FF – Assassin's Creed

Chess pieces

Warnings : Malik is a Queen. No, really. Not that he's a girl. Now I have to sleep with an eye open.
Characters : Malik Al-sayf, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Summary : Crusades-era. Six drabbles in relation to each chess piece.

A/N : Inspired by the chessboard in Malik's bureau. Yes, just like that. Also, two more days for console players, you lucky socks.

I - Pawn

They were the swords of the master that they served, and the blades that cut with the truth that they believed in. They trained for years, forwent their childhood in favour of practising fighting and murder in cold blood. The regiments that dictated their lives were strict, and emotions were forbidden, for it restricted their efficiency. The word of Al Mualim was the word of God itself, and so deeply in the Creed did they trust, that there was nothing in the world they feared. They found freedom in their limitations, and truth amongst the lies. The civilians referred to them as the angels of death, and the guards of the cities saw them as criminals to be detained.

They were nothing more than the weapons that they carried, and had only their names to claim, but they were proud to stand on the frontline of the war against injustice, and called themselves Assassins.

II – Rook

The fortress that stood on the hills of Masyaf intimidated and struck fear amongst the common man, but it was the home that they lived in. It was a keep that shielded them from treachery, and for as long as they resided in it, no Templar hand could take it, and the Assassins guarded it with ferocity.

It was more than a place of residence; for them, they had grown up there, trained there, and lived there all their lives. It was one of the few attachments that they were allowed, and they revelled in it, and defended it, and in turn, the castle protected them with the same passion, like a silent guardian that overlooked its children.

III – Knight

Altaïr would never consider himself to be a knight – in any case, the name itself was too much like a Templar's to his taste. The word was foreign on his tongue, and the title itself was a complete oxymoron. The distant stories told of Kings and Knights, and of chivalry and honour, but as far as he was concerned the Knights Templar was nothing of the sort.

He had mused on occasion, however, that if he were anything but an Assassin, then the thought of being an actual knight, one that fought with courage, strength and valiant determination, he thinks he could quite fancy it, bringing truth to light and for glorious victories. Of course, he was younger then, and had not thought to consider that it was not the titles that made the man, but the man that made the titles.

(Later, he would look back in amusement, that after years of selfish fights for glory and fame, and learning the lessons the hard way only to rip apart the veils of lies that hung over the brotherhood, he had done all that he had imagined in a knight, without ever being titled one.)

IV – Bishop

There was no religion in the brotherhood, though there was a singular preaching, the Creed, that they lived by. They trusted in it, dedicated themselves to it, and thrust themselves into its demands, until the untruth was brought to light, where they continued to believe, but only with a certain hesitation.

It had started as a singular thought from Malik, augmented by Rauf, and implemented by Altaïr. The changes that were set into place were subtle, but obvious.

The recruits were taught not to believe, but to question and ponder. They were shown the importance of trust in their brothers, the rules of apathy were slowly lifted up; they learnt compassion and fear, as well as pride and courage. The fundaments that guided them did not change, but the teachings of the brotherhood did, and for that, it made them stronger than they were before.

V – Queen

He had been named for a King, and his skill with the blade was uncontested, one arm or two. Before his relocation to Jerusalem, before the "Solomon Incident", as he had come to call it, Malik would frequently be pestered by Rauf to teach the recruits. He had tried to tell the young Assassins that the way of the sword is an art of grace, and each fight is a game of strategy, but when the recruits would rather scoff and bludgeon one another, he gave up and told Rauf that Altaïr was better suited to the task.

In their better days, Altaïr tells him that he is almost frightening, brilliant in both sword-fighting and in classical history and other theoretical topics.

Malik would definitely disagree to being referred to as a Queen – he was named for a King after all – and he while he might shake his head at the idea of being the most powerful chess piece, Altaïr knows that without Malik, the brotherhood would have fallen to ruins.

VI - King

They referred to him as the Master. Altaïr would admit, albeit grudgingly, that leadership was never his strong suit. He would insist that he performed best alone, and having a group could only hinder him. It was only after having inherited the mantle, would he understand and appreciate the intricacies of the brotherhood's web of members.

Malik was an expert in the field of deployment and strategy. He could direct fleets of men to cripple their enemies, or a small-scale operation that would poison the heart of their adversaries, all that while dealing with the daily operations and internal workings of Masyaf, and helping to oversee the training of the recruits. Altaïr tries to tell him that one man cannot bear the burden of so many, but Malik would snap in defiance, tell him that it's a necessity.

Altaïr is only capable of working by himself, but he shoves his pride aside, and tries to learn from Malik. He was the Grand Master of the Brotherhood, but he's still a novice at it.