The rest of the day Todor spent training even more than he usually did. With help from Ezezu and her bank of knowledge of potions, he was alert and fresh entire day without the need for sleep. When finally he went to rest he was feeling much better about accepting the Governor's job invitation. Tomorrow we make a good showing of ourselves, he thought to Ezezu. In return, he got a wave of emotions. He sighed and forcefully blanked his mind managing to fall asleep a few minutes later.

Todor woke with a start, his awareness blaring a warning in his mind. He extracted his arm trapped under Cassandra and grabbed Jolt special he held ready at the nightstand. Bare feet sinking into the carpet he moved to the window to survey his yard through the curtains.

Most nights Cassandra and he just fell asleep in the livening room, rarely going up to the bedroom. But tonight it got too late for her to go home so they skipped the movie and went straight to bad. Which was fortuitous since his newly awoken senses told him there was someone on the ground floor.

He growled and walked to the hanging coat by the door. There he rummaged into the pocket looking for few potions he kept there. He grabbed one and slammed it into his mouth. Gritting his teeth, he tore through the plastic foil while the brackish water inside bathed his tongue. Power of alchemical concoction hit him right away, speeding his movement and slowing down the world around him. He slipped into his coat painfully aware that he wore only boxers. He unsheathed the sword that rested propped up on the wardrobe.

What ... Why ... I sense dead people down below, Ezezu echoed groggily in his mind. I know, I think two of them are vampires, Todor informed her glancing back at the sleeping form of Cassandra. Should I wake her up? He wondered. Let her sleep, we can take care of this quietly, Ezezu's answer came, confident and without fear. If she wakes in the middle of the fight she will kill both of us, you know. Ezezu sent amusement instead of replay.

He put his glasses on and the world became visible in the gloom. The radar from the coat marked intruders a second later. He got surprised that his magical senses could see only four, while his radar detected six forms. Two are humans, it means they are mana neutral, Ezezu proclaimed. Todor nodded and sneaked down the stairs.

The intruders were looking through the furniture without hid for anything. What tickled Todor as strange was that he didn't hear them at all even though he was just outside of the living room. He squinted a bit forcing his eyes to focus and he noticed flimsy field made out of barely visible webs of mana flow. Strands vibrated every time someone broke a vase or dropped the contents of the drawer to the floor. They are using magic to stop the sound from spreading, he puzzled it out. But what are they looking for here?

He made a step through the web of sound catching magic and hid behind the large plant. He hated the thing since he always forgot to water it, but now he could kiss it. Hiding from the eyes of intruders he sprained his ears to listen and observe six men.

"I don't think he would leave it here, in the common room, unguarded," one of the strangers said. Todor concluded it was male Anadori in a black suit and red tie he learned represented the death cultists.

"Cattle doesn't think logically, just make their stomach and genitals feel good and their brains shut down," one of the vampires said. Two of the group murmured between each other at that. Ezezu you seeing this? Two cultists, two vampires, and two humans. How the fell that happens? The Ezezu hummed in his mind. Why are vampires working with them though? I can guess two humans are their bloodbags, but vamps are not known to work with anyone, she mused slowly. Todor fidgeted, itching to charge at people who dared desecrate his home. But he held his growing outrage at check. He gripped his pistol in left hand and sword in his right and listened further.

"Don't underestimate this guy. Boss rubbed shoulders with him at the jam factory and he got back to the safe house all shaken," the other vampire said in a comically high pitched voice. First one snorted instead of replying as they continued to rummage through his stuff.

Use my mana pool, cast the same spell you used while staring down Midnight Breeze, Ezezu suggested. I already pop'd the combat potion, Todor retorted. Just do it, fool. It will compound, No Terror and I used both at the same time a lot. Todor thought for a second then moved back behind the sound catching web.

"Zi Dingir Kia Kanpa. Lu - Negeltu – Nertum," Todor whispered. The energy around him swirled bolstering his bones, his muscles, his blood flow. Adding even more speed and strength to his already potion enhanced power. Not to mention the training he put into developing his rusty physique paid off. What does this spell mean anyway? Todor inquired taking a breath. You don't want to know, Ezezu said in his mind. Todor grimaced. Fine. Let us finish with this impudent little rotten rats. He felt Ezezu's anger rising up to meet his, they mixed and swirled pulsing in his mind as the world gained the red filter.

He stepped into the living room, pistol and sword hanging casually in his palms. The coat was unbuttoned showing him uncovered with only boxers.

"What are you doing in my house?" he growled at them. The intruders froze and looked at him, surprised.

"You said you cast sleep and silence spell?" vampire with high pitched voice accused one of the Anadori.

"I did, the spell is still standing," masked Anadori cultist protested.

"I asked you a question!" Todor roared, gripping his weapons.

"I guess we can kill him now. Boss can hardly get mad at that," the boasters vampire said with a grin.

The Anadori brought his hands up, palms open towards Todor. He felt tingling from that direction and without thinking he raised his pistol and shot three times at the would-be spellcaster. The bullets slammed into the elfs mask penetrating it and making blood spurt from the holes. The big masked shape of Morg swore and summoned a sword swinging it at Todor with both hands. Todor didn't even try to parry, he just blocked it with his sword. Only slight force impacted his arm from the strike. In a normal swordfight, he would expect impact such that to knock his smaller weapon out of his hand and make his entire arm useless from the force imparted. But both potion and spell made his muscles turn to iron so he shrugged full blow from a Morg sword with a casual flick of the sword.

Morg froze in surprise and then attacked again, and again. But his larger weapon was so slow Todor just swished his blade to intercept it, batting it aside without effort. His opponent got frustrated at being foiled like that by a mere human roared and started whispering to himself.

He is casting enhancement spell, similar to yours, Ezezu warned.

"We can't have that," Todor snarled lounging forward and stabbing the big person in the throat. The Morg gurgled, blood spilling out of his mouth before dropping to the floor. Todor swung the sword through the air shedding the blood from the blade. "Now, what are you doing in my house?"

The remaining two vampires didn't look scared, they looked jubilant. Their faces were eager for the fight, fangs bared in a grim grin. The two humans, on the other hand, stared at the dead bodies of Anadori mage and Morg warrior in pure horror.

"The great Midnight Breeze sends his regards and requests your maharoon. It is of utmost importance that you relinquished to us,"the brash vampire said in a mocking tone.

"Why? And since when you work for this cultist scum?" Todor said barely containing his rage.

"Don't talk to him, let's just get out of here. Boss said to leave him alone and to just grab the book," the high pitched vampire said, but the talkative vampire ignored him.

"We don't work for the cultists, we use them. But soon clans will assemble and we will crush them together with the poens of that old bitch," the vampire snarled the words.

"Don't say that!" his partner protested.

"Why does it matter? We will kill him now anyway."

Todor didn't wait to hear any more. In a moment he was at the bloodthirsty vampires' side. With one hand he offhandedly swung the sword aiming for vampires neck. Blade trailed faint red lighting in its wake as it bit into the dead flesh of the undead severing it in a heartbeat. The head fell to the floor tumbling, leaving a bloody streak across the boards. The remaining vampire snarled and went for his own sword but Todor casually cut his wrist before the creature could even touch it. The vampire's hand with fingers still twitching dropped on Todor's sofa, painting it with crimson. Two humans just stared at scene uncomprehending, frozen in terror.

"Should I let you live and send Midnight Breeze a message? Or maybe killing all of you would be message enough?" Todor asked coldly. The vampire stared at his severed arm then his eyes moved to Todor.

"This wasn't my idea, I am just following orders," the vampire said quickly, his sclera turning red.

"Alright. So what does Midnight Breeze plan? Why is he working with this cultists?" Todor fought the urge to just slam the sword into the vampire and be done with it. But he needed information so he rode the bull that was his fury into submission.

"If I tell you, you can just kill me right away."

"That is still an option. What is he planning?" Todor growled pressing the tip of his sword to the vampire's forehead.

"I don't know the details. All that he told us that he wants to resurrect human magic so that we can reproduce once again. He hired these death fetishists because he thought they would be cheap labor and easy to control but they never listened to him. They went for you on their own. So he convinced clan leaders to assemble the entire brood and come here to take over Moriganhold."

"Is he insane? He really thinks he can take over the entire city?" Todor said unbelievingly.

"I don't know. I think he is desperate."

Todor nodded and stabbed him in the brain unable to contain his rage anymore.

"You two. Run, and tell that asshole Midnight Breeze that if he ever dares invade my home again I will find him and I will make a sofa out of his skin since he ruined this one."

Two humans nodded and started to run.

"Oh wait. Take this with you," Todor yelled after them kicking the severed head of the mouthy vampire. The due stopped, clearly scared of him. Than one gingerly came and picked the grisly object by the hair. They were gone before Todor could say anything else or change his mind.

"I was expecting a fight, Ezezu. But this was a slaughter," Todor said slumping down on the floor. His mage sense told him that magical sound catching web dissipated around him. He sighed and reclined on the sidearm rest of the sofa. The power leached out of him, leaving him weak and vulnerable. He tried to get up and clean himself from blood but legs and arms gave under him, dropping him back on his behind. Pointing the tip of the blade on the floor and using as the support he gave one more try but slumped back down a moment later.

"I guess I'll just take a nap here with these dead folks in my living room," hewhispered slowly closing his eyes.