Chapter 12
The Child

	Ryu jumped out of the plane and landed in the midst of heavy jungle, giving him an eerie sense of déjà vu. It was morning. Vega's pilot had dropped him as far as he could near the temple's vicinity without being seen. Ryu felt the evil presence of the temple, and began to march towards it. He was very faint in the distance; he knew it would take him all day to reach it, and that might be too late. His senses were keened while he walked through the jungle, but he sensed no guards at all, a highly unusual practice. From atop a small cliff, Ryu saw the temple, or rather, the remains of a great temple. He sensed the intensely evil ki energy emanating from it. The sun had already begun to dip behind the horizon; he then ran through the jungle.
***
	Ryu entered the temple easily, all were gathered in the center, exactly like in the underground. Ryu hide behind a tree and analyzed this place of Evil. The temple was probably several millennia old, its marble columns now just cracked and stubbles. In the center, four black opal statues of The Demon that Ryu and his ancestor, the Shinobi, had fought surrounded a large basin. The basin also had a demon, a demon head from which water flowed into it. Two altars were placed side by side. Irene lied down on one, held down by four tribesmen. Ryu knew that he couldn't help her just yet; he had to wait for a moment when Xaviev's and the Tribesmen's guard would be down.
	Xaviev walked to Irene and put his hands on her robe white on her belly. She spat at him and kicked with all her might shouting obscenities but to no anvil. The wizard just said one word, "grow."
	Irene screamed out in unfathomable pain. She kicked out her legs, breaking the ribs of one of her restrainers. "Hold her," Xaviev commanded. Irene started to hyperventilate; her forehead broke down in sweat. She continued to scream as if she were possessed. Then Ryu saw what was really happening. Irene's belly inflated. The muscles in her body started to contract violently. Her water broke, and Xaviev reached inside of her and pulled out a crying baby, covered in a black ooze. The wizard ripped off the umbilical cord and raised the baby above to his, presenting him to the cheering Tribesmen. Ryu was about to leap into action when Xaviev glared at him. Ryu was unable to move, frozen under Xaviev's spell. The wizard laughed as he spoke, "Well, Ninja Dragon, how do you like your son!!!"