I was born Zora Carnahan. I was born at the first dawn of a new century and thus my mother called me something fittingly meaning "New Dawn". I would not know for many decades later that she had a knowing quality about her too that had also allowed her to pick the perfect name for me as well. My brother, Jonathan was next born named aptly after a best friend that my father thought he'd be to me and him.

My home life with my adventurous mother, my gentlemanly father and rambunctious brother would only get even more wonderful when my little sister Evelyn was born two years later.

Although I got my memories back of my other life lived in not the most brilliant of ways at the age of five, when several older cousins thought it would be a brilliant idea to trap me inside an a stone coffin for hours on end and the panic that it induced so rattled my mind that it woke up my memories from Before. Remembering Imhotep's calming tones in my mind were the only thing that kept me from going completely mad after the incident. However, I did have horrible claustrophobia attacks onset by emotional episodes after that day.

Thankfully I was already well-versed in a wide-range of languages by this point of the age of five. My mother was Egyptian afterall and she had taught all of us that listened to the languages of her country since birth.

Mother fed my desire for the old texts lovingly and Evelyn tagged along loving everything Mother did and the way she spoke.

It probably had to do partially due to Anubis's mark upon my shoulder I had since I was born, however my mother never forced knowledge upon me but instead allowed me to discover it on my own but would willingly direct me in helpful ways any time I asked for help.

I would forever be thankful for her loving direction, and when we lost her to a cave-in at a dig site and then our father not long after due to a broken heart...I would feed my sister's hungry knowledge and my brother's sense of adventure in her stead.

After our parents had been gone for several years we at last found ourselves in Egypt.

~E~

I strode into Dr Bey's office without knocking and found myself at gunpoint. My eyes looked from the tip of the barrel to the pistol holder's eyes, a smile lighting my lips at the sign of the Medjai chieftain at the top of his forehead.

"Don't shoot!" Dr Bey stood from his seat. I knew his worry no doubt was causing his glorious beard to droop.

The Medjai's finger left the trigger but the pistol didn't move from its position as his eyes peered at me. He no doubt was trying to understand me. The woman who wore her hair like a European lady while wearing knee high military style boots over slacks and khaki shirt.

I slowly raised my arm before setting it across my chest speaking the respectful Medjai greeting.

His eyes narrowed even further but he returned the greeting and lowered his weapon; as I closed the door.

I looked over to Dr Bey and then looked at the man I was pretty sure was Ardeth, "Was the man spared?"

My friend humphed behind me, "Ms Carnahan."

"I've told you time and time again Terry you can call me Zora."

It was as if the Medjai's body froze and his eyes widened before he strode forward and grabbed me by the arms looking me over with critical eyes. "New Dawn." He whispered it almost as if he were terrified and almost as if he were in awe.

I tilted my head to the side, "Yes, that is what an old friend once called me."

I leaned back on the curator's desk after the chieftain withdrew and this time looked back at Terrance Bey.

"She's your source."

I ignored the glances between the two as I pulled my messenger bag from my side. I had recently found several rare finds at a dig and pilfered a couple items before some of the more selfish treasure hunters took it for themselves to sell to the highest bidder. It still felt odd to me, the digging up of graves. Anywhere else it would be considered horrible to do so and possibly illegal but in Egypt it was the newest fad. My mother had seemed flippant about it but I could see her sadness when she talked about so many items that the people of Egypt would never see for themselves of their own history. Thus, I made it my mission: while my twin went treasure hunting for himself, I would do it for the Cairo Museum of Antiquities and any other museum that might open up in the future in Egypt for its people.

"Why the American?"

I blinked and looked up to find both men looking at me.

"He's Medjai."

The chieftain looked angry, "Impossible." He shook his head almost with his whole body.

I closed my messenger bag and stopped leaning on the desk.

"He was marked as Medjai when he was young." I shrugged though. "It doesn't matter the why right now. Just know he is a piece of a puzzle that is just coming together." I shook my head and turned back to my favorite curator, "Now Terry I wanted to show what I was able to snag from the recent dig." I opened the bag and started to set the bands on his desk and unwrapped them from the linen cloth I wrapped them in. "Please tell me these are as old as I think they are."

"Another treasure hunter." The chieftain was derisive, making me tense, "Why do you surround yourself with these people, Uncle?"

I whipped so quickly around I saw one of my golden curls go flying.

"For your information, Ardeth Bay it is my brother who treasure seeks. I however seek knowledge and enlightenment…" I smile bittersweetly, "I seek…" I swallowed and didn't say what I initially wanted to say 'proof' of what I saw with Imhotep, even as I saw myself in the past. "I seek to rescue items from such treasure seekers, yes like my brother, and give them a proper home here in Egypt. I for one do not believe in disturbing ancient graves. I find it disrespectful, however that's the fad right now." I stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye. "So instead of sitting back and doing nothing as 'people like me'." I gesture at my clothes and face and hair. "...go mucking around in another country's ancient culture. I'm going…" At this point I was poking his chest with each point. "...to make sure the country's people have something left after 'people like me' are long gone."

A rebel curl fell from my high chignon on top of my head and fell in front of my face where I tried to blow it out of the way but failed so instead I just stubbornly lifted my chin in the air and twirled on my toes and marched back toward the curator's desk.

"Terry, stop laughing. So tell me. Are they…" I took a breath. "They look like the golden priest's cuff's...see the serpent's heads. You can see where there would be a chain attached at the mouth of the snakes."

He peered down at the cuffs using one of those magnifying glasses that were similar to fine jewelers'. His joyful features though were slowly morphing into a frown before he looked over at me.

"Are they fake? I was sure they were authentic."

He sighed.

"They are authentic. However they are not old enough for what you are looking for Miss Carnahan."

My shoulders slumped, before I looked up with very little hope in my eyes, "...and has anything come in that...?" He shook his head. I closed my eyes, my mind going through all the different digs I had been to in the last four years. I let out a long sigh and whispered, "3 more years, just 3 more years."

"Zora? 3 years, is that when…?" His voice trailed off as he watched as I stood up and looked back over to Ardeth.

"In 3 years Ardeth the time will come. I will try to minimize the damage as much as I can on my end, however, I would appreciate your cooperation and communication."

"The creature cannot rise."

"And yet he will. I know exactly what will happen if you go in guns blazing and many will die, too many will die."

His face was incredulous, his eyebrows were furrowed and I just knew his lips were pressed tightly under his face scarf.

I let out a long aggravated sigh. "I can see you don't believe me, but it goes like this. If I don't do anything: you attack a ship, guns blazing, your men get shot and innocent boat people get shot and no one that is actually going to Hamunaptra is shot. Then because everyone makes it there they start poking around so you issue a warning which is thundering their camp on horseback and guns, once again. Lots of diggers who are Egyptian natives just trying to get food on the table for their kids die, Medjai die and the dudes actually going into the tombs do they die nope. So they wake up 'Him' he does his angry stuff because once again more shooting from both sides Medjai and tomb invaders. He gets a horde of minions by mind control, once again innocents, who also die from said shooting…" By this point Ardeth's healthy tan is nearly gone and he's very pale. "Do you see the pattern here? Innocents die but the people who you are actually aiming for don't. On that note, the creature is not what he seems. I would know." I took a huge breath, "After all, I'm the only one who can truly stop him from causing any trouble, well..." Here I got a little nostalgic, I fidgeted as I could feel a small blush coming on "...trouble is subjective Imhotep was always a bit of sneaky mister smarty pants but I meant more of the world ending kind of trouble."

Ardeth fell back into a seat behind him, "You truly are her. The one in the stories, the Medjai murals, you are a legend. You are a myth from the time when Anubis's temple still stood." Before I could ask about the Medjai murals of me, he shook his head, "What do you plan on doing then if he awakens some will be sacrificed for him to live?"

I winced, "I was actually wondering if you have criminals or something…"

He stared with an intensity that made me wince.

Terence spoke up from behind, "Often when an expedition starts up they will ask for advice from the antiquities dealers of the best men to bring along. I could use some of my sources to make sure they suggest the ones who are most dangerous to our cause, it will be a risk however...This way it can lessen the likelihood of someone with a family to support will join the expedition."

An ugly feeling starting to worm its way in my stomach. Was all of it worth it? I felt immediately sick at that thought as I remembered Imhotep's determined look as he bent down to kiss me in my mind's eye. I remembered everything.

I mentally shook my head, this was the best way. Either way he was going to wake up and go after those who got the canopic jars, this way I could maybe limit who was hurt. My hands balled at my sides and for the rest of the other team I would just have to get to know them, my gut sunk further as I realized I would be deciding who lived or died. Beni had to go, I bit the inside of my lip. He was a danger to my family, to Rick, to the museum...to Imhotep and me. Somehow I would need to make sure he took a canopic jar.