If this prophecy is fulfilled,
you will all fall: one by friend,
one by foe and one by family.
And as you rot in the ocean,
remember my face, Tristan,
'cause it's gonna be the last one that you ever see.
Tristan de Martel
guided this organization for centuries.
I will not allow that defeat to hamper our cause.
Those dark objects are my family's legacy.
Give them back
or I will take them back
and I swear you will regret this moment.
The only thing I regret is failing to realize
how far you've spun out of control!
Somewhere out there is an elusive weapon
capable of killing an original.
I'm calling to suggest we pool our efforts to find it.
Ariane. Come forward, please.
And what do you want from me?
Water will actas a conductor,
allowing me to enter your mind.
Did you see it? The weapon?
An unending darkness lies before you.
A pale horse.
I am released.
There is only one other person
capable of deciphering the witch's riddle;
the very person with whom I shared
my memories of that night, my trusted therapist.
The horse was made of the white oak.
That weapon is here.
How's it going in here?
We're cloaked. For now.
But I can sense somebody's searching for you,
and my guess is it's Freya Mikaelson.
I guess that's what happens when you steal the one thing
that can kill her entire family.
I wouldn't have taken it if Klaus hadn't confiscated
my dark objects, so technically this is his fault.
You try explaining that to him.
I have it all worked out-- you put up
a boundary spell Klaus can't enter.
If he wants what's his, he'll give me back what's mine.
Those dark objects were made by New Orleans witches.
I want'em back just as much as you do.
Good. Then I chose the right partner.
Cami, you got to see the mess you're in.
You Jacked the one weapon
that can kill the most powerful vampires in the world.
You got a target on your back.
Klaus wouldn't hurt me.
Klaus ain't the only one that's gonna
come looking for the white oak.
Then let's get this over with.
Vincent!
I'm sick of playing
at a disadvantage.
It's what got me killed.
I'm going to take your silence as a resounding agreement
with my very reasonable plan.
Now all I have to do is invite Klaus.
Cami,
are you sure you want to do this?
What happened to her?
This is what befalls anyone
who bargains with Elijah Mikaelson.
Ariane discovered the weapon that could kill an original.
And since Elijah would never allow anyone
to posses so deadly a secret...
He killed her.
She was nice to me.
Then perhaps you won't mind spending
a little more time together.
You and the others will channel her,
search her mind and find the weapon.
It's a little disrespectful to the dead, don't you think?
Not to mention dangerous. If Elijah finds out...
I know better than you how dangerous Elijah can be.
And yet, as he is my sire, my life
and the lives of the Strix are tied to his.
So...
I will not rest
until that weapon is found.
So that's how it is.
You recruit a witch from my city
and you don't even tell me.
I'm not in the habit of explaining my decisions
to subordinates.
She's just a kid.
Davina Claire
is a former regent.
A shame she aligned with us only after her shunning.
But then, some things are beyond even my control.
Hey...
I'm not gonna let her be your puppet.
You are in no position to make demands.
If the prophecy is true, the Mikaelsons will fall
within the year and us along with them.
I have a plan that will keep us alive.
Perhaps you should focus on proving yourself
essential to my plan.
Ah. Vincent.
I should have known Camille would seek powerful fools
to aid in this rather futile gambit.
As I send you off to join your ancestors,
just know this is her fault.
I was hoping for a simple trade,
but seeing as how everything you took
can't possibly fit in that briefcase,
I'm gonna go ahead and assume that "simple"
ain't exactly your style, huh?
Why don't you take down this barrier?
I'll show you precisely what my style entails.
Seriously?
I have an ancient, mystical
weapon of doom, and instead of agreeing
to my very fair trade, you're making threats.
There she is.
Traitor to my family,
thief of that which is mine.
Don't be dramatic.
Like I said, I just wanted your attention.
And seeing as you're here, I'd say I got it.
Yes, a rather effective tactic.
One I usually reserve for enemies,
and here I thought we were intimates.
We are.
But relationships are built on trust and equality,
and we don't have either if you're confiscating my stuff.
And so your response is to steal what's mine
in an attempt to bend my will to your own.
I just want back what you took.
What, that's, like, a third of them?
So would you like a third
of the white oak?
Are you really gonna do this?
Okay, listen, I'm gonna leave you two lovebirds alone, but,
uh, y'all want my advice,
y'all best to finish this up
before someone finds out what she took.
Okay, so what's the plan?
Caml's out there with the white oak and I'm not gonna lose
one more person that I care about.
Niklaus can handle Camille. Till then,
I'll keep Aya distracted.
Why don't you just kill her?
She and I have history.
You two had a thing?
Aya was a towering intellect
with an insatiable curiosity.
Passionate, fearless
and something of an outcast.
Long ago, I invited her to...
Join a rather elite company.
I determined she was perfectly tailored
to bear the responsibility of an immortal life.
I made her like me.
She was one of the first Strix.
We cared for one another deeply.
Together we created
a fellowship unburdened
by the limitations of man.
It was the pursuit
of a glorious new world.
And then father...
Led by that unquenchable desire
to slay his children, mikael descended,
accompanied by a small army. He laid to waste
everything that I built.
So... We had no choice but to run.
Come with me.
Aya did not.
So when Tristan found her, he rescued her.
She, of course, came to see him as something of a savior.
And in time, beneath his corrupted guidance,
they made the Strix what they are today--
A hive of depraved and ignorant savages.
And she's never forgiven me.
I'm not entirely certain I've ever forgiven myself.
Well...
Given all that,
how exactly do you plan on keeping her distracted?
With a little salt...
In an old wound.
We're getting nowhere.
Take some time, gather your focus.
We'll reconvene in an hour. And we won't stop
until we get what we need.
I know you're not a New Orleans witch.
But you did die here.
When I was a little girl I remember being told
that a witch who wasn't consecrated
would never know peace.
The ancestors may hate me,
but at the end of the day, witches take care of their own.
...trinket I made
when we were children. A toy.
You found it, which means
you've come to kill me.
I think you need to calm down,
count to ten, focus on your breathing.
Is this amusing to you?
Endangering my family?
Am I laughing? I want to put this all behind us.
You of all people know what I am capable of, and yet you seem
determined to incur my wrath.
I'm gonna ask you one last time...
"Give me the white oak."
Am I right?
My answer is, happily, as soon as you stop
screwing around and give me back what's mine.
If I give your trinkets back,
I embolden all manner of foolishness.
You will grow arrogant
under the false belief you have power
and ultimately you will end up dead.
Klaus, you're afraid something
will happen to me?
Guess what, something already did.
Your ex hates me so much, she murdered me.
She's gonna have to pay for that.
And since I can't fight her fair and square,
I need those dark objects.
Fine.
I'll retrieve your toys.
Keep this bloody barrier up till I return.
My witches have made a discovery.
Whatever it was, Elijah clearly wants it to remain hidden.
We can only assume a weapon is in play
and that all our lives are at risk.
We will not rest
until that weapon is under our control.
Hello, everyone.
Wonderful to see you all.
Aya, don't we look so very comfortable indeed
leading Tristan's little circus.
Sadly, one does not
simply ascend to the position of leader.
Kind of has to be by my consent.
You see, I am
the maker, the creator,
the founding father.
I am the one who chooses the leader here,
and fortunately for every last one of you,
I have an excellent candidate in mind.
See, today is the day
I take back what is mine.
Do I hear any objections?
So ladies and gentlemen,
the offer I extend to you is simple enough.
You follow me, I shall return you all to greatness.
You're really just gonna come in here and start making demands?
Ah, shh, shh, shh. Marcel, grown-ups are talking.
Aya, how long has it been-- eight,
900 years since you saw this?
For the uninitiated-- The charter of the Strix,
written by... Oh, yes-- me.
And it says here, it shall be
my duty to uphold the tenets of the charter.
Oh, this is important.
"In the absence of a worthy leader,
"charter shall be invoked,
"and complete dominion shall be restored to...
Elijah Mikaelson."
If you were determined to stake this absurd claim as founder,
then I invoke the right of ludum regale.
I'm sorry, does someone want
to please explain what the hell that is?
Ludum regale--game of kings.
Let's not do this, shall we?
You cannot invoke one element of the charter
and disregard the rest.
As it happens, I know the rules.
After all... I helped you write them.
If our leadership is in doubt
and politics proves divisive,
a contest of strength and cunning
shall determine the line of succession.
So, I challenge you to a duel.
Whomever holds the charter at the stroke of midnight
shall be the new leader of the Strix.
You would choose strength over cunning?
Do you accept?
Hey!
Are you serious with all that noise?!
Oh, I'm sorry. Has my therapist's betrayal
inconvenienced your otherwise tranquil day?
Our daughter has been upset.
She's still dealing with the fact that Jack is gone,
and the only thing that calms her is her favorite toy,
which Cami stole to get back at you.
So, if you wake her up with all this slamming around,
so help me, Cami will be the least of your problems.
It pains me that hope is upset,
so I'll add it to the long list of grievances
I'm already tallying, hmm?
I know that you're angry at Cami, Klaus,
but you know as well as I do that
she's not in her right mind.
I beg to differ. Camille seems quite lucid tucked away
behind the barrier spell in the city of the dead
as she taunts me with the very means of my demise!
Anything you care to share with the group?
Oh, we're really gonna do this.
Oldest, most sophisticated society
of vampires in the world,
and we settle our disputes like kids
on the playground at recess.
My sentiments precisely.
Aya seems to disagree.
I could order my brethren to fight on my behalf.
Such is their loyalty.
But we both know, this is between you and me.
Leadership must be earned,
and one way or another, I will have that charter.
Come get it.
Klaus should be back by now.
He's got a lot of witch weapons to pack up, not to mention all
the pride he's gonna have to swallow.
You don't actually feel sorry for him, do you?
Hell, no! But you got to admit, you poked a real irritable bear.
Things are gonna be different between you two.
I know Klaus better than anyone outside of his family.
If using that knowledge is a risk to get what I want,
then I'll take that risk.
Okay, well, here's the thing.
Klaus let you into his life because he trusted you.
That girl never would have stolen the one thing
under the sun that can kill him.
That girl is dead.
Come on.
You know something.
I can tell by the look in your face.
If I knew something, I'd tell you.
We're supposed to be sisters now, right?
I don't know about that.
After all, the weapon that we're looking for will
probably be used to wipe out a whole sire line,
including some of your vampire friends.
Is that what this is?
Pick on the new girl 'cause she knows a few vampires?
Big deal. I agreed to work with the Strix, same as you.
You're nothing like me.
You actually believe Aya's going to make good on her promises.
She already has.
She gave me the spell to help the person
that I care about more than anything.
All I need now is power,
and I'll do whatever I have to to get it.
I was just a kid when I became a sister.
My family was poor, my mother was sick.
All I wanted
was to help them.
And there was Aya...
With all of her promises.
By the time I finished doing everything she asked me...
My own mother couldn't even stand the sight of me.
See, Davina, real magic, like we use here--
It would change you.
My guess is,
it'll be right after
you've saved that person you care about.
That's when you'll lose everything.
You're wrong, because that person that I care about--
He means way too much to me.
All I care about is leaving this damn coven.
But first you're gonna tell me what you know.
You quite done?
You'd have me submit?
Once again,
I prove I have a mind of my own.
Let's not make this more unpleasant
than it needs to be.
After all this time,
how could you think that we would follow you?
All of you swore loyalty to a serpent
who seized control of this fellowship,
all in the name of furthering his tyranny.
Seize control-- is that how you rewrite history?
You ran like a coward,
leaving Strix to be slaughtered by your mad father.
I had no choice.
We all have a choice!
And that day I watched as
my fellow Strix were slaughtered by the dozens.
I returned.
The moment I knew that my family was safe, I returned...
To the horror...
The wreckage, the corpses, the ruin.
The devastation that I felt when I thought of your death.
But I did not die!
Thanks to the efforts of a true nobleman.
Tristan saved us!
He earned our loyalty.
Tristan is a vulture,
a usurper who stole our very dream...
Violating everything that we once fought for,
all in the name of that twisted crusade.
Say what you will.
You choose your own family always,
above all.
And that is why
you're as cursed as them.
This is Elijah Mikaelson,
traitor to our cause!
You know I would rather die
than accept you as leader.
If that's your ultimatum...
...then I accept.
I thought you two were gonna talk each other to death.
But since this is my city, I say we play by my rules.
So...
Catch me if you can.
If not, come midnight,
I'm in charge.
If someone's playing games,
just know the contest ends
when I claim...
Camille!
A young upstart steals our charter,
yet you don't seem all that concerned.
Well, I have my sources searching for Marcel.
They won't be long.
Still, I can't imagine that this turn of events
will improve your odds.
The game's not over.
When the Strix find Marcel,
they'll take back the charter and hand-deliver it to me.
Interesting.
Of course, Marcel is very popular with the locals.
You understand that if he seeks refuge
in any one of the many residences around here,
neither you nor I may enter.
At the gym...
...you had the chance to end me.
You hesitated.
Why?
I wouldn't be too concerned.
Should the opportunity present itself again,
I'll be certain to finish the task.
Something's not right.
H ey,
stay here.
Camille!
She can't hear you.
As a matter of fact,
pretty soon now, she'll be dead.
I hope you two parted on good terms.
Show yourself.
You're one of the coven
affiliated with the Strix.
My sisters and I have come for the one thing that can kill you.
Well, perhaps I'll find your sisters and feed them
what remains of your insides.
I have a better idea.
Where have you been?
We're not alone.
How is that even possible? What happened to the boundary spell?
That's all good when you're trying to keep out a vampire.
This feels like something different.
This here is hallowed ground,
home to the nine covens of New Orleans.
Y'all need to be on y'all's way.
Okay, I'm gonna give you one guess
what they're here for.
Cami, either they're gonna kill you
or Klaus will for losing that thing. You need to go.
No. What about you?
Go. Run.
Now.
Who the hell are you?
Does it really matter?
You know what I've come for.
Hand it over.
I'm not going to ask twice.
You have a high tolerance for pain.
Let's see how high.
No.
Well, this little escapade has been very cute indeed, Marcel.
Why don't you come outside and give me the charter?
Mm, no. No, I'm fine right where I am.
I got about three minutes
until I'm the new grand poobah.
Until then, good luck trying to find me.
Look outside.
It's not difficult to track your enemies
when your sister's a witch.
Well, in that case, good luck
getting in without an invitation.
If you think I'm above burning this place to the ground,
you are gravely mistaken.
Well, that's not very civilized,
is it?
Outside.
Now.
Elijah?
Please come in.
You realize this is your doing.
Your attempt to manipulate me played right into our enemies' hands.
And I said I'm sorry.
Your apologies won't bring back what's been lost.
Then shut up and let Vincent track down that witch!
Where do you think you're going?
I want to find her just as much as you do,
but I cannot concentrate,
not with this pointless bickering.
Well, then, by all means,
please, go, attend to your task.
You, however, are not going to leave my sight!
It's midnight, Elijah.
Time's run out. According to our own laws,
the contest is complete.
Guess that makes me the winner.
Ridiculous.
This wasn't a contest. This was evasion.
I had a little time to read your charter.
The ludum regale was never meant to be just a fistfight.
Aspiring leaders face off
in a contest that requires cunning.
Why?
Because you want a leader
with more brains than brawn.
Reason I beat you all is because I know
every nook and cranny in the quarter.
Underground tunnels, secret passageways between properties.
And since I'm so charming,
I get invited everywhere.
Hey, you kill me,
you are in violation of your own damn charter.
Nobody's gonna follow your rules if you can't
follow them yourself.
He's right, Elijah. Let him go.
I'm not the strongest one here.
But I won the game.
I've been watching the Mikaelsons my whole life.
Studied them since I was a kid.
That's how I drove them out of New Orleans in the first place.
Rebuilt this city in my image
under my rules.
Offered alliances to all of my friends
and got rid of everybody else.
This is my city because I took it.
That is what a leader does!
If this prophecy
that you're all afraid of is gonna happen,
it's gonna happen here,
on my streets.
And if we're gonna stop it
from killing us all,
who's a better leader than me?
This is absurd.
Marcel has won.
Better to stand with him and fight to live
than stand with you.
You'll be little more than an afterthought.
To the new leader of the Strix...
Marcel Gerard.
What were you thinking? Did it occur to you, the immense danger
you placed yourself in? You were almost killed!
I would have been. Thank god I had my dark objects.
The amount of vu inerability you're feeling
right now, Klaus-- That's what I deal with
all the time. Why do you think I'm so desperate
to protect myself? If you had just
given me what I asked for...
Do not blame me.
I took a calculated risk, yes.
Did it blow up in my face?
Yes. And I am sorry.
I am. But if you had just listened to me
we wouldn't be here right now.
It's the same story with you, Klaus.
For a thousand years you-you control,
you manipulate, you do whatever you need to do to get your way.
And I'm not gonna be a part of it anymore. I don't care
how high the risk is.
Answer your bloody phone, would you?
What?
Cami, you have to listen to me. One of the Strix witches knows
where you are and she knows that you have the white oak.
You're a little late, kiddo. She already took it,
which means, I guess, the Strix have it now.
No, you don't understand. When she got inside my head,
I got inside hers. She's not working for the Strix.
So? I trust it went well?
So much fuss over such a little trinket.
You know, I'm so glad that I can rely on you.
You've more than earned your reward.
And now you will help me.
Free me from my perpetual servitude to the Strix.
Yes.
I'll end it right now.
You had to punch your hand through my chest. 663
Marcel, I was in character. The moment took me.
Besides, between that absurd contest
and your master class performance...
Thank you.
...they were beautifully distracted from this whole
white oak business. So...
To the new grand poobah.
Right. Uh, which, actually
brings me to my next point.
Even if I can control your friends,
what about your enemies?
If a sire line war heats up,
the quarter is gonna become a war zone.
And now we have an army.
So perhaps we can keep this wretched prophecy at bay.
Oh, that's right. We fight so you live, because
if Klaus falls, so do l. And if you fall, well,
there go the Strix.
Indeed.
Try to keep those clowns in line.
Thank you, Davina,
for your kindness.
How are you here?
You consecrated me.
You're with the ancestors, with...
Yes.
With Kol.
And things are not going well for him.
Can you help him?
You have to help him.
You're the only one who can.
Our coven's magic is dark
and it comes at a very high price.
But together, as sisters, we are powerful.
You can use that power to save your friend Kol.
If not, you will lose him to a fate
far worse than death.
I have killed many, many people
for far less than what you've done.
What do you want me to say, Klaus?
Thank you for not killing me?
You're in the throes of a metamorphosis
you cannot possibly comprehend.
One that has clearly impaired your judgment.
I may not yet know who I am or what I am,
but I do know I will never live in fear
of anyone again.
Ever.
You could have trusted me.
Klaus...
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
You've no idea where to begin, do you?
I'm no stranger to running things.
I've been doing it here for a long while.
Well, give or take an intermission or two.
First thing I'd like to do is make sure
I know who's on my side.
The problem, as I see it, is simple.
The Strix are comprised of one sire line. And now
we are to be led bya vampire from another.
Regardless of the distinction,
all our lives are bound to those who made us.
And should this prophecy come to pass, we will all perish.
As leader, how would you navigate that threat?
You don't go to war
without wise guidance.
Victory depends on having many advisors.
And by the look in your eyes, it looks like
you have some advice to give.
So... Spill it.
Not that long ago
we developed a contingency plan.
There is a reason I recruited Davina Claire.
You see, with the right witches, the correct spell,
the precise binding agent,
there is a means to eradicate our link to our sires.
Making us free from the Mikaelsons forever. Then,
and only then, will we have true independence.
Davina is...
Obstinate, but she will listen to you.
So what do you say?
Will you lead the Strix to freedom?
I trust Freya had no luck finding that witch.
Not in the...
Seven minutes since your last inquiry, Niklaus, no.
Aurora's involvement changes everything.
If Aya and the Strix had the oak, we could at least
be certain you were not the target.
But with the weapon in Aurora's hands...
I do wonder which one of us she'll try and kill first.
You broke her heart, l...
Broke her mind.
I suppose both of us share the sin
of Tristan's unceremonious burial at sea.
Mm.
It's normally we
who pose the threat to our intimates.
It's an odd feeling--
The roles reversed.
I always did loathe irony.
I finished the last one.
Fabulous.
If you don't mind my asking,
what animal do you aim to hunt with bullets made of wood?
Not an animal at all, darling.
A monster.
An entire family of them.