Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 55

"Our new pope, Alexander, is not a spiritual man, nor is he a man of noble soul. A man like him buys hearts and sells beneficiaries for profit. The priests of the church are all money-seeking businessmen !Only one of us who is inspired to speak, only one of us who can see into the future and talk to the Lord! He is my brother monk, Savonarola! He will lead us!"

Ezio wondered: Did the mad monk open the Apple of Eden like he did?Did he unleash the same vision?Does this reflect what Leonardo said about the Apple of Eden—dangerous for the weak of heart?
"Safonarola will lead us to the light," concluded the preacher, "Safonarola will show us the vision of the future! Savonarola will lead us to the gates of heaven! We don't want to stay in Savonarola In the new world that Laura witnessed. What Brother Savonarola is walking is exactly what we are looking for, the road leading to God!"

He raised his hands again, and the crowd shouted and cheered.

Ezio knew that the only way to find Savonarola was through the disciple.But he had to find a way to get close to the man without arousing the suspicions of the fanatical crowd around him.He stepped forward cautiously, playing the image of a weak man trying to strike up a conversation with the fellow believers.

It's not easy.He was aggressively pushed and shoved, and the men could tell he was a stranger, a newcomer, someone who didn't deserve respect.But he smiled, bowed his luggage, and even, as a last resort, dropped the coin, saying, "I want to give to Savonarola's cause and to those who support him and believe in him." And money, as always, played a role.In fact, Ezio thought, money was the best means of converting people.

The preacher watched Ezio approaching with a mixture of pleasure and contempt, and finally motioned the followers to step aside, beckoned him to the stage, and led him to the quiet small square not far away, Talk to him privately there.Ezio was pleased to see that he apparently felt he had recruited a wealthy and powerful supporter.

"Where is Savonarola?" he asked.

"He is everywhere, brother," replied the Preacher, "and he is with us all, and we are all with him."

"Listen, friend," Ezio said eagerly, "I'm here to find someone, not to guess riddles. Please tell me where he is."

The evangelist squinted at him, and Ezio clearly saw the madness in his eyes. "I've told you. See, Savonarola loves you as you love yourself. He will show you the light. He will show you the future!"

"But I must speak to him personally. I want to see the leader! And I have great wealth to support him on this great expedition!"

The preacher showed a sly look. "I see," he said, "be patient. The time is not yet. But you can join us on our pilgrimage, my brother."

So Ezio waited patiently.He waited a long time.Finally, one day, Ezio was summoned by the Preacher to meet him at the Venetian docks at dusk.Arriving there early, Ezio waited patiently and nervously, finally seeing a shadowy figure approaching in the twilight.

"I thought you wouldn't come." He greeted.

The preacher showed a cheerful look. "Your zeal for the truth, my brother, has stood the test of time. Now we are ready, and our leader has finally taken his rightful place! Come on!"

He motioned for him to move forward, and then led Ezio to the pier, where a galleon was moored.A group of worshipers is waiting nearby.The preacher said to them:
"Children! The time has come for us to leave. Our brother and spiritual leader, Girolamo Savonarola, awaits us in his city!"

"Yeah, that's right! That son of a bitch made my city and my hometown submit to him—to madness!"

The people and Ezio turned their heads to look at the speaker.It was a long-haired young man in a black hat, with full lips and a thin face distorted with anger.

"I have just escaped from there," he went on, "and Charles, the damned King of France, has driven me out of my dukedom, and put that God's lackey, Savonarola, in my place!"

People's emotions began to agitate. If the preacher hadn't stopped him, they would have caught the young man and thrown him into the lagoon.

"Let him speak his mind," ordered the preacher, and then, turning to the young man, he asked: "My brother, why do you insult the name of Savonarola?"

"Why? Why? Because of what he did to Florence! He took control of the city! The nobles either supported him or were powerless against him. He incited the people, even those who should have reason - like Botticelli Master - all follow him blindly. They burn books and art and everything that madman thinks is immoral!"

"Safonarola is in Florence?" Ezio asked eagerly. "Are you sure?"

"If only he wasn't there! If only he was on the moon or in hell! I almost died there!"

"My brother, who are you?" The Preacher no longer hid his impatience.

The young man puffed out his chest. "I am Piero de' Medici. Son of Lorenzo, 'Duke Magnificent' and rightful ruler of Florence!"

Ezio took his hand. "Nice to meet you, Piero. I am a faithful friend of your father."

Piero looked at him. "Thank you, whoever you are. As for my father, luckily he died before the madness swept through the city like a wave." He turned nonchalantly to face the angry crowd. "Don't support that vicious monk! He is an ambitious and dangerous fool! He should be killed like a mad dog!"

At this moment the people roared indignantly.The preacher turned to Piero and shouted: "Heretic! You are spreading evil ideas!" He shouted to the crowd: "You must subdue him! Shut him up! Send him to the stake! "

Both Piero and Ezio now drew their swords and faced the menacing crowd.

"Who are you?" Piero asked.

"Ezio Auditore," he replied.

"Oh! Thank you so much for your help. My father talks about you a lot." He turned his gaze to the mob. "Is there any chance for us to get out?"

"Hopefully. But you're not acting very wisely."

"How would I know?"

"You've put all my hard work and preparation in vain—but forget it. Hold your sword!"

The battle was fierce but short.The two of them retreated into an abandoned warehouse under the onslaught of the mob, where they stood to meet the enemy.Fortunately, despite their rage, those believers were far from being good at fighting.It didn't take long for the most daring of them to fall back, tending to the wounds left by Ezio's and Piero's swords, while the rest turned and fled.Only the preacher with a gloomy face was still standing on the spot.

"Liar!" he said to Ezio, "you will be frozen forever in Hell. I will send you there with my own hands!" He drew a sharp short sword from under his robes, raised it above his head, and charged To Ezio, ready to stab.Ezio backed away, nearly falling to the ground, unable to parry the Evangelist's attack, but Piero wounded the man's leg with a sword, and Ezio stood up, unleashing his double-edged dagger ——The sharp dagger tip pierced the man's abdomen.The preacher's whole body trembled.He fell to the ground, scratched the ground with his hands, twitched for a while, and finally stopped moving.

"I hope this will make up for the trouble I caused you," Piero said with a dejected smile. "Come on! Let's go to the Doge's Palace and have Agostino send someone to keep an eye out for a group of madmen scattered around, make sure They won't cause trouble again."

"Thank you," Ezio said, "but I am not going to the Doge's Palace. I have to go to Florence."

Piero looked at him in disbelief. "What? You want to step into the gate of hell by yourself?"

"I must find Savonarola. But perhaps it is too late for me to undo the damage he has done to our homeland."

"Then I wish you luck," said Piero, "whatever your purpose may be."

(End of this chapter)