Part 5 (1/2)

You are their perfect human sacrifice.

THE END.

The chamber shakes violently, the earthquake reaching full power. The floor cracks under your feet, opening up ma.s.sive fissures. You leap and clutch one of the columns, hoping it doesn't tumble over.

The walls of the chamber crumble, revealing the sky above. Nizam still struggles to make it to the Sandgla.s.s, dodging falling stones and leaping over the cracks spreading through the chamber.

”Stop him!” Tamina cries.

You turn to her and are horrified to see her clinging to a ledge, dangling over a chasm. You have to save her!

”It's not my destiny, it's yours !” she screams.

You glance back and see that Nizam has made it to the Sandgla.s.s. You watch as he plunges the Dagger into it. This can't happen!

You somersault across a widening crack in the ground and land beside Nizam just as he pushes the jewel b.u.t.ton. You grab the Dagger, but he clutches your hand as sand begins to flow out of the Sandgla.s.s.

Time rewinds around you as you struggle to loosen Nizam's grip.

131.

You need to stay focused on your a.s.sailant. You'll find your battaliona”and your brothersa”once you've dispatched him. Otherwise you might not live to rejoin the troops!

You meet his attack blow-for-blow. You can tell he's tiring. He's losing strength, which is making his aim less accurate. He's growing sloppy.

You thrust your sword againa”he deflects it, but you manage to slash him. He drops his sword, clutching his arm, which is now spurting blood. He falls to his knees.

You're about to deliver a deathblow when a cry goes up from the parapets. ”The Persians are in retreat! The city is saved!”

You gape at the archers. They're cheering!

This isn't possible!

”We won!” an Alamutian guard shouts. The victory cries now seem to be coming from all parts of the city.

The guard you were fighting grins through his pain. ”Not a moment too soon, eh, Persian,” he gasps.

You've got to get out of there!

58.

Two days later, your father arrives in Alamut. Nizam has ordered the soldiers to dig up the city in search of weapons. You are still reeling from your loss when he calls for you and Nizam to meet him in the royal apartments of the occupied palace.

”I specifically said I wanted this city spared!” he yells at you and Nizam. ”And instead I find a ma.s.sacre!”

”I tried to tell thema”” you begin.

He cuts you off, his eyes blazing with fury. ”Do not blame this on your dead brothers,” he says. ”Only cowards accuse those who cannot defend themselves. And trying to do something without succeeding is the same as failure!”

He turns to face Nizam. ”I want all digging for the forges to stop. We have destroyed enough of this holy city.” He storms out of the room.

You stare down at your feet. You can feel Nizam's eyes on you.

”He was too harsh,” he says. ”But of course . . .” He trails off.

”Of course what?” you ask.

Nizam looks uncomfortable. ”Tus and Garsiv, the sons who died. They were . . .”

”They were his real sons,” you finish for him. ”And I am not.”

Nizam nods sadly.

43.

”I am Dastan, a prince of Persia,” you tell her. ”Or I was. Up until a day or so ago.”

”How does a prince stop being a prince?” she scoffs.

”When the prince has lost what matters most to him,” you reply.

”But you won the battle,” she says, her voice hard. ”Killing thousands of my people. Persians occupy my city.”

You shake your head. ”I wanted to avoid the bloodbath the siege became. But my brothers thought otherwise. I lost them in that fighta”and my father's favor as well.”

”My people lost so much more,” Tamina snaps. ”And all for nothing! For lies!”

What is she talking about? ”We fought your people because you were building weapons and selling them to our enemies!” you declare.

”We have never done such a thing! The weapons don't exist!”

”Why would our spies lie about finding the weapons? Why would my uncle Nizam waste his time searching for forges that aren't there?”

You notice her grip on the Dagger tighten and her eyes flick away.

”What do you know?” you ask.

76.

Then you hear ita”a quiet flutter. You instantly raise the shovel and deflect three spikes. They clatter to the ground.

It's the Ha.s.sansin who wounded your brother Garsiv! You let out a war cry and charge at the enemy.

He sends another barrage of needles at you. You leap, twist, and spin under and around the lethal spikes. You hurl the shovel. It ricochets off a column and slams into your a.s.sailant.

He stumbles, and you race around him. The Dagger is just inches away.