"What?" I asked.
"Joham, he's…" He paused, hesitant.
"Tell me, Grather."
"He's dead." I was taken aback.
"How?" I asked, in shock. He was too depressed about Joham, he was at lost for words. He just stood there. I decided to use the method I always used.
"Relax, and don't be alarmed." I smiled, trying to calm him. At the same time, I was thinking to myself. Aro, the king that was overthrown by Caius, has become a vegetarian. Wow.
I place my ice cold fingers on the flash-fire like skin of the middle aged werewolf. His thoughts and my mind connected at that instant. It was like a river of memories flowed into my mind. I saw everything, from when he was a child till he was the age he was now. I saw how he turned into a wolf, how he felt. I felt how it was like to see the world in the eyes of the child of the moon. I saw the tragedy.
-FLASHBACK start-
Joham was with Grather in the forest. They were having a friendly chat, and hunting together.
"I get the bigger one!" Joham said.
"I do!" Grather exclaimed.
They were hunting the panthers.
"I'll race you!" Grather suggested, and took a head start.
Joham chased after Grather, but then felt a strange presence. Suddenly, a blinding color of white came into the picture. Joham pulled the white figure away from Grather. Grather winced. He was bitten by the white figure. The venom was poisonous. Grather phased back to human, as the venom poisoned his system painfully. He could see Joham trying to kill the new-born vampire on a hunting frenzy, and Joham had no fighting expertise. Joham was losing. Grather wanted to help, but he was poisoned so badly he could not move. The next thing he saw was a bright light, fiery orange and yellow. Grather was healing from the venom, and phased back to take revenge on that new-born. He too had no fighting expertise, but he managed to dismember the new-born and threw him into the fire. He struggled back to his home and mourned the death of his first ever friend in overwhelming grief.
-FLASHBACK end-
It happened just yesterday. Grather struggled with the fact. Though Joham was creating a little havoc by breeding vampire-human species, he was still a loyal friend that sacrificed his life for a natural enemy. He should be respected.
"Okay… I'm so sorry about Joham."
"It's okay. Everything just happened so quickly." He looked at his arm, where the crescent bite mark was obvious. The shape was embedded into his skin.
"So, can you tell me more about the vampire-human species?"
"Ah, yes. Alice said you were coming to ask me about them. The vampire-human species are creatures that are born from a human mother. The father would be a vampire. They inherit the vampire genes more than the human genes, as the vampire genes are stronger. Their skins will be the temperature a few degrees below the one of a wolf's, like me. Though their skins aren't cold, it shimmers slightly under sunlight, and it is impenetrable, like vampires. They will have accelerated growth, and will stop growing at the age of 17. Their systems still run, so they can live the life of a normal human. They can get sleepy, and have to sleep. Blood is pumped around their bodies. They are very fascinating species. I've heard that you've seen Renesmee before? I very much want to see her… She's so special." Grather explained.
"Yes, she's beautiful, and special." I deliberated for a moment, and asked Grather again. "I'm going to the Cullens, I want to seek their help. I want to be a better vampire. I want to ask them to help me be what we call 'vegetarian'. I'll be going there from here. You could come along. The other children of the moon resides around the area. You could visit them too." I was being a kind person. So that was how I felt, to be somebody that didn't kill humans, and made friends with wolves. It actually felt better than being the king of all vampires. I felt so free to be.
Grather was overly excited. "Oh yes! Thank you, Aro!" We set off the next morning. Werewolves were not like vampires, they needed to rest. I took this time to hunt some panthers. When he woke up, we were ready to leave.
We ran at a speed that could get us to the Olympic Peninsula area in about a day and a half. But Grather had to rest at some point, and he was weaker as he still had a little poison in his system. We stopped around where Volterra was, and I decided to visit the town for the last time, before I left to 'become' a Cullen. While Grather rested along the riverbed, I combed the perimeter for any vampire that could harm him again. Why? Because he was my first real friend. Everyone else was just a prop before. I could not let anyone harm my friend, I would be like Joham. Selfless.
When I assured that the area was safe, I walked the town square. It was night, and the town was deadly quiet. Out of nowhere, I heard a voice call me. 'Master' it said.
"I'm no more your master." I said coldly to the voice.
"I know. But Caius is creating havoc. He's making an army, and Jane is ever so keen to fight. I'm afraid that she might get killed. My sister. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wants a one-on-one with Bella. I'm also afraid for the Cullens…"
"What?" I turned to look at Alec. "He's planning an attack on the Cullens? But, why- The battle!" I felt the need to inform their coven.
"Master, I don't want to fight. But Caius is forcing me and Demetri to fight. Caius said the fight would be a fight to the finish… What should we do?" Alec was worried for the first time ever since the change. "And I don't want to kill the Cullens. They have such a happy life. Would that happiness only last a few days? I don't want to be a bad guy. I was never, and never want to be. I wish I could just leave the Volturi coven, but I have to stay with Jane…"
"You'll think of something Alec, you're smart. I was planning to go to the Cullens anyway. I'll pass the message." I tried to calm him, but I was not very calm myself.
"Master, you've got to hurry. The fight, it's in a few days. Five, to the max. You have to hurry. If I have to kill anyone of the Cullens, tell them I'm sorry." Alec walked away, troubled and remorseful.
I ran back and told Grather we had to leave.
"What's the hurry? Is there something wrong?"
"Can't talk now, we have to get to Cullens as fast as possible."
When we reached the Cullens house, Carlisle was sitting on the front porch, while Renesmee and the wolf guy whose name I think was Jacob, were doing some homework. I saw a girl standing alert, against the tree.
"Aro? What are you doing here?" Carlisle asked, confusion painted on his face.
"They're coming."
"Who's coming?" Carlisle asked, the gentleness was broken. Jacob growled. The others from inside the house, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Esme, Bella and Edward walked out.
Edward gasped. "They're coming…"
"What?" Bella asked.
" Worse, this time."He continued.
"What, Edward, what?" Bella shook Edward gently, looking into his shock-filled eyes.
"Caius, he's created another army, over the months. He's coming for us. This time, no-one would be allowed to live… A fight to the finish. He's coming, and we only have a few days left." Edward said softly, terrorized.
"How many?" Carlisle asked, his calmness was not helping anyone.
"Less than five." I coughed up.
Everyone stared from one to another, and even Jasper could not calm the tension in the air. Everyone gasped in shock, and the silence was deafening, as everyone worried about the battle that was storming up, and headed our way.
"Help us, Aro."