The One Woman Musical Catastrophe
Malik had wasted no time blending into the crowds leading into the heart of the city and Vivian contemplated on writing Ubisoft a letter to include him in future games because he was the assassin version of James Bond as he captivated residents to divulge secrets. She'd already watched him chat with three people for information as he played the new 'traveler/possible homeowner' in need of directions perfectly with mannerisms that most of the elite failed to have while Altaїr lacked nabbing even one since a single look to the sword at his side sent civilians scrambling to blend back into the crowd. With his injury from Solomon's temple, Malik also played the sympathetic card to the max for all it was worth as his modern everyday features lacked to intimidate others and his smooth voice charmed the pants off most. Plus, the man was damn handsome in real life (Vivian blamed the manly stubble) and she knew he'd make the ladies feel lucky with his looks and temperament.
Vivian had wanted to explore the variety of shops set up within the bazaar district where Malik had gone but Altaїr headed for the heart of the city where administration dominated the area. If his enemies were seeking information, this is where they would find it first before spreading out towards the seedier and shady parts of Cairo. The tall limestone buildings were more prominent there than in any other location of the city since the elite roamed the area and Vivian observed the handcrafted art decorating the buildings as the old city of the pharaohs melted in with the current architecture. Breathing in the new (well, old if she wanted to be figurative) air brought her a coughing fit as loose dirt flowed freely from street, the city's lack of a decent sewage system, and the heavy body odor lingering in the humidity, but it gave her a sense of living as her green eyes sparkled to the bustling city. To Altaїr, it smelled like any other city and he didn't care for historical architecture or anthropological dynamics as his eyes studied the buildings for viewpoints and possible assassination areas; to him, the city was his hunting ground.
Regardless of the high-class area, crowds were not lacking as fancier shops were gathered there to sell things to residents, scholars, officials, and passing guards. It was easy to pinpoint the guards as they were the only ones carrying weapons and the master assassin swept the area with his eagle vision to make sure he knew who was hostile and whom were the innocent. Altaїr glanced at Vivian as she was entranced by their surroundings (mentally sighing that she was a scholar in his era) and nudged her forward with his elbow to begin their search. She uttered a small 'oh' of surprise as her petite feet leapt forward as she was broken out of her thoughts and he questioned dully, "Are you ready to go?"
"Give me a second" she told him as she held her index finger in the air and scampered between the two small buildings, obscuring herself in the shadows as she snuck behind a large bale of hay to change into her chosen persona. Altaїr simply stared with mild attention as she ruffled her damp hair, combing her fingers through her wavy locks to give an unkempt appearance and grabbed a bit of hay from a nearby crate to tangle it within her black hair. The drying mud caking her damp robes and patches of her head gave her a nice hobo touch as she opened her arms wide to declare with an impish smile, "Ta-da!"
He hushed her since attention isn't what they sought but tried not to laugh at the same time to her disheveled appearance. Honestly, she looked like an overgrown ragamuffin as she grabbed a few handfuls of dirt from the ground to pat onto her skirt for a final touch. The right corner of his lips lifted into a small smirk as she stood before him, looking like nothing as she had hours ago, and even he had to admit, "I think you're a natural."
"I need an instrument with cymbals to pull off what I need to do to keep all Templars away since the white definitely contrasts here" she contemplated with a pout as she held her chin in thought and he left her in his dust before she could utter a protesting 'hey'.
Did he just leave me? We didn't even get to have our portraits painted!, she thought in disbelief for being ditched just after being handed the first compliment since being brought on his adventure. Eh, it was hard trying to understand the man's mind. An itch pricked at her skin and Vivian frowned distastefully, using her right hand to scratch her butt without reserve since the shadows hid her well and slumped her shoulders with content, Man, that's been killing me since entering this part of the city. Maybe it's a good thing he left before I really had to scratch myself in front of him. Okay, back to business.
Feeling abandoned by the assassin, she rejoined the dusty streets riddled with people to search for his trademark white hood but found squat. Great, he tells her to stick to him like an insect on a water buffalo and what does he do? He ditches her in the middle of a crowded place where she has absolutely no idea on how to find him. Vivian shook her head with disapproval to the man's command tactics but couldn't blame him, he was new to group dynamics after working solo since his youth. Instead, she decided to stay where she was because his instincts as a tracker would lure him to her location so why not make it easier on both? Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long.
A blur of white shot into view and before her brain could comprehend it, Altaїr had returned in the blink of an eye and she felt something drop into her hand. Her fingers caught it immediately before it fell to the ground and she looked down to find a tambourine-like instrument between her hands. Her brow furrowed as she studied the foreign instrument (she wasn't a music major) as brown leather covered both sides of the wooden circles while cymbals were fitted at the sides to chime their sweet tune. Her fingers traced over the smooth leather to feel the new object and before she could ask him about it, Altaїr informed with a low mumble, "It's a riq."
Her green eyes met his honey tone as she was caught off guard that he'd actually searched for her item and she asked curiously, "Where'd you-"
"Don't ask."
Well, I guess I just crossed stealing off my list by being an accomplice, she thought dryly to the crazy things she would involve herself in and followed along as he began to scout the area. He beckoned for her to follow with a simple flick of his wrist and she complied immediately, keeping a safe distance between them to ward away the idea they were together in company.
She watched Altaїr keep close to individuals wearing similar color schemes since scholars were lacking in the area and almost lost him more than once as he blended in seamlessly into the crowds, mimicking his movements to learn something about hiding. If she was stuck in dangerous times, she needed to gain skills to survive and novices apparently learned that skill so she might as well learn from the best (except Assassin skills because no human of modern times was ready for that because even Desmond was reluctant and he had their blood flowing in his veins). She didn't see why he needed her with his skills but her thoughts were disrupted when he slid next to a crowd buying fresh vegetables from a merchant and his right hand quickly pointed forward in warning.
Vivian caught sight of three Templars up the road as their armor glinted against the bright sunlight, almost blinding her sensitive retinas with their evil shine. Ugh, she just found another reason to hate them. She wondered why Saladin's people didn't attack them directly as the Crusades were still ongoing but she noticed that their outfits had changed drastically from those who were stationed in Syria. They no longer bore the red cross and white robes associated with Richard's men, choosing to keep the same metal armor but the white robes had changed to a slate gray to signify neutrality and no insignia was visible on their wardrobe. Vivian had no idea if the Egyptian people knew what a Templar looked like since telephone calls and television broadcasts were nonexistent but if the Egyptians were behaving normally, the Templars malicious intentions and their presence went undetected.
Feigning a cough to catch his attention, she gave a quick point of her index finger with the fist she'd placed over her mouth to agree with his assumption and kept moving. Altaїr rejoined the crowd a second later and she followed at a close but inconspicuous pace; it wasn't easy when people were constantly pushing into you and obscuring your target though. Vivian's chance to prove herself occurred when a peasant (did any society lack them?) dressed in brown linen bounded up to Altaїr and she could already hear the 'spare some coin?' ready to burst from their lips. Oh no, this would not happen on her 'impress Altaїr time'! Her digital assassin had suffered greatly in pickpocket/interrogation missions where she'd accidentally stabbed one and alerted the bothersome guards.
Altaїr's hooded head began to turn with guarded vigilance as he spotted the raggedy woman and although he wanted to help the civilian people his brotherhood was meant to protect, there were priorities that he had to take care of first. Vivian took it upon her shoulders to remedy this sudden problem as she slipped between them to block him from the peasant and her hands stuck out in the classic beggar stance as she piped up, "Spare some coin?"
The assassin moved forward as the obstacle was avoided, merging further into the moving crowd as Vivian stared at the woman with hopeful puppy eyes (she prayed it didn't work because she'd feel like crap on a street at that point). The poor woman blinked with confusion as she was faced with another peasant in the same situation and asked uncertainly, "Don't you have coin to spare?"
"I need coin too! Look at me, I'm sleeping on hay and I fell in mud today- not to mention I almost drowned in the Nile" Vivian dramatized woefully as she hoped her craziness drove the woman away and scratched her scalp roughly to give off the impression of having lice, which she emphasized by staring at her nails and cleaning them. Giving the bewildered woman a manic grin, she laughed wildly with merriment, "Boy, my head sure is itchy!"
Halting instantly to her own words, Vivian's face shifted into confusion as her eyes squinted and she asked herself loudly, "What's that you say, Mabel?"
Vivian looked over her left shoulder to speak to a fake imaginary friend as the 'insane woman' persona was born within seconds in her witty mind and she declared crazily with a stern face aimed at the ground, "Did I feed the cat? No, I keep telling you I was hungry and Betty was meowing to eat so I had to eat her!"
At this point, the peasant was too frightened of the 'deranged' woman and scampered off to find safety while asking others for help. Vivian stood in her spot for a moment as she let the façade break away, struck with guilt for scaring away an innocent person that only wanted help but felt better at knowing she looked like crap to match her current mood. She truly wished there was a way to help the underprivileged since they were real people, no longer repetitive video game NPC's with annoying phrases, and turned away to keep following Altaїr. Maybe she could sell her riq and give away the money later to the peasants wandering the city or have Altaїr steal a loaf of bread from a fancy seller for distribution.
When the next person came up to the assassin, Vivian intercepted by jumping in front of a pudgy fabrics merchant to exclaim happily with a big goofy grin, "How 'bout I sing a song for free robe fabric?"
"Oh- Oooh- Ohhhh" Vivian struggled on finding the right note in her voice (she'd be looking for a while) as she smacked her left hand on the top of the riq to use it as a tambourine, moving her lips quickly as she tried to force the unwilling note out of her vocal chords. Hmm, that assassin really was as fast as lightning if he found a riq that was in new condition since it made up marvelously for her lack of singing. She gave up quickly when she couldn't conjure a decent note and sang her tune with a cracked voice,
"I've been working near the Nile, all the live long day
I've been working near the Nile, just to pass the time away-"
"Go away, mad woman!," the merchant shooed her aside with a sharp voice just as Altaїr slipped out from the crowds with his catlike grace. He'd finally found a decent building to begin his climb and he used nearby wooden crates to jump onto the side of the small building as the wooden ledges that decorated would help him find his way up towards the roof. Being a man clad in bone white robes, he could be found easily if one glanced in his direction and hoped Vivian was keeping any nosy guards or civilians away from his vicinity.
"I'm not mad, I'm a fashion tragedy in need of clothes!" she declared indignantly as she grabbed the skirt of her robes to show the poor condition it was in and began a new cheerful song, "Old Malik had a farm, and on that farm he had a duck, the yellowiest duck you've seen -"
A kick aimed in her direction made her scramble for cover and she hid her giddy grin as she spotted Altaїr climbing the building as he used the conveniently placed architectural décor (really, assassins had just about anything needed for a climb). She didn't linger her gaze and kept moving to the center of the path to make sure nobody noticed the leaping acrobatic man as he reached the roof to begin his run to the next. Vivian would hate this part the most as she would need to keep up and you know a girl from the modern era or any era cannot keep up with the crazy free running assassin. She really wished she'd taken some kind of running sport because running a few miles a day wouldn't cut it if she had to maintain his speed; she'd probably suffer a heart attack by then! Vivian ran through the crowd, using open pockets to slip through to avoid causing a commotion but then she realized. . .why not? That's what she was there for!
She used her riq to draw the crowd's attention as the cymbals chimed merrily with her slaps and the movement of her run. She called out to the crowds that she was a traveling bard that would sing to honor her visiting city since she was piss poor but most paid her no attention as they moved elsewhere. Inwardly, she smiled as she kept people away from the areas Altaїr traveled but the rooftops kept him well hidden throughout his run but climbing onto the citadel would require more stealth and finesse as two thin towers stood between him and the Citadel.
Vivian managed to sing through three songs before reaching the Citadel and noticed the Templars wandering the area, groaning to having them in the worst place possible but it was the obvious choice for snooping around. They were definitely sniffing out for information as they wandered among the people but were they aware of how close they were to the POE or maybe they were trying to play decoy as their people moved closer? Ugh, she hated playing Templar guessing games. The main question was, how to efficiently distract or lure them away from the Citadel?
From above, Altaїr could see the dirty woman (she wasn't very hard to spot) and used a low pigeon call to grab her attention but received no recognition as she stayed in place.
Perfect, just perfect, he thought irritably since birds were rather musical today and on a lazy day, he would enjoy their cheerful chirps but not now. Picking up a small pebble from the brown roof tiling, he locked onto Vivian's immobile form as she was ready to start another song that would repel crowds and threw the rock with pinpoint precision. As an assassin, his targeting rarely failed no matter what he was using as a weapon and let a small smirk form on his lips when he saw it strike her lower back (low enough not to be seen but a weak area to sense a sudden hit). The woman flinched in surprise and he snorted when he saw her looking around the place, rubbing her backside with a frown and using the same birdcall again, she finally took notice of him.
If I was an eagle, that clueless little lamb would've been picked off and headed for my nest, he thought with dry amusement as she caught the white of his robes as he pointed towards the towers he'd have to climb since he'd need her help for this one. It proved easier to do with his skills since the Citadel's massive wall had yet to be built around the fortress as it was during her time but that didn't make it any less dangerous with guards and Templars roaming about. Also, the towers would've served a better purpose if they held open areas that could've hidden him but everybody could walk around them and see him climbing like a maniac. The smaller walls of the fortress should help to conceal since civilians are barred from entering and I can handle myself from thereon.
Vivian gave him a thumbs up (it took a while for the concept to stick when she explained it one night) so he could start his wicked Spiderman climbing and cloistered herself in the clearing in front of the large Citadel that served as a palace for the ruling Saladin. Their enemies were gathered at the side of the main staircase leading up the hill towards the palace and her close spot near them would help as she eyed them from across the open area. She kept her eyes pinned on the Templars as she threw a cloth bag on the ground for profit (it wouldn't hurt to try and nab some coin since their adventure wasn't exactly funded by others) and began her song while performing a small entertaining jig,
"I was playing in my room late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my AC character from his spot began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise
He did the mash
He did the AC mash
The AC mash
It was a castle smash
He did the mash
It caught on in a flash
He did the mash
He did the AC mash
From my new bedroom in the castle east
To the hall where the Masters feast
To the trainers that play in the armories
The scholars all came from their humble dormitories
To get a taste of my crazy gaming anthologies!
They did the mash
They did the AC mash-"
Her 'Monster Mash' parody song died on her lips when she saw the Templars weren't paying the slightest of attention as they continued to scout around them. Vivian even contemplated on lighting her outer robes on fire to cause a scandal since Altaїr had reacted the same over taking off one layer but was pretty sure she'd be jailed on the spot for that. Thanking the passing bystanders that stayed to stare at her eccentric song, she grabbed her cloth of tips and was pleasantly surprised to find that it held two dirham coins and a black button. Hmm, buttons did come in handy for lost ones. She could see her assassin pal was scaling the first tower and knew she had to keep everyone's attention on her before somebody decided that Syrian Spiderman was worth a watch (his outfit already beat Parker's in her opinion).
Scampering over to the new shaded spot next to the staircase where their enemies had now moved, she struck the taut skin of her riq and began a new song with a loud voice,
"Here's the story of a quirky lady. . .me!
Who was bringing up two very rowdy sisters.
All of them had hair of onyx, like their mother,
The youngest one with curls. . .or waves, one or the other. . .
Here's the story, of a man named Altaїr ,
Who was busy with three lethal boys of his own,
One from Venice, the other US, and from Jerusalem
They were four AC men, living all together,
Yet they were all alone.
Till one day when the lady met this fellow
And they knew it was much more than a hunch,
That this group would somehow form a family.
That's the way we all became the AC Bunch.
The AC Bunch
That's the way we all became the AC Bunch.
The AC Bunch!"
This drew lukewarm attention since she failed to add a dance into the mix but they seemed more focused on their evil 'take over the world' plotting rather than the petite woman singing her heart out. Great, not even the Brady bunch attracted people anymore! Noticing that the Templars would see Altaїr in mid climb along the side of the Citadel as he was literally across from her on the building, she slapped her hand against the riq to jingle the cymbals as she shook the tambourine to nab their attention.
"Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh
Walk like an Egyptian!"
Seeing that her instrument wasn't gaining their full attention, her mind sent her neurons to their battle stations as one Templar lingered their gaze in the area Altaїr was located at. She couldn't let his presence be discovered by the evil men since seeing him get skewered on the side of the fortress by multiple arrows would ruin the future of the brotherhood and her reliability as a sidekick. Vivian threw herself to the wolves by jumping directly in front of the Templars and began to shout her lungs out with another song to make sure it echoed inside their bucket helmets,
"Ohhhh, I'm the queen, queen, queen of the gypsies
I buy them out in my little caravan
I'm the best known gypsy throughout the land
I'm the queen, queen, queen, of the gypsies!"
One of the men tried to push her aside rudely from the shoulder as he snapped harshly, "Out of the way, peasant!"
She smacked the tambourine across the man's metal covered head, her strike managing to surprise the man and she declared boldly with a stern face, "How dare you insult the queen of the gypsies?"
A few slanders later that officially named her the 'crazy wench of Cairo' and another bonk to the head to all of the Templars gathered there, Vivian was manhandled out of the high end of town as she screeched about their atrocious behavior. It took the force of three Templars to carry her out (two holding her arms and the other her feet) as she wriggled with the tenacity of an enraged eel and yelled to kingdom come, "Unhand me, bucket head! Respect your queen or I'll- oomph!"
She was flung outside the elite part of the city and landed right on her tailbone, her riq bonking her on top of the head as one of the men threw it at her in afterthought. Yelping at the sharp hit that would leave a painful bump, she counted herself lucky that they hadn't killed her in a dark corner somewhere but taunted them to alleviate her physical pain. They paid her no more attention as they disappeared back inside the area but she managed a maniacal cackle as she rubbed her hands together with evil glee to tell herself, "The joke's on you, jackasses!"
As people passed by the fallen woman, Vivian tucked in her legs to prevent being trampled in her shabby form and innocently smiled to greet residents whom were staring at her with awkward gazes and she mimicked Kenobi's smooth accented voice, "Hello there."
With her diversion a success, nobody would pay Altaїr any attention as the assassin was now flawlessly blended among the rooftop of the fortress and had curiously watched the commotion from a safe spot on the spherical roof. Honestly, the woman was not one to forsake boldness to achieve her goals and he found the idea of using her as a scapegoat for just about anything rather interesting.
Altaїr watched the city of Cairo with the intensely watchful gaze of an eagle as he sat atop the Citadel, the burning sun beating down on his back but his white clothing would thankfully reflect some of that light. The downside was the high humidity as Egypt was a lush jungle environment along the Nile's riverbank as palm trees decorated most of the streets and he ran his forearm over his sweaty forehead since dampening his hands would be dangerous for his climb down later on. So far, he'd written down in his mental notes that the Templars had shifted from their original disguises (at least the ones he'd seen in the city) and had noticed a few camouflaged themselves as followers of Saladin seeing as the Piece of Eden was somewhere in Giza.
Regardless of their disguises, Altaїr's eagle vision would cast away their deceptive shrouds to see the truth. How close were the Templars to finding the piece? It made him wonder if there was a new Grandmaster at work and briefly pondered on the whereabouts of Maria, he'd given her a token for acceptance into Masyaf if she ever had need of it. Nonetheless, her information as an ex-Templar and the inner workings of the organization would've come in handy at the moment.
I have to make due with Vivian, who will kick me when interrogated and is bolder than anyone I've worked with, he contemplated since her loud songs had carried over to where he'd been climbing but she'd left quite a while ago to venture elsewhere (he prayed she wouldn't be chased out of the city with her unrestrained ways). Her methods were strange for a foreigner but effective as he managed to breach the Citadel without incident from the city's security. On the bright side, she hasn't attempted to kill me once like Maria used to.
Cairo was no different than Damascus, a bustling city full of traders and residents trying to make a living despite the Crusades occurring up north but war would not brew in the area anytime soon. The architecture of the rooftops didn't vary greatly in comparison to Syrian rooftops but he knew that would soon change as they ventured south where villages, ports, and small settlements dominated the undeveloped areas.
His eagle vision allowed him to distinguish the innocent from the hostile as pickpockets and Templars lit up his sight. The pickpockets would be taught a lesson in karma when he stole the money in return to split it between his team and the poor while the Templars. . .well, we all knew what would happen to them. He'd been studying their movements throughout the area and had already scoped the perfect vantage points to make his assassinations from. Since using the Apple, he'd been trying to find ways to improve his skills as Vivian told him he would develop many and although he wasn't trying to force fate to hand him a few before time deemed it right, he really wanted to create something!
He'd begun to take notice of areas where assassinations could be carried out flawlessly without notice since killing within a crowd or jumping off a ledge tended to attract anybody nearby. The haystacks and piles of crates were perfect areas to explore for a quick assassination but he would dwell on those thoughts at camp as he watched his enemies closely from his perch high above the city (Vivian hadn't kidded when she stated it was a high point). A bird sound to his left distracted him from his search and he turned with mild interest, expecting to find a small bird or a falcon but his eyes widened to seeing a gray pigeon cooing at him with interest.
Birds were the symbol of the Assassin's Order, primarily eagles, but there was a certain kind Altaїr just didn't get along with. The innocent ledge-dwelling feral pigeon was that unfortunate bird as the assassin was repelled from the small bird despite its innocent orange eyes blinking sweetly at him. The Assassin's Order used the pigeons to send messages to coops but Altaїr had never used one in his entire lifetime after being heckled by a hungry flock as a child when he'd been eating his meal outside in Masyaf's courtyard. Since that fateful day fifteen years ago, he refused to touch one and used someone else to send his messages or used other varieties of birds for communication.
The assassin stepped back slowly with caution, his honey colored eyes narrowing suspiciously at innocent bird as it pecked at the stone to find sustenance and Altaїr remembered that gray beak pulling at his clothes for food years ago. He had no qualms with its other cousins in the columbidae family but that particular pigeon would always unsettle him. He frowned underneath his hood because he was not looking for more animal encounters that day (or for the rest of his life) and aimed two of his fingers at the bird, turning them around the next second to point to his own two eyes, and warned quietly, "I'm watching you."
A little movement to the left from its pink bird legs as it looked elsewhere to eat had Altaїr searching for a new spot to convey his investigation. He would never live the embarrassment down if somebody discovered his unnatural fear of pigeons.
The sun hung low over Cairo as the afternoon came to an end quicker than the group anticipated and Altaїr remained within the city on his solo search as the other two companions settled at the edge of the riverbank where the docks ended to await their friend as they tried to find a few moments of peace before undertaking the next trip across the Nile that would lead them to camp for the night as the day had exhausted them. In the modern days, Vivian woke early to prepare for classes with every technological convenience available and returned home by noon to study and take care of any chores before having the entire day free. In her new life, she was awake before dawn trying to build a fire and find a decent place to bathe before engaging in an entire day of nonstop movement that would leave her exhausted when it came time for dinner- and by that time, the sun had barely finished setting!
If I ever return home, I will publish a book regarding daily life in the 1190s for history students, she thought hopefully as home always remained in her mind and wondered if time flowed in the same correlation as it did in AC land. If so, her family would be worried sick after being gone for more than three weeks and hoped they weren't searching the city in vain for her. Most of all, she didn't want her sisters claiming dibs on her stuff since she wanted to burn the Altaїr cutout herself for getting her into the whole mess she was in.
"So, what did you find out?" Vivian asked curiously as she finished washing her hair in a shallow end of the riverbank, squeezing her wavy locks free of excess water, and tied it into a wet bun on the top of her head with a leather tie.
The water dripping down her hot skin felt wonderful at that particular hour as breezy cool wind flowed through the land and pocketed her translucently yellow soap made of fat and salt. She couldn't complain about not having aromatic fancy soap because just having anything that lathered made her very happy and hadn't cared for the odd looks from passerby's because she was homeless at this point in her life. Everything she'd owned was nonexistent and her lack of money or a job itself would not be earning her a living so in all aspects, that's what she was. . .but she preferred using 'wandering adventurer' better.
Malik sat on the dry riverbank with a casual air about him as he observed the Nile, taking a small puff of his brown midwakh pipe before exhaling a thin trail of smoke with a smile, "Only small numbers have been seen but with their secrecy, I wouldn't be surprised if they relayed the information to an awaiting group gathered elsewhere around the Nile. They're getting close which makes me wonder how they're arriving to these locations faster than we are."
Maybe they harnessed the swimming power of river turtles?, she wanted to joke but decided not to in case Malik choked on his smoking pipe and irritated his vocal chords.
"It's a shame Altaїr's shiny apple can't let him fly to a city by using his scowling power as fuel" she mused with an impish grin to the idea of seeing him fly alongside an airplane like Superman and wondered if there was such a piece so she could begin sewing him a flamboyant white cape. Her pupils already had a little Altaїr caricature flying in the classic pose but snapped herself out of it since the real assassin tended to read her mind with a simple glare and wasn't about to risk a scolding until she had a good comeback.
Malik chuckled softly to her words as he exhaled through his lips with the fancy allure of movie stars from Hollywood's golden era (without the raspy cough in later years) and Vivian's curiosity itched as she piped up perkily, "Can I try that? You make it look so sophisticated and easy."
His left eyebrow raised to her request and she frowned to mutter flatly with slumped shoulders, "Let me guess, women don't smoke here either?"
He nodded with an amused smile since it appeared tacky for the fairer sex to do so but offered sympathetically, "Except at camp. You are welcome to try there, my friend."
"Sweet!" she cheered happily and couldn't wait to play off the fanciness of the pipe that seemed to transcend time and cultures. Frankly, she was a strict nonsmoker but one little puff couldn't hurt (she'd exhale it instantly rather than let it breeze past her tongue) and knowing her pure lungs, she'd probably hack everything in Altaїr's face. That in itself gave her further incentive to try it just to see his face. The thought of the grumpy assassin poked her mind with curiosity to where he could be and whether he was safe but she quickly reminded herself that this was Altaїr- of course he was.
Keeping a cautious eye behind them as people wandered the docks with their baskets of belongings or bought goods, she asked softly, "So how are we reaching Giza?"
He pointed the end of his pipe towards the calm river and explained easily as he watched the gentle currents, "We use the compass and the sun to guide us across to the west. There is no possible way to reach it at this hour, however, seeing as sunset will approach soon and we have had a very long journey from Bubastis. We were very lucky to transverse the river for so many miles and I am quite ready to fall asleep."
"You and me both, my arms ache terribly from rowing like crazy" she agreed with a tired yawn, covering her mouth to mind her manners and wiping a watery eye with a clean hand. The entire day had been grueling with the hot sun sizzling their backs, the spur-of-the-moment river rafting, and singing her lungs out told her it was time to snooze. Vivian was more than ready to leave for the other side if it meant extra sleeping hours and sighed sullenly as she massaged her shoulders, knowing they'd be sore tomorrow after fighting that fierce river current and sighed softly, "I don't want to have that particular adventure again. Anything else we can impress Altaїr with?"
"I bartered my way to some useful medical supplies" he informed her since items like sterilized cloth and cotton, alcohol, salves, and common remedies were essential in their journey to prevent illness on the road. Vivian was partly thankful while the logical side was wary to the ancient medicine but it was better to have something on hand rather than nothing when there was no doctor in their vicinity. Malik caught the worried look on her face as she'd explained a few aspects of medicine from her time and their cultural exchange enlightened them both for the better with each campsite chat. She slipped out of her slippers to dip her toes in the cold water of the shore to soothe her parched skin and he grinned to jest, "I will bring you next time for your input, that is if Altaїr can spare his newest public saboteur."
"You embellish my first job too much, I'm simply the woman he tolerates as I give him information and make his job in life easier" she snorted sardonically to the way he behaved most of the time but remained thankful that he decided to ditch his old idea of using a rope around her waist because she'd no intention of imitating a dog and setting womankind back another century. She entertained her weary mind by wiggling her toes in the water and poked fun at herself by telling her friend with a witty smile, "I'm like a scab, he doesn't pick at me all the time because he knows I'm protecting his body from harmful microorganisms but eventually, he will. When that happens, we restart the process all over again."
Malik laughed at the image of a Vivian-shaped scab on his friend's forearm that constantly squeaked in argument and returned her playful banter with a joke of his own, "I would've said a wife. A man protects and defends but the woman is the mastermind, always two steps ahead. You two make a decent team when you're not arguing."
She visibly squirmed at that since she blamed the allure of that cranky assassin on that hood of mystery or maybe the smooth voice that ironically matched his digital double but held the subtlest hints of an accent. The man was certainly attractive to her in the physical aspect but the minute he ran his mouth, she was curled into a defensive ball and holding a fork to jab him with to keep him at bay. Vivian didn't see how an independent woman like Maria fell for that but maybe she liked the gruff 'in your face' types.
Vivian waved her hands in the air in an attempt to shoo away the mental images Malik tried to scar her mind with and protested shrilly, "By Odin's beard, no!. . .That's more him and Maria. Nonetheless, a wise thought on the latter words."
The dai pointed his pipe at her with a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes and he stated nonchalantly, "I am known for my ability to perceive things that aren't visible to the naked eye-"
"Heh, you said naked" she giggled as she was struck with that childish lure of immaturity since people, especially women, lacked using vulgar language (which was nothing in comparison to modern times where even children surprised you) in that era. Unless they were of military professions, however, which pretty much warranted you the unlimited right to curse when pierced by an arrow or any other weapon. Sitting down next to him to watch the calm river, she dared anybody that wandered nearby to say anything about sitting next to a man while unmarried and asked him with a smile, "Say, have I ever taught you the timeless game of Tick-Tack-Toe?"
"It's not like that Truth or Dare game again, is it?" Malik asked with a frown about the old game Vivian taught them one night after dinner as they camped at the Gaza strip and Altaїr had refused to choose truth. He'd almost broken into a long speech about honor and truth about handing over secret information to a nobody as Vivian was obligated to sit there and agree to it. The dai found humor in daring his friend to slap himself silly with both hands but Altaїr got revenge by making him perform a handstand on his only hand.
"No, the fun withered when Altaїr refused to choose truth and he almost broke his neck performing a headstand" Vivian chuckled softly with remembrance to that night as the man refused to vow an oath to a game and divulge important information but forced her to choose anything but truth as he wanted to perform his own interrogation. Honestly, she sometimes wondered if the assassin knew the meaning of fun but with his harsh upbringing, she doubted it. Maybe she could find a way to lighten his temperament as she proved herself?
Running to an area of the shore that had washed up twigs of various sizes, she grabbed two and turned around to declare to her friend with an excited grin, "En guard, for we play the battle of Tic-Tac-Toe!"
A/N: Altaїr really does have that animal magnetism, doesn't he? And poor Vivian, she tries her best to fit into her new world and be the best sidekick (besides Malik) but she'll never carry a tune. The chapter turned up longer than I wanted (20+pages) so we'll be wrapping up Cairo in the next chapter, I promise, as Altaїr climbs buildings like a madman to help Vivian and Malik plays referee to their dinnertime squabbles.
A very appreciative thank you to everyone who put this story on their alerts/favs and to my last reviewers as your words keep me writing this tale:
Flyingcrispi: I want them to stop at the Valley of the Kings as they travel south and Medjai were known to exist in the area as they protected the tombs- I still have some research to do. By then, Altaїr and Vivian will be on friendly terms but her knack for getting them into trouble will undoubtedly bring him along. In ancient times, the world was modest on clothing so it's hilarious to see him freak out over bare legs.
Water-Sirene: Thanks for loving the story. If I could draw anything decently on a tablet, I would, but I lack one so we're all left to our imaginations. While Malik will have animals behaving peacefully with him like Snow White, Altaїr will be the opposite as they target him as enemy number one. He'll basically be fighting his way through Templars and animals to survive as his companions munch on snacks.
Jake The Dog: I'm glad you love the humor so much, I always reread it constantly to make sure Vivian's kooky humor is understood as Altaїr's body language speaks for him. Maria and Vivian won't be catfighting for Altaїr as Vivian respects her as an independent woman but by the end of the tale, they'll be friends.
PeacefullyCrazy: Thanks for loving the story that much, I appreciate it.
CheLeapOfFaith: Yeah, my summer ends next week which is a bummer. Vivian's always upbeat despite her crappy luck in life as she tries to stay sane with the culture shock and Altaїr. . .well, he's just adorably grumpy Altaїr. Thanks for loving the story so much and for reviewing again.
Bearybeary: Nope, she's using it as a distraction now but she'll be torturing- ahem, entertaining- her group once they're rowing down the Nile.
Foreverafter: Malik will certainly be the peacemaker but he's full of humor since he had his funny moments in the game.
xXxSlytheringQueenxXx: I'm trying to keep Vivian as the average college girl with normal gaming knowledge but I'm glad you love her! There's plenty of OC's from the imagination lot that can be swept off their feet by Altaїr or have him fall under their beautiful gaze (Mary Sue's) but Vivian's neither. She won't ask to be an Assassin or whine about love but rather, keep poking him with a stick to accomplish his mission as she tries to survive in the past.
AnimeWolfAlienRaptor4: You're right, it does have mystery. There's a bunch of genres for this tale but I picked humor and adventure. I'm trying to keep it realistically humorous so I'm happy you're enjoying it! Vivian always manages to annoy Altaїr with whatever she says, intentional or not. lol
Next Time:
"You're picky" Malik stated bluntly rather than tiptoeing around it and pointed a finger towards his white robes to point out, "You refuse to wear any robes that have any discolorations and choose cotton fabric that's only been left in the sun to fade a pristine white. Not to mention that you travel away from the castle to buy that ridiculous crimson sash that anybody could buy at a third of the price within the village."
Altaїr narrowed his eyes and Vivian's jaw hit the floor when he defended, "Where else am I going to find this type of silk fabric in Syria? Have you seen the cross-stitching?"
He was about to grab the red sash around his waist but Vivian pulled him by the forearm to halt any arguing, towing him towards the city's entrance as she chastised, "Altaїr, don't be a drama queen. I expect this from snobby elites of your time and useless reality TV stars of my time that belong in the darkest pit of a gutter but not you."
The assassin had absolutely no idea what she'd just uttered and aimed his eyes to the grip she had on his forearm. Instead of chastising her about personal space and physical touching, he stated matter-of-factly, "That's calico from the lands of the Delhi Sultanate."
"I swear, if you tell me you're wearing satin underwear, you will drop down on my awesomeness bar" Vivian threatened with a miserable whine at realizing her deadly assassin was rather finicky about his wardrobe.