James turned away from the dead body, cleaning his blade off on the guard's sash. How much longer would he continue to play a guard dog like this, considering it was already the fourth body, and more would continue to come?
"I'm a mercenary," he muttered to himself almost reassuringly, and not for the first time. "Whatever the job, I can't complain, and I go to the end. Just hurry up already..."
While he was waiting around by the Palazzo de'Pitti, he had already cut down most of the guards on its roof. He had reasonably decided that once the flood of torches that could already be seen in the streets poured in here, the rebellion might be slightly discouraged by the showers of arrows.
He didn't like to think that he did it plainly because of boredom, of course. What type of man would he be if that was the case? There was a difference between assassins and bounty hunters, after all. Just how there were differences between elite military soldiers and city guards. For all of his years, he killed only when forced to, always trying to capture bounties instead bringing back just their their heads. As his father taught him, life was precious, no matter how much the men deserved to die.
James long since learned to go for a long time without sleep, but even he had to rest. Adelaide was soon arrived though, giving him a chance to get a few hours of sleep in one of the roof gardens. She wasn't all too excited about guard duty, but then quickly made a game of picking off stray guards and scaring away the rest of the patrols as one by one, their numbers diminished. On one hand, it unnerved the hell out of Savonarola's men, making them twitchy and nervous, but on the other...
James did not like the way that Adel simply shrugged off the deaths she doled out. As if they were absolutely nothing to care about, nothing more than a hunt in the woods. Her eagle ate the flesh of the men with little care as to what they were. Humans in armor or a boar in the woods, regardless, she proudly stroked his feathers in praise for it. It was funny how she seemed to love the huge eagle so much more than other humans...
James finally decided to himself that the past decade didn't ruin her per say. It just made her overconfident and raised her even further above than where she was when she was twelve. There would come a day where she would be brought down from her ivory tower, and she would be lucky if no one got hurt in the process. And considering the type of work they did...
It would be a long fall.
The sun began to set, the colors dulled by the smoke of the bonfires and accented by the torches of the raging crowds. It won't be long, I thought to myself, following the crowd over the rooftops. We'd been fighting all through the week almost none stop, and blood was all but threatening to form a river.
"Do the ends justify the means?" Altair wondered briefly in the back of my head.
There's no other way, I rolled my shoulders. At least the innocents are safe.
Yes, the innocents were finally safe. Soon, the starved, oppressed and very pissed off citizens regained a bit of strength. They were now taking back their homes and farms, beginning to stop the bonfires on the squares. All of it was directed by Paola, La Volpe and Niccolo, who made sure to silently cut out the guards that protected the fires.
In just one week, we managed to liberate the farmlands and central Florence. Now all that was left was the district on the other side of Arno, where the Palazzo de'Pitti was.
Something didn't feel right.
There was a little voice in my mind that I could easily have mistaken for intuition telling me that something was very wrong. It was as if we were gathering all the citizens for them to be slaughtered at the gates of the palace...why did I feel that?
I almost stumbled in my step, my eyes flying wide.
"La Volpe!" I dropped down beside the master thief in a hurry. He, along with Paola and Niccolo took to riling up the people even further, leading them dead onto Savonarola's headquarters. "We shouldn't lead them there."
"Why not?" he asked with surprise.
"Savonarola still has the Apple. If all these people come before him, it might be able to charm them despite their numbers," I told him quickly. "When we get there, and he comes out, what will we do then? Or when he turns all of these people on us? There is no way we can kill all of them, and they-"
"-are innocents," the Fox nodded, and a concerned wrinkle joined the others on his face. "But this is our only chance. We can't stop the crowds any longer to think up a better plan. Do you not have any faith in your husband?"
I ignored the slightly provoking question, instead sinking into a moment of thought. "I hope he knows what he's doing, then..."
"He does. We taught him well," the thief smiled, and I nodded with an affectionate smile. "I almost forgot he was once our student."
"He won't stand for this, one way or another. None of us are going to stand by and watch as these people's wills are taken away. So be on your guard, but be ready for unforeseen events."
"As always...Alright, up I go, then. There's still that mad artist to take care of, so I'll meet you at the palazzo." We exchan
ged nods, and without changing pace, I sprung up to the long-abandoned merchant stall, climbing back up to the roofs.
Stealing across, I threw my eyes upwards, scanning the possible pathways.
"-seek salvation in the flames! The brush, pen and sculptor's clay...these are the Devil's tools!" the artist was shouting to the entire street. I felt a small pang of sadness, for he was a painter himself - how was he ever convinced of following through with this? The man must have been driven completely insane, as he sure sounded like it...
Making a quick decision, I began to climb up the Palazzo, noting a very convenient spring board that would give me a sufficient boost towards the building scaffolding that circled around the fires. But the minute I reached the top and straightened out, I was almost knocked back again. Luckily my reflexes kicked in and I was able to remain on my feet.
"It's the second time you tried to kill me," I growled, snapping my hidden blade away as soon as I realized who it was. "Didn't we go over this once? Look before you leap!"
"I thought it was the new shift of guards, and they would have raised noise when they saw the bodies," he shrugged almost nonchalantly, not making excuses, but rather, informing me. "Are you finally done? Can we get rid of Savonarola once and for all?"
"Almost," I nodded, looking out into the city for a second. "They will finish soon, and then even the gates of hell won't keep that crowd from getting here and setting his little house of cards on flame."
"I'm guessing you're here for that one?" James raised an eyebrow, nodding his head in the direction of the bonfires. They gave out so much smoke, I suddenly realized the true reason behind the piece of cloth covering James' mouth. I almost began to cough myself...
I did not reply, finding the answer a bit obvious, and wanted to take the jump at a sprint. But before I could make even one step, I felt a familiar sensation in my brain, the pressure building, and the whisper becoming pronounced.
"Your love is for the wrong ones...they are mortal... they shall die."
"What?"
James looked at me with surprise as I spoke out loud. I realized it was not him who hissed the words into my ears. And it did not sound like Altair, either...
"The more you struggle, the harder it will become...The Apple has many powers... all your dreams are possible..."
"Oh no," I sighed.
"Kill them...spare yourself of the misery... Paradise awaits you, angel of God..."
"James, I need you to do something," I spoke, shutting my eyes tightly, and rubbing my head against the muttering. Damn him, when did he hear of my lack of immunity to the artifacts? "Find Ezio. Quickly. Tell him what we were afraid of is happening."
"What are you-"
"NOW!" I growled, not risking movement. If I moved, my actions could be redirected so subtly I wouldn't even know the order didn't come from my brain. The sudden urge to stop the rebellion in its tracks came back in force.
"You are a gift, a sign... you are above those who seek to corrupt God's presence..."
"Because that's exactly the opposite of what you're doing, stronzo," I gritted out.
Breathe. Remember. It's all lies and illusions. Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. Nothing is true...
"You have the power those that you call family will never understand, and will never appreciate..."
"More idiots thinking I'm a Piece of Eden. Damn it, my name has nothing to do with God. My mother was just walking along one day and thought "hey, Eden is a lovely name!" I found myself nearly screaming. Thank God James went on his errand and no else was around…
"You laugh an angel's laugh... The Apple showed me... and this God's gift shall show you the truth, too..."
"As if once wasn't enough. The Apple lies!"
As I argued with the whispering in my ears, I felt slightly weaker. It was hard to battle illusions... even such silly ones as this. Why did was I struggling again.? Wouldn't it be easier just to do what he tells me to get rid of this monstrous fatigue? Look at those charmed lieutenants...they're perfectly happy with the chaos they're wrecking...
"Don't you dare, woman. Come now, what did we speak of?" Altair growled impatiently. "Focus. Use it…it's as though Eagle Vision… you should be able to trace the Apple back to the bastard."
His voice in my head was like a breath of fresh air after a suffocating, wretched storm. Yet I struggled to do as he commanded, forcing past the whispers in my head, trying to find the golden string.
~What is this place..? Paradise, or fantasy? Then why do I hate it so much? Why is my instinct onto to run, from the transparent walls that reflect the blue sky, from the white engravings on the doors, from the golden glow coming from the windows? I took a wrong turn, I realized. We had to climb... up, up to the sun...up and away from this sweet nightmare...~
"Eden!"
My eyes snapped open, and I realized my fists were clenched so hard that the wedding band under my glove was painfully cutting into my ring finger.
"Eden snap out of it," Ezio's voice became more clear, washing over me with steady relief. I reached out, and his hand caught mine immediately. "Amore." His hand gripped mine so hard, he was cutting off the circulation. But that was the least of my worries…"Come now, we knew he would try this, and I know you can resist…focus-"
"I'll fucking kill him," I muttered hoarsely, realizing my nose was bleeding. I wiped the blood away with distaste, unhappy with the amount of effort I had to put in just to keep the power of the Apple at bay. "With my own two hands...Merda, I can almost understand why those people gave up their wills up so readily..."
"That's more like it," he breathed with relief, helping me stand up. I finally managed to rip myself from the sweet promises in my head and focus on Ezio.
I sighed with relief as the influence finally subsided, leaning my forehead on Ezio's chest for a moment. His lips touched the top of my head, and I did a double take.
"Whats this?" I squinted slightly, running my thumb over his lips. The red streak followed my finger, smearing onto his cheek. "I turn my back for one moment and you're already jumping on other women?"
"Very funny," he smiled slightly at my random comment. "You'd get a lead role in satire."
"As what?"
"The comic relief that falls over all the time."
"Ah. Well, could be worse. Seriously, though, where did you get your makeup done?" I muttered as I pulled his head down to search for further damage.
He freed from my grasp like a stubborn child, shaking his head. "It was that damned captain. Volpe was right, he set up a nice ambush, but I got him in the end…I'm more worried about you at the moment."
"I think I made him jump with my last kick..." I rubbed my head. "So he won't be trying that again, hopefully. I hate illusions...that's all the Apple does, and it's our fault if we fall for them."
"Then all those people down there were something close to willing captives," Ezio made the deduction. "I will have to remember that. Do you know how to stop the attacks on your mind?"
"Another time should be no problem," I slowly nodded, though to tell the truth, I hoped I was right the next time.
"Let's trust that there won't be a next time," he sighed. "Come now," he tugged my hand, pulling me away from the roof and down to the street. I felt the fatigue that accompanied the attempt on my brain disappear, leaving only the natural outcome of two sleepless nights. "They are about to appear."
I suddenly realized that the noise was not just in my head - it was steadily growing, coming towards us and the palazzo. "Wait, what about the painter-?"
"I took care of it," Adel appeared out of nowhere, and threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I returned the embrace, mentally shuddering at the thought of what would have happened if I agreed to kill the two closest people I had.
"Just in time, too," Ezio said, and I looked up just as the crowd spill into the large square in front of the Palazzo de'Pitti. The roar almost deafened me, the many torches in their hands illuminating the buildings like some pitiless nightmare, the shadows long and dancing along the stone walls. The remaining guards took in chaos, and not even the power of the Apple was able to hold them; they either joined, or made a run for it, but none stood their ground any longer. And like one, they were all shouting for Savonarola.
We made our way around them, farthest away from the palace where we could see the rest of the Assassins, along with James, watching the unfolding events with satisfaction.
"Uncle Mario!" Adel noticed the newcomer first, nearly flying into his arms. If there was anyone that she formed a strong relationship with over the past decade aside from Ezio and me, it was Mario. He returned the affection, treating her like he would his most beloved granddaughter. Though I doubt grandfathers taught their descendants swordplay as he did...
"You made it just in time!" I grinned a little weakly. We knew he was coming eventually, as he only hung back to gather and line up his mercenaries to take care of the chaos that would likely happen once Firenze lost its leader again.
"Looks like he finally heard of the revolution," Niccolo stated as the grand doors of the Palazzo swung open to reveal the monk that only minutes earlier attempted to move into my head.
"I think a dead man could have heard the noise these people are making," Ezio shrugged.
"Get ready. He'll try to use the Apple, I'm certain of it," Mario's voice was nearly drowned in the new roar of rage from the crowd. But Ezio heard him, already snatching a throwing knife from his belt in preparation.
"Let the people have their justice, we only need the Apple," I leaned towards his ear, and he nodded curtly, now focused on the single target that we'd been looking for all these years. Adel glanced at me with surprise.
"Wouldn't it be easier to simply kill him while he's standing right there, in plain sight?" I waved my hand in reply, signaling her that I'd explain later.
"What are you all doing here?" Savonarola demanded, eyes shining with crazed enthusiasm, as though he did not realize the crowd was shouting for his blood. Throwing his hands in the air, he declared, "You should be at your homes, clearing them of the sinful possessions, purging your souls with the fires-" The crowd was having absolutely none of it, still trying to get through the railing to him. Gaze widening, he swiftly calculated that a moment longer and he'd be swept away. Frantically pulling out our prize from his robes, he commanded, "You will obey!"
The reaction was immediate. I almost felt like I truly did go deaf, considering the quiet that fell so abruptly. Golden fire seemed to spill forth from The Apple, nearly blinding despite the hundreds of torches the crowed carried.
I felt the now familiar wave of desire sweep over my mind.
Oh, I don't think so...not this time.
Before I could even properly move, Ezio flew forward almost too fast for any of us to see, sparing not even a moment of hesitation and hurling the throwing knife into Savonarola's hand. The crazed monk screamed, forced to drop the Apple as he clutched at his bloodied hand. I followed it with my eyes as it rolled away, attempting to shove through the crowd to ensure it wouldn't be lost yet again. The next moment, the crowd really did sweep the insane monk off his feet. Squashing any attempt at struggle he gave, they nearly ripped him limb from limb as they passed him from hand to hand. And then with triumphant shouts, they carried him off.
I wanted to give a sigh of relief, but something still felt...wrong.
"Wait-"
"The Apple!" La Volpe leapt forward just as an overlooked, armored man ran up to the glowing ball, and without stopping, scooped it into his hands. "Borgia's men! Don't let him get away!"
Like a bullet fired from a gun, we all snapped into motion. Ezio took off straight after the thief, the Fox and me bolting too, scaling the walls of the palace to the roofs with lighting speed, closing off the soldier's escape routes. More of Borgia's men were following, but we were too fast for them.
Unfortunately, there was a slight hitch in that plan.
The thief was fairly damn fast, too.
I twisted my lips in a frown, my eyes searching the roof. A few long steps away from me, Ezio and La Volpe, were doing the exact same, the concealed panic growing slowly even under their inscrutable expressions.
"Cazzo," I swore loudly. Ezio clenched his teeth, nodding.
"Split up. He could not have gone far, he's likely waiting out for us to give up."
"Then perhaps he has a reason to believe it's going to work?"
"So what do you propose, just standing around and waiting for him to come out?"
"We have to get the rest of our people, comb the district properly-"
"That will take too long, we have to act now, before that damned Apple slips out of our fingers again!"
"Then-"
"Just do as you're told!" he nearly roared at my back.
I froze in mid step, and took a long moment to look around at him. That was long enough for him to realize exactly who he just raised his voice at. But he did not back down or take the command back, wildly gesturing at the street where the thief was no doubt making his way back to his forces.
Like I could give a flying damn about that at the moment…
"Repeat that again," I murmured, with enough venom to make him flinch, "And slowly this time, so you can think about what you're-"
"We don't have any god-damned time for this!" Volpe snapped, shooting his violet eyes between us sternly. I froze again, never in my life witnessing the mysterious thief as anything but either distantly amused or utterly focused. Sparing Ezio one more glare to tell him plainly that the scandal was postponed, but not canceled I turned to the Master Thief as he ordered, "Eden, take the left, search for traps doors and balconies, I'll take the right, and Ezio, check inside the buildings."
We gave synchronized nods, shooting in opposite direction from the spot where we all stood.
I wish I could say that the only thought that was going through my mind was "Get the Apple!" Perhaps then this situation could have made things easier and smoother. I readjusted my eyes, letting the warm glow of the Eagle Vision sweep over me in its familiar comfort, searching for any hint of the soldier that slipped through our fingers so quickly.
Alright, if I got my thoughts in order...what did we have? Almost completely abandoned buildings- everyone was either driven out by Savonarola's men earlier, or were now rampaging through the streets, effectively tearing down the last of the tyrant's influence. There were a few that chose to hide, however; two old men were wheezing horribly somewhere below me, likely near death, and a young mother was cowering with her child just under the roof. I heard the erratic beating of the girl's chest, and her son's coughing. They were in need of medical attention, but, sadly, I did not have the time to stop and help them. There were far bigger matters at stake...
I did not locate the thief, but rather, the Apple. It drew my latent senses to itself, like a child looking for his parents. As soon as I got close enough, it blared through my ears like a siren, forcing my pulse to quicken with adrenaline, the glow if it shining even through the tiles of the roof and the floors Borgia's man managed to put between us. The next moment my eyes found the trapdoor that was hidden just under the roof-archer guard post.
I glanced back towards La Volpe, but realized that he was already too far away to call or notify of my find, considering that I could see the Apple moving farther away. Cursing under my breath, I lifted the door, and slipped inside.
If the house was abandoned, it had been only recently. The city's roving bands of marauders didn't even get a chance to loot it, the furniture barely touched with dust, though most of the walls were blank from lack of paintings and tapestries. Moving more carefully now, I slipped through the living room, finding the stairs and silently walking towards the call of the artifact.
I was likely not the only one who could hear it, which meant Ezio was on his way now, too. I did not wish to wait for him, however, moving quicker and descending lower and lower, until I stopped at the dark hole that led down to the cellar. The darkness was of little consequence, due to my Eagle Vision, but something made me hesitate. Shaking my head, I tensed my hold on my dagger before stepping down onto the first step.
The Apple was in the far corner, opposite of the stairs. Very low, too, as if it was lying on the floor. Why was it-?
Snap!
Now, if I was anyone else, the blow to the back of my head would have knocked me out for damn sure. But I was still me, and I began to move as soon as I felt danger. Thankfully, I slightly side-stepped the full brunt of the blow at the last second, before it completely connected, through my ears were ringing from its force. The Eagle Vision shivered, and slid away to nothingness as I lost focus. The darkness somehow beginning to swim, I was forced to roll over my shoulder as I lost balance, hitting the floor with a painful thud. Years of fights and sheer stubbornness made me bit back a yelp of pain, not to mention, I had no wish to alert my attacker to my newly exposed position.
Without thinking, I threw a knife into the darkness behind me, only to hear it clank against the stone wall without doing any harm to my opponent. I shook my head, trying to adjust my vision back, but it stubbornly refused to engage.
I froze, awaiting for either my eyes to adjust to the darkness, or for the man to reveal himself again. Soundless, I reached over with my hand over to where I remembered the Apple lying.
The warm metal greeted my hand readily and almost happily sang into my ears. In a different situation, I would have smiled - I felt no more whispers in my head, and the Apple now seemed almost like any other mechanism in my hands now, eager for commands.
There was movement. A low, muffled grunt, and the barely audible sound of a blade. Another grunt and then the soft thud of something heavy hitting the stone floor.
"Where is the Apple?" Ezio asked, effortlessly finding my direction. "Eden, are you holding it again-?"
"So what if I am?" I asked, getting up to my feet. My headache stepped back immediately, and surprised, I lifted a hand up to my neck. There was still blood there, but the wound was gone. At the same time, I felt a dozen small scratches that I received in the past two days disappear. "This thing heals, did you know?"
"No. But it's good to know. Now please," he put emphasis on the "please", still sounding very tense. Almost... afraid? "Give it here."
"Fine, take it." I shrugged, handing it over with almost surprising ease. Ezio relaxed immediately, tucking the Apple away. Without waiting for him, I headed up the stairs onto the first floor, resisting the urge to snap out something at him again.
"Professionals. You are professionals. Don't let personal principles get in the way of your work." Altair growled in reminder.
I'm his god damned wife! When I agreed to that, I made it clear I belonged to myself only!
"You're not his wife on the field!"
I'm still a fucking Master!
His argument died at that, as if he waved a frustrated hand at my obstinate declaration, retreating back to his room in my brain.
And stay put, I've enough of your advice for today! I mentally yelled at his back in anger. He did not reply, the silence heavy with reproach and disappointment.
Fine, so Altair's voice in my head sometimes gave very nifty advice. Once it even saved me from an arrow on the rooftops about three years back, so after that, I stopped blocking him out or limiting him to my unconscious state. Luckily, he was tactful enough to never attempt any hostile takeovers. He already lived through his life, seemingly content with his one chance at it. Now, he was simply watching mine like a good movie. Sometimes I even caught myself wondering if there was any popcorn in the back there...
But at that moment, I was too angry to listen to all my mistakes read back to me.
"Come on," I muttered back to Ezio for the lack of anything better, still stubbornly refusing to look at him, "Let's go make sure this is the end of Savonarola."
The bonfire that the citizens built up in almost record time in front of the Signoria was huge, as though they were planning to make enough barbecue for everyone still left in the city. Though I can't say that the mood was that of a party. People were happy, yes, but even more so, they were angry and hateful, roused to destruction by the sheer joy of destroying the man that brought their beloved city to such a chaotic state. The bonfire took the place of the execution stage. As burning was essentially the official punishment that the mad monk favored, it proved rather ironic that he would be the one put to flames this time.
"-Lord please save me, lord preserve me, smite the evil-" Savonarola was nearly screaming as the men shoved him up towards the small stage above the wood, tying his arms around it.
I touched Adel's shoulder lightly, and she jumped, turning around. All the Assassins that gathered here today looked at us with question in their eyes, and we simply nodded without smiles, taking our places behind the crowd. We all watched the execution with slight disgust and pity. After all, Assassins preferred quicker methods that brought only brief moments of pain. But being burnt alive was something that could last for hours, the offender screaming and gasping for air as they burned, knowing there was no one to take pity and end his miserable existence fast...
Adel tore her gaze away, her hand finding my elbow and squeezing tightly. I reached up to run a comforting hand through her golden curls on which the reflection of the flames began to dance. Savonarola let out a terrified shriek as the first red tongue gave him a tentative, curious lick, the crowd's yells growing even louder.
"No one deserves to die like this!" Ezio was the first one to snap. Before any of us could say a word, he began pushing his way through the crowd, nearly shoving them from his path. Not that any of us would attempt to talk him out of it…
He barely even touched the stage with his feet, only lightly launching off, and diving into the flames. I couldn't help but step forward, barely holding back a scream. But Ezio already danced away from the pole as Savonarola went limp on his binds, the blood from his throat spilling down, making the flames hiss slightly, and then resume its dinner.
"Listen up," Ezio roared at the crowd, easily covering over their disappointed moan. At the sound of his voice, everyone shut up, much like when the Apple was brought out by Savonarola. Everybody suddenly remembered just what those white robes and red sash meant, and they froze in fear and awe, as if meeting a living legend. Which, I suppose, Ezio more than qualified for…
Waiting out a short moment to make sure he had everyone's attention, he began.
"Many years ago, I stood on this very spot, and watched as my family was betrayed by those we thought friends."
Every Assassin present stared at him with slight shock. I shifted my eyebrows together, looking up at my husband, and wondering what he had in mind.
"And it was only thanks to the wisdom of complete strangers that I did not give into instinct, and that I stand here before you now." Ezio looked up at us, his eyes sliding over our group, and then boring into mine for a long moment, before snapping back to the crowd. "They did not hand me the answers, but allowed me to find them for myself...that is what makes us human and gives us our freedom! And there are those that want to take that away from us! And many of you, as shown by these events, would willingly give it away!" His voice boomed throughout the square, over the roaring of the flames as they eagerly devoured the tyrant's body, slowly charring him to dust. "But we all should walk our own paths, where we are free to decide!"
The weight of his words emerged slowly, the people staring at him as if mesmerized. Some even had the heart to hang their heads in guilt.
"And as long as we live, we should be fighting for our right to choose." Ezio suddenly looked at me again, and I stared back in pride and at the same time, wonder. "Because as a person very important to me once said, to have freedom, we have to earn it. We have to fight for it...do not give it up! You don't need to follow others! Not the Pazzi, not the Medici, and not me."
With that conclusion, he walked off the stage, back into the crowds. They parted, bowing their heads in respect and gratitude, allowing him to rejoin us.
Mario was the first to greet him with a smile to match mine and a hearty embrace. Paola gave him a small kiss on his cheek, so similar to the one that he received when we left Firenze for the very first time, while La Volpe clapped him on the shoulder.
I snorted under my breath, looking away. My fingers began to almost nervously twist the wedding ring on my finger. I caught sight of his faintly hurt expression, but made no move to fix it.
"Let's go home. We have what we need."
"We have to stay for a while longer to ensure Borgia does not take over in this moment of weakness," Niccolo folded his hands behind his back.
"I've already sent messages to the rest of the Assassins," Mario concluded. "You have collected all of the codex pages and the Apple, so it is time to find the Vault. Antonio, Teodora and Bartolomeo have to be present; they deserve that right just as much as we do."
We had the Apple.
We had the Codex.
We had the Prophet.
It was time to finish things.
"What will you do now?" Adel raised an eyebrow, not really caring for a conversation, but finding nothing better to do. James replied with a tentative shrug of his shoulders as he mounted his black mare, making it fall into step with the Adel, who strayed at the back. "You're not coming back to Monteriggioni with us, are you?"
"I don't have the most cheerful memories of the place, so no," he shook his head, "But I'm not staying in Firenze. It's no longer the home I used to know. And I think I'm due for a change of scenery..."
"Why did you stay in Florence for so long, then?" Eden twisted around to look at him questioningly. He gave another shrug.
"Waiting for you people to show up. I knew you'd come eventually, though I didn't expect it to take this long."
"So where are you headed, then?" Adel asked absently.
"Rome," James nodded with his thoughts, as though he had only just made the decision now. "It's a pretty big city, though a bit battered, so lots of work for a wandering mercenary."
Eden exchanged grim glances with Mario and Niccolo, who were riding beside her.
As Florence currently returned to a Republican way of government, new leaders were hastily elected to at least make a visage of control. Luckily, Niccolo Machiavelli managed to get into their ranks, which gave a slightly brighter outlook onto the future of Firenze. But James still decided that he had nothing more to do there.
"When you come around for Borgia, look me up," James continued, "I'll happily take part in overthrowing another tyrant," he fleetingly grinned.
"Careful, or we'll take you up on that offer," Eden snorted. Adel glanced at her with slight worry - the woman was in a much worse mood than usual. Adel was not used to that since Eden was usually happy, content and enthusiastic. But she'd barely spoken a word since they watched Savonarola burn.
"What's her problem this time?" he quietly asked Adel.
"Trouble in paradise," the young woman shrugged, rolling her eyes. "We had to replace all the statues, vases, dishes, and rugs, as well as a few windows the last time they had a fight. So this is far from the worst."
"I can hear everything, you know." Eden grumbled lowly, "And you're exaggerating," she pointedly continued, "We only had to replace half."
"It was good to see you again, though," James almost didn't lie when he said that. He gave a toothy smirk to Adel, saluted Eden, the assassins' and Ezio's back, and directed his horse onto the road that broke from the one leading to San Gimignano and Monteriggioni.
He decided that Assassins weren't too bad in some terms, though some of them in particular still remained almost frighteningly bloodthirsty. Good thing that energy was directed into a just path. Because the way that Eden continued to glare at Ezio, the screaming would likely soon be heard all over Italia...
A/N- And thus we conclude another chapter. I have some good news, and I have some bad ones. The bad ones are that even though I finished the story, in reference to the trailers for Brotherhood, it seems that I do not have all my information yet. So the last few chapters will be published after the game comes out.
So I suppose we'll see you again sometime in the last two weeks of November.
Thank you to all those who said a few words of Laurie, and thanks to those who did as I asked and gave me no words of pity or sympathy.