I did it! I managed to keep on schedule once! Even though I was just fatally sick! (No seriously, I was) Thanks for reading, and sorry if it sounds weird. I was writing with a fever, which, I'm told, often makes stories better. This one? Eh, we'll see.

"Where is he, you bastardo?" the Assassin asked, his Hidden Blade at the Imperial Guard's throat. "I bet you were thinking I wasn't going to hold true with my promise, did you? Answer my question…now."

"We…we honestly don't know, sir!" the guard said, fear overcoming most of his senses. The Assassin bared down with the blade. "I swear! A special client came through his cell the day he disappeared!"

"Where did he disappear to?" the Assassin asked, letting his blade touch the guard's flesh.

"I wish we knew! We would have had him back to you by now, I swear it!"

"I've taken your word before…" the Assassin muttered, blood pooling around where his blade was, "…and I've already learned that that was a mistake." He pushed his blade through the guard's throat, killing him on the spot. "Requiescat in pace…" he muttered, laying the man to the ground, "…whether lying scum like you deserve it or not." He stood up, relieving the corpse of its keys to the dungeon, and opened the door to the cells. Step one was to find where his son could have gone…

Ezio stepped out of the door of the headquarters, his robes swaying in the wind. The air was filled with the scent of blood; he was almost late. He made his way through the crowd that gathered to watch the Mass. Ulrich stood before the whole crowd, readying for a speech. Garrus stood to the side, and fifteen people were waiting by their respective noose.

"These people have all committed a grave act," Ulrich announced to the crowd, stopping on the edge of the stage. He looked out to the crowd, but as mobile as it was, he would never be able to see Ezio on his way. "They all blatantly refused to pay their taxes." He drew his hammer, Ezio hurried on his way. "And so, they all will pay…" Ezio pushed past a couple, holding eachother tight, "…with…" he started walking across the gallows, lightly swinging his hammer in a little dance, "…their…" Ezio was almost to the stage, almost able to save everybody, "…lives." He stepped on a switch, and three people were hung.

"No!" Ezio yelled out, his arm outstretched, shoving through the last few people. Ulrich's eyes fell upon him, who hoisted himself up to the stage. "You bastard! What did you do?"

"Justice."

"No! This is not justice!"

"They broke the law. They did what we all agreed we would not."

"Missing taxes? You kill for money!"

"Taxes, sir, as you should well know…"

"What town needs all the money you're gathering? Tell me that!"

"Everyone does their part."

"Where is the money? Or are you spending it on locking the city down?" Ezio demanded, drawing his sword. "I can barely even look at you, you sick imitation of a human!"

"Imitation?"

"You have no heart, no soul, it was all eaten by your greed! People's lives have been spent!"

"A necessary loss, boy." He held his hammer to Ezio. "And you…" he was obviously ready for combat, "…are against the law, now."

"The law…" Ezio spat on the word. He paced to his left, keeping his eyes on Ulrich. "…it is no law. You disgrace the language by misusing it so."

"What would you suggest, outsider?"

"You be removed from office, the town be unlocked…"

"The people, given freedom to think for themselves," Ulrich said, looking at the young man before him, "would only cause destruction upon themselves. This cannot be allowed."

"I've never heard such stronzate? Such bullshit?" Ezio yelled back, "You idiot!"

"Enough! I'll execute you myself!"

"Oh, good luck hanging me with the rest!" Ezio taunted, as guards took the stage as well. "Or will you stand and fight me? Do you have the balls to fight me alone?" He had to bluff; he couldn't take on that many people at once.

Ulrich merely chuckled. "I needn't prove myself to a fool such as yourself, Assassin." Ezio sheathed his weapon and darted away from the battle, leaping into the crowd which backed away from him as though he carried the plague. Rolling to his feet, he ran headlong away from the guards which charged after him. Leland was in hot pursuit as well; he had his word that he would be the one to end his life.

Ezio rounded a corner, leaping onto a trash can, knocking it over as he grabbed onto a ledge, leaping up a story. Landing on the edge of a home's balcony, he counted his blessings as a part-time acrobat that he could stay up. He ran along the white, railing, before leaping again onto a rooftop. He tripped on a loose tile, which fell off of the roof, and grabbed onto another tile before he followed.

Getting back to his feet, he looked down at the guards who had already begun scaling the building. He drew his blade: this was perfect for picking them off one by one until he and the Captain were the last ones. He kicked the tiling under his feet, loosening it, and kicked it out completely when a guard reached the roof. The tiles fell from under his hands from a domino effect started by the pseudo Assassin on the roof. His scream, as well as the screams of other guards, could be heard before a splat sound. Ezio winced briefly, but remained ready to take others out.

He gazed over the edge, sitting on his knees so he wouldn't fall over. The bodies of three guards were limp on the ground, and two others were climbing. Ulrich remained on the ground, watching his every move.

"Give up?" Ezio taunted, still minding his balance.

"I'm not the one who's running," Ulrich responded, a cold emotionless evil in his voice, "like a coward, am I?"

"You send your men to their deaths so easily, captain," he yelled back, motioning to the last two guards who had climbed a story already. "Any idea why the people fear you? You, a crazy, reckless, monster have been made into the Captain of the guard."

"You have the nerve to call me reckless?" Ezio kicked a tile, sending it down on a guard. He valiantly attempted to block it with his hand, but it knocked him off, regardless, taking the other with him to the grave.

"It's just you and me, Captain," Ezio called out, "What now?"

The captain fiddled with his glove, eventually removing it. His hand was normal, save for a glowing mark on it. He clenched his fist, and kicked off of the wall, almost leaping to the top of the building in a single bound. Ezio gasped a little; he did what he had to strain to do, in a single movement. That mark, whatever it was, meant bad news for him.

"Before you beg mercy on yourself…" the captain muttered, just loud enough so Ezio could hear him, "…you are the one who rebelled."

He leaped across the rooftops, Ezio barely dodging out of the way as he landed. He clambered back to his feet, leaping off of the building, ready to land into a roll. Ulrich was right behind him. What he was doing should be impossible. Everything he knew said what Leland was capable of was impossible. Everything outside Skingrad was impossible, it seemed.

Landing into a roll, Ezio dashed through the crowd, panting as he rounded a corner. He heard a crash as the Captain followed, smashing all objects in his way. He rounded another corner, outside the alleyway, running out across the bridge. His heartbeat was painful, his breath taken in short gasps. But Leland still followed. He couldn't run back to the hideout; too late for that.

"You cannot run, Assassin!" he called from behind. Ezio finally came to a stop, hands on his knees, panting. Sweat beaded down his face as he turned to face the Captain, drawing his blade. Running obviously wasn't going to work. He drew his blade, still trying to catch his breath. The captain smugly lifted his hammer, bringing it down swiftly. Ezio rolled out of the way, the hammer's strike causing the earth around him to quake.

He stood, gradually getting his bearings. His heartbeat was slowing subtly, but he knew it was. The captain swung his hammer horizontally, putting his whole body into the attack. Ezio backpedaled a step to avoid it, but the wind that came along the swing sent him a distance. Landing on his shoulder, he rolled to his stomach where he pushed up to his feet in time to jump back from the next downward attack. He gripped his shoulder, which shot pain through his whole body.

The Captain swung once more at him, and he ducked this time, the wind still throwing him a little ways. Rolling back to his feet, the realization that playing defense wasn't going to work, either. "You spoke a good deal back at the gallows," he muttered, looking at the white robed man before him, "it seems, however, you cannot fight as you speak. You only dodge, and defend, or run…" he swung his hammer again, this time his foe leaped backward, out of the wind's rage. "…do you even know what it is to be a man?"

"I know…" Ezio muttered, looking at the Captain's approach, "…to fight for my beliefs…"

The Breton captain swung his hammer, this time the response was to somersault underneath the attack. The wind threw him aside, but he charged in toward his enemy. He swung his sword at his enemy, who blocked it with his plated gauntlet, leaving his hammer to the ground momentarily. Taking this chance, Ezio kicked the arm that was holding the hammer, a clear effect showing on his face.

He followed up with another strike of his sword, blocked again with the gauntlet. The gauntlet, however, cracked slightly. He kicked the guard in the chest this time, knocking his defense off completely, and kneed him in the face. He went into the air, and landed on the ground, hard. Taking his chance, Ezio yanked the hammer away, tossing it as far as he could. The splash of water could be heard as it landed.

The knight stood once more, looking at Ezio with an evil, angered look. "Eden holds no place for you." He muttered, and charged at the boy. Out of instinct, he thrust his sword forward for defense, impaling the man along the sword. He coughed blood onto his white robes, but the real gore was on his sword.

"What do you mean…" Ezio muttered, containing his fear, "…no place in Eden?"

"You'll find out…but I won't…" he coughed more blood onto Ezio, "…let you go…without…something to…remember me…by…" he grabbed Ezio's face with his marked hand, and pain reverberated through Ezio's soul. It tore at him, he screamed. It ripped him apart. His yells echoed across Tamriel. He saw eternal darkness. Leland had blinded him…Leland had blinded him!

His eyes were glued shut, but he heard nothing. Opening his left eye, he made out that he was still standing, with Leland's body still on his sword. He pushed him off, trying to open his right eye. It wouldn't open, for whatever reason. Cleaning his blade on the captain's clothes, he sheathed it, and kneeled over to the dead body. "Requiescat in pace…" he muttered, standing up again. He headed back to the hideout.

Before reaching the hideout, his right eye opened. It opened, but too fast. There was a flash, and when it cleared, Ezio was seeing almost everything. His eye was better than ever…he could see every little thing that could trip him, everything that could make him falter. He wasn't sure of the ramifications, but he could certainly see much better now.

Another flash, and it was back to normal. He was at the door to the hideout, when he heard a voice behind him. "You…you actually killed the bastard…" Garrus said, Ezio's startled gaze now upon him.

"It was necessary…are the people safe?" he asked, to which garrus nodded. "Good. Then let us hope this is the last time we see each other."

"Good bye, then."

Ezio opened and closed the door, walking inside and into the darkness. His vision went white again, and in the aftermath he could make out images in the darkness: he could see. Almost perfectly: it was as though the lights were never off. As he travelled downward, he reached the hallway, and made his way toward the door. Opening it, he saw the faces of the Assassins, however, each of them glowed blue. He wondered what that meant, but they were all giving him funny looks as well.

"Uh…kid? What happened…to your eye?" the Denmaster asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Leland attacked me one last time before he died. He said something like 'I wasn't welcome in Eden', and attacked. I'm not sure what it was…" he muttered, as his vision went white once more and vision returned to normal, "…but it seems to be working for my advantage at the moment."

"I see…so Leland is dead?"

"Si,"

"Good." The Denmaster said, and tossed Ezio a bracer. It had the symbol that was around so many places in Skingrad, an odd A-like shape with a marking underneath. "That Bracer will attach to your Hidden Blade. Made of better metals than the one you have on there currently. That is the symbol of the Assassins on it, so you won't be mistaken for anything less." He motioned his hand as soon as Ezio moved to return it. "You have joined us, Ezio, by slaying Leland. It is time you heard the truth."

"What truth?" Ezio asked angrily and impatiently, dreams of returning home in reach.

"Ulrich Leland wasn't the only man with such hostile intentions in Tamriel. In fact, he is part of a much larger organization, a cult of size and power that rivals even us," he leaned farther toward Ezio, "they aren't regarded as much, but they are…the Knights Templar."

"That means nothing to me," Ezio replied, "As criminals, they ought to be defeated by the authorities, not a shadow organization."

"That's just the thing," the Denmaster said, looking at Ezio in the eye, "In many instances, they've taken control of the authorities. Here is the greatest example: the Captain was a Templar, and subdued the whole town, extorting their money for the Templar cause."

"That being?"

"That being the whole of Cyrodiil under the same control they had Cheydinhal under, and eventually, all of Tamriel." The Denmaster elaborated, "At this rate of uncontrolled growth, they'll soon have it. They are already all over Cyrodiil, we just hadn't anticipated them to make such a drastic attempt to take a major city yet." He placed his hand on Ezio's shoulder. "My name is Hawk. And yours?"

"Ezio Auditore." He muttered, removing his hood.

"Now you understand, at least at an angle, what the Assassins are trying to do," he said, "Your fight with Leland was seen by pretty much everyone, don't be surprised. I've already sent notification to the Grandmaster of your feat, and of course, we are investigating his corpse for what was making him so powerful."

"Grazie," Ezio said, and backed up a bit. He looked at the bracer he was still holding. He removed the bracer he had already had, the bronze sun rising, and placed the silver one with the Assassin's Symbol on it. "I must be off."

"Listen, if you encounter anyone else with these weird powers, please notify me. I'm interested as well." Ezio nodded, and turned around. "Where are you headed next?"

"I can't get a boat through Niben Bay," Ezio said, "I'll have to take the trip around the Imperial City. I'll head through Bruma on my way, of course."

"I see," Hawk said, "Be careful. There will doubtlessly be many like Leland on your path," he said, "but while you're in Bruma, I'd like you to check in with the Assassin Guild there, make sure everyone's okay, and let them know we're okay."

"I will, if I see them."

"Trust me, you'll see them," Hawk said, smiling, "You know what you're looking for." Ezio turned around, and started walking away. On his way out of the city, he saw the beggar he had initially saved, looking at him. He waved. Ezio smiled a little, knowing he had done the town a service.

"Kid! Wait!" he heard Garrus' familiar voice from behind him.

"What is it? I'm in a hurry," he replied, moving his legs like a kid who needed to go pee.

"If you're ever back in Cheydinhal, look me back up. You're always welcome." Ezio smiled. "Also, take a horse from the stables. Cheydinhal has the greatest horses in all Tamriel!" he boasted,

"I never told you my name," Ezio said, and smiled, "Ezio Auditore."

"Well, good bye Ezio," Garrus said, smiling, "Hope to see you again soon."

"Maybe next time won't be so bloody," Ezio chuckled. He turned around and opened the gate, heading back outside. The walls never bothered Ezio in his stay in Cheydinhal, but now he was glad to be free of them. A horse was waiting for him, pitch black. The stableman looked at him, smiled a bit, and walked away. He mounted the horse, and looked in the direction he was headed in next.

"The snows of Bruma…" he muttered, and yelled a command at the horse and sped off into the distance.