way back to her feet. She stood there looking stronger than he expected, although she did keep a hand on the bed. Again, Nolan couldn't help but be amazed and feel a little proud of her.
"Alright," she grunted, giving him a withering stare, "you can help me now."
Nolan raised an eyebrow, which of course was the wrong thing to do.
"I'm not a fool, Nolan." Her voice could have frozen the lake. "Despite the fact that you are an insensitive moron, I'm not so full of pride that I would think I could make it out of here on my own. My legs feel about as stable as a wet noodle, all I can see of you is an annoying blur, and I'm alternating between feeling like I'm going to get sick or pass out. I know I need your help."
"Good, because I can't imagine how--"
"Helping me to walk does not involve talking to me right now."
"Understood."
Nolan grabbed two of the lighter bags and gently strapped it to Ezzy's shoulders. Then, after grabbing the last remaining pack and his walking stick, he hooked his arm around her and got them moving. It was awkward at first, between his limp, his staff, and the packs moving around on their backs, but it became much smoother by the time they made it to the stairs. When they were out the front door and into the cold night air, he had things under control.
This close to morning and at this time of year, the streets were empty. Behind the inn, the temple to Kaz'ren peaked over the roof while the Endless Tombs towered over everything else. Nolan took a moment to catch his breath and adjust the packs before he got them moving up the street. The temple to Ze'an was north of them on the southeast side of the lake, at the end of this road. Fields of untended grass sat between the last buildings of the city and the temple. After all, who would be foolish enough to build anywhere near the temple of the god of the Abyss?
They walked uninterrupted all the way to the temple, stopping once they reached its massive doors. The temple was a combination of decades of neglect, vandalism from the more fervent worshippers of Alistar, and youths trying to prove their bravery, which turned the building into a dilapidated mess. Stone columns lay where they had toppled, stained glass windows were smashed beyond recognition, and even the thick wooden doors were splintered and dangling off their hinges. Add to that the light of all three moons making shadows dance about this late at night, and a person couldn't help but be put off by the place.
"Over there," Ezzy pointed off to the right side of the building. "Paz is behind those columns."
With a nod, Nolan helped her over to the Vithalos. Sure enough, the hulking metal form was standing where she had directed it. Thankfully, when their connection had broken, the Vilathos hadn't toppled over. Nolan had heard it fall against stone once before and had no doubt that the commotion would have drawn people even this late at night.
Leaning Ezzy up against the wall, Nolan placed one hand on her shoulder and another on the leg of the Vilathos. There was no time to waste, and no point in preparing either of them for what came next. Best to get to it. He cleared his mind and focused his energy.
Everything else fell away into darkness. Ezzy and the Vilathos became vague outlines of energy, a golden color that swirled about them both. From where their heads would be, a wisp of energy fluttered like a flag about to detach from its pole. That was the connection. That was what he needed to fix.
Unlike an initial bonding, where the energy of the person resisted becoming part of the Vilathos, fixing a bond was much easier in comparison. Those two connections wanted to be back together. Neither was whole without the other. To the lifeless Vilathos, not being connected had no effect, but to Ezzy it was like losing a part of her very spirit. That was what caused her body to weaken and befuddled her mind.
Focus. Even a reconnection can have problems. This is not the time for
"Alright," she grunted, giving him a withering stare, "you can help me now."
Nolan raised an eyebrow, which of course was the wrong thing to do.
"I'm not a fool, Nolan." Her voice could have frozen the lake. "Despite the fact that you are an insensitive moron, I'm not so full of pride that I would think I could make it out of here on my own. My legs feel about as stable as a wet noodle, all I can see of you is an annoying blur, and I'm alternating between feeling like I'm going to get sick or pass out. I know I need your help."
"Good, because I can't imagine how--"
"Helping me to walk does not involve talking to me right now."
"Understood."
Nolan grabbed two of the lighter bags and gently strapped it to Ezzy's shoulders. Then, after grabbing the last remaining pack and his walking stick, he hooked his arm around her and got them moving. It was awkward at first, between his limp, his staff, and the packs moving around on their backs, but it became much smoother by the time they made it to the stairs. When they were out the front door and into the cold night air, he had things under control.
This close to morning and at this time of year, the streets were empty. Behind the inn, the temple to Kaz'ren peaked over the roof while the Endless Tombs towered over everything else. Nolan took a moment to catch his breath and adjust the packs before he got them moving up the street. The temple to Ze'an was north of them on the southeast side of the lake, at the end of this road. Fields of untended grass sat between the last buildings of the city and the temple. After all, who would be foolish enough to build anywhere near the temple of the god of the Abyss?
They walked uninterrupted all the way to the temple, stopping once they reached its massive doors. The temple was a combination of decades of neglect, vandalism from the more fervent worshippers of Alistar, and youths trying to prove their bravery, which turned the building into a dilapidated mess. Stone columns lay where they had toppled, stained glass windows were smashed beyond recognition, and even the thick wooden doors were splintered and dangling off their hinges. Add to that the light of all three moons making shadows dance about this late at night, and a person couldn't help but be put off by the place.
"Over there," Ezzy pointed off to the right side of the building. "Paz is behind those columns."
With a nod, Nolan helped her over to the Vithalos. Sure enough, the hulking metal form was standing where she had directed it. Thankfully, when their connection had broken, the Vilathos hadn't toppled over. Nolan had heard it fall against stone once before and had no doubt that the commotion would have drawn people even this late at night.
Leaning Ezzy up against the wall, Nolan placed one hand on her shoulder and another on the leg of the Vilathos. There was no time to waste, and no point in preparing either of them for what came next. Best to get to it. He cleared his mind and focused his energy.
Everything else fell away into darkness. Ezzy and the Vilathos became vague outlines of energy, a golden color that swirled about them both. From where their heads would be, a wisp of energy fluttered like a flag about to detach from its pole. That was the connection. That was what he needed to fix.
Unlike an initial bonding, where the energy of the person resisted becoming part of the Vilathos, fixing a bond was much easier in comparison. Those two connections wanted to be back together. Neither was whole without the other. To the lifeless Vilathos, not being connected had no effect, but to Ezzy it was like losing a part of her very spirit. That was what caused her body to weaken and befuddled her mind.
Focus. Even a reconnection can have problems. This is not the time for
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