Isa was progressing nicely, despite her tendency to try and master everything at the first try. I mainly hung back, giving her advice here and there, and watched as she trained, in order to get as much information on her fighting style as possible. I even learnt things to try, just by watching her, different ways of using techniques, and being adaptable. Her fighting style was much different to mine- she lacked the strength to back her strikes, so she relied on being fast and landing many hits. Many more strikes, but weaker. It was the complete opposite to mine- relying mainly on power. She was quite a fast learner- but she seemed to have an affinity to long distance weapons. She picked up the throwing knives and learnt them pretty quick, even if she is far from perfect. But it was still impressive. I considered what she was going to move onto next..I was considering a bow, but that would be hard to come across. Not many Assassin's trained to use a bow, rather relying on the more available gun. But seeing the fact that she managed to use one perfectly, I couldn't help but feel that perhaps she would be better to learn that first. Of course, I would teach her eventually to use one, but perhaps Archery was the best beginning choice for her. I still had to weigh up the options, but I was leaning towards the bow. And that wasn't even including using her Hidden Blade for combat, and unarmed fighting, which would come in handy. I still had to teach her how to use them- and if we truly had something to accomplish, then per Dio, I was going to make sure she was ready.

We still had to talk about what we encountered in the alcove, which I was planning to do this evening after Cena, while we had our free time. Perhaps I might take her onto the roof, provided the sky was clear enough to see the stars. I flexed my hidden blades experimentally, making sure they were clean and working. My quest for revenge was not over and will not be over for a long time, but while I figure out what to do, training Isa was a good way to keep my skills fresh and pass the time. Add the odd Assassin mission, and my time was filled. Speaking of which, I had enough time to do a quick Assassin mission before I met up with Isa. It shouldn't take me long- just a Templar Captain who was hassling the common folk, murdering any who stand up to him, and is a high up Captain in regards to the Templars. If I leave now, it would take me an hour and twenty to get to Firenze, then I estimate two hours, maybe more for the actual assassination, then an hour and twenty to get back. So, let's see 5..6:20..8:20..9:40.. A bit late, but we should be able to talk. And, if the conversation doesn't end by 11pm, I'll let her lie in later. One of the bonuses of me teaching her (even if she will merge with the standard recruits) It would be no use if she was exhausted. Essentially, to describe my target in a few words, he is un demone che è il bastardo dell'inferno. He was a menace, and needed to be stopped, if not for the Assassin's, then for the people of Firenze. I put on the armour I received from the alcove, the Auditore Emblem shining brightly on the shoulder, and ran across the rooftops (what can I say, it's faster) to the stables. Murmuring a greeting to my horse, Leale, (original I know) I mounted her, and spurred her on. She was like her namesake, and was the fastest horse in the stables, a title I know she was proud of. I wonder what Padre would think, if he saw me naming my horse. Probably something along the lines of 'It's just an animal'. She was a sleek black filly, and despite her age was extremely fast and sturdy. Not to mention intelligent. Even if she didn't understand most English phrases, she was smart enough to know the general direction of where I asked. Case in point;

"A casa ragazza. Di nuovo a casa nostra."

She snorted in response, as she galloped down the twisty road, as she headed to our home. Despite Monteriggioni being my home away from home, Firenze will always be where I am from, in my heart. It's bustling city, festivals, the feathers which seem to appear from nowhere, (speaking of which, I needed to collect some for my Madre. Perhaps Isa will help me with that, it can help improve her free-running, plus I can take her out on a break, while getting used to navigating the rooftops of a big city.) Leonardo, the like. Home is where the heart is, and my heart is in Firenze. I zoned out for a while, the trip stretching out and out, as Leale galloped the fasted she could, and the scenery blurred. Firenze may be where the heart is, but my vita was back in Monteriggioni with the Assassin's, Mario, and Isa..my apprentice. The roads were empty for once- seemed I was favoured today, and the trip passed by quickly- but I just wanted to get it over and done with today. The sooner I got back, the sooner I saw Isa, and the sooner we could have our discussion, which we are needing to have as soon as possible.

I zoned out once more, and Leale snorted as she slowed at the stables. Putting my hood up, I approached the entrance to Firenze, scanning the entrance to see if the guards were Templars or not. They showed up a vibrant red, and I sighed. So much for the easy way in. I sneakily approached the side of Firenze, the tall stone walls looming over me. Fortunately, I saw a rope lift, laying set against the stone wall, just asking if I wanted a lift. Guards were scarce, which was handy because I really hated killing innocent guards (who had no involvement with the Templars, and were just doing their job. Templar Guards? Not so much.) I ran towards the rope lift, grabbed the rope with one hand, and kicked the release lever, which launched me high into the air. I landed with a slight bump on the ground, before jumping down onto a nearby building, rolling as I hit the uneven roof. I really hated these damn tiles. Stupid things..amount of times they've nearly given me away.

Anyhow, I could see various guards shining in red, and so dropped to the street. I would be harder to see should I merge with the busy townsfolk. I had a general idea of where my target would be- near the Basilica di San Lorenzo, patrolling the gardens. The trick would be killing him without getting skewered by the various guards. Let's see..I knew the area around the Basilica roughly, and I knew there was a wall overlooking the gardens. Provided I could take out the guards patrolling that segment of the wall, and get up there unseen, I could take him out with the throw of a knife. Or, I could air assassinate him from the wall, and then retreat by sneaking out onto the streets. I wouldn't know what method I would choose until I actually got the chance to scope out where I was going. One thing could change the entire way I proceed. It had happened enough times, believe me. I had to cross across Firenze to get there..so that was fun. But hopefully by crossing the rooftops and avoiding the guards, it shouldn't take me long at all. As much as I love Firenze, it could be a real nuisance to cross sometimes, especially as Leale couldn't come in with me, since I didn't want to accidentally hit any citizens. It wouldn't be inconspicuous anyway. I prepared for the trip across the city..I wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Finally, I made it to the wall. Minus a few encounters with guards, it didn't take me too long at all. The sun was beginning to set, and I was perched on the wall, the bodies of the fallen guards lying behind, still. As the world turned into various greys, blues, and reds, the singular golden person stood out in my peripheral vision. So that was where he was hiding. I made note of his walking schedule- and since nightfall was on its way, guards were slack. They're was only three other guards- each I could take out using knifes, allowing me to air assassinate him if I timed it quick. If I could kill the other three before he walked underneath me, I could assassinate him without too much trouble. The shadows obscured me, and unless you specifically knew I was there, I was very easy to overlook. I had the element of surprise. I waited for him to walk towards my position on the wall, before whipping out three throwing knives and throwing them in quick succession. Each knife struck true- in the head, like I taught Isa. I had a lot of practise using them- my Uncle made sure I always had accurate aim. It took a long time- I much preferred the sword- but eventually he said I was accurate enough, and that we could move on. I jumped for joy that day- I hate the damn things, but I won't deny they come in handy. They fell dead, and as he turned around, his red coat flaring, I pounced like a tiger after it's prey. I jumped down, pulled my wrist back, and waited for the impact. Knees tensed, and itchy trigger finger tensing, I braced for the impact. My entire wait landed on the captain, my hidden blade finding its resting place in his neck. With a quick gurgle, and a last frantic eye shift, his chest rose once, and then fell, never to rise again. Getting off of the mans body, I closed his eyes and said a last final parting message. The Templars may be my enemies, and I may hate them, but even they did not deserve being desecrated in death- like I almost did to Vieri..I am thankfully my Uncle stopped me..it was dishonourable, and it would do me no good to get caught up in my anger.

"Hai fatto ciò che ritieni giusto. Potrei non essere d'accordo con i tuoi ideali, ma li rispetterò sia nella vita che nella morte. Requiescat in pace."

I could hear yelling, and the roaring sound of slamming feet, so I knew my time here was done. When I come back with Isa, I'll visit Leonardo and Paola, since I miss them and haven't seen them since I had to flee Firenze with my family. It'll be a nice break- and I can introduce Isa to them in person, rather then through the 'TV'. It still baffles me how she is from the future..yet I do not doubt her. She knew things that nobody could know, not even Templar's would know- like how my parent's thought I was a stillborn baby, and that Petruccio was collecting feathers, and that on the fateful day where they were imprisoned, I had brought him one from the rooftop. It was undeniable proof. I quickly scaled the nearby tree, and from there leapt onto the roof, without stumbling. Throwing down a smoke bomb, I fled onto the rooftops of Firenze as I heard various shots ring out into the air. Yep definitely had to go. I had to drop down onto the streets only to immediately climb up again to the top of the Basilica. I ran, my hood threatening to fall down, as I leapt across to a smaller building, rolling to brace myself for the contact. Grimacing as my elbow throbbed temporarily, I sprinted towards the nearest building bracing against the wall. That was my ticket out of here.

"Assassino!"

Oh merda. They had seen me no doubt cross the damn street. I really hated this district. No easy ways to cross the streets without, well, walking on the street. Dammit. Realising I had no time to waste, I scaled the final building, before leaping for a handhold on the wall. Up and over was my way out. A bang popped my ears, before the familiar pain of a gunshot came to my attention. Cazzo! Ignoring the gut wrenching pain in my arm, I climbed quickly over the wall, before realising one fact. There wasn't a soft landing, and I couldn't go another way. I was screwed. I could jump, but risk injuring myself even more, try to run and risk getting shot, or stay and hope they don't come up. Which was unlikely because of the fact that I could hear footsteps from within the wall tower. As I was considering jumping off the wall (to an admitably hard fall), my broach glowed once more. I looked at it hesitantly- it had helped us before, perhaps it will help me now? It glowed brightly, and a large eagle emerged from it. But it wasn't normal, no it was translucent, a spirit. I was seriously confused. How the hell will an eagle help me? Especially one that didn't seem real.

Apparently, it involved me becoming an eagle. Wait. No. I don't know. I'm so confused. The eagle flew into me, straight into my chest, and I felt strange. Almost detached from my body, like a duck out of water. My vision went from what was normal, to eagle vision almost immediately. I couldn't turn it back to my normal vision. At all! The world stayed in its abnormal grey, golden, blue and red hues.Sto impazzendo?! I looked hesitantly, fearing I was poisoned or something. A hallucination? I was leaning towards that. My hands had become wings, feathered and all, and my feet had become talons, equipped with sharp claws. My robes had completely disappeared, and so had all of my weapons. The gunshots rang out once more, and something at the back of my mind nudged me to go. So..breathing in (and really hoping I didn't jump to my death) I leapt, my newfound wings instinctively lifting me higher and higher. I was convinced I was going crazy..some sort of mind bending illusion, or poison, or me recovering from a fever or something. Yet, I could faintly hear the guards yelling out 'Where did he go?'. It convinced me that perhaps I wasn't going crazy..if Isa could come from the future, why couldn't I randomly turn into an eagle. Although, it did save me from an unfortunate situation...perhaps we should go visit the next place the scroll mentioned. Perhaps this could explain the..situation I'm in. And per Dio, I really really hope that it can be undone.

I felt increasingly tired as I became lower to the ground. My eyes were drooping and I felt like I hadn't slept for days. Which wasn't true. I managed to land safely on the ground, without rolling or crashing or breaking any bones. Which is good, I supposed. I looked around, before realising that I recognised the road I was currently on. It was the road that was exactly halfway between Firenze and Monteriggioni. As I collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, the feeling of being detached faded. The world switched to my normal vision, the vibrant colours returning. I looked around, before realising that my hands were hands again. My hidden blades were securely on my wrist, my sword by my hip. I reached back for my head, to find it there, like it never disappeared in the first place. I had to see Isa, and fast. Looking up at the sky, I realised it was around 8pm. I had somehow covered half of the trip in 25 minutes. I whistled loudly for my horse. I had no idea how she always knew where I was, or how she could hear me whistle, but she arrived after a prompt ten minutes. She snorted at me, as I practically dragged myself on my horse. She didn't need me to tell her where I wanted to go. She knew. She was good at that. I looked at my broach, staring at it as if it would give me answers. Perhaps it would, but now wasn't my time to know. I didn't know. All I did know is that I had to talk to Isa as soon as possible- she would understand, since her necklace was much like my broach- and that we had to go to the next location, after I was satisfied she could defend herself.

Soon enough I arrived back in Monteriggioni, a few hours earlier than planned. Though my state of fatigue never left, I trudged on. If I slept now, I would miss my chance to talk to Isa, and this needed discussing as soon as possible. It couldn't wait. I tied Leale to the post at the stables, and walked into Monteriggioni, heading straight to the Villa. Hopefully Isa would be there..although I couldn't imagine her being anywhere else at this time of night. Yawning again, rubbing my eyes, I strode up the stairs, before opening the front door. My world was in a haze as I half-crawled up the stairs that never seemed to end. Soon enough, I was outside of her room. I knocked on the door, and heard a quiet 'Come in'. She was lying on her bed, her pillow propped up. In her hands laid a book, which looked like she had been reading it. Her robes were draped over the back of the chair in the corner, and all she had on was a long grey skirt and a white shirt. She looked pretty- no Ezio. Bad. She's your friend..she doesn't deserve to be tarnished because of your reputation of a playboy.

"Hi Ezio.."

"Hi Isa"

We both said at the same time, as I was about to settle myself on the floor. She looked at me, before shaking her head, curls of her fringe draping down.

"Just move my..robe" She seemed to forget what it was called. She untied her hair so that it tumbled down her back, as I moved her robes to the back of the door. She shuffled up and swung her legs so that they dangled over the edge of her bed. She looked at me, as I sat down on the seat, mindful of my arm. It was still sore, but nowhere near as bad, plus, I have had worse before. She seemed to notice, before she scowled at me, an expression showing on her face. I don't know how she guessed..or maybe she's trying to trick me into saying something. I kept quiet as I scanned her face.

"Take off your robes" She demanded. Well I'm in the doghouse. I kept my face straight, trying to not concede any facts I didn't want her to know. Damn, she was more observant then I gave her credit for.

"Normally this isn't how I'd imagine taking off my clothes in front of a woman" I cockily smirked. She knew I was joking, she was used to my way of humour. Then I realised by the look on her face that she was going to make my life hell.

"And normally this isn't how I'd imagine hitting someone, but I guess there's a first time for everything" I blinked surprised. It's unlike her to retort to something I said. I'm proud of her..she's grown. In both strength and tenacity.

"Now off"

Complying, unwilling to piss her off, I unhooked my belt, and draped my robes on her desk chair, feeling naked without them on. It was rare I took them off now-a-days..apart from when Mother practically drags them off me. Speaking of which, I need to see her and Claudia..and introduce them to Isa. And also integrate Isa's training with the other Assassins. But first.

"And shirt"

Abiding, I pulled my shirt over my head, and also placed it lazily on my robes. It had a large bloody spot..I guess I bled more then I thought. She looked once at the wound, then at me, before reaching under her bed. She pulled out a little box, and opened it, retrieving a small bottle of medicine, a bandage, and a piece of cloth. She looked at me, before also retrieving a little bowl of water. I sighed..and also questioned how she had all of this stuff under her bed. Another thing to add to my never ending list. Gentle hands brushed over the wound, and besides a little stinging, it hardly hurt. I had to fight to stop my head from thinking of inappropriate things (which was proving difficult, I can kill people without a second thought, but censoring my thoughts? A whole different thing).

"Do you know if it went clean through?"

I nodded. "Sì. It did"

Chewing her lip, she nodded, sighing under her breath. Gunshots could be nasty if they weren't clean through, or if the bullet split. Trust me, I (had) had that experience one too many times. And if I had my way, I would've just let it heal naturally. Nothing ever went wrong when I let it. She washed the piece of cloth, before going back to delicately cleaning it. She looked at it critically, before washing the cloth out. She picked up the medicine, and deftly unscrewed the cap. She poured a small amount on the cloth, before rubbing it over the entry and exit wound. I looked at her quizzically, and she smiled sadly, as if reminiscing something.

"In my time, we had this thing called 'antiseptic'. It stopped things from getting infected." She paused, "I'm hoping your medicine will do something similar"

I nodded understandingly, I was willing to follow along to her logic. Times may be different, but surely things can't have advanced that much medicine wise, right? The silence grew, making it awkward as she wrapped my arm up. She did a good job, I hardly felt a thing. The silence was eating me..and I hated to be idle. So, I broke the silence by blurting;

"We need to talk"

To my surprise, she said the same thing that I did. We blinked at each other- laughed a bit- and then went back to being serious. Seems she had something on her mind as-well. I guess we'd better get started.


Translations

La pratica rende perfetti – Practise makes perfect.

Cena – Tea

per Dio – by God

un demone che è il bastardo dell'inferno. - a demon who is the bastard of hell.

Firenze – Florence

Leale - Loyal

A casa ragazza. Di nuovo a casa nostra. - At home girl. Back to our home.

Madre - Father

Padre - Mother

Vita - Life

Hai fatto ciò che ritieni giusto. Potrei non essere d'accordo con i tuoi ideali, ma li rispetterò sia nella vita che nella morte. Requiescat in pace - You have done what you think is right. I may disagree with your ideals, but I will respect them both in life and in death.

Sto impazzendo?! - Am I going crazy?!


Author's Note

I seriously hated writing this chapter. Not so much the writing itself, but the actual chapter. I'm just not happy with it. I aim to write a better one next chapter, where Ezio's little escapade shall be explained in a little more detail. Because, for everyone except me, it probably seems random and weird. I write weird things- but I have a sort of canon reason it could happen? I also tried to make Ezio a bit more cannon compliant..but in all honesty it's more difficult then I anticipated. But I'm trying to get better at it.

Anyhow, I've already got a sequel in the works..which is bad considering I haven't even written this one yet. But inspiration came to me, so I just sat and wrote. By the time this one is finished, I'm aiming to have at least half of the sequel done, which, (spoiler- not really) is centred around the plot of Assassin's Creed 3. Maybe I'll write one covering the events of the first Assassin's Creeds, but so far I don't have any plans for it, and I haven't even finished playing through it yet.

Adding on to this random Author's Note, I've also regained interest in L.A Noire, (by Rockstar). Last time I played it, I was just like 'oh that guy looks guilty he did it, I'm accusing you of lying all way through, and I'm not collecting evidence' So you know, actually playing it properly means it's a lot more enjoyable. I've also considering writing a story inspired by a fanfiction I read today (Paw & Order by Crimson Flame-Blue Rose for those who are curious) but I need to see what I write before actually deciding to publish it or not. This story takes priority in either case.

And damn, this turned into a really long Author's Note. I tend to ramble too much.

As usual, the only thing I own is my character Isa, I don't own Assassin's Creed, it belongs to Ubisoft.

I hope you enjoyed reading, and that you have a nice day/afternoon/evening

~Cait