This story is dedicated to two people who need a lot of encouragement. First is ScarletCougar, the second is my friend who is very depressed right now as her father is in hospital. He was having a brain surgery, and the chance of success is 50 percent. It is best the you read ScarletCougar's story first as this set in somewhere within her latest chapters.
"What are you doing out there, Naheem?", noticed the lamp outside the main room, Malik couldn't help but peeked outside the door. Naheem was sitting with a sitting in the souk with sketchbook in his hand and a charcoal stick in the other, gazing upward at the darken sky in the night filled with dark clouds. It was new moon, the night was completely black.
"I want to sketch the constellation tonight, it was new moon so the stars must be very bright but the clouds are in the way.", Naheem sighed and stared at the empty page of his sketchbook as Malik sat beside Naheem . Only the sound of crickets and wind howling at night can be heard between them. They did not say anything to each other until Naheem broke the silent.
"Master Malik, what do you feel like when you know that Master Altair was violated by the grand master?", The question was like thousands of dagger pierced through his heart. It was a painful one to think of an answer. Malik closed his eyes and think very hard before let out and long sigh and finally answer. Memories of Altair screaming and thrashing as he tried to hold him down and prevent him from destroying himself replay itself wildly in his mind. Just the thought about it makes him want to cry again.
"It is like...", Malik paused for a second before look up at the pitch black sky again with sorrow displayed within his eyes, "It is like everything you used to believe came down and crashed onto you at once. What I believe of the creed, of Altair and Master." Malik unconsciously grasped at his missing arm where it started to throb from the thought of reading countless pages of the truth that Altair wrote that day.
"I don't know what do to, what I could do...to help him or the brotherhood. I was ashamed by my actions and words that hurt him directly and indirectly as well at my dreadful thoughts about him. And when I learned that what he did was to protect me and Kadar, I...I", Malik voiced faltered as he drop his head in defeated. He could not express the next words. No words can express the feeling of think wrongly of someone when that person actually tries to protect you until his very last drop of blood in his vein.
"Me too Master Malik, I feel the same way too. I never knew that behind his nonchalant, stern and emotionless face, he hid his painful experience and pain. I used to believe that the Master of Brotherhood was trying everything he can to protect the innocent. I don't know what to believe in anymore.", Naheem had a strong urge to throw his sketchbook and charcoal at the wall and scream his heart out just to stop this uncontrollable emotion that coiled inside him. "I guess that it is true then, that nothing is true and everything is permitted...these unforgivable things."
Silence grew again between them with Malik in deep thoughts and Naheem with the same state as Malik. Just as Naheem looked up at the sky for the last time and still see no sign that it clear tonight, he was about to get up as Malik spoke to his doubt. "Not always."
Naheem looked at Malik and saw a glint of hope sparkled within his eyes. His lips drawn into a soft smile as he explained what he means. "My feelings for Altair are always true, no matter what may happen. He will always remain precious to. That is the only thing I can say. Sometimes, you just have to believe in what your heart tells you, whether it may seem absurd or impossible for you to believe in it. As long as you have faith in what you believe, that is enough to put my heart to rest."
"What if what I can never believe in what I want to? I want to believe that my father is alive and my mother is still beside me, but I can't!", eyes brimming with unshed tears, Naheem can feel his shoulders shaken. Just as the same time he can feel Malik's single arm embraced him with warmth and love.
"They are alive Naheem, and they are always with you, here," Malik touched Naheem's temple and then to his left side chest, "and here".
"Thank you, Master Malik", just as he looked at the sky for the last time, he was glad to see the cloudless dark sky filled with twilights of the stars that shimmers within the dark night. He placed his sketchbook onto his lap and gazed at the sky with Malik together. "What should I start with?"
Malik looked at his particular favourite one that he always remembered the name of the brightest star in that constellation. "Aquila, the great eagle". Altair shone its white light the brightest that night.
AltaÏr is the name of the brightest star in Aquila which is also known as the Eagle constellation. It was also my favourite constellation. I wondered if there's a constellation for sword and how far are they from each other hehe. I hope this cheers you up ScarletCougar J. I am actually afraid if I got all the characters' right. Reviews are great!