"What worries you, my love?" said a well-dressed man in a burgundy suit, blood-red shirt, and shoes. He had hazel eyes and brown hair. This was Edmond Tureq, a powerful vampire over three centuries old. He gazed at his companion of 100 years his darling Shauna who was gazing at the newborns down below feeding don't the citizens they had kidnapped.
They had taken over an old cathedral, the biggest in the city, large enough to house their growing army.
"The Volturi won't stand for this, my love. I support you, but I worry you made a move on this city too soon. Any other city in Spain governed by one of the elders, they have forces in the fifties and cannot call upon the death dealers without his permission."
She said while still looking at the sight below from the balcony on the second floor. There other more orderly and older subordinates were either on the lookout or patrolling around the areas around the church.
"I understand my love but those elders aren't as great a threat as he is. This organization functions because of his...as much as I loathe to admit it his talent for leadership that has older vampires following his leader and enforcing his rules. Besides I doubt he would move in this area filled with people and due to his pact with the witches we have leverage." he said smugly.
His wife sighed making him frown slightly. He understood the phantom reaper was a threat but he was still a vampire younger than 150 years. The movement either of them got their hands on him it would be over. So why was she adamant that they were in danger here? He walked closer to her and leaned on the balcony next to her.
"Enlighten me beloved," he said while spreading his arm wide dramatically with a sarcastic smile on his face. Shauna sighed moved her gaze from the carnage below and turned to face her husband.
"Once a vampire reaches certain ages they become faster, stronger, and their bodies more durable rendering our bodies nearly impenetrable. Unless the opponent possesses far more strength to powerful magic that bypasses durability. Our only weaknesses are those that come with our nature, provided by the world itself to counteract what we are...that is the balance. Stakes even though they are made of wood and should shatter on a vampire a century old pierce through our invincible flesh into our hearts and kill us. With enough strength, our heads can be cut off our hearts ripped out-"
Edmond rolled his eyes." Yes yes, vervain, sunlight, werewolf venom blah blah blah any vampire that lets his guard down enough to be thwarted by any of them deserves death, we are superior beings, my love. meant to rule." he said with s slight snarl at the end.
"Something that Sebastien Valet clearly understands. He rules the supernatural community throughout the entirety of Spain. All we have to do is replace him, show his followers we are the better choice, and take everything that..he..has" he finished with some envy in his tone.
Shauna shakes her head and stands up. " We rule through power and fear, he rules through power and respect. His actions have shown those around him that he is a man that delivers. Not to mention that to get to him you have to go through a personal unit of skilled supernatural killers with decades of experience in killing beings like us who threaten the Volturi's order and yet you believe he can be defeated..." she pauses and looks down at the newborns again." By that rabble down there".
Edmond grits his teeth. "I have leverage, I have a plan. he won't attack as long as we have them and he can't be invited in so long as we keep the only person with the authority to invite him locked in the cellar below." as he spoke his confidence was re-ignited and Shauna knew that he would not change his mind.
"As you wish, husband," she said after looking into his eyes for a while. As he walked past her, she left a few words: " Never forget, he's never been defeated in single combat...ever."
As she began to descend the stairs. Edmond goes to retort when a body flies threw the window and crashes into the feeding crowd of vampires below. The couple looks at each other before descending the stairs in a blur of speed. The sight that greeted them was one of their veteran members with a hole in his chest where his heart should be. And carved on his chest was a V.
Before anyone could process what happened, there was a knock on the front door. Edmond and his wife looked at each other. Everyone who was a part of their coven wouldn't need to knock. That means the Volturi had made their move. Edmond was surprised by this course of action. Did they not have a treaty with the witches, or was their leverage insufficient?
His fist clenched tightly before he felt a hand on his. He glanced at his wife, who gave him a look of unwavering support and calmed down. He motioned for one of the younger vampires to open the cathedral doors, so he could put a face to his enemy.
The vampire nodded and did so. As the doors were opened, they saw a young man with silky pitch black hair, brown skin, and violet eyes filled with amusement unbefitting of the situation. Unlike those behind him done in carrying degrees of armor. He wore none. He was dressed in black pants and westcott with a purple shirt. His shoes seemed to be made of crocodile skin and his outfit was completed with a pitch black trenchcoated that had violet veins running across it. In his right hand, he held a cane. It reached his waist and had a howling wolf motif on top.
"Good evening all, my name is Sebastien Valet leader of The Volturi, although I have a feeling you already knew that considering you chose to muck about in my backyard."
As he spoke his tone smooth and silky, every vampire in that room felt the pressure he seemed to release just by being there. This was more apparent on the faces of the newborns as panic was slowly beginning to set in.
Edmond was about to say something but Sebastien raised his hand indicating him to stop. " Not before you lie to my face and then when that works you resort to using the 'leverage' in the cellar. I should warn you that you are not the first vampire of considerable age I've dealt with, but considering what I've just learned from you I'd be dreadfully redundant" he said
Edmond's eyes widened in surprise. "Learned from me...how... wait not about me from me. I've never met him before what could-"
"I'd prefer you keep the inner monologues to a minimum. Usually, I'm a fan but yours lacks a bit of substance to it."
Edmond took a step back." Your-"
"Yes," he replied as if it were obvious.
"How, no vampire is-"
Sebastien again raised his hand with a look of disappointment on his face." You plot against me and those under me, and yet you know so little about me. Yo would scheme against an enemy when you are so ill-informed and clearly...ill-prepared" he said as he glanced at every vampire in the room.
Edmond was slowly losing composure the plans were falling through his fingers like sand. A vampire that could read minds with such ease.
Vampires possess a restricted type of telepathy that enables them to effortlessly invade the minds of humans, and with greater concentration, the minds of other supernatural creatures.
Normally, this ability works through tactile contact, usually by the vampire placing the palms of his or her hands on the temples of the vampire whose mind they want to enter. The vampire then closes their eyes and focus on the information they wish to seek, allowing them to sort through their victims' memories until they see what they're looking for.
However, vampires who share close relationships, such as siblings or spouses, in rare cases have been known to communicate mentally over short distances without physical contact, enabling them to send distress signals and mental images in emergency situations. Just as their physical abilities enhance with age, a vampire's mental strength also grows, making it increasingly difficult for one vampire to enter the mind of an ancient vampire.
And yet his mind seems to be laid bare for this vampire a few years into his first century. One of the newborns, a recent of the city, no doubt convinced to be turned by the allure of immortality and power beyond what he'd ever dreamed of stepped forward. As a local of the town he knew of The Volturi, from stories told by adults and he knew of the man who led them from those same stories. But what frightened him were legends passed down from elders of the city of what he did to his enemies during battles long since passed...the tales of The Violet Phantom.
"Mr Valet I-" he was cut off as Sebastien made a gesture to be quiet by placing a finger on his lips.
"Shhh," he said.
But you vampire wanting to avoid his ire tried to continue talking but realized he couldn't no matter how hard he tried no sound left his mouth. The surrounding vampires seeing his lips move trying to mouth words but hearing nothing started to piece it together and dread began to set in.
"And as for your insurance. I can guarantee you be able to lay a hand don't hose girls" he then held up his hand as the wife Shauna was about to speak.
"And the priest doesn't need to invite us in, luv," he said as his true face emerged. It was truly a sigh as the white of his eyes turned black, making his violet pupils stand out more. Balck veins emerged on his face around his eyes, and his canine teeth extended into razor-sharp fangs. "We've been here before," he said as he took a step forward into the building.
Edmond and Shauna took a step back. Seeing this Khan who was behind Sebastien released a chuckle. Heidi soon followed along. Sebastien turned his head and looked at them with a raised brown. Khan seeing his amused but questioning gaze gave him an answer.
"It's like you said sir...ill-informed," said Khan. Sebastien smiled at the response.
"Indeed they are my friend," he said before tapping his cane on the ground, an action that caused every death dealer to draw their weapons. An action that causes full-blown panic in all the enemy vampires present.
"Now then," he said with a somewhat feral smirk. "Shall we begin"
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile now entering the territory of Valencia were three individuals. In a horse-drawn carriage carrying coffins in the back. One is a handsome man who stands about 5'11" in height and has a thin but muscular body. He has short brown hair which appeared to have darkened slightly in the fourth season, with hazel brown eyes. His facial features are angular - high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a straight nose. Despite being centuries old, he appears to be 23 or 24 years old. The other man possesses curled dirty-blond hair and dark blue eyes that contrast with his pearl-white skin. His physical appearance is that of a man between 19-21. The last was a beautiful and very attractive woman who had natural light blonde hair, light blue eyes, full lips, and pale light skin with a small dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose. She is a tall and slim Caucasian female that looks to be 17 - 19 years old.
"Why have you brought us her brother we should be fleeing across the bloody ocean to escape from father, not cross country." said the blonde one loudly.
"Calm yourself Niklaus we lack the means to escape that far without drawing the very attention that would draw our father's wrath towards us once again." said the older man calmly.
"But why here Elijah, what could be here that could help us." said the women somewhat panic-stricken from the events a few days ago when their father Mikael found them in Cádiz and raised half the city down. To find them. The only reason they escape is that several skilled vampires appear and attack their father in droves with weapons coated in vervain and dead man's blood. They fought in unity and never allowed their father an advantage. They could kill him but they certainly drove him away. When they were about to leave Elijah managed to stop one of them to ask who they wore. All they said was 'We are The Volturi' before they spread off.
"I track the so-called Volturi we met a few days ago hear. The old reason we caught up is because they made several stops in other cities on the way," he said before he paused gaining both their attention. "Now from the information I've gathered along the way. They are the ruling body for the supernatural throughout all of Spain. And the only reason our father even made it that close to us is because he did make such a... statement until he was sure where we were."
Niklaus losing his patience chimed in. "That's all well and good brother but how does that help us? I doubt this Volturi would aid us just because we ask nicely," he said in a tone dripping with sarcasm.
Elijah used to his behavior answered calmly.
"It helps brother because I managed to uncover the name of the leader of this organization. A name we are all familiar with and...if he has forgiven me after all this time for what I forced him to do. With the authority he has over the supernatural community and the warriors that follow him, he could most certainly aid us." he said with certainty in his tone yet some hidden regret made its way to the surface.
Niklaus's eyes widened at such a bold claim from his brother. Meanwhile, Rebekah's eyes widened for a different reason.
'it...it can't be. Would he even want to see me' she thought. Her mind was in turmoil.
Niklaus intrigued asked the question that Rebekah hoped she had the wrong answer for,
"Who?"
Elijah after a few seconds responded. " My protege and your old friend" Niklaus's eyes widened before Elijah could finish. " Sebastien Valet".