ąųdįţǫŗę (mentori) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-02-16 19:28:00 |
|
|||
Like eagles, truly free, an exhilarating fall. In the Middle Ages, the Leap of Faith was a move that signified one very important thing - that the Assassin did not fear death. It was also a helpful maneuver for evading enemy capture - Ezio had dreamed about it, the way it felt, how incredible it was. As long as a safe surface was below him for the landing, he could leap from anywhere - into water, onto flower beds, even spice carts. His initial Leap of Faith, meant to be the one to induct him into the Order, had been off of a bell tower in Venice. Here, in Orange County, in Irvine - there was a very tall television tower. You rode the elevator to the top, and had a breathtaking view of what was beyond - it was at this television tower, at the very top, where Ezio stood with his equally brave companion. He valued Evie Frye, in the strangest way - perhaps because he had not been expecting anyone else to remember the same things he did, just in a different time period. The fact that there was one other person who knew that life as intimately as he did, it was comforting. He was long since dead in Victorian-era London, but that she’d heard of him and knew about him even hundreds of years later - it made him wonder what exactly he managed to do while with the Assassins. She was not even born yet, in his time, but he was on a quest tainted red, a quest for revenge with the Borgia’s his sworn enemies. He’d burned their castles and fought them at every turn, and yet it was not even close to over. But that was not so important now. What was important was that they were at the top of a television tower. Below them, a cow pasture shrouded in fog. It was very early in the morning. Merda, such a long way down - a survivable leap for an Assassin, though. How nice that their genetics allowed them to defy physics - or that was the theory, anyway. It was also cold, this early. The wind burned his cheeks a little, and he pulled his hoodie up over his head to cover his ears. “The challenge, I think, will be not landing in cow shit,” he smirked, taking another glance down. This was probably the most absurd thing he had ever done, and it felt great. Less great if he broke all the bones in his body, but that would not happen. After learning that Ezio shared the same dream world as her, Evie was relieved. Despite her dreams having only just begun shortly before their first conversation, it had become plainly obvious to her that the life of an Assassin was not an easy one. The secret war with the Templars took a toll, and being an Assassin required sacrifices. Their accomplishments were kept on the down low, never meant to be known by the world. It was also something that tended to kill them more often than not. Though oddly, Evie’s parents hadn’t died at Templar hands. Her mother had died in childbirth, and her father had succumbed to an illness. Evie and her brother were the ones left to take on London, which was a Templar stronghold. Her dreams had progressed to the point where she and her brother were about to head to London to free it from the Templars. She was a full-fledged Assassin in her dreams, but not yet in this life. Which was why she jumped at the chance when Ezio had contacted her about it. She was impatiently awaiting her Assassin abilities to crossover to this life. It would make her job a hell of a lot easier, especially if she felt like doing some “vigilante” work and help innocent people in war zones get out safely. Standing there with Ezio, she was wearing her Assassin outfit the dreams had gifted her with. Thankfully her jacket didn’t stick out as being odd in this day and age. Many people liked the so-called “steampunk” look these days. She smirked a bit as she looked down from their vantage point, pulling her own hood up over her head. “If you land in it, I’ll let know how bad you smell and stay upwind of you,” she quipped. “Ah, si, is true,” he chuckled, smooth and deep, his accent giving the words a pleasant timbre. Lyrical, even - he would not particularly say Italian accents sounded like music but, ultimately, it depended on the region. “I would not blame you, in that case. Well - “ He took a glance out at what lay beyond - it was not as if they were diving right onto rocks, but this was still a risky maneuver no matter how you looked at it. Then again, Ezio lived for stunts like this. An Art History professor, a teacher, passing on his wisdom - and also a seeker of thrills, dreaming of a young man who was willing to do just about anything to avenge his dead family. But he could see it was becoming more than that. The Templars, they could not come into power - it was not their world to control. Ezio, his Assassin brethren, they would see to it. Now, time to do it. To become who he really was - it would not be an overnight change, but this Leap of Faith would be a good start. He would begin to do what Assassins did, which was protect others, protect their rights, protect art and culture and freedoms. This was deep in his bones. “Shall I go?” Much like in her dreams, Evie stood there feeling excitement over taking the Leap of Faith. There was no fear in her, no fear that she may not survive. Just as she was in the dreams, she was confident in herself and in the fact that she would come out of this as an Assassin. The abilities wouldn’t come overnight, and she was rather certain she’d need to start training the way she did in the dreams to help draw them out. Luckily she had a head start in this life with her military training, and she worked out regularly, both with running and going to the gym for more general workouts. Perhaps she could even talk Ezio into doing some training with her. She was curious about his Assassin abilities. Did he favor stealth like she did? Or did he have a more bombastic approach to things? That, however, was something that could be addressed when they weren’t about to leap from the top of this tower. “By all means. At least if you break something, I’ll know where not to land.” She couldn’t help with the teasing. “Though I promise to help if you do break something.” Evie wasn’t going to just leave him there, after all. She drew in a slow, deep breath, taking in the morning air. It was certainly one ripe with the rewards of completing the Leap of Faith. Ezio liked the teasing - it gave him another chuckle, something so light-hearted even in the face of conquering something so dangerous. Besides, there was not much opportunity for humor with lives like theirs - the Assassin life. He was darker inside now, in his dreams, not so carefree - his charm and charisma, it remained intact, but he could feel himself retreating further and further away from others as he was shrouded by this world where secrets and mystery were part of the creed. He hoped it would not carry over here. That seemed a depressing way to live, even if he’d technically done it once before. “See you down there, signorina,” he told Evie - she would join him soon after he jumped off the tower. He would see her down there intact. They would do this together. Getting a running start, he sucked in a breath and simply...went for it. He leaped, and it was like his body knew what to do. A graceful dive, soaring through the air like the birds his kinfolk wrote about, a spiral as he plummeted, and it did not take long before the ground was approaching - closer than he realized, but again, instinct took over. In the softness of the cow pasture, rocketing downward, that was where he landed - a tuck and roll, so his bones did not shatter (and he hadn’t landed on a cow, because that may have also been a soft landing yet awkward). Oomph. Then he was there - feet on the ground once more. He felt a little bit shaken, the equilibrium of it was exhilarating, but overall good. Most importantly, he was alive, and this Leap of Faith was just one puzzle piece that had slotted into place - causing a domino effect, as he saw himself for who he really was. “Evie!” Ezio called up to her, still a little breathless. The fog was chilly, and he breathed it in. “Your turn next.” There was a lot of darkness, a lot of pain in their lives in the dreams. Evie had an optimistic outlook more often than not, and she had a sense of humor. Though perhaps that was also largely her brother’s influence on her. Without him, she probably wouldn’t have much joviality in her life. As much as she took the creed intensely seriously in her dreams and loved her life as an Assassin, she would not wish the war between Templars and Assassins to carry over to this world. If it did, sacrifices would be required of Evie and Ezio, as they were always required of Assassins. Yet none of that burden existed now as she watched Ezio take his leap. Right now, she felt an anxious excitement that came before taking her own leap. She didn’t yet have her Assassin abilities, but she could almost feel like her very blood was calling her to this moment, to become who she was born to be. Evie took a moment to center herself, taking in a breath before she took her running start, and then she was in the air, falling in a spiral. The ground rushed to meet her, but instinct took over and she rolled as she hit the ground, ending up on her feet. Nothing was broken, she was in tact, though her equilibrium was out of whack. Her heart was pounding and her blood was thundering in her veins from the adrenaline. She had a wide grin on her face once she found her equilibrium. “That was perhaps the best experience of my life.” So said a woman who had experienced quite a few milestones. Leaping out of a plane might give this a run for its money, however. “And we both succeeded.” Now there was a question of what to do with their Assassin abilities. For some reason, he just felt giddy - it was perhaps because they were both alive, and had not splattered into a pile of bones and guts on the ground. He swept Evie up into a hug, exuberant and thrilled. “Mine also,” Ezio admitted, and so far, yes - diving off of a television tower and living to tell the tale was definitely up there with best experiences. “I think I need to sit now though, just for a minute,” he added, finding a soft patch of grass (that was also free of shit, conveniently) and settling there. “Tell me more of what it is like for you in your dreams - I will never see Victorian England, but obviously we are still fighting Templars, yes?” That was actually sort of depressing, but all he could hope was that whatever he did as an Assassin, all he gave up and sacrificed, but would be for something in the end. Evie didn’t mind the hug one bit. She returned it tightly, adrenaline still pumping through her body. She felt as though she could take on the world right then and there, but she knew she needed to take it slow. This was only one step towards being an Assassin. She didn’t yet have all the abilities that went with Assassin training, but perhaps this would pave the way for it to crossover from the dreams. She also had to wonder if Ezio liked racing the way Jacob did. She’d have to ask him at some point. Pushing her hood back off of her head, she sat down next to Ezio after ensuring it was clear of cow shit. The question was one that was expected. A couple centuries separated them in the dream world, as did location, but they fought the very same war. It was a war that had been raging since before either of them had been born. “Yes, we are. London is a Templar stronghold, unfortunately. They are seeking a Piece of Eden that is said to be there. My brother talked me into going to London to liberate it from Templar hands. Easier said than done, of course, but we are more than willing to undertake it.” Evie thought about it further for some moments. “As a result of London being under Templar control there is no Assassin presence within the city yet.” Evie and Jacob were determined to see that change, even if they would largely be alone, but that wouldn’t bother her. A few undignified swears escaped Ezio, even though it wasn’t particularly surprising that London was a Templar stronghold. Their brotherhood, they were like weeds. “They are always around in some capacity, throughout history,” he shook his head. “And always after the Pieces of Eden.” Of course they were - because the Pieces of Eden were tools that could be used to control mass groups of people, and that was what Templars wanted. A creation of their perfect world, and they would not give up on that idea. “In my time, it is the Apple of Eden they want,” he said. “They have been searching for a very long time. Whatever we can do to keep those artifacts out of their hands - it is necessary. I hope that you can build up a resistance to them, where there is no Assassin presence. But,” he smiled crookedly, “I am certain that you will.” There was no Assassin presence here yet either, which had him thinking. Even if it was just the two of them - now that they had taken this literal Leap of Faith, maybe they should see about building on that. “Living where we do, is almost as dangerous as what we dream of,” Ezio smirked. “What do you say we train together? That way, if any Templars show up, we will be ready.” Maybe they weren’t Templars, in the way that he and Evie knew. But there were always groups out there with ill intentions. And bad seeds leaking into the government, into the churches, also with ill intentions. Evie didn’t quite bat an eyelash at the swears that came out of Ezio. She had some colorful words herself for talking about the Templars. “Exactly, they are always a thorn in our sides throughout history. But we are the dagger in their backs, the salvation of mankind.” Evie turned her left wrist over. She didn’t have her gauntlet yet from the dreams, but she was practically itching to have it, to have that blade slide out with the flick of her wrist. “I will sacrifice whatever I must to keep the Pieces of Eden out of their grasp, even if it means my life.” That was what all Assassin ultimately swore, to lay down their lives if it meant stopping the Templars. Assassins protected humanity, protected free will. The Templars wanted to control humanity, to mold the world into their narrow vision of what the world should be. Yes, the world was chaotic, but that was the nature of free will. People were free to choose to live however they wished and no one had the right to take that away from them. “I hope that you are able to stop the Templars in your time as well,” she offered. Of course, she knew how it had turned out, the benefit of living a few centuries after he had, and Evie was a student of history. Though at his suggestion, she perked up, a smile on her face as she looked at him. “Yes, I would very much like that. We could learn from each other as well, I think. Stealth is my area of expertise, and I’m intrigued to see what your strengths are.” Plus it never hurt for them to keep in shape and hone their Assassin abilities in the event any Templars arrived here. The funny thing was, Ezio didn’t choose the Assassin life, it chose him. He ultimately went into it to avenge his family, and topple a portion of the Templar Order by killing anyone involved in the Pazzi conspiracy - but he was in it now, and there was no going back. One day, he hoped he found peace, but it was a long way off. “Now that is a good question,” he stroked his chin. “My specialty?” He’d end up being a unifier, a leader, a keeper and preserver of Assassin culture and traditions. Of course he was a flawed individual, but he had skills too. It balanced out. “Not getting killed, perhaps,” he winked. “High pain tolerance. But we will see, as we train.” Freerunning was also a skill of his - he had always been very quick, and adept at jumping from place to place. Leaping across rooftops to run errands for his father, back when he was young, he’d dreamed of this as a viable means of travel. Now all the talk had him itching to run until his lungs burned. “It is the beginning of a new day,” he let out a breath of air. “Would you like to go for a run? Now that we have done this, I have so much...energy.” Evie had been brought up in the Assassin tradition, trained by her father. She had embraced the life, and she’d been an excellent student. While stealth was perhaps her best asset when performing missions, research was perhaps her strongest area when not on a mission. She also had an interest in the Pieces of Eden and spent much of her free time researching them. “Not getting killed is certainly an excellent skill to have,” she responded with a chuckle. “Nevertheless, I look forward to training with you and hopefully bringing out the talents from the dreams.” It would certainly be an asset if they both received their Assassin abilities and were able to become like they were in the dreams. Evie would love the opportunity to take her duty to another level. Evie, too, had skill in leaping across rooftops and climbing buildings. She constantly raced her brother in such instances. It was something she looked forward to trying out as she grew stronger as an Assassin. “I would love to. Feel like racing or just running?” There was a glint in her eye as she wondered if he was up for some competition like racing. “Racing, certamente,” Ezio laughed. He stood up, dusting off his behind - to get the grass off of him, and the dirt. Spending much more time here would likely mean that the smell would get to them. And he did not wish to stink like bovine for the rest of the day. “Let us do this, signorina.” He would not even go easy on Evie, or let her win, or any of that other nonsense - she was a fellow Assassin, likely she was just as quick as he was and creative at adapting to the environment; such was the staple of freerunning. You literally had to think on your feet, to move under and around and over obstacles. There was a certain way to fall too, as they knew - if their instincts did not kick in, they would have been splattered by now. “But I just hope you can keep up,” Ezio teased - oh, he had no doubt she could. It would be a fun exercise, the joy of it, the flying through the air. There were some perks to being an Assassin. It was definitely best to move on sooner rather than later. Evie got to her feet, brushing herself off a bit before taking in a deep breath. It was a new beginning, and she was looking forward to becoming the Assassin that she was in the dreams. And this beginning with Ezio also seemed to usher in a new Assassin Order here in Orange County. That was a feeling that brought her comfort. Smirking, Evie welcomed the teasing. He reminded her of her brother, especially in the dreams with the incessant teasing they both engaged in while racing. Among other things. Evie also always never let Jacob forget that she was the older sibling. It was simply part of her charm. “I’m not the one who will need to keep up,” she bantered back with that devilish smile of hers. Evie didn’t want Ezio to go easy on her. And she wasn’t going to go easy on him. No doubt they both would prove an excellent challenge for the other. They were both nimble and quick, able to make those split second decisions while freerunning. And without further ado, she gave him a nod before taking off. This was the beginning of something great and glorious. And hopefully the beginning of a good friendship as well. |