500 Years Later

Every one was holding their breath.

Even the fight that had been going on between the Vampaneze and the Vampires had stopped. All that mattered now were the people on the platform. The people about to engage in a duel to the death.

Mr. Crepsley stood still and was gazing at his cousins, and the man who we were destined to kill.

I guess I didn't explain the "we" did I. My name is Darren Shan. I'm a half-vampire who got blooded at a young age, and was taken under Mr. Crepsley's, my mentor, wing. I'm also the youngest Vampire Prince. About a year ago, a powerful individual named Mr. Tiny had told Mr. Crepsley and I that we would be hunters for the fabled Lord of the Vampanize. He said we would have 3 chances to kill him, but if it reached the forth, it could go any way.

So anyway, Mr. Crepsely was gazing coolly at his foes , studying them and waiting for the inevitable engagement.

Gannen Harst, Steve Leopard, and the most important of all, the Lord of the Vampanize stared back.

The Lord of the Vampanize for some reason, decided to end the unusual silence.

"So, you have finally come into my clutches," he said. "I've been itching for a chance to bloody my hands."

"That won't happen tonight; I am the master of my fate and will accept whatever comes." Mr. Crepsely said calmly.

"However, I will end your life and you will be powerless to stop me." He vowed as he raised one of his knives.

Gannen Harst however, stepped in front of his lord.

"The deals off. You did not send Darren Shan up to fight, and you and Vancha March did not surrender your weapons," he growled. "The two-to-one ratio no longer applies."

Mr. Crepsely, as calm as the night wind, responded, "I expected no better from blood traitors who lets humans into this mess."

"Enough!!" The Lord of the Vampanize roared. "No more lame brained insults!"

Then he smiled. "The time of talk is now over, have you made your peace with the Vampire Gods?"

"I did that long ago" Mr. Crepsely said as he got into a fighting position.

The Lord of the Vampanize pulled out a short barbed sword and Gannen pulled out a heavier long sword. Steve, who had been silent this entire time, whistled and pulled out a long chain and a golden dagger.

"And now it all ends." The Lord of the Vampanize said.

As long as I live, I'll never forget that day. I didn't know why, but I was worried for my mentor. The odds were far from fair and he was only one man. No, he was a Vampire and that made all the difference in the world.

The Lord of the Vampanize however, did not decide to join the brawl immediately. He stood back as his comrades formed a V-shape. Mr. Crepsely wouldn't be able to get to the Lord of the Vampanize without crossing Gannen and Steve, who would in turn slice him into two.

The seconds dragged on and finally, Gannen made the first move. He lunged toward Mr. Crepsley with a thrust, but Mr. Crepsley used one of his knives and deflected the blow. As he did, Steve flicked his long chain at Mr. Crepsley, but he was prepared and used the blade of the other knife to guide the chain away. Then the Vampanize Lord struck, jumping through the air and trying to slice Mr. Crepsely' neck in half, but he simply rolled out of the way. As the battle dragged on, Signs were starting to show that Mr. Crepsley was starting to get tired. He started getting cuts and slices all over his body, as all three of them drove him back to a corner of the platform.

Soon however, Steve got impatient and flicked his chain at Mr. Crepsley. This time, Mr. Crepsley did not redirect the chain, but let go of one of his knives and grabbed it.

He grimaced with pain as the small spikes bit into his palm and pulled forward.

Steve groaned with pain as the pain ensnared his wrist and started puncturing the skin, and pulling him forward.

As he was coming toward Mr. Crepsley, Mr. Crepsley flipped the handle of the dagger so he was holding the blade, and as Steve came close, he used it to punch his face.

Steve's nose cracked, and blood started pouring out. He shrieked and dropped the floor, unable to move and stop the blood flow.

Mr. Crepsley than threw the dagger at Gannan who ducked, and as he did, the Vampanize Lord started making long sweeps with his sword, trying to knock him off the platform.

Mr. Crepsley ducked under the blows, and grabbing his wrist and upper arm, bent the arm back snapping the bones into twigs!

The Vampanize Lord screamed with pain, and as he started to fall to his knees, Mr. Crepsley spun around and kicked him, hard, in the small of his back.

With the added momentum, the Vampanize Lord flew over the edge of the platform and into the stakes below. He had only time to scream, once, before the stakes pierced through the valuable organs in his body.

The Vampanize were struck silent. Some went to the edge of the pit and stared at their dead Lord, eyes distraught. Me, I couldn't believe it! Mr. Crepsley had killed the Lord of the Vampanize. The war was over. We had won! If I had known how wrong I was, I would've run from that cavern immediately following the battle.

I felt like rejoicing! I felt a heavy weight lifting from my soldiers. I looked at the people on the platform. Gannen Harst was looking over the edge of the platform. His eyes wide and his face shocked. Steve was still rolling on the floor in agony with his broken nose. I then looked at Mr. Crepsley. He too, was looking at the Vampanize on the platform, and then he turned and looked at me and smiled. I saw his arms outstretch as though wanting to give me a hug.

That's when I heard it.

Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap

Everybody has stopped what they were doing and looked at the empty door where Steve, Gannen, and the Lord of the Vampanize had entered. Steve had to roll his eyeballs to the back of his skull to see.

"You have no idea how ironic this is." A voice chuckled. "3 months, I have been looking for blood drinkers and here they are, all gathered in one place, it's like a colony of fly's in a sealed jar."

A man than stepped out of the shadows. I'd like to say that the man did not scare me, but I can't, he terrified me! He was a large man with huge rippling muscles that looked like boulders. He was tall, and had a thin goatee growing under his chin. He stood very calmly, and I had a feeling that he was in complete control of the situation. His eyes were what scared me the most. There were completely black, and stared with a hunger for flesh. They were alive with animalistic glee studying everyone in the chamber wondering who to take down first.

"…and the worst part is," he continued. "That you effectively are stuck in a fly jar. I congratulate whoever built this chamber; he has made our job so much easier."

"Who are you?!" A Vampanize roared.

The man smiled cruelly "The true rulers of the night, one with a sacred oath and will pay it in blood!"

The man pulled back his head and made a sound I thought a human couldn't make. It sounded like a roar from an animal, a very bloodthirsty animal.