Sheeva and Durgara had been discussing whether or not they should go to Raiden for help, or if they should seek assistance with the criminals of Earthrealm, when a commotion outside caught their attention. There was yelling and shouting, and it seemed to be coming from Goro and Kintaro. When Sheeva stepped out of the tent she had been planning in, she noticed a shokan that had decided to stay behind with Mileena and Baraka. He appeared to be cut and bruised, and overall, distressed. Goro and Kintaro were shouting at each other about what to do with the newly arrived shokan.

"He was a traitor the moment he chose to stay with the Tarkatans, I say we kill him and be done. He lost his honor and should suffer the price of a traitor."

"As your Prince, I will not allow it. He is Shokan and he should not be executed like a pig. We will give him a fighting chance. He will fight, and if he wins, he will join us and tell us his agenda, if he loses we will kill him."

"Let us just kill him now! He was a traitor to his people, he dishonored the Shokan and for that he should die."

"Kintaro enough, Goro has spoken and told you what he wishes to do. He is your Prince and you will listen to what he has to say. Need I remind you of his accolades? While you protected Shao Kahn, Goro was…"

"Thank you Sheeva, but that is enough, I believe Kintaro get's the point. I appreciate the assistance. Now as for the traitor, he will face an opponent of my choosing. Gernbisk you will fight the traitor Farnuk and determine whether he lives to tell us his purpose, or if he dies with a closed mouth."

The rest of the shokans cleared space, so that the two could engage in battle. The two stepped forward and pounded their chest, to show they were ready. They charged at each other and began to swing. Farnuk was smaller, but more nimble on his feet, whereas Gernbisk was large and firmly planted to the ground.

The two shokan began growling and grunting as they exchanged blows. They had blocked each other's punches and had resorted to a test of strength. They locked all four hands and tried to overpower each other, but they were reaching a stale mate. They tried using their legs as anchors, but they were equally matched and had entered a deadlock. Farnuk then dropped to his knees and let go. He raised his arms in defense, and feined fear. Gerbisk allowed himself to gloat for a few seconds, and Farnuk capitalized. He grabbed Gerbisk's arms and moved them out of the way so he could headbutt him. Then he kneed his groin and punched his gut with his lower arms. He lifted Gerbisk with his upper arms, just as he doubled over. He lifted him over his head and set him smashing down on the floor. He then used his left hands to grab Gerbisk's legs and his right hands to pull up on his arms. He stood on his back and pulled as hard as he could, hoping to rip the appendages out of their sockets. Just as they started to give way, Goro stopped the fight and pronounced him the winner.

"Enough, you have proved yourself worthy of our ears, now speak quickly and we will discuss what will become of you. "

"Prince Goro, I am honored. I am Farnuk."

"Obviously you fool, do not waste my time with formalities get to the point, before I face you in combat myself."

"I was sent by one of Mileena's adviser's to end the rebellion before it begins. Instead I come to warn you that…."

"Prince Goro it appears that we have some outworlder's who would like to speak to you, we believe one of them is reptile, the one who murdered our brother in cold blood. There are three of them and they seek to speak with you."

Goro looked from the messenger to Farnuk and made the connection. He snarled and spat on the ground. He then shook his head at Farnuk and then turned and nodded to Kintaro.

"Farnuk you admit to having come here under Mileena's orders?"

"I came to help and warn…"

"Did you or did you not come here under Mileena's advisement?"

"No an enforcer she trusted sent me, Skarlett, but.."

"So you were sent by someone Mileena trusted?"

"Yes but….."

"Kintaro you may fight Farnuk, when you win do as you wish with him. I must go see what these "Ambassador's want."

Goro motioned for the messenger to bring the Outworlders along so he may speak to them. As the messenger went to fetch them, Kintaro had beaten Farnuk to a pulp. He waited for the Outworlders to arrive, before he tore Farnuk in half. Goro laughed.

Rain, Reptile, and Tanya were lead to where Goro was standing. The Shokans around them began to form a circle and showed that they would not tolerate any drama. Goro was glaring at Reptile as if he wanted nothing more than to kill him. He waited until Rain finally spoke up.

"Prince Goro, I come to you as a potential ally. I have recently learned that I am the offspring of the God Argus, and a rightful heir to the throne of Edenia. Seeing as your shokan have had experience protect…..I mean assisting the Edenian royalty, I came here in hopes to forge an alliance with you. I wish to liberate my people and take my place as Emperor of Edenia. When the time comes, my people will assist you in your war against Mileena, but I need your help. You worked personally with Shao Kahn and you gained some amount of trust from him correct?"

Goro nodded, and began to speak. "I was respected by the late Emperor Shao Kahn, yes, but if you wish to gain the Shokan as allies you each need to prove yourselves as warriors. Each of you will fight a person of my choosing in order to prove that you are worthy of our allegiance. Once we see this then you can continue unveiling your grand plan. Now you either comply, or I call your bluff and kill the three of you right now. Your choice Purple Prince."

Rain looked from Reptile and Tanya and felt his stomach drop a bit. He knew trying to get the shokan to ally with him was going to be hard, but having to fight them would make things a whole lot more difficult, especially if they were making the rules. He looked from Tanya to Reptile for reassurement, but they ignored him and looked forward. He then turned to Goro and spoke.

"We gladly accept your challenge. We will defeat your people and I will prove to you that I am valuable ally to have. Understood? Very well who shall we be facing?"

Goro shook his head and was about to volunteer to fight Rain himself, when Sheeva stepped forward..

"I believe I deserve to fight Rain, Prince Goro. After all, you do remember how he insulted my beauty in the throneroom. For that he will suffer."

"Aye I do recall. Very well then it is settled. Sheeva will get her revenge upon Rain. Kintaro, you will face the coward that killed one of our own and Durgara. You will face the woman that travels with them. Who are you woman?"

"My name is Tanya."

Goro thought for a minute as he stared at Tanya. Something about her looked familiar, but he could not quite place why. He felt as if he had seen her before. He shook the feeling and prepared the six of them for their fight. As he stared at Tanya and noticed the intense look she was giving him, he could not help but think of Jade.

"Durgara you will face Tanya. If the three of you succeed, then I will listen to you, but if any of you fail, I will send your heads back to Mileena asa declaration of war!" Goro then pounded his chest and roared, the other Shokan responded with the same roar. "First match Sheeva and Rain." The other shokan cheered and echoed Goro as they pushed Rain forward into battle.

His brow was wet with sweat as he stepped forward to face Sheeva. She was cracking her neck and four arms waiting to tear into Rain.

"You will pay for that insult with your life, princess."

"Taunting me does not change the fact that you are a four armed lady-man brute!"

As Rain laughed to himself, Sheeva jumped high into the air. She came crashing down with brute force and nearly killed Rain in the process. He had just managed to dodge her attack, but he was not able to dodge her. She lifted his legs with her bottom arms and smashed him to the floor. She then tossed him into the air, jumped, and flung him back to the ground using her top left arm. She then contorted her body and used her left arms to elbow Rain while he was down. She stomped on the ground and caught him in mid-air. Just as she was about to pummel his face in, he shot water at her face and caused her to drop him.

He then used a leg sweep to knock her down. When she popped back up he used an uppercut to send her flying in the air. He then caught her with a roundhouse kick, as she came crashing down. She went flying towards the crowd at full speed. Just as she was about to crash into someone, she was stopped by a water ball that Rain trapped her in. He pulled her in close, and then hit her with another uppercut. As she landed, she corrected herself and lunged at Rain.

She shoulder charged him and knocked him to the ground. Her four arms came crashing down, but Rain was able to block them with his arms. He tried to pushed her off, but she held her ground. He was pinned to the ground, and two of her arms had his arms pinned down as well. She wrapped her upper hands around his head and began to squeeze as tightly as she could. Sheeva was hoping to pop his head and spray his brains all over the floor.

Rain felt the pressure in his head grow as Sheeva squeezed tighter. He focused all of his power to the center of his hands and imagined a sharp stream of water was flowing from each hand. The pain Sheeva was causing him made it hard to focus, so he wasn't sure whether or not the stream had been produced. Uncertain, he took a chance, and flicked his wrists to where he hoped Sheeva's elbows were, instead he poked through her forearms. She let go of his arms, but the pain he caused her made her squeeze his head even tighter. A searing pain burst through his head, as his vision started to fade. He felt blood trickling from his ears, and he gave in to his instincts.

He tried to shoot a stream of water at Sheeva, but instead a black cloud began to form. His head began to rumble, as rain fell from the cloud, causing Sheeva to laugh. He felt his eyes start to bleed and he felt the pressure in his head multiply by a hundred. It felt as if his head were about to explode, as he lived out, what he felt was the last moments of his life, he heard a crackle and a pop., and he thought he had died. There was a ringing, in his ears, but the pain had stopped and a blinding light caused him to temporarily lose his vision. He stood up and instantly fell back down. He held his head for a moment, then lashed out in anger.

A water fist emerged from the ground and knocked Sheeva back into the air. she was shaking from the lightning blast that Rain had just caused and she felt her body trembling as the bolt zapped her heart. It continued to slow, and speed up, and she was afraid that it was going to stop. She yielded, causing Rain to win. He managed to stand up and raise his arms in the air, as he heard Sheeva say that words "I yield." Just then Goro roared for Durgara and Tanya to step forward. They stepped forward and bowed to each other.

Durgara charged at Tanya at full speed. She then stopped abruptly and punched Tanya in the face, just as she was going to switch. As Tanya held her nose in pain Durgara winked at her and slapper her in the face. She lifted Tanya in the air and made sure to make eye contact with her. Her eyes darted to the side, and she tossed Tanya to the side her eyes had flickered to. Tanya landed on her back, then focused on her magic and her strength. She pushed herself off, and did a corkscrew kick that knocked Durgara to the floor. She then muttered a spell and instantly her Kobu Jutsu appeared in her hands. She lunged at Durgara, who blocked the weapons and headbutted Tanya. She then fluttered her eyes up, blinked twice at Tanya and jumped.

Tanya realized too late that Durgara was signaling her of her attacks. Durgara came crashing down on Tanya sending the Kobo Jutsu sliding away. Durgara lifted Tanya up and gave her a pleading look to catch on. She looked to her lower arms and clenched and unclenched her fists. She dropped Tanya and tried to punch her, but Tanya had finally caught on. She grabbed her arms and flipped her body up. She manage to kick Durgara twice in the face, before she was snatched into the air. As Durgara spun Tanya in the air, Tanya muttered another spell that sent the Kobu Jutsu flying at them. Just as Tanya was flung, the Kobu Jutsu embedded themselves in Durgara's left arms. She howled in pain, and Tanya launched a fireball into her mouth before falling to the ground. She roared in anger and stomped on the ground and sent an ice ball flying at Tanya. She then used her upper arms to lift her over her head and smash Tanya on her back and drop her to her lower arms. Using her lower arms, Durgara smashed Tanya on her knees and kicked her to the side. Tanya gripped her ribs and screamed out in pain.

She took a deep breath and muttered another spell. Instantly her ribs were fixed and the pain began to subside. Anger welled up inside her and she ran and picked up her Kobu Jutsu. She slashed at Durgara and jumped and kicked her face. She then jammed her blades into the shokan's top shoulders and used them to stabilize herself as she kicked Durgara in the face once more. As she flipped back to the floor she shot a flare at Durgara's eyes. Once again she used her corkscrew kick, only this time she followed up with a backwards heel kick. When Durgara stood up again, Tanya pounced on her and sat atop her shoulders. Once there, she spun her lower waist and twisted her neck. She jumped off then muttered a spell into her hands. She then blew a kiss to launch the spell at Durgara. It made contact and made Durgara contort and collapse to the ground. She conceded defeat, and Tanya smiled as Durgara shook her head at her.

Goro seemed mildly impressed at both of the fighter's but then he turned his attention to Kintaro, who seemed agitated and ready to fight. He nodded to Kintaro then turned to Reptile. He stared him down for a while then smiled at him, lifted one of his hands and waved goodbye to reptile.

"Finally Kintaro vs. Reptile. If your friend manages to defeat Kintaro then I will hear what you have to say. Now Fight!"

Kintaro growled in anger as Reptile stepped forward. He then pounded his chest and roared even louder. Reptile laughed and spit acid out of the corner of his mouth. He concentrated on his powers and became invisible.

Once invisible he rushed Kintaro and jumped to claw his face. He then jumped over him and hit him with an acid ball. Kintaro staggered a bit, but he did not fall. Reptile then slid under him and spat acid at his face and scratched his ankles. Kintaro stomped, knocking Reptile into the air. He then punched with all four arms and connected with Reptile, ruining his invisibility. When reptile landed, he lifted him in the air and sent him crashing back down to the ground. Reptile stood up, groggy, and Kintaro shot a fireball at him.

Reptile reacted with an acid ball of his own that stopped the fireball in it's tracks and sprayed them both with acid. They cringed in pain, but Reptile was the first to recover. He charged quickly at Kintaro, but Kintaro was ready. He grabbed Reptile and jumped as high as could. When he reached the peak of his jump, he threw reptile back down to the ground and came crashing down upon him. He then lifted him up, made him bounce of the ground and then smashed him down with two hammer fists.

Reptile jumped back up and spit in Kintaro's face again and kneed his gut. He then elbowed the side of his face and kicked it. As Kintaro shook his head, Reptile shot an acid ball at him then jumped over him and pushed him into it. When Kintaro popped back up, Reptile poked his eyes and slashed at his ankles. He then jump kicked his face and slashed the back of his head.

Reptile landed on the floor wiith a thud and smiled at his handiwork. Things were beginning to look in his favor once more and he decided he would capitalize. Excitement overtook him as he charged Kintaro, full force. He dug his hand into Kintaro's skin and blew up an acid ball inside of him. He then crawled up to his shoulders and held his mouth open as he spit acid into it. Kintaro flung him to the ground and stomped on his leg, breaking it. He then kicked Reptile as far as he could and hit him with a fireball. Reptile hit a tree and crumpled to the floor. Meanwhile, Kintaro's insides were burning as he tried to throw up the acid that was spit into him. He fell to his knees and threw up for an entire minute and a half before he passed out. Reptile staggered to his feet and walked towards Kintaro. As he stood over him he stomped on the back of his head and raised his arms in victory. He then reached down and reset his leg and waited for it to heal itself. Goro walked over to Reptile and punched him in the face, knocking him out. He then turned to Rain and shook his head.

"Go ahead ask us what it is what you want, and I will see if my people can help you. Now speak self proclaimed Demigod."

Rain hesitated for a moment, but then he began again. "As I said earlier, I am a son of Argus and I come seeking help. I wish to free my realm of Edenia from Outworld and undo what Shao Kahn did long ago, while you seek revenge on Mileena and the we join forces we may be able to overthrow her ourselves. If you help us liberate Edenia, then we can make it so that the Shokan rule Outworld as Edenia's allies. I have other spies working throughout the ranks of Mileena's army who would also help us in our conquest. Would you take us as allies?"

Goro thought for a moment and looked from Rain to Tanya. He was assessing whetehr or not he should accept them or not, when the thought of Baraka's head on a spike began to entice him. He nodded and shook Rain's hand.

"We will help you defeat Mileena, but what else is that you seek, I see a twinkle in your eye, that shows you are seeking something else."

"I only ask for one more thing. Being the last living person to have worked with Shao Kahn I was wondering if you knew the location of a particular item I may need."

"Out with it already."

" I was wondering if you knew the location of the Edenian Kamidogu."

"I do not, but Quan Chi was asking for the very same thing when he first arrived. Last I remember you left with him during the argument we all had, so now I ask you. What are you and he playing at?"

"Honestly, I had no idea Quan Chi was looking for it, but it does mean I'll have to move fast. You don't have any idea where it may be?"

Goro thought for a minute then smiled, "If I know Shao Kahn, I would say he'd place it where no one would dare to look for it. He'd place it in one of the most dangerous places he could put it. A place no one would have the gall to try and go to. Now if you can not find such a place or fail to see the truth, then I cannot help you." He laughed as Rain scratched his head trying to think of places it would be.

Where would be a location that Shao Kahn himself would be afraid of, Rain thought to himself. He shook hands with Goro and told him to lay low, so Mileena would think they were all dead. Goro then walked over to Farnuck's body and handed his head to Rain.

"Here take this so that Mileena will believe you. When the time comes we will surprise her armies and decimate them. soon it will be her head along with Baraka's that I will hold over my own. Now go and let me know if you ever solve the answer to your conundrum."

He laughed as Rain, Tanya, and some of the soldier's they brought with them returned. Rain and Tanya decided it would be best if they had experienced a few "casualties" in their battle. Rain smiled to himself, because as far as the other were concerned, this was an elaborate ruse to get the Shokan to help Shinnok. He smiled as his plan started to unfold before him.

Ermac was beginning to grow tired of Jerrod assuming command of the vessel. It was as if they traded away one ruler for the next and it was beginning to get irritable. He was trying to help this blind Kenshi hone his telepathy and they were moving at immense speed, but Jerrod was too focused on his desires and he was essentially forcing Ermac to oblige. While Jerrod helped Kenshi the souls of Ermac collaborated to kick Jerrod out of the vessel and into the nearest one. This way he would have a body of his own to use at his leisure and Ermac could figure out what freedom really felt like, and what they would do with it. Some of the spirits preferred it when they fought for Shao Kahn. while other's liked the stance Jerrod was taking. There was also the few who had no care, but all spirits were in agreement, that the only way to determine their true desire was to find a common goal, working as a unit, not working under the instruction of some other force.

Jerrod had been training Kenshi while they made their way to the resistance's encampment. He agreed to help Kenshi the entire way there, but once they arrived there he would have to either help the resistance or be on his way. Kenshi had wanted to return the favor and help Ermac with his problem, but his sword was telling him not to. The sword could sense the inner turmoil within Ermac, and it was advising Kenshi to stay on his guard in case Jerrod lost control.

They had been traveling for a while, and according to Ermac, they were close to the encampment. As they stopped to train for a bit, a rustling in the forest caused them to stop. Kenshi sensed the Tarkatans as soon as they were close enough for him to hear them. There were three of them, but they were fairly strong. He waited for the first to creep out, before he used his powers on him.

He tossed his sword and used his telekinetic push to launch it into the Tarkatan. It stuck his stomach and Kenshi flung his hand up, cutting the creature from the belly button up. He pulled the sword out and grabbed it as it flew back to him. The other two Tarkatans charged him, and he pushed one away as he cut the other's head off in a foul swoop. He then focused all of his attention on the last remaining tarkatan, he lifted it into the air and smashed it back down. He then stuck his sword into the ground and slid the tarkatan towards him. It came sliding at immense speed, and it flew straight through the sword. Kenshi lifted the sword and the tarkatan split in two.

"You have made some amazing progress Kenshi, now before we arrive at the encampment, I have one final test for you. I want you to fight me, and you are not allowed to use your sword. Focus on your psychic abilities and push your aura outwards. Now fight me!"

Kenshi set his sword into the ground and began to focus on the feelings of the earth beneath him. He waited for an attack, but nothing came. He listened closely for any sign of an attack, but still nothing. He began to move forward when he heard a whizzing coming from behind him, then a zapping sound. He created a shield to protect himself from the projectile, but he left himself vulnerable to physical attacks. By the time he hear Ermac it was too late. A fist connected with his side and another with his stomach. as leaned forward in pain, a boot him in the face.

As he tried to recover from the attack's he felt himself being lifted into the air. Panic filled him as he twisted and turned trying his best to wriggle free. He curled himself into a ball and braced himself for impact. He smashed to the ground, but he bounced back into the air. For a brief moment he felt free, then he felt the psychic tug once more.

Ermac pulled Kenshi in towards him, then hit him with a charged uppercut that sent Kenshi flying back. Immediately afterwards, Ermac launched a projectile that Kenshi fell into. Once again, he teleported behind Kenshi and kicked him into the air. he then wrapped him in a psychic ball and began to crush him, by tightening his fist. Just as Kenshi let out a scream of pain, he opened his fist and stretched him as far as he could. He then held him in stasis and teleported above him and came crashing down onto Kenshi. He tried to push the attack, but Kenshi had strengthened his shield.

After the attacks, Kenshi was able to pinpoint ermac's position. He began to punch and kick at the air before him, but he projected his being outwards. for the first time he felt his aura connect with Ermac. The feeling was surreal, almost as if his mind was punching ermac for him. He then used his arm to grab Ermac and pull him in closer. He then held him in front of him and charged his arm with psychic energy and pushed into Ermac's rib cage. He felt a crack as he pushed in. Ermac fell to his knees and was instantly greeted by a knee to the chin, courtesy of Kenshi. Continuing the attack, kenshi imagined that he was holding a sword and he dropped the imaginary sword onto ermac, who used an explosion of energy to roll away and push kenshi back. Kenshi did not falter, however.

Following the pop attack, he focused all his energy to his shoulder and charged at ermac. Ermac was sent flying back a few feet into the air. As he came crashing down, Kenshi pushed his aura outwards to catch him and fling him into a nearby tree. He then pushed ermac through the tree and forced all the wreckage to pierce Ermac. As Ermac recovered, Kenshi pulled him back and flung an elbow to his face. Holding him by the neck, he extended his aura around ermac and began to tighten it. Invisible restraints wrapped around Ermac and his diaphragm started to close in. Ermac broke free then bowed.

"You have shown great progress. I have taught you everything that I can. If you wish to stay and help me, it would be appreciated, but I will not interfere with your decision."

Kenshi sat and thought for a moment, pondering his decision. Part of him felt he owed Ermac a debt, but another part felt that he had an unfinished task he was not considering. There was a nagging sense that he was forgetting something. An underpinning that something was amiss. As he pondered the choice Sento spoke to him.

" There appears to be discord among the souls contained within Ermac. The one who helped us is losing control, and the other souls are devising a way to excommunicate him from the vessel. They want to exorcise him from the soul, but they are searching for a replacement. It appears that they may need help to smooth over the transition. However, once we help them we should be on our way. There is an anomaly that we should investigate. We do not want to be preemptive, but we may have pinged into a broken soulnado back in earthrealm."

Kenshi silently agreed then confirmed his plans openly to Ermac. "I would be glad to help your camp and offer my services when needed. I will say however that there is something that I must tend to immediately after I meet the encampment."

They bowed to each other and then continued on to the rebel base. A few hours passed until they finally reached a place that appeared to be a rebel encampment. As they approached Ermac made a signal then disappeared. A few minutes passed and two men came out to Kenshi and bowed.

" We were sent to bring you in, our leader would like to talk to you and your friend. If this is indeed King Jerrod, then there may be hope for our cause. Praise Edenia."

When they arrived to the location of the meeting Kenshi was taken aback. There was an ushered silence that rang through the encampment and a lingering sense of fear. As they passed by houses both Sento and the people leading him through the village stated that many of the people were badly injured, and some were even missing limbs. Since Mileena and Baraka had taken over, many more Tarkatan raids had occurred and many of the denizens were living in fear. They arrived to the tent and Kenshi could sense the tension in the room.

It seemed that everyone was holding their breath waiting for an answer. The collective pause in the room seemed to send shocks that reverberated with everyone. As they walked to the front of the room, Kenshi heard hushed whispers and grumblings. There seemed to be discord among many of the members and they were fed up with the way they were being treated. The anger was palpable and as the leader spoke up there seemed to be a nervous tension in his voice.

"Welcome all, I have talked with our guests of honor and we have learned that King Jerrod has returned to us."

The silence surrounding the room seemed to drop another level below silence. Kenshi could feel everyone in the room holding their breath and any thought they had. They seemed to be reserving any form of life signs. The leader paused and let people take things in. Then he continued.

"In order to prove to us the truth, he has agreed to exit his vessel and take an ethereal form to show us it is him. I have seen him with my own two eyes and I can confirm this is indeed King Jerrod the last king of Edenia who was slain by Shao Kahn. Many of our elder members will recognize him immediatley, but to our younger members keep his image in mind."

He then turned to Ermac and bowed. Ermac nodded and turned to the people.

"I have been fortunate enough to be aided in my quest by an entity you all know as Ermac. Ermac was a creation of Shao Kahn that was forced to do the monster's bidding. Upon working together I have learned a lot and I am grateful to have learned all that I have. I return to you my people with one purpose. We will be free once more and Edenia will prosper. I have been gone for so long, but I come back to liberate you. I have asked and Ermac has agreed that they will help us. They also tell me that there are potential allies in route to us. Unfortunatley, I have overstayed my welcome with the vessel so when I reveal myself I will need to find a corporal vessel. Fortunately, your leader Astam has agreed to help me with this issue. He has offered himself as my vessel. We will share a body and we will lead you to Edenia. I hope you can accept with open arms my people. We will fight back against the tyranny of the Kahn and the damage his family has caused. We will fight back and we will win. Long Live Edenia!"

With that he expelled himself from Ermac and formed before the rebel audience. They stood in awe as he took shape before them. His form began to shimmer and everyone in the audience fell to one knee. Everyone in the room could sense the aura of good emanating from King Jerrod. He seemed to emit a sense of peace and tranquility. The instant his form began to take shape, people recognized him. As he raised in arms to acknowledge his people, Astam kneeled and opened his arms, signaling his readiness to be possessed.

Jerrod stepped into the vessel and began to shake violently for a few seconds. His eyes rolled back and then he stopped. For a few seconds he appeared to be dead, until he jolted back to life and Jerrod addressed the audience in a voice that appeared to be a mix of his and Astam's. He explained that they had joined their consciences and had become one. He bowed and smiled, but his happiness was short-lived, when a pack of Tarkatans came in and began to attack the village.

Ermac and Kenshi began to fight them off, but more of them began to pile in. They seemed outmatched until a man dressed in the attire of an ambassador, only with added chainmail and a feathered helmet, came in and started to snap the necks of some of the Tarkatans. The mysterious man killed the remaining Tarkatan and bowed to Kenshi and Ermac. He then walked up to the Astam/Jerrod body and bowed once more.

He took his helmet off and revealed his face, which was marked by a branding on his forehead, followed by a pulled back in a braided ponytail. He appeared to have some facial hair and his branding appeared to be a type of insignia.

He stood up saluted and began. "General Astam, the World Leader of Seido would love to help and is willing to ally with you, under one condiiton. We must train your people and as debt for our help we have the right to take this village and province for Seido. Aside from those small matters things should be fine, but we want this all in legal binding so we must approve of this." He smiled and bowed again.

"Thank you Dairou you have been very helpful, we would be glad to sign something of this standard. We hope this alliance with Orderrealm could help us with things, in the near future." They began to talk quickly and quitely, but Kenshi tried his best to ignore them. All he could sense was a growing fear that something was amiss and it was beginning to unsettle him. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was to come.