Oliver Bowden - Renaissance

Checco remained motionless for a long moment and looked down to see the blood that fell on the white ground of the road. Dropped his sword and fell on top of Ezio, holding him in his attempt to stand. Their faces were found to scale're inches from each other.

"I return to have your prize, "he whispered, as blood gushed from his chest.

– Do you really thinkad that was worthwhile?Ezio asked-. Such carnage!

Checco made a sound that reminded one of a smilebetween teeth, or maybe it was a cough, as the blood flowed with increasing abundance of his mouth.

"Look, Ezio, you know how hard it is to be kept in your possession for a long time something like this so valuable. -Intempted to take air-. I die today, but tomorrow will be you who dies.

And at the same time the expression vanished from his face and his eyes were blank, his body fell to the ground at the foot of Ezio.

"I see, my friend, "said Ezio-. Rest in peace.

I was exhausted. The arm wound would not stop bleeding, but were forced to walk to the chariot and horses calm, releasing the reins. Then inspected the interior of the vehicle and quickly located the box of teak. Opened first and foremost to ensure that the content was safe, then closed it and took it firmly under his arm healthy. He looked toward the quarry where the driver lay inert. It was not necessaryRiver going to see if he had died because the angle of his body broken spoke for itself.

The horses had not gone far and Ezio came toward them, wondering if he had enough strength to ride one and using it to make at least part of the journey back to Forli. Hoping to find everything just as he had left, then keep track Checco had taken longer than expected. In no time, however, had claimed that his workjo would be easy, but finally the Fruit of Eden was back under the control of Murderers. The time dedicated to him had not been in vain.

Horses looked again and decided that the animal who led the coach would be the best of the four. He came over and grabbed the mane to climb into the saddle, because the horse was not ensioped, and in doing so stumbled.

He had lost more blood than I thought. I had to bandage the wound in some way before anything else. He tied his horse to a tree and cut a strip of shirt Checco to improvise a bandage. Then dragged the body out of the way, away from prying eyes. If by chance someone was going, and no fijaba much into detail, I would think Checco and the driver had been victims of a tragic road accident. Although he startedba to be late and few travelers would transit at that hour.

But the effort had exhausted their last resources. "Even I must rest," he thought, a very sweet idea. He sat in the shadowshadow of the tree and heard the sound of horse pasturing. Teak set the box on the floor beside her, and took one last look at her thearound. It was the last place you would like to stay a long taskpo, but the eyelids were heavy and did not see the silent watcher hidden by a tree on the knoll that rose above the road behind them.

When Ezio awoke, night had fallen, but the light is bright enough to see a figure moving on iflence near where he was.

It hurt a lot right biceps, but when she incorporatedrars left leaning on the arm, found he could not moview. Someone had approached one of the blocks of marble from the quarry and had used it to immobilize the arm. He endeavored, using his legs to try to get up, but it was impossible. He looked toward the place where he had left the box with the Fruit of Eden.

Had disappeared.

The figure, which was dressed with cappa black and white habitco of a Dominican monk, he realized that he had just woken up and turned to him to better position the block of marblemol and immobilize the arm. Ezio noticed that the monk was missing a finger.

– Wait!"Said Ezio-. Who are you? What are you doing?

The monk did not answer. Ezio was the case when the monk agacho to pick it up again.

– Do not touch that! Whatever you do, no…!

But the monk opened the box and showed a light as bright as the sun.

Before returning to fade, Ezio he thought he heard the monk breathed a sigh of satisfaction.

When he awoke, it was daylight. The horses were gone, but part of his forces had returned to accompany the sunlight. He looked at the block of marble. It was heavy, but moved ligeramente when he moved the arm that was trapped duejo. He looked around. He was within his right hand a strong arm that should have fallen to the ground and was still at basboth green and not to break. He gritted his teeth and managed to catch it and place it below the block. The right arm ached betweenMende and began to bleed again when shod one end of the branch under the block and pushed. He passed briefly through the head a half-forgotten phrase of his school days: "Give me a lever long enough and raise the earth." He pushed hard. The block began to move, but strength failed him and fell back where it was. He leaned back on the ground, and rested intempted again.

On the third attempt, internally screaming in pain, thinking that would end up splitting the injured right arm muscles, push back, as if his life depended on it and finalmenI, the block began to roll on the floor.

He sat with caution. Left arm was sore, but nothing broken.

Why not have killed the monk in his sleep? Perhaps the murder was not part of the plan of the man of God. But one thing was certain: the Dominican and the Fruit of Eden had disappeared.

Crawling until his feet, he approached a ArroI close and quench their thirst before washing and bandaging the wound of again. And then made his way eastward, to crossTsar of new mountains and return to Forli.

Finally, after a journey of many days, sighted in the distance the towers of the city. But he was tired, exhausted by his iron work, for his failure, his loneliness. On the way back had much time to think about Cristina and what could haveber was not having to carry that cross. But poday change his life nor he could change.

He had reached the end of the bridge that gave access to the portsta south and was close enough to see people in almenas, when exhaustion was finally able to him, and vanished.

When he awoke, he found lying on a bed, covered with spotless linen sheets on a sunny yourraza under the shade of the vines. A cold hand touched her Frenand you came up to his lips a glass of water.

– Ezio! Thank God you're back. Are you okay? What happened? "The questions flowed from the mouth of Caterina with his usual impetuosity.

– No… I do not know…

"I watched from the battlements. I went to fetch personalmente. I was traveling I do not know how long and have a terrible wound.

Ezio strove to remember.

"Now I remember something… Gotta take the Fruit of Eden Checco… but soon after came another man… It was the Fruit of Eden!

– Who?

"I was wearing a black hood, like a monk, and I paread… Was missing a finger! -Ezio tried to sit. Howto time I lie here? I have to go… Now!

Started to rise, but it was as if his limbs were of lead, and as he began to move, felt a sense of vertigo so bad that he was forced to lie down again.

– Wow! What made me this monk?

Caterina bent over him.

"I still can not go anywhere, Ezio. Even you precise of recovery time to fight all the battles that tietions ahead, and I see you have a long and arduous journey. But take heart! Nicholas has returned to Florence. It will address all issues in the city. And your other classmates are guar Murderersday. So you can stay a while… She gave a kiss on the forehead and then hesitantly first kiss on the lips-. And if I can do something to… speed your recovery, just say so. "His hand began to gently fall under the sheets until they find their target-. Wow, "he said smiling-. I think I begin to succeed… even one little.