Getting to know the eighty vampire soldiers. One would suppose this feat would be difficult. You're right. Stefan and Vladimir were contemplating spilling their innards. There were inconsequential fights breaking out all around.
Who is going to kill Aro?
Who will defeat the twins?
Who's going to bring dinner?
And clothes?
"If this is all they can fight over, we may as well quit whilst we're ahead brother," Stefan muttered. Vladimir wanted to throttle the French coven, clothes? They thought clothes would be the answer to defeating the lolly-coddling insects of Italy!
"We must begin training, but if this is how they wish to train so be it," Vladimir stated darkly. Vladimir turned to his left to find Ben, the man who can manipulate the elements.
"Would you mind moving a large bed of water and dropping upon our cohorts?" Vladimir sighed staring blankly at the seventy-nine vampires, all-yelling over the top of one another.
"My pleasure," the boy stated in an accent. Stefan and Vladimir watched in pure fascination as the man tweaked his hands and the water micked the movements.
"Amazing," Stefan murmured under his breath.
"Indeed, brother. Indeed." Vladimir replied with a spark in his eye. Not one of the vampires were paying attention, the thought of the inconsiderate, spoiled, factious, conniving Italians walking in and slaying each and everyone of these twits made Vladimir almost smile, until he remembered why he'd spent infinite amounts of money and resources to gather all of them here.
A smirk graced the corner of Benjamin's face, "one…two…three," a loud whoosh of water befell the unsuspecting fools, followed by a splutter of coughs and silence. Dead silence.
Stefan's smile became more pronounced, as each and every vampire turned toward them in indignation. Vladimir merely glared at the vampires.
"We are here to initiate war," Vladimir begun.
"Not what clothes to wear!" Stefan projected forcefully.
"Or when and how we get dinner! War is not a delicate matter, it's something that must be thought over and over, but as I can see half of you are not ready to part take in the war of freedom and peace." Vladimir's voice grew more acidic toward the end.
"We require an army of INTELLECTUAL beings!" Stefan growled, "all those who want to stay and fight you will have to be civilised to one another! For those who can not muster up any civilisation toward your cohorts LEAVE!"
"Well said," Vladimir murmured gazing at the faces of vampires driven to hate their supposed 'monarch,' if you will. Not one vampire moved or breathed, not that they needed oxygen, Stefan thought idly.
"Since no one has left, we will initiate training, among you are five skilled leaders in the tactics war and honing one's ability in the art of invasion and conquering," Vladimir looked at the mass of vampires. With that being said the five leaders each took a step forward.
"You will be put into groups of sixteen, I suggest you all find common ground and become friends. On the field of war your enemies should not be those amongst you now but rather the Italians. You will need to look out for one another!" Stefan stated.
"Back when we were in war, we had relations with the soldiers on our left to increase comradeship." One of the two Spartans murmured. What the Spartan had suggested was not lost on anyone.
Everyone's eyes shifted toward the Spartan who was roughly six foot three and had an excellent muscular frame, his features spoke of bloodshed and hardships.
Stefan and Vladimir took unconscious steps away from one another, however below some male vampires took a step toward female vampires with roughish smiles on their faces.
"Just a suggestion," the Spartan shrugged.
A horrible one, Stefan thought. He glanced at Vladimir who wore a farcical expression bordering the line of disgust and carefully placed poker face. Eventually disgust broke through, Stefan covered his mouth to muffle the laughter.
"Indeed, if anyone should wish to do so, by all means," Vladimir drew his eyebrows together. "But be respectful, for I'm sure many of us would not like to witness indecency," he sighed disdainfully.
"I'm hungry," Vladimir muttered after awhile turning to his brother.
Stefan merely shrugged, "food awaits outside, but please, do try and be a little less messy with your dinner. Oh and Vladimir," Stefan accosted. "Don't forget to strengthen your bonds with the comrade on your left," Stefan smirked, throwing a glance at Benjamin who was on Vladimir's left.
"Blast it all," Benjamin skittered off the stage and into the fray of vampires.
"There is no one on my left, brother dearest, however your left is another matter entirely," he threw a baleful laugh of his shoulder.
Stefan turned to his left to find an accommodating wench, "ahh, I'm really not interested in strengthening bonds," Stefan muttered, the vampire wench purred.
Good god! Was there no woman who did not simper for purr?
"I'm excellent in bed," she moved her hand up his arm in a slow seductive manner. Stefan's thoughts wondered to the number of females that had warmed his bed over the many years. She was not going to be added to the hall of fame, she was blonde! He preferred brunettes.
"Excuse me, I feel rather peckish, maybe another time," he stalked off in the direction of Vladimir, but before he left he heard the collective moan of vampires enjoying themselves in the name of 'strengthening bonds.'
Meanwhile, Vladimir sat up in a tree watching the humans interact with one another, such frail creatures they were. He had only been in the tree for less then fifteen minutes before being joined by his brother.
"The harlot near the technology store looks pleasing," Stefan said in a less then predatory voice.
"Hmm, not quiet the type I like," he laughed, "she won't fight back," Vladimir smiled thoughtfully.
"Then your best bet is to go after men," Stefan insinuated 'men' for a reason, the Spartan's view on bonds was rather amusing.
But of course this would be lost on Vladimir, who merely shrugged, "I'm not sure I feel all that hungry," he frowned. Stefan cocked an eyebrow but said nothing; Vladimir turned and eyed the dense forest.
The brothers moved back toward the entrance to the underground hideout but were stopped midway by a Siberian tiger, Vladimir shot Stefan a startled look, "I didn't know the Russians had Siberian tigers," he looked back down at the large pure white animal in enthrallment.
"They don't" Stefan looked equally as confused. "She's certainly a lovely beast," he chuckled a little.
"Yes, one that means to kill us," Vladimir snorted.
Stefan's smile became wolfish, "not if I kill it first," he chuckled darkly.
The tiger roared, her cold blue eyes settled on Stefan. Her head cocked to the side as she eyed him. Stefan blinked as the tiger morphed into the exact replica of himself. Vladimir was silent throughout the ordeal.
"Am I looking into a mirror?" Stefan asked, half wondering whether or not he was insane. Maybe he'd wake up and find it was all just a dream.
"Not at all," his doppelganger spoke just like him, the replicate cocked an eyebrow in a condescending manner.
"An interesting development," Vladimir looked down at the twin of Stefan. "It's identical to you brother, just a bit more spunky," he snorted, he seemed ill at ease.
"I hear there is to be a war," Stefan's twin spoke just like him, the real Stefan sagged against the tree trunk.
"What in the name of all that's good, are you?" Stefan asked angrily.
"I am a shape shifter," Stefan's twin morphed into a tall girl with mahogany coloured hair and cornflower blue coloured eyes. She looked very doll like, Stefan thought idly, she looks too frail to be morphing into a tigress.
"Where did you hear this information?"
"I never reveal my sources," she stated in a soft voice her eyes flashed at them.
"And is this who you really are?" Vladimir asked impatiently, "or do you look entirely different? Maybe you're really a man, not really a woman, or merely a figment o-"
Stefan slapped Vladimir on the back, "you're doing it again."
Vladimir sighed and gracefully jumped down, landing directly in front of the girl. Stefan stayed in the tree, not trusting himself to speak accordingly to the woman who had morphed into an identical version of himself.
"In that case ma'am will you please inform me as to why you have entered our neck of the woods," he used a modern saying which had Stefan slightly surprised.
Stefan's fists clenched at his sides.
"I'm here to join the cause," she spoke quietly, "and this is the real me, usually I wouldn't flaunt my identity so carelessly but I want to defeat Aro as much as you, if not more so," she closed her eyes briefly, as if to keep at bay memories.
Vladimir bit back an urge to run a hand across her cheeks to see if she was as soft as she looks.
"But your eyes are neither honey coloured or amber," Stefan pointed out angrily. The girl nodded vacantly as she looked up.
"I do not like what I am, but when I was human, my eyes were very much cornflower blue, I hate to be reminded of what I am so I change them back to the colour they were when I was human," she shrugged. She closed her eyes to reveal honey coloured orbs and looked directly at Vladimir.
"You eat animals," he stated baffled.
"Like I said, I hate what I am, I like humans very much. I wish them no harm," she stated.
"This 'cause' as you call it, may end in your death," Vladimir stated bristly, "the death of everyone, in fact it may end in a colossal disaster, giving the pests more control over us then before," Vladimir ranted.
"Vlad," Stefan murmured, "shut up," Stefan dropped down gracefully next to his brother, he looked the girl over, her eyes were closed but when she opened them again her eyes were indeed honey golden in colour. "Well this is an interesting turn of events," he deadpanned, "don't ever morph into me again, clear?"
"I cannot promise that," she stated honestly, "I try my best to be honest despite my ability," she sighed.
Stefan found this entire exchange irritating, Vladimir on the other hand was staring at the wench as if he'd seen the world for the first time. Stefan gently slapped Vladimir's back.
"We're not accepting anymore vampires," Stefan said quietly.
"You may not accept me in this war but," she shrugged, "either way I will be there. With or without your approval," she smiled thinly.
"Why do you wish to join such an endeavour?" Vladimir questioned curiously.
"Does it matter?" she stalked away, but before she'd walked out of the brothers grasp, Vladimir snagged her waist, drawing her back.
"You may join, but you will listen to our orders," Vladimir stated deadly calm, the girl blinked back, her eyes changed between cornflower to golden honey, it seemed as if she were uncertain about this.
Vladimir seemed to forget he was holding her so close to him. Letting let her go, she fell into the snow; she let out an unladylike profanity.
"Blast it all! You stupid dandy," she dusted off her pants. She glared at Vladimir who looked anything but apologetic, merely shrugging.
"So what will it be?" Vlad asked half bored, but Stefan could tell he desperately wanted the answer; he'd spent too much time with Vladimir to be able to read his body language.
Stefan rubbed his hands over his face, tired, the girl nodded reluctantly and the three vampires walked back to the home base in utter silence. The three stopped just outside the cave entrance.
"Throughout all of the ranting and morphing we forgot to introduce ourselves," Vladimir smiled, he never smiles, Stefan narrowed his eyes toward his brother dearest. "I am-"
"Vladimir, and he is Stefan," she jerked a thumb at me in a bored manner. "I'm Amarita," she stated, walking a head of the brothers.
"Amarita?" Vladimir rolled the name off of his tongue. "Isn't that-"
"Indian. Yes," she muttered.
"But you're white," Stefan muttered.
"Ever the observant one," she spat out darkly.
"My mother and father were avid travellers," she sighed. She maintained her speed ahead of the two dumbfounded brothers, coming to a full stop outside the elegant doors of our hideout.
"And you?" Vladimir asked quietly, as if the answer were imperative.
"I am a nomad," which answered Vladimir's question. Vladimir pushed open the doors roughly. The two brothers both stepped in front of Amaritta to see the damage done by one Spartan's stupid comment on strengthening bonds.
There was no damage done to the interior of their humble abode, however some indecent exposure of skin was drifting about. Stefan turned back to find Vladimir escorting Amarita outside again before giving him a look which read 'get this place into order!'
Benjamin was nowhere in sight, it seemed like the task was all up to Stefan. However Stefan's thoughts were cut short by a white tiger running back into the cave roaring angrily. The tiger's roars echoed in the cave, bouncing off of the walls.
Vampires immediately forgot about 'strengthening bonds,' instead came into a fighting stance, eyeing the tiger warily.
Garrett held back his mate, "a tiger… in Russia? What next? A dragon and frolicking unicorns?" he laughed jovially, but the atmosphere turned into battle. The tension thick in the air, Vladimir had shot out and stood in front of the tiger in a protective stance.
"Carnivores make excellent meals." Kate added with a smile.
"SHE IS ONE OF US!" Vladimir yelled and all movement ceased. Stefan had barely found the words; he stood dumbly as half clad women scrambled into corridors away from the scene.
"One of us?" someone in the fray yelled.
The tiger roared again, but by this point the tension in the room had somewhat decreased to a mere breeze.
"Yes," Vladimir sighed, "I honestly wished you would have let Stefan clean up a bit before you entered. I also hoped you would enter in human form before springing your gift on these people," Vladimir sounded exasperated, as he turned toward the tiger.
Amaritta morphed into her true form. She stood proud and tall, she never flinched back from Vladimir's more scarier facial expression, instead she smiled sweetly and glanced about the room.
"Hello."
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Hope you enjoyed the second chapter!
Please review!
Much appreciated!
xox
J & A
