The two of them made their way to Darko's lodgings, an inn on the other side of town.
"So how did you, Master Assassin Lydia Frye of the British Assassins, end up getting escorted off the Rodrigo Borja I in handcuffs, when you should be in London?"
"You don't know, do you?" Lydia said. "Your fellow Assassins should tell you in the coming days, but I'll tell you now."
"The Templars have discovered an amulet, a tool needed to unlock a Prophecy Disk, a First Civilisation artefact, in the Rif Republic, and are currently waiting for its arrival in Larache. Along with several other Assassins I departed from London. We separated in Seville when the frigate left before I, who was scouting the ship then, could get off it. Unluckily enough I was discovered while on board."
"So you need help returning to Seville?" Darko guessed.
To his surprise, Lydia shook her head. "Since I'm already here, I should finish what I started. Steal the amulet and destroy it. The Templars discovered that amulet at a digsite near Chefchaouen, a city within the Rif Republic, not very long ago. The amulet should be still in the city."
"Then we better make haste there," Darko said.
In less than a day both of them made it to Chefchaouen. Templar presence was felt within the city, though significantly lesser than in Larache. That likely meant that the amulet was still in the city or it had just left. Darko and Lydia split up to ask locals whether they knew anything of the recent events.
"Ah, yes," a local said. "As of late there's been a lot of digging in an area near here. But recently, just one or two days ago, the digging stopped. We don't know what those people were finding, but I think it's important."
Another local replied, "They seem to have their headquarters near the southern entrance. I wouldn't go there though, there're a lot of dangerous-looking men around the building."
Darko and Lydia made their way to the location. As told there were Templar goons around the area, guarding and patrolling the place.
"That must be their headquarters," Lydia said, pointing at the building with a Templar flag on it. "Let's pay them a visit."
Pulling out her revolver, Lydia shot the two Templar guards outside the building. Darko immediately raced for the building, dashing through the door.
Inside the building were three more Templar henchmen, who were momentarily confused by the sudden event. Taking advantage of the confusion, Darko attacked them.
Delivering an uppercut punch to the first henchman's jaw, Darko slammed his arm into his body, causing him to fall onto the floor. Swinging around, Darko engaged his Hidden Blade and slashed the second henchman across the chest. He stabbed the Hidden Blade into the third henchman, but he managed to deflect the attack.
"Not bad," Darko said, distracting the third henchman for a split second. Darko subsequently drew a pistol and shot him in the gut.
Attracted by the sound of gunfire, more henchmen rushed down the stairs. However, Darko and Lydia had been expecting them and had a trick prepared for them. Sticking out her leg, Lydia tripped the first henchman down the stairs. The second and third henchmen managed to stop in time, but the others could not, resulting in a domino effect when the henchmen at the back fell.
Darko and Lydia emerged from cover to finish off the henchmen, who were now disorientated. Once the job was done, the two Assassins headed up the stairs to the first floor.
Two more Templar goons were waiting for them in the first floor hallway. Fortunately or unfortunately, the goons were better equipped and seemed to be more experienced than the other henchmen they had encountered, which meant that the amulet, or something of equal value, was nearby.
"You take the first one, I'll take the second one," Darko said as he fired a Phantom Blade at the first elite henchman. The blade buried itself in his body, though he was not in pain at all.
Removing the Phantom Blade from his body, the goon hurled it back at Darko. Darko crouched to avoid being hit by his own weapon.
Lydia unsheathed her kukri and ran towards the second henchman, deciding to fight him in close quarters. The henchman responded by pulling out his sword and parrying the kukri, which resulted in a loud metallic clang.
Pulling the kukri away, Lydia went low and attempted to slash his legs. The henchman responded by kicking Lydia, sending her flying backwards. He closed in on Lydia, wanting to finish her off before she recovered. However, he was too slow and by that time Lydia had already recovered. She elegantly flipped up from the floor and slashed at the henchman, piercing through his hard leather body armour and nicking his solar plexus.
The second goon stumbled backwards, surprised that Lydia had managed to wound him. She executed a jump kick to the goon's solar plexus, causing him to topple. Lydia finished him off by crushing his windpipe with her foot.
Nearly at the same time, Darko finished off his opponent with a slash to his neck with a Hidden Blade. "Let's search the place, shall we?"
In the room with the amulet, a lone Templar guarded the artefact. He was dressed lightly and had an arsenal weapons on him, including a sword, a dagger and a pistol. When the two Assassins entered, the Templar drew his sword and dagger.
"Stand back," the Templar ordered, pointing his dagger at them.
Rolling her eyes, Lydia fired a Phantom Blade from her own Assassin gauntlet. To their surprise the Templar knocked it aside with his sword.
"Good try," the Templar said. "Now it's my turn."
Rushing at the two Assassins, the Templar anticipated their attacks well, raising his dagger to parry Lydia's kukri and his sword to deflect Darko's Hidden Blade. With mustered strength he kicked Darko in the crotch, who then stumbled backwards out of the room.
"Cheeky sod," Lydia said before slamming her body into the Templar, causing him to fall.
At that moment, Darko rushed back in, preparing to pounce on the fallen Templar. The Templar swiftly rolled to one side, moving away from Darko.
"Argh!" Darko let out as he landed on the hard floor.
The Templar tried to plunge his dagger into Darko, but Darko managed to disarm him and bury it in his thigh. Stripping the Templar of his weapons, Darko got up and carried him to the window with Lydia's aid.
"Put me down! What the hell are you doing?" the Templar struggled but in vain.
"You'll see," Lydia said before both of them threw the Templar out the window.
Looking down, Darko saw the Templar lying face down on the ground outside, a pool of blood forming around him. Turning back, he saw Lydia grabbing the amulet from the table.
"Do we destroy it now?" Darko asked.
Smiling at Darko, Lydia said, "God, no. Aside from acting like a Master Assassin, you need to think like one, Darko. Why destroy the amulet when we can use it to lessen the enemy numbers?"
"I am humbled, Miss Frye," Darko said with a mischievous smile. "What are you thinking?"
"As you probably know, the Templars, like us, are drawn to First Civilisation artefacts like bees are to honey. Sooner or later they'll suspect something when their amulet isn't in Larache and send forces to investigate. How about we launch an ambush and thin their numbers?"