ASSASSIN'S CREED

THE GALLIAN CHRONICLES

CHAPTER 1

DESCENDED FROM LEGENDS

WESTERN NEW YORK STATE, U.S.A.

(Revolutionary War)

In a small church in a small town in Western New York, the people of the town had been gathered, men, women, and children, and were trapped by 4 red coats who were pointing their bayonets threateningly at the frightened people. The 4 British Soldiers separated as a British Colonel rode his horse right into the church, frightening several children who had been standing near the entrance. The man looked over the frightened civilians with an expression of utter disgust, and it was immediately obvious that he looked down upon the farmers and workers who now cowered in his presence.

"I'm certain you all know why you're here," the Colonel declared arrogantly, "this village is known to have harbored members of the Rebel army. Those who would house traitors to the crown are themselves, traitors to the crown. Thus, you have all been found guilty of treason."

"Guilty of treason!?" a man shouted, "but we've done nothing!" The man's cry of innocence was rewarded by the Colonel pulling out his pistol and shooting him. Several women screamed as the man fell to the ground, dead.

"You have been sentenced to die traitors' deaths. Seal the doors," the colonel ordered as he rode out of the church. Following their orders, the four Red Coats began to walk out of the church and the back two turned to seal the church as the five remaining members of their squad gathered around the church with lit torches to light it ablaze. They never got the chance as the two men who were tasked with locking the door were killed by the Native Assassin, Conner who dropped from the church roof and drove his twin hidden blades through both their hearts. The other two who'd been in the church swung their bayonets for the Assassin's throat, but Conner trapped both bayonets with his hidden blades and slammed them into the ground, causing their wielders to bend over and open their throats to a dual stab from the blades.

A squad officer, realizing what was happening, grabbed his pistol to shoot Conner who grabbed the still standing body of one of the soldiers he had stabbed and used it as a shield. Knowing he would never be able to reload in time, the officer drew his sword and charged Conner who instantly drew his trademark hatchet and disarmed the officer before turning him, using him as a shield to block the musket balls the four remaining soldiers shot at him. As the soldiers tried to reload, Conner charged. No soldier even came close to firing a second shot before all four had been eliminated by Conner's hatchet.

The Colonel, who'd watched the whole fight, finally climbed from his horse and drew his sword. "You dare to stand against the British crown? You arrogant little native."

"Your days of dragging the innocent into your twisted campaign are done, Templar," Conner declared as the man swung his sword which Conner easily blocked with his hatchet. Knocking the sword blade away, Conner swung the hatchet horizontally, catching the Templar in the throat and killing him instantly.

...

BRUHL, GALLIA

(Europa War II)

Alicia Melchiott woke with a start. She was sure she'd been dreaming, and yet... it had felt so real. She could still feel the crushing of bone as the hatchet had struck its target and the warm blood that had soaked her hands as she'd killed the men in the red coats. She felt her stomach churn and she felt sick as she remembered the things she had done and the look of fear in the eyes of the men her weapons had stolen the lives of, and for a moment, she was afraid she would puke. Fighting back the urge to vomit, she realized she was sitting in a soft bed that was located in a moderate sized room with another bed in it that was empty, but looked as though it had been slept in recently. A small window was allowing the first rays of sunlight from the breaking dawn flood the room which was decorated with the flags of various countries from around the world, most notably the Gallian flag which hung over the room's only doorway. Alicia sat up and removed her covers, discovering that she was dressed in her Town Watch dress. Her boots and socks had been removed and now lay at the side of the bed, leaving her left leg and foot bare. Her right leg, on the other hand, was wrapped in a tight cast. Her gloves, shawl, and bandana sat on a table next to her bed.

She sat up and swung her legs out of the bed, but yelped as her broken leg clipped the bed post.

"Alicia!?" Susie shouted suddenly as she burst through the door. A bandage was tied over her forehead, covering a gash that had been left on her forehead when she'd hit it after being thrown by the grenade.

"Susie!? You're alright!" Alicia cried out with relief.

"Yes," Susie replied sadly, "but... We're the only ones who are. The others are... they're..."

"They're gone," an unfamiliar voice declared as a man entered the room. Alicia recognized him. He'd come to the bakery to buy bread once a week for as long as Alicia could remember. He was an older gentleman whose hair was beginning to turn grey who lived in a larger home in the center of town. Even so, she'd never gotten his name. "The two of you are the only members of Bruhl's town watch who survived that battle."

"No!" Alicia exclaimed, "That can't be... I can't believe it."

"Believe it, you two are the only survivors of the Bruhl town watch, other than the members were tasked with escorting the civilians to Radgriz. Though I hate to say it, Bruhl has been completely abandoned by the Gallian army," the man declared.

"But if that's true then why are we still in Bruhl?" Susie asked.

"Fortunately I still have some good news. Gallia is not the only ones who have abandoned Bruhl. The Empire isn't willing to suffer more losses for such an out-of-the-way farming town," the man revealed, "I highly doubt that the Imps will bother sending additional troops here. We should be safe here for the time being."

"You're the one who took out the Imperial's tank. How did you do that?" Alicia asked.

"I stuck a grenade into their ragnite radiator. When the grenade detonated it also detonated the liquid ragnite that was inside the tank. Tanks aren't too difficult to deal with long as you know how."

"Who are you?" Alicia asked.

"My name, Ms. Melchiott, is Daren," the man replied.

"How do you know my name?" Alicia asked.

"Well, I have been buying bread from you every week since you were twelve," Daren replied.

"Oh right," Alicia sighed in embarrassment, "sorry about that."

"It's alright. Honestly, the fact that you didn't know my name is a good thing. It's a sign I've been doing my job," Daren replied.

"Your mission?" Susie asked.

"The final mission given to me by my master at the end of the last Europan War. To protect the descendant of Conner and prepare her when the time was right," Daren declared.

"Uhhh, right for what?" Alicia inquired nervously.

"Right for you to fulfill your destiny," Daren replied.

"For you to fulfill your destiny? Wait you're not talking about me are you?!" Alicia explained in both dismay and surprise.

"Alicia was Connor?" Susie whispered.

"How would I know I've never met anyone named Connor," Alicia whispered back.

"You're not familiar with Connor are you? Well I can't say that I'm surprised. Connor was perhaps the greatest assassin of the modern era, and easily the greatest since Ezio himself. His descendants have led our order for the better part of the last 100 years. However when When EWI broke out, Connor's only surviving descendent was three years old. As a result my master was forced to take over as the master of the order, until such a time as Conner's true descendent was able to take over. Of course I had hoped that that time would never come. No offense but I've watched you for quite a while Alicia and I don't know that you're exactly Assassin material. Unfortunately now the Templar once again seek to take control of Gallia, and I doubt that I can stop them in my old age," Daren revealed, "I suppose I really have no option now but to train you with the ways of the assassins."

"Whoa, whoa wait, you lost me what you mean by assassins?" Alicia inquired, "I think you must have me confused with someone else."

"To be honest I wish I did have you confused with someone else. I strongly doubt that you could even survive the training let alone last a single day carrying on the role of an actual assassin. But my master's final wish will be honored. You, Alicia Melechiott, will be trained in the ways of the assassins," Daren declared.

"Wait, slow down. Can you assume for just a second that I have no idea what you're talking about, please?" Alicia begged.

"It's apparent that we have a long ways to go. Then let me start at the beginning, Connor was a great assassin in the American colonies long ago who foiled the attempts of the Templar to take over the new world. The Templar an evil syndicate devoted to the conquest of the free world. They desire to see all men subjugated to the Templar cross, and in order to aid them in their quest they've now set their sights on Gallia," Daren revealed.

"Gallia, wait are you saying that the imperials...?" Alicia stuttered as she realized what this strange man was saying.

"The Imperial alliance is under the control of the Templar. The imperial army invades Gallia at the order of the Templar. They seek to gain access to Gallia's vast supplies of natural resources to use for their evil purposes. My master and the members of my order foiled their attempts during the last Europan war, but now only I remain. Time has claimed the lives of my master and the brothers and sisters who followed my creed. Without a guild of assassins to combat the Templar, Gallia may well be doomed, and the only person in all of Gallia who has a chance to change that fact, doesn't even know the difference between an assassin and a Templar," Daren complained.

"Are you really talking about Alicia?" Susie asked.

"It's nothing against you personally Alicia, you're a good person with a good heart, but in this line of work, that fact is exactly why you are not well fitted be an assassin," Daren declared, "I'm afraid that this time,Gallia is in over its head. The Templar are ruthless men will stop at nothing to see their ambitions realized. The people of this land have never experienced cruelty such as theirs. What happened here at Bruhl was evidence of that. A small farming town on the outskirts of Gallia? This town had no strategic importance to the empire. They attack in order to prove a point, that they were willing to stop at nothing to see Gallia take into bare hands. The Templar will murder and destroy anyone who dares to stand in their way, and this time they know they have the advantage. They are likely well aware of the fact that the assassin's presence in Gallia has diminished greatly since the last war, and that is why they are choosing now to strike. They have us right where they want us."

"How can you say that? There has to be a way to beat them!" Alicia exclaimed.

"Unfortunately the only way we can defeat the Templar is it you become an assassin. Without a leader to get things rolling with the assassins guild I'm afraid there's nothing we can do to stop the Templar. We need to begin your training as quickly as possible, but unfortunately, with your broken leg, that will be easier said than done. Time is not on our... wait a moment," Daren ordered as he looked out the window.

"What's wrong?" Susie inquired.

"There's smoke coming from the Gunther's residence," Daren revealed as Susie looked out the window. Sure enough smoke could be seen rising above the trees in the direction of the Gunther mansion. As Susie continued to look out the window, Daren walked over to one of the flags hanging on the wall. Reaching up to the top of the flag, he released a mechanism which caused the flag to fall down, revealing a hidden compartment behind it. Alicia's eyes widened with surprise as she spotted the hatchet hanging in the compartment, beside a pair of gauntlets. She watched as the assassin who had rescued her donned the gauntlets and pulled the hatchet from the wall, placing it into a sheath on his belt.

"Stay where you are," he ordered Susie and Alicia as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, "I'm going to go take a look," he ordered he left the room. A minute later Susie saw him walking towards the tree line, along the path that led to the mansion that once belonged to Gen. Gunther.