Leifr repelled the creature's strike, or rather its attempt to grab him, with ease. Though they were fearsome sights, these beasts were no more intelligent than trained hounds, and though their physical prowess was nothing to laugh at it was the only danger Leifr had to be cautious of. But this was because Leifr was well armed and armored and sat upon a powerful and trusty steed. Leifr saw Lyrisa, who lacked all of Leifr's advantages, feel the terrible savagery of these beasts. Yet before Leifr could even make a noise Honor bit into him.
Why? This was the first time Honor harmed Leifr without reason. This was... getting worse! Leifr grit his teeth as he willed himself to ignore this unknown pain, but the agony slowly and steadily burned deeper and hotter throughout his body. Cold sweat broke out as he panted, the weight of his own armor now feeling like metal spines stabbing into his body; his shield and Honor's handle felt so cold they were burning. He fought every instinct to throw his armaments away from himself, to abandon his protection to escape this illusionary terror that was shredding him apart.
A bright light leapt at Leifr. Barely discerning it as a torch flying his way, Leifr concentrated his mind towards predicting where it would land, using it to draw his attention from the torment that crawled in his veins. With this moment of respite, Leifr swung Honor clumsily at the creature who had previously attacked him. Even Leifr could feel his own body hindered by this unknown sickness that had infested him, but there was no time for him to try and predict how it came to infect him. Unlike the phantasm that haunted Leifr, Lyrisa was truly wounded. He had to get to her somehow, even if all he could do was stand between her and the monsters that preyed upon them.