The Animus 2.0

Desmond closed his eyes and listened to the sound the Animus humming all around him. By now, he was used to the toll it took on his body, so he hadn't felt as drained lately. As the world around him slowly constructed itself, he thought about Lucy. Gently his thoughts shift to Ezio's and Desmond Miles disappeared into the year 1503.

Ezio sat up and looked out the window of the small wooden shed he'd been staying in. The moon floated quietly above the desert horizon, and a dog barked in the distance. His students, members of The Brotherhood back in Roma, were almost a week late and Ezio was beginning to fear his target would soon flee the area. Against his better judgment, he would move tonight and confront Kabil Murat while he slept.

A diary belonging to Ezio's father had linked Murat to an ancient branch of The Brotherhood and an assassin named Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, who had been mentioned quite a bit during the recovery of The Apple of Eden. Ezio believed Altaïr knew the whereabouts of more artifacts like the apple. He hoped to locate each one and destroy them, or at least provide added protection. In the wrong hands, the relics would pose a threat to the entire planet.

Ezio had learned that several armed guards patrolled the estate of Kabil Murat, so he abandoned his horse near some stables nearby before continuing on foot. He dashed quietly across the sand, stopping only once to allow a guard to pass. The wall bordering the lavish home wasn't very tall. Ezio had no trouble climbing over and was nearing the house quicker than he first anticipated. However, just as his hand reached for the door, a blunt object struck the back of his head. Ezio felt a sharp flash of pain and then fell into an unconscious void.

When he awoke, he found himself in a small pool of blood. Behind him, he could hear several men talking in Arabic, but could understand several words. They had been tipped off by someone and knew Ezio planned to infiltrate Murat's home. His weapons had been removed and his hands had been tied together. He closed his eyes when he heard one of the men coming towards him. It was around this time that he noticed the sound of running water. Their plan was to toss him into the river, and even though he could have easily taken care of the man lifting him, he held back when he realized the others were armed. Ezio would play along for now and return to his hideout once the guards had disappeared.

The water was cold and made his head wound ache terribly. He allowed his body to floated downstream for a few minutes, cursing his recklessness all the while. If he had just waited for the others, then maybe he would have been successful. Now he had no means of defense and was badly injured. The task of pulling himself to shore was extremely difficult considering the punishment his ribs had taken on a cluster of rocks. On the damp bank in the pitch black night, Ezio Auditore chuckled to himself. He again cheated death and couldn't remember exactly how many times this had happened to him since first opening the chest containing his father's assassin equipment.

Ezio would rest here for almost an hour. The area was completely void of life and he wasn't in any shape to sprint home. After thinking for a long time, he began to realize the severity of his situation. Even though that guards had taken his hidden blade, they probably had no idea who he really was. Murat would recognize it easily though. He would know that the intruder wasn't just a hired hand, but rather a member of The Brotherhood and if word reached the faction in the area, his chances of finding a link to Altaïr would disappear completely.

He crawled to his knees after breaking free from the rope behind his back and stood up. Ezio stumbled forward a bit, the world around him spinning from his injury. Blood loss was taking its toll on his body, but he had to return to Murat's compound for his gear as soon as possible. Kabil wouldn't bother to inspect the confiscated weapons until morning, which gave him little under five hours to sneak into the miniature fortess. Ezio staggered towards a home in the distance and collapsed a few feet from the front door. Luckily, the old man that lived there had noticed him approaching and rushed to bring him inside. He fought as long as he could to remain awake, explaining what he could to the old man, before blacking out.

Ezio sprang to life when he heard the sound of a rooster outside. Beams of sunlight filled the room and showered him with warmth. He groaned and roll onto his side. He had missed his chance to collect his gear and now his quest had come to an end. A flash of sun against metal caught his eye from a nearby table and he was shocked to see his hidden blade resting safely. The elderly man returned from another room and smiled when he met eyes with Ezio.

"You are awake" The old man said, placing his throwing knives next to the bladed gauntlet.

Ezio sat up and inspected one of the knives carefully.

"I sharpened them for you, Ezio" The old timer explained.

"How do you know my name?" Ezio mumbled, ready to stab the old man if necessary.

The man laughed and took a seat in a chair next to Ezio's bed.

"I know many things about you. Word of a skilled assassin in the area is worth looking into..." The man said with a smile. "My name is Talib Sharikk. I run the Thieves Guild here in Ardabil" Talib informed extending his hand.

Ezio gently complied and remained quiet.

"I had some of my men break into Murat's stronghold shortly after you mentioned your equipment had been taken. Sadly, I was only able to get you one of your hidden blades and these knives" Talib said with a frown.

Ezio attached the blade to his forearm and tested it for damages. The metal spike popped smoothly out of the chamber.

"You did what you could, Talib. I thank you for your assistance" Ezio said walking over to a window and looking out in the direction of Murat's compound.

Talib followed suit and drew a small sheet of parchment from his pocket.

"These are the entrance my men use. If you need to get to Murat, you will need this" Talib stated, placing the note in his palm. "I would suggest waiting until night fall before trying again. The guards change around midnight" He added with a pat on the back.

Ezio slid the last throwing knife into his belt and turned to the old man.

"Grazie, Talib Sharikk" Ezio said with a bow.

"Kabil Murat is a blemish on humanity. I'd kill him myself if I could, but I'm a thief... Not an assassin" Talib explained.

Ezio could see that hate in his eyes when he spoke to Murat. The tyrant had fed off the people of Ardabil until there was almost nothing left.

"May I suggest gathering more men before attempting your assault again?" Talib asked.

Ezio sighed.

"My men should have been here long ago" He said looking out the window again.

"They might have been intercepted by Murat's guards. If they knew you were coming, then they knew about the others" The old timer said grimly. "You will not be going into this alone though. A guild member named Ahmed will aid you since he has broken into Murat's compound several times and is familiar with the area. He will be waiting for you near the mosque... Though it may not be enough" Talib said.

The man thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers.

"On a small farm just outside of town, you'll find a group of rebels. They all want to see Murat dead, so I'm sure they'll aid you in any way possible" Talib explained.

Ezio thanked him again and headed out in search of Ahmed and The Rebels. From the rooftops, he scanned the area. There was little guard activity, which meant they all had been stationed at the estate. Though infiltration would be tougher with the extra soldiers, Ezio could breath easy knowing the streets would be safe while he searched for assistance. Since the mosque wasn't very far from Talib's home, Ezio moved quickly across city roofs towards his meeting with Ahmed.

Down on the streets, Nikolaus pushed through crowds of people. He was heading to the mosque in hopes of finding his leader who just left Talib to go there. He was hindered by many beggers, he pushed them aside. As he continued walking, guards eyed him. Soon, guards began following him. Once he noticed the uneeded company, he tried to dissapear in the crowds of people on the streets. Guards began shoving people violently out of the way as he did so. Nikolaus looked up, he saw a man run across the roof tops in the distance. "That must be him..." he thought to himself. Nikolaus spotted a near by bench, once he approached it he sat on it. The guards seemed confused and looked around for him. A guard spotted the sitting assassin and approached him, sword in hand. As the guard made his way through the busy street Nikoluas ready his hidden blade. As the guard stood before Nikolaus, he stood up and stabbed him in the chest quickly. He placed the almost dead guard on the bench, hunched over. He left the guard there and walked off into the street again. He smirked as he heard arabic shouts behind him. He could roughly translate it, "....Dead!.....man killed....an Assassin!" Nikolaus continued off down the bust street. His "company" not pursuing him anymore. He began to hasten his speed to try and catch up to his leader at the mosque around the corner.