Misteria

   "You seemed to be in a cheerful mood, Jin," I wryly say to my fellow Shaolin, despite shivering from the cold. After losing Skarlet's group, Hanzo didn't want to risk getting caught again, so he told us not to build a fire until we can find a rendezvous point to meet with Lao and Gina when they recover enough to travel.

   "Alright, I'll be honest," Jin scoots closer to share body heat. "I've been down to the Netherrealm to help Lao break from being a Revenant. I'm really looking forward to see him normal again."

  "Just remember that Lao might go through some regrets from his life as a Revenant," I point out. "You know what Jax went through before settling down. So do me a favor and restrain the excitement when you see him."

    "Are you two doing alright?" Hanzo's voice makes us jump up a bit.

   "Until you scared the crap out of us, we're fine," I say through chattering teeth, now feeling colder than before. That's when Jin picks his blanket up before getting closer to me. He then squints at me before noticing something.

   "Hanzo, we need to get somewhere warmer. Misteria's turning blue," he says.

   "But I should be fine," I protested. "I've experienced this type of weather before."

  "And yet you've been on more watches than Jin and I," Hanzo counters. "Then again, you took a hit from one of Skarlet's men. They've might have done something for your body temperature to drop." I bow my head in regret before placing a hand on my left side that's covered with bandages. During the fight, one of the ninjas found my blind side and attacked at the exact moment I went to guard myself. I could've done a better job if I was paying attention at everything.

  "Question is, where can we go to not only get warmed up, but also keep from getting caught?" I asked the men.

  "There's an entrance to a cave not far from here," Hanzo says before suddenly, but carefully picking me up bridal style. "You need to reserve your strength, Misteria. Especially if you're this weak."

   "Then please make the place warm," I  cling on to Hanzo's torso for the warmth while feeling the energy of the Jinsei flow freely from the warrior. I'll admit that I was born at the Wu Shi Academy prematurely. But I had to be brought into the world early after my mother was bitten by a serpent. Unfortunately she did not survive the bite, but thankfully Raiden got me to the Jinsei Chamber in time. After that, I was able to sense people that have been purified by Jinsei if they come in a short distance towards me. Honestly, I sensed Hanzo the moment Gina found him in the cemetery. After regretting of killing Quan Chi, Hanzo was about to perform seppuku until I stopped him just in time for Raiden to condemn him to life and gave the Shirai Ryu some of the Jinsei's energy so that way the entire clan can eternally protect the Jinsei.  

   "I'll get a fire started when we get there," Jin gathers all of the camping gear before putting over his shoulder. Hanzo then starts to walk towards the cave that he found with the Shaolin right behind him. But when the cave was in sight, a twig snaps, making Jin whip out his bow. Soon an angry growl was heard as a large wolf appears. The bad part. . . the fur ball had a fifteen member pack behind it. However, a third of the pack start to turn into warriors with tribal like wolf markings on their uniforms.

   "I am Tairell, member of the Yoru Okami Clan," the leader says, turning into a man with white hair, despite looking like a twenty year old with forest green eyes. His uniform looked like a combination of Kenshi and Kuai Liang's armor with a tribal wolf on the right side of his chest. "Are you Hanzo Hasashi, Kung Jin, and Shaolin Misteria?"

  "If we are, are you going to capture and turn us to Skarlet?" Jin asks ready to fight.

  "We do not ally with Skarlet," a young woman with a slight European accent steps forward. "However, we've been keeping track of your movement until Mileena found you. Then when we heard about Skarlet hunting Gina Everhart, we had to look for you for the Thunder God's sake."

  "You know Raiden? Where is he?" I sit upright in Hanzo's arms, trying to ignore the cold.

   "He's safe," the alpha assures. "But his power was stripped by an offspring of Shinnok."

    "Didn't know Shinnok could be a family man," Jin lowers his staff, but not his guard. "Then again, I never heard of the Yoru Okami Clan before."

  "We are guardians of the Krypt," Tairell explains. "Only few, including the Elder Gods, know of our existence. We serve to protect the Krypt from thieves and raiders." That's when we all heard a demonic roar in the distance. Which in terms almost sounded like. . .

   "Tarkatans! Twenty yards from here!" Someone shouts in the trees. "They're coming fast!"

   "Come with us!" Tairell shifts back to the gray alpha wolf, but slightly bigger. "I can carry Misteria for you. Hurry!" Hanzo took no hesitation to put me on the wolf's back.

   "Retreat to home!" The woman shifts into a red brown wolf. A few ninjas stayed behind to distract the Tarkatans with the rest shifting back to animal forms and taking off with Hanzo and Jin not too far behind. But eventually a black wolf managed to grab Jin and toss him on its back before Hanzo jumps onto the back of a dark brown wolf.

   "Hang on tight! It's going to be dramatic soon!" Tairell orders. I took a handful of his fur and started to cling on to the wolf as I feel his muscles tense up to get ready for something. Before I  knew it, the alpha jumps off a cliff and into unknown darkness. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear Hanzo shouting curses with Jin whooping with excitement. But all I could do was hold my breath and bury my face into wolf fur. Pretty soon I jolt up when Tairell lands on solid ground. And when I looked up, my breath was taken away. Tairell had landed in a modernized village that had amazing scenery and was bursting with life.

   "Welcome to Kalikori," Tairell rumbles before I hear the sound of the other wolves landing. I turn around to see Jin with a wide grin on his face.

  "Let's go again!" He laughs as he slides off the black wolf. Hanzo, on the other hand. . . Let's just say that the ride off the cliff was a little too much for him as the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster 'slides' off his wolf. But he managed to recollect himself by clearing his throat and muttering thanks.

   "I think I can walk," I say before getting off of Tairell. "Thanks for the ride."

    "Anytime," the alpha turns to human with the others. "Come. I'll take you to Raiden after you eat and be treated of your injuries." He then led us into the village, looking back at me in case I fall from exhaustion. Eventually we arrived at a. . . . Mansion?

  "Come on in. The Alpha's waiting," Tairell opens the door, allowing our trio group to enter. Then in the living room was a man who also had white hair, but looked like he was in his early forties. He had on a traditional, decorated tank top that revealed many scars on his shoulders and upper arms. The moment the door closes, he looks up with bright blue eyes.

    "Welcome, Champions of Fujin," the man smiles with open arms. "I am Isamu, leader and head alpha of the Yoru Okami. Please, make yourselves at home." He gestures towards a dining hall in which we all sat down at a long table. Then a couple of young girls came and served us quite the foreign dishes. We respectively said thanks before eating. Then after an hour or so, everyone was completely satisfied. . . Even though was a young man in the hall making quite the looks at Jin. And I don't mean the hating type.

   "Thank you for your hospitality, Master Isamu," I bow my head, no longer feeling cold anymore. "But how did you know who we are?"

  "I've sent scouts to observe if Akuma was summoning more of her army," Isamu says calmly. "But when they've seen how your telekinetic friend rescued Master Hasashi, I knew that you have the rescue mission on your hands."

   "Is Akuma Shinnok's kid?" Jin asks. "Not to be rude or anything, but when we met Skarlet, she said she was working for someone that's interested in Gina."  

   "I'm afraid she is," the alpha says. "It's still unknown what Akuma's true goal is, but it is certain that she won't go to conquer Earthrealm anytime soon. What my clan knows is she seeks power from other Kombatants. But it's clear that she has a grudge against Raiden for killing her father. The clan's healers and doctors did the best they could to help the Thunder God. Then again, the darkness that he absorbed from the Jinsei may now be tolling on him."

  "May we see him?" I automatically ask.

  "Of course, Leanna will show where he's resting," Isamu nods before a dark haired girl around fourteen years appears behind me.

  "Go on ahead, Misty," Hanzo says. "Jin and I will learn more about Akuma."

   "Don't forget to change your bandages when you get done," Jin adds. I nodded before Leanna leads me out of the dining hall. On the way to where Raiden would be, I notice a tribal wolf head tattooed on the girl's upper arm, the same mark that's was on Tairell's uniform.

   "Is it a tradition for the Yoru Okami Clan to have the symbol as a tattoo?" I ask the girl.

    "Not really," Leanna answers, her voice being smooth with a South American accent. "I chose to show my loyalty to the clan by wearing its mark."

     "I can understand that," I say with a nod. "So how does the clan function?"

     "It functions as one, enormous family, just like the way of the wolves," the girl smiles. "Though we take in many people who have been abandoned by the cruelties of their realms, we are strong together like a pack. Through Isamu's guidance, the Yoru Okami Clan has been flourishing for years."

   "So you take in people that are not only from Earthrealm, but also from other realms as well?" I asked.

    "Of course. Edenia, Outworld, Orderrealm, you name it," Leanna answers. "Though we are cautious when it comes to people coming from the Dark Realms such as Chaosrealm and the Netherrealm. Oh, we're here." We stopped at a door that surprisingly had the White Lotus mark on it. But when Leanna went to grab the door handle, three healers come bursting out  with one of them being unconscious.

  "Marina, ¿qué pasó?" Leanna asks in her native tongue to one of the healers.

   "Torian logró eliminar la corrupción Jinsei de Raiden, pero el tonto se electrocutó mientras estaba solo con el Dios del Trueno!" Was the rapid response from the one called Marina before the two healers carry the unconscious third somewhere else.

  "Leanna! Sie sind gerade rechtzeitig für unsere wahnsinnig viel Glück!" A doctor comes out of the room, but speaks in a different language. "Wer ist diese schöne Dame? Isamu rekrutiert ein anderes Mitglied der Packung?"

   "It's okay to speak English, Shawn. But this is Misteria, one of Fujin's Champions that came to bring back their friends," Leanna smiles. "Though it is tempting to show off my talk in German."

    "Oh, I see," Shawn chuckles with a purified German accent. "My apologies. Sometimes my foreign tongue likes to run when I get excited. But I am Shawn, a medical doctor from Germany."

    "It's the healer going to be okay?" I asked when a slamming of a door was heard.

    "Torian? That crazy bastard will be fine. He's basically immune to electricity after being struck by lightning from ten thunderstorms," Shawn chuckles again. "He just got bonked in the head after Raiden blasted him. But thankfully Torian purified that Thunder God before he got knocked out."

     "Will it be a bad time to see Raiden?" I ask, getting a little nervous.

     "Despite that Raiden's sedated, I don't see any harm to it," Shawn says before stepping aside. "Just make sure you make yourself known to him if he wakes. And don't be afraid call us if you feel threatened."

   "Thank you. I'll try to remember that," I nodded before I go inside the room.

   "Be safe, Misteria," Leanna softly calls before the door closes behind me. I look around the surroundings to study it. I entered what looks like the interiors of a temple room. But against the wall that was across the doors was the Thunder God in bed. Thankfully there was a lit up lanterns, so I got to the bed without running into anything. However, my heart shattered when I get a closer look at the Thunder God. Despite that he now looks like to be in the early twenties of a mortal, Raiden's chest and arms were covered in bandages. His face was in a frown as if he was fighting in whatever dream his mind was going through. I take a risk by reaching and taking hold of his hand. But then the opposite happens. Raiden soon had a calming look before his eyes slowly open to reveal the glowing blue eyes that I fell in love with.

   "Misteria," he whispers, using his other hand to carress my cheek. My only response was to carefully embrace the Thunder God as tears flow freely down my face.

   "Where have you been, Raiden?" I asked, afraid of letting go, despite the fact Raiden's body temperature was high. I couldn't help it on keeping my emotions in check. I was so relieved and happy of seeing the man that I fell for.

   "Lost," the Thunder God says after a pause. "I've been lost since I purified the Jinsei. What have I done since then?"

  "You. . . Don't remember anything?" I pull apart to see the confusion in Raiden's eyes.

   "I remember some events, but not all of them," Raiden closes his eyes, as if trying to remember. "I remember talking to Liu Kang. . . "

   "Raiden," I take ahold of the Thunder God's hand. "I know that you want to remember, but it needs to wait until you get some more rest. You've been through a lot."

   "The young lady's right, Raiden," I turn to see Shawn behind a man dressed in Edenian armor. He had dark hair with a matching goatee, along with a dragon mark on the side of his face.

   "Taven, son of Argus?" I recognize the man. "I thought you went to Edenia after Kenshi and Takeda  freed you."

    "I did, until I heard what was happening here in the Krypt," Taven says. "Which is why it'll be wise for Raiden to get some rest after that purifying spell the healer accomplished."

    "Go on, Misteria," Raiden says calmly. "You're both right, I do need to rest."

   "As you wish," I stand up to stay calm. "I'll be with Master Isamu or Taven if you need anything."

    "You still haven't changed," Raiden says before closing his eyes and taking a breath as he falls asleep in peace. I soon follow Taven out to leave Shawn to take care of Raiden. However, the Edenian Demigod leads me to a hallway that he stops in before turning around.

   "When was the last time you spoke with Gina Everhart?" The Edenian suddenly asks.

  "The most recent was four hours before the Yoru Okami Clan found us," I answered. "And she's with a restored Kung Lao."

  "Restored? As in she found a way to reverse the Revenant's Curse?"

  "Yes, but she's figuring out how she managed to restore Kung Lao from his Revenant state."

  "I see. Then I'm afraid you going to have to go after Gina before the others."

  "I'm not understanding. Gina would say to leave her and keep going." That's when Taven turns and looks out a window that showed warriors in a training field.

  "Before I arrived in Raiden's quarters, I had a word with Master Isamu and Kung Jin, as Hanzo Hasashi retired to his quarters. And Jin told me about Skarlet's interest in Gina. Which leads me to believe that Gina might be in danger if she continues to be on her own in the Krypt. Especially if Akuma's starting to figure out what kind of power Gina is developing."

   "And how do you know about Akuma?" I ask, starting to have concerns.

   "Despite how much I do not want to believe this," Taven turns to me with the same expression,"Akuma's mother was Delia, wife of Argus. As a result, Shinnok's daughter is my half sister. And I must do whatever it takes to stop her from causing destruction before it's too late."