Robert had returned to Paris, his eyes fully open, reminiscing of when he was just a mere child, his father's bloodied up body laying before him. He shook the memories out of his head. Praying that these "visions" or "ghosts of his past" would fade away like every other memory. Robert now had the burden of a murder on his mind, his knife slicing through the man's neck and at first he felt nothing. Robert arrived at the Parisian Assassin's building, disguised well, and looking like an average inn. He pushed open the door to Giacomo's office, the door swinging violently against the wall and back shut.
"I didn't expect to see you so soon, I would've thought you would investigate your target, no matter though, is the deed done?" The Mentor asked, smirking.
"Yes, I want to know why you would have me kill him, according to him, he was an innocent!" Robert exclaimed, leaning over and pounding his fist against the desk. The papers being blown to the ground on impact.
"I told you before, the piece of literature that could compromise the Brotherhood, a risk that is not worth taking!" Giacomo yelled, standing out of his chair.
"There has to be another answer then violence, you're holding out on me, I assumed so on the way there, and I knew so on the way back, now tell me," Robert responded, clenching his fists in case a battle were to ensue.
"Fine, there's no point in holding out the truth from you, before I continue, do you know the meaning of life?" Giacomo asked curiously, his eyes gleaming.
"No-" Robert said before Giacomo interrupted.
"You can, all we need to do, is find it," Giacomo responded.
"Find what?" Robert questioned, Giacomo sighed and shook his head.
"We don't know, but that's what I want you to find out, when you murdered Jacques, did he leave any evidence to anyone who may know?" He answered, sharpening his knife.
"Before I laid him to waste, he spoke to a man, goes by the name of Roland, any clues?" Continued Robert, thinking about possible connections.
"As a matter of fact, yes, Jacques was a close ally of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière, the governor of New France, I'll send my spies out to try and locate this man, but before you even attempt at assassinating this man, you need to be properly outfitted and trained. Talk to Charleston, he's usually around the docks near the River Seine," replied Giacomo.
Robert was given some garments by Giacomo, a large white coat with a hood at the very top of it. He tied up all the knots on the black shirt he had received. Placing the belt with a strange insignia around his waist. He placed everything he needed on such as; the spaulder, the vambrace and even the newly acquired "wrist-blade" he had seen from his first encounter with an Assassin. He flicked his wrist and watched as the blade launched at top speed. Soon, when all the gear was ready, he was called out into the night. Before leaving he latched his cape to the spaulder, a black cape with the inner layer being red. Following the other Assassins who charged down the street trying to lose Robert. Through one alleyway, then another and soon, they found themselves on the roof. Robert catching them one-by-one until the very last remained. He was sent on a challenge to find and catch every one of these Assassins. The last Assassin leaped down into the river Seine, Robert followed. Robert continued the chase; charging through civilians, leaping over placed down crates and jumping through stalls. Once the last man had been caught, Robert was sent back to the hideout where he noticed Giacomo planning.
"Greetings Robert, I take it you're exhausted?" Asked Giacomo, grinning heavily.
"I'm good to go again, but before I do, I want you to answer something for me," Robert told the Mentor.
"I always listen to problem, I don't see why you should be different," Giacomo responded kindly.
"Before I left to put Jacques to an end, you said that they killed my father, why did they?" Robert questioned, treading carefully.
"Isn't it obvious, he was an Assassin, was being the keyword, he left before he was killed," Giacomo answered sincerely.
"Why did he quit?" Robert continued.
"You, it was because of you that he quit, he aided us in many attempts afterward but he never returned to becoming directly involved, he only supplied us with Intel on our targets, a great man," Giacomo told Robert.
"Then how come he was killed? If he wasn't directly involved there's no reason why," Robert asked Giacomo.
"Exactly, we have a chance now, to strike back at Louis, the man who ordered your father's death, but Ronald stands in our way, that's why he must be stopped," Giacomo said. Robert nodded in agreement and the two began to plan. Robert began to train, his speed and agility being tested as many Assassins began to fire their arrows towards the Apprentice. The arrows came flying at Robert, he dodged many but one eventually hit, striking the arm. He didn't wait for it to recover, continuing his training, Robert began to learn proper ways of assassination; practicing on dummies. Robert leaped from one roof to another, laying his blade into one "dummy" and soon leaped down into a hay bale. He noticed another dummy next to it, he quickly slithered his arm out and placed it swiftly into the back of his "false foe." Robert continued his march, climbing up the building and laying his blade into the "stomach" of the dummy, throwing it from the home and watching as it collides with the ground.
Robert was prepared and ready to depart, Charleston explaining where he was to go, a small hut on the serene country-side. Robert talked with Charleston, learning his story and how he had gotten to the position he was in. Apparently, Charleston had encountered the Templars before Assassins, discovering the plan of Jacques in the first place, rushing to Giacomo; he was impressed by how the young man survived an oncoming trail of guards which had discovered him by the tip of his toes.
"So, do you have any more family, Robert?" He asked, smiling happily.
"Well, it's a long story," Robert began to trail on.
It was around my nineteenth birthday, I was just celebrating living long enough, not a bloody care in the world. Though what did I have to care about, I had friends, a shit-load of women and more than enough money for some ale. Around my second glass, I saw a beautiful woman across the bar, and I mean stunning. Her hair was as dark as the night itself and her dress, as bright as lights. I approached her, making sure to dispatch of her friends, sending them to mine. I pulled my charm for the night. I decision I don't regret making either. I took it to her place and did "the deed." Details which I, as a gentleman, cannot disclose to anybody.
I soon discovered her stomach getting larger; I wasn't concerned at first until the mood-swings began to kick in. She was pregnant, at first I wanted to run away, but I couldn't. That child needed a father. I lasted the months, and when the time came, I was right there by her side. She died that day. Once she was gone, I couldn't keep the child, it needed a mother and a father but clearly I was not meant to be either. So I gave it to a friend in Venice, Italy. I rushed as far away as I can and didn't look back. I was struck by grief so hard that it felt like a hammer pounding at my chest repeatedly.
Around 6 months later, I returned to France and discovered my mother had been brutally beaten by an unknown man, her body? Chucked in the River to rot with all the fucking plague infested rats. Just thinking about makes my skin crawl, makes me want to lay my fist into the face of whoever's responsible.
"I'm so sorry to hear about all that Robert, but you must understand, it's not your fault," Charleston responded, patting Robert's back hard.
"I never said it was, I hope that one day I'll be able to find who's responsible and make him pay," Robert said slowly, breathing heavily on every word.
"I'll tell Giacomo this, he may be able to hunt down the person responsible for your mother's murder," Charleston replied, his face struck with grim. Robert and Charleston left the area, preparing for their next tasks.
Robert mounted onto his horse; to his surprise Charleston was accompanying him on the assignment. The too did not gallop, they took their time, communicating along the ride. They settled into a small villa and left the next morning. Riding through the serine countryside of Italy, Robert glared at the blood stained knife. The diamonds beginning to change colour to blood red, not surprising since he had not washed it.
"It's never easy, Robert," Charleston said, "Taking the life of another is difficult, we expect it to be easy at first but then we see the flicker of terror in their eyes, a flicker of innocence and it makes us question why."
"This is different, I killed a thief so freely, it came to me naturally, like I was born to do this," Robert told Charleston, with a glimmer of fear portrayed on his face.
"I know my first kill wasn't easy, the poor sap didn't even see me coming," Charleston responded.
"Really? What happened?" Robert asked.
The night was grim; I was originally just an informant for the Assassins, didn't kill a soul and was happy. I opened the door; the lock had been ripped out of the door. I ran in as fast as I could, everything was spread on the floor; paper, books, pictures and even the shards of my grandmother's favourite vase. I looked for my beautiful wife, Bernadette, she was missing. I began to panic, I charged out the door, looking left and right repeatedly. He noticed a carriage in the distance, instinctively I charged after it. Leaping from building the building, I jumped down to the roof of the carriage; it began to sway, side to side. I felt the carriage about to tip; I place myself down to the ground. Gripping one edge of the carriage, I felt it go off two wheels, it thrusting up and down as it went over the rocks. I soon felt it become steady, my feet were gliding against the ground, my legs beginning to bleed, the sturdy ground tearing through my leggings. I manage to put myself back onto the roof of the carriage, I began to tear through the roof-entrance of the carriage, I soon felt it burst open, but it pushed me down to the ground. A large man made his way up to the top. He gives me a stern look; his face was solid as a rock.
I threw a punch, for someone of his size and stature he was swift. He gripped my fist and began to move his thumb around the knuckles, putting me down to my knees as he laid one more fist into my jaw. I quickly swept my feet, tripping him down to the ground. We fought on the ground, each inflicting some sort of pain to one another, then the carriage turned on a nearby cliff. We tumbled off, our backs striking the cliff face. I crawled to the man, detaching my blade from the bracer and held it to his neck.
"What do you want?" the man asked, grasping for any air.
"Where is she?!" I screamed, weeping.
"Gone," the man replied, grinning. Out of frustration and anger, I laid the detached blade into his chest. One stab. Two stab. Three. Four. Worst thing is, it was the best feeling I ever felt. It's been three years; I haven't found her to this day.
"You're not the only one who lost a loved one, you won't be the last either," Robert told Charleston.
"I'm sure, that's actually why I'm here, I was told she's somewhere in Rome," Charleston said.
The night was young, the Assassins horses trailed through the midst of the evening. The moon just shining over the monuments of Rome. Charleston and Robert settled in at a moderately small inn just on the countryside, surrounded by trees, seemingly making it invisibly to those who must not know of its whereabouts. A smash of glass on the floor was heard, Robert swiftly threw himself out of bed, he grabbed a nearby dagger sliding it gently into his pocket. He waited for the knob to begin rattling but it didn't. About to return to his slumber, a scream caught his attention.
"Charleston," he murmured to himself. He bursts through the door, charging through the corridor loudly. He crashed his elbow against the door, violently swinging it open. He saw a man, whose face was concealed by shadow. He leaped out the window, Robert followed him. The two engaged in a chase, charging through bushes and leaping over fences. The man reached back pulling out a Flintlock rifle; time for aiming was scarce so he fired. The bullet flew past Robert, the wind blowing on his ear. The man continued his sprint, eventually entering a small town. He took a step onto a small stall and leaped through a window. Robert followed, his feet gliding through the air and pounding against the wooden floors. The man, about to leap out from the window had poor timing. His knee striking the window and tripping him over the windowsill. Robert took no hesitation in leaping down from the rooftops and onto the "assassin." He held the blade firmly to the man's throat. Panting heavily.
"Please, don't kill me, I'll tell you anything!" Screamed the man, squirming.
"Who sent you?" Robert asked, trying to gain some air.
"Who do you think? He knows you come for him," the man responded.
"Where is he?" Robert continued to question, his grip on the man tightening.
"The Colosseum," the man replied, feeling the force of Robert's arm on his neck.
"Why?" Robert asked once more frustrated.
"I don't know, now please, let me go!" The man screeched.
"You ratted out the man who employed you, how would I know you're not going to do the same for me? Rest in peace," Robert said. The man screamed as Robert slid the blade across his throat. Robert quickly rushed to the Inn, his attention diverting to Charleston.
"You didn't need to kill him, by the time any word got to Ronald, he would have been dead," Charleston told Robert, breathing heavily.
"Ronald's a dead man but the least of my problems, and are you alright, did he hurt you?" Robert asked, watching as Charleston covered his arm.
"He got me, but it won't be too bad, what happened with that man?" He asked.
"The Colosseum, I don't know what he would be doing there though, it seems like the best place to set up a trap," Robert said, gazing out the window.
"So we'll be there tomorrow?" Charleston questioned, Robert just smirked.
"Yeah, we'll be there."
The sun was rising, Charleston and Robert had put on their garments and made sure they were ready. They galloped to the Colosseum, their horses charging at full pace. The sun shined over the Colosseum, the mossy pillars became more visible and the rusty gates began to glow. Robert and Charleston entered; sneaking around pillars, in the centre there was the man who they had been hunting. The governor. Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. He held a flintlock rifle firmly; his attention was focusing on the entrances. Robert leaned over; making sure his head was still in cover.
"Look at where he's looking, only focusing forward, if I could distract him, you could climb higher and assassinate him from there," Robert whispered to Charleston. He nodded calmly. Robert emerged from hiding while Charleston began to rush up the Colosseum.
"Well, well, look at what we have here," Ronald said, laughing. The gun pointing towards Robert's heart, a precise aim if Ronald were to shoot the gun.
"What are you planning Ronald?" Robert asked, leaning forward, his blade flickering light through the steel.
"Planning? Oh, the planning stages ended around 2 years ago, after we had taken some prisoners," Ron answered with a grin on his face.
"Would these prisoners happen to be women?!" Robert asked, hearing the sound of a loose rock crumble.
"And children, but what are you planning?" Ronald continued, his head turning around more often.
"I have nothing to plan, where are these prisoners Ronald?" Robert questioned.
"Underneath the Colosseum, it's a shame though, you'll never get to see them-" Ronald said but was interrupted as the snick of blade struck his chest. Charleston had struck. Blood on his hands, Charleston charged forward, in hopes of finding an entrance that would lead underground, the only possible place where he could hide them. His feet pressing against the ground, the sound of a gunshot was heard. Charleston stopped in his tracks and smoke was seen emerging from Ronald's rifle, a smirk shown on his face. Robert quickly reacted; he extended his hidden blade and flung his arms into Ronald's skull repeatedly. He quickly turned his attention towards Charleston. He knelt by his fallen friend's side.
"Rest in peace, I will find her, I promise," Robert told the corpse. He scanned around, eventually finding a small entrance which led to a cave of some sort. He discovered children in one chamber, unharmed. But as he entered the next chamber, he found one woman, sobbing as her hands were bound by chains as well as her legs. Robert approached her slowly.
"Are you Charleston's wife?" Robert asked softly. She didn't move, her soul was... broken.