Discovery
Disclaimer: I don't own UbiSoft products.
A/N: This idea literately played itself out in my head, word for word. Enjoy.
The blood on his bracer dripped two small drops of blood as the blade retracted. The sprinting guard was dead feet from the entrance to an opening, his mouth forever forming the word "help."
Panting, Ezio lifted from his fresh kill, the Medici cape flowing behind him like an eagle's wing as dark amber eyes peeked out from under the white hood of his father's cowl. The guard was crying out for help, to stop the man in white, suggesting that there were more in the area. Frowning, the scar on his lips twisting, Ezio slowly made his way to the portal, moving swiftly but quietly, his heavy boots barely making a noise as he pressed his back against a wall. Peeking around a corner, he could make out three guards, two of them dressed in Venezia guard livery, the other in heavy body armor, from head to toe. A brute, as the mercenaries at his uncle's villa called them. He'd have to sneak by them to not raise suspicion, not with the last seal so close in his grasp.
There was a way to sneak by the lot by the far edge of the room but to get there from the door, he'd be spotted immediately. He had to think of a plan, one that wouldn't require a need for bloodshed. There was already too much that night and with Carnivale just days away, there needed to be some ebb to the violence for this small happy occasion.
Leading back to where the dead guard laid dead, Ezio looked around. Was there perhaps some way that he could enter the room? The roots of trees long since passed dug themselves in the walls of the tomb, seeping into cracks, pushing and pulling at the stones and bricks that made the walls. Following one that gnarled root, amber eyes spotted where roots made a hole, high in the wall and if he guessed right, on the far side of the opposing room.
Taking his chance, Ezio quickly climbed the wall, his heavy greaves making muffled sounds before his fingers met the roughness that the earth created. With a quiet runt, the assassin hauled his weight through the hole, keeping steady inside to peer over at those sitting at the table. They were still so quiet, not paying any attention to it all. Trying to land as softly as possible, the Italian quickly tucked into a roll before pushing himself against another wall, his eyes on the guards the whole time. Inching close to the door, he froze as one shifted, moving his weight around on the uncomfortable seat. Holding his breath, Ezio made his way to the door once again, the skull and emblem right there in reach.
A sneeze made him stop once again, his left hand curling into a fist as his forearm tensed in a familiar burn, only stopping instinct long enough to not spring the hidden blade. Finally, the huge wooden door stood before him. Turning his back for a second, Ezio plunged two fingers into the skull's eye sockets, curling them to catch the bone under his rough pads and pulled, turning his attention to the guards as the lock before him whirled to life, rearranging itself to flip upside and open the door. Grinning, he saw the guards stand to alert when the heavy door lifted but ducking inside and cutting the rope that pulled the door up; he knew that the guards would never get inside the sacred tomb.
The smell of water was common in the city but this wasn't like the smell of the alleys and rivers that ran through outside, this smelled clean. True, it held the same smell of fish that was outside as well, but this lacked the stench of human waste, of whatever pollution tainted the waters outside.
The greaves echoed down the stone walkway and finally into the large room of ruined rock and stone, few statues of armored men with huge shields but the echoes were nothing compared to the ebb and flow of the murky waters. Already, he saw life flash away from the surface when he neared the edge, looking down into the darkness, scattering from his shadow due to the dimly lit room.
Something dark moved beneath the fish though but knowing Venice and her waters, it could have been anything. Already, the assassin looked around the room, to figure out where this last seal would be but all he saw were potential holds. If he were to use his skill his brother had taught him, he could find the answer quickly but the holds were far and few in between. Another timed system, if he were to guess. Sighing, Ezio quickly checked his pouches, making sure that everything was secure and in place in case he should fall into the dark waters below as his eyes went to what looked like a lever.
Ah, he recognized this system. Going to the wooden contraption, Ezio lifted the arm as high as it would go, hearing stone move and a familiar ticking noise that filled the air. The one who designed the puzzles of the tombs had to be congratulated; they did their job well. It took a lot of thought to figure out where the next step was in the puzzle but it also took a great deal of strength and courage to do so. Many of the trigger points high in the air or where one couldn't reach unless one had a great deal of strength to pull themselves up.
Already, Ezio saw a stone swing towards him, an arm falling due to gravity but held on by a rope. He knew that at the end of the ticking, the rope would pull and the arm would once again be set within its place. Ready to beat this challenge, Ezio stepped to the first section, only to pause. Something moved beneath the waters, something large; something that made a small wave, larger than what were normal in the area, crash against the stone.
"Che cosa?" he whispered beneath his breath, leaning over the edge to see whatever it was. At first, it looked like a large gray sac, rising to the surface but it spun slowly, a large yellowy eye moving, watching him before it disappeared beneath the waters, giant rope like tendrils following this enormous thing.
Ezio's head followed where the creature went, his lips parting as his jaw slightly fell. What was that? Was it some sort of creature released like the arms were? Standing in shock and awe, he blinked, not hearing the ticking sounds of the timer as he followed the edge of the waters, stopping only when the stone beneath him was no longer available. What was that?
The creature didn't rise to the surface again and he began to wonder where it had disappeared to. Surely not behind him, the stone pillars blocked the way for anything to get through and a creature of that size couldn't possibly fit in a small area as the enclosed space near the door! Perhaps it circled around the room, following the same path that he should take, hoping to see a show that it never got before?
If Leonardo were here, he would be as fascinated as the assassin, wanting to possible sketch out this creature, to figure out its size and structure, perhaps even classify it! But, alas, the talented man wasn't here to give his input on the animal in the waters, leaving questions unanswered.
The sounds of stone grinding against each other gave a sharp and shrill sound, piercing through assassin's wonderment and back to the task at hand. Already, the timer was up and the arms were gone. He'd have to pull the lever again to run through the area, to pull on the right triggers to reveal where the sarcophagus was so that he may draw out the seal.
Returning to the wooden contraption, Ezio lifted the arm again, wanting to see this thing again. Perhaps it would swim by like it had before? But as the assassin made his way to the water, a giant tendril lifted up, startling the assassin into taking several steps back, his eyes watching the extension wave in the air, the hidden blade on his arm out and poised for an attack but what good would it do to something that large? The stunned assassin could only watch as the fleshy thing fell back into the water with a large slap, crashing down that send a shower over the stone walkway, several drops hitting Ezio's garb.
The stunned man took a few steps back, wondering if the creature was carnivorous and also wondering if his ancestor's armor was worth the risk of falling into the waters with that giant thing ready to grab him and pull him under, perhaps to never let go. If he backed out now, no one would know, his uncle would think that he couldn't find the last tomb, his sister wouldn't call him a coward, and he wouldn't have to worry about falling in and possibly losing his life.
No, he had to succeed where his uncle couldn't. Still, as he pulled jumped on the wooden arm of the trigger before pulling it up to start the process all over again, he now understood why people were afraid to swim.
Note to self: Don't fall in the water…