Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 43

The quickest route from Leonardo's studio to St. Peter's Basilica is to take a ferry from the city's north shore or hire a small boat to the east.But Ezio was surprised to find that he could not find any willing boatmen.The regular ferries were also temporarily suspended, and he finally paid a large sum of money to persuade two young boatmen to take him there.

"What's going on here?" he asked them.

"I heard there was a lot of fighting over there," said the boatman at the stern, struggling to cut through the undulating water, "it was just a local brawl, and it seems to be all right now. The boat will not take the risk of navigating without a transition. We will take you To the beach on the North Shore. Take care of yourself."

Ezio was soon standing on the muddy shallows, walking towards the retaining brick wall.Once there, he saw the steeple of St. Peter's Church not far away.He could also see wisps of smoke rising from the low masonry houses to the southeast of the church.Those are Bartholomew's barracks.Ezio's heart was beating wildly, and he hurried over there.

What surprised him at first was the silence, and as he approached he began to see dead bodies scattered about, some with the arms of Silvio Barbaig, others he did not recognize.Finally he came upon a mortally wounded but surviving non-commissioned officer who was leaning against a low wall for support.

"Please... help me," said the sergeant, once Ezio had entered.

Ezio quickly found wells around and fetched some water from them, praying that the assailants hadn't poisoned the well, although the water appeared to be very clear.He poured some water into the cup he had found, and gently brought it to the man's lips, then dampened a piece of cloth to wipe the blood off his face.

"Thank you, friend," said the sergeant.Ezio noticed the strange pattern on his body and guessed it was Bartolomeo's coat of arms.Apparently, Bartolomeo's forces were defeated by Silvio's mercenaries.

"They attacked out of the blue," confirmed the sergeant. "Some of the bastards have betrayed us."

"Where are they now?"

"The men of the Inquisitor, you say? Back at the arsenal. They set up a base there before the new governor came and took over. Silvio hated his cousin Agostino because Agostino Not part of one of his plots." The man began to cough up blood, but continued as best he could, "They captured our captain and took him away. Funny, we were about to attack them. Barto Luo Miao is just waiting for...the reply from the messenger."

"Where did the rest of you go?"

The sergeant looked around laboriously. "Those who were not killed or captured escaped to save their lives. They should be hiding in Venice City or those small islands in the lagoon. Someone needs to gather them. They should all be waiting for the captain's order."

"And he's Silvio's prisoner?"

"Yes. He..." The unfortunate sergeant began to struggle for breath.At last he stopped, his mouth opened, and blood flowed out, soaking the grass about three yards in front of him.At the last moment, the man's lifeless eyes looked in the direction of the lagoon.

Ezio closed his eyelids for him, and folded his arms across his chest. "Rest in peace," he said solemnly.

He tightened his sword belt—he had strapped the metal gauntlet to his left forearm earlier, but hadn't attached the double-bladed dagger.He is equipped with a Shiv on his right forearm, which is a sharp weapon when facing a large number of enemies.That firearm was useful against a single target within sight, since it had to be reloaded after each shot, and he carried powder and pellets in his waist pack, as well as the normal wrist blade as a spare.He put on his hood and walked towards the wooden bridge that connected St. Peter's Church to the castle.From there, he quickly and unobtrusively crossed the main road in the direction of the arsenal.He noticed that the people around him were reticent, but they continued to go about their daily tasks as usual.A skirmish won't stop the Venetians from doing business, but of course not many people know how important the aftermath of this conflict is to the city.

Unbeknownst to Ezio then, the conflict would last for many months and would not end until the following year.He thought of Christina, his mother Maria and his sister Claudia.He felt himself adrift and growing older.But his service to the Assassins was more important than anything else.It may never be known that the Assassins once stopped the Knights Templar's ambition to take over the world - only they swore to stand against the Knights Templar's evil supremacy.

His initial mission was obviously to find and—if possible—free Bartolomeo de Alviano, but getting into the arsenal was difficult.Surrounded by tall, solid brick walls and filled with crowded houses and shipyards, the arsenal sits on the eastern edge of the main city and is heavily guarded by Silvio's private troops, looking far more than Antonio told Ezio The two hundred mercenaries.Ezio passed the newly constructed main entrance by the architect Gambalo, and progressed around the perimeter of the arsenal, until he came across a heavy side door set into the wall.Observing from a distance, he found that this inconspicuous entrance was only used by the external guards when they changed their shifts.He was forced to wait four hours in the dark, but by the time the next shift came, he was ready.The afternoon sun was unbearably hot, the air was humid, and everyone except Ezio was sluggish.He watched the post-shift guards walk out of the main gate guarded by only one person, so he followed the mercenaries, trying to blend in as much as possible.When the last soldier had passed, he slit the throat of the guard on guard and entered the arsenal before anyone else noticed.As at San Gimignano so many years ago, Silvio's forces, though numerous, were not sufficient to hold the whole area.After all, this is the military center of the city.No wonder Agostino had to seize this place to be considered in power.

After entering the door, it is much easier to move in the open area between those tall buildings.Ezio hid in the shadows of the afternoon, cautiously avoiding the patrols, knowing that he was not in danger of being detected, but he remained on high alert.

At last, guided by mirth and mocking laughter, he came to the side of a large dry dock, from which a wide corridor opened.On a tall wall of the dock, there is an iron cage hanging.There was Bartolomeo in the cage, looking to be in his early thirties - only four or five years older than Ezio - and hulking.He was surrounded by a group of Silvio's mercenaries, and Ezio could not help feeling that they would be better off patrolling here than humiliating a defenseless enemy.But he immediately thought that although Silvio Babaig was the Grand Inquisitor, he was not good at managing the army.

Ezio did not know how long Bartolomeo had been hanging in the cage, but it must have been hours.But Bartholomew's anger and energy seemed unaffected in the slightest.Considering they probably didn't give him food or water, his performance was indeed admirable.

"Dirty cowards!" he shouted at his tormentors.Ezio noticed that one of the men dipped a sponge in vinegar, then used the point of his spear to lift the sponge to Bartolomeo's mouth, hoping he would think it was water.Bartolomeo flung it away. "I can kill you all by myself! You can do it together! I can tie both arms behind my back! I'll eat you all alive!" He laughed. "It's impossible, you'll think—just let me out, and I'll be more than happy to show you! Poor brutes!"

The Inquisitor's men laughed loudly, poking and prodding Bartolomeo with their guns, causing the cage to shake.The bottom of the cage was so slippery that Bartolomeo had to keep his balance by pinching his feet between the iron bars.

"You don't know honor at all! And valor and virtue!" He gathered what little saliva he had in his mouth and spat on them. "No wonder people think Venice is going downhill." Then he shifted into an almost pleading tone: "I will forgive anyone who dares to release me. The rest of you will die! I will kill you with my own hands! I swear! "

"Don't waste your words," one of the guards yelled, "no one will die today but you, you bloody wretch."

Ezio hid in the shadow of a masonry colonnade throughout. He stared at the small warships moored on the nearby pool, thinking about how to rescue Bartolomeo.There were ten guards around the cage, all with their backs to him, and no one else in sight.What's more, they're all on duty and don't wear armor.Ezio checked his Baneblade.Dealing with those guards should be no problem.He calculated the patrol intervals of the guards on duty, knowing that each time they came, the shadow on the wall would grow three inches longer.But he also had to consider how to release Bartolomeo quickly and keep him quiet in the process.He thought hard, knowing that his time was running out.

"What kind of person would sell his honor and dignity for a few silver coins?" Bartholomew roared, but his throat became hoarse, and even with an iron will, his energy was almost exhausted.

"Idiot, aren't you the same? Aren't you a mercenary like us?"

"I'm different from you, I've never sold my life under the hands of traitors and cowards!" Bartolomeo's eyes lit up.Those people standing under the cage were a little frightened for a moment. "You think I don't know the reason why you didn't put me in shackles? You think I don't know who is manipulating your puppet leader Silvio? I was dealing with that puppet leader before you were weaned." It's a weasel!"

Ezio listened carefully to what he said.One of the soldiers picked up half a brick and threw it out angrily.The brick bounced harmlessly off the bars of the cage.

"That's right, you bastards!" Bartolomeo roared hoarsely. "Go on being rude to me like this! I swear, when I get out of this cage, I'll cut off every one of you. Heads, stick them up your assholes! I'll mess up the matching of heads and asses, you country bumpkins don't have any brains anyway!"

The soldiers looked really pissed off.It was evident that they had been ordered not to spear Bartolomeo, or shoot Bartolomeo with a bow, since he was imprisoned in a cage, defenseless.But at this moment, Ezio saw that the padlock on the cage door was quite small.According to those who held Bartolomeo, it was enough if the cage was hung high enough.No doubt they intended to let the sun of the day and the chill of the night—plus thirst and hunger—finish him, unless he gave up and confessed before then.But judging from Bartholomew's expression, this was a choice he would never make.

Ezio knew he had to act fast.The patrol on duty will pass by here shortly.He ejected the Baneblade and walked forward with the speed and grace of a wolf, covering the distance in seconds.He swung his poison blade again and again, killing five people before the others could react.He drew his sword and slew the remaining soldiers viciously, parrying their futile blows with the metal gauntlet on his left arm, while Bartolomeo watched in amazement.At last the surroundings fell silent, and Ezio turned around, looking up.

"Can you jump from there?" he asked.

"If you can open the cage door, I can jump in like a flea."

Ezio picks up a dead soldier's spear.Its prongs were not of steel, but of cast iron.But that's enough.Holding the spear in his left hand, he squatted down, then leaped into the air, and finally grabbed the iron bars of the cage.

Bartholomew stared at him with wide eyes. "How the hell did you do that?" he asked.

"Practice more." Ezio smiled.He slipped the point of his spear into the clasp of the padlock, and twisted it.The iron buckle resisted for a moment, and then broke.Ezio opened the door of the cage, let go of the iron bars at the same time, and landed on the ground with feline grace. "It's your turn," he said commandingly, "quickly."

"who are you?"

"hurry up!"

Bartholomew nervously grabbed the open cage door and leaped forward.He fell heavily to the ground, out of breath for a moment, but when Ezio helped him to his feet, he proudly shook off Ezio's hand. "I'm fine," he gasped, "I'm just not used to doing these stupid circus tricks."

"So you haven't broken a bone?"

"To hell with you, whoever you are," Bartolomeo said, laughing, "but I want to thank you!" To Ezio's surprise, Bartolomeo gave him a bear hug . "But who are you? That damned Archangel Gabriel or something?"

"I am Ezio Auditore."

"Bartolomeo de Alviano. Nice to meet you."

"We don't have time for pleasantries," Ezio snapped. "You know that too."

"Don't mess with me, old acrobat," said Bartolomeo cheerfully. "Anyway, I owe you a favor!"

They have wasted too much time.Someone on the parapet must have seen what was going on, for alarm bells rang, and a group of soldiers poured out of nearby buildings, closing in on them.

"Come on, you bastards!" Bartolomeo yelled.He swung his fists hard enough to put Dante Molo to shame.This time it was Ezio who looked admiringly, as Bartolomeo made a beeline for the soldiers.Together they fought a bloody way, and finally came to the side door.

"Let's go!" Ezio shouted.

"Shouldn't we smash a few more heads?"

"Perhaps we should avoid conflict for now?"

"Are you afraid?"

"I'm just telling the truth. I know your blood is boiling right now, but they outnumber us a hundred times."

Bartholomew thought for a moment. "You are right. After all, I am a commander. I should think like a commander, instead of being taught by an arrogant guy like you." Then he lowered his voice and said in a concerned tone, "I I just hope my little Bianca is safe."

Ezio had no time to question Bartolomeo's soliloquy, or even to ponder it.They were forced to gallop across town to return to Bartholomew's headquarters in St. Peter's Basilica.But before that, Bartholomew stopped by two places, found the spies he had placed there, told them that he was alive and free, and told them to gather the scattered troops.

At dusk, they returned to the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica to find several of Bartolomeo's mercenaries who had survived the attack, leaving their hiding places and walking towards the dead bodies surrounded by flies. Go, try to bury them and clean up the mess.They rejoiced at the sight of the captain, but Bartolomeo himself was running around the camp distraught, crying sadly, "Bianca! Bianca! Where are you?"

"Who is he looking for?" Ezio asked a sergeant. "She must be very important to him."

"Yes, sir," grinned the sergeant, "and more reliable than most of her countrymen."

Ezio ran to his new ally. "is everything okay?"

"What do you think? Look at the state of the place! And poor Bianca! If anything happens to her..."

Bartolomeo shoved open a door that had almost come off, and walked in.Judging from the layout here, it should be a map room before the enemy attacks.The expensive map was either damaged or taken away, but Bartolomeo was still rummaging through the wreckage, and finally let out a triumphant cry——

"Bianca! Oh my dear! Thank God you're all right!"

(End of this chapter)