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Description
May 5, 1854; Crawley, United Kingdom

“Give it back!” Evie yelled as she pinned her little brother to the floor. She grabbed Jacob's arm and pulled it behind his back. The boy yelled in pain. “Ow! Evie!” he yelled.

“Give me back my doll!” She put more pressure on her twin’s arm. Evie was only seven, but she was a tough little girl.

“Ow! Okay! Okay! Take it!” Jacob said.

Evie smiled. She gently reached down and took her toy back from her brother's hands. She let go of his arm and stood. “Thank you,” she said. Jacob painfully got up.

“That wasn't fair,” he said.

“It’s not my fault you're not fast enough,” said Evie. Jacob stuck his tongue out at her, and she did the same to him. Suddenly, the two stared at each other and just started laughing.

“I'll win next time,” said Jacob playfully.

“No way,” said Evie.

“Yes way!”

The two giggled again. No matter how much of a pain in each other's sides they were, they would always be siblings at the end of the day. Where would they be without each other?

Suddenly, a voice called to them from downstairs. “Jacob! Evie! Come downstairs! We have a visitor!”

“Coming, father!” the twins called back. Evie rushed ahead. “Come on, Jacob!” she called to her brother. She bolted out the door. Jacob soon followed. The kids went down the stairs and hurried into the living room. There, they saw their father sitting in a chair next to a much older man, probably in his mid eighties. He was dressed in a gorgeous blue coat, a sash draped across his chest. On his belt was the same insignia that their father wore, the same one they wore: the insignia of the Assassins. He smiled at them, and he rose with their father, who walked the visitor closer to the twins.

“Jacob, Evie,” said their father. “I'd like you both to meet Arno Dorian.” He pointed his hand at the man for emphasis. “He's the Assassins’ mentor from France. Arno, these are my children, Jacob and Evie.”

“Bonjour, both of you,” said Arno kindly, his voice worn with age.

“Hello, Mr. Dorian,” said Evie politely.

“Hey,” said Jacob, a bit nervous. He instinctively adjusted his cap. He looked up at the old man in awe. He wasn't sure what it was, whether it was his almost-regal robes, his powerful posture, or his old wise smile, but something about this man made him seem like someone to respect.

“Arno's come to England to check up on the nation's Brotherhood.” said their father.

“And based on what I've seen, you're sect’s doing splendidly, Ethan,” Arno responded. He looked down at the twins. “Have you two been training well?”

“Yes sir,” said Evie.

“Not enough, I guess,” said Jacob. Arno raised his white eyebrow. “How do you mean?” he asked.

“Well,” stuttered Jacob nervously. “like, I keep tripping when run, and I keep missing the practice dummies when I try to hit them. I'm not as good as Evie it seems…”

The other three looked at the boy as his head lowered a bit. Arno knelt in front of him to be a eye-level.

“Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of, Jacob,” he said. The boy looked up. “The first part of learning anything is it messing up. God knows I lost my footing at least a hundred times when I was being taught to swordfight.”

“I'm sure it didn't take you as long as it's taking me.”

Arno gave a soft chuckle and a smile. “Oh believe me, it did. It took me months just to properly swing a blade. And I had to learn in a prison.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Believe me, Jacob. It can be hard, but if you stay determined, if you work hard to accomplish your goals and keep practicing, well then you can accomplish anything. Nothing is impossible.” Jacob looked in awe as he absorbed Arno's words. Ethan and Evie couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, Arno reached into his belt pouch. “Here,” he said as he pulled out a shilling. He placed it in Jacob's hand.

“I'm going to be heading back to France soon,” said Arno, “so I won't have much use for these coins anymore. You can have this one as a little momento, a good luck charm.” Jacob stared at the dirty little coin as his mind suddenly made it a sacred object. He looked up at Arno, who smiled at the boy.

“Thank you, Mr. Dorian,” said Jacob.

“You're welcome, Jacob.” He stood up. “Now, you two best head back up to your room. There are some things that I must discuss with your father privately.”

The twins nodded. Evie started heading back to their room. Jacob stared at Arno for a moment longer before going to catch up with Evie.

“He was nice,” said Evie as they walked up the stairs.

“Yeah,” said Jacob. He looked down at the shilling in his hand. “He was.”

------------

14 years later; London, United Kingdom

The flames were already starting to climb the walls of the building. Evie turned to her brother, who was looking frantically around. “Jacob!” she yelled over the roar of the fire. “We have to get out of here!”

“You go on ahead without me!” said Jacob.

“I'm not leaving you! This place is going to collapse in a fiery heap!”

“I have to find my necklace!”

“It’s a coin, Jacob! It's not worth it!”

“It is to me!” As the flames kicked up and the room turned red, the twins stared at each other. Evie lowered her head in defeat. “You'd better get out of here alive,” she said. Jacob smiled and nodded. Evie nodded back and started running to the nearest exit.

Jacob started looking around desperately for his necklace and the shilling that hanged from it. The building burned around him. He was starting to realize that it probably wasn't a good idea to shoot the Templars’ gunpowder supply to destroy it.

Nonetheless, he kept looking. He stepped over fallen support beams and the burning bodies of guards. A portion of the roof came down in front of him. As he ducked out of the way, he saw it. On a plank that hadn't been licked by flames yet was the shilling that Arno had given him all those years ago. Jacob smiled and darted to it.

“Yes!” he said in victory as he grabbed the necklace and tied it back around his neck. His joy was short-lived however, as another chunk of roof came crashing down in front of the exit door.

“Well,” said Jacob. “That's just splendid.” He looked all around for another route. Suddenly, a section of the wall came down, giving a route out. Jacob smiled at his luck. He ran across the room, climbed through the gap, and started maneuvering around the flames. He was about to reach the stairs, but those collapsed into the raging fire before he could go down.

He looked around. There was nowhere to go. Things suddenly got worse when he realized another gunpowder barrel in the corner, which the flames were quickly crawling towards. Jacob thought fast. It seemed hopeless. He instinctively grabbed his shilling, thinking frantically.

Suddenly, he got an idea. He looked at one of the walls. It was still standing, but it was cracked and bending a bit. Jacob looked at the gunpowder, which was about to be lit, and made up his mind. He charged at the wall, covered his face with his arms, and slammed into it. The wall gave away, collapsing, and Jacob felt the outside air in his lungs.

Then, the flames licked the gunpowder barrel and the powder exploded. The force of the bang sent Jacob flying farther and harder than he had anticipated. He went sailing through the air and into the streets of London. He landed hard with a thud. He stumbled back to his feet just in time to see the warehouse collapse completely. He sighed in relief and looked down at Arno’s shilling. He smiled.

“Jacob!” called Evie as she caught sight of him and ran to him.

“You made it!”

“Yeah. Suppose I did,” said Jacob. Evie smiled at her brother and hugged him quickly. “You know, that was still really stupid,” she said.

Jacob laughed. “I know,” he said with a smirk. Evie rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she laughed. “We'd best meet up with Henry.” She started making her way down the street. Jacob followed after her, taking one last look at the warehouse. He grabbed his necklace again. He had beaten the odds again.

“Nothing is impossible,” he said under his breath. He smiled and caught up with his sister, Arno's shilling tapping his chest as they ran through London’s sunrise-lit streets.

Description
May 5, 1854; Crawley, United Kingdom

“Give it back!” Evie yelled as she pinned her little brother to the floor. She grabbed Jacob's arm and pulled it behind his back. The boy yelled in pain. “Ow! Evie!” he yelled.

“Give me back my doll!” She put more pressure on her twin’s arm. Evie was only seven, but she was a tough little girl.

“Ow! Okay! Okay! Take it!” Jacob said.

Evie smiled. She gently reached down and took her toy back from her brother's hands. She let go of his arm and stood. “Thank you,” she said. Jacob painfully got up.

“That wasn't fair,” he said.

“It’s not my fault you're not fast enough,” said Evie. Jacob stuck his tongue out at her, and she did the same to him. Suddenly, the two stared at each other and just started laughing.

“I'll win next time,” said Jacob playfully.

“No way,” said Evie.

“Yes way!”

The two giggled again. No matter how much of a pain in each other's sides they were, they would always be siblings at the end of the day. Where would they be without each other?

Suddenly, a voice called to them from downstairs. “Jacob! Evie! Come downstairs! We have a visitor!”

“Coming, father!” the twins called back. Evie rushed ahead. “Come on, Jacob!” she called to her brother. She bolted out the door. Jacob soon followed. The kids went down the stairs and hurried into the living room. There, they saw their father sitting in a chair next to a much older man, probably in his mid eighties. He was dressed in a gorgeous blue coat, a sash draped across his chest. On his belt was the same insignia that their father wore, the same one they wore: the insignia of the Assassins. He smiled at them, and he rose with their father, who walked the visitor closer to the twins.

“Jacob, Evie,” said their father. “I'd like you both to meet Arno Dorian.” He pointed his hand at the man for emphasis. “He's the Assassins’ mentor from France. Arno, these are my children, Jacob and Evie.”

“Bonjour, both of you,” said Arno kindly, his voice worn with age.

“Hello, Mr. Dorian,” said Evie politely.

“Hey,” said Jacob, a bit nervous. He instinctively adjusted his cap. He looked up at the old man in awe. He wasn't sure what it was, whether it was his almost-regal robes, his powerful posture, or his old wise smile, but something about this man made him seem like someone to respect.

“Arno's come to England to check up on the nation's Brotherhood.” said their father.

“And based on what I've seen, you're sect’s doing splendidly, Ethan,” Arno responded. He looked down at the twins. “Have you two been training well?”

“Yes sir,” said Evie.

“Not enough, I guess,” said Jacob. Arno raised his white eyebrow. “How do you mean?” he asked.

“Well,” stuttered Jacob nervously. “like, I keep tripping when run, and I keep missing the practice dummies when I try to hit them. I'm not as good as Evie it seems…”

The other three looked at the boy as his head lowered a bit. Arno knelt in front of him to be a eye-level.

“Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of, Jacob,” he said. The boy looked up. “The first part of learning anything is it messing up. God knows I lost my footing at least a hundred times when I was being taught to swordfight.”

“I'm sure it didn't take you as long as it's taking me.”

Arno gave a soft chuckle and a smile. “Oh believe me, it did. It took me months just to properly swing a blade. And I had to learn in a prison.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Believe me, Jacob. It can be hard, but if you stay determined, if you work hard to accomplish your goals and keep practicing, well then you can accomplish anything. Nothing is impossible.” Jacob looked in awe as he absorbed Arno's words. Ethan and Evie couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, Arno reached into his belt pouch. “Here,” he said as he pulled out a shilling. He placed it in Jacob's hand.

“I'm going to be heading back to France soon,” said Arno, “so I won't have much use for these coins anymore. You can have this one as a little momento, a good luck charm.” Jacob stared at the dirty little coin as his mind suddenly made it a sacred object. He looked up at Arno, who smiled at the boy.

“Thank you, Mr. Dorian,” said Jacob.

“You're welcome, Jacob.” He stood up. “Now, you two best head back up to your room. There are some things that I must discuss with your father privately.”

The twins nodded. Evie started heading back to their room. Jacob stared at Arno for a moment longer before going to catch up with Evie.

“He was nice,” said Evie as they walked up the stairs.

“Yeah,” said Jacob. He looked down at the shilling in his hand. “He was.”

------------

14 years later; London, United Kingdom

The flames were already starting to climb the walls of the building. Evie turned to her brother, who was looking frantically around. “Jacob!” she yelled over the roar of the fire. “We have to get out of here!”

“You go on ahead without me!” said Jacob.

“I'm not leaving you! This place is going to collapse in a fiery heap!”

“I have to find my necklace!”

“It’s a coin, Jacob! It's not worth it!”

“It is to me!” As the flames kicked up and the room turned red, the twins stared at each other. Evie lowered her head in defeat. “You'd better get out of here alive,” she said. Jacob smiled and nodded. Evie nodded back and started running to the nearest exit.

Jacob started looking around desperately for his necklace and the shilling that hanged from it. The building burned around him. He was starting to realize that it probably wasn't a good idea to shoot the Templars’ gunpowder supply to destroy it.

Nonetheless, he kept looking. He stepped over fallen support beams and the burning bodies of guards. A portion of the roof came down in front of him. As he ducked out of the way, he saw it. On a plank that hadn't been licked by flames yet was the shilling that Arno had given him all those years ago. Jacob smiled and darted to it.

“Yes!” he said in victory as he grabbed the necklace and tied it back around his neck. His joy was short-lived however, as another chunk of roof came crashing down in front of the exit door.

“Well,” said Jacob. “That's just splendid.” He looked all around for another route. Suddenly, a section of the wall came down, giving a route out. Jacob smiled at his luck. He ran across the room, climbed through the gap, and started maneuvering around the flames. He was about to reach the stairs, but those collapsed into the raging fire before he could go down.

He looked around. There was nowhere to go. Things suddenly got worse when he realized another gunpowder barrel in the corner, which the flames were quickly crawling towards. Jacob thought fast. It seemed hopeless. He instinctively grabbed his shilling, thinking frantically.

Suddenly, he got an idea. He looked at one of the walls. It was still standing, but it was cracked and bending a bit. Jacob looked at the gunpowder, which was about to be lit, and made up his mind. He charged at the wall, covered his face with his arms, and slammed into it. The wall gave away, collapsing, and Jacob felt the outside air in his lungs.

Then, the flames licked the gunpowder barrel and the powder exploded. The force of the bang sent Jacob flying farther and harder than he had anticipated. He went sailing through the air and into the streets of London. He landed hard with a thud. He stumbled back to his feet just in time to see the warehouse collapse completely. He sighed in relief and looked down at Arno’s shilling. He smiled.

“Jacob!” called Evie as she caught sight of him and ran to him.

“You made it!”

“Yeah. Suppose I did,” said Jacob. Evie smiled at her brother and hugged him quickly. “You know, that was still really stupid,” she said.

Jacob laughed. “I know,” he said with a smirk. Evie rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she laughed. “We'd best meet up with Henry.” She started making her way down the street. Jacob followed after her, taking one last look at the warehouse. He grabbed his necklace again. He had beaten the odds again.

“Nothing is impossible,” he said under his breath. He smiled and caught up with his sister, Arno's shilling tapping his chest as they ran through London’s sunrise-lit streets.