.Truth :: Altaïr :: We Share The Same Sky.
Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed, subsequent machines used or any of the Assassins Creed characters mentions. I do however own Nylah so any attempt to rob will be severely punished! MWAHAHA.
On a lighter note, here's the story…
A/N: I had intended to alternate the chapters but it didn't work out that way because I didn't think the spacings would work if I put Altaïr's mission in Damascus in the last chapter. Have fun.
Enjoy my Lovelies.
Chapter 3 :: Altaïr 1120
Altaïr skirted the large tower that shot up between the buildings, favouring the flat roofs in his attempt to find his assistant Malik and escape from the city of Damascus.
The mission had gone horribly wrong.
Malik's father and brother; Ajihad and Jeod had been the targets. Malik had found out and gone crazy, vowing to never return to Masyaf. Altaïr had tried to convince him otherwise but had failed dismally and so was reduced to chasing Malik across the city to force him to return to Masyaf or face the fate of a traitor. Death.
"Death is no better than this fate" Malik called back as Altaïr caught up to him across a gap. Malik had stumbled and it had cost him, he lost speed and therefore distance in his plight to escape Altaïr.
"Malik think about your sister" Altaïr dug into his memory and pulled out a name "Amira would hate it if you were to leave her, I'm sure she would hate it equally if you were to be deemed a traitor, hunted and publicly executed" He called, getting agitated as their chase attracted the much unwanted attention of a passing rooftop guard.
"Amira has no part in this conversation Altaïr, you leave her out of this" Malik cried, halting abruptly and turning to face the man in question.
"She has every part in this, Malik. She is your sister. With your father and brother in hiding it will be your job to look after her, who will she have to look up to if you are gone too?" Altaïr called, trying to reason with the delusional trainee.
"But of course Altaïr, I never knew you were the caring type" Malik spat bitterly, looking around for guards as he and Altaïr continued to argue.
"Malik, think about it" Altaïr said, his voice softer now, but still carrying over the wind and the cries from the marketplace below "If you were to be trialled for treason, don't you think it appropriate that your mentor of eight months be the one to commit the deed and scrub you from the earth" Altaïr paused and sighed "We kill so easily Malik. We kill others so easily. Yet when it is one of our own to be killed, we find it no harder. We say it is for the greater good but I believe that it is because we have lost our souls. If you cast yourself out like this and force me to do what has to be done, you are forfeiting your soul, and damaging mine further. I will tell your sister the truth and she will never forgive you. I know it seems a crude way to do this but it is the best way that I know. Malik, be better. Do not kill"
Malik looked at his sentimental mentor and sighed, admitting defeat. He hated to do it but he knew that Altaïr was right, killing tore the soul.
"Altaïr. Can we not mention this to Al Mualim" Malik asked his mentor as he, sheepishly walked towards him.
"Hear no evil, speak no evil" Altaïr intoned, throwing his arm around Malik as they walked from the rooftops, earning shouts from the guards.
It had not been long since Altaïr persuaded Malik, his rebellious co-worker, to rejoin the cause for the sake of his young sister Amira. Malik and Altaïr lay in the assassins Bureau of Damascus, relaxing after a hard weeks work gathering information before painting the target.
Malik had fired a fake report back to Al Mualim by messenger pigeon, it would take a couple of hours to get there at most. Malik and Altaïr intended to pretend to assassinate Malik's family and send them into hiding. Altaïr had his doubts about the plan but did not voice his concerns to his enthusiastic assistant.
While Malik finished up the details of the plan, Altaïr took a walk over the rooftops to clear his head; he needed to be focused, he didn't want to let Malik down after he had convinced him to sit through his days as an assassin.
"You there! Girl! Stop!" Altaïr hear a cry from the market below "THIEF!" Altaïr cringed as he heard the yell of 'thief'. A sure way to get someone executed was to call them a thief in the busiest place in the city.
Altaïr looked over the edge of the building to see a girl running through the streets into two guards, he pulled out two throwing knives and took a steady aim at the guards but the girl dodged them and dashed into an alley across the street from the building that Altaïr stood on.
Altaïr dashed across some hanging planks and onto the building along the alley that the accused girl had ducked into. He looked down, trying to spot the girl among the mingling people. It wasn't particularly difficult as the girl was sprinting through the crowd but barely knocking anyone; strangely she reminded Altaïr of himself, hidden in the crowd. He stopped at the end of the building and looked left and right below him. He spotted the sun-bleached hair and ragged clothes slipping through the crowd, he looked back and saw the guards closing in. He quickly dispatched both of them and moved before anyone traced the place the knives originated from; the last thing Altaïr needed was a bunch of guards chasing him. Suddenly the girl looked back over her shoulder, looking up at him as if she knew that the blades had come from him, like she knew he was her guardian angel, watching over her.
Her eyes were a shocking green from under her pointed hood that looked remarkably like the assassins robes Altaïr wore. Thoughts began to buzz around Altaïr's mind as he thought about the implications of this likeness; she could be an assassin, that would explain her being able to slip through the crowd.
Altaïr tried to understand what was going on as he followed the girl and her entourage of guards through the city, flowing with her every move as she sprinted and feigned to try and loose the guards.
Don't anticipate. Don't anticipate.
Altaïr repeated that rule over and over in his head as he watched the girl, following the most delicate twitches in her body that the guards couldn't see, to determine where the girl was going. Then Altaïr made a huge mistake, something he did very rarely.
He anticipated.
Altaïr let his guard down for a second, seeing that the girl was tiring, and let himself follow a worn path that the girl may have followed. She didn't.
He lost his line of sight for a second and the girl was gone, disappearing into the crowd. She was good, he'd give her that; but Altaïr was better. He just had to see a glimpse of her again.
There!
He saw a white cape flick in the crowd, stained with dust and blood; it had to be the girl. It had to be. Altaïr would never forgive himself if any harm came to the young child because he had lost sight of her. Suddenly the girl made a grave mistake. She dashed into an empty but open street. The guards cornered her and she flattened herself to the wall, Altaïr watching and waiting as they threatened to kill her.
"No" Altaïr breathed.
A/N: Hello my darlings. Cliffhanger. Don't worry about it, there should be another chapter up today. Sorry the posting isn't very 'regular' I just post when I have time. You're quite lucky because I'm hoping to have this story finished before I start College in September.
Rate, Review or whatever you want to do. I have anonymous reviews on. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
Bye my lovelies.
