Chapter 26 (part two): Good-bye Once Again
Year: 1228
Masyaf
“We seek the truth about our son’s death. Why was Sef killed?” Altaïr spoke
“Is it the truth you want, or an excuse for revenge?” Abbas replied
‘Both,’ I thought. I looked down and they were silent. Maria looked over to her husband to see if he will speak but let her take a turn. She looked over to Abbas. His smile was gone and he was showing a smug face that had the power he wanted. He was soon going to go from the top to the very bottom in a matter of minutes. I looked over to Maria.
“If the truth gives us an excuse,” she turned her head to look at her husband and then back to Abbas in a matter of a second “we will act on it.”
Abbas looked over to the side as Swami just looked at Abbas. Abbas turned his head to look at the rock wall and gave the rock wall a quick smile before he turned to Maria and Altaïr again. I knew what he was going to ask for. The power that Altaïr holds.
“Surrender the Apple, Altaïr, and I will tell you why your son was put to death.”
‘Psssh, father would never give him the Apple,’ I thought. Altaïr paused a second to look at him. Then he continued,
“Ah, the truth is out already! Abbas wants the Apple for himself. Not to open your minds, but to control them!”
Maria looked to her husband and then back to Abbas. The whole time, Altaïr had his hand up showing that, that is why he wants the Apple. He put both Malik and I in prison to get Altaïr's attention to come here. He set up a meeting so that they could discuss things. When really all he wanted was the Apple for himself so he could get the full power he wanted. The rest of the council took a defensive step towards Altaïr. Once Altaïr finished speaking, Abbas had a comment back to lay on Altaïr.
“You have held that artifact for thirty years, Altaïr, reveling in its power and hoarding its secrets. It has corrupted you.”
Abbas pointed a finger at Altaïr the time. Altaïr's head went down. He looked at the ground for a good few seconds before he looked up and spoke again.
“Very well, Abbas. Take it.”
He pulled the Apple from his pouch and held it out in his hand. He took a few steps closer to Abbas and held it out for him to take it. Maria looked at him with shock. Probably the same look that covered her face covered mine. Abbas looked to Swami.
“What?” Maria said in her shocked state
Abbas pointed to Swami and then to Altaïr. He nodded his head and then walked slowly over to Altaïr. He got out his sword in defense. I looked back between Abbas and Swami and Altaïr. Shock was still on my face. Same with Maria's. As Swami walked closer and closer to Altaïr, he started to talk about Sef's death. He put his sword away about halfway to Altaïr.
“Before I executed your son, I told him you ordered it yourself.”
He pointed a finger at Altaïr as he stopped in front of Altaïr to get the Apple from him. He looked at him with the same smug face he gave me.
“He died believing you had betrayed him.”
Just then, Altaïr held up the Apple to Swami's head and started to control his weak mind. The Apple started to glow a bright gold as lights went all around the place. A line of light when up his face as he screamed in pain. Then, next thing I knew, he was being control. Swami slowly with shaking hands grabbed his sword out of its holder. He started to hold it up to his throat the same way he did to mine.
“Altaïr!” Maria yelled at him,
She was trying to stop his from doing something he would regret. Inside me, I was chanting for him to slit his own throat and die right there. Maria had panic in her eyes and then stepped in front of Altaïr. She started to shake him, trying to get him out of the trance he was in. As on cue, the Apples powers had died because Maria's touch had always relaxed him and made him forget about what was happening around him. As the power began to die, Swami was getting back to himself. He took the sword down from his throat and took the opportunity he had and stabbed Maria in the back.
She let out a breath as her head bobbed back. Altaïr as well, took the opportunity he had and stabbed Swami in the neck for doing such a thing to his wife. Swami fell to the ground as Altaïr laid Maria down gently. He put his hand up to her face as she looked at her husband for the last time. I could tell tears where about to fall from Altaïr's eyes, but I could not see because he had his hood up. As Maria took her last breaths, she whispered to Altaïr,
“Strength, Altaïr.”
She closed her eyes as she felt deaths warm embrace form around her. I did not realize I was holding in a breath of air until I let it out a few moments later. He set her head down as he whispered her name,
“Maria . . .”
That is when Abbas thought it would be a great time to get his weak-minded working and yelled to them.
“He is possessed! Kill him!”
Altaïr got up and put the Apple back in his pouch. He got up and looked around. I knew this was not good and I was too weak to climb or jump. I had enough energy to run and to fight if I had to. I started to back away from the edge and turn around. That is when I heard Abbas yell,
“Take the Apple! Now!”
I did not have time to turn back and help father. I had to go now. I knew father would meet Darim. I started to run out of the courtyard and then into the building. I ran out the entrance and started to run down the hill to get to the city. I started to run quicker and quicker. I looked around and found Darim. I ran over to him and he just looked at me with worry.
“What is going on Harees? Why do you look so weak?”
“No time to explain. We need to wait for father.” I said between breaths
I really was weak from being in prison this whole time. I used to be able to run around this whole place without getting tired. Now, I was gasping for air and I did not even go that far. It was going to take years for me to get back to my normal self. I looked behind me and sure enough, father was right behind me. He looked at me with worry but I looked at him with apology in my eyes. He looked down to the ground and then looked back up to Darim. Darim started jogging towards father. I was walking right behind him.
“Father! I got your message. What has happened?”
Father stopped for a second and then turned around remembering that there was a huge group of Assassins after him. He looked back to Darim and then looked behind to see me. He looked back to Darim and then started to gently push him back. The group would be after us. We were all that was left of our family now and he was not going to let us die anytime soon.
“Darim! Turn back!”
Darim looked up to see the group of Assassins on the top of the hill we both had just come from. I was walking towards them very slowly. I looked up myself. There was at least a good thirty of them up there waiting to spill blood. Altaïr kept pushing Darim back.
“Have they all gone mad?”
Darim had no clue what was happening. He has not been here in ten years and this was probably the first time he was really looking at Masyaf and seeing how much Abbas had destroyed it. Ruined the Creed we all faugh for. The Creed our parents had built up but were brought down by the hands of Abbas. Father turned back to see them coming closer to us. I was caught up to them by now and was standing beside Darim. I looked over to father but he had to focus on getting the both of us out of here.
“We have to go. Abbas must not get his hands on the Apple.”
Father turned around and stood beside Darim. They both looked up to see the Assassins coming closer and closer with every step. It was the three of us against all of them. Darim took out all of his knives and chucked them on the ground. Altaïr looked at them while Darim spoke.
“If you need more knives, take them.”
I looked over to father. He picked up the knives and handed them to me. I knew I was not ready to fight. I was going to have to be on roof duty if I wanted to get out of here alive. I took them and put them in my pouch. I noticed that I could hold more than twenty-five knives now. I put them in my pouch and looked around. I saw a roof close by that I could get up on and then go from there. I jumped up on the window and then climbed up from there. Once I was up, Altaïr and Darim started to head down towards the entrance gate. I looked around when I got on the roof. Assassins were coming in everywhere.
“Beside you!”
I heard Darim yell to me. I looked to both sides and then threw my knife into the Assassins back. He fell on the roof face first as I started to run closer to where the both of them where. I looked around and saw another Assassin. I did the same and threw the knife but this time, the knife entered his chest. He fell off the roof and landed on the ground with a thud. Darim took his hidden blade and stabbed an Assassin in the throat. He got up as Altaïr ran closer to him. Darim looked over at father.
“Where is mother?”
I swallowed at the thought. I saw her death clouding my vision as I ran with them to be the target of the Assassin on the roof with me. I quickly took a knife and threw it at him. The knife landed between his eyes and he fell to the ground with it still in his head. I got closer to the edge to do my guarding when I heard father speak up.
“She is gone Darim. I am sorry.”
Darim stopped a moment in his tracks before he continued to go towards the Assassins heading his way. I looked around trying to forget what vision had entered my mind. They killed the two Assassins as they continued to run. Darim paused before running again trying to get his thoughts together.
“What? How?!”
“Later. First we fight.”
They ran down the hill as I jumped down from the roof I was on to a smaller one and started to climb up the next one. Once I got up I saw an Assassin ready to jump and kill whomever he could kill. I would not let him. Once I was standing on the roof, I got out a knife and ran up to him to deliver the kill myself. I stabbed him in the back and kicked him so he would and meet his death if he was not already dead.
“Brothers, we need not fight!”
“Forget reason Darim. They have been poisoned by lies.”
I could not agree more. They have and Sef and I and his family were lucky to have not fallen into the trap that Abbas had planted. We could have left here alive if it was not for me. It was my fault we could not leave earlier. I was the reason Sef had died that day. It was me and it always has been me. It was me whom made myself suffer. It was me whom gave up on my parents and grandparents. I swallowed back the lump in my throat and looked down to them. There were four this time. I threw a knife and killed one that was about to strike Darim from behind. I threw another to an Assassin about to strike father from the side.
They ran down the hill and then ran down the hill leading to the center of Masyaf. Darim was first since father had lost his speed during the years. I looked down the hill from where I was at and saw four Assassins ready to strike. Darim turned back and so did father. They tried heading straight but saw four more Assassins coming their way. They turned around and headed up the hill again. I followed them up the hill again. There was an Assassin running in front of me. I started to run quicker but was starting to run out of breath. I had to keep running for Darim and Altaïr. I got out a knife and threw it hoping it would hit him in the back. Missed. I ran even more and got out another knife. He jumped down to a lower roof. I stopped on the roof he had just jumped from and threw the knife aiming for his back. Instead, I had gotten him in the throat. He landed hard on the roof he was on. I looked down to father. He was looking at me with a smile on his face.
I gave him a quick smile before I headed to the next roof and saw a ladder. I climbed down and then ran towards the right side of the roof and jumped down to where I had just killed the Assassin. I jumped down from that roof and joined the two of them on the ground. We all started to run up the hill a bit more before there were six Assassins standing in our way.
“No! We cannot let them catch us!” Darim shouted
I looked around and the only way to get out of here was to jump the wall and land on the roof across from the wall. I jumped up on the wall and then jumped heading towards the roof just across from the wall. I landed on the roof with a thud and then stood up. I looked over my shoulder to find Darim and Altaïr following me. I moved over on the roof to let them jump on. They both landed on the roof and then did a Leap Of Faith off the roof into the haystack just below the roof. I followed right behind them. I looked over to father and he looked at me. I knew I had to stay on the ground now. They needed me more here than on the roofs now.
“Was it Abbas that killed my brother?” Darim asked Altaïr more than me, even though I was the one whom saw it happen,
“He killed your brother, Malik, and countless others.”
I looked around and saw Assassins coming in at us from all corners. I threw a few knives at the ones jumping off the roofs. There was only three more to deal with now. I knew the two of them could handle it. I threw a knife at an Assassin heading at me from behind. Darim had killed one while father killed one.
“He is a madman.” Darim stated,
“A madman with an army.” Altaïr replied back almost immediately,
“He will die. One day he will pay.” Darim said as he killed the last Assassin in our way,
He ran out from the tight spot and headed down the hill. There were only two Assassins waiting for us at the bottom of the hill, which scared me because I knew that there would be about ten to twenty coming our way before we could make it out. We were so close to the gate when about ten Assassins came out and started to attack us. I looked up to the roofs and threw three knives. All of them landing on the ground with a thud, meeting their death if they have not already. Three more came and attacked us as we finished off the ten. I looked up to the roof and there was one Assassin up there. I threw my knife and watched as it penetrated his neck. Darim and Altaïr had gotten the last two.
“It is time to go!” Darim yelled to us,
There were two Assassins on the roofs and that was all that was left from what we could tell. I took two knives and threw them, not really caring where they went, as long as they could just be stalled from what their goal was. All three of us started to run towards the gate. We made the mistake of turning back to find Abbas running after us. We ran as quickly as we could towards the gate. There were two horses in the stable. I looked over to father and he nodded his head towards one of the horses as he hopped up on the one he nodded towards. I jumped on right behind him. Abbas stopped at the gate as we hopped on our horses.
“I will have the Apple, Altaïr! And I will have your head for all the dishonor you brought upon my family!”
We galloped off at his last few words. We headed out of Masyaf. I grabbed father tight, or as tight as I could with my weak arms. I was glad my leg did not give out on me or that my legs did not break or my arms. I was that weak that even I was still afraid to break myself again.
“You cannot run forever! Not from us, and not from your lies!” Abbas yelled at us as we made the turn to head out of Masyaf
I looked back to see Abbas filled with even more anger. I turned my head to face the way we were going and not the way we were leaving from. I looked over to Darim whom seemed to be in his own little world. I held my arms tight around fathers waist. He did not say anything about me holding him too tight. Was I that weak that when it seemed like I was using all my strength, I was really only using very little? I looked out to the river as we passed it.
“Maria. My love . . .” Altaïr whispered,
I swallowed hard as he said those words. This was his last good-bye to Maria, his wife, my mother. I held on to father as tightly as I could. It was more a hug now than anything. I had heard his last good-bye while Darim had no clue what happened and I knew exactly what happened. A tear rolled down my face as the wind crashed on my face at the speed we were going. I knew we were not going to slow down anytime soon. Not with Abbas still after us. We went through the brick entrance which meant you are in Masyaf. I turned around to look at it one more time remembering all the good memories that I had in Masyaf before everything went to hell. I turned around and then looked up to the sky. The sun was shining. Mother always loved it when the sun was out. I kept looking up as I rested my head on fathers back.
“Requiescat in pace, mère. Je t’aime toujours. [rest in peace, mom. I love you always]” I whispered
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So, it's uploaded late, but it's up. My flight was delyaed 4 hours yesterday and IT SUCKED BALLS! But, I'm back home and everything is fine.
Anyway, in chapters 22, 24, 25 and this one, I added songs to go along with the chapters. If you guys want to, head back to those chapters and listen to the songs. They're awesome songs and you guys should check them out, but, if you don't want to, that's cool too.
Also, interesting fact: I had been studying the French Revolution for the past two months because I was thinking about writing an Assassin's Creed fanfic during that time period.
Now that Ubisoft has released that Unity (the new Assassin's Creed game) is in that time period, I might include that new character to my story. That depends if I like them or not. :P Anyway, just an interesting fact! I had also been studying the American Revolution at the same time, thinking about writing an Assassin's Creed fanfic in that time period as well. I won't tell you if I'm going to include Connor or not . . . you're just going to have to guess! That is, if I write in that time period . . .
-hey895