sktarang

Switch outfits

New hairstyle

Work / school uniform

As favorite duo

Historical

Horse ride

Fursonas (or humansonas)

Eating dinner

Baking together

Phone charms

Subtle keychains

Dream wedding / birthday

Outfit inspired on you both

Younger

Older

New clothing style

Sailing on the sea

Fairytale

Halloween costume

Makeup 

Hide and seek

Cradling

Head pats

Vacation

Pool party

Fruit picking

Selfie

Mirror

Morning routine

Skincare

Sports

Card game

Candy making

Futuristic

Inspired by your favorite song

Take a proverb literally

Writing a letter

Studying (or procrastination)

New shoes

Gloves

Bird watching

Cultural clothing

Redraw as a scene of your favorite movie

Favorite animal

Wordle word of the day

Fast food

Cleaning

Hairclips

Style from another decade

Nail design

Thematic drinks

Detectives

Classroom

Dream bedroom

Phone call

In another artstyle

Pajama party

Thunderstorm

Hometown

Pokemon team

Family

Toasting

Museum visit

Sewing

Videogames

Feeding 

Ice cream

Summertime

Dolls

Superheros

Window shopping

Computer

Haircut

Cosplay

Dancing

Magical girls 

If in an otome

Favorite vocaloids

Butterflies

Spring

Driving

Supermarket trip

Fashion subculture

Aquarium 

First design

Paint

Prank

Favorite quotes

Elevator

Urban legend

Perfume

Street food

Lipstick

Surprise

Drawn into a real life picture

Arts and crafts

Puddles

Vending machine

Flower arrangement 

Soft

Several weeks passed and it was the beginning of September. Rumors were spreading throughout the Holy Land about a pair of Assassins, one wearing a white hood and the other a gray one, who were gradually eliminating important men from among the Saracens and the Crusaders. Altaïr and Ezekiel were slowly approaching their goal. Only Robert de Sablé remained, and it would take them one more day to reach Jerusalem, where their final target was expected to be. With Robert's death, their mission would be accomplished.

During their investigations, both of them understood better what it meant to be an Assassin. Altaïr was once again a Master Assassin. He was becoming less arrogant and was less strict than several weeks earlier. He was calmer, wiser, and even friendlier toward his student. Ezekiel felt himself changing as well. He was much more focused, patient, and humble. He still made mistakes, and sometimes they got into trouble because of him, but-

"You really had to steal that thug's knives right in front of the guards!?" Altaïr exclaimed.

"Sorry, homie! I didn't notice them, eh!" Ezekiel defended himself in a panic.

The two Assassins were in a village in the Kingdom, and they were currently fleeing from the Saracen guards. This time, there were too many of them, so they wouldn't stand a chance fighting them.

"Stop those infidels!" the captain yelled, "I want both of their heads!"

Unexpectedly, more guards appeared and surrounded the pair in a narrow, dead-end alley. The walls were smooth and high, so they couldn't climb up. There was no other way to escape.

"We've got them, Captain!" one of the guards announced proudly. "Excellent, men!" the captain laughed, drawing his sword. "Let's cut off those infidels' heads!" "Yo! Can you guys call us anything else besides 'infidels', eh?" Ezekiel complained. "It's getting pretty old!" The guards looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'll give you some suggestions, eh! I'll say them in English because my Arabic isn't perfect yet, so…" Ezekiel said, clearing his throat and beginning to suggest: "You can call us dogs, fools, heretics, phonies, idiots, freaks, shizzlehats, losers, assclowns, shi-"

"Zeke! What are you doing?!" Altaïr didn't understand his student's strategy.

"Oh, sorry, buddy! I got carried away," Ezekiel chuckled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

Surprisingly, the guards paused to consider his words. "It's true that using the word 'infidel' is getting quite irritating, right?" said one of them.

"Yes! But what are we going to call them now? Dogs or heretics?" asked the second.

"No! Assclowns sounds better!" countered the third.

"But I love the word 'infidel'!" protested the fourth. "The Caliph the Scorpion uses it all the time! And he's such a terror that even our lord keeps his distance from him!"

"What!? So you prefer our enemy over Saladin!? You're an infidel!"

"Not an infidel! A loser!"

As the guards argued among themselves, the Assassins stared at them in discombobulation. "Let's leave," Altaïr whispered. The two slipped past the guards and made their way out of the village.

"Phew!" Ezekiel breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close-"

"Hey, men! The Assassins are getting away! Go after them!" The guards noticed them and charged at them again.

Once again, they had to run. But Ezekiel tripped over a rope tied to a wooden crane and fell to the ground.

"ZEKE!" Altaïr panicked as the guards approached Ezekiel.

'Oh no! I'm dead!'

Ezekiel covered his eyes and waited for their blades, but the crane rope he'd tripped over snapped, and the platform with the stones collapsed onto the guards. It injured and knocked out all of them. Without hesitation, Ezekiel quickly stood up, his hood slipping off his head, and hurried after Altaïr. The two of them fled the village and searched for their horses.

"You all right?" Altaïr checked on him.

"Yeah, yeah, eh…" Ezekiel nodded and glanced down at the ground humility, "Sorry I wasn't paying attention to the surroundings and accidentally exposed us…"

Altaïr raised his right hand toward him, and Ezekiel tightly closed his eyes in fear, expecting a slap as punishment, but instead Altaïr just gently patted him on his hair.

Ezekiel opened his eyes and glanced at him in surprise, "Wait, you're not angry at me, eh?" he wondered at his unusual gesture.

"I should be angry, but this was quite decent, so I'll give you a pass," Altaïr responded in a neutral tone, yet there was a hint of appreciation in his voice.

"T-Thanks," Ezekiel smiled slightly.

"I just noticed that you flinched when I reached out my hand," Altaïr said with concern. "Why?"

"I don't know why, but for a moment I thought you were going to hit me in punishment."

"Why would I do that to you? I've never hit you outside of training, and besides, it's not because of little mistakes like that…" Then Altaïr frowned, but Ezekiel sensed that it wasn't directed at him. "Zeke? Did your father beat you?"

The novice's eyes widened in shock, and he turned away gloomily. He remained silent, as he didn't feel comfortable talking about it.

"I see," Altaïr nodded sympathetically, softening his gaze. "Let's get on our horses and keep going. We should be in Jerusalem by tomorrow…"

In the evening, they set up camp under a large terebinth tree. Clouds covered the moon, leaving everything in complete darkness. The only source of light was the campfire. Altaïr and Ezekiel were practicing fencing together. It still wasn't perfect, and Ezekiel couldn't quite match Altaïr yet, but he was handling the sword much better than he had a month ago.

After the training, they both sat down by the campfire and chatted.

"Altaïr?" Ezekiel asked curiously. "Is it really true that 'Nothing is true, everything is permitted' means we're supposed to be wiser, eh?"

"Yes. It commands us not to be free, but to be wise," said Altaïr. "Like when we were discussing it with Al Mualim, remember? The Templars use illusion to rule, and we, the Assassins, see through their illusion to what is true. And that reality is to rule over us and take away our free will."

"Yeah… They really need to be stopped."

"Indeed," Altaïr agreed with a nod. After a brief silence between them, an idea occurred to him. "By the way, Zeke… Do you want to know more about my life?"

Ezekiel was surprised by his suggestion. "Really, eh?"

"Yes, since we're friends and I can trust you."

"Sure, homie! Start talking, please!"

Altaïr started by telling him about his tragic childhood…

"Your mom died after giving birth to you, eh?" Ezekiel asked him.

"Yes," Altaïr affirmed with a hint of sadness, "I only know about her from my father's stories."

"Shizzle… I can't imagine my life without my mom… I'm sorry to hear that, man," Ezekiel sympathized. "What was your father like?"

"I didn't really know much about my father, Umar, either. He was always busy, since he was an Assassin. But when he had some free time, he'd tell me stories about his travels and adventures. He was honorable and loyal to the Brotherhood."

"Did he still love you, though?"

"Definitely," a small smile appeared on Altaïr's face. "I remember when I was little, I fell into a fast-flowing river, which was terrifying, but luckily he saved me in time."

'So that's why he can't swim. It traumatized him…'

"And once my father told me that if I became a novice, he would train me and later take me on missions with him…" Soon Altaïr's smile faded, "Except that…"

"What happened, eh?"

"When I was eleven years old, the Saracens invaded Masyaf. Saladin wanted to conquer us. Al Mualim sent my father to deliver a threatening message to Saladin, but my father was attacked by one of Saladin's nobles and had to kill him. The next morning, Saladin agreed to make peace with us, but only on the condition that we hand over the murderer of his nobleman. If we don't, they would kill one hostage from our brotherhood, and the conquest would continue. So my father decided to sacrifice himself… He exchanged places with the hostage, walked out of the fortress gate, and…" Altaïr paused and closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back his tears.

"No…" Ezekiel shook his head in dismay, realizing what had happened next. "Did they kill him?"

"Yes…"

Ezekiel scowled, "Then Saladin must die-"

"No, Zeke," Altaïr halted him, "I had the same thought, that if I killed both Saladin and Richard, the war would end, but the truth is, everything would only change for the worse. Surely both of them have successors who would continue the war, and this time they'd target us as well. Vengeance leads nowhere good… Only to destruction…"

Ezekiel softened his gaze, acknowledged with a nod, and listened as Altaïr continued his story. A few days after Umar's death, a hostage named Ahmad, who had been Umar's friend, slit his own throat in front of Altaïr, feeling guilty that his friend had sacrificed his life for him…

"Holy cow…" Ezekiel gasped, "In front of you? In front of a child?"

"Yes…" Altaïr confirmed sadly.

Later, Altaïr became a novice alongside Abbas, who was actually Ahmad's son, and the two became brothers. At first, they didn't speak to each other, but over time they grew close and became best friends. But everything fell apart when Altaïr told him the truth about his father, because Al Mualim had lied to the Brotherhood, claiming that Ahmad had left, since Al Mualim considered suicide to be the act of a cowardice and a disgrace. At first, Abbas didn't respond until their training session with metal swords, and he tried to kill Altaïr. Altaïr then confessed that he had lied, and as a result, both were imprisoned for a month in the dungeon. Since then, they have been rivals.

"God… It's really awful that you two became enemies like this, eh," Ezekiel sighed gloomily, "All because of a misunderstanding. If only there were a way to change that."

"If only…"

Altaïr went on, recounting how he became an Assassin and Al Mualim's favorite student, and how he got the scar on his lips.

"Al Mualim gave you that scar on your lips!?" Ezekiel exclaimed in shock. "How could he have done that!?"

"I didn't obey, so he punished me-"

"No! That's not right, eh!" Ezekiel interrupted Altaïr. "Especially when you were my age! I mean, that's not right at all-"

"Zeke, calm down, please. It's already in the past," Altaïr reassured him.

'Did Al Mualim give him this scar because Altaïr defended the novice the Master was yelling at? Why do we serve him at all, when he treats us this cruelly?'

Altaïr was finishing his story with his encounter with Adha, who was his first and only love, and how he lost her…

"The Templars killed her? Good thing he got rid of them, eh," Ezekiel grew angry at how ruthless their enemies were, willing to kill even an innocent woman.

"But it never satisfied me, nor did it bring Adha back," Altaïr retorted, trying to hold back his tears.

"What was she like?"

Altaïr let out a soft huff as he remembered his late beloved. "Adha was an extraordinary woman, in the best sense of the word. She was the most beautiful, most skillful, and smartest person I've ever met. I taught her how to defend herself, and overall, she was better at wielding a blade than the average novice."

"Was she an Assassin?" "No. In other brotherhoods, women can be Assassins, like the brotherhood in Alamut, and one of the first Assassins was a woman named Amunet, who assassinated Cleopatra with a cobra. Only our brotherhood is the exception." "That's sexist," Ezekiel folded his arms firmly.

"I know," Altaïr nodded, "And besides, Assassins aren't allowed to marry. Only Rafiqs, Dais, scholars, and informers were allowed to have wives. Assassins are only allowed to have a child with a woman to create new generations within the Brotherhood, but that's all. They can't even interact much with their families."

"And why can't Assassins find love and be with their families?"

"The Master believes that emotions only distract us and make us weaker."

"That's nonsense, homie," Ezekiel objected. "Do you remember what Jabal told you after you assassinated that Sibrand guy? You have to embrace those uncomfortable feelings, because they're what make us human. Yes, there are emotions that can break our spirits, but they can also make us stronger, eh!"

"I remember… Where are you going with this, anyway?"

"My dad used to tell me the same thing. He said that showing emotions like tenderness, sadness, and fear makes me weak, being less a man, but over time I realized that's just bullshizzle."

Altaïr snickered slightly, but his smile faded shortly afterward. "Back to Adha… I had to keep my meetings with her a secret from Al Mualim, because I don't even want to imagine what he would do to her if he found out. Later, some informers found out about it, but they promised me they wouldn't tell him. Actually… Adha and I had planned to flee the Holy Land and start living a normal life… But… You know what happened next…"

"My deepest condolences," Ezekiel sorrowed, and Altaïr acknowledged him with a nod of gratitude.

"I'll never find a woman I'll fall in love with as deeply as I did with Adha…" Altaïr whispered gloomily.

"Never say never, buddy," Ezekiel gave him a gentle pat on the back to comfort him. "Like you told me, one day I'll find a girl who'll love me with all my imperfections. You'll find a woman you'll fall so deeply in love with that it'll heal your soul, eh!"

Unexpectedly, Altaïr cracked a mournful smile at his words. "Thank you, Ezekiel…"

They both gazed silently at the stars visible through the gaps in the clouds. Ezekiel pondered upon the story of his mentor. He began to realize many things…

'Altaïr lost his father because Al Mualim sent him to deliver that message… Altaïr and Abbas became rivals because Al Mualim lied to the entire Brotherhood about the fate of Abbas's father… Al Mualim gave Altaïr that scar… And Altaïr lost Adha because Al Mualim might have harmed her… Is our master truly a good man? He keeps many secrets from us and always gives evasive answers… He even threatened Altaïr when he demanded more answers from him… I'm starting to not like him… But I'd better not tell Altaïr about it just yet. It would probably devastate him, because he sees him as a father figure. I'll try to think about something else now…'

The stars were hidden by clouds, yet Ezekiel raised his eyebrows when he noticed one cloud that looked like…

'Mom… I miss you that much that I can even see you in the clouds…'

"Altaïr?" Ezekiel decided to break the silence. "In Islam, you believe in the afterlife, right?"

Altaïr turned his gaze toward him and gave a nod. "Yes. Jannah, also known as Paradise, is like heaven, and Jahannam is like hell. What about it?"

"Well, you know, since we both believe in the afterlife, do you think there's also life before we're born? Like, when we are born, live, and then go to the afterlife after death, that soul must somehow exist before birth and procreation, no?"

"Hmm…" Altaïr considered, "I've never thought about that. Why do you ask?"

"Because…" Ezekiel breathed mournfully, "Do you think my mom would be watching over me right now? Even though she doesn't exist physically yet, but only as a soul? And then, when she's born, she'll forget the memories from her pre-birth life, eh?"

"That's an interesting philosophy, to which I have absolutely no answer," Altaïr scratched his chin thoughtfully, "You miss her, don't you?"

"Very much… But I feel like she'd start to hate me if she saw me like this right now…"

"I hope she's not like your father-"

"No! She's not like my dad, not even a little bit! She's the complete opposite of him, eh!" Ezekiel stood up for her, a small smile appearing on his face. "Mom is the best person I know! I learn something new from her every day! Her cooking is the best food ever, and I've even baked biscuits with her! She can play the most beautiful melodies on the harmonica! When I'm sad, she always cheers me up with the hugs! Moreover, she sewed that toque for me! And of course, she's always proud of me, even for my smallest achievements, eh…"

"Is your mom always proud of you? Then why are you struggling so hard to earn your dad's approval when you say he's a jerk to you?"

"Uhm… I… I-I…" Ezekiel stammered, "I-I don't even know why, actually, eh…"

"Listen, Zeke," Altaïr grew serious, "Your father isn't a good person, not even the slightest. He only humiliates you, doubts you, abuses you… You should stop fighting for his affection and approval, because even if you tried your hardest, he'd still be disappointed in you. At least your mother is proud of you, because she actually loves you. Not your father."

Ezekiel was speechless. Altaïr was right: his father had never really loved him, but his mother loved him very much. It was finally starting to make sense to him. His mother had always been his greatest support, which he appreciated, while his father had always been against him.

"I guess… I guess you're right, eh…" Ezekiel agreed shyly, "Like… I tried harder to follow my father's advice, thinking he knew how the real world worked, and that this way he'd finally appreciate me, but in the end, his advice did me more harm than good."

"You know, sometimes it's best to experience something personally and form your own perspective from that. That's how you can understand the world better."

"That makes sense," Ezekiel smiled.

"We should go to sleep now," Altaïr yawned, "We have to be ready tomorrow."

"One last question, Altaïr… What will happen to me once we complete this mission?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe you'll become an apprentice, and Rauf or someone else will probably continue to mentor you. That would be best for you."

"Oh… So you won't be mentoring me anymore?" Ezekiel became a bit sad.

"Maybe I will, but that's up to the master to decide. Now let's go to sleep."

"Sure, eh…" Ezekiel agreed, and Altaïr extinguished the fire with water.

The two arrived in Jerusalem. They noticed that there was tension in the city because the Crusaders were there, but there was no fighting between them and the Saracens. Instead, the Crusaders had come for the funeral of the late Majd Addin, whom Altaïr had recently slain. It was strange that Christian knights were paying their respects to a Muslim man, but the pair knew that Majd Addin was connected to Robert de Sablé and thus their target had planned to establish "peace" between the Crusaders and the Saracens.

They arrived at the bureau, where they met Malik again. This was actually their third visit to the Jerusalem bureau, and it was clear that Malik's attitude toward Altaïr had shifted from hatred to respect. After their investigation, the pair returned to the bureau with all the necessary information, and Malik prepared a feather for Altaïr, which he picked up.

"Fortune favor your blade, Brother," Malik gave Altaïr a respectful bow.

Altaïr raised his eyebrows slightly, remembering that Kadar had said those words to him when they were at Solomon's Temple, shortly before his death…

"Malik," Altaïr addressed him, "Before I go, there's something I should say…"

"Be out with it."

"I've been a fool."

"Normally I'd make no argument, but what is this?" Malik asked, looking baffled, "What are you talking about?"

"All this time, I never told you I was sorry," Altaïr admitted mournfully, "Too damn proud. You lost your arm because of me… Lost Kadar… You had every right to be angry."

"I don't accept your apology," Malik lifted his hand, shaking his head.

"I understand," Altaïr glanced down at the floor in defeat.

"No. You don't," Malik smiled, "I do not accept your apology because you are not the same man who went with me into Solomon's Temple. And so you have nothing to apologize for."

Altaïr raised his eyes back to him in surprise and softened his gaze, "Malik…"

"Perhaps if I had not been so envious of you, I… I would not have been so careless myself. I'm just as much to blame," Malik's glance fell from sorrow.

"Don't say such things."

"We are one. As we share the glory of our victories, so too should we share the pain of our defeat. In this way we grow closer, we grow stronger."

A small, genuine smile crossed Altaïr's face, "Thank you, Brother."

"Rest if you need to, Altaïr, that you might be ready for what lies ahead," Malik added with a grin, and Altaïr went to sit on the rug to wait for the funeral to begin.

Ezekiel gave him a proud look, since this time he understood their conversation. His mentor was now a different person from when they first met.

Later, the time was right, and Altaïr was about to set off.

"Altaïr," Ezekiel stopped him.

"Yes, Zeke?" Altaïr looked at his student curiously.

"Well… It sounds silly, since I'm your student and you're my mentor, but… I'm proud of you!" Ezekiel flashed him a big, toothy smile. "You really are a new person and a better one, eh!"

Altaïr unexpectedly grinned and playfully ruffled his hair, making Ezekiel chuckle, "Thank you, my friend." And he climbed out of the bureau.

'I hope Altaïr will be okay… He said Robert is a strong opponent, but he'll handle it. I trust him…'

Ezekiel stayed sitting on the rug, wondering what would happen next once the mission was complete. He sensed that this was how Altaïr would redeem himself, but for him, it was still only the beginning.

However, he had an uneasy feeling about Al Mualim, especially after Altaïr had told him his life story. Should he tell Altaïr one day that he was losing trust in their master? Would he still be his friend, or would he turn his back on him because it would be considered a betrayal?

"Ezekiel?" Malik roused him from his thoughts.

"Yes, eh?" Ezekiel stood up.

"Come here, please," Rafiq beckoned him over.

Ezekiel went to his office. "What do you need?"

"Nothing serious, Brother. Just a chat," Malik smiled humbly at him. "Even though we're only seeing each other for a short time, I can tell you've changed, too. You seem more like an Assassin than you did when we first met."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Honestly, I was worried that you'd lose your life because of Altaïr's bad decisions, but I'm glad I was wrong. I hear you're learning well and quickly. I even heard from an informer in Damascus who saw you save Altaïr from the river. That's very impressive for a novice."

"Thank you, eh," Ezekiel smiled, "I simply have the best mentor ever. He's taught me a lot, not just about the Creed and how to be an Assassin, but also a thing or two about life. Thanks to him, I understand the real world better."

"Understand the real world better?" "I lived on a farm with my parents my whole life and had no idea how things worked outside my home until… Until we went to the Holy Land. I believed in things that turned out to be untrue, and people didn't like me for that. But when Altaïr found me and began mentoring me, he opened my eyes and showed me what reality is really like, eh."

"I'm not going to lie, Ezekiel. It seems like you and Altaïr have something in common."

"Yeah. I've noticed that, too. Besides being my mentor, he's also my friend, eh. My only one, actually."

"Your only friend? No one else?" Malik seemed surprised.

"Only my mother and our farm animals, that's all. I had a difficult relationship with my father, and-"

Then suddenly the bells began to ring, and panic broke out outside. People were running and screaming that the Assassin was at the funeral.

"This… This isn't right, " Malik remarked suspiciously. "I don't believe Altaïr would have exposed himself on purpose. Something's off about this."

"I hope Altaïr will be okay, eh…" Ezekiel became nervous. He wanted to help him, but he couldn't intervene during the most important part of the mission, or he might make things even worse. He could only wait helplessly with Malik…

Soon they heard a thud into the bureau-

"It was a trap!" Altaïr exclaimed breathlessly as he ran into the room. Ezekiel let out a sigh of relief that he was all right.

"We had heard the funeral turned to chaos," Malik spoke wearily, "What happened?"

"Robert de Sablé was never here," Altaïr answered, "He sent another in his stead. He was expecting me."

"You must go to Al Mualim!" Malik ordered.

"There's no time. She told me where he's gone, what he plans. If I return to Masyaf, he might succeed, and then, I fear we'll be destroyed."

'She? And we will be destroyed?'

"We have killed most of his men. He can't hope to mount a proper attack-" Malik paused when he realized one thing, "Wait… Did you say 'she'?"

"Yes, it was a woman," Altaïr confirmed, "Strange, I know, but that's for another time. For now we must focus on Robert. We may have thinned his ranks but the man is clever. He goes to plead his case to Richard and Saladin, to unite them against the common enemy. Against us."

"Oh, no…" Ezekiel grew anxious.

"Surely you are mistaken, Altaïr," Malik didn't believe Altaïr's words. "This makes no sense! These two men would never-"

"Oh, but they would," Altaïr interrupted him, "And we have ourselves to blame. The men I've killed, men on both sides of the conflict, men important to both leaders. Robert's plan may be ambitious but it makes sense, and it could work."

"Shizzle! Now I get it, eh!" Ezekiel figured out, "This is not good!"

"Look, Brother… Things have changed. You and Ezekiel must return to Masyaf. We can't act without our Master's permission. It could compromise the Brotherhood. I thought… I thought you had learned this, Altaïr," Malik sounded disappointed with sad face.

"Stop hiding behind words, Malik!" Altaïr raised his voice, "You wield the Creed and its tenets like some shield! He's keeping things from us, important things! You're the one who told us we could never know anything, only suspect. Well Ezekiel and I suspect this business with the Templars goes deeper. When I'm done with Robert, I will ride for Masyaf that we may have answers. But perhaps you could go now!"

"I can't leave the city," Malik shook his head.

"Then walk amongst its people. Seek out those who served the ones I slew," Altaïr suggested, softening his voice, "Learn what you can. You call yourself perceptive, perhaps you'll see something I could not."

"I don't know," Malik hesitated, "I must think on this."

"Do as you must, my friend. But it's time I ride for Arsuf. Every moment I delay, our enemy gets one step ahead of me."

"What about me, eh?" Ezekiel demanded in concern.

"You will help Malik, Zeke. You can't go with me, since Arsuf is a war zone. I hope you understand."

"Of course," Ezekiel understood, nodding, placing his hand over his heart, and bowing respectfully. "Good luck, mentor…" he bid farewell in Arabic. A small smile appeared on Altaïr's face. It seemed he was proud of his student.

"Be careful, Brother," Malik also said his goodbyes with a bow.

"I will be. I promise," Altaïr said goodbye with a nod, and quickly left the bureau, heading for Arsuf.

Malik and Ezekiel were alone in the bureau, wondering what they should do next.

"So… What now, eh?" Ezekiel asked uneasily.

"I think I know what we have to do… We have to go to Solomon's Temple," Malik decided.

"Solomon's Temple?" Ezekiel surprised, "That place where… Where it all went wrong, eh?"

"Yes. The Templars have a hideout there. We might find something useful inside. But first, we have to wait until the city calms down. Maybe it's best to head there in the evening."

"That sounds wise…"

Later, the city quieted down and the sun began to set. Guards patrolled the streets, searching for the Assassins. They didn't notice that Malik and Ezekiel had climbed out of the tunnel intended for the Rafiqs and were moving through the shadows. They headed toward the Temple Mount, which was now unguarded and empty, and quickly made their way to a secret entrance leading underground.

Malik took a torch, and Ezekiel followed him through the tunnel. They leaped over the obstacles of the ruins and climbed a ladder, finding the entrance to the Jerusalem vault. They entered the room, and the first thing they noticed was a gold-adorned chest with two cherubim on the lid.

'My God… Is that… Is that the Ark of the Covenant?'

Ezekiel's eyes sparkled. He had seen this artifact in a book, but he never expected to see it with his own eyes. According to Christian and Jewish traditions, the Ark contained the Tablets of Stone, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna. Ezekiel wondered if these sacred artifacts were still inside.

"Get down," Malik commanded quietly, and they both crouched on the floor. Below, two Templars entered the room. They weren't fully armored and weren't wearing helmets, but the Assassins remained on guard.

"Apparently, that Assassin escaped from the trap and fled the city," one of them began, "Hopefully our Grandmaster will convince Richard and Saladin to join forces against those jackals in Masyaf, and we'll finally get rid of them for good."

"And what are we supposed to do with that woman?" asked the other.

"You mean Maria Thorpe?"

"Yes. She revealed our Grandmaster's plans to the Assassin! I don't understand why he allowed her to become a decoy, since that whore will reveal all our plans to our enemy out of cowardice instead of dying with honor without a word! This is why I think women should never become knights! They should only work in the kitchen, bear children, and engage in prostitution!"

'Misogynistic bastard…'

Ezekiel's face darkened at his words. He heard the hatred and contempt in their enemy's voice as he spoke of that Maria. He was disgusted by the thought that he himself might have ended up like this if he hadn't realized his mistake and educated himself about it. Fortunately, he was a different person now, and he would strive to improve even more.

"Calm down, Piers," said the first Templar, "We'll see what the Grandmaster does with her when everything is over. Maybe he'll give her another chance, as he always does, since she may be his lover."

"But what if he fails? What if that Assassin gets to him in time? What then?" Piers added more questions.

"I have no idea, but the Grandmaster has chosen Lieutenant Armand Bouchart as his successor in case anything happens to him. Knowing Armand, he doesn't like Maria much. And if he becomes our new Grandmaster, she'll be gone."

'That's enough…'

"Malik, hand me the torch, eh," Ezekiel whispered.

"What? Why?" Malik furrowed his brow in confusion. "You could expose us like this."

"I have an idea! Trust me…"

Malik eventually nodded, handed him the torch, and Ezekiel tossed it at the Templars.

"Watch out!" Piers exclaimed in alarm when he saw the torch falling toward them, and he jumped into his colleague's arms out of fear. They dodged the torch, but it landed near the rope holding up the wooden scaffolding, which caught fire and collapsed, falling onto the two Templars. Both men groaned in pain until they lost consciousness.

Malik remained in shock, his jaw dropped, and he could only blink. He looked at the novice, who grinned proudly. "How did you do that?" he asked in bewilderment, trying to process what had actually just happened.

"I somehow 'control' physics. Is it supposed to be hard or what, eh?" Ezekiel shrugged with a silly smile and chuckled.

"You're quite skilled for a novice," Malik smirked a little.

"Thanks, eh!"

They both climbed down the ladder to the lower section of the chamber. Malik's face clouded with sadness as he looked toward a corner of the room.

"Are you okay, Malik?" Ezekiel asked concernedly.

"It breaks my heart to be back here," Malik sighed. "Kadar saved me when Robert had severely wounded my left arm. I took the artifact and climbed out, but… But then I saw them stab Kadar through the chest… If only I could change something so my brother would still be alive…"

Ezekiel gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry for your loss."

"It happened, and there's nothing we can do about it," Malik smiled sadly for a moment, but his expression quickly turned serious when he noticed something on the table near the exit. "Look…"

The pair approached the table, where there were scrolls, a candle, and a journal. Malik opened the journal and flipped through it.

"It looks like this journal belongs to Robert. We can find out his secrets from here," Malik said. "Ezekiel, in the meantime, inspect the temple to see if we're alone, and maybe you'll find something useful for us."

"As you wish, Malik, eh," Ezekiel bowed his head, picked up the torch from the floor, and inspected the temple while Malik read Robert's diary.

Ezekiel wandered through the second chamber, where the ruins of Solomon's Temple lay. They appeared to be about a thousand years old, and it was a marvel to see them with his own eyes. Fortunately, no other Templars were present, meaning they were safe for now.

He approached a relief that caught his attention. But without noticing, he held his torch too close to the rope, set it on fire, and another scaffold collapsed. Ezekiel quickly dodged it, and the fall created a cloud of dust.

"Ezekiel!? Are you alright!?" Malik shouted in alarm.

"Yes! I'm fine, Malik!" Ezekiel responded, coughing up dust. "I'm okay! No worries, eh!" When the dust settled, it turned out that the scaffolding had shattered the relief, creating a wide crack.

'What the-? Is that a hidden tunnel?'

Ezekiel walked inside and explored. The torch was his only source of light, and he noticed drawings on the walls that almost resembled Egyptian hieroglyphs. Except he had never seen anything like that in his history lessons. There were depictions of people that looked like they were from a sci-fi movie, but they seemed to be from a distant ancient era.

He suddenly stopped when he saw a drawing of two people with a golden hourglass between them. Ezekiel studied it intently, tracing the lines of the drawing with his free hand as he pondered.

'Weird… I… I've seen this exact drawing before. But where? Wait, I remember. In that pyramid… Before, when I was tangled up with the mummy. What does that actually mean, eh? Could that hourglass be some kind of time-travel artifact? But then again, I've never seen this thing before… Then… How did I end up in the past-?'

"Ezekiel!" Malik called him. "Where are you?"

Ezekiel took one last look at the drawing of the hourglass and stepped out of the tunnel, returning to Malik.

"I'm here, eh," Ezekiel assured him, "What did you discover?"

Malik seemed heartbroken and handed me the journal, "Do you understand French?"

"Oui," Ezekiel affirmed, taking the journal in his hands.

"Read this…" Malik pointed to a page. "If you were wondering, Rashid ad-din Sinan is our master's name…"

Ezekiel began reading it quickly… After a moment, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in disbelief when he discovered the shocking revelation. "WHAT!? Al Mualim was working with the Templars???" he exclaimed.

"And then he betrayed them," Malik added, his voice cracking with pain. "Because he wants to be the only one to rule the Holy Land with the help of the Apple of Eden. Altaïr was right… Al Mualim only used us…"

'Al Mualim was a bad guy all along! My guts were right!'

"So we must stop him, eh," Ezekiel frowned determinedly.

"Exactly," Malik agreed. "Let's go return to the bureau, send messages to the other bureaus to warn them about the Master's betrayal, and then we must leave the city immediately."

"And Altaïr?"

"It'll be hard to send him a message to Arsuf. We'll have to hope that he finishes off Robert and returns to Masyaf… Let's go…"

The two left Solomon's Temple and returned to the bureau, where Malik began writing letters about Al Mualim's betrayal to the other bureaus. He handed them to Ezekiel, who tied the letters to the legs of pigeons and released them. Eventually, they both left the city through the tunnel, mounted their horses, and quickly rode away.

The first day on Total Drama Island. Ezekiel was on the yacht and saw Camp Wawanakwa in the distance. When the yacht passed near the dock, he leaped out and looked at the show's host, Chris McLean.

"Ezekiel!" Chris greeted him with a raised hand. "What's up, man?"

Ezekiel pointed at the sky. "I think I see a bird," he replied with a smile, not realizing it was a greeting. One of the contestants, Trent, chuckled.

Chris put his hand on Ezekiel's shoulder and gave him some advice: "Okay, look, dude… I know you don't get out much. Been homeschooled your whole life, raised by freaky prairie people… Just don't say much and try not to get kicked off too early, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Ezekiel nodded and walked over to line up with the other contestants.

'There are so many people here… I hope I'll become friends with someone…'

After the rules were explained, Ezekiel was placed on Team Killer Bass. He easily passed the first challenge, which was to jump off a thousand-foot cliff, but his team lost to Team Screaming Gophers. The next challenge was to build a hot tub, but they failed again, and as a result, they had to decide who would go home.

In the cafeteria, Team Killer Bass was arguing. The choices were between Courtney and DJ, who were the only ones who hadn't jumped off the cliff and were wearing chicken hats as punishment. Ezekiel silently watched the argument with his arms crossed. It bothered him, and he wanted it to stop.

'So much anger. It's really getting on my nerves. But I still don't understand how we lost. Maybe I'll try to encourage my team with the words my dad always tells me…'

"Well, I just don't get why we lost, eh?" Ezekiel asked in perplexion, pointing his thumb at the other team. "There are the ones that have six girls."

At his words, his entire team gasped in shock. Bridgette and Eva approached him, angry at what he'd said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bridgette asked him fiercely.

"Yeah, homeschool," Eva growled, "Enlighten us!" and slammed her fist on the table in front of him.

"Well, guys are much stronger and better at sports then girls are," Ezekiel countered with a steady smile. The rest of the boys moved away from Katie and Sadie, who were horrified by Ezekiel's words and seemed on the brink of exploding with fury.

"Oh, snap!" Geoff facepalmed, "He didn't just say that!"

'What? Am I saying something wrong? I guess I need to be more specific…'

"My dad told me to look out for the girls here, eh," Ezekiel went on, not realizing that he was making things worse for himself. "And help them in case they can't keep up."

Bridgette and Eva were left stunned by this. Eva became enraged, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him off the chair, catching Ezekiel off guard. 'Holy cow! She's that strong!?'

"Still think we need your help keeping up?" Eva stated venomously, choking him.

"Uh," Ezekiel suffocated, still in shock, "Not really…"

"Okay, guys! Let's give him a break," Geoff stepped in to calm the situation down, and Eva let Ezekiel down onto the floor. "I mean… At least he doesn't think that guys are smarter than girls!"

"But they are," Ezekiel timidly said, which only served to dig his own grave, as all the girls on his team glared at him even more. He was bewildered by their hostile reaction.

'Or not…?'

Evening had fallen, and Team Killer Bass was sitting through the elimination ceremony. The girls were glaring or sneering at Ezekiel, who couldn't understand why they were looking at him that way. "Dude, you've got a lot to learn about the real world," Duncan advised him, but without any friendly intent. 'I've just started with this…'

"Killer Bass," Chris greeted them while standing in front of the campfire, "At camp, marshmallows represent a tasty treat that you enjoy roasting by the fire. At this camp, marshmallows represent life. You've all cast your votes and made your decision."

The host took the plate of marshmallows in his hand. "There are only ten marshmallows on this plate. When I call your name, come up, and claim your marshmallow. The camper who doesn't receive a marshmallow tonight, must immediately return to the Dock of Shame to catch the Boat of Losers. That means you're out of the contest, and you can't come back… ever."

Chris began calling out the contestants one by one who were safe, and they each took a marshmallow from him. Ezekiel's anxiety grew as he didn't hear his name for a long time, until only him and Courtney were left.

"Campers," Chris announced, "This is the final marshmallow of the evening…"

There was a dramatic tension as the host prepared to choose someone. Courtney held her cheeks in fear, and Ezekiel was shaking with fear.

'Oh my God… Please, pick me! At least I jumped off the cliff!'

Chris raised his finger and aimed it at the remaining pair, who nervously covered their eyes…

'It's me! It has to be me!'

In the end, Chris made his decision: "Courtney."

Courtney sighed with relief and went to get her marshmallow, while Ezekiel stared sadly at the host.

'Am I… Out?'

"Can't say I'm shocked. I saw you picking your nose, dude. Not cool," Chris shook his head with his arms folded and gestured towards the dock. "Dock of Shame is that way, bro."

Without saying a word, Ezekiel stood up, put his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, and walked down Dock of Shame. He didn't cry, complain, or get angry. Instead, he remained deep in thought.

'I didn't get kicked out for picking my nose… It must be because of my comments…'

"The rest of you, enjoy your marshmallows," Chris told Team Killer Bass, and grinned maliciously as he turned his gaze to the homeschooled, "You're all safe… For tonight."

The Boat of Losers arrived for Ezekiel, driven by Chef. Ezekiel got on board, sat down, and the boat sailed away from the camp. He glanced one last time at his team, who were enthusiastically roasting marshmallows, and then stared dejectedly at the floor of the boat.

'So I came here for nothing, and because of a few words, I'm going straight back home? What will my parents say about this? Mom will be disappointed, but at least I'll be with her. Oh, God… But Dad is going to be furious…'

"Uhm… Sir?" Ezekiel cautiously addressed Chef. "I'm going home, eh?"

"No," Chef responded uninterestedly, focused on driving. "You'll go home when the season is over."

"What?" Ezekiel raised his eyebrows. "Then where will I be during those eight weeks?"

"You'll go to Playa Des Losers. It's a luxurious five-star resort not far from Camp Wawanakwa. You'll spend your time there until the end of the season."

"And my parents?" Ezekiel asked worriedly.

"If they read the fine print at the bottom of the flyer properly, they should know you're there."

'Lord, have mercy… I hope Mom can handle two months without my presence at home and won't worry too much about me.'

The boat arrived at the dock in front of Playa Des Losers, and Ezekiel stepped off.

"And one more thing," Chef halted him, "Think about what you said to the girls. It's not right."

"That what I said to them?" Ezekiel grew confused. "Why?"

"It's sexist."

"Sexist? What's that-"

"I have to go now," Chef turned on the boat's engine and sailed away without giving him any further answers. Ezekiel was left even more puzzled.

The homeschooled boy glanced at the resort and walked up the wooden stairs. He opened the front door, and a bored intern was standing behind the reception desk.

"Excuse me, sir, eh," Ezekiel approached him, "Could I please get a room?"

The intern merely nodded, grabbed the keys from behind him, and handed them to him. Ezekiel looked at his room number.

'Room number 13? That's an unlucky number! Is that because I was the first one to get eliminated?'

"And where's my room, eh?" asked the intern, who pointed him towards the hallway with his thumb.

Ezekiel thanked him, walked there, looking for his room until he reached the door labeled number 13. He unlocked it and went inside. He had a luxurious bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a wardrobe, a TV, a desk with a computer, and an entrance to the balcony.

He sighed, closed the door behind him, and sat down on the bed, his mind racing.

'Sexist? What's that? My dad always told me to protect girls, but in the end, is that not true? In fact, where is the truth? How could that be? I don't get it…'

Soon he became bored, since he wasn't tired yet, and turned to the computer.

'Hmm. I'm sure there are games like Minesweeper or Pinball.'

He sat down in front of the computer, turned it on, grabbed the mouse, and waited for the screen to come on.

'Windows Vista? We have Windows XP at home. This will be interesting.'

The desktop launched and displayed This PC, Documents, Recycle Bin, and Internet Explorer. Ezekiel wondered what Internet Explorer was, since they'd never had internet at home, and clicked on it out of curiosity. The first thing that popped up was Google, and the search bar read: "Type anything you want to search for." He clicked on the search bar, typed "sexist", and the first result that popped up was a Wikipedia page about sexism and he clicked on it. He read the entire page, then clicked on other pages about the topic… And he slowly started to understand…

'Oh my God… So that's why all the girls got mad at me and I was the first one eliminated! My comments were always inappropriate! And there's even more discrimination against groups I don't even know about! Bigotry, prejudice, supremacy, gender roles, and other forms of discrimination are horrible! Why didn't my parents ever mention this to me? Why does my dad say things like that about girls? Could he be a sexist? I'm not going to worry about it now, since I won't be seeing him for eight weeks. First, I have to show everyone that I was wrong and apologize to all the girls when they come to Playa Des Losers. That's how I'll fix everything!'

Then he decided to browse the internet elsewhere and found YouTube, where the recommendations included hip-hop and rap music. Out of curiosity, he clicked on one of them and started listening… Soon his mood brightened and his eyes lit up with delight. He was mesmerized and began to dance, the music taking control of his body. He fell in love with it and had fun all night long.

The next day, Ezekiel explored the entire Playa Des Losers and was amazed by everything it had to offer: an outdoor pool with a diving board, a hot tub, a swim-up tiki bar, a spa, a buffet with a grill, a gym, and so on. Obviously, he was alone, but he didn't mind that yet. He now had the place all to himself, and the first thing he did was… sunbathe almost all day to absorb some vitamin D while listening to rap at full blast.

A few days later, in the evening, as he was relaxing on the balcony, he noticed that the Boat of Losers had docked and someone had stepped off. It was… Eva… She looked both extremely angry and exhausted. Ezekiel swallowed nervously. 'Oh, shoot… If I go near her, she'll snap my neck, but I have to apologize to her for my dumb comments…'

He walked into the hallway and waited apprehensively for Eva. He saw her enter the resort, grab her keys from reception and stomp towards him. When she noticed him, he began to tremble and sweat. He noticed that she had large dark circles under her eyes from exhaustion, yet she still had the energy to give him a murderous glare.

"H-Hey, E-Eva, eh," Ezekiel stammered as he greeted her, waving awkwardly. "How are you-"

"What do you want!?" Eva snapped at him like a rabid dog. "Are you going to tell me I got kicked out because I wasn't strong enough due to my gender!?"

"No! No, Eva!" Ezekiel took a step back from her and shook his head. "I want to apologize for what I said, eh! I found out that my comments were sexist, and that wasn't right! So I want to fix it!"

"Why should I believe you've changed for the better, homeschool?" Eva growled, clenching her fists.

"Well…" Ezekiel quickly considered how to avoid making things worse, until an idea struck him: "You're way stronger than me, eh! You're definitely smarter and better at sports than I am, too! And you definitely don't need my help, because I'm the one who can't keep up at all!" he forced himself to nervous grin.

Eva kept her murderous glare, but lowered her fists. "Fine… But if you try anything again, then I…" However, she yawned, collapsed onto the ground, and fell asleep, since she was extremely exhausted.

Ezekiel let out a sigh of relief and headed off to his room.

'Perfect! Now I just need to apologize to other girls, and then I'll be in good with them. Good job, Zeke!'

As time went on, more eliminated contestants joined Playa Des Losers, and Ezekiel always apologized to every girl who showed up. Thanks to that, the others began to at least tolerate him, but no one wanted to be friends with him. Ezekiel was a little disappointed by this, but he was glad he hadn't been isolated in his room for his mistake.

He took such a liking to rap and hip-hop that he managed to order a pair of sunglasses and some cheap bling with the letter Z and wore them. He even started his own YouTube channel and sang his own rap songs. Initially, he got a lot of dislikes, but he found a few loyal fans. He felt being famous…

When Bridgette was eliminated and arrived at Playa Des Losers, Ezekiel started flirting with her since he'd been watching episodes of Total Drama Island and developed a crush on her. But she kept telling him she was dating Geoff, however, that didn't stop Ezekiel until, in the hot tub, when he tried to get closer to her, she punched him in the head.

'Yo, I guess I should leave Bridgette alone. I think I might have taken this too far…'

Almost seven weeks later, Ezekiel went to the cafeteria to have breakfast, opened the fridge, and wondered what to eat. He picked up a carton of milk, but his eyes widened when he noticed something on the side of the carton…

'What the-!? Is that a photo of myself!?'

He read the note below the photo stating that he was a missing person and that his parents should be contacted if he were found.

'Oh, shoot! My parents don't know I'm at Playa Des Losers and they think I'm lost! I have to call them- I mean, my mom! But where's the telephone? I've never seen one in the resort!'

He ran out of the cafeteria towards the reception desk. "Excuse me, sir?" he called out to the intern. "Do you have a telephone here? I need to call my mom, eh!"

The intern moved aside, and it turned out the telephone was right behind him the whole time.

'Seriously?'

Ezekiel facepalmed, then he walked over to the telephone and dialed his parents' number. He hesitantly held the handset to his ear and waited as it rang.

'Please, Mom… I want you to pick up, not Dad…'

A short while later, someone picked up: "Hello?" It was his mom.

"H-Hi, Mom," Ezekiel smiled with relief. His heart leapt with joy, since it had been almost two months since he'd last heard her voice. "It's me, Ezekiel, eh."

"Ezekiel…?" his mom sounded unsure at first, then gasped in realization. "ZEKE! Son! Oh, thank God! We thought you were lost after they eliminated you! Are you okay!? Where are you right now!? Are you safe!? Are you-"

"Mom! Mom! No need to panic, eh!" Ezekiel laughed, "I'm at Playa Des Losers. It's like a five-star resort where the eliminated players are sent. I'm safe and sound!" "Oh, thank heavens! I'm so glad you're okay, sweetie, eh!" his mom rejoiced, but soon grew concerned, "Why didn't you call sooner? Were you scared that Dad would get angry with you for being the first one eliminated?"

"Uhh… I just found out they have a telephone here, but honestly… Yeah… I was afraid- I mean, I'm afraid of Dad's wrath, eh," Ezekiel confessed uneasily.

"Don't worry, Dad is working on the farm right now, but yes… He got upset when you were the first to be eliminated in the second episode. He said you should've kept quiet, eh."

"I know, but I'm sorry for what I said, Mom. I found out that those comments were really awful, and apparently they might have been directed at you as well. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings when you watched that episode."

"Son? What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain everything to you, eh…"

Ezekiel talked on the telephone with his mom for an hour and a half. During the call, he told her about sexism and other types of discrimination that he'd learned about on Wikipedia, and how he'd apologized to all the girls. He also told her about hip-hop and rap, which lightened the mood.

"Oh, sweetie… I didn't know those comments were that bad, but I'm glad you've learned your lesson, eh," his mom replied enthusiastically, "Constantly educating ourselves makes us wiser and better people. In fact, you've taught me something new, Zeke."

"Really? Thanks, Mom," Ezekiel beamed.

"By the way… Are you getting some sun to get your vitamin D?"

"Of course! Every day!"

"And have you made any friends, eh?"

"Uhhh…" Her question made Ezekiel fall silent as he considered what to say to her. "Well… I'm still working on it, but don't worry! At least people here tolerate me because they see that I'm trying to improve, eh!"

"I'm glad to hear that-" she didn't finish, as another voice sounded in the receiver, which was unintelligible, but Ezekiel recognized it.

"Zeke? Is that really you?" It was his father, and Ezekiel became anxious.

'Oh, no…'

"Ezekiel! Answer me, eh!" Dad shouted.

"Hey, Dad," Ezekiel greeted him indifferently, "I'm fine and-"

"Where have you been, Zeke!? Why didn't you call us sooner!?" his father scolded him angrily, "We thought you'd gotten lost or worse! And on top of that… You were the first one to get kicked out!? You were supposed to keep your mouth shut as that host told you, and then you just threw one hundred thousand dollars straight into the bin, eh!? You could have helped our family! And instead, you're out there somewhere lazying around!? You're such a…"

Ezekiel bristled and stopped listening to his father's yelling. He'd had enough of being oppressed by him. For the first time, he had to stand up against him…

"And you should never have told me that men are superior to women! That's discrimination bullshizzle, eh!" Ezekiel snapped, "That's why I was eliminated! I was eliminated because of you!"

His father was taken aback by his son's words, "How dare you talk to me like that, eh? I'm your father, and you must never speak to me like this, young man!"

"I don't care! And guess what, I became famous anyway, eh! Yeah, I still have a lot of haters because of my dumb comments, but I've found some people who love my rap on my YouTube channel, eh!"

"Rap? You rap!? Rap isn't music! It's just nonsensical rambling full of swear words! It's corrupted you, eh!"

"David, that's enough-"

"Shut it, Martha!" his father yelled at her.

"Hey! Don't yell at Mom!" Ezekiel tried to defend her, but realized there was nothing he could do over the telephone.

"Listen to me, son," his father snarled at him, "Stop doing those dumb things right now, and don't ever talk to me like that ever again, understood?"

'Am I supposed to give up what I love? Abandon my fans? Never!'

"Fuck you, Dad!" Ezekiel swore at him furiously. He heard his mom gasp in horror. He felt bad that she'd heard it, but he had to get it off his chest.

"W-WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!?" his father screamed, being offended, "Do you know that for every ugly swear word, one angel dies!? Do you want to end up in hell-" Ezekiel finally slammed the handset down on the telephone and walked away, ignoring the shocked intern who had been listening to their entire conversation.

'Why is Dad always disappointed in me? Why is he always let down by me? Why does he always dislike the things I enjoy? I'm starting to not like him- No! Wait! That's not right! Instead, I need to try harder, and then he'll finally be proud of me! Yes, that's it! I have to try harder!'

Ezekiel and Malik hurried to Masyaf with the other Assassins. Their horses galloped as fast as they could. They took short breaks of a few hours and then continued on. They had to stop their master, who could take control of the Holy Land at any moment.

Ezekiel felt utterly exhausted, but he dared not waste any time. As he galloped along, his thoughts constantly returned to Altaïr, hoping that his mentor had managed to kill Robert and uncover Al Mualim's true goal. On the other hand, he also feared that Altaïr had likely failed and that Robert had succeeded in convincing Richard and Saladin to join forces against the Assassins. Still, he hadn't lost hope yet…

The group reached the mountains on their way to Masyaf, and even from a distance, it was clear that something was wrong. They stopped their horses by the stable, dismounted, and cautiously entered the village, where a profound silence reigned. The vibrant colors had faded into gray. Clouds obscured the sun. And only a few villagers stood motionless, watching the arrival of the group. By the fountain stood one villager, his eyes glowing gold as he stared blankly.

"Sir? What happened here, eh?" Ezekiel spoke to him. "Where is everyone else?"

"They went to see the Master!" the man answered, though it didn't sound natural. "The Master will lead us on the path to the light!"

"The path to the light? What does that mean?" Ezekiel didn't understand.

"The Master is going to reveal the truth to us!" the man shouted. "If you resist him, you'll perish! As the Master commands!"

"Al Mualim is using the Apple to control civilians," Malik remarked, frowning. "It's possible he's using it to control the guards as well."

"That's right," said the informer who had just returned from his patrol. It was the same informer from Damascus. "I saw several groups of our men walking around Masyaf, and many of them are lurking outside the entrance to the fortress. They're proclaiming that Al Mualim will show them the way to the light, and they want to wipe out anyone who stands against him. We have to be careful, brothers."

"Right…" Malik acknowledged and began giving orders: "We need to split up into smaller groups! Jibril, you and your men distract them to the west! Hasib, you head east! And the rest of you will follow me to the fortress, but we have to stay out of their sight to surprise them!"

All the men saluted, and the group split into three. Ezekiel went with Malik's group, and they cautiously approached the fortress. They moved among the shadows and houses, avoiding the gaze of the mind-controlled guards. He noticed that civilians were following them at a slow pace. They stared at them with empty eyes, drool dripping from their fallen jaws, and recited praises to Al Mualim. It was creepy.

He remembered how Al Mualim had shown him and Altaïr that Apple. Altaïr said it was just a piece of silver, and he agreed with him. But Al Mualim explained to them that it was a Piece of Eden, which had banished Adam and Eve from Paradise, turned tree branches into snakes, Eris used it to start the Trojan War, and a poor carpenter used it to turn water into wine.

Ezekiel's mother used to read him stories from the Bible when he was little, but this artifact was never mentioned even once. Did the newer versions of the Bible remove the Apple for some mysterious reason? Was something being kept secret about it, or did it simply not make it into the modern era?

Al Mualim also mentioned that they couldn't allow it to fall into the Templars' hands, or else their free will would be taken away from them, and they would have to keep it hidden with them. The irony was that their former master was doing exactly that as the Templars.

The group made their way up the hill, where several Assassin guards were stationed. It looked as though they were waiting for intruders to arrive. Fortunately, there were platforms along the edge of the cliff, so they carefully leaped across them and climbed up behind the guards. Then they awaited a suitable opportunity for their allies to appear… But the plan changed when the guards began fighting against-

"Altaïr!" Ezekiel murmured enthusiastically, "He's alive!"

Malik ordered the others to take their throwing knives and throw them at the guards to help Altaïr. Thanks to this, the possessed Assassins fled.

"Altaïr, up here!" Malik called to him, and Altaïr ran up the hill to them.

"You picked a fine time to arrive," Altaïr smiled at them.

"So it seems," Malik agreed, smiling as well.

"Homie! You're alright, eh!" Ezekiel exclaimed happily. He was delighted that he said it in Arabic.

"Guard yourselves well, friends," Altaïr warned cautiously, "Al Mualim has betrayed us."

"Yes, eh," Ezekiel confirmed, "He betrayed his Templar allies as well."

"How do you two know?" Altaïr asked in surprise.

"After we spoke Ezekiel and I returned to the ruins beneath Solomon's Temple," Malik explained, "Robert had kept a journal, filled its pages with revelations. What we read there broke our hearts, but it also opened our eyes. You were right, Altaïr. All along our Master has used us! We weren't meant to save the Holy Land, but deliver it to him! He must be stopped!"

"Be careful, Malik," Altaïr reminded him, "What he's done to the others, he'll do to us given the chance. You must stay far from him."

"What would you propose? My blade arm is still strong and my men remain my own. It would be a mistake not to use us!"

"Distract these thralls then, assault the fortress from behind. If you can draw their attention away from me, I might reach Al Mualim."

"I will do what you ask, Dai."

"The men we face, their minds aren't their own. If you can avoid killing them…"

"Yes. Though he has betrayed the tenets of the Creed, it doesn't mean we must as well. I'll do what I can."

"It's all I ask… Safety and peace, my friend," Altaïr smiled genuinely.

"Your presence here will deliver us both," Malik bowed to him, showing his respect. It seemed that the two men had finally been reconciled.

"And Zeke, stay close to Malik and be cautious," Altaïr ordered at his student.

"I will, mentor," Zeke bowed respectfully and bumped his fist against his palm, "And kick Al Mualim's butt, eh!"

"Of course, eh," Altaïr nodded with a playful smirk and headed up to the fortress.

Ezekiel was surprised that Altaïr had said "eh" at the end of his sentence and then smiled.

"Ezekiel! Let's go!" Malik urged him, and he ran after them to distract the possessed Assassins.

Their allies joined them and did their best to ensure that the mind-controlled Assassins' attention remained focused solely on them, and of course, no one was allowed to lose their life in the process. Behind the fortress where the garden was located, flashes of gold could be seen. It was surely coming from the Apple of Eden. Ezekiel had a bad feeling that Altaïr wasn't doing well…

'I don't have a good feeling about this… I know he told me to stay with Malik, but I can't just leave him to fight alone!'

Ezekiel gathered his courage and set off up to the fortress.

"Ezekiel! No! Stop!" Malik screamed after him, trying to stop him, but this time Ezekiel didn't listen.

He knew it was dangerous, but he couldn't let himself lose his mentor and friend. He entered the fortress, where many possessed civilians were standing by the entrance to the castle. He carefully made his way through them and entered. He ran up the stairs to the gate leading to the garden, but it was locked. He saw Altaïr illuminated by a golden light, standing frozen in front of Al Mualim, who was holding a sword and an artifact in his hands.

'Shizzle… I have to get to them, but how…?'

Suddenly, Ezekiel remembered that whenever he spent the night at the castle to rest after returning from each main assassination and walked down the second floor hallway, there was a balcony…

'Oh, of course!'

He immediately ran up to the second floor, headed for the balcony door, which he opened cautiously to avoid being noticed by Al Mualim, and stepped out. He drew his sword and looked down at his mentor and the traitor, who were having a conversation…

"…At least they choose these phantoms," Altaïr growled, his face covered in sweat, bruises, and blood from the fight.

"Or do they? Aside from the occasional convert or heretic?" Al Mualim asked mockingly.

"It isn't right!"

"Ahh… And now logic has left you. In its place you embrace emotion. I'm disappointed."

"What's to be done then?"

"You will not follow me, and I can't compel you."

"And you refuse to give up this evil scheme!"

"Seems then that we are at an impasse."

"No!" Altaïr protested, "We are at an end!"

"I will miss you, Altaïr…" Al Mualim said with feigned concern and prepared his sword, "You were my very best student."

'Now…' Ezekiel leaped from the balcony, raising his sword above him, hoping to strike the traitor, but Al Mualim spotted him and dodged the attack.

"Zeke!" Altaïr panicked as his student landed in front of him and quickly stood beside him. "What are you doing!?"

"Helping you, eh!" Ezekiel shouted. "I won't let you die, my friend!"

"Well, well, well… A mentor and a student against me. That's not fair," Al Mualim laughed with a twisted grin. "Actually, Altaïr… Since your student is now here…"

"No…" Altaïr realized in horror as Al Mualim raised the Apple, "Don't you dare hurt him! He's just a child!" 'What is he going to do-'

And then Ezekiel was possessed by the power of the Apple. He was illuminated by a golden light, paralyzed in place, unable to control his body, and his eyes glowed gold.

'WHAT IS THIS!? I CAN'T MOVE!'

"EZEKIEL! NO!" Altaïr screamed in despair.

Al Mualim stared at the Apple as he took control of Ezekiel and lifted his eyebrows in surprise when he realized… "Oh, what is this, Altaïr? Now I understand why you brought that boy into our brotherhood," he chuckled maliciously. "Why did you keep secret from me that Ezekiel is from the distant future? And he is… Canadian?"

'Shizzle! Now he knows!'

"I was ready to tell you, but I'm glad I kept it to myself, because now I know you'd have exploited his knowledge to take control of the Holy Land!" Altaïr raged. "He's still a human just like you and me! The only difference is that you're a monster!" "That really hurts…" Al Mualim retorted sarcastically. "By the way… Let's see how well you've trained Ezekiel to be an Assassin…" He lifted the Apple, causing Ezekiel to turn toward Altaïr. "Ezekiel! Kill him!" 'NO!'

"For the Light and the Master!" Ezekiel cried out with words not his own, rushing at Altaïr, who had been freed from the Apple's power, and their swords clashed. Both fought each other as they had in their training, but this time it was a life-and-death duel… 'NO! I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU, ALTAÏR! I SIMPLY CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF!'

Altaïr did his hardest to avoid hurting Ezekiel and tried to get closer to Al Mualim, who was fading away as it was an illusion created by the Apple. As he did so, Al Mualim laughed evilly.

"Ezekiel! Listen!" Altaïr cried during the fight, "I know you're still there!"

"Anyone who opposes the path to the light will perish!" Ezekiel shouted possessed words again, and once more charged at him with his sword. "I will sacrifice myself for the light and the Master! Destroy the disbelievers! You want to kill me anyway!"

'BULLSHIZZLE!'

"I don't want to kill you, Zeke!" Altaïr declared with a heavy heart. "It's Al Mualim who's doing all this to you!"

He blocked the novice's attack and kicked him hard in the stomach, but Ezekiel didn't stop and didn't fall to the ground like he had during their first training session, instead he just wheezed in pain and punched him hard in the face. Altaïr fell to the ground, and Ezekiel pressed the blade of his sword against his throat.

"Cut that traitor's throat!" Al Mualim commanded, laughing even harder.

'No, no, no! NO! I DON'T WANT TO KILL MY FRIEND!'

"Ezekiel," Altaïr spoke to him sincerely, sensing that this was the end, "Before you kill me, I want to tell you that… I'm proud of you…" and he closed his eyes, accepting his death.

'Altaïr is proud of me? He's truly proud of me… And I'm going to kill him-! No! Zeke! Fight back! You must resist Al Mualim! Don't let yourself be his tool and weapon! YOU ARE YOUR OWN PERSON!'

Ezekiel dropped his sword, clutched his head, and screamed as he fought to retain his mind against Al Mualim's control.

"What!? What's meaning of this!?" Al Mualim struggled to understand why the Apple had stopped working properly on the novice.

Altaïr took advantage of this, swiftly stood up, sprinted toward the traitor, and leaped on him. He unsheathed his hidden blade and stabbed him in the chest. As they crashed to the ground, the Apple rolled out of Al Mualim's grasp, and everyone under Apple's influence was thus freed from his control.

Ezekiel fell to his knees and was breathing heavily as his free will was restored. From shock and trauma, he vomited, then collapsed on his side and rolled onto his back, trying to calm down. His heart was pounding up to his throat, that he hadn't heard the last conversation between Altaïr and Al Mualim. He was horrified that just a moment ago he had lost his own free will, had no control over his body, and had been controlled by someone else. He had never felt so helpless, but he realized that it was finally over…

'It's okay, Zeke… You're okay… Al Mualim has been defeated and Holy Land is free…'

"Ezekiel!" Altaïr soon ran up to him and helped him stand up. "Are you all right, Brother?"

Ezekiel gave a weak nod and wiped the vomit from his mouth with the sleeve. "I feel a little better… But… Except for throwing up, I think I also peed and pooped my pants at the same time, eh," he muttered in embarrassment.

"Oh…" Altaïr cringed, but he didn't get upset and gently patted him on the back. "I don't blame you for this, since it was terrifying for you."

"Heh…" Ezekiel chuckled slightly, "Just don't tell anyone about this, eh-"

Suddenly, a hologram of a golden globe of Earth projected from the Apple, with locations marked by red dots on the map. The pair approached it and were mesmerized by what they saw in front of them.

"Wow, eh… Google Maps got an interesting update," Ezekiel commented quietly to himself in disbelief.

"Destroy it, Altaïr!" the dying Al Mualim screamed behind them, "Destroy it as you said you would!"

"I… I can't!" Altaïr cried helplessly, shaking his head and unable to take his eyes off the hologram.

"Yes, you can, Altaïr… But you won't…" Al Mualim smirked mockingly until he eventually died.

Altaïr and Ezekiel continued to stare at the hologram in stunned silence. Shortly afterwards, Malik and two Assassins ran up to them and were equally amazed by what they saw.