*A/N: Hello, before I begin this chapter I want to say thank you to Sam726 and Adictive-Otaku for following and favoriting this story. Also, since it's summer vacation, I will probably be posting a lot more often then I usually do when I am in school. Also, I am thinking of making a sequel. I don't know if it's too soon or anything, but if this fanfiction goes well, I'll consider making a sequels and I wanted to know which assassin should be in the sequel. Anyway, thank you for reading this notice. I have noticed that you noticed this notice that I am typing. Okay, bye.*
*Riley's POV*
"I still do not understand what he means! You are just a little girl! How is it that you are supposed to be responsible for his well-being?" Mario asked pointing to his nephew as we made our way to the entrance of the manor.
I sighed. "I understand why you would be upset about this, but to be honest with myself, I was a lot more reckless and irresponsible when I started my first year at the DWMA. The teachers there trained weapons like me," I pointed at myself, "and meisters like him," I pointed at Ezio, "on attacking only the creatures that harm human being. They also teach us to match wavelengths with each other and to form a bond strong enough to attack these creatures. The duty of a weapon just adds more to the bond." I stated. It was true. When I first attended the academy, I would get into fights with Blackstar and other students in the academy including Hiro. Over time I became more responsible and started considering the consequences of my choices in life. Besides, I wasn't dumb enough to fight Hiro with Excalibur as his weapon, no matter how many times he taunted me.
"How powerful does this bond have to be?"
"As long as the meister and weapon's wavelength are in perfect harmony. Once it reaches its ultimate capacity, both meister and weapon will be able to perform the 'Soul Resonance.' Soul Resonance allows the meister and weapon to pass eachother's wavelength and also gives the weapon the ability to change its original form." I remembered Soul and Maka telling me about their Witch Hunter (the name of their Soul Resonance). Soul is a scythe like me, but with Witch Hunter, his scythe form grew, his blade became a glassy color combination of white, lavender, and baby pink. He became a double bladed scythe in that form. I wonder what mine would be.
"If a weapon needs a meister, where is yours?"
"I don't have one back at home. If I did they would have to come with me. Also, a weapon doesn't exactly need a meister, but most weapons have meisters. The first weapon who graduated without a meister is named Justin Law. He was able to complete the requirements to graduate including hunting down 99 kishin souls and one witch soul all by himself."
"How old was he?"
"I don't remember, but I know he was pretty young." I said, thinking for a moment. "Anyway, can you explain to me the Assassin and Templar thing?"
"The Templars claim to seek peace, but believe the only way to achieve true peace is to strip the people of their freedom. Our cause, The Assassins, wish to preserve the people of their right."
"I see. Ok, what are we doing now?"
"You are staying here." Ezio said.
"What? No, I am not staying!"
"We made a deal."
"That was before and I am your weapon!"
"It doesn't ma-" Ezio was interrupted but a howling noise and a shrieking scream. We immediately rushed over to see what was happening. A kishin, smaller than the one before, attacked a woman. Without a second thought I immediately rushed into action. I ran down the stairs, ignoring the two's protests. I ran faster towards the kishin. It was still taller than me and looked a lot different than the one before. The only similarity were the claws and the hollow skull mask. The nose looked like a deformed carrot and its clothes were tattered including its worned out shoes. The kishin turned its attention towards me as I got closer. It charged almost meeting me halfway. When the time was right, I ducked under it and stabbed its tail onto the ground. The kishin tried to wiggle its way out but I kept the tail in place. I stepped on the place where the tail met the spine and drive my blade onto the core. It shrieked in pain. I jumped onto its back and cut off its head with a clean cut. The body fell limp and disintegrated into thin air, leaving its soul. My hands replaced my blade as I grabbed onto the soul.
"What is that?" I turned my head to see Mario and Ezio staring at the red thing in my hand.
"The kishin's soul. It's what a weapon eats to indicate that they have defeated a kishin. I need about 54 more to be a Death Scythe." I brought the soul to my mouth and ate it. "I'm not some helpless little girl. I can handle myself. And I am going with you, meister or not."
Ezio sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, you can come, but this time you better listen, understood!" He pointed at me. I nodded. We said our goodbyes to Mario before making our way to the gates.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"To Tuscany." He answered as he approached a group of horses. "You do know how to ride a horse, right?"
"Yes." I said as I climbed up onto a black horse. I've always liked black horses. I always thought they were beautiful. Ezio climbed onto a random horse and led the way to Tuscany.
We arrived in only a few hours. I followed Ezio to our destination. We were greeted with a man dressed in the (somewhat) same clothes as the men I saw in front of the training arena back at the manor.
"Salute, Ezio!" He began, "Antonio Maffei has sought refuge atop the city's tallest structure-spouting scripture and arrows in equal measure. The man has clearly lost him mind. Making matters worse, he's posted archers all around him. You'd do well to clear them out before approaching." Ezio thanked him for the information before walking in the direction of the building.
Once we were next to the tallest building, I immediately did not want to climb up. It's not that I have a fear of heights, but climbing the tallest building in the city and suddenly face planting onto the floor isn't really appealing.
"Are you ready?" He asked. I exhaled and nodded, transforming into a scythe. At the moment I am jealous that Tsubaki is able to transform into multiple weapons while I am stuck as a scythe.
In a few minutes we were at the top. Ezio pulled himself up onto the ledge making sure there were no archers or guards guarding the man who continues to preach at the top of his lungs. He climbed up one more time to see that the man had his back turned to him. I shifted back into a human just as Ezio plunged him blade into the man's spine. The man fell back into Ezio's arms as he was laid down.
"Away with you, demon!" The man hissed.
"Have some respect for death, my friend." Ezio said back, calmly.
"I'll show you some respect!" He continued to hiss.
"No, I will. Che tu possa alfine trovare riposo nel corpo e nella mente. Requirescat in pace." He said as the light in the man's eyes dimmed and he slowly began to limp in his arms. Ezio laid him on the ground and closed the man's eyes.
The archers began shouting and aimed their bows at us.
"Take out your hand!" I said. He stretched his arm towards me with his plan face up. I transformed and appeared onto his hand. I willed my scythe form to moved around him hand and successfully deflected the incoming arrows. As the archers reloaded their bows, Ezio took the opportunity to jump off the building. Before I could even scream, we landed onto a hay stack.
As we got out, he asked about what I had done. "As long as a weapon and meister acknowledged each other and their wavelengths the weapon can move without the meister wielding it." I said in a matter-of-fact way.
Before we moved onto the next target, I saw a red chest. I crouched right in front of it and opened it. There was a pouch that contained money.
"Hey, Ezio." I called. "How much is this worth?" He took the pouch and looked inside.
"It's about 261 florins. Where did you get it?" I pointed at the chest. "That might be helpful in the future."
"See! Without me you would have walked past it!" I stated. He just sighed and rolled his eyes as he walked away.
"Ezio! About time you got here. We've found Bernardo Baroncelli."
"Ottima notizia! Tell me where he is and I'll see that he's dealt with."
"That's the trouble. Lorenzo had actually had him arrested days ago, after being returned to us from Constantinople. But he escaped! We believe him to be somewhere inside San Gimignano."
"Okay, I'll see if I can't pin him down."
"How do you expect to succeed where the rest of us have failed?"
"I have my ways..." He ran off to climb the nearest building while I sprinted behind hi. To catch up. Just as I made my way next to him, he pointed at the direction where he was.
"I have a plan."
"What is it?"
"I'll hire some thieves to steal the guard's money. When they chase the thieves that will give you the opportunity to assassinate him." I explained. He thought for a moment then nodded. I scanned the area until I found a group of thieves. "Be ready." I said before climbing down and walking towards them. There were at least four in the group. Three were playing around and joking with each other while one looked around probably trying to find someone to steal from. He glanced at me as I approached the group. I gave them money and instructed them to distract the guards. Once the guards chased them, Ezio ran towards his target and assassinated him.
We repeated the process until the list of names were killed. We also gained new information of Jacopo's whereabouts.
We stood on top of a building across the church which Jacopo stood in front of.
"What do we do now?"
"Follow him. He may lead us to his Templar brothers." We watched him walk down the stairs and onto the streets. We continued to follow him on rooftops, occasionally knocking out guards or hide from them so to not blow our cover. We stop at an open field that was guarded. The field was surrounded by columns and occasional cemented tiles. In the middle were Jacopo and the man that we saw back at the underground tunnels. There were torches scattered around to light up the area since it was close to night time.
We hid behind one of the columns and listened to their conversation. "I am sorry, maestro! I did all I could, but the assassin proved too strong." Jacopo explained.
"Clearly. Else the others would be here with you... To say nothing of the fact that Firenze remains in the Medici hands." The man said.
"Its Francesco's fault! His impactience made him reckless. I tried to be the voice of reason-"
"More like the voice of cowardice." Another man interrupted.
"You're one to talk, Signor Barbarigo. Had you sent us quality weapons, instead of this garbage you Venetians call ar-" Jacopo tried to argue but was interrupted again.
"Enough!" Their maestro demanded. "We put our faith in your family and you repay us with inaction and incompetence. Then, when we asked to account for your failures, you make excuses and insult us? How do you expect me to respond?" The man scolded him.
"I don't know..." Jacopo bowed his head down in fear of the man in front of him.
"Its alright," the man began as he place his hand on Jacopo's shoulder, "I do." He took out a knife and plunged it into Jacopo's chest. Jacopo backed away and begged to be spared. The other man taunted him and pushed him onto the action caused the wound in his chest to squirt out blood. Jacopo begged for a second chance. The man denied and used his sword to stab him in the neck, ending Jacopo's life.
"So sorry to have claimed your prize, assassin." The man called out. Ezio and I were grabbed from behind by the guard and brought towards him.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't expect you to follow? That I didn't plan for it? We have been at this a lot longer than you!" The man glanced towards me. "And to bring a bambina with you is dangerous, don't you think?" He paused for a moment. "Kill them."
Once the order was given, blades appear on my shoulder where the guard held me. He screamed in pain as blood started to ooze out of him cut open hand. I kicked him in the groin and rammed my knee into his face. He collapsed onto the ground. I swept my legs under one of the guards that held Ezio who then drove his blade into the other guard.
The other guards that witness this rushed over and began attacking. I blocked and dodged my attackers and led them towards Ezio who then killed them. We continued this until the area was cleared of guards. Ezio jogged towards Jacopo who is apparently not dead. Jacopo coughed and wheezed as he slowly drifted off as Ezio spoke to him calmly. Ezio laid him down. Together we left the area.