Shao Kahn layed, broken and bleeding on the desert floor. He whispered a silent chant under his strained breath and the open space in front of him began to ripple and distort with a green etherial light. A loud horrific shriek rang through the air, quieting the howling wind for just a moment.
Shao Kahn looked up into the mystical portal and watched as a man clothed in black and gold robes stepped through.
"Emperor... why have you summoned me?" The shadowed man said with a tinge of disdain under layers of respect; he knelt next to the fallen warlord.
"I have need of your services once again Shang Tsung..." Shao Kahn barely managed to speak between violent coughing fits and spitting up blood.
"Word of your defeat in Mortal Kombat has already spread across Outworld like wildfire! You have no kingdom left to rule! Its utter chaos!" Shang Tsung eyed him from head to toe. He spat on the ground next to him.
"No one will follow you... I have other matters to attend to. Bother me no mor-"
Shang Tsung stopped speaking mid-sentence as he could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Shao Kahn began to stand up, his broken bones snapping back into place. He towered over Tsung by a foot and a half at least. In a sudden blur of motion Shang Tsung found himself unable to breath as he slowly noticed Shao Kahn's massive left hand clutching his throat.
Kahn bellowed in a terrifying voice,
"The only reason I am not ripping you apart limb by limb, is because, unfortunately I need you. I am not ASKING you, I am ordering you... to help me."
Shang stared into Kahn's eyes behind a furious gaze. It was cold and empty.
"I... understand." he somehow managed to rasp.
Kahn winced in pain and coughed up a massive gob of blood. He fell to his knees, dropping Tsung to the ground, and clawing at the orange desert dirt in agony.
Tsung rubbed his neck cautiously,
"What... do you need me to do?" he reluctantly asked.
Kahn once again looked up at the scorcerer,
"Go to Earthrealm... find me a strong, able woman... bring her to me in two days time. I will be where at the entrance of where the Banished One resides... go, be swift scorcerer... and do not fail me. Or this time I will personally drive your skull into the fiery pits of Netherrealm with the underside of my foot so hard you'll be puking lava and spitting fire for all enternity!"
Kahn stood up again and watched as the scorcerer, Shang Tsung, silently disappeared into the portal, which promptly closed behind him.
Kahn turned away from the sun, and slowly began limping off into the distance.
He had a long way to go, but his plan was off to an amazingly good start.
Almost like an omen, a wall of dark clouds lingered ominously on the horizon, Kahn smiled to himself through thoroughly bloody teeth.