Losing Didyme
All too quickly, Felix' elation began to fade. He desperately clawed at his emotions trying to snatch back the ecstasy, pushing at the monstrous, looming sadness that threatened his happiness. His struggles lasted only moments before all of Didyme's drug had completely subsided. He was flat out on his back, soaking up the final remnants of his forced happiness when the full horror of the situation dawned on him. Where has Didyme gone? No! No no no! FUCK! "DIDYME!" He roared, not caring who could hear him now, the fear of being discovered now long forgotten. All that drove him forward at vampire speed through the castle was his loyalty to her, to his position - she was at risk from rogue vampires and he had to save her. He charged into the throne room just as Aro was ripping the head from the last rogue vampire they had caught skulking in the castle grounds.
Felix' interruption was noted by the entire room. He stood for a moment, looking to Aro and then the to head he casually held in his hands… I will be next! He allowed the solemn thought to fleet through his mind, then ignoring the protests of the guards (and the three masters, no less!) he continued to course through the halls until he came to the heavy wooden door that marked the main entrance to the castle. "FELIX!" Aro roared after him, causing a fresh wave of nausea to pass over the boy as he threw open the doors. Daylight poured through the murky hall behind him as Felix looked out to the glistening courtyard, illuminated by tens of vampires sparkling in the sunlight. This wasn't a few rogues; this was damn near an army of the fuckers.
The guards from the throne room, and more that followed Felix charging through the hall spilled out into the castle grounds. Vampires were fighting, flashing, back and forth, it was hard to make out who was who with the shining bodies casting a heavenly glow across the ground. "FELIX!" Demetri. My brother. Felix thought as he searched, ripping rogue vampires to pieces as he went. There he was. Demetri was holding his own against two newborns, he went to help his brother, but then he saw her. Didyme. She was dangling precariously from the high castle wall. The fall wouldn't kill her. It wouldn't even hurt her. But the vampire holding her by that long soft raven hair threatened to rip her head from those beautiful, precious shoulders.
Aro was the first of the masters to arrive in the grounds. He saw his sister and the fate that would meet her if someone didn't intervene. Aro was an accomplished fighter, he his brothers and the two other masters liked to stay one step ahead of the guard should they ever have the need to defend themselves against them. The masters rarely fought openly so they could keep their skills hidden from everyone. But not now. Aro charged towards his sister's keeper, laying flat any vampire that crossed his path! He saw Felix making his way towards them too. Aro knew he was faster than Felix and charged on ahead.
Too late.
Aro reached the bottom of the wall just in time to catch his sister's headless body as it fell delicately through the air, sparkling in the sunlight like an angel. Scooping Didyme up into his hold, Aro clutched her to his chest and dropped to his knees. With his sister in his arms he looked around his castle court yard. He wasn't worried about the assailant who had caused his grief, Aro saw Felix running up the walls to take care of the despicable creature.
Marcus, who was defending the castle entrance looked to Aro, he saw the lifeless body of his beautiful, beloved wife in his arms. Falling back, Marcus crashed to the floor before scrambling to his knees. Vampire and guard alike were falling all around him. He didn't move. He didn't speak. Marcus watched as Aro rose to his feet. Warring guards and rogues appeared to part for the vampire king as he carried Didyme towards her husband. And then Marcus felt no more. Alec.
Alec and Jane had been sent out of their protective duty by Sulpicia and Carmen. Sully could hear the wailing vampires; she could hear the destruction to her coven. She sent out her little vampires with the hope they could restore order. Alec, as soon as he reached the castle entrance, emitted his anaesthetic fog and had it stretched out to all the castle grounds. Guard and rogue alike were disabled.
Jane pulled Aro from her brother's gift and waited for instructions. Aro, bereft, lay his sister's body on the stone steps, still shining magnificently in the sunlight. He didn't speak, he couldn't. "Master, what would you have us do?" Jane asked him nervously. An attack at the castle walls hadn't occurred in many centuries and she felt a little dumb struck. Aro tried to clear his head, he knew he had to act, but first he needed to check something, "Sulpicia? Is she safe?" he asked his princess of darkness. "Yes, of course. She is in our quarters, we didn't want to leave her but she knew we could help, my lord." Jane was perfect at slipping between their home and public face. Aro nodded, content enough for now to stay and set things straight in his coven, praying that his wife would be safe in their tower until he could return. "Alec, hold your fog, don't let it slip, but keep it low to the ground. Jane, wait on my command." He spoke quickly and then set about to retrieving his coven mates.
Locating Caius first he pulled his brother in arms free from the fog and they set out to find other members of their guard. Finding Eleazar, and then Carlisle, Aro issued his brothers quick instructions; "find Felix and Demetri but do not remove them from the fog." Alec struggled to hold onto his gift, keeping the vampires on the ground immobile whilst Aro and the others moved through it was difficult, he was a little proud of himself right now. Conceited ass! Jane knew what her twin would be thinking. Caius and Aro moved from vampire to vampire, ripping the heads from anyone they didn't recognize. Aro called over to Caius, "we must leave one alive." Caius dropped the severed head he was holding and looked incredulously to Aro, "Why?!" Aro tossed another body to the middle of the courtyard, quite a pile of dead vampires was stacking up already. "So Demetri can track them back to their coven." Caius nodded curtly but he wasn't pleased - he'd rather kill them all and hunt them down the old way.
The anger was building in Aro with each head he grasped, and soon the fury inside him was coursing through his veins as he started tearing vampires to shreds - no longer content with ending the attackers, he wanted vengeance. Alec wore the strain of his gift on his face. Seeing her brother struggle, Jane called out to Aro, "Master?!" and motioned to her twin. Aro knew what Jane was saying, he could see the tension on Alec's face, it was tough though, Aro wasn't finished yet. "You will hold it Alec, you will hold until I am done with this. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" Aro bellowed back. Alec nodded vigorously, gripping his gift with new valour.
Aro's usual nonchalance was a long gone memory right now. Even when they brought down the Romanians and all of the losses they faced in those wars, very few had witnessed the coven master so visibly upset.
"Aro! Brother, over here…" Eleazar had found Demetri. Aro hurried to his brother's side and placed a hand on his errant vampire boy's head. Fishing through his thoughts, Aro gasped as he learned of the Didyme's deception, and Felix' too. He felt the rage burning him up inside but he needed to know everything before he acted. His boys were going to tell him… kind of, the drama in the throne room had waylaid their plans. Aro watched Felix through Demetri's eyes, hearing how they both believed he would kill them. He wanted to kill them.
He could feel his hand tightening on Demetri's skull. Eleazar noticed too and nudged his brother to make sure he was aware of the hold he had on the young boy - he loosened his grip, grudgingly. Demetri was terrified of him finding out that he even knew about Felix's stupidity. He also saw the latest few newborn conquests Demetri had racked up on his bedpost since his last hiding. That will have to keep, but it will be addressed, my boy! With that final thought he withdrew his hand from Demetri's head and turned to Eleazar, "clear the ground here, but, please brother, stay with him." Eleazar nodded and looked at his brother with sad eyes. At least the rage is settling a little in him. Whatever is going on in your head Demetri, it has calmed him a little. Eleazar moved to dispatch some more of the rogue vampires, starting with the one that held Demetri by the throat.
Aro's emotions were sparking in every direction. He was bereft at losing his sister and raging at this army of impertinent vampires who tried to overthrow his coven… and then there was Demetri and Felix. Venom pooled in his throat and he swallowed hard.
Demetri was terrified of me finding out that he even knew about this. Aro was a little disappointed, he thought they, as in, all of them had broken that barrier now. He had tried so hard to show his guard, especially his eldest two how valued they were. But they had every intention of telling me of my sister's tricks, at least. Aro wasn't stupid, he knew how Didyme played people. My darling sister. His dead heart stabbed in grief. That stupid boy should have told me the first damn time! Why hadn't he? Why has he let things get to this point, why has he forced me into this position? "AHHHH!" Aro roared in rage to his own thoughts. Didyme is dead because of Felix, my coven would question my actions if he wasn't brought to justice. Caius already thinks I'm too protective of my high guard and that it causes a danger to us as a coven… and now he has been proved right!
Aro looked over to Caius who was in the throes of dispatching vampires left and right, throwing the remains into a pile ready for burning. He was truly enjoying himself. Evil cunt, Aro thought. Demetri's memories had at least given him time to think. He knew what he should do with Felix, I should rip his fucking head off, that's what I should do. But Felix and Demetri, they were more than guards to him. They had been since he had invited them into his private chambers, those he shared with his mate when they first arrived in Volterra. Sulpicia would never forgive me if she lost her boy. Could I forgive myself for that matter?
"Aro, Felix is here…" Carlisle called from the top of the castle outer wall, adding darkly, "and the other one." Carlisle wasn't too sure what exactly had happened before the fight broke out. He knew who Felix held in a head lock though - the vampire that killed Didyme. Aro flashed to Carlisle taking him by surprise, even for vampire speed that was fast! Carlisle thought. He made short work of pulling his sisters deadly assailant free from Felix' brutish arms. "Jane, my dear," Aro called sweetly to his princess of darkness. Jane left her brothers side and walked towards the base of the wall where Carlisle had found Felix.
"Burn him!" With that simple, dark order Aro threw the vampire into the air. Now released from Alec's fog, he started to lash out. But it was too late for him, Jane had already fixed her deadly glare on the vampire before he hit the ground. Paralyzed in the inferno Jane unleashed in his mind all he could do was scream. She held him with her gift as she dragged him back towards her twin, not wanting to be apart from Alec for any longer than necessary. Aro watched her, proud as ever of his talented girl! Carlisle watched too, though unlike Aro, Jane's gift brought him no pleasure at all. If the vampire had to die, and he agreed that he did, why not just take his head?
Carlisle didn't agree with torture even for sadistic creatures like this wretch. He looked over to Eleazar who shared a knowing look with him. He in turn looked at the boy at his feet. Thousands of years old you may be Demetri, but I don't like your chances against Aro… What have you two done this time? He thought sadly to himself. Carlisle thought similar about Felix. Looking to Marcus, still on his knees with a vacant expression, entirely broken, and then to Aro, fury seemed to be emitting from his pours! May I never love someone enough to risk bringing this fate to my door! He thought solemnly.
Aro gripped Felix tightly around his throat. "Aro!" Carlisle tried to intervene but one look into those black, fury filled eyes had him stumbling backwards. The primal hiss he received didn't help either. The hiss startled Aro too - he wasn't sure if his primal side was trying to protect his young one, or claim the kill for his own, and it scared him.
"ARO" Caius shouted needlessly, "They are all dead, except that one." Caius gestured to the tortured being Jane still held in her grips, "and this one!" Caius lifted the struggling vampire in his grasp high by his neck so his feet barely touched the floor. Aro nodded in response. "Alec, you can release now." He called to his young guard. The exertions of his gift wore heavily on the child's face, when his fog was fully recoiled he fell in a heap to the floor beside Marcus. Marcus looked no different, still as vacant and soulless as he had been whilst anaesthetised by Alec's power.
"Caius, take Jane and that monster to the throne room." Caius still held onto one living rogue, giving him a rough shake he called back to Aro, "What about this one?" Aro looked over to Demetri, "is he close enough?" Demetri nodded once, wide eyed and terrified. So I will live long enough for one more track, a final mission then… he thought sadly. Aro offered a curt nod in return, never making eye contact with the boy. "Let him go Caius," the rogue couldn't quite believe his luck. He considered trying to take one or two of them down for the destruction of his comrades, but seeing the pile of decapitated bodies and ripped up remains he thought better of it and flashed from the scene.
Aro called to Jane, pointing at the murderous wretch still held in her gift he said, "Jane, do not release him until I am there." With that he turned away, just missing Jane's dramatic eye roll. Aro now looked over to his two brothers, Eleazar held on tightly to Demetri - he was ready to flee. Carlisle looked back to him with a miserable expression, confused and a little hurt. Aro didn't have time to worry about that right now. "Alec, stay with Marcus, keep him sedated." "Yes Master," the tired boy called out. He looked every bit the twelve-year-old boy right now and he struggled to pull Marcus to his feet. Some of Marcus' favoured guards came to his assistance and they all disappeared into the castle together.
The remaining guards that had survived the fight assembled before Aro, waiting on his instructions. "You should make your way into the throne room… it's going to be a long night my friends, our plans for retribution begin now!" Within moments the entire castle ground was cleared. Only Aro, his two brothers, and his two boys were left.
Carlisle couldn't help but be impressed by Aro. Even under incredible strain he could lead his coven with ease, and he didn't miss anything. You could almost see his mind ticking off each one of his coven members, one by one: are they in the right place? Are they doing their duty? Are they safe? Each one in turn. "Brother," Aro turned to Carlisle, "would you be so kind as to light that pyre, I won't relax until I see their bodies ablaze!"
Eugh… wishing he'd found Demetri instead of Felix, Carlisle made his way quickly into the castle, taking the first flaming torch he could find and made his way back into the court yard and over to the mountain of dead rogue vampires. He threw the torch high, it landed deftly in the middle of the pyre and soon enough the entire heap was ablaze. Aro visibly relaxed. He looked down to Felix. He wasn't struggling, seemingly resigned to his fate. "I submit to you Master" the quiet voice was nearly drowned out by the roaring of the flames.
Aro's grip on the boy's throat pulsated with his thoughts. He was flying through Felix's mind now, trying to get through all the guilt to the actual scenes of all his deception. He saw how his dear sister had manipulated the youth that first time. It hadn't taken much - Felix was always far too keen for disobedience, or 'fun' as he called it. The force of the thoughts that followed caught Aro off guard and he hissed at the onslaught, Felix was tearing himself to pieces mentally for being so reckless with Didyme's life, and with Aro's trust… Felix was replaying to himself every moment he had shared with Aro, he saw him as more than a coven leader, much more in fact. He dreaded his disappointment. Not because he would expel him form the guard, or even dispatch him altogether, though he knew it was certainly an option, but because he saw him as his father.
The thoughts Aro read in Felix's mind were not unlike his own when thinking of Basileus. He was shocked, much had changed in his private quarters with his guards and his wife over the last year or so but Aro hadn't realised the strength of his boy's feelings before. This is not the time to be thinking on such things, I need information now, not feelings! Aro berated himself, for getting caught up with such things, he knew his time was short and if there was a way to save his guards he had to find it quickly! He pressed on.How many times have you defied me boy? My god! This had been going on for months… how had no one noticed? Months! Felix had been ripping himself apart over this, I quite want to rip you apart over this too! Aro thought in agreement with the young guard. Today, get to today. Oh Didyme, why would you do this? He saw through Felix's eyes as he tried to convince Didyme to stay, he was resigned to his fate, but for own sake, 'please stay' he begged her. And then she flooded him.
Aro had seen his sister do that to others, often wishing he could receive her gift to feel the euphoria for himself. His boy was incapacitated, until the feelings subsided and he saw Felix frantically charge through the castle and out to the courtyard, and of course, to the scene that awaited Aro when he arrived shortly after. He watched his sister die, again. The rage at seeing her demise, so callously in that vagrant's hands bubbled up inside him once more and he had to will his hand to release Felix' neck; he could hear the boy gurgling on his pooling venom.
Releasing his hold, Felix dropped to the ground. He was waiting for Aro to finish him off. Aro had no intentions of doing that, but he had to play this well. Caius, even Marcus this time would expect Felix to die. I won't let that happen, over my own dead body will that happen! He was disconcerted by the intensity of his own feelings, his sister had lost her life - any other guard in Felix' position would be dead already, Aro knew that for a fact as he would have been the one to kill them! But no, not this guard, not his boy. Losing his sister was bad enough he wouldn't lose Felix too.
Caius had always said that Aro's bond with his high guard would be the coven's downfall. Is this the beginning of our end? He had avoided usual coven discipline for his guard many times, he took them in hand himself, in private usually. Though nothing of this magnitude had ever occurred before. Felix' actions had led directly to his sister's death. And his sister was Marcus' wife. Aro knew full well what he would call for if Sulpicia had been in Didyme's place. If you had come to me that first time this whole heart breaking fiasco could have been avoided, stupid boy! He thought angrily to the weeping guard at his feet.
He understood after reading the boys thoughts why he hadn't thought better of continuing with the plan. And Aro felt his own guilt for that. His boys saw him as their father, and they were certain he didn't see them as his sons. That ripped fresh hurt right through his dead heart, and with that pain came the realization that he too had played his part in his sister's demise. Only he knew what had happened, and his two boys of course. No one in his coven had his powers, he'd never even met another vampire with such a gift as his.
Basileus would know all that occurred when he returned, there was no way to hide from him. Would he care? Aro wondered. Basileus was fond of Marcus but his dislike for Caius had grown to hatred as the centuries progressed. He has protected my guard against Caius before, damn it he has protected them against me - he loves them as much as I do! Aro was confident that whether Basileus agreed with Aro's plans to proceed or not, he would still back him. He was his son; the humans say blood is thicker than water when it comes to protecting their own. Basileus' venom ran through Aro's veins, and Aro's flowed through Felix'. If this truly is the beginning of the end for the Volturi coven, I will be protecting my own. Aro thought smoothly as he formulated his plan. He was fully intent on punishing Felix, and Demetri for that matter, though it would be his way, his terms. As everything always was for Aro.