Close to one in the morning, Vera awoke to find herself asleep on the couch with Remy's jacket over her. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness, then spotted Remy laying on the floor next to her. A sad expression played on her face when she realized that she had taken his bed…his only bed. She allowed herself to sit up, then wrapped the jacket tightly around her deciding what to do. She knew that she needed to get back to her hotel room, but she knew it would be rude to leave without telling Remy she was going. She sat there for almost an hour before coming to a decision. She grabbed a piece of paper and pen out of her purse, then wrote down the hotel address and her room number, along with a message of thanks. She left it on the table, then got to her feet. She placed the jacket over Remy, then leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before grabbing her purse and leaving.

Along the way, she slipped the bracer onto her arm, then pulled her sleeve down over it. She kept an eye out as she looked up and down the alleyways making sure that she wasn't being followed. Upon reaching the city limits, she paused when she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. With a quick snap of her wrist, a blade came out of her sleeve and was pointed at the person following her, who was a spitting image of Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings.

"Geez! Chill out, girl." He spoke in a light Finnish accent as he pushed the blade away.

"Eluveitie! Geez! You scared the crap outta me." Vera pulled her wrist away and flicked her wrist as the blade vanished, "And…nice outfit."

"Nice, right? Black version of the normal brotherhood outfit. Helps to blend into the darkness. We should get you one."

"Um…let me think about it, but I'll take you up on the offer, if you can get one for me. Anyways, I see you got my message. I wasn't expecting you to get out here so quickly."

Eluveitie shrugged a little, "I've been traveling around a bit. Joshua sent me out to try and locate something, but I'll put that 'on hold' for a bit. I already shot a message to my pal, Torstein, to see if him and his team could go locate it." He reached inside his vest and pulled out some papers, "Besides, I'm sure you could really use these."

Vera took the papers from him and had a look at them.

"They're sealed. Figured that would be a good way to give them to you, so you know I wasn't looking into your business."

"I'm heading back to my hotel. Care to join me?" Vera put the papers into her purse, then continued on her way.

"You asked for my help, so I'm here to give you my assistance." Eluveitie quickly followed after her.

"What I'm looking for, it might be the death of you…depending on how much it likes you."

"Is it cursed, or something?"

"My ancestors made the medallion, so it's safe to say that it could very well be."

"And…what was the purpose for them making it?"

"Let's just say religious reasons." Vera saw the river not too far away from them, then headed down to the path that ran along it.

"Well, if I can be of any help, I don't believe you're the only one who's looking for that thing."

Vera got onto the path and followed it towards the bridge in the distance, "I know that and I have known that. Any and all help I can get would be great. As soon as I get it, I'm heading back."

Eluveitie reached inside his vest and pulled out his phone, "I realize certain people with power have been trying to locate it, but I think there's someone else you should be worried about." He found a picture he was looking for, then handed it to her.

Vera took the phone and had a look. Her eyes widened as she quickly looked around to make sure they weren't being followed, "He's here?! Oh Goth! Why is he here?!"

"I thought I'd be the first to warn you." He took the phone back and placed it back into his vest, "He's after that medallion as well. Heaven knows what'll happen if he gets his hands on it before you."

"It'll kill him! It'll send him to bloody Hell! What the heck does he not get about that?!" Vera groaned angrily. Right now, she wished she had a hoodie on just so she could pull the hood right over her face.

"Doesn't it take…a year or so for that thing to kill anyone?"

Vera paused, then looked him right in the eyes, "That medallion has the power to offer immortality to those who it feels is deserving of it. If it feels you're not worthy, it'll screw with you for however long it pleases before it feels the need to take your life. But, it knows my bloodline well. The moment his hands touch that thing…he's gone. It's meant for my family and my family alone. No one else is allowed to touch that thing."

Eluveitie put his hands on her shoulders, "While I do enjoy the history lesson, I think you might want to lower your voice." He leaned down and whispered, "You never know who might be watching."

Vera took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "You're right." She backed away from him a little, "Let's keep moving." She continued on her way.

"I'll stick around for as long as you'd like me to."

"Mind if I ask you a question?"

"As long as you keep a low voice, then go for it."

"Where did you find these papers? And, why haven't I gotten them before hand?"

Eluveitie glanced around and saw the hotel across the way, "Is that were you're staying?"

"Yes."

"Wait till we get inside, then I'll explain." He followed Vera towards the bridge and onto a walking path that went underneath. He went with her into the hotel and to her room. As soon as Vera closed the door, he seated himself on the bed.

Vera walked over to the small desk that was in the room, then turned the chair around and sat down as she faced him, "Alright. Tell me what you know."

"I was in England a little while back. I was able to sneak into an underground tunnel that led to a hidden library our ancestors used. I found those in there while I was searching around. Not sure who had them last."

Vera pulled the papers out of her bag, then opened them up. One of them was a drawing of the medallion with its beautiful blood red gem surrounded by a regal rot iron design. Another was a picture of a mansion somewhere in New Orleans and the last had a drawing of a tunnel system under the city.

"How did this stuff end up in England?"

Eluveitie shrugged, "I'm not really sure myself. Didn't you have a session in the animus before you came?"

"Yes, I did…about a week ago. And, my ancestor was killed. I hate coming out of the animus in that state." Vera studied the papers, "Last I can remember, my ancestor was in Ireland." She looked at seal, "She was carrying these papers and had buried them in a box next to a castle that's suppose to be haunted. I'd like to know how they got into England. And, I can tell that they've been tampered with because this isn't the seal that was on them when she buried them. This is a different seal."

Eluveitie took the page from her, then had a look for himself, "Looks like the Brits got a hold of them. That's the royal seal, no doubt. But, it appears to be…perhaps eighty years old. The new seal has some slight changes to it."

"So, does that mean that I'm not suppose to be here? That I'm suppose to be in England right now?"

"No. These are for here." Eluveitie pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and handed it to her, "This was on top of it. I kept it hidden in case someone decided to steal those from me."

Vera took the paper and had a look. She looked at the map of the tunnel, "It looks like the tunnel starts somewhere in the heart of the city and runs to this mansion. But, it appears there's several exits along the way."

Eluveitie stood up and went over to her. He opened up the map of New Orleans, which was laying on the desk, and had a look He was able to line the tunnel up with the map, "Looks like the entrance is here, at this theatre. There must be a secret passage somewhere inside."

"I'm going to need a map of the theatre. I wouldn't be surprised if it's somewhere under the stage, or if there's a basement that goes under the whole theatre. But, would it be safe to enter there?"

"I would assume yes. Judging by the rest of the map, you'll be coming out of secret man holes along the city. It would be wise to go through the theatre."

"I'm more worried about when I come out into this mansion. I don't know if it's abandon or not."

"I can look into that, if you'd like. I am at your service."

"Aren't you always?" Vera moved the paper to see the route on the map and noticed another piece of paper underneath that, "What's this…?" She picked up the top paper and saw another map, "Oh boy."

Eluveitie picked up the map, then walked over to the lamp and had a look, "This is strange. This looks like it's transparent."

"What?" Vera quickly rose to her feet and dashed over to him. She looked at the map, "It looks like there's a pencil sketch underneath the ink. But, the tunnels look different."

"There's markings on the bottom one. They look like some kind of ruins. Perhaps some kind of symbols."

Vera moved the paper further under the lamp to have a closer look, "It's a mix of symbols. I see Celtic and Nordic. Some of them even look like a mix of the two. I think I've seen my ancestor draw one of those when I was in the animus."

"Perhaps this is the tunnel that will lead you to the mansion."

"How can I be sure?"

"It is possible that the ink tunnel was a way to hide the pencil tunnel, so your rivals would end up getting lost in a different tunnel system."

"I almost feel like I shouldn't be here right now. I feel like I need to be in England."

"But, didn't your ancestors arrive here in New Orleans when the city was just being built?" Eluveitie asked her as he handed the paper back to her.

"Yes. They came from Europe. But, after a few years, some of them went back to the Northern Isles while others moved up north to New York." Vera walked back over to the desk and had a seat. She looked at the map of the city.

"Then there's your answer. Perhaps one of them found the tunnel and made the map, then had it sent back with those who decided to return to Europe. There's millions of tunnels all over Europe. These maps could have been decoys to trick those who were in search of the medallion."

"I can see how that would be a possibility. But…where do I start? I don't even know where this new one would begin."

"I suggest starting with the top map and see where that leads you. Who knows, you might be lucky and find the main tunnel. The two of them could connect."

"What do you think about the ink one?"

"Either it's real, or it's just a decoy. It's up to you to find out."

Vera nodded a little and turned in her seat to face him, "I know I'm suppose to do this alone, but I might need some help. Eluveitie, I'm sending you out in search of this tunnel and the mansion. Give me any and all information you've got, but the medallion will be retrieved by me and me alone."

"It would be my honor." Eluveitie bowed to her slightly.

"And, be on the look out for you-know-who. I'd like information on him as well."

"Of course." He glanced over at the alarm clock on the nightstand, "I believe it's time for me to take my leave. I'm sure you'd like some sleep."

"One of these days, I'm going to sleep for twenty-four hours straight. I'm going to need it after this."

"And, what if the Brotherhood needs you?"

"Tell them to wake me up the next day…when I'm dead."

Eluveitie laughed slightly, "Yes, I can see you pulling something like that." He walked over to the sliding glass door and opened it up, "Until we meet again. Have a nice evening."

"Um…what are you doing?" Vera stood up.

"I think it would be better if I left this way than through the hotel lobby. After all, you never know who might be watching." He stepped out onto the small patio and jumped over the railing, "Plus, a true assassin always escapes through the window."

Vera stepped out onto the patio and leaned on the railing, "I know that. But, it is nice to use a door from time to time."

"That depends on the situation and who's chasing you." Eluveitie leaned on the railing, "Remember, a window is always you're best friend."

"True, but glass isn't."

"You're a smart one. I'll give you credit for that." Eluveitie removed his hood and cape and wrapped it around her shoulders, "I think you could make good use of this."

"But, won't you need it?"

"I have an extra one with me. Thank brother Ezio for the design idea. The first of our brotherhood. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't." Vera jumped up and sat on the railing, "Thank you for the help, and the help you will be providing me."

"Not a problem. Always glad to help you out. Let me know if you need any help getting back to New York as well."

"I will." Vera replied, then looked at him, "Can I help you?"

"Don't I get a reward for being helpful?" Eluveitie leaned on the railing as he stared up at her.

Vera grinned slightly, "How old are you again?"

He shrugged a little, "Depends. How old are you?"

"You should never question a woman's age."

"Very true, but are you really the age it says on your driver's license?"

Vera leaned down and glared into his eyes slightly, "You keep that between us, you got that?"

Eluveitie grinned slightly as he leaned a little closer to her, "Of course, Arwen."

"I swear to Goth I'm never going to get over the fact that you look like Aragorn."

"I think you mean Strider."

"When all this is said and done, we are marathoning The Lord of the Rings."

"Don't forget The Hobbit."

"Yeah, that's true. We'll start from the very beginning then."

"Works for me. Now, about my reward?"

"You get enough of them as is, but you know I love you." Vera leaned closer to him and kissed him. After a moment, she pulled away, "Now, off with you. I'd like to get some sleep."

"Thought you were a night person?"

"If I'm going to get into that theatre, I'm going to need to get myself some tickets, aren't I?"

"Would be an easy way in. Have a good night, Arwen." Eluveitie took her hand and kissed it, "Until we meet again."

"Good night, Strider." Vera watched as he released her hand and vanished into the darkness. She waited until he was completely out of sight before looking up at the night sky, "You know, it would be nice to have some more girls in the Brotherhood, even though I love him."

That evening, Vera was standing outside of the theatre wearing a black dress that went to her knees in the front and fell to her ankles in the back. The collar of the dress went half way up to her neck. There was an open part just above her chest that showed off her tattoo. The sleeves were tight on her arms. She wore black leggings and a pair of black wedged sandals. At her side was her purse and everything she needed was hidden well within. She was quickly within the theatre and headed to the second level where her seat was. She was happy to see that her seat was on the isle, which would make it easy for her to slip out.

The show moved along and half way through the first act, she quietly exited her seat and made her way towards the bathroom. Once inside, she locked herself into one of the stalls and pulled out a map of the theatre that she had gotten at the front door. She studied it and noticed that there was a secret door near the main exit on the first floor. She placed the map back into her purse and headed out. Making sure there were no ushers watching, she ran her hand along the wall until she felt something move slightly. She leaned closely and heard a sound.

"Who dares to enter?" It hissed in a low Celtic voice.

"Vera of the Order of Assassins." She whispered back in Celtic, "Heir to the Dubhthach line."

"Enter, Ms. Dubhthach." The wall moved slightly and allowed her to pass before closing tightly behind her.

Vera saw torches lighting the way down a concrete staircase. She placed her bracer on her arm, then followed the stairs down to the tunnel. As she walked, torches lit up the tunnel every few feet. She noticed a few Celtic ruins carved into the concrete walls, but they were nothing like the ones she saw on the map. These were different. She closed her eyes as she listened to mysterious voices speaking around her. She knew she was alone and assumed these were voices of her ancestors who had traveled this tunnel before her.

"Where does this tunnel lead?" She said in Celtic to the voices around her.

"It is not known." One whispered.

"Only you can find out." Another whispered.

"Don't turn back." One whispered.

"Am I in the main tunnel?" She questioned.

"There are lots of tunnels." Another whispered.

"Many tunnels." One whispered.

"Keep looking. You'll find it." Another whispered.

"Which leads to the mansion where the medallion's at?" She asked.

"You must find your way. It is in your blood. You will find it. Hurry along now." One whispered.

Vera opened up her eyes when she thought she heard the sound of footsteps from behind her. She paused for a moment and listened. The sound stopped. She waited a moment before continuing on her way. Once she heard the sound again, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder to see a shadowy figure in the distance. She moved her arm up to her chest and flicked her wrist a little as the blade came out. She kept moving to see what would happen. As the footsteps got closer and closer, she quickly spun around and found her blade smack another.

"Nice little trick you pulled there, Vera."

"Daniel."

The young man kept his arm up and his blade locked to hers. He was about the same height as Remy and had short blond hair. He was dressed in a nice suit and had his nose, eyebrow and both ears pierced. Unlike her, his bracer was hidden within the sleeve of his suit.

"Do you think it's really wise to wear that out in open?" He asked her as he lowered his blade.

"I just put it on when I got down here." Vera replied to him before backing off, allowing her blade to vanish within the bracer, "What are you doing down here?"

"Got a little bored of seeing the show, so I thought I'd take a little stroll." Daniel allowed his blade to reside into the bracer before moving past her and on down the tunnel, "It's really calming down here, you know. No one to bother you. Plus, it gets you to places faster. Don't need to worry about the people up above."

"How did you get in here?" Vera followed after him.

"The same way you did, I'm guessing. Through that secret door in the theatre."

"How did you know about that?"

Daniel paused, then turned and faced her, "All of our kind knows about these tunnels, including our fellow brothers. I take it you're just learning about this now."

"Sure, why not."

"I'll take that as a yes." Daniel turned and continued on his way, "But, we are the only ones who can hear the voices."

"And, why's that?"

Daniel pointed at one of the marks on the walls, "Connections to Ireland and Scotland. The places where they were buried. Each of these marks is engraved on their headstones back in the isles. Through that, they're able to communicate with us from a long distance. Think of it as a cell phone, if you will."

Vera walked up to one of the ruins and placed a hand on it gently. She felt something touch her wrist. She saw the hand of an elderly woman holding onto it. Within moments, the hand vanished and she stepped away from the wall.

"I don't know if this is cool…or all sorts of freaky."

"They are our ancestors. I would be careful with how you speak around them."

"My apologies." She replied in Celtic before following after Daniel again, "Where does this tunnel go?"

"Do you really want to walk the whole way? It'll take at least two hours. Can your feet handle that?"

Vera glared at him, "I could kick your ass in these if I wanted to."

Daniel turned, "Is that a challenge?"

"Would you like it to be?" Vera was about to remove her purse when she noticed him grabbing her wrist to stop her. She looked up at him, "What? Are you scared to get your ass kicked by a girl in wedges?"

Daniel leaned close to her and looked into her eyes, "I see hunger within you. Your eyes are a deep red. Are you ignoring your other side?"

"I'm fine." Vera pulled away from him, then turned her back as she reached into her purse, "Just a little something and I'll be good."

Daniel quickly moved her hand away, "You can't live on that stuff forever, you know."

"Look. The only people I kill are the people who are enemies to us, the Templars. And, their servants who know too much."

"If you would learn to control yourself, then you won't kill anyone." Daniel turned her around to face him, "You can feed without killing someone, you know."

"I realize that, but not everyone knows of my true side, and for a good reason. A few of those in the Brotherhood don't trust our kind anymore."

"Then keep your secret and go to town and take care of your hunger. No one will know it was you."

"Do you realize how many people know that I stay out late? It would be obvious."

"Then do yourself a favor and move around. You can't stay at that place forever. What would happen if the Templars caught up to you all? You're going to have to move. By moving, you're staying one step ahead of them. We need to be one step ahead."

"They are the least of my worries right now. I've got other stuff to worry about. If you don't leave me alone, then I'll be sure to knock you down on your ass!" Vera hissed angrily as the red in her eyes deepened with the anger rushing through her body.

Daniel grinned slightly as he reached up for his earring, "I'm sure you would." Upon removing it, he transformed into his other side, his vampire side. His eyes glowed red as fangs grew out of his mouth. His hair turned a deep blond and went down to his shoulders. His ears pointed back as his skin went pale. He poked his tongue on his fang, "I'm sure you would indeed."

Vera could smell the blood, but quickly walked past him, "I don't have time for you right now."

"So, what are you going to do? Drink up those vials and hope that they'll last you till this is over?"

"If it gets me away from you, then yes."

Daniel rolled his sleeve up and bit his wrist slightly, "What are you so afraid of?"

"Nothing! I'm only doing this for the sake of the Brotherhood. I have their trust and I want to keep it."

"Well, if it helps," Daniel turned towards her and held out his wrist as the blood slowly dripped to the floor below, "I'll keep my mouth shut."

Vera turned her head slightly when she could smell his blood. She bit her tongue a little, then reached up and removed the white gold earring. Within moments she had changed into her true side, her vampire side. Her eyes beat a fiery red while her fangs grew out and her ears pointed back. Her skin paled and her hair grew half way down her back. She looked like a true vampire princess. She stared at him for a moment, then walked towards him.

Daniel waited till she was close enough before picking her up and seating himself against the wall. He held up his wrist to her.

Before Vera could bite down on it, she heard him speak.

"Don't I get some of your blood in turn?" He questioned her.

"Do you want to drink ink?"

"I highly doubt the ink is still in your system."

Vera rolled up her sleeve and bit her wrist gently, "If you ruin my ink, I'll ruin your face."

"Like I've ever ruined your ink before." Daniel took her wrist in his hand, then bit down.

Vera leaned back on him as she took his wrist and began to drink his blood.

At least ten minutes passed by and Vera began to feel a bit lightheaded. While her hunger had been satisfied, losing some blood wasn't helping her system. Once Daniel released her wrist, she held it close to her chest before passing out on him.

Daniel held onto her, so she wouldn't slid down onto the cold concrete floor. He looked down at her for a moment before leaning back and staring at the ceiling while listening to the voices around them.

"You know, this wouldn't happen if you'd just listen to your true side." He whispered, "And, tell me, when will you allow me to drink from your neck?"