A/N: Hello everyone! While this is not my first try at a fanfic or crossover, this is certainly the first one that I have posted on this site or that anyone other than me has thoroughly read. I have been an avid fanfic reader for a long time though, so I hope this has helped me fine-tune my writing skills. So, without further ado, here's what I've been working on. ^.^
I'd like to thank B-Dunn from devianart for allowing me to use his drawing of Shao Jun as a cover image for my story. If you have the time, please check his drawings out, he's awesome! :)
Disclaimer: The Elder Scrolls saga is owned by Bethesda Softworks, while the Assassin's Creed series is owned by Ubisoft. I do not own nor claim to own any of these.
Chapter I: The Arrival
The Forbidden City was a much less defended point of interest during the year 1531. The Emperor, Jiajing, had decided to live in isolation from the world, instead of naming the city within a city as his home. Its importance, however, was still great, as armed guards still continued their patrols along the quiet streets. The men were clearly either weary or bored; their shift was the late night shift, midnight had long since passed and, like always, no one dared to assault the great city.
If they were more alert and if they were to look at the rooftops of the many buildings that were close to the city's wall, they would have noticed the two figures that stood there. They would have also noticed that the building was close to The West Glorious Gate, the entrance that led to the city's barracks and stables. But, since very few men tend to look upwards even when not affected by fatigue, the figures were so far unnoticed.
"Are you certain of this?" one of the figures, a Chinese man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties, asked. He was dressed in black robes and leather armor that did not impede movement, while a hood covered his head.
"The Apple must be taken to a more secure location. If Jiajing would come to understand its true power and purpose, our people would be in grave danger." the other figure replied determinedly, this one a woman of similar age and origins, dressed in robes similar to the ones she wore a few years ago during her trip to Italy. On her back rested a jian, a sword that hinted towards its master's flexibility during battle, as well as a bow and a quiver of arrows.
The man seemed to wish to protest her answer, but decided against it and simply nodded. "Very well, Jun. I wish you good luck, then."
"Thank you, for I shall need it greatly. Now listen carefully, Zian. If I am unsuccessful in the retrieval, you are to lead our order here as the new Mentor. Only you have their respect as much as I. And take this as well. These are the schematics of the weapon I have designed." The woman then produced a small scroll from one of her pouches, before handing it to her fellow Assassin. "I hope that it shall serve our people well." After taking the scroll, the man embraced his Mentor and then took his leave, jumping from building to building towards their hideout.
Shao Jun was not afraid of death. She had served the Order as best she could and always acted according to what an old Italian friend had said to her, which led to the resurrection of a stronger order of Chinese Assassins. She was, however, terrified of the object that she was about to risk her life for. If what she had heard was true, the Apple of Eden that was located somewhere within the city held the power to bend the will of those around the user, or destroy them entirely. Thus, the Apple had to be taken away from the Emperor and hidden somewhere where no one would look for it.
Noticing the arrival of a wagon meant to carry hay into the city's barracks, Jun prepared to jump. Her impact with the haystack was perfectly timed with a bump in the road she had noticed earlier during the day, making her unnoticed by the man who led the wagon's horse.
The Assassin waited patiently inside the stack as the man made his way towards the West Gate. Thankfully, he was known by the guards and they did not bother to check the stack, which meant that soon enough Jun had made her way inside the Forbidden City's stables. After waiting for the man to exit the stables, the Assassin stealthily jumped out of the cart and inspected her surroundings. As one of the doors that led outside was unlocked, Jun peered through the opening and pondered on her next course of action.
"I need to make my way towards the wall that separates the Inner Court from the Outer Court. If I can climb it, I'll be able to reach the Palace of Heavenly Purity." Gathering her thoughts, the woman slowly opened the door before making her way through the streets, keeping a watchful eye on anything that might alert her to the location of the guards.
A few minutes later, Jun was soon close to one of the many gates that connected the Inner Court to the Outer Court. There were two guards that were stationed there, guards that she needed to pass through if she were to get the chance to climb on the wall. Extending her hands as if she were about to let out the Hidden Blades for which the Order was well-known for, two ropes with steel tips descended from her bracers. Catching the two ropes before they hit the ground, the Assassin then turned around the corner from where she was hiding before sprinting towards the two guards. The guards had noticed her and had enough time to ready their stances in order to intercept, but Jun surprised them by unleashing the two ropes towards them while still being a few feet away from them. The strikes were aimed at their throats and punctured through before the mechanisms within the bracers pulled the now-silenced guards' faces directly into the Assassin's fists.
Once the rope darts were pulled back into her bracers, Jun did not waste her time with hiding the guards, as she planned on completing her mission quickly. After climbing the wall, she ran towards the Palace's surrounding towers. While guarded, the men were few and far between, which allowed her to pass through into the Palace's garden unnoticed. Still close to the inner side of the wall, Jun now considered her best approach for entering the palace. Running straight towards the palace was suicide, as she would have been noticed right away. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, the world around her became darker, while the guards were covered in an aura of red. Checking her surroundings, Jun discovered an item that glowed in golden, which revealed itself to be a trapdoor hidden next to one of the towers. Descending into the newfound entrance, the Assassin was now in a corridor that led to the chambers underneath the Palace.
After navigating several more chambers and hallways, Jun found herself in a large, circular chamber. Relieved to see that no one else seemed to be there, she then walked towards the center of the room, where a small pedestal, on which her target stood, was located. Not wasting any time, Jun grabbed the Apple with the intention of taking it and then finding a way out of the palace. As soon as she touched it, however, rays of light illuminated the chamber, while unseen forces held her in place. Before she could conceive what was happening to her, a doorway of light seemed to open underneath her and the hand that was on the Apple forced itself away. With no support to hang on and still in shock from what had happened, Jun felt herself fall through.
The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was falling on something soft and cold.
A/N: So there you have it, first chapter is up! This is more of an intro sequence for the Assassin's Creed part of the crossover, while the next chapter will be about her meeting up with the Dragonborn. I hope that are interested in my story and I eagerly await constructive criticism. ^.^
When I saw Assassin's Creed Embers, I initially thought that Shao Jun was the next Assassin to enter the spotlight, but apparently they decided, instead, to use Connor in Assassin's Creed 3. Regardless, I thought she was a great character and her being mentioned as the inventor of the rope dart gave me a lot of ideas as to how she would have used them in combat as a main weapon. These ideas, combined with my love for the Elder Scrolls series, gave birth to this story, which I hope is the first of many.
Thanks for reading and I'll hopefully see you guys next time! :D
