Ares and Bryn race through the empty castle halls, no guards to impede them on their way through the castle. They make twists and turns, passing through empty rooms, still bickering like they had been moments before the attack. "Wish you wore your armor now, huh Ares?"
"Shut up Bryn, this is all your fault!"
"How's this my fault? You're the one that wanted to retire!"
"No you idiot! If it wasn't for you, we would be with the girls right now, ready to defend them!"
"You wouldn't be able to do much of anything, seeing as the only thing standing between these templars and the girls would be your silk," Bryn replies, a cheeky grin on his face.
Infuriated, Ares continues on, not willing to put up with his brother, only running alongside him now due to a mutual destination. They soon come to the door that leads into the garden, but Bryn races past it.
"Garden! Take a left!" Ares yells out.
Bryn stops to face him, "But I was gonna go arou-"
"No, we face them together, take them by surprise." And it's the only chance I've got…
Bryn hesitates, but reluctantly shifts his feet, and moves back towards his brother. "Fine, but you can't just go in there there unarmed." He reaches for his right wrist, cursing when he realizes he still doesn't have his old hidden blade, even after three months. He drops his hands and looks up at Ares, not knowing what else to do.
Ares, seeing that his brother still cares for his safety, "I'll find something, don't worry."
The two brothers burst through the doors, and look to see Elsa and Anna in the corner of the garden, backed up against the wall. All of the guards lie dead on the floor as the Templars close in on them. Elsa stands in front of her sister, "Get behind me Anna!"
Ares and Bryn maneuver through the bushes, holding on to the element of surprise for as long as they can. Ares positions himself to the right of the group, ready to disarm any who come within reach.
Bryn moves silently through the shrubbery, careful in calculating each of his foot steps, inching his way closer to the Templars, who are quickly closing in on the royal pair. The girls continue to move backward, three templars surrounding them while three more guard the perimeter.
Bryn is the first to strike, ramming his hidden blade through the back of a Templar. The sight of the hooded figure rising out of the bushes causes Anna's eyes to go wide. He looks her in the eyes, and she soon realizes who it is, failing to hide a mixed look of anxiety and relief.
Ares sprints towards the nearest templar, using a rock, he leaps up into the air and connects his right fist to the Templar's head. The blow knocks the man unconscious, his helmet sent flying while the sound of his armor crashing to the floor alerts his companions.
Ares shakes his right hand in the air, biting his bottom lip, "fuck that hurt." He then grabs the man's sword off the ground, and quickly turns to his brother, "Bryn, get Elsa and Anna out of here!"
"Fuck that! You don't even have gear! I'll fight, you get them to safety!"
"No! Bryn, do as I say! Their lives are more important than mine!" Ares turns towards the Templars, giving Bryn his back, he whispers to himself,"and so is yours."
Bryn sheaths his blades, and lets out a barely audible "shit!" while he grabs Elsa and Anna by the hands, "C'mon let's go!"
Elsa, trying to escape Bryn's grip, "No Ares! I can help!"
Anna cuts her sister off, catching her by the wrist, "Elsa! We have to go!"
The Templars begin to circle Ares. One lifting his sword over his head, brings it down and swings at Ares, their blades colliding as Ares turns to his brother one last time, "Bryn go!
The three flee the scene, leaving Ares alone, the slam of the door echoing throughout the garden.
The four Templars surround him, Ares stands in the center, taking up a defensive position as he watches their feet, the shadows dancing around him. They begin to swing their blades, taking shots at the young assassin, he narrowly dodges each blow. Ares being outnumbered 4 to 1, begins to lose ground.
One of the Templars turns to a man next to him, pointing his sword in the direction of Bryn and the sisters, "Christian, go after them."
The man named Christian turns to go, but instead looks up to see a hooded figure falling towards him. "Brotherhood!" is the only thing to escape his mouth before a sharp pain runs through his right leg.
He screams as an arrow is seen sticking out of his kneecap, the steel digging through the man's leg. All heads turn to Christian as the hooded figure plunges a sword through his chest. Two more men drop from the rooftops, Ares just as confused as the Templars. Brotherhood?
Ares takes his chance, grabbing the arm of the nearest man, flipping over his body and slicing clean through his neck. The sound of metal hitting stone jolts the remaining Templars back into the fight.
Ares turns to see a Templar rushing him with his blade above his head. Ares side steps and delivers a kick to the man's knee, causing it to bend backwards. Ares slips off the man's helmet, and looks him in the eyes before cutting his head off. It rolls into the bushes as another body drops to the floor, the stone soaked with blood as the smell of death flows through the mid-October air.
Ares looks up to see the three assassins surrounding the final Templar. The man drops his sword to the ground, bending his knees and sticking his neck out. "Do it quickly."
The three look towards each other, not accustomed to traditional executions. Ares watches as one finally pulls out his sword, already stained with the blood of another templar. The other two grab the man by the arms, pulling him up, sitting him on his knees.
Ares turns away as the sword is quickly driven in through the top of his neck, down through his torso, and just as quickly pulled out again.
He sheathes his sword and turns to the others, who drop the man on his stomach. "James, Michael, return home." The two quickly rush up and over the wall and disappear.
The remaining assassin turns to Ares, who stands with a stunned look on his face. "Brotherhood!"
"A thank you would be nice, you're Ares right? The older brother?"
"Wait, how the fuck do you know my name?"
"I'll explain everything later, meanwhile you can get some answers out of him," he says as he points to the unconscious Templar on the ground.
"No! I want you to start talking. Elsa and Anna are nearly killed and you just act like it's a regular Tuesday?!"
"You should go check on the queen. After that meet me at the brotherhood hideout downtown, by the ports. Our flag flies on the steeple, you can't miss it."
He begins to walk away, but turns to Ares one last time, "The name's Alec by the way."
With that, he scales the side of the building, disappearing over the rooftops.