Chapter 23: Rest in Peace, Mine Enemy

Ezio rode for a while before he managed to catch up to his uncle and the troops being led to slay his long-time rival turned nemesis Vieri. According to the men who stayed behind, the young Pazzi was with a band of fighters in the city of San Gimignano, not too far away. The sky was clear and Ezio managed to follow a smooth path before he caught sight of the soldiers, clustered around and discussing the upcoming skirmish. Mario was predictably at the head, giving instructions.

As his nephew approached, Mario caught sight of him, and briefly excused himself to meet with him. Ezio dismounted from the horse he had taken from the stables and approached him.

"Ezio," Mario addressed him, his voice sounding surprised, though very little trace of his earlier state seemed evident, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take responsibility, Uncle," Ezio replied earnestly, "Vieri troubles you because of me."

Mario allowed a laugh to escape him, gesturing knowingly.

"Vieri troubles us because he is a Templar. And we are Assassins. Regardless of what his other motivations are, this is the one that is of most importance."

Ezio frowned, gesturing honestly.

"Either way, I wish to help."

Mario took a deep breath.

"Very well, nephew. Then listen close," Mario instructed him, accepting his request. With Ezio now aiding him, Mario proceeded to bring him up to pace with the rest of his men.

"First, we need to find a way inside the city," Mario explained, "But, it seems Vieri is expecting us … He had the gates sealed and has put his men in charge of guarding them."

His expression turned serious.

"Fortunately for us, the city is larger than his host, and the southern gate of San Gimignano suffers for it. So this is where we intend to strike."

Mario gathered his men, and soon they were ready to move again. He turned to Ezio.

"Are you ready?"

Ezio nodded and so he followed alongside his uncle. And so they proceeded, and the men followed the two of them to their destination. It was quite a ways they traveled. Much time passed. But they eventually came upon the city, a safe distance away that none had taken notice of them yet. Evening was falling around them, the sky quickly darkening and the moon coming up from the horizon.

Everyone took their places, and waited until the time where Mario signaled for them to move. Then, he himself advanced furtively to the southern wall until just at the edge of the road. Ezio was at his side, concealed nearby. Many bushes and trees dotted the landscape around this city, which provided more cover and made their approach somewhat easier.

Ezio moved closer to his uncle, taking a good look around to make sure that nobody was around to spot them.

"Alright Ezio, here is how this is going to work," Mario spoke to him, "My men and I will distract the guards. Once we have engaged them, you will get yourself over the wall. Then, you must find a way to open the gate."

Mario snuck a few throwing knives to his nephew.

"Take these. They can help you make fast work of the archers on guard."

Ezio nodded, storing the knives away for easy retrieval.

"I'm ready when you are, Uncle."

"Then let us begin," Mario concluded approvingly.

And so, they split off, Mario taking his men with him to the edge of the southern gate. He attracted the few guards that were on duty there, and soon he and his men were crossing blades with them. Ezio searched for a spot where he could most easily and safely climb over the wall. His feet trailed the grass effortlessly, not making a single noise that attracted attention.

He eventually found a spot he could scale, seeing that any on patrol were engaged with Mario or a safe distance away that he could subdue them easily if needed. Assured with his choice, he found his way up the wall, steadily but surely. As he made it to the edge of the top, he gripped the stone firmly and pulled himself over as quickly as he could.

However, this action did garner some attention, as a couple of archers caught a glimpse of a figure concealed in shadow making their way across the wall. They went to investigate, only to be silenced by the whisk of knives that broke their bows and snuffed the life from their bodies. His training had certainly paid off, he thought to himself, as he could deal with guards more easily than before. This, compounding with his talent, made his journey across the wall a swift one. His dealings once he hit the ground, however, were not so easy a matter.

Evidently, some other guards had caught wind of the commotion by the southern gate, and were coming to see the situation for themselves. It was not long before a few took notice of Ezio. He knew had had to quickly find the mechanism to open the gate and dispatch his pursuers. The young Auditore certainly had his work cut out for him. He exchanged a few clashes with their blades, but fought on the defensive unless there was an opening he could make use of. He a felled them as he retreated towards the wall, looking at his surroundings for a hint of what he was seeking.

He eventually found the mechanism to open the gate and let Mario and his men through. At first it seemed as though they were doing well. Many of the soldiers they encountered were pushed back, but something was amiss in the process. He fought to get to his uncle when he saw a swell in the number of enemy soldiers coming in for a counter-offensive.

Mario found Ezio, fighting with him back to back as he relayed the situation to his nephew.

"Ah, it's good that I found you," he said as he swung a sword at a nearby mercenary, "It appears that my men and I have hit a snag."

His eyes took in the unexpected number of men coming to beat them back.

"It seems some of Vieri's men were lying in wait to ambush us, and now our hands are tied. We cannot come to render aid in taking down Vieri. As much as we would like to help you slay the snake, you will need to seek and root him out on your own."

Ezio nodded. He was more than happy with the change of plans, though he was concerned for his uncle's safety. And yet, he was now tasked with hunting Vieri alone. It was his fight, and his call alone, and that prospect was all too tempting.

"I will find him, and see that justice is done."

Ezio felled a man about to attack his uncle before retreating back towards a nearby wall. He scaled it, vanishing from the skirmish. He ran across the rooftops, occasionally having to deal with guards and hired muscle. But as the night marched on, so did he, and he was as vigilant as ever. He even harnessed his hidden talent, hoping it would make his search for his hated rival all the easier. His eyes flickered under his hood as his feet barely graced the roof tiles.

Eventually, his target was spotted, walking amongst a group of men entering another gate. Vieri was accompanied by his father, and uncle, and another man in a dark hood. Somehow he felt he had seen that man before, but it escaped him as to where, if at all. But, his focus was on Vieri. And so he waited for the proper moment to strike, while listening to the men discuss their strategies.

It seemed as though Vieri would remain in charge of the mercenaries here, while his father and uncle would be dealing with matters back in Florence. Francesco would be in charge of the military, while Jacopo would be tasked with manipulating public opinion and drawing attention away from themselves. However, before they could discuss their plans further, Vieri interrupted them with concern about Mario Auditore's forces, and the possible discovery of their plans.

He was assured that it was routine for Mario to be of annoyance, as his brother Giovanni once was. This remark made Ezio's blood run hot with anger, causing him to tighten his fists as he watched from afar. The man in the hood then assured Vieri that there would be plenty of time to clean up loose ends, once their plans were complete, despite Vieri's impatience. He heard the hooded man speak in a different language. It caused Ezio to raise an eyebrow. They crossed their chests, reciting an oath before departing, leaving only Vieri at the gate.

Just as Vieri was seeing the other men off, a mercenary came running up to him, panting and greatly distressed.

"Commander!"

"What is it?"

The soldier was practically quaking in his boots.

"It's Mario Auditore! His men have invaded the city! He intends to come for you!"

Vieri smirked, obviously not afraid of the news just brought to him. A mistake on his part, thought Ezio. He followed Vieri as he rounded up a few soldiers in the area.

"Then, let's not keep him waiting!"

Ezio tailed the group, keeping himself as close to the shadows as he could without losing them. Eventually, he came to an area where some of Mario's mercenaries were waiting to engage them. Vieri escaped with a small group onto a nearby stone tower on the wall, watching the fight from relative, cowardly safety.

This was Ezio's chance to face him, he thought. He emerged from the shadows, jumping from the roofs to the wall, where a few guards guarded the ladder to the tower where Vieri was watching the scene unfold. He quickly engaged them, ending them with his hidden blade when possible and wearing them down with a full-sized sword when stealth wasn't an option. His guards were tougher than the others he fought, but they fell just like the rest. And soon, it would be Vieri's turn.

When he climbed onto the top of the tower, the remaining two guards who engaged him were no different. Vieri smirked when he saw him, hiding in back of his men to use them as shielding while he moved in for quick stabs at Ezio. But they both met their end; one of the guards was even thrown from the tower, his body plummeting to the ground.

Vieri had his sword pointed at Ezio, still wearing his devilish grin.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, dog," Vieri hissed. Ezio frowned.

"I've had my times where I've wanted to kill you, Vieri. But now…now you really do deserve it," he growled throatily. The two exchanged steel a last time. But Vieri was cocky, feeling that his victory was assured. His rival couldn't dare take him down. He was nothing now! He was a dog scrambling for his life with his tail between his…

He couldn't finish his internal smug pronouncements, for he had been caught off guard. Ezio seized the opportunity, and drew his hidden blade, shoving it hard into Vieri's chest. Vieri fell backward, but Ezio caught him, holding him firmly as Vieri restrained himself from laughing in disbelief.

Ezio cast aside his sword as he saw Vieri's chest running red, his body slowly growing limp with each passing moment.

"What are you and your allies planning, Vieri?," he pulled on Vieri's collar, hoping he would stay alive long enough to divulge information, "Is this what my father discovered? Is this why he was killed!?"

Vieri's eyes were growing dull, but that wicked smirk on his face remained unchanged.

"I'm sorry, Ezio," he spoke softly, mocking Ezio even at death's door, "Were you hoping for a confession? No such luck…"

Vieri's final breath escaped him as Ezio held him firmly to the stone of the base of the tower.

"You piece of shit!," Ezio cried, shaking Vieri's lifeless body, "I only wish you had suffered more! You met the fate fitting of you… I hope you…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a familiar voice interrupt him.

"Enough, Ezio!"

It was his uncle. Mario had managed to make it to the wall, and had just scaled it to the tower when Ezio sank his killing blow into Vieri's chest.

"Show some respect, nephew."

Ezio turned around, utterly aghast at what his uncle had just said to him. Images of his father and brothers hanging flashed across his mind, along with the ambush Vieri had laid on the road for him and his family. Was he honestly telling him to show some respect for the man who played a part in destroying his life?

"Respect?"

Ezio stood up, his voice shaking from his anger.

"After all that's happened, do you think he would have shown either of us such kindness!?"

Mario simply shook his head, his expression unflinching. He shook his finger at him, locking his gaze with his nephew.

"You are not Vieri," he said sharply, "Do not become him."

His uncle then knelt down beside Vieri's body.

"May death provide the peace you sought," he said, closing Vieri's eyes, "Requiescat in Pace. (Rest in peace.)"

He then handed Ezio a parchment.

"Take this. Read it when you have time. For now, our work is finished, and we should return to the villa," Mario told him.

Ezio took one final look at Vieri, and then proceeded to follow his uncle. He remembered what Mario had told him about the difference between the Assassins and the Templars. But it was difficult to be mindful and compassionate when staring down someone he hated, someone who had wrong him so many times, and someone he considered utterly despicable and unworthy of pity. At the moment he couldn't see it, but what set him apart from Vieri was his capacity for compassion and dignity. It was something Mario knew his nephew possessed, and it was one of the most important traits he would need for being an assassin.

The men were gathered, and so they rode back for the villa. It wasn't until morning that they reached home again. Well, it was what was to be Ezio's home now, the young Auditore thought to himself. He had sustained quite a few injuries however, and before they could do anything else once they got back, Mario insisted that a doctor attend to his wounds.

In the meantime, the women were made aware of their return, and were very much relieved that both had returned and that Vieri was dead. Maria remained in her room, praying at her bedside. Claudia and Seona were both eager to see Ezio upon his return, though they were told a doctor needed to attend to his injuries first. Claudia sighed, grateful that her brother didn't get himself killed. Despite all his training, she had a feeling facing Vieri might make him forget himself. But she was just as eager to see some sort of justice for what happened to her family, no matter how small.

Seona on the other hand, was more concerned about his injuries.

"Are they severe?"

"He sustained nothing too terrible, but he may have another scar or two," she was told. This did nothing to comfort the young woman. She asked quietly if there was a possibility if she or Claudia could see him. She was told to be patient, and that he was sure to want to see his family once he was patched up. Seona shook her head, tightening her hands together to interweave her fingers.

"Oh, I just hope they're properly treating his injuries," she confessed to Claudia, knowing internally that fifteenth century medicine was nothing like what she was used to. And it was particularly worrisome to her because he might have sustained injuries that were very serious.

"Don't worry yourself ragged," Claudia shook her head at Seona's fretting, "All we can do is let the doctor do his job."

The two of them were standing in the hallway outside the room where Ezio was being examined and treated.

"It's funny," said Seona aloud, "It's the first time in a while that you are the one comforting me."

Claudia folded her arms.

"I'm tired of crying for now, there…I don't have the strength. And Vieri is dead. It is…a temporary satisfaction."

While she was happy that Claudia found some small solace, she found no peace knowing Vieri was dead. Perhaps the one consolation was that it would buy them some safety, but she knew that wouldn't last. And her modern sensibilities continued to dictate that this entire situation was insane beyond belief. What she cared about more than them finding justice was to find peace, to be safe, for those she cared about to come out of the ruins of their tragedy intact. But it seemed they were far from done with dealing with the dark shadows that led to this whole mess. It wasn't that she didn't want things to be settled or the truth to be discovered. She wanted the truth as much as any of them. But all this death seemed so horrific, and knowing it would continue practically made Seona feel paralyzed with terror.

As much as she had been trying to cope with it, she couldn't deny that she was battling to accept this course. She knew she didn't have a choice, but something within her cried that it was wrong. She shook her head, trying to shake off the thought for now.

"I want to go check on Mother again," Claudia said, looking back in the direction of her room. She bid Seona farewell, leaving her alone in the hallway. The time passed more slowly after that. Seona was now alone with her thoughts. And they became louder than before. She thought about the fight in front of the city when they were ambushed by Vieri. She looked at her hand, still bandaged from her injury. It was nothing compared to what she had seen. How petty and pathetic she was, she thought. All this violence was a fact of life for them, and she was still struggling to accept it, to find some way to reconcile it with everything she had ever been taught.

And then she thought about the dead guard Leonardo had hidden away after Ezio was forced to do away with him. How many more like him were there? How many more would Ezio kill to find his answer? And how would all this bloodshed change him? Surely he would not be unaffected by this.

And then she remembered her time spent with Ezio, from the moment Claudia introduced them. Up until the crisis started back in Florence, she saw Ezio with a certain warmth. She saw him as a somewhat roguish, but ultimately well-mannered and good natured young man. But how would this all really change him, she wondered? Her heart began to sink a little bit.

If he continues, she thought, there will be more scars, and not all of them will be on his body.

And then she wondered, what was she even doing here? Should she even be talking to him after something like this? Then again, it wasn't like she hadn't before.

While lost in her usual internal dialogue, she didn't notice that Ezio had emerged from the room. He was finished with the doctor and redressed into his robes. He spoke with the doctor a few moments before bidding him farewell, his mind on the next task ahead. He would need to talk to his uncle about a change of course.

He wouldn't be running away anymore. If his family was going to live in peace, he couldn't afford it. And he wanted to know what vile men dragged his father and brothers to their demise. He had a list of names, and a piece of parchment his uncle gave him. Then there were the codex pages, he remembered, apparently there were more like the one his father gave him. There was a lot of work to do, but one thing was for certain. They weren't going anywhere. He wasn't going anywhere. He was staying right here to do what he could.

It was then that Seona noticed the younger man out in the hallway, thinking to himself. She sighed with relief, glad to see for herself that he was in one piece. Still, she was tempted to think of whatever wounds he may have incurred, which clawed at the back of her mind.

Ezio then noticed that he was not alone, and was the first to speak.

"Seona?"

"Ezio! Oh, thank goodness," Seona let her gratefulness escape her, "Claudia and I were worried about you. We were eager to see you once the doctor was done with you."

Ezio looked around, seeing Claudia wasn't within sight.

"Where is Claudia?"

Seona looked back in the direction her friend had gone, remembering that the younger Auditore had excused herself.

"She was worried about your mother, so she went to go check on her."

Ezio took a deep breath.

"And how is my mother?"

"Not much has changed. She's still praying at her bedside, and is quiet otherwise."

Ezio nodded understandingly. It would take much longer for his mother's wounds to heal, even with the death of one person who wronged them.

"Claudia is getting better, though, little by little. She's gotten a bit of her…fortitude back, especially since she heard about Vieri's death."

Seona sighed.

"While I am not one to relish death…I am glad to see her getting better. I…don't want anyone to lose hope that things will get better in time."

Ezio frowned, his expression very serious.

"It will get better. Now I have some clues as to where to go, and who to find to answer for what's happened."

He then thought back to what he wanted to do next.

"I'll speak to my uncle shortly. I'm going to stay here and finish what my father started. Maybe this is how I'll find my way to the truth."

Seona smiled.

"So are we all to stay then?"

Ezio nodded affirmatively.

"Yes, we're not moving again. We're staying here with Uncle Mario in the villa."

Seona exhaled amiably.

"I guess…I guess I was hoping we would."

Ezio chuckled a bit at her response.

"Have you grown an attachment to Monteriggioni, Seona?"

Seona folded her hands, her face flushing red.

"Well, I…I do like it here," she confessed, "It's quieter than Florence. And the people here have been nothing but very kind. And your uncle is a good man. I don't think leaving here would have been easy for me."

Seona thought for a moment.

"And…Paola wanted me to continue my training, and here would be the best place to do it. I…want to be able to defend myself, to defend Claudia and Maria if need be. I want to do everything I can to live up to my promise."

"It won't be easy for my mother and sister to adjust. It will be a different life here than in Florence," Ezio thought aloud, "But you've been doing well staying at their side. Perhaps that will make it…a little easier."

"Thank you, Ezio," Seona replied shakily, "I appreciate your kind words."

She then thought about Ezio's wounds, and her smile quickly faded.

"Ezio…are you doing alright? You weren't hurt too badly during the battle against Vieri, were you?," Her blush receded, her expression twisting into one of concern. Ezio's expression, on the other hand, softened a bit, as if ignoring the thought of his own injuries.

"Your concern is appreciated. But, it will heal in due time," he said, shrugging off the notion that it was anything serious. He was mostly trying to put Seona's mind at ease the way he knew how, although in this case he wasn't entirely successful. Her expression was unchanged but his words, causing him to think to himself of something else he could say.

"I just…I worry about you, Ezio," she explained, "Claudia is my friend…but I think…I would very much like to think of you as a friend as well. And my promise wasn't just to help her. It was to help you, too."

Ezio wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this. On the one hand, he was both flattered and amused that she was worrying and fussing over him. And perhaps he should have been honored as well that she thought of him as a friend alongside his sister. She had mentioned such feelings before. And yet, he wanted to pick at the statement.

"…A friend?"

"Yes, very much so," she managed a smile, "And…I suppose that just means I worry about you more than most."

He chuckled again.

"Many men would be jealous that a women like yourself would consider me so highly," he replied. Seona's blush returned. He found that this was becoming a more desirable reaction from her for him, "Especially with you showering me with such attention."

Seona's blush intensified. In this case, he was completely trying to incite the reaction on purpose. He was quite satisfied that he got the result he wanted.

How on earth was she supposed to react to a statement like that? She thought to herself. She told herself to mentally take a deep breath. Ezio was being flirtatious, as she noticed he occasionally was. Was it really something she should get so worked up about? Then, a thought occurred to her that hadn't even crossed her mind before. But she noticed a pattern in Ezio's behavior, some of it rather recent. Was he trying to use his charm to distract her, to push her worries for him away?

"Please don't brush off my concern," she frowned, "I'm serious, Ezio. Please take your own well-being seriously, for your family's sake."

Ezio raised an eyebrow, and his more playful side receded in favor of a more grim expression.

"Seona, I can't promise I won't get hurt. There will be more battles, and more injuries."

He tried to catch her gaze, to show her that he was serious.

"I can't even guarantee I'll come out of this alive. But you can be assured that I will fight my hardest to be on the other side of this mess. But what's more important to me is that everyone else is safe as possible."

Before Seona could respond, Ezio turned away, picking up his feet to go meet his uncle.

"Uncle Mario is waiting for me. I shouldn't keep him."

He left the young woman in silence, Seona finding herself at a loss for words. She stared down at the floor, not realizing that Ezio was looking back at her for a moment. His boots clicked against the floor as he picked up his pace again.

Seona knew she couldn't stop him from getting hurt. That's not what she wanted, she thought. Well, it would certainly be ideal, but what she hoped for was that he wouldn't be reckless. But, what she also hoped was that this trail of blood would end somewhere.

Ezio in this respect knew better. He had only broken the surface of the mystery, and he still had a list of names to go through. Vieri was but only one of many. His father was also involved, and Ezio knew he would see that Francesco shared the fate of his son. And then there was Jacopo, and the man in the dark hood. One by one he would hunt them, and no longer would he be the one being hunted. Then there were the codex pages and the rest of his father's work. There was so much work to be put to rest. And there were men who needed to find their rest, only then would there be peace.

…

Author's Notes:

So…it's been four months since I last updated. Wow. Well, these notes might be kind of long since it's been so long. I was wrapping up some college work and then I had to do stuff for work…and then I got desperately ill on top of that. Needless to say, I haven't had the time or motivation to pick up this story again until recently. But boy, it's good to be back.

I apologize if I am out of practice and this chapter isn't quite as well written as the others. I was originally going to cut it off at Vieri's death, but it would have made it too short. So, I tried to work on Ezio and Seona's relationship more. Let's just say that part went through a lot of revisions before I decided this was ready to post. And I'm still not even sure this is quite right.

I really apologize for the delay, but I am glad to be back on the horse and look forward to working on the next stages of this story. I'm going to try and be a little less strict following the plot of the game in future chapters, but with most important events I will still try to be a close as I can. Some of those details are still being worked on, so suggestions are always welcome. Well, that's all for now! Thank you for reading, and see you next time!