1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

L (Epilogue)

"What about you? What makes you different? Why do you care?" Todor said staring at her. She got up and paced a few steps before stopping with her back to Todor.

"I changed my world view the day I learned I will die."

Todor stifled a gasp at that. Anadorians are immortal, there is no disease or old age that can kill them. Only if you actually hurt them enough you could end their lives.

"How?" he stammered a question.

"I watched from a safe distance- I thought - the use of your human atomic weapon. It vanquished an entire field army of Anadori in an instant. I charged into the remains that were the pinnacle of our hubris. It was the beginning of the Three Banners War. Anadori High Council sent one field army to deal with the entire human military. One army of twenty thousand against the entire might of what humanity had to offer," she chuckled and looked at her palm. "That day we got a reminder. That we are not Gods. We are just puny creatures that stole a tiny piece of godhood and committed atrocities with the little bit of power that gave us."

"You are dying from radiation poisoning," Todor said solemnly.

"Is that the term? My Anadori healers just tell me that what makes life is unrevealing."

"If you were a human, you would have been dead in a day or two. We call those that have gotten lethal radiation dose dead man walking."

"It is the apt term, I must say," she turned and walked back to her sit. Slowly she sat and crossed her legs. "For security reasons, I hope you will not spread this further. It is a secret that can cause a lot of problems in the world at the moment." She laughed and shook her head. "But its silly of me to tell my woes to a human. I still have a century of life left in me, an entire life span in your terms."

"There is one more thing that bothers me. When Midnight Breeze was at death's door he broke a gem. It released smoke that kept getting thicker. I thought nothing of it until a few minutes later creature appeared from it. It spoke making fun of Midnight Breeze before warning me that next we meet it will crash my soul or something. Then it was gone."

"That is worrying. The Hunger comes," She said her voice icy.

"Hunger, both White Branch and Midnight Breeze mentioned it. What is it?"

"It's a tale that many of us Anadori thought just a legend. We live for so long that our memory gets blurred and lost. Doubt that there is any Anadori alive out there that knows what it really is."

"Midnight Breeze said that hubris of Anadori and Morgothlites created it."

"It might have, it sounds like something our eternal conflict might have caused." Her face darkened. "I wish we could remember. It would be easier to protect against. Did Midnight Breeze said anything else before you exacted the justice upon him?"

"He didn't know what Hunger is either."

Before Governor said anything more the knock came at the door which opened a second later.

"I am sorry to interrupt but there is a chimera at the main door asking for mister Corpus," the servant said apologetically.

Governor turned to Todor and rose one eyebrow questioningly.

"I don't know any chimeras. I just recently learned vampires are considered such but that is about it."

"Did he said anything else?" Governor asked the servant.

"Just that he has something for mister Corpus from No Terror."

Todor jumped to his feet, legs flaring with pain and head dizzy. My dad sure knows when to show up ... when everything is already over, Ezezu said in his mind. Todor took a few seconds to collect himself before turning to Governor.