Chapter 1
What Happened to Me?
Author's Note: This is my very first Assassin's Creed story, so please NO flames-they will be ignored and deleted. But I do welcome opinions, suggestions and ideas. So relax and enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft does. Although, I do wish I owned Assassin's Creed's Altair, Ezio and Arno. They're all very good looking. So now, without further ado, on with the story.
There was a young woman, who appeared to be no older than eighteen. Her heart shaped face was sweet in appearance, with luscious, kissable lips that caught everyone's eye. Her long reddish blonde hair reached down to her lower back, which spoke for its length, considering she was 5'5'' or 5'6'. She had gray eyes that shined with the horror she had seen in her young life. She had no friends and no family, and lived in a one bedroom flat.
One day, she had decided to visit a local museum in France, which held the most beautiful art work as well as some of the best statues that most of the world has never seen. As she walked through the quiet museum, she would stop and stare at the beautiful paintings and gaze at some of the statues that she had seen along the way. As she passed all the other beautiful art work and crafted statues, she came across a golden sphere that started to glow dimly. She felt the need to walk up to it-to touch it. As she got closer to it, it started to glow brighter than before. She brought her arm up, trying to block out the light. As she did so, a feminine voice rang out within her mind.
Back...to the year eleven ninety one… a man awaits you. He will teach you a great many things as you will in turn, teach him to love and care for other people.
The breath was instantly knocked out of her lungs and darkness crept in on the corner of her vision, overtaking her sight.She welcomed the darkness with open arms as she passed out, not knowing what was happening around her as she was transported back in time-to an era where women were forced to do mundane work, such as take care of the children and house and were treated like dirt.
When she came to, she noticed that she was no longer at the museum. The sharp scent of pine assaulted her senses and as she looked around, she realized she was surrounded by them. The dirt floor of the forest lay beneath her, the grittiness of it harsh and abrasive on her skin. As she looked around, she noticed it was early dawn and the sun was slowly rising above the trees.
She got up, dusting herself off, and she scanned her immediate surroundings for someone to help her. She could hear the sounds of metal clashing together and the sounds of men grunting as they fought, not sure what to make of the noise. She knew she had to investigate.
As she came to the scene, she saw five burly men who were dressed in tattered rags, surrounding a man wearing long white robes. The hood was pulled up to hide his face and the tip of the hood came down to a point in front of his eyes, shielding them from everyone around him. He looked as if he were beginning to get exhausted from the fight.
Desperate to aid the man in white, she did the first thing that came to mind and shouted, "Hey! Over here!"
As soon as the words left her lips, the five men whipped their heads towards her. The man in white was forgotten-which was her goal- and the quintet advanced towards her, stalking her as if she were their new prey.
As they advanced towards her, the leers on their faces twisted their expressions into something disgusting. Her instincts kicked in, more flight than fight, and she hastily turned away from the men, stumbling as she sprinted farther into the forest to get away from them.
She knew the men wanted to take something from her that she could never get back. Her heart pounded at the thought, at the mental image of what would happen if they caught her. Their heavy footfalls sounded on the dirt behind her, they were too close. She pushed her legs to run faster, her breath escaping from her mouth in harsh bursts. Her muscles screamed in agony at her frantic attempt to escape. She knew she had to be faster than them to get away.
One of the men called to her, "Stop whore! We only want to talk!"
She shook her in disbelief- as if she would fall for such a stupid trick. She just hoped the man clad in white would save her from the sick, perverted men. She continued to run, her legs aching at the prolonged use. The men's pounding footsteps were closer now and she quickly clambered up the nearest tree, grasping at the branches to get higher. She jumped from branch to branch and noticed that there were now three sets of footsteps, not five.
As she remained perched in the tree, hidden by the branches, she heard the pairs of footsteps drop off, one by one. When she heard only one set of steps remaining, she saw the man they belonged to emerge into the clearing at the foot of the tree trunk.
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees, clutching at his neck-blood ran in rivulets down his chest. She jumped from the tree branches and approached the dying man slowly, her expression darkened by the glare that haunted her eyes. She reached out and put her finger to his chest, pushing him back until he landed on the ground. She watched him take his last dying breath, and was relieved to know there were less men like him in the world now.
After she forced the man onto his back, she felt the sting of a blade against her neck, its cold kiss chilling her to her bones, almost as if it were promising death to her. She turned and followed the length of the blade to the hand that held it, the hand that belonged to the man clad in white. He was glaring at her, but she couldn't see his eyes that were mostly hidden by his hood.
She gulped as he took a step towards her.
"Tell me who you are and where you come from, girl," the man in white demanded, as he took another step towards her, his cold and calculating eyes pinning her to the spot.
"I'm Sophia, and I honestly have no idea where I am. One minute, I was walking through a museum looking at some paintings and statues, when a golden sphere started to glow brightly. I covered my eyes, trying to block out the light and ended up passing out. When I came to, I heard sword fighting and I knew I had to help. Well, the rest you know."
She looked at him, knowing he was still suspicious of her due to the tight line that his lips had formed. She truly couldn't blame him for feeling that way.
The man continued to watch the girl, assessing her intently. When he accessed his eagle vision, she shone blue and though he knew that meant she could be somewhat trusted, he knew that it wasn't enough for him to fully drop his guard.
"What is your purpose of being here, girl?" he asked, watching her fully.
"I don't know. I heard a voice tell me that I needed to be here," she said, looking away, not able to look him in the eyes feeling nervous with his piercing gaze.
He growled when she didn't answer him fully.
"I know you're hiding something, and I'll get the answer out of you yet. But for now, you'll be coming with me. I need to speak with my master, I'm sure he'll know what to do with you," he stated, and grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her along with him as they returned to the camp.
She let herself get pulled along, knowing it would be pointless to fight the man.
"Could you at least tell me your name?" Sophia asked, walking beside him.
"My name, is none of your concern girl. It would be wise to keep quiet until we reach Masyaf. We will see what Al Mualim has planned for your life," he said, glancing over at her.
She sighed, but said nothing more. She couldn't stop the fear that raced through her heart at the thought of life ending, for simply meeting this man. It was unfair to be judged so harshly, considering she'd helped the man defeat five thugs who had wished to kill him.
They continued to walk, the sun high in the sky showing it was well close to noon. They reached some gates that were tall with wooden points held together by strong ropes.
"Welcome back brother, I take it you were successful?" he smirked, looking the girl over shrewdly.
Sophia barely suppressed the shudder that ran down her spine, as she felt the guard's eyes roam over her barely clothed body.
"Yes it was, but the girl is off limits. She witnessed the assassination, thus she will be taken to Al Mualim," he said as he noticed the guard's eyes roaming the girl's body.
"As always Altair, you managed to mess everything up again," the guard said as he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
Sophia looked at her savior, shocked to learn his name so suddenly from the leering guard.
Altair glared at the guard and started pulling Sophia further along the path into the fortress, tired of dealing with the novice.
She didn't say anything for fear of angering him further. She could tell he was even more deadly than she'd originally thought, considering all the weapons he had tied to his body.
Altair glared at her when he noticed that she was staring at him.
"What?" he growled, picking up his pace even more.
"Is that your name?" Sophia asked, looking up ahead seeing the fortress loom over her, as if it were trying to welcome her to a possible death or something worse. She felt scared but at the same time she felt at peace of being near the fortress that which held her fate.
"Yes it is, satisfied now?" Altair asked, while glaring at anyone who dared to get close to them.
As they headed for the library, Sophia remained silent. She could feel the anger coming off of him in waves, and knew it was wiser to keep quiet.
They entered the library and Sophia saw a man who looked to be in his early fifties and wore black robes, looking rather intimidating with a dark and solemn look in his eyes.
"Altair, was a your mission a success? How did you fare?" Al Mualim asked, as he walked around the desk.
He stood before the desk, his arms crossed behind him, his gaze focused on Sophia. She kept her eyes down in respect, choosing to remain silent for now.
"It was a success Master, but on my way back..." Altair said, and pointed at the girl dressed in a white hoodie and blue jeans-strange clothing that they had never seen before.
Al Mualim nodded, looking the girl over.
"Tell me, girl. Where do you come from and what is your name?" Al Mualim stated, his arms folded behind his back.
"I am from the year twenty fifteen, sir, and my name is Sophia," she said, her tone quiet in reverence, trying not to offend. She knew he could have her killed with just a flick of his wrist.
"Can you prove it?" he asked, taking a step towards her.
"Of course sir, I have a phone and my driver's license on me," she said, handing them to him slowly, hesitantly, to show him that she was indeed telling the truth. He took them, looking at them in amazement because he had never before seen something like them.
"Altair, you look as if you are hiding something from me," Al Mualim stated, placing the card and device on his desk.
"Master, this girl knows how to avoid getting captured. She managed to jump from tree branch to tree branch, with no effort. I truly believe that she would make an excellent assassin. You could test her by having her try the leap of faith, to see if she could it. And if she can, I will teach her the ropes of how to be a true Assassin," Altair explained, his voice rising in eagerness.
Al Mualim looked at Sophia, analyzing her for any hidden skills that could be useful.
"I believe you could be right Altair. Have her take the leap of faith and we will go from there," Al Mualim said, turning to face the desk and giving them a clear dismissal.
Sophia looked at Altair, not sure what to do and she stumbled a bit as she rushed to follow Altair's example, not wanting to offend Al Mualim.
"I won't let you down Master, nor will I fail you," Sophia said, bowing at waist again, and followed Altair out of the library.
Altair and Sophia, climbed up the tower.
"How would you like me to do this?" Sophia asked, glancing at Altair.
"Once you're at the edge, you will face away from me and you will spread your arms out like that of an eagle. You will flip midair and you should land on your back, in a pile of hay at the bottom," Altair said, his arms crossed over his chest.
Sophia didn't say anything, but nodded her head in understanding. As she walked to the edge, she missed a look of surprise on Altair's face. He was expecting her to fight him on jumping from such a high place. In all his life, he had never met a female who wasn't afraid of heights.
He watched as she kept her back to him, her arms spread out to the side as he had instructed. She jumped off the edge, her eyes closed, a small smile on her lips. He walked to the edge, watching her land safely in the pile of hay.
She got up, dusting herself off and moved out of the way, knowing Altair was jumping off the edge as well. She watched him come out of the hay and he walked over to her.
"I must say, I'm impressed. Not many would willingly do this-not without showing some kind of fear. Yet you did the leap of faith with a smile on your face," he said, a smirk on his lips.
"Well, unlike others, I am not scared of heights. In fact, I love the feeling of the wind around me. When I jumped, it felt amazing. I wouldn't mind doing it again," Sophia said, a sardonic grin on her lips.
Altair nodded and said, "Well, let's go see Al Mualim so he can know how well you did."
Sophia sighed, but nodded. She didn't want to see the master again, because she was afraid of the fact that he could order to have her killed in a split second. But if she wanted to stay alive, she would have to put up with the old man.
"Let's go and find out if I live or not," Sophia said, walking ahead of Altair.
All she wanted to do was get something to eat, bathe and get some much needed sleep. Altair stood there with his mouth open, not expecting the girl to be so blunt and honest about her death.
"Are you not afraid of dying?" Altair asked, walking beside her after catching up to her.
"Of course, I am but it's pointless to fight it," she said, looking forward, her head held high and her back straight as she walked to her likely death.
"For a woman, I must admit that I am impressed. Not many would accept their death so easily," Altair said, walking through the halls of the fortress as they headed for the library to speak with Al Mualim.
Altair knocked on the door, waiting to be allowed in.
"Come in," Al Mualim said, standing by the window looking out from his spot by the desk. Altair and Sophia walked into the library. Altair closed the door behind them, both bowing at the waist.
"How did she do on the leap of faith? Was she frightened?" Al Mualim asked, smirking slightly, expecting some kind of remark from the girl.
Sophia only stood there, her face and eyes blank of all emotion. Al Mualim was surprised-not one word from her, and he nodded.
"She did the leap of faith without a trace of fear, as if she enjoyed it. She said it felt like she was truly flying with the eagles," Altair said, his face blank like Sophia's.
"I have to say, I'm impressed girl. All the girls before you were scared of doing the leap of faith. Of course, I would never have allowed them to join the Creed. Yet here you stand, knowing I hold your very life in my hands, and yet you show no fear. Why is that?" Al Mualim asked, wondering why this woman who stood before him was showing no fear whatsoever.
"Master, I was trained at a very young age on how to hold a sword and short blade, as well as hand to hand combat. My father always talked about how I would one day be sent back in time to the year eleven ninety one. I always thought my father was crazy, until one day, some people barged into our home wearing strange clothes that I have never seen before with a strange symbol on their chest. They tried to kill me, calling me an Assassin, but my father stopped them. He told me to run and never look back. I did as he told me, but I couldn't help myself from looking back one last time. I saw them shoot my father, in the chest. I wanted to stop, but my father's words echoed in my head to keep running. I ran until I couldn't run any further and I fell to my knees. I passed out from exhaustion," she explained, her face remaining a blank slate. On the inside, she was crying for her father.
"And what of your mother?" Al Mualim asked, leaning forward in his chair, wanting to know more of the girl's story.
"She died giving birth to me," she said, looking into Al Mualim eyes.
"There's more to your story, isn't there?" he asked.
She nodded and said, "There is, Master."
She knew she could do this and she would honor her father's wishes.
"As I grew up, I continued to train myself. Since I lived in the woods, away from the city, I knew I could train without anyone getting in the way. But I would look back and wonder why I was called an Assassin. I didn't even know what that was at the time. I still don't know what an Assassin is. As far as I know they stay in the shadows and gather information. But as I grew up I remember my father always called me his Desert Rose for some reason. He once told me it's because I love the desert and the feel of the sun on my skin, so he would call me his Desert Rose. When I was really mad, he would call me Desert Storm, since Desert Storms were supposed to be the most feared storms out in the Sahara Desert," she said.
"How did your father know of the Assassins?" Altair demanded, grabbed her arm tightly.
Sophia glared at Altair, yanking her arm back from him.
"How should I know?!" Sophia replied, glaring at Altair.
"Well, it seems as of right now, Sophia here will be joining the Creed as a Novice known as Desert Storm. Altair, you will be training her," Al Mualim said, standing up from his chair behind the desk.
"For now, she needs some food and rest. We will continue the story another time. Now go, and prepare for a long day tomorrow Novice Sophia-or should I now call you Desert Storm," Al Mualim stated.
Sophia stood there in complete shock for a couple of minutes. She quickly shook her head, in an attempt to rid herself of the shock and bowed at the waist.
"Thank you Master, you won't regret this," Sophia said, standing tall and proud, a smug grin on her lips as she glanced at Altair, who looked to be frozen to the spot.
After a few minutes, Altair shook his head in disbelief.
"Master, you can't be serious. I can't train this girl,'' he said.
Al Mualim shot out of his chair, glaring at Altair.
"You dare question me?" he demanded, glaring harshly at Altair.
"No, Master, I would never question you," Altair apologized, bowing quickly.
"Good. Desert Storm will need some novice robes before tomorrow but for now, she needs food and rest. You will be begin her training at first light," Al Mualim instructed.
Author's note: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading the chapter. Chapter 2 should be just as good. Please, NO flames they will be deleted.