Chapter 24: Investigating

The hot sun was at the tallest point in the sky, trying her very best to exhaust any unwary travelers. I wasn't unwary in the least, but that didn't keep me inside when I had things to do. Very important things.

I stood before an innocent looking mine entrance. Looking back once to ensure that no one was following me, I stepped into the underground entrance. The difference in temperature was instantaneous and I even shivered a little at the sudden cold, but an Assassin's robes were thick and heavy for this reason. The fact that the robes were white counteracted the heat if we were outside. Though neither factor helped when you started sweating and you couldn't itch or wipe it away.

I reached down and tried to rub behind my knee where said annoyance was gathering, but my boots kept me from accomplishing my goal. Ignoring the irritation with the ease of years, I continued down the winding tunnel. It went pretty deep and I ghosted down the entire length, keeping all my senses alert for the sign of anyone's presence. It was because my senses were so attuned that I saw the dark red stain on a pile of stones. When I touched the stain, it flaked easily on to my glove. Blood.

I remembered Altair's story from after the attack on Masyaf. He said he had killed an old man: an innocent. Maybe this was where Altair had attacked the man. Or a guard. I didn't know. I only knew that someone had died here if the amount of dried blood was anything to go by.

I continued on my way down the tunnel, walking across compact dirt or running across beams to get over pits, but it was easy to keep going.

I rounded a corner and saw the dirt suddenly change into stone. Crafted stone with columns and pictures carved into the stone. I went through the gateway the stone created and stood on a raised edge overlooking the cavernous room.

"So this is where it happened," I murmured quietly.

It was a plain room. The focal point being the wall opposite me with very detailed pictures and scenes depicted. All surrounding a golden chest. There was a wooden table set against the base of the wall and a collapsed doorway just to the right of the table. I was also sad to see blood stains still littering the room.

I descended the two ladders to reach the floor and I looked around with cool eyes even if my heart was heavy. Blood was splattered across what should've been a holy sacred room. The blood of Brothers and Templars alike. I snorted at the irony of it. Only in death do Assassins and Templars coexist: all this blood couldn't be Kadar's and Malik's alone. There was an especially large splatter of dry blood to my left.

I approached it and saw that blood had been pooling before the injured man had been dragged away. Towards the ladders. Frowning in thought I looked down at my gloves and sure enough there was flaking blood on my palm. The Templars had dragged someone heavily wounded out of here. My frown deepened. But Kadar was the only one who could've shed this much blood, I thought as I searched for another big pool of dried blood. But there were none. This could only be Kadar's blood. I knelt down and considered the drag marks. But why would Templars drag away a dead Assassin? They'd only do that for a fellow knight, right? I sighed and shook my head, standing up and looking around.

I wish I could've seen the battle myself. Then, I could tell if Kadar had indeed lain there.

Pushing away my sorrow for spilt blood, I blinked to Eagle Vision and looked around to see if anything important had been left here and would glow gold. I turned in a slow circle, looking at every inch of the cavern. I was about to switch back to normal vision when I felt a headache flare harshly. Wincing, I rubbed my forehead. The pain seemed to be right behind my eyes.

There was movement out of the corner of my eye.

I spun, reaching for my throwing knives since the intruder had obviously seen an Assassin standing in the middle of bloody room, when I stopped. Three Assassins stood on the ledge that over looked the entire room. But they looked odd and familiar. They were almost transparent with their glowing ghostly blue. They didn't see me. I was standing in the middle of the room and they weren't even looking at me; instead, they seemed to be looking at the golden chest.

What is going on? I thought to myself before my headache flared again and I saw one of the standing Assassins suddenly turn their head to look at something. I followed his gaze and saw more ghostly men come through the collapsed doorway and rubble. They were glowing red. Templars. They didn't look at me either and simply moved to the wooden table, consulting with a few documents before the biggest bald man looked up and pointed at the golden chest. When I looked up as well I saw the chest was different. There was the ghostly glowing gold treasure that Malik had brought back.

My heart was racing. What trickery is this? Have I gone mad? Still clutching my head I moved around the ghostly Templars so I could see their faces. Of the seven men I instantly recognized one of them. The one seemingly giving orders was Robert de Sable. I watched entranced as the lead Templar's lips moved, but I heard no sound.

My head throbbed as I turned to look back at the Assassins. The one with the widest shoulders shook of the restraining hands of the other standing Assassin, who seemed much slimmer, and descended the ladders quickly as his companions scrambled to follow him. I slowly approached the first Assassin and was shocked to recognize Altair's face. I reached out to touch him with shaking hands, desperate for someone to tell me what was going on. "Altair?" I called hesitantly. The ghostly Altair just walked right through me as if I wasn't even there. I gasped and turned to watch as the Templars turned to face Altair as the other two Assassins, Malik and Kadar now that I recognized Altair, flanked the Master Assassin as he traded silent words with de Sable.

I clutched my head and grunted as the pain flared to agony briefly and the scene—the scene from the past—flickered and I watched as everybody suddenly jumped places and Altair was thrown from the room and ghostly rocks fell into the place the real world rocks were in.

Again my head felt like it was being split open, but I gritted my teeth and tried to keep up with what was happening. The scene kept jumping and changing as if it was skipping time. My main focus was Kadar. The poor boy was surrounded by four Templars. He didn't have a chance. A Templar gave a Master Assassin such as I a challenge on our good days. A mere Assassin like Kadar had no hope of defeating four Templars. And yet he fought on. I caught a brief glimpse of Malik once, screaming for his brother. The agony was coming in my head more and more often and I soon found myself on my knees, praying that this ordeal would finish. It felt like my head was being beaten in by a War Hammer! I bit my lip to keep from crying out and watched through blurry eyes as a Templar finally stopped toying with Kadar and stabbed him in the side. Another time skip and Kadar was lying in a pool of blood exactly where I the dried blood had been in.

My vision blanked out for a moment at the excruciating pain coming from my head and I choked on the very air before the pain stopped and my vision was back to normal. I released my head with shaking hands as I looked around with wild eyes. Were there going to be more ghosts? More pain?

There was only me kneeling in an empty blood stained room. Am I really going insane? I thought worriedly. I didn't like the phantoms, but a part of me told me that what I had just seen was my wish. I saw the day Altair fell from grace and saw who had lain in that pool of blood. It was in fact Kadar.

I pushed all thoughts of my sanity aside for the moment and focused on my investigation. Sadly, solving one of my questions only created more. Why would the Templars drag away a dead Assassin? Wouldn't it have been better to leave him here? I sighed and looked up at the chest where the treasure had once rested. I felt that bird instinct again that told me that I was getting into trouble soon and I should either run or prepare for a fight. And this trouble—this storm—was tied to that treasure. But what was it?

I shakily approached the wall and slowly scaled the carved wall using the carved scenes as hand and foot holds. I didn't trust my body after enduring that much pain and that experience. My limbs physically felt weak and shaky, but I forced myself to climb until I came to the small fitted indent where the chest rested. The entire thing looked to be made of gold and a thought occurred to me for a moment as I looked back to the blood-drag marks. Why take a dead body instead of a chest made of gold? I shook my head and looked over the gold chest.

It was a true work of art with intricate detailing covering the entire thing. I leaned down and followed to scene sculpted into it. It looked almost like a battle scene. In the center of the picture on a pedestal was a small ball that had lines that showed that it glowed. And surrounding the ball were animals. I saw wolves, snakes, cats, dogs, birds, and fish oddly enough. I even saw two humans in the circle. And that was the strange thing. There was two of every animal and they were caught in poises of action like they were fighting. The fish just looked like they were flailing, but who am I to judge? And around that circle were humans with weapons, looking as if they were going to attack the animals.

But for what? I thought. The sphere? Why is it so important?

I pushed at the top of the chest and the lid slid easily enough. Peering inside I saw a two scrolls just lying in the middle of the huge space. Nothing else inside. I grabbed them and was just about to open them up to see what they held when I heard a sound.

Footsteps.

I hissed quietly and jumped down from my perch before looking for a place to hide. I dashed across the room and hide in the shadows, placing the old frail scrolls in a pouch before waiting for my unexpected visitor to come, unsheathing my hidden blades.

The footsteps came closer until they were almost above me on the ledge the tunnel lead to. I listened to how he moved as he went to the ladder and descended. There was a soft clanking that told me the person was wearing armor and I tensed before freezing myself completely, cursing the fact that I didn't have a better hiding place. I glared at the sight of a Templar, climbing down the last ladder until he was on the same level as he. The helmeted head turned side to side as he scanned the room, one hand on the pommel of the sword at his right hip.

I slowly reached for a throwing knife so I would have an advantage before the Templar huffed and said aloud, "The sky is so grey today."

I relaxed, recognizing the code word. Most would think the guy was a little crazy for saying that when the sky was very clear today and he was underground, but to me it was a relief. "And here I thought I would have to hunt you down, Markus," I said, announcing my presence as I stepped from the shadows, sheathing my knife and blade.

The Templar turned towards me and released his sword to cross his arms. "I was almost tempted to make you work, but I thought I would give you some mercy for today," he replied in a thick French accent back in his deep voice.

"How kind of you, Templar scum," I sneered back teasingly.

"And how nice of you not to stab me in the back, Assassin rat," he shot back.

I stood before him and held out my right arm and the much larger man reached out to grasp my forearm in our usual greeting. "It's good to see you again, Markus. Still enjoying Jerusalem?"

"The same as always," he answered. He took back his hand and crossed his arms again over that blasted red Templar cross that was on his tunic. "I heard Masyaf was attacked recently."

I nodded and feigned adjusting my hidden blade to give myself something to do. "You heard right. We chased de Sable away not an hour after he attacked. Took out half of his forces."

Markus snorted in laughter and I didn't need to see under his helmet to know he was smiling. "And left him fit to kill anyone in his sight. He was ranting about you Assassins for most the night when he got back to Jerusalem about how you are conniving unholy thieving demons that should be exterminated."

"Poor Markus didn't get any sleep, did he?"

He feigned a disgruntled grumble. "I should kill you for what I had to put up with that night."

"But you won't. Because then you wouldn't be able to repay your debt," I reminded him seriously.

He sighed. "No. It wouldn't."

I paused in my fiddling to look at him from the shadows of my hood. "Do you regret that I saved you that night?" I asked.

The Templar immediately shook his head. "No. I have never once wished you had left me. Though what possessed you to do so is still beyond me."

"And it will remain beyond you," I told him sternly, making sure to keep my voice low to sound masculine. "Have you any news for me?" I dropped all pretenses of messing with my weapons and turned my entire attention to my Templar informant.

Our small talk and teasing turned serious as we got to business. "Only rumors and hunches," he admitted. "Robert is acting very strange of late. He is suspicious of everyone around him and I get the sense that he was recently betrayed by one he did not expect."

"Is that causing you any trouble?"

Markus snorted again and shook his head. "No. Robert would not expect his precious second in command of treachery. I am safe and still his confidant."

"And the rumors?"

He shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Something big is coming. I am not sure but it involves all of the Holy Land. Even the Assassins. Robert has been keeping in contact with several people in Damascus, Acre, and here in Jerusalem. Though he is careful to keep loyal to King Richard he is manipulating the Christian King to a full out battle against the Saladin. With the way things are going it won't be too long now. A couple of months maybe. That is all I know. I will do some digging and ask some questions. As far as I know I am to remain here in Jerusalem."

I nodded and rubbed my face. "Please find out as much as you can. I would like to be as prepared as possible when this storm hits." My eyes landed on the big stain of dried blood again and I turned to the Templar. "Markus, what purpose would you Templars have to drag away a dead Assassin?"

I got the sense that Markus was frowning as he looked down at me. "Perhaps to set an example? But that would take more effort than most are willing to haul the body all the way to your mountain fortress. That is the only place we would know that the example would be seen."

I frowned and shook my head. "No. His body hasn't been found at all."

Markus shrugged and spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Then most would leave the body. Spit and kick it, but not take it with them. But if the Assassin was alive… That is another story altogether."

I shook my head and looked at the stain again. "He was struck in the side. He would not have lived long."

"But long enough perhaps."

I snapped my eyes back to him as Markus crossed his arms in his customary relaxed position. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we Templars do not have much information on you Assassins. If there is any chance that an Assassin could be interrogated we would take it. Even if it meant healing an Assassin in the hopes that he could give information at a later time," he explained, before shifting uncomfortably under the deadly gaze he could sense but not see.

I looked back at the stain and tried to guess if there had been enough blood to be mortal. It was hard to tell with it all dried up. "Would you like me to look into the matter?" Markus asked quietly.

I was silent for a moment. I did not want the hope to grow. If Kadar was truly alive than there was a chance he could be rescued, but there was the large possibility that while in the Templars' hands he was being tortured and he would never be the same Kadar that Altair and Malik knew. But he would live. Against my resolve the small hope took root. I nodded and look up at the massive knight. "Yes, I would like you to. As soon as possible. Could you leave a message at the usual place?"

He nodded before he bowed, touching a finger to his helmeted forehead. It was a Templar bow of respect. "I will get right to work, Assassin. May the Father of Understanding be with you."

I bowed my head to him in return. "Safety and Peace, Markus."

With that I turned and scaled the ladders, leaving my informant behind. In the two years I had known him and our arrangement came to be I had never seen his face. Nor had he seen mine or heard my name. I was just an Assassin that he owed to him. Once in the tunnel I began running to reach the surface. While I ran I touched the pouch and was reassured by the feel of the old scrolls. I would need to look through them soon to see what they read. Just for curiosity's sake. I never knew when to put down a scroll.

It wasn't long before I came out in the sun and saw the bustling form for Jerusalem not too far away from me. I mentally marked 'investigating' of my list of things to do and moved on to the next.

I had some ruffled feather to sooth for a certain eagle.

Quick note. I now have the tittle of Ezio's story by Celiarg. It's "From Fire to Ashes". Keep on the lookout! Another note. You know how I left the hint that Shahin was going to look in to why she suddenly felt pain and fell out of the sky? Well, I can't have her just randomly going up to Al Mualim and asking, "Are you the reason I fell from the sky while flying and hey, what that golden thing in your hand?" Too convenient so I figured I have Shahin go back to where the Apple was found because whoever put it there mustve known what the blasted artifact was. And I know the golden chest is thought to be the Ark and how you should never open it( Im remembering that one Indiana Jone's movie), but for the sake of my story I'm ignoring the fact that it might be the Ark. Its just a pretty and expensive chest. Last note. Some of you might know where I got the idea for the plash back scene with Shahin's Eagle Vision from Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Ezio used it when he was tracking down who was killing the Assassins in Constantinople. I put it in this story because I wanted Shahin to see what happened that day. Make my life easier.

One last thing. I realize I have been neglecting this aspect of Fanfiction writing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Shahin, the harem women, and Markus. Back off. They're mine! Otherwise don't sue me.

Reviews please!

Safety and Peace, Brothers and Sisters.