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."

The vampire took another step back eying Todors sword that was flying in circles around him.

"That might be so, but does that mean we deserve to be extinguished? Our lore goes back to the first steps humans made after getting down from the trees. We were in humanities shadow, learning, recording, analyzing. I have seen your human histories, they just chronicle times after the realms were sundered. We might be just shades of real humans, be we hold the knowledge of the times before recorded time. You never heard of Yazamkon, the Wise King of Nine Hills who reigned over technologically advance kingdom long before your histories think possible. Or Fifty Tribes of Garmonoo who led his people across the endless sea to settle on the island of fire. The birth of House of Merlioth might interest you since you are their legacy. Or Eversailing Fleet of Mitrah, the nation of the waves that sailed the oceans long before your Magellan or Columbus were born. I was there, I saw all those wonders. Should all that just disappear because our leader is a dick?"

Damn it, he has a point. What right do I have to commit genocide upon them? Todor thought furiously in his mind. You are not hunting them, they are attacking the city and you have sworn to protect it. Don't let him draw you into morality debate. They have that red slaver girl that you are fond of, remember that, Ezezu replied right away.

"I am constable of this city. And you are attacking it. More importantly, you have a girl I care for in your custody. Stop all aggression upon this city citizens and officials, release all people you hold against their own will and we might talk about solving this with no further loss of life," Todor said through clenched teeth.

"I don't have authority to do any of that," the vampire said his shoulders drooping. "I have direct command of my bloodkith cabal and you have my word they and myself will stay out of your way. For the rest of the brood? You must convince them directly," fanged creature replied and turned to go.

"Wait, what is your name?" Todor said after him.

"They call me Dark Shadow. I hope you win, kyne, because if you don't my own blood will punish me and they are not so kind to grant me the mercy of death," Shadow said without turning back. Twenty-something vampires followed him and they were out of the sight once they hit the street.

"Wow. You talked the vampire into ignoring orders. He must have freaked out once he saw your freaky eyes," Norman said. Todor ignored the jibe turning to the horde of vampires that still surrounded them.

"What about you lot?" he said loud enough for all to hear. "I will let you live if you turn around and get lost."

Vampires shuffled, some of them laughing out loud, some snickering while others whispered to their fellows.

"Not all of us are weak as him," one shouted. "We don't bow down to food," other added. But some did turn around and followed Dark Shadow. Not enough to make Todor feel better though.

He sighed and gathered mana from his reserves. It was like holding breath, once you grasped the energy of the flowing substance you had to unleash it in some way or it would start pressing upon the mind. Todor didn't know what end result of that would be and he didn't want to find out on himself. So he formed the large cloud of ice needles and with both hands threw them at the vampires without warning.

Screams, curses, and yowls followed by Norman's railgun firing at one that charged and came too close. Todor inhaled the mist remains of the first attack re-purposing the same mana into another wave of deadly glacial spikes. Every needle would go straight through the vampires bringing with it a tiny bit of their own mana which made Todor's job easier. He could keep fighting longer with just initial investment of mana. This thing you are doing shouldn't be possible. You are using their own mana, how? Ezezu protested forcing Todor to instinctively seek his sword with his eyes. The ghost of the girl wielded it skillfully cutting limbs from distracted vampires and every time it bit into their flash a tiny portion of their own mana was transferred to Todor, keeping his magical reserves at the same level.

Todor let his mind wander at Ezezu's question for a moment before he concluded that he did something because it felt natural and only realizing he did it after the fact. His needles would inject his mana into the vampires which mixed and overcame it, making it usable by him. Once he understood the process he mentally showed it to Ezezu. Wow, that is cool. I saw something like that before but I forgot. Many new memories are coming to me recently.

He didn't have time to think about what she said. After the initial surprise of their attacks, vampires regrouped. Tougher and bigger specimens carrying shields came to the forefront taking the brunt of Todor's and Norman's attacks. While others stayed behind, dragging the shield carriers once they fell and replacing them. They were in a position where no one gained any ground which worked for vampires but was a great loss to Todor.

"We must break this stalemate," Todor yelled at Norman.

"Great, but how?" As soon as he said that the roar of two dozen motorcycles managed to come through the clamor of battle. "Are those more vampires?" Agent Hillard added trying to see past the horde of vampires that surrounded them.

The explosion and gunfire came from the behind the line of their attackers and soon the vampires wavered. Some of them turned to face someone that Todor and Norman couldn't see. The vampire shield wall finally parted and Irry strolled through wearing golden armor and hafting crystalline rifle casully draped on her sholder. Mab, Carl and Kurt Cavanagh followed swinging their swords at the throng of vampires, hacking off limbs and heads. Behind them, a bulky figure in power armor followed shooting from a high caliber Gauss rifle, the black blade on its back, Roland on his side. The firearms instructor from Mick Microns arms shop, held two pistoles and holographic glasses of some kind. The dozen or so unknown people dressed in suits with bowties were shooting from the entrance.

Irry came to Todor and waved with her unusual weapon.

"I made this!" she said with a grin. "You inspired me with that electric boomstick of yours. So I made a rifle that I infused with my own mana. See?" She said pointing the yellow crystal barrel at the vampires and pressing the trigger. The barrel glowed for an instant before a fireball emerged and streaked across the hall incinerating a couple of unlucky vampires.

"Great. I am glad you guys showed up. This bunch would have held me for hours if not more," Todor said breathing hard.

"I wouldn't miss fight such as this for the life me." The bulky armored man said before stopping his shooting spree to open his helmet. The ginger owner of gunshop Mick Micron looked at Todor and laughed. "When you stepped in my shop asking for beginners handgun I never thought you would be the lawman of an entire freaking city. We haven't had a human constable for a long time."

"This is great and all but I must go find Midnight Breeze," Todor said sharply as the remaining vampires intensified their attacks. "Can you hold on here while I go settle the score with head honcho himself?"

"No problem, let your big sister Irry handle this rabble here," Anadori woman said with glee. "I barely use my mana with this thing," she exclaimed as her hand went along the edge of her weapon.

"Miss elf made something nice there. You might think of patenting this and selling it? I might help you with distribution," Mick said eying the crystalline rifle.

"Hey, that is a magical weapon, my domain," Carl Cavanagh said eying the corpulent armored ex-soldier.

"It ain't a sword, you old goat. It's clearly a gun, my domain," Mick said with a smile.

"Will see about that," swordsmith mumbled. "And I hope you are satisfied with a blade I made for you mister Corpus," Carl Cavanagh added turning towards Todor. His blade wielded by Ezezu flew passed and sheathed itself into Todor's scabbard which made elderly half-anadori jump in surprise.

"It is amazing, sir. With a little bit of mana I can cut anything," Todor said fidgeting.

"Yeah, I was surprised your warrior spirit wanted mana grooves since you are human but there it is ..."

"Yes, I am sorry but I have mastermind to kill and girl to save so if you will excuse me."

Todor left the fray almost running deeper into the building. Norman followed him but Todor stopped and turn towards the agent.

"I will go on alone," he said clenching his jaw.

"Why? You might need help," Norman insisted.

"You can't help me if it comes down to spell slinging and mana brawl," Todor said putting a palm on the agent's shoulder. "Go help those people back there. There is a lot of vampires and even with their numbers there are more bloodsuckers than our folks."

Norman nodded and grabbed his arm.

"Good luck and don't die. Us humans need some role models in high places. Sea Pit would be a totally different neighborhood if more people held their heads high and strived for something better."

"I don't plan to die today," Todor said with a sour smile. "And don't do that. Turning me into some inspiring hero for the downtrodden."

"Don't worry, sir. You are far from that, don't get over yourself," Norman replied with a grin and turned to run back to help Irry and the others.