+The Yearning +
Jamila sat in the balloon, now bond, with the same shackles she had worn earlier, however now she was able to move about easier. The only thing keeping her from doing so was her ankle that throbbed uncontrollable from the snakebite. It also didn't help that it was sprained. Alex had been nice enough though to help suck out the venom and then wrap it tight so that the sprain wouldn't worsen even though he could have just let her suffer.
Now Jamila sat alone as the others readied the balloon again. She laid on the hammock looking up at the cavern's ceiling smiling to herself as she noticed the stars through a small gap. It wouldn't be long before her mother and father caught up.
Jamila jumped as she heard something being placed beside her on one of the crates. She looked over and noticed Ardeth. He had brought her something to eat, but very reluctantly. He just didn't seem to like her very much, and she couldn't blame him. She was the bad guy that had lied to him and his tribe, and then went and helped Imhotep rise from the dead, not to mention Anck-su-namun.
"Here's you something to eat," he replied curtly as he turned to walk away. Then something suddenly came to her mind and she spoke up quickly before he could leave her sight.
"Do you have any siblings," Jamila asked picking at the ham sandwich curiously, making sure he wasn't trying to drug her.
"Why would that be of any concern to you," He asked turning to look at her.
"Dunno, just asking. What about nieces or nephews," she asked again. He looked away and seemed to stare at the cavern walls before chuckling.
"Are you trying to use some tactic to get to know me and then see if I let you go free," he asked.
"No I was…." Jamila began, but was quickly cut off by Ardeth.
"Save it Jamila. I'm not the O'Connells," Ardeth answered and then made his way off of the air balloon. Jamila sighed heavily and finally took a bite of the food he had given her. It tasted alright and she finally summed it up to the fact that he wasn't trying to kill her…at least not yet. Jamila knew there had to be some way off of this contraption and a way back to the others. If she could just get those stupid bindings off she'd be just fine. Then again a sprained ankle didn't help her situation.
Jamila turned her head toward the O'Connells who were currently moving about. The Jonathan fellow was currently staring at the shiny medallion that Jamila had retrieved from the cavern. Rick and Eve were talking quietly while they helped the black guy fix the air balloon. Ardeth was currently heating some water so that he could separate the water from the salt. She guessed he was doing that to be able to have water in the canteens again. Alex was currently…well she couldn't find Alex.
"Spying," Jamila's head shot in the opposite direction to find Alex jumping over the railing and onto the boat. Jamila glared and simply turned her head in the other direction.
"I just wanted to say thank you for earlier. That was a nice thing you did by saving me," Alex replied.
"It was a moment of weakness," Jamila answered turning back to look at him with hatred in her eyes. Alex was slightly taken aback, but he regained himself quickly.
"Do you even know how to act nice? Really, I swear you only know how to frown, glare, and act like a stick in the mud," Alex proclaimed, making Jamila now the one taken aback.
"I know how to smile," Jamila almost yelled.
"Fine, then let me see you do it," Alex asked and then decided to take this situation to his advantage by mocking her, "See you do it like this." Alex took his hands and took his frown by his fingers and pretended to lift it into a smile.
"You're pathetic," Jamila replied as she took a final bite of her sandwich.
"No, just a lot more happier than you are," he replied.
"Why are you so keen on talking to me. Aren't you afraid I'll bite," Jamila snickered, as she even thought about doing that if he got close enough.
"No, I'm afraid you'll kiss me, which by the way we didn't get to see if I was a good kisser in that dream sequence of yours," he joked lightly. Jamila rolled her eyes and then tried to switch subjects.
"If they want to know where to go to next tell them to just follow the river out of the cavern, and to the end of the channel. There's a cave somewhere around there that will lead into an underground volcano, which should hold the next item we're looking for," she divulged, hoping that would sway him to forget what he had just said.
"Thanks, I'll be sure to tell them. Now, about that kiss…" he began.
"Oh lay of the damn kiss already, not then, not now, and not ever will you're lips ever touch mine you filthy piece of…"
"Kissing, who's talking about kissing? Alex are you bothering her," Eve suddenly spoke up from below.
"No mum, everything's alright," Alex replied all the while with a smirk in Jamila's direction.
"Haven't you got balls," Jamila murmured.
"Yes, something you'll never get to see either," Alex smiled.
"To late, it's one of my long lost memories of Amun." Jamila watched as Alex face fell into complete embarrassment.
"Would you two please stop that talk? Alex, you're mother and I are tired of hearing about that kind of stuff," Rick yelled up at both Jamila and Alex.
Alex simply glared and went away to sulk somewhere else. Jamila didn't see him until the balloon took off again into the air. All the while, she was humming some tune. She had never known where she had heard it, but it seemed a distant memory. As if someone had once sang it to her.
Ardeth sat close by listening and every once a while she could have sworn her solo tune had become a duet, but whenever she stopped there was no sound coming from him. He only continued to glare at her with pure hatred. After a while she could no longer stay awake and she fell into a deep sleep.
Jamila walked the streets of Cairo, far away from her hotel she was currently staying at. With a bank account filled of money that never ended from her adoptive parents who no longer wanted anything to do with her, she found it easy to go anywhere she wanted. It was a nice bribe of them to keep her away and to keep her mouth shut, but she knew the moment the money stopped she'd be doomed. It was time she found her sense of direction and start heading there.
Jamila dropped her bag upon a chair outside a café where a waiter came over and asked for her order. Once her order was sent, she sat back and relaxed. While enjoying the warmth of the sun on her bare shoulders and neck, she couldn't help but over hear a stranger's conversation with a man.
"…. and they beat him all by themselves. At least that's what that Jonathan fellow told me," the man whispered.
"No it can't be true. It's all a bunch of lies from a drunken man," the other man exclaimed.
"Not it's true, saw most of it with my very own eyes. I was there when Cairo was being hailed upon by fire from the heavens. I don't remember much after that though. The next morning I woke up in the middle of the street. I promise you though that I had not even had one sip of alcohol that night," the other man divulged. Jamila strained her ears to hear more of the conversation.
"Well if it's true then where's you're proof," the man asked.
"A tribe of Medji. If you wonder the desert long enough you'll find them, guarding the city of Hamanauptra," exclaimed the man.
"Bull! You've lost it Reynolds," the man answered. Jamila was pulled away from the conversation though when the waiter returned, but she heard the name Imhotep pop up later in the conversation. She took matters into her own hands after that. She followed the drunken man back to his hotel room and beat him senseless until he answered all of her questions and more. Before Jamila knew it she was heading in the right sense of direction. She paid a man for the use of his horse and road out into the desert with a map in hand that she had stolen from him.
She wondered the desert for days before finally stumbling upon the tribe of men and women.
Jamila watched from a distance waiting for the right moment to ride in, however her plans were destroyed one night when she found she had ran out of both food and water. Not to mention her fire was barely keeping her warm in the desert's cold night.
Jamila cuddled into her sleeping bag and pillow, but found it hard to when she was still freezing and couldn't help but jerk every few seconds when she thought she felt something crawling on her. When she finally did manage to fall into a deep sleep she was rudely awakened by being jerked out of her sleeping bag. As her eyes opened and realized her situation, she immediately went into attack mode. She let her memory of what fighting skills she had been taught a few years ago come to her. She quickly took down the man that was holding her and a couple who where coming at her from within the dark. She noticed the fire she had built had been put out and the only thing that helped her see into the dark was the moon and starlit sky.
As she reached out to choke one man another brought her to her knees as they kicked the back of her ankles.
"Stay on that ground and I promise you'll not be hurt," the man spoke in a familiar tongue. It was a language that had become just a memory in her vocabulary. It was the first language she had spoken as a child. Though she was pretty rusty she gave it her best shot.
"Promise not to hurt me! I think you got that twisted," she answered with a glare.
"Why are you out here in the desert," the man demanded.
"Looking for you," she answered.
"LIE," one man screamed.
"No, I'm a journalist. I'm coming out here to write on you culture," Jamila quickly lied.
"If so, then why didn't you just come to us in the first place? We noticed you're campfire many nights ago," the man asked again.
"Because of this reason now," Jamila seethed. The men looked between one another in a questionable manner and then slowly let their guard down. The man who had been talking to her lowered his scarf and Jamila saw a face that seemed familiar, but yet she could not place it.
"Sorry, it's just we do not get visitors often. My name is Ardeth Bay," the man answered calmly. Jamila dusted herself off and offered her hand.
"Alice Jamila Baker," Jamila answered using her adoptive name. However, something struck a cord in the men around her.
"Jamila, that's an odd name, and odd that you know our language as well," Ardeth replied.
"I was an orphan once, and resided in Cairo until I was 10 years old. I picked up many languages in that orphanage. It's helped me a lot in my life. The name was just given to me by one of the caretakers there," Jamila replied softly.
"Oh, well what do you want from us anyway Miss Baker," Jamila winced at her last name.
"To stay a year with you and learn your ways. I want to absorb you're life and bring it back to Cairo with me and write an editorial on it," truthfully Jamila didn't even know what an editorial was, but it seemed to convince them.
"Are you sure you could handle a year away from civilization Miss Baker," Ardeth asked.
"I'm not your average girl, Mr. Bay," Jamila smiled while pushing back some of her loose hair.
"Fine then, but if we find anything to prove to us you're lying Miss Baker, be sure to realize that we will send you on you're high horse back to Cairo," Ardeth replied.
"That's fine with me," Jamila replied as she held out her hand. Ardeth hesitated, but eventually shook her hand. That sealed Jamila's fate right then and there.
Jamila awoke suddenly to the sound of crashing waves beneath her. She rose up and looked around and noticed the balloon was hanging lower to the ground than usual. It was right on top of a river. They were right on course.
Jamila looked over and found most of the people on the air balloon asleep. The only one that remained awake was Ardeth. Jamila scowled, as she tried to stand up. Ardeth turned on her immediately and frowned.
"What are you doing," he asked suddenly.
"Coming to tell you that I have a full bladder," Jamila spat out. Ardeth was stunned for a second and then suddenly nodded. He went and found the black guy to stop the balloon so that everyone could have a bathroom break. The sad thing though, was that Jamila couldn't go by herself. Eve had to help her into to tropical forest to do her business since her ankle was busted up still, and also because she was still captured.
Once she was done she was led back to the balloon where everyone set looking at the maps.
"Ask her," Alex whispered harshly to his father. Rick growled and suddenly turned on her.
"We're lost," he finally answered.
"Of course," she sneered. Jamila had Eve lead her toward the maps and then checked them out.
"Hand me the damn pencil," Jamila muttered looking at the map more closely. She marked off a few spots and then measured their course. Eventually she finally circled the spot they were at and where they were going to all at the same time she was cursing every god above.
"There does that help," Jamila came close to yelling as she slammed the map back into Rick's chest. Rick looked down at it and nodded.
"Hey I found some crutches on the air balloon. Would you like to use them," Jonathan asked looking down at Jamila's ankle that was still swollen.
"What do you think," she replied with bitterness. Jonathan shrugged and walked up the plank and onto the air balloon to get them. In a matter of moments he came back with the crutches. It was a lot easier for her to move around in without having to lean on Eve. Rick and Jonathan walked back up the plank along with Eve who where looking at the maps and the coordinates she had given them.
Alex stayed behind and helped her sit down on the beach. She just looked off in the distance praying to see her band of soldiers, along with her mother, and Imhotep, but it never came. Alex seemed like he wanted to say something, but couldn't spit it out. Jamila took pleasure in his awkwardness. However, he finally managed to spill.
"How bad is the next temple," he asked.
"From what I've heard, worse than anything you've ever seen. Let's just say the priest that built this wasn't hoping that anyone was going to find his power and use it. He wanted it to be all his own. He thought fire and earth would protect it much better. All I know is that the legend goes that High Priest Iah wanted to keep his secrets hidden and by doing so they can only be found within the light of a full moon. We must reach his temple tomorrow on the full moon or we will never find it. Not even powers that I hold or Imhotep holds can find it without the light of the moon," Jamila answered as she picked up some sand in her hand that slowly fell and was carried by the wind.
"Sad isn't it," Jamila replied.
"What's sad," Alex asked.
"That during our time we were great people, and possessed great strengths, but were then buried with the sands of time and reborn from them. Everyone's a reincarnation of someone. There is never a new life and if there is, then let such a fool pray for his soul," Jamila replied.
"Why is it bad thing to be new," Alex asked.
"It gives the gods more reasons to torture you, as if they don't have enough time to torture the ones who had lived long enough to be left alone," Jamila answered with a sad look.
"We're not being tortured," Alex, answered, "if we are we're just doing it to ourselves."
"God I wish," Jamila whispered with a cynical smile.
"Come on we need to get back to the air balloon," Alex blurted out as he stood up and helped Jamila up. As he did so they're faces came within an inch of one another. As Jamila's eyes met Alex's his met hers. She could feel her heartbeat quickening ever so slightly. She could hear the pounding in her chest and everything around her seem as if someone had pushed the mute button. It was not Alex's eyes she found. No, it was Amun's eyes she found. Alex also saw that as well. It was not the evil Jamila that stood before him. It was the Jamila during the time when men believed in Gods, and not just one God.
The wind picked up and blew Jamila's hair in her face so that only her eyes shown. It made her seem like she had a scarf around her mouth. When the wind settled her hair fell to her shoulders and where a frown once stood a slight grin now stood. Alex felt himself inch slightly closer to her. Jamila's heart beated rapidly and she let her eyes close and her head dip back ever so slightly. Right as their lips were in touching distance a shrill voice rang out.
"ALEX COME ON AND BRING HER. WE HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY," Rick yelled out at his son.
Alex pulled away and then regained his senses along with Jamila. Jamila's grin went back to a scowl. She managed to hop her way back to the air balloon on her new found crutches. All the while Alex was trudging along behind her.
While back in the air, Eve handed Jamila some medicine that would help the swelling and pain go down, however she had forgotten to mention the after effects. Jamila was instantly knocked out.
Jamila was looking up at Amun. The drapes of the Egyptian bed hid them from the world. Amun leaned down and trailed kisses along Jamila's neck and on down to her collarbone. One of his hands slowly traveled across her abdomen down to her thigh. It even went lower, which received a moan from Jamila. Amun's kisses traveled back up to Jamila's lips. Their tongues intertwined within one another's mouths, making both shiver with ecstasy. Amun let both his hands trail back up and pull Jamila off the bed and into a sitting position. He let his hands travel across her back and then up to her neck. Jamila could feel every sensation including the thing in-between her legs at that moment. Right before she could began to experience pure pleasure she was ripped from it all.
Jamila jerked up out of the hammock immediately in a cold sweat, along with her lowers aching violently. Never before had any man mad her yearn that bad. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe this past life love was going to get in the way. Maybe it was already in the way.
Jamila's eyes traveled the moonlit deck of air balloon to where Alex slept in his sleeping bag. Everything in her yearned to be inside there with him, but her senses got the best of her thankfully. Jamila grabbed the canteen Eve had left for her and threw some of it on her face. It helped to clear her mind some, but still that inner woman of her begged to have what it had always wanted even when it was years ago she had last had it. Jamila tried to lie back down and fall asleep, yet all that did was make it worse.
Taking one last look around the air balloon, Jamila grabbed the medicine Eve had given her earlier to sleep and took most of it. By the time she hit the hammock it was lights out for her.
Sorry it took so long to update. I've been writing one of my own origninal stories and I just kinda got really caught up in it, along with some stupid drama that's going on in my life, anyway I hope this will sustain all my loyal and new readers for now. I promise I'll try to have some more up as soon as I can. Just send me reviews, that's what encouraged me to finally write this chapter. By the way thanks for the reviews as well. Now I know why put's that on here. It does encourage the writers. Anyway hope you liked it and I'll try to get to it again as soon as I can.
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