Asassin's Creed
Kurt Dysan
Publisher: Boruma Publishing
Summary
While the code of an assassin might not be lofty or idealistic, it sets standards for his conduct. When Jason rescues Lady Xena from an assault on the highway, the haughty lady encourages him to take her as a reward. Greedy for more of this alpha male, she asks him to stay with her. Seeing her to an inn gives him the chance to fulfill his true mission and satisfy himself. ~~~~~ PG Excerpt ~~~~~ Jason stood in the shadows, watching. Automatically he counted four thieves. They appeared to be the normal sort of thugs who robbed travelers. This lot represented a small step up from cutpurses, but they were far more dangerous and more ready to kill. As evidence to that, three uniformed defenders, simple soldiers, lay in the roadway. The thieves had obviously taken them by surprise and shifted the odds in their favor quickly. Only one defender remained. Although he was acquitting himself reasonably well and defending the carriage, as he was outnumbered, his need to stay in position to defend the women made him vulnerable. Jason watched with the interest of a professional, noting that if the soldier had been able to take the attack to the thieves, he might've succeeded in carrying the fight to them, routing them. The way they danced about him suggested their bravery came from strength of numbers and if he ran through one of them, the rest might flee. Still, they were clever rogues, and they moved well for amateurs. They worked as a team, encircling him as a pack of dogs might, thrusting at him with short swords, baiting him and trying to get him to lunge at one of them. The soldier seemed to realize that would open him to the others, and he contented himself with parrying the blows and holding his ground. It couldn't last. Sooner or later the four attackers would simply wear him down. Eventually, the thieves grew impatient. One slipped away and circled the carriage, coming to the far side. He tore open the door and leaped in. The frightened woman screamed, and the defender turned to see what had happened. He saw that he'd been outflanked and as he considered what to do, one of the thieves struck him in the head and he fell to the ground, senseless. The man in the carriage grabbed the rich lady by the arm and triumphantly dragged her out of it, down to the ground. She moved smoothly, not showing the panic Jason would have expected from a fine lady being grabbed by a bandit. Another man opened the other coach door and dragged the maid (Jason was sure that was what she was) down from the carriage, seeming to enjoy her screaming. She struck at him with her arms and feet, but he was a stout fellow and didn't seem to mind the blows she rained on him. The elegant lady watched this scene play out with a detached look as if she was sizing up the situation. She looked in Jason's direction and he saw a glint in her eyes. She had seen him. The Lady had the same coolness and ability to see through the confusion that he expected from a trained warrior. The man holding the Lady's wrist was looking her over. "We'll see a decent ransom for this Lady, I'll wager." The man's tone, his actions told Jason he was the leader of this group. Tall and lean, he would be the one to watch.
Available since: 05/23/2020.
