Curse of Romulus

by VampireQueenAkasha

AU: The Followers of Romulus served the wolf, living among the shadows of Rome. Their myths and beliefs were often proven to be false. Except for one...

Curse of Romulus

Disclaimer: I don't really know why I had such an urge to write this. I know it may or may not violate cannon, but really, I'll do with what I can. The idea has plagued my mind every single day. I had to write it down.

"Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey."

-Lord Byron

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

-Deuteronomy 30:19

By: VampireQueenAkasha

"A place in heaven awaits those who serve the wolf!"

-Leader of the Followers of Romulus

Roma 1502 AD

The furious howling sounds of the Followers grew louder as Ezio fled through the church to escape with the Scroll of Romulus clutched tightly in his hands. Also, an iron key dangled from the rolled parchment.

"I'll kill you, bastard!" came a shout from the darkness.

Ezio smirked. Give it your best shot then.

He had already taken two of the Scrolls of Romulus so far. According to the scrolls themselves, they led to a treasure that the Followers kept well hidden and the only way to discover the rest was through a series of six scrolls scattered around Rome. Ezio certainly enjoyed the option of bringing down these pagan worshippers who had become allies of the Borgia enemy. If he also received something out of it, it was even that much more of a reward.

He climbed up onto a section of old pillars and up toward the banisters before pausing at the sight of lit candles that led a path toward another door. The shadows danced in an unnatural way around the door. There was also a strange symbol painted into the wood, one that Ezio was not familiar with. He immediately made his way toward the door before pushing it opening, preparing his wrist blade should he need it.

Someone was breathing heavily.

Ezio peered into the room, spotting several candles placed on old tables, chairs and around a shrine built to their God, Romulus. A man was kneeling before the altar, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the priests of these pagan followers.

"There's no need for that, boy," an aged voice whispered, "I do not wish to fight you."

Ezio frowned as the man turned, revealing his aged, scarred features. One of his eyes appeared to be missing; the extent of the damages it appeared that he had received looked too severe for any man to recover from. Ezio could also see what rested in front of the altar; a bone-white object slender on one end and wide on the other. The wider end was tipped with bronze and had the strange symbol that had been painted on the door carved into the bronze.

"I am the Elder of this Den," the man told him, "Jacopo da Toscana." He held up a hand when Ezio advanced. "If I wanted to have you killed, I would have summoned my den brothers a long time ago. I am not here to quarrel with you."

"Jacopo," Ezio said, retracting his wrist blade, "If you are not willing to fight, perhaps we can discuss other ways for settling the matter with the Borgia."

Jacopo sighed and shook his head as if he had expected this a long time ago. He slowly rose to his feet, maintaining better distance from him. "Forgive me for that; but they left us no choice," he told the man, "Young pup, you must understand; humans have always interfered in things that they couldn't possibly comprehend. Cesare came to us demanding our services. He happened to be the highest bidder, so we took it."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow for this to continue," Ezio told him, his wrist blade emerging, "I'm sorry."

The priest couldn't stop smiling this time and Ezio sensed something particularly disturbing about him. That eye... It looked almost black in the dimmed light of the candles and those teeth suddenly appeared to look long and jagged. It was the shadows and the scars of his face that made him seem...unnatural.

"Perhaps I can offer you a gift, then, assassino (assassin)," Jacopo said, turning to the artifact on the altar, "A peace offering between the Assassin Order and the Sect of the Wolves."

Ezio frowned skeptically; though the offer was a bit farfetched, he still couldn't deny an offering.

Jacopo held out the curved, dagger-like object to him and Ezio took it, studying its ever feature. "What is this?" he asked.

"The Rib of Romulus himself," Jacopo said, with a smile ever continuous, "Our greatest treasure."

Ezio frowned suspiciously now. "Why are you giving this to me?" he asked, "Surely the keys that I have taken-"

"Lead to the treasure of a warrior named Brutus," Jacopo continued, "This object, however is a relic like no other; it has blessed the elders of our sect with unimaginable power. It is both a curse and a blessing."

"Clearly..." Ezio remarked, still doubtful.

Jacopo chuckled softly. "Take it and leave. You will come to understand in time."

Ezio eventually departed, though he felt a sense of regret in doing so.

O

Ezio returned to Leonardo at their meeting spot with the new offering, still uncertain by the result of his claim.

"What do you make of it?" Ezio asked the other man.

Leonardo studied the rib up and down, his brow knotted in confusion. "It appears to be a simple rib bone, Ezio," he told him, "I hardly believe that there is a curse on it."

"You did not see this strange man," Ezio argued, "He was not like the other followers..."

Leonardo chuckled softly and offered the rib back to Ezio. "My friend, that is not the sound of fear that I hear, is it?"

"Of course it isn't. There is just something more to the man than I have encountered before among the Followers of Romulus."

"So you killed him?"

"...No."

Leonardo looked a little bothered, but said nothing more on the matter. Instead, he smiled and nodded his head. "Then I have some better news for you," he said, reaching behind him to remove something wrapped in cloth, "I have made some modifications to your other wrist blade."

Ezio smiled. "Ah, thank you, Leonardo. Is there nothing you cannot do?"

Leonardo actually laughed. "The list is relatively small."

Ezio took the offering and stood up. "I think it's time to call it a night," he said. "I will retire for a few hours."

After departing and going their separate ways, Ezio paused and looked up toward the sky at the moon above. The sky was clear tonight; it was filled with stars and it gave an excellent view of the bright crescent shape. Ezio didn't know what made him cast his gaze to the sky.

But he did.

O

A few weeks later

It was difficult to sleep.

Ezio attempted to sleep at the La Volpe Addormentata, but he felt restless and unable to do so. Instead, he decided to get himself dressed and find something to eat. La Volpe was at the bar drinking when Ezio took a spot beside him.

La Volpe looked over at his friend. "Ezio, you don't look well."

"I'm fine; I appreciate your concern, La Volpe," Ezio responded with a mild edge, "I have business to take care of in Venice. I was hoping to..." He trailed off suddenly and grimaced, rubbing his ear once with the palm of his hand, as if attempting to rid himself of an irritating itch. "Ah, everyone's talking too loud in here. I need to step outside to think."

La Volpe frowned as he watched his friend disappear. "Ezio, wait a minute. I have to speak with you."

But Ezio was already gone. He felt a sense of peace after departing from the source of his irritation; it was odd because having so many people talking around him at once never bothered him before. It had been difficult for him to focus given his lack of sleep. As an Assassin Master, it was his responsibility to maintain a constant alert, not only for the oppressed people of Rome, but for his Assassin recruits who relied on him for his teachings.

It was becoming exhausting, but Ezio couldn't let it wear away at him. The Borgia were never going to rest, so why should he?

The sounds of voices began to bother him again as he entered the Centro District, passing a few carts and shops set up where people were trading and selling. He attempted to blot out the sounds as they slowly, eventually became unbearable. Usually, Ezio could control what he heard and take in what was important, but this night, something felt wrong. He held his head in one hand and tried to blot out the rapidly droning sound of the crowds.

"Ezio?"

He blinked and looked back at the sound of his name. Claudia was approaching with a basket of what appeared to be fruits. She looked concerned.

"Claudia," Ezio said, attempting to look as he always did; calm and composed, "What are you doing away from the Rosa at this time of night?"

"I was purchasing some produce when I saw you," Claudia explained, squinting. She could see that something wasn't quite right about her brother tonight.

Ezio smiled. "Well, I will walk you back," he told her, "There are a lot of madmen running about, you realize."

Claudia seemed to forget about her concern and pricked her chin up with an irritated snort. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself, Ezio," she argued, "After all, I am an Auditore. There is no man who would dare lay a hand on me."

"They would be quick to lose it," Ezio agreed.

The two siblings began their trip back to the Rosa.

"Don't you have tasks to complete, brother?" Claudia asked him, "Walking your younger sister back to work shouldn't be one of them."

Ezio laughed gently. "I can spare a few moments."

Overhead, the clouds parted, revealing the pale, white face of the full moon. Then, an earsplitting howl pierced through the night, freezing Ezio where he stood. The sound went by unnoticed by Claudia and the rest of the citizens as they could not hear it. It took Ezio a moment to realize that the sound seemed only audible to his ears alone. Why did they not hear it? It was as loud as cannon fire to his eardrums and it nearly echoed.

Claudia turned and noticed that her brother was no longer following. Instead, he was casting his eyes wildly around him, as if sensing the presence of the devil himself. Then, he jerked back, like he had been punched in the stomach and turned from her.

Ezio groaned softly, staring down at his hands. There was a pain that started in his fingertips, like the sensation of being slowly burned. Then, it became so hot that he felt like his hand was going to burst. The tips of his fingers suddenly split and the searing pain increased. He gripped his wrist, staring down in mute shock at what was happening. Slowly, something was wriggling through the bloodied tissues of his fingertips, working their way out in sharp, deadly points.

"Ezio?" Claudia said, "Are you okay?"

He struggled to calm his voice, though it came out pained. "I have to go, Claudia," he groaned, "I must leave!"

Before she could protest, he bolted through the crowds, limping in his gait. Overhead on the rooftops, he was being observed by La Volpe, who watched the scene with mild concern before he gave chase to the Auditore.

Through the crowd, there were citizens attempting to offer aid to Ezio, but he pushed them away with a frantic snarl, struggling to make his way out into the forests. Something drew him toward the shadows, something against his own will. The pain lancing through his body was intense and every bone within felt as if he was being crushed in a vice. La Volpe followed him, keeping a reasonable pace, but always keeping him in sight. Ezio gave a low moan, stopping once into an alley, seemingly to catch his breath.

La Volpe blinked, stunned when Ezio turned, looking around frantically. It gave him a perfect view of the man's face; his eyes appeared to nearly glow with unholy yellow fire and his teeth looked sharper in his mouth. The howl sounded again and this time, Ezio appeared to struggle inwardly before rushing toward the source of the howl. La Volpe followed once more until Ezio disappeared through the farmer's fields, doubling over.

La Volpe heard another sound that straightened the hairs on his head; the sound of Ezio's screams. He wanted to go to the Assassin slouched over in the field, writhing and moaning in obvious pain, but something kept him in his spot.

Self preservation perhaps?

He sensed something from his pained comrade that forced him away; something unknown and terrifying.

Then, Ezio screamed again, only it sounded lower and angry this time. His back seemed to swell and the Assassin robes covering him slowly ripped from the stretching of flesh, the elongation of the bones. The ripping sound was either the tearing of his skin or the clothes, either way it was sickening.

"Mother of God..." La Volpe whispered.

Fear was not an emotion the thief leader could afford to have; certainly not in this day and age. But what he witnessed next sent a stabbing sensation through his chest that he had never known since the time of his childhood and his abusive father.

Through the glare of the moon, La Volpe could see Ezio's body disappear beneath a rippling mass of muscle and thick black hair that sprouted from the pores of the man's skin. He appeared to grow twice in size and his screams eventually died down among the snapping and popping of bones, replaced with deep, hellish snarls and roars. Ezio was gone and in his place slowly rose a near nine-foot tall creature that La Volpe had only read about in myth.

This was obviously no myth.

The creature stretched on two legs, breathing heavily. Thick, wet sounds filled the air of its panting and it cast its gaze to the moon before letting loose a piercing howl. La Volpe stepped back and the sound of his movements caused the large, pointed ears on the werewolf's head to flap slightly. The wolf slowly turned with a menacing snarl at the intrusion.

It had the massive head of a wolf and its body was covered in thick, black fur - the same color of Ezio's hair. Its eyes were fiery orbs of hell itself and bore down on the man with murderous intent. Every inch of its body rippled with raw, powerful muscle and ended in long, sharp claws.

"Merda (Shit)," La Volpe murmured.

The wolf let out a leonine roar and sprinted forward. La Volpe turned and fled wth the werewolf hot on his heels. It pursued him on two legs for several yards before dropping onto all fours, snarling after the man as he raced toward the Colosseo. Perhaps if he had some sort of a height advantage over the creature, he could find an effective way to take it out without having to resort to killing his transformed ally.

La Volpe felt relief when he rushed up the length of the walls and discovered no one present. There could be no casualties and certainly not something like it on Ezio's concience once he returned to his normal form.

The wolf snarled and attempted to scale the stone after La Volpe, but the stones gave away in the added weight and caused it to tumble onto the ground once more with a fierce snarl of frustration. It paced around La Volpe's perch before lunging and attempting to snatch at him with its large claws.

"What must we do now, Ezio?" La Volpe whispered quietly down to the fierce beast below.

Another howl shattered the tranquil night and the werewolf looked over its shoulder before responding with a howl of its own. Then, it turned and fled into the forest. La Volpe watched his friend disappear and remained there until dawn.

O

The sun nearly blinded Ezio the next morning.

He could hear the sounds of pigs grunting around him and he straightened, focusing his bleary gaze on the slobbery, wet snout of a pig. He attempted to sit up and his body ached in every single place. Ezio could see that he was outside and when he looked around, he noticed that he was also lying in a bed of muddy hay. Even worse. He was naked.

"What in the hell?" Ezio mumbled, still somewhat dazed.

The sound of people approaching startled him out of his daze and he immediately took cover beneath a pile of hay. He watched as a man and woman walked by, talking and laughing before disappearing up the hillside. Ezio took that chance and quickly scanned the area. He spotted a line of clothes hanging outside and immediately rushed up, keeping low to avoid detection. He snatched a white shirt and pants before fitting them on.

Walking barefoot back to Tiber Island wasn't going to be fun, but he would have to deal with that until he found answers. On the way, he did receive many stares from those in the streets; they must have guessed that he was a poor beggar.

In the street, he was stopped by La Volpe. "Ezio, I've finally found you. We need to talk. Now."

Ezio shook his head. "Not now. There's something going on," he said, pushing him aside, "I have to find out what happened last night."

"I know what happened, Ezio," La Volpe told him, speaking in a harder, much more serious tone, "I think you need to come with me."

Ezio looked somewhat exasperated, but he followed La Volpe anyway. "What happened to my clothes then?" he asked the man.

"They are being mended by a tailor, but that's not the issue here, Ezio," La Volpe said, glaring at the man, "We have a problem. A very big problem that involves you." He paused and his hardened look softened somewhat, studying Ezio's features. "Do you not remember anything about last night?"

"I was walking Claudia to the Rosa in Fiore," Ezio explained, "But then I..."

He trailed off and La Volpe tilted his head expectantly. "You what?" he asked.

Ezio's features were clouded with confusion and frustration. "I remember a howl," he said, "I heard the howling of an animal and then...nothing."

La Volpe frowned and reached into a pouch at his side. He removed the rib and held it up to Ezio. "Where did you get this?"

"I retrieved it from the Followers of Romulus below the city," Ezio said, "But what does that have to do with-"

"Who gave it to you?" La Volpe interrupted, his voice harder now.

Ezio shook his head. "There was a man. He addressed himself as Jacopo da Toscana," he explained, "He offered the rib as a token of peace. I told him that I would consider his offer, but it would be highly unlikely should they continue their allegiance with the Borgia."

La Volpe's features were rigid with pain and restrained fury.

O

Ezio felt relieved to be back in his old robes again and returned to the Tiber Island guild, but he wasn't thrilled with the stares that he received from his comrades. Leonardo looked doubtful, but also quickly gathered some books in the background.

"What is all of this?" he snapped, "Why have I been questioned?"

Machiavelli also seemed impatient as well. "Indeed, La Volpe," he said, looking at the thief leader with disdain, "This is ridiculous. We have other matters to concern with besides foolish myths and fairy tales."

La Volpe looked at them. "I have to be sure that what I saw was no hallucination."

Something crashed in the background and they looked back at a thief who had dropped several of Leonardo's books.

"Please be careful!" Leonardo said, "Those are original prints!"

Leonardo gathered the books onto a table and opened several of them. Once he had the pages that he wanted, he looked up at Ezio. "Romulus and his brother Remus were the founders of Rome, but it is believed that according to legend, they were raised by a wolf."

Ezio rolled his eyes. "Yes, we're all familiar with the stories."

"Ah!" Leonardo said, holding up a finger, "There is also a belief that by nourishing themselves on the milk of the wolf, they were blessed with the power of the wolf. They could then change at the full moon."

One of the thieves laughed. "Stronzate (bullshit)," he said.

Leonardo shrugged his shoulders. "That is the legend."

La Volpe looked at them. "I know what I saw. There must be a way to be certain."

Ezio seemed amused rather than disturbed. "So you truly believe that I change into a beast by the full moon, do you?" he said, "I must have been ambushed through the crowd and poisoned. You must be mistaken."

La Volpe scowled. "As much as I want to believe that, we have to be sure. We must find this Jacopo and question him."

"Our targets are the Borgia, La Volpe," Ezio told the man, "I am fine and in good health. Let us simply cross that bridge when we come to it. There is no need to waste time with an ancient myth and silly stories."

La Volpe sighed and shut his eyes. "I hope for all our sakes, you're right."

Once they departed, La Volpe remained behind with Leonardo. The man looked at him and could see that the thief leader was deeply troubled.

"You are truly serious about this?" Leonardo asked.

La Volpe sighed. "Can he be cured?"

Leonardo looked down at the books and furrowed his brow. He looked disturbed. "Well...there is one thing; in order for the curse to end, Ezio would have to take the life of the wolf who granted him the curse."

La Volpe nodded his head. "Jacopo..."

O

A few weeks later

Full moon

"No! Let me go!"

Ezio and La Volpe pinned the traitorous thief down moments before he could flee through the Colesseo. Several more thieves surrounded them, blocking the traitor from every hoping to escape. Ezio grabbed the man by the tattered scarf and held him up, pressing the wrist blade to his throat.

"What was the promised price, Federico?" he demanded, "What did the Borgia promise you that they would never deliver?"

Federico trembled beneath the Assassin's gaze. He grinned defiantly. "Everything that you could never satisfy!"

"Bastardo ignorante (ignorant bastard)," a thief beside La Volpe hissed.

"Living beneath the creed has become more than a burden!" Federico spat at them, "There was nothing to gain from remaining a petty strumento (tool) to the whims of the old, dying laws. Nothing! Do you know how badly I suffered?"

Ezio pressed the blade closer. "Tell me what the plan was and I shall ease your pain." he threatened.

Overhead, the clouds began to part their way, revealing the pale white face of the moon above. A few thieves looked up when they saw it shining. There was a strong sensation of fear about them despite their reluctance to believe the legend. One of them gestured to La Volpe.

"La Volpe, look!" he whispered.

La Volpe looked up to the full moon and gasped in horror. "No!" he cried.

Ezio could see the change in attitude about them and looked up to see what had caused their fear. When he did, his body suddenly froze into a rigid statue. His eyes went from human to that golden, unholy glow. Federico's eyes widened and he gave a scream when Ezio's had suddenly started shaking wildly, the bones and fingers slowly lengthening with sick, painful snapping sounds. La Volpe moved and grabbed Ezio by his shoulders.

"Ezio, listen to me!" he shouted, "Fight it! You must fight it! Remember the man you are!"

His entire body was shaking like an earthquake. His jaw cracked and long fangs slipped through his gums, replacing the human teeth. He looked at La Volpe with a desperate, deep roar bursting from him. His voice was already changing with the rest of his body. The thieves could only watch in horror and shock, unable to do anything.

And Ezio STILL held on to Federico...

"Run! All of you! RUN!" La Volpe commanded.

But none of them could, move. They continued to watch transfixed as thick black fur sprouted from Ezio's flesh. He threw his head back and his jaw began to shape and stretch, forming a deadly muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth. Federico screamed in terror as the assassin's body disappeared and grew into the mighty creature as he had once before. Once fully transformed, the wolf flung La Volpe aside with a broad sweep of its arm, sending the man flying.

Federico screamed again and the wolf leered down at him, those long teeth shining. The wolf raised its claws to end him, but another howl pierced through the air. La Volpe watched from his fallen spot as Ezio released Federico and turned, rushing off on all fours toward the forest. He looked at the thieves.

"Hurry! He'll lead us to the other wolf!" he commanded.

La Volpe led his thieves at a reasonably safe distance as they pursued Ezio through the forest. It was difficult to keep up with him, but La Volpe kept the black wolf in his sights at all times, regardless of the constant near contact with trees and branches.

Finally, another wolf stepped through the trees. It was easily larger than Ezio, covered in thick gray fur and its face was covered with scars. It also had one eye missing.

La Volpe and his thieves maintained a reasonable distance as the two wolves regarded one another. The gray wolf let out a low growl to which Ezio returned with a snarl. The gray wolf rose up onto two legs and its upper lip pulled back with a snarl of its own. Finally, Ezio lunged at the other wolf. It became a flashing mass of teeth and claws as the two wolves fought wildly before the thieves. Ezio sank his teeth into the other wolf's thick neck and it gave a near human shriek, seizing Ezio by the throat with its own jaws. The gray wolf flung Ezio through the air and the wolf flew into several trees, splintering them to pieces.

The gray wolf lunged at Ezio again, but this time, the black wolf immediately jerked forward, seizing the larger wolf's left arm with his teeth. There was a shriek and Ezio jerked his head, dragging the other down into the dirt. The gray wolf used his free claws and slashed Ezio across the face. He did this several times until Ezio finally released his grip on the wolf's arm.

Blood went flying as the wolves clawed, bit and tore into each other. Ezio appeared to have the upper hand when he rolled onto his paws and slashed the gray wolf across the side. The wolf turned and fled deeper through the forest with Ezio in pursuit.

"Hurry! Follow them!" La Volpe shouted to his thieves.

The two wolves had already disappeared from the forest and La Volpe attempted to listen for them; the sounds of snarling and spitting echoed from the fields and he hurried to make his way toward the sound. But then, another sound filled the air; the pained animal yelp that chilled his blood.

"Please, don't let it be so!" he breathed, rushing toward the source.

Once they broke free of the forest, they could see a wolf lying in a puddle of blood and the victor rising. When the wolf threw back its head in a triumphant howl, they could see that the victor was Ezio. After a long moment, the black wolf's body began to dissolve and shrink back into the shape of Ezio, bleeding, but otherwise in good shape. La Volpe walked over to him and draped his cloak over the man's body. They looked down as the gray wolf began to shrink back into human form.

Jacopo.

His throat gushed blood and his body was riddled with slashes. He looked up at Ezio with a gurgle escaping his lips. "I only wanted to ensure the survival of my race..." he whispered, though his voice was hoarse and dying.

"We all do things to protect our own," Ezio said, quietly, "But resorting to violence to the innocent is unacceptable."

Jacopo chuckled weakly. "Yes... Maybe so..." he panted, "But you... You could have had the strength to destroy your foes. You could have destroyed the Borgia with this gift."

"I could have," Ezio said, nodding in agreement, "But to become a monster like those who we fight against would make me no better."

Jacopo's mouth gushed blood as he attempted to speak again. "It's a curse, Ezio," he whispered, "To live among them in shame and fear. To have them look upon us with disgust. That is the true curse. Not the change, not the mindless need to kill, but to be cast out."

Then, his eyes closed.

Ezio bent over the man and knelt his head once. "Requiescat in pace (Rest in Peace)," he said.

Then, he stood up and turned to La Volpe. "We still have work to do."

La Volpe nodded his head. "Yes. Hopefully never involving the beasts again."

Ezio chuckled now. "No, La Volpe," he told his friend, "Just men."

THE END