Disclamer:You know the drill, I dont own any of the characters from the mummy. Though, I only really use two of them. Any way, I do own all the other characters, but would be happy to share, if you would just let me know you want to use any of them.
Note: This is....yet another story from me. I love the Med-jai, can you tell? I really would like to know how you all like it, so I will know to post the rest of the story. Um, I will soon be working on "The Mummy" from Ardeths POV, so expect that soon. But since I am in school, I have less time to write now. Oh well.
Anyway, enjoy this little story. It gets better as it goes along. Lots of silly things and a neet battle scene. Look out for my Ardeth POV story. Lime jello, and thanks for all. Maggi
PS, if you have read my other stories, you know I SUCK at grammar and spelling. So, if you see any mistakes, just ignore them. I tried my hardest to keep the mistakes on a small scale, but sometimes, some just slip through. Ya know? ;)
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The sun beat down on the quiet desert. Casting its bitterly hot rays on all, offering shade only behind large sand dunes and other protruding natural landmarks. On top of one such hill, a large black horse stood near the edge, both it and it's rider looking down at the valley below.
The chieftain on the Med-jai sat on top the horse, lime green eyes scanning the bleak desert, until they landed on a party of two. Making their way towards the end of the valley, in search for the lost city of the dead. The warrior sat tall on the horse, unnoticed by the travelers, clean black robes hugging the nicely built body. A turban covering the shoulder length dark brown hair, offering a bit of coolness from the heat of the sun. Tattoos on the cheeks showing up brightly, strange puzzle like figures from a language unknown to all except the Med-jai. The string of tattoos on the forehead covered up by the dark turban, also in the unknown language. And the pointed tattoos on the hands also showing up bright, pointing towards the reigns that were being held. Lips pursed in an amused smile, for it had been a long time since anyone dared to find Humanaptra. Yet, there was something different about this Med-jai chieftain, something very different.
For this Med-jai was a woman. Ameera Bay watched as the two male figures made there way through the valley. From her distance, she could see one was tall and blond and the other was short. The blond seemed to know where he was going, and he looked like he had a map in his hands. The two talked of something, but Ameera could not hear what the words were. There was something strangely familiar about the blond man.
"Ameera!" Came a thick voice, causing her to turn her head. Her second in command, Omar, rode up to where she was sitting, giving her a small bow of the head.
"Hello cousin." She said, her voice feminine but strong. Her eyes squinted as he stopped next to her.
"What do we have here?" Omar said as his eyes fell on the two small dots that were the travelers.
"I believe they are the first to come to the city in a very long time. One of them, a blond man, seems to know his way very well. He also seems to have a map. Although I don't know where he could have gotten it, maps to the city stop being sold when my father was king."
"Must be an old one then. You know how the English are with their 'antiques'. They love anything older then them self's."
"The blond…he is familiar."
"In what way?" Omar looked at his cousin, dark brown eyes shining. He was a tall man, about six foot six. Taller then most of the other warriors of the Med-jai, but there were still a few who looked at him in the eye. His dark brown hair was cut short and covered by a turban of his own. His tattoos not that much different from hers. He was proud to be the second in command to the first female Med-jai chieftain. They were both Bay's, and proud to be.
"I just know him…somehow. Let us wait until they reach the city let them think they are unnoticed. Then we will go in. There are only two of them, I think both you and I can scare them away."
"As you wish, my lady."
~~
"My god man, if you EVER bring me out here again, one of us is going to die." The short man said, bringing his arms across his forehead, wiping the sweat off his body.
"Honestly Robert, you should really stop complaining. How often do you get the chance to explore such a place in such a way?" The blonde's voice held a light accent.
"Never, and I bloody well like it that way, if you don't mind."
The blond sighed. It seemed that not everyone could appreciate the beauty of the desert like he could. But then again, a love for this place ran in his blood. He was about six foot three, as most men in his family were his blond hairs short and spiked, but hidden under the large explorer hat he had just placed on his head. His hazel eyes, which held a certain sparkle, scanned the desert ahead of them. This was how his ancestors had done it, and by God, that was how he was going to do it was well.
Robert, on the other hand, did not have a love for the desert or ancestors who had a love for it either. In fact, this was the first time any one from his family had left London in a long time. He was short compared to his friend, about five foot nine. His light brown hair also short and spiked slightly bleached at the ends. And it too was covered by an explorer's hat. Gray eyes squinting, even from behind the dark sunglasses he wore.
"Nick O'Connell, your insane." He said, leaning over his camel and pulling up a canteen.
"Indeed I am, Robert, but I had to come out here. Besides, it will give me a chance to catch up on old times with the Med-jai. My family goes way back with them, you know."
"Yes, I know. Your great-grandparents met them back in the thirties and had some big adventure with them…or something long those lines. And now every one from your family will forever be excepted into this Bedouin tribe of warriors who, by the way, are also insane."
"Why are they insane?" Nick asked, turning to Robert.
"Because it is 1999, and it is time that they picked up, moved out of the desert, and joined the rest of us in normal society."
"You would be amazed how well they do out here man, these people are not idiots. They know what they are doing, and they are very happy with it."
Robert laughed. "Yeah, well, they and you are still insane. Can't see why you love this blasted place so much. It's too damn hot out here."
"I would much rather be hot then cold, thank you very much."
"Whatever." Robert reached into a small bag and pulled out a portable CD player and put the headphones on, letting the music flow through his ears. Nick sighed. When he asked his best friend to join him on the trip, he had hoped that he would enjoy it, but Robert didn't seem to, maybe he would when they got to Humanaptra. Nick looked down at the map in his hands; it was a copy of the map made by his great-grandfather, Rick O'Connell. A prized possession in the O'Connell family, and he would not risk bringing it out of the safe it was in. Rick, Evelyn, and Alex O'Connell were his heroes. And he was lucky enough to meet his great-grandparents before their deaths, when he was nine. His grandpa, the original Alex O'Connell loved his grandson very much, and spent much time with him. Telling him stories about his parents and their adventures. He was also lucky to meet Jonathan Carnahan and Ardeth Bay, his other heroes.
The life the five had lead was so amazing to young Nick, who forced his grandpa to tell him the stories over and over again. Listening to them, dreaming about them, loving every word that left his beloved grandpa's lips. His parents could never really understand his obsession with the stories. Neither of them believed them to be true. But in all of Nick's heart, he knew they were.
Now he was on his way to the very city of the dead, and he could not wait to get there. Nor could he wait to meet with the Med-jai, for he had something very important to tell them and it concerned the creature himself, Imhotep.
It took them another, silent, hour to get to the city, and as they approached, Nick's eyes lit up and became wide. He was finally at Humanaptra!
"Oh my god! I am finally here! I have been waiting my whole damn life to get to this very place!" He said as he jumped off his camel.
"Looks like a big…whole in the ground to me." Robert said, looking around.
"Yeah…on top…but there is a whole city down there just waiting for me to explore it!"
"I thought we came here to tell those Bedouin's something."
"They have a name, Robert, they are the Med-jai. And we are here to tell them something, but I want to explore down there a little bit first!"
"If you have to talk to them, why didn't you just go to their camp?" Robert hopped off his camel.
"Because…I don't know how to get there. It was the one thing that Rick DIDN'T make a map off. They come to ward off any and all who come here…so it was the only way I could think of getting to them."
"You know, man, it looks like someone already got here." Robert walked over to a large deep hole in the ground.
"It doesn't look fresh, look at the footprints around it…they are old. Who ever it was, left a while ago, we are lucky they opened it up for us."
Nick stuck his head in the hole and looked around, but in the dark, he could not see anything. With a sigh, he stood back up.
"You going to go down there?" Robert asked.
"No, I wouldn't trust it with out some better light. I don't want scarabs to get to me."
"Scarabs?"
"Man eating bugs. There are supposed to be a lot of them down there…and I wouldn't want to chance it. Not yet, at least."
"Not yet? Are you out of your mind! There is no way I am letting you go down into a dark hole where there are man eating bugs!"
"Relax, will ya? I know what I am doing here."
"Look, just because your relatives got through this place alive, doesn't mean you are going to."
"Robert, I know you don't like being out here, but there is nothing that is going to stop me from going down there and looking around. I want to see what they saw. I want to be where they were! This place is my history!"
"Dude, I am not letting you go down there!"
"You're not going to stop me!"
"Don't go down there!"
"I would listen to your friend, he is right, you know." Came a strong female voice from behind them. Both men turned and stared up at Ameera and Omar. Sitting high and proud on their horses.
"In fact, I think it would be good if you both left this place right now. There is nothing for you to find except sand and blood."
Nick smiled brightly. The Med-jai had come to them. He bowed his head in respect, his eyes locked on Ameera and his smile never fading.
"Your highness, it is an honor to be in your presence again."
Ameera looked at the Englishman puzzled, then turned to Omar, who was just as puzzled.
"You act as though you know me, and as though we have met. Who are you, Englishman?"
"My lady, I am Nick O'Connell…"
"O'Connell you say?" She said cutting him off, "An O'Connell? Tell me, you are the relative of those who went up against the creature so long ago? Those who LET the creature out so long ago? Tell me, O'Connell…you should know, better then anyone, that you shouldn't be here. But if your ancestors never listened, why should you?"
Even Med-jai had the right to be cynical.
"Lady Ameera, those of which you speak of are indeed my family."
"Oh yes…I remember now. Tell me, then, Mr. O'Connell, why are you here?"
"I have come to tell you of a plan to raise the creature himself. A plan set forth by collages of mine back in London."
"If they are in London, then they can not really raise the creature, can they?"
"No, my lady, they are on their way to Ahm Shere."
A low gasp came out of the two warriors. "And what proof do you have of this?" Omar said, speaking for the first time.
"These men…they are ruthless and greedy. They found out about the story of the creature. They believe that if they bring him back, he will give them riches and power."
"And how did they find out about the story?"
Nick looked down and said softly. "From me."
"From you? Why does that not surprise me…?" Ameera said, staring the man down.
"They got me really drunk one night and forced the story out of me, that's how. Then they stole the map to Ahm Shere. That is where they are headed right now, to reawake the creature."
Ameera and Omar looked at each other, a conversation passing between their eyes. Was it true? Could it really be? The leader Bay turned her attention to Nick.
"How do we know this is true?"
"My lady, I would not lie to you about such things. Believe it, I beg of you. These men will not stand down easily."
"Do you think he is telling the truth?" Omar asked, in Arabic, as he leaned over to her.
"I do not know. I feel we have good reason to believe him, knowing his families past history. But the creature was sent to the underworld the last time he faced the O'Connell's. How could they possibly bring him back?"
"We do not understand all that is in the book of the dead, and if they do…I think we should take this seriously Ameera. I don't feel that these men are lying to us."
She looked them over, they didn't seem to be lying to them…but you could never be too careful. Ameera's eyes fell on Nick, he was dashingly handsome. She shook the thought out of her mind.
"We should take them back with us, we don't want them wondering around this place alone. You know how they have a sense for trouble. We will take them to the elders and discuss it with them." She said, in Arabic, before switching over to English. "Get your things together, you are coming back with us."
Nick beamed; he could barely hide his excitement. He jumped up on his camel and beckoned Robert to follow. He did.
"Oh, by the way, This is Robert Danna, a good friend of mine." He indicated Robert, who was trying to get his camel to stand up.
"A pleasure, this is my second in command, Omar Bay." She smiled at Nick, which made him go weak in the knees. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. "You will follow us to our camp, and we will talk this all over with the elders."
"Wonderful."
As they rode out of the city of the dead, Nick looked back in sadness. He wanted to stay and explore it so badly, but he knew that adventure was coming his way soon.
~~
It took them just under two hours to reach the Med-jai City, and it was just how Nick had remembered it. When he was ten, he was brought here for a funeral, so the air over the city was sad, but today, it was happy. People milled around, doing their different jobs. The tents he had remembered had been replaced with real homes, they were small, but built sturdy. People stopped to look as they rode to the city entrance, a couple of young boys running out to take the Med-jai's horses' and the Englishmen's camels.
"I welcome you to the city of the Med-jai," Ameera said, "if you will come this way, I will show you to the Elder's tent."
Robert gave an uneasy glance to Nick.
"Um…Robert really has nothing to do with all this, he just came along with me…"
"Fine then, I will have someone give him the tour, if you wish."
"That would be fine, thank you." Robert said softly, unsure of his surroundings.
Ameera called out to a young warrior and spoke to him for a minute. The warrior smiled and nodded then crossed to Robert.
"Please, come with me."
Robert gave one last uneasy glance to Nick as he was led away.
"Mr. O'Connell, please follow me." Ameera said, indicating him to follow her.
"Please, call me Nick."
"Please, come with me." She shot back, as she began to walk away. He smiled and chuckled, and followed her as she walked towards the center of the town.
"This place has changed much since the last time I have seen it."
"And when would that have been?"
"When I was ten, and I came for the fune…" he stopped short, not knowing how she would take to it.
"Yes, I remember. Your whole family came, did they not?"
"Yes."
She nodded and walked on, never looking back at him. As they passed, a few people bowed their heads in respect towards her, and she responded with a 'thank you' nod of her head. Looking back, Nick saw that Omar was keeping behind them closely. They soon came to a small tent, and Omar held the flap back, allowing Ameera and Nick to enter before him. The tent held a long table and eleven men sitting on one side of it, on the other side, were three chairs placed directly in the middle. As they entered, the men stood up and soluted their queen and second in command. They both soluted back.
"Queen Ameera, what matters do you wish to discuss with us?" The man in the direct middle of the table said. All the men wore dark Med-jai robes, but his had a dark green trim. The three sat down, Ameera in the middle, Nick to her right and Omar to her left.
"This man," She indicated Nick, "Nick O'Connell, brings us word that a group of men want to try and bring back the creature from Ahm Shere. He clams they know the whereabouts of both the lost oasis and the golden pyramid."
"How?"
"A map that his great-grandfather stupidly drew, and they stole."
"Wait…O'Connell?"
"Yes, this man is a descendent of the O'Connell family that went up against the creature so long ago."
"Then, we know he is being truthful?"
"We hope he is."
"You don't believe him, my lady?"
"I am not sure yet."
"We should at least check it out, right?" Omar spoke up. Nick sat listening to the Arabic, silent. He could pick up bits and pieces of what they were saying, but his Arabic was very rusty.
"I think we should," The high elder said, "It will be best to be cautious. We would not want a repeat of the times with the O'Connell's."
"Fine." Her voice was bitter, "Should we consult the book of Amon Ra? In case these Englishmen do bring the creature back?"
"That is also a good idea, take him with you, he will understand the spells."
Ameera couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did they really believe that the men Nick spoke of could really and truly bring the creature back? She sighed.
"I don't think any of this will be ness…"
"Ameera, we all swore, on our oath, to do any and all in our power to stop the creature from being reborn. Sadly, we failed twice at that…and we will not make it a third time. I know that this whole thing is a bit beyond your years, but it has to be done. I do not want the creature to be brought back a third time!" The high elder finally snapped.
Ameera, Omar, Nick, and the ten other elders sat back a little stunned.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" She spat bitterly.
"When your father, Allah rest his soul, died, he made me swear that I would watch over you and protect you. Now I know that the task is next to impossible, but I am still going to try. There are many a people out there who look down upon you for being a woman. They don't think it is right that we even have a female chieftain! And if you go out and let the creature come back to earth, what will those people think of you? I know that you think it will be a waste of time, but think of it as doing your job! Because that is what it is!"
"The greatest leader of the Med-jai allowed the creature to be reborn, twice!"
"Yes, that is true, and he was there to help take the creature down, both times! Ameera, in our eyes, Ardeth Bay was the greatest leader of all the time of the Med-jai. And in my eyes, you have the potential to become the second greatest leader. You have to realize that this very issue could make or break you in our eyes. Even if these damned Englishmen succeed in bringing back the creature, you could be there to take him down. Don't let the potential of your greatness slip by. I could not bear to see that, and neither could those close to you. Make us proud, my god-child, prove yourself to those who do not believe in you."
She stared into his eyes for a long time, forgetting that there were other people in the room.
"Baber, I…"
"Ameera…Ardeth himself saw the potential in you. He saw the power you held and the great future you would have as our leader. He knew that in any battle, you would lead us to victory. Now we have a battle to face one that he himself faced. Led us to victory, my queen, make us all proud."
"Yes Baber, I will."
He sat back, a smile on his face. "Your father would be so proud."
~~
"What went on in there? I couldn't really understand it, my Arabic is a little…bad." Nick said as the three stepped out into the bright day.
"Basically, the Med-jai are going to Ahm Shere, to stop these men from bringing back the creature…or to stop the creature himself." Omar said, squinting his eyes.
"Now I will take you to the book of Amon Ra, we need to find a spell that will take the creature out for good." Ameera said softly, walking towards the stables. "Feel lucky, O'Connell, a member of your family hasn't even seen this book in a very long time."
Nick was almost jumping for joy, first Humanaptra, now the book of the living, then Imhotep! He was almost reliving the adventures his heroes had experienced. The female Med-jai warrior mounted her black horse and gestured to Nick to mount the one next to hers.
"The book is about half an hour away from here, in a vast underground vault. Feel very lucky, for you are the first foreigner to ever step foot in there."
Nick smiled so hard it made his face hurt…this was the life he had always dreamed of. He was going to help the Med-jai take down the evil Imhotep; he was going to save the day!
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I know the whole, Rick making a map to all the secret places of the desert seems a little bit out of character for him. This will be explained in later chapters. K?
Note: This is....yet another story from me. I love the Med-jai, can you tell? I really would like to know how you all like it, so I will know to post the rest of the story. Um, I will soon be working on "The Mummy" from Ardeths POV, so expect that soon. But since I am in school, I have less time to write now. Oh well.
Anyway, enjoy this little story. It gets better as it goes along. Lots of silly things and a neet battle scene. Look out for my Ardeth POV story. Lime jello, and thanks for all. Maggi
PS, if you have read my other stories, you know I SUCK at grammar and spelling. So, if you see any mistakes, just ignore them. I tried my hardest to keep the mistakes on a small scale, but sometimes, some just slip through. Ya know? ;)
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The sun beat down on the quiet desert. Casting its bitterly hot rays on all, offering shade only behind large sand dunes and other protruding natural landmarks. On top of one such hill, a large black horse stood near the edge, both it and it's rider looking down at the valley below.
The chieftain on the Med-jai sat on top the horse, lime green eyes scanning the bleak desert, until they landed on a party of two. Making their way towards the end of the valley, in search for the lost city of the dead. The warrior sat tall on the horse, unnoticed by the travelers, clean black robes hugging the nicely built body. A turban covering the shoulder length dark brown hair, offering a bit of coolness from the heat of the sun. Tattoos on the cheeks showing up brightly, strange puzzle like figures from a language unknown to all except the Med-jai. The string of tattoos on the forehead covered up by the dark turban, also in the unknown language. And the pointed tattoos on the hands also showing up bright, pointing towards the reigns that were being held. Lips pursed in an amused smile, for it had been a long time since anyone dared to find Humanaptra. Yet, there was something different about this Med-jai chieftain, something very different.
For this Med-jai was a woman. Ameera Bay watched as the two male figures made there way through the valley. From her distance, she could see one was tall and blond and the other was short. The blond seemed to know where he was going, and he looked like he had a map in his hands. The two talked of something, but Ameera could not hear what the words were. There was something strangely familiar about the blond man.
"Ameera!" Came a thick voice, causing her to turn her head. Her second in command, Omar, rode up to where she was sitting, giving her a small bow of the head.
"Hello cousin." She said, her voice feminine but strong. Her eyes squinted as he stopped next to her.
"What do we have here?" Omar said as his eyes fell on the two small dots that were the travelers.
"I believe they are the first to come to the city in a very long time. One of them, a blond man, seems to know his way very well. He also seems to have a map. Although I don't know where he could have gotten it, maps to the city stop being sold when my father was king."
"Must be an old one then. You know how the English are with their 'antiques'. They love anything older then them self's."
"The blond…he is familiar."
"In what way?" Omar looked at his cousin, dark brown eyes shining. He was a tall man, about six foot six. Taller then most of the other warriors of the Med-jai, but there were still a few who looked at him in the eye. His dark brown hair was cut short and covered by a turban of his own. His tattoos not that much different from hers. He was proud to be the second in command to the first female Med-jai chieftain. They were both Bay's, and proud to be.
"I just know him…somehow. Let us wait until they reach the city let them think they are unnoticed. Then we will go in. There are only two of them, I think both you and I can scare them away."
"As you wish, my lady."
~~
"My god man, if you EVER bring me out here again, one of us is going to die." The short man said, bringing his arms across his forehead, wiping the sweat off his body.
"Honestly Robert, you should really stop complaining. How often do you get the chance to explore such a place in such a way?" The blonde's voice held a light accent.
"Never, and I bloody well like it that way, if you don't mind."
The blond sighed. It seemed that not everyone could appreciate the beauty of the desert like he could. But then again, a love for this place ran in his blood. He was about six foot three, as most men in his family were his blond hairs short and spiked, but hidden under the large explorer hat he had just placed on his head. His hazel eyes, which held a certain sparkle, scanned the desert ahead of them. This was how his ancestors had done it, and by God, that was how he was going to do it was well.
Robert, on the other hand, did not have a love for the desert or ancestors who had a love for it either. In fact, this was the first time any one from his family had left London in a long time. He was short compared to his friend, about five foot nine. His light brown hair also short and spiked slightly bleached at the ends. And it too was covered by an explorer's hat. Gray eyes squinting, even from behind the dark sunglasses he wore.
"Nick O'Connell, your insane." He said, leaning over his camel and pulling up a canteen.
"Indeed I am, Robert, but I had to come out here. Besides, it will give me a chance to catch up on old times with the Med-jai. My family goes way back with them, you know."
"Yes, I know. Your great-grandparents met them back in the thirties and had some big adventure with them…or something long those lines. And now every one from your family will forever be excepted into this Bedouin tribe of warriors who, by the way, are also insane."
"Why are they insane?" Nick asked, turning to Robert.
"Because it is 1999, and it is time that they picked up, moved out of the desert, and joined the rest of us in normal society."
"You would be amazed how well they do out here man, these people are not idiots. They know what they are doing, and they are very happy with it."
Robert laughed. "Yeah, well, they and you are still insane. Can't see why you love this blasted place so much. It's too damn hot out here."
"I would much rather be hot then cold, thank you very much."
"Whatever." Robert reached into a small bag and pulled out a portable CD player and put the headphones on, letting the music flow through his ears. Nick sighed. When he asked his best friend to join him on the trip, he had hoped that he would enjoy it, but Robert didn't seem to, maybe he would when they got to Humanaptra. Nick looked down at the map in his hands; it was a copy of the map made by his great-grandfather, Rick O'Connell. A prized possession in the O'Connell family, and he would not risk bringing it out of the safe it was in. Rick, Evelyn, and Alex O'Connell were his heroes. And he was lucky enough to meet his great-grandparents before their deaths, when he was nine. His grandpa, the original Alex O'Connell loved his grandson very much, and spent much time with him. Telling him stories about his parents and their adventures. He was also lucky to meet Jonathan Carnahan and Ardeth Bay, his other heroes.
The life the five had lead was so amazing to young Nick, who forced his grandpa to tell him the stories over and over again. Listening to them, dreaming about them, loving every word that left his beloved grandpa's lips. His parents could never really understand his obsession with the stories. Neither of them believed them to be true. But in all of Nick's heart, he knew they were.
Now he was on his way to the very city of the dead, and he could not wait to get there. Nor could he wait to meet with the Med-jai, for he had something very important to tell them and it concerned the creature himself, Imhotep.
It took them another, silent, hour to get to the city, and as they approached, Nick's eyes lit up and became wide. He was finally at Humanaptra!
"Oh my god! I am finally here! I have been waiting my whole damn life to get to this very place!" He said as he jumped off his camel.
"Looks like a big…whole in the ground to me." Robert said, looking around.
"Yeah…on top…but there is a whole city down there just waiting for me to explore it!"
"I thought we came here to tell those Bedouin's something."
"They have a name, Robert, they are the Med-jai. And we are here to tell them something, but I want to explore down there a little bit first!"
"If you have to talk to them, why didn't you just go to their camp?" Robert hopped off his camel.
"Because…I don't know how to get there. It was the one thing that Rick DIDN'T make a map off. They come to ward off any and all who come here…so it was the only way I could think of getting to them."
"You know, man, it looks like someone already got here." Robert walked over to a large deep hole in the ground.
"It doesn't look fresh, look at the footprints around it…they are old. Who ever it was, left a while ago, we are lucky they opened it up for us."
Nick stuck his head in the hole and looked around, but in the dark, he could not see anything. With a sigh, he stood back up.
"You going to go down there?" Robert asked.
"No, I wouldn't trust it with out some better light. I don't want scarabs to get to me."
"Scarabs?"
"Man eating bugs. There are supposed to be a lot of them down there…and I wouldn't want to chance it. Not yet, at least."
"Not yet? Are you out of your mind! There is no way I am letting you go down into a dark hole where there are man eating bugs!"
"Relax, will ya? I know what I am doing here."
"Look, just because your relatives got through this place alive, doesn't mean you are going to."
"Robert, I know you don't like being out here, but there is nothing that is going to stop me from going down there and looking around. I want to see what they saw. I want to be where they were! This place is my history!"
"Dude, I am not letting you go down there!"
"You're not going to stop me!"
"Don't go down there!"
"I would listen to your friend, he is right, you know." Came a strong female voice from behind them. Both men turned and stared up at Ameera and Omar. Sitting high and proud on their horses.
"In fact, I think it would be good if you both left this place right now. There is nothing for you to find except sand and blood."
Nick smiled brightly. The Med-jai had come to them. He bowed his head in respect, his eyes locked on Ameera and his smile never fading.
"Your highness, it is an honor to be in your presence again."
Ameera looked at the Englishman puzzled, then turned to Omar, who was just as puzzled.
"You act as though you know me, and as though we have met. Who are you, Englishman?"
"My lady, I am Nick O'Connell…"
"O'Connell you say?" She said cutting him off, "An O'Connell? Tell me, you are the relative of those who went up against the creature so long ago? Those who LET the creature out so long ago? Tell me, O'Connell…you should know, better then anyone, that you shouldn't be here. But if your ancestors never listened, why should you?"
Even Med-jai had the right to be cynical.
"Lady Ameera, those of which you speak of are indeed my family."
"Oh yes…I remember now. Tell me, then, Mr. O'Connell, why are you here?"
"I have come to tell you of a plan to raise the creature himself. A plan set forth by collages of mine back in London."
"If they are in London, then they can not really raise the creature, can they?"
"No, my lady, they are on their way to Ahm Shere."
A low gasp came out of the two warriors. "And what proof do you have of this?" Omar said, speaking for the first time.
"These men…they are ruthless and greedy. They found out about the story of the creature. They believe that if they bring him back, he will give them riches and power."
"And how did they find out about the story?"
Nick looked down and said softly. "From me."
"From you? Why does that not surprise me…?" Ameera said, staring the man down.
"They got me really drunk one night and forced the story out of me, that's how. Then they stole the map to Ahm Shere. That is where they are headed right now, to reawake the creature."
Ameera and Omar looked at each other, a conversation passing between their eyes. Was it true? Could it really be? The leader Bay turned her attention to Nick.
"How do we know this is true?"
"My lady, I would not lie to you about such things. Believe it, I beg of you. These men will not stand down easily."
"Do you think he is telling the truth?" Omar asked, in Arabic, as he leaned over to her.
"I do not know. I feel we have good reason to believe him, knowing his families past history. But the creature was sent to the underworld the last time he faced the O'Connell's. How could they possibly bring him back?"
"We do not understand all that is in the book of the dead, and if they do…I think we should take this seriously Ameera. I don't feel that these men are lying to us."
She looked them over, they didn't seem to be lying to them…but you could never be too careful. Ameera's eyes fell on Nick, he was dashingly handsome. She shook the thought out of her mind.
"We should take them back with us, we don't want them wondering around this place alone. You know how they have a sense for trouble. We will take them to the elders and discuss it with them." She said, in Arabic, before switching over to English. "Get your things together, you are coming back with us."
Nick beamed; he could barely hide his excitement. He jumped up on his camel and beckoned Robert to follow. He did.
"Oh, by the way, This is Robert Danna, a good friend of mine." He indicated Robert, who was trying to get his camel to stand up.
"A pleasure, this is my second in command, Omar Bay." She smiled at Nick, which made him go weak in the knees. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. "You will follow us to our camp, and we will talk this all over with the elders."
"Wonderful."
As they rode out of the city of the dead, Nick looked back in sadness. He wanted to stay and explore it so badly, but he knew that adventure was coming his way soon.
~~
It took them just under two hours to reach the Med-jai City, and it was just how Nick had remembered it. When he was ten, he was brought here for a funeral, so the air over the city was sad, but today, it was happy. People milled around, doing their different jobs. The tents he had remembered had been replaced with real homes, they were small, but built sturdy. People stopped to look as they rode to the city entrance, a couple of young boys running out to take the Med-jai's horses' and the Englishmen's camels.
"I welcome you to the city of the Med-jai," Ameera said, "if you will come this way, I will show you to the Elder's tent."
Robert gave an uneasy glance to Nick.
"Um…Robert really has nothing to do with all this, he just came along with me…"
"Fine then, I will have someone give him the tour, if you wish."
"That would be fine, thank you." Robert said softly, unsure of his surroundings.
Ameera called out to a young warrior and spoke to him for a minute. The warrior smiled and nodded then crossed to Robert.
"Please, come with me."
Robert gave one last uneasy glance to Nick as he was led away.
"Mr. O'Connell, please follow me." Ameera said, indicating him to follow her.
"Please, call me Nick."
"Please, come with me." She shot back, as she began to walk away. He smiled and chuckled, and followed her as she walked towards the center of the town.
"This place has changed much since the last time I have seen it."
"And when would that have been?"
"When I was ten, and I came for the fune…" he stopped short, not knowing how she would take to it.
"Yes, I remember. Your whole family came, did they not?"
"Yes."
She nodded and walked on, never looking back at him. As they passed, a few people bowed their heads in respect towards her, and she responded with a 'thank you' nod of her head. Looking back, Nick saw that Omar was keeping behind them closely. They soon came to a small tent, and Omar held the flap back, allowing Ameera and Nick to enter before him. The tent held a long table and eleven men sitting on one side of it, on the other side, were three chairs placed directly in the middle. As they entered, the men stood up and soluted their queen and second in command. They both soluted back.
"Queen Ameera, what matters do you wish to discuss with us?" The man in the direct middle of the table said. All the men wore dark Med-jai robes, but his had a dark green trim. The three sat down, Ameera in the middle, Nick to her right and Omar to her left.
"This man," She indicated Nick, "Nick O'Connell, brings us word that a group of men want to try and bring back the creature from Ahm Shere. He clams they know the whereabouts of both the lost oasis and the golden pyramid."
"How?"
"A map that his great-grandfather stupidly drew, and they stole."
"Wait…O'Connell?"
"Yes, this man is a descendent of the O'Connell family that went up against the creature so long ago."
"Then, we know he is being truthful?"
"We hope he is."
"You don't believe him, my lady?"
"I am not sure yet."
"We should at least check it out, right?" Omar spoke up. Nick sat listening to the Arabic, silent. He could pick up bits and pieces of what they were saying, but his Arabic was very rusty.
"I think we should," The high elder said, "It will be best to be cautious. We would not want a repeat of the times with the O'Connell's."
"Fine." Her voice was bitter, "Should we consult the book of Amon Ra? In case these Englishmen do bring the creature back?"
"That is also a good idea, take him with you, he will understand the spells."
Ameera couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did they really believe that the men Nick spoke of could really and truly bring the creature back? She sighed.
"I don't think any of this will be ness…"
"Ameera, we all swore, on our oath, to do any and all in our power to stop the creature from being reborn. Sadly, we failed twice at that…and we will not make it a third time. I know that this whole thing is a bit beyond your years, but it has to be done. I do not want the creature to be brought back a third time!" The high elder finally snapped.
Ameera, Omar, Nick, and the ten other elders sat back a little stunned.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" She spat bitterly.
"When your father, Allah rest his soul, died, he made me swear that I would watch over you and protect you. Now I know that the task is next to impossible, but I am still going to try. There are many a people out there who look down upon you for being a woman. They don't think it is right that we even have a female chieftain! And if you go out and let the creature come back to earth, what will those people think of you? I know that you think it will be a waste of time, but think of it as doing your job! Because that is what it is!"
"The greatest leader of the Med-jai allowed the creature to be reborn, twice!"
"Yes, that is true, and he was there to help take the creature down, both times! Ameera, in our eyes, Ardeth Bay was the greatest leader of all the time of the Med-jai. And in my eyes, you have the potential to become the second greatest leader. You have to realize that this very issue could make or break you in our eyes. Even if these damned Englishmen succeed in bringing back the creature, you could be there to take him down. Don't let the potential of your greatness slip by. I could not bear to see that, and neither could those close to you. Make us proud, my god-child, prove yourself to those who do not believe in you."
She stared into his eyes for a long time, forgetting that there were other people in the room.
"Baber, I…"
"Ameera…Ardeth himself saw the potential in you. He saw the power you held and the great future you would have as our leader. He knew that in any battle, you would lead us to victory. Now we have a battle to face one that he himself faced. Led us to victory, my queen, make us all proud."
"Yes Baber, I will."
He sat back, a smile on his face. "Your father would be so proud."
~~
"What went on in there? I couldn't really understand it, my Arabic is a little…bad." Nick said as the three stepped out into the bright day.
"Basically, the Med-jai are going to Ahm Shere, to stop these men from bringing back the creature…or to stop the creature himself." Omar said, squinting his eyes.
"Now I will take you to the book of Amon Ra, we need to find a spell that will take the creature out for good." Ameera said softly, walking towards the stables. "Feel lucky, O'Connell, a member of your family hasn't even seen this book in a very long time."
Nick was almost jumping for joy, first Humanaptra, now the book of the living, then Imhotep! He was almost reliving the adventures his heroes had experienced. The female Med-jai warrior mounted her black horse and gestured to Nick to mount the one next to hers.
"The book is about half an hour away from here, in a vast underground vault. Feel very lucky, for you are the first foreigner to ever step foot in there."
Nick smiled so hard it made his face hurt…this was the life he had always dreamed of. He was going to help the Med-jai take down the evil Imhotep; he was going to save the day!
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I know the whole, Rick making a map to all the secret places of the desert seems a little bit out of character for him. This will be explained in later chapters. K?