There were ties that bound all living beings together.
Kinship, friendship, rivals, sworn enemies…there were many a bond that kept humankind connected to one another with varying degrees of depth. Still, there was no question that even if every being was basically independent, endless bonds brought together all those independent, lonesome islands.
Naturally, such ties generally developed between brethren of a same race—humans with humans, dragons with dragons, horses with horses…but for some reason, there would always be one unusual specimen who developed deep bonds with many beings of different races.
***
On the first of January, Starfall year 849, it was forty-three minutes past five in the evening up north at the Winter Fort Academy in the Nissia Snow Mountain.
Foggily, Black opened her eyes, breathing out turbid gases from her body as she awakened in the Paw Print Lake to the fore of the academy.
