Taris glared behind the wolf shadow mask. His opponent even looked momentarily shaken, but recovered quickly. “A true Wolf of the Void. I thought that was a myth, but I suppose I also thought Shadow Elves a myth too.” Taris only continued to glare, and held the now silver blades to his sides.

Drugan lunged forward, his sword aimed at the shadow elf’s heart. The tip of the blade sunk into the armor and pierced the skin beneath. Shadow burst from the wound immediately, stopping the blade instantly and flinging the blade away and out of his hand. “Pick it up,” the smaller elf said. The Kartaian retreated and retrieved it, and Taris began his attack.

Drugan still had the reach, but now the power had shifted. Worse, the shadow elf fought with no regard for defense, taking every slash and cut in favor of his own attacks. The assassin was bleeding from several small wounds in a few minutes, but showed no sign of them affecting him. Indeed he was only getting faster, and the Sun’s Dew on his blade was burning the Kartaian in several places.

Drugan landed a kick in Taris’ stomach, knocking them both back from each other. The giant’s red eyes were narrowed and he was breathing heavily. “What are you?” he asked. The wolf’s head grinned to match the assassin’s. “I am the Lady’s Blade,” he responded simply. The shadows swirled around the two of them, and stepped back into it.
He flashed out past the giant, slashing his leg and vanishing into the shadow again. Another pass made another slash, and again and again. He kept at it till the Kartaian sagged to the floor and his blades fell from fingers unable to grip any longer. Taris stepped over him, pulling a flask from a pouch at his waist. He opened the stopper and gentle light came from the opening. He sneered down at the quivering, smoking hulk on the floor, “Burn you bastard.” He poured the contents over Drugan, who screamed in earsplitting agony writhing on the floor. In his pain he threw his head back and Taris poured some into his mouth. The scream became a gurgle and the room filled with the smell of cooking meat.

Taris grimaced, but the wolf snapped hungrily, and he turned to look around the room. There was no sign of the others. Wolf-Taris slipped into the shadows with a howl, the sound filling every cave once again. It was time to hunt….