Assassin's Creed Drabbles

↳ open water

in which alexios has a soft spot for the misthios intent on collecting his bounty.

"HALT MISTHIOS!" ALEXIOS' shoulders sag at the familiar voice calling out to him. He drives the point of his spear into the soft, upturned earth, and removes his helm before turning with hands raised in surrender. You emerge from behind an olive tree, bow strung and arrow nocked –aimed at the eagle-bearing mercenary though you are not eager to release and bring him to harm. "You're easy to find," you tell him. Finding him was as easy as finding an angry bear –though angry bears tended to leave less damage in their wake than the Eagle Bearer.

He sighs, closing the distance between you and him. "Are we going to go through this every time our paths cross?" Alexios asks, pushing the drawn bow aside. You eye him but do not offer an answer. The Eagle Bearer glances down, catching sight of a roll of papyrus stuck in your belt with the broken seal of Hypatios the Manticore –undoubtedly a contract for his head. "Thought I already paid you," he comments. It'd cost him two hundred drachmae three nights ago to be sure you wouldn't put a dagger in his heart while he slept –a fraction of the growing bounty on his head– after a casual romp in the Fountain of Peirene.

You smile –a grim flash of white teeth and raise the ashen bow again. "That was before the price tripled." Three thousand drachmae.

He is tired, hungry, and doesn't feel like fighting this early in the morning. "Malakas-" Alexios steps back, raking a hand through his damp hair "-this is a problem." He abruptly twists, gripping onto the shaft of the nocked arrow, and snaps it in two. You reach for the dagger on your hip, but he pins your arm behind your back, forcing the bow to the ground –preventing you from drawing the jagged blade.

You're even deadlier with that gods' cursed dagger than a bow. Poison is your specialty and the uneven blade is discolored from a potent mixture of yew berries, hemlock, and asp venom. Alexios has seen men die from the toxic concoction –muscles spasming uncontrollably, frothing from the mouth, and empty lidless eyes. You grimace in his tight grip, writhing. "See, I like my head attached to my body," Alexios breathes down your neck. He inhales –your hair tickling his nose smells of hyakinthos and mêlon blossoms. "And I think you do as well," he remarks, impudent.

You crane your neck to look at the Eagle Bearer and feel your heart stop. Pain shoots through your leg as you remember the hot iron Hypatios used. A mark of failure and a warning of what should happen if you failed him and the Cult of Kosmos again. He sees the affliction in your eyes. "They'll kill me if I don't return with your head."

Alexios releases you.

"Well, I'd prefer if that didn't happen," he tells you. You're by far his favorite bounty hunter in all of the Greek world. He stoops down and collects your bow –pressing it back into your hands. "Join me on the Adrestia," he suggests, hopeful you will take him up on the offer. "Barnabas has a soft spot for people like you and me."

THE CHILL OF winter nights lingers despite the blooming flowers on the islands. Clouds dissipate from the evening storms leaving a clear sky with no moon and thousands of stars. There is no better time to enjoy the stars than after a storm. You lay at the helm of the Adrestia, wrapped in a cloak of burgundy wool.

Much time has come to pass since you accepted Alexios' offer to join him on the Adrestia, even the Cult of Kosmos has all but fallen into disrepair. The mismatched crew had become your family and Alexios –you aren't sure how to best describe your relationship with the Eagle Bearer, for the moment, you settle on lovers, or maybe coconspirators. Life has been well since joining him on the Adrestia as the first lieutenant. Seafaring suits you even more so than the wayward life of a misthios.

Ikaros lands on the helm's railing, a fish clutched in his talons. The golden eagle squawks before gorging himself on the earned meal. Iron shod sandals thud on the wooden deck and you know who they belong to. "What are you doing up here?" He asks, sitting next to you.

You spare him a glance but return your attention to the heavens. "Stargazing," you answer and the word hangs in the air above your lips. Sighing, Alexios lays back as well and closes his eyes, breathing in the salty air.

The sea is peaceful at night with gentle waves rocking the ship, sometimes breaking audibly on a nearby rock. You turn onto your side, looking the misthios over. His armor is gone, replaced with a grey tunic identical to your own. The slim cut on his cheek was nearly gone.

"Do you think we'll be worthy of remembrance?" You ask, rolling onto your back and find the Maiden looking down upon you. "That one day people will look to the sky and see our likeness? Know our names and-" you are interrupted by Alexios' lips pressing against yours. The softness and warmth of his touch and kiss are enough to make you melt. He shifts, forearms bracing his weight on the deck.

Your fingers wander over his firm, sun-kissed arms, gently caressing every scar until finding a spot behind his neck to bury them into his dark hair. With one of his hands, he strokes the loose hair away from your face, to have a good look at you with flushed cheeks. It isn't often he gets to see you blush, but it is a sight he enjoys. Alexios reaches down, rough fingers brushing the large scar on your thigh before bringing the leg to rest around his waist.

You push on his shoulder. "Virgo watches us," you whisper and Alexios rolls his eyes, leaning down for another kiss. You turn your cheek and his lips barely meet the corner of yours. We'll never hear the end of it if we wake the crew again," you tell him, smoothing over the lines on his brow, "besides, I don't fancy a mutiny."

Alexios laughs, low and deep. Barnabas and Stelios had been irritable as of late –lack of quality sleep was to blame, or that's what they said anyway. "Fine," he concedes. "But I think we should dock in Seriphos tomorrow night." You smile and reach up, running a finger down the scar on his cheek. Then your lips are on his until high above you both hear Ikaros's call.

The golden eagle flies in a circle overhead then dives down toward the two of you. Ikaros drops a small bundle of different colored anemones at your side. You take the flowers and sit up, scratching the underside of the eagle's neck. He preens at the thanks then takes to the skies once more. "At least someone brings me flowers," you tease, glancing over your shoulder.

Alexios sits up and seizes your waist in his arms, drawing you back against his chest. You swat his leg and in turn, he bites down softly on your shoulder. "You are the most difficult woman I've ever met," he utters, trying to sound annoyed. It doesn't work –he only sounds like a fool in love.