*A/N: It never occurred to me to write a fic about any of the Volturi. I write about what inspires me, and more often than not, I'm inspired by Jasper. Of the many Volterra vampires, I found Caius to be most interesting, in that his name to me bespoke a long history and a story of ancient cultures. My work on Long Road to Hope continues, this is just a quick oasis for me from by beloved Jasper.*
I GET OFF IN VOLTERRA CONTEST
TITLE: Before Volterra
PEN NAME(S): NiceIceEdward
PAIRING: Caius - OC
SUMMARY: Caius' past
DISCLAIMER: All characters and settings in this story remain the sole right of the original author. No copyright infrigement is intended.
Irina sat in a small anteroom. She waited to speak to Aro impatiently. By all accounts she'd heard from Eleazar, she understood impatience would be futile, for the Volturi would see her when it was convenient for them. Two walls were lined with bound books and journals. She scanned them all and saw one with an ancient and cracked leather binding. The lettering on it was nearly indiscernable through the fissures in the skin which covered it. She opened it on the table in the room with care.
The first page had ancient roman lettering that she recognized, but could not read. She turned the page and found a single line written in beautiful letter style, with no flourishes.
I write this in preparation of the day I will lose this knowledge, and be unable to recall my human life.
The same beautiful letter style adorned the whole of the next page
I am Tusci, today you would call it Etruscan. I was born in Rumi in the time when the city of legend, war, art, and scholars was an infant, crying to its mother about the nakedness of its green plains.
I was born to a family of the aristocracy, a second son to my brother Rutilius. I was the fourth child in my family. My sisters were unimportant, as were all females of the time. I paid them no more attention than Rutilius did. In consideration of the path my life took, perhaps I should have.
I was told that I looked up to my brother from the day I was born; that, as an infant I looked at him wide eyed and reverently. He leaned close once, to press his lips to my forehead. I ungraciously reached my newborn fist into his red hair, pulled at it, and we screamed together. My mother said that although Rutilius screamed in pain, I screamed in jealousy that I couldn't rip his dark hair from his head and replace my own light tresses.
At birth, I was a source of great pride and joy for my family. They named me Caius Marius Flavius. Caius, to celebrate their opinion of my birth. Marius, to describe our family origin. Flavius was my nickname, given for the unnaturally light state of my hair and complexion.
To my family, I was Flavius. I was only called Caius when form required. My childhood was happily spent. I followed all that Rutilius taught me, and he never steered me wrong. As I grew, it became apparent that I would never reach his size. At the age boys begin to grow hair, Rutilius had already achieved a libra. By modern measurement that would be approximately 100 pounds. He was as wide as a tiger, and as fast as a snake. At tender ages we were all trained in combat. There were unending threats to peace in that time. Civilization would come later.
My family educated Rutilius in both law and battle. He encouraged me to learn from him, but our father often chastized him for it. I was neither large nor as quick as Rutilius. We played at war games, and he often allowed me to win but; against my peers, I was frequently the loser. Even my sisters tormented me. Older by many years, they would inebriate me with wine, then dress me as a woman in my sleep. I would awake humiliated and angry.
My eldest sister, Xanthe, was relentless in her taunts. She teased me in ways no sister should ever tempt a younger brother. Geta was less vicious, choosing instead to only laugh at me. Rutilius was always very angry with them when they were unkind, and championed me with consideration and stoicism. I worshipped him.
As I neared adulthood, I became a topic of great debate within my family. Rutilius, who had already joined with the men of law in Rumi, asked my father to purchase a place for me by his side. I was a source of displeasure for our father, and he wanted to keep me from inadvertently bringing my brother down in the eyes of our community. I wanted to be a part of the army, but our Father felt I wasn't physically sufficient to such a life. I know now he was right, but it broke my will. In desperation, I decided to join the army, as could any man. It was a disgrace. No son of aristocratic descent volunteered; one paid for one's place as a man, and officer.
I was ostracized by my family, my sisters, my father, even my mother. Only Rutilius continued to be charitable. Rumi was up in arms and no one would look at me. All turned their backs as I passed, and I was a thing unseen.
Oh, Xanthe and Geta saw me! They stared at me and laughed. Xanthe held her stomach until it seemed it would burst from her gaiety. How I hated her; I despised her. I could not hate Geta, but I did not like her much, even then. There was such a disparity in my opinion of them as compared to Rutilius, I should have seen the danger. How could I know?
For the span of nine seasons, I walked the streets as an invisible. The only ones who would see me were whores and prisoners. I loathed them for their acceptance, and used the former for my pleasure.
It was on a night when I was with one of my whores that I met him. It was the darkest hour of a black night. The moon had not been seen for many days, and the ground was like a constant river. Though that evening it did not rain where we were, it rained in the hills above us. The whore I used was unusually pretty, I held her against a used table in an alley off the merchant square. I held her hair tightly in my fists, bending her back in an unnatural arc while I drove my seed deep inside her. The anger I felt at being outcast was forced on the women I assaulted on these nights. I was not kind to this one. I leaned forward and bit her shoulder as I repeatedly assaulted her.
She whimpered at the pain, I was so incautious and cruel that she was no longer wet enough for our intercourse to be comfortable. I poured wine between us and as it hit the rawness of her abused skin, she cried out. A voice like I had never heard before spoke from just behind my shoulder at the same moment I felt a hand touch it.
I jumped and tried to move away, but he only moved with me.
"Caius, using her will not salve the indiscrepancies of your mortality. I can bring you the respect you seek, and you will be invisible by your choice, rather than by the neglect of others."
He was, for a man, beautiful. I had never seen a man of such incredible elegance. His eyes were the color of rubies and his skin made mine seem dark.
The whore I had been attending to was forgotten, until she stepped brazenly forward toward the stranger. His eyes apparently did not warn her as they had me.
"I will do for you for free what I have done for him at great expense." she said, tilting her head in my direction in a dismissive manner.
For the briefest of seconds he looked utterly repulsed, and I recognized her mistake, though she did not.
"You should not presume, my dear. Sadly, it is the last mistake of your young life."
She looked offended and confused, then suddenly, she was in his arms. He held her face so that she could not scream or breathe. Her eyes blinked rapidly as he held his mouth delicately against her throat. I could see the slightest line of wetness against his lip. What little ambient light the night had made him glow. His skin was indescribable, and terrifying. I ran. Running until I felt fire burning in my chest.
I wanted comfort. I wanted to feel the normality of my life again. I was destabalized by what I had seen, and so I sought out the only place that I could think of that had afforded me peace. I ran for the home of my family. I had not been there in so long I couldn't recall the precise date of my last visit. As I ran beneath the arched roof of the entrance to my father`s house, I remembered that my mother and father had travelled. For what, I knew not; but, that they were away from home, I was certain.
Inside, I found Rutilius reading to Xanthe and Geta. I stumbled in, gasping for air. My sisters screamed, recoiling from my crumpled form on the floor. Rutilius jumped for his blade before he recognized me.
"Caius! By the Gods, what makes you come in with such urgency? My heart beats like the wings of a tiny bird. Are you well brother, you look paler than...Caius, what has happened?" He said, seeing the panic on my face.
Still I gasped for breath, and my throat was dry with nerves and the wind I'd swallowed in my flight.
"M-may I have w-water?" I stuttered.
Xanthe hissed, "I'd like to throw it in his face for frightening us that way. Come Geta, it is only our dull, ignorant brother."
She handed me the water I'd asked for and I sipped as I could while my breath finally slowed. When I was finally able to take a deep breath, Rutilius put his hand on my shoulder.
"Now brother, what has happened to send you to us in such a state?"
I glanced at Xanthe for a moment. She would be her usual merciless self, but I had to explain myself...defend myself somehow.
"I have seen a creature which I cannot name, for there is no name for what he is. He was awful to behold, yet I could not look away. Not even as he spilled the blood of..."
My throat caught. I could not continue.
"What blood has he spilled? Was it that of man or beast?" Rutilius asked, retrieving his blade again with a look of determination.
I took another sip of water to soothe my throat. I swallowed and continued, "Neither man nor beast, brother, but a woman...a whore. She was coarse and brazen, but she was no more offensive than any of her trade. He just, he...he..." I couldn't continue, I dropped my head and looked at my curled legs.
"Can you describe him to me, Caius, that I might find him?"
I lifted my head to him again, "Yes. He was tall and graceful. He had long dark hair. His skin was so pale it glowed-"
Xanthe interrupted me, "More pale than yours, Caius?" she asked, bitterly, and laughed with Geta.
Rutilius turned on her, "This is not the time for your pathetic cruelty, Xanthe. Observe your place, woman! Do not interrupt him again." Xanthe looked shocked before she remembered to look haughty and offended again.
"Go on, Caius, tell me all." My brother said, turning to me again.
"His voice was like the music father commissions for parties, Rutilius. It was beautiful. It was so beautiful that it was almost painful to hear." For the first time, my brother looked at me skeptically. I was sure he would no longer believe I was telling him the truth and I could feel the pain beginning that my sisters' criticisms were going to cost me.
"I think he's in love, sister." I heard Geta say.
Then a musical voice silenced us all, and only my whimper intruded.
"He will know love, dear one. He will know all this common and indifferent world can teach him."
Rutilius was on his feet with his blade in his hand. "Who are you? You have no invitation to allow you to enter my home. You dare invade our private quarters?"
My brother, whom I had always seen as a near-God, seemed no more than a mere man beside the unusual stranger.
"It's of no great importance, really, but my name is Aro. I am a descendant of Erysichthon and your brother is correct, there is no name for what I am. I never enter by invitation, though I usually prefer it. I come in pursuit of my own curiosity. I find myself drawn to young Caius and his deeper darknesses. I wish to take him under my wing and give him all that he desires because I have need of company. He is interesting to me and I wish to know him better."
"What sort of company do you intend my brother to provide?"
"He will be my friend, confidant, and equal. That is, I believe, more than he has known in his years here."
"Can you give cause as to why you choose Caius?" Rutilius asked. His eyes were slitted in suspicion.
"My my! Listen to your heart-" turning to me he asked, "what is his name, son?"
I was unable to lie, "Rutilius." I answered quickly.
"Rutilius, you are very strong, I have no doubt, but I wish no harm to you or your lovely sisters. I wish only to take Caius to be by my side."
I stood then. "What would you require from me?" My years without acceptance had made my pride forfeit. In this state of mind, his request seemed...I can't say interesting, but perhaps intriguing?
"Merely your company. In return, you will have access to all my great stores of knowledge, and whatever wealth which comes into my possession."
"Our family sits high in the opinion of Latia, my brother does not need for wealth." Rutilius replied sternly.
Aro smiled, "No, this is true. I do understand. However, I believe he is without charity or forebearance. No one has truly looked upon him in several years now. I will take him and many will look upon him every day and tremble."
"I will not allow Caius to go with you." Rutilius said.
Suddenly, Aro's face changed. There's no other word for how he looked, he was terrifying. "Ah, but you assume I have been asking. I assure you I am not in the habit of needing permission to do as I wish."
Rutilius lunged for Aro, but Aro moved like the wind. He was there before Rutilius one moment, the next he was by my side. He was back again behind Rutilius, a small utensil held at Rutilius' throat.
"You have one last chance to allow me to take him by your will, otherwise, it will be by mine." Aro said, a tension in his tone much different to what I'd heard during the afternoon.
Xanthe stood then, and sauntered up to Aro. "You appear to hold the blade to my brother's neck, but it is actually your own. If you spill his blood, I assure you that you will pay for it."
I looked at Aro's face and caught it a split second before it happened. It was there in his awful eyes. Xanthe had just spoken her last words.
"Xanthe, no!" I tried to say, but she silenced me with a glare.
"Am I meant to understand that you're threatening me?" he asked through his teeth, which glistened impossibly.
"No one in my family threatens, and our veracity is never questioned."
"I'm afraid it will be from this moment on, lovely one. Such a shame."
His mouth never touched her throat. He moved his arms so suddenly, I couldn't see it, and my sister went limp.
Rutilius and I both fell to our knees to touch Xanthe because though we both mentally knew better, neither of us wanted to believe she was gone. Geta made an inarticulate noise and was beside us a moment later.
First he picked up Geta, and it seemed he was not as repelled by her as he had been with Xanthe. He delicately placed his mouth on her throat as he had with my whore. A moment later, golden and white, Geta lay discarded beside her beloved Xanthe.
In a rage Rutilius attacked Aro, who escaped each lunge and turn. Aro appeared to be smiling.
"You are brave, my young beast," he said, with a smile across his face. "You could be a nice addition to my guard."
"If you represent your guard, then I would rather die."
Aro's face became a portrait of disappointment. "As you wish it," and stepping sideways, he ended my whole world.
I growled in a way that would have frightened me at any other time and launched myself at Aro.
His face was a mask of genuine surprise.
He pulled me back, and held me easily at arms' length in his arms. I could not reach him.
"You will not do that again."
"I will if you release me. I don't wish to live."
Aro said, "Ah, but as my companion you will live, or experience life, at any rate."
He pulled me to him and said, "I will take you from all of this. Join me, Caius. Do not disappoint me."
I agreed. I had no other option that didn't include facing my parents. Three days later, I was allowed my freedom from hell. The disease given to me by Aro changed me. It took my heartbeat, but it replaced it with beauty and power. A week had gone by, and I was allowed to leave.
I cannot deny that revenge was sweet. The baleful gazes I had suffered were repaid by my newborn enthusiasm.
I never returned to our house in Rumi. I fled with Aro to a beautiful home, in a city which would go through many names, but would eventually come to be known as Volterra.
The entry ended there, and Irina slowly closed the book. She hoped to herself to never to be in Aro's bad graces.
At just that moment, the door to the room opened. It was Alec, "Aro will see you now."