The Praetorian Guard were a remarkable feat of genetic engineering. Even Maya Hansen, who had helped the Emperor create them, could not fully understand the principles behind the technology. The Extremis Virus, the greatest invention of her life, was merely one of many tools used during the third stage of modification among tens of thousands of procedures. Subsequent tests on experimental subjects had proven that the Praetorian Guard's genetic engineering included safeguards that prevented their genetic information from leaking. Ordinary bloodsucking insects underwent no changes from feeding on their blood. In fact, those insects fled from the compounds secreted by the Praetorian Guard's sweat glands, which protected and cleansed their bodies.
Some research suggested that more advanced factors might be playing a decisive role. The Druid Order of Sola Red Forest discovered that although the sweat-gland compounds could repel mosquitoes, their effect weakened to varying degrees once they moved away from the Praetorian Guard's skin. Given the Druid Order of Sola Red Forest's involvement in genetic engineering, they believed that radiation emitted by the Praetorian Guard's shaped souls might be forcing mosquitoes away.
High Priest Mary believed this was because the Emperor had elevated the Praetorian Guard with his own soul. As a perfect human, the Emperor influenced every species in the biological chain, and the Praetorian Guard possessed a fraction of similar potential. However, there was no empirical evidence for this claim. The Emperor would not permit them to meddle in genetic modification procedures controlled by others. Anyone who did so would face the punishment of being utterly erased from both the Material Universe and the Sea of Souls.
In any case, the Praetorian Guard had no need to worry about naturally evolved bloodsucking insects. Constantine merely laughed off Supiluliumas's joke. Even the Praetorian Guard's share of the supplies