1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

XLVI (20.1)

Todor reached for the mana that was swirling somewhere beyond sight. He could feel the immaterial wineskin that held mana tattered to his soul. It wasn't even halfway full. I drained two hemmomancers and their combine mana pool haven't even filled mine half way? Todor asked Ezezu like there was no immediate threat approaching.

I was thinking about that too. My hypothesis is that humans lived for so long in the world without magic made them crave mana. And every time a new generation came it was born with the larger capacity for something that was no longer there. Todor unsheathed his sword and stared at vampires that surrounded them.

Look at you being all scientific, Todor mocked her, trying to hide his unease. Well, it's your fault, I am using words from your brain.

"So, what now, sir?" Norman said aiming railgun but not firing. "The same tactic, not die and wait for them to drop dead?"

"You are learning," Todor replied with a smirk. "Ezezu, you can have my sword," he added, dropping the blade which fell a little before it stopped mid-fall.

"Hold your fire," the olive-skinned vampire said before pushing through his underlings and coming to face Norman and Todor. "From the carnage outside I was expecting entire battalion of HFA commandos. Not Governor's pet humans. Where is Morning Wind, he should have rained you two in."

"Up there," Todor said pointing with his thumb behind himself. "Dead. Or more dead than usual."

"You two defeated the Morning Wind?" the vampire leader exclaimed wide-eyed.

"Not us, my pet ghost girl gutted him, from behind" Todor replied. His sword flew and swept through the air in front of his eyes threateningly. I am not your pet to dance on queue, fool, she growled inside of his mind. But it was hard to threaten someone when that person knew how you feel. Todor smirked feeling amusement coming from Ezezu. The unafraid stance made the vampire step back.

"You are the necromancer White Branch's shade warned us about?"

"I might be," Todor said slowly. This is no good. I thought I sensed someone captured White Branch's soul back in the Governor's office. I hopped its not some powerful hemmomancer but some demon from the black, Ezezu informed him. Doesn't matter, it's just one more powerful vampire mage we need to take down, Todor thought back.

"By Lilith's bosom, we haven't had kyne megi in three centuries and the first one that shows up has beef with bloodkith and is a necromancer," the vampire let out a loud sigh slicking back his hair. "Is there a way for this to end peacefully?"

"Stay out of my way and let me deal with Midnight Breeze," Todor said after a pregnant pause.

"You are asking me to throw away my honor and betray my prince."

"I am not asking you to do anything. I will carve through you to stop that megalomaniac and save the people I care for, you can stand in my way and be trampled or stand aside."

"You don't understand. Every bloodkith that is extinguished is a permanent loss. We can't just bump uglies and nine months later a little fanged baby will be born," the vampire leader said empathetically.

"Is that a loss or gain to this world?" Norman chimed in. The leader glanced at him then turned to Todor.

"Our culture has been led astray by incompetent leaders that we are bound to follow. We have no say in it," the vampire insisted.

"We just follow orders? That is your defense? And what culture is that?" Todor said spitting on the ground, his fists clenching and his eyes moving alertly. "You are just humans plagued with a magical disease that destroyed your souls."