Chapter 24
I was sitting on a stool in the Guild Headquarters and sharpening my swords when my father approached me the next morning. "Buongiorno, padre." I said while looking down the length of my sword to determine the sharpness of the blade. Satisfied, I laid it down gently and picked up the shorter sword. I began to sharpen it as I waited for my fathers reply.
"Hai dormito bene?" Mario asked and I shrugged a little, focused on sharpening my blade for the moment.
"Well enough."
"Would you go wake Ezio? I would like to meet this artist friend of his." I sighed as I ran my whetstone down the blade once more. I quickly, yet thoroughly, oiled my blades to prevent rusting before pushing them back into my leather scabbards and stood to go wake Ezio. Mario nodded and wandered over to Maria and Claudia, who were eating a small breakfast at the other side of the room while I walked up the stairs to the bedrooms.
I knocked on his door a few times and awaited his answer but I received none so I opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind me. I could see Ezio sprawled across his bed sideways and I laughed silently at the sight. I wondered how he managed to get himself wrapped in all of his blankets like that; only his head and arms seemed to be free of them. I crossed the room and stood beside his bed, looking down at his peaceful face. I momentarily thought about startling him awake but discarded the thought for I knew that Assassins usually slept with some kind of blade - like I slept with a dagger underneath my pillows.
I gently touched his face, running a finger along the side when his hand grabbed my wrist and flipped my body onto the bed faster than I could react. I caught his hand that held his small dagger with my free hand when it was but a few inches from my throat. His golden amber, sleep-filled eyes met mine and he relaxed, pulling the dagger away before setting it on the bedside table and collapsing beside me yet again.
"Tired, Ezio?" I asked with a smirk on my lips as I rolled on my side and rested my head on my hand. He looked over at me despairingly and I laughed at the expression.
"Do I have to get up?" Ezio whined and I nodded without compassion as I attempted to unwrap him from his blankets. He resisted, twisting his body away, taking the blankets with him further as I sighed.
"You are much too stubborn." I said with laughter in my voice. Ezio looked like some type of turtle or a newly changed butterfly with his head poking out of the top of his blankets. He ignored me and started to fall back asleep and I thought of ways to wake him. I grinned as I jumped on top of him - his eyes popped open and zeroed in on me with a disgruntled expression as I wiggled my fingers at him. He started to protest and began to shake his head as I tickled his sides through the blankets. Ezio began to squirm under me and his face became blood-red as he resisted the urge to laugh. He bust out laughing a moment later, unable to fight back and I laughed with him as he twisted underneath me. He jerked violently, sending me into the air for a moment before I hit the ground with a hard thud. I caught my breath and laughed even harder as I still saw Ezio struggling on his bed to get out of his blanket cocoon.
From my position on the floor, I noticed the door open and Mario, Maria, Claudia and Rosa stood there, obviously wondering what that thud had been. Ezio and I both froze and they looked at me laying on the ground and Ezio still wrapped up in his blankets before laughing, shaking their heads and leaving the room. I grinned up at Ezio from the floor and he sighed exaggeratedly,
"Aiutami con questo."
I stood and brushed off my robes before putting my hands on my hips, grinning at Ezio before saying, "I don't know. I kind of like having you helpless and prone to my wills."
"Do you?" He asked, sounding intrigued as well as exasperated as he glanced up at me from his fortress of blankets.
"Si, I think I'll just leave you here today. Come back later and then do whatever I want."
"As lovely as that sounds, I must pass. Unless you wish to handle all my Assassin duties whilst I sleep the day away." Ezio replied, smirking as he relaxed on the bed - he looked as if he could fall asleep at any moment.
"It's tempting." I retorted after acting like I was thinking hard and he looked up at me pleadingly.
"Per favore, Aria!"
"Fine, fine; but you owe me now." I acquiesced and he smiled, looking relieved as I began to pull unwrap him slowly. At the last blanket of his four thin blankets, I noticed that he was on the side of the bed and I grinned before pulling it sharply, causing him to fall on the ground with a larger thud than I made. I laughed as I flitted out of the room and listened to Ezio curse at me as he stood up.
"See you downstairs, Ezio!" I called into his room and went down the stairs to join the others. They each looked at me as I entered the common room and Rosa shook her head before saying,
"I don't even want to know."
"You're right. You do not." I replied and we each laughed as we waited for Ezio. He came down the stairs at a slow rate, looking a little grumpy as he came to the bottom of the steps.
"Ready to go?" Ezio asked and I looked to my father, who nodded before nodding myself. Ezio headed out of the door without waiting for us. I linked arms with my father and we walked out together, promising to Maria and Claudia that we would be back before they knew it.
"Ezio! Aria!" Leonardo greeted us both joyfully as he opened the door to his home. Leonardo gave me a hug and went to give Ezio one but Ezio dodged it gracefully, shaking his hand instead. I grinned at Ezio's awkward facial expression at the almost hug and wondered how many times he had dodged a hug from Leonardo - the blonde man was a hugger, that was for sure. He did not seem put off by this and let us in, smiling at us both widely, "How long has it been now?"
"Scusa, Leo! We should come visit you more often." I answered him, feeling bad that I had only seen him a few times over the last few years.
"Sciocchezza!" Leonardo replied cheerfully as he waved off my words. "I know how busy you both are!" Ezio and I exchanged a look and nodded together; it was like we never had free time these days. Leonardo turned to my father, "I do not believe I have had the pleasure of meeting you, signore."
"Mario Auditore da Monteriggioni." My father replied formally as he shook Leonardo's hand.
"Another Auditore, eh! Always a pleasure." Leonardo said to Mario with a gentle smile on his face. Mario smiled back, already taking a liking to the light hearted artist. Leonardo looked to me and asked, "I assume this is your father, Aria?"
"You are correct in your assumptions." I replied and he grinned at me.
"My mother and sister are in town as well." Ezio interjected into the conversation and Leonardo's eyes brightened.
"It has been some years since I have seen your mother, Ezio. Perhaps she could come by and visit sometime. I would love to meet your sister as well. Why don't you all come by for dinner?" Leonardo suggested excitedly and Ezio smiled, promising that perhaps they could do so tonight - Leonardo agreed, calling an assistant to him and asking him to go to the mercato to get some fresh food for the meal. Back to business, Leonardo turned to Ezio and said, "Ezio, you sent me another Codex page but you never followed up on it!"
Ezio grinned at his enthusiastic friend and rubbed the back of his neck before replying, "I had forgotten."
"Did you find anything interesting, amico?" I asked curiously, excited to have another codex translated and Leonardo thought for a moment before turning and rummaging through the chaos that was his room. Mario and I looked around at the unfinished projects that littered the floors. I looked at some paintings in particular and was trying to decide which I liked best when a sound of triumph came from Leonardo. He held up an ancient scroll, its seal restored. He passed it to Ezio who gave it to my father.
"There's no new weapon-design on this one sadly, but from the look of the symbols and the manuscript writing on it, which I believe to be Aramaic or even Babylonian, it will be a significant page in whatever jigsaw puzzle you are assembling. I think I recognize traces of a map." Leonardo said while Ezio, Mario and I glanced at each other, surprised at Leonardo's intuition. Leonardo noticed the looks we had and held up his hand. "But tell me nothing! I am only interested in the inventions these pages you bring me reveal. More than that, I do not care to know. A man like me is only immune from danger according to his usefulness; but it were discovered that he knew too much -" Leonardo expressively slit his throat with his finger, causing us all to chuckle. "Well, that's that."
"You are wise beyond your years, Leonardo." I said and Leonardo smiled as if flattered by my words. Mario and Ezio nodded, agreeing with my words.
I watched as Ezio walked over to a very strange looking contraption and looked it over with critical eyes. He turned to Leonardo and said, "Leo - does this machine of yours actually work?"
"You mean, does it fly?"
"Si."
Leonardo looked very thoughtful for a long moment and rubbed his chin. "Well, it's still in the early stages. I mean, it's nowhere near ready yet - but I think, in all modesty, that - yes! Of course it will work. God knows I've spent enough time on it. It's an idea that just won't let go of me!"
"Leo…" Ezio began and I already saw exactly what his plan was by the look in his eyes. "May I try it?"
Leonardo and Mario looked shocked at the request and Leo answered, "Of course you can't!"
At the same time, I said, "Don't be stupid, Ezio!"
Ezio stared at us both with determination in his golden amber eyes. I knew that we could never get him to back down after he put his mind to it and I sighed, admitting defeat as Leonardo continued speaking, "For a start we would have to get it to the top of a tower to launch you."
"Perhaps that could be arranged." My father said and Leonardo looked between us all in astonishment. He nodded once with a mild look before agreeing that he would see what he could do. We left his home not too long after, promising to come back at dinnertime with the other Auditore women. I even asked if Dante and Antonio may come to discuss the mission and Leonardo accepted graciously, saying that he loved to entertain guests for he does not do it often enough.
Walking through the streets, I turned to my father. "Padre, I would like to speak to Ezio alone. Would you care to meet us back at the Headquarters?"
Mario smiled at Ezio and I. "Actually, I will probably take Maria and Claudia back to your old palazzo so they could get ready for the dinner. I know they don't like being taken unawares." We said our goodbyes and he went on a different path, leaving Ezio and I alone for the second time this week.
"Ezio, are you sure you wish to do this?" I asked him, feeling slightly worried and sick at the thought of him attempting to fly such a machine. "Humans do not have wings; we are not meant to take to the skies."
Ezio grabbed my hand and I sighed. He smiled at me, "Do you doubt Leonardo's ability to build a capable flying machine?"
"It's never been done before, Ezio. If it works, you'll be the first man to fly! It would be amazing but if it didn't work then… You'd be dead and I would be alone."
"You're never alone, cara. You have zio Mario, mio madre, Claudia, Leonardo, Dante, Rosa, Anton -"
I interrupted him before he could go on by standing right in front of him and covering his mouth with my hand. "None of those people could ever replace the hole in my heart that you would leave if you died, Ezio." It was the closest to an admission of my feelings that I had ever given him before and he looked at me sympathetically. I looked away, feeling bizarrely embarrassed by my words and I felt Ezio put his hands on my shoulders.
"I know you are scared, Aria. I am, too. More than you can imagine - flying is a scary thought but if we don't do this then the Templars would have won this round and we cannot allow that. Not as the good people we are; not as Assassins." I looked back at him and thought to myself, he really has grown up. He now understood the importance of our work even if it meant putting himself at risk. I respected that more than anything else in this world. It made my feelings for him expand.
"I never thought I would say this but you are right." I said quietly and Ezio smirked at me.
"What was that?" He asked, acting as if he had not heard what I had said. I rolled my eyes and turned my nose up in the air as I replied,
"I will not say it again, if that's what you are getting at." Ezio laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer as we walked toward the headquarters.
He leaned close to me and whispered in my ear; his hot breath sent chills throughout my body. "Besides, I am not worried - I know you have my back if I fall."
"Always." I replied and we walked on in a silence that I would only be comfortable in with him. He squeezed me closer to him and I looked up, watching his eyes sort through thoughts. He smiled down at me meaningfully and I wondered what he was planning. I could always tell when he was planning something and this time was no exception.
Unable to keep my thoughts to myself, I asked, "What are you planning, Ezio?"
Ezio looked at me, mildly surprised and he smiled. "I don't know what you mean."
"You do, though! There is little you can hide from me now."
We were fast approaching the guild - he turned and kissed my forehead. "Like I said - you'll see soon enough. I'm waiting for the perfect moment." My brow creased as I thought of his words. What did that even mean? Why was Ezio being so damn sneaky all of the sudden - it was perplexing. He detached himself from my waist, leaving me feeling oddly cold without him and he walked into the guild. I stood outside, still pondering his words as the day passed.
Our group, consisting of Ezio, Mario, Claudia, Maria, Dante, Antonio and I met towards the end of the day; when the sun was getting ready to set and headed towards Leonardo for our dinner party. We laughed and joked on the way over and Leonardo greeted us earnestly at the door.
"So this is it?" Antonio said as he, Leonardo, Dante, Ezio and Mario looked over the strange contraption that Leonardo had built. I stuck with Maria and Claudia so they would not feel so left out of the loop while the men talked of plans. I showed the two women all kind of Leonardo's new paintings and Maria smiled at them and looked as if she was remembering a fond memory. Claudia, though, seemed bored with the paintings and kept shooting Dante looks - which he returned every so often; though, he looked away quickly if he caught her looking at him.
"Claudia." I said to gather her attention and she made a noise to let me know she had heard as she looked at me curiously. "What do you think of mio amico, Dante?"
Claudia smiled coyly and even Maria giggled at her daughters shy expression. Claudia was not a shy person whatsoever - curse of being an Auditore, I assumed. "Whatever do you mean, Aria?"
I scoffed at her. "I am not blind and neither is your mother. Ti piace!" I sung the last bit out, horribly off-key, but quietly and Claudia blushed and shushed me quickly,
"Shut up, Aria. He might hear you!"
"Would that be so bad?" I asked and Claudia partially glared at me. I tried to save the conversation between us, "I mean, I think Dante is a fantastic person."
"I am inclined to agree." Maria said and Claudia's mouth fell open at her mothers admission. "He's strong, intelligent - not to mention, handsome." I nodded, agreeing with her words but in my mind, Dante was merely a candle in the shadow of Ezio's flame. I knew I was biased, though.
"What are you ladies talking about?" Ezio said as he came over to the table with a mischievous smile. I knew his hearing was excellent so there was no doubt he already knew. Maria and Claudia seemed to know this as well.
"Just don't even start, Ezio." Claudia said awkwardly as she placed a napkin on her lap, preparing for the meal.
"I wasn't starting anything." Ezio replied, going into the easy route of picking on his younger sibling. She sighed loudly as the others joined us and Ezio meant to go on but I kicked him from underneath the table, saving Claudia from inevitable embarrassment.
"What do you think?" I asked Antonio and Dante as they seated themselves. As chance had it, Dante sat beside Claudia and I grinned at her from across the table. She looked annoyed at my grin but I could tell that she was secretly pleased with him sitting next to her.
"It's so crazy." Dante said, shaking his head and looking at the flying contraption.
"It's just what we need." Antonio said optimistically as Leonardo's assistants served us our meal before leaving his home for the night.
"What tower would we need to go to launch it, though?" Ezio asked us and we all thought for a moment. I was not really sure. We needed a tower that was a good height as well as in sight of Palazzo Ducale. We ate in silence as we thought when Leonardo thumped his hand flat on the table, making us all jump.
"I've got it! My employer is away on business. The roof of Ca' Pexaro is long and flat, yet still high enough from the ground!"
"E 'perfetto." I said, thinking on the building that he was speaking of. I had seen it on my nightly patrols of the city. Maria and Claudia looked terribly confused by this conversation - Maria accepted it in silence, used to these kinds of things from her late husband and her time living with his brother. Claudia, on the other hand, listened with curiosity. I could tell that it was killing her not knowing what was happening.
"What are you going to do?" She asked Ezio and we all looked at him. He laid his fork down and leveled his gaze on her.
"It's nothing of importance to you, Claudia. No need to worry yourself."
"I'm not a little girl anymore, Ezio!" Claudia countered and Ezio looked to me for help. I shrugged - she was correct. She wasn't a little girl - in fact, I had already taken a life by the time I was her age, probably younger. I knew that Ezio did not want her involved in Assassin affairs but it was in her blood. I left it up to him and turned my focus on my food as the meal table became awkwardly silent.
Leonardo sensed this and said to Maria, "You're looking well, Maria. It's good to see you again. I still remember when you used to bring Ezio to me to learn how to draw!" I looked at Ezio. I had always wondered where he had learned to draw and it seemed I had my answer now.
"Si, I distinctly remember telling him he needed more outlets. Other than vaginas, of course." Claudia and I bust out laughing as Ezio turned red and looked down at his plate while Dante, who had been taking a drink of wine, choked on it from the surprise of hearing such words from a mature older woman. Mario and Antonio chuckled and Leonardo still looked as if he was reminiscing. He seemed lost in thought as he replied, "I recall hearing that outside of my door."
My father patted my back as I laughed hard enough to start coughing. "I would love to hear more funny stories about Ezio." I said jokingly after I could breathe again.
"Per favore, no!" Ezio mumbled as he sunk lower in his chair. Leonardo snapped his fingers and Ezio groaned. It seemed he knew what Leonardo was going to say.
"I've got a good one!" We turned toward him expectantly while Ezio mumbled under his breath. "When I designing his wrist blade - I saw that it used an ancient method of cutting off the ring finger for the blade. I updated the designed so it would not but I decided to have a little fun with him." Ezio covered his face by this point and Leonardo continued, "I told him: Ezio, I have to take your ring finger for the blade to work and I got my biggest meat cleaver out. Ezio looked so distraught by this news and looked at his ring finger as if he was saying goodbye to a close friend before laying it on the table and closing his eyes, telling me to do it quickly. I lifted my cleaver and he tensed and I brought it down, wedging it in the table beside his hand." We were all chortling now and even Ezio was smiling fondly at the memory and Leonardo's expressive story-telling. "He seemed so confused when he opened his eyes and I told him I was just kidding."
"That is so hilarious!" I said, wiping tears of mirth from my eyes and everyone at the table agreed, with the exception of Ezio, who was smiling and looking slightly discomfited.
"Si, I'm sure you all think it's hilarious. I'm quite attached to my finger." He rubbed his finger as he if was imagining it gone. Mario, Antonio and I all looked down at our own missing fingers, wishing that someone had come up with the design sooner. Antonio voiced that opinion to Leonardo.
"Well, I did not have to design much for the use of the blade without the sacrifice of the finger. It was almost completed but it cut off abruptly as if it was incomplete."
"Perhaps they could not figure out a way to do it." Mario said and we all pondered on this for awhile before Claudia, who was bursting with curiosity, finally asked,
"Why would you have to lose a finger for some stupid blade?"
"Claudia…" Ezio began, exasperatedly. She sighed and told him to just forget it and we finished eating, making small talk the rest of the time. I briefly wondered what we would have to do now to signify someone as a person of the brotherhood. Marking the finger in some way would do but it would have to be permanent. Before I knew it, we were leaving to go home to sleep and deciding to meet Leonardo on the rooftop of Ca' Pexaro the next morning.
Once we were inside the guild headquarters and heading to our rooms, I watched Ezio enter his room but stop at the doorway, looking back at me. I walked over to him and he didn't say a word but stepped out of my way so I could come inside. He closed the door behind me and began to strip off his outer rode.
"Is everything all right, Aria?" He asked as he sat on the edge of his bed and began to take off his boots.
"I'd like to stay with you tonight. Tomorrow holds a lot of unknowns and I don't want to spend this night alone, wondering about the outcome of tomorrow." I wasn't so afraid of telling Ezio these things anymore because I felt like he understood where I was coming from. He smiled and took off his shirt and I couldn't help but look at his well-defined abdomen. It was clear that he had filled out even more over the years and I felt my mouth go dry at the thought. He was watching me with amusement in his eyes, as if he could read my very thoughts. I repressed a smile and took off my outer robe before stepping on the front of my left boot with my right foot, making it easier to pull it off before pulling the other off. I took off my tunic and showed my tight, sleeveless undershirt that came up above my navel.
Ezio sat up a little straighter, looking me over and I smiled fully as I walked toward him. I put a hand on my hip and put all my weight on one foot. "What's wrong, Ezio?"
He smirked at me before looking away from my body. "You are such a tease."
I rolled my eyes as I sat beside him on the bed, brushing through my hair with my fingers. "The only tease here, is you." Ezio chuckled at my words as he leaned over to kiss my neck. I breathed out a content sigh as kissed up my neck to my ear, nipping it slightly. He leaned away from me and looked me in the eyes. I was biting my lip, wanting him to see that I didn't want to wait anymore but he shook his head and laid back on the bed.
"You're making this extremely hard."
"I know something else I've made hard." I said bluntly and Ezio laughed, not ashamed of what I had pointed out. I didn't expect him to be but it seemed that I was more embarrassed by my words than he was.
"Was that a joke, Aria?"
"What," I protested, pulling my knees to my chest. "I'm funny."
"Oh, yes. Hilarious."
"Culo." I retorted as I crawled over and laid on the unoccupied side of the bed. I turned away from him, facing the wall. I felt him settle beside me and I couldn't resist saying, "I would have never expected you, of all people, to become celibate, Ezio."
Ezio scoffed and pulled me into his body. We fit together perfectly, I couldn't help but noticing. He rested his head on the side of mine, his mouth right near my ear and whispered, "I am definitely not celibate."
"Prove it." I whispered back and he grabbed my hips while pressing his body into mine. I gasped and he laughed lowly in my ear.
"Not yet, mia amore."
"Amore?" I whispered back timidly, asking what had been on my mind since I first heard similar words from his mouth and he wrapped an arm around my waist to the other side before flipping me over to face him. I rested my hands on his bare chest as he pulled a blanket over us both.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about this." He said, sounding a little unsure himself, which surprised me because Ezio never seemed hesitant about anything. He stuck one arm beneath the pillow under my head and the other rest on my waist. Staring into my eyes, he began, "Something has always come up when I try to tell you but seeing how I am doing the impossible tomorrow - I want to tell you now." He paused, his golden eyes boring into me as if he was trying to see my soul beneath the surface. Then, out of nowhere, he smiled and kissed me on the lips. I tried to prolong the kiss, wanting more but he broke it off, shaking his head. "Aria - I need to say this now or I might never say it. I think I love you and that scares the hell out of me. I've never felt this way about any woman I've ever met in my life. I thought I was in love with Cristina but the feelings I had with her… They pale in comparison to the feelings that I feel when I am with you. You're beautiful, intelligent, cunning, strong-willed and to be honest, I've never met another woman like you."
"Ezio…" I said, unable to think of any other words and he smiled at me.
"You don't have to say anything back. You don't even have to love me back… I understand, it is a lot to take in all at once."
I kissed him before getting on top of him and kissing him as deeply as I could. I wanted him to feel what I felt now. Breaking the kiss, I smiled fully, letting him see how happy his words made me, "Ezio, idiota. Are you too blind to see that I've loved you all along?"
"Davvero?" Ezio asked as he gazed up at me with hopeful golden amber eyes.
"Si! You infuriate the hell out of me sometimes but you are charming, sweet, handsome and most of all, you're my partner. We've been through thick and thin - done things others could not even imagine together and you are the only person that I trust completely to give my heart to."
"How long?" Ezio asked as he stroked my cheek; he couldn't keep the smile off of his full lips from my words.
"How long have I loved you?" I asked and he nodded. I thought about it for awhile. "I'm not sure, Ezio. I've always thought you were attractive. I don't know when I started loving you but I realized it on the way to Venezia. When I had already left you behind." I kissed him again and he deepened the kiss, running his tongue over my lips and into my mouth. I broke away from him to breath and asked, "What about you?"
"From the moment I saw you."
"Be serious." I replied, smiling at him.
"Have I ever been flippant?" I gave him an amused look and he laughed. "Okay. Maybe I have but I am serious about this. When I saw you fighting against the Pazzi, I thought to myself, who is this donna bellissima fighting these men for me? I was amazed by your skill and prowess on the battlefield. I knew you were strong enough to beat me when you stepped into the training ring with me later but I challenged you by verbally underestimating you. The fire in your eyes when I suggested that a woman could not fight me captivated me. I was taken aback by your spitfire personality and how you were not taken in by my charms. You became a challenge for me - you know that I love a good challenge. But it became more than that - I pursued you more often because I wanted to know what made you, you."
I smiled at him with tears in my eyes. That was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to me in my life. I laid my forehead against his and looked him in the eyes. "Ti amo, Ezio." I said quietly and he hugged me to him before kissing me on the lips passionately.
"Ti amo, anche, Aria." He said back after kissing me. He held me and we fell asleep as we were, both content and happy for the first time in a long time.
The next morning we woke up early. Well, I woke up early and then I had to force Ezio awake so I could be released from his grasp. It was before dawn so there was no light yet and we changed into our robes by candlelight. We soon set off to Ca 'Pexaro for our test flight of the machine. There was not a soul out for it was the Hour of the Wolf, when vampires and ghosts would be most often. Only madmen would be awake at this time. I wondered if we would be considered mad since we were about to attempt to fly. I held Ezio's hand on the way there and once we made it to the roof I began to grow scared at the prospect of Ezio not being able to use the machine or some such thing.
"It's ready," Leonardo said from the other side of the flying machine. "We had better hurry with this. If anyone sees this and knows I created it then I am through in this town."
"I'll be quick." Ezio said, smiling at his nervous friend.
"Try not to break it." Leonardo replied, looking at the invention he had spent so many years building and perfecting.
"This is just a test flight," Ezio said, trying to comfort Leonardo. "I'll go easy on her. Just tell me again how this bambina works."
I listened intently as Leonardo explained how it worked. I was enthralled and amazed that Leonardo had figured out something so far-fetched and I wondered what else Leonardo could do if he put his mind to it. I watched as Leonardo's assistants strapped Ezio onto the machine. He placed his hands on the bar of wood stretching in front of him. Leonardo quickly went over the directions of how to use it again, becoming more nervous by the second. I grabbed Leonardo's arm; he grew quiet and he nodded at Ezio before saying, "Good luck."
Ezio nodded at him before turning his eyes upon me. "Please don't die." I whispered and pressed my lips to his as best as I could over the machine. Ezio was breathing harder than usual but I knew that he was just as nervous as Leonardo over this. "Sicurezza e pace, amore mio."
"See you later." He replied, sounding very confident but I could see his thoughts behind his eyes. If this didn't work then it would be his last leap of faith. He balanced himself and sent me one last look as he sprinted toward the edge of the roof. Leonardo and I followed him the entire way, watching as he fell and then rose up, flying over rooftops. Leonardo and I began to laugh manically and hugged each other in happiness at the success of flight. We watched as Ezio turned the machine and headed back to us before hitting the roof of Pexaro at a running pace.
"It worked!" Leonardo exclaimed, suddenly careless because of our success and he unraveled Ezio from the machine and hugged him frantically. I had seen Ezio shy away from his hugs many times but this time he returned it with a wide smile on his face before releasing him and running towards me. Ezio picked me up and spun me around before setting me back on the roof and kissing me with fire and passion.
"Ezio! You flew!" I exclaimed after he stopped kissing me. "You're the first person to ever fly!"
"I did! This is unbelievable!" Ezio replied, breathless and his eyes were wide and bright. Leonardo was checking over his machine with his assistants, saying over and over to himself - it worked!
"But was it far enough?" I asked after the initial exhilaration wore off and the three of us were standing in a circle on the roof. Ezio looked towards the Doge's palace and frowned before shaking his head.
"Don't worry, I will think of something!" Leonardo replied sanguinely before putting one hand on Ezio's shoulder and the other on my own. "I miei amici, we just made history. No one will ever know but still." We laughed and headed back to Leonardo's workshop while his assistants cover the machine on the roof.
Leonardo and I were looking over the blueprints of the machine while Ezio sat in a chair nearby, resting from his test attempt. We kept discussing ways to extend the flight but none would have worked and we kept getting set back. Antonio suddenly burst through the door, causing Ezio and I to jump to our feet in alarm before we relaxed as we realized it was a friend not a foe. "Sorry to disturb you all but this is very important! My men that I have positioned throughout the city have told me that Silvio has obtained the poison they need to kill the Doge and he just gave it to Grimaldi."
"Merda!" I exclaimed at the same time Leonardo shouted with despair.
"It's not going to work! I've been over it and over it and it just won't work! I don't know how to extend the damn flight. Oh, fanculo!" He pushed all of his papers off his table in anger. Some of the pieces floated over to the fire place nearby and as they burned, rose up. Leonardo and I met eyes and had the same revelation.
"That's it!" I yelled excitedly as Leonardo nodded back so hard that his hat fell off of his blonde head. He didn't notice this at all.
"What?" Ezio asked, not understanding the same thing that we had just discovered. He looked at Antonio, who shrugged and seemed just perplexed as Ezio did.
"Of course!" Leonardo shouted in glee. "Genius! How did I not see before?"
"What?" Ezio asked again, becoming impatient with our lack of answers.
"Did you not see the ashes rise, Ezio?" Leonardo said as he snatched the papers that weren't already burnt out of the fire and put the flames out. Leonardo continued, looking up at us with bright and fascinated blue eyes. "Heat makes things rise!"
I looked to a map of Venezia that Leonardo had hanging on his wall and I tore it down and spread it in front of us both. Leonardo went through and marked the distance between the flight start point and the Palazzo Ducale. He put crosses at the key points between the buildings. "Antonio," I said, bringing the map over to the master thief. "Can you get your men to build bonfires at the places marked and light them simultaneously?"
Antonio looked at the map for a moment and nodded at me. "It would be no problem at all." He left Leonardo's workshop to go begin preparations for the bonfires.
"There is still the matter of the guards." Ezio said from behind me and I turned to him with a wide smile.
"You'll be quite busy flying that contraption so just leave the guards to me. I will protect you with Epirus." I said a quick goodbye with Leonardo, who was beside himself with excitement. Walking back to Ezio. "I must go and gather the bow and I will help with setting up the bonfires. I will position myself on a rooftop near you so I can take out any archers that try to take you down." Ezio leaned down and kissed me once and I smiled up at him after he pulled away. "See you soon." I left to begin working and to inform Dante and Mario of the latest news. We had a lot of work to do if this crazy plan was going to work.
It had taken us until dusk to have each of the bonfires ready and I went to signal Ezio and Leonardo that it was time. I touched Epirus as I walked toward the building I had decided to position myself on at the beginning of the mission and it spoke to me, Your people have learned how to take flight now? I wondered when it would happen. "You speak as if it's been done before." I said quietly as I began to climb the building. It is a common thing from the Ones who came before. "Good to know." I was a little unnerved that the ones who came before were so much more advanced than us but I suppose it was to be expected. Once I reach the roof, I shot a gleaming arrow from Epirus toward the Pexaro - more specifically a piece of wood that Leonardo set up on the side. I saw Antonio come to the side of the roof and hold up a large red handkerchief before waving it three times. I watched as each bonfire lit up before another and soon they were all lit and ready for us.
I kept my eyes open for Ezio and soon saw him soaring over top of me. I ran along the rooftops as fast I could to keep up with the machine but Ezio soon drifted further in front of me. I watched archers begin to appear as Ezio made it to the third bonfire and I strung my bow back as I ran, allowing Epirus to help me aim and shot three arrows in rapid succession. I watched as the men fell and Ezio continued on - I was getting tired but I did not stop or rest. Epirus fueled me with enough strength to keep moving and even made my steps quicker, faster. I caught up to Ezio when he was nearing the fifth fire.
More archers than I could count appeared at the top of the Palazzo Ducale and they had flaming arrows. I began to shoot rapidly but I saw a few arrows hit the machine and I cried out as Ezio dipped the machine low enough to kick an archer from a rooftop. I saw another flaming arrow hit the wing of the machine as I was shooting more archers out of the way and Ezio began to lose height quickly. I saw him begin to struggle with the harness and when I thought he was about to crash and burn, he lunged forwards and landed somewhere on the inside roof of the Palazzo Ducale.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. I was worried I had lost him there for a moment. I continued taking out archers before drawing back into a temporary hiding where I could watch the Palazzo for a sign of Ezio. I waited for all of ten minutes to see him but it felt like an eternity. Then I saw him clambering to the top of the grille surround the roof of the palazzo. I watched his face and saw that he was looking to a scaffolding erected along the nearby cathedral wall and I grimaced. It would be a long shot to make the jump but Ezio had such determination that he simply threw himself toward it. I held my breath as I watched him hit the side before beginning to climb down it. I laughed in relief and began to run in his direction, meeting him once he was completely down. I grabbed his hand instantly, hearing the guards behind me and pulled him into the nearby crowd, losing the guards quickly.
"What happened?" I asked Ezio after we were finished evading the guards for the time. They had not made it this far out into the city, yet. We remained walking through the streets, afraid to stop moving for a second.
"The Doge is dead." Ezio said, sounding sad and guilty. "Grimaldi had already given him the poison by the time I had made it. I killed him and the Doge was pleased that his murdered went to death before he did."
"We tried our best, Ezio." I said and put my arm around his waist while he put his own over my shoulders. Looking around at the crowds of people that had not yet went to bed, he put his mouth next to wear my ear was underneath the hood and whispered,
"I have another Codex page, though." He raised his voice to normal speaking level again before saying, "At least the night was not a total loss." I smiled and agreed. A Templar dead and a codex gained. He did well.
"Let's go inform the others and get some rest. Lords knows you've earned it."
A/N: Another chapter done. I liked this one :) but I am still excited for Carnevale - next chapter! And guess what everyone! We hit 40K views last chapter. That made me so happy. I was like DAYUM REALLY? lol Also, just letting you all know.. I know that Altiar designed the hidden blade to not require a sacrifice but this is an AU story so things are different. It all has meaning. ALSO, ALSO: Ezio and Aria - awwwww :3 next chaper is going to be trying for both of them. Anyways, let me know what you thought of this chapter! I had 8 reviews last chaper :D :D :D that made me super happy. Thanks you guys! BTW: Ezio is still planning something but Aria is unawares :o
Translations:
Hai dormito bene? - Did you sleep well?
Aiutami con questo - Help me with this.
Ti piace! - You like him!
E 'perfetto - It's perfect.
Culo - Ass.
Idiota - you idiot.
donna bellissima - gorgeous woman.
Ti amo, - I love you,
Ti amo, anche, - I love you, too.
Sicurezza e pace - safety and peace.
fanculo - fuck it.
Thanks to everyone that reads my story. I love you all. Thanks for favoriting, following and special thanks to the 8 that reviewed! YOU GUYS MAKE MY DAY :D:
littledhampir13 - Thanks for reading! He may.. he may not. Who knows at this point. I make this stuff up as I go. LOL just kidding (kinda). Really though, next chapter and you will see.
xVentressx - Maybe, maybe not. We'll see.
Anne Elric - You'll see soon :D
Nerdman3000 - Oooh, I love that idea. Especially for Brotherhood. I've been thinking that with the way my story plan is going that I really want/need to go into Brotherhood so that will be book 2! :D I love the idea of Aria having an apprentice! Glad you liked the chapter!
Flowers of Dusk - Hahahah :P I thought it was cute, too. Hope you liked this one as well!
Maple Syrup - I'm glad you think so :D
Loc Dog - Thanks for the review! I hope you like this one, too!
Flying Machine - hehe thanks for reviewing! hope you enjoy this one as well!