(Unrevised and unedited as of yet)
Smoldering Xanthian carcasses riddled the landscape in a ring around codenames: Æoliana and Temper, Temper blazed furiously in bright crimson and white flames at the edge of the cinder-circle, taking a moment to assist Oblivion he processed the biorhythms and aura signatures of each burned mass.
Vulpes lagopus, the Arctic Fox; Rangifer tarandus, the Reindeer; Ovibos moschatus, the Musk Ox; Muroidea arvicolinae, a species of Lemming; Lepus arcticus, the Arctic Rabbit; and most obvious, the mighty Polar Bear, or Ursus maritimus. The scan also reported several seabird species as well as a number of partial chromosomes of non-native animals, which confused Temper slightly.
From behind came an ungrateful tone. “I didn't need your help! I had it perfectly under control!” The woman said firmly. “I’m a grown ass woman!” Her voice quaked a tremor, exposing a hint of fear as Temper spun and began moving towards her with a swift stride, the flames extinguishing as he made proximity. His face was wrinkled and twisted with burning anger.
“Trust me, lady, if it was up to me I’d have left your ass as Null-food right after your little comment.”
He said sharply. “I have my orders, and you’re coming with me.” He stated in a flat direct tone. “The hell I am Sparky, I’m not goin’ nowhere with nobody, especially not you… How the hell do I know you aint one of them things anyhow? Especially if you’re more concerned with a name than my left hook. That aint human buckaroo and you’ll have to kill me to get me!” She drew her rifle on him, having moved quickly to it, grabbing it out of the snow while Temper did his thing. “Back up!”
Temper chuckled at her, looking to the weapon and smirking as it quickly grew in temperature, causing her to toss it quickly into the snow, immediately hissing loudly and bellowing steam as it sunk into the ice. “Yeah that's cute princess happiness. The truth is, you have no choice, you see my little brother has this really cool enhancement that I can piggyback. Meaning I don't have to be anywhere near you to bring you along…maybe you've heard of Telekinesis, let me introduce you.”
He shot into the sky before she could get off her comment, then as he became a tiny dot in the atmosphere and as another large Xanthian bear is heard groaning and thudding along the ice towards her, she was yanked from the ice swiftly into the air leaving the crawling sound of a high pitched yelp.
Nearly twenty minutes passed before she was brought closer to Temper, shuddering and chattering and huddled into a ball, she glared at the burning man ruggedly despite being half frozen to death. “If you promise to play nice I’ll let you fly up here with me where it’s warm, but you make with that F word again at me and I swear I’ll feign power-loss and let you fall to your fucking grave…Got me Ice-Queen?”
He extinguished and turned his back to her, bringing her in closer, the ultimate proof that he felt no threat from her. “Cling on my back and I’ll put the flame around us both…it won’t burn you if you keep your smart-assed trap shut. Capiche?”
She clambered onto him quickly, shuddering fiercely and squeezing tight, her thighs gripped his back and hips firmly as her arms went around him, nearly shaking him dizzy. A twinge of guilt flitted through him as he realized just how cold she had been.
He kept his guilt to himself and ignited, instantly slowing her violent shivering, his hands went behind himself and under her, clasping together firmly and making a support for her which immediately was met by her full weight as she relaxed for the first time in nearly 15 minutes.
He soared forward now towards the mountain valley lake refuge found by Jaisen weeks before in the topography of Northern Montana. Silence prevailed over the next hour of flight before finally the passenger asked, with some noted humility. “Did you have to go so far with the cold before letting me warm up? I was just riled up by those things… I… I didn’t mean what I said.”
He sneered and remained silent; she did the same as they rushed over the landscape towards their destination.
Home 
