Re: World-Valencia

[Ulysses Septimus]

"I will take him to Bishop, and have him repaired; hopefully that Bird Beak won't mess things up more, otherwise I may be forced to dismantle that old maniac with my own hands."Ulysses' left hand tightened into a fist, with enough strength to crush metal. "Lord Kane had already made it fairly clear he wouldn't mind."

With the power of the Apple of Eden, the artifact Cristobal had obtained from the garden in El Dorado, Ulysses could easily create machines unknown even to the Mad Tinkerer, powerful machines that if completed, no one but him and a chosen few would be able to stop.

With that power, he could also create perfect clockwork soldiers to serve his will as well. Perfect little puppets that were lethal when at the same time obedient and intelligent.

[Sydney Underhill]

Sydney laughed softly, leaning against the railing on one arm.

"Sometimes, I wonder how Quintus perceives. He's been with me through my...transformation, after all. When I first acquired him, I was in a sorry state."

[Ulysses Septimus]

The Admiral took off his mask, fixing it to his belt then turned to look at her, "It is hard to say, because personally for me, reading clockworks are much harder than humans."

His hand reached into the pocket of his coat closest to his heart, drawing out what seemed to be a glowing, golden sphere marked with thin black lines. Ulysses turned the Apple absentmindedly around in his hands.

He had used it to create the clockworks Albinus Crassus, as well as Quintia Presidos and Servus Decimus: briefly, he wondered just how much more is this ancient artifact capable of.

Power, such a fickle thing, it could corrupt the purest of minds while transforming even an angel into a dark devil. Sometimes it surprised even the Grandmaster Assassin how he managed to handle the artifact's power without being corrupted.

[Sydney Underhill]

Sydney watched as Ulysses turned the strange artifact over in his hands, completely entranced by its appearance.

"What exactly is that?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

He saw no harm in explaining, so he replied, "The Apple of Eden. My Mentor Cristobal Auditore de la Faiz gave it to me: it was rumored that he had taken it straight from a garden in the city of El Dorado."

[Sydney Underhill]

"El Dorado? Isn't that what the Armada is looking for?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Ita vero(Latin: Yes)."Ulysses nodded, "I do not know how my Mentor accomplished such a task, as it is virtually impossible to reach that place without the map... Though this still proves to be a valuable artifact of power."

[Sydney Underhill]

"Power?" On instinct, Sydney's head shot up upon hearing the word. "What...kind of power?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

"I've looked into this only a few times."Ulysses held the Apple now delicately with both hands, "it had only shown me what it knows though Mentor did mention about how it could grant otherworldly powers such as sixth sense to certain individuals... The Apple is very selective you could say: choosing only a few, killing anyone else it deems unworthy..."

[Sydney Underhill]

"Killing the unworthy..." Sydney mused, the corners of her mouth twitching. "And the few individuals that are "chosen"? They do not suffer any consequences?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

"They suffer nothing at all."The Admiral hummed, "though it's no tell what the Apple might show or give: sometimes... It gives secrets tha should have stay buried."

The Apple suddenly took on a much brighter glow, as Ulysses' eyes widened slightly. "I heard it... The Apple... It chose you... It wants to show you something..."

He really could swear he heard the ethreal voice that had been whispering the knowledge into his head speak, telling him it wants to an audience with her.

[Sydney Underhill]

"With me...?" She stepped back on instinct, looking down at the fiercely glowing artifact in the Admiral's hands, having absolutely no idea how to proceed. "What should I...do?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Place your hand on it, "he instructed, "give it no resistance and it will talk. "

[Sydney Underhill]

Sydney did as he said, warily placing her right hand overtop the object and exhaling deeply, as if to say all right. I'm not putting up any sort of fight whatsoever.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Almost immediately, she was enveloped in golden light, light so bright it was almost blinding...

When it faded, she was standing in a chamber carved from smooth white marble that was about the size of Kane's throne room. At the end of the room was a raised dias carrying a burning brazier, with two men standing next to it, one dressed in white robes, the other in red.

They were looking directly at the figure next to Sydney--a man dressed similarily like the one in white, though with nearly neck lengthed slightly wavy silver hair, and blood red eyes.

Ulysses. 

No one paid her any attention, showing it was only a replay of a memory.

[Sydney Underhill]

It only took her a short time to realize that what she was seeing was just a sort of flashback, and she stayed where she was, observing the scene before her.

These were not members of the Armada, surely not. She had never seen a clockwork with such robes before.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Octavian Casmirius Superbus!"The one in white called.

The figure next to her raised his head, crimson eyes shining with the excitement of a teenager, and quickly walked up the stone steps.

"Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember..."The white robed one begun.

"Nothing is true."Replied the figure who had been called Octavian, in a voice that was no mistake younger but definitely the voice of Ulysses.

"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember..."

"Everything is permitted."

The one in white nodded in approval, "Good, Octavian... Now step forward and recieve your mark."

Ulysses approached the brazier and extended his left hand--it was still a fleshly limb then--not even wincing as a pair of red hot tongs pressed the symbol of the Assassin Order into his left ring finger.

"Who are we?"Asked the one who performed the branding.

"We serve the light in darkness, cut down all who opposes the Armada... We are the Assassins!"

[Sydney Underhill]

The Assassins.

Sydney felt her blood run cold, but it was not nessecarily a bad feeling.
The Armada had their own branch of superb terror and stealth, it seemed.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Another brilliant flash, and now it seems to have been several years after the initiation:

Instead of his white outfit, Ulysses was now in a set of much more elaborate robes colored black and red. He was seated on a throne that sat upon a raised platform, two lines of white robed Assassins before him as though he was a king.

"Ave, Grand Master Ulysses!"They cried, "Hail, Lord Ulysses, Grand Master of the Assassin Order!"

This time, the memory stopped after the Assassins shouted their hail, the scene quickly changing to show Ulysses kneeling in front of Kane, dressed in a simple black coat that had only silver brocade and silver epaulettes.

"Commodore Septimus,"the Supreme Commander begun, "you've done well.. Perhaps you would like a few days free of duty?"

"My Lord, if you can be so generous, I would be forever thankful."

[Sydney Underhill]

The current Armada Commodore laughed internally and clasped her hands behind her back, finding it odd to hear the title she carried being used to address another, especially given that they were now her superior.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses stood, offered Kane another bow and swept out the door, walking with a slight spring in his steps like he couldn't wait to get to where he needed.

Which happens to be the docking bay of Cadiz, where he boarded an Armada skiff marked with the name the Colossus, though the one at the helm was still Sentus Optimus.

"Raise anchor, plot a course back to the Havos estate."He told the Marine captain. "Full speed as well."

The Marine saluted him, "As how you command, Lord Ulysses."

The scene flashed once more, but this time it was a scene of destruction-

Ulysses stepped off his ship, mouth slightly agape in surprise, his expression then changing to fear.

He was standing on the docks leading to what was once maybe a beautiful mansion, now a pile of smoking ruins.

"No.. No no no!"The former Commodore broke into a run, "this can't be happening!"

[Sydney Underhill]

That must have been his, Sydney concluded, judging by the way he had reacted to the sight. But who could have done...?

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses skidded to a stop before a bloodied, prone form.

It was a young woman maybe in her early twenties, and very beautiful, but currently... She was severely wounded and bleeding heavily.

Carefully, Ulysses lifted her into his arms. "Lavinia.. Please, say something!" He was afraid, there was no doubt about it.

Her eyes opened, as a pained smile appeared on her face. "Ulysses... You've came at last... Now I can finally rest..."

"Don't say that! I can get you help-"

"No."Lavinia shook her head, placing one hand on Ulysses' arm, "the damage has already been done, there's nothing you can do about it."

"But-"Ulysses opened his mouth to argue, only to be stopped when she rested her head against his chest.

"I regret *cough* I cannot bear you the child,"she whispered, "before I have to leave for the other side..."

The former Commodore's voice cracked, "Dont..."

"I love you, my husband."Her arm went limp, death closing over her eyes.

Ulysses was silent for a moment, his head bowed... Then suddenly, he snapped back up and faced the sky, an animalistic scream tearing itself out of his throat.

Something... Something had SNAPPED in his head, the moment she died.

Called sanity.

[Sydney Underhill]

She must be the one, Sydney realized, the one Mercilus had killed...

And she understood, to a degree, what it felt like when one had lost everything dear to them. Although she did not necessarily hold people close to her in her mind and heart, her temporary - but long lasting - fall from grace had resulted in a similar mental break, she remembered. It had been absolutely, positively terrible.

[Ulysses Septimus]

There was another flash, bringing her to the battle of Trafalgar Vortex, the decisive battle that had ended the fight between Valencia and Marleybone.

Ulysses, now in his familiar Admiral's outfit stood on the deck of the ship Sydney would come to know as the Interceptor, Sentus Optimus standing beside him.

The Admiral, though, now looked visibly different than he was in the last few flashbacks--

His face had taken on a much more gaunt look, with noticably protruding cheek bones as well as a new emotion in his eyes. A shine that marked his battle lust.

"So they thought they have what it takes to defeat the Armada, huh?"He grinned to himself a smile far too wide to be normal....

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