Backstage Pass to Mortal Kombat

Chapter 38 - Unknown Beginnings

You HAVE to read the author's note, okay???

After finding a suitable room that was secluded, safe, and secret enough, Raiden gathered everyone inside. It was dark now, and was beginning to grow late. My eyes were drooping and my body was finally beginning to feel the toll of the fight, but he refused to let me sleep yet. We still had to discuss a lot.

The room was a study; the walls lined with bookshelves that held leather bound books that probably have never been opened, the floor was a polished hardwood, the windows were large, but held deep burgundy curtains over the panes so no one could look inside. The walls and doors were so thick that no one would be able to hear us; Raiden had already tested his theory out. Lush leather chairs sat in an array around the room. By a roaring fire, that a servant had started for us, sat Johnny and Liu in two armchairs. Behind a desk sat Liu with his feet propped on the deep mahogany. Bo’ sat near the chaise lounge – where the scotch classes and bottle was, no surprise there – and Keanu and I sat on a couch on the other side of the room. Standing in the middle of this unorganized-circle stood Raiden, watching us all.

I was hardly able to keep my head up; I was leaning against the arm of the leather couch, feeling its cool material on the side of my face. If it wasn’t for Keanu’s nudge when Raiden began to speak, I would have fallen asleep. In an effort to pay more attention I sat up a little straighter.

“First off, I think we should start with a drink to the new queen.” Raiden smiled.

An embarrassed smile crept onto my face as he walked over to where Bo’ sat, pouring drinks for us all. They were handed out and passed around, finally reaching me and Keanu. Once everyone had a drink in their hand, the glasses were raised and Raiden stood in the middle of us all again.

“To Zakyya Brooks,” he began. “She is my pupil, our friend, and now the queen of Outworld. Long live the queen!”

To that, we all raised our glasses a little higher and took a large swig of the amber liquid. I smiled to them all and muttered thanks, but it sounded so quiet and pitiful; lost somewhere in the midst of my sleepy fog.

“Now,” he broke in when the toast was over. He sat down his glass, still half full, on the edge of a table before turning to me. “I’m sure most of you already know the enchantment that Outworld has. Keanu,”

Keanu perked up when he heard his name.

“I trust you know of the enchantment?”

He lowered his head before nodding slightly. “Yes…”

Confused, I raised an eyebrow at him. Seeing this out of the corner of his eye, Keanu continued, “Ever since I came here I’ve felt…depressed. It’s hard to explain, but I haven’t been this happy in a long time. There wasn’t a cause to the depression – I mean, I was being treated well. But something in me just…changed.”

Raiden nodded, “The same will happen to Zak, very soon. Then, she will become evil, and will stop aging. The longer she stays in Outworld the more she will change.”

I felt like I wasn’t even in the room. They talked about me, they looked at me, but they spoke as if I wasn’t here. A frown creased into my forehead; can’t I just go back to sleep?

“What can we do to stop it?” Keanu demanded. He was suddenly very serious. I smirked to myself; sometimes it was weird having so many ‘big brothers’…although Keanu and I kissed. A few times… Scary thought.

I jerked myself to shake out of my thoughts, listening more intently to Raiden.

“Well, I have a theory. Of course there are other evils out there besides Shao. There are forces much more powerful than him, and far more dangerous.”