Steel Wolf

The Blood Shadows

Deep in the forest, a half day's walk from Pathwood Keep, she had unabashedly approached the mage's hovel. An hour of continuous rapping on the door told the dark mage this visitor wouldn't go away. He cracked the door, peeking through the slit, to see an enormous midnight black armored figure standing there.

"What have you created, other than death and destruction?" asked a hard female voice.

"I have created all I wish to create. Leave," he said, closing the door.

As he turned away, the door splintered, the huge monster stepping inside.

The figure was instantly beset by four conjured hellhounds. They attacked as one, snarling masses of black fur, teeth gnashing, hideous growls emanating from their throats. The armored horror grabbed a hound by the snout, using it as a club on the others. As a hellhound went down, the armored figure raised an enormous foot, stomping the demon's rib cage until it lay still. The demon in the figure's hands was unceremoniously snapped in half like a twig and tossed aside.

Before he could act further, the figure raised its faceplate, leaning close to him.

A snout protruded, covered in thick blonde fur. The deep blue eyes, slightly farther apart than a human's, gazed steadily at him.

"Now," said a guttural voice, tipped with a hint of femininity, "do you wish to play more, or will you hear what I have to offer?"

-o0o-

"I'll need a full cup of your blood," Azhar said, after hearing the proposition. He flicked a finger, the shattered door repairing itself. "It will take two hours, three minutes to render the proper formula. You will also receive eleven shards of the moon itself. This will channel the energies needed to speed the transformation process. The one I will designate for you is for you alone. Since you've already undergone the initial transformation at the moon's full power, it will make you stronger and faster. I caution you not to wear the shards on the night of the full moon. The power may be too great. Perhaps have someone who is not a werebeast standing by to take it from you, if you want to experiment."

He pointed to a chair.

"Sit in that chair. Do not move. Do not speak. Don't make any sound at all. I need to concentrate."

-o0o-

The sun had just sunk below the horizon when eleven midnight black armored figures boarded the Shark's Widow.

When Tanaya had gone into the forest to find the dark mage, Sergeant Rosada and newly appointed Corporal Baknel had gone to the docks, hoping the Shark's Widow hadn't sailed yet.

Gold pieces had exchanged hands, Captain Withburn saying she could hold off leaving for one more day. She had her crew alter four cargo bays into ten separate steel-lined rooms with wooden decking. When that was finished, she had sent the entire 20-man crew into town for one last blowout before sailing. Courtesy of the Blood Shadows.

Once they were all inside, Tanaya gave one hundred more gold pieces to Charleen. After the captain left, all areas were searched to ensure no one else was on board, then the cargo doors were raised, sealing the ship. Each person removed their helms, the magical armor flowing back into the respective pouch.

Several buckets of water were placed outside each room.

"I will ask each of you a simple question. You may then make your final choice. If you refuse, you are still a Blood Shadow. The Shift is permanent. Even the dark mage warned against it. Once you have stepped into your room, there is no turning back," Tanaya said, seriously. "I will not release you until the sun has been up for two hours."

She turned to Nazaretta Rosada.

"This is the question. Do you, Nazaretta Rosada, of your own free will and without coercion from anyone, wish to drink this potion?"

One by one, the members of the Blood Shadows drank the potion given to them, placed the moon shard necklaces around their necks, and entered different rooms. Tanaya racked home the bolt on each door, then paced back and forth to await moonrise.