Shadows: Whisper | Assassin's Creed

[Danniphantom]

"The ruins are in an area around where this road travels through a mountain range via a tunnel. We'll stop before the tunnel and take a small, almost completely hidden foot path up to The site of the ruins. Then we'll rest before we go inside." Aero said. He looked around and saw the sun sinking further behind the horizon behind them. "Hold on." He said kicking the horse again and pulling the reins tight and getting ready to gallop. "We'll make better time this way." He said as the horse shook its head then galloped along. "Pirates who are docked in the port generally tend to camp around those woods knowing travellers go along carrying goods of some kind. So they wait for the right chance to jump." He said informatively.

 

((Short post, using phone on bus ride to school.))

[RainDash]

Lucia just wanted to be numb again. That aloof fool who has confidence. Who thought she was better than the masters. There were reasons that they were masters, after all. "Did I miss anything while I was gone?" The penance for her acts wouldn't be her wounds, not by a long shot. She was going to stay inside that whole month. Lucia couldn't take up that much of her master's time. She could read the books again. Thumb through them and study them rigorously. Lucia smiled, even though she was hurting. She lived, and for sure, she knew that she might as well be dead or die. She thought that they knew, and had simply left her to die. She earned it, Lucia knew she earned it. She didn't deserve to live. Her friend had give his life uselessly, she didn't deserve to even continue living, the way she had been acting.

~

Grabbing onto Aero, Joan tried to hold on and stop herself from falling off. She wasn't feeling his well-toned muscles, or the tears in his cloak. At least, that was Joan tried to tell herself anyway. "So, tunnels underground... lots of hiking to get up there. Where did you learn about this relic anyway? Relics aren't exactly something you hear about from the herald." Joan knew that this contact somehow knew about this relic that Joan had never heard or seen before. It sounded suspicious to her. Pirates waited to attack people out on these roads, eh? Feh, how stupid. Clearly they would be cold and eventually freeze, since not many people came this way and not often, they would also be crazy to attack two assassins. Those stupid pirates would be dead in a few seconds flat. Joan didn't display useless kills that asked for it, because they didn't mean anything, sure there was the 'ew' factor, but it didn't impact those left much. Just to make the citizens avoid the body on the way to whatever aimless way they were going. "Do you actually do this for fun? Seems pointless to me."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

"Uh, nothing happened while you were gone." Casio looked away when Lucia asked what happened when she was gone. He certainly was not going to tell his apprentice that he had gone around with another master. She was young and she didn't need to know. Now Scipio had to know. Definitely. He imagined the man smirking wildly as he told him, and then laughing. Of course, he didn't believe Scipio "training late at night" with Ambra. Of course, they were doing something more interesting. It wasn't like Scipio to keep Ambra up late at night while she froze to death. They were doing some thing... More like... Doing something extra curricular. He snorted in his thoughts. When he was finished with her wounds, he pulled away and looked her over. "What exactly happened?" he questioned. Now he wanted to know what happened to his beloved apprentice. She was one of the youngest in her training, if not the youngest. He wouldn't know what to do if she was killed or kidnapped and he would never see her again. Not to mention that Aelia would have his head. Aelia was still fresh in his mind. Like a daisy, a sweet, sweet daisy. No, she was not a daisy. She was just... A thing. A daisy that had blown onto his doorstep for the night and blew away the next morning. Yes, that was what she was. "Tell me everything," he coaxed, patting her on the head. "I was actually supposed to go and find you, but I found you in that haystack and you darted off without saying anything. I was worried and I followed you, and now we're here." he shrugged. "Anyway, I have a training session for you about religion. This is the only time that you will be able to leave the HQ without asking. We're going to church."

[Mousia]

Scipio was on his way, feeling like a poor boy again. Balancing the pole on his shoulders with the buckets at the ends, he trekked towards the well. When he reached it, the man stood in line behind an old woman who filled her little bucket slowly, hands shaking. When it finally came to be his turn, Scipio hoisted the bucket full of well water to the surface. From there, he filled his own buckets until they were filled. Sighing at the weight, the burly man started his journey back home. As he walked, boys kicked stones and threw sticks before. Watching them he smiled sadly. A smile that showed how tired he was. How the man ached and had an older face and mind than his years. His old, hazel eyes examined everything before he turned into the alleyway that led to the HQ. When he entered, the man went straight to the back room, still with a nostalgic and faraway expression on his face. Seeing Ambra, he set the water down. "Is it enough?"

[RainDash]

"I got drunk and did something stupid. Next thing I know... I'm in a Templar cell with a man named Tano." Lucia replied to Casio's question. Lucia sighed, she really had messed up big this time, hadn't she? Plus, Casio was touching her. Lucia would have been upset, but she told herself it was supposed to be a comforting gesture. He worried about her, and she had brushed past him in a daze. Some tough assassin she was. Casio mentioned something about church. She had heard of it, but never bothered to go. Something about a God, some kind of snake, and the Templars who had their roots in the church made her avoid it. "Why are we going Mentor?" Lucia asked, wondering why this 'Church' had become a lesson. It didn't seem to fit, since most Churches shunned and hated killing. Assassins had become the very image of killers in this world.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Ambra sat down on the edge of the basin, running a hand through her soggy red hair. She sure stuck out from the crowd; everyone had black, brown, or blond hair. She was the only one with red hair, which was like a flame. Hmm, flame, she thought. Her eyes went to the kindling flame that had been lit by Scipio. She cupped her hands around it and relished its warmth, its warm, safe fire. Her breath stirred it, making it flicked and sway with her breathing. Once, she had almost turned it off, and she left it alone. As the small flame slowly grew again, she turned her back toward the door. She slipped her robe down over her shoulders to take a look at the stinging sensation that had started. Ah, scratches. SHe shook her head and turned toward the door when it opened. There was Scipio, setting down the buckets of water and asking if it was enough. "Si," she noticed the tone in his voice and looked up at him as she walked up to him. Her fingers dipped into the buckets to feel the water. It was... Good. "What's the matter, master?" she asked, blinking up at him with confusion. All of a sudden, he seemed far away. "Anyway, this water is fine. I'll be taking a bath now if you don't want me to ask you what's wrong." she said with a frown. Sometimes Scipio was like that. Cold to his surroundings. She reached her hand out and petted his cheek softly and lovingly. Maybe that would make him feel better. Then again, this was Scipio they were speaking about.

 

Casio rolled his eyes when she answered. So she had had gotten drunk and got captured and ended up in a Templar cell with Tano. Great, now he would have to hunt the man down. And usually that took days. When Lucia questioned about church. Ah, he was as confused as her when Ebizio had taken him to church and prayed with him and went through a sermon. He nearly fell asleep, but Ebizio kept him awake with sharp jabs in his ribs. "Althougj it doesn't seem like it," he started. "Assassins are religious. ... Er sort of. I am, I'm sure. You see, we go around killing, but most of the times we do not think about their lives and the pain they had gone through. Do you remember Ezio? He killed his major enemies and sent them off after giving them a chance to speak. We must follow his example and become people of religion. It is hard, surely. But you need to know that one day, you will be going the same way as people that were killed." he explained. "I hope you see sense in this."

[RainDash]

"I do not belong in Church." A dirty slave. She had been told that over and over again. Sometimes the memories that she had been tucked into the farthest reaches of her mind came up. She felt dirty in more than one way, would they even allow her past the doors? No, close your eyes and it would be over in a minute. Her master was a very sick man, tossing her aside once she stood up to him. She didn't receive lashes, something about ruining her pretty face. "I understand, Mentor. I just, cannot enter there. I do not belong in church or anywhere near there. I may be melodramatic in the phrasing, but I know where I do not belong." Lucia restated. She was tired, and had enough for one day. Ezio was her favorite memoir, she could read those over and over again. She could pretend that she was Ezio, and that her life was exciting, and she was strong.

[Mousia]

Scipio nodded, but didn't move. His mind was not with Ambra. It was far away. He was only a child. He couldn't read, write, or speak intelligibly. He was certainly not going back to where he had been. "Garfunkle..." It had been the code word. It had been the word that he and his father had exchanged. The sole word that they could both say with perfect accuracy. It was the most important word in their odd, few-worded language. Danger. Peril. Distress. Heroics. "Garfunkle." He said the word with more conviction. He said it more firmly. He said it as if she would understand the meaning. "Escape...escape the crosses. Escape the red crosses." He repeated his father's desperate words. He repeated them as he saw what he had seen while he ran. He kept the words in his heart, for they were the last relics he held of his father. "Run from those who kill for the applause." The map. The map was a sort of relic, too. He had a map of Roma. It held the only words that he could read at that time. Run from those who kill for applause. Escape the red crosses.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Casio blinked when Lucia said that she did not belong in church. When she explained herself, he quirked a brow. Ah, so she had bad expierences with churches, but at least she understood where he was coming from. Nodding his head, he looked away. What could she do to keep her busy in the HQ until tomorrow in training? Maybe... Maybe he could ask her to help Ambra with translating a few books. She was okay at that right? His eyes rested on her for an instant, a reassuring smile on his face. "I respect that. I just wanted to make sure that you respected lives, no matter how evil the person is or how annoying." he turned away from her and looked around the barracks. Some assassins had slept late, and they lay curled up in their beds, snoring softly in their sleep. There was the occasional muttering and twitch, and an outburst of something irrational as well. It was how they slept; in fact, does not everyone sleep like this? Curled up in bed with calm expressions and snoring lightly as they escaped reality to enter the lovely lull of dream, or the terrifying world of nightmare. He had nightmares much more than dreams, which as why he hardly got any sleep in the first place. "If you do not wish to go to church, go to Ambra and help her with translating with books until she decides to go. She goes to church around this time so she'll work a bit on her books and then she'll leave."

 

Ambra pulled away in surprise when Scipio spoke. He was making no sense. He was saying something, saying 'Garfunkle'. What was that? Was her mentor going insane? Was he ill? Worry sparked in her, and she listened to what he had to say. Escape the crosses. Templars? Run from the ones who kill for applause. It seemed that Scipio expected her to know what he was speaking about. But he was just frightening her. Ambra stared at him and looked t his face. It was so childish. What was happening? "Oi," she tapped him on the cheek softly with a finger. "I appreciate it if you leave so I can bathe in peace." she smiled to make him smile. She was helping him, trying to make him laugh and break out of his daze. The man in front of her needed some time to himself, she guessed and she had to make some sense at what he had just said. She began to undress, expecting him to be gone already. She got her bath ready and slipped inside, smiling softly at the warm water. Ah, that felt nice. She needed that. Maybe she could rest today. But she had to go to church of course. That was something that she couldn't put to one side.

 

[Mousia]

Snapping suddenly out of his daze, Scipio jumped back. "Uh... See you..." The man left the room quickly, wanting to avoid his memories. Dirty, cold, and embarrassed, the man made his way through the barracks, though he stopped when he saw Casio with Lucia. Making a B-line towards them, he smiled at the sight of Lucia speaking. As he heard the last remnants of their conversation, he swerved away from them, going towards his own bunk. As he reached it, he laid down and stared straight up. He could see Casio and Lucia from his vantage point, but hearing them was out of the question. So he just said nothing. He just stared up and pondered an thought. Scipio was careful not to think of his past, though. The memories were too dangerous. With a grin, he replayed the happenings of the night before and closed his eyes.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Casio sighed and looked away. How was he going to teach Lucia how to be right completely if she didn't want to go anywhere near a church? It wasn't like Casio went everyday. He went maybe once or twice every year. Once on Christmas for sure, when he went with Aelia and Ambra. They usually stayed to the back where no one could see them, since there were Templars there as well. But they knew better than not to bring violence into a church when they did see them. Of course, they had to have their hoods drawn up so their identities wouldn't be revealed. Casio shook his head and looked up when he saw Scipio approaching. Then he smiled and made his way toward his bunk. Casio perked, and then frowned. He wanted to tell Scipio what had happened. But someplace more... Private. He patted Lucia in the back and stood up, making his way toward Scipio. "Hey, you pass by and don't even say ciao?" he smirked at his friend, who seemed to want to sleep. Ah, he was sneaky. He didn't want to say what exactly happened with Ambra and him. It was about time that they did do something; they seemed to care about each other a lot. "How about we go out and drink, hmm? We can drink some mead and ale and all of that good stuff. Maybe there's some whiskey!" he said, tipping his head to the side and grinning happily. He usually acted like this with Scipio since he was his ultimate best friend ever.

[Mousia]

(Nice word choice, there, TMD. )

 

Scipio heard Casio's footfalls, but kept his eyes closed. Opening one eye, he watched the man as he spoke. "I was trying to...nevermind... Let's go, then." The man sat up quickly, bumping his head on the bunk above his. Scipio didn't know if anyone slept there, but they must have surely been very patient with all the noises he made and all the head-bumping. Lowing his head, the man crept from his little haven and stood next to Casio. The men were roughly the same height and age, but they were so different. One had dark, dark brown hair and the other had brown-blonde hair. One had hazel eyes of dark knowing and painful ignorance and the other had light eyes of perpetual glee. How could the two friend be so different? How could they be so polar? Smiling, the man laughed heartily. "Something you have to tell, my friend?" Soon after his words, though, Scipio realized what he had to tell Casio. Still, he had a creeping sensation that he already knew. Spying fox! His face went pale for a moment as he pondered over what to tell Casio. Should he just lie? Should he just let Casio talk and listen passively?

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Lol what did I write.]

 

Casio chuckled when Scipio's head banged on the top bunk. His eyes wavered to the top to see a bundle of white cloth, clearly an assassin, snorting abruptly at the sudden jerk before snoring again. Casio looked at Scipio as he questioned if he needed to speak with him about something. A maliciously playful glint shone in his eyes, and he put an arm around Scipio's shoulder and started to lead him along. A smirk crossed his lips, and he looked at him with curiousity. "I know something about you~" he sang. Of course, Casio did not like spying, but he was a great observer. How Ambra walked in, looking dazed and shaggy. Scipio, how he came in and laid on his bed with a smug and self satisfied smile. "Scipio and Ambra, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" he laughed, nudging his friend as he exited the HQ. "I have something to tell you, but tell me, how was it like? Was it like any other with women or was it different?" he asked as he made his way toward one of the taverns down the street. There was a smirk on his lips as he hummed a song under his breath. There was Casio for you. Always happy.

[Mousia]

(Congrats. Something I can directly relate to and am able to tell what it is that that situation reminds me of. *blush*)

 

Scipio heard Casio taunt him and his cheeks immediately went bright red. No clever retort came. No snappy reply. Nothing. So he just let himself be lead by his friend. As they entered the familiar setting of the tavern, he sighed. "It was cold. We were cold training last night." After a while, he decided to just stick to his stupid story. There was no use in sputtering out an answer. Casio would just laugh more. Taking a seat at the bar, Scipio waved and laid some gold down on the counter. After ordering a couple pints of mead, he sighed again. "What do you have to confess, then?"

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[]

 

Casio smirked again as he entered the tavern and plopped roughly on a seat. Scipio paid for a couple of pints of mead, in which Casio licked his lips. Ah, mead. Fermented honey... It was delicious! Strong, yet delicious. His fingers twisted around the pint and he raised it to his lips, and pressed it against them. Swallowing the mead in the pint, he licked his lips and looked up at him. What did he have to confess? Ah, yes! Aelia and him. "You know... Aelia and I kinda... Had some privacy." he smirked and leant against the bar, looking smug of himself. He told Scipio that he was one day going to get her, but he stopped believing. But Casio got whatever he wanted no maygè what! Drinking from the mead again, he decided to poke more fun at Scipio. "So how did the cold training work, friend? Maybe I could train like that with Lucia." he watched him closely, playing fake curiousity. Of course, he really wanted to know why exactly happened and how did it start. Buy before he could poke more fun, a couple of courtesans strolled in and immediately caught Casio's eye. His fingers immediately dug into his pouch and found that he had brought just enough money for him to drink. "Scipio, look at those women. They're just asking for it." he said wistfully. "I wish I can just... Ugh."

[Mousia]

At Casio's confession, Scipio grinned wildly. Ah, so he finally got the girl, eh? Well, Aelia wasn't just any girl. She was probably the only one that the majority of men deemed off limits. Good for him! He wondered what Casio could have done to lure the woman into such a trap. How he could have enticed her so. When Casio brought up Ambra, though, he choked on his mead. Scipio coughed and droplets of the liquid flew from his mouth, eager to escape. "I don't think she's that into you...," he said quietly. Upon the mention of women, Scipio struggled not to turn and look. "I bet they're just lovely, Casio. Aelia would be so happy to see you with one them. In fact, I think I'll watch and draw pictures for her to look at. That would delight her." His voice was rich with sarcasm, though he congratulated himself on not looking at them. He had to cut back. Relationships were relationships. He knew better than to betray people. He knew better than to break ties. He knew the pain that every had to have gone through to end up in such a group as the Creed. He knew the worlds of hurt they must have had to endure. He knew the feeling. The feeling of supposed protectors killing off entire towns to keep power.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Casio watched the woman closely, smiling in a weird way. The way that they strolled right in front of you... It made you want to touch them! And they liked to be touched, didn't they? He wished he had money, just for one to plop in his lap for five seconds... That's all he needed, after all. When Scipio didn't even look, Casio was shocked. He was used to having Scipio delve in and out of women, having one today and another a few days from now. He quirked a brow. "Hey, what's wrong? You didn't even look." he sipped at his mead as he prodded Scipio playfully in the ribs. He wasn't even laughing, which was what he usually did. The courtesans spoke to a man and left again, his eyes following them again. "I mean, you usually go crazy for them! You would of gone after them with me." he sighed and rested his hand in his chin. Maybe Scipio was going dry on him. He shouldn't be, though. "And Aelia and I aren't... Anything. It was just because we were there and whispering to one another and kissing one another and... Well. You know all of the story." Casio raised an eyebrow at his friend before smiling and shoving him lightly with a hearty laugh. "Come on, Scipio! Lighten up! It's a wonderful day, there are plenty of wonderful women around... Blonds, black haired, brown haired... I heard that the brothel down the street opened up! Wanna go there after this?" he finished his pint of mead. He was just trying to get Scipio in the mood.

[Mousia]

"I don't know, Casio. It seems childish. Are you a child? Are you really? There comes a point at which a man must grow up and put his pant on. What's the point? What's the point of paying a woman for a night when you can just stay with one and get many free nights? You see, you act like a child and I realize that, to be a man, you must stop and think: is it really worth it?" After his sentimental speech, Scipio downed some more of his drink and chuckled a bit. "But you wouldn't understand..." It was true! Casio would probably never understand. He would probably grow old and be refused by even the most desperate of woman. He would probably grow old and die without a lasting memory. Without a family. Oh, but Scipio had much different plans. Someday, he would kick down a Templar in public and receive cheers and cries of joy. Someday, he would have sons that looked up to him and asked him questions. Someday, he would teach more than an apprentice. He would teach a boy how to be a man and watch his children blossom. He would watch his daughters grow up to be as beautiful as their mother and his sons to be as strong as the Creed. At those thoughts, he smiled. "No, Casio, you wouldn't understand..."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

"I am not a child." hissed Casio lowly. The man shook his head out and sighed. This was so sad; he had lost Scipio to a woman. To a woman! Who did that?! "And what makes you think I don't understand? I do. Love." he drank deeply, becoming aggravated. "Love is a poison. It starts off in your mind and heart; it brings tingling to your stomach. And then it affects your actions! What you do, what you say, what you feel..." Casio looked up sharply. He didn't believe in love. It was toxic. It killed you. Like it killed his father. "You feel love, you do stuff you dont want to do. What happens if Ambra is captured and you want to save her, but I said no? You would still go, wouldn't you? You would risk your life for Ambra with the words I love you in your mind. Love is pitiful. Love is weak. It is an emotion that kills you, Scipio. It eats you up right from the inside." he hated love. He felt no love, only towards the Creed. The Creed was love. The Creed was your wife. The Creed was your child. You took care of it and it had bore into your heart and it stayed there. It never left. It comforted you and loved you and led you the way you were supposed to go. Love was rash, foolish, it tore your heart to pieces when it left. And yet, people still follow it with fire in their stomachs. Scipio had fallen victim to it. Casio sure wasn't.

[Mousia]

(He feels very strongly against it... Interesting *descends upon post to find key pieces of information*)

 

"But don't you think a man has a right to die for something he loves? Don't you think it's sad to love only the Creed? It does not grow and change. It just...is. It cannot love you back, for it has no emotions. It exists only because we are still inside it. I agree, it is to be respected and served, but love is too strong a feeling. You don't know what it is, do you? You know it is the opposite of hate, which you feel in full. You hate Templars. They betrayed you. They killed a part of your heart. You hate the feeling of love. It suspends you. You are not in control. That is what you fear. You fear not being able to control yourself and others. You loved your father, but he died. You will never forgive love for letting that happen. You hate loss. If you lost a wife, you would never love again. If you lost a child, you would never love again. That is what you fear! You are afraid. Casio, it will come. This is why I say you don't understand. You are still bleeding from your wounds. But it was not love that killed your father. It was not. He knew that he would die for who he loved. It is like the Creed. You know that you could die any day now because of it. You know that loving the Creed is a danger to you. You know... I know too. I know that I will die. I know that I don't care how I go, because I am satisfied. I know that when I die, wherever I end up, I will be happy because Ambra will be there. If not, I will have her in my heart. That is all I need. Eventually, hatred sputters out if given enough time. But love never dies. Sometimes, a cloud shrouds it from your eyes, but nothing can come between your heart and other but your own mind. Casio, I know you will be caught, like me, one day. Maybe you deny it, even now. Maybe you want to not love someone, but you do. You know you do. I know you aren't strong enough to deny love forever. No one is. Even assassins have feelings. You know it. You know we have rage and sadness and pain. But we also have happiness and laughter and love." The man's eyes shown with pain, but he hid in in a long gulp of his drink. "You drinking before church, Casio? Gluttony, gluttony."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Yep, and Scipio said clearly what happened.]

 

The words that he said. They pierced his heart like an arrow in his chest. A lump formed in his throat, painful, and he swallowed it down with mead. That was exactly what happened. His father was everything, everything. He was his moon and stars, his sun and clouds. His laughter was contagious and his smile was as bright as the day. He made him the man that he was. The man had fallen, protecting his wife and his only son until the very end. Casio swallowed more mead and shook his head out. "Gluttony?" he snorted. The man had tears welling in his eyes, and thank goodness for his hood, because they protected his tears from being shown in public. It was sad, so, so sad. He would of lived a different life from now. He would of been a farmer, tending the fields and plowing the fields... And getting the other farmer's daughter pregnant. And then getting chased out of town with a pitchfork. "At least I drink before church and not after it. I carry the words of the lord upon my shoulders when I come out of there." he scratched the back of his head, and looked sheepishly at his friend. "How does love feel like? Every time I try and remember I can't find out how it felt."

[Mousia]

When Casio paused, Scipio thought. Did he really hurt another person? Could he really not control himself? Was he so inconsiderate? Was he so scarred that he had to reopen the wounds of others? Was he so angry that he had to ruin the days of others? Casio spoke, though, and the man smiled. It was a start, he guessed. Jesus had drank with his followers, too. Another pause made him think again. Why was it that people put so much faith in something they could not see? They could not touch it, either. Or hear it. "What does it...feel like?" The man looked over at his friend. So he had hurt him. After a moment of contemplation, Scipio answered. "It's like...it's like getting stabbed a million times. It's like fighting a battle that you never seem to win. But something inside of you keeps saying to go on. It's like a fire. It's like you take the pain because you don't want the other person to feel it. But they do. Everyone does. And when something bad happens to them...it's like dying. It's like watching your very soul shrivel up and die. It puts the worst sort of rage in your heart. There's no forgiveness until you know the threat is gone. There is no peace, Casio. It's like being in a war forever. Constant turmoil. Love is a torture that no words can explain. No one but yourself can feel the exact kind of pain it puts your through. Love is something that makes you feel alone, but happy. It's the saddest kind of happiness. It's the kind that an incarcerated man feels. It's the kind that no one can replicate. It shreds your heart to pieces and makes your stomach fly. Love is war. Love is a war within yourself. And, sometimes, it makes you hurt people. Sometimes, you hurt the people you love because you love them so much. You make them feel weak because you think they are. No matter how small a threat, there is nothing that you don't fear. But it still makes you happy. Just like it makes a miner happy when he finds a nugget of gold, even though he must keep mining. You see, Casio, love is the work for only the courageous. Many fear it. It must be feared. But those without love are without life. The thing that hurts the most is being far from the people you love. It hurts even more than being with them. It pains the heart and the mind more than words could even come close to expressing."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Casio blinked when Scipio spoke. So love was like getting stabbed a million times. Wow! How thrilling and lovely! It would be just perfect to be stabbed in the chest a million times! But as he spoke, he tried to remember if he felt that way toward his father. Did he? Yes. He remembered that one moonlit night, where Templars stormed his home to look for his father. His father was prepared, though. He had dragged a sword from underneath the bed and struck one, two, four Templars down while his mother held him in the bedroom, crying softly to herself. He remembered that his father was big and strong and loyal. And loving. Yes, he remembered how he held him in his arms when he was little, and made him laugh. His warmth and his smile was unforgettable. "... Do you know why they killed my father?" he swallowed roughly. "... ... My father and mother... They were both part of the Creed once. They retired to be with each other and they had me. They came out of the Creed when my mother was pregnant with me..." he sighed. "That's why they got killed. And... I was not born Casio Portabello..." he added, running a hand through his hair. "I was born Montrico Delacasa. They had to change my name because the Templars knew my name, and my parents had to do it to protect me..."

[Mousia]

Scipio nodded as he sipped his mead. Casio's silence meant he was considering things. He was thinking. For once, his friend was thinking! "I can only imagine how hard it must have been." Scipio decided not to tell Casio that the same thing had happened. The difference was that Scipio's village was exterminated. The boys were branded and used as slave-warriors and the girls were either killed or taken to...relieve the needs of the Templars. And they wore the crosses on their armor! What hypocrites! What thieves! Scipio had been too small, he knew. His parents knew he would have been killed. So he hid. He escaped the Templars. The lucky one. But he had heard his parents' shrieks of terror. He had seen their bodies fall to the ground and the blood that ran from their bodies. But he had to run. He had to stay alive. For them. He had to keep going, no matter how heavy the weight of their deaths. But he didn't tell. He never told anyone of the murders. He would have to be the child who never existed. Just like Casio had to be the child who appeared from air. "I suppose I haven't heard of the Delacasas for that reason. And I suppose it's good that you didn't grow up in the Creed. Two Aelia's would be a nightmare." The man chuckled at his joke as he stared down at the counter. "It's time to go, I think. I'll go with you. Maybe I'll find God." Smiling, the man chuckled again. He probably wouldn't find faith. He really didn't believe in such things. He still wondered why Ambra and Casio believed in such things. Why they held onto the notion. Perhaps it was like love, though. Perhaps it was an invisible, urging voice that chose only few to touch with light.

 

Aelia nodded at Kristi's comments. "Okay, then. I suppose we'll just make one round through the city and head back so I can show you the map. If you need help getting places, you can ask anyone. There's usually someone around. Oh, and if you have a change of commoners clothes it would help you a lot. There are some situations when we wear 'normal people' clothes." The woman kept walking, weary of the people around them. Hood up, she glanced from side to side. So far, no one seemed to be particularly suspicious. She passed an herbal shop, judging by the smell. "There are also lots of carts around here if you get hungry." As she spoke, a cart caught her eye. Grinning, Aelia made a B-line towards it and, as she passed, wrapped her fingers around a shining, red apple. Turning a corner into the shadows, the woman took a bite. "See? Easy as that."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Casio bowed his head, and grumbled softly. He sure missed his parents, but he dreamt with them often. You know, when he didn't have nightmares. Which was why he slept shirtless. The man used to wake up soaking wet, in fact he still did, and he used to soak up his cloak in sweat and he stunk the whole day. Which meant another bath, and he hated baths. But his parents in his dreams... Were comforting. Sweet. Smiling at him. Telling him how proud they were of him. He made no sense of it, nor did he care. It was just a stupid dream. When Scipio said that he would go to church with him, he perked. Really? He never went to church with Scipio. It was only Ambra and Aelia that went with him. He often went to weddings, and he wished that he was free for just a moment. No fear of dying. No fear of losing someone. Especially that small child wrapped in a blanket tucked warmly against his mother's breast. Casio sighed and shook his head. He was no good. He couldn't be a father. He let nothing shackle him to another person, except the Creed. "Sure. Let's go. The sermon must be getting started." he said. He liked church. The sense of security. The sense of faith. But the sense of guilt shrouded him as well. A killer going to church. Who would of known?