A/N:
Yea, well, no, this is too shitty to even take credit for.
I won't be continuing this one unless I rewrite the entire chapter, which is highly unlikely. I wouldn't know where to go from there anyway, so no. Just no.
-x-x-x-x-x-
A Turn of Events
Chapter 1 - Nightmare
The buildings cast tall shadows as the sun was setting over Florence. The merchants were beginning to pack up and get ready to head home after a busy day like this. The streets were empty, aside from the few guards making their way to their nightwatch stations. Not a single rooftop archer could be seen at this hour, which was rather convenient for a certain roof-jumping young man. As he darted from roof to roof he was careful not to make too much sound, as the guards below was on high watch. If they were to spot him, he'd be chased down and scolded for two days to come. When he reached the end of the building's roof he leaped into the air, stretching out his arms, feeling the wind caressing his face. He landed back first in a stack of hay and waited a few moments before getting up, just in case someone heard the rustle. When the coast was clear he got up and brushed off the straw from his white robe. It had become quite bloodstained throughout the week, and he convinced himself to clean it before proceeding with his next quest. Knowing that his goal were a few blocks to go he started walking, hoping it wasn't too late for a visit.
"Ezio! What a pleasure to see you!" were the words that met him as the door opened. The both of them exchanged a friendly hug before the older man let him in and closed the door. He pulled down his hood to look around the hall. It was just as untidy as it always had been. Organized chaos, as he used to put it. After so many visits to the place, it had started to feel more like home every time he entered the door. The ever so happy Italian artist brought him into his workshop to show his latest work. A painting consisting of millions and billions perfectly aligned dots forming a bridge spanning over a wide stream of water. In the background was the hint of a waterfall, and the rest of the painting was yet to be done. He chuckled and said it's still a work in progress, but quickly turned his attention back to the younger man. His whole character brightened up when Ezio handed him not only one, but two still encrypted Codex pages. Knowing his friend, he sat down in a chair next to the table to give the artist some time to study the pages.
"Quite an interesting page you've brought me, amico" he said after a few minutes of studying the first one. He put it aside to check the other one, and Ezio got comfortable in his chair, seeing this could take a while. It was then he felt the exhaustion pour over him, and a big yawn left his mouth. The artist didn't seem to notice as he was deeply focused on the Codex. His eyelids became heavy, and soon enough he fell asleep where he was sitting.
-xXx-
Leonardo's P.O.V.
The strange glyphs and symbols written on the page were a peculiar addition, to say the least. Most pages up until now had been easy to find a pattern and sort out, but the one he was currently observing was apparently going to take a while. He was just about to tell his friend that he should get going with other duties while he decrypted, but found him sleeping peacefully in the chair. Not feeling like bothering the fledgling assassin by sending him home to his own bed, he sat down in another chair and got back to the first Codex page again. Looking at the illustrations lit up ideas in his head, and he felt the urge to get started on a new project. Glancing over his shoulder he realized there was no space for such arrangement at the moment. A sigh escaped his lips and he placed the page aside, since he would need Ezio's hidden blade to proceed. It wouldn't be polite to take it from him while he was sleeping. Instead he rose from the chair and fetched his brush and paints to continue with his work in progress.
After about two hours, the painting was now at the finish line. A few dots here and a dot there, then he put the brush and color plate on a tray beside him. He admired the finished piece for some time before heading upstairs to get ready for the night. He rinsed his face and hands in a bowl of lukewarm water before taking off his boots and shirt. The artist tumbled into his bed and fell asleep within minutes.
-xXx-
Ezio's P.O.V.
His heart was racing and head was pounding. He didn't know for how long he'd been running. Whatever was chasing him was fast, and it was gaining on him. He dodged a tree and jumped over a rock. The rough terrain made it hard to run fast, and the constant blockage by trees or bushes didn't make it better. His pursuer seemed unaffected. The fear turned to panic when he threw a look over his shoulder. The shadow was getting closer. Neither sword nor blade had any effect, and there was no use in hiding. No matter what was between them, the shadow always seemed to know exactly where he was. There was nothing else than to run. Flee like a prey from a hunter. A helpless rabbit trying to escape from the agile fox. He looked over his shoulder again, his heart skipping a beat when the horrific shadowy creature boosted towards him. A silent scream left his mouth, preparing to be devoured alive by pure darkness in the midst of nowhere.
Ezio woke with a jolt, fell off the chair and landed face flat on the floor. His heart was racing and he was completely soaked in cold sweat. Panting heavily he looked around. He soon found himself in Leonardo's workshop and breathed out. He was safe. While letting his head rest on his forearm he pondered on his dream. It was strange to say the least. Once he had caught his breath he got up to a sitting position, leaning back, supported on his hands. He flinched when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and his heart pounded faster again. He got ready to run like his life depended on it when the familiar figure of Leonardo da Vinci appeared in the stairway. Relieved, he leaned backwards until he was laying on his back on the floor, arms outstretched. He exhaled loudly in annoyance over his own paranoia.
"Ah, I see you're still here, amico" the artist said with his usual happy tone. At least he seemed to have had a good sleep. He sat up and looked at his friend who was now preparing the finished painting for shipment to the customer. Seeing him so calm, humming while he worked, sent a state of peace over himself, and he felt a slight smile form on his lips. Getting up on his feet he felt the exhaustion still have a grip on his body. Supported on the table he kept observing the artist. Leonardo was soon done with the painting and stumbled over to the table.
-xXx-
Leonardo's P.O.V.
"The pages you gave me will be quite diff-". His voice trailed away as he looked at the younger man. He was paler than usual, and his eyes didn't hold the lively spark they had shown since the first day they met. He certainly seemed a bit off. A pearl of sweat formed on his forehead and he threw a look over his shoulder. Something must be troubling him. The boy looked down at the table and clenched his fists. It was obvious now that he was troubled, and Leonardo couldn't figure out what in the world would be able to make his assassin friend become uneasy like this. He soon looked up and met his gaze, a reassuring smile forming on his lips.
"Bad dreams" he explained and stretched his back, spine crackling and he grimaced by the pain. Leonardo pondered on this for a while. He who had been through so much death and suffering already was freaked by some bad dreams? Perhaps the stress was getting to him. Content enough with the answer, he shrugged and sat down on his chair, reaching for one of the Codex pages. While studying the illustrations further, he noticed a few details he must've missed before. In the corner of his eye he saw Ezio walk up to the newly finished piece. The waterfall was now complete, and a quite stunning meadow spanned all the way from the bridge to the far back. A forest was cornering the waterfall, with a few bushes and rocks planted below the falls. Leonardo got up from the chair and joined his friend to share his finding. A new addition to his hidden blade. Poison. He had to borrow it in order to install it though.
"Con ogni mezzo" Ezio answered and removed the bracers from his arm. Leonardo took it and brought it back to his table. He studied the mechanism that released the blade from the holder. Five hours. He challenged himself to have the upgrade done in five hours. The other Codex should be done in three. Eight hours. The page and the blade would both take the entire day to finish. So be it. After a short discussion the two men decided to see each other again tomorrow and they shared a friendly hug before parting ways.
-xXx-
Ezio's P.O.V.
While walking through the streets all he could think of was the strange dream. The nightmare. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had one. Probably years. The people of Florence had been awake for some time now and was chatting happily with friends and merchants. He pulled back his hood and smiled towards a few courtesans passing by and they all giggled shyly. He heard them whisper to each other and chuckled to himself. He knew he was handsome alright. After walking a few more blocks he rounded a corner and felt a shiver trail down his spine. Someone was watching him. A feeling he was very familiar with, but for some reason it made him more uncomfortable than usual. He threw a look over his shoulder and felt his heart skip a beat. Was it a shadow he just saw? His eyes searched, but found nothing, and when he realized the guards was becoming suspicious he started walking again. As he rounded another corner of a building he stopped and leaned backwards against the wall. He put a hand over his chest as he felt his heart beating and exhaled loudly. It was just a dream. He rehearsed it over and over again in his head until he calmed down. He pulled the hood back in place and was just about to make his way up to the rooftops when he saw the darkness again. He stopped dead in his tracks. Among a group of people were a cloak of shadows. A pair of eyes, cold as ice, stared right back at him from under a black hood. His heart raced and the air got heavy around him. The shadow, which seemed to be an inverted image of himself, gave out a wicked laugh and the blood froze in his veins. He wanted to look away, but his eyes were glued to the image. He wanted to run, but his feet had stuck to the ground. Terrified, nauseous and with a pounding headache he saw the shadow boost towards him. The last thing he remembered was a deafening eerie screech before the world turned black.
To be continued...
Except not really.