The Lost Outworlders

Rain's Punishment

My most sincere and greatest of apologies to you all. I haven't been able to write in a while due to lack of a phone (stupid school system). Anyway here is the next chapter. This is where the real plot begins. Enjoy :)

"I am the son of Argus and the new ruler of the Tarkatan armies! You shall not--ACK!" the son of Argus and new ruler of the Tarkatan armies was silenced by a soul keeper's telekinetic aura squeezing his throat.

"He does not seem to be cooperative, our lord," Ermac said still holding the hydromancer's windpipe, "shall we silence him?"

"No Ermac," said Kotal Kahn, "I would like to get a few more words out of him."

After the battle, the emperor had Tanya retrieved, bound and brought to him on her knees, still unconscious. They now gathered in the dining hall once again with the two Edenian prisoners. There was something he was wondering since he laid eyes on Rain and his now-dead army. And if Rain doesn't speak, the Kahn thought, the sight of Ferra/Torr ripping his body to shreds should loosen Tanya's tongue.

Ermac released Rain's throat. The half-god coughed and sputtered on his knees with his hand bound behind his back as Kotal frowned down at him. "You and Tanya, given your admittedly impressive abilities, I'm sure would have had little trouble sneaking through my city and guard," Kotal assessed, "but how did you manage to sneak a small army of barbarians through my city without my immediate notice?" Kotal looked down at Rain who slowly raised his head to glare daggers into the Kahn's blue eyes.

"To hell with you usurper," Rain spat, "I'll tell you nothing."

Reptile suddenly stomped to the hydromancer and grasped him by the ears and brought him very close to his reptilian face, filling Rain's nostrils with his awful breath.

"Your army is dead," Reptile pointed out venemously, "your false queen is long dead, and you shall be dead soon. There is no point in resistance anymore. You have lost."

"Reptile," Kotal called. The Zaterran reluctantly released Rain and walked away, but not before spitting in the rebels's hair, which burnt away on contact. "Ermac," the Kahn commanded over the sound of the hydromancer's screams of pain.

Ermac floated to the emperor's side and telepathically grasped Rain by the ankles, lifting him into the air until his eyes were level with Kotal's.

"Rain, Tanya," Kotal said with a look to the Edenian acrobat, At least she is cooperating, "you will tell me how you appeared before me, or will die a most painful death." Rain stayed defiantly silent.

However, Tanya did not.

"He has an amulet," she said quickly, "it can teleport a large number of soldiers at a time."

"You traitorous whore!" Rain shouted, blood rushing to his head, "What are you doing?"

"I have no leader, no army, no Mileena, no chance," she replied, "what do I have to gain from silence?"

"The honor of a true Edenian," Rain growled at her, becoming dizzy from being upside down too long. As they were speaking, Tanya was being brought to her feet.

"Hmm. My life or my honor?" the Edenian mock pondered, hand on her chin, "It's around his neck."

Kotal Kahn smiled and Erron Black chuckled, though he immediately clutched his heavily bandaged side afterwards. Reptile walked up to Rain, still upside down, and reached down his shirt. His clawed hand returned with a small, dark blue, raindrop-shaped amulet attached to the hydromancer's neck with a black chain. Reptile snapped it off his neck and brought it to Kahn.

"My lord," the raptor said. The emperor took it between his thumb and forefinger and held it close to his glowing eyes, inspecting it.

"Hmm," he finally said, "D'Vorah, bring Tanya to the most luxurious cell you can find."

Tanya looked content as she was led away. Rain looked furious.

"As for you, Rain," the Kahn said, he beckoned to Ermac and gave the amulet to him, "release him," the half-god fell to the floor head first. He sat up gasping, his head as red as blood.

"You refused to comply," Kotal continued (Kahn-tinued. Haha! I'm sorry), "so I think is about time you die."

"So who gets to kill him?" Erron piped in.

"We wants kill him!" Ferra shouted from atop Torr's back.

"Emperor, I would have great pleasure in devouring the insurgent," said Reptile.

"It would be quickest if we do it, our lord," Ermac suggested.

Kotal was getting a headache. "I don't care," he announced, "talk it amongst yourselves."

"He bested me in kombat," Reptile claimed, "I wish to redeem myself."

"Yeah, but you weren't stabbed because of that sumbitch," Erron Black counterclaimed gesturing to his wound. Kotal did some kind of incantation to heal it, so it should be better within an hour or two, but it still pissed him off.

"We wants to kill him!" Ferra insisted, baring her blades and puffing her cheeks out in anger.

"Quiet child," Reptile hissed.

"This is grown up stuff, Ferra," Erron said.

"But Ferra save Bang Bang by beating Tawney!" Ferra pointed out.

Reptile burst into laughter and Kotal raised his eyebrows as Erron's face turned red under his bandana.

"Is that true, Mr. Great Gunslinger Black?" Reptile asked still laughing.

Mr. Great Gunslinger Black pulled his hat over his eyes and said, "Don't tell D'Vorah..."

Reptile laughed all the harder and Kahn was finding it hard to contain his own laughter.

They seemed to have forgotten about their prisoner until he reminded them he was there by kicking Ermac in the temple. The soul reaper fell to his side while Rain retrieved his amulet.

Reptile darted to the Edenian with a snarl, but was halted by a jab to the throat and a spinning back kick to the head. Erron ran at Rain but was incapacitated as well with a punch to his unhealed wound.

Rain raised his amulet and started chanting, evidently attempting to teleport away. Ferra/Torr charged at him, but they did not reach him before the Kahn sprang into action.

His hands glowed yellow as he chanted, "forteh-meh YAH-ke-meh," and shot a sunbeam at the amulet in Rain's hand. The half-god was blasted back by an invisible surge of power from the amulet. Said amulet began to float in the air on its own and glow a bright pink instead of its original blue.

"Fools!" Rain bellowed as Ermac, Erron, and Reptile rose to their feet again.

They had just enough time to wonder what was going on before the amulet exploded in a blast of red and white.

This is where the plot truly begins. Let me know what you think so far. Also, let me know if I made any mistakes (besides my pun :)