The Ballad of Romance

The Ninth Song

Tess heard her Mandolino make a single note on her back. She loosened Tyler's hug and turned slowly. She could hear the Mandolino strumming now. She could feel danger but a town as large as Bologna would have very few Mostri that could pose a threat. Tyler looked up at Tess, confused.

"Tess? Is everything okay? I know this is all a bit much but.." Tess cut him off.

"No, it's not that. Can you hear the Mandolino?" Tess turned again, a hand on the strap of her Strumento.

"No? Should i?"

"DUCK!" Tess shouted, pouncing at Tyler and throwing him to the ground.

Not even a second later, a loud bang sounded followed by the wizzing of a small projectile that flew where they were standing just before. Tess pulled Tyler up and they ran off the bridge behind a cart.

"Dang yo! What the heck just happened?" Tyler asked, pulling his Fluato free from his pocket.

Tess shook her head. "It's someone who's after us. Why else would they have shot at us on a clear bridge with a clean sight?"

"Should we make a run back to the Tavern and get Signor?" Tyler asked, peeking out the side of the cart. A tall, cloaked figure was standing at the top of the bridge, looking around. Most likely trying to find them again.

"No. It would take too long and they might be after Signor, as well. We can try to overpower and capture him?" Tess offered, pulling her Mandolino over her shoulder.

"Do you know what type of firearm he has?" Tyler asked, wiping his hands on his coat, sweat still clinging to his palms.

Tess shook her head. Her only experience with guns was when her father taught her to aim a rifle at a broken keg. Even then, it had only been once and she was never taught how to identify other firearms or how to evade them.

Tess looked at Tyler. "Do you think your shields could withstand a direct hit?" Tess peaked over the cart. The cloaked figure had moved to the rooftop over the other side of the canal.

Tyler shrugged. "The only things that have hit my shields are Mostri. I would presume they could if I fed enough power into them."

Tess groaned internally. They, two very inexperienced 'young adults', were supposed to out-think and overpower a potentially trained assassin, who may or may not have back up lurking elsewhere in the shadows. The odds were not in their favour. Tess whispered the start of a plan to Tyler as he nodded along.

"Andare!" hissed Tess, jumping over the wall behind her.

She watched Tyler run towards the assassin, shields forming in front of him. Tess heard the gun fire and streak through one of Tyler's shields, only to be stopped by the second. Another shield replaced the broken one almost instantly.

Tess strummed her Mandolino, taking a large leap over the canal. Just as she was about to jump up to a roof, another cloaked figure took a wide swing at her with their fist. She dodge right, towards the canal and missed another swing. She heard a ring of a metal object being unsheathed and turned to see the assassin with a foot long blade in hand.

They lunged at her, swinging the blade in a wide arc. Tess evaded, barely making it onto the stone wall that lined the canal. Tess continued her strumming, feeding power into the Mandolino. She ducked under the next swing and brought the Strumento around in a tight arc, hitting the assassin in the ribs. They stumbled, falling off the wall onto the cobbles street.

Tess ran forward, another swing ready. As she brought it down, the assassin rolled and kicked Tess in the chest, winding her. Tess looked to the rooftop and watched as Tyler engaged the first assassin. He was avoiding all the attacks and making it difficult for the assassin to take aim or land a blow. Without any offensive abilities and Tess unable to help him, he resorted to his strong points, endurance. Nobody, not even Tess, could keep up with him whenever it came to continuous energy outputs. Tess smiled, and rolled from another attack, the blade striking the ground beside her.