Chapter 12: Southern Heat
By Octavia Melody
My head... I woke up with an ache in the back of my head. The memories of last night flooded back into my mind. I sat up in my uncomfortable bed. Due to the boarded windows, the room was still dark in the morning light. I began to hear metal clanging in the room beside me. I slowly raised myself out of the bed and walked over to the inventor's room.
Upon entering I saw her inspecting the now dismantled Templar firearm. She was giggling and shuffling between the parts. Upon looking down the long barrel she gasped and handed it to me.
"Tavi! Tavi! Look! What do you see?"
I peeked down the barrel. Unlike our pistols, the inside was not smooth but instead had several etches spiraling down the barrel. "It's not smooth." I said.
"Exactly! Oh how genius!"
"I do not follow Vinyl.
"It's why they're so accurate! Ya see, the lead ball speeds down the barrel and out, usually flying in some random direction upon exit. With these etches, it spins the ball which makes it fly straighter!" She giggled in her excitement.
"How would spinning the ball make it fly straighter? Would not that just send it spiraling out of control?"
"Tavi....You're the musician. I'm the inventor. Just know that I'm right."
I glared at her for the implied insult. With an indignant grunt, I shoved the barrel back into her hands. I turned to leave when the inventor stopped me.
"Wait Tavi, it also means something else."
"Like what?"
"Could Equestrian equipment make all of these? Especially with the etches."
"Well..." I paused to think. "No, Equestria is not known for their large weapon manufacturing."
"Yup. What country is?"
"The Gryphon Kingdom."
"Which means that all these weapons are imported. Which means they come across the sea. Which means we can stop them from coming into the Empire."
"Where would the Gryphon ships dock?"
"Manehatten or Baltimare. But these weapons have gotten here fast so I would say the latter."
"But Baltimare is just a village of scum." I said in a skeptical tone.
"Yeah, perfect for the Templar right?" She smiled.
"Well, I will see you outside." I responded. She began putting the firearm back together as I turned and left.
"Be out there soon!" She yelled.
I stood out on the inn's porch. I was terribly uncomfortable due to the extreme heat of the morning. Being a Canterlot native, I was used to cool mountain air. This however, was a temperature similar to the train facility. I felt like removing my robes to lessen the discomfort, but I knew it was not a viable option.
Vinyl exited the inn with her new firearm. She was not wearing her black mask, I assumed that the reason was heat related. She greeted me with a cheerful smile. Together we walked the dusty streets to the tavern. As we approached the tavern, we saw the two Bearers sitting on a bench on the tavern's large porch. We could hear their quiet conversation.
"Ah still don't like it Twi. Doesn't seem to be honorable to jus' steal the Templar food. Ah rather jus' fight them straight on. You know, givin' them a chance."
"I knew you would feel this way. However, we simply cannot risk fighting them head on. They have superior weaponry here. Also the Brotherhood is not trained to fight in large battles. We fight in the shadows, and this is another way of doing that."
"Ah guess you're right Twi. It's jus' this thing" She flicked her chest. "Telling me somethin' ain't right with all this. Guess it ain't exactly Honest to fight this way."
"Well, you are allowed to abstain from the raids. I fully understand your predicament."
"Naw, Ah'll fight..."
We passed them and entered the tavern. The place was well lit by the sunlight. Appleloosan Assassins were enjoying the fresh food we had brought in yesterday. Spike was sitting in the corner with his eyes focused on his lap. Vinyl and I sat next to him. He looked up at us with a grin.
"Good morning. Was quite the day yesterday huh? I'm writing a report for Twilight to send out. She wants constant communication for the Brotherhood."
My ears perked up. "Writing? Does that mean you have ink?"
The scarred boy looked up at me confused. "Of course, Den Master. I couldn't be writing without it."
I slapped my forehead upon the answer to my idiotic question. "Uhh...I mean, do you have any spare ink and a quill also?"
"Oh yeah! Twilight always has me bring tons of that stuff. I think I have more ink and quills than shirts." His voice trailed off as he realized this "Than shirts...."
He absent-mindedly handed me an ink container and a quill from his small sack. He then rested his chin in his palm and stared out into the distance. He bore a pondering look on his face. I inspected the boy curiously, wondering where his thoughts were. He lifted his head and vividly snapped his fingers.
"That's what I'll do." He exclaimed. "I'll go find a tailor shop and get me a new shirt. Or at least try to sew a new one."
The boy stood up and excitedly jogged out the door, leaving his current task of writing neglected. Vinyl glanced at me and shrugged. She was eating an apple and handed me one too. My apple was a tad soft and dark, but it tasted fine. My attention shifted from the apple to the Assassin standing in front of our table. It was the same Assassin that gave the report to Braeburn upon our arrival yesterday. Once he saw that he had our attention, he spoke to us in an unconfident manner.
"Uhhh....I would like to speak with you two in private. If that's not inconvenient for you."
"Not at all. Please, lead us to where you would like to speak." I replied.
"This way." He led us out of the tavern.
"I wanted to inform you about Den Master Braeburn." The dark blue robed Assassin told us.
The Assassin informed us that he was Third Rank Noteworthy. He had been one of the original Assassins stationed in Appleloosa, even before Braeburn. Noteworthy was a tall and thin young man. His face was thin and his golden eyes were shifty. His only weapons, besides the hidden blade, were the longsword on his hip and the small crossbow on his back. Despite his constant wringing of his hands, he appeared to be a strong Assassin.
We rested in the shadow of an abandoned bank. It was not even mid-morning. The town was empty as usual. The sounds of death had all passed. I leaned my back on the wall of the bank while Vinyl sat back with her "musket" as Noteworthy called it. Noteworthy paced back and forth in the structure's shadow.
"The Den Master has not always been like how he is now. I....I remember when he first arrived here. Clean-shaven and everything. He was always crakin' jokes here and laughing there. After a couple of fights and when Silverstar arrived, his cheerfulness......It just left. Left like the common folk. Then he started taking to the bottle when he got angry. Which was quite often. Kept tellin' us not to drink on all the free wine and cider, but he did himself."
"Why ya telling us this Note. Couldn't you just tell the Bearers?" Vinyl questioned.
Noteworthy sighed at this. "No. I don't think it proper to tell his cousin. I mean, you've seen her strength. I don't wanna risk saying somethin', dumb. Besides the Den Master is hanging aroun' them. He doesn't like hearing others talk about him."
"Then what are we suppose to do about it?" I asked.
"Just watch yourselves. We Brothers haven't lived in this town so long cause of good leadership, but of our fightin' skills. The Den Master will try and kill all the Templar again. I knows it. He ain't right in the head no more. It's as clear as the Sun."
"Well, Noteworthy we appreciate your concern for us. After last night, we share your viewpoint on Braeburn. I however believe..."
"We lost 27 men last night." He interrupted me. "27! How am I gonna tell him that? He treats every man like his son. Yet he sends us out on our doom. He makes no sense, Den Master. He loses a man to his own incompetence, then he rages and sends more of us to avenge the fallen Brother. What I'm tryin' to tell ya, is that I want him out as Den Master."
We did not answer. The request was reasonable yet felt ridiculous. Remove a Den Master? I had never heard of such a demand before. I had only been in Appleloosa for a day and already I had experienced battle and tensions in the Brotherhood. I rubbed my temples as I pondered all of this. Finally, I directed a question to the Assassin.
"Who would replace him as Den Master?" I asked with an unintentional harshness in my voice.
"I...uh.....I don't know. I am second in command. I guess I would." He mumbled.
"Of course. You want him out so that you can replace him yourself."
"It's not like that Den Master! I swear by the Sun! He's mad and we need a better leader in his place."
"Well then take that up with the Bearers. Vinyl and I are not going along with this. As a better leader, you must stand up for what you think is the right choice for the Brotherhood. It is not suitable to sit here and complain about your superiors behind their backs."
"Fine. Fine. Forget it. I'll just let the Den Master be for now. But I'm warnin' ya. Him in command is just gonna be the worst. I hope the Bearers will fix this, cause you guys ain't!" The Assassin stomped off down the lonely street.
I glanced over at Vinyl who was glancing back at me. We did not say anything. Our minds were still pondering over the previous moments. I got up on my feet and dusted off my robes. She grunted and did the same. We watched the disgruntled Assassin make his way down the street. Vinyl walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Ya know, he kinda has some points on Braeburn."
"Yes, but we cannot simply act over one night and the views of one Assassin. I do fear improper leadership here, but we will have to patiently wait and see."
"We should probably head back, Tavi. I itchin' for some drink"
We returned to the tavern. The place was empty and deserted. It was apparent that the Assassins moved on to a different location. I sighed in frustration and we inspected the area for any clues as to where they were currently hiding. We walked along the dusty streets. There were no footprints or signs of previous movement in the wind-swept dirt. Vinyl casually walked beside me, clearly in a better mood than I. She started holding her musket like a halberd and paraded around in the manner of a Royal Guard. The actions only heightened my frustration.
"Vinyl, you're not helping." I said.
"Helpin' with what?"
"Helping me find the others of course!"
"Oh you're really worried about that? C'mon Tavi, this town is small, we'll bump into 'em soon enough."
"We cannot simply leave it to chance. Braeburn did say that they moved to a new hideout everyday. We may miss it."
"Oh Tavi..."
I raised my voice at the inventor. "Do not 'Oh Tavi' me Vinyl. This is serious. They left without telling us. They left without US! The Bearer of Magic left her most trusted Den Master!"
"Did you know that you're adorable when you're angry?" Vinyl asked with a sly grin.
"I am not angry and I....Do not know how to respond to that. Look we need to find the others. They may require our assistance."
Vinyl did not seem to take any interest in my concern. She leaned on her musket and inspected me thoughtfully. Her mind was off somewhere and I had no hope of returning it. Her eyes brightened suddenly and she pulled one of my daggers out of its sheath.
"Vinyl! What are..."
"Shush. This is brilliant." She began unwrapping her bandages.
"Vinyl....Your wound will..."
"Viola!" She exclaimed in glee.
I saw what she had been planning. I looked to see that my dagger was wrapped underneath the musket's barrel. It was a shoddily crafted job, but the new attachment appeared functional. Vinyl began thrusting the musket in the air similar to a spear.
"Ha!" She laughed. "Now I can use this for both long and short range! Aren't I jus' the best?"
"Certainly." I said sarcastically. "This did not help our predicament Vinyl. And your wound is going to become infected in this dusty air."
"You're no fun. Guess that's why you're Den Master. Alrighty, where do ya wanna go?"
"Follow."
I climbed up onto a rooftop. Vinyl soon joined me and we gazed in every direction. We did not see any of our Brothers. The town was empty and quiet as usual. The wind slightly picked up. We were above the constant dust, but the sun's heat seemed to intensify on the roof. I moaned at the disappointing results. Vinyl nudged my shoulder.
"Psst, over there." She hurriedly whispered.
I looked over to my right. Vinyl was pointing downward to the streets. I saw a patrol of Templar soldiers slowly making their way across the town. They did not possess any armor, but instead thin red shirts and wide-brimmed hats to ward off the sun. They were chatting merrily as they walked by us.
"...And then she said 'you're dead to me boy and your crazy oatmeal too!'" A Templar said in a poor imitation of a woman.
"Haha! Good one Cosmic. Did I tell you guys about the time when that Cloudkicker gal try to get me to dance?" Another Templar said.
"Of course ya did, Hunter! You've told us that story too many times." A short soldier told the other in a annoyed tone.
"Well...I just wish there were more gals in our ranks...." Hunter moaned.
"We all do man...We all do."
Vinyl and I stealthily followed the patrol from the rooftops. We made sure to stay low in the broad daylight. The Templars' hats helped hide us due to their broad nature. The Templar patrol stopped at an abandoned structure.
"Hey guys this place looks like a smithy." The one named Cosmic told his fellow soldiers as he looked through a dusty window.
"You're right! I wonder if there's any goods in there."
"Well, let's find out."
The soldiers began to slam themselves on the locked door. After a couple of tries they succeeded in breaking into the business. They entered the building and out of our view. We hesitated. We did not know whether to stay where we were on jump down on the street to face them. However, we did not need to decide as the soldiers soon exited the building.
They were holding some tools and scrap metal. Though the looks on their faces expressed disappointment. The soldiers grumbled and resumed their patrol. We followed them. We jumped from one roof to another, making a loud thud as we landed on the other side, which caused a Templar to stop and listen.
"Ya guys think those Assassins are nearby?" He asked suspiciously.
"Oh, Private, they's always nearby." Hunter told him with a chuckle.
"Hunter's right. This town so small, there's probably a dozen of those bastards staring at us right now."
"This don't bother ya?" The private questioned.
"Course not, we got the superior weaponry. Assassins can dodge a lot, but a ball ain't one of 'em."
The party, except for the suspicious private, laughed heartily. We slowly continued our quiet pursuit. The Templar turned and started to head east. I assumed that their patrol was over and that they were returning to the barracks. A slight feeling of excitement swelled in me and I wished to see their fortress myself. I beckoned Vinyl to follow and we shadowed the soldiers.
As we traveled east, the amount of buildings became scarce or increased in destruction. The signs of previous battles surrounded us. One could easily tell that the wood for the fort was supplied by the dismantled buildings. The Templar patrol was below us, taking a break. Another patrol met them and they conversed.
"There was another skirmish with those criminals down in the south district. Even after the whoopin' they received last night they still a fightin'."
"Been clear up here. Had one of the most peaceful patrols yet.
"They must be low on men. They can only concentrate on one area at a time."
Vinyl and I crept up to them on the rooftop. The Templar soldiers did not see us. We were practically right above the combined patrols. Vinyl poked her head out only for me to pull her back. I did not want the same scenario as the Assassin that was shot last night. All that we could hear were the Templar chatter, until a loud horn blew.
"Huh, that means we should head back to base." A Templar said.
"Guess Silverstar wants to tell us something."
The soldiers began to hurry to the east. Vinyl and I closely followed. The soldiers were no longer chatting as they were focused on their destination. We had trouble keeping up with the troops as they sped away from us. However, we soon caught up as the roofs started to become connected.
Then we saw it. The fort was about a sixty or more meters in front of us. We had come to the end of the town, so we laid prone on the final rooftop. There were many soldiers surrounding the fort. The barrels of artillery could be seen from the barrack's walls. The Soldiers stood there as if waiting for something. That something was soon answered. A tall armored man walked out of the fort's walls. I could not see much of his face, but I could tell that he possessed a large mustache.
"Alright men." He shouted. "The Assassins are now targeting our supplies. We shall not spread ourselves too thin. I want the patrols to remain close by the barracks. Do not worry, we shall soon find where the Assassins are hiding and make them pay."
The soldiers all exclaimed "Yes, General!" and saluted in unison.
I turned my head to look at Vinyl. I gasped as I realized she was aiming her musket at the General. "Vinyl, you'll miss!" I whispered. She grunted and continued to line up her shot. "You'll only get us spotted." She looked at me and said only two words. "Run Tavi." Oh no. She fired. I did not wait to see if it connected with the General. I quickly got to my feet and ran to the west.
My heart was racing as I heard the sounds of enraged soldiers. Hurry! I jumped from building to building. The heat was no longer an issue to me. I checked over my shoulder to see Vinyl, but there was no one behind me. I heard shots fired. Go back! I stopped in my tracks and prepared to support Vinyl. Then I saw her running along the rooftops at me with many soldiers swarming behind her. Nevermind! My feet swung around and propelled me westward. Over this! Under that! I made my way swiftly across the uneven rooftops. Sprint! I ran over a chapel and then over a long hall. I could only focus on the few feet in front of me. I chased my shadow across structure to structure. The buildings started to become scarce and the jumps became longer. Damn it! I jumped across the street only to be planted on the opposite wall. I tried to grab onto a window, but my hand slipped and I fell onto the dusty ground.
The roar of the Templar approached. I returned to my feet and ran. I saw Vinyl above me on the rooftops. Apparently she had achieved the jump I could not. Faster! I found a line of boxes that led up onto the roofs. I ran up the boxes and pulled myself on the roofs. Go! I sprinted along the rooftops with Vinyl far ahead of me. Keep up Den Master! Keep up! I heard the discharge of a musket and the screaming of a lead ball as it sped past me. They were closer to me than I had thought.
Hop here! Woah! Not there! Go! Don't let them catch you! I ran westward. A Templar skillfully ran along with me on the rooftops. He tried to tackle me, but he missed and fell off. I found the failure of apprehending me humorous, but my mind snapped back to survival as another lead ball sailed past me.
The buildings became more frequent. This meant that I was close to the west side of town. The town itself had felt much larger then before. I was about to leap to another roof when I am struck with a rock in the side. The impact knocked me off balance and I tumbled off the roof. I tried to grab onto something as I fell but everything was beyond my reach. My body bounced as I struck the hard ground. My entire body screamed in pain. Get Up! I tried to get back on my feet, but my legs could not support me. I fell back on the ground. Just get out of here! I started to crawl when I felt a the end of a blade on the back of my head.
"Well look here guys! We got ourselves one!" A gruff voice sounded behind me.
I twisted my body around to face them, instinctively raising my hands in surrender. The Templar standing in front of me was broad and muscular. He had a large devilish grin on his face. The soldier pressed his sword to my neck, causing me to slightly lift my chin.
"Should we keep her? She does have a pretty face. Maybe we can have some fun with her tonight." He suggested as his grin grew wider. The other Templar soldiers nodded their heads in sound agreement.
"We don't see many gals down here no more. Be a nice change of pace." Another Templar said.
"Or you know, we could just gut her. One less of those criminals, the better." A soldier said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"That no fun, Corporal. She could be valuable to the Order." The broad Templar said.
"Well, we can't just sit here forever, get her up!" The Corporal ordered.
The broad Templar grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. My legs buckled a little, but they soon supported me, though not without pain. I raised my hands in the air and the Templar poked my back with his sword to urge me forward. I limped forward, I saw dissatisfaction in the corporal's face.
"She's goin' too slow! Tie her up and just carry her." He said angrily.
I felt the grip of the large Templar again. He pulled my arms behind my back. I did not resist in fear of retaliation from the soldier. The Templar began tying my wrists together with rope. My focus was on the Corporal who was rubbing a hand on his chin. The Corporal parted his lips to say something, but suddenly he was lifted off the ground in a light purple aura. He screamed as he was turned upside down in the magical grip and slammed into the ground head first. The sound of his skull shattering on impact startled all the surrounding soldiers.
The Bearer of Magic charged into the rest of the soldiers. They were not quick enough to react to her teleports and were quickly disposed of. The Templar that was tying me let go of my wrists. I turned around to see him being gutted by Braeburn. The Den Master whispered something into the dying soldier's ear before forcefully throwing his corpse to the ground. I tried to free my hands, but the soldier seemed to have finished his tight knot. I saw the remaining Templar retreating, the Assassins did not pursue them. I felt a grip on my entire body as I was enveloped in a purple aura. I was quickly turned around by the force and levitated towards Twilight. The Bearer scowled at me. Her eyes were cold as usual.
"What happened? What were you doing Den Master?" She demanded.
I squirmed in her grip. The sensation of the magic was ticklish to be honest. But I was not laughing at the moment.
"I....I was looking for you Bearer." I squeaked.
"Really?" She asked in utter disbelief.
The Bearer released me. I fell to the ground off-balanced and landed on my rear. The Bearer was holding her face in her hand. I glanced at the other Assassins. They all held stoic expressions, as if all of this was expected. I saw Vinyl crouching on a rooftop, chuckling. My focus then returned to the Bearer, who was making incomprehensible noises behind her hand.
"Octavia, Octavia...." She said in low, questioning way.
The Bearer then walked away. The other Assassins followed her. I scrambled onto my feet. My hands were still tied. I once again tried to escape the tight robes with my hidden blade, but the contraption was severely jammed from the fall. Thus, my attempt was rather unsuccessful. I looked up to see the Assassins leaving me. Not one of them seemed to care about my plight. I started to walk towards them. I said the only sentence my mind could produce.
"Brothers? Some assistance, please?"
~