I found out there was a frightening lack of stories in the Cirques archive, so I decided to write one of my own. This is my first story in a while, do constructive criticism is welcome. AU from book nine: Killers of the Dawn with EXTREME SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE BOOK AND THE SERIES. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Also, a portion of the dialogue in the beginning is quoted from the book. !EDIT!: This is the fourth time I've had to try to re-upload this. Hopefully it'll work this time around.
Vancha frowned suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"
"If you and Larten turn yourselves over to us without a fight," Harst said, "we will allow Darren to duel with our Lord and Steve Leonard. It will be two on one, but he'll be equipped with weapons. If Darren wins, we free all three of you along with the others. If he loses, we execute you and Larten, but the humans and Harkat Mulds go free."
"Think it over," he urged us. "It's a good, honest deal, more than you could have reasonably hoped for."
Vancha turned away from the platform, troubled, and looked to Mr. Crepsley for advice. The vampire, for once, didn't know what to say and merely shook his head mutely.
"What do you think?" Vancha asked me.
"There has to be a catch," I muttered. "Why risk their Lord's life if they don't have to?"
Vancha was quick to jump to his brother's defense, but asked him again if he was telling the truth. As they spoke, I could see Mr. Crepsley silently formulating a plan as he watched us.
"Well, Darren? It is an enormous burden to take upon yourself. Are you prepared to shoulder such a solemn responsibility?"
I sighed resignedly. Even armed, the odds were still very much against me. Both Steve and the Vampaneze Lord were highly skilled fighters and one misstep could send me plunging into a pit of flaming stakes or a put a dagger in my back.
"If this is our best chance, we have to grab it. If you two trust me, I'll accept the challenge-and the blame if I fail."
"Spoken like a true vampire." "He is a true vampire," Mr. Crepsley corrected.
I allowed myself to puff up a little bit with pride. As somebody who almost never gave compliments, his words meant the world to me, but I could still see the worry still lurked behind his eyes.
Vancha demanded that the Vampaneze let Harkat and the humans go, and after a brief argument, he agreed to our terms and let them leave. The ex-police officer, Morgan, kept his rifle trained on Alice as they were shepherded out of the cavern. Suddenly, she yanked the weapon out of his hands and pulled the trigger, blasting part of his face away and slamming the butt of it into the back of his head, taking him down for the count. She took aim and fired at the metal platform. At first most of the bullets simply pinged off of the smooth surface, but one arced wide and caught the Lord in the shoulder. The man howled in pain and his subjects roared with rage in response. The battle had begun.
My first instinct was to go and rescue Debbie from the mad mob that was quickly closing in on us, but the rope ladder leading to the platform had been left unguarded, giving me the perfect chance to take my opponents by surprise. Besides, I trusted Harkat to keep her safe for me.
A hand on my shoulder stopped my ascent up the rope contraption.
"What?" I asked somewhat irritably.
"Darren, are you sure that you will be alright? Steve was once your friend and you may not be-"
"I'll be fine!" I snarled, swatting his hand away. Concern crossed his eyes at something in the look in mine.
Does he doubt us? Is he calling us weak? How dare he! We'll show him! We should-
I shook my head to dispel the dark thoughts. "Sorry, I'm just a little nervous."
Vancha frowned. "Are you absolutely sure? One of us could always go up there for you." "How will you fight your brother?"
Vancha cut his eyes away. "Mr. Crepsley can't do it either. There's no way he'd win with his ankle like that."
"Darren-"
"Stay down here. That's an order." I only used my authority against older clan members if it was absolutely necessary, so he knew I was being serious, but he was a stubborn old goat and he wouldn't let that stop him from trying.
"Mind that though you may be a Prince, you are still my Assistant, and I will not allow you to show much such blatant disrespect!" the orange-haired man growled.
"He's right, Larten," Vancha said quietly. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right."
"But, Sire!" he spluttered.
"Thank you, Vancha." I said honestly.
My mentor opened his mouth as though to protest again, but before he could say anything, I wrapped my arms around his waist.
"If anything happens to me up there, I'm proud to have been your assistant, Larten Crepsley."
A sense of foreboding followed me as I moved to let go. This scene was too similar to the one just before my Trial in the Hall of Flame. Hopefully I would make it out of this one alive as well. The still-taller man unexpectedly held me at arm's length for a moment before firmly hugging me back.
"And I am proud to have been your Master, Sire Shan," he said tightly, holding back a few tears that almost threatened to spill over.
"Even in death may you be triumphant, Cub Prince," Vancha said, arranging his fingers in the Death's Touch sign on his face.
I nodded grimly in response and made my way up to the dais to meet my destiny.
A bit of a short chapter, just to give some insight on what's going on. Please read and review to help me fix any mistakes I might have made.