Avenging the Fallen Father – Pursuit in America
The ship carrying the Assassins Elise de la Serre and Arno Dorian arrived at the Boston port, early in the morning. The city of Boston was a bustiling hub, with many shops along the port, with only a few ships docked within its waters. The two Assassins walked off the ship, with the sun casting shadows behind them as their feet hit the docks. Elise beckoned her son, Francois, to come to her side. She scooped him up and held him with her left arm. Just as they got off of the ship, they were greeted by a middle aged man with brown hair.
"Hello there my lady," the man began, bowing. "My name is Clipper Wilkinson. I was sent here by Connor to escort Elise de la Serre and Arno Dorian to the Davenport Homestead. I believe you are the two people that I seek."
Arno rolled his eyes sarcastically. Elise nudged him with her right elbow.
"You are correct, Mr. Wilkinson." Elise replied, returning the bow with one of her own. "He has been expecting us for quite some time."
Clipper nodded his head, and flashed a smile.
"Follow me to my carriage. I will take you to the homestead. It's just over here." Clipper said, with eagerness in his voice. He began to walk towards a carriage. Elise observed the city of Boston, marveling at how beautiful the town hall was. Elise remembered hearing tales from her father about the Boston Massacre when she was a girl. She heard that British guards were assaulting a citizen, and began throwing snowballs at the British. The snowballs turned to rocks, and even oyster shells, which she didn't believe. This act of defiance agitated the British, which led to them shooting the protesters. It was an act that kicked of the American Revolution. She also caught Arno taking in the sights and sounds of Boston, eyeing the State House.
"It's not as beautiful as Paris." Arno muttered to himself. Elise smiled sarcastically at him, as Clipper opened the carriage door. Arno got in the carriage first, and Elise handed Francois to him. Arno and Francois got comfortable, and Elise followed suit and hopped in herself. Elise gave Clipper the thumbs up to close the door. Clipper nodded his head, and closed the door. He got into the driver's seat of the carriage, grabbed the reins, and led Elise and Arno to the Davenport Homestead, where Connor was awaiting their arrival.
After a lengthy drive, the carriage came to a stop. Elise, Arno, and Francois got out of the carriage after Clipper had opened the door. What Elise saw was more than just a simple homestead. It was more along the lines of a small village, with everyone doing their part. The more she looked around, the more it reminded her of Versailles. Clipper led them up to the large building Connor called home. Clipper knocked on the door a couple of times. After a few moments, a large, well-built man answered the door. His hair was only down the middle of his head, with the sides of his head shaven. Elise blushed upon laying eyes on Connor. Arno shot Elise an annoyed look.
"Welcome, Elise and Arno. To my homestead." Connor greeted. Elise and Arno responded with bows. Connor welcomed them into the house by extending his hand into the doorway.
"I believe a photo is in order." Connor said. Connor beckoned Clipper inside. Clipper quickly grabbed his drawing supplies and brought them inside. As soon as Clipper set up his easel, Connor held out his hand to Elise. She set François at her feet, and extended out her hand, and met in a handshake. Clipper began to start drawing, and the three Assassins held the pose. After a half an hour of holding the pose, Clipper finished his drawing. He revealed it, and smiled as Connor gave it his approval. Connor turned his attention back to Elise and Arno.
"Come into the dining area. We have much to discuss." Connor said, as he extended out his arm to where the dining area was. Elise and Arno followed him into the dining area. Elise and Arno sat down, followed shortly after by Connor.
Connor looked up at Elise after he had adjusted his chair.
"Hello again, Elise and Arno." Connor greeted. His attention turned towards Elise. "Elise, I must ask you a question."
Elise nodded her head up and down.
"You were a Templar, correct?" Connor asked.
Elise cleared her throat. "I was, yes. I was born into a Templar family, destined to be Grand Master after my father, Francois de la Serre. The Revolution ruined those plans, however."
"Francois de la Serre," Connor pondered. "My mentor Achilles had research on him, and your family prior to your birth. I myself had intel on you at one point during the French Revolution."
"Really now?" Elise inquired, sounding intrigued.
"Yes, we did indeed." Connor said with a hushed tone. "Both of the documents are gone now, however, due to your change of allegiance. Now, onto my next question. You were once a Templar, now you are an Assassin. Why embrace the Creed?"
"At one point in time, I believed in your father's views on unity, Connor. Those Templars, however, considered his views treasonous, and banished me from the Order I was born into. Arno greatly took me under his wing, and trained me in his ways, into the woman you see before you." Elise told Connor.
"Fascinating." Connor replied. "Now, onto why I brought you two here."
Elise and Arno both nodded their heads. Francois wandered into the room, sat beside Elise, and began playing with some of his toys on the floor, and was joined by Connor's youngest daughter, Io:nhoite, who had just entered the room. Elise smiled as Francois and Io:nhoite played with toy blocks on the floor beside her. Elise returned her focus to Connor, who had placed a couple of documents on the table.
"You received a letter from my aunt, Jennifer Scott, about strengthening our brotherhoods, correct?" Connor asked, as Elise and Arno began to read through the documents. "It's not really about that. A new threat has presented itself. Shay Cormac, Grand Master of the American Rite, has begun the search for a Piece of Eden that opens the Grand Temple."
"Shay Cormac. I've heard my father say his name before." Elise stated, as she set down the documents. "Remind me again what he did."
"Very well." Connor began. "He betrayed the Assassins and joined the Templars under my father, Haytham. He began to pick off the Assassins led by Achilles, one by one they fell. At the same time, he discovered what the precursor objects could do, and set out on a quest to find a precursor box. That search led him to France, where he killed the French Assassin Charles Dorian. And..."
Arno cut Connor off abruptly.
"Charles Dorian is my father. I want to kill the bastard who killed my father!" Arno said, with a stern tone in his voice. Connor and Elise calmed him down, before Connor spoke again. Francois looked up at his father.
"I have names that will lead you to him." Connor replied. "Laura Lach and Evan van der Drech."
"Where are they?" Elise asked Connor calmly. Arno was still fuming. Elise held her right arm over Arno's chest, to prevent him from snapping.
"I have a location on Lach." Connor began. "She resides in the former mansion of Hope Jensen, in New York. She conducts all her business out of that building. I have an associate in New York, named Marcell Palvin. He knows a lot about the areas surrounding the Jensen Mansion. Find him, and you will have easy access to Lach. I have requested Clipper to take you to New York tomorrow."
"Thank you, Connor." Elise replied, with a head nod, as Connor led the couple to their quarters. Arno was a lot calmer than usual. Elise observed a painting of the former Assassin Mentor, Achilles Davenport, and his family in Connor's well lit living room. Connor led them upstairs to a room with two single beds.
"I will see you two early in the morning." Connor said, as he headed back downstairs. Elise and Arno took off their equipment, until both were in their shirts and breeches. Elise also got Francois prepared for bed. After doing so, he hurried over to his mother's bed, and hopped in, snuggled under the covers. Elise smiled as she scooted her son over so she could get in her bed. Arno flashed a smile over to his wife and son before he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Elise returned a smile to her husband, as she herself fell asleep with Francois in her arms.
Elise awoke as the sun was rising. She rubbed her eyes, and saw her husband putting on his equipment. Arno turned his head towards her.
"Quickly, Elise! Connor told me the carriage is ready. Clipper is waiting!" He exclaimed, and hurried down the stairs. Elise woke up a still sleeping Francois, and got him dressed. Elise then picked up her robes, and slipped into them. She grabbed Kenway's blade, and placed it in her scabbard. Elise found her hidden blade bracer, and slid it onto her wrist. She picked up Francois, quickly got him into his day wear, and the two of them walked down the stairs. Elise opened the door to see Arno already sitting in the carriage, and Clipper saluting her in the driver's seat. Connor came up from behind, and patted Elise on the shoulder.
"He is eager to go to New York." Connor told Elise. "He's been sitting there for quite some time."
Elise smiled back at Connor, and nodded her head. She approached the carriage, and waved goodbye to Francois, who was holding Connor's hand.
"I will look after him, Elise. Don't you worry. Best of luck in New York!" Connor assured her, as he banged on the carriage, signaling Clipper to get a move on. Clipper acknowledged Connor's request, and grabbed the reins. The horses whinnied, and began to gallop in the direction of New York City.
Elise and Arno arrived in New York City just before evening the next day.
"I'll be over on Broad Street if you need me." Clipper informed the pair, as they walked away from the carriage.
Elise and Arno nodded their heads, thanking Clipper for getting them to New York City safely. The city of New York itself was bustling, even in the evening. It reminded Elise a little bit of Paris, as well, but it was not as beautiful as Boston was. After exploring the city for a few hours, Elise and Arno noticed a brown-haired figure waving towards them. Arno approached the man and squinted at him.
"And who in the name of hell do you think you are?" Arno asked the man, with an aggressive tone in his voice. "Why were you waving at us?"
"Do you want to find the Templar Laura Lach or not?" The man replied sternly, with a hand on his hip. Arno's squint turned into a glare. Elise intervened.
"Sorry about him. Are you Marcell Palvin?" Elise asked. Arno was still glaring at the man unnervingly.
"I am indeed. Friend and ally of the Assassin Connor." Marcell began, with a bow of his head. "And you must be Elise de la Serre."
"Yes I am." Elise replied. "This is my husband, Arno."
Arno bowed his head towards Marcell. "Apologies for the overreaction."
"Pleased to meet you." he responded, with a bow. "Follow me back to my quarters, if you are interested about the location of Lach."
Elise and Arno followed Marcell back to his quarters, which were a few hundred meters away from where they had met. Marcell opened the door to his small house, with his living area lit up by a few candles on the wall. Marcell invited them to sit down at the table, which had several papers strewn all over it.
"You are here for Laura Lach, are you not?" Marcell asked, as he began to organize the papers.
"Yes we are." Elise began, as her and Arno took their seats. "We are looking for her as she may have a lead on Shay Cormac."
Marcell nodded his head.
"Well, you are in luck." He began. "Not far south from here, there is a secret passageway that leads to Hope Jensen's former Mansion. You can use it to gain access to the Mansion from the underground, as it is heavily guarded from above. She never leaves the mansion, for she has a fear of being struck down."
Elise got up and shook Marcell's hand. Arno followed up with a handshake of his own.
"Thank you, Marcell." Elise said, nodding her head with approval, as Elise and Arno walked out towards the tunnel that would lead them to the Jensen Mansion.
After walking a few meters south of Marcell's hut, Elise and Arno approached two wooden doors on the ground beside a building. The doors were decaying slowly, with the bronze handles rusting, matching the colour of the frail lock.
"This looks like an underground entrance to me." Arno stated. He pulled on the doors sharply, and broke the lock, opening the doors.
"Must've been built by Hope Jensen herself all those years ago." Elise told Arno. He gave her a smile of agreement. Elise then grabbed onto the ladder and began her descent. Arno sarcastically waved to her as she was halfway down the ladder. Arno was halfway down when Elise hit the bottom. She scared away a few rats to pick up a lantern on the floor. Arno arrived, and lit the lantern for Elise. She smiled back at her husband as the two of them began a long walk underneath New York.
After walking for what seemed like hours, Elise and Arno reached another ladder. Elise looked up to see another door.
"I guess we have arrived." Arno told Elise, and nodded toward the ladder. He began to climb up. Elise followed suit, and climbed up after her husband. Once Arno reached the top, he pulled a lever and opened the door gently. He entered the room, and helped Elise into the room. The room was filled with containers, and had a cracked glass roof. Elise speculated that they contained Hope's poison, as she was a master at using various poisons. Arno stood in the center of the room, and activated his Eagle Vision.
"She's on the uppermost floor." Arno whispered. "All of her guards are outside the building."
"Very well." Elise whispered back. "Let us go and pay her a visit."
Elise quietly opened the door, and entered the main building. The two Assassins walked down the hall of the derelict mansion until Arno brought Elise to a stop. He proceeded to activate his Eagle Vision again.
"There is a hidden passageway here." Arno whispered sternly. "It will take us right to Lach."
Elise smiled at her husband. "Well look at you go." She whispered sarcastically, as Arno pulled a book off the shelf, which moved the bookshelf to the left side. Arno held his arm out to show Elise the way. They both walked up the two flights of stairs, and reached the back of another bookcase. Arno activated the mechanism to open the bookcase. Laura Lach didn't hear the mechanism open, as she was tossing letters into a fire. As soon as Elise stepped foot in the room, Laura spun around, pulled out her cutlass, and engaged Elise in combat. Elise unsheathed her hidden blade, and engaged Lach in combat. Elise dodged all of Laura's swings, while Elise caught Laura in the chest with two slashes from her hidden blade, which backed her into the corner of the room. Elise knelt down to match her eye level.
"Hello, Ms. Lach. My husband and I have a couple of questions for you." Elise stated, as Arno approached.
"I'll tell you anything!" Laura said, sounding panicked as her voice was fading. "Please let me live."
Elise tilted her head sideways, and gave her a little bit of a smirk. Arno stood over them with his arms crossed.
"You're bleeding out, Laura. Tell us where Shay is, and you may very well live." Elise said, with a stern tone in her voice.
"He went to the Grand Temple, with my partner Eric van der Drech. You can find him there..." Laura said, with her last words. Her body collapsed in the corner. Elise closed Laura's eyes.
"Requiescat in Pace." Elise whispered. Arno held his hands on his hips.
"We have his location." Arno began. "Let's find Clipper so he can take us back to Connor's homestead."
Elise nodded her head, and both Assassins descended the secret passage and found Hope's poison room, where the hidden passage was located. Arno opened the door, and Elise began her descent down into the cavern. Arno followed suit, and once he touched down, they began their long walk back down to the other entrance. Arriving at the end of the tunnel, Elise began her climb out, as Arno followed suit. Both the Assassins dusted themselves off. Arno shut the doors behind them.
"Where did Clipper say he was again?" Elise asked, as Arno joined her.
"I believe he said he was going to Broad street, which is east of here." Arno replied, as the pair began to walk east. "Let's not keep him waiting."
Elise nodded her head with approval, as her and Arno set off to find Clipper Wilkinson.
Clipper stood beside his carriage, watching the sunset as he was awaiting the arrival of Elise and Arno. Once he caught sight of the Assassins, he waved his arm to get their attention.
"Welcome back! Were you two successful?" Clipper asked, as Elise and Arno entered the carriage.
"Yes we were." Elise replied. "We must get back to Connor immediately with our news."
"For sure, Madame." Clipper said, with a bow. He hopped into the driver's seat, snapped the reins, and the horses began to trot in the direction of Connor's homestead.
A lengthy night time carriage ride came to an end, as Elise and Arno arrived at the homestead by early morning. Connor opened the door, as Francois raced towards the carriage door, eagerly awaiting his mother's arrival. As soon as Elise opened the door, Francois jumped up into her arms, giving her a large hug. Arno walked up to Connor, with a bit of a smile on his face. Connor returned the smile with a smile of his own.
"What of Laura Lach, Arno?" Connor asked. Arno looked back at him.
"She is no more, but Shay and an associate of hers are making their way to the Grand Temple as we speak." Arno replied sternly. Connor's eyes opened wide.
"We must head there quickly." Connor stated. "Clipper! Ready the carriage! We have to head to the Grand Temple!"
"Very well." Clipper muttered to himself, sounding disgruntled as he got into the driver's seat. Francois hopped into the carriage and sat on his mother's lap. Arno and Connor followed suit. Connor slammed the door harshly. Hearing the door slam, Clipper snapped on the reins, and the horses galloped towards the Grand Temple.
Elise, Arno, Connor, and little Francois arrived at the Grand Temple by evening the next day. Elise told Francois to stay with Clipper at the carriage while they went to the Grand Temple. Francois walked towards Clipper and waved to his mother as Connor and Arno beckoned her to join them. Elise caught up with her companions, and they navigated their way through the forest. The three Assassins arrived at the Grand Temple, to witness Eric van der Drech, with his brown hair all dirty and mangled, banging on the door, laughing as the three Assassins approached.
"Give it up, Drech." Connor began. "You have no Piece of Eden, and no key, therefore no entry. Where is Cormac?" Elise and Arno flashed out their hidden blades.
"You don't understand, Assassin." Drech began. "He isn't here. He sent me here as distraction, to make his way to Rome."
Connor grabbed Drech by the collar of his shirt, and propped him up against the Grand Temple entrance. Elise and Arno approached Connor from the side.
"What's in Rome?" Elise questioned Drech.
"Ezio's Piece of Eden, girl!" He roared back. "It's what opens this god damn door! How naïve of you, redhead!"
Drech spat in Elise's face. Connor retaliated by thrusting his hidden blade into his throat. Drech's body fell to the floor, dead. Elise wiped the saliva from her face. Connor looked up at Elise and Arno.
"If what he said is true, then we must head to Rome." Arno stated. "Do you have a way of getting us there, Connor?"
"I have the Aquila." Connor replied sternly. "We can use it to take us to Rome. For we must hurry back to the docks, time is ticking."
Elise, Arno, and Connor rushed back to the carriage. Clipper looked up from Francois, who ran towards Elise. She scooped him up and entered the carriage.
"Clipper! We have to get to the Aquila! Take us there as fast as you are able!" Connor yelled, as he entered the carriage. Clipper nodded his head, and quickly snapped the reins, making the horses gallop towards the homestead docks.
Elise, Arno, and Connor arrived at the homestead docks just before evening the next day. On the docks in the brackish water sat the Aquila, the flagship of the American Brotherhood. Francois stared at the ship for a long time, with an awestruck look on his face. Elise smiled at her son, as Connor went onboard the ship. Arno was about to set foot on the ship with his left foot. Elise caught her husband red handed.
"No, Arno." she told him sternly. "Right foot on board first." Elise proceeded to board the ship with her right foot. Holding his mother's hand, Francois did the same. Arno rolled his eyes sarcastically and boarded the ship with his left foot first. Elise, Francois, and Arno approached Connor and stood beside him at the helm of the ship.
"Set course for Rome mates! Full sail! Full sail!" Connor roared to his crew. Elise and Francois watched as Connor's crew mates undid the sails, and got the ship ready for sailing. Elise smiled as a look of excitement came across the face of her son. She stood beside her husband, laid her head on his right shoulder, and looked up at him.
"Rome awaits." Elise whispered to him. Arno shot her a smile, as the three Assassins set course for Rome.