A/N: I wanted to share this beautiful sketch from a reader, Nana Ean, of Vivian: www. deviantart (insert period and com, ff won't let me)/art/ Vivian-Marie-Shore-535924156
Music Inspiration: Jesper Kyd- "Earth" and Lorne Balfe "What Came Before"
What Lies Beneath
The trio resulted in being covered head to toe in dust from their digging and they didn't found no distinct signs of a roof on the temple that first day. Altaïr had used the apple, the ankh, both of the items together, along with the disk shaped artifact in the hope of causing a dent to awaken the technology within but he'd received nothing in return. It was decided as a team to continue uncovering the area given that the first day yielded nothing while Altaïr would ponder on what to do next. He absolutely loathed having to stop and think some more after traveling for years.
It had been almost two months since he'd meditated with the Apple at Quelimane because it was the one that offered the majority of visions. The ankh was oddly calming to set his mind at ease and help him piece together his questions. The disk really didn't do much at all in his honest opinion, except offer perspective by showing him pieces of his own memories. As if he needed to be told how much of an arrogant buffoon he'd been over and over again. The Apple, however, was a force to be reckoned with as it tended to bombard him with visions and memories of all nature without a care to whether he could handle it. Because of his need to find a way into the temple, he sought the Apple to help him answer those questions. Unfortunately, the item would control the wealth of information.
Metal towers flashed in his vision with people rushing by in the streets below. Streets covered in decorative stone flooring in pastel coloring. Was it marble? Stone mixed with glass? He tried to close in on one of the groups of people but they disappeared as if swiped away by air, a color of neutral brown left in their wake. Had they been wearing pants? How odd. Voices could be heard as he walked- floated?- over the odd tiling of the streets but the dialect was not understandable. It was garbled, cut off, and faded quickly as soon as he managed to walk close to catch a coherent syllable.
This wasn't helping him at all!
Sending his thoughts of what the temple appeared as in his current time, he hoped the Apple would understand what he sought. There couldn't be this many temples spread throughout the world, right? Just how much remained of a long extinct race? He thought of nothing but the temple as he sorted through the visions. The temple of Isis surrounded him a second later but he refused to walk further into the memory, already having experienced that setting. The Apple listened for once and shifted him to another chamber of gray with familiar teal outlines with a stone pedestal in the center of it all. A flash of red and white robes- robes very similar to his own- obscured the podium for a moment before the Apple was seen in the center.
Altaïr wanted to scream when the Apple pulled him away immediately and he wondered if it had done so because he recognized the familiar white color of the assassins. Was that a vision of the past, present, or future? Why was it not allowing him to see further? If only the foreign technology could talk to him or give him a sign it understood. Sometimes, he swore it could but at other times, it refused to do so.
Again, he walked the beautifully decorated roads but this one was covered in intricate white and blue rather than the brown and red he had seen at first. Faces were blurred as they conversed in the middle of the open area but he saw several of human tones but others held a luminescence that was similar to Isis. Were they the ancient beings? If so, why were they not holding items to subjugate the humans? They all walked freely in this setting as if nothing were amiss.
A second later, thunder erupted overhead just as he looked up to see a green aura diffusing into the night sky. He'd never seen such a sight in his life. What the-? Lightning struck down from the heavens to hit one of the gargantuan metal towers and instantly, glass shattered as the bolt ripped into the inside of the spire to break it in half. He'd never witnessed lightning with such dangerous strength and colors blurred around him as people scattered everywhere like ants. A horrible groaning sound could be heard in the direction of the building- was it collapsing? He looked back towards it to see where that the torn remnants had given way and fallen onto the ground. He wanted to dash forward and help the panicking civilians but a white flash blinded him.
The scenery switched again as he watched a white hooded man running through a darkened alleyway that was paved in a strange material. It bore similarity to limestone but it was dark and completely smooth as stone buildings with glass windows lay on top. Was this part of the ancient ones time or the future? The pants and shoes were of a different material but he'd seen it somewhere. . .
Vivian!
He remembered it from her shared visions during childhood as she and her mother wore similar garb. The memory followed the young man and he tried to catch a glimpse of his face. From behind, he could see three dark figures giving chase but they made no noise as they trailed the man. They weren't common thugs, no, they had practice in being obscured.
All I wanted was a normal life with a motorcycle. Is that so much to ask for? I didn't decide to be born into that farm to save the world from psychotic Templars. . .yet here I am.
He had never heard that male voice in his life but the fact that he used a negative tone towards his enemies meant this stranger wasn't a part of them. The white garb could only remind him of the one he saw in the earlier image and beckoned the Apple to follow the young man running down the dark alley. Was he an assassin? Or an ally to his order? Altaïr could see the man in white was outnumbered but if he were an assassin, a mere trap could incapacitate his enemies. He'd done the same with a greater number of enemies so why had this young man not done so? Countless questions filtered into his mind as he witnessed this.
Of course, the Apple liked to be fickle and yanked him away a moment later. He decided to no longer play its game for the night and pulled his mind away from the illusions himself. Opening his eyes, the night sky similar to the one he'd just witnessed met him and the sound of burning wood led him to find his team gathered around the campfire. Seeing them talk amongst themselves in the peaceful setting put him at ease immediately. He was back among his friends where it was safe and nothing had changed since slipping into his meditation.
Vivian's energetic voice filled the silent night, "And so then, while we're trapped, I'd lure his friendship with this song:
Well Ezio had them twenty thieves
Malik had a thousand tales
But grand master, you in luck 'cause up your sleeves
You got a brand of magic that never fails
You got some Eden power in your corner now
Some heavy ammunition in your camp
You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo and how
See all you gotta do is rub that Apple
And I'll say
Grand master Altaïr, sir
What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order
Jot it down
You ain't never had a minion like me
No, no, no
Life is your restaurant
And I'll write it as decree
C'mon, whisper what it is you want
You ain't never had a minion like me
Yes, sir, I pride myself on stellar service
You're the boss
The chief, the grand master!
Say what you wish
It's yours! True dish
How about a little more Templar disaster?
Have some of my ideas from column "A"
Try all of column "B"
I'm in the mood to help you, dude
You ain't never had a minion like me-"
"Vivian, I can tell you now that the song would be a pitiful failure" Altaïr stated dryly as her off-key singing echoed through the empty land and stood up to rejoin his teammates. Her face broke into a welcoming grin to see him safe after his meditation and pointed to the nearest rock by the fire. Fallen logs weren't available to use as benches anymore so they improvised. Her silly expressions put him at ease immediately despite the risk of having painful hearing in a few minutes.
She wagged a finger to his remark and declared confidently, "I could've recruited to win your favor too, listen:
In the Assassin's Order,
Yes, you can sail the currently three discovered seas
In the Assassin's Order
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the Assassin's Order
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the Order, in the Order
Can't you see we need a hand
In the Assassin's Order
Come on, protect the mother land
In the Assassin's Order
Come on and join your fellow man
In the Assassin's Order
Come on people, and make a stand-"
"Vivian, the moment you declared that aloud, a Templar would've come by and skewered you like a hog" the assassin pointed out sarcastically to the image of her singing that in the streets for all to hear. He could still remember her using a stolen riq instrument to sing for coin and distraction (the latter which worked far better) with her bad voice. It was all so long ago but the memories remained fresh in his mind after her crazy hijinks and reminded, "Those odd songs were good for scraps of money and distracting enemies, not luring help. If anything, I fear it would repel potential candidates."
She raised her hands in one last hope to pull out an awesome tune to get a 'pass' on and declared desperately with a high pitch, "Wait, one last song! I promise."
The assassin looked to Malik since the dai let her indulge in her siren music and commented wryly, "This is not what I hoped to witness after meditating. She is what I escape from in meditation and coming back to it defeats the purpose."
Vivian flung a small rock in his direction but made sure it landed near his feet to avoid any harm before starting,
"We're three companions
Three bombastic amigos
They say we are birds of a feather
We're happy chums
No matter where either goes
The one, two, and three goes
We're always together
We're three happy bunnies
With absolutely no monies
But own snappy hidden blades
You'll find us beneath our fancy hoods
We're brave and we'll stay
We're bright and won't lead you astray
Who says so? We say so!
The three companions
Ahhhh!
We have the stars to guide us
Weapons here beside us
To protect as we go
Vivian sings and we dance
With Malik leading many a romance
But try Altaïr and he'll freeze you in a glance
We shout 'aye, for the creed!'
But do civilians know what it means?
Through fair and stormy weather
We stand close together
Like books on a shelf
As pals though we may be
When we're offered yummy cheese
We say yes, no, or maybe
Each man is for himself!
Ahhhh!
We have the roads here to guide us
Food and books beside us
To entertain us as we go
We sing and we dance
We shout 'aye, for the creed!
What means aye, for the creed?
Oh yes, it means. . . Altaïr's the boss."
Altaïr frowned to one specific line and pitched in his opinion, "I don't mind the unquestionable leader part but," flicking his thumb towards the dai, "why is Malik the one with romances?"
Malik glared to the man's gall for daring to debate who was more attractive and Vivian hit the nail on the board by saying, "Because, he's ridiculously good looking- look at him. Just lo-o-o-ok at him. Besides, I've helped him romance a few ladies myself while you. . ."
Altaïr's eyes widened when she walked over to cup his face in her hands while Malik sat right there in front of them. He didn't know if she was begging for another lecture from both until she preened humorously, "You're sharp and grumpy with the glaring strength of the sun itself. Maria's kicked you around and I've sent you screaming for sanity . . . but you're the lost lonesome puppy one takes home to tame with affection while Malik is the badass guard dog you can't live without."
"I don't want to be a puppy" he objected defiantly with burning embarrassment and the dai burst into laughter to the comparison. Vivian released him with a bout of laughter to the thought of Altaïr being a tiny fluffy golden dog with large brown eyes while Malik dominated his size by being a protective full-grown shepherd hound. Their laughter echoed through the silent land to the image of a tiny assassin puppy while Altaïr frowned in his spot for the bruised ego. If he wasn't so lousy at making new friends, he'd ditch the two for their treacherous laughter!
Malik calmed his laughter to avoid sounding rude and cleared his throat to nicely ask, "Were you able to find anything useful during meditation?"
Altaïr grabbed a nearby stick to stir the fire and stated nonchalantly with a sarcastic edge, "I don't know, after being called a lost puppy, I might not have-"
He stopped when his team glared at him from across the fire and grumbled under his breath, "I never get to be petty and fickle anymore."
Prodding the dirt to occupy himself, he pondered on what the Apple had shown him to state uncertainly, "I saw cities but they weren't of this time, whether it was the past or future . . . I cannot say. Nothing regarding the temple appeared."
The two nodded with hints of disappointment on their faces since they assumed the Apple would blast his mind with images of the place. He looked towards the south where their excavation field awaited them since Malik suggested a camp view above it in case anything was to occur. Throughout all of supper, they had watched the sunset in the hopes that maybe it would mystically jumpstart the temple or at least cast a nice light show.
"Well then, that means we can end our day and wake up early to dig" the dai yawned with tired eyes as he stood up to stretch his limbs. Their days would be long if they were going to dig their way into the temple and their new campsite would require long trips to find food and water. On the plus side, they were completely isolated from the world at their elevation and location in Madagascar. Malik enjoyed the tranquility nature provided and found this to be the most enjoyable portion of their trip yet.
Altaïr blinked with confusion as his team decided to call it quits and asked with bewilderment, "Wait, why is everyone going to sleep now?"
"Altaïr, you were with the Apple for two hours."
Wait, what?
He searched their faces for any signs of a prank but when they stared back at him with confusion, he muttered flatly, "I knew that thing was robbing me of my valuable time."
"But it offered us peace of mind" his friend teased good-naturedly in regards to the grumbling and complaints of the assassin. Altaïr waved a hand dismissively but offered a friendly smile to the comeback.
Malik bid his friend goodnight before he began ranting about the unfairness of the world and dead mystical beings. Vivian rubbed her sore kneecaps as they ached from hours of kneeling and stood up to head into their shared tent for sleep. Altaïr decided to spend a few moments alone, sighing softly to himself as he poked the fire. Every time glimpsed into the visions of the items, he came away with more questions than answers.
I hope I'm not going in an endless runaround or inadvertently doing the bidding of another, he thought worriedly as he stared into the flames.
Vivian awoke during the night after not sensing the familiar body heat of the assassin and sat up in the messy cocoon of her blankets. Wiping her eyes, she saw the space on the right was empty in comparison to the left where Malik slept away contently with his low snoring. The tuft of dark straight hair that stuck out in wisps verified it for her since Altaïr's hair tended to be wavy when grown out.
Was he still awake?
She felt lingering exhaustion in her drowsy mind so she assumed it had been a short time since she'd fallen asleep. Just how long had it been? Why hadn't he rejoined them to replenish his energy? Worried, she slid out of her bed quietly and pulled off the topmost blanket off her bundle to wrap it around her shoulders for warmth. The glow of the campfire reflected against the entrance flaps of the tent as she approached them to peek outside to scope out the scene. Blinking rapidly to adjust her stinging vision to the new source of light, her muscles relaxed at seeing the assassin sitting on the ground as he scribbled into his journal,
The Apple is more than a catalog of that which precedes us. Within its twisting, sparking innards I've caught glimpses of what will be. Such a thing should not be possible. Perhaps it isn't. Maybe it is simply a suggestion. How to know? How to be sure?
I contemplate the consequences of these visions: are they images of things to come – or simply the potential for what might be? Can we influence the outcome? Dare we try? And in so doing, do we merely ensure that which we've seen?
I am torn – as always – between action and inaction – unclear as to which – if either – will make a difference. Am I even meant to make a difference? Still, I keep this journal. Is that not an attempt to change – or perhaps guarantee – what I have seen?
He could write for hours on end as he gathered all of his thoughts and the night was silently comforting to him. The humidity earlier in the weeks had not encouraged him in the slightest but now he had time. With the stars and rocks for company, how could he not?
Exiting the tent, she scampered over quickly as the cold struck her face and the fire was her beacon to whisk it away. The shadows of the night hid Altaïr's face underneath his hood as she wrote with concentration and Vivian stopped next to the fire to watch him for a few seconds. He appeared serene in the night but she knew his mind was anything but that if the speed of his handwriting was any indication. There were times she wondered if he ever truly rested his mind when he slept. There was only so much he could do but she admired his determination at times like this.
"Is something wrong?"
She snapped out of her rumination to quietly approach him and mentioned calmly, "You weren't in bed, I worried."
"You don't need to worry about me, Vivian" he dissuaded softly as he appreciated her concern but he knew his limits (most of the time). He smiled faintly to having someone that cared for him, whether romantic or platonic. She'd always scampered out of her tent to ensure he was sleeping adequately and his dismissal of it eventually turned to reluctant acceptance.
She used her dominant right hand to hold the blanket ends against her chest while the left flicked the iconic eagle portion of his hood to remind, "Oh, but I do. What kind of minion would I be if my leader isn't caring for his basic needs?"
He closed his journal to end his musings for the night and dropped the piece of charcoal on his lap as he told her simply, "Vivian, you're my partner, not my follower."
Oh, how she'd dreamt of hearing such inspiring words since her unexpected arrival. She opened her arms to embrace him by the shoulders to wrap her warm blanket over him as a shield. How could she not take care of him when he displayed the same care to her? Being of short stature, his head rested comfortably against her upper abdomen as he sat in the dirt. His arms wrapped around her sides as he cradled her close to return her kind affection and she whispered gently, "Then your partner requires you to be at your best for tomorrow. Don't spend energy you're going to need, conserve it. Otherwise, you might fall asleep in the dirt while we're digging and as funny as it would be to see your butt in the air. . .you need rest."
One hand rested on his upper back while the other stayed on top of his head for fear of accidentally poking out his eye or jabbing him in the nose. His cold skin warmed to her body heat, luring to threaten him with sleep, and she finished softly, "There's only so much you can do and we've only one of you. Now, I can't force you into bed without fear of breaking my spine in two so please heed my rationale on this."
She rubbed his back in soothing circles in the hopes of drawing him into their tent and beckoned sweetly, "Go to sleep, my stubborn eagle."
Her hearing picked up joints popping amongst the shifting fabric as he stood and tucked his book against his chest. Vivian offered him a sympathetic smile since he appeared none too eager to go to sleep with the frown on his face. He truly embodied the motto 'all work and no play'. He rubbed his left eye to blink away the dryness settling in from exhaustion and muttered, "Why can't there be more than 24 hours in a day? I need more to achieve my full potential."
Her fingers grasped the top of the leather book and she gently coaxed it out of his hands as he eyed her suspiciously but relented. Tucking it under her arm, she pulled him by the front of his robes and suggested softly, "It's time to get out of these robes and into warmer clothing like I'm wearing. No if's and but's- come to bed with me."
His hand covered hers to stop her gentle pulling and he dipped his head to cover her lips with his. The coldness of his soft lips sent shivers down her spine immediately and the welcome surprise allowed a small sigh to escape her throat. She bit her bottom lip when he pulled away and complimented bashfully, "Not even the cold can send shivers down my spine like you do."
His amber eyes resembled pools of gold as they stood in front of the fire and he remarked, "We are possibly the only human beings on this side of the island at this moment- the only ones in centuries. We're practically in our own world so to speak but it wouldn't be the same without you by my side. I don't know if I've ever truly thanked you for your care and advice since meeting but thank you, my little loyal badger."
Her cheeks warmed against the cold licking at her skin and he admitted sullenly, "I have to isolate myself like this to prepare myself for a life without you. When you approached me in the river to talk about it, I refused . . . but I know it is inevitable. Slowly but surely, I have to accept it. This dead silence just helps to sink in the reality that will be once you are gone. It will not be an easy transition but I have to face it."
Hmm, so the assassin was prone to heartfelt admissions nighttime.
Raising her chin, she resorted to using the tips of her toes to kiss her assassin in shiny leather armor. Being tiny in comparison to him was not an easy job but he knew how to cause her heart to explode happily. His kitten whiskers tickled her top lip as she spoke in between their kiss, "I'm here now and you need to sleep, Altaïr. However, if it wasn't freezing and I had my own tent, I would pin you to my bedding and have my way with you . . . come morning time."
He chuckled to the wisecrack at the end and led her towards the tent with one arm so they could rest comfortably. She smiled with glee for the one armed hug as she stuck to him like a perky barnacle for the short moment of affection. If only they could truly be a crime fighting couple that made Templars eat dirt but alas, no. As the dirt crunched under their shoes, Vivian piped up softly to encourage, "You won't be alone. You will always have Malik and your son is waiting for his father to return home to him."
"It won't be the same but thank you for trying" he replied earnestly since fond love for another was far different from the type set for children and friends. Vivian was the only one he allowed to breach his defenses with hugs and kisses while everybody else would receive a fist to the face in return. Well, except his little son, but he'd probably get the cutoff at age ten . . . depending on his behavior.
Vivian's days worsened when she marked the second month that her monthly friend failed to arrive and given the only time she'd involved herself in intimate moments matched the irregularity, she was ready to go on a rampage. Oh, how she yearned for modern doctors and pregnancy tests. Was it possible that the stress and her nutrition in the old ages caused her pesky menstruation to skip months? . . . She was kidding herself now as emotions laced into logic. Her decisions had led to a huge screw up and there was no rewind button for that. Also, how would she handle a pregnancy with her way home looming so close? She was literally standing on top of her route home while having an assassin peanut in the belly!
Altaïr had just gotten Maria pregnant almost two years ago and already had an infant awaiting him at Masyaf. That was a mandatory given with the AC timeline but for Vivian to even dare popping out with such news? How could he possibly react to that without popping a blood vessel? She distinctly remembered seeing the horrified shock and disbelief on his face when Maria's pregnancy broke the news. The man had gone straight to alcohol to forget it all and at the moment, they were heavily lacking in that mind altering liquid. Not to mention, she could alter reality in ways she couldn't imagine or probably already had! She couldn't bring an innocent rosy cheeked child into an era like this where diseases were rampant and times were dangerous. Her current lifestyle would also make it extremely hazardous for a child of any age- they faced deadly people and wildlife! If her little one became ill, she'd never forgive herself.
She couldn't bear the idea of having a child and felt trapped between guilt for not wanting to embrace the possibility of motherhood and reluctant acceptance that it was happening. A multi-celled organism with her genes and Altaïr's was literally being crafted in her belly at that very moment. How was that not supposed to be frightening to her very core? How was she supposed to pass a living being through her pelvis in eight months? Not to mention, one that could be the size of a small turkey given the man's height. Why did she give in to Altaïr's charms? Why had he been so charmingly enticing to her in the first place? Had she learned nothing of films like Back to the Future?
The worry increasing within her heart every day was enough to profoundly shake her original plan of returning home. She needed to see her family again to tell them she had been all right rather than abducted or worse. Most importantly, she wanted to tell her father that he hadn't lost another member of his family after the dedicated care he put into raising them. She wanted to hold all of them and tell them she was all right- to have a sense of closure. Her tie to her family begged the question about her own odd little family in 1193.
Her little peanut was not giving her an easy day with nausea sprouting up randomly. At first, she attributed it to the humid weather and their rigorous exercise but. . .
"Vivian!"
Altaïr called her attention as he noticed her slumping over a mound of dirt from their accumulated digging. She stood upright immediately since a bout of nausea had caused her to close her eyes and lean against the comfy earth to subside it. The assassin crossed the distance between them in no time and grasped her elbow to help steady her. His eyes examined her from head to toe to ensure she hadn't injured herself while working in her own corner and asked, "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I just . . . felt lightheaded is all" she hesitated with a weak smile as she pushed away the dizzy spell. The heat and nausea did not mix well together and water rationing only increased the chances of dehydration. Altaïr wasn't assured by her statement and his protective side was drawn at the possibility of an illness. She and Malik shared a look of amusement when Altaïr held up two fingers and asked her how many he held up. He caught her eyes wandering and demanded she tell him if her vision was changing, which prompted her to describe everything in sight to reassure him. He was more than ready to send her straight to their tent but she insisted, "I'll be okay, it passed. I'm not puking my guts out or on the floor so I am all right for the time being, trust me."
"Take a rest in the shade and drink water- use my canteen if you need to" he ordered gently to make sure nothing was wrong. Vivian couldn't help but smile as he examined her one last time with narrowed eyes (catching the dilation of his eyes as he used eagle vision) and popped open her canteen while he played father eagle.
A second later, she remembered that his sight was capable of seeing their little peanut if the second game was any indication to his abilities. Quickly, she smacked him playfully on the arm to snap his gaze away before it lowered. She couldn't let anything be discovered just yet.
She smiled gleefully to the kind offer and preened gently, "The great one is letting me drink from his canteen. A minion could only be so lucky."
It was heartwarming to see the concern over her wellbeing rather than have him completely ignore her, like he used to ages ago. He pointed to the nearest shady spot closest to them where he could keep her within sight and stated, "Go sit down for a bit, we'll be fine without you."
She smiled to his concern but the words rang true for the upcoming future without her. They would carry on with their dangerous journey and she'd be home in a cozy bundle of blankets in her own bed. It wasn't very comforting to visualize it since her friends deserved a vacation of the ages after years of commitment to their order. The quirky badger didn't want to leave the elusive eagle assassin and cunning fox dai to tread on alone, mumbling softly, "Yes, you will."
She scurried off to find a mound of dirt to plop down onto as the soft earth adjusted to her butt comfortably. Ah, there was nothing better than comfort for one's derriere. With a happy smile, she fiddled through her pockets for a handy snack to munch on to ward away any future nausea bouts. Sometimes it helped while at other times, it provoked one- either way, it was a 50/50 risk. Altaïr caught her perusing through her robes as her tongue stuck out sideways comically and warned, "This is how you get that trail of ants in your tent when you constantly leave snacks in all of your clothes. Don't get me started on the spiders either."
"One can never have too many friends" she replied cheekily to the numerous animals that had crossed her path to be spoiled by the leftovers of their camp food. True, Altaïr had caused the demise of about 10% of those but she wanted to offer a few meager bites to them. The assassin furrowed his brow to where life had led him with that little woman and never would have imagined that she'd be the one to ensnare his affection. She held up her prize as she fished out an old piece of hard candy bought at the port and smiled brightly, "It prolongs longevity."
Somehow, he heavily doubted ants would lengthen her life but admired her ridiculous optimism. It was a trait that had slowly trickled into his personality since she had been infectious with it upon meeting. She caught his skeptical gaze when she began sucking on one corner of the dark square and teased gently, "Then again, you're supposed to live pretty long so beats me what your secret will be, given that life expectancy here is like 31. I'd like to know if you'll be a mellow senior or an ornery one."
The thought of turning old without her didn't have the same joy as it did from day one. The long month onboard the boat had accustomed him to her shifting during the night and waking up to a mop of her hair peeking out of the blankets. Who would be there to hear his grumbles and soothe his crankiness in the morning hours? He didn't want to lose his other half and laugh at an inside joke that could no longer be shared. How was he supposed to bear that for the rest of his life? He couldn't even tolerate it when they'd had their depressing 'we're painfully ignoring each other' moments. The idea of a mellow old man was feasible only at her side because the latter would exist without her guiding hand and he mumbled listlessly, "Probably the grumpy one."
"You two have a real love-hate relationship going on."
Altaïr blinked with perplexity to Vivian's comment as she noticed him eyeing the Apple of Eden rather suspiciously. Did he expect it to sprout limbs to punch him and run off to live its own life? If she wasn't deathly afraid of the ancient objects, she would've stuffed the Apple into her robe pocket to prevent any form of addiction. She feared being in their vicinity and hoped that Altaïr could truly control them.
The assassin stuffed the artifact back into his leather pouch and muttered flatly, "Yes, especially when it refuses to listen to me."
"Set it down and come eat supper" she beckoned gently with a soft squeeze to his right shoulder and left to rejoin Malik at the campfire. The assassins had managed to catch a wild pheasant after finishing the dig for the day and Malik accompanied Altaïr since they'd spent a lot of energy uncovering the temple. They had celebrated when the assassin managed to hit the stone roof first as he sat on the dirt and from there, he had attempted to use the item to see if anything would happen. After standing in the dirt for twenty minutes, they called it quits and Altaïr had stomped off to catch a poor pheasant to eat.
Since returning, he had been meditating with each of the artifacts to find something but they gave away nothing. Two hours had passed by while his companions prepared the bird and made a quick stew of it with vegetables that managed to escape spoiling. They were reaching the limit with their supplies and Altaïr wasn't comfortable picking unknown items from the forest just to prolong their inventory. If one of them became poisoned, they were far away from any medical help.
"Unless you can make a lamb appear in front of me for a week's supply of food, you're going in the tent" he muttered flatly in challenge to the item as he stared it down. Instead of feeling like an adult when he wielded the artifacts, he felt like a child with an older cocky sibling. The Apple revealed what it deemed was loosely relevant and if he managed to show interest in their revelations, it could whisk it away immediately if it wished to do so. When the item failed to pull him into another vision, he stood up to stuff it into his pocket and dusted off the back of his robes to scoff, "I thought as much."
When he approached his friends, he heard them pondering about the flavor concentration as they took sips from their bowls. Altaïr quickly served himself a hot portion from the leftover plate sitting next to the fire and put an end to their question, "As long as this food is edible, the flavor is fine."
With that said, he sat down on the loose dirt next to Vivian as she swallowed a spoonful of broth with a smile. After hours of endless work, her belly was roaring for decent sustenance. She stopped her small feast to fiddle with her right side, obscuring his vision when she withdrew a small roll of bread. It was a hassle keeping baked goods fresh and she opted to leave them in the sun often while working to prevent mold growth. She handed it to Altaïr with a perky smile and he eyed the roll of bread suspiciously to drawl awkwardly, "Did that just come out of your pocket?"
"You were the one that just said as long as you can eat it, it's perfectly good" she reminded cheekily and returned to eating her meal without a second thought. The lack of foliage to use in their camp prevented her from making a makeshift table or using a huge leaf to wash and hold food as a makeshift plate.
He shook the bread roll in question as Malik eyed the two in amusement, eating his own bread roll without a fuss. The dai knew everything was all right with the world the second the assassin opened his mouth to complain. If they went a day without one, he would know right away that there was a problem. Vivian attempted to eat her soup nonchalantly with a bubbly smile for having actual food to eat that day but she could feel his piercing gaze on her face. A second later, she heard his voice add in, "It was in your pocket. . .where other things dwell."
"If you're wondering whether dirt or poison has touched my clothes, no- at least, the latter anyway" she replied hastily as she tried not to laugh to what he chose to take a stand on. Turning to him, she thinned her lips immediately in an attempt to hold her calm mask in place when she saw his humorous frown. She was being as honest as possible since they were covered in dirt from the head down but she was being careful with their food supply.
Malik aimed his half-eaten roll towards the assassin and he challenged, "If you don't eat it, I will gladly take it without a single regret."
Altaïr scowled to the threat of having a possibly dusty bread roll taken from him and looked between both expectant faces. Hmm, to risk either an upset stomach or be left half-full for the night? The fact that his companions were eating the bread rolls in question at that very moment did not help him at all either. With a regretful sigh that needed no verbalization to his dreaded misery, he muttered despondently to ingesting it, "Damn it."
Hours later, when the trio prepared for another night of sleep under the stars, the ancient artifacts decided to offer a boon. Vivian had been tucking the ends of her breeches underneath the tops of her socks to prevent critters from seeking shelter in her clothes. Bug bites were enough, thank you. Malik had been fiddling with pinning the empty left sleeve of his sleeping tunic while he and Vivian lingered outside the tent while Altaïr changed in private.
"I don't know why I simply don't alter the left sleeve on all of my clothes and be done with it" Malik mused with thinned lips as he held the excess fabric in place with his last two fingers. With his three forefingers, he slid the metal pin to keep the fabric from budging. The years were indeed increasing his dexterity and he'd spent enough time on the road to sew his clothes to his liking.
Altaïr was ready to fire a witty retort as he battled his way into a stubborn tunic but a golden glow stopped him short. Quickly, he tried to jiggle his way into the fabric as he assumed somebody had entered the tent and chastised, "How dare you enter while I change? Have you no decency for a person's modesty?"
. . . "Altaïr, we're both outside the tent."
He flew into assassin mode faster than he ever had as his head finally popped out through the collar area like a gopher's. Honestly, he didn't know what he was expecting to see on the opposite side of the tent. At the most, he assumed his candle lantern had caused a fire and Malik would be killing him for placing it near his bed.
Instead, the brown pouch that held the pieces of Eden glowed from their place on the floor. He stared at it with disbelief since they never activated without his touch and debated leaning down to grasp the pouch. It's not like he would have physical skin contact with the metal objects but still, the concern entered his mind. The activation could either be a blessing or a disaster, depending on what the items wanted.
"Um. . .you might want to come outside" Vivian's voice beckoned with awe in her voice and Altaïr groaned at the horrible timing. He wanted to sleep and dream about hurling the pieces of Eden to the bottom of the ocean. Glaring at the glowing pouch for putting him in this odd situation, he made his decision and dashed forward to grasp it quickly.
When it managed to do nothing to his mind, he ran outside as if fire licked his feet and almost collided into his companions. The two were entirely focused on the unnatural blue glow emanating from the field below them as it dwarfed the hue of their small orange campfire. Altaïr had to blink rapidly at the unrealistic site and quickly held up the sack pouch to voice aloud, "I have a huge inkling that it's linked to this."
"Well, we're not going to get answers standing around like clucking chickens" Vivian suggested quickly to their next move before the light show decided to end. If the temple was attempting to lure them or communicate, they needed to be within distance. There was apprehension laced to the new development but curiosity to put their objective first won over.
When the assassins set off towards the field, Vivian groaned at their fast agility since she wasn't going gung-ho in the middle of darkness. That and risk injury to her baby if she came tumbling down the hill like Jack and Jill. With baby steps, she followed the two while Altaïr ran ahead of the dai while holding up the items in case they needed to be close to the temple. Malik hastened his pace since they were heading into an unknown situation and called over, "Do you even have a plan for this?"
"No, I figured I'd make it up as we go along" Altaïr replied honestly because he didn't know what to expect from it. The technology was unlike anything else on Earth but out of the three, he needed to be the one facing it. Malik sighed to the lack of preparation to the unexpected twists of events, hoping they wouldn't be tumbling inside the temple at that hour or becoming casualties from a defense system. Jumping over a mound of dirt as he finished descending the incline to camp, he added in wittily, "At least give me credit for my honesty."
Fearlessly, he stepped onto the earth to investigate the origins of the lights. The entire field was not actually engulfed as the distance made it appear and he inspected the land closely. The uncovered lines of blue that ran alongside all of the stone temple illuminated the night as they pulsed the entire span of the uncovered land. Altaïr's leaned down to touch one of the lines with his palm to see if it would change anything and the intensity of the entire length of where it led increased at the contact. For the tiniest fragment of a second, he could feel the material under his hand hum before it disappeared. The light did not dim as he removed his hand to follow where it appeared to lead him and encouraged his team to follow.
"Just be careful not to step on the lines" he ordered quickly to prevent any snafus or accidents. He couldn't risk an injury while being miles away from the nearest village healer and even then, the outcome would be poor.
As they walked next to the glowing lines, Malik noticed the others surrounding them and informed his friend, "They're all converging to a meeting point."
Altaïr saw this as he analyzed the upcoming branches of lines and noticed that three merged into one to head in another direction to left. Whenever he saw the intensity of the lights decrease, he pressed his palm against the roof of the temple to reactivate them. They ran alongside the glowing outlines towards the brightest aura that converged all of the outlines together, wondering where it was leading them to. It almost reminded Vivian of a futuristic landing field as the decorative lines lit up in varying degrees and led to one point. She expected to stop in front of a door reminiscent of the old temples from the games or something out of a Tolkien novel but that soon changed.
"It's flat. . .and definitely not a door."
They were led to an area that held the slightest incline but was primarily flat, which led to Altaïr glaring at the illuminated rooftop around him. He expected to find a door that required manual manipulation to be opened- how was he supposed to open a floor?! Was there even a latch or mechanism to open it? He pointed to the ground as he shielded his eyes from the intense light stinging his vision and declared, "This does not look safe at all. For all we know, we could fall straight to the ground floor and break our necks!"
"But you found it" Vivian encouraged kindly and his irritated glance softened immediately to that fact. Yes, the temple had finally decided to lead him somewhere and it was progress. Her smile only served to simmer his mood since she never gave up on him and he lowered his shoulders as the lingering tension from the afternoon dissipated.
"True, now we can focus here rather than all over the place" the dai agreed because it would've taken weeks of excavating. They needed to be fast and efficient to stay one step ahead of their enemies. Frankly, he'd be very surprised if they were found but he wasn't going to jinx anything.
With renewed vigor, Altaïr nodded to his team with a sigh of relief and ordered with determination, "Let's keep digging."
His team was relieved to the sudden good news and as he basked in his triumph, Vivian deflated his happy bubble with her innocent remark, "Altaïr, dear friend, don't use that face."
His furrowed brow smoothed as he blinked with confusion and she informed gently, "It looks like a mix between villainously creepy and mildly aroused."
"But it's my determined face" he insisted to prove that he was a valiant man, not one that was unwell in the head. Wait, did she say villainous? Where did that come from? Wasn't he supposed to be her hero? Vivian merely shrugged innocently and offered a sheepish smile at having to pull the plug on that expression of his.
Clenching his fists at the idea of appearing insane, he demanded hastily, "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because you would've skewered me on your hidden blade if I'd done so months ago" she pointed out earnestly since he hadn't hesitated on chasing her with it. Those were both fun and terrifying times since it had been hard deciphering his mood swings. Hmm, she was probably the first to say that having an assassin chase her was thrilling and attractive. Shaking her head to her odd thoughts, she waved a hand over their current attire to point out, "That . . . and we're in our sleepwear! The mind is willing but the body is tired and bruised."
"I agree, we're liable to injure ourselves in the dark" the dai stated with disinterest to digging in his sleepwear in the pitch black darkness. His clothes were already covered in dust from the neckline to the ankles so he didn't need this.
The dai headed back inside just as Altaïr declared that the colored light display would be their guide. He stood alone in the center of the field as the cold began to seep into his clothes and glanced at Vivian as she waited patiently across from him. The blue light illuminated her beige sleepwear, the glow underneath her feet reminding him that she was there for as long as the temple remained closed. She offered a kind smile as she approached him and her hands smoothed over his shoulders to quell the dozens of thoughts that ran in his mind. Would she follow his suggestion or dissuade him?
"I know you want to find that door but it will be safer in the morning" she reasoned simply and he pursed his lips at having to admit defeat for the night. Her forefingers gently kneaded the muscles at the start of his shoulders to relax him. He was stubborn but she'd sway his mind with logic, "Like I said, you need rest for your mind and body so hop to it. We will start bright and early tomorrow so you can bark orders and kick butt like the awesome overlord that you are. I will happily do all of your bidding at sunrise."
She lowered her hands to cup his elbows and gently nudged him away from the field. He offered resistance to her leading since the door was so close to being opened and she coaxed, "The sooner we're in bed, the sooner you can relax. Come now, an assassin needs to be at his best."
The woman was certainly a good caretaker as she tried to budge him from his idea and he had to admit she was right. What good would he be at this hour? The intense lighting obscured anything that could be hidden in the dark to open the door. His shoulders slumped in defeat since he wanted everything to be perfect and murmured softly, "Vivian, what am I to do without you?"
She chuckled bashfully because he was a force to be reckoned with but he asked softly, "Truthfully, how am I going to cope with that when you won't be here to flick away my stubborn ideas?"
"You ask yourself- what would Vivian do?" she soothed gently and drew him close for an embrace as they walked away from the field. The sooner he was in bed, the faster his body could replenish its energy. Her fingers combed his brown hair back to settle at the nape of his neck and she encouraged, "You persevere through every trial thrown your way and draw strength from it. You carried on before I arrived and you'll continue to do so. Let your journals guide you with past endeavors to draw the wisdom that I know is inside of you."
He frowned as it failed to make him feel better about the situation and wanted to pulverize that bothersome pain in his chest. She allowed him to confess anything that bothered him but his voice wavered when he admitted from the heart, "But I prefer the way I carry on with you . . . the man I was a year ago and even years before that, I do not want to return to it. It wasn't my journal entries, it was you. You helped me to improve on my faults and I doubt I will reach my true potential without you."
He didn't want her to leave his side but he couldn't halt his mission either or have her abandon her family. She halted to break their embrace and cupped his face to insist, "There is nothing you can't achieve with your determination, never doubt that. Look at me, Altaïr."
Her fingertips trailed over that perfect jawline she'd admired from day one and she doted caringly, "My strong eagle. Life is not easy but you will persevere because you're a tenacious survivor. You're meant to do great things and although I will not be there to see it, I've no doubt in your leadership and abilities."
His hands covered hers to feel her smooth skin under his to enjoy their last days together. Her words strengthened him and to hear the affection attached to them now stung his heart at knowing they were limited. He drew her close for a tight embrace to simply bask in her presence for a few minutes and she smiled softly to allow him, rubbing circles over his back. Her left hand rose to cradle the back of his head when his face burrowed into the crook of her neck.
She flashed him a quick smile full of mischief before ordering, "We're going to bed and once we're certain Malik is asleep, we are going to a hidden little alcove nearby. You will be showing this little badger why you are the alpha eagle on this entire continent."
He tilted his head to the side to grasp what she implied and slowly, she nodded to verify slyly, "Snu-snu."
"Your generation has an affinity for giving peculiar words to things" he remarked about her strange jargon that failed to leave her since day one. Her brow furrowed as she prepared to demand whether he wanted to take or leave the deal and he quickly corrected, "But I will accept snu-snu."
Hallelujah, I just got him to say snu-snu!, she cheered mentally to that hilarious Futurama phrase for lovemaking.
His lips puckered comically at having to use words from the future and muttered frankly, "It just doesn't feel right on my tongue, Vivian."
"Altaïr, a word is the last thing you should be worried about rolling on your tongue" she chuckled softly to his fussing on her vocabulary but she enjoyed ruffling his feathers. He cleared his throat awkwardly at that and she furrowed her brow a second later to vocalize his sentiment, "That . . . wow, yeah, that definitely did not come out right."
"Go to bed" he ordered with a long sigh to her wordplay since he flustered her with his direct manner of speaking while her jargon boggled him. Vivian faked a pout to maintain their challenge as she turned around to head in, adding in nonchalantly that snu-snu would be placed on hold. A quick playful swat to her butt brought a surprised yelp since being romantically daring was not one of his characteristics. Far from it! Where was her broodingly reserved assassin?
He waved his hands to keep her moving at knowing she was begging to ask why he'd done such a thing and he stated with amusement, "Breeches tend to draw the same gaze and curiosity that my robes do to you."
"In my defense, I've never met a man whose swaying hips were naturally hypnotizing" she reminded with an impish smile before opening the tent flaps and piling inside to dive into her bedding. The extra layers of fabric offered warmth immediately and she burrowed into them as Altaïr fiddled with his own bedding.
The glow of the campfire illuminated the front of their tent, providing dim lighting inside that kept the pitch black darkness at bay. Vivian huddled against the assassin and instinctively, he slid one arm under her neck while the other pulled her close for spooning. They usually reserved such actions until after Malik had fallen asleep but the new change with the temple led Altaïr to keeping his partner closer. Her familiar almond smell filled his nose when it found the crook of her neck to murmur faintly, "You smell like home."
He was not making her transition to leave easier with those tender words. If anything, it dealt a huge dent in her armor. His body warmth represented the safe coziness of home as she sighed softly and stifled a giggle when a soft kiss touched her skin. He was good at finding her ticklish spots without even trying. Altaïr couldn't help admitting that since the incense and oils that bathed the grandmaster's area held that aroma. Vivian nudged his nose with hers playfully before kissing his lips to shower him with affection for the sweet words. Altaïr turned the innocent peck on the lips to one that left their tongues battling for dominance. Her back touched the bedding as he hovered over her to continue their affection, squeezing her midsection fondly.
She nipped his upper lip for a hint of playfulness against his eager kisses. It didn't take very much to turn the reserved man into a passionate one as kindness went a long way in his book. His fervor certainly didn't waste time in turning her insides into a pile of happy goo as she fingers grasped his shoulder blades to keep hold.
"You two better not be doing what I think you are and if so, take it outside for privacy" the dai's voice interrupted since he did not want to hear odd noises while trying to fall asleep. That was the last thing he wanted at that hour in the isolated land after a hard day of toiling in the dirt. At this point in their journey, he knew he couldn't keep the two apart any longer and it seemed that Vivian had taken his words into consideration to voice her concerns to Altaïr. Still, he hoped his friend treaded carefully with what he did since she would be leaving him and he had a son back at Masyaf.
Vivian shut her eyes immediately to being caught once again by their friend and gently rapped her knuckles over his chest for allowing his charms to easily lure her once again. She couldn't blame him at all since she was tailing after him this time. Altaïr added one last peck to her lips before the two huddled together like caterpillars to play the waiting game. She felt the faint exhales of his breath against the top of her head and she used her right hand to trace the contours of his face to etch them into memory. The man had perfect facial symmetry as his high cheekbones, square chin, and Greek-like nose balanced everything into one attractive platter. How a man this handsome lived in the Middle Ages was beyond her!
"What are you doing?" he whispered curiously as the gentle traces threatened to pull him into dreamland. Her fingers roamed over his forehead while her thumb outlined his cheekbone. Was this another of her odd futuristic foreplay? If so, he'd be getting another lecture from Malik since he wasn't the quiet type with his affection. That was one of the main reasons for him being a scrupulous private man.
"I want to memorize every contour of you" she replied earnestly as she felt his eyelashes brush against the edges of her pinkie. The man had lush curly eyelashes that put hers to shame and only served to enhance his light brown eyes. A smile touched his lips for the fond words since nobody (not even those he fancied throughout his years as a bachelor) had ever told him he was memorable. He was accustomed to being a faceless shadow in public and a reserved man within his order- it was expected of him to be forgotten by time. His past self hadn't cared much about it as long as he completed his objectives but now, he had a young son and his love life was extremely complicated.
At the end of it all, he wanted to be remembered by those he held dear to know he'd made a difference in their lives. Somehow, his partner had managed to weave herself under his indomitable armor to bypass his hard edges and found the simple man underneath it all. The fact that it took over a year for her to reach that point spoke of the difficulties he posed when it came to trusting another intimately. He hadn't made it easy and she'd run from him at realizing he'd developed feelings without her even attempting to draw them. Through all of their fumbling, they reached a critical point where they couldn't deny their time was ending and had fallen into a mutual agreement to simply live out their last days naturally.
He found her forehead in the dim lightning cast into the tent and pressed a fond kiss to it, "Do as you wish."
Taking note from her book, he used his free hand to etch her face into memory by starting with her brow. She had taught him much since their first days and even now, at the last minute, he was still learning.
A/N: Yes! A month of isolation like our trio in their adventures has now given me the official title of Registered Nurse from my state board. And like them, my journey still isn't over- haha. I am so glad to have reached this point in the story and can't wait to see them enter the temple in the next one. As we can see, Altaïr and Vivian are not ready to release each other but they're pushing onwards to end the mission either way. Thank you, thank you, for my continued readers and new ones! You make my day!
Naomiirose: Thank you for loving the story, I love having new readers! I try to be as humorous as can be with the sticky situations they're pulled into.
Nana Ean: I can't say thank you enough for the gorgeous artwork so hopefully others can see it too without ff net messing with the link. I don't think anybody could imagine Altaïr of all people dancing. It would take a lot and Vivian keeps challenging him to do lots of things.
Sophik: Being a grumpy and heartbroken guy is what he wants to avoid but the poor guy can't force her to stay against her will.
Bajazzo: Thank you, here's hoping you made it to this chapter because I never imagined getting to this part of the story because it gets exciting for me.
endertopaz: Thank you for loving the quotes and banter, Vivian was quite the firecracker at the start of the story (still is when angered). The only Altair/Malik love goes on in Vivian's head and I've written a draft on their reactions when she brings it up for humor's sake.
Next Time: Shadows of the Past
Altaïr had to admit the hallways were indeed larger than the cramped spaces of the temple in Giza. On the other hand, that particular temple had been hidden well beneath the ancient pyramid. The current hallway was long with no visible paths in sight with his eagle vision while his companions strained their own to accommodate the darkness that shrouded them.
"I don't like these large hallways, I'm expecting something to pop out any minute" Vivian grumbled to voice her nervousness in the darkness for the first time. She had survived fighting Templars in Egypt, escaping a fire, horrible sunburns, and fat bugs, but this situation unnerved her. It was easy to blame the potential return home that fluttered her stomach but her instinct told her that wasn't the reason. To settle the nervous sweat accumulating in her hands, she chuckled awkwardly, "I'm not tasty at all. Nope, nope, nothing but sweat and undernourished meat."
Malik aimed his torch towards the side to widen the diameter of light, assuring gently, "It will catch fire before it touches you."
"You're an awesome hero, Ubisoft should give you your own game!" she piped up with admiration as her best friend protected everyone like a father bear. Malik merely chuckled to her compliment while Altaïr resisted the urge to remind her he was the hero. Well, at least her hero.
The hallway opened up to a large rotunda filled with more monitoring panels for work and Vivian pondered aloud, "This has a scientific atmosphere to me."
She'd seen enough films, television, and games to recognize panels that resembled the ones of modern time. They were void of energy whenever Altaïr touched them and as he lingered over one, he murmured with curious agreement, "True, they were void in Giza. That temple had a direct route to its core and was completely clean- even after centuries."
Malik didn't dare touch anything but took scrupulous glances to mentally note down every item. Back at camp, he could sketch his observations and relay them to Altaïr to help them gather information or build theories.
As they each split apart to observe every nook and cranny, Altaïr took the lead when he found the next exit. He was glad they were all in one specific direction rather than a fork because then, he would be risking extra time on their exploration. Altaïr noticed a shuffle ahead with robes catching his peripheral vision and he strode forward quickly. The color had been gray in his eagle vision and he entered the new room to hiss, "Vivian, where are you going? Be careful-"
The corner of the room was empty.
The last word died on his lips as he met nothing but thin air on the other side and suddenly grew uncomfortable. He was certain he saw attire similar to the one his companion wore and just to double check, called out, "Vivian?"
Far behind him, in the previous room, Vivian's voice piped up with a mock salute, "Loyal minion awaits orders."
The confirmation of her position beckoned further questions as he realized Vivian had been in the room the whole time. She hadn't scuttled forward, especially while holding a torch- he would've seen it! Had he mistaken the shuffling of an animal? Could animals even survive in the sealed temple? There had to be a logical explanation for that.
He snapped out of his thoughts when a hand touched his right bicep and he tensed immediately. Expecting the worst, he breathed in relief when Vivian's face was illuminated by the torchlight and she asked softly, "What's wrong? You're very tense."
Thank you for reading once again and please leave a review if you can. :) I'm also in the process of writing oneshots for this story since there's many ideas for shenanigans the three can get into.