop he jumpped forward onto the first of the pillars. Everywhere he looked he could see objects floating in the air. Was this some other realm? Or was it meerly the magic of the temple afflicting everything arround him? Looking back he could see the coridoor. It hovered in mid air, no mountain and no outside behind it. The cloud line stretched out into the distance with mountains peeking up out of the mist. The corridoor just seemed to hover in place out of place time and logic.

"Where the hell am I?" he gasped as a gust of wind hit him. With a jump he came to the next platform, black stones and tiles under his feet wobbled weathered by the harsh winds. Standing where he was he watched with curiosity as a large stone hovered up beside him. The wind dropped and it fell as quickly as it came. It seemed as if physics them selves had taken a run and gravity itself had started defying logic.

"Wind" he muttered "This is deafinitely where I shall find Fujin" he jumpped again and landed with unsteady feet onto a tall pillar. It wobbled with grave danger and he jumpped quickly to another. Turning he watched the platform wobble on its stone pillar and fall away into the mist below. Lightning flickered in the sky, and yet there was no rain. Subzero didn't mind the lightning, it was the rain he hated and he was glad there wasn't any, yet the circumstances had other worrys for him to be careful of. A circular stair case hovered precairously in front of him being lifted up by the wind, he ran up it almost tripping on the crumbling steps. Pushing through a metal gate he jumpped off the top of the steps and landed on the platform above.

Everywhere he looked platforms and rocks stretched out into the distance like some mad dream. Some were upside down or at funny angles, and gave him the impression that he himself was the wrong way up. When Quan chi had informed him of this mission he had never, ever imagined that it would have ended up like this. This was unreal, what could his mortal powers over ice possibly do in an enviroment like this. A simple gust of wind at the wrong moment could make him fall to his death.

He looked up to the sky to see great storm clouds above. Platforms and staircases reached up high into the clouds. Lightning flickered and a gust of wind almost took him off of his feet. He held himself down to a large broken stone waiting until the wind subsided. Looking up again from a crouched position he could see a large platform that was much higher than the rest. That was bound to be where Fujin was if anywhere at all. If he could only get to that place then he might at least have a chance of attacking the god. Right now survival seemed the highest priority. This place was dangerous. He couldn't think of a way to get out of this alive.

Right now if Subzero had had the oppertunity he would have turned back. But simply, there was no way back, the only direction he could possibly go in was up. As the wind subsided a little he ran forward and jumpped to a higher platform. A monk was there at the end of it, he stould with arms folded looking up at Subzero with a steady gaze. It was those same orange silk clothes bare chest and bald head. He must have been mad to be wearing that kind of thing in this weather.

"Aren't you cold!" shouted Subzero over the roaring winds. The monk didn't hear him, he only outstretched both arms forward and walked towards him slowly. Subzero did the same well awhere of the fact that there was nothing to stop him falling to his death. And only a moment before he had wished for space. The monk ran suddenly planning to catch Subzero off guard. Swiftly Subzero remembered his aikido. He sidestepped catching the monk's fist he twisted it easily and frew the monk off of the edge with a push to the fore head with the palm of his hand. He fell away crashing and breaking through a lower platform at least a kilometere below.

"Oh no Subzero never gets cold" he grumbled to himself "Subzero braved the snow of the Himalayan mountains, Subzero's been to the north pole and not gotten cold... bastards" he shivered and jumpped high into the air catching his arms on the edge of a stone platform above. He pulled himself up and looked for the next route.

Above him the sky flickered with electricity. Did the Thunder God know what he was doing? Was he here? He couldn't fight both Rayden and Fujin at the same time, that just wouldn't work. He took a leap to his left and climbed another stone stair case, this one went almost streight upwards. When he reached the top his mouth gaped. Platforms on iron coiled hinges swung from side to side fiercly in the wind. There was no other way, he looked round for another stair case, anything. He'd have gone right back the way he had come if he could only find another route. It seemed that this was however the only route. He'd have to cross this before he could reach the next level above.

He timed his jump well and landed on the swaying platform. He gripped the rope like a sea sick sailor hanging on for dear life. Again he jumpped and landed on the next. Swaying to the other side he jumpped again counting for his life the exact moment he'd need to land. This was unreal, how could he be expected to do something like this? He jumpped for the last time and landed with a thump on another hovering platform. Then again he had done it. The same old black bricks were below his feet, one crumbled away and he shivered as the cold winds gripped him.

Above him he could see the huge platform much closer now, he was almost there. Yet there was a problem. He looked all around him yet he could see no close platform for him to take cover on his route. There was no way for him to get up to the platform now unless he turned into a bird. There were no other platforms on the same level or above him apart from the large final platform in the sky. This was irritating "What do I do now?" he whispered more to himself than anyone else.

He sat down on the hovering stones and looked up at the platform above. Electricity flickered up there, and the wind seemed to be coming stronger than ever down from that lookout. On every horizon mountains stretched out into the distance like sharpened sandunes on a beach of the world. It was as if he was in a realm of mountains and high places where the ground was a thing looked down upon in more ways than one. Wind ruled this landscape there was no doubt about that. Fire, water, earth were all play things in its capable destructive power. Fire blew itself out, water was the sky's to command and earth was blown about like toys handled by an excitable child.

A stone hovered up beside him again. He gazed at it, it continued to rise. He watched its path. It went right passed the large platform above before it suddenly fell down. He looked down with curiosity as leaves suddenly swept up in the current followed by more pebbles and rocks rushed upwards. The wind although destructive and so far set apart in this strange land, seemed to have some kind of order in it. This channel continued to blow from below with no visible source or creator. With curiosity Subzero outsretched his hand. The wind blew it hard and he felt the force go along his whole body. He moved the arm closer into it and before he realised what he had done, with a shout he went shooting up high into the air as the gust strengthened suddenly. He landed with a thud on the black stones above.

He rubbed his head and stood to his feet dazed and tired. He gazed back at the platforms below with a shudder. It was a long way down even before he would reach the cloud line. He'd be dead before he reached the ground, that is if he ever reached the ground at all. These great winds could hold objects in the sky probably for ever. What was this place? How had it become like this? Maybe an anchient sky fortress destroyed by this constant storm? A cursed land maybe or simply a product of a great wizard's spell gone wrong? Lightning flickered and he turned to see the answer clearly before his eyes.

The wind god hovered in the air, blue leggings with an orange flowing cape. His eyes were closed in concentration as he controlled the maelstorm arround him. Subzero approached quietly. He stopped a few meteres away and was careful as not to make a noise. He softly withdrew a small shuriken and held it in one hand squinting his eyes under the strong winds. Leaves passed across his sight a moment rustling and the wind god opened his white eyes startled by the noise. His presence was refreshing somehow as he looked down on Subzero. Subzero threw the metal star forward suddenly but Fujin simply held out one hand and it blew away into the distance. He was after all a god.

"Who are you mortal and what is your buisness here?" came the booming voice. The wind stopped and there was silence. Leaves fell softly to the black stones at his feet. It was as if all air everywhere across the entire world had suddenly become still listening to their king speak.

"My name is Subzero" he replied quivering with inner fear yet he was careful to not let it show "I have come for the amulet, yet I lost my way in the temple and somehow ended up in this realm"

"You made no mistake" came the voice again, the sound rushed at Subzero like a tornado "You are still in the very same temple. This is my domain you have entered, I am one of the four guardians swarn to protect the amulet of Shinnoch until my death"

"I see" said Subzero somewhat disheartened

"You are brave mortal, you move like the wind. Yet if you oppose me I shall have no choice but to slay you. Killed by the hands that created your kind, you will be drawn away into the Neatherealm for all eternity. Curb your ways Subzero and go home"

"Heh I wish I could do that..."

"This ilusion is created out of the powers of us four gods. If you want to go home Subzero I shall relinquish my hold over this domain to allow you to pass"

Subzero hardened suddenly "I'm no coward wind god. And I've never failed in a mission yet. I'll speak the plane truth, I've been sent here to destroy your mortal body and that's what I plan to do, gods or no gods"

"You are a great warrior, yet against my powers you will lose, surely you can see that?"

Subzero delved into the side pokets and hideaways in his blue silk. He withdrew both hands and each had three ninja stars held inbetween the fingers ready to be flung at his enemy.

"Surely you can see Fujin that if I'm such a 'great warrior' then there's nothing you can say that will stop me"

He flung both hands forwards in anger and launched the shurkiens towards Fujin in a spread out mass hoping to hit him as he dodged. Fujin did no such thing, he meerely outstretched one hand the same as before and the Shurikens blew back at Subzero. The uncanny silence was broken by the swishing noise of the metal passing through the wind. Subzero jumpped high into the air and his own shurikens passed wizzing under his feet. Turning round they flew back towards him again and he rolled against the ground as the wind blew him further towards Fujin. They came back again at high speed like heat seeking missiles, he dodged aside and caught one with two fingers. Again they came swept up by the wind he sidestepped and brought his leg down on two of them landing them spinning on the ground. The other three clattered as Fujin dropped his hand with an emotionless expression. Dominance was in his eyes.

"Against the power of a god you're no match for me"

The cape blew back suddenly and he slid back on agile feet outsretching hands with white fingernails like claws. Wind gripped Subzero and he was flung back across the whole platform to what he believed would be his death. He grabbed the edge with red finger tips and climbed with great effort back onto the platform. He crawled forward across the floor as the wind swept at him like a tidal wave never stopping. He held on tightly onto the shuriken and as the gale stopped for a moments rest he flung ir forward towards Fujin again with all his might. It seemed to be his only weapon against the wind god. He never expected it to work.

It caught the element off guard his eyes widened as he tried leaping aside but the star hit him in the kneecap where it remained embedded for the rest of the fight. He howled in pain and wind and stones leaped up from the ground. Subzero charged forward glad that the god's attention was turned briefly from him to its own pain. He leapt high through the air brought on by the god's own wind currents and kicked the god squarely in the jaw.

They both landed with a crunch onto the broken stones below. Subzero swept up in the moment pushed both fingers down into the god's soft eyeballs. This was the only chance. The wind god screamed out in hellish pain. Subzero tried to move in further towards the brain but a strong gust ripped at him suddenly from the outstretched hand and sent him hurtling up into the air. Spinning round rapidly he landed with the god's agonizing screams arround him onto the black stones below. He wheezed and got to his feet as the god shouted out curses, the blood streaming down his broken white eyes. He stumbled on the ground getting to his feet covering his face with his hands "I'll kill you mortal! I'll rip you apart piece by piece for taking my eyes!"

Subzero shivered in fear but kept silent. It was all he could to prevent detection from the god's other sences. He was glad at least that in this clean fresh air that it was impossible to smell him. He'd heard of warriors having great sences of smell yet he'd never stopped to wonder before whether gods had good sences of smell or not. It wasn't something he generally thought about but somehow began to wish he had.

The wind god seemed unable to fly now, something had weakened him as he stumbled across the stones like an old man. Either the shuriken embedded in his knee of the pain and lack of sight stopped or persuaded him against flying. Instead he outstretched his hand to where he thought Subzero was and a great gust of wind pushed forward. This was not like the previous gust, it was stronger and much deadlier than before. It dawned on the cold warrior that Fujin had still been toying with him until he had blinded the god. Now the god really did want to kill him and not just that, but make him suffer in pain and misery. This wind not only pushed the air back but was so strong that it ripped up the tiles and stones themselves from the ground and sent them hurtling away into the distance. The blow was like a sound wave, it would break every bone in his body if it hit him which he was pretty sure was the god's intention.

The god turned in another random direction and hands outstretched smashed wind against the broken rocky platform. Tiles and rock went flying away into the air. Sooner or later the wind god was going to hit him, and Subzero realised this with dread. He needed to act fast. Reaching down carefully he picked up a large black brick that had come loose in the fight. As Fujin finished decimating another part of the platform Subzero hurled the brick as far down the other end as he could. It lounded with a quiet clank but Fujin heard it alright and with a roar blasted the area.

Subzero rushed forward his hands burning blue. Icicles matirialised in both hands as sharp as giant needles. Fujin turned his head too late. Subzero came spinning round with the points, he felt the resistance as the ice dug into Fujin's body. A blow across the chest, torso, another penetrated his thigh, thrusting both forward he slammed them into the god's chest where they remained embedded one in the god's heart the other in the right lung. Blood bursted out onto the floor as Fujin roared and a great wind swept up from the ground. He fell to his knees screaming. He was dead, not even a god could survive that blow but now Subzero had to escape his own demise.

He ran in the opposite direction and didn't turn back. Fujin was creating a vortex with his last dying breath. He brought the wind screaming into his bloody unbalenced body trying desperately to keep his mortal form alive. Subzero felt the pull and ran harder, he was being pulled towards Fujin where a great hurricane of air had sprung up reaching into the clouds themselves. If he was pulled into that vortex he would be completely at the mercy of the wind gods last will. It would ultimately destroy him.

His screams rose up into the air as his soul escaped in the most horrific sound Subzero had ever heard. Subzero never saw what happened. He only heard the bang.