*I don't own Assassin's creed*

PLEASE READ So, after this chapter, I want you to comment with an answer to this question for furture reference: Would you rather see (in this story) a person hurt and then a fight starting, or a fight starting, then the person hurt, or other (there will be a fight and person hurt {not giving details}, but I'm open to ideas about how it happens) o.k., now you can carry on with your reading :)

Chapter 14

Matteo and I grinned at each other, childlike excitement obvious. We walked into the room, trying to take everything in at once. I had been around Assassins nearly all my life, but had never truly been to an Assassin hideout. Behind me, I heard Mario and Adriano laughing, Adriano quietly, Mario... not as quietly. "Look at them! They look as if they've never seen the Assassin symbol before!" Mario whisper-shouted (more shout than whisper, though).

"You've got no place to talk! I heard you were stumbling around in shock like an idiota ubriaco!" Adriano retorted.

"I... Vanni was worse though!" Mario chuckled quietly.

"I can't argue with that," Adriano snickered.

"You know, we can hear you, right?" I muttered, turning to the two men. Matteo snickered quietly, but I was surprised to hear another, deeper laugh along with his.

"Si, they know, or should know. Show some manners, Adriano!" La Volpe walked into the room, grinning from under the cowl of his cloak.

"My apologies, bella donna, I did not mean to insult you in any way!" my brother bowed dramatically towards me, his face full of mock horror.

I smirked at the theatrics, but went along with it, "My dear brother, I could not in any way take words from such a gentiluomo as an insult!" The two of us grinned, and I heard La Volpe laughing again.

"Ah, Adriano, there are your manners! I thought you'd lost them on one of your... adventures." He glared at my brother, and I chuckled softly.

"You men are all alike."All four of the other assassins in the room glared at me, but I ignored them cheerfully. "Anyway, it's nice to see you Volpe. It has been a while."

"Si, it has..." La Volpe grinned and I knew he was thinking of how I had been hurt last time he'd seen me. As usual. "Now, down to business. Almost all of the other Assassins are here, except for a few of the apprentices who should be arriving shortly. It always encourages them to see others reaching their goals."

La Volpe gestured to the hallway that he had appeared from, and Matteo and I calmly walked in, immediately recognizing Paola, Machiavelli, Bartolomeo and a few others. They grinned at us, and I was filled with pride at being part of this close-knit group of people. The room was fairly large, about 25 ft. by 40 ft., with more banners with the Assassin symbol hanging on the walls. At the front of the room was a slightly raised stone platform proudly bearing a brazier with a pair of metal tongs sitting next to it.

Mario walked down the middle of the room and onto the platform. As he opened his mouth to speak, three apprentices dashed into the room and quietly went to stand next to the other apprentices on the right side of the room. Mario waited a moment, and then began to speak. "Welcome, brothers and sisters. We gather here today to grant two apprentices their rite of passage to become full Assassins. Cosima, Matteo, please come forward." Matteo and I walked up to the stand on the platform, passing the wide eyed stares and grins of excited apprentices and the calm smiles and relaxed poses of the Master Assassins. Standing in front of all of the eyes staring intently at us, I resisted the urge to shrink into the shadows caused by the flickering torchlight. "Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. These are the words that define our Creed. Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember..."

"Nothing is true." Matteo and I replied confidently.

"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember..."

"Everything is permitted."

Every Assassin in the room joined in for the last part of the time honored words spoken in every new Assassin's initiation: "We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

Machiavelli strode out of the now silent spectators. He picked up the tongs and placed the ends in the fire, expertly heating it so that the ends were glowing bright red and orange within seconds. "Cosima, you first," he murmured, and I held up my left hand. Machiavelli held out the tongs, hovering the ends over and below my ring finger for a moment before squeezing them onto my skin. I gritted my teeth at the sudden burning feeling, unable to stop a small gasp from escaping. Both Mario and Machiavelli watched my face carefully, searching for weakness, but finding none. Machiavelli pulled the tongues away, thrusting them back into the fire to reheat them, and I stepped to the side, making room for Matteo to step closer to the brazier. Matteo glanced apprehensively at the tongs for a moment, but then confidence filled his features. He held up his hand, and Machiavelli clamped the tongs onto his finger. Matteo's body went ridged, and then slowly relaxed as Matteo took a shaky but determined breath. The tongs were removed from his finger and he stepped backwards so that he was next to me.

Mario stepped to the edge of the platform and announced, "Apprentices, you are dismissed. Masters, please accompany us to the tower for the final part if the ceremony." The apprentices filed out of the room, leaving only Machiavelli, Mario, Adriano, Paola, Bartolomeo, Matteo, and I.

"Come, the ladder is here." Machiavelli led us over to a ladder in the corner of the room, and then gestured for us to climb it. I nodded my thanks to him, and then began climbing into the pitch black above. The climb felt like it would never end, but soon, a soft glow appeared at the top of the tunnel. The light grew steadily until it became blinding and was all around. Reaching upwards, my hand felt the edge of the top of the hole. I hoisted myself out, and then leaned against one of the pillars above, waiting for the others to appear. It didn't take long for the other six to come out, one after another, and we were soon ready for the last part of the ceremony, the Leap of Faith. I stepped out onto the small platform and glanced down to make sure a bale of hay was waiting below. A moment after I was sure there was, I leapt off, legs together, arms out and spun in the air. The jump was exhilarating, and even though it lasted only a few moments, I felt as if I could fly. I landed gently in the hay, quickly scrambling out so that I didn't get landed on. A few seconds later, someone landed in the bale, then hopped out.

"We've done it, Cosima! We are Assassins!" Matteo ginned at me, and I smiled back. Glancing up, I saw my brother step onto the platform to jump, and decided to wait for him, instead of heading straight back into the headquarters. The first hint that any of us had that we were being watched was a loud BANG! And my brother falling from the sky.

idiota ubriaco- drunken idiot

bella donna- beautiful lady

gentiluomo- gentleman

Please comment to answer my question at the top /\

P.S. i won't update until I get three responces :) Please? All i want for christmas are reviews! :)