Chapter Eight
Jade awoke.
She looked around. No sign of her abductor anywhere.
Bound to the trunk of a tree in the middle of the forest, she tried to break free.
No luck.
The friction from the rope left her wrists sore. It would take days to wear down against the tree bark. By then, she'd be dehydrated... or worse.
She began to scream for help.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Suddenly, she heard a booming sound coming from within the forest. With every stomp, the ground shook beneath her. The sound grew closer. Then, a massive half-human, half-dragon creature emerged.
Jade's eyes widened in fear.
The creature could sense it. Relishing in it.
"Keep screaming girl," it said, "I trust that foolish friend of yours will come looking for you."
"Who are you!? What do you want with my friend?"
The creature roared, raising its arms — all four of them.
"I am called Goro! General of the armies of Outworld and Prince of Shokan. My boss has important business to discuss with the Princess of Edenia."
"Well, tell your boss to take it up with King Jerrod."
The Shokan leaned toward her. An evil grin crossed his lips.
"Oh, my dear girl, he's already on his way."
###
"Who is Shao Kahn?" I asked Rain. Cutting through the overgrown forest vines using my new blades. Even unopened they made for a great tool.
"A powerful tyrant who rules over a realm called Outworld," he explained. "His plan is to conquer all realms. In order to claim victory, he hosts a tournament that enlists some of the best fighters, it's called Mortal—"
"Kombat?" I finished.
"You've heard of it," he didn't sound surprised.
"Yes, but I thought it was led by a sorcerer named Shang Tsung?"
"Tsung is just a henchman, a tool in Kahn's conquest for the total domination of all realms," he explained. "You mentioned a four-armed creature that abducted your friend. They are a race called Shokan. Kahn has amassed an army of Shokan and Tarkatan warriors led by Prince Goro."
Goro?
My mind raced with thoughts of what I had learned about him from my father's texts. About the origins of the Mortal Kombat tournament.
A Shaolin Monk from Earthrealm, known as The Great Kung Lao, famously fought Goro nearly 500 years ago during one of the very first tournaments ever held. He put up an admirable fight against the Shokan. But, ultimately, The Great Kung Lao was defeated by Prince Goro.
His soul consumed by the demon sorcerer Shang Tsung.
My thoughts returned to the present as Rain continued his story.
"A few weeks ago, Kahn and his army invaded my village, on the outskirts of your forest. Led by Prince Goro, his army slaughtered many of my people. The rest were driven out to remote areas of Edenia."
I stood there listening. Stunned.
"There was nothing I could do," Rain concluded, solemnly.
I struggled to find the words.
"Tha– That's horrible. I'm sorry," I said.
Rain looked at the ground, saddened.
"That's how I knew it was Kahn," he finished. "I suspect he's trying to take Edenia for himself."
I put my hand on his shoulder, reassuring him. He looked up at me.
"I must say, Kitana, I'm glad you trusted enough to confide in me about your friend." Rain said.
I blushed. Hoping he couldn't see it. Even though the idea sounded nice, I tried to stay focused on finding my friend.
"How do we stop Kahn?" I asked, worriedly.
"HEELLLLP!"
Rain gave me a look. The voice was distant but instantly recognizable, coming from deep within Edenia's forest.
Jade!