These were the last few minutes of his life, and he was spending them running. Although, Kadar was pretty used to running fast for long distances. His older brother always made sure he kept in shape and had a good stamina. After all, they were the only people they had in the world. Al Mualim didn't like his men getting coddled by mothers and fathers, so Malik secretly did that in the absence of their parents. It wasn't much. Some extra food every now and then, some kind advice (usually about girls) if it was ever asked for, and of course, protection. Malik wouldn't stand for an older assassin picking on his baby brother. If he ever heard or saw anything that would make his brother unhappy, Malik would always step in to fight for his little sibling. He didn't even want Kadar going on this mission in the first place. He was too young and this mission was too dangerous, but what Al Mualim says, goes. Thus Malik spent many late nights with his brother, discussing emergency plans ad nauseum. Kadar thought it was foolish, really. Wasting all that time drilling what to do if they got separated, hurt, captured, etc, etc, etc. Although, Kadar didn't find it so foolish now. After the wall fell, separating him and his brother from their arrogant leader, his body automatically knew what to do. Run. Run for the nearest exit. Closer and closer he came to the ladder he had just followed his superiors down. As his gloved hand grasped at a rung, a cry rang out. Malik. His favourite person in the world. He cried out in the most agonizing pain. At that moment, Kadar lost all thoughts of escape. His big brother was in trouble and he wasn't going to let him die here. Kadar owed him too much. Besides, if he left now, wouldn't he be compromising the brotherhood? Wasn't that worse than sin?

Kadar flung himself around, drawing his sword, the only weapon a novice like he was allowed access to. In his haste, he brought down two templars chasing him. Making a beeline for his suffering brother, he saw his tormentor. Robert De Sable. The man he was taught to hate more than the devil. De Sable had Malik pinned to the ground, a blade twisting itself deeper and deeper in his arm. One slash of Kadar's blade and Robert would be dead. With such rage (and fear) clouding his mind, Kadar failed to notice another oncoming Templar. As the final swing to end Robert De Sable's life was being made, he was thrown to the ground with such force, he slid to the wall of the musty cavern. His sword, which was only able to scar De Sable's back, was dropped to the dirt floor. It was picked up by the templar who had hit him. Kadar looked up at the helmeted man who dared stray him from his kill. After eyeing the blade for a moment, the templar began to toy with Kadar. Lightly tracing his features with the blade. It almost…tickled? But this was no time for laughing. Especially when the blade trailed down the boy's jugular to rest gently on his Adam's apple. Expecting death at any second, he closed his eyes tightly. …Time passed and death did not come. How much time had passed though? It felt like an eternity, but in reality it was no more than a few seconds. Kadar opened an eye, scared of what he'd see. His vision focused on the Templar standing above him. Was… Was he examining him? It certainly seemed like it. Although the novice felt the urge to stare back for an eternity, he knew now was the time to run from his executer. Rolling over exactly three times, he pushed himself up, glad to be away from the blade. He had a moment to glance over at Robert. It would seem that his slash at the man gave his brother enough time to get up and draw his blade as they were both dueling, and both were bleeding profusely.

Kadar started running again, being chassed by the templar who had him incapacitated just a few moments earlier. He reached the ladder in no time. But this was a different ladder. This ladder led to the piece of Eden. It led to the treasured object they were supposed to retrieve. Climbing rung after rung after rung, he made his way to the now golden object. From across the cavern it didn't seem all too special. A hunk of metal at most. But now…Now it seemed to almost be beckoning him to come closer. Come closer and take a bite of the sweet, forbidden fruit. Come closer and see the power you can have. He finally reached the treasure and took it in his hand. The moment the apple touched his palm, everything changed. He forgot about the rest of the world. All troubles and strife melted away to nothingness. It was nirvana. It was enlightenment. It was wonderful. Nothing could ever describe the brilliant peace Kadar felt as he held the apple. It wasn't a tickle or like anything he'd ever experienced. As the knowledge of all that is flashed before his eyes, he understood why the templars kept it locked up. It was too precious. Too wonderful to be shared. Well, they wouldn't want to share it, but Kadar thought of all the good Al Mualim could do with this power. This knowledge. All the people he could enlighten. Oh, how good the world would be! The apple just couldn't fall into the wrong hands again, so the novice tucked away the treasure into his satchel. He would take it home and see it be used only for good and for good only. As soon as the apple left his hand, the rest of the world came back to him. The templar had caught up and attacked him from behind. They both fell to the ground, Kadar taking most of the blow. He was then roughly dragged to his feet, now sporting a severely twisted ankle. The Templar managed to knock him out by throwing him from the height they were at to the ground about twenty feet below.

Kadar awoke a few minutes later, dripping with water the Templars used to stir him. The aforementioned, helmeted templar yanked the boy to his feet and he found breathing was becoming more and more difficult. The templar made him face De Sable.

"Look around. What do you see?"

Kadar only barely managed to wheeze out, "What? …You…Me…The Templar."

"Exactly. Who's missing?"

Then it hit him. Malik.

"Wh-what have you…b-bastards done with my brother!?" He began to cough up blood and proceeded to spit it at their feet.

"Well… He -tried- to run. He ran away screaming 'Oh, there's no hope left!'. So, while you were napping, I had my friend here," He pointed to the Templar keeping Kadar restrained, "'Take care' of him. Oh, you should have seen it! He was wailing like a child! 'Oh no, that hurts! I-I'll kiiiiiiill you!' It was entertaining, really. He was quite fun to toy with."

Against everything he'd been taught since birth, Kadar fell to his knees, hands tied behind his back, and began to cry. Malik was right. There -was- no hope now. Altair had probably died escaping, his big brother was gone and now he was going to die as well! Then there was the apple. The apple, oh, the apple! Now he would never be able to see its beauty put to use. Through sobs, the boy managed to choke out, "What of the apple?"

"The apple?" Robert's smug grin faltered for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with a placid look that seemed to hide something. Kadar had nodded at the question, but kept his eyes to the floor, so the change in Robert's features went unnoticed. "Well, before your brother ran, he took the apple from your bag. I suppose he found it of more value than you. Either way, he took it and ran. When we killed him, I took it back."

"Sh-show…Show it." He coughed, "T-To me. …My…My dying wish.""Ha! Like I'd do that! No, you'll never see it again."

Surprisingly, this hurt more than hearing of his brother's death. The apple. The piece of Eden. Never again would he hold it and feel the lovely nirvana greater than any earthly pleasure. Never again would he feel knowledge and power surge through his veins. Already the boy was on his knees, but now, hearing his last wish denied him, he fell even farther. His whole body shaking with sobs. Had he not been bound, and had he the strength, he would have pounded the Earth with his fist. Amazing, the power that object had, to send a man to his knees and sob. Not in any pain, but in pure and utter want. De Sable laughed at the boy.

"Oh, come now. Stand up."

Kadar didn't move.

"I said. Stand. UP."

This time, Kadar was brought roughly to his feet by the Templar and smacked in the face.

"Ugh, this has lost its fun. I don't want to trifle with baby assassins. Go ahead and kill him. I'm tired of his whining." With that, Robert walked off, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kadar could see the damage he'd done to his enemy's back, but this gave him no comfort. All he could think of was the apple. The apple, the apple, the apple.

Kadar was now left alone with the Templar who turned the boy around, so they faced one another. Again, the guard stared at him. Now that all was much more quiet, save for the water dripping from his robes to the floor, all that could be heard was his own wheezing and the breath of the Templar. Is was slightly echoed from the helmet, but there was a…quality to it. It was…odd. Yes, it was huffing and puffing just as he was, but the breath was lighter…airier. It was coming at odd intervals too. You'd think for someone who'd just been fighting for their life, they'd have rougher breathing. But this was not the case with the templar. Kadar wanted to take off the helmet to see just what kind of man lie underneath. What kind of man could breath like that. Breaking the silence, he uttered, "Wh…What are you doing?"

"Thinking of how you shall die" The voice echoed, clear as a bell.

Before he could say another word, he was silenced. A blade picked up from an assassin killed in weeks past had pierced his throat. His life taken all too soon. Forever etched on his face was a look of pure shock.

The templar to take his life was a woman.

Author's Note Time!
Hey, guys! I want to say thank you for reading this. If you have the time, I would love for you to rate or comment! :