the3rdstoryteller

[the3rdstoryteller]

Assassin’s Creed - Vigil of the Hidden Ones: Chapter 3

Adio swims into the sewage hole under the fort, disappearing into the shadows. Aelius climbs along the same path as Bennu. I am admittedly a little concerned for them, but as a teacher I must allow them to put their skills to use. I head over to the docks and spot two soldiers guarding the entrance. I unsheathe my bow, and nock two arrows. I shoot at the guard on the left, landing an arrow in the head, killing him instantly. I slow my breathing, and before the other guard notices my presence, he too meets the same fate. I run past their bodies and into the fort, climbing onto a nearby tree to gain higher ground. Aelius was right. Directly across the docks is the stable, and a cargo horse among them. I also notice Adio near the stable, moving from bush to bush taking out guards and hiding their bodies. I can’t help but feel a bit of pride in him, as it seems he actually trusted Aelius’ advice and found the stable before I did. As I free run across the trees towards the stable, I am almost noticed by three nearby archers, however they are all met by arrows to the head simultaneously by an unseen archer. Bennu! Her skill with a bow is comparable to the goddess Satis! A few trees later I finally reach the stable, and notice two large guards armed with axes and shields, standing away from each other a few feet apart. I jump down onto one, unsheathing my hidden blade and plunging it into his throat. He gives a slight gasp that alerts the other guard, causing him to turn swiftly. I throw a knife at his chest. He grunts loudly and stumbles, pulling the knife out his chest plate. Nek! He must have additional protection underneath. The guard growls and charges at me, but before I could reach for my blade, Aelius dashes at him from the side, jamming a sword deep into his exposed chest plate, and throwing him on the ground. He turns to me with a shocked expression, “Mentor, I fear we’ve been discovered! The food and supplies were destroyed when I got there, and I was ambushed by a few guards” he exclaims, clearly out of breath. Before he could further explain, a dozen guards came out from around the corner, clearly expecting us. From the trees above, Adio and Bennu toss an array of bombs and grenades into the crowd of guards, creating an explosion of poison and smoke. By the entrances, the guards are set ablaze by black power traps Bennu set up earlier.  “They were clearly expecting us, fall back and regroup!” I call out. Bennu and Adio continue through the trees and over the fort towards the city of Memphis, while Aelius and I jump into the sewage tunnels, disappearing into its murky depths. We continue to swim until we reach the docks across from the fort, where Adio and Bennu recuperate nearby. As we climb out of the water, Adio spots us and storms over towards Aelius. Before I could say anything, Adio grabs Aelius by the collar. “You betrayed us didn’t you!? They knew we were coming, and you knew your way around the fort better than the Mentor himself!” he yells in his face. “I did no such thing!” Aelius quickly retorts. “I was ambushed, same as you. I nearly died in that compound, and you question my loyalty!?” I pull them apart before this gets any worse. “Enough you two! Aelius came to my support. He is not just half Roman, he is a Hidden One, same as you Adio”. Bennu walks behind Adio and puts a hand on his shoulder. “The Mentor is right. I was there when Aelius defected from the Roman Empire. He fought bravely to overthrow the fort he formerly served, freeing many enslaved Egyptians in the process”. Aelius turns to Bennu, “I don’t understand Bennu, you were there that day?” Bennu looks at him with a smile, “Yes, when you reached out to the Hidden Ones, I was tasked with watching over you to see if your desire to fight for the people was genuine, and it was”. Adio lets go of his collar and looks down. “I see. I apologize for the accusation. It's been awhile since I’ve trusted anyone, especially a Roman. I’ve been like this since my family -” Aelius’ expression lightens, “I understand Adio. My father was a Roman slaver and my mother an Egyptian slave. I was taken from her at a young age, and brutally trained by my father to oppress my own people. I killed him and overthrew his fort because I couldn’t stand being the monster my father was.” Adio quickly looks up at him in surprise “I had no idea, forgive me for my ignorance” Aelius nods his head and puts out his hand, “I do, let us move on from our squabble, brother.” Adio nods and shakes his hand in return, “Brother”. Bennu turns to me, “Mentor, did you know their circumstances?” I fold my arms and chuckle at the three of them, “Who knows?”

Later that morning, we return to the Bureau, and the recruits are sound asleep. I sit outside on the roof watching the Sun rise. I feel its warmth all over my body as I remove my hood and ponder the previous night. The three of them have a lot to learn, but I was right to let them work it out for themselves. They fought and squabbled, but they came to understand one another. This is why the Hidden Ones fight. To allow mankind the freedom to decide their fates and destinies. To allow conflict, to allow failure, all for the greater good of all living things - Choice. 

- Bayek of Siwa, Mentor of the Hidden Ones

[the3rdstoryteller]

Assassin’s Creed - Vigil of the Hidden Ones: Chapter 2

I motion with a nod for the others to follow my lead, as I leap off the bureau and into the darkness. I land in a stream surrounded by tall grass. The cold water seeps into my sandals and splashes on my ankles. The others follow closely behind; Aelius to my right rolling on the ground with a noticeable splash, Bennu to my left with the light pounce of a Mau cat, and behind me Adio lands with swiftness, causing a light splash. The four of us head to the fort, gliding through stalks of grass silently to prevent witnesses. I smile to myself as with each step, the others adjust themselves to become increasingly undetected. We arrive under the base of the fort, still hidden by tall grass and murky water. The Roman fort is a massive cubicle held up by four white marble walls, however with cracks and holes easy for climbing.. Large Roman flags stand proudly by each entrance, which are each guarded by two soldiers. Many archers stand atop the fort, easily visible with their torches, pacing back and forth along the border. I raise my hand for the other to stop. “There is a catch to this mission, I will not be helping you tonight”. This response is met with surprise from the recruits, so I continue. “Hidden Ones must know how to work together to ensure our survival, even in unexpected situations. I trust in all of your abilities, so now you three must trust one another.” The three of them turn to look at one another, gauging what each of them are capable of. Finally Aelius speaks up, “With my knowledge of Roman tactics and military experience, I believe I should lead this operation ”. Adio steps towards Aelius, making no effort to hide his disapproval, “You may know how those neket iadet fight, but can you forget you were one of them when we get inside; Roman? ”. Aelius and Adio stare each other down with hostility, but before I could say anything Bennu intervened. “Boys this isn’t the time for this, the Mentor wants us to work together! I’ll lay down traps around the entrances and position myself on the roof to provide cover. You two are more proficient in close quarters, so figure it out”. Bennu nods to me, and climbs up the side of the fort with haste, stopping at a ledge beneath a Roman archer. She flicks her left wrist to release her hidden blade, and plunges it into the calf of the guard, and pulls him over the ledge before he can cry out; sending him flailing to his death below. The two of them watch her disappear over the roof, and turn to one another. Adio inhales sharply, “I’ll head in through the sewage system and take out the guards myself”. Aelius puts his hands on his hips, “Alright, I’ll secure any food and supplies within the compound, I know my way around Roman strongholds''. He turns to me, “Mentor, I know you can’t help us, but could you prepare a cargo horse for the supplies? They should be opposite to the docks'. I smile and chuckle lightly, amused at the sudden cooperation among these two following Bennu’s scolding. “Yes, I’ll see to that much. The rest is up to you”.

[the3rdstoryteller]

Catacombs

The smell of Death. It is rotten, vile, and an ugly sight to behold. The smell of death stains our clothes, it seeps into our nostrils and eyes, and stings our lungs. We That Work live in this filth every day, all so The Ones Above can bury their dead. We That Work are considered an eyesore to the rest of the world. The Ones Above look down on us, laugh at us, and spit in our faces. To The Ones Above, we are but smelly rats scurrying about in the ground. In spite of our great humiliation and shame, We That Work continue to serve tirelessly. We serve so that when The Ones Above are no longer above, someone will be there to bury them. We That Work will always have the last laugh, as all those that shame us will become nothing but another corpse lost in these walls and halls. The smell of Death. Rotten. Vile. An Ugly sight to behold. 

We That Work find its stench…refreshing.

[the3rdstoryteller]

Assassin’s Creed - Vigil of the Hidden Ones: Chapter 1

We are the Hidden Ones. We are the defenders of free will. We are the bringers of death to all those who would deprive man of such. I remind myself of this as I stand atop the Memphis Bureau in the night. I close my eyes as the cool, crisp air blows into my hood and brushes across my face, sharpening my senses. The moon shines over me as if even the gods are my audience. But they are not. The gods are dead. Humanity is the only one who watches over themselves. And we must be the ones to watch over humanity. To protect the innocent from the shadows, in service of the light. Tonight, my audience is not the gods, but my fellow Hidden Ones. New recruits, eager to be a part of something greater than themselves. An ideology, a Creed, that will live past all of us. At least I hope so… I quickly open my eyes, before I lose myself to my thoughts. Focus! Only the mission matters tonight. I turn to look down upon the recruits, as they prepare themselves in the armory. Three of them join me for tonight’s mission. Adio - a rugged young man seeking justice for his family’s unjust murder at the hands of the Romans. Bennu - a sage woman deeply connected to nature, and who joined the Brotherhood in order to protect the natural order of the universe that the Order seeks to control. Finally, Aelius - a former roman soldier who seeks to embrace his half Egyptian heritage as well as redemption for his former loyalties. As Mentor, I must prioritize the next generation. There will be time to ponder our Creed later, I assure myself. For now, my responsibility is to show these men and women what it truly means to work in the dark. 

I head into the armory to check on the others. I first spot Adio preparing himself in a corner. He sports a short black shirt and pants with white accents, which is wrapped in a long, ragged, black cloak and hood. A dozen knives are fashioned to his red sash belt, along with two short blades on his back, held in black sheaths to match it all. Adio notices me and simply nods as he wraps his forearms and sandals in black cloth. While he is certainly skilled in stealth and recon, his desire to work alone could prove detrimental to himself and the Brotherhood if not addressed. Tonight, we will test his willingness to cooperate. 

As I turn to my right, Bennu is outfitted in a white hijab scarf with mysterious brown symbols, matching with a short bottom dress. The red sash belt across her waist holds an array of bombs, grenades, and potions. A longbow and quiver is strapped to her back. Along her shoulders and ankles are each wrapped with leather bands containing various poisonous darts. She prepares an array of tonics and poisons by the exit of the armory, and looks up to greet me as I enter. “Hello Mentor, I have faith we will succeed tonight” she smiles and nods enthusiastically. I turn to her and return a smile, “It will not be by faith that we succeed tonight Bennu, but by the prowess of our abilities”. I appreciate Bennu’s devotion to the Brotherhood, however she is far more experienced hunting animals than humans. I can only hope she’ll be able to adjust to a smarter prey.

In the center of the armory, Aelius stands away from my front at a weapon table. He garnishes himself with a silver chest plate covering a simple white and red shirt and hood, along with metal shoulder pads, gauntlets, and short greaves. Armed with a sword at the hip of his red sash belt, and short shield on his back; his choice of armor and weaponry definitely shows his military experience. However the shield is painted in white with the symbol of the Hidden Ones to represent his newfound allegiance. Aelius turns to me upon hearing my voice and stands tall with an unnaturally stiff posture. “I look forward to proving myself, Sir!” he announces stoically and proudly. I walk over to Aelius and place a hand on his shoulder. “At ease soldier”, I say to him jokingly. “We are all equals here. Such formality isn’t necessary ”. This appeared to calm him, as he finally relaxed his posture and nodded as he turned back to finish preparations. 

Aelius’s response is met with a slight scowl from Adio, who glances back at him with suspension. The tension between a former Roman soldier and a notorious Roman killer was enough to derail the entire mission, but I’ve decided it won’t be my place to sort out their issues with one another. Just as we are responsible for ensuring humanity’s free will, I must give my own students the free will to solve their own problems, and tonight we’ll see if they can.

A few minutes later, all three of the recruits stand atop the Bureau with me, fully prepared and  awaiting instruction.  I take a deep breath and begin my briefing. “My fellow Hidden ones, tonight’s mission is to eliminate enemies at the Roman stronghold to the west. They hoard food from the people as Aya - ” I pause as I remind myself that my former wife has renounced her old life, as well as her old name “ - no, Amunet - has made life difficult for the Romans in their homeland ”. I received word that she has burned down many of their farms, and while I admire her work, I worry that she is being too public with her actions. In light of that, I decided to show these recruits a more subtle method of achieving our goals.