He found himself alone. The large walls- structured and crafted beautifully- filled with torches to light his way. The flames shadows dancing on the wall in a silent dance unheard by human ears. David's large shadow covered most of the structure, following close and mimicking every movement. The halls that were usually filled with scholars were empty and bare on this occasion. David was curious as to why. There seemed to not be a single soul which was unuasl as Masyaf was filled with people. Only the sound of dropping water and the strong smell of old books filling his nose.
He continued to walk down the halls into a larger area. Books on shelves surrounded him. David was amazed at how much there were. He was not one to open a book and sit down to read, but in this age what more can a man can do? Be could only think back on his deployment. When they were not in missions, the soldiers would sit about- but they wouldn't be doing nothing. Many has hobbies, David likes to go to the gym. He smiled slightly at the thought. Only to grown a few moments later at his loss of muscle. Had he always been this thin? David felt different here.
He strolled along the shelves trying to find something of interests. Something about this place was firmiliar. Like a lost memory that was not his. David walked along the shelves. Looking at each book. He was feeling de ja by. Like, something was bringing him back. He stopped at a few selections. Though he could not read- even though he is capable of doing it- David knew that the books would not be in English.
He noticed that he was picking up on some of the dialect in the area. The way the people spoke to one another. David knew that there were different dialects in crusade era Syria. The few maps he has seen were very much different then modern age. Syria has also changed. The Middle East has changed. From the war in Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, and Syria's involvement… God was not kind to a people that has been fighting each other for centuries. David tried not to think about modern times. He was starting to accept that he may never go home. He may never see his family again. All David wanted was to understand.
Who was he? David never knew much about his childhood. He was a foster kid for most of his life. Troubled- like most kids, but he felt different. People seemed to look at him and they made comments. David never understood why. It was that day in Afghanistan where everything seemed to change for him.
Somehow, Hannad 'Ikrimah Jal was connected to all this. David closed his eyes to breathe steadily. The flashbacks were returning to him. He sneered as the pain numbed his body. His heart was beating faster and his adrenaline was coasting fast through his body. The sands of Afghanistan and the worn down building. David saw him. Hannad was standing there in front of a large map. Drawings, ancient texts, and in one of them…
"A vast knowledge lies here." David turned around to the voice. Startled by not hearing the old masters footsteps. He breathed heavily as the flashes disappeared.
Walking into the library was Al Mualim. His older eyes looking at each individual book. Filled with knowledge of the past and stories of myth and legend. David watched as the older man was silent and in deep thought.
"I've seen many books in my time, but this is the largest collection I have ever seen. I do not doubt they hold knowledge that I could never dream of." David said feeling a bit amazed that Al Mualim was giving his attention to the foreign man. Al Mualim was still curious about David. He knew that the foreign man was adapting and he was still figuring himself out, but Al Mualim wanted to test something. If it were true, the Apple would react.
"Men seek knowledge to what he does not know. There are many questions, yet the books cannot always be the answer." Al Mualim picked a random book. Dusting away particles that covered it. It was a perfect book that was not randomly picked. The old master has read it many times and knew the readings from front to back.
"Would any of these books have an answer as to how I can go home? Or have the answer as to why I have been chosen here?" David asked.
"I may have something that may be an answer. But it is not in this book in my hands. You are here because God wanted you here. Helping Altair understand his purpose by seeing the darkness that keeps you awake. You are something more, David. You and Altair have been doing tasks to rid the world of Templars. Those men he is sent to kill want to take the will of men." Al Mualim placed the book back on the shelf.
"Altair understand plenty. I do not need to hold his hand as if he were a child." David retorted.
"No. Altair has learned all I have taught him. Since he was just a boy. Losing his father, seeing a man die before his eyes, and having to be striped of his rank because of his foolishness. Altair is beginning to see what it is that can pull him back into the perfect assassin he needs to be."
David felt pain in his head. Something stinging and burning through his veins. Al Mualim has noticed David in pain. Deep in his robe the Apple felt warm. As if it was beating like a heart. David took a deep breath and leaned against the shelf. His mind was heavy with thoughts and Al Mualim wanted to understand.
"I've seen war. The death. People scared and hungry. What is it that assassin's can change for the sake of those people?" David pushed himself to stand on his own. His legs shook wanting to collapse underneath him.
"Assassins are meant to bring peace to humanity. They are shadows and stroke down those who dare control man. We seek much knowledge and to understand we have to see the darkness. Those you see here in Masyaf have been through it and they become something greater." The Apple was becoming hotter against Al Mualim's skin.
"You saw something that has lead you here. Something no man has ever seen." David raised a brow. Where was he getting at? David thought.
"Men will better understand his darkness of he learns to confront it. You saw something and it has forever haunted you." David was at a lost. His mind was not clear as it was a few moments before. Al Mualim was pushing for him to admit something. Their was something strong that was bringing David down. The air in the library was tense and there was something else. Something familiar but not seen.
David was beginning to breath heavily again. Flashes of blue light appeared with each blink. The noise of gunfire and the sight of the map and the object that was next to it. There it was in black and white. On some old paper that was slightly burned.
He closed his eyes tightly with his hands clenched into fists. David was not going to let it win. David has to calm himself before he ended up losing his mind. Al Mualim waited for this to pass over David. All assassin's before their initiation were to confront their darkness. That hidden wound that lied underneath their skin. To make an assassin, Al Mualim would train them until their spirits were broken and then reborn. David was close, but there was this will that made him strong. The man would not break. But the Apple was confirmation that David was and always has been a Sage. He had the blood of the first people running through his veins. Al Mualim had to control David somehow and his plans were not going to be delayed.
"Calm yourself David. Let your mind take ease. As a novice, you must see yourself stronger then your enemy. Let your instinct guide you and your light will defeat it. All assassin's face their trial and you have passed a difficult trial." Al Mualim could see David relax. Though, the unease of tension was still strong.
"How am I to understand something I know nothing about? Am I here to prove something? I am just a man wanting answers." David's emotions ran strong. The Apple could sense it making Al Mualim wanting to explain further. David was something no mortal should be. Something strong. Someone with purpose. But, there was no controlling a being whose blood was theirs. Al Mualim felt a sort of pity as he saw David beginning to cry.
A man so strong, so weak in the mind, it was unclear on what held David together. The old master has seen many men shed tears because of their confusion. Al Mualim could only boast words of wisdom and acknowledge that David was not alone.
It would take all David's strength to understand who and what he really is. So far, the Apple was the only thing keeping David from understanding himself.
Altair looked to the mountains. It's beauty formed and all that was created lingered in the past before man. He was changing as a person and he was seeing his flaws. The other assassin's have noticed this change as well. Though, they would still place Altair at the bottom of the assassin ranks. Even though Altair was gaining back all he has lost, the others were not so convinced on this new found change.
With each task completed, Altair has a better understanding. Those men needed to be stopped. His master chose Altair- not because he could get the mission done- but so he could learn. They wanted something. They were bound together, but Altair felt despair dwelling in his chest. His mission in Arce a success once again with the help of David. The foreign man was bonding with Altair. A brother. A comrade, he can say. But Altair never had close bonds. Malik, Abbas, and even his master were the only people to have seen Altair's true self.
His thoughts moved from thick fog to settling dust. Altair laid back in the stone that held him high above the structure. His eyes looking at the sky wanting to feel the sun's rays in his face. Altair was a simple man with questions. Earlier in the day he spoke with Al Mualim. Still, there were doubts. In the coming week he and David will be bound to Jerusalem.
He was to hunt Robert de Sable.
"This is remarkable." He said out loud, making her jump and spill her coffee. Looking over her shoulder she gave the man a glare. Her morning routine was ruined and the day has yet to begin.
"What is so important that you had to scream at six in the morning?" She was irritated. They had spent the last three days keeping him stable and going through documents. In their search they have come across many interesting events.
"His bloodwork. It's… it's remarkable how he has slipped under the radar. He has been in bidding for so long that we were not sure if any survived." The man was trembling with excitement. The paperwork on the desk was scattered and there was a big goofy smile on his face. She could have rolled her eyes, but she would not believe it if it wasn't written on the paper.
"A human has roughly a 80 year life span, right?" She shook her head at the question and waited for him to continue. "Well, in his blood work there was something strange. We all Her out DNA from our parents and they have DNA from theirs and so on. Here, it says that his blood- his DNA is… I cannot even speak."
"No human on Earth can live for centuries. What we are seeing is his ancestor. He has been stuck in that machine since we found him unconscious. Its taking effect. His memories are getting mixed with that of his ancestor. We have to hurry this before we truly lose him." She knew the consequence. She knew something was different about him. The moment they placed him in the machine, it all changed. The bleeding effect was starting. His memories were blending- morphing with the man centuries ago. His ancestor.
"We cannot let anyone know. They will get him. They will kill him like they have with the others." She said taking the document out of his hands. He looked to her with saddened eyes. All that excitement vanished as he felt shame. They have just unlocked a great mystery, but once he looked to the monitor screen and seeing that man laying motionless, he sighed.
"I know what they will do to him. In sorry for my actions. This is a breakthrough for us and the world." She placed her hand up to silence him.
"At what cost? The sanity of a man? We need to wake him up soon. You know we don't have that much time. They are moving in us. In afraid they also have leads on someone else." She said as she clutched the papers. They both knew that time was running short. The longer he stayed in that world, the worse the memory will get. His memories were already affecting the project. He was becoming his ancestor. They are both somehow are merging together. His ancestors memories are now a part of him and vice versa. This was getting bad.
"We cannot do that yet. He has to push through this." She wanted to tell him he was wrong. There were countless others that died when they were out in the machine. Those that did survive were never the same. There was no other way for him to push past his PTSD. She knew that They know what he is. They wanted him.
"We have been searching for so long. We have this chance to understand. You cannot deny it and when we wake him up… you know he will not be the same. We do not know if he can be able to accept it. He's a Sage… his bloodwork and DNA proves it. That man in his memory is his ancestor with the same name. This can also prove reincarnation. Sages can be reincarnated." He said.
"So we have to wait for him (his ancestor) to die before we wake him up? He's been exposed for too long. The bleeding effect is becoming severe. We are not capable of controlling something as powerful as the mind. His PTSD cannot be cured no matter what we do. It can be contained, but I would not want to risk putting his life in danger." She wanted to stop this. She wanted to wake him up from his slumber. She was worried. She held concerns. Time was running out.
"I am sorry if we put him through this. You know it was needed. If he had a flashback again... He would have hurt everyone. Lord knows how long he has been seeing things. It makes it even difficult now that we know that he is a Sage. Well, a reincarnation of on." He took a sip of his coffee and are a live of a sandwich. The monitors filling the silence of the room.
"We have to know what it is that connects Altair and David. If it's my guess, it's the Apple. We have to know for a young man's life can already be in trouble." She looked down at a document. A picture of a young teenaged boy and his name:
Desmond Miles
Author's note: Hello again happy readers. Let me tell you, there was a lot of research out into this chapter. I wanted to incorporate some of what happened in 2003 into this chapter. There is a reason why David is in Syria during the crusades. It has to do with what is happening in the game and how it all falls into place. If I get anything from history wrong please tell me and I will make changes. I know there was a lot happening a few years ago. With the war in Iraq and Syria's relation with Iraq. Believe me, so much. I was probably only 11 and my father was deployed so often in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyway, so much for my ranting I just wanted you readers to get a better understanding of these events. It all tied together.
So, so much going on here. For those of you who are unaware, Desmond is about 16 in 2003. I had to look up his birthday and such. Not so hard to find. Anyway, guys we are getting into the meat and potatoes of this story. David is a reincarnation of a Sage. We find out that Desmond is a target. We find out so much and the fact of how David's time in Afghanistan has to do with Syria. Cannot wait for what happens next.
Shout out:
Chubby Crazy: thanks for you lovely review. Afghanistan and Syria are connected. I am sure I put enough information in this chapter that would not cause so much confusion. I don't wanna confuse my readers, but I also don't want to say to much either. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
WiaeWhiteOwl: Thank you. I cannot say my story is the best out there. I would love some more reviews but I don't want to press my luck.