the trickster // caius volturi

✵ELEVEN✵

~~~Volturi Palace, Volterra, Italy~~~
~~2005~~

After nearly four days of pure torture, for the hundreds of prisoners under the palace of the Volturi, Aro and Loki stood in front of the last one. A male vampire. He had skin as dark as night and eyes as red as blood. He held his head low as he crawled into the corner of the room.

Any vampire at full strength could easily find their way from the cell, but this one had been starved for three years. Only a drop of blood every few months would be enough to make sure that the vampire could feel every bit of pain.

"This man's name is Madegiya. He was of the South Africa Tribe many centuries ago. The coven leader, and an advisor to us Volturi. But, that power was not enough." In a flash, Aro had torn the vampire's arm off. Madegiya let out a feral scream as the sound of porcelain hitting stone rattled through the room.

"He gathered the covens of the African region, and established the Mekundu, deeming himself as its ruler. They moved quietly and carefully for decades, slowly gaining the allegiances of most of the Middle East and parts of Asia. Until..."

He moved again and tore Madegiya's other arm off. Another scream, more porcelain, and stone. Loki tilted her head slowly to the right as she studied Madegiya.

Then it clicked.

"He went to the Egyptian Coven. But we have already established an everlasting covenant with Amun, so he immediately alerted us of Madegiya's treachery. We moved slowly, as he had. Madegiya was invited to be part of our Guard. What he didn't know while he wrote letters to his secret coven was that they had already been obliterated and some had been held prisoner. We wrote letters to gain knowledge of the full extent of his treason. Finally, we invited Madegiya to the throne room."

Aro smiled horribly at the man. "We told him that we wanted him to sit upon a throne of the Volturi. And he stood there, in front of everyone, as he sat on his throne. It was then that the trial was announced. I can still hear Caius' words, and you sat there."

" 'Madegiya has been found guilty on accounts of treason and treachery. How do you plead?' He just sat there, then frowned. We let Jane attend to him at her discretion for over four decades. All you could hear were the screams. Then we decided upon the current course of action."

He held Madegiya's right arm, then crushed it to dust. But, it would reform. Very slowly.

"Today is not the day, my friend. We have another treat in store for you." Aro opened the cell door, and a female was dragged in. Madegiya's eyes went wide as she was thrown to the floor. She shrieked at his armless figure, and the screams bounced on the walls.

"This is Abidemi. She is the great-granddaughter of one of Madegiya's human consorts. Another crime he committed, but no matter. Now, she is the spitting image of her great-grandmother. a beauty." The woman whimpered as she looked at the horrifying vampires.

"Aro, what are you doing?" Loki asked. She was a fan of punishment, but she did not enjoy cruelty.

"This is your final punishment, then you may choose. Death, or life." Aro grabbed Abidemi's hair and wrenched her upwards. She screamed as struggled against him as he looked at her neck ravenously.

"Please, don't." Loki looked at Madegiya, and his sorrowful eyes.

"You should have thought of your actions, old friend." Aro tilted his head back, then lunged to bite her neck.

But Loki used her gift.

~~~The Room of Ice~~~

Abidemi cowered at the feet of the animal as the goddess sat in her chair, rebraiding her hair.

"Your hair is beautiful. A different kind than I am used to, but I would love to learn." She looked at the frizz of black hair.

Abidemi whimpered. "What are you going to do to me?" Loki sighed. " I am sorry, but you will have to become one of us. Don't worry. I can dull the pain, and you should wake in a matter of days. Tell me, how old are you?"

"24." Loki sighed. "Well, you shall have to stay that way forever. If you wish to live, of course."

Abdemi's mind was spinning. "What do you want?"

"I am not a connoisseur of cruelty, Abidemi. You will not be noticed by others here, and you will be one of my followers. The first, if you wish. Do you want immortality, dear Bide?"

"Yes." She didn't know why, and she didn't know how, but she felt a sense of trust. It was strange.

"Then, shall we begin? You shall sleep for three days time. Whenever you're ready." Loki stood, and helped Bide up. Abidemi nodded, and slept.