Wolves and Men

“It didn’t work either?” Katherine asked.

“Oh, I wouldn’t exactly say that, not exactly,” Jacob quietly mused.

Charles asked, “Their abilities mixed with the vampires’ and something went wrong?”

“No, something went right, but only one small thing. Everything around that small thing is what went to hell.” Jacob smiled sullenly. “Their abilities mixed with the vampires influence and for a moment, just a small moment, the wolf they were experimenting on was free, free from vampiric control, free from our Sage’s abilities, free from gravity and, some say, free from reality itself. For a moment he was completely free. The only problem with that was the whole thing crashed down in on itself.”

“Picture a layer of dust on a table, then you slap the table. The dust rises off the table right?” The group nodded. Then Jacob asked, “But what happens after that?”

Charles responded, “The dust falls back down on the table, or the floor.”

“That’s right. So, the Sages had managed to slap the domination from the wolf. But they didn’t have anywhere else for it to go. The mental force that collided with the wolf’s mind a few seconds later caused an explosion of psychic and, some say, if you believe in that stuff, spiritual energy, so much so that the wolf’s spirit was ripped from its body.”

“That left a Shadow,” said Aceso quietly.

“Yes, the first Shadow. The wolf’s body was dead. The sages managed to trap the Shadow in the Whyte Plain to keep it isolated from our world and from hurting anyone until they could figure out what to do with it. They never found an answer.”

William said, “You’re telling me that all those Shadows in the Whyte Plain all started from a single Shadow, from a single wolf? That sounds impossible.”

“Big things have small beginnings, young William,” Jacob retorted darkly.

“And after all this time the Sages have never found a way to exercise or destroy these Shadows?” asked Katherine.

“Well, we all know how to kill them,” replied Jacob. “But you have seen firsthand just how difficult that is.”

“So, what you’re telling us,” said Charles, “is that these Shadows can only be killed one at a time? The spirit realm has ways of reclaiming its own, in time.”

“That’s the problem, Charles,” Jacob answered. “The Whyte Plain doesn’t exist in our realm of reality. It’s a whole different dimension where the natural order and rules of the spirit and physical world, as we know them, just don’t seem to exist, or follow different rules. Now you of all people should understand this. Honestly, you should, by all rights, be dead right now. The domination and possession that was happening to you has only been broken a handful of times in our history. You two,” he pointed at Charles and William. “Are the first people to survive that kind of encounter in over a decade, if not longer.”

“So, it’s a ‘no win’ scenario.” said Aceso.

“I don’t believe in ‘no win’ scenarios, Aceso,” answered Jacob. “We have been successful in finding ways that don’t work.” He smiled, “After a couple hundred years or so there are a lot fewer things to try.”

Jacob stood up from his bench. “Well, that was a nice little break. It’s time to work on actually bridging the gap between us and the Whyte Plain.”

He walked to the middle of the dome and stood still for a moment. Then the dome disappeared. They were back in the misty white confines of the Whyte Plain.

“Did anyone see what I did?” asked Jacob. The group looked around at each and they all shook their heads, except for Katherine. Jacob hung his head in mock exasperation. “Really?!! By the love of all that’s Ho…Look. I will do it again.”

The mist instantly disappeared to be replaced by the smooth black surface of the dome they had been standing in a moment before.

“Now, how did I do it?” Jacob asked. Before Aceso could answer he held up a silencing hand. “Not you, Aceso, or you, Katherine. Your pack mates need to learn this.” He looked at William. “William? What did I do?”

The Enforcer hesitated for a moment. “It was like the air around us sighed, but that’s not really right. I felt the air move and it seemed to bend in on itself? I can’t explain it.”

Jacob rubbed his chin. “Hmm well it’s a start anyway.” He looked to Charles. “Anything else to add to Mr. Setford’s summation?” Charles shook his head. “Well, it’s a good thing I had nothing to do today,” Jacob said sarcastically. “Ok, do you think that you could do it?” he asked the group.

Katherine nodded. “I can.”

Jacob raised his eyebrows, “A bit of confidence does wonders, Miss Ryan. But this exercise is for all your pa…”

The world faded. The black stone of the dome was replaced by open misty nothingness as far as any of them could see. William looked over at Katherine who was smiling. He nodded his head in respect to the Sage. Charles too clapped softly while smiling broadly.

Jacob looked around at the four of them. Whatever he was going to say died on his lips and was replaced by a smile. “Derceto said that you were a tight knit group, beyond most expectations. I’m impressed you want to step in for your pack, Katherine. Now can you also get us out of this place?”

Katherine nodded and a look of serenity came over her face. They were back, standing in the middle of the black dome in the outskirts of the City under the Mountain. This time even Jacob gave her a small clap. “Very good. So, what happened and how were you able to do it?”

Katherine glanced at her pack mates and back toward the Elder. “I started with that sick cool feeling that William described then I got as close to that feeling as possible. In my mind I pictured myself reaching through a mirror or a pond. I could feel myself reaching into the Whyte Plain. Once that happened, we were there. To get out I did the exact same thing except I reached for the warmth of the City.”

“Well at least you can articulate what it was you did. Now its up to the two gentlemen to follow in your footsteps.” Jacob looked pointedly at William and Charles. “Well, can either of you two duplicate what Miss Ryan has done?”

William felt the atmosphere around them. There was the sickly cold feeling and the whisper of warmth and light that he had felt earlier. He pictured himself reaching through a mirror…and they were still in the dome. He looked over to see Charles’ disappointment as well. This was going to take a little while.