Chapter Sixteen
Aro
We were impressed at the speed The Major controlled his blood lust, few if any vampires were able to refrain from killing a human in the first two years but he had done the same in six months. Now he needed to learn how to kill our kind and who better to teach him than Felix, our main enforcer. Finding willing volunteers was difficult of course but there were enough law breakers and we had been gathering them together in the catacombs for two years now hoping to find a new enforcer. Having watched The Major's training we had a good feeling about him, even Caius.
"This I want to see."
"I thought as much Caius, do you want him to succeed or die?"
"Succeed, it will take the pressure off Felix especially with the Southern covens warring at the same time the Fraternidad is causing us problems and the African woman is stirring up revolt against our rule. Personally I think the Romanians are behind that particular mischief."
"Yes, so you have said countless times Caius but until we have some proof I am not prepared to act against them, it would only stir up even more discontent so be patient brother."
We made our way to the catacombs where The Major was going to face his greatest challenge to date. Before, as a human, he had killed our kind, one at a time using fire, this time he would be using his bare hands not on one vampire, he'd already shown he could cope with that easily but a number, all at once, which was an entirely different proposition.
"We can't spare Felix any longer, things are getting bad in Mexico and we can't send Alec or Jane alone with Demetri, they need to be protected."
"Of course dear brother, that's why we have been training The Major. Felix says he has been working hard and has learned everything he needs so now we will give him the ultimate test and then see how loyal he is."
"We've given him everything he asks for though admittedly its little enough, he understands his role in the world why shouldn't he be loyal?"
"You and I both know it is not as simple as that, he knows we could order his death at any time, he knows his skills are all that keep him useful and alive but he also knows we value those same skills so we'll see."
The main fighting arena had been cleaned up and well lit by fires and torches in sconces for this particular exercise. All The Major knew was that if he failed this test he was useless to us and therefore a dead man. Would the pressure show? Felix thought not and Caius and I both valued his opinion, Felix had never been wrong yet. As the invited guests took their seats the atmosphere became tense yet excited, all they knew was that a new enforcer was being showcased here today, one more ruthless and deadly than even Felix. While he had scruples, The Major had none, to him it was a case of kill whoever he was ordered to, no questions asked.
As the door opened and the prisoners were herded in by Felix the noise grew, everyone knowing at least one of the condemned, after all they were all famous in their own way, but it fell to an expectant silence as the figure dressed all in black entered behind them and stood waiting for his orders. He hadn't been told what his task was to be and now I stood and gestured to him.
"This my friends is The Major, our latest weapon against those who would risk exposing us to the humans. Shall we see just how deadly he really is?"
There was a loud murmur of agreement and I turned to him,
"Major, these are condemned criminals, carry out their sentence please."
We watched in awe as he cut a swathe through the ten prisoners who fought desperately for their lives and not once did he lose his footing or look in the least as if he found the task difficult in the slightest. He had become a killing machine pure and simple or perhaps not so simple after all. We discovered that he was also a master tactician and highly intelligent, on par with Felix, nothing would get by him, no one escape, his job was whatever we ordered. It had taken many months to crush his urge to let the weak escape, the last vestiges of humanity that still lingered inside but Felix had finally done it and this was the deadly result.
The shout of acclaim as he stood, the only survivor with only a few bites on his arms and rents in his clothes to show for all his hard work, were deafening. He always wore a sleeveless black shirt which showed his heavily scarred arms, scars he acquired here learning his trade, and at first we had thought it a gimmick but in fact it intimidated his quarry. Who could possibly beat a man who had suffered so much yet still stood and fought, good psychology, he terrified everyone who saw him head in their direction.
"So my friends perhaps you will spread the word that it is even more dangerous now to break our laws. The Major will be leaving Volterra soon on his first mission, lets hope none of you ever find yourselves face to face with him."
All eyes turned back to The Major who stood silent but watchful, one booted foot on his last victim's chest.
"Thank you Major, you may leave."
He nodded curtly, his red eyes never leaving the crowd then turned and walked back the way he had come kicking aside body parts as he went.
As the guards collected up the bodies to burn them our guests filed past each understanding they had just received the only warning they would ever get. All had been guilty of small infractions that had been overlooked or so they had thought until now. As the last left for the drive back to Pisa Marcus turned to me,
"That went well, how long do you think it will be before word spreads throughout our world?"
"Not long Marcus, not long at all. Now lets visit The Major shall we and congratulate him personally."
He was back in his quarters when we arrived standing shirtless and drying his hair. He didn't turn or acknowledge us but I knew he was aware exactly of our positions and had decided which one of us to attack first if it became necessary. If our guests had seen his upper torso as well as his arms I think they might have run screaming. His learning curve had been steep and painful, the scars of bites and fused vampire flesh criss crossed him standing out starkly to our vampire eyes.
"You did well Major."
"I'm glad you approve."
"I do but I have one more test for you."
He threw the towel down and turned to face me,
"Oh? Haven't we finished with the games?"
"Almost, I want you to choose two of the guard to accompany you on your first mission."
He nodded, a sardonic smile on his face, and pulling his shirt back on he left the room,
"That's it? His test? What do you expect him to do?"
"Expect? Or hope Marcus? They aren't the same thing of course."
Marcus brow furrowed and then cleared,
"Of course, you've spent the past year and a half using Captain Jenkins as an example for The Major, you are trying to break the bond they had in their human lives. And yet when they have worked together its as if they are one mind controlling two bodies. You want to know if The Major will use his head or his heart to choose his companions."
"Precisely, not that it matters much, whoever he takes I am confident he will get the job done I would just prefer it if he took the Captain with him, its tidier all round. If not then I think we'll put The Captain in charge of the newborns, he seems to have a gift with them."
"He just makes them more blood thirsty and dangerous Aro."
I turned to my brother and smiled,
"Exactly and we can channel that aggression Marcus, in our world the strongest survive therefore we need to be the strongest which in turn means we need not only the gifted but the strong and single minded. Now come, lets see who The Major has chosen, care for a bet brother?"