Franciade
3 August 1794
It's been three mouths since Elise and Jackson's deaths and Elizabeth disappearance, but Arno receive a letter from an old friend or so to speak, so he enters a bar. "You! Not one more drop until your bill is paid!" the bartender shouts at Arno. He went to take a step forward, but a guard place his hand on his shoulder and a man, rolling a coin over his knuckles stood up, Arno eyes him. "calmer, he's with me." the man tips his hat and walk to Arno as the guard ease off.
The fancy man was in fact Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, King of Beggars, "I thought you were guillotined." Arno tells him. "What a dreadful thing to say to your rescuer. Did you receive my message?" De Sade asks him as they walk to a table, "If I do this, I want to leave France." Arno tells him as they both sit down. "I can procure you passage from Marseille on a ship to Egypt in four days." De Sade informs him. "Do you have a clue as to the manuscript?" Arno asks him. "Condorcet knew he was being hunted. He disappeared for two days before his arrest and he left this behind." De Sade hands Arno a paper with a drawing on it, "His manuscript must be in the Louis IX's tomb." De Sade informs him, "The royal crypt? Oh, I must warn you, monsieur." a cook walks up to them.
"The ghost of the kings wanders the caverns. When they corner their hapless victims, they place upon his brow a crown made of knifes, penetrating the eyes, which leaks likes grapes crushed in the harvest-" he went on. "Still, far less frighting then being crown the next king of France. Speaking of grapes, do your job." De Sade shot back. "Yes, Monsieur." And the man left them be, "Find the tomb with this mark and recover the manuscript. I'll meet you in three days time." De Sade informs him as their drinks arrive. "To your health Arno." De Sade cheers him, Arno gave a small nod. Unknown to them, someone in the shadows listen in onto their conversation and left the Tavern in a hurry to the old King's tomb for the manuscripts.
~8~
They snuck in successfully and walks up to Louis IX tomb and pushes it open and found nothing but bones, "Quoi? c'est parti? quelqu'un était là avant. Qui d'autre est après le manuscrit?" they asks themselves and closes the tombs, dust their hands off then heard someone coming, they quickly hid in another room. They press their back to the a wall as they heard footsteps walking down the way, they listen to the footsteps as the walk into the chambers of King Louis IX and push the tomb open. "Simple as. . ." Arno states, but found that the manuscript was gone.
"Where is it?" a man asks as a light was being shined into the dark room, "merde." Arno mumbles and quickly hides behind a tomb as the gate was open. "The Temple door is nearby. Look at the map." a man tells his boss. "There's nothing here. You have wasted my time with fabrication." the boss man tells him as he push in against the wall. "You called my honor into question!" the man shout back. "Your honor as a soldier? Don't make me laugh. You are free to break your contact. But I am also free. And I have savage taste." he tells him when he throws him to the ground, and turns to leave. "I misspoke, capitaine. I heard there is a list of all the relics that were looted from the tomb." the man scrambles to him feet, making the captain stop
"I can take you to them. A fine alternative for the temple." the man offers at the two in the shadows listens in. the captain looks at him, "That's not what I want. Look me in the eye when I'm speaking to you. Do you want what I want?" he demands of the soldier. He looks away and back into the man's eyes. "Yes." he answers, "Good. Then we're in agreement." he states and walks out leaving the man in the crypt, "Find the temple and you just might made it back to live." he tells him, and turns away.
"Pleasure working with you." he tells him and walks off, "Help!" the man asks him. "Help!" the man shouts out, the person peeks from behind this wall and pick up his lantern and the light grew light brighter and the person hid back into the shadow. "Hello, is someone there?" he asks as he asks closer to the person as they slowly slide down the wall and hid behind the coffin. "Hello?" he asks as he nears the coffin, but then sudden they jump out of the shadow, push pass the man and took off running into the dark, then Arno came out of hiding, making the man run off as well.
The person heard the man shout, she turn a hallway, saw it was cut off and jumps down from the ledge and lands on her feet and ran to find a way out. And she climbs out of a well and starts to walk. "Si je devais une relique. . . .Where aurais-je le prendre. . . .?" they ask themselves. Then snaps there fingers. "La bibliothèque de l'abbaye!" she states and climbs to a roof and found the Abbey, they kill the guards and enters the abandon and yet guarded abbey, they opens the drawer and found nothing in it, then felt around it and found a journal of some sorts. "List of Dom Poirier. It reads: "Handwritten Condorcet." Located in an old red house and a name: Léon." she reads, then gasps. "Non petit Léon. . ." they states, placing the journal back in it's place and took off running.
They walks up to the red house and knocks on the door, a man opens the small window and looks at them, "Bonne journée Monsieur, is Léon home?" they ask with worry, "He ain't in, haven't seen him for days. Leave us in peace." he tells them. "Days?! What's happen?" they asks with worry, banging on the door. "Has he been arrested again?" a woman asks him. "Madame Margot, I have to see him, he may be in danger." they inform her. Morgot smiles at them. "He went to his usual place, the windmill, I have not seen him since." she informs them, "Merci Madame." they thank her and took off, Arno was there an hour after them.
When Arno got to the windmill and found the door already open. "Was it like this or did someone open it?" Arno asks and walks into the tunnel and found a whole mining crew mining in the area, Arno hides behind a pillar and watches them. Greedy bastards the lot of them, Arno then heard grunting follow with a thud. Arno looks over and saw a figure running through the back tunnel, Arno follows them and found an empty opening.
"You ever meet a noble, Léon? You ever hear a noble talk? Descended from God they were. Threads of gold arced from between their blessed legs in holy chamber pots." Captain Rose tell Léon as a man held the boy back and Captain Rose looks over him and sniffed some drug and place it back in his box. "And Léon." he states and slides his thumb across his throat, making Léon struggle a little. "Fountains of rubies spilled from their necks and rained down upon all of France. Now, a man born deep within the lowest circle of hell can rise to the very top of Olympus itself." Captain Rose tells him, "Unhand me, bâtard!" Léon shouts at him.
"Is that what you want little man, to rise up? I see it in you. Ambition. You're just like me." Rose tells Léon, as he just glare at him. "Rose." a familiar voice calls out as Rose pulls away from Léon, "Commandant Bonaparte." Captain rose states. "Any progress to report?" Napoleon ask. "Only this." Rose tells him as the men pull Léon to the side. They two walk up to a wall with carvings in them, Napoleon held out a key that matches the marking on the wall.
"Fine me the door that this key unlocks and I shall rewards you beyond your wildest dreams." Napoleon orders him, "What is behind that door?" Léon demands of them, the two look at him, "This is our peu trespasser?" Napoleon asks Rose. "Who are you calling little? I'm nearly as tall as-" Léon fought back, "chut!" Napoleon silence him, "You need to learn. . . a bit of diplomacy. Rose, I trust you'll show the boy back to the surface?" he asks him. "Of course, Commandant." Rose states Léon snares at Napoleon left. "Kill him." Rose states as he left. "What!? No! Let me go!" Léon struggles against his captor. Arno jumps onto the ceiling bean when Léon was taken to a cell. "You do it." one man states, "He's only a child." the other shouts as he shoves Léon into the cell. "I have children of my own!" the other said as Léon sees Arno, "The ghosts of the King!" Léon states.
The two look at Arno's hiding place, "So much for the element of surprise." Arno states and stood up, when the shut the cell door. Arno took them down with out a sweat, and stood in front of Léon's cell. "Stay back, Monster!" Léon shouts at him. "I'm not a ghost. Madame Margot sent me." Arno tries to tell him. "Madame Margot? You're trying to confuse me." Léon shot back at him, "Intruder!" a guard spots Arno, the leader came running at him, Arno ready himself.
Arno took three down. But the leader was face-planted into the ground, a hidden blade retracts from the back of his neck as the men that were following the leader, staggers back in fear. The figure stood up and glares at them. This figure had a long slender body, average height, dark pants, boots up to their knees. A black waist shawl around their hips with red outlining it. Black sleeve-less shirt, lacing in the front, a sleeveless and tail-less black jacket sat around their torso and her hood was on top off their head, and long back glove sleeves that reaches up to their forearms. Two hidden blades, a sword at their hip, two pistols at their back end and a few hidden daggers.
"The ghost of the king, run for your lives!" one shouts and the three ran away. The figure tilts their head in confusion, and shook their head. Then Arno walks back to Léon's cell, "Whoa." he states. "Still confuse?" Arno asks him, "Quickly, we have to hide!" Léon warns them, Arno picks the lock and open the door. "Not so fast. I am looking for a manuscript. It was taken from a tomb under Saint Denis." Arno informs him as the start to walk. "I have it. It's at my fortress, we can get it later." Léon tells him, "How did you do all that? You two are like the best fighters I've ever seen." he asks them, "I wouldn't go that far." Arno mumbles. "Where did you train?" he asks, "In Paris." Arno answers.
"Whoa! I practice behind our house, I have a teacher. She comes every morning to train me. Like all the freedom fighters are in Paris, like you." Léon states. "She?" Arno asks him. "Oui, she arrive three months ago, and teaches me how to handle a sword." Léon went on."What about your mother?" Arno asks him. "Madam Margot? She's not my mother. My mother is Morisco. She had to go back to Spain. That's why she had to leave me at the orphanage. I bet my parents will come back once France is safe." Léon tells them.
"In here, come!" Léon states as he ran up to two corpses and moves them out of the way. "For now, we are going to need weapons." he tells them as he dug through a hole in the crack."Just leave that to the professionals . . ." Arno tells him and Léon prosened him a heavy weapon. "Where did you get that?" Arno asks him, "I stole it from two raiders yesterday. Hid it here." he tells Arno as he gave him the weapon.
"This is a fine gun." Arno states, "Yes I know. I know what I'm doing." Léon states, "Which is?" Arno asks, "Saving France. Now that's you two are here, it's going to be a lot easier." Léon states, but the hooded person cross their arms and glares at Léon and he starts to walk off. "Listen-" Arno stop him, "What?" Léon turns. "What?" he asks. "We have to get that manuscript first. To protect it from the enemies of France." Arno tells him, but the hooded person saw through Arno's lie.
"Oh! All right. We need to get above ground." Léon tells him and walks off, the hooded person walks pass him, "I hope lying to him was worth it, Arno." they whisper to him and took off after Léon. Arno was shock to find that the hooded person's voice was so familiar, but went off in a different direction, "Hey look at me, I've escape!" Léon shouts at guards below, "It's that brat!" one shouts. "Caught me and the Commandant will make you rich!" Léon shouts."Capture him!" the man shouts, "Go, Go!" the hooded person tells him and they took off and found themselves in front of a gate and watches Arno take care of them, after he kills the leader and the other rats screwy off.
Arno walks in front of the gate, "Whoa. You're better than all the stories." Léon states, "That's because the stories aren't true." Arno tell him, he then picks the lock. "This way out, I think." Léon tells him. "No one import has inquired after our activates?" Napoleon asks.
"There are rumors around town that the Marquis de Sade was asking questions." a man reports. "Never trust rumors. He is destitute and in prison." Napoleon tells him. They then come to a gate, heard men coming and quickly hid behind the stone pillar, Léon hid along side Arno as the hooded person hid on the far right. "Why do you employ such a man such as Rose to find the Templar? He cares nothing for us or our aim." the man states as the walk in front of a box.
"If I was in your place I would not pander to such-" the man went to say. "What does a rat want?" Napoleon asks him, a bitten apple in his hand, "Food, of course." the man states, taking the apple and toss it in front of the area where the three were hiding. "Ah! You appeal to their self-interest. But you have miscalculated." Napoleon tells him, taking his gun and shout at the gasoline and the rats and apple caught fire. Arno pulls Léon back as the hooded person press their back against the pillar.
"Your people are dead. I know the human animal. What you fear, what you love. Is Rose a bad man? Undoubtedly." he tells him, man the man quiver before him. "But I, Napoleon, can control him and turn him to what is best for France." he tells him, giving the gun back to him. The man took it and place it in the holster, the hooded person peeks out, "The masses will gladly renounce their freedom if all can entertain the hope of rising to the top." he tells him opening the chest, and took out the key. "With the artifact inside the temple I will bring them the false illusion of hope. And I will lead us to glory." he states, setting the key in the chest, closes it and walks off. Then the man grabs the chest and follows after him. "We have to stop him and save the people of France!" Léon states and went to run off, but Arno pushes him back a little.
"Rescuing them only delays the inevitable." he tells him, the hooded person cross their arms and shook their head. "What's wrong with you?" Léon question him and Arno place him hand on his shoulder. "You're going to get yourself killed for nothing, little man!" Arno argues with him, the hooded person pushes Arno away from Léon. "If you can't do it then I can!" Léon shouts and took off and crawls through a hole, "Léon!" the hooded person chases after him. "Stop, Léon! Come back!" Arno shouts and ran in the direction of the hooded person.
Arno climbs out of the underground and went to find Léon;
He found him with the manuscript in his hands. "Give me the manuscript." Arno demands of him. Léon stood and face him, manuscript in his hand. Why? it has nothing do with any of this, dose it?" Léon growls at him, "I'm leaving the country. That's my ticket out of here." Arno tells him, "What of the future? A free France where we all take care of each other?" Léon asks him. "Why don't you grow up? Forget France, you're on you're on." Arno snaps at him, then a blade was at him throat. "You are such a child." they tell him and toss him to the ground, away from Léon. And place their sword away. "Mentor?" Léon asks them, then they squat in front of Léon, anger look and grips his shoulder. "What the hell were you thinking?! You knew that place was dangerous when I warn you never to go down there?!" they question him. "I'm sorry mentor, I wanted to save the people of France." Léon tells them as Arno stood up. "I know, I know you do. But next time, warn me of something like this before you go jumping in, I was worry sick." they tell him and hugs him. Arno was surprise to see something like this.
Then the hooded person from before let of Léon and stood up, "Give him the manuscript, if he wants to leave France, let him." they tell him, Léon looks up at his mentor and glares at Arno as he walks back up to them. Léon gave him the manuscript and Arno took it and starts to walk away, "What happened to turn you into such a bâtard?" Léon shouts after him, Arno stops on his tracks and turns to them. "You can't save them, they're never coming back." Arno tells him. Then a carriage with Napoleon and Rose in it pass by, Léon hid behind his mentor as the carriage passes by. Once it was gone, Léon came from behind his mentor and Arno took off, Léon glares after him, "You are just like them." he growls, his mentor place their hand on his shoulder. "Come Léon, lets start our lesson for today." they tells him, "Oui, mentor." Léon states and they head back to the orphanage.