The howling winds of the frozen wasteland tore through the air, biting and merciless as the two dark-clad figures flew on massive dragons, one midnight black and the other a pale, ethereal white. Their cloaks billowed in the icy gusts, and every breath they took came out in misty clouds that quickly disappeared into the air. The black dragon rider grumbled, his voice muffled by the cold. "I don't see why this place has to be so damn cold."
Beside him, the white dragon rider rolled his dark yellow eyes, lips quivering in a faint smile despite the shivers that racked his body. "Stop complaining," he shot back, though his words held no real bite—they were clearly both suffering.
"Says the one who's shivering," the black dragon rider muttered, smirking as he rolled his dark orange eyes at his companion. They had been traveling for days through this unending frost, and his patience was wearing thin. The desolate white landscape below, stretching endlessly beneath them, did little to entertain him. "How long until we reach?"
The white dragon rider took a deep, shuddering breath, his gaze drifting to the endless horizon. "About a month, I guess?"
The black dragon rider scoffed, letting out a low growl. "Tch, what's the point of riding these damn things then?"
The other rider shrugged, almost smug. "Not my orders."
"Fuck it."
With a sudden, reckless grin, the black dragon rider leaned forward, and before the white dragon rider could even process what was happening, he vaulted off the back of his dragon. The wind caught him immediately, tearing at his cloak as he plummeted through the snowflake-speckled sky, diving with an exhilarated smirk plastered on his face.
"Impatient imbecile," the white dragon rider muttered, though there was a flicker of admiration in his eyes as he watched his companion twirling and flipping in the icy air, defying the cold and gravity itself. With a resigned sigh, he crouched low, balancing on the back of his dragon before pushing off. In one fluid motion, he launched himself into the sky as well, spinning gracefully as he followed his companion's descent.
The rush of the wind was brutal, slapping their faces and numbing their fingers, but it was liberating. Free from the dragons' steady, monotonous flight, they were weightless in the sky, like two dark comets slicing through the snow-filled air. The thrill of the dive filled their veins, warming them in a way that the dragons' scales never could.
The black dragon rider stretched his arms out, the wind tearing at his cloak as he cut through the air. He shot a quick glance over his shoulder, catching sight of the white rider diving close behind. "Think you can keep up?"
The white dragon rider let out a chuckle, a rare sound, low and rasping. "You're not that fast."
"Oh, we'll see about that!" The black rider twisted mid-dive, flipping to face the ground below, eyes narrowed in concentration. The snow-covered peaks rushed up to meet him, the ground drawing closer and closer with every heartbeat. Just before impact, he twisted his body, kicking his legs out and redirecting his momentum, landing gracefully in a crouch that sent a spray of snow into the air.
Not a second later, the white dragon rider landed beside him with equal finesse, snow swirling around his feet as he straightened, giving his companion an amused smirk. "Not bad."
"Not bad?" The black rider scoffed, brushing snow off his shoulders. "I practically left you in the dust."
The white rider arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You keep telling yourself that."
Their eyes met in a silent challenge, and a smirk curled on the black rider's lips. Before either of them could say another word, the ground beneath their feet trembled, a low rumbling echoing through the mountains. The riders tensed, their gazes darting to the distant ridge where a shadowed figure emerged from the snowstorm, cloaked in white fur and towering over the terrain. Its eyes gleamed with an unnatural blue light, locking onto the two riders as it let out a bone-chilling roar.
"Seems we're not alone," the black rider muttered, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword, a grin spreading across his face. "Think it's friendly?"
The white rider chuckled, unsheathing his own blade as his yellow eyes glinted in the dim light. "Only one way to find out."
They sprang into action, the black rider darting forward with explosive speed, each step leaving a trail of disturbed snow. The shadowed figure lunged, swinging an enormous clawed hand, but he sidestepped effortlessly, ducking beneath its massive arm and delivering a swift strike to its side. His blade bit deep, drawing a dark, steaming ichor that hissed as it hit the snow.
The creature howled, rearing back in pain, and the white rider seized the opening. He leapt forward, his blade arcing through the air as he slashed across its chest in a swift, fluid motion. The creature staggered, blue blood spraying from the wound as it roared, the sound echoing through the frozen landscape.
But the beast wasn't done. It turned, swinging a backhanded swipe at the white rider. He dodged, rolling through the snow with practiced ease and coming to his feet just in time to block another attack. The black rider seized the chance, vaulting onto the creature's back, gripping tightly to its fur as it thrashed, trying to shake him off.
"Hold still, you oversized ice lizard!" he snarled, plunging his blade deep into the creature's neck. It screeched, rearing up in agony, but the black rider held on, twisting the blade with a vicious grin.
The white rider leapt back, assessing the scene with a calm smirk. "Having fun up there?"
"Loads!" the black rider shouted, gritting his teeth as the creature bucked and thrashed. "But I wouldn't mind some backup!"
With a sigh of exasperation, the white rider sprang forward, his blade flashing as he delivered a precise, final strike to the creature's heart. The beast went still, shuddering once before collapsing into the snow, its icy blue eyes fading as it breathed its last.
The black rider leapt off, brushing snow from his shoulders as he surveyed their handiwork with a satisfied grin. "Now *that's* how you warm up."
The white rider chuckled, sheathing his blade. "Still complaining about the cold?"
The black rider shot him a look, his dark orange eyes glinting. "Tch. Shut up."
They shared a brief, rare laugh, their breaths misting in the icy air. But before they could catch their breath, a distant roar echoed across the frozen peaks, followed by another, and another.
The white rider's smile faded, his gaze turning serious as he glanced toward the sound. "Seems we've attracted some attention."
"Good," the black rider murmured, his hand tightening on his sword hilt, his smirk returning. "Let them come."
And with that, the two of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder and ready.
"You take the left!"
"You take the right!"