//------------------------------// // Chapter 76: Frigid's New Apprentice // Story: A Long Way to Fall // by Cinders of War //------------------------------// "This is where I come in, Twilight." Morning Blade smiled at the thought of appearing in her own book again. "This is where I finally join the Assassins." "Oh, that's cool. So I get to see how you first joined?" Twilight watched as a duck dove under water, leaving only its rear sticking above the pond's surface. "How did that go?" "Well..." Morning pulled at her braid. "I kind of didn't write my origins in the Brotherhood, seeing as I don't need to write about myself. But I suppose I can tell you about it. "So after I finished school, I gave that number that High Noon gave me a call. I actually forgot about it for a while, but I happened to find it in one of the many books I own. After that, it was a simple arrangement of a meeting where I got to talk to Mentor Steel Shine and Star Lance. They explained to me what it means to be an Assassin." "Just like that?" Morning nodded. "Well, their cause sounded just, so I agreed to join them. The Templars sounded like they needed to be stopped, and of course, they did. So that's how my life in the Brotherhood began. Frigid was assigned to be my teacher. That's when I first met him. So..." Morning tapped a finger on her book. Much had happened for Frigid Night as of late. He had finally been released from house arrest about four months into it, allowing him to continue his task as an Assassin. He made sure to do everything the Mentor asked without question, trying his best to at least let her know he wasn’t going to compromise again. Through hard work and selfless performance, Frigid had finally achieved the rank of Assassin; it was the highest honour a person could go besides Master Assassin, which only the lieutenant held. Trueshot and Rose Petal had congratulated him, but the other Assassins still cleared away from him whenever he got too close. It didn’t matter to Frigid anymore. If the others didn’t want to talk to him, then so be it. Things with High Noon were getting better, but the cowboy still didn’t quite know what to say to him, nor did Frigid. “Frigid?” his new apprentice called him to the edge of their perch, looking down at the streets of Trottingham’s main city. “I think I see them.” Morning Blade had joined the Assassins two months ago, straight out of some school in Canterlot. The Mentor and Star Lance had thought it would be good for Frigid to train someone, to have someone to be responsible for. It was a long time since Frigid had gone on a mission with someone else, longer since he had to look after someone. The green-skinned girl had done up her white hair with green highlights into a single braid, going down the left side of her head. She had on a new off-white coat, similar to Frigid’s, but more slim fitted, along with a red shirt and long grey pants. He had wanted to grumble. To tell them that he worked better alone and that they should hand her to someone else, but in the end, he said yes and took her under his wing. Frigid taught her the mere basics, partially afraid that she too was going to betray him. If she wanted to do so, she would have to go learn up her other skills on her own, because Frigid wasn’t going to teach her any. The Assassin looked down at the passing cars, watching a convoy of Templar vehicles round a corner and headed towards… “The beach?” Frigid muttered. “Why are they heading to the beach? With cars?” “What should we do?” Morning Blade asked, resting a hand on the hilt of her katana. “Let’s get closer. See what they’re up to.” Frigid leapt off the roof first, not waiting for his apprentice as he bounded along the roofs before launching himself down into a sturdy tarp over some beach shop, bouncing a few times before coming to a stop. Morning Blade soon appeared beside him, climbing up from below; she didn’t seem particularly bothered that he had just ran off without warning. Frigid Night watched the Templars at the waterfront step out of their black cars. They had driven down down the sand, just to the edge of the water. He had no idea what they were planning, but it looked important enough. Three soldiers stood with the Templar, a grey haired woman wearing a white half-coat over a black suit. “Get the weapons ready,” their target, Sugar Rush ordered a few more men at the cars. The other Templars began lifting out medium sized black cases and placed them on the shore, just out of the water’s reach. “They’re transporting weapons?” Morning Blade whispered to her teacher. “To… the water?” “We’ll find out soon, I’m guessing…” Frigid scanned the beachfront with his eagle vision, looking for signs of other people. Sugar Rush was meeting someone, but at the beach? Soon, they had their answer as a large shape on the other side began rising out of the water as it approached them. “Is that… a submarine?” Morning pointed, wide-eyed at the sight. It resembled a large metallic drum with two fins on the side and a conning tower sticking out at the top. “Seriously?” Frigid marveled at the Templars’ desperation to win this war. The underwater vehicle pushed through a portion of the sandy beach before stopping close to the Templar ground team. A man familiar to Frigid hopped out the top and landed on the beach with a few other men, dirtying his black combat boots along the way. “Talon,” Sugar Rush greeted as the red-skinned man walked up to meet her. “You got the weapons?” he asked without wasting time. “Right here,” she said and stepped aside for her men to bring the cases over. “Where are they taking all these?” Morning Blade pointed to the ocean. “Across water… It has to be somewhere far.” “Come on,” Frigid sneaked off the tarp and kept to the shadows, walking slowly on the sand. “We can’t let them leave. Stick close. We’ll take them.” The sand was wet and sloppy, forcing Frigid to take more steps than he needed to get to the Templars without falling on his face. As soon as he was close enough, he kicked off the sand as hard as he could and propelled himself up into the air. Unfortunately, his jump didn’t go unnoticed as all the Templar heads turned in his direction. Fortunately, Morning Blade had him covered as he took down the nearest guard, burying his blade into the man’s neck as Morning’s first bullet from her pistol took out another who was lifting his gun up. “Assassins!” Sugar Rush yelled as she headed for the back of the Templar force. “Kill them all!” Morning Blade swiftly whipped out her katana, cutting a man across the chest as she drew it, a skill Rose Petal had taught her. She proceeded into the crowd, using her pistol and blade to thin down the soldiers, fighting her way to their target. Frigid headed straight for Talon, extending both trident blade attachments and his shoe blades. Frigid had lost to the ex-military Templar the last time they fought, but Frigid had learned a lot over the years, even if things weren’t always going great. He swung a blade at the major, but Talon simply grabbed his arm and stopped the blade before his face. “You, I remember you,” Talon fixed his thin orange eyes on Frigid. “You think you can defeat me? Just like that?” “Not quite.” Frigid jammed a blade into Talon’s arm and used it to lift himself up to stab the man in the chest with both shoe blades, but as soon as his shoe blades touched Talon’s chest, they bounced off instead of going through. Talon chuckled and threw the Assassin off of him, almost not noticing the wound in his arm. “Body armor. Your blades will do nothing against me.” Frigid growled as he flipped himself back to his feet and readied himself. The major’s body was protected, but Frigid obviously knew his arms weren’t. Talon’s sleeve was already soaking up red as he stood there. He attacked again, swinging his arms at the Templar, trying to get a hit in on his arms or face. Talon kept stepping back and parrying Frigid’s arms away with his own, the man being much stronger than the grey haired Assassin. From the shallow water, two of his men joined in, pointing their rifles at Frigid. The Assassin quickly tossed two throwing knives and ran, getting as close towards them as he could before they could fire. One knife killed one of the men instantly while the other only disabled the other man’s gun. Stepping under the Assassin’s blade, the guard drew a stun gun from his belt and fired it up, only for Frigid to kick his hand and send arcs of electricity into the man’s own chin. Talon glared at Frigid and spoke to a radio on his lapel. “This is Major Talon! Dragon One, get on the turret and focus all fire on the Assassins! I want them dead!” Immediately, a hatch atop the sub’s sleek surface slid open and a platform was raised. On it was a man in full body armor, crouching behind a heavy machine gun that Frigid had once seen in a museum, only this one was obviously operational and sported a few modern upgrades, like a laser sight and a bulletproof glass canopy. Frigid’s pupils shrank to dots and made a run for the streets before the sound of bullets began blasting through the soft sand behind him. He ran past of few of Talon’s men as they began clearing out, stabbing one in the chest as he tried to take a shot at the Assassin. The major himself was ushering the remains of his crew to hurry with boarding, only stopping to snatch a scoped rifle from one of the crates and jam a magazine into it. He didn’t wait for the man’s body to fall, keeping his pace up as he headed for his apprentice. Morning Blade was having a fight with Sugar Rush, the female Assassin wielding her katana, and the Templar using a staff of sorts. Frigid could almost feel the bullets behind him as they began to get closer. He wouldn’t make it to the city. Instead, Frigid whistled to Morning to get her attention. “Morning, this way! Quick!” Frigid tossed two smoke bombs down, one a little further from his position as Talon’s first bullet tore through his coat pocket, almost hitting him. The Assassin soon found his apprentice in the dense smog and pulled her along, getting both of them away from the beach and into the city while the smoke blocked the Templars’ vision. Frigid lead the way, leaping over a low brick wall and resting his back against it, keeping his head below the wall’s height. “You alright, Morning?” “Yes, sir,” Morning Blade patted herself for any injuries she may have missed. “Sorry I couldn’t stop the Templar, though.” “It’s fine. They had a turret. I mean, seriously? What?” Frigid looked around and made sure the streets were clear before pointing up the building. “We better head back. We gotta let Mentor know about that sub and the weapons transfers.” The Assassin Mentor had her work cut out for her, the first thing in the morning. There was some investigation to be done on Frigid Night’s mission yesterday. The Templars had a submarine and they were shipping weapons across the water, under the Assassin radar. The question was: Why? Steel Shine set down the summary of the night’s events and sighed. Although she didn’t look it, the Assassin leader was nearing her late fifties and at times like this, it really showed in her eyes and stance. Shine’s mother had been the exact same way, as had her grandmother and great-grandmother before her, all radiating that unearthly youth. She often joked in private that some of her luck had rubbed off onto Star Lance, but as he thought of Pierce Network, Red Card, and the other veterans, he wondered how true that was. No matter the truth, Steel Shine looked worn and weary now. Resplendent in her silk morning gown, the only signs of her station were the hidden blades on her wrists, the sword buckled at her side, and the innumerable age in her glittering eyes. Eyes that had seen too much. “You feeling alright, Steel Shine?” Star Lance pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. Steel Shine stared at the strip of wallpaper between two bookshelves, still as a statue and just as solemn. “No, I’m not.” The Mentor pushed aside a lock of her dazzling hair. “Nightmares. They keep coming.” “You okay with talking about them?” Star Lance asked, putting a hand on hers. “Sometimes it makes you feel better.” “Talk about them?” Steel Shine exhaled. “They’re dreams, Lance. They’re not real. It’s silly of me, being afraid of things that aren’t real. Might as well talk about ghosts and dragons and vampires.” Star Lance fixed a serious gaze towards her. “Are you certain? What about the bleeding effect?” The Assassin leader pursed her lips. “It’s not getting worse, if that’s what you’re asking.” “Could it be that… she’s trying to tell you something? Your ancestor.” “No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know, Lance. Ever since that day when Mirror Match broke into the bureau, I’ve been having these strange dreams. I feel like… I’m meant to know something, but the moment I wake up, it slips away.” Star Lance leaned towards her and gave her a kind smile. “I’m here for you, Shine. You can tell me. Perhaps I’ll be able to remember something about your dreams.” “If you think it’ll help,” Steel Shine loosened her sword belt but didn’t take it off, letting the weapon’s weight pull her gown against her skin. “I guess it starts with Mirror. I caught her after she… bested you,” she said it delicately so as not to upset her friend. “I’ve been thinking. She seemed to know me, and after that, the dreams were about the past, or what I think is the past. Knights. Sorcerers. Battlefields. An age of kings. And always I feel like I’m supposed to know the people I’m seeing, but I don’t.” “Knights… Kings…” Star Lance droned a low hum. “Yes, I think your ancestor is definitely trying to tell you something, Shine. The question is… what? Why is she showing you her time? It must be something important we’re missing… Hmmm… You don’t think Mirror’s ancestor was there too?” The Mentor put a finger to her chin, but the sound of her phone ringing caught both her’s and her lieutenant’s attention. Star Lance quickly flew over to the machine and picked it up. “Yes, this is Star Lance,” he said. There was a slight pause before he began nodding in acknowledgement. “Ah, yes. She’s here. Just a moment, Mentor.” He walked back to Steel Shine and handed the phone to her. “It’s Mentor Shamal.” “Shamal?” Steel Shine took the phone and put it to her ear. The Saddle Arabian Mentor rarely called, but when he did, it was usually important. “Yes, Mentor Shamal? It’s Steel Shine.” “Mentor Steel Shine. It’s good to hear from you. We’ve got a problem here in Saddle Arabia. Specifically, right here in Masyaf.Somehow, the Templars have appeared here, already having a whole base of operations.” “Templars… So that’s it…” Steel Shine let her recognition show on her face. “They’re traveling by water. One of my Assassins discovered a submarine. They’ve been transporting weapons.” “Submarine? Really? To think the Templars were this paranoid. But that’s how they’re doing it. Right under our noses. That’s a smart move. ” “Yes. Have you found out what Mahogany Wood is planning? Is it her tomb?” “Oh, Mahogany? No. Did you hear? There’s a new Grand Master in town, and this is the troubling part. His name is Sombra.” “Sombra…” Steel Shine repeated and looked to Star Lance, an almost equal look of astonishment on his face. “Sombra?” Star Lance whispered over. “The old king of Masyaf? Did the Templars find his tomb?” Steel Shine shook her head. “No, Lance. He’s… the new Templar Grand Master. Shamal, what do you know about this… Sombra?” “Not much yet. It’s only been whispers, but it seems he originated from nothing. Just shadow and smoke. And, he also knows that the artifacts are in Masyaf.” “What?” Steel Shine leaned forward in shock. “How? How could they know?” “We don’t know, but they don’t know where it is yet. They only know it’s in the city.” “Well, whoever this… false Sombra is. You have to stop him. The Templars cannot learn of the artifacts’ location. Even I don’t know where they are. She didn’t want anyone disturbing her ever again.” “Of course, Mentor Steel Shine. I’ll see to the Grand Master’s assassination.” “Stay safe, Mentor Shamal,” Steel Shine wished and clicked the phone off. Star Lance took it and brought it back to its holder. “Lance, I have a bad feeling about this. Was it a good idea? I told him to go straight for the Grand Master. What if it doesn’t work? What if they fail? What then?” Star Lance pulled Steel Shine in and gave her a warm hug. “You always know what’s best, Shine. I believe in you. So do the other Mentors. Don’t worry about the Saddle Arabian Assassins. They have that shadow walking trick. Never fails to surprise me, but they’re our best bet at getting close enough to their Grand Master.” “Yes, of course.” Steel Shine leaned into her lieutenant’s embrace and sighed. “You’re right. Thanks, Star Lance. For being at my side.” “Always, Steel Shine.”