A/N: Hello, fellow readers. Tis the season to be jolly. I want to wish everyone happy holidays and a Merry Christmas. That said, I present to you all a new chapter, so grab some eggnog, sit by the fireplace (Not too close though), and enjoy.
Disclaimer: This is my sign: 'I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie.
The river flowed through the town of Gasa, with birds chirping their songs. Cadenced shouts disturbed the peace as Carrie and Jago endured a set of drills until break time.
Pemba examined the fish as a snowy-white tiger until she shoved her head and latched one in her jaws. She plopped the fish into a basket filled with them and reverted to human form.
Carrie sat on a boulder, extracting a cloth within her chuba. She untied it, revealing clumps of momos. Before they arrived at their training site, they visited the village to buy lunch. Carrie's hand shot up and rubbed against her chest while drawing slow, deep breaths.
"Is everything all right?" Jago asked.
"I'm fine. It's this stupid strain," Carrie said. "I'm gaining strength, but each time I use my powers, it's as though something is trying to yank my heart out of my chest."
The warrior-monk placed his hands on Carrie's back as gold auras surrounded them. "This could be a problem."
"Could it be my old stab wound?"
"Maybe, but I'll keep watch."
Pemba approached them as she placed the crate of fish on top of the boulder. "How is training going?"
"Okay, although I have issues with my powers," Carrie said.
"You've made some decent catches," Jago remarked.
"Once I have the rest of the ingredients from the village, I'll be preparing an exclusive dinner." Pemba scooped her basket of fish and headed to town. "I'll return once I finish my errands."
Jago smirked, imagining the dinner Pemba had planned for tonight. "Come. We should prepare for our meditation."
While Carrie tied back her lunch and followed Jago into the forest, Riptor—the pack leader, spied the woman.
"Should pack attack now?" a Stalker unit asked.
"Alert pack. Prepare for a surprise attack," Riptor said.
Carrie and Jago trekked through the woodlands until they arrived at a small clearing with a lake. They sat on a log and began their session. For a while, everything was quiet until Jago sensed a disturbance. He jumped off the trunk and scanned his settings.
Carrie glanced over her shoulder. "Jago, what's wrong?"
When receiving no answer, she hopped off the wood until something caught her eye. Though blending in the foliage, a closer inspection exposed a reptilian eye. Before she could call out, a human-sized raptor lunged towards her, but a fireball struck the beast.
With his palm glowing, Jago was about to ask Carrie if she was okay when another raptor leaped at him.
An invisible force-field surrounded Jago. The raptor bounced off it and crashed to the ground.
With her arms extended outward, Carrie ensured Jago's protection. The master and student stayed side by side as the raptors emerged from the woods.
"Are they dinosaurs?" Carrie said. "I thought they were extinct."
"Guess not." Jago drew out his sword. Spotting Riptor's approach, he called out. "What do you want from us?"
Light streams of drool dripped from her mouth. "You, blood of Orchid, become prey to pack. Pack brings the psychic girl to ARIA." Riptor chirped, and her pack edged closer to their targets until they rushed towards them.
Carrie attacked with a psionic blast, pushing them back. The strain to her heart struck without warning. She cried out and pressed a hand to her chest.
"Carrie!" While Jago checked on the woman, he glanced over his shoulder as Riptor's pack recovered. He faced the raptors, sword at the ready. Once Riptor and her group hurtled to them, Jago did the same, slicing whatever limb or head from each creature.
A zebra-striped Stalker dove at Carrie until she shoved the raptor with her powers. She sprinted into the forest and arrived at a small clearing until Riptor pounced on her, longing to taste her flesh.
Carrie lifted Riptor and threw it on the other side. She spotted a tree with a hollow big enough to fit a human. Carrie slipped inside the cavern, but not before a hot searing pain coursed through her leg; Riptor's claws raked her limb. She stayed far from the entrance while gripping her injured leg.
While Riptor dug through the cavity, Carrie grabbed a rock and bashed the raptor's hand. Riptor screeched as she pulled away but resumed digging through the hollow. Her excitement rose as she got closer to her prize. Before the Stalker reached Carrie, something dragged her out of the tree.
Carrie spotted Jago grabbing Riptor and throwing the creature to a tree. Bite-marks and cuts sprinkled his body while dark purple blood painted his sword.
Assured that Carrie was safe, Jago shifted his attention to Riptor. "Don't bother calling your pack, beast. I've killed them all."
Riptor growled and charged towards the monk.
Jago chucked a fireball as it seared through the Stalker's chest, leaving a gaping wound. With Riptor reeling, he attacked until he finished with a sword uppercut.
Riptor landed on its back, with blood leaking from her injuries. The Stalker swung her tail, and Jago dodged until the raptor tripped him and pounced on him. He held the beast back, keeping the teeth-filled jaws from his throat. Impatient, Riptor raked the monk's chest with her claws.
Jago cried, but he held his ground and head-butted the Stalker's nose.
Riptor shrieked as she recoiled, and Jago kicked the Stalker off him.
Jago dashed towards the raptor, sword in hand. Riptor released fiery mortars, but Jago evaded them, his sword laced with a soft golden aura.
Riptor avoided an incoming sword slash and whacked him with her tail.
Jago fell on his back; his sword knocked from his hand.
Riptor pounced on him, determined to deliver the killing blow until it screeched, as though in pain.
Jago furrowed his brows until he discovered his sword impaling the creature before he shifted his attention to Carrie, who extended her arms. She lifted Riptor and shoved it to a tree, removing the blade. Despite receiving another gaping wound, Riptor recovered and charged.
Carrie handed the sword to Jago. He grabbed his weapon, and as he dashed, a soft yellow aura surrounded him. The Stalker brought forth her claws, but Jago ducked and sliced Riptor's arm from her body. The Stalker shrieked as blood spurted, and wires fizzed.
Jago swung his sword several times and chucked a fireball, inflicting massive damage. Burned and injured, Riptor screeched and fled.
With the threat gone, Jago checked on Carrie. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm-Jago, behind you!" Carrie yelled.
A zebra-striped Stalker unit leaped to them until a horse-sized wolf pounced on the raptor and sunk its teeth on its throat. The Stalker struggled, but the wolf clamped harder until it snapped its neck. The wolf released the raptor, revealing its amber eyes before changing into its human form.
"Is everyone okay?" Pemba queried.
"Yeah," Carrie said. "How did you find us?"
"I sensed something was wrong when I returned to the training site. What is that thing?"
Jago approached the dead Stalker and flipped it on its back until he spotted the U logo at its tail base. "Ultratech."
"Isn't that the company you mentioned when we were in Lhasa?" Carrie asked.
"The same one." Jago spotted an unusual lump within the back of the Stalker's neck. He pressed it a few times but refused to budge. He carved a portion of the dead raptor's hide with his sword and pushed his hand inside the body, blood spilling to the ground. His fingers brushed against something and gripped the source of the lump. He pulled his arm out, holding a device coated in purple blood.
"What is that?" Pemba asked.
Jago fiddled with the device. "Not sure. Let's clean it in the river. It might have answers."
Jago washed his arm at the stream, followed by his sword and the device as blood dissolved into the water. Carrie and Pemba sat next to him, reflecting on the latest assault, with the latter treating the telekinetic's leg injury.
"I can't believe a company constructed such creatures," Carrie said. "What else could they do?"
"A lot more," Jago said. "Ultratech is trying to force humanity to have a god-complex. Not only is it dangerous but stupid."
"That thing called you 'blood of Orchid.' Why?"
Jago paused in his cleaning. He never divulged his personal life to anyone, but he figured Carrie would find out. "You know the story I told you in Lhasa, and I mentioned meeting Orchid?"
"Yes. That Tiger Spirit-no, Gargos-wanted you to kill her, but you didn't."
"Well, I had a valid reason to spare Orchid that day: she's my sister."
Those last two words simmered in Carrie's mind, and her eyes widened. She assumed that Jago was an orphan when he mentioned the monks raising him. "Your…your sister? Gargos tried to make you kill your sister?"
"That's messed up on another level," Pemba said. "How did you and Orchid meet?"
"At the Killer Instinct tournament, which is a story for later. While the doctors hoisted Orchid away after the match, a journal fell from her, so I kept it for her. During my recovery, I…read the book. It had belonged to her father-correction, our father.
"He was part of Special Forces and achieved many feats, including saving a group of captives in Pakistan. I found a photo of Orchid and a man next to her, who shared a physical resemblance to me. I had to talk to Orchid and brought the book to return it to her as I intended. Upon my arrival, she thrashed her hospital room as though she was looking for something.
"She was searching for her father's journal, so I grabbed her attention and returned the book. Once I confessed to reading the diary, we chatted and underwent a DNA test, which came back positive: sister and brother, but by half, because we had separate mothers."
Carrie was silent as Margaret's voice shrieked in her head, "This boy is not only a sinner but a bastard! He and his family will burn in Hell for their sins!" She pushed back the voice. "Did you meet your father?"
"No. My father died in the line of duty. As for my mother, I am not sure what happened to her, but I'm planning to find her one day." After washing the item, Jago inspected the device until a green screen emerged, and words typed freely. He scoffed at the prime directives, but he came to his feet when the second orders arrived.
"Jago?" Carrie said, but the monk stayed silent. Once she peeked at the orders, she placed her hand over her mouth.
Pemba tilted her head until she peeped, expressing the same concerned face.
On the directives, it read: "SECURE CARRIE WHITE."
"Carrie…" Jago spoke. "Please tell me your last name isn't White."
"Yes, but as a curse. What does Ultratech want with me?"
"My guess is your powers, but I won't let them take you." Jago dropped the device and crushed it with his foot. "We must visit my sister. She has more knowledge of Ultratech than I do."
"How do we find her?"
Jago sat cross-legged and placed his balled left fist against his open-palmed right hand. He closed his eyes while a gold aura enveloped him. Visions flashed through his mind, from a vast ocean of sand to the interiors of a blown-out apartment. Shadowy figures scattered from one place to the next until one person loomed with a slight yellow aura.
Jago opened his eyes. "Found her. Orchid is in a war-torn place deep in the Carpathian Mountains. Let's return to the cabin and pack."
A/N: A family reunion is coming. As for the Stalkers, who is next on their list? Well, time to let my brain rest, so I'll see you soon. Once again, happy holidays.