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 now…"
"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.
Altair would prefer to be standing if he wasn't hurt, 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 run away 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 as 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 being 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, as I said, this book will show you a resume of what we endured until now…" Achilles said.
They nodded.
"If you have any questions, 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 some time to think… while I'm recovering…"
Maria nodded.
"I'll wait for your answer…" Achilles said while picking up his cane to get up. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah…" They said in unison.
X ~ X ~ X
Altair and Maria went to their bedroom at night after dinner to learn more about the Assassins' history.
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 the 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 use always… we didn't use while on missions… just at parties and I rarely…"
"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, how I was changing the laws of the 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 for 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 bathe him 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 have been on the fight or when we appeared him…"
"But if it were not for him, your body would resist more…" Maria insisted. "You only got hurt this way because you fell off 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 for 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 breathe 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 gently rub 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 heal, 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 handles 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.