Beyond Kombat: Backstage Pass 2 Mortal Kombat

Chapter 10 - Through the Fire and the Flames

"This is all we could find, Nitara," someone said - a man, by the sound of his voice. He dropped something on the ground, not too far away. I had officially been awake for about seven minutes (I was trying to count in my head, but it was hard to concentrate) but I still had my eyes closed and refused to move. Laying on my side, there were large rocks digging into my hip and arm, but I ignored it. I was listening to everything around me. Who were these people? What did they want? Where was everyone else? My last question was answered pretty quickly as I heard movement on the ground next to me. I opened my eyes for a split second, with no one watching, to see Liu looking around with angry and panicked eyes. He was probably just worried that we were behind schedule again.

"Liu," I whispered so quietly I hardly heard it. His eyes flashed to mine. A wave of relief washed over them.

"Are you okay?" he said just as quietly.

"Yes, but don't move, keep your eyes closed, and listen. Let's try and figure out who these people are."

He nodded subtly and closed his eyes again. So did I. We listened to the movement around us. There were dozens of people walking around in big black boots, spiked with thorns or metal that I had seen in my short conversation with Liu. I wondered where Johnny was, where Keanu was, how we were going to get out of here, and for the hundredth time what these people wanted. Did they want the tribe we were staying with? It didn't look like they had tied up any of them; only us 'newcomers'. God, there was so much confusion going on lately! First, Chua had apparently been liquoring me up every day for the past three days, the source had moved again, and now we were tied up, laying on the ground in the dirt, surrounded by people who wanted us for some unknown reason.

Don't be stupid, I finally told myself. It came to me. You're the queen of Outworld now...you're very valuable. I wanted to smack myself in the head. Not only was that physically impossible with my hands tied behind my back, but I also didn't want to move a muscle. The longer I had to figure this out, the better.

The same shrill woman's voice that I had heard earlier, in the spiked, heeled boots, sighed, "None of this was even worth the trip. Well, I suppose we can feast, which is good enough. Wake her up, I know it's worn off by now."

Footsteps stomped over to me and I had to think fast. My chest was heaving with my fast shallow breaths. What do I do? Do I run? How will the others get away? God, I wish I could have learned that skill Nadie had. I would be able to say to them all, in their heads, to run and run fast. Maybe we could all get away. Running like chickens with our heads cut off, with our hands tied behind our backs. The image almost made me laugh, but I didn't dare as hands gripped my shoulders. Blindly, I kicked out as hard as I could. I heard a loud snap and the man fell over, crying out in pain. When I opened my eyes - it was obvious I was awake anyway - I saw his leg bent in a very wrong way.

"Serves you right, asshole!" I yelled at him. More hands grabbed me and I was yanked to my feet. Liu opened his eyes now and tried to kick out as well, but they were all behind him and he couldn't do much. They dragged me over to a lit fire to light my face in the dark. As I looked at the men and women who were holding me, I saw their sinister outfits matched their black spiked boots. The women wore straps of leather, bound tightly over their breasts and torsos. The men wore no shirts, but buckles holding weapons, strapped over their chests in the shape of an X. They were all ripped with muscles, extremely pale, and severe facial features. The women had their hair cropped short, while the men had hardly any hair at all. The thing that caught my eye, though, was their eyes. Most were red, some were bright yellow. All had the same demonic smile, though, with pointed and slightly yellow teeth. Vampires, was the first thing that came to mind. I had heard they really existed in the realms, but I had never actually seen one. From their description, though, there was no question.