Drake’s Home while still isolated by their location that requires flight to enter the city, has abandoned many of the isolationist ideas of their sister city. Allowing guests to live in the city though non-draconians cannot own any part of the city. They also often extend some aid in fighting back against the demons though it is minor and more so that they can find those who have draconic blood to bring back to the city. While they still practice eugenics like their sister city but they have reversed it, culling their weak and promoting strength rather than attempting to create docile males. These changes are however done in the more recent generations causing only minor differences in the physical makeup of their population.

Kylana

I enter the hut of my friend Alana, it is not often that I get to spend a day with her; that she will soon give birth gives me the excuse I need.

“Kylana, you’ve finally made it. Come sit and help me stoke the fire. Analais brought in a deer yesterday and Lykou has told me of interesting ways to keep the meat from going bad” I hear my friend say as she struggles to get out of her chair.

I smile as I respond, “don’t get up I’ll take care of it. What method of preservation has he mentioned?”

“Dehydration by using the hot air of the fire.”

“An effective if time consuming method. Are you truly that bored?”

“I have trouble just moving around, how am I supposed to practice archery or spear work?”

“And you are close enough to the birthing that your mana is unruly.”

“Yes, so I have nothing to do but talk and cook. Did you know that I heard the most interesting thing yesterday?”

I groan slightly at what must be coming, perhaps I should have explained everything rather than have him ask her the parts I did not want to talk about. At the same time, I pull some of the firewood from a pile to the side of her cooking fire to add to the small pile of coals.

“Do tell” I say to entertain my friend.

“That you’re trying to set up your daughter with a certain young boy. Any chance you’ll tell me why?”

“How about you tell me what you think of the boy first? Then we can compare opinions.”

She smiles, glad for a way to lengthen the amount of time we spend on any individual topic before she responds.

“He is strange, he certainly is hard working and intelligent. Not the most honorable though, even after you started teaching him magic he still tries to hide it. Still, he sneaks back rabbits to add to the pot.”

“How does he catch them?”

“Traps” my friend answers with a frown.

“A good method since he spends so much of his time studying magic and Naliya’s class.”

“You always did like the sneaker methods. Have you noticed how aside from a bit of muscle development the boy has not changed?”

I had not but now that I think about it there should have been at least some small amount of change in his height but not even his hair has grown over the moon he has been in the pack. Could there be more to him than his unusually powerful spirit and body?

“I had not. I would like to check something. Has he cut himself or otherwise spilled his blood on anything?”

“Oh, did I spark an idea in you?”

“Just tell me.”

“Your opinion of the boy first.”

“So, you do have a sample of his blood on something. Fine, I am very impressed by the boy despite some of the oddities he exhibits. He works harder than anyone I have ever taught. So much so that he has made Kythia jealous. He shows significant improvement each day, as if he is simply remembering most of it aside from the manipulation of mana itself. He has the same cleverness that Analais uses to be so successful with his lower strength.”

“No comment about how he only will eat food he either sees prepared or someone else eat first?”

“I’ve seen him eat food Kythia passes him without batting an eye, though I made her do it behind his back.”

“Really? He didn’t talk like he trusted or liked your daughter that much last night.”

“The blood?”

“On the table, the kitchen knife. He cut his finger cutting up the deer for me. You’ll have to filter out the deer blood but that shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”

I walk over to the table and pick up the knife, there isn’t any dried blood on it but the table itself has stains from the butchering. A few quick incantations and some mana separates the animal blood from the blood of a sentient creature. A small tendril of red fluid follows my mana up to my hand and I start another series of spells I call Blood Analysis.

The blood vaporizes into a mist and the discolorations and patterns in the swirls tell me many things about whose blood this is. Draconic traits, an age that does not match the appearance of child, traces of something else but not something I recognize. Some sort of damage has been done to him, his essence either damaged or drained. The reversion? to a younger body is a side effect? No, some method of getting by until it can be repaired. But it does not seem to be naturally regenerating.

“Something interesting?” Alana asks.

“Very much so, his true age is roughly that of my daughter and his current appearance is because something has damaged him.”

“Oh, and are you going to fix that before or after pushing him into your daughter’s den?”

“I’d like to do so before but it may be difficult. I would have to drain the raw essence of creatures similar to him.”

“Why is that a problem? Humans are very similar to the moon blessed.”

“It is his dragon’s blood that is not recovering from whatever caused this. There are not many things nearby with such traits. Do you still think that I am wronging my daughter?”

“I never said that.”

“No, but you thought it and that it was wrong of me to manipulate the boy towards that end.”

“Well, you’ve never been good at making pairs for the Paring Howl.”

“Come now, I’ve done well recently. Are Vyth and Ragnath not happy?”

“That was you copying Naliya's bet, Mrs. I picked my mate because he had the big. . .”

“Enough, okay my judgement on mates tends to be poor but. . .”

“So what’s the boy's size?”

“I don’t. . .”

“I just saw you cast your Blood Analysis spell is it the second or third subspell? I forget.”

“Fine, once he finishes growing it’ll probably be bigger than Ragnor's, but I did not make my decision on that.”

“Look me in the eyes and tell me it wasn’t one of the things you considered.”

“Fine, I give but it was only part of the decision and there is nothing wrong with . . .”

“Size isn’t everything.”

“Oh you think your mate does better than mine?”

“Why do you think I keep letting him knock me up even though most the time our pup doesn’t make it?”

“Are you going to go back to how Analais is a better mate in every way except that he's a runt again?”

“Only that my offer to share him is still open. You know he still says you name half the time when he's asleep.”

“I’m mated to Ragnor, and I won’t dishonor that. Now, what do you think after my explanations on the boy?”

“That your idea was not nearly as messed up as I originally thought but I don’t see you daughter accepting anyone who can’t beat her in a fight.”

Lykou

Two days have passed since my discussion with Alana and Analais, morning has come and passed. My time in Naliya’s class follows the three-day pattern that it always does; exercise, technique drills and ‘teamwork’ beatings. Today was exercise with consisted of chasing Naliya through the woods. I may not be the fastest among the various youth but I have noticed that the other children’s physical abilities have significantly dropped compared to what I experienced under the full moon. They have some sort of connection with the moon that they derive strength from.

I am the seventh to enter the village as the sun reaches its zenith, behind only the oldest of the boys who are over a foot taller than me. Ragnan and his buddies have been getting more aggressive in their dislike of me but I think that I can take one of them in a fight. At least when they aren’t empowered by the light of the moon.

I walk to Kylana’s home as I do after a rinse in one of the small streams that run through the woods. This time however I am not the only one aside from Kylana herself. Ragnan is there talking to her and while I don’t hear all of their conversation I do hear a significant portion.

“. . . take the Rites of a Hunter, mother.”

“I don’t think you’re ready.”

“Why? You’re letting weaker boys take the rite and sister got to take it when. . .”

“You are not your sister.”

Wait, Ragnan is Kythia’s younger brother? I know I compared Ragnan with Ragnor as they both are burly muscle heads but I didn’t think it was actually true.

“I am strong enough to pass the trial of the dark moon. You know that.”

“I am not questioning your strength. It is your emotional growth I question.”

“I’m ready and you know it.”

“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

“No.”

Kylana sighs before she says, “very well but I do not plan on making the target of your hunt anything easy.”

Ragnan then turns around with a smile until he sees me. He gives me a glare as he leaves the hut, purposefully bumping into me to knock me off balance.

“Have you decided yet?” Kylana asks as she has each day as soon as Ragnan is out of earshot.

“I am not sure yet. I have some doubts and some questions over your whole become a hunter to take part of the Paring Howl.”

“Kythia will be late today. Ragnor wanted to take her deep into the woods to hunt a dire bear that came down from the mountains so there is plenty of time for us to talk. Come and sit, no one should bother us.”

I take the few steps needed to sit at the table.

“What are your questions?” Kylana asks.

“Why me? Why do you want a prepubescent boy involved in this? And why are you pushing so much for this?” I ask one question after another.

“I can’t answer all of them at once but I want you because I know that you are not as you appear to be. That is the reason why I want you to be more than just a member of the pack. A Direwerewolf brought you to the pack but that is not all.

I am a bloodmage and a necromancer, one who has attained the rank of deathspeaker. I noticed something when I helped you find the mana within you. Your spirit is stronger than the ten-year-old you appear to be, stronger than most adults even if it seems to be damaged. In my opinion, that is why you have memory problems. The effect of some sort of magic has hurt you and you will probably return to your real age once you begin to recover though I am unsure of what you will need to recover.

So, I want you because you are not really a prepubescent boy, a Direwerewolf of this pack brought you here, and you have a mind that is likely to make you a good leader in the future. There is also how my daughter is starting to like you even if she would never admit it.”

Neither of us immediately say anything as I think over what she said. That I’m not really just ten years old. That the strange memory fragments of mine are real, those things really happened. That I’ve somehow regressed to a younger form also makes a lot of sense; there are several things that support such a thing other than just the strange memory fragments. That I have several things marked as disabled in the stuff from the Architect.

Then how do I get them back? How do I regain that full-grown body I’ve seen in those memories?

“That’s it? I have traits you think will be good for the pack?” I ask.

“Why would it be any other way? You are good for the pack and good for my daughter. That is all I need to know.”

“Most of your packmates do not seem to agree with that assessment, particularly your mate and the youth.”

“Their opinion does not matter they shall see your value in time and truthfully have gotten too used to my mate’s way of thinking. So, do you want to continue our cooperation?”

Once more there is a period of silence as I think. Is she really offering me what I think she is? Does she really think that I’m what she says she thinks? Does she really want to give her daughter and pack to me just because she thinks that I will be a good thing for them? She hasn’t done anything to deceive me or anything that is detrimental to me. In fact, the only ill intent I’ve received from anyone while here has been Ragnor and Ragnan.

Actually, is that why they don’t like me? Do they think that I am stealing their rightful places? That I am threatening their power/inheritance? That makes a decent amount of sense, while at the same time why would Kylana choose me over them?

Still playing along with her plans means I can mess with Kythia more and that’s fun. I also am only here because of her and I still need her influence to keep some of the pack from attacking me.

“Alright but help me recover whatever it is that I’m missing. It would be wrong to Kythia otherwise.”

“Agreed, though it may take a while for me to find everything. And don’t tell me you aren’t thinking of what her face would be like if her wolf accepted you and she woke up to find you as her mate.”

“Actually, that would be funny. Just how mad and embarrassed she would be?”