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Elena trained hard for her last trial with Vanez and her mother watching over her. Vanez, Arra, and Larten had all agreed it was best for Darren not to strain himself anymore than he had to, and so he had stayed in the infirmary with Larten and Harkat. Recovering as much as possible was the best way for him to train at this point.
Elena was practicing scaling one of the rough walls of vampire mountain. Though her nails were far tougher than a humans, they were not quite so tough as a full vampire, and she was having trouble getting a good grip on the wall. There were very few footholds on the wall, and Vanez had told her there were even less on the wall that she would actually have to scale. The wall right now was dry, but it would be covered in small streams of water when she took her trial, not to mention the barrels that would be chucked at her head by some of the guards.
"Come now, don't be soft, you won't offend the wall if you dig into it." Arra shouted up at her daughter.
She grimaced as Elena slid a few feet down the wall, her nails slipping from their holds. Vanez patted Arra's shoulder. "She'll get the hang of it, I'm sure. She's a tough one that girl." He grinned as Elena made her way to the top, "I think it's time we started making her dodge some obstacles, don't you?"
Arra nodded and helped Vanez carry barrels to the top of the wall. "Not bad," Vanez told Elena when they met her at the top, "But your mom is right, you need to dig into the wall hard, otherwise you won't be able to dodge these." He patted the barrels.
"Do I get to practice with them?" She asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Yes," Vanez said, "Arra and I will throw these down at you and you can practice. Unfortunately there are no streams here you can practice with, but as long as you make sure to get a good grip on the wall every time you will be fine."
Elena climbed back down to the bottom so that she can start again. When she was about a quarter of the way up Vanez began tipping barrels down the side. Arra and Vanez peered down at her, watching her avoid the barrels. "You're going to have to move faster than that!" Vanez yelled down as she narrowly avoided being squashed by one.
He turned to Arra with a more serious expression on his face, "How's Darren?"
"He should be almost back to normal by the time he takes his trial tomorrow." Arra said with a sigh, "I just hope he manages to get through it okay." She paused, "I hope they both do."
"Elena will be fine." Vanez said, "If Darren is well enough, he will do fine too I'm sure." He flung another barrel off the side of the wall. "And if not," He added, "Even in death may they be triumphant."
Arra nodded, not saying a word. Watching Elena scramble up the side of the wall. "That was much better," Arra told her, "Again."
"You're worse than Vanez!" Elena muttered under her breath, but climbed down to the start all the same.
Arra smiled sadly, eyes following her daughter's form. "I'm not sure what I'll do with myself if they fail." She said quietly and then grumbled, "This is why vampires were not meant to have children."
Vanez chuckled, "Well motherhood has certainly softened you up."
Arra glared at him, "It most certainly has not."
"It's not a bad thing Arra." Vanez defended, "If other vampires could have children then I'm sure we would act the same way. You're worried about your children, its not as though you two have been coddling them." He paused, glancing down at Elena with a grin, "Well except for Larten's reaction to Elena at the Festival."
Arra snorted, "He is rather overprotective of her."
Vanez laughed, "Well I can't say I entirely blame him, after all we are in a mountain full of male vampires without very many women. You remember what it was like when you first came here."
"I remember." Arra sighed, "That's one of the reasons I didn't keep them."
"What were the other ones?" Vanez asked seriously.
"Larten had already left before I found out I was pregnant. I didn't want to go crawling back to him so soon." She laughed softly, "And I figured they would have been better off without me, I abandoned any thoughts of motherhood I may have had when I was blooded."
"Well you've taken to it admirably, as you do with most other things." Vanez said, "I'm sure they would have been absolutely fine if you had kept them."
"Thanks, Vanez."
"Anytime."
Elena climbed back up the side of the wall. Vanez let her have ten minutes to catch her breath before sending her down again. "I'm going to go check on Darren." Arra said, clasping Vanez' shoulder.
Larten was busy redressing Darren's wound when she entered the infirmary. "How are you?" Arra asked her son, watching Larten carefully bind up the wounds.
"Okay." He said, "It doesn't hurt much anymore."
"I do not think you will be completely healed by tomorrow, but you will have to make do." Larten said, "It will be painful, but I am sure you will manage."
"How's Lena doing with training?" Darren asked his mother.
She smiled, "Your sister will be fine, it's you I'm worried about."
"You don't think I'll be fine too?" Darren teased.
"Of course you will be," Larten interrupted, "But your sister does not have any severe burns to worry about."
Gavner and Kurda entered the infirmary. "Hey sport," Gavner said.
"Hey Gavner. Kurda." Darren replied.
"I see you still look like a piece of burnt toast." Gavner said taking in his bandages.
"That's not funny Gavner," Kurda snapped.
"It's fine Kurda." Darren said quickly, "I probably do look like a piece of burnt toast."
"Not quite so much as before." Arra said smiling, "His wounds are much better Kurda, I'm sure he will be fine."
"I still don't think it was a funny joke." Kurda muttered.
"Argh lighten up Kurda." Gavner said running his hand through his hair sheepishly, "I promise I won't make anymore jokes."
Darren sat up in his cot slowly, his father rushed to steady him. "Easy." Kurda said, "Do you think you'll be alright for your next trial?"
"I think so." Darren said, "I'll pull through Kurda, don't worry."
"If you say so," The prince-to-be sighed before storming away, muttering about infernal rules that should be changed.
"I don't think Kurda is too happy about this situation," Darren said, watching the blond vampire leave.
"No," Gavner sighed, "Kurda's set in his ways, like most of us, his ways are just different from most vampires."
"Maybe sometimes change is good." Darren said.
"Let's get you through the trials before you start demanding changing the entire vampire system." Arra said.
"I wasn't!" Darren protested.
Gavner chuckled, sitting down next to Larten and Arra. The three of them began talking again about old times, Darren soon fell asleep listening to the three of them. "I guess our stories are boring," Gavner chuckled.
"The more rest he gets the better he will be," Larten said.
"You mean the happier you'll be," Gavner teased.
Larten glared at him and the burly Vampire General shrank back in his chair. Larten's glare softened, "You are right of course."
Gavner smiled sadly at Larten, "I'm going to go get Elena," Arra said standing, "I'm sure Vanez has pushed her far enough for now."
She glanced back at Gavner and Larten. The two vampires had their heads bent down low. She smiled, it took Gavner to grow up into an adult for Larten to finally give him some semblance of the fatherly love he deserved.
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The next evening, Larten entered his daughter's room to wake her for her last trial. She was curled up in her hammock in front of a fire, sleeping peacefully, so much so that he hated to wake her. Sighing, he gently shook her awake. She opened her eyes blearily and rubbed her eyes. "Good evening." Larten said.
"Evening." She replied. She ran her fingers down her face tiredly, "I can't wait for these trials to be over."
Her father hugged her tight, surprising her. "You and me both." He chuckled, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Come on, one more and we will not have to worry about you anymore." The pair stood and made their way to the Hall of Khledon Lurt for breakfast.
Once they were finished eating, Larten led Elena to a chamber just below the waterfall the vampires used for a shower. There were streams running all along the floor here, running off a huge wall, wet with the fast little streams, leading up to a cliffface. On top of the cliff Elena could pick out Vanez, Gavner, Kurda, her mother, and even Darren standing in wait for her. A series of guards were lined up at the wall, each equipped with around a dozen barrels that they could throw down the wall at her as she climbed. In the middle stood Mika Ver Leth, who would oversee the trial. Larten gave Elena an encouraging smile, a curt nod, and then made his way to the top with his companions. Taking a deep breath, Elena made her way to the bottom of the wall. Once she was there she looked up at Mika.
The dark haired prince held a hand up to get the attention of all the vampires behind him. "Are you prepared to embark on your final trial?" He yelled down at Elena.
"I am." She shouted back up at him.
Mika nodded, "Very well, you may begin. Luck!"
"Luck!" A chorus sounded around him from the vampires watching the trials.
Elena approached the wall cautiously, took another deep breath, and then dug her nails into the hard rock. The streams ran all along the wall, and though she could have avoided the wet rock before the guards started throwing barrels at her, she wanted to practice digging her nails into the wet wall before it was absolutely vital. It was hard and slippery work, but she continued on. Nearly a quarter of the way up, barrels began to crash around her. Vanez had told her she could either jump to the side or flatten herself against the wall to avoid them, depending on how close the barrel was to the wall. "Flattening yourself is easier, especially given your size, but it is often not possible. You need to keep an eye above and also on where you dig your nails in. You don't want to get knocked off by a barrel, nor do you want to dig into a soft rock and go crashing down." That was a feat easier said than done. She swung to the left to avoid one of the barrels and latched on precariously to the wall. Moving just in time, she launched herself upwards just as the wall under her fingernails crumbled into dust. The next one left a gap between the wall and the barrel, so she simply flattened herself against it and let the barrel fly over her, continuing upwards after it had passed. She continued this pattern, alternating between leaping to the side and pressing close to the wall for the remainder of the climb. Only once did she lose her grip on the wall, sliding down the rock a few feet as her nails slipped out of their hold. She only had a few more feet to go, which made avoiding the barrels all the more difficult, there wasn't as much time for her to judge the move she should make before they sailed over her. One came crashing down suddenly and knocked against her shoulder, she let out a cry as her right hand flew off the wall, but she managed to catch hold of one of the rare footholds before she could go crashing to her death. She hauled herself up the last few feet painfully, it felt as though the barrel had broken something in her shoulder, her collarbone, possibly. Ignoring the pain, she managed to dodge one last barrel and pull herself over the top of the cliff face with one arm. The vampires gathered around the cliffs erupted in cheers. Mika raised her uninjured arm as she stood next to him as he announced the successful completion of her trials.
Pushing her way through the throng of vampires, all patting her on the back and yelling their congratulations, she made her way to her parents. "Well that's one less thing for you two to worry about." She told her parents grinning.
"Let me see your shoulder." Her father said, ignoring her statement. She winced as he prodded her shoulder. "I think you have a break." Larten told her.
"You don't say." She replied through gritted teeth.
"Gavner, would you help me with this?" Larten asked.
"Help with what?" Elena asked apprehensively.
Her father didn't answer, but Gavner wrapped his burly arms around Elena, "Just bite down hard," The General told her, and Larten quickly snapped her shoulder forward so the bone was put back into place.
"Aaargh" Elena shouted as Gavner loosened his grip. He kept his arms wrapped around her however, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Well done short stuff." He said as she swatted him away.
"Congratulations, Elena," Kurda said with a smile.
"Yes well done, though it was inevitable given your training." Vanex said with a wink.
"You are a true member of the vampire clan now," Seba said smiling.
She laughed and gave each of them a tight hug, before turning to her mother and father. "I never doubted you for a moment." Larten said, holding her tightly. Arra likewise wrapped her arms around her daughter.
Elena wiggled her eyebrows, "I guess this means I can RSVP to the mating ceremony now." She ducked as Arra swatted at her head and the group around them erupted in laughter. Arra and Larten were both a vibrant shade of red.
The dark haired prince approached the happy group with a look of sadness. "Congratulations Elena," He told the ginger-haired half-vampire before turning to Darren. "It is time for your fourth trial Master Crepsley."
The vampires around them immediately sobered. Elena looked sadly at her brother and squeezed his hand as he nodded curtly to the prince. "We shall meet you there," Larten promised. Mika nodded and left the group. "Come on," Larten said, "We have another trial to get over with."
The group followed the tall orange haired vampire to a large hall with an arena in the centre. Mika stood next to the entrance with a pile of weapons. "Choose your weapon," Mika said to the half-vampire.
"Darren picked up numerous of the weapons, testing the way they all felt in his hands. He eventually chose a short sword that was a little bit heavy for him, but lighter than the other ones.
"Good luck," His mother said, holding his face in her hands.
"See you after," Darren said with a grin. He nodded to the guard next to the gate who lifted the door for him to go through. The others made their way into the stands.
Darren glanced up and saw them all together. Elena gave him a small wave and he waved back. He turned to face the gates as Mika called out for the boars to be released. They were massive, not to mention angry, staring down Darren with an almost hateful look in their eyes. He could tell that they hadn't been blooded long, they still had some wits about them. He also knew the second he moved they would charge. Darren moved to the right and both of the boars charged him, he managed to dodge their sharp tusks, one ended up behind him while the other swung around and charged from the side. If he didn't move now he'd be impaled from the side and from behind. He decided to go for the one coming from the left. Dodging the tusk, he managed to drive his sword up underneath the boar's snout. The vampires in the stand whooped with delight as the boar backed away quickly with a squeal. Darren whipped around just in time to dodge the other boar's tusks as it charged him again. Before it could recover its senses he drove his sword deep into its side, in what he was sure was a fatal blow. What he wasn't expecting was for the boar to stagger towards him rather than away, it fell on top of him before he could scamper away, pinning him under its dead weight. The boar he had wounded before stared him down. He was trapped. There was nowhere for him to go, and he couldn't lift his arm to raise his sword to impale the oncoming boar. He shut his eyes for a brief moment, hoping that his parents had the good sense not to let his sister watch him die. He opened his eyes, preparing himself to face his death with open arms. He stared at the boar as it charged him down.
In the stands, Arra buried her face in her hands, shoulders sagging. Elena held onto her father's hand tightly, and he wrapped an arm around her so that her face was buried in his chest. Gavner, Kurda, Vanez, and Seba all looked apprehensively at their friends, they didn't see anyway Darren was getting out of this one.
Something happened then that no one could have expected. Harkat was suddenly in the ring standing protectively in front of Darren. "NO!" The little person roared, lifting the boar up with his immense strength and hurling it to the other side of the ring. The boar's head smacked cleanly off the ground and it fell, dead.
The vampires erupted in chaos. All shouting for Darren's death. It took Mika multiple tries to quiet the vampires in the hall. "Enough!" The prince roared.
"The boy betrayed our laws, to the stakes!" A voice shouted.
"I SAID ENOUGH!" Mika yelled and the vampires in the hall quieted. "Darren?" The prince inquired, "Did you plan this with Harkat?"
Darren shook his head, "No, I had no idea he was going to do that, there was no plan."
"Harkat?"
"Darren... friend...couldn't let...friend...die."
The prince frowned, "So you acted of your own accord?"
"Yes...Darren friend."
The vampires erupted once again, demanding now for the deaths of both the half-vampire and the Little Person in the ring. "I've heard enough!" Kurda shouted. "We cannot hold Harkat accountable to our laws he is not a vampire."
"The Little Person had no right to interfere." A vampire hissed.
"Would you really be so quick to send Desmond Tiny's agent to his death?" Kurda asked. The hall fell silent once again. "Sire," Kurda implored, "The trial wasn't actually completed yet, Darren could have made his way out at the last minute and killed the boar."
"He was finished!" Another vampire shouted, "There was no way that he could have escaped."
"Darren has been in tight spots before and emerged victorious." Kurda argued. "Mika please, see reason, let the boy take the trial again."
Mika sighed, "This is a matter to discuss with the Generals and Princes. Darren, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"Yes," Darren said shortly, "I don't think I could have escaped, I think that the boar would've killed me. If it's possible I will take the trial again, and if not, I'll go to the Hall of Death without complaint."
Mika nodded his approval at the boy. "Return to your chambers, someone will collect you when we have reached a verdict."
Darren nodded and left the room, jeers of vampires following them out. Up in the stands, Arra, Larten and Elena were making their way down. Elena made to follow her brother but her mother held her back, "No." Arra said, "They'll want to question you too to make sure that you and Harkat didn't plan this on your own." She paused and took in a shaky breath, "I won't have both of my children sent to the Hall of Death in the same day."
"But-"
"Elena," Larten interrupted sharply, "Now is not the time for you to be stubborn. You are going to the Hall of Princes to defend yourself, and if possible, Darren, and that is final. Am I clear?"
She looked down with a large swallow and then stared her father in the eye, "Crystal." She said, green eyes watery with tears, then followed her parents to the Hall of Princes where hundreds of Generals were calling for her brother's body on a pit of stakes.