The Blade of Eden
The bustling streets of Venice were enough to confuse a person with even the best directional sense. Each street could lead you down to a dead end. Where the streets ended and the water ways began. However for one individual the streets posed no problem the roof tops were far more fun and besides there was always the fun of being chased by one of the incompetent guards. Cahin stood on the roof of Basilica San Marco. By his feet the last of the guards was lying in a pool of his own blood. The Harlequin crouched down removing his dagger from the guard's back. He really needed to stop being so reckless the last fight had nearly broken his dagger. Although he couldn't deny it was tremendous fun. Walking to the edge he looked down into the courtyard. Fiora was waiting for him down below but he was in no hurry. Cahin continued to walk along the edge of the roof mentally checking off the guards left in the Basilica. Jumping down onto a ledge he watched one emerge from under the arch way. Cahin tensed his legs and then leaped off the ledge slamming into the guards back he rapidly drew his daggers and plunged them in and out of the guards back just to be sure he was dead, Leaving the body Cahin stood up storing his daggers he approached Fiora who watched the display with emotionless eyes. "Was it really necessary to kill that guard?" she asked using her fan to cool herself in the bright sun. "He would have asked too many questions otherwise" Cahin smiled beneath his mask stepping closer to Fiora. "I take it you have my next target" he continued holding out his hand. "Si" Fiora relied shortly not giving him the document. "May I have them?" Cahin pressed "You'll get them" Fiora said "but first you need to do something for me" "What?" Cahin asked tilting his head to one side. "Malfatto has been sighted around here" Fiora said a tremble of fear creeping into her voice not surprisingly. The doctor known as Malfatto was a known killer of courtesans and whilst both he and Fiora worked for Cesare there was no way that their master could guarantee her protection. "Malfatto is here in Venezia?" Cahin asked looking around. "Yes" Fiora replied breathlessly "I need you to escort me to where I'm staying otherwise you know what he might do" "Wait here" Cahin said holding up a hand. "I'll go and fetch my sister we'll escort you together" He turned to leave running up a pile of crates and disappearing over the wall. Fiora watched him leave sick with worry.
It was two hours later when Cahin returned the sun was setting casting a dim twilight over the courtyard. Fiora was sitting on a bench eating an apple one of the guards had given her. A clattering of tiles on the roof alerted her to the return of Cahin with his sister and a few seconds later the two dropped down into the courtyard. "My brother has told me about the situation" Caha said sitting beside Fiora. "He will follow us on the rooftops and I'll escort you on the ground" Fiora nodded throwing the apple away. "Wait here for five minutes whilst I scout the area then make your way to your house" Cahin said before disappearing up the wall. Five minutes later Fiora walked through the gate of the Basilica with Caha close at her side in the area outside the city was truly coming to life. Vendors hollered from their stalls advertising the latest hot foods they had to offer. Wine flowed freely and citizens in brightly coloured masks twirled in the light from the setting sun. Fiora looked up and saw Cahin watching from the rooftops. In the centre of a courtyard two doctors leaned over a patient but it was impossible to tell the regular doctors apart from Malfatto in the half light. Fiora quickly hurried through the crowds Caha close behind. They exited through one of the archways and crossed the bridge connecting to the next piece of land. "Where are you staying?" Caha asked. "Across the Rialto Bridge there is a small workshop that used to belong to Da Vinci" "The one who designed Cesare's war machines?" Caha asked. "The same" Fiora replied turning down an alley way.
Up on the rooftops Cahin kept a watchful eye on the pair walking on the ground below. So intense was his concentration that he never noticed the figure approaching from behind. He noticed when the figures forearm slammed in his neck. His body stood rigid for a moment and then collapsed. "Now my friend" Malfatto whispered crouching down and picking up Cahin's limp body "Let's put you somewhere safe for now" Malfatto carried Cahin over to a rooftop garden quickly depositing him inside. "You will be safe there" the doctor said before turning his gaze to the street below.
On the street Fiora looked up and drew in a sharp breath when she couldn't find Cahin. "Caha I think Malfatto has found us" Fiora said reaching for her fan. "Where?" Caha asked looking around. "Up on the rooftops I think" Fiora replied quickening her pace "Your brother isn't there anymore" a small moan escaped Caha at the thought of what Malfatto might have done to her brother. Her thoughts were cut off at a scream from Fiora. At the end of the street the glint of a metal mask betrayed Malfatto's presence stepping forward into the moon light the doctor was revealed in all his terrible glory. His robes were coloured a deep red and on his chest was a symbol of a Caduceus. The irony was not lost on Fiora. Turning to run she saw two more figures blocking the exit. "My apprentices won't hurt you" Malfatto called whilst drawing his syringe out of its holster. Caha drew her daggers and turned towards the doctor. "This woman works for Cesare" Caha called "Surely you don't want to anger him?" "Cesare can find another cheap whore any time he wants" Malfatto replied advancing on Fiora who had dropped to the ground in fear. "Please" Fiora begged "It is true I used to work at the Rosa in Fiora but no more" "Past, present it makes little difference" Malfatto replied coldly continuing to advance on Fiora "You are still another filthy whore that needs purging." He chuckled preparing his syringe to administer the poison. Caha was stuck between her morals and her orders from Cesare. The penalty if she killed or even harmed Cesare's personal doctor would be unthinkable. Behind her Malfatto's two apprentices watched blankly as their master bore down on Fiora who was whimpering on the ground. "Time to remove another piece of trash from this city" Malfatto snarled raising his syringe. Suddenly there was a shout from the end of the street where Malfatto had first come from. "Hold right there Malfatto" The voice called before its owner stepped into the moonlight. The figure was dressed in a long dark blue overcoat behind him stood a figure in a dark red cloak the hood drawn up. Beside this figure stood a slightly shorter one in a black cloak like the figure in the red hood her face was obscured. "Teodore?" Malfatto asked lowering his syringe. "What are you doing in Venezia?" "I have orders directly from Cesare" Teodore replied walking towards the doctor. "And they are?" Malfatto asked still keeping his syringe at his side. "There has been an incident that is all I know. Cesare has requested that we return to Il Vaticano immediately" "all of his agents?" Malfatto asked again?" "Si" was Teodore's short reply. He walked past Malfatto and helped Fiora to her feet. She buried her head in his shoulder before collapsing into tears at how close she had come to death. Behind Malfatto Lia and Il Lupo watched impassively. "I shall go and prepare to leave" Malfatto said before signalling to his two apprentices to follow him. "You will find your brother in one of the rooftop gardens" Malfatto said as he passed Caha before disappearing into the shadows. "Bastardo" Caha muttered under her breath before scaling the nearby wall in search of her brother leaving Teodore to comfort the distraught Fiora.
Two weeks later all of Cesare's Templar agents assembled in one of the private rooms of Castel S'ant Angelo. Cahin fully recovered from his injury was sitting in a chair next his sister. Teodore stood loyally by Cesare. Fiora was trying to stay as far away from Malfatto as possible and trying to make it clear that she wasn't impressed by Silvestro's advances. "My agents no doubt you are wondering why you have all been summoned here" Cesare began lifting himself from his chair. "I hope it is worthwhile Cesare" Verullo spoke up "My forces had to abandon the Romagna front because of your orders" "relax my friend" Cesare replied motioning for Verullo to sit. "My reasons are perfectly justifiable" "The Cento Occhi gang have recently been harassing our cardinals. I need you to find and recruit their leader" "You called all of us here for a simple recruitment mission?" Malfatto asked his anger all too clear. "Not a mere recruitment my friend" Cesare replied walking over to the window. "My spies have found another piece of Eden. I am dispatching the remainder of you to find and retrieve it" "Where is this piece located?" Cahin asked. "France" Cesare replied "There is a ship waiting for you, you are to be out of the city by night fall" The assembled agents aside from those reserved for the recruitment mission stood to leave Fiora sighed with relief when Silvestro stayed seated but a cold shudder of fear went down her back when Malfatto followed her out of the door.
On the boat Cahin and his sister balanced on one of the poles supporting the mast. From this high up they had a fantastic view of the setting sun and couldn't help but be reminded of their life before Cesare had recruited them. Fiora was standing on the deck below, Teodore close at her side should Malfatto make an appearance. Il Lupo and Lia had retreated below deck and hadn't come up in the past two hours and the twins were enjoying the thought of how they were going to annoy them later on. Verullo was talking to Donato who was piloting the ship. The other Templar agents had stayed behind to oversee the recruitment of Lurtz and his gang. The weather looked calm and the twins were excited at the thought of seeing their home country again. They were about to exit the river Tiber when a dozen figures jumped over the side of the boat. There was no mistaking them for who they were. The white hoods were a clear indication. "Assassine" Verullo shouted drawing his sword. Cahin jumped down off the mast drawing his daggers he slammed into one assassin plunging his daggers into her back. Caha threw a smoke bomb into the largest group before joining Teodore who was running to take advantage of the distraction. Caha jumped over one assassin plunging her dagger into his neck she slit another assassin's throat with her second. Teodore plunged his epieu into one assassin's back swiftly removing his weapon he spun on his heel slicing another assassin's stomach wide open. Verullo was fighting back to back with Donato their blades a blur as they deflected assassin blows and dealt their own. Three figures burst from below the deck. Lia and Il Lupo soared into the air burying their blades in two assassin's throats. Malfatto wandered amongst the chaos laughing maniacally his syringe puncturing the flesh of any assassin that came near him a few seconds later their bodies would collapse to the ground blood haemorrhaging from their mouths. A few minutes later Verullo removed his sword from the last assassin and stored it back in its sheath. "A desperate attack" Teodore noted crouching down beside one of the bodies. "These are only assassin apprentices designed to delay us" "Clearly the assassin's also know of the piece of Eden that exists" Donato noted cleaning his sword on a cloth. "We should hurry and try to get to the French coast as soon as possible" Malfatto noted. "No doubt the assassins have already contacted their French base informing them of our arrival" "I'll send a message to Cesare asking for a legion of Papal guards to escort us" Fiora said walking past Malfatto and disappearing below deck.
Cahin walked to the fore of the deck looking at the last rays of sun light and wondering if it had been better to stay in Roma.