I know! It's been far too long! I agree. Life, right? Instead of making excuses for my lack of being here, let me just tell you to enjoy!
UPDATE: THANK YOU to those of you who let me know something was funky with this! I hope this is an improvement.
BPOV
Char, Demetri, Felix, Chelsea, Alec, Sebastian, Sigrid, and I, along with a contingent of about twenty others had been in Romania for seven months now without managing to gain any ground.
Seven. Months.
I couldn't fucking believe it! None of our other missions had ever lasted this long and a part of me was seriously regretting volunteering for this mission as eagerly as I had. I was beginning to get more than a little frustrated by Stephan and Vladimir, who were a formidable duo on their own, as well as this Maria bitch that the infamous and infuriating Romanians had hired. No matter what we threw at them, they seemed to be as unaffected as if we'd never attacked them at all! And with hardly any effort, too.
Apparently this Maria chick had been one hell of a force to contend with back in the days of the Southern Wars in America. I was beginning to see what all the hype over her was about. I also understood why she was the only one to escape the wrath of the Volturi when they destroyed all of the Southern Armies in the 1940's. She was smart, tactical, strategic, and was unafraid to use those under her command as cannon fodder. It was nearly impossible to catch this bitch unawares and I was beginning to pay the price for underestimating her. We had already lost twelve of our number to her ravenous newborns and I couldn't figure out how she was managing to get the drop on us so often.
I mean, I wasn't an idiot. I was perfectly capable of handling this entire situation as logically and strategically as the next military-minded vamp, but whatever method I tried to get into the Romanian stronghold, no matter how obscure, she managed to counter it seemingly without thought. No matter what defensive strategy we used, we would be outmatched. I even tried using my shield, but was thwarted by another that the Romanians had, Antonio seemed to be Stephan's pride and joy as well as his progeny. The only reason that ass had been turned in the first place was because he was uniquely gifted.
The closest thing that my spies within the Romanian camp could equate it to was that he was a Sorcerer. Now, I know what you're thinking, witch, wizard, warlock, sorcerer, it seems like the same thing considering you have all of the premier paranormal practitioners of Magic, right? Wrong. According to Jane and Alec, who were both burned at the stake for witchcraft, a sorcerer (or sorcereress) is the most powerful form of Magical practitioner. The difference continues into the intent or the motive of the magic being performed and unfortunately that intent was to harm our ranks and strengthen theirs at every single turn. The power Antonio seemed to possess was the magical equivalent of having a Felix-strength bomb dropped in our camp. Repeatedly and with varying frequency. It was exhausting in a way I had never felt since I was turned. I don't want to say that his gift was impossible to counteract when active, but if there was a way around it, I hadn't found it yet.
It was not an easy thing for a Volturi Guard – especially it's Captain – to acknowledge that we were in over our heads, but I was beginning to believe that we may need help. We would need someone who knew Maria's every move before she made it, every thought before she had it, and every order she was given and gave in turn, all before it was made. I didn't know of anyone that knew Maria that well, but then again, I was fairly new to this life. So, I had called my father a few days ago and asked him to look into Maria's life and see if he could find any of the vampires that she had made that were not only still alive, but that would be willing to help us. I had my doubts that there would be anyone that knew her at all, but the longer I stayed here, the more I had to trust that my father and my uncles would find someone.
Thinking about my father and uncles reminded me of how I had ended up in this mess in the first place.
It was a normal Wednesday in August in the castle which meant that Heidi was off in Palermo, at the maximum security prison Pagliarelli, getting a busload of their death-row inmates who had maxed out all of their court appeals for us to feed on. No reason to let them rot in an over-crowded jail when we could handle the issue and the cleanup all for the nominal price of there being no questions asked by any of the staff. The last mission that we had was a month ago and Char and I were planning a prank against the ever-vigilant Demetri.
We had managed to forgo pranking him as of yet because he was a difficult fucker to prank. We had to be sneaky about it because Demetri seemed to know that he was on our hit list and would find reasons to be near us so we couldn't plan anything. Char and I had just managed to ditch Demetri in the gardens when we heard someone yelling for the kings in the courtyard in front of the clock tower. There was a mass departure of Guard members from the castle into the courtyard where they found a vampire that looked more haggard than I had believed possible for our species. Char and I immediately headed to the Throne Room and awaited the entrance of the vampire in question as well as the Kings.
It didn't take too long before everyone was gathered in the same place and Aro began speaking. "Why do you cause such a ruckus in the middle of this busy town?"
"I'm sorry my King," the man said bowing lowly, "I would have made my presence known a different way, but the information I carry is of the utmost importance and I was determined to have an audience with you as soon as I got here." I took the time to look at the man that Felix had brought in and found that his dark brown hair was singed on the left side, his face was covered in soot and it looked like he was missing the tip of his nose. His clothes didn't fare much better. His shirt was ripped in several places and I couldn't even tell what color shirt it was supposed to be due to the amount of mud, blood, venom, and several other unidentified substances. His jeans were torn and tattered from the knees down and he didn't have any shoes on.
"What information is it that you carry that you forget yourself and how to act in the presence of your Kings?" Caius asked affronted.
"It's the Romanians, sire!" he nearly shouts.
You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed his statement.
Aro walked down to the floor from the dais to meet him. "Please, let me read you so I can see what you've seen."
The man grabs Aro's hand so tightly that if he were human, it would have been painful. All Aro does is close his eyes at the onslaught of information and wait until he's gathered what he needs.
"This man had a coven that was destroyed at the hands of Stephan and Vladimir." Aro stated as he lifted his head and looked towards his brothers. "Three days ago the Romanians came to his home in Poland, tried to recruit the coven to overthrow us, and when they refused, the Romanians killed all four members. He only escaped because he was finishing a hunt when they showed up and was on his way back. He saw everything and knew that the only place he could go to for help was here."
"You were right to come to us for help." Marcus states quietly.
"Why do you look the way you do if you escaped?" Caius asks.
"I may have been on my way back to my home when the Romanian scum showed up, but that doesn't mean they didn't notice me, sire. I ran and I was hunted. I fought for my life against rabid and vicious vampires that seemed to come from every direction."
"Those stupido cazzo Romanians!" Caius shouts."Incredibile. Avrei saputo che quegli idioti avrebbero provato qualcosa.
As Caius continued to rant in Italian, Aro ignored him and made his way back to the dais far more somber than he'd been several minutes ago.
"We knew it was only a matter of time, brother." Aro says solemnly. The look he gave his brothers would have gone unnoticed by those that didn't know him well, but to those of us that did, his eyes shone with a ferocity that I hadn't seen in years.
"It has been far too long that we've let those scum continue to live. I want a contingent of soldiers to head for Poland immedialtely, follow their trail, and end them once and for all!" Caius demands of his brothers.
"I will go." I reply stepping forward. "It would be pointless for me to waste my talents here when I could be put to use ridding the world of these pests."
"Are you sure you can handle this child?" Aro asks concerned.
"I believe with the right soldiers I could take out this threat fairly quickly." I reply confidently.
"Who did you have in mind?" Marcus asks.
"I'll need Demetri, Felix, Alec, and Charlotte for certain. Anyone else from the Guard who wants the chance to go is more than welcome to come with me." I reply.
"I have a dossier on both Stephan and Vladimir that will benefit you. Please meet me in my office and I will have them prepared for you." Marcus replied.
"We leave within the hour." I stated confidently as I bowed to my Kings, walked from the room and headed towards Marcus' office.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Bells?" Char asks running to catch up with me.
"It'll be simple with who all we have coming." I reply. "Besides, you mean to tell me that you haven't been getting a bit bored since our last mission ended?"
"No. I'm not saying that at all." Char replies honestly.
"Then what are you saying?" I ask as I turn to face her right outside Marcus' office door.
"I'm saying that I don't like this situation at all." She states looking into my eyes as if trying to convey a message without speaking. "Something about this doesn't sit right with me. It worries me that after the Kings took control of the vampire world from the Romanians as long ago as they did, why didn't Caius and Aro just end them when they had the chance? Why did they let those two snakes live when they could have prevented this whole thing centuries ago? Why have the Romanians gone a melinnia without attacking before now? What changed to give them the confidence they needed to stage a coup? I just don't believe that we have all the correct answers to those questions."
"We have the correct answers to those questions, Char. Our Father wants them filling an urn on his desk and that's all the answer I need to do this." I replied getting a bit aggravated with her need to justify this mission. "The Romanians clearly think that they've waited long enough that we wouldn't be expecting an attack from them. They want the option to be back in charge and make the decisions again."
"No. You don't know that. You assume that you have the right answers. You assume to know what their endgame is and you assume to know why they've decided to strike now." Char replies adamantly. "I just hate having the feeling that we're gonna regret this mission in a big way."
"You don't know the Romanian's motives either, so don't give them the benefit of the doubt!" I nearly shout at her. "They are our family's sworn enemies! Clearly they have no respect for life human or vampire if the victim currently in the Throne Room is to be believed, and frankly, I'm inclined to believe him after the proof I saw." I state angrily as I start ticking the evidence off on my fingers, "The burns, the clothes, Aro even read him for God's sake! I'm not willing to question my family and their motives when they have been nothing but kind and welcoming to us from the beginning of this life. They could have easily killed us, but instead chose to change us and make us a part of their family. I don't know about you, but I will be forever grateful for the life they've given me. I would defend this family to my final death without question. I would expect you to feel the same way."
"I'm so glad you feel that passionately about this life, daughter." Caius says coming down the hallway towards us with Marcus following closely behind.
"It isn't that I don't feel the same way, Father. I do." Charlotte replies looking between myself and Caius.
"Then what seems to be the problem, child?" Caius asks curiously.
"I just need answers, Father. Something doesn't feel quite right about this mission and I want to understand why I feel this way. I have never questioned an order or a mission because I know you have my best interests at heart. Why else would I have reason to be hesitant if I didn't think this was going to go our way?" Char asks somberly.
"Why don't we go into my office and I'll answer any questions you have about this. Would that make you feel better, my dear niece?" Marcus asks.
"Please." Char replies as Marcus opens the door and ushers all of us in.
"Now, where do I start?" Marcus asks Char and myself as we make ourselves comfortable on the chairs in front of his desk. Caius just chooses to stand behind us and I can't help but think how grounding his presence is in this moment. I may have let my attitude get away from me, but I don't regret anything I said. I'm eternally grateful to Caius for taking us in and adopting us. Now I know he knows exactly how grateful.
"We have forgone much of your education into the history of Vampires and that fault lies with us. However, we are prepared to remedy that oversight now. Charlotte," Marcus says getting her attention, "you asked Isabella why we let Sefan and Vladimir live after we overthrew them. I think the more pertinent question is what brought us to war with them so long ago? Perhaps if we start from the beginning, all of your questions will be answered before you have the chance to ask, yes?"
Char and I nodded our heads in the affirmative so he would continue.
"Very well, you know that the myth of the Vampire has been around for far longer than even I have been, and that unfortunately that myth had to start somewhere. All myths and ledgends start from History. Then those historical stories become exaggerated over the years and years of their repeated telling. No one alive remembers who the first Vampire was. Some say it was Lillith, others disagree and say it was Vlad Tepes, from whom the Dracula story was told, then there are others that disagree with both. The point is we exist. Whether through magic, deals with the devil, demons on earth, or another reason entirely, we do not know. We just know that we live human and mortal lives and when we die, we awaken once more to a vastly different existence.
The Romanian coven has a lot to do with where the Vampire myths come from, though. In Ancient times, a group of ambitious vampires called a truce to the usual squabbling between small covens and joined forces for the purpose of gaining power. This group became the Romanian Coven and was once the biggest coven in the world. There was a problem with this coven, though. They never dared to keep their existence a secret. The Romanians, along with the Ancient Egyptian Coven, willingly let the people of their lands know what they were. They were seen as living gods and were worshiped as such. Humans were brought to them for their pleasure, whether that be feeding on them, changing them, or taking their carnal pleasures from them. It was despicable the way they acted and even more appalling in the way they were fawned over. What's worse, they treated those humans around them with cruelty and disdain. Like they were lesser strictly because they hadn't been turned yet.
Aro, Caius, Athenodora, and myself formed the early version of the Volturi Coven, but we were located in Greece at the time. Your mother, Athena bore witness to the horrors that were how the Romanians ruled the Vampire world, or they didn't run it, really. When she showed up back in Greece from a trip she had taken, she told us all what had transpired. We all then chose to take a trip to view this heinousness ourselves. Not that we didn't value Athena's opinion on the situation, but women were held to a different standard back then and as men, we felt the need to go ourselves. We all knew then that the barbarity of the Romanians had to stop and that we could, with time, patience, and numbers, end their terrible rule. Once we returned to Greece, we made that our home base as we proceeded to gather vampires with useful talents to build up our power. Whereas the Romanians had more physically imposing Vampires as underlings for them, we chose to be more selective with our coven members in that they had to have some sort of supernatural ability for us to even consider them. Eventually when we gathered our forces, we moved our merry band here to Volterra and we've been here ever since.
Once we felt our force was a match for theirs, we challenged their authority. The war lasted for roughly a century and we lost many on both sides. The Romanian downfall was that they placed no stock in supernatural abilities from some vampires, whereas we very much did and, in fact, sought them out. When we attacked their stronghold, we thought everyone inside had perished, but we found out later that Sefan, Vladimir, and Vladimir's mate had managed to escape before the castle was destroyed. It is no wonder they have harbored such resentment towards us since then. They even tried to overthrow us not too long after our victory. They attacked us with over one hundred Vampires they had recruited to their side hoping to overwhelm us with numbers, but we had acquired Jane and Alec by that time and, when given the order by Aro, the twins unleashed their power and the enemy was overcome. Victory was assured at that point and easy to destroy. I believe Vladimir's mate was also a casualty of that attack. I'm still unsure of why Stefan and Vladimir were not with the rest of their hoard to attack us, but we do know that they have not tried to reform their coven until now."
"How do you know that?" Char asks.
"Oh my dear girl, because every few decades, Aro sends Demetri to seek them out and see what they are up to, which forces the Romanians to constantly move and be on their guard. Since they posed little to no threat to the Volturi up till now, the two of them were always left to their own devices." Marcus replies calmly. "Now, does that answer any questions that you had?"
"It answers most of them, yes." Charlotte replies.
"I feel any other questions that you have about this particular mission cannot be answered by anyone here in this room. You may just have to go with Bella and find the answers to your other questions on your mission." Marcus replies.
"Now, if you are satisfied, you have to be leaving in the next few minutes." Caius reminds us. "Make sure you're packed for an extensive stay, I have a feeling you may be there a while."
Unfortunately for us, he and Char weren't wrong. This was nothing like we had faced before and I was coming to the unpleasant realization that I was sorely unprepared for what we were facing. I was more than ready to end this campaign and go home, but we couldn't leave until we were done, which it didn't look like we would be for a while, or we were called away. What is it they say; 'no rest for the wicked'? Frankly it seemed to us that the only ones that weren't getting rest were certainly not the wicked ones. The wicked themselves seemed to be fairly and amazingly well rested if their constant barrage was anything to go by. Plus, they seemed to have an infinite number of newborns that they kept, apparently, conjuring out of thin air. I had tried finding out when, where, how often they hunted, and what type they were looking for, but still couldn't manage to see any sort of pattern. It just seemed so random.
What made it worse was the magic surrounding this place. We had managed to find the Romanians and their army inside their newly rebuilt fortress in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains. It would have been no trouble at all to storm the place and wipe everyone out, if not for the annoying Sorcerer they had in their midst. There was some sort of barrier that prevented us from coming within two miles in any direction of their fortress and we had to solely rely on spies in order to get the information we needed.
Honestly, I hated working with spies. They were untrustworthy and I would have preferred to just handle things myself, but Char insisted on using the ones that she trained herself, so I agreed. We got updates every couple of hours and waves of newborns attacking us during the lulls. It was better than trying our hands at going in there ourselves, which wouldn't have worked at all considering our faces are as recognizable as Felix or Demetri's and we would have been torn apart on sight.
Luckily, my Father had chosen a great opportunity to call with new information, but no he wasn't going to give it over the phone and no, he wasn't running here either. Char and I needed a break so he was sending the jet to pick us up, take us home, and he would be more than happy to divulge the information he had once we were safely at home. I saw no downside to his plan and Char didn't either, so we packed our stuff, left Felix and Demetri in charge, and finally headed back home for some well deserved R&R.
AN: Italian translations from Google translate:"stupido cazzo – stupid fucking
Incredibile. Avrei saputo che quegli idioti avrebbero provato qualcosa. - Unbelievable. I might have known those idiots would try something.