The Robin Hood of the 1190s
Malik finished eating his lunch of falafel and marinated chicken kebabs with a satiated smile because the entire walk to the pyramids was anything but short. By the time they'd arrived into the moving crowds, Vivian had toppled over her own two feet and brought the two men down to their knees by pulling on the end of their robes. It had earned them a curious stare, especially when Altaïr tried to drag her through the dirt by her right uninjured foot and almost flashed her legs (although covered) to the public when the robe rolled up. Their first task had been to replenish their water canteens and find the nearest public outhouse, which drew disgust from Vivian to its horrible unkempt condition and smell- even by normal standards. Once Altaïr reassured Vivian that she could use the bushes once they were out of Giza, he pried her shuddering form off his back to find a decent food merchant to buy a snack from.
They had found a very nice shady area to eat their meal at, sharing the spot with the food vendor and a water merchant; they couldn't complain to the convenient food access. The wide shadow provided by the large palm tree behind them allowed Malik to observe the area more carefully but thankfully, hadn't spotted any wandering Templars that could discover Altaïr due to his robes. If they had, they would've dealt with a very drowsy assassin. He gently prodded the two lumps lying on the floor on their stomachs and both groaned to being poked like meat, comfortable in their spots after taking a short nap. Vivian curled into a ball as the shady area brought relief to her sundrenched skin while Altaïr simply feigned being dead to cool his skin. Malik tried to rouse them from their food induced slumber because they were here for their final mission in Giza and informed them, "Time to continue."
With a reluctant grunt, Vivian sat up with an unruly curtain of raven hair covering her face and absentmindedly reached down to massage her legs for circulation. Her fingers, however, felt the rubbing on her skin receptors but her legs perceived none of the stimuli she gave. Worried, she hit them lightly with clenched fists to reawaken the limbs since she felt absolutely nothing and frantically yelped, "I can't feel my legs, I can't-"
"Those are mine!" Altaïr snapped grimly since her hysterical strikes had definitely caused him to feel the force behind them and pushed her aside, sending her fumbling to the other side with her legs fully working. She'd accidentally fallen asleep over his lower body like a cat, ignorant that he'd been lying down on his stomach and had struck his gray breeches which coincidentally matched hers under her robe. Still, he couldn't help himself from adding in a chiding jab as he smirked smugly, "Your vision must've suffered through the walk."
Her cheeks puffed comically but before she could retort her own verbal retaliation to keep their renewed banter going, Malik stood up with a grunt to stretch his tired limbs and declared tiredly, "We carry onwards."
Altaïr glared from his spot on the grass because he was quite comfortable in the shade where he wouldn't bake and although the fate of the world rested on his shoulders. . .he really wanted five more minutes. Malik had never seen his friend reluctant to move from a spot but the heat they'd endured caused him to immediately cloister himself to the shade. Raising his chin like the majestic proud eagle that he was, he closed his eyes to exhale softly but clearly, "I'm leader, I get to say it."
Malik won the battle of wits by fishing out his wad of handwritten coupons from a pocket hidden within the inside lining of his robe, waving the papers like a prize, and smugly declared, "I have a coupon."
"Go right on ahead then" the grand master allowed immediately to grant his friend complete control of their travel, yawning with the laziness of a lion as he stood up on his reluctant legs. They'd been enjoying their tranquil rest but duty called and it was a beacon they couldn't ignore at any cost. He didn't have doubts about putting Malik in charge during an important mission since he'd been the first of his brothers that tried to screw his head back into its rightful place back in Solomon's Temple so he knew his friend wouldn't lead him astray. On the other hand, if Vivian were holding that coupon, Altaïr would've ripped it in half before he let her lead them anywhere. She'd more than likely send them crashing into a ditch simply out of curiosity's sake.
"So, what are our ideas in the pool to begin this search?" Malik began optimistically to summon pep out of the lethargic duo because they would need energy to investigate their entry into the pyramids. Vivian quickly rubbed away any spit lingering on the corner of her lips before she appeared more unkempt and brushed back her hair (which sorely needed brushing) with hasty fingers. Altaïr didn't need any help in the looks department since he dominated the 'ruggedly handsome' style without even trying, shaking his head to her shabby appearance. She merely stuck out her tongue since touching him in public would have all eyes on her and shuffled her feet over the dirt because no, she wasn't pleasing to the eye at all times- those were Sue characteristics. Hmm, had Ubisoft somehow given him a tiny dash of Gary Stu-ness? No, she wouldn't dare think of it!
Prying herself out of her fangirl thoughts, she threw her mind into the discussion and chucked out her ideas with a lively smile, "We need a guide. . .someone who knows every level of this pyramid, someone who's in their prime and smart but not physically able to defeat us if they backstab us-"
"We'll be here forever at that rate" Altaïr snorted to her pickiness but privately, agreed wholeheartedly to those traits because criminals lurked everywhere nowadays. War always brought the worst and the best in people; unfortunately, they lured in the former for his team in droves. Vivian had briefly told him a descendant would one day use guilds of other professions to provide distractions against enemies or assassination targets and he almost blacked out into mortified unconsciousness when she said harlots. Altaïr, however, didn't see the need of it at this particular moment in time. Assassins worked in the shadows as one or with the brotherhood, nobody else; they could not dare to risk themselves. He had already exposed his identity and trust with Maria, an ex-Templar, and would not reach further out yet.
That mindset brought his attention over to Vivian, who was counting off her fingers in the most uneducated manner possible, and realized with dismay, Yet again, look at me. I don't. . .I really want to know what manner of creature sent her here. I truly thought she was a foe but now that I see I was wrong, should I be worried for the mayhem she brings with her 'helpful' friendship? The ways of the future folk are not for me.
"I know, I'll get into a scuffle and see what kind citizen tries to help" she piped up eagerly since rubbing dirt all over herself to play the peasant role would be perfect. On the other hand, she could play an innocent tourist that was 'accidentally' being hassled by a Templar. Her crafty personas were quickly piling in her mind and couldn't believe the excitement that ran through her bloodstream for undergoing the act. Were the standards of living and rough survival of the 1190s finally pushing her to what she would do to see another day? She didn't really know but either way, she was ready to lend her hand for the assassin's cause . . . unfortunately, Altaïr didn't agree to it.
"You'll just draw male attention, we need gender neutrality" Altaïr stated sardonically since any good heart would help a woman in need but they required a skilled person to show them around the city. He wasn't about to endanger a simple civilian (Vivian was already enough) because their mission was dangerous and turned to Malik, the only one who could draw the type of person they needed for this.
"Oh, I'm going to hate this, aren't I?" he groaned miserably since he expected his day to brighten after having to walk all the way to the pyramids. He was more than certain he had a callous forming in the back of his left foot since he'd worn simple leather shoes for walking, not reinforced boots. His shoulders slumped comically since Altaïr's ideas always brought a fight of some sort, preferring Vivian's crafty nonviolent ways, and sighed dejectedly, "So much for my leadership coupon."
It didn't take long for them to pinpoint a Templar wandering the outskirts that were littered with shop stands selling food or souvenirs for travelers and Altaïr had deemed it the perfect site to strike. Within minutes, a small huddling hobo dressed in brown garbs bumped into the enemy, his face concealed by a hood as they used a familiar walking stick for the feeble touch. Plus, having no arm gave Malik a lot of sympathy points as he hobbled around innocently. Vivian had to restrain Altaïr from diving in to help the 'innocent civilian' when Malik was rudely shoved to the ground by their enemy as the Templar let loose a few words not fit for children's ears. . .or maybe they were, children were considered 'adult' worthy pretty young in the past. Either way, both observers disliked the man's callous attitude immediately since it could've been an accidentally bump of the shoulder or a blind man simply walking through.
"We have to bear it, this is for the mission" Vivian justified quietly since her own heart was thrown into a blender, hating to see her friend on the ground like that. The fact that they were hiding behind a bunch of crates to keep out of sight made the two feel guiltier with cowardice for not being able to lend a hand. Altaïr was more than ready to jump in there to protect his teammate but Vivian held him back by standing in front of him, blocking his path as she placed both palms on his chest to keep him at bay. It wasn't easy with her petite frame but she managed to keep the six foot tall assassin in his spot. Hmm, maybe all of her canoe rowing was finally coming in handy.
"It reminds me of how I failed my order, Malik and Kadar, during that night in the temple" he admitted faintly as he'd shoved the events of that ill-fated night into the dark crevices of his mind and her fingers softened their grip on his tunic, the faint thump of his heartbeat beating against her hand. Malik had forgiven him quite a while ago but Altaïr carried those scars to remind himself to never allow the same event to unravel again and here he was allowing his friend to be beaten by a Templar. His brown eyes narrowed to the scene before him and he stated stiffly with disgust to his past, "I left them alone to bear the wrath of the Templars-"
"This is entirely different, we are here to protect him if anything happens" she interjected swiftly to point out he wasn't the same person anymore because the old Altaïr wouldn't have hesitated to kill her when they met. He'd killed that poor old man at the start of the game, right, so what chance would she have had? She liked and approved of the man standing before her . . . sure, he was still grumpy but he wasn't foaming at the mouth and looking to kill just about anything.
Malik took another onslaught of crude words as they waited for somebody helpful to pop out from within the crowd but when everyone parted to scuttle away in fear, Vivian was almost tempted to agree when Altaïr questioned with a sharp hiss, "Now can I kill him?"
A few seconds longer and she released the stealthy beast from its imprisoned cage, quietly blending back into the wandering crowd to keep an eye on things as Altaïr quietly made his way behind the Templar. His hidden blade glinted in the sunlight as he unsheathed it, ready to plunge it into one of his enemy's vital points to extinguish their life since hassling civilians was a cowardly act. When he was ready to dash at the Templar for a surprise attack from behind that would grant a direct strike to the center of the spine, a cloud of gray dust engulfed the area and clouded his vision. Altaïr coughed immediately to clear his lungs free of the bothersome powder and see through the gray veil as the device was rather ingenious but he kept his guard up in case somebody decided to knife him instead. For all he knew, the Templars could've been laying their own trap for him since he'd killed a few of their members yesterday. He heard a metal thud near his vicinity and Vivian's voice called his name but Altaïr was lost in a dimension all on his own until the view gradually cleared.
He found himself alone in the area and saw that the Templar had been knocked unconscious a few feet away but Malik was no longer there, an empty space filling where he'd previously been. Vivian decided to play the town herald to draw attention away from him to aid his escape and took a page out right out of the game. She pointed to their unconscious enemy as she made her way to the front of the gathering crowd, kicking dust in the man's direction as an extra perk (he'd hurt her friend, after all) and exclaimed to play on their heartstrings, "You see? These foreigners are not here for anything but the destruction of our people and seek to send Egypt into disarray. How can you let them abuse one of our own? Have we no pride as a people?"
She pressed a closed fist against her heart and shouted to the murmuring crowd with firmness, "We are Giza! Our people ruled this entire continent for centuries from invaders as exhaled pharaohs and continue to do so but these fiends infiltrate our lands! Cast them out, exile them, protect the people from their cruel abuse!"
With that said, she scampered off to hide behind a nearby palm tree because she didn't want anyone kicking her out of the pyramid site for trying to incite a crowd or for a hidden Templar to throw a knife into her heart. Altaïr followed after his partner without being seen as he blended into the crowd to disappear from sight since he'd been in the middle of an interesting scene. Reaching her side, she grasped the front of his robes with a swift grip when he was a foot away and hissed worriedly, "We lost Malik! This was a stupid idea-"
"Somebody helped and Malik can take care of himself" Altaïr interjected in reminder to what just occurred, remaining optimistic in the plan since it succeeded brilliantly. If Malik had inspired help, then maybe this crafty individual was capable of helping them in their task- without being privy to their business, of course. Vivian's fingers slowly unclenched from the front of his robes as his reasoning made logical sense because Malik could kick ass better than she could, all while missing an arm. Yes, her friend would be fine until they found him and she'd keep him in her sights to maintain that safety afterwards. She tried to keep that thought on a repeat cycle in her head as Altaïr deliberated their next set of orders, "But we'll go look if he's not back in ten. . .no, five. . .let's go."
Vivian smiled at knowing she wasn't the only one with worry.
They returned to the scene of the crime as innocent onlookers and Altaïr kneeled down on the ground to observe the set of footprints imprinted in the dirt from both Malik and the unknown rescuer. Vivian merely feigned smoothing out the skirt of her gray robes while he pretended to tie a loose lace from his boots but scanned the loose earth for any clues. She glanced eagerly with intrigue once the touring crowds thinned out because having the 12th century Aragorn in front of her almost had her hopping on each foot with excitement. What would he discover? What was his approach for finding clues? How had he learned such training? The researching historian inside of her was bursting with curiosity for those answers. She almost sighed wistfully for not being hurled into the land of handsome courageous men to learn the way of the rangers but it was better to deal with coldblooded Templars rather than an evil overlord plaguing the land. The wait wasn't long as he pieced together their path by the faint footprints and other strewn clues, informing Vivian with relief in his voice, "I found a trail."
"Damn, you're awesome" she sighed adoringly with glittering eyes fit for any fangirl as she watched him stand gracefully, his robes fluttering silently against the gentle breeze of the late morning. There were a few slips in her friendly façade when the assassin accomplished a goal that she couldn't even dream of attempting, especially when it didn't include life threatening danger.
He turned around with a bewildered face to her accidental slip of the tongue, his brow furrowing with confusion as he asked, "What?"
"Nothing!," she blurted nervously with a squeak to almost being caught in the middle of her aweing and flicked her fingers everywhere to motion where their new route was. Having him figure out that she admired him a little too much might cause a wedge of awkwardness between them and she wanted to avoid that at all costs. After all, it had taken forever to even nab a little bit of his trust and she was clinging to that like a fat dragon with its hoard of treasure. The apples of her cheeks tinted a rosy color as she tried to avoid his piercing honey gaze and asked hastily to get moving, "So, uh, where do we go?"
Altaïr took off like a bullet as he followed the footprints he'd outline over the dirt, switching to his eagle vision in case Malik was nearby as his special trait helped tremendously in tracking. Vivian followed closely to make sure she didn't lose sight of him because his stealth could leave anyone scratching their head and kept him blended within crowds as they searched for their lost friend. Of course, the assassin's hastiness cast the slow walk to the wind and he began a fast pace that was a step short of free running. Camouflage was mandatory now that they were in the middle of a Templar infested area and she quickly caught up to Altaïr to grasp his forearm and halt his manic run, hissing softly in reminder, "You're going to draw attention by defying the normal running speed of 1 mph in this city."
With that said, she pulled him into a dark space between two stands of business and opened her one of her packs to pull out a large piece of brown fabric that she'd purchased yesterday with Malik. She'd been saving it to alter Altaïr's robes when they had spare time but for now, she stuffed the fabric under her robes to create her fake pregnancy belly. When in doubt, fake a pregnancy; it was a good motto in that turbulent era. She pulled out a brown linen sash also, one she'd created from her old torn robes, and tied it around her hips to finish the look. Altaïr resisted from shaking his head to her crafty ingenuity and she patted the plump lump over her stomach with a wild grin full of mischief, "Fear not, Childbearing Vivian will clear the road for you. Just tell everyone I'm having labor pains and they'll leave us alone, nobody wants to see a woman give birth in public in this era. If someone does try to help, we'll say we have a wagon waiting for us across the way and that's why we're running."
He looped his right arm through hers to play the 'awaiting parents' ploy and ran into the open roads to clear the way.
"This way, they must be close by the looks of this solitary area" Altaïr informed quickly as he pulled his companion along but poor Vivian was out of breath because the man could be a track runner at this point. There was absolutely no way a modern human of her time that didn't practice sports could keep up with the man and cursed any fictional Sues that dared to. If she really were pregnant, that baby would've popped into the world from the sheer force he exuded in his runs.
"I. . .give me a minute. . .five minutes" she panted breathlessly as she clung to any objects to keep herself upright as her legs ached and a cramp had wedged itself into her left side. There was absolutely no way that the assassin life would be for her when she couldn't parkour like a maniac.
The two wandering companions had found themselves in an abandoned area in the outskirts where abandoned wooden stalls were empty and void of life, torn cloths flailing in the wind as they walked by. Vivian kept an eye out because it looked like something straight out of a suspense film but Altaïr's constant tugging on her sleeve kept distracting her observations. There went her dreams of being a scout and traveling the land with the skills of Legolas.
Altaïr halted immediately behind one of the wooden stalls, pushing Vivian against the wall as he entered the empty store to conceal their presence. He'd heard feet pacing within feet of them and knew that no other footsteps had entered the area so it had to contain Malik within. Vivian fought the instinct to thrash for freedom since his arm incapacitated her with its strength alone, pinning her in place from making any sound or breathing loudly. Willfully obeying, she stayed put in her spot with a frown as she watched Altaïr peek over the corner of the stall to peer into the space ahead of them.
"I can hear you so it would be best to show yourselves" a calm male voice spoke aloud, causing the two to flinch in surprise because they wanted to be the ones to catch the other off-guard. The two companions eyed each other for consensus on whether to stay or abandon their spot since they hadn't thought ahead past their 'get to Malik' plan. Vivian looked to Altaïr for any bright ideas since their element of surprise was gone and the smooth voice spoke through the empty area once more, "If you are here for the man as a friend, I bring no harm. If you are a foe, unsheathe your weapon."
Vivian quickly prodded his shoulder because she didn't want to be sliced into deli meat portions and whispered in his left ear, "Don't brandish your silverware."
"You expect me to trust a stranger?" Altaïr questioned shrewdly to the unfathomable idea of surrendering but then again, Malik's life could be in danger. He wasn't about to trust the words of an unknown man but couldn't dare to risk a repeat of Solomon's temple. This was a conundrum that was testing his will because either choice could go wrong for them.
Vivian decided to pull the decision from his hands by risking herself for both of them, slowly walking into the open dusty road in the hopes of seeing who spoke to them. There were two stalls on either side of them as the path headed in a one-way direction to the front where a limestone building lay abandoned, its decaying structure reminding her of an old ghost town. Ironically, the booming tourist attraction was ten minutes away on foot.
"I'm here for my friend, I don't mean any harm nor am I looking for it" she called out hesitantly as she stepped forward towards the speaker, leaving Altaïr to remain concealed behind the wooden stall if anything did occur. Her head darted in all directions in the hopes of finding Malik or any enemies that decided to spring onto her.
She smiled widely when she spotted her friend exit an open doorway that led into the broken building, his disguise cast aside for his clean navy robes. He appeared perfectly well without visible injuries but her smile faltered when she spotted an olive toned man beside him, dressed in slate gray clothing fit for the lower caste of society as he sported shaggy black hair that screamed modern bedhead hair. Hmm, she didn't stand a chance against anyone really but she'd definitely need backup if he turned hostile. Meekly, she raised her hand to wave it peacefully in welcome as she pushed down her nerves and piped up innocently, "Greetings."
"By the way she walks, I can already tell she's harmless" the unknown man commented with an amused smirk and Vivian sighed morosely because there was absolutely nothing intimidating about her that would have enemies scratching their heads. A mouse fared better than her at striking fear into people. She might just consider altering her appearance to look more intimidating to hand extra advantage points to her friends because her friendly disposition brought nothing. Since the man deemed her inferior as an enemy, she strode forward to meet her friend to redeem all of her 'innocent damsel' points but the stranger quickly added in, "Tell your friend to step out as well."
"It's all right, Altaïr, we actually found ourselves a nice leader in a thieves guild" Malik piped up encouragingly but that only led Altaïr to slapping his own right cheek in sheer disbelief. For a brief second, a little nausea stirred in the bowels of his stomach also. A thief? Malik had been saved by a good for nothing parasite of society? He had half a mind to-
"Are you a good 'help the people', a neutral 'I do the least damage to get by', or a bad 'let's steal from everybody' thief?" Vivian asked suspiciously because she'd seen enough film and games to know witty and honor bound thieves were the best. She tapped her left foot over the dusty path to show she required an answer from the man because he wasn't going to be the only one calling the shots, buying Altaïr extra time to determine whether they were facing a neutral individual or enemy. Her out-of-era personality did wonders at granting time as she rambled curiously, "Because I've had quite the kleptomaniac hands recently but I only take from those who deserve it, like people that try to kill me. That doesn't make me a thief in the bad person sense, does it? I mean, I-"
"Why did you bring him out here?" Altair's voice interrupted Vivian's ramblings and she expected that he'd take advantage of the time to sneak up behind the stranger to knock him unconscious. . .but no. For the first time since her arrival in the past, she had the sudden urge to sigh in exasperated disbelief to his actions rather than ogle. Her admired assassin had decided to clamber on top of one of the wooden stalls, completely casting aside any chance of concealment as an assassin, and pointed his deadly crossbow at the man's chest. Sure, his bravery was a sight to behold but also. . .
"Would you get down from there, Rambo? That shabby roof could give way at any second!" she chastised worriedly because he'd apparently forgone safety over his rescue mission, clenching her hands anxiously with each passing second he remained there. He didn't take his eyes away from the thief but hopped off the wooden stand with graceful footing that neither three held and took his position next to her to show he wasn't someone to trifle with. Vivian wasn't ready to be part of a Mexican standoff where Malik was the prize to be won and calmly tried to dissuade any actions that would result with a death, "We thank you for rescuing our friend and I assure you we mean no harm-"
Pausing instantly, she flicked her thumb towards Altaïr to add in with an impish smile, "Well, I mean no harm but he's a little harder to persuade."
With his finesse to diffuse a tense situation, Malik bravely stood between the two men to halt any quarreling and stated calmly, "Everything is perfectly fine, I believe a little miscommunication can cause a downfall in seconds so I'm here to say that there are no hidden enemies. We are just three travelers tracking down our common enemy, the Templars."
"Malik!" Vivian cheered gratefully as he'd slowly walked closer to them and ran to her comrade for a reuniting embrace because she'd certainly missed him for the short time he'd been gone. He was no longer the NPC in the game that she'd wanted to spend more time with and had found herself a true friend in the middle of the chaos brought on by their enemies. She'd never been emotional in public with either of her companions and immediately drew looks from all of them as she held the dai. It's not like she could banish the worry with a single thought and eyed all of them sheepishly as she justified her action, "This is totally platonic, he's my best friend here. I come from a land where we like to hug. . .a lot. . .it's even in our motto: 'welcome with a hug'."
All three men had to blink at her peppy declaration at that point, especially when she disentangled herself from Malik and opened her arms to emphasize the motto. Quite frankly, her inner fangirl hoped Altaïr would partake in her farce but when nobody stepped forward, her arms returned down at her sides empty-handed. Altaïr quickly crafted an excuse for her benignly strange behavior because covering up her origins was a hassle in itself and uttered airily without a care, "She was left out to stare at the sun for an hour when she was a small child of five, she wasn't very bright to begin with. Obviously, it had a very bad effect on her cognitive skills."
Vivian raised her chin in feigned defiance to his insane claim because he could've used a speech impediment excuse and added her own jib to keep their playful verbal spats between them, "Sometimes I think it's the other way around."
"Who are you?" Altaïr demanded of the hooded man that had taken away (or rescued, in Vivian's mind) their friend, cutting off the side chatter to regain control of the situation. He might have lent Malik a helping hand but being a thief, he could've been waiting to rob him afterwards by isolating him from the open crowds. As an assassin, he carried himself with a strict honor code and individuals that veered off a humble civilian path weren't seen very well in his eyes. He was fighting for humankind to remain free but if they were being deceitful and unfair to each other, what would it be worth?
"Well, I expected to save an innocent civilian, not a man in masquerade" the Egyptian explained simply, crossing his arms to give Malik a disapproving eye since he usually gave aid to those who were unable to protect themselves. The dai innocently pointed to his missing left arm to score valuable points for his feeble outlook, causing the man to shake his head but a faint smile appeared on his lips. Malik could trick just about anybody that he was innocent with the lack of a limb but looks were incredibly deceiving. Looking at each of them to show he meant no harm, the man touched the center of his chest with his right dust covered hand and introduced himself, "I am Amon, no last name for, uh, safety purposes."
Vivian eyed his outfit that lacked any billowing robes of most Egyptian civilians, taking a fancy with the hood poking out from underneath his brown leather vest because one thing she liked about this era was the versatility of hoods. She couldn't wear one publicly in her era without drawing a strange eye for appearing like a Jedi among common people and not in a sci-fi convention where it belonged. It was a reason why she'd been drawn to the game franchise because Altaïr definitely held the allure of mystery since his debut. She stood in front of him to make sure he wouldn't break the small moment of cease fire that Malik had enacted and complimented amicably with a smile, "Ooh, I like his garb. He's like Legolas with a hood."
"Um, thank you?" the man replied uncertainly as he'd caught the approval in the first sentence and began to believe the man in white's statement about her intelligence being horribly altered by the sun. Vivian smiled next to Malik with a carefree flair but a single heated glare from Altaïr smoothed her expression into a small frown, crushing her little ray of curiosity. Standing in front of his imposing form didn't help to broker peace when he was practically torching people with his glare power alone and she placed a steady hand on his right arm (his main limb for offensive attacking) to reassure him that nothing would go wrong. After all, they were main enemies with the Templars only- not each other- and the guy had rescued poor Malik.
Altaïr wasn't prone to trusting anyone within a month, much less minutes, and she felt the extensor muscles of his forearm grow stiff in protest to being subdued. Amon could see the man in charge of the group was anything but friendly, despite his calming hue of cloth, and explained his actions calmly, "I have been protecting citizens from these newcomers since their arrival as our lands have grown tense since the upstart of the holy war up north. We have been free of enemies so far but these specific foreigners have a foul air about them, using authority to hide their intentions, and I have been keeping an eye on them as they treat us with a superior air. I may be a man that is frowned upon by the elite of society but I don't appreciate risking my life for foreigners playing the part of martyrs. Other than that, you may call me a friendly riffraff of the streets."
"Ooh, I like it" Vivian piped up by mouthing an 'o' of intrigue as the nostalgia of RPG games hit her with a full blast since she had an affinity for looting every crevice in a field. She was always pushing her character to search every little cranny while her NPC team members killed the enemies. It wasn't a very leader-like quality for the meticulous Vivian but then again, she wasn't made to be a leader and offered support whenever she happened to be online with friends.
"Vivian, the adults are talking" Altaïr silenced her curious mind because she'd trust anything with pleading eyes and she crossed her arms huffily for being shoved aside like a bothersome tumbleweed. Again, she couldn't really contradict her leader because his life experience shaped his logical decisions while she was driven by emotions that weren't needed in an era fit for survival only. It really was hard adjusting to a time where a woman was meant to be seen and not heard in public but thanked Altaïr's kind graces that in private, he allowed her those rare freedoms. She stepped aside to grant him access to speaking directly with the man, moving behind her two companions to gauge the situation on her own. If she caught anything shifty, she could let him know by coughing innocently and sharpened her hearing when Altaïr began to question Amon with a calculating tone, "How long have these men in gray been within the city? They only have their own interest at heart at the expense of others and we've been tracking them for weeks to end it before they can spread further across the continent."
"And you would not?" the man asked suspiciously as he eyed the trio, aware that he was outnumbered if they wanted to fight and wanted his own questions answered on who they were. He'd offered aid without expecting anything in return and didn't appreciate being roped into a trap where he knew nothing of the conspirators. His rescue of the Arabic man had yielded a small conversation about the men inhabiting the city and although neither were a fan of theirs, Amon wasn't going to sympathize with even more troublemakers to his city. Raising his square chin to show his defiance to Altaïr's interrogation, he set forth his own inquisition because this was his city and stated simply, "After all, you've yet to tell me who you are and why you're in my city- not to mention the fact you were holding a crossbow at my heart not five minutes ago."
"He does that a lot, he brandished a knife and threw me in a secret lair when we met" Vivian sympathized with a small smile to keep the situation calm since her personal experiences could cause either humorous laughter or unsettling gazes to the events in her young life. For the first days, she'd had a hard time believing she was stuck alongside the grumpy Altaïr but it was better than the alternatives of being left on her own or locked in an abysmal dungeon in Masyaf. Amon caught her gaze as she stuck behind the impassive Altaïr, taking notice that the two weren't antagonistic towards each other in body language despite their subtle barrage of snarky words. The fact that she held English features to contrast his Arabic characteristics spoke volumes as their lands fought a holy war, especially when she added in with a proud toothy grin, "Then again, I did bite him pretty good."
"I don't offer my name freely" Altaïr stated frigidly since he wouldn't negotiate with a riffraff for information, even if he was the foreigner in the land of the pharaohs. He'd traveled a long way to bring an end to his enemies and piece together the truth behind the pieces of Eden, enduring the harsh elements and injuries of battle since leaving Masyaf for that life changing quest in 1190. He'd already extended his hand to Vivian for aid as she kept proving herself but he wouldn't be handing out his trust to every random person that he met.
Vivian broke the social standard once more to answer the man's question by pointing to Altaïr and stating chirpily, "He's Hannibal, I'm Murdock, and he's Face."
"Those names are too strange to be believable" Amon stated dryly with an amused smile at her attempt to be mischievous as it reminded him of the younger thieves in his guild. Vivian snapped her fingers with disappointment for failing to convince him since the names would've stirred laughter in her time but alas, the 1190s were not ready for the A-Team reference. His gaze shifted between the two assassins because being killed in a desolate area where his allies were unreachable was not an ideal fight or a decent way to die. Either way, he would hold his ground like a man and declared simply to finish whatever charade the two had initiated, "If you plan on killing me, my friends will find you."
"We simply seek information about this place and those men, no harm will befall you" Malik spoke truthfully as he took up the calm and charismatic position in the group, smiling when Vivian waved her small paper booklet containing information. She'd been in charge of jotting down anything that piqued her interest as well as adding in history facts to help their search. The pieces of Eden held mysterious powers and neither Malik nor Vivian wanted to see Altaïr laughing maniacally like the old witch queen from Snow White with her poisonous apple. She flipped through her handmade papyrus booklet, neatly turning the pages that she'd cut holes into with a blade to attach leather bindings that held it together and showed them her little sketch of the pyramids. Altair sighed dismally to her childish attempt to woo favor but Amon believed the young woman meant no harm, cemented by the disappointed frown on her colleague's face.
Malik utilized Vivian's helpfulness by carefully explaining their motive for being there, "The men in the city will destroy anything in their way to achieve their goal, we've been chasing them for the last month and fighting them for years in our own lands. We are here to stop them before they spread south and although we lack the numbers to attack directly, we use the shadows to conceal our presence. We were hoping to draw a civilian to help us with information since we're in a new land and they are moving faster than we can catch them."
"And what is it that you seek here?" he asked carefully since he wasn't going to throw all of his eggs in one basket immediately because this group could be worse than the first. He wanted his city purged of the men as they offended the lower classes and infiltrated the top caste by using their authority to remain there with their secret goals. Two of his men had already been taken by the authorities, his guild pinpointed over their rivals, who had conveniently sided with the foreigners in exchange for money. Amon might be a thief after being abandoned by his family but he wouldn't give up his dignity, or his city, to foreigners for a mere coin.
"To destroy their forces before they move to their goal because a victory for them will bring ruin to us all as they silently gain power" Altaïr stated grimly because there was a lot at stake, not just for their group, but the entire world in the long run. If the future was at a heavy disadvantage against the Templars, they had to find a way to tip the balance within the past in the favor of the assassins or their chances would keep decreasing.
Amon appeared unconvinced by their plight and Vivian blamed it on the lack of emotional outpour on Altaïr's part since the man was too macho to shed tears or pout. This moment required emotional inspiration to warrant a helpful hand but Altaïr was clear-cut and no nonsense man that headed straight to the point without a change in façade. Amon narrowed his brown eyes at three, faltering slightly when Vivian waved her handy sketch book with a pyramid on it, and asked coolly, "And why should I trust you with information when you don't tell me your names?"
Altaïr wasn't budging on revealing anything about himself so Vivian decided to use her civilian status (and that emotional inspiration) to help bridge a chance at coexistence, "I'm Vivian and we need to find Khufu's pyramid that has the sole attention of these men who call themselves Templars and all they want is to enslave people to rule over them. They bring nothing but blight upon those who stand in the way of their goals as they conceal their identities and so far, we're the only ones that secretly fight them. I can't fight my way out of a sack but these two have kept me safe after I found myself stranded away from home; I owe them my life, little as it is. Please, if you could just point us in the right direction, we'll be grateful."
Quickly, she added in with a request that every historian or archaeologist wanted fulfilled on their first trip to Giza, "And a recommendation for a city guide would be nice, we've never been to Egypt."
"What she said" Altaïr muttered flatly since she made the better conversationalist while he caused most altercations with his direct manners. If he had it his way, he would've had the thief pinned against the wall while brandishing a hidden blade against his neck with the threat of death in exchange for answers. Apparently, his colleagues didn't agree and they were going at a snail's pace with this to torment him.
The thief was quiet for a moment as he mulled over her words since he believed her more than the other two, her behavior fit for a curious child, and he admitted with a low tone, "A rival group has been cooperating with them and several members of mine have gone missing during scouting. The district of the poor has only increased with violence as they coexist and although most officials don't take much notice on our poor districts, our eyes are watchful to the changes. The Raj thieves are being paid to keep authorities occupied and trouble visitors near the pyramid, framing our group whenever we try to intervene so we take the fall."
"That is what usually occurs, they infiltrate and bribe authorities to look the other way as they slowly gain control of a city" Malik explained grimly and the thief winced to the idea of a worse city for the poor that were already suffering. The dai could always play into people's emotions as civilians carried them on their sleeve during times of war and similar circumstances usually brought sympathy from both sides. The man was quite amicable after he rescued him from the Templar, given advice on how not to grab their attention again, and Malik wanted to help the poor people as he spoke truthfully, "That is what happened in our nearest cities and others around us. They served high military positions or high elite status as they controlled what they wanted civilians to see, working undercover to further their goals without alerting anybody else. We caught onto their plans, as we always have, and have been labeled enemies in public while they roam free to do as they wish. I can already see that it has begun to happen here and soon, you and any other opposition will start being eliminated."
Vivian nodded quietly since everybody looked pretty dreary and acted grouchy or nervous during her playthrough in the game. She'd been chased over rooftops by guards during her first day in Jerusalem just for wearing assassin garb (what happened to poor souls that just happened to have similar robes?) and her first encounter with Templars showed her how deadly they were.
"If you can make them leave my city, I will help" he agreed quietly with great reluctance and hoped he hadn't just made a deal with the devil to free his people from the silent oppression. Also, keep his life by the end of that compromise. The man in dark robes and 'Vivian' seemed benevolent enough with their demeanors but the man in white was anything except silent and broody. He pointed to each of them with emphasis to the trust he was placing with them since he'd only known them for a few minutes and stated firmly, "Do not make me regret this."
"We won't" Malik assured pleasantly since they sorely needed an ally somewhere in the city that wouldn't lead them straight into Templar forces. Their main objective was reaching the inside of the pyramid however they could and since the ancient Egyptians decided to use one simultaneous entrance and exit, it was their only route. Thieves were notorious for finding their way out of a bind and finding a way in or out of places, leading him to ask smoothly with an amicable tone, "All we need is an entry into the pyramid and where they are stationed at to eliminate their forces. Hopefully, by removing this group, others will decide to head elsewhere because infiltrating Africa is their plan."
Vivian hopped to peek at the thief over Altaïr's left shoulder (he really was taller than she'd originally expected), her head bobbing up and down as she threatened quickly, "But if you try anything funny, he'll drive a knife through you."
The man smirked at her attempt to frighten him as her petite form tried to bypass Altaïr's in the most comedic way possible and he commented with amusement, "Cute."
"She wasn't joking" the assassin merely replied as he kept humor out of conversations, yanking Vivian by the left sleeve of her robe to settle her juvenile jumping and heard a disappointed groan from behind. It's what sidekicks did to potential bad guys in the media to show who was boss but apparently, she sucked at that too.
Malik motioned for Altaïr to zip his mouth shut before they were chased out of town by the thief's guild and approached Amon to familiarize himself. His calm and soft-spoken tone put most people at ease as he nabbed their trust within the hour, hoping to acquire the same from the thief with his trained skills. Altaïr and Vivian lingered behind as they allowed him to do most of the talking, keeping within earshot of the two as Malik asked carefully for input, "What would be the best course of action?"
"Attack after sundown, less civilians and more enemy casualties" Amon answered easily as he'd tracked their movements throughout the city since they first showed their true colors with their behavior. They might try to act like true Egyptians or those under the rule of Saladin but he could see they weren't of their lands in the way they ate and lacked knowledge of local customs. Amon took the lead as he left the dilapidating building to venture into the ghost town of empty stalls and motioned for the trio to follow him with a simple wave of the hand, "Come, I will lead you to our safe house to discuss a plan of action."
"Ooh, a hidden lair" Vivian chuckled eagerly and clapped her hands together at the idea of venturing like a character straight out of a fantasy game. Her mind itched with a historian's curiosity to what secrets laid within such safe houses of the past and instantly tagged along for a new adventure to satiate her mind.
Altaïr quickly yanked her back to his side before she could wander off with the man, keeping a careful eye on the gullible Vivian since she held a tendency to fall prey to people with ill intents. She had a kind heart that belonged in the future but in his time, could lead her straight into death. He needed to teach her right from wrong when it came to conversations like this relating to trust on a two-way street, keeping her safely behind him and questioned the thief skeptically with a sardonic tone, "Do you really expect me to follow you to a place where you'll be at full strength?"
"I can already tell you're not a very nice houseguest" Amon remarked dryly about the man's standoffish attitude as the petite woman peeked out at them from behind with curiosity and shook his head. He wasn't avid about taking them to the heart of his guild either because they could lash out and cause instant death for both parties but he wanted the other group out of the city. He looked to Malik since he was the most sensible- and probably the smartest- and advised him carefully about the offer on the table, "That is your only option if you seek help, we know the in's and out's out of almost anyplace here- except the administration buildings, that's suicide. The wait will be quite a while and the sun is rather hot today since the season of this year decided to bear extra warmth. Besides, you don't look like regular folk of the city with those heavy packs in hand and will catch their eye soon enough as most travelers stay within the city."
"See? We'll be fine" Vivian encouraged perkily with a bright smile and slapped Altaïr on the back to move his stubborn feet, keeping the smile plastered on her face to sway him. Sometimes, he just wanted to shake her upside down by the feet to knock some sense into her brain. Once they left Giza and ventured south, given that they didn't die before then, he'd begin instruction about his society and how not to make foolish mistakes- she kept exceeding her current record. She clapped him on the right shoulder to encourage him, her upbeat voice surprising him when she stated knowingly with a sneaky smile, "Besides, you'll kill them in five minutes flat if they try- I've seen you do worse, remember?"
She tapped her nose to remind him about all of the adventures she'd witnessed during the game as he'd beaten the innumerable odds- especially that gruelingly annoying Robert De Sable fight. Altaïr, however, had absolutely no idea what she was doing as she'd failed to inform him what that meant and sighed under his breath to the miserable day he was enduring. Well, every assassin bore obstacles to strengthen their mind and body past normal limitations, right? Vivian would be his greatest one yet.
"So this is your hideout?" Altaïr commented placidly with a critical eye since the dim lighting and small spaces didn't make him feel very comfortable. If anything, they poked at the locked door in his mind that had sealed away any form of claustrophobia. He and the others had been led inside an empty stall near the old building and just as Altaïr had been ready to declare 'ambush' for the ruse, Amon had quietly opened a hidden door that led underneath by pushing a false stone on the ground. It had earned him a heated glare from both companions as he was more than ready to declare the thief a criminal but followed him below ground to travel down the staircase. They had walked through a long corridor as glass lanterns filled carved square spaces in the wall to provide lighting and he sniffed the air for any lingering smoke traces to comment coolly, "It's not very good for air filtration, is it?"
Vivian nudged him in the ribs with her elbow since he wasn't being a very nice guest, given that he could kill them at any moment, and he grunted with annoyance to her sudden strike. When had she decided to become daring in public? Amon merely kept walking down the corridor, his shadow dancing along the lit walls as he moved quietly but the sarcasm in his voice betrayed the steady tone, "I take it you live in a large fortress that beckons your enemies with its eyesore of a target?"
Vivian blinked rapidly in the dim passageway as each step picked up dust from the floor, keeping her eyes fixated on it since random wooden crates or barrels popped out from within the dark as they walked. She didn't want to sprain her foot worse than it already was since long distance travel without a car was entirely new to her despite the weeks and needed to maintain her only set of legs in good condition. The dark underground passage was a stark contrast to the bright and crowded surface above them, leading her to state with awe, "Wow, you hit the nail right on the board with-"
Altaïr covered her mouth to silence her opinions before she gave away any vital information, squeezing her tightly against his chest to quiet her muffled rambles as she huffed against his hand. His constricting hold caused her to squeak in defeat, loosening his grasp when she went completely lax in his arms and hoped he hadn't accidentally crushed her with his strength. In actuality, Vivian was undergoing a fan moment because he'd yet to actually attempt squeezing her into submission and could've sworn she heard hallelujah choirs for actually being in those deadly arms- even if he was trying to silence her. He shook her slightly to revitalize strength in her body and she smiled dopily with ecstatic glee, leaning against him to savor the fan moment which instantly told him that she was perfectly fine. He had half a mind to release her instantly and watch her tumble to the ground but seeing as they were in public, merely held onto her as the lively rag doll she was. Maintaining his strict demeanor, he kept Vivian's mouth shut and thinned his lips to retort against the jab at his home, "Where we live remains a secret but know that we are not from this land and mean no harm."
"So your hand around the young woman's mouth is friendly banter?" Amon questioned amusingly to Vivian's silenced form as her eyes were pretty much glued between the Altaïr and Amon, full of sparkling intrigue. Malik sighed as the two were picking on each other again, whether playfully or not, and would have to begin writing the ten rules of orderly conduct for public interactions.
"She thrives on this behavior" Altaïr reasoned flatly to portray themselves as a friendly duo, which they were, but sometimes Vivian made him want to stuff a cloth in her mouth. For once, she decided not to bite his fingers and nodded her head hastily as she piped up gibberish that was muffled by his hand. He stiffened a second afterwards when her arms clung to his left, snuggling against it with a peppy 'mm-hmm!' to prove her point but it just made the poor assassin feel awkward as his dignity was stabbed tenfold. His shoulders squared immediately to her strange affectionate action and he added in with a flat monotonous tone, "Uh. . .she expresses her agreement. Again, the sun has damaged her mind in the oddest of ways; it's why we took her in in the first place."
She bit his fingers lightly to remove his hands because they certainly weren't clean and the rough texture of his fingers scratched her sunburned cheeks. He obliged the woman since he'd almost squeezed the air out of her lungs and she spit out any dust that lingered on her lips, frowning to being muzzled like an uncontrollable yipping dog. She tapped her fingers innocently as she resumed her old spot by his side, lingering between the invisible boundary of protection and being manhandled, and piped up nervously, "Thank you for offering your super-duper hideout to us without killing us first. . .and hopefully, not later."
"You lack subtlety with your words" Altaïr sighed softly to her inability to maintain a reserved nature since most women were meek but Vivian often forgot about correcting her behavior, merely adding an innocent smile to appear touched in the head. He did make up that ridiculous lie about her staring into the sun and he patted her head awkwardly to remove that eccentric smile and suggested slowly, "Have a candy from the bag and read a book while we plan."
"I bet if I was a man, I'd be smack in the middle of your diabolical plotting" she pouted with disillusion at having to impersonate as a bystander again but with her lack of skills, was perfectly all right with that. Juggling with her day packs, she found an open area in the left area of the corridor as it led into an empty room full of wooden crates and a table stacked with papers. Hmm, probably interesting loot that could land her in trouble if she allowed her kleptomaniac hands to wander. She placed her belongings down on the floor as carrying them all the way from where the wagon kicked them off brought an ache to her upper back. She waved her left index finger to remind them she was willing to help in any situation, even if she was a rookie, and added in confidently, "Just remember, I have a stick and carry pocket sand."
Amon watched her scuttle away to find a nice crate to sit on while they would proceed to the next empty room to plan since his people were in the city performing their tasks. His left eyebrow rose as he watched her pat down crates to see which one would be adequate, watching her dust a few with an inquisitive eye, and drawled with a soft disbelieving tone, "She's not a fighter at all, is she?"
"No, but she can make one lose their mind with her perplexing conversations" Altaïr commented blandly to what her futuristic demeanor could do to one's mind, especially his, and wondered how he could wield that power without placing her in danger. He watched her fiddle within one of her packs, her feet wiggling in the air as she shifted her weight forward to seize their bag of bought candy in her right hand. Her lips widened into a grin as she ripped it open to grab one of a yellow color, popping it into her mouth with glee and she caught his lingering gaze. Immediately, her feet seized their lazy kicking while her cheeks darkened as she informed it was made out of sweet honey.
She offered the men candy by showing them the bag but they all declined, leaving her alone in the room as they kept walking further along and she called out, "Will you tell me about your plan later?"
"Don't talk with your mouth open" Altaïr admonished in return to silence her ramblings since he had no idea what to do when somebody choked and was in no mood to test it on that particular day. He could already imagine the frown on her mauve lips to his order and her displeasure caused him to hide his own; she was beginning to humor him.
When he and Malik returned, they found her sitting up against the wall and completely asleep as drool dribbled down the right side of her chin. It was quite comical to both and Altaïr wished he possessed the art of quick sketching so he could keep that fresh in his mind. Their quiet sniggers stirred the dimensional traveler awake since she'd heeded his advice and didn't trust anything around her, expecting to see an ambush awaiting her. Instead, her blinking eyes focused to catch both of her companions staring at her with amusement riddled on their faces and she yawned softly to ask, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, but wipe the drool off your chin before it becomes a puddle on the floor" Altaïr answered casually as he restrained from smirking, removing his own pack from his shoulders to place it on the crate next to hers. Vivian gasped aloud with embarrassment, wishing desperately for a mirror as she wiped her face clean of any saliva to prevent further mortification. He finally uttered a faint chuckle when he watched her face turn a rosy color, her hands immediately flying to place the hood of the robe over her face. Malik told her it was nothing to worry about since they lived in an embarrassment-free zone with each other but Vivian didn't feel that way with Altaïr due to his 'gaming idol' status. The master assassin scoffed to Malik's assurance and patted the top of Vivian's hooded head to joke playfully, "I wanted to see how many colors she could go through."
"Will you just tell me the plan and whether I should fear for my life?" she asked quickly to change the topic away from her face since she'd been waiting for them to return back from their planning. The wild beating of her heart needed to become steady before she shifted into a red cherry hue because knowing that the assassin was laughing at her appearance was as humorous as it was embarrassing. She'd much rather have fallen down the stairs than endured subconscious drooling.
"A feisty little badger as always, aren't you?" he teased her sour mood with a smug smirk, her huddled form shifting away from his in protest to being prodded with humor. It reminded him of a confused chicken fighting for freedom inside a burlap sack and he clapped her on the back to show no hard feelings, almost sending the woman flying forward with his strength. Malik sighed under his breath when she stumbled off the crate, landing sharply on her butt with a muffled groan and he helped her off the floor while Altaïr mumbled out a quick apology. She rubbed her throbbing tailbone with both hands, her gray hood covering her face from view and he explained carefully, "The less you know, the better. It is for your utmost safety but you need to keep an eye out when we head inside and always stay behind us when danger arises."
Her brow furrowed with disbelief she was being kept in the dark this time, hoping that she wasn't about to walk into the mouth of Hell itself and asked flatly, "What if they surround us in a circle? How will you get me out of that one? Or if I fall into a trap? Or-"
He waved a hand in dismissal since she poked holes into his idea to keep her out of their plan and interrupted swiftly, "Trust me, Vivian. We will keep you safe."
"Fine, if you insist" she muttered reluctantly because being lost to what they had in store for the enemy both confused and worried her. Yes, she trusted both men with her life but unforeseen events could arise that could render their plans useless. What would happen then? There were many variables in place against them as they neared the piece of Eden and she could only wonder if the next locations would contain the same dangerous resistance, leading her to ask quietly, "So we're trusting Amon? Did you scan him with your eagle vision to verify his claims?"
"Yes, he turned out a benevolent blue" he admitted stiffly since he wanted to believe the man was an enemy in hiding but was in actuality, quite amicable. It was no wonder he and Malik were chatting since meeting, continuing on inside their planning room while he watched them with a tedious eye. He wasn't a socializing man that was eager to befriend everyone, neither for business or a casual setting, and wasn't about to start that day either.
Vivian stopped rubbing her lower back, leaning back against the wall to relax as she tapped her fingers and inquired with a curious drawl, "So, uh, what will we do until sundown?"
"Anything that doesn't include you singing or telling tales" Altaïr replied to silence any ideas of using her shrill voice to bring entertainment to herself with her silly songs. His ears would be blessed if he never heard it again and although he didn't like the thief or his lifestyle, would not torture the man by exposing him to the horror. Only Templars deserved to hear the off-key screeching of her songs.
She pouted humorously as she attempted to both sway and make him smile, nudging her shoulder with his as she recited her newest song without singing, "Not even 'Altaïr, the greatest assassin ever, a hero of renown, who slayed an evil Templar and cast De Sable down'?"
Malik muffled a low chuckle when he watched his friend rub his face with the palm of his hands, groaning miserably into them as he demanded with a weary voice, "How. . .How do you keep inventing these songs? They're endless in their rhyming that even I must declare sorcery on this!"
Vivian offered a goofy little smile that caused his left eye to twitch to her carefree demeanor and he placed a finger against his lips, ordering sternly, "Shush for now! I don't want any peeps from you until we are out of the pyramid. . .only then may you confuse me with your ghastly siren music."
Man, do I love his dry antiquated sarcasm, she thought with giddy delight since Altaïr rarely uttered humorous words and those were the closest she'd heard since meeting. Every time she poked the stoic eagle, he reacted swiftly with accordance to her intent and most of the time, she desired to share a few laughs with him. It was just about the only thing they found they could share, besides reading, and she was trying to find her way to begin bonding with him.
"Then that clears the way for me to nap away that awful long walk" Vivian grinned enthusiastically since the low lighting in the tiny room would have her snoozing in no time and grabbed his left arm with a wide smile. Her traveling packs made awful pillows with their lumpiness but the muscled biceps and radiating warmth from the assassin were just what she needed, almost tempted to recite the old tale of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. He stiffened to her touch immediately because he never allowed any person to touch him, tugging his arm away from hers but she didn't release him. Her eyes simply closed for slumber but her witty little smile widened with each shake and she stating impishly, "And you shall be my snuggly pillow since you said only singing is forbidden."
"That's not what- get off of me!" Altaïr protested shrewdly when she clung tightly with the strength of a constricting snake and tried to wiggle her off his arm. Oh, what the brotherhood would've thought of him if they'd witnessed this embarrassment. He tried to pry her slender fingers off his upper arm but she growled softly, leaning forward to bite the intruding fingertips lest he invaded her conquered space.
Out of worry from obtaining a contamination from her uncivilized behavior, he let her be.
A few moments later, her hold loosened considerably as she relaxed against him and her quiet tone betrayed her previous behavior, "Whatever happens tonight, I hope you find your answers and I might find my own. We won't leave until we get that piece, I promise."
"Sometimes, I truly wonder how quickly you shift through emotions, Vivian" he sighed to her uncanny ability to infuriate and pacify his own emotions since he'd become rigid in matters of the heart. Even his face hardly betrayed inner emotions with others but she kept breaking each barrier that he threw her way, sliding past each obstacle with her optimistic kookiness. Her era molded her to be compassionate and friendly as war had not ravaged through her homeland as it had for others, soothing his own inner turmoil when plans were ready to be executed. He couldn't hold doubts in his heart despite the statistics against them but she simply hoped for the best and believed in him.
"If I don't, I will be no less than a Templar and bonds like this. . .they can't be broken" she whispered softly with a hopeful smile, curling up against him in similarity to a drowsy cat to nab a quick nap to ward away the exhaustion poking her mind. The first had brought nothing but an embarrassing moment but she needed to be well rested to make sure nothing escaped her view when they began their mission. She couldn't risk missing a vital clue that could lead her home or one that would give them the piece of Eden. Hopefully, he'd give her a tiny inkling of what they would do along the way but encouraged each of their hearts for the coming battle, "You'd be surprised how far the human heart can persevere against evil. It's something they can't understand and won't; we fight for the innocent, they fight for their selfish goals."
As crazy as she could be, she actually made sense this time.
A/N: I didn't dwell on Amon's character too much since he'll be popping out in the next chapter where we can learn more but he's a good guy so don't worry about Altaïr being backstabbed. We'll finally begin the pyramid mission to find the piece of Eden in the next chapter because the Giza portion of the story is truly the longest out of all. Once it's done, it's quick sailing until they reach Uganda as the three amigos bond over traveling. Since pyramids have always been known to have crafty traps, I'm still trying to create humorous ideas to use so if any of you guys have any, leave the suggestions in the reviews because I love ideas.
slappywhite: When Malik gets mad, you know it's pretty serious- especially when stranded in the middle of nowhere. He's the only one Altaïr and Vivian won't dare to enrage since he keeps the peace between them, he's practically their glue.
shadowelf144: I'm sure Malik will love the freebies. As for Vivian, life won't be the same for her since she'll live with them for almost 3 years so it will definitely be bittersweet. Right now, she's friends with the two since they have a month together but they'll become her surrogate family throughout the journey.
xVentressx: Thanks for loving the chapter.
Marli-chan Tuchanka: Thank you very much for always loving each one and reviewing ^_^.
Sachikothepeacock: Thanks you so much for loving the story, I'm glad to make each of my readers laugh since Altaïr is such a tense and stoic character (and my favorite) so I had to use him in a humorous tale. I've created Vivian to be as normal as can be, no Sue-ness or miraculous acquisition of powers or strength that no modern human can achieve in such a short time. She'll grow as time progresses in the story, just as Altaïr will, since I do love character development and it will be a natural progress. I'm happy to know Vivian's kookiness is adored by the readers.
bunnehTweed: I love it when bunnies fluff up, I can watch my rabbits do that for hours. :)
ShizukaRen-Hime: You've described Malik and Altaïr exactly how I picture them in my tales. Which movie were you thinking of? It would be pretty funny for Vivian to discover an alternate copy of herself but the poor thing is only trying to find a way home without being killed.
Linda Chicana: Vivian will slowly chisel Altaïr out of his stoic demeanor as they find hobbies to bond over since she'll never join the assassins (too Sue-ish for a dimensional traveler already), especially when she begins teaching him to swim. As for romance between the two, yes, there will be. Vivian will start showing her little hints once they enter Uganda but Altaïr's will come later since quick romances aren't an occurrence in my stories; it takes work and Altaïr isn't one to be lazy.
Foreverafter: Thanks for loving them, Altaïr and Vivian will definitely be getting along after leaving Giza.
Nelarun: I always worry about keeping the two in character but believable in humorous or outrageously unbelievable situations. I'm glad that Vivian's a natural believable character since she tends to drive Altaïr bonkers with her quirky facts but she's a kindhearted gal to match his stiff 'don't touch me' persona.
Next Time: Artifact of The Gods
When they arrived at the pyramid, their minds were torn between worry and relief as they hoped Templar reinforcements hadn't arrived. Amon could use his bombs to escape with his stealth skills but Vivian was an innocent civilian and as much as she could grate his nerves, Altaïr didn't want any harm coming to her. His camel widened the distance with Malik's as he headed for the pyramid at a full pace but brought the steed to a stop when his worst case scenario was stomped into the ground. Thankfully, Vivian awaited them at the bottom of the steps as she sat down with a big goofy grin on her face to her new find from her ransacking. She'd found coins to keep them fed for two weeks, random loot like pieces of copper and silver, amulets to trade, a smoking pipe Malik could use in case his current one broke, and small weapons that could be traded for money. She'd found extra knives for Altaïr to use so he wouldn't have to steal anybody else's and a new leather pouch for Malik to store herbs or souvenirs. And for herself. . .
Malik and Altaïr approached her as she polished glinting silver metal under her fingers with a rag, surprising the men since they'd never seen her touch a weapon since arriving in their realm over a month ago. She hummed a peppy tune behind closed lips as she concentrated on her task, drawing Altaïr's curiosity (and worry) to the long weapon and was the first to ask about the weapon in her hands, "I thought you said no to weapons?"
Her eyes caught his gaze with relieved joy to their safe return and she stood up with a broad smile, holding the wooden weapon in both hands because it was incredibly sturdier than her walking stick. She didn't want to replace her old fateful friend but just like any RPG game, when you found a better weapon, you better equip it to prolong life. It was definitely heavier but she would practice with the weapon to make sure she could handle it when another fight occurred but until then, her handy walking stick would do. She pointed at Altaïr to correct his assumption with a cocky little grin, "I said I wouldn't cause flesh wounds of a severe nature until prompted and with my defensive nature, I've been searching for something suitable."
Amon chuckled softly as he sat further up the steps, watching her meticulous cleaning since she started as she explained her first scrub came from watching Altaïr with his own weapons. Vivian folded her rag into a neat square, stuffing it in her nearest pack for safekeeping and he commented with amusement on her care of the weapon, "I think she's in love."
Holding the wooden staff of her new halberd weapon in her right hand, she used her left to point at the sharp metal end and grinned widely with excitement, "I believe this halberd will allow me to be on the defense as a staff until I've no option left so I'll have to poke them away . . . and I can use it as a walking stick which is unbelievably awesome!"
Altair feigned disapproval to her choice in weapon but reminded himself that Vivian was meant to hide or be on the defense against enemies, never involving herself directly in a fight. It would provide ample protection once she learned to wield it correctly because he wouldn't dare let her run around with it like a child and admitted slowly with reluctance, "I don't know if I feel comfortable giving you a weapon, you're rather . . . unstable."
Unstable is an understatement, he thought dryly to her quirky behavior as she appeared ready to kiss her new weapon and waited on his approval for her to have it. What was he, her parent? Well, given the fact that she was on her own in a different realm, he was her caretaker of sorts. If there would ever be an award for most unorthodox relationships, theirs would win the prize automatically.
"Would you rather I take out the hidden blade gauntlet I have and go stab crazy on everyone?" she shot back dryly to the oversized gauntlet that hung from her wrist since her first day there as she kept it safely inside her pack. With Altaïr and Malik traveling far from home, she wanted extra parts to be around in case they needed to replace broken parts. She leaned against the weapon with a cheeky smile to the stone faced assassin and preened playfully, "A defensive stance is what we need, eagle boy."
He decided to allow her to keep the weapon for the time being since time was being wasted and stated coolly, "Fine, but if you accidentally skewer yourself, it's your own fault."