"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It
The day of her "agreement" with Raiden was the longest in her life.
Her blackmailers threatened her thrice more, each time with increasing emphasis and slowness, to ensure she understood the consequences of betrayal. Her nods and mutters assured them she was listening and would behave. She maintained a calm demeanor, which Raiden approved of, to ensure she did not alert her people to a problem once it was time to address them.
Even if they could find a way around Kano's secretly scattered nukes and Tremor's powers, Raiden was the head of this threat and could carry it out far easier and quicker than the Black Dragons. Panicking would make things worse. Thus, she kept the threats a secret from her people.
As far as they were aware, their leader had a diplomatic mission that could result in the orb binding Vaternus to Outworld being found, or some other advantage for them. She had earned their trust by shedding her own blood, sweat, and tears when she freed their race from slavery, built them a new home, and protected them. They revered her as strongly as she cherished them. They were her reasons for living, and Raiden's menacing words about them infuriated her as much as they terrified her.
Nitara was not a Protector God like Raiden, but she empathized with his burdens. He was desperate to keep Earthrealm safe, at any and all costs. That said, she would not dare dream of sinking to his levels. She was not above manipulation for her schemes, but nowhere near the extremes he subjected her to. Deception was her preferred tactic, due to her desire to avoid violence unless absolutely necessary. She suspected Raiden had initially been trying to do that to her, and may have persuaded others to join him through those methods.
She'd heard of him keeping secrets from his Earthrealm allies during the events of the Blood Code, but all this proved how green he was with those tactics. He was bound to slip up, either with his old allies or his new ones, if not both, and he was definitely aware of that. Perhaps he was arrogant enough to think her fear would prevent her from acting out the second an opportunity showed itself.
The Black Dragons were loyal, if only for their own sadism, but they shared his arrogance. Kano and Tremor, mostly the latter due to Kano's responsibilities as leader of the clan, took turns monitoring her, providing Raiden updates regarding her 'good behavior'. Unbeknownst to them, she was watching them with double the intensity, and unlike them, she was a master of subtlety. Tremor was the most logical of that group, hence him serving as her primary babysitter, yet he wasn't immune to their weaknesses. Carefulness did not equal subtlety, a fact his eagerness with his powers proved.
Her people were uninvolved in the missions; it was her blood magik and scheming mind that Raiden wanted to use for his advantage, and they were bargaining chips. Even if circumstances were slightly different, she would not let them be involved. There was sufficient reason for her to worry for their safety sans them being beside her at all times.
Nitara kept her posture straight as she and Tremor, so close that she felt his breath on her nape, walked down the hall of the Sky Temple, heading to the central room where Raiden awaited them. He wanted her, alongside other new allies of his, to perform a ritual that was a mixture of blood magik and dark sorcery. It also involved the Kamidogu...
Raiden, with a miserable-looking Hanzo nearby, stood at the doorway to greet them. She had already determined that Hanzo would be of no use for her. He was too caught up in his angst to do anything except wallow in self-pity and lick Raiden's boots. The ninja hadn't changed a bit from his years as Quan Chi's lapdog, whether or not he was willing to admit that. Contempt filled her, rivaling the fearful ire she felt for Raiden, and she resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose at the ninja.
Raiden stepped aside for them to enter. Three people had already arrived; two of them were setting up for the ritual while the third person loomed over them and examined their preparations.
It had been a long time since Nitara had seen the former champion of Mortal Kombat and the constructed sanguinare, both valuable henchmen for Shao Kahn, and both having moved on from him like many others that used to obey the dead conqueror. Considering that one had to endure his people being persecuted by the Centaurs with Shao Kahn's approval and his victories on Outworld's behalf being unappreciated, and the other was chained like an animal the majority of her life and only released for intensely desperate situations, the pair was well within their rights to cast his memory to the dust where it belonged.
She'd never met the Red Dragon Grandmaster, not even during her days as Quan Chi's coerced pawn, but she'd heard stories. Kano childishly groused about his rival to anybody willing to listen and Shao Kahn bragged about being responsible for the scar over the Grandmaster's right eye, an injury that occured during the emperor's first invasion of Edenia. The cause of the scar that blinded his left eye was unknown to those not part of the clan.
Standing out among Goro's attire was a red cape and various arm and leg braces adorned by dragon symbols, commemorations to his race's half-dragon heritage.
Skarlet's crimson tresses were bound in a ponytail and she wore a black-and-red catsuit decorated by stripes of those colors as well as a black cape-cloak whose hood was pulled down.
When Nitara came in, Daegon and Skarlet paused their preparations and turned to look at her, Goro doing the same. The Shokan raised an eyebrow as he took a second to study Nitara, which she pretended not to notice, before he cast Raiden a similar glance. The Edenian and the construct gave her curt nods that she reciprocated.
A series of circles were drawn on the floor at the center of the room, the shapes having been created using blood taken from the various little tubes attached to Skarlet's belt. The widest circle was bedecked with six ornate symbols, each representing a dagger.
Nitara dipped her chin."My apologies for my late arrival."
"It is fine," Daegon nonchalantly responded in his deep voice whilst dismissively waving his hand.
"We were told you were occupied this morning," Skarlet added with equal disinterest, her voice husky and echoey. Her red eyes focused on the setup below and around her.
Nitara bit back a retort of 'you could say that'. Her morning consisted of Tremor casually reminding her of the punishment for treachery or failure. She suspected he and his fellow scum were half-hoping she would slip up, so they could sit back and witness the Thunder God unleash his wrath upon the Moroi as if it were a comedic play. She looked forward to denying them that satisfaction and bleeding them dry.
The Red Dragon were unaware of her plight. Everyone among her new 'comrades' except Hotaru and the Black Dragons were unaware. It was clearly explained what would happen if she revealed the truth to anyone.
Nitara swallowed thickly."You've consumed and distributed the protection potion, I assume?" A concoction to prevent the castor and their allies from being affected. She drank it and gave it to Tremor before coming here.
"Naturally," Skarlet replied, still not looking up from her work.
At this point, Daegon was dragging a thin podium to the casting area. He placed it in the middle of the innermost circle and then put a magical tome on it. Meanwhile, Skarlet had satisfied herself with examining the painted floor details and gone to retrieve a bag from the corner of the room. Nitara hurried to join the duo, accepting the bag from Skarlet. The construct glanced betwixt Nitara and Daegon before unattaching an empty tube from her belt.
The daggers were passed amongst the trio, each member cutting their palms with each blade and then hovering their hands above the tube so their blood dripped inside until the tube was full. Then they telekinetically guided the daggers toward the outermost circle, turning them over so that the bladed ends would impale the symbols once dropped.
The combination of blood loss and injury from the Kamidogu made them feel lightheaded, but Nitara and Skarlet were born sanguinares that had perfected their magik over the years while Daegon had been dabbling in blood magik and dark sorcery since he founded his clan.
Daegon stood straight as he fixed his gaze on the tome and held his crossed hands over the pages. Nitara and Skarlet settled down to sit within the second-inmost circle, the latter placing the tube next to the podium. Then she produced another tube, this one full, and also placed it next to the podium. The women joined hands, their blood mixing and dripping on the space between the pair of tubes. The demigod's hands bled onto the pages.
"Step back," Goro told the others, having casually backed into a wall. Tremor did the same.
"And be quiet until they are finished," Raiden said as he and Hanzo moved closer to the doorway.
Daegon glanced at the four non-castors to confirm they were behaving, then looked down at the women, both of whom nodded, and he copied their actions afore returning his attention to the book. The triad shut their eyes and took deep breaths, silence consuming the chamber for a minute as they were gathering their mental and physical strength, and then they finally began the ritual.
Daegon opened his eye and slowly started reciting the words from the pages, parts of an ancient Edenian language that was no longer commonly spoken but that older Edenians like himself remembered. Skarlet and Nitara's grip on each other's hands tightened, their own eyes remaining shut.
One by one from the inside, the circles gradually started to glow, one symbol and its accommodating Kamidogu shining in response to every additional circle that lit up.
Daegon's voice grew louder, beginning to verge on chanting. He fought not to grit his teeth as his palms stung and his ichor continued to stain the pages. Nitara and Skarlet tilted their heads backwards, their own palms stinging, and parted their lips to mumble phrases in the Moroi language.
The circles and daggers glowed brighter. Now the tubes by his feet were glowing. His chanting and their mumbling grew so loud it echoed off the walls, forcing the other four people present to cover their ears. Soon every circle, symbol, Kamidogu dagger, and tube shone so intensely that the others had to shut their eyes.
The triad's hands all shook, their throats ached, yet they kept bleeding and uttering those strange phrases in the Edenian and Moroi tongues.
All the gore on the pages and still dripping from the demigod's hands rose, levitating above the papers and changing shape to match the hieroglyphics they had prevously covered. The vampiress' and the construct's mixed gore flew from the floor and off their entwined hands, hovering and rapidly spinning over their heads.
The series of bloody circles were heating up, including the symbols and Kamidogu. Fire abruptly burst from those shapes, surrounding the castors but not spreading.
Tremor was briefly alarmed, but relaxed when he saw the lack of surprise on the other three men's faces, having witnessed such spells in the past.
Now the tubes were levitating so high they nearly touched the ceiling. This was followed by the circular flames, save for those embedded by the Kamidogu, flying up. Their misshapen lifeblood copied the path of the two aforementioned items...
And then the tubes slammed into the ceiling, the glass shattering and exploding as the saguine liquid it had contained descended like hail upon the castors. They winced when some of the glass hit or grazed them.
The burning circles and sanguinary hieroglyphics hit the ceiling with equal force, but they instead fell upon the Kamidogu and the second they did so, the bloody rain flew toward that outmost circle, triggering an explosion, this one twice as intense. The four witnesses held onto the walls or doorways to maintain their footing and turned away as the fiery shapes of gore and glass flew throughout the room, out the door and affecting every inch of the insides of the Sky Temple.
Everyone who hadn't consumed the protective potion would be affected by the spell, slowly but surely be weakened and unwittingly drawn toward the source, unaware of why this was happening but possibly suspecting something was amiss yet not realizing the true issue until it was too late to escape. Subduing the victims would be child's play.
Nobody was naturally immune, not even gods, hence Raiden drinking the potion and intending to target an unsuspecting Fujin with it.
Regardless, the effects would not last long, another reason for its rare utilization in addition to the amount of power required to perform it. That Raiden was eager to resort to this spoke volumes to his desperation and determination.
The trio let out mixtures of shaky sighs and grunts as they slumped from exhaustion. The demigod gripped the podium to steady himself whilst the redhead and the winged woman supported themselves on their arms. They were pale and sweaty. Except for Hanzo, their allies moved to aid them. Raiden put a hand on Daegon's shoulder, though he was waved off. Goro grasped Skarlet's shoulder and carefully pulled her to her feet, letting go when she was able to straighten herself. He looked at Daegon, who was still gripping the podium and ignoring Raiden, and after a few seconds the Edenian nodded to indicate that he could manage on his own. Tremor grabbed Nitara under her arm and pulled her, a bit too harshly, to her feet, annoying her enough to yank her limb from his grip and turn her back to him.
Nitara searched in her pockets for a vial, sighing as she realized that in her stress this morning, she only remembered to drink the protection potion but forgot to bring a refreshment to revitalize herself post-ritual. A minor healing serum or blood vial would suffice. The other two definitely brought something; Skarlet in particular had plenty of vials on her belt that were impossible not to notice. A gander at the pair confirmed that Skarlet was drinking from a vial and Daegon was consuming a healing serum.
Her eyes on the pair were immediately noticed by both of them. Before she could open her mouth, Skarlet unfastened a vial from her belt and handed it to her. Nitara bowed her head and muttered her gratitude.
"It is done," Daegon rasped at Raiden.
"You're welcome," Skarlet husked, also addressing the Thunder God.
"Try not to mess this up," Nitara mumbled before she could curb herself. She chewed her lip and lowered her gaze to avoid Raiden and Tremor's narrowed-eyed glares.
Daegon snorted."I concur. Granted, Skarlet and I, as well as Prince Goro, are getting paid for assisting you, whereas Lady Nitara is being quite generous in sticking her neck out for you."
"Indeed," Skarlet concurred, crossing her arms.
Her teeth clamped onto her tongue, unsure if she was fighting the urge to correct them or thank them. Her plight was unknown to them and if her watchers suspected that she told someone, they would make her regret it, to put it mildly. She was contemplating revealing the secret to them, a task easier said than done given that their rivals were constantly monitoring her, but it was worth an attempt if she could somehow perfectly plan that revelation.
The Black Dragon was a permanent ally of Raiden's, but their counterparts had agreed to a temporary contract, to see how things would go for awhile so they could make a concrete choice later on.
However, merely getting the truth to the Red Dragon would be insufficient. Why would they care about her struggles?
Raiden's methods for manipulating Daegon were different to what he was using on Nitara, and his clan would have a simpler time getting away safely than she would.
Keeping her head down, she cautiously peered at the pair. Based on what she'd heard, Daegon was fiercely protective of his friends, clan members as well as the rare outside comrades such as Goro. Skarlet loved learning about blood magik, having gained greater experience and skill over the last seven years, chances denied to her by Shao Kahn and Reiko. If she could get on their good sides, earn their trust...
But the somehow aspect of this conundrum remained. Tremor and Kano would never leave her unwatched, nor would Raiden. She was certain that they thought they had scared her like a compliant puppy, yet that did not mean they would cease their hawkish watching of her. Subtlety was her speciality; this context demanded a special brand of subtlety.
Well, she had somewhat welcomed the challenge of outplaying Raiden and making him pay for his arrogance. What better way than to discreetly steal one of his potential pawns from under his nose, and in addition punish Kano and Tremor by luring them into their rivals' arms?
No one threatened or harmed her loved ones and got away with it, nor treat her magik as a tool for their own petty gain. Shao Kahn and Quan Chi learned that the hard way, just not entirely by her doing, which rendered this opportunity sweeter.
Nitara raised her gaze to cast the pair a grateful look. They did not respond, as if their actions were a basic example of common sense, which she supposed was true, but this was a decent beginning.
"We ought to comingle our magik more, don't you think?" she suggested to the duo. She didn't dare peer at Raiden or Tremor. Keeping her cool, she went on,"I doubt this shall be the last...strenuous task we are assigned." No smiles, no sweetness, no alerting them to her intentions, nothing besides logic.
Raiden discreetly shifted nearer to her. His tone indicated he was suspicious of her motives for saying that but he was not positive."A good idea, I suppose-" He was cut off.
"An excellent point, Lady Nitara," Daegon interjected, now stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Skarlet nodded, voice and visage blank."I am the sole naturally born saguinare of the clan, having another would make things easier." Vampires and sanguinary golems, beings whose very existence was the result of blood magik, could do far more than even the best learned mages of that art.
Nitara internally cheered. The odds were swiftly tipping in her favor. Raiden understood that he must tread gingerly with the Red Dragon.
"Then why the discussion?" Goro suddenly spoke up, looking between Raiden and Nitara. He had realized what she was trying to accomplish. Interestingly, the ex-champion's interjection seemed to assuage Raiden's concerns, and the deity shot Tremor an assuring glance. This put Tremor mostly at ease. A wordless understanding was passing amongst the men. They must have guessed she would do this. She had no clue what to think of that.
"Well," Skarlet said as she adjusted her belt."I believe we should go home to recuperate for today. We shall need it for our next assignment." Her red eyes, glinting with an odd combination of disinterest and irritation, flickered at Raiden. Nitara snuck a peek at Daegon, confirming that he was feeling the same toward Raiden. It made sense when keeping in mind that theirs was not yet, and hopefully would not become, a permanent deal.
"Yes, that is best," Daegon said in agreement with Skarlet as he dusted himself off. Then he turned to Raiden."As usual, Lord Raiden, we'll keep in touch."
Raiden smiled faintly yet politely."Of course. I am eternally grateful to you." He did not even glance at Nitara, as if worry about her potential manipulations was beneath him. Not necessarily shocking, considering his cockiness, but it worried her nonetheless.
"Good luck," Daegon said to Raiden."I'd hate for our hard work to be rendered worthless because of someone else's inane errors." He shrugged."Granted, I am getting payment for this, but it is a matter of principal."
Raiden simply kept smiling and nodding in assent.
Daegon pressed a button on his arm-console, causing a portal to open. Nitara tentatively followed him, Skarlet, and Goro into the portal. She snuck a glimpse over her shoulder at Raiden, unable to deny that she suffered a pang of unease when she saw that his smile had widened an inch. Just what was his counter-plan and what part did Goro play in it? Daegon and Skarlet were not aware of her situation, let alone this counter-plan, so why should Goro be?
Goro kept his expression neutral as he exited the portal alongside his companions. He was slightly tempted (alright, mayhap a little more than that slightly) to at least permit himself a ghost of a smile, but it was best to appear stoic until he could speak privately with the vampiress.
Cunning woman. Desperate, obviously, yet this applied to everyone. Raiden's desperation was the most apparent. What else could explain his eagerness to recruit people who had either threatened Earthrealm in the past or had simply been indifferent to its struggles? The insistence on secrecy from his usual comrades? Truly amusing, which made Goro all the more eager to see where this would lead and how it would benefit him.
The prince had spent years regaining his strength, like his Red Dragon allies. The moment Skarlet arrived under Daegon's orders to inform him of the clan's new contract, he was intrigued and could not fast enough say yes to the question of whether he was interested in participating.
Curiosity aside, he tired of hiding and waiting for the right opportunity avenge his losses and reclaim what was rightfully his. That had begun seven years ago when Daegon restored his arms, the magik of Onaga so powerful that the limbs would always grow back if someone ever amputated them again, just like it had for Onaga.
The Red Dragon were useful allies, a respectable group that he learned to trust and vice versa despite their...chaotic introduction. During the year of their war against Quan Chi and the Black Dragon, he had assisted them, and he had also reunited with those that still supported him.
Of his seven wives, only three remained loyal to him and refused to serve Queen Sheeva. Fitting, since they were his favorites. Leshan, Nara, and Xenia tracked him down and re-swore fealty to him. A male Shokan called Grum, a rare member of their kind who possessed six arms as opposed to the usual four, also rejoined the prince's service. With their assistance, he built a resistance that slowly grew and would someday follow their true leader back home.
The majority of his people accepted Sheeva, including his other four, now ex-wives, one of whom had actually turned out to be having an affair with Sheeva and ending up marrying her shortly after her coronation. He wanted to be irked by that, but it mostly amused him. Sometimes, in the back of his mind, he suspected Kala was unfaithful, as well as that Wylie, Sarin, and Galia sought more than he could give them.
Let it never be said that the current queen was weak, having killed every single one of her opponents in the competition for the crown and fought Goro to a tie in training sessions on a handful of occasions. He did not doubt she'd proved herself a fierce and esteemed ruler, but the fact remained that the throne was his and he would never cease his fight to take it back, both for his own honor and for the legacy of his late father. If that meant annihilating those he once cared for and respected, so be it, because such was the way of the Shokan race. Sheeva knew that better than he did, and better than Kintaro had as well.
He supposed it was a good thing Kintaro was dead, and that he'd gotten a warrior's death no less, as it spared Goro the effort of ending him. But that was not the sole reason. For all their feuds and arguments, Kintaro calling him a pompous and overconfident prince and Goro returning fire by calling him an over-achieving commoner, the two men had shared a grudging respect.
A strange mindset to Earthrealmers and even to some other Outworld races, but the Shokan were born and bred to be warriors; their half-dragon blood demanded it. Few dreamed of changing that, but it never took long for them to realize that this way was necessary. Sheeva briefly tried to change it and almost immediately came to her senses, whereas Goro did not ever, for a fraction of a second, doubt this truth.
Goro shook his head to end these musings. He looked upon his companions. Skarlet, Daegon, and Nitara were in the process of bandaging their palms. Although the healing serums and blood vials mostly took care of the damage, those weren't utterly perfect solutions. At the end of the day, everyone had some wound or weakness that must be treated the old-fashioned way.
The triad of castors were in the middle of a discussion.
"I look forward to seeing what we can learn from each other," Nitara said to the other two.
"I'm not one to decline opportunities for new knowledge," Skarlet tonelessly replied, though her eyes showed a hint of enthusiastic interest.
"Nor am I one to deny a potential new honorable ally," Daegon spoke as if were the most obvious fact in the world, although it pretty much was for those who truly knew the Grandmaster.
Goro couldn't say he disagreed with their remarks. It was why he'd developed a rapport with the clan and hoped to have their support when his fateful day came, similar to how he suspected they hoped for the same from him.
Daegon went on:"Perhaps we may continue such discussions on a later occasion. It has been somewhat of a trying day." Goro imagined that for Nitara, those words were more than a bit of an understatement. He felt a smidge of pity for her.
"You may stay here if you wish," Skarlet told Nitara whilst shrugging one shoulder."The others will explain to you where you can and cannot go for the time being."
"Let them know if you require anything," Daegon said to the vampiress. He inclined his head."Have a pleasant evening, Lady Nitara." He then headed for the exit, to return to his quarters for rest or meditation.
Skarlet dipped her chin."Until next time," she said before leaving, no doubt following the demigod to his quarters. He was fairly certain her rooms were unused for longer than could be counted and were only still hers for official principality's sake.
Nitara reacted to their parting words and gestures by bowing her head.
Goro realized he was again resisting a smile as Nitara fixed a stern, inquisitive stare upon him once they were alone.
"Why?" she mumbled the query. She lifted her chin, a frown marring her darkly attractive features.
Goro chortled."Because your situation intrigues me as much as Raiden's does."
She crossed her arms."I'm not here to entertain you," she said icily.
He scoffed."That is not what I meant." He shrugged one shoulder when she raised a doubting eyebrow at him."Not entirely. I have been watching and listening and waiting for the perfect time for me to rise and reclaim my rights. Should Raiden or you gain the Red Dragon's trust, that day may finally come. Or it will at least grant a quickening advantage for myself."
"It may benefit you as much as it would benefit myself or Raiden," she stated rather than asked. She cocked her head and pursed her lips."A risky game, don't you think?"
He snorted."Nowhere near the levels of Raiden's games."
"Or mine for that matter, I guess," she muttered with a sigh.
He shrugged again."For what it's worth, I think you're off to a decent start. Then again, so is he."
Nitara furrowed her brows in contemplation for a few moments."So you've told Raiden the same thing you just told me," she deduced."And because of that, you've garnered his trust in watching over me when Tremor or Kano cannot, especially since Daegon would never allow them here."
"He would never allow even Raiden here, not after his experiences with Shinnok."
She hummed."That makes sense. One does not create a foundation like this one by being stupid. I know that from personal experience."
Goro rolled his eyes. Of course the Moroi leader would let herself brag about her accomplishments, not that her remarks were incorrect, and he could hardly judge someone in the bragging department.
"So you understand now?" he asked, to which she nodded."Excellent. I wish you luck. You will need plenty of it and more when it comes to those two."
She nodded again. She hesitated briefly before saying,"Thank you." And then she left the room, leaving Goro alone with his musings.
Daegon sat seiza in the middle of his rooms, his good eye closed as he meditated. Ten feet behind him on the mattress, Skarlet lay on her back and was holding a book above her head with one hand.
She'd read it multiple times, a legend about about a historical figure that was rumored to have bathed in her victims' blood to maintain her beauty and youth. Half of her Earthrealm comrades claimed that part was just that: a rumor, whilst the second half teasingly tried to convince her it was the truth. Personally, she was content to read and enjoy the legends without an opinion on the matter.
"Nitara has schemes on her mind," she casually remarked while turning a page."She always does. Finding new ways to serve and defend her people. Whatever Raiden offered her may be insufficient. Goro is no different, not now, not ever."
"Neither are we," Daegon blandly responded without turning his body or unclosing his eye.
"I know," she replied."I merely wonder if they will attempt to convince us to join Raiden."
"They are smarter than that. Goro has done nothing of the sort in the years we've known him, lest he ruin his ambitions. He loves his throne too much, similar to how Nitara adores her people. Such risks would not be worth a reward, one that might as well be nonexistent."
"Of course you empathize with them," she spoke matter-of-factly, no emotion on her visage nor in her voice."Given your own cravings for your rights and your affection for your subordinates."
He chuckled."Don't tell me you disagree," he retorted with partial amusement."You have similar ambitions and affections."
A chortle not quite escaped her throat."I didn't say that, I merely commented." She turned another page. A smile ghosted her ruby lips. Claiming the opposite would be the ultimate hypocrisy, and she would never become a hypocrite.
"Besides," she went on as she bent her knees and then crossed her legs."You enjoy our banter." Now she was smiling faintly, the laughter growing harder to stifle. Then she purred,"Among other things..."
He snorted."Now you are merely stating the obvious." His intonation was slightly softer than hers.
She clicked her tongue."That's an additional thing on the list."
"My dear Skarlet," he drawled with feigned annoyance. A corner of his mouth quirked up."Remind me why I'm so fond of you?" His voice was wet with sarcasm.
"Did I not provide two reminders a moment ago?" she rhetorically inquired, glancing at his back from the corner of her eye.
He sighed, mirthful exasperation so obvious that one must be deaf not to recognize it, particularly somebody that knew him well. Seeing as she was amongst that special group, she possessed that extra lack of excuse.
Sighing, she placed the book to the side and uncrossed her legs before rolling onto her side. She propped an elbow on the mattress, put her cheek on her palm, and drummed the fingers of her other hand on the bed. A frown now marred her features."In all seriousness," she began as she chewed her bottom lip."Do you trust him?" She needn't elaborate; it was clear she was referring to the Thunder God.
Opening his eye, he lowered his gaze and partially twisted his body to look at her."I told him that I believe he is sincere, but I also said that I require concrete proof."
"So you want to trust him," she remarked, raising her eyebrows."Well, that sounds better than what you've been saying about the, now headless, disgraced Elder God. I wish you'd taken pictures so the rest of us could have seen him." She snickered.
He resisted the urge to wince at the mention of his ex-mentor. He'd never forgive himself for letting that wretch use him and his followers as pawns, especially when Mavado's last conversation with him echoed in his ears. It would forever haunt him, almost as much her memory...
"It was the least that wretch deserved," he muttered bitterly."However, manipulative as he was, he wasn't wrong about my parents."
"Yes," Skarlet murmured."Like Mileena wasn't wrong about Reiko." She bit her lip harder, nearly drawing blood.
He twisted entirely around and moved closer to her so that he was kneeling in front of the bed. He gently grasped her chin and caressed his thumb along her lips. She gripped his wrist and lightly squeezed it in silent thanks.
She didn't tend to talk a lot about her entitled sister or her traitorous former lover, not since she officially joined the clan as a permanent member. They were reduced to bad memories, along with her indignation toward Ermac for never helping her when she implored him to understand because they were basically the same, constructs primarily created from the souls and blood of Shao Kahn's Edenian victims. Then there was her fury that Shao Kahn doted on a clone he barely knew yet he chained her up and made her into a blank slate, a slave with zero rights, up until he died after which she finally began to think and talk like a real person, understanding and cherishing the free will she had been denied and that she hadn't previously realized was so precious.
Those were feelings he understood. His anger toward Argus for not loving or appreciating him, his disappointment at Delia for not doing enough to help, and his...uncertainty on what to feel for Taven. Raiden hit the nail on the head when he described their twisted family dynamics. It was why he would never abuse and neglect his followers, from the dragon hybrids to the priests and priestesses and to the regular soldiers. He swore to be the god and leader they deserved, in order to repay their eternal loyalty and service. They were his reasons for living and fighting, just as he was to them.
The moment and mood were interrupted when the communicator on his desk beeped. He sighed as he stood and went to answer the call. She let out a soft sigh of her own, rolled onto her back, and retrieved her book.
Taking a seat in his revolving chair, he pressed a button to accept the call. A hologram of a very pleased-looking Raiden appeared on the desk. Daegon was fairly sure the Cheshire Cat would be perplexed by Raiden's grin.
"The spell worked to perfection," Raiden informed him."Fujin, Sonya Blade, and Kuai Liang walked into it like oblivious rodents into a mousetrap. They are being secured as we speak."
"Good," Daegon replied. He fought not to make a snarky comment expressing relief that Raiden and the Shirai Ryu hadn't messed up that simple task and wasted the triad of castors' hard work.
Raiden's smile faltered."I hope our dear Nitara has been behaving herself."
"She's been naught but polite," Skarlet called from the bed as she turned a page."I'm sure we shall get along fine and teach each other much."
Nodding, Daegon added,"I don't tolerate disrespect or betrayal toward myself or my people, and although she hasn't been here long, she hasn't given us evidence to label her insincere or untrustworthy. I'm sure she'll prove even more useful than she has today." As he spoke, he took out a stack of documents from a drawer and sorted through them.
"That is...relieving," Raiden carefully responded."Is Prince Goro busy?"
"Not that I know of," the pyromancer said, not taking his gaze off the papers."You can give him a call and ask him yourself."
Raiden nodded, his grin returning."I will contact him and you after I am finished dealing with Kotal Kahn and my Earthrealm allies. If you are up to it, I have a new assignment for you tomorrow."
Daegon lifted his gaze from the papers and arched a curious eyebrow."I have no issues with that. What do you require?"
Raiden gave a slow, dark laugh. When he answered, he enunciated each word as if he were relishing it:
"Track down Rain."