Greywolf - Shadowcat

Claws tear at my back as long fangs like daggers bite down on my right shoulder, Artifact plates shattering under the pressure like thick glass. Screaming in pain, I whirl about and plunge us into the women's shadowy forms. Its powerful back legs knock me to the floor as the creature pushes off of me. The floor smacks me hard, my shoulder feeling like its on fire as I gasp and roll 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's stalking back and forth as if deciding whether to attack again or not. Its form is 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 cat hates water, and the two women's shadows are beside me on the left, where the katana is partially covered by their feet. But it knows I'm wounded, and even though it knows what I am, it's suffering the terrible hunger all Shadow creatures share. I don't think it's going to give up.

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

The Shadowcat impales itself on the sword. The katana's ripped from my hand as the Shadowcat slams into me, knocking me over as it rolls into a ball, frantically trying to rip the sword out with its claws as I scramble away best I can. I pull the knife from its sheathe as the creature stops clawing at the katana and staggers towards me, continuing to scream. I roll to my knees and, as it leaps at me again, I let my chest plates smack against the sword hilt, pushing it farther in as I shove my knife into its mouth.

Shite, it's biting down on my arm, but the fangs go past on either side and the plates are holding... I hook my ankle around its back leg and push off, knocking it off balance as it chews on my arm, whipping it around... we're both screaming as I shove the knife as hard as I can upward into its skull...

The Shadowcat screams one last time as it dissolves into a grey mist and disappears. The katana drops to the floor as I do the same, gasping with both my left side and my right fighting over which hurts the worst. Stop whimpering, you're not out of the woods yet. I roll into a sitting position and look at the arm. The plates are a mess, but they held long enough, and I don't think your arm's 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's gotten closer, and he's got his knife up as if he's about to stab her. Wotan's blood, there's only one thing left that I can do. Holding tight to both weapons so I don't leave them behind in the Shadowlands, I move behind her and turn so I'm facing her back. Then run at her shadowy figure as a gateway forms in front of her. I race through it and out of the Grey...

Slamming into the warrior as color returns to the world. I'm moving much faster due to the difference in time, and knock him off his feet as I stumble and fall onto my injured shoulder, both weapons knocked from my hands as I yelp in pain. They skitter away across the floor as the African woman screams, "Muzen, help!"

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

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

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

The woman spins like a dancer and clips Redhunter across the side of his face, knocking him to the floor again as she bends down and picks up the knife. She holds it out like she knows how to use it. "You would betray our employer, after all he has done for us?"

Behind Redhunter, the bolt holding the door closed glows blue a moment and slides open by itself, then the door silently swings open as Redhunter rubs 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 strides into the room holding an Artifact Battle-axe in his hand that 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 slams the door shut and bolts it once more as Redhunter whirls around. "Muzen, you're supposed to be downstairs, being pummeled into submission."

The High Priest gives Redhunter a cold smile. "I believe I can live with your disappointment. Can you live with mine?" With a savage motion he hurls the Battle-axe at Redhunter's chest. Ribs crack as the axe blade embeds itself in the warrior's chest, flinging him backwards as he hits the floor with a thump. His hands claw at the weapon feebly a few moments as he spits out bloody froth. Then Redhunter's arms flop to the sides, his body going limp as blood begins pooling around his body.

I use my feet to propel myself away from the corpse as well as Muzen, who turns towards the guard and speaks in the Sasnayam language, pointing at the door as if telling him to guard it with his life. The big man claps his meaty hand to his chest and faces the door with his enormous scimitar in both hands as Muzen turns 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 pulls a blue stone the size of an egg from his pocket as he grimaces. "To think I almost left it behind, believing I would never need it."

Zanzabel steps 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 glances over his shoulder as something thumps 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 gapes at him in horror and Muzen shrugs. "I told you I was ruthless."

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

He raises one painted eyebrow as another thump, louder this time, rattles 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 chuckles 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 gives me a derisive snort and I add, "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 holds the gem out with one hand as he opens his mouth to begin the invocation.

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

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