full

“Children of Dusk” by Alex T. Dragonson

Once upon a time, men were men and wolves were wolves. This is the story of how that changed, and why.

Today’s story is “Children of Dusk” by Alex T. Dragonson, who spins a horde of cozy yarns from atop a hoard of cozy yarn, and you can find more of his stories on his worldbuilding blog and in the Voice of Dog archive.

Read for you by Rob MacWolf — werewolf hitchhiker.

thevoice.dog | Apple podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

If you have a story you think would be a good fit, you can check out the requirements, fill out the submission template and get in touch with us.

https://thevoice.dog/episode/children-of-dusk-by-alex-t-dragonson

Transcript
Speaker:


You’re

Speaker:

listening

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

The

Speaker:

Voice

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

Dog.

Speaker:

This

Speaker:

is

Speaker:

Rob

Speaker:

MacWolf,

Speaker:

your

Speaker:

fellow

Speaker:

traveler,

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

Today’s

Speaker:

story

Speaker:

is “Children

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

Dusk”

Speaker:

by

Speaker:

Alex

Speaker:

T.

Speaker:

Dragonson,

Speaker:

who

Speaker:

spins

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

horde

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

cozy

Speaker:

yarns

Speaker:

from

Speaker:

atop

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

hoard

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

cozy

Speaker:

yarn, and

Speaker:

you

Speaker:

can

Speaker:

find

Speaker:

more

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

his

Speaker:

stories

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

his

Speaker:

worldbuilding

Speaker:

blog

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

Voice

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

Dog

Speaker:

archive.

Please

Speaker:

enjoy


“Children

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

Dusk”

Speaker:

by

Speaker:

Alex

Speaker:

T.

Speaker:

Dragonson

Once,

Speaker:

long

Speaker:

ago,

Speaker:

when

Speaker:

men

Speaker:

were

Speaker:

men

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

wolves

Speaker:

were

Speaker:

wolves,

Speaker:

there

Speaker:

lived

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

woman

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

western

Speaker:

forests

Speaker:

who

Speaker:

could

Speaker:

outrun,

Speaker:

outshoot,

Speaker:

and outwrestle

Speaker:

everyone

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

knew,

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

everyone

Speaker:

they

Speaker:

knew

Speaker:

as

Speaker:

well. Her

Speaker:

parents

Speaker:

despaired

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

ever

Speaker:

finding

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

spouse

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

giving

Speaker:

them

Speaker:

grandchildren

Speaker:

one

Speaker:

way

Speaker:

or

Speaker:

another,

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

so,

Speaker:

tired

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

their

Speaker:

nagging,

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

vowed

Speaker:

before

Speaker:

all of

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

village

Speaker:

that

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

would

Speaker:

marry

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

first

Speaker:

person

Speaker:

who

Speaker:

could

Speaker:

best

Speaker:

her.

Many

Speaker:

tried,

Speaker:

men and

Speaker:

women

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

otherwise,

Speaker:

human

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

lion

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

orc;

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

stronger,

Speaker:

faster,

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

cleverer

Speaker:

than

Speaker:

all

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

them.

Speaker:

Until,

Speaker:

one

Speaker:

evening

Speaker:

at

Speaker:

dusk,

Speaker:

just

Speaker:

as

Speaker:

nights

Speaker:

began

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

outrun

Speaker:

days

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

their

Speaker:

slow

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

steady

Speaker:

race

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

solstice,

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

dark

Speaker:

man

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

dark

Speaker:

clothing

Speaker:

found

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

clearing.

Speaker:

He

Speaker:

challenged

her:

her:

after

her:

three

her:

sunsets,

her:

if

her:

he

her:

could

her:

cause

her:

her

her:

to

her:

care

her:

about

her:

him,

her:

she

her:

would

her:

hold

her:

to

her:

her

her:

vow

her:

and

her:

marry

her:

him.

her:

She

her:

laughed,

her:

thinking

her:

she

her:

could

her:

resist

her:

any

her:

temptation,

her:

and

her:

accepted

her:

his

her:

challenge.

On

her:

the

her:

first

her:

night,

her:

they

her:

met

her:

again

her:

in

her:

the

her:

clearing,

her:

and

her:

the

her:

dark

her:

man

her:

promised

her:

her

her:

riches

her:

beyond

her:

her

her:

imagination, in

her:

jade

her:

and

her:

leather

her:

and

her:

the

her:

gold that

her:

ran

her:

in

her:

the

her:

streams.

her:

She

her:

heard

her:

his

her:

proposal,

her:

and refused

her:

it,

her:

for

her:

she

her:

felt

her:

that

her:

her

her:

family

her:

already

her:

had

her:

all

her:

they

her:

needed

her:

to

her:

prosper.

On

her:

the

her:

second

her:

night,

her:

he

her:

brought

her:

with

her:

him

her:

all

her:

the

her:

birds

her:

of

her:

the

her:

world

her:

to

her:

serenade

her:

them,

her:

and

her:

they

her:

danced

her:

until

her:

the

her:

stars

her:

faded

her:

and

her:

the

her:

music

her:

waned,

her:

as

her:

songbird

her:

after

her:

exhausted

her:

songbird

her:

fell

her:

silent,

her:

and

her:

a

her:

family

her:

of

her:

mockingbirds

her:

scrambled

her:

to

her:

pick

her:

up

her:

the

her:

melodies

her:

and

her:

weave

her:

them

her:

into

her:

something

her:

approaching

her:

the whole.

her:

Again,

her:

she

her:

refused

her:

him;

her:

and

her:

from

her:

that

her:

day

her:

on,

her:

the

her:

mockingbird

her:

has

her:

learned

her:

every

her:

song

her:

it

her:

can,

her:

lest

her:

it

her:

be

her:

called

her:

upon

her:

again

her:

to

her:

sing

her:

for

her:

the

her:

flock.

On

her:

the

her:

third

her:

night,

her:

she

her:

arrived

her:

in

her:

the

her:

clearing

her:

to

her:

find

her:

it

her:

empty.

her:

She

her:

waited

her:

for

her:

him,

her:

and

her:

she

her:

waited,

her:

and

her:

just

her:

as

her:

the

her:

last

her:

sliver

her:

of

her:

sun

her:

sank

her:

below

her:

the

her:

treetops

her:

and

her:

she

her:

began

her:

to

her:

wonder

her:

what

her:

had

her:

happened

her:

to

her:

him,

her:

she

her:

saw

her:

movement

her:

in

her:

the

her:

trees.

A

her:

black

her:

squirrel

her:

darted

her:

out

her:

of

her:

the

her:

forest

her:

and

her:

leaped

her:

into

her:

her

her:

arms,

her:

pursued

her:

by

her:

two

her:

hungry-looking

her:

wolves.

her:

She

her:

stood

her:

her

her:

ground

her:

and

her:

raised

her:

her

her:

bow to

her:

frighten

her:

the

her:

wolves,

her:

and

her:

was

her:

surprised

her:

to

her:

see

her:

them

her:

give

her:

up,

her:

turn

her:

tail

her:

and

her:

head

her:

back

her:

into

her:

the

her:

forest

her:

without her

her:

firing

her:

so much

her:

as

her:

a

her:

warning

her:

shot.

her:

She

her:

looked

her:

down

her:

to

her:

check

her:

on

her:

the

her:

squirrel

her:

and

her:

found

her:

it

her:

was

her:

no

her:

longer

her:

clinging

her:

to

her:

her

her:

arm.

her:

Instead,

her:

the

her:

dark

her:

man

her:

stood

her:

beside

her:

her.

her:

He

her:

bowed,

her:

and

her:

in

her:

that

her:

moment

her:

she

her:

knew

her:

that

her:

it

her:

was

her:

him

her:

she’d

her:

been

her:

protecting.

her:

She

her:

had

her:

been

her:

bested,

her:

and

her:

this

her:

was

her:

the

her:

man

her:

she

her:

would

her:

marry.

***

When

her:

her

her:

firstborn

her:

children

her:

were

her:

twin

her:

wolf

her:

pups,

her:

some

her:

in

her:

the

her:

village

her:

took

her:

this

her:

as

her:

an

her:

evil

her:

omen.

her:

Others

her:

were

her:

convinced

her:

that the

her:

man

her:

she

her:

had

her:

married

her:

was

her:

a

her:

god.

her:

But

her:

she

her:

and

her:

the

her:

dark

her:

man

her:

cared

her:

for

her:

these

her:

pups

her:

as

her:

if

her:

they

her:

were

her:

any

her:

other

her:

children,

her:

and

her:

by

her:

the

her:

time

her:

her

her:

third

her:

and

her:

fourth

her:

children

her:

were

her:

born

her:

human,

her:

it

her:

was

her:

no

her:

longer

her:

strange.

The

her:

four

her:

children

her:

of

her:

Dusk

her:

lived

her:

together

her:

peacefully

her:

until

her:

they

her:

had

her:

grown

her:

enough

her:

to

her:

go

her:

their

her:

separate

ways:

ways:

the

ways:

wolves

ways:

returned

ways:

to

ways:

the

ways:

forest

ways:

with

ways:

their

ways:

divine

ways:

father, and the

ways:

human

ways:

children

ways:

stayed

ways:

in

ways:

the

ways:

village

ways:

with

ways:

their

ways:

mortal

ways:

mother.

And

ways:

so

ways:

their

ways:

descendants

ways:

lived,

ways:

in

ways:

their

ways:

separate

ways:

worlds,

ways:

until

ways:

the

ways:

tribes

ways:

of

ways:

humans

ways:

and

ways:

wolves

ways:

had

ways:

each

ways:

grown

ways:

to

ways:

the

ways:

point

ways:

where

ways:

something

ways:

had

ways:

to

ways:

give,

ways:

and

ways:

war

ways:

broke

ways:

out

ways:

among

ways:

the

ways:

Children

ways:

of

ways:

Dusk.

And

ways:

Dusk

ways:

wept,

ways:

seeing

ways:

his

ways:

children

ways:

dying

ways:

around

ways:

him,

ways:

but

ways:

for

ways:

all

ways:

his

ways:

cunning

ways:

he

ways:

could

ways:

not

ways:

find

ways:

a

ways:

way

ways:

to

ways:

end

ways:

the

ways:

fighting.

ways:

So

ways:

he

ways:

made

ways:

the

ways:

desperate

ways:

journey

ways:

to

ways:

the

ways:

top

ways:

of

ways:

the

ways:

world

ways:

to

ways:

speak

ways:

to

ways:

the

ways:

Sage

ways:

of

ways:

the

ways:

Heavens.

ways:

And

ways:

there,

ways:

where

ways:

the

ways:

air

ways:

is

ways:

thinnest,

ways:

on

ways:

the

ways:

night

ways:

Her

ways:

light

ways:

was

ways:

brightest,

ways:

She

ways:

gave

ways:

him

ways:

a

ways:

shape

ways:

to

ways:

weave

ways:

into

ways:

the

ways:

pattern

ways:

of

ways:

the

ways:

world,

ways:

a

ways:

spell

ways:

that

ways:

would

ways:

change

ways:

his

ways:

children

ways:

forever,

ways:

so

ways:

that

ways:

they

ways:

would

ways:

never

ways:

again

ways:

forget

ways:

their

ways:

kinship.

And

ways:

so

ways:

he

ways:

journeyed

ways:

again,

ways:

back

ways:

down

ways:

the

ways:

world

ways:

to

ways:

the

ways:

place

ways:

where

ways:

his

ways:

children

ways:

fought.

ways:

And

ways:

standing

ways:

between

ways:

humans

ways:

and

ways:

wolves,

ways:

he

ways:

set

ways:

the

ways:

Sage’s

ways:

spell

ways:

into

ways:

the

ways:

shape

ways:

of

ways:

the

ways:

world,

ways:

and

ways:

set

ways:

it

ways:

free

ways:

to

ways:

do

ways:

as

ways:

it

ways:

would.

And

ways:

his

ways:

children

ways:

were

ways:

transformed

ways:

around

ways:

him.

ways:

No

ways:

longer

ways:

simply

ways:

wolves,

ways:

or

ways:

merely

ways:

humans,

ways:

they

ways:

would

ways:

hereafter

ways:

belong

ways:

to

ways:

both

ways:

worlds,

ways:

and

ways:

move

ways:

between

ways:

them

ways:

as

ways:

their

ways:

ancestor

ways:

did.

ways:

And

ways:

so

ways:

it

ways:

is

ways:

that

ways:

we

ways:

call

ways:

werewolves

ways:

the

ways:

Children

ways:

of

ways:

Dusk.

The

ways:

fighting

ways:

did not

ways:

end

ways:

immediately,

ways:

because

ways:

no

ways:

conscious

ways:

being

ways:

forgets

ways:

a

ways:

quarrel

ways:

easily.

ways:

But

ways:

this

ways:

moment

ways:

was

ways:

the

ways:

beginning

ways:

of

ways:

peace

ways:

among

ways:

werewolves,

ways:

and

ways:

there

ways:

was

ways:

little

ways:

left for

ways:

their

ways:

ancestor

ways:

to

ways:

do

ways:

but

ways:

gather

ways:

the

ways:

souls

ways:

of

ways:

all

ways:

his

ways:

kin

ways:

who

ways:

were

ways:

lost

ways:

and

ways:

bring

ways:

them

ways:

West.



This

ways:

was “Children

ways:

of

ways:

Dusk”

ways:

by

ways:

Alex

ways:

T. Dragonson, read for you

ways:

by Rob

ways:

MacWolf,

ways:

Werewolf

ways:

Hitchhiker.

ways:

You

ways:

can

ways:

find

ways:

more

ways:

stories

ways:

on

ways:

the

ways:

web

ways:

at thevoice.dog,

ways:

or

ways:

find

ways:

the

ways:

show

ways:

wherever

ways:

you

ways:

get

ways:

your

ways:

podcasts.

ways:

Thank

ways:

you

ways:

for

ways:

listening

ways:

to

ways:

The

ways:

Voice

ways:

of

ways:

Dog.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

About the Podcast

Show artwork for The Voice of Dog
The Voice of Dog
Furry stories to warm the ol' cockles, read by Rob MacWolf and guests. If you have a story that would suit the show, you can get in touch with @VoiceOfDog@meow.social on Mastodon, @voiceofdog.bsky.social on Blue Sky, or @Theodwulf on Telegram.

Listen for free

About your host

Profile picture for Khaki

Khaki