"Malik, spin me!" Kadar yelled and lay down stomach-first on his swing. Ezio dodged Desmond and Leonardo's flying feet and got behind to push Leonardo. Desmond watched as Kadar started to twist up the chains. Malik started turning him with his one hand once his feet left the ground, twisting him even further.
Just as Kadar was almost done winding up, Desmond noticed Altair was waiting for him. With one last swing, Desmond leaned back hard and pushed against the swing's seat to arch high into the air. At the last second -at the highest point the swing could reach- he jumped.
Leonardo yelled, and Kadar yelled too, but that was because he'd started untwisting. Desmond felt the air rushing around him. He felt for a moment like he didn't weigh anything, light as a feather. Then, Altair moved to the side and Desmond was heading for the grass and the ground was coming too fast and he’d jumped too far and he was falling straight down-
And Altair was there, and guided his landing into a tuck-and-roll like they'd practiced, and Desmond rolled one more time for fun before he popped back to his feet. Desmond just breathed for a few seconds before he turned to look back at the swings.
Leonardo looked scared, and he'd dragged his feet in the sand to stop swinging. He'd made a little dust cloud around his feet. Kadar had spun all the way out and was winding back up the other way, dangling like a rag doll and laughing as Malik pushed his feet with his one hand to make him go faster. Ezio was laughing too, long and loud, and that helped Desmond decide.
Leonardo looked less scared when Desmond plopped himself back down on his swing. Altair had gone to stand behind Malik, and Desmond could see Altair's secret smile. Malik looked like he had a secret smile too as he watched Kadar slow down, but his was much harder to see.
"Is it okay?" Desmond asked Altair. Kadar was laughing so hard he couldn't hear, but Leonardo and Ezio heard, and they looked confused. Desmond nudged the sand with his toes, swinging a little as he looked back at Altair.
"The decision is yours. Do you trust them?" Altair answered, and Desmond knew that he had to really think about it before he answered. Leonardo seemed nice and a little shy, and Kadar was really excited about everything. Dad said Altair wasn't real. The doctor Dad took him to talk to said Altair wasn't real. But Ezio and Malik seemed real, and if they were real why couldn't Altair be too?
"Yeah." Desmond was sure. Ezio was holding the swing's chains above Leonardo's head and watching him. He looked a lot like Altair when he was serious-faced. Malik had stopped spinning Kadar, and was helping him sit up on his swing. He looked serious-faced too. Desmond put on his serious-face.
"What's going on?" Kadar asked. He swayed in his swing until Malik held his shoulders still with his one hand.
"I'd like to introduce you to someone." Desmond said the same way his Dad did. "This is Altair."
Childhood Fantasies, Part 3
Just as Kadar was almost done winding up, Desmond noticed Altair was waiting for him. With one last swing, Desmond leaned back hard and pushed against the swing's seat to arch high into the air. At the last second -at the highest point the swing could reach- he jumped.
Leonardo yelled, and Kadar yelled too, but that was because he'd started untwisting. Desmond felt the air rushing around him. He felt for a moment like he didn't weigh anything, light as a feather. Then, Altair moved to the side and Desmond was heading for the grass and the ground was coming too fast and he’d jumped too far and he was falling straight down-
And Altair was there, and guided his landing into a tuck-and-roll like they'd practiced, and Desmond rolled one more time for fun before he popped back to his feet. Desmond just breathed for a few seconds before he turned to look back at the swings.
Leonardo looked scared, and he'd dragged his feet in the sand to stop swinging. He'd made a little dust cloud around his feet. Kadar had spun all the way out and was winding back up the other way, dangling like a rag doll and laughing as Malik pushed his feet with his one hand to make him go faster. Ezio was laughing too, long and loud, and that helped Desmond decide.
Leonardo looked less scared when Desmond plopped himself back down on his swing. Altair had gone to stand behind Malik, and Desmond could see Altair's secret smile. Malik looked like he had a secret smile too as he watched Kadar slow down, but his was much harder to see.
"Is it okay?" Desmond asked Altair. Kadar was laughing so hard he couldn't hear, but Leonardo and Ezio heard, and they looked confused. Desmond nudged the sand with his toes, swinging a little as he looked back at Altair.
"The decision is yours. Do you trust them?" Altair answered, and Desmond knew that he had to really think about it before he answered. Leonardo seemed nice and a little shy, and Kadar was really excited about everything. Dad said Altair wasn't real. The doctor Dad took him to talk to said Altair wasn't real. But Ezio and Malik seemed real, and if they were real why couldn't Altair be too?
"Yeah." Desmond was sure. Ezio was holding the swing's chains above Leonardo's head and watching him. He looked a lot like Altair when he was serious-faced. Malik had stopped spinning Kadar, and was helping him sit up on his swing. He looked serious-faced too. Desmond put on his serious-face.
"What's going on?" Kadar asked. He swayed in his swing until Malik held his shoulders still with his one hand.
"I'd like to introduce you to someone." Desmond said the same way his Dad did. "This is Altair."