Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 8

He cheered up and ran towards his home.It was only when he reached his destination that he realized that in his haste his father had forgotten to tell him where the hidden door was.Julio should know, but where has he gone?

Fortunately, there were no guards ambushing around his house, which allowed him to travel unimpeded along the way.He lingered outside the house for a moment, unable to make up his mind to step through the dark door—the house was different, its sanctity sullied.Ezio regained his composure, knowing that his actions were crucial, and that the whole family depended on him.He forced himself into the house, into the darkness.Not long after, he was standing in the middle of the office lit only by a single candle, scanning his surroundings.

The place had been turned upside down by the guards, who apparently confiscated a large amount of bank notes, overturned bookshelves, crooked chairs, dropped drawers and scattered papers and books. A lot of trouble.But he knew the office, and he had a good eye as well as a brain.The walls were thick all around, and there might be a secret room behind each of them, but he settled on the wall where the fireplace stood, and began his search—the walls were thickest there to accommodate the chimney.Holding up the candle, he scanned the surroundings, keeping an eye out for guards who might have gone and returned.Finally, to the left of the mantelpiece, he seemed to see the vague outline of a door in the paneling.This means that the mechanism to open the door is nearby.He began to look carefully at the two statues of the god Apollo, which carried the marble mantelpiece on their shoulders.The nose of the statue on the left looks broken and repaired, with a tiny crack at the base.He touched the nose and found that it was not very secure.He turned it carefully and lightly, and the secret door on the wall turned silently inwards under the drive of the spring hinges, revealing a stone corridor leading to the left.

As he walked in, a stone slab under his right foot began to move, and an oil lamp on the corridor wall suddenly lit up.The passage was short, sloping slightly downwards, and ended in a circular room decorated in a style that seemed to come from Syria.Ezio suddenly remembered the painting that hung in his father's private study in Masyaf Castle, which had once been the headquarters of the ancient Assassin Order, but he had no time to consider the meaning of this eccentric decoration. What special significance.There was no furniture in the room, and in the middle was a huge iron box with two heavy locks hanging from it.He looked for the key, but there was nothing in the room but the decorations and the chest.While Ezio was considering whether to return to the office or his father's study to find the key, and if there was enough time, his hand happened to pass over a lock, and it snapped open.The other opened just as easily.Could it be that his father gave him some kind of power that he didn't understand?Or are the locks designed to respond to the touch of certain characters?The mysteries here are really piled up, but there is no time to dwell on it right now.

He opened the box and saw inside a pair of white hoods, which looked rather old and were made of wool he had never seen before.He put on the hood involuntarily, and suddenly a strange force flowed through his whole body.He pulled the hood down, but didn't take it off.

In the chest were a pair of leather bracers; a short cracked blade, but instead of a handle, some queer contraption he could not understand; a sword; It looked like it was part of some kind of plan; and the letters and documents his father had asked him to take to Uberto Alberti.He took out these things, closed the lid of the box, and retreated into his father's office, carefully closing the secret door behind him.He found one of Giulio's briefcases in his office, packed the contents of the suitcase, and slung the bag across his chest.He fastened his sword to his belt.He didn't know what to do with these weird collections, and he didn't have time to think about why his father hid these things in the secret room, so he could only walk cautiously towards the main entrance of the mansion.

Just as he entered the courtyard in front of the mansion, he saw two city guards approaching.It was too late to hide now.They've seen him.

"Stop!" one of them yelled, before beginning to walk quickly towards him.There was no way out for him.Ezio saw that they had drawn their swords.

"What are you doing here? Arresting me?"

"No," said the guard who spoke earlier, "we have received orders to kill you." As soon as he finished speaking, another guard rushed over.

Ezio drew his sword as the guards approached.He wasn't familiar with the weapon, but it felt light and handy in his hands, as if he'd used it his entire life.He blocked the swords stabbed by the two guards from the left and right at the same time.Sparks burst from the three swords at the same time, but Ezio's sword was firmly held in his hand, the sharp blade gleaming coldly.At this moment, the second guard rushed forward, intending to cut off Ezio's arm with his sword, but Ezio falsely stabbed to the right, bending over to avoid the attack.He shifted his weight from his back foot to his front foot, then lunged forward.The guard lost his balance momentarily, and the sword arm slammed harmlessly against Ezio's shoulder.Ezio charged forward with the point of his sword, piercing the man's heart.Staggering to his feet, Ezio raised his left foot, drew his sword, and turned in time to face the other guard.The opponent roared and rushed over, brandishing an epee: "Die, traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, and neither is my family."

The guard swung his sword and cut Ezio's left sleeve, blood was also on the sword.Ezio grinned in pain for a moment.The guard started to give chase, and Ezio let him stab again, then took two steps back, tripped him with his legs outstretched, and then slashed firmly and forcefully on the neck of the fallen guard, causing him to be decapitated .

For a moment, Ezio stood trembling in the silence after the battle, breathing heavily.This is the first time in his life that he has killed someone - but is that really the case?Because he felt that there was a longer life hidden in his mind, and in that life there was no shortage of experiences of being accompanied by death.

The feeling terrified him.He had grown a lot that night—but the feeling seemed to awaken some dark power deep within him.It's not just the effects of the harrowing experience of the past few hours.He tremblingly walked through the dark streets towards Alberti's mansion, looking back from time to time.Finally, almost exhausted, he reached the house of the magistrate.He looked up at the front of the house and saw a faint light coming from a window.He knocked hard on the door with the pommel of his sword hilt.

Seeing no one answered the door, nervous and impatient, he knocked again, this time harder and louder, but still no one answered.

When he knocked a third time, a small window in the door opened briefly and then closed again.Almost immediately the door opened, and a servant with a weapon in his hand let him in.He said what he had come without thinking, and was shown to a room on the second floor where Alberti was sitting at a desk piled high with papers.Behind him, Ezio could vaguely see a tall, muscular figure sitting sideways by the dying fireplace, but his appearance was indistinct in the gloom.

"Ezio?" Alberti stood up in surprise, "Why are you here at this hour?"

"I...I don't..."

Alberti came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Wait, kid. Take a deep breath. Get your words together."

Ezio nodded.Now he felt a lot safer, but also a lot more vulnerable.Everything that happened after delivering the letter for his father lingered in his mind.He saw that the hands of the brass clock on the desk were already close to midnight.He accompanied his mother to the studio to pick up paintings like a good boy, was it really just twelve hours ago?He felt like he was on the verge of tears, but he pulled himself together, and when he spoke again, his tone was calm and old-fashioned: "My father and brother were imprisoned - I don't know whose order it was - my mother and sister was forced to take refuge, and my house was looted. My father ordered this letter and these documents to be sent to you..." Ezio took the documents and the letter from his briefcase.

"Thank you." Alberti put on a pair of spectacles and took Giovanni's letter to the candle on the table.The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock and the occasional crackling of the fireplace.Ezio completely forgot about the other person in the room.

Alberti turned his attention to the papers.He took a moment to look through it, and finally slipped one carefully into the inside pocket of his black tunic.He set the other aside to separate it from the other papers on the desk.

"This is a very serious misunderstanding, my dear Ezio," he said, taking off his glasses, "your father has indeed been charged - serious charges - and the trial is scheduled for tomorrow morning Held. Some people, it seems, seem to be overly positive, though—for reasons that no one but they know. Don't worry, though. I'll clear everything up."

Ezio could hardly believe it. "How to clarify?"

"These documents you gave me contain evidence of the conspiracy against your father and the city. I will submit them at my hearing tomorrow morning and Giovanni and your brother will be acquitted .I promise you that."

Ezio breathed a sigh of relief.He seized the hand of the Chief Executive. "How can I thank you?"

"It is my duty to ensure justice, Ezio. I take my duty very seriously, and—" he hesitated for a fraction of a second, "—your father is one of my best friends." Alberti smiled. "But I'm so rude, aren't I? I'm going to get the servant to bring the wine." He paused, "Where are you going to spend the night tonight? I have some urgent business to attend to, but my servant Will bring you food and wine, and make you a warm bed."

For reasons unknown, Ezio declined such a generous offer.

It was past midnight when he left the magistrate's mansion.He put his hood back on and walked quietly through the streets, trying to collect his thoughts.He knew where he was going now.

After arriving at the destination, he immediately climbed up to the balcony, and the process was so easy that he surprised himself—maybe it was the eagerness that lent him strength—then tapped on the window sash lightly, and called out softly: "Christie Na! Honey! Wake up! It's me." He pricked up his ears like a cat, and waited silently.He heard the sound of her getting up.Then her frightened voice from beyond the shutter.

"who is it?"

"Ezio."

She quickly opened the shutters. "What's the matter? What happened?"

"Let me in."

He sat on her bed and told her the whole thing.

"I knew something was wrong," she said. "My father seemed upset tonight. But it sounds like everything will be fine."

"I need to spend the night with you - don't worry, I'll be leaving before dawn - and I've got some things for your safekeeping." He removed the paper bag and placed it between them. "is it okay?"

"Oh, Ezio, of course."

Lying in her arms, he fell asleep restlessly.

(End of this chapter)