The updraft caught Linsey’s red hair, making it dance around him, the firelight painting the corners of his eyes a captivating crimson.

Jasmine followed close behind, her curiosity piqued by the almost sentient flames. "What is this?"

"The fire will grow bigger, and then we can ride it up, up into the sky, and see where we're going from above," the young man explained, his face alight with uncontainable excitement.

Jasmine frowned. "I just changed into a new outfit! Even if we could ride flames, riding them in the freezing wind is utterly barbaric." She swished her tail in displeasure, beginning to suspect Linsey hadn't planned this outing at all.

A flicker of guilt crossed his features. "There's also a carriage option, but it's… rather rudimentary."

Linsey made a series of gestures in the air, and the flames, parting around them, rapidly expanded into a massive fireball, nearly twice their height. From within the fire emerged two enormous black hounds. Their fur was as dark as coal, the remaining flames transforming into their manes and tails.

They looked less like mounts and more like weapons of war. Despite remaining motionless, awaiting commands, their sheer size intimidated Jasmine. Linsey then produced a small wooden block, enlarging it into the shape of a carriage, and helped her inside.

The black hounds instinctively fastened themselves to the carriage's harness, lifting it high above the ground on currents of air, snapping branches as they ascended. Then, treading upon the wind and the treetops, they began to run, swiftly yet steadily.

The carriage's interior was spacious but bare, furnished only with a circle of plain wooden seats and a raised table in the center. A small window offered little protection from the biting wind. Even in her warm, thick gown and shawl, Jasmine shivered, drawing closer to Linsey for warmth.

"This carriage is so simple, like you just enlarged a randomly carved block."

"Actually, I forgot to buy a carriage, so I just enlarged an old practice piece. That's why it's so rough." Linsey nuzzled against Jasmine, seeking affection, and placed his dragon tail in her lap as a peace offering.

"A practice piece? What were you practicing for?" Jasmine accepted his tail, stroking the scales along their growth pattern. Aside from a few… memorable exceptions, Jasmine enjoyed the feel of his beautiful tail. It curled contentedly around her arm.

Linsey carefully produced a wooden cat-shaped lampshade. "This."

He inserted a finger and, with a poof, conjured a flame. The cat's eyes, hollowed out, glowed with the firelight, instantly warming and illuminating the carriage. Jasmine reached out to touch the flame, but it danced away from her hand. She noticed the lampshade's smooth, polished surface, the only sharp points being the two cat ears on top.

"I was trying to make it look like you. But cat ears are so small and delicate; I ruined several trying." Jasmine's fingertips were tinged with pink, and Linsey covered her hand with his own, rubbing the delicate flush.

"It's… passable. Maybe a seven or eight out of ten likeness. Keep trying." The black cat held the lamp and offered her critique with a certain aloofness. Linsey chuckled in agreement, pretending not to notice her practically vibrating tail.

The carriage pulled them higher, the temperature dropping further as snow began to fall. Jasmine peered out the window, watching snow tumble from the boughs of tall pines, a few icy flakes landing on her nose. She turned her head, shaking them off.

The unchanging scenery quickly bored her. She retreated back into the carriage, leaning against Linsey’s shoulder, her eyelids fluttering closed. The young man shifted, adjusting his position so she could sleep more comfortably.

When Jasmine awoke, the carriage rested on solid ground, the black hounds vanished. Linsey remained in the same position, his shoulder still offering support, as if he had been waiting for who knew how long.

"Did I sleep for a long time? Your shoulder must be stiff." Jasmine rubbed his shoulder apologetically.

The young man's golden eyes half-closed as he nuzzled her hand affectionately. "Not long at all. I was just playing with your ears."

"They're so cute, always twitching. They couldn't escape my fingers."