#all went wrong

Things that happened in one of our DnD session.

[MK1 AU kind of that is very not cannon compliant but I hope you can enjoy it anyways. Also Zilya is 12 in this and is also a saurian.]

The fireworks busted against the violet night sky, contrasting yellows and greens lighting up the night sky. Zilya watched all of it atop a balcony decorated in alien flowers and fabrics. The little girl rarely ever got a chance to travel to Outworld, rarer was her getting to attend a party like this. Her reptilian tail waves happily as she watches the fireworks go off.

“Zilya.” 

She hears her master call for her. Zilya turns to see Bi Han standing at the entrance to the balcony. While he stood with the same annoyed expression as usual Zilya didn’t need much more to know what he wanted. 

The little girl walks over to him, choosing to rejoin the party with her mentor. Before the two enter back into the main hall Bi Han stops Zilya, using his arm to lightly block her. Zilya looks up at her mentor, seeming confused. “The tail.” Bi Han reminds her.

Her eyes go wide, realizing she’d again completely forgotten about that. Without another word Zilya swayed her black scaled tail once more before the scales began to disappear, leaving her looking like a human child.

The two rejoined the crowded grandhall, where most of Edenia’s upper class had gathered. Bi Han acknowledged no one as he made his way past the crowd, Zilya close behind him. Three of his fellow clanmates were gathered in the back of the room, mainly keeping to themselves.

She noticed that Kuai Liang and Tomas were quietly talking to each other, leaning against the wall and having a much more casual demeanor than Bi Han liked when they were technically on a mission. Although they were at a rather casual party they were still considered to be on a mission. The four adults had been given the task of accompanying Lord Liu Kang to the festival for the evening. Zilya had only been allowed to come since Liu Kang assured there wouldn’t be any real danger and it was only for the party.

As the two approached to rejoin the group Kuai Liang grew quiet, not bothering to acknowledge his own older brother. Tomas on the other hand seemed much happier to see the two. The other cryomancer of the group, Willis, let out a quiet laugh. “Found the little viper?” He joked.

Zilya let out a giggle and Bi Han just glared at the older man. “Frazil.” Bi Han said, a warning clear in his tone. Willis didn’t seem bothered by his grandmaster’s annoyance, the smirk on his face being one more of amusement.

Instead of acknowledging the three further Bi Han turned his attention back to his young student. “Stay by me.” He states, and Zilya quickly nods. Her smile remaining.

As she was told, Zilya stood by Bi Han’s side like a small shadow. None of the other adults seemed particularly interested or disturbed by her presence. Quietly Zilya took in the room. The bright decorations and fancy outfits. Crowns of jewels and feathers sat on people’s heads, it was nothing like what she’d seen before.

The clicking of heels caught the little girl’s attention and Zilya turned to see who was approaching them. In a long violet jeweled dress was the queen of Edenia herself. Sindel had done nothing to acknowledge Zilya as she approached Bi Han.

Bi Han let out a quiet sigh before going back to his usual cold stance. Zilya didn’t pay much attention to the conversation between the two, instead continuing to look around the room. After a few minutes of the adults talking amongst each other she slowly grew bored and fidgety.

Without thinking Zilya had started to take a few steps away from her mentor, when seemed stuck in his conversation with the queen. She made sure to stay within a few feet of Bi Han. Sindel continued to hold the grandmaster’s attention and even with all the things to look at and the music to listen to, the little girl standing beside him began to grow bored.

As the conversation dragged on, Zilya began to wander further and further. She could smell the cooked meat and the fluffy pastries of the buffet table that sat towards the end of the great hall. Most of the other attendees didn’t seem to pay the child much mind, even pushing her aside at times if she got in their way.

Wandering further and further away Zilya looks around to realize she could no longer see her master. She had wandered off too far and it was impossible to see over the adults in the room to find him. Not wanting to make a scene, the little girl walks further into the crowd hoping to reach the end of it.

Finally making her way out of the crowd Zilya bumps into a table and out of instinct turns invisible. At first she was worried someone had noticed her but looking around everyone seemed rather unbothered, not having noticed her use of her powers. Remaining in her unseeable state Zilya walked along the outer part of the room, looking for any of her fellow Lin Kuei members.

Continuing to walk along the wall Zilya noticed a strange sight. The elder princess Mileena had split off from the crowd in the hall and was talking very closely with a guard woman. Zilya slowly approached the two, noting the casual behavior of the two women. The guard woman was speaking closely to the princess and getting a quiet laugh out of her.

The guard woman lightly places her hand on the princess’s shoulder. “I just need some air.” Mileena whispered, giving the other woman a fond smile.

“Okay.” The other woman said before removing her hand from Mileena’s shoulder. With that the princess slipped into a hallway leading out of the main hall.

Zilya felt uneasy as she watched the princess walk off alone. Bi Han had taught her the many dangers of being someone in a position of power. The threats that hid in the shadows, waiting for a moment of isolation or weakness to strike.

‘Surely the princess knew being alone wasn’t safe for her?’ The child wandered. Her first instinct was to go back into the ground and find her master and tell him. Although part of her figured may be just keeping an eye on the princess herself may be better.

Silently Zilya snuck behind the princess, as she wandered further from the security of the party. The further they walked the dimmer to the hall became, the maids not seeming to bother to heavily light a hall so far from the party. Zilya glanced over and saw a variety of the same foreign planets she’d seen decorating the balcony earlier in the evening and windows lined in golden cloth.

Mileena went through a small archway that led down to a large garden lit up by faint lanterns. Unease began to grow in Zilya’s belly. The two were much further from the party then she’d assumed the princess would walk, but she didn’t feel safe to turn back. So ZIlya stepped into the lushious garden, making herself visible again.

Watching the princess walk deeper and deeper into the garden Zilya silently crept behind her. While the garden seemed calm and quiet the nagging thought slowly started to grow in the little girl. This was not okay. Something was very wrong here. She felt endangered but Bi Han was not here to protect her. 

Keeping close behind Mileena, Zilya did her best to stay out of sight. The few years of training she’d already had made her capable of getting around without making a sound. Zilya crouches beside a large bush. Something about her surroundings had her alert, but looking around the night seemed perfectly silent.

Without warning a cold hand grips Zilya’s shoulder, causing her to scream as she jumps away from the bush and onto the path. Zilya whips around quickly, ready to attack.

“Found you little viper.” Willis said with a grin. Zilya let out a sigh of relief, but her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest. “What is the meaning of this?” Mileena snapped as she approached the two. Her irritation was clear from the glare she was giving them. Willis grabbed onto Zilya’s arm. Despite his friendly appearance Zilya knew he was not happy with her from the tight grip he held on her arm. While Willis was a talker his actions often said more about his feelings then what he actually said. “Apologies, princess. Our little viper tends to wander.” Willis explained with a smile.

The little girl looked down in shame, not looking forward to the lecture Bi Han surely had in store for her.

At that moment the silence of the night was broken by the snap of a twig. All her fear came flooding back and before she could even turn around a long bone like blade ripped through Willis’s chest.

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“She’ll be around here.” Tomas attempted to reassure Bi Han as the group walked through the halls of the palace. Kitana had been leading the three assassins through the palace in hopes of finding Bi Han’s young student. 

Bi Han remained quiet as they walked, anger boiling inside him. He’s asked one thing of her and that was to stay next to him. “Apologies for the inconvenience princess.” Kuai Liang said, walking beside the younger princess.

A sudden scream of terror rings through the halls, coming from just ahead of them.

Recognizing the voice as Zilya’s Bi Han ran ahead of the group to reach his student as soon as possible. Running into the garden Bi Han is met with a terrifying sight. A feral tarkat swinging at princess Mileena who was barely holding it off with her sai, while she shielded a blood covered Zilya behind her. A large cut above Mileena’s left eyebrow was causing blood to spill over her eye, making it harder for her to see.

Without hesitation Bi Han rushed forward and impaled the monster’s head with an ice spear. As it fell to the ground Milenna could only stand there in shock. The danger was gone but the blazing terror was not fading.

“Mileena!” Kitana yells as she rushes to her sister’s side, looking over Mileena’s injury.

Tomas and Kuai Liang approached their fallen comrade. Willis was laying practically cut to pieces in the grass. The grass around the scene was drowned in flesh and blood.

Zilya just stood frozen and wide eyed, her black coat stained in red blood and her hands shaking. Bi Han had nothing as he grabbed her right lower arm tightly, leading the child away from the group.

As he pulled her down the hallway of the palace, further away from the violent scene, Zilya’s arm started to sting. She started to wiggle and pull from his strong grip, but Bi Han did not release her. “That’s enough!” Bi Han scolds her, continuing.

“You’re hurting me!” Zilya cries out, tears in her eyes.

Bi Han pauses and turns to face her, the anger clear even through his mask.

“I told you to stay next to me!” Bi Han snapped at her.

Her tears started to fall as her mentor berates her. Finally Bi Han released her arm preparing to lecture the young girl. He’d been beyond mad at the moment and Zilya dreaded the scolding he would give.

But it never came. Instead Bi Han had looked down at his hand, noticing a large strain of green. Green blood. Her blood. Without a word Bi Han grabbed her right arm and pulled the sleeve of her black shirt up. Revealing a long deep cut going down her lower arm. Her green blood spilling out of it.

Gradually the anger in Bi Han’s eyes turned to panic. The thing had scratched her pretty badly. Quickly he pulls her sleeve back down.