Okay, so I decided to go back, and redo this whole chapter. Okay, maybe not completely redo, but refurbish. The plot lines still the same, except for a few details. Like for instance how Jamila raised them back from the dead. I was young then when I wrote this, and I was quite stupid. I don't doubt that I still am, but at least this is a little more believable, than the original. For the new ones reading this, trust me when I say it's a whole lot more believable. Anyway I hope you enjoy this revised chapter, and I hope to continue revising if I feel up to it. Maybe one day I'll finish this story…WHO KNOWS?
"For death begins with life's first breath, and life begins at touch of death."
-John Oxenham
+Bringing Them Back+
A woman wearing a white outfit usual worn by belly dancer was standing in the middle of the desert waiting with her horse. For what, an onlooker would have no clue. However, she knew. It was what she had been waiting all night for; what she had been praying for. It was what she had been searching for; for years.
Yet, as she looked around and found nothing in site she was beginning to lose patience and hope. Sighing in vein she knew it was time to leave as she pushed aside some of her reddish-brown hair, which had absently fallen in front her eyes.
The woman slowly replaced the veil to cover her face once more, hoping that maybe it would keep her from getting any worse than the sunburn she already had. Turning away from the direction she had hoped to spot whatever she had been looking for, she began to mount her horse. However, catching something out of the corner of her eye she turned back abruptly. That's when she saw it in the distance. There, beginning to form, was legendary city of Hamunaptra; City of the dead. The woman's lips curled into a devious smile underneath her veil, and her hazel eyes burned pride. Without a second to lose, she jumped onto her horse and raced toward the city's ruins.
When the woman reached Hamunaptra she found that it was indeed a mess like the man named Jonathan Carnahan had told her. How had she gotten him to divulge such a secret? Simple, she had drug the information out of him when she found him drunk. Not to mention acting like a common trollop had helped as well; something she promised she would never do again if she had to.
Dismounting from her horse she felt the great powers buried beneath the sand reaching out to her. Almost as if they were begging for her to take them, but she refused to let them even touch her. She was only here for two things and that was Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun.
Her well built body casually sauntered over to a nearby old ruin; a ruin that had been dug up by previous visitors. Scanning the ancient hieroglyphics, the woman managed to find what she was looking for quickly. Pressing her hand down upon a block jutting out from the wall, she watched in amazement as the walls began to contract into themselves. With the earth quaking beneath her feet, and the roar of rock sliding past rock, the woman slowly made her way inside the tomb.
However, as she took a look around she deduced that it was too dark to just waltz on inside. Sighing heavily, she made her way back over to her horse where she retrieved a lantern along with her two best pistols. Also she grabbed a bag full of supplies, and draped it over her shoulder before returning to the tomb.
The woman hadn't gone but seven yards inside before she came across a torch hanging from the wall. She casually reached inside her bag where she removed a small packet of matches. With a quick flick across the back of the package, she held it up to the torch, and with a loud 'WHOOSH,' the torch burst into flames.
Smirking, she took the rod from it's holder, before continuing on down through the passageway. The visions she had had from her dreams guided her, giving her a sense of direction of where she needed to be. These visions had been the key to everything in the beginning. They were what had brought her to Egypt. They had made her realize who she was, and they were also what helped her know what she must do.
She knew Imhotep had been reburied here after what had happened with the Scorpion King. The Medji had found his corpse in the sand when they had returned to the oasis of Ahm Shere. Turns out that underworld had all been just an allusion, however the scarab pit that Anck-Su-Namun had been killed in wasn't. She would just have to resort to using the woman's mummified body that still lied within these tombs. Why did she need their bodies though? It was because she was going to do what many others had tried and failed at. She was going two return the two great lovers to their former glory. The motive for doing so was her own secret, however. It was also a secret she wished for no one either.
Coming upon another door, she sat her items down before placing her hands upon. With one great shove with all her force, she managed to slide it away enough so that she could enter.
She knew there was going to be scarabs in there, so without a second thought she plucked a few special items from her bag; a spray can of some sort, and long tip lighter. However, she hoped she wouldn't have to use these two things.
The woman grabbed her things, and continued her journey through the tombs. As she made her way down a corridor she could literally feel the history of this forgotten world stretching it's cold lifeless hand out to her; wanting her to be apart of it, but then again she already was in some way. She was a reincarnation of the daughter of Anck-Su-Namun, and her father had been Seti. How did she know this? She once again knew this through her visions, and these visions had taught her a lot.
Though her past self had been the pharaoh's daughter, she had also felt drawn to the High Priest, and had felt him to be more of a father figure. She had despised her older sister Nefertiri very greatly and was known to act more of a man than a woman. She could fight very well like her mother since she had been taught most of her life by one of the Medji. She was also known as Princess Jamila, and now she had returned her name to its once former glory. Leaving her present day life behind her, she had taken the name to smother what little was left of her former self. She had renamed herself after her great, great grandmother as in herself only reincarnated.
However, before her rebirth, she had once been an orphan at only the age of four-years-old. She had never known her birth parents of this time, and in truth, she had never really cared. There was no use in wasting her life on a dream that would not come true. If her parents hadn't wanted her, then she didn't want them. It was as simple as that.
Jamila had later been adopted still at a young age and taken in by an American family. With them she had moved to American where she learned their language, however she never let her mother language die. Jamila also learned quickly how to read hieroglyphics. Better yet, she pretty much learned about anything Egyptian.
When the time came for Jamila to leave her home, she did. Jamila departed without a heartfelt goodbye, and returned to her homeland, where she took up residency in Cairo. There she heard many local stories about the occurrences that had happened in the city a few years ago before she had been born, and many of them about a man like no other. Interested she made it her mission to delve further into his folklore that her visions had began hinting at. Before long she knew what she had to do. Briefly visiting London, where The Book of the Dead, The Book of the Living, and the key to open them where currently residing within a museum, she stole back what was rightfully her homeland's treasure. It hadn't been hard. All she had needed was to grab herself a higher connection, which she had. Her connection had been the brother of Evelyn O'Connell. Not only had he given her the resources unbeknownst, he had also given her all the information she had needed. Some of that information included the Medji.
With the books in her possession, Jamila returned to Egypt where she began her search through the desert for this 'tribe,' and when she found them they weren't at all happy about it. At first they had been weary about her presence, but she had quickly fooled them into believing that she only wished to document their people. So, reluctantly giving in, they soon taught her the ways of the Medj believing a girl like her had no ill intent. What fools those men had truly been!
After a year of their teachings, and their old legends, she felt she had gained enough information from them. With that said, she departed from their people, and left to find Hamunaptra; not at all telling them what she had planned on doing with the things they had told her.
Jamila then had searched for days for the ancient city, all the while trying to avoid the Medji's daily scoutings. Then, just when she was losing hope, she had stumbled upon it, and now here she stood. Hamunaptra; the burial ground of her very great, great grandmother; Anck-Su-Namun.
Jamila quietly walked down the long corridors of the tomb, but kept to the wall as she deciphered the hieroglyphics to make sure she was following the right path. However, within no time she soon found what she was looking for.
Entering into the large temple, she knew immediately she had found what she had been looking for. With a vicious smile hidden underneath her milky veil she carefully reached up, and removed the cloth from her head. As the veil fell away, her long reddish-brown hair cascaded down her back like a broken dam. However, she knew that was not really her natural hair color. It was a disguise; a disguise she had received from her adoptive mother who had wished her to hide her true origin. Her real color was what was slowly fading in at her roots. That was the color from her birth mother from this century. That was her real origin.
Jamila made her way down to an alter within the middle of the room. Reaching into her bag, she removed The Book of the Dead from within. Placing the book upon the alter, she then retrieved the key from within her bag as well. Without much thought to what she was doing she placed the key into its rightful place on the book. Jamila gave it a few good turns, before the lock popped open, and her eyes once again began scanning the pages she had read since she had stolen it.
Jamila quickly located the curse she had been researching for over a year now. It was the same curse that would bring back the mummified soldier's that would help her. Quickly getting down to business, Jamila began reciting the incantation expertly. If one did not know her better, they would have assumed she had known this language all her life. However, they would have been wrong, because the moment the first few mummified soldiers began to appear, Jamila quickly reverted back to English as if it was nothing.
"Well now, it appears my incantation was spot on," she replied turning around to glance at the warriors. Without a moment's hesitation Jamila barked out her first order in ancient Egyptian, "Retrieve the body of Anck-Su-Namun! Now!"
Without a single sound they turned, and set out on their given task. 'Hmm, men who actually listen. Wouldn't the world be perfect if they all did,' Jamila thought pulling out her canteen. Unhooking the cork she brought the nozzle to her lips, and took a long satisfying sip. There was no need to save that much now. She would be back in Cairo soon, and wouldn't have to worry about spacing her rations out.
Whilst she waited for the guards to return, she gave the temple a quick glance around, and found that it didn't quite look that bad as she had originally believed. Jamila guessed it would have to do either if it was in shambles, or not. She couldn't every well take all this back with her to Cairo, and perform the rituals there.
When the soldier's returned Jamila ordered them to sit Anck-Su-Namun's corpse onto the stone slab. Once that was done she then commanded them to stand guard by the entranceways; one reason was because they were freaking her out, and the other was for partial safety.
Leaving the stone table, Jamila sauntered over to the pool of murky water where Jonathan (in his drunken stupor) had divulged to her that it was now the resting place of Imhotep; thanks to the Medji. Jamila turned the stone pages within the book of the dead to section she had specifically been studying since she had stolen it. Memorizing the text once again, she raised her head, and began to chant the incantation. When she saw the already darkened water begin to grow darker, and ripple like it was almost cursed, she smiled. She knew then that the god of the dead was releasing Imhotep back to her, but for a price.
Feeling a spike of pain beginning to in her lower abdomen, she absently dropped the book to the floor. Jamila knew it was going to be painful, but she hadn't known exactly how bad, as she began to writher in pain. It felt like her blood was on fire, and her heart was being ripped right out from her chest. A thousand knifes seemed to attack her skull as a golden glow ripped itself from her body; it was her soul. She would have to split her soul into thirds. One would remain with her, another would reside in Imhotep, and the final would be traded to God for this favor.
As the golden glow floated over to the pool, and spread across it like it was honey being poured into a cup of tea, Jamila felt the pain slowly lessoning. It was done. Now all she had to do was hope it worked. Turning her head towards the pool she remained in a fetal position on the floor letting the rest of the pain subside. Watching the surface of the water began to bubble, she gave a weak smile. It just had to work.
When she saw the water slowly bubble into the figure of a man, she began to lift herself off of the ground. Wobbling a bit as she stood, she turned to the mummified soldiers staking out the room, and order four of them to her side. Despite the fact that they sent chills down her back, she let them lift her to her feet, and steady her balance.
While she did this a body of a man slowly began to form; flesh, bone, blood, and all. With a devilish grin, she ordered the other two soldiers by her side to drag him out from within the water. Following her command, they did as she asked, and pulled him out and onto the stone floor covered in thousands of years worth of built up sand.
Feeling the solid earth below him, Imhotep carefully opened his eyes, and gazed around in surprise. He thought he never escape the wrath of those torments he suffered in the underworld or hell as many people called it in this era. Cautiously, he sat up and held his head within his hands as he tried to ebb away the tiny headache he had from the new light. However it didn't take long to subside, before he began looking around and found his once mummified servants surrounding him. However, what shocked him was a ghost; a person he hadn't seen in centuries. Yet there she stood, only a different woman in this new era. This woman was no more than around the ages of 19 or 20. She had this reddish-brown hair that mimicked the hue of dried blood, yet glistened from the torches in the room that had been previous lit. She had a well-built body but overly so since she was still a bit petite. She had on some Arabic looking clothes of a belly dancer and she was holding within her hand The Book of the Dead. Imhotep took a closer look at her eyes and smiled at what he saw. It was her, Princess Jamila, Anck-Su-Namun's daughter reincarnated.
"Welcome back Imhotep," Jamila spoke in his native language, while bowing her head at him as he got to his feet. Giving another quick glance around the room, he instantly noticed a familiar form lying upon the alter. He growled deeply under his breath. That woman had betrayed him. She had loved him, but left him to die. If she was to be brought back then a few things would definitely needed to be set straight.
Looking over to Jamila for conformation of what she was doing, he received his answer as she turned from him. The woman began to chant the incantation out once again from the book and soon he heard moaning and grunting coming from all around him. Looking around he found that his priests had been raised once again.
Jamila began a ritual that he himself had never notice in the book, and had apparently skipped over. She began to give part of her spirit to Anck-Su-Namun. It was obvious though the consequences of this ritual however. If Jamila was to die so would Anck-Su-Namun, but if Anck-Su-Numun died then the little portion of the spirit she was giving her would only come back to Jamila.
Jamila sat the book down upon the alter, and pulled a dagger out from within her bag. Slicing it across her palm, she held it over the mummified body of Anck-Su-Namun. Then, turning back to the book, she returned to reciting the incantation.
Imhotep watched as Anck-Su-Namum's spirit slowly formed on top of the murky water, and began to float toward her mummified body. Within moments the spirit spread over her like a purple jam, and soaked into her skin. Suddenly a gargled gasp was heard as she awakened from her eternal sleep. However, ignoring this event laid out before her, Jamila didn't skip a beat as she continued on with incantation. As she did so, Imhotep watched a golden glow surrounded the young girl, and slowly seep onto the table before cautiously creeping it's way over to the gasping mummy. The moment the golden glow touched Anck-Su-Namun rotting corpse, organs took shape, and muscle began to form. Then skin grew outwards, and before long this corpse was no longer a corpse, but a living woman.
Jamila finally turned her eyes away from The Book of the Dead as she too saw a body beginning to form, and smiled as her mother came to be awake.
Anck-Su-Namun's eyes fluttered open, as her senses came back to her. The last thing she could remember is running in the pyramid at Ahm Shere. Then regret filled her being as she remembered why she had been running. She had been afraid. She was afraid she would die, but more so, she was afraid she would never see her love again. She would have helped him, honestly, but at that moment she had frozen with fear…and the O'Connells had been right there! If she had tried to save him, they both would have died. She had thought that if maybe she escaped that she could bring him back, but how wrong she had been. Anck-Su-Namun remembered her death clearly. One minute she felt as free as could be, and felt like she was going to make it out, and then the next… well the next she was falling into a pit of scarabs as they ate her alive. Oh the pain had been so terrible, and then the afterlife had been worse. Separated away from her love for all eternity, and forced to live with the regret, and guilt. However, how had she come to be here? How had she awakened in the world of the living?
Turning her head as she gazed around the room, her eyes landed on one person in particular, and she felt the regret overcome her. Tears seeped into the corners of her eyes as she gazed at him. Could it really be?
Imhotep smiled as she looked at him. Slowly, as if the words hurt her, his love replied in, "Imhotep?" After giving her a nod, she then turned her gaze upon Jamila. Anck-Su-Namun eyes leaked with tears of joy and recognition, as she asked in wonder, "Jamila?" Jamila's own eyes misted over as she looked down upon her reincarnated mother. Without a second to wait, she ordered the guards to help Anck-Su-Namun sit up. Then, reaching into her bag, she produced two long black robes, and threw them to the two lovers. As they threw on their garbs, Jamila went to completing her plan.
Once clothed, Anck-Su-Namun took to her feet, and made her way over to Imhotep. Reaching her head up to touch his cheek, she whispered, "I'm sorry. I was afraid. I-"
"Shh all is forgiven my love. It has been to long for trivial matters such as that," Imhotep reassured her, as he took Anck-Su-Namun into his arms. Holding her close he placed sweet butterfly kisses onto her skin, before kissing her passionately on the lips. Yes, it had been to long.
While the two lovers were busy getting reacquainted, Jamila was finishing with the incantation for the guards and priests to become full bodied. True, the splitting over her soul was becoming agonizingly unbearable, and she probably should have done it, but they need warriors. They needed protection if all was going to go right.
Finally, after every last servant was returned to their own flesh and blood, Jamila collapsed next to the alter. Leaning against the cold stone, she took in deep hypnotic breaths as she waited for the pain to pass. Never again, would she do this. This pain was absolutely unbearable. Closing her eyes, Jamila placed The Book of the Dead beside her, and let her body rest completely. However, it wasn't long until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her petite weak frame.
Anck-Su-Numan held her daughter in a tight embrace, never wishing to let go again. Her daughter, her brave and strong daughter, had brought them all back together once more. She would never be able to fully repay her child for her kindness.
Jamila, after gaining a little strength back, carefully wrapped her arms around her mother. It felt so good to feel a mother's hug; a real mother's hug. It almost warmed Jamila's cold and bitter heart. Then again, only just.
Anck-Su-Namun pulled away from her daughter, and sweetly brushed away the stray strands of hair hanging in front of her daughter's beautiful hazel eyes.
"My Jamila, my sweet Jamila. Our fate was a cruel one," Anck-Su-Namun whispered as Jamila reached for her canteen, and unscrewed the top. Taking a sip, she wet her lips to speak.
"Yes, it was, and it's time the world paid for our misfortunes. They have done us wrong, and it's time they feel the pain we have felt. Now that I've said that, I've brought you back for two reasons; One so we could be together, and two, so that we can have our revenge. Those people out there are all meant to suffer for what they did to us, and I know exactly how we can achieve that goal," Jamila hissed as she stared into her mother's hardening eyes.
"Thank you, Jamila, for what you have done for us. I can never quit repaying you for this, but to do that we would need someone of this time to help us. We would not survive a journey on our own," Imhotep spoke up from behind Anck-Su-Namun, as he gazed down upon her.
"I've got just the person. He's just as loyal as the next servant, and I'm sure he'll bow to a high priest," Jamila explained, but all the sudden they heard yelling throughout the Cavern. When they looked toward the entrances they found Medji coming into the temple with their swords drawn. One in particular openly gaped at the scene before him, before his eyes landed on the woman responsible.
"What have you done, Jamila! Do you realize the consequences of your actions," Ardeth Bay declared angrily as stared down at her. His eyes left hers as they gazed around at the mayhem she had caused. He couldn't believe it. She had done what no other had been able to do. She had brought to life the mummified remains of soldiers, and returned them to their full body; not tot mention the priests! However, the biggest shock of all was not until his eyes landed upon another's haunting gaze. There, fully reincarnated stood Imhotep and Anck-Su-Numan. Ardeth turned his eyes back onto Jamila, and cried out in rage, "You have done something that was forbidden! I knew you would deceive us from the beginning! Who do you think you are?"
"I'm Anck-Su-Numan's and Seti's daughter. I am Princess Jamila reincarnated. Come on you've heard of my past life haven't you Ardeth. The story of a young girl caught between good and wrong and fighting for both sides. I killed myself after Imhotep, and my mother, died by going back to reincarnate them in this very tomb, but yet I was young then. Now though I'm a grown adult, and have brought them back without the Medji killing me before I could even set foot on the ground like my past life had been," Jamila said with a wicked smirk on her face.
"You are just as wicked and corrupted as you were when you were a child back then Jamila," Ardeth hissed unsheathing his sword and holding it by his side.
"I know, and that's how I fooled you," Jamila smirked before she then yelled to the guards to attack. With that single order the guards swarmed the Medji within a matter of no time. Not a single Medji was left to fight the three of them.
Jamila grabbed the black book, and stuffed it into her bag as well as the rest of her things. Without even a single worry, the three of them, and the group of priests, easily made their way out of the temple; up to the surface.
When they emerged she found her horse chained to a pillar; more than likely it was the Medji's doing. Jamila walked over to him and patted the creature on the nose as she whispered, "I'm sorry boy but I can't take you with me, hopefully if they don't kill all the Medji one will take you in." Grabbing the saddlebag off of the animal, she threw it over her shoulder, and made her way over to the others.
By the time the soldiers emerged from the ruins they looked beaten up, but still fit to continue on. However, without warning, the Medji leapt out of the ruins as well still brandishing their, and inching to finish this fight. Pfft heroes!
"Imhotep get us out of here," Jamila ordered fearfully, and with that the sand moved around the priests, guards, and the three of them. It was almost a like the sand storm came out of nowhere, and the Medji had to stand back while shielding their eyes from it. However, just as it came it went, and there, where the group had been standing… there was no one.
Ardeth stood there shaking his head in rage at their failure to stop this crisis before it had gotten out of hand. Now he could only hope it wouldn't get any worse. Feeling a tap upon his shoulder by another Medji like himself, he turned to him as he asked, " What are we going to do now?" Ardeth scowled bitterly as he answered, "I have to go to England and see the O'Connell family about this. No doubt they'll target them, before it's all over. Until then keep the men safe." Looking over at the abandon horse, he then added, "Take the horse back to camp, and care for it. I think her intention all along was to leave it for us anyway."
With that said, Ardeth got on his horse and galloped away toward Cairo where a train would leave and take him far enough to catch a boat. From there he would ride the ship all the way to Turkey where he would then catch a non-stop plane to England. Hopefully within that amount of time nothing would happen to the O'Connell family, and maybe he might just make it in time to warn them.
So, was this chapter any better than the original? Give me feedback, I'd really like to know how I did. I can't improve if I don't get some constructive criticism. By the way, I'd just like you to know that any Flames I receive will be used to roast marshmallows with :-). Pretty much I won't even bother with them, so if you wanna be mean, then go rag on your own life or something…hehehe. However if you want to help me give me something I can work with. Tell what's wrong, and what you think I can do to fix it. Trust me…it helps the story.