Soul Seer
Chapter Two
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be descending into Naples in a few minutes. So please fasten your seat belts with your seats in the upright and locked positions. Make sure your trays along with any electronic devices are properly stowed and turned off, and please remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop. Thank you." said the Stewardess as the flight attendants finished their rounds for any left over trash from breakfast. It had been a very long flight, through the night and into the early afternoon of the next day. Amina had listened to her ipod the whole trip, and for once she was very happy that a friend of hers had given her the latest part of the 'Dark Series' on CD. Reading in low light was bad on her eyes and the last thing she wanted was a head ache when she was on vacation. She turned her ipod off and tucked it away in her back pack under her seat, then fasten her seat belt as instructed.
The plane made its decent into Naples and Amina could hardly contain her excitement as she mentally went over all the things she wanted to see and do when she got her rental car. A drive through Naples and some sit seeing for a few days and then it's off to her next big location in Rome. Onward she would make a pilgrimage to every manger city and some smaller provinces along the way as she traveled up the country to end up in Venice in time for the ten day celebration of Carnival time. Amina was almost buzzing with anticipation as the plane landed and taxied its way to the terminal as the stewardess came over the intercom again saying,
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Naples, local time is 3:20 p.m., sunny with a high of 45 degrees and if this is your first time to Naples, Italy; welcome and enjoy your stay. If you are returning home, allora benvenuti a casa.(then welcome home.)"
As soon as the seat belt sing was turned off Amina was out of her seat and grabbing her backpack from under it. She felt very fortunate to have been seated near the front of the plane so she might be on of the first ones off so she might avoid any unnecessary touching from passers by. It was also by good fortune that Amina had been seated by herself in her row, making it easier for her to tune out everyone else on the flight. So with her bag on one shoulder and her jacket under her other arm, Amina made her way up the ramp to the terminal, and then down the way to find where to go for baggage claim.
An hour later, Amina was finished signing the papers for her rental car, headed out on the town to find a hotel and then take in the city life of Naples. After driving around for a bit she found a small hotel and took her bags up to her room before heading out for an early dinner and a simple night of driving around Naples. The city is gorgeous in the burning colors of the sun setting and even more so when the night life commences.
(Meanwhile)...
It was the end of another day in the city of Volterra and Aro of the Volturi watched as the lights of his city were lit to guide those still out after the sun set. He had lived for may centuries, several of them happily mated. Sulpicia had been presented to Aro as a possible partner in a political marriage, and at first he hadn't taken much notice of her. Caius was the same with Athenodora, but once they had been formally introduced something just clicked. They married shortly after settling their lonely hearts as well as making peace with the northern clans, including their once hated enemies the Romanians. Though Aro can honestly say he hadn't been keen on the idea of having a political marriage to a woman that he didn't even know, let alone allow his brother to do the same. He and Caius both had, as many humans would say, 'Lucked Out' with finding their other halves with this call for peace among the clans.
Aro noted how he and Caius had seemingly slipped into a routine with their wives. Often the women were abroad, traveling to all sorts of places, or taking long stays in exotic baths and salons. Not that it bothered either of the brothers. In point of fact, they felt as if the bond they shared with their mates was completely unbreakable. And when they finally did see their wives for a few decades, in between their impromptu trips, it was always within the vicinity of their bedrooms. It was a relationship that Aro thoroughly enjoyed with his wife, and he couldn't help but feel a sharp stab of sadness at the fact that Marcus, his dear brother had lost his. Didyme had been Aro's own sister, and to have felt such a strong bond being torn apart had been both devastating, as well as a sobering reminder of just how important ones mate was.
Didyme had been the bright light of Aro's life, and in truth was everyone's light for her gift was in making those around her happy, truly happy. This was one of many things that drew Marcus to her, and in return she felt the need to care for the somewhat melancholy monarch. It wasn't too long after that that they fell in love, and Aro couldn't have been happier for them, until the day came that Didyme wished to have a life outside of the Volturi's rule. For years Aro denied her, saying he would not sanction a marriage between her and Marcus, until she stopped requesting to leave. This only made the bond between her and Marcus grow, and in turn place a great amount of strain on his hold over Marcus as one of the rulers of the Volturi. But, neither Marcus or Didyme wavered in their want to be free to do as they please. So Aro finally conceded to allow them to make their own way, with a promise from Marcus that should he be needed to rule on important matters of state, Marcus would return for the ruling after which he would be allowed to return home.
The terms were received with a great deal of joy and willingness to follow through with them should the occasion arise. It was in the weeks following that the Volturi suffered the loss of Didyme. Having been seen in the streets of Volterra speaking to a human child in plain view of the sun, and accused of breaking the Volturi's law of secrecy from humans. She, along with the child were executed on the spot, which lead to a great amount of outrage and controversy on the subject of whether or not she had actually broken their greatest law. In light of these events and how they had been carried out, it was then ruled by all the kings that any execution would be held within the palace, or a designated place where at least one king should pass judgement, unless given expressed permission by all three kings to kill on site.
Though it was eventually found that Didyme had indeed exposed herself to a human, the lack of any evidence as to whether she did so knowingly and willingly, still gave rise to many questions. Which, after a thorough investigation, still had yet to have any answers. It was horrible to say the least, and Marcus was inconsolable. Long hours into the night he would weep, though shedding not a tear, while his days were spent sitting in the castle gardens, specifically Didyme's rose garden, staring off into space. After a century of his moping it became clear that Marcus believed Didyme to have been his mate, and showed signs of wishing to be ended so he might see his Didyme again.
However, Aro couldn't let that happen. Marcus was to important to him as both a brother and ruler for the Volturi. His gift to see the bonds of others, to be able to sense their strength and what they entailed emotionally, made him invaluable to Aro. So he called on one of his newly acquired guard to use her own gift to sever his bond with Didyme, and forge a new one with the Volturi. After that Marcus became more stable, but never seemed to regain his former humor, now sitting silent and still through the rulings of his brothers, only every now and then reaching out for Aro to read his thoughts.
Aro shook himself from his musings of the past, his beloved sister and how her death was felt by all, though some more acutely then others. In any case he had only a few more minutes to wait before his Sulpicia and his sister in law, Athenodora, arrived home for another ten year rasped with their husbands and among the Volturi court. He walked down the stone steps to the main entrance to a very large garage, smiling as he saw Caius pacing back and forth impatiently.
"Come come now Caius, there is no need to were a hole in the cobblestone." said Aro, though this did nothing to slow Caius's pacing. He and Athenodora had had an argument before their wives had left the last time, and it was part of the reason that they hadn't returned in such a long while. Aro grinned as Caius continued his pacing, and said,
"I doubt she will even remember what the argument was about." Caius did stop then, but only to glare at Aro saying,
"You should know by now that she prides herself on being able to remember everything...in mind numbing detail." he growled the last part, making Aro laugh as he caught sight of the lemo coming through the gate, saying,
"Well I suppose we'll find out one way or the other, for they're here."
(Back in Naples)...
Amina's first night in Naples had been one of pure enjoyment. The city was buzzing with colors, sounds and smells that Amina couldn't even name. She was still slightly high from her time in a small night club just a few streets down from her hotel, as she hopped in the shower to get rid of the sweat and smoke smells that were clinging to her skin. So far her vacation was shaping up to be a good one, though she had danced mostly on her own in a corner at the night club to avoid any unexpected touching, she had enjoyed the music, the booze and that there were plenty of men to at least look at. A small wave of sadness encompassed her and Amina felt along the bare edges of her back, stoking the lines that made up her full back piece tattoo.
She had always wanted to get tattooed when she was young, the only thing was she had no idea what she wanted. But as time passed and she came to dream of three men of high standing, each with their own gifts to offer her and each other should they find one another. Amina came up with her back piece. Along the top parts of her shoulders were two Crows wings wrapped in bloodied bandages which fell along the feathers until they wove into a blood-red curtain that divided into three parts, which were then flung over three thrones. Then each part of the curtain decorating these thrones depicted the gift each man possessed, or at least an idea. The throne to the far left of her back had a curtain that seemed to rip and then wrap itself around the throne in a web of cords, which also stretched to the other two thrones. Then seeming to pieces itself back together falls into a pool over a small dais. The middle throne's curtain wrapped toward the front to fall in a manner that within its creases and folds there are several eyes looking in all directions, and then once again fall in a pool below the dais. The last throne to the right, also had its curtain wrapped around the front, though at the top edge the cloth was fringed with white fur. This traveled half way down till it flowed into a massive wolf's head seated on the throne's arm on the right side. The sea of white fur continued down until it pooled at the base of the throne, before becoming red cloth once again. And like the others, it trickled down the steps into a pool of cloth below the dais. Each bunch of cloth at the base of the thrones looked like puddles of blood, with a single black feather laid on the surface of the center cloth of the middle throne, seeming to make ripples where it lay.
It had taken over ten hours of work, and several trips to the same artist to finish the whole thing, but when all was said an done Amina was very proud of it. In a way, even if she never met her souls desire, even if she could never be with a man the way she felt she could with these three. She would still carry them with her for the rest of her life, always watching her back.
