Hello Everyone! How's life? I am just gonna say Hi and thanks for stopping by to check out this story! Hopefully some people will like it There's way more! Btw: I am open to ANY and ALL suggestions that anyone has! You can alter the storyline as much as you want, suggest away! So long as I can change it without messing everything else up ! Plus I would like it very much if people CONSTRUCTIVELY criticized this story. I really wish to improve my writing and would appreciate it a HEAP! Thanks! Xx Bai!
I do not own Assassins Creed or Ac 2! That belongs to Ubisoft!
The streets of Venice were loud as per usual and not a soul noticed anything different in the atmosphere tonight. The vibrant colours of the lights in shops drew attention away from the dark shadows that dotted the alleyways and rooftops of the city, looming menacingly at the crowds despite the obliviousness of passers by.
One figure in particular was discreetly moving in and out of different groups of people, not uttering a word, but evading the guards that patrolled the streets day and night.
The swerving body was none other than Ezio Auditore, he adorned black assassins robes and his beloved hood and kept his head in a permanent dip to avoid unwanted attention. Due to a recent misadventure the guards were currently on high alert, just waiting for him to slip up again so they could slit his throat. Which was definitely not going to happen at this rate, not while there were still people alive that did not deserve that privilege.
Ezio continued to manoeuvre in between the clueless citizens, darting through the group of courtesans that barricaded his path and ignoring the petty thrives that waved to him and whistled to get his attention. His main objective right now was to get home to see his mother and sister again. A good three days had passed and he had remained in Venice, learning new skills from the thieves and scoping out the city. With all of the feathers he'd collected and the assassins seal he had yet to return, the Italian could find no reason not to visit his uncles manor in Monteriggioni.
But first, there was a slight delay, Ezio had to make a stop at Leonardo's workshop one last time, another codex page was yet to be deciphered.
Growing tired of traveling on the ground Ezio decided to find the nearest ladder and scale the rooftops instead. Blending in wasn't bad but traveling on the roofs would be far more effective now that the guards patrols had thinned out.
The assassin began his ascent up the nearest building, unfazed by the horrified people when he jumped onto a window sill and hoisted himself up almost effortlessly.
"This night could not get any more dull..."
He sighed and began to sprint across the intricately placed roof tiles.
At an entirely different time period, in a different country, another assassin swept through the air, white robes trailing behind him as he ran from the furious guards chasing him.
"Kill him!"
"I will end you!"
"Die! Infidel!"
A smile crept onto the man lips as he slowed his pace, the guards would never catch him, they never did, why not have some fun and fight them back, six against one would require very little exertion for the grandmaster.
He spun around suddenly and unsheathed his sword plunging it into the guard ghosting him just prior, next he went into a defensive stance, waiting for one of the guards to make a move.
Finally the last guard fell, caught off guard as he gagged at the sight of the mutilated corpse of his comrade.
The white assassin holstered his blade and turned to leave, he jumped slightly when a man called his name out of nowhere, "What do you want Malik? Why are you not in the bureau?" Altair turned to glare at his friend.
The man returned the scowl Altair seemed to have plastered to his face and spoke sharply, "Altair, you are needed back at Masayaf, the apple of Eden continues to play up."
The white robed assassin's eyes flickered slightly at the mention of the apple. Altair had defeated Al Mualim only a few weeks ago and had recovered the artefact from his "masters" grasp at the same time. It was an unstable and highly dangerous trinket that was, when used inappropriately, capable of controlling people's minds and movements, but also had far greater power that was yet to be discovered by the assassins. Altair knew he shouldn't have left the assassin stronghold but he forced himself to check up on Malik and some of the other assassins in Jerusalem.
"Is it serious?" Altair asked quietly, knowing the answer.
"Another one of our brothers has been absorbed into the apple, he merely touched the artefact and disappeared without a trace." Malik sighed and did his best to push on, "it is the seventh brother in the past month, personally, I do believe this is quite serious..."
Altair frowned at the Dai and looked away to gather his thoughts. The golden atrocity was causing more trouble than it was worth, unlike Al Mualim, Altair actually valued (almost) every one of the assassins in the creed. No life was to go to waste, even at the expense of a mission. But this was getting ridiculous; the Grandmaster did not wish to leave Malik but would no longer endanger anymore lives.
"Then I shall go," Altair pulled his hood down to cover his disappointed expression, "will you come with me then brother?" again, not expecting to hear what he wanted, he turned away readying to leave.
Malik smiled and jumped down from the roof he had been standing on to level his gaze with the grandmasters. "Well of course "master." I would not haul myself out of that godforsaken bureau if I was not going anywhere important, do you honestly think I would go to all that trouble for you?" more than a statement then a question but Altair still turned his head sideways to answer, "no, probably not."
Malik gave a hearty laugh and rested his elbow on Altair's right shoulder. The younger assassin smiled inwardly before shrugging Malik's arm off and breaking into a light run.
They reached the city gates just after noon; guards in hot pursuit after Altair had "accidentally" toppled over in the middle of the street into a small group of them.
"Hurry up Mal! This was all your fault in the first place, get a move on!" Altair turned to see Malik jogging up to him, one eyebrow raised in mock confusion.
"Well Altair, perhaps next time you will learn to hold your tongue when you are proven wrong, novice..." the older assassin felt guilt wash over as Altair's face fell at the mention of his old nickname. Malik had coined him it long ago after a certain betrayal and tragedy but had refrained from calling him "novice" since he had forgiven the younger man, still though, old habits die hard.
"Look Altair, I am sorry okay. I was just frustrated an-"
The Dai hit the ground hard as Altair yanked him forward by the front of his robes. An arrow flew overhead just as the grandmaster ducked to evade it colliding with his skull. Malik tried to remain calm faced as Altair flicked his hidden blade out and briskly stabbed it into the nearest guard's neck, it had been too long since Malik had last been covered with another's blood, or at least, that of a Templars, so being covered in it now almost made the Dai gag. If not for the wind being pushed out of him as Altair landed heavily onto his back he may have done just that. The white robed assassin rolled off his fellow brother almost as soon as he landed but not before ending another guard's life.
Malik shifted uncomfortably underneath him as more blood landed atop the Dai's clothes. Altair quickly lay on the ground beside his friend and eyed him quickly to make sure he was alright. The Rafiq surely wasn't gagging because of a little spilt blood, but then again, he hadn't truly been out in the field for a good few years.
Malik looked towards Altair and smiled weakly before gesturing once again towards the gates with a nod of his head. Waiting for a gap in the crowds of people as they scampered in all directions screaming and causing an unnecessary amount of commotion as well as making sure the guards did not spot the two figures as they ran they both spotted their chance almost simultaneously. Without a word they stood together and ran, quickly jumping on the first two horses they could find, galloping away in the hopes that the guards would not follow.
"Salute Claudia."
Ezio waved his hand briefly as he passed his younger sister, making his way to place the final assassin's seal he had found.
She looked up from her writing to face her brother rolling her eyes as she spoke, "Are you here to look at the book?"
Ezio paused to turn and frown at his sister, "no Claudia, I do not care about the stupid book and neither should you. You spend all day reading and writing in the ridiculous thing, go outside and get some fresh air. Take the day off for once."
Claudia snorted and raised her head high to look down her nose at her assassin brother, "unlike you dear brother, madre will not allow me to go and train to be one of the assassinos. So if this is what I must do to help then so be it." she lowered her eyes again and returned to writing in the enormous book.
Ezio opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut when she glanced at him suspiciously. He settled for just glaring daggers at her and leaving the room as quickly as possible before he fired off a rude comment that was bound to land him in trouble.
"Madre!" he looked up towards the balcony above his uncles desk expecting his mother to appear from within her room. Instead she glided into the room through the door leading outside with a small smile on her lips. "Mi spiace, ma-"
"Mi è indifferente, are you looking for Leonardo?" She approached him slowly, eyes still clouded over as she rested a loving hand on Ezio's shoulder.
"Sì Madre, have you seen him?"
"Io penso di sì. He might be in your room painting another portrait of one of your deceased foes." Ezio forced himself to ignore his mother's blank stare as she tried to look at him intently.
"Grazie Madre, a presto," he said swiftly, leaving the room quickly before Maria saw his obvious grimace.
He ascended the stairs and turned right ducking behind the banister too avoid his work-obsessed sister's death glare.
Before he headed to his (and apparently Leonardo's) room he would first have to drop off those feathers he'd collected for his mother. The painter would just have to wait.
Why Mr Da Vinci had decided to "move in" he would never know, Leonardo's excuse had been, "I like to have a workspace everywhere I visit." Yes, well, if Leonardo wasn't such an old friend then Ezio would've sent him home long ago. Truth was, he had originally set up his little workshop downstairs in the first room to the right, however, as time moved on, and days became weeks, Ezio's uncle had helpfully suggested he move into the Assassins room, mostly to avoid another confrontation with the architect about the feisty painter.
"Leo? Are you in here?" Ezio ducked under a hanging painting and looked around curiously for his friend. "Leo...?"
Ezio practically jumped out of his skin as his painter friend popped his head out from a dark corner calling his name.
"Ezio! How are you, my friend?" Leonardo grinned at the assassin, cheerily waving his paintbrush at the other man. "I'm almost finished Ezio... NO, DON'T LOOK AT THAT!"
Leonardo darted forward, knocking down several paintings resting on the floor in the process. Ezio stepped back, dropping the white sheet he'd been holding, "Leo! Relax," Leonardo clutched the sheet fearfully, "I didn't see the painting..." Ezio sighed.
The painter straightened his stance, smile returning to his face as he returned to his work. "Mi dispiace Ezio, but that work is important and you know how much I hate showing off unfinished pieces." Ezio rolled his eyes and leant against the desk in the centre of the room.
"Capisco, look Leo, I hate to interrupt you, but I need you to decipher a few codex pages for m-"
"Say no more!" Leonardo reached forward beckoning for the pages, Ezio held back for less than a second and Leonardo snatched the paper right from his hands, "if you merely swap these letters around and then take every letter just before the punctuation..."
Ezio zoned out at pretty much the first word Da Vinci had said. He gazed around the room distractedly, beginning to pace the room out of sheer boredom before returning his gaze to his best friend. Leonardo leant over a pile of seemingly discarded paintings with his brows furrowed. His tongue stuck out of his mouth as he tried to decipher the last segment of the codex page he currently held. Ezio smiled at his friend warmly, holding back a chuckle at his best friend as he scratched his head vigorously, as if trying to unearth a recently forgotten memory.
Ezio didn't even notice himself gazing at his best friend, too caught up thinking about all the adventures they'd had together. Their first meeting, the insane carriage ride, the flying machine...
The painter looked up slightly and much to his satisfaction saw Ezio staring at him intently. He fought away a smile as the assassin clearly mentally slapped himself but didn't look away.
"Discreet Ezio..." Leonardo mumbled underneath his breath. The assassin appeared to be almost at war with himself and Leonardo decided to end his suffering.
"Uh, mi amigo? Are you okay?" Leonardo sounded genuinely concerned and Ezio found it more than difficult to find his voice. Instead he let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before reaching out for the deciphered pages.
"Grazie, Leonardo." Ezio smiled as best he could at the painter but almost dropped the codex's when Leonardo smirked at him and winked.
The Italian had never blushed so deeply... or ran so fast.
So yeah… TADA! Hope u like it! Don't worry, much more interesting stuff will happen next time ;) See ya!