Chapter 12 - Starting a Scavenger Hunt

Nicholas laid there as Jade was sucking on his cock, and Kitana ran her hands through Jade's hair controlling Jade's tempo. Nicholas was immensely enjoying the sight, but a piece of his mind was currently watching Raiden and Liu Kang fight each other through the eyes of the crow he sent to follow LiuKang.

Raiden was trying to get Liu Kang to understand, but Liu Kang wouldn't listen. As the two came to blows, Nicholas turned his full attention back to the two beautiful women who were servicing him. Nicholas reached his peak and unloaded into Jade's mouth. Jade, in turn, swallowed with a smile on her face. Nicholas told them both to get dressed as he himself got up.

Getting a peek, Nicholas saw a burned Liu Kang using his last breath to curse Raiden. Nicholas knew the end of this chapter was coming to a close. So, himself, Kitana, and Jade warped to see the climactic end for themselves. They arrived in the building at some stairs. They burst through the doors just in time to see a supercharged Raiden blast Shao Kahn with some golden dragon energy.

Raiden returned to his normal state and checked his medallion. It had been restored, signaling the threat had passed. Raiden looked at the new arrivals and said, "Nicholas, Kitana, Jade, I thank you for your assistance. If there is anything you need, please let me know." Kitana stepped forward and answered, "You are most welcome, Lord Raiden, and we appreciate the offer, but I feel you will have your hands full for the foreseeable future." Raiden nodded and then asked, "What will you do now?" Kitana looked back at the others, then back to Raiden and said, "Mileena will be in control of Outworld for the time being, and that will need to be addressed, but for now, me and Jade have decided to help Nicholas in searching for that anchor." Raiden kept the same expression on his face and said, "He told you about that. Well, I wish you luck on your journey."

Raiden then left with Sonya and Johnny while telling them that they had much work to do. Kitana turned to Nicholas and asked, "How was that? my love." Nicholas smiled and said, "Perfect, now let us go and pick up our missing member, and then we can start our little scavenger hunt in the Netherrealm."

...

As Nicholas, Kitana, and Jade left, Quan Chi stepped out of the shadows. He was speaking to a floating image of Shinnok. Quan Chi spoke, saying, "Your plan worked perfectly, my lord." Shinnok answered, "Yes, it is a shame that Raiden didn't die alongside Shao Kahn, but it's of little importance." Quan Chi asked, "What should be done about this stranger, Nicholas?" Shinnok was quiet for a moment, then he said, "He is an unexpected piece in this game. However, since he will soon be entering the Netherrealm on his own, we can continue as planned and deal with him if necessary." Quan Chi nodded and said, "Of course, as you command."

...

Ashrah had spent most of her life wandering the Netherrealm. She was a content demon, absolutely convinced there was no way to change her lot in life. That was until she thought to question an order given by Quan Chi, and as punishment, Quan Chi ordered her sisters to hunt her down. During her escape, Ashrah found a weapon called a Kriss blade.

The moment she grabbed it, she learned of a way to purify herself and free herself from the Netherrealm. That was the beginning of her quest for redemption. It was a quest that spanded years. The difficulty was great, but so were the rewards. Ashrah, these days, looked very beautiful by human standards. She wore this white outfit with yellow trim.

Ashrah felt that the end of her task was close at hand. When she ran across these two revenant, beings that were oozing evil, she got excited. Which is the reason for her current problem. The two had been toying with her from the beginning. During the fight, Ashrah learned that they were called Kabal and Stryker. Kabal was moving so fast, and Stryker was constantly aiming for her vital points.

Now, here she was backed into a corner. Her sword was out of her reach. Ashrah felt like this was the end. When suddenly, a hachet came out of nowhere, striking Kabal in the back of his head. Then, appearing in a flash was someone she didn't recognize. Using a broad ax, he swung down and cleaved the one called Stryker in half. Kabal regained his senses and immediately charged at the newcomer.

Then, Ashrah's apparent savior pulled out a sword and used Kabal's speed against him. Because, before Kabal could react, his head went flying and landed in a nearby lava pool.

Ashrah pulled herself up as three more individuals appeared. These three she did recognize. First was Kitana princess in Outworld, the second was her bodyguard Jade, the third was queen Sindel's former bodyguard Sheeva. Ashrah was confused. Why were those three here in the Netherrealm together?

The confusion only grew as all three approached the newcomer with both affection and praise. While the situation was confusing, it was, however, the fact that they had positioned themselves between her and her blade that put Ashrah on edge. If they decided to turn against her, she would be outmatched. After addressing the girls, the man turned to Ashrah and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be the famous Ashrah. The demon who seeks redemption and purification." Ashrah stunned by her own back-story being told in such a simple matter could only nod. The man continued, "Well, my name is Nicholas. I've come to the Netherrealm to locate a certain artifact, but honestly, I don't know if it's even here. I was hoping that you could guide us in our search. I can make it worth your while if you desire."

Ashrah was taken back by the revelation that they were seeking her out, but she managed to quickly recompose herself. She asked, "What could you offer me that I can't get for myself?" Nicholas answered, "Considering that Quan Chi has promised a reward for the one who eliminates you, I can offer you safe haven or a means to escape."

Ashrah thought about what she had just heard, and then she said, "While I'm not surprised that Quan Chi has resorted to such methods to be rid of me, I fail to see what he could possibly offer that would make my quest an unwinnable situation for me." Nicholas nodded and said, "You would normally be right. However, the bounty being offered is the right to control the revenants and, by default, become the third highest ranking individual in the Netherrealm."

Ashrah eyes widened as the ramifications hit her. Every resident in the Netherrealm would be gunning for her, and if everyone is after her, she'll have no chance to rest, and her enemies will eventually get lucky. Her quest would become almost impossible, as she learned a while ago. The smaller the stain on her soul, the greater the evil she'll have to slay to purify it.

This means the ones whose death can set her free will be stronger and smarter. They'll wait until she's at her weakest and simply finish her off. It's a real possibility, since if it wasn't for Nicholas's timely intervention, she might have been killed already.

Ashrah looked at the group standing before her and thought about what they wanted. Then she said, "It seems I have no choice but to give you my assistance. Luckily, if your artifact is here, there are only two places it could be." They looked at her expectantly, and she continued, "Your options are currently Shinnok's tower or Quan Chi's fortress. Anywhere else, and you could spot it from here. Between the lava pits and towers of corpses, there are not a lot of places a new object would go unnoticed."

Nicholas nodded, then raised his hands, and two birds appeared. Nicholas then said, "I'll have my winged friends here see if they can scout ahead for us." The birds immediately took flight.

Ashrah was unsure of what she had just witnessed. If Nicholas had the ability to create birds that can scout for him, then why did he need her. As if reading her thoughts, Nicholas said, "The energy drain down here is much more intense than I was expecting. Thanks to you, we might be done fare sooner than expected." Nicholas then got a distant look in his eyes for a minute, then he said, "looks like the artifact isn't in the Netherrealm, for better or for worse."

Ashrah was still unsure about their intentions, mostly because she was still unable to retrieve her blade.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Nicholas say, "Alright, our time in the Netherrealm has come to an end. As for your reward for your assistance. Have you decided?" Ashrah, unsure what to expect, said, "Just take me away from here." Nicholas smiled and said, "Done."

Ashrah was hopeful that Nicholas would open some kind of gate, and she might finally have an opportunity to retrieve her sword. That opportunity never came because Nicholas simply snapped his fingers, and a black fog began to form around her feet. In an instant, she was engulfed. The next moment, she found herself standing in front of some strange building. Ashrah was surrounded by other women, several of whom had a confused look on their faces, while others were checking their bodies, obviously looking for an injury that was no longer there. As the doors opened up beckoning them to enter, Ashrah couldn't help but be concerned about what she had just agreed to.