Assassin's Creed II: Dream of Venice

Chapter 3: Deadly Discoveries

   “I did not expect to meet you at a brothel, [Name]. Are you a…?” Ezio asked, trailing off at the end of the question. You knew what he was going to ask, and you understood that he probably didn’t finish his question for fear of offending you.

   “No, no, I just live there.” You told him as your eyes looked around you at the people of Venezia, most of them still wearing masks and costumes.

   “Why do you live in a brothel if you are not a courtesan?” He asked, looking over at you.

   “Sister Teodora found me on the streets. My mother had been murdered, and I never knew my father, so I had nowhere to stay as I ran out of money and could not afford to pay rent on my home. I was kicked onto the streets, homeless and penniless, and Teodora found me and offered me a place to stay. She did not expect me to become a courtesan, and all she asks of me is to do some chores around the place. So, that is why I live there.” You explained, feeling sadness try to creep it’s way into your heart again. You couldn’t mourn your mother now. Yes she had been murdered, but there was nothing you could do.

   Your mother had always told you that her job was a dangerous one and that one day she may not come home, but you had never believed her. What job could be so dangerous as to take your life? It was only a few months ago that your mother had stumbled into your home, bleeding badly from a stab wound. You had tried to help, but you couldn’t. Her last words still confused you, however. No loving words, no sad goodbye, all she had said was ‘Nothing is true, everything is permitted.’ and you had no knowledge of what it was supposed to mean. How can nothing be true? And everything is certainly not permitted; so what had she been meaning to tell you? What were her words meant to say?

   You would have gone to your father for help, but you did not know him. Whenever you had asked about him all your mother had said was that he knew of you, and saw you often, but you were not to see him. Something deep down told you that she had been preventing him from seeing you, but you refused to believe that. Why would your mother prevent you from meeting your own father?

   “I did not expect to see you at the brothel, Ezio.” You told him after a moment of silence and you heard him chuckle.

   “I was not there for the girls, [Name]. I was there to speak with Antonio and Teodora.” He explained, and you glanced up at him for a moment.

   “I see Antonio there often. Can he not find a woman? Is that why he is often there?” You asked jokingly, and you heard Ezio laugh slightly, which brought a grin to your face and eventually caused you to laugh also. 

   You kept wondering where you had heard his name. It was there on the tip of your tongue but you just couldn’t say where it was. Perhaps you hadn’t heard it at all, perhaps it was just your imagination?

   “It’s the assassin! Get him!” You heard a guard yell, and that’s when it clicked in your mind. Of course! That’s where you recognized his name from! Back when you had visited Firenze with your mother, you had caught drift of a story spreading through the city of a man, Ezio Auditore, seeking revenge and killing somebody that had been responsible for the hanging of his father and brothers. 

   Before you could say anything to Ezio, he had grabbed your hand and begun to run through the bustling streets. You kept up with him, barely, as he pushed through the crowds of people while keeping a tight grip on your hand. You looked behind you to check for the guards, but other than angry faces of the people Ezio had shoved out of the way, you couldn’t see anybody. 

   “Ezio, they’re gone!” You called to him, and he checked behind before slowing to a stop. When you had stopped running you were at exactly where you needed to be, the market. “I know who you are!” You told him as you panted, trying to regain your breath, “You are the assassin from Firenze! I was there when you murdered the man responsible for the deaths of your father and brothers. I remember hearing about you!” You explained as you stared at him, wide eyed.