p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"Connor looked very carefully at the Piece of Eden that he had gone through a very complicated series of traps and tightly timed trials to get to. The last time he had encountered an Artifact, it had sent him to a different world. Connor had dropped it into the bottom of the sea once he had come back to himself, to ensure that its' terrible power could not tempt anyone./p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"This golden object almost seemed to glow on its' own. There was a very little known about this Artifact, apart from its' existence. No one who had gone after this Piece of Eden came back. He had found bones of several Assassins- the tattered remains of their clothes and hidden blades the only indications of who they once were. As he had carefully made his way to the chamber, Connor had found the remains of about the same number of Templars as well. They had fallen either to the traps, or had fallen to the Assassins' blades – quite possibly as the Assassin or Assassins fell to the wound inflicted by the Templars. At least, from what Connor could tell, that was what had happened./p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"Connor readjusted his leather gloves and was glad to note that the largest empty pouch would be able to contain the Piece of Eden discretely. He searched the room thoroughly for any traps, glad that he had Kidd's ring, as the trap he did find and carefully disable hot four inch long, jagged spikes made of metal. Connor checked the room one last time for traps with his second sight. Satisfied that it was safe enough to approach, he stepped up to the pedestal that held the Artifact. Connor gingerly grabbed the Piece of Eden, lifting it and carefully placing it in an empty pouch./p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"Connor stepped off of the pedestal, internally wondering how the Parisian Brotherhood was going to take his success, where so many others had failed, when everything turned a blinding gold. The walls flashed different, strange symbols and a complex series of patterns of lines and circles lit up on both the floor and ceiling. Lit up on both the floor and ceiling, disorienting Connor and causing him to hiss and stagger. He covered his face with his hands, eyes shut tightly as he waited for the light to fade./p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"A feminine voice spoke to him. Directly into his mind, it felt like to Connor. His eyes opened in shock. "You have suffered much, in Juno's hands. I hope that this gift will allow you to find a bit of peace. You will be able to go home when you understand."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"He thought he saw the image of a tall woman staring at him, her lips not moving, but Connor was certain that it was she who spoke to him. Hundreds of questions vied for his attention to ask this strange being, but before he could begin, her image reached towards him, brushing ghostly fingers across his forehead. "Be well, Ratonhnhake:ton. Rest and when you wake, you will find yourself in a place you will recognize, but will be changed."/p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"A wave of exhausting hit Connor at that, and he struggled against it, determined to ask – even as darkness ate at the corners of his vision. He managed out "Who are you?"/p
p style="background-color: transparent; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: lucida grandelucida sans unicodegnu unifont font-size: 15.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.59px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 19.28px 0px 19.28px 0px; border: 0px none #2a2a2a;"A quiet chuckle was his only response as the darkness claimed him./p