Assassin's Creed:
Alliance Chapter 4
Ratonhnhaké ton moved calmly through the muddy slums of Cour de Miracles. Beggars sat against shabby wooden shacks, as Ratonhnhaké ton passed, they held out their hands and asked for alms. Ratonhnhaké ton took a coin out of his pocket and flipped it to them.
Men armed with cutlasses moved around ominously, their faces practically begging Ratonhnhaké ton to make the first move. From a distance, Ratonhnhaké ton watched as those men beat the beggars to within an inch of their lives and confiscated any money they had managed to procured.
After the French Revolution, many were struggling to garner any food for their families and themselves. The worst of these places dotting the capital of France was Cour de Miracles.
Formerly run by a criminal underground led by Roi des Thunes, a Templar agent before Arno Dorian assassinated him. Now, Cour de Miracles was lawless and the law of France wouldn't dare step foot in the slums.
Midway through his search, Ratonhnhaké ton was cornered by the criminals he had seen earlier.
"Got some money on you, garcon? (boy?)" the degenerate asked.
Ratonhnhaké ton stared coldly at the man. "If I did, I wouldn't give any to you."
The thief glanced at his two accomplices. "You just gonna let our families starve?"
"Men like you do not have families, you have whores." Ratonhnhaké ton replied.
The man chuckled. "You're right," he said as he pulled out a rusty knife and lunged at Ratonhnhaké ton.
Ratonhnhaké ton dodged the knife. Grabbing the man's wrist, he pulled him until he collapsed in the mud. The other two men approached cautiously, waving their weapons around like torches. Withdrawing his axe, Ratonhnhaké ton slashed one man's neck and then tackled the other. With his hands around the man's throat, he let his wrist-blades fly out, the tip of each blade protruded out the other side of the man's neck.
The last man still lay on the ground, staring at Ratonhnhaké ton as if he were a fairy tale monster. Ratonhnhaké ton approached the man in a similar fashion to what he had done merely seconds earlier.
"Please-" he said as Ratonhnhaké ton's axe drove down the middle of his face.
"Quite the ruthless killer, aren't you?" somebody called from afar.
Ratonhnhaké ton turned to see a silhouette standing on a rooftop overlooking most of Cour de Miracles. The man stepped from the roof and plummeted to the street. Landing gracefully, he strode towards Ratonhnhaké ton.
"Nice axe." the man said, gesturing at towards Ratonhnhaké ton bloody axe.
Ratonhnhaké ton did not reply but stared silently. Through the dim light of the moon, Ratonhnhaké ton could tell that he was wearing Assassin garb, blue by the look of it, brown knee-high leather boots and a cutlass at his hip. The man removed his hood to reveal a head of long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a trimmed beard.
He matched the description of Arno Dorian.
"So," Arno said. "you're the one they sent after me."
Ratonhnhaké ton looked at him sideways. "You knew someone had a bounty on you."
Arno laughed. "Of course I knew! Why wouldn't I? I swear, they really underestimate my skill."
"Who?" Ratonhnhaké ton asked.
"Why, the Assassins and Templars." Arno replied.
Ratonhnhaké ton didn't reply out of sheer shock, Arno continued.
"Before I was banished, I came into contact with an Assassin, Pierre Bellec. I killed him. Then, I killed the Templar Grandmaster Francois Thomas Germain. They also blame me for the death of my beloved Elise."
"The woman on the painting." Ratonhnhaké ton finished.
Arno didn't reply for a moment. "You've done more digging than I thought. Tell me," he said. "have you ever lost someone that you'd kill a thousand people to get back?"
Ratonhnhaké ton looked down at the mud. "I see." Arno said as he turned to leave.
"Wait." Ratonhnhaké ton said. "I still need to bring you in."
As he moved, Arno turned at smiled at him. "Catch me if you can, old man."
Arno took off down the road. Without hesitation, Ratonhnhaké ton took off after him. Arno swiftly scrambled up the side of a building like a cat, Ratonhnhaké ton was slightly slower but in his age, he still managed.
Now standing atop an unsteady building, Ratonhnhaké ton confronted Arno. The two skilled Assassins circled each other, one expecting the other to attack at any moment.
"Huh," Arno said. "You're more agile than I gave you credit for, you managed to climb one building!" he cheered mockingly.
Ratonhnhaké ton growled at Arno's cockyness. Arno grinned at Ratonhnhaké ton's anger. Then, Arno sheathed his sword and held out his arms to either side.
"Kill me, if you so desire." Arno mocked.
Ratonhnhaké ton approached cautiously, expecting some kind of trap. Instead, when Ratonhnhaké ton got close, Arno fell from the roof. Ratonhnhaké ton looked over the edge to see Arno climb out of hay cart and run down the street.
Ratonhnhaké ton prepared to jump as well, he took a deep breath. "I always hated this." he said to himself as he jumped from the building and landed in the hay cart.
Climbing from the cart he shook off the hay. "I am too old for this." he grumbled. Ratonhnhaké ton ran out into the street and surveyed both sides. Arno had vanished like a ghost.
Cursing himself, Ratonhnhaké ton walked back in the direction of Sainte-Chapelle. Around the corner, Arno watched as the grizzled Assassin kicked a stray bucket in anger.