R•E•B•O•R•N

One

"Ha, you were close to beating me this time, Kuai," Hanzo Hasashi of the Shirai Ryu wiped the blood away from his mouth and repositioned himself in a boxer stance.

"Oh, don't get too cocky now, 'Scorpion,'" Kuai Liang, the leader of Lin Kuei, chuckled as he held his fists in front of his face.

The leaders were practicing new fighting skills to then teach to the rest of each of their clans. Hanzo smirked as he was about to land an uppercut, but was distracted by hearing his name being called and twisted his body so that me stumbled forward. Kuai was taken aback and laughed as he watched Hanzo turn back to him and then to the source of his name, seeing a fellow assassin of his at the edge of the gardens where he was fighting.

"What is it?" There was a hint of annoyance in his growl.

The assassin held an envelope in his hand and approached the two men, bowed, and handed him the envelope, then left. Once he left, Hanzo examined the envelope and saw a small heart shaped royal crest hand drawn on the back of it, he looked up at the Lin Kuei leader with slight confusion, who returned the same look. "A letter from Esmeralda," Hanzo turned the envelope over and opened it gently.

"The Queen?"

"Yes, she is the queen of the small northern kingdom by the mountains," Hanzo retrieved the letter contained in the envelope and unfolded it. The letter revealed the slightly rushed, yet still soft handwriting. Hanzo read through it quickly:

Hanzo,
It's been quite some time since our last meeting. I do miss our letters, but I know you're busy. I hope everything is well with you.

I have written this letter to ask for a favor - well, for help actually... I have received threats in the last few weeks by a Black Dragon Clan. I don't know who they are and I thought you might know of them.

I have received threatening letters from them and three of my guards have mysteriously disappeared in the last three weeks. I don't know what to do... will you please come and investigate it? The neighboring kingdoms have kept to themselves. I know it may be a stretch, but I will pay you handsomely.

-Esmeralda

Hanzo looked up at Kuai with the most concerning look he'd ever seen on the Shirai Ryu warrior, "What is it, Hanzo? Is she in trouble?"

"The Black Dragon Clan has sent threats to her in the last few weeks. Three of her guards has disappeared in the last three weeks."

"What about the neighboring kingdoms? Won't they help?"

"She claims that they've kept to themselves," Hanzo scanned through the letter once more. "I have to go and help her. She- Queen Esmeralda once helped me once I was brought back from the Netherrealm. I had appeared in the forest neighboring her castle and was attacked by wolves.

A few of her guards had found me and brought me in to their infirmary. She..." Hanzo's jaw locked in place as he looked up at Kuai.

"Well, why are we here? Let's go. I'll come with you," Kuai approached him and patted him on the back, "I want to meet this queen of yours."

Hanzo smiled and looked back at the letter as Kuai headed back inside. Her handwriting always intrigued him, no matter how neat she tried to write, letters always seemed to run together until it becomes cursive. And she was always drawing. Always. He had noticed that she had books upon books of sketches, some so worn that the book covers had fallen off.

Queen Esmeralda was given her title after her father was unfit to rule any longer due to constant sickness and old age. This resulted in the slowness in growth of her kingdom so she could adjust to her new position. She had just gotten back from a trip to a much larger kingdom to discuss terms of trade. She had visited him as soon as she had arrived.

Hanzo remembered the wild green eyes that she had when she introduced herself as the kingdom's queen. And he had never thought a queen would take it upon herself to ask for forgiveness on the behalf of wild wolves, who felt threatened my his presence. I'm sorry she kept telling him - but she had nothing to do with it.

Hanzo followed Kuai back inside and prepared himself for a day's travel.