Haven

Pain. It was all I knew as I wove my way through the crowded streets with my right hand over my stomach, doing my best to get through the river of people on the sidewalk without drawing too much attention to myself. Of course, by the way I was dressed I was automatically drawing some attention, and the fact that I left a trail of crimson droplets behind me didn't help either.

I managed to make it to a bench in a plaza in front of what looked like a large convention center. The sign over the sets of glass doors advertising some kind of convention. A video game convention by the corded controller inked in black on the vinyl sign. Yes, there would be another one of those blasted games announced again I thought as I sank onto the cool metal of the bench. My head drifted down as I removed my hand, finally allowing my eyes to inspect the wound in my stomach. I cringed as I lifted the white fabric of my sweatshirt along with the red t-shirt underneath, which came away from the wound with a slight tearing sensation as the fabric separated from the dried blood crusting around the edges of the wound.

Another cringe as I used a light touch with my index finger to test the wound. There was a couple inches of split flesh, the result of the knife that I had been too slow to dodge earlier in the day. Sighing heavily, I leaned my head back and cursed myself for leaving this morning without something as simple as my first aid kit. My mind started taking me back to earlier events as I sat, breathing heavily and staring blankly at the pamphlet about the convention that was stuck under the foot of my bench. I still had the most important thing though, the item I was tasked to protect as my brothers and sisters began falling in alarming numbers before the hordes of our enemies. Most never knew what happened. Those that were lucky enough to escape the first attack to make it to one of our safe houses found themselves targeted again-this time they did not escape. The enemy burned down safe house after safe house and raided warehouse after warehouse, all our supplies taken. I had come back to the last safe house just as the attackers burst in seconds later. All I had time to grab was the small pack by the back door.

I ran out the back door, praying that I could defy death and protect the artifact for a little while longer. I skidded to a halt as a dark figure loomed in a few yards in front of me. I turned to run, missing the second figure in the shadows behind me. After running headlong into the solid figure, I looked down in shock to find a knife buried up to the hilt in my stomach. I ran, shoving my way past the second figure; surprised that he let me by without any more of a fight. There was a large boom behind me as the safe house exploded in the quiet night air, sending a ball of flame into the predawn sky. I yanked the knife out of my stomach and threw it to the ground, where it clattered and came to rest in a patch of overgrown grass. I pressed my hand to the wound, hoping that pressure would stop the bleeding.

I found myself back on the bench, the recipient of plenty of both concerned and horrified looks from passersby and convention attendees, easily identified by the large colorful plastic tags they wore on lanyards hanging around their necks.

"Miss-what the hell happened to you?"

I lifted my head to meet his eyes. They were full of concern and fear as he looked from my sweaty face to the large crimson stain on my otherwise pristine white sweatshirt. I shook my head, not wanting to tell him what happened as I scanned the streets for my pursuers. I shoved his hand away as he pulled a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and moved to press it onto the wound.

"Call 911!" the man's panicked voice screeched at the closest person, a wispy figure wearing a white hood, a convention tag hanging around their neck. The white clad figure nodded, and a cell phone appeared. The voice speaking now was high and tinged with fear.

I was thankful that at that moment, my vision cleared enough to allow me to see that my pursuers were shoving their way through the crowd, closing in on my bench. I must be close to death, as everything around me seemed rendered in painful clarity. Colors were unnaturally bright; the warm sunlight that bathed the plaza in front of the convention center was painful on my fevered skin, the scent of roses drifting on the breeze from the small garden in the middle of the plaza overpowered my nose. I forced myself to get to my feet. I shook heavily as I stood, finding I had little strength left.

I wouldn't make it to the temple deep in the woods where I was instructed to take the artifact to invoke Haven. If I was not able to make it to the temple, then I was instructed to invoke Haven wherever I was.

I made my choice. I would join my brothers and sisters in death; praying that it would stop the catastrophes that had been in the news with increasing frequency in the past months. Earthquakes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes-nowhere was safe from the planet's wrath.

I pulled the small pack open, freeing the object within. It was wrapped in white fabric that when unwound from the round object, was revealed to be a long set of traditional hooded robes. I removed my sweatshirt, revealing the thin red shirt underneath and pulled the long robes over my head and lifted the hood, covering my short hair and casting my pained face in shadow. I received strange looks from convention goers who were dressed in a manner similar to me and I thought that they would be targets as well, but they were ignored as I took the final wrappings off of the sphere in my possession.

The golden light the orb emitted surrounded me. There was no pain, no crowd, just a vast expanse of white that stretched in every direction I could see. Unknown to me, my pursuers surrounded me, creating a circle of steel around me. Guns, swords, and knives were aimed in my direction.

The warm whiteness around me made me feel safe and loved. The greatest leaders of the order appeared in a long line in front of me, all dressed as I was in the same long hooded robes. Each shook my hand, and then pulled me into a loving embrace. A few even went so far as to press their lips to mine.

"You know what to do" said one man, his voice thick with an Italian accent, his strong fingers caressing my cheek with surprising gentleness as he placed a soft kiss on my temple.

"We are here for you sister," said a blonde man as he clasped my shoulder.

"Fear not" they all said in unison, their voices running together as they faded into nothing.

The world returned to me in a rush of riotous noises and sensations. The pain in my stomach flared anew as I held the sphere over my head, glaring at the ring of steel around me. Behind the ring were crowds of people, their cell phones raised over the shoulders of the dark clad men. I briefly registered the din of sirens and flashing lights growing closer.

I took a shuddering breath, trying to bring the words of the incantation to the front of my hazy mind in order to force them out of my mouth.

This was it. The end was here. I was either going to save the world or bring about its ruin. I locked eyes with the man standing in front of me as I began the incantation that suddenly sprang forth from my muddled mind.

"I am the last of my order." I concede my defeat. Gasps of horror came from the crowd as the men tightened their deadly circle around me. This sacrifice that I was about to make was called Haven, invoking the ancient powers to protect the population, stilling the planet's wrath that was bubbling up from above and below.

I was surprised when a man dressed in a dark pinstripe suit with a red cross pin on his lapel joined the circle. He simply folded his arms across his broad chest, his graying dark hair shining in the waning light of the orb.

"I make of myself the Haven sacrifice." The enemy leader locked his eyes with mine, a grin spreading across his thin lips as I continued giving voice to the incantation that was playing on an endless loop in my mind.

"I sacrifice my sight." The orb pulsed once, sending a searing heat pulsing through my body. I reeled from the onslaught, catching the eye of the Templar leader before me. My eyes started watering. Was I crying or was this just a reaction from the orb's power?

"My blade," I allowed the blade attached to my wrist to fly out from under the long white sleeves, drawing cheers and a couple "See-told you they were real!" comments coming from the convention goers. Another searing pulse through my arm and the blade that was my constant companion for over twenty years burned out of existence, leaving blackened skin behind. The scent of burnt flesh flitted to my nostrils, but I was too far gone to care. The final sacrifice I had to make was the ultimate one. It was then that I noticed that the grin on the Templar leader's face had gotten bigger; his narrow face seemed ten times wider now with that smile plastered on it.

The police finally arrived, training their weapons on the men circling me, screaming orders to put their weapons down or force would be used against them. The police tried to breach the circle around me, but some invisible force prevented them from getting too close. I could not comprehend what the police were calling to me, probably begging me to put down the orb and come to them for protection.

"My life." There were more gasps as I stated the final part of the incantation, the orb starting to pulse wildly above my head, sending one final agonizing surge of heat through my body. The light shot up into the sky and down into the ground, spreading tendrils all around and twining around all present. The sky flashed odd colors, but my eyes saw nothing. I didn't hear the screams as the people in the plaza started running in panic, seeking refuge from the power that I had unleashed.

I collapsed, falling first to my knees as the orb rolled out of my limp hand, it stopped only when the Templar leader put his shined Oxford on it, trapping the orb like a practiced soccer player. I then pitched forward at his feet and he crowed with laughter. He had eradicated the stain of the Assassins, allowing his order free rein.

As I collapsed, I saw not the Templar leader, but my brothers and sisters spread out before me. They were whole and safe. I smiled as my face connected with the cool concrete, making the men wonder why I was smiling about my death.

In the vast white expanse, I was welcomed home by my mentor and all the great leaders of the order. I smiled as I was once again embraced by all of them.

Back in the real world, the police arrested the Templar leader's goons and my body was placed onto a stretcher by the paramedics and draped with a white sheet. The Templar squawked in surprise as the orb under his feet shattered, the golden shards spraying in every direction. The world around him returned to its normal coloration. He seemed shocked that the orb destroyed itself. It had served its purpose, settling the restless earth with the sacrifice of the last Assassin.

I stood among my brothers and sisters in the white land. We were free.

I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind. A warm voice filled my ear.

"Welcome home, love."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this drabble that poured off of my fingers in the span of two hours. Sadly, I don't own the sexy Italian or Welsh assassins…UbiSoft does. I welcome constructive criticism and comments.