*I wouldn't mind being a doctor... if it wasn't for the anatomy on some things XD Maybe I'll stick to dissections and two cups of tea a day instead :D*
Chapter Eight
"Altair!" I yelled peering down from the frame of the broken window. He landed on his back on a scaffolding from the inside. Glass shards scattered everywhere Garnier de Naplouse dazed momentarily. "Please get up Altair," I groaned stepping through the frame. But with my last foot I tripped on a jagged piece of glass still stuck to the frame. I tumbled onto Altair horrified that I had killed him again with my weight. He grunted as I landed on top of him. I gasped, "You're still alive!" Well this was one way to check to see if someone was alive.
"Guards! Guards!" Garnier shouted with guards coming. Garnier pulled out one of the Templar guard's sword to arm himself with running safely behind numerous alerted guards.
"Shit! Get up Altair!" I insisted upon patting the stubble than ran along side his jaw line for him to wake. I then rolled off but off the wrong side of the scaffolding. I landed knees bent then falling back on my behind bruising my tail bone. I bit my lower lip trying to benumb the painful sensation crawling up through my lower back. When I pulled out my swords I was swarmed by plentiful swords digging in my flesh.
"Now, now do not hurt the scared child," Garnier coaxed his way through the guards lower his sword at the sight. His bloodied apron freshly smeared he smiled knowing the Order I served. "Take my hand," the guards raised their swords under my chin and I dropped my platinum swords with a clatter but I did not agree to take his hand. "She's in shock," he chortled, "bring her to my table," I struggled in defense when guards grabbed me by the arm and legs. "Don't worry," he said slowly, "we'll get your friend next," he looked up at the scaffolding and broken glass to where Altair was laying unconsciously.
"Altair! Altair! Wake the hell up!" I yowled hoping he would stir. Garnier laughed so very entertained. I fought with what efforts were spared to me not giving up on trying to issue my cries to him. The guards tugged my upper portion back that I stumbled over the stone step up to Garnier's personal experiment table. This gave way for the other guards to pick up my legs when I tripped and carrying me like a slain animal to the table.
"Now careful, careful... she is a fragile woman," he insisted as the guards carried me then hovered momentarily waiting like a dog waiting for the dinner bell to drop me. I banged my head against the wooden surface now throbbing in my back and head. Imagining being grabbed and sprawled out on my living room floor... Guards holding down my limbs but I thrashed around like a little child. Garnier circled around me hands behind his back.
"I shall cleanse the evil from you my child," he pulled out a dagger from his belt. I screamed havocking the drugged peace in the hospital. Many uncertain stares across the room from Garnier's experiment huddled over to see the sight at a safe distance.
"Peace my child I will bring you closer to God," he hushed as I battled to get out of the guards' grips. Garnier's patients began getting anxious staring at the scene then eyes fleeing back to their hands cupping their faces in horror.
"I think I understand what you mean by that you sinful snake!" He leaned back now displeased and quick to snap his fingers. A guard rushed over with a bowl handing it over vigilantly to Garnier.
"Drink this child it helps cure the mind," he shoved the edge of the bowl into my mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut pursing my lips feeling the sticky clear liquid run down the side of my face then down to my neck. I slammed my head up and down swishing the tiny amount that had seeped through. "She needs more drastic measures," he jingled as if merrily. I sprayed the liquid in his face while he came closer with his dagger. He wiped the liquid from his face like how Robert de Sable would. "God will tell me if she is pure and salvageable from the wickedness that has penetrated her mind!"
"Save me the goddam lectures! Just like the people who need to save themselves!" I announced. Garnier raised his wrinkled hands closing his eyes meditating to my distress. He raised my assassin robes which triggered the horrifying memories of my crippled mother on the floor. I lifted my head but my shoulders were pinned down. My eyes grew, "Ah! A doctor should not visit there!" I began to apprehend what this doctor was going to intentionally do now.
"Ah, but the anatomy is beautiful," the doctor smiled, "though if I want a better inspection I will have to remove it from your body." He turned around pulling up a smaller table with his god forsaken utensils taking what were two hot plated iron tongs. Cut out my womanly parts as a sickening experiment, I nearly threw up. The chandelier above me swayed dangerously above us. "Now, be still child and it will not hurt so much," Garnier grinned parting back my robes and throwing the red sash aside. I eyed the orange glowing ends of the tongs pulling with my arms one last time. The guards pinning my arms laughed remembering to nail me to the table more securely. I sensed both guards that were holding down my legs lighten as they assumed I had given up on resisting there too. Garnier etched closer to my lower half with his unsanitary tongs.
Just as he got close enough I kicked both my legs up harshly whacking the guards in the face. The table nearly tipped over before Garnier could leave I had him wrapped in a fatal choking position in between my legs. "Release me now," I ordered to the guards. At first they didn't obey and I tightened my hold on Garnier de Naplouse. His face turned purple as he suffocated by the power of my thighs. He dropped the tongs in his hands as they sputtered to the stone floor. They let me loose as I looked up at the chandelier once more. An eagle was watching over me. Two black swords dropped down and I caught them both by the hilt of the sword. I sliced every guard with in the perimeter of six feet—dead or bleeding out. I finally threw Garnier out from my legs flipping back off the table and then on the other side of the table of Garnier, I kicked the table over on its side. It propelled out like a gush of water spewing from a fountain smacking Garnier sending him back.
"No please!" Garnier fell to his knees as I towered before him after side vaulting over the toppled table; two swords ready for the blood of more. What am I thinking? I snapped back to myself taking one unsure step back out of the broken window's sun beams. The man praying beneath the distorted shape of the filtered sun in the center of the hospital muttering. Altair swooped down with the hidden blade exposed bringing the man to his feet once more with the tip of the blade driven in the man's brown speckled skin.
"Never thought I would wish you'd drop by sooner," I smiled but he did not return one.
"Ah yes... I rest now so it seems," he eyed Altair's blade not fighting against us anymore but rather eerily calm. "This dream calls to me yes," he looked at me then closed his eyes as if freed. "But before I close my eyes I must know what might become of my children?" It was a rather interesting question to claim on a dying note.
"You mean the people who were forced to suffer your cruel experiments?" Altair responded.
"They will be free from this monstrosity to go back to their homes which you kidnapped them from," I hissed.
"Homes? What homes? Where will they go? Back to the sewers, alleys, streets, prisons?" he retorted in disgust.
"You took these people against their will," Altair tightened his grip on the old man.
"Yes," Garnier strangely agreed, "but with little will they had remained. You are both so naïve and secluded to all sides but one. Do you simply stop tending to a child when it cries?"
"But these are not children... fully grown people you captured," Altair reasoned.
"Perhaps in body but certainly not in mind."
"The sly words of a snake," Altair thundered.
"And I thought you seemed to know better Assassins. I solemnly admit it became difficult to resolve all the world's corruptions with the Piece of Eden gone. But it did not stop my plans it only delayed them. I freed the mad people from their own prison of their minds but now with my death," he let out a sigh he couldn't possibly afford, "mad men they will be."
"You truly believe you are helping them?" Altair could not revel at such stubbornness Garnier de Naplous stood with.
"No, it's what I know..." he trailed off coldly. I indicated with a slight nod of my head and Altair ended the man with his hidden blade in the throat. The blade went cleanly in and when Altair commanded the blade to be sheathed, did it come with the same magnificent silver breast of a Crested Caracara bathed in the beauty of war. He gently settled the man on his back closing the eyes unable to close his own. Stroking the feather through the blood then concealing the feather back in his pouch did Altair revealed a sigh from his chest.
"Let's go," Altair didn't look at me but had a steep thought process written across his face. It was a price to pay in times of being torn over the Holy Land that was once, like any other- my home. I swallowed not allowing myself to stare to long as Altair was the sun. Caught staring too long and you would be blinded by what task at hand was unfolding at this very moment.
"What about the guards coming?" I questioned.
"It's only elementary when they are distracted," his amber eyes strayed to the women and men wailing surrounding us. Without another word shared he climbed up the scaffolding and through the broken window.
"Peace be upon you," I whispered to Garnier de Naplouse's body escaping the scene before reinforcement came along. He was left covered in the sea of his patients blood on his robes and part of his own, the deed was returned by blood set by blood. The people circled around him dumbly yet medicated to an extent of not knowing it was the doctor who healed, the doctor who freed, the doctor whom had lost his sanity to the most insane people in Acre.
I turned over half awake and half asleep in my pile of pillows. Still engulfed in darkness I listened to a woman's voice. It was as if a stain on my white robes, faint but there to see... conceivable by the pigment left within the clean fabric. And like stains, it wouldn't go away even when I turned over to be at last more comfortable.
"Natasha..." it wasn't my mother's voice. "Please Natasha hold on I'm trying to-" the voice was cut off. I was beginning to rouse from my deep slumber. I had made a barrier between me and everything else outside of my pillows. But being surrounded by such plush and lavish adornments couldn't return me back to sleep. We were to return to Masyaf by morning and tell Al Mualim of the news. I spun around to my other side stiffly opening my eyes a little bit. It was still night and still. Serene silver moonlight bathed the walls like shear curtains of a royal canopy bed. My eyes went round when I saw Altair sitting by the fountain. I slammed my eyes shut hoping he hadn't caught me. Nothing moved but the trickling of water. I peeled my eyes open just a crack even though I knew clearly I shouldn't be looking.
"Nggh..." I heard Altair smothering his cries. Peeping a little bit more hearing the: Splish! Splash! With more of Altair's stifled... whimpers. His naked upper body exposed to me. I would have turned around but the dried blood... Altair was taking out the glass shards engrained in his skin. I felt the wave of guilt drown me knowing if I hadn't lost my temper like that... I couldn't help but find my eyes devouring on sight of his back muscles flexing as he got a large irksome piece of glass out. Rivulets of blood crawling down his back like a piece of a glacier sliding off the side he moaned splashing more water on his back to soothe the sting. Not a moment after it dawned on me. The rest of the day he had glass embedded in him but he didn't complain once. It seemed that the glass did not decrease his performance skills but he had an odd stride with his shoulders. Stupid me for being so oblivious today!
He repeated the process a little longer until all the glass was removed except in its place were the future marks of scars. He slipped on his white tunic with his spiky tousled brown hair flying. He flipped around so he could look at his reflection in the water. He stroked his chin delicately perhaps looking at his stubble? I had no idea until he faintly brushed a finger a long his white scar. Admiring it? Hating it? Did I really give that scar to him or was it just a coincidence? Altair blinked instantly looking up in my general direction. Shit! I closed my eyes pretending I was sleeping soundly. Please tell me he didn't notice! I gradually buried my face into the pillow hearing his footsteps against cold stone. They stopped suddenly but I didn't dare take the chances of looking any further than into my pillow. As well as it should have been, I was blinded by the matters at hand unfolding before me.
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*Hope you enjoyed reading because I love making updates/ chapters for you guys :) It gives encouragement to continue and pick up the story when I think it's broken. You guys are like really good editors and publishers in my head... always on my back about the story XD Thank you for reading my Beautiful Souls ~MissKayoko*
