Maren stood outside the gate checkpoint and stared at the shimmering wall of blue energy, his fingers twitching at his side while the dark crystal pulsed under his sleeve.
He didn't say anything for a few seconds, just kept looking at the portal like he could see right through it at the people inside.
One of the guild guards stepped forward with the same bored voice he used for every other person who came through, "I already told you, two people entered a few minutes ago. Nobody else gets through until they're out."
He still didn't answer, his eyes staying locked on the portal while something ugly twisted behind them.
'He's in there right now,' he thought, feeling the crystal pulse hot against his skin, 'just on the other side of that stupid shimmer. I could be done with this in ten minutes if these guards would just move.'
"Sir," another guard said, stepping up next to the first one, "are you alright? You've been standing there for a while now."
