"Well then, maybe you'll be more useful than I thought you would." Those were the only words Blaze said before going to sleep. Drew couldn't help but be a little shocked by how easily Blaze took the news that he was in the same room as world-class gladiator who was on the run. Then again, is brother had murdered thousands.

Drew went to sleep after that as well, and woke up more rested than he could ever remember being. It might have had something to do with sleeping behind a locked door and on a real bed.

They woke early, early in the morning; long before the sun even thought of rising. There was porridge for breakfast, and even that tasted better than it had at the arena. Though, it still had the same grayish appearance. The cook told them that if they lingered a bit longer, there would be bacon, eggs, fresh bread.... Blaze practically had to drag Drew out of the inn.

"We have to get well into the forest by nightfall," he said, not releasing Drew's arm.

"Oh come on, I've never had bacon before!"

"That's too- actually, that's tragic. I promise you'll eat some soon, but not today." They marched down the dark, empty road, soon coming to edge of the village. A stretch of plains lay before them, still enshrouded in mist, the road disappearing before their eyes.

The morning remained chill and silent for a while, but gradually birdsong broke out and a pink blush could be seen on the horizon.

"Why is it we need to be into the forest by nightfall?" As enraptured as Drew was by his new surroundings, he couldn't ignore the funny phrasing Blaze had used.

"Oh... you really are stupid."

"Hey!"

"It's Full Moon tonight, you dingbat!" Blaze rolled his eyes and began muttering.

"I've never had much reason to keep track of the days! It's not like it's a special occasion or anything." Blaze stopped so suddenly Drew ran into him. "What?"

"It's not like it's a special occasion?" Blaze repeated in a strangled voice.

"It's not!" Drew huffed. "All Full Moon has ever meant is that there will either a night fight or I'm moved to solitary confinement. I apologize for having no idea what normal werewolves do!"

The shock and offence melted off Blaze's face and was replaced with something terribly close to pity. Drew hated it. He shoved past Blaze, blood pounding in his ears and continued down the road with considerable, embarrassment-fueled speed. He hardly noticed when Blaze drew level with him.

"Typically, packs have a certain spot they Shift at," he said quietly. "It usually has special significance, like a shrine to Lupa, but sometimes they just pick a spot in the middle of their territory." Drew slowed down a bit. "When the moon rises, the Alpha begins to Shift. He always goes first, and everyone follows suite. They always howl once they've all Shifted. I'm not really sure why," he added with a smile. "Then they hunt. They start off together, and then break apart into their little subpacks. The whole night is just running and hunting. Near morning, everyone comes back to the caves and the Alpha makes sure everyone's there. If no one's missing, they all just crash in the nearest spot available. Most don't Shift back until morning."

"What does everyone who can't Shift do?"

Blaze shrugged. "Depends on what pack it is. Some stay behind at the caves, others join for just the beginning part, others run with the pack as long as they can stand. There's always someone at the caves to watch the pups, but not many. That's why so many packs are attacked during Full Moon. Their caves are vulnerable."

"Running and hunting. That's it?" It didn't sound like such a special occasion to him.

Blaze laughed lightly. "Is that it? Drew- that's only the beginning. That's the only part I can even describe to you. Being in a pack- being with them on Full Moon.... It's something else. Something you can never know unless you've done it. There aren't words to explain it." Then I guess I'll never know it.

At least we can run tonight. Properly run.

That's true. I think that's the only thing we'll get out of it though.

It wasn't even midday before Blaze started drinking again. He was in a strange mood, or moods. One moment he walking along with purpose, laughter in his eyes and witty comments slipping out every so often. The next moment, he was dragging his feet, deep in thought, brooding, silent. And whether it was from the drink or if it was just him naturally, he felt the need to sing.

Drew was trapped somewhere between annoyed and amused as Blaze sang song after song. Sea chanties, ballads, ribald ditties, melancholy love songs; he knew them all and sang with gusto.

"Alright, you're turn!" Blaze began walking backwards, a crooked grin plastered on his face.

"I don't sing."

"Lie."

"I don't know any songs!"

"Lie again!" Blaze sang. "If you're worried I'll laugh, don't worry. No one in the world is a worse singer than Ignius." He's never gonna let this drop, is he?

No, I don't think so.

"Fine!" Drew spat. "I know one song. But it's not a very nice one."

"Just sing it anyways."

"And you can't stare at me the whole time!"

"Just sing."

He didn't care for singing, bt he knew at least that he couldn't mess this song up. He'd only heard it a thousand times. Drew took a deep breath, slowed his pace, and began to sing.

"All men must die, this you know

All men must die, die, die

All men must die, this you know

Why not let me hasten your way?

I'd be a lovely killer, you know

I'd never forget the taste of your throat

Or your scream and your last mumbled words

I'd never forget, never forget them

All men must die, this you know

All men must die, die, die

All men must die, this you know

Why not let me hasten your way?

I'd give you a far better way to die

Than old age, or sickness, or grief

I'd take but one bite and rip out your life

You'd die for an honorable cause

All men must die, this you know

All men must die, die, die

All men must die, this you know

Why not let me hasten your way?

Isn't it better to feed a great beast

Than feed the worms in ground?

And burning a body feeds no one at all

And the sea won't swallow you quickly

All men must die, this you know

All men must die, die, die

All men must die, this you know

Why not let me hasten your way?

When your kin forget your name

And your headstone is worn away

I would remember you, I always do

I never forget taking a life

All men must die, this you know

All men must die, die, die

All men must die, this you know

Why not let me hasten your way?

Your blood is warm, your flesh is sweet

Let me enjoy your death; no one else will

No one will mourn you more than I

For you'll be a meal that is gone

All men must die, this you know

All men must die, die, die

All men must die, this you know

Why not let me hasten your way?

Why not let me hasten your way?

You will die, you all will die

But I'll live on remembering you

For all men die, but I'm not a man

I'm a monster hidden 'neath skin."

By the time he finished the song, every trace of amusement had left Blaze.

"That was horrifying," he whispered.

"I said it wasn't a very nice song."

"That doesn't even start to describe it! It was- was-" he shuddered. "Where did you even hear that?"

"There was a Lethrogen at the arena named Korbold. He sang that every night and before each fight. Sometimes, the whole crowd would fall silent before fights to listen to him. He has a beautiful voice, but it made the song just that much more terrifying." Blaze shuddered again, brow furrowed.

Drew, we know one other song.

We do?

Yes. Let me sing it. Drew pulled back and let Wolf take control just slightly, and the next words he sung were ones he'd never heard before.

"Gracious Mother high above us, listen to our simple prayer

Grant us health and warmth and safety

Turn our eyes to you for hope

Give us peace and harmony

Make us loyal to our families

Gracious Mother high above us, listen to our simple prayer."

For a moment longer, they walked in silence.

"I don't know how I know that one," Drew said at last, frowning. He looked up to see Blaze smiling slightly.

"I do."

"How?"

"You're a werewolf, Drew. You've always known that song."

"But what song is it?"

"It's the Moonsong. A prayer to Lupa." Again silence fell, each werewolf submerged in his own thoughts.

"I don't know that I believe in Lupa," Drew said quietly. "Or any of the gods for that matter."

"How? How can you not believe?"

Drew shrugged. "I've never seen any proof they existed."

"Any- any proof?" Blaze sputtered. "Just look around you!" he gestured towards the vast, rolling hills, the scattered wildflowers, the sky that had turned a brilliant blue. "How can you look at this and not believe in any gods? Where do think the world came from?"

"Maybe the world has just always been here. Why does it have to come from something? Why can't it just be?" A pained look filled Blaze's eyes, and he opened his mouth to argue. Then, it seemed, he thought better of it.

Shaking his head, he walked past Drew. "It must be a very sad world you live in, one where you believe in nothing."

"It is."

The day passed with good weather, small talk, and long stretches of silence. But Drew didn't mind the silence this time. The land around them, while ordinary and commonplace for most people, was the beautiful place Drew had ever seen. Wildflowers, tall grass, creeks, overgrown orchards from abandoned farms; it was all so new to him. And he'd known that there were lots of types of birds, but he'd never seen a live bird before that wasn't flying far above him.

Little songbird flickered back and forth between the trees and the reeds at the creek beds. After Drew had asked Blaze for the fourth time to identify a bird, Blaze started naming every new bird they saw.

"What are those?" He knew they birds of some sort, but they were huge. The strutted in the meadow nearby, eyeing Blaze and Drew like they might rush them and slowly stalking away at the same time. They had long legs and even longer necks, with mottled brown and gray feathers, some catching in the sunlight and going iridescent. Then one of them puffed up, fanning out it's tail and making a peculiar noise. "Lethorglik's crows! What is it doing?"

Blaze laughed, but there was a look of sadness in his eyes; one that was appearing more and more often and one that Drew hated with growing force. "Those are turkeys. They're like rats around here. They taste good though; a bit tough, but you don't notice it if you smoke them."

They saw several other flocks of turkeys as they walked, and once evening fell they got to watch a whole flock fly up into the trees of the forest that now loomed before them.

"I'd hoped to be further in by evening," Blaze muttered, looking to the setting sun on his left.

As they entered the darkening forest, a faint breeze picked up, brushing through the trees and making them whisper.

Full Moon tonight... Full Moon tonight.

There's werewolves here.

Visiting wolves.....

They come to hunt. It's a hunters moon. They come to hunt.

Run into the forest, little wolves. It's wild here, why are you still on two legs?

Shift, little wolves... Shift.

Shift.

A faint burning grew in Drew's chest, a tingling sensation racing down his limbs, making his hands twitch briefly. All his senses were heightening. The scents of the forest grew more vibrant, the sounds louder, clearer, color faded away but his ight became sharper.

The moon is rising, little wolves, called the trees.

You're close now, so close.

The moon is rising..... It's rising.....

His breath came faster. Wolf suddenly surged against his mind, wordless, driven by a wild need.

The moon has risen, little wolves.

Shift.

Drew and Blaze said nothing to each other. The wild had seized them, the moon called. Drew was fully Shifted in seconds, somehow remembering to undress this time. He shook his head as he dropped onto all fours, reveling in the feeling of earth and needles beneath his feet. He rolled his shoulders, the joints popping, and stretched.

Somehow he knew the moment Blaze was done Shifting, and turned eagerly, ready to run.

Blaze was an unusually red wolf, normal coloration for Hellhounds, but he would never be able to pass off as a mundane wolf. The red darkened to almost black around his face, muzzle, and shoulders. There were white flecks on his throat, belly, and, most amusingly, the tip of his tail.

He's tiny. Drew had never seen another werewolf before, but he'd expected them to be around his size. Blaze only came up to his belly.

Or... maybe.... We're unusually large. Wolf sounded doubtful, but it still sounded right. Blaze appeared to be unbothered by their vast size difference. Of course, he'd seen Drew Shifted once before.

He shook his head like he was wet and then crouched, tail wagging and mouth open in what seemed to be a grin. What's he doing?

Playing? Maybe?

I feel like we should know this.

Probably. Blaze leapt forward and headbutted Drew's leg.

Oh, yes, you were right. He is playing. Drew batted at him, intending it to be a playful blow. Only, he knocked Blaze clean off his feet.

This is a disaster already. Blaze rolled to his feet, shook himself and barked, tail still wagging.

What is he doing now? Drew groaned. We're terrible at this. Blaze turned in circle once, and then took off at a dead run.

We know how to do this!

Yes! Finally. They took off after Blaze, catching up with him in seconds. They ran and ran, weaving between trees, jumping over logs and creeks. A deer crossed their path and took off, spooked. Immediately, the game changed. This was no run now; this was a hunt.

And sometime during this chase, Wolf slipped into control, and Drew remembered no more.

Drew woke up in some place dark. At first, he was sure that it was still night. But when he stood up and cracked his head on a stone ceiling, he realized that he was in cave. Relieved to find he was wearing clothes, though he had no memory of Shifting or dressing. Crawling out of the low caved, he blinked as morning light hit his eyes.

"The dead rises!" Blaze called with a laugh. He was sitting beside a crackling fire, turning a spit with a rabbit on it.

"How late is it?" Drew asked, looking about himself and trying to figure out where they were.

"About three hours past sunrise."

"What? I never sleep that late."

"Yeah, but you've never actually hunted on a Full Moon before."

"I guess." He dropped to the ground beside Blaze, rubbing his face. "How long till that's done? I'm starving."

"How?"

"How am I hungry?"

"You ate two deer, five rabbits, a fish, three squirrels, and a badger!"

"Lethorglik's crows.... What's a badger?"

"Unlucky, for one." A few minutes later, Blaze said, "We should be reaching Praeverk late this afternoon."

"Oh?"

"There's one more major town, Burlsven, that we'll have to pass through so we can take the bridge to the other side of the river. Otherwise we'll have either sail across the lake or walk around it."

"And what do we do once we get into Praeverk?"

"We go straight to the castle. We're expected there, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to get in. Once we get in, it's just study and scheme and plan. And, of course, work for the castle."

"And we're there until Roksov wants us out?"

"Yep. And if we want to sleep in proper beds tonight, we aught to get going."

"After we eat." Blaze shook his head, disbelief on his face, and muttered to himself. Drew only caught the words, 'two whole deer'.

Burlsven came into view once they exited the forest, a slumping town with crumbling stone walls and tired huts and peasants scattered around the outer reaches. The people gave Drew and Blaze sideways looks as they wound through the houses, dodging geese and goats and children. When they passed through the gates, the first thing that struck Drew was utter stench of the streets. He gagged briefly, his eyes watering.

"How are you not bothered by this?" he asked, looking at a surprisingly calm Blaze.

"I've smelled worse. And I'm barely breathing." Filth filled the streets, building up in corners and alleys. Haggard, wild eyed creatures sat huddled by the road side, watching hungrily as they walked past. "Mind your pockets and bag," Blaze said quietly, shooting a glare at one of the creatures who had slunk closer.

"Why are they just sitting here?" Drew asked in an equally soft voice. "Why aren't they working?"

"Either they can't, don't want to, or there's no work for them." The streets were growing marginally cleaner and wildly more busy. Though Drew had more questions about the hordes of beggars, his attention was soon diverted by a far more horrifying sight.

"Is that...."

"-a slave market," Blaze finished grimly. "Seems we're just in time for a sale." The crowds had congested in the center of a square, all pressing closer to the raised platform before them. A man in gaudy clothes, a slave trader, stood on it, yelling in a manner that set Drew's nerves on a knife's edge. Next to him stood another man, one that would would've towered over anyone he stood next to. He was shirtless, manacles binding his hands and feet, and muzzle over his mouth. The pointed ears said Agorshin, and the cobalt blue eyes said feral.

"...stronger than a team of ox!" the trader yelled. "He hasn't been fed in a week and still isn't weakened. I'll admit he's got a mean streak a mile wide, hence the muzzle. He bit off one of my men's hand the other night. But as long as he's properly bound and muzzled he won't be a problem. Bidding starts at three hundred gold- no, no, don't groan at that price. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Most of you have never even seen an Agorshin before! Now, anyone to start the bidding?"

Drew watched, sickened, as the crowd began to bid, the price soaring to one thousand seven hundred gold in a matter of minutes. The purchase was made, the Agorshin led away, and the next slave brought up.

It was a little girl.

She wasn't crying, not yet. She kept her eyes focused somewhere above the crowd as the trader spoke of her like an item. And even though she looked nothing alike, Drew could only think of another brave, little girl he'd known. He started forward, hand reaching for his sword.

"What are you doing?" Blaze asked, voice sharp as if he knew exactly what Drew was doing. He grabbed Drew's shoulder, turning him around.

"This is wrong." Drew growled.

"I know, but-"

"Let me go." The bidding began, the excitement in the air like poisonous fumes.

"Drew you can't just-"

"Let me go!"

Blaze slapped him. "Listen to me! Make your wolf lay down and listen." Drew blinked, not realizing that Wolf had risen and bled into his eyes. "The slave trade is the most ludicrous business in the world, and the only thing keeping Saevus from bankrupt at the moment. The traders take their work seriously, and destroy anyone who gets in their way. Even if you could take on this whole caravan by yourself, it wouldn't matter. A dozen other caravans will spring up in its place."

"But-"

"Don't interrupt me," Blaze snarled, his own wolf peeking out. "We can do nothing to help right now. But if we get to Praeverk, if we do our job well, then the whole slave industry can be put to a stop. But that won't happened if we get arrested or killed trying help a single girl. Understand?"

Drew looked back to the stage. The brave, little girl was being led away, another man taking her place, this one with clear Kleitian features.

"Lets just cross the bridge and get out of here," he said. He turned, heart heavy, trying to ignore the bidding as it began again and again and again. He took one last look at the trader, memorizing his face. I'll kill him one day.

Yes, we will.