RENESMEE and the VULTORI

Chapter 11 Where I Belong

Entering the largest of all the chambers, I came up behind Aro, my master. He summoned me to bear witness to the trials so that I may have a better understanding of the rules. He wanted to show me the consequences if any should break them so I could be a part of the judging. He was my teacher, and he wanted to keep me at a constant closeness. I sensed that much from his displayed efforts.

Kalus, an ancient vampire, was on trial. His ability is using the advantage of natural disasters to cover his tracks. He would burn through a home and satiate his thirst, and then he would destroy that home by centering an earthquake or other destructive forces on that site to disguise his actions. This in its own was not the crime on trial. The crimes on trial were his recent activities that lead him to join up with too large of a group and let them feast on the whole town, and destroy it with his gift. Haiti, Chili, both victims to his insanities. Had he been allowed to continue, fear of the instability of the earth's crust might have risen. Further studies into this might uncover the secret of our existence. He was getting out of control on too wide of a scale. It had to stop.

Watching the trial, Aro announced the crimes as above and turned to his fellow heads. "We will deliberate on this matter Kalus. We would hate to lose a fellow ancient, but you know the rules." He turned back to Kalus to strike fear into him purposefully. "You will have your verdict by sun up tomorrow, unless you dear take it now."

Kalus, seeing the hate in Aro's eyes, knew what it would be if he asked for verdict now. He agreed to wait. "I'll let you discuss this matter carefully."

"I'm glad to hear." Aro said as he began to walk back to Caius and Marcus.

"Aro," Kalus called out. "I am willing to join you now, if you will have me."

Aro looked back over his shoulder. "We'll take that into consideration."

Aro waived his hand and let Felix pull him away for holding. Then, Aro reached out to me, pulling me under his arm to walk with him into the separate room for the deliberation.

"My dear Renesmee, do you think we should execute this man for his crimes? Or do you think we should take him as one of our own?" He asked me for my input as we walked to the room where Caius and Marcus would join.

I thought it over a moment, though his crimes were of greed, his power seemed useful. "I think he is too dangerous to control. Though his power may be of great use, how can we guarantee his subordination? Look at the mess he made of those humans."

"I think your right about his power. But we have ways of getting someone to be subordinate." With those words, he faced me with a smug grin.

Aro's words and expression brought with it flashes of memories in me. Something I had forgotten, my reason for being here. I could not even remember how I was created, or why I was different. All I knew was this life. Or was it?

"Aro, I'm not feeling well for discussion further into this case. May I be excused?" I said, trying to escape to my room so I can figure out these images in my head.

"Yes dear, of course. Do join us when you feel better. We would love further input from such a wise young girl." He showed me to the door and closed it once I left.

Stammering to make it back to my room, I felt a sudden dizziness. Something felt like it was pulling me to my room. It was as if I could not alter my path in the slightest.

Reaching my room, I closed the door and lay on the bed. I let my eyelids fall close as the weight of the world seemed to bare down on me. I tried to sleep with the images racing through my mind. Who was this man in my visions and why did I feel emotions of desire for him?

I tried to push whatever reminisces of my past human life back and concentrate on where I am now and what I am doing. In doing so, I remembered yet more. I was NEVER human. No cloudy sights clogging my memory. HIS face was crystal clear. Then why was I here? I thought.

Since I could not get his face out of my mind or the now confused reasoning as to why I really was here and how I came to be, I sat up in preparations to just return to Aro and the others to determine the fate of Kalus. I was wiping the frustration from my face when I heard the door open and shut as if someone had just came in. "I thank you for knocking!" I began to scold. I looked up to see who it was.

My arms fell limp to my side. It was the man from my visions. Was this real? I still did not know him but I felt I recognized his dark, inviting brown eyes. "Who are you? Why do I feel I know you somehow?"

I saw pain ravage is face. Had I said something to offend this handsome man? "It's me Nessie."

Running through a thousand images a second, I did my best to find the connection. I stopped at a very intimate memory. Rising to my feet, I walked to him to grab hold of his strong body. I pulled him into me and we kissed. "Jacob!" I breathed.

I felt his pain stricken face change drastically to happiness. Over flowing, heart consuming happiness. "Our children and I have missed you so much. Our families will be happy to hear you're alright. We should quickly go before…" I saw him look to the door as if anticipating something, and then he continued. "They're waiting for us to come home, where you belong."

Not knowing the day, I thought of my children. The objects in my room changed. A door appeared. Then a light came from beneath. It urged me to follow. "Where I belong…" I repeated his words.

He opened the door to reveal more faces, "I remember." I spoke as if coming to a revelation. Then there were these two babies whose eyes lit up as they looked at me. The little girl reached out to me. With no will of my own, I crossed the threshold to this other world to take her into my arms. As I looked at the many faces around me, I knew, this is where I belong.