The two guards stood at the checkpoint watching the portal shimmer in the late afternoon sun, their spears resting against the perimeter while they passed a canteen back and forth.
"You think they're dead yet?" the second guard asked.
The first guard took a sip and handed it back, squinting at the rippling blue wall. "Probably. That thing has killed better parties than two kids."
"You should have told them about it before they walked in," the second guard said, his tone carrying a hint of frustration.
The first guard let out a slow breath. "The order came down from the guild this morning. This gate is on restriction until a proper ranker clears the anomaly, nobody in or out." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Then that boy walks up and hands me a letter with the King's wax seal stamped across the front."
"Still."
