'How did this happen? Why did it happen?'
These were the thoughts that were going through Altaïr's mind, he did not care for the rough hands that were gripping on his head nor the hands that pinned his worn body down, how could he? After all, in front of him was his most closet but also most trusted friend within the brotherhood...
The one Altaïr was talking about was Malik Al-Safy, an assassin that had a harsh personality to all, however, he was one that would defend you and protect you when he gives you his loyalty and trust, Malik was the one that stood next to Altaïr and helped him rebuild the brotherhood after defeating the previous master, Al-Mualim.
How could he, Altaïr, of thought that Malik had killed his youngest son from the mouth of Abbas? Yes, Malik can be aggressive in a fit of rage, however, he was normally a type of person that would use words as blades to harm others instead of using weapons to inflect harm to others.
Altaïr felt so stupid that he actually believed Abbas for the words that he spread about Malik and he felt a tremendous amount of guilt when Altaïr first saw Malik after he came back to Masyaf.
When both Maria and himself managed to remove Malik from the dungeons that Abbas had sent the one armed male to, Altaïr felt nauseous when he saw just how damaged Malik was from the wounds he got. Altaïr gathered that Malik got those wounds from defending both, Sef and himself, from Abbas and his traitorous assassin's.
The older male was thankful that Maria, his wonderful wife, managed to get him to see reason and to see that Malik wouldn't of killed their son and that that words that Abbas spoke of were lies. Altaïr feared that, without Maria, he would of killed Malik or Abbas or maybe both when he heard the news of his youngest son, Sef, was killed.
Now, Altaïr wished he had said something, anything to Malik when Maria and himself had taken Malik to a room to heal... And now that chance to speak to Malik again, had been taken away from him so suddenly.
In front of Altaïr was Malik's head, it was clear to Altaïr that the beheading was not clean nor was it painless, the jagged ends of Malik's neck shown that the beheading was done with a blunt blade that would of made the whole beheading harder and painful to be done.
Altaïr could not understand how no-one could of heard the painful sounds that Malik must of done, there must of been more than an handful of assassins that have turned their back on him and to the ones that were loyal to him to allow something like this to happen.
Looking up to the assassin that had brought Malik's head, Altaïr could see that the assassin had a couple of fresh wounds that were no doubt from the now deceased Malik. That had made Altaïr smirk slightly, even when he was near death's door, Malik still fought back before his end.
Removing his eyes from the wounded Assassin, Altaïr looked back down to Malik's head. The older assassin ignored Abbas and the other assassins that surrounded him, no doubt bragging about what Abbas had done and how Abbas would be the new master of the brotherhood.
All Altaïr could hear was the dripping of blood hitting the dusty ground, the soft rustling sounds that were around him as his golden, wary eyes were focused on Malik. The blood was coming from all areas on Malik's head, telling Altaïr that there were multiple of wounds which weren't done after the beheading. Though the worst thing for Altaïr was that, Malik's eyes we're still open but they were dim, completely different from the eyes that Altaïr was use to. He was use to having those eyes being bright and intelligent and now seeing how Malik had fallen, broke Altaïr even more.
'This shouldn't of happened... Not to Malik...'
Malik had gone through so much pain and hardships in his prime and Altaïr was sure that Malik's death wasn't a quick one which Altaïr regrets as he wasn't there to protect Malik, instead, he went to get revenge on Abbas when he should of been with Malik...
All of this was his fault, if he had never of left Masyaf then he could of stopped Abbas raising to power, or he could of stopped the attack on Malik that ended in his death... Maybe Malik was right that he, Altaïr deprived Malik Safety and Peace.
When Altaïr managed to escaped Masyaf, though, he wasn't alone, Altaïr escaped with his oldest son, Darim. While fleeing, Altaïr couldn't help but allow the tears to drop as he left his deceased wife, son but also Malik. Altaïr knows he could never give those three a proper burial and that thought destroyed him, they all, especially Malik deserved to get that after having a painful death.
Over the head of the fleeing assassins, an Bonelli's eagle flew ahead before circling back to the castle, though while it was doing so, it had let loose a cry, one that was filled with pain and guilt. This eagle had circled above the head of Malik before it gracefully landed on the ground next to the body part. Instead of pecking and tearing at the flesh, like a normal bird would, this Bonelli's eagle just stood next to the Malik and as time went by, the bird kept nudging the head, like it was trying to wake the deceased male up.
Over time, the Bonelli's eagle was shooed away, the eagle had been reluctant to leave though it soon left Malik with another pain filled screech of a heart broken animal. It was clear that this eagle was expressing the emotions of the once proud Masyaf Eagle that had been exiled.
As the years went by, Altaïr had started to slowly forget the memories he had hold tightly over the years some were of his youth, some memories were his family however, there were a set of memories that would never leave him and those were the memories that had Malik in them.
Altaïr knows that it was wrong for him to keep the memories of Malik closer to his heart than the ones of his wife and son but the elderly male couldn't help himself. He, however, was thankful that his eldest son, Darim hadn't said nor asked if his father remembers their deceased family members and friends as Altaïr wasn't sure how he would of responded to it.
It wasn't long when Altaïr and Darim had arrived back to Masyaf. Altaïr had went on his own through the village though the elderly male knew he was not alone as he was being followed, at first Altaïr had just thought and wished that the assassin following him could kill him quick so he could rejoin with Malik.
Yes, he knows he should be wishing for death to be able to rejoin with his family but he, now knows, that he doesn't love them as much as he loved Malik as those feelings had just kept on growing but Altaïr had ignored those feelings, thinking that they were just brotherly love but how wrong he was when he was younger...
When Altaïr realised that the assassin hadn't killed him yet, Altaïr had demanded really, for the assassin to show themselves when Altaïr went into a quiet area to confront the assassin.
At first no one appeared, this had made Altaïr thought that the assassin had ran off but it wasn't long when they stepped out. When Altaïr managed to get a good look at who was underneath the hoodie, he felt shocked, he thought he was dreaming, it couldn't of been him... He's dead...
Altaïr was speechless at how this young male resembled a young Malik so much, at first Altaïr had thought it was actually Malik, who had managed to come back alive as a younger self. However, when the assassin introduced himself as Tazim Al-Safy, at first, Altaïr was disappointed that it wasn't Malik but when the older male caught the last name of the young assassin, Altaïr couldn't help but stumble towards Tazim before wrapping his arms around the young male, embracing the son of Malik tightly.
He could feel that his eyes were tearing up but Altaïr didn't car, how could he? He had just found that Malik's legacy lives on. With tears of joy that were streaming down his aging face, Altaïr couldn't help but promise to himself but also to Malik that he would protect Tazim from harm as much as he could.
In the distance there was the cry of the Bonelli's eagle, however, instead of the painful and guilt filled cry it had let loose previously, this cry was filled with joy and peace as the eagle circles around Masyaf.
The Bonelli's eagle had seen many deaths but also life, however, the most painful death that this eagle had seen was Malik's. And there was one other eagle that had seen even more deaths and fewer life than the Bonelli's eagle and that was the assassin called Masyaf's eagle.
More years had past and the Bonelli's eagle was now perching on a stone head of a grave, the stone head few words on it though that did not bother the eagle. The Bonelli's eagle soon let out a screech as it took to the sky as it gracefully glided away from Masyaf. It seems that the Masyaf's Eagle had passed away, hidden from others, as the Bonelli's Eagle that was perching on the stone head never managed to head back to Masyaf to watch over the next generations of the Al-Safy blood.