Tortured Mentor (For those who can't Tumblr)

Here's the main gist. Ezio has been captured and tortured pretty badly. I have no idea how he ended up like that and my partner is still thinking of what happened. Anyway, Vita was chosen as the one who rescues the guy. Things go on from there. What comes on this post is what happened so far. As my partner and I go on, there will be a new post.

Happy reading!

COLOR KEY
Me
Partner

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Ezio could barely lift his head to see the iron door swing open. Pain radiated throughout his body - numerous broken bones and countless lacerations had rendered him almost completely helpless.

"I… Won’t… Talk…" He managed in a hoarse whisper, with as much defiance as he could muster. He wasn't sure what more his captors could do to him, but he didn't want them to try anything else. "Don’t… Waste… My time…"

Alas, it wasn't really a guard that swung open the door. Just a rushy Vita with some bloodstained hidden blades, two dead guards on the ground, and some messy hair. A look of horror and worry formed on her face. She had to make sure the path here was clear of guards which explains why she was rushy. Yet she was paranoid that there were some following her, another factor for her to be rushy.

"No time to waste, mentore! Tell me how to undo the chains!”

Why did the second in command have to send her on a mission like this? She’d slip, trip, fall, and easily expose herself. Well, it’s freaking Ezio she’s rescuing, she has to do it! Along with the good ol’ medicines she has on her, that’s a plus. Dumb the pain, undo the chains, help the poor man out of there!

"The chains…" Ezio coughed weakly. "You need the key. I do not know where it is kept…"

His vision was swimming in spite of the relief he felt at being rescued by one of his students. Had he been fully conscious and aware, he would have been extremely proud, but at that moment he only felt sick.

Of COURSE she needed a key. She figured but she just needed to make sure. At that note, she got on her knees and began to search the dead captors for said key.

“Quella chiave meglio essere qui…" she began to mumble. One’s pocket was full of poison and crossbow bolts. Vita mentally sighed in relief. Any later and Ezio would be a goner! She took those resources and put them in her stash before going on to search the pocket of the other captor. Ah! There’s the key! Looks like today was supposed to be execution day. Good thing Vita rushed on in.

"Got it," she began, if a bit nervous. "Hold on." Vita approached her chained mentor and began to look for the lock. Once found, she got onto her tippy-toes and unlocked the chain. Freeing her mentor and… Having him fall on her like a large sack of potatoes. She struggled to lift him up, eventually getting to the point that she manages to get him slumped on her shoulder.

“Dio, sei pesante…" she managed to get out. "Hang on tight." Thus, she began to walk, slouched a bit since she has so much weight on her.

Ezio attempted to let out a curse, but it came out as an accented groan. “Grazi…” He told her. “We need to… Leave quickly…”

He tried - God knows he tried - to keep his feet under him, to help his student by carrying some of his own weight, but it was much easier in theory than in application.

"How… How did you find me?" He croaked as they staggered along the dank hallways.

"I took some time to eavesdrop when I first found my way in," Vita began to explain. "As for finding my way to this specific place, I’ve been guided by my fellow brothers and sisters who were still out in the field." An ugh escaped her mouth as she carried her mentor out the way she came. She has been pretty panicky enough to rid the entire courtyard of guards so there’s that advantage. She was exposed mid-conversation (but enough to have a clue) so she had one heck of a battle. A few scratches there and some bumps here. Once in the courtyard… Oh good. Horses.

"How well are you on horseback in this state?"

Ezio groaned, in annoyance at his weakness and in pain. “I… I’ll be fine. Vita, exactly how far are we from the den?”

Between the combined efforts of Vita, the horse, and a wounded Master Assassin, he somehow found himself in the saddle of the red-brown stallion.

"As far as I know, we’re in Toscana." While getting on the same horse, Vita hands a capsule of medicine to Ezio as an apology of some sorts. As soon as he takes it, she holds onto the ropes on the horse, ready to set off. "I’ll make sure we make it back to Roma. Hold on tight. HIYAAH!” And off they go, thank goodness.

The medicine made him groggy, and Ezio closed his eyes, allowing the rhythm of the horse to lull him into a place of glorious semi-consciousness. He felt like it had been days since he’d last closed his eyes… It probably had been.

When he returned to himself, Vita was dismounting the horse and there were hands all over him.

"Merde!" He tried to get away from them in his panic, but then he saw their flag. The Assassins. Home. Vita had brought him home. At least, it looked a lot like home. His head was spinning like a child’s top, so he couldn’t be sure.

"Vita…" He tried to call as a doctor attempted to force more medicine down his throat after they had placed him on a table inside the den. "Vita!"

Several strong arms held his head in place and out of the corner of his eye, Ezio saw the doctor mixing a small vial of medicine.

His body hadn’t caught up with his mind, and continued to struggle against his brothers as if they were his captors. He couldn’t be sedated now… Panic made him see red and he gave a desperate thrash in a final attempt to break free. At that point, the bird-like doctor had moved to stand directly over him and poured the bitter medicine down his throat. Ezio struggled for as long as he could, confused and in pain, but it didn’t take long for the doctor’s potion to take effect. The last thing he saw before succumbing to a drugged sleep was Vita’s face in the corner of the room.

"Rest well, mentore…" Vita said with some panic, yet hopeful. She wasn’t sure if he heard before he fell unconscious. It was one thing that he was struggling. The other thing was the fact it was her father doing the job. She caught him near the hideout in the middle of his shift, which was fortunate.

"What was his problem, Vita?" Baldo questioned.

"Father, please understand that long isolation and major weakness can cause major confusion. He has been all beaten up for days."

"I see… Just a misunderstanding, correct?"

"Yes, father."

The two began to work together to bandage Ezio’s wounds, Vita trying her best to lift his limbs gently…

It took time, but about an hour has passed.

"I must return to the stall. Keep your mentor in good care," Baldo said as he exited.

"You do the same with mother," was Vita’s reply. Once her father left the hideout, Vita went to prepare a meal of some sorts for when Ezio wakes up.

Ezio hurt. A bone deep ache that seemed endless. His eyelids felt like they had been pasted closed and his throat was as dry as the wine cellars after a four-day bender. He groaned and managed to pry his eyes open, surprised to find himself staring at… The ceiling?

"What - ? Where am I?" He asked, his voice scratchy and hoarse. Then the memories hit him. "Vita?"

Vita has already finished the meal she was preparing, thank goodness. When she walked into the room, she was surprised to see the other awake already. “Hello again, mentor,” Vita greeted as she gave him his meal. “Welcome home.” Well Vita, you managed to rescue Ezio all by yourself and make it out with both of you alive. Impressive for the clumsiest Assassin doctor in the hideout.

Ezio blinked slowly. “… We’re home?” He sat up on his elbows, his head swimming. “… You… You rescued me?”

The events were coming back to him slowly, like sand through an hourglass.

Vita nodded, giving a warm smile. “Yep. Try not too speak too much, You already lost your voice enough. Don’t want to lose it the rest of your life.” She began to help the other sit up more that way when he’s ready he can have his meal comfortably. “You were pretty fidgety earlier when it came to patching you up. I had my father assist with the medicines and bandages while a few other apprentices and I held you down so you don’t end up reopening a wound.”

"Forgive me," he immediately apologized, hating how much he needed to depend on her physical strength. "I… I don’t remember, but I would not purposefully make your job more difficult."

The smell of soup hit his nose and Ezio felt his mouth water. Actual food… Dear God, it seemed like it had been ages since he’d had a decent meal.

"Grazie," he told her in a quiet, deadly serious tone. He sipped at the soup and groaned. He didn’t think he’d ever tasted anything so delicious in his entire existence.

Vita smiled, her cheeriness coming back. She let out a small giggle at the thought of this grand mission coming to a happy closing. Even the mission itself changed her; from the clumsiness doctor to the savior of the most important person in the Brotherhood. She may not hold the title long but it was something to honor.

"Recovery bed-bound will last probably a few days as you have some broken bones here and there. The bandages closed any open cuts and scrapes but they can still rip open if you’re not careful."

At that, she tilted her torso slightly and held her hands.

"Is there anything else you need at the moment?"

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Ezio blinked, overcome by sudden weariness. He hated being so weak - this is why he was supposed to be careful, but no… He’d thought he could take out the Borgia captain on his own, and he’d walked straight into a trap.

"No, not at the present." A thought occurred to him at that moment. "Vita… Why were you sent to rescue me? Why not one of the other recruits?"

His first guess was because they were all dead, and she had been the only one left. But that didn’t make sense, because there had been plenty of Assassins to hold him down when the doctor was patching him up.

His second guess was that they had assumed he was dead, and moved on. That was much more likely, and it would make sense that a lower-ranked recruit, still believing he was alive, followed the trail to him.

It wasn’t that Ezio was ungrateful. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, he hated that one of his newer recruits had been put in such danger just to rescue him. If Vita had been killed in the attempt to break him out of the Borgia stronghold, how would he be able to explain that to her father? Guilt weighed heavily on his conscience. She was so young and relatively inexperienced. He couldn’t have her blood on his hands.

"I would’ve asked the same question…" Vita sighed as her brightness drained slowly away. "Turns out that the others were on other contracts when the news arrived while I was the only one available. Forse sono stato l’ultima risorsa in qualche modo…"

Before she left to do the job, Vita visited her parents and gotten their blessings and prayers. Maybe god was on her side throughout… Maybe she was lucky… But either way, she made it and was successful.

"I was worried about myself and what might happen if I failed…"

Though her mood dropped, she fought hard to gain her happiness back. It was enough to form a small smile.

"I’m glad I didn’t…"

And we're back in business!

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"I am too. You have done me a great service, Vita - I owe you my life." Ezio’s voice was strong, despite his weak body. "If there is ever something you need, tell me. I will do it. As for the rank of novice… Consider yourself promoted. I want you to show the others what it means to be loyal." He gave her a small smile, drowsiness overcoming him. "You’ll be a master in no time."

“Grazie, mentore.”

Vita’s smile became wider and warmer, a sign of gratitude. She earned it; succeeding in a task that was vital for the Brotherhood to stay strong and standing. Heck, someone of her size and gender actually did it! Somebody give this girl an award or something! Well, all Assassins are capable of doing something great.

But what of the ability to summon her mentor when she’s in a pinch? Of course, she can’t ask for assistance for stupid things like opening a door or cleaning a mess. Maybe if combat gets too intense… She must use this privilege wisely, not for her own benefit.