Altair sat in the throne of the King he had just slain he looked over his shoulder at the lifeless body of Richard the Lion-Heart. What Richard had said to him before he slipped into the never-world had hung in his mind. He couldn't help but feel a sense of truth came with what Richard had said. Why would he be sent to kill a messenger of peace? All these questions circled in his head, and he knew the one person whom he could get the answers from, is the same man who might be behind a plan of deception. How could he as Al-Mualim if the mission he had sent him on was one of evil, one to endanger lives instead of saving them? There was no possible way he could, and he knew this, which is part of the reason he had delayed his return to Masyaf. Yet he knew there wasn't much longer he could wait the guards outside would surely be getting suspicious of the amount of time he was taking to deliver a simple mission to the King. He picked up the sword that had been knocked out of Richard's hand during the fight, and then made his way towards the entrance of the tent. With two swings of the blade the two guards outside of the tent were killed, their bodies dropping to the floor in front of him as he reached over and collected his weapons which they had kept watch over.
"This doesn't seem like the peace I was promised."
He made his way through the rows of tents that housed the troops, hoping he'd manage to make it clear before what he had done was noticed. As he made his journey through it had begin to dawn on him that Richard might be right, he had already killed two guards, and when the body was discovered war would be declared on his brotherhood, how was this peace? He finally reached the clearing where he had reined his horse, and there stood in front of him was one of his fellow assassins.
"My brother, what word does Al-Mualim send?"
The man began to approach him.
"Is it done?"
Altair pulled out the blood stained feather from his pocket, and held it out to the man who stood in front of him. The man then nodded, as he took the feather and tucked it away into his robes.
"Then there is but one task left for you?"
"Al-Mualim wishes for me to take the life of another?"
The man nodded once more.
"Whose life am I destined to bring to an end this time?"
The man reached into his belt, and to the surprise of Altair drew a sword.
"It is your life that is destined to end now!"
Without warning the man launched forward, swinging his sword towards the head of Altair who had rolled underneath of him to avoid the blow. Both men then stood face to face with their swords drawn, the tips of each crossing past the others blade.
"So Richard was right, Al-Mualim did not send me on a mission of peace."
"Peace will be had when he rules the land."
"But what right do we have to take control of the land that was provided for us?"
"Do you not see the war around you? People have lost the ability to take care of themselves, they make mistakes, they kill. So it is time for us to take control of the land in the name of peace."
"Manipulating people is no way to bring peace, just pain."
Altair stepped forward, the sound of blade crashing against blade breaking the silence that filled the area when neither were talking. The two continued duelling, neither seeming to be able to land a blow on the other, both were well trained so they knew a victory would not come easy. The fight continued, both men exhausted and struggling to fend the others attack.
"You fight well Altair."
"As do you brother."
Finally something gave, as Altair leaned forward to land a blow his brother lost his footing sending him falling to the ground. Altair's blade pierced through his chest, and his opponent dropped his sword knowing he was defeated.
"Tell me, why do you follow Al-Mualim in a quest that will lead to chaos?"
"For the same reason we do anything brother, for peace."
Altair sat thinking how a path of war could possibly lead to peace, as the man he had just defeated slipped away. Altair then mounted his horse, knowing there was only one place he would find his answers.
