Greywolf - Shadowcat

Claws tore at my back as long fangs like daggers bit down on my right shoulder, Artifact plates shattering under the pressure like thick glass. Screaming in pain, I whirled about and plunged us into the women's shadowy forms. The creature’s powerful back legs knocked me to the floor as the creature pushed off of me. The floor smacked me hard, my shoulder feeling like it was on fire as I gasped and rolled to my knees with the katana still in my left hand resting on the ground.

Oh, shite. Not far from the two shadowy figures, a Shadowcat as large as a panther was stalking back and forth as if deciding whether to attack again or not. Its form was grey skin over bones without any flesh, with fangs as long as the Artifact dagger sheathed in my belt. All Shadow creatures hate touching a person's shadow form worse than a real cat hates water, and the two women's shadows were beside me on the left, where the katana was partially covered by their feet. But it knew I was wounded, and even though it also knew what I was, it was suffering the terrible hunger all Shadow creatures share. I didn't think it was going to give up.

It stopped pacing. The Shadowcat snarled and bounded towards me, my hand gripping the katana tight, keeping it hidden until it got close... It's tensing to leap... whip the sword up and brace!

The Shadowcat impaled itself on the sword. The katana was ripped from my hand as the Shadowcat slammed into me, knocking me over as it rolled into a ball, frantically trying to rip the sword out with its claws as I scrambled away best as I could. I pulled the knife from its sheathe as the creature stopped clawing at the katana and staggered towards me, continuing to scream. I rolled to my knees and, as it leapt at me again, I let my chest plates smack against the sword hilt, pushing it farther in as I shoved my knife into its mouth.

It bit down on my arm but the fangs went past on either side and the plates were holding, so I hooked my ankle around its back leg and pushed off, knocking the Shadowcat off balance as it chewed on my arm, whipping it around. We were both screaming as I shoved the knife as hard as I could up into its skull.

The Shadowcat shrieked, dissolved into a grey mist, and disappeared. The katana dropped to the floor as I did the same, gasping with both my left side and my right fighting over which hurt the worst. Stop whimpering, you're not out of the woods yet. I rolled into a sitting position and looked at the arm. The plates were a mess, but they'd held just long enough, and I didn't think the arm was broken. Okay, move the knife to your right hand. Now, pick up the katana and try to swing it.

Shite! Bad idea, bad idea. How are you going to save Wysper like this... Wysper! To my right, the Tartaros warrior had gotten closer, and he had his knife up as if he was about to stab her. Wotan's blood, there's only one thing left that I can do. Holding tight to both weapons so I didn't leave them behind in the Shadowlands, I moved behind her and turned so I was facing her back. Then I ran at her shadowy figure as a gateway formed in front of her. I raced through it and out of the Grey...

Slamming into the warrior as color returned to the world. I was moving much faster due to the difference in time, and knocked him off his feet as I stumbled and fell onto my injured shoulder, both weapons knocked from my hands as I yelped in pain. They skittered away across the floor as the African woman screamed, "Muzen, help!"

I struggled to sit up as the warrior got to his knees. "Where in Tengri's name did you come from?" His eyes widened. "You're the Shadow-walker Muzen wants."

The clash of steel and the shouts and screams of men drifted up from the floor below as I snarled back, "And you must be the spy, Redhunter. Why are you trying to hurt Wysper?"

His hands were empty with his knife close to the African woman's feet, and he looked her way as he climbed to his. "I don't have any grudge against the girl," Redhunter said, moving to retrieve his knife, "but my orders are to kill her so Muzen's defeat will be that much greater-"

The African woman spun like a dancer and clipped Redhunter across the side of his face, knocking him to the floor again as she bent down and picked up the knife. She held it out like she knew how to use it. "You would betray our employer, after all he has done for us?"

Behind Redhunter, the bolt holding the door closed glowed blue a moment and slid open by itself, the door silently swinging open as Redhunter rubbed the side of his face. "Zanzabel, you're a fool if you continue working for him. Muzen will use you before throwing you out like a rag when he's got no more use for you. Besides, all the other temples in Bukhara are rising up against him, and I was told that, if I didn't help them, I'd be executed along with you and all the rest of his loyal retainers. This way, not only do I get to live, but I'm getting a healthy portion of blood-corn I can sell to the Lords of Khor. After tonight I'm going to be a wealthy man."

Muzen strode into the room, holding an Artifact Battle-axe in his hand he must have taken off one of the Chosen. "What a shame you shall not live to enjoy the rewards of your betrayal."

The large, bare chested guard slammed the door shut and bolted it once more as Redhunter whirled around. "Muzen, you're supposed to be downstairs, being pummeled into submission."

The High Priest gave Redhunter a cold smile. "I believe I can live with your disappointment. Can you live with mine?" With a savage motion he hurled the Battle-axe at Redhunter's chest. Ribs cracked as the axe blade embedded itself into the warrior's chest, flinging him backwards as he hit the floor with a thump. His hands clawed at the weapon feebly for a few moments as he spit out bloody froth. Then Redhunter's arms flopped to the sides, his body going limp as blood began pooling around his body.

I used my feet to propel myself away from the corpse as well as Muzen, who turned towards the guard, speaking in the Sasnayam language and pointing at the door as if telling him to guard it with his life. The big man clapped his meaty hand to his chest and faced the door with his enormous scimitar in both hands as Muzen turned back towards us. "Greywolf, we do not have much time. Several decades ago I spent many months crafting a Gem of Return, which will transport any Celestial or half-blood within its radius to a secret room in Tesiphon." He pulled out a blue stone the size of an egg from his pocket as he grimaced. "To think I almost left it behind, believing I would never need it."

Zanzabel stepped in front of Wysper, her hands on her hips. "After all my years of service, you are going to just abandon me to the White Horde?"

He glanced over his shoulder as something thumped against the door, then back again. "Of course not. The back blast from this spell will disintegrate everyone in this room, and hopefully bring this building down on my enemies, though I cannot be sure of that. But I am sure that none of you three will feel any pain." She gaped at him in horror and Muzen shrugged. "I told you I was ruthless."

Zanzabel staggered back into Wysper's arms, the pale girl's expression sad, and yet also calm, as if she was ready to die. I struggled to my knees. "Muzen, I'm not going anywhere with you."

He raised one painted eyebrow as another thump, louder this time, rattled the door. "Did I say you have a choice? Once we are in Tesiphon, I will keep you safe and secure while I investigate this plot against me. Then, once it is crushed, I can spend some time molding you into the assassin I want you to become."

"I'm not letting Wysper die. If you begin an invocation, I swear I'll attack you."

Muzen chuckled as the door rattles again. "With what? Foul language? You are in no condition to fight Zanzabel, let alone me."

"Papa taught me one attack I'm only allowed to use as a last resort. Put away the gem and escape out the window or I swear I'll use it." He gave me a derisive snort and I added, "I'm not bluffing."

"Of course you are. While Asena would never bluff, your father is the master of lies and deceit... and you are clearly your father's son." He held the gem out with one hand as he opened his mouth to begin the invocation.

"You're wrong," I snarled back at him. "I'm Asena's." Instead of forming a gateway into the Shadowlands, I reversed the process as papa showed me, and became the gateway myself.

The wolf halo absorbed most of the strength from my body and leapt across into the real world.