The Thief and the Assassin

This is a short first chapter. I will update. All rights to Ubisoft's AC: Brotherhood.

Chapter 1: Kindred Spirits of Rome

The never-ending cycle that creates hatred, fluctuates power, and kills innocents was the world Ezio Auditore was forced into rather suddenly. He witnessed and committed acts of murder, but he had never once thought back on it, or ever regretted it. Not even in his youth. He was surrounded by the thick veil of lies with only the slight shimmer of hope lighting his path. It was an eternal emotional and physical battle that he would have to face alone.

Yet, he never expected her to be in his dark world with him.

It was an early autumn morning in Rome, the leaves already turning different colors as the cold air settled on the busy roads in the form of fog. Ezio ghosted through the streets, gently bypassing pedestrians before grasping the ledge of a building. He slowly crawled along the narrow ledges of the wall until he was positioned right above the crowd. His eyes turned a golden color while he scanned the crowd, his target highlighting in his mind’s eye. He let his hidden blade extend before he jumped, feeling the soft flesh of his victim tear beneath his blade. People began screaming as Ezio searched the body, pulling out the Vatican sealed envelope from the body’s robes before putting it in the breastplate of his armor. He quickly fled the scene, the freshly covered blood staining the white robes he wore. He called for his horse with a loud whistle as he stood precariously in a corner, senses alert to every miniscule sound. The horse came quickly, accidentally shoving people out of its way as it neared Ezio. Quickly he hopped on, navigating through the streets until he was galloping through the outskirts of Rome. Ezio winced in pain as they galloped, the wound in his side wasn’t fatal, but it still hurt. The sky was dark by the time he knocked on the door, a familiar face greeting him.

“Ezio!” the figure exclaimed as he was ushered inside.

“Hello La Volpe…” Ezio greeted as he sat down onto a soft chair, a guttural moan escaping his lips. La Volpe eyed him and stood with arms crossed.

“You got it I presume…” La Volpe said as Ezio pulled the letter out, handing it to Volpe.

“Of course I did…Merda, this hurts…” Ezio exclaimed as Volpe tore the seal. “I will bring a doctor.” Volpe said, his eyes never leaving the intercepted letter in his hand. The doctor entered and treated Ezio’s wound as Volpe’s eyes narrowed.

“This isn’t good. The Borgia and the French are preparing for a full assault on our allies in the east. I suspect Bartholomeo will have his hands full.” Volpe said as he returned the letter to Ezio who then burned it in the nearby fireplace.

“When are his hands never full?” Ezio remarked as he cringed, the doctor finishing wrapping the bandage. “Besides Volpe, I thought we destroyed the relationship between the Borgia and the French.”

La Volpe sighed. “As did I Ezio, but it seems they have someone backing them up. From what I’ve gathered, it’s a new Templar, and it’s a cunning one. They’ve managed to evade my spies, and even Claudia’s courtesans cannot relinquish any information.” Volpe explained as he sat in the chair. “I might be getting too old for this…” Volpe added. Ezio laughed.

“Aren’t we all?” Ezio sniggered as he stood. “I shall see if I find any leads.” Ezio replied.

La Volpe chuckled. “Make sure to bring some new Assassin recruits, we could do with some…” La Volpe answered as Ezio left the Tiber Island hideout. Ezio stood on the edge and took a leap of faith.

***

Elisabetta slowly walked up to the street vendor that was crowded with people. She watched the cart owner, waiting for the opportune moment. Suddenly, he turned to a customer and in a flash Elisabetta had an armful of food and was running down the road. She could hear the distant cries of “Stop Ladro!” as she ran as fast as her legs could carry. She hid in an alcove just as the distinct clang of armor rushed past her. She chewed absentmindedly on a fruit, finishing it quickly before starting on the next one. Who knew how long it could be before she ate again? She took out the money pouch from her pocket. She could have bought her own food, but she was saving up for her money. That blade from the Blacksmith had been calling out to her for a while. When the coast was clear she exited the alcove and snuck through the street, trying to avoid any unnecessary attention. She managed to weave her way through the crowd before a rough hand grabbed her by the arm.

“What do we have here?” A gruff voice questioned; the stench of alcohol apparent.

Elisabetta turned on him, her face emotionless. She counted four Borgia guards, all drunk, leering at her. She spit in his face. “Let me go bastardo…” she hissed as she struggled in his grasp. The guard replied with a snicker.

“Let’s have a little fun, eh bella?” Another voice interjected, making Elisabetta’s senses heighten. They had that tone in their voice, and that look in their eyes, that told Elisabetta to run. Her struggle increased, but so did his grasp as they maneuvered her to an alleyway.

“Let go!” she screamed as his foul breath seemed to hover around her. She scanned her adversary and found the knife hilted to his right thigh. In an instant, she grabbed it and drove it into the first guard, the men’s eyes growing wide at the display of violence before them. She saw her opportunity and sprinted from the alleyway before they could even flinch. She heard the heavy footsteps following her as she exited the busy streets and into the more open countryside of Rome. Before she knew it, she was cornered. “Cazzo!” she muttered. She was outnumbered. There was an eerie silence as she eyed her foes, weighing out the course of actions she could take. That was when the first one decided to attack. He swung his sword, barely missing the exposed flesh of her arm as she sidestepped it. She blocked another’s attack as she felt the sting of blade scrape her neck. The third decided to join, and she knew it was her end. Suddenly, he fell to the ground. In her stupor she saw the hooded figure kill the men in quick succession. She now stood alone with the stranger, confusion and gratitude written in her eyes.

“Thank you stranger. You saved my life.” She quickly said when she realized she had been staring. She could have sworn she saw a small smile form on his lips.

“The liberation of Roma had begun, if you would like to stand up and fight, go to la Isola Tiberina…” he said, and she couldn’t help but notice the slight hint of unhappiness in his voice. He left as fast as he had come, for by the time she reorganized her thoughts together, he was gone.

***

Ezio had already destroyed the Borgia’s influence on a district in the eastern countryside of Roma. He, in mostly every sense of the word, mastered the art of stealth. He could now sneak into an area teeming with Borgia guards and kill his target without notifying anyone else. Now he was just outside the tailor’s upgrading his belt to a fuller capacity when he noticed a commotion behind him. He quickly followed the escaping victim being tailed by the Borgia men, keeping a distance between him and the gleaming armor. He rounded a corner and stopped mid-step as he glanced at the scene. The poor woman was heavily outnumbered, but she was holding up well on her own until another man decided to join the fight. He waited for the right moment before he interjected, stealthily easing himself right behind the guard before driving his hidden blade into the guards back. He saw his chance as utter confusion dawned on the faces of the other guard and thrust his double blades into two others. He was done in a matter of seconds and turned to face the woman. She stood in a daze before finally meeting his eyes, gratitude lined in her features. He was surprised when she spoke first.

“Thank you stranger. You saved my life” She explained, her eyes never leaving his. He smiled. She had courage, and he admired that.

He said his usual statement and left the choice up to her. He would know if she had decided to join or not when he went back to Isola Tiberina. Right now, the only thing Ezio had in mind was to get rid of the French’s encroachment on Bartholomeo’s territory.