Warning: Spoilers for the Saga(book nine and up!) start here! BE AFRAID! BE VERY AFRAID!
Twenty-One: To Flames
The next day, after finally arising from a fitful, yet thankfully, dreamless sleep, I found that Gannen had gone. When I asked one of the vampaneze where the big man had disappeared to, he just growled and plodded off. I couldn't help but swear at his back.
"Don't bother trying to ask these guys questions," Toby said softly from behind me, startling me somewhat. I glared at him, but he continued on. "They're a grouchy lot. And by the looks of things, you're starting to become just like them." He glared slightly to the side. "Lovely."
"I'm guessing that's not a good thing."
Toby raised an eyebrow.
"Well aren't you the intelligent one. To answer your question, Gannen has gone on some important business, and will return in a few days time. Come with me. I have to grab you some food and then do… stuff."
"Stuff?"
But a glare was my only answer.
I kept forgetting that Toby was part vampaneze too – not only were they 'grouchy', but they also didn't like to waste their breath. I guess that was kind of refreshing after living my entire life having my ears talked off by females.
Then again, women looked – and smelled – a lot nicer than a gang of big, hairy men.
Woe is me.
After scavenging some decent enough food from a dirty old pub on the outskirts of the town we had travelled to, Toby dragged me off to the ruins of an old church, where he plonked me down onto a crumbling stone and himself on another. I had no idea why he brought me there. My guess would be that it was a fairly private place.
Then again, Toby might have just thought it looked pretty. Which, strangely enough, the ruin certainly was – grass and weeds growing through the cracks on the ground, a vine lacing its way across the only remaining wall, the moonlight floating down us in slanted rays…
All right.
It's starting to sound a little romantic, isn't it?
Let me assure you – the reason he had brought me here was far from romantic.
Which I soon found when he started to talk.
"A long time ago," Toby started slowly.
"In a galaxy far, far away…" I couldn't help but quip, but as soon as I did, I stopped, and bit my tongue. Toby was glaring at me. Obviously, he didn't appreciate me mockingly reciting lines that his dead beloved had once worshipped. For, if you do recall, diary, Perri had been a Star Wars fanatic.
Oh, that's right. Keep going. Right. Gotcha. Shutting up. Staying on topic. …Now.
"A long time ago, when the vampaneze first separated from the vampires, a man named Desmond Tiny came to them," Toby continued, pulling his legs up so that he could sit cross-legged on his little rock. "He told them that, in many, many years time, a man would come, and he would unite the vampaneze and lead them to victory in a war against the vampires. All the vampaneze would listen to him, and do whatever he bid."
"Well, isn't that just dandy?" I asked. What can I say? I hated history, and this was most definitely turning into a history lesson.
Toby chose to ignore my comment, however, and continued talking.
"He gave the vampaneze an item to help them discover this 'Lord of the Vampaneze', as he was dubbed, and appointed several of the vampaneze's finest warriors to be the Guardians of this item, travelling around the world to both protect it and to search for the Lord. And every two hundred years, this task is passed on to another set of Guardians, who must compete against each other in a bloody deathmatch until three remain. They are then appointed Guardians."
"This is starting to sound a little religious," I said, barely stopping myself from yawning. This time, Toby glared at me.
"You know, this would go a lot faster if you stopped commenting through it. And by the way, I didn't choose to tell you this – I don't give a damn about vampaneze history either – but you wanted to stay with bloody Marcus, so I have to bloody well teach you everything you need to know. So shut up and listen, all right?"
I pulled a face. He must have taken it as an affirmative, because he ploughed on once more.
"Mr. Tiny also said that there would be three others – the one who would find the Lord, the one who would protect the Lord – and the one who would teach the Lord."
"Right, so, who's the Lord, and who are the other three?" I asked. Toby glared at me.
"Well, so far, no one has successfully passed the test that is set forward by the Guardians – which, by the way, I'm afraid I have no information about. However, the other three have been found."
Toby paused, and this time, I remained silent for him to go on.
"Marcus will be the one to find him. Gannen will be the one to protect him. And… I shall teach him."
I froze. Mentally, I could see pieces of information, like a jigsaw puzzle, putting themselves together to form a vast picture.
A magnificent picture.
A picture that saw me in the centre.
"Are you saying that…?" I trailed off, my heart beating painfully in my chest. Toby shrugged.
"I'm not saying anything. Just that I don't appreciate the role of being a teacher, but hey, who can defy fate, right?" He stopped, blinked once, then leaned forward slightly, his deadened brown eyes boring into me bluntly. "However – Marcus believes you are… something special. And when Marcus has a hunch, he usually tends to be right."
I hesitated before speaking next, choosing my words carefully.
"And so… where has Gannen gone?"
Toby looked at me evenly.
"Marcus sent him to look for the Guardians."
"The guardians of the item that Tiny gave the vampaneze, correct?"
Toby nodded.
"Marcus… wants you to be tested. To see if you are the Lord of the Vampaneze."
I sat back slightly on my rock, battling to keep my face stoic.
Inside, my mind was racing.
It was beginning to formulate plans.
A short number of days later, Gannen returned, and once more, I was on the road again. That's my life, for you: forever on the road.
We travelled as a group, stopping every dawn at some dark deserted place. Though I knew the reason we were moving, the vampaneze did not – Marcus had chosen not to tell them that we were going to see these mysterious Guardians, instead telling them something vague about the need for movement. Though the vampaneze didn't really follow anyone, they listened to Marcus. I guess it was because he was the one meant to find the Lord of the Vampaneze.
Or maybe they just respected him.
Every day, Toby would teach me the ways of the vampaneze, as much as he hated them, and eventually began to teach me how to wield my sword somewhat more proficiently. He would also talk with me – asking me about my life when I was younger, telling me of his. Most of the time, however, he talked about death. It was strange, talking to a person who looked younger than me, about dying.
"Where would you like to be buried when you die?" He randomly asked me one day, looking up at the sky. "I, for one, want to be cremated and scattered to the winds." Toby slowly looked towards me. "Would you like a coffin?"
I blinked, wondering whether to humour him or actually answer his question.
"I… would actually like to die in water, and my body never discovered," I found myself answering, and realised that I was telling the truth.
What can I say? Spending weeks with a kid who was obsessed with death kind of got to you eventually.
After several weeks of random travelling – weeks that found me growing stronger and closer to my destiny, more weeks of sleepless days and restless nights – we arrived at our destination.
I got to meet the Guardians.
For once, I wasn't forced to sleep under the stars – Marcus, Gannen and Toby took me, surprisingly, to a shady-looking hotel deep in the town while leaving the rest of the gang camping in the forest. The hotel was one of those places where, if you had the right amount of money, you could pay people to forget your name, your face, and even if you were there or not.
Upon stepping through the doorway, Marcus marched across the dim, smoky hall towards the shabby counter, and whispered something to the gangly, awkward-looking receptionist. He looked towards us – and then nodded and whispered something back. Marcus slid something across the counter, and then he returned to us, a smug, deadly smile on his serpentine face.
"They are expecting us," he hissed softly, then, slipping his arms around my shoulders, began pushing me towards the old fashioned elevators. "After you, Crowned One."
I yanked myself out of his grip, glaring at him.
"I hope you do recall the fact that I do not appreciate being touched by you," I growled. Toby and Gannen exchanged barely concealed amused looks. Marcus just stared back at me in mock-horror.
"Really? Well, I do greatly apologise, meine leibling – it's just habit, after all." He smiled once more. "Shall we?"
I glared at him. Then, shoving open the grate to the elevator, I stepped inside. The other three followed.
Not long after, we were standing in front of a door on the dark, dank fifth level. Marcus rapped his knuckles against the splintering wood while I examined the hall. It was old, the paint caking from the walls, while up near the ceiling, I could see old, abandoned spider webs.
"This place is giving me the creeps," Toby murmured softly to me.
"That makes the two of us," I replied, just as softly.
The door opened.
It was dark.
"In," a soft voice growled, and, without any protest, the four of us stepped inside, Gannen bringing up the rear. Once we were all inside, the door was closed behind us, and the room cast into darkness.
"Is this the one…?" The soft voice asked. I felt Toby flinch slightly.
"No, that's me," I heard him say, almost tiredly. "It's the other one, idiot."
"Now, that just wrecks the whole spooky feeling, kiddo," the voice, now light and humorous, mock-growled. "Ward, the lights, please."
There was a sharp click, and then light flooded the room.
We were standing in a large, almost empty room, the curtains drawn over the windows no doubt to prevent light from filtering in through during the day. Except for several coffins, there was no furniture in the room.
But, other than Toby, Marcus, Gannen and myself, there were three other people in the room.
The one standing closest to us was a small, compact vampaneze, a black blindfold folded neatly over his eyes. His skin, like the other vampaneze in the room, was a blotchy purple, his hair, lips and nails a vibrant red. Though he couldn't possibly see me through the blindfold, he must have felt me studying him, because he cracked a crooked smile.
"Yo," he said, making the 'V' sign for peace with his fingers. He seemed just… a little unorthodox.
Towards the corner of the room, a larger vampaneze stood, an overly large sword strapped to his back. His arms were crossed, making his huge biceps bunch angrily. He watched me with an open hostility – obviously not a man to cross.
The last one, however, hovering near the light switch, was the strangest of all. First of all, the vampaneze was a woman. Barely Toby's height, she looked almost underweight under her black clothing, a thin sword strapped to her side. A scar across her chin marred her small, cat-like face. She regarded me coldly with eyes that still retained their human colour – an icy, crystallised blue.
Despite her apparent fragility, it was easy to see she was no weakling. Just the way she stood showed her power and strength – and speed.
"Steve Leopard, I would like you to meet the Guardians," Marcus said, his oily voice almost sickening in the otherwise silent room. He smirked slightly. "'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil' – Izumi -" at this, the first man bowed, that smile still playing at his vibrant red lips, "Striker-" though Marcus gestured slightly toward him, the big man in the corner made no acknowledgement, as if he didn't hear his name being said, "And Ward, one of the only female vampaneze you shall ever meet." The little woman gave a slight, cold nod, her hand resting lightly on her rapier's hilt.
"Don't bother trying to talk to the other two," Izumi said cheerfully. "Striker is deaf, and Ward mute – so neither of them exactly talk." Ward bared her teeth at Izumi in an almost feral way. He just pulled a face back at her, then turned back toward me. Though he was – apparently – blind, he seemed to be studying me with his hidden eyes. "Hmm. You don't seem like much. How old are you? Twenty-five, thirty?"
"Eighteen, actually," I said, a little surprised. Izumi grinned.
"Oh, sorry. You just seemed a little old. Guess your hair's greying prematurely."
"Thanks."
"No problem." He turned towards Marcus' general direction. "So, does he know about the test?"
"He knows… of it… but not what happens during the test," Marcus replied carefully. Izumi tutted.
"So, you're throwing him in the deep end? How fun."
"Indeed."
Ward stepped forward then, patting Izumi slightly on the shoulder. He turned towards her, and, quicker than my eyes could see, she flashed a whole bunch of hand signals. I don't know how Izumi was able to see them, but somehow he did, nodding as if in agreement.
"Right," he said, nodding and turning back towards us. "Steve, was it?"
"Yes."
"Right. Tomorrow… we're going to take you through the test-" Gannen looked sharply towards him, but Izumi continued on, "-so, for now, we… want you to rest. Ever slept in a coffin before?"
"No, and I don't particularly want to," I answered stiffly. Izumi grinned, and shrugged.
"Oh well. It's part of the test."
"Lovely."
"Yup. See that coffin set in the middle of the room? That one's yours."
I looked at the coffin. It was the largest of the lot, a black, ornately decorated thing. The lid was up to show a red velvety lining, slightly dark with age.
"Looks… comfy?" I said. Izumi grinned.
"I like you. You're kinda funny, ya know?"
"Thanks."
"No problem. Now go to sleep."
I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Toby and Gannen. Gannen, as usual, remained silent, instead given me the slightest of nods. Toby, meanwhile, shrugged, and gave me one of his weak smiles. For some reason, he looked a little… scared.
"Don't worry, Crowned One," Marcus said softly, touching my shoulder lightly. I flinched away from him, and he pouted. "Sleeping in that coffin will not kill you."
How ironic.
I sighed, then, with an awkward glance around the room, I walked up to the large black coffin and pulled myself into it.
It took me a few moments to get comfortable – however large it looked outside, the inside was slightly cramped, thanks to the lining. Finally, I lay there, looking up at the mouldy ceiling. The others had followed, and were looking down at me in a way that made me feel somewhat awkward. Toby's eyes were filled with sorrow – not that that was unusual.
"Okay… so… what now?" I asked.
"Now, I close the coffin lid, and the rest of us go to sleep as well," Izumi stated matter-of-factly, and with that, he closed the heavy lid, sealing me in darkness.
I sighed.
And I slept.
Snow.
It's cold out here.
Walking.
Barefoot.
My feet.
So, so, so sore.
So cold.
I hate the cold.
Ahead, another figure, walking.
Ahead of him, yet another figure.
But it's so cold.
Ahead.
Stop.
Smell something.
Blood.
Death.
Vamapneze
The others stop.
Debate.
Decide on our path.
Keep going.
To our destination –
To the Vampire Mountain.
"Darren!" The figure ahead calls.
Jolt awake.
When I jolted awake, I bolted up, forgetting that I had been sleeping in a coffin. With a loud smack, my head connected with the upper lining. Though the velvet absorbed most of the impact, my head didn't – the pain spread throughout it, giving me a very, very painful headache.
I collapsed back down with a moan.
"Owww…"
The lid opened, and Toby peered down at me anxiously. He looked like he hadn't slept.
"He's awake! He's awake!" He called out excitedly as I sat up and peered around. Almost immediately, the other vampaneze in the room bolted to my side, dropping whatever they had been doing. Marcus reached my side first, roughly shoving Toby out of the way and grabbing my hand.
"How do you feel?" He hissed, his face close to mine. I tried to pull back from him and his intense stare, but I couldn't.
"Er… a little cramped, I think… coffins aren't as comfortable as you guys make them out to be…"
Somewhere off to the right, Izumi snorted.
"That's it? Cramped?" Marcus exchanged glances with the others in the room. Ward looked somewhat surprised, while Toby elated. "Amazing."
"What?" I asked. "All I did was sleep in a coffin. I've still got to do this test thing you're talking about."
Marcus smiled then, releasing my hand and stepping back.
"No, no, my dear boy," he said with a chuckle. "That was the test."
"What, sleep in a coffin? That's not very hard!" I scoffed.
"Steve, this is the item Mr. Tiny gave the vampaneze," Toby told me softly. "The Coffin of Fire."
"…Eh?" I asked.
"The Coffin of Fire. When the lid shuts, the coffin… it fills with flame. The one who is meant to be the Lord will emerge from the coffin unmarked…" Toby was saying, his eyes wide. "Steve… you came out… unscathed…"
Marcus took over here, his smile almost splitting his face in half.
"Steve… you are the Lord of the Vampaneze!"
A.N Okay, okay, disregard the comment in my profile. It seems like I did get time to update, even though I'm supposed to be rewriting my biology report at this very moment! MWUAHAHAHA!
I apologise for this verily crap chapter, but I had the inspiration to write, so write I did. I'm sorry. It's so rushed. And fugly. Gah.
By the way – JAPAN RULES! Damn you Delico! :P
Crystal: Thankyou! I'm glad you like it – and I'm sorry for taking too long to update! School and Japan have taken up all my time! Hehehe!
Die Kikyo Die: Noo, there won't be anything with Toby and Steve, I'm sorry. Toby's too innocent for that sort of torture. Oh wait. There's always Marcus… ehehe… the ebil man that he is… -wanders off to have dirty torturous thoughts involving sticks, Marcus, Steve and Toby…-
cold-night09: Yay! I like him too. Thankyou! Hehe!
Next Chapter:
Twenty-Two: Without Wings
"…they were all killed. All of them. Slaughtered. Like animals…" The vampire trailed off, his voice wracked with pain. His dead green eyes were filled with sorrow, almost even more so than Toby's eyes.
"How?" Marcus asked softly.
"We were found out. They found us." He stopped, and suddenly the sorrow disappeared, replaced by a burning hatred. "He found us."
"Who?"
"Him. The bastard. The usurper. The one who stole my Prince's place."
And then the small vampire turned towards me, his face slightly crazed.
"His name is Darren Shan… the false Vampire Prince."
The world froze.
