Unmei Force: Solitary Legends: The Creed of Fate
Sequence 03: The Incoming Storm
Part 1: Unconvinced
Boston, Winter of 1755
For weeks, Charles had been tracking down the mystery woman for Haytham. The two were currently finishing up a meal in the Green Dragon Tavern, as they got up to address the group walking in, Raditz leading them.
"Haytham, Charles. Any luck finding the mystery woman?" Raditz would ask.
"Word is she's been stirring up trouble just outside the city in a town called Lexington. I just finished telling Haytham that, before you all arrived." Charles explained.
"Then that is where we begin our search. Selda, you mind taking this one with Haytham and Charles?" Raditz would ask.
"Not at all." Selkie said. "I've been itching for some action. I have an odd feeling I'm gonna get some."
"Right. Come on then." Haytham remarked, as he, Selkie and Charles trotted on horse-back, reaching the town of Lexington quickly, before Charles stopped at the outskirts of the town.
"She made camp not too far from here, last I recall." Charles told the two of them.
"Excellent. Well, the sooner we're done, the sooner we can get out of this cold." Haytham remarked.
"...Oh, it seems that I have forgotten something. Bad news, in fact." Charles stated, realising something. "Braddock insisted earlier I return to service under him. I've tried to beg off, to no avail, I'm afraid."
"No doubt he's still angry about losing Pitcairn, to say nothing of the shaming we gave him. Do as he asks. In the meantime, I'll work on having you released." Haytham remarked, as Charles parted from the group. "Selda, I'm sure the camp should be close by. Follow me."
The two of them immediately reached the camp, as there was nothing left but a freshly snuffed bonfire.
"It's only been snuffed. The snow is also recently disturbed. She is near." Haytham remarked
"I have her trail." Selkie said, as she was on the woman's trail quickly, before spotting her up in the trees. "You think you can get away from me up there?" Selkie asked, before removing her hat. "Hold this, and follow closely, lest you lose us." Selkie said to Haytham, as she quickly scrambled up the tree closest to her, and gave chase to the woman.
Eventually, they managed to chase her to a small passing, as the woman gave up trying to get away, turning around. "Are you both touched in the head?" She asked.
"We just want to talk." Selkie said, landing with her on the ground as Haytham was panting to catch up. "Oh come on, we weren't going that fast." Selkie said to him, seeing him as out of breath as he was.
"Did… Did you manage to tell her to stop, Selda?" Haytham asked, before turning to the Indian woman. "We come in peace."
"Fine, what do you want?" The woman asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, your name for one." Haytham suggested.
"I am Kaniehti-io." She answered back.
"Way too complicated." Selkie said. "Would you have a nickname, by chance?"
"You may call me Ziio." The woman replied.
"Diio?" Haytham mispronounced.
"It's Ziio." Selkie corrected. "With the emphasis on the Z."
"Ziio." Haytham repeated.
"Now, tell me why it is you are here." Ziio asked, before Haytham showed her the pendant, which she examined. "Where did you get this?"
"From an old friend." Haytham lied.
"I've only seen such markings in one other place." Ziio answered back.
"Where?" Haytham asked back.
"Well, it is forbidden for me to speak of it." Ziio denied.
"Oh come on. You can give us some information." Selkie would equip, as Ziio pondered this, before she turned to them.
"Close to here there is a hill. Meet me there, and we'll see if the two of you speak the truth." Ziio said.
Some time later, as the sun set and it was dark, Ziio was standing on the hill, as Selkie and Haytham soon joined her, overlooking a tavern.
"That place houses Soldiers that want to drive my people away. They work for someone named the Bulldog." Ziio said.
"Edward Braddock…" Selkie spat.
"You know him?" Ziio questioned.
"Far from being friends of ours." Selkie responded.
"Everyday, more of my people are lost to men like him." Ziio answered back.
"Then I suggest we put a stop to it. Together." Haytham answered back.
"What do you propose?" Ziio asked both him and Selkie.
"We kill Edward Braddock." Selkie said, which got a nod of approval from Ziio. "But, first, we need to find him."
"I might have a proper way to start with that." Haytham suggested, before they descended from the hill. "Follow me."
"...I'll tell you both this. I trust neither of you." Ziio answered back.
"We know." Selkie said.
"And yet you both remain." Ziio answered back.
"Perhaps you can see our reason for that. I'm surprised that a woman of your intellect didn't tell who I was from my ability to chase you in the trees." Selkie said. "After all, Selda isn't exactly a name a British colonist would often use."
This left Ziio pondering silent for a moment, until they reached the door of a tavern, as Haytham moved to open it, but not before stopping Ziio first.
"Wait here. A Mohawk woman is likely to raise suspicions - if not muskets." Haytham warned.
"This is hardly the first time I've been amongst your people." Ziio argued. "I can handle myself."
Haytham merely shook his head, before the three of them entered the tavern.
Haytham and Selkie looked towards each other, before they split off for a while, as they eavesdropped on the nearby British soldiers, as they learned that Braddock was planning a 'expedition' to the south. That was all the information they needed to figure out where to go, as Selkie, Haytham, and Ziio went to make their way out…
"Oi! Where you going, cunt?" A Redcoat called out to the three, more specifically to Selkie, as she turned around.
"Well, we were leaving." Selkie said as she turned around to the redcoats.
"And now?" The Redcoat mocked, which finally made Selkie snap.
"And now, you pompous twat, I'm gonna knock your teeth down your damn throat." Selkie spat, before assuming a combat stance for a bar fight, whilst Haytham and Ziio looked at one another.
"And here I thought you'd be the issue…" Haytham whispered to Ziio, who merely hummed.
What ensued was a one-sided bar-fight, as Selkie was tossing soldiers left and right, banging them against the wall and the tables, even using a chair leg as a make-shift bludgeon to beat the soldiers unconscious, while Haytham and Ziio only defended themselves from those who saw fit to disturb Selkie's companions. When the fighting was done, every single aggressor was out cold on the ground.
"Well, I needed that. Felt good to slap around those bastards." Selkie said, stretching her loosened muscles as she walked to the door where Haytham and Ziio were.
"Something tells me that wasn't your first fight in a tavern." Haytham mused.
"Heh. Far from it." Selkie chuckled. "Now, shall we be off?"
"Just a moment…" Ziio stated, before examining Haytham's cheek, as there was a gash on it, caused by the scuffle. "You're hurt."
"Uch, it's nothing." Haytham clicked his tongue, before Ziio grabbed a un-smashed bottle of alcohol, and using a handkerchief to press the alcohol against the wound, and stem the blood.
'Tch. What, Haytham gets special treatment even though I did most of the fighting and got bloodied myself?' Selkie thought, seeing her bloodied knuckles and feeling more than one gash on her face. 'Someone's got a love interest.'
"Here. This should stop the bleeding." Ziio answered back.
"That wasn't necessary. But thank you." Haytham answered back, pressing the handkerchief down.
"As for you... I suppose that you need more than a cloth to mend yourself. At the very least, I can at least clean the blood and dirt off you." Ziio remarked, turning her attention to Selkie, as she ripped a few pieces of uniform cloth from the downed soldiers, and used it with some alcohol to clean the wounds. "For what you did… I offer gratitude."
"It was nothing." Selkie said as she allowed Ziio to clean her wounds, as they would heal quickly enough that for Selkie, being cleaned up was all she actually wanted.
"We should move on. Meet me at Braddock's camp." Ziio answered back, before she then left the tavern first, and out of the group's sight.
"I suppose that the next step will have to wait for a while… I assume." Haytham remarked, still holding the handkerchief to his own.
"Not as long as you think." Selkie said. "Still, I could use the moment we have to go and retrieve someone who just might give us an extra edge on stealth for going for that camp. Go ahead and meet with Ziio when you're ready, I'll meet you both there with the one I have in mind."
Haytham nodded at that, as Selkie soon left the Tavern and called for her horse, as she rushed back to Boston.
Part 2: Execution is Everything
As Haytham was preparing to meet with Ziio, he soon saw the two horses riding back, as Selkie had Mai with her, as they dismounted their horses to join Haytham.
"Let's not keep Ziio waiting any longer." Selkie said. "Mia understands the situation at hand."
"I believe that we should be well prepared for what is to come." Mai answered back.
Haytham gestured for both of them to follow, as they noticed Ziio was crouching, keeping watch over the advance camp.
"You're here… And with another one." Ziio answered back, not turning her head to address them. "Use the snowstorm that comes soon, to mask your approach."
Selkie looked ahead, being in thoughts as she looked at the camp.
"Having second thoughts, Selda?" Ziio would ask.
"Hardly. But we'll have to approach this carefully." Selkie said, as Mai soon spotted a delivery cart headed for the fort.
"Go on then. I'll keep watch from here." Ziio answered back, as Mai nudged the other two members, gesturing at the delivery cart, as they got the idea, quickly slipping inside, before it even came close to the camp gates.
They listened closely, as the driver was ordered to list his inventory off, before the cart was cleared to move, getting inside the camp with no problems. Inside the carriage itself, Selkie noticed the cannons on the walls of the camp.
"Hmm… Perhaps if I did some sabotage on them, they might be less inclined to try their luck against the natives here." Selkie remarked to herself.
"Let's split this up then." Haytham said as the cart stopped, and they immediately got out, and hid in the nearby bushes.. "I'll see if I can find anything of use to us, you two sabotage those cannons." Haytham had said before they went their own ways, Mai to the left, Selkie to the right, and Haytham straight ahead for more bushes, as the First President of the United States, George Washington himself, was seen talking to another soldier.
"Tell me you've good news?" The other soldier asked.
"General Braddock refused the offer. There will be no truce." Washington shook his head.
"Damnit! Why, George? What reason did he give?" The soldier questioned.
"He said a diplomatic solution was no solution at all. That allowing the French to retreat would only delay an inevitable conflict- one in which they'd now have the upper hand." Washington explained.
"There's merit to those words, as much as I hate to admit it. Still, can't he see this is unwise?" The soldier answered back.
"It doesn't sit well with me either. We're far from home with our forces divided. Worse, I fear Braddock's bloodlust makes him careless. It puts the men at risk. I'd rather not be delivering grim news to mothers and widows, because the Bulldog wanted to prove a point." Washington complained.
"Where is the General now?" The soldier asked back.
"Rallying the troops." Washington answered back.
"And then it's on to Fort Duquesne, I assume?" The soldier continued.
"Eventually, the march north will surely take time. There's a copy of the plans in the command tent, should you wish to review them." Washington answered back.
"At least this will be ended soon." The soldier sighed deeply.
"I tried, John." Washington sadly answered back.
"I know, my friend. I know." The soldier responded back, attempting to comfort.
"That map will surely be of use. I need to find it." Haytham noted to himself.
Haytham then quickly made his way to the command tent, evading the patrolling guards, and snatching the tactical map, which gave him the marching routes of the troops, including Braddock himself. Knowing that his work was done, he immediately trailed after Selkie and Mai, who were just finished sabotaging the last of the camp's cannons.
"There, that should stop them." Mai remarked, as she cut out the gunpowder supply in the cannon, before noticing Haytham. "I assume that you found what is needed?"
Haytham's response, was to show the tactical map he snatched, as Mai nodded, before they then sneaked out of the fort, and towards Ziio, who was waiting for them.
"What news?" Ziio asked back.
"Braddock has left to rally his troops." Haytham answered back. "They're marching to Fort Duquesne. It'll be a while yet 'til they're ready, which gives us time to form a plan."
"No need. We will ambush him here, near the river." Ziio answered back, circling a part of the tactical map. "Go and gather the rest of your allies. I will do the same. I will send word when it is time to strike."
Ziio then left the group, leaving the three to discuss among themselves.
"It seems that we need some preparation. I doubt that arrogant Braddock may be… He will not leave himself open enough to earn a swift kill." Mai noted.
"Indeed he won't. Which is where we'll need Riccard's expertise." Haytham said. "Let's gather our allies then, and then Ziio will meet us at the Green Dragon Tavern, I would assume."
Part 3: The Braddock Expedition
Boston, Five Months Later…
The group that was gathered, consisting of Haytham and the main group, with Pitcairn and Hickey going to be coming as well, was sitting at a table in the tavern, when Ziio snuck in behind Haytham.
"Hard at work, I see." Ziio stated, as Haytham turned around to face her.
"How did you…" Haytham remarked.
"It is time. We've set up camp to the north. Meet me there." Ziio answered back, before leaving.
Haytham then turned to the rest of his group. "Gentlemen and ladies… Let us away." He stated, as everyone left the tavern as one, before riding on their horses.
As they rode, Selkie was soon seen swatting away bugs as she cursed. "First it was too cold… now it's too damned hot!"
"And it's damn humid too, at this rate, the moisture is going to cling onto us, and make us appetising to the flying critters." Velouria growled, doing some bug-swatting herself.
"Warm weather and bugs are soon to be the least of our worries." Haytham answered back.
"Wot? Ya mean the Bulldog? Please. We'll be in that one's beef soon enough and onto the next." Thomas sneered.
"Where's your boy Lee gone off too?" Benjamin asked.
"Returned to finish out his service under Braddock." Haytham answered back.
"I imagine that the Bulldog would be most displeased with what we have done to him." Mai suggested.
"Lee's to spin a tale of my incompetence and beg forgiveness. He's a way with words - especially when it comes to flattery. I expect he'll be welcomed back with open arms." Haytham answered back.
"Shame that tale will do Braddock no good." Koyomi chuckled. "He'll be outright surprised when we're at his doorstep. Anyways, Lee's being our inside man, right?"
"Precisely." Haytham answered back, before he and Raditz's group approached Ziio.
Ziio was with a group of tribesmen, who were armed for battle.
"I see you've been busy indeed." Haytham remarked.
"All these men are from many different tribes, united in their desire to see Braddock sent away." Ziio explained. "The Abenaki. The Lenape. The Shawnee."
"And you? Who do you stand for then?" Velouria asked back.
"Myself." Ziio answered back stoically.
"What would you have us do then?" Raditz asked.
"We will help the others to prepare." Ziio answered back, before walking past them. "Follow."
They soon reached a small bush overlooking the road, as Braddock was indeed on it, with George Washington by his side, and his men.
"Everything alright, sir?" Washington asked Braddock.
"Just savouring the moment." Braddock answered back. "No doubt many wonder why it is we've pushed so far west. These are wild lands, as yet untamed and unsettled. But it shall not always be so. In time, our holdings will no longer suffice. And that day is closer than you think. We must ensure our people have ample room to grow and further prosper. Which means we need more land! The French understand this, and endeavour to prevent such growth. They skirt around our territory, erecting forts and forging alliances, awaiting the day they might strangle us with the noose they've built. This must not come to pass! We must sever the cord and send them back! This is why we ride! To offer them one last chance: The French will leave, or they will DIE!"
"Heh… if only you knew what was coming for you…" Raditz whispered.
"Now is the time to strike." Ziio said.
"Wait, to scatter the expedition is not enough. We must ensure that Braddock falls, else he's sure to try again." Haytham responded back. "We'll disguise ourselves as his own and make our way to his side. Your ambush will provide us the perfect cover for me to deliver the killing blow."
The group then headed towards one of the scout camps, as they slowly assassinated the people within it, using synchronised kills to achieve results without being detected, as they swapped their attire for the British military uniform.
"Perfect." Raditz said with a smile as he put on the military uniform.
The group then rode onto their horses, as they soon reached Braddock, who was in the process of executing one of his own soldiers.
"HAVE served, you mean." Braddock declared, pointing a flint-lock at the targeted soldier.
"Sir?" The soldier asked.
"You are grateful to HAVE served." Braddock said, before executing the soldier with a bullet through the head.
As soon as Braddock turned his attention elsewhere, he found himself at gun-point from several different flint-locks, wielded by the members.
"How ironic, you just executed a soldier, and now you're in line for an execution yourself." Raditz quipped. "Not so fun on the other side of the barrel, is it?"
"LOOK OUT!" A British soldier cried, as French troops advanced towards Braddock and the group, before one of them was shot dead by Charles, who was by the side.
However, by then, Braddock had already fled from the group, as they pursued after him.
"Just where are you off to, Braddock?" Raditz asked as he and Haytham led the chase.
Both of them immediately used whatever was in their way to impede any interferers, exploding powder carts with a single shot to get rid of any chasing British soldiers, before one of the trees fell in front of Braddock, causing his horse to panic, and Braddock to fall down.
"I never took you for a coward, Braddock." Haytham remarked, pointing a flint-lock at Braddock.
"Come on then!" Braddock taunted, before Haytham's horse was shot down from behind by George Washington himself.
However, George himself was not spared, as Velouria leapt from her horse and tussled with George, restraining him. This was the cue for Braddock to immediately run. However, he didn't account for Raditz, who shot him from behind, right through the heart, ending him right here and there.
Raditz smirked as the Animus closed in around him and Braddock, walking around Braddock as he smirked.
"How's it feel, Braddock? Knowing you'll be dying at the hands of one you called a brother?" Raditz dryly joked at Braddock.
"Why, Riccard…?" Braddock wheezed.
"It's because your death opens a door." Raditz answered back. "And the fact that you made it personal. You always were a pain in the arse for all of us."
"But we were…" Braddock was about to start.
"Don't you start. Do you think I'd really forget about what had happened?" Raditz growled, before he then stepped over Braddock, and leaned down, grabbing him by the collar. "Murdering all those innocents, and for what? Because you decide what's right and what's wrong, and what is needed for peace? All this warring, it will not bring resolution."
"Wrong… Were that we applied the sword more liberally and more often, the world would be a better place than it is today." Braddock coughed.
"For the first time, I actually agree, as much as it revolts me. Shame that it's the last words you'll say." Raditz answered back, before stabbing Braddock through the heart, and slitting his neck open, as Braddock gurgled blood, dying quickly, as Raditz stripped the ring off his finger. "Farewell, Edward. Hope nature will treat you well."
As Raditz finished up there, the scene shifted to Haytham and Ziio, on a hill overlooking the battle they had finished.
"It's done, your people no longer have to worry, Ziio." Haytham said. "Now that I've upheld my part of the bargain, I assume you will uphold yours?"
"Follow me." Ziio answered back, before they were led into a dark cave, where there was a stone gate before them, with energy lines across it, as they lit up in green in synchronisation to the pendant in Haytham's hand. When Haytham walked over to it, it suddenly dimmed out, as if something went wrong.
"No… NO!" Haytham exclaimed in horror, before he then waited, as if expecting something.
"You seem disappointed." Ziio said, showing concern for Haytham.
"I thought that I held a key that would open something here." Haytham answered back, shaking his head.
"This room is all there is." Ziio responded back with a frown.
"I expected more…" Haytham admitted, before he noticed the drawing along the wall. "What do they mean?"
"It tells the story of Iottsitison, who came into their world and shaped it for what life might come. She had a hard journey." Ziio explained. "Fraught with great loss and peril. But she believed in her children and what they might achieve. And though she is long gone from the physical world, her eyes still watch over us. Her ears still hear our words. Her hands still guide us. And her love gives us strength."
"You have shown me great kindness." Haytham answered back, as Ziio walked over and took his hand. "Ziio. Thank you."
They soon approached each other, as the others noticed it as their cue to walk away, and let the two handle each other for a moment, exiting the cave.
"Say… Don't you find something weird about the walls? I think that there's more to this little world than we expected." Velouria suggested.
"You'd be right in assuming that." Siege soon contacted through their communicators, as the Animus began to turn back into white space. "But there's something we need to discuss, about going further into this timeline. Richard needs a word with you as well, he might want to check on how you all are doing so far with this."
"Very well. Pull us out when ready." Raditz said.
"Roger that. Pulling out now." Siege said, as the Animus began shutting down.
SEQUENCE 03 COMPLETE
FULL SYNCHRONIZATION