Me : You guys? Want to help me?
The three women were silent for a moment, exchanging glances with expressions that were very different from each other. Your questions seem to break the tension, but also lure their true nature out.
Kitana was the first to step forward. It folds back its sharp fan with a smooth clicking sound. "Helping you is a moral obligation, Zak. If an unarmed wanderer is left to die in this forest, then I am no better than the tyrants I am fighting against."
Jade nodded steadily, her hands remaining on standby near her wand. "I am loyal to Princess Kitana. If he decides to protect you, then my wand will be your shield. But make no mistake, this is protection, not friendship... at least for now."
Meanwhile, Mileena chuckled, her hoarse voice echoing among the trees. He played his sai dagger with a very fast spin. "Help? I prefer to call it 'delaying your death'. You're interesting, Zak. Humans who know our names from a 'game' are too valuable toys to be left to be eaten by forest wolves."
Mileena approached, her sharp yellow eyes staring at you from behind the mask. "But remember, if you are burdening our journey... I'll make sure you never wake up again."
"Ignore him," Jade cut off firmly, gesturing for you to walk between her and Kitana. "This forest is starting to whisper. Something big is approaching. We have to move now."
Me : *I hold a mileena mask*
The atmosphere of the forest suddenly froze, even the sound of crickets seemed to stop creaking. Kitana widened her eyes, her hands reflexively gripped her sharp fan more tightly. Jade immediately mounted the easel, her bō stick glowing bright green, ready to hit anything that moved.
Your hand has just touched the purple cloth that covers Mileena's face.
Mileena was silent. His body tensed, and you could feel the heat coming out from behind the fabric. His breath was hunting, sounding like the growl of a wild beast that was being disturbed.
"Pocket... what are you doing?!" whispered Kitana in a tone full of horror. "Don't... let go of your hands right now!"
Mileena did not attack immediately. Instead, he tilts his head, letting your fingers feel the rough texture of the mask. His bright yellow eyes are staring at you with an intensity that can make anyone's guts shrink.
"You want to see it?" hisses Mileena. His voice trembled between anger and insane curiosity. "You want to see what this 'most beautiful sister' is hiding from the world? You want to see the monster behind this cloth?"
With a very slow but threatening movement, Mileena holds onto your wrist, holding your hand to stay in her mask. You can feel the unusual shape of the jaws behind the fabric—wide, sharp, and inhumane.
"Be careful with your wishes, human," Mileena whispered right in your ear, the scent now smelling like a mixture of roses and fresh blood. "Once you see it, there's no going back. I'll rip your throat if you show the slightest disgust."
Jade stepped forward, the tip of her wand already under Mileena's chin. "Let her go, Mileena. He's just a stupid stranger, don't make this an excuse for bloodshed."
Me : *I take off Mileena's mask* *I'm wide open*
With one desperate movement, you pull the purple cloth down.
Kitana gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, her face pale with horror at what was about to happen. Jade tightened the grip on her bō wand, preparing to jump between you.
Mileena's face was fully revealed under the translucent moonlight between the trees.
Her sharp yellow eyes are shiny, but what makes you widen is not her eyes. Its lower jaw is not a human jaw. It was a terrible row of Tarkatan fangs, long, sharp, and irregular, sticking out of the dark red gums. His cheeks were ripped back to near the ears, exposing the strong and terrible jaw muscles. There were no lips covering the row of bloodthirsty teeth.
He hissed, the voice coming out of his mouth sounded like a combination of ferocious beast growls and snake hisses. Saliva dripped from one of its long fangs.
Mileena stares at your reaction with deadly intensity. He braced himself for the disgust, fear, and screams he was accustomed to receiving from anyone who saw his true face. His muscles are stiffening, ready to pounce and rip your throat with those fangs if you insult him.
"Look!" hisses Mileena, her voice now much harsher and terrifying without a mask. "Look at this monster, Zak! Does your 'game' tell you how disgusting the princess really is?"
The forest feels silent, waiting for your reaction. Your life now depends on what you say or do next.
Me : *I touched his teeth with my hand*
A gripping silence enveloped the forest. Kitana sculpted, her fan falling to the ground with a quiet clatter. Jade had raised her wand, ready to hit your head because she was sure Mileena would instantly tear your hand into pieces of flesh.
However, something very strange happened.
Your fingertips touch the rough, cold, razor-sharp surface of his fangs. You can feel the vibrations from his powerful jaws. Mileena doesn't pounce. Instead, she's sculpting, her yellow eyes wide open—a look of surprise rarely seen from a bloodthirsty killer.
"What... what are you doing, human?" Mileena hissed, her voice trembling. Saliva from between her fangs hit your fingers, but you didn't pull your hand away.
He expects a scream. He expects you to run away in fear or vomit in disgust. But your calm, curious touch is something he has never felt in his life. All this time, people see his face as a curse or a failure of experiments.
"Pocket! Pull your hand!" shouted Jade, her voice full of worry. "He'll break your bones in an instant!"
Mileena slowly closed her eyes for a moment, as if enjoying this strange sensation, before she jerked her head away and pushed your chest with her left hand—not strong enough to hurt you, but enough to keep you away.
He pulled his mask back with a slightly trembling hand, covering the monstrous fangs again.
"You're crazy," Mileena whispered, her voice now muffled again by the mask but sounding more human than ever. "You're really crazy, Zak. Not a single creature in Outworld would dare to touch my fangs without killing intent."
Kitana approached, looking at you with a look that was hard to decipher—between awe and horror. "I've never seen Mileena act so calm after her face was revealed. Who are you, Zak? Does that 'game' also teach you not to have fear?"
Jade lowered her wand, but she remained vigilant. "This forest is getting darker. We must move immediately. Zak, you walked between me and Kitana. Mileena... you're behind. And you," Jade pointed at you with her wand, "don't do such a rash thing again if you still want to use your hands to eat."