Assassin's Creed: Bonds of Blood IC [R]

[StormWolf]

In the year of our Lord, 1499, the path of history would start turning and twisting on the blades and blood of those willing to sacrifice everything for the mission of their alliances. In this time of shrouded strife and shrouded warfare, only one thing was certain: there would be death and blood. South of Florence is the home of the enigmatic Ezio Auditore da Firinze, the city of Monteriggioni. In this small city, the story of corruption and deceit begins.

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, shedding a new day's light upon the quiet city of Monteriggioni. The air was still chilled from the winter night's cold. Frost still clung to the windows and the metals of the city and fog still blanketed the ground. People milled about on the cobblestone streets, the fog billowing about their ankles. Sura Eisenfaust was carrying a basket full of good fresh from the baker back from the market. She turned a corner to see a man clad in black robes, a red sash tied around his waist and a smile on his scruffy face.

"Good morning, my love" the hooded man said in a deep and smooth voice. Sura did not scream or start, but smiled at her husband.

"Good morning dear. Come to get your breakfast?" Sura smiled and shouldered her way past her hooded husband, Adolf, stuffing a warm loaf of bread in to his hands. The black-hooded man kissed his wife on the cheek and whispered his thanks in to her ear, tagged along with a promise of things to come once the sun went down. Sura blushed and smiled before giving her husband a loving slap on the cheek and resumed her business.

Stuffing the bread in to his mouth, Adolf climbed the wall of the building beside him. Once on the roof, Adolf walked with the grace of a cat over a clothesline to the building across the street. He hopped from roof to roof until he reached the chapel and climbed to the top of the bell tower. Perching himself on the lip of the bell tower, casually watching the people below him as he enjoyed the baker's goods.

The sun had made its way over the low mountains and cast its rays upon the city of Monteriggioni. Adolf had remained on his perch long after he had finished his breakfast, watching the crowd for any signs of infiltration. Suddenly, there was a rolling rumble akin to thunder outside the gates of the city. Heartbeats later, black iron balls the size of a horses head fell on to the city like unforgiving hellfire. Adolf saw one of the cannonballs heading towards his perch. To avoid the ball, Adolf leapt from the bell tower and fell towards the hard ground. Just then, a panicking horse drawing a cart of hay darted past. The hay broke Adolf's fall, but the landing still hurt when his back hit the floorboards of the wagon. Standing up, Adolf leapt on to the back of the horse and cut away the cart, riding the barebacked horse up to the Villa de Auditore.

"Rally! Rally! To arms! The city is under siege!" Adolf called out at the top of his booming voice. The city guard and the Brotherhood of Assassins flooded out of the Villa. The Master himself, Ezio Auditore, leapt from his balcony on to the back of his white stallion.

"Captain Acerbus! Blademaster Adolf! Take a troop of Assassins and city guards to the streets. Drake and Eveline, take to the rooftops with another two of your best. Gabriella and Kelvar, you are to take the recruits to the tunnels. Once they are safe, you are to operate the cannons on the walls. Go!" Ezio hollered his orders to his loyal soldiers, Brothers, and Sisters. Adolf nodded his black-shrouded head quietly to Acerbus, then pointed to two Assassins wielding Zweihanders, one wielding a mace, and one manning a crossbow. The white-and-grey draped Assassins joined Adolf at his horse. He then made a simple beckoning motion to a platoon of city guards, and they heeded the call without hesitation.

"We are to secure the more subtle entrances in to the city until the gate has been breached. On me brothers." Adolf called out, rearing his horse about, ready to take charge.

[ILYTH]

The Fort city of Montterigioni, The Earl of Northumberland was impressed. As a piece of architecture the city was striking with it’s sheer walls standing defiant in the face of anything that may assail them and the tall imposing gate daring any enemy to pay the heavy toll that it would take to breach them, a toll that Francis Aston was more than happy to pay.

The voyage over to Italy had been arduous; the sea was heavy as the Earl’s ship had labored to answer his master’s call. He had been contacted to take part in a push against the suspected base of operations of the wretched Assassins within Italy. The Earl was more than happy to oblige having earned a reputation amongst his fellow Templars for near eliminating the Assassin order within England, the capital power of Earldom had certainly done its part with executions seeing to many of the lower ranking rats but Francis had been more than happy to wet his blade with the higher ranking Assassin Blood.

Upon his arrival in Italy he had enjoyed the hospitality of his Italian brothers with his forces bolstered by more experienced Italian troops who had faced the Assassins before. Almost as quickly as he had arrived had Aston encountered rumors and myths about the Italian order of Assassins, from what he had heard Francis could expect a much sterner challenge from the Italians than their English counter parts, no matter the Earl had never found a rat he couldn’t kill.

His time in the city of Roma had been enjoyable as Francis had prowled the market streets absorbing the culture of the home of modern thinking. Francis had ever been intrigued with the fine, dainty culture of the Italians compared to wet, bland English social strata. The People had stared as he had walked, flanked by two burly guard’s his clothes plainer than the outrageous Italian fashions yet noticeably of finer quality. The people's gaze made Francis conscious of the scar upon his face and he put the menaces on any who let their gaze linger longer than he deemed appropriate by flashing his brilliant saber.

A week into his stay Earl Aston was given the order to move forward to Montterigioni to be one of the first to storm the breach to batter down any advanced defense he may encounter within the city. The ride to the hill fort had been rapid as the element of surprise was key to the success of the day, guerrilla warfare against trained assassins was always to be avoided.

As he sat mounted on his steed facing the city the black metal of the Earl’s breastplate shone in the morning sun illuminating the intricate angelic designs that blazed defiant upon the armor. His black velvet cloak hung behind him on the windless day as the sun peaked over the hill the Earl drew his Saber and gave the order for the great guns to fire at the walls. The Cannons impressed the Earl but he felt that this detached form of Warfare would never replace the gentleman’s combat of steel on steel and the whizz of arrows through the air.

Francis smirked as the shouts and roars of confusion sounded throughout the city as it woke to the blaze of gunpowder and the clank of advancing templar steel. Today would be a day of blood, a day that the Assassin’s would learn who he was and why they should shake with fear in the shadows. As Francis bellowed his orders his think Yorkshire accent rose above the noise of the guns as he gave his order to advance “First column advance, The city will be ours!” The Earl spurred his horse in a stroll towards the heavy gates.

The Earl diverted towards the mines that provided the city with it’s wealth leading ten men of his own guard into the poorly lit tunnels. The detachment was a fearsome sight with the imposing earl at it’s head already stained in the face and on the armor with the blood of dead peons. The Earl gave the order to his men that they were only to intervene should the worst happen. The First Assassin the detachment encountered was a scout lightly armored for quick movement, Francis gave a signal for his guard to stay were they were, The earl crept slowly towards the scout his armor betraying his movements with the spurs of leather boots clinking on the ground. The Scout turned and called “Who goes there?” the tunnel was dark enough for the scout to mistake the Earl for an Assassin. Francis strode closer masking his accent for a husky German inflection he had adopted for undercover activities
“Brother we are attacked!”
The Earl put heavy pain is his voice and lurched forward as if struck by an arrow, the Assassin sprang towards him to his aid the confusion apparent in his now visible face as he felt the tip of The Earl’s saber on his throat. Francis addressed the scout in his usual Yorkshire drawl
“You have a choice to make worm. You can agree to a duel and die like a gentlemen, able to tell St Peter at the gates if heaven that you died fighting to Earl of Northumberland in honorable combat, or you can try to run and I can hamstring you, let you bleed a bit.”
The Assassin swore as he mouthed
“duel”
The Earl released the Scout who drew his sword and rushed at Francis. Francis anticipated the Assassin’s aggression and ducked down under the Assassins head swipe drawing his saber and pulling it in a clean line across the Assassins exposed mid section leaving him to bleed to death in the dark tunnel and vainly attempt to keep his organs within the open shell that was now his body.

The next Assassin The Earl encountered was at the exit to the mine leading through to a secret door near the villa of Montterigioni. The Assassin was a young man but he was confident despite the confusion and might of the General’s advancing forces. The Guard was tall, even willowy with his hood drawn up over his head a hidden blade on his wrist. The earl came at him from the dark into the light giving no pretence as to his identity or purpose with his sword drawn and the blood of the boy’s friend staining his hands. The Earl pitied the young man as he could see the fear in his eyes, who would not be scared, the man appearing from the bowls of hell stained with more blood than the book of revelations surely looked like some unholy monster rather than a man. Francis twirled his saber in his hands and smirked a devilish smile as he approached the young man before slashing in downwards sweeping motion across the Assassins body, the young man sprang back as he anticipated missing the lethal blow by a mere inch before Francis sprang forward striking the young Assassin in the nose with the pommel of his saber knocking him off balance before thrusting the sword through the neck of the Assassin severing his spine killing him instantly.

The Inside of Montterigioni was just as impressive as the outside, for now. The stalls that lined the streets were abandoned and the people fleeing towards the manor as the doors began to crack under the weight of the Templar advance, The Assassin guard’s were flocked to strategic positions not expecting a templar to emerge from behind, an Assassin on a majestic white steed seemed to lead the Assassins quite clearly Auditore. The Earl longed for his blood but his orders were not to engage. Instead The Earl was charged to spread some chaos taking a torch from the mine and throwing it into a pile of rugs and curtains inside the tailors which was soon ablaze the smoke floating above the walls giving the General a sign that Francis was in. The Earl Strode towards the Villa slaying seven guards on his way with the Assistance of his guard, he had decapitated three in combat one particularly skilled Assassin in heavier armor than was usual to Assassins was able to rip his cloak before Francis drove his sword through his belly. The Earl dashed out the brains of one Assassin on the curb on a street his boots now stained red like his face and hands, his breastplate had long since turned mars red with the blood of the Assassins.

At the Steps of the Villa The Earl was confronted by a group of guards and a female Assassin in black, a lovely looking woman and strong in her baring. The woman did not attack immediately but addressed The Earl “You won’t come any further Templar! You die on these steps.” The Earl laughed to himself fingering his sheathed sword “Shouldn’t you be inside tending the house or is your husband so scared that he sends out his whore to fight in his stead?” The female assassin became enraged and shouted in reply “Were it not for your impending death at my hand my husband would make you beg for it at his. He is fighting bravely in the melee not skulking around the backstreets like a flea” The two parties engaged each other with Francis hacking down one of the females guards removing a leg before planting a blade through the Assassins now prone stomach. “No-one harm the whore, I’m going to have fun with her.” As he shouted this the woman struck down one of his guards as the last of hers fell. There were now but three templar’s including the Earl and the Female Assassin now alone against the English Templars. The Earl growled as the two circled each other “You speak of begging to death, you no nothing of the pain needed for this, but despair not for I shall teach you, good Christian man as I am.” The two engaged, The Female Assassin moved quickly at first, keeping the Earl at bay even catching him in the face opening a wound and leaving a scar on The Earl’s brow that would remain with him until his death. The soon began to tire and her movements were labored as if she carried some unknown weight and due to this the Earl began to toy with her complacently, feinting instead of disarming and pulling out of fatal attacks. “Time to learn.” Francis kicked out the woman’s legs dropping her to the ground, the woman coughed as her head struck the pavement The Earl stood over her “To long for death is to feel greater pain than you could ever have imagined before.” Francis kicked the Female Assassin in the face breaking her nose and bloodying her face “To be able to see salvation” Francis stepped aside so the assassin could see the villa “But with no way to move toward it.” Francis hacked at her tendons cutting her hamstrings preventing her movement. Francis kicked her in the face again making even his own surviving guards wince at his cruelty, The Earl grabbed her face in his ungloved hand “Now do you know? What it is like to wish for death, well I will not grant it, no your dear husband must see this before the end.” The Earl instructed his guards to carry the female assassin to the door of the Villa setting her down on doorstep. “His name?” The female Assassin just spat blood in the face of the Earl so he slapped her “His name!” She spluttered out “Adolf”
The Earl dropped her face leaving her to pass into unconsciousness, she would not die yet but rather of her injuries later after giving the Assassins an idea of what they faced. “Adolf!” the Earl instructed a guard who had moved to the church belfry to ring the bell and the noise of conflict stopped “Adolf, you wife waits on the steps to your rat hole.”

At this point the Earl was interrupted by a messenger boy “Earl Aston Sir, the General wishes for your withdrawal your task is complete.” As Aston turned he noticed what had become of the city as he had been absorbed in his lesson, Assassin and Templar clashed all over the city as the fire he had been ordered to start raged.
“As he wishes.”
The Earl retreated as a tall assassin emerged from the thick of the battle to see his wife dieing on the step. The Earl caught the man’s eye and winked before disappearing into the throng of advancing Templars.

[Higurashi]

Kelvar had been following Adolf's orders and had taken his students to the tunnels when he heard the gurggling scream. Throughout his time with the Assassins Kelvar had come to know that as a man whom was just disembolwed. Kelvar turned his head towards the noise,as did several of his students. Before turning back to them, Kelvar pulled a nearby lever, and a nearly undetectable door slid across the only entrance to the chamber.

It was a rather ingenious contraption, hewn into the stone by the hands of unsuspecting miners, and assembled by his students in a way so that only he knew how it truely worked.

Now he turned back to his students. They were a rather ms-matched group. Many were just under the age of adulthood, while others were barel able to walk. All had special talents that allowed them to be accepted into the apprenticeship. For instance, a young boy named Milo that standing of to the left. The boy was rather tall and lanky, prone to coughing fits. He was skilled in the art of poison and its application. Kelvar had personally overseen his tutoring in the subject, and was impressed to say the least.

Looking back at the chamber full of young prospects, Kelvar spoke. "Well children, it seems that we may be stuck here for awhile. Does anyone remember how to operate the defense mechanisms?" Several raised their hands. After working out what traps they remembered, Kelvar sent them to several stations throughout the room.

With the permission of Ezio, Kelvar had set up numerous, and rather admittedly, ingenious contraptions around the city should it even be beseiged. One of these was a series of brass tubes by which Kelvar could listen to the situation in several key areas. To tell the truth, it was limited, but Kelvar was able to use it to its full advantage in conjunction with another invention.

This was actually a seriesof messenger pigeons. Kelvar had hired a number of younger boys in the city to watch over a section they were assigned. He had tought them enough writing for them to be able to inform him of the situation. Now one of these pigeons flew in through a small opening that led to the surface. Kelvar captured the pigeon and read its message. He waved over to one of the students manning the traps and told them to pull the levers in a certain order.

In the market area of the city, right outside the tailor's shop, three templars were menacing the tailor and his wife, and were joking about wether to kill them or have some fun. As such, they were expecting the crossbow bolts that now flew from a collection of small holes in the wall, that brought all three of them down.

[Lord Veneficus]

Acerbus moved quickly towards the walls of Monterrigioni, the small squad of Assassins and city guards in tow. "Like snakes in the grass, they are!" Acerbus shouted as he dispatched a lone Templar scout in an alley.

In the engulfing madness, Acerbus heard the sound of screaming nearby. Female pitched sound and etched with fear. He nodded towards the six behind him and rushed into a courtyard near the brothel.

As he entered, hood up and hidden blades projected, Acerbus saw a group of Templars standing over three helpless courtesans, all crying and drenched in the blood of their now dead companions. He threw his hand up, signaling for the squad to remain hidden in the shadows.

"We're gonna have fun with these girls, boys," said the Templar with the spear; the thick Florentine accent emanated throughout the courtyard. They all shouted and raised their weapons to the sky. Acerbus grabbed the crossbow from his hip and loaded it silently.

A swift pull of the trigger and the ever so wonderful sound of the bolt flying through the air gave Acerbus chills. The bolt flew straight through the upturned skull of the Italian Templar with a sickening crack. He groaned, dropped his spear, and fell to a heap on the now blood drenched cobblestone ground.

The courtesans all looked full of excitement. "Grazie Dio!" One of them shouted.

"Let your blades strike true, brothers!" Acerbus shouted as he whipped his blade from its sheath and rushed the remaining Templars, his squad right behind him.

[GraftRaven]

Exos had made his way to the top of the gatehouse tower rather easily and quickly dispatched the two guards whose bodies lay broken on the street below. He watched as the Earl's fire began its progress through the town, it was slow, but it would help. He saw the clashes erupt all over the city, Templar, Assassin, and civilian fought one another in the streets, this whole thing might just work.

The black robed figure jumped from his perch and landed on a nearby high roof, rolling to dissipate the energy of the fall, then broke into a sprint. As he came up onto the next roof he dispensed death to two archers with throwing knives, then leaped off the edge of the building and landed with his knives plunged into either side of a third archer's shoulders. Exos straightened up, wiping the blades on the man's white garments, staining them crimson, then slammed the knives back into their sheaths at his belt.

"I expected you all to do better." he muttered as he looked around at the Assassins and their troops. He was about to jump off the roof when a crossbow bolt soared through the bottom of his cloak's sleeve, leaving a crisp hole in the black fabric. Exos locked eyes with the firer two roofs over, then bolted for the edge of his own roof, barely jumping the gap in between. As he ran he darted from left to right, sometimes faking and bolts continued to fly past him, then he made the final jump, kicked the crossbow out of the man's hand, and jammed a knife into his stomach. Blood trickled out of his mouth, then he spoke his last words: "You'll never take this town, it will never be yours." then he collapsed, bleeding profusely from the stab wound.

"Perché ti interessa, tu sei morto, bastardo*." Exos dropped to the street, drew his schiavona, and engaged the nearest group of enemies, perhaps over-confidant in his abilities.

(*why do you care, you're dead, bastard)

(OOC: feel free to be in that group, i'd like to actually pick a fight with a person rather than a bunch of NPCs)

[Yoruyonaka]

The gypsy princess eyed the incoming templars with intense hate. It was there doing that her father was dead. She would love to kill the lot of them, but dealing with the students safety came first. Following Kelvar to the chamber, once they were inside, Gabriella watched the door lock behind them and she walked out of the villa to join the fight. She had to get to the canons to stop the siege of templar soldiers. It was there she saw her. Dying on the steps. It was sura wasn't it? Adolf's girl?

Gabriella then looked up to see a templar leaving the scene just as Adolf emerged himself. She couldn't stay there and help him or Sura. She was surely going to die soon no matter what they did. Flipping her dark brown hair back, she ran to Adolf and patted him on the shoulder.

"Mi dispiace*, I wish I came sooner," She said looking into his eyes, then she ran passed him into the fight.

No sooner did she run passed the fountain nearest the villa did a templar caring a claymore ran directly in her path. She swiftly grabbed a knife ,from her assortment on her person, and flung it at his throat. He fell spluttering blood as three archers spotted Gabriella and took aim. As a arrow whizzed in her direction, she pulled the saber from her lower back and smashed it. She knew she could only be lucky so many times and dodged the rest before getting in close to them. Gabriella cut the first two's throats while the other one dropped to his knees.

"Prego*! Signorina! I am only paid to do this, I wont risk my life no more," He begged her at her feet. "Prego...I have a family."

Gabriella went on her knees as well. Looked into his eyes with indifference then stabbed him in the stomach.

"You forget, we have families too, bastardo," she whispered in his ear as he fell over.

Kicking the templar's body aside, Gabriella scaled the nearest building. She ran along the roof tops with her eyes focused on the canons. Already there were a few of the order manning some, but they needed more help or they would be finished. She climbed the ladder that lead up the wall almost out of breath. Sweat dripped of her nose. When she reached the top, her eyes widened as a templar was about to strike down a man firing a canon.

The man turned and yelled as the templar came closer, but to his luck, the soldier toppled over with a knife right in the back of the neck. Gabriella made a confident smile, then ran to an empty canon. She aimed it on an enemy troop who was coming closer.

"Scusi my friends, but we didn't ask you to come here," Gabriella said before firing.

(*Mi dispiace: I am sorry
Signorina: Miss
Prego: please
Scusi: Excuse me)

[Rhomeo]

Apologies in advance, I didn't have internet during the week. Also, I post in 1st person, if you want me to change I will; but my post quality will be worse.. IF that's possible.

Making the symbol of the holy cross on my chest I looked out over the Assassin fortress, it was truly a considerable and beautiful set of structures. My brothers-in-arms had already begun to siege the city, with a small scowl I turned around and walked back towards the small number of tents available to officers and those lucky enough to get one. Cracking my neck slowly I moved towards the most imposing tent and made sure my robe was in perfect placing before I bowed my head and went underneath the small tent flap.

The man who sat at the strategy table was alone and had an imposing figure about him, bowing slightly I quietly said; "The battle seems to be going well sir."
"So it is Highlord, but I wonder why you requested to stay back from the front lines considering your fighting prowess?" the man said back.
"There are more than enough men already fighting sir, I just thought my uses could be put to more use in negotiating certain matters here."
"Fine, get back to it, if you hear any news from the scouts be sure to send them here," he spat out. Directing me away.

Bowing again I backed out of the tent and moved off towards a smaller tent, muttering a few not so kind words about the man in the tent. Remembering he was my superior I continued on my way to the smaller tent, as I reached it I cleared my throat and entered; it was already made so that I could enter without ducking my head. Everyone inside began to stand up but I motioned for them to stay down, they should already know by now that I gained trust by earning it rather than demanding it.

Looking around the tent I quietly said, "So are there any hopes of negotiating anything at all here? I understand our goal is to take Montterigioni but is it really necessary to slaughter everyone? Even the civilians?"
The only answers I got were sad faces and blank looks, sighing I walked over to my desk and sat down slowly, burying my face in my palms. There were collective sounds of sadness throughout the tent, lifting my head again I looked into the eyes of one of the men closer to me.

He cleared his throat and quietly said, "We've been given orders to show no mercy, there won't be any chance unless someone from the higher-ups changes his mind... Sir."
Waving my hand at him I said, "I guess there's not much we can do then, I assume we've also been given orders to get arms and armour so that we can join the battle?"
After a curt nod I sighed again and looked at the grains of wood upon the desk for a few moments, rising slowly I looked around the tent.

The men around me were some of the most trustworthy men I'd ever met, they believed in peace and working a problem out instead of killing it. Being sent into battle is not what any of us wanted, but when it came down to it; we knew what we had to do. Nodding a collective nod at them they all dispersed to get their equipment, walking out of the tent after everyone had left I closed the tent flap back so that no one could just simply walk in.

Rolling my shoulders slowly I checked my own armour underneath the robe, it wasn't really hot today so it really seemed all I was wearing was the cloth. Shrugging my shoulders back I moved off to my tent quickly to grab my helmet, as I walked through the tent flap I ignored everything else but the helmet. I didn't want to have anything else on my mind when I was killing, it was a single-track mind area; you weren't supposed to kill in hot blood... But in the name of God.

After collecting my helmet I moved out and waited near the front of the group of tents for my group of men, the battle wasn't going to end quickly, so time could wait for now. Closing my eyes for a few moments I allowed myself to fall into an area of self-contemplation as I stood there.

[StormWolf]

While the cannonballs fell, Adolf darted his way through the crumbling alleys and streets with the grace of a predatory feline on the prowl. He moved like a shadow in the smoke and flames and debris. Whilst sneaking, Adolf turned a corner and found himself behind two templar soldiers while a third was kicking a young girl in the ribs. Adolf stood up straight and ran on silent feet. Flicking his wrists, his twin hidden blades slid forth, glinting in the faint light. Adolf raised his hands and buried the blades in the the base of the templar's skulls. They were killed instantly, not even feeling any pain - what a pity.

The third templar - the one that was kicking the child - turned to the sound of metal-plated bodies crumbling to the stone street. Then came another noise; the clicking of a flintlock pistol. The templar's eyes bugged when he saw the black-robed assassin holding his left forearm. Without a word, Adolf pulled the trigger. Fire and smoke erupted from his wrist and smashed a lead ball in to the eye of the third templar. Adolf picked up the child and pointed her in the right direction away from the fighting.

The booming of cannons and the rattle of musket fire tore through the early morning. Buildings collapsed here and there and the voices of the innocent screamed out in anguish as they either perished in a fire or got crushed under the very roof that they made a home under. Then, above it all, Adolf heard a voice yell out above the chaos,

"Adolf! Your wife awaits you in your rat hole!" hearing that, Adolf broke in to a dead run towards his home. Bodies riddled the streets, but Adolf seemed to fly over the ground, becoming a blur of black and red. When the Blademaster Assassin found his home, he stopped running once he felt a ball of ice settle in the pit of his stomach. His home was up in flames, but the horrors of now being homeless meant nothing to him. What made the bile churn in Adolf's belly was the visage of his wife on the floor, her head surrounded by a halo of blood.

The Blademaster fell to his knees, reaching out to his wife and pulled her limp and lifeless body close to him. Her heavenly scent of roses and spices was coated with the woodsy smell of smoke and soot. Her blood dampened Adolf's clothes as his cheeks became wet with tears. He could do little more than hold the corpse of his wife and curse the fates in silence. Even when his friend Gabriella gave her condolences, Adolf did not budge.

Even when the heavy shuffling of armored footsteps sounded behind Adolf, he did not move a single muscle. There was a clicking noise as someone cranked back the hammer on a pistol.

"Get up, you scum." Adolf heard behind him. He set his wife down and closed her eyes, kissing her on the brow before standing.

"Turn around!" the voice commanded. Adolf did so, but he turned with a snap, taking the barrel of the pistol and turning the weapon towards its handler, squeezing the Templar's hand to make the gun go off and bury a lead ball in the man's chest. The Templar fell heavily with a wheeze.

"Assassins! The Templars are in the city! The walls are breached!" Adolf hollered at the top of his lungs.

[Higurashi]

As Kelvar went about his buisness, his mood became darker. Despite his efforts, the vity was falling. More than likely he and his students would fall with it. The time for hiding was over. It seemed to him that he must enter the feild and do what he could before death claimed him. Giving some final instructions to his students, Kelvar opened the door to the chamber. After exiting he shut it behind him.

As he walked down the corridors stiffly, Kelvar remembered the long ago time when they were new. He had been so proud. Having no children of his own other than the first few students, he had treated it like his moast prized possesion. Meticulously caring for the various geaars and contraptions had pulled on him, and eventually others had to be let in to help with the maintenance.

Snapping back out of his rememberance, Kelvar continued down the hallways, finally coming to a door. Pushing the down open only slightly, Kelvar spied out into the carnage. Directly in front of him, there were four templars acting most uncouthly. They were making sport of tearing a woman's clothes off, probably intending to rape her. By the looks of it, they were getting bored, and were about to fast-forward to the rape.

Kelvar reached behind him and took his staff, pressing his thumb to a little notch in the wood. Silently, a curve of metal spit out on one side, while a spike came out on the other. This was Kelvar's personal weapo, a pike-staff disquised as a large walking stick. Positioning himself correctly, Kelvar slammed open the door and rushed the Templars.

The First went down silently run through with the sharp end of the staff. Of course the next three noticed Kelvar, drawing their swords. These were more or less no us against Kelvar's mastery and longer weapon. With to sweeps, the Second was beheaded. Then with a jab, The third was sent to hell with a stab through the throat. The Fourth proved more challenging. He got in under the staff and forced Kelvar against a wall next to the door at sword point. The Templar grinned wickedly, which was replaced by a startled gurgle. Kelvar had stepped sideways into the door, bringing his staf with him. As he ahd pulled back, the curved axe side of the staff had slammed into the back of the Templar's neck.

Done with his first few kills, Kelvar emerged form the door with only a few knicks and scratches. The woman had sunk to the floor in shock and was in the fetal position. The whole encounter took maybe ten seconds. Now Kelvar bent over the woman for a litte bit, coaxing her out of her shock. Near rape was almost an irreparable experience for one such as this previously pure woman. Not to mention that her father and mother were dead in the corner-. Kelvar had recognized her as the now dead Baker's daughter. Having been a regular customer, the girl Recognized Kelvar aswell.

"Oh master!" she cried, throwing her arms around Kelvar's neck most uncomfortably. She proceeded to sob in an unsightly manner, interjected by 'thank yous' and 'why, why, why Papa!'. From the various garbled things she was saying, Kelvar gathered that the Templars had come to the house demanding payment or the girl. The Baker named Rowley, had denied them both, being an honorable man. The Templars had proceeded to kill him and toture his wife to death. FInally the girl calmed down, and Kelvar directed her to a safe place he knew of. It was one of the other hidden rooms around the tunnels.

Once she had set off, after kissing Kelvar on the cheek and more 'thank yous', Kelvar went into the street. Then proceeded a number of pitched battles which Kelvar disbatched quickly. As he continued through the city, many of those Assassins and armed civilians whom he had saved came with him. They were like avenging angels upon the Templars, destroying any that they found. Eventually they came to the Villa.

Kelvar saw Adolf bending over his apparently dead wife. A templar had come up behind him and was quickly disbatched. Kelvar mounted the steps and came to Adols, whom was howling out call to all the Assassins. Being there already, the little army Kelvar had gathered surge up the steps and quickly cleared the Villa area of all Templars. Meanwhile, Kelvar had moved behind Adolf to his wife.

Checking her pulse, Kelvar found a faint hearbeat. He was somewhat learned in human antonomy, though not in its fixing. He was able to use this to some degree however. Her face was a simple enougn fix, though painful for her. It would never look the same, and she would be slightly malformed. If she lived though, Kelvar doubted she would care. Kevar had to reposition and hold the caved in bone with some wood and other things he found lieing around. During the repositioning, the woman cried out faintly. Kelvar made sure that Adolf wouldn't get in the way before continuing.

The Hamstrings were more of a severe issue. The had been cut neatly yet savagely, right aat the lace that caused the most pemenant damage. Kelvar could stop the bleeding, but she would liekly never walk again. Taking a small bag of supplies from a pouch of one of his compatriots, Kelvar carefully applied medicine to the wound. It burned to the woman, and she cried out faintly again. He then proceeded to sew the leg up, not just on the surface, but n the inside to. The thread would eventually dissolve when the leg healed properly, and the outside stiches could be plucked out.

Havving done all he could do, Kelvar ordered to men to carry the woman into the villa, adding the extra order to support her legs and head. Now Kelvar turned back to Adolf, raising an eyebrow. He would have assumed Adolf would recognize a faint heartbeat, and this bothered him. Maybe the man had become to upset to remember Kelvar's lesson on the matter.