Disclaimer – None of the mummies or anyone associated with them belong to me. Lutina's mine!
Summary – With the recent addition to their team, everyone has mixed feelings. Ja-kal's worried about her trust issues, Nefertina is pleased there's another woman around and Armon doesn't care one way or another. Rath, on the other hand, has some family issues to deal with.
Author's Note – Here it finally is! A follow-up story to the one I wrote like 7 years ago.
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Family Values
"Are you sure it was safe to bring her here? I mean, this could be a ploy to find out where we live," Ja-kal wondered.
"I don't think so Ja-kal. She did help us escape from Scarab and defeat him in that battle. Unlike your nephew, who first pretended to help then betrayed us in order to help us again; she's moved on past her differences. It's very obvious. Besides, don't you want the help to protect Rapses?" Nefertina questioned.
Ja-kal didn't immediately answer as his stare went to Lutina, who was standing nearby staring at her sarcophagus. She appeared to be in a trance, as if remembering her life before everything had gone so terribly wrong. He gave a sigh, fully knowing that she was a risky move every step of the way. He carefully watched her as she turned her stare towards the ground. Lutina began to step away from the sarcophagi and moved out of the room.
"Speaking of protectors, where's Armon and Rath?" wondered Ja-kal.
"Armon's eating, as he always is and Rath's in his lab," Nefertina replied.
She began to make her way out of the room and he barely noticed her leave. At the door, Nefertina turned around and gave a weak smile.
"Ja-kal, I think we'll know soon enough if she's on our side or not. Until then, I trust her," she called to him.
Ja-kal crossed his arms as he watched her disappear around the corner. He found that it wasn't just her trust issues that were nagging at the back of his mind: he was also worried about Rath.
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Nefertina walked up to Lutina, who was sitting on the couch in front of the television set. The new arrival was evidently silent compared to when she was first awakened in this new century. The once conniving mind was now jumbled with random thoughts.
"Lutina…" started Nefertina.
"He's barely looked in my direction since I first arrived. I've kept trying to tell him that I have proof with what I say yet he remains aloof. He keeps his distance, wondering whether or not he should trust me," she interrupted.
"Give him time. We've all had to adjust to the idea. It's just taking him a little longer than the rest of us," Nefertina told her.
Lutina turned towards her and gave her a weak smile. Her eyes were sad, like they had been since she arrived.
"But how long will it take? If he doesn't come to me soon, I will have to leave," she said.
"Wait a minute! What makes you think you have to leave?" Nefertina protested.
Lutina didn't immediately answer as she glanced around the room. The bare walls stared back as if they were judging her, just like both Rath and Ja-kal were judging her.
"I would not be wanted here. I know what I've done and it's not exactly the best way for you and you friends to begin trusting me. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Ja-kal and Rath demanded I leave," she replied.
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Rath carefully lifted up the beaker, staring at the contents inside. His mind danced back to Lutina and the fateful words she said when she first arrived at their home.
"Lutina, we're all curious about one thing. Exactly who is your brother?" Ja-kal asked.
She looked up at them with sad eyes. She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to tell them.
"It's Rath," she finally said.
Ja-kal, Nefertina and Armon glanced at each other in complete shock. Rath stepped forward, the anger evident on his face.
"Impossible! I never had a sister!" Rath blurted out.
"I knew you would say that, even though all the clues were right in front of you: the rattlesnake armour and my magical abilities, for starters," she replied.
She reached her arm out to Rath, one of the spikes from her armour resting in her hand. He was wary about the whole situation and it clearly evident on his face.
"You do not have to worry. It does not contain poison or any other dangerous substance," she assured him.
"Then what does it contain?" he posed.
She gave a sad smile as she gently took his hand and placed it in his palm. He wanted to throw it right back into her face but managed to restrain himself.
"Rath, it's hard to explain. My spikes have many different purposes. I know every one of them by instinct. All I'm asking you is to trust me. I give this one to you. When you are ready, simply let me know," Lutina replied.
She began to walk away from them and towards her sarcophagus. She stepped inside and closed the door to the stunned group. Nefertina turned towards Rath, who was still holding the spike. He held it up in front of his face and he seemed almost mesmerized by it.
"Do you think she's telling the truth?" asked Rath.
"Yes, I do. I don't know how I can tell but something tells me she has made peace with happened. The question now is: can you?" Nefertina explained.
The scene played out in his mind time and time again since it first occurred only a few weeks earlier. The spike that she gave him lay on the table, untouched since she gave it to him. He hadn't yet come to grips with the idea that he had a sister that he apparently never knew anything about. Rath didn't know what exactly he was looking for whether it was a sign or a slip-up.
'And there's no one I can discuss this with. By what I've observed, all the others have completely different opinions about her. Looks like I will have to deal with this alone. There's no one to talk to. I don't think even Presley would understand either,' he thought.
Rath placed the beaker back down onto the table and made his way towards the door. He grabbed the trench coat sitting on the chair. He climbed onto one of the Jet-cycles and made his way out unnoticed by the others.
The mummy continued to drive for what seemed like hours. He whizzed past the people walking on the sidewalks, barely taking any notice of them.
"She seems so certain of the idea that I am her brother but why do I not remember her?" he quietly said.
Rath didn't stop until he reached the waterfront. He climbed off the bike and stepped over to the railing, overlooking the bay. He stared at the full moon sitting in the sky and gave a sigh.
"Lutina is right about one thing: her magical abilities are something to take into consideration," he said. "But what is her full story? She hasn't spoken anything else about herself since she first arrived. Maybe she is simply waiting for me."
He continued to stare at the bay, the moonlight streaming across the water within its confines. He barely took notice of anything or anyone else around him.
"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" a voice came from beside him.
Startled, Rath's eyes flew wide open and he turned his stare to the woman standing beside him. He managed a small smile though he wasn't sure how much he wanted to talk.
"I always come here when I need to think about something. This time, it's my mother. She's a very demanding woman and she's on my back about my homework for my college courses. She's telling me how I should be working harder," she told him.
She began to laugh, rolling her eyes as she turned around and rested her back on the railing. Her laughter soon calmed down as she looked upwards at the stars in the sky.
"Here I am talking about my problems to a stranger. Guess I should introduce myself first. My name is Cecelia," she said.
She reached out her hand and Rath slowly took it. He relaxed a bit as they shook. A small smile barely crossed his face as he gave a sigh.
"Um…Ray. My name is Ray," he told her.
"So what's your problem?" she asked, releasing the handshake.
It took a moment for Rath to digest the question. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should let her in on his problems. He sighed, staring back at the moon.
"There's this woman who's recently come into my life, claiming to be my sister. She swears that she has proof but I do not know how reliable this information is," he finally said.
Cecelia didn't say anything as she contemplated the words she was told. She narrowed her eyes a bit as she flashed him a smile for an idea crossed her mind. She carefully studied the dancing lights of the moving cars.
"I think I know what you need. You certainly have quite the dilemma, more so than mine will ever be and maybe talking to someone over a nice hot cup of coffee will do the trick," she suggested.
Rath thought about the offer and soon nodded with a smile.
'Maybe I do need to talk to someone who is impartial,' he thought.
"Good. We can stash your motorcycle in the cab of my truck and I can take us there," she offered.
Rath nodded as he began to follow her away from the San Francisco Bay and its gently lapping waters.
TBC...