Glad OP is enjoying this already! I adore owls. And Malik.
The light coming from the Apple of Eden enveloped Malik completely and for a moment, the one armed man was totally obscured from Altair's vision. Then, just was quickly as it had happened, it was over. Had Altair been anyone else he would have said nothing happened at all. But there was one major difference between now and five minutes ago.
Malik was gone.
Strangely enough, his robes were not.
Altair stared at the pile of clothing that had, until so recently, rested on the body of his right-hand man. Slowly, carefully, he moved around his desk and toward the pile. He never once took his eyes off of it. He was moving like a man threatened by demons.
When he was no more than two feet away, the pile moved. Altair jumped backwards, one hand flying to his sword and the other up to cover his face. As he stood there, the rustling proved to be non-threatening, but he still kept one hand on his sword as he moved back.
He knelt down and, just as carefully as he did everything else, he reached over and pulled back the robes.
There, nestled in the folds sat a very ruffled, very disgruntled barn owl. It's deep brown eyes were glaring up at Altair as if to ask 'when the fuck did you get so big?'. It shifted and Altair realized that it only had one wing.
"Malik?" He questioned, looking at the bird.
The owl tilted it's head to stare up at him again. It's expression clearly stated, 'who did you think I was? King Richard?'. Then, to emphasize his annoyance, the newly formed owl shook it's head and ruffled it's feathers further.
Altair had to snort. He leaned back on his heels and started to laugh. It would figure that Malik, of all people, would feel the disturbing humor of the Apple. While he laughed, Malik the owl, glowered at him and clicked his beak threatening.
"Do you know what you are?" Altair asked, looking back at the owl.
Malik tilted his head, had he been a human it would have been a simple shift to the left but as an owl it was a full on, nearly upside down, tilt.
Smothering his snickers, Altair leaned over and grabbed the Apple, which had been sparkingly sweetly at him from beside the pile of clothing. He set it down in front of Malik and gestured at it. The bright, reflective surface gave a perfect image of Malik's new form.
For the longest time the owl simply sat and stared, as if entranced by the image. Then, with a loud, angry squawk, Malik beat his one wing against it. When that did nothing, he actually bit at the thing with his new beak. He was infuriated. He had only been trying to get Altair's insanity to stop and instead he had been transformed by it. And into, of all things, an owl.
"Hey! Don't do that!" Altair reprimanded. He snatched the Apple away from Malik, but not before the sharp beak managed to get a few good pecks against his hand. "You'll scratch it."
The owl sat back, feathers so ruffled he was less owl and more of a fluffy ball. He was breathing heavily and glaring at Altair with all the anger an owl could muster. His expression quite clearly stated he would do far more than scratch the Apple, should he be left alone with it.
Owlish Intentions [2/x]
The light coming from the Apple of Eden enveloped Malik completely and for a moment, the one armed man was totally obscured from Altair's vision. Then, just was quickly as it had happened, it was over. Had Altair been anyone else he would have said nothing happened at all. But there was one major difference between now and five minutes ago.
Malik was gone.
Strangely enough, his robes were not.
Altair stared at the pile of clothing that had, until so recently, rested on the body of his right-hand man. Slowly, carefully, he moved around his desk and toward the pile. He never once took his eyes off of it. He was moving like a man threatened by demons.
When he was no more than two feet away, the pile moved. Altair jumped backwards, one hand flying to his sword and the other up to cover his face. As he stood there, the rustling proved to be non-threatening, but he still kept one hand on his sword as he moved back.
He knelt down and, just as carefully as he did everything else, he reached over and pulled back the robes.
There, nestled in the folds sat a very ruffled, very disgruntled barn owl. It's deep brown eyes were glaring up at Altair as if to ask 'when the fuck did you get so big?'. It shifted and Altair realized that it only had one wing.
"Malik?" He questioned, looking at the bird.
The owl tilted it's head to stare up at him again. It's expression clearly stated, 'who did you think I was? King Richard?'. Then, to emphasize his annoyance, the newly formed owl shook it's head and ruffled it's feathers further.
Altair had to snort. He leaned back on his heels and started to laugh. It would figure that Malik, of all people, would feel the disturbing humor of the Apple. While he laughed, Malik the owl, glowered at him and clicked his beak threatening.
"Do you know what you are?" Altair asked, looking back at the owl.
Malik tilted his head, had he been a human it would have been a simple shift to the left but as an owl it was a full on, nearly upside down, tilt.
Smothering his snickers, Altair leaned over and grabbed the Apple, which had been sparkingly sweetly at him from beside the pile of clothing. He set it down in front of Malik and gestured at it. The bright, reflective surface gave a perfect image of Malik's new form.
For the longest time the owl simply sat and stared, as if entranced by the image. Then, with a loud, angry squawk, Malik beat his one wing against it. When that did nothing, he actually bit at the thing with his new beak. He was infuriated. He had only been trying to get Altair's insanity to stop and instead he had been transformed by it. And into, of all things, an owl.
"Hey! Don't do that!" Altair reprimanded. He snatched the Apple away from Malik, but not before the sharp beak managed to get a few good pecks against his hand. "You'll scratch it."
The owl sat back, feathers so ruffled he was less owl and more of a fluffy ball. He was breathing heavily and glaring at Altair with all the anger an owl could muster. His expression quite clearly stated he would do far more than scratch the Apple, should he be left alone with it.