Shadows: Whisper | Assassin's Creed

[Dusset]

((Fun fact: That thing about shields, actually propaganda.))

 

"No. We bury our fallen soldiers on the battle field. It's because when a soldier is in a phalanx, he doesn't hold his shield in front of him. He holds his shield in front of the man on his left. This enforces trust and comradery in the men. If you trust the man on your right, you have nothing to fear, because he is there to protect you. And you are there to protect the man on your left. I don't fight in a phalanx of men any longer, but I have faith in that belief. I have faith that my brethren will protect me. So I carry my shield, to protect them." Cyrus said, correcting Zero. It was something he held dear to his heart. Something he thought all assassins should believe. They readily call themselves brothers and sisters, but they weren't without being able to give their lives for each other. "That includes you, you know. I hold my shield to protect you and everyone." He capped his water and scratched his head. "And I have no intention of teaching you to be a spartan. You are not a spartan. You are an assassin. And I'll teach you like an assassin. I slap you because it is a temporary pain, not to hurt you. I slap you because I need you to think of yourself as more. Every time you tell me you are less than what you are you will be slapped. And each time it will be harder. Do not let me believe you are lying. Because if you lie to me when I ask what you think of yourself, you are hopeless, and deserve nothing."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Kaethe giggled and got up. "Sure! I'll be sure to hide really well so you'll never find me!" she boasted.

"Athenians!" someone cried from a ways off. Kaethe looked up. "Athenians are coming! This way! We have to leave or take a stand here!"

"That's Typhon." Kaethe murmured.

 

[Friend's house.]

[Mousia]

(Fun fact: I must consult my notes for writing angry letters. )

 

Zero shook his head. "If you don't want me to lie, then you shouldn't slap me when I tell you the truth." He put one hand on his chin and the other on the top of his head, using them to twist his head in such a way that it made a cracking noise. It was strangely therapeutic. "If you just wanted to run and talk, why bother staying out here so long?" He stretched his arms by folding one in a triangle-like shape and pulling on it with the opposite arm (X). "Besides, I'm a little out of shape. Could use some training, you know?" Technically, he wasn't "out of shape" in the common sense of the saying. He did have muscle and he still was strong, but all the time making bombs...he wasn't in prime condition. Especially considering his youthful age. He could do much better. But hey. It was worth it to get his eyes adjusted to working even among the smog from his smoke bombs. And he could still carry Kaethe... That was what mattered, right? But he did want to improve. And if dealing with Cyrus was what that took, then he supposed he'd have to do it. Right?

[Dusset]

Cyrus sneered at Zero. If he thought his way was so much better, why was he an apprentice? "Look Zero. I'm not here to make you a soldier, I'm here to make you an assassin. Every now and again, that involves speaking. And thinking. And philosophy. I have to know you, and you have to know me. You don't tell the truth when you answer, my question however. You're not an obstacle, boy. You're a prodigy. We all are. I don't know if you subscribe to the idea that we're demi-gods as you and I are yellow-haired, like the Gods. I don't. But we have abilities that most mortal men couldn't dream of. You can see things that no men from Athens can. I just wish you could see your potential." He said the last bit as he stood up, and pressed the tip of his index finger into Zero's forehead. "Now, demonstrate for me your best weapon. Attack me with it." He ripped his shield from the ground and dusted off the dirt. He drew his sword and waited for the assault.

[Mousia]

Zero shook his head at Cryus' command. "I can't use my most dangerous weapon on you. You would die and so would I. I use bombs, see? Even running away, the force would break you. If it got you by surprise, though, you would die for sure. Or be seriously hurt. Even with the shield to deflect it, the bomb wouldn't go far enough away for you to be safe." He shrugged and cracked his knuckles. "Otherwise, though, I can show you something that might be an inconvenience but won't do anything worse than making your eyes itchy." Pulling out a smoke bomb, he threw it in the air so that it fell between them. In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded by a dense smoke. Zero shrugged it off, as he had grown accustomed to it as he tested them, but usually enemies weren't quite so fond of it. After the gentle breeze cleared the smoke, he sighed. "As for actual weapons..." He extended his hidden blade. "This is all I use."

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[i posted...]

[Dusset]

Cyrus hadn't expected smoke. Bombs weren't common in fighting, he'd only seen one or two before. He threw his shield up to block most of the smoke and covered his eyes with his sword hand, letting his blade fall. Once the cloud cleared, he opened his eyes and blinked the residue out. "Mighty Aries, Zero. That was one damn good trick." He admitted. When he was shown how Zero fought besides things like that, he frowned. "Catch." He said, tossing his sword so that the hilt pointed at Zero, so he could catch it. "I don't know how you'll do if all you have is bombs and a hidden blade. They're great weapons, but you need to know how to use other weapons. Even I can shoot a bow to some degree of skill." He drew his hatchet in place of his sword and said, "Now, then, strike me."

 

((Darn. Wouldn't it be nice if Cyrus had heard Typhon's call?))

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Tis talking to Moose. ]

[Dusset]

((I know.

My IC was to Moose.

My OOC was a sarcastic joke.))

[Mousia]

Helena raised her head at Typhon's call. "Get inside and tell everyone to be ready for an attack. Otherwise try to remain calm and do things as you would normally do them. It's important that we are prepared, but not panicked..."

 

(Not much to say.)

 

Zero caught the sword (albeit a bit clumsily) in his right hand, though he was adamant on using his hidden blade as well. "Why would I use a sword when I could kill them from afar instead? Makes for cleaner work." But he did know how to use a sword. It was actually what he'd trained in most before the death of Helena's late fiancee. Then he just shrunk back into his shell, not wanting to leave. His mentor of a time had died, as well as his friend and part of his sister. It seemed like the world was over. But it wasn't. He moved on. Partially. Tapping the man's shield lightly, he didn't allow his gaze to move from him. "I used to use a sword. You'd have give me a worse hand if that hatchet you're using had been my weapon. Finesse is my strength, not brute force. But hey." He got in ready position, adopting one of defense. His sword was pointed outwards, protecting him to some degree from direct attack and left arm was closer to him, blocking his upper body. The hidden blade was close to his chin, but not that close. "You can have the first move."

[Dusset]

Cyrus laughed. "You might know how to use a sword, but that isn't some fancy sword. It's a short-sword. I want to know how you fight when enemies are inside your comfort zone." He raised his shield, tucking behind it, and advanced slowly, then suddenly thrust himself forward so that his shield might his Zero, but he lowered his shield and brought his hatchet to bear, moving swiftly to strike his apprentice with the back of the axe, to that it acted as a club and not a cleave. "You have to be well-rounded. You have to know how to use every weapon with some level of skill, whether it be novice or expert, and you can't rely on range as a sustainable defense. What if the enemy is on horse? You might kill the horse with a bomb, but by that time, he's closed the gap and can now jump run at you." He instructed as he attacked. He wasn't going easy, either, his blow had his full force, there was just no reason to teach someone if you weren't going to teach them how it was actually going to be.

[Mousia]

Zero shrugged as Cyrus spoke. He dodged easily, using his quick feet as much as possible. When he couldn't get away, he blocked with the sword and then evaded the force from the hatchet, as he was not strong enough to stop it, just belate the effects. "You do realize that just because I'm not a full assassin doesn't mean that I haven't fought recently. I have and I always will. Though I usually do have time to sneak up behind a guard to send a strong message from the beginning." He quickly retracted the hidden blade and pulled out a smoke bomb, whipping it at the ground so it exploded quickly, distributing its smog across a large-ish area. "Don't want to seem like a one trick pony, but I do tend to rely on the smoke to do half my work." He made a horizontal movement with the flat of his sword, trying to strike the hatchet with enough force that it would loosen Cyrus' grip of it. That would at least give him some way to break through the defense. Zero wasn't stupid. He wouldn't attack Cyrus' strongest point...

[Dusset]

Cyrus transitioned to Eagle Vision when he saw the beginning flash of the smoke bomb. "Good. I imagine you know some things, If not more than I think you might. But I hope in this training that you can sufficiently keep me at bay, under pressure or defeat me. You think I'm underestimating you, but I'm the one that keep telling you you're more than you think." He let the axe fall from his hand and extended his hidden blade. The bow on his back was constricting him only a little, but he quickly faced his shield to the man, and went for a bash at his chest. His hidden blade swept at his legs.

[Mousia]

Zero stuck his sword into the ground and threw himself over to the side, going upside down and using his hand as a support before landing on his feet a yard and a half away from where he had been previously. It was a very helpful thing for an assassin to know at least a few tricks, even if for the sole purpose of showing off. But Zero had become adept at using them, for the hidden blade usually required some pretty fancy getaways. Or a shield. But those were heavy and got in his way. Drawing the sword from the ground again, he lunged forward and attempted to press it flat against Cyrus' back, indicating that a kill would have been possible. But he also extended his hidden blade, using it to guard his body, as it was exposed from the lunge. That was the thing about those attacks. They exposed so much of one's body that a miscalculation could be the difference between life and death. But Zero, in all truths, wasn't one to attack with a blade anyways. Unless he was truly angered, like in the situation with Kaethe and the guards in that alley, he stayed away and used his blade for self defense if necessary. Seeing his enemy fall before him wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. Which was why he loved dodging. It gave him time and often aggravated attacking guards.

[Dusset]

((Cyrus, The Turtle.))

 

Cyrus had to move fast when Zero pulled acrobatics. If there was one thing Cyrus lacked, ti was that. He could free-run fine, but he had never bothered to practice intensively on hand-stands and the like. But as his apprentice made a move to him, he unlatched the strap on his shield and used it as a discus, which up close was lethal and a good distraction, and took a throwing knife in his hand to use as a dagger. He intended to jump upon Zero and press the knife to his neck to indicate victory. Among other things, he was best when he was on top of his enemies.

The shield hit him and he was down. Cyrus was on top of him and the knife was at his neck. He stared at him for a minute before he got up. Adrenaline was pumping now and he'd almost gone through with the kill. But he stood up and slide the knife back into a sheathe on his arm. Gathering his axe, it slid into the loop on his belt and his sword into it's sheathe. His shield was set on his back and he drank from his water. "It's cooling down. Let's head back." He only wanted to train during the hot hours.

Edited August 31, 2013 by Dusset

[Mousia]

Zero rubbed his his face with his hand upon getting up. Nope. The memories couldn't resurface just like that... But they did and he noticeably whimpered, which wasn't necessarily like him. He could be weak. He could lose. But he wouldn't whimper. Not for no reason like that... The memories were enough. He clenched his fist so hard that the pain from his nails digging in snapped him out of the trance, as it seemed. Sighing deeply, he tried to focus on how his sweat was beginning to cool him down finally, but his hands still shook from the brief episode. Finding his voice after a while, he spoke shakily, not looking at anything in particular. His eyes were full of distance, scared and wide. "Don't... Don't do that again." His skin was sheet pale as he walked on after the simple command. He was not one to use authority that he didn't have, but he doubted Cyrus would be up for hearing the story. No... Zero wouldn't be okay with telling it either. It was one thing when he was angry, but entirely another when something had brought back the memory. The scared little boy returned and possessed the young man's body.

[Dusset]

"Whatever." Cyrus said simply. He wasn't angry with him. But he was afraid of himself for a moment. He'd come very close to slitting his throat. He always thought he was better than those in the army that mindlessly fought. That he was above them because he saw the dark underbelly of politics that swayed the soldier's commanders and generals. But he'd been possessed with it, with everything he'd been trained to do. He'd been possessed with the reason he joined the assassins. "I'd just like to be home." He said. Trudging back from the pasture, he noticed that everyone was busying about. "You're free for today, Zero. Same time tomorrow." He sought out Sophia and Circe with Eagle Vision and came to the shack they were in. "How is everyone?" He asked, lighting up when he saw the center of his world.

[Mousia]

He...just didn't get it... The young man kept walking, separating himself from his mentor and the rest of the creed. He walked and walked for what seemed like hours, but it wasn't that long. He walked and walked and walked and walked until his legs refused to walk anymore. Then, when he was far, far away from Thebes and the creed and deep into the wilderness, Zero sat down at the base of a tree and cried. He cried and cried and cried like he had that day when he had been a prisoner. He hadn't spoken afterwards for a long time. The only sounds he made were whimpers and sobs. Cyrus wouldn't understand. His childhood may have also been ruined, but it was entirely different. Cyrus' childhood ended because of battle and training. Zero's childhood had been cut short by a guard who had made him impure. That had done the unthinkable. And while women almost expected that kind of thing... Zero had been a boy. A boy who hadn't thought it was possible for his entire being to be so utterly shattered.

 

(PTSD... I'm a bad person...)

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Kaethe was in the room with Circe. She was whispering things to the people in the shack, telling them to be prepared. They had to go, or to stand, but not panic. Circe looked up and frowned, heaving herself up from the rags on the floor. "... The Athenians are coming." She told Cyrus. "We must flee once more or make our stand here."

 

 

[Dusset]

Cyrus looked concerned and motioned for Sophia to come close to him. "What? Has Helena given any orders? And do we have any idea how many there are?" He picked his daughter up as she ignored what he was saying and hugged him tight.

 

((Sorry for short. I gotta do something real quick.))

[TwilightMoonDragon]

Circe

 

Circe rubbed her the front of her waist and frowned. What Devon did to her still ached. She would have to stagger around for a while... "Helena didn't give an order yet." she told him slowly. She looked at Sophia and frowned. What she was about to ask him to do was something that she doubted that he would say yes to. "I don't know how many are coming. It must be a lot. Typhon is in a panic." she reached out toward Sophia. "Give her to me. I will get a horse and ride for the mountains. Send a hawk when it is over."

 

Her brown eyes rested on his. She would take care of Sophia very well. Not because she was just falling for him, wanting to swoon into his strong arms and love him and raise a child with him as the father, but because Sophia was a mere babe and she... did not deserve to die. Her arms were outstretched as she watched him for any sign of aggression.

[Dusset]

Cyrus glared at her. Stared at Circe as if it would reveal some newfound information on her. But then he remembered what he'd told Zero. About his shield. And for the first time he had to think about... About everyone else but Sophia. That was hard to admit. He stayed silent as he thought this through. Hugging her tightly, he set down Sophia and asked her, "Sophy. You and Circe are going on an adventure. Is that okay? Papa won't be there."

Sophia looked up at the man. He'd been with her every day and as close to every hour of every day as he could get since he saved her. But, Circe was very nice. And she liked her a lot. And adventures were fun! "Okay!"

Cyrus frowned, but it turned into a smile. He didn't want to let go for even a second. Never. But... He wasn't a liar. And he'd make sure he didn't lie to his apprentice. "Papa loves you."

"I love you too."

Cyrus picked her back up and warily handed him over to Circe.

"Hermes! You're going with Circe. It's not safe for you here."

"Cool." The injured man said from a chair he'd gotten into after some hobbling.

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Wanna skip to when they're camped in the mountains? :3]

[Dusset]

((Sure. Do you want to start that?

If Moose doesn't come in and have Helena lay down the law, Cyrus will have everyone arm themselves and set ambushes.

Soldiers do what their superior tells them. Good soldiers can act on their own.))

[TwilightMoonDragon]

[Actually, can you start? I'm playing a game.]