Darren: You left me here for EIGHT MONTHS and only NOW have the gall to UPDATE this?
Tutankhamunfreak: Eheh... I ran out of ideas?
(Darren scowls and glares at author)
Tutankhamunfreak: Ok, so I'm really sorry that I haven't been around but I was being hounded by my bitchy art teacher and kind of had this massive writer's block and inability to write...
Darren: you still left me here for eight moths, in which time you went to Iceland and back!
Tutankhamunfreak: To be fair that was a fifteenth birthday present from last year and I was forced to spend it with my weird geography teacher and my hop-along friend who ended up on crutches!
Darren: Does everything you do require medical help?
Tutankhamunfreak: No.
Darren: (to audience) sorry about this but the author has been a bit lacking of late if you haven't noticed. I'm surprised you even remembered me here since Dark Rebel left.
Tutankhamunfreak: yeah, where is he?
Darren: He left when you started re-writing your story. Said something about having to make sure his brother didn't end the world or something.
Tutankhamunfreak: Oh yeah. (to audience) Ok, so obligatory disclaimer: I don't own the Darren Shan saga. Those rights belong to Darren Shan himself although the plot does happen to belong exclusively to me. So, on with the show before Darren decides to attempt homicide.
It took some time for Alan to process the information he had gleaned from Darren. It was certainly eye-opening but it didn't explain everything. There was still the question of his 'sickness' and why he never took off the silver bands from his wrists. Alan had known Darren exceedingly well for the first eleven years of their lives and he was sure that in the twenty or so years they had been apart, Darren had pretty much lost interest in fashion statements. All the vampires wore clothes that were either old or dirty, some so much so that they looked more like rags than clothes, and Darren was no exception. So the silver bands made no sense.
There was also the feeling that there was more to his story than met the eye. Darren had had no qualms telling Alan he wasn't a Christian anymore and yet he still looked uncomfortable when talking about Evanna and his friend, the Little Person. There was probably a reasonable explanation for it but the feeling still remained. What had happened in the recent years that Darren no longer felt that he could confide in his oldest friends?
But then there was the revelation of Steve.
Alan had known about Steve's little 'affair' with Annie and it was clear that Darren did too, so why did it feel like there was more about the whole fiasco than met the eye? Darren's story made it clear that Steve only used Darius as a tool (and how he had turned Darius into a half-vampaneze, Alan didn't want to know) but it didn't explain why there was something almost… guilty when Darren spoke Steve's name. Surely he would be angry or at least annoyed that Steve had practically raped his sister? What did Darren have to feel guilty about other than not knowing?
There was little that Tommy could give as answers and neither Alice nor even Debbie could answer their questions as to this.
"Darren rarely talks about what happened by the river and Vancha was out cold for most of it," was Debbie's answer to Alan's question. He noted that she looked sad, almost disappointed even, about this apparent lack of trust. Even Seba had little clue.
"It is almost as if Darren has retreated into himself and feels that the rest of us would be better of knowing as little of the truth as possible." Alan cursed the old man's almost cryptic answer. It still didn't answer his question in the slightest. And the most annoying thing was that Darren had reverted to avoiding them again. If Alan had been any younger he would have pursued Darren and demanded the answers out of him but he was a grown man now and had other things to worry about than the boy who should have been dead yet wasn't.
At least he had until he had managed to be kidnapped by vampires.
Weeks passed and eventually, there seemed to be an improvement in their training. Alan wasn't thrown to the floor practically instantaneously every match (although he still ended up on the floor most of the time) and they were both able to at least hold their own against the ladies, if not able to beat them yet. Alan still went to bed (if a coffin could be called that) feeling exhausted but the routine began to feel much better as his body got used to the vigorous daily exercise and the disrupted sleep patterns. He also managed to vaguely begin to tell when it was light and when it was dark outside the mountain, although he wasn't always completely right.
A month had passed since the initial kidnapping and, while Alan may have learnt an extreme amount during that month, he still knew relatively little about some other mysteries. The vampaneze was becoming a rather pressing issue for him. Tommy wasn't affected so much by this, having never been too curious by nature. If something was explained to him then he would happily go through life just knowing that ad wouldn't ask for anything more. Alan, however, was a scientist and wanted much more in his life than the normal (although his current condition was definitely abnormal). He needed to know about these vampaneze creatures and why they were such a threat.
"They are not a threat as such," Seba explained when Alan posed the question to them. "In fact, vampaneze and vampires used to be one and the same."
"What happened?" Alan asked.
"Vampires used to think that humans were put upon this world simply as sustenance. You understand that when a vampire drains a person of blood they absorb a part of that human's soul, yes?" Alan nodded. "Well, seven hundred years ago vampires decided that they did not wish to always drain people dry. They began to realise that this only caused trouble and dissent between humans and vampires and an agreement was met that vampires would drink but not kill humans. However, some vampires did not agree with this notion and broke away from the clan. Seven hundred of them in fact. They declared themselves a new clan and the vampaneze were born."
"That's terrible!" Alan exclaimed.
"Not really," Seba said patiently. "There was a war between the two clans seven hundred years ago but it caused too much chaos between vampires, vampaneze and humans. The humans could not tell between the two clans and fought back. However, the vampaneze do not think that draining a person dry is an act of horror, but rather, an act of honour." Alan pulled a face.
"That's a little twisted." Seba sighed.
"I do not think that you understand. They believe that it is an honour to carry a part of the soul of the person they have killed. They believe that they are not truly murdering a person if a part of that person is retained within themselves. Besides, the vampaneze have stricter rules than even we have. They are forbidden from using any long range weapons, including staffs and spears. They cannot lie or they will be condemned by other vampaneze and they are loyal to a fault. If a vampaneze pledges his support to you, he will stand by you and your family till the day he dies." Seba sent Alan a pointed look, almost daring him to say something.
"I still don't understand how killing a person and draining them of blood is an honour."
"It does not matter. It is simply their beliefs and as an old man, I know very well how much meddling with another's beliefs is dangerous. You may not like it, I may not like it, but that does not mean we should condemn it." Alan looked at him in surprise.
"Is everyone of this opinion?" Seba rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, ever since the War of the Scars, even more young vampires sees the vampaneze as evil beings but, you see, that is not the case. There are many who wish to end this uneasy truce between us and wipe them out completely but they can do nothing without angering the Princes, Darren especially." Alan blinked.
"I would have thought that Darren would hate the vampaneze after everything they have done to him and his family," Alan murmured. Seba just shook his head.
"Darren understands something of what I have told you. He understands a great deal about the world for one so young. I almost wish that he did not."
"What do you mean?" Seba sighed again and looked mournfully at the floor.
"I am sure you know that Darren has had a troubled life, the likes you have never seen before. I will spare you the details that you surely know. Darren does not condemn the vampaneze, although I have never been clear why. Like you, he once did not understand them but he never hated them. There was a time when he would not take up arms against anyone. I still remember the day when a young boy looked up at me from his first battlefield crying over the body of a dead vampaneze, perhaps only a few years older in looks than himself. While I may not know the reason why he does not abhor the vampaneze, I do not believe that he has ever forgotten that day either." Silence ensued between them as Alan tried to put his thoughts together.
Darren had said no such thing to him about a battle between the vampaneze and vampires at this mountain but it had obviously had a profound effect upon him. There was something in Seba's gaze that made Alan think that Seba pities Darren almost as much as he pities the young vampaneze whom Darren had killed that day.
"Do you pity him?" Alan asked. Seba looked up for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Sometimes I think that Larten was hasty in blooding Darren and yet at other times I believe that he took the right course. Now, however…" Seba trailed off, his eyes once more on the floor. The Hall was filling up although Alan was still not sure of the exact name of it. Vampires were beginning to rise for the night and many were calling for food and ale. "Now, I believe that Darren had learned something so terrible that any innocence left has been stripped away," Seba said quietly, so quietly it was almost lost in the sudden din. Alan glanced back at Seba, wondering why he was suddenly so morose.
There was a sudden commotion amongst some of the younger vampires. Alan glanced towards them and found that they were grouped around Darren, who, surprisingly, looked half-way through a bowl of bat broth. How long had he been sitting there for? He certainly hadn't been in the Hall when Alan had entered and yet, he also had not heard him come in.
"The Festival of the Undead approaches Sire. I'm looking forward to pummelling you on the bars!" The speaker was a tall, broad, hairy specimen, with a face that looked as if it had been punched in too many times. This vampire seemed to feel that wearing no shirt was the way to look one of the toughest, although Alan knew that this particular vampire hadn't been in the mountain any longer than he had (although he had made much faster progress than Alan had).
"I wouldn't try it," Darren said quietly, not looking up from his meal. In fact he just spooned another mouthful of the broth into his mouth and continued to ignore them. The other vampire didn't seem to get the message.
"I thought all the Princes were supposed to join in? Or do you get allowances made because you're only a little Halfling who can't stand the heat?" Alan felt angry at the derogatory words that the vampire threw at Darren and he noticed Darren tense. Seba was looking at the group too and was shaking his head.
"Chadron is a fool if he thinks that he can best Darren, half vampire or not," Vancha stated, suddenly appearing at Alan's shoulder, causing him to jump a foot in the air.
"Why do you all feel the need to sneak up on us?" Alan snapped. Vancha raised an eyebrow.
"We don't sneak up on you. You're just too unobservant to notice us approach." Alan rolled his eyes and turned back to Darren. It was still hard to believe that Darren would be able to hold his own against the rather large and hairy vampire facing him.
"I don't need any allowance to be made. And I will be joining the games in the actual Festival of the Undead and not when some numbskull thinks he's better than me because he's bigger, hairier and smellier than me," Darren snapped back in retaliation to the vampire's comment. He was holding the spoon so tightly that his knuckles were white and Alan wondered how the spoon was still in once piece.
The vampire looked suitably insulted and Alan found that he had little pity for the man. After all he had just insulted an old friend, no matter how long it had been since they had seen each other and how many secrets he had.
"How dare you-!" the vampire began before Darren's fist suddenly flew to meet his face. If Alan hadn't been looking at him, he would barely have seen it. Darren moved at a speed which was incredible, even after seeing the vampires flit about in the mountain.
"Yes, I do," Darren spat before turning and walking away. The vampire looked up from the floor, his eyes burning.
"You'll pay for this Shan! I swear you will!" the vampire shouted, his voice thick with blood from a split lip. Darren paused for a moment and glanced behind.
"So be it."
Darren: So, why have I gone from being depressed to idiot in about three seconds.
Tutankhamunfreak: Don't know. I think it was something to do with the fact that I was trying to show how different you were.
Darren: And when are you going to explain this 'silver bands' thing?
Tutankhamunfreak: I'll explain it when I get to it. I'm not really sure at the moment where this is going. I'm just letting the story flow at the moment so I'm just happy this chapter turned out the way it did.
Darren: Ok then. (to audience) Well, I'll see you next time, whenever that is. I think the author's going to go hide under her covers now and freak out about her exam tomorrow and in the coming weeks so it might be a while. Again. Wish me luck!