I hope you are enjoying my little ode to "Mortal Kombat". Comments/reviews would be appreciated. Let me know what you like/dislike thus far. Enjoy this chapter!
Shao Kahn stood at the front of the procession, as expected. In spite of Mileena's decreed absence, it was a large party. Goro and Kintaro, the two Shokan warriors, were behind him. Kitana, bound by steel manacles but wearing a defiant expression on her face, was behind them, being driven along by Baraka and two other Tarkatans. Jade walked along behind them, a grim expression on her face. Behind them, the Zaterran general known as Reptile led a group of fellow lizard-men. Five masked palace guards carrying naginata were in the rear.
The procession had left the palace gates an hour after sunrise. Shao Kahn had made a brief statement at the beginning. "A statement must be made," he had said, "that no unsanctioned contact with rebellious factions shall be tolerated." No mention was made of the fact that the offender was Shao Kahn's adopted daughter, or that the execution was not the kind he was accustomed to ordering.
The Emperor silently, angrily led the procession through the morning, taking the most direct route to the Lost Sea. There were no stops along the way, and most of the party was exhausted when they finally reached the cliff which Princess Kitana's body was to be dropped from. Shao Kahn himself, the most powerful being in the realm, showed no sign of physical duress, and Goro and Kintaro were used to long treks.
At a cliff which the Emperor deemed suitable, Kitana was stopped, and pushed to her knees. She continued to look up, glaring at Shao Kahn. He ignored her contemptuous look, and beckoned for Reptile. The Zaterran leader stepped forward, and unlocked Kitana's manacles. With another motion, Goro approached, and clamped one of his four arms over Kitana's head. Jade, at this point, looked away.
"Kitana, Princess of all Outworld," Shao Kahn said, "you have been tried for the crime of consorting with Sindel, possibly the most dangerous dissident in our entire realm. I had hoped to show you some degree of lenience, however you have made no effort to repent for your transgression. As such, I am bound by my duty as Emperor to punish you. I have spared you the embarrassment of death in the Pit, as is the usual custom, but you will ultimately burn in the Neatherrealm all the same. You are to be rent asunder by the Shokan champions, Goro of Kuatan and Kintaro of the Southlands. Your remains will then be thrown into the Lost Sea. This is as proper a burial as you are entitled. Do you have any last words?"
"A little," Kitana snarled. She turned her eyes to Jade. "Do not look away, old friend. Baraka, I thank you for your years of service, and I apologize for how hard I may have made life for you at times. And, "father", I hope you enjoy having Mileena as your only daughter. I'm sure she makes you very proud."
Shao Kahn said nothing. Instead, he looked to the two Shokan warriors, and gave them a nod. Kintaro shoved Kitana to the ground, and lifted her up by her ankles. Goro groaned, and grabbed her wrists. The pair of Shokans lifted Kitana off the ground, and pulled her body taught. Kintaro pulled quickly. Kitana shouted in pain, though Goro had not started to tear yet.
"Be done with it!" Shao Kahn roared.
"As you wish," Goro said. He tightened his grip on Kitana's wrists, and started to pull. Kitana's screams grew louder. She, in spite of her earlier defiance, attempted to tense her muscles and resist her fate.
"Why must you prolong the inevitable?" Goro asked.
"Because…" Kitana started, trying to speak through the pain. "Because I do not define the inevitable as some do!"
Goro suddenly smiled, and once again loosened his grip on the princess's wrists. Kintaro stumbled back, and then dropped Kitana's ankles altogether.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kintaro snapped.
"Call this a bit of catharsis," Goro laughed. He grabbed Kitana and slung her over his shoulder.
"I demand to know the meaning of this, Shokan!" Shao Kahn roared. Reptile and the other Zaterrans began to creep up on Goro.
"You can demand nothing of me!" Goro shouted. He crouched, and looked to others that had accompanied them to the cliff. Jade rushed forward, knocking one of the Zaterrans to the side in the process.
"He's going to leap!" Shao Kahn shouted. "Stop him!"
Kintaro lunged, but Goro got past him. His jump wasn't strong enough to make considerable distance. Goro had intended to grab Jade and let her escape with them, but she was caught up by Reptile and his men.
"Can you stand, Princess?" Goro asked, setting Kitana down.
"Give me a moment," she said, wincing as she struggled to her hands and knees. Goro nodded, and rushed back to recover Jade.
Kitana's handmaiden was doing decently, given that three Zaterrans were surrounding her, and several other dangerous figures were looking on, ready to pounce if necessary. Goro lept in, and tackled Reptile and one of the other lizard-men. Jade took the opportunity to trip the last Zaterran, and leap into his back. She began to choke him as Goro heaved the other two into Kintaro, who was attempting to join the fray. Goro stood up, flexed his four arms, leaned his head back, and roared. The palace guards turned and ran.
"Baraka!" Shao Kahn shouted.
"Can't fight your own battles?" Goro taunted. "Why did I ever find you so intimidating?"
"Very well," Shao Kahn said. He lifted his right arm over his head. In a flash of light, a massive sledgehammer appeared in his fist. He pulled it back, then threw it at Goro. The Shokan attempted to grab it in the air, and was sent staggering back. Anyone smaller and weaker than he would have been knocked to the ground, at the very least. As Goro recovered, the Emperor lowered his shoulder and charged, this time knocking him down.
"You are a fool, Goro," Shao Kahn growled, placing his boot on the Shokan warrior's chest. "You know what I do to traitors. Speaking of which, Baraka, I believe I commanded you to assist us."
Baraka clenched his fists, and led the other Tarkatans forward.
"Kill him slowly," the Emperor ordered. "Cut off the arms first, then his head before the blood loss causes him to pass out."
"You don't need to be this cretin's slave," Goro said to Baraka.
"I am your king!" Shao Kahn shouted. "Destroy these traitors! Show them what it means to turn on Sh-"
As he attempted to finish his sentence, Kitana lept into the fray, launching herself throw the air, fist-first, at her adoptive father. Ironically, it was a move which he himself had encouraged her to master. Her punch connected at the top his back, right under his metal helmet. The Emperor grunted, spun around, and grabbed his daughter by the neck. He stared at her for a moment, rage filling his heart, but instead of simply snapping her neck, he threw her at Jade. With another glance, he coaxed the two Tarkatans behind Baraka into the battle. They jumped into Goro's shoulders, wrist-blades extended. He shook one of, and kicked it off the cliff. The other cut into his upper arms, and tried to hack at him.
Shao Kahn and a recovered Kintaro surrounded Goro. Kintaro grabbed and attempted to restrain his arms, while the Emperor kicked him in the gut. Goro doubled over, and Shao Kahn again summoned his sledgehammer.
"What do you have to say for yourself, treacherous beast?" he snarled.
"To you, nothing!" Goro snapped. "Baraka, I see you hesitate! You know it doesn't need to end like this!"
Shao Kahn did not attempt to warn off the Tarkatan leader. Instead, he brought his hammer down on Goro's head. The Shokan slumped to his knees, but remained conscious.
"It may take a few extra blows," Shao Kahn whispered, crouching to Goro's level, "but I seem to have the upper hand as it is." He stood up again, and pulled back the hammer. He grinned, but something caused Kintaro to lose his grip. Goro flexed, shook off the Tarkatan that was still perched on his back, and leapt away from his attackers. He landed next to Baraka, who had unsheathed his own wrist-blades. A moment earlier, he had quickly pressed them together, generating a powerful spark which had launched out and struck Kintaro in the head.
"Another traitor, then," Shao Kahn said. "What a day this is turning out to be."
Goro and Baraka shared a look, then struck kombat-ready positions. Kitana and Jade had both recovered, and jumped on Kintaro, as the two Tarkatans had earlier done to Goro. They punched him simultaneously, each landing a blow on one side of his head. Then, they repeated the coordinated strike two more times, and jumped off, joining Goro and Baraka. Shao Kahn stood alone, for the first time in ages. He picked up his hammer, then set it down so that the handle stuck directly into the air. Then, he pointed, lingering a moment on each of this quartet of turncoats.
"You." he growled, first pointing to Kitana. "Will. DIE!" The Emperor grabbed his hammer and slammed it to the ground as hard as he could. A shockwave was kicked up, rippling out to his opponents. Kitana, Jade and Baraka lost their footing, though Goro stood tall. Shao Kahn slammed down the hammer again, and the ground rumbled. The surface under the four rebels gave way, and they found themselves tumbling down the cliff.
"Reach for me!" Goro shouted, extending an arm to each of his three compatriots. He pulled them in close to his body, bracing them all for impact into the water below. "I am sorry, Princess! This is not as we planned it!" As they neared the water, they found themselves enveloped in flame.
Shao Kahn watched from the top of the cliff. When the flames appeared, he knew that he was not going to be rid of the traitors yet. But that was not going to be his first priority. There were those palace guards who had fled. They needed to be dealt with, and the Emperor knew that they would not be such a nuisance.