The Legend of Midna: Twilight Creed
Chapter Nine: Memory Sequence 8
"Well, I think it is safe to say that I will not be out assassinating anyone any time soon," Ezio said as light-heartedly as he could. The palace doctors had set to work on resetting his leg as soon as they had returned to the hideout, and he was now recovering from his injury.
"I still cannot believe you survived that fall," said La Volpe incredulously. "Perhaps you are getting to old to do this, Ezio. Had you considered that?"
"Too old?" Ezio looked hurt. "Volpe, I will never be too old for this. I bet I will still be out doing this when I am fifty."
"Alright," said La Volpe, "I'll take that bet. What do you wager?"
"A thousand florins?"
"Sounds good to me," said La Volpe. "I will see you again in twenty years so that you can pay up."
"We will see, amico mio," Ezio chortled to himself. "We will see. So Leonardo, you never did tell me what you were doing back at that construction yard with the Demien brothers. I have put two and two together enough to know that you were their prisoner, but how?"
"It is a mystery to me as well," said Leonardo. "I had moved to Clos Lucé, as I'm sure you remember me telling you I would, and one day they just appeared. It was as if they just walked right out of the shadows."
"They probably did," I interjected. "Some Twili can perform a bit of shadow magic called Shadowjumping. It allows one to travel between shadows."
"Fascinante," Leonardo said, more to himself than to me. "I don't know how they knew to come after me. I suppose somewhere along the line they heard about me building siege weapons for Cesare Borgia, but where they would have gotten that information, I cannot say. Nor do I know how they knew I would be in Francia rather than Italia. All I know is that one day I was working on some designs, and they just appeared. They clubbed me over the head, and the next thing I knew I was in that construction yard."
"Well, we're just glad to have you away from those men," said Link, who had been listening intently to Leonardo's story.
"Grazie, Your Highness," he said. "Don't get me wrong, I have wanted to see the Twilight Realm for myself for quite some time. I had just hoped it would be on my own terms."
"Quite understandable," said Ezio. "I am sorry it had to be that way." He turned to look at Link. "There is something I need to discuss with you." He turned to cast his gaze on the rest of us. "Alone," he added.
As the rest of us got up to make our way to various parts of the hideout, I couldn't help but wonder what Ezio was talking about. What did he need to talk to Link about, and why could he not talk about it in front of the rest of us?
"Shweenog," Ezio said to me one day in the hideout, "have you ever seen the rest of the palace?"
"No," I answered. "You know that. I – we – have all been confined to this hideout. Not that I haven't wanted to go exploring the place, of course."
"Well, tonight I am going to show you something in this palace that you will never forget."
"If I may be so bold," I asked, "might I ask what it is?"
A sly smile appeared at the corner of Ezio's mouth. "Alright, I will tell you." He rummaged through a pouch at his belt and removed something small. I couldn't really tell what it was until he held it up to me. It was a silver ring with a red stone set into it, and something white carved into the stone. Upon further inspection I could see that it was the Assassin's symbol.
"Tonight," Ezio said, "on the palace roof, we will have a ceremony. He doesn't know this, but tonight I am making Leonardo an honorary Assassin. He does not wish to fight with us, and I accept his decision, but he has done too much for us to not receive some kind of recognition in return."
"Well," I said, "that is certainly some exciting news."
"Yes," said Ezio. "Once dark twilight has fallen, we will commence with the ceremony. I still have not quite learned to recognize when this is, so I have arranged for a servant to come and bring the two of you up to the roof. Link, La Volpe, and I will already be up there to prepare for the ceremony."
"Why can't I help?" I asked, perhaps sounding a bit more indignant than I had intended.
"You are not yet a true Assassin," Ezio reminded me. "As such, the ceremony is not for your eyes to see before it is time. You are lucky; ordinarily an apprentice would not ever see this ceremony until he is to become a master."
"Capisco," I said.
"Now, I must go and see to the preparations," Ezio said, and started to limp towards the passage that Link used to go between the palace and the hideout. "I will see you tonight."
"Masters Llwynog and Leonardo," called the servant from the passageway, "it is time. You are to come with me."
Leonardo and I shared a look. We followed in silence as the servant lead us up through the palace to the roof. As we walked, I thought my neck might break from overuse as I turned my head this way and that, trying to take in all the sights of the palace. I would likely never get this chance again.
The scene before me on the roof was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. There was a red carpet laid out, with banners bearing the Assassin's symbol on either side of the carpet. Link, Midna, Ezio, La Volpe, and Machiavelli all stood around a great stone basin full of burning embers. Together, the two of us walked down the aisle to stop in front of the congregation.
"Leonardo da Vinci," said Ezio. "It is with great pride and honor that I ask you to step forward." Leonardo approached Ezio and stood next to the stone basin.
"Leonardo da Vinci," Ezio continued. "No one outside our order has done more for this brotherhood than you have. I have asked you several times to join our ranks, and each time you have declined. I accept that. However, I believe that such service should not go without recognition. Therefore, it is with great pride that I bestow upon you this ring. I, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, do hereby name you, Leonardo da Vinci, an honorary Assassin."
Applause rang out through the still dark twilight air. Ezio slid the ring onto Leonardo's right-hand ring finger, and presented the new honorary Assassin to the rest of the group. As Leonardo made to kiss Midna's hand, I noticed that she, too, also wore an honorary ring.
"Shweenog," Ezio called out, and the rooftop was once again silent. "Please step forward."
Panic and excitement swept through me. Could what I thought was happening actually be happening?
"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine," said Ezio. "These are the words of our ancestors." Machiavelli handed him a pair of iron tongs from within the basin.
"Hold out your left hand," Ezio said to me, and to me alone. "This only hurts for a little while." He clamped the tongs down over my hand. The pain was incredible, but I gritted my teeth and bore it. As he took the tongs away, I looked down at the new Assassin's mark now branded to the flesh of my hand.
"Let us say it together now," he said to all of use. Together we chanted:
"Nothing is true; everything is permitted. We work in the shadows to serve the light. We are Assassins."
Ezio gave me a knowing look, but he didn't have to say anything. I nodded that I understood, and walked towards the edge of the palace. I spread my arms wide, and without ever looking back, performed the leap of faith.