I sure take my time, don't I? I think this is an alright chapter. I don't have a whole lot to say about it, other than I saw Black Bart (refer to previous chapter) in person last week ;) awyeah! Pic on my FB page.
Also, I hope the formatting on this chapter isn't fucked right to hell.. FF Net hates my Macbook so far. But on the bright side, I don't know how to turn off the spellcheck so that kicks the ass of my typo habit ;) Yays. AND ITS A LONG, ACTIONY CHAPTER TO BOOT!
OH, and it's official. My story of Arrow's life is officially non-compatible with The Saga of Larten Crepsley. HOLY MOTHER OF CHARNA'S TITS, Palace of the Damned was incredible. Right up there at the top of my list beside The Vampire Prince. THANK YOU DSS FOR FINALLY DOING MY BOY SOME JUSTICE! Arrow forever.
Enjoy!
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Arrow pressed his palms against the sides of his forehead in an effort to block out the pain that throbbed within his cranium; but to no avail. He emitted a low groan of anxiety and continued to internally berate himself.
How could you be such a gods-damned idiot? He demanded of himself. You forgot to use your pathetic excuse of a brain before going off on one of your stupid ideas, and look what it cost your best friend! If it had been you, that would be one thing. But Mika! If he dies…
SHUT UP! The young vampire implored the cruel sneering of his subconscious.
…if he dies, it's all on you.
With that last jab, the voice in his head fell eerily silent, leaving him alone with his thoughts, guilt, and runaway imagination; a bad combination when one is alone in a small dark room. His own cell had never felt so alien; he miserably longed to hear Mika's irritatingly energetic voice echo off the walls like it did every evening and morning. And if it never did again, he only had himself to blame.
Stupid.
Stupid.
Stu-
"Arrow?"
"Paris." he replied in surprise. His elderly mentor did not frequently visit this end of the mountain. But there he was, standing in the doorway without a single trace of expression on his gnarled face.
"I thought I would find you here." said the old Prince, casually walking in and taking a seat on the lid of Arrow's coffin. Arrow himself was sitting on the floor, back against the chilly wall - willing himself to somehow vanish into it and stay there forever.
"Well… it is my room." Arrow replied warily, searching Paris' face for a sign of whatever news he was bearing.
"I assumed you would remain in the Hall of Recovery with your young friend?" said Paris lightly, blue eyes grazing Arrow's face.
"I couldn't stay." Arrow gulped, not managing to maintain the calm chill in his voice. "Not after what Arian said."
Paris pressed his lips together and stared down at his own fingers contemplatively.
"Keeping you in suspense is cruel." he announced after several seconds of silence. "Mika will make a full recovery, he simply suffered a very nasty bump, and lost quite a bit of blood since head wounds tend to bleed quite terribly. But make no mistake, your tenacious comrade will be around to cause trouble for many nights to come."
It took a moment for that to sink in, but when it did Arrow shakily let go of the breath he'd been holding for the past several hours. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the wall, finally allowing his body and mind to relax.
"How's he doing?" he inquired with an ounce of hopefulness.
"He woke up several minutes before I came to see you. He's a little disoriented, but he certainly remembers what happened." Paris chuckled. "He's all for giving it another try - the animal's name was Black Bart, am I correct?"
"Yeah…" Arrow shrugged abashedly, completely regretting his participation in the entire endeavour. "It was Mika's idea."
"A fitting name. I believe it will stick." Paris smirked.
"I hope it doesn't." Arrow grumbled. "Stupid idea…"
"Arrow, you must not take Arian's words to heart." Paris stated abruptly, abandoning all casual pretence. "I can see how what he said has been troubling you, it is written all over your face."
Arrow had no comeback; he glanced up to meet his mentor's eyes then turned his own back to the floor.
"Arian is…" Paris sighed heavily, seeming to search for words. "…a fractured individual. His reasons I'll not say, but one of his many unorthodox methods of coping include forcing his own misery upon those around him, to which you bear testament."
"But he's right." Arrow blurted out. "My parents were slaughtered, and probably used their last moments to hide me. Faren was-" His throat hitched as he uttered his mentor's name for the first time in weeks. He buried his face in his hands, lost in fury and regret. "-killed right in front of me and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. And now Mika… It's all because of me." He raised his head and affixed Paris with an obstinate stare. "Don't try to tell me otherwise. Arian. Is. Right."
Paris stared right back at his grief-stricken student with an expression of empathy mingled with frustration.
"You are so determined to make yourself suffer for what is not your fault." the old Vampire murmured tiredly, slowly standing up and making his way out of the room. "I hope one day your sense outweighs your stubbornness. In the mean time, Mika wishes to see you." he declared in closing, softly shutting the door and leaving Arrow alone once more
###
"I remember grabbing his fur and trying to hold on, but it was really soft and slippery." Mika babbled excitedly, recounting his bull-riding experience to his eager audience of Arrow. "Then he did this really big jump, and I went FLYING!"
"I know." Arrow cringed, passing his young friend another mug of warm blood.
"And I don't remember anything after that." Mika shrugged, slurping the blood.
"I can take it from there." Arrow rolled his eyes. "You hit the wall, then the floor, and you started bleeding buckets. I carried you all the way back-"
"You were prob'ly freaking out the whole time." Mika sniggered.
"No shit." Arrow glared. "I thought I killed you. I can't believe I let you try that…"
"Yeah. It was dumb." Mika agreed perkily, draining his mug.
Arrow ground his teeth and shifted uncomfortably. He was stationed on an empty cot he'd dragged over beside Mika's.
"Don't feel bad." Mika added in a coaxing tone, noticing the upset undercurrent in best friend's behaviour. "It wasn't your fault. You kinda tried to stop me, and I got on Bart all by myself."
"But I know better than you! At least I'm supposed to..." Arrow groaned. "No offence."
"Hey." Mika interrupted seriously. "Look at it this way, I don't have to do chores till this bandage comes off! And Seba said I'm gonna have a big scar!"
Great. Arrow thought. A big, ugly reminder right on the middle of his forehead so every time I look at his face for the next few hundred years I'll remember the time I almost sent him to his death.
"Wow. Great." he lied, forcing his face into a smile.
"I've always wanted a real battle scar." the dark-haired youth grinned dreamily, burrowing happily into his nest of pillows.
"You'll get plenty when you grow up." Arrow promised. "Don't waste skin space on big dumb animals."
"Black Bart's not dumb." Mika corrected.
"No. He's dinner." Arrow snorted.
Mika's face began to twist into a laugh at Arrow's joke, but his expression morphed backwards into dismay as his eyes focused on something over Arrow's shoulder. Arrow turned, and felt a pang of unwelcome anticipation as he saw Seba and Paris racing down the hall towards them. As the two old Vampires drew closer, the two younger companions could see fear written across their teachers' faces.
"Wha-" Arrow began, but he didn't even get he entire word out.
"VAMPANEZE!" Seba bellowed. "Vampaneze in the Mountain!"
That one word, the V-word was the only trigger Arrow needed for his body temperature spike from normal to too high. The voices of Faren's murderers echoed in his mind, laughing, sneering… despicable. He became engulfed with the overwhelming desperation to fight, rip, stab… to kill… to destroy.
"Where?" he demanded, flying to his feet.
"In the lower chambers, there was a cave-in in near an entrance hall, and somehow that got them in." Paris explained hurriedly. "There's no time, I have to go help fend them off. The two of you must go with Seba now. Hide, stay safe until someone comes to fetch you."
"I'm going with you!" Arrow snapped forcefully.
"Don't be aubsurd." Paris snarled. "You're a child, this is a battle. Now GO!"
"I'M NOT A CHILD." Arrow roared back, temper leaving his body in a rage. "I have to fight them! For Faren!" Passion and desperation left him shaking. Paris' eyes softened but his face remained impassive.
"Your time will come, that I assure you." the Prince responded cooly. "But let me also assure you that your presence in this fight would be meaningless. You wouldn't last a minute, Arrow. I refuse to send you to your death. Go with Seba. Now."
"Arrow, come on." Mika pleaded in a small voice. "Let's go."
Arrow shot the famously wise Paris Skyle -Wise! Does this ignorant fool not know who he's dealing with?- a glare of utter loathing, then turned to follow Mika and Seba as they thundered down the hallway in search of a sanctuary.
###
"You'll be safe here." Seba promised, opening a rusty door which apparently lead to… nothing. It was a small, dank, dusty chamber filled with nothing but spiderwebs and a few supplies; benches, stools, extra coffins and the like.
"You're not staying?" Mika inquired apprehensively, looking suspiciously around the room.
"I can not. All able-bodied Vampires are needed on deck."
"But you're old. You shouldn't have to fight." Mika responded in dismay.
"No one is forcing me to fight, young Ver Leth." Seba explained gently. "It is quite simply the only honourable option. If I chose to hide up here and allow my clan to lay down their lives for my protection, I am worth no more than our enemies. Someday you will understand."
"Now explain exactly why that doesn't apply to me too?" Arrow interjected belligerently.
"I have lived a full and useful life. I am ready to die for my clan." Seba replied with passion burning deeply in his eyes. "You on the other hand, are young and unproven. You are worth much more alive than you are dead."
Arrow's jaw went slack in disappointment and frustration as he tried to come up with a reasonable argument. Seba gently laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You will find the revenge you crave so greatly, Arrow. This I swear to you. Now I must go. For the sake of your clan, please stay here."
And he was gone.
"What if he never comes back?" Mika asked nervously after a moment of ringing silence.
"It's Seba. He knows his way around a fight. Same with Paris. They'll be fine." Arrow replied impatiently, investigating the door Seba had shut behind him. "Gods damn it! He locked it from the outside. Sonnova bitch!" he hissed furiously, rattling the door with all his might.
"You weren't still thinking about going to fight, were you?" Mika retorted in shock.
"How could I not be?" Arrow croaked miserably, wheeling around sharply to face Mika. "They killed the only family I had. TWICE."
"I know. And I'm sorry. But didn't you listen to Seba? They'll kill you like they killed them! Then there'll be nobody to get them back for what they did to your parents and your mentor. If you go out there today, you're handing them another victory." Mika reasoned, sounding decades beyond his years with just as much obstinence as his older brother.
"You all underestimate me." Arrow breathed icily, sizing up the door and taking a step back… and slamming his body full-force into the door. He grunted at the pain of the impact as it seared his entire right side, but he smiled in grim satisfaction as he heard a rusty crunch. One more hit, and the ancient, weak metal snapped under the pressure. His shoulder felt slightly broken, but he blocked it out along with Mika's indignant yells of protest.
"Stay here." he ordered his young friend, praying with all his might that his command would be heeded. He knew what he was doing was deeply and shamefully wrong, but he banished every thought, save for the mental image of himself mowing down hordes of purple-skinned demons. Then he sprinted in the direction of his cell where his sword and boomerang lay waiting, ready to taste the blood of the Vampaneze.
###
From a flat spot at the top of the piled rocks from the cave-in, he had a perfect view of the fight. The Vampaneze -his blood boiled at the sight of them- about four dozen had entered from the South. The Vampire troops were spilling down from the West and North corridors, surrounding the enemy. He could make out Arian in the epicentre of the skirmish, eliminating foes left and right with cruelly efficient brute force. He never seemed to kill instantly, rather wound fatally then move on to the next opponent while the previous lay gasping and bleeding out. Nearby, Ronan made each kill in a seamlessly clean manner, either severing a main artery or else with a quick stab to the heart. Paris moved throughout the crowd, seeming to focus on aiding fellow Vampires who were becoming overwhelmed, rather than taking on enemies himself.
Arrow watched the fight rage for several minutes, until he shook off his mesmerization and strategized his entrance. He decided he'd climb down the rocks behind him, so he'd be invisible until he slipped out of the cavern and joined the fray. His imagination had teased him with ideas of invincibility and valour, but now that he was here, the idea of rushing into battle was painfully overwhelming. His stomach tied itself in nauseous knots and his head ached with stress… until his sworn mortal enemy suddenly crossed into his line of vision.
Rasa's son; Arrow would recognize the greasy stringy hair and pathetic sneer as long as he lived. The bastard was currently fending off a Vampire General, and Arrow was sickened to see that the Vampaneze was winning. Not for long. His fears vaporized in an instant, and a vicious, bloodthirsty battle cry tore from his throat.
And he bolted headlong into the midst of the violence.
###
Arrow was no stranger to combat. You didn't survive long in the wild unless you knew how to fight; he'd spent his entire life fending off grizzlies, wildcats, muggers, and a wide variety of very seedy folks. Not to mention Vampaneze. Faren, being a crucial informant had made the Vampanezes' list of Most Wanted Vampires a long time ago, and had remained a high priority for elimination. Any other Vampire would probably have been tracked down and killed years ago, but Faren's survival skills had been unmatched. He was always three steps ahead of the enemy, which was the only reason he'd made it as far as he did. Even so, he and his student had survived their fair share of attacks and ambushes; each encounter leaving them more hardened and ready for the next challenge.
But Arrow had never seen battle like this.
His already heightened senses were pushed to their limits and his body tensed as he wove his way through the sea of twisting bodies, flailing limbs, and bloody weapons. The young Vampire held his shield close to his chest and his sword out in front, slashing at whatever got in his way. His boomerang was strapped to his back, ready to be pulled free and fly at a moment's notice. Never mind that he hadn't practiced in days, and was inexperienced as it was. His hard, dark eyes scanned the crowd, searching for that one cowardly-
Slam. Crash. Crumble.
Oh gods...
His body went into a momentary shock as he was sideswiped by someone about 3 times his size. The air rushed from his lungs as he hit the stone floor of the cavern. Spots flashed in his vision; when they cleared he could make out a towering figure looming over him, holding what appeared to be a crude hammer-like weapon of wood and stone… poised directly above Arrow's skull. The young Vampire felt nothing as he stared up into the brute's leering face. He didn't feel death creeping up on him. Didn't see his life flash before his eyes, or anything remotely poetic or dramatic. All he saw was an ugly purple-skinned monster that needed to be eliminated.
One second.
Arrow kicked out wildly. On sheer luck -luck of the gods?- his foot connected to bone. Ankle bone. The sickly crack was barely audible above the cacophony of battle, but Arrow didn't need to hear it to know it was a perfect hit.
Two seconds.
The Vampaneze's ankle gave way and he toppled, shrieking in fury and pain. The granite head of his hammer hit the floor mere inches from Arrow's face. Had he not thrown his foe off balance, it would have landed in the middle of his skull.
Three seconds.
Arrow was back on his feet, eyes scanning for the next enemy. Three seconds was all it had taken. But even that was a waste; as would be every moment spent until Faren was avenged, and his killer disembowelled. He knew very well he may never get another chance like this… he had to act before someone other Vampire made the kill that rightfully belonged to Arrow alone. He charged deeper into the heart of the violence, dodging blades left and right. Close to the stone walls, he ran across a Vampire -face obscured by a helmet- being backed into a corner by three snarling Vampaneze. The Vampire was powerfully built, but bleeding heavily from the shoulder. His wounds were making it impossible to fend off his attackers; the middle of the three Vampaneze dealt a powerful blow with the edge of his shield and the Vampire sunk to the floor in a snarl of agony. Enraged on behalf of his fellow warrior, Arrow drew his sword and plunged thoughtlessly in front of the advancing Vampaneze, effectively shielding his fallen comrade from further harm.
"We have a hero among us." the shortest Vampaneze sneered.
"Correction, a child who thinks he can play the part." the tallest retorted with equal mockery.
Incensed, Arrow lashed out wildly with his sword without a target in mind. He swung wide, and his trio of opponents avoided his offence with a step backwards. Panting in anger and stress he attacked again; this time aiming his blade at the purple-skinned man closest to him. His swing was uncoordinated but strong and his entire body rattled when his sword connected with the Vampaneze's shield. He recovered just in time to see his foe's right arm snake out from behind the safety of his shield, holding a much bigger blade than Arrow's. Arrow didn't have a millisecond to waste on thought, his instincts ruled his hardened body, and he ducked hard to the left. He could hear the metallic swish as the blade cleared him with inches to spare. Adrenaline rushed; he recovered his balance and struck again. But the Vampaneze blocked the attack, forcing Arrow's blade downwards and almost yanking it out of his hand. Grunting in frustration, Arrow slammed his shield into his opponent's shoulder. That gave him the opportunity he needed to free his blade and plunge it into the purple-skinned chest. But the hit didn't carry enough force to be lethal and the Vampaneze was able to fling himself backwards off the blade before it impaled him completely. Wounded but still on his feet, he stared Arrow down through narrowed eyes. His two comrades had fallen back to watch the action unfold, but now they were advancing on Arrow with evil smiles. The young Vampire realized belatedly that he was cornered. He'd come this far unwounded, only to be staring death in the face backed up against a stone wall. Three Vampaneze soldiers against an untrained newly-blooded kid Vampire. It would be a messy, brutal, dishonourable death. He could feel the blood rushing in his ears as panic introduced itself for the first time that day. Faren's killer was still out there! And what would Paris say when he found his student's mangled body lying in the carnage amongst the soldiers that had died for the clan?
No.
Arrow took a deep breath and faced his enemies head-on like a true soldier. He knew he couldn't make it out of this alive, but there was no way in hell he was going to make it easy for them. A steely sense of purpose locked out everything but determination and he prepared himself to slash, rip, stab, kick, bite, whatever he had to do to take as many Vampaneze with him as possible, while leaving scars on all the rest. He tensed his body and prepared to spring, to engage in what was looking like last fight. The middle Vampaneze motioned to raise how sword, then halted shakily. His face went slack in shock and he looked down at his chest from where a silver blade tainted with crimson was suddenly protruding. He stared at it for several moments, as though trying to puzzle out what it was and why it was there… then the blade twisted sharply, carving a cavity into his chest before being wrenched backwards and disappearing from sight. A mighty shudder wracked his body and he sunk to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth like a waterfall, choking off his desperate gasps for air. He was dead before his body hit the floor. Staring down at his victim, his killer's face was obscured by a helmet but Arrow recognized him as the Vampire he'd saved from being overpowered and disembowelled, minutes ago. The other two Vampaneze scattered into the fray, shooting venomous looks at the pair of Vampires who'd bested them.
Arrow stared up at his saviour, trying to find words. He tried to say "thanks" but it came out as an indignant "I would have been fine on my own!"
"You'd be in 10 different pieces right now if I didn't believe in repaying my debts." the man shot back venomously. Arrow's heart sank; it was a voice he recognized all too well… Arian removed his helmet to give Arrow a proper death glare. "Are you surprised?" He sneered at the boy in front of him. "Bet you wouldn't have saved my life if you knew it was me, hmmm? Wise choice. If I didn't owe you my life I wouldn't have bothered to spare yours." The Prince allowed himself a quick barky laugh, then his eyes went stone cold once again. Before disappearing back into the battle, he hissed "Get out of here, little Arrow. Leave the fighting to the real Vampires. And don't think I won't be telling Paris that you deliberately disobeyed his orders."
Arrow felt not just his face, but his entire body burning with shame and fury as he turned away from the fight. The cacophony of battlecries and screams of agony faded into white noise… until one voice rose above all of it like an alarm bell going off in Arrow's head, screaming his name in terror.
Oh gods, Mika…
There he was, pressed up against a wall on the other side of the chamber, visible only because it was slightly elevated from where Arrow was standing. He was surrounded by brawling soldiers who seemed to take no notice of the fact that a child had inadvertently slipped into their war. Arrow took off like a bullet from a gun, sprinting, ducking, rolling, dodging his way through the chaos. He felt a blade nick his side, followed by a warm wet gush as his blood supply began to drain. But he did not feel pain, he could not allow himself to feel anything. Short of being decapitated, nothing would keep him from reaching-
"Mika, what the hell are you doing here?" he gasped, grabbing his young brother roughly by the shoulders. "Are you hurt?"
"No." Mika whimpered softly. His face was completely expressionless, shellshocked. His eyes seemed to look through Arrow, rather than at him. He was hypnotized by the bloody sea of raging violence before them.
"Mika, look at me. We have to get out of here. Now." Arrow urged. "Come on."
"You're hurt." Mika pointed out, eyes coming back into focus as he noticed the rapidly widening red stain on Arrow's left side.
"It's fine." Arrow replied through forcibly gritted teeth. The pain would get him soon. He had to move while he still could… "Listen to me. We have to get out. Do you see that opening up there?" he pointed at the hole in the rock face, diagonally across the cavern from where they were.
"Yeah."
"That's where I came through. We have to get there. We're gonna run along this wall till we get there, then you're gonna climb. Got it?" Even as he spoke, his eyes searched the crowd hungrily for Rasa's son. He couldn't imagine anything more dishonourable than leaving the fight now even though he could already feel the life draining from his body along with the blood. His vision was blurring, spots flared in his line of sight. Time distorted itself, his body swayed before he felt his knees go weak. Mika's small hands scrabbled frantically at his arms and shoulders, trying to hold him up. The raven-haired boy's lips were moving blearily as though in slow motion, his words sounded attached and far away. Arrow was falling, the will to fight evaporated like mist, nothing mattered now. He was dying.
"Go. RUN." Arrow pleaded. The words sounded out of synch with the motion of his lips but he didn't care; was this what Faren's last living minutes had felt like? Throwing whatever faith he had left into the one person on earth that mattered, and praying to the gods they made it to safety alone because he himself didn't stand a chance in hell?
So much blood. Blood on his hands, blood on his chest, his legs, running in rivulets onto the unforgiving rock floor. His life, pooling before his very eyes.
Sorry I didn't do better, Faren. See you soon.
Poor angsty Arrow... xD
There will be a time jump in the very near future. Actually, I might even split this into more than one fic. I just want this one to be over already. it's been over 4 years in production (fuckwow) and I'm extremely eager to say goodbye to this one and continue the next segment of Arrow's life.
And yes, I've changed the title about 184552534 times... idfk I need to re-visit the song lyrics too. AND AND I'm still not satisfied with the first three chapters. The formatting on 3 is REALLY fucked but I haven't had time to fix it... Extensive edits hopefully to come. This is definitely the most changed-up fic I've ever written.
Surprisingly I have nothing else to say tonight. Well, except for I'm having surgery tomorrow. The none-life-threatening kind, I'm not that exciting xD I've never had surgery except for getting some teeth taken out once, so I dunno if I'm gonna feel like writing in the next few days but I'm certainly gonna have a ton of free time. Fingers crossed that all goes well! xo
RXP