Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Assassin's Creed or anything associated with the series.

Author Notes: Hello again! I feel like I could've extended this chapter more but at the same time, we needed to catch ourselves up a bit. And school is back in session. Bleh. Anyway, hope you like this!

REVIEW PLEASE. ^.^

Sorgendo a Est

Adriano limped out into the hall, leaning on the walls for support. A stinging sensation sizzled in his abdomen and a shortness of breath made him light-headed. His eyes burned from the newfound light and his legs ached and cracked as he stepped along the wooden floors. He pressed on, ignoring the pain. He ached for answers.

The hall opened up to the balcony and staircase, lavishly decorated with fine rugs, fallen rose petals and Courtesans in pastel dresses. Paintings of beautiful landscapes hung about the walls among long, flowing curtains that spread to reveal a blinding sun, rising in the East.

Below, Adriano heard music and laughter- the giggling of the Courtesan girls and the suave men getting their money's worth. The same lush brilliance of the Rosa in Fiore continued down its steps and into the main room. The smell of a sweet, overbearing perfume tickled his nose and left its regards crammed into his nostrils.

Even all of this fantasy could not lessen the sour taste on his lips and the coldness of his hands as they shook against the wall. A Courtesan danced to a lute player, carrying about his musical routine. This Courtesan looked too familiar. They all did. They all reminded him of Lucio and his outrageous antics.

The young man eased himself down the steps and into the parlor. He spotted a particularly well-dressed woman addressing a few of the frisky girls by the doors. When he approached, the woman glanced up and smiled.

"Welcome to the finest brothel in Roma! I hope you slept well. I'd hate to think you slept badly for this long," the woman greeted.

"My sleep was wonderful, grazie."

She scanned him up an down, and then put a finger to her chin. "Hmm…" she carefully examined him again.

"Signora…I have a few…questions…"

The woman shook herself back and glanced back up at Adriano. "Oh yes those! Well, dear boy, I must finish speaking with my girls. Uno momento! I will be over soon!" She piped up and fanned him away with her hand.

Adriano leant against the wall on the other side of the room. He played with a loose string on his sleeve to occupy himself, trying to avoid the gaze of the flighty girls. But soon enough, one approached.

"Glad to see you're alive," the Courtesan said with a slight grin. She was dressed as all the others with her frilly dress and tied-up hair. However, something was different about this one. She had a spark in her eye- like she knew something the other's didn't.

"Trust me. So am I."

The Courtesan moved closer, analyzing him with her piercing emerald eyes. "It must be lonely… being a soldier." Her lashes fluttered as she spoke. "No doubt this... women, in fact, are very new to you." She placed a light hand on his arm and whispered, "For all of the wrong reasons."

Adriano pushed her away with what little strength he had. "Madonna, I appreciate what you are trying to do for me but I swear to you, I don't need it."

The Courtesan scoffed. "So this is what I get for saving the brave soldier! The most I get out of this are sour looks and untrusting eyes by my sisters!" She quickly mumbled something and then finished with a loud, "I'm done with this!" The Courtesan turned to leave.

"Wait! Please…" Adriano grabbed her arm and held her back. "You… saved me?"

"Yes! Well… Claudia and I… let me go, Messer. You do not want trouble."

"I won't have trouble," he said, still holding on to the Courtesan's arm. His head was pounding. "Signora Claudia is busy right now. But I need answers right now. Seeing as you were the one who saved me, you must have some idea of how I am alive, what happened to everyone else, and- wait…"

The girl looked at the floor, humming something to herself. She knew about the Assassins if she was there. Clever girl.

A new surge of energy filled Adriano and he grabbed the girl's shoulders roughly. "What happened? Where is Lucio? Where is Evelina Auditore?"

Fear struck in the Courtesan's eyes. "They're fine! Let me go!"

The other girls and their customers were staring at them. Adriano's head did not cease its furious blows against the walls of his skull.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?"

"Because I saved you! Let me go! Please!"

"Let the girl go now, soldato! This is a brothel, not a battle field," Claudia snapped at Adriano.

Reluctantly, he let go. The Courtesan sniffled, picked up her dress, and stomped away. The Agile sighed, cringing slightly at the pain once again taking over his chest.

"You want answers, Messer? You speak with me." His vision started blurring, but he blinked it back.

"Is Lucio…?"

"Your friend is alive and recuperating."

The room started to swirl and he gripped Claudia's shoulder to keep himself from falling. "And Evelina?"

Claudia scrunched her face in a confused manner. "Evelina…?"

His breath was running short. Sweat poured from his face and he hallucinated that little snakes were slithering across the floor. But he knew they'd be fine. Just snakes.

He had to sit down soon.

"Yes," he gasped.

"She is…doing well."

"Bene."

Falling.

Ground.

Everything went black.

Screams, shouts, screeches of pain. Clanks and clashes of swords and then sloshing noises of bodies being brutally mutilated. It was hard to tell who was winning… until she saw her father's face. His stern expression was painted with fear and spots of blood- hopefully the enemy's.

"Evelina! Leave the recruits here! Go up to the tower and blast off the cannons! They're destroying us!" Signore Auditore called.

"Si, Padre!" With those words, she dashed up the ladder to her right and rolled across the roof, leaping from building to building until she reached the base of the tower. With quick steps, she climbed her way up to the top. She was greeted by greasy male faces, shocked to find her there.

"Help us! We cannot work these contraptions!"

Can't work a cannon? What the hell are you doing up here then? Pretending to work a cannon?

Evelina grabbed a hold of the cannon's end. "Load it up! Ora!"

The man scrambled about and finally loaded the cannon. She aimed at the line of cannons in the East and fired. A violent explosion destroyed three of the cannons in the distance.

"Di nuovo!" she screamed.

The cries of horses could be heard from below. More explosions ensued and more blood was spilt. It was devastating. Why hadn't she come sooner?

Once the cannon was loaded, she aimed and fired again, destroying two cannons.

"One more shot to go! Let's move it!"

The greasy man nodded and shoved another cannon ball into the contraption. Evelina fired, smashing the remaining three cannons in the distance.

But that was not enough. Calls for help came in the direction of the city gates. The young Assassin raced towards them, sword held high. She hit a lift and rode the pulley up the side of the other tower. Dropping from the tower, she faced the imperial soldiers, swords out and heads held high.

"Pretty girls don't survive the war," the Agile snickered.

"Ugly bastardi don't either."

The guard struck, missing Evelina. She took her chance and countered him, kicking him back and off the city walls to his death.

She glanced up at the other soldiers and cocked her head.

One by one they came and fell to her blades. It was only five guards, but it was enough to exhaust Evelina. But then, one last soldier remained. The Brute. With his bulky armor, there was no stopping him with her sword.

Evelina hopped onto the Brute's shoulder and leaped onto the ledge behind him. In the soldier's confused state, she extracted her hidden blade and jumped on the metallic man. She jammed her blade between his helmet and chest plate. With one last muted yell echoing inside the suit, he was gone.

The young Assassin smirked. Not half bad.

Then a sharp pain struck her. She looked at her arm and found a deep gash beneath the stained, torn fabric of her shirt. But there was no time to tend to wounds. She had to find her father.

Evelina took a leap of faith from the top of the tower into a wagon of leaves, landing nearer to her father and his men. Fighting her way through the crowd, she found him standing over a dying Templar, finishing him off. Unaware of what was behind him, a Seeker came swinging his pike. The girl jumped and disarmed the Seeker before he could reach her father. She stuck him with her dagger and spun around to meet her father's weary face, bruised and scratched from battle.

"Evelina…" he let out breathlessly, "gather whatever we have left. We need to retreat."

The girl was shocked. "Scusi?"

The old man raised his voice. "We need to re-supply and gather more forces! They are too strong! Go!"

Evelina obeyed and rushed in the other direction.

"We aren't surrendering yet!" her father called after her.

"I know, Padre," she spoke to herself.

We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins.

Uno momento – One moment

Soldato – Soldier

Di nuovo – Again

Scusi – Excuse me