AN: Thanks for your patience. Here's the History of the Vampires. S. Meyer owns twilight. I'll post chapter 2 tomorrow.
"5000 years before our assent to Vampire Royalty the Romanians were in power. They were openly corrupt; killing, looting, and glutting themselves on the humans around them and the vampire gods who cared for their human charges. Stefan and Vladimir saw how primitive the world was and sought to take advantage. To them every living thing was inconsequential, they were brutal. Their most successful campaigns were the destruction of our ancient rulers and the near extinction of werewolves.
"When they were newly turned they created a rebellion against the eleven Ancients. All over the known world; from Egypt to the eastern shore of Russia they built an alliance with other young vampires. They invaded and plundered each territory held by the Ancients. One by one the eleven elders died by their hands. The Romanians were savages, destroying anything that opposed them.
"A few Ancients heard of the war against their co-regents and tried to hide. They worked together in secret to cull the motley crew of arrogant upstarts. For hundreds of years the Romanians fought against the old world power. They turned the progeny of the Ancients against their sires. They turned humans; creating the first Newborn Army. The Ancients may have been considered gods by the humans in their territories, but they weren't as cruel as the ones that usurped them.
"The last Ancient was killed in 4000 BC. He was a brittle creature, heavy browed and bent. A relic of the Neanderthals. Thousands of years of human and vampire history died with them. Humans lost their gods to cruel, barbaric rulers who enslaved them. The humans tried to appease the new Romanian gods; praying, sacrificing their own people and building monuments to the two leaders, Vladimir and Stefan. Their worship was interpreted by the Romanians as proof of their superiority.
"Their arrogance nearly killed the human race. Their armies binged on humans, killing many for sport, not just food. They were the new Elders of our kind and they hated any competition. Since humans were incapable of defending themselves, they struck up a friendship with werewolves. Humans were bringing werewolves into their communities; feeding them, clothing them, housing them. It was the only option they had to protect their lives from the Vampire scourge.
"The werewolves were able to defend their humans in packs. They were stronger and faster than humans, but not as strong and fast as Vampires outside the full moon. They kept to groups of six in each community they protected. Vampire covens were comprised of two individuals. Any more members would simply open the door to in-fighting.
"As dangerous as the wolves became at the full moon, the humans preferred their company to the Vampires. It wasn't until hundreds of years later that humans and werewolves discovered the beasts within their guardians could be somewhat controlled by Rowan wood. While in human form, the wolves could tolerate the smell, but in their beast form they avoided it. With that protection in place the human world once again flourished.
"The Romanians heard of the deaths of their minions. They heard about the human/werewolf alliance and made it their new mission to destroy every werewolf. They started anew, ordering the creation of new vampires and sending out armies of our kind to hunt down the werewolf guardians and their human masters. The humans were once again enslaved, a few werewolves tried to hide.
"Raiding parties crossed the continent, searching and destroying any werewolves they encountered. Humans began to fear werewolves; being caught harboring one meant the destruction of their families and friends. The human villagers turned their backs on the people who had protected them for so long.
"During the Romanian occupation of the world the werewolves numbers dwindled. Around 3000 BC there were a handful left. It was then one werewolf visited a small coastal town in what is now modern day Norway. My ancestors lived in a small community of fishermen and farmers. Many generations before Marcus and I were brought into the world one of the few werewolves alive came upon our ancestral home. It was the full moon and, through the beast's uncontrollable instincts, he bit one of our townsmen. A band of vampires caught the beast before it could escape and fought him, tearing him apart and setting the remains on fire.
"At this point in our tale we can recount the histories told to us by our fathers. The history of our people was passed on through story telling rather than written down. It was for the protection of our people, if the wrong person got a hold of our history we could be wiped out. Marcus and I grew up with the stories of the past. Every night our fathers would tell us the tales, helping us memorize the history to pass on to future generations. The story of our migration tells us that the town worked together to protect the man who had been bitten. The town apothecary had learnt of the wolf's instinct against Rowan wood and helped contain the creature from harming others in our town during the full moon. Our people banded together and decided to migrate to a small island the seafarers had discovered; Iceland.
"Entire families, our ancestors included, boarded boats and set sail. A few lives were lost, but it was a more merciful death than what the vampires would have dealt us all. They arrived on the unknown island and recoiled from the smell, sulfur lay heavy in the air. Our people knew then the smell would keep vampires away. The fume from the active volcanoes would shield us from any enemies. Our ancestors roamed, building settlements around the coast.
"Traditions grew to ensure our prosperity. The eldest child in every third generation would be turned into a wolf when they were around 20 years old. They would add to the protection of our community and receive the same benefits as the werewolf protectors of the past. It was a high honor to be chosen. Rowan wood was brought over and cultivated to help contain our protectors during the full moon. Its berries would feed our villages along with grain they'd brought over.
"Another sacred tradition started. When each child reached roughly 13 years old they would voyage to the mainland for a year. They'd be fostered by the descendants of those who chose to stay behind. We would learn of new technologies and languages to bring to our settlement. A few stayed on the mainland with their mates, starting new lives and families. They in turn would foster our young men and women into adulthood.
"The practice made our island grow prosperous; many who returned had found suitable mates and brought them home to start families. Sometimes our young would bring their mates and the families of their mates to our island. Our little settlement grew, living in peace from the vampire world. Unfortunately, there were those who lost their lives on the treacherous journey from the island to the continent or on the way back home, but the tradition remained, it was our rite of passage.
"Our settlement grew from the fifty original people to several hundred over generations. Marcus was born roughly ten years before me, we do not know the dates of our births as records weren't kept and time wasn't measured like it is today. We suspect it was around 1000BC, it was the late bronze age.
"When Marcus was old enough he travelled to the mainland like all those before him. He started a life there and didn't return to the island." Marcus cut in, explaining his life on the mainland. "The mainland didn't smell and I fell in love with a local girl. She was carrying my child before I was due to return and didn't want to leave the continent. I stayed with her family, working on the farm and helping protect them from raiders. The weather had changed since our people migrated to Iceland; food was scarce and towns battled each other for survival. I chose to protect my new family."
Aro continued. "He fostered me and many of my generation. He taught us new farming methods, language, reading, writing, navigation techniques and fighting. He helped so many of us. We returned to the island with new supplies and knowledge to share with everyone.
"Our population was constantly changing, fluctuating. We were hardy survivors. Our island was volatile; harsh cold weather, desolate climate and a lot of Volcanic activity. Our life expectancy was thirty, but we flourished. Sometimes our young ones would bring new diseases with them, our immune systems weren't capable of fighting off much and many would die, but still the tradition remained.
"About five years later the ships carrying our young left, one returned within days. A sole survivor was on board. A boy reached the coast, he told us of the bodies littering the Foster City. He described the bite necks on the bodies, our elders hypothesized there had been a vampire raid.
"My uncle, Marcus, wasn't among the dead. At the time our werewolf pack numbered twenty nine. I had an older brother, Fred-"
"Your brother's name is Fred?" Emmett asked in amusement. "Actually his name is Frithugaizaz, young people like you tend to have trouble with it so we call him Fred," Aro said with a mock glare. Emmett tried to pronounce 'Frithugaizaz,' but he looked like a dog trying to chew toffee. The Masters laughed at him.
Aro resumed his story. "Fred became our generation's werewolf protector. The werewolves wanted to head to the mainland and avenge those who had protected our secret with their lives, we stopped them from going. If they went up against the vampires they could die and their scent could be tracked back to us.
"Instead we gathered; I joined with a small army of men headed to the mainland to find out what had happened to our friends. There were twenty of us, we knew it was a hopeless mission, but we couldn't let our friends die without telling their story. We confirmed what the Elders had suspected; Vampires. Marcus had trained each of us to fight, I was a gifted fighter amongst the men of our country and I led our group along the path of destruction.
"We came across a straggler, a vampire who was looting the bodies. I led the attack against him, he knocked me out cold and tore our little army apart. He decided he liked my spirit so he turned me and left me. For the three days of agony I burned amongst the bodies of our friends. When I awoke I fed on the first thing I could find; a crying baby. I was absolutely disgusted with myself.
"Too ashamed to return to Iceland I headed along the northern coast. I followed it, feeding only when my instincts took over, and found my way into Russia. It was a cold hell-scape, but it was more than I deserved. I wandered for years avoiding humans and prolonging my suffering for the life I had taken. I'd swim to islands far off the northern coast, occasionally eating animals. Carlisle wasn't the first vampire to adopt a non traditional diet. I probably wasn't the first either.
"I eventually hit the eastern coast of Russia and travelled south. I found a little inlet and made a home there, trying to recreate what I had in Iceland. It was a solitary existence, but it was one I'd chosen. I didn't have to be a monster like the man who created me. The only sound for centuries was wildlife and the sea. It was a comfort.
"One day the sound of approaching humans hit me. I grew scared and abandoned my home. I followed the path that had led me to the inlet. I only just avoided a small human army from the south. They couldn't see me, but I could see them with my vampire sight. They looked different to the humans I'd encountered before and carried strange weapons, they rode strange animals.
"I snuck past them, my curiosity was too much. I found a small, dark arrow and marveled at the texture between my fingers. It was cold and brittle in my hands, it looked a little like the bronze artifacts I'd seen growing up. I hadn't known such a thing to exist and took it with me as a hid in the far north of Russia. From a distance I saw the human warriors build settlements and fight each other. At night I'd sneak in and take the blood of the dying humans, animals had become scarce as the weather turned colder.
"I was able to feed regularly during the long winter night. The dark sky kept me hidden and I was able to steal new clothes and put dying humans out of their misery. I even tried one of the horses they rode on, even though I'd never seen one before, it tasted terrible as most herbivores do. There were a few little bits of iron I collected along the way, discarded by the sloppy humans. I watched as more soldiers would arrive and lead the men off to conquer more lands. I picked up their languages and enjoyed their stories. I felt more human despite the physical distance.
"Foolishly I kept following them, right until I headed into Eastern Europe and came across the scent of other vampires. I hid as best as I could, my senses had sharpened after centuries of solitude and I had learned to move softly so as not to frighten my prey. I split off from my place alongside the human army and headed north, the temperature had grown warmer and I knew that any comfort warmth would bring me would also bring vampires.
"I was caught as I reached Estonia. A raiding party had arrived from Finland. I hid, but it didn't work. They caught my scent and followed it to my hiding place. I recognized the man who grabbed me as the one who had turned me many centuries before. When the bare skin on my neck made contact with his bare hands my mind filled with the images of those he'd destroyed. I saw him in Iceland killing the descendants of my community. I attacked him.
"I lost the fight quickly. I had become weak from the small amount I fed from and was inexperienced in fighting unlike my human days. He laughed at me and dragged me to where modern day Romania exists. Deep into the Carpathian Mountains, to the lair of the Romanian Kings.
"The Romanians didn't take to me. I tried to attack them, screaming obscenities at them for causing so much damage. I was full of hate and grief. The Romanians were amused by my outburst, until I touched my bare hand to their skin. I saw everything they had done and learnt their language in a millisecond.
"I cursed them out in their own language, they had hurt so many for such a petty reason; power. I was angered by the sheer stupidity of it, the futility. I hated them so much. Vladimir backhanded me. I landed in a pile of bones. Werewolf bones. They built a cage around me. I was trapped, barely able to move, and starved as they bathed in the blood of the innocent."
Marcus took over the story telling. "It was a few years after I'd met Aro, my brother's son. I was an old man by the standard of the time, late twenties. A group of vampires travelled north until they reached my village. They killed everyone; my wife, my children, my family and my friends. People I'd sworn to protect. They were fighting amongst themselves over my body, biting and draining me. They were all injured heavily, venom leaked out of them as they drained me.
"Now, I'm an intelligent man. I knew how to kill vampires, I just didn't have the strength. As the venom dripped onto me I reached into my pocket and struck the flint and firestone together. If I was going to die I would take as many of them with me as I could. They lit up like Roman Candles. The flames burnt quickly and scalded my skin. I wrestled free of their burning bodies and lost consciousness as the venom sped through my veins, healing my wounds and turning me into the creature I hated.
"When the pain of the transformation stopped I marveled at my strength. I knew then and there that I would avenge the humans they slaughtered so carelessly. The loss of my wife and children nearly killed me on the spot. They lay broken, dead. I vowed then to fight, they wouldn't die in vain. I would destroy every one of the species.
"I headed east, feeding from those who lay dying and killing any vampire I crossed paths with. For months and months I fought and killed, until my newborn year was over. My strength waned and leveled out. I fought smarter; and turned their ranks against themselves.
"A few others joined me in fighting our kind. They and their families had suffered a similar plight to my own. Around 500BC we headed south, a merry band of misfits. We'd grown to five members. It was then we reached Greece. There were vampires living there who weren't like the savages I'd encountered in the northern Europe.
"We took respite in Athens. I met Didyme and Sulpicia. They listened to our tales of loss, although I never mentioned my island family or the werewolves. That was a secret I would take to my grave. We studied with the mathematicians and philosophers, astronomers and alchemists. They were civilized and educated, unlike anyone I'd met since my human days. They were fascinating.
"I stayed in Greece until the great migration. Many headed to Italy, I joined them, leaving the allies I'd made on my journey of revenge in Greece. Didyme and her sister, Sulpicia joined me. We headed towards Rome; we came upon a civilization that appealed to us, the Etruscans. We watched the community develop before our eyes, secret observers of human history. We headed north, reaching the epicenter of the Etruscan people. I took a liking to the city of Velathri and made a home there.
"Before the turn of the millennium, year zero by Christian standards, the Roman Empire started. We travelled amongst them, curious about the new population. The Romans were little better than the Romanians; slavers and barbarians hiding behind the guise of education and civility. We returned to Etruria.
I had loved our time among the Etruscans, they had no ruler, but had tribes. They reminded me of the people I'd grown up with in Iceland. We sat back and watched as the tribes and their Chieftains were absorbed into the Empire. The decadence of the new empire surprised me. I turned bitter as I saw the waste of resources and the gap between rich and poor expand. The rich trampled on the poor, treating them no better than vampires treated humans. They changed the name of our city to Volaterrae.
"We returned to Rome, into the cesspit capital of the empire. We watched as people cheered on prisoners who were forced to fight to the death. People cheered as captives and slaves were executed in new and horrifying ways. It was entertainment to these people, but there was one human I observed with some curiosity. He was scarred heavily from battle, his back turned to the sick entertainment his masters had arranged. I spoke to him, finding out why he didn't join the celebration-"
Caius cut Marcus off "I told you 'I've seen enough blood shed to last lifetimes. Death is not entertainment; it is only entertaining to cowards unable to wield a sword of their own." Marcus nodded and smiled at Caius before continuing "he impressed me. I told him of my comparison between the Roman world and the Romanians who saw humankind as cattle. He was bored with the monotony of his life as an Elite General of the Roman Guard.
"When I introduced myself he laughed at my name. He decided to call me Marcus, it would help me fit in with the Roman world."
"What was your name before then?" Esme asked. Marcus smiled "Thegnmarr, apparently it needed updating." Marcus said as he rolled his eyes. "It was a perfectly good name." He pouted. "Was Aro born with a different name?" J asked. Aro nodded "I was Eir, I changed it for the same reason as Marcus, but that happened later in our story."
Marcus continued "I decided Caius' name was too long, Caius Cornelius Scipo. My people had only one name so I shortened his to Caius. He became a friend and we often discussed battle strategy, he is very talented in all things combat related. I offered to change him-" Caius once again interrupted "it was an offer I couldn't refuse. To see the world and kill those who sought to destroy innocent lives was better than invading hell holes overrun by barbarians trying to defend their homes.
"My human life had no honor, my vampire life would be dedicated to fighting oppressors and freeing people. Marcus turned my wife and I, he'd seen our mating bond and didn't want me to lose Dora like he'd lost his wife. We had children, but they lived with relatives. I was highborn so my children got the best education available. We didn't see our children after we turned, the last of our line ended in the 1700s."
Marcus continued. "Turning Caius was harder than I'd expected. I'd been a vampire for a few hundred years, but I still needed Dyme and Picia to assist me. Picia turned Athenadora for me, she was several centuries old by that stage and had changed a few people in that time. I was in no position to do anything but hunt once I turned Caius. I fed well, draining a couple of human masters who were beating a servant girl. She ran as soon as I grabbed the masters by their necks. I hope she lived a peaceful life afterwards." He trailed off in thought. Aro cleared his throat.
Marcus returned to the story. "After we turned Caius and Athenadora we got back to work, destroying the vampire overlords and their armies. We started back in Greece and tracked down the allies I'd had previously. Two had been killed in a raid from one of the Romanian armies. One remained; Amun from Egypt. He'd brought his mate, Kebi, to Greece. They aided us in locating allies, but opted out of the fight. I could respect his desire for peace, he and his mate had suffered under the Romanian rule.
"We gathered together a small army before Amun and Kebi returned to Egypt. Vampires aren't meant to congregate in such large groups. Chelsea helped us as much as she could through her gift. It took a long time to build our force to what it was. With Amun's help we had gained Chelsea, Afton, Demitri, Felix, Renata and Eleazar.
"Along our travels we picked up more allies, there were thirty of us by the time we finished clearing Western Europe. I was leading the charge with Caius as my general. We fought many marauders, often taking rest stops in the lands we'd cleared. Amun spread the word to those he trusted, Europe was about to erupt into a supernatural war. I felt guilty for delaying in Greece and Italy, the Romanian's allies had grown substantially in that time.
"We got lucky when we arrived in Serbia. We came across a coven of four women who had carved out a small territory for themselves in Pristina; Sasha, Tanya, Irina and Kate. They had defended the town from passing Vampire raiders and were strong fighters. We told them how we had cleared Western Europe of raiders and scavengers and told them we were going to clear countries surrounding Romania, starting with the countries to the south, heading east through Asia and north through Russia. They were keen to join us. It was now the early 500s AD, Rome itself had fallen as countries within the Western Empire were invaded by barbarians. The Eastern Roman Empire was enduring.
"We ran, scouring each country carefully for the allies of the Romanian royals. We kept out of sight of the humans; often having to bury ourselves in the desert when we couldn't find shelter. We'd sneak into markets at dawn to steal clothes and feed. It was a long journey, but we kept going for the sake of cutting the Romanian ties that held the world ransom. There were many nomads searching for peace. We got them to spread the word that a new power in the west, and that the Romanian's rule would soon be over.
"We encountered fewer and fewer Romanian troops as we headed north into Asia. Several of our allies headed back the way we came, ensuring the safety of our kind and humans while avoiding the cold weather. I was used to the cold and kept hunting the enemy. Caius, Athenadora and Sulpicia headed back to the town I'd fallen in love with in Italy. They would ready the city for our arrival and travel with us to Romania for the final confrontation with Vladimir and Stefan.
"We caught scent trails through Russia, but they were old and soon lost in the extreme cold weather. We didn't pick up another vampire scent until we headed into Ukraine. We changed course, heading north through Poland, then through the Czech Republic and Switzerland until we hit the Italian Alps. We headed straight for Volterra and were surprised by the changes. Caius had arranged the city to be walled off, using human craftsmen to build an impressive stronghold without compromising the view of the surrounding country side.
"Caius had held off building our new home, he wanted me to design a fort that would strike fear into those who crossed us and bring hope to those who needed us. He spread the rumor of St Marcus; the holy man who had cleared the town of vampires. It was the early Middle Ages and people were more superstitious than ever.
"The human world was in turmoil. The lasting effect of the vampire raiding parties had caused a decline in the human population; the humans seemed to have given up. There were no new advancements, once-flourishing towns had fallen into ruin and disease swept through the land. Invading Germanic tribes cut through the south west of Europe and across the sea. Between the Romanians and Rome, the human race didn't stand a chance.
"It was utter chaos. Caius had been fortunate to fortify the town as much as he had. In the past few centuries it had been attacked by several brigades of humans. The town had a chance to survive, as did its people. It was the 700s and the world was catapulted towards either destruction or civilization.
"I met with Caius and we gathered our army to march on the Romanian's territory. We left Sulpicia, Athenadora, Felix and Eleazar in Volterra. I tried to get Dyme to stay as well, but she was a confident fighter and wanted to help me avenge the lives taken by greed.
"Caius and I worked out a strategy for our attack. He, Sasha, Irina, Kate and Tanya would approach from the north and Dyme, Demitri, Chelsea, Afton and I would approach from the south. A few nomads met us along the way, wanting their own vengeance for the monsters responsible for murdering their families, they would come in from the east.
"Within two days we crossed the scents of the Romanians and their army. They'd condensed into the south of the Carpathian Mountain range. Twenty raiders surrounded Stefan and Vladimir, protecting the scum lordsfrom retribution. Chelsea weakened the bonds of the raiders as I spoke; 'for millennia you have oppressed our kind, humans and other creatures in the supernatural world. You have destroyed populations, wiped out knowledge that could have aided the world, enriched it. You think yourselves gods amongst men, but how soon until The Romanian Rulers turn on you like you turned your backs on humanity? How many of you are here after witnessing the death of your heritage, the people you cared for, only to be coerced by the monsters who stole them from you? What of our history? Do you really wish to go down in history as filth that preyed on everything before crumbling to your deaths by better men, better leaders? Turn on them before they turn on you. Stop this madness and beg for absolution.'
"They didn't listen, didn't care. They'd given themselves over to the monsters within and lost all humanity. They attacked, but we were a group of 15 fighters. The raiders had only ever fought humans, or werewolves in their human form. They failed in their protection. Sacha, Tanya and Kate restrained Vladimir and Stefan while we finished the guards. It was then I heard Caius call to me. It was both the best day of my existence and the worst." Marcus' voice trailed off. Caius put his hand on Marcus' shoulder in comfort.
"I'll take over from here Thegnmarr." The Volturi leaders' faces fell. Caius cleared his throat and began "the battle had been relatively short compared to the war Marcus had lead for so long. We fought with honor and rejoiced with each life that fell. I had started to search for more guards when I came across an immobile figure. His skin was cracked and his eyes were solid black. He made no sound. Scars covered every inch I could see, he'd been dismembered regularly. There was no sign of life." Aro shuddered and took over "I was their play thing. They tried to break me and they succeeded."
"When I was first imprisoned by the Romanians they kept me in that infernal cage made from werewolf bones. I would occasionally get glimpses of their memories when they beat me. I knew I was captured in 300BC and I knew their crimes, their secrets and their plans. I went months without feeding, they wouldn't let me. I grew weak and lost all signs of life. They'd let me out from time to time, but they always kept me guarded. One day I managed to escape and be free. It was 200 AD and for a decade I hid like a coward, heading for the northern part of Siberia where I knew I'd be safe. I'd wander into small towns occasionally to feed when I couldn't get animals, but I avoided moving away from my new, frozen home.
"They eventually caught up with me and pulled me back to Romania and the cage. They didn't touch me or feed me, leaving me to wither as they boasted about their triumphs. My mind wandered in and out of consciousness, I'd occasionally pick up a word or two when they spoke, but I was slowly petrifying. I gave up and slipped away into my mind.
"Things changed when I heard a familiar voice. I didn't recognize it, but I realized it didn't scare me. I heard the familiar sound of the Raiders' laughter then the clash of stone against stone. It was so loud, I thought I was finally dying. My body twitched in relief and I felt my skin crack with the movement. A loud voice sounded near me, its words unfamiliar.
"Then I heard my name for the first time in nearly two thousand years 'Eir! Eir! What happened to you? Have you been here the whole time?' I felt myself being picked up and my skin crumbled against the grip. The voice kept speaking to me, it was the language of my home, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I heard another voice, a female, before I was wrapped in cloth. I was ashamed; my clothes had disintegrated over time and I was lying naked and crumbling." Caius interrupted Aro "I'll take it from here." Aro smiled at his co-regent.
"Tanya brought out a large tunic and wrapped Aro up to stop him from discarding fragments of himself. Irina went to hunt for him, bringing back two humans for him to feed on. We cleaned up the area, stacking the remains of the Romanian guard while Didyme lit the fire. It was then that Stefan escaped the restraining hold and kicked Dyme into the flames. She had superficial wounds that caught alight, but Marcus and I pulled her from the fire. Unfortunately, the fire had reached too deep into Dyme's body and she smoldered from the inside out. Vladimir and Stefan laughed at us as we tried to douse the flames in snow. She was lost to us, to Marcus.
"Chelsea felt the break in the mating bond when Dyme passed, she strengthened the bond between Marcus and the rest of us knowing he would be needed when we took power. Kate dismembered the Romanians, using as much of her power as she could to torture them. She found the cage that Aro had been kept in and pushed their body parts into it for our return to Volterra. Chelsea held Marcus up as we walked away. I collected the ashes of the enemy, they would not be allowed to rest in death, they would be used for our benefit.
"Irina carried Aro. Kate and Tanya carried the cage of Romanian vampire parts and together we made the journey home. On the Romanian border we crossed a nomadic human traveller, she was tall, young and strong. She carried a large sack slung over her shoulder and smiled as we approached. She had the gift of the Sight and told us not to burn the Romanian scum yet, but wait until we could deliver vengeance. I asked what we should do in the meantime and she told us to wait, that we'd come across allies soon enough. That it would take a long time for us to be able to truly punish the Romanians, but we'd fulfilled part of the prophecy of her people by removing the oppressors.
"She asked to touch Aro's hand and promised not to harm him. We didn't know his gift at the time, but she did and she passed the knowledge of her people to him. She smiled and handed me the heavy sack before leaving with a wave in our direction. I opened the sack to find the ashes of hundreds of vampires. I've never been so shocked or impressed by anyone. I knew then what we'd do; we'd build a castle like we'd seen on our travels and strengthen it with the ashes of our enemies and the bones of the werewolves that made up the cage.
"A week after we'd left for Romania we returned to Volterra. Sulpicia and Athenadora ran out to meet us and ushered us into the houses they'd built with help from Felix and Eleazar. They were heartbroken when they learned about Dyme's fate and rushed to help Marcus. Dora had furnished many bedrooms for us and the future of our group. When she returned she led Irina with Aro into a room between to Marcus' and mine. We filled her in on who he was and she left to collect blood for him. There was plenty for us to feed on, another plague had swept across Europe and left many dying.
"Aro's skin eventually stopped cracking and started to heal. He kept still, unresponsive, his eyes hadn't lightened yet. One night I went to check on him, I knelt by the bed so I was eye level and began to tell him my story. I told him everything about me, about Marcus, Dyme, Dora and Picia. I told him how much his uncle missed Iceland and how he'd fought for the lives that had been taken by the raiders, how he'd finally found happiness and lost it saving human and vampire kind from the Romanians, how we wished we'd acted sooner and saved him from so many years of pain.
"I heard him whispering and couldn't understand the words. I recognized snippets of phrases, he was trying to communicate using the languages he'd learnt. I only understood snippets of Romanian, he used a dialect I was unfamiliar with. His hand shot out and grabbed mine in a cold, strong grip. His eyes were unfocussed and I felt my mind become invaded with images and sounds. There was a bitter edge to the story playing in my mind. I finally realized he was showing me his life story. I picked up a few words and phrases along the way and looked in shock as I saw an image of Marcus; younger, more human. I saw the werewolves and the place he grew up.
"I saw a short snippet of what the young human female showed him at the border of Romania. A vision of the future, one where four species lived in harmony. Humans would be unaware of our kind and would live their lives unheeded by us. Aro would be strong and Marcus would be happy. The images faded and Aro went to withdraw his hand. I held it in place and pointed towards myself then at him, hoping he'd understand I wanted him to see my memories. I saw his eyes lose their focus and images of my own life floated before my eyes before being pulled away. His hand released me and the memories stopped flowing through me. I spoke slowly, hoping he'd understand me. 'Thank you for sharing your memories. What the Seer showed you appeals to me, it's a future I'd like to see as well.' His voice rasped out 'thank you' and I was relieved.
"Dora came in with a human to feed from and I bowed and exited. I went to Marcus, telling him what I'd learnt and about Aro's gift. He listened intently, but didn't respond. We started planning our castle, word got around among nomads that the Romanians had been vanquished. They came to pledge their allegiance. Marcus and Aro weren't up to communicating yet so I told them they were travelling to spread the word. A few expressed an interest in joining us and helped design the castle you now stand in. They'd seen castles built by humans and knew the strong and weak points.
"By 1200 AD the castle was finished. Aro had recovered to the man you see before you and designed a few secret tunnels and the dungeon. He fell into his role as king easily," Aro scoffed and Caius continued with a smirk, "he'd greet everyone as enthusiastically as he could, it cultivated his 'lunatic' persona," Caius chuckled, "our kind accepted his leadership with no problem. He grew to know the guard well, sharing his need for unity among the few who had stood with Marcus from the beginning. I headed out on expeditions with the soldiers I'd trained especially. There were a few pockets of resistance, it seemed that our drive for peace had been misinterpreted by a few as a weakness.
"The pockets of rebellion decreased and I travelled to Norway to take out a coven of Vampires that had made themselves known to the human populace and tried to enslave them. I sent my soldiers home when we completed the task and headed to Iceland. I'd been curious ever since I'd seen Aro's memories. It was a fascinating, albeit horrendous smelling, place. Humans inhabited the coast and I walked amongst them wondering if any were distant relations to Marcus and Aro.
"As I headed for the north western tip of Drangajökull I caught a worse smell beneath the sulfur, it permeated the air. I followed the smell to nearby caves and entered. The scent was concentrated and I saw the glint of light reflecting off many pairs of eyes. My proto Germanic Icelandic was terrible. I tried my best to communicate my intentions 'I friend Eir Thegnmarr. We kill Vampire who hunt you. I friend you' they laughed at me. They spoke slowly to me and came closer to the mouth of the cave where I stood. I only picked up every third word, but we came to an understanding; I wasn't there to kill them and they weren't going to kill me. I asked them to follow me, and we snuck into Volterra through Aro's insane maze of secret tunnels.
"We finally reached his room and I ushered them in. They waited patiently while I ran and got Aro. He was speaking with two others. I rushed up to him and touched his hand to show him the surprise I'd brought him." Caius started laughing at the memory. Aro shook his head "I thought you were playing a practical joke. Then I saw my brother's face in your memories, there was no way you'd be able to picture Fred that accurately."
"It was easy to see the resemblance. He looks just like you, but taller and hairier." Caius teased lightly. Aro continued "I've never run so fast in my life, I excused myself from talking with Chelsea and Afton and didn't stop running until I reached my room. I couldn't believe you had packed my room with twenty bedraggled werewolves." Marcus held out his hand "can I see that memory?" He asked Aro. Aro obliged and Marcus' laughter burst out.
"I saw them for a split second and shut the door before running to get Marcus. I pulled him into the bedroom full of confused wolves. It was a surprisingly happy reunion. Caius went out and purchased food and hired a lady from the village to cook a feast for our long lost friends. He also organized Picia and Dora to ready rooms for them to stay. We were so grateful to Caius we had him coronated as co-regent. He'd given us back our past and helped protect the remnants of our history. He valued life as much as we did.
"With the wolves caught up on what we'd achieved they updated us on what had happened to them. After we'd left, a group of the young ones from the island had made the journey to the continent. They returned shortly after with news of the vampire attack and destruction of the villages. The traditions stopped. Our people moved further to the western side of the island and dwindled. One of our descendants had developed a gift for magic from his time on the continent. He protected the werewolves, sealing them in a cave so no one outside our people could find them until the hunt for werewolves was over.
"They were able to move about freely, but hid themselves after the last of our ancestors died and Vikings settled on the island in the 840s. They picked up snippets of their Old Norse language and kept to the caves unless humans got too close. Folklore has been created around their secret presence. The settlers called them Elves, Ghosts and Trolls and avoided angering them. The stories of their interference with the humans grew; they were large, ugly creatures who lived in the mountains, ate children and meddled with humans who got too close.
"When the Romanians fell the spell broke. A few unlucky humans crossed their path during the full moon and were killed. The pack remained in the caves until Caius came to speak with them. It was the first time they'd left Iceland since their rite of passage to the mainland as children. I arranged for some Rowan wood to be imported and we built a room for them to use during the full moon. We discussed the Romanian's fate at length. Fred wanted to take them to Siberia to be imprisoned and guarded by his pack. We agreed, they would hate the cold and suffer in isolation from their own kind with little to feed on. It was also a boon to see they were dismembered regularly when my brother and his friends became a little too savage during the full moon.