Disclaimer: Do not own Assassin Creed's characters. Standard disclaimers apply.
Spoilers: Basically everything up to ending of AC III. And the ending for "Garden of Eden", so please read that first.
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Chapter 2
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Her consciousness is free to drift now. It has been millenniums since she had this luxury. She cannot feel, but her thoughts are in tune with the network she has attached herself to. The numbers, the patterns, the algorithms… they all speak to her like a long lost friend. Her virtual self savors the small victory.
She has no organic form. No, she still has a period of time before her powers are fully restored. But this- this light-speed knowledge and unlimited source of information just within her fingertips, it is a new form of power by itself.
Humans and their technology, Juno silently muses to herself, have developed such a symbiotic relationship over the years. They have grown dependent on the electronic devices they connect themselves to, in a manner where their minds are becoming even more malleable and easier to control.
It is only a matter of time now. She only needs to be patient and wait.
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The room they gave her is bare of almost everything. No window, no mirrors, and furnished with only a cot and a small dresser. Shaun fastened a metal bracelet on her left wrist and she is almost certain it lets them know when she's going to the bathroom and her exact whereabouts at all times. Other than that, she was pretty much free to roam anywhere. She had tried taking it off once, with no success. That stint earned her a mini-lecture from Shaun about her safety which she did not care to repeat.
Not like they actually care about her well-being. That Caramel is sure about.
It doesn't take a genius to see the real reason why they keep her here and why she's still alive. These Assassins want to use her to recover an artifact and reanimate William Mile's son. They kidnapped her. Snatched her away from her normal, everyday life.
She had a bright future as an aspiring architect. Her friends and family were all ecstatic that she had received this full scholarship to study in New York. Now they probably have no idea where she is or if she's even alive. Actually, she might as well be dead. These people murder for their cause. When she's no longer useful to them, what will happen to her?
Caramel dreads the Animus sessions. She complains of headaches and fatigue several times just to prolong these periods where she can still be her own person. She doesn't like living Aini's life. The girl is a cold-blooded killer. Ruthless. Methodical. All of Aini's toxic emotions that resulted from her painful past as an orphan and Assassin are bleeding over into Carmel.
For the first time in her life, Caramel begins to have reoccurring nightmares. She regularly wakes up in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat and left with the fading memory of a bloody scene. She begins to flinch at random, unfamiliar noises. The edge of her vision sometimes blur, and hallucinations are now becoming more and more of a "normal" thing.
Rebecca seems to be the only one sympathetic to her situation. On some occasions, the female hacker have snuck her some sleeping pills. William disapproves of medication because the subject needs to be fully aware and alert for optimal synchronization. The fact Rebecca is willing to risk getting in trouble earns her what little gratitude Caramel could spare.
On the way to the kitchen area to get water for her pills, she hears Rebecca and Shaun talking. Usually she doesn't pay much attention, but when she hears her name mentioned, Caramel pauses by the doorway.
"...I can see the strain of being hooked up to the Animus affecting her. She's lost weight. She can't sleep well. He's being really tough on this girl."
"Well why wouldn't he be? We have a time-sensitive mission. If Bill is anything, he's efficient," Shaun's flippant voice replies over the tapping of keystrokes. Caramel bites her lip. She's never bothered chatting with the guy since waking up, and now his words confirms that he doesn't seem like the type of person she would get along with.
"Shaun, don't you think we're a bit over our heads here? Bill just lost Desmond last year. Ever since then, he's shut himself off from the rest of Brotherhood while handing everything over to Gavin. His endless drive to reanimate Desmond is almost kind of… creepy?"
The tapping sounds pause. "What are you trying to say?"
"I dunno," a long sigh from Rebecca. "Let's keep an eye on him, and make sure he still has the Brotherhood's best interest in mind. Oh right. Speaking of which, I've decoded some of the files I snagged from Abstergo's database while we were in deep cover-"
Technical jargon soon dominated the conversation, to the point where Caramel no longer understands what the two are talking about. She takes a few light steps back, and silently retreats to her room.
Nightmares and hypersensitivity are not the only things she's acquired since being plugged into the Animus. Living eighteen years as a trained assassin has her developing a light tread and a new habit for eavesdropping. Caramel steps into her room with a rueful grin.
If she's going to live as one of them, might as well pick up a few things. Who knows, maybe one day she will come to need it...
Subject recognized.
/Initiating Project EVE/. Synchronization at 6.1%
Program: Start. Year: 1226
All was silent within the damp shadowy halls of the dungeon. The patterned drips of water echoed loudly within the hollowness of a seemingly endless tunnel.
She caught a drop of wetness on her palm, and sniffed. Hints of iron and copper - metals. Her hidden blade made a quiet shlink as it slid out of its gauntlet. Sure enough, the dull glow of light soon appeared at the end of the hall. Voices floated toward her ears, one deep and one scratchy.
The assassin did not even pause in her steps. She rounded the corner, her second hidden blade already unsheathed.
"... dere's ole Restler and his crew stirrin' up rabble near da east."
"Now what do you suppose our good captain would have to say bout dat? He couldn't be- urggkk!"
The man turned just in time to see a bloody blade protruding out of his comrade's throat. A wet, disturbing gurgle is all the warning he received before he felt cold, unforgiving steel puncture his own skin.
Aini stared down at the crumpled bodies. Pirates. Here to loot for treasure no doubt. She wiped her blade clean on their ragged clothing. Uncle's voice crept into her head, reciting the first tenant of the Creed: Stay your blade from the flesh of innocents.
Pirates were not innocents in her eyes. These men have pillaged, raped, and have never answered to the laws of the land. True, she did not know they were pirates until after she killed them. But that small detail did not seem to bother the young assassin as she scaled across a wall and made her way down to the abandoned chamber below. Uncle warned her about the unstable underground structure below the Cyprus castle. Many years ago, her own father have navigated through the same tunnels. When he defeated the Templar leader, the entire underground system had collapsed.
Reconstruction had been slow and incomplete. Due to lack of funding, the Lord of Cyprus abandoned it completely. Or so it seemed.
Aini blinked. She allowed her vision to haze over as she immersed herself within a world of grays. The outline of the chamber glimmered in dim, muted lines while traces of footprints glowed a bright blue. She followed it to the edge of the wall, where it abruptly ended. Undeterred, she scanned the bricks carefully. One, three, four… there.
The female assassin pushed the fifth brick from the left corner and was not surprised to see it disappear within the wall. With a grinding sound, the entire wall began to rise up into the ceiling. She walked through cautiously, through another hallway which eventually led to a circular chamber. At the opposite end, a magnificent stone door stood at attention. The granite marble door had a towering oak carved out with impressive workmanship. The branches, leaves, even the trunk were all shaped with a skill pair of hands. At the base of the roots, there were five different round indentations. Aini strode right up to it, her right hand went to the pouch tied at her side.
"What is this?"
"A key. There is a vault underneath the castle of Cyprus, and this key will unlock it." She squinted at the round metal object, shaped like a compass and with many jagged teeth protruding from the edge.
"An interesting shape for a key. What lies in the vault?" When Malik did not answer her, Aini glanced up. Her uncle appeared ten years older at that moment. His graying scalp glimmered in the morning rays, and his wrinkles drew deep valleys upon his stern face.
When he finally replied it sounded like a tired sigh. "Your inheritance. From your father."
She had not been able to rest easy since hearing those words. Not only that, but that was the first real conversation she ever had with Uncle about her parents. Her father was the renowned Altair Ibn-La'Ahad, previous Mentor and leader of the Brotherhood. He had met her mother, Jinan, on one of his missions and took her under his protection. She knew that story like the back of her hand.
But what was never spoken was how and why they died. Why the killer's name was never mentioned within the Brotherhood. Nasir knew. Aunt Yasmin knew.
Uncle told her about the Pieces of Eden. About the tremendous power, and the one who wields it gains immeasurable power. He wanted to destroy the artifact. But her father forbade it. He had insisted that when the time came, there would be a use for it.
The treasure was also the reason why her father was targeted by countless enemies. Templars, greedy- power hungry men, world leaders, they all sought out the Apple and therefore Altair's demise. One finally succeeded when he struck at the assassin's most vulnerable side: his woman.
Aini's mother.
Aini placed the key inside the correct indentation, and listened closely as she turned it like a dial. About ten identical clicks, and then an odd one. She stopped turning and pushed the key all the way in. Gears and hidden levers creaked with years of disuse. The marble door groaned in protest as it slowly sank underground, revealing another hidden chamber.
She never knew a family outside of Uncle, Aunt Yasmin, and… Nasir. The concept of a mother, of a father. It was strange and unfamiliar. Perhaps if they were alive her life would have been different. Or perhaps not.
"We lost contact with our team in Northeast Asia. They might have gone into deep cover, and is unable to communicate. Sending more men might draw the Templars' unwanted attention. After much debate and consulting with the elders, I have decided to send you." Malik leaned over his desk and handed her two scrolls.
"This is a letter to the captain. You will board the ship heading to Cyprus within this week. He will dock there for four days. Within that time you are to infiltrate the underground tunnels underneath Cyprus castle. I have drawn up a map, and all that will happen after that, is up to you."
"And if I do not manage to retrieve the treasure within four days?" She asked with an arched brow. Malik returned her stare with ease.
"Then you will return home. And I will count the mission as a failure."
All her eighteen years she has lived within the cold walls of the Assassin's fortress. The only stories she knew of the outside world are from the scrolls and the occasional missions to Damascus. Aini yearned to see what else was out there. She missed Nasir, her older brother. This was her chance to prove herself. Failure was not an option.
Aini quickened her stride, her footsteps echoed loudly within the hollow chamber. The ceiling of the dome-shaped mausoleum she found herself in was impossibly high, with ten columns supporting its circumference. In the center, on a raised dias, a single white marble pedestal stood out among the darkness.
She made her way up the dais carefully, mindful of traps. On top of the pedestal laid a non-descript leather bag. The edges were worn and tattered, a testament to frequent use by its previous owner.
She took the bag, and immediately heard an audible click. The floor began to tremor. The pedestal. Aini bit her lip. It was a weight-activated trap.
She wasted no time, and tucked the knapsack away without a look inside. She dashed out of the chamber, back the way she came, as the structures around her began to crumble and collapse. Up the stairs. Over the gaps. Through the narrow tunnels. Past the granite door with the engraved tree. Past the dead pirates. Her breaths came in sharp and fast. The tunnel walls seemed to close in at an impossible rate and the idea this entire mission was a trap flashed in her mind.
Her lungs burned from inhaling dust and debris.
Just...a bit… more- there!
Aini bursted out from the maze-like tunnels and into the antechamber right beneath the dungeon's entrance. She landed on her feet, and chanced a quick glance back.
The passageway behind her was completely collapsed. No one would be able to enter it now.
She straightened. Dusted the dirt and debris off of her person. She proceeded towards the dungeon entrance and into bright morning light with a wry expression.
"Thank you Uncle, for the warning."
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The light motes danced in a lazy fashion with the afternoon sun. Malik Al-Sayf finished reading the latest courier message with a deepening frown.
"Beloved, what unimaginable disaster troubles you now?"
His gaze didn't leave the parchment. "Your unrelenting chatter."
Yasmin's light chuckle made him look up. The years have deepened those laugh lines, the crow's feet settled into her temples and her hair greyed in unpredictable streaks. For all her levity and coy tricks, his wife had seen him through the Brotherhood's darkest times, all of the bloodshed and tears. She had the body and face of a woman, but her mind and spirit are like a warrior's. The way she stood and taunted him was absolutely radiant.
"Old age does not seem to dull your wit dear husband," Yasmin moved with the same feline grace instilled within all the women of the Garden, and came to lean by his armrest. "Where is Aini now?"
"She is moving faster than I anticipated. She has successfully retrieved the Apple from Cyprus and is on route for Eastern Asia."
There was an audible sigh of relief from his wife. Even though she did well to hide it, Malik could tell she was worried for Aini ever since the young woman left for her mission.
"Looks like you underestimated her abilities," she said as she stroked his arm in a teasing manner.
Malik scoffed. "Hardly. She is one of our best. I expect nothing less from her." He paused. He knew without looking that she was gazing out the window at a familiar tree in the distance.
"I only hope uncovering the truth about her heritage will not lead her astray."
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The captain of the ship was a filthy, pathetic excuse of a sailor. His eyes spent more time reading her than Malik's letter. He grunted something about pulling own weight, not to bother crew while they worked, and limped his way back into the captain's quarters.
His crew of fifty or so men were equally foul-mannered. Leering glances followed her as she made her way to her room. Fortunately for them, nobody tried to physically invade her personal space. Or else they would've found themselves missing a finger or two.
Finally alone in her cabin, Aini pulled down her hood. She took a seat at the edge of the bed, and allowed herself the luxury to savor the peace and quiet. The sailors were a raucous group. Their shouted orders and wild bantering were a far cry from the silent halls of the Masyaf and the calm droning of the scholars.
It hit her then. She was away from home. Traveling further and further away from the only family she had known.
Aini drew her legs together, and hugged them to her chest. She needed to find Nasir. That was her mission. There was no time for sentimentalities.
How was she supposed to find him? Who could she seek aid from in those foreign lands? What if he is already-
A shudder trembled through her entire body. She clenched her eyes shut. No. She could not afford to think like that. Uncle and Aunt Yasmin are her family, true. But Nasir had been a brother, a guardian and a teacher her entire life. He is strong and a true Assassin, nobody could take him down.
She took out the worn leather bag from her knapsack. Ever since her narrow escape from the underground vault, she did not have a chance to examine the recovered artifact.
"My inheritance..."
With sure hands, she took out the solid object buried within the leather folds. A golden-colored globe the size of an apple sat in the palm of her hand. It gleamed with intriguing mystery, the intricate carvings on a smooth metal surface whispered of unspoken secrets.
Fascinated, Aini held it up to examine it closely. It seemed to hum with hidden power. Brimmed with it. Her fingertip brushed against a raised edge. Aini inhaled deeply. The metal orb grew warm.
Suddenly, gold light flooded her vision. Her limbs were frozen. Flashes of visions, scenery played before her unseeing eyes. It was like living a hundred years in the span of a few seconds.
Flaming pillars. Colossal buildings falling apart. A man lying face up on a table, eyes closed as if he was in a dream. The images zoomed at lightning fast speed, faster than what her mind could follow.
"S-stop it. It hurts…" Aini hissed out. A woman's voice called out to her then. A booming, echoing voice. Aini tried to focus on the words, but it was at that moment the orb stopped glowing and dropped to the floor from her shaking fingers.
Exhausted, the young woman sank to her knees. She gulped in air, as her hands go up to cradle her head. A pinching, sharp pain remained in her left eye. Aini blinked. Vision was blurry.
She lifted her head. Immediately, she noticed something different. Light, golden specks floated in and out of her vision. She turned her head slightly. The light followed.
It has been quite awhile since Aini has felt fear. The thought that perhaps the artifact had somehow blinded her left eye froze her to the wooden floor.
Aini blinked again, and watched the gold light shimmer and dance from her left eye's vision. Footsteps approached her cabin door. She gasped. The specks swirled and reformed to take the outline of the person standing outside of her room right by her shut door.
Aini, her balance still not fully regained, crawled on all fours up to the closed door. Placed her hand on its solid, wooden surface and watched the golden outlines on the other side start talking.
"The captain sent me to down to deliver a message. Dinner will be served in the mess hall in ten minutes. Did you want to join the crew or have your meal served in your room?"
"No need. I will take my meals in my room," she answered and followed the golden outline in silent awe as he turned around, and headed back up the stairs. Everything happened as if the solid wall between them did not exist.
Aini slowly turned and stared at the metal object lying innocently on the floor.
"Uncle…" she breathed out as she carefully retrieved the Piece of Eden and stowed it away within its leather knapsack. "...what other secrets have you not told me?"
Notes: It's been 3 years since I've last updated ANY stories. Where did time go?
So much of my life has changed since then. I think having a long-term boyfriend and adopting a kitty (childhood dream) while working for the video game industry (2nd childhood dream)... have all kept me plenty busy and away from writing. Apologies!
All the more reason to add this and any stories you'd be interested in to alerts. I do have rough endings sketched out for 80% of all the stories, I just need the time/motivation/inspiration to fill in the holes between the scenes.
- Did anyone catch the throwback scene to AC I? :3
- Thank you to all new and returning readers. Please R&R I enjoy all sorts of feedback!