"©" "©" "© P@rM!" "NdeR" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™ Mobile - +919815899536" "Long ago, in a land far away, there once rose an empire that stretched from the steppes of China to the shores of the Mediterranean." "That empire was Persia." "Fierce in battle, wise in victory, where the Persian sword went, order followed." "The Persian king, Sharaman, ruled with his brother, Nizam, upon the principles of loyalty and brotherhood." "The King had two sons who gave him great joy." "Rejoice!" "But in the eyes of the gods, the King's family was not yet complete," "not until the day he witnessed a single act of courage by an orphan boy from the streets of Nasaf." "Get out of the way!" "Stop!" " Stop!" " Help!" "Run!" "Run, Bis!" "Run!" "Stay here." "Stop him!" "He's getting away!" "Let go of me!" "Come here!" "In the King's name!" "What is your name, boy?" " Dastan, sire." " And your parents?" "Boy!" "Brother, take him up." "Moved by what he saw, the King adopted the boy, Dastan, into his family." "A son with no royal blood and no eye on his throne." "But perhaps there was something else at work that day, something beyond simple understanding," "the day a boy from the unlikeliest of places became a prince of Persia." "The fabled Alamut." "Even more stunning than I'd imagined." "Don't be fooled by beauty, Prince Tus." "It's a city like any other." "Soft countries make soft men." "They stoop to treachery and now must pay for it." "My father's made clear Alamut's not to be touched." "Some consider it sacred." "But since our wise father isn't here, the decision rests with me." "I'll have one last council with my noble uncle and my two brothers, trusted Garsiv and..." "Where's Dastan?" "Come on!" "I bet my entire month's allowance on this!" "This is embarrassing!" " Why don't you give it a try?" " Get in there!" "Is that all you got?" "Prince Dastan!" "Where is Prince Dastan?" "Prince Dastan isn't here!" "Your Highness, please." "Prince Tus has convened a war council." "I'm on my way." "Our finest spy intercepted a caravan leaving Alamut." "Swords of the best workmanship." "Steel-tipped arrows." "And promise of payment from the warlord Kosh to Alamut." "They're selling weapons to our enemies, Dastan." "An arrow such as this slew my horse in Koshkhan." "Blood will run in Alamut's streets for this." "Or our soldiers will fall from its walls." "Our orders were to subdue Koshkhan, not to attack Alamut." "Wise words, little brother." "Words won't stop our enemies once they're armed with Alamutian blades." "We attack at dawn." "Well, if that's your decision, then let me go in first." "Thoughts to share, Garsiv?" "I ride at the head of the Persian army." "Dastan leads a company of street rabble." "They may not be much for manners, but they're pretty handy in a fight." "The honour of first blood should be mine." "Garsiv, your hand is on your sword again." "Where it should be!" "Oh, my brothers!" "Ever eager." "It's said the princess of Alamut is a beauty without equal." "We'll march into her palace and see for ourselves." "There can be no doubt of your courage, Dastan." "But you're not ready for this." "Garsiv's cavalry will lead the way." "Princess Tamina." "The Persian army, my princess, has not moved on." "Their faith has little love for any truth other than its own." "Perhaps it would be safer if you didn't stand so close." "Whatever their faith, their bows aren't that strong." "Nor is their aim." "Gather the council." "Tell them I sit in the High Temple." "I must pray." "The High Temple?" "Alamut hasn't been breached in a thousand years." "Everything changes with time." "We should know this best of all." "Remind me why we're disobeying your brother's orders?" "Because Garsiv only knows how to attack head-on." "It'll be a massacre." "The Alamutians will be busy with the main gate, so we'll slip through the side." "Have you been drinking?" "That's our way in." "There are two gates." "The outer one's easy." "It's the inner gate that's impossible." "That gate mechanism is protected by two manned guard towers." "Yeah, well, there's always a way in, Bis." "You take care of the outer gate, you leave the impossible one to me." "You know, sire, you won't be happy till you get us all killed." "Wonderful speech, Bis." "Rousing." "Sound the alarm!" "Hold this." "Watch your back." "Eastern gate's open." "That's Dastan's man." "He's gotten in." "Dastan's done it." "Redeploy to the eastern gate." "Redeploy to the eastern gate!" "Come on." "They've breached the eastern gate." "Collapse the passages to the chamber." "Princess." "Go now, everyone." "You know what you must do." "Above all else, it must be kept safe." "Out of the way!" "Silly songs and scented smoke will do little for you now!" "I think you'll find there's more to her than that, eh, Garsiv?" "So for once the stories are true." "We know you secretly build weapons for enemies of Persia." "Now show us where." "We have no forges here." "And what weapons we had, you overcame." "Our spies say differently." "You can save a lot of pain..." "All the pain in the world will not help you find something that does not exist." "Spoken like one wise enough to consider a political solution." "Join hands with Persia's future king." "I'll die first." "That can be arranged." "Don't!" "Prince Tus." "Promise me the people of Alamut will be treated with mercy." "Hey, the Lion of Persia!" "The Lion of Persia!" "They're calling you the Lion of Persia." "You've never excelled at following orders, Dastan." " I have some explaining to do, Tus." "I..." " No." "No." "No!" "We have some celebrating to do." "There is, however, tradition." "Since you took the honour of first assault, you owe me a gift of homage." "A beautiful dagger." "He delivered you the city and its princess." " I think that's homage enough." " I suppose it is." "First dispatch has just arrived, my prince." "Wonderful news." "Your father has interrupted his prayers at the eastern palace to join us." "No doubt to commend us on our great victory." "We had indications Alamut was arming our enemies." "Indications?" "You better have more than indications to occupy a holy city with my troops!" "This adventure won't sit with our allies." "But I suppose you didn't take that into account." "Don't look to your uncle, boy." "The decision, and its consequences, rest with me." "I know you're eager to wear the crown, but trust me when I tell you you're not yet ready." "No man would know better than you, Father." "Because your trust is something I deeply cherish," "I will oversee the search for weapons myself." "I vow I will not stand before you until I hold proof of Alamut's treachery." "The third step is the hardest!" "Brother!" "Brother!" "We've uncovered signs of tunnels on the eastern edge of the city." "I'm on my way there now." "But you'll miss the banquet!" "You and Garsiv can handle Father in my absence." " You do have a gift to honour him with?" " Of course!" " Bis, gift!" " What?" "It's been momentarily misplaced." "I knew you'd forget." "The prayer robe of Alamut's Regent." "The holiest in the eastern lands." "A gift the King will appreciate." "You fought like a champion for me, Dastan." "Glad to return the favour." "A rare jewel." "Present her to the King for me this evening, Dastan." "Sure you really want another wife, brother?" "Listen to me, Dastan." "A marriage to the Princess assures me the loyalty of her people." "Unbound to us, she's a dangerous liability." "If Father doesn't approve our union," "I want you to end her life with your own hand." "So, I'm escorted by Prince Dastan, the Lion of Persia." "Must feel wonderful winning such acclaim for destroying such an innocent city." "A pleasure to meet you, too, Princess." "And allow me to offer that if punishing the enemies of my king is a crime, then it's one I'll gladly repeat." "Then you are a true prince of Persia." "Brutal, without honour." "Don't make the mistake of thinking you know me, Princess." "And what more is there?" "Wait here with Her Highness." "If you can manage it," "I suggest a hint of humility when you're presented to the King." "For your own good." "You've eased Father's anger, Uncle." "One day, you'll have the pleasure of being brother to the King, Dastan." "As long as you remember your most important duty, you should do well." "And what's that?" "Making sure his wine glass stays full." "I'm told that another of my sons has joined the rank of great Persian warriors." "We missed you, Father." "I was praying for you and your brothers, Dastan." "Family." "The bond between brothers, that is the sword that defends our empire." "And I pray that that sword remains strong." "I was hoping my actions would spare our men unnecessary losses." "A good man would've done as you did, Dastan, acting boldly and courageously to bring a victory and spare lives." "But a great man would've stopped the attack from happening at all." "A great man would've stopped what he knew to be wrong, no matter who was ordering it." "The boy I saw in that square was capable of being more than just good, but of being great." "Well, in the meantime, I have a gift for you." "Some questioned the wisdom of my bringing a boy from the streets into my family." "I saw a boy whose blood wasn't noble, but whose character was." "A king in spirit." "Thank you, Father." "Thank you, Father." "May I present the prayer robe of Alamut's Regent." "What can I grant you in return?" "Roham!" "May I present Princess Tamina." "Tus wishes to make a union with her people through marriage." "It is my deepest wish that this win your approval." "In all of my travels," "I have never looked upon a more beautiful city, Your Highness." "You should have seen it before your horde of camel-riding illiterates descended upon it." "Clearly she will make a fine queen." "But Tus already has enough wives." "You, Dastan, might take fewer chances if such a jewel waited in your chambers." "The Princess of Alamut will be your first wife." "What say you, Dastan?" "He plunges into a hundred foes without thought, but before marriage he stands frozen with fear." "And there are those who say he is not yet wise." "I need a drink." "Stand aside!" "Out of my way!" "Father." "God help us!" "The robe is poisoned!" "Somebody help him!" " The robe Dastan gave him!" " Why?" "Somebody help him!" "Seize the murderer!" "Somebody help him!" "My prince, save yourself!" "Seize him!" "Move!" "Bis!" "Bis!" "Come with me!" "What do you think you're doing?" "I can get us out of here." "You're going to need my help." "Come on!" " Close the gate!" " That way!" "Close the gate!" "Get down!" "There!" "After the murderer!" "He's on my horse!" "He stole my horse!" "Aksh, come on!" "My loyal subjects, the whole world grieves at the death of our beloved king." "We are all stricken by his loss." "That the murder came at Prince Dastan's hand only makes our pain worse." "I didn't murder my father." "That robe was given to me by my brother." "Tus did this." "And now he stands to be crowned king." "I didn't kill my father." "I believe you." "You shouldn't be here." "I shouldn't have let you come." "But you did." "I promised my brother I'd kill you if he couldn't have you." "Well, the solution would be to kiss me" "and then kill me." "But I have a better solution." "I kill you, and your problems are solved!" "Perhaps we can find another solution." "Well, the solution would be to kiss me, then kill me." "But I have a better solution." " No." " I kill you!" "Give back what you stole, Persian!" "Don't!" " Did you see that?" " See what?" "Go for that sword again, and I swear I'll break your arm." "Again?" "You've used up all the sand!" "What?" "What is this?" "Incredible." "Releasing the sand turns back time." "And only the holder of the dagger is aware of what's happened." "He can go back and alter events, change time, and no one knows but him." "How much can it unwind?" "Answer me, Princess." "You destroyed my city!" "Our invasion wasn't about weapon forges." "It was about this dagger." "After the battle, Tus asked for this dagger as tribute." "I didn't think anything of it, but now I see." "With it he could change anything." "He could change the course of a critical moment in battle." "He could foresee the blade of a rival." "He wouldn't just be king, he'd be the most powerful ruler Persia's ever seen." "Greater even than my father." "It was all about this dagger!" "My treacherous brother must be brought to justice, and as such, I have doubled the reward for his capture." "Meanwhile, I shall strive to protect our empire, as my father would have demanded." "A new reign has begun." "What are you doing?" "Garsiv can't be far behind us." "And Aksh is the most famous horse in the empire." "This will obscure his tracks." "Tracks where?" "Where are you going?" "To Avrat, where my father will be buried." "You're wanted for the King's murder and you're going to march into his funeral alongside thousands of Persian soldiers?" "Well, Nizam will be there." "He's the only one I can trust." "He'll see I was set up by Tus." "Step aside, Princess." "Every road to Avrat will be covered with Persian troops." "I'm not taking roads." "I'm going through the Valley of the Slaves." "No one goes near that wasteland." "It's filled with murdering cutthroats." "So they say." "Your whole plan is suicide!" "My brother murdered my father and left his blood on my hands." "If I die trying to set that right, then so be it." "So you're going to leave me here in the middle of nowhere?" "Noble Dastan, abandoning a helpless woman in the wilderness!" "What does your precious honour have to say about that?" "Give me the strength not to kill her." "Mount up." "We can't be far behind him." "Without the right sand, it's just another knife." "Not even very sharp." "This sand, is there more of it?" "Of course not." "Well, how can I get some?" "Try standing on your head and holding your breath." "See what you were looking for, Prince?" "Start walking." "If you can't prove to your uncle how the dagger works, why in the world would he believe you?" "It's not your problem, Princess." "You know, you really walk like one." "Head held high, chest out, long, stomping strides." "The walk of a self-satisfied Persian prince." "No doubt it comes from being told since birth the world is yours, and actually believing it." "I wasn't born in a palace like you." "I was born in the slums of Nasaf, where I lived if I fought and I clawed for it." "Then how did you become a prince?" "The King marched into the market one day, and he..." "I don't know." "He..." "He found me." "He took me in." "He gave me a family." "He gave me a home." "What you're looking at is the walk of a man who just lost everything." "Welcome to the Valley of the Slaves, Your Highness." "I'm desperate for a drop of water." "That's more than we have, since you emptied our canteen hours ago." "I wasn't born of this desert like you Persians, all shrivelled and angry." "My constitution is much more delicate." "I think you mean "spoiled."" "The wells of Alamut are famed for their clean, cold water." "Perhaps less time admiring your wells and more time guarding your walls, and you wouldn't be here." "A miracle!" "I've silenced the Princess!" "Tamina?" "Tamina?" "Can you hear me?" "Yes, Dastan, I can hear you." "Do you know where you are, Persian?" "And yet you enter still?" "In the heart of Sudan, there is a tribe of warriors known as the Ngbaka." "They strike fear into the hearts of all they cross." "The Ngbaka are masters of the throwing knife." "Wielding blades said to have been blessed by the Creator himself." "Their aim is so murderously accurate they can decapitate three men with one strike." "Oh, I wouldn't even bother doing that if I were you." "Do you know why?" "This is Seso." "He's a Ngbaka." "I had the good fortune of saving his life, which means that he is now enduringly indebted to me." "So tell me, Persian, is there any good reason why I shouldn't tell Seso to put his next throw just a little higher?" "So!" "This is the one, eh?" "Yes!" "You were right." "She's not bad." "She could smell a bit better, though." "Still, we have a deal." "Clever princess." "Deal?" "What deal?" "Such a noble prince!" "Such a gentle princess!" "How taken you were with my fainting act, eagerly leaping to assist the fallen beauty." "Who said you were a beauty?" "There must be a reason why you can't take your eyes off me." "I..." "I don't trust you." "And you're not my type." "I'm not some desperate slave girl." "I'm actually capable of voicing my own thoughts!" "Yeah, too many for my taste!" "Oh, yeah." "She'll make a very nice addition." "What do you intend to do with her?" "Yes, do tell him." "Can't you see how concerned he is?" " Give me a moment." " Yeah." "It's hard for me to admit, but you were right." "I did see what I was looking for." "Dastan, listen to me." "When my uncle sees the power of this dagger, he'll believe me." "Dastan, I know I haven't been entirely honest with you." "Oh, but your lies are so clever." "I am the guardian of a divine covenant." " That dagger is sacred." " Well..." "It was being smuggled to safety when you stole it." "If the dagger gets into the wrong hands..." "I will take care of your knife." "You won't want to miss this." "You don't understand what's at stake!" "This is a matter for the gods, not man!" " Your gods, not mine." " Come on!" "Come on!" "Ostrich racing?" "Yeah." "Every Tuesday and Thursday." "Whatever they lack in beauty, they make up for in fighting spirit." "And the races are easy to fix." "I've heard all these terrible stories of this place." "The bloodthirsty slaves murdering their masters?" "That's a good story." "It's well-told, ever-evolving." "Yeah, but, alas, untrue." "But the skeletons that we saw at the front..." "I bought those from a gypsy in Bukhara." "I crafted our lurid reputation in order to fend off the most insidious evil that's been lurking this forsaken country of ours." "You know what I'm talking about?" "Taxes." "And all these Persians with their armies, their fortresses, their roads." "Who pays for it all?" "The small businessman!" "See, that's why I started a little campaign to spread some false notoriety." "I spread it like a venerable disease in a Turkish harem." "Behold the mighty ostrich!" "Come on, my beauty!" "I love this!" "And the tax collectors steer clear of me and my customers." "Everybody's happy." "Hey!" "Get the girls on!" "Get the girls on!" "Come on!" "Crowd control!" "Don't just stand there!" "Run, don't walk!" "If you drop anything, you pay for it!" "It's out of your wages!" "Now, don't look at me like that." "You know what I'm talking about!" "Do your job!" "Crowd control!" "Thank you!" "You know, I think our little arrangement is gonna work out very well, young man." "Don't touch!" "She's a lively one!" "Where did you find her?" "In the slave markets of Lur." "I was headed to Iraq to trade her for a camel when she attacked me." "The camels are safer." "Noble Sheikh Amar, I appreciate your hospitality." "You run a fine establishment, but if you could give me the supplies that we..." "You know something, Persian?" "You bear a remarkable resemblance to the disgraced prince who fled after murdering the King." "Have I told you about the Ngbaka?" "Yes, you have." "Yeah." "Nothing beats a good story, eh?" "But yours, however, trading her in for a camel?" "Please!" "I mean, look at her." "She's worth at least two." "And as for you, young man, did you know your brother's offered a reward for you which, quite frankly, between you and me, borders on the obscene?" "I'd trade in my own mother for that kind of gold." "What?" "You didn't know what she was like." "Take him down to the Persian outpost." "Wait, wait, wait." "Look." "That..." " Nice knife." " Hey, hey, hey, hey." "It's nothing." " No, look, that's worthless!" " Really?" "Melt it down for the jewels." "What's the boy doing?" "No, you might kill a bird!" "Hey!" "Over here!" "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" "Get to the tunnel!" "Look at this!" "That's it!" "No more fermented goat's milk after the third race!" "You hear me?" "Get after him!" "Come on!" " The gate!" " Get him!" "Stop!" "Lift the lever!" "Lt'll open the gate!" " Give me the dagger!" " What?" "You're..." "This is not the time!" "Just lift that lever!" "Give me the dagger!" "Don't think it didn't cross my mind." "Move, Princess!" "Persian!" "Dastan!" "Persian!" "Looking for this?" "Key?" "Next time, you!" "They've all come for my father's funeral." "There are 100 Persian soldiers watching that gate." "Maybe more." "If you want to stay close to this dagger, you're going to have to help me into Avrat." "All these foreign dignitaries," "I'm guessing you know a few." "Couldn't you have found somebody lighter?" "The Mughals of the Hindu Kush are a noble people." "You should be honoured." "Oh, yes." "Terribly." "Dastan, where's the dagger?" "You're welcome to search me for it." "You'll have to be very thorough." "Tus isn't here." "He must still be in Alamut." "The sand that fuels the dagger, there's more of it hidden somewhere in Alamut, isn't there?" "That's why Tus stays there." "That's what he's got our army searching for." "I have to get a message to my uncle to meet me." "That's impossible." "Difficult, not impossible." "Or more proof you're insane." "Then why do you look so impressed?" "Out of the way!" "Make way!" " Turn around." " What?" "Turn around!" "You used to buy those for me when I was a boy." "You used to spit the seeds at Garsiv." "You should not have brought me here, Dastan." "I had no choice, Uncle." "Follow me." "I didn't kill Father." "You know I would never do such a thing." "Your actions speak otherwise." "But I had no choice but to flee." "Tus gave me that cloak." " He was the one who poisoned it." " Dastan." "Well, he's not here, is he?" "At his father's funeral." "Instead, he remains in Alamut." "Our allies will see our invasion was just." "The search for Alamut's weapons forges is important." "Yes, but not if there are none." "The invasion of Alamut was a lie." "Tus is after power." "That's why he murdered Father." "And now he searches not for weapons, but for the sand that fuels a mystical device." "This is why you brought me here, Dastan?" "Mystical devices?" "Do you remember, after the battle, you stopped Tus from taking the dagger I'd won?" "That dagger is the reason he invaded Alamut." "This dagger, you have it with you?" "Yes." "It has incredible powers." "Is this some sort of a joke, Dastan?" "What?" "No, it was in there." "Then where's your so-called evidence?" "Tamina." "I..." "Your hands are burned." "Yes." "From trying to pull the poisoned cloak off your father." " Is something wrong, Dastan?" " No, no." "You're certain?" "You know you can trust me, boy." "It's just that" "Tus is my brother." "How could he betray me like this?" "I can't say, Dastan." "Perhaps he never respected you as you deserve, only saw you as someone he could use." "Someone to keep his wine glass filled?" "My service to your father was different." "We shared the same blood, Dastan." "How many times did Father speak of you saving him from that lion?" "That was his favourite story." "One of many, yes." "No, that was his favourite." "I'm afraid you're speaking in riddles, Dastan." "Wait!" "Dastan!" "Over here!" "Murderer!" "I didn't kill Father!" "Out of the way!" "Get out of the way!" "What are you going to do now?" "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "Hey." "Garsiv." "I didn't kill Father." "Then God will pardon you after your head rolls." "Not fighting with sticks any more, little brother." "That's all you got?" "Your Majesty." "I thought you were staying in Alamut." "Tell me about Dastan, Uncle." "Dastan came to Avrat to kill me." "In the marketplace." "I just got away." "Tus, my death would weaken your young reign." "Dastan hopes to stir a rebellion." "He wants the throne?" "I fear so, my lord." "Putting Dastan on trial would only give him a stage for his sedition." "My advice would be to avoid a trial." "Don't bring him back to Nasaf alive." "Whatever Dastan's crimes, a public trial will best communicate the king I hope to be." "Strong, honouring the rule of law." "We are not savages." "You grow more a king every day." "Dastan must be found." "He must be brought to justice." "I need to speak with our guests." "Oh, about them, my lord." "Their practices are unusual." "The servants have seen things, heard strange sounds." "Last week, one of the horses vanished." "Well, just make sure the servants keep their mouths shut." "Or I promise you, they will vanish, as well." "I have another task for you, Hassansin, but you'll have to be quick." "Your prey has a head start." "You brought what I requested?" "These practices, they don't interfere with your skills?" "In the trance we can see visions of our future." "Visions of death." "A destiny and a curse." "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ ™" "In that trance, we can find anything, including your nephew, Prince Dastan." "Then I hope you shall see more death, soon." "Get down!" "It's a Persian patrol!" "Garsiv." "What aren't you telling me?" "The tribesmen left." "Maybe they tired of your penchant for lies and backstabbing." "I had no choice but to leave you." "I take it your uncle didn't listen." "It wasn't Tus that killed my father." "It was Nizam." " Your uncle?" " His hands were burned." "He said it happened trying to pull off the cloak that killed my father." "I've gone over and over it in my mind." "He never touched the cloak." "He must have handled it before." "It was Nizam who poisoned it." "What good does turning back a few moments of time do my uncle?" "None." "He murdered my father for more than just a dagger." "What aren't you telling me?" "You know, you've got quick hands." "But so do I." "If you want it back, you tell me everything." "No more games, no more lies." "Can we get out of here?" "Only a princess would think she could outrun a sandstorm." "Nizam's coming to kill us." "He needs me dead." "I need to know why." "In Alamut rests the beating heart of all life on Earth, the Sandglass of the Gods." "Long ago, the gods looked down on man and saw nothing but greed and treachery." "And so they sent a great sandstorm to destroy all, wipe clean the face of the Earth." "But one young girl begged the gods to give mankind another chance, offering her life in exchange." "Seeing the purity within, the gods were reminded of man's potential for good." "And so they swept the sands into the Sandglass." "The dagger was given to the girl who saved man, making her the first Guardian." "The dagger blade is the only thing that can pierce the Sandglass and remove the Sands of Time, but the handle only holds one minute." "What if one were to place the dagger in the Sandglass and press the jewel button at the same time?" "Sand would flow through endlessly." "You could turn back time as far as you like." "Yes, but it is forbidden." "When my father was a boy," "Nizam saved his life hunting." "One day, the two princes were stalking a beautiful buck." "But they were unaware of a lioness stalking them." "Nizam saved Sharaman." "My father told us the story over and over again." "I don't understand." "Nizam wishes to go back in time and undo what he did." "Not save my father." "Let him die." "Then he would be king for a lifetime, and my brothers would never be born." "Storm's passed." "Dastan, the sands contained within the Sandglass are incredibly powerful." "Opening the dagger while it's inside the glass breaks the seal." "That would destroy the Sandglass, causing it to crack and shatter." "The Sands of Time would no longer be contained." "And they would carry the gods' wrath with them once more, destroying everything in their path." "And all of mankind would pay for Nizam's treachery." "This is all that would be left of us." "The secret Guardian Temple outside Alamut is a sanctuary, the one place the dagger can be hidden safely, the only way to stop this Armageddon." "That's the truth, Dastan." "Give me back the dagger so that I can take it there." "I can't do that." "I'm coming with you." "You're going to help me?" "We could sit here and chat, or you could get on the horse." "Our journey is blessed." "We'll stop for water and push for the mountain pass by nightfall." "You enjoy telling me what to do." "Only because you're so good at following orders." "Yeah." "Don't press your luck." "Persian!" "We parted under such rushed circumstances," "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." "We've been tracking you for a week!" "That little riot you started, it went on for two days!" "My beloved racetrack, all washed away like footprints in sand." "You see Anita there?" "Hmm?" "Look at her." "She's all that's left of my gaming empire." "And no matter your skills as a promoter, you can't organise an ostrich race with just one ostrich!" "Am I right?" " Yeah!" " Yeah!" "Yes, sir." "Come with me." "Did you know that ostriches have suicidal tendencies?" "Look at this poor thing." "She used to be a grand champion." "Now I have to watch her night and day to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." "So, it occurred to me the only way to recoup my tragic losses was to track down" " the two young lovers..." " Sheikh Amar." "...who cast this dark cloud upon me." "Yes!" "I'm going to need the price on your heads!" "Your brother will be very pleased to see..." "It's sand dervishes, Persian." "They're common as camel turd in the desert." "No, Sheikh Amar, listen to me!" "I'd rather not." " Nice knife." " Noble Sheikh, we are on a sacred journey to the Temple..." "Temple, the Temple." "There's nothing more sacred than Persian gold!" "Give me the dagger." "There are too many of them." "You can't kill them all." "You want to live?" "Give me the dagger!" "Give me the dagger!" "Persian, how..." "How did you do that?" "Instinct." "What?" "We have to get out of here." "What happened last night?" "Those vipers were controlled by Hassansins." "Hassansins?" "For years, they were the covert killing force of the Persian kings until my father ordered them disbanded." "Nizam must have disobeyed my father's orders and kept them intact." "This secret government killing activity, that's why I don't pay taxes." "We can't stop." "Well, perhaps you can't, but we can." "We could use your help getting to the Temple." "By crossing the Hindu Kush with a storm blowing?" "You attract trouble like flies around rotting mango, and you're insane..." "There's gold at the Temple." "More than 10 horses can carry." "Tax free." "Sir!" "Do you have any idea where you're going?" "I memorised this path as a child." "Every princess must." "It's sacred." "It's here!" "The sanctuary." "The one place the dagger can be hidden safely." "I was expecting golden statues, waterfalls." "Give me back the dagger so that I can take it there." "Don't cut yourself, Princess." "Hey!" "Here!" "Not long dead." "Last night maybe." "Tortured first." " Hassansin." " Nizam knows this place." "All dead." "The entire village." "My gold?" "Where are you going?" "There is only one way to stop all of this." "What?" "What?" "To make sure the dagger is safe." "The Temple holds the stone the dagger came from." "What Temple?" "This is a pile of stones and rocks!" "The first thing we learned, if all else fails, put the dagger back into the stone." "The stone will envelop it." "Pull it into the mountain, returning it to the gods." "The original promise must be paid." "What promise?" "The gods must take back the life they spared." "That'll mean you'll die." "Stay there!" "Stay there!" " Stay there!" " Listen to me." "Listen to me!" "Give me your sword!" "Give me your sword, or do you forsake even that honour?" "There are bodies down there." "Murdered by Hassansins, on Nizam's order!" "He's the traitor!" "Hassansins no longer exist!" "You always thought you were so clever." " No, this is no trick, Garsiv." " Sir!" "All dead inside, sir." "More in the village." " There's one in there and..." " Stay there!" "Nizam wants me dead." "Wants me silenced." "A trial would be too public." "You know this?" "He said as much, didn't he?" "I know it hasn't been easy between us, Garsiv, but still, we are brothers." "Touching words with my sword at your throat." "You often questioned why Father spent so much time in prayer." "Before he died, he told me that the bond between brothers is the sword that defends our empire." "He was praying that that sword remain strong." "Why would I go into Avrat for Father's funeral when I knew it was so dangerous?" "Nizam recommended your death." "Tus disagreed, ordered you brought back alive." "Nizam wants me dead, and he's hired the Hassansins to make sure that that does happen." "He's afraid of what I might say and who I might tell." "Tell me, brother." "Garsiv?" "Wait." "Garsiv!" "Garsiv." "Hassansins!" "Shut up!" "Shut up!" "Protect the dagger!" "Persian!" "Behind you!" "Tamina!" "Tamina!" "Forget them!" "Throw these!" "Find her!" "Hey!" "Hey, over here!" "You know what they say about men with big swords?" "Tamina!" "Let me do it." "Only a Guardian can return the dagger." "This isn't something you can do, Dastan." "I'm ready for this." "I'm not." "Tamina!" "Out!" "Enough!" "Out!" "Garsiv!" "Garsiv." "Dastan, I'm sorry." "Save the empire." "Brother." "Brother." "Where is the dagger?" "It's gone." ""Protect the dagger, no matter the consequences."" "That was my sacred calling." "That was my destiny." "We make our own destiny, Princess." "We'll get it back." "We're gonna need another horse." "Where will you go?" "To Alamut." "Nizam will use that dagger to pierce the Sandglass, and he has to be stopped." ""And he has to be stopped." "He has to be stopped."" "That's good..." "What?" "A knife thrower with a conscience." "Our friends in the palace say the Persians have broken through to the first level of the tunnels." "They'll reach the Sandglass within hours." "Nizam's keeping the dagger in the High Temple, guarded by some sort of demon covered in spikes." "The Hassansin that killed my brother." "It's the only thing that stands between us and the dagger." "No man can stand within 20 yards of him and live." "Some don't need to get that close." "Spare some water, sire?" "You sure about this?" " I owe the boy." " What?" "You're a Ngbaka!" "Scourge of the Numidian plain." "Me?" "I'm a slightly dishonourable entrepreneur." "This nobility business is not the cloth we're cut from." "Hurry!" "My friend, has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" "Come on." "Have I told you about the Ngbaka?" "Yes, you have." "I hope your brother listens to you, Persian." "He's here." "Seal every gate!" "Find him!" " It's clear." " Dastan, I don't think..." "I don't think you should do this." "Is that concern I hear?" " Caution." " Sprinkled with concern." "You flatter yourself, Prince." "And you used to be a better liar, Princess." "Perhaps I'm out of practice." "This won't be the last time we'll be together." "Where is the dagger?" "You Persian bureaucrats." "Such soft hands." "It's been found, my lord." "The Sandglass?" "I don't have the dagger." "Leave me." "Hello, Tus." "Dastan!" " We need to talk." " Then talk." " Alone." " Wait outside the chamber." "Now!" "We are brothers, are we not?" "The robe that killed Father was poisoned by Nizam." "Nizam?" "You're mad." "Who gave you the robe, Tus?" "Who gave you the robe?" "You trust him, as did I." "But Alamut wasn't supplying our enemies with weapons." "Nizam lied to us." "Why would he do such a thing?" "What could he gain?" "Listen to me carefully." "Beneath the streets of the city lies an ancient force." "A container holding the fabled Sands of Time." "Nizam wishes to use it to corrupt history." "He wants to turn back time and make himself king." ""Sands of Time"?" " Heresies, Dastan." "Pagan madness." " No." "I've seen its power with my own eyes, Tus." "And Nizam discovered its resting place." "If we don't stop him, our world could end." "If you're going to kill me, best you do it now." "This is no ordinary dagger." "You press the jewel on its hilt and you will see." "I should have had the strength to do this before we invaded the city." "What are you talking about?" "To act on what I know is right, no matter the consequences." "The soldiers remain on..." "Stay where you are!" "He took his own life." "Then God have mercy on the traitor, for he chose the path of the coward." "We both know Dastan was many things, but not a coward." ""This is no ordinary dagger." ""Press the jewel on its hilt and you will see."" "...no matter the consequences." "Stop!" "A moment ago you died before my eyes." "You pressed it." "How did you know I would?" "Because we are brothers." "On the day we left for war, our father told me a true king considers the advice of counsel, but always listens to his heart." "You shouldn't have had to go so far for me to believe you." "Your Majesty, the soldiers tell me that..." "I see that Dastan has indeed returned." "Tus, remember what I told you!" "No!" "A moment." "Poor Tus." "So eager for the crown." "And you, Dastan, always charging in." "So desperate to prove you're more than something the King scraped off the streets." "What a glorious mess we are." "It seems the bond between brothers is no longer the sword that defends our empire." "Yes!" "He was one of us." "He was a priest of the Temple." "That's how Nizam discovered the existence of the Sandglass." "They've corrupted the Guardians." "Infected us." "We're no longer pure." "We must hurry." "Pulley." "The pulley!" "Now!" "The Guardians built passageways underneath the city as secret access to the Sandglass." "If we move fast enough, we can get there before Nizam." "That will lead us down to the Sandglass chamber." "There is only one safe path." "Faster!" "Follow in my footsteps." "Nothing can touch the surface other than where I step." "Run, Dastan!" "Run!" "Dastan!" "Nizam!" "You murdered your own family." "Sharaman was your brother!" "And my curse." "I looked up to you." "Dastan!" "I never understood why my brother brought trash into the palace." "Enjoy the gutter, Dastan." "It's where you'll stay under my reign." "Tamina!" "Nizam!" "Don't use the dagger to undo your past!" " It will unleash..." " Unleash what?" "God's wrath?" "Hell itself?" "Don't do this!" "Stop him!" "If the glass shatters, the world dies with it." "It's not my destiny, it's yours." "It always has been." " Let me go." " I won't." "Let me go." "I'm not letting you go!" "I wish we could have been together." "No!" "No!" "No!" " Dastan!" " No!" "Tamina!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Dastan!" "Tamina!" "Family." "Prince Dastan!" "Prince Dastan!" "Bis?" "You're here!" "Of course I'm here." "Our men have surrounded Alamut's palace." "The battle is over." "Not yet." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Wait." "Brave soldiers of Persia, we have been deceived into attacking this holy city!" "Alamut has no weapon forges!" "Dastan!" "Have you gone mad?" "I cannot stand silent in the face of treachery." "This war was set up by one trusted above all else, our Uncle Nizam!" "Dastan has fought hard today, perhaps too hard!" "What he needs now is to get out from under this burning sun to rest, gather his wits!" "The weapons we found are forgeries!" "There are no weapons here, Uncle, and you know it!" "And the spy who supposedly intercepted them was hired by you to persuade all of us to invade Alamut!" "What is this, Dastan?" "Victor's remorse?" "You yourself led the attack!" "Brought us this great triumph!" "I should never have let the attack happen." "I knew in my heart that it was wrong." "It will never be you." "You will never be king." "You don't have the heart." "You will die in the shadow of a great man." "Get him down from there before he makes an even bigger fool of himself!" "Tus!" "Before you left Nasaf, Father told you this, that a true king considers the advice of counsel, but he always listens to his own heart." "Father and I were alone." " How could you know that?" " He was right." "He knows us, and he knows what we're capable of." "Just listen to your heart." "He defies your order in the attack and now wants to turn back." "Tus." "Take measure here." "The spy knows the truth." "Find the spy!" "Bring him to me!" "We'll wring it from him!" "You had what every man could ever dream of." "Love, respect, and family." "But that wasn't enough for you, was it?" "Princess of Alamut," "I was misled to attack your city." "Forgive me, Highness." "Let me try to make amends." "It would be to our mutual advantage that our nations be united by a bond stronger than friendship." "Marriage." "Your marriage, to one who is both conqueror and saviour of your city." "Dastan." "Royal blood or not, he's every bit a son to our father." "Every bit a brother to Garsiv and me." "A true prince of Persia." "Get up there before I take your place." "Hello, Princess." "It is customary to accompany a proposal with gifts, but I was surprised, and, alas, I'm unprepared." "I have nothing for you, save that which was already yours." "Walk with me, Prince Dastan." "How can I trust the man that breached the walls of my city?" "I'm starting to think I'm no longer the same man who breached those walls." "That's a short time for a man to change so much." "Perhaps." "It sounds as if you've discovered something here." "What might that be?" "A new spiritual awareness." " A destiny?" " Yes, exactly." "But I believe we make our own destiny, Princess." "You have an unfortunate lack of curiosity." "No doubt one of my many flaws." "Please don't mock me, Prince." "Oh, I hardly think we know each other well enough for that, Princess." "But I look forward to the day that we do." "©" "©" "© P@rM!" "NdeR" "© P@rM!" "NdeR M@nkÖÖ"