Chapter Thirty six.

Steve paced through the violence, not fighting anyone but somehow not bothered by other fighters. A wicked grin crept across his narrow jaw, blood splattering his chops and speckling his steal-coloured hair. His eyes narrowed as he witnessed a burly Resistance man stalking slowly along one of the tunnels, the entire maggot workforce behind him.

Pulling out a knife, Steve waited like a hunting leopard, eyes fixed on the man and his every single step.

"Vanez, hurry the stragglers on, we're almost outta her-arggh!"

Steve launched his knife, the blade slicing through the air and snagging right between the Resistance's shoulder blades. Laughing cruelly, Steve revelled in the terrified expressions of the workers, literally urinating their already soiled trousers at having been caught escaping.

"Gavner," Vanez gasped, crouching by the stricken vampire cur, trying to stem the blood with his emaciated fingers, "What do we do?"

Steve grinned at this Gavner fellow on the floor, breathing heavily as blood oozed from his wound. When the vampire looked into Steve's eyes, the Lord could see life was already dimming; the knife had been fatal.

"Gavner?" Vanez asked again, shaking his shoulder softly, fear in his voice, "What do we do?"

"You go back to the Ghettos and hope that I don't decide to gas you for this treachery," Steve spat, throwing a second knife and hacking down one of the bonier vampires, the skeletal beast dropping to his knees and dying in seconds. Steven looked up at the others who shook in fear, "Are you still here?"

"Gavner!" Darren gasped, appearing from one of the side tunnels having gotten lost in his maddened dash to locate the others.

"Darren," Gavner croaked, adrenaline suddenly surging through his body at the sight of the orphaned assistant, "Run,"

Though, Darren never heard the order, eyes transfixed on the man who had thrown the blade, the murderous Lord, his old best friend.

"About fucking time, Shan!" Steve cheered, clapping his hands excitedly, "I have been waiting for you and Creep Crepsley to hurry up and get here!"

Horror donned on Darren, recalling Gannen declaring to the Resistance that the True Lord had been found. Lord Leopard. Never once had Darren made the connection between Steve and Lord Leopard but now he seemed idiotic to have not realized.

"You," he hissed, pulling Mr Crepsley's knife out from the sheath, eyes narrowing as he adopted a fighting stance.

"Aye, Shan," Steve boomed, bowing to him before pulling out his own hunting knife, a length of barbed rope in his other hand.

"You killed Mr Crepsley," Darren snarled.

"He killed me," Steve retorted instantly, spitting at the mere mention of Larten.

"You killed you," Darren grinned, "Your black soul absorbed all that was ever good about you, you dirty, evil, whelp of a Cur,"

"I'm not evil!" Steve roared, lunging upon Darren, landing on his chest and punching the vampire's face, "Take that back now!" he yelled pointing in his face, "Take that back now or God help me-"

"Never!" Darren laughed, kicking Steve crudely, causing the vampaneze to wince and shout in pain before being thrown off the vampire's chest. Darren spared no seconds and pounced forward with an attacking stroke, stabbing Steve's forearm.

"Dirty bastard," Steve snarled, kicking Darren away and creating distance between them.

"Takes one to know one," Darren mocked childishly, making a dash to catch the vampaneze as he bolted away suddenly, fleeing from the fray. Instantly, Darren made to run after him bloodthirstily, desperate to avenge his mentor, though stopped when he heard Gavner call him.

"D-darren?" Gavner croaked, forcing himself to sit upright, leaning forward slightly to prevent moving the dagger further in to his back, "Kill that Cur for Larten," he growled firmly, staring deep into Darren's eyes, the half vampire staring back with that same burning flame that a tempered Larten had.

"Can you get these people outside?" Darren asked collectively, indicating to the workers.

"I will," Gavner said firmly, wincing as Darren helped him to his feet. Shakily, with Vanez help, Gavner stood weakly, "Promise me you will tell Arra that I love her," he nodded, "Tell her that we'll be waiting for her in paradise." Darren didn't need to know who 'we' were, Gavner hadn't really been his complete joyful self since the death of his best friend.

"You will tell her yourself," Darren said emotionally, "Even if I have to carry you to her, you will tell her yourself,"

"Maybe," Gavner croaked in pain, smirking at Darren as they both stood, tears in their eyes. Each knew that that blade was in deep and that Gavner was losing too much blood for it to not prove fatal. This was going to be their last goodbye for sure.

"Luck, Gavner. Even in Death may you be triumphant," Darren nodded, performing the Death's Touch. He turned and ran after Steve, vengeance in his heart, swallowing his greif.

As he ran he could hear Gavner's words echoing after him as he yelled loudly, "He will never take the Vampire Spirit. We will always resist. We will always fight. We will never surrender. Even in Death may we Vampires be Triumphant!"

)':

So this is a short chapter but I think it's an important one. If I had posted the next chapter in this chapter as well then I think it might have taken effect away from Gavner's slight predicament.

Please PM me what you think, I hope I did Gavner justice here; he's one of my favourite characters in the saga.

Thank you for all the reviews so far, I promise I'm almost done!

Preston (: