Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 6

Ezio woke up the next morning, only to find that his father had no urgent business for him to attend to.He wandered leisurely into the garden and saw his mother supervising the gardener tending the cherry tree - the flowers on which were just beginning to wither.She laughed when she saw him, and beckoned him over.Maria Auditore was a tall, imposing woman in her early forties, with long black hair braided under a white cotton hat with a black and gold trim representing the Auditore family The color of the coat of arms.

"Ezio! Good day."

"Mother."

"Are you okay? Hope better." She gently touched the wound on his head.

"I'm very good."

"Your father said you should try to rest as much as possible."

"I don't need to rest, mother!"

"Well, there wasn't much excitement for you this morning anyway. Your father asked me to watch over you. I know what you've done."

"I don't understand you."

"Don't try to put me off, Ezio. I know you had a fight with Vieri."

"He's been spreading bad things about our family. I can't allow him to get away with it."

"Vieri was under pressure too, especially after his father was arrested," she paused thoughtfully. "Francisco de Pazzi might not be a nice guy, but I don't think he Have the audacity to participate in the plan to assassinate the Duke."

"What will happen to him?"

"When Duke Lorenzo returns, there will be a trial. I think your father may be the key witness."

Ezio looked disturbed.

"Don't worry, it's nothing to be afraid of. I won't force you to do something you don't like—in fact, I want you to accompany me to do something. It won't take long, and you shouldn't be bored."

"I'd love to help you, Mom."

"Let's go, then. Not too far."

They left the mansion on foot, arm in arm, towards the cathedral.In a corner near the cathedral, there are studios and workshops of many Florentine artists.Some, like Verrocchio and the up-and-comer Alessandro di Moriano Filipepi (who now goes by the stage name "Botticelli") had large and busy studios, Inside, assistants and apprentices were busy grinding and mixing paint.The rest are much cooler.Maria walked to a deserted studio and knocked on the door.The door was soon opened by a well-dressed, good-looking young man with a playboy appearance but an athletic appearance, with a head of thick dark brown hair and a large beard.He was about six or seven years older than Ezio.

"Madame Auditore! Welcome! I'm waiting for you."

"Good day, Leonardo." The two kissed formally.He must be on good terms with my mother, Ezio thought.But the person's appearance made him feel good. "This is my son Ezio," Maria continued.

The painter bowed. "Leonardo da Vinci," he said, "it is an honor to meet you, sir."

"Me too, Master."

"I'm not much of a master," Leonardo said with a smile, "but it's rude to have you two standing at the door! Come in, please! Wait a minute, I'll get my assistant to bring some wine, I'll Now go and get your painting."

This studio is not big, but the messy furnishings make it even more cramped.The table was covered with the skeletons of birds and small mammals, and glass jars filled with colorful liquids containing the tissues and organs of various creatures, though Ezio could not recognize any of them.On a wide workbench at the back of the room, there are a lot of weird and detailed wooden models, and there are two easels holding unfinished paintings, the colors of the paintings are darker, and the lines are relatively unclear.Ezio and Maria sat down comfortably, when a handsome young man came out of the room carrying wine and cakes on a tray, he put the things on the table beside them, smiled shyly, Then turned around and went back inside.

"Leonardo is very talented."

"You decide, mother. I know very little about art." Ezio believed that his life would follow in his father's footsteps, although he believed that in the heart of the future Florentine banker, there would always be a sense of rebellion and adventure. yearning.In short, he saw himself as a man of action like his brother, rather than an artist or a connoisseur.

"You know, only by learning to express yourself can you truly understand and enjoy life." Maria looked at her son, "You should find a way to vent your emotions, my dear."

Ezio was a little annoyed. "I have no shortage of such avenues."

"I mean besides fighting," his mother retorted quietly.

"Mother!"

Maria just shrugged and pursed her lips. "It would be great if you could be friends with someone like Leonardo. I think he has a future."

"Looking at such a messy place, I really can't agree."

"Don't be so rude!"

At this time Leonardo came out with two boxes in his arms.He put one of them on the ground. "Could you please help move this box?" he asked Ezio. "I wanted to find Agnello, but he had to stay and watch the store. And I don't think he has the kind of work strength."

Ezio bent to reach for it, but the box was so heavy that he almost let it go.

"Beware!" Leonardo warned, "The painting inside is fragile, and your mother has just paid a large sum of money for it!"

"Can we go?" said Maria, "I want to hang up the pictures quickly. I hope you like the ones I chose." The last words were addressed to Leonardo.Ezio was taken aback: Is it really necessary to show such respect to a fledgling painter?
Along the way, Leonardo chatted affectionately with them, and Ezio found himself involuntarily succumbed to his charms, but there was still something about the painter that made Ezio instinctively uneasy, though he was temporarily unable to identify it.Is it cool?Or the kind of detachment between him and others?Perhaps it was just because, like so many other artists, he was always absent-minded, or so Ezio had heard, and Ezio's heart was filled with respect for him.

"Ezio, what do you do?" Leonardo asked him.

"He works for his father," Maria replied.

"Ah, a financier! It is fitting that you were born in this city!"

"This city is also suitable for artists," Ezio said, "with so many wealthy patrons."

"But there's a lot of competition for artists," Leonardo complained. "It's so hard to get noticed. That's why I'm so grateful to your mother. Seriously, she has great taste!"

"Are you mainly painting?" Ezio asked.He thought of the odd furnishings he had seen in the studio.

Leonardo fell into deep thought. "It's a hard question to answer. To be honest, after starting my own business, I found that I couldn't put all my energy into one thing. I love to draw and know that I am good at drawing, but... sometimes I can imagine in advance results, it makes it hard for me to make up my mind to finish. I need someone to push me behind me! And not only that. I always feel that my work lacks...how should I put it...purpose. Does painting really make sense ?”

"You should have more confidence in yourself, Leonardo," Maria said.

"Thank you, but sometimes, I wish I had more practical work, the kind that directly affects life. I want to understand life—I want to understand how everything works."

"Then you have to become a hundred people to do it," Ezio said.

"That would be great! I know what fields I want to explore: architecture, anatomy, even engineering. I don't want to capture the world with a paintbrush, I want to change it!"

Ezio couldn't help but be moved by the passion in his tone - the man was clearly not boasting: rather, he was tormented by the thoughts that filled his mind.Next thing, thought Ezio, he should tell us that he dabbled in music and poetry too!
"Ezio, would you like to put the box down and rest for a while?" Leonardo asked, "I'm afraid it is not light for you."

Ezio gritted his teeth. "No thanks. We're almost there anyway."

After they arrived at Auditore's mansion, he carried the box into the hallway, slowly and cautiously put it on the ground as far as his sore muscles could allow, and then let out a deep breath.

"Thank you, Ezio," his mother said, "I don't think I'll bother you anymore, of course if you'd like to help hang these pictures—"

"Thank you, Mother—I think I'll leave that to the two of you."

Leonardo held out his hand. "It is good to meet you, Ezio. Hope we will meet again soon."

"me too."

"You can call a servant to help Leonardo," Maria told Ezio.

"No," Leonardo said, "I prefer to do it myself, what if someone drops the box?" He bent down and picked up the box Ezio had just dropped with one hand. "Let's go?" he said to Maria.

"This way," Maria said, "goodbye, Ezio, and we will meet at dinner. Come, Leonardo."

Ezio watched them leave the corridor.This Leonardo is indeed admirable.

That afternoon, Giulio hurried to tell him that his father wanted him to come to the office.Ezio followed Giulio, walking quickly through oak-panelled corridors to the back of the mansion.

"Ah, Ezio! Come in, boy." Giovanni's tone was serious and earnest.He stood behind a desk on which sat two bulging envelopes, tightly wrapped in brown paper.

"They say that Duke Lorenzo will be back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow at the most," Ezio said.

"I know. But there's no time to waste. I want you to get these into the hands of some of my companions in town." He pushed the letters over.

"Okay, father."

"You still have to go down the street to get a letter from the carrier pigeon in the pigeon coop in the square. Try not to let anyone see you while you get it."

"I will."

"Very well. Come back as soon as you get the letter. I have something important to discuss with you."

"clear."

"Behave yourself this time. Don't make trouble anymore."

Ezio decided to go to the pigeon coop first.Dusk was coming, and he knew that the square was the most deserted at this time—in a little while, it would be crowded with Florentine citizens walking.Upon reaching his destination, he noticed a line of writing on the wall high up in the pigeon coop.He was a little confused: was this a recent addition, or had he not noticed it before?He found that the writing neatly carved on the wall was taken from the book of Ecclesiastes: Where knowledge increases, sorrow increases.Beneath that line, someone added, in crude notes: Where did the Prophet go?

He quickly turned his attention to the task at hand.He immediately recognized the pigeon he was looking for - only with a note wrapped around its leg.He quickly removed the note, put the pigeon gently back into the cage, and then hesitated.Should he read the above content?After all, the note was not sealed.He quickly unfolded the note and found that there was only one name written on it-Francisco de' Pazzi.Ezio shrugged.Perhaps those words meant more to his father.He did not understand at all why the note mentioned Vieri's father, after all Giovanni already knew that he was one of the plotters who wanted to overthrow the Duke of Milan.Unless it represents some sort of confirmation.

He must hurry up.Ezio stuffed the note into his fanny pack, and walked towards the address of the first letter.He was a little surprised because the place was in the red light district.He used to go there with Federico—before he met Christina, of course—but he never got used to it.While walking towards the dirty alley, he put one hand on the handle of the dagger, trying to calm himself down.The address was a low, dark tavern that served cheap Chianti wine in clay tumblers.

He was a little overwhelmed because the tavern looked empty.At this moment, a voice came from next to him, which startled him.

"You are Giovanni's son? You look handsome."

He turned around to see a rough-looking man with an onion-smelling mouth.Beside him was a woman who was no longer charming, who seemed to have lost most of her beauty due to years of illness.If there was anything left of her charm, it was in her clear, wise eyes.

"No, you idiot," she said to the man, "he just happens to look like his dad."

"Anything for us?" The man ignored her, "Bring it here."

Ezio hesitated.He confirmed the address.It is indeed here.

"Just give it to me, friend." The man leaned closer.Ezio could clearly smell his breath.Does this guy only eat onions and garlic?
He put the letter in the open palm of the man, who immediately stuffed it into a leather purse at his side.

"Good boy," he said, smiling.Ezio was surprised to see that the smile gave his face a certain aristocratic air.But when he spoke again, that demeanor was gone. "And don't worry," he added, "we don't have contagions." He glanced at the woman. "At least I didn't!"

The woman laughed and punched him on the arm.And off they go.

Ezio stepped outside into the alley, and breathed a sigh of relief.The address on the second letter directed him to a street west of the Baptistery.The environment there is much better, but it is quite deserted at this time.He quickened his pace.

A burly man with the appearance of a soldier awaited him under an archway across the street.He was dressed in the kind of furs country folks wear, but he smelled clean and was clean-shaven.

"This way." He greeted.

"I have something for you," Ezio said, "it is—"

"—Giovanni Auditore gave it to me?" the man said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

The man glanced around.A little farther away a lamplighter was lighting a street lamp, but that was all. "Is someone following you?"

"No—why would someone follow me?"

"Never mind. Give me the letter. Quick."

Ezio handed him the letter.

"Things are escalating," the man said. "Tell your father they're going to do something tonight. He should take some safety precautions."

Ezio was taken aback. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I've talked too much, go home." After speaking, the figure of the man melted into the shadows.

"Wait!" Ezio called after him, "What the hell do you mean? Come back!"

That person has gone away.

Ezio hurried across the street to the lamplighter. "What time is it?" he asked.The man rubbed his eyes and looked at the sky. "I got to work about an hour ago," he said, "and it's almost twenty o'clock now."

Ezio calculated quickly.It had been almost two hours since he left home, and it took him another twenty or ten minutes to get home.He ran.He had a bad premonition in his heart.

When his own mansion appeared in his field of vision, he knew something was wrong.The house was dark and the front door was open.He quickened his pace and shouted, "Father! Federico!"

The halls of the mansion were dark and deserted, but there was enough light for Ezio to see overturned tables, smashed chairs, and broken crockery and glassware.Someone ripped a Leonardo painting off the wall and scratched it with a knife.In the darkness he heard someone crying - a woman crying: it was his mother!

(End of this chapter)