A Flight in Fire was a virtual representation of one of Kassandra's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan in 2018 through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.[1]
Description[]
Kassandra returned to Dyme to spend some time with her son Elpidios, but shortly after nightfall, the Order of the Ancients attacked the village. She rushed back to the village to repel the invasion and protect Natakas and Elpidios.
Dialogue[]
Kassandra and Darius mounted horses and galloped back to Dyme. Kassandra's thoughts remained fixated on Elpidios.
- Kassandra: Don't worry, I'm coming. Mater's coming.
They drew near the village and could see the flames raging through the streets.
- Kassandra: Natakas, Elpidios... Hold on.
They entered the village, and Kassandra yelled out for her child.
- Kassandra: Elpidios! Elpidios! Where's—has anyone seen my son?
Kassandra was not the only one desperate to find their family.
- Child: Where's my mater?
Kassandra and Darius reached the main square.
- Civilian: They're burning them... They're burning everyone.
Amorges revealing himself to Darius and Kassandra
Kassandra approached the main square and witnessed Order soldiers putting her neighbors to the sword. Darius charged past her, and she followed him into the main square. There, they saw a man clad in the armor of Persian elites. He turned to address them.
- Unknown: Artabanus. Kassandra. Welcome home.
Kassandra recognized him as Orontas, whom she last saw surrendering himself to the Tempest's soldiers in Achaia.
- Kassandra: Orontas? You were with the Order—
Darius interrupted, having immediately recognized Orontas for who he truly was, despite thirty years having passed since they last met.
- Darius: He is the Order. Amorges.
- Kassandra: I trusted you, helped you...
- Amorges: My friend, it's been far too long.
- Darius: We were protectors, Amorges. Champions of the people. This is wrong!
Amorges setting his sights on Kassandra's child, and took his leave
Amorges turned his back to them and set his sights on their house at the top of the hill.
- Amorges: This is necessary. I take no pleasure in this. I needed to draw you in—it's you I want, Kassandra. You and your bloodline.
Kassandra glanced up at the house, then screamed in pure rage and marched forward.
- Kassandra: Don't you dare touch them!
Some Order soldiers brandished their weapons, but she and Darius killed them with a single thrust of theirs.
- Darius: Kassandra... Go!
The Order attacked en masse, but Kassandra's fury drove her forward. Darius backed her up.
- Kassandra: Get the fuck out of my way!
- Darius: You cowards! These people are innocent.
Kassandra killed one soldier.
- Kassandra: Who else? Eh? Who else? Bring me your bones!
She ran through the village, calling out to the soldiers burning and butchering their way through.
- Kassandra: I'm the Eagle Bearer. I'm the Tainted One. Your fight's with me.
Darius, Kassandra, and Natakas making their escape
After carving through the Order soldiers, Kassandra reached her hilltop home and reunited with Natakas and Elpidios. Darius caught up to her and quickly addressed Natakas.
- Darius: Go, get Elpidios out of here.
- Natakas: We'll leave together.
- Darius: No. I'll make sure the Order can't catch up to you.
- Natakas: There's too many!
- Kassandra: You don't have to do this.
- Darius: We've no time to argue. Go. Think about the child.
Darius parting ways with his son
Natakas touched his forehead to his father's.
- Darius: I love you, Natakas.
- Natakas: Father. Come back to me.
Natakas made to leave. Before Kassandra could follow, Darius grabbed hold of her arm.
- Darius: Keep them safe. Promise me.
They clasped their forearms in agreement.
- Kassandra: I promise.
Kassandra took her leave to escort Natakas and Elpidios.
Persian soldiers looking for Kassandra and Natakas
Before they could get down the hill, Order soldiers caught up to them.
- Kassandra: Run!
The soldiers took their positions to surround Kassandra as Natakas escaped with their son.
- Kassandra: You think you can attack my home and live? I'll kill all of you.
She killed all of them. Afterwards, she proceeded down the hill towards the path to the mine shaft, which three Order soldiers had stationed themselves along. She assassinated the first one.
- Kassandra: No one comes at my family.
She then assassinated the second.
- Kassandra: No one leaves. No one lives.
She assassinated the third and final soldier overlooking the ladder down into the shaft.
- Kassandra: Natakas, Elpidios... Hold on.
Kassandra descended into the cave and emerged onto the beach.
- Natakas: Kassandra! Hurry!
She rejoined them.
- Kassandra: Get on the boat. Quickly.
As she prepared the boat, Natakas' thoughts turned to his father.
- Natakas: Father... Come back to us.
Kassandra stood silently and looked back towards the village. She knew what she had to do.
Darius laying in ambush
Elsewhere, Darius laid an ambush from a treetop on an Order patrol. Unfortunately, he had only managed to stealthily assassinate two soldiers before an elite anticipated his strike and repelled him, as the remaining soldiers surrounded him.
- Persian Immortal: Where is the Eagle Bearer? And the child.
Darius drew his weapons and prepared for his last stand.
- Darius: You're too late.
Darius attempted to fight the entire patrol, but the Immortals choreographed their attacks and quickly disarmed him, knocking him to his knees before he could dispatch a single one. As the dual-wielding Immortal prepared to deliver the killing blow, Kassandra charged into battle and killed her way through the patrol.
- Kassandra: If it's me you're after, here I am!
Kassandra facing off against one of the Immortals
She killed the remaining rank-and-file soldiers before one Immortal faced her by himself. He fired poison arrows and struck at her with daggers. After dealing significant wounds, he retreated and the other Immortal took to the field, ordering fire to be rained down on the battlefield.
- Persian Immortal: Fire.
- Persian Soldier: Release a volley!
Kassandra dodged the volley. While the other Immortal wielded a blunt and shield, she managed to critically wound him as well. They called for more arrows.
- Persian Immortal: Arrows.
- Persian Soldier: Release arrows!
They rained fire arrows all over the field as the first Immortal rejoined his brother to fight her simultaneously. She eventually finished off one of them.
- Persian Immortal: You will not live to see dawn.
She finished off the other brother.
Kassandra helping Darius up to his feet
As the Immortals drew their last breaths, Darius came to. Kassandra helped him to his feet.
- Darius: Amorges. Did you see him?
Kassandra realized that his absence meant this battle was all a part of Amorges' plan.
- Kassandra: No...
Darius also realized Amorges' gambit.
- Darius: The beach...
The two hurried back to the cave leading to the beach. Kassandra leapt to the bottom of the shaft.
- Kassandra: Natakas! Elpidios!
Before she was halfway through the cave, she could see smoke and flames on the beach.
- Kassandra: No, no, no. Please no...
Kassandra at the planned escape location, finding it in flames
She stepped out of the cave the beach.
- Kassandra: Elpidios? Please come out...
She stepped onto the beach frantically scanning for her son.
- Kassandra: Elpidios. Elpidios. Elpidios! Please... Elpidios!
Out of the corner of her eye she gasped as she saw Natakas laying dead in the sand.
- Kassandra: No—
She knelt down and placed her hands on his shoulders.
- Kassandra: My love, oh my love...
Natakas remained motionless.
- Kassandra: Natakas? Natakas? I'm here. Please... please don't... Please don't leave me behind.
Darius arrived behind her.
- Kassandra: Open your eyes.
He realized who she was crouched over, and he fell to his knees in utter despair.
- Kassandra: Please... Open them... Please.
The mourning of Natakas' death
The following morning, smoke continued to rise over the ruins of Dyme. Kassandra knelt before the memorial prepared for Natakas on the grounds of their home, which was still intact. Kassandra winced and stood while Darius stared coldly into the sunrise.
- Darius: You promised to protect them... You promised to keep them safe...
Kassandra's voice began to crack.
- Kassandra: I should've stayed behind, I should've been with them. I—it's my fault. I did this...
Kassandra turned her grief into anger at Darius.
- Kassandra: You did this.
Darius turned from the railing and started towards her.
- Darius: He was safe! I'd drawn the Order to me! All you had to do was—
- Kassandra: You were never going to defeat them on your own. You could've come with us. We could all be out there right now—
- Darius: You were meant to leave me behind!
- Kassandra: We don't leave people behind! You'd never leave anyone—
Darius leaving Kassandra behind
- Darius: This life... We're supposed to pay for our pasts, for our mistakes... Not our children.
- Kassandra: There's no sign of Elpidios. But he's still alive, Darius. I know it. If the Order have him, we can find him—
Because Kassandra broke her promise to keep their family safe, Darius refused to join forces with her. He simply shook his head and started off after Amorges, leaving her behind.
Kassandra's eyes began to well up. She yelled after him.
- Kassandra: You've lost people you love before. How—how did you survive?
Darius paused, then gave a morose answer.
- Darius: Who said I survived?
Darius left. Kassandra knelt before the memorial to convey her thoughts to Natakas.
- Kassandra: Thank you for all of it. Every wonderful, painful, beautiful moment. For every moment spent with you. I love you, Natakas.
Darius left without another word. Kassandra knelt before Natakas' memorial to swear revenge on the Order.
- Kassandra: The Order think they know pain. But I will teach them. They think they know hurt. But I will show them. They think they know fear... But I swear to you, Natakas, I will bring them terror.
Barnabas comforting Kassandra on the events
As she surveyed the ruins of her home village, Kassandra shook her head at the devastation. Barnabas approached her and offered his condolences.
- Barnabas: Kassandra... By the gods. I'm sorry.
He turned to survey the damage.
- Barnabas: The Order did all this...
Some of the weapons used to attack the village
He pointed to a ballista the Order had used to rain fire on the village.
- Barnabas: This weaponry they brought would make even Ares turn his head. There's only one place in the Greek world that makes anything like it. Messenia.
- Kassandra: They came for us. For me.
Kassandra fought back her grief and steeled herself.
- Kassandra: If the Order is in Messenia... that's where I'll go.
She turned to look over the Istion Valley once more as Ikaros soared overhead. The final chapter of her legacy began in earnest.
Outcome[]
Amorges, who had presented himself to Kassandra as Orontas, personally led the Order of the Ancients to raze Dyme. Her attempts to repel the Order ended in failure: the village was burned with many of its residents killed; Darius almost died at the hands of The Immortals, Amorges' chief enforcers; Natakas was murdered; and Elpidios was kidnapped. Darius severed ties with Kassandra and took off after Amorges alone. Barnabas revealed that the siege weapons used were produced in Messenia, giving Kassandra a lead to pursue Amorges.
Behind the scenes[]
If the mace-wielding Immortal is slain before their dagger-wielding comrade when they fight the player, the line of dialogue "You will not live to see dawn" may not trigger. This implies that the line is uttered by the shield-wielding Immortal upon the dagger Immortal's death, and the trigger is not interchangeable.
Under certain circumstances, the grave marker for Darius' child will not spawn, leaving the player character to hover their hand awkwardly over the grave when they swear to reclaim Elpidios.
Gallery[]
