Chapter 13: Three Witches

There was a deep silence. He had come out into a great open hallway, the ground level of the pyramid. The stone beneath his feet was cold and shone with the little light that was produced inside that building. The air was cold and his reflection on the smooth floor below was deeply unsettling. Huge statues similar to the one he had leveled were placed distantly on the wall, equally spaced they all stared down at him as if about to pass judgement.

For the first time in the Neatherealm he could hear nothing. In this place there was complete silence, an emptyness. Each step he took on the marble like floor: The sound tapped loudly as if walking inside a Cahthedral. The ground was so smooth that it reflected light like a mirror or polished marble. The strange thing about that dismal place was where did the light come from? He couldn't see a visble light source anywhere, apart from the entrance. The orange glow that came in through the doorway shimmered across the ground but seemed to be eaten up quickly by the Pyramid's own strange unnatural lighting. Wind whistled in through the gap before with a slow movement of stone the great door slid shut and there was absolute quiet. He dared not speak.

His breath still came harshly from the battle outside, and he still felt the strength inside of him from the Urn although it was fading fast now. He only had a little bit of water left in the relic, he'd have to be careful to save it for Quan chi himself. In comparison his body still felt as durable as it had done when he first put the ointment on, the ditdoe formula was still having its effect. He felt strange, not quite himself as he always had done. The quiet had brought him back to reality and he realised what he'd been doing outside. Looking down over himself, his blue clothing was stained red and green in places. Blood was everywhere, on his hands, bits on his face on his chest, the stains were everywhere. He looked more like a butcher than a Lin kuei. He realized with a shudder that what he had been doing outside was inhuman. It was terrible, and it was slowly eating at him now more than it had ever done before.

"This acursed realm" he coughed blowing on his frost bitten hands "Is trying to change me"

The voices that had been speaking to him seemed ever stronger here now, in this place, yet now it seemed as if he could hear them, and they came from his own mind "We never try to change anyone... you've always had the darkness in you Subzero, we only try to show you your true self"

"Rubbish" he whispered walking forward his feet clapped against the stone floor as if he were a tap dancer stamping the ground "I come from the Earth realm, I belong to neutrality not to darkness... any fool can see that"

"The Earth Realm is just a dream" whispered the voices echoing bouring down upon him heavily as he wandered through the rainbow hallway, the black stone coulerless itself seemed to copy other lights to give interest, yet by looking at it you could always tell that in truth it had no couler of its own "Surely you must have realised that by now Subzero? The Neatherealm is the real world. The Earthrealm is an imperfection, a fantasy that went wrong. Only the excelleration of darkness to its final conclusion can hold in it any truth at all"

"Its not true" whispered Subzero clutching his head "Its not true!"

"You have a strange idea of what truth is. Do you think truth is saving a realm? Do you think it really matters in the long run whether a person dies or not? Hasn't your own philosophy always been Subzero, just to earn a living? You can see surely that nothing really matters, whether you suceed in bringing down these very walls into the Sea of immortality below, or whether you die midway, you still have achieved nothing. Does it really make sence to you to do things for others? What has that realm ever done for you?"

"What has your realm ever done for me!" retorted Subzero waving his fists round in anger "Answer me that! What has your black pit of a realm ever done for me! With your orange skies and blood and pain and suffering and misery what is there for me in this putrid place!?"

"We have shown you truth"

"You have shown me lies"

"What are lies, but possible truths?"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" screamed Subzero his voice echoing down the hallways "Its fucking sorcerer's talk!" he shouted running his hands over his head "Its fucking sorcerer's talk!" he roared

"Let us show you real truth Subzero. Let us show you true ambition! Call Shinnok's name and he shall appear in this place. Tell him of Noobsaibot's treachury and of how Quan chi didn't pay you for your services. Tell him how Quan chi has the amulet and has not yet given it to him! And tell him that you want to join him in ruling the Earth realm as an Oni at his side... you will have your revenge, your revenge over creation. Is that not truth?"

"Fuck you!" screemed Subzero with his hands he dragged his nails down his face, cutting into the skin he drew blood "I'll show you truth!" he screemed reaching into his blue clothing he reached for the Death needles and their destructive powers. But he was searching in the wrong folds, for this one had been emptied on the bridge of Imortality, reaching down into the very bottom instead he clutched his hand round something soft. Something that seemed alive to his touch, imiediately he calmed and his tense shoulders lowered. He withdrew the object and gazed at it. The voices were silent. His vision blurred a moment and he staggered about before dropping to his knees he gazed at the object he held before him.

A small but poweful aroma of mint filled his nostrils and gazing forward his vision cleared, and he could see inbetween his finger tips a single green leaf. It had not diminished, bent or tore in any place. It looked as alive as it first had when he had fallen from the wind god's heights.

"A single leaf," he whispered clutching it, he fingered it looking at the veins desperately, the living substance that was within it. It had come from another place. It had seemed distant until now, it reminded him of everything. His life, his morals, his place and where he was and what he was doing. The voices were silent.

He stood to his feet slowly regaining his sences. The strength had left him but he didn't need it. He held the leaf up to the faces on the back wall that gazed down on him "This is truth" he whispered slowly "As you said, it doesn't matter in the end. But when the choice comes, when the final word is asked whether I should choose, this leaf is true to my freedom, and true to my past and everything that has been created and ever will be. You forces of darkness, cannot hinder me or persuade me to choose what my own path will be. As of now... I represent the god of Thunder Raiden, not Noobsaibot and his dark schemes. As of now, this leaf is truth and I am truth in amongst your lies. Since I entered this realm you have swarmed over me and you will continue to do so until I have left it. But the truth is that you will fail... you have failed until now, and that is also truth. And you will continue to fail as long as my truth is not yours. In this darkness, this single leaf shall be my light. No matter what horrors you throw against me willing me into your doom, this beacon will show truth always, and with it my mind will never wavour, and will never be yours" Clutching it he held it in his cold hands, yet even still he could smell the mint. The voices were afraid, he had beaten them. They never spoke to him again, for he had now his own truth, and he had the power to show it to them.

Until this day Subzero never knew how long he spent in that dismal place. The upper floors were much simpler. He got to them through strange moving slabs of stone in the ground. All he had to do was stand on them and think the direction he wanted to go in and the pillar would rise out of the ground taking him to the upper levels. It was tricky at first, and the dark gloomy atmosphere of the place did nothing for him morally.

As much as it seemed Shinnok's fortress was not unguarded... it was. Priests of the black guard were waiting in every shadow for him to pass. Through every corridoor he passed the death toll incresed, and blood of the red legged men stained his hands and mind. Some corridoors had swinging blades continually passing back and forth just like in the Earth temple. Now they seemed easier to pass. He seemed to know how to do it after having done it before; walking past these blades seemed a simple thing.

The first assassin. At the end of one bladed corridoor he walked on to find great double doors made out of the same strange kind of shiny marble texture that he asociated with the rest of the temple. He could see his own light coming out of the door, and he looked on with distaste knowing that the door did not make any gift to him. It was taking away his light not showing it. Everything in this place was a loss, it had nothing and never would have any sustenence in it. It was empty, but so empty that it felt almost hollow. With both hands he opened the door into a large dark circular room.

Circular rooms and Mortal Kombat seemed to have a very strong familiarity with Subzero. This one seemed hardly to be any different at all from any of the others he had been in. A dark haired girl looked up at him brandishing weapons she smiled darkly glaring at him. A red gemmed head piece was resting on her forehead.

"Subzero" she smiled "It's you... I've been looking forward to this..."

"Who are you?" he asked

"My name's Kia" she smiled grinning at him mischiviously "I am one of the three personal assassins of Quan chi. If you wish to speak to our master, you must prove yourself worthy"

"And how do I do that?" asked Subzero sarcastically, he clenched the mint leaf gazing at her smooth body. She appealed to him in every way her body could, yet he felt no real attaction to her. There was something incredibly dead about her body, something that had no life in it. She seemed to have a soul, but something else was missing.

"You will have to beat all three of us in Mortal Kombat. To use the teleporter you have to have three crystals that each of us holds one" to prove her point she pointed to a piece of cord round her neck where a green gem was held in place. It was pleasing to the eye, yet it stank of Neatherealm darkness and he had no intention of taking it with him back to the Earthrealm. He would use it and then discard it.

"Heh... so I have to find the three crystals that you say are in this temple?"

She chuckled with a smile she dangled the crystal with her fingers in front of his eyes "If you want it big boy... come and get it"

"You take the first move" said Subzero softly "I've been doing the first move for ages and I'm sick of it"

"I'm glad you said that" chuckled Kia and from her boot she withdrew a shinny metal object that shone darkly reflecting in the black marble like walls and floors. It was a sharp curved piece of metal bending on one side back and on the other forward; she threw it forward and it hissed as it passed through the air. Subzero dodged and it wizzed round and came shooting back again. He ducked and she caught it running forward she attacked with a snarl.

Her blows were very fast, there was no doubt about that, but what they lacked was real strength. She was much more dexterous than she was forceful and several punches caught Subzero off guard yet they weren't strong enough to cause any real damage. He flipped back suddenly and kicked her hard on the chin with both boots. Her head flew back and she spat blood high into the air landing on her back. Quickly she was up and she threw the boomerang forward, Subzero dodged and it spun towards him missing wildly it sawed round the room.

Coming back at him it missed again yet didn't return to her hand, instead it zoomed back again towards him making the same hissing sound as the metal cut threw the air.

"You bastard" called Kia spitting a tooth onto the floor, blood poured out of her mouth and she coughed bitterly "I hope your having fun you mortal shit, I can make this thing come at you all day"

Subzero dodged and ducked and rolled. Running at Kia he aimed a kick but she easily dodged and tripped him. The blade flew overhead as she backed off and hastilly Subzero stood to his feet just in time to get out of the way of the blade again.

Again he dodged and again the curved metal piece came for him "Why won't you die damn it!" shouted Kia after this had continued for a frighteningly long time. The blade shooted forward and Subzero ran dodging aside he flipped and cartwheeled out of the way. It was relentless, again it curved round over Kia's head and came streight back towards him.

Subzero stood motionless as the blade came swishing towards him, with sweating face and neck he put both hands forward, ducking he caught the blade as it came through the air. It cut his hand slightly on the edge as he was pulled with it rolling onto the floor. The blade continued to try and move, rolling on the shiny surface he stampped his foot down on it and picked it up motionless with both hands.

"I hope you're good at dodging Kia" snarled Subzero darkly. With a flick of his fingers he flung it forward at high speed. Before Kia had time to react it lodged itself in her head inbetween the eyes. Blood mixed with yellow dripped slowly through the gap and down her nose. With a groan she staggared back, her mouth opened to speak for a moment and she raised a hand. Swaying she fell back onto the floor dead. Her mouth twisted and eyes flickering in that same face that Subzero knew so well. It gave him a feeling of consistency. Bending down he ripped the crystal from her neck, the chain snapped and he held the dark gem in his hand. Along with the mint leaf he put it away inside his clothing. With a quiet sneer of satisfaction he turned away and walking out into the passageway he closed the black doors behind him with an echoing slam.

He set off again moving through the dark shadowy temple. It was a maze yet it was no longer the simple three dimentional world that guided him. It was the feeling of fear and deep evil combined that lead him to each of his targets. He could feel where he needed to go. The gem itself began to glow as he acended up the stairs. It resonated with a soft hum and he presumed that it only did this when close to the other crystals.

"You stop!" shouted one of the Black Guard. He was quick on the uptake and reaching into his folds he flung a death needle forward. It lodged in the man's head through the face, the red legged guard fell to the ground spasming and sweat bubbling up his back and legs. Like the rest of them he died yet he had died instantly. The others not being killed on inpact usually had a horrible slow death - blindness - paralyzation - death as Noobsaibot had said. Subzero had never known any toxin so leathful in his entire life.

The Black guard were much better fighters than Subzero had encountered during any of the four temples. Yet as much as he could he picked the easy way out of fights, if he didn't have to fight someone then he didn't do it, if he did then he killed them as quickly as possible with as little effort. They were good, but they weren't good enough. He killed any who opposed him and his task. He licked the small wound on his hand briefly as he turned corners. It had stopped bleeding but it still hurt. Every corner had a new peril to face off with. Some passages simply stopped outright with a wall or pit. Some came to the edge of the pyramid itself and he could gaze out at the orange horizon across the sea of imortality. Square windows reached out through dark rooms where the light shimmered in through the gaps. Spiked shadows reached out from nowhere into the corners of the room like imaginary daggers.

The second assassin. He came to the doors. He knew it was the right room because the crystal shimmered as he entered bright green. The doors opened and he walked into a circular room almost exactly the same as the other. A female assassin similar looking to Kia stood in the centre. A white streek went down her hair and she had an almost childish like look on her face. She seemed almost upset as she prepared herself for battle with large hooked swords. They were made for pain, they seemed to glow blue as she raised them.

"Welcome mortal, my name is Sareena one of the three personal assassins of the dark sorcerer Quan chi"

"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me in a long time" grumbled Subzero "Hand over the crystal now or I'll kill you"

Sareena chuckled "Or you'll kill me? What kind of threat is that? You couldn't kill me let alone any of my sisters"

Subzero held up the green crystal of Kia omnimously. Sareena gazed at it slowly and put a hand to her lip, she frowned quickly and raised her weapons "No matter, Kia was careless"

"And so are you," spat Subzero, "Do you want to die the same way as her? It was excruciatingly painful and messy. Put down your weapons and I'll let you go free"

"You must think I'm stupid master Subzero... you'd kill me anyway and you know it. No. I know you, you'd have to be more Oni than man to survive in this hell. Come get me you bastard and let us settle this the ancient way, through Mortal Kombat"

"It makes no difference to me" shrugged Subzero "I didn't realise you wanted to die so badly"

Charging forward both hands glowed blue suddenly as he attacked. Sareena brought the hooked swords towards him horizontally. He slowed in a jerky panic and jumpped back out of the way surprized at her fast reactions. She spun the blades round aiming for his head and upper body but again he stepped aside. She thrust a single blade forward aiming for his heart but stepping away to the outside of her body he gripped her arm and gave it a painful twist, she dropped the weapon with a clang but with a scream brought the second sword over Subzero's head. He ducked and sweeping down he brought Sareena to the floor on her back. She dropped the second sword.

She shrieked rolling aside as he came at her "Give me the crystal" he hissed.

"Never!" she replied holding up her hands in a defensive stance. The green crystal dangled from her neck on its precarious chain. He attacked with a quick combo, she barely blocked and he backed her up against the wall. Slamming a cold blow forward his fist indented into the wall cracking the shinny surface. Through the hard ice round his hands he hardly felt a thing. Turning he realised that Kia had dodged. She attacked him bringing him to the floor with a kick to the chest. He aimed an ice bolt at her upper body as he stood to his feet and she had to back off her advantage to avoid being frozen alive.

They circled round each other Kia was tense. Subzero stood up firm and he walked around her quickly hardly using any martial art at all. He looked relaxed and calm as if he were playing with a child "Give up"

"No" she replied

"Why?"

"Because you'll kill me"

"Fair enough" and he shot forward on icy feet and punched her in the stomach, she sank to the floor and he brought a hand down on her back. Kicking her while she was down he hit her in the head several times the chest and stomach yet she refused to lose conciousness the easy way. Desperately she tried to crawl away but he grabbed her by the legs and pulled her back to him. Holding both arms down with his knees he sat on top of her and squeezed her neck until he felt the bone beneath the wind pipe. She choked struggling for breath and he felt the life ebbing from her as his icy cold hands were chilling her neck. All he had to do was purposely freeze her and it was all over. In a moment she would die like everyone else.

Her playful face however defeated him. Her child like expression did not fit in with that realm, she gasped for breath struggling to get out of his grip.

Instead with the other hand he reached down and taking hold of the crystal he wrenched it snapping the chord from her neck. Her legs flayed out trying to kick him off of her but they did little good. Backing off he kicked her in the ribs and picked her up by the neck. With an easy motion he lifted her off her feet and threw her across the room. She colapsed on the floor gasping for breath.

"You were supposed to beg for mercy" he grunted and turning he left the room. With both hands he slammed the black doors behind him and continued away on his mission. He'd left her alive. He silently cursed his stupidity.

Just one more to go... up he arose through the great pyramid this time with two gems in his possession. They resonated together and made finding the last one very difficult. Because they glowed all the time it made finding the final assassin as hard as finding Kia if not more so. He had only his instinct to rely upon, that feeling that told him for good or for evil what to expect.

Reaching into his folds he gripped the leaf for comfort. It wasn't really the smell that calmed him (although it did to some extent), it was more what the leaf represented to him. It was his sanity and his connection with the real world. If ever his vision of the Earth realms was lost then he truly would be trapped in this world and the last of his sanity and goodness would burn up. He would be left a lost destroyed soul with only evil left inside of him.

He arose up high lifts and the floors became smaller. The top the pyramid of cource became smaller since all four diagonal lines meet at the highest point. The brick work was uneven in some places while in others it was as perfect as the Incas. Finding no way up at one point he was forced to climb up a sheer rocky race to the floors above. There was only one assassin left and he was soon to find her. He knew it.

There were more black guard up there on the higher levels than in anywhere else in the pyramid. It seemed that as he advanced they retreated until now he had cornered them all at the top of the pyramid. He had found the central axis of evil, the sporing grounds where all this darkness came from. This is where the Black guards clustered in every corner waiting to jump out from the shadows. They had no where left to run or hide.

The third assassin. Through the darkness he came to the black doors that he knew to be the location of the final guard. The two crystals resonated loudly. With a cold glowing blue hands he smashed the door open and the black marble flung back crashing either side against the walls. The final assassin was inside she stood kneeling on the floor, white hair hiding her face.

Subzero entered and the doors closed behind him, she didn't move.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" he said at length.

"Why should I?" she hissed

"The others did"

"They're dead" she replied a crackle in her voice. Somewhere in the back of her neck a bone clicked against another one.

"If you hand me the crystal I will spare you"

"I don't want your mercy mortal" she hissed

"What do you want then?" asked Subzero at length

"I want release" she hissed standing up, she parted her hair. One hand behind her back she pulled from behind her a glowing blue daggar. Her eyes were white with eery deep dark pits that seemed infinitely empty. She licked the blade and drew red blood from her tongue. It dripped down the blade onto her hand and she smiled licking it up.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" he asked shuddering as she licked.

"I've been resurected" she chuckled "Not like my other two weak sisters. Leviathan gave me mercy and brought me back to life"

"Leviathan?" questioned Subzero

"The black serpent of destruction. He gives mercy to many. I have had enough of mercy"

"Then you will die" returned Subzero "I killed both your sisters and I'll kill you"

"You killed one of my sisters" she corrected snidely, there was a crackle of bone in the back of her throat and something seemed to snap in her mouth.

"I defeated two of them then if that is what you will instead acept as truth"

"Bid deal"

"If you want to die why will you fight me?"

"Do you think I have no honor?" she laughed "Come now, spar with me 'Cold one'. I have read about you already. Attack me and let us decide how the story ends together, I would not throw away this chance for more mercy"

Reaching down suddenly into his folds he withdrew a death needle and flung it forward towards her head. There was a clang of metal and a split second later she held it inbetween huge sharp teeth. Spitting it out it landed in her hand, her eyes widened slightly "Very nice. We've been looking for evidence to back destroying Noobsaibot for a long time. I remember when he got these, he bowed low and kissed master Shinnok's feet. Here keep it, he would not want you to lose them so easily" she flung it back.

"Shit!" shouted Subzero diving aside for cover. The needle clanged across the floor, getting up he ran over to it and picked it up sweat dripping down his face. Hastilly he put it away "... shit" he said again widening his eyes. Somehow the possibility that someone might catch and throw the needle back at him had never occured to him. He gazed steadily at the assassin in front of him. She grinned and her mouth now contained a normal set of white teeth. There was a crack in the back of her mouth that sounded out hollow through her lips.

"What's your name?" he breathed hard

"Jataaka... your worst Nightmare"

A second later she had leaped forward with glowing blue daggar in hand. Subzero leaped aside as she swung the weapon across almost cutting him in half. Dodging back she flayed the weapon passed him as he desperately tried to get away from her. Sliding back suddenly he charged both hands a blinding white and polar blasted her.

She'd jumpped into the air daggar forward she screamed flying towards him. His blow had missed and instead had frozen the floor where she had been standing. With a gasp he ducked to the ground rolling aside as her lightning fast daggar plunged into the black marble floor. Straining once and then twice she whipped it out of its hold as Subzero stood to his feet.

She attacked him speedily with a virtical blow, he sidestepped and tried to attack but her free hand caught his and held it in place. Backing off she attacked with the daggar thrusting forward he dodged inside as she twisted his arm in pain. He shouted out and and charged his hands cold. She backed off in pain her hands going numb he shook his pained hand up and down.

With a shriek she flung the daggar forward towards him. He caught it stepping aside he threw it to the floor. There aiming both hands down he froze it encasing the weapon in a rounded block of solid ice. Hands still spraying he turned them towards her and she cartwheeled aside as the ice trail followed her round the room freezing the floor so that it glittered reflecting onto the ceiling and walls. The whole room now shone with white and blue glittering ice.

He stopped spent for a moment she charged towards him and slipped. He tried to run but he too lost his footing and fell down with a wheeze onto the ice below. It hurt badly and bruised him on the back side. Carefully he got to his feet and so did she. Jataaka carefully edged her way towards him, she snarled suddenly showing great sharp fangs in her mouth.

"This won't change anything!" she hissed and she snapped her jaws together like that of a crocodile.

"Oh yes it will" smiled Subzero "You're in my element now, and you follow my rules"

"What are the rules oh master?" she sneered stepping forward uneasily towards him.

"Hand over the crystal" he replied "Or die"

"I never was very good at following rules" she hissed and leaped forward with snapping jaws. Subzero ducked and slid under her smacking her hard in the chest as he did so he hefted her up and slammed her painfully against the opposite wall "Not so fast that time were you my pretty?"

"Shut up" she grunted wheezing, she got uneasily to her feet and gazed down at the ice in fear. She was trapped against the wall and Subzero advanced eyes on her all the time. She snapped her mouth suddenly and he paused slowly avoiding contact with the deadly teeth. Reaching into the folds of his cloth he rummaged a moment and Jataaka was wary. He returned his hands to reveal four death needles in each, held in place inbetween the fingers "Lets see you dodge this"

She jumpped high into the air kicking off of the wall, the first one missed, he aimed another at her feet as she landed it stuck hard into the ice. She cartwheeled aside as another needle sang through the air missing her by inches. Jumping she screamed in pain as one glanced off her leg, he missed with another as she rolled aside, the final three he flung streight at her and they lodged. She screamed out in high pitched pain moaning and thrashing her arms about wildly with an unearthly sound. The death needles were lodged in her and they waved about as she rolled about wriggling and burning the flesh.

She screamed spasming again her jaw snapped wrong and several teeth broke off in a spurt of blood. She spat bones and fangs out of her mouth as she wretched on the floor, her hand wavering she pulled one needle out and tried to throw it at Subzero. It fell to the ground with a clang as her eyes rolled and her hand went limp on the floor. Her tongue stuck out and blood and throth started pouring out of her body. Her head snapped back with a crack and the neck broke, her torso imploded and then burst, the head broke in on itself and the bubbling remains spilled out across the floor. A disgusting smell filled the room.

Out of eight needles he recovered six. After leaving the room he tried to vomit but couldn't. He didn't go back in. He realised for the first time that he hadn't eaten anything in a long time. Something in the realm and removed his hunger, probably Noobsaibot's mysterious bath. Disgusted he closed the doors with a slam and left with one objective left: Revenge. He remembered that scene for the rest of his life. It haunted his dreams.