Chapter 7: Enter the Jesters
"What do you mean Fiorra has betrayed me?" Cesare demanded, screaming at the top of his lungs. The Doctor put the finishing touches into his bandage as he replied: "Its true. And I can't say I'm surprised. I had my suspicions about her for a while now, especially after the destruction of Rocco Tiepolo's mercenary band. Il Lupo just confirmed my suspicions when he said that he saw her at the Assassin's stronghold"
"That traitorous cagna!" Cesare screamed. Malfatto couldn't help but smirk behind his mask. His boss was such a haughty snob and Malfatto such a sadist that he always found his rage and outbursts amusing to watch, at least when they weren't directed at him.
Finally, Cesare calmed down and then turned to Malfatto and said, very darkly: "Congratulations Malfatto. You may be an idiot but you have been loyal and effective. And you told me of Cavazza's treachery. You have her position now as my new lieutenant"
Malfatto smirked smugly behind his mask once more. He had come to despise Fiorra after she had stabbed him and now he had her position and was exposing her treachery.
Who said there's no such thing as karma? Malfatto thought smugly and then chuckled lightly at his own sadistic sense of humor. Cesare continued: "And now as it so happens Malfatto, I have a new assignment for you: I have come to seriously suspect that Niccolo Machiavelli is affiliated with the assassins. I want you to...punish him for his poor choice of loyalties"
"You expect me to assassinate Niccolo Machiavelli by myself?" Malfatto shook his head. "Dammit Cesare, I'm a doctor, not a soldier of fortune"
Cesare smiled wickedly. "Oh no, you will not be doing this alone..."
Cesare stepped to the side and out of the shadows stepped a sibling pair clad in colorful costumes, the male in a purple and green striped jester's outfit with brown boots and gloves and a white mask with an eerie smile and purple designs on it. The female wore a purple and gold striped jester's outfit with purple gloves and boots and a gold half-mask with a feather attached to the side. They were the Harlequin and the Hellequin, Cahin and Caha. Malfatto had heard much about them. They were some of the deadliest of all of Cesare's underworld allies.
Cahin stared out into space, speaking to seemingly no one but in actuality, was speaking directly to you, the reader: "Admit it. You can't look away. HAHAHAHAHA!"
-X-
When Il Lupo finally came back, Lia found her heart race upon seeing him again. She caught onto this but could not figure out why it was so. Instead she just smiled as she watched Il Lupo come over to her. He smiled back upon seeing her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hello Lia. It is good to see you again"
"Yes, its good to see you too...so how did it go with your contact?"
Il Lupo's expression became dark and grim and he did not respond.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Il Lupo let out a sigh. "Yes. Malfatto happened. But don't worry. I took care of it. He won't be a problem anymore"
It didn't take a genius to know what Il Lupo really meant when he said that. So he had killed another fellow Templar. Only this time Lia wasn't nearly as shocked or surprised.
"Good" was her only response. There was an awkward silence between them before Il Lupo asked: "So...what about Fiorra?"
"Oh, she's been making herself feel real welcome here. I've heard certain sounds coming from her room every night. She may not wear her slut clothes anymore but she definitely still acts like one"
Il Lupo chuckled lightly. "Yes, that sounds like Fiorra Cavazza..."
There was an awkward silence between the two, as neither was sure of what to say to the other. Finally, Lia said: "Francesco was asking for you. He said that when you came back you were to go straight to him"
Il Lupo nodded. "Good to know. I'll be there"
And then, no sooner had he come back, Il Lupo was gone again, and Lia de Russo realized that she felt somewhat saddened by that...
-X-
The door finally opened and out came Il Lupo. Lia turned to him, having grown impatient from waiting outside the door for so long.
"Well?"
"Francesco's got a new job for me. He says that Fiorra's given him information about some key Templar figures and he wants me to lead the operations to kill them. And he had a job for you too"
"Oh really? And what would that be?"
"Machiavelli's going to be attending a commedia, and Francesco thinks that it would be a good idea to give him an escort."
"Can't Machiavelli handle himself?"
"Well, technically yes, but the man's got to keep up appearances does he not? And besides, its not a chance that Francesco is prepared to take. You know how valuable Machiavelli is to the brotherhood Lia."
"I just don't know what difference its going to make. I mean, he and the other assassins are all going to die in the end anyway right?"
Il Lupo's face became grim and he did not answer at first. Finally though, he said: "Yes, yes they will. But my plan's not finished yet, and so in the meantime, we still need to keep up appearances. We're no good to our order dead"
"Right…and what about Cavazza? Where is she fitting into all of this?"
Again, Il Lupo's expression became grim as he said: "Yes, I have been wondering that myself. Well, she's betrayed the Templars, of this I am certain, so we cannot rely on her for any kind of assistance. As it stands, she cannot know that I am a part of the brotherhood…no one has spoken of me to her have they?"
Lia shook her head. "But how are you going to keep her from finding out? You're both in the same building on the same island. You can't hide forever…"
"Sure I can. So long as I stay out of sight, and she doesn't learn of my existence, I'll be fine."
"Someone's going to mention you sooner or later. What then?"
Il Lupo fell silent for a moment. Then, he said: "Then I make it clear that if she exposes me, then I in turn expose her as a former Templar lieutenant. And then we go down together"
Lia tensed up. She found herself particularly uncomfortable and distasteful to the idea of Il Lupo dying. "You don't seem too concerned or fearful about the idea of losing your life"
Finally, Il Lupo managed a small grin. "What can I say bella donna? I suppose I am a bit of a gambler…"
Lia rolled her eyes. "Fine. Have it your way. In the meantime, I guess I'll play bodyguard for Machiavelli. Anything else I should know?"
"Just one thing: you're keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get assassinated. Just remember our order's own assassins like to pose as everyday figures. So keep your eyes peeled"
-X-
Lia wrapped her brown cloak tightly around her assassin's uniform as she and Machiavelli entered the colloseo. There was a second apprentice with them, whom Lia didn't recognize, and in any event, she was keeping her eyes on either Machiavelli or on the lookout for suspicious-looking characters at all times. Needless to say, a great many people fit the vague description of "suspicious-looking" and Lia found herself growing agitated and anxious as she had to keep worrying and fretting over every strange or suspicious-looking person she saw. "Was this how the higher-ranking Templars were forced to live?" Lia wondered. Constantly on the look-out for anyone strange, always looking over their shoulder?" Lia couldn't imagine it, and all of a sudden she found herself grateful that she had never risen terribly high in the Templar hierarchy…
Lia, Machiavelli, and the apprentice made their way up the winding rows of the colloseo and Lia and the apprentice took their seats next to Machiavelli. Within mere moments, the play began, and the actors dressed in their diverse array of vibrant outfits entered…
-X-
Malfatto circled around to the back of the Colloseo along with the Harlequin and the Hellequin, leading the two homicidal jesters into a back entrance of the Colloseo that only actors were permitted to go through…
"Hey!" The guard shouted. "What are you doing here sulking around doctor? The back is for actors onl—"
"May the father of understanding guide us" Malfatto said bluntly. Understanding the message, the guard nodded and moved to the side, allowing Malfatto and the twins entrance. Malfatto turned to them: "Now then: there is a commedia currently in progress. Which means that your colorful costumes are the perfect disguise. You will go in and keep everyone…"entertained". While you do, I will take care of Machiavelli. Understood?"
The Hellequin Caha nodded wordlessly. The Harlequin Cahin meanwhile clicked his heels together. "Marvelous! Marvelous! I do always love to put on a show! Always so much excitement, and festivities…"
Cahin and Caha entered, the former dancing around playfully as he did so. Malfatto shook his head. Dangerous the two jesters might be, but he still found himself incredulous to the pair's overly jovial nature and especially Cahin's chronic inability to stand still or to keep his mouth shut. Well, they would provide a solid distraction at any rate, and once Machiavelli was dead he would hopefully not have to deal with them again.
Malfatto fingered the hatchet on his belt and made sure that his knife was well-hidden. Finally, he checked to make sure that his…special weapon was functioning properly, and found it to be so. He was ready. Ignoring the faint sound of Cahin and Caha's knives piercing the flesh of two unfortunate performers, Malfatto made his way to the stands where his target awaited him…
-X-
Now the "fool" characters entered the stage and joined in the unfolding show. As the colorful jesters indulged in various raunchy, cacophonous, and outright slapstick antics to the amusement of the crowd, Lia found that even she couldn't help but grin at it all. And to her amazement, she heard Machiavelli chuckle, and even laugh at what he saw. Yes, the humorless, cynical, and utterly no-nonsense Machiavelli was laughing. And more then that, she could see him socializing with a friend sitting near him, sharing stories and comments about the production and other things. Lia was quietly amazed. In the short time she had know him she had never taken Machiavelli for being the kind of man who had friends, a sense of humor, or really anything resembling fun…
Two more jesters entered the stage. One was male and wearing green and purple, the other female and in purple and gold. And what an entrance they made! The purple and green-clad male made a graceful bow and then spun around, kneeling and cupping his hands together. The female in gold and purple ran forward and put her foot into his hands, allowing him to toss her into the air, where she spun around and landed to the roar of the crowd. Lia couldn't help but be impressed. But curiously, she noticed that Machiavelli's face had suddenly become grim and serious…
The two newest jesters continued their two-person acts. They spun around, danced gracefully around each-other…the gold and purple one spun around and pulled another performer close to her by the scruff of his collar. Even from her distance Lia could see his face grow red. Then the female jester gave the performer a slap and spun around him and the crowd roared with laughter…everyone except Machiavelli.
Lia was curious. What was it about these two jesters that had suddenly reduced Machiavelli to his usual self?
-X-
Malfatto made his way through the rows as indiscreetly as possible, taking care to remove his bird-mask for the time being so as to be a bit more inconspicuous in the crowd. He loathed being seen without his mask, but also understood the value of stealth and remaining incognito. And a doctor was not exactly a common sight at plays.
Finally, Malfatto came within sight of his target: Machiavelli, sitting there with his eyes fixed intently on the play. Evidently, Cahin and Caha were actually doing their jobs properly. That just left him to perform the assassination…
Malfatto checked his hidden gun one last time to make sure it was functioning properly, nodded in satisfaction that it was, and took aim...
-X-
Lia continued to watch the show, which the two jesters had by now almost completely overtaken with their over-the-top antics and flashy performances. They were in a completely different league from the other performers, who were now actively struggling to keep up. The crowd didn't mind; they just kept on laughing, but Machiavelli's expression remained stern. Finally, he turned to Lia de Russo: "This is not part of the show. I have seen this commedia before, and nowhere do I remember the antics of these two…"
Machiavelli's eyes widened as some great and terrible truth seemed to dawn on him. Before Lia could make heads or tails of it, he grabbed her shoulder, and the shoulder of the other apprentice, and forced them both down.
As it turned out, he saved their lives. A bullet whizzed by at that moment, sailing over the three assassin's heads and striking another unfortunate person in the audience. The coliseum burst into screams of panic and terror as the audience caught onto to what had transpired. Suddenly everyone was scrambling to get our of their seats and running for the nearest exits. Amidst the chaos and confusion, Lia couldn't see who had fired the shot, but knew that the Templars were here. Cursing herself for not having noticed before, Lia readied her hidden blade for battle…
-X-
Seeing the coliseum burst into chaos and disarray, Cahin's mouth burst into a grin as wide and sinister as the one on his white and purple mask. He turned to his sister as the performers among them also scattered.
"Ah! A disturbance! A disruption of the natural order! Perfect! Come my sister! Let us broaden the horizons of their feeble little minds! Let us open their eyes to the vast complexities that stare them in the eyes! What say you sister? Hmmm…I thought the same thing. All right then, we'll do it that way. I'm always up for the challenging!"
Cahin chuckled as his sister rolled her eyes behind her mask, still after all these years having not gotten completely used to her brother's tendency to babble inane nonsense that made sense only to him. Nevertheless, both siblings drew their daggers and charged forward into the sea of panicking people, making their way past them with grace as they surged towards their true target. It was easy for the siblings to identify him: he was with two people wearing distinctive white hooded outfits that they were quite familiar with…
-X-
Lia, Machiavelli, and the apprentice fought their way through the bustling and screaming crowd as they attempted to reach one of the exits. But unfortunately, throngs of people had already bottled up every single exit, and the three assassins were effectively trapped.
Then the apprentice turned and saw the Harlequin and the Hellequin running towards them…
"Sir! The jesters are coming at us!"
Machiavelli turned and backed up behind Lia de Russo and the other apprentice as the Harlequin and the Hellequin charged at them, both of them bearing a knife in each hand.
"Ah! A fight! Marvelous! I always love to test my skills!"
The Harlequin was the first to attack, lunging forward and swinging out with one of his two rondel daggers. Lia leaped backwards to avoid the slash and drew her sword, ready to exchange blows with the whimsical maniac. Simultaneously, the other apprentice took out his mace and hefted it over his shoulder, ready to swing it out at either one of the jesters.
And so began a deadly dance between the four. The Harlequin lunged forward again, slashing and thrusting this way and that with his twin daggers at Lia de Russo, who side-stepped each strike and slashed outwards with her sword, only to strike at thin-air each time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Harlequin was tremendously agile. And also insufferably chatty: "My, what a pretty face you have beneath that hood. Such nice hair and hard-looking eyes. Alas, I confess that I am helpless against such beauty…" Cahin finished with his sentence with false drama and yearning in his voice.
Lia made another sword thrust. The Harlequin cart-wheeled out of the way of surged forward with his knives, leaving a cut in the side of Lia's arm.
"…well, not completely helpless. Heh…"
Lia gasped in pain but steeled her way past it as she backpedaled. Seeing the Harlequin getting ready to lunge again, Lia waited until the last minute before side-stepping, spinning around to kick the Harlequin back and into the wall of the coliseum as he missed her with his daggers. Running forward, Lia engaged the Hellequin, who traded blows with her with such effortless ease and grace that she made Lia feel sloppy in comparison. Meanwhile, the apprentice, who had bee having no luck with the Hellequin, ran at the Harlequin, mace swinging.
"Trading partners mon cher? Tsk, tsk. And I had come to enjoy our company…"
Lia ignored him and continued to duel with the Hellequin. She side-stepped out of the way of Lia's strikes but in so doing walked right into Lia's trap. With a snap, her hidden blade came out and she lunged. The Hellequin only barely moved out of the way in time, and was left with a cut on her side. The Hellequin scowled at Lia and lunged forward once more, baring her daggers viciously and slashing and stabbing in a frenzy. Lia dodged these more sloppy strikes, grabbed the Hellequin's arm, and threw her to one side. It was then that she heard the sickening sound of a dagger piercing flesh and a gasp of pain and agony. Turning around, Lia saw the apprentice dead and the Harlequin standing over him, now bloodied knives in hand.
"I have finished with this over-eager one. Now it is time to return to my passion of the moment!"
And without any other warning, the Harlequin lunged forward again, giving no quarter as he continued to slash and thrust at Lia de Russo, all the while babbling random nonsense in between passive flirting. Lia found herself losing focus as she became more and more irritated by the Harlequin's insane rambling. It was as if he was trying to make her as mad as he was. And her arm continued to bleed from the injury he had already given her…
"IL FALCO!" Machiavelli shouted. "Come! The exits clear! We need to flee!"
He was right of course. These jesters were lethal, and Lia was on her own with an arm that was now bleeding and steadily becoming a major obstacle to her fighting abilities. Making one last bold slash that the Harlequin was clearly not expecting, Lia took advantage of him backpedaling to turn and flee with Machiavelli, running as fast as they could out of the Colloseo along with what other people remained. But as Lia fled with Machiavelli, her eyes saw a sight that made her blood freeze: Malfatto stood amongst the crowd.
And as Lia exited, she could feel his predatory gaze on her.
Author's Note: And there you go! "Colloseo" is the roman coliseum by the way. Brotherhood players might remember it as the place where Ezio had to save one of Lucrezia's lovers. "Mon Cher" means "My Dear" in French by the way.
