The Wandering Shadow: Chapter Five
5"I told you already, she's perfectly tame!""And I told you you'll need some sort of proof, or you'll need to have
it travel in the cargo area."Will let out an exasperated sigh. For the past ten minutes he had been
arguing with the clerk before him, a rather surly woman whose sole job was to
sell passage on ships leaving the city. Jenna wasn't too pleased with the
situation either, considering it involved her being treated as little more than
a pet or worse, property."Just look at her! Does she seem as though she's violent or feral?"The clerk rolled her eyes and leaned over the counter to look at Jenna.
She starred for a moment, and Jenna starred back, trying to look calm and
gentle despite the irritation she was feeling. The clerk stood back to her full
height and shook her head. "I'm sorry sir. She seems tame enough, but I can't
simply go based on looks."Will groaned. It was quickly becoming clear he didn't have many options.
Reaching into his bag he pulled out a few more bills than he had already spent
on paying his own way and slid them across the counter to the clerk. "Does that
happen to change things any?"The woman quirked a brow, took a quick look around then slid the money
under the counter. She quickly stamped two papers and handed them to Will. "It
all seems to be in order. You'll be traveling aboard the Horizon. You'll find
it down the docks to the left."Will gave a curt nod and a less than sincere 'thank you' before turning
and walking down the way she had told him, scanning the names on the docked
ships. Jenna followed a few steps behind, more than a little impressed with
him. She had never seen him do anything like that before. After her transformation she had quickly discovered he ears were more
sensitive, so it wasn't very difficult for her to hear Will mumbling as they
walked, catching occasional phrases like 'abuse of power' and 'robbing me of
what little I have'. Though she new it wasn't really funny Jenna couldn't help
but be a bit amused by his reactions."Ah, there we are!"Jenna snapped her head up to look at what had caught Will's attention
and caused him to stop walking. It was a relatively unimpressive steamer with a
faded hull and the word 'Horizon' painted in blocky white letters near the
prow. Compared to some of the other ships around them it was on the small side,
though still large enough o be able to handle the open oceans.Ever since it had been discovered that humans could manipulate energy to
their will and whim, technology had been developing at a slower pace. In recent
years though it had begun to make a subtle resurgence in progress, one of the
most notable of which was the increasing number of metal bodied ships. It had
actually become uncommon to see wooden ships anymore. With that trend, it was
unsurprising that even a relatively small vessel like the Horizon sported a
steel hull--rusted and faded though it may have been.Jenna eyed the ship suspiciously. It looked a little too worn for her
taste, as though it were just a few voyages away from being scrapped. Still, it
was all they could afford, so it would have to do. Will started walking again, making straight for the ship. Jenna hurried
after him, trying to stay close. Walking toward the gangplank they could see a
lone man standing at a lectern by the ship. He appeared to be extremely bored.
As they approached he perked up slightly as though he hadn't spoken to anyone
in quite some time. "Good morning! How might I assist you this morning sir?"Jenna felt mild irritation at being ignored, but then it occurred to
her, who says good morning to a wolf?Will returned the greeting and handed the man the papers that he had
received from the clerk. "Don't really need assistance. Just boarding."The man nodded. "Well, it seems as though you have everything you need
here. You'll be in room 5. Pleasant travels sir."He returned the papers to Will, who slipped them back into his bag. He
thanked the man then Will and Jenna walked up the ramp onto the deck of the
ship. The deck appeared as worn as the exterior, with scuffs and scrapes as far
as the eye could see. Will sighed. "Certainly not a luxury liner, is it?"Will shook his head. "Oh well. No point in complaining about it. It's
just what we've got to deal with. What do you say we find our room?"Jenna nodded, and after a few minutes of wandering the deck together
they found a stairway down to the lower part of the ship. As they navigated
their way through the Horizon's interior they passed a handful of crewmen along
the way, all of whom gave the pair odd looks, though none commented. Finally
they came across a simple door marked with a painted on '5'.Upon opening the door it became quickly apparent to both that these
weren't first class accommodations. The room was cramped, and the only
furniture present was a bed and a small night table. The bed was small as well,
matching the room in that respect. Will sighed as he walked in and set his bag
on the bed before sitting to test the mattress. "It could be worse, I suppose."Jenna shook her head. It could be
worse, but that doesn't make this good, she thought.Jenna paced around the room a few times and sat in the center of the
floor. Her ears splayed out in a dissatisfied manner. It wasn't as though she
wasn't used to cramped spaces; their apartment was hardly a palace after all.
There was something about that room though that made her feel boxed in, as
though she was trapped, unable to go anywhere.An uncomfortable silence fell. Will knew she was unhappy, but had no
idea what to do about it at that moment. But for him at least it was growing
more difficult to think of ways to cheer her up. He had spent so much time the
past few days trying to improve her mood even a little bit that he felt he had
nothing else to say that would help.The silence persisted for several minutes before being broken by the
starting of the ship's engines as the deck rumbled beneath their feet. Jenna
perked up at the sound. If the ship was moving, then that meant they would be
out to sea shortly. Having never been out on the ocean before, the thought
excited her. She stood and walked over to their room's door then turned to look
expectantly at Will.He stared back at her for a moment then asked, "I take it you want to go
up to the main deck?"She nodded with enthusiasm. She felt compelled to go watch as the ship
pulled out of the port and set out onto the ocean. Will stood and stretched
with a yawn. "Well, I suppose we could. I was hoping to get some sleep...but I
suppose that can wait for a little while."Will walked over and opened the door, gesturing into the hall beyond.
"After you."If her muzzle were capable Jenna would have smirked at the gesture. She
stepped over the threshold just the same though and led the way as the two of
them made their way back through the ship.***Hiding in the shadows a lone male figure watched as the Horizon began to
pull away from the dock. There was no mistaking it now. They were definitely
leaving. The figure watched for a moment longer then turned snuck away, dodging
around the shipping containers and cargo crates scattered about the docks. Then
came sneaking through the city, which was relatively easy due to the lack of
people on the streets at that hour. Reaching the more dilapidated part of the
city the figure looked around a few times to make sure no one was watching
before dodging into a building overgrown with plant life and missing more than
a few chunks from its walls.The figure descended into the basement of the seemingly abandoned building
and fell to one knee as soon as he entered the dimly lit room. "Mistress, I've
returned to inform you that Keller and the wolf have left the city."He cringed slightly as a shadow fell over him. He gulped as Carmina
knelt beside him, running a finger along his cheek before pulling his face to
look her in the eye. Ever since she had enacted her revenge she had had one of
her acolytes keep an eye on Will, if only so she could make sure he was in fact
an emotional wreck thanks to her efforts. The reports to date had been less
than satisfactory. "What do you mean 'left'?"The acolyte gulped. "I mean that they boarded a ship...and would appear to
have left the city."Carmina stood back to her full height. "Where were they going? And why?"The acolyte shook his head. "I don't know. He seemed to be very
insistent on leaving though. He even bribed a port official just to let him
bring the wolf along."Carmina growled and swept across the room, the other acolytes clearing
out of her way as they tired to go about making the space around them livable,
the same as they had been for the past few days. As she moved about the room
Carmina continuously spoke to herself. "Why?
Why would they leave? What would it accomplish? Could it have something
to do with the one he visited the other night? Could he think he's found some
way to reverse her transformation?"Returning to the acolyte who had brought her the information she asked,
"You reported before that he went to speak with someone shortly after I changed
her...an I.O.M.E. officer, correct?"The man nodded. "I believe so."Carmina nodded then smiled wickedly as she knelt beside the acolyte once
more. "Go to the one that Keller visited, and bring him here. I have
some...questions for him."The acolyte nodded and scurried out of the building once more, determine
to comply as quickly as possible and avoid incurring her wrath. Her smile
widened as she stood again. "This should prove...entertaining at least."***Jenna's tail waved back in forth in wonder as she leaned over the ship's
railing, watching as the waves crashed against the steel hull, each foaming
white crest coming with a spray of salty droplets. She wrinkled her nose as one
particularly large splash caught her at the end of her muzzle. She heard Will
chuckle from behind her. Looking over her shoulder she could see him sitting
against the bulwark a few feet away. Normally she would be a bit irritated being laughed at, but considering
his current state she let it go. Ever since the Horizon had made it out onto
the open ocean Will had been feeling nauseated to the point where he could
barely stand. For his sake Jenna was hoping it wouldn't last the whole voyage.Will likewise hoped it would pass quickly, otherwise it would be a
rather rough trip--for both of them. Having never been on a ship before he
hadn't even thought that seasickness would be an issue. Now between stomach cramps
and waves of nausea he was desperately trying to think up some way to
counteract the effects. Looking to Jenna he dared to open his mouth long enough
to say, "Let's just hope this trip doesn't take too long. Don't know how much
of this I can take.""Well, I'd say you're looking at about ten days or so of this."They both turned to see one of the ship's crewmen walking toward them, a
bemused sort of smile on his face. Will furrowed his brow.
"That's--ugh--unfortunate."He clapped a hand over his mouth fighting back the urge to vomit. The
sailor rolled his eyes and knelt down by Will. He reached into a pocket and
produced a small wrapped peppermint. "Take this. It'll help."In no real position to turn down relief from his situation Will accepted
the sweet and immediately unwrapped it, popping into his mouth. As the minty
flavor spread over his tongue leaned back against the bulwark, breathing
slowly. After a moment Jenna walked over to him and looked him over, then gave
him a concerned look that seemed to ask, are
you feeling any better?Will smiled weakly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be alright."He then looked up to the sailor and said, "Thank you for that."The man shook his head. "No worries. I keep 'em on me anyway cause I
have the same issue. No real loss on my part."Will quirked a brow. "Really? You're working on a ship...even though you
get sea sick?"He nodded. "Yep. Wanted to travel the seas all my life. Wasn't gonna let
an ornery stomach get in my way."Will nodded, and with what strength he could muster managed to stand up.
"Well thank you just the same...uh..."The man smiled. "Lucas Frane. Jus' call me Luke."Will smiled back. "Thank you Luke."Luke waved a hand dismissively. "Like I said, no worries. Though I must
say, if you were traveling on a larger ship, you probably wouldn' have this
problem. Can't much imagine why someone like you would bother with a ship like
this.""Someone like me?" Will asked, feeling a sense of mild confusion."Aye. You must be someone of stature, right? After all, most poor men
don' travel with a sword at their hip and an...exotic pet like her." He jerked
his thumb toward Jenna as he said that, leading her to growl almost inaudibly.
She did NOT like being called a pet.It occurred to Will for the first time that he did appear to be someone
of greater wealth than he actually held. He rather liked the idea. "Very...astute
observations. It seems as though you know how to find out about a person. Do me
a favor and keep it quiet though, would you? I'm here to travel quietly. Not
draw too much attention to myself, you know?"Luke nodded and gave a wink. "Understood."He reached into his pocket again and produced a handful of mints,
handing them to Will. "Take those. You'll probably need one again before we
reach the end of our voyage."He then turned and started to walk away, prompting Will to ask, "Where
are you off to? Seems rather abrupt."Luke looked back and grinned. "Nothin' to worry about. Just gotta go
have a word with few of my ship mates. If you need anythin' else while onboard,
feel free to let me know."Will nodded. "Sure, and thanks again."Luke nodded then proceeded to walk away. Once he was out of earshot Will
looked down to Jenna and said with a smirk, "I do believe we were just the
subject of some wager."Jenna gave him a skeptical look in response, to which he only chuckled.
He placed a hand on her head and mussed the fur between her ears. "Come on. Now
that I'm not worried about it coming back up I'd like to go get something to
eat."Jenna nodded enthusiastically. With all that was going on she had
neglected to pay any attention to her stomach. Breakfast sounds like a wonderful idea, she thought.The two then set off along the deck and through the body of the ship
searching for the ship's galley so they might alleviate their hunger. Just a
few minutes of searching found them in a room lined with tables and smelling of
food. After sitting down to what the ship's kitchen had to offer--which was
about on par with what Will would have been able to prepare himself--they
returned to their room, Will intending to get some sleep to make up for how
early their morning had been.Will hung his cloak from a hook on the wall and threw himself down on
the bed, not even bothering to pull the covers over him. He closed his eyes,
but after a moment reopened them, feeling as though someone was starring at
him. As it happened that feeling was right, for Jenna sat beside the bed, her
eyes boring into him.He gulped. He quickly realized that he hadn't left her any room on the
bed. It was barely wide enough for one person to lie on their back, let alone
two. Part of him wondered if he even should make room for her though. Much as
he hated to admit it, he didn't really want to share a bed with her. While she
was still herself mentally, it felt wrong somehow to sleep beside her with her
in her current form.Jenna's ears splayed out as she realized what must be going through his
mind. He doesn't want me beside him like
this. He thinks I'm too different.Will winced slightly as he saw the sadness in her eyes. It might feel
wrong, but the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse about her
situation. Knowing that, his decision became rather simple. With a grunt he
readjusted himself so he was lying on his side. He said nothing, but merely
gestured for her to take the space he had just made available.Jenna waited for a moment, letting him wonder what she would do. She
wasn't even sure if she should forgive him so easily. But then, in a way, she
could understand how he was feeling. Deciding to let it go this time, she
jumped up into the offered spot on the bed, snuggling up close to him with the
top of her head resting against his chin. He held her close, trying to make her
feel better and communicate his own regret. As they both drifted off into uneasy sleep, the last though that went through
both of their minds was the sooner this
fixed, the better.***Quentin cried out in pain, his screams echoing off the walls as the
smell of burning flesh drifted through the air. His struggled to get away,
fighting against the ropes that bound him to a chair. Then the pain was gone. His head fell to his chest as his breaths came
in ragged gasps. He felt a hand reach under his chin and pull his head up to
look into the eyes of his tormentor.Carmina smiled as she saw the pain in his eyes. "So, does that make it
clear I'm willing to be...persuasive?"Between gasps Quentin said, "If persuasive...means...ugh...giving your captive
electrical burns...then yes."Carmina eyes flashed with anger, but she decided to allow him that. "So
then, tell me, where is William Keller going?"Quentin furrowed his brow. "What?""He left the city. Do you know where he went?"Quentin shook his head. "Why do you care? Don't you and your lackeys
have more important things to do? You are the ones who were with Silas, weren't
you?""Yes, we were. But our work can't resume until the next equinox. Until
such a time, Keller is my main concern.""Why?"Carmina eyed him for a moment before saying, "To ensure he is properly
broken by the revenge I've enacted upon him. I want to know that his spirit is
breaking. You might call it a way to...pass the time.""That's disgusting that you would--"Quentin stopped as something became clear to him. "Wait...does that mean
that you're the one who changed Jenna?""Assuming you mean Keller's lover...then yes."Quentin gave a hollow laugh. "I was wrong. Disgusting is too good a word
for you. That you would toy with someone's emotions...that you would rip such a
hole in their life...is simply horrible. You're inhuman."Carmina smiled. "Perhaps, but you still haven't answered me. Where have
they gone?""What makes you think I'll tell you? You just want to hurt them...I won't
help you do that."Carmina snarled. "You will tell me."Carmina electrified her hand and plunged two fingers into his upper arm.
Quentin screamed as his flesh was seared from within, his whole arm convulsing.
When she withdrew her hand his head dropped again. His throat felt sore and his
mouth dry. There was no blood, but that was only because the wound had
cauterized almost immediately. He was very quickly coming to doubt his own
resolve. He didn't want to tell her anything, but if this kept up he might not
be able to resist.Affecting a falsely sweet voice Carmina said, "Now, I would hate to keep
torturing you, or worse kill you. Why don't you tell me what I want to know? It
would be so much easier for you."Quentin shook his head. "I...I won't."Keeping the façade in place Carmina said, "But that makes no sense.
Don't you care anything for your own life?"Her lips twisted into a wicked grin. "Or perhaps there's someone else
you care for? Friends? Family? A woman perhaps?"Quentin genuinely laughed at the last suggestion. "Lady...if you think I
give a damn about women...then you don't know me very well at all."Carmina growled. Without warning she plunged her hand into his left
thigh, crackling with electrical energy as he screamed in shock and pain. By
the time she pulled away there were tears streaming down his face and his whole
body was shaking. Leaning down beside him she whispered into his ear, "Are you
willing to tell me now?"Quentin shook his head. Carmina grabbed the front of his shirt and tore
it open, exposing his chest. She placed a hand on his bare skin and simply
said, "Tell me."She waited for a moment then when he didn't respond she electrified her
hand again, and began to slowly push her fingernails through his skin, sending
the energy surging through his body. He couldn't even scream as his whole body
seized up, the skin and hair around her hand burning as she pumped just enough
electricity through his body to harm without killing.She took her time, smiling as she enjoyed his pain. She continued to
sink he fingers further in until she hit bone, her nails scraping against his
sternum. She held there for a moment or two before withdrawing her hand from
the smoking holes in his chest. She stood to her full height and took a step
back, waiting for him to recover enough to speak.After a few minutes of silence she realized he had gone unconscious from
the sheer pain. Her lip curled in distaste. "Weakling."She swept out of the room, returning a few minutes later with one of her
female acolytes in tow. The woman in question had some limited skill as a
healer, which Carmina figured she could use to her advantage. Directing the
woman she said, "Close the wounds but leave scars. Then revive him."The woman nodded and did as ordered, healing first the wounds in his
leg, moving up to his arm, then finally sealing the five holes in his chest. By
that point she was breathing heavily, having done more for him than she had
ever attempted before. With what little energy she had left she managed to wake
him before stepping away and slumping against a nearby wall, exhausted.Carmina smiled as Quentin groaned in pain. Stepping up to him she lifted
his head to look up at her once more. His skin was deathly pale and his eyes
were bloodshot. Leaning in close she whispered, "Now then, unless you'd like to
go through all of that again, I suggest you tell me where Keller has gone."Quentin gulped. He knew he wouldn't be able to go through that kind of
pain again. He didn't want to feel it again. By that point he would do almost
anything to avoid it again. Praying that Will and Jenna would be able to
forgive him he quietly said, "London. I...told them to go...to London. I sent them
to someone...an alchemist...that I thought could help change her back."Carmina smiled. "A futile attempt...but I suppose the desperate will try
anything. I'm so glad you chose to comply. Things will be easier on you now."She let go of him then walked over to the acolyte who sat against the
wall and asked, "Can you walk?"The woman nodded compliantly and pushed herself to her feet. Carmina
smiled. "Good. Go fetch the one whose eye I damaged. He should do nicely for
what I have in mind."A horrified look crossed Quentin's face. "What are you going to do?"Carmina smiled. "It will become obvious shortly. First though we should
discuss your future.""My future?"Carmina nodded. "Yes. It would be rather...beneficial...for me to have someone
who works with I.O.M.E. under my command. I think you would do nicely in that
respect."Quentin licked his lips nervously. "Why...why would I help you?""For one thing it will mean the continued existence of you and the
things you care about. More importantly working for me will mean no further
torture. No more pain--at least no more caused by me anyway."Quentin gave a sigh of defeat. He didn't have much choice. From what he
had read in the reports she had a good amount of power at her disposal, and she
was clearly a sadistic psychopath. He couldn't do anything to oppose her. Besides, he thought, maybe I can find a way to use this against
her at some point."Alright. I'll...I'll do what you ask."Carmina smiled. "Good."A minute or two of less tha comfortable silence passed before the female
acolyte returned. Behind her was the man who had lost his right eye to
Carmina's wrath. The entire right side of his face was covered with scar
tissue, and his eye was sewn shut, covering the now empty socket.Quentin noticed that the man seemed a bit nervous, which considering the
way Carmina seemed to treat those under her command he could fully understand
not wanting to be too close to her. The man approached her just the same though
and knelt before her. "You requested my presence Mistress?"Carmina nodded. "Yes. Stand up. And remind me, what was your name?"He stood as ordered and without meeting her gaze said, "My name is
Logan, Mistress.""You seem nervous Logan. Why is that?"He gulped. "After...losing my eye...I admit I am reluctant to be near you
Mistress."Carmina smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I can understand that. But perhaps
I can make amends in some way. Perhaps I could gift you with something to
compensate for the loss of that eye.""Such as what, Mistress?"She smiled a bit wider. "Power. Power beyond what you have ever known
before."Logan nodded, afraid to turn down the offer. "I believe that would do
Mistress.""Good. Then first...die."She struck without any other warning, her hand sinking into his chest.
Unlike the other times when her energy had been sent through her victims'
bodies, energy seemed to be flowing out of Logan's body to surround her arm in
a glowing white nimbus of light outlined in blue. She withdrew her hand and his
body crumpled to the ground. She smiled as the light played across her form.
The light then began to change, white changing to black, and the blue outline
changing to deep purple. "From the energy of your life...you will become more
powerful in death."She leaned down beside his body and stabbed her hand into him once more.
The energy flowed off her arm, disappearing into Logan's body. All fell silent
for the briefest of moments. His body then seemed to become enveloped in the
dark energy, twisting and writhing as small shockwaves radiated outward from
him.Quentin felt stricken as he realized what he was seeing. "Are you
insane? You--"Carmina held up a hand to silence him. "Be quiet. It's too late to stop
it now."Still surrounded in a nimbus of energy, Logan's body began to rise to
stand before them. The energy began to fade, and it rapidly became clear that
he was very much alive. He let out a few slow breaths before looking up to
Carmina. "What have you done to me?"She smiled as she said, "I gave you new power, just as I promised. You
now walk the line between life and death. You will shun the light, residing in
the shadows, but few mortals can match your strength or speed. Your magical
abilities will also be far greater than before, second only to my own."Logan nodded. "Yes. I can feel it...what is it you would have me do with
this power?""You will leave the city as soon as possible," she instructed, "Go to
England. Once there, track down William Keller, and keep an eye on him for me.
Don't interfere with him unless I tell you to do so.""But how could we communicate over such distance?""I created you as you are now. Your mind is linked to mine. All you need
do is think of what you want me to know, and I will know it. The same will also
work in reverse. Do you understand?"Logan nodded. "I do. I'll leave immediately, Mistress."Without another word he left the room, moving with the fluidity of a
shadow as he set fulfil her desires.Quentin shook his head, scarcely believing what he had just witnessed.
"What is it that makes you so willing to bring such horrors into this world?"Carmina grinned wickedly as she said, "It doesn't matter what I unleash.
With what I have planned for this world, such 'horrors' will seem insignificant
soon enough."