Taris pulled his mask down and drank, hardly grimacing at all and passed it to Russel. Once he’d drank his swallow Taris reached deep into the nearest shadow and pulled hard, his muscles bunching in his back and arms. He grunted with the effort before it gave way and he spread his arms wide, forming a large gateway to the Shadow Realm. He grabbed Russel and Hadhen by their armors and gestured Envy ahead “Move your ass thief.”

The Kartaian took the lead quickly with his long legs, but Taris kept up easily, nearly dragging the other two behind him. “This way,” Envy told him, and Taris could feel the potion almost pulling him along. It was a long way off, he could tell, from the several minuted they traveled through the Shadow Realm. Envy glanced back, “We’re almost to the barriers. Then we’ll be there. You got a plan, assassin?”

The shadow elf nodded, “Simple, you point me in the direction you think Aera’s in. I kill everything in the way, you three kill any that catch up behind us. We grab her, you four get out immediately.”
“What about you?” asked Hadhen.
“Boy, it’s better if you don’t know the details. Just say that I’m going to ensure you aren’t followed, before I leave too.” They felt a slight pressure as they passed through the barriers Envy had warned them of, the two Taris held shuddered slightly but were okay. At the speed they were moving Taris barely registered the slight shimmer as Envy passed another barrier ahead of them before he and the other two struck it.

Blue flames ignited where they touched it and the assassin flung the thieves back instantly to hang in the solid Void. The flame encompassed him, trying to devour him in its fury. Taris punched forward at the barrier and the blade in his bracer shot through into it. There was another flash, this time echoed by his armor and the fire dissolved into his body armor. The barrier was suddenly visible in darkness of the Shadow Realm, like a giant pane of glass with cracks running from his blade.

There was a cracking noise and the barrier burst with a roar for ten feet around his fist. Taris grimaced behind his mask and grabbed the other two thieves pulled them behind him once more. Envy had hesitated after passing through and Taris growled at him, “Move it.”

The thief just turned and ran on, until he found the shadow he was looking for. “Here,” he called and the four burst out into dark tunnels. Taris eyes scanned the one they were in, immediately spotting the tall figures moving towards them. A movement and two small knives flew out and the figures rag-dolled. “Which way Envy?”