Pharalynn's Challenge

Works cut out

Words // 1450

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I awake in a small clump of brush outside of Jerusalem. After shaking myself off I trot over to a barrel of water and peer down at my new appearance. I was a little Caracal with amber eyes. 

It didn't take long for someone to spot me and throw a rock to get me to go away, leaving a painful gash in my shoulder. I took off towards an alley limping heavily. I believe that the man popped my foreleg out of place and I knew that I needed to get it tended to seeing as it had become too painful to place pressure on and I was hopping up the trail, not to mention the possible infection I could get from my open wound.

After finding a safe place behind a small crate in a secluded alley I began to clean my wound, only accomplishing in getting some of the blood off of my fur when I heard footsteps coming towards me. Cringing and flattening my ears as I crouched behind the crate I watched as a one-armed man paced in the alley mumbling about Altair. My ears perked and I meow to gain his attention as I limp out from behind the crate, making sure not to place any weight on my injured leg.

The man watched me intently as I closed some of the space between the two of us before I sat down and meowed softly. He crouched next to me before cautiously moving his hand towards my head. Knowing this man was probably the best shot I had to get my leg looked at I rubbed my head against his palm, showing that I wasn't a threat. The man relaxed a bit but not enough to get caught off guard which is understandable, after all, Caracal's aren't exactly the smallest cats at around 26 pounds. The man looked at my wounded leg before picking me up with his uninjured arm and heading into the building.

We stop in a small room where the man popped my foreleg back into it's socket and stitched up the wound. Once he was finished and had put all of the supplies back where they belonged I hopped down from the tabletop and rubbed my head on his leg. The man chuckled and rubbed my ear before heading out of the room with me not far behind. He stood behind a table, taking out a small book and looking over its contents as I hopped onto the table. He looked over to be before grabbing a piece of jerky. I graciously took the jerky before jumping to the floor, using a small box as a landing point as to not hurt myself further.

After I had landed on the ground and ate the majority of the dried meat  I heard footsteps. Looking up at the one-armed man I saw that he had tensed. "Safety and Peace Malik." "Your presence here deprives me of both. What do you want." The two bicker as I tried to figure out a plan to follow Altair before saying 'fuck it' and jumping onto the table.

"It seems like you have an unwanted guest ." "You already know that, Altair, I thought I made it obvious enough to you." There's silence before Malik places a white feather on the table for Altair to take. "Take her with you. This is no place for an animal that needs to be outdoors. That and she will be able to keep an eye on you." Altair glared from underneath his hood before walking out. I rubbed against Malik's arm before running after the cocky assassin.

As we neared the man that Altair was assigned to kill he became more cautious, taking out archers from behind. I saw one that was aiming at Altair and jumped over to the roof he was on, praying that my leg didn't pop back out of place, and growled to gain his attention. The man turned to me which gave Altair an opening to climb onto the roof and kill him without problem. Altair nodded to me before taking off towards another guard with me in tow. We used the tactic a few more times, killing off the rest of the guards without problem.

I followed Altair onto the streets below and went to go into a building but I stop in the road before growling at the entrance with my hackles raised. The assassin looked back at me before walking in anyways. I huffed and started after him, but the door slammed shut before I could enter. I growled and trotted around the building to look for another way in. After a moment I found a window and crawled through the bars only to see Altair surrounded and talking to a man on another platform.

The man signaled to the men on the ground to attack Altair as he walked away. I growled and was about to jump down to his aid when I saw him take out two of the men. 'He'll be fine.' I thought as I looked back to where the man had been. 'If I don't follow who knows how long it'll take to find him again.' I jumped onto a beam and took off towards the man who had fled, attacking an archer that got in the way of my landing.

When I made it to the roof I saw that he had already made it to the roof on the other side of the street. I growled before running across some beams and pounced onto him, leaving some nasty claw marks on his leg. He yelped and shook me off before kicking me a good few feet away from him. I shook myself off as Altair emerged from the building, looking to the two of us and analyzing the situation. The man took off, but now before kicking me again to gain some ground. I growled again before picking myself up and hauling after him with Altair not far behind. I stopped on the edge of the roof that he had jumped from and looked to Altair who had caught up to my still-wounded self. 'Take the rooftops, I'll follow from the ground.' His head snapped down to me but I had already jumped down to the street running after the man. He gave a decent chase, but it didn't take long for me to catch up and shoot in front of him, making the slaver trip on my form. As the man fell to the ground Altair jumped down and made quick work of killing the man.

*~*~*

The two of us were cast into a blue-gray world where the man, Talal, shares his final words. He said something about Al Mualim not being the only person who had a plan for the region before going into some religious rant that I tuned out. Talal stopped talking and Altair bloodied his feather before we returned to reality.

*~*~*

Once the two of us returned to reality we took off towards the Bureau that Malik was residing, maneuvering around guard and citizens alike. We dashed for the rooftops when some of the former started after us and found a garden box to hide in until the guard got off our scents. We then continued our way to the building.

To say that Malik was unhappy would be an understatement. I could smell the anger from the rooftops across the street. 

"Altiar, wonderful to see you've returned to us." I jump onto the table perpendicular to Malik's and sit to watch the show. "And how fared the mission?"

'Loaded question don't take it.'

"The deed is done. Talal is dead."

'Goddammit.'

"Oh I know, I know. In fact the ENTIRE CITY KNOWS! Have you forgotten the meaning of subtlety?" "A skilled assassin ensures that his work is noticed by the many."

I sigh and lay down. 'So this is why Minerva said I'd need luck. This man is more arrogant than the people that killed me and mom.'

"No! A skilled assassin maintains control of his environment." "We can argue the details all you want Malik, but the fact remains I have accomplished the task set to me by Al Mualim." "Go then. Return to the old man. Let us see with whom he sides." Malik turned his back to the shelves behind him. "You and I are on the same side, Malik." The hood less man didn't reply so Altair left, motioning for me to follow."

I get up and follow him out, meowing a goodbye to Malik on the way.

'I swear his arrogance is going to get him in more trouble than he's worth.'