{"sf1_id":857284,"sf2_id":null,"title":"The Wandering Shadow: Chapter Fifteen","author":"LucarioZer0","words":8392,"posted_at":"2015-05-06T03:17:00.000Z","tags":["Death","Human","Jackal","Magic","Vampire","Violence","Violence (not In Yiff)","Wolfess"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/857284-the-wandering-shadow-chapter-fifteen","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/857284","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=857284\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"15\nSargent Mirza Alim stood outside Cairo's M.E.L.D. precinct, watching the last\nrays of the setting sun. It was symbolic to him, in a way. The light was fading\nfrom the world and so too was a darkness falling upon the city. It touched\nhim--chilled him really--straight to his core. He no longer felt safe within the\ncity he had known his whole life. He could only imagine how fearful the\ncivilians must be. He could almost see them, clutching their children close, or\nwhispering in hushed tones, as though worried some evil spirit were coming for\nthem, to take them away in the night. Hell, he wanted to be at home, holding\nhis own wife and children close, assuring them that all would be well. At least\nthey were moderately safe for now, confined to their homes by a city wide\ncurfew.\nHe heaved a heavy sigh. Such worrying will do no good, he told himself.\nHe inclined his head and uttered a single prayer, hoping that they would all be\nwatched over in the days that lay ahead. When he raised his head again he\nscowled. Walking down the street toward the precinct were the American\nLieutenant, his British friend, and the white wolf that was so very out of\nplace.\nHe didn't like them. He hadn't liked them from the moment he had met them\nat the Museum. Granted, were it not for them, the city's police and M.E.L.D.\nofficers wouldn't likely know the depth of the threat they were facing, but\nMirza couldn't bring himself to like them. The British one was self centered,\nand the Lieutenant--while clearly interested in the protection of the\ncity--simply rubbed Mirza the wrong way. He wasn't quite sure what it was he\ndisliked in the Lieutenant, he just knew it was there.\nPerhaps it was that he didn't trust him. While he carried himself like an\nofficer, and acted like one--perhaps even to excess--it seemed odd to Mirza that\nan officer would be so far from home, not to mention dressed so oddly, and in\nequally odd company. No, something about the Lieutenant didn't quite add up, of\nthat he was sure.\nBut his suspicions would have to wait until the dangers threatening his\nhome had safely passed. For now, he would have to accept this outside help, if\nonly to protect the things he held dear.\nAs the trio approached, Mirza saluted the Lieutenant, who returned the\ngesture in a halfhearted fashion. When they stopped before him Mirza asked,\n\"Any new information for us sir?\"\nWill shook his head. \"Not a damn bit. I was hoping you might have\nsomething new for me Sargent.\"\nMirza shook his head. \"No sir, not yet. All the patrols have returned\nempty handed or with nothing to show for it but another corpse.\"\nWill swore. \"How many dead are we up to?\"\n\"Since you last checked in we've come across two more.\"\nHe swore again. \"Nine. Nine people already lost, and that's assuming\nwe've found all of them. Plus the guard who's still missing.\" Will ran a hand\ndown his face, as though wiping away sweat. \"This is maddening.\"\nMirza nodded. \"I would have to agree sir. I fear for how things will progress\nif left unchecked.\"\nWill let out a long, slow breath, trying to calm himself. \"Don't worry.\nWe'll find them eventually Sargent. They can't hide forever.\"\n\"I sincerely hope that you are correct s--\"\nHe never finished though, as all of their attentions were drawn by a\nsingle bright red light shooting into the sky from the general vicinity of\ndowntown Cairo. Each search party combing the city had been given one of these\ndevices as a means of immediately alerting anyone in the vicinity that their\ntargets had been found.\nWill and Mirza exchanged a glance, nodded to each other, and both took\noff running toward the source of the flare. David didn't move though. He had\nalready dealt with a vampire once, and he wasn't keen to repeat the experience.\nHe wasn't given much choice though when Jenna roughly bumped him from behind,\nthe jerked her head for him to follow after them.\nDavid scoffed. \"Forgive the phrase, but you're barking. I'm not going\ninto that shit.\"\nJenna growled and gave him her best 'do what I want or I'll bite you'\nlook. He stared her down for a moment then sighed. \"Fine dammit! I'll go!\"\nThus David--reluctantly, and keeping one eye trained on her--went running\nafter Will and Mirza. Jenna laughed her snuffling growling laugh as she watched\nhim go for a moment then took off after them all, thinking, There are a few rare occasions when this\nform is useful.\nBeing on four legs as she was, she easily caught up with them, slowing to\nkeep their pace and not race out ahead of them.\nFollowing the line of smoke in the sky that lingered even after the light\nof the flare faded, they were able to move quickly through the emptied streets\nto reach the source of the signal. For a few tense moments the only sounds were\nthe rhythm of their footsteps falling on the pavement and the huffs and puffs\nof their increasingly labored breaths. As they approached the source of the\nflare signal they began to hear other sounds. Gunshots. Shouting and screams.\nJust ahead the gap between buildings opened up into the far wider area\nthat they recognized as Tahrir Square. The sight that greeted them there was\nlike something from a nightmare. There were a number of other officers--around\nfifteen or so, Will guessed from a quick count--all fighting...something. Whatever\nit was, it was no vampire; Will knew at least that much.\nTheir view of the antagonist was partially blocked, making it difficult\nto distinguish any features, with the exception that it was about the size of a\nhuman and was pitch black in color. For but a brief moment it seemed as though\nthe officers converging on it would be successful; then came the blast wave.\nIt emanated from the body of the creature, and consisted of a single\nconcussive blast of shadowy energy, knocking back the charging officers, most\nby several yards. When the energy faded the assailant finally came into view.\nNone of them had ever seen anything quite like it before. The creature\nwalked on two legs ending in digitigrade, paw like feet. While the creature's\narms weren't particularly extraordinary themselves, the shadow thing's\nhands--while retaining the nimble human form--ended each finger with a long,\ncurved claw. The black energy that constituted its body held the likeness of\nfur one moment--including a rather oddly fluffy looking tail--and fire the next,\never changing between the two states, giving the beast a demonic presence. Atop\nit all, the creature's head resembled that of a jackal in most every respect,\nsave for that its eyes were more angular and glowed red as burning coals.\nIt was David who spoke first when faced with this unknown creature,\nasking--in not so many words--the question on all of their minds. \"What the\nbloody hell is that?!\"\nWill drew his gun, leveling it at the creature, staring down the barrel\nwith the sight aimed right at its head. \"I have a hunch, that that thing is the\n'Shadow of Anubis'.\"\nThe creature turned to face them, canting its head to one side. Then there\ncame a sound like amused laughter, though they heard it not with their ears,\nbut with their minds.\nYour hunch is correct, human.\nThey all recoiled slightly, Mirza in particular looking quite pale and\nfrightened by the voice echoing in all of their minds. The voice had an almost\nrefined quality to it, as though it belonged to someone of noble blood. Yet\neven calling it a voice was inaccurate. It was more like somehow their own\nthoughts had been changed, as though this thing was thinking inside each of\ntheir heads. Looking around, Will could see that many of the other officers\nwere exhibiting the same level of fear--and in some cases more so--than Mirza.\nPerhaps they're inexperienced, he thought, or maybe it was just a cultural\nthing. That wasn't important though. Not when faced with such a clearly\npowerful entity.\nWill walked forward at an even pace, keeping his pistol aimed at the self\nadmitted Shadow of Anubis. The Shadow watched him curiously but it made no move\nto stop him. When the space between them had been reduced to no more than a few\nyards Will stopped, eyeing the creature carefully. Then--with the most\nauthoritative tone he could muster--he said, \"As an officer of M.E.L.D., I'm\nordering you to surrender yourself for arrest.\"\nThe Shadow seemed almost amused, and in fact it rather was. A simple\nlittle human, ordering it around like that? Well, even if it was insolent, the\nShadow figured it could have a bit of fun with the situation.\nOh of course officer, but what may I ask are the\ncharges?\nWill scowled. It didn't take a genius to tell that the creature was\ntoying with him. Still, all he could do now was follow through. \"You're going\nto be taken in as the prime suspect in the murders of no fewer than nine\npeople, as well as the disappearance of at least one other.\"\nThe Shadow tilted its head, feigning confusion.\nOnly nine? So you haven't found the other three yet?\nWill fought the urge to pull the trigger then and there, though he\ncouldn't say why. There was no way this thing could be put on trial, but at the\nsame time he felt it would be wrong to take it upon himself to execute it. \"No.\nBut when we do, their bodies will serve as all the more evidence of your\nguilt.\"\nTell me officer, how can I be guilty of murder when\nI am not human?\n\"I...what?\"\nIt's quite simple really. You don't imprison your\nkind for the killing of creatures like cows--lesser creatures than yourselves--so\nwhy should I be punished for the deaths of my source of sustenance? If\nanything, I should be punishing you lesser creatures for daring to stand up to\nme, as you would an unruly animal. I believe I will do just that. I must teach\nyou to behave.\nWill pulled back the hammer on his pistol. \"I don't think so. You're\ngoing to--\"\nHe didn't finish that sentence though, for the Shadow's own inky black\nshadow suddenly took on a life of its own, forming several tentacle like\nappendages. Two of them--the largest of the bunch--struck like vipers, hitting\nWill in the chest and throwing him back to hit the ground with no small amount\nof pain radiating through his body.\nThe other officers in the Square--seeming to have finally gained the\nwillpower to do something other than stare--all opened fire on the Shadow. There\nwas an almost bored look in its eyes as several of the tentacles flowed\ntogether to form a shield, blocking the bullets entirely.\nYou humans with your toys. They may do well against\nother humans, but I do believe I am a bit much for them. Still, you must learn\nobedience, even if your weapons harm me no more than the bite of a toothless\ncat would harm one of you. I won't have my future subjects be so ill mannered.\nMore tentacles formed, enough for there to be one for each officer\npresent. They shot out from the Shadow's body, each with one intended target.\nUnlike the ones that had hit Will though, these ones sharpened to razor points.\nThe officers all tried to avoid being impaled upon these pitch black\nprotrusions, but each was a swift as a rushing river, and each time one hit its\nmark another officer would cry out in pain. Most were merely incapacitated by\nthe attack, their arms or legs bleeding profusely.\nThere were three though who received far worse. When those unlucky few\nwere impaled, the tentacles didn't withdraw from their bodies, but instead dug\nin deeper, hooking into the flesh, seeping into and filling their bodies, and\ncovering their bones with cracks, like those that vines make in the foundation\nof a house. Each of the three would have screamed in pain and terror were their\nbodies not totally immobilized by the invading appendages. Sparks of hot white\nenergy began to run along the tentacles, going from the victims' bodies along\nthe length of the umbral arms to reach the Shadow's body. It was draining their\nenergy, feeding off their very lives.\nNo one who was still able to seemed willing to move. They couldn't help\nbut be paralyzed--whether with fear or simple shock--at what was happening before\nthem. A moment or two passed in silence then the Shadow--with rather\nuncharacteristic care--lowered the three bodies to the ground, having fully\nsatisfied its hunger. It looked around, an amused glint in its bright red eyes\nas it withdrew the tentacles, the appendages melting back into its form.\nLet that serve as a lesson to you all. Should any of\nyou interfere with me again, you will more than likely become little more than\na meal to me. Now then, I must be off. If you'll excuse--\nAll of their attention was drawn from the Shadow when David--seeming to be\nthe only one brave enough or foolish enough to move--approached the fell\ncreature. The Shadow eyed him with amusement as the illusionist picked up a\nfallen gun and pointed it at the entity.\nAnd what do you plan to do? Do you have a death\nwish?\nDavid scoffed. \"Nah. See, the way I figure it, I've got a better chance\nof takin' you down than these sods. Unlike them, I've got some powers of my\nown. I'm not really the heroic type, but seems I haven't got much choice here,\nnow do I? Honestly, I'm scared out of my mind right now...and damned if I\nwouldn't normally run away with my tail between my legs...but I know evil when I\nsee it. I'm no saint--that's for sure, no point denying it--but a creature like\nyou needs to be wiped off the face of the earth.\"\nThe Shadow laughed.\nVery well then, human. Why don't you test yourself\nagainst me?\n\"You asked for it.\" David smiled his usual slick smile, and for the\nbriefest of instants nothing happened, then the Shadow flinched and David--\nFell to his knees with his head in his hands, shouting in pain.\nThe Shadow threw back its head and howled with laughter.\nAh, this is a rare treat. People who can manipulate\nminds are ever so entertaining. They think themselves above other humans, and\nthey forget how weak they really are.\nThe Shadow's eyes narrowed.\nThey forget that an entity like myself is no mere\nhuman. Trying to reach into my mind--to distort my perceptions--such an attempt\nwas foolishness in its essence. I'll commend you for the attempt, but compared\nto me, you are no stronger than any of the rest of your kind. I would kill you,\nbut I think you've learned your own weakness. Now, as I was saying before you\never so rudely interrupted me, I'll be off. I have an important matter to\nattend to.\nThe Shadow turned its back on them all without fear of retaliation--and\nwhy should it have any fear of them?--walking across Tahrir Square toward the\nMuseum at a quite leisurely pace.\nOnce it was a good distance away, Will dared to roll himself onto his\nfeet and--with Jenna quickly falling into stride beside him--they ran to where\nDavid knelt, still holding his head in his hands. Will knelt beside him and\nplaced a hand on David's shaking shoulder. \"David? Are you alright? What\nhappened?\"\nWill wasn't prepared for the look in David's eyes when he turned his head\nto look up at him. It was a look of fear--no, complete terror--that he had never have\nthough he would see in the illusionist's eyes. Gone were any traces of\nconfidence or lighthearted temperament. When he spoke, David's voice shook as\nmuch as his body. \"Will...th-that...thing. I-it...it's so much worse than you...c-could\nimagine. I...I told you before yeah? My power...I have to work on my target's mind.\nAnd I have to be cleverer than they are...if it'll work well. I can tell a lot\nabout them when I touch their minds. What kind of...\" He stopped for a moment,\ngulped in a few breaths, and continued. \"What kind of people they are. How they\nthink. I have to do it all in a matter of seconds. When I touched that thing's\nmind...a few seconds was far too much. It...it's as twisted as can be. And its\nmind...it was like hearing a hundred tortured...screaming voices all at once. I\nthink...I think every person that it's ever...shit. Every person that it's\never...eaten...they're still...still alive somehow. Living on...as part of that thing's\nmind. They're in pain.\" \nDavid paused for the briefest of moments then added, \"The Shadow of\nAnubis...it needs to be destroyed. Cause if it isn't...I get the feeling that...that\nwe're all right fucked.\"\nWill waited for a moment or two, but stepped away when David didn't seem\ninclined toward saying anything else. He looked around, seeing many of the\nother officers were in about the same state as David, all terrified beyond\ncomprehension. It occurred to Will then that few--or perhaps even none of\nthem--had ever actually dealt with any kind of dark creature or evil entity\nbefore. That wasn't particularly surprising though. Most M.E.L.D. officers\nhadn't. It didn't exactly come up very often. Hell, by M.E.L.D standards, he\nwas pretty experienced, and even he had only two previous instances under his\nbelt--specifically Silas's cult and the vampire aboard the ship. None of them\nwere ready for what they were facing. How could they be?\nWill's attention was taken by Mirza walking toward him, a venomous look\nin his eyes. \"I want answers Lieutenant. What happened to your friend? What is\ngoing on? And what is that thing?\"\nWill shook his head. \"Weren't you paying any attention? That creature is\nexactly what we've been trying to find. The dark force contained within the\nstolen amulet. As for what happened to David...\" Will looked back over his\nshoulder at the still cowering illusionist. \"He tried to touch the creature's\nmind. Suffice to say, he was unprepared for what he encountered.\"\nMirza shook his head. \"This is all...too much. How do we even deal with a\ncreature like that?\"\n\"I don't know,\" Will admitted. \"I've never seen anything like it either.\nWhat we do need to do though, is gather up as many officers as we can. More\nimportantly--\"\nWill was cut short by an explosive sound from opposite side of the\nSquare. They all looked to see smoke rising from the front entrance of the\nMuseum. It appeared that the Shadow hadn't been content with the existing\nentrance into the building, instead making one of its own.\nWill was even more worried now. \"What could that thing possibly want from\nthe Museum? What could be in there that's so important to it?\"\n\"While a valid concern, you humans should be focusing on how you'll\ndestroy the Shadow.\"\nWill, Jenna and Mirza all turned around, facing the source of the--quite\ncondescending--voice. Standing before them was a man in a high collared black\ncoat and a wide brimmed black hat that was tilted down to cover the upper half\nof his face. What could bee seen of his skin was porcelain white, and just as\nsmooth, except on the right side, where just the slightest hint of what was a\nlikely a rather sizeable scar could bee seen peeking out from under the hat.\nWhile his appearance was unfamiliar, his voice was all too familiar.\nWill brought his gun up to point at the 'man'. \"You. You're the vampire.\nThe one from the ship.\"\nLogan smiled. \"Why yes, yes I am. And tell me now, William Keller, what\ndo you plan to do with that information?\"\nWill was too surprised at Logan's knowledge of his name to even begin to\nform a response. How did this creature know him? Why did it know him?\nHe didn't get long to consider it though, for Logan waited for no more\nthan a few seconds before he continued. \"You must decide here and now. Will you\nkill me? Bring me to justice for the crimes you perceive me as having\ncommitted? Or, shall you spare me now, in order to learn how to destroy a\ngreater threat?\"\nWill's eyes narrowed. \"The Shadow of Anubis? Why would you know how to\ndestroy it? Why would you want to?\"\n\"It's really quite simple. It told me how, when I awakened it--\"\n\"So then it's your fault in the first place. Why should I let you live\nagain?\"\nLogan rolled his eyes, though Will couldn't see the action. \"Control your\ntemper. I awakened it at the behest of my creator, who wished to know what\npower the amulet held and--if possible--control it. However, after watching the\ncreature through my eyes, my master believes that the creature is...too dangerous\nto be allowed to exist--\"\n\"And yet they created you.\"\nLogan sighed. \"Yes, but I more loyal and manageable by far. Now please\nstop interrupting. Since the Shadow is beyond my creator's ability to control,\nand it poses as much threat to them as anyone else, I have been tasked with\ninforming you on how to slay the beast.\"\nWill gritted his teeth. It seemed too easy, and entirely too\nsuspicious...but he didn't see much choice. \"Why not have you do it then? If you\nknow how to destroy the Shadow?\"\n\"You don't understand what the Shadow really is, do you? Don't answer, I\nknow you don't. The Shadow of Anubis is--in a word--knowledge. It was created to\ntransfer knowledge from one person to another. At some point though it\ndeveloped a taste for life energy, becoming what it is now. That doesn't change\nits purpose though. It can read the mind of anyone it touches--or devours. And\nit knows how dangerous knowledge can be. Thus, it knows--and most certainly\nremembers--that it let it slip. It told me--quite by accident--the secret to its\ndestruction. And now I shall tell you.\"\nWill still wasn't convinced though. \"And what price do we pay for this\nknowledge?\"\nLogan shook his head. \"None. Simply let me walk away with my life, and be\nsure to destroy the creature. Now then, do you want to know, or do you wish to\ncharge in blind, and risk more lives?\"\nWill felt disgusted at the thought of letting him go free. But he didn't\nhave much choice. \"Alright then you have a de--\"\n\"You can't be seriously taking this creature's offer, can you?\" Mirza\nasked, aghast. \"This vampire is as dangerous as the Shadow!\"\nWill shook his head. \"I don't believe so. Dangerous yes, but he is the\nlesser danger.\"\n\"But--\"\n\"Be quiet Sargent. That's an order.\" Turning away from a venomously\nglaring Mirza and back to Logan, Will asked, \"How do we destroy it?\"\nLogan smiled most darkly. \"Excellent. The key to the Shadow's destruction\nlies with the amulet. Destroy the relic, and the Shadow goes with it.\"\n\"That's it? Well then where is that amulet?\"\n\"Hmm...now that's where the challenge comes in. The amulet is around the\nneck of the Shadow's host--that is to say. The Shadow currently possesses the\nbody of one of the Museum's security guards. So, the amulet travels with the\nShadow, right in the middle of its 'chest'. You will need to break through the\nlayer of energy covering it in order to destroy the amulet.\"\nAgain, Will found himself to surprised to answer. The riddle of the\nmissing guard solved. It was anticlimactic, yet at the same time, horrible. An\ninnocent man, serving as a vessel for that awful creature. Yet another crime of\nthe Shadow. Turning back to Mirza he said, \"Alright Sargent, we know what to do\nnow. Gather up as many officers as you can and have them set up barricades\noutside the Museum. Don't let the Shadow get out. We're fortunate that the\nShadow has chosen to go into a building that should be empty of people.\"\nMirza licked his lips nervously. \"Actually Lieutenant...the Museum may not\nbe totally empty.\"\n\"What? Who's in there? I thought everyone in the city had been ordered to\nstay in their homes.\"\n\"All except for one. The old archaeologist you were with earlier. He\nclaimed to be an expert in magical artifacts. So, we requested that he go\nthrough the Museums files, and search the texts--both ancient and\ncontemporary--to find any information on the amulet. It's purpose. It's\ncreation. Anything we needed to know about it besides what he had already told\nus.\"\nWill was on the verge of a rage filled outburst, but was beat to it by\nDavid, who had overheard everything. The illusionist seemed to have cast his\nterror aside in favor of anger. He rushed past Will and grabbed Mirza by the\ncollar, getting right in the Sargent's face. \"Are you telling me, that Max is\nin there with that god forsaken thing?! Alone?! Well?!\"\nMirza gulped, and nodded. David's face contorted into a snarl, and for a\nbrief moment Will could swear that the illusionist was going to punch Mirza. He\nwas thus surprised when David simply gave the Sargent a rough shove, sending\nhim staggering back a few paces. David turned to Will, rage and something akin\nto desperation burning in his eyes. \"We need to get in their right now and end\nthat thing. Right bloody now. We know how to destroy it, so let's go.\"\nWill nodded. For once, he and David seemed to be on the same page. Will\nlooked to Mirza and said, \"He's right Sargent. Get to officers together. Now.\nGo!\"\nMirza nodded, still a bit shaken, and ran off. Will looked to Logan next,\nbut the vampire had vanished. Will swore under his breath. He was hoping he\nmight have been able to get another answer or two out of him. It didn't matter\nanymore though. All that mattered at that moment was the Shadow. That...and one\nother thing for Will.\nHe knelt down, placing a hand on Jenna's fur covered shoulder. \"Jen, I\nknow you're not going to like this, but I want you to stay here. I don't want\nyou getting hurt.\"\nShe growled, shaking her head in fierce defiance. If he thinks I'm going to let him throw himself in harms way, while I\nstay here cowering, he's got another thing coming!\nWill sighed. \"I know you hate it, but I'm trained for these kinds of\nthings. And don't I always come back?\"\nShe gave a begrudging nod in response, but kept on growling. Even is she\ncould speak she wouldn't have said what popped into her head then. Taylor always came back too...until he didn't.\nShe felt bad thinking it, but it didn't make it any less true. She shook\nher head again. I don't want you going\ndammit!\nWill clenched his teeth tight--almost to the point of it hurting--trying to\nfight back the growing anger. The last thing he wanted to do was get angry with\nher. \"Jenna, I have to go. This is my job. Someone has to put a stop to\nthis...and I feel it should be me. In a way...this is my--our--fault. I'm pretty sure\nthe vampire followed us here--god only knows why--but I'm sure he did. Which\nmeans none of this would have happened if we hadn't come here. So now, we\nshould be the ones to fix it. But I'm not about to let you risk yourself.\nI...thought I had lost you when you changed...but even knowing how much that hurt...I\ndon't want to know what it's like to truly lose you. Please stay here.\"\nShe almost considered it for a moment, then shook her head again, and\nopened her mouth, reclosing her jaws gently--but firmly--on his arm. I'm not about to lose you either. If one of\nus goes, we both do. I don't plan to live without you.\nWill stared her down for a moment, dark brown eyes locked with brilliant\ngreen. Even if he could see into her thoughts, he wouldn't need to do so to\nknow what she was thinking. Those eyes, so fierce, yet ever so beautiful--the\neyes he had first fallen in love with half a decade before--said it all. She\nwasn't taking no for an answer. No matter what.\nWill sighed and shook his head. \"God damn you're stubborn. Fine then. But\nyou will stay behind me the whole time, and if I tell you to run and hide, you\nrun and hide. Clear?\"\nShe nodded reluctantly. It's better\nthan nothing.\n\"Good.\" Will stood and turned back to David, who was tapping his foot\nimpatiently. \"Alright, no more delays. We're going. But...you're going to need\nthis.\" Will held out his gun, intending for David to take it.\nHe eyed the weapon, taking it cautiously. \"Not that I don't appreciate\nit, but honestly, what'll this do against the Shadow? Bullets don't seem to\nharm it.\"\nWill placed a hand on David's shoulder. \"It doesn't fire bullets. It\nfires bolts of lightning.\"\nWill removed his hand, and he and Jenna walked past David, who now looked\nquite confused. He turned and looked at their retreating forms for a moment,\nthen said, \"Wait...it fires what?!\"\n***\nMax had been awoken by the sound of the explosion, rocking the museum. He\nhad drifted off to sleep in his office on the second floor while reading\nthrough--or trying to read through--the various ancient texts that were laid out\non his desk. They were texts from the same time period and/or location as the\namulet, and he had hoped that on closer inspection, one might provide some clues\nabout the artifact. Now though they had been abandoned as he cautiously\napproached the door to his office. He opened it just a crack, seeing a layer of\ndust floating in the air. A result of the explosion, he assumed. His first\nthough was of the relics that may have been damaged. They were all nigh on\nirreplaceable, after all.\nHe stepped out, ever so cautiously. Whatever had caused the explosion\ncouldn't be pleasant. That much he knew. He let the door drift open behind him,\nnot bothering to close or lock it. Perhaps\nit would be wise to lock myself in my office, he thought. Certainly he\ncouldn't handle any intruder or terrorist or...whatever was destroying the museum\non his own. No, it would be safer to retreat to his office.\nHe turned around and made for the door, but stopped when a vice entered\nhis mind.\nCome now Professor...you study the ancient world all\nyour life...and then you run away when living relic enters your domain? Tsk tsk.\nMax turned, and was surprised to see a form coming out of the dust. It\nresolved into an image of nightmare. A bipedal black jackal, seemingly made of\nenergy, eyes glowing like fire. He had never seen anything like it. It was both\nterrifying and awe inspiring to him. \"Wh-what do you mean...living relic?\"\nWhy I, am the Shadow of Anubis. I am the reason you\nnever tampered with the amulet. You feared my release.\nThe Shadow chuckled.\nI can see it on your simple human face. You don't\nunderstand how I could know that. I was imprisoned in the amulet. Asleep...but\nnot. I could not act, but I was conscious of all that went on around me. For so\nmany millennia I waited...hoping for freedom. And just when I though I had\nit...what happened? I was taken from one tomb...and placed in another. I exchanged\nstone and sand for glass and velvet, but both were tombs. In both I was meant\nto stay sealed away for eternity. And the funniest part is...you were the one who\nentombed me the second time...so I likely would have hunted you down, even if the\nwitch didn't want you dead.\nThe Shadow strode toward Max with the grace of a hunting predator. When\nit stood but a foot away, it leaned forward, putting their faces just a few\ninches apart.\nTell me Maxwell...what does it feel like, to stare\ndeath in the face? Does it make you feel fear...of courage? Will you lie down and\ndie, or will you defy me until your last breath?\nMax shook his head. \"I've spent my whole life studying history. I've\nnever been afraid to become a part of it.\"\nBut, only the greatest heroes and villains of\nhistory are remembered by name. I doubt that a millennia form now, anyone will\nknow your name. You will be part of history, but will you be remembered? Will\nanyone care that you were here?\n\"I don't know. I simply don't know. I don't know if there is life after\ndeath...I don't know if I will simply die...and nothing more. I don't know if I\nwill be remembered...or become a name lost to times arrow. But I was here. I was\nalive. And that's more than you can say, I would wager. You...you're just energy.\nNo better than a fire. It may move. It may consume things thrown in its path. But\nit isn't alive. You--\"\nThe words died in Max's throat as the Shadow plunged one clawed hand\nstraight into the old man's chest, tearing flesh and crunching through bone.\nThe Shadow smiled as Max reached up to grip its wrist in a weak attempt to\nremove the invading appendage.\nBefore I kill you completely, I don't want you to\nthink of this as an act of anger. I was simply tired of hearing you prattle on.\nMax looked down, seeing his life blood start to flow down his chest,\nseeping out around the Shadow's hand. His mind was already clouding, and he\ncould feel his many years weighing upon him all at once. So many...yet too few. He\nfelt a twinge of regret, as he realized all the things his life had been\nmissing. No wife. No children or grandchildren. Really, no legacy. But perhaps\nthe worst regret was that he hadn't had a better relationship with David. David\nwas the only family he had known for so long...and yet they barely knew each\nother at all. But even that feeling passed after a moment or two. He began to\nfeel his link to the waking world fade. He whispered, \"I'm sorry brother.\"\nWith his final ounce of strength he looked up to the Shadow's eyes and\nsaid, \"I hope that when you stare death in the face...you remember your\nquestion...about whether you will be remembered.\"\nHe blacked out then, being spared the pain of suffering as the Shadow\ndrained him of his life energy. He was also drained of all the knowledge he\nheld, his mind essentially melding with that of the Shadow. A moment of almost\nreverent silence passed, then the Shadow released his hold, Max's body falling\nheavily to the floor with a sickening thump and the crunching of old bones.\nThe Shadow licked the blood from its fingers then laughed.\nSo much knowledge. For one confined to the short\nlife of a human, you learned much. And now, it will all benefit me. Who know,\nperhaps something you knew will allow me to--\nThe Shadow's train of though was broken by a cry of anguish from behind.\nIt turned and looked, seeing Will, David, and Jenna, all staring in shock at\nMax's prone form, a pool of blood beneath his remains. None seemed more\ndistressed than David, who had fallen to his knees for the second time now in\nthe Shadow's presence. The Shadow smiled cruelly.\nWilliam. David. I see you've come to face me once\nmore. Hmm...strange...the old Professor though rather highly of you both. You both\nentered his thoughts as he died. So did the wolf girl. Curious that you should\nall be here...the only ones he cared for at the end of his life--aside from his\nrelics--and you've all shown up for his moment of departure from this world. It's\nalmost...poetic.\nDavid staggered to his feet, pointing Will's gun at the Shadow. \"You...bloody...monster.\nI'm going to make you regret this.\"\nOh? How then? With that shiny metal toy? I showed\nhow little those can do against me. Or perhaps you want to try touching my mind\nagain. Who knows, perhaps you'll even manage to feel the last bits of your\nprecious Max--\nThe Shadow stopped, its eyes widening when a single bolt of green/white\nenergy shot past it, missing by less than an inch, blasting a chunk out of the\nwall behind it. The Shadow's eyes narrowed.\nI see.\nWithout but a split second's warning, the Shadow formed two tentacles\nthat shot at lightning quick and knocked all three of them from their feet,\nfaster than David could shoot or Will could draw his sword. The Shadow laughed.\nEven with your advantages, I'm too much for you. I\nsuggest you don't get back up.\nBefore any of them had the chance to stop it--momentarily stunned as they\nwere--the Shadow glided out of the room past them, making for the stairway down to\nthe floor below.\nThey all staggered to their feet over the course of the next few moments,\nall breathing heavily. David looked over to Max's body, and had to fight to keep\ntears from spilling down his cheeks. Now wasn't the time to mourn. He--they--had to\nput a stop to the Shadow. He looked over to Will--who was checking Jenna for\ninjuries--and asked, \"Do you have a plan? Cause I sure as hell don't.\"\nAfter a moment Will stepped back from Jenna, rising back to his full\nheight. \"I may have one plan...but it's not likely to work. And even if it does...one\nor more of us may die.\"\n\"Out with it then. We don't have time to waste.\"As Will began to explain, none of them noticed the lightning fast shadow that stole into Max's open office, grabbing the various ancient texts on the desk, and dodging out again, just as invisibly.***\nThe Shadow would have hummed a merry tune to itself if it could. It was\nfinally done with the witch's task. Now, with its promise kept, it was truly\nfree. But where to start? Global domination as far too pedestrian. Too many\nwould be conquerors had fallen prey to their own hubris. Not to say the Shadow\nwas without pride, but it didn't intend to make the same mistakes as say, Alexander\nthe Great, or Julius Caesar. Strange, it\nthought. How do I know those names? Ah yes,\nthe Professor. His knowledge of history was quite impressive. So many things I've\nlearned in so short a time. I really should acquire the knowledge of a few more\nlike him...or at least a few more elderly humans. I'd forgotten just how much\nthey can know! So many things to catch up, after all. A few millennia of sleep\nwill put you a bit out of touch with the goings on of the world. I wonder if--\n\"Hey, slow down you great shadowy git!\"\nThe Shadow sighed. It was really growing tired of these constant interruptions.\nIt turned to see David approaching, weaving his way through the various display\ncases.\nBack for more? You really do have a death wish, don't\nyou? And where are William and...oh dear...what was the wolf girl's name? Ah well,\nit doesn't really matter.\nDavid glared at the Shadow, his voice dripping with venom when he spoke. \"They\nstayed behind. They didn't want to risk their lives against you.\"\nSensible. You should follow their example.\n\"Nah. I'm more of the 'go my own way' type. Besides, I'm not about to let\nyou get away without any punishment for what you've done\"\nSo dramatic. Very well then. Consider your death\nwish, granted.\nThis time when the Shadow attacked with its umbral tentacle David was\nready, dodging behind a near by display showing ancient currencies. God I really hope Will knows what he's\ndoing, he thought.\nI hope you don't think these pitiful barriers will\nprotect you. \nThey'll do well enough, David thought as he leapt back to avoid being\nimpaled on the tentacle that came piercing through the display case, scattering\nthree-thousand year old coins across the floor. David stood to his full height and\nfired off two shots at the Shadow. One went wild, missing completely. The other\nthough--more carefully aimed--grazed the Shadow's shoulder, slicing a gash in the\ndark energy. The Shadow scowled as it looked upon the tear. It too but an\ninstant for the 'wound' to mend itself, but that didn't heal the wound on the\nShadow's pride.\nNow I'll be certain to kill you slowly. To savor it.\nAll David could manage in reply was \"Oh shit\" as he dropped to the ground\nto avoid the trio of tentacles that shot at him. Come on Will...any bloody time now. Can't do this forever.\nHmm...so tenacious but I sense you're heart's not in\nit. Perhaps you do really want to die--\nThe Shadow stopped. It felt...something. A presence. Behind it. Half a\nsecond too late it turned to see David's light-bending variant of invisibility\nfading from Will's body as he drove his sword forward, aiming for the spot on\nthe Shadow's 'back' that would correspond with the middle of its chest on the\nfront. Even a second too late though, the Shadow was faster than Will could\naccount for. It whipped two of its tentacles back to grab Will--one underneath\neach arm--and threw him over the Shadow's head to crash into one of the display\ncases, breaking the glass and destroying most of the artifacts within. Will\nslid off the broken case, staggering to his feet and ignoring the sharp pains in his chest, glass sliding off him and tinkling as it hit the\nfloor. The Shadow chuckled.\nWas that it then? A pitiful attempt at an attack\nfrom behind. You know William, I may not have been meant to kill you...but now I\nthink I may change that view.\nWill, not interested in talking, lunged forward, swinging his sword, only\nto be blocked by one of the Shadow's tentacle appendages. Again and again he\ntried, but each time he hit either a tentacle, or nothing at all. He was\nwearing himself out, and was no closer to breaching the Shadow's defenses.\nSwing. Jab. Feint. Thrust. It didn't matter what he did, nothing got through.\nThe Shadow sighed, sounding almost bored.\nReally now...you've never even used that weapon before,\nhave you? You move like an amateur. But then, it doesn't really matter. This... melodrama\nbores me.\nThe Shadow struck back, lashing out with a tentacle to grip Will's right\narm, breaking it with a snap and a cry of pain from Will as well as breaking\nhis grip on the sword before whipping the sword itself to send it flying across\nthe room, clattering to the ground several meters beyond Will's reach. Taking\nadvantage of Will's exposure, the tentacle flicked upward and wrapped around\nWill's neck, pulling roughly to bring him before the Shadow. The creature\nsmiled darkly.\nI don't think I'll kill you William. I think I'll\nput you to better use. My current host may be adequate, but--\n\"Let him go!\"\nThe Shadow looked to see David pointing Will's gun at it. He had been laying\nlow for the last minute or two, not shooting to avoid hitting Will with the\npower of the Lightning Shots. Now that wasn't much on option anymore. \"Put him\ndown right now you--\"\nOh lovely, more melodrama. Let's stop that, shall\nwe?\nAnother tentacle formed and shot out at David, knocking him off his feet\nto crash on top of yet another display. The illusionist was still conscious--and\nmore importantly still alive--but he wouldn't be moving very much for at least\nthe next few minutes. One nuisance dealt with, the Shadow returned its\nattention to Will.\nAs I was saying, you would be a far more...worthy vessel\nfor me. Strong. Relatively intelligent. And I sense...a flow of magic through\nyou. Underutilized to be sure, but I can change that. Hmm...and knowledge of so\nmany useful things. \nWill struggled--rather futilely--to block the Shadow out of his mind as the\ncreature searched through all the information it could find.\nI can see much now, without even taking your body. M.E.L.D.s\nvarious resources and capabilities. The relative strength of your weapons. Yes,\nthis will all prove useful. I believe--\nThe Shadow--focused as it was on Will's mind--failed to notice Jenna\ncharging at it from the left, her body cloaked in black and purple energy,\nfuelled by raw emotion. She leapt and clamped onto the tentacle holding Will,\nher dark energy blasting out from the bite just as it had against the bandit in\nFrance. Will's eyes widened at the sight of her. He had told her to stay on the\nsecond floor, where she might be safe. What\nthe hell is she thinking?!\nThe Shadow flinched, feeling something almost like pain. What it felt\nmore though, was growing irritation at so many interruptions. It summoned forth\ntwo more of its tentacles, striking at Jenna's right side with their sharpened\ntips, breaking her grip, sending her flying to land on the ground several feet\naway, bleeding from two sizeable gashes.\nWill was horrified. She was still breathing, but she was badly hurt.\nTears of rage formed in his eyes, rage that only intensified when the Shadow\nlaughed.\nFoolish creature. What did she hope to accomplish?\nWhat could she possibly gain, for herself or for you?\nWill reached his left hand up and gripped the tentacle holding him\ntightly. \"She gave me the opportunity to do this.\"\nDo wh--\nThe Shadow stopped cold, its eyes widening. It looked almost afraid. It\nwas stricken--paralyzed even--both figuratively and literally. It locked its\nglowing red eyes with Will's. Its body began to flicker.\nWh-what are you doing to me?!\nWill scowled, his lip curling into a snarl. \"It's like you said, I have power\nof my own. And it is underused. But it can stop you. You're not the only one\nwho can drain energy. And once I've got it, I can fire it right back at you.\"\nThe Shadow's eyes widened with both understanding and something new:\nfear.\nYou...you are a life wielder!\nWill nodded as his body began to glow with white light, flowing through\nhim and concentrating itself in his right hand, which he raised with great\neffort from his broken right arm, placing it against the ever so slight bump on\nthe Shadow's chest that denoted the location of the amulet. The Shadow knew in\nthat instant that Will knew its weakness. It could see the knowledge in Will's\nmind, connected as they still were. \"That's right. And I hate it. I hate my\npower. It scares me, honestly. I never wanted to really use it. But in your\ncase...well, you're an exception. I'll do what I need to--to wipe you out.\"\nWhatever you need to? Because you know, that energy\nyou're building up...it won't stop when it hits the amulet. It won't stop when it\nhits the energy of my form. It will blast right through my vessel as well! Are\nyou really willing to sacrifice an innocent man? To take his life just to stop\nme?\nA moment passed before Will answered, considering what he would have to\ndo. But then, it wasn't a simple thing. It would be the hardest thing he had ever\ndone. \"You know...Shadow of Anubis...if you had said that to most any other officer...to\nmost any other person...they might have let you go. But I won't. I'll bear a\nburden of guilt for as long as I live. But I'll know that I've done it to save\ncountless other lives.\"\nWill and the Shadow stared at each other for a moment, neither looking\naway. Then the Shadow began to laugh.\nSo many millennia. So many people devoured...absorbed...observed...and\nin all that time...you may be the only one I have ever respected. The only human\nI've known willing to commit a dark act to stop even greater darkness. What wonderful\nnihilism.\nWill scowled. \"I'm not interested in your respect or approval.\"\nThe Shadow seemed almost sad when\nnext it spoke.\nNo, you wouldn't be. Very well then William, I\nsubmit my life to you. You, shall be my death.\nThe last vestiges of glowing light flowed over Will's body, forming a\ncrackling, almost blindingly bright layer of blue/white energy around his right\nhand. Focusing all his minds power on that energy, Will sent it surging\nforward, forming a thick, bright beam of that same blue/white energy, that\nblasted through the amulet--fracturing it into so many pieces--and through the\nbody of the possessed guard, releasing him from the torment of the Shadow's\ncontrol.\nAnd in that moment, even the Shadow itself felt almost released. As it\nfelt the many consciousness's it had absorbed over the years slip away from it,\nit remembered a simpler time, when it was but a translator and guardian of\nknowledge. How far we fall, it\nthought.\nWith its final thought, the Shadow remembered not but a few minutes ago,\nwhen it had taken Max's life, and heard the man's final words. It came far sooner than I expected--facing my\nown death...I wonder...will I be\nremembered?\nThen the Shadow was no more, its energies breaking apart and dissipating\ninto the air, leaving only the once possessed guard behind. The man's body fell\nto the ground, most certainly dead, as evidenced by the smoking hole in his chest.\nWill failed to see any of this though, for he too was falling. Released from\nthe Shadow's grip he fell to the ground, too exhausted from the effort of channeling\nso much energy through his body to stay standing. He had done it, but only just.\nHe hit the ground hard, but barely registered the pain. His mind was\ncloudy, burnt out even, and after only a moment the effort of simply staying\nconscious had become too much and he embraced the darkness of dreamless sleep as\nhe slipped away from the waking world."}