Hey guys this is my first fanfic, and I gotta say, I still have like no clue on how to use this site. Review if you think I should continue this story, cause this is hard work and I don't want to have cramped fingers and sore eyes for no reason. Comments, compliments, and advice are totally welcome and I hope you enjoy this story. :)

~ XxsilenceisgoldenxX

Jenny shuddered and continued on, trudging through the mist and snow. She had been walking through the shadow world for what felt like hours, and there was still no sign of her destination. She stopped at another twisted ice formation and slipped into a small hollow at its base to provide some refuge from the wind. Pulling out a soaked hand drawn map she inspected it closely and found she was still on the right path. She sighed and muttered "I'm tired and I'm not even at the hard part yet" and with that she rose to continue her journey.

After another ten minutes she stopped abruptly and gasped, before fleeing to the cover of a snow covered stone. There in the middle of the snow three small, grey, wrinkled fetus-shaped things hunched in the snow, and appeared to be preoccupied by something. In fact they appeared to be feasting on some poor creature, and Jenny had no interest in discovering more. The appearances of the shadow men, both the small grey ones and the large misshapen ones, were becoming much more common. Jenny took this as a hint that she was close to her destination, close to achieving the single most important thing in her life. And of course if she failed the price was her life, but really what was life's worth if she failed.

After carefully skirting around the shadow men, Jenny continued wary for the lumbering shapes and flashing colors that were becoming steadily more numerous in this hell of a blizzard. Finally her efforts were rewarded, for there looming in the distance, was the twisted blue-grey peak of the Rökkr pinnacle. Which when translated meant shadow pinnacle. It was here in the twisted cavernous tunnels concealed in the mountain Jenny would find the Stave of Life. She picked up her pace and hugged all the boulders, quickly but carefully making her way to the titanic rock.

She reached its perimeter and slowly made her way around. Jenny and stopped at a distance when she saw the entrance to the caves was guarded by two massive Shadow men, one was missing most of its face and the other's flesh looked as though it was made of some sort of reptile's skin. They were so grotesque it took all of Jenny's self-control not to retch.

Jenny was prepared for this, after her three years of research she knew the Shadow men wouldn't leave their Stave of Life unprotected. She whipped a flare out of her bag with a match to accompany it. Jenny had taken extra care to purchase a flare that wouldn't explode and create light until it was over a hundred meters away, that way the shadow men couldn't trace it back to this location. She quickly sliced open her palm and doused the flare with a generous amount of her blood. She'd had enough experience with the elderly shadow men to know they would never pass up the chance to torment a human much less a wounded one. So even if the sound and color couldn't attract them they would surely explore her distraction because of the scent of human blood. It was meant to represent a wounded, confused, and lost human like the ones she'd so often seen wandering the shadow-scape. Though it hurt her beyond measure to leave the lost people behind, she couldn't risk having extra people accompany her.

Jenny braced herself, and lit the blood coated flare. It silently zoomed into the distance before bursting a hundred and fifty meters away, on the opposite side of the shadow men. She watched as the two disgusting creatures talked excitedly before loping off, with surprising grace, in the direction of her flare. Jenny allowed herself a brief moment of self-congratulations on her genius before scurrying off to the entrance. It was pitch dark so she quietly mouthed Kensaz, the rune of light, while tracing it in the air. A soft ball of light erupted at her finger tips and she continued on her way. She carefully stopped to inspect each branching wing of the tunnels, carefully consulting her map at each turn. Rökkr Pinnacle is a labyrinth and she was very careful not to lose her way. She found navigating the tunnels surprisingly easy, because she had memorized the directions in advance, and soon she was closing in on her desired cavern. At last she saw the soft blue glow that indicated that her destination was at hand, and entered a spacious blue cave with a hole at its roof a hundred meters up. The hole let a sickly blue light from the Shadow World along with lazily spinning snowflakes that had gone astray from the blizzard. Though it wasn't much light it was enough, she released her torch knowing she had to conserve the remainder of her energy for what was to come. Stepping into the cave Jenny approached a large flat rock that made a natural alter at the center of the cave. This was where the Stave of Life was kept; she brushed her lips against the golden band on her finger the one that read all I am my only master. Finally she allowed herself to think about Julian. Julian.

Just as she reached the rock she heard the furious pounding of many feet as they sprinted to the cavern. The other shadow men were coming! Jenny quickly let her pack slide down her shoulders to the floor. She tore into it until she located the five vials she had prepared for this moment. She hurriedly splashed the vials that contained her own blood in a large rectangle allowing as much room she could get with her limited supply of the precious fluid. She uncorked the last vial and dipped her finger into the blood just as the first shadow man burst into the cave. She scrabbled to the edge of her square scrapping the first rune Nauthiz, the rune of constraint, onto the floor in the crimson ink. The shadow men were less than forty meters away now and gaining ground fast.

Sweat was pouring down her face but she didn't stop, she continued to rapidly write down the necessary runes to complete her spell, one missed rune or one mispronounced name was all it took to doom her. She finished just as the first shadow man came bounding at Jenny at an alarmingly close distance, its hands were already out-stretched to snatch her from the ground. She blurted in a rush the names of her runes, listing their specific purposes in the spell. The ground lit up in a blinding white flash, causing the Shadow men to screech and stumble, that was all the time she needed. Because of his hesitation the lead shadow man slammed into an invisible, but solid wall rather than bursting into her protective enclosure. Jenny thanked every single one of her lucky stars, eternally grateful that she didn't trap herself with an enemy Shadow man.

She rose slowly, enjoys the twisted expressions of the shadow men as they each slammed into her invisible wall. One yowled in a voice like shattering glass "You can't hide from us, you filthy human, because we claim you as our prey! If you come out you are at our mercy and if you stay in your haven you'll die by mortal means". At the end of its monologue the shadow man smiled in triumph, clearly pleased with the situation. Jenny allowed herself a beaming smile of victory before saying "You shadow men know as well as I do that one can only claim its prey if he's in physical possession of the said prey. And it seems to me that not one of you has yet to get physical possession of me" She paused to enjoy their infuriated expressions. They were all in a rage because a human could play their game and play it well. "No matter" said a shadow man who had a voice was like wind chimes "We shall just wait you out until you die of natural causes". Jenny smiled again before saying "If that is the way you wish to play then know this: I am in possession of your precious stave of life." To emphasize her case she flicked out the sharp Swiss army knife she was carrying.

A look of pure unadulterated horror passed through the crowed of Shadow men, as they understood the situation they were in. Finally one Shadow man stepped forward from the crowed of other being that still appeared to be shocked. He said "My lady, games are held in high esteem among my people, and we know when we have been defeated. Tell us the terms of your victory and we will gladly oblige if you refrain from cutting out any of our names from our precious Stave." She smiled smugly before saying "All I wish is for all currently existing Shadow men to make a blood oath to never harm me, my friends Dee, Audrey, Zach, Summer, Michael, and Tom, as well as any shadow men I decide to make unless the natural unbreakable laws give a legitimate reason to bend this oath; for even I know I cannot change the laws. These are my terms and conditions". A look of cold fury swept through the crowd at Jenny's steep request but all they did was nod and accept the situation. About two hours later every shadow man had sworn the unbreakable oath to Jenny. Finally Jenny had the opportunity to do what had been her intention since the beginning of her quest three years ago. She approached the Stave of Life, despite the discontent murmurings of the Shadow men left watch the process. Delicately she caressed the surface of the smooth wood, seeing the liquid diamond glitter. Her fingers stopped at the ugly gaping gash that had once contained Julian's name.

She pulled out her knife and carefully carved the runes needed to recreate a Shadow man that had at one point existed. She also steadfastly carved the runes that ensured that Julian returned with all of his memories. Once done she carefully looked over the runes before slashing her finger and letting the blood drip down onto the Stave. Then in a revered whisper she recited Julian's Runes, saying each one delicately as if it were a sacred treasure. Once completed a freezing wind flew through the spacious cave, and shadows detached themselves from the wall. They whirled and circled and compressed themselves until a familiar silhouette distinguished itself from the shadows. Then slowly retreating the wind and shadows dispersed leaving a very handsome, very perfect, very confused, very naked Julian in their place. His eyes rose then widened as he saw Jenny then quietly he whispered in a voice like rock over water "Jenny".

The reunion was short and sweet, involving a crushing embrace, and rushed words. Finally though hating herself Jenny disengaged herself from Julian. She retreated to her pack and tossed a pair of shorts to Julian. Who smiled his wolf smile before saying "I thought you preferred me this way". Jenny just rolled her eyes before saying "Julian, I missed you and I love you, and I definitely want to have a private reunion with you, but I need to finish my job before anything else." Julian raised an eyebrow, and Jenny rushed on "We need to even the playing field and create a new generation shadow men, that are on our side. I know the rune that made you different from the others and if we use it, it will create shadow men that have emotions like you. Every shadow man is going to try to destroy us, they swore an oath but we'll need all the help we can get if we're going to make this work". Julian nodded slowly and said I'll help as long as you tell me how this all happened. Jenny nodded and began to recount her story as Julian patiently listened.