Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 21 February 2024.

Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One is novel by Maria Lewis. It was published by Aconyte Books on 21 November 2023 and follows Roshan during her early years before joining the Hidden Ones and becoming Basim Ibn Ishaq's mentor.

Blurb

Master Assassin Roshan's past is revealed in the hunt along the Silk Road for a powerful mysterious artifact in this essential Assassin's Creed adventure

Cairo, 824 – In the bowels of prison, escape is out of the question. The best Roshan can hope for is a quick death. She certainly doesn't expect a second chance offered by a cloaked stranger who says Roshan is exactly what they need: Someone who can disappear, who will do what needs to be done, someone expendable... Granted her freedom, Roshan joins a crew of shady figures assembled to steal a mysterious object being transported along the Silk Road towards Persia. Roshan's otherworldly intuition proves vital as she fights to stay one step ahead of her backstabbing gang and survive the mission. For her employer holds the key to a world she can't begin to fathom: a world she might have been destined for all along.

Summary

Chapter One - Fustat, 824

Roshan is taken to a prison cell, a regular experience for her. Like every time before, she also plans to escape and her attire fortunately disguises her as a man. Imprisoned five floors underground makes her yearn to be outside and breathing the city's air again, but she must deal with a bleeding wound above her eye. Trying to find an escape route, she makes eye contact with a tall, skinny man, who sets his sight on her. With her limited resources, she uses her smuggled flask of alcohol to sterilize her wound. Finding anything to stitch her wounds, she comes across a line of pharaoh ants and uses eight of them to seal her wound. After a few hours, she catches the thin man "Black Eyes" again and hides behind a corpse.

Seeing him with two other inmates, Roshan translates their conversation from Turkish and realizes they intend to bribe the guards with her, realizing they have identified her as a woman. With the corpse's odor too strong, she sniffs the alcohol again but notices the body moving. She realizes a young teenager eating the corpse and moves away from him quickly. The next few days, Roshan struggles to survive as she bargains for protection, only for her protector to die in a brawl. She remembers that her capture was unjust while her target item is in the hands of some general.

She recalls her business relationship with the skilled thief Dervis, yet despite their good associations, she knows he will not rescue her. Realizing Black Eyes is still after her, she steals items off the daily corpses and makes her move. At a wet corner of clay, she begins to dig daily and hides her work with a corpse. When the guards arrive with the food, she darkens her garments and uses the commotion to exit out the hole. Scratching her knee, she exits the cell and puts out the torches to blend into the darkness. Guiding herself carefully, she finds a staircase and learns she was three floors below rather than five.

Making her ways past the guards, she finds herself on a floor filled with silence. As she moves forward, she falls as she learns Black Eyes has followed her. In their scuffle, she tosses him off her while the prisoners riot due to his escape. The guards are heard coming and figures she give them a prisoner. She uses her makeshift weapon and slices his Achilles' tendon. Immobile, he curses her name while she leaves him for the guards and climbs the stairs. She reaches the final corridor and almost leaves, but is knocked down by an unknown figure. Not knowing it was friend or foe, the figure offers their hand. Roshan, realizing a weapon under their garment, reaches for their hand regardless.

Chapter Two - Baghdad, 819

Roshan is covered in blood after committing murder. Running away, she climbs onto a boat to hide while the late owner's wife Halima screams in fear. Roshan recalls how she was sold away as a bride at fourteen to a Persian harbor master in exchange for her parents receiving a dowry. Looking at the man then, Roshan offered herself in place of her sisters and entered an abusive relationship for the next three years. Along with the man's other wives, she realizes and still shocked she has killed her husband. While soldiers search and the other wives mingle, Roshan is found by Talâyi, the third and oldest wife. Talâyi, like Roshan, is stubborn and smart while able to stay alive despite losing an eye.

Talâyi admits that Nai has given Halima a sleeping tea but that the bell has been rung. Roshan still remains shocked and asks if she has doomed the rest of them. Talâyi responds that Roshan has only doomed herself. Talâyi still thanks her for killing their husband and setting the rest free but tells Roshan that home is not an option. Knowing the soldiers are coming, she sprints from Talâyi and climbs the sail of the boat. Taking a chance, she dives into the water. Swimming efficiently, she travels far away from the boat that was her cage. She sees that Talâyi and the other wives create a distraction for her escape while she swims further away.

At the farthest end of the harbor, Roshan was nearly visible due to ridding herself of her blood-stained garment and makes her path away from local drunks. With no rations, she frightens herself as she is lost in the streets of Baghdad. After some time, she finds an opportunity and leaves the water. She struggles to stand and even to avoid people as she continues to walk further until she comes a dark alley. The alley offers her a line of garments hung to dry. Sorting through them, she finds a brown kaftan, trousers, and undergarments that fit her. Stealing food and clothes, Roshan is spotted by a drunk and makes her way back to the Tigris.

Following the river, she comes across pedestrian traffic and blends into a group. Taking a walking stick, she disguises herself as an old man and believes to find herself in a mosque. Walking with a group of men similar to her aesthetic, she finds herself in a library but remains unnoticed. Following menial tasks, she grabs a piece of bread and finds a place by herself. Although stuck, she feels free and relieved for the first time in a while.

Chapter Three - Fustat, 824

At the prison, Roshan declines the stranger's hand while he disappears once guards find her and take her away. Put into a different cell, she realizes that her escape was so close and farther away now. Trying to sleep with her neck hurting, she tries to fashion another one of hairpins into a lockpick. While no light shines on her, she recalls her own "second sense," especially as a child. However, she remembered how her mother reprimanded for asking questions about it and thus kept it hidden. With her extra sense, she hears her cell lock click. Shocked, she finds the mysterious man in front of her while he offers her a light.

Cautious, Roshan uses the light and unlocks her restraints. The man questions her and tells her he knows that she is called "Bint la-Ahad," the Daughter of no one. Roshan growls at him for using the name while he declares her true name to be Roshan. Roshan is shocked and yells at him to leave her here. However, the man tells her that he is not here to expose her but to offer her freedom. Wary, she calls him a jinn and asks at what price. Smiling, he tells her that he knows she has a gift for tracking and stealing items. He explains his last associate tried to steal the object but its ability had ceased to work. Roshan smiles at that note.

The man asks her to read the hieroglyphs near her cell but she remains silent. He divulges that he knows she is capable in such aspect with multiple languages. Complying, she translate it out to be the Duat or Hell, to which she remarks where she is now. He offers her a chance to escape, but she feels compelled to say she does not kill. He tells her that he knows what she has done but tells her that he needs her to retake the lost object. Realizing her options, she asks if she can be free for good and not for the mission. He agrees only on the fact she steals back the item. Nearing closer to the man, she adjusts herself until he asks how she knew about his weapon.

Immediately, Roshan lies and tells him that it would be where she would keep her item. He blows out the light and opens her cell. Together, they bypass security while Roshan thanks herself for taking his deal. Passing the smell of rotting corpses, they come across the door guarded with five soldiers. While she readies herself for a fight, he pushes her slightly to the side and goes to deal with the guards. Calmly, he approaches them and takes two guards out swiftly. While one runs away, the other two tries to kill him but he proves too skilled and manages to kill them with his hidden blade. Roshan, in disbelief, goes to the man and envies his skill and prowess. She looks at the man while going through the door and wonders what situation she is in now.

Chapter Four - Baghdad, 819

Realizing she is at the House of Wisdom, Roshan hears the rumors and aftermath after she murdered the harbor master, especially that of her late husband's business empire with his brother. Seeing the grand library as her temporary sanctuary, Roshan survives on little meals she could snatch or rats and memorizes the tiles, windows, and the rest of the infrastructure by heart. However, she learns that a woman who strived to learn is welcome and is treated as an equal. Now, she understands why her former master forbade any of the wives to go to the House of Wisdom. She recalls that he denied the women to learn but that never stopped the wives. However, she remembers how Talâyi stated that is how the second wife died. However, while hiding, she begins to hunger to learn like the scholars she watched daily.

Roshan soon becomes intrigued with an older scholar, who kept to himself and left crumbs of food while he worked. Fortunately, his visits become more frequent, which leads to her eating a good meal instead of rats. However, one day, she could not resist a bowl of sholeh zard but she is spotted by the same scholar. He tells her that he means no harm and has enjoyed the company for these past months. Offering her a seat, he tells her to eat due to her scrawny shape. While she eats, he introduces himself as an engineer named Bakhit from Sudan. Bakhit explains that he comes at night for fewer distractions and fewer interactions from other scholars. He begins to ask if she reads and writes while Roshan admits her struggles with numbers.

There, Bakhit begins to teach Roshan a lesson on angles and shapes, much to her glee. Bakhit explains that his home offers more freedom for the women and how the east wing offers free lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Roshan retorts that she feels more safe in her current building. He explains that she has lived well and undetected for a while and that if she accompanied him, no one will think the wiser. She agrees and plans to meet this Thursday. Wanting her name, he leaves without an answer. For the last five months, she finally feels seen and maybe finds a new friend.

Thursday arrives and Roshan meets Bakhit at their assigned location. Despite being new, she has time to herself inside the House of Wisdom and studies more frequently than the other students. Within three months, the teacher suggests she take a more advanced class. There, she helps Bakhit take notes and learn her notetaking skills and speed. Through time, she becomes a regular and volunteer among the scholars. She has grown smarter, sharper, and fuller. After three months, Bakhit offers her a job as his assistant while he works on translating books by the caliph. Considering the opportunity, Roshan asks what happened to his last assistant. He remarks that he blew up. Then, he asks if she wants the job.

Chapter Five - Fustat, 824

Weeping while taking a bath, Roshan is rushed to ready herself from her associate. She exits and sees an outfit laid out for her. She looks around the apartment she resided and tries to find him. She sees him while he also tends his wardrobe and meets her eye. While she wants to rest and a blade like his, he rushes her to leave while the job proves to be too important and there is a meeting to attend. He exits quickly and falls into the crowd while Roshan follows him uneasily. While talking about her new alias, she notices a young thief almost rob her. However, she grabs the boy and releases him with a warning. The man warns her the crime of thievery but she does it to make a point. She later asks if going back to her villa is pointless. He agrees and states it is ransacked.

Saddened, Roshan soon hears that her stash is left untouched. She feels more uneased that she has been spied on for a longer time than she anticipated. While walking in silence, she notices that they walk towards the bad parts of town and starts to braid her hair quickly. Managing herself, she knows that she should not cross him as she gave her word. While arriving near the meeting, he advises her to not trust the other colleagues at the tavern meeting. At the meeting, she assesses her colleagues while she notices their eyes on her. While her vision starts to act up, she begins to take in her environment while the man addresses her and the other eight colleagues about the mission.

He explains that an object is being transported along the Silk Road inside a wooden case, carved with symbols. Shutting down any interrupting questions, the stranger details the mission but Roshan focuses on the symbols as they somewhat resemble hieroglyphs but managed to stray away from the meaning. She soon hears how the case is guarded by a group called the Martyrs of Agaunum. Roshan interrupts and states that the group was killed hundreds of years ago. The man explains that is their name and how the mission will be ongoing until they retrieve the case. He gives them weapons and food but holds the majority of the rewards from them. Before leaving, he states they must work together or suffer the opposition alone.

Roshan becomes certain that her associates were lone agents, whether it was the blackmailed sailor, the apprentice, the redhead, the young boy, the identical twins, the Welsh lady, or the female wolf owner. She grabs a parchment and starts to make a copy of the map given to them but the apprentice tells her to destroy it. Defying him, Roshan leaves unscathed while the man tells the apprentice to stop. After the mentor and his apprentice leave, Roshan is left alone in a room with other strangers out for themselves.

Gallery

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  Temporary cover
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  French cover
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  German cover