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"W-what do you mean?" I stammered, afraid that even the slightest error would result in that horrible sound of tearing flesh echoing into the air once more. 

Atravius frowned and my fingers twitched, "It was a simple question, what do you know of magic." 

"M-magic is a term given to the various reactions of Aether within the natural world," I stammered so badly I nearly stopped talking but through sheer will I forced myself to continue, "And since Aether is the fundamental building block of the natural world it is believed that magic has an infinite number of forms. However there are only two branches of magic that have been cultivated by humanity. Faith and Inscription.

Faith magic is rooted in belief of a higher power and was gifted to humans by the first prophet, a heavenly messenger sent to the mortal planes. The gift he passed on was the Art of Prayer that allowed humans to transform the latent Aether inside them into Faith. 

However instead of empowering themselves Faith is sent towards an object or being of worship. When enough faith is directed to one source a Faith Pool is created, a limited but renewable reservoir of magic that can be accessed by those deemed worthy enough which is usually done through swearing fealty to the church or the god that presides over the faith pool. 

Inscription on the other hand is a far more complex practice that requires decades of skill in order to master. Centuries ago Monks copying the patterns they observed in nature managed to develop the first aetheric language. That when supplied with Aether could recreate natural phenomena. 

The monks then discovered that by arranging the runes in a circular formation they could be connected in order to produce far more complex and powerful reactions. After this discovery the art of Inscription became wide spread across the world revolutionizing nearly every aspect of life. 

And even more recently Scholars discovered that inscriptions when arranged in concentric circles could behave as a singular entity creating the first Array. But the resources and space required to create even the most basic array has limited their use to magical reinforcements for permeate structures."

By the end of my explanation I was no longer stuttering having found my rhythm despite Atravius' pricing gaze. 

After a brief moment the vampire nodded seemingly satisfied with my response, "You have the dictation of a scholar or at least one in training. Maybe this endeavor won't be as tedious as I feared. However you failed to mention that there is a third branch of magic." 

I nodded hesitantly, "Sorcery the magic used by the Fae and magical beasts." 

Atravius grinned revealing his two gleaming fangs, "Ah yes, sorcery, the only true form of magic. But do you know why only Fae are able to use it?" 

Chewing my lips nervously I nodded my head, "All Fae are born with the ability to absorb Aether from natural sources and store it within their bodies. It's why they live longer than humans." 

Atravius smiled and broadened to almost inhuman portions, "Very well said, however there is one important distinction. It is not the aether itself that makes us long lived, it is the changes our mortal forms undergo when exposed aether for hundreds of years. As we age so does our power both magically and physically." 

Falling silent for a minute a series of questions brewed in the back of my mind and I wondered how the ancient monster in front of me would respond. 

"Speak up boy, never be afraid to raise your voice as the opportunity may never come again." 

Not expecting such encouraging words I paused for a minute before speaking, "If Fae can live for thousands of years, and only grow stronger with age. Why haven't they overrun the world, and wiped out all of humanity?" 

Atravius nodded solemnly as he got a far away look in his eyes, "For the same reason why magical beasts haven't done the same. We are far too busy fighting each other to unite under a single banner. Even the weres with their packs are ruled by a council composed of the strongest alphas. That and having fae children is notoriously difficult, humans out number us ten to one." 

"But you raised an army against the Oroen Empire's crusade? Would it not have been better to destroy them once and for all instead of asking for indentured servants?" I countered with a confused look on my face.

Atravius let out a long sigh as he shook his head, "I do not know the specifics, but I doubt there was a central army against the Champions. But even if that were the case we would never destroy the Empire unless it was absolutely necessary." 

"Why?" I pressed completely baffled about why the Vampires would ever leave such a thorn in their side. 

"Because faith magic is notoriously difficult to defeat when used defensively. But it also concerns the very nature of faith magic. The more people pray to the church the greater pool of faith their champions have to draw on." Atravius explained and I tried to piece together what he was hinting at, "Tell me, do you think people pray more when they hear about a crusade in some distant land they can't see? Or when there's an army of bloodthirsty vampires storming the castle walls?" 

My eyes widened in understanding, "Does it make that much of a difference" 

Atravius nodded, "But it is not the fear of resistance that prevents us from waging war against the human kingdoms. If we were to succeed the outcome would be us enslaving all of humanity and raising them as blood cattle which is far more hassle than it's worth. If we were to lose or suffer heavy losses humans would stop at nothing until every vampire was eradicated and the Dark Lands were razed to the ground allowing them unfettered access to the Wild Lands, our ancestral home. That is the real reason why we Vampires are forbidden from waging war against the humans." 

"Forbidden, by who?" I sensed a deeper meaning behind Atravius' words. 

"The Faerie Court, the only interracial governing body among all Fae kind." Atravius answered with a sour tone, "Long ago it was decided that the Vampires would settle in the Dark Lands and keep the humans in check, ensuring they never made it into the sacred heartlands. If we knowingly jeopardized our sworn duty, then I have no doubt the rest of Fae kind would punish us severely." 

"Just how many other kinds of Fae are there?" 

"That is an almost impossible question to answer," Atravius responded mystically, "Many times, some were thought lost to the ages or banished beyond reach only for them to return after casting ripples throughout the Realm. But to be more succinct, there are six primary fae races though each have their own subspecies. You have us the Vampires, the Elves, Dwarves, Weres, Demons and most detested of all Angels. Though Demons and Angels don't have a physical foothold in the Realm, they live in separate dimensions and have to be summoned and most often act through a conduit. But I fear we have gotten off subject."

The vampire then held out his hand and I watched as a small glass vial appeared in his palm. With horror I watched the dark red liquid slosh around inside the glass. 

"As you said we Fae are able to absorb Aether into our bodies. Were-kind draw their strength from the stars and celestial bodies, elves from their ancestral trees, dwarves from the earth. And most famously Vampires from blood." Atravius spoke slowly before he flickered like a mirage before he stood in front of me closing the distance between us faster than my eyes could track. 

Atravius held up the vial and with my unsteady hand I took it from his offered palm, "Drink."