Disclaimer: My co-writer and I own nothing but the Ocs that appear.

Chapter Theme: 'Kings and Queens' by 30 Seconds to Mars

Silver's hands clenched, shaking too wildly and uncontrollably for her to be able to control. Her chest was heaving quickly as her breath seemed to be stuck within her throat despite her best efforts to breath. Silver wasn't even sure how she had come to be up here. The last thing she remembered was being ushered out of the room Malik and Genesis had been taken to for what passed as medical treatment in this day and age as Malik's arm had been 'un-save-able' according to what passed as a doctor. That had been after her breakdown upon the fortress' walls, of course...

Before she knew it she had been approached by a couple of higher ranking Assassins telling her that she had a part to play in Al Mualim's plans along with a few other Assassins and ushered her out of the building and up onto the plank that she stood at now. While she had been in the room (before being shooed away) she had only known that a fight was waging outside between Assassins and Templars while the civilians were ushered into the safety of the gates and away from the bloodshed.

Now it seemed they were at a lull in the fighting with Assassins inside the fortress of Masyaf itself, locked safely inside and away from the Templars.

Below her was a large outcropping of cliff face with large stacks of hay far below her. If Silver bothered to look towards her right she would see Altair stepping out onto the remaining plank at his own leisure and below them - in a spot where they would not be able to see the hay piles - the remaining group of Templars that had not been slain stood, headed by who she assumed to be their leader, a bald-headed man astride his large, muscular steed.

"Heretic!" cried out the bald-headed Robert below, glaring at the form of Al Mualim above him. "Return what you have stolen from me!"

"You've no claim to it, Robert!" Al Mualim's loud, gruff voice answered back near instantly. "Take yourself from here before I am forced to thin your ranks further!"

Honestly, Silver wasn't sure how he could back that claim up. The ranks of the Templars below, when she had spared a quick glance (only to grow even more frightened at realizing how high up she was) seemed much larger than the Assassins in Masyaf as of the moment. Oh, she hoped she lived through this somehow... It wouldn't do to survive Ghufran's beating only to die to prove some old man's point!

"You play a dangerous game!"

"I assure you; this is no game!"

"So be it!" Robert scoffs, gesturing behind him to one of his men, though his gaze never left Al Mualim's. "Bring forth the hostage!"

Silver's breath caught in her throat in horror as a lower-ranking Assassin was tugged forward by one of the Templars. The Assassin's arms were twisted and tied behind him, the man unable to defend himself from what was to come as the Templar drew his blade and shoved it through the back of his chest and out the front mercilessly. The slain main grunted as his dying breaths left his lungs, pain blossoming in his chest before he was tossed uselessly to the ground, the sword sliding out of his torso easily.

Silver's stomach merely flopped in disgust and fear at this display of ruthlessness.

"Your village lays in ruins! And your stores are hardly endless!" Robert announces confidently. "How long before your fortress crumbles from within? How disciplined will your men remain when your wells run dry and your food is gone?"

"My men nor our women fear death, Robert."

Was it just Silver or did she hear shuffling and confused murmurs behind her from the two Assassins behind them to make sure all went according to plan? Altair, too, cocked his head slightly as if to reassure himself that he wasn't hearing things though he was too focused on Al Mualim's words than to pay full attention to mindless noises.

"They welcome it and the rewards it brings!"

Silver's throat closed as her mind finally flashed to what was planned. She was going to have to jump into those haystacks below! Oh, no, not on her life she wasn't! The Assassins might not be afraid to do such a thing; heck, she could even see Genesis enjoying such a feat, but she was not going to jump! Not ever!

Besides, what rewards could death bring? No one knew what was after death, exactly! Man could only speculate.

"Good! Then they shall have it all around!" Robert roughly retaliated, eyes narrowing in distaste at the man's stubbornness to fork over the Piece of Eden to him.

"Follow me," whispered an Assassin clothed in gray robes from Silver's left. She glanced over, her pale face must have showed how deathly frightened she was as the man spared a gentle, reassuring smile at her as he continued, "and do so without hesitation."

Silver couldn't even bring herself to nod yes or no at this.

"Show this fool knight what it is to have no fear!" Al Mualim boasted, gesturing to the Templars and turning to observe the people standing on the planks from his only working eye. "Go to God!"

The three Assassins tensed, crouching slightly to prepare their jump though Silver's heart thundered even louder in her ears. If she didn't jump the plan, whatever it was, would be ruined! She knew it, but she was too deathly afraid to jump and -

Her train of thought was broken almost instantly (really her thoughts had only gotten as far as a second or so in as the assassins around her readied their jump as one) before Genesis' voice called out; "You go to God!"

Silver had no time to turn around and blink wildly at the injured woman as Genesis grasped onto the back of her robes, tugging her back and off of the plank as the injured woman took her spot instead. Silver thudded back into one of the two Assassins who had been groping for Genesis to stop her though it was already too late.

With a cheer she had jumped off of the plank simultaneously with Altair and the other two Assassins, relishing in the wind beating onto her body as she rocketed down into the haystack. However she didn't last long, the adrenaline exhausting her on top of her already weary body and mental state from the events she had suffered from before hand. Once she landed the jarring of her wound was enough to send her straight into unconsciousness, laying in the hay as the novice Assassin that had jumped with them howled in pain from his broken leg, having missed his stack of hay entirely.

It was amazing he hadn't been more injured as it was. The older Assassin shushed him, rushing to his side to tend to his injury as best as he could until the situation was over with. Altair easily stepped from his stack of hay, strands of the dry, scratchy plants falling away from his clothes as he moved, ready to glare at Genesis...

Only to not see her emerge just yet... There was no doubt in his mind it had been her, had even spared a quick glance to be sure. However, reprimanding her for acting so childish in such a situation and even butting in when she shouldn't have been there in the first place would have to wait as the old, bearded man turned to him;

"You must go and finish the plan. Follow the rope and send the Templars running!"

Altair spared a quick nod, jaw set as he quickly glanced around for the rope. He quickly spotted it, pinned to the side of the cliff and running across. He would have to balance precariously on a beam to reach his destination, looked like he'd have to do this three times, though this did not deter the man at all.

The man did enjoy a challenge in his job, after all.

So without so much as a bat of an eye he was off, slowly making his way over the beam as the voices of Robert and his master reached his ears faintly, apparently the two were still arguing with one another. No matter, Altair would solve that soon enough. What seemed like hours later to the man and he was before the building, eyeing it carefully, memorizing the nooks and crannies he would use to hoist himself up easily and quickly.

Time was of the essence.

So without missing a beat he was up following a set pattern to climbing. Reach, test the weight, hoist himself up with a steady foot hold, reach... It was a habit formed over the many years of training and on field work, one that was done within mere minutes if no one was trying to attack him and force him back down or to hurry his paces and endanger himself to falling.

However there was none of that as he reached the top silently, eyes roving around as he formulated the rest of the unspoken plan. Large logs were stacked inside below him, he could see them from beneath the wood grate beneath his feet, blocked from falling down on the Templars and rolling down the pathway to the village itself by a tied off gate of sorts.

Altair moved with a purpose to the place the gate was tied off with a bit of rope, unsheathing his sword as he moved before slashing down at it, snapping the pieces in two in one go. The gate fell open with a loud clatter, allowing the logs to begin rolling loudly out of their container and down upon the Templars who all jumped and turned to look before scattering.

Many were not lucky enough to get away, crushed beneath the logs or trampled by one another as they retreated with Robert's orders to "Fall back!" Altair smirked in satisfaction as they ran back down the slope, some still tripping over one another or over their own feet, with Robert safe upon his steed.

Altair awaited the day he would be able to see Robert off from this world entirely, however that would have to wait. He didn't have to wait long before he could climb his way down from above, none of the Templars had wanted to stay after that nasty log surprise and any that were laying about on the ground were either dead, dying or unconscious.

In the fortress the gate had been reeled up after a few minutes wait, several higher ranked Assassins rushing out and down the slope to be sure that it was safe for the civilians to be released without fear of being attacked by any stray Templars.

In but half an hour all was safe and sound, the logs rolled away and the dead taken away to be prepped for burial at a later time while the injured were being treated to. The Assassins that had come out unscathed now stood before the fortress they lived within, however, where Al Mualim stood at the entrance glaring at Altair angrily.

On either side of Altair stood two other Assassins, awaiting orders it seemed as Al Mualim moved to speak.

"You did well to drive Robert from here," he began lowly, though there was no ounce of pride or joy in his voice. "His force is broken. It shall be a long while before he troubles us again. Tell me... Do you know why it is you were successful?"

Silence reigned, Altair unable to answer. He didn't know what the master wanted to hear, what was the right answer? Was there even a right one?

"It is because you listened!" Al Mualim supplied. Altair had to keep from scoffing at this answer. "Were it that you'd listened in Solomon's Temple, Altair. All of this would have been avoided."

And there it was, that disappointed tone that caused anger to build in Altair's chest. "I did as I was asked!"

"No! You did as you pleased! Malik and Genesis have told me of the arrogance you displayed!" Altair wondered when this had happened. Possibly as Altair had been out fending off the Templars, though he didn't even know if this was true or not. "Disregard for our ways!"

Altair's anger doubled as confusion bubbled within him as the two Assassins on either side rushed him, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back roughly with a mere nod from Al Mualim. "What are you doing?"

"There are rules..." the old man began, starting to pace as he spared a glance at the struggling Altair who glared back. "We are nothing if we do not abide by the Assassin's creed! Three simple tenants! Which you seem to forget!" Here Al Mualim stopped in front of Altair, roughly pulling his down turned face up to make sure the man was listening to his words.

"I will remind you... First and foremost; stay your blade-"

"From the flesh of an innocent. I know."

Altair received a slap from his master for that, the sound echoing around the silent crowd. They waited with bated breath, wondering what their master would do to his favorite and highest ranking. "And stay your tongue! Unless I give you leave to use it! If you are so familiar with this tenant then why did you kill the old man inside the temple? He was innocent! He did not need to die!"

Altair refused to answer this, anger and resentment still welled up within his chest. Silence before Al Mualim spat; "Your insolence knows no bounds... Make humble your heart, child, or I swear I'll tear it from you with my own hands..."

Another pause as Altair nodded, showing his understanding albeit resentfully. Al Mualim continued on, explaining the second and third tenants and how Altair had broken each one of them merely within Solomon's Temple. Altair did not much like his failures being flaunted out for the others to hear about, his resent only growing with each word though he could do nothing about it.

Al Mualim paused, tugging out a golden bladed dagger from his belts as he eyed Altair almost sorrowfully. "I'm sorry... I truly am..."

Altair's heart sped up dramatically as his eyes darted to the blade. There was no way his master was going to just kill him for a few blunders! He wouldn't believe it!

"But I cannot abide a traitor..."

"I am not a traitor!" Altair argued, tugging at the Assassins who still held him at bay though it did him no good as Al Mualim viewed him thoughtfully.

"Your actions indicate otherwise..." Al Mualim slowly stepped closer only a few paces away from Altair know, dagger still in hand. "And so you leave me no choice..." A pause as the two glanced at one another, Altair's face set into defiance.

"Peace be upon you, Altair..." Without waiting for a reply from Altair the old ducked and lunged, stabbing the poison-coated blade into Altair's stomach, Altair's leather harness about his waist blunting the blade enough so as not to make the attack lethal, though it would certainly feel like such to Altair as the non lethal poison took effect.

Altair's vision grew fuzzy and dark as he sagged in the Assassins' hold, his mind wavering between consciousness and unconsciousness for several long seconds before finally giving out in to blackness.

"Take him to receive treatment for his wound," Al Mualim ordered when he was sure the man was unconscious. "And let us hope he has learned his lesson..."