Just a note: this story probably won't be updated regularly, life is hectic, what can I say? Anything familiar belongs to Darren Shan. Leave reviews!
Gavner entered Darren and Elena's chambers, both were sleeping soundly. He smiled gently, and then bellowed, "Up and at 'em!" Darren and Elena both jumped up with a yelp, Darren ending up on the floor when the hammock tipped too far.
He rubbed the small of his back, "What was that for?" He groaned.
"Just making sure you're alert for your trials." Gavner shrugged.
Elena glared at him, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to take you to breakfast and Vanez." Gavner explained. "Your parents have other business."
"What kind of business?" Darren asked pulling a clean shirt over his head.
"Your dad is helping Seba. Arra is discussing Harkat's message with the princes. But your dad and Seba are going to help you with your training Darren, and your mom is going to help you later."
"Well I guess we should get going then." Elena said moving past Gavner to make her way to the hall of Khledon Lurt for breakfast. Gavner shook his head and beckoned for Darren to follow her. Vanez was waiting for them in the dining hall with two bowls of bat broth.
"Evening!" Vanez said. "Ready for your training?"
Elena let out a yawn and said, "Are we going to the games hall?"
"No." Vanez said, "I'm taking you to the Path of Needles and then you will train elsewhere. Darren will practice in another cavern filled with spiders."
"I should grab Madam Octa's flute." Darren said, dashing back towards his chambers.
"How are you supposed to train both of us at once if we're supposed to be in different places?" Elena asked.
"I'll stay with you and Gavner here will train Darren, though Darren will probably be better off once Larten and Seba can join them." Vanez explained. "Your mother will join us later, she'd be more helpful to you than she would Darren."
Elena and Darren finished eating and then went their separate ways with Vanez and Gavner respectively. Vanez showed Elena the Path of Needles. "It doesn't look too bad." Elena noted.
Vanez laughed, "You'll feel differently once you start scraping your hands on those rocks." His expression sobered. "Now, make sure you hold onto the rocks on the bottom, it is better to scrap your hands than to be impaled by the ones above falling. And be sure not to make any loud noises. Even a soft sound may send rocks crashing about around you."
"Okay," Elena said nervously.
"Ready? Go!" Her training had begun.
Meanwhile, Darren followed Gavner to one of the lower caverns in the mountains. Yellow bodied spiders were winding webs all around them. Darren could see Gavner getting nervous the deeper they got. "Are you afraid of spiders Gavner?" Darren asked, seeing the older vampire flinch.
"Cramped spaces." Gavner grunted.
"Don't you sleep in a coffin?" Darren asked.
"Somehow it feels different when it's your own space." Gavner grinned. "Right then, here we are."
The cavern around them was filled with spiders, all scurrying away from the two vampires. "Are these the same kind that will be in the trial?" Darren asked.
"Yes." Gavner said, "Though it might not be the exact same ones. The mountain is crawling with these."
"Aren't you afraid that they'll start biting people all over the place?" Darren asked.
"No." A voice came from behind. Darren whipped around to see Seba and his father behind him smiling. "Spiders tend to stray away from larger prey." Seba was explaining, "When there is smaller, easier prey around, they will ignore all of us unless they feel threatened." Seba paused and frowned, "Which is exactly how they will feel when you take your trial."
"Why?" Darren frowned, "If I can get their attention won't it stop them from attacking?"
Seba sighed, "Alas, you will be made to go into the cavern with a lit candle, fire is seen as threatening to these poor creatures."
"Oh." Darren said softly, "Will they be harder to control?"
"Yes." Larten said. "That is why you are practicing with these spiders now, so that you get the feel of them. You are very familiar with Madam Octa, these will be different. It will be very difficult to bond with them once they are infuriated, but you will hopefully only sustain a few bites."
"Aren't they poisonous?" Darren asked.
"Yes they are," His father admitted, "But not like Madam Octa. They have slow-acting poison, so it would take a fair number of bites to kill you. But I encourage you to learn to control them quicker rather than later."
Seba let out a whistle, and some of the spiders gathered around him. "How can you do that without a flute?" Darren asked him.
"Practice Master Crepsley, practice. I have many more years of training spiders than you. Perhaps if you reach my age you too will be able to call spiders to you with little assistance."
"Can all vampires control spiders?"
"No. Spiders are rather particular when it comes to choosing their companions." Seba smiled broadly, "But given how fond your spider is of you, you should have no trouble bonding with these. Spiders can sense when one is a friend of the arachnids."
Larten put a hand on Darren's shoulder, "I think it is time you started practicing now." He said.
Darren put the flute to his lips, blowing softly. The spiders in the cavern perked up as they had when Seba had whistled to them. Controlling these spiders was vastly different from controlling Madam Octa. He struggled to get his thoughts through to them. But eventually, he felt he could communicate with them as easily as he could with his own spider. Soon enough, he could make the entire cavern of spiders do what he wanted. Gavner stared at the boy with his jaw wide open. Larten and Seba simply smiled with pride.
Gavner chuckled, "Well I suppose you'll have no trouble with this trial then!"
"So it would seem." Seba agreed, "You have a unique gift young one."
Elena's training was going as good as it could be. She was scratched and scraped all over, but she was doing well at moving silently and dodging falling rock formations when they came. Arra had arrived later in the night. "She's doing fairly well." Vanez told her.
"She has a remarkable sense of balance." Arra replied smiling.
"Well it's no trouble to figure out where she got that from." Vanez replied, "It's like she was born to be a vampire. She's a total natural."
Arra raised an amused eyebrow, "If you believe all of the legends then she was."
"You know, with all this talk of the Vampaneze Lord, many in the clan are rooting for her to pull through these trials." Vanez commented.
Arra sighed, "I know, I've been through all the meetings. I'm torn between which path I want her to follow."
"Well, maybe Mr. Tiny is just starting up rumours to cause chaos. The gods know the world has been quiet lately, and that man thrives on destruction."
"I hope you're right." Arra sighed.
The next night arrived swiftly. Again, Elena's trial was first. Arra and Larten led them both down to the Path of Needles. Arrow was there to oversee the trial. Other than Gavner, Vanez, and Seba, no other vampires were in attendance. The meetings over Harkat's message were still going strong.
"Are you ready?" Arrow asked.
"Ready." Elena confirmed.
"We shall meet you on the other side of the tunnel." Arrow said. "It is time for you to begin."
Elena started on her path. Carefully holding on to the stones to manoeuvre the pathway as quietly as she could. These formations were far sharper than those in the cavern she used in her training. Her hands were cut to ribbons as she continued on, but she didn't dare loosen her grip. Once, she accidentally leaned too far over a rock and the tip broke off, hitting the ground with a small tap. She held back a shriek as she dodged the falling ceiling. Gavner had been right. It was a good thing she was scrawny. If she had been any bigger she surely would have been unable to move out of the way and had been impaled. As the falling rocks ceased she took a deep breath and continued on. By the time she reached the end, she was covered in thin slices all over her body, but she had completed the trial.
"Excellent!" Arrow said, as Larten and Arra began applying spit to their daughter's wounds.
"Thanks." Elena grinned, wincing as her parents roughly rubbed her sliced hands and feet.
Arrow turned to Darren, "Unfortunately, Master Crepsley, no Prince is able to attend your next trial, these meetings are or main priority at the moment, I was only able to spare an hour."
"That's okay," Darren replied. "I don't mind, really, Vanez can evaluate my trial can't he?"
Arrow nodded, "He can, I wish you luck." He said and left to go back to the Hall of Princes.
"Let's go start your trial." Vanez said. Vanez lead them through the halls, until they reached a dead end. Though it was too dark for Darren to see, he knew that the ominous cavern was filled to the brim with poisonous spiders.
"You remember what you have to do?" Vanez asked.
"I have to retrieve an item, and not get poisoned." Darren said. "Can I know what the item is?"
"You shall know it when you see it," Vanez said. "Luck to you." He held out a lit candle for Darren to take.
Darren took hold of it, made sure he had hold of the flute in his other hand, and entered the dark cavern. The spiders scuttled away at first, and then hissed, and charged. Darren quickly put the flute to his lips but it was hard to manipulate with one hand. His first note was a shrill shriek and only encouraged the spiders to surge forward in anger. Spiders began crawling up his legs and arms, and Darren felt a few bite his legs. Quickly, he got the hang of it again, sending out calming thoughts and a simple, soothing melody that he was able to play one handed. With the spiders calmed, he drew further into the cavern. Spiders scuttled along the walls, angrily at first, but soothed by the flute, and then promptly ignored the flames emitted from Darren's candle. The flames caught a glint of something. A sword perhaps? No, a brilliant gem, sparkling in the dim firelight. Darren reached out to grab it but remembered his candle and flute. He couldn't drop the flute, the spiders would surely surge forward and overwhelm him, and he didn't think he could find his way out again without light, unless he felt along the cavern wall, but those were covered in the spindly creatures. Carefully, he managed to tuck the gem underneath his arm as securely as he possibly could. Slowly, still playing his tune, he made his way out of the cavern, relatively unscathed from his trial.
"Charna's guts!" Vanez exclaimed, "You've barely gotten a nick!"
"I do have a few." Darren said, "I should have practiced playing the flute with one hand."
"We can fix those up before you end up poisoned." His father said gruffly, pulling him forward to ruffle his hair.
"You both did extremely well today." Seba said approvingly. "Let us go and pick your next trials."
The hall of princes was in an uproar. The issue of the Vampaneze Lord was a troubling topic, and many vampires sought to have a say in the matter, all at the same time. Darren and Elena waited besides their group for a long time. Eventually, a guard took notice of Vanez and the two half-vampires, and whispered something in Paris Skyle's ear.
The eldest prince raised a hand. "Silence," He rumbled softly. "I know that this matter is of vital importance to the clan, but we musn't ignore our usual business. We have two half-vampires taking their trials on our behalf and it would be unfair to keep them waiting any longer."
Several generals began to protest loudly, "QUIET!" Mika shouted. "We have demanded these two half-vampires complete the trials, and so they must! The issue of the Vampaneze Lord will still be present after the five minutes it takes for them to choose their trials." The vampires in the hall settled, some looking rather guilty.
"Darren, Elena," Mika said, "Step forward."
Both twins stepped forward, and Elena approached the guard with the bag of stones. She drew a stone and Arrow inspected it. "Trial 51!" He called, "The Severed Bridge!"
Mika peered at her, "From what I hear, you have your mother's sense of balance. It will serve you well in this trial."
"Thank you Sires," Elena said, falling back to her parents so that her brother could choose his trial.
Taking a deep breath, Darren drew a stone. "Trial 9!" Paris called, sounding saddened, "The Hall of Flames." The hall of princes went completely silent. Every vampire in the hall stared at Darren sadly, as if already mourning the boy.
"Now!" Mika called, "Back to the business of the Vampaneze Lord." The hall erupted again in shouts from angry vampires. Larten and Arra led their children out of the hall, the others staying to weigh in on the debate.
"What's the Hall of Flames?" Darren asked once they were out of ear shot.
Arra looked sadly at her son, with a similar expression to what was on the other vampires' faces. "Flames are pumped into a chamber, you have to avoid them the best you can. It is one of the most difficult trials. Many vampires have perished in the Hall of Flames."
"Is there any way to train for it?" Darren inquired.
"Yes there is, in fact I'll train you myself, I've had to do that Trial two times, Vanez hasn't done it at all."
"I thought you didn't want to train us alone?"
Arra smiled and brushed his hair from his eyes, "I said I would train you if the need arose. I think the need has risen." She frowned as his hair fell back into his eyes, "I think perhaps you also need a haircut."
"I'm not allowed during the trials remember." Darren said.
"Well after the trials then." Arra said firmly.
"If I make it that far." Darren said miserably.
"Do not speak like that." His father chastised, "You will complete the trials." He turned to Elena, "I have noticed you have not questioned about your trial."
"Well it was pretty clear to me that Darren's was much worse." Elena shrugged, "So I figured that he should ask first."
"Yours is much easier." Arra agreed.
"What do I have to do?"
"Make it across a bridge while a guard cuts one side of it off."
"Can't I just climb up to the other side?"
"Perhaps," Arra said, "If you were fast enough. The bridge is over a series of stakes so you must work quickly."
"I think I can manage that," Elena said. She paused, "After some training."
A guard came rushing through the halls, escorting a vampire with them who waved at Larten and Arra. The older vampires smiled at one another, "You may not have to worry about them after all." Larten said.
"Why not?" Elena asked.
"We were expecting one more vampire for the festival to start." Arra explained. "He just walked through the door. And no official business can take place during the Festival of the Undead. Not even the Trials."
"Well that's good then!" Darren exclaimed.
"Yes it is!" Arra said wrapping an arm around his shoulder, "You both have three full nights to relax and be free of any worry."
"So do you two." Elena teased.
Larten raised an eyebrow at her, "We are not taking the trials."
"No but, you've been a pair of worry-warts since they've started. Everyone's noticed."
"No they have not and no we have not." Larten denied.
"Oh come on Larten, there's no shame in admitting worrying about your children. And Elena is right everyone has noticed." A voice said behind them.
Mika ver Leth had appeared behind them. "Sire," Larten said, bowing slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Arra asked.
"I came to inform you that the Festival of Undead will begin tomorrow night and the children's trials will be put on hold."
"Thank you," Arra said. She seemed eager to get away from her old mentor.
"Darren, Elena, might I have a word with your parents alone?" Mika asked.
Before Darren could ask why, Elena dragged him away, saying "Of course Sire," on their way out.
"Yes Mika?" Arra asked.
The dark haired prince shifted uncomfortably, "I just wanted to let you both know that there are no hard feelings between us. The past is in the past. I would not stoop so low so as to take it out on your children."
Larten raised an eyebrow, "We never thought that. I am sorry if we gave you that idea."
Mika chuckled, "You may not have Larten, but Arra has certainly considered it."
His former assistance folded her arms and stared hard at him, "I never said that." She defended.
"No," Mika agreed, "But our brief argument when you first presented them was uncalled for, and I got the impression that you did. I swear on my honour I have and will continue to judge Darren and Elena fairly."
Arra sighed, "I'm sorry I got angry with you Mika."
He gave her a rare smile, "It has been a very long time since I have sought your hand Arra. You chose Larten, and I see now that it was meant to be. Your children will both be fine vampires one night."
"Thank you, Mika." Arra said, "I appreciate your honesty."
Mika turned to Larten with a serious look plastered on his face again, "You had better take good care of my assistant Larten, although it seems that you have done a remarkable job of raising your children."
"We are not-" Larten began, but Mika held up a hand.
"I'm sure you will be." Mika said, "After all, there is a ball coming up." The prince turned and made his way back into the hall.
Arra shook her head, "Let's go find our children." She said, taking Larten's hand and leading him to their chambers.