1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

XXI (9.2)

The flyer had its side door open as the gunner there aimed machine gun left and right. Soldiers encased in Anadori armor crowded the interior of the chopper.

"Well, here comes our cavalry," Cassandra said with a smile.

"Gee thanks," Todor replied flatly.

The landing craft made air buffet them with pebbles and stones from the battle. They shielded their eyes with their arms, clutching each other at the same time. The group leader wearing clean and ironed uniform stepped out of the flyer followed by a group of Anadori soldiers. They carried transparent shields that glowed slightly with arcane power and long partisan spears in the other hand. The hail of small stones stopped as the blades of the helicopter slowed. Todor looked at their approaching 'saviors', the uniformed man looked familiar. Felixsos Sunhawk, Irry's grandfather, he remembered as he looked at a distinguished gentleman who gave orders to his troops.

Get a hold of yourself man. You did what had to be done. Your mom would be proud. The other part of his brain snarkily added. Although your father wouldn't be one bit. He let out a calming breath and glanced at Cassandra. She looked as tired as he felt.

"What a date, eh?" he said with a forced smile.

"I don't think I could survive any more dates like this," she said calmly. "But I haven't felt this alive since the first day I came to Moriganhold."

"Ironic then that you look like a short step from death's door," Felixsos said marching and towering above them.

"I am sorry I am not able to get on my feet right now, General or I would have greeted you properly," Todor said from his seated position on the ground.

"That is alright, Todor Corpus, my grandaughters coworker. I have few questions," old General said. "My men tell me that there are twenty-four corpses and two wounded attackers. And the residue of twenty destroyed golems. Not counting one that got hit by a car on the road not far from here."

"There was no questions there. What do you want to know about that?" Cassandra said briskly.

"How?" old General mouthed simply.

"How what? We got attacked by them. We defended ourselves. And we killed them," Cassandra said forcefully as if to counter any doubt that might be shed upon her words. "Well my companion here took care of the people, I smashed most of the little golems."

"Is that true, Todor Corpus, my grandaughters coworker?" Felixsos asked turning his chin to Todor.

"Yeah, mostly," Todor was forced to agree. Felixsos eyes scrutinized him for longer than necessary before nodding. "And just Todor is enough, please."

"My Little Snowbell has good judgment when it comes to her choice of allies," Felixsos said nodding again, more stiffly this time. General turned around but Todor stopped him.

"Wait. You said there was only one golem at the road? One that had its head blown off holding my poor Renault?" Todor asked, suddenly alarmed. Where did big golem go? It was unable to fight but it still had its core, it was still ... alive, alarming thought went through his mind.

"Yes, that is correct. I am guessing that war golem was dispatched by miss Morg here? Some sort of shamanistic magic? I never saw such a pattern of the blast before. Quite intriguing, and that is something coming from an Anadori who fought for eons worth of battlefields," General Felixsos said.

"I am quite weak in magic powers. I only practice a bit of hawr-makan," Cassandra said with a shrug.

"Yes, I could smell hawr-makan on the remains of this stone golems here, but not on war golem on the road. How then? I doubt you had those humans... what did they call them ... arrr peee gees?" general Felixsos asked with a smug satisfied smirk at showing his knowledge of human war machines.