I wasn't lying when I said I had the chapters ready to go, they just need to be edited quite heavily and I haven't had time to do that.
Sooo enjoy! I do not own Assassin's Creed.
Altaïr ran over the rooftops, not bothering to stop to kill the guards that patrolled them. To all hell if they saw him, he had something important he had to do. He had to find out the truth! The truth about who Cairo was!
Altaïr's mind was muddled with the prospect of who Cairo truly was and who he could be. What if his assumptions were true? What would happen then? The other could be killed for such things! It would be seen as a betrayal to the Brotherhood for hiding such a secret! He could be killed for much less!
He growled under his breath as he got closer to the hidden sanctuary. He would find out the truth, even if he had to kill the Assassin for it. To hell with the rules of the Creed, this was personal.
The sanctuary was ahead of him, he could see the courtyard that led into it. Another entrance he had found in his travels earlier. He jumped down into the alley that bordered the courtyard and sought out the secret entrance that led into the hidden sanctuary. Small drops of blood were scattered around, still freshly wet and bright against the brown dirt of the ground.
Altaïr's suspicious only grew as he hurried inside and down the stairs. He had figured out how to find the secret door, even without his Eagle Vision. There was a small, very small, crack in the wall that let in a small amount of light into the dark staircase.
He opened the door as quietly as he could, which was not that much since the door was made of stone and was extremely heavy. He growled under his breath as it alerted, if anyone was inside at all, his presence.
Looking about the chamber, he could see that Cairo was nowhere that can be found. It looked as though he had not been there at all. However, Altaïr knew that that was not true, since there were small, fresh blood drops staining the brightly colored rugs on the stone floor, under his feet.
"Cairo, I know you are here. Come out and face me," Altaïr growled lowly, his arm braced to release his hidden blade. He stiffened as a tapestry started to shift and was eventually pulled back to reveal the Assassin himself, Cairo.
He still wore his mask and still gave off that annoying vibe of his, but there was a change in his stance. He was holding his left arm closer to his body, as though he was protecting it. There was also blood beginning to seep through his sleeve. Altaïr zeroed in one this and snapped his gaze to look at Cairo's masked face. Cairo noticed his gaze and shifted, hiding his arm even further discreetly.
"You are back?" Cairo asked, coming out of the hidden room, which looked as though it were a wash room. "That was… Quicker than I had expected," he muttered. Altaïr stayed silent, his only response being the narrowing of his eyes. Cairo noticed and tensed even further, but tried not to show his nervousness. It would not do to show any form of weakness now. "Did you find anything out?"
"Yes. Our target has been killed," Altaïr stated carefully, watching the other. "But you already knew that, did you not?" He continued, stepping forward. Cairo could not help but compare the situation to that of a feline predator stalking its prey, or in this case, an eagle waiting to swoop in for the kill. And he did not plan on being killed so soon, especially not by a man that knew nothing about him.
"Yes, I did know that. Word travels quickly, Altaïr. And even under the grounds, I can still hear whispers," Cairo stated calmly, looking completely relaxed. It was more relaxed than he actually felt.
"I believe that we both know that that is not how you found out," Altaïr stated clearly. Cairo felt a chill run up his spine.
"Oh? And how do you think I found out?" Cairo questioned, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
"You've been lying to all of us. To me, to our brothers, to the Master, and to the Creed," Altaïr snarled. Cairo's eyes narrowed into slits.
"He is no Master of mine," he hissed right back, his body immediately shifting into a crouch. "I should have you killed for saying such nonsense," he continued. It did not escape Altaïr's notice that Cairo did not deny lying to them all.
Altaïr immediately reached to his blade at his hip and released it from its sheath. He noticed the slight panic in the other's stance, as he seemed to realize that his own sword was not available at the moment. But that panic was immediately erased and replaced with determination as Cairo slide his hidden blades from his wrists. Altaïr had not realized that he had two hidden blades on his person. He had not paid enough attention.
Cairo could see the change in Altaïr at the sight of his blades and smirked widely behind his mask. He knew that Altaïr was not expecting him to have a blade at each wrist, but there was more to the one on his right than what met the eye.
"Do you really believe that fighting me is a good choice for you to make, Altaïr?" Cairo snarled at him.
"To defend the Creed and to find the truth and knowledge that I require, yes. Yes, I do," he growled back.
"Then you leave me no choice but to defend myself from you," Cairo sighed. He then noticed that Altaïr was already rushing at him, the steel in his hands poised for the kill.
With a grunt, Cairo was just barely able to block the attack. Altaïr had admittedly one thing going for him in this battle. He was larger and heavier and it would cause his hits to be harder on the smaller as well. But it also slowed him down, and Cairo was already fast due to his small size.
With a flourish, Cairo quickly spun from underneath the other Assassin and sheathed the blade on his right wrist to punch Altaïr in the jaw. The impact was enough to jar him and he stumbled backwards. It actually did hurt, Cairo had one hell of a punch to him.
Cairo took to a crouch again and waited for the next strike, but it seemed that Altaïr had learned not to go in so suddenly. Cairo was definitely a tricky fighter and very cunning and clever. Possibly more clever than he; no, completely more clever than he.
The two began to circle each other, waiting for the other to strike. Altaïr was growing impatient.
"Why do you not just tell me who you really are?" he asked, his eyes narrowing once again.
"Why? So you can kill me?" Cairo hissed back, his voice full of malice.
"I am going to kill you anyway," Altaïr stated simply, his voice mocking. Cairo huffed and lowered his body in his crouch.
"Then I shall be taking my identity to the grave," Cairo stated right back.
"So be it." And with that, Altaïr once again moved to strike Cairo with his sword, only to be thwarted by the hidden blades on his wrist once again. The boy had had a lot more training than he had in the past, Altaïr began to realize. The way he moved so fluidly and blocked so effortlessly signaled this. No doubt he practiced and sparred every day as well to keep his skills in check.
Cairo was finally able to break free from the onslaught of attacks from Altaïr's blade and made a run for the ladder. It confused him, having one of his own allies attacking him so ferociously. It was throwing Cairo off from his normal way. That and maybe that he had actually begun to like him a little. As little as he would like to admit, he had begun to actually like him.
Altaïr scowled as he watched the other run away from their fight. Was he a coward? "Get back here now!" he snarled as he raced after the other. He began to climb up after the other, reaching up and grabbing the boy's thin ankle, only to get a kick in the face, forcing him to let go.
Cairo hurried up the ladder and closed the door. There was not enough time to lock it, however. So he left it and ran to a square shaped window that was big enough for him to get out. He was already through and climbing up the side of his sanctuary by the time Altaïr had gotten through.
Altaïr watched as the other's foot disappeared from sight and went up towards the roof and went to follow. The "boy" was not going to get away from him that easily.
Cairo's arm was beginning to burn and scream with pain as his hurried movements brought him closer to the top of his sanctuary. He had to hurry, he could hear Altaïr following him and Cairo did not want to continue their fight.
There was little choice of what was able to be done. He had to get out of the city. Their target was already dead, and by his hand as it should always be done.
Cairo finally got to the roof and found the entrance gate immediately. It was pretty close by, now he just had to give Altaïr a distraction so he could leave. He looked around frantically as an idea came to him.
Altaïr had also made it to the roof of the sanctuary. He watched as Cairo began to find a way to run, but there was nothing. He was cornered.
"Cairo, tell me who you are and I may spare your life," he said calmly.
Cairo did not believe him for a second, no matter how much he wanted to. But he stilled and sighed, turning to face the other.
"Very well, you have me beat, Altaïr," Cairo sighed, playing the defeated Assassin routine. He put his hands to his sides, palms forward in surrender as he walked slowly over to the smug, elder male. "You win. And I shall tell you who I truly am," he said, his head bowed. "But, can you put away your own sword? Just so I have assurance that you will not kill me just yet?" he asked. Altaïr thought it to be a fair request. "And would you close your eyes? I will not run away, but no one has seen me take off my mask. And I would rather that stay the same as well," Cairo continued.
He rolled his eyes in response, but did as requested. It was not an order, at least. He heard the other sigh and the shifting of fabric. The mask was being lifted.
Cairo looked up at the other as he moved the mask from his face. He hated how his identity could be so easily spotted now, and how the sun and air hit his face. He was not used to it, he was used to the cool fabric of his mask. At least Altaïr was keeping true to his word and kept his eyes closed.
This was working better than he had hoped. He stepped closer and raised onto his toes to whisper into the taller male's ear.
"I am deeply sorry, Altaïr Ibn-La'ahad. But you knowing who I am is simply out of the question," Cairo whispered as a sleeping dart of his own design was slipped into Altaïr's neck.
His eyes flew open at the whispered words that the soft, light, and flowy voice had said and growled, "You tricked me!" His vision was already beginning to go, but he could still make out the outline of Cairo. He tried to reach towards it, but it was becoming too far away as he sunk to the ground.
"I know. And I am regretfully sorry," Cairo whispered. "But I am not meant to be known to the world. I wish I could tell you," he said as he turned away. "I wish I could show you who I truly am."
And with those final words, Cairo disappeared from Acre and out into the Kingdom.
Altaïr was left on the roof, asleep.
I do hope you enjoyed! Till next time! This is OneHellOfANekoDemon85 signing off