Meera gripped onto Onyx’s mane for dear life and hoped the horse hadn’t jinxed them with their proclamation, which the Mistblades must’ve heard as the whispering was constant, but she saw nothing, aside from the gray mists, which somehow seemed thicker as the woods had started closing in on them. It slowed down Onyx, but not enough to scare Meera that he was about to run through a tree.

Tamas was mostly a trembling mess, but she could sympathize with him. She was taking him back to the very land he had run from. And he was, after all, just a cook. She would have to find a way to keep him safe.

But that was a problem for another day. The more immediate concern was the invisible warriors hunting them and these mists that obscured them and made them more powerful. She felt the sensation of the wind dying down.

“Sorry, Meera, I’m going to have to slow down,” Onyx said as he slowed considerably. “I can’t see where I’m going.”

“You don’t have to worry about tripping over a root or hitting a tree. Just keep going.”

“Yes, but you do. If we’re not careful, I could hit a tree or a branch and send you rolling.”

“So much for getting us out of here in the blink of an eye,” Tamas muttered, still clinging to her.

“When they show up, I’ll speed up again,” he said.

“Yes, well, that is the problem,” Meera replied. “They could show up as a tree or a rabbit. I cannot detect them if they are in an illusion…”

Her voice trailed off as she realized two could play the games of illusions. She activated the Mistbound Illusions skill and focused on creating an illusion that looked like them.

Poof!

The mists condensed and formed another version of them riding through the woods. The resemblance was uncanny.

Tamas gasped. “How did you...”

“I picked up a skill along the way. Let’s leave it at that.”

She moved her arm and waved to the illusion, but the illusion did not wave back. Not until Meera willed it to. So, it is not a perfect illusion, but enough to fool the enemy, I hope.

She created another one to the first illusion’s right side, leaving her on the side, as she figured the one in the middle would be attacked first.

She didn’t have the illusions match their speed perfectly. The middle one was a little faster, and the other a little slower.

“There that should delude the enemy some. But no one talks from now on. I don’t think I can make them talk,” Meera said.

They said nothing, but Tamas’s head bopped against her back. They rode in silence for some time. But even in this silence, the whispers were constant and growing louder. Then, without warning, the middle illusion dispersed.

Both Meera’s had the same reaction—one of shock. Tamas shrieked and whimpered while his reflection didn’t, which, if they were paying close attention, should have given them away.

“Mistblades! Run!” Meera shouted.

Onyx picked up the pace and dashed through the woods. The Mistblades still hadn’t shown themselves. But it was here, or they were close by. She had no way of telling their numbers. Something zipped through the mists. She moved Onyx to the side, and the throwing knife flew past. Meera tried to figure out where it had come from but could discern nothing.

Before the next one came for them, she pulled Onyx towards their illusion and the illusion towards them. As they crossed each other, she created another illusion and left it in the middle. They ran for some time, and still nothing. Then, as one, both illusions vanished, and the Mistblades showed themselves this time.

They weren’t chasing them but stood staring after they destroyed both illusions. This was a trap. Meera pulled on Onyx’s mane hard. The horse skidded as it tried to stop, but it was too late. A Mistblade appeared and sliced through Onyx’s chest. The ghost was fine; he probably didn’t even feel the cut, but Meera did. The Mistblade’s sword nearly sliced off both her legs. She cried out and activated Vitalize.

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Then, two more Mistblades materialized to her right. The way forward was cut off. Tamas clutched onto her so tightly it was getting hard to breathe, coupled with the pain in her legs, which made it hard to think.

“Onyx turn around!” Meera shouted in the heat of the moment.

“I can do something better,” Onyx said.

The stallion neighed and plowed through the Mistblade that stood in their path. The Warrior of Whispers was thrown to the ground and trampled upon by Onyx’s hooves. Then he shot off through the woods, away from the Mistblades. This time, they did give chase.

“How did you…”

“The thing is, I am a war horse,” he replied. “Or was. The reason I was sold to Edwyn was…”

The answer came to Meera instantly. “You were too skittish.”

He swerved between some trees before replying. “Yes.”

“Well, you’re the bravest horse I know.”

“I am the only horse you know.”

“That’s false. I own a stable full of horses back home.”

“Can you please pay attention to the monsters on our backs? They’re almost on us,” Tamas cried.

“Are they almost on us, Onyx?”

He chuckled. “No, they’re not. Hold on tight.”

Onyx picked up speed and left only white smoke in its trail. Trees zipped past them. They were going so fast that Meera didn’t even have time to cut the low branches. She ducked and hoped Tamas followed her example.

As they rode, Meera put two more illusions of them to confuse their attackers. But it seemed the Mistblades had illusions of their own.

Onyx swerved past a tree, but it was no tree. It morphed into a Mistblade who was swinging its massive sword at her. She activated Mirror Shield at the last second. It protected her from being sliced in half, but she was still violently thrown off Onyx’s back. She activated another Mirror Shield behind Tamas to protect him from the fall. Given his broken body, this was going to hurt either way.

They fell and skid on the ground, thanks to Mirror Shield, which protected them from numerous scraps and bruises. Meera’s fall was doubly cushioned, but the poor cook cried out and groaned as she bounced on him before they came to a stop amidst a horde of Mistblades.

Meera groaned, but thankfully, nothing was broken. She pushed herself to her feet, body aching all over. She activated Vitalize and checked on Tamas. The Warriors of Whispers closed in on them, whispering like madmen.

“Time to kill.”

“Kill them both.”

“And that horse.”

“Then we find the mistress.”

“Meera!” Onyx cried. It was hard to see with all these Mistblades blocking the view, but somehow, her horse friend didn’t stop but turned around, maybe even ran through some trees, and came straight for her. The Mistblades saw him coming and stepped aside, not wanting to be trampled like last time.

Tamas was in bad shape. He whimpered as he cradled his left arm, and his bleeding leg had only gotten worse. “Tamas, can you stand?”

The cook didn’t even form a proper reply and just shook his head.

Onyx skidded to a stop before her. “Meera, jump on me. I’ll get you both out of here.”

“No,” Meera said. She activated Druvis Power and picked up Tamas in her arms carefully. “Take him and get out of here. I’ll be along shortly.”

Not wanting to lose its prey, a Mistblade lunged for her back. She pulled a chakram from her wrist using Mirror Wing and deflected its blow, then shot it with a Mirror Shard Barrage from her back. She didn’t even know she could do something like that, but it didn’t hurt to try. The Mistblade was blasted back into a tree.

“You sure?” Onyx asked.

“We’ve got to get them off our backs, or we’ll never make it out. So, just go. I’ll catch up with you shortly,” Meera said. “And no matter what, do not come back for me. I’ll find you.”

“But won’t I just go poof if I get too far from you?”

Meera loaded Tamas onto his back. “Let’s find out.” She slapped his rump and sent him running.

“You better come after us soon, or I’m coming right back,” he called as he ran.

“I will.”

Meera turned her attention to the Mistblades, who whispered amongst themselves whether they should go after the cook or stay here and fight the warrior. In the end, they decided on Meera.

They chose wrong.

She pulled off her level 2 chakrams, tried to crack her neck, and failed. Well, so much for looking like a badass.

She activated Shroud of Shadows and turned invisible, as did the Mistblades. Then, at the same time, she started three illusions of her. All three illusions were dispersed in moments. So, that is out of the question.

She heard the whispers getting louder, which meant they were coming closer. She stayed in her spot, smiled, and activated Mirror Blast. She knew she had hit something as a bunch of notifications popped off in her head.

Only one Mistblade returned to normal, so Meera launched her chakrams and, with Mirror Wing, made quick work of him. She ran to change her position and recalled her chakrams. But as soon as the chakrams returned to her, she heard another sound. One that she had just heard receding, only now it was getting louder again.

The sound of horse hooves.

The next moment, she saw smoke emanating from Onyx’s form as he rushed to her. She ran to meet him and left behind a dozen illusions. She returned to normal, and Onyx’s eyes widened. He dug his hooves so hard that poor Tamas was nearly launched off his back.

“You really should put a saddle on here,” Tamas grumbled.

Meera ignored him and talked to his friend. “What the hell are you doing back here?”

“So, it turns out you were wrong. I’m not so brave after all. Please get on my back so we can get out of here together.”

“They’re never going to leave us alone.”

“I know, but we can make it,” Onyx said. “I can get us out of these infernal mists. You didn’t leave me behind in the cave. I’m not leaving you here.”

Meera smiled. All her illusions were gone already, which meant the enemy was coming. She jumped on Onyx’s back, keeping Tamas in front of her this time. “A brave war horse indeed. Now, get us out of here.”

“With pleasure.”