Riding a horse, a majestic, silver-barded warhorse, sounded romantic in theory. Wind in your hair. Thundering hooves. The call to adventure.
In practice, it was just repeated, high-velocity crotch trauma.
"Does this thing have suspension?!" Reed yelled over the wind.
"He is a Destrier, not a sofa!" Kaelen shouted back. "Grip with your thighs, Avatar!"
"I am! My thighs are burning!"
Valor thundered down the forest road, his massive hooves tearing up clods of dirt. The trees were a blur of green and brown. The speed was terrifying. They were doing easily forty miles per hour, and every impact sent a shockwave up Reed's spine.
But the physical pain was manageable. The other pain was the problem.
Reed checked his HUD. It was flickering.
[MANA: 112 / 150]
[Status: LEAKING.]
[Void Corruption: UNSTABLE.]
The "Overcharge" he had stolen from the Death Knight was burning off faster than he calculated. The Void energy wasn't meant to be stored in a human-shaped vessel. It was volatile. It was evaporating.
And as the energy left him, the Cold moved in.
It started in his fingertips. A numbness, like he had fallen asleep in the snow. Then it crept up his arms. His chest felt hollow.
Reed shivered.
It wasn't a normal shiver. It was a violent, teeth-chattering spasm.
He pressed his face into the fur of Kaelen's cloak, trying to leach heat from her backplate.
"You are shaking," Kaelen called out, not looking back. "Are you cold?"
"Withdrawal," Reed chattered, his teeth clicking together. "The battery… it's draining. The Void… it's hungry."
"Hold on," Kaelen ordered. "We are halfway there."
"I'm trying."
Reed squeezed his eyes shut. The image of the forest was greying out at the edges. The sounds of the hooves were becoming muffled, like he was underwater.
Cold. So cold.
His grip on Kaelen's waist loosened. His fingers, stiff and numb, slipped from the clasp of her belt.
He slumped backward.
"Avatar!" Kaelen barked.
Reed didn't answer. He was listing to the left, sliding off the slick silver armor of the horse's rump.
"Damn it," Kaelen hissed.
She didn't stop the horse. If she stopped, the skeletons would reach the bridge first.
Instead, she released the reins with her left hand. She ripped off her gauntlet with her teeth, spitting the heavy steel glove onto the road.
She reached back.
Her hand warm, calloused, and glowing with faint white light grabbed Reed's wrist just as he was about to fall.
"Do not die on me, asset!" Kaelen yelled. "I did not ruin my career for a corpse!"
She yanked him forward, slamming him back against her armor. She didn't let go. She pressed her bare palm flat against the center of his chest, right over his heart.
[DETECTED: HOLY MANA SOURCE.]
[Action: EMERGENCY SIPHON?]
Reed didn't have to choose. His body reacted instinctively.
The Void in his veins sensed the Light in hers. It lunged.
HISSSS.
Steam erupted from beneath Kaelen's hand.
It wasn't painful. It was ecstatic.
It felt like pouring boiling water into a frozen cup. The Holy Light rushed into him, clashing with the Shadow, mixing, swirling, and detonating in a wave of pure, aggressive warmth.
Reed gasped, his back arching. His violet eyes snapped open, blowing wide.
"More," Reed groaned, his voice vibrating. "Don't stop."
"It burns," Kaelen hissed through clenched teeth.
She could feel it. The Void inside him wasn't just taking the mana; it was sucking it out of her. It felt like sticking her hand into a vacuum cleaner made of ice. It was draining her reserves, pulling at her very life force.
But she didn't let go.
She poured the Light into him.
"Stay awake!" she commanded, her voice trembling slightly. "Focus on the heat! Focus on the anger! I don't care what you use, just stay with me!"
Reed pressed his hands over hers, trapping her palm against his chest.
The mixture of energies created a feedback loop. Violet shadow and White gold light leaked from their joined hands, trailing behind the horse like a comet's tail.
The numbness vanished. The grey vision cleared.
Reed felt drunk. Drunk on Light. Drunk on her.
He leaned forward, resting his chin on her armored shoulder, his mouth inches from her ear.
"You taste like the sun," Reed whispered, his voice husky and dangerously stable. "Like burning lemons."
"Shut up," Kaelen gasped, her face flushing bright red beneath her helmet. "You are delirious."
"I'm refueling."
He tightened his grip on her waist. This time, he didn't just hold on; he held her. His hands slid around to her stomach, locking fingers. He pulled himself flush against her back, maximizing the contact.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[Status: STABILIZED (TEMPORARY).]
[Mana Source: PALADIN BATTERY.]
[Note: This counts as 'Fraternization' under Article 5. Keep doing it.]
"We are close," Kaelen said, her voice breathless. She sounded drained. "I can smell the river."
"I see smoke," Reed noted, his vision now sharper than ever.
Through the trees, a plume of black smoke was rising.
"The bridge," Kaelen cursed. "They aren't just crossing it. They're burning the toll booth."
"Valor!" Kaelen shouted, kicking her heels again. "Run!"
The horse sensed the urgency (or maybe just wanted to get away from the weird magic happening on his back). He surged forward.
They burst out of the treeline.
The River Gorge stretched out before them. A massive, stone-and-wood bridge spanned the churning white water below.
And on the bridge, a sea of white bone was moving.
"There," Reed pointed. "The army."
"Five hundred," Kaelen estimated, pulling on the reins to slow the horse. "At least."
Valor skidded to a halt on the cliff edge overlooking the bridge.
Reed slid off the back of the horse. His legs felt like jelly, but he stood. He took a deep breath of the cold air. He looked at Kaelen.
She was panting. She looked pale. She was massaging her left hand, which was red and steaming from where she had touched him.
"You okay?" Reed asked.
"I am... lightheaded," Kaelen admitted, leaning on the saddle horn. "You drink deep, Avatar."
"Sorry."
"Do not apologize," Kaelen said, donning her helmet and snapping the visor down to hide her face. "Just make it worth the mana cost."
She drew her sword. The blade ignited with silver fire.
"We have an army to stop," Kaelen declared.
Reed grinned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Spicy Purse. He pulled out the Void Shard in the other hand.
His eyes glowed violet.
"Right," Reed said. "Let's go violate some zoning laws."