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  Ezio calmly walked the halls of the Assassin's Guild, his steps quiet as he made his way to the meeting chamber. The air carried a faint chill, and the dim torches along the stone walls did little to warm the atmosphere. The Guild’s upper echelon rarely called meetings unless something signifit was brewing, and Ezio had no illusions about the subject today. Tensions with the Thieves Guild had reached a boiling point. The two fas, while never allies, had rgely avoided open flict. That bance was now teetering, and Ezio k would only take a push to tip the scales into chaos.

  He stepped into the chamber, where a semi-circle of the Guild's most promi figures had already gathered around a tral table. Maps, reports, and a feons y scattered across its surface. Murmurs of versation filled the room, but they hushed briefly when Ezio entered. He aowledged the others with a nod and took his pce among them, standihe edge of the gathering rather than f himself into the circle. Despite his position as one of the Guild’s most skilled assassins, he preferred to remain unobtrusive during these discussions. His reputation was enough to and respect without unnecessary p.

  dra leaned ba her chair at the head of the table, her gaze sharp as she surveyed the room. “You’re here. Good. Let’s begin,” she said, her voice cutting through the room like a bde. She tapped the map in front of her with a finger, drawing attention to a marked se of the city. “The Thieves Guild has overstepped. Again. This time, it’s more than a stolen shipment or a dead informant. They’ve hit one of our strongholds.”

  A ripple of reaoved through the room. One of the older assassins, Tomas, leaned forward. “Which stronghold?”

  “The docks,” dra replied. “They took out our men statiohere, burned our supplies, aheir mark for everyoo see. They’re daring us to respond.”

  “They’re idiots if they think they provoke us without sequences,” muttered Idris, a younger assassin with a reputation for hotheadedness. He spped the table, drawing a disapproving gnce from dra. “We should hit back hard and fast. Show them what it costs to cross us.”

  Ezio’s eyes flicked toward Idris briefly but said nothing. The younger man had always been quick to suggest violence, rarely pausing to think of the long-term implications.

  Tomas crossed his arms, shaking his head. “And what happens when we escate? We’ll be at war with the Thieves Guild, and who bes from that? Not us. It’s the merts and nobility who profit, selling us ons and information while we bleed each other dry.”

  “You’re suggesti this go?” Idris shot back, his voice rising. “Let them walk all over us?”

  “No,” Tomas said, his tone level. “But rushing in blind is how we lose.”

  dra held up a hand, sileng them both. “Enough. We’re not here tue. We’re here to decide our move. Marius, you’ve been quiet. What’s your take?”

  Marius Boudreaux was the eldest member of the Guild, and many sidered him the wisest. His graying hair and lined face spoke of years spent navigating the treacherous waters of the assassin’s world. Unlike Idris, who thrived on brash violence, or Tomas, whose pragmatism often leaoward caution, Marius embodied patience. He leaned slightly on his staff, his eyes sing the table before he spoke.

  “This isn’t just about the docks,” Marius began, his tone measured. “The Thieves Guild knows our patterns. They khat stronghold wasn’t heavily defended. It was a calcuted strike, not a reckless ohat means they’re testing us.”

  Idris scoffed. “Testing us? They’re taunting us, Marius. Let’s stop pretending this is some clever strategy. They’re thieves, not tactis.”

  “They’re smarter than you think,” Marius replied without looking at Idris. “They wouldn’t risk open war without a reason. The question we o ask is, who bes if we go to war?”

  Tomas nodded. “Exactly. The merts, the nobles, maybe even another fa withiy. Someone is pulling strings here.”

  dra tapped her fingers on the map. “That’s possible, but specution won’t fix the problem. We need a response. Sitting idle only makes us look weak.”

  “Agreed,” Idris cut in. “Let’s hit them where it hurts—one of their hideouts, maybe their bck-market operations. Show them what happens when they cross us.”

  “And risk esg the flict further?” Tomas said. “We’ll be pying into their hands. The city will bleed, and the only winners will be the ones selling swords and bandages.”

  “It’s not weako avoid a fight when it’s a trap,” Marius added. “We should focus on gathering intelligence before making our move. If we act rashly, we’ll be blind. And blind men rarely walk away from battle unscathed.”

  dra’s gaze shifted to the map. “We ’t afford to wait too long. Hesitation breeds rumors. If the other fas think we’ve lost e, we’ll have more thahieves Guild to deal with.”

  The tension in the room thied as the discussion tinued. Ezio stood silently he edge of the gathering, his arms loosely crossed. His eyes moved from face to face, each member’s posture and tone. Marius’s caution, Idris’s aggression, dra’s bance matism and authority—each pyed their role in the Guild’s fragile hierarchy.

  dra leaned back slightly in her chair, her gaze settling on Tomas. “What do you suggest, then?”

  Idris looked at Ezio, his voice sharp with impatience. “Let’s do it the Assassin way. Take their head.” His meaning was clear. Every assassin in the room knew what he meant, and the weight of his words shifted the attention to Ezio. By now, it was widely accepted that Ezio was the best among them, though he rarely indulged in their politics. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for a response he wouldn’t give.

  Marius shook his head. “That will only make them more rampant. Cutting off the head doesn’t stop a snake if it’s already learo strike without ohey’d turn to chaos, and chaos serves someone else’s agenda.”

  Idris crossed his arms, scoffing. “If we sit back, they’ll just keep pushing. You keep talking about strategy, but the longer we wait, the weaker we look. This isn’t a chess game. It’s survival.”

  Tomas cut in before Marius could reply. “It is survival, which is exactly why we o think beyoaliation. You want blood, fi not without knowing the hand guiding them. We hit now, we lose more than we gain.”

  dra let the bad-forth tinue, watg the dynamifold. Ezio noted her restraint. She was weighing them, testiions, like a mert appraising goods. It was her style—let the room debate until the temperature hit boiling, then step in with a decision that would seem iable.

  She finally tapped the table three times, drawing all attention to her. “Ezio and I will visit their base. Let’s see if this was ordered by Gambit or not. If it was his doing, we will take his head. If not, we will discuss further.” dra’s tone carried the weight of a deade.

  Idris leaned forward slightly. “And if it’s not Gambit? What then?”

  “We hold,” dra replied. “We don’t swing unless we know where the bde nds. If this wasn’t Gambit, we’ll o figure out who’s pying us against each other. No half-measures.”

  Tomas nodded, speaking before Idris could jump in again. “It’s the only move that makes sense. Pig fights without knowing the stakes will just bleed us dry. If it’s Gambit, it’s . If not, we reassess.”

  “That’s a lot of trust to put in talking,” Idris muttered. “And not a lot of a.”

  “It’s strategy,” Marius tered. “Not just a.” He leaned back slightly, his hand still resting on his staff. “Let them believe we’re deliberating. Sometimes hesitation is more unnerving than aggression.”

  “Then it’s decided,” dra said, rising from her seat. She gestured to Ezio. “We leave in an hour. Bring what you need. No more, no less.”

  The room began to clear, the undercurrent of tension not fully resolved but momentarily pacified. Idris was the first to leave, muttering something under his breath as he pushed past the others. Tomas and Marius exged a few quiet words before parting ways. dra stayed back, eyes on the map, her fingers drumming a rhythm against the table. Ezio turned a without a word.

  Ezio waited he Guild’s main gate, his cloak pulled tight against the evening chill. The city stretched beyond the gates, its byrinth of alleys and rooftops shrouded in deepening shadows.

  dra arrived shortly after, her pace brisk. She carried a small satchel slung over her shoulder, its tents hidden but likely holding tools for the task ahead. She g Ezio but didn’t speak as she adjusted her cloak. Together, they slipped into the night.

  The city was alive with distant murmurs and flickers of torchlight, but the streets they took were deserted, their passage marked only by the soft scuff of boots on stohey moved with practiced ease, weaving through alleys and sg low walls until they reached the outskirts of the Thieves Guild’s territory.

  dra crouched he edge of a rooftop, her gaze fixed on a cluster of buildings below. “There,” she said quietly, pointing to a dipidated warehouse. “That’s where Gambit operates from. Or at least where he’s beeely.”

  Ezio nodded, his eyes sing the area. The warehouse was surrounded by the trappings of the Thieves Guild—a few lookouts stationed on nearby roofs, shadows slipping in and out of sight through hidderances. It wasn’t heavily fortified, but it was well-guarded enough to disce casual intrusions.

  “What do you see?” dra asked, her voice low.

  “Four on the rooftops,” Ezio replied simply. “Two more he mairahere’s a side door, but it’s watched.”

  dra smirked faintly. “Think you ha?”

  Ezio didn’t answer. He was already moving.

  Dropping silently from the rooftop, he nded in the shadows, his form disappearing into the night. He moved with precision, slipping behind one of the lookouts and dispatg him with a quick twist of the wrist. The man crumpled without a sound, and Ezio eased him to the ground before disappearing again.

  dra watched from above, her expression unreadable as she tracked Ezio’s movements. One by ohe lookouts fell, each taken out with a speed and efficy that spoke to Ezio’s mastery. By the time he returo her side, the path to the warehouse was clear.

  “Impressive,” she remarked, though her tone was more observant than plimentary.

  Ezio didn’t respond, motioning for her to follow as he desded toward the building.

  They reached the side door without i, and dra produced a slim lockpick from her satchel. She worked it into the lock, but after several moments, nothing gave. She exhaled sharply, clearly annoyed.

  “This is the Thieves Guild. I’m sure they’ve found a way to keep thieves out,” Ezio said, his to.

  dra turned her head, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t think you were capable of joking.”

  Ezio’s deadpan expression didn’t shift. dra rolled her eyes. “What do you suggest then?”

  Ezio gnced around the alley, evaluating their options. “Wait here,” he said simply, stepping bato the shadows.

  dra watched him go, her arms crossed. “If you’re about to do something reckless, at least make it effective,” she muttered.

  Ezio didn’t respond. Out of sight, he focused inward, drawing on the shadowy powers he had gaihrough Nero’s iion of Zed. His form seemed to dissolve into the darkness, melding with the shadows until he was indistinguishable from them. Moving silently, he slipped past the locked door, reappearing ihe building. The faint flicker of torchlight cast dang shadows on the walls as Ezio emerged he entry point.

  Oher side of the door, he worked quickly, untg it from within and pulling it open just enough for dra to step through. She entered, her eyes sing the dim hallway beyond. “I wouldd ask how you did that,” she said, her voice low, “but I doubt you would tell me.”

  “Good,” Ezio replied, stepping forward without eborating.

  They moved cautiously down the corridor, the faint murmur of voices growing louder as they approached the main chamber. Ezio gestured for dra to stay back, peeking around the er to assess the se. The chamber was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of damp wood and oil. Several thieves were scattered about, most lounging at tables or sharpening ons, while a few exged quiet words he far end of the room.

  Ezio looked at dra. "Wait here."

  Before she could respond, he melted bato the shadows, his presence vanishing into the dim light of the hallway. He activated the shadow powers, his body dissolving into the surrounding darkness like smoke fading into the air.

  Ihe chamber, the thieves were scattered, unaware of the presence slipping through their midst. Ezio navigated the space methodically, his shadowy form avoiding patches of light spilling from mbs mounted on the damp walls. Each step brought him closer to the raised ptform at the end of the room, where Gambit sat at a table cluttered with maps and s. The Thieves Guild leader leaned ba his chair, his posture loose, but his eyes sharp as he spoke with two subordinates.

  Ezio circled the edges of the room, ensuring he remained ued as he approached Gambit from behind. The voices were faint, Gambit’s tone measured, his hands gesturing at a map while the others nodded. Ezio he pt of ons oable—a dagger within Gambit’s reach, a pistol under his desk.

  He stepped closer, his form coalesg into solidity as he emerged from the shadows just behind Gambit. The thief leader had no time to react before Ezio’s bde pressed lightly against his throat, the edge cold and undeniable.

  "Stay still," Ezio said, his to but carrying the weight of and.

  The room froze. Gambit raised his hands slowly, his eyes narrowing but showing no panic. His subordinates reacted instantly, reag for their guns, but Ezio didn’t move, his position unwavering. "If they draw, you’re the first to die," Ezio said simply.

  Gambit’s hand twitched in a haltiure, and his men froze in pce. "Easy now," Gambit said, his voice smooth despite the bde at his neck. "No need for bloodshed. We’re all friends here, aren’t we?"

  Ezio ighe remark. "Yoing to answer a question. Lie, and I’ll know."

  Gambit tilted his head slightly, as much as the bde allowed. "You’ve got my attention. Ask."

  Ezio called towards dra, "You e now."

  Her footsteps were quick as she joined him, her eyes darting to the knife pressed against Gambit’s throat. Gambit’s lips twisted into a smirk despite his predit. “dra,” he said, his tone ced with dry amusement, “always a pleasure. Though, I must say, your panion here is... a y. I don’t recall anyone sneaking up on me quite like this.”

  dra stopped a few paces away, her arms crossed. “Then sider it a proof to his skill, Gambit. But we’re not here for pliments. You’ve been busy.”

  Gambit chuckled softly. “Busy? That’s an iing way to frame it. You show up uninvited, a k my throat, and suddenly I’m the one answering for things. How about a little courtesy?”

  “Our stronghold,” Ezio said, his voice cutting through the exge, “was torched. You knoe’re here. Don’t waste our time.”

  Gambit’s smirk faltered slightly, his gaze flig to dra. “Yht a blunt instrument, I see. Not your usual style.”

  dra’s eyes narrowed. “y nice if you start talking. Otherwise, he’s more than capable of loosening your tongue another way.”

  Gambit sighed, raising his hands slightly as a show of cooperation. “Fine, fine. You want to know about the docks. It wasn’t me.”

  dra took a step closer. “ve. If not you, then who?”

  “Believe me or don’t,” Gambit said, his voice low and calm, “but I’m not stupid enough to burn one of your strongholds and sign it afterwards. That kind of move brings trouble I don’t need. My people are urict orders not to provoke the Assassins.”

  “Cool story,” Ezio said, applying the fai pressure with the bde, just enough to make his point.

  “It’s the truth,” Gambit hissed, his smirk repced with irritation. “There’s someone new in the mix, stirring things up. I don’t know who, but whoever it is, they’re pying both sides. My people have been hit too.”

  dra exged a gh Ezio, her expressioical. “Details, Gambit. Names, pces. Prove you’re not wasting our time.”

  Gambit shook his head slightly, careful not to shift too much against the bde. “All I know is that it’s someoh deep pockets. Meraries have been popping up, hitting targets on both ends and leaving enough of a trail to keep us pointing fingers at each other.”

  Ezio withdrew the knife slightly but kept it ready. “You’re saying this isn’t just about territory.”

  “It’s a setup,” Gambit said, his tone serious now. “And whoever’s behind it is banking on us tearing each other apart. You want to waste time cutting my throat, go ahead, but it won’t solve your problem.”

  dra’s lips pressed into a thin line. “If this is a game, you’d better hope we find the other pyers, or you’ll be the one paying the price.”

  “Help me find them,” Gambit said quickly. “If they’re screwing with my operation, I want them gone just as much as you do.”

  dra g Ezi to gauge his rea. “He could be lying.”

  Ezio shook his head, pulling the bde back from Gambit’s neck. “He’s not lying.”

  --

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