Reiko, and Kotal had travelled for what seemed like a week, but in actuality it had only been two days since they rode out alongside Erron Black, and Li Mei from the Black Stone stronghold. Reiko had noticed that Li Mei, and Erron Black had kept quiet for most of their adventure. Clearly they were still upset that Reiko had thrown them out of their room, and forced them to sleep among their peers by firelight. He could not care less. He deeply despised Erron Black, and those outlaws of his who made residence at the Black Stone. For their ploy to turn Kotal against him, and Shao Kahn still left Kotal's loyalties in question on some of the Kahn's laws in Reiko's opinion. Reiko had spent a lot of time since that day trying to show his ward the ways in which his Lord worked, hoping that Kotal would serve Shao Kahn loyally until the end. The way he had questioned Reiko a few days prior had given Reiko a small sense of worry that Kotal was starting to fall down the dark path once again.
"We're gettin' close." Erron spoke loudly from his horse. The four of them were riding along the edge of the long, and dangerous dead sea. The water was misty, and the wreckage of ships long forgotten had washed up against the shoreline. More pillars had been stationed against the water's edge, with more decayed bodies tied against them. The history of these pillars fascinated Reiko. Who were these people? Onaga's enemies, or maybe even his own generals?
"We saw him just up the shoreline here. He was just sipping away." Li Mei called out from behind the generals. This popped a question rather quickly into Reiko's mind.
"Why did you not just capture him?" He asked as he observed the choppy waters. The sound of the water flowing was soothing to his ears.
"We didn't wanna risk him escaping." Li Mei said simply.
"You are sure he didn't notice you?' Kotal wondered almost worriedly. Reiko understood why he sounded slightly fazed. If he had noticed them he would no doubt be long gone from this area.
"He was still drinking from the waters as we fell back to our camp." Li Mei answered.
"With this water here bein' his only way to survive dyin' from thirst. I reckon he'll be around here still." Erron assured both Reiko, and Kotal. Reiko did manage to see his reasoning. Eventually they reached the area where Li Mei had spotted Reptile. A large bay filled with water, and a large rocky cave rested beside it. As they arrived each of them dismounted from their horses, and walked to the edge of the water. They observed the area quickly, and quietly. Reiko noticed a trail of tracks that looked fresh. Reptile's claws had dug into the sandy shore, and continued into the dirt. It led to the cave nearby. Reiko glaced over at Kotal. The two pulled their weapons. Reiko his giant battle axe, and Kotal his twin pair of circular bladed daggers. Erron unsheathed a custom made Tarkatan bladed sword, while Li Mei grabbed her wooden bow from her back.
"We'll cover the exit in case the bastard makes an escape." Erron informed from the back of the group.
"Very well. Be on your guard." Reiko demanded.
"Kotal you're with me." He finished as he, and Kotal walked towards the entrance of the cave. As Reiko, and Kotal passed the cave's entrance, Reiko turned instantly upon hearing the sound of Li Mei's bow tightening. An arrow flew through the air, and suddenly massive pile of rocks fell from above the cave's entrance. It piled onto the ground, and the cave became instantly overcome in total darkness. The entrance was blocked off entirely. Reiko cursed loudly, and darted for the blockade. He began pulling at the large boulders in hopes of creating a path to squeeze through, but no luck. They were planted firmly, and weighed more than either he, or Kotal could lift, even together. What angered him the most was that he could hear Erron Black's laughter from the other side.
"You thought you could just come to our home, and kick us out of our rooms?" Li Mei's voice called from behind the rubble. Reiko couldn't believe what she said. Was this betrayal all simply, because he forced her out of a bedroom? That couldn't be it. They wouldn't trap Shao Kahn's generals, and perhaps spark the emperor's furry over something so petty. There had to be a bigger reason.
"Why would you risk your own lives to trap me, and my ally in a cave? You have made a very foolish mistake!" Reiko shouted from inside the cave. His words echoing throughout the cave's walls.
"We were approached by someone who promised to free us from the wasteland. Simple as that boys. They made some pretty compelling arguments as to why we should trust them. The main one being that he's gonna put Princess Kitana on the throne, and kill Shao Kahn." Erron Black called out.
"We will get out of here, and we will kill the both of you!" Reiko spat as he walked away from the stones. He couldn't make out Kotal's face in the darkness, but he knew he thought like he did. How were they going to get out? They'd have to venture forward, and pray for an exit. Erron Black, and Li Mei were fools, and this moment further convinced Reiko that he should have pushed harder for Erron Black's execution after the siege of the Black Stone.
"We'll be fine Reiko." Kotal sounded confident in his words.
"Yeah, we will be." Reiko replied instantly. The two of them walked through the darkness blindly. Reiko ran his hands along the cave's sharply constructed rock wall to guide him further into the cave. Kotal followed closely behind.
"It appears someone is intending to free Kitana from the torture tower." Kotal spoke.
"Whoever that someone is will end up dying before they get the chance to." A great amount of bitterness came from Reiko's mouth. He felt outplayed, and stupid for the people who had outplayed him were the most expected of traitors.
"Any ideas on who they made an alliance with?" Kotal asked as they continued their stumbling.
"The only likely candidate is Reptile. They probably did find him, and he likely played his only hand at survival. A promise to free the exiles from the wasteland if they aid him in putting Kitana on the throne." Reiko explained.
"I agree." Kotal finished. There was a short silence as they moved into what appeared to be some sort of lair. A giant hole in the rocks above showed a bright ray of light that lit the entire area. The lair was circular, and tall. It would take a siege ladder to even attempt to climb out through the gap in the ceiling. From the other side of the lair was a small passage way. Just small enough to squeeze through.
"Over there." Reiko pointed calmly. That passage had to lead to the exit. How easy it was to escape. Erron Black, and Li Mei had been proven as fools. As they walked through the ray of light they heard a loud, vicious growl from the shadows. Kotal snapped to look behind him quickly, as Reiko slowly turned behind himself to see what had caused such a violent sounding rumble. A towering, green, three eyed oni had stumbled roughly from the shadows. It's body produced no hair, and it's mouth was full of curved, dagger length, yellow teeth that protruded from it's lips. It was covered in baggy, black rags, and at it's wrist a large, spiked ball was chained. The beast moved closer to them, dragging the ball behind as it moved. Kotal turned back to Reiko who had pulled his giant battle axe from his back. Kotal turned back, and again pulled out his daggers.
The oni swung his chained wrist around, and the spiked ball whooshed through the air, and out towards them. Reiko managed to drop to the ground instantly to avoid getting his head taken off, while Kotal had managed to jump over the ball and chain. Reiko heard the rocks behind him rumble, and dislodge from the cave as the impact shattered the stones. The oni gave another vicious growl as he moved in even closer. Reiko stood up quickly, and watched carefully as Kotal moved in to attack the deadly beast. Kotal gave a loud shout as he ran in, but he was batted away from the beast, and thrown to the cave's floor.
"Kotal, don't be a fool!" Reiko shouted down to him. Before letting the three eyed oni move any closer to Kotal, Reiko charged. The beast prepared for the charge, but Reiko slid between it's lumbering legs, and stood from it's rear. He sliced his axe upwards, and sliced perfectly into the oni's back. With blood oozing from the beast's fresh wound, It threw a wicked elbow along the side of Reiko's face that forced him back. Reiko was struck again, but this time it was from a backwards kick, and the beast's raw velocity threw him into the cave's rocky wall. Kotal was up again, and was standing before the beast. His circular daggers were repeatedly pushing into the oni's abdomen, but they were only hitting the surface of it's thick skin. Kotal lunged one of his daggers so hard into the oni's gut that it lodged itself in, and he couldn't pull it free. The oni clawed at Kotal's face, and scratched him deeply on his forehead. He then picked Kotal up, and clasped him tightly, before throwing him into the rocks beside Reiko.
"We have to free the weapon from his inventory." Reiko said to Kotal as they sat side by side.
"How?" Kotal panted. Blood was coating his face from what would no doubt be a scar on his forehead.
"We both charge him, I'll do it." Reiko spoke confidently. They both watched as the oni reeled back his wrist. The spiked ball was again flying at their heads. Both Kotal, and Reiko darted in separate directions, and both narrowly missed the skull shattering impact of the ball. Kotal, and Reiko ran beside each other, and held out their weapons. Kotal jumped, and planted both of his daggers into the beast's chest, as Reiko brought his axe down on the oni's chained wrist separating from it's arm entirely. The oni gave a horrific roar in agony. Reiko would then swing his axe at the oni's spine, causing it to stick. Reiko would then pull it out, and attempt to swing it again. The oni batted Reiko away again with another kick. He fell to the floor, with his axe flying from his grip a short distance away from him. The beast grabbed Kotal again in his grasp. Kotal struggled in his grip, and could only watch as the oni pulled him closer to it's face. It roared again, and flashed Kotal it's foul, yellow teeth. Reiko watched only briefly before running over to pickup his axe. Kotal gave out a echoing scream as the oni closed him in his grasp even tighter. Reiko's breathing picked up as he desperately began chopping away at one of the oni's legs. Cutting deeper with each cut.
Reiko heard Kotal scream in horror for the first time in his life. His eyes gazed up at Kotal who's blue painted face was mixed with blood. His screams grew higher, and the oni's clasp held even tighter. Reiko's eyes widened as he saw one of Kotal's eyes explode out of it's socket.
"No!" Reiko shouted as he hurriedly turned to cut into the oni's legs even more. Kotal gave another loud bellow. As the beast held him in the light of the cave something strange suddenly happened. The ray of light turned golden, and the oni trapped within the ray's reflection began burning, and charring. Reiko even felt the heat himself, and instinctively moved away from the light. The beast gave a painful whimper as it's skin peeled from it's skin. The golden light flashed brightly, and turned the oni into a pile of ashes on the cave's floor. Reiko looked on in shock as Kotal plopped onto the floor. He ran over to his fallen ward, and knelt by his side.
"Kotal! Kotal!" He shook Kotal's body roughly. Reiko's mind was racing. He couldn't lose him! This wasn't how this was supposed to end! He had to die before Kotal! That's the duty that parents must follow!
"Son! Kotal!" Reiko was pleading with the elder gods themselves, but no one was listening. Kotal gave no answer. His one remaining eye closed. Possibly forever. Reiko stopped moving his body around, and leaned away from Kotal's body.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to Kotal's body.
"I failed you. I got you killed. I should never have made you come out here." He said after a short silence. Shortly after saying this his tears echoed as they bounced off the cave's floor. He sat there with Kotal's body in his arms. His boy. The child he had swore to protect, and raise as his own now laid lifeless in his arms. His eye gone, and his face scarred. Reiko felt lifeless himself. The cold reality had settled in. That was when Kotal gave a bloody filled cough. His eye opened, and he started twitching in Reiko's hands. His one eye darted around the lair in search for the one who had damaged him, and once he saw the smoking ashes his twitching stopped. His eye found Reiko, and closed as he blacked out from his injuries. Reiko knew he needed to move fast. He only prayed that Erron, and Li Mei had not taken their horses. He would need to hold onto that hope, because if he didn't get Kotal aid soon he was no doubt going to die. Reiko may have failed his ward enough to let him get injured, but he was not going to be the reason Kotal died. He had to find at least one horse, and ride back to Outworld. That was his only shot at saving Kotal. His revenge towards Black, and Li Mei be damned. He vowed he would see them again, and he would put horrific tortures upon them when he did.