A century later, after the Volturi had soundly won the war against the Romanians, they continued their march against other covens that lived ostentatiously. Their next target was Egypt.
Again, the Volturi began with an attempt at diplomacy. They sent ambassadors to the Egyptian
?gods,? explaining their cause and asking the Egyptians to comply. For the most part, the Egyptians were furious and refused to grant the Volturi any power over them. Only one Egyptian pair changed sides — Amun and Kebi. Amun knew that if the Volturi were able to overthrow the Romanians, the more peaceful Egyptian coven would be easy prey. He was right; the Egyptians were totally decimated in only five years.
Amun had a very strong survival instinct, and he was willing to bow to the Volturi if it kept him alive. Kebi followed Amun‘s choice without question. However, Amun was always bitter at having to surrender his former lifestyle. He loved the worship, the towering desert monuments, and the excess. He knew he could not plot against the Volturi, because Aro would find out. But he hoped that, over time, he could gain the strength to oppose them. He had learned from the Volturi methods, and he sought out talented humans and vampires.
Unfortunately for him, Aro was well aware of Amun‘s true desires. Aro felt the need to let Amun survive in the first place as an example to other covens, so they could see the truth of the Volturi‘s offer: As long as they did as the Volturi commanded, they could live. Aro always kept a close eye on Amun‘s movements afterward, so Aro was able to identify individuals Amun was trying to integrate into his coven and — if they had a valuable talent — invite them into the Volturi guard first. Sometimes he was too late, and Amun found a good prospect first. Demetri was one of Amun‘s acquisitions. But with Chelsea on his side, it was not hard for Aro to woo people away from Amun. In many other cases, Aro would simply accuse a coven of a crime when he wanted one of their talented members. He‘d kill the rest and save the special one. But Aro enjoys toying with Amun too much to end his life that way.
Over the centuries, Amun gave up trying to create his own talented force.
Over the centuries, Amun gave up trying to create his own talented force. However, when he stumbled across Benjamin — who, as a human, was performing ?magic? tricks in the streets of Cairo — he began to dream again. He became a total recluse, keeping Benjamin a deep secret by avoiding contact with any vampire or human who might possibly cross paths with the Volturi.
He treated Benjamin as a son, and Benjamin viewed him as a father. The only big falling-out they had in the early years of their coven was when Benjamin left briefly to create his own mate, against Amun‘s wishes. Benjamin was quickly forgiven when he returned, with no harm done.
FAMOUS QUOTE
BENJAMIN
NAME: Benjamin
DATE OF BIRTH: Between 1790 and 1800
DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: Between 1805 and 1820, at age 15
SOURCE OF TRANSFORMATION: Amun
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Egypt
HAIR COLOR: Black
EYE COLOR: Red/black (vampire)
HEIGHT: 5‘7?
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Benjamin appears to be a teenager, and his pale skin has the slight olive tone that is evidence of his much darker human skin.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: He can influence the elements — water, earth, fire, and air. He is able to physically manipulate the world around him with his will, similar to telekinetic powers.
FAMILY/COVEN RELATIONSHIPS: He was created by Amun, the leader of his coven, which also includes Amun‘s mate, Kebi; and Benjamin‘s mate, Tia.
The uncle discovered Benjamin‘s strange ability to control fire and taught him to do tricks with his gift.
PERSONAL HISTORY:
As a human, Benjamin grew up in the slums of Cairo. As a young child, he lost his mother, and he had no knowledge of his father. He was raised by his mother‘s extended family, handed around from grandmother to aunt to cousin — whoever was able to feed him at the time.
Eventually he ended up in the hands of his mother‘s uncle, a street performer who took in unwanted young members of the family and taught them to dance and sing for money, sell trinkets, or pick pockets — whatever they were most adept at doing. Sometimes, he also profited from selling the children if they were no good at earning him money. The uncle discovered Benjamin‘s strange ability to control fire and taught him to do tricks with his gift. Benjamin became the most profitable member of the uncle‘s family, and therefore very dear to him.
Among the children in the uncle‘s care was a girl named Tia, a distant relative of Benjamin‘s. Tia was an intelligent, serious child, and she and Benjamin grew very close. They watched out for and confided in each other. When Benjamin was fifteen and Tia was twelve, they decided that someday soon they would run away together.
Benjamin‘s audience was growing; more and more people heard about the amazing boy who could control fire. One night as he was performing for a large audience, Amun observed the show.
After so many frustrating losses to Aro, Amun did not hesitate. He snatched the boy from the street that night, in the process killing the uncle, whom Benjamin was walking home with.
Amun kept Benjamin hidden in his undiscovered, buried temple for five years. He and Kebi took turns hunting and bringing food home to Benjamin. Benjamin was never allowed to leave, so there was no chance someone would see him and mention him to the Volturi. Amun was honest with Benjamin to an extent; he told Benjamin that the Volturi existed and would want to steal him for themselves. He explained that the Volturi would use their gifts to enslave Benjamin, to take away his free will. However, Amun did not tell Benjamin why he himself wanted the boy — as a talent that could be added to his own coven in the hope of one day defying the Volturi. Amun treated Benjamin as his son, and never let on that Benjamin‘s talent was what he was really after. Benjamin responded to Amun‘s apparent kindness. He respected Amun and loved him as a father. His response to Kebi was less strong, mostly because Kebi did not show much affection for the boy. Amun was the center of her world, and all she really
