Ahhh! I'm so excited! When I get my laptop my postings will be faster! Happy Christmas to all! And Merry Kwanzaa, Hanukah, Chanukah and everything in between! Love you guys! And congrats to gallowsCalibrator92 who was the first to review out of these two chapters!

Ready for more?…

OF course you are!

ONWARDS!

~Dora (Doors)~

Chapter 26

The Heart of an Assassin

I still couldn't believe it. A Ninja. Here. In Damascus. In the Holy Land. There must be a good reason why a Ninja is over here in the first place.

"Go, Desert Rose. Put your clothes on. If he tries anything, the knife goes through his throat." Said Ruri. I smiled.

I like Ruri.

If she didn't live so far away, she'd be my best friend. Having guy friends is fine and all, but sometimes you just need a girl friend to chat with ya know? Maybe after all this crap is over and done with, I can try to keep in touch with Ruri. With her bloodthirstiness, smarts, and skills and with my bloodthirstiness, smarts and skills… Who knows how many Templars and bad guys we could kill! But I'm getting ahead of myself now.

I ran up the steps and headed for my clothes. My heart raced. I was scared to see the damage done to my precious assassin's robes. I grabbed them and ran behind a changing screen. I shed the tunic and picked up what looked like the top to my so called 'slave outfit'. I held it up and unfolded it and felt my blood turn to ice and my heart drop.

The hood was still intact, but the long sleeves had been completely cut off, and so had the long part of the robe. Apparently the tailors he had working on this knew how to keep the Assassin vibe intact, but have the slave vibe put in at the same time. I took a deep breath and slipped it on me. The tailors had cut the long flaps of the robe off and hemmed the bottom of it up. They apparently put some sort of stretchy material in the hem as well, because the bottom of the slave top hugged my torso.

The top came down to right below my breasts. It covered my breasts up but left my lower back bare and my toned abdomen open to the world. I stared down at my chest. Where my robe used to be open at the front, it now was hooked together with two silver clasps. This top was obviously made to make my breasts bigger, because the stretchy stuff at the hem of it pushed my breasts up and then the clasps that held the material together pushed my breasts together. I rolled my eyes.

Men.

I then observed my sleeveless arms. I saw that my hood was still attached to my robe, so no one had tried to cut it off, but the sleeves stopped at my shoulders. They opened up and showed off my sides and ribs. So, to sum it all up, my hood was still attached, there are long pieces of material covering my breast but leaving some to the imagination, and my back is covered because my hood is still attached, but my lower back is bare and so is my stomach. (A/N-In other words, it looks like a halter bikini bathing suit top, only with a hood and the top half of the back is covered up.)

Wow. Just wow. Very slave like. These guys must have been 'in the mood' when they made this.

I pulled my hood up and adjusted myself. I knew if I was going to be fighting in this then I wouldn't want anything popping out.

I then turned my attention to the bottoms. I pulled my pants off and picked up the bottoms.

Ah! So this is where the long flaps of my robe went!

Oh no… And my red sash…

I slipped them on over my underclothes and looked down at them. My long red sash acted as a belt, and the long red material hung down in front of my…front. It was good at hiding my 'front' but I was still happy I had my underclothes on, and I wasn't about to take them off either. My red sash hugged my waist quite well, so it wouldn't fall off. I looked behind me and saw the white flaps of my used-to-be robe hiding my butt rather well. So in other words, my red sash hides my front, my white flaps hide my back, and my thighs and legs are bare to the world.

I am going to kill somebody.

I gritted my teeth and walked out from behind the screen. Ruri and the other girl looked up at me and so did Abu'l. He smiled and laughed creepily.

"Now that is a slave. So deadly, yet so… Sensual." He sneered. I nearly gagged, but he was cut off by Ruri pressing the dagger harder onto his throat. I walked down the stairs and back into the sitting room.

"So, Ruri… If you don't mind my asking one assassin to another, what are you here for? A travel to the Holy Land isn't exactly an easy trek. There must be an important reason why. Maybe I could help?" she looked at me and smiled.

"Actually you already have helped. It seems that fate would not let me fight alone, and it also seems that you and I were caught on the same night, for this is my first night here. I was sent to the Holy Land to rescue my sister, Rea." Said Ruri. She pointed over to the nervous girl, Rea. "She was taken from us about two months ago from one of these," she growled at Abu'l "bastards." She spat. "I was sent here to infiltrate and rescue her and kill him." I glanced over at Rea.

"Is she alright?" I asked. Ruri nodded.

"She's fine. Just a little shaken. One of the guards almost took her, but I managed to get here in time. They captured us both and brought us to him, where we became servants. I'm just glad that all this time she's been here, she hasn't been harmed or broken." Said Ruri with a soft smile at her younger sister. I looked at Rea again who returned the smile to her sister.

"So, Desert Rose. What are you doing here?" asked Ruri.

"It was an accident that I came here. His henchmen caught me off guard in a back alley and knocked me out and dragged me here, but the main reason why I was looking for him was that my partner and I were supposed to assassinate him. Our master ordered us here to kill him. And so I shall." I smiled down at him, then suddenly a bang came at the door.

"What's going on in there? Sir?" said one of the guards through the door.

"Hel-!" Ruri punched him and slashed the dagger across his cheek.

"Keep your mouth shut kitanai buta (filthy swine)!" she whispered. I gave her a puzzled look. "Filthy swine." She translated. I nodded.

"Ah." The guards banged on the door again, and I quickly thought up a plan that would have to suffice for now. I ran to the desk and picked the chair up and wedged it under the door handle. The guards were banging on it and yelling orders.

"Wareware wa dōsureba yoi nodeshou ka Ruri? (What do we do now, Ruri)" asked Rea. She must have only spoke Japanese. That was the reason why she was so quiet. She came off as the quiet, shy, nervous one. Although why she was holding the dagger and not her Ninja sister, I will never know. Ruri looked back at her.

"Shinpaishinaide, wareware wa nanika o kangaedasudarou. Dezātorōzu wa watashitachi o tasukeru. (Do not worry, we will figure something out. Desert Rose will help us.)" Ruri said quickly. This language intrigued me. I knew of it but had never heard it before. And I definitely couldn't speak it fluently. My father had only taught me little phrases here and there but nothing for a whole conversation or sentence. But the way they said it so fast and with their accents, it all fit! Ruri and her sister looked at me. I started to think and try to gather up a plan. My eyes darted around the room and landed on the money pile. I ran over to it and looked at the currency to make sure it was of this country. And to the Ninja's luck, it was.

I grabbed a handful of the coins and made sure to get the expensive ones, so that the two could buy whatever they need to get the hell out of here and make it back to their homeland. I then ran back over to Ruri and handed her the money.

"What is this for?" she asked. I turned to look at Abu'l and took the dagger from Ruri's hand.

"Where are their clothes?" I demanded.

"Now that's not fair. You already have yours so I shouldn't have to give them theirs." He rasped out. I back handed him and jumped around behind him and pulled his head back.

"Lets talk business Abu'l. Lets make a deal shall we? You tell the two of them where their clothes are…" I thought for a second. "And tell us if there is a way out of here. If you do that, then you can have options. Your options are, either you can die by a quick death with me snapping your sad excuse for a neck in half, or you can die a slow death by me cutting your throat slowly and letting all of your life blood drain out. So, what shall it be Abu'l? Tell us where everything is and live for a little while, contemplating your options, or you don't have to tell us where it is and I can slit your throat and ransack this room. Your choice."

Abu'l was silent for a minute, and I pressed the dagger to his throat.

"I-In the chest. The black chest behind my desk." He said. I looked up at Ruri and nodded. She nodded back and ran behind the desk. I heard her pop it open. She pulled out some simple brown pants and a white, silk shirt and threw them to her sister. Rea quickly went behind the changing screen and changed her clothes. Ruri pulled out her jet-black garments and shoes. She also went to change.

Rea came out from the screen first and stood in the corner again, waiting for her sister. Then, I saw Ruri come out and, I have to say, her Ninja attire looked deadly. She was covered in tight black garments from head to toe. Literally. The only things that showed were here eyes, the bridge of her nose and the tips of her fingers. The rest was as black as shadow… Well, now it all makes sense. Ninjas have to be dark. They have to be shadows, for they are assassins as well. I smiled ar Ruri and I saw her eyes crease, showing that she was smiling too.

"Ruri, your garments look so amazing. You really look like an assassin. My father used to tell me tails about your clan of Ninjas." Her eyes changed to curiosity.

"What was your father's name?" she asked. I smiled.

"Kali Al Nasr. The Black Eagle." Suddenly her eyes went wide and she gasped.

"Senzo! (Ancestors!)"

"What? What's wrong?" I asked.

"My father knew your father! My father's name was-"

"Kagemusha (Shadow Warrior)?" I asked in total disbelief. She nodded and her eyes creased again.

"Yes!" she said with a laugh in her voice. I laughed too.

"Oh my god I can't believe it!" I said. Rea looked at her sister questioningly and Ruri started to explain what was going on in Japanese to her. Rea then looked at me and smiled. Suddenly the door pounded again and I heard the creak of the wood being stressed. Abu'l laughed.

"Better hurry and escape while you can!" he snickered. I pulled his head back and slashed the dagger down his jaw. He hollered and wailed in pain. I rolled my eyes.

"Wimp." I mumbled. "Oh wait!" I looked back down at him. "Your supposed to be telling us the way out of here." I said. I started to trace little straight lines on his throat.

"Th-The bathroom!" he stuttered. "There is a window. It leads outside, but you will not get far. We are too high up." He smiled again. I looked up at Ruri.

"Go check the window." I said. She nodded and went off into the bathroom. I held Abu'l firmly in place, ready to strike if necessary. I heard Ruri run back in.

"We can make it. It's not a far jump. We jump from here, to the wall that surrounds the palace, and then to the nearest roof. We can make it out of here." Said Ruri. She ran back over to the black chest and grabbed her weapons. I saw her pull out her long Katana blade and strap it around her waist. She then grabbed some throwing knives and stars and slipped them onto her outfit. She then grabbed the money and gave it to Rea to put in her pockets.

As they were preparing… I realized something. One of us would need to hold Abu'l and the guards off for the other to escape… I looked at Ruri and her sister. They had a lot better chance of making it out of here, and I knew that their clan and family must have been worried sick about the both of them… I could find another way out of this place, and if Altaïr got my message then he should be on his way… My mind is set.

Ruri looked up at me. Her eyes were creased in a smile.

"Come on Desert Rose! Let us leave this place." She said. I sighed and smiled sadly. The creases left Ruri's eyes. "What's wrong my friend?"

"If we both leave, filthy swine here will get up and let the guards in and it won't give us time enough for all of us to make it… But if one of us stays and holds them both off, then the other has a full chance of making it. Ruri, I'm staying here. Once the guards burst through I'll kill as many as I can." Ruri shook her head.

"No! They'll kill you!" she said. I smiled and shook my head.

"No they won't. As much as this bastard hates me right now, he won't kill me. I bring too high of a price for that. Don't I Merchant King?" I asked him. He laughed.

"That you do Desert Rose. We will chain you up and sell you. We will restrain you as much as we can-" I pressed the blade hard to his throat again.

"Alright, enough out of you." I looked back up at Ruri. "Go Ruri. I will hold them off. My partner knows where I am and he will come and find me."

"And if he doesn't?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I have my ways of getting out of here. Just take the money and your sister and go. I gave you enough for you to buy food and anything else that you need." I walked around Abu'l and came in front of him, but still had the dagger at his throat. I pulled Ruri close and whispered to her so Abu'l couldn't here. "Make for the city of Acre. They have a harbor there and you have enough money to where you can get someone to take you and your sister to safety." Ruri looked at me and I smiled. Her dark, slanted eyes were troubled and her brow was creased, but she nodded. Then she did something that shocked me. She hugged me! I tensed at first but then I wrapped my free arm around her shoulder and patted her back.

"I'll be fine." I reassured her. She pulled back and looked at me. Her eyes creased to reveal her smile.

"An Assassin's heart can truly be one of purity, honor and friendship. I will send you word as soon as we are somewhere safe, my friend." She said. I pulled her close to whisper again.

"My name is Alera Aya Nasr. I live in the assassin's fortress in Masyaf." She looked at me and nodded. "Be safe, watashinoyūjin (my friend)." Her eyes widened and she smiled and nodded. I stepped back and watched her turn to her sister and usher her towards the bathroom. Ruri looked back at me one more time. I smiled and nodded. Her eyes creased and shimmered with slightly threatening tears. Then, as soft and quick as a shadow, she was gone.

Hope you liked that guys! Rea means water lily, or purity and that is Ruri's little sister. We may hear from Ruri in later chapters! :D

Also I used google translate for the japanese and I have no clue if its right or not... So... Yeah. :P

Forgive the Mistakes my friends!

I hope everyone gets what they want this year! Including a sexy assassin under their tree. ;D 'ho yeah!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!