Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 23

"What is it?" Poliziano asked.

"Bad news, Your Excellency. The Pazzi family has assembled a large army and is storming Palazzo Vecchio. We can't last long."

Poliziano turned pale. "That's bad news indeed. If they take the palace, they'll kill every supporter of our side they catch, and when they take power—"

"If they were in power," Lorenzo said, "my survival would be meaningless. We would all die." He tried to get up, but lay back again, groaning in pain. "Angelo! You must take our troops and go—"

"No! I cannot leave your side. We must get you to the Medici Palace as soon as possible. Once there, we can regroup and start fighting back."

"I'll go," Ezio said, "I still have some unresolved grievances with Don Francisco."

Lorenzo looked at him. "You've done enough."

"I have to start and finish, Your Excellency. And Angelo is right, he has a more important duty, and that is to send you back to the palace safely."

"Your Excellency," interposed the Medici messenger, "I have some news from here. I see that Francesco de' Pazzi is leading a force to the rear of the Palazzo Vecchio. He intends to attack the defenders." dead end."

Poliziano looks at Ezio. "Go. Pick up some weapons, take some troops, and go as fast as you can. This man will accompany you and act as your guide. He will show you the safest way out of this church. From here, it will only take 10 You can reach Palazzo Vecchio in minutes."

Ezio bowed and turned to leave.

"Fiorentina will never forget what you did for it," Lorenzo said, "God be with you."

The bells of most of the churches were already ringing, mingling with the harsh clatter of metal and iron, cries, and groans.The city was in chaos, trucks were set ablaze on the street, and squads of soldiers from both sides came and went, or fought each other.Whether it was the square or the road, corpses were strewn everywhere, but the noise around made the crows afraid to come down to eat, and could only look at them with their pitch-black eyes on the roof.

The west gate of Palazzo Vecchio was open, and the sound of fighting came from the inner courtyard of the palace.Ezio stopped the few soldiers behind him, calling to a Medici officer who was leading another squad towards the palace.

"Do you know what happened?"

"The Patsys broke through the rear, and then opened the gate from the palace. But our forces in the palace are holding them back. They haven't been able to cross the courtyard yet. With luck, we may be able to attack front and rear!"

"Any news from Francisco de' Pazzi?"

"He and his men are guarding the back door of the palace. If we can take it there, we can completely trap the enemy."

Ezio turned to look at his men. "Let's go!" he yelled.

They walked briskly across the piazza, along the alley outside the northern wall of the palace - where a very different Ezio had climbed to the window of his father's cell long ago - then turned right, and soon Encounter with the Pazzi troops led by Francisco at the back gate of the palace.

The opponent immediately assumed a fighting posture, and then Francisco recognized Ezio, and shouted: "It's you again! Why are you still alive? You killed my son!"

"It was he who wanted to kill me!"

"Kill him! Kill him now!"

The two sides fought fiercely immediately, and they fought desperately in their fury, because the troops of the Pazzi family knew very well the importance of this retreat.Burning with icy rage in Ezio's heart, he fought his way towards Francisco, whose back was against the palace gate.The long Medici sword that Ezio brought was well balanced, and the blade was made of Toledo steel, but he was not familiar with this weapon, so it was a bit awkward to use.Most of those who fought with him were only seriously injured and did not lose their lives, and Francisco also saw this.

"You think you're a great swordsman, don't you, boy? You can't kill with a single blow. Let me show you."

They rushed at each other at once, sparks flying from the blades of their swords, but Francesco did not have as much room to dodge and maneuver as Ezio, and he was 20 years older than Ezio, and his physical strength was beginning to wear off, although he The number of actual hands-on today is less than his opponent.

"Guards!" he yelled at last, "come to me!"

But his men had already retreated steadily in the face of the onslaught of the Medicis.The surroundings of him and Ezio were clear for a moment.Francisco scanned his surroundings desperately, looking for a way out, but the only way he could get back was through the palace itself.He pushed open the door behind him and climbed a flight of stone steps that led up the inner parapet.Ezio realized that most of the guards at the Medici's house were focused on defending against enemies attacking from the front gate, and probably did not have enough troops to cover the rear.Ezio followed closely behind him, to the third floor of the palace.

The rooms here were deserted, for everyone in the palace—except the half-dozen clerks who fled at sight of them—was fighting in the courtyard to fend off the Pazzi's onslaught.Francisco and Ezio made their way through a tall, spacious hall with walls covered in gold leaf, and finally came to a balcony overlooking Piazza della Signoria.The sound of fighting came from below, and Francisco desperately called for help, but no one could hear him, and there was no way he could retreat.

"Take up arms and fight me," Ezio said, "it's just the two of us now."

"damn it!"

Ezio slashed with his sword, leaving a gash on his left arm. "Come on, Francisco, where did you have the courage to kill my father? Where did you have the courage to stab Giuliano?"

"Get the hell out of here, you bastard!" Francisco charged, but he was exhausted and his arms were waving too far.He staggered and lost his balance, and Ezio quickly stepped aside, raised his foot, and slammed on Francisco's sword, causing his opponent's body to fall with it.

Before Francisco could recover, Ezio stepped on his hand, forcing him to let go of the hilt of his sword, and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn over.Francisco struggled to his feet, and Ezio kicked him hard in the face.Francisco rolled his eyes and gradually lost consciousness.Kneeling on the ground, Ezio began to search Francisco's body, taking off the old man's armor and tunic, revealing the pale but strong body underneath.But he couldn't find any documents, and he couldn't see anything important.Just a handful of gold coins in the wallet.

Ezio dropped his sword, and the wrist blade flicked out.He put his arms under Francisco's neck and pulled him up, almost face to face.

Francisco opened his eyes.His eyes were full of fear and fear. "Leave me alone!" he said in a hoarse voice.

At that moment there was a triumphant cheer from the courtyard below.Hearing the excited cries of the men, Ezio realized that the Pazzi's house had been routed. "Leave you alone?" he said. "I might as well let a wolf go."

"No!" Francisco screamed, "Please!"

"This one is for my father," Ezio stabbed him in the stomach, "this one is for Federico," he stabbed again, "this one is for Petruccio, this one is for Giuliano !"

Blood spurted from Francisco's wound and splashed across Ezio's face.Then Ezio remembered Mario's words: "Don't be like him." He let go of the dagger and sat back on his ankles.The light in Francisco's eyes began to dim.He whispered something.Ezio leaned over to listen.

"Priest... pastor... have mercy and get me a priest."

Ezio's anger subsided, and he could not help but be shocked by his brutality.Such behavior violates the Creed. "There is no time," he said, "I will say Mass for you."

Francisco's throat rattled.Then his limbs began to stiffen and tremble, and he gradually passed into the realm of death, his head thrown back, his mouth opened, in a desperate battle with the invincible enemy that all must face at last.Then he collapsed to the ground like an empty sack, pale and lifeless.

"Rest in peace," murmured Ezio.

Then there was another cry from across the square.In the southwest corner of the square, five or sixty people rushed forward, led by a man Ezio knew well—that was Francisco's uncle, Jacopo!They carried the banner of the Pazzi family.

"Freedom! Freedom! People and Liberty!" cried their lips.Meanwhile, the Medici soldiers rushed out of the palace to meet the enemy, but they were exhausted and Ezio could see that they were outnumbered.

He turned to face the corpse. "Oh, Francisco," he said, "I think I've found a way to make you pay for your crimes." Quickly he reached under the corpse's shoulders, lifted it - surprisingly light - and carried it to the balcony side.There he found a rope from which to hang the banner, and tied it around the lifeless neck.He quickly tied the other end to a solid stone pillar, and then used all his strength to lift the corpse and throw it out of the balcony.The rope snapped, then tightened.Francisco's limp body hung there, toes pointing to the ground below.

Ezio hiding behind a stone pillar. "Jacob!" he cried in a voice like thunder, "Jacob de' Pazzi! Behold! Your chief is dead! You are dead!"

He saw Jacob look up from below, trembling all over.Behind him, his men also hesitated.The Medici's troops followed his gaze, then charged forward amid cheers.But the Pazzi family had long been defeated and began to flee for their lives.

(End of this chapter)