Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the love and support for this story. Trying something a bit different with style so pardon the shortness of chapters. We'll get a lot longer when the fighting starts!
-Chapter 3: Know Your Enemy-
Days turned into weeks as Raiden, Liu Kang and Kung Lao trained the four initiate champions. In addition to physical training to hone their skills (and in the case of Magnus and Johnny, better command their arcana) there was also an opportunity to train their minds. Over the centuries, Raiden had collected an entire library's-worth of information about Outworld, details about its past and people recorded in murals and parchments kept safe by the monks of the Order of Light.
The thunder god led his six champions into the Shaolin library. "It is important to understand who Outworld is and what their champions are capable of. To enter Mortal Kombat blindly is to ensure your own defeat." He told them all. "Liu Kang and Kung Lao are already well-versed on our enemies. They can help guide you in your journey of understanding." Their attention drawn to the many murals and artifacts within the library, Sonya paused before the mural of a Shaolin, standing tall and victorious in the middle of an arena.
"Who is that?" She asked.
"The Great Kung Lao. My ancestor." Kung Lao answered proudly. "He defeated the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, before this recent string of tournaments."
"'Recent'?" Sonya repeated. "Just how long has this Mortal Kombat been going on for?"
"Almost five-hundred years." Liu Kang said, much to everyone's shock… save Mileena.
"The Elder Gods set strict rules in place regarding the tournament. Once a realm has challenged another, they must win ten tournaments in a row to claim victory." Raiden elaborated. "Tournaments are held once a generation. But should the defending realm claim victory, the other must wait five-hundred years before they can issue another challenge."
"Why so long a wait?" Magnus questioned. "I can understand waiting a year or two. But fifty? Seems excessive."
"Mortal Kombat is held once a generation to allow each realm to raise up their best possible warriors." Raiden said. "In some cases, it is because all of their previous champions have been killed." He added darkly.
"A question of necessity then." Mileena mused. Her words were coy and no one seemed the wiser. Deep down, she knew more than all of them combined. Johnny stopped by another mural, staring awestruck of a truly monstrous kombatant.
"Holy-! Look at that! He's got four arms!" He exclaimed.
"No shit, Sherlock." Magnus muttered.
"Shokan are a race of half-dragon warriors. They have had a long-standing alliance with Shao Kahn." Raiden stated. "That is Goro. Outworld's champion."
"What can he do?" Magnus wondered.
"There is much to know about Shokan." Raiden replied, using his magicks to pull a scroll from a distant shelf into his hand. "Come. Sit and read." Magnus accepted the scroll and made to do as such.
"Is Outworld fielding anyone other than Shokan?" Sonya asked.
"There are many races under its banner." Raiden responded.
"Outworld is comprised of multiple provinces. Once they were all separate, allied with one another as a show of good will." Liu Kang continued. "But then came Shao Kahn, an evil emperor who forcibly took control of each province one by one. Some resisted him. Others allied with him. Soon all of Outworld fell under his control and one by one other realms were subjugated by conquest. Earthrealm is his latest target." Sonya crossed her arms digesting that information.
"Who would you consider close to Shao Kahn? Allies who would never abandon him no matter what?" She questioned. Raiden allowed himself a small smile.
"Your military training serves you well." The thunder god stated. "Apart from Shokan, Centaurians serve as Shao Kahn's extermination squads. While they share a bitter rivalry with Shokan, their shared allegiance to Shao Kahn has halted hostilities for the time being."
"This Outworld sounds like a real freaky-deaky place." Johnny remarked.
"There is much to learn about it." Raiden concurred. "Come. We will teach you about the other races of Outworld." Liu Kang and Kung Lao were sent to gather more scrolls as Raiden offered seats to Sonya, Mileena and Johnny at the same table as Magnus.
"So… Outworld sending an ensemble cast to this tournament? Or just their star players?" Johnny questioned.
"There will be many. Shao Kahn is determined to win." Raiden answered. The Shaolin returned with several scrolls and Raiden chose the largest to open before the champions. On its wreaths of parchment were inked depictions of the various Outworld species, a variety of creatures both stunning and terrifying. "The Saurians are a wily reptilian race from the province of Zaterra. They are capable of spitting acid and possess physical strength far beyond that of most Outworlders. Their claws grant them the ability to climb and their ability to camouflage as part of their environment makes them deadly ambush predators." Raiden described. Johnny found the large lizard-like being, drawn in a bipedal stance with arms outstretched and long, muscular tail flicking.
"Woah… the gator-men cometh." He breathed.
"I see something that ugly, I won't hesitate to knock it's block off." Sonya vowed. Mileena remained quiet, studying the image of a creature she knew well. She was familiar with Saurians. One of them was a servant of Shang Tsung…
"The Saurians have a long and storied history, even before becoming champions of Shao Kahn." Liu commented. "I personally found it a fascinating read."
"Of course you would." Kung Lao retorted, rolling his eyes. A very engrossed Johnny and Sonya continued to look over the various Outworld species while Mileena looked on passively. Johnny suddenly pointed to the drawing of a very large creature opposite the Saurian.
"Is that… a centaur?" He wondered aloud with a confused look.
"That is correct." Raiden affirmed with a nod.
"What's a mythological creature doing in Outworld?" Sonya asked.
"It is entirely possible that the Earthrealm myth is based on an encounter with a Centaurian."
"So those stories are true?"
Liu Kang nodded. "To the letter. Centaurians are fierce kombatants with a great many magical properties. It is said they used to cohabitate the subterranean realm of Kuatan with the Shokan. Civil war drove the Centaurians to the surface of Outworld and the two races have hated each other ever since." He described.
"Should you face a Centaurian in kombat, beware of their brutish strength and command over magic. They possess enchanted tails that allow them to generate powerful arcane energy for both defence and attack." Raiden cautioned.
"Right. Run far away from the horse guys." Johnny surmised. Adjacent them, Magnus leaned back in his seat and re-read something on his scroll. He quirked a brow.
"If this is correct, Shokan can breathe fire." He said aloud.
"Just rumors." Kung Lao said dismissively.
"On the contrary, Kung Lao." Raiden countered. "As I said, the Shokan are half-dragon. That grants them a myriad of dangerous abilities, including the ability to breathe and command fire."
"Of the Shokan there are Tigrar and Draco. Goro is of the Draco Shokan." Liu Kang chimed in. "He is the vicious, ruthless son of King Gorbak. His reputation comes from a contest held amongst his siblings, Goro was the only one to survive and become heir to his father's throne."
"Actually, Goro earned his reputation during the War for the Tervarian Plains-" Mileena stopped suddenly with wide eyes, realizing she'd said too much. 'Dammit! I should have kept my mouth shut!' All eyes were on her now and she swallowed nervously.
"How do you know?" Kung Lao asked, leaning forward. Mileena's mouth opened and closed as she struggled for an excuse. Fortunately for her, Johnny Cage interjected… Unfortunately for her, it was about an all-too-familiar species.
"Hey! These things have your teeth!" He called out, pointing to another species on the scroll. Mileena knew them well. It was a burly creature with a massive maw full of sharp fangs that, sure enough, looked very similar to what Mileena could morph her mouth into. Their body was covered with small bony protrusions and a pair of bone blades jutted out over its hands. Sonya grimaced.
"What the hell is that?" She wondered.
"A Tarkatan. A savage nomadic species from the province of Tarkata. They comprise the bulk of Outworld's forces." Raiden answered. Liu and Lao leaned over.
"The teeth certainly seem similar." Liu noted. Slowly they all looked back to Mileena and seemed to shrink back under their gazes.
"How do you know so much about Goro?" Kung Lao questioned. "And why is it you have the ability to assume a form like that of a Tarkatan?"
"Because I am not from Earthrealm!" Mileena blurted out, unable to take the pressure any longe. She loosed a soft breath and closed her eyes, composing herself. "I am from Outworld." She confessed.
The surprise the others felt was tangible. Raiden remained stoically silent while Lao, Liu, Johnny and Sonya exchanged looks of shock. "What are you doing here then? Are you spying on us?" Sonya demanded, rising from her seat.
"No!" Mileena cried. "No, I swear I am not! I only kept my identity a secret because that's what I've always done."
"If you are not a spy, then who are you really?" Liu Kang questioned. Mileena took a breath. The weight on her heart was about to be released, but it did nothing to undo the knot her stomach had formed.
"I was created by Shang Tsung. I am a clone of Princess Kitana, the… the daughter of Shao Kahn." Mileena said slowly, shuddering at the memory of the moment he disowned her after allowing her to live a lie for years. "My… teeth are not my doing. It is Shang Tsung's work. He wished to blend the bloodlust of a Tarkatan with the skill and grace of an Edenian. I was the result…"
"Shang Tsung can do that?" Kung Lao asked of Raiden.
"There is no telling the true depths of his vile dark magicks." The thunder god replied.
"How do we know you are telling the truth?" Liu questioned. Mileena didn't know what to say.
"I… I-It's the truth. Please, I'm telling the truth." She begged them.
"Mileena's story is true." Raiden said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. "She has lived here on Earthrealm for nearly five-hundred years without ever returning to Outworld." The revelation was as much surprising to Mileena as it was to the others. They were shocked by her age, she was shocked by the fact Raiden knew the truth about her.
"You're five-hundred years old? Talk about aging gracefully." Johnny remarked.
"You knew and you said nothing?" Kung Lao asked.
"There was no need, Kung Lao." Raiden replied. He then looked to Mileena. "You are not here to harm or hurt, are you?" While phrased as a question, he spoke in a knowing tone, as if he was already aware of her true intentions. The Outworlder shook her head.
"No. I came here to… live." Mileena admitted. "I thought I was Shao Kahn's daughter. He disowned me, demanded I serve as a tool, ripped away the only 'family' I had ever known. I could not live like that. Not under his thumb."
"The fact you kept this hidden from us is suspicious enough." Sonya grumbled with hands on her hips as she fixed Mileena with a frown. "How are we supposed to work with someone who used to be in the good will of the enemy? Let alone keeps secrets from the very people she's supposed to help out." Mileena hugged herself loosely and averted her gaze.
"Your accusations are baseless, Sonya Blade." Raiden chided.
"No… she's right." Mileena interjected quietly. "Excuse me…" With that, she took her leave. They all silently watched her go, Magnus' gaze lingering on the door the longest well after Mileena had left. He did not look away even as Raiden made to leave as well. "Liu Kang, please continue in my stead." He followed Mileena out of the library and his lack of presence was enough to cause the others to loosen up.
"Talk about FUBAR." Sonya muttered. "How the hell are we supposed to fight the enemy when we have a possible mole in our midst?"
"We do not know for sure that Mileena is a spy, Sonya." Liu said calmly. "The fact that Lord Raiden placed enough of his trust in her to bring her here and train her as a champion for Mortal Kombat is enough evidence to suggest we should also trust her."
"Fuck that." Sonya scoffed. "I don't feel comfortable doing anything while she's still around."
"Your disposition towards her is uncalled for." Magnus stated at last, his deep voice earning the attention of the others.
"You don't understand," Sonya challenged, "from a tactical standpoint, we have the biggest-"
"No. It is you who do not understand." Magnus interrupted, turning to her with his eyes ablaze. "She has been here for five-hundred years, longer than any of us will ever live. Do you not see how subdued she was by this self-imposed exile? Do you not see how meek she was in the face of interrogation? If she was here for anything other than the chance to be herself then she would have reacted far more sharply than that." His declaration was enough to shut Sonya up and she sat back down, knowing opinions were stacked against her.
'Doesn't mean I have to agree with them.'
In the hall outside the library, Mileena walked slowly and aimlessly. She didn't know if she should go for a walk, return to her room, or simply leave the monastery altogether. With her head held low, she failed to notice Raiden pursuing her. "Running away from conflict will not solve it." He called after her. "Not just external conflict, but also the struggle within you." Mileena paused, turning slowly as Raiden caught up with her. Her gaze remained downcast.
"You know too much for my liking, thunder god." She muttered bitterly. "You watched me struggle for centuries and did nothing, said nothing. Only now you choose to give me counsel?"
"It was not my place to intervene in your journey." Raiden stated simply.
"But you saw it all?" Mileena questioned. "You saw how I wandered from country to country, never staying in one place for more than a month? You saw how I barely kept myself alive? You saw how I struggled to fit in with Earthrealm's society? You saw how I would cry myself to sleep at night, wishing Shao Kahn had called me his daughter instead of his tool? You saw how I sold my body more times than I care to count when I had no option left?" Raiden nodded slowly.
"I know your life has not been an easy one, Mileena. And I know you struggle with a sense of belonging. You struggle to reconcile your origin under Shao Kahn with a life without him."
"Why would you let me stew in my loathing and despair for so long?" The Outworld woman begged him. Raiden stayed silent. "Was it your way of taking some measure of revenge against Shao Kahn?"
"I would never submit an innocent life as penance for the evil of another." Raiden stated firmly. "Your life is yours, not Shao Kahn's. You may feel as though you have nothing, but your journey to self-discovery had to be your own."
"All I discovered was that there was nothing to discover about me." Mileena sniffed. "Without Shao Kahn, without Outworld, I am nothing. Shang Tsung created me for a single purpose… without that I am no one. I am useless."
"Who told you these lies?" Raiden asked. "Who said your destiny was inextricably linked to someone else? Who said it was not for you to uncover on your own?" Mileena had nothing to say to that. "Some journeys are over in minutes. Others take an entire lifetime." Mileena finally looked up and met him eye to eye.
"Why do you want an Outworlder for a champion, Raiden? Are you as desperate as Shao Kahn claims you to be?" She questioned.
"As I said before, Mileena, it is not who you were that draws me but who you are and who you can be that made me choose you." Raiden told her. "Master Bo Rai' Cho here at the Wu Shi Academy is from Outworld. He left his realm behind when the depths of Shao Kahn's tyranny were revealed. He has trained many Shaolin, including both Liu Kang and Kung Lao." The revelation did not necessarily make Mileena feel any better and her gaze turned to the floor. "You have lived here in Earthrealm for nearly five-hundred years. Not once have you ever attempted to return to Shao Kahn's side. This could be your home if you allow it."
"I am nobody. I have never had a home or a family. This is the longest I've stayed in one place." Mileena muttered.
"Perhaps that is who you are now. But it does not have to be who you choose to become." Holding out his hands before him, Raiden used a bundle of sparks to produce a small, rectangular box and held it out for Mileena to see. "I believe you to be a champion. And I want all of Earthrealm's champions to be at their best." With that, he flicked open the lid and Mileena's eyes widened as she spied the contents.
A pair of sai, shiny silver and ornately crafted, the handle of each topped with a pink jewel… as if they were made especially for her.
With a soft gasp, Mileena reached for one, running her hand along the blade as she remembered her old pair crushed by Shao Kahn. She had not wielded another pair since that day. "These were forged in the heart of Dragon Mountain. From the purest steel by the finest Shaolin smiths." Raiden described. "It is your choice of weapon, is it not?" Those few simple words caused Mileena's hand to tremble.
"Yes." She whispered.
"Take them." Raiden encouraged. "They are a gift I know you will wield with excellence." Mileena did so, slowly, lifting each sai out of the box. Their weight was familiar in her hands and all the old routines Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn came flooding back. She could use them, make good use of them…
But this time for a different, perhaps nobler cause.
"Thank you… Lord Raiden." She said quietly. The thunder god nodded.
"You will train against Kung Lao tomorrow. I will watch with great interest." He stated while turning to leave. Mileena lingered in the hall a moment longer, studying her new weapons. To think that Raiden, the hated enemy of her progenitor Shao Kahn, had given her the tools she needed to be an effective assassin. The weapons she held now tied her to this realm, the place she felt as much as stranger as she did Outworld. But the longer she looked at and felt the sais in her hands the more her opinion began to change…
Maybe she could belong. Maybe she could reinvent herself, transforming her upbringing as Shao Kahn's servant… into that of a Defender of Earthrealm.
Later that evening…
Having embraced her new outlook on life, Mileena returned to her work training for the Mortal Kombat tournament. As the day drew to a close, the champions were rewarded with a brilliant starlit sky. The nearly-nonexistent light pollution of the Academy ensured that the vast glories of the heavens were on full display this cloudless night.
Magnus in particular reclined against the stone steps leading to the circular training grounds they commonly used. With a flask in hand, he enjoyed the simplicity of nature backlit by old-style lanterns between sips. It was a very serene moment.
"Enjoying the night?" A familiar voice asked. The Norwegian looked up to see Mileena approach.
"Trying to get used to this rice wine." He stated as she sat next to him, legs drawn up close to her chest. He took another sip, attempting to find the words to describe the alcohol. "It lacks the fullness of a good mead." The glint of metal caught his eye and Magnus glanced down to see Mileena's new sais strapped to her hips, partly wedged into the waistband of her pants. "Those are new." He commented.
"Raiden gave them to me." Mileena explained. "They are the weapons I was trained with, what I know best." Magnus nodded slowly, turning back to the starlit sky.
"I am curious to see your training with them. It will be an experience to see what other realms teach." Mileena regarded him as he sipped his rice wine.
"Is that judgement I hear in your voice?" She queried softly. At that, Magnus turned to look at her.
"No." He said simply. "Where I come from, we use far bigger, more brutal weaponry. Axes, swords, nothing refined or precise like those. To see them in use, especially in a style not of this realm, will be a valuable learning experience."
"You… want to learn from me?"
"I want to know what my allies are capable of. Knowing how you fight will help if we are pitted together."
"You speak so lightly of my past, of the fact I am not from Earthrealm. It… does not bother you?" Mileena pried in a soft, hesitant voice.
"Ever since we met each other, by fortune or by fate, you have been nothing but an ally. A friend." He answered at length. "Your origins do not matter to me. All I have seen is who you are now and that has impressed me enough. You can count on me to stand with you, Mileena." Mileena fell silent, but was very grateful for his words. Turning back to look out over the night-shrouded land, she fell to contemplation. She understood what he was saying and valued his presence, the quiet maturity he exuded. But the more she dwelt on his words, Mileena's thoughts slowly drifted back to the man himself.
"Thank you, Magnus." She whispered, pondering his words. The Outworld woman allowed herself the barest of smiles, feeling comforted. She continued to dwell on his words when she had to ponder what his true intentions were. 'Does he like me? Does he just want to get on my good side?' She decided to test him. "Many are often frank about their opinions of me." She quietly stated. Magnus looked to her.
"Like Sonya." Mileena nodded slowly.
"Some have deemed me a monster, others simply 'hideous'. Some mock my abilities while others look down on me altogether, calling me nothing more than a... a construct of Shang Tsung's." She continued. Mileena suddenly looked up, her brown eyes meeting Magnus' electric blues. "What do you think of me, Magnus? Do you think me hideous as well?" She asked, no doubt explicitly referring to her Tarkatan teeth. Her question left Magnus a little strapped for words. She must want him to be frank with her, but if he was, Magnus wondered how she might respond to the truth. As for how he felt about her appearance, he could concur that Mileena was certainly a shapely individual, curvaceous and very beautiful. But her ability to generate Tarkatan teeth would likely dissuade anyone who might be attracted to her.
But Magnus... didn't see that.
He thought her teeth a very interesting feature. It added to her personality of being a femme fatale: beautiful yet dangerous.
Beautiful... Yes, that truly was an accurate description of Mileena. One he meant in every sense of the word. In contrast to Sonya's demeaning descriptions, he saw not something vile but rather someone. A woman. A living, breathing woman with thoughts and dreams. She was no different from any other, despite her feral secret. She was still someone worthy of being respected... and deserving of love.
"My people have a term: hættr til. It refers to a goal so precious that it could cost someone everything to achieve it." He said at length. Mileena cocked her head, curious but listening. "I think you are hættr til, Mileena. You are worthy of being pursued. And a good man will ignore the mockery he might endure in order to earn your hand." On the one hand it did answer her question, on the other it was too vague for her liking.
"That… doesn't exactly answer my question." She said, chuckling softly. Magnus did too.
"Well, I think you are you, and there's nothing wrong with who you are. I do not find your teeth repulsive… nor do I think less of you for that ability." She said simply. Mileena openly smiled at his warm, calming words. She couldn't say as anyone had ever used them to describe her before. In fact, hardly anyone had ever described her so positively before. Surely, Magnus was unlike any man she'd ever met and definitely unlike any Earthrealm man she'd met.
"I appreciate your sentiments, Magnus. Especially after today." She confessed. The Norwegian nodded in understanding. Sonya's words had been rather cutting.
"I say to hell with what the others think. If someone only thinks you are beautiful with your teeth not on display, then they are not worthy of you."
Silence fell between them as Mileena turned to gaze upon distant skies as she pondered the person of Magnus and who he was. So far he had proved himself a man worthy of her trust.
That, and he was pretty handsome too.
Despite his robes, she could tell he was fairly well-muscled, a man built for power and strength. His piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair, combined with his sharp jaw and toned features really completed his look. Mileena would be lying if she said she didn't find him attractive. Plus, his willingness to view her as an equal certainly helped her positive feelings for him. His words were sweet and kind, spoken with a gentle authority like he owned every aspect of them. That sense of genuineness was incredibly welcome after all the two-faced natures she had encountered in her life.
Her gaze turned back to Magnus, noting the way he had loosened his yoroi to reveal blue tattoos marking his arms and chest. One in particular caught her eye; straight edge, not a single curve to be seen, they resembled characters of a script that was foreign to her. "What are those markings tattooed on your arm?" She softly inquired.
"They are the ancient runes of my people. It's a language seldom spoken these days." Magnus answered, turning over his left forearm to give her a better look. "This one spells 'Larsson'." He explained.
"A nickname?"
"It was my father's name. The old traditions of my people do not include surnames like most nowadays. We are referred to by our fathers."
"Family is important to you."
"Yes. It is a core part of the way Ynglings live." Magnus mused solemnly, recalling happier times when he was just a boy. Mileena could sense the sullenness that came over him and elected to change the topic.
"I am unfamiliar with your people. I have travelled across Earthrealm but never once have I encountered them." She commented.
"If you've been here for just the past five-hundred years then you missed their heyday by… about three-hundred or so." Magnus replied. "They are ancient, but they are whole. My people have stories about the world, before all these revelations from Raiden. Perhaps they are untrue, or just myths now, but I still cling to them as true to some degree." Mileena leaned forward, adjusting her posture so she was comfortably reclining beside him.
"What kind of stories?"
"About the dawn of the world, the end of the world… the tales of the gods and the glories of men." He surmised.
"Will you tell them to me?" Mileena asked. "I'm curious about this race I've never heard of and want to know more." Magnus glanced at her, blue eyes and brown meeting and lingering for a moment. The moonlight cast her features in a whole new natural light…
"Alright," he agreed, setting his flask aside. He looked up at the cosmos, pondering the stars and the home of the gods, where they lived and held counsel and governed the world. He felt inspired, tales spoken around a campfire renewed again. "In the beginning, there was Ginnungagap; the great void. Nothing lived there, nothing grew there, it was a vast nothingness. All that existed were the primordial realms that were stationed on the borders of Ginnungagap. Niflheim, the ice realm, and Muspelheim, the fire realm…"
Magnus continued to talk and Mileena listened. But she was not idle in her attentiveness. The way Magnus spoke conveyed the emotions of an animated storyteller. The passion behind his speaking revealed so much to her. She watched as his gaze darkened while talking about the birth of Ymir, the way his tone pitched down as he revealed the creation of the first man; Buri. The tapestry he wove with his words came to life as she watched him speak, the way his hands gestures to the breadth and scope of the ancient world and the way his eyes sparkled with brightness as he recalled how the Sons of Bor: Vili, Ve, and Odin, slew Ymir and made the world from his body…
Magnus talked long into the night. And Mileena watched and listened all the while…
