This was just something I've been working on. I have no idea what it'll lead to. I don't know if I'll just stop at a revenge story or add something much deeper into it.
Btw, isn't Aleta such a pretty name? Also I like the color blue-green a lot. So I'll be using it for her too. Actually... I have lotsa characters going as Aleta and Kyanos now.
This has been edited, but only by me. So if you'd like to beta read it, which I'll love you for, please pm me. I still don't really understand this entire beta reading thing, just that it'll help me improve.
xD"
AC does not belong to me.
"Leonardo, it has been a while." The soft oriental accented voice made the artist jump.
"Kyanos! Do appear like a regular human being once in a while, will you? I am getting too old for surprises!" Although he tried to keep his voice stern, he couldn't keep the smile out of his face nor his voice.
"Does that mean that you did not miss me?" The artist saw the figure draw the cloak down and arch one of the thinly lined eyebrows.
No matter how often he saw her, he could not grasp how strange she looked. She had come from a completely different country and her looks showed this clearly. The woman had dark brown eyes that were practically black and it was shaped like delicately stretched almonds that reminded him of a snake. Her face was sharp with her cheekbones outlined in the likes of a man but with feminine qualities. Her lips were full and small with a slight tint of red. She was as tall as the artist himself and held herself with a strange charismatic light around her.
"No, of course I missed you!" Leonardo shook his head quickly. "Though I have to ask, this isn't only for pleasantries, is it?"
"Actually, it is." When she smiled, the sharpness of the face disappeared. Of course, that was only when she actually smiled and held no threats behind it. Normally she looked like a man, however when she smiled, Leonardo couldn't find a more beautiful woman. "You have gotten so old my friend." She spoke rather remorsefully and he found himself enjoying the strange voice from the strange lands.
"It has been ten years, has it not?" Leonardo grinned before stretching his arms. The woman smiled and walked into his embrace.
"It has been too long, I reckon it's about time for me to retire." Leonardo laughed. How many times had she spoken such words before deciding that the chase was too thrilling to give up?
"Perhaps it is. Though you do not look old at all." Leonardo held the woman's face in his hands and studied it.
It was a habit of his. To observe Kyanos's face and try and understand her beautifully angled face structure. He had made studies upon studies, however burnt them all in frustration of not understanding it fully enough. Leonardo's eyes scanned the face of the woman, trying to see if there was anything that differed from the last visit ten years ago.
"How can this be? You do not even have a crow's feet!" He exclaimed.
"And you, my friend, have plenty." Spoke the woman softly. She gently pried the artist's hands away from her face before sitting down. "Come now, I found some rather good wine. We really ought to enjoy this evening." How he missed that innocent grin of hers! He knew that she was anything but innocent, but the woman had a very convincing lies upon her face. "And call me by the name you've given me, Leonardo."
"Ah, of course. Aleta, welcome back." Leonardo gave her an assuring grin and kissed her on both of the cheeks.
"Thank you." She grinned once more and pulled a bottle from underneath the mass of fabric she wore.
"Ah, I shall get the glasses." Leonardo scurried, excited to hear the adventures of his unique friend.
Leonardo knew Kyanos well enough. Kyanos had been sold to slavery when she was born due to her unique eye color as a child, which he did not understand as she now had normal, albeit dark, brown eyes. The merchant that bought her had pitied her and had brought her back. During the travel, Cresenzo, the merchant, and Kyanos became a small family. Leonardo had met her at the docks and had become friends with her. He didn't know how she obtained such abilities nor how she could pass off as a man so easily, however he knew the hardships she had gone through.
"Leonardo. Leonardo! Are you listening to me?" He snapped back from his thoughts. Aleta rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly. "Is the wine getting to you? Or is it the age?" She laughed pleasantly and poured herself another glass.
"I am afraid it is both in this case." The artist chuckled and finished his own glass. The wine was as strange as the figure in front of him. It was good, however he could not grasp the flavors and the scent was pure intoxication.
"Well then, let us head for the bed!" She cried childishly before finishing the rest of her own wine. "I do not have a job starting for three days. Let's make a full usage of the time." Leonardo smiled at the carefree nature of his friend.
"Yes, let us." He replied.
The two have shared the same bed for a long time. Not as lovers, but as friends. Not with benefits, but just companionship. Meaning that they just simply slept in the same bed and had nothing occurring between them. Leonardo's preference combined with Aleta's general disgust and yet with both yearning for a simple warmth of body next to them had resulted this strange alliance.
Strangely enough, Leonardo woke up before Aleta did. He smiled as the woman tossed lightly in bed at the small movement. He gently petted her head to help her relax back into sleep. He felt pity in how the life style of the woman led her to such state of alertness. With a gentle smile, he dressed himself and went on as to prepare a breakfast for the two.
"Morning." Aleta yawned and Leonardo couldn't help but to laugh. Aleta's long black hair was calm but the way the clothes seemed to tangle each other reminded him of a very tired cat. Aleta rolled her eyes at him before settling down upon the chair.
"Morning." He chuckled. "Perhaps you might want to pick up some clothes today?"
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Aleta looked on with innocent baffled eyes. She then looked down at the tangle of travel worn clothes. "Oh. You are right." She pouted as she attacked the boiled egg.
"Should I get you a woman's clothes or a man's clothes?" He asked as he finished off his apple.
"A man's. White ruffled shirt with silver thread, black noble's vest, and black pants. I already have a pair of boots somewhere and a cloak with armor." She spoke as she tossed the artist a heavy medium sized velvet bag. "It seems that whoever you are working for doesn't pay you well." She motioned the cluttered area.
"No. They do not." He replied bitterly. Then looking around, he noticed two very heavy looking chests. Both were decorated in gold and red with the lock matching it in the mastery of the decorations. He raised his eyebrows at it.
"I couldn't find anything else to carry my stuff in." She sulked at the suspicious glance. "I didn't steal them either. They offered it to me and I took it."
"Did you threaten them?"
"No!" She protested and he laughed.
"Well, I shall be going now. Feel free to use the bath although I know you planned on it." He took the velvet bag and headed out.
"Be careful Leonardo!" Aleta cried out in the background.
True to his words, Aleta did use the bath. She scrubbed all the dirt, and bit of blood, from her pale skin and oil out of her hair. She rid of all the sweat and only when she felt clean enough did she step out from the bath. Having wrapped herself decently enough in a towel, she begin to explore the new place.
The studio was much similar to the one before, but was much worn and the wood was beginning to rot. Aleta frowned as she walked silently across the wood. She was having trouble not creating noise from them and that itself was a bad news. The area was smaller as well. There were two large rooms in which one acted as a storage and the other a studio and everything else. There was a bed room to the side with the bath across it and an attic cluttered with paper and small models. The entire place reeked of oil paint and charcoal in which she indulged herself in.
"Aleta, must I remind you that you are a lady?" Leonardo sighed as he set the cloths on the table. Aleta grinned and bounced right up to it.
"But you've seen me naked before, so I don't see the point in covering myself up." Aleta chuckled as she dropped the towel, revealing a well toned body.
"That is not the point! A lady does not walk around with towel as the only garment inside the house!" He proclaimed as he turned away from the naked body. It wasn't that he was embarrassed, it was just that he was being polite. He had, after all, sketched her naked body before.
"Oh please." He could literally hear her rolling her eyes.
Aleta dressed herself quickly. Leonardo had gotten what she had wanted and she noted that everything was the correct size despite it having been rejects from another. She silently thanked the man for ransacking the entire providence's tailors to find them and at such short notice.
"Leonardo, I have a present for you." She tapped lightly on the man's shoulder and smiled at him.
"A present?" He raised his brows.
"Yes. A present." She laughed at the sudden childish eagerness that appeared upon the man's face. "Here, open it." She handed him a golden key and he eagerly scurried towards one of the chests.
Aleta marveled at the man's ability in observation. Normal people would ask her which one the key was for, however Leonardo knew just by looking at the subtle difference in the decoration. The subtle difference in one being an eagle and the other being a hawk. She watched with almost a motherly smile as the artist exclaimed his joy.
"I take it that you like it?"
"Oh, this, this is incredible Aleta! Though I can't tell what half of these are used for." He smiled at her and she felt guilty in having to have seen such a smile.
"And I do not think that you want me to tell you."
"Heavens, no! What fun will that be!" Leonardo exclaimed as he went through the oddities in the chest.
"I thought so." The woman chuckled and opened the other chest, the one with the eagle. Inside, she found a knee high boots with silver embroideries that matched the shirt along with matching leather armor, a decorative rapier and several weapons. There was also journals and several pouches. As her friend was busy with the oddities she had picked up, she dressed and armed herself.
"Artemis herself seems to have descended in my workshop." Leonardo remarked.
"Ha! An impure Artemis." She snorted and Leonardo laughed. "Regardless, thank you for the compliment." She gave him another genuine smile.
"You are very welcome my friend. Now then tell me more about the Egypt."
When Aleta gave him the other chest for safekeeping two days ago, Leonardo almost felt depressed. The three days had been refreshing and the conversations had been incredibly inspiring. He already missed the strange intellect of hers and was brooding rather childishly as he sat on the bench.
"Does something ail you my friend?" Ezio Auditore da Firenze, another dear friend of his, looked at him with concern.
"No. Nothing." Leonardo replied unhappily. Ezio sent him a questioning look, but Leonardo did not reply. "What can I do for you today my friend?" He spoke to prevent the question from appearing.
"Leonardo, is there anything-"
"It is nothing my friend." Leonardo couldn't help but to pulse his lips. He wanted so dearly to tell him of his friend, but he could not. He respected Aleta's wish for secrecy and he would keep that respect.
During his walk back to his workshop, he saw a flutter of a fabric and smiled to himself despite everything. He knew that he was being foolish to hope such a thing and it could have been anyone. However the thought of Aleta watching over him in a motherly protective way made him feel cheerful once more.
"Mere two thousand florins?" Aleta chuckled coldly underneath the cloak. "Do you honestly think that you can hire the skills enough to kill Assassini with mere two thousand?"
"Three thousand." Quavered the woman. The woman wore a hooded dress, however fear seeped through in an obvious way.
"Mere pocket change." Kyanos could not help but to smile at this point, sending a shudder through the other. She couldn't say that she didn't enjoy inflicting fear unto others, but it did make her job easier and much more profitable. She then turned lightly at the new presence. "And hello there. An escort?"
"Ten thousand. No more." Growled the refined voice. She couldn't see the man, but she could sense him well enough.
"All this for a mere Assassino." Kyanos laughed in a low pitched tone, sounding more like a stifled chuckle that sounded pure evil.
"Do not underestimate the Assassini." The refined man hissed. "Seven thousand, rest after the job." The man spoke tersely now.
"Rather trusting now, aren't we?" Kyanos raised her eyes underneath the hood.
"Get your job done shadow." The man hissed.
"As you wish." Kyanos merely laughed at it before disappearing into the shadow.
"How did he manage to do that?" The courtesan blinked underneath the hood.
"Simple, he erased all of his presence." The spy noted sharply. "That shadow has skills that are far above others. That man is a master killer."
"You sound frightened." The woman mused.
"Anyone who does not fear that man is an idioto." The man snapped back. "Kyanos isn't a name. It is a reference that it is never what you see at first glance. The man can be anything he wishes. It is not something to be taken lightly." The woman was dazed at how unsettled the man was and simply followed him back.
"Is the shadow reliable?"
"Yes master."
"Is it possible for me to tame the shadow?"
"No. It is impossible for he places no loyalty."
"Then cut him. I do not need a shadow that sways in loyalty. A man without it is a man better off dead."
"As you wish master."
The job had been easy. After years of hunting, Kyanos had memorized the patterns of her preys. They varied, however there were some that never left them. She had no trouble in tracking down Iacopo Giachini da firenze. However the problem was killing him as a shadow should. She needed to rid of him cleanly, without evidence. During the observational period, she noticed a significant skill in the man. No wonder the man was a high ranked Assassino who wielded two hidden blades.
Kyanos also noted the man's sensitivity in which unless she was careful, the man could sense her. She noted that the man had yet to realize of this and put it away as a tired thought. This carelessness would end him.
The kill was fast and swift. She dropped silently behind the man and pricked him with untraceable poison. The man had turned around, however did not find her. She didn't know if the man knew he was poisoned or if it was just the paranoia of the man, however the man did begin to run towards the general direction of the open street. By then, it was too late as no docttore was nearby and the poison was a fast working one.
He died without a spasm.
Kyanos undid the metal braces around the man's arms and took it along with her to the shadows.
"Has the work been finished?" The spy lacked any emotional tone in his voice.
"Yes." Kyanos smiled as she tossed him a bracer. She saw the man's eyes widen as he inspected the blade.
"This... indeed is an Assassin's weapon." He proclaimed as he held it up to the sky.
"Yes. And did you believe that you could ambush me when you could not done so to the Assassino?" Kyanos stated with amusement clear in her voice. The man looked into her darkened eyes and merely gave a cold smile.
"I had hoped." The spy admitted.
"Price of betrayal is high." Kyanos smirked as she once more seemed to disappear into the shadows. A calm mist covered the area soon after. The spy cursed before falling dead upon the ground, leaving the others to await upon the signal that was to never come.
"Another one?" Ezio spoke. The subject of the deaths of his brothers and sisters weighed heavily upon his mind. The tally was growing as it went and it became heavier each time a new figure was added.
"Iacopo Giachini. He was one of our most talented man." Machiavelli noted bitterly. "What more is that a Templar spy was found dead soon after Iacopo's assumed time of death. The poison, in which is assumed to have been used for lack of better explanations, is advanced and it seems to be untraceable as well as it being able to throw off the time of death." He noted tiredly. "Also it seems as that the culprit had taken both of the hidden blades." There was a silence as the both man felt the weight crush upon their frames.
"I know of the culprit." La Volpe entered the room silently. The two men instantly turned to the master thief. The fox seemed to have been aged, which was rare sight, and actually seemed tired. "Have you heard of the shadow?" He mentioned.
"No. I have not." Machiavelli seemed interested all of a sudden.
"A shadow are people who do not exist. These men work silently and alone, loyalty means nothing and the only thing they trust are florins. Not many exist and almost none are known. Their skill in stealth surpasses the level in which is obtainable by training. Their kills are untraceable and many use poison." The fox begin to pace back and forth. "These people are formidable in skills and even surpass those in the brotherhood. The only reason they are not of a considerable danger is because they do not work in groups." He then stopped and looked as if he had aged ten more years in the passing minute. "Although most are unknown, there are those that are careless and are known. Then there are the ones whose names are whispered as a warning." He took a breath. "Kyanos. He is the only one capable of using such poison or being undetected by Iacopo." There was a silence.
"How are you certain of this?" Ezio questioned though he knew of the answer.
"Iacopo was one of the shadows." La Volpe grimaced. "His names were among the ones whispered in fear and it was only because his lover was threatened by the Templars that he joined. It did help that the man worked alone in fear of losing another partner."
"Unbelievable." Machiavelli hissed. "To think that such people existed. The corruption truly does run deep."
"Trust me friend, even knowing what shadows are thrusts you deeper into the darkness of the city." La Volpe replied drily. "Knowing who they are shows you the deepest possible corruption."
"What do you know of Kyanos?" Ezio asked the thief.
"Unbelievably close to nothing. Most of what we know are legends and even then, there are sparse few." La Volpe leaned against the wall and closed his violet eyes as if reminiscing. "I did, however, meet him once. I hired him for a job and I contacted him personally." His voice became slightly shaky. "That man is incredibly talented in stealth. He managed to hide his presence so well that I could not detect him although he was in front of me. I would not be surprised to see that his skills on combat matches his stealth." The thief walked swiftly to Ezio Auditore da Firenze. "Kyanos is a man to be feared and avoided, whoever does not is either a fool or dead."
"A formidable enemy." Ezio was shaken by this. If it was someone even La Volpe feared, then how would he be able to handle this?
A dead man did not speak. A dead man did not harm. A dead man was a loss.
La Volpe buried his face between the palms of his gloved hands. How had this come to be? How had this infamous shadow been killed? He shivered. Kyanos. The man was not to be trifled with and to be avoided at all costs. He saw what the shadow was capable of and even that small sample strangled him. Even his sight could not detect the man and that frightened him even more. An undetectable human being. Such a man should not exist!
Machiavelli was inclined to believe the thief's story as nothing but a story. Men lacking in loyalty were better off dead. They were nothing and were not useful in any possible way. He did not believe the thief, however knew it better than to simply forget about it. If the thief was so concerned, then it usually was not a pleasant sign.
Ezio had no idea how he was still able to stand. With the new knowledge of such people, the burden felt heavier than before. His shoulders threatened to sag as he looked over his apprentices. His heart threatened to drop at the sheer force of the weight. He could feel the tension in the air and he could taste the coppery bitterness. How was it that he could still smile? How he could encourage others and send them on a mission that could be their death?
Leonardo's gaze briefly landed upon the chests and he pondered of what Aleta was doing. After a while, he went back upon the trinket he held in his hands, figuring that Aleta must be out doing her job. He did not care what she did nor did she tell him freely. He figured that she could take care of herself and would come whenever she felt it was needed.