Greetings, this is both halves of idkaname; authors of "Second Sands." We would like to begin our disclaimer by giving the greatest thanks to poorpiratelass, who graciously allowed us to use part of her Mummy stories. From her we have brought the marvelous Madeline O'Connell and her relationship with Ardeth Bay. Also, the standard we are not associated with the Mummy series.
Hope you enjoy!
As I stepped from my tent, I saw the cloud of dust on the horizon that my mother had noticed. I ducked back into the tent to retrieve the sheath with my two very unique weapons. Then I raced through to village to find my father, who was assembling a group to investigate the disturbance.
"Nara, mount your horse; you will be joining us." My father ordered. He and I would be accompanied by four other warriors, but they would hang back while we acted as ambassadors.
We quickly mounted our horses; mine a sleek black beauty with a white star on her face. As we galloped through the sands, I looked to my black cloaked father to ask the usual question: "Is it the creature?" I asked that every time the sands began to uproar.
And my father gave his usual answer: "I hope it is not, Nara; but I do not know." I nodded and returned my attention to the dust cloud.
After another five minutes of riding, shapes began to appear in the dust. Three horses were charging as fast as they could travel. And from what my mother and father had told me, the creature did not need horses. "Father, do you see those shapes in the cloud?" He nodded and shouted back for our companions to slow down and fall back while we continued our course to intercept the newcomers who were getting dangerously close to Hamunaptra.
After a few more minutes of riding, the shapes became completely clear. Three Egyptian men were trying to flag us down, so it was unlikely that they were hostile. We slowed to a stop, allowing the visitors to close the distance. When they too stopped, we recognized them immediately as the scribes who worked at the Cairo Museum.
"Chieftain Bay!" the man in the front gasped. "Chieftain Bay, we must speak to you at once!" I walked my horse back a few paces so my father would be the obvious leader of the discussion.
"Dajun, what is wrong?" my father asked the panicky scribe.
"The books! The books were stolen!" My father and I gasped. He had told me what would happen if one of the books fell into the wrong hands, much less both.
My father turned to me in his saddle; his face the picture of duty. "Nara, take two of the others and ride to Hamunaptra. Look for anything out of the ordinary." I nodded and motioned for the two nearest warriors to follow me. After a few minutes of riding, it became obvious that with my extra training and smaller size, I was easily the best rider out of the three Med-jai warriors racing toward the cursed city of
Hamunaptra. We circled the city twice, fingering our weapons all the while. After finding nothing, we raced back to the village. We stabled our horses and I went in search of my father for news.
I found him speaking with my mother outside of their tent. "Please, Ardeth, she is just a young girl!" my mother pleaded.
"No, she is not, Madeline. She has been a warrior for years, even at her age now. Sooner or later she must learn to stand alone. How else will she lead this tribe?" my father questioned.
"Then at least send another warrior with her." My mother had given up on whatever her original goal had been.
"We cannot. Madeline, I wish to protect our daughter as well, but she is not a child anymore. Even by your standards, she is not. We cannot spare warriors from protecting the city and the village. And Nara has been to Cairo on her own before." My father explained and soother my mother, who wasn't very fond of me following in my parents' adventurous footsteps.
I thought now would be a good time to make my presence known. "We searched the city, Father; nothing was amiss." I stepped toward my parents.
My father turned to me with a sad look in his deep brown eyes. They were the same eyes that were set in my tanned face. "Nara, the books have been stolen by the creature. He will be using them to resurrect himself and go after those who destroyed him twelve years ago. We need you to go to Cairo and retrieve your uncle, Jonathan."
I was about to ask why he or my mother could not go, since Jonathan was their brother-in-law; but then I realized that they had been two of the ones to defeat the creature both times he had risen. "Yes, Father. But what will happen to Uncle Rick and Aunt Evie? The creature has crossed to England before, what makes us think he will not do it again?"
"Rick, Evie, Alex, and Lin will be coming here. Alex and Lin will help you in getting the books back. And for once, the O'Connell's have more mummy experience than the Med-jai." My mother joked. "You know we have tried to keep you out of the whole mummies and curses business, but…"
"But Allah seems to have had other plans for me." I finished. "I will leave at once for Cairo." I took another step forward and bowed my head to my father. "Good bye, Father." As I straightened, he pulled me into an unexpected embrace.
"Be safe, my child." He whispered in my ear as he released me.
I nodded and moved toward my mother. "Goodbye…" I didn't even finish before she sucked me into another hug.
At that I went back to my tent and began to pack my supplies, and weapons for that matter, before heading to Alexandria. The Nile boats would take me from there to Cairo. My father may have been right when he told my mother that I had gone to Cairo on my own before; but this was the first time
when the outcome of my journey had the fate of my family and world on its shoulders. But it sounded simple enough.
This is idkaname again.
So, what do you think? We're sorry it's so short, but it was just the opening. If you're confused, all will be explained during the next chapter.
Questions, comments, concerns… shoot us a comment
Sincerely,
C M + L W idkaname