Hello Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter and I am sorry! But in this chapter, you will be entering the memories of Azalea! This will be distinguished when you see her name in Bold. I hope you enjoy this chapter and more is to come!
Jezebel
Desmond Miles
I clear my throat as I uncomfortably get out of bed, reaching for my boxers on the ground. Alexa sighs as she grabs her clothes as well, turning away from me and putting on her clothes. I glance back at her to see that she is uncomfortable at the encounter we just had. I pull up my jeans and turn towards her as I put on my shirt. I clear my throat again, unable to allow a hush to fall over the room. She looks up at me with her bright blue eyes, and the sight of her stings. She looks betrayed.
"Alexa," I let out. "Azalea and I—"
"You don't have to explain." She says talking over me. "You should probably go meet with her; she might have some good news about your friends." She says in a reassuring tone that seems pressed.
I swallow hard and nod once at her hint to get me out of the room. I take my hoodie and head out of the room, tugging it on me as I leave the room, and leave her behind.
I approach Azalea as she takes a drag from a cigarette outside. "I could use one of those." I tell her and she hands me her cigarette. I take a long heavy drag and hold the smoke in my mouth for a moment, allowing the nicotine to calm my nerves.
"You seemed to have a good night last night." Azalea says with a satisfied smile on her face. I give her a stabbing glare and she returns with a smile. "I am glad to see that Alexa was able to follow orders."
"What are you talking about?" I ask her lowly.
She smiles at me with a devilish smile and says, "I instructed Alexa to keep you preoccupied and out of my business while I conducted my affairs without your constant interfering." She looks me up and down, "Looks like she kept you very well occupied." She says teasingly.
In a quick moment, with all the built-up rage boiling inside me, I clamp my fingers around Azalea's jaw, pressing my palm to her lips and shutting her mouth. I slam her head against one of the stone pillars of the Manor, knowing that she will be able to feel the pain, if only for a moment. I look into her eyes and her thick brows tangle in a mix of shock and hatred as I press my palm to her lips.
"You are a fucking cunt." I tell her lowly, pressing my finger to her face. "You really had to have your fingers into this as well?" I ask her almost betrayed. "Why can't you leave me and my family the fuck alone!" I yell at her and she looks at me now with dead eyes, no longer in pain or shock of the moment. "You fucked with Altair's mind, you fucked with my father's mind, and you fucked with my mind. It ends today." I tell her lowly. "I am sick and tired of you being the decision maker in everything that happens in my life. I slept with Alexa because she wanted to, not because you fucking instructed her to!" I yell, reassuring myself more than her.
I swallow hard, pulling my grip away from her jaw and releasing her. Her plum lips move into a smile and she brings the cigarette to her lips. She sucks on the cigarette and I glare at her hatefully. She blows the smoke in my face and with a sigh she says, "Come join me in my office." She says crushing the cigarette on the ground.
She pushes past me and heads to her office. She sits down in the chair and motions me to sit across from her. I do so hesitantly and watch her as she looks back at me with a calculative glare. "I have been keeping tabs on your friend; waiting for the opportunity to bring them here. They are working with a hacker that goes by the codename Bishop. No one knows anything about her. She is impossible to track."
I look at her, waiting for her to continue but she doesn't." What do you expect me to do about it?" I finally ask her, realizing that she won't continue her point. "I'm dead, remember." I tell her cynically.
"Rebecca knows who she is, and is keeping her identity a secret." She says simply. "Naturally, I cannot trust her with the knowledge that you are alive until I know everything about this girl."
"Great." I say with a sigh, "Just another excuse you're using to keep me from my friends." I say getting up and heading out of her office.
"You father is out of hiding." She calls out to me and I freeze in the doorway. I turn around and look at her with shocked eyes. She looks at me with a bored glare and I wonder if I heard her correctly. "He has joined Rebecca and Shaun. Providing them with his blessing to use Bishop in their missions, as well as providing her with valuable internal information."
"My father trusts her." I say sitting back down. "He is a good judge of character."
"Right, because Marcus, Daniel, and Lucy never showed any signs of being sleeper agents." She says teasingly.
"Yeah well he didn't fuck Daniel and let him leak valuable information after he had been publicly outed as a Templar agent." I say bitterly and she returns with a proud smile.
"Desmond, you don't want to get combative with me. I am not here to argue with you."
"Then why did you call me here? What do you want from me?"
"Tell me about your experience with the Bleeding Effect. Alexa tells me that you were hysterical last night. She pulled me from my mission worried about your safety."
"It was nothing." I say to her, not wanting her to know that I know the location of the Portal.
"She didn't think it was nothing." She says simply. "The Bleeding Effect can cause severe psychosis, Desmond. I need to know the severity of the issue in order to help you."
"I am not asking for help."
She sighs, "yeah, well you need my help."
"Like you helped Daniel?" I spit venomously.
She scoffs, "you keep bringing up Daniel like you know what you are talking about from the little information you have gathered from a biased source." She says hatefully. "If you really want to know about Daniel, go into my Animus and see the memories for yourself. I have them all saved in the memory bank. See for yourself and make your own educated assumption about that matter."
I swallow hard and she looks at me with tense eyes. "How do you expect me to get the information for who Bishop is, without outing myself for being alive?"
"I want you to work with Charlotte. I want you to groom her into a trusted source for them. Tell her what to say and how to become close with them. She will act as the liaison between you and your friends. Once she has confirmed the identity of Bishop, and deemed that she is not a threat, then we will invite her and your friends to the compound."
"It's tearing you up inside," I say with a sinister smile. "not knowing who this Bishop girl is." I say teasing her.
"Will you do it or not?" She says in a stern tone.
"Fine, I will do it." I tell her and she nods.
"Good." She says grabbing some papers. "Alexa will be off on mission for the next few days, this will give you more time to work with Charlotte and stay focused on providing the information that you need."
"Where is Alexa going?" I ask her, stiffening at the idea that she is going on a mission.
"It's a valuable mission that I only she is trusted to complete. But don't worry, Desmond, you'll be able to roll around in the sheets with her soon enough." She says in a condescending tone and I get up. "Oh, and Desmond," She calls out. "I want Charlotte to make contact by the end of the week. So, make sure she is ready."
I turn away from her and look around the Compound for Charlotte. I find her in the library reading a book. "Did she brief you, or do I have to explain it to you?" I approach her.
"Well good morning to you too, Sunshine." Charlotte says in a condescending tone, not looking up from her book. "Yes, Satan has given her commands." She places the book on the table and leans into me, placing her elbows on her knees.
"It's not safe here. Is there anywhere we are safe from Azalea's wandering eyes?" I say looking sideways at Mia whom I have noticed watching us since I walked in.
"Not really. But the gardens are probably the closest thing." She says getting up and heading out of the library. She leads me into the gardens and once we are out of earshot, she turns to me. "What is going on?"
"I need you to dig up some information on what big Templar events go on around this time of year."
She staggers away from me, taken aback by my question. "What does that have to do with your friends?"
"It doesn't." I tell her quietly. "You were right. There is something off about Alexa and Azalea's relationship with each other. I think…" I stop wondering if I can trust her with what I know about Alexa, but I realize I have no other choice. "I think Alexa is a Templar."
"What?" She calls out as she stops walking with me. "That's a serious accusation. You have proof for something like that?" She says skeptically.
"There are files in Azalea's office on everyone here. I looked through them all. Alexa not only has the highest security clearance—outranking Harlan and Theo—but under 'affiliations' it states 'Templars'. I don't want to believe it, but how else is she so important to the team if she only goes on this one mission? A mission, that no one but Azalea knows about."
"You really think that she is dumb enough to have a Templar on her team? I mean this is Cross all over again."
"I know what I saw on those files. It didn't say former Templar. She is an active agent with them."
"She is getting ready to go on her mission this week." Charlotte says.
"I know, that is why I think it is more important to focus on finding out what mission she is going on before we get in contact with Rebecca and Shaun. Knowing what Alexa is to the Templars will give us an upper hand on Azalea."
"I will see what I can find." Charlotte says willingly. I turn to her and thank her. She smiles at me. "She has a week until she deploys. Keep her close and see if you can find anything." She tells me and I nod with agreement.
The week goes by quickly and Alexa leaves in the middle of the night, without telling me goodbye. I awake to an empty bed, feeling the cool sheets indicating that she left long ago. I let out a sigh and get out of bed. I pull on my jeans and jug on my jacket. I head to the kitchen when Charlotte approaches me.
"You look like shit." She lets out and I scoff at her. "So Little Miss Sunshine left this morning, but I got some information on where she goes." She says lowly.
"What did you find out?" I ask her.
She looks around making sure that no one is listening. "She is going to the Templar's Gala. It is a swanky event they have yearly where they get boozed up and talk about how great they are or something. But get this, they haven't had one in six years because their last Gala was bombed and killed dozens of high-ranking Templars. And I will give you three guesses on who attacked the event."
"Azalea." I let out.
"With the help of Daniel Cross." She finishes. "Turns out, the damage would have been much worse, but she was betrayed by Cross."
I swallow hard. "So, it's a gathering of all high-ranking Templars in one area?"
"Yup, so whatever Miss Beauty Queen has to do with it, I am not sure, but I am sure she is there to gather info for Azalea." She says and I wonder what Alexa's part at the Gala is and how she is influential to Azalea. "Azalea wants me to deploy tomorrow for your friends. I am supposed to watch them for a while and determine if this Bishop chick is a threat."
"Do you know where they are? Rebecca and Shaun?" I ask eagerly.
"They are with Gavin Banks again. Galina reported their location a few days ago." She says slowly. "Your dad is with them as well." She says looking at me carefully.
I swallow hard and look at her with a simple nod.
"Are you alright?" She asks me with genuine concern.
"I don't know. I didn't think I would ever see my dad again." I let out.
"I need something to tell them, Desmond. You haven't told me anything to get them to trust me and welcome me in their ranks."
I think for a moment, then the perfect thing comes to mind. "I know what you can tell them. It will instantly get the to trust you." I tell her.
I spend the rest of the day conspiring with Charlotte on communicating with Rebecca and Shaun. The idea that I am one step closer to seeing them excites me. We have a clear plan, and though Azalea's plan was to subtly implant Charlotte into their group, I have a better way that will get Rebecca and Shaun here faster. I smile to myself knowing that I am so close to having everything I want.
I leave Charlotte for the night and decide to take a walk in the gardens. Will Alexa and Charlotte gone; I feel like I don't have many people to speak with. Darren is the only person at the compound at the moment, as he is the only agent that never enters the field. Everyone else has deployed on their missions.
I decide to let my mind wander as I walk in the gardens. There is something soothing about the gardens, and I believe they would be relaxing at night. I head into the labyrinth and walk amongst the tall hedges when I begin to hear voices. I stop dead in my tracks and strain my hearing to gather what is being said. I recognize one of the voices as Azalea. She is on the other side of the hedge with a female who's voice I do not recognize.
"She is stirring up quite the controversy within the Order." The woman says. "No one seems to know who she is and it is quiet entertaining to see them scramble."
"And she is breeching their security like ours?" Azalea asks in a bored tone.
"Yes, seems like she is gathering information on both sides. To what end and for who's cause is the million-dollar question."
I shift, trying to gather a better view, when the gravel beneath my feet shifts with the most deafening sound. I bite my lip knowing that the two women heard when their voices hush. I strain my hear for whispered words, but hear nothing in return. My heart beats heavily, and before I can think, an arm reaches through the hedge, grabbing my and dragging me through the shrubbery. My face scratches at the branches and I let out a grunt in pain.
Azalea grabs me by the collar and presses my cheek against the water fountain; so close to drowning me in the water. "What did you hear?" She asks lowly.
"Nothing!" I let out in fear. "I heard nothing!"
"Oh Azalea, let the poor man go." The woman says with a purr.
Azalea shoots her a piercing glare and I look onto the woman that Azalea meets in secret to see that I recognize her. I look her up and down. She is slim, her limbs long and small. She is tall, much taller than Azalea. Her face is distinct, dark down eyes, caramel skin, thick brows and a bumpy bridged nose. He lips are dark and plump, large as the rest of her features on her face. "Jezebel?" I let out.
Azalea flashes a pressed glare my way. "How do you know her?" She growls angrily, tightening her grip on the back of my neck.
I swallow hard at Azalea's harsh demeanor. "The Apple." I let out. "I asked the Apple to show me where you were, and it showed me you speaking with her." I let out looking at the woman.
"Well, then it seems introductions are no longer needed." She lets out with a purr.
Azalea lets out a weathered sigh, already tired of the conversation. She lets me go and I rub the back of my neck, looking onto the two women. Azalea looking angry, while Jezebel looking intrigued.
"So," Jezebel lets out with excited eyes. "This is the renowned Desmond Miles."
"You know me?" I ask her.
"Oh, you're all she ever talks about." She says referring to Azalea. "Your movements, your thoughts, every action you've made, she has been watching since you became Abstergo's little subject."
I glance over at Azalea seeing that she is unhappy about the situation at hand. "Is it true then?" I ask looking at Jezebel. "Are you immortal like her?"
"Ageless, yes," She lets out with a purr. "But not immortal."
"You didn't use the dagger." I let out. "Then what gave you this power?" I ask her.
Azalea tries to intervene but Jezebel speaks over her. "A beautiful golden Staff." She says with wide eyes. "Has she shown it to you?" She asks. "She has taken it from me, using it against me so I will remain in her good graces. Tell me Desmond, what does she dangle over your head so you will remain under her wing?" she asks and I swallow hard, thinking of my father and friends. I look over at Azalea who looks annoyed at Jezebel's words, clearly provoked by them. "I can safely tell you, Desmond that you will never get what she promises you. Over 600 years she has dangled the Staff in front of my face like a dog with a treat. Never letting me get close enough." Jezebel looks at Azalea wickedly, "But don't fret, Desmond. It's only a matter of time until the dog bites the hand that taunts them."
"That's enough," Azalea says lowly.
Jezebel lets out a childish giggle and looks back at me. "It's so good to meet you." She says with a wide cartoonish smile. "Azalea keeps me in the shadows." Jezebel leans closer to me, "I think she is embarrassed of me." She whispers to me. She moves away from me and continues in a normal tone. "But I am valuable to her. Neither Assassin nor Templar, I can walk amongst their ranks, undetected."
I look over at Azalea and she lets out a sigh. "You're keeping the Staff from her so you can hurl it into Eden and kill us all?" I ask her.
"Oh, so you're not completely clueless." Jezebel lights up. "She has told you then, her silly plot to end us all. Melodramatic if you ask me." She lets out with a giggle. "She just needs a good fuck." She looks over at Azalea with a laugh. "Then again, you wouldn't feel it." She laughs.
"What do you mean?" I ask her seeing Azalea tense at the comment.
"Have you told him what the dagger did to you?" She asks. Azalea tenses and I can see that for the first time she is not in control of the situation before her, and it is eating her up inside. "Maybe another time." She lets out with another purr.
I look over at Azalea and she looks at the ground, unable to look up at us, completely despondent to the situation before her. It is clear that there is something about Jezebel that gets to Azalea, and affects her more than anyone else could ever.
"Desmond," Jezebel calls out. "As fun as it has been to finally meet your acquaintance, I do wish to speak with Azalea in private." She says and Azalea looks up at me.
I look at the two women, seeing a subtle smile on Jezebel's lips, and an unsatisfied line on Azalea's. I nod once and leave the two women alone. Completely captivated by their relationship.
I head back to the compound wondering how the two met and how Jezebel can have this strange hold against Azalea. I am in complete awe of her control on Azalea. Seeing similarities in Azalea and Alexa's relationship. I head towards my room when I think of something Azalea said to me earlier in the week, "If you really want to know about Daniel, go into my Animus and see the memories for yourself." If she has memories of Daniel in the Animus, then maybe she will have memories of Jezebel as well.
I head towards the Animus and hear its hypnotic humming when I enter the room. I log onto the computer and browse the saved files on the computer. There is an archive of memories categorized like a library. I am in awe looking at the various files separated by dates. I submit a search for Jezebel. Not knowing when the two first came across one another. I file comes up and I see the first entry dating back to 1410. I get out a labored sigh, realizing just how long Azalea has been alive.
I click on the memory and it instructs me to enter the Animus. I do so and play the memory, heart racing as I enter the memories of those that are not my own.
Azalea Hassan
I pull the crumpled piece of parchment paper out of the sleeve of my jacket and unfold the paper to reveal the list of names upon it. I cross out another name from the paper with displeasure. The list of available names is diminishing, with no results. I sigh and place the paper back in my pocket. I shiver at the brisk air of Moscow and look down at the man who lies at my feet, bleeding, with his life slowly fleeting with the second. He looks to me and curses me in Russian. I tell him to save his strength to prolong his inevitable death. He grunts as he tries to grab a knife hidden in his boot. I step on his hand and crush his knuckles, hearing them break over the sound of the howling wind. He lets out a deep roar of pain and I tell him to meet his God. He looks up at me once more and spits blood. He tells me I will never meet my God for I am damned to hell. I tell him that this is something I already know, and the man's body goes limp as he falls into death's embrace.
I shove my hands in the pockets of my coat and walk away from the body. I walk amongst the streets listening to the deafening howling of the wind as it whistles a soothing tune. I watch as people recoil to the cold wind and sheets of ice being blown in their face. I remind myself to do the same. I often forget the little nuisances I must oblige by in order to appear mortal. As the years go by, I have become numb to human reaction and find myself more of a recluse, and reckless in my actions.
Two years prior to my dismissal from the Assassins Creed, I gathered intelligence regarding the Pieces of Eden and gathered a list of men and women who are rumored to have godly devises in their possession. I have been hunting down all the pieces and killing those who hold them. Over the years, I have learned through the Apple and some writings of Altair's that I stole from his tomb, that in collecting all Pieces and deliver them to Eden, I ensure the next wave of solar destruction on the Earth. In bringing the Pieces to their Eden, I will cleanse the repulsive and sickening world mankind has created. But more importantly, I will finally find absolution for my own immortal soul.
I look back down at my list of names; both men and woman I believe to have a Piece of Eden. I gather that I have enough money for one more name on the list, before using the Pieces to steal more. I pull the list out again and look at the remaining three names. I chose the closest name and decide to gather my things and head there. I look at the name once more. Jezebel – Ming China.
After 16 days of travel I arrive to the town where I believe the target to be taking residence. I ask the locals around the markets for a woman named Jezebel. The name is not native to the Qing Dynasty, and I suspect the people to notice a name such as this when spoken in the streets. However, I am wrong. As I ask for the woman, no one has heard the name, or many inform me the city is large, and full of transients from other lands. I find myself growing angrier by the day, knowing this woman will not be found.
I begin to spend my time gambling on the streets for coin. Over the years, I have developed quite a talent with the slip of hand, and no longer need a Piece of Eden to aid in my skill. I watch as the men I play with grow angry at my every advances in their purse. One threatens my life and I tell him that even dead, I could beat him at a game of cards. After hours of this constant banter, I determine that I have gathered enough coin to see myself from this wretched city and onto the next name on the list. I tell the men I have had enough taking their coin and leave them to their empty purses. The men shout, begging I stay in hopes they can win back what they have lost. I jest with what coin they offer to continue the game as none are left. I thank the men and leave their table on the street.
I walk amongst the market where men shout I purchase their goods. The streets have an overwhelming and nauseating smell of piss and fish, while the air is thick with the smoke of food roasting in the streets. I look around at the sights when I see a man watching me from across the street. He does not notice my eyes on him, and I take note that he is following me. I lift my hood and smile behind its barrier, knowing I will bring this man to his end if he approaches me to steal the money I won.
I move from street to street and notice that the man continues to follow me. I slowly pull out a small knife, ready for the man as he begins to approach me closer. I take in a deep breath as he begins his approach. I tighten my grip on the knife, and when I hear his steps ascending on me, I turn to face him. He sees my action and steps back as I slash at him. He laughs at me and holds out his hand with a small piece of paper. I take the paper and look at it. Written in soft handwriting is the word LuLu's. I look up at him in confusion and with a smile on his face he says, "Jezebel will see you now." Before I can ask any further questions, the man descends into the crowds of people.
I enter the threshold of LuLu's believing it to be a tavern, but find it to be an Opium den. People are sprawled out on the floor, decorated with pillows and tapestries as they inhale the intoxicating drug. I walk past the dwellers and to a desk where a beautiful woman stands dressed in extravagant colors and fabrics. She greets me and I speak over her, asking for Jezebel. The woman frowns and tells me that Jezebel will not see guests with a hostile demeanor. I show the woman the dagger and tell her if she does not take me to Jezebel, my hostile demeanor will be more than a demeanor. The woman swallows hard and takes me to the back to see Jezebel.
She pulls back a heavy curtain and behind the curtain and a cloud of smoke, is a woman, surrounded by men and woman, both clothed and bare. Men are playing foreign instruments as people inhale the drug and dance around the woman. She looks at me, with a cup of something in her hand. Her eyes follow my body head from toe. I look back at her and notice that her features stand out against the Quin people, and her skin and features resemble mine.
She laughs at me and looks me up and down once more, "You are too dressed. Come," she motions to the opium, "come enjoy my splendors."
"I have other business here." I say pulling my cloak back and exposing my weapons.
She frowns, "Must you ruin my fun?" She motions at all the men and woman sprawled out at her feet. "Come join us and enjoy yourself." She waves her hand lazily at a man who rises at her command and comes towards me.
The man approaches me, towering over me. He lowers his head towards me and inhales me in. He lightly caresses my shoulder and I pull out my dagger, pressing it to his throat. "Back away" I say in a low tone, and he does without objection.
Jezebel frowns again, "Oh I understand," she motions to a woman to approach me. "You need only say he was not to your liking. We do not judge here."
The naked woman approaches me with swinging hips and I tense before she can reach me. "I am here for business, not pleasure."
"I do not deal in business devoid of please." Jezebel says sternly.
"Very well." I inhales and pull the golden dagger from my waistband. "I'll show you mine, and you can show me yours." I give a sideways smile, then in a quick motion, I slam the dagger on a nearby table, the dagger digs into the wood table and sticks upright as I pull my hand away.
She looks at the dagger with a blank expression; neither excited nor frightened at the sight of the extravagant object. I watch her closely and her expression is unchanging, it is maddening.
She finally turns from the dagger to match my eyes. "If you want to play your game, we play mine first." She says. She finally stands, a transparent silk gown hugs her curves and falls to the ground. Her breast and barely exposed and she approaches me slowly, as her gaze pierces through my own.
She is taller than I am, her body stretched and her limbs long. Her hair falls heavy and thick, her eyes dark as my own. The smell of essential oils holds strong on her, and her skin is glistening with oil, illuminated in the light. She smiles at me as she sees my eyes wander her body.
She holds a small dose of opium inside a small golden case. She holds it up to me menacingly smiling, awaiting me to take a dose.
I take the drug, and inhale the small powder. For just a moment, I feel the drug travel though my body, the euphoric high reaching my brain, making me feel weightless, only to be thrown back to the ground as the curse of the dagger rejects the drug's presence.
She smiles triumphantly as soon sees the drug influence me. "Now," she says quietly. "Let us have fun." She presses her lips lightly against mine. Her lips are soft compared to my dry and cracked lips. She smells extraordinary and her kiss is enchanting.
She unties my cloak and it crashes heavily to the ground. She begins to undress me and I decide that giving her what she wants will be worth the effort. Once she has shown her Piece of Eden, I can kill her with mine, and finally be finished with this cat and mouse game.
I notice that everyone in the room has joined in smoking and fornicating with one another. Jezebel steps away from me and smiles as she looks upon my body with pleasure. She takes my hand, and that of a man, and intertwines our hands, connecting us together. She twitters with joy and joins two women to enjoy their company. The man looks upon me with arousal. I swallow, knowing that to appease her and get what I will want, I will have to do what she wants.
I watch Jezebel the entire time. I watch her curiously, noticing that she does not divulge in the drug that she gives to others. I look around and wonder where the Piece of Eden is located. I watch her carefully, and because I have not handled her Piece of Eden, it does not call out to me. I decide to sit back and lay idle until the time calls that I can take the upper hand. It is often dangerous approaching those with these devises as it is hard to determine what power these people possess.
Hours pass and I lean up against a pillar looking at the pile of bodies stretched out before me. I take a rag and wipe the blood off of my hands. The room no longer smells of essential oils and smoke, but rather the strong smell of a massacre.
I hear movement in the pile of limbs and smile with excitement. Jezebel moans as she wakes to the carnage I left her.
Her eyes are heavy and it takes her a moment to assess her surroundings. I inhale and hold my breath as I wait for her to notice the gift I have left for her.
Her eyes finally adjust, and once she realizes that I have killed and dismembered everyone and positioned their bodies all around her, she looks frantically for me. When her eyes lock on me, I see that she is utterly terrified of me. "What have you done to my babies?" She shrieks.
I dismiss her question, "At what point did you realize that I was immortal just like you?" She swallows hard, and behind my back, I pull out a staff. Her eyes widen wildly as she sees her staff in my hands. "The Staff of Ruji Jingu Bang," I say and terror continues to overcome her, "The immortal staff of the Monkey King. Tell me, when you took the staff in your possession, was he really a monkey?"
She takes out a small throwing star and throws it into my chest. The star pierces my chest and I feel the piercing pain for a moment. I look at her, and without taking my eyes off of her, I take the bloody star in my hands and remove it from my body. After another fleeting moment of discomfort, I drop the star on the ground. I expose my collarbone and the wound that heals before her very eyes.
She swallows hard and slumps back into a sitting position. "Where you have the Staff, I have the Dagger." I pull out the dagger, enchanted by its hypnotic hymn. "I noticed when your leg bruised at the simple touch of one of your 'babies'. In that moment, I understood your curse. The staff has given you eternal life, but it has given you a weak immortal vessel. Whereas my vessel is very much the opposite." I say menacingly. I point the dagger at her, "So, where you can die with a simple stroke of my blade, I cannot. You are capable of death. A very easy one at that." I say motioning to the bodies lain out before her. "I, however, thanks to the dagger am not so easy to kill." I say with a sly smile.
She lets out a rye chuckle. "You used the dagger to heal you?" She questions.
"What else would I use it for?" I ask her lowly.
"What it is intended for. Bending time." She says simply and press my brows together in confusion and she laughs when she sees this. "Oh, you silly little fool. You have no idea what that dagger does." She says with amusement in her tone. "The dagger does not heal wounds; it travels shortly through time." I swallow hard and she continues. "It cannot travel far, a few minutes only. But enough to make a difference in our decisions." She explains, "you using the dagger on your wounds did not heal you of your wounds, but turned the tables of time to before the wound was created." I stiffen and she continues, "That is why your body regenerates, because you misused the dagger." She says cynically smiling.
Before I can interject, she continues. "I saw the way you enjoyed yourself with my babies." She says recovering her wits. "He was especially your favorite last night." She says motioning to one of the bodies. "You also enjoyed her a bit too." I try to interject but she speaks over me. "Here is the difference between the two of us. You live in the shadows, you are driven mad by these devises, you must ask 'why' and 'how' rather than enjoying the pleasures of these gifts. Tell me, when was the last time you felt human? The last time you were pleased with something before you? That is where we differ. I live enjoying life and all her pleasures. You are dark and bitter and why? Because all your loved ones are dead? Find more. Because you are unable to part from this world? Why would you want to? This is it, this is all we are given." She lifts herself to her feet and approaches me. "When I was mortal, I loved my husband and my Yahweh. But he and his men cast me out and I was thrown from my window and fed to stray beasts in the streets. Those I loved betrayed me and there was no nothing in front of me in the hereafter. What was in front of me was a man, with a golden staff giving me a chance to live without restrictions." She stands before me now. "You have been given the gift of life; eternal and unending life, and look how you have used it." She motions to the pile of bodies before us.
"There is nothing I can find pleasure with in this world. I will end this miserable existence for myself, and everyone that has poisoned this Earth." I say angrily and she laughs.
"So you come here to take my staff and bring it to Eden?"
I widen my eyes, "You know?"
"Of course I know about Eden and her Pieces." She says in an annoyed tone. "Rather than ending it because you're so bitter, why don't you rid the world of your presence, and give the gift of the dagger to someone else."
"You know just as I that the dagger has robbed me of such release." I say bitterly.
"Then find the dagger's replica and do it that way." She says and I look at her with confusion. She begins to laugh again. "How do you not know of the replicas?" I ask her to explain herself and she simply shakes her head. "How many Pieces of Eden do you believe there are?"
"27 plus Eden." I say in a pressed tone.
She laughs again. "No. There are 54 plus Eden."
"What?" I say tensing.
"27 powerful creations created. So powerful though, their creators feared it's powers, so they created their replicas. All similar in size, shape, and power. But their existence was to level the powers of their pair. A fail safe created to ensure no one man could harness unlimited power. The replica created in the likeness of its original, as man to his maker."
"There are 54 Pieces." I say in bewilderment.
"Yes, and once you find your dagger's replica, you can use it to become mortal. From there you can either end your miserable life there, or let the tests of time slowly wither your body as everyone else does."
"If there are replicas, why has the Apple not shown me the location of the others? Why only show me the location of the 27?"
"Because the Apple only knows the 27 pieces in her family. The creators wanted to Pieces to be used, they wanted them to be harnessed. When the replicas were created, the original creators made it so that the replicas could not be found easily. If you have a strong connection with the original devices, then their replicas will not call to you." She looks me up and down. "The replicas will never call to you, because you have such a strong connection with the originals. You have used them to your gain too often."
"Then how do I find the dagger's replica?" I say in-between clenched teeth.
"Find someone who has a connection with the replicas." She says simply. "They are the same as the Pieces you know. Where the originals are gold, the replicas are silver."
I look down at her staff and it glistens gold. "Your staff is gold, meaning you do not have a connection with the replicas. So I have no further use for you."
I pull out my dagger and press it to her throat. "I may not have a connection with the replicas, but that doesn't mean I don't know someone who does." She says with a hastily tone.
I press the dagger to her throat, "You're lying."
"Please," She scoffs, "I have been alive far longer than you, and I have had my fair share of relationships. Most notably, a dashing blonde lad with a distinct silver dagger hanging on his waist." I press the dagger deeper to her throat and blood begins to trickle down. I forgot that she is more fragile than the average human. "Kill me and you will never find him." She threatens. I pull the knife away from her and she holds her throat.
"Tell me what you know."
Desmond Miles
I inhale heavily crunching into a sitting position feeling my heart beating wildly out of my chest. I place my hand on my chest, trying to keep my heart inside my body. I am sweating profusely, and my vision blurs in and out.
I look around the room when my eye catches Azalea, sitting cross-legged in the corner of the room. She has a glass of scotch in her hand as she looks out the window. She finally turns to me and her face is expressionless.
"It didn't heal you." I finally let out and she turns away from me, looking out the window. "The dagger doesn't heal. It reverses time." I say and she doesn't move. "You used it to reverse your wounds and that's why you can't age. Why you can't feel." I swallow hard saying that last part; as if the realization that she cannot feel justifies who she is and why she is this way.
"I didn't know." She says with a broken voice. "I thought it was healing me. When I realized it was more… it was too late." She takes a drink of the scotch, knowing that it will not affect her.
"Why did you tell me that it healed you of your scars?"
"I didn't." She says. "I told you that it reversed my wounds. Which it did. Back then, with Altair, I believed it to heal, not realizing the fallout of its abuse." I look down at my feet and she continues. "We are not built to live this long." She says. "Our inherit design is to survive. But there is a point in which we become numb to the drive for survival. Most don't experience that numbness until death is before them. Others much sooner. But for them, there is always that release."
I look over at her and she takes a heavy sigh. "I want to die, Desmond. I have come to terms that Jezebel is unaware of the silver dagger's location, so my next bet is Eden."
"What if I help you find the dagger?" I ask her and she looks away from me with a scoff. "I am sure we can find someone who has a tie to the silver pieces. You don't have to destroy everyone just so you can die."
"How about this," She says turning to me. "If you find the dagger before I find all the pieces, I will hold off on Eden."
"Deal."
"But if I find all the pieces, Eden will fall." She tells me with cold eyes.
I swallow hard, nodding once, hoping that I am not making a horrible decision.