Here's the third chapter! The beginning could be a little forced and boring, but that's because in this chapter I'm going to focus in the deep presentation between the characters.

PD: I have to apologize for the delay in this update. Recently, I was very sick; I couldn't stop sneezing and I had a horrible headache. I cannot focus if I'm not well, but I'm better now so whatever…

Let's go with the chapter already!

Ch. 3 Leave or stay

"Louise!" Saito yelled before jumping to one of the demon's neck, killing it with his sword "Are you okay?!" He asked to her pink haired master. Louise nodded relieved.

"Well… Looks like we have our heroic familiars here" Sheffield said from the tree.

Altair looked at the strange creatures shocked. This was more complicated to think about something logical. Maybe… it was true that he was in another dimension?

"Altair! Stay behind and protect the girls! You ready, Derf?" Saito asked to his sword.

"I born ready, buddy!" The sword replied. Altair opened wide his eyes again. A talking sword?! How many surprises he was going to witness in this place?!

Saito jumped again to another demon and stabbed him across its chest with Derf (Stay behind? Hmph, I'm not into that) Altair thought. Then, he ran to a demon with a smirk.

"Altair, no! They're going to kill you!" Tiffa yelled with tears in her eyes.

Due to the demon grand size, Altair could slide between its legs and stand up behind it. Then he jumped to his neck, raising his left arm. Then, something shiny appeared on his wrist. (What's that?) Saito thought. Whatever it was, it must be something deathly, because when Altair touched the demon's neck with it, a splatter of blood stained his robes. Saito, Louise and Tiffa opened wide their eyes.

(Two more to go…) Altair thought. Then, he instinctively put a hand on his belt, hoping to find a throwing knife. But he didn't find anything (Oh, right… They confiscated my weapons) He looked at the shiny object in his wrist and thought (Looks like it's just you and me, dear friend)

Another demon was about to punch him, but he dodged the attack and stabbed it in the chest. The last demon decided to retreat before he gets the same fate as its companions.

Sheffield cursed in a low tone "Alright, I'll let you leave… for now. We'll meet again, hooded man" She said before she teleported to God-knows-where.

Altair 'hmph'ed before Saito and the girls approached to him amazed "Wow! I didn't expect you to know how to fight! That was amazing!" Saito yelled at him.

"Child's play" He said nonchalantly.

"How did you do that? We took all of your weapons!" Louise said.

Altair moved his left middle finger and a little blade appeared from his armband "Not all of them. After all, this is a 'hidden' blade" His three comrades looked at the weapon with surprise.

"But how did you know that we were in danger?" Tiffa asked.

Altair took a few seconds to think how should he say it "Let's say that I have… 'special eyes'. I have a strange sixth sense that allows me to know the emotions and intentions of those who are around me. In this case, I sensed the intentions of that woman because we weren't too far away" He made a little pause and started to walk to the horses again "You can consider yourselves lucky"

Louise frowned. She didn't bear the arrogance of Altair. But Saito looked at him amazed, finally he has a fighting fellow in this place! And Tiffa sighed, relieved that they were alive.


Hours later, when the sun was about to hide in the horizon, they finally reached Tristain; a lively little city where all the people were kind and friendly. All of this is thanks to its former queen: Henrietta

And there they were, inside the queen's castle. Louise greeted her with a friendly hug "I'm so happy to see you, Louise!" Henrietta said with a sweet whisper. Then, she greeted Saito and Tiffa with a little reverence.

"Her Majesty, this is the new familiar of Tiffa. His name is Altair" Saito said.

"Good evening, mister Altair" She said with a sweet smile "Good evening" Altair replied with a reverence. She was the queen, she deserved some respect, after all "They said that you could fill us with a problem"

"What is it?" Henrietta asked with curiosity. Altair lifted up his robes to show his chest's runes "Interesting… So you are a Void Mage, Tiffa?"

"That seems to be the case… What does the runes means?" Tiffa asked to the queen. Henrietta put a finger in her chin and frowned, looking at the runes with curiosity.

"Lífþrasir… Or in other words 'The heart of God'…" Henrietta said with a slow and chilling tone. Louise, Saito and Tiffa gasped in amazement. However, Altair stood still with his arms crossed. Henrietta continued with the explanation "This means that you have a special gift, just like Saito's. But it has its own bad side…"

"What it would be…?" Altair asked, now interested with that last statement.

"The good part of this is that you can increase a magical spell's power of a Void Mage… However, doing this will drain your vital energy; and if you're not careful… you can even die…" Henrietta finished with a worried tone. Although, Tiffa brought her hands to her mouth, scared of her familiar's danger.

Saito decided to change the subject "So… Altair, you still haven't told us anything about you"

Altair sighed. After all that happened this day, he couldn't avoid the reality. He was indeed in another dimension where magic exists. After all, those creatures weren't strange animals, they WERE demons. His new friends deserved an explanation of himself.

"Well… First of all, Saito, I have to say that I lied to you. I am indeed from the end of the 12th century" Altair started. Saito opened wide his eyes (So… he's from the past?! Cool!) He thought. Altair continued "I was born in Masyaf, a small and peaceful village in Holy Land. However, the Third Crusade were devastating the country, so an Order was made in order to stop the Saracens and the Templars: The Assassins"

"The Assassins?" The girls and Saito said at the same time.

"We sought the peace and the freedom through the murders of corrupted politicians and procurers" Altair continued. Although, his companions frowned their eyebrows. They didn't seem to like how that sound.

"So… that's why you have all those weapons…?" Tiffa asked in a sweet and weak voice. She started to feel afraid of her familiar.

"Yes, that is why. But… if I tell you the truth, I am not entirely agreed with these procedures…" Suddenly, Tiffa looked at him with curiosity. Altair continued "Sometimes I think that the word is stronger than the steel. Why not talk like civilized people instead of fight like irrational beasts? But… sometimes even that is hard…" Altair looked down, feeling depressed. Tiffa felt sorry for him and approached to him to caress his shoulder. Henrietta also saddened her face.

"Some days, as I walk through the streets and I see slaves sent out in auction, my heart grows cold… When I see husbands hurl abuses and stones to their wives, insisting that she exists only to serve him, my fists clench… And when I see children torn from their parents so that another man might profit, sent off to suffer beneath the desert sun and die…" He paused and swallowed to try not to cry. However, Tiffa and Henrietta had tears flowing down their cheeks. Even Louise was sneezing while Saito just looked at the floor feeling so sad "… On those days, I don't think that dialogue will make a difference. On these days, I can think only of how the perpetrators need to die…" Altair finished.

"Wow… That sounds like a really rough country…" Saito answered.

Altair looked at him with a sad smile. Then, Tiffa noticed the issue about his left hand "What happened to your finger?" She asked.

"It is the prize I had to pay for use this…" Altair said with a sad tone and pulling out his hidden blade. Henrietta looked at the weapon with curiosity while Tiffa caressed slowly the little stump feeling sad for Altair.

"So… you're an Assassin… What does that implies?" Henrietta asked.

"Our creed has three important norms. Break one of them will endanger the Brotherhood. First, stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent. Second, hide in plain sight. We have to become one with the crowd. And finally, the third and the most important, never compromise the brotherhood. The actions of one individual must never bring harm upon the rest, direct or indirect"

Henrietta looked at Altair with curiosity. He seemed… special, somehow. Why she felt something strange inside her chest? "O…Okay… it was a pleasure to meet you, sir Ibn-La'Ahad. I'll send you a guard if I request you some other time" She finished the meeting with a reverence and smiled. Altair, the girls and Saito reverenced too.


When they came back to the academy, Altair was sitting beside the main entrance. He rested his back to the wall while looking at the sky. Saito was passing by and saw him "Hey, what are you doing out here alone?" He asked while sitting with him.

"So… two moons, uh?" Altair said looking at the sky. There were indeed two moons in this world.

"Yeah… They're beautiful, don't you think?"

"… Yes… they are…" They remained silent until Saito spoke again.

"So… it's true that you came from 1192?"

"Yes… And you said that you were from 2012, right?"

"Yeah! Wow, I'm talking with an assassin from the 12th century… Awesome!" Saito yelled amazed by his new fellow.

"Saito… I should not be caring about this but… How is the world? How the world changed in almost an entire millennium?"

Saito could understand his curiosity. It would be like if he met with a guy the 30th century or something. And there they were, Saito were telling Altair all about his future while Altair listened to him with attention.

"That sounds… impressive…" Altair said when Saito finished his 'tale' "And… there are no wars?"

"Well… We still have some problems, but the mentality changed for good. The people is kinder and nicer than years ago" Saito said. He decided to lay down the floor and rest his hands beneath his head "Oh, by the way, we've been thinking and we've decided to return back your weapons tomorrow"

"Good… Thank you…" Altair answered nonchalantly.

"Well, it's getting late so I'm going. Don't be out so late, kay?" Saito said with a friendly tone. Altair smirked, he started to get along with this guy.

"You are not my mother. Good night" Altair answered, also with a friendly tone. Then, Altair was alone in the academy grounds, beneath the moons' light (This place is not as bad as I thought…) He said to himself (I think I can get used to live here… After all, I am sure that my apprentices think that I am death; in the deepest of the canyon)

Suddenly, something interrupted his thoughts. It was a soft sound of a lyre, joined by a melodious female voice. He looked up; the sound was coming from the balcony beneath him. He climbed up through the wall up to the balcony.

He looked inside the room. It was Tiffa; she was singing a suave and heartwarming song. Altair just stood there, grabbing the window's cornice.

Kami no Hadari te Gandalfr

Yumo Kakanna Kami no Tate

Kami no Migi Te Ga Windalfr

Kokoro Yasashiki Kami no Fue

"Beautiful…" Altair whispered. However, Tiffa jumped startled.

"Oh, it's you, Altair" She said, smiling to her familiar. Altair jumped inside the room and lowered his hood.

"That was so beautiful"

"My mother always played that song when I was young. It helped me to sleep; it was something like my lullaby" She said. Altair looked at her, smiling, and she smiled too "Do you like our world, Altair?"

"It is… interesting. I did not buy all of this magic thing. But after all I saw this day, it seems that it is true that I am in another world"

"If you don't want to be here, yo-you can leave when you want… I wo-won't force you to stay here…" Tiffa said shyly and stroking her lyre. Altair rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled to her. She looked at him.

"I will stay. After all, I think I do not have a place to come back" He said.

She opened wide her eyes "Really?!" She threw at him and hugged him tightly. Altair was shocked by her reaction, but he hugged her back, looking away. "Thank you…" She whispered to his ear.

Altair was about to exit the room when he turned again to Tiffa "Well, we will see tomorrow. Good night"

"Good night" Tiffa answered sweetly. Then, Altair exited the room and closed the door. Tiffa turned off her lamp and looked outside her window. She touched her chest, feeling something strange…

(What is this warm and comfortable feeling…?)

To be continue…

Finally! The presentation is out of the way! Now I can start to develop this fanfic! I hope you liked this chapter!

Looks like Altair decided to stay in Halkeginia and begin a new life there. Will he get used to all that magic stuff? We'll see!

Also, if you want to hear Tiffa's song, just simply search 'Zero no Tsukaima Tiffania song' in Youtube

See you next chapter!