Another story in which I mess with the Assassins. I don't know why, but I like writing these.

Two figures ran like mad now, their heavy breathing making it impossible to scream as they dashed around corners and through the streets. It seemed like there was no escaping it. It just kept gaining, slowing getting closer. One of the two fleeing figures leaped over a wall with practiced skill while his companion hopped up a second later. They stared down at the thing as it reached the wall, and then it jumped up, and only given a second to move, they narrowly avoided being flattened. There was a shout then as one of the guards caught sight of the horror, and pulled out his sword to charge at the thing.

A couple of seconds later, there was the sounds of cracking and ripping as the guard was torn in half. The severed body was left on the ground as steaming blood pooled on the cool cobblestone street. The thing, lips pulled back in a snarl, growled at the two, standing over the body.

They ran like mad, the next noises filling their ears as they left the creature's sight. The sounds of wet spattering, loud crunching, and low panting in between. Guards rushed past the two retreating figures towards the thing, weapons raised. Then the city of Roma echoed with a loud howl of pain.

The two figures, breathing with exhaustion, stopped and collapsed in an alley. One leaned against the stone wall, the other fell to his hands and knees as he gagged and coughed. His friend, breathing and clutching his chest, watched him empty his stomach on the stone path. He listened to the stutters of "Dios mio"s and "Why"s among the wet hacks and gags.

Soon darkness permitted them silence.

This was certainly a strange day for Cesare. First the guards come running in screaming about something, then they cheered with excitement about it. Something about a beast, which sounded weird to him. Surely they were talking about some animal, maybe some outlandish pet of a merchant's. Because of his doubts, he followed them when they asked to show him the beast they caught "terrorizing the streets of the Antico District last night."

Down in one of the dungeon cells stood whatever the hell it was they caught. Cesare gripped the wrought iron bars as he tried to see it better. One ankle, with a ripped up scrap of dark leather around it, pulled into the dark. He looked to one of the guards impatiently, "I haven't the slightest clue what that is, I cannot see a thing in there."

The guard nodded and held the torch closer to the bars, the flame's flickering light reached in deeper now. Straggly brown fur covered the back of the creature, along with strips of white fabric. Some of the fur on it's head was pulled back with a red piece of cloth, which slowly was slipping out. The muzzled face of the creature turned towards him, lips pulled over white teeth in a snarl, and golden eyes glittering in the fire light. The fur around it's lips and nose were clumped together and dark, as if wet. Hanging from it's rear was a sweeping tail, and all across it's hair covered body was cuts and gashes.

"This monster ate Giovanni," one of the guards said, "we caught him while he was biting through the ribs."

"Is there anything left of the body?" Cesare asked.

"Hardly enough to bury," the guard answered, "we only know he was Giovanni because he vanished from his post just before the beast killed the victim."

"It could have been the Assassini who murdered Giovanni."

"That would be unlikely, we found two an alley not too far away, but they were just as disturbed and frightened as we were."

"And you did not take them with you as well?"

"I am sorry, but the beast you see here was a hand-full as it was. I do not think we would have managed to take two assassini."

"I want you all to search for what could have created this, and be quick with it."

"Si, Signore Cesare."

The beast made a growling noise now, and Cesare looked at it questioningly. It's eyes seemed to narrow, glaring at him. It then ran at the bars, and Cesare barely managed to pull his fingers out before the creature begun to chew and bite viciously at the metal in some desperate attempt to get at him. He could better see the beast now, as it was much closer to the light. It's hands, long fingered and equipped with claws, grasped at the bars. A scar crossed it's muzzle, and the hair along the chin was a bit longer, like it was a beard. On it's head, two large, pointed ears were pinned back. It's feet, long and resembling the hind legs of a canine, scrapped furiously at the stone floor, the clawed toes leaving scratches. The fur around it's neck and all down it's back stood up on end, bristled up like spikes.

Then the beast gave up and withdrew from the bars, and paced back and forth with a hunched sort of walk. It was bipedal, clearly, but when it went tried to attack him, the thing ran on all fours in a long bound. Cesare watched it, trying to go over every last detail. His eyes went over every last scar that lay on its body, some long lines and others like patched-over holes. The fur across it's body reflected the muscles' slightest movements. Clothes, ripped up, as if stretched too far, clung on the fur.

He wanted to say this creature looked familiar, but he didn't know a single anything that matched it really. Well, somethings did strike him with a feeling of 'where had I seen this before' but he did not think too much on it, as the beast drew his attention once more.

It seemed to be making weird noises, almost impossible to distinguish at first as anything beyond growls. But it kept saying that thing over and over, becoming a little clearer until it was something like "Why?" Its voice deep and gravelly, something that would scratch anyone else's throat trying to reproduce it.

The guard seemed intrigued, "Did anyone teach it to speak?"

"It could have heard us," another offered.

"Or that sniveling assassino in the alleyway." Put in a third.

The first nodded, "Si, that could have been it." He leaned close to the bars, and started trying to talk to the beast. In it, he broke his sentences apart and made a lot of gestures. "Do you. Un-der-stand us?"

The beast stared at the guard for a long moment before growled out something like, "You smell... satisfying." A toothy grin spread across the monster's face and it bit through the bars.

The was the slam of the door and Machiavelli looked up to the top of the stairs of the hideout entrance. Two recruits, Vittorio and Lamberto, came stumbling down the steps with mortified looks upon their faces. On the front of Lamberto's robes was a large dark brown stain, and his legs were visibly trembling.

"What happened to you two?" The writer asked, crossing his arms, "I thought you were to be back here hours ago."

Vittorio nodded, "We were..." He bit his lip a moment before looking one way to the other, "Is Mentor here? We need to speak with him."

To the question, Machiavelli said plainly, "He left yesterday to investigate some guard outposts just outside the city and said he would not return for a couple of days."

"Oh," Lamberto said with a light sigh.

Of course, out of curiosity, Machiavelli asked the younger recruit, "What happened to your robes? Did a guard throw you in the mud?"

"Um... not exactly..." He said, rubbing his neck, his fingers looping around the cloth he usually wore over his face.

Vittorio explained, "He was sick to his stomach in the middle of the patrol, so I had to take him to a doctor."

Machiavelli eyeballed the two a moment longer. "And the cut on your arm? It seems a bit too sloppy to be from a sword."

"No, it was a very dull one," Vittorio said quickly, his hand covering up the messy wound.

"See to it so you don't get an infection," he said, then walked out of the main room. Those two were acting odd indeed. Suspition made him linger by the door as the two calmed down.

"Why did you not tell him?" Lamberto asked.

"Now is not the time. Besides, we haven't the foggiest clue what we saw. Maybe it would be best if we stayed quiet about it for a little bit until we know better what we're dealing with."

"But this is dangerous. You saw what it did..."

"Yes, I know."

"And you would not at least warn them? This is dancing on a cliff side, and you know it."

Machiavelli reappeared in the door frame. A harsh look upon his face. "If you wish to tell me something, then now is the best time to do so."

Vittorio nodded. "Fine. I will tell you."

Hooray for my first horror fic. Let me know what you guys think.