System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Deep Conversation

[Current Balance: 44,991,011,430 akçe]

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[Total Deduction: 38400 akçe](Food and etc.)

[Current Balance: 44,990,973,030 akçe]

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Six months had drifted by since Alaric Kenway first punched his way into the hidden Isu sanctuary beneath Thera and subsequently into the hundreds of years of solitude of Kassandra.

What started with a multi-day battle born of suspicion and intrusion had settled into an unexpected, intense domesticity.

The fishing bet, where Alaric had cheekily demanded a massage as his prize, had escalated quickly, breaking down barriers and leading them to do the deed onto the surprisingly comfortable mattress Alaric had produced.

Since then, the vast, humming Isu cavern had become their shared space, Alaric’s ’huge apartment’ as he jokingly called it.

Something about this place, this ancient repository of knowledge, and perhaps more significantly, something about its immortal Keeper, had made Alaric want to stay.

His vague plans of heading east faded into the background, the unexpected companionship filling a void he hadn’t fully acknowledged, subtly easing the profound loneliness that often accompanied his unique existence.

Their days fell into a rhythm dictated only by their own desires. They talked for hours, sharing histories, Kassandra recounting tales of ancient Greece, battles against mythical beasts and shadowy cults, Alaric shared about his own experiences, enough to intrigue and connect.

There was one time... they had a deep conversation.

---Flashback---

One cool morning, about a month into their cohabitation, Alaric found himself outside the cavern entrance just as dawn broke.

The air was thick with fog rolling in off the caldera, obscuring the view of the main island. He stood near the water’s edge on the black volcanic rock of Nea Kameni, simply breathing, letting the damp air fill his lungs.

It was around 6 AM according to his pocket watch. He hadn’t needed to sleep much the night before, his mind buzzing with thoughts... the Isu, his family, his purpose, Kassandra... He felt a familiar weight settle on him, the burden of his knowledge and power.

Soft footsteps, almost silent on the rock, approached from behind. He didn’t need to turn; he recognized her unique energy signature instantly. It was Kassandra.

”Hey...” she said softly, coming to stand beside him, her presence was a familiar comfort now.

”Hey...” Alaric replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the swirling grey fog over the water.

She didn’t press, simply stood beside him in silence for a moment before settling down on the rocks, close enough that their shoulders brushed. After another moment of quiet contemplation, she gently leaned her head against his shoulder. The simple gesture felt surprisingly intimate.

”Something troubling you, Alaric?” she asked quietly, her voice lacking its usual sharp edge.

He hesitated, unused to sharing his deeper anxieties. But looking out at the endless grey, with this ancient, powerful woman leaning against him, the words tumbled out before he could stop them.

”Honestly? Yeah,” he admitted, his voice low. ”I have... a lot of things on my mind.”

They stared out at the sea together, the distant white villages of Thera appearing as ghostly shapes through the thinning patches of fog.

”I feel... a little bit suffocated sometimes,” Alaric continued, the confession feeling strange on his tongue. ”From all this strength in me... this power... it leads me to think that I’m... alone. In my own little world, separate from everyone else.”

He sighed... sharing was hard.

”I’m afraid I’ve become numb. From killing hundreds of people back in Bristol, the pirates... they might have had bad intentions, Templar allies maybe, but I could have just knocked them out, sent them to prison or something... but I killed them anyway.” He shook his head slightly. ”There was no excitement in it, no remorse afterwards... nothing. Just... death.”

He paused again as the silence became heavy between them. ”And... I don’t know if I’m meant to love,” he admitted, the words barely a whisper.

”Being immortal... I have no plans on dying, Kassandra. Who could possibly share a life like that?” He sighed again, feeling exposed. ”I’m sorry you have to hear all that, I-”

He was cut off as Kassandra gently sat up straight, turning slightly so they were looking into each other’s eyes. Her own brown eyes, usually so sharp and assessing, were soft now, filled with an understanding that transcended words.

”Alaric,” she said softly, her voice thick with emotion he’d never heard from her before. ”I know what you feel. Better than anyone, I’m immortal too.”

She reached out, her calloused warrior’s hand gently taking his. Her touch was warm, grounding. ”I have been around in this world for far too long,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly. ”There were times... centuries... when I wanted nothing more than to die, to finally end it all.”

Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. ”I can no longer count how many lives my spear, my blade, this Staff... have taken. Necessary, perhaps, in the fight against Chaos, against the Order... but the weight never truly leaves.”

”I watched my friends, my family... my descendants live and die. I outlived everyone I ever truly cared about.”

A single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek. Alaric watched, frozen, seeing the raw vulnerability beneath the millennia of stoicism. This was the first time he had ever seen Kassandra cry.

”I really wanted to die, Alaric,” she whispered, her voice breaking. ”For so long... I truly, truly did. I accepted my role as Keeper, waited for the Heir Aletheia spoke of... waited for permission to finally rest.”

”But then... then I met you.”

More tears flowed freely now, and she didn’t bother wiping them away. ”Meeting you... someone else who understands immortality, who carries immense power, who feels... separate... I...” She took a shaky breath. ”I do not feel like dying anymore, Alaric.”

”I distanced myself from the world for hundreds of years,” She looked directly into his eyes, her own swimming with tears but holding an intense sincerity. ”Waiting alone in the dark for the Heir of Memories, just so I could finally die... alone.”

She wiped angrily at her tears with her free hand. ”It is painful. It is so incredibly lonely... but...” A small, watery smile touched her lips. ”But I guess... maybe that is why we met each other? Two lonely immortals finding solace in a hidden cave?”

Alaric stared at her, his heart beating strangely in his chest. Her words, her vulnerability, her strength... it resonated deep within him.

’It seems...’ the thought came, clear and certain, ’I’ve found my wife...’.

Kassandra took another breath, her voice steadier now. ”Let us share this loneliness, Alaric,” she said softly, holding his gaze. ”This pain... this burden of forever. I-”

She was cut off as Alaric leaned forward, silencing whatever she was about to say by capturing her lips with his own.

It wasn’t a demanding kiss, but one filled with understanding, shared loneliness, and a burgeoning hope. Kassandra responded instantly, her hand tightening on his, the other coming up to cup his cheek, kissing him back with equal tenderness.

After a long moment, Alaric broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. They looked into each other’s eyes, the shared vulnerability creating a new, deeper connection between them.

He smiled softly, and Kassandra’s tears began to flow again, but this time they seemed different... tears of relief, perhaps, rather than sorrow. He leaned in and kissed her again, gently, as the morning fog around them finally began to thin, revealing the promise of a brighter day over the caldera.

---End of Flashback---

They sparred daily, pushing each other’s limits. They explored the Isu structure together, Alaric’s modern knowledge sometimes providing unexpected insights into the ancient technology, while Kassandra guided him through passages only she and Aletheia knew.

They fished in the caldera, cooked meals together over fires Alaric conjured effortlessly, ate on the mattress overlooking the giant underwater window, and yes, they made love frequently, exploring a physical connection that was as intense and consuming as their sparring matches.

They never spoke of commitment or marriage; labels seemed irrelevant after two millennia for one and across dimensions for the other. They simply were, enjoying each other’s presence, a connection forged in combat, curiosity, and undeniable attraction.

Today, like many days, found them sparring on the large central platform beneath the floating pyramid. Alaric, still preferring to fight unarmed against her unless she used the Staff, moved with grace. Today’s lesson wasn’t about overwhelming power, but technique.

”You rely too much on the Staff’s power and your own strength against predictable opponents,” Alaric explained calmly, effortlessly redirecting a powerful thrust from Kassandra’s practice sword, they rarely used real weapons in these sessions anymore unless testing something specific. ”But what happens when you face someone faster, someone who can anticipate, someone whose strength you can’t simply overpower?”

Kassandra grunted, spinning into a low slash. Alaric leaped lightly over it. ”I kill them quickly,” she retorted, pressing the attack.

”And if you can’t?” Alaric sidestepped, tapping her sword arm to throw off her balance slightly. ”Think leverage, Kassandra. Angles. Use their momentum against them. Like this...”

He flowed inside her guard, not striking, but using his hands to gently guide her attacking arm past him while simultaneously applying pressure to her shoulder, forcing her into an awkward, unbalanced position. ”See? Off balance. Vulnerable.”

Kassandra scowled but nodded, recognizing the principle even if her pride hurt slightly at being lectured on combat after centuries. Still, she couldn’t deny the effectiveness. Alaric’s techniques were unlike anything she’d ever encountered... precise, efficient, almost scientifically brutal in their application of physics and anatomy.

She absorbed the lesson, adapting her stance, trying to incorporate the concept into her next attack.

She genuinely enjoyed these sessions. For centuries, her skills had remained static, honed but unchallenged. Alaric, despite his youth, fought on a level she’d never imagined possible. He pushed her, forced her to think differently, to refine techniques she hadn’t needed to reconsider in millennia.

It was... invigorating. She was improving again, learning, no longer stagnant.

They continued for what felt like hours, the clang of the practice sword against Alaric’s chakra-reinforced blocks echoing in the vast chamber. Alaric demonstrated counters, joint locks, throws, always focusing on technique over brute force, explaining the principles behind each move.

Kassandra, a quick study with unparalleled experience, adapted rapidly, though she still couldn’t land a clean hit when Alaric was truly focused on defense.

Finally, after a particularly complex sequence where Alaric disarmed her and sent her spinning to the floor with a perfectly executed leg sweep, Kassandra stayed down, chest heaving, sweat dripping onto the Isu metal floor. She pushed her damp braid back from her face, panting heavily.

Alaric stood over her, breathing easily, not a drop of sweat visible on him despite the hours of intense exertion. Kassandra looked up at him, a familiar mix of frustration and admiration in her eyes.

Not once in these six months, not even during their initial marathon battle, had she seen him truly sweat or appear genuinely pushed to his absolute limit when sparring with her.

He always seemed to have more in reserve, always seemed to be holding back. Alaric extended a hand down to her. Kassandra took it, allowing him to easily pull her to her feet.

”You hungry?” Alaric asked, noticing the slight tremor of exhaustion in her hand.

Kassandra nodded, managing a small smile. ”Always, after sparring with you.”

Alaric chuckled and opened the System interface mentally, pressing [Buy].

[Akimichi Barbecue - 12 akçe]

[Total Deduction: (4x) - 48 akçe]

[Current Balance: 44,990,972,982 akçe]

Instantly, four large, steaming skewers laden with perfectly grilled meat appeared in Alaric’s hands. The rich, savory aroma filled the air immediately. He handed two of the skewers to Kassandra.

”I really don’t understand how you pull things out of thin air like that,” She accepted them gratefully, her eyes lighting up. She then took a large bite.

Alaric just smirked, taking a bite of his own skewer. ”Secret...”

Kassandra raised an eyebrow as she chewed. ”Oh? I thought there were no secrets between us anymore, Kenway?” she teased lightly.

”It’s magic,” Alaric replied simply, gesturing vaguely with his skewer. ”Of course it’s a secret.”

Kassandra stared at him dryly for a moment, then shook her head with a small smile and focused on her food. They walked over to the simple wooden bench Alaric had crafted months ago using his Wood Release jutsu, another ability that baffled Kassandra, near the edge of the platform overlooking the giant window.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, eating and watching the underwater scene.

”I plan to head out soon,” Alaric said casually after finishing his first skewer. ”Thinking of going to Syria Vilayet... to Masyaf. Have you ever been there?”

Kassandra paused, swallowing a mouthful of meat. She raised an eyebrow. ”Masyaf? In the Levant?” She shook her head. ”No, I never had reason to travel that far east during my active years, and certainly not since becoming Keeper. When are you thinking of going?”

Alaric considered, picking at his second skewer. ”I don’t know exactly... maybe a week from now? Soon.”

”That is rather sudden,” Kassandra observed, looking at him curiously. ”Why Masyaf, specifically?”

Alaric raised his own brows. ”There’s supposed to be an Apple of Eden hidden there, in the old Assassin fortress...”

”I’m surprised Aletheia never told you about that one, considering its importance.”

Kassandra frowned slightly, then her gaze unfocused for a few seconds as she presumably consulted the Isu consciousness. She then looked back at Alaric, shaking her head. ”Aletheia says the Apple that was once stored in Masyaf was moved centuries ago... taken to England, she believes. She lost track of its specific energy signature recently, though.”

Alaric widened his eyes slightly, processing this new information. ’Moved to England? Wait a minute... the Apple I found in the London Treasury... the one I sold... could that have been the Apple in Masyaf?’

The timeline fit, roughly. It would also explain why Aletheia lost track to the apple in England recently.

He chewed thoughtfully on his barbecue. ”Huh. England, you say? Interesting.” He shrugged. ”Well, if it’s not there anymore, then I don’t need to go to Masyaf after all.” He took another bite. ”Guess I can just head to Persia sooner rather than later. Visit my friend Solomon, see what’s there. Still got about... a year and a half before 1715 starts, plenty of time.”

Kassandra suddenly stiffened beside him, her eyes widening as she looked at him sharply. She scratched the back of her neck, looking slightly awkward. ”Alaric...”

He noticed her reaction. ”Hm? What is it?”

Kassandra hesitated, then replied slowly, ”Actually... about the year... you’ve been here for a year and a half now. Not six months.”

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