Assassin's Creed: Apprentice
Disclaimer: The plot characters in this story, except for mine, are the property of Ubisoft. Everything in italics is Italian.
One minute, I'm an 18 year old American, the next minute I'm in a different time entirely, without a single clue as to how I got here.
Pardon my philosophical meanderings. I am Arthur Katarn, son of Jason and Kira Katarn. I was raised in a country house in West Virginia, born on July 7th, 1987. I was your average kid, and from the beginning, I was fascinated by the medieval world.
My parents were Assassin's, and were as loving and loyal as they could be, but they put me through a tough time in preparing me to become the same. I don't remember my childhood very much, since things have changed so much. I do remember that I was the only kid of the family, and that I was good at history and language. I was home-schooled my whole life, so I didn't socialize much.
I was happy and comfortable, training to be an assassin, until everything changed that one night.
Robbers burst into the house, and I rushed down the stairs to help, but I was too late. I watched in horror as my parents were killed.
I saw a masked man staring at me from downstairs.
I wanted to do something, but I couldn't. I was in shock. He paused, than raised his gun and fired.
I woke up in a daze. I was lying in an alley of cobblestones. On either side of me, two stone houses with wooden windows on either side of me. They were only two stories high.
I stood up, and looked down at myself. I was wearing my blue-jeans, a black belt, a black shirt, and black combat boots. It was the same clothes I had been wearing when I got shot. So I guess I was dead, but if I was, then what was this place?
I walked out of the alley, and stopped dead in my tracks.
In front of me was a city street, but the people were wearing the kind of clothes that people would have worn in the late middle ages. I listened to some people walking past me, and heard an early form of Italian being spoken.
I was not in West Virginia, but where the hell was I?
"Excuse me!" I called to a passing guard, who looked at me. "What are you staring at, foreigner?" He asked in Italian, and I thanked whatever deity existed that I was good at languages.
"I seem to have had a knock on the head, and I've forgotten where I am. Could you tell me?" The man frowned up at me. He was a short man, with a black beard and small stature. I was about six feet tall, with dark blue eyes and short red hair. My body was strong from years of training, and my skin was white with a light tan.
"This is Florence, foreign boy. Go find a doctor to take care of your head." The man said, then left. I stood in the street, looking around with trepidation.
Obviously, I was dead, but dead people didn't usually end up in Florence, let alone a different country.
"Hey, moron!" I was interrupted from my thought pattern by a voice, someone call from behind me.
I turned to see a young man walking towards me, followed by a handful of followers. They wore green and white tunics, and didn't look friendly. I watched the boy approach until he stopped a few feet away from me.
He had long shoulder-length black hair, dark skin, a prominent noise, and an even more prominent sneer.
"What are you standing there for?" He asked, his voice rather highly pitched and slightly hoarse. I could practically feel his arrogance from where I stood.
"Just looking at the sights." I said, and stepped aside. "I'm sorry for being in your way." I finished, but the kid didn't walk away. "Who are you, and what are you doing in Florence?" The boy demanded, stepping in front of me.
"Who wants to know?" I replied, starting to get impatient. "I am Vieri de'Pazzi, son of Francesco." I tilted my head, and regarded the little punk.
The Pazzi existed around the late fourteen hundreds, and that knowledge gave me the chills. The Pazzi were not known for being particularly nice to anybody, and weren't they wiped out centuries ago? This made no sense, but I was going to get to the bottom of this.
"Arthur Katarn, from England." I said. If this guy was telling the truth, then America was not discovered yet. "I'm just here on vacation, seeing the sights. Now, if you will excuse me, I must be off." I finished, and started to walk past Vieri, but he held out a hand to stop me.
"Not so fast, my friend. Where are your manners? You are supposed to bow to your betters when you are finished talking."
I snorted, and pushed aside his hand. "Whatever, Kid. I bow to whom I choose, and right now, I see no reason to bow to you."
A second later, I was on my back, clutching my chest, which had just been punched by one of the goons following Vieri.
"Here's a reason, Bastard!" Vieri snarled, and kicked me in the ribs. I curled into a ball, pain overwhelming my senses as the kicks increased.
I waited for a foot to come at me, and I grabbed it, and threw the man to the ground with a twist. I heard his leg break, and I stood up, knocking out two more men with a right hook and a boot to the face.
"You're screwed, Punk!" I said to Vieri, who didn't look so cocky anymore.
After I had taken down about half his men, Vieri turned tail and ran, but not before I landed him a punch on his right eye.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, HUH? COME GET SOME!" I bellowed, although I was too tired to give chase. I looked around at the defeated enemies with satisfaction. Most were groaning in pain, but some were knocked out cold.
"Anyone else want some?" I looked around, and saw that a crowd had gathered around me. Then the pain suddenly manifested itself in my ribs, and it was so bad that I blacked out.
"I've never seen anything like it! He went through half a dozen men, and even landed a punch on Vieri!" I woke up to hear a male voice talking excitedly, then felt a cold wet cloth placed on my forehead.
I looked to the side, and saw a gorgeous young woman holding the cloth. Her skin was light brown, and she was wearing an expensive looking dress. Her face was small and smooth, her hair the color of ebony. Her eyes were chocolate-brown, and twinkled with an almost fiery glow.
"Bon guorno." She said, and I nodded, and echoed her. She eyed me, and I eyed her. Her clothes hugged her figure quite nicely. What a body!
"I'm Arthur Katarn." I said, kissing her hand. Her skin was warm and smooth. "I am Claudia Auditore de Firenze. You are safe in our house. You are lucky to be alive." Her voice was smooth and musical, and I remembered why I was here.
"Where am I?" I asked, and we both jumped as the door to the room opened.
A middle-aged woman who looked like an older version of Claudia entered. "Bene, you are awake." She said. "You took a beating yesterday, and gave it back to them, if what I heard is correct." I sat up, and the pain was back, and I relaxed back against the pillows. "Grazie, Madonna." The woman smiled. "My pleasure, young man. I am Maria, and Claudia is my daughter. Do you have a family?"
She asked, and I swallowed and looked away. "I did. My mother and father are dead. They were killed in front of me." Claudia covered her mouth with her hand, and Maria looked ill.
"Mi dispace." Maria said gently.
I nodded, but I couldn't speak. Everything seemed to be flooding back. My parents were dead, and I couldn't stop the emotional pain building in my mind and heart. I was trained to fight, but it did not prepare for the death of my loved ones.
The door opened, and a tall man with long brown hair entered the room. He seemed to be middle-aged, with dark eyes and a lined face. He had an air of danger about him that I had seen in my parents, and I instinctively switched to Eagle-Vision.
Claudia was blue, but her parents were not. They were the same gold color as my parents.
"I am Giovanni Auditore." The man said, looking down at me.
"I am Arthur Katarn, from West Virginia. Thank you for letting me stay here." I replied.
The man frowned. "Where is this West Virginia?" He asked, and I swore to myself before spilling.
"In the United States of America. Surely you have heard of it?"
Giovanni, still puzzled, shook his head. "I have not heard of this country." He said, and I felt suddenly nervous. "Wait a minute. What year is it?"
Claudia was the one who answered. "1476."
I felt my blood go cold, and I opened my mouth, but closed it again, not knowing what to say.
"Claudia, would you excuse us?" Giovanni asked, and Claudia left.
After she did, Giovanni stared down at me. "You are an assassin."
I shook my head. "Not yet, I was training under my parents until they were killed." Giovanni's eyes pierced mine, and turned gold for a moment, then resumed their original color.
I sat up, eyes wide. "You are an Assassin!" I said, and he nodded.
"Tell me about yourself." Giovanni ordered, and I swallowed and replied slowly.
"If I told you the truth, you would never believe me. My parents always told me to trust every assassin I met, but I'm reasonably sure that you won't do the same for me if I tell you the truth." Giovanni paused, then looked at Maria, who shrugged.
He looked back at me, and said. "Tell me." I did, and there was a long intense silence when I finished.
"How can you expect me to believe this?" Giovanni asked, and I shrugged. "I don't know why I'm here, and I can't believe it myself."
There was a pause, and I stood up from the bed. "Grazie for your help, but I've intruded on your family long enough." I bowed to them both, and turned to leave.
"No!" Giovanni called. "You would never survive Florence in the state you are in. The Pazzi are a dangerous family."
I nodded. "Yeah, trying to kill Lorenzo Medici isn't exactly very charitable."
Suddenly, Giovanni stood in front of me, blocking the door. "What did you say?" He snapped.
I thought for a moment, and realized my mistake. "I guess it hasn't happened yet."
Giovanni stared at me. "How do you know of this? Where is your proof?"
I raised my hands. "This is history to me, remember? I don't know the specifics, but I know it happened."
There was a moment's silence, then Giovanni spoke. "I must talk to my advisors. In the meantime, you will stay until I decide otherwise." I nodded, feeling more confused than ever. Giovanni spoke to Maria in Italian, then left.
"Mi dispace if I caused any trouble." I said apologetically. Maria guided me back into bed. "Do not worry yourself. Sleep now." I lay back in the bed, and leaned back against the pillows. In a moment, I was asleep.
Over the next few days, I settled into my new surroundings.
It didn't take long for my ribs to heal, but the loss of my parents was still very near. Luckily, I was often too busy to think about them.
I met the rest of the family. Pertuccio, the youngest, was sickly and innocent, not to mention very shy. He was fascinated by my red hair, fair skin, and blue eyes, often studying each with his light grey eyes, making me chuckle each time.
Ezio was the second to youngest, a brash womanizer and extremely protective to Claudia, who had just broken up with a creep named Duccio.
Ezio was suspicious of me at first, but after a while, the two of us became guarded friends.
Frederico, the oldest, was two years older than me. He was the family joker, but was often working at the bank, so I didn't see him much. He was a jovial man who always made me laugh, and was a capable man in times of trouble. Using my Eagle-vision, I saw that he was an assassin like his father.
Giovanni was suspicious of me, but apparently my tip paid off, because a few of the Pazzi were imprisoned two days after my arrival.
Giovanni was a kind man who loved his family, and I was surprised when he welcomed me into his house.
He reminded me of my father because of his serious approach to life, and the quiet dignity that seemed to permeate from him. Maria was warm and loving, just like my mother. She made me feel welcome in the house, and would never hesitate to help me or any of her children. She had a dignity and grace about her, and had a wry sense of humor.
Out of all the others, Claudia was the one I felt most comfortable with. I told her and the family who I was, and she was the only person besides her parents that believed me. She had an air of dignity and competency, and had a fierce temper when aroused.
She was constantly amused by my southern drawl, and insisted that I would speak to her in my native tounge, since she wanted to learn it through me. I learned Italian from her in return. She was spoiled, but so was I before starting my training, so it didn't bother me. I found that she was rather bloodthirsty, which amused me. She was kind and welcoming to me, and in only a few days, we became close friends.
I tried to think of her as a sister, but failed. I kept having feelings of excitement and tension while in her presence, and my heart would beat quicker every time she spoke to me. I tried to hide my feelings from her and the family, and I thought that I had succeeded in both.
I hadn't.
About two weeks later, Ezio cornered me, and grabbed me by the throat. "If you do anything to Claudia that she doesn't want, I will skin you alive!" He snarled, and I nodded. "All right, Ezio! It's a deal!" Ezio walked away, seeming to be satisfied.
An hour later, I was talking to Claudia, and Maria walked past us, whispering to Claudia, "Your two are so sweet." Both of us reddened, Claudia glancing at me, and I thought that the redness on her cheeks made her glow, and I kissed her on the cheek impulsively. She gasped, blushed, then did so in return.
Before we could go any farther, we looked up when the door burst open and Florintine guards rushed in.
Suddenly, somebody shoved us both into a closet. It was Giovanni. "Stay here, and take care of her." He said, and closed the door. A few minutes later, I heard Maria scream for help.
I opened the door, and rushed into the front hall. Two guards were holding Maria down, and a third was about to violate her. Rage so powerful that I lost all rationality burst within me. My body moved of its own volition.
I grabbed a sword from one the bastards, and slew the two holding Maria down with a stab to the chest to one, and opening the other from shoulder to groin.
I stood above the final cowering guard, who begged for mercy.
My hatred and anger exploded, and I cut him down.
I stood over him, breathing heavily, and watched as Claudia pulled Maria to her feet.
"Mio Dio!" A female voice cried, and I turned to see Anetta in the doorway.
She told us that every male member of the family except Ezio had been arrested. "I'll get them out then." I snarled, and headed for the door, rage still pumping through my body.
"No!" Ezio entered the house, and both Claudia and Ezio stepped in front of me.
My rage dissolved, and I kissed Claudia's forehead while Anneta filled Ezio in on the situation.
He told her to get the girls to a safe place, then turned to me. "I need you to stay with them. It seems that you are capable of protecting them." I nodded, and Anneta led us out of the house, and through a few deserted alleys for a couple of blocks, and led us to a two-story building. "Follow me. My Sister is the patron of the house." She said, and entered the house.
As soon as I entered the building, I stopped, and Claudia and Maria bumped into me.
I stared around at all the barely-dressed women in the house, perfume wafting through the rooms. It was a whorehouse!
Anneta was nowhere in sight. "We are in the wrong house. Let's get outta here!" I said, and moved to leave, but a gentle and firm hand pulled me back. "No, foreigner. You are in the right place."
The owner of the hand was a pretty woman slightly younger than Maria, dressed in a peach-colored dress.
"I am Paola, and you are welcome in my home. For your own safety, it is best that you stay here." She said, indicating the three of us. I turned on my Eagle-vision, and saw that she glowed the same color as my parents and Giovanni.
I followed Paola, Claudia, and Maria upstairs, trying to ignore the stares of several courtesans that were almost carnivorous. Now, in my defense, my parents had gone to a great deal of trouble to mold me into a moral-minded young man when it came to the opposite sex, so I never encountered prostitutes until now.
I was quite out of my comfort zone, and it seemed to amuse the girls. "Don't look like a scared little colt, handsome! We won't hurt you, much!" One of the girls called, eyeing me. She was quite pretty, with long black hair and small delicate features, and wasn't wearing much.
I went red, and she laughed. "So innocent! We have a virgin in our house, sisters, and a good-looking one too!" I had never blushed so hard in my life.
Claudia looked back at me, looking surprised. I shrugged to her weakly, and she winked at me as we were led into a small room. I was the last to enter the room, and I caught Paola's eye and the sly smile on her face.
My own face reddened again, and she chuckled as I entered the room. She told us to stay here, and closed the door behind us.
I paced back and forth.
A week had passed. They gave us plenty of food and water, but we couldn't leave.
How the hell did this happen? I had killed three men without thinking about it, and I was in a place where I wouldn't be caught dead in. I glanced at Claudia. She was trying to get Maria to speak, so I joined her. "Madonna Maria." I said, squatting in front of her.
She was in shock, and her eyes were unseeing. "You comforted me and healed me. You are a second mother to me, and a mother to your family. Don't give up." I whispered, but her face did not change.
I stood back up, and hugged Claudia, who began to cry. She buried her face into my shoulder, and I held her close.
After a few minutes, I heard a knock on the door. I drew my sword, and opened it.
A hooded figure in white robes stood at the door, next to him was Paola.
"Who are you?" I asked, and he pulled off his hood.
"Ezio!" Claudia gasped, and embraced him. Ezio looked like hell, but unhurt. Claudia asked about her father and brothers. Ezio bowed his head, and I bit my lip.
At first, Claudia refused to believe it, but after he explained their deaths to her, she burst into tears. "I did everything I could, little one. But I need you to be strong and help Mother for me." Ezio said, and Claudia eventually regained control.
Ezio turned to me. "We need to get out of the city and I still need your help as we travel to Monterrigioni, where my uncle lives." I nodded. "Of course, Ezio."
After thanking Paola, we left Florence with surprising ease, and started our journey to Monterrigioni, where Ezio's uncle lived.
While he filled me in on the things he had done, Claudia kept complaining, At first it annoyed me, but then I remembered that she was unused to traveling. so I just held her hand. This mollified her, and Ezio gave me a look of relief.
It was evening when the walls of Monterrigioni came into sight, but we had uninvited guests. "Bon guerno, Ezio! How could you leave Firenze without saying a proper goodbye?" Vieri called, stepping out of the woods.
In a moment, we were surrounded by enemies, and Ezio asked Vieri what he wanted.
Vieri replied he wanted several things, which included a prettier wife. I cut him off right there. "If you so much as touch my family, I will rip you to shreds! You deserve nothing but death, you little shit, and I'm going to be the one that gives it to you."
Vieri sneered at me. "Then I'll kill you first, then take her."
I laughed. "You won't leave this place alive, you little coward!" Vieri shook with rage, then turned to Ezio, and claimed that he wanted our lives, and the fight began.
I cut down two of the soldiers, leaving at least a dozen coming at us.
Ezio and I made sure that Claudia and Maria were protected, but they held their own when they needed to.
Vieri shouted taunts at us as we fought, and when he started mentioning Claudia and Maria, I snapped. I killed another man, then ran at the little bastard.
Vieri grew bored, and sent more troops in, and told them to kill the women as well. I fought to get to him, but stopped as arrows took down several of the remaining enemies.
"What sorcery is this?" Vieri snarled, and I heard a man laugh and reply, "Not sorcery, boy. Skill!"
Vieri looked around for the voice, and suddenly, his sword was knocked from his hand by a man who seemed to appear out of nowhere, tossing a sword to Ezio, and leading a large group of men into the fight. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, and had long dark hair. One of his eyes was scarred, and he was dressed in expensive clothes.
With the enemies out of my way, I charged for Vieri, joined by the man, and Vieri turned tail and ran. "You're lucky you are still breathing! Do you hear me, boy? YOU'RE LUCKY YOU ARE STILL BREATHING!" I screamed at him, and turned and joined Ezio in eliminating the remaining foes.
By the time it was over, Ezio thanked the man, and offered the sword back.
The man told him to keep the sword. "Do I know you from somewhere?" Ezio asked. "Don't you recognize me? It's a-me, Mario!" I barely help back a snort as the man swept Ezio into a hug. The reference to the video game character was unmistakable, but I knew the others wouldn't know.
"It has been too long, Nephew, far too long!" The man sobered and said, "I heard about what happened in Firenze. Terrible. Let's get you away from here." He led Ezio and the girls away, and I followed right behind them.
While Ezio and Mario talked, I turned on my Eagle-vision, and saw that Mario was an assassin, and so was Ezio. The former was brighter yellow than the latter, so I gathered that Ezio was new to the assassins.
Interesting.
I blinked my eyes, returning to normal vision. We walked up a flight of steps with a fountain in the middle and saw a huge villa at the top.
After a short talk, Ezio left to get some armor, and Mario looked at me.
"As for you, young man, welcome to Monterrigioni." I bowed to him. "Thank you for coming to our aid, Sire." I said.
"Ezio told me about your actions, and I thank you for protecting my sister and niece. walk with me. I need to talk to you." I nodded, and followed him.
"Arthur!" I turned to Claudia, and she kissed me on the cheek before pushing me after Mario. I grinned before doing so.
"I don't know what to make of you." Mario remarked. "Ezio spoke highly of you, but he also told me strange things concerning your origins."
I nodded. "I am from a different time, and I have no one else but your family to care for. If you wish me to leave, then I will go, but I do not want to go."
Mario nodded, and looked at him for a moment. "Your care for my family is commendable, and you have treated Claudia with more respect than most men in our society would do. You have affection for her."
He chuckled as I looked at him in surprise. "I may have one eye, but even a blind man could see how you feel for each other." I shrugged, and he chuckled. He asked about my parents, and I told him everything.
After I finished, he said, "I see. Well, judging from your performance on the battlefield, you need more training and a Hidden Dagger."
I nodded. "My parents were going to take care of that, but now..." I stopped, the subject still too painful to speak of.
"Get some sleep, and then go to the blacksmith to get some armor. Tomorrow, we will begin." I nodded, and thanked him for letting me stay. "You are quite welcome, my friend. Go see to Claudia." I bowed, and left his office.
I walked by Ezio, who was about to talk to Mario himself. "Ezio." I nodded, and he patted me on the shoulder as passed by.
I joined Claudia in Maria's room, where my second mother was kneeling at her bed, praying in front of a small group of feathers that were on the bed. "She hasn't moved since she entered the villa. Those were Pertuccio's feathers. He loved to collect them."
I leaned down, and kissed Maria's cheek gently. Claudia walked into her own room adjacent to her mother's, and once there, she lay down on her bed, and started sobbing.
I sank to my knees, and let her cry into my shoulder. In just weeks, both of us had lost so much. In that process, we had found each other, and I believed that things would get better.
"I will always be where you need me." She looked up at me, then dissolved into tears again. "But what if you die too? I can't bear thinking about it." I smiled. "I'll always be where you need me." I said, and kissed her softly. She melted into my arms, and returned the kiss with a blind eagerness that made me smile. After a long kiss, I looked into her eyes. "I love you, Claudia."
She smiled. "And I you." We kissed again, more passionately this time, then relaxed on the bed together. I fell asleep holding the woman that I would love for the rest of my life in my arms.
I woke up on her bed, and noticed that she was still asleep. Her loose dark hair shadowed her angelic face, and I stroked her cheek gently. For the first time, I realized she smelled like roses. I was surprised I didn't notice it before.
"Goddess." I whispered, then jumped as I heard somebody clear their throat. I turned to see Ezio standing in the doorway, his face unreadable.
"I didn't do anything to her last night." Ezio nodded as Claudia awoke to our voices.
"Ezio." She greeted, kissing me. "I'd hate to break this up, but you have work to do." Ezio said to me, and I jumped to my feet. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart." I called over my shoulder.
Mario was a kind man, but a ruthless teacher. He gave me a uniform that was very similar to Ezio's, and a Hidden Blade for my right hand. He put me and Ezio through rigorous training on assassination techniques, sword-fighting, climbing, running, and jumping. Ezio seemed to want to see what I was made of, because he gave me a few good wounds during sword practice before I got better, which enraged Claudia.
I suppose that it was the only way I could prove myself to him, but despite his protectiveness of Claudia, I found that he was adept and well-meaning. We grew to be comrades, but our friendship was still strained by his disbelief in who I was and his constant traveling, rarely speaking to his family.
I had no hard feelings about him. In fact, I looked up to him, something which I wasn't used to doing, but his aloofness irked me.
A few days later, I learned that they were going to Tuscany to snuff out Vieri. Ezio was arguing with Mario about leaving with his family to go to Spain, which didn't please Mario. I respected Ezio's devotion to his family, but I was of the opinion that Claudia and Maria were safer here than anywhere else.
Besides, Ezio couldn't deny who he was. I was born and raised an Assassin, but Ezio hadn't known that Giovanni was an assassin, which made things uncomfortable between us.
Before Mario left for Tuscany, he pleaded with me to persuade Ezio to stay in Monterrigioni.
I agreed, but Claudia didn't want to stay, and we argued over it for a long time until I swore that I would stay with her, which cleared things up.
I hated to argue with her, but a man had to do what a man had to do.
Ezio and I discussed our options, and I pointed out that it would be better for the family to stay in Mario's villa because he was the only man we could really trust. Finally, Ezio agreed, and left to help Mario in Tuscany. I stayed behind because somebody needed to be there to protect the family, but I was reluctant to do so. I wanted a piece of Vieri, but I knew that Ezio had more reasons to hate Vieri than I did.
I sat in the study with Claudia, who had been put in charge of finances for the town, something that didn't please her.
"This town is such a mess!" Claudia complained to me. "He's a condetierri, not a businessman." I said, laying a hand on her left hand while her right moved the feather quill.
"I wish I could do something more for Maria. Do you have any ideas?" I asked.
She paused. "Pertuccio's feathers, the ones she prays in front of. She's missing a few, so maybe if you go back to get them from our old house, it could bring her back. There are three feathers missing." I nodded. "All right. I'll go when Mario gets back, so I can tell him what I'm going to do." She nodded.
"In the meantime," I said, leaning in and placing a kiss on her neck, making her gasp. "let's just relax and enjoy ourselves." She turned, and kissed me hard. I pulled her against my chest, kissing her with everything I had in me, pressing her against the wall. I gasped as her hands slipped under my shirt to caress my chest. Our tongues clashed and fought for dominance. I wanted so much more!
However, I wanted permission from Ezio and Mario to take her to bed, so we agreed to wait. It took us a long time to cool down.
When Mario returned from Tuscany, I told him my plans.
I was expecting him to refuse, but to my surprise, he nodded. "I suppose this would be a good thing to do while you are in Firenze. You are a man driven by your conscience, John. I have seen this in training you. Just don't let it interfere with your duties." I nodded, bowed, and made sure to give Claudia a kiss before leaving.
A few minutes later, I was galloping toward Florence.
So what if I had a conscience? I didn't enjoy killing. My kills were always centered around protecting others, not random assaults. My parents had been that way as well. Humans were animals if they didn't have consciences, and I wasn't about to change that.
I hoped that most of the Assassins would agree.
I dismounted at the front gates, and left my horse in the stables. I made my way through the city, making sure to stay out of the sight of the sentries that watched from the rooftops. I reached their old house, and noticed that the door to it was off its hinges.
I made my way through the house, and noticed that the place had been ransacked.
I went into Pertuccio's room, and looked in the drawers and closet, found nothing, then I looked under the bed. They were lying on the floor, and I retrieved them.
I looked at them, reflecting on their former owner. It wasn't right or fair. Why did he have to die? He did nothing wrong! I swore revenge, bloody revenge! My hands shaking with rage, I pocketed the feathers, and checked around the house, looking for anything that could be brought back also.
There were so many memories here, and they all seemed to flash before me. Pertucchio's shy smile, Frederico's laughter, Giovanni's calm confidence...I found the book Claudia had been reading, and I pocketed that too. I walked to the exit, then froze as I heard footsteps approaching.
They were coming straight for me!
I threw myself against a stone wall, and watched as two Pazzi men walked into the old house.
By their conversation, I could see that they intended to look for valuables to sell.
I picked out a throwing knife, and threw it at one of them. The blade sank into the back of the man's neck, killing him instantly.
Before the other man could turn around, my Hidden Dagger made sure that he did not.
"Hey, you!" I looked up, and saw an archer looking down at me from the roof.
Damn it!
"Assassino!" The archer shouted, and I sprinted for the exit, and out onto the street, running into a bunch of Pazzi guards.
Wrong way!
I stood up, and ran through the crowds, cutting down two guards who were blocking the way, but saw that the gates were guarded.
As I approached, they broke formation, and charged toward me. I broke through their lines with astounding ease, and got back on my horse.
As I rode out onto the road to Monterrigioni, I put the feathers into a saddlebag.
When I finally reached home, I went to Maria's room, and laid the feathers on her bed, and walked out of the room, but not before kissing her on the cheek.
I lay down on my bed, then I realized that I wasn't alone. Ezio stood in the door. Our eyes met, and he smiled, nodded, and left.
Claudia came in next, and sat beside me.
I watched her until she asked me what I was thinking. "I was just thinking of how soft your skin was, and how it would feel under mine." I said, smiling at her healthy blush. "What you wish may happen sooner than you think." She purred, and I shivered at the expression of lust on her face. I smiled, then lay back, and fell asleep.
I was standing in my living room in Virginia, and I looked down at my dead body. I had a bullet hole in my forehead. I looked up, and saw the masked men leave the house. I hurried to my father's body, and knelt by him. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't have time to help you. I miss you so much, and I promise not to disappoint you." I then went to my mother's side, and touched her face. "I miss you, but I am in a better place, as are you. I'll always love you."
I woke up in my bed, and saw that Claudia had been replaced by Maria. I realized I had tears running down my face, and I knew that she had heard me.
"My poor child." She said, her hands lifted me up, and hugged me close. Something broke inside me, and I wept for what seemed like hours. The emotion that I had been holding back for months burst out of control.
When I was done, I pulled back. "Grazie, madre." I said, and she smiled and stroked my cheek.
"Judging on the way Claudia feels and talks about you, I will be your mother very soon, child. I can never thank you enough for what you have done for us."
I kissed her cheek. "I owe your family everything, and I will never hesitate to serve you. Besides, life is about charity, not selfishness."
She stroked my cheek. "I wish there were more men so loyal." I pretended to look annoyed. "I don't want to have to fight for Claudia's affection." She laughed. "Yes, indeed."
A week later, I was back to normal. We celebrated Claudia's 17th birthday, and I gave her a searing kiss when we were alone. "Happy birthday, Bella." I whispered.
While I was healing, I had asked Ezio for permission to marry her, and he stared at me for a moment before speaking. "If you were any other man, I would kill you. However, I'm aware that she wants you. I suppose I'm going to have to get used to another brother." We clasped each other's shoulders, then hugged.
Claudia blinked as I knelt in front of her, and took her hand. "I've loved you when I first saw you, and I haven't stopped thinking about you since. There is no woman I would rather spend eternity with. Claudia Auditore, will you marry me?"
For a long moment, she stood staring at me, her mouth open. Then she nodded, tears in her eyes, and our lips met in a soft kiss.
I woke up, and realized it was morning. A knock at the door distracted me.
"Duty calls!" The voice called, and I realized it was one of the soldiers in Mario's force.
Less than five minutes later, I was fully dressed and left the room.
"You called?" I asked, and he nodded. "Follow me."
We went to Mario's office, where he was talking with a tall man with expensive-looking clothes and very short brown hair. He had a small head, and dark eyes that seemed to sparkle with intelligence.
"Ah, Arthur! Thank you for coming." Mario said, and gestured to the man beside him. "Arthur Katarn, this is Niccolo Machiavelli. Niccolo, this is the young man I spoke to you about earlier."
I stepped forward, and shook his hand. I had read The Prince and the Discourses, and found that Machiavelli was accurate about the statements he made about politics.
"Nice to meet you, Messere Machiavelli."
Machiavelli nodded. When he spoke, his voice was deep and terse. "I've heard alot about you, my young friend." I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you have." I replied, glancing at my future uncle-in-law, who winked.
"Frankly, I don't believe half of what he said. But if it is true, I could find a use for you." With that, I recieved my marching orders. I was supposed to help Machiavelli eliminate Templars that were currently trying to worm their way into the government starting with someone named Bishop Salviati, the only conspirator left alive by Ezio.
I smirked. "Religion and politics make poor bedfellows." Machiavelli raised an eyebrow in interest. "Indeed."
I had to journey into the countryside of Tuscany to get to him. "Why didn't Ezio kill him yet?" I asked. "He wanted to give his future little brother a challenge." Mario said, and I chuckled.
I visited Claudia before I left, and we exchanged a heated kiss.
It didn't take long to find the Bishop. His abbey had tall stone walls protecting it, but I climbed them without any problem, and took down the closest guard with my knife.
I leaped into the courtyard, and was surrounded by armed guards.
The target stood in front of me, wearing a cotton shirt, holding a huge axe. "You didn't think this would be easy, did you Assassin?" Salviati sneered.
I moved before he finished, my Hidden Blade stabbing him in the throat.
"No, actually, I didn't." I said mildly as he choked and crumpled, and I ran for the walls. I leaped up onto the parapet, and leaped from the walls. I whistled, and the horse trotted up to me obediently. "Good boy." I said, and we both flew out of that place.
"It was easy, too easy." I stood with my soon to be brother in law in Mario's office, explaining what had occurred. "Oh?" Mario asked.
"Well, he should have at least tried to kill me or at least take a swing at me. Besides, my father always said that if a job ends easily, then there is a reason it did."
Mario shrugged. "Perhaps. But that is not why I called you here." He filled me in on what Ezio had been doing. He had managed to save Lorenzo Medici single-handedly, and take out all but the last of the conspirators.
"Jacobo de Pazzi is the grandfather of Vieri, and he is expected to meet with other Templar members in Tuscany in 2 days. You and Ezio will seek him out, and kill him." Mario finished, and after saying goodbye to the family, we headed out.
We arrived at the place where the meeting would be held, and we split up. I would be on the south side, near the center, and he on the opposite side. Guards were everywhere, but they didn't cause us any trouble.
I waited for a few minutes, then heard an old man's voice pleading with another:"-it was Francesco's fault! He was too impatient! I- I tried to be the voice of reason-" I didn't recognize the voice. It belonged to an old man, someone I only identified as Jacobo when I was hidden in the shadow of a column.
He was begging with a hooded man, and I was close enough to see his broad face, aquiline nose, and cold eyes. The Spaniard, Rodrigo Borgia, and he did not look happy.
"More like the voice of cowardice!" I glanced at the sneering old man wore blue robes and a matching beret, who was standing beside Borgia. All very expensive looking, I might add. Whoever this was, he must have been important and rich. Then again, now it was starting to seem that anyone with any sort of power is inevitably either a Templar, or a friend of one.
"We put our faith in your operation, and yet you and Francesco failed, and Firenze is still in the hands of the Medici!" Borgia hissed as Jacopo paled further, shaking. "How do you expect me to respond?"
"I don't know..." Somehow, this reminded me of a child trying to explain himself in front of his father. Yet these were much, much bigger mistakes.
If things continued like this, then we wouldn't need to kill anyone tonight. "That's okay," the Spaniard replied, a lot more calmly now. As he reached into the folds of his robes, I realized that I was correct. "I do."
And with that, he stabbed the old man in the stomach. Jacopo blinked a few times, as if in surprise, and clutched his robes. Blood began seeping through his hands, soon exploding into garish color along the fine silks.
"No- I can... I can still fix this!" Jacopo gasped out, and I felt an unexpected tug of sympathy. He was an old, shivering man, however evil. The new guy in blue clothes pushed him to the ground, laughing cruelly. "J-just spare me...maestro!"
A little too late for that.
I watched as he fell onto his knees, and Borgia smirked coldly with the corner of his mouth. "Spare you? I don't think so." Stabbing Jacopo clean through the shoulder one last time, he left the man to bleed out on the ground as he cleaned off the dagger.
I bit my lip as Jacopo gasped and twitched on the ground. "Sorry to take your target... Assassin." My eyes widened as my gaze snapped to the man. He had his back to me, turned towards...No!
Ezio, who remained concealed until this moment, was suddenly exposed. Grasped from both sides by two guards and dragged forward, he had a look of defiant surprise as he struggled against their hold. He would've killed The Spaniard on the spot from the intensity of his glare alone.
"Did you really think we didn't know you followed us, or your friend?" My hand reached for a throwing dagger, but hands seized me from behind, and I was dragged into the torchlight.
The Spaniard smiled at us. "We've been at this longer than either of you." He gestured to the guards holding me, and they dragged me over to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ezio being held tightly in place. I glared at the Templar as he removed my hood.
"You are not an Italian man. English perhaps?" Borgia observed, and I spat at his feet. "Kiss the darkest part of my lilly white ass, Borgia!"
He smirked as his guards beat me to my knees. "Do you want to rephrase that, boy?" I coughed, and glared up at the man. "Go to hell!"
I gasped as the man grabbed me by the hair, wrenched my head back, and forced my chin up so that I was forced to look into his cold eyes. "Such spirit!" He chuckled, and released me.
"Kill them!" He said, walking away from us and out of sight.
"I know you're just doing as you're told, so let me go, and I won't kill you," Ezio's voice was strangely calm, which made the guards laugh. "You're not in-" his words and laughter were cut off as Ezio extended his hidden blade into the man's throat. As he freed his arm, he slammed his other blade into the other guard's stomach, and kicked him to the ground.
Using the general shock, I suddenly wrenched free, Hidden Dlade whirring through the air. I stabbed behind me, the groan and thump telling me I did not miss.
I drew my sword, and cut down two others with two quick strikes. Then I threw a dagger at a man aiming at Ezio with his crossbow, and it transfixed the man through the throat.
"Thanks, little Brother. I owe you one." He called to me, and we made quick work of the rest of the guards.
"That was too close." I said, wiping my sword on the ground. "Agreed. How did you know who the Spaniard was?" Ezio asked as we made our way back to our horses. "I've seen him before, but I can't remember where." I said, telling the truth. I had seen pictures of him in one or two history books.
I winced, a pain shooting along my left arm, and I saw that I had been sliced down the length of my arm. "I didn't realize I had this."
Ezio perused my wounds. "Doesn't look serious. I'm sure Claudia will give this plenty of attention." I could hear the suggestion in Ezio's voice, and I smiled at him. "I'm counting on it."
He laughed, and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I know that I have been suspicious about how you came to our family, but you have proved that you can be trusted." I embraced him, deeply touched by his acceptance. "You don't know how much this means to me, Brother. Thank you."
Back home, Mario wasn't pleased that we had almost kicked the bucket, but he was happy that we were fine. The doctor that I visited later informed me that I needed stitches on my arm. I allowed him to perform the procedure, wincing as the needle entered and exited my flesh.
When I was done, I went to Claudia, who was in her usual place. "My studious little angel." She squealed, rose out of the chair, and threw herself into my waiting arms. I kissed her hard, exploring her mouth thoroughly before moving to her neck. She gasped and moaned, her neck tilted to give me more of her neck to taste. Her hands clawed at my back, making me smile into the kiss.
Over the next few weeks, I took care of a few assassinations, but mostly stayed with Claudia. Our relationship was deepening, but we did have our rocky moments. Claudia's firebrand attitude clashed often with my calm patience, and we had many heated arguments.
However, our anger towards each other was temporary, and we would make up and, not to mention make out, afterwards. She was an amazing financier and business woman, handling the fiances of Monterrigioni with ease.
Most importantly of all, I began to teach her how to be an assassin in secret, after she had asked me to teach her how to be one. I was surprised when, after a week of training, she managed to beat me in climbing, races, and sword-fighting. She informed me smugly that she was an Auditore, and I simply left it at that.
Over the next few years, I continued my duties as an Assassin, often helping Lorenzo Medici keeping Templars out of Florence. More importantly, Claudia and I were married after Mario adopted me as his Nephew, naming me Arthur Auditore to clear any confusion owing to my family.
It was a private ceremony, with Mario and Maria witnessing our marriage. Mario gave me and Claudia two gold rings that he had ordered the town's blacksmith to make, and at long last, Claudia and I shared a bed for the first time. It was an immensely satisfying experience that I would never forget. Neither of us slept much that night.
The morning after, in a solemn ceremony officiated by Mario and witnessed by Machiavelli, my finger was branded, and I became an Assassin. It did hurt, but I only winced. I wished my mother and father were there to witness their son being made an Assassin, but I had a feeling that they were watching with pride.
A year after that, me and Mario left for Venice when we found out about an important object being smuggled to the Spaniard. We tailed Borgia's men to the meeting place, where we found Ezio battling the Spaniard's guards.
I rushed in, and took down two of them with a stab and slash. "Hello there, Ezio! Mind if I jump in?" I called to my brother in law, as more Assassins joined the fight.
I spied La Volpe and a huge bearded man with an enormous double-handed sword, who Mario had named Bartolomeo, cutting down guard after guard with huge strokes. A thin man with long black hair fought beside him, and I turned to see Borgia trying to run away through a passage in an alleyway.
I stopped him by stepping in front of him, drawing my sword as Ezio joined me. "Good evening, Cardinal. Remember me? It's time for payback!" I asked, my sword leveled at the old man.
The Cardinal's eyes blazed with hatred, holding the box that carried the thing that we wanted in it.
"You will pay for this, boy! I will kill you as I killed your father and brothers! That is the fate that awaits anyone who resists the Templar Order!" Ezio stepped forward, and Borgia barged into him and ran away, dropping the box as he fled.
I threw a throwing dagger, catching him on the back of his left thigh. Snarling with rage, Borgia turned to me. "I live to fight another day, Englishman! I will make sure your death is as slow as it will be painful!" With that, he disappeared through a doorway.
Swearing in Italian and English, I turned to see Paola helping a winded Ezio to his feet. Ezio wanted to follow him, but Paola and I held him back. "Settle down, Ezio. Now is not the time." I told him.
Another woman, wearing revealing clothing and a firm, gentle face told Ezio that we had what we came for, and indicated the box on the ground.
"What are you all doing here?" Ezio asked, looking around at us. Machiavelli stepped forward and answered him. "For the same reason you are, Ezio: to see the Prophet appear."
Ezio claimed that the Prophet didn't exist, but Machiavelli told him that he was the Prophet, then introduced himself. "I am a member of the Order of the Assassins, who safeguard the future of mankind, as does everyone here."
Ezio looked at each of us. "It's true, Nephew. We have all been guiding you for years, teaching you all the skills you need to join us." Ezio looked floored, then asked about his family.
Mario grabbed me, and pulled me toward him, giving me an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "They are well. Maria will always be saddened by her loss, but she is devoted to charitable work with our Abbess. As for Claudia, she married Arthur here, who is now Arthur Auditore Di Firenze. Soon, Ezio, the two will produce you with a nephew or a niece of your own, and it shouldn't take them too long."
Ezio grinned and embraced me, while I reddened from the amount of ribbing that I would be receiving after this.
"I wouldn't have her be with anyone else." He said.
In the late evening, I watched as Ezio was inaugurated into the Brotherhood. Unlike me, he didn't wince, but he didn't smile either. I watched from the bottom of the Tower when Ezio made his first Leap of Faith with considerable pride.
An hour later, me, Ezio, Machiavelli, and Mario sat in the workshop of Leonardo Da Vinci, staring at the strange gold instrument that was the Apple of Eden.
"It's fascinating, absolutely fascinating." Leo said, his chin propped by his hand, staring at the orb with boy-like fascination.
I felt shy in the presence of the artist who would, in the future, be regarded as one of the greatest artists in history. He had shoulder-length brown hair, a small beard, dark brown eyes that glittered with intelligence and excitement, and was a relatively modest individual.
I could almost feel the youthful energy and exuberance coming from him, and a naked ambition to change the world. I wanted to tell him of how much he would do so, but it probably wouldn't be a great idea.
"What is it, Leonardo? What does it do?" Ezio asked.
Leonardo shrugged. "Well, so far, I'm stumped. It contains dark secrets, and it's design is unearthly and highly sophisticated." Leo turned the orb in his hands, and it reacted by giving off a kind of self-generated light.
"It is made of materials that really shouldn't logically exist, and yet it is clearly a very ancient device." Leo went on.
"It's certainly referred to in the Codex pages we have." Mario added. "I recognize it from the description. The Codex calls it 'a Piece of Eden.'"
Ezio jumped in. "And Rodrigo called it 'the Apple.'"
Leo looked at him sharply. "As in the apple from the Tree of Knowledge? The apple Eve gave to Adam?"
I shook my head. "That can't be right. The story of Creation is legend and full of metaphors." My southern accent was still obvious, even after years of living in Italy.
We looked down at the object, which glowed brighter than ever.
Suddenly, Ezio touched it, and his hand was thrown off of it by unseen forces, and the orb emitted light and color in a chaotic jumble.
I saw everyone in the room cover their eyes, but I did not. Images flashed into being: A great garden, filled with monsters; a dark city on fire; mushrooms clouds from atomic bombs; the Jews herded into death camps, and astronauts in space.
It showed what was to come in the future, or what had already happened in my case. Somebody screamed for it to stop, and Ezio touched it again, and instantly ended the spell.
The Apple sat inert on the table again, and Leo spoke first. "This must never fall into the wrong hands. It would drive weaker minds insane." I nodded shakily as Machiavelli agreed, placed it into the box, and sealed it.
"The Spaniard must never have it." He handed the box to Ezio, and told him to guard it well.
He nodded. "Take it to Forli. It is a strong fortress, and is under one of our allies." Mario said, and Ezio asked who.
"Caterina Sforza." Mario replied, and Ezio smiled. "Yes, I remember, an old acquaintance, and one that I shall be happy to renew." I would have rolled my eyes, and made a snarky comment, but I was in too much of a shock to do so.
Mario bade him to leave, and Machiavelli announced that he would accompany Ezio. Leonardo gave Ezio some bullets and poison, and Ezio thanked him with a hug.
I was amazed, and slightly jealous, that they were such good friends. They seemed so different from each other.
I decided to go back to Monterrigioni with Mario, since Claudia wouldn't be pleased if I left her alone without saying goodbye.
Before Ezio left, he clapped me on the shoulder. "I leave Claudia and Mother in capable hands, I don't doubt."
I reddened, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Do please take care of yourself, Brother. And for heaven's sake, don't bed a woman unless you are sure no harm will come of it."
Ezio smirked. "I will keep that in mind, at least." We both laughed, and hugged before parting.
While Ezio was in Forli, everything went straight to hell. By 1494, Lorenzo de Medici had died, the Spaniard had become Pope Alexander the Fourth, and an evil man named Savanarola had taken over Florence. He was a tormented man, a twisted genius, and a fanatical believer.
However, the most frightening thing about him was that people followed him as if he was God.
He taught that all pleasure, all worldly goods and works, were hellish. Back at Forli, Ezio had somehow lost possession of the Apple and nearly died from injuries, and Savanarola had gotten his hands on it.
I met Machiavelli 10 miles south of Florence on the man road leading to Florence, watching people stream through the gates, on their way to meet their new master. Suddenly, we saw Ezio riding toward us, and we rode to join him.
Ezio and I were on the same mission, and I listened to Machiavelli as he filled Ezio in on everything, as we approached the main gates. We entered the city, stabled our horses, and Machiavelli arranged lodgings for us.
Paola and her girls were shut down, and Florence was under an oppressive regime. We scouted the religious complex of Saint Mark, since this was where Savanarola was at. Since we couldn't initiate a direct assault, Ezio decided to try stirring up discontent, since the monk ruled the people through fear and force, not choice.
Ezio turned to me, and asked about his old palazzo. I sighed, remembering the long and bitter struggles and battles I had endured to protect it. "Be strong, Brother. Our palazzo stands, despite the death of Lorenzo, mostly having to do with my...negotiating skills. Savanarola was able to strip it bare, but I was able to save it from the fires. We will restore it again one day."
I couldn't meet Ezio's eyes, and tears gathered in my eyes. Defending the palazzo had taken a toll on me, both physically and mentally. Claudia and Maria were my saving grace. Without them, I don't know what would have happened here.
"And Annetta?" Ezio asked. "She escaped, and joined us at Monterrigioni."
Then Ezio asked the question that I had been dreading but expecting. "Cristina?"
I sprinted through the streets, shoving people out of my way as I saw Christina being attacked by a couple of thugs. When I reached them, it didn't take me long before I took them out. I carried her limp form into a side-alley. "Relax, Cristina. I'm Arthur, Ezio's brother in law." She looked up at me with dying eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. This could have been Claudia, and how was I going to tell Ezio. "Tell Ezio that I wish that he and I had more time." With that, she went limp. "Requiescat in Pace, Cristina Vespucci." I said, tears running down my cheeks.
Tears ran down my cheeks, and I could see Machiavelli look away. "I'm so sorry, Ezio. She is dead. They killed her and her husband when they wouldn't commit their belongings to that bastard monk." Ezio sat down on a bench, staring at the whitewashed wall in front of us.
"And why didn't you help her?" Ezio asked.
"I tried, Ezio, but I couldn't get there fast enough. She asked me to tell you that she wished you and her had more time. I'm so sorry, Ezio." I finished, sitting next to him, and rested my hand on his shoulder.
"It is not you that I blame, Fratellino. You did what you could, and I can see the price of your loyalty on your face. Thank you for giving me her message." Ezio said, and I hugged him. We sat there for a while, and I could feel years of frustration and pain weigh upon me. After a moment, Machiavelli said, "Save this for another time, my friends. Savanarola is not well-liked, especially by the Duke of Milan and Borgia himself. Arthur has spent the past few days removing the Monk's supporters that have power and influence, flawless as always." He finished, smirking slightly as I blushed.
"Indeed, Ezio. Your brother has proven to be most useful to the Order." I shrugged, and Machiavelli patted me on the shoulder. "Thanks to him, your way to Savanarola is clear."
Ezio nodded, and stood up. "Then it's time to end this insanity."
I stood up too, rubbing my hands eagerly. "Let's get him then. I've been waiting for this for too long." Ezio shook his head. "No! This is my fight."
I looked at him in disbelief. "Don't give me that horse-shit! Your fights are my fights too."
Ezio shook his head. "You've done enough already, Arthur. However, this is personal, but I promise that I will call on you if I need you."
I could tell that I was going to lose this argument, but I wasn't ready to throw in the towel. "I'm with you every step of the way. You are all that keeps us Auditores going, and if something happens to you, I'll never forgive myself."
Ezio stared at me for a moment, then he stepped forward, and hugged me. "I know, Brother, I know. Pain and grief has been a part of life for the both of us." Ezio said quietly. "You and I share alot of things, but I need you to believe in me as I have come to believe in you."
I swallowed. "Ezio, I believe in you. Do what you must, but never hesitate to call me." We grasped each other's forearm in a solemn gesture of brotherhood and loyalty, and from that moment on, we truly became brothers.
Thanks to our efforts, the people of Florence came to their senses, and we followed them as they marched to the San Marco complex. I watched as a lean man swathed in black came out, and demanded silence and obedience.
He attempted to use the Apple to achieve this, but Ezio threw a knife into his forearm, and I fought through the crowd, and laid my hands on the Apple. Light erupted from it, and the image of my parents speaking to each other appeared. What they said chilled me to the bone.
"The time is drawing near. Arthur will blindly follow us, and take down Abstergo so that we can rise to the positions that were stolen from us years ago." My Father said, excitement filling his voice, his expression maniacal.
Mother shook her head. "He will find out that we are Templars who rebelled against our superiors. It will destroy him, and he has a heart purer than ours. He might even kill us." My Father sighed, and shook his head. "He will never find out. Even if he does, he will be too late to stop us. We Katarns will rise, and he will realize that he did things for a higher purpose."
The image evaporated, and I felt Mario's hand take the Apple from my unmoving grasp.
I didn't move or speak. I watched numbly as Savanarola was carried off by the Florentines.
He was kicking and screaming as they took him, and me and the Assassins followed them.
I was on autopilot as I watched him being tried and convicted to be burned at the stake. I saw Ezio's eyes, and I knew what would happen.
Ezio aimed, and shot the Monk secretly so that he would be dead before burned.
He then mounted the stage, and spoke: "Citizens of Florence!" He said in a clarion voice. "Twenty-two years ago, I stood where I stand now, and watched my loved ones die, betrayed by those I had counted friends. Vengeance clouded my mind. It would have consumed me, had it not been for the wisdom of a few strangers, who taught me to look past my instincts. They never preached answers, but guided me to learn for myself."
I saw Mario smile and salute him, and he continued. "My friends, we don't need anyone to tell us what to do. Not Savanarola, not the Pazzi, not even the Medici. We are free to follow our own path. There are those who would take that freedom from us, and too many of us gladly, alas, give it. But we have within our power to choose, and it is the exercise of that power which makes us human. There is no book or teacher to give us the answers, or to show us the path. So choose your own way! Do not follow me, or anyone else!"
With that, he jumped down, put on his hood, and walked out of the square, and the Assassins and I joined him.
I never felt more proud of Ezio, but there was something I needed to tell my new family, no, my true family. "We need to talk. I have to talk to the family." Mario nodded, frowning at the look of dead seriousness on my face.
Back at Monterrigioni, I gathered the entire family together, Machiavelli included. "You know my origins, where I come from, when I come from. I have told you all that I knew, but I was wrong. I was raised to be an Assassin, but my parents had a different plan in mind."
I told them what I had seen when I touched the Apple.
Mario and Ezio swore, Maria was white as a sheet, and Claudia looked both furious and sickened. Machiavelli raised an eyebrow. "You seem surprised." He commented.
"Wouldn't you be, Niccolo?" I asked, fighting back my anger. Machiavelli shrugged. "Rebellion often occurs between the Templars. Although your parents had a different plan, this is nothing new."
I flinched. "They are not my parents. I may be of their blood, but it ends there. Parents love, raise, and protect their children. They never cared for or loved me like Maria does." All the anger I had been feeling for years, the tension Savanarola and living in a different time, and the pain of their betrayal rose within me.
I wanted to kill every single Templar, to prove to my parents that I was not theirs anymore.
Machiavelli laid a hand cautiously on my shoulder. "Yes, you were manipulated and lied to. Everybody manipulates to some degree, but it depends on their intentions. Now that you know what Templars are like, what will you do from now on?"
I already knew the answer. "I will not break or cower. I will kill all Templars who try to hurt my family or the Order. From this day forward, I am yours. I work in the dark to save the light, and always will."
Machiavelli smiled, as did my entire family. On that day, Arthur Katarn died, and was replaced by Arthur Auditore di Firenze.
I heard Claudia give a small cheer as Machiavelli clapped me on the shoulder. "Then let's get to work!" He said.
Chapter 11
The year is 1503, and I had turned 41.
I still felt as strong and energetic as I did when I first met the Auditores, something that I rarely thought about. Claudia did not seem to age at all either.
It was an August morning, and Mario bade me to join Ezio and the rest of the Assassins in his study. We used the Apple to find out that the Vault was in Rome, which explained why the Spaniard wanted to be there. We also found out that the Papal Staff had an Apple of Eden attached to it.
"All roads lead to Rome takes on a whole new meaning." I muttered, and Ezio grinned slightly from beside me.
"Two keys are needed to open the Vault, and the Spaniard has one of them." Mario said, and I looked at Ezio, who announced that he was going to Rome.
He nodded to me. "And I won't be going alone." I shook my head. "Damn straight!"
We made their preparations fast, and soon after halfway through the month, Ezio and I, the Apple in my brother's custody, arrived by boat on the Tiber at the wharfs near the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.
Although we were met and challenged by a squad of Borgia guards, we were able to steal two of their horses, and hightail it to the gate which we had to enter. Since the gate was too small for us on horseback, we continued on foot, cutting down guard after guard with expert ease.
In the Order, Ezio and I were known simply as "the Team," and we were at the peak of our powers, the supreme Assassins, as some called us, and we took every opportunity to prove it.
We managed to spring several traps, and it didn't take long before we were inside the Vatican. I tried to ignore the artwork, but found it difficult not to stare.
Ezio interrupted my sight-seeing. "I want you to do something for me. I need you to take care of the Apple while I deal with the Spaniard. This is personal." I didn't really want to do so, but I detached the Apple from his belt, and onto mine.
He smiled, and I noticed he was shaking with excitement. "If something happens to me, take care of my family. You have always been good at that." I nodded. "As you will do for me?" He nodded, and I sighed.
"Let's get this thing done!" We entered by a stained-glass window which was being repaired, and balanced on an interior embrasure, overlooking the vast hall. Below us, Alexander the Fourth, decked out in his golden regalia, was conducting the Mass. We waited until the service was over, and the Pope was with his cardinals and attendant priests.
"He knows we are here, I think." I said to Ezio, who nodded. We shook hands, and threw ourselves outwards and downwards off the embrasure to land close to the Pope in a perfect crouch, springing up immediately, and Ezio stabbed the Pope with his Hidden Dagger.
I watched as Ezio stood over him, and breathing hard. "I thought I was beyond this. I thought I could rise above vengeance. But I can't, I'm just a man. I've waited too long, lost too much...requiescat in pace, you bastard!" He snarled, and we both prepared to finish him.
"I don't think so!" The old man snarled. Suddenly, the Pope's hand curled around the Staff, and a brilliant white light suffused the room. I watched with horror as light flowed from the cardinals and attendants, and into his Staff, into him.
Ezio ran at him, but the Staff's power threw him backwards all the way to the back of the hall, slammed into a few pews, and lay unmoving.
I stepped forward, rage sweeping through me. "That was a bad mistake, old man, and one you will regret." I snarled, and the Pope laughed. "You are demons who never stop resisting!"
His eyes fixed itself on the Apple on my belt, which glowed brightly. "I see! You have the Apple! How convenient. Give it to me now!" said Rodrigo Borgia, his eyes glowing with the same excitement that I had seen in my former father's face during the vision. It was hard to say who I hated more.
"Go fuck yourself." I snarled, and Rodrigo laughed. "Such vulgarity, but always the fighter! I know who and what you are now, boy! Allow me to send you back to where you belong!" He swung again, and it stuck me on my lower leg leg, sending a shock through me.
I staggered, but I did not fall.
"Give it to me." growled Rodrigo.
"Come and get it." I invited, and held the Apple aloft after removing it from it's pouch. It flashed again, and eight of me stood before the Pope, who remained unruffled. "It can make copies of you. How impressive. Hard to tell which is the real you. But if you think such a cheap conjuring trick trick is going to save you, think again!"
Rodrigo swung out at the clones, and each time he hit one, it vanished in a puff of smoke. My ghosts pranced and feinted, but only I could do harm to him, which I did with glancing blows.
I realized that the fight was sapping the old man's strength, despite the power he held.
By the time I stood alone, the old man sank to his knees, breathless. I was equally so, the Apple draining my strength from overuse.
Looking up at me, Rodrigo clutched his Staff. "You will not take this from me!" He said.
"It's over, old man. Put the Staff down and I will make your death quick and merciful." I growled.
Rodrigo sneered and rose abruptly. "How generous! I wonder if you would give up if the tables were turned!" He slammed the foot of the Staff against the ground, and new energy poured from his Staff. When it struck me, I screamed with pain. Every muscle felt like it was being crushed.
"How's that for starters?" said the Pope, with an evil smile. He walked over to me, and I raised the Apple again, but he kicked it from my grasp, and picked it up.
"At last! And now to deal with you!" He held the glowing apple up, and I was suddenly unable to move. The Pope drew a sword from his robe, looked down at me with disdain, and stabbed me in the side.
I lay prone, and watched as the man opened a secret door, and walked through it. I only had time to note the location of the door before I passed out from the pain.
I came too, and saw Ezio standing over me. The candles had burned low, and the people were gone. I was lying in a pool of my own blood.
"Don't worry, little brother. It touched no vital organs." Ezio said, and I saw that he had staunched the blood with pieces of my shirt. "Which way did he go?" He asked, helping me to my feet.
"There is a door concealed on the right side of a woman bearing wood to a sacrifice." We were able to find the trigger to the door quickly, and we both slipped through it. It shut immediately behind us.
I had to be helped by Ezio as we cautiously advanced along the rough walls, and at last the passageway opened into a large room. The walls were smooth as glass and glowed with iridescent light. In the center of the room was a pedestal, and on it rested the Apple and the Staff.
The rear wall of the room was punctuated with hundreds of evenly spaced holes, and before it stood the Spaniard, desperately pushing and poking at the wall, oblivious to Ezio's arrival.
"Open, damn you, open!" He cried in frustration and rage. Ezio walked forward, and I tried to follow, but a wave of dizziness left me slumped against the walls.
Ezio looked back, and I gestured to the Pope. "Go and kick his ass!"
Ezio smiled, and turned to Rodrigo. "It's over, Rodrigo," he said. "Give it up. It doesn't make sense anymore."
Rodrigo spun to face him. "No more tricks," said Ezio, releasing his own daggers, and throwing them down. "No more ancient artifacts. No more weapons. Now let's see what you're made of."
Rodrigo smiled, and shook off his outer robes. Ezio and him proceeded to fight with fists. While they fought, they kept up a kind of running commentary.
"Why couldn't your father leave well enough alone?" Asked Rodrigo. "He just had to keep pursuing it, and you're just like him. All you Assassins are like mosquitoes to be swatted. I wish to God that idiot had been able to hang you as well!"
I snorted and spat on the floor.
"The evil resides not with us, but with the Templars." Ezio rejoined.
"You thought the people were yours to play with, to do with as you pleased."
Rodrigo smiled. "But that is what they are there for. Scum to be ruled and used. Always were, always will be."
I cut in, my voice etched in steel. "You are not fit to lick their boots, you son of a bitch!" Rodrigo laughed. "It sounds as if I struck a nerve! How does it feel to be a pawn for your parents to use, boy? How does it feel to know that you were never loved at all?"
Fury and hate rose within me, so powerful that I forgot my wound. "Shut up." I said quietly.
Rodrigo laughed cruelly. "You were nothing to your parents, just scum on their boots, worse than an animal! I wish I could have seen your face when you realized the truth!" I started forward, fully intending to kill the old man, but I fell to my knees from the pain. I let out a hoarse roar of frustration.
"Stand off." Ezio said to Rodrigo. "This fight is immaterial. What do you even want with the Vault?"
Rodrigo looked surprised. "Don't you know what lies within? Hasn't the Order figured it out?" Rodrigo's eyes glittered as Ezio stopped. "It's God! It's God who dwells within the Vault!"
Ezio stared at him for a moment, then my laughter cut through the room. "Bullshit! You are insane, old man." I called, but Rodrigo smiled at me.
"Do you really expect me to believe that God lives beneath the Vatican?" Ezio asked, and Rodrigo shrugged. "Isn't that a slightly more logical location than a kingdom on a cloud? The truth is far more interesting."
Ezio shook his head. "What does God do down here?" Rodrigo smiled. "He waits to be set free."
I laughed, shaking my head as Ezio took a breath. "Let's say I believe you: what do you think He'll do if you manage to open that door?"
Rodrigo smiled. "I don't care. It certainly isn't His approval I'm after, just His power!" I couldn't believe that Ezio was buying into this!
"And do you think He'll give it up?" Ezio asked.
"Whatever lies behind that wall won't be able to resist the combined strength of the Staff and the Apple. They were made for felling gods, whatever religion they belong to." I laughed again, and derisively called out.
"The Lord our God is meant to be omniscient, all-powerful, and omnipresent. He can't be harmed by these two trinkets!"
Rodrigo gave us a superior smile. "You know nothing! You take your image of the Creator from an old book written by men."
I raised my eyebrows, as Ezio snorted. "You are the Pope, and you dismiss your central text?"
Rodrigo laughed. "Are you really so naive? I became Pope because the position gave me access. It gave me power! Do you think I believed a single goddamned word of that ridiculous book? It's all lies and superstition, just like all religious texts!"
Ezio stared at him. "There are those that would kill you for saying that." Rodrigo shrugged, and went on in a rant of how he wanted to dismantle the Church so that everyone could be judged by reason and order.
I snorted. "How can you speak of reason and order when your entire life has been governed by violence and immorality?"
Rodrigo shrugged. "You take what you want and hold on tight. You only live once!"
Ezio launched into a debate at how humanity had changed. Rodrigo believed that it had not changed at all from evil, and Ezio fought for the opposite, the good of humanity.
Suddenly, the Apple began to glow, brighter and brighter, until it blinded us.
We could see the holes that dotted the wall, and Ezio stepped forward and grabbed the Staff.
I looked down, and realized that I was no longer wounded.
"No, you can't! It is my destiny. I am the Prophet!" Rodgrigo wailed, and I shook my head, and strode up to him. "No, old man. Ezio is the Prophet, and he is about to fulfill his destiny. You poor, deluded soul. You are done, and so are the Templars. Before you die, know that I will hunt down every single Templar and kill them."
Ezio looked at the old man, almost in pity. The Pope seemed to sag, and became a pathetic creature. "The price of failure is death. Give me at least that dignity." To my shock, Ezio shook his head. "No, old fool. Killing you won't bring my father or brothers back, or every other person that has died in your quest. And for myself, I am done with killing."
I stepped forward. "Ezio, you can't be serious! This man murdered most of our family, and would not have hesitated in finishing the job! If we don't kill him now, then he will do just that!"
I stepped forward, drawing my sword, feeling my hatred for all Templars rise like a wave. "If you won't kill him, then I will!"
Ezio caught my wrist, and looked into my eyes. I could see how tired he was, and how much he wanted it to be over.
My hatred and rage faded quickly, and I lowered my sword. "We are going to regret this, Ezio. I'm certain of it! We won't have another chance like this!"
Ezio shrugged. "I will bear the responsibility and the price for my action. Come, let us put an end to this mess."
He looked down at Rodrigo one last time. "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." He said, and turned to me. "Mario should be here soon. Wait here. I have a feeling that only I am supposed to go in." I wanted to argue, but realized that he was right. He was the Prophet after all.
"Don't die on me." I said as he opened the door. He winked and disappeared.
I sat down, ignoring the Pope. I could wait. I had enough time to kill.
After a while, Ezio appeared again, walking from the passage in the wall. He gestured for me to follow him, and as we walked past the Pope, he asked Ezio who and what he had seen in the Vault. "Nothing, nobody." He replied, although I could tell that he was lying.
We left the Pope lying near the Vault, and exited the secret passage.