Quest for the Blade: Chapter 1

By Tygerlander

tygerlander@greymaulkin.com

Jarek made his way through the crowded Hong Kong pier. He was trying to find his "contact," the one who had "valuable information" that could make the Black Dragon the number one crime organization on Earth.

After Kano's death, the leadership of the Black Dragon fell into Jarek's hands. But Jarek was not doing as good of a job of leading the Black Dragon, as Kano had.

The Hong Kong police had raided their hideout and had either killed or captured the rest of the Black Dragons. Jarek had been out of the country, trying to secure a lucrative arms deal with another crime organization in India. How the police was able to find the Black Dragon hideout, Jarek didn't know. He figured that someone got careless and was tailed to the hideout. But what Jarek did know was that he was the only member of the Black Dragon left free.

Jarek then thought back to the incident that happened a few days earlier, in which he first encountered his "contact." Jarek had been trying to sleep in the motel room he had rented under the name "Russell Nash." Jarek had known better than to go back to the old hideout, as the police knew that Jarek was still on the loose.

As it was a hot and humid night, Jarek had difficulty trying to sleep. He rolled over to his left side, just as a small, bluish portal appeared next to the bed.

Jarek bolted out of the bed and dove for his Black Dragon Sword that he had left on the chair next to the table.

A small figure appeared out of the portal. This figure was about three-feet tall, wearing a brown hooded monk robe. The hood hid any facial features.

Jarek withdrew his sword from its holster and yelled, "Who the fuck are you? What the fuck are you?" Niceness was never one of Jarek's strong points.

The short, hooded figure looked up, but the only things that Jarek could see was the inhuman green eyes that flared out as the figure blinked.

"Are you Jarek?" the figure asked. The voice was eerie and inhuman. It sounded like a combination of fingernails on a blackboard and the howling winds of a storm. Jarek involuntarily cringed slightly. That subconscious action was out of character for Jarek.

"Who the fuck wants to fucking know?" Jarek demanded.

"Who I am is not important," the figure said. "It is information that I have that can give the Black Dragon dominance over Hong Kong, and possibly the entire world.

"And why the fuck would I be interested in whatever the fuck you have to say, short stuff?" Jarek replied, as he shifted the sword from one hand to the other.

"Because I was sent by your former leader, Kano."
"Kano's dead. Get the fuck out or you'll be looking up your robe while still standing up, motherfucker!"

"Don't be so hasty, Jarek. If you had any common sense, you should have been able to see that I am not exactly a mortal."

"If Kano fucking sent you, then what's the password?"

"Heh, heh, heh," the figure laughed. "Sonya wears no underpants."

Jarek's jaw dropped. That code-phrase was used exclusively by Kano, and no one else in the Black Dragon.

"Okay," said Jarek, "What's the fucking information?"

"There is a special weapon, that if one possesses it, he or she will become one of the most unstoppable forces on the planet."

"Be more fucking specific, asshole!"

"Ah," said the mysterious figure. "Not yet. Meet me in three days at the pier. Then I'll tell you the rest of the story and give you a map and transportation."

"I don't fucking trust you."

"Kano's pretty upset at how you're handling the Black Dragon, Jarek."

"So why doesn't the man fucking come here and tell me that himself?"

"He cannot. His soul is banished to the realm of Lost Souls. As I am a demon, I am allowed passage between the Realms. He cannot escape that realm. Meet me in three days at the pier."

The figure turned and went back into the portal.

Back in the present time, Jarek was busy trying to spot the short, hooded figure. He stopped by a pile of wooden crates. Suddenly, he felt a tug on one of his pants legs. Jarek looked down behind him and saw the hooded robed creature.

"Okay, out with the rest of the fucking information, asshole!" Jarek demanded.

"You do have such colorful language, Jarek," the figure replied.

"Don't start with me, half-pint."

The weapon you should seek out is called "Soul Edge." It is a set of twin swords that have power of immense proportion. The bearer of Soul Edge also becomes immortal."

"If Kano fucking knew about this stupid piece of crap, why didn't he go after it himself?"

"Kano did not know of Soul Edge's existence, when he was still alive. Spirits in the realm of Lost Souls sees things that were beyond their scheme of existence. Kano was too enthralled with the US Special Forces agent, Sonya Blade, to make full use of his leadership duties with the Black Dragon. That was a mistake that he wishes to fix through you, Jarek. Kano has been watching you ever since you took over the Black Dragon. If he was able to, he 'would have returned to the Earth realm, and strangle your scrawny little neck'. That was his exact words to me."

"All right, then, so where's the map and my transportation?"

The robed creature took a rolled parchment from his hip pouch and unrolled it.

"Here is where you'll have to go," the creature said, as he pointed to an area in South Korea. "There are nine other warriors in search for this weapon, as well, and you must find and defeat each and every one of them. After the others are defeated, you then must find and destroy Cervantes DeLeon, the immortal pirate who currently possesses the Soul Edge."

"Back the fuck up, shorty. Didn't you just tell me that whoever owns the Soul Edge will be motherfuckingly impossible to kill?"

"I had said that the bearer of the Soul Edge will be one of the most unstoppable forces on your realm. I never said that he'd be impossible to kill. Nothing is impossible to kill."

"Fine then. This had better not be fucking bullshit," Jarek replied, as he took the map from the creature.

"You'll also notice markings on several areas on the map. Those are the locations of the other warriors seeking Soul Edge. Some of these warriors are seeking it for their own use, while the others are seeking to destroy it. Either way, each of these warriors must be defeated."

"Is this some kind of fucking game?" Jarek demanded as he slammed his fist onto the wooden crate.

"Think of it this way, Jarek. You remember that Kano entered into the Mortal Kombat tournament. This is no different. The only difference is that you'll have to go seek out the other opponents."

"Okay, then. Where's my fucking ride?"

"Right here," the hooded figure said, as he gestured at the air, and a portal big enough for Jarek to pass through opened up.

Jarek looked around the crowded pier. Everyone was going about their own business. No one looked at Jarek or the hooded creature.

"Hold up, now. How come no one's stopping whatever they’re fucking doing? It's not like a swirly thing appears on the pier every fucking day?"

"No one can see you right now, Jarek. You're not really on the pier, anymore. Whenever I make contact with you, a slight disturbance occurs between your realm and mine. It pulls us both into a limbo-like area. Your perception of being still on the pier is my doing, as I'm willing it to do so."

"Uh-huh," Jarek replied, not really comprehending what he was just told.

"As you defeat each warrior, the map will change and will mark the defeat of that warrior. To get to your next opponent, simply touch the marker where another warrior is at, and a portal will open up and take you there. But be forewarned! It will not activate until the current opponent has been defeated."

"And what if I decide to forget about all of this shit?"

"You won't. You'll learn more about the Soul Edge as you go on. Your greed and quest for more power will drive you to go on."

"Are you fucking trying to insult me?"

"No, Jarek. That is how you really are."

"Whatever," Jarek said, as he rolled up the map and put it in his jacket pocket. "This gas thing better work!"

"Portal, Jarek, portal."

"Yeah, yeah," Jarek said, as he took a deep breath and walked into the portal.

End Chapter 1