Malik looked up, disturbed, when he heard the sound of bells ringing frantically. The alarm.
Could that novice do nothing right? He had had one simple assassination to do, and yet now the entire city was aware of his presence. What had Malik ever done wrong to deserve treatment such as this? It was not enough that he had three apprentices trying to complete a task, no. He had to have the Novice King running around, upsetting the city and warning every city guard that the Assassins were on duty.
Malik went on reading his books and going over his maps to calm himself. After about an hour, the bells stopped tolling, and still there was no sign of Altair, King of Novices. Malik frowned. Normally he was back long before the alarm had stopped.
Malik shook it off. Perhaps the guards chasing him had been more persistant than usual. That would have been it.
Another hour and a half passed, and there was no sign of the Assassin. Malik was truly starting to worry now, though he would rather take a leap of faith into a cart of rocks rather than admit it to anyone. He casually asked around the apprentices and journeymen standing around the Bureau, but was none the wiser.
Finally, he could no longer take it and climbed out of the Bureau to find him. He ran along the rooftops, through the poor district, but did not see anyone in a white hood anywhere.
Just as he got to the border with the middle district, he heard furious cries and yelps. It sounded like city guards, engaged in battle. The yelps sounded pained.
Malik hurried towards the sound. He glimpsed a flash of white and red, a figure fleeing. Followed by at least fifteen guards.
'Get him! He's getting away!'
'Don't let him escape!'
Such cries were uttered as the guards furiously tried to keep up with the fleeing man.
Altair.
Such a novice.
Malik followed them from the rooftops. He facepalmed mentally when he realized what the guards were doing. They were herding him towards the canal. Altair could not swim, how the guards knew this Malik did not know. Near the canal, there were many narrow streets and alleys, and it was all too easy to get cornered.
Especially with the vast amount of soldiers chasing him.
Taking on that many soldiers by himself with one arm was positively suicide, especially as he could see that Altair's left arm was injured. So he simply followed from the rooftops.
Eventually, the guards had Altair cornered near a railing. The railing overlooked the canal. Any other possible means of escape were blocked by the guards.
They were letting out triumphant cries as they advanced on the Assassin. Even from this distance, Malik saw the helpless look on his face. The guards prodded him with their swords, forcing him to step back. They were obviously not planning to kill him directly, but knock him into the canal.
Altair swayed on the railing as he studied his surroundings. Guards closed in, trying to get him to lose his balance so that he would plummet to his watery death in the canal. His situation was hopeless. But he would never give up.
His shoulder was bleeding freely, but his sword arm was still fine. He drew his sword, ready to fight off the guards, when one of them pushed him.
It was more of a shove, actually.
Either way, it was enough to send Altair tumbling into the canal.
'No!' Malik gasped as he saw Altair losing his balance and falling from the railing, and he heard the loud splash as he hit the water. The guards laughed and cheered, and their view was as good as Malik's. Altair was thrashing around hopelessly in the water, never giving up, yet he stood no chance.
Malik sighed and dived into the water.
The guards were shocked when a giant splash landed in the canal, just behind the drowning Altair. Malik wrapped his one arm around Altair's waist and began to drag him to the nearest shore. Altair coughed up water and tried to help him, but all he succeeded in doing was splashing salt water in Malik's face.
'Stop splashing me, novice,' he hissed.
As he dragged Altair onto the beach, he checked his pulse. Altair was still breathing steadily, if a little unevenly. When they reached dry land, Malik exploded.
'What were you thinking? Do you not know the meaning of subtlety, you useless novice?'
Altair winced visibly, either from the pain in his shoulder or from Malik's harsh outburst. 'Do I have to come with you to make sure you don't get pushed into rivers by guards every time you go on a mission, then?' he demanded.
'You are being unreasonable, Malik,' Altair growled. 'Rahim is dead, and that is what matters.' As if he had not just almost drowned, he began to walk casually away.
'Novice.' The playful tone in Malik's voice was more obvious than he would have liked it to be.
I have no imagination
wait, let me correct that
i have no life
I dare someone to count how many stories I have written which include Altair and water
lol...i love torturing Alty