The spiked beast twitched beneath him like a stubborn mule that had suddenly grown steel quills. Its gray hide glistened with sweat and mud, while its jagged horns looked more like a torture device than anything that should be used as reins.
"Easy now, you walking porcupine," Luther muttered, patting its armored back. His grin widened as the beast bucked hard enough to shake an oak tree. "What's the matter? Not used to someone with style riding you?"
The creature roared and tried to shake him off, but Luther clamped down with his legs, laughing like a madman in a tavern brawl. His crystal dangled against his chest, glowing faintly in rhythm with his heartbeat. He reached up and hooked it to his belt loop, patting it like a pocketed coin.
"Stay there, shiny. If I drop you, Mariana will kill me before anything else does."
The beast snapped its jaws, twisted, then slammed itself into a tree. The impact rattled Luther's bones, but he only laughed louder.
