He sighed. "As with most things, it was my doing, his death. Albeit indirectly." Altaïr's hand curled around Takashi's arm as he began the tale. "I had been gone from Masyaf for ten years, longer than I had ever anticipated. I had left us all in a good position: we held Cyprus from the Templars, Masyaf was safe. Malik and Sef were at the head of the citadel while Maria, Darim, and I went into Mongolia. We had every reason to believe the Mongols held a Piece of Eden, such as the Apple, and that facilitated their conquering force. I did not anticipate Abbas still holding his grudge against me, or taking it so far as he did. We returned to find Masyaf nearly emptied, a husk of what it had once been. Cyprus had been reclaimed. Much of Masyaf village had been abandoned, the remaining men of the citadel mistreating the citizens.

"Abbas had ordered Sef killed, and had used Malik's knife in Swami's hand to do it, making it all too plausible for him to put Malik into the dungeons and take charge for himself. When Maria and I returned, he had been imprisoned for... years, at the least."