Warning: There's a slight bit of slash in this. Yes, be happy Kikyo – it involves Toby, but not quite the way you'd probably expect…

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Twenty-Two: Without Wings

- - - -

News of the coming of the Lord of the Vampaneze travelled fast. Within weeks, days even, most of the vampaneze world knew that their leader had come – however, except for Marcus' gang of twenty-five, as well as the three Guardians, no one knew the Lord's true identity. Those who knew had sworn never to tell his name, on pains of a slow, torturous death at the hands of Marcus. The secrecy was good – it would prevent attacks, assassination attempts – the usual thing a leader would be concerned about.

I was really starting to enjoy this whole leadership thing, too.

When we started travelling again, the three Guardians – Haruki Izumi, Donovan Striker and Keaira Ward – joined our party, saying that it was now their duty to help protect me. Whenever we came across a group of vampaneze, though, I would wear a hooded robe, so as to keep my identity secret. Toby would also don a similar robe, to act as a decoy for me. Almost like the Handmaidens out of Star Wars – oh dear. There I go again.

Not everything went well. I was having trouble sleeping once more. During the few snatched hours of sleep I could get, I was plagued with dreams, visions so nightmarishly real that I could feel the flames licking at my skin and burning away my hair, I could feel the sharp points of rock scraping against my stomach, could feel my lungs screaming for air as I was lost in a maze of water. I had no idea what they meant, or where they came from – but come they did, every few days. I soon learned to sleep lightly, so that as soon as I could feel myself slipping into a deep unconscious state, I would wake myself up again. Sounds strange, but I managed to do it.

And also, I noticed something strange about Marcus. Sure, he was a strange man, so any strangeness from him was considered normal – but he seemed… different. He was more distant than usual, prone to sitting in a deep, thoughtful silence. At times, I would even notice him staring off into the distance – towards the west, back towards the area where we first started journeying. It was as if something back there was calling for him – pulling him back, back to Germany…

-

It was during these further weeks of travelling that I discovered something that truly disturbed me.

I had always known it, really, on a subconscious level. Just the way they acted around each other – the sadistic smiles, the winces, the edginess, that twisted look, the barely concealed sobs during sleep – should have given it away. But I never put two and two together, too enthralled in my own business. I should have noticed – not that it would have mattered. Too much damage had already been caused.

We had been staying in a large, abandoned warehouse, reminiscent of the one where my first kill with Perri had occurred. There were several rooms coming off the sides, dark, dank things. Most of the group stuck to the middle of the warehouse, making a small fire on the hard, stained concrete and gathering around it to play cards and have a talk.

I then noticed that Toby was missing.

As was Marcus.

Wanting someone to talk to, I left the group and began searching the rest of the warehouse for my little missing friend.

I found him in the furthest, darkest room.

Pressed against the wall.

Trying not to cry out in pain.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a low, dangerous voice. I knew what he was doing – could see it quite plainly.

Marcus paused, and turned his head slowly towards me. That sick, sadistic smile crept onto his face.

"Ah, the Crowned One," he said, taking a moment to – to…! He stepped back, doing up his pants and faced me. He didn't seem at all annoyed, even though I had disturbed him. Behind him, Toby sank to the ground and curled up into a small ball, tears of anger glittering on his face.

Marcus stepped towards me. I bunched my fists.

"Get away from him!"

Marcus paused, then smirked.

"As you wish, my Lord," he said coolly, bowing deeply at the waist, then straightened and smiled down towards Toby. "I will see you later, Toby."

Toby, despite obviously trying to keep mute, let out a soft whimper.

That made me snap.

As Marcus stepped towards me, I brought my fist back – and slammed it into his jaw. The vampaneze had no reaction; he didn't step out of the way, or even flinch. His expression didn't even change.

Almost as though he had expected the punch.

I put my entire strength into the punch. But the strength of a human is nothing compared to the strength of a full vampaneze's face. I felt a strange popping sensation in my two first knuckles – the pain immediately raced down my hand and up my arm, but I fought against it, refusing to show weakness as I brought my fist back.

Marcus' expression remained the same – that small, evil little smirk. His lip was bleeding, nothing more.

"You have much to learn, Crowned One," Marcus said, oh so very softly. And then he left.

Toby slowly stood, pulling his pants up. His movements were shaky, tense, full of anger. He didn't look up, carefully hiding his tears under a curtain of his slightly curled brown hair.

I remained where I was, unsure of what to say or do. What does a person say when they walk in to find their friend getting… raped? Well, probably a lot of things. But hey – I'm not a people person. I have no idea what to say in any situation.

"Toby… are you…?"

"Yes, Steve. I'm fine." His voice was distant, far away. I knew he was lying.

"How… how long has this-"

"Happened for? Eight years, on and off." He shrugged, sniffing loudly, and finally looked up. His eyes – they were so… "I became used to it."

"But – why! Why haven't any of the others stopped it, or, or-"

"Because to them, it's normal," he said dully. "It's normal for a vamapaneze to screw his assistant."

Another shrug.

He looked so…

Lost.

An abused little puppy, lost in a world that was not his own.

It was then that I made my decision:

I resolved not to let another person harm him.

Especially Marcus.

-

Once I made sure Toby was distracted (I had Izumi challenge him to a game of poker, something that even Toby couldn't refuse, a card game against a blind man) I confronted Marcus.

The thin vamapaneze had been leaning on a pillar near a window, away from the others, his face a mystery. There was still a cut on his lip – he obviously hadn't tried to heal it. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, while his eyes were searching for something amongst the grey mass clouds outside.

It was raining.

"A blood oath, hmm?" He whispered softly to himself. "Who would have thought that girl could have done such a thing…?"

He didn't notice me at first, even as I stood beside him, glaring at him. It was only when I cleared my throat when he finally tore his red eyes away from the clouds to look at me.

"Ah," he said, that smile creeping once more back onto his face. "I was beginning to wonder when this was going to happen."

I kept the surprise from my face. How had he known…?

"Leave." Was all I said. "Now."

Marcus inclined his head slowly, his long hair falling into his face. He didn't reply.

At some point in time, Gannen must have sensed something was up, because I suddenly noticed him standing at my side, his arms crossed. I could see he was struggling to keep the joy from his face – if anyone hated Marcus more than I did, it was Gannen.

"You heard the Lord, Kütriht – leave." Though there was no smirk on his face, it could be plainly heard on his voice. He was very pleased with this turn of events.

Marcus looked up again, that smile never leaving his lips. He stood straight, stretching his back out like a cat.

"Fine," he said airily. "Let me inform Toby that we are-"

I slammed my hands into the pillar on either side of his face, bringing my own close to his. This time, he did flinch, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

"Toby is not going with you," I growled. Marcus' face changed into an angry, vicious scowl.

"He is my assistant! I do with him what I will!" He growled back. I smirked.

"He's learnt enough from you – if he learnt anything at all. But now he's my teacher. And he's staying with me."

"'And all the vampaneze shall do as he bids'," Gannen quoted, his own face smirking brightly now.

Marcus' internal struggle was reflected on his face. I watched in interest as his expression changed from merely angered, to enraged, calm, then enraged again. Finally, his face smoothed over, and that smile spread once more. He turned his face away from me slightly, lightly grabbing a hold of one of my arms.

"Very well, my Lord," he said softly, his grip on my arm tightening. "I will do as you bid."

I kept my hands planted on either side of his head, glaring at him. He refused to look up – but his grip on my arm tightened ever more so. Keeping my face straight, a slowly stepped back, and in response, he released me.

I stepped back.

At first, he didn't move.

Then he turned and walked towards the rest of the group, looking down.

He stopped though.

As one, everyone turned towards the entrance.

"Take me to Marcus! I am a friend – a friend dammit!"

Seconds later, Striker and Ward appeared, dramatically silhouetted against a raining backdrop, both of them drenched to the bone. Almost as if it were no effort at all, Striker held a small, wet, struggling man, who was kicking and thrashing wildly in his attempt to get out of the larger man's hold. The little man was vaguely familiar – sandy hair, that small stature – but I couldn't place his face.

"Let – me – go!"

"She says that they found him skulking around outside, and that he demanded to be taken to Marcus." Izumi explained in his mysterious way after Ward had quickly signed a message to him.

Marcus measured the small, dripping man, now remaining still in Striker's grip. There was no change in Marcus' face – no flash of recognition, nothing.

"Let him go, Striker," Marcus said softly. Striker looked quizzically to Ward – she signed him the message, and he nodded, finally understanding, and let the little man go. He collapsed into a small, shaking heap on the ground, creating a puddle on the ground.

Frowning, Marcus stepped forward.

"Daegan… where is Glada? Kurda?"

The little man looked up, his face utterly miserable.

Daegan…?

And then it all snapped into place – Daegan. A vampire. The companion of Kurda Smahlt – who had had mysterious dealings with Marcus.

"…Where are they…?" Marcus asked into the quiet.

"…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, a strange, almost sadistic smile on his face. It was almost as if he knew what impact his next few words would have on me – and he enjoyed the fact that he would be able to bring so much pain upon someone.

"His name is Darren Shan… the false Vampire Prince."

The world froze.

There was no way he could have known – in fact, no one could have possibly known just how much those few words could grip me. But they did – a cold, dark shadow, wrapping its skeletal claws around my heart and squeezing painfully. At the same time, something within me welled, something just as equally dark and ominous, something so terrible that it threatened to seize my sanity then and there, threatened to drive me completely and utterly insane.

To turn me into a monster.

With a speed and ferocity that amazed me, I strode forward, gripped a handful of Daegan's wet shirt, and lifted right off the ground, my arms shaking at the effort. He made no attempt to struggle, that crazed smile still on his white face – and yet there I was, my face twisted in an ugly scowl as I held him above my eye level.

"What did you say!" I growled, shaking him. His face didn't change.

"Darren Shan," he said in a childish sing-song voice, almost giggling. And then suddenly, he, too changed, his face becoming almost an exact mirror of mine. "Darren Shan. He killed my Prince. And for that -"

He paused, a ghost of that crazy smile creeping onto his face once more.

"And for that, I will kill him!"

A pause.

Outside, lightening flashed.

It was a low grumble at first, much like the roll of thunder heard several seconds later. But the sound quickly escalated, becoming a loud, full-grown growl erupting from my throat.

Using all my might, I heaved Daegan away from me, sending him crashing into the ground. There were a few sharp intakes of breath – one 'Steve…!' from Toby, and a 'My Lord!' from someone else.

"NO!" I yelled. "He's mine! Only I can kill him – he is mine, and mine only, no one elses! He took my place – he took my place, do you hear me! I will kill Darren Shan!"

All was still.

My chest heaved from my outburst.

Lightning flashed.

Slowly, Daegan shifted from his crumpled position on the ground, his eyes downcast. He shuffled towards me on his knees, and I could see, through the gaps of his wet sandy hair, that crazy smile of his still shining.

"Very well," he said softly, cocking his head slightly so that one green eye could look at me. "I see he is already claimed for another – so I will do the next best thing."

He paused. Then he slowly lowered his upper body, pressing himself to the ground.

"I offer my allegiance to you, my Lord. I will be your eyes and ears – all the secrets of the Vampire Mountain shall be found out and laid bare for you," he said solemnly, his voice loud enough for the entire group to hear. "I will be your spy, Lord of the Vampaneze."

I remained silent, glaring down at the little man grovelling at my feet. My fists clenched – the scratch on my left hand itched terribly.

Finally, I gave a tiny, tiny smirk.

"I accept your offer."

Daegan looked up a little, his eyes dancing crazily.

"Of course, I do have the right to torture Shan as much as I want."

I smirked openly now.

"I will allow you that much, as payment for your services," I said slowly, nodding. My eyes turned stony. "But only I shall kill him."

Our eyes locked.

He matched my smirk.

"Yes," he said. "Only you shall kill him."

-

A.N …bleh.

-

Next Chapter:

Twenty-Three: Sunny Came Home

With the apparent needless deaths of twenty odd vampaneze at the hands of the vampires, the purple-skinned creatures of the night were able to declare open war on their estranged cousins. This, of course, was orchestrated by me, with the help of my growing entourage: Gannen Harst, my main protector, Toby, my small advisor, Izumi, Striker, and Ward, my three silent guardians, and my spy, Daegan – though he now liked to call himself 'Elwyn', believing that 'Daegan' was a failure. Or something along those lines.

With Elwyn's help, I was able to gather as much information on our enemies as possible. Their strategies were laid out before us, almost as if on a golden platter – making us always at least three steps ahead of them.

It was also through Elwyn that I was able to learn more about the two I hated most – Shan and Crepsley. It was through this gathered intelligence that I was able to formulate a plan.

Two years passed.

It was only after I met another man who had been wronged by Shan was I able to put my plan into action.

The man was R.V.

And my plan was one of Retribution.