Chapter Twenty-seven: Stormy Night

(Calorna)

Silence and darkness ruled the dusty cellar. A lone spider crawled across a large barrel in search of a new location for its web. An oval shaped portal flashed open with a multi-colored light and a low roar. The spider ran to hide as Althea and Siro stepped out of the portal. The portal closed behind them as Althea summoned the flames of her chi to light the way.

"I can't believe that I let you talk me into this?" said Siro as he readjusted his travel bag. Althea led the way to a short flight of stairs and replied, "I did no such thing. You wanted to know more about where I came from, admit it." She opened the door and let her chi flames fade away. The sound of a crashing dish and a startled squeal greeted them.

Althea smiled and said, "Nice to see you too, Liza. Siro this is Liza, one of the maids. Liza this is Siro a friend of mine and our guest for the night."

The blushing maid curtsied and mumbled an apology as Althea walked passed her. Siro gave the woman an encouraging smile as he followed Althea out of the kitchen. "Trevor!" Althea yelled as she dropped her travel bag on the dining room table. Siro followed her example as he took in the luxury of the place. Padded chairs, crystal chandelier, fine paintings…"You own this place?" Siro asked.

Althea shrugged and said,"Not really, it belongs to the Conclave. They gave me the loan of the place as a sort of retirement gift."

"Retirement?" asked Siro.

"Look aside from my chi energy, I've lost most of my magegifts. In their eyes, it's like a soldier losing his sword arm or a leg, "Althea frowned, "But they couldn't very well kick such a world famed war hero out on to the streets, especially one respected by so many high powered people."

Siro wondered about Althea's sarcasm, but figured it would be best not to ask anymore about it at this time. A middle aged man, who Siro assumed to be Trevor, walked into the dining room with a stately walk.

"You summoned me, my Lady," Trevor said with a haughty air and tone.

Althea mumbled something under her breath and then said, "Yes I did. Please see to it that a guest room is prepared for Siro. We'll being staying the night and maybe the next. Also, see to it that everyone is free to help me pack."

In a somewhat more cheerful mood, Trevor asked, "You will be leaving on a more permanent basis?"

"Yes and I'm taking all of my personal belongings with me. I will need writing materials for letters and of course all the needed legal documents. I assume you already have all the paperwork needed and waiting for my signature, "Althea answered.

"Will there be anything else required, "Trevor sniffed.

"Dinner, "Siro said bluntly, liking this Trevor less every second.

Althea smiled at that and said, "With that in mind, you may go." As Trevor left the room Siro commented, "You two don't get along very well, do you?"

"He thinks it's beneath himself to serve a nameless bastard, war hero or not, "Althea said, "Then again I can't stand stuck up snobs like him either."

"But you're related to…"

"Shhhhh!" said Althea loudly and then whispered, "It's not common knowledge, and I rather keep it that way. Can you imagine what some of the religious fanatics would do?" Althea shivered slightly, "I've already had a taste of that once, I rather not have another. I rather face down all the Children of the Dark One."

"What of the who?" Siro asked.

Althea shook her head and said, "Children of the Dark One, followers and creations of the Insane God. I'll explain more later."

Liza then entered the room and said with a curtsey, "Dinner be a while yet. Would ye care to freshen up some? The bathing room be all heated up already."

Althea laughed and said, "Let me guess, Trevor had plans for the bathing room. Siro you want a hot bath, I'll wait until later."

Siro sighed, "Sounds good."

"Ok, Liza, show my guest up to the bathing room and see to it he has all that he needs."

(Dining Room)

After dinner, Siro and Althea discussed all that had to be done over the remains of the meal. Since the time of day there was different than it was a Zhu Zin, they decided to work on the 'less valuable' gold items tonight while the servants slept. It would be relatively easy to pack away as compared to Althea's personal library and keepsakes. Siro would see to it that everything was carried down to the basement tomorrow, while she filled out the documents and wrote farewell letters to her few living Calornian friends.

The sound of a woman's scream, made both Siro and Althea jump up from their chairs. They ran to the direction of the scream and into the study. Entering the study a scene of horror reached them. Young Liza was sliced open from the neck to crotch, her organs scattered around. Blood was splattered across the floor and bookshelves. Misha, the maid that screamed, just stared in shock.

"Wuts wrong?" asked Charles, standing in the hallway just outside of the door, his view blocked by Siro.

"Just stay out there, "Althea ordered as she gently pulled Misha away and out of the room.

Siro closed the door after them before taking a look around. Not touching anything, he tried to get some idea of what exactly happened. Before he became a bodyguard, he worked as a city guard. Even though investigating skills were not exactly encouraged in the lower ranks, he had often found himself working for one of the city investigators when some crime had to be solved for whatever reason. There was one investigator that he was assigned to more than once, that thought out loud while studying a crime scene.

The more Siro studied this room, the worse it looked. The woman looked as if she was cut open while still alive. The organs looked as if they were either bitten or mutilated in a way to look like they were bitten. Small bloody hand prints could be seen smeared on the furniture and walls like macabre finger-paints. Careful not to step on any of the drying blood on the floor, he made his way to and out the door.

After the door closed behind him, childlike laughter sounded through the room.

Charles fidgeted from one foot to another as he waited in the hallway. When he saw Siro closing the door, he said, "Master Siro, Miss Althea was wanting me to tell ya that she be with Misha in the kitchen. She be trying to send Trevor out for lawman in a bit."

"Thanks Charles, lets go find them, "said Siro as he gently pushed the simple man down the hall away from the study.

Once they reached the kitchen, Siro knew something else was wrong. "Thank the stars you're here, "said Althea when she saw them enter the room, "Could you please stay with Misha and Charles, while I go look for Trevor. He's not answering the servant bells."

Siro said with a concerned look, "You want to go alone?"

Althea looked directly at him and her eyes flashed briefly, "Neither Misha or Charles are fighters and need protection from what or whoever did that. One of us has to stay here with them and you don't know where Trevor's rooms are."

"I don't like it, but you're right, "sighed Siro, "You wouldn't have any weapons around here would you?"

Althea nodded and said, "There is my old spare short sword and perhaps some long daggers up in my room. I'll get them on my way to find Trevor. Aside from that there are the knives in this room and a few decorative weapons hanging on the walls of this place."

Charles piped in, "There be stuff in the shed."

Althea shook her head as Siro gave her a questioning look, "There is a make shift armory in the storage shed. Most if not all of the stuff there is worthless. The swords are stuck in sheaths, bows are rotted out and what ever is made of leather has been chewed so much its more holes than leather. Let's just say that most of the previous tenants depended more on mage craft than weapons for defense. That 'armory' is a reminder of a land dispute from a long ways back."

Siro sighed in disappointment as Althea popped her fingers and said, "Keep an eye on things for me."

(Few minutes later)

Althea walked through the dining room and into the main hallway. She frowned when she found that the lamps were somehow all put out. Althea stood in the darkened hall for a few minutes to let her eyes adjust. She wanted to conserve her chi just in case and with a light-blue flame she would be a lit up target. As she started walking she thought, 'This is starting to feel like one of those bad horror stories they use to tell around the campfire. All that is needed is…' A loud rumble of thunder shook the house slightly just before the sound of heavy rain. "Crap, "Althea said under her breath.

Althea reached the door to Trevor's room at the base of the stairs. The door creaked open onto a dark room. Althea could barely make out the outline of Trevor head leaning back over his chair as if asleep. "Wake up!"Althea yelled as she summoned the light-blue flames. What the light revealed nearly made Althea gag and she said, "Damn…"

Trevor's ribcage was ripped open in a mockery of wings. Blood, now dried, had flowed down his chair and onto the floor. Internal organs were placed neatly around the chair. Althea took a deep breath through her nose and with the stench of blood she noticed another smell, one that had almost escaped her notice in the study. A scent she would never forget, a type of incense use by the worshippers of the nameless god of insanity.

(Manor's Kitchen)

Everyone in the kitchen jumped when Althea opened the door. She quietly handed Siro a short sword as she headed directly for a wine cast. Althea took a long swallow from it before answering everyone's unspoken question, "Trevor is dead." A loud crash of thunder shook the house.

"Just great, "said Siro as he gripped the sword. Misha and Charles held each other for comfort as the maid wimpered.

"It gets worse, "said Althea grimly, "They ransacked my room. The crystal which I use to open that portal is gone." She slammed a fist into the wall, "They left the weapons behind as if say they would be useless."

"Why didn't we hear anything?" asked Siro.

"There were signs of blood sorcery in both the study and Trevor's room, "Althea answered, "It's a relatively easy spell to sound proof a room."

Misha nearly fainted when Althea mentioned blood sorcery and Siro had to ask, "Blood sorcery?"

"Shang Tsungs feeds on souls for his power, blood sorcerers have a more primitive method, "Althea answered with a toneless voice, "They feed off the energy given off by the death and pain of living things. The more painful the death, the more power they get. Also, the higher the intelligence of the victim the more they get out of it so they can use an animal, but they get more from a person."

"And this is allowed?"

"Hell no! Blood sorcerers are hunted down and killed whenever one is found out, "said Althea fiercely, "They are consider among the worse of the rogue wizards, second only to soul eaters and enslavers like Shang. They only place they are welcomed is among the followers of the Insane One."

"Great so we are stranded in a house with someone who kills for the fun of it and happens to use magic, "said Siro, "Guess we have to wait out the storm and then send those two for help."

Althea nodded, "There is no way I'm letting a blood sorcerer run free around here, but there's not much we can do for now. My mage gift is not up to facing a full strength blood sorcerer."

A few hours later, both Misha and Charles were fast asleep; Misha on the table and Charles on the floor with his back up against the wall. The sound of heavy rain, occasional thunder and steel on stone were the only sounds. Althea sat on a chair, her back to the kitchen counter with her arms crossed and a thoughtful look on her face. Siro, having found a whetting stone, leaned against wall next to the door and sharpened the sword.

Siro finally stopped; he knew that if he continued he would end up damaging the blade. "Copper for your thoughts," he said as he wiped the blade with a small rag.

"Huh?" said Althea as if startled out of a train of thought.

"What has you thinking so hard, "asked Siro.

"It's just strange that this is happening, just when we show up, "Althea commented, "It's just too much of a coincidence."

Siro laughed humorlessly and said, "The way our lives have been, it would have been more surprising if nothing happened at all."

A sudden crashing came from the dining room and put both Althea and Siro on alert. The two servants woke with a start and tried their best to make themselves invisible. The sound of childish laughter and then in children voices they heard:

"Althea Godslayer took a sword
then went and killed our true lord
Now with friends she does hide
One by one all will die"

More crashing sounds as items were thrown at the closed door. Altheas eyes flared as she said, "Siro get ready to open the door and then stay close to me." Siro nodded and got a good grip on the sword as he prepared to swing the door open. Althea rolled her hands around a small light-blue flame that grew to the size of a human's head. She nodded and Siro swung the door open. Althea threw the fire ball into the room as flying china crashed into the invisible barrier she called up. The fireball split into two and then each small one split again. Four fist size balls of light-blue fire flew around the dining room as if looking for something. The dim light revealed five children running for cover. The fireballs then raced after four of the children as they left the room. One was able to get the slowest of the children in the leg causing it to trip and fall. Seeing this, Siro dropped the sword and ran out to grab the kid and drag him back into the kitchen. The child fought, bit and growled like a wild animal all the way. Once back into the well lit kitchen, they were able to see what they caught. A boy, no older than seven or eight, covered in dirt and grime.

"Get something to tie him up!" Althea ordered as Siro fought hard to keep a grip on their prisoner. Eventually, the boy was tied and gagged with strips of what was a table cloth. With wild eyes he glared through his shaggy hair.

"Well we got one, "said Siro as he examined the scratches and teeth marks on his arms.

"Not our killer or magic user, though, "said Althea, "No blood and he's way too young for a powerful magic user."

The two servants stayed as far away as they could from the feral child and Siro asked, "What do we do with him?"

"Hold on to him until morning, "Althean said, "We'll hand him over to one of the local temples. You want to go after the others?"

Siro was about ready to say he was all for it, but then re-considered. There was still the magic user to worry about and who's to say that the one's they saw were the only ones. "No, "said Siro, "There's nothing to say there isn't more of them and then there is the actual killer. Like you said, I don't think it was any of the ones we saw."

"Good, "Althea said and then whispered to Siro, "I'll try to contact Vatas. That rhyme of theirs hinted they know I'm the one that killed the Insane One. That is not common knowledge and hints that someone told them. I have a pretty good guess who did."

A bright flash of lighting and a loud crash of thunder shook the building to its base, another flash and a louder than before crash of thunder. Althea cocked her head as if listening for something. Over the thunder she yelled, "Siro, stay here!" She then ran out of the kitchen.

Instead Siro ordered the servants, "Block the door after me!" He followed Althea into the dining room and to the entrance of the hall, nearly running into her at the base of the stairs. Althea placed her hand on the railing and once again had that listening look.

"What's going on, "Siro whispered. Althea held her hand up for silence. Another crash of thunder and then Althea ran up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, she finally answered, "This storm isn't natural, not anymore. Someone is increasing its ferocity and I can 'hear' the magic."

Siro nodded in partial understanding. All he needed to know was that Althea was now able to lead them straight to the killer. Whether that was good or bad, he didn't want to think about.

Althea walked down the upstairs hall as she continued to 'listen.' She stopped in front of a heavy door with some strange markings on it. Althea carefully place her hand flat against but not touching the door. "That asshole, he has some nerve using a Conclave casting chamber for blood magic, "she growled. She then smiled almost evilly as her hand lit up, not light-blue but gold-ish in color. The outline of the door and the strange symbols also lit up in the same colored light just before exploding inward.

Blood red bolts of energy flew directly to Althea and Siro from inside the room, but hit the invisible wall created by Althea's chi. Staying close together, Althea and Siro both entered the casting chamber. The once pristine walls were now covered in gross symbols written in dried blood. The tore up remains of four children were piled up along one of the walls. In the center of all of this was a small, deformed creature that might have been human at one time. No larger than a child, he appeared shrunken and shriveled: a living husk of a man.

Siro growled as he took in the scene and Althea said with eyes flaring angrily, "Blood sorcerer."

"Yessssss, I am, "cackled the sorcerer, "These servants of mine were perfect to get your attention, Godslayer. For once I take your essence; I will become the new Dark One!" He looked at Siro with glowing red eyes and added, "Here's something for you to play with, boy." A bolt of red light flew from his hand and struck the pile of remains. The body parts shook and then merged. In seconds, a monster created from the dead children rose and roared. With a grin the sorcerer then pointed at Siro and ordered, "Sic 'em!"

The sorcerer then vanished and reappeared behind Althea with a long, bloody knife aimed at her back. Althea fell purposely to the floor expecting such a move the second he vanished. Using the same momentum of her fall, she swung her leg around and kicked the sorcerer painfully and then jumped back up. Red energy then began to battle with light-blue flame.

During this, Siro had his hands full with the monster. Two arms made up of the limbs of the four children swung with skull fists. These Siro dodged and cut in to the monster time and again. But no matter how many times or how hard he sliced into the creature, it wasn't slowing down. It was only a matter of time before exhaustion set in and Siro knew it. He got a glimpse of Althea fighting the sorcerer and then an idea struck. He began to lead the monster slowly towards the other fight. When he figured they were close enough, he yelled, "Althea, trade!"

Siro then drove his sword into the sorcerer's side as a wave of light-blue flame roared into the creature. The monster screamed in pain as flames began to burn as if its body was doused in oil. Althea continued to send more blasts of chi energy to ensure that the creature continued to burn. Siro pulled the sword out of the sorcerer as the magic user fell backwards with a gasp of pain. The sorcerer began to mumble something incoherent as Siro was about to finish him off. Althea sensing something yelled, "Get out of here, now!"

Just as when the both got out of the casting chamber, Althea slammed the door shut and said something in a language Siro didn't know. The door lit up again but this time with a silver light. The whole house then shook as a sound of an explosion rang from the sealed room. They both had to fight for balance, but then everything went silent.

"What was that?" Siro demanded.

"He used the last of his stolen energy and the energy of his own death to create a blast, "Althea answered, "Luckily that room was created to either amplify or contain magic on demand."

"Still have no idea what that was, "said Siro, "But I'll take your word that it's over."

Althea smiled and then sighed, "I just hope the crystal wasn't in there…"

(Outside)

As the night sky cleared revealing twin crescent moons, a winged female shape flew off of the roof and into darkness.

The End…

Next time on Mortal Kombat: Conquest…..

Taja stood in the open doorway with her loaded crossbow aimed directly at the sleeping monk Kung Lao.