Chapter 2:
In the aftermath of the bloody assault, several hired soldiers arrived at the mansion and conducted a full sweep. They wrapped up every one of the dead bodies they found in cloth and dragged them out the front door. Christine and Thomas stood anxiously in the foyer, awaiting further information.
"How is your uncle doing?" asked Thomas.
"Shaken," replied Christine, "But fine. He and his wife are on the way back home as we speak."
"Good," said Thomas, "What about you?"
"I've been through worse," Christine chuckled, "No need to worry about me."
Just then, one of the mercenaries entered the room and approached the couple.
"Madame Lemieux," he said, "We have found no sign of any other intruders; only the four you encountered. It appears they entered the house from two different entry points on the second floor using grappling hooks."
"Anything of interest on them?" asked Thomas.
"Nothing that would help us identify the men or their motives."
"Alright," replied Christine, "Conduct another sweep of the house, just to be safe. Afterwards, station your men around the perimetre."
"Oui, Madame," said the soldier, before running off.
"What on Earth did those men want?" asked Thomas, "Whoever they were, they were more than robbers; they were professionals. An assassination attempt, perhaps?"
"Or perhaps," added Christine, "They were sent to retrieve something…"
"What do you…"
"Viens," Christine beckoned, "I have something to show you…"
Christine led Thomas to the attic, accessible via a secret entrance. Once she and Thomas reached upstairs, she approached an old wardrobe and slowly opened it.
"If this is what they were searching for," began Christine, "Then it is a good thing we kept it in the attic, which is well-hidden."
"What?" asked Thomas, "What is it they were looking for?"
Christine removed the necklace she had found in Sorrento years earlier and handed it to Thomas.
"This little trinket?" asked Thomas, "Yes, I remember it now…Right before we left that beach, you started searching through the pirates' corpses. You told me they had stolen something of value from you."
"They did," explained Christine, "The pirates had it confiscated from me when Vercci's men handed me over to them. I originally found it during my time in Sorrento with Edge Master."
"What?"
"In Sorrento, there was a child – No more than six or seven – Whom I tried to save while the city was being ransacked by the Ottomans, though she ended up saving me instead. During the siege, she led me to the basement of her house and showed me the necklace. She seemed convinced that the Ottoman soldiers were searching for it."
"A child, you say? What could she possibly have known?"
"I don't know, Thomas. But after tonight, I just knew the invasion could not have been a coincidence."
"Alright," Thomas began to pace around the attic, "Let's suppose the girl was right and the Ottomans secretly were after that necklace…What makes this one particular treasure so important? And why go to the extreme of launching a full-scale assault on a major city? Why not just send spies to retrieve it?"
"Because," said Christine, taking a seat on a nearby chair, "The Ottomans were already en route to invade the Spanish Islands. The same party responsible for tonight's break-in likely paid, or persuaded, the fleet to detach several ships at Sorrento, providing the perfect cover to scour the city. It's just a theory of mine, but..."
"It's a very sound theory - Except, it suggests that there is someone out there with enough power to sway a navy. A rather disturbing thought."
Thomas began making his way towards the exit.
"Where are you going?" asked Christine.
"I need to get to the library before closing time," replied Thomas, "I need to learn all I can about this blasted necklace, so that we don't wind up dead…Or worse."
Christine stood up from her chair and followed Thomas, but he stopped her.
"Don't even think about coming," he said, "I need you to stay here under guard. You'll be safe."
"But Thomas…"
"I'll be right back. I promise."
As Thomas bolted from the attic, Christine sighed and sat back down in the chair, examining the necklace carefully while tossing it about in her right hand. As Christine brought the necklace to her face for a closer look, she took a moment to observe its beauty; it was truly a work of art, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to put it on for the first time.
"Hmmm," she said, as she placed it around her neck.
Once the necklace was fastened on, Christine stood up and made her way to a nearby mirror, where she admired her reflection and smiled. Just then, a sharp pain shot through her head, like a blow from a club. Christine placed her hand on her forehead and groaned in agony.
Meanwhile:
Even for a library, the silence was eerie. Apart from the librarian, Thomas was the only living soul in the building. The massive bookshelves surrounding the table Thomas occupied felt like giant walls closing in on him. The candle that rested near him was his sole source of light. Bags formed under Thomas' eyes as he grew increasingly weary from studying.
"Nothing of interest in here," thought Thomas, slamming shut a textbook on Ottoman history, "There must be some sort of connection to all of this; the Ottomans, the attackers, that damned necklace…"
Thomas, surrounded by books ranging in subject from Ancient Rome to Ottoman politics, rubbed his eyes in frustration. In addition to the difficulty he was having figuring out the origin of the necklace, Thomas' French was not entirely perfect, making it difficult to understand the contents of most of the library's books.
"I should have brought a translator," lamented Thomas, "I thought by now I'd have a decent grasp of the language, but…"
"Monsieur," said the librarian, as she quietly approached him, "We are closing shortly."
Thomas jumped a little, as the librarian's voice was the first he had heard in over an hour.
"Oh," he said, "Sorry. I made a bit of a mess, didn't I? Please, allow me to clean it up."
The librarian nodded and walked away. Thomas sighed and shook his head.
Thomas left the library in a hurry, wanting to get home as quickly as he possibly could. He was not afraid for Christine – The mansion was well-protected by armed guards – He was afraid for his own life. The streets of Boulogne were abandoned at this hour of the night, and yet Thomas sensed he was being followed.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
As he glanced over to his right, Thomas could make out a dark figure standing in a nearby alleyway. Upon doing a double-take, Thomas saw that the figure had disappeared. Not wanting to take any chances, Thomas decided to confront whoever was following him. Taking a deep breath, Thomas placed his hand on his scabbard and slowly made his way towards the alley.
"What do you want from me?" asked Thomas, "Huh? Show yourself!"
Thomas heard a noise coming from behind and immediately drew his rapier. He swung it behind him, only to have it collide with an iron shield. Thomas turned around and saw a woman sporting an armoured chiton with matching gauntlets and sandals. She stood taller than most men, with an athletic build. She possessed long, reddish-brown hair tied in a braid and dark green eyes. Her left hand held up the shield that blocked Thomas' attack, while her right hand held up a Xiphos.
"Thomas Hunter," she spoke in a thick Greek accent, "I need to speak with you!"
"Speak with me?" demanded Thomas, "You're trying to kill me!"
Thomas thrust his rapier at the woman, forcing her to sidestep. She then used her sword to deflect the next few of Thomas' attacks.
"I don't want to kill you," she insisted, "I'm on your side!"
"Like hell you are!" spat Thomas.
The woman performed a backwards somersault to evade Thomas. While on one knee, the woman used both her sword and shield to block Thomas' incoming vertical slash. Thomas pressed down on her as hard as he could, but she pushed back, causing Thomas to stagger backwards into the wall of the building. With Thomas exposed, she brought her sword to his throat. Thomas had been beaten; any sudden move at this point would result in a fatal cut.
"Now," she said, "Can you drop your weapon so that we may have a civil discussion?"
Thomas swallowed hard and threw his rapier a considerable distance away. True to her word, the woman sheathed the sword and shield on her back.
"What is it you want, woman?" asked Thomas, "You better have a damn good reason for breaking into my…"
"My name is Kyria," she said, "And I had nothing to do with those men that broke into your home. What I do have, however, are answers."
"Then let me hear them."
"How familiar are you with Greek mythology?"
"I've worked a number of years in an antiques shop and have seen an astonishing number of artefacts come my way, but I don't presume to know everything. What does this have to do with…"
"Hephaestus, son of Zeus, and the Greek god of fire and forge, took Aphrodite as his bride. The union did not last, however, as Aphrodite began an affair with Ares, god of war, with whom she bore a child, Harmonia. Upon discovering the truth, Hephaestus sought to punish Aphrodite through her daughter. To that end, he forged her a necklace, then presented it to her as a gift on the day of her wedding. Little did she realize that the necklace was cursed; though the wearer is granted eternal life and beauty, it is at a terrible cost. That necklace has exchanged hands over the centuries, and now, it is in your wife's possession."
Thomas shook his head in disbelief.
"You mean to tell me that a cursed necklace belonging to a Greek god is sitting in my house, right now, as we speak?" he asked, "Given all I've been through in the past, nothing should surprise me anymore, but…Really?"
"Yes, really," replied Kyria, straight-faced, "And what's more is that the longer you hold it, the greater the misfortune you bring upon yourselves. I pray to the gods you nor you wife have ever put it on."
"No," assured Thomas, "Not once have I ever seen her wear it."
"Good," said Kyria, "There are men willing to kill for that necklace, you know. Powerful, ruthless men. In the wrong hands, it can be a dangerous weapon. You and your wife are no longer safe."
"About that; what do you know about the assailants that invaded our home?"
Kyria folded her arms.
"The men that attacked you were assassins sent by the Heretical Order of the Fygul Cestemus," she replied, "My companions and I have been tracking them for years."
"Who?" asked Thomas.
"They are a dangerous cult who serve the will of Ares, or 'Palgaea' as they call him. For centuries, Ares sought to depose his father, Zeus, as king of Olympus and plunge the world into anarchy and chaos. For his actions, he was exiled from Olympus. In order to exact his revenge, he seeks a weapon of great power. One that exists, not in the heavens, but right here on Earth."
Thomas' eyes widened.
"Soul Edge?" he said, "But I destroyed it! I ripped that bloody sword in half myself and then disposed of its remains in the Tyrrehnian Sea! Unless…You don't suppose there is a way to revive it, do you?"
"That is exactly what the Fygul Cestemus seek," explained Kyria, "The necklace is the key..."
"How exactly?"
"I will explain later," Kyria began to back away from Thomas, "We've wasted enough time already. Go home to your wife, Thomas. I will gather my companions, then we will visit you shortly to collect the necklace. It must be destroyed!"
"Wait a minute," began Thomas, "I…"
As Kyria ran off, Thomas stared, dumbfounded, into the distance. That was a substantial amount of information for one man to take in in a single night, and he knew that this was just the tip of the iceberg…