Learning To Fly - Assassin's Creed

Chapter 7 - Ser Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Alf jumped behind a chimney, with me just behind. He crouched, and put me down. I put a hand on his coat to steady myself, and I wasn't going to let go now. Falling off of the roof would not help the situation. I needed to know that he wasn't going to just leave me there. I wanted to look, but judging on Alf's expression, it wasn't worth it. He was clearly threatened, why, I didn't know. If an assassin is threatened, then how bad is the threat? I thought they could deal with anything! Clearly I have been lied to somewhere down the line.

He was trying to pull something from his pocket, but it was becoming a challenge to do it silently. But when he finally did, Alf pulled a long-barrelled pistol, with a bullet already clicked into place - six in fact. He looked down at me.

"Templar guards." he whispered in my ear.

He turned back and aimed. I was still tightly gripped to his coat. I needed to see this. But he didn't need to shoot. Someone killed the guards first. We both stood up - me a lot slower, out of sheer fear of who the hell had joined this little party of ours - and saw a hooded figure, just like Alf.

"Merda." Alf cursed in Italian. Was this the great Ezio Auditore da Firenze? It appeared to be. I had heard of him before in Monterrigoni; the leader of their so-called Brotherhood. He wore white and red robes, and seemed to be almost weighed down by the amount of weapons he had about his person. Also, the way that Alf hadn't tried to kill him yet made me think that he was definitely one of his allies.

"Mind your language, Alfonso." he said sternly.

"Ser Ezio, I apologise." he lowered his head, not giving him eye contact. He must be extremely respect, as if was almost as if Alf was cowering. That looked really strange, because Ser Ezio was a few inches smaller than him. "I had no idea that you were here. I have brought you the girl you wanted, Miss Creedence Anbola."

"The woman I have been waiting to meet." he said, ignoring Alf, who stood back awkwardly and remained quiet. "News travels fast, especially around Roma. Your story has certainly made me smile. Congratulations on killing so many Templars at once, with no weapons. I don't think I would have been able to do it, that's for sure."

I could see his mouth smile. One thing that freaked me out the most about hanging out with assassins was only seeing their faces partially, it was very unnerving. Maybe they were going for that kind of look, I wasn't sure.

I finally let go of Alf's coat, and took a few steps forward. Ezio picked up my hand and kissed it. Weirdly enough, that was the most I had come to real sexual contact in about a year, so I blushed madly. Luckily it was dark, so none of them could see - or could they? I don't understand these crazy nocturnal assassins!

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Creedence."

"Oh, please Ser, the pleasure is all mine." I curtseyed politely.

"I hope the boys has treated you well?"

"Yes Ser, they have. They all looked after me with such kindness."

"Fantastic! We must go. It is not safe for our kind to be out for too long. But before we go, I must have a word with Alfonso here."

For a moment, I couldn't realise that anyone had even moved. Ser Ezio moved so quickly, slapping Alf across the face with some force. He jerked back with the impact, but didn't topple, keeping his balance almost perfectly. When Alf turned back from the recoil, he was trying to hide a scowl, but it wasn't working. Even I could see it clearly, it wasn't hard. I was more surprised that he didn't hit back. I looked down to see his hands shaking slightly out of blind rage, unable to let it out.

"You had one job! You had to bring me Miss Anbola, not go after the Apple of Eden! You had orders!" he snapped at him. Alf bit his bottom lip to stop him from snarling back.