The man trudges up the forest trail, his boots crunching over fallen leaves and twigs, each step a deliberate effort against the incline. His breath comes in rhythmic puffs, visible in the cool, crisp mountain air. Tall, ancient trees towered around him, their canopies forming a mosaic of green and gold as sunlight filtered through the leaves. The scent of grass and damp earth filled his lungs, invigorating him with each inhale.
He raises his arm to wipe his sweat with his rough robes tied by a sash at the waist. His face is dirty with cuts and his disheveled hair is tied behind him with a soiled cloth strip. His trousers are made of homespun cotton and his muddy shoes are merely cloth with threads sticking through the seams. His back is slightly bent from the rucksack he's carrying. By his appearance, with sticky hair and sweat forming a path down his face, he has been hiking for a long time. The man scrunches over, pants, then looks up and sees a deer in front of his path.
The deer’s head turns to the man. Its ears twitch as its dark liquid eyes focus on him. Then it leaps away and up. The man is about to continue on his way then stops as he sees the same deer standing ahead of him, watching him. Deer cannot talk, but it looks like it wants him to follow. The man picks up his heels and chases after it. When the deer stops when he does, it confirms his suspicions.
Perhaps the deer is leading me to a water source, he thinks as he follows the deer’s steps. The air already feels colder, biting his face and the light is dimming as the sun sits low on the horizon. Streaks of orange and pink are streaming on the sky. A long time has already passed then, he thinks to himself and stops when he sees the deer staring at him.
The deer is standing in the edge of a cliff facing the void. It snorts and paws its hooves at the ground then bounds away, into the bushes. The man starts to follow but stops in front of the bushes when he could not find the deer.
Perhaps this was the end of its guidance, he thinks to himself.
The man walked towards the edge and sees the world unfurling beneath him in a breathtaking panorama. His chest heaves with the exhilaration of the climb, the cool mountain breeze drying the sweat on his brow and rustling his ponytail. The sun, perched low in the azure sky, cast a golden glow over the landscape, highlighting the rugged terrain. As he enjoys the beauty of the world, he ponders about the site of his camp for the approaching night.
The man looks further up and sees creatures far away, flying in a snake-like movement among the clouds like water reeds in the river. Among those, one changes direction and growing bigger, heading for his location.
The man stands still as he guesses what creature is coming and gasps.
It is a dragon. A dragon was coming to him!
Its body is covered in scales of shimmering silver with a subtle purple tint that catches the sunlight and casts an iridescent glow that shifts with every movement as it flies to him. Long silver hair streams behind it in the wind like wispy smoke. Slender whiskers trail from its snout like ribbons, and its majestic antlers frame its noble head, the very image of an ethereal, celestial being. As it comes closer, the man notices a curious black splash over the chest and belly.
The dragon’s eyes are fixed on the man as it flies closer in a mesmerizing swimming movement. It reaches the end of the cliff and heads down in front of the human where it transforms into a man with silver hair and amethyst eyes. His pale skin gives a striking contrast to his dark grey robes. The human’s breath catches at his extraordinary beauty, but the dragon man’s air is cold and he glances at him with a cold glint in his stormcloud eyes. After a moment, he turns away.