ASSASSIN'S CREED: VANGUARD

RISING STAKES

The morning after our strike on the munitions depot was still and quiet, but the tension in the air was unmistakable. Smoke still rose in the distance, a testament to the damage we had inflicted the night before. We gathered in a small clearing near the edge of the forest, far enough from the site of the explosion to remain hidden but close enough to keep an eye on any movements from the enemy.

David knelt by the edge of the stream, splashing cold water on his face. “They’ll be looking for us,” he said quietly, glancing back toward the rest of us. “We made a lot of noise last night. It won’t take them long to regroup.”
“They’ll be furious,” Lydia agreed, her tone tense but satisfied. “We hit them where it hurt, and they’ll come for blood.”
Markus checked his weapon, his expression grim. “Let them come. We’re ready.”

But I wasn’t so sure. We had pulled off a bold strike, and it had worked—this time. But now the Nazis would tighten their grip, hunt us with more precision and ruthlessness. Our next moves would need to be calculated. One wrong step, and everything we’d fought for could come crashing down.
“We can’t stay here much longer,” I said, breaking the silence. “They’ll send patrols into the forest, and they’ll scour every inch until they find us.”
Markus stood, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. “So what’s the plan? We can’t run forever.”
“I don’t intend to,” I replied, my mind already racing with ideas. “We’ve hit them hard, and now they’re vulnerable. But we need more than just these small strikes. We need a larger network, more allies.”
“Other cells?” Lydia asked, leaning in. “You think we can reach them?”
I nodded. “There are resistance groups scattered across the country. We’ve heard rumors of them in the north, in the cities. If we can unite them, coordinate our efforts, we could mount a real offensive.”
David frowned, looking skeptical. “That’s a big gamble. What if they’re already wiped out? Or worse, compromised?”

“Then we’ll know where not to go,” I said, my voice firm. “But if even a few of them are still active, it could change everything.”
Markus tapped the side of his rifle. “You’re talking about a full-scale uprising.”
“Eventually, yes,” I admitted. “But we start small. We send word, make contact with the other groups, and share information. If we can disrupt the Nazis’ control in key areas, it’ll buy us time and spread them thin.”
Lydia considered it, nodding slowly. “We could start by heading north. There’s supposed to be a group in the next town over. I know some old contacts there.”
David sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s risky, but it’s the best shot we’ve got. If we stay isolated, we’ll be picked off eventually.”
I met each of their gazes, seeing the same determination reflected back at me. We all knew the risks, but the alternative—waiting for the Nazis to crush us—wasn’t an option.
“Then it’s decided,” I said. “We head north. We find allies, and we keep building until we’re strong enough to strike back. We hit them harder than they hit us.”
Markus stood and gathered his gear, his eyes hard. “Let’s get moving before they send patrols this way.”

We packed up quickly, erasing any trace of our presence in the clearing. The forest had been our refuge for weeks now, but it was no longer safe. We needed to stay on the move, always one step ahead of our enemies.

As we made our way through the dense underbrush, my thoughts drifted to what lay ahead. The resistance wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about reclaiming our freedom. And that meant risking everything, trusting in people we hadn’t yet met, and hoping the resistance was still alive in places we hadn’t reached.
We hiked in silence for hours, the weight of our mission pressing down on us. The forest began to thin as we approached the northern edge, the tall trees giving way to rolling hills and farmland. The town we were heading to was still a few miles away, but already I could sense the danger growing closer.
“Look,” Lydia whispered, pointing ahead.

In the distance, I could see smoke rising again—this time from the direction of the town. My heart sank. If the Nazis had already reached it, we might be walking into a trap.
“We need to be careful,” I said, lowering my voice. “Lydia, you and David go ahead. Scout the area before we move in. Markus and I will find a spot to wait.”

Lydia and David nodded, slipping off into the trees, their movements silent and swift. Markus and I hunkered down in a patch of tall grass, keeping our eyes on the horizon.
Minutes ticked by, each one filled with a tense silence. I couldn’t help but think of the people we were trying to find—their faces, their stories. Had they managed to resist as we had? Or had the Nazi grip already crushed them?

After what felt like an eternity, Lydia and David returned, their expressions grave.
“The town’s under heavy occupation,” Lydia reported, her voice low but urgent. “They’ve got patrols everywhere. It’s worse than we thought.”
David shook his head. “We saw the bodies, hung in the square as a warning. They’ve already made examples of anyone they suspect is part of the resistance.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. This was no ordinary occupation. The Nazis were using terror as their weapon, sending a clear message to anyone who dared to resist.
“We can’t stay here,” I said, my voice tight. “But we need information. If there’s anyone left, anyone still fighting, we need to find them.”
Markus grimaced. “That won’t be easy with all those patrols. One wrong move, and we’re dead.”
“I know,” I replied, my mind racing. “But we’re running out of options. We need to slip into the town, find out if there’s anyone left who can help us.”
David looked uneasy. “And if there isn’t?”

I met his gaze, the gravity of the situation sinking in. “Then we’ll have to make a new plan. But we’re not giving up. Not now.”
We prepared for what lay ahead, our resolve hardening as the stakes continued to rise. The Nazis thought they could break us with fear, with violence. But they hadn’t counted on one thing: we weren’t fighting just for survival. We were fighting for freedom.
And we weren’t backing down.

The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time we approached the outskirts of the occupied town. The night offered cover, but it also sharpened the edges of danger. Every shadow seemed alive with threat, every whisper of the wind carrying the tension of our mission.
Lydia led the way, her steps sure and deliberate. She knew this area better than any of us, and we trusted her instincts. The town was eerily quiet except for the occasional distant sound of boots on cobblestone or the low rumble of Nazi vehicles patrolling the streets. Markus and David kept close behind, scanning the darkness for any signs of movement.
    I signaled for us to stop as we reached an abandoned barn on the outskirts of town. We slipped inside, and the damp, musty smell of hay mixed with the cold night air. It would provide us a brief shelter while we planned our next move.
“We can’t just stroll into the town square,” Markus said in a low voice, checking his gear again. “They’ll have checkpoints and guards posted at every major street.”

“I know,” I replied, crouching beside him. “But we need information. There has to be someone—anyone—left who can tell us if the resistance here has survived.”

Lydia was already scanning the map we had of the town, which she had marked with possible hiding places or routes based on what she remembered. “There’s an old apothecary’s shop on the edge of the square,” she said, her voice hushed. “If anyone from the resistance is still around, they might be hiding in there. It was a known safe house.”
David glanced toward the boarded-up windows. “What about the patrols? There’s no way we can get past them without being seen.”
I thought for a moment, my mind working through the possibilities. We couldn’t afford to stumble into a trap, but neither could we leave without trying. “We’ll split into two groups. Lydia and I will go to the apothecary. Markus and David, you two will cause a distraction on the opposite side of town. If they’re distracted, we’ll have a better chance of slipping past the guards.”
Markus nodded, a grim smile tugging at his lips. “I’ve been waiting for another chance to raise hell.”
“Just don’t overdo it,” Lydia said with a wry smirk. “We need them chasing shadows, not swarming the whole area.”

We moved quickly, dividing into our respective pairs. Markus and David disappeared into the night, their footsteps fading as they headed toward their target. Lydia and I moved in the opposite direction, sticking to the shadows as we crept toward the heart of the town.
The streets were deserted, but the oppressive presence of the enemy was palpable. As we approached the square, the faint glow of a bonfire came into view. My stomach turned at the sight of several bodies hanging from makeshift gallows in the center, their forms silhouetted by the fire. It was a grotesque display meant to break the town’s spirit, to serve as a warning for anyone else who might resist.
Lydia’s jaw clenched, and I could see the anger simmering in her eyes, but she said nothing. We couldn’t afford to let emotion cloud our judgment now.
We pressed on, carefully navigating the narrow alleys until we reached the apothecary’s shop. The windows were dark, the door slightly ajar. It looked abandoned, but we knew better than to assume anything.
I motioned for Lydia to cover me as I pushed the door open and slipped inside. The interior was dark and cluttered, shelves lined with old bottles and dust-covered supplies. I scanned the room, listening for any sound that might betray the presence of someone hiding within.
Then I heard it—a faint rustling from the back of the shop.

I signaled to Lydia, and we moved together, quietly approaching the source of the noise. As we rounded the corner, we found a man hunched over a small radio, his hands shaking as he fiddled with the dials.
“Who’s there?” he whispered, his voice barely audible but filled with fear.
“It’s all right,” I said softly, keeping my hands visible to show I wasn’t a threat. “We’re not with the Nazis. We’re part of the resistance.”
The man turned slowly, his face gaunt and pale from weeks of hiding. His eyes flicked from me to Lydia, searching for any sign of deception.
“I thought they’d killed everyone,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “Are… are there others?”
“There are,” Lydia said, stepping forward. “But we need to know—are there any other survivors here? Any other resistance fighters?”
The man swallowed hard, then nodded. “There are a few of us left. We’ve been hiding, waiting for a chance to fight back. But after what they did to the others…” His voice trailed off, and he glanced nervously toward the door. “They’ve got the town on lockdown. They’ve been executing anyone they suspect of being involved.”

I knelt beside him. “We’re here to help. We’ve been fighting them too, and we need more people like you. We’re planning to unite the resistance across the region. But we can’t do it alone.”
His eyes widened in a mixture of hope and fear. “If we join you… we’ll need weapons, supplies. Everything’s been taken or destroyed.”
“We can help with that,” Lydia said, her voice steady. “We’ve been gathering resources. But first, we need to get you and your people out of here.”
The man hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “There’s a hidden passage beneath the shop. It leads out of the town. We use it when we need to disappear quickly.”
Before I could respond, there was a sudden explosion in the distance, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Markus and David had made their move.
“We need to go,” I said, urgency creeping into my voice. “Now.”

The man grabbed a few belongings and led us toward a trapdoor hidden beneath a loose floorboard. Lydia and I helped him lift it open, revealing a dark tunnel leading away from the shop.

As we descended into the passage, I could hear the sound of Nazi soldiers shouting orders in the streets above. Markus and David had done their part, and now it was up to us to finish the job.
We moved quickly through the tunnel, the cold, damp air pressing in around us. Every step felt like a race against time, a desperate bid to escape the tightening noose of Nazi occupation.

When we finally emerged on the outskirts of the town, I breathed a sigh of relief. We had made it out, and we had found allies. But the war was far from over. This was just the beginning of a much larger fight.
And now, we had more than just our small group. We had the beginnings of an army.
“We’ll get your people out,” I said to the man, my voice filled with renewed determination. “And then, we’ll make them pay for everything they’ve done.”
The man nodded, his eyes filled with a new sense of purpose. “We’re ready.”
As we disappeared into the night, the sound of distant explosions still echoing in the air, I knew one thing for sure: the resistance was growing, and soon, the Nazis would have a fight on their hands they’d never forget.
We moved quickly through the forest, the darkness pressing in around us like a cloak. The man we had rescued, his name now revealed as Emil, led us toward a safer location where the remaining resistance fighters from the town had taken refuge. He moved with a cautious urgency, as if every step was a gamble between safety and disaster.
“Where are the others?” I asked, keeping my voice low as we navigated through the thick underbrush.
“About half a mile ahead,” Emil whispered, glancing nervously over his shoulder. “They’re hiding in an old cabin. It’s not much, but it’s all we have.”

Lydia and I exchanged a glance. We had managed to extract Emil, but the resistance group in the town had been decimated. Their numbers were thin, their resources non-existent. If we were going to unite these scattered cells into something stronger, we’d need more than just hope.
Markus and David soon caught up with us, their breath coming in quick, shallow bursts from the exertion of their distraction. David wiped the sweat from his brow and gave us a grim nod.
“They’re in chaos,” he reported. “The explosions rattled them, but it won’t last. We’ve got a little time before they regroup and start sweeping the area.”
“Good work,” I said, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder. “Now let’s make sure we’re gone before they do.”
We followed Emil deeper into the woods until the cabin finally came into view. It was small, almost camouflaged against the surrounding trees, with moss growing over the roof and ivy creeping up the walls. From the outside, it looked abandoned, but I knew that it was likely filled with people desperate to stay hidden.

Emil approached the door and knocked in a distinct pattern—three sharp raps, a pause, then two more. A moment later, the door creaked open, and a young woman peered out cautiously. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw us, and she quickly stepped aside to let us in.
The inside of the cabin was cramped and dimly lit by a single oil lamp. Around the room, a handful of resistance fighters—no more than eight or nine—huddled together, their faces worn and gaunt. They looked up as we entered, a mix of fear and curiosity in their eyes.
“This is them,” Emil said, his voice soft but steady. “What’s left of us.”
I took a step forward, scanning the faces of the group. They were young—some barely more than teenagers—but they were hardened by the horrors they’d witnessed. These were people who had lost everything and were still standing, still fighting. They were exactly who we needed.

“We’re from a resistance cell further south,” I began, keeping my tone calm and reassuring. “We’ve been fighting the Nazis, just like you. And now, we’re trying to unite the remaining groups—gather our strength and coordinate our attacks. If we stand alone, we’ll be picked off one by one. But together, we can strike harder. We can win.”
The room was silent for a moment, the weight of my words hanging in the air. Then, a man in the back—older than the rest, with graying hair and a rifle slung over his shoulder—spoke up.

“And what makes you think we can trust you?” His voice was rough, filled with suspicion. “For all we know, you could be leading the Nazis right to us.”
“We just helped Emil escape from under their noses,” Lydia replied, her voice sharp. “If we were working with the Nazis, we wouldn’t be standing here right now. We’d be dragging you out into the streets.”
The man scowled but said nothing more. Emil stepped forward, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder.
“They saved my life, Viktor,” he said quietly. “Without them, I’d be dead, or worse.”
Viktor’s gaze shifted between Emil and me, and after a tense moment, he finally nodded. “All right. But I’ve heard promises before. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
I couldn’t blame him for his skepticism. Trust was a rare commodity in this war, and betrayal lurked around every corner. But I knew that if we could prove ourselves—if we could show them that we were serious—they would follow.
“We’re not asking for blind trust,” I said, my voice steady. “Just a chance. Let us help you get your people out of here. We can move to a safer location, regroup, and plan our next steps together.”

A murmur rippled through the room as the others exchanged uncertain glances. They were scared, beaten down by the constant threat of death. But beneath the fear, I could see a glimmer of hope—hope that there was still a way to fight back.
Finally, a young woman with short-cropped hair stood up from where she’d been sitting near the fire. “I’m in,” she said, her voice clear and resolute. “We can’t stay here forever. If they’re offering a way out, we should take it.”

One by one, the others slowly nodded in agreement, until even Viktor begrudgingly offered a grunt of approval.
“All right,” I said, taking a deep breath. “We leave at dawn. Pack light and be ready to move quickly. We’ll take you to our camp, and from there, we’ll figure out our next move.”
As the group dispersed to prepare, Lydia, Markus, David, and I huddled near the door, speaking in hushed tones.
“This is a big gamble,” Markus muttered, glancing around at the ragged group. “We’re stretching ourselves thin by bringing them with us. If the Nazis catch up to us before we’re ready…”
“They won’t,” I said firmly. “We’ll move fast, stay ahead of them. And once we regroup with the others, we’ll be stronger than ever.”
Lydia nodded, her expression serious. “We’ll need to scout ahead, make sure the path is clear. I’ll go with David at first light.”
“Good,” I agreed. “We can’t afford any surprises.”

As we settled in for the night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the stakes were higher than ever. We had gathered new allies, but we were also drawing more attention. Every move we made from here on out had to be precise, calculated. The Nazis would be coming for us, and they wouldn’t stop until we were all dead.
But as I looked around at my team—and at the newly invigorated fighters huddled around the cabin—I knew one thing for certain: we were ready.
Dawn was coming. And with it, our next fight.
The hours passed slowly as we prepared for dawn, the cabin filled with a quiet, tense energy. No one spoke much, and the silence was broken only by the occasional sound of gear being packed or whispered conversations in the corners. I stayed near the door, my eyes flicking between the shadows outside and the people we’d just brought into the fold.
Lydia sat beside me, cleaning her rifle with practiced precision. David was leaning against the wall, checking his map for the best route out of the forest. Markus had taken the last watch, scanning the perimeter for any sign of trouble.

“We should be able to avoid the main roads,” David said quietly, tracing a route with his finger. “There’s a network of old hunting trails we can use to stay off the Nazis’ radar. It’ll take longer, but it’s safer.”
“We don’t have time to take the long way around,” I said, shaking my head. “The longer we’re out in the open, the more likely they’ll find us. We need to move quickly and get to our next safe zone before they realize we’re gone.”
David frowned, but he didn’t argue. He knew as well as I did that time wasn’t on our side.
The first pale light of dawn began to filter through the cracks in the cabin walls, signaling that it was time to go. I stood up and motioned for the others to gather their things.
“Let’s move,” I said quietly. “We need to be gone before they start their patrols.”

The group moved in silence, quickly packing the last of their belongings. Emil and Viktor led their people, keeping them calm as we prepared to slip back into the forest. Lydia and David would scout ahead, as planned, while Markus and I kept watch over the rear.
We left the cabin behind without a trace, moving through the dense woods with the quiet efficiency of people who had spent too long on the run. Every step felt like a small victory—another few seconds we had managed to stay ahead of the enemy.
The forest was still and calm, the early morning air cool against our skin. But the silence felt oppressive, like the calm before a storm. I knew the Nazis wouldn’t let us go without a fight, especially not after the chaos we had caused the night before.
“Keep your eyes sharp,” I whispered to Markus as we moved. “They’ll send scouts into the woods soon, and they’ll be looking for us.”
He nodded, his rifle at the ready. “I’m not worried about a few scouts. It’s when they send the real force after us that we’ll have trouble.”

I didn’t respond, but the truth of his words weighed heavily on me. We had been lucky so far—able to outmaneuver and outsmart the enemy at every turn—but our luck wouldn’t last forever. At some point, they would catch up.

We continued through the forest for hours, the sunlight filtering through the canopy above us as we moved deeper into the wilderness. The hunting trails David had found were narrow but clear enough, and for the most part, we were able to stay well off the main roads.
But the tension never eased. Every sound in the forest—every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves—put me on edge, making me wonder if the Nazis had finally caught up.
It was just past noon when Lydia returned from her position ahead, her face grim.
“Trouble?” I asked, already bracing for the worst.
“Maybe,” she said, glancing back in the direction she had come from. “There’s a bridge up ahead, over a stream. It’s a choke point. We need to cross, but if the Nazis have caught wind of us, they’ll be watching it.”
I cursed under my breath. A choke point was the last thing we needed. If the enemy was waiting for us there, we’d have no choice but to fight—or find a longer, more dangerous route around.
“How far?” I asked.
“Half a mile,” Lydia replied. “I didn’t see any movement yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re not already there.”
I turned to the others, quickly calculating our options. We couldn’t risk leading these people into an ambush, but every minute we delayed gave the Nazis more time to catch up from behind.

“We’ll scout it out,” I said, making a decision. “Lydia, Markus, and I will go ahead and see if it’s clear. David, you stay here with the others. Keep them hidden, and be ready to move as soon as we give the signal.”
David nodded, his jaw set. “Be careful. If they’ve set a trap, it could get ugly fast.”
With that, the three of us set off toward the bridge, keeping low and moving as quietly as possible. The forest grew denser as we neared the stream, the sound of rushing water filling the air. I could see the bridge in the distance—an old wooden structure, weathered and worn by years of disuse.
As we approached, I held up a hand to signal a stop. Something didn’t feel right. The bridge was too quiet, too still.
I crouched down, peering through the underbrush, and that’s when I saw it: a glint of metal, just beyond the edge of the bridge.
“Snipers,” I whispered to Lydia and Markus. “At least two of them, on the far side. They’re waiting for us.”
Markus gripped his rifle tightly, his expression hard. “We could try to take them out, but if we miss even one…”
“They’ll know we’re here,” Lydia finished grimly. “And they’ll call for reinforcements.”
I clenched my teeth, running through the options in my head. We were stuck. If we didn’t cross, we’d be forced into a longer route, and the people we were protecting weren’t equipped for that kind of trek. If we engaged, we risked blowing our cover and triggering a full-on confrontation with Nazi patrols.
“There’s no easy way out of this,” I muttered.
Lydia nodded. “But we can’t afford to waste time. If they figure out we’re stalling, they might send more troops.”

I glanced at the two of them, knowing they’d follow whatever call I made, no matter the risk. “We’ll need to take them out quietly,” I decided. “No gunfire. If we can neutralize the snipers, we can get everyone across before anyone realizes we’re here.”
Markus and Lydia exchanged a look, then nodded. We’d done this kind of thing before—stealth over brute force—but it was never easy. One wrong move, and everything would spiral out of control.
We moved forward, slipping closer to the snipers’ position, our footsteps silent against the soft forest floor. My heart pounded in my chest as we neared the bridge, the tension thick in the air.
When we were close enough, I raised my hand, signaling the final approach. Markus would take one, I’d take the other, and Lydia would cover us both. We moved into position, inching toward the enemy, every sense heightened.
And then, without a sound, we struck.