Pierre Bellec gave the reigns another jolt, and the stallions briskened their pace. It was early evening as they arrived at the historic city. The streets were muddy from an earlier rain. Only a smattering of people were out, and about a third of them were the blue-coated soldiers. The four Assassins were on the outskirts of the metropolis, far from the more impressive buildings Arno had seen on the horizon.

Arno had traveled before, but he had never set foot in a city other than Orléans. Bellec had been around, even across the ocean, and only arrived at the Orléans sanctuary a couple of years ago to fill a void. Joseph had been to Tours, but never Paris. Paul, the youngest of the four, had never slept out of his bed at the Favre estate.

But they had all killed people.

"To think," Bellec said. "After all this, we've sent what? Seven men from Normandy's and four from Orléans. I swear, our leaders have a soft spot for this revolution."

"Can you blame them? Things have been terrible for the peasants."

"Sure can, Pisspot. The Templars'll be much worse than the Ancien Régime, mark my words."

Arno was not sure he believed that, but that did not mean the revolution needed Templar leadership.

However, the moral component aside, there was still the issue of their own mortality. Last time the Order had sent Assassins to deal with the Templar infestation in this city, they had all been killed. And that was seven people, not four. That was a bit worrisome to Arno.

"So what happened to the Normandy envoy?" Arno asked.

"They got found, and they got dead. Not much a story."

"All of them died? No one escaped?"

"They sent a dame to kill Bailly. She wasn't among the dead. Bet she got captured and squealed."

"A woman, really?" Women were part of the Assassin Order, of course, but if they operated on the field they usually filled the role of spies. Rarely were they tasked with actual elimination.

"And look where it got us. Sometimes you're better of sticking to tradition."

Bellec stopped the horses.

"There it is, our new home."

It was modest, two floor cottage perhaps a quarter size of his uncle's manor. A short stone wall surrounded it, but only offered about five feet of yard infront, ten on the side and twenty in the back. Still, inside a city, that was generously spacious.

"C'mon, it's time to unpack," Bellec said, disembarking from the carriage. They both headed to the back, where Paul and Joseph were getting off with small pieces of furniture.

"So who do you think is the first Templar to snuff?" Arno asked with a low voice.

"They're all well-guarded men. This isn't like going furniture shopping, Pisspot. We'll need to gather intelligence, find out their vulnerabilities, plan our approach."

Each taking a box, they proceeded towards the house. "I'm thinking the Comte de Mirabeau, honestly. That Mason dog seems to have everyone's ear. I hear he was even consulting with the king when the dames laid their siege at Versailles. Or maybe we can complete Normandy's work and finish off that bastard Bailly."

Bellec laid down his box, then did Arno his.

"You think it's true they reclaimed the Apple?"

"Or found another one. Don't know, don't care. We kill the bastards regardless."

"How'd they lose the first Apple, anyway?"

"No one knows for sure. Someone found a letter a couple centuries back mentioning it disappeared in Italy."

There were rumors that the Templar had other magical charms: the Egyptian Ankh, the Excalibur, the Seven League Boots, but those were just rumors. The Apple of Eden was recorded in the oldest annals of the Assassins, in the writings of the legendary Altair Ibn-La'Had.

"Merde, c'est lourd! Dorian, help me with this would you?"

"Since you asked so politely," the Assassin said with a smirk.

He grabbed the nearer side of the chest, which Arno recognized as the wine store.

"If they did find another Apple, I'd bet my arse it was from the New World," Pierre added as they moved the chest. "Two whole continents and a hundred lush islands ripe for picking. The Templars have had their greedy paws all over it."

They set down the cargo, as the other two Assassins set down a desk.

"That's everything, sir," Paul said.

"Right, good," Bellec said. "I'll get the horsies stabled. Joseph, come with me. Arno, Paul, start setting up."

As the two older men proceeded back to the carriage, Paul looked to Arno.

"You think its true, a metal ball that can control people's minds?"

"It's how the fight between our Orders started. That doesn't leave much room for doubt."