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“Requiescat in pace.”
And that was that. After closing the dead man’s eyes, Ezio rifled through his pockets. And found a whole-ass jar of leeches. Ezio sighed. The things these men carried around!
This whole job hadn’t been as straightforward as Ezio had hoped. He hadn’t wanted to engage so many guards, but his target had been literally prancing about in the night (on a horse. It would have been amusing if the guy himself had been prancing around, but agents of the Borgia usually had no sense of whimsy.) So things were bound to get messy.
Which meant the best option had been calling for backup.
The two recruits had kept the guards busy, while Ezio dealt with the man and the horse. The man was now a heap at his feet, and the horse had long since escaped. So Ezio shifted his focus, his eyes instinctively drawn to the two Assassins-in-training. The first, over to his left, was sheathing their sword, a guard face down on the ground next to them. Good. And then their demeanor changed, and they shifted from Assassin to normal citizen as they casually ducked into a crowd out for a night on the town. Also good. Ezio felt a surge of pride. Not that he was the one training them, but still.
The second Assassin was not so lucky - they were still significantly outnumbered. Fighting well, but still struggling. So Ezio rushed forward and neatly stabbed one guard in the back, before anyone else even noticed his presence.
The other Assassin looked at him, her mouth quirking up just a little, before elbowing one of the Borgias’ men in the chest and knocking him to the ground. From there they made short work of the remaining guards. As the last one fell to her blade, Ezio took stock of their surroundings, and seeing no one else on the way- “Bene. (Good.) Thank you for the help.”
The woman nodded, and he fully expected her to head back toward the city proper, fade into the crowds, just as the other recruit had done.
Instead, she looked at him, expressions Ezio couldn’t quite catch crossing her face. And then, with no warning, she took off running.
His somber pride at a job well done turned very quickly to confusion. “Wait!” But she didn’t stop. “Wait-“ Damn it. He recognized her. He remembered helping her out of a tight spot with the guards. And yet, he couldn’t remember her name. “Merda. (Shit.)” he muttered. But her name could wait. The way she’d shot off had seemed erratic. So for now, what mattered was that she was alright.
It took longer than Ezio would’ve liked to admit for him to catch up to her. The fact that his whole body - and especially his back - ached like hell didn’t help.
But catch up he did, and he couldn’t help but notice that as the woman looked over her shoulder at him, before quickly returning her gaze ahead, she almost seemed… excited to be keeping her pace so far ahead of him.
“Listen, it’s- my back is-“ he sighed. “I am not helping my case here, am I?”
The woman just kept moving.
“Wait, I- What’s your name?”
At this she slowed, and Ezio could finally run alongside her instead of behind.
“Bettina.” she said, pausing her strides, and for the first time, her eyes locked onto his. She was… beautiful. His heart beat faster, though he couldn’t tell if that was because of her lovely face, or it was just the rush of being examined this closely. Not many people looked at him nowadays the way she was. Probing, but like an adversary. Those who did… it was usually in the final moments before their death. Ah, and also Machiavelli, but that was just how Niccolò was to everyone.
Still, Ezio held his composure. He did not get flustered so easily, and now at least, he knew who he was talking to. “Ah, that’s right. Bettina Aliotti, sí?” He’d heard good things about her. Still relatively new to the Brotherhood, but she’d already succeeded in a number of missions. Efficient. Focused. He smiled. “I hear you made quite an impression at Sunday prayer.” Last Ezio had heard, Bettina had apparently exceeded all expectations when it came to punching some corrupt church official in the face, a story Ezio had appreciated when Machiavelli had passed it along, considering his own history with the Pope.
Still, she didn’t react to him. Maybe that focused demeanor was why she didn’t seem much for small talk?
“Pleasure to see you again, Bettina.”
She said nothing. Her pace simply quickened again. Just as Ezio was thinking he’d like to stop and rest for a moment too.
Pain be damned, now he was just curious what she was up to.
Ezio was never in danger of losing her. He was better at tracking people than that, well honed instinct leading him even when he lost sight of a target.
It felt a little mean to compare Bettina to a target, but tailing someone was the same whether they were a friend or foe.
Friend, foe. The words caught in his head. He couldn’t help but wonder- if she needed something from him, why not simply ask? Actually... Ezio asked the recruits to act on the intelligence he received, but had he once received a request from them? Yes, destroying the Borgias’ infrastructure and creating something better for Roma’s people was his top priority, but the Assassins were Roma’s people too. Not only that, they were-
Ezio was jolted out of his thoughts at the realization that Bettina had stopped suddenly mid-run and was staring at a person riding a horse. Ezio’s hand went to his sword instinctively and he cautiously drew toward them. Was this person a threat?
But no, the horse’s rider looked to be simply a common woman, out on a ride. Bettina circled around her, giving her a wide berth but watching her intently.
“What are you doing?” Ezio whispered, coming up beside Bettina, and he could see her tense up. But she looked at him, and he tried to smile, to show that this wasn’t a criticism, and she seemed to relax just a little. “Observing.” She said. “The way a person treats their steed says a lot about them.”
Ezio balked a little. There was the time he’d tried to direct a horse up a flight of stairs, only for it to trip and fall, the times when he’d verbally berated stolen horses for shooting off in the wrong direction at a critical moment, and of course, the many horses left skittering and bleeding from his blade, thanks to the crimes of their riders. He did try his best not to kill a target’s horse if he could help it, but that seemed cold comfort considering. Well, all of those other things.
“I see. Maybe I myself am a bit harder on the horses sometimes than I need to be. I will keep it in mind.”
She didn’t seem to react to that. Still, this was more than Ezio had gotten out of her all night. So he poked a little further. “What can you tell about her then?”
Bettina's eyes were still fixed on the horse and its rider as she spoke. “I think she is kind, but a little uninformed. She rides gently, but her horse’s head is too high.”
Ezio looked at the horse, marching along like it owned the world. “Too high? What is wrong with a horse that has a little confidence?”
Bettina seemed slightly annoyed. “It has nothing to do with that. The head being too high makes it easier for both horse and rider to get injured.”
“Really?” Ezio pulled back a little, and Bettina followed. The horse’s rider hadn’t seemed to notice them yet, but better safe than sorry. “Then why would the horse do it?”
“There are many reasons.” Bettina talked smoothly now, her previous hesitation seemingly gone. “Maybe the way its neck curves naturally, maybe bad behaviors some idiota (idiot) trained it with. Oh, the horse could even have something in common with you.”
She smiled a little at this. “With me?” Ezio asked cautiously.
“Sí. Back pain may cause a horse to raise its head to try and avoid the pain.”
Oh, so she had been paying attention to what he’d said to her earlier. Just enough to compare him to a horse. Wonderful. But he found he didn’t really mind.
“Ah, then I understand its struggle, the poor, miserable thing.” said Ezio, willing to have a laugh at his own expense if it might get her to crack a smile too. It did. It suddenly hit him again that she was quite beautiful. And that he would rather not see that smile fade.
So he would keep asking her about the horses she seemed to adore. And Ezio realized he genuinely did have another question. “How should she be handling her horse then, to ride safely?” After all, if Bettina was so knowledgeable about the topic, it would be stupid not to learn from her. He could become a better rider himself, minimize unfortunate accidents.
As she explained the strategies that could be used to help a horse maintain a good head position, Ezio realized something. He couldn’t recall the last time someone had spoken to him so genuinely and passionately about a topic that wasn’t steeped in violence. Besides Leonardo, but Leonardo was a special case- the man was a genius and everyone knew it, of course he could fill his mind with all kinds of strange ideas and set them into action without tiring. Bettina, though? She was simply a woman trying to survive in this city. How did such a light still shine from her?
He couldn’t help thinking of his uncle with his boisterous way of walking through the world. His father and brothers, though his image of them was more faded than he’d like. It had been so unbearably long now, since he’d heard Federico’s playful taunts as they’d race together, since he’d had a meal with his whole family, joy and laughter and the scent of good food filling the air.
They were gone. It was still a gash through his life, and sometimes, even with so much time passed, it was still hard to feel there that happiness could be, the way it once was. Sometimes, it seemed the closest he could get was the grim satisfaction of being an Assassin, and destroying those who would only cause more pain if they were allowed to live.
But Bettina would soon be an Assassin too, and her eyes sparkled.
The woman and her horse wandered on. Bettina walked slower than before, still watching them clomp away, and Ezio realized that he’d still never figured out why she’d run off like that before. Asking directly hadn’t been very effective, so he figured he’d try something else.
“So, what brings you to the Brotherhood?” he asked.
With great effort, she turned away from the horse, just to look at Ezio like he’d grown another head. “You recruited me, remember?”
“…Right. Of course.” Ezio wasn’t usually caught this off guard when talking to anyone. He wasn’t sure what about this put him on edge. “I only meant, why is it that you chose to join, to fight?”
“...Why do you fight?”
It was a big question. He didn’t have to answer it. But she seemed genuine in asking, and besides, he wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity to talk.
He watched the horse turn out of sight behind some trees, then spoke, an unmistakable bite in his voice. “So what happened to the people I love never happens again.” And then, because he still was curious- “But what of you?”
She took a beat. Then- “What choice did I have?” Her steps became a little faster, and Ezio matched her pace. What did she mean, exactly?
“You always have a choice. Even after helping you, I would not have faulted you for not wanting to join us.”
She stopped abruptly, and so did he. She didn’t look angry exactly. Closer to defiant. “How was I to know that?” she asked, “You of all people, doing what you do, must know that most men do not do a thing like that without expecting something in return.”
Ezio’s eyes closed for a moment, as if on instinct against the intensity of her stare. He could picture his blade running through a hundred such men. But he could also picture himself, young and immature, full of his own… expectations that Cristina would surely reciprocate his goodwill.
He’d been a fool back then. Puffed up with confidence, putting on airs as if the only thing to fear was something as insignificant as rejection. So far from understanding what real pain was.
Would he have come to the aid of any woman outside his family back then, if at least a part of him wasn’t expecting… something in return? He wasn’t like that any more, he hoped. Maybe he could not help the way his heart stirred when a beautiful woman looked into his eyes. Maybe he would always be more driven to come to the aid of such a woman in a way other situations would not motivate him quite as much. But these days, he did his best not to expect anything to come of those occurrences. The women of Roma faced pressure from every direction. He strived now, not to add to that, no matter his inner feelings.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He met Bettina’s gaze with as much warmth as he could, considering the circumstances. “You make a good point.” he said. Bettina’s eyes widened. She… hadn’t expected that, had she? Ezio felt a pang of anger on her behalf. How much had she been stepped upon, treated as nothing? He was glad she could become an Assassin now, that she at least had the means to fight back.
But that was not the point. No matter the result, he did not want those he attempted to recruit to feel they were obligated to join him.
So Ezio swallowed his pride. As skilled an Assassin as he was, there were things he still didn’t know. Things he couldn’t know. And that was the point of the Brotherhood, was it not? That was what he’d been trying to get that stubborn Niccolò to understand this whole time. They would never win this fight alone. “What would you suggest then?” he asked Bettina. “How might we approach someone like you so they know they have the choice?”
This though, was apparently too much for the recruit. For a moment, she seemed overcome by surprise and confusion, but then suddenly - and almost soundlessly, that was impressive, especially for someone still learning the tricks of the trade - she took off running again.
Ezio thought it might be best to just let her go. There were others he could ask for advice on this matter. Claudia, for one. She wouldn’t let him hear the end of it for only bothering to think about this now, but that was a price worth paying, and one he couldn’t say he didn’t deserve. And his sister was smart, compassionate. She would certainly have helpful insight. Besides, he would jump at the chance to seek her help after he had been so stubborn the last time she’d tried to offer it. He wanted Claudia, too, to know she was valued.
But then Bettina stopped. Turned back toward him. “Come. We need to... The fire."
The fire? Ezio wasn't sure what she meant exactly, but clearly there were still places to go.
He picked up his pace and followed.
Somewhere between Ezio’s racing thoughts and his racing feet, something must have distracted him, because suddenly he was being jumped. Never a dull moment in Roma.
In an instant, fists were flying, and Ezio was, on raw instinct, throwing a man to the ground like he would a large sack. Bettina, to his left, was blocking a couple of the fighters with her sword, and besides quickly poking in to get one of them off her back - he would not let any harm come to his Assassins, if he could help it - Ezio stayed in his own lane, giving the recruit the space it seemed she wanted.
Of course, the street gang stood no chance against two expert Assassins. Or one expert Assassin, and one partially trained Assassin, but Bettina was no slouch when it came to defending herself. The fight seemed to be winding down, when suddenly Ezio was knocked backward by a horse running full speed into him. OW. What was it with horses today?
“Templar!” Bettina’s voice. Ezio was still a little stunned from the impact, but he saw her rush toward an armored man, who had descended from a horse and joined the fray like he was God’s fucking gift to the world. Figlio di puttana (Son of a whore). Ezio was right there with Bettina, as soon as he was steady enough to go running back into the fight himself. But the gang goons were still swarming him, keeping him away from the Templar - did they truly not understand the mess they’d walked into? and Bettina was facing the armored man, the Templar clearly out for blood, but himself also being hounded by the gang - merda! (Shit!) Ezio shoved another man away, trying to push though and-
And he saw Bettina thrust her sword through the Templar’s throat.
A feeling of overwhelming relief surged through him, even as he didn’t let his guard down because these idiots were still attacking him. He had not realized how worried he’d been for her safety. He glanced toward her between strikes of his own sword, kneeling over the Templar’s body, her lips moving.
Ezio couldn’t make out what she was saying, but he was glad she was saying something. The respect they tried to give, even to the worst of the worst, it kept them sane. She would need that, as an Assassin.
For the first time, he thought of the pain this path would surely bring Bettina Aliotti. Yes, she had clearly suffered before, but the life of an Assassin was still not one to be taken lightly.
Maybe Bettina was as shaken as he was, because as soon as she stood, she was running away, without even stopping to examine the horse, now free of its Templar rider. Ezio shook off the last few attackers and followed.
Once they were a ways away, Bettina slowed, and finally, Ezio could walk at her pace. Side by side, under the night sky. A quiet walk on a bare path through the fields, the trees alone standing guard. It was surprisingly… nice. They even came across chestnut colored horse that Bettina stopped for a moment to admire, and whose head, Ezio noted, did not seem too high at all.
They were just approaching a building, torchlight flicking on stone archways in the distance, when Bettina abruptly addressed him.
“May I ask an honest question, Ezio Auditore da Firenze?”
“Yes, of course.” he replied, interested.
She didn’t say anything though, so he stopped, and she did too. He looked at her. He was an Assassin in the night, but he tried to make himself warm as the firelight up ahead. His willingness again almost seemed to have taken her by surprise, but now, he could see her fight the urge to run away again. “Go on.” he said encouragingly. And she looked at him for a moment longer, and then spoke.
“Forgive my crudeness, but… what is the point of all this? It isn’t that I do not share your goals, but. This place is… broken. Men will attack without warning. Others will come only to shove their power in your face and leave you for dead.” Her frown was deep and troubled. “We can do everything we do, but why, when it will only come undone the next day?”
He stepped toward her, gently, and she - probably instinctively - stepped back. He stepped back in return, and took in the sight of her. Ragged. Tired. Beautiful. Strong. And the question she was asking, one that had haunted him too. Still haunted him.
Nothing could bring back his family. His efforts, drawn in blood, could still be swept over so easily by enough wealth and power. Yes, he would be there to take the life of the man who amassed that wealth and power, but. Another would always step in.
And showing mercy… that didn’t go any better. If he had killed Rodrigo when he had the chance, then- but he knew he couldn’t think like that. Bettina was right. Whatever choices they made, there would be more problems, always.
So he focused again on the woman showing him such vulnerability. It was clearly hard for her. It had her taken a chase across the outskirts of Roma to say this. The least he could do was listen, and try to help. He did his best to make himself light. Charming. He was Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and it would take more than a hard question to bring him to a halt.
“Maybe you are right. Maybe we only delay the inevitable.” His mouth was moving, and he wasn’t sure where his thoughts would land, but he continued, trusting the process. This wasn’t the first time he’d pulled a speech out of his ass and it wouldn’t be the last. “But someone lived who would have died unjustly at the hands of cruel guards. Someone can get life saving medicine from a doctor who the Borgia would have gladly left to suffer financial ruin. Someone can pick up a blade” with this, he hefted his own blade, streaks of blood still coated over it from the recent fight, then re-sheathed it “and use it to protect the things that matter.”
It was only as he spoke that his answer to her question started to make sense in his mind. Sure, he’d started on this path for the sake of revenge, but now it had grown beyond even that. His body and heart ached, but he didn’t want to stop. Couldn’t stop. He was a piece of something that was so much bigger, and yet, he was so fully himself, unrestrained, brimming with a sadness, and ferocity, and somehow, some wild, incomprehensible, confidence in himself and the people he loved who were still here with him. They would win this fight, no matter how long it took. His people would be protected. He would make sure of it.
“I.. I wish I could believe in your vision.” said Bettina. “You certainly do seem to believe in it, and that is a good sign.
All at once, he knew. He wanted her to feel that way too. To understand her own power and feel it.
But that was not the kind of thing that could ever be forced. Ezio knew that. It was why each of his mentors had led him in a direction without ever telling him his exact destination.
A leap of faith. Every Assassin does it, and each one lands where they belong.
“I understand. But, you too will find something to believe in that is your own.” There was a softness to her, as she took this in. The way she looked at him now was no longer as an enemy, but maybe even as something approaching a friend. Good. “Maybe it will not be here. This is not the only way to fight. For some, it may not be the best way either.” He had the mental image of Leonardo trying to be an Assassin, and nearly threw off his whole speech by laughing out loud. But this was important. She clearly felt trapped. And Ezio did not want that. “So you are free to leave the Brotherhood. I will miss someone both as skilled and lovely as you are, but the choice is yours.”
Suddenly Bettina’s demeanor sharpened. “Is it?” She seemed to be rapidly withdrawing again. Not only that, she’d barely even seemed to notice that he complimented her. Merda (Shit), was he losing his charm? He almost worried she would run away again, but she just looked at him coolly. “How do I know this isn’t a trap? That you won’t simply kill me as soon as I turn away?”
Ah. He looked at her sadly, again wondering how she had been treated. Again wishing he knew who had treated her that way so he could show them some consequences for their actions.
It was a fair question though, and it was one Ezio could easily answer. He looked around, ensuring no one was there, shrugged, and unceremoniously dumped his weapons on the ground in a heavy clanging. He even made a show of removing his hidden blades. Worst came to worse, if someone attacked out of nowhere, he could take them with his bare hands. It wouldn't be the first time.
He met her vaguely confused eyes and smiled. “Do I look like I want to stab you in the back?”
“No.”
“Bene. (Good.) Then here we are.”
After all, what was she going to do if they parted ways here? Leave and become a Templar? That seemed unlikely. And it was a far greater risk to make the Assassins of the Brotherhood feel like they were trapped here. Or that they were one bad move away from being stabbed in the back if they chose to stay. Then, they would be no better than the power-mad Templars.
It seemed like a long while, Ezio just standing there, unarmed, letting her see that he meant no harm. A long while, but then… Bettina seemed to relax again. She looked at him now not with fear, but with confusion.
“I owe you my life. You could force me to do exactly as you please. Why don’t you?”
Why would I want to? Ezio didn’t say. All he really wanted was to protect the people he cared about. The ones he still could protect, at least. And… that meant the Brotherhood too. That meant Bettina, and all the other initiates, people who put their lives at risk to help his goals. People he was realizing, especially after spending all this time with Bettina today, that he wanted to know better.
But he wasn’t sure Bettina would believe that right now. So he reached for something that maybe she could believe.
“Because that is not what we stand for. I would think you at least know our creed by now.”
She had the look of a child, exasperated at having to repeat a well-known lesson, but she sighed, and said the words he was looking for. “…Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
“Exactly!” He couldn’t help but smile, lean into the role of a teacher full of praise. With an eye still roaming the dark surroundings, of course. All his weapons were still on the ground after all, and picking them up now would ruin the moment, so he had to stay alert.
“Except it doesn’t make sense. There are rules. Going around and pretending there’s not just not only means no one knows when they get punished.”
“Sí, but-” Ezio realized with a start that his mouth had started moving before he had actually figured out what to say. And this time, his bullshitting powers simply did not activate. …Maybe that was for the best. “Hm...You have a very sharp vision, Bettina.”
“What?”
He couldn’t help but think it was a little cute how alarmed she was. “That was a compliment,” he clarified. “You speak clearly, and you have given me things to think about.”
“Thank you.” she said. “For listening.”
She meant it so genuinely that it broke his heart. “And Bettina.” said Ezio, realizing he still hadn't really answered her concerns. “If you have a question about the rules of our Order, you can always come to me directly.”
“Truly?”
“Of course. We are together in this fight." And her face brightened just a little. A small sun rising, under the night sky. How had someone so beautiful ended up so crushed by the world? He held out his hand, and she, with some hesitation, took it.
He put his other hand on hers, Bettina’s surprisingly delicate hand warmed between two of his. He clasped it and looked directly into her eyes, feeling the rush, the intimacy. But this was not an affair of the heart exactly. He had a request. “I only ask” Ezio continued, “That you do not stop pushing back against what I or any one else tells you. Do not let anyone choose your path for you. That is what the Creed really means.”
Bettina breathed in and out, eyes wandering, beads of sweat on her face, and Ezio had the sudden urge to wrap her in a hug. As a young man, he might have. But now he knew: that was too much, for the moment. And it would not particularly help the point he was trying to make to her. Maybe one day, when she knew full well that she was his equal.
With one final inhale Bettina looked directly at him, dead serious. “Is it? What the Creed really means? Nothing is true, after all.” And only then did a grin play across her face. Oh, she knew exactly how clever she was. Excellent.
Ezio couldn’t help but laugh, surprising even himself. “Bene! Just like that!” he laughed, letting her hand go. And now Bettina was laughing too, and Ezio’s heart was soaring in the gladness that he could, at the very least, give her this moment.
But when their mirth faded into the quiet of the night, Ezio was hit with just how tired he was. “It has been lovely to spend this night with you, Bettina.” he said, quickly gathering up all the dropped weapons. He was confident now that she did not see him as a threat.
“I could say the same to you. Grazie. (Thank you.)”
“My pleasure.” With that, he took his leave, peeling off from the main path, already looking forward to a much needed sleep-
“No, come, Ezio. There’s still something I need to show you.”
He turned, dreams of his warm bed shattering. Still, he was too curious not to head back toward her. “Oh? There was a goal to this journey the whole time, was there?”
She glared at him, but it seemed more playful than angry. “What, you believed I would waste your time on a pointless walk?”
“A walk, Bettina? I would use the word “run” myself.”
“Oh, do you want a run?”
Well, that had been a mistake.
“Wait, Bettina-” but she was off already. Ezio grumbled aloud. Now he knew she was doing this on purpose.
But that was good. That meant she certainly did not fear him. He would take the pain of pushing his body yet further, if it meant he had gained her trust.
The tower rose like a knife into the night sky. The gate to Porta Salaria was wide open. And Borgia Captain Ferdinando di Napoli was making his night rounds. That could only mean one thing.
“Brilliante! (Brilliant!)” Ezio exclaimed, unable to hide the excitement from his voice. “I have been looking for an opportunity to strike this tower for weeks, but the timing was never right!”
“It is now, wouldn’t you say?” She didn’t seem quite sure, but continued. “I noticed that things have seemed more lax here. And then you sent out a call to us, and I thought when that job was done…”
She trailed off, looked at him as though she was still slightly expecting- maybe not a knife in her back, but at least some harsh words. Ezio wished she thought a little more highly of herself. It would of course be her journey, but maybe he could at least give her a push in the right direction.
“Yes. This is the perfect moment. Grazie (Thank you), Bettina.”
“Buona fortuna. (Good luck.)” said Bettina, then added, with a slightly unhinged grin. “I look forward to watching the blaze.”
Ezio couldn’t say he blamed her for the excitement. There was nothing quite like watching something so important to the Borgia literally go up in flames. But why only watch? “Care to join me, Bettina?”
“No.” Bettina shook her head. “This is too critical. It falls to you.”
“But you led me here. It is only fair that you get in on the fun too, if you so choose.”
“Thank you. But I will pass.”
It was then Ezio saw something out of the corner of his eye, and felt a smile tugging at his lips. “This would not happen to have anything to do with that group of horses over there, would it?”
Bettina smiled in response, just a bit. “I will not deny it. They look well cared for, and I think I’d like to see if their riders and I could learn a thing from each other. Besides,” she looks over the clean - for now - street, surely picturing what was to come. “it’s best if they’re out of the way while you get to your work.”
“That is a good point.”
“But I meant what I said, too.” She paused for a moment, and it was like all the running she’d done had finally caught up to her, and now everything had slowed. “It is… you have given Roma a story to tell. The Assassin who will come to aid a person on the brink of death. Even for the worst off, who know it’s only a matter of time before they reach that brink, it’s a reason to not give up. Because maybe the Assassin will be there.”
Ezio took this in.
“I… grazie (thank you). I am glad I can do that for this city.”
It was another thing he could not fully understand, the desperation of a life never knowing where and how you might even eat or sleep, without having a guard make an example of you. Another reason it was so vital they had a Brotherhood, so that some Assassin among them would understand. Nothing is true. Each Assassin had their own reality. It was their differences, assassins, thieves, courtesans, mercenaries, that made them strong.
Bettina nodded, and looked out toward the tower. “But I am glad,” she continued, “that it is not only a story. I am glad that Ezio Auditore is a person, and a person who truly does care.”
“I-”
“I will be seeing you!” said Bettina, and ran toward the horses like she was being chased.
Ezio smiled. That was… a job well done by that strange but radiant budding Assassin. He watched Bettina approach the horses, practically feeling her excitement from here, before stepping behind a building and gathering his composure, orienting himself in space.
He still had one more job left to do tonight.
Ferdinando di Napoli was dead. So were his forces - the ones who survived, the smart ones, had long since escaped. Why should they show loyalty to a Captain who saw them as disposable? Ezio hoped they would make something better of themselves with their pezzo di merda (piece of shit) boss dead.
The everyday people of the port who had nothing to do with this were going about their business, the fight and blood faded into the streets as it always did. But maybe the people here would feel a little bit lighter soon. Bettina was somewhere too, maybe walking alongside a horse, or keeping her eyes peeled for another place for Assassins to intervene.
Life went on in Porta Salaria, and Ezio Auditore was perched far up above, a torch in his hand, in a tower in its final moments. The eagles who had risen early, well before dawn, circled, crying out, always a friend to the Assassins.
This was the last of the Borgia towers. It was exciting. That being said, as glad as he was to destroy this final stain on the city of Roma, Ezio had to say he was more than a little disappointed that he would never get to do this again.
“Ah well.” He said aloud, though only the eagles and the stars above could hear him. (And maybe, inexplicably, someone named Desmond? Ezio still had no idea what that had been about, but he couldn’t help but think of the name, and the mysterious presence it might belong to, sometimes.)
“Time to let it burn.”
He tossed the torch behind him, and leapt off the tower as the night above him exploded into light.
Bettina too, would take a leap like this one day, Ezio had no doubt in his mind now. She had the spirit of an Assassin.