Chapter 12

Ezio's body reacted long before his mind had the time to process Leonardo's chilling words. The sudden rush of evening air stole his breath as he darted into the street, springing for the first reachable ledge his eyes could spot. He smoothly scaled the nearest building, his muscles jittery and trembling as he hoisted his weight with his fingertips. Countless images flashed through his mind, visions of losing the Piece of Eden to the templars, what that would mean to the world, to history. But those thoughts seemed second to the haunting depictions tearing at his heart; the image of losing Alcina, and what it meant to him. He could see her pained face falling at the hands of this prophet and their selfish, power-hungry desire to reach the vault and claim it's treasures. The depictions clawed away at him from the inside out, "I cannot fail her... I cannot fail us all..." The world would just have to come second. He cringed at the thought of being too late as he raced over rooftops, the sleeping city far below his feet, blind and deaf to his dread.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The sun had just begun to descend into the sea as Alcina spied upon the harbor. Her eyes scanning the port, searching for clues as to which ship contained her precious cargo. "Careful when entering the hold of that one. It has had a long journey, no doubt bringing back disease," a business looking man alerted a fellow worker tying up the large ship to the various posts.

"Where did it last make port?", the worker whined.

The overseer looked over a pamphlet of some kind searching for the ship log, "Ahhh..." he tapped the page with his fingers, "This voyage was bought out for political affairs, the kind not meant to be printed," he gestured toward the bobbing haul.

"Dammi una pausa... how are we supposed to work when these damned politics run this business. It is a conspiracy I tell you! They hire us to work and then they..." Alcina tuned out his obnoxious bantering as she eyed her prize. This was her ship. She crept to the edge of the rooftop, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet. She was just about to leap down when a tall soldier approached the overseer. He almost appeared to be an ancient templar knight judging from the helmet and dark crimson cape, no doubt a bodyguard to the Patriarch. This may be more challenging than she originally planned. The soldier muttered something to the official and dropped a small coin bag onto his pamphlet, he nodded graciously as the cape wearing knight stepped back aboard the vessel. "Idiota! What do you think you are doing? Untie that ship! Don't you know I have business to manage here?"

The worked outstretched his arms in defense, "Ehhh! I was doing what you told me to, ah? You said tie up the ship so I tied the ship!" he mumbled some fowl Italian to the overseer, waving his hands in frustration.

"There has been a change of plans, untie that ship, it is leaving port!" the overseer mused over his new coins as he silently tucked them away into his breast pocket. Without hesitation, Alcina briskly crept to an overhanging beam and in a swift movement, gracefully dove into the water below. The sudden contrast of warm, rushing, wind to cold, murky, waters shocked her body to the bone as the sounds around her disappeared under the waves of the harbor. She floated silently to the surface, filling her lungs with a huge breath of air before submerging again, her swimming silhouette gliding toward the ship. She could hear the slap of the falling ropes landing in the water as the vessel was unleashed from the confines of the dock. Her hands breached the surface, clinging to the boards framing the ship's hull. Her fingers slipped occasionally on the slimy wood, forcing her to climb higher in search of a more stable grip. She clung tightly to decorative woodwork and framing along the ship's broad sides, the lapping water just barely grazing the bottoms of her feet. A loud groan echoed through the wood as she felt the giant mass moving, the rhythmic motion almost making her nauseous. She squeezed herself tightly against the paneling, her cheek pressed against the salty smelling, damp wood, as the close echo of sailors wandered overhead. Her clinging muscles began to ache as she held on by mere inches. There was no going back now... one sudden noise and she would be detected, one wrong move and she would plummet into the water below. The splash would no doubt cause attention, she would be stranded in the harbor, a thousand arrows at the ready. There was certainly no going back now.

For a brief moment she felt a twinge of sadness as she imagined Ezio's face. She could clearly picture the look on his face when he realized she was gone. The thought inflicted immense guilt as she imagined his gorgeous eyes full of hurt over her actions. She squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the image, she knew this was something she must do alone. It occurred to her the moment Leonardo read her fathers scroll that this was now her responsibility, and hers alone; not due to a sense of pride or undying lust for revenge, but simply because she now feared for Ezio's safety. With the revelation of this prophecy, she could not let him risk his life for her anymore, especially not now with the knowledge that her blood was apparently doomed in her veins. But deep beneath her excuses, she knew the real reason why she wanted to keep him safe, the real reason why she would rather harm befall her than come anywhere near him.

A glowing light flickered from the Captain's cabin, spreading a dancing glow over the dark and ominous waves. She could faintly hear voices within the cabin as she pressed her ear against the massive hull. Through gritted teeth she slowly eased herself toward the window located just above the stern. She suppressed a sudden gasp as her feet loudly slipped out from under her. She winced as splinters entered her fingertips while her nails clawed into the stained wood, her legs flailing beneath her, searching for a ledge. Her hands began to cramp in pain as her scraping feet finally found a secure patch of wood. The sudden relief was stolen the moment it arrived as she heard the loud groan of creaking wood above her, "Wait just a moment... I thought I heard something..." a voice grew nearer. She held her breath as her heart pounded in her chest, praying to God above that the guard overhead wouldn't look just below his feet. He peered over the horizon, resting his hands on the railing directly above her outstretched body. A loud crashing of wood shattered somewhere on deck as he turned sharply in response. "Si rifiuti patetico! What have you done! Clean this mess up!" his voice quickly drifted away. "It is not my fault!" the bantering of soldiers droned on deck as a warm liquid began to flow over the edge of the ship and down the sides, trickling over her hands and face, making the task of being silent all the more difficult. The fluid invaded her mouth as her face puckered in disgust to the bitter taste of warm alcohol. One of the soldiers had clumsily dropped a barrel of the fermented fluid, spilling it across the deck. A heaven sent distraction. The disgusting smell began to infiltrate her nostrils as she cautiously inched across the planked wall. With steady footwork, she climbed beneath the window, grasping the ledge beneath the windowpane. At last her muscles could relax. She listened intently for the murmuring of voices within the cabin. She gathered that there were two men, one of which was the Patriarch, she was certain of this, the other she did not recognize.

"You did very well lieutenant. Your accurate directions to the apple were rather crucial to our search. I am proud to call you my best soldier."

"Thank you sir. What is to be done with it?

"For now we sail to the far peninsula of the city. I want to run some... experiments on the artifact. I'm curious to see if it has the power that Rodrigio swears apon. The prisoners at Borgia's fortress will do nicely in aiding my theories." There was a momentary pause as Alcina strained to hear. There were no footsteps, no breathing, no whispering. Had they left the room? The moments that followed were a blur as she heard to explosion of the swinging glass opening and felt strong hands grabbing at her shoulders, heaving her through the window and into the captain's cabin. She flailed fiercely in the arms of her foe, gnashing her teeth and kicking uselessly as she struggled to free herself from the ironclad grasp. With a loud 'thud' she was heaved to the floor as the red caped templar pinned her arms behind her back. He swiftly drew back her leather hood, revealing her face to the candle light as he yanked her face into view by her brown hair. The patriarch rested against his elegantly designed desk in amusement. "It seems we have caught an eavesdropper," he smiled devilishly. She forcefully tried to yank herself away from the restraining grip, but the lieutenant only yanked equally as hard at her hair, directing her gaze to his superior. "You certainly have spirit, I will commend you for that," he softly applauded through black leather gloves, "However... I do NOT take kindly to spies..."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Nightfall had crept through Venice by the time Ezio arrived to the harbor, his lungs gasping for air. His eyes caught sight of a dock worker finishing his tasks for the day by wrapping what was left of waterlogged rope. He quietly hummed a tune to himself as he thrust the looped rope aside and turned to leave. He didn't however expect to see a large white hood blocking his way. "Where is the ship from Cyprus!" Ezio grabbed him by his collar, nearly lifting him from the ground.

"Che diavolo? What do you want? I have no money... please just let me go!"

"I do not want your money or your life! Just tell me, which one of these ships is the one from Cyprus?"

"Wha... I do not know messere! Nobody tells me anything around here!"

"Think... hard..." Ezio threatened.

"Okay okay... the only thing I know is there was a ship here under political business, I believe that is what they called it... but it sailed away, to where I do not know!"

"How long ago was this?"

"I do not know! They had to resupplying so their departure was delayed and they did not have the wind with them, they could not have gone far... There! That is the ship there!" he nervously pointed to drifting ship about 300 yards off.

"Are you certain?" Ezio tightened his grip on the man's shirt collar.

"Positivo!" he shuttered.

"Grazie..." Ezio sneered, releasing the man from his grasp. The worked stumbled backwards and tripped over the sitting ropes at his feet. Ezio could hear him cursing behind him as he ran parallel to the traveling ship, using any beam, pillar, or ledge to keep the large sails in his sights. He dexterously kept pace alongside the waterfront, the image of Alcina never leaving his mind, "I'm coming... just hold on...please hold on..."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"So! What shall we do with you then?" Rodolfo Salvatore curiously pondered. He menacingly removed his leather gloves from his bejeweled fingers and folding them neatly on his desk. Alcina's eyes glared at his feet, ignoring the stinging of her scalp. The patriach crouched slowly in front of her, pulling her face to meet his gaze, "Do you know who you were spying on?" he asked, raising an imperious eyebrow. She jerked her face away stubbornly, ignoring his threat. "You know..." he returned to his feet, once again leaning against his desk. "You know, I get the feeling that you do not like me very much," he chuckled softly. The lieutenant yanked her head upward to face his master, expecting a pained reply to escape her lips. She responded only in spiteful silence, her body seething with anger at the sound of his voice. "You see, I am an understanding man..." he continued, a hint of charm in his tone, "So let's discuss this like adults, dobbiamo?". She said nothing. "Awh come now signora, I wish the hear the voice behind that pretty face," he leaned forward to meet her gaze. Her brave brown eyes looked away from his cold stare. He touched her soft cheek warmly with his fingers, delicating lifting her chin toward his face, "Don't be so ostinato bella signora." She jerked away in disgust. His suave grin molded into a stern expression of annoyance. "My patience wears thin ragazza. Tell me who sent you!" Her cold gaze remained unmoved by his rising tone. "No?" A sudden jolt stung her cheek as he abruptly struck her. "And now?" A growing red mark flushed her face as she winced internally. The beginnings of a large bruise developed as another blow forced her face to sling to the other side. "Well!" his volume continued to climb, sending a chilling rush through her body as the familiar sound brought her back to her burning nightmare.

He raised his hand once more, ready to strike again, "MURDERER!" she finally screamed. His hand halted in surprise. The casual grin returned to his lips, pleased with his work. With brows raised in amusment, he scratched the back of his head casually, "I see... and whom am I presumed to have murdered signora?"

Her beaten face burned as her eyes pierced like daggers, "My father and mother... you murdered them and ordered your dogs to burn down our home in Firenze!" her body almost quivering from her livid hate.

His expression seemed almost 'touched' by her emotion, "Signora I have ordered my men to burn the homes of several traitors, so forgive me for not being able to recall specifics."

"You killed my family..." she muttered, eyes dark with rage.

His devilish smile radiated, his ego pleased by how his words crawled beneath her skin. He cooly bent over to whisper in her ear, "I have killed many families signora... what makes yours so special?" he tauntingly returned to his desk, amused with the crumbling of her composure.

"Ti male figlio di una cagna! Io ti ammazzo!" she screamed raising herself to her feet. The armed lieutenant grasped tightly to both her arms as she writhed in his clutches, dying to get her hands around Rodolfo's neck. The candles around the room flickered from the commotion as two guards burst through the doors, swords drawn at the sound of her hostile bellowing. The patriarch raised a calm hand and shook his head, waving for them to leave. "Where is my brother!" tears of rage began to burn the back of her eyes as she twisted to get free. "What have you done with him!" Alcina no longer cared what they did to her, be it torture, abuse, even death. She fought with every ounce of spirit she had left, thrashing for freedom. Her blade begged her to drive it into the patriarch's collared throat.

"Please, please signora, calm yourself. You see... I have this splitting headache..." he pointed a finger to his temple.

"Bastardo! What have you done with him! Where is Donato!" she screamed.

A small spark of intrique flickered across his darkly handsome face. He picked up his resting leather gloves and wringed them in his hands, smiling to himself. The distant call of mean on deck eachoed that they were nearing their destination. Rodolfo casually wandered to the window to observe the enormous stone fortress ahead. It's dark and sinister silhouette waited silently in the night, dooming Alcina to it's corrupt stronghold.

"What have you done with him?" she thrashed helplessly. He silently turned his back to her, ignoring her cries. "What have you DONE with him!" her strong voice began to break on the verge of hysteria.

"I have done nothing with him signora," his tone full of surprising honesty.

"Liar! I do not believe you! Where is he!" she snapped.

He turned sharply to face the spy, "Signorina I may be many things... a diplomat, a verteran, a gentlemen... a killer. But I am no liar," his tone suddenly stern. "Donato is fine, Just ask him yourself," he raised a hand.

Her forehead creased in pained confusion, "... what?" the words choked in her gasping throat as her eyes followed Rodolfo's gaze. "No... you... you are a liar!" her resolve breaking.

"Go on, see for yourself..."

She was about to scream in protest when the loud clank a metal made her jump. She gazed at the floor as a familiar templar helmet rolled silently at her feet. Her pulse pounded in her head as her body tingled in panic. She refused to turn and face the mysterious man restraining her from her kill. The betraying tears began to burn as she fought back the overwhelming sting of emotion. With timid and reluctant eyes, she slowly peered over her shoulder. What she saw made her body go suddenly limp in his grap as she felt her mind unwind. Her legs buckled beneath her, forcing her to fall helplessly to her knees. The binding grip finally freed her arms, disposing them to drop lifelessly to her sides as her face crashed to the ground. Her soft sobs murmuring to the wooden floor, "It's not true..." she gasped as tears streamed down her bruised and beaten face. "Please God no... please do not let it be true..." was all she could whisper as the young man stared down at her coldly. His frame, his eyes, his entire face, identical to her father... her father clothed in crimson templar red.

...

translations:

- Dammi una pausa- give me a break

- Si rifiuti patetico- you pathetic waste

- Che diavolo- what the hell

- dobbiamo- shall we?

- ostinato- stubborn

- Ti male figlio di una cagna! Io ti ammazzo- you evil son of a bitch! I'll kill you