Rain: A Manifesto

by venomsixx

The life of the mysterious Rain. Through his eyes, he tells us what he went through in his days a a child, his time with Kahn, and his life through and after...

13. Unknown Heritage

Rain: A Manifesto

Unknown Heritage

I was sitting at a bench in the courtyard enjoying a decadent meal of Lake Squid when Chameleon sat opposite from me. "How…" He cleared his throat as I looked his way. "How are you feeling?" He was able to finally ask.

"Just fine," I eventually responded after swallowing a mouthful of savory plant-foods. "My ribs are just about healed."

Chameleon was fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable with showing any form of empathy. "Good," Chameleon answered as he crossed his long, gloved fingers. "Delion and I took out the target you assigned us."

"I know," I answered with my mouth full. "Lynn informed me."

Right on the spot, as if he had waited for the opportune moment to make an entrance, Delion walked by the bench and grabbed a handful of squid off of my plate. "Did she tell you I cut off both of his hands and let him bleed out on his own carpet? Of course not! But it sounds better when I tell the story anyway, am I right?" The swordsman turned with a brash authority and scampered away with small tentacles hanging out of his mouth. "I drained him!" The swordsman mumbled gaudily.

Chameleon clenched his fist as a slight hiss escaped from his throat. "Why did you send me on a weeklong assignment with him?" Chameleon asked with disdain.

"Who, Delion?" I asked as I wiped my lips. "I like him."

"He's an idiot." Chameleon swiftly snapped with a weeks' worth of rage visible in his eyes, now shifted to a deep shade of carmine.

"He gets the job done doesn't he?" I asked with wry smile.

"Yes, but he does not understand that there is a time for silence! Were you trying to torture me for a week out of some attempt to displease me? Or do you underestimate me? Do you somehow believe I am not equipped to kill a fat cargo officer on my own?"

I laughed as I pushed my plate to the side. "Of course you can. I'd send you to kill The Emperor himself if we knew what time a day he relieved himself. I sent Delion with you because he, as he put it 'drained' the target."

Chameleon paused and tilted his head to the side. "I don't follow."

"After word gets out of that officer's brutal death, do you really think anyone else is going to be eager to take the position he held?"

"Well, then why send me with him in the first place?"

"Too keep him in line," I leaned forward with my arms crossed and eyes widened. "Everyone has a role to play. Delion, yourself, Lynn. I use you all to the best of your skill sets. That's what makes an effective army."

Chameleon seemed intrigued by my statements. "But aren't all kombatants to serve under the same conditions as told by Iga-Koga doctrine?"

"Who cares?" I almost instinctively replied.

Chameleon was surprised by my answer. I was too, in fact. "Explain yourself, Rain," Chameleon demanded with a vicious undertone.

I had said too much, but could not back away from elaborating, so I doubled down. "Who cares, Chameleon?" I asked as I lifted my eyebrows and shrugged my shoulders. "I'm a General. I'm here to win wars. How many wars have the Iga-Koga won?"

Chameleon paused for a long while. I expected him to refute my statement, or at the very least insult my logic in some way. But he did not. He just maintained that potent glare that only a life-long assassin possesses; with the eyes that must learn the patterns and tendencies of a target in a matter of seconds. "I almost forgot," Chameleon finally spoke with a softer tone. "The Grandmaster would like to speak with you, General." He stood from the bench and nonchalantly walked away.

I gasped and sprung from the bench. I was sure The Grandmaster wished to discuss an alliance with the Edenian Resistance. Ikthellion sought permission from the other Edenian leaders, and they agreed to a meeting with only Tanya and me. The only approval that I still needed was from the Grandmaster.

To my surprise, The Grandmaster was not even reluctant. He gave me his full support for a union with the Edenians. He did not even object to Tanya and me meeting with the Edenian leadership on our own. "They will listen to two of their own before they listen to an old paladin in a black mask," he told me with a cackle. "Go, General Rain. Win us a war." The Grandmaster viewed me as his century-long project, and it worked to my advantage. He handed me a scroll which was inscribed with The Conditions of Alliance with Edenia. Tanya and I set out on horseback that night. It was just under a 3 week ride to the Edenian Resistance fortress, and we could stop only in small, remote villages along the way. The rest of the time, we had to set up our own camp to sleep.

The terrain of Outworld was daunting for our horses. Steep inclines slowed them down and razor sharp rocks cut through their hooves. Thick smoke from volcanic ash did damage to their lungs, but our beasts remained devoted and loyal.

One night, Tanya and I made camp in a Petrified Forest; about four nights from the Edenian Resistance fortress. Our destination finally felt close. "Rain," Tanya called as she put her hands over the small fire in the center of our encampment. "What are the demands of the Conditions of Alliance?" She asked, pointing to the rolled up scroll on my horse's saddle.

"Military organizational accords, for the most part," I answered. "Reorganization of rank on both sides, demands coercion between leaders. The rest is just formal agreements. Nothing that I imagine would be a cause of concern for your people."

"Our people," Tanya responded with a grin.

"Right," I responded meekly. "What can I expect when we walk into that room, anyway? Are they as pleasant as my own colleagues on the War Council?"

Tanya broke into laughter as she tilted her head back and clenched her eyes shut. That was nice to see. I could rarely make her smile anymore, let alone laugh. "No, Rain. They are nothing like Terrin or Kazius if that is what you are asking. They are more like Ron. Strong leaders, but very warm for the most part." She took a sip of water from her canteen before she exclaimed "Except for one thing." She had barely even swallowed her sip as her eyes widened. "They are all very spoiled."

I squinted in confusion. "Spoiled?"

"Yes, for a complete lack of a better term. All five of them are either very rich or have royal blood; or both, in Ikthellion's case." Tanya was very excited to talk about this kind of thing. She saw a great deal of humor in the Edenian chain of command. "Let me put it this way," she said with eccentric body language. "Since the merger of Edenia with Outworld, they have been in the most horrible, burdensome situation of their lives," Tanya spoke with a fake frown and a playful moan. "Yet, they most likely live more comfortably than anyone in this forsaken realm other than, oh, I do not know, everyone but Shao Kahn and a couple of Shokan Princes."

A half grin grew onto my face as I added twigs to the fire, struggling to get the petrified wood to further ignite. I asked curiously, "Well, why do the Edenian people allow this type of imbalance? It does not seem in line with their core beliefs."

Tanya was happy to answer. "Preservation of the royal family is one of Edenia's greatest traditions. By honoring those 5 men, Edenians feel…" Tanya paused, and looked into my eyes with a youthful glee. "A little bit of home," she said, finishing her statement.

I continued to struggle to get the fire to ignite further. "So what can I expect when I walk into those chambers?" I asked.

Tanya was apparently sick of watching me fight to grow the fire. She placed her hand over the wood and sent the glowing embers into a burst of violet hued flame. "Well, there is Ikthellion, who you already know." Tanya's spoke at a rapid pace, her voice filled with enthusiasm and excitement. "He was related to the royal family through a marriage. His wife died, but he is still viewed as royalty. Also, he managed to somehow keep his hands on his gold during Edenia's destruction. Then there is Grig, the Weapons Master. He and his people make all the weapons and armor for the Edenian Freedom Movement. He is wonderful man and a good friend of my father's. Then, there are the brothers, Torrus and Laine. They are the younger cousins of Queen Sindel. They are young, and lack independent thought. They will vote however the others do, for the sake of being uncontroversial." Tanya put her hand on my knee as she took a deep breath. "Then there is of course, my father, who has been in our favor the entire time. He has always been an important voice on the Edenian court, going back tens of thousands of years. He will get us our alliance." Tanya finished her words by kissing me on the cheek and letting out a slight chuckle. "And I cannot believe he finally gets to meet you! Very exciting." Tanya stood up and walked to her pack to retrieve her blanket.

"Thanks," I said with a disgruntled sigh. "Just what I needed: the added pressure of trying not to make a fool of myself in front of your father."

"Oh relax," Tanya dismissively replied as she attempted to make the forest ground comfortable to sleep on by tossing twigs and rocks out of the way. "He is going to love you."

'Sure he will,' I thought to myself. 'The lowborn orphan who seduced his daughter. Oh, he will adore me as his own son.'

"Doubtful…" I whispered to myself as I stared into the fire.

Three days later, we were nearing the Edenian fortress. The sun was just beginning to rise over the summit. The sky was unusually calm. There were very few shades of purple swaying through the clouds. It was more of a cool blue, the kind of sky that only present in the rare, non-volcanic regions of Outworld. The air was even fresher than in the mountains of the Iga-Koga Fortress. I was able to breathe so clearly that it actually made me feel lightheaded and uneasy.

We reached the top of the slope, and peered into the valley. I was surprised to see that the Edenians did not have a fortress at all. It was a large town, or at least it had been at some point. Large, immovable fragments of stone that were once statues and buildings were now dispersed all over the ground. Craters lay engulfed into the surface on the outskirts of the town. The residents used tarps to replace the severely damaged roofs on some of the structures. Some horrible disaster or perhaps a great battle had taken its toll on this small city.

The moment our horses set foot in the city, it became clear how much the Edenians attempted to disguise their peasant status. Large murals were laid over the decimated buildings; the stone sidewalk had recently been engraved in marble and silver. Despite the rags that they wore as clothing, many of the people were wearing all kinds of fine jewelry: gold and onyx and ruby glimmered in the light of the peaking sun. The expensive gems and unusually bright sunshine was not the only thing that gave these people a glow. The bliss that was inscribed on every man, woman and child's face was entirely unfamiliar to me. I did not understand why. They lived like beggars, despite their futile attempts to make it look otherwise.

Whispers moved from mouth to mouth as we made our way through the crippled city. Surely, news of my arrival and Tanya's return must have made its way to the Edenian commoners. Ikthellion mentioned that my success with the Reaving Wolves had made me a little bit of a folk hero among the Edenians. There I stood in their streets, a symbol of hope for Edenian ideals and culture. Now, what would they do if they found out I knew nothing of Edenian ideals or culture?

We get off our horses in front of what was by far the biggest building in the town. 'Of course, the leaders of the Edenian Resistance are in the biggest building' I derisively thought to myself. After only a few minutes, a well dressed woman came out from the large, scarlet doorway. "Lady Tanya, Rain, the Lords of the Resistance will speak with you now." A boiling tremor went down my spine. It was not just that she had used a noble title with Tanya's name before neglecting to use one with mine. It was this horrible, disgusted grimace that she sent my way as she venomously spoke my name. If there was one thing I no longer tolerated from the weak, it was disrespect.

My thoughts shifted as soon as we entered the building. It looked smaller on the inside, but its design was much more elegant than the exterior. The floors were sanded and smooth. The only two windows near the ceiling were made from tempered glass, which let barely any light in. The combination of the windows and dozens of candles spread across from end to end resulted in a deep, crimson illumination. The circular shape of the room was complimented by a curved, black marble table where the five men sat.

The two furthest on the left were younger than the other three. They kept their hair very long and their skin smoothly cleansed. Those were likely the brothers. A bearded man in the middle stood from his seat in an ecstatic reaction at the site of Tanya. This was clearly her father. To the right of his seat was Ikthellion, who was already holding back a smile as he sent me a single nod. And on the right end of the table was a moderately heavyset grey haired man with a long beard, sipping on what appeared to be ale. This was assuredly Grig, the Weapons Master.

My analysis of the Edenian Leadership was interrupted by Tanya's endearing reunion with her father. He kissed her on the cheek as they embraced each other for several moments. "Rain," Tanya said in a high pitched voice as she turned to me with one arm still around her father's neck. "This is my father."

"Sir," I said as I reached out my hand, unsure of what title to use for him.

"A pleasure to meet you, Rain," he said with a large smile as he firmly squeezed my hand and elbow. "My name is Savar. Welcome to New Eden, home of the Edenian Ressistance." He turned toward Tanya for a moment with the same wide smile still on his face before slowly turning his head back my way. "Tanya has told me a great deal about you," Savar jeered.

"So, you must already despise me," I quipped back. Tanya and Savar chuckled along with one of the brothers at the table. Savar had the same dark skin tone that Tanya did. I was also quick to notice that they shared a similar, very pronounced speaking pattern. They were certainly cut from the same cloth.

"On the contrary," Savar asserted as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "You make her happy," he said as his eyes veered toward his daughter. "If you make her happy, you are already ok in my book." Savar moved back to the center of the long table and stood in front of his chair as he stretched both arms upwards, sending his thick sleeves sliding down. "Besides, we are always happy to welcome home one of our own."

"Hear, hear," responded Ikthellion. The other men echoed him shortly after.

The men at the table introduced themselves as the Lords of the Edenian Resistance. My assumptions regarding their identities proved correct as they individually introduced themselves. Ikthellion began to speak, "I am happy to say, that all five of us agree that Edenian Resistance forces and Iga-Koga forces would benefit from mutual support." This was a relief to hear. It sounded liked I would not have to do much negotiating.

"Under one condition," Laine began with his index finger erect toward the ceiling. "All Edenian forces will be under command of Edenian Resistance Captains."

"Not Iga-Koga," his brother, Torrus interjected. "Even those with Edenian blood."

I began to deeply scrutinize these two men. Their robes were crafted with very expensive silk. The material contained shades of sapphire and maroon that were very rare in any Outworld attire. It was also rare to see wardrobe that was designed so elegantly. Complex patterns and designs ran up the sleeves and down the torso. They must have brought their wardrobe from Edenia and managed to keep it maintained for all these years. Like Savar, they made sure their status as Lords was well signified. But there was something about the pompous look on their faces that differentiated the brothers from the other three men. There was a sense of entitlement attached to their demeanor that, for some reason, made me very, very angry.

Tanya could see that I was seething through my mask. She subtly ran her hand down my lower back, and managed to calm me down. "This will not be an issue, my Lords," Tanya asserted with a charming smile.

"And for you?" Torrus caustically asked as he gawked at my face, but avoided direct eye contact.

"No issue," I uttered at the edge of my breath with my teeth clenched tight.

"Very good then," Ikthellion stated as he signed a single document and passed it to his colleagues to do the same. "If the two of you will just sign our formal decree, we can all get to work on the war."

"We will," I reached into my sash and removed the Iga-Koga Conditions of Alliance. "And we need you to sign this."

All five Edenian Lords took on different expressions of bewilderment when they gained site of the scroll that I laid out on the table that they sat around. It must have been four times longer than the document that they handed me.

"General Rain" Ikthellion phrased his words cautiously. "This is an extensive scripture. I was under the impression that this was to be a forthright affair."

I answered brazenly, "I know, Lord Ikthellion. And I too would like to get this done without an overemphasis on semantics, but my clan is very…" I paused, looking for the right word. "Traditional."

Grig began laughing as he looked toward Savar. "No wonder you sent your girl to live with those bastards." He turned to Tanya, still fighting to get words through his howling joy. "Your old man loves his discipline and rule of law, doesn't he, Tanya-girl?"

Tanya nodded and looked at Grig with a half smile as he swallowed another gulp of ale. "Yes, Grig, that must be it."

When Grig settled down, all 5 men began discussing the Conditions with each other, quietly among themselves. After several moments, Savar stood from the table to speak. "It will take us some time to review such a lengthy document. Let's meet back here near sundown and we shall conclude these matters. In the mean time, I am sure Tanya would love to show you around New Eden."

The Council adjourned, and Tanya took my hand to lead me outside the building. The sun was now high in the sky, hidden only by the grey clouds hovering high ahead. I had never in my life seen the sun that bright.

Tanya and I walked around New Eden for several hours. She introduced me to some old friends, and also to some small children who apparently looked up to me. One even asked for my signature on a wanted poster that he had stuffed in his pocket. Of course, I signed it for him.

Tanya and I went to the local tavern. I was still baffled by the over joyous nature of the Edenian people. 'What in the world do they have to be happy about?' I kept thinking to myself. Even the tavern was filled with old treasures and precious jewels. At a certain point it starts to look, dare I say tacky? Tanya told me that I had a natural sense of how to maintain a 'court like' behavior. I have no idea where I picked that up, or even what that fully entailed. She seemed nervous about The Lord's decision to take an extended time to review the Iga-Koga scroll. She was not concerned about her father; she knew he would voice his support for the alliance no matter what. It was his idea after all, and he did not want over a century his daughter's work to go to waste. But she was afraid the other four would grow overly circumspective. I reassured her that it would be fine, and that the Iga-Koga War Council was just too invested in their formalities.

It was at that tavern in New Eden that I tasted Edenian Pie for the first time. I do not think I had ever tasted anything so rich and flavorsome in my entire life. The blends of sweet berries, sour filling and heavenly textures overwhelmed my senses. Tanya told me that the ingredients were off, and that it would be much better if it were actually made in Edenia, but I did not believe her. Nothing could taste better than that.

The sun began to go down, and we made our way back to the large building. We waited for a few moments, before the same well dressed woman who greeted us before came through the doorway. "Lady Tanya, Rain, The Lords will see you again."

"General Rain," I retorted hastily.

"I… I'm sorry?" Her face turned pale red as her jaw dropped.

My teeth clenched as I raised my finger only about a half meter from her face. "My earned and proper title is General Rain, and you shall use it from this moment forward, are we clear?"

The greeter stumbled over her words, attempting to respond, but she was not able to overcome her own shock and nervousness.

"Are we clear?" I asked again at an elevated volume.

"Ye… Yes. Yes, General Rain. Yes we are clear."

"Good," I answered. "We shall see the Edenian Resistance Leadership now."

The woman, who was still taken aback and probably frightened by my berating lecture, motioned for us to enter the building. Tanya, on the other hand was entertained by it. "Come on, General," she whispered as she clenched her fingers around my wrist.

The five men were sitting where we left them with the Iga-Koga scroll rolled up in front of them, their hands either crossed on the table or at their sides.

"General Rain," Savar said with a welcoming tone. "And my dear daughter, Tanya. We have reviewed the Iga-Koga Conditions for an Alliance and find all to be in line. There's just one small concern we have."

"Actually, to some of us, it's a fairly substantial concern." Ikthellion entered the conversation with a sharp tone in his voice. "This clause at the very end, here: The 'In the Event of Victory' clause. What are we to make of this?" Ikthellion pointed to a paragraph in the last section of the scroll.

I slowly approached the table and read the passage in my head. "In the event that the Edenian and Iga-Koga alliance successfully overthrows Shao Kahn and his emissaries, Edenians will submit to an Iga-Koga controlled government…" I did not need to read much more before I realized that this was not a passage that had been written when I crafted this proposal with the other four members of the War Council. The room was quiet; except for the sound of Tanya's footsteps as she curiously peered over my shoulder to read the passage, the clank of Grig's mug against the table and the faint hiss of the wind outside. It was then that a dreadful realization was realeased from the depths of my consciousness and became a chill that slowly crawled down my spine. 'Kazius, you arrogant cretin,' I thought to myself coldly. 'Glacios, you backward fool. No wonder they were so silent while Terrin, Ron and I wrote the Accords. Kazius and Glacios must had gone to The Grandmaster shortly before he gave me the scroll and convinced him to add that clause.' I was offended. I was enraged. I was close, so close to having the army that I needed to compete with Shao Kahn in a real war, and I was about to lose it. I was going to lose it because of Kazius and Glacios' misplaced nepotism.

I had stayed silent for too long. I was losing my authoritative presence for every second I remained speechless. "My lords," I muttered with very little clarity. "This is just a formality…"

"Oh don't go talking about formalities to us now, kid," Grig interrupted with seriousness in his speech that completely opposed his demeanor in the earlier meeting. "This is not a formality. This is your people asking our people for a written submission of their freedom!"

Savar attempted to regain control of his fellow Lords. "Now, now, I think we are overreacting a bit here. Let us just take a moment…"

"I'm not overreacting, Sav! These are our people. We're trying to free them from tyranny, not turn them over to new overlords. Damnit, Sav. Look at your daughter. Do you want her to live with those savages for the rest of her life?"

Savar and Grig began their own private debate, which Ikthellion would not allow to continue. "Stop it you two," he said several times before finally getting them to quiet down. "The bottom line is, General Rain, The Edenian Resistance has no reason to submit to Iga-Koga rule at any time." He sighed deeply and leaned forward, looking at both Tanya and me. "Let me put it this way, if our army, and the Iga-Koga army were to meet on the battle field, both in full force, The Edenian forces would decimate yours. Your entire organization would be wiped out in minutes."

"I know," I said as I looked toward Tanya to see if she had anything to say, but her face remained blank. She was more distraught by this than I was. "I know," I said again. "It's just that..."

"Did you even know this clause had been written?" Torrus asked, at a much louder volume than I was speaking to be sure to drown me out.

"Yes," Laine said shortly after. "It seems to me to be bad… very bad form for a General to not know what is in his own treaties."

"I know what is in my treaty," I answered with my finger pointed toward Laine. "I've known this clause has been here the whole time."

Ikthellion pulled his chair forward and blinked a few times as he adjusted the sleeves on his robe. "Then why did you not make this clear to us earlier? It was my understanding that this was to be a war treaty, not something in which we make pacts for a post-war Outworld."

"I did not tell you because I wanted to see how you would react," I proclaimed as I began to calmly pace back and forth only a few feet from the table. "It is true, there are members of the War Council in which I sit that are regressive, traditionalists, elitists. They are indeed the ones who crafted this clause, however, I do not think like that, and the Grandmaster of the Iga-Koga Society does not think like that."

Tanya just then realized what I was doing. She stepped toward me and brushed her hand by my rear shoulder blade. I do not know whether she was trying to urge me to stop or to show her support, but I was committed. I would not stop.

"Explain," Grig requested, showing keen interest in my words.

I happily complied. "In the event that our alliance is successful against the might of Shao Kahn, The Grandmaster of the Iga-Koga is prepared to offer Edenia its own lands, with complete sovereignty."

The five Lords gasped and began discussing the matter among themselves. "How can we believe you?" Torrus shouted at me.

"Because I am one of you," I answered as I leaned over the table, looking down on the two young Edenian royals. "I am bound by oath to the Iga-Koga, and I will uphold that oath to the best of my ability, but I am bound by blood to the five of you and the woman I love," I asserted brashly as I gestured toward Tanya. She smiled widely and bit her lower lip. "After the Iga-Koga take power, I want to help build an Edenian civilization. If we fight together, we can actually achieve this!"

Tanya stood next to me and began to offer her own support for my words. "Most of Outworld would not accept our rule anyway. They are not ready for Edenian culture to be ever-present in their lives. However, the Iga-Koga Society is a better fit to rule the people of Outworld than Shao Kahn ever will be." Tanya spoke with an elegant authority as her head turned to Savar. "Father, you know this. It is why you sent me to gain the Iga-Koga as an ally in the first place. They are far from perfect, but they are not evil. They are what this realm currently needs."

I turned to the Lords and reached out my hands in an inviting manner. "What say you, Lords of The Edenian Resistance? Fight beside us, and regain your sovereignty. If it turns out I am lying, well, your army can simply crush ours in a matter of minutes."

Grig and Ikthellion let out a chuckle. The brothers joined in the laughter as well, attempting to fit in with their two colleagues on the end. Savar then spoke, "I think we know where I stand on this, my Lords. We have nothing to lose at this point."

Laine and Torrus began to talk among themselves. But it was Ikthellion had the next words for me, "Then we shall add in a clause for an independent Edenian Society. Failure to comply with this clause will result in the mutilation and obliteration of the The Iga-Koga Society in its entirety, including you, General Rain. Any objection?"

"None at all," I responded with a smirk through my mask.

Grig sighed as his eyes gazed up at Tanya. "I don't like this," he said wearily. 'But for my dearest, Tanya, I'll agree to it." Grig slid his chair back and stood up with an expression of dismay. "Please do not make me regret this, kid," he said to me, looking down at the table.

The brothers cut their chitchat, and predictably concurred with the other three Lords, albeit with a great deal of reluctance. Before we left, Savar reminded us (meaning of course, me) not to tell any of the Iga-Koga where the Edenian Resistance made their home. It was kept secret for a reason; Kahn would love to send his assassins to New Eden, followed by hundreds of Extermination Squads. Tanya had kept the location secret for over a century, and now I was being asked to do the same. I had gained their trust. Sure, it was all based off of an elaborate lie, but I had gained it and that was the important thing. The treaties were signed. The next morning we were to meet with them again to discuss tactics and strategy for the battles to come.

We had won the night. Tanya and I delicately walked away from the table, but when we set foot outside the building, we embraced each other and shared our mutual disbelief that we had actually pulled off an alliance between The Iga-Koga Society and The Edenian Ressistance; so many years of work, finally coming to fruition.

The sun had set, and the blue of the sky was now darkened, but remained exceptionally cool in tone, almost as if the typical purple shades of Outworld's atmosphere were trying to bleed through. Tanya and I agreed that we needed to get away from everyone for awhile, and she said she knew just the place.

After walking for about an hour, Tanya led us to a beautiful oasis at the base of the large summit that enclosed the city from unwanted eyes. The small pool of water was so reflective and clear that it could be used as a mirror. The green of the vines that surrounded the pool was stunning. I had never seen that much green in a forestless region of Outworld. We just lay in the grass, with Tanya's head on my chest, embracing our success and the beauty around us.

Eventually, I did have to mention my methods in dealing with the Edenian Lords to her. "I apologize that I resorted to the measures I did back there, by the way. Kazius and Glacios undoubtedly put that clause in there out of some attempt to undermine me. I had to think fast."

"And you did well," Tanya replied with indifference. "Your big speech convinced them to fight with us." She pulled herself closer to me as her head lay back on my chest. "You did what was necessary."

I ran my fingers down her shoulders and smiled as I embraced her beauty, a site my eyes would never grow tired of. "You're finally getting what you wanted, Tanya. We have forged a coalition between the two strongest Anti-Imperial forces in Outworld. We're going to change history."

Tanya paused for a long moment. "And yet, it does not even come close enough."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Coalitions, alliances, Iga-Koga Aristocracy, The Edenian Freedom Movement. Those things are all part of some frivolous game. If you play, you become a piece; simply to be used and discarded." Tanya's voice fell dark in timbre. "I do not want those things anymore."

"What is it that you desire, Tanya?"

She turned her head back toward me and gazed into my eyes with such penetration that she must have seen my very soul. "Power, my love," she uttered softly before kissing me. "It is the only thing that makes existence truly worthwhile. I crave power more than any man I have ever known." She paused for a moment, and then ran her fingers through my hair as her eyes pierced into mine with an even deeper sense of immersion. "Save for you."