Book of Ezio Auditore da Firenze One Shots.

At A Distance. An Ezio Auditore da Firenze One-Shot.

It happened again. Just like it was three days ago. First it was Ariana, then Chanelle, now Arviano! Damn  stronzo  keeps stealing my stallions! I don’t know what’s getting into this idiota’s  mind but he keeps on taking them away without permission! Not even paying.  Does he know how much it takes to tame a stallion? He thinks he can just whisk them away, given with the privilege that I’m not always there at the stables? Damn Viaggio clerk doesn’t even care anymore about the horses.

Yeah, sure. As if I don’t have enough problems already. Monteriggioni’s slowly fading away now. And I’m doing the best I can to make my paintings sell at the local Mercante d’ Arte and hopefully, make Monteriggioni come alive again.

My family has lived in this town for generations. It would be a shame if we would just get up and leave since Monteriggioni’s getting sloppy and no one has to tend to the fields for food since no one gives them supplies. The blacksmith is almost out of business—wait, almost EVERYONE’S almost out of business. Including me, of course.

At least no recent accounts of pick-pocketing and stealing have been recorded. Why would anyone steal from a town that’s already been stolen from? Ever since the Pazzi has gotten most of the San Gimignano bowing on his whim, our neighbor city has cut off all economic ties with Monteriggioni, knowing that Auditores have been handling this town for quite a while.

“Oi! Seen anyone suspicious yet?” I said, slamming my palms angrily on the Viaggio counter, startling the dozing clerk.

“Huh? Huh? Oh, uh, no.. No.” He immediately replied.

I knew he would be slacking off at this hour so I was stupid enough to ask him to begin with. I am this desperate to save the last of my horses. I have to get to the bottom of this. Somehow.

~

It was getting dark. The sun was at its weakest hue and is slowly disappearing over the horizon. For the past few hours, I have been hiding above the rooftop of the stables, checking to see every person who comes near the stables to see if they’re trying anything strange.

I was at my most untrustworthy point. Slumber’s arms are slowly pulling me into their comfortable death grip. I must not let it consume me. I was really tired. Just yesterday, I spent the whole night just finishing up my portrait of my latest horse. I can still see the picture in my mind. Very detailed, it was. No wonder I spent the whole night on it. Maybe I should consider taking a whole day off for a cha—

One of my horses down below whinnies and that’s when I realized that I have been drifting to sleep for the past twenty seconds. I looked down to see a hooded man drenched in white and with stripes of red. His long, flowing cape was moving gracefully across his left arm as he hoisted himself up on Carmen. Wait, hoisted? That  figlio  da  puttana  is stealing one of my horses! Fully awakened by the sudden wrong deed, I jumped down from the semi-high roof just as he was turning Carmen around. A small smile crawled on the only thing coming out of the hood.

“Finally caught you, you  bastardo!” I said, pointing my finger at him.

“You haven’t caught me yet.” He said, that smile now turning into a faint smirk as he charged past me, almost landing me on top of my bottom. The dust from the ground Carmen made, made me cough for a bit. Enough time for that thief to make a possible getaway. POSSIBLE.

Powered by rage and nothing but pure hatred, I ran to my remaining horse, Alfonso, and immediately mounted on him, not having any second thoughts to stop but say a loud “Hiya!” to follow after the hooded man in white with Carmen. I decided to take the shortcut, saving me time and distance instead of making that semi-circle turn which that  cazzo  might probably take since I know this route better than him. Bad luck for him to start with when going against me.