AUTORS NOSE:
Hi! I'm the new writer you've been hearing about! In this story, we introduce my assassin: Affonso! You're going to love him, I swear. He warms up to you like a really wet towel.
Anyway! Today's story has been brought to you by the words:
Mio Amico: Meaning, my friend
Mio Dio: Meaning, my god
Idiota: Meaing, idiot. Duh.
Zitto: Meaning, SHUT UP.
I do not in any way, shape, or form own Assassin's Creed. That is Ubisoft's pride and joy. I do however own Affonso, the little bastard. The other writers own Fausto, Ottavio and Ezio.
Please do enjoy and feel free to review and comment! Much appreciated!
It was a rather cool Roman morning. The city was just beginning to come alive as the two assassins dozed on a particular shady roof top. Ezio, their black little pup, was of course the first one to stir. Perhaps he caught the wonderful smells of breakfast drifting over the sturdy building? Either way, the black ball of fuzz uncurls from between the two men and pulls his body into a stretch. He yawns; opening his mouth and letting his tongue unfurl like a roll of parchment. It was now time to wake the two men up.
Ezio begins with Fausto. A short tongue bath brings the Master novice around, which in turn brings the puppy a smile and a kind greeting. As the dog continues his waking ritual, Fausto stretches; curling his back and stretching his arms with a little groan. He relaxes once again. Blinking past the film of sleep, Fausto brings up his knees and stares out along the city's rooftops.
'It's a really pretty day today.' He remarks to himself. A yelp beside him pulls him out of his thoughts. It seems when Ezio tried to wake up the other slumber taken man, the pup was pulled into a rather tight looking hug. Ottavio, now with his hood off his golden hair, had his face buried into the dark fur of their canine friend. The Master novice just shakes his head, muttering to himself before shuffling over to the other man.
"Mio Amico," the words rolled off of the man's tongue as he tried to free Ezio from the blond's death grip, "Now is not the time to be choking puppies. Wake up and smell the breakfast we could be having."
Breakfast was apparently the magic word. Ottavio opened his eyes and slowly released the dog. With a grunt, the assassin pushed himself up and smacked his lips. A bug must have gotten into his mouth during the middle of the night, for his morning breath tasted more foul than usual. He shivered before pulling his hood over his face.
"Why must the sun be so bright? I did not ask for my eyes to be seared by its ever loving glow."
Ottavio was not one for waking up. Living throughout the day he could tolerate, but waking up was disgusting. He rather liked sleeping. To his dismay, Fausto stood to greet the day. The Master novice took off his hood and let the sun coat his face in warmth. He smiled as its rays touched his rather bright orange hair like a mother's gentle fingers. Ottavio noted that such a hair color was rare around these parts. It never really struck him before, but that was due to the fact that Fausto normally had his hood on.
Ezio gave a bark. The two men looked to the black thing and smiled as they saw just how excited the puppy had become. He was pawing the floor and wagging his bottom more than he was his tail. Fausto gave a hearty laugh and crouched down to confront Ezio.
"Yes yes, Ezio. I know you want to go. You know where to get it, right?" The redhead tilted his head to the side as he questioned the dog. Quick as ever, Ezio barks in affirmation. Ottavio chuckled and threw his arms up softly.
"Go on then, Ezio! Hunt down the morning's catch!"
With that, the puppy charged off along the roof top and made his way onto the Roman street below. Ottavio's gaze followed after the pup as he began to speak.
"You remember the mission today?" He murmured. Fausto perked up and turned to meet his friend with a worried gaze.
"Yes," he uttered, "An assassination. "
"That concerns me though." The blond brought his worn hand up to his face and gave his jaw a scratch. The stubble was threatening to grow into something for once. Ottavio had been trying for the longest time to grow a beard but all attempts seemed unfruitful.
"What, the task?" A laugh escaped Fausto as he resumed sitting next to Ottavio, "Mio amico, We've already killed a few men! Remember the boulder-"
"No no no," The blond cut in, "It's the details! Two men going against one? Doesn't that seem a bit shady to you?" Something churned in the novice's stomach. He was getting an absolutely bad feeling about this. It just didn't seem right at all.
"Bah! You worry too much Ottavio! I think all that jostling that Mami has done to you has knocked a few pegs loose." Fausto ruffled up the other's hair gently. This caused great distress in Ottavio, seeing as how he was craving to be taken seriously.
The subject was dropped. As the two men waited for the pup to return; they checked their weapons and did a bit of limbering up. Not a few minutes later, there was a whimpering at the base of their building. Ottavio, being closest to the edge and not afraid of heights, peered down and welcomed the puppy with a smile.
Clamped tight in Ezio's teeth was a satchel. The air that wafted up signaled that it had indeed come from the café they knew so well. In fact, that was the reason they were now perched up upon this height. Last night as they had entered the city, they saw the owner of the café getting harassed by a guard. For what, they weren't sure, but the assassins were too tired and too grumpy to put up with it. It was a simple tackle and stab maneuver, and the owner was set free.
"I owe you so much!" The owner had declared as Fausto tried to hide the body, "I will give you whatever you want as payment!"
Being not so greedy folks, the assassins had only asked for breakfast whenever they requested. And as the blond man helped the young dog up the side of the building, it was clear that the good fellow had kept his word.
"Bene! Bene, bene bene…" Fausto rubbed his hands together with a frightful eagerness, "I have been starving for minutes now."
The trio settled into their breakfast. The café owner was kind enough to even secure a nice sized vial of wine.
"Ahhh," Ottavio remarked, "that is why you couldn't climb up. Well, no matter."
Feeling a lot more rejuvenated, the assassins gazed over the town. They decided that it was best to scout the area while they were already up there.
"They said we would know what he looked like as soon as we saw him." Ottavio spoke as he tossed a piece of meat to Ezio. The pup managed to catch it successfully.
"Mm," Fausto responded softly, "It's just a matter of him showing up."
The sun had become too hot to remain on the roofs. With a bit of coaxing, Fausto joined Ottavio and Ezio upon the flat earth. The now hooded redhead shuddered; brows rising in the shadow cast over his face.
"M-mio dio. I will never get used to that."
"Never?" Ottavio chirped as he began to walk along the road. Fausto huffed, following his friend's lead.
"Never in all my days." This brought a laugh from the pit of Ottavio's stomach, which in turn earned the blond a good smack to the back of the head.
They walked the beautiful streets of Rome for a good while. It was interesting to see all of the people going about their business and living their lives. It was funny, Ottavio thought to himself, how one reflected on life when one was about to steal that away from another. He frowned as he saw Ezio run off to chase about some children. They giggled, cheered and played with the little black ball of energy. Fausto almost joined in, but stayed just where he was on the bench. He gave a whistle, and Ezio perked right on up. The children looked so disappointed, but soon their parents scooped them up and hid them away from the two men upon the bench.
"They treat us like we have the plague." Ottavio muttered, holding out a hand for Ezio to nuzzle up against.
"We're assassins," Fausto shrugged, "We're pretty much the messengers of Death."
That didn't really help the thoughts in the blond's head. He sighed, hanging his head but slightly. Not even allowed to brood for a moment, Fausto clapped a hand onto Ottavio's back before giving the man a shake.
"Look!" The black hooded assassin nodded towards down the road. A man was sauntering towards them, dressed in assassin garb. He was a novice just like the two of them but seemed to have the grace of a Master. Was he their target?
"They did say we would know him as soon as we spotted him." Ottavio muttered, standing up. Fausto, even with his hood on, looked rather worried.
"No. No no no, this is not-" He stood up along with his partner and quickly headed into the shadows of an alley. Ezio seemed rather confused of the situation. Ears down, the pup began to whine softly as he cowered in between Fausto's legs. The black hooded assassin looked down, shushing the dog softly.
"Do not cry, Ezio. We are just as worried as you are."
"Probably even more so." Ottavio commented as the other assassin drew close to where they were. The two novices held their breaths, foolishly hoping that it would aid them in hiding. It didn't matter; the man passed them and left a trail of rose scented air behind him.
"…Well that's odd." The blond remarked as he took a few more sniffs of the air.
"Rose oil? Why would someone mark themselves with something like that?" Fausto wrinkled up his nose and held his sleeve to it in disgust. It seemed to be a little bit too potent for his liking.
"Maybe that's what they meant." The blond poked his head out of the alleyway after the man, "Maybe they marked him. They should have said 'as soon as you smelled him' really…"
"I now know why you were so concerned, mio amico." Fausto sneered. This was horrible. They had been sent on a suicide mission. Were they that poor of assassins that they had to be taken care of in such a vile manner? Red brows furrowed as his anger grew.
"He doesn't seem too concerned about anything. It looks like he's flirting with every pretty girl he meets." Ottavio's words bring him out of his thoughts. With new found curiosity, Fausto drew close to his friend who jutted his finger out to show the way to the romancing assassin.
The woman caught in the assassin's sweet motions seemed to be rather flustered and accepting of whatever he was saying to her. The man took her hand, and carefully kissed it. Not a second after, the woman swooned. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground. The man gave a laugh, but helped the woman back to her feet.
"…Well damn."
The two continue to stalk the mysterious man for the rest of the afternoon. To be honest, they really didn't want to kill him. He seemed like quite the challenge and just plain interesting to watch. Eventually, the two novices muster up the courage to take him on.
"So, the plan is that we come at him from both sides and catch him off guard."
"Wait wait no! We should send Ezio in to distract him! Then we'll get him from both sides!"
"NO!" Fausto holds the black puppy close to his chest, giving a rather protective look from under his dark hood, "Ezio will NOT risk his life!"
"It would give us a point in which to set up!" Ottavio argued, trying to pull the puppy out of the other man's clutches, "We don't know where he could be going next! And only a few streets have alleys on both sides that line up!"
"You're just jealous because Ezio got to play with those children earlier." Fausto declares, giving a huff. The blond rolls his eyes; an un-amused look forming behind mask and hood.
"Damn it Fausto! It has nothing to do with that! I want something to go successfully for once!"
Ezio was fed up. The three of them had been running around all day and had gotten nothing done. The black pup finally wiggled his way out of Fausto's hold and bolted down the street.
"EZIO! NO!" Fausto cried in desperation. With a smirk, Ottavio chases after the dog with the Master novice trailing close behind him. "You did this on purpose Ottavio! You tricked him into doing this!"
"Shut up, idiota!" There was no more time for talking. The little black puppy was headed straight for their target. Ezio stopped, giving a bark and hopping up to place his paws on the man's pants.
"Ah! No! Stupid dog!" The man brushed the puppy off with a swift move of his hand, "I do not need my clothes muddied by a stray!" And that's when the battle cries hit his ear. The assassin lifted his head to see two other hooded men darting straight for him. Before he could even utter a swear, the assassins are on him. One would think that two against one was a frightfully unfair match. Not with this assassin.
The rose scented man quickly shook Fausto and Ottavio off of him. A heartly laugh escaped him as bystanders went running off in all directions.
"So! My opponents finally decide to show themselves!" The man had a voice that only the gods could carry. It was strong and demanding, and maybe a bit over dramatic. He struck a pose which looks similar to the start of a Salsa, "You kept me waiting, my friends! Come now! Have at me if you will!"
"I think this man has had too much wine." Ottavio mutters as he draws a hidden blade.
"Perhaps that's why he was flirting with everyone and their sister?" Fausto offered, debating if he should use his short sword or his throwing knives.
"Hmm, you have a point mio amico." The blond gives a nod as he regards the other assassin, "Do you think it is wise to take two of us? Surely you will die!"
The other man just laughs. He tilts his head back and lets the laugh carry on longer than it should have.
"Oh my friends," He looked to them again, smirk appearing from under his hood. Facial hair. Ottavio instantly became jealous, "Are you sure it is wise to come up against only me? You will be missing your lives very shortly indeed." And the mystery assassin set off, charging at the two men. Fausto and Ottavio closed the distance, letting out another battle cry. The three collided in a mixture of limbs, cloth and metal. Somehow, the weapons were discarded from the whole tussle and the two novices were left to use brute strength.
It was rather hard to concentrate on just what was going on. The mystery assassin's rose oil filled their noses and made them start to choke. Taking that advantage, the other assassin brought their heads together with a rather painful sounding noise. Ottavio tumbled backwards, almost passing out. Fausto, however, manages to blink past the stars in his eyes and tackles their mystery man to the ground.
Finally, to get this mission over with. He really didn't like the idea of the whole thing, but he had to get it done. Retrieving one of his throwing knives from his satchel, Fausto brought his hand up as it was clutched tightly around the weapon. The sun glinted off of it and suddenly, Fausto got a very good look at the face of the man underneath him.
He was scared.
Brown eyes were opened wide in fear and locked onto Fausto's blade. The man seemed to be holding his breath in his chest as the knife lingered in the air. It was one of the first times Fausto had ever hesitated in his life. With the cogs turning in his head, he wondered why the man never used any weapons during battle.
Out of nowhere, Ezio returns. The black pup went over and licked the face of the unconscious assassin, pawing ever so gently. The redhead sighed and dropped his arm. Remaining straddled on top of the assassin, he gives the man a curious look.
"Why have you not used any of your weapons? Do you wish to die?"
The one below him seemed a bit embarrassed. He cast his gaze away from Fausto, his brows wrinkled up in worry.
"D-don't be stupid! I just didn't think I should waste such valuable things on the likes of you!"
Well no one was about to believe that story. Fausto put the knife away and started feeling the other's garb for weapons. Of course, this brought the man under him to whine and complain. He even thrashed a bit. Still, with all the movement the Master novice came to realize that this man had been stripped of all his weapons.
He, like them, had been sent on a suicide mission.
Disgusted, the redhead rose up and stepped away from the man on the ground. Of course, this offended the mystery assassin quite a bit.
"What, is that it? You're not even going to try and-?"
"Zitto." Fausto practically hissed. Ottavio finally had woken up by this point. He rubbed his face, finding that it was coated with slobber.
"Ugh! That is it, Ezio. I am skinning you and turning you into a cap!"
The mystery assassin sat up, his hood completely off. He brought his knees up, moping softly. Across from him, both Ottavio and Ezio were staring at him with the most peculiar look. The dog and the man tilt their head to the side in question.
"What the hell is going on with your hair?" The blond questioned. With a huff, the anonymous assassin turned his head to the side, arms crossed.
"It is a style no one else wears! It is well pronounced and catches the attention of everyone who sees it! It is the embodiment of my essence!"
"Your horse got a hold of your hair, didn't it?" Fausto interjected. There is a silence; a very long and awkward silence that is only broken by the aggravated whimper of Ezio, "What is your name?" he decides to change the subject, "I am Fausto and this is my partner Ottavio. The dog is Ezio."
Ottavio was actually crawling closer to the strange man with child-like wonderment. He reached out a hand and attempted to touch the abnormal hair style.
"I am called Adonis!" The man said as he swatted Ottavio's hand away from his head. He huffed and continued on, "I am best assassin."
Fausto just laughed, "Adonis! Likely story. Your true name, if you please, or I won't pull Ottavio away from you. He seems to be rather fascinated with your hair…"
'Adonis' grumped, trying to push the blond from out of his personal space bubble.
"Fine! M-My name is Affonso! Just get him off me!" And with that, Fausto wrapped his arms around Ottavio's waist and hoisted him off the ground. The blond flailed and tried to retaliate, but the Master novice just set him upon his shoulder. With a rather amused smile, Fausto offered a hand to Affonso.
"Come, mio amico. You ride with us now."