The sun was just beginning to rise over Windrider's Crest, casting a golden glow across the mountains and the small town nestled on the plateau. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and the distant sound of dragon wings beating in the sky. Today was the day Kendrix and Anara had been waiting for—the day they would be paired with their dragons.
Kendrix, just seven years old, could barely contain his excitement as he stood on the edge of the wide, flat platform where the bonding ceremony would take place. His heart pounded in his chest, his small hands clenching and unclenching in nervous anticipation. He had seen this ceremony before—most recently when his older sister, Lyra, had bonded with her dragon, a sleek, agile creature named Skysong. The memory of her ceremony was fresh in his mind, filling him with a mixture of awe and longing. Today, it would be his turn.