The Struggle

Lucanus trudged through the mud, attempting to find shelter in the rainy fields. His horse had been left behind back at Sardica. He needed to make it to Byzantium, establish an Assassin presence their and take down the Emperor.

The Emperor was dying. Lucanus knew that this was the perfect time to strike, with the Ankh far away from the Templar bastardus, and in Circulum Liberalis hands. It wouldn't be doing any healing any time soon.

The East was in control of the Huns, but Lucanus knew he had allies there. The hard part was the homefront.

Silas had heard rumours of the Circulum Liberalis for years. What he had heard of them sounded so exciting. So exciting, in fact, that he left the safety of the Roman army to find these mythical people. He heard that they were in Alexadnria, but planning on moving to Byzantium. He was far from Iberia, but he was undaunted. If he could have one chance to be like the heroes of old, this was it.

Every time he learned something of the Assassins, one of three names would ring: Brutus, Aquilis, or Lucanus. He knew that two of those men were dead, but Lucanus fought against Caesar even today. He needed to meet this man. Here in Alexandria is where he was told to seek him out.

"Hey you!" Lucanus heard a voice from behind him. A man on a horse was fast approaching. It sounded like a messenger, but he could not be sure.

Lucanus stopped, but didn't look back, only clutching his gladius at his side, ready for a fight if need be.

The horse drew nearer and Lucanus gripped his sword tighter, but the rider did not oppose him. He passed him quickly tossing him a letter, then riding straight by.

The letter was from a friend, Titus Cicero, the leader of the branch in Alexandria. The last major den in the Empire.

Meus amicus,

I hope your journey is going well, for we need more supporters to finish our...job. I cannot write all I would like to say in this letter, for it may be intercepted in the wrong hands. But I can tell you this: I have met a man by the name of Silas, who has expressed interest in joining our cause. I have tried to get him to stay with us, but he insists on finding you. This letter will take at least a week to reach you, but I need you to write back quickly.

Manere bene,

Titus

Eudokia read the note over Casca's shoulder, "You would be doing the Circulum a favor by finding him."

She knew otherwise. An enthusiastic student was just as dangerous as a traitor. Easily manipulated and killed quickly. The only problem was knowing when to use such a tool. The Assassins would need more men like him if she and Diocletian were to rid the world of them. Thankfully, they believed her to be a mole within the Imperial Palace, but she had been swayed by Caesar's charms and become a mole within the Assassin ranks.

"Why don't you do that?" she said as she walked away from the new leader of the Circulum. Once she had reached a safes distance, she located Diocletian's favored Praetorian Guard, Octavian, "Kill him."

"Yes my lady" Octavian answered. "Any particular fashion this time or would you like me to have my unit crucify his whole family while he watches? He quipped. At least he was of some use to the lady instead of that doddering fool the Caesar. "You know we serve the will of Caesar alone but I am willing to look into this as a favor just let me gather my men. Oh and by the way don't forget that you owe me as I grow tired of this game the Pretorian Guard is forced to play I wish for something with more permanency if you understand my meaning Caesars come and go but the Pretorian guard has alway been here. Octavian quipped. As he was leaving he thought. That woman has more influence than the the Caesar best not to anger her. And he mounted his horse to leave.

"Why don't you do that?" said his ally. Eudokia had been Lucanus' most trusted ally in the past, and even know was his most trusted spy. She alone had inflitrated the Emperor's inner ranks and had even become Diocletian's concubine.

But something was different with her now, she was contacting the Assassins less and less frequently, and she was even less upbeat than she was before. Perhaps a prengnacy?

Lucanus's thoughts were interuppted be the sound of a horse running towards him once more. By the sounds of it, it was armoured this time. A fight was upon him.

"Make way fools or you shall be run down!" Octavian commanded. He was riding with his personal guards the finest of the praetorian guard. " Flavian deliver this sealed letter to the lady I will not broker failure." "Yes my lord." Flavian called. Just then Octavian thought he spoted his target. "You boy stop where you are! I must speak with you" he yelled. As he steadied his mount. "I come bearing a message." He said confidently as he looked toward his men and gave the signal for a flanking manever. "Why do you try and get in the middle of things you will never understand? Mores the pity I guess because tonight you die!" He commanded. And with that his men surrounded the target.

There were multiple men, Praetorian guards the look by the look of them.

"Bring it on." Lucanus said unsheathing his sword.

"Now you have to understand we literally outnumber you you are surrounded you have no hope of escape and for your crimes against the empire the punishment is death!" Octavian roared. " Archers
Ready fire!"

Lucanus took a deep breath. He had trained his whole life for moments like these. Sheathing his gladius, he pulled out three knives, perfectly weighted for throwing.

He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing and let an extrasensory ability take over. Now only a few in the Circulum knew of this power, and even fewer possessed it. Lucanus was a lucky one, they called it 'eagle sense'.

His enemies, who had now surrounded him were outlines in red, their next move outlined as well.

Lucanus crouched then span, releasing all three knives in a rapid succession, instantly killing the archers.

"Full ranks charge attack him now!!" Octavian ordered. He has the gift now if we capture him we can use it ourselves. He thought but his orders were specific kill the assassin and I must obey the will of Caesar. "Your crimes against the state have been noted assassin and I do not care what you did I have been order to present your head to the Caesar and by the will of the Gods it will be so! Full ranks charge!" And at that moment it seemed like the street was flooded with soldiers about fifty. "Did you really think that I would only bring three archers to hunt a master assassin? Yes we know of you the praetorian guard knows you well as do I. My name is Octavian Augustus you killed my father prepare to DIE!" Octavian screamed like a possessed daemon as he unsheathed his blade. "No more games!"

Silas watched as the scene unfolded to reveal its true purpose. That man was part of the Circulum! Silas was unarmed, save for his father's axe. Regardless. Joining the Assassins was the only way he knew to become a hero. He tore through the crowd with a gusto he never knew he had. The lone Praetorian Guardsman was approaching Lucanus. Silas jumped between them, swinging his axe to save Lucanus.

This time Lucanus unsheathed his gladius, and was poised for a fight. He knew he was badly outnumbered, but he knew that his master, his teacher, his best friend, Aquilus would not go down without a fight.

"You killed my father, prepare to DIE!" the guard yelled, confronting him alone.

"Strange choice," Lucanus thought with amusement. He readied himself for a fight, when a man with an axe jumped in between the fight.

"NO!" Lucanus yelled.

"Who dares interfere with the judgment of Caesar! Run fool or face the the wrath of Octavian!" Octavian roared as his troops poured in to attack the assassin. "What do you expect to do to me I am greater than you I serve my Lord. While you skulk in shadows where is you auqilus now dead like the rest of you!"

As the man with the axe took up a battle stance beside him, Lucanus whispered, "Stay out of my way and get behind me if you want to live."

Lucanus waited for the soliders to strike.

" I really don't think it wise to even attempt to attack us we are the the first and last line of defense for the empire! While I will take great pleasure in bleeding you dry I don't really care what it is that you did to be personally hunted but you should concider it an honor to die by my hand assassin!" Octavian preened. "You are filth all of you no honor or substance just filth." And with that the guards pounced to attack.

Lucanus' battle instincts kicked in, his hands and legs moving of his own accord.

The first few guards charged and Lucanus met the first with a block of his sword. He had a dagger in his other hand, which he used to stab a guard to his left. He quickly ducked and slashed the first guards legs, throwing a knife at a third guard. He stood up and stabbed the first guard -who was on the ground in pain- in the heart.

"Easy enough." Lucanus thought as more guards charged forward. He began to fight them, each disposing them with relative ease. He looked over to his left and saw his rescuer fighting four guards by himself...

She wasn't the kind to be outside. But the day she desides to, is the day a fight blows up. She couldn't help but simply roll her eyes at the worthlessness these people were doing. Yes, to be an Assassin you must fight. But she was mostly trained in the silence, to spy and sneak. She was known to be as the 'Sly Fox' where sshe trained. She carries more information than anybody else knows. She was basically the secret keeper, the secret speaker.
Her name was Siobahn.(cye-o-ban)She does not have a last name, simply because she does not know it. The moment she was just barely a year old, her parents were killed by the government.Because they were Assassins such as she was.


She was walking through the market area, hiding and blending in with the crowd, when the screams of innocent pedestrians filled the busy streets. She then slipped into a random building and jogged up the stairs. Her eagle vision in que.
It looked to as if be a fight between her fellow assassins and soldiers. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her jaw set.
Like the sly girl she was, she slipped in and out of windows. Climbing on walls and sliding down roofs. She got to an angle where three small knives were ready under her sleeves. Doing two front flips off the building, she landed in between the Asssassins and enemy, and 3 fox fanged shape blades shot out,and hit three soldiers.

"You fools who skulk in shadow we the right hand of Caesar shall burn you all do you think that we are not above killing all around us. Test my patience no longer! Burn the market burn all the stalls kill everyone give them no place to hide no quarter!" Octavian commanded. "All that help the assassins share their fate!" He reached for his bow and fired an arrow at the interloper.

Three knives came out of nowhere and hit three soldiers. Lucanus looked behind him, startled.

When Lucanus saw who it was he sighed in relief. It was a fellow Assassin. Her name was Siobahn, they had met once before in Alexandria. She had a reputation. A good one.

He turned to his fellow Assassin, nodding saying, "The Sly Fox never ceases to amaze me."

Octavian fires another arrow from his bow at master assassin. "You'll die today assassin!"

Lucanus was locked in combat, the soldiers seemed to never end. "This guy really wants to kill me." he thought.

He turned around to stab another soldier, but suddenly saw an arrow flying towards him. His eagle sense warned him early, but it still wasn't enough. Lucanus lifted his arm to shield himself, and the arrow embedded itself in his arm.

"AHH!" Lucanus shouted in pain, clutching his arm.

Silas had backed into the mouth of an alley. He knew in the back of his head that this was not the kind of thing he was prepared to face. Even with all of his enthusiasm, he could only stand on the sidelines and hope it ended for the best. Considering how outnumbered this Assassin was, it may have been best for him to flee. Yet here stood. Such courage.

Standing before her, was Lucanus. She has met him once, and it was in the city of Alexandria. They fought side by side, but never brought it up afterwards. When he spoke to her, she only gave him a small nod. Before looking up to see the man call out for more archers to shoot. Her eyebrows furrowed when her eyes landed on one specific one, who had his arrow pointed at the Assassin in front of her. But like the speed of light, the arrow released and shot him in the arm.
Swiftly lifting out a dagger, she barely missed the arrow that wizzed past her, making a cut on her shoulder. Whincing from the stinging pain, she shot the dagger at the arrowsman. Making him fall the high balcony. Running foreward, she twisted, sommersaulted, and dodged arrows. With the help of her eagle vision, she was able to make it to her dagger alive. Grasping the handle, she looked behind her to see Lucanus slowley getting up. The arrow still embedded in his arm. She then ran back to him, grasping his good arm and heaving him up.
"Come on." she whispered, then began to yank him into the sheltered hallways. She couldn't see any other sign of the assassins that were there before her.

"Wheres the other man?" Lucanus grunted, getting up. He looked Siobahn in the eye for a second, but looked away quickly, remembering what had happened in Alexandria.

He grunted and slowly stood up, grabbing his gladius at the same time.