As soon as they left, Altair started to look at the apple in his hands, turning it from side to side. Seconds later, it started to shine.

Startled, he threw it in front of him, where it stopped on the wooden floor. It started to shine more and suddenly a female figure appeared from the apple.

"Greetings, Eagle of Masyaf…" The woman said to him.

"What sorcery is this?" Altair asked, not believing in his eyes.

"I know you're scared, but I can assure you there's no magic…" The woman said again.

Altair didn't know what to think.

"What are you?" He asked seconds later.

"My name is Minerva…" The woman said. "You must be wondering why I can talk to you…"

Altair nodded.

"Because you're the chosen one…" Minerva explained.

"Me?" He asked, pointing to himself. "Chosen for what?"

"You and your partner, Maria, are here for a reason…" Minerva said. "But it is you the one who is responsible to fix everything

Altair wasn't understanding what this being, Minerva, was talking about.

"Fix everything? I'm can't understand…" He said.

Minerva showed him holographic images.

"I'm part of an ancient civilization that inhabited the Earth before yours… we developed technology, including the apples of Eden… however, we couldn't save ourselves from a disaster that provoked our extinction…" Minerva explained. "But that doesn't matter… what you need to know is this: one of us, called Juno, greedy for power and wanting to be our savior, rebelled and stole one of the apples… Abbas' apple…"

Altair started to understand what she was saying.

"Masyaf's attack was her doing?" He asked.

Minerva nodded.

"And the explosion?" He asked again.

"That was us…" Minerva said.

"And us appearing here?" Altair asked again.

"That was also our doing…" Minerva explained. "We knew that you couldn't stop Abbas with your apple, so we decided to give you the technology, so you can stop him and fix what he did after the explosion…"

"And what did he do?" Altair asked curious.

Minerva remained quiet. But when she spoke again, she didn't answer him, just said:

"What you have to do is find other six pieces of Eden so you can restore what he did..."

"How can we do this?" Altair asked.

"Everything depends on you…" Minerva said.

Altair didn't know how to react after knowing all of this.

"This is all you need to know for now…"

He looked at Minerva.

"Wait, I have more questions…" He said.

"We'll talk again while you're here…"

With this she disappeared and the apple stopped shinning. Altair was alone once again.

He remained there, sitting alone for a few minutes, just trying to organize his thoughts with what he has heard.

Only when he heard news of Maria, did he react.

Getting up with Connor's help, Altair walked to the room she was and entered slowly. She smiled at him from where she was sitting on the bed.

"You scared me…" Altair said approaching.

"I'm sorry…" Maria said.

He nodded and turned to Zio.

"Zio, can you excuse us?" He asked.

"Sure…" Zio said, leaving the room.

Altair then sat on the chair in front of Maria. When she saw his expression, she asked:

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah…" He said, affirming with his head. "I still don't believe in what had happened in the office..."

"What happened?" Maria asked a few seconds later. "Don't make me guess…"

"It's nothing bad…" Altair said, picking up her hands between his. "It's just hard to believe…"

Maria nodded. Altair lowered his eyes and waited a few seconds before speaking.

"After you passed out, Connor brought you here and I stayed talking with Achilles… I told him about what had happened in Masyaf…"

Maria nodded looking at him.

"By then, Connor was already back…" He completed.

"And?" Maria asked.

"His people have another apple…" Altair said looking at her.

Maria raised her eyebrows.

"And how they got it?" She asked.

"He said his people had it from a long time…" Altair answered and took a deep breath. "Maria, what I'm going to tell you really happened… and I don't know what to think of it all…"

"What is it?" She asked.

"I saw a woman…" He said. "I thought it was magic, but she said it was not…"

Maria thought he was joking, because he does it sometimes, but when she saw his expression, knew he was deadly serious.

"Coming… from the apple?" She asked, taking her hands off his. He nodded.

"I know this is surreal, but that's exactly what had happened…" He said.

When Maria started laughing, he looked down, put a finger on his lips, scratching his scar as the other hand was on his leg.

"She knew about Masyaf…" He said seconds later.

Maria was stopping laughing as she absorbed what he said.

"What?" She asked.

"She knew about Masyaf…" He repeated, straightening himself slowly.

"How?" Maria asked, intrigued.

"Minerva, as she was called…" He started. "… told me she was from an ancient civilization before ours, and they had created the apples of Eden… how they were betrayed by one of them and how she stole one of the apples…"

Maria nodded.

"It was Abbas' apple…" He finished.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

He nodded.

"The explosion was their doing..." Altair continued. "They also brought us here..."

Maria became quiet when she heard this.

"Minerva also said what we have to do to fix what Abbas did after the explosion…" Altair finished.

"And what did he do?" Maria asked.

"We have to talk with Achilles to know what happened…" Altair said. "But while we don't recuperate the lost pieces of Eden, we can't go home and stop Abbas…"

"Did she say how many?" She asked again.

"Six…" Altair said. "But I don't know if we have to more things other than that… she wasn't specific…"

Maria was thoughtful.

"Do you think she wants us to fight with them?" She asked after a minute.

"Why?" Altair asked.

"Perhaps… she knows they can help us?" She offered while raising her shoulders.

Altair thought for a few seconds.

"It makes sense…" He agreed.

Maria got up, but Altair made her sit again.

"I also need to confess something to you..." Altair said seconds later.

"What?" Maria asked.

"Indirectly, what if I knew this was going to happen?" Altair asked her.

"What?" Maria asked surprised. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought it were just images… I didn't know what they were…" Altair explained. "Now I know they weren't…"

Maria took a deep breath.

"Please, don't hide things from me anymore…" Maria pleaded.

"I won't…" Altair promised.

Maria nodded and kissed him.

"Let's speak with Achilles…" She said, seconds later.

Altair nodded.

X ~ X ~ X

They encountered Achilles inside the living room, with Connor e Zio.

"Very well, I saw what you wanted me to see..." Altair said to them.

"Did she told what you wanted to know?" Zio asked.

"Yes, I know how and why we are here…" Altair said.

Maria nodded.

"We'll do part of your battle…" Altair continued. "But first we have to know what happened until know…"

"And what is happening here…" Maria said.

Altair nodded.

Zio and Connor looked at Achilles

"Can you excuse us?" Achilles asked Zio and Connor.

They nodded and left the living room.

Achilles turned to his guests.

"Altair, Maria, sit down, please on the couch…" Achilles said. "This story will be long…"

They nodded.

If he wasn't hurt, Altair would prefer to be standing, but since this was not the case, he sat down next to Maria.

Achilles sat more on the front of his chair, then started:

"Very well… resuming what happened since the end of the 12th century, was that the Templars started to conquer the world, diving it and everyone, let's say, on an era of darkness and inquisition for whom was their enemy… the Assassins were forced to hide or to runaway for secrets places, knows as sanctuaries to avoid being arrested, tortured or killed… many men, women and children were accused of being Assassin or supporters and had the same destiny…"

Altair and Maria nodded. She looked at him and saw the expression on his face and knew how hard it was to him to hear all of it…

"Our ancestors tell on our book that some Assassins manages to escape from Masyaf before it was attacked and went to tree places… west of Europe, east of Europe and north of Europe…"

Altair looked surprised by that and looked at Maria... she smiled then. Looking back at Achilles, Altair didn't tell he was the one that sent them away…

But Achilles already knew.

"By the look of your face, you sent them away…" Achilles said.

Altair nodded.

"Well done…" Achilles said. "By doing that, you permitted us to fight the Templars…"

"It was the right thing to do…" Altair said.

Achilles nodded and continued:

"They succeed at first to spread a little the way of life of the Assassins and started small groups, but like I said, the Templars interfered…"

Altair nodded again and looked down. Maria picked his hand an asked Achilles:

"This book, can we see it?"

"Sure…" Achilles said. "Can you get it for me? It's in the office…"

Maria nodded.

"I'll be right back…"

She got up and walked out of the living room. Achilles took the chance and asked:

"Altair?"

Altair looked at him.

"I want to ask you something…" Achilles said. "I want to know if you consider be the leader of our brotherhood?"

Altair looked surprised.

"And Connor?" He asked Achilles. "I mean, I don't know anyone here, nor the region… nothing…"

"I understand…" Achilles said. "Think about it while you are recovering… and about the things you said, we can resolve quickly..."

Altair nodded.

At the same moment, Maria came back holding the book. She sat back next to Altair, with the book closed on her legs.

"Well, like I said, this book will show you a resume of what we endured until now…" Achilles said.

They nodded.

"If you have any question, we are here…" Achilles said. "Now, let's talk about what's happening here…"

Altair nodded.

"Through the English Crown, the Templars arrived in the New World..." Achilles explained. "They didn't arrive in the inland, but it's a question of when they will discover this place…forts are being built in the region… they are coming closer and closer, either by expeditions or by sea… at this moment, we are preparing to an eminent conflict…"

Altair nodded and Maria asked:

"Do you have another place to hide if they come here?"

Achilles denied and said to Altair:

"That's why I asked you, Altair… we need someone with your vision as a leader…" Achilles said.

Altair remained silent and Maria asked him:

"What did he ask you?"

"If I wanted to be the leader of the brotherhood…" He told her.

"Did you accept?" Maria asked.

"Not yet…" Altair said, looking at her. "Achilles gave me sometime to think… while I'm recovering…"

Maria nodded.

"I'll wait your answer…" Achilles said while picking up his cane to get up. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah…" They said in unison.

X ~ X ~ X

At night, after dinner, Altair and Maria went to their bedroom to know more about the history of the Assassins.

Altair was sitting on the bed, leaning against the pillows, already naked and waiting for Maria to pick up the things for his sponge bath.

"I'm glad you taught me how to read English…" He said, lowering the book. "But to read all the bullshit they say about the Assassins of Masyaf is a waste of time…"

"That bad?" Maria asked looking at him.

Altair nodded and picked the book again to read.

"They used drugs to have courage to complete missions…" He said lowering the book again and looked at Maria. "Where we did that?"

Maria looked at him.

"Maybe they are talking about that thing you smoke…" Maria said. "What's the name?"

"Narghile…" Altair said and Maria nodded. He continued: "But this is different… we didn't always use… we didn't use while on missions… just at parties and I almost never…"

"I know…" Maria said. "Just skip these parts… read what Malik wrote."

Altair nodded and started to read aloud excerpts of what Malik wrote.

"And what did he say about us?" Maria asked, carrying a chair to the bed.

"He reported that I'm one of the best Assassins that the creed had, if not the best… how I was arrogant and cold… how I changed after being demoted and fought to reclaim my post…" Altair said. "How I became the leader in our time and how I was changing the laws of the creed… about us, he describes how I changed for the best when you came into my life…"

"And what he said about me?" Maria asked picking up jars of water and pouring into a laundry bowl.

"I don't know if you want to hear…" Altair said. "Malik said everything he thought…"
Maria stopped what she was doing and put her hands on her waist.

"Whatever it is, I can take it…" She said.

Altair nodded.

"Ok…" Altair said looking back at the book. "He said you are pretty, loyal and have a strong personality… but is very stubborn, very bossy, curses a lot and has a very bad temper…"

Maria was outraged.

"I'm not that way…" She said, closing her face.

Altair looked at her.

"He finishes saying that it took long for him to like and trust you, but in the end, he did it…"

Maria picked all the things she needed to the bath and took with her to the bed. She then put it all on the chair.

"Do you think I'm that way?" She asked sitting on the bed next to him.

Altair looked at her again.

"Maybe a little…" He said, doing a little sign with his hand.

Maria hit his arm.

"Careful, I'm hurt…" Altair said laughing a little. "And you didn't let me finish…"

"And what you would say?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"That I love you anyway…" He said.

"Good answer…" Maria said. "I love you too and just because of it, you will like what I have in mind…"

Altair raised an eyebrow and put the book aside.

"Not now…" She said.

With the sponge with one hand, she soaked it with water and started to give him a sponge bath gently. She then dried with a towel, kissing every spot she finished.

When she went to his ribs, she stopped to see it. His ribs were swollen and dark purple.

"Remember me to kill Malik when we see him again…" Maria said looking at him.

"But I don't know if this was his fault, Maria…" Altair said. "It must had been on the fight or when we appeared him…"

"But if it was not for him, your body would resist more…" Maria insisted. "You only got hurt this way because you fell of that wood platform…"

Altair nodded while Maria went to his other side. The cuts were red,

"What did you do?" She asked.

"When I went with Connor to retrieve the apple, besides the effort, the foliage hit me…" Altair explained.

Maria nodded.

"I'll clean it and put some medicine…" She said.

Altair nodded and let her clean it. But when she put the medicine on the open wounds, he started to curse in Arab because of the burning he felt.

"Watch your mouth…" Maria said.

"This is what you had in mind?" He asked looking at her.

"No…" Maria said. "Now, be a good boy and let me finish… if not, there is no reward…"

Altair closed his face and kept quiet while Maria applied the medicine on his belly and leg. She then finished giving him the sponge bath, avoiding the only place he wanted the most…

"Finished…" she said.

He denied.

"No, you missed a spot…" He said.

"Really?" She asked.

He nodded. Then she kissed his belly near the belly button.

"Here?" She asked.

Altair denied and said:

"Lower…"

She then kissed a little lower.

"Here?" she asked again.

He denied.

She kissed lower, almost arriving where he wanted.

"Here?" She asked again.

"Lower…" He said again, frustrated.

Maria smiled and kissed a spot near his left leg.

"Here?" She asked, meanly.

"No…" He said, picking up her hand and putting it where he wanted.

"Oh, here…" she said, smiling when she saw he was ready.

He nodded.

"And how do you want?" Maria asked, starting to rub him gently.

"With hands… and mouth…" He said, starting to breath heavy.

She nodded and continued rubbing him, stronger while she put her lips on the tip. Altair closed his eyes and with his fists closed, picked the sheets on the bed.

Putting all of his organ in her mouth, she started to suck and to rub gently his balls. After a few minutes she felt him explode in her mouth and saw him get stiffed on the bed. Maria tried to extend his pleasure to the most. Only when she felt him calm himself, she released him.

"Are you ok, Habib?" Maria asked after seeing him panting for air.

"Yeah…" Altair said. "Just… you are getting good at it…"

She smiled.

"Practice leads to perfection…" She said. "You taught me that…"

Altair nodded. Maria picked the things she used for the bath and took to the corner of the room.

"When I'm healed, I will return the favor…" He said.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked returning.

"You'll see…" Altair said smiling. "But now, hand me the book… I want to read more…"

Maria handle him the book as she sat on the bed next to him.

"I'm going to rest… tomorrow will be another tiring day…" She said, kissing him. "Don't stay late…"

Altair nodded.