Chapter 8: Truth through flames

He was in complete darkness. Orange light shone in through a metal window high up. Red eyes looked out of the darkness, far away the sounds of machinery could be heard. The buzzing of a saw and a huge slamming noise that seemed to echo for miles arround although in this room it was only a faint far off noise.

"Welcome, we are the brothers of the shadow. We have come to claim you to join our ranks"

Abysmal figures looked out with masked faces. They were strong looking and each held a weapon in his hand. Subzero stayed still unable to move, he was frozen to the spot in the blue yet as the red eyes came closer in the darkness he could feel the coldness creeping round him from their presence.

"General Noobsaibot will be pleased that we have found such a powerful minion to serve him"

The eyes stopped and a force was pulling at Subzero. He didn't know who these people were or what had happened to him but he knew for sure that he had to get away from them at all costs.

"He's getting away!" spitted one with a wet voice, it soudned rasping through some kind of machinery, the red eyes stared on as Subzero moved across the room up to the ceiling he stopped by the window and looked out into a smogy sky. Factory towers lined the horizon, huge masses of machinery could be seen churning and turning. He felt eyes watching him from far away trying to find him in the blackness.

"Stay!" called a voice behind him rasping with a slight lisp, in the dark he could see the human teeth shinning under the orange light from the window. Many were broken and some were missing, a tongue shot out long like a snake and coiled across the floor "We need you here! Come join us! There is no escape you know, from the brothers of the shadow. You have been sent here to join us, your realm abandoned you, we shall receive you with open arms. Join us freind! For where will you run to?" the last words hissed like a food mixer. A hunch back with large bug eyes and huge eyelids that stuck out with stitches across his face came forward moaning "He's the one, he's the one Quan chi sent! Let him be let him be! Let him go!"

"Yes" hissed the others the eyes glearing in the darkness "Let him go. He is a servant of our master the hell lord who nobody dare betrays for he slew Lucifer and now he is lord of all the pits the darkness and the blood"

"May I gaze at him a while? He who is tainted by evil? Let me touch him masters" whispered a voice behind the others.

"Get back wretch, or you shall return to the dungeons"

"Let me see him, I'll tear you apart unless you let me see him, let me touch him I only want to feel his living soul, master let me touch him!"

"I said back!" roared the task master and his large spear glowed orange suddenly he sliced a great ark through the crowd, a shower of blood reached up into the air hitting the metal ceiling.

There was a scream in the darkness and a scuffle. A weapon flashed in the dim light and blood sprayed out like a fountain across the room as gleaming blades cut into flesh. Roars ripped out through the room and they all drew into chaos unsheaving weapons the various horrible forms started killing each other. Moans and screams let out in the darkness as bodies fell on blades and the hunchback fell back against the wall as the task master stood over him ripping open his chest with huge clawed fingers that seemed to have unsheaved themselves like a tigers. The task master fell his faced gawking as he was impaled by a sword from behind. He screamed an unearthly scream and pulled the blade out from behind him resting on his knees a moment he turned on his attacker blood pouring down his legs. Subzero felt the pull suddenly and he was off away from that dismal place.

Up into the sky he hurtled and below he could see all of the factories passing by underneath him. Faster he flew faster still the buildings passed by underneath him like watching from a fast train window, the lake of souls came over the horizon in unholy spelndour. He crossed bridge through the door passed men in red robes, and henchman with axes he passed up high through arches and pillars until he came at last to the bridge where the bald man stood. Pale faced and grinning Quan chi stood to his feet with open arms.

"Subzero you have almost done it! You are indeed a great warrior, I am sorry I did not get to you sooner, I did not realise you were with the brothers of the shadow. I am glad your soul is unharmed. Finnaly the moment has arisen, you shall return to the temple to fight the fire elemental. After that your job will be complete and I shall show you the gates to my humble abode. Now Subzero go one last time and defeat your finnal enemy the god of fire. Even now he trembles in his lair waiting for you to find him. He knows that his other three brothers have been destroyed and he also knows that soon it will be his turn. Go and put him out of his misery Subzero, and then I can give you your well deserved reward!"

Back he flew out of the pyramid up into the sky. The orange smoky sky that seemed always to burn with a dead sun. It was hot, the sun burned him as he rose higher and higher into the orange mist. He felt the heat penetrate his clothing and he began to sweat.

When he finnaly awoke he was feeling very hot. He was in a huge cave where fire and lava were burning across the distant landscape. Temples and huge buildings stretched out into the distance, Stalacytes lined the roof ripe and ready to fall. He stood to his feet feeling the heat leave his back. He was standing on dark tiles, they were firmly placed yet seemed old and charred as if this place had been deserted long ago and scorched by flames. A monk came running up in the distance, he squinted as he came closer Subzero braced himself for battle but the monk stopped just before they impacted.

"Subzero" said the monk hurriedly, the eyes burned with real fire as he looked into them. The orange clothing seemed to flare about in an unknown wind as if it were on fire with energy. Subzero could see his own reflection in the flames of the monk's eyes.

"Yes?" he replied trying as best as he could to keep his composure.

"The Fire God begs you to spare him and return to your Grandmaster. As a truce he offers the most beutiful gem in the world, Nabara's crystal created by the god of life. It shines with a thousand coulers just as she did before she was destroyed by the dark god so many eons ago, its location as been hidden to man since the dragon king"

"Hahaha!" lauthed Subzero standing to his feet he stood tall now and gazed down at the monk with evil lauthter "Your god now begs me for mercy? How pathetic, it is too late for that my freind. I have come so close and I won't stop now"

"If you do not acept he sais he will offer you any treasure in the world instead of the amulet. Think about it master Subzero! You could have anything you desire! Treasure untold of! He could make you king of this world! You have come far enough, you have defeated three of the most powerful gods, and have earned your place as a legend among gods if not among men! Now is the time to end what you have started! Three gods is enough for any man, you have done enough great warrior! Let us return you to your realm please I beg you!"

"If you think I'm going to stop now for anything" lauthed Subzero loudly "Then you're more of fool then I thought. I acepted this job and I'm going to finish it whether all of hell stands in my way. Run back squirming to your master and tell him that I'm coming for him. Tell him he can either hand over the amulet or die trying to stop me from taking it. It is too late to bargain, your quivering coward of a master should have spoken to me when I first entered this temple"

"You fool!" shouted monk looking up with firey eyes "You fool! Do you know what you are even doing! You fool to throw away the favour of the gods! Alas I shall not run away as you think, for I am no coward. I'll face you here as my master intended, prepare yourself warrior for you will regret your decision"

"You really are pathetic" said Subzero standing tall over the monk "If you don't get out of the way you squirming little wretch I'll kill you myself. It is your god who has abandoned you you fool. He has sacrificed you to save his own skin, now stand aside so that I may pass"

The monk stood to his feet and put both arms forward in a combat stance. Far away a mountain that reached up high towards the cave roof exploded in an eruption. Fire and lava courced down the sides burning the rock in its path.

"Dwell on my option Subzero! You can have anything you desire!"

"Then I desire completion of my task" replied Subzero coldly with an intent gaze "Or to die trying"

The monk attacked suddenly as Subzero knew he would. He was trying to catch Subzero off guard the same as Subzero himself would have done. He didn't know how much time had passed in the temple, he had slept inbetween the elements for a very long time but he didn't know how long. It could have been for eternity, he had no way of telling even what day or year it was outside of the temple. Since when he had entered he had changed drastically. He seemed taller somehow, more firm more confident than before. He knew what this monk was trying to do and grabbing the arm he twisted it so that it almost broke and frew the monk over his shoulder.

He landed with a cry of pain on some steps and stood up quickly knocking over and smashing a wilted flower pot. It would have been priceless if it had ever left the temple. The dead leaves sank over the edge the dry bulbs fell out of the crumbling earth and pieces of clay as it smashed over the floor.

The monk hurled himself forward in a flying kick. He was fast, but Subzero was ready for him before he had even started the move. He caught the monk's leg as he jumpped and catching him he span him round and frew him up in the air. The monk landed with a crash on the floor rolling over in obvious agony.

Subzero walked away, the monk's leg was broken twisted at a bad angle. Looking back he watched with amusmant as the monk started to crawl towards him in desperation. A hand reached out Subzero lauthed, he looked so pathetic down there on the floor like that. He charged up an ice bolt with one hand and pointed it forward the fingers glowing with cold energy.

The monk tried to climb the steps towards the temple and towards Subzero but he couldn't he slumpped to the ground weakened by the pain and his trek across the caverns from the lair of the fire god. Subzero turned away with a laugh and set off through the temple towards his destiny.

"They are lying to me" he spat as he ran "There is no danger in that amulet, they just do not want me to be able to say I destroyed the four elements! I suceeded where the others failed. If I stop now then no mortal will ever have defeated the four gods that represent the very substance of this realm! They looked down at me when I entered this temple and it shall be me who at the end of it all looks down on them!"

Fire was everywhere in the temple and the traps were like in the earth temple ,hazards that automatically went off at regular intervals. Subzero had to run across hot coals and red hot stones to get further towards the source of the power. He passed through the buildings one by one. Many had, fire traps inside them which considering this was the home of the final element wasn't surprising. Swirling sparkles on the ground leaped up with flame every now and again yet was quite safe to walk over when not alight. Small square holes in the walls shot flames reguarly so that jumping through them had to be timed perfectly.

As he came closer the sweltering heat became more and more unbearable in this dead wilderness. His hands had completely stopped hurting in the warmth. Down here where it was warm although his hands were slow to react to the powers over ice, and harder to use those same powers, they felt for the first time in a very long time like normal human hands. When he looked at them or touched his own skin with them, they were not cold. His hands were human like any other persons. He could move them as freely as any other time in his life, yet now there was not that chill about them. They were warm and freindly, there was no pain under the surface.

Unlike all the other elements in these caverns Subzero felt that he always knew the way to go. There was a power calling to him deep in the heart of the caves. It was leading him onwards like a faint sound that becomes louder as one gets closer to it in darkness. At every turning he felt closer to the amulet, every whisk of flame to him showed the Fire god's fear.

He crossed bridges of solid fire where below lava rushed across in rivers. The whole foundation of the temples seemed damaged, many buildings had sunk into the ground or were leaning with broken pillars towards a chasm or black consuming abyss.

Above some of these chasms platforms ascended and decended pulled by strange mechanisms on rooftops. Metal chains brought the platforms up and down and the noise creaked loudly with rust and lack of oil. Subzero leapt across them as easily as crossing stones on a river. Below him as he jumpped he could see chunks of huge rocks floating down in the lava streams. Some of them cracked against the temple walls and smashed into further pieces that sunk down into the heat. The heat was sweltering but he was given confidence that this was the last mile.

The power called growing stronger as the heat pierced further into his body. It was like being in the Gobi desert again only worse, the heat here actually seemed to attack him mentally. It seemed to want to erge him to leave although how he would leave even if he wanted to seemed a difficult idea to comprehend. He certainly couldn't leave this place on his own, not without the help of Quan chi or a god. If he was going to get out of the temple alive he'd have to ally himself with one or the other, and he had decided.

It was as he was crossing a stone bridge that a monk attacked him running across the black tiles towards him. They battled with no barrier to stop them falling into the heated furnace below. More than ever Subzero felt the talant within him stronger than before. He dodged the monk's blows with ease stepping aside he used moves from all styles he had been taught. The monk blocked in a frenzy doing everything he could not to attack, but to survive the punches and kicks that were giving him no chance to fight back. Spinning wildly and landing a kick he sent the monk over the edge with a scream he fell into the lava below the orange leggings flapping in the hot air before dicintegrating in a flash of flame.

Sweat dripped from Subzero's body yet still he continued on through the flames. It was at times like these that he couldn't tell whether he was alive or dead. He was coming to his wits end, slowly the heat was starting to get to him. The hot air was bouring down upon him like nothing ever had done in his life. The air itself seemed to burn. Now and again great balls of fire leapt out of the lava below to land again in some other part of the stream. Like the other elements, in these caves it seemed that fire was king. There was hardly a drop of water in this dead acursed place, earth burned and wind was flattened under the heat. The fire itself was alive leaping out of the streams below, the servants of heat were active exploring their kingdom in their natural playful and destructive ways.

The temples themselves seemed to be part of some kind of ancient civilisation. What this meant or represented Subzero did not know. He was not completely sure where this place was or what it was. Did the temple even exist at all? He could never be sure unless he was told by someone who knew what they were doing.

Passing through one building he found a large alter towards the back of the room. He was at his wits end, he was almost ready to fall down there, desperate for rest and water. On the alter was an Urn with a pale green liquid inside. He was desperate for something to drink in that sweltering fire and did not think twice that the offering might be poison. The Urn wasn't for his luck poisened, in fact it filled him with better spirits, restored his will power and energy to continue. He left the cup drained where it stood and left walking on through the red embered passageways towards the ever present goal.

With each temple he passed through the feeling grew stronger. As he passed through more traps jumping inbetween the flames and leaping over hot stones the heat became stronger. Great stone briges seemed sometimes to stretch out for miles as streight as a motorway connecting two temples together. The caves themselves looked the same in fact from the surroundings he couldn't have been able to tell whether he hadn't gone streight back to the beginning or not. It was the dreadful feeling that drew him on and told him that he was going the right way. He was looking forward to his reward, but it was more than that. It was his pride that had grown over the cource of the temples. He felt unstopable now, he saw Quan chi as an aider of this new power. Quan chi had helped him to take up the mission. Quan chi was his freind, it didn't matter whether he was a sorceror or what he was trying to do. Quan chi in his eyes had done him a good deed.

Above the roof looked down foreboding rocks hanging from its humble surface. A rumble shook the earth at one moment and dodging aside Subzero missed a falling stalacyte that impaled itself into the stones foretelling strongly of the damage it could have done to Subzero's frail mortal body. Voices whispered to him in the heat and the red glow and light that came from the fires "Turn back! Leave! You have come far enough why journy further?" yet it only drove him on. The fire god was desperate, trying anything it could to try and get rid of him the parasite. He was a cold death come to quench the fire god and take back what was stolen from Quan chi. He was a hero in the flames, when he returned to the Lin kuei he could speak of his bravery like a newly earned medal. He was the greatest warrior overcoming all odds, his pride bolstered like a bubble in a cauldron.

The walls drew in tighter and closer like angered Golems or stone Titans come to squash his frail body. The roof hung closer to the ground as he approached the final temple. This one was carved out of the rock itself and a burning heat came from inside of it. He flung the patterened stone doors open and charged inwards into the centre. The doors closed behind him with a slam and in the distance the volcano exploded the top fragmenting as lava spilled out into the ancient citys below.

A great circular rocky room he spied both of his objectives in one turn of the head. The fire god with pointed hat like Raiden himself turned to meet his eyes. The body was all flame and burned fiercly ready to defend until the end of time. A rocky platform stretched out from the mid point between Subzero and the god. It arose into a light that came down from the ceiling. It was daylight he could tell at once, the first he had seen in what felt like a very long time.

Inside the daylight he could see the amulet. A circle made of some strange matirial which inside held a square which in itself held a small green gem. It hovered in the air, a beutiful yet cold object that had something very malicient in its design. The way the square was interposed upon the circle gave it a cold logical air, he could feel the aura coming off of the object. It certainly didn't feel like a holy object, yet it was only an amulet.

The fire god turned his head. His body was slendour and burning constantly. He was made out of fire and seemed constantly to be changing his mind about what he should looklike to best suit his opponent. He seemed contented with the idea of Raiden. It shocked Subzero for a brief instant, but he realised quickly that the god had senced within himself his worry that Raiden might appear during his mission. The thunder god so legend had it was the protecter of the world the skies and its boundaries. How much did Raiden know about Subzero's exploits? It reminded Subzero to hurry, he'd need to get rid of this god quickly and finish the mission. The idea of being tag-teamed by the gods themselves seemed worrying in the least especially when his partner Quan chi was however many miles away in his "humble abode"

"So Subzero have you come to kill me as well?" spat the fire god flames hissing out of his mouth "You did a pretty good job of butchering the water god, and so I hear you killed my other two brothers as well. You enter the temple of elements from the mortal realm proud you are and challance the gods themselves. You destroy three of my brothers and turn down my humble offers that would not only bestow great legend upon you and your clan but would mark you in the history of this world forever. You destroy my two servants one who came in peace with my offerings and now you have come to finish the job and plunge your realm into darkness, am I right?"

"That's pretty much it" sweltered Subzero not really listening to what the god had said. The voice was hot and burning like a furnace, it was mid pitched and had a slight growl to it flickering inbetween words.

"Even now the black sorcerer Quan chi is waiting in the Neatherealm to come and claim his master's prize. Once I am defeated Quan chi will be able to open the portal into this temple and take the amulet for himself. What he will do with you mortal I have no idea. Kill you on the spot probably"

"Quan chi has offered me a reward. And I am well prepared to face him off if he attacks me. If the actions you say that he will take are true, he will not only have me as a bitter enemy but the whole force of my clan as well against him"

"You think you and your petty clan have any chance against that sorcerer? You don't seem to realise who you are dealing with here. Quan chi is one of the most powerful sorcerers the astral planes have ever witnessed. He has aquired free passage inbetween the worlds, what Subzero could your clan possibly do to defeat him?"

"Why didn't you gods try and track him down then if he's such a dangerous person? Surely you would have realised that he would send an assassin into your temple!"

"We gods have no powers beyond this realm. Quan chi has powers in all realms. If we saught him out then we would have to lose out imortality, the greatest of sacrifices"

"Why don't you destroy the amulet then?" grunted Subzero "Or did you as I suspect just steal it from him and even now are attempting to again tell me more of your lies"

"Only the elder gods and the dark god himself can unmake the amulet, yet you are now going to give it to the dark god"

"Are you saying that Quan chi is the dark god? What on earth are you talking about? Listen fire god I'm fed up with hearing you lot talk bullshit to me all day. I've had enough of sorcerer's talk metaphors half hearted explanations. I've got my own explantion if you don't mind, and that's for me to finish what I started"

The fire god stopped wrath in his eyes. The body leaped into flames more vigurously than before and he prepared himself in combat stance "As you wish" the voice echoed round the chasm.

They charged towards each other across the bridge and met in the middle. The fire god was god and Subzero knew that this battle would be much more tricky than the rest. They were opposites to each other, each trying to quench the other one. Using his skill he cooled down his own entire body charging himself with ice energies. It was something he rarely did, the pain was excruciating, yet the physical benefits huge. His heart beat cold as the final element made one last stand against him.

Imiediately he could feel the fire burning into him as they swapped blows. His hands were so cold now they felt imune, but the other parts of his body were not. His body in the cold was giving out a blue radience. The pain wasn't physical it was something else that burned deep into him mentally from his own abilities. He took a firey blow in the stomach and was knocked head over heels onto the floor. His own coldness hurt him more than the flaming blow had. In this state it was the only way he could fight the fire god, yet he couldn't keep this up forever.

The fire god charged again towards him as he got up. Readying himself he backflipped away creating an ice statue of himself where he had been standing. The god came to a halt too late and ice and cold snow smashed out over his hot body. He screamed out in pain as smoke poured off of his flaming torso. He backed off shivering uncontrollably from the pain. Subzero took up the advantage with an ice bolt.

The fire god dodged leaping up into the air he matirialised behind Subzero before he even had a chance to turn his head. He was knocked high into the air and landed hanging to the bridge by one hand. He holstered himself up quickly punching the fire god in the stomach.

Another blow and he knocked the element to the floor. Running he turned and tried to get to the amulet. He turned across the bridge towards it before falling flat on his face. The fire god had grabbed his ankle and was now burning through the cold shield that Subzero had generated around his body. He could feel the flames beginning to weaken him soon they'd burn through and into his clothes and flesh. Moving forward the god placed his other hand on the Lin kuei's back burning the centre. The pain was excruciating as he tried to keep the cold shield up.

Letting all defenses drop suddenly he swung round with a smoke cloud and elboed the fire god to the floor. Subzero leaped on top of the god suddenly feeling the fire burn into his knees. Outstretching both hands forward he aimed at the chest. His hands flashed white suddenly. The polar blast took everything out of him. The cavern shook and the whole bridge went icy white with the cold energies. There was nothing apart from frozen stone underneath him any more. The smoke ascended up towards the ceiling. He felt terribly weakened, exhausted. He was in all truth lucky to be alive. On his knees he watched the vapour ascend skywards, and breathed heavily. His job was over, he'd done it. He watched with a smile as the cloud wavoured and began to dissapere into the warm air.

Suddenly it clouded and took the form of a grim face. He looked up terrified into haunted burning eyes. The face was of the fire god, it burned with a flicker of flame in each eye. For a moment he thought it would again attack him, but it merely floated there looking down on him. The same voice spoke that he would remember for the rest of his life.

"Subzero" it said not loudly as before, but now as a soft whispering of smoke "You have killed off the last of the elements, and with it your dignity. Go now doomed warrior, and doom the world as you see fit. Only Raiden stands in your way now and blackening this once great world into complete darkness. For your own restless soul's sake... I hope you are prowd of what you have destroyed"

In a moment the spirit was gone, and Subzero stood still gawking at where the smoke had been only a moment before. The fires suddenly went out, and he knew that the fire element had departed this realm as a ghost. Walking up the raised platform he came to the amulet with terrified eyes. There was now no longer anything to stop him. He reached out...

A white hand snatched the amulet away "Fool!" Subzero stepped back gazing at the figure before him. Suddenly so real he realised with a strange mix of emotions who was in front of him. It was Quan chi, the pale skull faced sorcerer, he stood in black with great spikes rising out of his shoulder pads.

"The amulet!" he laughed slowly, he gazed into the swirling depths of the green gem and holding it up to the firey roof it glinted in the flames "I have Shinnoch's amulet" he sneered quietly he brought it down into both hands and caressed the bronze surface.

Subzero gawked "Whose amulet?" he stuttered with fear in his eyes. This display of passion mixed with malice disturbed him. It foretold of another world of emotion, something that he had never seen before in a person.

Quanchi sneered stepping forward slowly "He... is... my deity" he said softly pronouncing each word with great strength and pride "And ruler of the Neatherealm!" the fires round the walls leaped up at the sound of that word. That place, the name suddenly rang clear in Subzero's mind. He had heard of it before, yet he had never truly believed in its existance.

"And soon destroyer of your earth realm" continued Quan chi slowly caressing the bronze, his fingers passing over the green centered gem over and over again he smiled with pleasure the green light flickering with flames in his eyes "This is definitely Shinnock's amulet" he whispered with a madenning curve of a smile reaching into his lips.

"What are you talking about?" replied Subzero angrily.

"This amulet is the key to Shinnock's power as an elder god. When returned to him he will retain his powers and be free from the confines of the Neatherealm"

"Destroyer of all realms?" gasped Subzero the Lin kuei legend ringing back in his ears after all this time "I think you are insane! That amulet isn't worth the bronze it's molded from!"

"Believe what you will Subzero" smiled Quan chi with a death like gaze, he stepped back into the light that came down from above where the amulet for so long had remained seperated from its former master "Goodbye... Ninja" he sneered laughing a green light surrounded him flickering round the walls he dissapered with a flash. Subzero stood there gazing at the spot where the sorcerer had stood only a moment before. Now with the element of fire defeated it was only a matter of time before the walls of the temple broke down completely and caved in on him. He would die here and rightly so for the crime he had committed. He waited standing still for his approaching doom.