Leonardo paced across Bartolomeo's barracks feverishly, looking down at his feet with guilt and worry. Ezio was arguing with the owner of the questionable house, getting more and more fired up by the moment.
"Ezio, we are mercenaries! We don't just go looking for missing children, just as we don't rescue cats from trees and packages from the canals!"
"Except when someone pays you to?" the assassin angrily snarled, eye bright with fiery retort. Bartolomeo seemed to take offense at the comment, but continued plowing on.
"We have no men to spare, amici! We have to hold this part of the district, at least, and most of my troops are still getting over their injuries!"
"Tell that to the girl that was kidnapped by Silvio's men!"
"We don't even know if she's still alive!"
"She is, I would have known if she was dead - Eden, say something!" Ezio turned to me, nearly pleading for me to finally voice my thoughts. I looked at him, and then back to the rhythmic movements of the artist.
"You know, I lost a button," I said calmly, in a monotone voice that didn't even sound as if it belonged to me. "Looked for it all week...It wasn't at the Seta."
"Eden, what are you talking about? What button?" Ezio stared at me as if seriously fearing for my mental health.
"Maybe it's in my bag? " Now, everyone present has stopped their movements to look at me incredulously as I picked through the pockets of my bag.
"What about Adel-"
"I don't feel her any more. She's too far away." I shrugged, continuing to look for the button. "We can't comb the entire city, can we?"
"No, but-"
"Then...help me search for the button."
"What...what the hell?She finally lost it." Ezio proclaimed to Bartolomeo and Leonardo, whose faces I imagined to be very long and shocked. Then he gently took my bag away from me, setting it down onto the floor again, and pulled me up. I felt somewhat like a puppet, obediently moving at his command. Brows creased and eyes watery, his face was worried and concerned. It felt like that was the only expression on his face the last twenty four hours. "Eden, per fervore, listen to me - I need your help to find Adel, so don't tell me you gave up before you even started. That's just...not like you."
I blinked at him. Somehow, I didn't even react, or even register the words. His voice was nice, though. Even, smooth, familiar, if worried. "Would you rather me throw a pointless fit, scream and yell, and then storm off into god knows where, trying to search for Adel? If some jackass of a mercenary can't even find a child in this city that was captured by Templars, then what chances does a weak woman like me have?"
"Who ever said we can't find her? I don't have the men or the time to-" Bartolomeo snapped, crossing his impressive arms.
"Maybe we should all just calm down," Leonardo spoke for the first time, preventing the rant that I felt coming on as my shock faded slightly. I clenched my teeth, and sat back down, crossing my legs and arms. Pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes for a moment, the artist let out a few deep breathes, as though centering himself before he began. "We know she's in the city," he counted off on his fingers, "As they simply haven't had the time to secure passage elsewhere. We know that she was kidnapped by Silvio. Now, we just have to figure out where they would keep her."
"The better question is 'Why,'" Ezio shook his head, "Why take her in the first place, and why keep her alive?"
"Maybe they want something with her."
"Perhaps," Leonardo thoughtfully stroked his chin. "We still don't know what type of trouble her father landed her in. But maybe they want to use her to blackmail us."
"How could they find out about her?"
"There's plenty of ways," Leo shrugged, "Turncoats, bribes, simply doing their research or following us around."
"So, we know the motive. Now what?" I asked irritably.
Ezio gave me a reproachful glance, but continued, "Now, chances are Silvio or one of his men will try to contact us to pass the message."
"They couldn't have just left a note, could they?" I stood up again, and turned away from everyone, walking out the door briskly. It was sometime after midnight now, but this part of the city was more alive than when we first found it. The rescued mercenaries didn't waste time in occupying their base once more, and now, the warmth of the fires and the laughter of men came in from all sides. A lot of them were just happy to finally be out of their cages.
I bit my lip hard to chase away the tears that were suddenly threatening to spill. Walking through the camp, tiredly, it was easy to ignore or simply not hear the called invitations to join them for food and drink. No one insisted on my company though, thankfully, and I was left to wander alone.
How could I let this happen to Adel? I should have just found a way to get her away from us when I still had a chance. But now... now, if she lives through the experience and doesn't run away from us screaming, I very much doubt I could just send her away somewhere. And how were we supposed to find her, now? I couldn't feel her position anymore, just the fact that she was alive and relatively unharmed. I'd found people before, too - back when I had many contacts and sources. But now...
Holy fucking hell...
I was slightly surprised that Ezio didn't follow me. Even a bit hurt, actually. I paused suddenly when the Arsenal came into view, realizing how far I wandered, and then the fact that Ezio was following me, silently walking behind me a considerable distance.
"You need to improve your sneaking," I muttered wearily, leaning into a pillar that lined the canal.
"You need to improve your detection skills," he quietly replied, coming up beside me, "I've been following you for five minutes now."
I didn't reply for a moment. "What do you think is happening in there?"
"Well, they are most likely planning our complete annihilation and the dominion over Venice," he sniffed wrapping his arms around me. Closing my eyes, I almost eagerly pressed into the familiar warmth of his chest, "And, of course, discussing the prices of biscuits."
"What?" I stared up at him, raising an eyebrow. He was smiling slightly, and I couldn't help but grin as well. "I think we spend too much time together, amore."
"Whatever gave you that idea?" I deadpanned, though I wound my fingers into the comforting softness of his robes. "Come on, let's go back," I said after a long while, tired of staring at the water lapping along the sides of the canals, "You're exhausted, and we can figure everything out in the morning."
Adel took in her prison, eyes narrowing at the dark, mostly damp room. Ears pricking, she could swear she heard the murmur of water all around her. Like it was right under the canals. There were no windows, just a few flickering torches that hissed at the seeping, stone walls. The lack of natural sunlight made it seem small and crowded to the point of claustrophobia. But she secretly swore to herself that she wouldn't be scared. After all, the dark did nothing; it was the people who put there she needed to worry about.
The man that dragged her was a lot gentler than she would have guessed he'd be with anyone older. Not that it added to his image. But still, at the very least she wouldn't have too many bruises tomorrow. After forcing herself to get over her initial fear of being snatched from the crowd, she soon calmed down enough to ask questions that just hung without any answers. Once, she even tried screaming at him on the way. But he ignored her, continuing to tow her through the backstreets, into the Arsenal gates, and then somewhere into a place best described as a dungeon.
Then she lost her sense of direction - they turned left and right, walking past and through doors and archways. Once, they passed a table of men, half of them cursing at the others for reasons she didn't hear. No one paid them any mind.
When they passed another door, a man stepped out, and the guard dragging her paused.
"Damn dogs..." the newcomer muttered. He had an unpleasant wet-dog smell on him that lay thickly in the area.
"Giving you trouble?" Adel's kidnapper asked with some sympathy.
"Oh, no. Don't know what they did to those things, but they just stand and wait for their food. Creepy." both of them shivered, and Adel narrowed her eyes slightly, listening closely. Everything she found out now would help Ezio and Eden, she decided. Besides, she was past the point of being scared stiff, and the guard barely bothered in keeping her contained.
"The sooner they get them out of Venezia, the better," her guy agreed.
"Who's the girl?"
"The assassin's ward or something. I don't know - Silvio asked, I deliver," he shrugged.
"I'm right here!" Adel grumbled, irritated by the fact that both of them completely ignored her. The dog-man spared her a pitying glance, but waved them off, and they continued further into the dungeon.
They finally stopped in front of a doorway, and her captor knocked on it twice.
"Enter," a bored voice sounded from the other side, and the thug pushed the door open, shoving her inside.
The first thing Adel saw was the thick, short man with a red hood that was standing by his desk. His little bloodshot eyes darted over them, and he nodded, an unpleasant and manic smirk twisting his mouth.
"That the girl?"
"Yes. Our spies tell us she's a pupil of the assassins."
"How their standards have fallen," Silvio muttered with disgust, attempting to stare the girl down. Unimpressed, she stared right back. "Adelaide Nevalle. There are people looking for you..."
"I know," she stated loudly, standing up straighter and refusing to break his gaze. Her temporary guardian assassins suspected as much, which was why they continued to keep her within sight. "And you have to know that when Eden and Ezio hear of this-"
"They will do what, exactly?" he raised a mocking eyebrow, "Come here? Try and rescue you? We have them outnumbered a hundred to one. They're not stupid; they know that they can't just take a risk like that for one girl who still hasn't learned to keep her tongue behind her teeth."
"What do you want with me?" she attempted to wrench her arms away from the man who stood beside her, but she'd have better luck trying to get Excalibur from the stone.
"Oh, not much. See, on the account that your dear assassins are stupid enough to come look for you, I have you as a bargaining chip. You life for - what's her name, Eden? And then, if they don't come, there's a nice little price on your pretty little head, as well. Actually, I can do both!" She knew what he meant - all the years of eavesdropping on her parents, all the years of being subtle taught manipulation at its dirtiest form had paid off. Even if they got Eden, they wouldn't let her go. And she knew that Eden would play right into it, too...
Adel thought of Eden. The closest thing to a mother figure, or perhaps a sister that she had. She jumped into a flaming building for her...but she was untouchable, somehow - Eden couldn't just give herself up like that. At the very least, Ezio wouldn't let her. But...perhaps she could?
"So tell me, little girl, are you scared? Don't be, as we have no use in either killing or hurting you," Silvio was trying to play with her head, his voice stating the complete opposite of what he was saying.
"You're the one that should be afraid," she with a slightly trembling voice. "They will find you," she snorted, meeting Silvio's eyes defiantly. He narrowed his eyes further, but didn't allow his anger to spill just yet. She continued. "You know the rumors, yes? The Lady of Justice and Angel of Death? They say they always find their targets-"
"Ezio Auditore, and his whore, Eden?" the man began to laugh suddenly, the menacing tone sending violent shivers down her back. "Let them come! We shall greet them with open arms! And, of course, chains and steel."
"You won't get them," she shook her head, "They never got caught."
"What do you know, girl?" the man finally snarled, "Your heroes are nothing more than filthy assassins, killing for their own purposes! Cold blooded murderers - do you really think that they will care if you die here?"
"Yes!" Adel's eyes widened the moment she realized that she shouldn't have said that. Silvio's eyes became even more maniac-like and bulging, and he suddenly reminded her more of a bullfrog.
"Well, then. We shall see just how far they will go to save you, won't we?"
I woke up in Ezio's arms, the flattened straw prickling at me slightly. He was awake, his fingers playing with my hair absently, soothing my initial worry. It'd gotten nearly too long, trailing along my shoulder blades now in my general disregard for cutting it. Back home, that'd never been the case. But I sighed contently, and closed my eyes again, not wanting to move from the spot.
The moment the events of the day before hit me, though, I sat up sharply, Ezio letting me slip through his arms in surprise. Looking around and trying to blink through the haze, I finally realized that it was dawn. We lay in a hay bundle not far from Bartolomeo's barracks. Still fully clothed and armored, only our weapons lay hidden in the hay beside us.
The camp was amazingly quiet, something I didn't expect from mercenaries who rarely slept past the first light. But I guess they had an excuse. The light was coming from the main room of the barracks, mostly, Bartolomeo probably having already gathered the handful of most trusted people in there.
Ezio got up without a word, pulling me up after him. I stood up, willing myself to stay focused on the plans in front of us. Adel was fine. For now...
"-ten men patrolling around the perimeter, twenty up on the walls. The rest are either in the district or concentrated inside," Ludo was saying as we walked through the massive doors into the newly cleaned up map room. Bartolomeo looked completely concentrated on the charters of the military district, barely even looking up as we joined him.
"That's not good. How many of our men are ready for battle?"
"Less than two thirds are already eager to get back at Silvio for their capture. But a lot of them still have injuries - we can't send them out to anywhere."
"How's the morale?"
"...not the best," one of the other men admitted. "They are just happy to be alive and free, though not all of them are ready to go through that again."
"We'll be slaughtered at the gates," I said in monotone, my thoughts coldly calculating everything I heard. I was back into the state of shock, my mind turning like gears in a clock, everything perfectly ordered, emotion and confusion the farthest you could get away from my thoughts. The men present turned towards me, most with a raised eyebrow, and Bartolomeo with slightly irritated look to him. I ignored him, and continued. "There are too many men. The last time we got in using stealth, and held the gates for only ten minutes. There are too many men, and there's nothing stopping them from slamming those gates right in our faces the moment they see us. A direct mass attack is suicide."
As always.
There was a slightly surprised silence, and then Bartolomeo grudgingly agreed. "She's right. We'll be massacred before we even get it."
"So, stealth again?" Ezio asked no one in particular. I shook my head.
"Won't fly the second time. We have no idea where Silvio or Dante are. It would take too long to find them. And besides, I saw a way out of the Arsenal, but not how to get inside, aside from the front gates. And, probably the sewer system, though I somehow doubt that Venice even has one considering you have canals running instead of-."
"Wait," Bartolomeo suddenly interrupted me, "Our main problem are the men inside the Arsenal. If we could just draw them out, the way would be clear for us to go inside and find Silvio. We have enough men to start up fights in different locations of the district. They will be forced to dispatch most of their men. That should lure Silvio out. He's a State official, but not a commander - he won't realize the trick."
"When can we start?" Ezio asked, raising an eyebrow. The plan, however feeble, was forming.
"Today. We'll have to work tomorrow, as well, but if all goes over well, the Arsenal will be ours by tomorrow's nightfall."
"What about Adel?" Ezio glanced at me, and I bit my lip, struggling to keep the thought from taking over my mind again. "They have a valuable bargaining chip on us. No doubt he will use it."
"I think I should go talk to Silvio, then."
The reaction was immediate - Ezio turned on me with huge eyes, his jaw hanging off with shock.
"Eden, you can't possibly be thinking-"
"Listen, if he wants to use her, he'll have to at least show us the fact that she's alive and tradable. While I talk, you can sneak up, take down whoever is holding her, and we can get the hell out," I spoke quickly. "It will also give us a chance to see how things work inside. Gather some sort of idea on where he's coming out of, and where he'll be returning to."
There was a short silence. "And if we get caught?"
"We won't get caught," I stated firmly, crossing my arms. "Besides, any men we take down will be less men for the mercenaries to fight when the final attack begins."
"The girl has a point." Surprisingly, it was Bartolomeo that spoke up for me. In shock, I even forgave him the "girl" comment. "If you two are anything like the stories I heard and what you've showed so far..."
"So what, are we going to just march up there and demand an audience with Silvio?"
"That is exactly what we're going to do." After a moment, I sighed. "Ezio, trust me. When have my plans failed?"
"Do you really want me to answer that question?" he asked sarcastically, and I ignored him - there was nothing he could say in that moment to stop me from going through with the plan.
Ezio knew it was all a bad idea. He thought of it for what felt like a millionth time as he shadowed Eden's step - she marched right up to the Arsenal, not bothering with discretion, giving the archers on the walls time to alert Silvio. He thought about it when she walked through the gates, and he knew it for sure when she came into contact with Silvio, who most likely just couldn't resist coming personally, just to be able to laugh at her. On one side of him was Dante, as emotionless as ever, holding Adel. The girl herself looked relatively unharmed, except for the blade that was pressed to her throat. She looked horrified, however, staring at Eden with huge eyes and shaking her head slightly.
"Ah, so you did come. How charming!" Ezio heard Silvio begin as he used the distraction to slip inside of the gates unnoticed. Eden crossed her arms, staring at the man. If Ezio didn't know better, he'd say that she was completely relaxed and unarmed, but that was just an illusion. Her fingers were gliding over the folds of her cloak in a gesture that could pass as a nervous tick. Neither Silvio nor Dante fell for it, though, their eyes following her hands carefully. If the situation was different, she would have been amused by just how closely they were watching her, but now, she stayed cold. The only hint of apprehension she gave away was that her hands began to move slightly faster.
"And where's that brat, Auditore?" Silvio sneered, "Ditched you already?"
"He doesn't know I'm here," she lied. "Now, I suggest you let the girl go."
"And why would I do that? You're surrounded by my men, and there is no way out of the Arsenal without my say." Silvio still wore a mocking smirk, but he seemed a lot less confident than before. Especially as Eden continued to stare at him, her eyes dark and inscrutable.
"Because you must know of my reputation," she replied smoothly, and Ezio could tell she was improvising on the spot. "I can kill all the men standing here in under five minutes," she rolled her eyes, "You and your dumb brute bodyguard included." Adel's eyes twitched slightly, for some reason confused.
"If you try anything, your precious little brat is dead," Silvio hissed.
"I'd really rather not waste time here unless I'm forced to. I'll say it again, and slowly, of course, so you can understand. Let. Her. Go," she ground, and more throwing knives fell into her hands with each word. He noticed the movement, and Ezio could have sworn there was a hint of fear in his eyes. But his arrogance was greater, winning out for the moment.
It was Ezio's cue. He began to sidle around the crowd carefully, for they'd stopped to watch the peculiar girl in front of them. Blending, but still staying out of sight, he made his way towards the spot where the Templars stood. She must have noticed his movements, but he had to hand it to her, for her eyes didn't even twitch in his direction, not giving anything away. She was a good actress, he speedily realized.
"I don't think you want to do that," he hissed, and Dante pressed the dagger further into the girl's neck. She winced, but stayed still, not trying to call out. Good girl, Eden inwardly sighed with relief. At least she managed to learn something, if unintentionally.
"Fine," Eden's voice was carefully controlled, though her eyes raged. "What do you want?"
"Oh, a lot of things," Silvio shrugged, inspecting his nails for a moment before he glanced back at her. "I suppose you won't make your band of mercenaries stand down for a child, though you assassins are a weird bunch," he still smiled menacingly. The bastard was enjoying every moment of this.
"Pot, kettle, anyone?" Ezio heard the woman mutter lowly.
"I'll just have to settle, then. Stand down, and I'll let the girl go." Ezio's fists clenched suddenly, and he froze, listening to the negotiations carefully now.
"Why is it you people want to capture me so badly?"
"The Master wants you, and he will give me a reward for bringing you to him. Of course, he never quite stipulated what condition you are brought to him in. Simply, as long as you're alive." Ezio's insides all but twisted together, the bile rising in his throat as Silvio so casually toyed with Eden's life. There was no question in what Silvio meant by that. The assassin suddenly wanted to forget the plan, and just get Eden as far away as he could from the man. Swallowing and taking a deep, long breath to forcing himself to focus, it took all of his resolve to slowly continue on his way around the guards. She wouldn't thank him kindly if he did something stupid, brash and dangerous. For not only did he have her life in his hands, but the child's as well.
The actions of one must never bring harm to all, he heard his uncle's voice suddenly echo in his head. Eden was far more than a brother.
She was his other half.
"Well, I think that's a fair trade, then," she agreed, as was according to her plan. Silvio seemed to choke on her apparent willingness to be captured. Dante threw a questioning look to the man.
"Dante, subdue her, then," the Templar quickly recovered, smiled maniacally.
Dante nodded shortly, handing off Adel to the nearest Templar mercenary, along with the blade at her throat, and picked up his axe. Ezio resisted the urge to curse. He hoped to get both of them in one go, but now he'd have to settle for a pawn to save Adel, as Silvio would no doubt take off at the first sight of became slightly worried as Dante approached Eden, who watched the man wearily. He stared at her like she was just a random person in the crowd, not worth attention, even if he was intending to doom her to imprisonment.
Two things happened at once.
Ezio sliced the throat of the man holding Adel, shoving him roughly away to the side. She stumbled back a few steps backwards, and Ezio caught her, holding her tightly to him, now in a protective gesture.
Eden shot off as if a spring popped, taking a graceful lunge away from Dante, who grasped thin air. As she did, her blades glinted in her hands, and a relieved smile appeared on her lips.
The next moment, Silvio disappeared into seemingly nowhere, shouting one last order to his men, at which they began to move, their weapons already drawn and threatening. But the two assassins didn't even think about lingering around. Regrouping, they simultaneously shot through the one weak spot where Silvio used to be, tearing through the circle of guards. The way back was not an option, as the gates had slammed shut half way through the negotiation, and the archers did not look at all friendly. But Eden seemed to have something in mind as she took the lead, piloting them through the narrow spaces between the warehouses and cages. The bells began to toll loudly overhead, signaling all the mercenaries in the Arsenal.
"Where are we going?" Ezio finally asked on the go. She didn't reply for a moment, and then suddenly stopped, sharply turning behind some building. Out of breath and slightly confused, he followed, Adel still in his arms.
"Up this building is the only way out of the Arsenal aside from the gates," Eden finally explained. "It comes up close to the top of the walls, and you can climb down from there. Or even jump into the water, though I wouldn't recommend it. That a pretty long-ass fall "
He looked up, and realized she was right - the building gave an impression of several houses stacked on each other. "Climb down how?"
"Thank Bartolomeo for this one - he had one of his men blend in, and throw a rope down the blind spot. In a case like this, a long time ago, now."
"They'll notice us climbing up, anyway, though." It was surprisingly Adel who said that. They both stared at her, but realized she was right.
"I'll distract them. I think I have one more trick up my sleeve that will get them off our tails for now," Eden suddenly said, smiling in that usual frightening manner of hers when she plotting to do something absolutely insane. Ezio didn't like that one little bit...
"What are you thinking?"
"Nothing," she quickly said. She's lying "Take Adel, climb up, avoid or dispose of archers, and climb down. But most importantly, follow through with Bartolomeo's plan. If everything goes well, I'll see you at the attack tomorrow," she instructed, a new determination coming to her. This time, it was the confident "Just try me, I dare you" attitude that Ezio knew would lead to something very...dramatic. And possibly extremely dangerous.
"Eden-"
She smiled at him reassuringly as she stretched up to kiss him. It was short, urgent. And for some reason, it scared him. He held her in place, not allowing her to pull away. The frightening thought that if something went wrong this would be his last memory of her made it hard to let go. When she finally slipped out of his arms, she spared Adel a swift glance (for some reason, she was avoiding eye contact with the girl), and then disappeared back around the corner.
Taking a deep breath, Ezio gathered his thoughts.
"E-Ezio- Eden, she-" Adel sounded frightened.
"I know," he told her, keeping his voice even and controlled. "Calm down. Can you climb?"
"No-"
"Then you'll have to learn fast. Come on."
The worked carefully, keeping as close to the wall as possible. Ezio lifted the girl up so she could climb ahead of him, and followed her closely, listening and feeling to everything around, hoping to get some sort of wind of Eden. There was a loud commotion, and he had to clench his jaw just to continue climbing up, instead of looking down.
When the two finally managed to get onto the walls, he ushered her to the cover of the nearest guard post's roof. Fortunately, most of the archers patrolling were farther away, focusing something down below them. Ezio made Adel get onto his back once he found the rope that Eden mentioned. She was right - it was in a blind spot, the wall turned away from the city. That was likely the only reason it was still intact. Adel clutched into him, choking him slightly, but she was nearly weightless, so he had no problem climbing down. When they were low enough, he jumped down to the thin dock that encircled the walls.
They made it out. And Eden was still inside...
"She walked right up to them!" There was a hint of frustration and fascination in Adel's voice as they hurried along, back into the city, "Just like that! It's what they wanted, Ezio, how could you have-"
"Adel, please, shh, piccola. It's going to be alright," Ezio hardly believed that, and the girl did not buy it, either, staring around nervously and flinching at the slightest sound. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
"We have to go and get her!"
"She...asked me not to. Adel, she risked her life for you a second and third time in the last hour, don't go and ruin all of it," Ezio said as softly as he could manage, but there were still steel notes in his voice.
"I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry, I didn't want that to happen-"
Ezio sighed, stopping. Then he crouched down, and drew the girl closer to him, holding the frightened child. The gesture seemed to work, as she muttered a few more words, and then just hid her face in his shoulder, struggling to contain her tears. He stroked her hair, looking back towards the direction of the Arsenal walls.
"She knows what she is doing," he repeated his thoughts out loud, "I learned to trust that, and so should you."
"But-"
"Adel, please. Be quiet- they're likely looking for us, as well." Ezio pinched the bridge of his nose against the upcoming headache. "Consider this entire situation a lesson."
"In what? Getting caught?" she crossed her arms in frustration.
"No. In staying quiet. You did wonderfully back there, so let's try it again, shall we?"
He really didn't fancy getting caught by the guards by talking too loudly about their escape with Adel. That would be so humiliating, Eden would laugh for two hours straight when she heard.
"Damn it!" Bartolomeo slammed his massive fist onto the table, making everything in the room jump. "Now she can tell him our plans! You idiots, what were you think-"
"She won't talk," Ezio dropped confidently. Adel was safely in the Palazzo della Seta, under the strict promise not to leave. Antonio was informed of the latest development, and only then did Ezio come back to the commander to finally start up the plan.
"Ah, so much trust. How can you be sure?"
"I've known her for nearly a year, and she already managed to convince me," he crossed his arms. "She said to carry on as planned. She'll join up later."
"So now the girl is making all the decisions?"
"Bartolomeo!" Ezio finally snapped, throwing up his hands in annoyance and letting out a long string of curses before he nearly snarled, "Basta! Calm down, for god sake! She knows what she is doing, si? And so far, your plan is our best shot. The men are already in place, and it's time to launch the attack, ideally, as soon as possible!"
They stared at each other for a long moment, and then the commander finally nodded.
"Fine."
"Good."
~Death is a funny thing. Cold, unwavering, and yet gentle, soothing. Welcoming, even. A fragile woman with a terrifying mask and motherly hands. She was patient. Where did she have to rush to? She always got hers in the end. The price we pay for the decades, or sometimes, mere moments of life. Only to be swept somewhere away to our next birth, or perhaps to nothingness. We don't care where weare taken anymore. That moment after death cleanly erases our memories, letting us start something new, to either redeem ourselves or only prove more sinister.
But to who? Who cared for the squabbles of mortals? God, who allowed his world to become corrupted in such a way? The spirits of the pagan gypsies? The cosmos? Ah, but they were all one in the same, were they not? No...those things did not matter. Not in the end. The only one that did matter was that one person who didn't just devote one life to you, and you them, but all their lives, all their reincarnations.
A cruel twist of fate. A short punishment. A misplaced lifetime. That was all the gods were able to throw at us when we displeased them so greatly. But even they couldn't hold the world apart. Yin always found the yang, black was always found white, the sun would always win and lose against the moon. So spun the cycle unto eternity. Those things could not be stopped, they simply were. Such was the design.
Life was never more clear than it was in death.~
The final preparations were taken care of, fast. The entire camp was put in a near frenzy. Buzzing and rushing about, the mercenaries, even the ones still recovering from injuries, were finally beginning to gain their confidence back. Apparently, they were planning to attack a long time ago, but Silvio took them by surprise. And everyone was just itching to get some much needed revenge on him and his men for the humiliation that they received. Ezio didn't wait around with the gathering force - his job was to set off the signal to the men already stationed through the district. The single firework shot up straight into the air from the highest point of the district, piercing through the evening sky, and exploding into the stars.
The reaction was immediate. Even from his position upon the steeple of the cathedral, he could hear the ambushes beginning and ending, and the calling of men. He could see nearly every location becoming active, the clash of weapons loud in the night. Balancing on the cross, got up, took a short breath, and leaped down into the haystack below. It would have been faster to go into the water, but he knew from experience how hard it was to fight in wet clothes and armor. He didn't waste any time in crossing over the canal separating him from the mercenaries he was supposed to regroup with.
Bartolomeo's men already entered into battle, attacking the group that Dante Moro led. The bull was charging in coldly with his axe, but the commander was a good match for him, with Bianca getting in the way of the huge weapon.
"Ezio! About time!" Bartolomeo greeted him loudly over the pitched battle as he joined in, immediately ending the lives of two men with his hidden blades, and drawing out his sword.
"Has Eden shown up yet?" Ezio called immediately. She was the only thing on his mind, even though he knew how dangerous it was for him to be blinded by emotion and distracted by worry like that.
"Quit yapping about that girl, we still have to break through the Arsenal's remaining defenses!"
At that, Dante suddenly took a step away, skillfully dodging what would have been a nasty blow of Bartolomeo's sword.
"Must... get back to master..." Ezio heard him mutter as he ran towards the gates.
Infiltrating the nearly empty Arsenal was easier than Ezio could have imagined. They met virtually no opposition, cutting through the district like a knife through warm butter. It wasn't long before Ezio and Bartolomeo met the final defense which was led by Dante himself, while Silvio, as predicted, shouted orders from the safety of the ramparts. Of course, in between those, the porca puttana didn't forget to scream insults.
"A fine specimen, isn't he?" he drawled as Dante managed to land a heavy hit on Bartolomeo's shoulder. Luckily, it connected with the armor, leaving a deep gash that would have to be immediately repaired, but Bartolomeo's arm still intact and moving. "You should be honored to die by his hand!"
Bartolomeo, who was not really known for his patience, hollered curses and profanities right back. Ezio was still attempting to get behind Dante, but with no luck. The bodyguard was fast, skilled, and weilded a heavy weapon that was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
"Get that cordado!" Bartolomeo shouted at Ezio, and the assassin, darting back from the duel, popped open his pistol. "You're too late! There's nothing you can do to stop us now!"
Confused by the man's words, Ezio had to dodge an incoming blow - the first bullet sparked, and hit the wall a good two feet away from the Inquisitor.
"Hah! You pretend you don't know! Though once Dante is done with you and your muscle-bound friend, it'll hardly matter either way! You'll just follow your fool father!" Silvio continued to taunt. Enraged by the mention of his father, Ezio missed again. "Do you know what my greatest regret is? That I couldn't have been the one to pull that lever and watch your miserable dad kick, gasp, and dangle! And then, of course, there would have been plenty of time for that winesack of an uncle of yours, Mario, and your mother. And that luscious little strawberry, Claudia, your sister! How long was it since I fucked anything under twenty-five! Mind you, I'd keep the last two for the voyage - it can get quite lonely out at sea..."
Ezio felt his fury nearly burst at the seams as he tried to tune out the annoying voice. But that was when the worst came.
"How sad that your little whore, Eden didn't last long...Oh, how she begged for me to end it, how she suffered. Her screams were simply marvelous-"
A tremor of something that went well beyond rage shot through Ezio. He knew the Inquisitor was bluffing. Eden would never beg. Not even in her dying breath. But what if-
Something changed, he realized. He glanced at his smoking gun, and realized that Silvio was cut off by the bullet slamming into his shoulder, close to his neck. But the man didn't fall - just called for Dante, and the two of them retreated somewhere behind the walls.
"Ezio! After them! We'll stop the guards from following!" Bartolomeo shouted the order at him. But Ezio didn't need it- he was already flying through the open gates and after the Templars, the blood-lust singing in his ears, a dull but rising roar of revenge, as it did during his very first hunt for his family's killers.
He barely registered the black gallery that was leaving through the massive gates of the Arsenal. That must have been what forced Silvio and Dante to retreat - they were heading for one of the last boats in harbor. He jumped off the crates, pulling himself up to the planks on the crane, following the two and easily keeping up. Minutes before they reached the boat, he jumped down on them, both of his hidden blades sinking into their throats.
"Where were you sailing? I thought all this was to get the Doge's seat," Ezio growled at Silvio, holding the man up and pressing on his wound, so he could talk. His anger still bubbled inside him, but he remembered his Uncle's words, and forced himself to think clearly.
"Just... a distraction...we were meant...to sail..."
"Where?"
"I'll never tell you!"
"C-cyprus was their destination!" That came from Dante, whose wound was slightly less terrible, if still lethal. He still had some time left.
"Is Eden on that ship?"
"The girl? No." Ezio sighed with relief, but Dante was not done. "She's dead...we threw her body with the others..."
Something in Ezio tensed, creaked, pulled, and snapped.
He dropped Silvio's corpse to the ground without even realizing it, his fists clenching around the dying man's collar as he brought his face up closely, shaking him with barely-contained rage beginning to cloud his vision.
"Jesus Cristo What?"
"Killed I-I saw it..." Dante's eyes slid closed as he took a final, gurgled breath. Eyes wide with disbelief, Ezio shook him roughly, desperate to get more out of the man. But it was too late. He let the dead man slip out of his fingers, and slumped onto the ground, staring at the streaks of blood smeared across the tile.
It was impossible.
Eden could not be dead.
There was a hand on his shoulder, but he barely registered. All he could think off was the laughing face of his beloved woman. Cazzo!It was not...possible...he would have known - he would have felt it if something happened- Dante was lying- he-
"Ezio!" the assassin's head snapped up, but it was not the owner of the voice that played in his head. It was a mercenary, with sad eyes. Ezio watched dumbly as he lowered a long, wet bundle onto the ground in front of him, and took a step back. As if in a stupor, he reached over, and brushed the dark, damp hair. Eden's pale face nearly made him scream, though he was expecting it. He scrambled to her, but she simply lay there, as limp and unresponsive as a cheap doll. Ezio drew her cold body to him, and searching desperately for a pulse, a breath, a tiny blush, anything to tell that she was alive, and just pretending.
But there was none.
The world froze, and refused to move from its spot again.
It was all over.