Meera looked at the spot on the ground where the Warrior of Whispers died, and the only proof that there was anything there was damp grass. She had to find out more about these constructs. She knew some things that would be helpful, but she couldn't be caught unawares like last time.

She pulled out a tiny mirror from her armor and threw it at the still-running escapees. She controlled the trajectory of the mirror through Mirror Wing and appeared before them. They both nearly barrelled straight into her, with some gasps and a shriek from Tamas, the cook.

"It's dead," she stated.

"By the gods, you could've just shouted," Tamas exclaimed.

Meera smiled. "I could have, but this was more fun."

Tamas grumbled something that was hard to make out, even with her advanced hearing.

Urvan looked back and spat on the ground.

"He—It said we are coming for you. Is that a manner of speaking, or did he really mean that?" Meera asked.

Urvan nodded solemnly. "He meant it. These things…They are like bloodhounds. Once they put a target on you, they never stop. Not until you are dead or within the borders of Azeria where the Bloodstone Watchmen will finish what they started."

Meera frowned. "You'll have to explain this to me in detail."

"But before that, can we, by any chance, return to our food?" Tamas asked.

Meera gave him a flat stare.

"What? It could be my last meal, and I, for one, do not want to leave this world hungry."

Meera sighed. "Fine."

Tamas made no sounds of happiness or excitement. He simply turned towards Meera's makeshift camp. She shrugged to Urvan, and they followed behind the cook. Her campsite had been trampled underfoot. Leha's body still lay there in a pool of her blood.

"We should move her," Meera said.

“No time,” Tamas said. "We should quickly eat and move along before the next one shows up."

She looked to Urvan, who gave a solemn nod. "I'm sorry, but this is how we've survived. If you're dead or injured, you get left behind. That was our only rule."

Meera was appalled as they took their positions, and Tamas started eating right away as if the life-threatening battle had never happened. Meera covered Leha's body with her blanket and turned to Urvan. "Now, please tell me everything you know about these constructs."

"I'm guessing you've never been to Azeria," he said.

Meera shook her head. "Though, that is my destination."

"Azeria is not a nice place," Urvan said. "One step out of line, and you can find yourself in the same mess as us. Lose a wrestling match or create a dish that he doesn't like, and you get thrown in the dungeons after they whip or maim you."

"Sometimes, both," Tamas added.

"About the thing that attacked us…" She felt awkward switching the conversation so abruptly, but she needed that information.

Urvan sighed. "The Warriors of Whispers, also known as the Protecting Winds of Azeria, the Border Wall's Wrath…the Queen's Mistwalkers. They have many names, but most people simply call them Mistblades. You've seen first-hand why. I told you the queen created these abominations. Some say it was a wedding gift for King Rokibor. She is a Mistweaver, someone who can manipulate the mists to do all sorts of things."

"A horrible wretch of a woman." Tamas spat. "In all my time serving the royal family, I don't think I ever saw her smile. Not even once."

Meera frowned. "You served the royal family? Like in their house—err, castle, palace, or whatever."

Tamas gave her a skeptical look. "Aye, I was a cook to the royal family. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just curious." She did have questions for him regarding the Shadowsteel Warlord, but she decided to save them for later. "Go on, Urvan."

"So, the thing about Azeria is that it's easy to spot. You just need to find the wall of mists. You know how most castles have a boundary wall protecting it."

Meera nodded.

"Well, King Rokibor and his brother Narikas, the Shadowsteal Warlord, have made so many enemies that if each one got in line to kill them. They would have to fend off a new foe each day for ten years. So, you can imagine this made the king nervous. So, he had his wife, Queen Nisaya, create a wall of mists along the kingdom's borders. The queen weaved such powerful magic into the wall that it created a living mist wall that expands when new territory is added to the kingdom. Not to mention, it's the home of the Mistblades. A place where they are the strongest."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Meera would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed. She must have even a higher level than the witch to create a wall of mists that could spawn such warriors to protect them. Meera wanted one of those skills—the one to create warriors of mist. That could help if she had a host of warriors to fight by her side.

"You said earlier that the border wall is coming for us. Did you mean these Warriors of Whispers?" Meera asked.

They glanced at each other uneasily, and this time Tamas spoke. "No, the border wall itself is coming for us, which means His Majesty or Prince Narikas has subdued this region. So, we don't have much time. From the gossip I heard in the castle, Mistblades don't venture far from the wall. So, if they are coming, the wall is not far behind." He shoved another piece of salted pork in his mouth and said, between bites. "We sh…should move."

"He's right. The wall could be—"

"Shh!" Meera placed a finger on her lips. She thought she heard whispering. The kind that Whispers was spewing. She scanned the woods with Mirror Eagle's Perceptivity while concentrating on her hearing. She saw nothing, but there was it again, a faint whispering followed by the swirling sound of mists.

"They're here," Meera whispered.

They both jumped to their feet.

"Already?" Tamas shoved the last piece of meat in his mouth.

"Where?" Urvan asked.

Meera wasn't sure, so she remained quiet, but the whispering had gotten louder. "I'm going to go invisible. You two make a run for it. Don't worry, I'll protect you and be close behind."

They didn't look too sure, but seeing as they had little choice in the matter, they nodded.

"Go in that direction." Meera pointed away from the whispers. She hoped and prayed she was right.

She activated her Shroud and went invisible. She pushed about a dozen mirrors from her armor and flew them to various trees. She attached some to the trunk and the other to branches, high enough that if they obscured the area with mists, she had a clear spot to land.

She Stepped to one branch and waited. It didn't take long for the Mistblades to show up. They blew in on the wind. One would have just seen some mist rolling in until the mist condensed and set into the form of two warriors with weapons at their hips. Other than that, it was hard to tell any features of the two Mistblades.

[Warrior of Whispers – Level 154]

[Warrior of Whispers – Level 157]

One bent down to examine their campsite. Meera readied her chakrams.

"They were here…here…." They both whispered simultaneously. "Tracks lead this way…But no tracks of the Reflection Hunter…"

Meera didn't wait for them to figure out where she was. She Stepped right between them and used Mirror Blast with a considerable amount of Mana. It got so bright that she was visible again for a moment. Light and mirrors assaulted everything in sight. She hoped the two didn't just drift away, and even if they did. She had gotten them good.

When the light finally faded away, she jumped back to the branch she was on and waited. The two Mistblades had drifted away when she attacked, but she had gotten them good. One was missing its entire left arm and a chunk of its torso, and the other, the one who was bending down, was missing its upper back, along with a portion of its head.

They looked around as they still didn't know where she was. Their whispering grew frantic, and Meera couldn't help but smile. She jumped between the two of them, but this time, they saw her somehow as they both tried to swing at her. Their speed astonished her, but Meera was faster. She extended both hands and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage into their guts, and Stepped away before their blades cut into her.

Mists started emanating from their bodies, obscuring them and the surrounding area. Meera bit back a curse and launched her chakrams at them while they were still visible. With their forms completely covered in mists, Meera knew she had to get them out of the Mists or use bait to draw them out of hiding.

Sorry Tamas and Urvan. I'm going to need you as bait again.

She remembered the time when Silas and Cossus used to use her as bait to hunt down the Nightcrawler Monkeys. I hope Silas is doing well wherever he is.

It didn't take them long to give up her pursuit, and the whispers moved away. Meera followed the whispers up in the treeline, and they were out of the mists. But only one Mistblade had shown up, which meant the other was still inside the mists looking for her.

She followed him along on the ground. This thing didn't run so fast that she needed to use Mirror Step. Urvan and Tamas were running for their life, and the Mistblade had almost caught up to her. As she was about to pounce on him, the thing turned and skewered her with her mist sword, which had extended more than ten feet.

Meera gasped and spat blood, turning the mists red. But they were not done, and she realized how it had known where she was. The second Mistblade separated from the first and slashed at her head.

Through intense pain, she brought up her chakram and deflected his blade. She was about to teleport away, but Urvan roared from behind the Mistblade and tackled the second one to the ground. He started pounding his fist into it.

"Die! You filthy monster! Die!" He roared as he pummeled the Mistblade.

But it wasn't for long. The Mistblade dispersed, came up on his back, and pushed his blade through him. Urvan died on the spot.

"No…" Meera didn't have long herself. She threw her chakram away and teleported to it. She cried out when the blade disappeared from her gut. She activated Vitalize immediately, and the wound started healing, but not fast enough. She was seeing darkness creep up on the edges of her vision.

She looked at the one who had stabbed her, who was standing still as a statue. She extended a hand and activated Vampiric Chains.

She had no idea if it would work, but she had to try. Dark chains raced out of her hand and caught the mist monster. A moment later, Meera's Health began climbing at a much faster rate. Pain shriveled as her wound sealed, and she felt better by the second while the Mistblade withered to nothing.

Her chains fell to the ground, and the Mistblade was no more.

The other one had seen what she had done. It started flooding the area with mists. Meera didn't give it a chance. She threw six chakrams at it simultaneously, finishing it.

Just when she thought her troubles were over, she was wrong…dead wrong.

Tamas gasped and pointed behind her. "No…"

A mist wall thicker than any Meera had ever seen was coming for them. The border wall of Azeria, the home of the Mistblades, was coming.