Lineage

by Gherkin

04: Roll, Boys, Roll!

Edward laughed as he stepped through the doorway from the basement, gazing upon his armour, weapons and equipment sprawled out across a table near one of the guard's weapon racks. Thankfully, the room was empty. "Ha, those idiots really ought to learn to keep these things locked away and out of my reach." The sound of fighting caught his ear, and he looked outside for a brief second before walking over to the table. "The guards must be out there, busy dealing with whatever the hell is going on," he announced to Rarity as he picked up his robes; the ones he had claimed from a fallen Assassin a while back. "I tend not to think so highly of myself, but I'll bet that it's Ade out there leading some sort of rescue mission."

"Perhaps," she agreed, peering through the doorway to make sure that the coast was clear before following him through. She took a look around the room, still unsure as to whether they were truly safe for the time being, before looking back at him. "While that is likely the case, we should try and capitalise on this opportunity either way. This is the perfect time to look for something that could possibly help us!" An imploring look was spread across her face as he glanced over at her. "We could look for some of those artifacts that you mentioned, or perhaps even another mirror like the one on your ship!"

Sheathing both of his swords through his belt, he gave a small sigh. "Hmm, I don't know, Rarity." He pondered for a few moments as he adjusted his bracers. "There will be a lot less guards around if there is an attack on the mansion taking place..."

"Yes, precisely! It's the perfect opportunity!" she exclaimed, her smile widening.

He gave her a small frown at the interruption. "But the longer we stay here, the more danger we'll be in. I don't want Adéwalé and the rest of my crew out there putting their bloody necks out on the line for too long. There's no guarantee that we'll even find anything of use, anyway."

She stepped forward, begging, "Please, Edward, please! This was your idea all along anyway, wasn't it? Only, it has moved along faster than you anticipated, and did not exactly play out as you originally thought."

A few seconds passed as the pirate thought about what she had said. Bloody hell, Edward, she's right you know. He gave a sigh and looked down at her. "Aye, I suppose you are right after all." He reached back and pulled up the hood on his robes before checking that he had picked up everything of worth. "Still, we shouldn't take too long in any case. We don't want Torres or any of his damn lackeys figuring out that we're both lose now, do we? At least, not yet." A cocky grin flashed across his face, and he strode across the room towards the door.

"Alright then, Edward." Rarity followed close behind, peeking through the door at the same time he did. "What is the plan? Where do we go from here?"

He noticed a few guards fighting some pirates, or mercenaries, at the far end of the hallway beyond. "Well, we should try and look for some sort of treasure vault, or something of a similar nature," he murmured back to her, quietly studying the battle panning out before his eyes. "No doubt, if he has any magical artifacts such as the ones you seek, they will be there. Hmm, perhaps he even has something relating to the Observatory..."

I need to ask him properly about this 'observatory' that he keeps going on about, she thought to herself, waiting patiently for him to make a move. I think he might even be obsessed with it. Whatever it actually is, anyway.

"Okay, I think we should be safe enough for now," he suddenly announced, tapping her shoulder. "Come on, let's get a move on while we've got the chance." With that, he pushed open the door and headed down the hallway, making his way towards a set of stairs on the far side opposite from the room they had previously occupied. Not wanting to get separated, Rarity hurried after him, keeping an eye out for any soldiers that might pose a problem to the both of them.

The large hallways of the mansion might as well have been a maze, thanks to all of the winding corridors that lead into separate wings or rooms. They had both expected the staircase to go on down all the way to some sort of basement, but this was not the case. Instead, they found themselves on the ground floor, trying to stay unseen in the midst of the fighting. Multiple skirmishes broke out around them, though thankfully the guards were much too occupied to notice them as they strode away.

If my memory serves me correctly, then I think I remember there being some sort of cellar door in the grounds outside when I broke in here looking for the Sage, he thought, ignoring the injured cries of wounded soldiers and pirates alike from behind. With any luck, there'll be something of value down there. Or, at least, a few pieces of gold. The putrid stench of death ripped him from his thoughts as they both rounded a corner in the hallway, stumbling upon the aftermath of a brutal fight. Two pirates lay dead next to two guards, with a third gravely wounded one propped up against the wall.

Edward noticed his friend gasp, cover her mouth and gag out of the corner of his eye, but did not try to comfort her. Instead, he kept a wary eye on the wounded soldier, who made eye contact. The Spaniard muttered some obscene curse in his native tongue before attempting to raise the flintlock resting in his right hand, but the pirate captain was too quick. He lashed out with his foot, kicking the guard's skull in and killing him instantly. He heard Rarity make a noise of disgust from behind as she laid eyes upon the dead man's broken face, and quietly apologised.

"I think I'm quite looking forward to getting out of this brutal world," she muttered to herself as they pressed onward. "Uh, no offence."

He quietly chuckled as they stepped outside into the warmth of the setting sun. The day was quickly drawing to a close, making him wonder how long they had been locked up for in that dark room. We could have been in there for days, for all I know. From what he could hear, most of the fighting was taking place on the other side of the mansion. "None taken, my dear, for you speak the truth. Our world is indeed a harsh one, for many." They both tried to block out the clashes of metal and screams of pain that reached their ears as they pushed forward, towards a wooden cellar door a few feet away. "I hope that you will be so kind as to let me gaze upon this world of yours; this 'Equestria', with my own eyes. If it is as peaceful as you say, then perhaps it will be a fine place to retire!" He let out a laugh as he kicked the lock off of the door and pulled it open, beckoning her inside.

Rarity wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not. While it was obvious that Edward did his best to appear as a charming rogue, there was no denying the brutal man that lay beneath the facade, the man that was able to end another's life so quickly, and with so little remorse. "Perhaps," she answered simply, stepping carefully into the dimly lit basement. "Though we should probably see whether there is anything that can let me return home in the first place, before we jump to conclusions, wouldn't you say?"

Silence fell for a few moments as they looked around the place. "Aye, you're right," he murmured quietly, gazing upon all the treasures that the governor had kept hidden beneath his extravagant mansion. The room was full to the brim of chests packed full of gold, of priceless sculptures, and works of fine art, as well as treasures of every description Edward could imagine. Still, as it stood, none of it looked remotely 'magical' in the slightest. Then again, neither did that mirror when we picked it up, he thought to himself, slyly grabbing a few coins and stuffing them into his pockets. Rarity noticed out of the corner of her eyes, and sighed.

"Well, I suppose we should start looking around," she suggested, glancing at all corners of the dark cellar. "It's not going to find itself, right?" She did her best to smile optimistically at him.

He cast a reassuring smile back, though he did not share the same optimism. Nevertheless, he started to poke around the treasures that lay around the vault, looking for something of value. All the while, he kept listening out for any incoming dangers spilling over from the fighting still raging outside. It's been going on a bloody long while. Maybe Ade inspired some disgruntled citizens to give the governor a piece of their mind, so to speak. I hope he's alright.

They continued looking for some time. The minutes dragged on and on, and still they found nothing. Eventually, however, he noticed Rarity pause, and look up. She glanced around the room quickly, her eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" Edward asked, standing up. "Have you found something?"

"Shh!" She hissed quietly, putting a finger to her lips. "Can you hear that, Edward?"

"Hear what?"

The two of them listened out for a few seconds. "Humming," she elaborated. "Can't you hear that? It sounds like some sort of metallic hum."

He kept quiet and listened again. Sure enough, there was a small hum resonating from somewhere within the room. It sounded strange and unnatural, as if it didn't belong in this world. "You're right, I can hear it," he replied, pacing around. "Now all that's left is to figure out exactly where it's coming from."

"Easier said than done," came her exasperated reply, as she stared at the mountains of treasure littered around the room. "Well, let's get started then."

"Aye, good idea." With a nod, he began to search, steadily making his way towards the source of the noise. Rarity seemed to have pinpointed its location, as she was throwing aside paintings and other assorted clutter in a specific corner of the room. Whatever it is, I don't think it's going to be particularly large. Hell, it may not even help us at all, he thought as he went over to help her, lifting away a large marble statue.

Groaning, she stepped back for a moment, catching her breath. "What kind of pon- er, person hides all of this wonderful art away in a basement anyway?" she exclaimed, taking a brief moment to inspect a few of the paintings and other sculptures. Her mind briefly wondered back to the royal vault beneath Canterlot Castle, and the treasures that hid within. Those were merely the originals, Rarity, remember? Copies had already been made; they were only down there to protect against vandalism or theft. With a huff, she continued. "Some of these works are absolutely beautiful, yet here they are, hidden away in some old man's personal collection!"

"I never took you for a lady that appreciates fine art," he replied, still looking through small chests and boxes for the source of the mysterious hum, all the while stuffing any loose gold or jewels he came across into his pockets. "Though, in hindsight, I probably should have. You do carry yourself with an air of sophistication uncommon around these parts, after all." After a second, he looked up again. "What was it that you do back home, again?"

"I'm a fashion designer," she explained somewhat offhandedly, still inspecting some of the paintings. After looking up and noticing his confused expression, she sighed and elaborated. "I design and make dresses, as well as other items of clothing. So sometimes I look to old works of art for a bit of inspiration."

He smirked and looked down again, picking up a wooden box and rattling it. "So, are you looking for some inspiration right now, are you?"

A small chuckle escaped her lips as she glanced at the painting. "Maybe. Sometimes I don't even realise I'm doing it." She noticed the box in his hands, which he had just opened. "What have you got there?"

He gave a small shrug. "Buggered if I know. It's unlike anything I've seen before."

"Well, that's probably a good sign," she reasoned, peeking into the box with him. What lay inside was indeed strange, and almost unnatural. It seemed to be some sort of small metallic cube. She reached a hand tentatively inside the box, and gently ran it over the cube's flawless surface. It was perfectly smooth and undamaged, with not even so much as a scratch to be found anywhere. Most of all, though, there was no doubt that the strange hum was somehow emanating from the cube itself. The two of them could not see anything that could possibly be making the noise.

"What do you think?" he asked, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "Could this help?"

It took a moment for her to realise that he was speaking to her, transfixed as she was by the artifact. "Well, hopefully. This is certainly no ordinary trinket or bauble, is it?"

He pulled the cube out of the box and stuffed it into his pocket. "Not in the slightest. If anything down here can help us out with your problem, it'll be this thing." He stumbled slightly as the room shook to the sound of a deep rumble. Did some idiot blow up some powder kegs? he wondered, heading towards the exit of the cellar. "Come on, we've tarried here for too long, we need to go."

"Right, of course," she agreed, nodding and sticking close behind him as he jogged up the stairs and outside once again. The sound of fighting was much closer now, and she could see a few skirmishes going on further down in the grounds.

Edward followed her gaze, and happened to notice his quartermaster engaged in the fighting. The giant of a man was taking on three guards at once, and easily overpowering them. The captain chuckled as he saw him pick a soldier up and slam him back down to the ground painfully. "Oi, Adé!" he called out, jogging towards him and unsheathing his swords.

Adéwalé turned to the sound of his voiced and called back. "There you are, Edward! We've been looking for you everywhere!" He ducked underneath a soldier swinging his sword, before uppercutting him in the jaw.

"I can bloody well tell!" he exclaimed, slashing at the final guard's chest with his swords. "We've got what we came here for, so let's get the hell out of here!"

His friend nodded and took a step back, before bellowing out, "Fall back! Everyone, fall back into the city!"

The man knew how to project his voice, of that Rarity was certain. It echoed across the grounds, bringing the news of the retreat to all of the pirates, mercenaries, and other rioters who hadn't been injured or killed. She looked up at Edward. "Time to run, is it?"

"I'd say it's as good a time as any." He stabbed a guard that lunged towards him, before sprinting away with the two of them in tow. Thankfully, most of the guards were still caught up in fights with other people, so their escape from the grounds of the mansion was unhindered for the most part.

By Celestia, I'm barely used to walking in this strange body, let alone running for my life! Thankfully, Edward seemed to notice her struggle, as he slowed down to help her keep up. Adéwalé, meanwhile, made sure to take care of any guards that decided to pursue them. After a few minutes, they had disappeared into the huge crowds around Havana, and lost their pursuers. Needing to take a breath, they ducked into a side alley for a moment.

"Jaysus, Adé," Edward said with a chuckle, leaning against the wall and wiping sweat from his forehead. "If you hadn't come when you did, I reckon we'd still be trapped in that pompous prick's home."

"What took you so long anyway?" he wondered, as they made their way back to the docks. "We were fighting in there for upwards of thirty minutes looking for you and your friend."

With a smirk, he pulled the cube out of his pocket, looking at it for a few seconds before showing it to him. "We were searching for something. We found this thing."

"What is it?"

"Well..." He paused for a moment. "To be a honest, I have no idea."

Adéwalé flared up suddenly. "You don't even know what it is?!"

Edward turned to him, backing off slightly. "Well, it's obviously not natural. We needed something to help Rarity. Look at the thing!"

"So you're telling me that you wasted time in that mansion, while many men died fighting out there? Good men, I might add!" he growled. "All for what? A trinket to help with your superstitions?"

As the two of them argued, Rarity shrank back somewhat. Was she responsible for the deaths of those who had been fighting? We could have come back at a later date, and broken in stealthily. She couldn't help but feel some semblance of guilt for what had happened. Still, the two men in front of her continued to bicker. Eventually, she stepped in between them. "Enough! Alright? Enough, the both of you!"

The two of them paused, and looked down at her, having just reached the docks.

With a sigh, she continued. "In hindsight, we shouldn't have taken so much time in the mansion. For all we knew, there could have been nothing at all that could possibly help me." She looked up towards the quartermaster. "Adéwalé, I am deeply sorry that my actions may have caused your men to die. But arguing and squabbling about this thing out here, in the middle of the street, isn't going to solve anything."

The two of them looked at each other, then back to her, before sighing and relenting. "Aye, you're right Rarity," Edward admitted. "Come on, we should get back to the Jackdaw."

"What are we going to do now?" she asked, as they hurried along the pier to their ship.

He glanced back at the city, keeping an eye out for anyone. "Sail far, far away from Havana for the time being." He strode onto the deck of the ship, before holding a hand out and helping her on as well. "Maybe we should sail up to Nassau, or something."

"Sounds like a plan," she muttered, leaning on the wooden railing and gazing back out at the city. It was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. But as Edward and Adéwalé went about readying the crew to leave port, she couldn't help but realise that even the most beautiful of things can have rotten cores.

Comments

[Amethyst Blade]

Awww...I was hoping to see some 'kicking asses in all her finery' trope.
She might not be an Assassin and might or might not kill other but I think she can fight (with needles and thread is optional).
Welp, more!

[Twilight Writer]

I read each chapter so far, and what I've learned is: Rarity is always right. If she ever comes to my world through a mirror, I'll just let her make all the decisions.

[proverbs]

Can you at least have Rarity take up fencing lessons. She doesn't need to fight but being useless all the time gets rather old. Great story. I'm gonna start tracking it.

[metallusionsismagic]

Alas, all the suffering was truly for naught as Edward later found out this artifact was in fact the world's easiest Rubik's Cube, with one face to a side. The First Civ wasn't really any smarter than us, just lazier.

figuring out that we're both lose now, do we

loose

[Shazam 25]

Not bad. I do wait for more.

[Just another hoerse love]

5215746

I think she can fight (with needles and thread is optional).Welp, more!

rope darts for Edward

5217347 I am still yet to beat one of those