Cearbhail:

So, this has been a great start to a new semester. Japanese class is hard but fun. I have so much homework I don't really have time to write, at least right now. Every Friday I only have the one class and then Kendo in the evening, so maybe I can squeeze in a chapter or two before leaving. Anyway, here you go.

[King John]

The tournament was running so smoothly. We had 45 participants and had divided them into three separate divisions. Some of the knights were old and experienced; while some of them were immature and hoping to prove themselves. It was fun to see those new kids get their arses handed to them in combat against more experienced warriors. Of course, I was more hoping to see this Spanish guy die by one of my Templars. I did not expect him to last even the first round, which I rigged with one of my seasoned warriors. My warrior was supposed to kill him accidentally, but he was shamed in mere seconds instead by the unarmored fencer. I was certain this Spanish guy was working with that Assassin in town, but since he turned himself in I think he might be willing to be a tool in the very least.

Besides the Spanish warrior Vega, I had my eye on the more mysterious Jack Wilson. He also wore no armor over his white cloak stained with years of blackened blood. He carried two sickle blades that looked worrisome. He matched the description of a man that had killed my Templar escort bringing back a lance for me. I hoped he survived at least one match so that I could have him interrogated. If he was the man that had my lance, I wanted to know where it was and have him killed for taking it. I also wanted to know what he knew about the lance.

It was surprising to see the both of them survive all rounds until they made it to the final rounds. The Spanish warrior Vega seemed to spare all his opponents and let them leave the arena alive, which seemed in opposite to the attitude of an Assassin. Perhaps he wasn't as bad as I thought he was. Meanwhile, the Jack Wilson killed every opponent he went up against, even the kid who just grew old enough to enter such a tournament. I was surprised to see with how much ease this man had for killing a defenseless kid like that. It made me more confident that this man was the one that killed my escort. I even had some knights run a background check on him. He wasn't a local; no one knew who this man was or where he came from. To me, that was all I needed to know to have him interrogated and killed for treason.

Once it dawned on me that Vega and Jack Wilson were going to end up fighting in the semi-final round, it drew my attention to the fact that Vega would not stand a chance with the man. That was troubling for me since I had grown to like him as a warrior, and the fact that I wanted Jack to end up in my stocks. So, I altered the arena by letting the O'Collins girl fight alongside him in their semi-final match. I proposed the idea that if both he and she were victorious in beating the man that I'd let them both join my Templar Legion. She was more than pleased to assist Vega in his fight, seeing the same amount of honor that I had seen in him. I also believe she was worried about fighting Jack herself in the final round. Since she was reigning champion for three years, she had the honor of fighting the winner of the first two divisions, granted she survived her third division (which she did). Having just turned 18 herself, she was now old enough to serve in my legion.

Watching the final round was troublesome. I watched as Vega and the O'Collins girl teamed up against the white-clad assassin, and they were putting everything they had into just keeping up with him. I was almost certain that Jack Wilson was one of the Assassins by this point. He wore white, used up-close and personal weapons, and killed everyone he fought. He acted just like the men already troubling my town, and the way he was fighting Vega and the O'Collins girl, I was certain he had some sort of assassin upbringing. The look in Vega's face told me that he didn't know the person, however. So, either this Jack fellow wasn't an assassin, or Vega really wasn't associated with the killers he was reported with assisting in the ship crash. Either way, there was something incorrect in one of my theories.

Towards the end of the match, I was impatiently waiting for Vega and O'Collins to either kill the bastard or die by his hands. I couldn't call the fight; I couldn't spare their lives. I had to be impartial, and sometimes that means watching good warriors die. And just when I thought the fight couldn't get more frustrating to watch, I saw Jack Wilson, the assassin, pull out a lance out of his back pocket. It looked like a normal knife with a round handle until it magically extended, becoming longer than him. Any suspicions I had about him being the man that stole my lance had been confirmed in my mind. This man was the one I was looking for alright. And as soon as he pulled out the lance, I could feel the spiritual power emanating off of it. That was the lance I had been looking for, and Jack Wilson had been the one to take it from me. He had to die.

I looked back to Vega and O'Collins. They had to win, and they seemed to have a strategy now that he had a normal weapon in his hands. O'Collins charged in to the right, Vega to the left. Vega and Wilson had a confrontation and Vega managed to lose his shirt. Immediately, I could feel the appreciation from the women in the audience and it gave me an idea. If this Vega did end up in my employment, I'd make him walk around with a sleeveless buttonless jacket with no shirt. My subjects would love it and comply with any order he gave. What a powerful tool I would have in my arsenal. If anyone gets made at my rulings, just send out Mr. Shirtless and at least I'd get the women to shut up. Being King sure does have its benefits some days.

The final round was about to finish up when I heard the explosions from the castle grounds. The three fighters stopped fighting, but it looked like Vega had managed to clip Wilson in the final second. If I was lucky, that would mean that he would die of blood lose, but only if I kept them all from fighting. I immediately called the match and forced all three fighters to cease their tournament. I called them all the winners of the bout and gave them full Knight Privileges as my commanders. Once I heard from a guard that two Assassins had been spotted inside my castle, I knew just how to test my new knights. So I sent them out to the castle to find and bring me back the assassins. This was a test for all three of them. If Wilson was an Assassin, he would defend his friends and kill the other guards. If Vega was an Assassin, or at least an accomplice, he would also deter my forces from making chase. And O'Collins…well, she was a woman, and she needed to prove her ability to actually fight one of these demons. And while the three of them were out, I was here, drawing up their contracts for their service to me.

That's where I was right now. I was sitting in my throne in the tournament arena. Guards had me surrounded, keeping their eyes open for any signs of Assassins. And while my three newest fighters were out fighting the Assassins, I had to draw up their contracts of Knighthood. As of right now, they had no real rights as knights, but that would change soon enough. They would need a house to begin living in, and knights lived in nicer houses. But for now, I think I'll just have the three of them reside in a mansion near the castle. They were all single, I'm sure, and the mansion will easily house the three of them, and the many women the Vega character is sure to bring home with him in the evening time, especially since he will be shirtless most of the time.

"Master." Wolfe bowed his head to me as he walked up. "I have been watching the tournament. That Vega is quite the fighter. I cannot believe he can fight so well. When I saw his fight onboard my ship, he seemed more sluggish, less refined."

I nodded. "Perhaps he wasn't fighting with all his heart."

"Or perhaps he has been training with better sword fighters in the time he's been hiding in the town." Wolfe replied. "But that isn't all that worries me. Jack Wilson…"

"He has the Lance of Antioch." I said as I looked back at Wolfe. "He is the one that attacked Piper and stole the lance." I looked up at Wolfe. He looked stunned where he stood, like he didn't know what to do. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do either. This Wilson character was a mystery to me, a bloody murdering mystery. Did he fully comprehend what it was that he had, or had it been blind luck that he stumbled into having it? I should just have him killed and take the Lance, but…there was a part of me that wanted to see if he knew what it was he was holding, or if he had some plan for it. I knew who had it now, and that was enough for right now. Wilson was on my payroll, and that meant I knew at least enough to know where he was most of the time, or if he ran.

"Sire, what shall we do about him?" Wolfe asked me, shrugging as he looked around. "If he has the Lance, we can't just ignore that."

"You are a slave runner; nothing more, nothing less. Stick to stealing young women walking alone in the woods and let me deal with this new development." Seeing Wolfe smirk at hearing me define his smuggling as petty girl theft made me smile inside. He had a job I gave him, and he did it well. He smuggled everything that turned a profit. He smuggled weapons, drugs, women, sometimes men. What do I care what he smuggles as long as I get money or other black market supplies. And I meant what I said. This new character was my issue to deal with, and it was exciting to think what I might learn about the true power of the Lance anyway. We only knew of the legends, but no practical application. To see it from a warrior would prove quite the show. And I enjoy shows.

"So, Diego. How did he fare in your opinion?" Wolfe asked me, his face now focused directly on me. I knew why too. He still blamed Vega for all the problems that happened to his ship, his captured shipment of someday French royalty prostitutes, and the destruction of the port town where he had a nice house until recently.

"The man fights with true conviction and fury. He chose not to kill any of his opponents, and fought without armor. He was an amusing warrior to watch, and the women loved it when he tore his shirts off. Overall, his superior technique with a saber is one that we could use in our training camps. He has a unique style not found in England, and with his help our knights have finally learn an edge that will give us end all wars from here on out. If only we had moves like his back when we found the Scots…I think England would be a little bigger, and with less plaid dressed-up men." I snorted as I glared at Wolfe. I had momentarily forgotten that he was Scottish. He was a bulk of a man and he rarely ever wore his plaid skirt, but he never let me forget it when it suited him.

"Don't mock my culture." He pointed a finger at me. "You may be my Lord, as well as a fellow brother of the Creed, but don't speak ill of it."

I smirked as looked back down at my Knighthood contracts. "Let's see…think I could talk either Wilson or Vega into becoming Templars?"

"Don't they have to demonstrate a knowledge or belief similar to ours before we suggest it?"

"Aye. The knowledge that true safety and security can only come through diligence, obedience, and constant security of everyone at all times. I think Vega can appreciate that we need to have full obedience of all those on this planet for there to be a truly prosperous peace. I'm not sure about Wilson, but I am guessing that he is more of a wild dog chasing wolves to kill." And that worried me. He wasn't a typical person I could calculate. He was something else. I think it would be best to let him have the lance for now… at least until I can determine what his real motives are. "Watch all three of them. If they seem worthy, bring it to my attention. And if they present a threat…kill them."

Wolfe bowed. "It will be done, milord."

…

[Zorro]

"What exactly happened here?" Ashley was more than ready to act like a knight. As soon as we made it to the castle, she started rustling guards up and demanding to know every detail of what had happened here. The guards started bringing us into the castle and before we knew it, we were standing in a hallway blackened by char marks made by some sort of explosion. Burnt bodies of what used to be guards stained the already burnt floor. Other than that, I didn't see anything other than discarded weapons that were too melted to be of any use.

One of the guards motioned to the charred floor. "We found some Assassins hanging around the room, so we tried to apprehend one. She did something and next thing we knew, two men were dead. Then something exploded and then it just all went to hell." He shrugged. "It was so chaotic. She was like a blur, killing guards and all that. She'd wait for someone to approach her and then she'd not only counteract him but once killing him, she'd just jump to the next guy and kill him before he had a chance to fight back. If that hadn't been bad enough, the other Assassin joined in a minute later. They quickly changed to nonlethal methods of fighting. The one man took a broom and started doing things with it I thought no man could do with a broom."

Ashley huffed. "What? Did he start sweeping the floor? Is that a sexist remark?" She grabbed the guard by his collar and pulled him right up to her face. "Are you suggesting that I can't be a knight because I'm a woman? Are you suggesting I need to be a maid and sweep your floors for you big strong men?"

The guard looked lost and confused for a second but he finally shook his head. "Not at all. He broke the broom part off and started twirling it around his body like it was a weapon. It was weird. We didn't know how to respond to it."

I smirked and took a step back. I had no idea Ashley was so easily angered when it came to her gender, but I guess I could understand. I hadn't seen one woman warrior since I've been here, except for Red and Laila. They were the only two I knew of right now. And then there was Ashley, the only female knight I've seen since I've gotten here. I guess it made sense that she'd take offense to it easily. I'm guessing she got a lot of crap for wearing armor if no other women were doing it.

"So, this man and woman were skilled fighters then?" Jack asked from beside me. He tore his gaze off the guard and onto the floor. "Hmm…" He walked through the charred floor and over to a window. "They jumped out the window, didn't they?"

"Uhh…yes, sir. They did. How did you know?" The guard asked from Ashley's arms. I turned my attention back to Jack. He was looking out the window with a familiar gaze I saw on Malik's face a lot. It couldn't be what I thought it was though. He'd have to be an Assassin to be able to see the past like that.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! I'm still talking to you." She growled at him and started shaking him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am…" The guard started crying. "What else did you want to know?"

She paused and then looked over at me. She looked back at the guard and pressed her arms tighter to his neck. "Where did the Assassins go?"

"Out the window!" He screamed.

Ashley dropped the guard and walked over to the window. The guard curled up into a ball and started rocking himself as he tried to recover from the abuse Ashley just put him through. As Ashley looked out the window, her loose hair flew in front of her face and she struggled to get it out of her eyes. "Crap…" She said, fussing with her short hair. "You just had to cut off my braid…didn't you…" She looked at Jack.

He laughed. "I didn't have to. I also didn't have to take his shirt." He gestured over to me without taking his eyes off of the ground outside the window. "But you know…when you're killing someone…it always pays off to play with them first."

I walked up to the window, joining both of them. Ashley was scoffing at Jack's offhand comment about killing people, shaking her head in disgust. "You sicken me with your casual talk of killing someone."

"You kill someone, you'll understand." He replied. "I think I see their footprints." He looked over at me with a knowing eye. "You should have no problem following me, boy." He jumped out the window, landing on a small bush two floors down. I swallowed as I jumped through the window as well. The wind took me for a brief second before crashing into the bush. It slowed me enough that I could bend my knees and catch myself before breaking any bones. As soon as I recovered, I looked to my left to see Jack already inspecting the footprints. "You have sharp reflexes for a Spaniard." He replied, still looking down at the footprints. He started mumbling to himself.

I pushed myself out of the bush. "You seem to have a knack for tracking."

He snorted at the idea. "All part of being a murdering stalker. You learn how to find people. And how to pull out their organs." He started chuckling at the idea. "All in the name of scientific and medical research of course."

I was about to ask him what he meant by that but I was cut off by the sound of a bell somewhere in the distance. "What was that?" I thought out loud as I walked up to Jack.

Ashley poked her head out the first floor window, screaming, "That's the sighting alarm. The criminals have been spotted near downtown. Quick now, before they get away!" She didn't waste time as she took off running away from the window.

Jack laughed as he studied his sickle daggers. "I cannot wait to see how red I can make their robes. The beautiful crimson river will flow and stain their souls for millennia."

I looked down at the town where the bells were going off. I had no choice now. I had to either fight my friends, make sure they escape, or fight Ashley and Jack. And if it came to that, I might as well just commit suicide because no matter what…I'm dead.

Cearbhail:

I think I like this setup. Cannot wait for the next chapter. If it weren't for the fact that the other stories need updates too, I would so write a new chapter right now. But first, Kendo and then tomorrow...maybe one of the several papers I need to write. and then, maybe I'll write a new chapter.