Retaking of Masyaf

After killing Robert De Sable, Altair rides for Masyaf to speak with his master, Al Mualim. As he enters through the city gates, Masyaf seems different, no longer buzzing and social, now a deadly silent ghost town. Upon entering Masyaf, a man greets Altair, and upon asking where everyone is, the man replies "They walk the path towards the light! Their is only what the master shows us. This is the truth! Praise be to the master for he has led us to the light!"

Altair decides that he must see Al Mualim and heads towards the Assassin's Fortress.

Altair vs. The Brotherhood
On the way to the Fortress, Altair sees some of the Assassins blocking his path. Upon seeing Altair, they draw their swords. Altair attempts to fight them off but there are too many, but just in the nick of time, Malik and some of the other Assassins who aren't being controlled by Al Mualim's Piece of Eden fight them off and save Altair.

Altair runs up to the top where Mailk and the others wait for him. Altair tells them what he has learned and suggests they try to find a way in through the back while he assaults the fortress from the front.

Altair and Malik go their separate ways and Altair goes to the Assassin's Fortress. Standing in front of the Fortress are a large group of Al Mualim's mind slaves. Careful not to hurt any of them, Altair makes his way through the crowd and into the Fortress.

The Battle With Al Mualim
Altair sees the door to the Assassin's Garden is open and decides to see if Al Mualim is outside. As he steps outside, the door shuts behind him and he is captivated by the spell of Al Mualim's Piece of Eden. After a brief taunt, Al Mualim uses the Piece of Eden to disguise some of his Assassins as Altairs slain targets and comands them to destroy Altair, but Altair picks them off one by one. Al Mualim then uses the Piece of Eden again to clone himself, but Altair uses his Eagle Vision to see past the illusions and strikes the real Al Mualim with his blade, making the clones disapear.

Al Mualim decides to have a battle one on one with Altair, but not before having a word with him first. They speak about the nature of Al Mualim's schemes and the Piece of Eden itself. When Altair asks why his master never used the Piece of Eden to enslave his mind like the other Assassins, Al Mualim answers "Who you are and what you do are twined to tight together.To rob you of one would deprive me of the other, and those Templars had to die!" However he then reveals that he did try but was unsuccessful, due to Altairs seemingly natural resistance to the Piece of Edens effects. Finally the two Assassins duel to the death and Altair ultimately emerges the victor.

As Al Mualim collapses to the floor in Altairs arms he is suprised at the realization he has lost. "Impossible. The student does not defeat the teacher!" he says. to wich Altair replies "Nothing is true, Everything is permitted." The Piece of Eden roles out of the old masters robes and Altair suggests that it should have been destroyed, to wich the dying Assassin replies that he believes it is the only means of creating true peace in the world and that he would never destroy such a thing. Altair says that he will, however as he approaches the Piece of Eden he becomes mezmerized by it and a hollogram of the entire world projects from the ancient artifact. At this moment Malik and his men arrive and join Altair in their fascination with the artifact.