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Description
August 8, 2016; Indianapolis, Indiana

Ava sat at the kitchen bar, eyes fluttering open and close as her head lulled in her hand. God she was not feeling well. With all these nightmares, she was not getting the rest her body needed. She was exhausted, and it was only getting worse. She couldn't get Ben out of her head. She wanted to let go, she really did. But she couldn't. Her brain refused to let her accept a world where her best friend died in her arms. She was almost angry with herself for it. She just hoped that soon it would all pass or something would come along to smack her out of it.

“Hey hey hey I finally got them!” Ruby suddenly said as she barged in the door and gently smacked something down on the counter in front of Ava. Ava jerked up out of her daze and rubbed her eyes.

“Huh wuh?” she babbled.

“Your prescription, Champ,” Ruby explained, pointing to the bottle she had just set down. “This stuff will help chill your brain out at night. Should knock those nightmares right out of your head!”

“Oh. Thanks Rubes,” Ava said, offering up as much of a smile as her tired body could muster. “How many of these do I take?”

“just two a night, just before bed.”

“Gotchya.” Ava immediately popped the little bottle open and shook a couple pills out. She shoved them in her mouth and chugged them down with the drink she had been making progress on before she started dozing off. Ruby laughed.

“Take it that means you're ready to head to bed now?” she asked.

Ava smiled tiredly and nodded. “Yeah let's go,” she said, wobbling out of her chair and leaning on Ruby.

“Alright, sleeping beauty, let's get ya all tucked in upstairs,” Ruby chuckled.

The two made their way up to their room, where Ava immediately flopped down onto the mattress while Ruby slipped into her usual sleepwear before following her under the covers. Ava was already drifting off as Ruby gave her a quick kiss and told her goodnight. And by the time the lights went off, she was already snoring.

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

“Why did you let me die?”

Ava was sweating and turning. Some subconscious part of her cursed her luck as she struggled her way through REM sleep. The pills were working, but not fully. She guessed they weren't fully taking hold in her system yet. Somehow it seemed to make the nightmares worse. Everything kept flashing in and out as the chemicals in her head glitched and fought with the medication. Black then Ben then black then screams then black then blood. It was like a burning film reel in her head and she struggled against it. It hurt. It hurt so badly.

“Why did you le-?”

“You cannot win Av-!”

“Why di-”

“That monkey drives me nuts.”

“Why Ava wh-”

Get out get out! She couldn't handle it. So many voices, so many glitches! She needed to get things clear! She couldn't handle this much stimulus! She needed to get her head straight.

“Why-?”

“Av-”

“I am Lu-!”

“I have friends in Liverpool.”

“Snap out of it A-”

“Are we there yet?”

God her head hurt so much. She had to get out of this wretched environment. The sounds the sights it was an assault on her senses. She needed to get things clear. She needed to get things clear!

“We're almost there, Evelyn. You doing okay?”

Then suddenly, clarity.

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

August 18, 1894; Surabaya, Dutch East Indies

Evelyn shook her head and scratched her reddened nose. “Aye I'm fine,” she said. “I'm just not used to this sort of tropical climate is all. It's not sitting well with my body.”

Apsarini laughed. “It takes some getting used to,” she said. “Don't worry, we'll be indoors soon. The hideout is just up ahead.”

Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief at that assurance, and it paid off just a moment later as the team broke through the last of the bushes into a small clearing. They were met with the sight of a few connected complexes laden with flowers and decorations, including the insignia of the Assassins etched into the front door of the main building.

“Here we are,” Apsarini smiled, ushering Evelyn, Chaytan, and the Duboises forward. “A home away from home.”

“Are you not from around here then?” Chaytan asked as they were led to the front door.

“No, my home is farther westward,” Apsarini explained as she unlocked the door. “I'm from Batavia.”

“So why are you out here in Surabaya?” Evelyn asked.

“I'll explain once we're all settled down inside. There's something I must check on first.”

The group followed her in and Apsarini immediately rushed down the hall as the others got situated in the living room. Evelyn could hear her call to someone.

“Jaga!” she called. “I'm back!”

Evelyn decided to follow after her new friend down the hall. She turned just in time to find Apsarini in another room receiving a hug from a taller Assassin.

“Apsarini!” he said. “Glad you made it back safe, little sister!”

“I always make it back safe,” Apsarini laughed.

“What about that one incident with Raharjo?”

“We agreed never to speak of the monkey.” Apsarini pouted and crossed her arms. The taller Assassin simply laughed, then he suddenly looked up, over Apsarini's shoulder at Evelyn.

“Oh, a new face. Friend of yours?” he asked his sister.

Apsarini looked over at Evelyn and nodded, bringing her brother over to make formal introductions.

“Jaga, this is Evelyn Arlie,” she said. “One of our sisters from England. She's on a mission here to defend a local scientist and escort him to the British Indies.”

Jaga smiled and shook Evelyn’s hand. “I'm Jaga,” he said. “Apsarini's brother. If you're here to get passage to the British Indies, I take it that means you're here to help us with the Dutch problem in Lombok?”

“Actually, your sister was only just telling us about the issue when we met,” Evelyn explained.

“I told them to get settled and I'll explain everything,” Apsarini told her brother. “The others are in the living room waiting for us. But first things first: where's Dhia? Is she alright?”

Evelyn noted how serious Apsarini's expression suddenly became. Jaga patted her shoulder reassuredly. “Dhia is fine,” he said. “She's fast asleep, safe and sound, just like you left her.”

Apsarini sighed in relief and made her way towards another room. “Thank God,” she said, immediately followed once she entered the room by, “There's my sweet little flower!”

Evelyn and Jaga followed her into the room, and were greeted by the sight of Apsarini gently lifting a sleeping baby out of a cot and cradling it in her arms.

“Oh my, what a sweetheart!” Evelyn said.

Apsarini smiled bright as the sun. “Yes she is.”

“Is she yours?”

“Aye. Dhia’s my beautiful little girl. I never let her leave my general vicinity.”

“You could've just left her with Dhien,” Jaga suggested.

Apsarini let out a sarcastic laugh. “That's funny Jaga you're so funny yeah no. My baby stays in the same city as me no matter what.”

Apsarini gave her baby a quick kiss on the forehead and lowered her back down into her cot. “Mommy will be right back, angel.” She stood back up and turned to Evelyn and Jaga. “Right, now that I know she's safe, we can get down to business. We've got a lot to catch you up on.”

Evelyn nodded, and she motioned for Apsarini to lead the way back towards their friends.

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

“The whole mess started with the Sasaks,” Apsarini explained once she had the seated audience of Evelyn, Chaytan, Jaga, and the Dubois family. “They've been living under the rule of the Balinese for a few decades now, but the usual clash of cultures caused them to revolt. Again.”

“Sounds like things are rather tense on the island of Lombok then,” Evelyn said.

“Indeed. And it's only gotten worse since I returned from my endeavour to the Netherlands a few months back…”

“How so?” Chaytan asked.

“Some of the Sasak have called upon the Dutch military to help them ‘liberate’ their island,” Jaga elaborated. “Not realizing the imperialists are rife with greedy Templars looking to stab them in the back and assert dominance for themselves once the fight it won.”

“Damn…” Evelyn sighed, sick of seeing that cycle repeat itself over the years.

“And it's not just the land they want either,” Apsarini said, catching a slight choke in her throat. “When I was in the Netherlands, I managed to get a hold of a Piece of Eden.”

Evelyn and Chaytan’s eyes widened. “What kind of Piece of Eden?” she asked.

“A dangerous one. And there's one man in particular who's looking for it's hiding place.”

“And let me guess, it's hiding place is in Lombok?”

Apsarini nodded. “I hid it in an old abandoned temple beneath the city of Mataram, thinking he would never find it there. I guess I didn't cover my tracks well enough…”

“Who is this man seeking the artifact?” Evelyn asked.

“You remember that brutish dolt of a man we fought back near the port? The one leading the troops?”

“Aye.”

“His name is General Petrus Paulus Hermanus van Ham.”

“Blimey that's a mouthful.”

“He's been a pain in our sides for a while here on the islands. He was at the ceremony where I killed the old Grand Master Boumeester. He was the one that…”

She paused, clearly trying to think of the best way to phrase her next sentences. The others gave her a confused look.

“There is a dark evil in this world,” she finally said. “One that was unleashed some eleven years ago. Boumeester he… he wanted power, so he sought out a Precursor site, one that somehow held the spirit of one of Those Who Came Before inside. He didn't get what he bargained for though. The Precursor it… it possessed him. Stole his body and wielded his mouth like a costume. And when I stuck my blade in the body, the spirit simply… jumped to a new host. A host named van Ham.”

Evelyn leaned back a bit to absorb this information. It sounded absurd, but she'd seen her fair share of absurd things done by the works of the Precursors.

“Alright…” Evelyn said. “And this Precursor is using van Ham’s influence to invade Lombok and find this Piece of Eden you procured?”

Apsarini nodded.

“What is the name of this evil spirit?” Chaytan asked.

“Lucifer.”

Another series of wide eyes.

“As in… the Devil? Like the Devil?” Evelyn said.

Another nod from Apsarini. Evelyn leaned all the way back in her chair this time. “Well that's brilliant, ain't it?” she said, half laughing. “Just another insane thing to add to my resume.”

“Wouldn't be the first,” Chaytan chuckled.

Then suddenly there was the sound of a throat being cleared, and the group looked over at Dubois. “I hate to interrupt,” he said. “But what does all of this have to do with my family's departure?”

“My apologies, Doctor Dubois,” Jaga said. “With the nonsense in Lombok, van Ham and the Templars have cut off all local ports bound for the British Indies.”

“So if you folks want to book it out of here, we need to take out van Ham,” Apsarini said.

Evelyn looked over at Chaytan, then to the Duboises, then finally at Apsarini. “Alright,” she said, turning back to the doctor and his wife. “Are you three willing to stay a little bit longer at your home and keep the fossils safe?”

“As long as we get to leave soon, aye,” Dubois agreed.

“Then it's settled.” She stood and turned towards the Rajawalis. “Chaytan and I will help you folks stab the Devil and get this whole mess sorted out.”

Apsarini grinned in excitement. “Sounds great!” she cheered. “We can be at Mataram by the end of the week. That enough time for you to prepare?”

“It should be, aye.”

“Excellent.”

The group all smiled at one another, plan now in place. Evelyn took a moment to plan out the events that were about to unfold. If she was lucky, things might actually go her way for once.

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

August 25, 1894; Mataram, Lombok

“Alright,” Evelyn said as soon she she and her friends stepped off the ferry that brought them to Lombok’s shores. “What's our plan from here?”

Apsarini led the way down the paths and jungles, bouncing her baby gently in her arms as the little one patted at the beads on her mother's sash. “We're going to Mataram,” Apsarini explained. “There's a camp of Balinese rebels stationed just outside the city. The Balinese leader is held up there, waiting to plot his attack against the Dutch that have taken one of his palaces.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Aye.”

The four of them crept through the bushes, following the trails until finally the great city of Mataram rose into view above the canopy of the jungle. Apsarini led them along the edge of the city, making sure to look around every corner for even the slightest sign of Dutch guards. It wasn't long before the Assassins finally arrived at the camp which Apsarini had spoken of, a small little settlement hidden just outside the city by the thick trees of the jungle. Apsarini spoke with the nearest guard in a tongue Evelyn had no hope of understanding and after a couple minutes of discussion, he allowed them passage inside.

Evelyn looked around, watching the rebels sit and plan and talk while others were cleaning their guns and swords. These islands were quite the war zone, she thought sadly. She looked over at Apsarini and the giggling little baby in her arms. This hardly seemed to her like the kind of place a child should be.

She quickened her pace to catch up to Apsarini's side. “Are you certain it was wise to bring little Dhia here, Apsarini?” she asked, her concern apparent. “I mean… this does not exactly strike me as a child-friendly place.”

“Dhia does not leave my side,” Apsarini declared, clearly trying to hold down some intense emotions. “Ever.”

“Sorry, dearie. I didn't mean…”

“No… no… It's alright. I'm just… I'm very protective of my little girl is all.”

“I understand. Chaytan and I have been trying for a child of our own as of late actually.”

“I don't even remember the face of the man who fathered Dhia… It was a clouded night, if you understand what I mean.”

“Ah… I'm very sorry, Apsarini.”

“It's alright. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life… I'm adult enough to admit that. Sometimes… sometimes it feels like Dhia is the only truly good thing I've accomplished. She's everything to me, my little girl. I know these are dangerous lands but… that's why I fight so hard to keep her protected. I just hope I'm doing a good job at it…”

Evelyn put a hand on her friend's shoulder. “You are, my friend. You are. And i guarantee she'll thank you for all you've done for her once she's grown enough to understand.”

That made Apsarini's resting somber look girl up into a slight smile. “Thank you, Evelyn,” she said. “It means a lot to me.”

Evelyn simply smiled and nodded. The group continued onwards through the camp, eventually coming upon a small building with soldiers surrounding a desk littered with charts and maps. The man at the center, his robes the most decorated out of all of them, looked up at the Assassins as they approached, and he smiled. “Ah! Apsarini! Jaga! Thank goodness you made it!”

“Would never pass up a chance to stick it to the imperialists, your grace,” Apsarini laughed.

The man suddenly took notice of the two visitors that he didn't recognize. He pointed to Evelyn and Chaytan. “Are these two friends of yours?” he asked.

“Aye,” Jaga confirmed. “This is Evelyn Arlie of England and her husband Chaytan of the Lakota.”

“Far from home then, eh?”

Evelyn laughed and nodded. “Let's just say we were invited to help out some colleges,” she said.

“Fair enough. As long as you are here to help drive the Dutch out of our lands, you are a welcome guest. My name is Anak Agung Gde Ngurah Karangasem, leader of the Balinese.”

“Charmed,” Chaytan said.

“Before we begin talking strategy, do you have a place I can keep my dear baby Dhia?” Apsarini asked the leader.

He responded with a nod. “Indeed. I'll have my men show you.” He nodded to a couple of his soldiers, who led Apsarini back towards one of the buildings. Evelyn watched her go. She felt bad for the poor girl. She hoped she would able to handle this whole motherhood thing as well as she is.

Apsarini came back a few minutes later, without her child in her hands. She took a deep breath and rejoined the group. “Alright,” she said. “Thank you. Now, let's figure out how to send these bastards back to Hell.”

The others nodded, and the Balinese leader immediately drew their attention to a map. He pointed to a specific spot, the location of Mataram’s Mayura Palace. “The Dutch have taken to holding themselves up in my palace here,” he explained.

“That is… a problematic landscape” Chaytan observed as they looked down at the maps.

Evelyn looked at the image of the palace and its surroundings, and immediately pulled a face when she agreed with her husband. The palace was situated on a quaint little island in the middle of a massive man-made lake, and the only way to and from the shore appeared to be one narrow bridge on one open side. The Templars certainly picked a good spot to make camp. Direct infiltration was nearly impossible.

“How are we going to work around that?” Apsarini pondered.

“If we cannot get in, we may have to find a way to get the Templars to come out,” Jaga suggested. He turned to the commander. “Do you think you would be able to arrange your men for a sneak attack under the cover of darkness? Preferably tonight?”

The leader thought it over. “Perhaps,” he said. “It would be difficult, but it could be done.”

“Excellent. Then I suggest that be our course of action.”

“Preferably late into the night,” Apsarini added. “When most of the guards will be tired or asleep and the darkness will be at its deepest.”

Evelyn nodded. “What of the man named van Ham?” she asked.

“He's held himself up at the center of it all,” the leader explained. “Bastard's been barking orders to his men all week about looking for bizarre glows and temples, the mad man.”

Evelyn immediately saw Apsarini's face go pale. She saw her mouth a curse.

“We have to strike tonight,” she declared. “We've no other choice. If we don't, we might not get the chance to ever strike back again.”

“Then it is settled,” the leader declared. “We'll have you four sneak around and light a signal for me to lead my men into battle. Tonight, van Ham will fall and the glory of the Balinese will be preserved.”

The Assassins all nodded in agreement. The leader took his knife from his belt and dramatically slammed the blade down into the wood of the table, creating a thud that seemed to echo out and signal to the woods that the hunt was on. The Assassins looked at one another as the noise rung out in Evelyn’s head, each smiling as they silently agreed on their next course of action. The thud noise seemed to keep reverberating in Evelyn’s skull however. She started hearing the noise repeat again and again, non stop, seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere. The pitch was changing too, louder and louder until it was just a high beeping that blared into her left ear. Then her eyes suddenly shot open.

Ava suddenly found herself scrambling into a sitting position. She looked over at her nightstand with tired eyes at the alarm clock sitting atop it. She rubbed her head and moaned, and then slapped her hand down on the device to shut it up. She looked down at her hands. They were definitely her hands, not Evelyn’s. For a moment she just looked all around her room, trying to ground her brain back into the present. Then she simply put her face in her hand. What was going on? Why was she having these dreams? Was it the Bleeding Effect? Some mental escape route from the nightmares? Or was it something else? She didn't know, and she just hoped whatever was going on would be okay.

She turned her head to look at Ruby, who was just starting to sit up and stretch. “Morning Champ,” she yawned. “How'd you sleep?”

“Fine,” Ava lied. “Slept fine.”

“No nightmares?”

“No. I mean, little flashes here and there but I guess that medicine just needs time to fully sink in.”

“Well hey that's awesome, Champ! That means we're on the right track to helping you get better!”

Ruby leaned over and hugged her tight. Ava simply forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah Rubes,” she said, though deep down she didn't know if she could believe that herself.

God, she hoped everything would get better soon.

Description
August 8, 2016; Indianapolis, Indiana

Ava sat at the kitchen bar, eyes fluttering open and close as her head lulled in her hand. God she was not feeling well. With all these nightmares, she was not getting the rest her body needed. She was exhausted, and it was only getting worse. She couldn't get Ben out of her head. She wanted to let go, she really did. But she couldn't. Her brain refused to let her accept a world where her best friend died in her arms. She was almost angry with herself for it. She just hoped that soon it would all pass or something would come along to smack her out of it.

“Hey hey hey I finally got them!” Ruby suddenly said as she barged in the door and gently smacked something down on the counter in front of Ava. Ava jerked up out of her daze and rubbed her eyes.

“Huh wuh?” she babbled.

“Your prescription, Champ,” Ruby explained, pointing to the bottle she had just set down. “This stuff will help chill your brain out at night. Should knock those nightmares right out of your head!”

“Oh. Thanks Rubes,” Ava said, offering up as much of a smile as her tired body could muster. “How many of these do I take?”

“just two a night, just before bed.”

“Gotchya.” Ava immediately popped the little bottle open and shook a couple pills out. She shoved them in her mouth and chugged them down with the drink she had been making progress on before she started dozing off. Ruby laughed.

“Take it that means you're ready to head to bed now?” she asked.

Ava smiled tiredly and nodded. “Yeah let's go,” she said, wobbling out of her chair and leaning on Ruby.

“Alright, sleeping beauty, let's get ya all tucked in upstairs,” Ruby chuckled.

The two made their way up to their room, where Ava immediately flopped down onto the mattress while Ruby slipped into her usual sleepwear before following her under the covers. Ava was already drifting off as Ruby gave her a quick kiss and told her goodnight. And by the time the lights went off, she was already snoring.

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

“Why did you let me die?”

Ava was sweating and turning. Some subconscious part of her cursed her luck as she struggled her way through REM sleep. The pills were working, but not fully. She guessed they weren't fully taking hold in her system yet. Somehow it seemed to make the nightmares worse. Everything kept flashing in and out as the chemicals in her head glitched and fought with the medication. Black then Ben then black then screams then black then blood. It was like a burning film reel in her head and she struggled against it. It hurt. It hurt so badly.

“Why did you le-?”

“You cannot win Av-!”

“Why di-”

“That monkey drives me nuts.”

“Why Ava wh-”

Get out get out! She couldn't handle it. So many voices, so many glitches! She needed to get things clear! She couldn't handle this much stimulus! She needed to get her head straight.

“Why-?”

“Av-”

“I am Lu-!”

“I have friends in Liverpool.”

“Snap out of it A-”

“Are we there yet?”

God her head hurt so much. She had to get out of this wretched environment. The sounds the sights it was an assault on her senses. She needed to get things clear. She needed to get things clear!

“We're almost there, Evelyn. You doing okay?”

Then suddenly, clarity.

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

August 18, 1894; Surabaya, Dutch East Indies

Evelyn shook her head and scratched her reddened nose. “Aye I'm fine,” she said. “I'm just not used to this sort of tropical climate is all. It's not sitting well with my body.”

Apsarini laughed. “It takes some getting used to,” she said. “Don't worry, we'll be indoors soon. The hideout is just up ahead.”

Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief at that assurance, and it paid off just a moment later as the team broke through the last of the bushes into a small clearing. They were met with the sight of a few connected complexes laden with flowers and decorations, including the insignia of the Assassins etched into the front door of the main building.

“Here we are,” Apsarini smiled, ushering Evelyn, Chaytan, and the Duboises forward. “A home away from home.”

“Are you not from around here then?” Chaytan asked as they were led to the front door.

“No, my home is farther westward,” Apsarini explained as she unlocked the door. “I'm from Batavia.”

“So why are you out here in Surabaya?” Evelyn asked.

“I'll explain once we're all settled down inside. There's something I must check on first.”

The group followed her in and Apsarini immediately rushed down the hall as the others got situated in the living room. Evelyn could hear her call to someone.

“Jaga!” she called. “I'm back!”

Evelyn decided to follow after her new friend down the hall. She turned just in time to find Apsarini in another room receiving a hug from a taller Assassin.

“Apsarini!” he said. “Glad you made it back safe, little sister!”

“I always make it back safe,” Apsarini laughed.

“What about that one incident with Raharjo?”

“We agreed never to speak of the monkey.” Apsarini pouted and crossed her arms. The taller Assassin simply laughed, then he suddenly looked up, over Apsarini's shoulder at Evelyn.

“Oh, a new face. Friend of yours?” he asked his sister.

Apsarini looked over at Evelyn and nodded, bringing her brother over to make formal introductions.

“Jaga, this is Evelyn Arlie,” she said. “One of our sisters from England. She's on a mission here to defend a local scientist and escort him to the British Indies.”

Jaga smiled and shook Evelyn’s hand. “I'm Jaga,” he said. “Apsarini's brother. If you're here to get passage to the British Indies, I take it that means you're here to help us with the Dutch problem in Lombok?”

“Actually, your sister was only just telling us about the issue when we met,” Evelyn explained.

“I told them to get settled and I'll explain everything,” Apsarini told her brother. “The others are in the living room waiting for us. But first things first: where's Dhia? Is she alright?”

Evelyn noted how serious Apsarini's expression suddenly became. Jaga patted her shoulder reassuredly. “Dhia is fine,” he said. “She's fast asleep, safe and sound, just like you left her.”

Apsarini sighed in relief and made her way towards another room. “Thank God,” she said, immediately followed once she entered the room by, “There's my sweet little flower!”

Evelyn and Jaga followed her into the room, and were greeted by the sight of Apsarini gently lifting a sleeping baby out of a cot and cradling it in her arms.

“Oh my, what a sweetheart!” Evelyn said.

Apsarini smiled bright as the sun. “Yes she is.”

“Is she yours?”

“Aye. Dhia’s my beautiful little girl. I never let her leave my general vicinity.”

“You could've just left her with Dhien,” Jaga suggested.

Apsarini let out a sarcastic laugh. “That's funny Jaga you're so funny yeah no. My baby stays in the same city as me no matter what.”

Apsarini gave her baby a quick kiss on the forehead and lowered her back down into her cot. “Mommy will be right back, angel.” She stood back up and turned to Evelyn and Jaga. “Right, now that I know she's safe, we can get down to business. We've got a lot to catch you up on.”

Evelyn nodded, and she motioned for Apsarini to lead the way back towards their friends.

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

“The whole mess started with the Sasaks,” Apsarini explained once she had the seated audience of Evelyn, Chaytan, Jaga, and the Dubois family. “They've been living under the rule of the Balinese for a few decades now, but the usual clash of cultures caused them to revolt. Again.”

“Sounds like things are rather tense on the island of Lombok then,” Evelyn said.

“Indeed. And it's only gotten worse since I returned from my endeavour to the Netherlands a few months back…”

“How so?” Chaytan asked.

“Some of the Sasak have called upon the Dutch military to help them ‘liberate’ their island,” Jaga elaborated. “Not realizing the imperialists are rife with greedy Templars looking to stab them in the back and assert dominance for themselves once the fight it won.”

“Damn…” Evelyn sighed, sick of seeing that cycle repeat itself over the years.

“And it's not just the land they want either,” Apsarini said, catching a slight choke in her throat. “When I was in the Netherlands, I managed to get a hold of a Piece of Eden.”

Evelyn and Chaytan’s eyes widened. “What kind of Piece of Eden?” she asked.

“A dangerous one. And there's one man in particular who's looking for it's hiding place.”

“And let me guess, it's hiding place is in Lombok?”

Apsarini nodded. “I hid it in an old abandoned temple beneath the city of Mataram, thinking he would never find it there. I guess I didn't cover my tracks well enough…”

“Who is this man seeking the artifact?” Evelyn asked.

“You remember that brutish dolt of a man we fought back near the port? The one leading the troops?”

“Aye.”

“His name is General Petrus Paulus Hermanus van Ham.”

“Blimey that's a mouthful.”

“He's been a pain in our sides for a while here on the islands. He was at the ceremony where I killed the old Grand Master Boumeester. He was the one that…”

She paused, clearly trying to think of the best way to phrase her next sentences. The others gave her a confused look.

“There is a dark evil in this world,” she finally said. “One that was unleashed some eleven years ago. Boumeester he… he wanted power, so he sought out a Precursor site, one that somehow held the spirit of one of Those Who Came Before inside. He didn't get what he bargained for though. The Precursor it… it possessed him. Stole his body and wielded his mouth like a costume. And when I stuck my blade in the body, the spirit simply… jumped to a new host. A host named van Ham.”

Evelyn leaned back a bit to absorb this information. It sounded absurd, but she'd seen her fair share of absurd things done by the works of the Precursors.

“Alright…” Evelyn said. “And this Precursor is using van Ham’s influence to invade Lombok and find this Piece of Eden you procured?”

Apsarini nodded.

“What is the name of this evil spirit?” Chaytan asked.

“Lucifer.”

Another series of wide eyes.

“As in… the Devil? Like the Devil?” Evelyn said.

Another nod from Apsarini. Evelyn leaned all the way back in her chair this time. “Well that's brilliant, ain't it?” she said, half laughing. “Just another insane thing to add to my resume.”

“Wouldn't be the first,” Chaytan chuckled.

Then suddenly there was the sound of a throat being cleared, and the group looked over at Dubois. “I hate to interrupt,” he said. “But what does all of this have to do with my family's departure?”

“My apologies, Doctor Dubois,” Jaga said. “With the nonsense in Lombok, van Ham and the Templars have cut off all local ports bound for the British Indies.”

“So if you folks want to book it out of here, we need to take out van Ham,” Apsarini said.

Evelyn looked over at Chaytan, then to the Duboises, then finally at Apsarini. “Alright,” she said, turning back to the doctor and his wife. “Are you three willing to stay a little bit longer at your home and keep the fossils safe?”

“As long as we get to leave soon, aye,” Dubois agreed.

“Then it's settled.” She stood and turned towards the Rajawalis. “Chaytan and I will help you folks stab the Devil and get this whole mess sorted out.”

Apsarini grinned in excitement. “Sounds great!” she cheered. “We can be at Mataram by the end of the week. That enough time for you to prepare?”

“It should be, aye.”

“Excellent.”

The group all smiled at one another, plan now in place. Evelyn took a moment to plan out the events that were about to unfold. If she was lucky, things might actually go her way for once.

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

August 25, 1894; Mataram, Lombok

“Alright,” Evelyn said as soon she she and her friends stepped off the ferry that brought them to Lombok’s shores. “What's our plan from here?”

Apsarini led the way down the paths and jungles, bouncing her baby gently in her arms as the little one patted at the beads on her mother's sash. “We're going to Mataram,” Apsarini explained. “There's a camp of Balinese rebels stationed just outside the city. The Balinese leader is held up there, waiting to plot his attack against the Dutch that have taken one of his palaces.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Aye.”

The four of them crept through the bushes, following the trails until finally the great city of Mataram rose into view above the canopy of the jungle. Apsarini led them along the edge of the city, making sure to look around every corner for even the slightest sign of Dutch guards. It wasn't long before the Assassins finally arrived at the camp which Apsarini had spoken of, a small little settlement hidden just outside the city by the thick trees of the jungle. Apsarini spoke with the nearest guard in a tongue Evelyn had no hope of understanding and after a couple minutes of discussion, he allowed them passage inside.

Evelyn looked around, watching the rebels sit and plan and talk while others were cleaning their guns and swords. These islands were quite the war zone, she thought sadly. She looked over at Apsarini and the giggling little baby in her arms. This hardly seemed to her like the kind of place a child should be.

She quickened her pace to catch up to Apsarini's side. “Are you certain it was wise to bring little Dhia here, Apsarini?” she asked, her concern apparent. “I mean… this does not exactly strike me as a child-friendly place.”

“Dhia does not leave my side,” Apsarini declared, clearly trying to hold down some intense emotions. “Ever.”

“Sorry, dearie. I didn't mean…”

“No… no… It's alright. I'm just… I'm very protective of my little girl is all.”

“I understand. Chaytan and I have been trying for a child of our own as of late actually.”

“I don't even remember the face of the man who fathered Dhia… It was a clouded night, if you understand what I mean.”

“Ah… I'm very sorry, Apsarini.”

“It's alright. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life… I'm adult enough to admit that. Sometimes… sometimes it feels like Dhia is the only truly good thing I've accomplished. She's everything to me, my little girl. I know these are dangerous lands but… that's why I fight so hard to keep her protected. I just hope I'm doing a good job at it…”

Evelyn put a hand on her friend's shoulder. “You are, my friend. You are. And i guarantee she'll thank you for all you've done for her once she's grown enough to understand.”

That made Apsarini's resting somber look girl up into a slight smile. “Thank you, Evelyn,” she said. “It means a lot to me.”

Evelyn simply smiled and nodded. The group continued onwards through the camp, eventually coming upon a small building with soldiers surrounding a desk littered with charts and maps. The man at the center, his robes the most decorated out of all of them, looked up at the Assassins as they approached, and he smiled. “Ah! Apsarini! Jaga! Thank goodness you made it!”

“Would never pass up a chance to stick it to the imperialists, your grace,” Apsarini laughed.

The man suddenly took notice of the two visitors that he didn't recognize. He pointed to Evelyn and Chaytan. “Are these two friends of yours?” he asked.

“Aye,” Jaga confirmed. “This is Evelyn Arlie of England and her husband Chaytan of the Lakota.”

“Far from home then, eh?”

Evelyn laughed and nodded. “Let's just say we were invited to help out some colleges,” she said.

“Fair enough. As long as you are here to help drive the Dutch out of our lands, you are a welcome guest. My name is Anak Agung Gde Ngurah Karangasem, leader of the Balinese.”

“Charmed,” Chaytan said.

“Before we begin talking strategy, do you have a place I can keep my dear baby Dhia?” Apsarini asked the leader.

He responded with a nod. “Indeed. I'll have my men show you.” He nodded to a couple of his soldiers, who led Apsarini back towards one of the buildings. Evelyn watched her go. She felt bad for the poor girl. She hoped she would able to handle this whole motherhood thing as well as she is.

Apsarini came back a few minutes later, without her child in her hands. She took a deep breath and rejoined the group. “Alright,” she said. “Thank you. Now, let's figure out how to send these bastards back to Hell.”

The others nodded, and the Balinese leader immediately drew their attention to a map. He pointed to a specific spot, the location of Mataram’s Mayura Palace. “The Dutch have taken to holding themselves up in my palace here,” he explained.

“That is… a problematic landscape” Chaytan observed as they looked down at the maps.

Evelyn looked at the image of the palace and its surroundings, and immediately pulled a face when she agreed with her husband. The palace was situated on a quaint little island in the middle of a massive man-made lake, and the only way to and from the shore appeared to be one narrow bridge on one open side. The Templars certainly picked a good spot to make camp. Direct infiltration was nearly impossible.

“How are we going to work around that?” Apsarini pondered.

“If we cannot get in, we may have to find a way to get the Templars to come out,” Jaga suggested. He turned to the commander. “Do you think you would be able to arrange your men for a sneak attack under the cover of darkness? Preferably tonight?”

The leader thought it over. “Perhaps,” he said. “It would be difficult, but it could be done.”

“Excellent. Then I suggest that be our course of action.”

“Preferably late into the night,” Apsarini added. “When most of the guards will be tired or asleep and the darkness will be at its deepest.”

Evelyn nodded. “What of the man named van Ham?” she asked.

“He's held himself up at the center of it all,” the leader explained. “Bastard's been barking orders to his men all week about looking for bizarre glows and temples, the mad man.”

Evelyn immediately saw Apsarini's face go pale. She saw her mouth a curse.

“We have to strike tonight,” she declared. “We've no other choice. If we don't, we might not get the chance to ever strike back again.”

“Then it is settled,” the leader declared. “We'll have you four sneak around and light a signal for me to lead my men into battle. Tonight, van Ham will fall and the glory of the Balinese will be preserved.”

The Assassins all nodded in agreement. The leader took his knife from his belt and dramatically slammed the blade down into the wood of the table, creating a thud that seemed to echo out and signal to the woods that the hunt was on. The Assassins looked at one another as the noise rung out in Evelyn’s head, each smiling as they silently agreed on their next course of action. The thud noise seemed to keep reverberating in Evelyn’s skull however. She started hearing the noise repeat again and again, non stop, seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere. The pitch was changing too, louder and louder until it was just a high beeping that blared into her left ear. Then her eyes suddenly shot open.

Ava suddenly found herself scrambling into a sitting position. She looked over at her nightstand with tired eyes at the alarm clock sitting atop it. She rubbed her head and moaned, and then slapped her hand down on the device to shut it up. She looked down at her hands. They were definitely her hands, not Evelyn’s. For a moment she just looked all around her room, trying to ground her brain back into the present. Then she simply put her face in her hand. What was going on? Why was she having these dreams? Was it the Bleeding Effect? Some mental escape route from the nightmares? Or was it something else? She didn't know, and she just hoped whatever was going on would be okay.

She turned her head to look at Ruby, who was just starting to sit up and stretch. “Morning Champ,” she yawned. “How'd you sleep?”

“Fine,” Ava lied. “Slept fine.”

“No nightmares?”

“No. I mean, little flashes here and there but I guess that medicine just needs time to fully sink in.”

“Well hey that's awesome, Champ! That means we're on the right track to helping you get better!”

Ruby leaned over and hugged her tight. Ava simply forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah Rubes,” she said, though deep down she didn't know if she could believe that herself.

God, she hoped everything would get better soon.