“Boss, we’ve got another one.” Borve called out from the next room.
Daniel raised his head groggily from the desk, sucking in a bit of drool that had slipped out as he had slept. He looked at the time mechanism by the door and sighed heavily. It was late in the morning, long past the time when they should have been heading out if they wanted to make it.
He got up and wove his way through the room, dragging the door open and shielding his eyes from the light. It didn't hurt anymore, so it was pleasant on his face, but his eyes still had to adjust from the dim lighting of his office.
“Why didn’t you wake me? We should have been gone hours ago.” He asked.
Sapphire let out an amused chuckle. “We couldn't come to a decision as to whom to offer as a sacrifice.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“No, your snoring is that bad. Neither of us even wanted to contemplate trying to wake you.”
Daniel shook his head. “Whatever. You said we had another? Another what?”
“Petitioner.”
“Again? Must be the third time this week.”
“Fifth.” Borve slid a small folder across the table.
“I’ll have to look at it when we get back. We do not really have time to train another one with even the basics.”
“You might actually want to look at this one then Boss. He’s got experience. Dabbling a bit really, but we would be able to skip most of the concentration exercises.”
Daniel cringed inwardly. He knew what could happen when dabbling went wrong. “Fine. Bring him in.”
“He's already in the lobby.” Sapphire said, a smirk crossing her face.
Daniel glared. “You know I hate it when you both manipulate me into doing things you want.”
“I have no idea what you mean, but you know, now that you mention it, it might be good for you to have something to focus on, especially after what happened to Talon.” Borve said innocently.
Daniel shook his head and grabbed the folder off of the table, and walked into the lobby.
A young man stood up from the bench to the side of the entrance. He was tall, with thin arms but a large frame. He held out his hand. “Mr. Daniel, yes? It is incredible to meet you sir, I’ve read about your work.”
“And yet, despite apparently knowing my work as you call it, you dabble, Mr.…” Daniel ignored the hand and opened the file once more, searching for the name. “Thamous. Tell me, if you had actually read any of my work you would have found the warnings I leave all over the place, so, my question is: are you brave, stupid, or both.”
“Sir? Well… I guess I would like to consider myself brave.”
“Then you're also stupid. Blood magic isn’t just something anyone can do, and something those few who can shouldn't try to do in the first place. Not alone anyways.”
“Yes, sir, I realize that. It’s why I’m here. I want to learn, but I cannot get much further in my understanding of it on my own.”
Daniel looked him in the eyes and the boy didn't flinch, like most people did under his gaze. After years of doing his work, his eyes had begun the rotting process, and were now a dull grey. It didn’t affect his sight very much, some colors just becoming a little less bright, but they were unnerving to many, and coupled with the tales of what could happen when a person looked into a Hemomancer’s eyes too long, it kept “Normally, I would say no. You're too eager. In this line of work, that will get people killed. It makes you reckless, dangerous to those around you.”
The boy began to protest but Daniel held up a hand silencing him. “But these are not normal circumstances. I need another set of eyes and someone to help carry supplies. If you’re willing to put in the work for it, when we get a chance, I will teach you as much as you need to know not to get yourself killed. Deal?”
The boy’s eyes lit up from the disappointment they had shown just moments before. He bobbed his head and promised to work hard. Daniel chuckled to himself before replying, “Yes, I know you will. Get a bag from the closet over there. Were heading out in an hour, take only what you can carry in that bag.”
…

The boy, whose full name was Denen Thamous but everyone apparently called him Bull, was lagging behind, as Daniel had predicted he would.
“Keep up. We need to get to Midway before nightfall.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Daniel.” Bull huffed out, quickening his speed so that he caught up with the others.
Sapphire leaned forward and whispered in Daniel’s ear, “Do you think we should tell him to drop the third bag?”
Daniel turned his head and quietly replied, “What he doesn’t know will not kill him. He thinks there are valuable supplies in there, so he will keep carrying it until we say or he’s smart enough to look in it. Besides, the rocks do not weigh that much.”
The landscape beyond the city was barren. Every couple of years, the crop rotations would reach this section of ground and it would be covered with the light green and sickly yellow leaves, only to return to the wild the next year. There had been talk about expanding the farming operations, perhaps using two sections of land opposite of each other every year and giving each plot a four year follow instead of the traditionally eight, but the Gentleman's soldiers couldn't patrol such far reaching territory every single year, so the process continued as normal, the soldiers clearing out any predators at the beginning of the year and the farmers following with plows.
But beyond the wild, untamed look of the world, it was still thriving. Inedible weeds sprouted up from among the rocks, a tar-like color that they had evolved, helping them absorb as much energy as possible from the sunlight. Enormous white trees sprouted in the distance, a near artful mixture of broad leaves and thin needles making a thick canopy.
Daniel kept his eyes out, and he could feel the others doing the same. Every movement in the distance was a chance for an approaching attack, every shifting cloud in the sky a place for something to hide, and every tremor below their feet, a possible tunneler. So when the first attack came, everyone saw it coming.
Except Bull.
Borve kneeled down and pulled the first satchel off of his shoulders. It was smaller than most of the other bags, but heavily padded as to not break the delicate casings within. “What do you think boss, Cave Troll or Snow Giant.”
Bull looked up, his eyes looking around wildly. “Wait, what's happening?”
“You’ll have to go Cave Troll; it is not cold enough for snow Giant yet. Besides we do not have much left.”
“Yes, but Cave troll might now be big enough.”
“You could always go something faster, maybe some wings. Did we bring any of that Raptor-Lion brews we came up with us?”
“It’s called Rapion, and only a couple ounces, for trading mostly. Stuff is blasted hard to make. Cave Troll it is then.”
“Not the time to be discussing names Borve.”
“Wait, what is happening?”
         Daniel rolled his eyes and turned to look at Bull. “Use your head kid, we’re being attacked.”
Bull’s eyes widened and he started sputtering. “Attacked from what?!”
Daniel got in close and put his hands on the kid’s shoulders. “Stop talking, start feeling. The ground kid, feel it in your feet. There something moving, something big enough that it is making the very ground underneath you shake, just a bit but noticeable. But why don't you see it, it should be huge and we are on open ground. Come on think.”
The boy took a breath and closed his eyes trying to feel what Daniel was talking about. His eyes snapped open in realization. “The tunnels. It’s under us.”
Daniel nodded, grinning that the boy finally got it. “Exactly. It’s in the tunnels. That’s half the problem with this road; it is crisscrossed with old mining tunnels from way back when. The shafts were abandoned and…”
“And something took up residence.” Borve finished. He pulled a small glass jar out of the bag, and unscrewed the cap and drank the thick, bluish-black liquid, flinching at the taste. His eyes were closed and his head bowed in concentration.
Daniel watched this in silence. “Alright boy, time for your first lesson. This one is just watching how it is done properly, for a frame of future reference. Got it?” Bull nodded.
It began slowly, Borve’s muscles rippling a bit, his skin becoming a couple shades darker, as if he was sick. Then the change became more pronounced, his body physically growing, legs lengthening, fingers cracking and turning at odd angles.
Within the minute, there was a hideous monster before them where Borve had once stood. It was a cave troll, but shorter than most, and with a more human face.
There came a crackling in the distance, and the ground began to crack upwards in a snaking line toward them. There came a deep bellow like a roar, and Borve clenched his massive fists and bent over a bit, teeth clenched angrily.
Sapphire pulled out a small, gnarled stick and started waving it around her head. There came a burst of wind and a screeching sound that made everyone jump. But still, she kept up the circle, chanting under her breath. Daniel let down his own pack and pulled out a short sword and threw his club to Bull.
The earth buckled one last time to the creature underground several yards away. Suddenly, it burst out, a hole size of a small house following it out. Rocks flew everywhere and a large, muscular creature flew across the distance. At first glance it looked like a cat of some sort, but it had two faces, each with a pair of savage looking horns curling over their foreheads.
The creature launched itself at Sapphire and Daniel, but Borve threw out a giant arm, catching the thing mid body and slamming it back onto the ground. The creature shrieked in his gripped hands, foot long claws stretched wide, raking across the side of his hand. Borve’s skin started to bleed, but he lifted the creature over his head and smashed it into the ground again and again until the creature stopped moving.
Bull let out a sigh of relief. “That seemed easier than I expected it would be.”
The entire group looked at him, and shook their heads. “What?” He asked, bringing his hands up to his sides.
“Did you not hear that thing crying out? Everything within ten miles of here knows where we are. That,” He pointed to the dead body. “That was just the first of many.”
Sapphire pulled a large syringe out and walked up to the body, shoving the exaggerated needle into the things body and drawing out blood. The needle and the back detached and all that was left was a large jug of blue blood.
“Alright then, we don’t have time to stay here. Everyone get your packs, we make a break for Midway. If we are lucky it will still be there.”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
“No one has gotten a word from the Midway outpost in weeks. Considering where it is, there are only a couple possible reasons why. If we are lucky, the building is still there. If we are really lucky, there will be horses.”
“And if we’re not?”
“Then we sleep out under the stars, hoping nothing really big comes to eat us. Oh, and before I forget, you can drop the green satchel, it’s just rocks.” Bull looked offended but Daniel held his hand up, stopping any response. “We don’t have time for this, drop it. I expect you to be able to keep up from here on out.”
“Why don’t we just use magic to get us there quicker? We have enough blood.”
Daniel began walking away, Borve holding three bags in his oversized hands. “First, get your terms right. There is a difference between what we do and magic. Magic is something stage magicians do at festivals. What we do is Hemomancy.”
“And that is relevant because? Doesn’t Hemomancy require some magic to work?”
“No. Hemamancy draws upon natural cosmic energy to get it to work. Depending on the age and quality of blood, that connection can last longer or have more vibrant effects, which is part of the reason why we are not using Hemomancy to get to Midway faster. We don’t have enough, not to get there and survive the night and tomorrow. We can spend hours, days even, trying to get the ratio of our blood to monster blood in those bottles just right, within a couple drops of 1:3. When they are that precise, you can get a couple minutes out of them.” Daniel looked over his shoulder at Bull. “That’s part of the problem with people just trying this out for themselves. You can kill yourself, or worse for that matter, if you get the ratios too badly measured.”
“One to three?” Bull said hesitantly. “I was always told one to four.”
Sapphire let of an exasperated breath. “Then our lucky you’re not dead. You probably got sick every time you tried it, correct? You would, after five or six percent off the mark.” Bull nodded shyly. “Thought so.”
They headed down the road at a much faster pace than before, Bull finally able to keep up. After about twenty minutes Borve began to revert back to his original self, and had to hand one of the bags over to Daniel, wrapping a bandage around his scarred hand.

 They reached Midway with an hour to go until nightfall, and they could tell something was wrong before they could make out any specific details.
         “By the Name of the Lord.” Borve said quietly.
         As they approached, Daniel felt the statement fell short of how bad it actually was. “Alright, we need to find some place that we can secure, and quick. Strip sheet metal off of the outer walls and try to fasten it to the inner ones. Try to cover up the claw marks.”
         “And the bodies?”
         “Drag them further down the road, make a pile. If we are lucky, we can distract whatever comes with a easy meal. For a while at least.”
By nightfall there was a fire going in the middle of their group. Shadows flickered across the walls, and the light crackling was the only noise that was made. Everyone had a couple bottles of blood by their side, including Bull who had some smaller vials of his own making. Though Daniel had ordered a shift schedule for sleeping, no one was able to.
“So what about that blend you mentioned back in the fight? What is that all about?”
Sapphire started speaking before Daniel could tell Bull to be quiet. “Hemomancy is all about ratios. If you are just trying to get one creature’s powers, then you need one drop of human blood for every three of the monsters. You can change that a bit, going as high as one in two if you're desperate or as low as one in five if you're stupid. But there are other ratios as well, designed to take two creatures and sort of mix them together to get a new monster, one that lacks many of the qualities of the original two but is inherently stronger than either alone.”
“So can you mix any of the blood types?”
“No. It is often a fact of trial and error, as dangerous as that can be. Not everything will work well, but there are some things you can do to get a better result. Creatures of similar size will be the best matches, but if you get the ratios right you can make a mixture of vastly different sized animals, using the human blood additive as a base line. There are a couple of other factors as well, how they travel, are they aquatic, how they react to certain metals or sunlight. More often than not, the downfalls of each species will be involved in the mixture as well, so you have to be careful.”
“How about if you add two things of the same species? Do you get something better than the original?”
Sapphire and Borve turned their heads to Daniel, who was watching the outside of the outpost through a small peep hole he had carved into the wall. “In a sense. According to a couple historians I’ve spoken with, that is how the original vampire was made. A Hemomancer who combined several human blood types into one mixture, including his own, and became something more than human, or less than depending on your viewpoints. According to legend, the mixture was so precisely made that it lasted his whole life time, but those he turned had to take in more blood to survive. More blood means more cosmic energy that their bodies could use, so they are able to digest it and feed off of the energy. But ingesting that much has a major downfall. After awhile, the blood becomes like a narcotic, you need more and more or else you feel like you are going to die, and then you actually do when your body rips itself apart looking for more.” He turned his head to the rest of them. “I once saw the process of deterioration for them, as a punishment for a person who betrayed the Gentleman. When they die, they die in agony, becoming a grotesque mixture of everything they have ever eaten and that ripping them apart. It is not something you ever forget.”
The whole conversation died after that, and everyone was on alert, poised to be attacked at any moment.
The howl came when Daniel was finally beginning to nod off into sleep. Everyone jumped to their feet, backs against the dimming fire. “Anyone?”
“Sounded like a Grimler.”
“We had better hope it wasn't a Grimler.”
“Hoping isn't going to do us any good. He’s right, it sounded like a Grimler, so we had better prepare for them.”
“Them?” Bull asked, fear creeping into his voice.
“One Grimler alone isn't a problem. It’s like a dog, but with better senses and a longer body. Relatively easy to kill when they are alone.”
“So what’s the problem?”
More howls came from outside, blood curdling sounds that echoed through the night. Everyone stood motionless, listening. Daniel drew his sword and looked back at him. “They hunt in packs.”
There came a crash from the far side of the Midway building. They could hear the bending and falling of metal objects, ripping sounds. Everyone turned toward the noise, but then it came from the other side as well.
“Everyone, back to back, they’re circling us.” Daniel snapped at the others. He ran over to his pack and grabbed out the club, throwing it to Bull. “Pretty simple kid. Swing at anything that moves, try not to hit us.”
Bull caught it out of the air and gave it a few test swings before stepping into the circle. “Any idea how many?”
“Depending on the pack, anywhere from twenty to fifty. We might get half of that, depending on how long our distraction holds them.”
The howls became a symphony in the night, and snarling and yapping followed. Scratching at the walls nearest to them turned to tearing, and the Grimlers began snarling, clawing their way towards fresh meat.
Borve let out a loud cry and charged, hitting the first Grimler through the hole in the nose, the beasts entire skull caving in behind the massive blow. Another followed, and a second hole opened wide in the walls.
Sapphire pulled a pair of throwing knifes out of her belt and threw them at the Grimlers. The dog-like creatures yelped, dropping to the ground. She ran forward and pulled a larger knife from sheath and killed the Grimlers on the ground, and repeatedly stabbed through the holes in the wall, Daniel right behind her and slashing at any that got through.
From the ground beneath the fire there came a deep rumbling and Bull jumped away just in time to see a dozen claw their way up from beneath and flood into the room. He lashed out with the small club, taking one with each swing, but two of them jumped up on his chest and started clawing at him. Bull screamed out, sure that this was when he was going to die.
From nowhere, Borve jumped out and kicked the Grimlers off of Bull’s chest. Bull clenched his teeth, trying to keep from screaming in pain. He threw out his hand, searching for something, anything to defend himself with. His hands grasped something round and cold, a bottle. His eyes were blurring and couldn't tell what it was or whose it was, but he ripped off the cap and drank it, throwing the bottle at the dogs.
Sapphire cried out, dropping to the floor, but it was beyond his notice. His chest suddenly began to bind together, and grew stronger. His muscles began to ripple, and his skin changed several shades before settling on a deep purple, his shoulders benign wider and at sharper angles. His legs and arms broke and reformed at odd angles, until finally he stood just a few feet high, but twice as long. Finally, he felt two more appendages form from his back.
Daniel stared in horror, his eyes moving from Sapphires writhing form on the ground to the Rapion that stood before him. The entire room had went silent, as even the Grimlers stared at this new beast before them, their minds telling them to run from this unnatural, primal god.
Bull charged, catching two Grimlers in both massive paws and crashing through the wall into the rest of them, tearing through the masses. The pack began to descend upon him, clawing at the creature’s back, but he lashed out, leaving three or four dead with every stroke.
Borve picked up the club that Bull had dropped and together, Daniel and he kept the Grimlers away from Sapphire.
Time took on little meaning. They slashed and hacked for what could have been minutes or hours. Other creatures came in the night, following the scent of blood, and at any given time, one of them went into a Hemomanitic form. When Bull’s forms deteriorated the first time, Sapphire stopped screaming, but was unable to keep fighting. Morning came before long, and the creatures fell back into their dens.
Everyone was left panting, Borve falling over, asleep from exhaustion.
Daniel was left, bent over, looking from Sapphire to Bull. He got up and walked over to Bull and shoved him, and the boy went sprawling on the ground. “What in the Name of God were you thinking?” He shouted.
Bull got to his feet and squared up for a fight. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about her!” Daniel pointed to Sapphire. She was laying on the ground, curled up in a ball with a blanket over her. “You almost killed her, do you realize that? You used her blood to change. Her blood! Every move you made, every breath you took in that form, you took it from her body. You used her soul, her connection to the world.”
Bull’s eyes widened in horror. “I… I… I didn't know. I'm sorry.”
“Sorry?” Daniel repeated furiously. “Sorry? Sorry is not good enough. I shouldn't have ever taken you along. I said it from the start. You're too eager, and you're just going to get someone killed.” Daniel walked over and grabbed one of the packs and threw it to Bull. Daniel pointed back down the road. “Go back. Now, follow that road, go home.”
“But…”
“Go!” Daniel roared.
Bull looked him in the eyes for a few moments and then began to walk back down the road to Teluradien, slinging the half full pack over his shoulders.
…

Daniel kept Sapphire close to the fire for much of the day, watching as the sun dipped heavily over the sky. He wished they could be leaving, but he didn't dare risk moving her in this state, and Borve was still sleeping heavily.
He took the time to gather some of the blood from the Grimlers. He had an idea as to how they might have to get out of here, but he had to work quickly to get such a large brew together. They had each entrusted him with a fair bit of their blood for emergencies, and this qualified in his opinion. Within a few minutes, he had his equipment out; one large vat of the Grimler blood, three smaller ones with their individual blood, and a large, disk like heater.
Making the brews was highly repetitive but something that Daniel took careful pride and interest in. He had always considered Hemomancy to be something of an art, one that had to be done well and with as much care as the artist could put into it for it to be any good. Measurements had to be exact down to the drop when possible, but it had to be done quickly in this sort of time frame. Anyone could measure, but it took a master of the art to do it quickly and efficiently.
Borve woke first, around midday. He sat up groggily, fingers brushing over the sealed claw marks that ran across his chest. “Where's the boy?”
“Going back to town.”
Borve raised his eyebrows. “Never figured him for the quitting type, especially after what last night was like.”
“I didn't exactly give him much of a choice. You saw what happened. He nearly killed Sapphire.”
“First of all it was unintentional. Second, there is a difference between almost and actually killing her. And third, how could he have possibly known better. We do not warn people against that.”
         “For our own safety.” Daniel said. “He's lucky I didn't kill him for knowing that sort of information. If he had actually killed her, I would have.”
Borve looked at him thoughtfully. “And do you think we have taught him enough? He will not stop, you know that. No one ever does when they get a taste for it.”
“If we are lucky, he will survive long enough to make a deadly mistake. Better that than having to deal with a Blood Junkie.”
Borve shook his head but didn't say anything else about it.
Sapphire stirred a bit, and Daniel affectionately reached over and brushed some hair out of her face. “She wouldn't deserve to die like that Borve, not after what happened.”
“You cannot blame yourself for what happened to Talon.”
“Who else can take the blame?” Daniel watched her as she slept. “They shouldn't have been there. Not that early in their training. I brought him there, and he died. He died bad Borve.”
“They wanted to go. They were ready for everything but that. I've read what happened, Daniel. You have to let it go, or else it will kill you. Besides, she survived. Focus on that if you have to.”
Several hours later, the brews were done, and Sapphire had woken up with a bad headache and a bad cold. Daniel made her up some food and told them his plan.
“We will have to abandon most of the supplies, take it down to the bare minimum. And even then, I’m not sure if it will work. A pack is something primal, something like a family. I'm not sure if just inserting ourselves in there will make us invisible.”
“We are not looking for invisible, but maybe just less noticeable. We have lost a whole day and one man. We will have to make all of that up tonight, or else we will be dead by morning.”
“Teluradein is closer. We could go there, get more supplies. It would be safer, and along road we have already traveled.”
Daniel thought about it for a moment then shook his head. “The Gentleman needs this done quickly. He will not take kindly to us coming back empty handed, even if we were heading right back out. No, this can work. Are you ok to travel?”
Sapphire pulled the blanket closer and shivered a bit. “I’ll be fine in a while. Do you have enough for us to get to the Spire?”
Daniel looked at each of the brews. “I should have enough by the time you are ready. I wish I had a second heater though.” They all fell into their perspective silence, the only sound the light bubbling.
It took the rest of the day before Sapphire was able to stand up by herself. Daniel had the three vats filled and three smaller ones that they could carry in case they began to shift back halfway through.
Almost like clockwork, when the sun fell over the horizon, the howling began. “Here they come.” Daniel said, breaking the uncomfortable silence and handing the other two their vats. “Drink every drop, we have a long run. Remember, pace yourselves when we are out there.” Daniel drank his last and made sure they changed properly and strapped the supplies they were keeping with them onto Borve’s smaller, slippery back.
By the time the Grimleys arrived at Midway, the three were already racing away, pounding at the ground in a tight arrow shaped formation.

         Bull stalked down the alleyway of Teluradein, dodging the clumps of trash and sleeping people. It was early in the day, the sunlight just barely crossing the dark sky. The sun itself would not rise for an hour or more, and that made this the most dangerous time in the city. With only an hour left for feasting, desperate blood drinkers would be taking risks, killing indiscriminately, just to survive the next day. He had to be watchful.
         His mind wandered unconsciously to Daniel and the others. He was angry that they had sent him back, but he could understand it. He had almost killed Sapphire. He probably deserved to die for that.
         Bull shook his head and kept moving. He was going to prove to Daniel that he was good enough to join up with them. All he had to do, was keep the city under control in their absence But he had found that might be harder than he had originally thought on the road back. He didn't have their supplies, or their access to high quality materials.
         But he would survive, just like he always had. It was just about getting what he needed.
         In the right circles, blood became a sort of currency, not only of animals, but of people. To give even a bit of your blood to someone was for them to have a hold on you so strong that only death could break. Debtors used it when making shady loans, and when the person couldn't pay back, their blood was auctioned off, either to a vampire for an easy drink, or to Hemomancers. Bull had never understood how that could be useful, but now he had learned to fear it.
         And consider how to use it. He had taken all of his savings to buy off several debts, and was now the proud owner of six vials of blood, a small fortune.
         Teluradein was divided into several sections, ones that were not well defined and seemed to flow like water. Generally there were five well known districts: The Flea Market, High Hill, West Tower, Inner Circle, and UnderHills. Flea Market held the poor and middle class Humans, while High Hill held the rich ones. West Tower was ironically on the east side of the city, and held the police and military forces for the city. Inner Circle contained what would be considered the high class monsters, including the Gentleman and his court.
         UnderHills was something different than any of the others. It was a massive, underground black market district where humans and monsters lived. If something died in UnderHill, no one ever spoke of it. Entering any of the tunnels, there was a large, steel sign that warned about the danger from there on out. No police force had ever been able to control it, even in the old days. But if someone was willing to brave the deep, anything could be found for the right price, be it rare, dangerous, or stolen.
         UnderHill had always felt like home to Bull, a place where he could be himself without anyone staring or being afraid. He kept his head lowered just a bit to be inconspicuous, but still, his relatively large form radiated power and confidence. UnderHill was bursting with life, as it normally was, and diverse colored lanterns lit the entire tunnel with dancing shadows, and music from every corner exemplified every culture, from the cool, eerie tones of the Elves, to the quick, upbeat tones of goblins.
         After cutting through several streets and ducking down a fenced in staircase, Bull found the shop he was looking for. Tonics and Vials was little more than a hole in the wall, with a bright red light hung over the sign. It would go unnoticed anywhere in the town, just one more cubbyhole shop, but to people like bull, it was a hub for commerce.
         A small bell over the door rang loudly as he entered, and the woman behind the desk raised a gun of some type. “Tessa, where on earth did you get that?”
         Tessa broke into a grin as she recognized him and lowered the gun to the table, examining it. “Like it? It is from the BlackPowder Age. Some roaming trader had it in his collection and gave it to me broken to settle a debt. I had Jones fix it up for me and make some rounds.”
         Bull walked closer and put his hands on the counter. “That's an impressive debt he must have owed you. Black Powder Age… must have been a couple centuries old even when he found it. How does it shoot?”
         Tessa looked at him cheerfully. “I haven't gotten the chance to try it out actually. But I assume you didn't come to talk about guns. What do you need?”
         Bull pulled his six vials of blood out and set them down carefully on the counter. “Part one; I believe I have a tab.”
         Tessa straightened up and pulled a book out from beneath the counter, flipping a few pages before finding what she was looking for. “Indeed you do. Looks like about fifteen bit is. Three vials then.” She reached out and took three off the table and slid them under the counter, crossing his name out of the book. Her deep blue hair fell over her pointed ears and she bent down, and Bull couldn't help but think about how she looked.
         She looked back at him knowingly and grinned some more. “And part two?” She said amused.
         Bull shocked himself out of the line of thought and stuttered back into the conversation. “Yes well, um, I need some more. Decent quality, preferably something small and fast. And,” He taped the remaining three vials. “I can pay this time.”
         “Excellent. Follow me.” She came out from behind the counter and went behind one of the doors in the back of the room. She had to go through three deadbolt locks on either side of the door to get it open, the standard locking mechanism for any Hemomancer shop. The two locks in the middle were alloys of several different metals forged into one metal called Demthel. Anything that wasn't given express permission would be locked out. It was easier to go through the three layers of inch wide steel walls than to get through those two.
         Bull walked over to one of the sleeves and pulled a glass jar down from the neat rows. “Those are blends, alphabetically ordered. You might be able to afford one or two of those, but you could do a couple of the regulars.” Tessa said from behind him. He set the bottle down and followed her further down the rows until she stopped and examined several of the bottles. “These are the ones you'll be wanting.”
         He looked down at the bottles and smiled, nodding his head a bit. “Yes, I think they will be.”

…

         They made it the Spire at the crack of dawn, the Grimlers howling in the distance. They had been able to feel the difference just enough that the pack had followed them not long after they had left. But with the lead the three of them had on the pack, they were able to stay away for the night.
         The Spire gates rose up in front of them, solid stone bricks with a twenty foot iron gate. Men walked along the top, long spears in their hands and various weapons on their backs and hips.
         A spire guard walked out and stepped toward them. Several yards away from him, the three reverted back to their human forms, letting the blood burn away in their stomachs. The guard stopped short and set long spear on the ground. He nodded to them. “Hemomancers. Welcome to the Spire. I assume you will want to speak with the General?”
         Daniel nodded and the Guard bid them to follow, the gates creaking open before them, pulled by massive pulleys on the inside. “We keep a tight shift here Hemomancer. Every man is checked once a week for irregularities in their financials or activities, and every shift is overlapped by a second regiment shift so there are no openings. Each man continues his training while he is here so that at all times, they are prepared for battle and familiar with all weapons that can be provided.”
         “Well done Mr.…”
         “I’ve been designated Watch Leader by the General Sir, but most people just call me Leads.”
         “Alright then Mr. leads. Well done, it is impressive the work you have done. However on this occasion, we are not here to check on the defenses. We’re on a job Mr. Leads, and are looking for someone. I hope the General will be able to help us find him.”
         “Most likely Hemomancer. Each person let into the city is shown to the General if possible, so that he knows who is here.” Leads lead them through the paves streets to the Central spire; it is chiseled black stone walls disappearing into the clouds above them. A swooping staircase led up to a thick door with stone faced guards on either side.
         After several flights of stairs, they arrived at a wide open room that was more furnished than any of the others. There was one desk toward the center, stark white against the red floor. A small man with wire framed glasses sat behind a substantial pile of papers to either side of him, a small back pen gripped in his hands.
         The man looked up and nodded to Leads. “Another person comes to the town? I must say, it is practically unprecedented. Two in one day, then three more a mere two days later. If this keeps up we may actually have some living people in town.”
         “And what exactly are you implying about my soldiers Mr. Jeffersons?”
         Jefferson looked at leads and moment and grinned.”Nothing at all Mr. Leads. I will inform the General of your presence.”
         “Hold up a moment sir.” Daniel interrupted. Jefferson turned on his heels and raised an eyebrow curiously. “You said there were two men before us who came to the town. Could you describe them to me?”
         Jefferson was silent for a time, just staring at him. Finally he said carefully, “One of the two men was a vampire. Tall, pale, light hair and green eyes. The second was human. He was a very large man, who looked like he had worked on a mine or over a forge perhaps. I know neither of their names. You will have to ask the General.”
         Daniel smiled inwardly. So he was here. It was good to know that they had not come all this way for nothing. But he could not figure out who the second man was. A traveler perhaps? Maybe someone who helped him get out of Teluradein. He was important, whoever he was.
         A set of doors swooped open from the wall behind Jefferson, and led to a modest office. There were books neatly stacked on either side of the door and a small, simple desk toward the window overlooking the courtyard below. The room looked empty for a moment but then another door opened and a short, hefty man walked in with a robe over crumpled clothing. “Come in, Come in. Mr. Leads, please shut the door. I hate having a draft in here.”
         The man waddled over to the desk and sat down, leaning back in his chair. “Now then, what do we…” His eyes widened when he saw Daniel and the others. “Master Hemomancer. I must say, this is a surprise. How long has it been? Three years, four?”
         “Almost seven General.”
         The General let off a breath.”Seven years. Seven years, by god, where have they gone. You got old Daniel.”
         Daniel looked him up and down for a moment before responding, “Yes, and you got fat.”
         “Well,” The general looked down to his belly, “Perhaps I have put on a little weight but that's no reason to point it out. Now, I assume you are here answering the summons I sent out so long ago. We haven't had men tested for the ability since the man you left me died.”
         “Timothy is dead?”
         “Total liver failure, four different times. Hemomancy saved him the first few times, but it was final the fourth time. Drank so much that the Bar Keep was able to run for mayor twice just off of him. Good man, but couldn't put the bottle down; or the cask, depending on the day.”
         Daniel bowed his head. “I’m afraid I'm not here on that sort of business General. I'm looking for someone for the Gentleman. A vampire who came through here two days ago.”
         The General glared at him and stood up, hands on his desk. “Mr. Daniel. I understand that you are on business but I have a military installment in hostile territory to run. I need people like you. And if I cannot have you, then I have to work with what I have. That man and his friend have already been augmented in our reserve forces. I cannot let you have them.”
         “Sir, with all due respect, this man is a murderer.”
         The General burst out laughing. “So are half them men out there Daniel, and the other half are thieves, rapists, or just good enough at hiding bodies that we cannot prove they’re murderers.” He let the laugh die down and looked at Daniel seriously. “No one comes here by their own free will Mr. Daniel. They either have something coming for them, or they are running from something they did. I can't just give over every man who has committed a crime because the Gentleman says to. I’d be left without an army that way.”
         Daniel tried to think of an argument that would sway the man but couldn’t. “Fine, what if I make it worth your while to give me them.”
         The general tilted his head and sat back down. “And how would you do that?”
         “You give me the man I’m looking for, I spend a day testing your men for the ability.”
         “No deal.”
         “I’m giving you what you asked for.”
         “And setting a precedent along with it. Besides, one day will do me no good. Even if you find something, you will not be able to train them. It is like finding that a blunt sword has a history: the information does not make the sword any more useful, it is still just a blunt sword.”
         “I cannot stay here General and neither can they?” Daniel pointed to the others. “We have enough of a problem in Teluradein. I left Timothy back then because there were six of us then, now we have three, maybe a fourth at best, and he's not even half trained. “
         The General let out a sigh. “I’ll make you a deal Mr. Daniel. You test my men for the entire day, report back to me the ones who have the ability, and I will grant you an hour with the Vampire.”
         “Alone?”
         “Hell no. You two would end up ripping each other apart. Under guard.”
         Daniel considered for a moment and nodded, extending his open hand over the table. “Done.”

Bull knelt on a roof overlooking Seven-Points. The normal crowd moves swiftly through the area, keeping their heads down so not to meet the eyes of their so called betters. Less than a look was often enough for such people to kill, and that made this the perfect place for him to start.
         A muffled cry came from one of the northern-most alleyways that branched off of the intersection, and Bull got up to his feet, bounding across the closely built roofs to look into it.
         They alleyway was dimly lit and cluttered with trash and cloth lines crisscrossing between the buildings. The cry came again and Bull knelt down, looking closely.
         A vampire kneeled over the corpse of a man, the man’s eyes wide open and in a permanent look of horror. Blood stained the front of his shirt and covered his neck. Behind him, a woman stood, wide eyed and unable to move as she watched the creature.
         Bull pulled out a vial from his coat pocket and downed the contents. After a few moments, he did not feel any different and wondered if Tessa had given him a bad batch. Suddenly, the familiar warmth spread over him and his senses became sharper, every sound far louder than it should have been, and every smell stronger. His eyes became used to the dark instantly and the night became as bright as the dawn.
         He stepped off the roof and landed on one knee, back to the alley. He heard the vampire turn around and get to its feet. “This one is mine. Get your own.”
         Bull smiled, earns now so sensitive that he could hear the beating of the hearts of people around him, the slightest breath let out. “No, I think I'm going to take this one.” He got to his feet, fingernails growing rapidly until he had small dagger like shards on each finger.
         The vampire snarled and charged, legs moving inhumanly fast, carrying him to Bull like the wind itself. Bull sidestepped at the last moment, bringing his hand up and catching the vampire by the neck, stopping it dead in its tracks. It snarled in his hands and tried to wrench his arms off, but Bull simply took his other fist and hit the vampire in the face, breaking its nose and scaring up its eyes.
         The vampire hung limp and Bull dragged it to it’s feet, propping it up against the wall. The vampire woke up suddenly and tried to bit his arm but Bull pressed harder and slammed its head against the wall.
         The vampire was breathing heavily and put its hands up, “Alright, alright, they are yours. I’ll just get another, alright?”
         Bull c***ed his head to one side. “No.” He said. “I don’t think so.” He turned to the woman who was now kneeling over than man, weeping. “Run.”
         The woman looked up at him in horror and turned away and ran, leaving the man in the alleyway with Bull and the vampire. Bull smiled at the monster in his hands and jumped straight up, powerful legs landing him and his captive on the exposed roof.
         Several hours later, he watched the smoke billowing off of the vampire, now tied down to the top of the gates of the Gentleman’s estate, sunlight cascading over the nearby rooftops, and for a moment, he thought it was going to be a beautiful day.

…

         Daniel and Borve sat side by side on one side of the plain, metal table, looking at the door. Two armed guards stood silently ready on either side of them.
         A silhouette filled up the dark glass beyond the door for a moment and then it opened. The vampire fit the description Daniel had been given by the folder, except that he seemed taller and fit than he had been led to believe.
The vampire stopped halfway through the door and looked him in the eyes for a moment, the cold, dead look showing no sign of any emotion. It closed the door and took the seat opposite of them. “So, I hear you men are here to kill me.” Daniel nodded.
“And the Gentleman hired you I presume?” Daniel stayed quiet and nodded once more.
“And I assume there is really nothing I can say that would make you believe that I am innocent?”
“Not really.”
“Even if I told you Blackhands was alive?”
Daniel raised his eyebrows. “Could you prove it?”
“Perhaps. I prefer to hold bargaining chips in reserve until such time as they are needed.”
“Well I would say they were needed right now if I was in your shoes.” Borve replied sarcastically.
The vampire turned his head to Borve. “If you were in my shoes, they would have to be second hand and ripped apart. No one would let something like you wear leather like this. I think i’d even let my dog wear them before a mongrel like you.”
Borve sneered a bit and clenched his teeth in anger. He moved to get up but Daniel set a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back down. “He has a point though. If you can provide proof that the man is still alive then you will have done nothing wrong and we will have no reason to kill you.”
“In good time Hemomancer, however, I would like to tell you something of a story before any evidence is provided, so that you can understand what I did and why I did it.”
“Fine. But remember, we don't have all day.”
“Then I will be as brief as possible. Several months ago I worked as the Chief of Operations in the Gentleman’s surveying department. We were providing an accurate total of the human population in the city, as difficult and flowing as it is. It is something the department has done regularly for several years now and I did not look into it too much. That is, until I met Mr.  Blackhands. I was tasked to talk with all of the leaders of the humans in the city and ask them how their conditions were and anything that the Gentleman could do to help accommodate their presence.”
“Like many of the leaders,  Blackhands was at first hostile to me, telling me to leave him alone to his work and making outright rude comments about what he thought my kind could do. I wasn’t used to taking that sort of thing from your kind before, so I left, and came back the next day. But when I came back, he was talking to several of his students and I stopped t listen instead of interrupting. What he was saying shocked me. He began with talk of their oppression, which is something that all people feel under any sort of ruler, even the ones they themselves elect, but then moved on to actual atrocities that were going on. I worked with numbers Mr. Daniel, that is all I saw, but what he was saying, it made me wonder. I began to look into some of the stuff he was saying, people who were supposedly dead in massive accidents actually not there at all but their bodies mysteriously disappeared. Entire families that supposedly moved away, but no one has any record of them actually leaving.”
“You are vampires, what did you think was happening? There has to be cover up somewhere.”
“I thought we were getting the blood from willing participants, the endless blood drives, the hospitals, and corpses for god's sake. But my brethren were unappeased with cold blood; they wanted it hot and flowing. I came back and talked with Blackhands, asking him to tell me more. He was cautious at first, thinking it was some sort of set up, but with time I convinced him and he let loose everything he knew.”
“So this is the point where I got the next set of orders: botch the numbers on the surveys. Make them almost five percent less than they actually were. That is when I really knew something was going to happen. I told Blackhands and he told his students, and word spread. That was five days ago Mr. Daniel. Within the day of me telling Blackhands, there were things at my door, ready to take me away and kill me. In escaped, and brought Blackhands with me, using pig's blood to try and cover up the escape and make it look like he had been murdered, believing it would give us some more time to leave. The Gentleman sent you to kill me, the only person who actually knows anything.”
“And what do you know? Botching the numbers by five percent is basically nothing in a town like Teluradein. That many disappear each year, either they move away or they get killed.”
The vampire raised his hands to Daniel, pointing at him. “Exactly! Why would he bother if they were just going to disappear anyways. That is what I thought initially too. But then the kidnappings started.”
“Kidnappings?”
“People taken in the night, just a couple from every few houses, barely enough to be noticed. I saw them Mr. Daniel. They were led in like cattle to the Gentleman’s home and killed or imprisoned below the manor. But sir, I looked at the numbers. The amount of people he took was only about half a percent when I left, probably closer to two percent by now. One in twenty people are being killed, by the Gentleman’s orders. But I don't think it is going to stop there either. They found all of the people like Blackhands and killed them off first, the people who could raise the alarm to the most people. Without them, that five percent could turn to ten; twenty, even twenty five percent before the humans really began to notice it. ”
Daniel was silent for a time, just looking at the vampire. He wasn’t sure if he could believe it. But then again, it was the Gentleman. “Fine, said I entertained a even vague belief in what you were saying, do you have proof?”
The vampire nodded and leaned back in the chair, knocking twice on the door. After a moment, another man came through the door, this one far larger than the vampire and matching Jefferson’s description. “And you are?”
The man extended his hand and replied, “Thomas Blackhands.”
“Mr. Blackhands, look into my eyes.”
“Why?”
“It is called a Soul Reading. So long as you have a soul, unlike our dead friend here, and are not a Hemomancer yourself, I will be able to see you, and everything about you, and if you really believe what he is saying.”
“Will it hurt?”
“It might stun you a bit, but no, it won't hurt, and will only take a second or two.”
The blacksmith raised his head an looked Daniel in the eyes. For a moment nothing happened, then a slight tugging on the back of Daniel’s eyes began to throb and he was mentally sucked into a vision.
The vision reminded him of some conceptions of the afterlife.
         Fire billowed up everywhere, memories from the blacksmith’s work in the fires; Daniel glimpsed movement, the flowing of memories and thoughts, emotions and ideas. He was in the center of it all, and on a large piece of shining steel, he saw the images he needed. The man really did believe the vampire and everything he was saying. The Gentleman had tried to kill him but the vampire had helped him get away.
         But beyond that was the teachings he had performed and the things he had seen.
         Daniel pulled himself out of the vision and fell over, rubbing his eyes. Borve and the guards got up to help somehow but Daniel lifted a hand, stopping them. He got back to his feet and fell in the chair.
         “Well?” Borve asked.
         “He’s telling the truth. All of it.”
         “So the Gentleman…”
         “Is going to murder thousands if we kill him.” Daniel turned back to the vampire. “Alright, we believe you; now what?”
         “Why do you think I came here? I came to get an army, to stop the Gentleman. This is the only one that could even theoretically take Teluradein within, well, anywhere. We need to get the General to march on the city.”
         Daniel shook his head. “That’s never going to happen. The general would have to abandon the Spire, abandon everything he and all of his predecessors have worked to hold, to anything that wanted to come and get it. We would need incredible proof.”
         “But something has to be done Mr. Daniel. We can't just leave those people to die.”
         “No, we can't.” He looked to Borve. We are going to have to stay here. Try to train up some Hemomancers. The General might not be willing to abandon the Spire, but he might be compelled to let us march a few hundred trained Hemomancers out.”
         “Sapphire wouldn't survive another trip like the one last night anyways.”
         “So you will help then?”  Blackhands said, his deep baritone voice filling the room.
         “Yes. We will try.”