Hopefully you guys enjoyed the first chapter! I feel as if I should have attempted to explain better the dynamic between Mileena and Tanya previously, so while I will come around to explaining why further into the story, the two are not a romantic couple. Also, small self appreciation, that first chapter was the longest I've ever written! Almost 8 thousand words! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second installment, next chapter will be split between the four you see here, and a familiar face. See ya soon!
Kuai Liang rode hard, aggravating the rash he gained from the swamp. His horse was suffering, panting wildly, but he pushed the beast as much as he could. The Zaterrans had long since been left behind, and as the afternoon sun began to set in the distance. Swamplands that made up Zaterra began to disperse. They were replaced by forest, the brown bark free of either moss or water. Grass swayed peacefully between the trunks as yellow and orange leaves began to blanket the ground. The region was entering its fall season.
A cool breeze swept through, a nice change to the humidly scorching environment of the swamps. The sky was shifting from its ever-common blue to a peach-colored orange, the clouds becoming pink. The day was running out, which made the ninja ride his horse even harder. He was certain he'd survive in the wilderness, and would even make it to Sun Do, but it would be better if he could explain himself to the empress directly. He didn't want to leave Jalul alone in foreign and possibly hostile territory, having to explain the Shirai Ryu's intentions alone.
Just like he had left Tomas. He fought constantly with turning back, to help his brother and any of his clan that survived. He knew it was already too late, he had been riding for the better part of half an hour. If he were to turn now, he'd likely only find the carnage of what had occurred, and possibly a few hungry reptiles feeding on the many corpses that had littered the ground. He would make Bi Han pay.
He took a bend in the road, pleased when he was able to make out two more steeds in front of him. Easing the pressure his heels were providing, he let his horse slow to a trot. The beast neighed in appreciation and shook its head side to side, Kuai Liang petting its strong neck as it did. Its brown coat was sheened to a shine, either from sweat or the moist region they left behind he wasn't certain, but he'd be sure to give it a well-earned rest when he could.
The two riders ahead turned when they heard him approach. Tanya had instantly drawn her weapon but had eased it back into its sheath as she saw the colors of the Shirai Ryu. Jalul raised a fist in greeting, Outworld's queen still unconscious across his lap. He returned the gesture as the two stopped their rides, allowing him to gain level. They had clearly pushed their steeds just as hard as he did, considering how long it took him to catch up. He left only minutes after they had escaped the slaughter.
"Grandmaster" started Jalul, relief evident in his voice. "Where is Master Tomas?" The ninja peered around Kuai Liang's flank, hoping to see more of his brethren coming down the bend. He was greeted with the sight of an empty road, save for the leaves that continuously fell from above, swaying down gently to lie within the path.
"He covered my escape, Jalul. As did the rest of your team. I would've shared their fate if it wasn't for their sacrifice." The junior member met his grandmaster's eyes in shock.
"No one else made it? They're all dead?"
"I am not sure. What matters now is finishing what we started. Tomas could see farther than I could, I was too blinded by my desire to kill Bi Han. You needed me here, to speak on our clan's behalf, and I must rally the rest of the Shirai Ryu. We must strike now, at not only their last bastion in Earthrealm but here as well. We cannot let the cancer of the Lin Kuei continue to spread."
"You plan to bring even more Earthrealmers uninvited into Outworld" accused Tanya, the grandmaster turning to the Umgadi priestess. "Why is it that you are even here in the first place? Earthrealm has no business here. Especially after your kind just attempted an act on the empress's life!"
"The Lin Kuei are not our kind" growled the grandmaster in response. The woman continued to stare daggers into his eyes as their horses trotted down the road. Tension began to suffocate the air, as all three began to subconsciously ready themselves for another battle. Kuai Liang wouldn't put it past the leader of the royal guard going on the offensive. He was certain she only hadn't already because Mileena still lay across Jalul's lap.
"The only reason you two are not already dead is because of the assistance you provided" spat Tanya. "Save the change in colors, I see no difference between you and any other Earthrealmer. Your actions against Tshang Sung, nor what occurred today, do nothing to alleviate my suspicions. Why are you here, Kuai Liang?"
"I believe I will save the explanation for your empress, priestess." The female warrior bristled at his response, removing her weapon for the second time in as many minutes. The sanjiegun was still coated in the green vitae of the reptilians they had fought not long ago. Dents and scratches along the staff's surface did nothing to distract from its deadly potential.
"I believe you will give me your reasons now before I determine that the two of you are just as worthy enemies of the state as your traitorous brother is."
The grandmaster sighed, easing Jalul with a wave of his hand as the ninja shifted to be better prepared to react. "What reason do you have to suspect us, Tanya? If we wanted the empress dead what is stopping Jalul from making it so? If we were enemies to your empire why would we throw ourselves to the Zaterrans to save your queen? I just abandoned my true brother to the mercy of those who ambushed you to explain to Mileena the reason for our presence in Outworld. I will not repeat myself, my explanation is for her alone. We are not your enemy."
"If what you say is true, disarm yourselves. We are free from imminent danger, if you mean no harm you do not require those blades strapped to your hips!"
"Is there not the possibility of highwaymen between here and your capital?" asked Jalul.
"Highwaymen shouldn't be trouble for trained combatants, your hands will suffice enough, Shirai Ryu" Tanya hissed towards the ninja, still maintaining eye contact with the grandmaster. The man shocked both of his companions when he unclipped the blade from his hip, and tossed it, still within its sheath, to the Umgadi. The woman caught the weapon easily, her emotion becoming unreadable.
"Yours as well, Jalul," said Kuai Liang. "If this is what we must do to show we don't mean harm then that is what we shall do." The junior member hesitated for a heartbeat, before following his grandmaster's lead. He tossed his sword to the priestess, feeling naked without his primary weapon attached to his hip. He had been trained to never be without a weapon. Kuai Liang nodded before turning back to Tanya. "Does that suffice, priestess?"
"Yes, Earthrealmer. At least until the empress decides." The woman placed the two blades across her lap, holstering her staff. "She shouldn't be out much longer. It is a full day before we reach Sun Do, and that's if we make good time. If we hurry, we can reach Kaluk before the night grows long. The empress will need a place to recover before we ride further." Seemingly content with the situation the woman turned towards the road. It was clear she was done with the conversation. The empress still lay across Jalul's lap, seemingly peaceful even after all that had transpired.
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The moon had risen. Painted across the sky was a multitude of stars and brushstrokes of purple and red that made up the galaxy overhead. The lack of light pollution in Outworld made the sky a wonder to behold after the sun had set. Under the canopy of the nightly glow, the small group of survivors still sat upon their steeds, off the side of the road and underneath a small tree. The beasts grazed on the grass around its base while the three discussed. The empress was still unconscious, but had been removed and now lay on the ground.
"Welcome to Kaluk, Earthrealmers." The city, if it could be called as such, was more a small village than anything else. It was nestled in a valley between two large hills, a single main road running the length of its downtown. Stretching off like branches on a tree were smaller, more rural roads that housed the town's population. Its downtown consisted of a rugged tavern, a whitewashed courthouse, and an assortment of small shops. It seemed relatively quiet.
"The city dates its roots back to the first conquests of Zaterra. Soldiers needed a place to rest, and the merchants needed plenty of customers to buy their goods. Once the war had ended, some of both stuck around. It's one of the oldest settlements of the empire" explained the priestess.
"The tavern should have an abundance of rooms available, Kaluk has seen a massive decrease in foot traffic over the years. However, we won't be able to just walk in, not with me or the empress dressed how we are. The entire empire knows of the royal diets, and news of Zaterran's discontent has been gossiped around to all corners of our borders. If we showed up without the royal convoy, and still covered in the signs of battle as we are, it will draw too much attention."
"And I assume you have a plan?" Kuai Liang asked. The grandmaster never took his eyes off Kaluk, subconsciously noting possible escape routes and avenues of attack by an invader. Dead, matted grass around its length was evidence of a wall that had once protected its people. They must have gotten lax in the years, confident no enemies would ever venture close once the Zaterran conquests had drawn to a close.
"Yes," she responded, gazing over at the junior Shirai Ryu. "You stick out like a sore thumb as well, Liang. But Jalul could just as easily pass for a traveling ninja as he could a Shirai Ryu. And that's if these people even know of your clan, which I assume, they don't. Jalul will head into town, purchase a room and some food, then head to the local tailor. They shouldn't be closed just yet. Head back here, where we will dress both myself and the empress in something less noticeable. Something for your grandmaster as well" she finished, dismounting her steed and walking over to Mileena's sleeping form.
"There is a glaring issue with that plan, Umgadi," said Jalul. The priestess turned, eying him with an unspoken question. "I have no money" he responded plainly. The clan used money, of course, for goods and resources. But it wasn't carried by its everyday member, and especially not into a mission to another realm. Japanese Yen, American dollars, all of it would have been useless here.
Tanya stood from looking over Outworld's queen and approached Jalul's steed. "Hold out your hand" she commanded. She proceeded to drop five heavy silver coins into his outstretched palm. Upon inspection one, the largest, was engraved with a large dragon's head. It's maw open as it spouts a breath of fire. The others were smaller and lacked any engravings except for ridges carved into the side of the coin, evenly distributed along its circumference.
"The dragon's head will be enough for the room, with some change back to boot. Use the rest on food and clothing" she instructed. The ninja nodded, slipping the Outworld currency into a pocket on the inside of his vest. The woman returned to the empress's side, beginning the process of checking her vitals.
"We shall wait here for you, Jalul," said Kuai Liang, turning his steed to give the priestess privacy.
"Understood, grandmaster" responded the junior ninja. He turned and rode his horse back onto the road and down towards Kaluk. The trees of the forest thinned out heavily as he approached its borders, cut down either for lumber or for firewood. It also helped its inhabitants and any potential guards spot an enemy from a considerable distance, allowing Kaluk to form a defense. Small plots of farmland stretched behind each house like lazy shadows, quickly revealing the villages self dependent nature. With how isolated from the rest of the empire it seemed the town was, self-sufficiency was a requisite.
Two burley men, armed with a short sword, shield, and torch stood sentry. They didn't bar his passage as Jalul rode through, though they did stare him down heavily. The dancing flames did little to illuminate him; the darkness concealed most of the blood that had dried on his hood and vest, but even if they had noticed he doubted if he would have been stopped. It couldn't be too uncommon for an unmarked ninja, at least, unmarked to common Outworlders, to be looking for refuge after a clear fight. He was hoping the keeper of the tavern followed the same line of thought.
As his steed carried him closer to the two-story tavern he heard commotion coming from within. A window was pulled open, curtains swaying gently and blocking his view from the outside. The tavern was nestled between the courthouse and butcher shop, both adjacent buildings dark and clearly closed. A small, empty hitching rail was placed just by the porch that led to the tavern's front door. Jalul stepped down from his steed and pulled a kunai from within his vest. He smiled to himself, thinking back upon how the priestess had asked him and his grandmaster to disarm. He would never subject himself to being completely without a weapon. It was a Shirai Ryu mandate, one he would never break, especially within a foreign realm.
The kunai, one of three, was the only one that had a length of twine looped through the ring at the weapons peak. Its original purpose wasn't for defensive measures, rather it was a tool used for added maneuverability. He sliced the twine in two, tying the small length to the hitching rail and then to his beast's leg. He made sure he provided enough slack to let the horse maneuver and graze, then returned the kunai within his vest and proceeded into the tavern. A sign above the door labeled the local business as Kaluk's Horde, the penmanship dimly lit by a candle hanging from its base.
He pushed his way past the swinging door and into a well-lit lobby. Tables adorned the left side, placed by an active fireplace. Four men sat at one such table, the top of which was adorned by both full and empty glasses. They talked loudly, clearly intoxicated and not even noticing his arrival. To the right was a single threshold that disappeared into a dimly lit hallway. In front was a bar, a lone tender wiping a glass with a rag. The old woman looked up at him and smiled, not the reception he was expecting with the light now fully showing his appearance.
"Welcome to Kaluk's horde," the woman croaked, her voice gravely from too many years of smoking. Jalul stepped towards the bar, retrieving the coins he had been given from Tanya. "What will it be dear" she continued, placing the glass down with a thud upon the countertop. "We have ale and liquor plenty."
"No drinks" he responded. "Do you have any rooms available? And some food, perhaps?" The woman balked at him.
"No drinks? With what you've been through I can't say I believe you." Jalul raised his eyebrows in question. "I've been around long enough to notice Zaterran blood, ninja. It's dangerous to move through those swamps alone. It seems like you've already figured that out, though, and nothing soothes a sore body better than a glass of ale to warm you up! The kitchens closed for the night, but the bar is always open, and the ale is the town's favorite! It's brewed locally, mixed with honey" she finished with a wink.
"Just a room" he reiterated, placing the larger single coin on the countertop. He debated asking for two so that he and the grandmaster could be separate from their companioning Outworlders. But he thought better of it, not wanting to arise suspicion. The woman frowned at him, picking up the coin. She inspected it, before placing it within the apron tied around her waist. She retrieved a handful of the smaller coins the priestess had given him prior and slid them towards him, along with a key from under the bar. Jalul grabbed the change, but the tender kept a finger on the key.
"Where are you from, ninja? I don't recognize the accent." He hesitated, not expecting the question. He knew that Outworld's people, unlike those of Earthrealm, knew of the different realms. But he deduced divulging that he was an Earthrealmer heedlessly wasn't exactly beneficial. He decided to take the cryptic approach.
"That isn't for you to know, ma'am." The woman kept her finger on the key, the wrinkly skin around her eyes pulling tighter as she looked at him with growing suspicion.
"Why were you in Zaterra?"
"Again, ma'am, that isn't for you to know. I'll be gone by sunrise, I assure you. May I please have the key I just paid for?" The woman continued to scrutinize him but eventually relented. She turned from him, grabbing another dirty glass, and beginning to clean it.
"Through the door on the right. Up the stairs, third door." Jalul thanked her, not receiving a response, and turned towards the threshold. The frame lacked a door, but upon crossing through he saw the staircase the woman had mentioned. He ascended the stairs and stopped at the third door. The key was roughly engraved with a rune. The same rune was stamped to the door upon a dirty sign. The lock clicked open, revealing a small bed and nightstand nestled in the far corner. It was the only furniture in the room.
Upon the nightstand lay a candle and a flint. He sparked it with a kunai, lighting the candle. Locking the door he slipped the key into his vest, then walked towards the window. He stabbed the kunai with the length of twine looped around into the frame of the window, then guided the length of rope out and down the side of the tavern. His compatriots would have to climb up. He didn't want to arouse the old woman's suspicion even further by escorting three additional guests, an unconscious one at that, into the room he had just bought. Rappelling down the side of the building Jalul proceeded back towards the main road.
He turned further down the street and walked its length, but everything besides the tavern seemed to be closed. He turned back, wondering what to do. That's when he spotted a clothesline, hardly visible from his position on the street. It was behind a house, lit by an open window that had a candle on its frame. Along its line were tunics, trousers, and other more private articles of clothing, all hung out to dry. A plan started to hatch within the junior ninja's mind as he stalked towards the clothes, taking heed to stick to the shadows. Kaluk was dead quiet, but it paid to be careful.
He snaked around the house and entered the backyard, taking care to avoid the open window. He removed three sets of each from the clothesline, almost emptying it completely. Reaching into his vest, he removed the handful of coins, placing a majority on the ground. He wasn't sure of the worth of the currency entirely, but he hoped it would be enough to reimburse the family. The clothes were dry, clearly having been on the line since early morning. He rolled the tunics and trousers as small as he could, then stashed them within his vest. All that was left was to acquire food.
Jalul returned to the road and continued back towards the tavern. That's when he eyed the closed butcher shop. He felt bad for stealing, but he rationalized it. He wasn't technically stealing, just bartering, without the other party. He looked side to side, the only noticeable individuals being the two guards still at the base of the village, distinguishable only from the flames produced by their torches.
He proceeded up the landing and to the shop's door, fishing a kunai from its holding place. He slipped the sharp end in between the door and the frame, near the latch that held it shut, and began to pry. He took as much care as possible not to snap the wood or the latch and breathed a sigh of relief when the rusted metal slipped, the door swinging open with hardly a whisper. The shop was pitch black on the inside, so he snapped his fingers, igniting a small flame that danced between the tips of his pointer and index.
He walked towards the back of the shop and noticed a barrel positioned just by the swinging latch that led behind the counter. The lid was off, and as he maneuvered the flame to illuminate its contents he saw it full of dried meat. The strips of jerky were covered in sparkling specks of salt, added to keep it dry and fresh for longer periods. He began to take chunks from the barrel, stashing them next to the clothes he had taken earlier. Once he grabbed enough he placed the remainder of the coins he had on the counter, then left the shop. He shut the door gently and descended the landing, returning to Kaluk's Main Street.
He returned to his horse, who was busy grazing contently next to the hitching rail. Removing the tether holding the beast in place, he mounted the animal. He steered the steed past one of the off-branching streets, turning back towards the outcropping of trees his companions were waiting at. He didn't want to go down the main road, not wanting the guards to be suspicious after they just saw him arrive, and especially not when he returned with three other individuals. He kept his pace to a slow trot to avoid being detected.
Once out of Kaluk proper he quickened his pace, the path illuminated by the glow of the moon. Jalul rode in silence, taking a quick peek behind him to make sure he wasn't spotted by the guards. The torches still flicked at the mouth of the village, oblivious to the shadow that had just departed their homes. Content that he was in the clear he drove his heels into his transport, the animal snorting as it began to gallop.
Kuai Liang heard Jalul before he saw him. The priestess was still hovering over the unconscious empress of Outworld, but her gaze turned to follow his own as the ninja approached. The junior member raised a fist in greeting toward his grandmaster, Kuai Liang returning the gesture. He stopped his horse just before his own, both men dismounting.
"Sightseeing" Tanya mused as she stood, walking over to the two. Her tone wasn't friendly, clearly agitated at how long he had taken.
"My apologies priestess" Jalul declared, feigning a bow. "Your information was wrong. Besides the tavern, everything had closed for the night. It took me longer than expected to acquire food and clothes" he finished, pinning the blame on her. He removed the bundles of clothing from his vest.
The Umgadi bristled at his response. "Then how did you get these? I really hope you didn't steal, ninja. Your kind has done enough damage to Outworld and her people" she accused sharply. He responded with a shake of his head as Kuai Liang took the offered clothing.
"I left coins, both from where I got the food and the clothes."
"And you think that makes it right!" She stabbed a finger into his chest. Her voice was seething, not at all happy that the ninja had taken from Kaluk's people, even if he gave a feeble attempt at reimbursement.
"And what would you have preferred he do instead, priestess?" Tanya reeled about towards the grandmaster. "After all, your information was wrong. He acted on his feet, found another way to accomplish the task you set out for him, and still managed to raise your ire. He left the money behind. His intent was not disingenuous."
The woman rolled her eyes as Kuai Liang removed his Shirai Ryu embroidered vest, replacing it with a plain brown tunic. She returned her gaze to the ninja before her and snatched the offered attire away from him, shaking her head in exasperation. "We will have to leave at first light. The people won't take kindly to their personal belongings being stolen" she hissed. "Did you get the room, without theft" she added.
Jalul nodded. Tanya didn't respond, walking towards Mileena. lifting her head she slid the tunic around her neck, then over her arms, and finally down the rest of her torso. She did the same with the trousers, then proceeded to do the same to herself. Once the three were dressed in less noticeable clothing the priestess reverently picked up Mileena and placed the woman on her horse, then slid the two swords of the Shirai Ryu into the space of clothing on her back. The two men saddled up as well.
Jalul made the motion for the party to follow him then rode off into the trees. They looped around the perimeter of the town, sticking to the cover of the foliage, and only turned to enter Kaluk once they had made it to one of the two hills that flanked it. They entered from an off-street and rode quietly through the desolate village, taking care to look as inconspicuous as possible. Thankfully they reached the tavern without incident.
"Where did you get the lead" questioned Tanya as Jalul dismounted first, grabbing the rope attached to the hitching rail. He sparked another flame between his fingers and burned the length into thirds. It wouldn't allow the steeds much slack at all, but at least it would keep them from wandering off during the night. He tired his horse down before answering.
"It's a part of our kit Umgadi." The Shirai Ryu handed the other two lengths to his companions, waiting for them to do the same. Jalul and Kuai Liang stood side by side as Tanya finished tethering her steed and grabbed the empress in her arms. The ninja motioned his head to be followed and proceeded around to the side of Kaluk's Horde. "Why are we not going through the entrance, Jalul?"
"The keeper at the bar was already suspicious of me" he explained to both of them, answering his grandmaster's question. "I thought it better not arise it any farther. We can enter through the window." The four came to a stop, following the length of rope up to the opened window on the second story of the Tavern. Kuai Liang nodded, giving an experimental tug to make sure their weight would be supported. He then lifted himself up and began to climb.
Once inside Jalul and Tanya began to tie the rope around the empress's waist. The woman began to stir slightly, the narcoleptic effects of the serum beginning to wear off, but remained asleep. The priestess nodded at the ninja in the window, who proceeded to ferry the woman up the side of the building. He guided her into the room and placed her gently on the floor before tossing the length back out the window. Picking Mileena up he set her gently onto the bed, Jalul and Tanya appearing shortly after.
"What is that" Tanya seethed as Jalul removed the kunai from the wooden base of the window, closing it in the process. The ninja shrugged as he returned the weapon to his vest, removing the strips of jerky and placing them on the nightstand as he did so.
"A tool" he answered plainly.
"You deceiving -"
"Will you stop" interrupted Kuai Liang, moving to stand by his clansmen. "We have no ill intentions Umgadi. If we did you and the empress would already be dead. Stop antagonizing us purely because we don't come from the same realm. You have our weapons, after we risked our lives and lost our brothers to save yours. You are acting like a fool."
"A fool? I am charged with the protection of the royal family! Your kind cause nothing but trouble everywhere you go. I will not get complacent purely because you believe I should. You will never have my trust. Give me the kunai."
"A fool and a failure, it seems" instigated Jalul. "For being charged with the empress's protection it sure seemed like she would have been captured or worse if we hadn't intervened. Your energy would be better suited to having proper information, like anticipating an ambush, or giving your ally proper intel as he heads into an unfamiliar village, then trying to make up for your mistakes with misplaced suspicions."
"You insolent-" Tanya immediately went rigged and silent, the two ninjas shifting their focus behind the priestess and to the woman sitting up on the mattress.
"Silence!" Mileena barked the command, hushing the Umgadi. She made to turn, opening her mouth to speak again but Mileena repeated her command, more venom in her voice this time. Her brown eyes pierced into Tanya's, then washed over the two Shirai Ryu standing a few feet away. She noticed Kuai Liang instantly.
"What are you doing here, Scorpion?"