This was it, Elcore Militaire was merely yards away. Ratonhnhaké ton and Arno stood at the entrance of the sewage passage and watched Napoleon's and Corbett's men move about on their respective patrols. The Assassins observed the two factions eyeing each other in menacing ways. Ratonhnhaké ton sensed that conflict was bound to happen between the two sides.
Arno pointed to a group of Templar agents crowded around a stack of barrels. Ratonhnhaké ton recognized this tactic from experience.
"If things go wrong, Corbett will try to burn us in there. The barrels are full of pitch." Ratonhnhaké ton commented.
"We'd best not let it go wrong, then?" Arno replied.
"Indeed."
Ratonhnhaké ton and Arno climbed down the rather unstable ladder down into the sewer tunnel. Arno put his hand against his nose then winced from his shoulder injury.
"That does not feel good." Arno said with an unexplainable cough.
Ratonhnhaké ton didn't understand why his companion was feverishly coughing from a bullet wound, but he put it at the back of his mind. Corbett was the priority.
The sewer was frequently used and the two Assassins had to dodge falling waste being dumped from the homes and barracks above. Arno; in his strange condition had to be frequently pulled up from one knee on account of him collapsing every few minutes.
As they moved through the dark tunnels with the only light being that of a torch Ratonhnhaké ton was holding, they saw signs that they were under Elcore Militaire, or that they passed it. Ratonhnhaké ton decided to take the risk and climb the first ladder he found.
Ratonhnhaké ton went up the ladder first, with Arno coming up slowly behind. Ratonhnhaké ton began to worry about his ally's condition. The musket ball had done something to him, but he had no idea what.
Ratonhnhaké ton opened a hatch at the top of the ladder and climbed through. Much to his disappointment, he was not in Corbett's quarters, but instead in a heavily occupied barracks. Templar agents, who were formerly laughing, joking, drinking, and smoking all turned their attention to the intruders.
The men scrambled to retrieve their weapons as Ratonhnhaké ton and Arno launched themselves from the hatch to meet the soldiers. They cut down several men before Ratonhnhaké ton noticed one man starting to flee.
Ratonhnhaké ton pointed at the man. Arno noticed, then pointed his hand at the man. From his wrist blade, two wooden shafts extended connected by a cable. A dart shot from the small crossbow and landed in the back of the man's head.
Ratonhnhaké ton looked at Arno. "You haven't used that until now?" he asked.
Arno looked down at the device. "Didn't think of it till now." he said as he coughed again.
Ratonhnhaké ton turned towards the door to the barracks. "Everyone in Elcore Militaire might've heard the conflict. We'd best be careful."
Arno groaned. "Stupidity will get us killed." he said with a weak smirk.
Ratonhnhaké ton sighed and shook his head, if there was one thing he hated it was being quoted.
Ratonhnhaké ton opened the wooden door to the inner courtyard of Elcore Militaire. He found himself standing on a scaffold of sorts spanning all around the inner wall. Doors lined the wall but one door in particular stood out from the rest.
The door was not made of nearly rotten wood like the others, but instead was made from fresh timber and was painted red with a white Templar Cross in the center.
Ratonhnhaké ton and Arno reached the door. "Corbett always liked his personalization." Arno commented.
Ratonhnhaké ton cautiously opened the ornate door. The room was longer than the normal room and a long oak table spanned the length of the room with a large fireplace at the far end. A figure stood in front of the fire, silhouetted by the fire's orange glow.
"How nice we could all be here." Corbett said.
Ratonhnhaké ton stepped forward. "You've lost, Corbett. Surrender."
Corbett turned to his attackers, he picked up a glass and a bottle of wine. "Would you like a drink?"
Ratonhnhaké ton scowled at Corbett.
"I'll take that as a 'no.'" he said sharply.
Ratonhnhaké ton didn't move or change his scowl. Corbett smiled briefly. "You know," he began. "when I was young, my mother would tell me that if you scowled long enough, your face would freeze. One of many lies I was told."
Ratonhnhaké ton neither replied nor moved, in the back of his mind, he expected a trap.
"My parents told me many lies throughout my childhood. My mother told me that my father was a the personal silversmith to King Louis XVI and that she was a respected author. No, my father was a murderer and my mother was a whore. What about your parents, Ratonhnhaké ton?"
Ratonhnhaké ton's eyes widened at the sound of his birth name. Corbett continued with his monologue as he sipped from his glass of wine.
"Ratonhnhaké ton, born in 1756, to Haytham Kenway; a respected Templar, and Kaniehtí:io; like my own mother, a whore."
Ratonhnhaké ton's face grew hot at the sound of Corbett's disrespect for his mother.
Suddenly, Arno convulsed and collapsed to the ground. Clutching his shoulder, he wrapped himself up in a fetal position, coughing furiously. Ratonhnhaké ton kneeled beside him.
"What did you do!?" he shouted.
Corbett smiled. "What? You have never heard of musket balls dipped in arsenic?" Corbett held up a small vial. "And this is the only way your friend can survive."
Ratonhnhaké ton stood up. "You're a snake." he growled.
Corbett scoffed. "Et ci qui ne que vous faites? (And what does that make you?) You are nearly double my age and have killed triple the amount I have."
"For good reason, you do it because you enjoy it." Ratonhnhaké ton said.
Corbett laughed. "Finally you understand! I might have some reason for killing everyone I hate but ultimately it is because killing is fun. Admit it, your lust for blood is as unquenchable as mine."
"I've only the lust for one man's blood." Ratonhnhaké ton replied menacingly.
Corbett scoffed. "I'm quite sure I know who's that is."
Corbett drew his sword. "Come get it then." he taunted.
Ratonhnhaké ton leaped onto the table, drew his axe and sprinted towards him. As he neared Corbett, he jumped again. This time, he sailed over Corbett's head and landed behind him. Corbett whirled around to meet his opponent. Ratonhnhaké ton slashed with his axe and was countered by Corbett's rapier.
Ratonhnhaké ton slashed again. As the axe flew past Corbett's abdomen, he knocked it from Ratonhnhaké ton's hand, sending it flying across the table.
"No weapon?" Corbett asked triumphantly.
Ratonhnhaké ton quickly viewed his surroundings, he stooped down low and threw coals from the fireplace into Corbett's face. Corbett screamed in pain as Ratonhnhaké ton retrieved his axe and the vial of antidote.
Ratonhnhaké ton ran back to Arno, who was still in a fetal. He forced Arno's mouth open and tipped the vial down his throat. Arno coughed again, but Ratonhnhaké ton poured the rest in.
His coughing subsided and he seemed to be recovered from his poisoning. Ratonhnhaké ton looked up from the prone Arno to see Corbett standing above him.
Corbett raised his sword and when it came down, Ratonhnhaké ton caught it with his bare hand. Blood ran down his hand and arm. Searing pain ran through his body as Corbett's sword cut the flesh of Ratonhnhaké ton's hand.
With his free hand, Ratonhnhaké ton unleashed his wrist-blade and drove it into Corbett's collar bone. Corbett howled in pain and stumbled backwards, he retaliated by kicking the crouching Ratonhnhaké ton in the face. Ratonhnhaké ton listened as his nose was crushed by the sole of his boot and blood spilled out.
Ratonhnhaké ton fell to the floor, dazed from the pain.
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Arno suddenly awoke with a bloody-faced Ratonhnhaké ton laying beside him. Corbett was nowhere to be seen but he pulled himself up anyway and walked along the table. In the corner of the room was another door which Arno figured Corbett had fled through. Arno opened the door which led to a circular stone room. Corbett stood in the center.
Corbett clutched his shoulder and favored his knee. The skin on his face was burned off to reveal the pink flesh underneath it. Corbett breathed heavily.
"The dead man walks." he said.
"I'm surprised you're still walking." Arno rebuttled.
Corbett sighed. "Well, I guess-" he cut himself off as he let loose a dart from a Phantom Blade of his own.
The dark went straight through the side of Arno's neck. Arno's left hand shot up to his neck, holding the bleeding wound. In his moment of weakness, Corbett rushed forward, wielding a long axe Arno hadn't noticed before. Arno managed to roll out of the way of Corbett's destructive charge.
Corbett turned to face him again as Arno kicked Corbett in the knee, sending it dislocating backward sickeningly. Corbett collapsed on his destroyed knee, wailing in pain.
Arno fought himself to stand up, eventually he managed to get to his feet. Corbett was still lying on the stone floor, clutching his bent leg. Arno walked over to Corbett's fallen axe and picked it up. Ratonhnhaké ton entered the room and saw Corbett on the ground and Arno with the axe.
Arno looked over at Ratonhnhaké ton. Ratonhnhaké ton nodded and walked back through the door and shut it.
From the other side of the door, he listened as Corbett begged. Then, he heard the sound of steel ripping through flesh, then the sound of a head rolling on blood soaked floors.
Author's Note: I will be posting an epilogue tomorrow morning, thank you guys for all of your support!