Just a heads up, this is my first ever fanfic I've ever put to "paper," so any feedback whatsoever would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Just Another Kill
The night was as black as my cloak. The fluorescent light of the full moon cascaded across the ocean waves. I've seen it many a time, but it's beauty was magnified by the red hue that it emitted tonight. The scent of the sea was thick in the air. The lights of a city came into view over the horizon. "Venice is such a beautiful city," I spoke aloud, to myself, "I was lucky that my contract sent me here. Maybe I can have a little down-time after I finish my business here." I heard a voice come from behind. "Sir, should we wait 'til morning to dock, or should we proceed with the mission tonight?" Ah, Cortez, my ship's presiding officer. Never was there a more loyal crewmate than he. "I'll be continuing with the mission tonight. The crimson moon is a good omen. Dock the Falcone at the port nearest the market. The informants will be waiting there for me." "Yes sir, Captain Sebastiano." "Remember, Cortez, no first names when we reach port." "Sorry, Captain. It won't happen again." "See to it the men get some shore leave. But keep a minimum of thirty men aboard, just in case." "Yes, Captain."
As the ship docked I gave the crew permission to leave. I jumped off the ship and donned my hood. I moved through the crowd as if I were water flowing around rocks. As I got nearer to the tower that was set as the rendezvous point, two courtesans approached me. The one that looked more experienced, and was slightly more decorated, asked, "Are you the a…agent, that was sent here?" I removed my necklace and showed her the insignia. "Ah. It's good that you've shown up tonight. If you were a day later, the count might not be in this city any more. Your target is at a party near the Arsenale. If you make the kill without somebody noticing, you might just make it out alive. The fee your order paid us will cover the fees of an escort of four of my girls. They aren't good in a fight, so try and leave them out of anything too messy." "I'll take good care of them, Madame…" "Sabrina. Madame Sabrina. If you return them to me safely, I'll make sure to…reward, you," she said with a wink. I smirked back. "Will do, mam. Will do."
The courtesans led me through the crowded city streets. "So, you girls seem to know your way around." "Was that some sort of jab?" one replied. "No, miss. I'm sorry it came across as that. I was just noting that you girls seem to know your way around the city." "Well, we do work the streets a lot. It's how we get by." I decided to remain quiet the remaining distance so as to avoid making my guides any angrier. We passed through alleys and over canals for what seemed like an hour. One of the courtesans, the one who I spoke to earlier, finally broke the silence. "We are approaching the party. Would you like us to "distract" the guards, or should we return to Madame Sabrina?" "Girls, you have served me well. Return to your mistress with glad hearts. You have helped make this world a better place." And with that, and a few winks, they left. I lifted the black cloth that served as a mask that covered the bottom half of my face and approached the party.
The party was in the courtyard of a mansion. Dozens of nobles crowded behind the stone walls as they mingled together. Two guards outfitted in full plate guarded the iron barred gate. I spied a group of nobles nearing the entrance. Before they got too close, I blended into the group. The guards opened the gate and let us through. One gave me a weird look as I passed by, but turned away as if it were nothing.
The courtyard was enormous. Pillars adorned the walkway that wrapped around the entirety of the courtyard. A statued fountain sat in the middle. It was spewing out a red liquid. Wine? Seems rather extravagant. Then again, with all of these nobles here, I would expect nothing less. A servant approached me. "Sir, would you like a glass of wine?" "Yes, boy, thank you. Where might your master be? I would love to thank him personally for inviting me." "Oh, uhm, I think that he's talking to the duchess right now, but I'm sure he'll have time to talk to you after his toast." "Thank you. Here's a little tip." I gave him a pouch of 10 florins. He gasped and managed to say, "Th-thank you, sir!"
I combed through the crowd in search for our most gracious host. I poured the wine from the glass in a bush that I passed by. Better to stay sober. The count, our gracious host, was still talking to the duchess when I approached him. Better find out what I'm up against. I threw the empty wine glass onto the stone floor near the count. Three hooded figures burst through the crowd and surrounded the count. I noticed the insignia on their sleeves immediately. My target and two of his cohorts had made themselves known. I immediately recognized the eldest of the three. My target. I stayed in the crowd and marked my target mentally. Eventually the count calmed everyone down again and the three figures faded back into the many faces adorning the patrons. But it mattered not. I have my target within my sights. I eased through the crowd, carefully following the eldest guard. He may have looked old, but the sly devil moved through the crowd with such elegance and grace. It's a shame I have to kill him. But a contract is a contract. He eventually made his way to a portion of the courtyard close to the iron gate. He sat on a bench beside an arguing couple. He's very clever, hiding in plain sight beside something more noticeable. I lowered my mask as I approached him. I leaned against the wall just beside the bench. The man noticed me, but looked away as if I were some annoying noble distracting him from his task. Fine with me, old man, but you'll regret writing me off as just some annoyance. As soon as he looked away, I unsheathed my blade that was hidden under my gauntlet. He shuddered in realization of his mistake just before my blade slid neatly between the gap of his leather pauldron. The kill was clean. No blood splattered out of his open wound. His limp body leaned back against the wall. I closed his eyes. "May your soul find eternal bliss and happiness. May the light guide you through the dark until we meet again." With that, I grabbed a wine glass from the nearest table. I placed the glass next to the fresh corpse after I poured a small amount of wine around his mouth. And with that, I left the party, moved past the armored guards by the gate, and into the crowd. I heard cries from the crowd as I blended in with the commoners. It seems that my target's friends were closer than I thought. But no matter, it was a clean kill and a flawless escape.