19th July, 1481. Firenze
Ezio Auditore de Firenze marched through the dense canopy of trees, seeking out one individual. The man he was seeking was a wanted criminal, an unauthorised assassin. The man was around six feet, and wore black clothes. A thick, hooded ranger coat reaching down to his ankles covered an armoured shirt and pants. Tall leather boots were home to a 5 inch long hidden knife. It was rumoured that he had a similar retracting wristblade to the Assassin's. The Templars had no part in this, and this had been proven. This man seemed motivated by something else.
Ezio had been tracking him for six days. And he was almost upon him. A noise made Ezio turn. He could see someone a few hundred feet away, but it was too small to be the man he was tracking.
What was clear however is that thing individual was armed with a bow. Ezio had never lost a fight before, but he had no idea how good a shot this new foe was. There was a distinct twang, and Ezio's lightning kicked in. He dived sideways behind a tree trunk as a purple feathered arrow splintered against a jagged rock. Ezio pulled himself up to the top branches of the tree, and with expertise swung across to the next tree, and the next until he was staring down on his attacker. Ezio dropped down from the overhanging branch, and landed silently behind the figure. Ezio let his hidden blade slide out before grabbing the man from behind and slamming him with all force on the tree roots. The man cried out, but his cry was silenced by a gloved hand.
"Who are you, and why were you trying to kill me?" Ezio snarled. The man made a sudden movement to escape. Ezio punched him in the face, and blood spurted from his captive's nose.
"Speak, or be silenced for ever" Ezio threatened. The man spat blood onto Ezio's face.
"Go on then you bastard. Long Live the Galavires!" Ezio plunged the wristblade into the man's stomach. The man's eyes bulged for a second before rolling upwards and closing.
The Galavires? Something about that name rang a bell, but Ezio couldn't identify it. He remembered his brother, Altiar, speak of it to Giovani, and Giovani had told him never to speak of 'that day' ever again…
To be continued…. Soon.