The Quest: Book 1 Ch. 7
By Eliad Sholomovich

Guile and the others reached the entrance. It was a 10 foot tall and wide iron gate. Beside it was some sentences in an ancient language.

Baltazar approached he looked at the writing. "Beware the temple of water. Those who defy the goddess's power will suffer her wrath. Enter at own risk"

Ryu shrugged "What goddess?" Baltazar explained "The realm of Kellith once housed many deitys mighty and weak. Then 500 millienia ago a being of evil appeared he challenged the gods to combat and won proving them to be no more than powerful beings of immortality to age. Then the being vanished without a trace leaving the world to us after banishing both "gods" and demons."

Mariko asked "Ya think Shadowbane did that?" They all turned to her "I hope not" Ryu said.

Ryu pushed the door open. They all entered the temple and the door locked behind them. There was a junction ahead. Ryu said He,Chunli,Guy,Brad,Mel and Mariko would go right while the others go to the left.

They split up and started walking. Outside Shadowbane examined the writing as well. "Excellent now I shall wait. The globe shall show me what I wish to see."

Shadowbane raised his left hand. a globe of green appeared and floated in the air. It showed him one of the groups. Shadowbane growled and summoned another globe It showed him the other group.

"Now let the show begin" he said and sat down leaning on a tree the two globes rotating around him.

INSIDE THE TEMPLE

Ryu and his group had started walking threw and tunnel. Then they reached a room that was built like a chess board. Ryu saw some writing on the wall. "Ryu examined it closer and found out it was in japanese.

He read it and spoke out loud. "Only a knight may pass the test of wisdom" Ryu raised a brow "I wonder what it means?"

Chunli examined the room and them spoke "I think I know what to do. Jump from the black squares like a knight piece in a chess game" Everyone nodded "Its worth a shot" Guy said and started jumping threw the rooms tiles. Everyone except Ryu passed.

Then when Ryu started jumping and a clanging sound was heard. Ryu stopped in place. A voice spoke "Now that you've passed the test of wisdom you must face the test of valor."

A transparent wall blocked the exit and behind it all the group. The floor descended 25 feet. And then openings in the wall started flooding the room with water. Ryu started swimming and when the water level reached 30 feet the water stopped flowing.

Then a gate opened underwater. Ryu looked down and was wide-eyed with awe and surprise. Out of the opening swam a 15 foot long great white shark. Ryu gulped and saw he was in serious trouble.

Behind the transparent wall Guy,Chunli,Guile,Mel and Mariko slammed into the wall shot projectiles but there efforts were invain. Chunli and Mariko looked in horror as Ryu was about to face a foe with no known enemies in its homecourt.

Then the door behind them opened. Behind it stood a group of about 18-20 blue skinned orcs with silver eyes and hair. "Oh Not now we've got to save Ryu." Mariko said in dismay

Mel told her "I'm sure Ryu-Sensai can take care of himself. We must fight so we can help him later" Mariko nodded.

They entered stance and got ready the orcs entered stances as well and approached slowly their silver eyes glowing in anticipation.

MEANWHILE DOWN THE OTHER TUNNEL

Ken and Cammy were leading the party. They passed a tunnel Derek motioned them to stop. He took a pebble from his pocket and threw it forward. It hit a tile on the floor and a huge razor disk flew from a crack in the wall.

Ken and Cammy gulped "That could have been us" Derek nodded. They passed another few tunnels with arrow traps. and rising spikes. Then they reached a huge room. In the middle of the room was a huge pool of dark blue water.

Baltazar read the writing on the wall. "Prepare to face the test of bravery" Ken looked confused "I wonder what they meant by that"

The door behind them locked and their exit as well. Blue beams hit their foreheads. A fuzzy sensation passed threw them when the beams touched them.

Then the water glowed in bright blue and started to swirl.Then it started taking shapes. They all looked in horror as the water took the shapes of their greatest foes.

Ken faced a Akuma clone.Cammy a Bison clone Dan a Sagat clone. Derek faced a undead knight. Lorain a huge troll berserker with a crown of bones. Baltazar faced a floating skull with jems for teeth and glowing green eyes.

"This doesn't look good guys" Ken said Cammy spoke "Well it can't get worst than this can it?" Just then spikes burst out of the wall. Dan frowned "Ya had to talk"

They all entered stance and got ready.

Shadowbane looked at the globes and grinned. "Well Kain was indeed devious with his traps" Shadowbane sat straight and rubbed his hands. "Lets get ready to rumble" he said and watched the globes carefully