I was born in this house and raised here. How could I have not known it existed? Why did father have a secret room built? Had father been using this room before the guards arrested him?
He presses the slab of marble and all his thoughts and troubles are swept away as the stone wall behind the fireplace shudders and descends. He crouches low and enters, a torch is lighting the room. He's surprised that the room is large enough for him to stand in. Banners hang across the walls in an exquisite cloth of crimson red. Gold paint emblazons the insignia that adorns it and he is inadvertently reminded of an Eagle without knowing why.
Sturdy desks of fine craftsmanship lie across the secret room and there are various papers strewn across them. He wonders if he should scan through the files but decides against it. The city guards are looking for him and time is of the essence, he needs to get the proper documents to Messer Alberti, it's his only chance. He walks up to the large iron chest that lies at the end of the room. Despite of the urgency, he cannot help but admire the handiwork. Exquisite figures and designs are spread across the chest. There are no locks on it but a single skull.
On a hunch, he slips two fingers into the eye sockets of the skull and pulls. He cannot help but emit a gasp as the skeleton itself juts out of a lever. The eye sockets and the mouth rotate and lie in an upright angle and slip back just as abruptly as they jutted out. He can hear clinking as several pins inside the chest align and he knows the chest is open.
He lifts the lid of the chest; it's very heavy. The lid stands straight and he peers inside the chest. There are several documents inside just like father said. He quickly collects and wraps up all the documents with a small cloth of saffron. He peers inside the chest again and notices a robe of some sort. He sets the documents down and raises the robes to the light. It's the strangest thing he has ever seen. He can't place the material. Wondering if it's some form of exotic clothing, he dons it on.
The first thing he notices is the feel of the robe. It's light and soft and feels like cotton but it's very flexible. The material is smooth and sturdy. The cloth is a dull white with stripes of red. The robes cascade down and cover his thighs. The material fits him as if it were tailored for him. A sash of red cloth is wrapped around the belt and he wraps it around his waist. He notices there are satchels across the belt and quickly tucks the documents in one of them. The belt also has a strap of leather that can hold a scabbard. There are two bracers that he ties around his arms. They fit a little too tight so he adjusts the straps to his comfort.
He flexes his arms to see how the bracers feel and almost yells as a wicked blade slides out of a small mechanism beneath the bracer. It's so sharp that a leaf could fall on its edge and split into halves. He tries a series of flexes and finally figures out the ones which enable him to slide the blade in and out. The other bracer has a mechanism as well but it is broken and he finds the broken half of the blade after rummaging the chest. He puts the broken blade in one of his satchels. A knife sheath is tied to the belt as well but he cannot find any knives. A cape is attached to the robe and he knows it will conceal a sword easily.
He reaches into the chest again and finds a sword. It's nothing special. He has seen the city guards carry a sword of similar design so he knows its standard issue. Still, he cannot help but feel a chill in his spine. He has never thought of his father as a man capable of violence and yet here he is, in a secret room that suggests that Giovanni was involved in something sinister. He sheathes the sword and scans the room again, wondering if he has missed something. Satisfied that he has gathered everything of need, he exits the room.
Once again he presses the slab of marble and the fireplace slides upward, concealing the secret room. He needs to get to Uberto's house now but the city guard is looking for him everywhere. Without thinking, he pulls the hood over his head and finds that the action feels natural. A lantern is burning slowly and it casts his shadow across the wall. Once again, he is reminded of an eagle and shudders as a déjà vu passes over him. He is reminded of a past life filled with blood and death and eagles, of hooded men and men wearing crosses. He shakes the feeling off and exits the threshold to see two guards enter the front door of the Auditore mansion.
The men don't seem surprised to find him here and he realizes that he was being watched. It also tells him that these men are not the city guard, or else the men would have had him arrested. No. These are Pazzi soldiers and he seriously doubts they will bother arresting him. They are wearing light armor and are low ranking soldiers. Nevertheless these are soldiers and he is not. The men unsheathe their swords and advance. He knows it is useless but he tries anyway,
"Aren't you supposed to arrest me?"
The older of the two replies, his sword glinting wickedly in the light.
"Our orders are to kill you on sight."
And then the men charge.
He is ready for the fight, but he is not prepared for the swiftness of the attack. The younger soldier swings the blade at him just as he raises his left arm in a desperate attempt to shield himself. The sword hits the bracer on his arm and the man staggers, taken aback with the resilience of the bracer.
The older soldier is taken aback as well but recovers quickly. The man turns, swinging the sword arm as far as it can reach but he is ready this time. His right hand grabs the hilt of his sword and he brings it upwards, barely deflecting the blow. He takes the opportunity to deal some damage and swings at the younger man. His sword tears through the man's fabric on the left arm and blood oozes out. It isn't a very effective strike but first blood is his and it unsettles the Pazzi soldiers. He presses this advantage and swings the sword again in an upward arc. The younger soldier raises his sword to defend but his swing is powerful enough to disarm the man.
The sword flies upwards and he delivers the crippling strike as he rams the sword through the stunned soldier's gut. The man screams as blood spurts out of his mouth and through the exit wound. The older soldier stands still, his mouth slightly open as his comrade falls to the ground, the sword still lodged in his abdomen.
He does not waste a second as he grabs the hilt and yanks the sword out, squelching through the flesh. He charges at the remaining Pazzi soldier and he knows already that he will kill this one too whether he needs to or not.
His bloodlust finally settles as the older man lies on the ground, arterial spray of blood painting the floor red. He has killed for the first time and he has done it without hesitation.
He wonders if he can hear shouts ringing throughout the square, wonders if there are reinforcements on the way.
With a final glance at the bloodshed he takes off, quickly taking to the rooftops as cries of murder ring through the empty square.