Return to Kombat

Chapter 1 - Recruited Again

(Rating: PG-13 for cursing, adult situations, and violence.)

Dedicated to my fans who helped me get to 1,150 votes and their support. Most of all, to Kurohana for her support and ideas and for helping me make this as non-cheesy and cool as possible!

Return to Kombat 

Book Three of the Kombat series 

by Cheyenne Cook 

cover by Cheyenne Cook 

Chapter One 

Recruited Again 

Liu Kang made his way across the cooling sand, towards his master's hut up the hill. As the sun traveled lower, mashing with the horizon, the beach of Edenia began to calm and lose heat from its rays. The fighters who were still training were wiping their sweating brows, thankful for the reduced heat, and the ones who were finished watched the purple water. Liu remembered when he was one of those fighters; endlessly perfecting his attacks, his defense, and his escapes. Sometimes he still trained while everyone else was asleep. Rarely did he ever fight with anyone anymore. He refused to help train or even attend dinner. He kept his head down as he passed the huts all the young fighters were staying in. Especially when he passed her old hut. 

He remembered waking up early and going on his morning jog and every morning he would see her coming out of her hut and stretching in the morning light while everyone else was already doing their daily duties. She wasn't much of a morning person, but the way she looked out at the water made him wonder what she saw in it. Often he found himself looking deep into the drift of the water, listening to the waves; he found nothing. She saw something in the water he hasn't been able to find in the five years she's been gone. 

Liu shook his head. He hated when he thought about her, which was very often. He pressed on to Raiden's hut and pushed the thought of her out of his mind. Instead he thought about what Raiden wanted to talk to him about. What could be so urgent that he had to walk all the way from his hut to the other side of the beach? What couldn't have waited until their usual meeting in two days, when they usually spoke about upcoming events, like Mortal Kombat? 

Another tournament; it hurt his head to think about it. A long time ago he would have opted for entering every single one of them. Now he was getting too old for it. It wasn't his body; at thirty years old he was in perfect health. Mentally, however, he was over it. If he won he would be king of Outworld, and he didn't need that. He was fine with his job as of now; hide in Edenia until he's needed. 

As he climbed the steps to the top of the hill, with tall grass and bare trees, he smirked at the thought. At least he was better than her; he came out when people needed him, while she just hid. No one knew where she was, or if she was even still alive. Sometimes he wondered what she was doing, but other times he wondered if she was lying somewhere in the ground...and liked the thought. 

Liu lifted his fist and knocked on the door a couple times. 

"Come in," Raiden called from the other side. 

He pushed open the wooden door and looked around the dark room. The only light came from the slivers of sunlight still left, streaming through the windows. Raiden's room wasn't lavish, like you would think a god's room would be. It was bare, with dirt floors, except for a small bed in the corner of the room, a sink, a toilet, and a table with one single chair. On the table was a piece of paper, sitting in the hands of Raiden himself. He studied the paper with squinted eyes, reading the small print in the dark. It was as if Liu hadn't come in at all; he simply carried on reading. Knowing not to interrupt, Liu waited with his arms folded until Raiden set down the paper.