"This is it." Spoke Raiden as he and Kenshi stood just outside a small plot of farmland. It was just past midnight and the only thing for miles around was the endless fields of corn; Excluding the farmhouse in the center. The property had a fence around the yard with a large barn to accompany the house. It seemed spacious enough for some livestock, but each of the smaller fenced areas were empty.
"Your warrior is inside?" Asked Kenshi as he tried sensing the land around them. "Sento isn't sensing any living creatures."
"That is exactly why I have brought you." Stated Raiden. "I recently discovered Shang Tsung had a bounty on earthrealm champions, but I didn't expect this one to be targeted."
"Why don't you save him yourself?" Asked Kenshi.
"I do not know what kind of foe resides in the property. This could be a trap for me specifically, and if I am defeated….." began Raiden.
"Then there's no one to guide the earth's fighters through the tournament." Sighed Kenshi In understanding. Raiden nodded before Kenshi spoke again. "If I save this fighter for you then I want a spot in the tournament."
"I knew the cost of your help when I asked, and I'm prepared to accept that deal should you investigate this for me." Stated Raiden.
"Then I won't waste anymore time." Said Kenshi as he stood. He quickly moved from the hill that looked down onto the property. Quickly Kenshi disappeared into the corn fields as Raiden watched from the hill.
Sento glowed brightly as though the soul within the blade sensed extreme danger. Kenshi didn't need the sword for that. Anyone who could overpower one of Raidens champions would surely be dangerous. He contemplated what his possible energy could be as he sorely moved through the cornfield. Perhaps a group of outworld soldiers had been sent to eliminate this fighter? Maybe Tsung hired earthrealm killers to do it for him? Or maybe Shang Tsung himself awaited Kenshi inside? Whatever the case, he knew it wasn't going to be empty. What would normally be considered a faint stench filled Kenshi's nostrils. The smell of death, and Kenshi picked up on it quickly with his heightened senses. He ensured to listen closely for movement in the field around him, but heard nothing.
Upon reaching the yard Kenshi saw the missing cattle had been stacked behind the house after being torn apart. Kenshi still couldn't sense anything alive as he approached the cattle to investigate. The animals were torn apart and fed off of. It obviously wasn't done by humans, so Kenshi's first thought was tarkatans. However, they weren't very good at hiding their scent nor would they be able to hide themselves from Sentos senses, so Kenshi quickly disregarded that idea. Suarians made sense, considering they were experts of stealth. Knew how to camouflage and hide their tracks and smell. However, that didn't explain why they'd tear cattle apart. Suarians were hardly rabid animals, and certainly weren't so crude as to leave bodies stacked outside. Additionally Sento would hypothetically still be able to sense the reptilian creatures, but could still sense nothing other than danger. He pondered the possibilities as his attention drifted inside the house. More death…
Kenshi slowly stepped into the dark home with Sento ready. He quickly moved into the kitchen where a human body was laid across the table. It hadn't been ripped apart, but clearly had been bitten on the neck. It seemed as though his blood was sucked from his body. Kenshi hadn't seen or read about anything like this before. However, Sento had extensive knowledge on the foe they were dealing with, and Kenshi recalled that information as though it were from his own mind. Then the fear hit Kenshi as Sento forced its emotion into him.
Kenshi's bond with Sento had many advantages. The soul of his ancestor allowed him to sense his surroundings in great detail, as well as providing itself as a powerful weapon. The sword granted the already gifted telepath with telekinetic abilities as well. However, the sword also had its downsides. Sento had powerful emotions, sometimes so much that they'd overtake Kenshi and he'd be forced to feel them, and Sometimes they'd control his judgment. It wasn't actually much of a stretch to say Sento had nearly as much control of Kenshi as he did of it. So when the absolute wave of fear passed Kenshi knew he was in trouble.
"A Vampire." Said Kenshi in disbelief. Sento had never been wrong before, so Kenshi didn't question it long as he continued to scout the house. Somehow Kenshi knew the house would be empty and that the creature had likely nested in the barn. Knowledge no doubt gifted by Sento to assist him in the unavoidable fight.
Vampires, or the moroi as they're better known throughout the realms, had originally come from Vaeternus. Another realm that Shao Kahn had dominated early in his conquest. Of course the vampires had an uncanny resemblance to humans, but without the short lives. This allowed them to pose as all kinds of races throughout the realms. They could live among those in Outworld, or the order realm, some of the more attractive even posed as edenians when the realm was still free. Eventually the Moroi realized they could turn the humanoid creatures of the realms into vampires like them. This did have a rather unfortunate stipulation though, as those turned wouldn't be able to handle the hunger for blood like those who'd been born as a Moroi. The turned would sometimes go mad within months and turn feral or just die randomly. Some would live and eventually regain their ability to function, but the process was still considered extremely brutal as it involved force feeding moroi blood to the chosen before killing them. They would inevitably return to life and have to feed in order to remain alive. This process was usually saved for when a moroi fell in love with another species or sometimes as a gift when they had nothing else to offer.
Shao Kahn inevitably corrected this mistake sometime before merging edenia in his realm. He systematically hunted and killed the moroi throughout outworld. Soon Edenia and Order Realm followed suit and eliminated the threat. Some of the Moroi ran to the nether realm where they struggle to survive off of oni blood while avoiding the dangers of hell. Others went to the chaos realm which provided plenty of food for the moroi. There was also no such ban on their race there, but the chaos realm had been known for extreme violence for no reason at all. So while the Moroi weren't being singled out, they were still fighting to survive. This left most of the moroi in anguish and with little option they fled into the unknown discovering new realms. One such realm was the realm of earth. Originally ignored due to the lack of intellectual life, the Moroi were lost for centuries. While they were away earth had gone through several species, but had settled on humanity. Initially the Moroi had believed themselves to have found a paradise. The young ignorant race of humans couldn't tell the difference between the humans and vampires, and had no knowledge of the realms. This made earthrealm perfect for the Moroi, but they soon realized the sun here to be fatal to their species. A minor setback, but the Moroi entered a new Era of prosperity for their people. Not only feeding off the humans, but often enslaving them. They were mere generations away from turning earthrealm into a new Vaeternus.
Of course the people of earthrealm eventually corrected this issue themselves. What the Moroi believed to be an easily won war ended with their quick defeat. Raiden alone slayed thousands of Moroi, but the humans themselves proved to have much potential in battle. Shang Tsung was one of these humans during the early part of his fighting career. It was the beginning of a long streak of victories for the future sorcerer. The Moroi were once again forced into hiding and were forgotten about in the history of earth. Soon after Shang Tsung would win his first tournament for earthrealm. Raiden of course lost his champion to the temptations of Outworld, but Raiden had ensured earthrealm wouldn't be invaded so easily again. He began training the shaolins first masters who would be earth realms shield for many generations.
Sento had also experienced these battles with Moroi. Kenshi couldn't say whether that was from within the sword or maybe when the soul still inhabited a human body, but he knew that Sento had experience with these creatures. Not only did Sento have experience, but extensive knowledge that it shared with Kenshi including how to kill them. The first most obvious way was sunlight. If exposed to earth realms natural sun, most Moroi would die within minutes if not seconds. However, it was the middle of the night, so that wasn't an option. The second option was fire, but Kenshi wasn't a pyromancer so this was again hardly useful. And the final option was wood through the heart. This seems simple enough, but Kenshi didn't carry a wooden sword or crossbow. He could of course make a wooden stake, but jamming a piece of wood through someone's chest is far more difficult than movies would have you believe. Nearly impossible considering vampires had some enhanced strength and speed.
As Kenshi searched the seemingly empty house he found the body of a woman who had the same ring on her finger as the man who'd been killed in the kitchen. Then Kenshi finished the search of the house in what he originally thought was a guest bedroom. The toys scattered along the floor indicated it was a child's room. Kenshi simply closed the door as he didn't want to examine another body. Especially one of a child.
As Kenshi stepped out of the house again he decided how he'd kill the vampire. It was the mutilated cattle that gave him the idea. Kenshi merely had to cut his opponent into pieces with his sword. Sure the vampire would put itself back together given enough time, but he would easily have enough time to burn the body. This battle didn't only mean a spot in the tournament, but it also meant avenging an innocent family. This fight would determine Kenshi's path going forward.
Kenshi took a deep breath as he opened the doors to the barn. It was extremely dark, but he was blind anyway so it had no effect on him. A lone Moroi hung by its feet from the ceiling as it rested. Being past midnight Kenshi presumed it would be awake, but didn't question it as he prepared to throw Sento telekinetically. However, the vampire quickly awakened and dropped before Kenshi made his throw. The creature landed perfectly before him and resembled a human perfectly.
"I was expecting Raiden." Said the Vampire as Kenshi took a defensive stance.
"He sent me instead. Where is the champion?" Asked Kenshi.
"Champion." Laughed the vampire. "I guarantee you the man we killed is far from a champion."
"We?" Asked Kenshi before hearing several laughs echo through the night. Sento lit a fluorescent blue as yet another wave of fear hit Kenshi. He quickly turned his attention upwards as he saw a second Moroi dropping from the ceiling. Kenshi split the creature vertically with his sword as it fell. Technically the creature wasn't yet dead, but wouldn't be healing anytime soon.
Another vampire rushed Kenshi from the side, tackling him straight through the weak wooden walls of the old barn. As the two tumbled to the ground Kenshi struggled against his faster and stronger opponent. He kicked the vampire in the jaw knocking him back. This gave Kenshi the perfect opportunity to attack the vampire with a swipe from Sento. A perfect slash removed the second vampire's head. Kenshi took a deep breath before listening closely. The sound of corn rustling got Kenshi's attention as he realized more Vampires were on the way. Sento picked up on three fast approaching Moroi. What Sento failed to sense was the vampire that had already launched itself up to the roof of the house. Thinking it had the element of surprise, Moroi shot from the roof at Kenshi. However, Kenshi heard the creatures attack and spun out of the way before taking both the Morois legs off with one slash. It struggled on the floor for a moment, but Kenshi stabbed the creature through the head which seemed to kill it temporarily.
The other three emerged from the fields and rushed straight at Kenshi. Kenshi quickly powered up a telekinetic push that sent two of the Moroi flying back into the fields. The biggest one of the three stumbled through the attack only for Kenshi to split the creature's face open with Sento. It fell to its knees before Kenshi dug Sento into the males chest. Kenshi held the weapon in place as Sento heated up, eventually causing the body to combust. The other two vampires rushed again as Kenshi removed the blade from the flaming body. The swordsman quickly used the body as a step to jump off of and flip over the first vampire before striking at the second vampire with Sento. The vampire had a short blade that it used to block Kenshi's attacks. The vampire that had missed Kenshi originally had rushed him from behind at a speed Kenshi couldn't react to and grabbed the human in a full Nelson. The second female vampire took several jabs at Kenshi's ribs. Each blow caused him extreme pain until he eventually kicked her in the chest and sent her down momentarily. The vamp that held Kenshi quickly went from holding him in place to taking a bite from his neck. Kenshi screamed as the vampire began feeding from his neck. Kenshi flipped the beast off of him before jamming Sento through its throat. He was about to remove the beast's head when he felt a foot collide with the side of his body. The kick came with such force that it sent him through the air and into the house though the living room window.
Kenshi's first realization was that he now had at least two broken ribs. His second was that he'd completely forgotten about the first vampire who'd just delivered that powerful kick. Finally he realized that he still couldn't sense the earthrealm warrior which meant the warrior was one of the bodies in this house. Kenshi returned to his feet with a grunt as the two remaining vampires stood across from him.
"I find it strange that Shang Tsung would acquire the assistance of the Moroi to deal with earthrealm fighters. After all, the Sorcerer helped push the Moroi from earthrealm centuries ago." Said Kenshi as he tried to buy himself time.
"You think Shang Tsung approached the council?" He asked with a laugh. "If he stepped foot in our sacred ground he'd be torn to shreds. No, the sorcerer approached me alone. I am Draco."
"So that means…." Asked Kenshi as he realized who he'd been fighting.
"I'm the only pure blood Moroi in earthrealm. You've been fighting humans that I've turned to help me." Explained Draco. "It made capturing the first champion much easier."
"You will die for this." Said Kenshi as Sento glowed an aggressive red. Adrenaline quickly began to flow and Kenshi completely forgot about his broken ribs as he rushed Draco.
The female tried to stop Kenshi, but was quickly diced apart. Kenshi turned his attention back to Draco as the Moroi prepared to fight. Kenshi's first slash was caught between Dracos palms. Kenshi was shocked by the pure bred Morois speed and strength. He was Much more formidable than the turned humans that Kenshi had already been fighting. Kenshi headbutt the Moroi before bringing his right foot up to slam his heel down on Draco's head. The vampire stumbled as Kenshi lunged forward stabbing him through the stomach. Dracos facial features changed from human-like to that of a creature he'd never witnessed. Blackened eyes, fangs, and sharp curves not to mention a pair of wings that burst out of his back. The vampire didn't take long grabbing Kenshi's shoulders before taking flight and slamming the swordsman back into the ground. Kenshi rolled away as the vampire tried to crush his head with both feet. The swordsman sliced at the vampire's legs to no avail before lodging his blade through Draco's foot. Draco let out an inhuman shriek before a hard kick sent Kenshi across the floor.
Kenshi groaned as he picked himself up once again. He frantically searched for another way to fight the monster that was easily overpowering him. Kenshi quickly noticed the propane tanks that the family had kept for their grill.
As Draco struggled with his new injuries, Kenshi threw the propane tank at him with extreme force. Telekinetically he caused the tank to explode and the fire caused Draco to yell before crawling out of the house. Draco waited patiently for Kenshi to come out of the house and attack, but instead another propane tank came flying out of the window. This time Draco flew up to avoid the explosion which he did successfully, but wasn't paying attention to Kenshi who'd come flying out of the second floor window. When Draco did finally notice the swordsman it was too late as Kenshi had already closed the distance. Kenshi took his final slice before landing safely on the ground while Draco came to the ground in two pieces.
Kenshi had to assume Raidens warrior was either the man or woman that resided on the farm. Kenshi felt bad for the family, and the humans Draco turned, but all he could truly think about was how he now had an invitation to the tournament. His invitation wasn't solely dependent on saving the warrior. He now pondered the possible foes he would face in the tournament while gathering the bodies and piling them up in the barn. With some gasoline and some matches he torched the bodies. The entire barn burned to the ground as Kenshi awaited Raiden.
Eventually the Thunder God appeared in a flash as he always did when teleporting. Without speaking Raiden reached for Kenshi and healed his wounds. Kenshi sighed in relief as he looked to the barn.
"A Moroi." Stated Kenshi. "He turned some humans against me to try and get the upper hand."
"You were victorious." Observed Raiden. "However…"
"I did not rescue the fighter." Kenshi said with a sigh. Raiden nodded. They sat in silence for a moment before Raiden cleared his throat.
"Outworld has made it a point to target my fighters before the tournament. This is the sixth one to have been killed. Shang Tsung is desperate to win the tenth tournament, and is acting dishonorably." Explained the God.
"You're supposed to be earth realms protector, so protect them."
"I've tried, but even I cannot be everywhere at once. However, that leaves me in a predicament." Began Raiden. "I cannot hope to find more fighters at the rate they're being killed off before the tournament."
Kenshi smiled In realization. "Essentially you're saying that I'm only getting this invite out of desperation."
"No, but do not mistake my invite as a sign of my trust. I will be watching you very closely, Kenshi Takahashi."