Frigid Night had arrived back at the bureau with Morning Blade and another Assassin. He had found them hiding out in a dumpster on his way back to the road. Morning Blade had quickly thrown herself at Frigid with a tight hug, while the other Assassin didn’t look too pleased to see him.
“I’m heading up,” the Assassin told Frigid and left without waiting for a response.
“I’m sorry they all treat you like that, sir,” Morning Blade said as she pulled her hood down.
“It’s fine, Morning.” Frigid led her to the staircase, looking for the Mentor’s office again.
This time, he found it a lot faster. As soon as he landed the first knock on the door, it was flung open with Keila walking out, not looking too pleased.
“Oh, you made it. Well, good for you,” she mumbled to the grey haired Assassin. “Well, I’ll see you later for a mission.”
Frigid frowned at her, but Morning quickly took his attention back to the Mentor’s open door.
“Come in, Frigid Night,” Mentor Steel Shine called him over. “I’m glad you’re safely back. Is this everyone you found?”
“There was one of the others, Mentor. I think his name was Sidewalk or something. He went somewhere else, but he’s back safe,” Frigid reported.
“Good to see you’re still alive and kicking, kid,” Star Lance said as he walked in from behind him.
“Star Lance,” Frigid greeted with a nod. Morning Blade followed suit. “Yes. We encountered some Templar resistance, but we handled them alright.”
“Good.” Mentor Shamal walked over and handed Frigid a picture of a purple-skinned woman he had met before. “This is Wysteria. She’s a Templar in the inner circle. Now, we our scouts have told us that Templar has taken post up in the museum, just next to the main square. I want you to find her and take her out, and if you can, find out what they’re after in there.”
“Doesn’t sound too difficult,” Frigid nodded and stowed the picture. “I’ll get right on it, Mentors. I won’t let her get away this time.”
He turned around and left, his apprentice following close behind him.
“Frigid, sir. What should I do? May I go with you?”
“I guess you can go back to training. Maybe pick up a few more… skills from the Saddle Arabian Assassins.”
Then Frigid was off, heading back outside as Morning Blade stood there. He left too quickly to see her sigh sadly before walking up the staircase slowly.
Frigid Night stood on a building just across the Masyaf Museum. It was close to evening, and the spotlights in front of the old building had already activated, dazzling the night sky above.
“Well, here we are again…” Keila grumbled, sitting on the ledge next to Frigid. “You and me. Why did I have to get you as my partner, Frigid Night? Why couldn’t I have gotten your apprentice for example? She’s a sweet young one. Instead, I get stuck with rebellious old you.”
“Believe me, I’d rather not have you around too…” Frigid squinted and used his eagle sense to look through the museum windows. The exterior was surprisingly free of Templars, which the Assassin found strange. They normally had patrols of guards in all the areas that they controlled. Frigid figured just this once, he would check with his partner. “Well, don’t you find it weird that they didn’t leave any guards outside?”
“I guess… Maybe it’s a trap.”
“Only one way to find out.” Frigid hopped down to a lower ledge where a long grey rope extended over to the museum. “You coming?”
“Seriously?” Keila paused for a second. “You’re checking with me first?”
“Well, are you?” he asked again before taking one step onto the rope.
He didn’t have time to wait for her answer and moved as quickly as he could over the rope, taking one step after another, making sure to keep his balance in check as he proceeded over to the other side. About halfway through, Frigid had almost lost his footing, but managed to right himself with a jump, though he had to swing across on his arms the remaining distance.
The white coated Assassin grabbed on to the solid ledge of the museum roof and threw himself up, panting for breath. It’s been a while since he had to do something so acrobatic and risky. He looked back over to the other roof and waved for Keila to make her way across. Then he did what she had guessed he would do. Frigid made his way into the building on his own, prying open a dirty faded window.
He landed on a rusty support beam, positioned over what looked like the main hall of the museum, which was at least thirty feet below him; a fall here would be extremely hazardous. Along with all the ancient sculptures and artifacts, Frigid spied a few Templars walking around below. Each guard wore a white long-sleeved shirt and dark pants, wielding either a rifle or a baton.
“Ma’am,” one of them turned to the left and saluted, his voice carrying over to the roof, echoing even above Frigid’s spot. “We found the director’s office. Would you like an escort?”
“Lead the way,” a light-pink haired woman motioned, followed behind by two Dragon Unit soldiers.
Frigid recognized her immediately. It was the same woman he had fought so many years ago. He had almost killed her then, but Talon had stopped him and escaped with her. This time, he wasn’t going to let her escape, nor was he going to let any other Templar escape.
He watched her enter a room before the wooden door closed behind her.
Now, how do I get down?
Frigid silently slipped himself off the beam and shimmied his way across to the next one adjacent to his. After another short distance, he let go, landing on his toes on a steel walkway. His impact rebounded across the vast space, but luckily, none of the Templars seemed to notice him.
The Assassin sighed and carried on, following the path right to the end. Taking a deep breath, Frigid hopped over the railing and grabbed the bottom before swinging himself down to a giant stone sculpture of a long haired man holding an orb of sorts. He grabbed on to the nose and slowly began to make his descent, keeping an eye on the Templar guards below while doing so.
“Frigid?” Keila’s voice buzzed in his earpiece. “Frigid, are you there?”
“Right here, Keila,” he whispered back into the radio, hanging on the statue’s belt with one hand. “You need something?”
“I’m on the roof. Where do I go from here?”
“Go wherever you want. I’m going after the target.”
“You can’t say that! I am your partner, Frigid Night, and I demand-”
Frigid took out his earpiece and pocketed it. Her bickering wasn’t going to get him anywhere. She was already atop the museum anyway. She’d be able to find her way down on her own if she was a good Assassin.
Finally reaching the toes of the stony figure, Frigid leapt off and rolled as he touched the floor, stopping before the railing of a balcony. The Assassin looked through the supports of the railing, watching the floor below him.
At least five groups of guards were patrolling the hall, none of them without a partner. The Templars weren’t making things easy this time. Wysteria had gone into the director’s office up ahead, and she probably had it locked too. Frigid guessed he could probably pick the lock, but with so many groups of guards patrolling, it would be too risky to do so. He needed to find another way in.
He scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that might help him reach the Templar target, only ducking over to the side when a patrol appeared around the corner, heading towards him.
Blast…
Frigid crammed himself against the wall beside a potted plant and waited. They were definitely going to see him when they walked past, but at least he would be hidden until they were close enough.
By the time the first guard arrived, Frigid was already on him, leaning out and stabbing a hidden blade into his neck before dropping him to the side and killing the other guard with the same move, placing a hand over his mouth to keep him from making any noise. Once he was sure they were both dead, Frigid dragged the bodies behind a couch in a waiting area in the next room before resuming his watch at the balcony.
There was bound to be more ways into the office than just the front door. There were no windows from the inside, but…
Then Frigid saw it. There was an air vent just above the office in the wall on the first floor.
Perfect, Frigid thought. Now all he had to do was reach it. Here goes nothing…
He leapt off the balcony and quickly dashed for the wall, pressing himself against it as a group of guards began walking over from one of the smaller halls.
Frigid grabbed on to some of the small patterns sticking out of the wall and made his way up, grabbing on to the cool surface of the vent grate. He quickly got to work on the screws holding it in place, digging under them with his hidden blades, trying to loosen the entrance to the ventilation shaft.
He continued to hear the footsteps approach as he finally got the bottom half of the grate open, allowing him to swing it up just enough to squeeze into the vent. Frigid pulled his legs in before placing the grate back down as hastily but quietly as he could, just in time to see two guards walk past his position towards another room on the far side.
Oddly enough, the grey haired Assassin hadn’t seen his Saddle Arabian partner. He had figured she’d suddenly pop up beside him when he was scanning for a way into the director’s office, but even now in the air vent, he couldn’t see her anywhere in the museum. Frigid decided to put his earpiece back into place to see if she was saying anything. It was silent.
He figured she was probably tired of speaking to no one and tried to find her own way around, so he turned around and crawled down the shaft, looking for an exit to drop down into the office.
“Have you found anything?” he began hearing a voice from around the corner ahead, echoing its way to him. “It must be in here somewhere.”
“We’re still searching, ma’am. Something like that must be well hidden.”
Frigid crawled closer, slowing his movements as to not create too much noise.
There was light just up ahead from below a grate on the bottom of the vent. Sounds of shuffling and movement grew louder as Frigid approached it.
“I don’t care how much authority I need to see it,” an irate female voice snapped. “I want that map and I want it now!”
“We’re trying our best, ma’am, but I’m certain whoever placed it here must’ve hidden it well.”
“Gah! Just keep looking.”
Frigid was right on top of them now, peering down through the bars of the grate. The woman, Wysteria, had her back to him, searching through papers and files on a large orange wooden desk while her soldiers stood at other ends, looking through shelves and cabinets.
Frigid Night quickly planned his attack in his head, making sure there was no room for error. One wrong move will surely put the entire building on alert, making his job much harder.
Finalizing it when he pushed the grate down, Frigid tossed a knife into a soldier’s chest before rolling to break his fall. He approached the second soldier as he turned, knifing the man in the foot and pulling him down before delivering a swipe at the soldier’s neck with his hidden blade.
Wysteria, alerted by the sudden noise, spun around and drew her short blades, but Frigid had already vanished from her line of sight, crouching against the backing of the desk, very close to his target.
“Assassins…” Wysteria muttered and began to circle around the table. “Where are you? I know you’re in here.”
The woman’s leg passed by the desk, which was what Frigid was waiting for. The Assassin hooked out a trident blade and caught her in the knee before swinging his legs around Wysteria and pinning her to the carpeted floor. While she lay disoriented, Frigid raised a hidden blade and drove it down hard into the back of her neck, spurting some blood on his coat and even his face.
“Whu… What…? You… Again. I remember you… You won’t win…” Wysteria told him as she gasped for air, unable to breath any longer.
“Keep telling yourself that,” Frigid removed his blade and cleaned it on her coat. “You all say the same thing. You’re not getting the artifacts. Deal with it.”
“You won’t... be so cavalier… when Grand Master Sombra’s done with you... See you in hell, Assassin...” She tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes.
Frigid was straightening up, when a guard entered the room, carrying a flat, wide box.
“Ma’am! We found it- wait, Assassins!”
Frigid swiftly covered the distance and threw the man over his back before stabbing him in the face. With the door open and the noise the man made when he entered, Frigid figured he didn’t have much time before more guards came running.
He looked at the box for a second before making the decision to pick it up and run. He didn’t have time to find out what was inside at the moment, but by the exclamation the Templar had made when he entered the room, the box might just contain that map they were all looking for.
Frigid looked for the front door, but two guards came running his way, pointing their rifles in his direction.
“Crap!” Frigid dashed behind a pillar as the bullets began to tear the plaster off his piece of cover. If the Templars didn’t know he was here, they were sure to know now. Frigid put a hand to his earpiece to contact his partner. Even if he didn’t like being around her, he still didn’t want her to lose her life because of him. “Keila, are you still there? I’ve got something the Templars were looking for, but they’ve caught on to me. Get out of there. I’ll see you back at the bureau.”
There was silence for a few minutes as Frigid returned his attention to the incoming gunfire. He dashed to the side, sprinting along the pillars towards the main entrance, throwing a knife behind him.
“Frigid, I’m here,” Keila finally replied as the grey haired Assassin pushed the main doors open, accidentally shattering one of the glass frames in the process. “I acknowledge your request, but I want you to know, a good Assassin rarely gets caught in the open. Maybe next time you’ll actually work with me.”
“Whatever, Keila,” Frigid said as he jumped down the museum steps three at a time. “Just get out of the area. I’ll see you later.”
The Assassin brought his attention back to his escape. He had something the Templars were searching for, meaning it was probably something very important. If it was the map that Wysteria had mentioned, then it could possibly show the way to the tomb that housed more artifacts, and Frigid couldn’t let it fall into Templar hands.
He was so busy thinking about the prize in his hands that he almost didn’t feel the bullet that pierced his back, shooting out through his stomach, pinging into the floor at his feet.
What?
Frigid couldn’t stop. He picked up his speed, ignoring the pain in his gut and took a sharp right, running down a small staircase to the bazaar nearby. He had been wounded; might’ve even been a serious one, but he couldn’t stop now. That would only give the Templars more time to catch up.
Just then, a group of ninjas dropped from the rooftops, landing in front of him and cutting his escape off.
“Are you serious…?” he muttered through his teeth. “Why are there ninjas in this day and age?”
The first one drew a katana and ran at him, slashing down at his shoulder. Frigid dodged to the side and unsheathed a hidden blade and both shoe blades. It looked like he would have to fight his way out of this one, but things weren’t looking good. He had the box to look after and he was injured.
Frigid kicked out one foot at a time, trying to take the first man out with his blades, though it hurt his abdomen whenever he brought a leg too high up. The rest of the Templar ninjas raced forward, each one drawing their sharp Eastern swords, except for the last one, who drew a scimitar instead.
The Assassin parried their strikes with one hand, while the other kept itself on the box, refusing to let it go. He blocked the second ninja’s attack and kicked low with a shoe blade, stabbing the third man just above the ankle. The Templar shrieked and hopped back, allowing Frigid room to spin a kick to the first man’s head, knocking the man down.
Two more ninjas danced at him, their blades glinting in the light of the setting sun. Frigid sidestepped the first one and parried the second, but one of the ninjas must’ve have seen the blood pooling around his white coat, because he brought a hand from under Frigid’s and connected it with the Assassin’s wounded side.
“Agh!” Frigid fell and released the box as it bounced along the ground, stopping a few inches away.
The ninja above him began delivering a series of kicks to Frigid’s side, lancing pain across his body. He watched through squinted eyes as another Templar moved to pick up the box. That was something he couldn’t let happen. He couldn’t fail the Mentor. Not now.
Frigid mustered enough strength to stab a hidden blade through the man’s foot as it swung towards him again. The ninja screamed in pain as Frigid pulled to the side, toppling the man, and at the same time, delivering another hidden blade strike to his chest.
The grey haired Assassin hopped over the lifeless man’s body as two more blades swung down, narrowly dodging them as he ran as fast as he could to the Templar with the box. Frigid thrust himself forward, catching the man off guard as both hidden blades stabbed into the ninja’s gut, and Frigid didn’t stop until the man was up against the low bazaar walls, slumped over it, dead. He turned and faced the rest of the ninjas as they advanced on him, blades swishing towards his head.
Frigid kicked down at one of their knees, crippling the first man while he parried another’s blade with a trident extension, twisting a little, spinning the sword out of the Templar’s hands.
The Assassin caught it in mid-air and slashed in an arc, separating a Templar’s head and left arm from the rest of his body before using his momentum to block another ninja’s vertical slash. Frigid grabbed a throwing knife from his sling and tossed it at another ninja’s face, embedding the short blade in the Templar’s forehead before spinning a bladed kick at another’s knees, felling him.
Frigid stood over the flat box, making sure to keep it between his feet as he parried blade after blade using the katana he had taken. Another ninja struck at him, breaking his skin just over the elbow. The Assassin dropped the sword and rolled, propelling himself up with a hidden blade just under the Templar’s chin before pushing back, using the man’s body as a shield to get to another ninja. The man spun around and cut at Frigid’s side, increasing the pain where he had first been wounded, but the Assassin didn’t let the wounds faze him. He stabbed into the man’s foot and yanked upwards, thrusting his trident blade into the man’s chest as he sailed up and over his head.
“Gah…” Frigid panted as he put a hand to his side; blood was already spreading down to his thigh.
Only one ninja remained, standing across from him, his scimitar at the ready. Frigid didn’t know how long he had before the Templars from the museum caught up, but he guessed he didn’t have long. He would have to end it now.
The Assassin was the first to make a move, running with what strength he had left as he readied an arm in front of himself. The Templar ninja pulled back his blade before thrusting forward, almost catching Frigid in the face if he didn’t sidestep at the last second. He cut along the ninja’s arm with a hidden blade before jamming a shoe blade right up the ninja’s chest and cutting out. The man dropped the scimitar and staggered two steps before falling on his face, dead.
Frigid let out a deep breath before returning to the box and cradling it under his uninjured side, heading out towards the bureau. He knew he had to tend to his wounds, but if he stopped now, the Templars would catch up to him and that whole fight would’ve been for nothing.
“Keila…” he breathed into the radio as he ran on his reserves, turning out of the marketplace and going along a small narrow sidestreet. “I’m making my way back… but I’m wounded. I don’t know how far I’ll get. You have to get the box from me and get it back to the Mentors…”
It didn’t take long for the Saddle Arabian to voice her reply. “Where are you?”
“Just… out of the marketplace.” Frigid ran along, ignoring the stares of civilians as he made for a dirty alleyway. There was all sorts of trash and puddles strewn across the cement floor, but plenty of trashcans for the Assassin to hide behind. “In some alley that’s pretty much filled to the brim with garbage.”
“I have a rough idea. Hang tight. I’m on my way.”
Frigid placed the box behind him and steadied his breathing before getting to work on his wounds. Before he knew it, he had the injuries cleaned and bandaged, though he could do nothing about closing them just yet. He would have to get back to the bureau to do so.
“Right above you, Frigid Night,” Keila replied before landing down beside him. She picked up the box and looked at it, not at all bothering to check on his injuries. “What’s in it?”
“I think it’s a map,” Frigid replied. “Haven’t got the time to open it yet. Go ahead, have a look.”
“That can wait,” Keila said and put the box under an arm. “You’re hurt. I need to get you back to the bureau. Unless you think you can do it on your own?”
“Oh, I can do it on my own just fine, Keila,” Frigid grunted and pushed himself to his feet. Now that his adrenaline was gone, the pain was starting to seep all across his body. “I just needed you to get the box. I can get back myself.”
“If you insist, Frigid Night,” Keila nodded slightly and was off, starting with a light jog before accelerating into a sprint, disappearing down the street.
Frigid closed his eyes and took three deep breaths. He had almost admitted to Keila that he would like some help to get back, but he managed to steel himself. He couldn’t look weak now. With another deep breath, Frigid walked along the street before picking up his speed as the sun disappeared below the horizon.
Hopefully I don’t pass out until I return...
Grand Master Sombra sat in his quarters, his eyes closed and his mind racing, plotting his next course of action. There was much to do, especially since he was so close to finding the other artifacts buried in Masyaf. The artifact radiated in his hand, slowly returning his strength to him as the days went by.
The old one, Mahogany Wood, had told him about this world’s history, and how the old king here had buried the artifacts after his death, locking them away in an unknown vault somewhere in the city.
Sombra could sense them; he could feel their presence, but their exact location… he couldn’t tell. The shadowy figure silently cursed his powers for not fully returning to him yet. Ever since that little pony, Twilight Sparkle, if he remembered correctly, had stopped him from reclaiming the Crystal Empire, he had been shattered into a billion pieces by the Crystal Heart, only for a portion for him to slip through the magical mirror in the castle.
He told himself that she would be the first one to feel his wrath when he returned, and he would return. That, he vowed to accomplish. Once the artifacts were in his possession and his power fully restored, no one in Equestria was going to stop him from taking back what belonged to him.
A knock from the door distracted the king from his plans of domination as Wolfgang walked in. The killer had a vest across his white shirt, along with a brown coat over all of it.
“I did not wish to be disturbed, Wolfgang,” Sombra boomed, letting his feet touch the floor before walking over to the man. “This better be important.”
“Oh, believe me, Grand Master. It is...” Wolfgang took a step back and put his hands behind his back. “I have just heard back from Talon. He found Wysteria in the museum. Killed, by Assassins.”
Sombra cared little for the humans serving under him. Only one thing concerned him at this point. “And what of the map?”
“The Assassins have taken it, sir,” Wolfgang hung his head.
To the killer’s surprise, Sombra did not seem angry. In fact, this news seemed to make the shadows calmer.
“So… The Assassins have the map. You are certain of this?”
“Yes, Grand Master,” Wolfgang bowed.
“Then all is proceeding as planned. Relay to the chairman that we are to continue taking this city, but so long as one of us has the map, we need not worry.”
“As you wish, Grand Master,” Wolfgang replied uncertainly.
“You may continue as scheduled, Wolfgang.”
Wolfgang bowed one more time and left, putting his arms behind his back as he left. Sombra returned to his meditation, closing his eyes and letting the energy of the artifact swirl around him. The Templars called it the Apple, but Sombra saw more in the artifact than just a mere fruit. He saw a weapon, capable of taking back everything that was rightfully his.
When the time came to return to Equestria, and Sombra vowed he would return, the Crystal Empire will fall under his rule once again, and he would free the umbrums imprisoned within those walls before laying waste to the rest of the world before assuming his role as its new leader.
This day, Sombra decided, couldn’t be more perfect.