AN: Special shoutout goes to Story's Shadow for both writing this incredible chapter, and creating this amazing Earthrealm Champion whom our three heroes went to recruit, excellent work my good friend.
-Unknown location, An Hour Or So Later: One Day Until The Tournament-
Raiden and Nightwolf emerged from the thunderbolt, walking around. They were in another temple. Nightwolf looked around.
"Is this where this champion is?" Nightwolf asked.
"No. I've come to get the help of another to help be keep watch over what's to come. He and I haven't spoken in some. Last we saw of each other we quarreled...I deeply regret what happened," Raiden answered.
Nightwolf's face shifted with sadness, before instinct came over him and he turned quickly in defense.
"It seems we have both changed since we last saw each other," a man said, standing before the two.
He was a young man, with a lean athletic build with slicked back white hair tied into a ponytail wearing simple robes.
"On my part, too late," Raiden said, his voice sad.
The man smiled.
"The winds of change come, brother," he replied.
"Brother?" Nightwolf grunted in surprise.
"Fujin...it's good to see you," Raiden replied.
The man's eyes suddenly flew like Raiden's. He smiled.
"You too," Fujin said.
Fujin walked forward and hugged Raiden, who stood there surprised. But after a few moments he returned the hug before the two stood before each other. Fujin turned to Nightwolf.
"Ah, the defender of the Matoka. The Great Spirit has blessed another," he chuckled, offering his hand.
Nightwolf shook it and nodded before letting go.
"She honors me," he replied.
"How is she?" Fujin asked.
"You know her?" Nightwolf asked.
"She hasn't spoken of me?" Fujin asked, surprised.
"No, she's never mentioned you," the Matokan answered.
Fujin's face shifted with embarrassment and perhaps sadness.
"We defended Earthrealm together. Though I guess I didn't leave a good lasting impression. This wasn't long after I left the Sky Temple...after we fought," Fujin said.
Raiden then explained to Nightwolf about Fujin wanting to live with humans and how Raiden thought this was unwise, that sentiment would weaken his duty to Earthrealm.
"When I met the Great Spirit, my bitterness over that fight led my words and actions during the battle alongside her. Perhaps she believed I was acting towards her how I did with my brother," Fujin explained.
"Perhaps she felt your story should have been told, when you found your sense of balance and your own wisdom, not whilst you were still angry over the view of one god who felt differently than you when both felt differently on how to protect Earthrealm. And maybe, she's all guided us to this point," Nightwolf suggested.
Fujin smiled.
"She has indeed blessed you," he chuckled.
Nightwolf smiled. Fujin turned to his brother.
"Raiden, what can I do?" He asked.
"The tournament will soon begin. Nightwolf and I travel to recruit a final champion. I would be honored to stand by your side again," Raiden answered.
Fujin smiled.
Wind suddenly rushed around him, shedding his simple robes to revealing an ancient Chinese styled blue tunic with golden and silver chest armor infused with the robe, green pants, and and a silver tattoo of his name in Chinese on his upper left arm.
"It would be my honor, brother," Fujin said.
The two smiled.
"How many champions have you gathered so far?" Fujin asked.
Raiden explained everything that had up to this point, to which Fujin looked at him in amused shock.
"You've had quite the journey brother. But now, who do we go to recruit?" Fujin asked.
Raiden's face shifted in emotion, hinting at something Nightwolf suspected to be something that he didn't want to consider. Fujin saw this too.
"One of them?" Fujin asked, his own voice mirroring the look on his brother's face.
Raiden nodded.
"May the Elder Gods be on our side," Fujin sighed.
Raiden nodded. Then the three disappeared in a lightning bolt.
-Unknown location-
The three emerge from the lightning bolt. They are standing in a forest with a trail in front of them.
"That's convent," Nightwolf said, rubbing his chin.
Raiden and Fujin didn't speak as the three walked down the path. Soon enough they could hear the sound of wood being chopped before coming upon a large cabin. A truck and car were parked in a small garage. The sound of the wood being chopped was coming from behind the cabin.
Before leaving the surrounding trees, Raiden and Fujin nodded to one another.
"Nightwolf, this will require some delicate handling. Tread carefully...with this one and the very few others we've met...the champions who were...volatile in their approach to them...were very lucky they weren't...weren't-" Raiden informed but couldn't finish his warning.
"Raiden...Fujin...who are you trying to recruit?" Nightwolf asked, his voice cautious.
"You will find out soon enough," Fujin sighed.
Nightwolf slowly nodded.
The three walked out of the trees and at the god's suggestion they proceeded very calmly around the cabin. Several yards away from the back of the cabin they saw the back of a woman chopping wood with a large ax after placing the wood on a cut tree stump.
Raiden ran his hand along his hat while Fujin moved slick his hair back which it already was. Raiden cleared his throat and Fujin rubbed the back of his neck. Nightwolf gave them a surprised look.
"You're both nervous," he pinpointed.
The two gods turned to him but their gaze was shifted back when the sound of the ax cut through another piece of wood, with a small growl coming from the woman. They two stopped for a moment.
"Nervous?" Fujin said in a small voice.
"Nonsense," Raiden added, his voice small as well.
The three stopped a couple yards behind the woman.
"Good morning!" Fujin greeted, cheerful or attempting to be.
The ax cut through another piece of wood.
"Good morning," Raiden greeted, not as energetic sounding as his brother.
The woman sighed as she rested the blade of the ax on the tree stump.
Nightwolf got a better look at her. She was about 6 foot tall, with a stunning hourglass form and could plainly see the defined, prominent muscles in her arms, legs, and back. Her long, thick dark brown hair hung halfway down her back. He also felt something about her, something ancient, powerful. But his attention was drawn to her strong, feminine voice.
"Raiden...Fujin...you know how this last went," she said, frustrated yet still patient.
"Yes, last time-" Fujin started to say.
"You only tried to do this once with me. Did you forget what happened?" She asked, fingers slowly tightening around the handle of the ax.
Nightwolf took a better look at the ax. The wood of the handle was old, very old as was the blade. But both still seemed strong. He also runes carved along the length of the handle and also in the blade as well. He didn't recognize the runes, but he could felt there was more than meets to eye with them.
"No...we didn't," Fujin answered.
"What happened to the fool?" She asked.
"Slain by a warrior form Outworld," Raiden answered.
The woman sighed, nodding, but not turning to them. She then picked up another block of wood and placed it on the stump.
"...This is the last tournament Outworld needs to win to invade Earthrealm...If they win...this realm will be met by war and bloodshed this world hasn't seen before," Raiden said.
The ax chopped through the wood.
"Raiden has gathered many champions to fight for Earthrealm...and we'd like you to be another," Fujin added.
The woman rested the blade of the ax on the stump.
"My answer is the same as my final decision before. I will not go to war for them," she stated, her voice slowly growing more bitter.
Before any of them could respond to her, they could hear the muffled groaning sounds. The woman grumbled as she put the ax down on the stump.
"Finally woke up," the woman grunted.
"Who?" Raiden asked, confused.
She walked over to where the sound came from and walked backwards, pulling a badly beaten man with his hands bound in thick ropes.
"Who is he?" Nightwolf asked, shocked.
The woman turned to face them. Nightwolf was awestruck. A woman of around 40 or so, her wild hair and deep brown eyes added to her wild beauty. The woman tossed the beaten man between her and Raiden, Fujin, and Nightwolf.
"A certain man who found out about his wife deciding she deserved better than him and a life better than she had. He followed her and her lover here, aiming to kill them both," the woman elaborated.
"Is that true?" Nightwolf demanded.
The man moaned and whimpered.
"If it's true. Where are his intended victims?" Nightwolf asked.
"In the house," she answered.
"They need to come out, so that this matter can be settled," Nightwolf replied.
The woman took a step between him and the cabin. Her Amazonian form was unmoving.
"They can't. At this time right now, they're unable to leave the cabin. They're safer in there. But he can speak, he's very lucky I didn't kill him out right. Or rather let Marith finish her," she said.
"Marith?" Fujin asked.
Nightwolf had taken in the area when they first arrived. He saw the tracks the woman had left and from this man as well. Now also seeing two other sets of footprints from people made him believe her story, he didn't get the feeling she was lying. He also saw tracks of and felt the presence of another or rather two others...but something was different about one. For now, he switched back to the man.
"I know she's not lying. Despite the ropes I can see old marks, left from hitting someone. I see why your wife sought another," Nightwolf growled, fists clenched.
The man grunted.
"Y-You don't know what's...ugghh...what's going on here...what she...what they-" The man grunted, as he tried to stand.
The woman grabbed him by the stuff of his neck.
"T-They're monsters!" The man cried out, voice full of agony.
Nigthwolf's face contorted with rage.
"I only see one monster here," he snarled.
The man's fearful face suddenly mixed with hate, then he spat in Nightwolf's face.
"Gross!" Nightwolf grunted in disgust and surprised.
The man suddenly tried to run, but he fell to the ground in pain as his legs gave out. Then he tried to crawl away.
"I-I'll kill them! I'll kill all you monsters!" He screamed.
Nigthwolf grumbled as cleaned his face.
"Pitiful," Fujin sighed.
The man barely managed to get back on his feet and limped to a truck. Nigthwolf took a step forward, but stopped. He sensed something. He turned to look at the woman.
"Something's-" Nightwolf tried to warn.
"Marith's got him. Don't worry," the woman said.
Nightwolf, Raiden, and Fujin watched as a large dark shape moved through the woods towards the man. The man fell again just a few feet from the truck. As he crawled over he saw the shape looming over him and he screamed.
"Bring him over here, Marith!" The woman called out.
The man whimpered and cried as a brown bear dragging the man over, her jaws pulling him by gripping a wad of his clothes just inches from his neck. The she-bear dropped the man at the woman's feet.
"Thank you," the woman said.
She knelt down, but still seemingly towering over the man.
"I would kill you myself, or let Marith do it. But I think that should be left up to your wife now that she's finally obtained the life she deserves," the woman snarled.
The man's eyes went wide in shock, disgust, and horror. The woman then stood up. She ran her hands through the bear's fur, which the animal grunted happily at.
"Magnificent," Nightwolf said, smiling.
He walked over and knelt before the bear.
"(You are truly beautiful)" Nightwolf greeted in Matokan.
The bear grunted happily as he ran a hand through the bear's fur. The woman slowly smiled at this.
"You are gifted," she praised.
Nightwolf smiled at her.
"A gift from another who saw something who saw something in a broken fool who tried to do some good seemingly at what he thought was his end," he replied.
The woman smiled and turned to Raiden and Fujin.
"He better be your chosen one this time," she said, powerful arms crossed.
"He is a champion of Earthrealm," Raiden said, proudly.
The woman grunted, rubbing her chin in thought.
"Please, Raiden has gathered champions. But this is the last tournament Shao Kahn needs to invade. Marith, the people you've protected, all that you care would very well die if he wins," Fujin said.
The woman frowned slightly.
"Those of this realm have and still do that," she scoffed.
"Victimization by those of this realm is all too common. But we cannot let that prevent us from protecting this realm regardless," Nightwolf said, walking forward with Marith beside him.
The woman sighed. She knelt down to Marith. The she-bear grunted and pushed her great head against the woman. The woman smiled but cried. She laid her had down on the bear, patting her. She sighed then stood up.
"I will be back in a minute," the woman said.
Nightwolf smiled and nodded. The woman grabbed the broken man and pulled him while she walked into the cabin, the others following. She dropped the man down, Marith sitting beside him. She growled slightly at him. The woman walked downstairs. Nightwolf, Raiden, and Fujin turned to see a woman in her 30s or 40s and a younger man watching them. Nightwolf turned to the man.
"Don't worry, he can't hurt you...I know you've been victimized, my people have been as well. But don't let your anger consume you. Don't let it...don't let him control you," he said, his voice soft.
Nightwolf felt something about them, something unique in power and magic about them. The woman eyed her husband with hate and fear.
"Don't worry...he can't hurt me anymore," she assured.
Nightwolf slowly nodded.
The woman emerged. She looked to the woman and young man.
"Whenever you're ready. I don't know if I'll ever see you two again. Take care," she said.
"Thank you...Thank you for everything," the other woman said, hurrying over to her and hugged her.
The wild woman hugged her back. Nightwolf felt the warmth of her words and the embrace. He smiled at that.
"Come, the tournament begins soon," Raiden said, softly.
The wild woman nodded to the woman and the young man. She walked over and kissed Marith.
"I hope to see you again, but if I don't...I will see you in the wild, my friend," she said.
Mairth stood up, standing about seven feet tall, and hugged the woman. Nightwolf and the two gods walked out, waiting for her. The woman came out a few moments later. She walked over and grabbed the ax. Raiden nodded to her. She sighed and walked to them. Then the woman, Nightwolf, Raiden, and Fujin disappeared in a bolt of lightning.
To Be Continued...