Darren Shan

Ocean of blood
Larten Crepsley Saga II

In Petu and Xiime ~

To:
Shan, Ciaran, Aine and Cyan. Monsters of the deep!

OES (Order of the Bloody Entrails) to:

Jessica Bromberg, the Kraken East Coast !!

Editorial Skipper:
Sam Quint, alias Nick Lake !!!

Admirals of the Dark Waters:

Captain Christopher Little and his despicable crew !!!!

Part One:
"A howling and hungry creature
dark pleasures "

Chapter One
The vampire known as Mercury threw a knife through the air filled
snuff smoke tavern. Those who were around him regarded him
with bulging eyes, thirsty fascination, as he held his head
back, he opened his mouth and hoped the knife down. Some people
They are shouting, but Mercury did not flinch, expertly following the dagger
view. At the moment, he gritted his teeth and took the road to two inches
tip. While shaking the handle, he turned slowly so that
everyone in the room could see. He pulled out the knife, threw it against the
-where wooden table stuck to the bottom- and bowed.
As the audience applauded mad, Mercury smiled and dropped in
a chair near vampire and a group of young admirers. "See," he said
smiling. "I told you I could do it."
"One of these nights," said the other bloodsucker, "'ll figure it wrong and
you end up with a knife in the back of your throat. "
"Do not be an old woman, Wester," Mercury laughed. "You're going to scare these
lovely creatures and I would not send them to bed with nightmares. "
"It will take more than your boring stories to scare us," he snorted one of
ladies, although they were certainly impressed.
"What's your real name?" Asked another woman, embracing the
strange man orange hair, impeccable gray suit and a smile
dazzling.
"I just revealed that my most special friends," murmured Mercury.
Then, as she was blushing, he whispered in his ear, "Larten Crepsley."
Then he asked for more wine and the rest of the night passed more calmly.
A stunned Wester rose before Larten and bumped the window
the inn where they had slept during the day. He looked through the
curtains to sunlight, hissed and chuckled. It would take another couple of
hours before they could leave. The sun did not kill vampires instantly,
but they began to burn in minutes and were dying
in less than an hour. If they exposed to its rays for two or three hours no
of them would be more than charred bones.
Wester was washed in a basin of water and studied his beard in the mirror
above this. Shaving is a complicated matter for vampires. The
normal razors were useless with hard hair. He and Larten
They had obtained special hardened leaves a couple of years ago, but
Wester had lost theirs during travel. He'd borrowed

Larten yours, but the slightly older vampire had told him it was
When I learned to take care of their possessions. Larten had been
simply mocking him, but Wester not want to give satisfaction to
his friend to see him pray, so he had grown a beard since
then.
"My head," Larten complained, sitting, and then dropping. "What
time is it? "
"It's too early to get up," growled Wester. "How we
last night? "
"I do not want to think about it."
Vampires can consume more alcohol than human and was
difficult for them to get drunk. But Wester had was trying Larten
to overcome their physical advantages most nights.
"They were pretty girls," Larten chuckled. "They loved my trick
with the knife. "
"You should try it at the Cirque Du Freak," Wester said dryly. "Iria
well there. "
The pair had clashed with his former ally, Mr. Tall, a time
back. It had been a couple of fun nights with circus equipment
Larten had done some of his old magic routines in
show. He had been rusty at first, but quickly adjusted.
He had an incredibly quick hand, even for a vampire. That was how
had earned his nickname, one of his friends said he had fingers
that moved like mercury facts.
Wester Larten and they had been traveling the world for almost
twenty years since his first time in the Council. Both had learned
lot, not only about vampires, but also women. Larten had
It had a slow start but was making up for lost time,
maidens dazzling smile, confidence and agility wherever
breading.
The couple occasionally met his teacher, Seba Nile, but
He spent most of their time alone or with others their age, vampires
thirty, forty, fifty or sixty years. They were young within
standards vampires and they had been freed by their teachers to
explore the human world one last time before committing
the demands of the clan.

The door to his room burst open. Wester turned to the

defensive, and then relaxed when a large vampire with long hair and
blonde came in. It was Yebba. He had been traveling with them last month,
but they had spent a couple of nights since the last time they had
seen.
"I thirst," roared Yebba, kicking Larten bed. "Top, and come to
accompany me. "
"Wester said the sun had not yet set," yawned Larten.
"I do not care," said the huge vampire, and then
He collapsed like a bear and sat on the floor, blinking stupidly.
"A heavy night drinking?" Wester smiled.
"Yes," moody Yebba said. "A woman broke my heart. What
else to do but to drown my sorrows in beer? "
"Another broken heart?" Said Wester. "Must be the fourth this year."
"Yes." Tears filled the eyes of Yebba. "Vampires are not made
for love. "
"What happened this time?" He questioned slyly Wester. "Did you bite?"
"That only happened once," Yebba grimaced. "It was an accident."
"We happened to everyone," said Larten, leaning on one elbow.
"No biting you remember any of your friends," Wester furrowed
furrowed.
"No, but there was a time ..." He coughed and blushed. "No matter."
"Tell us." Wester protested. "Come on, Mercury, you can not leave Yebba
only bare his soul. "
"Well, remember one night a couple of years ago when I did not return to the
inn? "
"That happens at least once a month." Wester said.
"This was different," snapped Larten. "I had been with a lady and had
drink more than is good for me. I felt hungry on the way home, so
I walked into a room to feed. But I made a lot of noise and woke
the woman. She screamed 'Bloody murderer' hui and his room without shut her up. "
"Why not breathed and slept on it?" Asked Wester.
Larten shrugged. "I was drunk. I forgot my
vampire breath. Before I knew it, a crowd had
persguia made me out of town. Almost they caught me at the entrance and I
burn vivo. "

When Wester and Yebba stopped laughing, Yebba said: "Why not
You cometeaste? I had not caught once you reached the maximum
speed and you disappeared from view. "
The Larten blush deepened and Wester had to answer for
it. "You can not flit when drunk, lose their coordination and not
You can run that fast. "
The couple broke up in laughter. Larten sniffed angry, his lips worse
They are trembling at the corners. Eventually he laughed too. When your
attack happened, Wester went to order food and beer and then three
They waited for the sun to set so they could return to search
excitement at the inns, taverns and gambling halls humans
they had ever been.

Chapter Two
After a few drinks, the three youths were looking for vampires
any satisfaction that they could find. They were experts sniffing
all the hidden pleasures of a city.
The trio had won admission to a boxing match who were
rather enjoying making big bets on what the outcome.
Vampires usually did not care about the money, but the Cubs
sometimes they stole human asleep when feeding. The people
superstitious thought that vampires were fanged beasts that
They tore the throats of their goals. Indeed, normally
sliding inside a room, they made a small cut in the arm or
leg of a sleeping human, drank only enough blood to placate
his hunger and then spat to close the wound.
Larten studied the scars on his fingers during a break between
rounds. He was made the traditional way. Seba had cut
fingertips of Larten with hard and sharp nails, then cut
his own and pumped blood to his assistant. Larten was
proud of their scars, but sometimes felt when studying
one stab of guilt. Seba reminded him and wondered what he would think
his teacher the recent behavior of your child.
Larten and Seba had parted on bad terms, but had made the
peace. Larten worried that playing, drinking and stealing, he and Wester
they were littering the good name of his master. Wester sometimes had
to remind him (especially when Larten had overdosed and was
in a sensitive way) to Seba had told them that they had to work and shows
human interests of your system. There were many vampires going at
same. It was called Cubs for the older members of the clan.
The fight resumed and burly men approached. Larten up
the look in his fingers and concentrated in boxers. This was the
thirty second round, and it had been so long since he had
seen such a compelling fight. He encouraged the brave warriors while
They faced, tired and unstable on his feet, but determined to
continue.
The flesh of their fists had been torn, and blood spattered ever
one of them gave a blow. Red drops made her mouth water Wester and Yebba too- looked hungry and had to be advised Larten
himself to sit back and not jump to the delicious wounds.

Some men gambled and roared encouragement or insults. All had

the same hungry look in his eyes.
"Mine is winning," he howled Yebba as one of the big men giving
clear.
"Do not you bet on it," said Wester. "You gambled on the other"
"I did not!" Shouted Yebba.
"Yes, you did it. He has that mark on his left arm, remember? "
Yebba boxers looked with narrowed eyes and cursed "These
humans will all look the same to me, "he growled. Larten and laughed and Wester
the moody vampire passed another pitcher of beer. It was guaranteed
that would calm.
After the fight, Larten and Wester collected their profits and led to
Yebba to a tavern, where they found girls to dance. Small
people lacked the ballrooms of large cities, but
you could always fix it if you arrojabas some money around.
Later they enjoyed a card game. The three were drunk and
they lost heavily, even Larten, who rarely showed defects
at the table games. But they did not care. Money was easy to obtain if
you were a creature of the night.
Larten wanted to do his trick to grab-the-knife again, but Wester
would not let him. He had removed the knife from his friend and had put off
Larten reach while trying to retrieve it. If they had been sober,
Wester could not have moved away from the faster and stronger vampire. But
Larten was dizzy and weak. Wester had a knack for knowing when
Larten going to take more than they could handle, and remained relatively
lucid on those nights so we can keep an eye on his daring friend.
"No jushto esh," he complained Larten a man with monocle. "I am
Mer ... hic! I'm Mer ... hic! "He swallowed beer until he went hiccups" I am
Mercury "growled majestically.
"Yes?" The man said, handing Larten some snuff. "I'm in
the fur business "
"I do not interesssa," Larten drawled. "Esh my ... esh
my ... "He grimaced and forgot what I was trying to say, then his
head fell on the table and did not know more until morning.
Larten was awakened by a fierce pain. He was out in the sun and your skin
He had a nasty red. While he blinked to ward off sleep
his eyes and tried to raise a hand to protect his face from the rays,

he realized that his arms were tied behind his back and that
I was hanging upside down. His shirt was torn, exposing her
torso, which was burned as deeply as her face.
Fear took hold of his heart, but he pushed away from their
thoughts. I did not know what was going on perhaps he had been caught
feeding drunk but that did not matter. He had to escape quickly or
it would burn like a pig on a spit.
Larten went to work at the knots around his wrists. It was
hanging from a rope, swaying and turning a light breeze, but
He ignored that and kept as still as possible, except for his fingers,
They danced on the knots. The long, hard nails were vampires
invaluable when it came to knots and locks, but had to Larten
be able to do a quick job. He had learned well from Merletta made
all those years.
Once his hands were free, he was released on the ropes
They tied his arms and chest. It flexing upward, took the rope
where hung with one hand, he pulled the ropes around her legs
the other, swung in the air a moment, then threw at his feet and
He landed in a crouch. His first instinct was to run to the safety of
shadows, but she forced herself to study sheds entries around
I was looking into a courtyard enemies who had hung.
For a long, agonizing seconds, Larten sought his opponents and
He prepared for battle. Then he felt a smell and his nose wrinkled in disgust.
He stood up and shook the dirt from his pants. He took out his watch and checked the time was to appear, Sheba had taught him to tell time based on
position of the sun and the stars then looked at the sky and sniffed.
"My watch has stopped, Tanish," he said. "If broken, I'll take you money
for a new "
Laughter greeted his comment and four vampires staggered
out of a shed. One was a sheepish Wester Flack. The
others were Yebba, Zula puts and Tanish Eul, the vampire that originally
Larten had given his nickname.
"The same old Mercury," Tanish snorted appreciatively, then
He hastened to throw a blanket over the head and shoulders of his friend and
disorderly led him into the shadows of the shed, where a barrel
Beer was waiting.

Chapter Three
Tanish Eul was tall and thin, with a dazzling smile and hair and
carefully groomed nails. He was always dressed fashionably and spoke
with the soft tone of a rogue silver tongue. If Larten was Romeo,
Tanish was a real Casanova; his success with the ladies was legendary.
Zula puts, however, was one of those lower than Larten
I had met. He was strong and ugly. Many vampires were hard for
human standards, their faces scarred and old brands
wounds, fair considered among his people. Poor Zula was considered
ugly by any standard. Fortunately she did not mind, and even used
shabby clothes and hair cut twisted to prove that he was immune to
what others they thought of his appearance. Despite this, Zula had a
surprising success with the fairer sex. Usually they rejected it at first,
but after ten minutes in his company almost any woman was
seduced by its charm.
Tanish Zula had encountered a few years ago and instantly recognized his
kindred spirit. They had become fast friends and it was not
until you submit to Larten and Wester newest member of its
scandalous group.
"You have the most sensitive skin a baby," groaned Tanish while Larten
He is resting in the shed and tried not to move; his flesh burned hurt
as needlesticks each time he moved. "Been there only half
hour. It would be a soft pink if my skin. "
"You'll be red like your own blood if you try it again," said Larten
angry. "What would have happened if I had not been able to undo
knots? "
"We were watching you closely," Wester said. "We would have seen if
you were in trouble. "
"And I had let burn!" Exploded Zula.
Larten found herself laughing with others. It was a good joke, to
Although he was the target. Wester was the only one who could not see the side
fun. He smiled with the rest, but his smile was strained. Larten would
Sensitive next week, his flesh sting and some of the wounds
supuraran. Wester saw nothing funny about it.
Vampires drank and talked for several hours, counting
vulgar stories. Tanish and Zula had participated in some trouble, as

usual, and they had had to flee the past three cities that had
I visited.
"The problem with humans is that life is taken very seriously," is
Tanish scoffed. "True, we burned a warehouse with a grain reserve
for the winter, so few children will be hungry this year. What
what? It will differentiate the strong from the weak. Humans are
too tied to their young. The vampaneze have the right idea, the
Humans only serve to kill. "
Tanish winked at Larten when he said that, looking as innocent as
I could when Wester broke. "That's a horrible thing to say! We were so
same as them before being converted. They have shorter lives
and ours are much weaker. If humans kill us
We dishonor. The vampaneze are soulless scum never find the
Paradise, and you're a fool not to see. "
Wester ranted for another fifteen minutes. His hatred
vampaneze was practically a disease already, and though he spoke little
the case most of the time, people close to him knew what
really he felt. Seba had tried to reason with him-just because a
vampaneze had killed his family did not mean he should hate
Wester all- but he refused to listen.
Wester hatred by the dissident group of walkers night
Larten worried over what worried Seba. His teacher had
seen this dark inclination Wester many decades before and was
convinced that the young vampire find an early end at the hands of
a vampaneze purple skin or other. But had always expected Larten
Wester come to terms with their defeat and leave your hate behind.
Larten had urged his dearest friend Murlough -the locate it
he had murdered his family and kill him. He thought that would finally help
Wester to leave behind that dark night. But he was reluctant to Wester
do. He had begun to hate the whole clan of the vampaneze. Sometimes
Murlough swore up only when you get rid of the rest of the
slag, the only way in which the enemy would suffer the same loss
Wester had endured.
Tanish shrugged when finally fell into Wester
furious silence. "The vampaneze mean nothing to me," he said. "If explodes
a war between us, I will fight them, happy challenge. But
while the truce is in place, so what? "

"Desmond Tiny disagrees," growled Wester. "He said vampaneze

they unite under the command of a powerful leader overnight, and your Lord will
would lead to a war against us to wipe us off the face of the Earth. "
"I've never seen the legendary Mr. Tiny and not think it's so powerful
as some old fools, "Tanish said dismissively.
"Seba saw him," Larten said quietly. "I was in the Mountain
Tiny vampires when the visited after the division of the vampaneze. Seba
he heard his prophecy. He takes it seriously. "
Desmond Tiny was a being of immense magical power, which had predicted
Clan fall into the hands of the vampaneze. Many young vampires
They thought it was a mythical creature. Probably also Larten
He believes if his teacher would not have counted on the night that Mr. Tiny visited
vampires. He had seen the fear in the eyes of Sheba, even centuries
later.
"When I turned," continued Larten, "Seba made me grab
Bloodstone longer than necessary. Stone said he was our
only hope of thwarting the destination. Mr. Stone Tiny gave to us
hope. Tiny craves chaos. He does not want us eliminate the vampaneze
so easily. He expected to see us dragged into a long war and
full of suffering and pain. "
Larten looked back marks his fingers, remembering the night
when he embraced the Bloodstone and gave forever the
clan rules.
"I did not mean to belittle Seba Nile," said Tanish, choosing his
words carefully. He was not close to his own teacher, but knew that
Seba Larten respected. "If he saw Desmond Tiny, I think you and I apologize if you
I offended. "
Larten Tanish accepted the apology, but secretly troubled him. He could
beginning to feel away from Tanish and Cubs. Larten was
tired of endless drinking, gambling and women. He was not ready
even to give back to the world of humans and their many charms,
but he was sure it would Seba in a few more years
continue their studies.
Tanish doubted abandon the easy life so willingly. Some
Cubs ended up rejecting the customs of the clan. They grew
tied to human comforts and chose to stay in that soft,
secure world. General allowed them their freedom as long as

obey certain laws. Tanish Larten thought would be one of those who never
They returned to Vampire Mountain, wandering forever between
human.
"Enough with the vampaneze cursed," Zula frowned. "Fuck
with her purple skin. We have more important matters to discuss. "
"Like what?" Asked Larten, with a twinkle in his eyes, anticipating the
response.
"A war party has been formed." Zula licked his lips and smiled. "Unless
more than one night here. "
"We thought maybe they were interested," said Tanish.
"They thought well," chuckled Larten. "We will trigger
darkness. "
"With the skin as red as a lobster?" Said Wester.
"A minor irritation," said Larten, wincing as
he leaned on his bed of straw.
Without further discussion, he closed his eyes. The other went to bed and prepared
sleeping, but would be a long time until one of them
sleep. They rested in the shade for much of the morning,
closed but open eyes, thinking of the battle group, the
growling stomachs of emotion ... and hunger.

Chapter Four
The war was the great human addiction. Loved vampires fight
and they became involved in bloody and brutal encounters all the time.
But they had engaged in a war only once, when seventy
members of his clan moved away to become the vampaneze. Although
Several vampires had faced human forces in the past,
They never were committed with all its conflicts. As an old
jokingly he said, the war was not in his blood.
Humans, on the other hand, seemed not interested in anything else.
Larten had seen much of the planet over the last twenty years. There was
explored the continents of Europe, Africa, America and Asia. The wars
everywhere they raged while the men were new and
ingenious ways to kill more of their own race. It was like a
contest, all the tribes of humanity competing to see which committed
the worst atrocities.
Although mature vampires were not drawn into the war, the
Cubs fascinated them. For them it was a sport to see, like boxing
or fighting. Many gathered in the field and encouraged the
soldiers, laughed at the innocent trying to escape the line of fire,
They are betting on who would claim victory.
And obviously fed Gods, how fed!
The war that Larten and his companions traveled to observe that
night was a minor skirmish. Students remember her in the
following decades, but it would not be labeled as a more battles
important at that time. No vast piece of land was at stake. The
no history hung in the balance. There was no real benefits. It was only
another clash of men who felt driven to kill each other
another for reasons only known leaders. And sometimes even their
kings and generals could explain why he was fighting. Usually they would
to war simply because they could not think of anything else to do.
Vampires came a few hours after dark. There were signs
fighting everywhere. Blood stained fields, swords and muskets
broken, rotting limbs, even some entire bodies. He felt
the stench and the animals and birds were cramming, pecking
meat from the bones and guts nibbling, making the feast more
unexpected.

Tanish studied a field of crops trampled. His sharp eyes

they discovered the body of a child between the stems. The head of a soldier
I was half submerged in a rabbit hole. A barefoot
sticking in the air, the four small fingers had been eaten, leaving
only singularly thumb pointing skyward. Tanish
He ran his gaze on the blood and guts, looking around.
Then she laughed.
"This looks like a particularly perverse lot," said Tanish
enthusiastically. "We should have an interesting day."
"Do not you think we've missed the whole fight?" Asked Zula.
"Not for long," Yebba said. "I smell fear in humans
air. In that direction. "He pointed to the west. "And on that." This. "Expect
meet again, and when they do know that many more will die. "
Although Larten could smell the soldiers, he was not able to determine
precisely the essence of fear. But Yebba was fifteen years older and had been
It becomes when he was thirteen. The vampire senses improved in
most the first hundred years.
The insightful Yebba nose led the way while concentrating on the
way of his relatives. Vampires were harder to track than
human. If Larten did not know there were others present,
probably he would not have noticed the subtle traces of her scent in the air.
They found the group of war resting under a huge,
green tree. There were eight, Larten a younger couple, the rest of his
same age or older. Tanish was the oldest, and immediately acted like
was the top vampire.
"Get up, you lazy Cubs, good for nothing," he growled,
standing beyond the tree branches, looking angrily as
A General. "Is that any way to behave towards their superiors?"
"You're not superior to the grains of my back, Tanish," he caused a vampire.
Larten recognized. Egin Jordan, one of three in the group already knew
before.
Jordan stood, hunched Tanish, scoffed at his face and then
He laughed and hugged him tightly. "It's good to see you again, old friend."
"And you," said Tanish. "You will remember these two."
"Larten and Wester," Jordan nodded. "We celebrate eager last year,
Right? "

The pair chuckled at the memory, but looked somewhat Wester

embarrassed. She had exceeded that occasion he had been violently
sick then.
"These are Yebba and Zula Pone," Tanish said. "Yebba has a nose like a
Zule hound and a villain of the highest order. They will be well. "
Vampires shook hands and then stepped forward to greet the
rest of the group. It was not long until they found drinking
beer and telling the stories of their adventures.
War groups were a relatively new phenomenon. Vampires
They tended to stay out of the way of humans in war in the past,
without drawing attention to themselves. But there were so many wars being
fought now, at such a massive scale, walkers night
They mixed freely with human troops in most places.
The Cubs had begun to haunt the battlefields many
decades earlier and it was now a common part of their lives. A lone vampire
I could almost always be sure of finding companionship in a zone
war.
Larten happily listened to stories of Jordan and others, and was
some of yours in return. There was much laughter when told them Tanish
trick he had done the previous night, and Larten had to remove his jacket
and his shirt to show his back sunburned. Whether it was
recovered from the worst burns, but his skin still hurt to the touch,
some vampires gave him a slap and booed when he screamed. I had
to knock a few heads before to be left alone, but it was all in
good terms.
The next battle between the armies would not begin until Advanced
the morning. Both sides hoped reinforcements. So the group went to bed
when the sun rose and slept a little. When they were awakened by the
sound of the guns, groaned, stretched, they took some
umbrellas a large sack and went in search of battle.
Larten had felt silly the first time had stopped between
group of soldiers determined to kill each other, shaded by
an umbrella that would have been much better to a woman. But he had
I used to. Now he felt the same way when a hunter
puts ridiculous clothes before mounting his horse and ride behind her
hounds.

The Cubs found the soldiers in a wide field. They were

fighting hand to hand. Most were armed with swords or knives,
which they were the favorites of vampires. They disliked guns
for a number of reasons, mainly because the evil clan saw its -the use
Guns were the choice of cowards. Then there was the fact that
guns could turn against the Cubs. Vampires were more
harder than human and much harder to kill, but a bullet well
He could have put even the best of them. It was a shameful
way to die, your brain flown from a distance.
But most they disapproved of the war Cubs long distance
because it was boring. There was a lot of fun to look human
shooting each other. The pleasure was watching them fight for
survive. In dirty fights like this, dozens of duels were being
fought, life and death dramas vampires could continue
macabre glee, then leave at the end and discuss as if it were a
game.
Some of the soldiers noticed the curious men with umbrellas,
but most were too focused on the task of staying alive. Yes
They caught in a look at the figures pale skin full of scars
walking alongside, they stopped to assess whether they were strangers or not
threat. When the soldiers saw that observers did not have
intent to hurt, his attention turned to those who do have them.
Vampires were almost never challenged. Humans who saw no
always they knew who their viewers, many never had
heard the myths about vampires but they could not say visitors
They were in their class. They would look at the creatures of sliding between her pale skin
rows, moving neatly out of danger as they approached
too close to the action. Sometimes the soldiers and persignaran
They mutter prayers. But most chose not face visits
Spectral and did their best to forget them if they survived.
There were things in the world where most people do not want to do
stressed in any way.
Larten had fun that day. As Tanish had predicted, the armies
They are fighting in revenge. For whatever they were fighting, the troops
clearly they hated their opponents and were determined to shed
much blood as possible before the truce was declared. It was not
only stab another and then away. When a soldier knocking back

an opponent, he paused to attack again, gutting,

smashing his face into pieces, until mutilating even when it was
dead. It was a wild, bloody show, very much in Larten.
Occasionally, as he jumped over the corpses and wading the
pools of blood, Larten remember that he was once human. If your
life had not taken the turn it took, he would have been injured in a field
like this, he is fighting to death, killing that would have to. Are
He wondered how he would have felt in that position, if he had raised the
and seen a vampire look at him like a bug.
Larten always quickly pulled that kind of thinking your
head. One of the hardest things about being a vampire was separate yourself
one of your origins. You had to leave behind old habits to really
fit into the clan. There was no room for it if you wanted
become a good vampire. You had to force yourself to see humans as
a different, inferior species.
A young man had been shot in the shoulder and spun by
impact force. It fell against Larten, who steadied him with a hand,
maintaining its right with another umbrella. The man's eyes
They widened with fear and doubt. Then the pain hit him and bent. Larten almost
he went to help, but the soldiers showed favoritism other army
attack. Both ignored the vampires because they were neutral. Yes
interfered, they were at risk of being attacked. Then let the young Larten
man writhing in the dirt, alone and unattended, and continued walking.
The battle lasted most of the siesta. The war group retired to the
afternoon to rest. Debating highlights, each counting
what he had witnessed. Some had been cut or attacked, and Jordan
He had been shot in his left arm. But the wounds were not serious and
laughed at them as they relaxed under a tree, comparing the
scratches.
Vampires slumbered, leaving the sun fall. When the darkness of
They settled in the world, returned to the kill zone. There were no smiles
this time, or if there were tense, cruel, inhuman mockery. There were jokes
either. They proceeded smoothly and quietly. The umbrellas were left
back, and when they reached the edge of the battlefield their bags were removed,
coats and boots. One couple even took off everything, staying naked
under the moon.

For a minute they stood to one side, drinking in the visa

bodies and pools of blood that made her mouth water. No human is
She moved. Even those who had never heard about vampires felt
the threat in the night air and retreated to the safety of field. In
Morning return to bury the bodies of their fallen allies and gather
the weapons, shoes and other instruments. But the night belonged to the
Cubs.
When vampires were satisfied that the field was theirs,
they approached. They went smoothly, just trampling the lawn while
They advanced on the bodies. His nostrils and eyes were fine
open. Baba fell from the lips of many. Some trembled with
expectation. Other growled softly.
They were kept as a group until they were in the middle of the
slaughter. All eyes rested on Tanish. Although they had previously
disdained their complaints as a leader in this situation thanked his right
to direct. If he doubted, ignore them and go ahead, but gave him the
opportunity to free them, as was the way of vampires.
Tanish expressed in the manner of wolves, snapped his teeth and threw
fours. Around it all did the same. Separating each
the other, they dug the bodies of the dead, separating the meat from the
bones, blood gobbling as if spilled from the sky, wallowing in the
thick red liquid.
After a while they began to howl and repeatedly hit the ground
with the bones had been torn. Some fought each other, fighting
awkwardly, but the fights did not last long. They could really challenge
anytime. These perfect nights were reserved for
wildest pleasures battle.
Like the rest of the group, Larten is quickly lost in the frenzy of
feed. For an hour or more, it was neither human nor vampire, only one
howling, hungry creature of dark desires. Sometimes it is slipping
between the cold and sticky bodies as a voracious worm, hacking,
chewing, drinking. And all I knew what everyone knew ... ... particularly in
that their world was during this intense, cruel and dark moment ... it was
blood.

Chapter Five
Vampires slept late the next day. A couple rose
to see the fight in the afternoon, but most had seen enough and
he preferred to rest, digesting the banquet and dreaming of future feasts
frantic.
"Wake up," he growled Tanish night, squeezing Larten ribs.
"Leave me alone," grumbled Larten.
"You've slept enough," said Tanish. "I'm bored. I want me
teach new tricks!
"You have mastered those who taught you last time?"
"Some." Tanish laughed. "I'm pretty good at that I can use to
play poker. "
"You're cheating when you play?" Larten frowned, sitting up.
"If I need money." Tanish shrugged. "I do not like stealing.
Rather I work for my illicit profits. "
"Do you think that cheating is working?"
"We're just talking about human beings," said Tanish. "Never tramara
nothing against us. Come on, Mercury, you love show off. Have the
fastest hands I've ever seen. Teach me, oh wise nimble fingers. "
Larten smiled and took a deck of cards in a leather bag. The he slid
a couple of minutes to warm up, and then taught Tanish
a few ways to make the cards do whatever he wanted.
I had to slow their movements so that his friend could follow.
"You're unnatural," Tanish said admiringly. "Are you so fast in a
fight? "
"I've seen him fight many times," Larten said.
"Skirmishes drunk, yes, but never in a real battle. Ever
you have fought to the death? "
Larten shook his head. "Not since I was converted."
"You mean you killed before?"
"I do not want to talk about it"
"Oh oh! Mercury is hiding a secret. Tell me. I will not leave you alone
until you do. "
"That's not an issue," Larten said quietly, and although no
There was menace in his tone, Tanish knew immediately that the vampire
orange hair was serious. He snorted as he did not care, and then
It focused on the cards.

While others played and fluttered around, a man

He approached them through the killing field. He moved faster than a
Human and took refuge under a heavy layer. Larten assumed it was
another puppy that came to join the group. The newcomer would feel
disappointed by decreasing the sounds of battle, it seemed that the
soldiers had overcome the worst of his anger. The battle came to an end.
The man slowed when she saw vampires under the tree. He studied,
with his face hidden by the shadows of his cloak. Then he came. When
was on the verge of reaching the tree, she dropped her coat.
"For the black blood of Harnon Oan!" He roared Wester, standing,
stunned disbelief.
The newcomer was not human, but it was a vampire. Had the
Red hair and nails and a pair of red burning eyes, and her skin was a shade
violet.
"I'm Randel Chayne of the vampaneze," he told the rest of the Cubs
they were as shocked as Wester. "I came looking for a challenge."
No one spoke. Everyone was stunned. Challenges between the two tribes
night were nothing new, but the Cubs were usually ignored,
unlike the General. This was the first time most of them
I saw one of his distant cousins of blood.
Randel studied vampires stunned, his eyebrows raised. "If so
as vampires react with each challenge, perhaps not worth
fight. "
"We will teach you about pain, scum!" Shouted Wester, rushing against
vampaneze, his hands twisted into claws, and his hatred darkening
features.
Larten grabbed his friend and stopped. "No," he snapped. "You're not ready for
this. He'd kill you. "
"Let me go," he growled Wester while Randel was put to cruel laugh.
"You have no right to get in my way. I'll break your neck, and if
you try to stop ... "
"He will break your neck before you can lay a hand on him," he said
Larten coldly. "He's not a wizard, you can see the dark color
his skin. He is a vampaneze. You should hate vampires, or never have
Cubs upset as us. He is not looking for a challenge, the only
For easy killing. That's it, right? "He shouted Larten the vampaneze. "Do not

dare to face one of our Generals, so you want between

Cubs inexperienced. You are a coward. "
Randel scoffed. "I have fought and killed General, and one night I will
fight and kill a prince, if the gods are good to me. I have nothing
to try and not will react to the insults of rogues like you. But today,
to pass the time, I want to deal with a puppy. I am told that
They are slow and soft. Can anyone prove me wrong? "
Wester's eyes sparkled and again tried to attack. Larten blocked it and
He said without emotion, "If you fight, he will kill you and you can never take
revenge on the one who killed your family. "Then he stepped aside,
Wester leaving the final decision, as was his right.
While Wester dying-he wanted more than anything to kill the strange, but
Larten knew he was telling the truth Randel looked with disgust group
battle. "Sure you have a leader," he joked. "Vampires love to be
led. Not even the strong leader of the group will accept my challenge? "
All eyes looked to Tanish. He had demanded the right to send and they
it had been granted. If you do not respond to this challenge it would be dishonored.
Any reputable vampire would step forward. Even
Cubs rebels had to meet standards. Group members
Tanish expected that villain did against purple skin, give a
good fight and die with honor.
But Tanish not move. Her cheeks were burning and stared
the ground as if he could never look up again. When
They realized that was not going to react, their faces hardened. Several
they stopped for even battle wounded Jordan stood up but Zula
Puts was the first to step forward.
"I will face you, Randel of the vampaneze," said Zula, removing the
coat with which he had been sleeping. "And when I kill you, I will honor your
body and say a prayer to the gods of the vampires to accept your
soul Rebel. "
Randel river, but the mockery was gone from his voice when he said,
"I accept your challenge. But I will not ask your name or say prayers for
the gods you when this is over. This is our way. Simply
We kill or die. The glory is in the battle, not in what you do or say
later. "
Randel moved away from the shade of the trees, to the deadly sunlight.
Like vampires, he could not stand comfortably sun exposure.

But the fights between the children of the night rarely lasted more than a
minute or two. One way or another, he would not have to tolerate the irritation
long.
The squat, ugly Zula followed Randel into the clearing. It was easy, the
clear and steady gaze, willing to accept whatever is put in their
way. At that time he was a true vampire, nobler than
Cubs anyone looking at him, and they felt humiliated.
"What weapon do you choose?" She asked Zula when they were face to face.
"The hands are good to me," said Randel, flexing his fingers.
"As you wish."
Zula attacked with five sharp claws to cut through warranty
almost everything on earth, including meat from the throat of a
vampaneze. But Randel Zula blocked the arm and hit him in the
stomach. Zula grunted and fell back. Randel could have pressed,
but instead he stood his ground and waited for the attack of vampire
again.
Emboldened, Zula rose up against his enemy, then he stopped and took a
deep breath, regaining his composure. When he regained control of
himself, moved slowly, studying eyes for signs of Randel
warning of his intentions. Larten had thought was Zula
He doomed when he accepted the challenge, but looking at him now believed
maybe the puppy had a chance.
When Zula was within reach, Randel swung his fist at him. Zula it
He blocked and kicked him in the shin to Randel. Randel hit him and fell.
Vampires shouted enthusiastically, but their cries were short. When
Randel fell Zula grabbed and twisted it around and down. Zula occurred
too late that his opponent had anticipated the attack. Before
I could adjust, fell heavily on his back, and on the
outstretched fingers of one hand of Randel, the vampaneze had
slyly slipped under it.
Zula yelled when vampaneze nails dug into his lungs. A
then he stiffened, his breath caught in his throat. Their
legs suffered a spasm, but his arms were still strangely to
sides. He swallowed a few times, blood leaking from his mouth, eyes
wide, staring at the sun. I always thought it would
die in the light of the moon. It seemed unfair that a child of the night was out of

Thus, before the sun went down. It had been hoped Randel
a few hours later so I could have counted the stars again.
And then he did not want more.
Randel pushed away the dead vampire and the hand on the grass cleaned.
He never looked at Zula, but looked pale vampires face
refugees under the tree.
"They are a disgrace to their masters," he growled Randel then took
his coat, put it on his head and kept moving.
Cubs stared at the vampaneze as he went
cometeando and were silent until he was out of sight. Then
Larten and Jordan went to look for the body of Zula puts. The burn more
or later would launch into a river, depending on what most thought the
ugly vampire wanted.
Tanish was sitting alone when Larten returned. He had his back to
rest of the Cubs and nobody approached him. They are ignoring their fallen leader,
treating it with the contempt it deserved. Larten sorry for his friend, but
I could not help him. One of the first things I had been taught was Seba
each man took his own decisions in life, and should abide by
the consequences of their decisions.
At sunset, Tanish got up and launched. He said goodbye and nobody
he asked where he was going. It did not take anything, even he dropped his expensive coat
and
He dismissed his silk shirt. Larten knew, as he watched the unfortunate Tanish
leave, that would probably be the last time I would see. Eul longer tanish
It was part of the clan. He was not a traitor, but the Cubs never
would mention his name again, and if anyone asked about him, they
They respond with a simple and irrefutable, "Now walk with humans."

Part Two
"If the whole clan opposed him, we fall."

Chapter Six
The American Civil War was the bloodiest waste of life that
Larten had to witness. The vampires had known about
America long before Europeans discovered. Each clan had
Leif Ericson sailed and treina and four others early in the second
century, and before Paris Skyle became Prince had been at the
Columbus hand when man had lost hope and was
about to return. The ancient vampire would be sad to see what had him
It happened to the country, but not surprised. Why these tribes should be
different from those they left behind? People talk about a New World,
but it was the same old humans.
Larten watched from a distance the thousands of young men
face and going towards a premature death. He had Wester and Seba
camped on a hill out of the way of the fight a few nights before.
Since then they had remained awake, leaving only camp
hunting and stretch your legs.
Cubs pair had left the group and returned war
with his teacher a few years after the fall of Tanish. They never had
They have been able to get lost in a war and other minor activities
Just as they did before the dark day. They were embarrassed, and
Cubs with those who were were a constant reminder of what
It had happened.
Seba never asked them why they had become assistants. It was
surprised to see them come back to him as soon -not had anticipated but
to another decade but a teacher not need to know everything about their
students. He let them keep their secrets and concentrated on his
training.
Seba not humbled as he had done before, nor gave them tasks that do not
they could complete. The pair had changed, Larten in particular, and now Seba
He considered them worthy of respect. I thought they were ready to
take the tests that would decide whether they were able to play a role
active in the issues of the clan.
While analyzing Larten sides fighting the Americans, he wondered
again why Seba had brought them there. His teacher had never
showed no interest in human affairs and had not even looked at
the soldiers since they had arrived. What could have attracted to
this whirlwind of slaughter?

Wester stood beside the man he thought like a brother and

He watched her for a moment with him. Both were thinking Tanish Eul.
"How much longer do you think we'll be here?" Asked Wester, but
Larten just grunted in response. "You smelled the war party last night?"
"Yes."
Larten senses were much improved in recent years. There was
been aware of the other vampires for the last two nights but
had ignored, staying side Seba, ready to obey orders
his teacher.
"I miss being part of a group," Wester sighed. "Would feed in the field
Battle was barbaric but exquisite. "
"I'm sure the retrained opium addicts miss their pipes,"
Larten said dryly. "That does not mean that they should return to their old
habits "
"It was not so bad, "Wester said.
"No?" Larten shrugged. "I've told myself not
There was nothing wrong with what we did, because there were many other vampires
enjoying the bloodbath. But that's no excuse. Perhaps human
They do not deserve our respect, but also deserve our contempt. "
Wester smiled. "You sound just like Sheba."
Larten winced and scratched his nose, then his ears. In the past
He had tried to copy the way of talking about Seba, and this simply
when he made a mistake corrected. But since he had returned from his
time with the Cubs, Seba took it more seriously. He asked
Larten if you really wanted to improve his vocabulary. When the unsuspecting
assistant confirmed it was the beginning of a new phase, one that had
come to despise. He had even begged him to stop Seba,
but the ancient vampire would not yield.
Under the new regime, when Larten said "no" or "no," Seba tore *
nostril hairs of his student, who was far more painful
Larten what could have imagined. After a year of this, he tried to
outwit his master burning the hairs of your nose, but Seba set
his eyes on the hair of their ears instead, and that was even worse! The
assistant hair orange quickly learned of such punishments. Suffered

"Do not" (not) and "can not" (not) in English. "It Does not" is short for "Do not", and
"Can not" "Can not." Apparently, Seba does not like abbreviations.

some mistake occasionally, but rarely. It had been weeks

since Seba had felt compelled to start a hair.
While Wester Larten and watched, Seba joined them, enjoying the sun weak
in the afternoon. It had been nearly half a century since he had known the boy
scared in the dark crypt and had taken as his assistant. Seba had
aged much those years. Her long hair was almost gray now. It had
He shaved his beard and the skin around his throat was dry and wrinkled,
covered with old scars and blemishes. Lucia battered and tired, and growled
if he moved too quickly.
He could still make a pace that his aides struggled to maintain, and it was
as light of foot and quick hands as always. Sometimes he spoke of being
near its end, but Larten suspected his old teacher could
end this century and perhaps two more. I do not ever say that I did not want
search unlucky.
"Wester says I sound like you," said Larten
"You must be running deaf," Sheba snorted. Protecting your eyes from the sun,
He studied at the soldiers. They had finished their killing for the day, and limped from
back to their camp, dragging the wounded, leaving dead
for the creatures of the night could feel spinning. "Stupid
nobles, "Seba sighed. "A war should be enough for any race.
Why go on and on? "
Nor Wester Larten or tried to answer. They were not vampires or
about as long as his teacher, but as young as they were, both
They found it difficult to remember the time when they walked like humans,
or how his thoughts were working in those less fraught days
blood.
"We will move tonight," Seba said. "Only a few miles. It would
will entail grateful if my coffin. "
Wester Larten and went looking for the coffin rustic shelter Seba
they had built, then followed him down the hill and around a meadow
corpses. Young vampires had not yet developed a fondness
caskets. They had slept in many while traveling with Seba,
crypts or hidden graves, but when they were given the preferred choice
beds. His teacher, however, only felt comfortable with pine walls
its sides and a cover-up. He had tried many coffins from
arrival in America. When he finally found one to his liking, he claimed

owned and begged forgiveness from the skeleton had evicted. Their
acarrendolo attendees had been after him since.
As the trio followed the course of a small stream, someone shouted
abruptly from a tree on the other side. "The same old Seba Nile, always
You must have modern amenities. There they can be arranged for an
stone floor and a sky as a roof. "
Wester Larten and lowered the coffin and squinted. Larten knew
voice, but I could not place it. While he is trying to put a face,
ragged vampire dropped from the branches. He was dressed in skins
animals and a pair of belts tied around his chest, stars
throwing them hanging loose. Her long green hair. He spat on
as he crossed the stream, and was quite sure Larten
listen to General to fart, but should It has been gnashing of
trees.
"Vancha March," Seba smiled. "I wondered where it came from that stench
nauseating. "
"I do not know what you're talking about," Vancha grimaced. "I bathed the
Last spring, even if he did not. "He frowned. "Or was
last spring? "With a laugh, threw a salute to Larten and Wester.
"Are you still hanging with that old buzzard?"
"Someone has to take care of it," said Larten.
"He is too weak to carry his own coffin," he added
Wester.
Wester Larten and they had not seen the evil General since his first visit
to Vampire Mountain, so we had to catch up. But before
they could ask questions, Seba said the coffin and coughed
deliberately. Growling, they took the coffin and followed at a respectful
while their teacher walked away with Vancha and the pair discussed matters
they were not for young ears.
At one point they rounded a curve and Larten captured the vision of a
store. I should have dismissed as a store of a human officer,
but Seba and Vancha were heading there, so he settled in his coffin
man and stole a closer look.
The shop was not unlike any you have seen before. It was circular,
high, wide, decorated with beautiful patterns sewn flower water
frogs. It looked a bit like the store where the Cirque du Freak conducted its
performances, but was nowhere near the same size. There were three stores

and smaller around a clothesline was held behind them, where

They hung variety of dresses and women's underwear.
A confused Wester nudged to Larten, who frowned at the
women's clothes and said, "What kind of woman places her clothesline edge
a battlefield? "
The answer came to them both at the same time, but one who Wester
he exclaimed, "A woman of the wild!"
They shared an excited look, rushed behind her
teacher and smelly ally, heading for the shop woman
if they had guessed welfare was so powerful and crucial to the fate of the clan
vampire legend as any goddess.

Chapter Seven
Seba stopped at the entrance of the store and asked that Larten and Wester
leave aside his coffin. He pulled his red shirt and coat, straightened
some wrinkles and examined for dirt.
"How do I look?" Vancha asked, spitting in his hand and using
to comb back his green hair.
"As a cherub," Seba whispered.
"Do you think ...?"
The flap of the entrance was opened back, ending his question, and
A woman stepped forward. She was short and ugly -a Larten reminded Zula
It puts in some respects even dirtier than Vancha. Not wearing
shoes or clothes. Instead there were ropes wrapped around his body.
Had pointed ears, a small nose, one brown eye and one green. It was
as muscular as a man and even hairier one, from a fine
beard and mustache to ten fingers very hairy feet. His hands were
plump and short nails except the two little fingers, which were
long and sharp.
Larten thought this was a very strange choice of servant to
a powerful witch as Lady Evanna (if it was true that it was her
who came to know). He had assumed that would pretty and Evanna
finely dressed maidens to serve. Maybe she had taken pity on
this unfortunate creature had given him a home because nobody else
would.
Then, to the astonishment of Larten, small, ugly woman screamed, rushed
forward and shouted, "My little Vancha" As the General
was back in panic, she lifted him off his feet and tossed in the air
like a large doll.
"Put me down!" Vancha shouted furiously.
"Not until you give me a kiss, naughty boy," she laughed.
"I'll give a kick in the ..."
"Language, Vancha," stopped him, clutching his ribs so hard his
eyes seemed to burst.
"My apologies ... Lady," he gasped, then quickly kissed her cheek
before they suffocate.
The woman smiled and dropped it, then bowed gracefully to
Seba. "You are welcome as always, Lord Nile," he said in a soft voice and
melodic.

"I appreciate this privilege, my Lady," Seba said, leaning as

I would have done before a Prince.
"You've brought a couple of assistants," she said, watching his eye
Larten and brown to green to Wester eye. Both speechless before her.
"This is Lar ..." Seba started to present them.
"I know his name," interrupted the woman. "And I think they mine.
Right, gentlemen? "
"Evanna?" Gasped Wester, disbelief.
"They expected someone more glamorous," Vancha said.
"A lot of what you do," he smiled.
"Perhaps this is what they had in mind," she glowed and changed shape.
Now he was tall and slender, with long blond hair and features of angel, dressed in
one flowing white dress. Larten stared at her, in love. She reached
hand to caress her, but dropped it. He felt he had no right to
touch someone so beautiful.
"Very easily impressed," she clucked, and returned to his previous
appearance. "You must not judge by what's on the outside. Only a fool
falls for a pretty face. Are they stupid? "
Larten was the first to speak this time. "For you, madam, would any
thing, "he said softly, the words pouring from his mouth.
Evanna raised an eyebrow and looked at him. But when blinked, confused
for his icy stare, she realized she was not being cheeky.
"I like this, Seba," she whispered. "It's not the vampire brighter than I
He is known, but has a good heart. "
"My two assistants have a good heart," Seba said. "But it is the heart
of Larten which you expect to win? "
Evanna laughed eagerly question. "You are here only a few minutes
and you want to set me up with the vampire you have more at your fingertips. "She
He brushed her cheek with affection and shook his head. "Do not ask me any favors yet,
old friend. Let us simply enjoy our company for a
time. I wonder what they have been doing, and how will life
rest of the clan. "
Taking his arm, she led the vampire in gray hair. After
pause, they followed Larten and Wester. Vancha came last, after
spend your palm with saliva again for your hair to leave hard and shiny.
"If this does not impress you," he said smugly to himself, "I do not know
what shall I do! "

Evanna was the daughter of Desmond Tiny. He had created thousands of years ago,
mixing the blood of a vampire with a pregnant wolf. She was
a powerful sorceress who could perform many magical spells. Without
But the inhabitants of the night were more interested in a
her particular skill.
Vampires could not have children. So they had always been. To maintain
It races alive, must make human. The clan always used to think
It would be so, but Evanna had the power to beget the son of a vampire. Yes
she wanted, could procreate with a vampire, and his descendants could
also reproduced.
The vampires had been courting Evanna for hundreds of years.
Mr. Tiny had warned that she and her child would have the power to end
the clan, but did not care about the risks. The ability to have a
son was intoxicating.
But Evanna had rejected all his proposals. She never had
taken as a vampire couple or had given any sign that had
intention. Although they had sought and had tried to
win her heart, fighting in his name, giving gifts, making
everything to make her his. All in vain.
Larten secretly hoped captivate the legendary Lady of the Wild.
He had his way with the ladies. Few had been able to resist,
when he was a puppy, and I was sure she would fall for him
as many others had done. If Evanna accepted it, he would become
the founder of a new generation of vampires father and his power and fame
They would be insured.
"I would have put more fine clothes if I had known we were coming here,"
he whispered to Wester as they sat on a couch full of pillows.
"Do not worry," smiled Wester. "If Vancha is your only opposition,
you can fail. "
Even though Wester had also dreamed of winning the hand
famed Lady, now that he had seen the intention Larten eyes, pulled
those thoughts from his mind. Always he left the way to his best
friend. They had never fought for a woman or anything about what Larten
he had set his eyes. Wester Larten thought as he and his brother
totally loved the orange-haired vampire. He never tried to take
Larten wanted things, even if he also craved.

The store looked bigger inside than out. There was a bed
Plush in the middle, paintings hanging from the beams, statues located in all
sides. Large candles were consumed slowly around bowls and jugs
overflowing with fruits, vegetables, water and wine. There was no meat or fish,
which he surprised Larten until he remembered the rumor that Evanna not eat
anything that was not cultivated.
Three young women took bowls and jugs to the vampires once
they were seated. All were dressed in simple white shirts
and beige pants. Larten had rarely seen a woman in slacks and
gaze followed the maids. One which had long black hair and
cunning gray eyes caught him staring and stared defiantly. He tried his
famous smile, which made most women shaking them the
legs but his eyes only deepened. Surprised and disturbed,
Larten coughed and turned his head aside. Wester saw him and hid his smile.
"First things first," Evanna said, lying on a couch and taking
a grape of a tray. "How have you been my little Vancha? Tell
all Mommy. "
"Mommy?" Gasped Larten.
"I wish you would not say things like that," Vancha grimaced. "Do not
I called witch, right? "
"And rightly so," Evanna snapped, his eyes shining. "I'll cut the
tongue of anyone who calls me that. I am the most powerful sorceress,
a priestess of the dark arts, mother of the future, and Lady of the Wild.
You, however, will always be my sweet and tender Vancha. I still remember
when you feed and how you eructabas when you finished. "She
he laughed. "That has not changed."
"Evanna found me when I was a baby," Vancha muttered to Larten and
Wester. "My parents had been killed and I was left to
die. She rescued me and took me with her for a few years before
you surrender to ... someone else, "she finished vaguely.
Evanna's smile faded. "You make it sound as if I had
taken alone, "he said quietly.
"As I remember it, lady, you did well," Vancha said, in a tone
sharp in his voice that surprised the two younger vampires.
Evanna Vancha stared for a second, then shook
head and sighed. "A man should never turn your back on your ..."
"Please!" Vancha interrupted. "Leave the past behind."

"The past is never far behind forever," Evanna murmured. "No

We can hide from those whom we are united by the
nature. But if you want to keep your stupid secret, so be it. You know
only wish the best for you. "
"And I'm grateful for that," Vancha said, his features softening.
Then he spat and winked. "I just wish you would not treat me like a
damn kid. "
Evanna laughed. "When you have a few centuries in your account, I will
considered an adult. Until that ... "She pinched his cheek.
"By the bowels of Charna" Vancha roared. "You're going too far!" He
He hurled against her and rolled together on the floor of the store.
He was punched and kicked the witch, but she just laughed and throw
cleanly. Upon landing, he pulled a star from his belt and hurled
his head.
Evanna Star caught the deadly air and calmly wiped the
teeth with one of his spikes. "Still playing with shurikens?" He murmured.
"I thought you would have found a new toy now."
Vancha looked like was going to strike again, but eventually threw back
head and laughed. "For all the gods of the vampires, you're a hard piece!
Come, let's toast to absent friends and sing songs about
old night. "
"I'll drink with you at any time, darling," Evanna said. "And with your
companions, too. "She snapped her fingers to her servants. "Milk
Mr. March. "Then looked at the others. "Beer, I suppose?"
"Yes!" Exclaimed Larten and Wester.
"Why not?" Seba said with a smile.
Barrels of the best beer I have tasted Larten were brought, and
rest of the night was a blur since.

Chapter Eight
Larten woke up in the afternoon with the throbbing headache. He was in a
hammock, but he could not remember having gone to one. While
incorporated, he saw that someone had painted a number of tattoos on her hands
a charcoal or similar marker. He frowned, thought
investigate, and then decided it was better not to know. Groaning, he made the way
to a barrel of rainwater outside the shop, and he dipped his head.
When he got up to take a breath, one of the assistants that -the Evanna
had dark hair and gray eyes stood behind him, holding a
bowl of something hot and steaming.
"Take this," she said.
"No beer, no?" Asked Larten, his face pale before
thought.
The assistant She smiled briefly looked cute when he was smiling and then
He shook his head. "A remedy for my lady. You'll feel better then
for I have taken it. "
Larten had tried many hangover cures in the past,
none of them had done much for him. But to be friendly, took the
bowl-not woman more than a girl, seeing the light of day and took the
half. The rest ended moments later and almost immediately his
headache began to dissipate.
"This is amazing," he exclaimed. "What it is?"
"You give sick again if I told you," the girl laughed. He had a tooth
He twisted, Larten noted, but a man could easily ignore a failure as
this is to.
"I do not think you told me your name," Larten said softly.
"I think wrong," he said. "We actually did a song about it.
Adorable Arra Sails, nectar of all evil, how I wish arponearte
as a whaler harpooned a whale! There was more, but, sadly, that
it was the best course. "
Larten grimaced. "I have the habit of insulting rhymes when
I'm drunk. My apologies. "
"No need. Your songs about my two sisters were worse.
But they were almost as drunk as you, so I doubt they remember. "
"Three sisters working for the same lady? That's unusual. "

In English rhyme.

"They're not my real sisters," Arra sighed, as if

explaining something obvious to a fool. "It's just how Evanna concerns
us. "He shrugged. "They are nice enough, although
not think of them as friends. "Arra squinted to Larten and
He pursed his lips. "You're a vampire, right?"
"Yes," Larten said proudly.
"Vampires do not deteriorate in direct sunlight?"
"Not immediately. I start to burn if I stay outside, but
It will not kill me until a couple of hours. Many of the myths are false or
distortions of reality. "
"Evanna not talk much about vampires, except to complain about
as you chase her around like dogs. "
Larten frowned at that but said nothing. He went inside but
Arra blocked his path. "That over there is my shop." He nodded toward
one of the three small shops located next to Evanna. "Otherwise
You have urgent business to attend to, I would talk to you and learn
vampire. "
Larten raised an amused eyebrow.
"When I say talking, I mean to speak, " Arra growled, reading his mind.
"You tried to kiss me last night."
"How did you respond?" Asked Larten.
Arra smiled. "Let's just say the following verse of your song began
with, Arra Sails dangerous, he has a terrible tongue "
Larten chuckled, then went to his tent to Arra. Like
Evanna was bigger than it looked from the outside, although it was
Arra simply decorated and had little personal possessions. The pair
He sat on the bed -Arra made sure I had a safe distance
Larten between them and talked for a long time about his life, the family and the
Vampire Mountain. Arra listened quietly interested in everything. It was
only when he talked about when he interrupted flit.
"My lady can flit too. And it can blow a gas that causes
people faint, though rarely need to. Do you think that
vampires Evanna inherited his magic or his father? "
"Do you know Desmond Tiny?" Asked Larten.
"No. But I have heard about it through visitors like you. "
Larten had always assumed the magical talents of the clan, such
as longevity, strength and speed. But now that he thought about it,

He realized that such gifts were mysterious. Do your talents

supernatural evolved naturally or were the work of a
more intrusive power? Larten made a mental note to ask
Seba then, though I had the feeling that his teacher would not be
able to answer that question.
"Tell me about yourself," said Larten, changing the subject. "How did you end
Evanna working for? Are you age you seem or are older than
your mistress? "
"Old?" Arra screamed, throwing a cushion. "Educate, vampire, or you
I estacar burning you out and leave you on the floor. "
While Larten smiling, relaxed and told a little about where it came from,
how he had run away from home in search of adventure and found Evanna. "Or I was
found her, "Arra said suspiciously. "I have to
feeling that sends for apprentices. We do not wander in
his life, even though aparentemos do. "
Evanna Arra had taught him a few spells, but she was
used mostly as a servant, to comply with their guests
lady and clean for them. She was not happy with that. She wanted to learn
the secret world of Evanna and become a powerful sorceress.
"It's not as if we needed it," Arra complained. "I've seen snap
fingers and avert a full meal, or shake the hand to a room
suddenly dirty and clean. She just likes to have servants to walk
bossing. "
"Why do not you leave?" Asked Larten.
"I will," Arra said. "But I want to move to having another place
go. I escaped without any direction once, when I left home, but better not
I leave everything to chance a second time. "
His eyes narrowed. He began to ask something Larten, but then
someone whistled in the distance and she grimaced. "My wife loves me."
"Would you like a dog whistle?" Larten smiled.
"If you laugh, will poison your next drink," Arra growled, and then hurried
to see what was Evanna wanted. Larten followed, still smiling.
It was nice chatting with Arra. It was a little sharp thing, and
more frowns than smiles came easily, but you Larten
She liked. He hoped they could be friends, at least for a
time, before leaving with Seba and Wester. After that he realized that
It was unlikely to return to see the girl again rude aspect.

Chapter Nine
They spent two nights with the Lady of the Wild. Other vampires
They came to her while they were there. Most of the group was war
the shadow of human warriors, but others came from much farther away,
crossing oceans as Seba and their assistants.
Some Cubs Larten and Wester recognized and greeted Larten
by his nickname. He had not called him and found Mercury
strangely disturbing. That part of his life had fallen behind and now
I wanted to move on. Although he was friendly with the Cubs, no
I wanted to renew those friendships.
Evanna welcomed the most visitors openly, but sometimes
Sheba and sent away his assistants to speak with a newcomer
private. She seemed to know what each of your visitors prefer, and did
best to meet your needs, but their pleas to accept
as a couple.
"We came to this country to meet Evanna, right?" Asked Wester
Seba the third night, when they were resting on a nearby hill
after falling on the camp of the soldiers for food.
Seba nodded. "As sharp as ever, Mr. Flack. Evanna preferred that the
clan leave her alone. You get tired of the endless proposals. But she knows how much
we seek it, so she lets us be several nights occasionally
to court. Privileged few are welcome in your home, too,
but most must comply with these meetings. "
"Where do you live?" Said Wester.
Seba shook his head. "If she wants you to know, I will tell."
"So we brought her here to see us, if you
liked our faces? "asked Larten.
"Yes." Seba rubbed his neck and sighed. "We believe that Evanna elect a
some night companion, either a vampire or a vampaneze, but ... "
"A vampaneze?" Barked Wester. "Is it related to them also?"
"She knows all the creatures of the night," Seba said calmly.
"Evanna no distinction between us. The vampaneze are so dear
for her and us. He tries to keep us apart She moved to a
new site soon, I think, where he will meet with our blood-cousins
but if a vampaneze came here we should treat it with respect. "
"I could not," growled Wester. "If I see any of that scum, I'll ..."

"... Do anything but wish him a good night," Seba said bluntly and
there was a sharp tone in his voice that his aides rarely heard. "Yes
Evanna angry, she will crush you. Never let you forget its glamor
she is the daughter of Desmond Tiny. Respect your wishes when you are in your
presence, Wester, or any word can save you. "
Wester glared at his teacher. To relieve tension, you Larten
Seba asked Evanna as I knew would be there.
"She led me here," Seba said vaguely. "Those who
Evanna just keep looking at your feet. I did not know we'd end up here
When we go out. All she knew was that she would find where
I would be found. "
"And you really expect us to seduce her?" Pressed
Larten.
Seba chuckled. "I doubt if anyone ever seduce Evanna.
But you made a good attempt, Larten. I did not know you were so gentle with
give more. "
"I'm usually more successful," he growled Larten bitterly. All your
flattering words, his glances and his tricks had gone from
over the witch. She had been kind to him and laughed at his jokes, but
He never gave the slightest hint that he might consider it as a couple.
"Do not be so hard on yourself," Seba said. "Many good vampires
have been rejected before you, and many will be in the future too, I'm
insurance. What was to say before the interruption of Wester, is that
we believe that eventually pick a couple, but not
we know what qualities you like, or even if you are looking for; maybe
It is waiting for some time, or event.
"Since we know very little of your heart, many of us we come
to see her from time to time, and we bring our attendees when they are ready
for this type of meeting. We continue to hope that one night she claims to
one of us as his. But so far, we're out of luck.
"What happens if you take a vampaneze?" Growled Wester.
"We fear that more than anything," Seba said. "Evanna has the power to
destroy the clan. If she chooses a vampaneze as a couple, their son certainly
He will inherit some of his magical powers. Perhaps the dreaded Lord of the
Vampaneze be the son of Evanna. "
"So why do not we attack?" He hissed Wester. "Kill her or kidnap
and make it do what we want? "

"If this nonsense continues, I'll whip up your meat falls off
your spine, like the skin of a snake, "roared Seba.
Wester blinked in surprise. The old vampire had never threatened
any of them that way before. There had been many punches and kicks
during those years, but never a savage, brutal promise.
Sheba saw the pain in the eyes of his assistants. "Please understand," he said
gently. "She's much stronger than any of us,
all of us together. If the entire clan opposed him, we fall. "
"Nobody can be so powerful," said doubtfully Larten.
"Do not exaggerate," Seba insisted. "Their power is not of this world. There are myths
about gods creating countries, raising mountains, waving seas. I do not know if
those stories are true, but I think Evanna can do all that and more.
So I do not hear more about you plotting against her. It
It can be worse than any enemy, except for its
meddlesome father. "
Seba assistants looked into his eyes, trying to ensure that their
word had reached them. He saw that he had created an impact and expected
that would prevent future follies.
"Now," he said, forcing a smile. "Let's go back, and do not say more
about this. Only that if she lays eyes on you, do not worry about
a long engagement! "
Wester Larten and laughed weakly, and then followed Seba back
the store, the three silent and immersed in his thoughts.
The shop had been dismantled when they returned. The apprentices
Evanna were standing behind a car, preparing sadly for
push. There was no way that could fit inside the store
-the carriage canvas itself would have required vagn- but was not Larten
surprised. The Lady of the Wild could perform many wonders.
"Time to go," Evanna said cheerfully. "I have had fewer visitors
normal. The clan must be losing interest in me. "
"Should you travel far, Lady?" Asked Seba, kissing her cheeks.
"You know very well that I will greet my other nearby fans," he said
Evanna.
Seba smiled. "Yes, but I will not admit it."
"Silly boys," snapped Evanna. "Why not leave their disputes behind and
meet? Life would be much easier if they did. "

"It is not so simple," Seba sighed. "We are bound by wires

destination. "
"We are all bound by them," Evanna said in a hollow voice,
sad look crossed his face. Then shook his head and rose to Vancha, who
He had left behind while others hunted. "Goodbye, my little baby."
"Let it go!" Roared aporrendole ears.
She laughed and kissed his nose. As I struggled and threatened, she kissed him on the
lips. His arms and legs relaxed and he smiled shyly when she
down.
Evanna turned to Wester and Larten. The witch was not fair as the
first time I had seen, but did not notice Larten ugliness.
"It was a pleasure to meet you," she said.
"It was an honor, my lady," Wester said, bowing.
"An honor," echoed Larten, then he knelt on one knee and took
his dirty hand. "I would visit again at some point, if you can
found in his heart to give me permission. "
"It's daring, this," Evanna chuckled. He dropped his hand and Larten
He caught her chin. He tilted his head back and looked down straight at him.
For a moment, he thought his eyes had changed place was isn't
state blue on the right side before - but then she spoke and he lost
interest in such trivialities.
"My home is my refuge from the world. There only invite a select group of my
closest friends. Why Would a little vampire like you? "
He had a feeling that if I gave the wrong answer, never
again see the Lady of the Wild. Trying not to worry about that,
He said shakily. "I'm good cleaning. If you ever wanted to take
a bathroom could scrub your back. "
Evanna blinked slowly. Larten could see torn between laughing
and get the head. Fortunately for the young vampire, she chose to see the
funny side of the proposal.
"Sassy like a monkey," laughed Evanna, releasing the chin and Larten
showing his contempt. "An odd choice of assistant, Seba, but I
like. Yes, Larten Crepsley, you can visit me whenever the fancy takes you. "
She pressed a finger to his forehead and he felt a deep ringing in their
brain. "You will be able to find me whenever you want."
Evanna nodded politely Wester, and though he could not suppress a
twinge of jealousy, he smiled a genuine smile. This confirmed what

I had always thought; Larten was in some way superior to him, intended
to great things. A Wester would have liked to be a major vampire,
But the world also needed the supporting actors. I did not have
I want to be more sense of what it was. He was happy to do the best with what
is that life held for him.
Then the witch was hunched in the distance, looking like a
crazy woman who had escaped from the asylum. Arra Sails and other
apprentices were after her, groaning as they pushed the car.
Larten Arra looked and smiled sympathetically.
"Well, gentlemen," said Seba as women left the
view. "We have lost many years. It's back to business more
urgent. Take your belongings and prepare for a rough ride. we'll go to
The Vampire Mountain immediately. "

Part Three
"It means respect."

Chapter Ten
It was time for another Council in Vampire Mountain. The
vampires traveling around the world to get together with old friends,
challenge each other, discuss laws, tell stories and have a good time.
Larten and Wester were occupied in advance, helping Halls
Games room preparing for chaos Festival of the Dead.
The pair had been permanently installed on the mountain by
last two years. Both had spent their tests -five Initiation
risky tests that all vampires were not just want to have a long time
after they returned to Sheba. Larten proved itself many months
before Wester, and he spent, but Wester almost fails. In his second test
He faced two wild boars that had been injected with blood
vampire. He managed to kill them, but one pierced him with its fangs
before he died and had to work hard to complete his last three
tests.
Wester Seba had visited before his third round and asked if
He had made peace with the gods of the vampires. Death was not anything
be scared if one was ready for it. Wester had nodded soberly
and said he could die without regrets if that was his destiny.
Wester Larten had called shortly after and told him that his
Master said. Then, in a muffled voice he said. "I lied. I want
make a promise. Too much to ask, and understand if you refuse, but if I die,
I want you to follow the track and Murlough kill me. "
Larten almost made the promise even though the vampaneze had
mercy on them when he was in his power to take their lives-but something about the
Wester expression stopped him. Tests of Initiation were both
mental and physical obstacles. If you lose your faith in you, you can be as fatal
like losing an arm or a leg.
"Mourlough is your enemy, not mine," he said coldly Larten. "If you die,
I will not give chase in your name. I would not ask you upload to my
enemies, and you should not ask. "
Wester had been surprised and hurt, but accepted the decision
Larten and sadly fought the rest of their testing, driven by its desire to
survival and revenge for killing his family.
The pair had been studying hard under the guidance of Sheba and the other
since then, he is taking the first steps on the long road to
General Vampire become. Much of his time was employed

learning combat complications. Even spent entire nights

in the Playroom, being used to practice together, watched over by a guardian.
Now, one of his tutors roared them to empty a drawer full of
axes. "What are you waiting for? The Last Vampire arrived three hours ago. The
Festival begins by putting the sun. Perhaps they are wanting to hunt axes, to
a game about it? "
"Sorry, Vanez!" Roared, hurrying even though they were already
working fast.
Blane Vanez glared at his assistants, and then left. He was in a
unbearable attitude. It was his first time working in the Halls of Games
Council. Normally the guards were responsible for those things, but
were scarce this year so had volunteered for
help. Now he regretted his offer. Both thinking and so
worry. He was determined not to fall into this trap again. So
Council soon as the end he would leave, and would ensure never be
obligations trapped like this a second time. He belonged to the
wild, Not locked inside a mountain!
So busy and stressed as it was, he was eager for Larten
Council. The last years were monotonous and exhausting. Although not
He regretted his choice to return with Seba and pursue their studies,
He missed the outside world, travel, nights of drinking, playing and flatter
the ladies, the excitement of war.
Larten was happy about was developing. Learning
He improved quickly and fast. It was not the greatest of the vampires, but his
speed and skills helped him get the best of most
their opponents. Larten night of being beaten by the others had
Gone.
Still I was not really happy. He could not pinpoint the reason for his
discontent. Just felt like I was back here before they
finished with the world. He had no desire to be a Cub
or running with a group of war, but felt he was missing something.
Sometimes he thought about Vur Horston and plans had to
Children explore every centimeter of the world. Although Larten had traveled
in the widely world, he wanted to see more of him, to honor the memory of
He lost his cousin. Obviously it would be able to do once
became General-I could spend the rest of his life wandering if wantedbut Larten was impatient. He wanted to do everything and see everything now.

Still, he would not have to endure life in the mountains more. Every
vampire was forced to undergo a degree of training if
They wanted to become a General, but most of their lessons could
be learned on the road. Seba lead to Larten and Wester far from here
soon, perhaps at the end of the Council, and they could study a more relaxed air
while they are traveling far and wide as they had done in the past.
When they finished preparing axes, Larten and reported to Wester
Vanez for instructions. Kept circling the Chambers and the
tunnels for the next several hours, shouting even when working fast
and efficiently. Larten was on the point of striking back when
Vanez suddenly smiled.
"They did well," he said. "Go get ready for the Festival. And please
forgive me if I downloaded my frustrations on you. "
"There is nothing to forgive," Larten smiled, then shared a glance
Wester excited. They hurried toward the Hall of Perta Vin-Grahl
for a quick swim, then to the cave Seba shared with five others,
to put on their finest clothes and make sure they looked their best
for the opening ceremony.
The first hours of the Festival were as crazy as usual, vampires
They are fighting as if the clan was on the point of extinction and not stay
one to fight the next night. Bones were broken, limbs
They were severed and four vampires made a premature trip to Paradise, with
his applauding friends To die in combat was a noble way
perecer-.
Larten was carried away by the tide of fighting vampires-not had any
point in trying to fight her but as soon as things
They calmed down a bit was looking for an opponent in particular. Not Know
Vampire name, only that he was tall and stocky, with a nose that he had been
broken many times. The General was ridiculed when he beat Larten
easily on a challenge the first time he had gone to the Council. Larten had
I been wanting to face him again since.
Larten was sometimes challenged in their pursuit of General, and had to
-not answer all you had to ignore a challenge during the Festival- but
finally he found his man standing near the bar in the room
Oceen Pird, watching two things vampires trying rounded tip
to topple each other.
"You!" He shouted Larten, hitting the back of the vampire.

The General looked around and frowned. I not remember this young
puppy, but something about his hair orange discovered a memory.
"Fight me," Larten said.
The vampire turned and smiled bitterly. Larten's heart sank General's right arm was missing from just below the shoulder.
"Why the long face?" The General said, then gave a short glance at
space where your arm should be. "Insurance this do not stop. Is just
an injury. "
"I ..." Larten hesitated.
"... I do not want to fight with an invalid?" The General asked softly,
with fire burning in his eyes.
Larten stiffened. "I have no intention to offend with
pity. I was just going to say I do not want to have an unfair advantage. So
... "He threw his right arm inside his shirt, tucking
tightly.
The General Larten looked stunned, then laughed. "There is always a
first time! Come to me, then, young, and that the fate of the vampires this
you. "
Larten moved to the General and tried to grab his hand
left. But he was not used to fighting with one hand. The General,
who had years to adjust, he threw the younger vampire and the floor
He crushed his legs.
"One for me," smiled as Larten dust rose and shook, then
he moved to shed his challenger twice in quick succession.
Larten not imagine that the fight was so, but had planned to use both
arms. As he rose for the third time, all he could do was laugh
at the unexpected direction the battle had taken.
Many years before, the General had humiliated and had Larten
gone with contempt after defeat. But now I help the Vampire
orange hair to stand and hugged him warmly.
"I should have won easily, but you have earned my respect,
young. I did not have to challenge me on my own terms. When do you tested
you have courage and dignity, and something even more difficult ... style!
Will fight again someday, when you have more practice with one arm,
Yes? "

It refers to the first time you see something like

"Yes," Larten chuckled.

They took a lot and talked of many things that night. The General told
to Larten about some of the times that his nose was broken and
Large vampires who had faced into challenges along the
years. But he never mentioned his name, and if he did, Larten failed to notice.
During the following years Larten practiced sometimes with an arm
tied behind his back. But it was never to be tested against the General
nose broken again, because he died soon after in a struggle Council
against a panther. He was alone and his journey was not marked, but if someone
It had been present, he would have seen her smile before her throat
It has been ripped off. They would not have known why he was smiling, but it was
fondly recalling the night when an assistant head
Orange had challenged him to a wrestling with one arm in the Room
Oceen Pird.

Chapter Eleven
Night gave way to day and most vampires were to rest
hours, or to care for their injuries. By late afternoon they gathered at the
Glen Stahrvos huge room for the traditional contest howls. To
signal Creek vampires howled hard and tried to hold it. Which achieved
howl the longest would be rewarded with the title "The Howling" by
next twelve years.
Larten not achieved particularly impressive howl and left the
competition soon. But he knew two vampires were among the last
three. One was the former Cub, Yebba, who seemed to have grown even more
since the last time I had seen Larten. The other was a known less
family, Mika Ver Leth.
Larten was surprised to see Mika-dressed in black, as always
between the final trio. Normally howlers were bulky and successful
high, like Yebba but Mika was a thin average height. Without
But he was holding against the other. Larten he encouraged by Yebba
their friendship, but secretly hoped that Mika will take the honors; he
I had always had a soft spot for the underdog.
Yebba suddenly stopped, choking and frowned, disgusted
himself. Mika and the other General continued for another minute, with
strained vocal cords, and tears streaming from his eyes. Mika was
problems, his voice wavered, but then collapsed the other vampires without
any warning and it was over.
There was a standing ovation and was surrounded by Mika willing to General
providing on their behalf and be the first to challenge him to a battle. Larten it
He crossed later that night and called Mika Howler.
"It sounds strange," Mika said, with a rare and thin smile.
"Were you surprised to win?" Asked Larten.
"No," Mika said. "I practiced the entire previous decade. I took lessons
a human tenor singing and he taught me how to extend a note. "
Larten frowned. "Why? Surely not mean much to you. "
"It means respect," Mika said seriously. "I hope to be a prince one
night and want to be invested sooner rather than later. As trivial as
this contest, pointed out to me, and that's important. "
The General Larten ambitious amused. Most vampires were not
politicians did not care about power games. Mika was more like a
human in that regard. But the clan was changing. The world was

becoming more hostile as humans were becoming more and

They are claiming more territory. Vampires should have a profile even less
noticeable than before if they wanted to survive. That meant bringing in a clan
new address. Needed more imaginative young leaders. Years before
Mika would not have got very far with his desire to be a Prince, but Larten
He believed he could thrive with the current climate. She wished him luck in his Mika
actual search, though it was not a goal to which he personally
aspire.
But Mika was not the only earning the respect of the Council. Though not
aware of that, Larten had drawn the attention of many of its
peers and was beginning to make a name for himself. The clan
He approved of the way he had faced the one-armed General and
though he had lost the battle, he had won most
these challenges, defeating a series of major vampires and more
experienced.
Paris Skyle heard of the success of the young and sought out his friend Seba to congratulate
him.
"Credit is not mine," Seba said with a smile, looking aside as
Wester struggled with a vampire who had been converted only a couple of years
back. "Larten is driven by an inner passion. I've helped, I hope,
but he can not be molded, only guided. "
"He could get very far, according to rumors," Paris muttered.
Seba sighed. "Is that so important? If you live a good life and is faithful to itself
same, would not it be enough? "
"My words hurt you," Paris said surprised. "Forgive me."
"No need to apologize, sir," Seba said. "I've heard others talk
Larten very well, but I have noticed merits really did not see years
back, even when I met him when he was a child. I always knew he
will scale higher, if you choose to climb. "
Paris frowned. "You hope you do not."
Sheba grimaced. "Larten could be a great General, maybe even a
Prince. I would be happy if that was their goal and achieved. But it would be
just as happy if he decides to live a clean and honest life. I have no desire
being a mentor of princes. I just hope that those I
matter to be happy. "
"Are you worried about what to do with it?" Asked Paris, recalling the
when it offered the opportunity Seba become a
Prince. "Do you think he would not adapt to a position of authority?"

Seba shrugged. "Do I believe it? No. Do you fear him? Yes. If my fears
baseless or not, I can not say. It is much like it was me
that age. Maybe I see defects that are not there, reflections of my own
weaknesses. Time will tell. Either way, no sense worrying
for the future. It could break the back tonight and would be the end of it. "
"The gods and the gods give away," agreed Paris.
Before them, Wester finally able to rival and the couple went drinking
the health of the other. Wester was radiant; he had not enjoyed
too many victories. Seba was happy for him. She worried about Wester
too, but he felt his weaker assistant find its way before
Larten, and take it easier. Larten suspected yet
He understands their true desires, and there was nothing more difficult than pursuing a
Sleep when you did not know what it was.
As if reading the thoughts of his friend, Paris said, "Did you tell
your good news? "
"No. I wanted to wait until after the completion ceremony. "
"You think I want to stay with you?"
"Wester, yes. Larten ... do not know. "Slowly, he added," I hope not. "
"Come on!" Thundered Paris, taking his friend's arm. "I darkened your
mood. Let me clarify again with a glass of wine. "
"Wine?" Seba smiled. "I thought you only drank beer during the
Advice. "
Paris winked. "Beer is for the young and less sophisticated
palates, but the grape juice is for veterans like us, right? "
"Right," Seba chuckled, and went to try to drown their concerns with the
Prince.
Young clan started from Vampire Mountain
a few nights after the completion ceremony, once their
heads cleared and could stand without wobbling. It was an exodus to
nothing dramatic. Most do not even bother to say goodbye to their
friends, especially the older vampires, since it was not his custom. They
just went, some in specific directions, others roamed where
his feet taken away.
Wester Larten and helped clean the inside of the corridors and tunnels. It was
a gigantic task even more complicated preparations
above. But it was in a more relaxed way and did their jobs so
cheerful. Even Vanez Blane was relaxed now, often stopping to

joking with the couple and tell them not to work so hard. He had forgotten the
prior to the Council stress and was considering offering its services
again in the future.
Seba let the dust settle before calling his assistants to a
meeting in the Hall of Khledon Lurt. Over a bowl of broth bat
He told them about his exciting offer.
"The princes have asked me to become the Mayor of the
Vampire Mountain. I accepted. "
Wester had expected the announcement, he had heard rumors during the festival,
but Larten was taken by surprise.
"Mayor?" He frowned, pushing his plate away. "I think that
You longed no power. "
"It wanted to be a prince," Seba corrected. "Mayor is a
proposed very different. I do not want to exert any real authority. In theory
would only be responsible for looking after and maintaining supplies clean rooms.
But as you know, actually the mayor has much to say at all
what happens in Vampire Mountain, not only the Councils but the
other times too. The princes and generals come and go according to
needs, but the mayor is present all the time. I'll have the
task of approving all guardians and guards, determine how and why they are
She teaches students. I have willing ears of all the princes the ear, in the case of Paris Skyle- and they listen attentively my
opinions. "
"They do it anyway," said Larten.
"Maybe," Seba smiled. "But it's a different situation now. I could not
order as I can when Mayor, if I became Prince.
But long live the gods-and seem unwilling to take, to
Even though I'm old and tired I will be able to exert strong
influence for many decades. I can be a link between the old ways and
new. I think the clan needs someone like that now. "
Seba studied his assistants, waiting for their reactions. As he had
suspected, Wester responded enthusiastically.
"Congratulations, Maestro. You deserve this and I think it will be a great merit for
the clan. "
Larten was not sure what to say. Already he had an idea of what that
It meant to him and was questioning which way to go now
I had reached a crossroads in his unexpected way.

"Yes," murmured Larten. "Congratulations. May the luck of the vampires is

you. "
Seba nodded, then said as lightly as I can, "What will they do
you two now? I do not expect them to stay. I imagine they'll want to go out and ... "
"No!" Said Wester. "I'll stay. I have still much to learn
and no one can teach me better than you. "
"Are you sure?" He asked Seba, ignoring the compliment. "They are going to
spend twenty or thirty years before you can become General. It is
long time for a young vampire to be enclosed within a
mountain. "
"I do not care," Wester said stubbornly. "I'm staying. You
so you do, right Larten? "There was a faint, desperate threat
Wester's voice. He was trying to sound casual, but I knew Larten
he was anxious to leave. He did not want to be forced to choose between her best
friend and mentor.
Larten not respond immediately. He frowned as he considered
their actions. Seba advise Larten wanted to be outside, but
He felt it would be a mistake to try to influence the undecided wizard, so
which held his tongue.
"Stay," hissed Wester. "This place is not so bad. You should look
a new Master if you left. "
"Many might accept," Seba whispered, pleading only
Wester counter was exerting pressure. "You have caused
good impression on the Council and you could choose a tutor, perhaps even
Paris Skyle or some other prince. "
Larten eyes narrowed. Princes trained only those
with great potential, vampires who could become powerful
General and replaced over time. It was the first inkling I had of
the Salle des Princes could be opened for him in the future. Mika Ver Leth
He would have jumped by chance, but was not Larten Mika Ver Leth and he did not
I was hungry for power. However, it was tempting ...
Wester Larten looked and saw hope and fear in the eyes of his
blood brother. It was ridiculous. The couple was in his sixties. They would be
grandparents with at least one foot in the grave if they had not been converted.
The men of his age should have passed long ago the need
a best friend.

But they were young as measured by vampires, and there were

separate from that faced Murlough in the ruins of the old house.
The pair had spent a lot together, develop, train, bear the
war groups. Larten be alone if separated, but would be more difficult
for Wester. In the long run it would be better for him; Wester considered himself
as a younger brother and probably you need some time away from
Larten to grow. But soon, it would hurt.
Larten tried to distance himself from feelings of Wester, to decide what
he wanted. But it was difficult. He believed mistakenly that would Seba
disappointed if he left. The old vampire would think that Larten expected
learn more about a new Master. He should have realized -Seba
He had made it clear on several occasions that eventually his assistants
They need to establish their own lives but his thoughts were
mixed.
Larten finally sighed and went for the easy option. "I will stay," he said
with sadness.
Wester applauded and hugged him. Seba smiled, but inside was
disturbed. When he retired to his coffin the following morning was awake for a
long, full of a sense of unease, wondering if
I should have spoken before leaving Larten do what he thought would be
a potentially harmful call.

Chapter Twelve
The next few years were difficult for Larten. Train to be a
General was difficult for any vampire. For starters, I had to handle
variety of weapons, even if it were not to use most of them.
Larten looked forward to his lessons with knives and axes, but there were other
like the throwing stars with Vancha it was favored and others
Group pointy-the-four-pointed-he detested. There was no such thing
as an easy class.
It was shot down all the time and was forced to defend in the face of a
very real attack guardian. Larten spent many weeks tending their
broken bones and concussions suffered so often that regularly could not
sleep by the ringing in your ears.
What were particularly depressing was that it was Wester
easily progress. His young friend suffered a range of injuries,
like any other apprentice, but they were not nearly as of
Larten. And it not seems to matter how hard you work assistant hair
orange ... always got more painful wounds Wester or others in your
group.
What Larten not know was that their guardians were working with him more
harder than the rest. It was not a conspiracy, but simply the way
in which they came. When the masters of Vampire Mountain
someone trained with skills far exceeding gave him tasks
especially stringent.
Vampires were relentless. They had no time for weakness and
They eliminated those that would not be beneficial for the clan. This was
widely known. But many of the trainees were not aware
that their teachers were tougher on those who have the potential to
become leaders. If a tutor believed his student was talented,
He pushed the young man to the limit, to seize or exhaust their potential. Yes
Larten was ongoing and proved himself worthy of the challenges that
gave, you could find itself your way to success. But if your
guardians broke their spirit and failed, consider that the clan had
get rid of him. Always he is demanding more from those with more to offer.
Seba had no time to comfort or reassure his assistant. The work
as mayor was more demanding than I had imagined and
early years were a frantic period of adjustment. There were so many details
in which he had to think, from bright lichen growing in tunnels

where the brightness had almost died, maintain the stock of live animals,
ensure that the coffins were clean for visitors to
dealing with strangers Guardians of the Blood.
When Larten was injured and could not train, sometimes attending
Seba. It was while helping his teacher learned about the Guardians.
I had always assumed that the blood in Vampire Mountain was
sent and stored in warehouses, but now he had learned that the
Most came from human tribes living in the bowels of the mountain.
The Guardians were pale and strange creatures. In exchange for their blood,
They cared certain details of the funeral when a vampire die, drawing
organs and brain of each of the bodies, leaving the body
dry. Many vampires chose to be thrown into a mountain stream
when they died. If their bodies were not thoroughly cleaned, the
animals eat their bodies and go crazy.
A Larten Guardians did not like-they had a sullen air and rarely
hablaban- but they responded if they wanted to learn all I could about
clan and its operation, so that as dispassionately studied
as he could.
Memorize facts about the clan was also part of their training. Are
He hoped that vampires were familiar with their stories,
learned the names of their past leaders, to be able to recite
legends of their gods. Most vampires were illiterate. The
books were for humans, not for the children of the night. His story was
remembered in myths and legends passed from mouth to mouth, and all had
to help maintain it. If a disease or war erased the
Most of the clan, the few remaining could at least maintain
their origins, achievements and myths alive.
Larten learned much about his race. Those were the nights more
He looked forward, when he and the other apprentices sat and
They listen to their elders tell stories about the past or sing old
songs. He had a keen mind and was able to remember most
of what he heard. Wester was even more sly and not stored details Larten
He could hold, but his friend had always been mentally sharper and
that Larten unconcerned left behind in that specialty.
Wester was more interested in stories about the vampaneze.
Many General would have happily ignored the other group, but the war
it would blow then it was a crucial part of their heritage, so that,

Reluctantly, they discussed the reasons behind the separation and what
the other creatures of the night had been doing since.
Wester wanted to know everything he could about the vampaneze, and never
He seemed satisfied with what the General told him. He started
intercept vampires in the chambers and tunnels, asking questions and
learning more about their enemies. He fell into a group of "haters" of
vampaneze. Each thought traitors purple skin
They should be hunted to extinction. They respected the rules of the Princes
-that was out of discussion-but made plans to sneak,
keeping abreast of the movements of the vampaneze and
activities, if its leaders decided to start another war.
Wester Larten tried to involve in its new network of friends. He invited
Larten meetings and urged him to listen to stories about the atrocities of
vampaneze. Since Larten thought Wester as a brother,
He met with the moody vampire and listened quietly as
vampaneze told wild stories of drinking the blood of babies and
They are heading to the royals and politicians in human society.
According to rumors, they were establishing contacts around
world, gathering an army of humans to support them in an attack
Vampire Mountain.
"We will kill us all if we do not achieve first!" Was the common cry
meetings.
Larten rejected such speculation and Wester urged to do the same.
"They are crazy, all of them," he argued. Then, before I could Wester
refute, he said, "No, not all. Some speak accurately, those who
simply they report what the vampaneze do and where they travel. But
those stories about armies and master plans ... "he snorted. "The vampaneze
They do not feel nothing but contempt for humans. See humanity as
won to drain and discard. One of the reasons is
They separated us was for our indulgence. They tease us
not kill when we eat. To suggest that they are working on
association with humans is a lie, and one that can be easily
exposed. Ask the conspirators. Vampaneze always tell the
truth. Ask them if they conspire against us. Respond
honestly ... and they say no. "

Haters, in the original.

"Do not tell me you think that old story," Wester scoffed. "By
Of course they are lying. They just want us to think they do not. "
Larten noticed Wester never agree with him on this issue. To avoid
arguments and perhaps a fight-and Wester was very energetic on
that asunto- left to mingle with the dissidents. Whenever the Wester
invited to a meeting, Larten created an excuse not to go. Soon Wester
He acknowledged the wishes of his friend and Larten cut to that part of his life.
He cut his teacher also, knowing in his heart that was but Seba
disgust towards those who had separated from the clan, never urge a
War against them. The old vampire should welcome a
war if it came to pass, but never try to cause or approve of
those who they did.
Seba would worry if he saw the vampires with whom he had Wester
wrapped. Perhaps you have urged his impulsive pupil to stay outside
such complex and dangerous issues. But the mayor still was
adjusting to his new position and had little time to concentrate on their
attendees. Kept reports on their evolution, but beyond that the
He entrusted to the professional hands of their guardians. When Seba
He stabilized at work and was able to pay more attention to their positions,
Wester had learned not to talk about their feelings but with them
they felt the same way he did.
Larten you could have told Seba what was happening, but not
he thought it was important. Wester and their allies respected the rules of the
Princes, no doubt about that, so he did not see a real threat in their
angry murmurs. While the leaders kept the vampires
truce, dissidents like Wester could do nothing to cause
problems. They were tied to their sense of obligation, like all
vampires. The worst would be to march to die in the desert, as Perta
Vin-Grahl and his followers had done it once.
But Larten was sure that would not come to that. Simply
They were pouring out, all talk and fanfarroneadas. Nothing could leave her
alarmism. They needed the backing of a Prince to continue with its plans
war, but what vampire senior support an insane and bloodthirsty
Because like yours?

Chapter Thirteen
The mood was darkening Larten. His disappointment grew every night
I had begun to hate his training, Vampire Mountain and
General hierarchy and Princes. All that seemed pointless. What
they could achieve, apart from the world, without interfering with humans,
sitting in the shadows and controlling night?
Had been waiting for the Council There was spent many hours
practicing fighting with one arm during the months leading up to it,
anticipating his rematch with the General broken nose but even that was
disappointing. He enjoyed the fights and games, but all vampires
They had disturbing stories. Mankind was making great
industrial developments. The cities were growing at a dizzying pace.
The men were dominating the planet even more than before. The
Vampires should withdraw to deep jungles to move freely.
There was an air of crisis in the Council. Two new Princes were
elected, but the clan felt like a crossroads and no one knew
path to choose. There was no sense of direction among the leaders; Princes
they showed split when responding to changes in the
world. Sheba had seen this kind of indecision before, which is not
alarmed, confident that time would pave wrinkles, and vampires
They adapt as they had always done. But it looked like Larten
a breakdown of the clan, and as he was wasting his time
training to be a member of an ancient order.
Larten while stirring, Wester had found a new vocation
He had completely focused on her. After a talk with Seba, was
I had realized that the life of a General was not for him. What he
He was enjoying life in Vampire Mountain. He abandoned his training,
and instead he began studying to become a guard. While not
they were as respected as General-no guard had reached
Prince, was becoming an important position and was happy Larten
his friend. Wester suspected could be a great guard and a night
Seba could replace as mayor. I was happy that Wester
I had chosen the right path and go forward.
But that also made him more insecure about their own way. I could not
say with complete honesty that still wanted to be a General. He had had
question before the Council, which increased later. I was doing
this simply because they would be happy to Seba? I had no idea what he would do if

left, was the uncertainty about his future the only reason
still he is studying?
In the months and years after the Council unhappiness deepened. The
joy seeped out of his life and escaped his training means, without
joy of their successes and learn nothing from their failures. Seba saw sadness to
the young vampire had succumbed. Seba had more time for their
Attendees now, but Larten was distant around him. Seba tried
talk to him about his depression but had rejected all Larten
advances.
Seba desperately wanted to help his assistant with their problems.
He should do something to bring a smile to the face of Larten. But no
I could. Larten should take the first step. The change was essential, but only
General training had the power to take her life by the throat and
shake.
Then one night, thanks to a group of dead vampires did.
The Guardians of the Blood Seba informed of the problem by sending
a pair of pale members to track. Seba had noticed the
-the most vampires stench had caught a whiff of him but
there had been similar cases in the past and each time the problem had
solved itself. However, the Guardians had said that this time
it was different. They had to fix it.
Seba convened a team and found in Hall the last trip,
small cave with a stream flowing through it. That's where
many vampires for centuries had chosen to be discarded when
They died. The current dragged their bodies through the hidden tunnels
in the mountains, then he took them out into the world and far away. Custom
had been disappearing-the cremation was the most popular trend
today-but some of the older vampires still preferred the
traditional method.
"I hope you can smell it," Seba said cheerfully when his team
He was in place. He breathed deeply the putrid air and smiled like
perfume baby.
"I thought it was Goulder," someone laughed.
"Shut your mouth or shut for you," he snapped a vampire named Patrick
Goulder. Larten and the others hid their smiles. Patrick had a
problem with your smell, but it was not nearly as bad as this.

"There are bodies trapped in the tunnel," Seba said. "It's not the first time
It occurs. Usually, when the water rises in winter, it takes them. Without
But the Guardians have told me that will not happen this time. We have
to go and release them. "
The vampire frowned and looked at a few Larten with
raised eyebrows. As the assistant Seba, it was his duty to ask the question
that haunted all their minds.
"Is certainly a job for the Guardians," Larten muttered. "They
They are in charge of burials. "
"No," Seba said. "We're in charge. We let them take control
certain details, as it suits our needs. But this is
our problem, not theirs. Come on, "laughed, trying to raise their spirits.
"It's not so bad. I will bring pins to their noses and bind it with ropes
make sure that none of you fall. The water is colder than
Room Perta Vin-Grahl. Our chefs have prepared a good broth
when we return. It will be an adventure! "
"You come down through that tunnel, Seba?" One asked.
"I'd love to," Seba sighed. "But my back ..." He grimaced and
He grabbed the sides like an old woman.
Vampires laughed and began to tie themselves. Some
Seba remained to hold the strings and raise the other if the current
It was too strong. But Larten was one of those responsible for release
tunnel.
Larten shuddered as he launched into water current
quick. It was cold in part, but mostly it was a strange feeling
Funeral look inside the tunnel. Larten I never expected to go through this
live opening. It was a journey that only the dead were intended to take.
He felt bad, as if he and the others were invading, going to a place
where they were unwelcome.
"I know it's hard," Seba said seriously. "But they have nothing to fear.
No ghosts. All vampires have been here had good
reputation. Their souls went straight to heaven when they died. "
The equipment in the water doubted despite assurances Seba, watching
dreadful hole in the dark. Then Larten, knowing that knew Seba
they expect from him, he applauded loudly. "Move it, all at once!" He shouted to
vampires before him. "The sooner we get this over with before

We will be in the Hall of Khledon Lurt, warming up with a bowl of broth and
a pitcher of beer. "
Vampires cheered and those who were later-they had divided into
two teams, one on each side- released their grip and let the current
take them inside the cave, in the dark.
Each team had a torchbearer, but this was on the part of
back. So when Larten entered the tunnel, he endured one minute
almost total darkness. Solitary spirits around him and almost had imagined
afraid of what the torches revealed. But as Seba said, not
there were ghosts there. When the bearers of the torch
finally illuminated the area, Larten saw nothing but rocks and water.
Offering a quick prayer to the gods, she moved in search of
obstruction.
The smell worsened as they advanced and plugs his nose not
They helped too. The air seemed to thicken around and sneak through
your pores. A couple of vampires choked and sickened. The teams
They stopped to let the vomit floated before them. Larten could
feel the noise in your stomach, but he managed to keep food
inside.
Advanced along the tunnel, the team maintaining the cave
strict control over them. Nobody knew what to expect. If the floor
suddenly opened into an underground waterfall, the strings did not want
others were swept. While vampires were tunnel
impatient, Seba made sure that the team maintain a cave
firm grip on the ropes and let go slowly. Larten had no idea
if he had been in the cave ten minutes or an hour. All I knew was that
It seemed an eternity.
Eventually they came to where the bodies were piled, and was
much worse than they imagined. Larten tried to count the bodies but was
impossible. I was completely crushed, a wall of bones and flesh
rotten. Some were skeletons-that had been building for
a few years but most were a lot of skin and hair. Larten
I probably could have recognized any if any looked at
close.
He did not.
Nauseous and pale face, approached the wall dead.
One of the vampires yelled forward and had to be relieved. Clinging to

rope, he slipped away to the safety of the cave. Larten should have
in contempt, but all she felt was envy. I wanted to continue to
coward, and he took all his willpower not to.
Larten looked sickly as two vampires later extended
hand and pushed the obstruction. If luck was with the group, the pair of
later release the bodies and the rest never need to touch them.
But the luck of the vampires was little that night. Wall
bones trembled, but did not budge. With a sigh, Larten and other advanced
until they were within walking distance of the stinking bodies.
Patrick Goulder raised his fist and pounded the bones in front, trying
to open a gap.
"Stop!" Roared Larten. When Patrick looked, Larten growled, "They
They're dead, but they are still children of the clan, who fought General
bravely and they deserve our respect. Not break their bones less
everything else fails. We will try to make a lever to remove them
Carefully, keeping their bodies intact. "
Patrick snorted. "Do you think it makes a difference? They will be torn out
by animals, anyway. "
"What happens outside is not our thing," Larten said. "What happens in the
mountain it is. "
Patrick rolled his eyes but did not argue. Since there Larten
spoken and taken over, it was up to him to make the first attempt to
mound of bodies. Swallowing, he came forward, ran her fingers over
Skeletons, he located one's shoulders and pulled gently. When
nothing happened, pulled harder. Finally, the top half was released but
so did a mess of bodies that remained bat
caught between the bones. They shot through a hole not Larten
He had been driven by a broken bone, and splashed his face.
Larten screamed and fell back down, pulling the skeleton with him. For
moment of sheer panic he was underwater, the bones of the dead
they pushed him down. In his fear he thought the vampire was back to
life and was trying to kill him. He attacked the skeleton, savoring
the entrails of dead bats. He tried to spit, but water
He led many of those nasty organ to her throat. While Larten
had arcades, hands gripped her arms and lifted him.

He cried when he reached the surface, wide-eyed. Pin

He had fallen from the nose and the smell hit him harder than ever. He threw another
Once, he threw the entire contents of your stomach.
"Will you come back?" Asked Patrick Goulder.
Larten wanted back more than anything. But that would be a sign of
weakness and did not want to lose face in front of others.
"Just give me a minute," she gasped, wiping his lips and leaving his
heart calm. When the trembling of his hands disappeared, he joined the
rest of the team and went to work with the bodies again.
They spent most of the next hour in cold and humid confines
Tunnel, releasing bones and limbs, intertwined collecting bones,
loosening the knot of bodies. It was hard work and horrible, and they did in
silence. Each of them knew he would never discuss this later. This was not
a dirty job then would laugh. This was a horrible task and do
haunt for many weeks and months to come. No amount of
beer that could weaken this unpleasant memory. Larten had the
horrible suspicion that he might even take it to the grave.

Chapter Fourteen
When the group in the tunnel returned solemnly and seriously, nobody tried to
lighten the mood. Seba and vampires with ropes could see the horror
in the eyes of those who dragged. Wordlessly they covered the
group soaked blankets and took them to where broth, bread and beer
They were waiting in abundance.
Larten ate mechanically, filling the emptiness of his stomach with
unfocused eyes. I was thinking about the bodies, imagining as
one of them. Vampires lived for hundreds of years. Most rarely
They thought in time as did the humans, and they had a lot of
him to occupy. Death was a remote and distant thing for the poor
children of the night.
But the bodies in the tunnel reminded Larten mortality. No
no guarantee that were to live to be as old as Seba. Perhaps the
fate would kill young. If he did, I wanted to be able to say that I really
had lived, he had not only trudged like a turtle in
the shell of Vampire Mountain.
Larten not even touched his beer. In the back of his head and
he had made his decision, and although he had not yet given consciously
account, some of it made sure he kept a clear head. When
act, that party wanted sober, so there was no doubt that
He intended to do what he would do.
It was half a second bowl of soup when he pushed aside
and he stood. The others looked at her, but said nothing. It was not the
first to leave the table abruptly. They assumed it was because
He had broken down. But they were wrong.
Larten was in straight line Seba cave. The mayor had his
own room on the mountain. He had offered to share with
assistants, but they refused. Seba was now a vampire high
importance and had a right to privacy.
Wester was with his teacher, discussing an issue that had to do
with his training. Larten was grateful that only have -significaba
to go through it once-. It was only years later when asked
if Sheba had read the intent in his eyes when he was dragged out of
tunnel, even before he knew it, and had called Wester
with an excuse to make things easier for Larten.

If Seba He knew Larten what was going to say, well hidden knowledge. Not
There was nothing in his expression rather than mild curiosity when Larten
entered. "May I help you?" He asked kindly.
"I'm going," Larten said.
Wester looked at him strangely. I knew nothing about locking
Tunnel or so Larten happened. But Seba knew what his
assistant meant and nodded gently. "Very good."
Larten frowned. "You do not understand. I'm abandoning my studies.
I do not want to be a General. I'm sick of this place. Me I will. "
"No!" Gasped Wester. "I do not mean that. What happened? Why you ...? "
"I understand perfectly," Seba interrupted. "I never asked you
sticking and not held you against your will. You're not a puppy.
You are a man of wisdom and experience. I'm honored that Wester
you keep calling me master, but in reality no one is your master now, nor
it will again. If you want to leave, you can do it with my blessings. "
Larten had not expected this. In a strange way it felt
I cheated. Seba wanted was hurt, he tried to convince
to stay. It was childish -humano- but in her heart yearned attention.
This was a decision of great importance and needed an argument for
disfiguring.
Involuntarily, Wester gave Larten what it needed.
"You can not it go," he snorted. "This is crazy. Seba told me that almost
You completed your training. "
"I also asked you to keep that information to yourself," snapped
Seba, eyes glinting in a strange spark of anger.
"Is that true?" Asked Larten, momentarily stunned. He thought
it was five or ten years to become General, assuming that happen
all tests.
"You impressed some of your peers," Seba inhaled, yet
glaring at Wester. "There was a talk about graduating in the future
close. But after this exhibition, I doubt it. A General must know your
mind completely. Obviously, you do not. "
"I do it damn well," growled Larten, finding his fury
again. "I want to go out. I do not want to be a General. They're all oldfashion. "
"Larten!" Shouted Wester, alarmed by this heinous attack and unusual.

Larten laughed bitterly. "All vampires should pursue their

dreams, live life to the fullest, seeking a glorious and violent death. Not
should be locked up here, training. Are we students or
men? Human or vampire? "
Before he could answer Wester, Larten continued. "They were fenced to
General Devil, the Prince and the rest. Life is too short.
I want to live, fight, love, death. Not spend my time studying. "
"What's stopping you?" Thundered Seba. He had been sitting, but now
He rose and faced Larten. Her cheeks were flushed. "If you get upset,
go immediately. Do not even stop to pack your belongings,
You can continue without them. I never tried to get between you and your dreams. "
He invested with much sarcasm in the word as it was possible.
"Very well," Larten roared. "I will."
And with that he left the room as thrombus. Wester cried and was
Larten behind, but Seba grabbed him as the young man tried to pass.
"No," Seba said quietly. "Leave."
"But we can not let that fence so!" Exclaimed Wester. "It can not
think clearly. He regrets when he calms down. You want to apologize.
We have to let you know ... "
"I was being more himself in that explosion than it has been in many
years, "Seba, then chuckled he said. Wester was astonished to see her
teacher she is smiling.
"Larten needs to go," Seba said, sitting back and narrowing her
eyes. I was imagining the way that the young vampire would, tunnels
by which it would hasten the thoughts that must have been bumping
inside your head. I was hoping to stay firm in Larten
their convictions. It would be disastrous if I were now.
"Master ... I do not understand ... and you do not like Larten?"
"Pleasing?" Seba's features softened. "I love him, you idiot, both
I love you as you. They are like children to me, as I have already said. But all
children must put his father considerations aside, eventually.
You did that when you chose to train to be a guard, you made a
choice and you become your own man. Larten is doing
same. "
"But he was in such a horrible way. Maybe I should call him and ... "
"By the gods!" He cried Sheba. "You're smarter than that, Wester
Flack, so do not act like a fool. I know I'll miss a Larten I too

Hare but it is time for him to seek his own path. If you interfere
Now, you probably destroy. This has been a difficult decision for him. Yes
back and had to make that choice again, I'm not sure
I can. "
"But ..." Wester stared at his teacher. "What if I go with him?"
"You have the same right to go as we have it," Seba said wisely.
Then he smiled. "But you will not. Your place is here, you know. We must
let it go. If the luck of the vampires is with him, he will return when ready.
But now you must walk their own path, or at least try
I find it. "
Wester nodded slowly, then looked at the door. "I fear for
it. He does not know what you want. It will get into trouble. "
"Probably," Seba said sadly. "But he is strong and I think
You find its way in the end. If I'm wrong ... "Seba sighed and pressed
the middle finger of his left hand on his forehead. Keeping eyes
open, he covered them with his index and ring finger, leaving your thumb and
little to the side. "Even in death he will triumph."
Then Seba away thoughts of his assistant to his head and
He concentrated on his duties, leaving the unknown Larten Crepsley
jobs that fate in store for him.

Chapter Fifteen
The following years of the life of Larten Crepsley were wild and free
concerns. Larten flitting quickly to get away from all that
I had come to hate, even though it is not supposed vampires
they could flit on the way to or from the mountain. The act of rebellion
It was his way to show how little he cared clan rules. He knew
it was a small gesture, but that did not stop.
He traveled throughout the world at a frenetic pace, traveling freely,
spending much time in boats, vehicles, including trains. It was his
first time in one of the iron horses. The rocking motion as
He made her feel sick at first, but was adapted after a while,
though he never left his opinion that went far faster than
I needed any land vehicle.
For years he avoided contact with other vampires, moving from
town or city to another, mixing with men and ladies lax principles
of easy virtue, as they were going out at night. He stole large
amounts of money, and spent it freely. He bet big, backing
many nonsense, high-risk companies for the sport, and even had its
Boxing own stadium and cockfights.
Larten had tried things that even when he was a puppy
He tried, things that no sane person would do. He treated his body
disrespectfully, interested only in how far they could go. There were several
nights when he could not get up, lying in a dark room,
shaking like a rabid rat, waiting for death to take him out of his
misery.
If it had been a lesser vampire, surely he would have died. But their
years of hard lessons they had tanned. It could take more punishment than the
Most go further, longer. No matter how many nights
were subjected crazy, always he ended up back.
Eventually he calmed down and stopped the worst of the madness behind. He had tried
almost
all the pleasures of human nightlife and was bored with them. Not
He became friends in those years of bad life, but many came to his side
and cronies, men and women eager to spend money
acabarsele he did not seem to go wild partying with him and try to match
his wild appetites. They commended Larten and talked about their love and respect
for him, but I knew they were lost, they were low creatures, writhing

for the benefits it could offer someone in a state worse than the
from them.
Simply left overnight parasites, in the same way that
He had left the clan. They were much easier to leave in the past that Seba
or Wester. These people really did not care about it, only by the
perverse pleasures that took their lives. They were vermin and vultures. No thought was
better than them, but I hoped to be. Mercy, they threw money
cash I had and left them as they fought over it.
He tried to run with the Cubs again. There was a huge hole in your
life that needed to be filled. He craved the company and emotion. I did not want to
waking every night by himself, bored and lonely, desperate
kill time. He needed a purpose and thought the Cubs
That could bring at least a while.
But back to the groups of war was a mistake. All vampires
I had met had moved or died. Their replacements given
Larten welcome the pack, but he felt uncomfortable around him.
I could not be as enthusiastic about drinking, women and games
randomly. He found the young strong, ignorant and dull Cubs. No you
He liked to believe he had been so superficial, but I was sure I
it had been.
It was fed to groups of war a couple of times, then no more. He gave
Cubs a not so fond farewell, and moved again,
She is taking care of yourself, avoiding the big cities and crowds. He spent
many lonely nights in cemeteries or graves, thinking, feeling
as if it was never going to find its place in the world.
When he returned to Cirque du Freak, he asked Mr. Tall let him help
as before. Tall Hibernius would not back an old friend, but soon
Larten realized that this was not the life for him, certainly not in their
actual state. She loved the circus life and would have been happy in another
time to settle there. But he was restless, so he moved without
any idea of what I expected and when he left the Mountain
Vampires.
A few years after that, Larten was hunting deer. He had been
following a herd for hours. He could have killed anyone before, but
He was in no hurry. His clothes were made rags. He had grown a
beard, -of a light brown color, as it should have originally been his

her hair and her nails were long and uneven. There were traces of blood
around the mouth of past feasts, and dry spots on his cheeks.
"By the bowels of Charna! You'll see even more terrible than I, "he laughed
someone behind him, surprising the vampire. He turned so fast he lost
balance and fell. As he leaned on his back, his gaze
she posed in a smiling Vancha March.
"What are you doing here?" Barked Larten.
"Just passing by," Vancha sniffed. "I caught your scent-not he could help,
really- and thought I'd stop to see what you were doing. "
Vancha spent the next night wandering with Larten, making him
tell her sad story. The General made no comment, simply
He listened in silence. When Larten finally was speechless about his
miserable state, Vancha said the young vampire could travel with him if
She wanted.
"I'm in a period aimlessly now," he said. "I went in search of
Perta Palace Vin-Grahl few years ago. "Vin-Grahl had led to a
group of vampires in a frozen desert to die shortly after
war with the vampaneze. According to legend, he had built a castle
ice and become a mass grave. Many vampires had
sought the final resting place of the damned through the centuries.
"Any luck?" Asked Larten.
"No," Vancha sighed. "I really thought I would find, but everything
I got was freeze. House lost some fingers. I've been
too embarrassed to tell the clan. I can not help it
indefinitely, but I would wait a little longer before I have
his laughter. Paris is especially happy; he bet my favorite to shuriken
I would find the palace. "
The couple wandering aimlessly but welcome during the next
year. They hunted and stories were told. Regularly they discussed to hang
Larten time and inadvertently found completing many of the
tasks that should have gone through to become General.
Vancha for decades could have sworn he had no intention of
become a mentor, but Larten had his doubts. As Seba,
Vancha could be a shrewd operator when called him cunning.
Most nights they slept under a tree or shrub. Vancha
He did not believe the amenities as the coffins. I was never so happy as
when I was sleeping in a cold, rocky floor, covered only by their

purple fur animal. Larten not enjoy this difficult life, but
He used to it. In any case, it was better to sleep in the street with a
friend in luxury himself.
One night, while resting, Vancha decided to show their skill
to spit. He spat into the air, kept his mouth open and took the spit
when he fell. Swallowing, he laughed and said, "I bet you can not do that."
"Why, in the name of the gods, do that?" Larten muttered.
"It's a talent," Vancha said.
"As touch your nose with your tongue."
"Can you?" Vancha asked anxiously.
"I've never tried and do not intend to," Larten said.
Vancha out his tongue and explored, but despite that could touch the tip
your nose if pushed down with a finger, tongue did not reach
his nose voluntarily. In the end, he grunted and spat again and
catch it again.
"Come on," insisted Larten. "Try. it's fun. "
"I do not intend to spit myself," Larten said stiffly,
stifling a smile. "Now leave me alone or tragars one of your shurikens
rather than saliva. "
"Leave my quiet shurikens," Vancha growled, stroking their stars
ninja tied a belt around his body. Vancha rather fight
hands I thought guns were a sign of weakness-but
shurikens were an exception. "Some of them have hundreds of years of
old. They are historical. "
Larten frowned. "I thought that doing it yourself."
"Most of them, yes. But I have a few of the Edo period, including one
I think it goes back to the Kamakuras. "
"What are you talking about?" Asked Larten.
"Large Japanese dynasties. You know nothing of history? "
"Not much," Larten said. "I've spent the last thirty years trying to
memorize vampiric milestones. No time to research the history
human, too. "
"You should have done time," Vancha tutted. "Just a fool
forget where he comes from. I do not have much to do with the human world, but
we all started there and we can learn a lot about ourselves
studying the ups and downs of humanity through the ages. "

"So tell me, good teacher," Larten said with a goofy grin.
Although he had been sarcastic, Vancha took seriously their request. The
Larten next few nights were for a summary of Japanese dynasties,
from Asuka to Edo, with special emphasis on weapons of each,
particularly small, pointed, and throwing. At the end of its
lessons almost wished he had carried out his threat and driven a shuriken in
Vancha's throat. The smelly General was a good friend, but
historian really boring!

Chapter Sixteen
Eventually Vancha had to return to duty. As a General,
He had to present at several meetings, keep an eye on the
Cubs monitor the movements of the vampaneze, investigate
rogue vampires. It Larten invited to accompany him on some jobs. As
I had nothing to do, accepted.
Having controlled few of the rioters Cubs
admonishing even younger should obey certain rules,
Vancha and Larten left in search of a vampire named Arrow, who
He had cut contact with the clan. Princes wanted to know why
He had separated.
Vancha had found its target by a process known as
triangulation. Like almost any vampire, Arrow had placed his hands
Blood on the Stone in Vampire Mountain when it was
joined the clan, allowing him draw blood. One of the Princes in the
Mountain noticed the Magic stone and located the position of Arrow. Then he
Prince communicated telepathically with Vancha and walked toward him.
Vancha followed his instructions until they came to a house in a
forest. They arrived late at night, and camped without approaching the house. Then
a short sleep, they hid behind a couple of trees, and kept
watching all day. They saw a red haired woman working within
and around the house during the course of the day, but there was no sign of Arrow.
It appeared when the sun went down. Left the house, she looked skyward, kissed
women, and then went to fetch water as she slid into the
home. Arrow was huge, burly bald. He had tattoos on arrows **
both sides of his head and on his forearms. It did not look like someone who
He walked away battered most of the fights. His menacing
while she is carrying a bucket of water into a well in the side of the house not
It did nothing to soften his hard impression.
Arrow put the bucket on the floor on one side of the well, then he growled without looking
upwards. "Go ahead if they are to come. I do not like spies. "
"Sorry," Vancha said cheerfully, stepping forward. "I was not
sure what position we were in. I did not want to intrude
or cause any difficulty. "

**

Arrow arrow means

Arrow nodded sharply to Vancha, did run a

Larten cold look on, then inhaled. "Sarah will have dinner soon. They are
welcome to share it with us. "
Vancha Larten and shared a short look, then moved to
below. Vancha looked relaxed, but Larten noticed the way his fingers
They remained near their shurikens. It found that knives were a
easy to reach and remained near Vancha, ready to support it if they were
attacked.
The woman inside the house -Sarah- looked up as Arrow entered
stomping and said "We have a visitor." She began to smile with curiosity
when the strange couple entered. Arrow then said, "They're vampires." Her smile
He vanished instantly and sat at the table in silence.
Arrow put the bucket near the fire, kissed Sarah again, and then
He sat and nodded to Larten Vancha and join him. "To
Clan why these nights interest come from? "
"You married a human?" Vancha frowned.
"I married a beautiful and lovely woman," he corrected Arrow. Larten saw
a quick smile cross his lips Sarah, as she gave half
turned to look at her husband. "Now answer my question."
Vancha scratched his armpit. "You were not so crabby before. Life
quiet is not going with you. "
"I was pleasantly me until you and your assistant appeared," he said
Arrow.
"Larten is not my assistant, just a friend."
"No matter. And I asked twice, Vancha. Do not make me ... "
"The generals are not interested," Vancha said. "We do not approve the
vampires hanging out with humans, but it's been a long time since
prohibamos such unions, so why are you worried? "
"Times change," noted Arrow. "I was not sure what was the mode
current. When you showed up, you are having asked to be left alone,
I thought ... "
"Calm down," Vancha interrupted. "Who would You asked? Disappeared from the
view without any words. It's why I came. "
Arrow frowned. "I told Azis Bendetta my decision when I decided
not abandon my studies and become a General. "
Vancha sighed. "Azis is dead."
"Since when?"

"Four years or more."

"Even in death will triumph," Arrow muttered, making the sign
the touch of death. She looked sad as he removed his hand, but relieved
too. "It must have died before having delivered my message."
"Yes." Vancha was smiling now.
"So I'm not in any trouble?"
"No."
Arrow shook his head and laughed, then thundered, "Sarah! Beer and warm milk
for our guests. "
"I'll take the cold mine, thank you," Vancha laughed, then she stepped forward and patted
Arrow shoulder. When Larten saw that, he relaxed and smiled when Sarah
He is handed a cup of beer. When no one was looking, he slid the
knives sideways. This was not a night of fighting, after all.
Arrow's history was short and simple. He had met Sarah and had
love. He told the truth about himself early in their relationship,
it was a creature of the night sterile bloodsucker would live for hundreds
years.
"His sterility was the hardest thing to accept," Sarah said. He had a voice
soft and a shy smile. "I was not concerned about the part of vampire
He could swear he was not wicked brother and I am happy that both alive. But not be
able to have children ... "
"Probably at some orphanage adopt someday," said Arrow,
rubbing a finger on Sarah's arm. "But for now we continue
enjoying being a couple. The novelty still has not gone out. Begin
a family in a few years, yes? "
"Yes," Sarah giggled.
It was not news to a vampire join a human, but
Cubs usually just crossed that line.
"Five years ago I would have said you were crazy if you'd told
this would happen, "insisted Arrow. "I do not approve of those who came together
out of ... "
"Arrow ..." Sarah said in a warning tone.
"Sorry. Those They married outside the clan. "
"What's wrong with together?" Asked Vancha.
"The animals come together," Sarah said coolly. "Humans get married."
"But we're not either," Vancha noticed.

"There are more humans than animals," Sarah said. "At least they are and Arrow
Larten. "He raised an eyebrow at the General of green hair and weird looking, and he
He hissed with pleasure. To Vancha, an insult of a beautiful woman counted as
a compliment.
"Anyway," he continued Arrow, "I was happy as a vampire.
Never thought I'd find a human as a couple ... wife, "he corrected
Sarah quickly while squinting. "But we met
when I was recovering from an injury and ... "He shrugged.
"... Happily ever after," Vancha finished with a smile. Then his
silent smile. "Except they will not, right? Forgive me for talking so
openly, Sarah, but human life is short compared to
ours. Do you plan to let you convert Arrow? "
"No," Sarah said with conviction. "I love the sun too much to hide
it. Best I have a short life span of days, that centuries of nights. "
"So what happens when your heart can not have more and Arrow
to throw you into a hole so you rot? "asked Vancha.
"As diplomatic as ever," Arrow said dryly, sharing a
sad look with his wife.
"That worries me," Sarah whispered, shaking hands with Arrow. "Almost not
I married him because I do not want to leave it that way but ... "
"The future will bring what I bring," Arrow growled. "There are no guarantees in life.
I could die before her, an illness or an accident. If I do not,
I afflict any grieving husband when his wife dies. Then ...
I'm not sure. If we have children, I'll finish raising them. If you have grandchildren,
I will stay and I will look to grow. If not, then ... who knows? "
"The clan will get you back if you decide to come back," Vancha said. "Do not
We will move away just because you fell in love. You can finish your
-only a few months training were your test and finally know
all think highly of you. "
"That's kind of you, but I can not see me making me
General now. Maybe that will change, but I doubt it. Perhaps, if I live longer
she simply sit down at the grave of Sarah, do not drink more blood
and wait to join her. "
"You will not do that!" Barked Sarah. "If you do that, and there is a paradise, you
I will make the life a misery for the rest of eternity. "

In English the word "mate" is what I translated as "together", but it is also a noun
it refers to the person you are meeting. Partner, spouse, partner, etc.

Arrow approached him and kissed his forehead. "What you will say, dear," he murmured.
They stayed up late eating, drinking, chatting. Sarah went to the
bed a few hours before dawn and then were only vampires.
When they were alone, they talked about the clan. Vancha told to Arrow
about the death of Aziz Bendetta and then brought him back to the date the
Latest intrigues and events.
"The brigade anti-vampaneze is getting stronger," he said in a
time. "Fools are seeking war. As if one was not
enough. "
"Do you really think you come to that?" Asked Arrow alarm.
"No," Vancha said. "The Princes know that a war would be catastrophic.
They probably have one or two if the situation were different, but both
time as are the likes of Paris and to maintain Chok Yamada
common sense on the other, the truce is maintained. "
They slept in the house that day -a Arrow Vancha reluctantly made his
fluffy bed (by his standards) wooden floor, not wanting
offend his host sleeping outside-and ate with him and Sarah night
below. After the meal, Vancha wished the couple the fate of the
vampires, and then he and Larten left.
Larten was thoughtful as they slid through the forest. Never
He had considered returning to human life as Arrow had. A part
He liked the idea of finding a partner, marry, adopt children. There was
He thought he had left that world behind forever, but now I saw
it could be his back if he truly wanted.
"That's a waste of a good vampire," Vancha sighed,
interrupting the train of thought of Larten. "Arrow was a great
warrior. It could have gone far. "
"But it's happy where he is," noted Larten.
Vancha shrugged. "Since when do vampires care
happiness? A creature of the night is satisfied when all is
right in your world. That is the way of nature. Happiness is crazy
human. Vampires who seek it, usually do not get to anything good. "
"This is a cynical way of looking at life," said Larten.
"I say it as I see it," Vancha huffed. "If Arrow had taken a
vampire as a couple, would be different. But marry a man ... "
He shook his head, then chuckled. "Look, I glanced at the

vampiresas the last Council, I can not blame him. They are so horrible, right?
Good warrior, but you do not want to kiss any of them! "
"I do not think that someone in your position can be very demanding," said Larten.
"What are you talking about?" Vancha frowned. "I would be a grabber
first class. No woman would go wrong with a specimen like me. "To
prove his point, he spat on his palm and spread the saliva for its leather
haired. "I mean, seriously, what Miss tasteful would resist a
head with bright green hair like mine?

Chapter Seventeen
Shortly after his meeting with Arrow, Vancha was summoned to the
Vampire Mountain business. Larten chose not to travel with him.
They made vague plans to meet again, but their paths led them to
elsewhere and they spent several years without contact.
Larten spent those years plummeting into the dark pit from which Vancha
There was rescued shortly. His time with the General had returned his
love for the clan, reminding him why he had agreed to become
Seba assistant first. But still he did not want to return to the
Vampire Mountain and complete their training. Not yet. I felt
it was not done with the human world yet, until we get him out
it was that worried him out of himself and not know peace.
One night, as he considered his options sadly Trying to
Choose a country or city that had not visited before-found himself thinking
Lady Evanna. I had not thought of the witch in a long time. He had had
It intends to take advantage of his offer to visit at home, but
He had forgotten.
He knew instantly that this was what I wanted. Something different, a place or the
humans or vampires. I had no idea where Evanna lived, but was
sure you could find. She had given him that ability. All the
I had to do was put in place and would guide his feet.
It was a long journey. He intended to use trains and carriages, but
every time I went to one lost sight of where he was going. I flit
also he is disorienting. Evanna direction only when it was revealed
walk, so he had to leave the easy alternatives and walking. But
road was difficult and it was a good season. He enjoyed the trip more
none that I had recently.
Finally, months after putting on the way, he came to a small
hill in a clearing. There was a cave near the base of the hill and a pond
below. Larten not see the entrance of the cave at first sight. But nevertheless,
when he made himself look better, clearly he saw the cave and went to her.
There were plenty of frogs in the pond edge, croaking
noisily. Some had strange colors and other brands were as
ink in the head and back. Larten decided to investigate further and
ready to take one of the frogs.

"I would not do that," someone said as he walked toward the pond.
Larten looked up and saw a girl of no more than twelve or thirteen. It was
He is carrying a bucket and looked at seriously. "They're poisonous."
"Poison dart frogs?" Asked doubtfully Larten.
"Pustules to throughout their languages," said the girl. "If they touch your skin,
will break and the poison will leak. Would die in a matter of minutes, even if
you're a vampire. "
"Do you know who I am?"
The girl nodded. "My lady has been waiting for." She grimaced and
He shook the bucket. "That's why I'm dragging this. Evanna said you
like when you got a hot bath, so I've been going to
fetching water for the last couple of hours. "
"My apologies," Larten said. "I can take it if you like."
The girl smiled shyly. "It's okay. I can handle it. "
They chatted as they walked to the cave. The girl's name was Malora.
She could not remember his name; Evanna had taken an apprenticeship
when I was five or six years and much of his earlier life was a
mystery.
"Did your parents let you take Evanna, or you sold it?"
Larten asked.
"I do not sold," snorted Malora. "I am not a slave, even if my
Lady treats me like a most of the time. "
Larten smiled. "I've heard stories like this before. Still serves Arra Sails
here? "
"I've never heard of her," said Malora. "It was a trainee
Evanna? "
"Yes. He did not like his mistress more than you. "
"Nobody does," snorted Malora. "I had four other girls when I arrived.
I am the only one left, and will not stay much longer. As soon as
find someone to accompany me safely back to the world
Normal, I'm going! "
Larten chuckled. The girl was young but combative, as
Arra had been. It was a shame it was not more, maybe I would have had
more courting success it had with the fierce Miss Sails.
Approaching the cave, Evanna appeared. It looked exactly as
I had done the last time he had seen. He had not changed or grown. His

hair was long and dirty, still wearing ropes and nails were
cut from the same unusual shape.
"Welcome, traveler." He bowed to Larten, then hugged him
force. He did not raise the floor, but he pinched her cheek. "I thought never
you were going to visit, "I chided. "Come, the bath is ready."
Larten frowned. "What makes you think I'm desperate
taking a bath? "
"Not for you, you idiot," she snorted. "Remember what I said last time
we say goodbye? "He looked at her blankly.
"I got engaged to rub my back," she reminded him, and remembering how
boasted impetuously Larten's face fell and her cheeks
They turned redder than when she's had pinched.
Larten spend the next night with the Lady of the Wild, with Malora
always close, even though the apprentice did not say much, so often
She forgot she was there. The vampire and the witch-she discussed in
He liked to prove herself against him, as he was sure
she could have crushed with a simple flick of the wrist if
She Loved One and she would have treated him with a variety of vegetarian dishes.
It had been skeptical of food at first, but Evanna
He had surprised with an extraordinary variety of concoctions. It was not
Larten enough to ward off the meat, even though she was
He is urging him to leave his carnivorous side, but he would not put his nose in
vegetables and fruits again.
Evanna had some news of Sheba and Wester, which shared. All
It was less -Reports of changes Seba had done in his role
Mayor News from Wester very close to becoming guard but
Larten adored gossip.
In return, Larten Evanna told about his indecision. It was good to get their
doubts and regrets his chest, admit how much he felt the way
he had spoken to Seba, and regretted the years she had lost and
wonder what the future held. He asked her advice, but she refused.
"When it comes to the future, I must be careful," he said. "I have a gift of
forecast I see things that have not taken place so I can not interfere. "
"Did you see my future?" He asked Larten forward.
"Parts of it," he said cautiously. "He tried not to learn too
on the fate of those who please me. It is nice to know how much

time friend will leave the difficulties faced, the pain

They will suffer. "
"Did you see difficulties and suffering in my future?" Asked quietly
Larten.
"I was speaking in general terms," she corrected him. "All
We suffer in one way or another. In your case ... "She seemed willing to reveal
something and he leaned enthusiastically. Then she paused and cocked his head.
Larten thought he heard a sound like-a ticking clock, maybe-but could not
locate it.
"Fate seen us all," she said quietly. "But nevertheless,
his eyes caught some more than others. "She looked at her expression Malora
He was touched. Then he turned his head toward the mouth of the cave. For your face
wrinkled, Larten thought someone was lurking there. But he could not
see anyone, and moments later the witch away your worries.
"This is no time to worry about what the future might bring,"
He said. "We will drink and be merry. Your fate will be revealed in due time,
as it always does. But think about this the next time you hesitate about
way: where we always travel. You might think that you have
devious, but just a few steps from the path of destiny. Your
doubts always will be waiting. Accept them, deal with them and find
what destiny requires of you.
"For better or worse," she concluded sadly, and said nothing more to
respect, leaving Larten mulling over his strange murmurs during
time to come.
That night, the council followed Larten Evanna drink and have some fun. The
Beer was your choice of drink, but had tried Drinks
alcoholic at the time. Since Evanna preferred wine, he drank
her, even though she was stronger than he was familiar.
"I drink more than any man," laughed Larten. "And that any
vampire too. "
"And what about a witch?" He asked Evanna.
"I'll give it a try," he winked, giving health and
Malora asking to fill his glass again.
In the light environment, Evanna drank more than usual, and though she did not
I could get drunk-it was physically impossible for someone as she is
relaxed to the point of not thinking clearly. Rio's jokes and Larten
He smiled when he flattered. Flattery were not new, but its

response was different. Larten began to think I was doing some

advance. The more he drank, the more he made sure that the Lady of the Wild
I was giving in to her charms. She would be his partner and would have many children
powerful. I should not wonder about the future, then, for all
vampires idolize him, whether he had completed his
forming or not.
"Evanna," muttered late that night. His voice was just a little confused,
but his head was spinning. "Remember how you made before? Does the
beautiful lady in which you became? "
"Are you saying I'm not beautiful now?" Snorted.
"Of course you are!" He shouted. "You are always a delight to the eye. But
that otherwise ... you know the one I mean ... was fine. Could
change again? "
"Do not be reckless," Evanna growled, but she smiled at the same time.
"Please, ma'am, I beg you, give me a vision to send me to bed
hypnotized and dreamy. "
She Evanna generally rejected such requests only changed for
satisfied herself but loves Malora saw his smile strangely
and felt that trouble was brewing. She filled the glasses and Evanna
Larten, then slipped away. They thought she was going to bed, but
actually he had other plans. If things went as she suspected, this would
not only a memorable night for the witch and vampire, but for her
too.
Evanna did not notice that his apprentice was taking a bag beside her bed and
let her out. She was considering the request Larten. Noting
this, he pressed further.
"It was a fair, Lady. Please allow me to worship
again. "
"Keep your worship for the gods," sniffed Evanna, but she decided to
please him. His body shone and moments later was tall and thin, with
long blond hair, smooth and deep eyes. Larten I never heard
talk about a fairy tale princess more beautiful than this. His heart skipped
a jump as he had done before, and it drew laughter.
"Do you like, young monkey?" Evanna purred, turning to him,
letting the hem of her dress slide around as fog.
"I am very pleased," said weakly Larten. He had intended to
out with a compliment of luxury, but that was the best he could manage.

"Vampires are simple creatures," laughed Evanna. "Very easy

impress. I would be like you. Life would be much easier if I
I could be contented with brightness like an angel, winning the heart of
every man who saw me. I think so ... "
Evanna kept talking, but Larten no longer focused on his words. His
heart was pounding and he had only one thought in his head. Or
even a part of him cried caution, longed to Evanna fully,
as he had never wanted a woman before.
He stood shivering while Evanna chattered, leaned back, wiped his
dry lips and then seized the celestial maiden long dress
white. Evanna thought she wanted to dance and laughed. But then he leaned
forward and kissed her, and suddenly everything changed drastically.
"Scoundrel!" Shouted Evanna, more surprised than indignant. She pulled away from
he, who he tried to follow. Growling, she lashed out with his right hand. The
long nail of his little finger caught the flesh of his left cheek, is
He got deeply and started a channel on the side of her lip, where
It freed.
Larten screamed and fell back, blood pouring from the wound, his
eyes wide with fear and pain. For a moment he thought Evanna
I was going to finish him and shrugged when she nailed a look and raised its
clawlike hands.
Then the Lady of the Wild caught himself and stepped back. "Out!"
He barked.
Larten not wait for him to say it a second time. Tripping over his feet,
He ran for his life, trying to stop the flow of blood from the wound with a
He pulls the fabric of his shirt.
Evanna only meant to put out of sight and returned once she
calm down. But as he ran, he realized that he had understood
bad your order. He thought she was banished. He began to call for
tell her that she could stay and would repair the skin of his face lest you
remained a scar. But as the words formed in his mouth,
she heard a soft tick. He felt a tightness in the chest and almost called him
anyway. But she knew she should not. That was his destiny, and was not his
should interfere in this work.
"It definitely is not," said someone with a cold but pleasant voice.
"You have done well to hold your tongue. You would have to cut if you do not
you had. "

Evanna saw a pair of green boots coming across the floor toward her. The
man within them had been standing almost in the way of Larten
when he fled, but she was not surprised that the vampire had not seen
the uninvited guest. The little intrusive revealed only when
I wanted to be noticed, and only when these sightings guaranteed a
conflict and chaos.
"I did not know you were watching," Evanna said quietly.
"Oh, yes," he smiled his visitor. "I've been keeping an eye on the Lord
Crepsley for a long time. It addresses a path deliciously
dangerous and I plan to be there when you reach the extreme drop. In his hour
dark will be close to reach it and provide hope. What a man
It is so lucky to have a friend like me to keep an eye on him.
Do not you agree, daughter? "
Closing his eyes, Evanna sighed and offered a short prayer for Larten and
Malora, even though he knew, as an agent of destiny with the power of
foresight, his prayer would not help the poor and condemned as wide
minimum.

Chapter Eighteen
Larten staggered down the hill from the cave, her cheek stinging,
blood pouring wet cloth that covered the wound. Pain and air
the night he was sobered quickly. How could he have been so stupid?
Evanna vampires killed for less than that. No blame for
have cut the cheek. I was just surprised that he left the
cave alive. Somehow he felt sorry for that. At least not
He would have had to live with the shame if he had killed.
On shaky legs he made his way to the edge of the pond.
He is making sure it was not available to any poison frog, is
He knelt down and wipe off your cheek. Fresh blood flowed to his chin.
-more Moaning softly because that pain-hand cupping,
he took some water and splashed on his face. It burned, but not enough
He thought it would.
Lowering his head, he drove deep under water and left there until
he ran out of air. When he stood up panting, she heard footsteps. He believed that the witch
He had been behind him. Instead of fleeing, he maintained his stance, looking at the
water while the waves calmed down, wanting to die honorably
when attack.
But when she saw her reflection as the person approached, he realized
that was not Evanna. It was his apprentice, Malora.
"Does it hurt terribly?" He asked, kneeling beside her.
"I've had worse," sighed Larten. He had been wounded more
serious while training in Vampire Mountain. But his pride
he had only suffered a blow like this on that first night
fight in his first Council.
Malora handed her a clean handkerchief. He thanked with a short smile,
Then he winked as he pressed against his wound. "I have a needle
and the balance, "he said, stroking a purse. "I can sew, if you wish. If I sew
cleanly, the scar is not much noticed. "
Larten considered his offer, then declined. "I'll leave the wound open," he said.
"I remember what a fool I was and I hope to help me never to repeat the
mistake I made tonight. "
Malora smiled. "You tried to kiss her, right?"
Larten nodded. "He hit me, then he kicked me. I'm surprised
that he did not kill me. "

"It was the wine. If you had been sober, I would be wrapping your head
cut into a rag now. You're not the first to try to take advantage of
it, "Malora said in response to his raised eyebrow. "I had to get up
pieces of a pair of contenders too loving in the past. But
Evanna know the effect that the wine is in mortals. The were angry,
obviously, but realized that you were clumsy and innocent cynical
and insulting. "
"Would you give my apologies in the morning?" Asked Larten.
"No," Malora surprised. "I'll go with you."
"What are you talking about?" Larten frowned and made a gesture
sprout torrent of blood from the wound.
"I said I was not happy," said Malora. "I've been waiting for a
directed escort me out of here. You will. "
"Wait a minute," Larten alarmed he said. "I'm not an escort. You do not know
where I go. I probably will not see another human for months. "
He shrugged. "That does not bother me. Probably never again
my human life. I'm interested in vampires. I want to learn about their
customs, may become one of you. "
"No!" Barked Larten. "I do not want an assistant. I am not a General. I heard
talking with Evanna. I'm confused, I lost. I do not know what I want for me
same, so it could hardly make decisions for you. "
"I'm not asking you to make decisions for me," he said coldly Malora.
"I did them. I go with you. You lead me where I do not care. I do not care if
you're not part of the clan, and probably never will be. I just want to go
with you a while. When you have enough of your company, I'll go. "
Larten stared at the girl, unsure of what to say. "You
too young, "he tried. "The life of a vampire is hard. I can not be
tolerant because you're a kid. "
"If I'm old enough to be the apprentice of a witch, I'm
old enough to serve a vampire, "snorted Malora. "If it is to be
tolerant, no problem. I need your help to get out of here, but once
we get to civilization I take care of myself. If I can not keep
you, you have my permission to release me. "
Larten tried one last tactic. "Maybe you're not safe traveling
me, "she said darkly. "What if I try to kiss and kissed Evanna?"

"Nonsense," snorted Malora. "You're not that kind of man and

take advantage of a girl like me. Even if you were ... well, I also
I have sharp claws, only that slip down your throat, not your cheek. "
Larten laughed, then winced at the pain of his wound. "Okay,"
he murmured. "As you understand you're not my assistant, just a
company, okay? "
"Sure," Malora said meekly, then added wickedly,
"Master."
Larten stood. He offered a hand to Malora, but she refused and
it stopped. Beaming, he asked. "What way?"
Larten blinked, then looked around and pointed to his right.
Malora shook his head.
"Left?" She tried weakly.
"Excellent choice," he smiled brightly and began to walk ahead
it. Larten thought about running away from the other side She could not catch it if
cometeaba- but he did not want to leave the girl alone in the dark. Draining
Blood handkerchief, he put on his cheek, rolled his eyes toward
heavens, and then followed Malora like a lamb.

Part Five
"And like a lot of deadly mercury,
He attacked. "

Chapter Nineteen
Larten blew his nose, he bent over and coughed. His face was red when
He took a breath and had to spit thick phlegm, awful, in an already dirty handkerchief.
"Give me that," said Malora, knocking the snot rag and giving one
clean. She wrinkled her nose as she dropped her handkerchief in a tub of water
hot. This was the fifth that used from the sunset.
"I did not think vampires could get the flu," Malora muttered.
"It's weird," complained Larten. "We are immune to most
diseases. However, when a strain of influenza attacks the
vampires, swats. "
She shivered and adjusted her blanket around him, but to no avail. There was
noticed the symptoms a few weeks before. It was worse for ten
nights, then had begun to improve. He was surprised at his quick
recovery; Flu often killing vampires who attacked, or
he stayed in their system for months.
Malora pressed the back of his hand on the forehead of the Vampire
check its temperature. She had not learned a lot in his years with
Evanna, but he had gotten some councils about healing.
"Drink more soup," she growled.
"What about beer?" Asked Larten hopeful.
"If I find you near a pitcher of beer, sleep in the street," he
he snapped. It was a familiar and he knew enough to take it to the
light. She had driven from her room more than once in the past
when he had drunk too much and was irritated.
Larten blew her nose again and studied over his Malora
handkerchief. He had become a beautiful young woman. She kept her hair
and she wore short trousers skirts more often because it was easier for
travel, but no one would have mistaken for a boy. Captivated the
Knights in every place he went. Though he had celebrated its tenth
sixth birthday in the early years-old at that, youth
Larten, many girls were already married and given birth-she never had
shown interest in men who wanted to attract it.
"No spells that can be used to clean this up?" Asked Larten.
"Evanna probably know some," Malora said with false sincerity.
"We can visit it if you want."
Larten pale and his fingers went automatically to his scar,
touching up and down. The prominent scar could have been

considered a deformity to the human, but he proudly wore.

She reminded him of his folly, but also his good fortune; were very few
vampires they could say they had invoked the wrath of the Lady of the
Wild and lived to tell the tale.
He crawled to the window and looked at the street. There were not many lamps,
but I could see clearly through his watery eyes. He was not sure
where they were staying. Malora had led for the last
fifteen days. Usually they slept in crypts or caves, but she had
insisted hotels while he was sick. He had resisted
first he thought that clean air would be better for him but he was so
sick to the third night could have slept on a giant needle
if it is so ordered.
When I was looking out the window, I saw an old man approaching. The
man had long white hair and a long silver beard. His ear
right had been cut a long time and his face was full of wrinkles. A
Although it seemed old, and was even greater than it seemed,
walking with a mood in his footsteps that many young men
They possessed.
"I think not," said Larten. "Paris Skyle!"
"Prince?" Asked Malora.
"Yes. Do you know him? "
"Only his reputation." She released her arm on a Larten excited
He is trying to move quickly on it. "Where are you going?"
"A look," Larten said impatiently. "I have not seen in ages Paris.
I have to call him before ... "
"Was it a coincidence that of all the hotels in the world choose to spend
for this, "Malora said pointedly. "But what are the odds
it happens? "
"You think you came to see me?" He asked Larten, giving way to joy
nervousness.
"Look at it another way, he is doing or is going?"
Larten back to the window and watched Paris stopped, studying the cartel
outside the inn, then entering.
"You are as cunning as Evanna," he muttered.
"Nowhere near," sniffed Malora. "But even the dumbest woman has more
meaning that the average man. Wait! "She cried when tried Larten
push behind him.

"What now?" Larten grimaced.

"You will not see the Prince dressed like that," she said firmly. It was not
recently changed clothes. They were very dirty and smelly,
-and also dotted with dried saliva stains frescas- and snot.
"Paris is a vampire prince," Larten said. "Do not mind the look."
"Anyway, I will not let out in this state. I will call for
you take a hot bath. Once you've bathed you, wearing apparel
clean and sounded the nose a few times you can introduce yourself to him. "
"But if he's waiting for me ..." Larten exploded.
"... Will have to be patient," Malora ended calmly. "I'll give you a
glass of wine to keep quiet-not have many here,
but there are some good bottles hidden ago-and then tell
you will be with him. "
"How do you know what wine you have?" He asked Larten when she released him.
"I'm your assistant," Malora said. "It's my job to know such things.
Now be sure I undressed when I return, and do not be shy,
you have nothing you have not seen before. "
"Malora!" Gasped Larten, but she was already gone.
Paris was amused and impressed by Malora, and when Larten
they finally could stand before his old friend, spent the first part of
night talking about it. He told the prince how he had known and
She smiled shyly as Paris howled with laughter upon hearing how he had
Larten got his scar.
"Do not tell anyone else that story," laughed Paris. "Let them believe that the
You got fighting with a lion or a vampaneze!
"Evanna is much more dangerous," said Larten.
"Yes, but still a woman. Trust me, if you want to keep your
reputation, be mysterious about this. "
"I do not have a reputation," he said sadly Larten.
"In some sectors he has," replied kindly Paris. "You're not the
first vampire who loses his way. We are aware how difficult it
You can choose the path of General. If you return to the fold, you'll see more
welcome you can imagine. Even stranger would accept your choice
assistant. "
"Malora is not a real wizard," Larten said. "She is not interested in
be converted. I think he just likes to be sent. "

"Show me a woman who does not," Paris laughed and ordered another glass of
Malora interesting wine had found for them.
The pair chatted all night, retiring to a nice room
Back when all the customers had gone to bed, where they drank the
oily light of a single candle. Paris took a sip of wine and drank Larten
beer. (He would get in trouble for defying Malora, but not him
It mattered. It was an occasion for beer.) Paris forwarded the latest
of Vampire Mountain. Seba and Wester were fine. Wester had
become a guard and was proud as a peacock.
"Seba is only proud," Paris said.
Larten was it too, although he recalled his own failures and had to
strive to keep his smile in place.
Paris gave Larten some councils on the best way to combat
flu. Prince had suffered some very bad over the centuries and
recommended herbs that were not very fashionable but decreased
Most of his suffering in the past.
"But to be honest, you just have to cope as best you can,"
he added. "You'll be sick for at least another month. It comes and goes in waves, and
I do not think you've already won. Wrap up, following the council
Malora, and pray to the gods to let you live if that is your will. "
Near dawn, when the two had a rosy glow for wine and
Beer, Paris talked about his real reason for locating the vampire.
"Seba is poor in spirit," he said.
"Sick?" He moaned Larten alarmed.
"I do not bother. Misses you, but more than that. A Seba not you
Whether you want to or not to become General, live among humans or
take some other route. He just wants to be happy. But according to
reports it has received over the years, you're not. Feels that struggles
Blind vague. That worries. "
"I never wanted to disappoint Seba," Larten said miserably. "I wanted
to be proud of me, as it is with Wester. "
"Then give him something to be proud of," Paris said quietly, but
deliberate. "In the name of the gods, Larten choose. You are not a new
convert. You've enjoyed your wild years and had time to
since you distanciaste reflect clan. Surely you must have
any idea what you want to do with your life. "

Larten sighed. "It's complicated. Longing to be a General, but I feel there

more to do before returning and completing my training. I dont know why
which, but for the moment the idea of returning ... "He shook his head.
"What if you could train outside the Vampire Mountain?"
He asked Paris. "I could be your tutor and teach while traveling.
Larten was surprised by the offer. Seba had said that the Princes
They were interested in him, but he had not believed it; I had thought that his old
teacher was just flattering him. This was an incredible opportunity. Just a
fool the decline. The opportunity to be trained by a Prince
probably not be repeated. And yet ...
For some reason, he recalled Larten ticking sound I'd heard in the
Evanna cave. That noise disturbed his dreams from time to time, not knowing
why, just he did not know why he had to think about it now.
"Sleep on it," said Paris, at the flash of temptation
eyes bloodshot Larten. He stood up and stretched. "There is not
hurry. No I have to go up in a few nights. Think about it. I discuss it
with Malora. Not trying to pressure you for an answer. "
"You are too kind to me, sir," he murmured Larten making
bowed his head respectfully.
"I know," she laughed Paris, and then went to the room we had prepared Malora
for him, where he was surprised to find a coffin from a couple of tables.
"Now this is what I call first class service," he murmured
as he got and put the lid on himself.

Chapter Twenty
As soon as he got up to Larten midafternoon, Malora scolded by
having taken the night before. He tried to defend his actions and said
I think beer had done him some good, but she made him take
a cold to purge the evils of alcohol bath. Then he told her about
Paris's offer and asked his opinion. He thought about it a long time before
responding.
"It's not a question Yes you're going to become General, but when. "
Larten was surprised by his security. "Do you believe?"
"You were born to be a General. It only matters when you think
right to complete your training or if you prefer to be around when the
world for some years, lamenting the difficult decision that
you have to face. "
"That is a cruel way of saying," Larten muttered.
"Real But," he grinned. "I do not know why you're out for
so long. I doubt you even know it. If you feel that this is a bad
now, tell him not to Paris. But you should consider that
the moment right It may never come. You may feel hesitant all your
life and all you have to do is pick a moment and say, I'm going to
General become, to hell with the consequences. " Made an accurate
imitation of him, and he found himself smiling.
"And what about you?" He asked Larten. "If I return to the clan, you will have to study
hard to be converted. "
"Do not be ridiculous," snorted Malora. "I have no intention of letting me
you convert. Vampirism does not interest me in the least. "
Larten stared with his mouth open. "So why, black blood
of Harnon Oan, you've been following me around the world? "thundered.
"You really thought you wanted to become a vampire?" He asked. When
he nodded, sighed. "I knew you were naive, but did not think both. " When
I swelled to yell, she reached out and gently stroked his scar. His
Contact calmed.
"I never wanted to join the clan," Malora said softly. "I said I wanted
because that was what I needed to hear. I do not care back to the world
human either. I just wanna be with you every night and day that
I remain. I knew you were the man for me from the moment I
vi. "

"Wait a minute!" Larten swallowed. He had not expected

declaration of love. "You're a girl."
"A young lady," he corrected. "And I am becoming an adult. I am
patient. I can wait until you decide I'm old enough. "
"But ..."
"If you're going to say I will always be a child in your eyes," he interrupted cutting,
"Do not. You can reject me, but do not insult me. I will not stand that,
No man, not even the love of my life. "
"Love ..." Larten echoed faintly.
"No need to do anything now," Malora said sweetly. "You are slow,
like most men, but you will recover soon and you will
realize that you love me as much as I love you. I just want you to know that,
intermission, I follow you no matter where you go. Your road is mine
because my heart is yours.
"Now enjoys Paris. I'll wait until you return. Whenever you
I wait, my love "
With that he drove out of the room and left it looked at the door
closed with bewilderment. After scratching your head for the sixth time, he
and he headed back downstairs for a drink and ponder.
Paris was nowhere to be found which took -Larten
the elder Prince was still asleep but a middleaged bearded sat at a table, writing in a
notebook. He greeted Larten and invited him to sit. While he sat
cautiously, the man said, "You are the Lord Skyle friend, right?"
Larten relaxed. "Do you know Paris?"
"Oh, yes," the man smiled. "My name is Abraham, but please tell me
Bram. "
Larten gave his own name, shook hands and accepted the mug of beer
He proffered.
"What are you writing?" Asked Larten.
"Just some ideas for a story I'm planning"
"Do you write stories?" Larten was interested. He had known many
authors for decades and was interesting.
"Novels, mostly. Perhaps you've heard of Past Snake? "
Larten shook his head. "I am not a reader. Never learned. "I hope he
man shone surprised, perhaps even despise him, but only Bram
He shrugged.

"Maybe you're better off. Writing is my life-along with directing a theaterbut sometimes I think it would have been more successful and much happier if ever
I had taken a pen. Reflection is a cruel master. "
Bram Larten pressured into giving details of his books and
theater. He learned that the writer was from Ireland but now living in London,
"When I'm not trotting around Europe trying to finish this
damn novel! "
Larten When asked about his new book, Bram rejected the question
with a gesture. "I never talk about a work in progress. I do not want me
bad luck. Tell me about your life, instead. You're a vampire like Paris,
No? "
"A vampire, yes, but hardly as Paris," Larten river.
"He is something of a legend, right?" Bram smiled.
"Among vampires, certainly," he agreed Larten. During the
hours that followed, Bram told some of their favorite stories from Paris
Skyle, he is becoming more eloquent while taking. After a while,
Bram asked if he could take notes, "just for fun" and said Larten
of course he could.
Bram was interested in the rest of the clan, as in the
vampaneze. He wanted to know when the vampires had stopped killing
when they fed, and if someone would have leaked that rule now.
"Never," Larten said. "The punishment is severe if you break the law."
"A stake through the heart?" Bram guessed.
"Or something fatal," Larten nodded.
"The tradition of the stake began with Vlad, I suppose," Bram murmured,
trying to hide their interest in the answer.
"Vlad?" Larten blinked.
"Also it is known as Vlad Tepes or Vlad Dracula? It was one of the clan,
No? "
"No, you troublesome meddler," someone growled behind them. "There it was."
Larten stared at a grumpy Paris Skyle, who appeared
behind the chair Bram. Bram took a sip and turned, smiling
shakily. "Good evening, Paris, am glad to see ..."
"What have you been telling them this scum? " Paris growled.
"Not much," Larten said hesitantly, beginning to realize that
He had been speaking freely with someone who did not know. "He asked
for you and the clan ... "

"And you said what you wanted to hear?" Interrupted Paris.

Larten blushed. "Yes. I was open to him. He said you knew and did not think
I needed to be careful with him. "
"Think a little more next time," Paris said coldly, then put a
hand on his shoulder and squeezed Bram. Bram blinked, but did not try
escape. "Persistent you, Mr. Stoker. I assume you I sent the
message requesting my presence across the city. You wanted my friend
for you for a while, right? "
"I needed more facts to my story," Bram said softly.
"Facts? I thought it was going to be a work of fiction. "
"It is. I gave my word that I would do nothing to expose or harm the
clan. But the more you know, then more of me I can assure
not accidentally write something that takes people to investigate their
movements. "
"If you did not write about us, you might be even safer," he said
Paris icily.
"Someone is going to write about vampires sooner or later," Bram said.
"Would you prefer a work of fiction, where fogging the truth and give the world
something fantastic, or a shot that mention the Vampire Mountain,
General and the rest? "
Paris thought about it, then removed his hand. "Maybe you're right. Yes
your stories deceive people into thinking that vampires are beasts
mythical, probably a good thing. Not that I think that many will
read. People want inspiring stories, not morbid stories
bloodsucking creatures of the night. "
"You'd be surprised," said Bram, taking his pen again.
"Will you answer my questions?"
"Yes," Paris nodded, "but not tonight. I'm entertaining
a friend. Wait a few nights and I'll let you have your ... as you said last
... Once your interview with a vampire. "
"Can we shake hands on that?" Bram asked, extending a
hand.
"No," Paris said strictly. "A vampire does not need shaking
hands once gave his word. Go away, Abraham Stoker, and give me the
I ordered space. I talk to you soon. "
Bram nodded and gathered his belongings. "Sorry if you got in
problems, "he told Larten.

"Move," barked Paris. "We have not eaten yet and your neck looks
perfect for a bite. "
Bram gave Paris a dark look, then walked away from the table, threw
some coins to the innkeeper and left. Paris watched him go, then he sat and
He ordered a glass of wine.
"Sir, excuse me if ..." began Larten.
"Never mind," Paris said curtly. "Man has been following
my steps over three years. It would have forced a confrontation
eventually. I'm not worried. I am sure that your book does not
will sell a lot even if published, which I doubt. Let's talk about topics
more important. Have you considered that what we talked about? "
Larten nodded.
"So?"
If Paris would have asked that question a few hours earlier, would Larten
Prince accepted an offer to train it. But his careless
conversation with Bram Stoker had disturbed. Paris missed it, but
Larten knew he should have been more cautious. Even newborn
converts not arguing about the clan with anyone who does not trust
completely. His confidence had been shaken. It could be
-Paris more time to answer what was not but his head apurandoI was sore from the flu, which seemed to be returning with a
revenge, and the beer was settling heavily on his stomach.
All I wanted was to go to his room to ruminate.
"I thank you for offering to take me under your arms, but do not think
ready to take my lessons, "he said.
Paris sighed. "I expected a different answer."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Lord. I mean no disrespect. "
"You must do what your heart says, of course, but ..." Paris hesitated,
then she pressed. "Vaga if you must, Larten, but the longer you are in the
exile, will run more risks. "
"Risks, Lord?" Larten frowned.
"You risk losing you forever," Paris said. "Maybe you never halls
way, and finish by becoming somewhat bitter and drifting. The world
You can corrupt a lonely vampire. We are creatures of the night, but the
Darkness is dangerous for someone without friends. "
"I have Malora," Larten said softly.

"She can probably face even worse dangers," Paris replied,

then he grimaced. "But I'm doing what I said I would do, try
to persuade. Ignore my last comments. I am old and rotten. As
an old man, I see dangers where none exist. You are eager to return
to your room, I know, but bear with me another drink. I promise not to talk about this
subject again. "
Larten had a nightcap with Paris, but did not enjoy it. He remained
wondering what the Prince had said. The talk of the dangers in the
Darkness had disoriented. He had survived all this time alone and
he never felt under threat. And no harm could fall over when she Malora
Larten had to protect her. Still, he felt a truth almost a
prediction-in notice of Paris.
Coughing heavily, clearing phlegm from his lips with one of the
Malora scarves that had washed for him that morning, struggled to Larten
indicate the source of his restlessness, but failed. He decided to end the
flu had simply exhausted their forces. That was why it felt so
gloomy. It will happen when it improves. Everything would be fine then, I was
insurance. After all, in this world of humans, he was a little more than
a monster, and what had to fear a monster in the dark?

Chapter Twenty
"Let the sea!" Roared Larten, crawling toward the docks.
"That's a bad idea," Malora gasped, trying to pull him back, but
He is having much luck as he would have had a dog with an elephant.
"I want to surf ... the seven seas." Larten laughed. "I'm sick of
... these people and cities. ... I want to keep moving. I do not trust
land. "
He stopped in the middle of the street and watched the people watching him from
strange way. He was dressed in elegant pants and sweater
dirty white sailor had bought the night before, a shoe
in his right foot and an old boot on the left. He was holding a
lady umbrella over his head against the sun.
Malora thought the sweater had put the idea in his head. The flu
was at its culminating He went back and forth for the past six
weeks and was now worse than ever, but he had been willing to
stay inside and do what she said until purchased
stupid sweater. As soon as I put it on, he began insisting on going to sea;
He had smelled the salty air a couple of nights before, when they came to town.
He had managed to calm him down and put him to sleep, but she had awakened with
fresh idea in his head. Without stopping to eat, you had dressed and limped
to the docks, with Malora running to keep up, trying
to change his mind.
"Larten!" She snapped as he looked around. "It is not good
idea. We'll take a long cruise when you feel better. you are sick.
We go to a dry and warm place so you can ... "
"No!" He shouted, grabbing her again. "Vampire hunters ... in
earth. They'll put a stake through my heart .... We have to reach the sea. Live
between the waves. Yes! "
Malora discussed with him all the way, but he ignored her. In the spring he
He walked around like crazy, checking all boats. He arrested
many sailors and he asked them if they knew what boat was making the trip
longer. Some shrugged and did not answer. Those
yes they did, they gave conflicting information. However, when a
Tornado man mentioned at the Pearly, Larten was considered settled.
Malora was almost shouting. When Larten found the ladder, he was launched
before him in their way.

"No more," he said hoarsely. "It's crazy. If you go, you go without me. I'll leave
here Larten, I swear. "
"Then let me," he said coldly and jumped on it. As he climbed,
Malora cursed, looking longingly at the land of the springs, and then
She followed him. He tried to put a brave face - "Okay. I always wanted to see more
the world. "- but I was terribly worried. The flu was
wreaking havoc with Larten. If aggravated at sea, he was dead.
A boy was cleaning the deck when Larten addressed. The boy looked at
It stranger strangely dressed, shrugged, he spat on
side and then returned to clean.
"You!" Shouted Larten. "Where you are your captain?"
"In his cabin," said the boy.
"Go get it from me."
The boy was about to tell Larten it was by his own feet, but
then I saw Malora and straightened. "Good evening, ma'am," he greeted
smiling in a way that he hoped libertine. "Can I help you?"
"Larten," Malora tried one last time, but he shook his head
aggressively. He gave up and sighed. "I'm Malora. This is my
teacher, Larten Crepsley. He is willing to go on this boat. "
"There is a passenger boat, ma'am," the boy said. "Sometimes we
few paying customers when we have space, but in general is the
crew and cargo. I do not think there are many free cabins on this
trip. "
"Did you hear that?" Malora said with a twinkle in his voice.
"Nonsense," sniffed Larten, tossing a coin to the boy. He caught on
midair and put it away immediately. "What is your name?"
"Daniel Abrams," said the boy quickly.
"You'll have another currency when you bring me the captain."
"Yes, sir, Mr. Crespley, sir!" Barked Daniel, then ran.
The captain was a rough, burly man. He looked hesitant Larten but
like Daniel, his face lit up when he saw the beautiful Malora. "Lord.
Lady. Can I be of assistance? "
"We looked for a cabin," Larten said.
"Unfortunately, this is not a passenger ship. We have a handful of
passengers, but we have squeezed the maximum capacity of the boat
this trip. If you want to go to America, I can recommend ... "

"No matter where I go," snapped Larten, and then paused.

"United States?"
"Ultimately," the captain nodded. "There are a few stops early,
Greenland pass by the way, but ... "
"Greenland" Larten shouted excitedly. "That's where I want to go."
"An odd to want to visit, sir place," said the captain. "But I can
recommend a couple of boats to get there too. "
"I do not want another boat," growled Larten. "This is the boat for me. The Tornado
Pearly ... is a good name, a good boat and a captain first. "
"It's very nice to say that, sir, but I really can not ..."
Larten dug in his pockets, took all his money and gave it to
astonished captain. "Is this enough? Malora, give more if you like. "
"I do not need more," he said quietly Malora. She shared a
He looks with the captain and took a few notes. He did not object; in fact, it seemed
relieved. "This would cover the cost of our trip and convince others
Passengers leave a place? "
"I will," said the captain weakly. "But you have to share
the cabin. "
"No," Malora said firmly. "We need a own cabin."
"But ..." the captain began to protest. Malora gave one of the notes
he had written and killed captain kept the money. "Give me fifteen
minutes. I'll have it resolved by then. "
"And, Captain," Malora called. "Linen if you can."
He smiled slightly and raised his hat to her. "Yes, ma'am."
Pearly Tornado sailed the next tide. Larten missed the
game. He was sleeping in his cabin, going round and round with
fever. Malora already been cleaned once, after he had vomited
about himself and sheets. The next few days or weeks would be difficult,
until the flu happened. (Or until he died, he whispered a part of it,
but he chose to disregard this grim possibility.)
When he felt that the ship was in motion, Malora left and went Larten
on deck. It was their first time surfing and was fascinated by all
activity around him. I had never thought that running a
boat out something as complex.
The other passengers were also on deck, watching the coast
nostalgic as they walked away. There were four men, two women and a baby
she clung to her mother and cried loudly. Malora assumed

they were going to start a new life in America, and were so poor that
They had not been able to get a passage in one of the boats
regular.
Daniel Abrams-the boy who had received-watched Malora, spat
over the railing and nodded politely. "Your love is sleeping?" He
he guessed.
"Resting," Malora said.
"It looked sick when he came on board," Daniel said.
"Influenza," Malora said. "Gone are the worst part, but probably
leaning the rest of the trip. His eyes are weak from illness. Not
You can stand being in the sun for long, so he had the
umbrella. "
"Ah," Daniel nodded, like a doctor. "If you need anything, liquor, medicine, or
hot food, let me know. We do not have too, but I can
get you the best of what we have ... for a price. "He coughed uncomfortably
unaccustomed to that kind of negotiation.
Malora smiled at the boy. "My teacher is a generous man. You will be well
rewarded for services rendered. And you have my gratitude for such
kind offer. "
Daniel blushed. "Whatever you want, lady, just ask for the
Mr. Abrams. I'm a little crow right, me. "
Malora stood on deck for a couple of hours to adapt to
wave motion, deep breathing the salty air. Prior to
He returned to his cabin, Daniel asked me to get supplies
them, drink, food, and oven: she said she wanted to cook in their
cabin while his teacher was sick. While he did that, it
He went to Larten.
The vampire was awake, but wrong. He did not recognize her when she Malora
he came in, he thought it was Evanna, coming to a scar on the other
side of his face. He tried to hide under their blankets, but she whispered
his name again and again and cleared his eyes and sat up.
"Malora?" He complained.
"Who else?"
"Where we are?"
. "In a boat" When she looked, she said: "You wanted to visit Greenland."
He tried to figure out what could have said such a thing, but she had a
head when I thought too. "I'm hungry," he lamented.

"The food is coming."

"No," he said. "The other hunger."
Malora frowned. I had already considered that it was one of the reasons
for which he had been reluctant to travel in the first place but had not thought
you need to feed as soon.
"Can you wait?" She asked. "We will dock at the first port in
one week. We can go ashore and ... "
He was already shaking his head. "I can not," she gasped. "Hunger ... I have
that feed as it arrives. It is dangerous not to. You could drink
too much if I do not do it regularly. "
"Well," he sighed and sat down beside her. She lifted his shirt, took a
knife from his belt and made a small cut under his elbow. She did not
He grimaced in pain as the blade cut his flesh, it would take more
that to make mourn. "Not much," he murmured as Larten is
He leaned enthusiastically. "We have to make it last."
He nodded, and then put your lips around the court. Malora
He smiled and stroked her hair as he fed, his expression and gestures
much like the mother of the deck trying to calm the crying
your baby.

Chapter Twenty
Malora expected Larten disembark when they reached the pier. His
condition was deteriorating and needed rest and warmth. But he would not hear
about that. When the fever made him hallucinate, she insisted on going to Greenland
Palace Perta search Vin-Grahl. (Malora had no idea who he was.)
In his most despondent moments he moaned that he wanted to die on board and be
buried at sea. But in no way he intended to get off at
none of his previous stops.
Malora never lost his temper, even when he was most
plaintiff. This was the man she had chosen and loved as
completely as any sixteen year old he could love. Nothing that
drew his patience did, whether shouting, asking him to kill him,
arrojndosele over or spitting in his face. Flu was what made do
those things, and she refused to blame him for his actions of sick head.
The captain, Daniel and the rest of the people were in love with Malora.
He spent a long time making friends, joking with the sailors,
sewing clothes for them, helping in the kitchen. Daniel was
especially missed by her, even though she knew she could not win her
heart, being younger and just starting her life. Chased
like a faithful dog whenever he could. He even asked him to teach
cook, to spend more time with her in the kitchen. He was a chef
terrible, but it continued to be near Malora.
Because the girl liked them a lot, they did not say anything bad about your teacher
bedridden. When improperly made deaf ear roared its
insults. On the rare occasions when he left his cabin and caused a
disturbance in the side, or they ignored and waited for Malora held him by
back into. They would have landed any other passenger equally
destructive, no matter how much you paid, but they tolerated the Malora
annoying orange hair.
Caring for Larten was thorough, but Malora was ready for the challenge.
He worked hard, took care of him fiercely and let him eat it when
needed blood. It took longer than usual fever, and she would not be able
I feed him indefinitely from his own veins.
When they made their last stop before embarking on the long,
Greenland uninterrupted stretch, tried to convince him Malora
down with it, feeding on the blood of another person and restored the

road that was in an emergency. But he thought he was Larten

trying to trick him, the ship would leave without them, so he refused.
Desperate, Malora took the vials and lowered herself. Walking
unpleasant dark alleys, found a number of sailors
sleep by the surf. Taking care not to hurt them, he made small
cuts on his arms and legs and tried to fill the vials. It was a job
complicated, but returned with something to demonstrate their efforts, pleased
with what he had brought.
Malora much less would have been happy if he had seen Daniel Abrams
following her through the streets from one victim to another.
The boy had not gone to spy. First he followed as he did on the boat,
simply wanting to be near the girl. When she started
explore the alleys, he figured he should look if you tuck
in trouble-he had vague ideas about his life and win her heart.
But when he saw her taking blood from the roncantes sailors ...
Daniel was deeply disturbed when he returned. Your first instinct
It was report but was sure the captain would miss if he knew what
the sweet-looking girl was doing. Daniel could not care
less Larten Crepsley, but would miss Malora. At the end he kept his own
advice but he decided to monitor the girl and her mysterious teacher. Not
I was sure what he wanted Malora blood. It must be for some
Strange medical treatment. But he thought it was evil in all this. Not
He was sure what it was, but I was sure I guess. Daniel was
sharp. Discover its dark crimson secret, no matter what outside.
The ship sailed, one day blending into another. The waters were calm
at that time of year, but were still endure some rough nights
Moreover, when Malora was sure the boat was going to capsize . The
other passengers were so scared her, but the crew never
He was worried. Malora not know if it was because they felt safe or because
as sailors knew that eventually they would die at sea. Never
he asked. It was better not to know, if the answer is the latter.
The mood of Larten improved temporarily darken after another
time. He had never known a fever like this. I was sure that no
it could be natural, even a vampire. Moreover, Paris Skyle could
telling, and had herbs and treatments that could have

Sink

Recommended. But as the Prince had tried to tell Larten in

inn, there was not much that a human could understand on
creatures of the night. Larten clan had split and had to Malora
deal with the crisis as best he could.
He changed his clothes regularly, bathed, wiped the sweat from his face
when the tremors took command. He made sure he ate and
drink enough, she left the window open to let in air
cool. He had stopped asking for blood, and even forced him to take some
-of other drops of their courts, it is having spent a long time being
he spat viales- filling the most. I was not sure if she was
or die trying just could not digest blood on his weak
condition.
Larten looked like a man on his deathbed. He had aged
many years. His skin was falling and gray, her nails easily broken, their
eyes were red and lifeless. Only his orange hair looked the same as always.
Mapping would be proud to see his tincture could resist even the ravages
Flu vampires.
The last couple of days and nights were particularly difficult. Larten is
He had stuck a beating and moaning incessantly, interrupting sleep
Malora. He had been awake for six hours. This was the closest I
I had been to quit, but even in their weakness, exhausted and irritable,
held firm and saw Larten needs before their own.
"You'd better appreciate this when he recovers," he muttered, refusing to
accept the likelihood that it may not recover. "I hope gifts,
good food and great hotels. I will not settle with Greenland.
You can forget your ice palace. I will insist that concerned me maybe
New York has to offer. "
Malora had heard a lot about the wonders of New York, most
Daniel. He had never been there but had taken other stories
sailors. Larten while lying peacefully snoring and expecting a
He seemed to be recovering change your thought on last relapsing
famous city, the pleasures he could offer, shops full of trinkets and
dresses, bustling streets, bright lights that illuminated the night sky.
He is smiling at the thought of being able to relax in this wonderful world,
He nodded and was already asleep when Larten moved, got up from the bed and
He left the room, moving like a man in a trance.

Screams woke Malora. For a moment he thought it was a nightmare

-he had a lot of those lately, but then his head cleared and he
He realized that the screams were real.
Malora pulled the blankets on the bed and ran. There were no signs of
Larten. They were in trouble. I knew instantly. Now the thing was
only if he could fix the situation before it got worse.
He hurried out of the cab and followed the cries. They came from a passenger compartment
down to his, where the other passengers were staying. The woman
I was screaming and shouting men. When Malora arrived, some of the
crew were already there, they gathered around the open door, looking
to something inside.
Malora made his way through them, knowing what he would find,
trying to think of some way to make the lightest situation of
dismiss it as a moment of madness brought by fever. While
approached the door, he saw that their fears were well founded. Larten
I was inside, hooked to the left arm of Yasmin. Was the mother Yasmin
Baby and Larten was feeding her as her son was all
days. But he was not interested in milk. It had cut with their claws
or teeth, and he was swallowing blood from a much larger wound
which any sane vampire would have ever done.
"Larten!" Shrieked Malora, trying to overcome the shock. "What are you
doing? "
He did not answer. His eyes were closed and he was happily drinking,
oblivious to the cries of the way Yasmin and the other woman were you
pasting, men trying to drag him out. The only knew the blood.
While the sailors looked with open mouth, he looked at his Malora
around, he saw a bucket of water, took it and sprinkled Larten. The shock of the cold water
He did fall. Tried to get up and grab the bucket, but slipped and fell made
a bump on the ground.
Yasmin ran to her husband and baby and burst among the soldiers,
Crazy man wanting to get away as much as possible.
Malora knew he had to act fast. "Help me," he snapped two of the
crew. "He has some kind of attack. We must take it back to your
cab. "
The sailors were doubtful An attack could not explain the blood
staining his lips and chin but Malora liked them so
They rose to almost unconscious Larten and transported to his bed.

Malora followed, talking fast, telling the others behind on the

need medicine, asking them to offer their apologies to Yasmin,
thinking they would not stop asking questions if kept busy.
While the sailors carried Larten through the door of his cabin
to his bed, Malora an outside time stood and offered a prayer
silent to the gods. It seemed as if they had disappeared. The captain
He was coming and looked like a tornado, but was sure that he could
out of this. Blame the flu, would you tie up if they wanted Larten
to stop him from attacking again. He had not done any real damage.
Considering it could have been much worse.
And then, as the captain roared to his crew and demanded to know what
She was happening, Yes it got worse.
"Drink blood!" Someone shouted.
The captain and the others fell silent. The sailors who had
They left Larten joined the rest of the crew and watched with them to the
who had spoken. It was, of course, the young Daniel Abrams.
"It's a bloodsucker," said Daniel, enjoying the attention. No
thought of talking, but the drama in the cockpit had excited and wanted
see more fireworks. "It's some kind of demon."
"Do not be ridiculous," snapped Malora. "It's the flu. I did not know what he did.
Captain, you must believe me. "
And perhaps he would have done, except that it was at that time when a
Chaos anxious Daniel made his appearance.
"If not a bloodsucker, why you were cutting sailors and
bottling its blood at the last stop we did? It was to feed
bloodthirsty beast to your teacher! There vials in the cabin, "he said
triumphantly the astonished captain. "Look. Find them, I swear, to
Unless there until they were sucked clean. "
"Daniel!" Shouted Malora. "Why are you doing this? I thought you were my
friend. "
But Daniel had forgotten his infatuation Malora.
He craved bloodshed. The scene with Yasmin had opened his
appetite and could not for now, no more than it could when Larten
hunger exceeded.
Captain Daniel studied, then returned his gaze to Malora. "Go
out of the way, he misses. "He nodded to some of the sailors.
Malora shook his head. "Captain, no, do not listen to him, it was just ..."

"Miss!" Barked the captain. "You're not listening to me. You have to
move now. This is bad for your teacher and if you do not move from there
immediately it is bad for you and for all. If we turn it over, I'll let you
Free. But if you stand in front of him ... what he did ... "his features hardened.
"It is time to decide."
The young woman looked from one sailor to another face severe. There was a glow
fierce in his eyes. They had taken the same dark greed Daniel. Their
friends were gone and I knew there was no point begging for mercy. Not
was here now.
Malora nodded slowly, accepting what fate had unleashed
about her. Unlike Larten, he had no problem choosing your path.
No problem.
"So be it," he said, gently closing the door not to disturb the
unconscious vampire. While sailors clustered around him,
silent like a pack of sharks, he puts the palm of one hand on the
door and offered a silent farewell to never have a lover
opportunity to really love. Then, turning slowly,
He faced the crowd closing around him, mocked his wild
and bestial hunger, drew a knife and stood.

Chapter Twenty
If the crew had stormed the cockpit immediately, not Larten
He could have resisted. He had passed out on his bed. It would have been something
I simple turn it around, baring her left breast and drive a sharp stake
in his heart.
But superstition and fear spread among the sailors after
Having dealt with Malora. Instead of rushing to finish the cruel
work, paused to discuss your situation. And in that pause, the
doubts exploded.
"He's a vampire," whispered one, explaining to those who did not know what were the
vampires. It was a whirlwind of myths, theories and hysteria after that.
"It can turn into a bat."
"You can go up in smoke and escape."
"It's powerful overnight, but weak day. We must wait for the
sol. "
"A stake through his heart would destroy it."
"So could the sunlight."
"And the holy water, but we do not have."
"If we attack now awake, we will be stronger."
"Hopefully."
"The daylight will turn to ashes."
"Yes, hopefully."
"You can not hide from the sun."
"Hopefully."
"Yes."
"Hopefully."
Larten was stunned when he woke up. He could have slept happily
much more, but something had disturbed him. Crunches, much sharper and
audible than the normale, coming from above. As I listened, the sound
She was repeated. It was as if the room were trying to separate.
While Larten sat, confused, a couple of planks
they detached from the ceiling and sunlight pierced the cabin. He shuddered and
He turned away from the light. Laughter rang out.
"There! It is afraid of the light. Hurry, boys. Once we get out
the rest will be finished. It will be ashes for breakfast. "

Larten watched in amazement as a group of sailors removed the roof

cabin. They worked as a team of ants. They had broken all
tables in minutes and Larten had no shelter.
He could not remember much of the night before, but quickly
he discovered what had happened. They had discovered his true identity and
now they were going to kill him. This was serious. Sunlight does not destroy the
moment, but he could not stay exposed for long. I'd have to
leave and seek refuge in the bowels of the ship. You could dig somewhere
, although it would be almost impossible to keep them out. Still, I had to
try.
"Malora?" He said hoarsely, even though I knew she was not
there. He looked, to be sure, and then sighed with relief. Either because they had
captured or she had allied with them to save his own neck. No you
matter, as long as it did not sink with it. If this was to be his last, that
so, but there was no reason why an innocent child should
suffer too.
The vampire smiled sadly as the sailors tore the roof
pieces. It was better than he had in a long time felt the
stomach still warm from the blood of Yasmin, the clearest head
the previous days. Ironically, it seemed he was getting better flu
once and for all, so at least he could die in a good state of
health.
Larten washed their hands in a bowl for hands, gargled with glass
water and drank the rest. He dusted off his clothes, brushing her hair
back, and he blew his nose several times just in case. The vampires did not fear
death. Larten had already lived longer than most beings
human. This would be a good way to die, hunted and staked by
peat. Seba proudly laugh if ever came to the Mountain of the
Vampires. "When you gotta go," he had often told Larten and Wester,
"Try to go in style!"
When the last of the roof was removed with iron bars, is Larten
He crouched and then jumped through the hole they had made in the ceiling,
landing on the deck like a cat. The sailors shouted in alarm and
They staggered away from the vampire released. As they passed a
on others, terrified, Larten completely straightened and looked at his
torturers, looking majestic despite their dirty clothes, red eyes, and
straggly beard.

"Come, then, humans!" He snapped. "I'm Larten Crepsley's clan

vampires and do not fear any man. "
The sailors stopped, speechless. They did not expect an answer
like this. They thought they howl and scream and fight like a rat
cornered to the bitter, bloody end. But there he was, tall and straight,
without fear of his enemies, challenging them to do their worst.
The captain recovered and told Larten with a hook that had
kept on his bed for years in case of facing a mutiny.
"Cruces!" He barked, six sailors came forward carrying crucifixes.
Larten river. Perhaps the clan did not need to Bram Stoker to spread myths
silly about the creatures of the night. These humans had accepted the
crazy old legends without a novel.
The captain frowned. He did not like the way the monster
She is laughing. The beast should be shrinking, asking them to forgive her
miserable life. The captain was anxious to end the vampire, but
first I wanted to see that smile wiped off his face villain.
"You think this is funny?" He growled the captain.
"I think it's pathetic," said Larten.
"You're a monster. A vampire. A servant of the devil himself. "
"You know a lot more about the devil than me, sir," replied Larten. He
normally I would not have played over time It would have made more sense
away and seek refuge del Sol but you were scanning the crowd
Malora looking for. Wanted she was sure she was safe before
flee. Perhaps curse her as a traitor or act as if he had cheated
like the rest, to make them believe that they had been working together.
The captain watched Larten looking around and realized what
I was looking for. A dark flash of smile played on his lips.
"Are you worried about your girl?" He asked innocently.
Larten felt a chill in his stomach. "She knew nothing about
me, "he said, trying to distance himself from Malora to help her, if that was
still possible. "It's just a girl I picked it up and used it. I do not care what they do
with her. "
"That's good," she whispered the captain. "So you will not be upset when
look up and see. "He pointed to the aparejo with your hook.

The rigging a boat is the set of clubs, sticks and rigging and sails that allow you to get in
movement drawing air movement that drives it. (Wikipedia)

Larten the last thing I wanted to do was look up. He knew what
I expected if I did. But a good vampire never tries to hide from the
truth and Larten was trained to face their fears and losses.
It was a bright day and his eyes were narrow slits against painful
sunlight. But I could see clearly enough candles and wood to
they were tied. And he could also see poor one hanging Malora
poles, with a piece of rope tied around his neck,
lifeless swaying in the breeze and the constant rise and fall of the
boat.
A cold calm came over Larten Crepsley. Many years ago when
was a child, had experienced a similar calm just before murder
the man who brutally murdered his best friend. It was as if
stay away emotionally from the world. He forgot every rule that he had lived
and any moral constraint that had set.
At that time it was neither man nor vampire, it was a strength, not
It would stop until they have spent. In the factory had only a
man to direct his anger. Now he had dozens. And he was glad for it.
"They used to call it Mercury," he murmured, smiling blankly. "Hands
fastest in the world. "
Then the smile faded. His eyes twinkled. And like a portion
Deadly mercury attacked.

Chapter Twenty-four
Larten sat near the bow. He was holding the baby and
He rocked absently. The baby was cooing happily. Hands
Larten were wet with blood and red and had liquid catchy
filtered through baby blanket, but he or she had not noticed or not you
It mattered.
I never remember the slaughter details. Fragments would pursue,
waking and sleeping, for the rest of his life. The faces would flash in front of
he or shine in the theater of your dreams. Would your nails, rough and deadly,
opening throats like a stick of butter is involved. Her fingers
clutching the skull of a man pushing hard, breaking the bone,
sinking into the brain.
Sometimes it feels a strange taste in his mouth. Always leave
puzzled for a few seconds. Then remember starting to bite the
salted toes of a man while he lived, leaving one
while, then return to finish the job as a butcher who has been
momentarily confused.
Captain kept for last, leaving witness the destruction. The
expert sailor cried and pleaded for the lives of his men, then the
yours. Larten just smiled and pointed to the girl hanging over their heads.
In his dreams, sometimes he chasing sailors in the rigging. In reality
only three had tried to climb to save themselves, but in nightmares
there were hundreds of Larten and masts stretched skyward and more. But
no matter how many fled before him, always he ended up killing
all before stirring and awakening.
The baby gurgled, then began to mourn hunger. Larten waved a
times, waiting silence him, but the child was not to be
distracted. With a sigh, Larten back on the bow of reluctantly gave and
He looked at the cover full of corpses.
I knew it would be bad, but this was even worse than he had imagined.
So people cut (a bitten, chewed, torn) into pieces. Blood
everywhere. Entrails hanging from the ropes of the rigging. Heads
driven into spears and hooks. One's eyes were gone, there were two crosses
buried deep in the bloody orbits.
Larten had seen a lot in his time on the battlefields of the world,
but nothing as evil as this. I wanted to mourn, but I could not find
tears inside. It would be hypocritical to mourn. No such freedom deserved.

Steeling himself, Larten looked long and hard at the bodies. This was
his work. You could blame the flu, but I'd be lying. Malora was
He murdered and he was allowed to go wild and collect a terrible
revenge. He felt ashamed and disgusted, more than I could express.
There was no justification and no way to hide. He He has done
this. He had become the monster that those people feared. Paris le
He had warned about the dangers of indecision and isolation, but had
ignored his advice. This was the result. This was what happened when
vampires became ill.
Larten made his way through the mess, carrying the baby high up, happy
it was too young to understand any of this. Entering the cabin
child, found a half full bottle of milk. He is sitting in bed,
he landed on his lap and let him eat.
It was only when the baby drinking milk eagerly asked Larten
What would have happened to the child's mother.
When the child was filling Larten toured the boat upside down,
praying to find the beautiful Yasmin alive, huddled in a corner. Yes
I could return his baby, he would have at least something good in your
terrible and shocking day.
But Yasmin was not anywhere on board. He found the body
another woman, along with the bodies of passengers of the male gender,
mixed with the remains of the sailors, but Yasmin should have left the
rail, sea preferring death at the hands of the unfortunate vampire.
Or someone else had thrown.
As the night he died, Larten pray a few times a week, praying
the gods to reveal the end of Yasmin. It seemed important, a crucial
missing piece of a puzzle. Until we put that piece in place
I could never draw a line across such a calamity. But no matter how
pray, that memory would always be a mystery to him.
What I found during the search was a sealed door. It had been
locked from outside. He is missing the key, but Larten Mercury, they
He had said, as if using a different name could distance themselves from the
guilt was a very simple thing to do. Moments later he pushed the
door open, and four pairs of frightened eyes were looking.
One of the four was a type of high rank. Larten immediately
he understood why he had forgiven this man, even in his murderous rage,
I had known I would need someone to drive the boat. Right now, a

Larten not care if he lived or died, but some of it had been

thinking about life, even when he was facing death
all around.
But what about the others? There were two men and the boy, Daniel Abrams.
Why he had left these alive? It could not have been for mercy or
because the need for the boat I could have saved another man, not a
useless boy, if that were the case-. So why ...?
The answer came and laughed dryly.
He had to keep some live. The deck was flooded
blood, but soon would lose and would miss him. He had to assume that
They were a long way from the land. I'd probably be in this boat
a long time yet.
He needs to feed.
-agudamente Still laughing now, laughter threatening to become
a shout shut the door to the groaning and teary humans, blocked and
then cover retired with the baby, to soak your bowels before
the pools of blood thicken and souring the sun.
Having drunk their fill, Larten retired from sunlight before
end burned. He did not care what happens now, but if
threw the bloody madness or left to die, the baby would die too.
Larten cradled the child under the captain's cabin, holding
gently as if it were something precious. Nothing ever compensate his
dreadful mistake, but if he could protect this innocent child, that would be
less dark mark on his name when he passed from this world
pain and shame. He was so far from the gates of Paradise and outside
be possible, so redemption was not what he wanted. Just do not
I wanted to add anything more to his crimes, even in the large ensemble
more things made no real difference.
He changed the baby underwear when realized why the child was given
He had begun to mourn again. Then he went below deck
find more milk and food.
They slept in the cabin that night, the baby and tucked between Larten
wall. But even if the child sweetly dozing, she was the largest Larten
most of the night staring at the ceiling. It was not because he was used to
sleep during the day or by the surprisingly deep snoring baby
but because after what he had done, he could not face the nightmares
they were probably waiting for him.

Shortly after dawn, after feeding the baby again, Larten

he returned to the room with the four captives and opened the door. They thought
He came to kill them, and shrank against the wall. But simply he stated
a finger at the top and said, "You."
The sailor crossed himself, murmured a short prayer, then he came out with
difficulty cabin. He was sweating and shivering, but otherwise is
He said with dignity.
Larten blocked the door and led the way to the roof. The face
man paled as he glanced around, but did not try to flee.
"Can you sail this boat?" He asked wearily Larten. If I had
Was the baby, she would have thrown over the side and went to swim with the
sharks. But if the child had to live, this should be done.
"I'm not a captain," the man said quietly.
"If we live, you have to be," replied Larten.
"If I had a crew ..."
"You do not. Can you handle it the same? "
The man checked the rigging and shrugged. "We are not so
far from land ... a week cruising, I reckon. I can take if weather
Help us. It will cost us get to the dock, but we can get
close enough to lower a small boat and row
grounded. Yes weather helps. If we run into a storm, we are
finishes. "
Larten nodded. "Do the best you can. I'll be taking care of
child. If you need me, screaming. Do not try to free the other, and do not try
kill me. I will listen to and including asleep. If you can bring to the ground, you
I'll set you free. "
"What about them?" The man said as Larten left. He pointed
a trembling finger corpses. "They will rot if left. The stench ... "
"The will order later," he promised Larten. "When the sun goes down. That's when
It'm more powerful, right? "Smiling, she went inside to play with the baby,
leaving the man to steer the boat in the waves of corpses
always hungry ocean would soon receive their bloody remains
lifeless.

Chapter Twenty-five
Feed the baby and prisoners became the pastime
Larten. Daniel and sailors were easy to care for, just threw them food and
water a few times per day, worse the baby was a different matter. Larten not
He had any experience with babies and was surprised by how often
I wanted to eat. Keep the child was a happy time job
completely.
The officer in charge of the ship informed Larten regularly. Larten not
He had no interest in your course -not would have cared if they had
sailed in circles forever but it was easier to let the man
deliver their reports and nod thoughtfully while pretending
listen.
Larten was starving but waited until I needed bloodthe official said were a day on the coast. Leaving the baby, she went to the
locked room and opened the door.
Daniel and sailors thought that came to feed them and dragged
feet to him with enthusiasm. Vampire still frightened, but had
come to believe that did not represent them any harm.
Without wishing to alarm, Larten moved quickly, as he had
during slaughter. Jumping from one side to another, he launched a strong breath of gas
on their faces, gas vampires put humans to sleep. A
Once they were unaware drank from each, and then again
filling the vials that although he did not know, had cost his life Malora.
Daniel was stirred while Larten left. The vampire had breathed on
boy to the latter, so Daniel had not been attacked so strongly by the
gas and others. Larten did not realize that the boy's eyes
flickered, just shut the door and locked it, and then went to feed the
baby.
Larten spent most of the night on deck, watching the light of the
stars as it approached land, thinking about what should
do next. Greenland did not know much about, but I knew it was
a country covered with ice, sparsely populated. Many quiet places,
lonely and relentless in which a vampire could move to another world.
You might find a desolate place and let the snow and ice had just
with the. An appropriately peaceful end to a vampire who had lost
the right to a noble death.

The officer approached the end of the next afternoon, while giving him Larten
feed the baby. "Already nearly arrived," he told.
"Yes," murmured Larten.
"We should reach the port not long after sunset, if the wind
It is conducive. "
"I'm going to land before that," Larten said.
The officer frowned. "To land?"
"I will take a barge and get to land alone."
"Are you sure?" He asked the officer. "There is not much around this area and climate
It is bleak. "
"Well," he said shortly Larten.
A wave of joy swept to sea. He had tried not to think about it
would happen when docked, but every time he did, he saw no way of
the vampire allow them to live. They witnessed the slaughter.
Surely he could not let them live if he wanted to escape.
But now the officer noticed that Larten not care. He would go ashore to
die. For the first time in a week, the sailor could face the future
with real hope. He was about to mourn relief.
"You do care for the child when I leave?" Asked Larten.
"Of course. I'll take you home with me. I have six already, so one
more will not make a difference. "
"Thanks," Larten said softly. "And," he added as the officer returned to
helm, "you'll keep away vampires?"
The sailor nodded grimly. "Yes sir. Definitely I will. "
The official Larten helped to prepare and get the barge. Before leaving,
Larten down to the locked room for the last time, to free
prisoners. I could have left that job to the officer, but wanted to do it
same, so they could go up and see him go to find out for sure that
they had nothing to fear from that night.
"Come, gentlemen," Larten said as he opened the door. "Your time
captivity is over. They are free ... "
They stopped amazed, horrified.
Daniel Abrams sat on the floor, hands and lips as
red with blood as of Larten had been a week ago. The boy
He had torn the throats of the men when they were unconscious
and drunk as much blood as his stomach had endured. There was even
bitten chunks of flesh and he ate.

He was chewing a piece of cheek, pausing to spit blood,

when Larten entered.
Daniel's face lit up when he saw the crazy vampire, and put
standing. "I'm one of you now," he laughed, waving to strip meat
Larten like a flag. "You do not have to kill me now. You can
take me with you. I'm a bloodsucker too, see? We're the same. "
Larten stared at the boy, first with surprise and then with
disgust. "Do you think you're like me?" He growled.
"Yes," the boy wailed. "They kill and drink blood. Which is the
difference? "
And the worst thing was that I was right. When you Put them side by
the other, there was no real difference. A pair of equal monsters.
Larten withdrew from the room, away from the flashing, spitting and
bloody young. He glanced to the Murdered sailors, then he ran to
deck, where vomited over the rail. Before Daniel Abrams
could go up and ask again to travel with him, Larten got into the cabin
Captain and took the baby.
He had intended to say goodbye to the child, but as he watched his
chubby face decided he could not leave it behind. Not a beast like
Daniel Abrams lurking. Perhaps they were cut in the same way,
but at least Larten not innocent baby food. If Larten him out
the ship, the boy was doomed, but die in nature is preferable
what would happen if the baby was.
Larten he never considered simply kill Daniel. In
through its mindless panic, she thought only two options: take the baby or
leave to be bled and devoured.
Larten warmly wrapped the child and staggered cover the
barge. The officer was confused when I saw the wide-eyed vampire
with the baby. "What are you doing?" He shouted. "I thought I'd leave."
But Larten not listen or respond. Andes that the officer could
stop, he untied the ropes and paddled towards the shore ice. The understanding
the sailor would come later, when he discovered the young cannibal more
later, but for now, he could only stay on deck and look
foolishly backed the boat.
*
Larten continued without pause, his muscles aching, his neck rigidly
bent, not looking up. If I had gone in the wrong direction and

lost sight of land, it might have rowed to weaken and die. But
the officer had located the barge well and in a short time with the beat
land coast and stopped.
Larten was dazzled and watched the giant ice sheet
It seemed to stretch from one end of the horizon to the other. For a moment
he was overwhelmed and thought back to the ship. Then he smiled
mysteriously, watching the obstacle by the judge that no vampire,
a challenge to meet.
Picking it up, Larten tied the silent and trembling baby on her back and
He made sure he was safe. Crawling through the high snow to
his thigh, laughed madly in the moon and stars while
He is rushing in delirious search for his place in the eternal and always
cold night.

To be continued ...