Oblivion | Alec Volturi |

Part 0: 03

They came with pageantry, with a kind of beauty. A rigid, formal formation, moving together in perfect synchronicity from the trees - a dark, unbroken shape that seemed to hover a few inches above the white snow. 

The outer perimeter was gray; the color darkened with each line of bodies until the heart of the formation was the deepest black, clearly displaying the ranks of the Volturi.

The configuration folded outward. The motion was too stiff, too square to resemble the opening of a flower, though the color suggested that; it was the opening of a fan, graceful but very angular. The gray-cloaked figures spread to the flanks while the darker forms surged precisely forward in the center, each movement closely controlled.

Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety. No fear.

It was the pace of the invincible.

Annalise grit her teeth, they never should have come, she thought grimly, the Volturi out-number them, they're battle trained. She, her brothers, the Cullens, everyone here - they were in over their heads. They were children in comparison to the Volturi.. Annalise looked around, their group of vampires looking disorganized and unprepared in comparison to the Volturi.

The Volturi showed no emotion, far too disciplined to do so. They showed no surprise or dismay at the collection of vampires, they showed no surprise at the giant wolf that stood in their midst.

"The redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming," Garrett muttered mysteriously to himself and then chuckled once. He slid one step closer to Kate.

"They did come," Vladimir whispered to Stefan.

"The wives," Stefan hissed back. "The entire guard. All of them together. It's well we didn't try Volterra."

Annalise's eyes flickered to the two waifish figures in the back, both heavily guarded and obviously wouldn't be taking part in the conflict and realized that they must be Sulpicia and Athenodora, the Queens. Further behind them, more vampires began entering the clearing - the antithesis to the Volturi's discipline: shock and anxiety, at the unexpected force awaiting them that quickly passed as they realized they were secure in their overwhelming numbers. The Volturi's witnesses, Annalise recognized as the last of the forty to fifty vampires drew from the trees.

"Alistair was right," Edward murmured to Carlisle and Annalise's eyes flashed towards him.

Carlisle glanced at Edward questioningly.

"Alistair was right?" Tanya whispered.

"They - Caius and Aro - come to destroy and acquire," Edward breathed almost silently back; only their side could hear. "They have many layers of strategy already in place. If Irina's accusation had somehow proven to be false, they were committed to finding another reason to take offense. But they can see Renesmee now, so they are perfectly sanguine about their course. We could still attempt to defend against their other contrived charges, but first, they have to stop, to hear the truth about Renesmee." Then, even lower. "Which they have no intention of doing."

Annalise took in a deep, unneeded breath in order to calm herself, had she brought her brothers to their deaths? All of a sudden, the anxiety disappeared and she felt Elliot grab her hand. She looked down at him and he gave her a small smile and she realized that he must have alleviated her worries and she gave his hand a light, thankful squeeze.

Jacob gave a strange huff and then the procession halted.

The low music of perfectly synchronized movements turned to silence. The flawless discipline remained unbroken; the Volturi froze into absolute stillness as one. They stood about a hundred yards away from them.