Yepp, I edited it :)

Thanks for all the positive feedback!

Enjoy... please?

Mika Ver Leth lay in his coffin and stared aimlessly at the dark ceiling in his small but cozy cell in Vampire Mounatin. He didn't know why he'd woken up so suddenly. He hadn't been having any dream he could remember, yet he felt strangely like he'd missed out on something important. But he dismissed the thought. He rolled over onto his side and pushed his spiky jet-black hair out of his eyes. He lay peacefully for several minuites, staring at the silk-lined wall of his adult-sized coffin, since there were no child-sized coffins available in the Mountain. Not that he minded, he had stuffed the overlarge coffin with worn out but comfortable pillows and blankets to make it cozier. He had his own small but pleasant room not far from the Hall of Princes. Not everyone approved of the fact that Mika had taken up permanent residence in Vampire Mountain, but since he was Paris Skyle's own student, no one dared disrespect him. But life in the Mountain was lonely. There were no shortage of adult Vampires, and Mika spent a lot of time training and practicing swordsmanship with Vanez, but he often wished for a friend his own age. He never got his hopes up, however. Mika was approximately 9 vampiric years old, and child Vampires were extremely rare - as he'd been told an annoying amount of times.

Mika slowly stretched and stepped out of his coffin. He mentally ran through his schedule for the day. First, he was going to grab something to eat and spend some time with Paris in the Hall of Princes, learning about traditions and cultures and such. He enjoyed learning about the ways of the Vampires, but he often had to leave the hall when there was confidential business, or discussions inappropriate for young ears. Then it was off do some training in the Hall of Games with Vanez, or to do odd jobs in the store room for Seba the quartermaster.

Slowly he opened his creaky wooden door and surveyed the hall. It was rather empty, a few Vampires were conversing quietly to his left, and to his right walking quickly in the direction of the Hall of Princes was a group of Generals. A closer glance revealed that they were being led by Paris Skyle.

"Good morning, Paris!" Mika called happily as he always did.

"Same to you, Mika." Paris called back without turning around. Mika frowned. Paris always looked at him when they spoke.

'Paris, wait up!" Mika yelled, running to catch up as his mentor became further away. "Can we practice with the double swords today? I saw Vanez using them, they look like fun-"

But Paris cut Mika's innocent stream of questions off when he turned around and suprised his student with an expression of extreme stress

"Mika, Vanez is already waiting for you. We have a lot on our plate, today will be terribly busy. I do not have time to teach you." Paris replied sharply. This halted Mika in his tracks. This was out of character, Paris greeted him with a warm smile every day.

"Paris, wait! Busy doing what?" he started to ask, but his voice trailed off as his mentor dissapeared into the Hall of Princes. Mika was burning with indignation at being ignored by the closest thing he had to a father, but he pushed it out of his mind as he turned around to go to the Hall of Games.

I never want to be a Prince! Much too much to worry about! he decided with conviction

###

"Mika, I don't know what's wrong with you today!" Vanez scolded. "Your left backhanded swing is usually much smoother and straighter! I thought you had it down when we practiced last week."

"Sorry, I'll try harder." Mika answered robotically.

He knew he wasn't on top of his game today. Sword fighting was his number one skill so far, and on a good day he could have an relatively fair fight with Vanez, but Paris's irritability had made him edgy. Paris was the calmest, stablest Vampire anybody knew, and Mika knew that it would take a lot of trouble to put him in such a mood. The simple and brief conversation was bothering him to no end, and clearly was having a bad effect on his fighting skills!

Vanez gave him a funny sideways look, but as Mika's eyes made contact with his, his expression softened and he backed away and resumed offensive position.

"Very well. I'll attack you again. This time keep your wrist flatter as you go into the swing, you need extra momentum to carry it through.."

Mika nodded, keeping his eye on Vanez's long slender sword. Keeping his arm gently curved as he gripped his sword. His sword was really a large dagger that had belonged to a large Vampire, but Mika was very small by Vampire standards, and the dagger suited him perfectly.

Vanez lunged. Mika swung his dagger in an arc and brought it down on Vanez's blade hard enough to create sparks. The Games Master grinned at Mika's improved move, but his smile faded as he saw his student wasn't finished: Mika twisted the blade and wrenched the dagger downward, pushing the sword from Vanez's grip, then flipped it backwards. He attempted to catch the handle in his free hand, but he missed and the blade traced a bloody line across his arm as it sliced by. Unpreturbed, he thrust his dagger forward and gently pressed the tip against Vanez's throat.

"I win."

For a moment, student and teacher stood almost eye to eye, panting. Vanez looked shocked. Mika looked fiercely determined.

"I told you, we're working backhanded swings today." said Vanez cooly, pushing the dagger away from his throat.

"I did a backhanded swing." Mika answered with equal seriousness. "After that, I overpowered you."

"Mika, you're what, 7 years old? I'm almost 90. You couldn't have overpowered me."

"Then I tricked you!" Mika said in exasperation. "Either way, I disarmed you."

Vanez couldn't argue with the boy. Mika was wickedly intelligent and no doubt a swordsmanship prodigy. He was on his way to becoming a legendary Vampire, and he knew it.

"Vanez!" The voice was Paris Skyle's as he came striding into the Hall. Mika was shocked. If Paris had been busy enough to ignore him this morning, what was he doing here now? He rarely came to the Hall of Games, even to watch Mika.

"Vanez, I require the use of my student."

What could Paris possibly want me for? Mika wondered inwardly, but said goobye to Vanez and exited the Hall, following Paris at a distance.

"Paris, will you please tell me what's going on?" Mika asked as politely and hopefully as he could.

To the student's suprise, the mentor turned to face him.

"Mika, I need your help."

"For what, helping Seba move supplies?"

Paris cracked a smile. "Something considerably more important than that." He paused. "A boy has come to our Mountain. A Vampire boy, newly blooded, about 13 Vampiric years of age. He was half-dead from exhastion when we found him just inside the mountain, sometime late yesterday. He's disoriented and terrified out of his mind, but we managed to get some information out of him, that's why I've been busy all day. His mentor was killed in a Vampaneze ambush on the way here, but he went on to bring a message to us-"

"What message?" Mika interrupted.

Paris looked grim for a moment, but pulled a strained smile smiled.

"Just Prince business, nothing you need to worry about."

Paris obviously missed Mika rolling his eyes, because he continued:

"I think he's given us all the information he could for now, but when he's more settled in, I wish to ask him about details of the attck, such as the names and appearances of the Vampaneze that were present. But back to you, Mika. I want you to show him around and get him accustomed to how we live here. He could use a friend close to his age. I was hoping he could share a room with you for his first few nights here, as the memories of the attack are still quite fresh in his mind, and I am quite sure he does not wish to be alone in a strange place."

"So he'll stay in Vampire Mountain?"

"He has no where else to go." Paris confirmed.

"I'll help him!" As tragic as the boy's situation sounded, Mika could not deny he was excited to have someone close to his age in vampire Mountain.

"I thought you'd rise to the challenge." Paris smiled. "He goes by the name "Arrow". But be warned, the loss of his mentor had damaged him, and he may not be interested in friendship right away. Just be there for him if he wants to talk, and leave him alone if he wishes. And please, please, Mika, don't ask too many questions!"

"Don't worry Paris, I'll make sure he's okay here."

The old Vampire Prince put his arm around his beloved student.

"I know you will." Could that be a tear in the old man's eye?

"Now go tidy your room, I'll find a spare coffin and bring Arrow up shortly."

This one actually wasnt bad, it doesnt really serve a purpose, just outlines little Mika's life, and sets up for Arrow's entry, which is crappily documented in the next chapter, which I dont reccomend you read till after its edited :) if you do read it, EXTREME. MUSH. WARNINGS. but no slash. promise :) just lotsa Bromance!

but seriously, dont judge or review it till AFTER its edited! Please :)

Again, help and advice would be adored!

*Roxxy,