He sat up against the tree, nervously. He had seen strange trees back in Italy, but they were nothing compared to these. Ezio Auditore da Firenze looked at the trees, all of them, in half adoration, half disgust.
The trees had faces.
The bark of the tree compared to the lighting wasn't playing tricks on him. No, these trees were living, breathing, and he also noticed a few dead bodies strewn around the mouths of them.
"Great," Ezio thought, "I'm in a forest full of trees who eat men alive, and I have no idea where I am."
"What's happening?," Lucy asked.
"I don't know," Rebecca answered, "Desmond's vitals are fine, and he seems to be rather calm, it's just that Ezio has dropped off of Italy's map."
"So, he's basically somewhere that the Animus doesn't know about?", Shaun asked in a clipped tone.
"Smart boy.", Rebecca teased.
Ezio heard a sound, most likely the snapping of a branch, and hid behind a rather calm tree. Peering around the trunk, he spotted a beautiful woman. She was dressed in a cerulean colored bustier with silver trims, and a raindrop shaped bust. Her bosom is held in place by strings of black, which seductively reveals her cleavage. His first thought that she was a courtesan, though oddly dressed, as he noticed that there were no trousers covering her legs. A long strip of cloth covered the front of her waist, and she wore thigh length boots of the same color, silver earrings, and gauntlets similarly designed to her boots. He slid out from behind the tree.
"Excuse me miss," he said, and she turned toward him, "Would you mind telling me just where I am located?"
"In the Living Forest, of course." She gave him a look-over. "You're not from here, are you?"
Ezio grinned. "Obviously not. I am from Italy. Tell me, just how may I get there?"
Her kindness quickly dissolved. "An Earthrealmer? I do not tolerate people such as you in Outworld!" She quickly unsheathed two fan-like weapons.
"A fight? This woman has no idea what she is about to get herself into." He positioned himself into a fighting stance, and was ready to defend.
She lunged, her steel fans aimed at his throat, but Ezio nimbly dodged the attack. Using his hidden blade, he countered, stabbing her in the side. Stumbling backwards, Kitana was surprised. She hadn't expected the attack to be countered. Ezio seized this opportunity and punched, connecting with her head, and again, in her gut. He kicked, aiming for her kneecap, but she had disappeared. He suddenly noticed two fans whirling toward him. He ducked just in time, much to Kitana's dismay. She lunged again and again, but he always countered her attacks. Agitated, she lunged with extreme ferocity, but he countered, stabbing her again, feeling ribs break under the strain of his blade. Then he performed a fierce uppercut, shattering her jaw. Knocked down, she seized an opportunity and performed an uppercut, sending him flying. Dazed, Ezio noticed that the Armor of Altair wasn't functioning properly, as he felt the uppercut. Confused, he was hit with the fans, and he bled profusely. He countered one more time, and she stood again dazed. Unsheathing his hidden blades, he brutally slit her throat, and as she fell, he felt at a loss of words. Never before had he shown such brutality, and it surprised him greatly. Knowing he must find out what was happening, he left the area, searching for one to find answers.
"So, what do we do?" Lucy asked, concerned for Desmond's safety.
"We're gonna have to wait it out, I guess." Rebecca replied tensly