Note From Author: Hello everyone! As I wrote this chapter I realized it REALLY should have been chapter 11 and not 12 so eventually, once I finish the final edit for the entire story, I will rearrange the two but for now enjoy! Have a great day and thank you so much for reading along!
Chapter 12 Odessa
*Odessa, Adopted Halfling Daughter of Marcus Volturi, POV*
Finally, after all these years of training among the Shadows of Volterra a worthy battle was almost near. The arrival of the Cullen's to Volturi was inevitable as rumors of their failure to find their lost daughter had traveled throughout the world. I had only heard whispers at first and hardly paid any attention, even though I was quite curious it was not my place to question Aro, Marcus, or Caius on the matter. Uncle Aro, who is not nearly as hard to read as he'd like others to believe, was essentially counting down the days until they finally came around. It wasn't hard to understand why, he had now been waiting for over half a century for an excuse to offer the Cullen's mind reader and foreseer a spot among the Volturi ranks once more. Caius foolishly agreed to Aro's insistence on inviting the two into our family. Surely after all these years he should know there is a high probability that he will eventually be replaced by at least one of the two Vampires as their gifts would most definitely be deemed more useful then anything Caius had to offer our Coven in the end. Personally I'd bet on Aro taking the mind reader as a replacement, access to a gift like that would open up a whole new world of power for Aro. Caius simply wasn't special enough and my Uncle had grown increasingly tired of his incessant need to find chaos among the order Aro had worked so hard to maintain for the last millennia. For the last 30 years of my life since my Father was ordered to bring me back to Volturi after my talent was revealed to Aro I have spent my time studying this place and its Vampiric people thoroughly.
Disgust was a common feeling that ran through my mind as the lack of respect for human life and the overwhelming sense of entitlement that spewed from Caius and Aro on a regular basis drove me near mad. My Father had raised me in gentler manner; though I was taught of course how to efficiently kill at a young age by Felix, a member if the Volturi Guard who was sent to live alongside Marcus to serve as a protector. I was trained and made to know that my kills were to be made only for the necessity of feeding never for overindulgence and certainly not for "fun" or any other type of personal satisfaction. The madness that went on within the walls of my now home of Volturi in turn had only added fuel to the rage that supported me as I continued my training with Felix on a regular basis. After many years of intense combat training alongside such a large and strong Vampire I was now quite formidable and it was well known within my Coven that I was a force to be reckoned with. My speed matched that of a Vampire as well as my ability to think quick enough to react when in a combat scenario. Though my strength wasn't quite to par for that I had a way around. Not even jealous little Jane, who had never liked me from the day my biological Father presented me to the Volturi as a gift, could out match me.
Though I do not know his name, nor do I care to, from what I understand my biological Father was some sort of mad scientist obsessed with creating Halflings before he was eventually outed to the Volturi who originally planned to kill him for his creation and perhaps his offspring as well simply for good measure. However, upon his arrival to the Volturi Court for his judgment he brought me along, I was only a day old. The man offered me to the Coven I now called my family, as a gift, a sign of good faith so that the Volturi could see that what we were was not dangerous nor something that could not be controlled easily. The man's idea was for Volturi to essentially study me as I grew like a science experiment. In partial this was done but Marcus never allowed for anything out of the ordinary to occur whenever I was taken to a doctors appointment. Though Volturi accepted his gift the man was of course punished with a quick and painful castration in front of the entire court before he left but he was at least permitted to leave with his life and the knowledge that the Volturi would not come for him nor his offspring. I can still remember looking into Marcus's eyes as Aro held me for the first time. It was love at first sight really. His kind gentle, yet sad features made him much less intimidating than Aro who looked at me as if I was an alien and Caius who was clearly disgusted by my presence. When the man was held down to be castrated in front of Aro, Caius and Marcus and their court he screamed and it startled me; I cried for the first time. Marcus scooped me out of Aro's arms and soothed me, from that moment on he decided not only would I be a gift to the coven but a part of it. An important part. Rules were imposed by Aro and Marcus for any Vampire who came into contact with me, I was given a Royal Guard, Felix, and the title of "Princess of Volterra". A title that would spark a bit of controversy within our coven as Jane, a very powerful member of the Volturi Guard, was immensely jealous of my elevated within our family position from that day on.
Along with Jane there were many others who weren't initially onboard with bringing a Halfling into Volturi. They believed it would make us look weak as a whole. In order to ensure my safety until I was of age my Father separated from his coven for the first ten years of my life. How he managed to convince Aro of this is beyond me still to this day. I was raised by Marcus and Felix as well as a small staff of humans in the small town of Pienza. It was a beautiful upbringing. Jane, Alec, Demetri and Santiago visited my father and I every 6 months. When Jane realized that not only was I given the title of Princess but that I was also treated like one in every sense of the word as Marcus ensured I was taken care of, educated, trained and respected at the highest quality that the Volturi could offer, she decided she would hate me forever. When I was younger I couldn't understand what exactly I had done to earn her coldness but it was her brother Alec who eventually told me the truth. The two of us, Alec and I, bonded quite nicely over the years and to this day he is truly my dearest friend. In another life, one uncontrolled by that of the laws of Vampires I could see a life that the two of us might have lived together as mates perhaps if he had been much older when he went through his transformation. When I was 5 and the feeling of attraction began to fester within me it was Alec who was my first and last kiss. It was strange his cold lips against mine but from then until I was about 8 years old I did love him. Our relationship however could never have been. Aro wouldn't have allow it given the sheer amount of differences between the two of us. Thankfully we both were able to find peace in a close friendship as my attraction to him wore off once I too could no longer look past the differences between us. As I blossomed into a grown woman I realized he would never be anything more than what he had always been, a beautiful but boy, never a man. Though his height even at a forever 13-14 was still just as tall as my own, together we looked more like a young mother and son then we did potential mates.
When I was 9 we discovered my talent, Felix and I. After I had angrily thrown a knife into Felix's hand during a combat lesson. My touch had turned the metal into a substance strong enough to break through the skin of a Vampire. It was a spontaneous find as I had never done anything of the sort before. A miracle that came about randomly during a fit of anger. I was never trained before that day with any weaponry as Marcus had believed it was far too dangerous as I was already pushing the boundaries as often as I could to try and best Felix. The knife was one meant for gutting fish, animals or slicing fruit. Nothing special and most definitely not one to be used in combat nor one I even intended to use for those purposes. Felix had thrown me down for what felt that day like the 100th time and I was just furious and ready to be done training for the day, however I had bested him slightly the day before and I badly wanted to do it again. When I saw the knife I grabbed it on a whim, thinking it would do no damage as I knew Felix would easily deflect the blade. However, the blade soared through the air faster than either of us anticipated and cut right through his palm. I remember the events of that day all those years ago like it was yesterday. The two of us, him standing just in front of me whilst I laid on the floor of the barn we trained within, both of us staring at Felix's hand as he rotated his wrist in disbelief. When he finally pulled the blade out it shattered as it seemed to have lost whatever it was within it that made it strong enough to cut through his skin. The two of us pondered for a while in silence how it could have happened or if it really even had happened as we stared at the shards still in complete disbelief of what had happened.
It was a while after the events of that day before we understood my talent. It is what Aro calls a physical talent. One that works outside of the mind and body. A rare occurrence that he had only seen once before in a Vampire named Benjamin who could supposedly control the elements. Something I would love to see. My talent is nothing compared to that. Though nonetheless my talent sparked Aro's interest once Felix and Marcus decided that they should tell Aro of my strengthening ability after Felix and I worked on mastering it for a year together in secret to avoid interruption from Jane; who might very well have been uncontrollably jealous and potentially even vindictive enough to ruin my talent completely somehow before I even had a chance to learn what it was. My talent was easy now to control as I have had many years to master but it does work best when I am angry or upset. Thankfully one look at Jane's smug little face often did the trick. Once I was forced to move to Volterra after Aro demanded that Marcus return to his brother and bring me along so the full protection of Volturi could surround us both once again, Jane quickly became the bane of my existence. Nothing is ever good enough for her. Aro had instructed that I follow her lead in order to assimilate into the coven. Though my Father saw it as an opportunity for me to get close to Jane and begin anew, I saw it as a punishment, most likely for Felix and I concealing my talent from Aro for so long. Jane hated me for a list of reasons that she did not plan on getting over any time soon. She instituted strict rules and schedules that were almost impossible to follow as unlike her I did require sleep. Something she also hated me for because to her it was a sign of weakness and a waste of her time. IN the beginning she would often tell me stories of the men and women whom she killed in their sleep as she traveled around the world with the Volturi Guard before I went to bed at night. It was unsettling to say the least. My training was something she was also extremely jealous of as Aro insisted due to my fierce loyalty to Marcus that I continue to train regularly with Felix, whom she had out caste due to his loyalty to me, in case of an emergency. Regardless of Jane's personal issues with either of us Aro insisted I stay on top of retaining control of my ability as well as become grounded within the ranks of Volturi so that I may never think of myself as better or stronger then another who resisted within our Coven.
Regardless of what Aro might want for me I have my own vision of how I plan to live out my life and that does not involve living within little Jane's shadow. Or anyone else's for that matter. I have spent my whole life training, waiting for an opportunity to prove myself to my entire Coven. I know that I have the ability to be more than what they all want me to be let alone what they all have decided that I am. All I needed was an opportunity like this to come along to prove to all of them that I am in fact stronger and more combat ready then Jane or even Alec.
The first time the Cullen's came to Volterra t seek out the Volturi, I was out on a mission with Jane, Alec and Demetri to investigate a disturbance in the UK. Boringly enough it was simply two newborns whose handler had left them to their own devices. Unfortunately they weren't smart enough to hide from the news and in the night we came, a shadow of death cast upon the two unsuspecting Vampires who had no idea who we even were let alone that we where coming for them. Alec subdued our victims with his vapor and I quickly wrapped a metal chain I keep around my waist at all times around the man's neck, pulling tight until it snapped his head clean off. Demetri dismantled the woman alone, though he made much more of a show out of it then it needed to be as usual. When we arrived back at Volterra Jane got all the praise for the successful mission, as usual. Though I did argue that we had not hunted down their creator and punished him for creating the two rouge newborns. Of course my augment was looked over and Aro quickly informed the lot of us about his anticipation of the Cullen's coming back and potentially joining our coven.
I certainly never expected the situation within the Cullen Coven to carry on as long as it had. Though I have never met another like myself, I am aware I must have half siblings somewhere within this world. I couldn't imagine if any of them were a bit like me they would ever find themselves in a situation where they were kidnapped much less kidnapped and unable to escape their captures on their own. Though I suppose I would not know as I genuinely do not care to seek them out and never have. Even if I was given the time to explore that part of my history it would most definitely hurt Marcus, which is something I could never tolerate anyone or anything doing let alone myself, and surely Aro would insist I bring Jane along who was far too unpredictable when her jealousy escaped her for my taste. The girl might not be wild like the stories that follow newborn children but her power and sense of entitlement and superiority still got the best of her at times. I remember the first time she used her talent on me after I called her out for feeding off a homeless child that couldn't have been more than 13-14, this act was frowned upon even within our family. Jane was quick to reprimand me for commenting on her kill and reminding me it was not technically an issue due to the child's age, so long as she herself deemed it was a human who would not potentially be remembered or searched for. Which she clearly had. The pain that came from her eyes filled me with a rage like no other as I felt flames lick every inch of my skin. In a sick twisted turn of events it genuinely turned me on. The metal I carried in my hands at that same moment could have sliced an army of Vampire easily before breaking. Once Jane saw the strange enjoyment her talent brought me she quickly stopped and shouted at me that I was a "pervert". Alec laughed it off but of course when we eventually made it back home Jane tattled immediately, like always. Caius tried to convince Aro this made me a threat as no one had ever become stronger from being under the influence of Jane's talent. However, my Father quickly came to my defense and showed Aro my fierce loyalty to the Coven. Aro then made an obnoxious comment to Caius, comparing me to a dog, who would do anything to protect and serve its master. Marcus countered that a loyalty like mine could only come from growing up within the Coven unlike everyone else who had simply been turned over time to benefit the growth and power of our Coven. Aro was intrigued by my natural loyalty which differed from the loyalty of those who he had simply oppressed into submission or those he had made promises of glory and a higher calling to convince them to join the Coven in order to strengthen Volturi as a whole. I walked away that day, much to Jane's dismay, unscathed and without punishment.
Sometimes I think about that feeling when I am alone though I try to not let it get the best of me. If I went around bragging about the positive effect one of the most prominent defenders of the Volturi had upon me it wouldn't be long before Aro's hand was forced. Though restraining myself from egging her into using it on me when the four, or five us or where alone was near impossible. Every now and then when she forces her talent upon another I find myself jealous of whomever is her latest victim, wishing that I could feel the flames upon my skin once more. I watch as they scream and thrash about acting like they were in horrible pain. It pissed me off too see as they clearly have no idea how good they have it within the moment, a moment I desperately wished was my own.
The second time the Cullen's came they brought a Shapeshifter. Aro asked me to stay inside my room until he left without giving me a reason why. This embarrassed me in front of the rest of the Volturi Guard and I spent my time alone pacing back and forth as I waited for someone to bring news to me. Finally the familiar sound of Felix's footsteps heading towards my room took a small bit of weight off of my chest.
"Odess-"
"Come in!" I shouted as he stood just outside my door.
"Don't get excited." Felix moaned.
"Why? What is it?"
"The Cullens have made a - deal - With Aro." Felix began before taking a seat in front of my fireplace. "An old foe of Caius's has reared his ugly little head. Tonight we will travel to Vietnam to go to war." Felix informed me.
"War? With who?"
"With Werewolves. True Werewolves. Ones that are much harder to kill than the kind that protect the Cullen's."
"I know what true Werewolves are Felix and I've told you before that the Shapeshifters don't protect the Cullen's. From everything I've read they simply protect their land and their own. They saw the child as one of their own for some reason, that's all. I'm ready to go, whenever the word is given."
"Odessa." Felix began as he stood up slowly and stood in front of me to meet my eyes. "Marcus and I have decided that you and Heidi will stay here to watch over Volterra."
"HA! You can't be serious! Aro would take the wives from the tower but leave me here with that wh-"
"Hold your tongue girl." Felix ordered.
"I am not a girl and I will not hold my tongue! I have been waiting long enough for my turn to prove my worth to this Coven and I will not allow you or my Father to take that away from me!" I shouted back.
"Odessa-"
"Don't "Odessa" me! In fact."
I quickly turned to my bed and grabbed one of my longest chains and instantly whipped it around Felix without hesitation. I made my moves swiftly as I guided the chain around Felix's large figure. Tying both his hands and feet together and tightening the chain so he could not move until the strength of the metal wore off. I found myself in a near blind fit rage as I did so.
"Odessa!" Felix shouted as my quickness surprised him, just as much as it did myself in truth.
I was certain my anger had hardened the chain well enough to hold him until I had spoken to Aro at the very least.
"You can stay here until I've had a talk with my Uncle about this ridiculous arrangement! I will not be underestimated nor looked over while my family goes off to war. I am not some delicate little flower and I will not idly stand by and be treated as such! I can handle my own. I don't need the likes of you or my Father to save me."
"Odessa let me out of these chains! Now!" Felix shouted as I hurried around him to the door.
I slammed my door on him before storming off down the hall towards the throne room. In a furry I ran through members of our Coven who were now scurrying to make preparations for their departure.
"Out of my way! All of you now! Move!" I shouted as I walked quickly through them.
On command they flatted against the walls while I rushed past them getting more furious with each step I took. Unsurprisingly Jane, Alec and Demetri stood in front of the hallway that led to the throne room. Guarding it from me I assumed immediately.
"Odessa, I'm so sorry to hear you won't be joining us. Maybe next time." Jane said with a sarcastic smile.
"Move." I commanded.
"Excuse me?"
"Move out of my way, now!" I growled.
"If I don't? What exactly is big bad Odessa going to do if I don't do as she says?"
I suppose it's time for you to find out little girl.
Jane's tone alone was enough to send me into an unforgiving frenzy. I pulled one of the chain from my waistband, whipped it to capture Alec who I wrapped up at a speed that no one could have expected. I made sure to secure his hand in a position that hurt pushing them up the middle of his back and kicked him down the hall so if he did release his vapor I would still have some time to fight. Demetri came to attack next and without hesitation I threw blades into his knees and shoulders making sure to cut deep but not all the way through just enough to knock him down and render him useless.
"Alec! Demetri!" Jane shouted.
"Come on! Give me a little pain Jane! I could use the boost!" I shouted as three more guards rushed to her aid.
"You devil!" Jane shouted as she too ran towards me now.
I played the fight out in my head before it even happened, just as Felix had taught me. Blade cuts for everyone, though Jane I would simply just continue to piss off by smiling as I dogged her blows one after another. Using my second chain to whip her now and again to make her more and more upset. This worked like a charm of course and eventually her growls turned to cries of desperation.
"I can do this forever you freak! You will have to stop and rest eventually!" Jane shouted.
"Well in that case, let's just see how long I can go! Just for the fun of then Janey!" I replied as I whipped her extra hard once upon her back after infusing the metal chain once more with my talent.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh! You bitch!" Jane shouted in pain.
"Not very proper of you little girl." I replied as she stepped far away and placed her hand on her back.
"You nicked my back!"
"Well why don't we go and tattle on me to Aro, together?" I replied with a smile.
Jane jumped in the air, enraged by my smile, to attack and with a smile I struck her down once more, this time with a weapon I invented myself; a thick metal plate that sat within my right hand glove pressed against my palm. The smack across her face sent her away from me screaming once more.
"Enough!" Aro shouted as the doors to the throne room flew open.
I immediately fell to my knees and placed my hands on the floor in front of me dropping my chains to my side. A sign of total submission.
"What in the world is going on out here?!" Caius shouted as he looked at Alec who was chained up and the bodies of the Guards who had my blades sticking out of them as they were unable to move.
"Aro, please forgive me-" I began.
"She lost her temper and tried to kill us all!" Jane shouted over me.
"That is not true! I simply wanted to speak with you and Jane insisted on tempting my patients. I never intended to harm anyone. Please forgive me."
"You made the first move!" Jane continued.
I thought it best not to carry on the argument, what was done was done and now all I could do was await judgment.
"Is this true Odessa?" My Father asked in a gentle manor.
"Of course it is true! Jane would never lie to us!" Caius shouted out as he tore the chains off of Alec's wrist and helped free him. "Look at the mess she's made! Weakening us before we are off to war with the mightiest of foe we have ever stood against!"
"That was not my intention Uncle. I only wished to speak-"
"Uncle? Don't spit that garbage at me girl! I have no intention of showing you kindness for what you have done!" Caius shouted over me.
"I think Odessa should come with us." Alec began, surprisingly coming to my defense even after all I had just done to incapacitate him.
"Excuse me? Do you not see what she has done to our family boy?" Caius asked angrily as Aro quietly walked around his guards inspecting the placement of my blades in each body.
"No one has ever done what Odessa has just accomplished. We stand stronger as a family, as a coven with her by our side." Alec quietly replied.
"How could you trust-" Caius began.
"Her connection to me has never faded. My daughter will protect me and in doing so our family with her life… If she must." My Father replied. "Odessa is our greatest asset, our finest warrior. In less than a century she had progressed beyond our strongest warriors. I was a fool to think she would sit back and watch her family face its greatest enemy without her by our side. Brother?" Marcus said, grabbing Aro's attention, "What say you?"
Aro's eyes looked concerned as he looked over at Jane who was certainly exaggerating her wounds.
"Well," He finally began,"I suppose it couldn't hurt if Odessa came along."
My heart race quickened at his words, I tried to control it but it was already too late, Caius and Jane had heard my excitement.
"Punish her!" Caius shouted as Jane came to his side.
"There is no time brother. Besides, all Odessa has done is proven herself worthy of an opportunity to fight by our side on a grand scale. Do you not want to extinguish these Werewolves once and for all?" Aro argues.
"You know I do! However, that does not excuse what has happened here today!" Caius shouted back.
"Odessa will be punished enough if she fails to do her part and those she loves and yearns to protect die on the battlefield. Though she is Vampire, she is also human and because of it soft. If she is unable to save everyone she cares about, it will eat her alive." Aro replied.
He was correct of course. In my mind I was the hero, I was going to save everyone. I had too.
"Clean your mess up Odessa and get some rest, quickly now." Aro replied before walking away back into the throne room, with an angry Caius and Jane tailing behind him.
"No more of this Odessa." My Father said as he knelt down beside me and placed a hand on the back of my head.
"Never again Father, I promise." I replied.
Marcus kissed me gently on my forehead before turning to meet up with his brothers. When the doors were finally closed I lifted my head and mouthed the word "sorry" to Alec who smiled and laughed. Together the two of us pulled my blades out of the angry and embarrassed guards. By the time we had finished Felix finally made his way to the scene, his features were furious but he remained quiet, even after I told him the news. Even if I hadn't told him my smile and the limp bodies of those I had attacked surely told him well enough that I had gotten my way. I was going to war and there was nothing he could do to change that.
I had only slept for three hours before we left for the Quang Binh Province of Vietnam. Traveling with Vampires with no small feat, especially this large of a group. Being at the top of my game physically and mentally was essential. From the briefing given to our family and the friends who would join us in our fight I had learned that we were up against more Werewolves then any one had ever defeated in a single day, not only that but were most certainly going to be outwitted as we knew much less then they would about the cave system that they were predicted to be residing in based off of a tip from the head Taiwanese Coven who had long since suspected potential Werewolf activity within the region but was ignored due to his inability to provide an ounce of proof the Volturi. Many of the Covens who had joined alongside Volturi looked me over in what felt like a million different ways, most likely questioning who I was and why the Volturi would allow a Halfling to walk among them at a time of war, or really at all. Aro chose to ignore the looks of curiosity and allowed me to walk beside my Father at the front of the group. I couldn't help but feel like a prized racehorse being trotted around in front of the crowd. It took all my strength to not pierce the eyes of those who went out of their way to look at me.
Finally as we made our way to what was expected to be an entrance to the cave that was expected to lead to what is known by it's people as "The Kingdom of The Underground". We were greeted by the Cullen's and their army. To everyone's surprise but especially my own we all watched in awe and slight fear as a group of at least 50 Shapeshifter's gathered around the Cullen's and their friends. The wolves were so much more beautiful than I ever imagined they would be. There were also two giant white wolves that instantly terrified me, they were different from anything I had ever read about before in the lore textbooks within the Volturi's vast library. Both creatures were at least 9 or 10 feet tall and muscular. Their build more like that of a bear then a wolf. Their fur was longer than that of the other, smaller, Shapeshifter's and they stood among the pack of wolves but in a way that felt misplaced. They were close together, mates or siblings I assume. Their appearance commanded much more attention than my own; a small relief I found within the two terrifying figures.
"Carlisle. How wonderful to see you again." Aro began. "Though I do wish it were under better circumstances."
"As do I." Carlisle replied.
"This is my niece, daughter of Marcus. Odessa." Aro began motioning for me to stand near him.
I walked over and simply nodded in his direction respectfully.
"Odessa will enter the cave first. Her lack of Vampirism as well as her link to humans will hide her from the Werewolves. I have given her what your Wolf has given me and then some. If there are any obstacles on our path she will clear them and we will follow her scent through the caves." Aro said.
I could hear my Father grumble under his breath and I watched as he shook his head.
"I'll be alright Father, we'll be together again before the sun begins to rise. I promise." I whispered to him.
Instantly this calmed him as I had never before broken a promise that I had made to him, a sort of family tradition that I don't intend on breaking today.
"Perhaps we should send one of our own, to help guide her." Carlisle offered gently, trying not to insult me I imagine.
"Perhaps not. Your family is too attached to this entire situation, I won't risk one of you ruining this opportunity for our kind." I replied without hesitation.
These words weren't mine to speak, they were Aro's and I could feel stares begin to fall upon me once more, from all angles no. Folding however wasn't an option so I held my head high and stood my ground.
"My beloved niece is correct. She will travel alone." Aro replied, ending the discussion.
On Aro's que I nodded to my Father whose face was sadder than I had ever seen it before and walked into the darkness with a tattered cloak as my disguise. Two hours into following the map given to Aro from the Taiwanese Coven, who had procured a copy of a map of this particular cave system in advance, I finally found what I was looking for. A metal gate which sat in the way, its bars much thicker than any I had ever seen before. These bars were the reason I was sent in first as the Taiwanese Coven couldn't make a dent in the wickedly thick Tungsten pools. I thought of my father's face and his sadness became my own and I touched the metal, weakening it enough to easily push large man sized holes into each bar without making a sound. There were three gates in total that I had to do this too before I finally came upon a long dark hallway that led me to a dimly lit town. To my surprise not only was there hardly anyone out there seemed to be no guards so I easily slipped my way through the shadows of the town all the way to a large palace where I was told the Halfling had been kept. As Aro had also given me orders to give a warning to a human man named Killian who was supposed to be inside of the palace and willing to help the Cullen's daughter, Renesmee. A kindness I did not expect from Aro when he first pulled me into the throne room alone before we left to speak on the manor. I was thrilled to be handed such an honor, even if I knew my Father would most likely see it as me essentially being sent in first as the test dummy. I saw it as a chance to prove I was capable of accomplishing a mission of this magnitude on my own.
Everything was just as Aro had described it as I continued to discreetly make my way past the armed human guards. Eventually I noticed a drainage grate just outside of the palace walls. I slipped inside of it and walked quietly until I eventually came across another one that looked and smelled as if it was attached to a kitchen. As I slid out of the drain a human entered the kitchen catching me as I exited the grate. Unfortunately, I now had no choice but to end him.
"Wait! Wait! Are you with her? Or with her family? Renesmee's?" The man whispered in a dazed and confused panic as I held him to the wall while I began to choke the life out of him.
I dropped him slowly as I stared him down and released rough pressure to allow him to speak.
"I- I'm Dr. Killian Cook. I help take care of Renesmee! Please, I promise! I'll tell you where she is, please just don't kill me." The man whispered as tears fell down his face.
"Killian? Well, well. What are the odds? You are exactly who I was looking for. You've been given the opportunity to prove your worth to the Volturi human. These guards, they have guns. Anything else I should know about?"
"Uh- Um. The armory! I know where the keys are. I can lock it up. It'll just take some time to get to them." The man replied frantically.
"Show me."
'What? No, you're a stranger! Someone will notice you! They'll all be out soon as the moonlight begins to shine down upon us!"
"They only come out at night? How true to their lore." I replied with a laugh. "I smelt no dogs within the town, why?"
"Well… During the Sleep of The Redeemed, we have gates that keep us protected from the outside world."
"Oh, is that what those flimsy little poles were for? Whoops. Now, show me the way to the armory so I can rejoin my family and help kill every last Werewolf inside of this shit hole." I ordered.
"Right… Alright follow me, just stay behind me in case anyone is wondering about the castle."
"That should be easy enough, the shadows have been my home since I can remember." I replied.
With that said the two of us slipped through the hallways of the castle unfortunately at human speed until we finally came across a room that certainly did not have any keys. It was merely a doctor's study/office quite clearly.
"Where are the keys?" I asked the man who began to rifle through a medicine cabinet after collecting three needles. "What are you doing?"
"Getting a sedative for the guards." Killian replied.
"We don't have time for this!"
"I'm a doctor, a good one. Hurting people isn't in my nature. Let's go." Killian replied before exiting the room and leading the way once again.
The armory was just outside of the palace. Killian drugged the man who guarded the keys, a plump old man who was happy to see him, before swiping them. We found the room unlocked and I quickly killed the two guards who stood in front of it. As I looked around I realized the heavy artillery within the armory would most definitely have been an issue. I was thankful immediately that Killian brought its existence to my attention. The large room was packed full of weapons that could make this war almost not worth fighting if the humans or Werewolves gained access to them. Quickly Killian locked every lock and I used my talent to break every key and first soften the face of each lock to make the plain smooth hole less metal plates so it would be impossible to enter the space from the outside.
"Go warn the girl. The moon is bright now, you'll be lucky to have 10 minutes. Goodbye Killian." I said before running at top speed back into the darkness of the town.
The people of this strange place were outside now gathering around going about what seemed like daily chores. Yet in its entirety this place seemed quiet and uneventful, not at all like the threat I was informed of. As I reached the outermost town's edge I could already sense the presence of the Vampires, creeping upon the dark town. It was all about to begin. War, and I was first in line for blood.