The Cold Trail

The Artic Slayer froze in place while her hackles raised in alarm. After a few moments, Del retreated several steps, her large paws flattened out naturally, to keep her on the snow's surface. Crouching slightly, she waited for any sign of aggression.

The beast sneezed once; calm yellow eyes scanned the surroundings while its nostrils flared slightly, tasting various scents in the air. Ignoring the feathered serpent, it covered the distance to the Slayer in a single bound.

"Nix..." Del couldn't help the fear that bubbled up. The beast was much larger than she had guessed, covered in heavy armor and sporting both shoulder and tail spikes; it looked like a dragon-slayer. The burning red-orange wings were furled neatly against the bone ridge that ran down its back. Sharp claws would have dug deep into the snow had it not instantly thawed when he approached. Steam hung heavy in the air, pushing back the bone-chilling cold of the pass. "You're beautiful."