Ryuugazaki: So I'm writing another Assassin's Creed fanfic. Send help.
Chapter One | al-Haram ash-Sharīf
(11 July 1191, 00:00AM – Jerusalem, Palestine)
Failure! But I am not to blame. Had Malik not restrained me, Robert de Sablé would be dead and the artifact ours. Surely Al Mualim will see things my way.
"Wait, there must be another way. This one need not die." The man wielding his hidden blade didn't listen and stabbed the old, armored man in the nape of his neck. The old man fell to the dusty floor of the temple and bled out. The man who first spoke squawked in frustration and yelled, "That was a noncombatant, you blockhead! A noncombatant!"
"An excellent kill. Fortune favors your blade," the youngest man said as he ignored the shrieking man.
The man who conducted the assassination retracted his blade. "Not fortune, Kadar. Skill. Watch a while longer and you might learn something." The man haughtily told the novice that complimented him. The novice's brother, Malik al-Sayf, rolled his eyes.
"Indeed, Kadar," Malik al-Sayf started. "He'll teach you how to disregard everything The Master has taught us."
"And how would you have done it?"
"First of all, I would not have drawn attention to us. I would not have taken the life of an innocent. What I would have done is follow the Creed." This creed that Malik was talking about was the creed of their order. There were three simple tenants: (1) Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent, (2) Hide in plain sight, (3) Do not compromise the brotherhood. These things were essential to their Order.
"Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. Understand these words. It matters not how we complete our task. Only how it's done," Altaïr said flatly.
"But this is not the way of–"
The arrogant man, Altaïr ibn La'Ahad, cut him off by saying, "My way is better."
Malik sighed and gave up on trying to reason with Altaïr. "I will scout ahead. Try not to dishonor us further." Malik walked away from Altaïr and Kadar, the novice.
"Altaïr, what is our mission? Brother would tell me nothing of it except that I should be honored to have been invited."
"The Master believes the Templars have found something beneath al-Haram ash-Sharif."
"Treasure?"
"I know not. All that matters is that The Master considers it important; he would not have asked me to retrieve it otherwise." Kadar stretched. Kadar al-Sayf was a youth of about sixteen or seventeen years. Like Malik, he was the colour of bronze, his eyes were light brown, and his hair was black like melanite garnet. He was like his brother in many ways; however, they also differed. Kadar wasn't very good at cartography like Malik but Kadar was very good at calligraphy. Altair and Kadar went to where Malik went, and they got a look at the next room.
"There!" Malik said. "That must be the Ark!"
"The Ark of the Covenant?" Kadar was slack-jawed. He grabbed his brother's arm.
"I want this through this gate by sunrise! The sooner we possess it, the sooner we can turn our attention to those jackals at Masyaf!"
Altaïr groaned at the sight of the bald, 182.88 centimeter Frenchman. Robert de Sable was the accursed enemy of the Assassin order. "Altaïr, don't compromise the brotherhood, you idiot. We are only supposed to retrieve the treasure and deal with Robert only if necessary," Malik reminded him.
"He stands between us and the treasure. I would say it is necessary."
"Discretion, Altaïr!" Malik walked towards Altaïr. "You already broke two tenants. Do not break the third!"
"I am your superior in title and ability. You should know better than to question me."
"But I'm older than you and I demand that you stand down!" Malik whispered. He may have been furious at Altaïr, but he didn't want to expose the three of them to the Templars.
Altaïr was like a moth drawn to a distant moon, and he jumped down to approach Robert de Sable. Malik muttered 'humaq' under his breath and closed his eyes as if he was reciting the takbir. He opened his eyes and turned to face Kadar, but he followed Altaïr down. Malik reluctantly followed the both of them. Their mother, Hawwa bint Amir, told Malik to watch out for Kadar and he had every intent to do so.
"Robert de Sable, lay down your arms!" Malik really wanted to lay down. This entire day was giving him a headache.
"If it isn't Al Mualim's lapdog. Why have you come here today?"
"I have come for blood." Altaïr dashed towards Robert de Sable, and Robert grabbed his wrists.
"You foolish boy," Robert de Sable said in French. "You have no clue what you are getting involved with." Robert kneed Altaïr in the chest and twisted his right arm. "Tell your master that I will be waiting for him." Robert pushed Altaïr into a provisional beam and the scaffold above them collapsed. Altaïr was separated from his party and he heard the screams of his fellow assassins.
Altaïr left the caverns of al-Haram ash-Sharīf and went out to face the Palestinian sunrise.
Ryuugazaki: "Al-Haram ash-Sharīf" is basically Arabic for the Temple Mount. In Hebrew, it's called Har HaBáyit or Har HaMōriyā.