Disclaimer: I do not own the Cirque Du Freak/Darren Shan Saga. I don't own the characters, and I am not making any money off of this. This is merely a fanfiction.
Chapter 4
Larten stared gloomily at the scene in front of him. A mass of depression, anxiety, and in some cases, outright despair. It was only 2 weeks since the Battle of Vinel Lin, and already, everyone was feeling to pressure of the oncoming war. Of course, everyone had different reactions. From some, mostly the younger vampires, was the desire to fight. They urged their fellow clan memebers to band together and slay the vampaneze. Fools, Larten thought. They had obviously never tasted war for what it truly was- pain and sufffering. However much vampires lived for glory, Larten thought, war wasn't the way to achieve it.
The second group consisted of mostly lower ranked, middle aged vampires who thought that they could ignore the problem. A if it would just go away. Larten snorted. They were too used to life at vampire mountain, and they refused to believe that, now, after seven hundred years, the prophecy was coming true and the night of the Vamapaneze Lord was at hand. But Larten knew that the problem was not going to go. This was Mr. Tiny they were talking about, and that man would never pass up the chance for fun- at other people's expenese.
The third group was the one that troubled Larten the most. They were more likely to cause trouble. While the younglings might fool around and try to do something rash, they would easily be quashed by inexperience. The middle group, would probably be too lazy to be bothered, afraid of changing their ever-so- perefect lives, while the last group, the one afraid, might be desperate enough to upset the delicate balance of vampire mountain. Larten knew that fear could drive you to do anything, and he had to admit, now was a time to be scared. The truce between the two creatures of the night was broken, and last time that had happened...
Shaking himself out of his reverie, he looked around. Seated on his throne on the high dais in the hall of Princes, he observed the crowd. It had only been two weeks since he was made a prince, and already he was overwhelmed. Every day, generals filled in with reports on, well EVERYTHING. The supply of food, the humans camping underneath the mountain, the tunnels collapsed...But most of all, trying to figure out the location of the vampaneze and their Lord. It was so busy that he almost forgot about Darren. But not quite. His presence lingered everywhere, and it seemed that everyone was aware of it. Even though they couldn't speak of it.
He shook himself again. There was no need to get caught up in the past. He had work to do. Looking around again, he saw Paris emersed in a disscussion with an older general while Mika insected a map. Arrow was currently leading a foray into the forest surronding vampire mountain, hoping to root out some escaped vampaneze. Stepping off his throne (the last one on the left), Larten made his way over to Paris and Mika. "How goes it?" He asked quietly. Paris gestured at the map. "One of our generals has reported suspicious vampaneze behaviours in this area, it seems as if we have found another base." He gestured at an area somewhere southeast of the mountain. "Oh?" Larten inquired, "How so?" "Well, for one, there seems to be the usual signs. Mysterious deaths, bodies drained of blood, and trails of blood in the sewers." Larten shuddered, remembering his most recent encounter with the vampaneze, Murough, in his hometown.
"For one?" He asked, "Is there something else suggesting that the area is infested with vampaneze?" This time, it was Mika who answered. "Do you remember, about hundred and twenty years ago, the happenings of Blood Knife?" Larten froze as he recalled that horrible evening. The night he was blooded into a full vampire. "How can I not?" He asked softely. Mika nodded solemly. "This is Blood Knife." Larten squinted at the name of the town, Evansville... and slowly, it all jumped out. The location, he had seem this over hundred years ago, on a map, peering over his mentor's shoulder. "Of course," he whispered. "The bastards! They're doing this to mock us!" For why not use the site of the most famous vampire massacre in history as a stronghold? Even now, vampires hesitated in the Blood Knife, the night where the air was red with blood.
"So what do we do?" Larten asked. "Well, considering there is only a small number of Vampaneze there at the moment, we should iradicate them, the site would be advantagous in Battle, being the closest point of civilization next to the mountain.." Larten nodded, seeing how it made sense. Mika continued. "We have decided, that, as a newly instated Prince, you will go with an entourgage to settle this matter. One, so that you can prove your abilities to your kin, and second, so the vampaneze can see that a new, powerful, leader has risen." Mika looked at him grimly. "Its up to you, now Larten" Larten took a deep breath, and bowed. "Thank you." His first assignment as a prince! He couldn't wait! Oh God, I sound like Darren. But with the thought of Darren, a barb was driven into his heart.
"I can't believe this!" That was Arra, examing the scroll that he had handed to her. "Sixteen vampires! Sixteen! It's an insult!" Larten shuddered. Arra's wrath was more fearsome then anything he'd faced, and he'd learned that from their considerable time together. " Vampaneze are unpredictable. It's better to be safe then sorry, Arra." "But we have fought vampaneze before! Do they think us incompetent to send so many vampires?" "No one thinks you're incompetent. It's just, this is not a normal operation. This is Blood Knife. We have to be wary." Seeing the still enraged look on Arra's face, he continued. "And I would die if you were hurt.. especially if there were any way to prevent it."
Arra's face softened. "Never. " She said. "Never blame yourself for anything like that." Larten nodded, and turned his face away. "So, sixteen." Arra sighed. "Fine. We'll do things your way today." He smiled, and turned to walk away. Arra was a mystery still to him. He didnt know where he stood with the vampire, after they broke away. They seemed like friends, but there were some moments, when they were alone, where every word seemed a lot more. AAnd the tension in the aiir between them was wieghted. Only one thing was for sure, he knew, on roiling waters of their relationship. And that was the passionate kiss that they had shared.
Larten sighed. He hating hunting vampaneze in a pack. It was just plain taxing. He wanted to always do things his way, in his own time, but when you're at the head of a large group, circumstances just don't allow. Sixteen vampires seemed light, but once you were on the road for two days on an enforced march...things were bound to get out of control. Whether it was losing directions, or one of the oack falling behind, or something,...things always seemed to go wrong, and he had to take care of it. Sometimes he hated being a prince.
"Look Gothe," He said, as they stumbled through the woods. "The map says that if you approach from a westerly direction, you'll come upon th town almost six hours earlier!" Gothe shifted uneasily. He didn't want to challenge a prince, despite the fact that said prince was newly appointed. "That's all well and good, sire, but every vampire knows that the west wind brings bad fortune." The other vampires nodded uneasily. Arra just rolled her eyes. Larten looed disbelievingly at the gathered vampires. Thirteen men and three woman. Now it was time to establish himself as their leader.
"Look." He said, evenly staring into Gothe's gold-brown eyes. "The point of this task is to get into town find the vampaneze, kill them and leave, as quickly as possible. Why waste six hours that the vampaneze could use to kill more humans?" Gothe stared back. "That's right. Vampaneze are unpredictable. Who knows what they could do next?" That was Arra. Larten was satisified. Arra was known to be a dominate female. If she supported him, the rest would follow. Gothe finally nodded. "Very well, sire." Larten turned, satisfied. He knew that Gothe would be a major troublemaker, but for now, he was brought to heel.
Looking out at the town, Larten felt a shiver down his back. It had been ages since he was here,, despite its proximity to vampire mountain. This was the place he was blooded. He shivered remember ing the horrid night, how two hundred vampaneze had ambushed about sixty vampires traveling to council. When they got out, only eight were left of the vampires, and thirty of the vampaneze. He had almost died that night, and it was only then that Seba had transfered his blood to Larten, finishing the transformation from human to vampire. The night his humanity died. But Larten didn't really care. He spent a hundred years as human. That was more then enough in his opinion.
He whistled. The signal for the others to gather. He now listened as they spoke of their reports. There were twenty four of them, an anbandoned warehouse, in the construction district. All fully blooded and fully armed. They were on their way to join their Lord. "Perhapes," that was Marseille, a female vampire Larten trained next to as a general, "we should let one live and follow to their Lord's hideout." Considering the possibilty, Larten could tell the logic in it. "Yes, but from what we hear the Lord is supposedly moving around. Even if we do manage to find him, by the time the report comes, he could be halfway across the planet." He paused. "We should focus on the matter at hand. Twenty four, you say? We'll ambush them at dawn, when they're planing to go retire for the day...'
Three long, boring, and dusty hours later, the pack was ready to go. Getting geared up was rather difficult for some of thee generals, they had lived in a permenant residence for so long. They were unsure of how to roll up their sleeping bags without their long nails getting stuck in the cotten of the pack. Larten was called upon to help several times. Before he succumbed to impatince and ordered every one to just "leave it". He proudly noted, however, that Arra''s pack was ready to go in her maroon bag, tightly packed. Looking around the clearing they were staying in, he took in his companion's expressions. On most were exictment, for the hunt, and more important, the kill, but on some he noted differed.
On Arra's faced, he noted her impatience with the proceedings. He knew that she was ready to go. On Gothe, he saw determination. Larten knew that as a young, newly blooded vampire, Gothe would be more prone to act out and challenge orders... He sighed. It was like leading a bunch of teenagers, everyone had a different personality. He beckoned them closer. To give a few words of advice, to make it through the night.
"Tonight we face a most dangerous adversary. The vampaneze, our mortal enemy, at a place so haunted by death. But together, we can right this wrong. We will avenge the events of Blood Knife! Death to the vampaneze!" "Death to the vampaneze, the rest cheered. "Even in death may you be triumphant.." Larten whispered. Hopefully they would all make it out alive. He knew that war was taxing. It had it's sacrifices. He knew that friends would die, but even so he loathed it. For he, unlike many others, never got used to grief, however much a part of vampiric tradition it was. Maybe thats what made him leave the clan in the first place, and jion the cirque.
Steeling himself, he turned, and lead the vampires towards the warehouse. Their plan was simple, but known to be very effective. Split up and attack from different points simulatnueuously. Overwhelm the enemy and surround them, make it seem like you are bigger then them. Disadvantages: They had no blueprinto of the warehouse, and were practically weaponless. All in all, it would be a pretty normal fight. Nothing that they'd never handled before. Massacre the enemy, make them pay for what they've done.
Larten and three others waited behind the side door, while the others scrambled to their positions in the front and side. Five minute passed, and finally, the fated whistled'signal. One. Two. Three. The vampires burst through the door, screeching, weapons bared, lips pulled back in a feral snarls. Larten blinkeed dust from his eyes as he observed the interior of the warehouse. Twenty or so vampaneze were arrayed on the ragged upholstery in the dingy, dusty, room. Behind them, stack upon stack of crates lined the isles. Sniffing, Larten caught the scent of metal, lethal and dangerous. Weapons. A shiver crept down his spine as he realised what they were up against. The lord of the vampaneze has come, and his followers have gathered.
As the full realization sank in, Larten felt suprisingly calm. Just my luck to get caught up in this. Why did this have to happen in my lifetime? The vampaneze leapt up, each reaching for their own weapons. But they knew it was hopeless. Their eyes showed fear and desperation, the latter of which worriED Larten. He knew that with nothing to lose, these vampaneze would fight twice as stong, going strong until the end. It was a matter of survival know. How many times had this happened to him, he wondered. Out matched, outwitted. Now, on the offensive side, he felt, sickening blood lust overwhelm him. The last concious thought that ran through his head before he jumped int the fray was, this is for you, Darren.
Arra twisted and turned, the game of war a lethal dance for her. Spinning out of reach of the nearest vampaneze, a large, bald, red faced man, she quickly dispatched him with a blow to the head. Without looking around, she sensed her fellow vampires attcking ferociously. To tell the truth, Arra really never got the whole blood lust thing. It was like the way she never got drunk. She just calmy did what she had to do, like now-snapping a man's neck, breaking his legs.. It was just a matter of survival to her. And honour. She always thought, if you were going to do something for your life, you might as well be the best at it. She applied that in the royal dance conservatory, and she was the best in her class, the class of '67- 1867. And now, she applied it in the art of war.
She wasn't fighting for anything or anyone. It was just her and her opponent. One of them was going to walk out alive. Best let that person be you. With her bare hands, she clawed and kicked, spinning ducked, weaving throught the press of bodies. By now she wasn't looked. She sensed danger. A blade looming over her head, a mace crashing down on her side. She ducked and dodged, and hoped, and prayed that her companions were as lucky.
The battle quickly drew to a close. The vampaneze, were, of course, too proud to run, and ended up dying at the vampires hands'. When it came down to the last three men, the battle had already subsided. As Larten, Arra, and Gothe circled the remaining opponents, one of them snarled, "Our lord has come, and when he arrives, you rue the day you were blooded." Larten tilted his head wrily. "Where is this mysterious lord of yours?" He asked, knowing that the vamoaneze wouldn't say a thing. He sometimes found himself admiring their courage, that way. "You'll never know, until you die by his hand! Harken, for you shall not live to see your clan fall!" Harken? This vampaneze must be old then.
"You can tell me where he is or you can die!" Gothe snarled. Larten knew there's be no point. Vampaneze honoured the same traditions as vampires, never give up information to your enemy. He sighed, and lept forward, kicking the first one under the chin, and stabbing the second one. Pulling his blade out of the man's body, Larten slashed it across the first one's throat, and turned back to the rest of the pack. Quickly, he analized the situation. No one was dead or dying, but there were several deep cuts and broken bones. He sighed. It would be a rough trot up too the mountain, but he had done what he was here for-he had proven himself.
"Bless the gods, we have all survived," he muttered, and everyone else repeated, "Amen". He gestured to to younger vampires, and they started cleaning up. Dragging bodies against walls, piling them together. Another gesture, and three vampires were sent on discovering what weapons lay in the crates. Wow, being a Prince was fun. You didn't have to do real work, and everyne looked after you. Arra stepped over to him, and his breath caught. Of course, everything was akward between them again now that they had kissed. "Are you hurt?" He asked, softely. She shook her head. "This was an easy job. The vampaneze, they were nervous, though, when we got hear, and uptight. I think something happened here. Sometihing different..."
He snorted. " Who knows what they get up to?" He knew he what using this uncaring attitude as a shield and so did Arra. She frowned. He sighed. It was his responsiblility now, as a prince to care. "Maybe there was an attack, humans, you now. Or maybe it's because this is Blood Knife." She looked up into his face. "Are you glad, now that we have avenged Blood Knife?" How could she ask him such a question? Did he enjoy revenge, even if meant killing? He reared back. "I am not a monster. I know that I might have reacted harshly about Blood Knife, but I would never enjoy this." More bloodshed... Twice, he stood here, in the midst of after battle, defeated, and victorious, and twice, he had survived.
He looked away. "I would never consider you a monster. You are a very unusual vampire, that is all. It's something I admire about you." Larten looked at her for a long time. He knew that for someone as emotionless as she, this was very hard. She was trying to make up for what she said about enjoying killing. He knew that she was just as reluctant as he, and hated it even more... It made her cold to the world. Yet she still practiced with her staff everyday. It made her a curiosity, it drew him to her. He sighed. 'So are you." I still love you. I've never stopped loving you. He tried conveying this to her with his eyes. I would die for you. Staring deep into her hazel eyes, he saw an unknown emotion flicker, before she broke the connection.
"Sire we have found something you should see!" Larten turned, going back into 'warrior mode' once again. It was one of the scouts he had sent to uncover the boxes of weapons, a young vampire named Reubon. He was about to take his trials of initiation t become a general. H had felt guilty, before, about pulling him out of his training with vanez. Larten's heart quickened as he recongized person being pushed in front of the man. He couldn't yet tell what he was. On closer inspection, it was revealed to be a teenaged boy, about 17, or 18, wearing a dark, leather jacket, black pants, and blue streaks through his dark hair. Darren looks like he's thirteen, Larten remembered, and then his heart sank.
Please don't let this be a half vampaneze, he begged, he didn't want to kill a young one, so soon after Darren...But as the boy was led closer, Larten's nose identified him as human. A sigh of relief. But what were they going to do with him. He looked questionly at Reubon. "I found him behind one of the crates, Sire. He had this with him. " He tossed to Larten a gray metal device that was rather square shaped. He examined it. "I believe it's a video camera, records movies, or videoes, Sire."Larten nodded, although inwardly he was amazed. A box that recorded video. "I caught everything on tape. I saw you kill those...things. But it wasn't normal."
The boy sounded relativly calm, for someone who had just wwitnesesed a massacre. Much calmer then Darren had, that night... 'Well, being who we are, boy, it won't do much work." Larten hoped that the physics of whatever prevented vampires fom being photographed also existed with video cameras. The boylooked questionly at him. A change of topic was required. "What's your name boy?" He asked in what was supposed to be a gentle tone. "Lukas...Luke" He had the same determined look as Darren had the night.. "Well Luke, what are you doing here? Last time I checked this warehouse was supposed to be abaondoned." "I could as you the same thing." The boy replied evenly. Oh how this bboy was like Darren, although Darren would have probaly added a snarky remark onto that. This boy had the same sense of...rage and determination...
"We had a job to do" Interogatted by a human youngster, how the others would luagh. Still, he felt olbliged to answer Luke's questions. "Murdering those thing you mean..." "Those things...are evil. They had to be disposed of" "And murdering them was the only way you could think of?" Great. So he was a punk-hippie bent on protecting the weak and serving the just. Sort of like Darren, but in a noble, up tight, gothic way...Gods, why was he having all these flash backs of his old assistant. But then maybe, it was a sign. "We are at a war that you would not understand. Its a war were only the creatures of the night participate. However, you are not so different. From what I can tell, you probably come here often, why? Because your life at home is unsatisfying. You want to help, but you are held back by limitations. We are alike. Join us."
There was silence after this. The vampire looked incredulously at Larten, Luke looked cnfued, while Larten stared intently at the boy. "But what are you?" "We, are vampires." He boy's expression didnt hange. "Those purple skinned people re the vampaneze. The basic difference is that we drink blood without killing our victims, while they kill each time they drink." The boy nodded. "Yeah, I saw. It was horrible." Larten sighed. "So you see. If you decide to join us, you'll be joining a war. But its your chioce." The boy looked hestant, but then his eyes clouded at a memory. "I'll do it."
Arra hissed in his ear as she pulled him aside. "What are you playing at?" ''What do you mean playing at?" "BLOODING A STRANGER?" '" So, he seems good. Besides, I need to do this or Mika will condem me to the stakes, remember?" She reluctantly pulled back. "Alright, put remember what happened..." He shook himself out of her grasp, and marched over t the boy. Quickly, he explained what vampires were, and how he would first become a half- vampire. "You'll serve as my assistant, untill you become a full vampire, and as such, you'll have a front row seat in the war." The boy nodded, his face pale.
"Ready?" He asked. "No." Larten smiled. "They never are." And he plunged his nails into the boys's fingertips. The processes was just as painful as the first time. He felt a rushing snesation, and dizzyness, as they faces of the pack spun around him. He remembered the night at the cirque, Darren's excited, flushed face, how he had bargain, begged with him, unwilling to sacrifice his mortality. So unlike Luke. Darren's face changed into Luke's, and he saw in him, hope, excitment and fear. That was because while Darren was pulled away from a loving family, into a dark, unknown future, Luke was recused from an abusive relationship, and given a chance at life. Larten knew that Darren would have wanted this. While his vampirism brought out the worst in him, Luke would grow strong. Strong enough for both of them. Larten was so close to smiling, when he thought about Darren looking down at them from Paradise, but something, told him that assistant, his son, was closer then he thought.
