CH 23: Blending

Paola nodded :"good, good. You learn fast. Now, how about we go for a little stroll, hm?" and she didn't wait for an answer before she walked outside nonchalantly like it's a normal walk in a normal day.

Ezio and Ali also followed her, but hidden. Hidden amongst the crowed as they hid away from the watchful eyes of the guards even though they were right in front of them. But the walk was short as Paola just wanted to check if they learned.

And she got her answer, so she circled the streets and after walking by a few more guards, she returned to her house while Ali and Ezio followed her without getting noticed even a little by a single guard out there.

And after walking into the yard again, they got a nod of approval from Paola :"Bene (good)! Now that you've learned to blend, I'll show you how to use it for more than just moving around. Let's teach you how to steal."

-

They already knew how to steal, they had pick pocketed a lot of people after all. But they still paid attention to her explanation and words of knowledge. And after learning her ways, the pickpocketing experience came to good use.

And after learning, Ali was made sure of having learned when the "blend skill learned" and "steal skill learned" flashed in his vision and then disappeared. He smiled to himself in victory at the convenient function of his map.

Paola clapped her hands as she signaled to the girls :"you can go now, girls." But the girls that were definitely levels below Ezio had seemed to taken a fancy for Ali as they acted seductively as one of them trailed her hand down her cleavage :"do we have to?"

Girl number two :"so innocent…"

Girl number three :"he's cute."

But they all left even after all of that as Ezio furrowed her eyebrows at them and checked Ali through the corner of her eye to see his reaction. Which to her satisfaction, was one of nonchalant and none caring one as if he ignored them.

Paola :"now that you've learned how to approach the enemy, we need to find Ezio a suitable weapon."

Ezio :"what would you have me use? The only weapon I have with me right now is the dagger that Ali was kind enough to lend me."

But to Ezio's surprise and shock but Ali's amusement, Paola brought her hand to her back and when she brought it to their sight again, Ezio's hidden blade was in her hands :"ah, but you already have the answer…"

Ezio took it from her hand, though :"hey! My father's blade and bracer… how did you get them?" but her answer was a chuckle :"by using the same skills I've just taught you." Ezio looked at the hidden blade from all sides :"it's not exactly in working condition."

Ali :"let me guess, you also have a way to get this thing working too."

Paola :"*chuckling* I assume you are familiar with Leonardo da Vinci?"

Ezio :"Si (yes). But how does a painter factor into this?"

Paola :"he's far more than that. Bring him the pieces. You'll see." And she started to walk away before Ezio called out to her :"before we go, one last question, if I may?" and :"of course." Was her answer.

Ezio :"why have you given your aid so readily to me, a stranger?" but this time in answer, she raised her sleeve to reveal a horrible burnt mark that took her entire forearm and may be even worth than that :"I too know betrayal."

As the two started to walk away, Ali sighed :"interesting interaction, huh? We went to a brothel, but instead of girls, we got skills instead. Interesting, really interesting." And as they walked, Ali didn't forget to give her directions as to how to avoid the guards.

She nodded as she and Ali jogged towards Leonardo's workshop :"si, abbastanza interessante (yes, quite interesting). But it was a rather good one where those same skills will be quite useful to us in the future. I'm also quite satisfied with how you acted there. Who knows what would've happened to you if you let your eyes go… stray…"

Ali chuckled nervously after a chuckle when he felt his lover's eyes on him again and pointed up after a cough :"I'm happy to hear that. There are quite a few guards here. And you are rather unarmed, so let's take the rooftops instead. Better avoid the useless trouble."

After a little while of them just sprinting which hardly took away any of their seemingly unlimited stamina, they reached Leonardo's workshop and just invited themselves in. Leonardo was standing in front of his desk and doing something.

But he turned around when he heard the door getting closed and looked to see Ezio and Ali with a smile :"oh! Ezio Auditore and Ali Ashborne! I… I didn't expect to see YOU again. What with all that's has happened… ah! Where are my manners! Welcome back!" He gave them both a quick hug before letting go and looking at them :"now, how can I be of service?"

Ezio :"I was hoping you could repair something of mine."

Leonardo :"of course! Come! This way. Ah, che pasticcio (what a mess)… ho passato l'intera giornata a cercare (I've spent the whole day looking for)… let me clear a space. Alright, let's see it!" Ezio gave him the broken hidden blade along with the codex.

He grabbed them all before he put them down on his table and looked at them :"fascinating... I don't know, you two. Despite its age, the construction is rather advanced. I've never seen anything quite like it. I'm afraid, there's not much I can do without the original plans… Mi dispiace (I'm sorry)."

But just when Ezio was about to pick everything up with a disappointed look, Leonardo pushed her hand away as he pushed the blade and the bracer aside and opened the documents between them :"wait, wait, wait!"

Ezio :"what are you doing?"

Leonardo :"the contents of this page are encrypted! But if my theory is correct… based on these sketches it may very well…" and he trailed off as he looked back and forth from the codex documents and his books.

Ezio :"it may very well what?" but Leonardo just pointed at the chairs a little away quickly :"please, sit!" and didn't take away his focus even when Ezio called out to him :"Leonardo?" and just shushed her :"shhhh!"

Ezio sighed in defeat as she walked towards the chairs. Ali was left chuckling because of her actions beside Leonardo as he reached into his waist bag and pulled out his own hidden blade :"Leonardo, if you can, fix this one as well."

But even then he didn't take away his attention from the documents in front of him as he just nodded and got into his own world :"remarkable! If we transpose the letters and then select every third…"

But seeing that he only understood so little of his words, Ali tightened his lips and held his hands up in surrender as he walked back a little and then towards Ezio before sitting on another chair as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

He furrowed his own eyebrows a little in confusion as he looked at her eyes that were just staring him dead in the eye :"what? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face? Did I do something?"

She narrowed her eyes at him with a look of suspicion :"let me guess, that is another one of your family heirlooms. You just keep taking these kinds of things out as if it's nothing. You seem to have really deep pockets. Especially that bag of yours."

Ali shrugged with a small smile and a chuckle :"well, what can I say? I guess the members of my family have always had a passion for exploring, huh? I guess like me. It was my want to adventure that brought me here and let me meet you. Now, as interesting this conversation is, I'm going to get some shut eye. Because I really need it." She nodded as she yawned with her hand covering her mouth.

-

After some unknown amount of time, Leonardo walked towards the lovers who had pulled the chairs next to each other and were sleeping as comfortably as they could while sitting on a chair in an unfamiliar place.

He shook them both a little which awakened the Ezio and Ali who didn't attack him because he wasn't in that much of a deep sleep :"there! It's finished!" they both groaned a little as Ezio blinked a few times and looked at him :"hmm? What's finished?"

Leonardo held the two finished and completed hidden blades for them with excitement :"the blades! I managed to decode that parchment of yours. It showed me exactly what to do." But just when the two reached out for their blades, he pulled them back.

He then showed why he was holding the blades on a woodwork or something in one hand. He was holding a chopping knife in his other hand which he showed them :"now all that's left is to remove your ring fingers."

They glanced at each other as confusion took over them but realization soon overcame it for Ali as he remembered this scene. And he could probably use it to show off in front of his lover who was clueless to his schemes and looked back at Leonardo :"really?"

Leonardo :"I'm sorry, but this is how it must be done. The blade is designed to ensure the "commitment" of whoever wields it." Ezio turned her head towards Ali with an unsure look, but that look turned to surprise when Ali placed his finger on the table.

He took in a deep breath after he looked at Ezio with a firm and assuring look :"don't think for a single moment that a missing finger can change my emotions or feelings for you. If this is destiny, I will see what it has for me. Now, Leonardo, do it quickly."

He and Ezio both closed their eyes as Leonardo brought the knife up. Their breath hitch in their throats, but jumped when the sound of the knife hitting the wooden table came but no sound of Ali was heard.

Leonardo laughed as he patted Ali's shoulder while the knife was stuck to the wooden table :"haha I was only having fun, Ali, Ezio! Though the blade once required a sacrifice, it's been modified. You two can keep your fingers."

As Ezio put her own hidden blade on, Ali also equipped his own with an excited smile. As the two tilted their hands back, the blade of the hidden blade revealed itself in all of its glory, making a feral smile form on Ali's handsome face.

He slowly moved his arm and inspected the masterpiece that was the wet dream of any Assassin's Creed fan as Ezio also marveled at her own hidden blade :"incredible…" but she was nowhere near as excited as Ali was who was smiling like a madman.

Leonardo :"yes, it is! Tell me: do you have other pages like this?"

Ezio :"I'm sorry, only this one."

Ali :"yeah, at least for now."

Leonardo :"listen, if you ever do happen across another one of these, please, bring it to me."

Ezio :"you have my word. And thank you for fixing this. It-" but just when she was about to continue her sentence, an unknown voice from the outside interrupted her :"by order of the Florentine guard: open this door!"

"eh, just a moment! Wait here!" was all Leonardo said before he gave the codex page to Ezio and hurried towards the door which was being knocked relentlessly by a guard who really didn't seem like a patient person. And that fact was proven when he started questioning Leonardo the moment he opened the door :"are you Leonardo da Vinci?"