(Selma Helland)

When they finally left the curated jungle garden the first thing she saw was Nafir and Aldren looking around at the edge of it. Both exclaimed her name and hurried over to her followed by Theodore and his three sons. “What happened? Where were you?” Aldren asked a little flustered and she couldn’t help but think he was cute right then.

Before she had a chance to speak a low growl behind her caused her to turn around to see the land drake behind her staring at her. Its dark green scales allowing it to blend in with the greenery if not for the tiger like black stripes along its scales. Alexander quickly took a stance and was drawing out his sword when a calm voice spoke up next to him.

“That won’t do now boy. Relax, he means no harm.” Vlad said with a slight smile as he pushed the half drawn sword down into its sheath again. Selma had thought he was behind the drake, she hadn’t even seen him move and judging by Alexanders shocked look neither had he.

“Wha-?” Alexander said as his eyes widened and he took a step back as the drake leaned its head forwards and nudged Vlad’s shoulder.

“Now, now I’ll talk to your “rider” later. Go on back and I’ll see you later.” Vlad said with a smile as he scratched at the drakes neck. The drake snorted a little but did sway its neck to show it enjoyed the scratches before it slowly lumbered away, heading towards the stables of the dragon riders on the palace grounds.

“H-how?” Magistrate Nafir asked most likely because much like Selma she hadn’t seen a drake that… compliant with anyone before.

Sighing a little she repeated the words Vlad had told her. “Apparently one predator recognizes another.” She said looking at Vlad just a tad sourly because thinking that his words made little sense to her even when heard again. Nafir looked from her to Vlad a few times before looking pointedly at Vlad and then sighing a bit as if realizing something the others didn’t.

“At least we’ve found you Baron Aesir.” Theodore said as he walked forwards and looked into Vlad’s eyes with hostility. “I need to know something from you.” He then said and the steel in his voice made Selma swallow a little.

“Knight Commander Dunleavy, please.” Nafir said now looking like he’d been trying to wrangle cats for the past hour.

Vlad looked at Nafir and then at Theodore. “I’m sorry about your son.” He said with a slight sympathetic look in his eye. “His passing wasn’t easy but… it was quick and relatively painless.” He said as he took out a single ring from somewhere and handed it over to Theodore.

The man had stiffened and once he’d received the ring he focused on it a bit and then snarled as he gripped Vlad’s clothing and pulled him closer. “You shameless bastard!” He growled and looked ready to behead Vlad right then and there.

“So I’m not allowed to the right of self-protection?” Vlad asked icily as his eye almost lightened to an extremely pale blue instead of the deep grey with occasional red streaks he normally had. “The man you hung out these very city gates was kinder to me than your son!” Vlad said as he gripped Theodore’s hand and gripped it very tightly and then ripped the hand away from his clothing when Theodore looked stricken by his words.

“Your son wanted to throw me to the literal wolves at his gates! And neither did he listen to Chernabog’s degree of his right to land in his forest.”

Theodore took a step back and stared at Vlad as he stared the man down. “I arrived at Deepguard wounded and bleeding from fighting off three wolves at level one.” Vlad began slight anger coming to his voice. “The necromancer you hung at the gates and carved into was the one who took care of me. Tending to my wounds but do you know what your son wanted to do?”

Vlad had cocked his head just slightly to the side as he stared the knight commander down. “While I was unconscious Chernabog gave your son and the people he lead a few days to pack up and leave. He thought I had brought that upon his town and wanted to have me throw out the gates.”

Theodore looked sad as if he’d heard this before. “When I defended the town upon its walls your son was holed up in his mansion with the very best fighters protecting him. Good people died for his selfishness and that was the moment he lost his peoples waning trust. I was called by Chernabog and spent a few days outside the town while I was healing.”

Vlad looked slightly calmer now if not a bit regretful. “I did kill your son Commander, but I did it because he had been left behind by his people because he didn’t wish to leave with them. The horrible death he would most likely had suffered by Chernabog’s hand was something I spared him from. However I also did it out of selfish reasons.” Vlad said then and he looked down a little before he looked back up at Theodore who’d grown slightly red in the face.

“You cannot tell me after hearing the testimony of those people that your son wouldn’t try to get back at those people or even me who’d earned his ire if he got back? You must know the best how your son acts, he would have manipulated or bribed to get his way. The fact you haven’t taken out your blade and struck me down yet shows me you are both a man of practicality and honor. It is for that reason alone that I returned to you, your son’s body so that as a father you can bury your child.

As a father myself I can understand that it is no easy task for a parent to bury a child. I’d let you strike me down right now but I think we both know that it won’t be of any help.” Slowly Vlad reached out and gripped Theodore’s shaking shoulders as the man struggled with his emotions.

With a gentle smile Vlad spoke again. “Take your time, grieve for the good in your son that sometimes only a parent can see. I took the liberty of cleaning and preparing your sons body as I do not know your burial customs I hope that I haven’t overstepped my bounds.” Vlad then said as he gestured for the sons to come closer and help their father who stood now on shaky legs.

“H-how did you?” Theodore asked in a shaky voice as he looked up at Vlad, an unreadable look on his face.

“Simple stitching and mending magic works on the dead as...” Vlad began and then sighed. “Tasteless as it sounds. Your sons body looks as pristine as if he was alive now, so any rite can be performed.” He said his expression sounding he was an uncomfortable speaking the words as they sounded.

The man nodded and allowed his sons to help him away, the sons sending rather nasty glares towards Vlad but seeing that their fathers honor denied him to take revenge then they couldn’t sully their own either.

There was an awkward silence that reigned for a while as Vlad and Selma figured all of them were a little introspective and respectful of Theodore’s grief. Then Nafir broke it with a soft clearing of his throat. “Felix… are you usually walking around with corpses on you?” He asked with a rather pointed look at the elf, who smiled a little self deprecatingly.

“I figured I’d meet him here so I had to be prepared. Given how Cambell was treated even after showing he wasn’t interested in harming others and even worked as a physician was treated...” He trailed off again and gave Nafir an almost distrustful glare.

“How else would I have enough leverage to stay alive long enough for this meeting to take place.” He then said and Selma began to realize that there was a tense undercurrent between Vlad and Nafir.

Sighing Vlad spoke up again. “Anyway let’s get off this sour topic and...” He trailed off as both his ravens landed on his shoulders and looked like they were whispering into his ear. His brows furrowed and speaking once more but in a different language she could have sworn she’d heard before the two flew off and the look Vlad gave them made Selma’s spine tingle in fear.

“Tell me Magistrate Nafir why exactly are my children being brought here?” He asked and the look in his singular eye was so hostile she felt like a hand was around her throat before he raised his hand up and pointed at Nafir.

Out of the air came five simple swords with a pitch black blade and a pale almost glowing blue handle and guard. Three of which were pointed at Nafir’s throat and one for herself and Aldren’s throats each as well. “I do not advise treachery human.” Vlad’s eye had turned red and the same look she’d seen in the eyes of a mass murderer who’s trial had been televised considering the man had manged to rack up a body count of over a hundred before caught.

It was the clear look of someone who’d killed someone before and didn’t even hesitate to do so again. Coupled with the way human had been spoken like it was an insult to vermin only made her knees shake in fear. She could understand now that perhaps Magistate Nafir had understated how badly humans had treated Vlad if this was his response to Nafir having his children brought back to the palace.

Nafir looked calm but she could see the swallow of his throat that he did before speaking. “After we couldn’t find you Baron Aesir.” He started and the swords slowly backed away from their throats as Vlad looked like he was calming a bit and getting control of his emotions. The glowing red eye wasn’t helping him look a bit less threatening as his expression became one of calm anger.

“I felt that perhaps you’d rather have your children near you to allow you to relax a little more… and well I’d hope to ask your… hounds? For help in finding you.” He then said chuckling a little sheepishly and Vlad blinked and widened his eye a bit.

Then the swords flashed and looked to have turned to smoke that drifted off before the raucous laughter registered. Vlad was laughing so hard he had to hold his hands to his stomach as he continued leaving the three of them nonplussed at his behavior.

Selma was rather sure now that Vlad definitely had quite a few screws loose. “Ah haha… ahhh. I’m sorry I didn’t expect the reason to be so innocent. You didn’t strike me as the type Magistrate Nafir.” Vlad said as he calmed down and even wiped a tear from his eye.

Nafir chuckled a little as he realized the danger had passed. “Well I’ll have to hope that in the future we won’t have such misunderstandings. If I call for you or your children I’ll give the reason for such an act before hand and will not allow for them to be escorted unless by at least one guard from yourself.” He said bowing a little, Selma noted the trembling on the mans hand as he did so and she couldn’t blame him.

“Wh-what was that? M-magic?” Selma managed to muster up the courage to ask. She’d never seen magic cast like that even when Nafir had shown her a few spells.

Vlad blew out his lips in a sound that sounded like a raspberry and a scoff at the same time. “That was a parlor trick. I can’t wield proper magic yet I’m barely level forty anyway.” At the three’s stare he sighed and raised one hand and a sphere made of pale blue energy appeared over his hand.

“I just used mana manipulation, materialization and shadow materialization for the colors.” He said as streaks of black began to swirl over the sphere before he snuffed it out by closing his hand.

“Mana manipulation? That?!” Nafir blurted out and looked rather flustered at this information.

“You should be capable of something like this shouldn’t you? I mean you are a mage or wizard of some sort I presume given the mana you give off of you.” Vlad asked puzzled.

“I can do no such thing! Most mages don’t even advance mana manipulation passed the basic stage once they get the hang of guiding and manipulating it in their spells.” Nafir said and then looked a bit sheepish at the dead pan look Vlad gave him.

“You’re kidding… What is that academy good for if they don’t even teach the basics of magecraft?” He said sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I take it mana amplification, empowerment and the like aren’t taught either?” He asked as his rubbing went higher and he rubbed at his forehead as well. He looked like he’d been counting on a piece of information that had just been proven false.

“What are those?” Prince Aldren asked as he managed to find his voice after the shock Vlad had thrown his way. Selma was just glad that the guards hadn’t been around when Vlad had revealed one of his hands.

Vlad sighed in frustration and then raised one hand again and a model of a human body appeared above it, like a diagnostic hologram of the human body. “First off, I’m not going to explain manipulation nor materialization to you. Amplification is used in short bursts to empower a blow or spell, this is best used for mages or mage knights but really anyone with mana can do it if they actually apply themselves. Mana empowerment while sounding similar is much more long term than amplification.” He spoke in a manner that was easy to hear as he’d also taken a few steps forwards to allow them to see the little animations he had the hologram, or would it be called managram?, did.

“Empowerment is saturating your body with mana to build it and better it as well as increase the body’s capabilities. It is the requirement to becoming an actual magic knight or any of the physically inclined magic classes.” Vlad explained as the hologram flexed its muscles.

“Then we have mana senses and sight which are rather self explanatory as they allow you to interact with mana and the world better. Then there’s mana casting and devouring but those aren’t topics meant for humans. Who knows what you’d do with that knowledge.” He said almost sarcastically at the end as he brought his fingers together and the hologram was snuffed out like a candle had been at its feet.

Nafir gaped and so did Aldren while Selma could understand why Vlad wouldn’t want something called mana devouring in the hands of anyone if he was so mana focused himself. “You must become a professor at the academy!” Nafir finally shouted almost as he gripped Vlad’s shoulders.

The elf didn’t look comfortable with being touched but his surprise at Nafir’s outburst then he snapped his head to Aldren who gripped his hand and looked up at him with nearly admiring eyes. “Baron Vlad! You can teach people to become magic knights?! Please help Alexander!” Aldren’s voice was impassioned and Selma began to think all of them might have a screw loose, hadn’t Vlad just threatened the lives of not only the crown prince but the Magistrate of the empire as well?

She sighed and shook her head, perhaps it was just this world that was weird.

Vlad looked highly uncomfortable as both of them pestered him with earnest eyes and Selma began to think that perhaps Vlad had too much of a teacher in him to really get mad enough to throw off such eager students. Then he shrugged both off and flicked his finger at the two which made the two be dragged back three steps. Selma really wanted to be able to do that, might allow her to just toss out the maids trying to wake her up at the crack of dawn.

Vlad sighed loudly as he placed both hands on his hips and then pointedly looked at both Magistrate and Prince. “Under a few conditions. As I see you’ve told the prince my actual name I guess I’ll have to introduce myself properly to the young prince...” He paused before he shook his head and looked at Nafir. “I get to teach White necromancy to those that might get necromancer as a class, not a single one of the academy’s students get to rely on the titles their families have and have to prove their own worth. I get to study at any of the other professors classes as long as it doesn’t conflict with those I teach. Commoners talented in magic are allowed to attend and.” He paused here holding up a single finger.

“Non-wizard types such as the shadowmancer, wilderman, magic knights and the like are also allowed to attend the academy when I am put in as instructor.” He said finally and then something Vlad had said caught up with Selma.

“You're a necromancer?!” Aldren nearly shrieked but Selma noticed the bubble of privacy around them that wouldn’t have even let those words be heard by another.

Vlad smiled wide for the first time and she saw the fangs in his mouth, two upper canines with the ones at the back being smaller than the front pair along with another pair in his lower set of teeth. It made her shudder and realize that what Vlad had said about him getting along with a fellow predator truly meant, question was which type was he.

With a theatrical bow Vlad began. “I am Baron Vlad von Carstein, last remaining heir of the Voidstrider. Necromancer, Death knight and Shadowmancer as well as the first Vampire Baron to be seen in these lands in a few millennia. I am the father of all coming bloodlines that shall stem from me, I am the progenitor of all vampires to come.” He said as he drew himself up and his lips turned to an amused yet predatory smirk.

Nafir had taken a step back. “G-god born of the Voidstrider?” The old man whispered and then suddenly fell into deep thoughts while Aldren was shaking underneath Vlads gaze, he looked at the prince like he was food and Selma wasn’t sure she could manage to keep her bladder under control under such a gaze.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“So that’s why you said you didn’t have much of a choice of being a necromancer?” He then asked and broke the spell between Vlad and Aldren.

“Yes, I mean he is the god of death isn’t he? At least that’s what Németh told me about him.” Vlad said and Nafir started at the name.

“You mean the consort of the void? The weeping mother and lich queen?” Nafir asked now just looking done with being surprised by Vlad any more. At his nod he thought a bit more.

“What do you mean she told you about him?” Selma decided to ask and Vlad’s amused smirk turned dark.

“He’s dead and so is the rest of his line, save myself.” He answered a bit tersely before he sighed and looked at Selma. “He came from our world, so did I twenty four or so years ago. I used to be...” Now Vlad looked uncomfortable with speaking. “In Aona’s service.. She betrayed me, tried to destroy my soul and I later got to find out she is responsible for the murder of Voidstrider as well as the crime of using his line… my family as her personal and disposable mercenaries.”

Selma could understand him being not so willing to say something so horrible that had happened to him.

“But.. if Aona is a goddess why are you so mad at humans? If you're from my old world wouldn’t that make you human too?” Selma asked confused but she swallowed as Vlad loomed over her.

“Who do you think held the soul killing sword stabbed into my back?” He asked his intensity diminished to a slight gentleness as he looked down at Selma. “A human did that on her order, someone I trusted with my life. While my body died I was stuck there as a disembodied soul and watched those I considered my only friends in this world reveal their true natures and how they looked upon me. If it wasn’t for the council of death, that would have been the end of the linage of the Void as they call it.” He said before his eye flicked to look to the side.

“Wow… you’ve grown into quite the bummer while you were away.” Another elf said leaning into the privacy barrier. He was dressed like a showman and butler all in one with a white misty mask over his face.

“Thesimus...” Vlad began in a sickly sweet voice as he turned towards the intruder. “How… marrrrvelous of you to join ussss.” Vlad’s voice turned a little bestial with how he growled his r’s and hissed the last word out.

The face of joy plastered on the mask suddenly turned to one of shock as the intruder backed out of the barrier as Vlad walked slowly towards him. Right then the moment she noticed the bewildered satyr girl looking around that went pale and still at the sight of Vlad as he exited the privacy barrier.

“He brought me! I didn’t come here of my own free will!” She squeaked as she pointed at this Thesimus who looked at her as if wounded by her.

“I know, the trickster god is a right jackass, isn’t he?” Vlad said, his voice sounding like he was smiling ear to ear as he loomed over the slightly taller elf somehow. Standing behind Vlad she saw him reach forwards and looking to be about to grab the intruders neck when the intruder dropped what had apparently been an act.

“You know I’m a god right? “Vlad”?” Thesimus said arrogantly and Vlad’s hand stopped, most likely as Thesimus sounded mocking when he said his name. “You can’t touch me unless I want you to so drop the threatening act you sad broken little man. I want you to apologize to my herald right this instant!” The god said as he pointed down at the ground imperiously and rather arrogantly.

“Hmm so kill your herald and you go away?” Vlad said absent-mindedly as he turned his head to look at the ever paler face of the satyr girl who stared like a deer caught in headlights. “No… it would be a waste.” He then said as he reached out and gripped Thesimus’s neck and pulled him closer.

The god looked shocked and startled that Vlad was able to touch him as he was pulled in close to the vampire Baron.

“Listen and listen close you fucking parasite.” Vlad started in a low but calm tone. “You will not touch or interact with that poor girl from this day forth understand? Once I become a god I’m going to burn Aona and her little godlings for what they’ve done don’t think the rest of you are safe either. You allowed her to act with impunity and murder not only one of your own but possibly hundreds of my family in her petty little game of empire building.”

The god looked up at Vlad as he’d been forced to bend his knees a little with their positioning. “So tell me godling… what are your sins? Are they worthy of me ripping your guts out and stringing you like the puppet you made me into all those decades ago? I can touch you now... but imagine what I’ll be able to do when I reach level one hundred? Two hundred? Hmm?” Vlad’s voice had turned to that of an excited predator on the hunt, at least with the expression on his face she managed to make out it did. She’d managed to slowly slide up next to the trembling satyr girl.

Thesimus looked from Vlad to the Satyr girl and back again before he scoffed and flicked his hands over the hand on his throat and backed away. He looked wary of Vlad now. “Fine! She’s yours and as an added bonus I won’t go crying to the other gods to make them form an alliance against you. Just leave me out of it.” He said angrily and at Vlad’s nod he disappeared when she blinked, like he’d never been there before.

The Satyr girl fell down onto her knees and began to cry silently.

“Don’t cry for him. They like to play games with us because they… No, I don’t even know why they do it.” Vlad said sighing tiredly before falling to one knee and coughing up a thick gob of blood. Nafir and Aldren didn’t know what to do as they hovered there at the edge as the sounds of heavy footsteps came from the right as the guards arrived.

After Vlad had been checked out by a healer and warned to never exert himself to such a degree again. They didn’t say anything about how he’d damaged himself through overexertion however and soon they had been moved to a small garden in the palace that was on a balcony overlooking the knights training grounds.

Vlad looked haggard, like he’d been in a back to back triathlon competitions. However the one that looked worst out of all of them was the poor Satyr girl who looked like she’d just been sold into slavery.

“There are four types of reincarnators in this world.” Vlad suddenly began and looked up, pointing at Selma. “Those like you, who are summoned to this world in your original body are one.” He moved his finger and pointed at the Satyr girl. “Those summoned as heralds of gods and get to build their new body like miss Nekzih here.” She stiffened but relaxed a little as Vlad pointed at himself.

“Then the last two are like me. The first is similar to a herald but they keep their original body perhaps made younger or the like, they are little more than puppets or pawns for the gods to move as they wish. I think they aren't allowed to act unless through heralds or that they can act the most using a herald as the medium.” He said tiredly as he then leaned back and combed his fingers through his hair.

“Wh-what of the fourth type?” Nekzih asked tentatively seeming to realize that Vlad meant her no harm.

“Those of us that died here and were given a second chance in another body.” Vlad said frankly and looked at Nekzih. “He doesn’t love you. They are incapable of the emotion but they are supreme actors. I was fooled by them.” He said and Nekzih looked struck as she brought her hands up to her mouth but the truth of Vlad’s words was clear in his eye.

“I thought Aona was the love of my life, she even said she’d elevate me to be a minor god just so we could be together at the end of the journey. Through three and a half years of war and horror she was the only thing that kept me going besides my companions. I slaughtered hundreds, thousands even just for her. Burned cities to the ground and made slaves of people for her. Do you know how she repaid me for my devotion? She ordered my companions to stab me in the back and they did so gladly.” He said and both Nekzih and Selma gasped a little at his sudden confession, Nafir had hastily cast a privacy barrier around them when Vlad had begun to speak.

“I despise humanity because of that and because of their greed and other failings. Tell me Nafir. How many of the so called white nobles in this city would gladly sell out this empire if I offered them immortality as the possible progenitors of a vampiric bloodline of their own?” He asked and the complicated expression that came upon Nafir’s face was answer enough.

“I thought as much. Do not worry I will not bring my evil upon this empire. My aim is only one empire and those behind it.” He said and for a moment he looked like a man weary and tired from the road knowing he had miles and miles ahead of him but taking the brief rest offered on the way.

“You're Robert aren’t you?” Aldren suddenly asked and Nafir looked like he was about to say that it was preposterous but Vlad’s reply silenced him.

“Yeah. I used be. I’m not so good at subtly after all so anyone listening a bit would get it if they had the correct information to work with.” He said as he leaned a bit forwards to support his chin with his hand. "Besides if my word on not wishing harm upon this empire isn’t really trusted well… c'est la vie I guess. I’ll just have to hope that your father is reasonable enough to allow me to just get on my way again.” He said as his amused smirk found itself faintly upon his lips again.

“What’s a white necromancer anyway?” Selma pipped up to change the subject, mostly because of selfish reasons. She didn’t like where her mind went with what had just been said already. Would she end up being betrayed like Vlad had? Or was his just an extreme case in this world? She hated being in the dark about so much that she needed to know and the topic had only fed that anxiety.

Vlad looked at her and seemed thankful for the change of subject. “It’s a phrase I’d like to introduce here. A white Necromancer is someone that only raises the corpses of monsters they themselves have defeated or the corpse of a loved one with permission from the one to be raised along with their families. They could also give a family the last moments with the spirit of the departed should the departed not have been able to speak or such.

Essentially as benign a necromancer as you can get your hands on, think spiritual tenders to the dead. They could also provide cheap labour for farms short of hands if they had humanoid skeletons as their minions. A zombie shouldn’t be near food.” Vlad said and smiled a little at the last part.

“So a holy necromancer?” Nekizh asked with a cocked head and confused expression. Nafir seemed rather interested now as he leaned a bit forwards.

“Do you think you could train such necromancers?” He asked almost eagerly as he looked at Vlad almost like a drowning man looking at a shore line.

Vlad seemed to pick up on that and narrowed his eye at Nafir. “Some one close to you is a necromancer isn’t there?” He said and Nafir looked like he’d been slapped. “I figured, so that was why you were so interested. I can but a white necromancer is only different from the usual necromancer on a single point.” Vlad pointed a finger to Nafir and his look showed he was being as clear as possible on the point. “It is a matter of ethics and their own morality, perhaps we’ll see the birth of a new class that would make following their ethics and morality easier but I can’t say. This worlds system is just plain strange to me in what it will and won’t allow.”

Nakizh and Selma looked at one another and Selma could see that at least that was something the reincarnators at the table could all agree on. It was simple yet impossibly contradictory as well at times.

Then both girls gasped once again at the transformation that occurred before their eyes. Vlad smiled in such a gentle manner and his smile was one of such genuine joy as he stood up. The girls then stiffened as the huge black wolf the size of a small horse padded past them before the girl riding it smiled happily.

“Hello father.” She said with a wide smile and Vlad picked her up and hugged her before holding her against his hip.

“How’s my little glutton?” He said as he flicked a finger against her nose causing the girl to giggle at him. “How did you like the house Magister Nafir showed you and Morice?” He then asked and the girl grew animated and excited.

“It’s huge! Even the garden behind the house is huge!” She started and began to animatedly begin to describe what Selma realized was a house that somehow blended together a Roman manor and one of those ancient style near modern Iranian manors.

Vlad looked like a doting father as he spoke to the girl like she was a person instead of like how many other parents had that slight condescension or “baby-talk” manner they sometimes did. He chuckled and then smiled again as a handsome young elf came up and smiled back at Vlad.

“So did you get us kicked out of the empire yet?” He asked with a teasing smile only to suddenly yelp and rub his butt suddenly.

“You deserved that ya cheeky brat.” Vlad said with his amused smirk on his lips again. “A swift kick in the ass should get you motivated.” Vlad said before chuckling at the glare the young man sent him.

Selma noted that Nakizh had her eyes fixated on the young man, almost hungrily so. She smirked a little to herself, so someone had a little crush did she?

Nakizh looked over when she must have felt Selma’s eyes on her and she swallowed a little and her eyes grew a bit panicked over the knowing look on Selma’s face.

Letting the girl down, Vlad stood and gestured to the two as they took up position next to him. So did the huge black wolf and another huge man clad in some serious armour that gave off some definite dark lord vibes. She was mostly caught off guard as he’d just appeared there without a sound or even creak of his armour.

“Let me introduce these individuals properly but before that. Magistrate Nafir could you include sight in the sound privacy barrier you’ve put up?” Vlad asked and at Nafirs nod and gesture began.

“I am Vlad von Carstein but I’ll be known as Felix Aesir while here in the empire. This little one is Akasha von Carstein. My adoptive daughter I took from a slave trader in Bedelev’s black market.” Selma and Nakizh gasped and looked pityingly at the girl who looked like a pristine doll and didn’t seem to think anything was wrong.

“While we stay here she will be named Aurabella Aesir. I ask that you please remember that. Next to me is my apprentice Morice Havenfield. While we stay here he is in the guise of my son Markus Aesir and before you ask Nafir if I was to classify the two of us, we are Black Necromancers. Though the only humans we’ve used are those that have come after us or attacked us in some way.”

Then he moved over and petted the large wolf’s head. “This is Garmur, one of the first skeleton wolves I raised. Gotten big hasn’t he? Yes you have.” He said before he scratched the wolf’s ears and the big wolf turned from a huge scary black monster to an oversized puppy in Vlads arms.

“Wait, that wolf’s a skeleton?” Aldren asked dumbfounded.

“Started as one yes. Though I infused the bones with shadows and added a plating around the base skeleton to make him seem more lifelike at a distance. Perhaps he’ll evolve into a living wolf type one day?” Vlad said and his eye looked now like the examining eye of a craftsman looking over his own work.

Shaking his head he moved on and placed his hand on the armoured giants shoulder. “And this is Abhorash Svartritter, first of his name and progenitor of the Svartritter knightly bloodline of vampires.” He said with pride and the giant pulled off his helm to reveal something that reminded her of the undead in the first Hellboy movie, at least his face.

Despite the clearly walking dead she wasn’t afraid as the dead man carried himself with pride and the manner she saw in the most trusted knights of the empire she’d come across. Perhaps with a name like Svartritter some of the ideals of knighthood was rooted into the bloodline?

“You’ve already made a vampire? Wait doesn’t that make you a vampire? How much blood do you need to survive?” Nakizh asked suddenly looking a bit more than just put out by the whole thing.

“I’m not a vampire yet and quite frankly when I actually become one I think I’ll be skipping from fledgling vamprie to elder vampire given I already have the physique of an elder vampire.” Vlad said before shaking his head. “Besides the point. The Svartritter bloodline is rather special, they can turn the living yes but they cannot sustain themselves on the living. He was originally a skeleton as well but I gave him flesh and sacrificed a bit of my soul to get enough power to make a vampire draugur of sorts. As such he needs about a jar of this size of dead man’s blood every month or so.” Vlad explained as he made a jam jar sized jar appear in his hand made out of mana for a moment.

“Given I…. might have my eyes on destroying a few criminally inclined organisations in the city if I get permission from the emperor I doubt getting blood for him will be hard.” Vlad said a little sheepishly as he looked at Nafir with a smile and a sort of ‘what can you do’ gesture of his body.

Nafir looked like he was chewing on his lower lip just to keep back the flood of questions he had for Vlad. Vlad looked put off now but then sighed and moved to take a seat and leaned forwards facing Nafir and then gave him a clearly unwilling nod for him to begin.

What followed was an hour long session of Nafir asking by far the most mundane questions of Vlad about his necromancy and further explaining white necromancers. Selma had thought he’d go with just asking about everything after that introduction like she’d wanted but instead she increasingly began to stare at Nakizh as the girl began to shrink in on herself.

A look of self loathing beginning to creep onto her face.

Only for the hour long session to stop as Selma saw Vlad notice Nakizh’s look and overall mood and instead of looking sympathetic towards the girl. He looked enraged. “That fucking bastard!” He growled as he stood up and walked over to Nakizh who looked up after flinching like she’d been struck.

Vlad lowered his body down so he was face to face with Nakizh and looked into her eyes before he reached out and hugged the girl tightly. Selma and Nakizh for that matter were surprised by such an action before Selma noted the sudden sagging of Nakizh’s shoulders and how she’d buried her head into Vlad’s shoulder and hung onto him like he was the last refuge she had.

She clung onto Vlad for several long moments before she tired herself out and slowly backed away. Vlad was gentle with her as he used his ascot to dry her tears and help her compose herself.

“H-how di-did you know?” Nakizh asked a bit shakily once she was settled into her seat.

“I could see the signs. I was certain of it only now but I had my suspicions. Thesimus isn’t the type to get willing heralds.” He said as he held onto her shoulders after cleaning her face a bit. He then turned his head towards the side as a few guards were walking towards them.

“Markus, could you help Nakizh please.” He asked and something in his eye must’ve told something to the young man as he nodded with a serious look.

“Magistrate Nafir, The emperor summons you and your guests to an audience.” They said after saluting the prince first. They came together and Selma noticed for the first time that the huge wolf was nowhere to be seen, where had it gone?

The thought of that large beast loose somewhere around the palace made her a bit nervous and worried, before the image of the scary thing turning into a puppy in Vlad’s hands popped up and she chuckled at her own expense.

With that Vlad, herself, Akasha, Morice, Nakizh and Abhorash walked behind the guards that surrounded Aldren and Nafir as they made their way to the reception room before the private meeting room that the emperor wanted to have a discussion in.

She was a bit surprised when Vlad asked that both herself and Nakizh were involved as what he had to say to the emperor also related to the two of them. It took a bit of convincing but before she knew it she was sitting on a sofa with Nakizh on one side and Aldren on the other.

Her sofa was on the side with the emperor, empress and Nafir sitting on one sofa and opposite them sat Vlad. He was the same calm as he’d had when she first met him and sitting on either side of him on the back of the sofa were his two ravens. Then opposite herself, Aldren and Nafir were Theodore and Leonardo Barwell the master of the roads and Quinn Beghal the emperors personal servant for some reason.

She wasn’t sure anymore if the two were living or not but she’d been surprised that no one objected to the two birds in the room who looked as calm as their master. Vlad cleared his throat and then sighed a bit before he began to tell his story after proper introductions were made by Nafir. She wasn’t the only one who noted the lack of any mention of his classes nor his vampire title.