Aldrich had a dream. He was flying around a great castle, one so large that it covered an entire mountain ridge. He could see many other dragons flying about, but they were unknown to him. Small dots also buzzed around the dragons. Looking closer, he could see that they were different species of people. Insectoid, humanoid, avian, bestial, and all other types of creatures were flying along the dragons. He could feel the wind on his face and body as he soared the skies.

There was an elf speaking to him, a young female. She looked familiar, possessing blue hair. When she spoke, he could immediately tell that it was Noriko. They were gliding around and having fun before something grabbed him from below. In shock, he looked down to see a dark unknown form grabbing at him from all angles. He also realized that his scales weren’t his color of white, but were purely green. Noriko continued acting in her joyful behavior before he was pulled into the darkness.

He wakes up. He was laying in his bed, which is now ruffled. He thinks back on the dream. It wouldn’t be weird to have such a dream as when he was in an egg, his mother would share her memories through a magic bond with him, as most dragon parents do. Dragons have a unique ability to allow them to bond to other creatures and dragons, allowing them to see emotions, memories, and plenty more effects. His mother severed this connection when he broke through his egg though.

Recalling the dream, he saw the dragon academy. His mother studied there for a time, but never graduated. She met Noriko there and they became friends. What was strange was the darkness that grabbed him. He doesn’t recall anything like that in his mother’s memories. Perhaps just a dream turning sour? In any case he was awake now and proceeded with his day.

Yesterday was relatively normal after checking up on and gathering his friends. They learned more magic techniques and discipline with Noriko before heading out to Shun’s home, which doubled as a bakery, for some sweet pastries. They hung about for a while longer before returning home for the night.

Exiting his room, he immediately spotted a floating message box in the middle of the living room. On it was Noriko’s finger writing.

“Hey Aldrich, I’m setting up for your birthday party and went out to prepare some stuff early. I'll meet up with you later. Feel free to meet up with your friends.”

Underneath the message was a wrapped plate of relatively still warm shredded Kiiroi meat and Azure rice.

After finishing up, he heads out. Walking through the embassy halls, he was met with congratulations from the several dozen community leaders, secretaries, employees, and guards within. The other dragons were not present however and he wondered where they went. As he heads down the elevator to the base floor, a familiar bee folk glides next to him. Kyrie, who lived in the dragon roost like himself, shouted out to him.

“Aldrich! Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks Kyrie. Are you coming to the party?”

“Definitely. My mother sends you a happy birthday as well.”

“Tell her I said thanks.”

“Sure. So what are we doing before the party?”

As the next floor approaches, Kyrie latches onto the elevator and enters inside next to Aldrich.

“We should probably gather everyone for the party.”

“I agree.”

“I wonder what Peter has been up to.”

“Yeah me too. He’s been locked away in the dwarven embassy. I wonder if he got in trouble?”

“They’re probably worried about him. Ever since the fight with the rider rats the dwarves don’t want him in danger.”

“I see.”

As they near the bottom of the elevator, Kyrie asks.

“Is Peter the only dwarf boy in the town?”

Thinking about it, Aldrich responds.

“Maybe. Noriko mentioned once before to me that dwarves have a weird curse on them.”

“Curse?”

“Yeah. Noriko told me one day about the dwarves’ history. She was coming up with a story about them, but couldn’t find a way to word it yet.

Kyrie’s face distorts in surprise and sadness.

“What kind of curse?”

“One that reduced how many male dwarves are born.”

Kyrie looks up in thought while the two keep walking.

“That’s very sad, but that explains why I don’t see any other male dwarves.”

They are silent for a bit before Kyrie speaks again.

“Did Ms. Noriko say why they were cursed?”

The duo approach the exit of the dragon roost.

“Um… she said that the event that led to the Age of Chaos and the sealing of the dragon king, a dwarven king betrayed the dragons and tricked the dragon king into the realms of Death. When he was sealed, he dragged the dwarven king with him. This resulted in a curse that plagues the dwarves today.”

“Oh…”

As the two leave the dragon roost, Kyrie asks Aldrich.

“So where did Ms. Noriko say where the party was taking place?”

“It’s going to be outside the dragon roost, right around the area where we usually practice.”

Kyrie looks out to the world around her as she looks for the spot. The air is clear and the sun is on a slow rise. Light shines all across the grassy hillside that they stand on. She slowly spots the relatively flat patch of land where her friends would train.

“Oh good. So what should we do now?”

“Well Noriko said that we should meet up with everyone first.”

“Okay, though they should be coming to the party already around late morning.”

“True.”

“What now?”

“I don’t know.”

They ponder together about what they should do now before Kyrie lights up.

“Oh! Did you get any presents yet?”

“I got gifts from Gokin.”

“Nice, let me see.”

“Yeah hold on.”

Aldrich does a quick gesture that looks like he is opening a box in mid air before he announces “Storage Box”. A light blue box appears. Kyrie looks in but sees nothing. Aldrich too looks at the box, confused, but quickly realizes that he forgot something.

“Oh wait, I forgot “User Interface”.”

He quickly traces a square in the air before casting the spell.

Two light blue screen pops, one of the Storage Box and the other being the User Interface’s opening screen where other applications can be activated from. He ignores the main screen and widens the “Storage Box” screen.

“There we go.”

Kyrie hops, with her wings fluttering a little to balance and lift her, to Aldrich’s side. There she could see the items listed in his “Storage Box”. Aldrich pulls the box closer to him before he begins picking some of the items. As he chooses one, the box materializes the item into the box. The first item was a potion from Gokin.

“Wow a potion.”

Kyrie picks it up and looks at it.

“What does it do?”

“Just tap that circle.”

She places on of carapace fingers on the button. A small screen appears near the potion.

“Oh very cool.”

She begins reading the description.

“Restore Body: When applied, will infuse the body with important nutrients and fluids and cast “Minor Heal”. Hm… List of ingredients: Sun-Crest honey, oh hey that’s our honey.”

While taking out some of the other items out he says,

“Wow that means that your honey made its way to the capital.”

“Really?”

“Yeah Gokin said that the potions came from the dragon capital so if they’re using it there it means that they have Sun-Crest honey over there.”

“Oh true. I got to tell my mom when I see her.”

Putting down the potion, she looks over at Aldrich.

“What else do you have?”

“More potions but Gokin gave me this special bracelet.”

He holds the bracelet up for Kyrie to see. Kyrie picks it up and examines it.

“It looks very pretty. The single blue gem here looks very special. Did he say what it does?”

She hands it back to Aldrich.

“Gokin said that it’s an experimental and highly advanced spirit summoning bracelet.”

“Spirit summoning?”

“Yeah. He said that the spirit inside is unformed.”

“Unformed? If it’s unformed, how are you supposed to summon it?”

“Uhhh… you’re right. Don’t know.”

“Maybe you’re supposed to wear it and it does something?”

“I was wearing it before but it didn’t do anything.”

“Wear it longer and see what it does. Maybe it’s an item that activates with more time?”

“Okay I guess.”

Aldrich puts on the bracelet, watching it reform itself to fit around his wrist.

“That’s very cool too. Do you think Gokin will give me one if I ask?”

“Maybe, he did say it was an experimental bracelet. I could ask later if he still has any.”

“Okay thanks.”

Kyrie shifts her attention to the rest of the potions and begins looking through them. The two of them sit down as they discuss the potions and their uses.