Troubles [DISCONTINUED]

1 - Calm Before the Storm

Let's start with stating that this fic will not be continued. We clear? A'ight, cool.

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Quiet chippers from the birds on the rooftops. A slight wind brushed over the ground. Murmurs from the people could be heard now and then. The sky was unusually clear this morning over the city Forlì, with only a few fluffy clouds in sight. Peace resided in every alley, and there was a special sort of happiness spreading through the streets. An eagle soaring through the sky above gave out a screech and moments later the north wall of a building outside of the village was painted red by blood. The young guard fell to his knees with his hand pressed against the open wound in his abdomen. He grinned up at the attacker and hissed his last words before falling to the ground.

"Foolish assassino! The secret will die with me!"

A sigh left the so-called assassin and he looked up at the sky, as if the answer to his questions would come to him from above. For five days straight he'd been searching for the kidnapper. Yet another three days before that he'd been searching for information. For almost two weeks he'd gotten nothing but harassment and complaints shoved in his face. The anger started to boil inside him again. He hadn't been able to sleep more than a few hours since the first taking. Someone in Forlì was breaking into peoples houses and abducting children at night. Five men had been injured and another five had been killed. All injuries had been the same. Stabbed in the left thigh and a deep cut spanning from the hip to the knee on the right leg. Whoever was responsible for the break-ins wanted to sign their work, and their intentions were clearly to let the victim either bleed to death or suffer from the pain in weeks to come. A goddamned sadistic stronzo. And there was nothing he could do except for more searching. The anger quickly turned into rage and was joined by frustration.

"Figlio di puttana!" he yelled as he stabbed the fallen soldier in the back with both of his blades, severing the lower ribs. The blood splattered over his face and throat as he pulled them out again. He turned the man to lie on his back and sliced his throat repeatedly until the head was separated from the body. Not yet calm, he hit the blood covered wall with his fists.

"You won't get away with this!"

He kept punching until the skin breached on his bare hand and his own blood painted the wall further. Letting himself pant for a moment, he rested his head against the wall. His patience was running out. And quickly too. A thought managed to penetrate the anger and brightened up his mood just enough to get him back on track.

A few hours later he sprinted over the rooftops of the floating city. Venice were just as gorgeous as he remembered, but unfortunately also just as smelly. The sun was hovering a bare inch over the horizon, painting the sky purple and the sea in an amber maze. The city itself received a golden orange glow, resembling the flames dancing cheerfully over a pile of timber. Racing over rooftops, scrambling walls and tripping across washing lines he soon reached the far west of the city and saw the guild up ahead. When reaching the end of the roof he seemingly carelessly threw himself over the edge. For a brief second the air carried him on a transparent cloud and the faint wind gently caressed his cheeks. The loving rays of the sun felt warm on his skin and he closed his eyes, enjoying the short moment of peace. He opened them again in time to twist his body, landing back first in a pile of hay. He got up on his feet, brushing off the straws from his robe and started walking the last few blocks towards his destination.

The guild was rather empty, not counting the two thieves perched on the balcony murmuring restlessly to each other. The assassin headed for the room on the far right, delighted to see one of the windows not quite closed. He slid it open, climbed in and closed it behind him. Looking around, his gaze landed on a most precious sight. In front of him stood a mortal of the most beautiful kin, back turned to him. In complete silence he sneaked up behind the woman and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her gasp prepared him for the worst, but as she turned around he was greeted by a smile. He felt a familiar jolt in his chest when she leaned closer and their lips touched. He felt her hands sneak into his robe, soothing his nerves with her gentle touch on his bare skin. He exhaled against her lips and pulled back his hood. Now when the anger was calm there was only frustration left. And quite a good deal of it too.

"Ancora senza fortuna a Forlì?" she asked softly, moving her hand from his chest to his cheek, caressing it softly. He sighed deeply, debating what answer he should give her. He saw the worry in her hazel eyes and decided to tell her the truth.

"I don't know what to do with these bastardi anymore, Rosa. The guards and mercenari won't speak a word, and the civili keep ranting on why I should spare them. Merda cazzo..." he said as he gestured toward the town outside. The black haired woman hushed him with a finger against his lips before kissing him again. He was about to protest, but she dragged him over to the bed and pulled him down beside her. Her hands removed his equipment with a well practiced move. The kisses cleared his mind and he felt the frustration ease up. He rolled over on his back and held her close while she kissed his neck, throat and chest. For the first time in a long time he felt relief.

"Aspettare qui, amore mio" Rosa said suddenly and got out of bed. He watched as she fetched a piece of cloth and a bowl of warm water. She brought it back to the bed, sat down and started wiping his face from blood and dirt. She also rubbed the hood and arms clean on his robe as well as his vambraces.

"Ezio Auditore... The messiest assassin in the history of assassins" she teased as she proceeded with his injured hand. He chuckled and pretended to hit her chin with his fist. She slapped him back playfully and smiled. He was careful to put this moment in a mental golden box and treasure it greatly. With the anger and frustration temporarily gone from his mind, an overwhelming exhaustion flushed over him, and his eyelids were suddenly very heavy. He heard Rosa's voice in the distance, but couldn't make sense of what she said. He eventually fell into a deep slumber, not being the slightest aware of the big toll the next day would bring.