Chapter 2 is up. I'll try to update a chapter every Sunday, and keep it updated. I might be a little late sometimes, though. Bear with me. Thanks to the anonymous comment I got last time, I hope I did you proud with this latest installment. Enjoy!
Ezio awoke in a dark cell, in dank, sweaty clothes. His head throbbed with pain as he stood and balanced himself on the cold, stony walls. He held a hand on his head, feeling for any injuries. His ponytail broke, and his hair flowed freely behind his head, down to his shoulders. The sun dimly shown in through the window, and he looked at the rotting wooden table and chair left before him, a single apple on the table with broken, clay pots.
Iron bars stood before the hall of the prison he was now in. His mind went through the events of the previous night, the battle that he had proved his own worth in. He took the lives of men, was that something to be proud of? Yet his brother and father did it so easily. And the guards…the ones that had knocked him out and thrown him in here…what was their intention? His father would take revenge, that was for sure. If he ever found out…
"Hey! Boy!" a voice called out from across the dirty hallway of the prison. "Yes, you! In that cell!"
"What do you want?" Ezio asked, slowly walking to the barred door. He looked across the hall to see a dunmer, more commonly known to us as a Dark Elf. His dark green skin blended well with the dark prison backdrop, and his voice revealed his cruel intent instantly.
"I guess they locked a kid up in here, too eh?" he muttered, starting to laugh. "Well, that's a perfectly good life wasted, I guess. You're never leaving, boy. Never."
"I'll get out." Ezio muttered in reply, doubt entering his mind.
"Oh, believe me, you won't. These cells are the ones they let people die in." Ezio looked at the man in disbelief. "That's right," he muttered, seeing his chance to shove doubt into Ezio's mind. "You're gonna die in here, boy! Die!"
A door opened to the far left, and several Legion soldiers accompanied a regally dressed man. Much more fancily dressed than even the Count of Skingrad, they walked to his cell, and looked at Ezio in awe, surprise and disgust.
"What the hell is a prisoner doing in this cell?" one guard, a female, asked.
"A-a usual mix up with the Watch, I—"
"Nevermind, open the door." She ordered, and a Redguard, a human with born fighting prowess, stood at the gate.
"Back up, prisoner. We won't hesitate to kill you." He ordered. Ezio grudgingly complied, and backed up. "By the window, prisoner, and stay there." Ezio looked at him with anger, yet fulfilled the demand anyway.
"Wait, your face…" the man said, looking at Ezio. "I've seen it somewhere before…"
"I've never seen you before in my life." Ezio grunted, annoyance and anger building up. First it was the Legion soldiers, now these yahoos were making his life that much harder.
"I've seen it…in my dreams." The man finished, and Ezio took a breath. The others were working steadily on the wall, probably undoing it somehow. That was the motions they were making, at the very least.
"In your dreams? I don't believe you…" Ezio replied. The man before him had silver-grey hair, and his age was pronounced through the wrinkles on his face, which, even now, seemed calm. As though he had come to terms with some great tragedy.
"Emperor, we must be going now." The female guard said, standing as the wall opened up.
"Emperor?"
"Good bye, Ezio Auditore." The man said, turning around to leave. Ezio stood there, dumbfounded. How did the man know his name? Was he really the emperor? Curious, he waited for the guards to all exit through the wall, to follow behind. The passageway was dirty, as though it was dug out a while ago. There was hardly any concrete to give his footsteps solidity, and the feeling of it moving under his feet unsettled him. Within moments, he entered a large chamber, and hid behind a wall, looking at the man and his escorts.
The guards stood in a formation around the man. Two behind, and one in front. The female in front, and looking carefully around for…something. "Keep going, it's only a matter of time before they find us."
They…who they? Ezio stayed hidden, and wondered. Why would the emperor be running away from something? Surely he could deal with an assassin, right? It was then that he heard a scuffle start. Looking back over the corner, he saw all three guards fighting red-robed men. They were being kept up pretty well, but the guards were fighting with prowess Ezio had never seen before.
One red-robed man had broken free of the pack, and charged at the man called "emperor". Ezio broke cover, and lunged himself at full speed, throwing the emperor out of the way just in time to deflect an attack with his exposed forearm, drawing blood. The assassin looked at him, and backed up a bit, recovering from the shock of Ezio's appearance rather quickly.
Ezio put up his fists, and readied to fight for the man's life. The assassin lunged at him, and a blade came out of his wrist, but before it could come into contact with Ezio, he grabbed the metallic bracer that held the blade, and twisted so the man's arm was over his shoulder, elbow down, where Ezio pulled down with his arms and up with his back, snapping the assassin's arm clean.
He folded in pain, but was smitten quickly as a guard's blade pierced his neck, and decapitated him. The Redguard looked at Ezio, and couldn't help but smirk. The kid had some skill after all. The man looked at him and smiled as well. "Our fate is in good hands…" Ezio could barely hear him mutter, and he looked around at the red-robed assassins.
"Not your typical Assassins…" the Redguard muttered, removing the wrist-mounted blade from one, and looking at the design: a sun rising. "The symbol is different, and as far as I know, there are no red-robed Assassins."
"The Assassins will have had no hand in my death, other than the one attempting to avert it." The man said. The guard looked at him. "What of Captain Renault?"
"I'm sorry, sir. She's dead." The Redguard replied. They continued into the chamber, Ezio picking up the wrist-mounted weapon the Redguard dropped, and placing it on his wrist. He also picked up the dead Captain's sword, belt, and sheath, and equipped them all as well. His short sleeves did nothing to hide the weapon, but Ezio was never the "sneaking and stabbing" sort of person, anyway.
"It will do for now." He said, starting down the stairs as well. The Redguard halted the party.
"The prisoner stays here." He said, looking at Ezio. "You still have a sentence to serve."
Ezio clenched his fist, accidentally releasing the blade. Its elevated springs protecting any of his fingers from being lopped off, however it still shocked everyone. "I'd be careful how I used that, prisoner." Said the other guard. "It is not just a weapon, it is also a symbol."
The emperor's party opened the door, and entered, closing and locking it behind them, leaving Ezio alone in the chamber. Alone…he heard a noise from behind the wall, and walked over to it. It seemed very weak, like it was about to crumble, yet something still sounded behind it. The wall burst open, and a giant rat leaped at Ezio, whose wrist-mounted blade sprung and silenced it. Removing the blade from the small beast, he looked at it, blood soaking his blade. He looked in at the cavernous chamber before him, and wondered if there was, perhaps, another escape from this wretched pit.
Clambering through the hole, he found a skeleton lying against a treasure chest on the far end of the chamber. Upon approach, he noticed the rusty crossbow that remained on the dead adventurer, as well as some faulty looking bolts. Picking it up, he loaded a bolt up, and looked around for a target. To his satisfaction, a bucket was hanging from a dry well, which led further down, but also up. The well had grating on the top, and was inaccessible from here, but the bucket made for a perfect target.
Aiming, he fired a bolt into the bucket. The accuracy of the weapon was slightly off, but the bolt shattering onto the bucket gave it an enhanced damaging effect, as well as a wider range of fire. He searched through the skeleton's inventory a little more, and found a few lockpicks. Standing to full height, Ezio walked towards a small wooden door a few paces away. He picked the lock expertly, and the door swung open like magic; no tumbler could stand before Ezio Auditore! He thought to himself, smirking.
He continued down the narrow, rotting corridors, and eventually found a small orange glow. A fire was around the corner, and a fire meant another living being. Whether a friend or a foe, Ezio readied the wrist-mounted blade, hidden under the prison sleeve. He carefully rounded the corner, and found a small green person. Not an orc, but a goblin instead. He drew the hidden weapon, and snuck up on it. Once within range, he grabbed the goblin by the shoulder with his right hand, and pierced the monster's heart with the blade on his left, killing it instantly.
He gently brought the goblin to the ground, muttering a phrase he had heard his father mutter once. "Requiescat in pace." Rest in Peace. It just seemed…right for some reason. Laying the goblin on the ground, Ezio searched the small camp for any supplies he could find. A few better tended crossbow bolts, and a dagger could be found. He was pleased with his findings.
Continuing through the cave, he didn't find much else other than three goblins which stood in the path of some logs that Ezio pushed down to kill all three at once. The phrase "requiescat in pace" seemed to soak the air he breathed. It was in his mind; something made him think of it. Eventually, he returned to a more concrete area, where he heard the voices of the guards. He took cover behind a pillar, and saw that he was a level above the guards and the emperor. They had their weapons drawn, as though they had just been attacked and were expecting more soon. They were right.
Three more red-robed men appeared, and two occupied the guards while the third one made to assault the emperor. Grabbing his crossbow and loading a bolt, he fired at the assassin, luck on his side, the splinters of the bolt shattering hit him in the shoulder, leaving him on the ground in pain. Ezio loaded another bolt, and fired again, hoping to hit his mark. The bolt flew in between the two combatants, separating them both temporarily.
Within moments, they returned to battle and Ezio loaded another bolt. It was now he wished he was better at ballistic weaponry. He fired another bolt, narrowly missing the assassin, but causing a small flinch. The guard impaled his heart with his blade, and retracted his arm, blood spurting out of the dying man as he fell to the ground. He then turned around to kill the third red-robe, which was rather easy now that there were two against one. After the last one was dead, the guards searched the area for where the bolts had come from. They would have found him inevitably, so Ezio came out of hiding, crossbow in his right hand.
"It's the prisoner!" called the Redguard with a ferocious tone in his voice.
"Kill him! He might be part of the assassins!"
"Baurus, wait!" called the emperor. "He is not among the enemy."
"But…" said the Redguard, by the name of Baurus.
"He is indeed an Assassin, I can tell by the way he fights he is of the Auditore clan. But he is not of the killers that are after me."
"Assassin?" Ezio asked, attaching the crossbow back to the belt which held the Captain's sword. "I am no assassin."
"You haven't been told of your heritage yet?" Baurus asked. "Get down here! Stay in a group. We won't hurt you; we're under orders not to." After taking a moment, scanning the group, Ezio buckled the crossbow back onto the belt, and hopped off the ledge that his path had led him too, and landed before the emperor. Baurus and the other guard began to continue, causing the emperor and Ezio to follow closely behind them.
"There are many entities within Cyrodiil. My Blades are one of them; and Assassins are another." The emperor started. "These two are not opposing forces; they work together, within the shadows of society. My Blades protect me with their lives, and the Assassins remove undesirables from Cyrodiil, making the Blades' job not so difficult. You are a member of the Auditore Clan, the Skingrad Assassins. There are many other groups, however. Cults, small ones. The Eden Cult and the Knights Templar among those groups. The Templars and Assassins are often depicted as constantly warring forces, however they both serve a singular purpose, albeit their methods differ. They both serve the Nine, but one wishes control and power through them, and the other wishes to serve them by removing the undesirables from the world."
"This is too much…" Ezio muttered. "…I cannot accept this."
"I could explain this much better, were I to have time to. I am certain you will find your own answers, but no matter what, I think you'll find that youb are an Assassin. And one with much potential, as well." He grabbed Ezio's shoulder, and looked in his eyes. "You were born under the sign of the Thief; your sneaking skills are superb compared to the average person. A good sign for an Assassin to be born under. I can also sense much untapped potential within you; you have yet to harness such potential, however."
"Stop calling me an—"
"Assassins! Protect the emperor!" the guard cried, he and Baurus armed themselves and prepared to defend the emperor.
"Stay on the emperor's back and take care of any that get through!" Baurus ordered, without looking at Ezio, who drew the Captain's sword and readied to fight anything that came near the emperor.
They stood there, watching the fight, when Ezio heard approaching footsteps from behind him. He spun and placed himself before harm's way to protect the emperor: two more red-robed men came out and attacked. "You are Ezio Auditore," the emperor muttered, possibly for a pep-talk, "and you," the red robes approached, almost within striking distance, "are an Assassin!" Ezio's blade skewered one red robe, and he let go in time to grab the other and kill him with the wrist-blade. Pushing the corpse off of him, he removed his blade from the other corpse just before it collapsed, and looked at the emperor.
"My father taught me how to fight. I am no Assassin." Ezio said, in a final tone. The battle between the guards and the other red robes ended, with the two returning almost unscathed. "Where are you going to hide?" he asked, deciding to make conversation not involving Assassins.
"I go, not to hide, but bravely to my own grave. You, however, must face your destiny before Death's sweet embrace can hold you." The emperor said.
"You know when you'll die?" Ezio asked, raising a brow. "Isn't that discomforting, in a way?"
"No. All men know of their impending demise, but I am blessed enough to know the hour of my death." Ezio shrugged. Death seemed a concept that was too far away for him; he had no idea of the fear it would eventually strike into him. Or, he would simply face the fear every day, as all men had to. "I have no trophies of my own to display my lifetime, but I have done no ill to Cyrodill either. I go to Death calmly, and know it will accept me with open arms."
They kept walking until one guard said: "Wait! I don't like this…" he leaped down a small ledge, and walked up to the grated door. After trying to open it a few times, he screamed: "It's locked! We fell for a trap!"
"These tunnels were supposed to be secret…obviously they weren't." Baurus said. "There is a room over there. Perhaps there is also a way around it?"
"Worth a shot. Let's go!" They all headed into the small chamber, and footsteps could be heard outside the room. "Stay here, and guard the emperor with your life." Ezio nodded, and the two men left the room to fight off the enemies.
"My time is up, Ezio." The emperor said urgently. He gave him a red amulet, and looked at him. "Take this to Jauffre, who lives in Weynon Priory. He will know of my last heir, Martin Septim. You must aid him to the Temple of the One, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion!"
"Oblivion?" Ezio asked, but before an answer could be made, a false wall opened up and a red robe came out, and slammed his wrist-blade into the emperor, killing him instantly.
"You picked a bad time to take up the Septim's cause!" he yelled, victory in his eyes as he dropped the emperor. "Now you die too."
"You son of a…" Ezio started, but ducked under an attack, and backpedaled. He drew his own sword, and readied to take the man down quickly. He charged at him, but his wrist-blade as easily blocked by Ezio, who grabbed the bracer with his right hand he dropped the sword in, and stabbed the enemy in the heart with the other, and dropped him to the ground. He picked up his sword, and retracted the wrist-blade, and walked over to the emperor.
"Your life has more meaning than you believed. May you rest with the knowledge that I will carry out what you have asked, because it is my duty. I am no Assassin, but if needed I will act as one. Requiescat in pace." He muttered, closing the emperor's eyes. Baurus entered the room, carrying the helm of his fallen comrade.
"The emperor! What…who…" he started, then looked at Ezio, still kneeling before the corpse, muttering condolences. "He's…dead…" he fell to his knees. "Our mission…no, our lives have been worthless…"
"He knew he was going to die." Ezio said, standing up and looking at the dead red robe. "By my honor, I will kill every son of a bitch involved in this. They will all die." He clenched his fist, still holding the red amulet.
"The Amulet of Kings…" Baurus muttered. "Emperor Septim trusted you. He has an instinct for it. Some say it's his Dragon Blood. That Amulet is the cornerstone of the empire. Though most think it's the Dragon Crown, that's just jewelry." He explained. "Whether you believe it or not, you are an Assassin…Ezio, was it?" he nodded. "Did he tell you what to do with it?"
"He mentioned someone named Jauffre."
"Jauffre…what better person to take it to. You might not think it to meet him, living as a monk, but he is the Grandmaster of our order."
"I see."
"Head to Cheydinhal, and from there get transportation to the Priory he lives at: Weynon. It is just South of Chorrol."
"I shall. Thank you, signore." Ezio responded.
"Continue through those sewers, and you'll be outside in no time. Good luck, Auditore. You'll need it."
Ezio jumped into the hole that was disguised by the fake wall, and continued through the narrow passage, finding a manhole to go down. He descended, further into darkness, but saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Running at it, he heard his own footsteps echo in the sewer, fresh air almost on his face. Everything was happening so fast…Skingrad, jail, the emperor's murder…Ezio wondered about the Assassins, and questioned the validity of their claims. He couldn't have been an Assassin, could he? Memories of his father and brother went through his mind…and he realized why the beggars would have been staring at him.
His father's ability to fight, his secrecy…the reason he taught Ezio to fight in the first place…it all added up, but he needed to know for sure. He needed to get back to Skingrad…the Amulet was safe in his possession, he would make sure of that. He opened the grating leading to the outside, and took a deep breath of fresh air.
His next stop was Cheydinhal, and from there he would figure his plan out. Skingrad wasn't too far off of Chorrol, so it wouldn't be that much of a detour either way.