"What's the festival going to be like?" Darren asked Seba yet again during one of their reading lessons. He was now 8 years old and vampires were expected to start arriving for Council within two months. Since hearing about it, Darren had been asking the same question over and over.

Seba replied patiently, "Darren, I do believe that Larten and I have already answered that question for you, several times."

"I know," Darren replied, "but I want to know more. Please?"

Seba put down the book that they had been reading and began the tale he had told the boy numerous times before, "The Festival of the Undead is a long-standing tradition that occurs every twelve years during Council. You remember what the Council is for, do you not?"

Darren nodded. Seba continued,

"During each Council, there is a break of 3 days and nights in which no official council business can take place. During this time, vampires from all over the world come to partake in the celebrations. We gather together to catch up with friends, tell stories of our travels, and challenge each other. There are games, balls and no official vampire business can be discussed."

"How many people will show up?" Darren asked

"The vampires' names are carved into a stone in the Hall of Osca Velm. Every Council there are hundreds of vampires who show up, but I have never made an exact count."

"Hundreds?!" Darren gasped, not being able to imagine that many people in one place. "And they all stay here?"

"Of course," Seba explained, "Where else would they stay?"

Darren smiled, excited. Council could not get there fast enough.

"Come," Seba said sternly, opening up the book they had been reading, "Enough questions. We must continue your studies."

As the days passed, Darren got more and more excited. Although he knew he could not participate in any of the games or challenges-Larten told him he wasn't allowed to-he was eager to be around other vampires. As the child grew older, he found himself getting lonely since he started to spend more days on his own. Larten was always busy with his duties as quartermaster, getting less than 3 hours of sleep each day as Council approached. That meant he usually did not crawl into his coffin until after Darren had already fallen asleep. Darren missed spending time with his adopted father since sometimes he would go days without seeing him.

Seba had explained to him when Darren started to complain about Larten getting busier and no longer seeming to have time for the young child anymore,

"A lot of pressure is always put on the quartermaster during these times. He has many responsibilities and needs to be many places at once." Darren still looked disappointed, so Seba added, "Do not let this worry you. Larten still cares for you dearly. As soon as things calm down, everything will be as it was."

"Is everyone this busy before Council?" Darren asked.

"Everyone does their part," was all Seba said.

Still, Darren felt lonely without Larten around. Seba would spend a lot of time with him though, since Darren was still not allowed to wander the halls alone yet. During their days spent together, they would take walks through the halls and sometimes even explore some of the unmarked ones. Seba would also give Darren lessons in things like reading, writing, and life in the human world.

A few years earlier, Gavner had started bringing back postcards along with his other gifts for Darren. These would have pictures of places all over the world where Gavner traveled and Darren soon became obsessed with them. He asked that Gavner bring him more and kept them all in a box under his hammock. He would look at them constantly, so Larten and Seba began teaching him about life outside vampire mountain. Larten told him that when he grew older, he could leave vampire mountain to travel and have his own adventures. Larten always tried to make sure that the boy felt like he had options in life, and was pleased when he started to show an interest in travel.

When vampires began to arrive at the Mountain, Gavner was one of the first. He had recently completed a mission a mere few weeks away from the mountain, so he came among the first 50. Upon arriving, he helped himself to some bat broth and stale bread in the Hall of Khledon Lurt and enjoyed the silence and emptiness. Normally, he hated traveling alone, but he had to spend a lot of time in a nearby city with many other vampires, settling a dispute between a group of vampires and vampaneze, so he was glad to be back in a calm atmosphere and by himself. That silence was short-lived however when he heard two pairs of footsteps enter the Hall.

"Gavner!" a familiar voice called. He turned around just in time to see Darren fling himself at him and wrap his arms around the General's neck. Gavner cried out in shock, then laughed. He caught the boy and hugged him back. When they pulled apart, Gavner looked up at who Darren was with.

"Good to see you again Seba," he greeted.

"Always a pleasure," Seba replied pleasantly. "I was not expecting you so soon."

"I was dealing with business nearby," Gavner explained, "So I figured I would come early and help with preparations."

Seba smirked, "I am sure Larten will be happy for the help. This is his first Council as quartermaster."

"Where did you go this time?" Darren asked excitedly, hoping Gavner had new stories and a new postcard for him.

Gavner reached in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper with a shining picture on one side, depicting a grand and colorful castle-like building surrounded by falling snow. Darren took the postcard in his hands and admired it closely.

"That," Gavner explained, "is Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. I was there a few months ago, passing through on my way to Finland. Add this to your collection."

"Wow! Thanks!" Darren ran off to put this postcard with his others, leaving Seba and Gavner behind.

The Festival started like any other before. It started with the ringing of a gong and the roll call of all the vampires who had perished since the last Council. As soon as that was over and the Princes announced the start of the festivities, the Hall erupted with cheers and shouts. Vampires were racing out of the Hall of Stahrvos Glen, some too eager to wait until they reached the gaming halls and threw down in wrestling matches where they were. If it weren't for Darren on his shoulders and his new status, Larten knew he probably would have acted just as unhinged as the rest of the lot. Larten had anticipated the mayhem and decided it would be safest to have Darren sit on his shoulders so he wouldn't be trampled. As the chaos died down, he stayed put, watching the madness until there was only him, Darren, and the Princes left in the immense Hall of Gathering.

"Wow!" Darren exclaimed. Larten felt Darren's hands on top of his head, gripping his crop of orange hair. "That was crazy!"

"This festival always turns even our finest vampires into fools," Kurda commented, but his voice was wasn't disapproving. He had a smirk on his face and a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. Even the peaceful prince wasn't immune to enjoying three days and nights of duels and drinking.

The Princes left and Larten lifted Darren off his shoulders. When he was on the ground, he looked up at Larten curiously.

"Is everyone in the gaming halls?" he asked.

"Aye," Larten answered, "To duel and challenge each other until they cannot fight anymore."

Darren beamed. "Can we go watch?"

Larten smiled down at the boy, then ruffled his hair. "Of course," he said, "but stay close. You do not want to get lost this type of crowd. Trust me."

Larten had been worried about having Darren at the Festival of the Undead. He knew no vampire would challenge the boy-vampires only took pride in fighting when they were dueling a worthy opponent-but Darren had always been small for his age and Larten worried he may wind up getting trampled or caught between two vampires. A vampire could easily kill a child like Darren without even realizing it, so Larten made sure to keep Darren close and would swiftly lift Darren out of the way when two wrestling vampires would get too close and almost crush him. There three close calls within the first hour and Larten was starting to get stressed.

Larten got challenged a few times, but not as much as he did when he was a General. During his fights, Darren would stand aside and watch, fascinated despite not being able to follow most of their rapid movements. It was some type of hand-to-hand fighting that Darren didn't know the name of, but by the look of it, Larten was very good at it. He moved faster than even his opponents could follow. After he beat yet another opponent, swatting him down in a matter of seconds like he was a fly, Larten made his way back to Darren, panting slightly.

"How did you do that?!" Darren exclaimed.

Larten smiled down at the boy. "I have had years of practice. They did not call me Quicksilver for nothing."

Darren looked confused and was about to ask what that meant when Gavner appeared, looking gleeful as ever. He ruffled Darren's hair and spoke to Larten, "I just got through five wrestling matches in a row and I haven't gotten so much as a scratch. How have you been fairing?"

"Not bad," Larten replied with a smile.

Gavner looked down at Darren. "Has he been showing off to you?" he asked.

Darren replied excitedly, "It was so cool! He was doing this karate thing and he was so fast! He was like a blur and you should have seen the other vampires he was fighting! One of them was, like, this big," he raised one hand above him as high as he could and stood on his tip-toes, "and Dad had him beat in a few seconds!"

Gavner laughed as Darren continued to recount Gavner with stories Larten's challenges, but he noticed that Larten had stopped listening. Gavner followed his gaze across the gaming hall to the bars, where Arra Sails was competing on the bars, maintaining her undefeated streak. Larten had a small smile on his face as he watched her.

Gavner turned his attention back to Darren just in time to sweep him out of the way of a vampire who had stumbled backward and almost crushed him. Gavner glared at the vampire, Darren still scooped up in one arm.

As the vampire got up and left, Larten turned back towards the pair. Across the Hall, Arra had finished off her last opponent and jumped off the bars.

"Gavner," Larten said as Gavner put Darren back down, "would you mind looking after Darren for a while? There is someone I would like to talk to."

Gavner smiled at him slyly. "Sure thing!"

Larten walked off to talk to Arra, and Gavner looked down at Darren. "Are you getting hungry yet, kiddo?"

Darren nodded.

"Then let's go." With that, Gavner let Darren out of the gaming halls.

Larten wound through the crowd of vampires swiftly. When he made it to the bars, he found Arra sitting on one of the lower bars, carving a design into her staff with a knife.

"Arra Sails," Larten greeted warmly.

She looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Well," she replied, "if it isn't our quartermaster. Congratulations, by the way."

Larten smiled. "Thank you," he said, "You are looking lovely as ever."

If she was at all flattered by Larten's words, her face didn't show it. "Seba told me how impressed he was that you managed to organize Council so smoothly this year."

Larten was shocked. He felt like a complete mess trying to get everything in order, but it made him happy that his former master was proud of him.

Arra added with a smirk, "I've also heard you got soft."

Larten's eyebrows furrowed, and he quickly became enraged. "Who said that?!" he demanded.

Arra laughed and rolled her eyes. "No one had to. I knew as soon as I heard the stories of the child: 'the boy in the snow'. You, Larten Crepsley, the top General in his field, who even managed to scare off the Nazis has become…" she pouted and her voice became baby-like, "nurturing."

"Stop," he snapped, "I have not gotten soft. I can still beat you at any game you choose. I can end your winning streak on the bars."

Arra raised her eyebrow and leaned in closer. "You really think so? You still have yet to prove that to me. Are we ever going to have our match on the bars?"

"Perhaps," Larten replied, his smile returning. "All you have to do is challenge me." He looked at her expectantly, but she turned up her nose at him.

"Not tonight," she said, and hopped off the bars. "I've finished for the night on the bars, but come back to me tomorrow."

"Why would I do that?" Larten asked, teasing.

Arra twirled her staff and held it behind her shoulders. "Because tomorrow I may challenge you," she replied, "Seek me out."

She began to walk past him and he asked, "What if I do not?"

"You will!" she shouted back. She didn't turn around to look at him, just walked away.

Larten smiled.

The next night was filled with balls and more games. Everyone was still dressed in their nicest clothes, but most were torn and bloody at this point. At the beginning of the first ball, everyone threw their heads up and howled like wild wolves. When the next vampire was given the title, "of the howl"-it was a large man with tattoos all the way up one arm and a large scar over one of his eyes, causing it to always be partially shut-the music and the dancing began.

There were two large ballrooms that everyone somehow managed to squeeze into. They were all doing a dance Darren didn't know how to do, so he stood off the side and watched. All around him, vampires were dancing, cheering, and shouting. It was very loud, and Darren started to get anxious since he was only ever used to the quiet, slow life the mountain usually provided. Spotting the end of the hall, he ducked down and rushed to the exit.

Darren wound through the crowds of people easily. Being much smaller than everyone at Council, he would squeeze passed people and sometimes duck between people's legs, usually catching them by surprise. When Darren had escaped, he set off towards his and Larten's room. As he walked alone, tracing cracks in the walls with his finger, he heard someone's voice speak from behind him,

"Careful," it spoke, making Darren jump. "You could get lost wandering these halls by yourself."

When Darren turned around, he met eyes with a pair of eyes he had only seen in his worst nightmares. The eyes were calm and kind, but Darren knew better than to give into them. In his dreams, this man was always monstrous. His own eyes widened fearfully, and he felt frozen, stuck in the spot he stood. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"My name is Desmond Tiny. Mind if I walk with you?" the man asked with a pleasant smile and checking the heart shaped watch in his pocket.