Chapter 2

1492 Antonio Romero now at the age of 18 now stood as high as his father and now works under him by being his messenger boy and delivering fine art to local people that his father Marco had sold to them. When Antonio wasn't working he was bound to be found in either the archery range, the local pub, or at his girlfriend's Rosa-Marie's house where he spent most of his nights as he rarely slept at home. This didn't bother his mother or father at all, as long as he turned up for work his dad was happy. His mother Carolina was happy if Antonio visited to chat with both her and his two older sisters all of whom he loved dearly and would kill for if the situation where to arise.

Antonio had taken up archery since the tender age of 10 when his father shot down at the same range at weekends and every now and then his father would allow him to shoot an arrow or two and even then his father could see potential in his son. Deadly potential. After seeing this Marco encouraged Antonio to take up the sport as soon as he became of age. Since then Antonio's skill had grown and grown till he could hit a target perfectly practically with his eyes closed. Along with being a fine shot Antonio was also a skilled swordsman who Marco had trained himself and trained well.

Even at such a tender age and having received all of this combat training Marco knew he wasn't going to be around forever and so took it upon himself to train his only son in the arts and the secrets of a centuries old brotherhood but even now to this day Marco had never revealed the Brotherhood's name or the true purpose behind all of the training Antonio was receiving.

"Father, surely there must be a reason behind my training?" questioned Antonio after an intense sword duelling practise. A question he often asked his father.

"I have told you before son, its purpose serves to protect you in your future life and your loved ones" replied Marco knowing full well that most of that answer was untrue.

"Very well if you say so father" said Antonio still oblivious of what his future would bring but a life his father knew all too well.

As Antonio grew up he started beginning to grow tired of wondering the streets and began to wander what it would look like to walk along the rooftops of Madrid. So one day his curiosity got the better of him as he was entering his teenage years and Antonio started scaling the sides of buildings from a young age be it a small house which provided plentiful foot and handholds to use to climb. Even the smoother surfaced buildings of some churches provided a challenge to begin with but over the years Antonio could pretty much climb up any building in the city. He also could navigate the rooftops effortlessly to admire all of the beautiful views the city had to offer, from the run down outskirts of the city with such poorly layered bricks even an infant could climb them, to the more developed centre where buildings where white with rusty coloured roof tiles which showed off the off the city in all of its glory. His father had heard of his son doing these things many times from people all over the city but always turned a blind eye to it as it was him that planted the idea that he should he should explore and get to know his surroundings more than anybody else in the city.

Early one morning Antonio arrived early to the art dealership for work and waited outside for his father to arrive. It was just after sunrise so Antonio scaled the building with both ease and grace as he'd done this a hundred times before. He killed the time it took for Marco to arrive just watching the sun climbing up over the horizon and turning all the buildings it touched a golden orange and which highlighted the colour of the roof tiles which topped them. Antonio would just gaze in awe for hours if he could at such a marvellous spectacle and hoped that one day if he ever had time would be to come up to this roof top and paint what he saw, unfortunately destiny wasn't going to allow him to do this any time soon if at all.

"Antonio! Are you lazing on the roof again?" was the sound which snapped Antonio out of his day dream and brought him back to reality.

"Yes Father, I'll be right down" he replied as he moved towards the roof's edge to confront his father face to face. As he thought about hid decent down the building Antonio had noticed someone had left a cart of straw in the middle of the road just behind where his father was standing. Was this a test from his father or was it just put there by a random citizen? Either way he was going to jump into it regardless. So with that He raised his arms level with his shoulders and judged his distance before he took his leap of faith off the rooftop.

"What are you doing Antonio? We have no time for games today." Questioned Marco as he watched his son just he was about to jump off of the rooftop.

"Well if I were you father I'd move out of the way so I don't land on you" he shouted down, and with that allowed himself to fall from the rooftop and into the straw below. The feeling he felt between leaving the rooftop and landing in the straw was a feeling of complete freedom, no rules, no boundaries, nothing but a complete feeling which he couldn't explain but only feel.

"Why did you do that for you idiota? Bellowed Marco as Antonio clambered out of the cart and dusted the straw off.

"I don't know, it just felt right at the time and I wanted to try something new for a change" he replied swiftly before Marco could begin to question him further.

"Well don't go making a habit of it during working time, in your own time feel free to do as many times as you want but I don't want to see my son injured for doing something foolish understood?" Antonio could see the anger mixed with concern in his father's hazel eyes.

"Si father, I did not mean to cause concern or worry" said Antonio bowing his head slightly.

"Va vene, let's get to work then as we have a busy day ahead and there is someone in town I am very anxious for you to meet." Marco said putting his arm around his sons shoulders knowing his son had understood how he'd just felt.

"Who is this man you speak of father, A new painter?" Antonio asked.

"Si son he goes by the name of Leonardo De Vinci, a very talented painter for someone of his age but I hear he's not just a good artist I hear he has a talent for other things as well so I suggest you make him a good acquaintance as quickly as you can." Answered Marco. The two then walked into the dealership ready to begin the day's work that lie ahead.