XI: Dive Into Death
"What are they saying?" Piper asked. From the terrace that she, Lance, and Roberto took refuge in, she could perfectly see Jason and Frank though she had trouble hearing them. They exchanged a few words and their expressions were none too pleased. Lance had a knack for reading people's mouth but he kept still and silent as he watched them for five minutes. Piper was afraid that he had slept with his eyes open.
The robes that he wore were more modern compared to hers. Instead of furs and feathers with belts that strapped her coat, Lance's was pure white with deep red on the inside. The hood covered his whole face, and the zipper went all the way up to his neck. The hem divided into layers around his legs. The robes made him look slim whereas Piper's shaped her body as a woman, showing a slight curve.
"Lance," she whispered, anxious. "what are they saying?"
"Don't bother him," Roberto said. "He needs to concentrate."
Roberto was hidden in the shadows, his feet propped on the table while she and Lance stood by the railing, fully exposed. She scarcely saw Roberto thanks to his dark skin but her eyes adjusted. When Roberto saved her from Jason, she didn't see him because of his uncanny ability to blend in. She did, however, see the blowpipe which the hallucination dart came hurling out of.
Immediately after Jason was hit with the dart, she threw the only smoke bomb she carried and punched Jason near the eye. She would have hit him some more, Octavian, too, if it wasn't for Roberto. He had dragged her away, his rough hand wrapped securely around her wrist but that didn't stop her from hearing Jason's cries.
Through his illusion, Jason saw her. Why, she could never say. She didn't miss how he pleaded for her forgiveness, how he said her name in that broken, desperate tone. It was another thing she would never forget. Another sound that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She wanted to punch Roberto for doing that to him but realized that she couldn't bring herself to. He got her out of that situation after all, and her feelings for Jason were still complicated. Especially after hearing the conversation between Jason and Leo. She didn't know what to make out of that.
Piper turned away from Lance and leaned against the white screen overgrown with vines. "I didn't thank you earlier, for saving me."
Roberto took a sip from his Coca Cola can, and burped. "Don't worry about it," he drawled. His black long sleeve shirt and loose camouflage pants gave him a rough-and-tumble appearance, and his brownish red eyes looked like dried blood. He was intimidating with an intense stare that would have sent the strongest man running but deep down he had a kind heart. Like Mason. Like Lance.
Piper wondered why Sophia was so cold and she was inclined to ask her allies why. Later, she thought.
"That dart you hit Jason with," she started, "what did it do to him?"
"He hallucinated, obviously," Roberto retorted.
"I know that," she huffed. "But… why was it about me?"
Roberto scratched his chin. "Well, the ingredients used to make the poison—"
"You poisoned him!"
"With a hallucination syringe. Calm your tits, McLean. The effects aren't fatal. The ingredients are from a plant that could only be collected from a swamp. They're not poison, so relax."
Piper eased down somewhat. "So, what did it do to him?"
"It didn't do him any harm if that's what you're asking. It only put him in a little…guilt trip. Why are you so concerned, anyway? I thought you said he wasn't your boyfriend."
"I never said that." But Piper was not sure what Jason was to her. She wasn't prepared to face him or what he planned to tell her so she resolved to steer clear from him for as long as possible until she was ready.
"Jason has the key."
Through the small light that descended on him, only Lance's mouth showed. Right now, they were set in a thin, frustrated line.
Roberto got up from his seat. "He does? Where?"
Lance shrugged. "I dunno, but use your Eagle Vision to see if he has it on him."
Roberto stood by the railing and focused on Jason. Frank was gone but the praetor still lingered.
Piper turned to Lance. "What else were they saying?"
Lance's expression was grim. "He knows who we are."
Piper's breathing hitched. "What do you mean?"
Lance removed his hood and pressed his right hand to his ear. "Sophia? We've got a problem."
The earpiece, which they all had, was linked so the five of them were listening.
Sophia answered in a heartbeat. "What is it?"
"Frank Zhang heard our conversation at the aqueduct. He was standing on top of it, patrolling." Lance paused. "They know we're looking for the key."
Mason's soft voice came next. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Sophia had yet to respond. Piper had never seen the older woman lose her composure. Piper expected her to lose it now but was disappointed when Sophia said, "What else?"
"Well, Jason has the key," said Roberto.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Sophia snapped.
"Well, that's the problem. He has it… in his pouch."
"Do something, then," Sophia growled. "We don't have all night."
Piper had to bite her tongue to refrain from speaking out. Maybe they didn't have all night but pressuring others wasn't going to make things easier. Being a leader meant you had to be understanding; empathetic. How were you able to gain respect from your followers if you ruled them with an iron fist?
Their "leader" muttered something incoherent before logging out.
"Where's the pouch?" Lance asked Roberto.
"Right there." Roberto pointed to the black military thigh bag strapped to Jason's leg.
"Okay," Lance pulled his hood over his head and planted his foot on the railing. "I'll be back in a minute."
"Wait!" Piper was careful not to raise her voice. "Lance! What are you—"
Lance vaulted over the edge and into a pile of haystack.
Roberto sighed. "We better be prepared, in case something happens." The older boy followed suit and she was forced to follow them.
Her first Leap of Faith had come early and totally unexpected since Lance pushed her off the roof. Piper had managed to land into a pile of leaves. She blamed Lance that her first time wasn't her best since she was unprepared.
Not wasting any time, she dived down, curled her body and landed her back straight into the haystack. Roberto pulled her out and, together, they followed Lance.
Piper and Roberto crouched behind the end of a bricked house, watching their devious companion. The son of Minerva was casually stalking Jason, his footsteps long and soundless. Lance snuck up behind him and wrapped his arm around his neck. Piper's eyes widened as Jason was lowered down with Lance's sleeper hold, his hand on Jason's mouth to muffle his protests. His body thrashed though it was weak and his hold on Lance's arm wasn't enough to make him let him go.
When Jason's body fell limp, Lance carefully placed his body on the ground. His hands went for the pouch and the key was in his hands.
Lance practically skipped towards them. "Why so serious, Pipes?" he asked. He smirked his cocky smirk and held the key up, the light reflecting.
"Look how tiny that thing is," Piper said, her shoulders slumping. The key didn't even look like a key. It was as long as Piper's thumb with a curved edge. Almost like a crescent moon. "All this work for something so small."
"We never would have found it," Roberto admitted.
Lance put the key safely in the insides of his pocket. He held his hand up to his ear and said, "Sophia, the eagle has landed."
Sophia sighed deeply, whether it was from relief or irritation Piper couldn't tell. "I take it you have the key?"
"Yep."
"Good. Rendezvous at the—"
"Assassins!"
Piper inwardly cursed and looked in the direction of the voice. A scrawny twelve year old stood ten meters from them. He pointed his spear hand at them, his lanky arms shaking as he trembled in his boots.
"Get him!" Piper cried.
The three of them charged for the Roman soldier. He squeaked and made to run but lost his footing and tripped, then promptly fell on his flat face. Roberto held down his arms while Piper pushed one of his skinny legs down as Lance covered the other.
"Assassin! Raise the ala—ah!" The boy's screams muffled when Roberto covered his huge hand over his mouth.
Despite the serious situation, Lance laughed. "Raise the ala—ah! Ha ha ha!" Piper sucked her teeth at him but he just kept laughing. "That's too funny. You gotta admit it, Pipes—"
"Assassin!"
Lance wasn't laughing now.
They're heads simultaneously snapped up. More guards stormed towards them faster than a hurricane with spears raised and swords clenched. The boy soldier beneath them was forgotten as they scrambled to their feet.
"Split up!" Roberto yelled.
Lance sprinted left, Roberto went right so Piper was left to go straight . . . into a party of Roman soldiers. On horseback.
Great, she thought.
Before the Roman soldiers could catch her, she scaled the closest building. She tried not to let the pressure overwhelm her as her fingers found places for her to climb. Because of their heavy armor, the Romans couldn't follow her and she was glad to see that trick would work.
When she reached the roof, she ran straight to another. Below her, dozens of soldiers shouted at her. An arrow whizzed past her chest, causing her heart to beat erratically. The sound of gunfire echoed, bullets missing her as she clambered on the rooftops. Completely out of the blue, a rock came hurtling at her, hitting her on the forehead. Her body became light in a matter of seconds and when she landed, the cold, hard ground welcomed her. She considered lying there, sweating, out of breath, the Romans removing her hood, dragging her to Jason, to Reyna . . .
She got up and forced herself to run but her legs felt like lead. She sprinted through an abandoned well decorated with flowers and vines. A pile of yellow fodder sat next to it.
Without thinking, she dove inside the haystack.
The Roman soldiers entered shortly, their feet pounding.
"Where did she go?" one said.
"Find her!" another commanded.
They searched the area. Piper only saw a faction through the hay, and hoped that none of them would get the idea of searching her hiding spot.
"She went that way!"
"No! She went this way!"
"Did she fall in the well?" a girl wondered.
"Agh! We'll take this route! And you take the other!"
Their footsteps fell into an ordered march. One group went west and the other went south.
Piper waited. she remembered Lance telling her that an Assassin must have patience. As she waited her eyes drooped, so she contacted her "teacher."
"Lance?"
"Yeah?"
Piper sighed. "You were right about the haystacks."
"And whenever am I wrong?" he asked, chuckling. "Rendezvous at the aqueduct."
"Got you."
Piper jumped out of her haystack, several pieces clinging to her clothing. She walked away, plucking out hay from her clothes.
The wind was knocked out of her when the shaft of a spear swung at her ribs. Her back met the hard solid floor as her body arched from the blow. Her robes were thin and light for easier movement but it meant less protection if she ever suffered a blow.
Thanks Shiki, Piper thought wryly.
She groaned and hissed through her clenched teeth as she sat up. The tip of the spear stopped her and angled dangerously close to her face. Piper thanked that her hood didn't fall off.
"Hiding in the haystack?" a girl asked. "Very clever, but it won't save you now."
The girl standing over her was tall and lithe. She wore a black leather jumpsuit with a strange belt of interlocking gold links. She was an older version of Reyna with dark hair and equally dark eyes.
She was Queen of the Amazons. Reyna's older sister. She was Hylla, daughter of Bellona.
Shit, I'm screwed. Gods, help me.
Hylla seemed to sense that her stunned silence meant the doom had dawned on Piper, and smirked. Out of nowhere, she imagined Reyna standing over her, sneering. Piper kicked the spear aside and quickly rose to her feet. The hidden blades ejected from her bracer as she crouched, ready for an attack.
Hylla recovered easily. She lunged forward, the spear point aiming for Piper's stomach. She warded it off with her knife and took a step back.
"It's a pity about you Assassins," Hylla said. "Are you sure you're not an Amazon?"
Not the least bit. But even if I was, I can't defeat her. How is a daughter of Aphrodite suppose to defeat a daughter of Bellona?
Lance's words echoed in her head. Your not very strong so your opponent will think you're weak. Have them attack, block their every blow. Make them weary, then strike.
Their "dance" continued for a few agonizing heartbeats. Hylla smiled confidently and expertly twirled her spear with a flair before striking and striking. She always missed. Piper recoiled at every jab, stepping back or shifting around, further angering the older girl. But every stroke Hylla made came back even harder and stronger. Piper felt beads of sweat trail down her back and her lack of energy caused her muscles to loosen.
"You're a coward," Hylla spat. "Surrender peacefully and no harm will come to you."
Piper was the least bit tempted.
"What's the matter? Too scared to say anything? Or are you afraid of losing?"
That's not gonna work either. Piper couldn't help but grin at her futile attempts. Hylla bristled and thrusted her spear again. Piper rolled out of the way.
"Coward! Attack! What are you so afraid of?"
I can't taunt her, Piper thought. She'll recognize my voice and after this is done, whether I win or lose, she'll run off to inform her little sister. I have to be careful. I have to walk out of this. My friends are waiting for me.
Hylla lunged with her spear. Piper deflected and quickly used the other hidden blade to stab Hylla on the shoulder. The older girl cried out but she didn't clutch her shoulder.
Hylla panted and ran a hand through her dark hair. She yelled what sounded like a battle cry and thrust her spear forward again. Piper side stepped, grabbed the shaft with both hands, pulled, and kicked Hylla's stomach. The older girl let go and stumbled forward. Piper twisted her body back, holding the spear like a bat and swung it at Hylla's head. The Queen of Amazons fell back then crumbled on the floor, defeated.
I didn't kill her, Piper thought, the spear falling from her hands. She's alive. She's still breathing.
There was a stable to her right with saddled horses. The man watching over them was slumped against the wall, drool dripping down his chin. Piper quietly grabbed a white mare by the reins, mounted, and trotted away. When New Rome was well behind her, she urged the horse to sprint for the aqueduct.
It didn't surprise her to see that she was the last to arrive. After that spectacle with Hylla and outrunning Romans, she had a reason to come so late.
The door to the entrance was already open. A large rectangular hole on the white bricked column had vanished. Lance and Roberto stood in front of it but they seemed to be arguing and didn't notice her until she spoke.
"What's wrong?" she asked, dismounting.
"This damn door." Roberto growled.
"What about it?"
"The Romans will follow us," Lance answered. "They know where we've gone thanks to Jason Grace. We have to lock the entrance so the Romans won't follow us but..."
"But?" Piper urged.
"One of us has to stay and lock it from the outside."
"I'll stay," Piper said.
"No, if they catch you then that's it. They think you're still at home, weeping and mourning, and if they see you as an Assassin, there's no telling what's gonna happen to you. You're too valuable and too vulnerable."
"Gee, thanks. But seriously, I'll stay."
"No." Lance's tone was sharp.
"We can't argue about this," Roberto said through clenched teeth. "I'll stay."
"No!" Lance's hood fell back slightly due to the chase so his face was shown. His eyes looked torn. "No man left behind."
Something in Lance's light brown eyes flashed. They looked...wet. Desperation clawed at him but there was something about his voice. No man left behind...
Roberto swiped the key from Lance. "We don't have time for this. The Romans are coming. Piper, give me your horse. I'll outrun them, I can—"
"Give me the damn thing."
Piper didn't hear her approach but suddenly she appeared like magic. Sophia snatched the key from Roberto's hand and gave him a rough shove. "Go, I'll make sure they don't follow you."
It was dark but the distant light from New Rome was enough for Piper to see Sophia's expression. The older woman's face was often fashioned like a statue, with determination or disapproval shaping her face. But right now they were grim.
"What about you?" Lance asked.
"Go on," she urged. "I'll think of something. I always do."
Lance hesitated but obeyed. Piper stepped through the doorway, behind Roberto who gently pushed Lance into the entrance. She didn't miss the desperate glance Lance sent to Sophia.
Piper's foot stepped in the entrance when Sophia gripped her forearm and said, "Protect him."
Then the door slid shut, leaving them in darkness.
For a few minutes, they didn't know what to do. The walls grazed her shoulders and her friends were in front of her so she was left to remain in place. She didn't even feel their presence. The eerie silence made her feel like she was alone. Maybe she was. Neither of her companions made any indication that they were there. She was almost convinced that her friends simply vanished until...
Roberto farted.
Piper covered her nose and waved the air around her face. Lance gagged. "Dude, that's nasty."
"Sorry," Roberto didn't sound sorry. "Couldn't hold it in."
Lance coughed. "Gods almighty, what did you eat?"
"Hmms, lobster, steak, hamburger, ice cream, some beans—"
"That explains it."
"Can we please get moving?" Piper asked.
"I feel bad for you, Piper," Lance sympathized.
For the remainder of the walk, Piper covered her nose and warily glanced at the dark shape in front of her. The path led them down and down and down, bringing them deeper and deeper until it led straight. Piper used her Eagle Vision to see through the black.
Roberto was probably the tallest mortal she ever met. He had to walk sideways since his shoulders were so broad and he ducked his head to keep from bumping on the ceiling. Past him, she only saw the top of Lance's head and past him was a vast range of darkness.
"How long is this?" Roberto whined. "I'm hungry."
Piper rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry."
The sound of Lance grunting kept Roberto from retorting.
"What if they catch her?" Lance wondered aloud.
He was referring to Sophia. Bitter and sharp witted Sophia. Piper wanted to demand why he was so concerned for the older woman. She was like a block of ice; cold and reserved. What kind of relationship did she have with Lance that would make him so shaken?
Odd as it may be but she could see that the younger boy genuinely cared for Sophia. "She'll be fine," Piper reassured.
"Hey, look there's light."
Roberto was right. A faint ray of light fingered its way through the dark and illuminated the ground. They all ran towards it. The brightness was almost blinding when Piper merged from the hole in the wall. She covered her blurred gaze at the yellow hazy light and rubbed her eyes.
When her eyesight cleared, she glanced around. Roberto had his mouth open. "Holy cow."
Pillars of clear blue crystals stuck out of the earth, shining spontaneously as numerous fissures and stalagmites decorated the ground. There was a large brazier blazing with fire to the right and to her left was a stream of rushing water. Torches held on scones flickered, creating shadows. The ceiling was so high that Piper didn't see the top. She wondered how deep they head traveled.
Who would have thought that a mine filled with crystals would be under New Rome? Piper thought. This place is amazing. Though, there was one problem.
Up ahead, there was a lined path where it ended at the edge of a massive, circular abyss. A half bridge was built over it though it didn't extend too far.
Piper and Roberto walked over to the half-built bridge. "How deep do you think it is?" she asked
Roberto leaned over the gaping hole, looked down, and spit. After a few seconds, he shrugged, "I can't even see the bottom."
"Too bad we have to go down there," Lance muttered.
Piper felt a jolt of fear course through her body. "Isn't there an elevator we could use?"
"There is but we can't use it." Lance walked over to a pulley system. An empty pulley system. "Your friends, Hazel and Nico, used the elevator."
"Fantastic."
"Guys, look," Roberto walked behind a stalagmite and bent down. He stood back up with a small red chest and walked over to the them. Inside held a bunch of ropes conmected to spikes. "We could use these ropes. It'll be just like rock climbing."
It took five minutes to untangle the rope, another five to wrap the belts around their waist and twenty minutes for them to secure the spikes. Everytime they tried, though, they failed.
"You guys go ahead," Roberto said. "I'll hold the rope and come down after you."
"How?" Piper asked. The ropes wouldn't stay secured around a stalagmite since it kept breaking and the spikes had a blunt edge which wouldn't hold Roberto who was as big as a mountain.
"How else?" Roberto retorted. "I'll climb down."
After falling off the Grand Canyon, Piper wasn't afraid of heights. She stood over the edge and glanced at Lance cautiously. "You go first."
His lazy smirk came back. "Don't trust me?" he asked.
She crossed her arms. "Since you pushed me off that building? No."
Roberto gave Lance a small push in the back. "You heard her, Lance. Ladies first."
"You wound me, Roberto."
Lance turned his body toward them, smiled, and began climbing down.
"Don't balk," Roberto told her.
Piper swallowed. That's a long way down, she thought. Would the rope be able to reach that far? She prayed that it did.
She watched Lance first. He jumped down a few feet everytime his foot found a secure place on the wall. His palms rested on the wall but they didn't grip for any hole. Piper followed his example, her heart leaping as she gripped the rope for dear life.
"What was that?" Roberto asked.
Lance looked up. "What is it?"
Far below, Piper could see uncertainty and suspicion creeping in Roberto's face. He bit his bottom lip as he looked over his shoulder. "I thought...I thought I heard—"
"There!"
"What?" Piper looked up, one hand on the rope and the other on her head to make sure her hood didn't fall back. Up twenty feet or so, Roman soldiers stared down at them, their purple shirt's wet with sweat and their Imperial Gold weapons glittering.
Piper gulped. "How did they get in here?"
"No," the small voice of Lance was full of devastation and fear. "Sophia..."
A boy with red hair grabbed Roberto by the front of his shirt and held him over the edge. Roberto struggled to break free as he held onto the rope. The rope that kept Piper and Lance from falling...
Another boy with dark hair stepped up and grabbed the redhead by the scruff of his neck. His olive skin looked soft and his dark green eyes was like a leaf after it was dowsed with rain. Was that Mason?
"Are you out of your mind?"
The redhead recoiled. "Octavian ordered for these outlaws to be killed on sight!"
"That wasn't what Jason ordered! He demanded that we bring the Assassins back as prisoners!"
The redhead growled. "Praetor Reyna vetoed Jason's decision. And the majority of the council agreed that they die."
Mason shook the redhead. "You're suppose to be Jason's trusted guards! He knew that she would command that! That's why he ordered your squad to bring them back alive! They need to be questioned and put on trial!"
The redhead looked scarily calm, his gloved hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "A change of plans, Senator Mason. I'm afraid we work for Octavian."
The redhead grabbed Roberto by the scruff of his neck and shoved him hard.
"NO!"
"Roberto!"
He didn't scream. He didn't even move. The air rushed past him as Roberto did nothing. Piper watched helplessly as his dark figure flew past Lance. Soon, the older boy was consumed by the darkness.
Suddenly Piper was falling...diving. Diving into darkness.
Into death.
And I leave you with a cliffhanger! Next chapter, everyone dies! The end! Just kidding!
Anyway, I have an exam on Monday and Tuesday, neither of which I'm prepared to pass since I hate trig and biology. But once that's done, whether I fail or not, I'll put all my attention into chapter 12. I'm not even going to start my project, I'll just get the 0. I've been working hard all year!
I'd like to thank The Helios Spirit, Fanfiction Bard, avengfulDemigod, gg, and (especially) Dizzoula9 for reviewing! You guys are the best! Your reviews always bring a smile to my face :) Extra thanks to The Helios Spirit for giving me the "snitch" idea.
Thanks NotUrAverageMusician, Fanfiction Bard, and Dizzoula9 for following! And thanks maya356556, Dizzoula9, and JasperForTheWin for favoriting!
To any AC gamers, has anyone played Brotherhood? I played it over the weekend just to add some of its technique and style into my story. Anyway, I killed one of the guards and then threw his spear at another. It was so fun. I spent the whole time free roaming and chucking spears at guards. I did the same thing with the axe except it hit a civilian XD
If you guys haven't seen the artwork for this, check it out at deviantart. I have the same username and the concept art is still a work in progress.
See you in the next chapter!