Malagar sat within the ceremony circle of the tribe, his father leading the ceremony as shaman. He had seen the images countless times and would watch again as his duty to carry on the history of their tribe after his father passes.
<High in the ridges of the Heavenspike mountains our tribe lived peacefully with a clan of silver dragons. Though few in number, their strength cleared the mountaintops of enemies whilst our tribe helped to provide sustenance for the noble beasts and be their eyes and ears within the caverns they could not venture. In exchange, should one of our tribe be worthy, a bond would be forged between Giant and Dragon. This collaboration did much for both groups as the bonded dragon grew exponentially in power and the giant became a powerful warrior to assist the dragon. It is said that the deal was first struck when a giant came across a wounded dragon about to be slain by our ancient foe the Arachnaok, a massive spider the size of a hill with a carapace of the hardest rock. It's brood would bleed upon the ground in a great swarm which devoured all it passed through. Our great ancestor pounced upon the beast with his spear distracting it just long enough for the dragon to strike down the titanic monstrosity.>
Over hundreds of years however, our history has become little more than myth. No one dare attempt the dangerous paths that lead to the summit of our tribal grounds. Even our oldest has never seen a dragon themselves. Despite that, Malagar's family still clung to the ancient traditions our clan was founded on.
One fateful day, our homes shook whilst rocks broke free from above. Our people prepared to relocate to more secure grounds,but suddenly screams rang out as man sized spiders burst forth from the caverns and earth. Malagar's father bade him to flee, shoving a pack of emergency supplies into his hand before grabbing his bow and charging to meet the foe. Malagar fled, but he did not descend the mountain. Fearing a greater threat might be coming, he put hand over hand above him whilst braving the treacherous paths his forefather's once did.
Days passed as the bitter cold ate away at him. He huddled in only barely protected crags as the heat left his body. His supplies dwindled rapidly as he subsisted on little more than roots and the occasional mountain fare. Rational thought left him as he placed foot after foot towards the summit. Though he could barely recognize it, he had soon stepped foot upon great carved steps leading up to the summit. Reduced to crawling, he made his way. Upon reaching the summit, he saw the goal just within sight. A great winged wonder coiled near a carved monument. It's eyes flickered open and it regarded Malagar. He reached out with a link he could only barely muster, but before he could say anything it responded first.
<Is this my partner?>
