The year was circa 1000 B.C., Aro had already disposed of his sister Didyme, and he needed to keep her mate Marcus with him or he would never achieve his goals. Yet he didn't think of the consequences of his rash actions; Marcus had become uninterested and detach of all emotions after failing to find his wife's murder.
Aro feared for his weakening condition and what he might do, so he needed a solution, and fast. He had summoned his newest addition, Demetri, the best tracker in the world, and Felix. Two hundred years ago, Felix in his human life had been a Nuraghe warrior from Sardinia, who had the ability to sense his opponents' next moves, never losing a fight, and a physical strength that was second to none, this made him tremendously renowned throughout the Mediterranean Sea, and the people thought that he was blessed by the God of War himself. Felix had attracted the attention of Aro, who then created him at the age of 21, needing his strength and gift at war for his growing Guard.
"I need you to find someone with the potential to alleviate Marcus' pain, I don't care how many you bring, and if they are worthless to me, they will serve as food. Go and find someone."
Felix and Demetri, only stared at their lord without a second's thought, bowed and left. But where to look for what Aro wanted had become the issue.
They had searched throughout Europe for about two and a half years, and had brought to Aro's presence countless potentials, men and women, for what he was looking for; but they all ended as meal or worse. And Aro had also become more restless with their search. Yet they had heard word that had given them some hope to avoid their lord's terrible punishment.
During their travels, Felix and Demetri had heard rumors of a young virgin priestess of the temple of Athena in Mycenae, who could sooth and ease all the troubles of the people that came seeking her; and she had gained the adoration of the Mycenaean people.
It didn't take long for Felix and Demetri to head her way during the night, and were able to reach the temple doors soon enough.
Felix walked up the marble stairs, and knocked on the heavy doors, which was suddenly opened by a rather tall brunette with piercing hazel eyes and a light golden olive skin; a mortal beauty that shocked Felix to his very core.
"Are you in need of help, young traveler?" She said in a sweet almost child-like voice; snapping Felix back to reality.
"We are here on behalf of our lord, young mistress; he seeks the aid of the priestess from this temple, whom eases the pain of the troubled." He said, unable to take his eyes off of her; as Demetri had already approached him from the flank. And she stared at the second travel with suspicion.
"My beautiful young mistress would it be too much trouble to ask for hospitality as we complete our quest." Said Demetri, with all his charm.
The young girl was hesitant, but according to the customs in Greece; one could not deny hospitality to whoever asked for it; so she allowed them entrance.
"Certainly, please come in. And we will find you some accommodations." She said as she led them into the humble temple.
Demetri noticed how his close friend and brother in arms couldn't stop staring at the mortal, she was pretty yes, but Demetri had enjoyed much more delectable specimens, both immortal and human. Yet he was still intrigued with Felix's sudden fixation.
"My name is Felix, this is my friend Demetri, young mistress, and may I be so bold as to ask for your name?" Said the towering giant, as he continued to look at her long wavy dark brown hair.
"My name is Corin." She said without so much as an inflation of interest in her voice; odd to hear for the two immortals, who were so used to having humans falling at their feet at the mere sight of them, or tremble at the whisper of their names. But to Felix, knowing her name was something close to happiness.
She went down a stairwell and opened a door to a dark room.
"This will be your room, I apologize for the poor accommodations, but we are poor in these areas, and have very little to offer. I will see that you are well fed and looked after."
"We are very grateful for your kindness mistress Corin, and would never ask for more than what you can offer." Felix said in the most charming way he could conjure. He had learned charm from Demetri, having been a warrior in his human days had not left room for gallantries, but he had become an apt pupil.
"My lady Corin, I must request a meeting with this famed priestess, our quest is a tad pressing." Said Demetri, who suddenly wanted to return to the comfort of Velathri, instead of sleeping in a dusty dungeon-like room.
"Certainly." She said with a small bow; and as she was closing the door she said, "I am who you are looking for, we shall speak in the morrow." And the door was shut close, as Felix and Demetri looked at where she had just stood and then at each other at the suddenly realization.
It hit Felix like boulders to his heart, that this pretty maiden that had captured his attentions is whom they've been looking for; but what terrified him most was that if she wasn't what Aro wanted, then he feared for her fate.
Demetri understood what went through his friend's mind, but the orders were clear, and no matter what they felt, they could never break Aro's command, not unless they wanted to die. Immortality was too sweet to let go that easily or that stupidly.
The morning had come, and thankfully for the immortals, it was a gloomy day. Felix and Demetri sat with Corin and discussed with her how their lord had need of her skills to sooth his late sister's husband, who had become emotionally ill; and in exchange she would be rewarded greatly. This reward was the same pathetic story they had told countless others before her, who had jumped at the promise of possible wealth. But not Corin, to Felix fascination with her, she had asked who this lord was, and where his dwelling was. They had told her it was to be a long journey by sea, to Velathri where their lord resided, and she might be requested to stay for a long period of time, until he is certain that his sister's husband is well again.
"It seems I have no other choice but to go with you." Corin said as she stood up, as if she was ready to leave with them right that moment.
"Good, we leave today at midday." Demetri said and started to exit the room, serious face, but still satisfied.
"Are you certain Lady Corin?" Felix asked with genuine concern for her safety; making Demetri stop in his tracks and shot him a look of both anger and annoyance; which Felix returned, and Demetri kept walking his way.
"Yes! I cannot let a cry for my aid go unanswered, I must at least try to assist this poor man." She said with a passion that moved Felix, in a softer way than when he saw her first.
"So be it, maiden." He said with mixed feelings, to either follow his orders, or protect her from a fate she had no idea she was walking straight into.
"I will gather my belongings, Master Felix." She had said is name for the first time, and it was exceedingly sweet to his ears.
He stretched out his hand to touch her face, but he stopped himself only a breath away from the feel of her warm skin against his, his cold and dead one. "I promise to get you there safely; you have my word, my Lady Corin."
"That makes me feel much safer Master Felix." She said and flashed him a warm and kind smile as her hazel eyes sparkled at him. He thought the stars would shy away from the sight of her loveliness at that very moment.
Felix found Demetri in their dark little room, and although for some unknown reason he couldn't stop himself from grinning, he didn't fail to notice the anger in his friend's eyes.
"You are having feelings for her." Demetri said, it was a statement, not a question.
"I might." He retorted, looking at him with a mixture of anger and nuisance.
"Then get it over and done with; have her, take her; but do not get too attached to her; you know her fate if she is not what Aro wants." Demetri said with none of his usual charisma.
"I do, but to just have her will not do, not this time, not with her. I know it." Felix said gazing at something in the distance that wasn't there.
"We love differently than humans; when we fall in love, truly in love, it is forever; well look at Marcus and his condition." Demetri said exasperated and suddenly weary.
"If it comes to that, I will appeal to Aro to turn her into one of us, I will plea, beg even if I must." Felix said looking angrily at Demetri, though not angry at him at all.
"Do you really believe Aro would do such a thing for you? You are blind old friend; if she has nothing of worth to him, he will dispose of her, just as the rest of them." Demetri said more aggravated than ever.
"She is approaching, get your things, we depart at once." Felix said emotionlessly, grabbing his sack, as he ducked at the doorway and left to meet Corin.
The journey for the three riders was uneventful, they only stopped very little during the day when the sun was out, making good time when they arrived at the haven and departed on ship. Felix and Corin grew closer during the voyage and she even let her guard down, opening up a little to him. She couldn't deny that both travelers were handsome in the extreme; yet the giant and imposing Felix made her feel like she could trust him entirely. Every now and then, during their long conversations in the night, he would stop short of touching her skin; she longed for him to touch her face with his enormous hand that could easily crush her; yet she had a feeling that those hands could also be gentle.
They had reached their destination, and Corin was led by Felix and Demetri to a great room, that held three thrones at the very far wall; and on these thrones were the three lords that Felix had told her of.
"Welcome Lady Corin! I am so glad to finally meet you!" Aro said in his pitched voiced as he extended his hand to kiss hers.
Corin hesitated, this man felt peculiar, she looked at Felix for reassurance, but she could tell by his face that he could do or say nothing anymore, he did his promise to her; he brought her safely, and whatever that was to happen onwards Felix could not protect her anymore if he could. The realization hit her to her very foundation. What was happening, what did they want from her and who was this strange man in front of her?
Corin held out her hand and Aro snatched it, as a snake would snatch its prey; he kissed it and she felt as he was in her mind taking over everything she knew and had seen; it was a defilement to all her deepest thoughts and most private moments in her life. She felt like something was ripped from her when he let go of her and she tumbled to the ground. Felix held her up in an instant, before she could even feel the floor.
"Well, Felix, I see that she has grown very fond of you and it seems like you are fond of her as well. But let's see if she holds promise." Aro said with that sadistic smile.
Felix could only look with fear at Aro, knowing what was to transpire. Demetri did no attempt to assist or intervene; no one would dare to either, not against their leader. Aro had Felix hold her as he bit into her sweet long neck, and warm tears of pain and defeat streamed down her eyes. Her cry of agony was torture to Felix, but nothing could be done against it, he could only pray to whatever Gods would listen, to make her be what Aro was looking for, so that she might be spared a worst fate than forever.
"Good morning, my pet." Aro said to her as she awoke from a painful and torturous nightmare, yet she felt nothing, not physically, still she did feel she was different somehow, everything was the same but different at the same time, she could smell better, see better, and hear better.
"Well, dear Felix did not leave your side for three days, it was a lovely sight indeed; I couldn't bear to part him from you. But alas! Here we are and now is time to see if you're what I've been looking for or maybe even something better. Whichever one, show us what you can do." Aro said in the most joyful tone, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't bitten her and made her different somehow.
He escorted her through the halls towards the throne room once more, and he explained to her of what she had just become, a soulless bloodsucking immortal, and how he is the leader of this kind and what rules they must obey, her included. As they entered the throne room, Felix stood in the middle holding down a young captive boy. When she saw the boy, she felt famished all of a sudden; Felix sliced at the captive's throat, and the pure crimson liquid of life gashed from it. At once, Corin instinctively pounced on the boy, ready to tear him apart with her teeth, but she was stopped by Felix with his hand fast on her shoulder.
"Easy now, do it easy Corin." Felix said to her with deep concern that she would lose herself to the frenzy of blood. She looked at him in disbelief, her newborn red eyes flashing with anger, anger at not devouring the boy at that very moment.
"Please. Gently." He said softly to her, and this brought her back from her crazed state, letting go of the scared boy, as if she had shunned him for his insignificant sins.
"No! I'm a monster!" Corin cried as she plummeted to the floor weeping tears of blood.
"This is what we are my sweet Corin, and I'm sorry for bringing you into this world; but you need to feed." Felix said with hopelessness in his voice, it pained him to have done this to her, but he had no choice. "Try to do it as painless as you can for this mortal." He continued to say, never taking his eyes off of her, nor his grip from the captive.
Corin looked at him, and then at the boy; she touched the boy's face to ease his fears, "I will need to drink your blood my poor young boy, I will try to be painless and quick." She said with her voice trembling with dry tears to the boy, as if asking for his permission to kill him. The frightened boy not only calmed down, but smiled at her and exposed to her his neck, as if happily accepting his death at her hands. Corin bit his neck and took all she could, which in the end killed the boy.
This strange situation did not go unnoticed by Aro, clasping his hands together he said, "You are what I've been looking for, no mortal would've done what that boy did and so happy and complacent to do it." He looked at her with greed in his eyes, she looked at him with confusion and unknowing what to do or say to this; she then looked at Felix who seemed like a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders at Aro's statement. Corin wasn't so sure if she should've been relieved as well.
"Now, I can see that the two of you are very fond of each other, and that will not due, yet I still need you both, this is my condition for the both of you to be always together yet forever apart; you will not approach one another for the rest of eternity, and if you do and try to leave, I will kill one in front of the other, and I will imprison the latter forever. This will be our own little secret arrangement." Aro said menacing in his cheerful voice; and he looked at them dangerously. "Are we at an understanding?"
"Yes." Felix said to him yet still looking at Corin, as she shed blood tears from her eyes. "If this is what will keep you close to me forever" he whispered to her, "then yes lord Aro, for as long as she is with us, alive and well." He looked at Aro with a mixture of anger and submission.
"If this is my only choice, to be with you, then I too accept." Corin said between scarlet tears.
"Good." Aro said, very satisfied with the outcome.
"What is thy will, my lord?" Said Corin, as Felix was sent away to dispose of the boy's body. Both lovers knowing that they will be always together, yet forever apart.
THE END