~5~Lies, Questions, and Confusing Truths

Super unedited.

Iphi ran up to Sophie, "Morretti, wait!"

Sophie smiled at the Spartan, blessed to just be in her presence. Iphi unrolled the palla from her shoulders, undoing the clip and handing it to Sophie. Sophie stared at it, her eyes wide, and Iphi just laughed.

"It is for you now. Just to keep a bit of Inalia with you in all of this godly nonsense." Iphi smiled.

Sophie took it and ran her hands over the lining. It was a pale red, faded from time, the lining a delicate golden thread to secure the hems. The golden clasp was a simple golden circle the palla ran through; there was some gentle rust adorning the sides but is still was polished.

"Sorry, it is a bit worn throughout my years, but I feel like you need it more than I do." She pointed her head up the massive mountain, "That mountain is no easy hike."

Sophie gently wrapped the palla around her shoulders and secured her fur cloak over it.

"Thank you, Iphi." Sophie smiled.

Iphi gave Sophie's arm a small nudge, smiling wide, "When you get back down, maybe I can tell you a bit about ancient Inalia. Maybe even show you some Spartan moves?" She proposed.

Though Sophie's heart slammed with excitement at the thought, she looked at the mountain again.

"What is waiting for me up there, Iphi?" Sophie asked, her voice quiet. Iphi took a deep breath, shaking her head slightly.

"No one really knows. Very few have taken the hike up there and walked back down alive. The Guardian of the Keep is fickle and temperamental." Iphi looked at Sophie with a seriousness she had never seen before, "I have a feeling the hike up there is going to be the easy part."

Sophie sucked in a breath, "Great."

Iphi's face was still stoic, but a small smiled split her lips, "We wouldn't send you up there if we didn't think you could handle it."

"And why do you think I can handle it?"

"The Morretti family has always been different than the average Vatarian, their blood and soul meant for danger and adventure. You are the Queen of the Assassins for a reason, right?" Sophie still worriedly looked at the peak, Ricin waiting for her at the gate blocking the path upwards.

"You remind me of our last Queen, you know. Before we went into hiding." Iphi whispered. Sophie tensed; the fact that she could be compared to an Inalian queen made her fumble.

"I thought you served under King Leonidas? He was the one who decided Inalia would go into hiding with the other cities." Sophie asked.

"He was only handed the crown right before the Vatarians went into hiding. His sister, Queen Kassandra, reigned before him." Iphi smiled, looking at her shoes, "She was hard to approach, brutally forthright and sometimes bloodthirsty on the battlefield. She never wanted the crown, but she ruled with honor, and though her shields were always around her heart, the Inalian people adored her. Her brother Leonidas was the Spartan Prince, my commanding officer at the time. They were close and ruled together, even though the crown was on Kassandra's head." Iphi turned to look at Sophie, taken aback by Sophie's confused face.

"You... don't know who Queen Kassandra is?" Iphi asked.

Sophie gently shook her head, "No Inalian history books mention a Queen Kassandra."

Iphi chuckled in disbelief, "No, Kassandra was the best of Inalia. The Iron Empress to her subjects and the Bloody Sword to her enemies."

Sophie still shook her head, none of the names ringing a bell. Iphi pursed her lips, "That's... not what..."

"I'm so sorry, Inalians are pretty good at keeping historical records, but-"

Iphi waved it away, "No, no, it is fine. It is just really bizarre Inalia has forgotten one of it's most legendary queens."

The Spartan straightened, looking up the mountain.

"Just, be safe, and keep your wits about you. No one really knows what is atop that mountain."

Sophie gave Iphi a nod, "I will. Thank you, Iphi."

Iphigenia watched as Sophie and Ricin pushed past the gate and ascended further up the mountain.

Tam walked in side by side with the Lith assassin. He was the last one on Allesandro's list, and hopefully, the last one they needed.

Everyone stared as the two of them walked in, all gathered around a table.

"Great, I'm sure you all know why you're here." Dimitar started. The Lith man shrugged away Tam and approached the other Assassins. They were all former Assassins, from the time of Allesandro's mentorship or even earlier.

"All I know is that this little elven runt dragged me out of the tavern when I had the most beautiful blonde in my lap." The Lith hissed, pointing at Tam. The Lith's snakelike tail swished behind him, his steps smoother because of it.

"You are all former Cyevan Assassins, yes? Well, we need your help." Ro snapped at him. The Lith man stared at the other Assassins, his arms crossed.

"Tell Allesandro I want nothing to do with him or his stupid Guild. Not anymore." He snapped.

Dimitar's face hardened. "Allesandro is dead. Has been for almost nine years now."

All of the gathered assassins went silent, their faces blank.

"His daughter, Amalia, has been running the Guild. But she has gone missing. The rest of her Inner Circle and some very important figures are stranded in Egypitnat right now, which has fallen under Neverseen control." Dimitar picked up Allesandro's journal, waving it around slightly, "Allesandro kept tabs on all of his assassins, current or former, even from the time the Guild wasn't his yet. Your names all appeared in those pages. We need your help getting them out."

One of the other assassins cleared her throat, crossing her arms.

"And what do you need us for? Surely the Hidden Ones are keeping the Neverseen at bay." She asked.

"They have been spread thin and are being hunted by the Neverseen as we speak."

"Dimitar, for taking back the city, you will need a whole army, not just a few former Assassins."

"We aren't taking back the city. Our main goal is to get our targets out. We need your help. The Inalian sector of the Guild is unreachable, and we can't get in without your help."

The assassins glanced at each other, "What do we get out of this?" One of them asked.

Ro growled, "You won't get my fist in your face, that is what you will get."

Dimitar held his daughter back, "I promise you, I'm sure we can figure out something. But you have to understand how dire the situation is."

They were all quiet, but one of them spoke up again.

"I'm in."

The other former assassins all glared at her like she had three heads. She simply hugged herself tightly, "I miss being in the field. Besides, I was in the Guild when it was under Carlotta's mentorship, not Amalia's or Allesandro's. And if the situation is truly that dire, I think we need to take action."

A few others agreed with her, but a few others were still stubborn.

"I'm doing this for Amalia, then." The Lith assassin said, "She was just a little girl when I knew her, she had to grow up so fast. I just want to make sure she keeps the family close to her, sometimes, that is all we have."

Everyone let go of their collective breath, and Dimitar started to go over the plan. The plan was very Assassin intensive, they were the whole reason they were going to be able to get into the city.

"You are going to be too obvious." The Lith Assassin said to the ogres gathered.

"We are the ones running this operation." One of the generals snapped.

"The Neverseen have very few Ogre members, especially for what we plan to do." They argued. The assassins turned to the elven group, "You are the ones that are going to have to sneak in and escort the group out safely. We are going to make it as easy for you as possible, but it will be high risk. Can you handle this?" The Lith asked.

They were quiet for a few moments, digesting what exactly they were asking of them. But they all nodded their heads.

The assassins nodded, turning to the king.

"When we have all the targets, we will bring them to Ravagog."

The mission was in motion, the Inner Circle and other Inalian leaders were going to be saved.

Sophie and Ricin stood side by side, staring up the path to the peak of the mountain. They weren't kidding, the winds were howling so loud Sophie couldn't even hear her own thoughts. She held her brown fur cloak closer to her body, even though it was tightly secured by crossing leather straps over her chest. The shirt was thick cotton and another linen vest on top of it, all of it in dark blues and blacks to attract as much warmth as possible. The pants were a dark brown with a pressed design going along the length of her thighs and shins. The boots were also lined with fur. Ricin was fine, his thick scales and burly wings keeping him warm.

But Sophie pressed her hands over the palla resting on her shoulders. The wind was brutal, tugging and ripping at her cloak and hood, but they pressed forward. The visibility was alright, but the snow only thickened as they went higher. Sophie held tightly onto one of Ricin's horns, gripping his scales to help her keep steady.

"How much farther?" Sophie muttered, looking upwards. The sky was a thick mesh of flurrying snowflakes, the peak nowhere in sight. Sophie cursed, wondering how long she had been climbing for.

"Maybe we can-"

Sophie froze as the sound of hissing ice scraped beside her. She whipped around, trying to identify the sound. Nothing was there but snow-dusted rocks, but Sophie held her cloak closer. No gauntlets, no weapons, no powers... she felt so useless.

"Sai give me strength, I'm losing it," Sophie whispered. But Ricin wasn't moving, his dark red eyes darting around. He growled, his talons digging into the gravel.

"Bud, we need to keep moving," Sophie whispered, nudging him gently by his scales. Ricin snarled, his head turning behind them, his wing protectively curling around her. Sophie gasped as the scraping ice whisked past her ear, sounding like muted screams as it whipped past. Sophie naturally flicked her wrists to open the hidden blades in her gauntlets, but no knife slide out. No weapons... there weren't Mirthless on the mountain, were there? Mountain lions?

"Ricin, what do you see?" Sophie asked, leaning closer to him, running her hand along his rough snout. The dragon was trying to see the sound, trying to find its source. Blue lightning flickered in his mouth, his tail ready to swing.

Sophie's breath puffed in front of her in small clouds, her eyes racing as another creature whisked past her, so close her hood dropped off her head.

"Ricin, move..." Sophie muttered. The animalistic screeching made Sophie push the dragon forward, "MOVE!" Sophie yelled. Ricin and Sophie darted as fast as they could up the path, blue streaks lighting up the flurry of snow as more creatures charged from their hiding spots. Sophie held onto Ricin to avoid losing him in the storm, her feet struggling to keep up. She tripped over rocks and slid over ice in her panic.

Her natural assassin footing refused to kick in as she and Ricin ran faster and faster. The hissing of creatures never subsided, their blue trails and thick ice scraping sounds only growing louder. Sophie and Ricin turned the corner, and Sophie's feet skidded on ice. Her hand lost its grip on Ricin's horn as she plummeted towards the ground. She smacked against the uneven path, her head ringing and everything sounding muted as she groaned.

Out of the sky's darkness, a serpentine creature of plated of ice shot for her throat.

Sophie flung her hands out even in her daze, grabbing the creature by its mandibles, grunting to keep it away from her throat. It was a thick snake made of plates of ice, held together by wind and energy, the sharpened teeth inside its jaw cutting into Sophie's leather gloves as she screamed to keep it off. Its sharp tail cut Sophie's cloak and nailed her lip, but Sophie continued to wrestle with it. Ricin cried from somewhere in the flurry, unable to see his companion.

Releasing a roar coming straight from her gut, sounding so predatorial, she felt a small bit of her animistic Pancras form smile at it. She forced the creature's mouth open further and further. With a final scream, she ripped its jaw and split its ice skull, the creature hissing and dropping into a limp snake on top of her.

Sophie panted, the two ice jaws still in her hands as she got up. She threw the jaw pieces aside, pulling up her hood and tucking her hair back into it. In the corner of her eye, as she was scanning around, her hair made her stop.

Platinum white stained small strands of her hair, before fading away back into her golden blond.

She released her Pancras form, just enough, from Kynareth's grip. Sophie didn't have time to celebrate, as more hissing from more of the same creatures echoed off the mountainside. Sophie whistled, loud and piercing, Ricin following the sound and emerging from the snow. Ricin ran to her, nuzzling her snout against her split lip.

"I'm alright. We need to keep moving, they are still out here." Sophie insisted, pushing Ricin up the path. Ricin stopped, leaning down in hopes of Sophie climbing onto his back.

"No, I can't keep a tight enough hold with the wind Ricin, flying or walking. I need to do this with my feet. We need to keep moving." Sophie insisted, continuing forward. Ricin purred, keeping close to her as they rushed away from the other creatures.

"I read about them, those things. I think they are called Ice Wraiths, they're believed to be extinct." Sophie breathed to Ricin, whos red eyes were the only source of limited light as they ascended higher into the thick storm.

Hopefully, they were the only thing on this mountain.

Biana's hands couldn't stop shaking, not even once. She often wondered about what the various Vatarian cities looked like. Though Egypitnat's charm was still there, it was gut-wrenching to see it covered with Neverseen banners, to see the various districts covered with ash and empty of all life. The Neverseen cloaks were pretty itchy but made of lighter fabric for Egypitnat's hot seasons. Biana had her hair tied up behind her head, her face clear of any products. She had seen some fo the beautiful dresses and outfits from Egypitnat, but there was no one in sight for her to admire. All citizens were in their houses, out of the streets. The once-bustling center of trade has gone cold, the loudest sound only the marching of Neverseen patrols.

Tam was beside her, their feet all in exact movement with each other. He nudged her, pointing his head to the rooftops. Above them, their small band of former Assassins jumped from rooftop to rooftop, running across clothing lines like they were tight ropes, flying into corridors and out windows. They kept a close eye on them all but were spread out so as not to be seen.

It was an improved plan of what Allesandro had originally in his journal. A small team of Assassins to distract and weaken their enemy while the central team rushes in and escorts their targets out of the city. Fitz and Dex carried the prison wagon behind them, large enough to hopefully fit everyone inside.

The Lith assassin, whose name was revealed to be Derek in passing conversation, scratched his reptilian claws on one building's side.

Three long claw marks. This should be the building they are hiding in.

Fitz and Dex dropped the prison wagon, getting the fake documents and handing them to Biana. Biana steeled herself, chanting her lines over and over again in her head. Tam gave her shoulder a little squeeze, though it did little to calm her nerves. She approached the guarded door, bulky Neverseen guards blocking the exit as she approached.

"We have the authority to investigate this building for stowaways from General Zeno," Biana announced as the guards looked over the papers. One of the Assassins, Philani, a herald turned Assassin turned Avriman government official, was a master forger.

"General Zeno? Is he the new General?" The guard scoffed, "Let's see how long it will take for Gethen to kill this one."

It seems Gethen was the one in charge of Egypitnat. Vespera was nowhere to be seen after Egypitnat was seized, along with Ruy and Keefe.

"I'm sorry, but the General must have his stamp on these forms before we can allow you to continue."

Biana's heart thrummed against her chest, "Are you kidding me? The General is brand new, the poor sod probably doesn't even have a stamp set. We came all this way to just be turned away?" Biana hissed, pointing an accusing finger at the two guards blocking the door. 10 more guards lined the whole building, so fighting their way in wouldn't work if they wanted to remain undercover.

"Get your finger out of my face. The Hidden Ones have been getting out refugees all over the place, and this is one of the Medjay's abandoned hideouts. They might come back for information or to recover. We can't take that risk. Come back with the General himself if you are so confident this is so important."

Shit. The General didn't even exist, and these stubborn assholes were in their way.

"Do you know who on earth you are talking to?!" Tam suddenly seethed. The guards turned to him in confusion, but Biana let him storm up to them.

"This is Madam Solana of the 16th Neverseen quarter, one of the leaders who lead our victory in this city! Yet you, a measly foot soldier, are standing her way?!" Tam hissed. Okay, alright, Tam was getting her leverage. Her name was Madam Solana, she was a Neverseen captain... she could work with this. They only had one chance, they couldn't screw it up.

The soldiers widened their eyes slightly, though not recognizing the name, realizing that Biana was their higher up.

"I have half a mind to have you all dragged to the post for this insolence." Biana hissed. The guards all looked at each other, clearly becoming nervous.

"I'm sorry, Madam, but it is procedure. Lord Regent Gethen could have my head if we let this post fall to enemies-"

"Forget the Lord Regent, you should be more worried about us!" Linh hissed, coming up to Biana. Linh wore a thicker coat, and she was the one carrying the chains that were going to hold their captives. They bristled again, and the guard opened his mouth again.

But an explosion went off 5 blocks west.

They all jumped at it, though Biana and her friends all knew it was going to happen. The Assassin's distraction, meant to keep as many guards away from the hideout as possible.

There were only 4 more distractions before they were supposed to be out of the city, one going off every 10 minutes.

Biana whipped her head around, growling at the soft puffs of smoke.

"See what has happened?! While you buffoons were arguing with me, the Hidden Ones are attacking our soldiers!" Biana yelled at them. They all stared in shock, and Biana readied her hand.

She smacked the center guard across the face.

All the other guards stared in utter shock, even as Biana's palm rung. Even though the guard was a Neverseen dog, Biana felt flutters of regret for hurting him. The man yelped, holding his cheek.

"Go after them, you fools!" She screamed. Seven out of the ten guards went running after the explosion, the other 3 standing on the outer corners of the building. Not ideal, but they needed to move.

"If any of you get in my way, I will make sure the Lord Regent knows exactly what your names are and your stupidity." Biana hissed. They all nodded, covering their positions on the far corners of the building.

Biana and everyone rushed in, Dex closing the door behind them and all of them releasing a collective breath. Biana glanced at Tam, whos hood had fallen off and was mussing up his silver-tipped hair.

"Thanks for the save." Biana smiled at him. Tam gave her a curt nod back, the smallest smiling pulling at the corners of his lips, "Good acting. And nice slap."

They shook themselves out and began their search, their voices hushed.

"Spread out. We don't have that much time." Fitz whispered to all of them.

They searched the Medjay hideout. Not much was there in all honesty. The Medjays were probably working with the Hidden ones trying to keep their city safe. All the plans and important books were gone, it seemed entirely abandoned. Biana pulled off the rug, feeling around the floor for any sign of a trap door.

The second distraction went off. The howls and barking of a mass of dogs, conveniently let loose from their cages 6 blocks south.

Biana ran over to the bookshelf tam was observing, looking through the useless and musty books.

"We are running out of time, where are they?!" Biana hissed to Tam. She pulled the last book off the third level on the bookshelf, and she froze.

The family crest of the Egypitnat royal family was carved into the thin wooden shelf.

"Wait, guys, look at this," Biana whispered. They all gathered around the crest, silent in their pondering.

"What could it mean? The bookshelf itself isn't moving, so we know that it isn't a door-"

"It's upside down," Dex whispered. Indeed, the three-pointed pyramids were pointed towards the ground. The complicated geometric lines make it look almost like an arrow.

Tam leaned down, feeling around the floor. Gently, his hand pressed against a loose floorboard. He and Dex pulled it off together, revealing a small lever. The minute they pulled the lever, a small ledge popped out on one of the pillars. They all stared at it in confusion, but Biana noted that it looked suspiciously like a step stool.

To the beams lineing the ceiling.

With Fitz helping her feet, Biana stepped onto the small ledge poking out of the pillar, where the path was clear to her. On top of the bookcase, shimmy onto the beams, and follow the small carvings that were supposed to be used as handholds. Biana's feet wobbled only slightly, her time spent in six-inch high heels working surprisingly well in her favor.

"Careful Bia," Fitz called out as she followed the path. Biana reached the end of the beam, where the uneven wood jutted out slightly. Biana pressed the wood panel in, and the sandstone wall beneath her shook and crumbled away.

It was loud, but luckily no one came rushing in.

The sandstone bricks peeled away from one another, opening the small entrance into the other room. Biana jumped down, everyone patting her on the back. The entered the small room, it looked to maybe be a study, disappointed to see no refugees insight. But Linh rushed forward and peeled off the carpet in the center of the room.

Boom. Their trap door.

Fitz rushed forward, quickly opening the trap door and running down the stairs, everyone close behind him.

Fitz screeched to a stop when Mansi's flaming hand and the Medjay's sharpened spears nearly took off his head.

They all were silent, registering everyone hidden away. But Alvar saw his siblings, and let out a breath of relief.

"Alvar!" Fitz and Biana cried. Mansi realized who exactly was on the staircase, and immediately dropped her hands. Biana and Fitz went into Mansi and Alvar's arms, sniffling and smiling.

"You know them?! They are wearing Neverseen robes!" the Avriman king hissed at Alvar.

"They are my siblings, not Neverseen," Alvar called back. The Medjays dropped their weapons and let the other elves into the hideout.

"What are you all doing here?" Mansi asked, looking over the small band of elves.

"We are here to get you all out," Dex confirmed.

The Wampanoag chief stepped forward, "Thank you for your efforts, but how? The streets are lined with Neverseen."

Linh smiled, walking forward with the chains and thick bags she procured from her coat.

"With these." She smirked.

Sophie rammed the stick into the Snow yeti's gut, using it to swing herself over its shoulders and slammed her hands down onto its skull, crushing it in. The yeti groaned as it dropped, Sophie rolling off as its limp body smacked the icy path. Sophie ripped the massive stick out of its abdomen and turned to the other yeti in Ricin's mandibles. Ricin shook the yeti like a chew toy, chomping down on it so hard that it split into two when Ricin threw him over the cliff edge.

Ricin turned to his companion, his red eyes big and waiting for praise, yeti blood dripping down his jaw and ripped white fur covering his snout. Sophie snarled, "Ice wraiths, Arctic bears, Sabertooth cougars, and," Sophie kicked away the yeti body, "Stupid snow yetis. They send me up here in the middle of a storm with no weapons and no damn warning?! The minute I get back down this mountain, I'm gonna place a well-timed punch into all of their guts." Sophie complained, crossing her arms.

Ricin came up next to her, purring gently. Sophie smiled, taking Ricin's snout in her hands and placing a gentle kiss on his nose, "Not you, my love, you could never do anything wrong." Sophie coddled. Sophie wiped away the yeti fur and blood on Ricin's snout, gently petting him as she looked upward.

"We... we are almost there," Sophie whispered. The thick snowstorm was still howling, but indeed, a few more turns, and they would be at the peak. There was no sign of the Guardian that Sophie could see. No shelter or buildings, no sign of any sort of life.

"He is up there... he has to be up there," Sophie muttered, pulling her cloak closer to her body as they continued forward.

Sophie rehearsed what she was going to say to the Guardian in her head.

Hello, I am the heiress of Kynareth, and her will has guided me to you.

No, that sounded too official.

Tell me what the hell Kynareth wants so I can get the hell off this cold-ass mountain!

No, that seemed a bit too harsh. It may be the truth, but it may not how she should phrase it.

Maybe the questions would be better. Gods, Sophie had so many damn questions.

Why are the gods becoming restless?

Why were both Sophie and Maha chosen as Heiresses?

Is there something more going on with the Neverseen war?

Why can't she inflict or teleport anymore?

How are the Neverseen controlling the Mirthless?

Why was Elrond so obsessed with the Morretti family?

Why was Queen Kassandra lost in time?

What were these golden artifacts that were popping up?

What was the deal with that stupid ass crystal?

They all rattled around in her head like annoying flies, bothering her and distracting her. There are so many more that need answers, loose ends that need to be snipped away.

What was the future truly going to hold? For not only her Guild, but for her people? Will they be able to thrive once more, or will they be stomped down into the dirt to be forgotten once more?

Ricin stopped, reminding Sophie where she was. The blizzard was ripping above them, but clouded rays of moonlight could be spotted through it. Sophie cautiously raised her hand, poking it through the thick winds and clouds.

The gentle rays of moonlight warmed her fingertips through her leather gloves, not a touch of wind. Sophie pulled her hand back down, giving Ricin a small nudge and holding onto his horns as tight as she could. Together, they pushed past the blanket of wind and snow. The brutality of the storm only hurt for a moment longer before dying out completely. Sophie had her eyes slammed shut, but Ricin crooned gently against her, and her eyes fluttered open.

Sophie gasped at the beauty of it all.

The peak balanced out, a small flat area dusted with snow. On the south side of the peak was a mountain of smooth stone, crumbling slightly at the sides. Mysterious runes were engraved in the stone, nothing like Sophie had seen before.

A small collection of rocks created the peak and curled around the plateaued area, a slight point that kissed the sky. The night sky enveloped the world with shades of blues, purples, and greens that she had never seen before. Stars splattered the thick canvas of night like freckles spattered on a child's cheeks, they seemed to grow brighter when Sophie smiled at all of the dazzling lights. The wind was gentle up here, the air rich and crisp, Sophie surprisingly not out of breath at all. Below her, the thick blanket of the snowy storm rampaged on, unbothered by the serenity above it.

Sophie walked towards the wall of ruins, running the tips of her fingers over the carven rock. They were not Inalian symbols, not Egypitinat hieroglyphics, something untouched by the world below.

Sophie glanced around, looking for any sign of the Guardian of the Keep. Sophie suspected he would be a wrinkly old man, or maybe an old blacksmith? He was the only one who was able to light the Forge of Byzanthar, so he must be a pyrokinetic or a talented blacksmith if that were the case.

The world went quiet for a few moments, but the sudden booming of massive wings sounded from behind Sophie and Ricin. Sophie whipped around, staring at the gather rock peak. Or rather, what was resting atop it.

"I hate when mortals drag their filth into my keep." The dragon hissed, his blue eyes burning holes into her soul.

It all clicked for Sophie as she stared in fear at the towering dragon, easily 500 times bigger than Ricin.

The Guardian of the Keep wasn't a Vatarian, but rather the dragon that glared at her from above.

This chapter was SO hard to write, but was also REALLY FUN.

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_Sibylline_