Chapter 8
"Ezio! What the hell are you doing here? How dare you!"
"Cristina... it's alright..."
"Alright? I haven't seen you in eight years!"
"Si... I was afraid you wouldn't come if I just asked."
"You're right, I wouldn't have. Ezio, the last time I saw you, you kissed me in an alley and left me behind to be married."
"It was the right thing to do... he loved you."
"Who cares what he wanted! I loved you! You had your second chance... please Ezio... don't ever find me again..." Cristina walked away into the darkness with tears in her eyes.
"So, it is truly finished..." he whispered to no one. Ezio had known Cristina his whole life in Florence, she was his first love, and now she finally slipped away from his grasp. First there was nothing but pain, sadness, regret, even anger. But slowly it began to dull as closure settled into his heart. He had left her, it was the right thing to do... wasn't it? He did his best to combine all his rampant emotions, and release them all as he exhaled, "goodbye Cristina...".
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Ezio's mind was a blur, completely overcome by many things, his heart drowning in numerous emotions. To his surprise, the one that resounded the most was not what he had expected... guilt. He had a horrible sickness in the pit of his gut as he approached his rendezvous point. The feeling was only made worse as he saw the cold eyes staring back at him from under an ivory mask. "Did you find Uso?" his voice broke to his embarrassment as he cringed away the feeling of sweaty cold palms. She did not speak, simply raised a brow and gestured her head for him to follow her. "Focus on the task at hand..." he reminded himself as he attempted to ignore the events that had taken place just moments before. He followed Alcina down the street as she silently crept into an alley. She ran three steps up a wall and vaulted herself backwards grasping a windowsill then climbing up and over onto the roof. The rooftops seemed like a whole other city, a completely different world... cold, black, unfeeling, shrouded in moonlight. The spirited laughter of the carnival faded further and further away into the night as they took flight across the canopy of stone and tile. The cold night air filled their lungs and flowed silently across their faces. "Ezio! This way!" her melodic voice glided on the soft breeze. She had stopped on a building that dropped off into the water below. Ezio lurked silently to her side as she began untying the corseted strings around waist.
"What are you doing?" Ezio choked.
"Those wanted posters are everywhere, the Commodoro will be the first to recognize me if I simply stroll into the tavern. I need to change my appearance. Disguise myself..." she unhooked the plated shoulder armor that molded her figure and slipped off her long sleeved hooded cape. She tossed her hair and combed it with her fingers, suddenly pausing as she felt Ezio's eyes upon her. "Wait for me in the street, I will be right down," she said plainly. He said nothing as he slinked down the side of the building, the feeling in his gut sunk deeper, something was not right. He eyed his surroundings and followed the sound of drunken hollering. The tavern was an old fishing house stretching out over the harbor. Sleazy fishermen and off duty guards stumbled and clamored within the pub as their shadows toppled across the streets through the windows. He leaned against a stall that sold blankets and tapestries of sorts as he waited for her in the darkness. He closed his eyes and took deep breathes of the night air hoping to calm his nerves and rid himself of the unsettling feeling that remained ever-present. He listened to the sound of masculine roaring and laughing from within the building and how it clashed with the soothing sound of the lapping water. Her soft voice soothed him further when she arrived. "I will go in first and distract Uso and lure him away from the crowd."
"How are you planning to..." Ezio stared wide eyed as he examined the seductress that stood before him. She had tied her hair into a loose braid that draped over her bare shoulder that was now exposed by her loose blouse. She arrayed a small fitted vest that tied behind her seemly neck. Her knee high boots and short skirt only added to the seduction. "Merda..." he mumbled as he gathered a blanket from the vacant stand. He quickly wrapped it over her shoulders, "why not show a little modesty..." he protectively exclaimed. To his surprise she pushed his arms off of her.
"I'm going to lure him away and interrogate him. I need to know what he has done to my brother."
"Alcina... I do not like this... it does not feel right..." he calmly stepped in her way raising weary hands of caution.
"Ezio, stand aside."
"I know you want revenge for you family Alcina, as do I... but it will not bring you happiness or quench your undying thirst. Listen to me please caro..." he reached for her hand. She coldly flinted away from his touch.
"Stand aside Ezio... I will do this without you if I must," her words were harsh and nearly cruel. The loving compassion he had seen earlier in her eyes had disappeared. Without a word he anxiously stepped out of her way.
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"And now,' said the unknown, 'farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been heaven's substitute to recompense the good - now the god of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!"
— Alexandre Dumas
The floors of the old boat house creaked underneath her feet, her senses acute. Her fingers itched to wrap themselves around his miserable throat. She ignored all the violating stares and wandering eyes of the drunkards fumbling over themselves and yelling at their poor hand of cards. Her eyes had found her target. The short, stumpy, man hovered over a far table staring into a nearly empty glass. Ezio silently entered a distance behind her to avoid suspicion, few eyes broke their gaze from her to glance his way. He sat at a table of gamblers to the right of the door to both cover the exit and to have a full view of the tavern. She never left his guarding gaze as his eyes followed her every step. He scowled and cringed at ever repulsive stare she received. The uneasiness began to flood his entire body. "Deal me in..." he rapped his fingers on the table.
"You come from the carnivale sconosciuto?"
"No idiota! He's a masked murderer simply sitting here playing cards with us! Of course he came from the carnivale! Look at the man!" Ezio smiled to himself at the drunken ramblings surrounding him.
Alcina slyly grasped an abandoned glass of wine from a passing table as she stalked her prey. "Care for another signor?" she settled the glass in front of his red sordid face.
"Well! Aren't you a bewitching sight!" he burped. She softly sat beside him tossing her braid down her back flaunting an undressed shoulder in his direction.
"I couldn't help but notice signor, why is it you do not dress like any of the others guards?" she began drawing him in with her gaze.
He eagerly wrapped an arm around her waist as he dabbed away disgusting amounts of sweat from his balding head. "That is because I am a commodore!" he boasted.
She pretended to sound interested, "well now, that's quite a title. You must be very, very powerful, " she flirted.
"In more ways than one..." he began to grab at her shoulders pulling her closer. Ezio could feel his hands balling into uncontrollable fists. "It is you turn cazzo," an annoyed guard tossed Ezio a card impatiently.
"Perhaps... you could show me..." Alcina sensually muttered. "But first, have a drink," she slid the glass of wine in his direction.
"Volpe femmina you are an enchantress!" he snorted as he drank wildly. The filthy commodore menacingly laughed as he pulled her onto his lap. Ezio could feel his blood boiling in rage. She cringed as she pulled herself away from his molesting grasp.
"Perphaps some place more private?"
"No," he grinned menacingly, "Now..." he groped her as she struggled to squirm away. Ezio had reached his limit, he slammed his hands down and overturned the table in a loud commotion as he sprang to his feet. In an instant he was at the commodores' throat.
"Let her go maiale disgustoso!" he threatened. Every guard and gambler looked on in caution as silence fell across the tavern. All Alcina could do was stare wide eyed around her as she watched her plan collapse.
"This has nothing to do with you bastardo! Do you know who you are talking to? Leave now before I have your head!"
"Touch her again... and I shall have yours..." Ezio freed his hidden blades as he gnashed his teeth in anger. The sound of unsheathing swords clamored in the air as the guards rushed to aid their leader.
"So that's how it is then... I admit, you have spirit... but I you must learn to pick your battles young man. It appears you are outnumbered, I hold the advantage... so let's not do anything reckless... I'd hate to see this become messy," The commodore withdrew a small dagger from his hilt and slithered it to Alcina's bare neck, his other hand bound her by her wrists. "Men, take this stronzo outside, I have more important things to deal with." The wretched man used the stiletto to brush aside a few strands of hair from her face. She flinched away from his repulsive touch. Her eyes glanced to Ezio's as he felt hands begin to grab him by the shoulders. He scowled in fury as he reluctantly withdrew his blades. "Get him out of here!" Uso laughed in unison with the other soldiers as they all returned their swords back to their sheaths and turned away to continue their drinking. "Now ragazza... where were we?" he hissed as he inched closer to her ear.
Ezio grinned as he heard the commodore suddenly wail in agony as the lady assassin unleashed the blade hiding up her sleeve. It silently gored through the hand of her molester as a rapid fountain of blood sprayed across her face. He ripped his hand away in grisly anguish and screamed at the sight of his mutilated appendage. Ezio ran his blades through the faces of the two guards grasping his shoulders as he sidestepped away from their falling bodies. He unsheathed a sword from one of the corpses and began to hack away at the stunned soldiers surrounding him. Alcina leapt to her feet following suit, springing upward to grasp an overhanging beam. She swiftly kicked the closest guard in the face, knocking down any encircling foes to the floor only to be pounced upon and sliced open with her blade. Ezio ducked underneath a swinging sword and responded by kneeing it's wielder in the gut then gashing him open, spilling his entrails onto the floor. He suddenly heard a loud gargling as he sharply turned to be face to face with a bleeding guard with a pair of Alcina's knives in his throat. "Kill them! Kill the assassins!" Uso screamed as he fumbled to escape, scrambling for the only door in sight. Alcina evaded another jab of a sword and lodged her blade into the guards gut as she threw him into another opponent paralyzed with fear. She jumped onto the nearest table and leapt to the bar as she sprinted after her target. He slid around the corner and just barely missed her sudden pounce. He crawled away into the wine cellar and locked the door behind him. Ezio ran another guard through with his sword then tossed him to the side as he flailed in agony and overturned a burning oil lamp. The lamp shattered onto the ground and released its contents of expanding flames. "Retreat! Run!" The survivors wailed and darted for the exit tripping over the bodies of their fallen comrades. Ezio's frantic eyes searched for his partner and just barely glimpsed her kicking open the door to the cellar. "Alcina! No!" he bounded for her as she slammed the door shut. He beat against it with his fists, "Alcina! Please! The building is burning, you must get out now!" Ezio could feel the heat on the back of his neck as sweat dripped down his face. He looked over his shoulder to see a wall of flame beginning to invade between him and his only exit. The sound of collapsing wood thundered above him as he rolled away from the collapsing roof. He couldn't wait for her... he had to escape...
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...
translations:
sconosciuto- stranger
cazzo- prick
volpe femmina- vixen
maiale disgustoso- disgusting pig
stronzo- asshole