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The paperwork on his desk is getting considerably higher. What started as a few case files begins to turn into enough sheets to fell a forest. It doesn’t help the headache that’s forming, and Tommy avoids the temptation to bang his head down onto the wood to see if that changes anything.
Instead, the door to his office opens.
‘Thanks for knocking,’ he drawls, far too tired to deal with the lack of respect.
The intern, who is clearly older than him, frowns. ‘Sorry, sir. A letter came for you from your Coven.’
Tommy has had multiple Covens under his wing in his three years of servitude, but there’s only one that he would refer to as his.
The paperwork can wait. Tommy stretches a hand out, accepting the letter from the intern as he looks down at the cursive handwriting.
Theseus Innes.
On the back, a seal indicative of the Syndicate keeps the letter from being opened. Tommy smiles, reaching into the top draw of his desk to pull out a letter-opener. It slides under the seal, keeping it perfectly intact.
Tommy moved to the Essempi branch of the Academy a little over a year ago. Unlike the others in the branch, he had a more liberal view on relationships between humans and vampires. As long as they lived by the code, Tommy saw no need for the Academy to get involved in the lives of the Covens that lived within the Empire.
It was only because of his title, that people accepted that viewpoint.
His first mission, after arriving at Essempi, was to introduce himself to the local Coven. His first letter had been succinct, explaining who he was, and assuring the Coven-Sire that he had no intention of invading the Syndicate’s space. If they required anything, or had any concerns, they could contact him and, as a hunter, Tommy would deal with it.
Before he came along, the Syndicate had tense relationships with the Academy. Now, a weekly letter updates Tommy on what the Coven is doing.
He’s never actually met any of the Syndicate. He has no reason to go their estate, seeing as they haven’t had issues that Tommy needed to solve. It was mostly an on-paper deal, with Tommy giving reports on any rogue vampires that had been spotted around the area.
Today, the letter takes a bit of a different turn. It starts off with the usual greetings, as Philza chats away about his Coven. He mostly talks about his sons, or the youngest fledglings. Tommy reads it with a smile, before his eyes flick to the last paragraph.
‘—issues with a rogue in our territory. Normally, we’d handle it ourselves, but we’re aware that you’re keeping an eye on numbers. Should we deal with it and give you the report?’
He grimaces. Rogues have been picking up in numbers, and it means more work for Tommy.
‘Seeing as this issue is more urgent, I’ve given you our number in case you wanted to give us a call.’
Technically, he has their number anyway. He knows everything there is to know about the fifteen vampires in the Syndicate, even if he doesn’t bother looking through their paperwork much. Everything he wants to know are the things he asks in their letters.
‘—look forward to hearing from you soon, mate. Warm regards, Phil.’
He glances to the door of his office, then to the stack of paperwork. He definitely needs to finish off the reports for the new recruits, or sign off the patrols for next week. A singular rogue in a vampire territory was way below his rank.
Still, the Syndicate is the main Coven in Essempi, and Tommy considers himself their personal ambassador with the Academy.
He picks the phone up, typing in the number and letting it ring.
The dial only sounds three times, before it’s picked up.
‘Craft household,’ chirps a young voice, and Tommy instantly wracks his mind for the names of all Syndicate members.
‘This is Theseus Innes, from the Essempi branch of the Academy,’ Tommy says, the usual spiel that he dislikes, ‘Would it be possible to speak to Philza Craft?’
He hears a gasp on the end, and the rapid nodding of whoever is holding the phone. ‘Sure, boss man. I’ll just call him for you.’
Tubbo, Tommy concludes.
‘Phil! Your hunter’s on the phone!’ Tubbo screeches, so loudly that Tommy winces.
He hears footsteps, a quick chatter between Tubbo and his sire, before the phone is handed across.
‘Hi, mate.’
His tone is exactly what Tommy expected. A chipper, overly friendly tone that could hide his true thoughts.
‘Hi. Sorry for the late afternoon call, but I just received your letter,’ Tommy says, suddenly unsure.
Phil pauses.
‘Is this a bad time?’ Tommy adds, nervous that he’s somehow managed to ruin relations with the Syndicate after a singular phone call.
‘No, no. You’re just a bit younger than I expected, Theseus. I was expecting some old man,’ the voice jokes, and Tommy chuckles.
‘Like you?’ he bites back, before he can stop himself.
Philza laughs. ‘Glad to see you’re just as sassy outside of your letters.’
Pride bubbles up in Tommy’s chest, but he shoves it down. ‘And you sound just as I imagined.’
‘Oh?’ the vampire hums, intrigued, and Tommy pushes his luck just a little more.
‘Like you get excited about the morning paper,’ Tommy decides, fingers curling tighter around the receiver as Phil laughs even louder.
Tommy’s smiling just as hard.
‘Anyway, back on topic,’ Phil says, and Tommy’s smile falls, ‘Would you like us to handle the rogue and then send reports?’
‘Have they been on your property?’
‘Undoubtedly. The scent is all over the eastern woods, and we’ve found drained animals on the border.’
‘Singular?’
‘As far as Techno can tell, they’re on their own.’
Technoblade Craft, the eldest in the Syndicate aside from Phil. Tommy’s studied the Blood God as a case-study when he first joined the Academy, and knows his recorded history well.
‘I’d prefer it if the Academy hunted the rogue,’ Tommy explains, tapping his fingers on his desk. ‘Unless they’re directly threatening your Coven.’
Phil stays silent for a moment, before Tommy hears him sigh. ‘I suppose we can handle that. I’d like a warning before you send any of your agents onto our land, though.’
The last time agents went onto Syndicate land, it was twenty years ago. Tommy obviously wasn’t alive for it, but the report stated that Philza Craft attempted to be hospitable, up until the point where a younger agent insulted one of the fledgling vampires.
The agent was beaten so badly that they went to hospital.
The Syndicate had paid a hefty fine for that, but the issue was swept under the rug. Not even the Academy wanted to go up against the Angel of Death’s Coven.
‘If it makes you feel better—’ Tommy begins, already checking his calendar, ‘—I’ll do the preliminary scouting myself.’
Phil lets out a surprised sound. ‘I presumed your rank allowed you to stay out of active duty.’
Theseus Innes, according to the Academy’s ranking, was one of the four captains that the Academy had.
In reality, despite having that title, Tommy wasn’t treated like the other three. His rise to status came from his bloodline and enhancements, rather than actual merit.
‘A bit of fresh air is better than paperwork,’ Tommy tells the sire, who chuckles.
‘Understandable, mate. When can we expect you?’
‘I’ll probably head out tomorrow morning, if that’s alright with you? I don’t need you to be there, and I’ll only be a couple of hours.’
‘It’s no trouble! You could always come up to the house first, and then we’ll show you the spot we’ve scented them?’
He hesitates.
On Coven grounds, with an entire clan that could rip him apart if they wanted to.
Adrenaline always tastes sweet on his tongue. ‘Sure. Just after dawn?’
‘Of course. Will you stay for breakfast, after? I’d be interested to listen to your tale about the Modon Coven in person.’
Tommy’s definitely going to have to skip this part out of the report he sends back to the Academy. ‘Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
**
He wakes at four-thirty, and drags himself to the shower. His one-bedroom apartment is hardly the epitome of a comfortable living situation, but he’s never seen the point of properly settling. Eventually, the Academy will call upon him for his abilities, and this dingy little apartment will be the last of his worries.
With his shower done, Tommy prepares himself for scouting. He chooses a simple, lightweight-leather outfit, buckling straps of armour around the most important parts. A belt contained his two stakes, along with the one in his boots, and then the knives that he pockets into different parts of the outfit.
To keep him safe from the morning chill, he wraps a cloak around his shoulders. It’s a weighted one, hugging his ankles as he makes sure there’s a dagger snuck into the fur lining around his neck. With everything clipped, he checks over his reflection.
The golden markings that symbolise his heritage are hidden away under the outfit. He’s forgotten to shave for a couple of days, but it’s the barest amount of stubble that lines his jaw. The bags under his eyes will fade in the cold, and the weather can explain his chapped lips.
His kit is at the door where he left it, the rucksack that contains his equipment, and his crossbow at the side. He lugs the weapon around his shoulder, and grips the bag in his hand.
He grabs the keys to his bike, exiting the apartment and descending the stairs. Outside, his beloved Clementine sits patiently, waiting for him. With his rucksack put into the storage, he takes out his helmet and slips it on.
The Syndicate’s Estate is on the outskirts of Manburg. By the time the sun rises, Tommy’s pulling into a paved-driveway that leads up to a Manor House. Clementine’s gentle purr has clearly alerted members of the household, because Tommy doesn’t even manage to come to a halt before four people emerge from the house.
He recognises the Syndicate leader first.
Philza Craft is dressed in green… robes? A bucket-hat sits on top of blond hair, and he’s smiling towards the other Syndicate members.
The Blood God, Technoblade, is at his side. Long pink hair, braided so that it sits out of the way, and an outfit not to unsimilar to Tommy’s. Instead of dark colours, Techno’s are bright. A white shirt, light brown pants, and a red cape that covers his shoulders.
Wilbur Soot, the Siren, is at his nest-mate’s shoulder. He’s taller than the other three members, wearing a long trench-coat and a yellow sweater under it. A beanie sits on his head, with a pair of oversized spectacles on his nose.
The final member is Niki Nihachu, Nemesis. Her hair is a bubble-gum shade, and she’s the only one dressed in “normal” clothes. A pair of jeans and an oversized sweater, with a coat over the top and a bobble hat on her head.
Tommy parks Clementine, kicking the stand out and killing the engine as he dismounts.
He notes that their eyes draw to the crossbow strapped to his frame.
‘Good morning, Theseus,’ Phil says, as Tommy opens up the storage.
‘Morning, Philza,’ Tommy returns, taking out his kit and slipping it over his shoulders, under the cape. Then, he unbuckles the helmet.
‘A pretty cold morning to be…’ Phil trails off, as Tommy shakes his hair free with the helmet gone.
He puts it into Clementine, then turns back to the four vampires. ‘Everything alright?’
Phil’s staring at him.
Tommy gets this a lot. ‘I’m eighteen, before you ask,’ Tommy says, rolling his shoulders and briefly checking that his crossbow is ready to go.
The Syndicate leader blinks. ‘Eighteen. And you’ve been working at the Academy for three years.’
‘Only out in the field for two,’ Tommy replies, then looks out towards the woods. ‘Ready when you are.’
‘This way,’ Technoblade says, brushing his sire aside and taking off in the direction of the trees.
Tommy follows, hot on his heels, as the others join.
‘How long has the scent been present for?’ Tommy inquires, looking to their tracker.
Technoblade glances over at him. ‘I noticed it thirteen days ago. Dead animals have only been appearing for five.’
He notes all of this down mentally, watching his footing as they trek through the trees.
‘I’m surprised you came alone,’ Technoblade then says, and Phil makes a noise of protest behind them.
‘Because you beat up the last agent to come out here?’ Tommy inquires, eyes scanning the trees. ‘Shouldn’t have insulted a fledgling, then. Idiots.’
Technoblade raises an eyebrow at him, while Phil comes up on his other side. ‘It was an unfortunate accident—’
‘You don’t have to placate me,’ he assures, ‘I knew what I signed up for when I chose to protect your Coven.’
‘You chose our Coven?’ Wilbur Soot, notorious for his silver-tongue, inquires.
Tommy shrugs. ‘Essempi sounded nice, and the Syndicate is pretty well-known.’
That’s all the explanation he offers, because Technoblade has come to a halt.
There’s a pile of dead birds on the floor.
‘Brilliant,’ Tommy exclaims, darting around the vampires and crouching down. He doesn’t hesitate to reach for the first bird, admiring the puncture wound on the neck.
He searches each bird.
‘What are you looking for?’ Wilbur asks, nose wrinkled.
Tommy peers closer at the bird’s neck. ‘Bite patterns.’
‘For numbers?’
‘And for age. This—’ he gestures to the bite on the bird’s neck, ‘—is done with too much precision to be a fledgling. But this one is a youngling practicing.’
He studies each, then stands up. ‘I’m thinking a sire and a fledgling.’
‘Not good,’ Phil mutters, staring out at the woods.
As the Syndicate members bicker, Tommy’s instincts start playing up. He glances around the clearing, focusing in on a tree at the edge of his vision.
He stalks over to it, narrowing his gaze at the blood splatter.
‘It’s fresh,’ Technoblade comments, from over his shoulder.
‘Don’t creep up on me like that, big man. Terrifying,’ Tommy says with a shudder, stripping off his glove to poke at the blood with his finger.
‘Ew,’ Wilbur comments, only for Phil to stare at Tommy’s frown.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s human,’ he mutters, spinning. ‘Can you hear a heartbeat?’
Technoblade shakes his head. ‘None, save for yours.’ Then, as an afterthought, he adds, ‘It’s not as elevated as it should be.’
Not good.
It doesn’t take him long to track the blood splatter. When the Syndicate members let him know they can smell a vast amount of blood, Tommy speeds up.
While the vampires halt at the scene, Tommy does not.
It’s a clearing, with a small rock shelter.
Outside the front of the cave is a dead human. Her neck’s twisted at a strange angle, with multiple bites on her body. Her neck has basically been torn apart, and Tommy crouches down to tilt her chin to the side, staring at the nasty death.
Then, he eyes up the rock shelter.
‘You know how deep it goes?’ Tommy inquires, staring into the darkness.
‘No, it’s not on maps of the land,’ Niki replies.
Tommy shrugs, reaching for the stake at his side. ‘Nice. This’ll be fun.’
‘You’re going in?’
‘Obviously. I’ll be back in a moment.’
The vampires exchange a look, before Technoblade sighs. ‘I’m coming with you.’
Tommy frowns. ‘No you’re not. This is a dead human, which makes it an Academy issue. My jurisdiction.’
‘And you’re one hunter, with two potential vampires.’
‘I mean this in the nicest possible way,’ Tommy says, glaring at the Blood God, ‘But two vampires really don’t have a shot with taking me down.’
As if the universe has decided to prove a point, a screeching sound rings out. It’s just about the only warning Tommy gets, before a hungry sire comes hurtling out of the darkness and straight towards him.
Tommy ducks. His reflexes aren’t human, and it allows him to swing around fast enough to unstrap the crossbow from his shoulder and load it, sending the bolt into the vampire’s shoulder before it gets the chance to eat him for breakfast.
The red-eyed creature shrieks, and Tommy slams his bodyweight into it as he grips the vampire by the throat with one hand, and by the stake buried in his shoulder with the other.
They go down to the ground together, with Tommy’s knees pinning it.
‘Stay,’ he barks, fingers itching to kill. ‘How many fledglings have you got?’
The vampire snarls, bloody fangs on display.
He removes the stake from the vampire’s shoulder, then slams it straight down into its chest. The creature hisses, then squirms, and then disintegrates.
The hunter rises back up, glancing to where the Syndicate are standing.
Technoblade stares at the stake in the boy’s hand. ‘You moved too quickly.’
‘I’m not fully human,’ Tommy replies, then darts a look to the cave. Pocketing the stake, he reaches for the knife instead, and rolls up his sleeve enough to expose his forearm.
Wary of the golden markings on his skin, he cuts. Just enough to draw blood, letting it drip down to the forest floor.
Inside the cave, a pair of red eyes appear.
‘Hello,’ Tommy greets, stepping closer. ‘You must be pretty hungry.’
The red eyes don’t waver.
‘I know how scary it must be, with that bond gone. I’m sorry, but I can help you if you come out.’
Vampires are hostile to other vampires that aren’t in their Coven. It’s why Tommy shoots the Syndicate a look, and they take some steps back.
The fledgling emerges. A baby fledgling.
The child can be no older than six or seven.
Tommy’s struck by an overwhelming nausea, remembering the first child-vampire he was assigned to.
‘Hi,’ Tommy murmurs, crouching down and abandoning the knife. ‘I’m Theseus, but I prefer Tommy. What’s your name?’
The baby vampire takes another step, hissing in the direction of the Syndicate.
‘Don’t focus on them, focus on me,’ Tommy coaxes, soft and gentle. ‘They can’t hurt you whilst I’m here.’
The boy looks back at Tommy. He’s dressed in pyjamas, blood-stained and torn.
‘Michael,’ the boy whispers, and Tommy beams.
‘Michael’s a great name, big man. Are you hungry, Michael?’
The tiny head nods rapidly, and Tommy gestures to his wrist. ‘You can have a bite, I don’t mind.’
He doesn’t need a second invitation. The kid moves at vampire-speed, almost knocking Tommy to the ground in his hurry to sink his fangs into Tommy’s wrist. It’s messy and painful, with no venom to soften the bite, but Tommy doesn’t protest.
He just threads fingers into the boy’s hair, tilting his head to the side enough to admire the turning bite.
‘Oh, you’re a baby vampire. No more than a couple of weeks old, hmm?’ Tommy murmurs, and is rewarded with a growl as his wrist is torn apart more.
Eventually, when his head starts to feel woozy, Tommy shifts.
‘You’re losing too much blood,’ Philza comments, voice surprisingly concerned, and Tommy shrugs.
He reaches for the boy’s jaw, pressing down on the side. A whine sounds as the kid is forced to release, revealing his bloody fangs and Tommy’s torn wrist.
‘We’ll get you more later,’ Tommy promises, stripping off his cloak and wrapping it around the kid’s shoulders. ‘C’mon, up you come.’
Michael doesn’t seem to mind Tommy picking him up, although his eyes dart to Tommy’s neck like he’s debating taking another bite.
‘I’ll take him,’ Niki says, surprising Tommy.
‘Are you sure? I know other vampires—’
‘He’ll bite you again.’
‘I knew that when I picked him up,’ Tommy mumbles, but he doesn’t protest when the vampire takes the baby from his arms.
‘This is going to be a nightmare to explain to the Academy.’
**
Wilbur wraps Tommy’s wrist. In the other room, Tommy’s boss is currently talking with Phil about the Syndicate looking after the baby vampire.
‘That was pretty dangerous,’ Wilbur comments, staring at the bandages around Tommy’s skin.
The hunter snorts. ‘You mean badass, Wibbles. It was a badass move.’
‘You’re an actual child,’ the vampire mutters, but he’s smiling.
When the two of them walk back out, Phil’s frowning.
Tommy’s boss glances over at him. ‘I still recommend extermination.’
Phil flinches. The rest of the Syndicate are in the room, and Tommy is more than aware that they’re outnumbered.
His boss wants the baby vampire dead. Technically, he has every right to make that call, because of the dead human in the woods.
‘With all due respect, sir, he’s a kid. He was human a couple of weeks ago,’ Tommy says, staring at the baby vampire still curled up in Niki’s arms.
He’s asleep now.
The Academy lead shrugs. ‘And now he’s not. A fledgling is dangerous.’
Phil clears his throat. ‘We’re willing to take him in. With training, he’ll manage—’
‘Once a vampire kills—’ his boss cuts in, uncaring, ‘—they’ll kill again.’
Tommy doesn’t point out that he’s in a room with the Angel and Blood God, not to mention Nemesis and Siren.
‘You’re bold, to speak like that in our house,’ Technoblade grunts, a warning in his tone.
Tommy’s boss doesn’t care. ‘I’m quite sure you couldn’t hurt me, even if you tried.’
When Technoblade takes a step forward, Tommy takes a reluctant step between them.
Surprise flickers over Phil’s face. Tommy sends him an apologetic stare in return.
‘I’ll keep an eye on his progress,’ Tommy offers, without taking his eyes off of Technoblade. ‘If the fledgling can’t control himself in a month’s time, I’ll exterminate him then.’
His boss shrugs. ‘Fine. On your head be it, Theseus.’
The man gives Phil a singular nod, before he walks from the room. Tommy relaxes, then glances to the kid.
‘I won’t actually kill him,’ Tommy quietly says, ‘Just don’t let Essempi find out he’s here, or the Academy will be forced to come for him.’
And with that, Tommy leaves his Coven behind, hurrying back to the human world.
Under his skin, the golden markings flicker desperately.