Disclaimer: The character of Ardeth Bay and the Medjai belongs to Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios. No infringement intended. This segment is a work of fiction. All the original characters are the creation and property of the author. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rated: T

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Late June 1925 Egypt

The Guardians Citadel "Il WasiQal'a"

Private bathing quarters of Lady DareejahRishik Bay

Mid-afternoon

Kedar Ishaq stood on the tiled threshold leading to the private bathing pool and hesitated, listening to the soft sounds of running water, light feminine laughter, and the occasional note or two of music. He glanced down at his bare chest, gleaming from his recent sparring exercise, to the worn but suitable baggy pants and scuffed leather boots; he was certainly not dressed for the occasion.

Then again, as a sardonic smile graced his mustached lips, he wasn't invited, he had been summoned. And his warrior brethren knew how much he hated to be summoned. With relish, he pushed against the large double doors and his smile widened when they crashed against the wall with a resounding boom. He heard the female attendants gasp and a few of them actually squeaked in surprise when he sauntered into the bathing area; they scattered like flower petals thrown into the wind and disappeared. Left alone with the esteemed lady was something that Kedar never wanted to be but he had little choice in the matter.

"I was informed that you wished to see me, Lady Dareejah," Kedar stated as his dark gaze swept over the large personal bathing pool, watching the older woman languidly treading water. Her lack of modesty astonished him but his response was to fold his arms over his chest in a gesture made to intimidate.

"Keeee-dar," Dareejah hummed. She was completely naked as she floated on her back, and occasionally she lifted one slender arm, displaying her lush bosom, as it peeked above the waterline. The pretty pout on her face warned Kedar that there was far more to this unorthodox meeting than Dareejah's continual hunt for compliments about her figure.

"Kedar, my nephew's most trusted friend," she cooed and gracefully swam towards the pool's steps. "Come join me. You look hot and tired, and in dire need of pampering." She stopped at the first one and slowly rose out of the water with a knowing smile on her face as tiny rivers of water ran down her body, emphasizing its generous and pleasing curves. Like a water siren or nymph, she held out one hand, silently beckoning the handsome warrior to come join her.

Stories told around the harems credited the commander with being an exceptional lover; they spoke of the long sultry nights, rumpled bed linens, and the stamina of a stallion. Dareejah subconsciously licked her lips in anticipation, confident in her feminine skills and wiles, admiring Kedar's strong muscular body. She had secretly longed for a taste of the raw power that simmered beneath the warrior's exterior, and forming an alliance with the commander would prove to be most beneficial.

"La, I am fine here," Kedar stated emphatically. "What is it that you want? I was in the middle of the Trial by Sword and Hand for Ardeth."

"Aiwa, aiwa," Dareejah snapped and waved her hand impatiently, irritated by his refusal. Her eyes narrowed as she realized her prey was going to be harder to ensnare than she had anticipated. "I know of your little warrior game, and was hesitant to interrupt, but I must speak to you of an important matter."

Kedar raised an eyebrow. "A matter more important than the well being of your nephew?" he asked in a mocking tone of voice, knowing how Dareejah felt about his best friend. "This trial is to test the strength and agility of his arm and shoulder, wounded from…"

"I know what happened to him," Dareejah impatiently interrupted as she slinked up the stone steps and started stalking Kedar. Each move, each step was orchestrated to arouse him, and Dareejah relied heavily on her acting skills, confident that Kedar would fall into her trap. "I was, of course, concerned about his rehabilitation and am quite pleased that you had suggested this test for him. We need Ardeth to resume his leadership of our people with sound mind and body."

Kedar resisted the urge to give a heavy sigh as Dareejah's hands came up and slicked her hair back, the movement thrusting her breasts forward for display. His temper simmered for a moment when he realized her game and then a devilish glint came into his eyes; he reached over to a stone bench and grabbed a large, soft towel.

"Here," he said as he threw the towel at her, stifling his laughter when it hit her in the face and chest. "We also need you, the beautiful and captivating Aunt, to be of sound mind and body as well. We cannot have you getting sick, now can we?"

Dareejah's temper spiked as she pulled the towel down from her face, but she refused to be defeated; slyly she used it as another tool. She wrapped it around her body and before Kedar could react, glided over to his body to lean against it. "Such a thoughtful bero," she murmured as she seductively wiggled around. "I was beginning to have doubts that our meeting would produce anything but animosity and mistrust."

Kedar gripped Dareejah's arms to stop her from dancing around, his eyes flashing dark with anger. "What do you want, ya sitti?" he growled, his patience at an end, completely unaffected by her amorous actions.

"I want you to think," Dareejah sighed dramatically and turned around so her backside brushed against Kedar's muscular thighs. She felt it beneath her to have to dance like a whore for the commander, but everything Dareejah did was for a purpose. "I want you to think about a world, so very much like our own, without Ardeth," she continued in a whisper.

Kedar stiffened at her words. "What do you mean?"

Dareejah's tinkling laughter filled the grotto and she danced again, shamelessly rubbing against the warrior. "Ardeth is preoccupied with his little time traveler; he no longer rules with a clear heart and mind. He longs for someone that cannot be his and the Elders have noticed this disturbing change. They are justifiably concerned. He is not fit to rule the Medjai, and as his aunt, I fear for his mental as well as physical well being."

Kedar grabbed Dareejah's shoulders and spun her around. "You have coveted his position since you murdered your husband over a year ago. You will not harm Ardeth, on my oath I swear this to you, or you will answer to my blade," he growled.

Dareejah laughed again, delighted in Kedar's outburst, and delicately shivered from his raw power. "I merely present to you a scenario: life without Ardeth," she stated. "I ask for you to think once more. He is deep within the labyrinth beneath the warrior's sanctum, fighting against those that would kill him because they believe in a shared vision. Will you stay and let fate take its course, or will you rush to save someone who does not wish to be saved?"

"Iblis mara," Kedar snarled and shook Dareejah like a doll. "What have you done?"

"I have done nothing but offer my theories," Dareejah said with a wicked smile. She gripped the edges of the towel and opened it, exposing her body once again. "I can give you so much more, bero, all you have to do is take…take me…come with me and share my bed, and I will give you more power than you have ever dreamed of."

"Abadan! (never)" Kedar thundered and shoved Dareejah away from him in disgust. He pulled the short dagger from its sheath at his side, and for one frightening moment he envisioned plunging it into Dareejah's black heart for her treachery.

Dareejah stumbled back and fell into a heap at Kedar's feet, laughing manically as she watched him fight for control. "The future of the Medjai is at hand," she chortled. "The conclusion to the Trial by Sword and Hand will go as planned, and a new life will be waiting for us all."

"Ardeth," Kedar breathed in horror. "If he dies, you die," he vowed and pointed the dagger at Dareejah.

"Run, bero, run!" Dareejah shouted and pushed up to a sitting position, unafraid of Kedar's threat; all the pieces of the game were beginning to fall into place. "The future you dare not dream of is almost at hand, and you must make a choice."

Kedar cursed vehemently under his breath as he raced out of the bathing room while Dareejah's mocking laugher rang in his ears. He was amazed at how bold she had grown over the past few weeks, but had never considered her actions to be threatening until now.

And he cursed again when he realized it would be his word against hers…

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Ardeth dove around the corner of one stone column and into the shadows, his chest heaving from his exertion. He landed in a crouch and struggled to keep his breath contained, straining to hear if his opponent was approaching. He switched hands for his scimitar and pulled out the small sharp dagger tucked in his boot, determined to use any means necessary to sway the trial in his favor.

Caving in to the burning pain radiating from his shoulder for a moment, Ardeth leaned his head against the cold stone and licked his dry lips, wishing for a cool drink of water. With a rueful grin he realized either the standards for the trial had grown more difficult, or he was getting far too old to continue participating.

Jameel had been his first opponent, and had attacked him as soon as he had passed through the gates, hoping to catch him unawares. Skill and a higher expertise level were Ardeth's advantages, and usually he would have been able to best Jameel in a sparring session. But this time he outmaneuvered the younger warrior not with a dazzling display of swordsmanship, but his capability of executing a hasty retreat.

It bothered Ardeth that in order to escape Jameel's precisely directed hit he had to run, but he didn't have the chance to reflect on that encounter. He met Dharr and Solman several aisles later and the two warriors rushed him with a two pronged attack, scimitars whistling in the air as they arced towards his head.

Disarming Solman had taken longer than Dharr, and blocking the forceful blows from the young massive warrior made Ardeth's entire body ache. Eventually he won that meeting and proceeded towards the center of the maze and his prize, ignoring the throbbing in his shoulder.

Ardeth refused to submit to it, just as he had stubbornly refused to rest for another week as the healers had suggested while his body continued its recuperation. He needed to do something to repress the growing restlessness that set his body on edge, and kept him awake at night. He needed a diversion to rid his mind of a face that haunted his dreams, and of a kiss that still lingered on his lips, a sweetness that made him crave her even more.

Cecelia…

Suddenly Ardeth was helplessly propelled several feet from a hard blow to the back, and rolled with the momentum, bouncing to his feet. He spun around and squared his shoulders, ready to face his new adversary, confident that the outcome of this encounter would be in his favor. He balanced on the balls of his feet, ignoring the sweat that trickled down the side of his face as his eyes narrowed in concentration. His mind ticked off the possibilities of the warrior's identity, but he certainly wasn't prepared for Makin confidently emerging from the shadows.

"Muqaddas Yaha," Ardeth muttered. (Holy shit)

Standing at six foot five inches, and possibly weighing more than Berin, Makin Siraj-Haatim was an intimidating young warrior; what he lacked in years and wisdom, he compensated for with tenacity. He flexed his highly developed shoulders and arms, carefully watching Ardeth as he slowly walked in a circle, most likely waiting for the opportunity to strike.

Ardeth grinned, despite his fatigue, and decided to challenge the young warrior. He switched his scimitar to his other hand, and threw his dagger in the air as a distraction, knowing Makin would watch it twirl end over handle. Suddenly he lunged.

Makin reacted with blinding speed despite his great size, and parried Ardeth's thrust with a powerful blow of his own; it almost brought Ardeth to his knees. He spun around, and smacked Ardeth's shoulder, catching him off balance and the chieftain was forced to perform the graceless act of keeping his stability by wind milling his arms for a few moments.

Ardeth's smile flattened out into a grim line of annoyance as he whirled around to face Makin again. He ignored the impulse to massage his sore shoulder, and then decided to try a new tactic. "ir-raHman Allah, that hurt," he stated in wonder.

Makin blinked in surprise and then immediately looked contrite. "SamaH ana, ya ra'is but I was...I never meant to…"

"Ha!" Ardeth shouted and attacked with the velocity of striking cobra; his blade whistled through the air as he pivoted his wrist, ready to tap Makin's exposed side for a point. He went sailing through the air a moment later but twisted his body, managing to scour the hilt of his weapon down Makin's thigh. He hit the ground hard, but ignored his body's complaints and sprang to his feet. He spun around, ready to block another attack but Makin's shout of laughter made him stop.

"You have a point," the young warrior grinned as he advanced on Ardeth, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously. "But then again, so do I."

Ardeth snorted. "Do not be absurd. You could not have…" his voice faded away when Makin pointed to his thigh. He looked down and blinked in surprise when he saw the long streak of plant dye oozing down the fabric. He looked up at Makin as his astonishment turned into displeasure; they immediately began circling one another again.

"I am finding that I do not like you very much right now, bero."

"All is fair in the trial, ya ra'is."

"Who taught you how to counter my unusual attack?"

"Commander Ishaq."

Ardeth sighed. "I should have known. Remind me to kill him later. As for you…we end this now!"

Makin threw his weight to the side as Ardeth's blade whistled past his shoulder, and he went in low, slamming his forearm into Ardeth's ribs. Ardeth grunted from the pain but retaliated by jabbing the hilt of his sword into Makin's back twice, dancing away from the warrior's jab at the last moment.

It was for the second time that day that Ardeth found himself running from an opponent, but this time he savored the sweet taste of victory as he heard Makin proclaim his defeat. As he raced down the aisle and turned around the second to the last bend in the maze, he couldn't stop smiling.

By all that was holy, his body was sore and his shoulder was numb, but Ardeth was thoroughly enjoying each encounter. And if he had been a wise man, he would have kept his optimism until after the trial was over, and he had won.

They came in rapid succession after that as Ardeth moved closer and closer to the middle of the maze. The prize was almost within reach, but instead of thinking how he would spend his time visiting Rana's harem, he was hoping for a nice, long leisurely bath to ease his aching muscles.

Jericho was his next opponent, and while Ardeth would have never admitted it to anyone, it was becoming more difficult to win each match. Winded from his session with Jericho, Ardeth dove behind another grouping of crumbling columns and small boulders, trying to catch his breath.

He bent over and placed his hands on his knees as he tried to determine who he would meet next: Nabil? Kedar or Berin? Ardeth thought it odd that he had yet to face his childhood friend, but a strange sense of foreboding washed over him and he stood up, scimitar drawn and ready.

Someone was watching him.

Ardeth started to jog towards the next corner, but came to an abrupt halt when two large figures emerged from the shadows. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade as the two unknown warriors advanced towards him, the hilts of their weapons free from any plant dye. They wore their face coverings and when Ardeth called out a greeting, they remained silent lest the sound of their voices provide any clue to their identities.

Ardeth braced himself for the simultaneous attack and called on the last reserves of his strength; the trial meant to test his strength and agility had viciously turned into a fight for his life.

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"Why in the name of Allah would Dareejah flirt with you?" Nabil asked in confusion. He stood with Kedar near the end of the maze and thoughtfully rubbed his chin while the other warrior had quickly related his bizarre tale.

"She finds me irresistibly handsome and…" Kedar proclaimed, and then uttered a curse, glaring at his warrior brother in irritation. "Why she threw herself at me is not the issue; she threatened Ardeth's life and we must find him before anyone else does."

"Agreed, but do you realize how big this maze is? Searching for him would take days, not to mention we do not know which pathway he chose," Nabil said as they started walking out towards the end of the aisle.

"If I have estimated the time correctly, Ardeth would be near the west end, past the gates and close to the…"

The sound of metal clashing against metal drew the warriors' attention, and they both started running, fearful that Dareejah's daring plan would be successful. And they would not only lose their chieftain but their friend as well.

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Ardeth leaped to one side, but that maneuver left him exposed; he groaned from the pain when a fist punched his sore ribs but concentrated on avoiding the scimitar that whistled dangerously close to his ear. He rolled on the ground and regained his footing, bringing his scimitar above his head to block a thrust meant to decapitate. He dove again, and grabbed a handful of sand; all was fair in the trial and he needed to exploit any advantage. He threw it and faintly smiled when he heard a howl of pain; the smile faded when the other warrior retaliated for his fallen partner.

Pain exploded in the back of Ardeth's skull and his scimitar fell from his hand as he pitched forward, landing on his hands and knees as stars danced before his eyes. Thick forearms wrapped around his neck, jerking his body backwards as they slowly began squeezing the air from his lungs. Ardeth wildly fought with all his strength to break the hold.

But it was a losing battle, and as the blackness nipping at the edges of his vision grew, Ardeth felt the first taste of fear mingle with the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He strained to reach the second dagger hidden in his boot as his back and shoulder screamed in protest. The arms tightened and Ardeth almost blacked out; suddenly another large object hit them, tumbling chieftain and assassin to the ground.

Exhausted, Ardeth rolled to away from the threat even as he drew in breath after ragged breath of life giving oxygen. He coughed as he pushed up to his knees and when he raised his head, his eyes widened in astonishment when he recognized what had hit him.

Berin.

Berin al Usama, in all his lethal and terrible glory, was casually dispatching the first assassin with a twist of his hands. The loud crack of the neck echoed through the ringing in Ardeth's ears and the killer's body fell to the ground, landing with a heavy thud.

"Behind you!" Ardeth croaked as the second assassin tried to stab Berin through the heart.

Berin reacted instantly and rolled away from his attacker, fluidly pulling his dagger free and throwing it. It sailed through the air and buried itself in the other warrior's chest with deadly accuracy. The warrior's eyes widened in astonishment as bloody foam bubbled out of his mouth; he pitched forward and landed in a heap at Berin's feet.

Berin knelt down and grabbed the edges of the dying warrior's robe with one hand, with the other he ripped off the face covering so all would know his identity and treachery. "Why?" he hissed, his eyes black with fury. "Why attack your chieftain? Who hired you? Tell me, and I may take pity on you…"

The assassin smiled even as the life faded from his eyes. "All…will…change…all…willll…" the last word ended on a whisper as the warrior breathed his last.

Berin released the dead man in disgust and looked over at Ardeth, immediately rushing to his side. "Sahil…sahil, let me look at your wounds, ya sahib," the massive warrior crooned.

The metamorphosis in Berin's demeanor was a bit disconcerting for Ardeth, and for a few moments it was hard to grasp that the man who gently cleaned the blood from the back of his head was the same man who had easily killed two men. "I am…fine," he said weakly, fighting the overwhelming urge to sleep.

"Of course you are," Berin stated with unusual humor. He helped Ardeth up into a sitting position as he continued checking his wounds; an angry bellow moments later informed him that Kedar had arrived.

"Is it me…or is Kedar getting…louder as he…gets older?" Ardeth softly asked as Kedar and Nabil came across the bodies of the traitors.

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A/N - thanks for the reviews, and I apologize for the short chapter but there's more coming...laws yes, lots more. Enjoy!