Notorious
Chapter 24: Notorious
The sun was rising, painting a beautiful mixture of pink, purple and yellow in the sky. The waters were calm and the breeze was cool and comforting. The birds chirped sweetly in the heavens.
Now this is what freedom truly looks like.
"Cole! What are you doing all the way over there? Come, have a seat with us. You must be tired." Teo beckoned to Cole.
Cole smiled and made his way over to the deck of the ship. Everyone sat in a large circle, laughing, talking, and just plain enjoying life.
"Cole, meet I would like to introduce you to everyone who played a part in your successful rescue."
One by one, he pointed to everyone in the circle.
"Draco Rossi." He brought a hand to his chest and bowed his head to show respect.
"Enzo Marino. A pleasure."
"Michelangelo Cofrancesco. But you may fall me Michel, Angelo or Francesco. I answer to any one of them." He said with a smile.
"Faust Radosta."
"Ilario De Luca."
"Maximilano Soave. You may call me Max for short."
"We are the Lorenzi Brothers; Xiomar Lorenzi!"
"And Uso Lorenzi! It's wonderful to finally meet you Cole!"
Looks like I have some fans. Cole thought to himself with a smile.
"Gabriella Ludovici." A slight blush crept onto her face.
"I told you Gabriella, he's committed." Teo teased. Gabriella turned away, embarrassed.
"Nicci Marasco."
"Ciana La Forte."
"And last but not least." Teo pointed to the final woman in the circle.
"Violet Tassinari."
Are her eyes… purple?
"It is nice to meet you all. Grazie mille for breaking me out of La Casa del diavolo."
"Di niente Cole. We wouldn't be where we were now if it weren't for you. You have inspired us Cole. It's the least we could do to pay you back." Max spoke.
But what did I do exactly?
"Wait, if all of you are sitting here, then who's is in control of the ship?" Cole asked. He immediately looked back and so no one manning the controls.
The rest of the group smiled knowingly and some laughed softly.
"Do not worry Cole. We have things under control." Teo responded.
"How long until we reach the coast of Venezia?" Cole asked.
"I would say about another two days. There is no need to rush after all." Enzo responded. "Unless you need us there faster, capitano?" Enzo asked to Teo.
Teo looked away and thought about his question. "No, I think it's best if we do not rush for the time being. But if anything comes up, try to get us ported by tomorrow evening."
"Intensi." Enzo brought his hand to his chest and briefly bowed his head.
Capitano huh?
The next two days were filled merriment and joy. This could be the last time that they could ever be festive like this. Might as well take advantage of it.
The ship was slowly brought in and anchored. The group exited the ship, leaving it in the hands or the original owner. Teo handed a small pouch of florins to the man. The man smirked and peeked inside, reveling in his new found fortune.
"So what happens now?" Cole asked.
No answer.
"Merda." Teo immediately turned around and adjusted Cole's scarf to cover half of his face without causing much discomfort.
"Christopher has already put in word of your escape and tipped off the heralds to speak ill of you. The townsfolk and the guards are recognizing you and it appears that there are no doable ways of making the city forget your name and face."
"Christopher is a very powerful and highly influential man. I wouldn't be surprised if the same scenario existed in the rest of Italia." Enzo spoke.
"It is not safe for us to be on the streets Teo. If we become notorious once more we are surely finished." Draco spoke.
"We need to get a grasp on this situation." Teo mused. "Fratelli Lorenzi, Ciana, and Ilario. Meet with the contacts we have stationed in the major cities of Italia. Violet, head to Firenze and let us know when Savonarola's hold has become absolute. Once that happens, the Assassins are sure to arrive. And Christopher will be sure to make his move."
They nodded their head in agreement. "This moment in time is critical. We must be awake and attentive at all times. Send a carrier pigeon at the first sign of trouble."
They nodded their heads once more and set off… much faster than the average human being; significantly faster than the average Assassin.
"Now as for the rest of us. Draco is right; we cannot remain on the streets. We must go our separate ways for now. We will meet again on the roof of the San Giobbe in the Cannaregio District at sunset. Cole, be very careful. The guards are keeping a sharp look out for you; Christopher probably promised them a large reward for your capture or death. I would hate to find your corpse rotting in the streets."
"I understand. I will be careful." Cole responded. "Perhaps my notoriety could decrease with time. Laying low could help a bit."
"Maybe, but it may not be a significant decrease. Just remember the skills that have been taught to you and will manage just fine."
Cole was about to question what he meant, but then he remembered that Teo was an Assassin. A skilled one at that. But Cole felt like there was something else special about him. He felt like his duties didn't just stop at being an Assassin. That he harbored more skills and talents than that of the average Assassin.
He would have to ask about that later.
Now he had to figure out how he could maneuver himself through a city where he was wanted at every corner. How could he possibly survive in a city that lusted for his head on a spike?
Shouldn't be too different from Empire City.
Hopefully.
As he walked the streets of the city he felt many eyes on him. Some were fearful, some investigative, recognition, acknowledgement, anger. Whatever Christopher had told the guards and whatever he told the heralds must have been bad. Bad enough to make everyone, even the innocents want to kill him.
Oh yes; these people definitely wanted him dead. Some looked ready to do so. And the guards had their hands on their swords, ready if provoked.
Everyone was.
~AC~IF~
Later that day, sundown.
Today had felt longer than all the rest to Cole. He had had many unfortunate and unavoidable encounters with numerous guards. Some had recognized him on the spot and rather fight back and potentially further secure his status of notorious and infamous, Cole fled. He ran as quickly as he could, using his powers to help him further and took refuge. Once he was sure the guards had given up, he would leave his hiding place and keep going.
He wanted to stay in a bale of flower for the rest of the day, but an attentive, wise, and sharp guard had blown his cover by sticking his sword into the bale. He had nicked Cole on his arm and he was forced to flee once again.
It soon became a routine in a short amount of time that extended for the rest of the day; recognized, flee, hide, and repeat.
But when a group of guards found him sitting behind a tree and they quickly surrounded him, Cole knew he had no choice but to fight. He killed them all with a renewed ferocity he did not know he possessed. He was more nimble, swift, and more anticipant to his enemies' attacks; his final blows could be described as a graceful dance.
The will to survive can unlock a lot of hidden abilities.
On his way to the San Giobbe, Cole had stopped by a tailor and bought new clothes. He bought a brand new white short sleeved shirt, and blue pants. He also bought a white scarf and wrapped it around his neck, adjusting it so it would cover part of his face. He paid the tailor the money and left.
He then stopped by a blacksmith and bought a new dagger (the one he had had become rusty and jagged) and Missaglias vambraces and greaves.
Just as the sun was setting, Cole began to climb the San Giobbe. Once he arrived at the rooftop, he found Teo sitting there by himself, flipping a coin, lost in thought.
"Teo?"
"Oh Cole. You're here a bit early."
"I suppose I am. Where are the rest?"
"I have uncovered some Templar targets that needed to be eliminated in Venezia. They are taking care of them as we speak. But Gabriella should be joining us shortly."
Cole went over and sat down in front of Teo. "May I ask you some things?"
"Certainly. What is on your mind?" Teo tossed the coin at Cole and he caught it easily.
"How did you become an Assassin?" Cole flicked the coin back to Teo.
"I started off as a thief; one of the best, if not the best in the city. Notorious for stealing from guards and giving it to beggars, random civilians on the streets, or just anyone who needed it. Antonio caught wind of my actions and special abilities and asked me to work for him. I wasn't working for anyone formally at the time. I worked for the masses; a faithful servant to the people." Teo flicked the coin back to Cole.
"He took me under his tutelage and I soon began working closely with the Assassins. Stealing, gathering and delivering information, causing distractions to allow the other Assassins to follow through in what they needed to do. It could be considered menial labor but I loved what I did why it was being done. About a year or two later, I was inducted into the brotherhood."
Cole flicked the coin back to Teo. "There is more to your story?"
"Indeed there is. Not too long ago, while in Roma, I encountered a special group of thieves. They were being held captive in cages by Templars, just off the countryside; not too far from where you were being held. They immediately figured out I was an Assassin and pleaded with me to set them free; claiming that the Templars were going to do terrible things to them." Teo flicked the coin back to Cole.
"I opened the cages just as the guards returned. We were soon severely outnumbered; twelve to about thirty. But we combined our efforts and after a long battle, we prevailed. The theory checks out it seems. Afterwards, I brought them to Venezia and presented them to Antonio and the other Assassins. Given the current situation of attempting to remove Marco Barbarigo from power, the Assassins ultimately left me in charge of them. I am their mentor, but we are all close friends so that line between mentor and friend is almost nonexistent."
Cole couldn't help but smile at his story. But he still felt that there was something else missing…
Gabriella climbed up the rooftops and sat with Cole and Teo.
"Buonasera, Gabriella. Have you any news?"
"I managed to lower Cole's notoriety a bit, but the guards and the people will still recognize him. Though, the guards may less likely attack on sight and are more likely to investigate first."
"She's done it again! Ben fatto Gabriella!" Teo exclaimed happily while clapping.
Gabriella smiled and blushed.
"I take she has done this before?" Cole asked.
"We had a mission that had gone south and left behind nothing but failure and our faces and names splattered all over the city. Seemingly permanently. Just when we thought all hope was gone and we had to relocate, in a matter of two days Gabriella had somehow managed to make the entire city forget all about us. It was like we never existed."
"Cole's notoriety will be stubborn to break, but it will break eventually." Gabriella stated with renewed confidence.
"It is a good start Gabriella. Grazie." Cole responded while rubbing her shoulder.
All of that renewed confidence was gone in a flash.
"What now then?"
"We wait. It may be a long while before we hear back from the others."
The trio sat back and watched as the sky went from a comforting blend of yellow and pink to a pitch black. The stars and the moon made their scheduled appearances, shining brightly in the sky.
~AC~IF~
7 weeks later, 1493.
Cole was walking the streets of Venice. Freely. Gabriella had continued and doubled her efforts to rid the city of Cole's face and name and finally succeeded. The people greeted him with a smile though the guards continued to sneer and belch off crude comments, but were none the wiser as to whom he really was.
And Cole was overjoyed.
Because of his joyous mood and just to tease her further, Cole had kissed Gabriella on the cheek to express his gratitude. He had never seen a woman turn so red before.
While sitting in the shade on top of the roof of the Frari, Cole began to think. He began to think of the other Assassins. He prayed that they did not over estimate when Christopher would infiltrate them, posing as him. He ran a lot of "What If" situations in his mind. He even began thinking about what could potentially happen to the brotherhood if Christopher and the Templars succeeded in their plans and grew in power.
All the outcomes came out to a gruesome bloodbath.
Cole shook those thoughts from his head. The Assassins have sharpened and keen senses. Even if he encountered them, they could immediately sense that it was not the Cole they have grown to know. He would be called out immediately.
But the question remained; would they able to stop him?
Another gruesome bloodbath.
Then his thoughts turned to something more somber. Luisella Cadone. How was she doing in his absence? Has she moved on? Or does she believe that he was still alive? Cole certainly hoped so.
He was shaken out of his thoughts by a soft coo of a pigeon. A pigeon had landed on his leg with a note tied to its leg. Cole reached his arm out and the pigeon flew and landed on his forearm. He gently pulled the note off its leg. The note read:
' Urgente. Meet us on top of the San Giobbe immediately.'
Cole let the pigeon fly away and immediately moved to go to the San Giobbe.
Anything described with the word urgent is far from being good news.
Cole quickly climbed up the San Giobbe and made to the top in record time. He found Teo pacing back and forth, Max sitting down but his legs were restless, and Gabriella looked to be in the middle of a panic attack. Teo looked up and realized Cole had arrived.
"Thank goodness you came as quick as you did."
"Of course; what has happened?"
"Unbeknownst to the Assassins, Luisella Cadone has been captured." Teo stated.
"Cosa?! How did this happen?" Cole exclaimed.
"Luisella had recently been specially tasked with tracking you down. Christopher, being the sick opportunist he is, caught on and had provided her with a fake trail, leading her straight to him."
" I'll be sure to have a… proper reunion with Luisella Cadone. She misses you dearly…"
The words said by Christopher had echoed in Cole's mind. He growled and clenched his fist, electricity dancing around it.
"He sent this note via carrier pigeon."
Salute Cole. While I think your escape plan was quite clever and quite cute (you have proven me wrong when I thought only Assassins could pull off that distasteful fashion), I'm afraid it was all for naught.
It is simple, you willingly return to us and I will see that the lovely Luisella Cadone is not only safely returned home but also that she is spared in the first ever Assassin Genocide. Maybe where I am king, she will be my queen…
But we'll have to see now don't we?
Be warned that I am not a patient man.
Yours in brotherhood,
Christopher.
Cole crumpled the note in his hand and mixed it with his electricity. The paper soon caught fire and burned away.
"Where are they?"
"We are still trying to pinpoint their location."
"We have to save her. No matter what the cost."
"Of course Cole; anything you need, you have us. We are at your command." Teo stated.
Cole was too pre-occupied with his thoughts to question the meaning behind Teo's words.
Err, yeah this chapter is almost a month late… sorry.
I got so caught up and preparing for college, especially financially then it hit me. I was supposed to write this. And s eeing as college is already kicking my ass, this story will be updated less often; from weekly to minimum one to two times a month.
AND 6K views?! WOW you guys are awesome :3
Going to try to write this story from third person from now on. I feel like my writing looks better when writing from third rather than first. Let me know in the reviews.
Please review and tell me what you think :)