Previously:

"Looks like we'll have to go with plan 'Shock and Awe', after all..." Bonnie sighed reluctantly with a heavy heart, picking up the rear. If she wanted to save Carol, and stop the war in its tracks, and hopefully prevent the Hittites from attempting to use her again in the future, then it was going to call for extreme measures to be taken. She would have to show them what happened when you messed with a 'goddess'. She would strike a fear into their hearts so powerful that they would never dare to threaten her cousin's life again.

Chapter 22: Shock and Awe

"So?" Izmir demanded sharply. "Did you find them?"

"Yes!" Kurush answered. "Well, we've found the daughter of the Nile, but the doctor is still..."

"She isn't a doctor. That was merely a ruse!" Izmir said sternly. Looking out over the wall from above, he could now see Carol running from his soldiers on the ground down below. The crease in his brow deepened as he watched. He found it suspicious that Bonnie wasn't with her. "Hmph! Close the city's gates… lure Carol to the square! Keep an eye out for the handmaiden! We need to capture her too!" There was no way he could allow someone so dangerous to roam the streets of the capital city unchecked.

"Yes, sir!" Kurush answered dutifully, despite the feelings of reluctance that kept creeping up on him at the thought of hurting the girl who had been such a kind doctor to them. He still found it hard to believe that same girl could be capable of doing so much harm. "I will catch and punish these girls personally!" Kurush said.

"How annoying..." Izmir said, turning away from the scene below, crossing his arms while he leaned on the crenelated wall to watch.

Mira gripped the column she was hiding behind for support. Watching her prince made her feel anxious. Despite his rough words and cold tone, he didn't seem reluctant at all. To her, even though he appeared stoic, he seemed almost excited. He was looking forward to seeing the daughter of the Nile again. Or was it the idea of hurting the doctor in retaliation for helping her that he was looking forward too? Both options made her uneasy.

'Doctor...' Mira thought anxiously, her concern growing as she recalled everything they had been through together before she revealed herself as Carol's ally. That kindness hadn't been a lie.

–∞–

"!" Bonnie winced at the sharp sting of the homemade skin-whitening solution she had whipped up entering the cut on her face. Well, that was to be expected with an acidic citrus fruit as one of the main ingredients. 'Come on, hurry up…!' she urged herself silently, feeling nervous alone in the abandoned building she had found during her rounds as a doctor. Since her plan involved a lot of pageantry, she had to look the part. Suddenly changing back from a dark-haired, dark-skinned girl to a pale redhead ought to jar her audience a little. She just hoped the extra concentrated bleach and stripping agents she was using on her skin and hair to pull this off in such a short time frame didn't end up destroying her skin and damaging her hair instead. A frizzy-haired girl with a rash wouldn't intimidate anyone. 'Come on!' she urged the questionable solution. Everyone was waiting on her. Saving Carol and ending the war hinged on her plan. "Come on!" she prayed anxiously, gritting her teeth as she began scrubbing it off. "Hold on, Carol!"

–∞–

"Huffff… so tired!" Carol gasped, huffing and puffing from having to outrun all of the men chasing her. "I hope Bonnie and Memphis have left safely..." She wiped some of the sweat from her brow without stopping. "To be sure… I must run a little more!" She could almost hear Bonnie's voice encouraging her to hold on and keep going. "To get the soldiers' attention..."

"Stop!" they shouted at her.

"Ahh!" Carol gasped, shielding her head as she ducked to avoid a couple of spears they hurled in her direction. "Ouch..."

"Catch her!"

'My feet hurt…' she thought, feeling discouraged. And then, she heard Bonnie's voice encourage her again, really heard it, as if she were running right next to her.

'Hold on, Carol!'

"A little more!" Carol said, pushing herself forward to climb a set of stairs that was in her path. "The more time they get, the better!" 'I just hope that Bonnie and Pharaoh Memphis will listen to me… and withdraw the troops to prevent the Egyptians' defeat. I hope he takes Bonnie to safety!' She was startled when another spear came flying past her from behind. It crashed into the paved path with a clang only a few inches away from her foot. Carol gasped for air, forcing herself to keep going despite the pain of her salty sweat stinging the wounds on her back and the stitch in her side. She had to keep going, no matter what!

"I told you to stop!" one of the soldiers wielding an axe shouted as he raised his weapon and hurled it at her.

SLASH!

Izmir watched calmly from a higher vantage point as Carol fell to the ground with a cry of pain when its blade sliced the side of her ankle.

But Carol quickly staggered back onto her feet, doing her best to ignore the new source of pain. She continued to limp away from her pursuers as quickly as she could with her injury, using a nearby wall for support. But it wasn't enough.

"Oh!" she gasped in dismay when she heard them drawing closer and saw they finally had her surrounded, leaving her nowhere to go. "I'm at a dead end!" She clung to the wall as they closed in to surround her completely with their spears raised threateningly. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut as she pressed herself closer to the wall when they thrust their deadly sharp blades forward. "..." she winced, keeping her eyes shut tight as one of them grazed her arm in a sharp slice of pain.

"Stand up!" a solider ordered her. Carol reluctantly did as she was told.

'Where are they taking me?' she wondered nervously, holding her injured arm. She could see an archway framed by small lions ahead. She glanced nervously at the glinting spearheads as they steered her through it. 'Ahh… my feet...' she thought, wincing at the pain caused by walking on her injured food. She was worried she might stumble and fall on it again. She was startled when the doors of the archway suddenly slammed shut behind her. "?" Carol gasped in alarm and confusion when she saw that her guards were no longer there. It seemed strange and unnerving to be shut into this new area without warning. While she was busy pushing against the doors that refused to open again, she failed to notice that someone was sneaking up on her with a whip in his hand. Carol suddenly had a bad feeling and turned around just in time to see Izmir swing the whip. "Ahh!" she gasped in fear, crying out in pain at the sharp crack of the whip wrapping itself around her body. It pulled her to the ground hard. "..." Carol could feel new tears forming, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. She furrowed her brow and gritted her teeth, trembling as she strained to push herself up, but she couldn't. Izmir pulled on the whip again to bring her up to a kneeling position. "Kill me!!" she shouted at him. Izmir's grip tightened on the whip's handle. "Kill me!" Carol said again, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. "Ahh… It hurts..."

"Stand up!" Izmir ordered her, making her look at him.

"..." Carol gazed up at him, exhausted and weary, gasping for breath. But there was still a small spark of determination left in her eyes.

"I won't let you die so easily!" Izmir told her with the ghost of a smirk.

'Prince Izmir...' Mira thought, anxious and hurt when she saw the look in his eyes from behind another column, paling a little in shock. She didn't want to believe it. 'It seems he has fallen in love with her. She has extraordinary fortitude… That resilience has made Izmir respect her...'

"Let me go!" Carol cried as the prince scooped her up in his arms. Mira squeezed her eyes shut and fled from the painful scene.

"Where is your handmaiden?" Izmir demanded firmly.

"Gone!" Carol retorted, anxious to protect her cousin.

"Gone where?" Izmir questioned, tightening his grip on her, squeezing her injured arm. "What is she up to now?"

"I don't know!" Carol cried, wincing at the pain. "I told her to escape without me, so she did!"

"Liar! That girl would walk through fire for you! There's no way she would suddenly abandon you without a fight! What is she planning?"

"Nothing! I'm telling you she's gone! Leave her alone!" Carol cried. "I won't let Bonnie be killed..."

"..." Izmir stared down at her as she fainted from the pain and exhaustion of the wound she received during her failed escape attempt. He didn't believe it for a second. Recalling everything Bonnie had put herself through to get back to Carol and rescue her, how she had run into a volley of spears for her sake, the refusal to show fear even with a knife held to her own throat or when strapped to the whipping post, the deep fear born out of love in her eyes when she saw Carol's life in danger. "She isn't that kind of woman." He knew, as far as that handmaiden was concerned, this was far from over.

–∞–

Meanwhile, Memphis and Unas very stealthily took out two palace guards to sneak in closer to the cells where they knew the captured Egyptian soldiers were being held. Memphis silently motioned for the rest of the men to follow him. There, they paused to assess their situation. They had reached an area using the corner radiating torches that Carol and Bonnie had warned them about. They would not be able to advance without losing the crucial element of surprise.

"There are too many guards!" Unas whispered. They were outnumbered, even more so than they would have been now that Memphis had lended a few men to Bonnie to assist her with her plan.

"Where is Bonnie's distraction?" Memphis muttered, frowning and furrowing his brow.

"What should we do? Can we attack now?" Unas asked quietly, also concerned.

"Stop, let's wait until they change shifts."

"Right!" Unas said.

"We'll give Bonnie until then to work her magic," Memphis decided. And it had better be worth it.

–∞–

"Okay… I think that's the last of it…!" Bonnie said to herself, very carefully handling the empty jar that had contained the volatile substance she had just finished applying to the cracks in the paving stones covering her designated area. The others on her team, who were covering different areas of the city, should be finished too, right about now. "I guess it's time to get this show on the road..." She pulled the wool blanket tighter around herself over her mended dress, making sure her head and face were still hidden in its shadow. She was actually amazed that she had been able to pull it off without attracting any attention with her suspicious activity, especially given that there was a war on. Or, perhaps that was why. The war had most of the Hittite soldiers drawn to the front lines of the war against the Egyptians. The remaining soldiers were spread along the outer perimeter, guarding the other gates to make sure the enemy didn't try to enter that way. So, the center of the city was left surprisingly open. Apart from the major temple she had just finished lacing with flammables near the queen's palace. That was still a hive of activity. The queen and the other priestesses and priests were busy praying for their country's victory in the war. It was risky, but her gamble had paid off. The royal guards that were rushing around looking for her still thought the person they wanted to find had tanned skin and dark hair, so one quick glimpse at her white hands made them eliminate her from their search without a second glance to check her face. She didn't know if it was luck or what, but for better or worse, it was showtime. Remaining carefully inconspicuous, while quietly blending in with the other servants tending to minor errands here and there, Bonnie distributed the accelerant and then went around to all of the main fires in the temples and discretely dropped in little satchels of herbs that were guaranteed to make a smoke that would send everyone in the room running for fresh air as soon as the fire ate through the cloth of the satchels. As soon as the last satchel was in place, she climbed her way onto the roof using a convenient ladder. She made it there just in time to hear the cries of surprise and disgust as the first of the herb bombs burst, and one temple room after another was emptied as all of their occupants came pouring out to escape from the nauseating fumes. Not even the inner courtyards were safe. In a matter of minutes, everyone inside was standing outside on the steps of the temple, gasping for fresh air and maybe slightly dizzy, but otherwise completely unharmed.

"Your majesty!" Bonnie called out to the queen, dropping her dark wool covering to reveal herself. The queen, Mira, and everyone else present gasped in astonishment as they stared up at her. There, standing on the roof and holding a torch, was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. Even in just a simple white Egyptian cotton dress, her pale skin glowed so radiantly white in the moonlight that it was like looking at the moon personified. Her long red hair shined like polished copper, catching the warm light of the temple fires that were still burning, and her deep blue eyes shined like beautiful orbs of polished lapis lazuli. She was so perfect, standing there, that they might have thought she was a statue carved from white marble if not for the small cut on her cheek. And her scar. Under the full moon and the firelight of the temple, these two distinguishing flaws were made very clear. Though confused by the sudden change in her appearance, it wasn't hard for the queen to figure out who she was.

"You!" she said, taken aback. "What are you doing here?!" She was shocked not only by her new hair and skin color, but by her bold and brash act of standing so out in the open, in the most visible spot in the citadel, when her son was searching for this girl with murder in his eyes.

"I came to talk, Your Highness," Bonnie answered, keeping her voice even and confident despite the nerves she felt. It was precisely because this place was so visible that she had picked it as her target. "I was hoping we could negotiate."

"Negotiate?" Mira asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Don't you know you're wanted for escaping capture?"

"Yes, that's why I'm here," Bonnie replied. "I want you to release Carol."

"And why should we do that?" the queen asked.

"Because this city will burn to the ground if you don't," Bonnie said gravely.

"You would do such a thing!?" Mira asked, shocked. "You're a doctor!"

"You'd be making an entire kingdom your enemy, if you did that!" the queen told Bonnie sternly. "Are you prepared for that!?"

"You're threatening Carol's life—there's nothing I wouldn't do!" Bonnie said seriously. "If it's to protect my family, be it a kingdom or the entire world... I would make anyone my enemy! That's how much they mean to me!! Am I prepared to make an enemy out of the kingdom? The real question is, are you prepared to make an enemy out of me?" She was so fierce that many people backed further away from her. Bonnie's expression softened a bit. She really didn't want to go through with her threat if it could be helped. "Please!" she implored the queen earnestly. "Let Carol go. We just want to go home!"

"How could I possibly let her go?" the queen said, furrowing her brow. "Not only is she our trump card against the Egyptians, but she knows who killed my daughter! My Mitamun! I can't forgive whoever took her from us!"

"I feel for you, your majesty," Bonnie stated solemnly. "I really do. But just because you lost a member of your family… doesn't mean I'm going to let you take what's left of mine." She held the torch out, ready to drop it. "Last chance. Give Carol back."

"You wouldn't..." the queen said, stunned that she would go so far.

"You were willing to start a war for your family," Bonnie said, "so why are you so surprised that I would be willing to end one for mine?"

"Guards!" someone screamed. "Guards! Stop her!" Bonnie dropped the torch, and the flammable liquid in the cracks of the stone floor ignited and spread across the entrance of the temple, traveling down the sides of the stairs. The queen and the others with her were framed by fire on both sides, but there was still a path open for them to escape. They quickly took it, some of them screaming and panicking. Their temple was going up in flames. None of them saw Bonnie escape around the back using some improvised climbing equipment. As they ran down the steps, they saw other places in the city simultaneously burst into flame. Those fires were lit by the men Memphis had lent Bonnie. By the time the people fleeing the temple reached the bottom and had turned around to look again, Bonnie was gone, mysteriously vanished.

–∞–

As this was happening, Carol was lying on a bed, her arms bound to her sides by a thick rope.

'It's almost morning!" Carol thought anxiously. 'I wonder if Memphis is withdrawing his troops?'

"..." Izmir, holding a goblet of wine, pulled back the sheer curtain surrounding the bed to look at her. He took a sip of wine. "Don't move!" he ordered her and grabbed her injured ankle.

"Ah!" Carol gasped, wincing hard at the pain as Izmir spat the wine onto her wound to disinfect it. "!" Carol gasped again when he wiped away the blood and wine with a clean cloth.

"Don't worry, the wound has been sterilized," Izmir told her. He reached up and removed his head covering. Carol was surprised. His hair was so long.

'I'd forgotten that the Hittites have a custom to let their hair grow...' she thought. 'In history class I remember us talking about it… the Hittites believe that their hair will protect them better from weapons...'

"Are you fully conscious?" Izmir asked. "I have a question… Why did you run down to that cave?"

"Oh..." Carol said, startled.

"Who showed you that hiding place?" Izmir asked. "I don't think it was your handmaiden."

'Hmm…! He's so astute!' Carol thought, paling. Izmir sipped his wine. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't pretend!" he said, coming so close that he was hovering over her. "Answer me!"

"I-I don't know!" Carol said anxiously. "I was running and fell down there by chance!"

"Hmm… so you think I'm that dumb?" Izmir said. "I'm sure there was someone who showed you the way! Who is he? Answer me! Did you know that the cave leads to the sea?"

"I didn't!" Carol insisted.

"You're lying! Someone meant to meet you there! Who was it? Tell me now!" Izmir demanded.

"I don't know!" Carol insisted. She nearly rolled off the bed, but he caught her. "Ahh!"

"Now!! Tell me!!" he ordered her. "Were they your Egyptian allies!? Are they still there? Are they plotting something with your handmaiden?"

"I don't know!" Carol said. Izmir glared at her so harshly, that she felt her life was in danger. She paled. "Kill me, then! I'm not telling you anything!"

"Alert!" Kurush shouted, drawing Izmir out into the hall.

"What is it?" the prince asked.

"Trouble!" Kurush answered. "My prince… last night the Egyptian warships took advantage of the dark and advanced close to our shore, my prince!"

"What?" Izmir said, startled. Carol managed to free herself and followed him out to look at the sea. "You good for nothings! Is this how you guard? Alert! Everyone into fighting position!"

"Egyptian soldiers are coming? Did Memphis change the plan?" Carol wondered, concerned.

"Alert!" they shouted on the ground below as the Hittite soldiers hurried to respond.

"Get into combat position!" one of the leaders shouted.

"Damn those Egyptians…" someone else said.

"How did they arrange troops so fast?" another asked.

"My order to all generals: attack now, and do not let them disembark!" Izmir aid gravely.

"Yes!" the soldiers said.

'Good!' Carol thought. 'This is my chance to flee!' Just as she was sneaking away, more bad news arrived.

"Alert! The queen's palace is burning!" someone shouted.

"Ah!" someone screamed.

"!" Carol exclaimed. "Egyptian soldiers burned the temple!! Perhaps Memphis did this!"

"Last night, those Egyptians secretly entered, released the prisoners, and the Nile daughter's handmaiden burned the temple!" Kurush relayed the report to Izmir. "The whole city is on fire! They say the more water they add, the hotter the fire burns! They don't know what to do!"

"!" Izmir gasped in alarm.

'What? That sounds like Greek fire!' Carol thought. 'I remember Bonnie told me about it before!'

"Damn it!" Izmir cursed. 'I get it!' he thought, furrowing his brow. 'Carol, she...'

"Haha! The situation has turned!" Carol laughed, running away.

"Where are you going?" Izmir said, drawing the dagger at his waist. He threw it Carol, and it pierced the back of her shoulder. Carol cried out as she fell to her knees.

'I'm going to die!' she thought, trembling and gripping her arm.

"I knew it… last night it was you and your handmaiden who brought the Egyptians here…!" Izmir said. "I made a mistake to let my guard down."

'Ah… I'm glad that Memphis is still alive… and Bonnie is safe with him… Egypt has been saved...' Carol thought weakly.

–∞–

Bonnie had regrouped with the men Memphis lent her and they were running to meet up with the rest of the invasion force.

'Bonnie! Bonnie!'

Bonnie thought she heard Carol calling her. She looked around but didn't see her.

"Carol?" she called. "Carol!" Bonnie gritted her teeth. Carol sounded like she was in danger. "Hold on, Carol!" Bonnie ran faster.

–∞–

"Attacking from the inside and outside! Exactly according to my plan!" Memphis said, gripping his sword tight. He was fighting alongside Unas and the rest of his men and the rescued prisoners. "Very good! General Minue has carried out the combined operations on time!"

'Memphis! Memphis!'

Memphis thought he heard Carol calling him.

"?" Memphis said. 'Carol is calling me!' he thought. "Perhaps Carol is in danger…!" The thought of Carol coming to harm was too much for him. "Carol! Where are you!?" he yelled, running to find her.

–∞–

"You will pay dearly for what you did last night," Izmir told Carol, standing over her with a sword in his hand.

"..." Carol was lying on the ground, feeling weak with pain. "Bonnie… Goodbye, Bonnie! Memphis… Goodbye, Memphis! Goodbye Egypt…!" she cried, terrified. It looked like this would be the end for her.

"Because of you, all my plans went wrong," Izmir told her angrily. "I must kill you to assuage my anger!"

"Kill me!" Carol cried.

"Trouble, my prince!" Kurush said urgently. "My prince, please run! Egyptian soldiers have landed, this fight is over!" Izmir reached down and grabbed Carol's uninjured arm, making her look at his fierce face.

"Kill me!" Carol cried. "I can die happily knowing Egypt has been saved! It was wrong of you to start this war! If it wasn't for me, this bloody war wouldn't have taken place!"

"You destroyed all of my plans!" Izmir said.

"It's you who ruined yourself!" Carol said. "It's your ambition of getting stronger that led you to this situation!" 'How fortunate… even after the war, history didn't change… Egypt still stands erect!' "I'm proud for being… able to do what I needed to. Everything that belongs to history, must stay in history!"

'You accept this death?' Izmir thought. "Carol, you really are stupid!"

"That's right! Kill me. Don't hesitate any longer!" she told him. "… If doing that will calm your fury..."

–∞–

"Carol! Where are you!?" Memphis called. "Unas, come with me to the palace to find her, hurry!" Together, they dashed toward the palace, rushing over to a group of Hittite soldiers. "Hurry! I have a feeling she's in danger!"

"Ahh!" a Hittite soldier gasped.

"Stop!" another yelled.

"Get out of my way, you vermin!" Memphis said, anxious to get to Carol.

"Your Highness, be careful!" Unas called as Memphis ducked the swing of an axe. Memphis retaliated with his sword.

"Ahh!" the Hittite soldier cried as he was stabbed.

"This way!" Memphis said, leading the way. "Carol! Where are you?" They searched everywhere they could find, fighting the enemy soldiers they encountered as went. "Are there any other places that look suspicious?"

"There's one, let's try that place!" Unas said.

"Let's go!" Memphis said. "Hurry! I'm burning with anxiety!!"

–∞–

"Prince! My prince, please escape!" Kurush urged Izmir.

"This place is not safe!" another Hittite soldier agreed.

"The Egyptians have appeared everywhere, and the city is burning!" another soldier added. "My prince, please come with us and leave this place… before it's too late!" Izmir looked out at the raging battle and saw flaming arrows flying through the air. The Egyptian ships were upon them. Several had already landed. He could hear the Egyptians cheering.

"Attack!"

"The Hittite capital is burning!"

"Hooray!"

"Long live Pharaoh Memphis!"

"Egypt is the victor!"

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

"Let no one escape!"

'I've lost!!' Izmit thought, squeezing his eyes shut.

"My prince, please run away right now!" a Hittite soldier urged him. "Don't falter any longer!"

"Egypt has won! Thank goodness!" Carol said. Izmir glared at her.

"My prince, please be quick!" Kurush said.

'His eyes are so frightening!' Carol thought, gazing up at the furious prince. 'Damn it… now that Egypt's won, I don't want to die any longer!' She turned pale and winced at the pain from the wound in her shoulder.

"It's Carol!" one of the rescued Egyptian POWs exclaimed when he saw her.

"!" the others with him gasped. They saw Izmir pick Carol up and sling her over his shoulder with one hand while the other clutched his sword.

"Let me go!" Carol cried. "Memphis, help me!!"

"I won't kill you yet!" Izmir told her. "You are my trump card with those Egyptians!"

"Hurry my prince!" Kurush said.

"Ah!! Help me!!" Carol yelled.

"Oh God! He's got Carol!" an Egyptian soldier shouted. "We have to go after him!"

"?" Seichi said. "Carol! Stop—"

"Let Carol go!" Bonnie commanded firmly, standing on top of a nearby wall. Izmir looked up at her. Her red hair danced in the breeze around her, glowing and flickering like the flames devouring their city as she glared fiercely down at him, holding a sword. She was terrifying and bewitching. She was the fire. Mutallu was staring up at her, too.

"We..." the diviner said warily, watching the fearsome and devastatingly beautiful redhead with shock and awe. "We chose wrong..." They never should have angered her. They should have simply done as she asked. They never stood a chance. "By incurring her wrath… we have destroyed ourselves!"

"It's the Daughter of the Nile's handmaiden!" the Egyptians said.

"Bonnie!!" Izmir said, glaring back at her. "This was your doing!"

"You bet it was!" Bonnie said, leaping down. She landed in front of him. "Let Carol go!"

"Bonnie!" Carol exclaimed. "Be careful, Bonnie!!" Bonnie stood her ground, blocking Izmir's escape.

"You really want to die, don't you?" Izmir asked her.

"I have no intention of doing that!" Bonnie said, and she charged at him with her sword. She deflected his blade and slammed herself into him, forcing him to drop Carol. Izmir tried to stab her, but she twisted around and blocked his sword with hers. Izmir tried to grab her, but she danced out of his reach.

"You…!!" Izmir said angrily, gritting his teeth.

"Get up, Carol!" Bonnie said, standing protectively in front of her. "We're leaving!" She had managed to catch Izmir off guard, but she doubted she had the skill to defeat him in a prolonged fight.

"No you aren't!" Izmir said, and several Hittite soldiers came forward to surround them.

"Bonnie!" Carol cried. Seichi and the other Egyptian soldiers engaged the Hittite soldiers around them in battle.

"I hear Carol's voice!" Memphis said, not too far away. "That's right!"

"!" Unas said.

"Hurry, this way!" Memphis said, leading the way to her. "This way!! Let's go!" He, Unas, and the others with them arrived to see Bonnie standing between Izmir and Carol. "Carol! I'm here, you don't have to be afraid any longer!"

"Memphis! You came at just the right time," Izmir said.

"What, I'm not enough for you?" Bonnie said sarcastically. She stood her ground while Memphis kneeled down to check on Carol.

"You're injured!?" he said, paling with shock.

"Are… you all right, Memphis…?" Carol asked. She let him hold her close. "I was so worried!" She had tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry, Carol…!" Memphis said, clinging to her. "Izmir… you're worthy of only death!" He let go of Carol and stood up to face the Hittite prince. He stepped in front of Bonnie, who traded places with him to kneel down and check on Carol. "You've infringed the peace treaty between the two countries, kidnapped Carol and brought her to Hittite… and even schemed to annex my Egypt..."

"Everything that has happened was your fault… Who told you to kill my sister, Princess Mitamun?" Izmir said fiercely.

"Slander! I know nothing of your sister's death!" Memphis said, crossing swords with him.

"You still deny it, Memphis?" Izmir said incredulously. "My sister died in the Egyptian palace! You're the pharaoh and you know nothing of it occurring? Don't give me that!"

"I swear it is the truth!" Memphis said.

"I will never believe you! You will pay for my sister's life!" Izmir yelled.

"Hang on, Carol!" Bonnie said, examining her wound. Her expression became grave. The wound was deep, and Carol was losing blood. "I'm sure it hurts a lot, but keep pressure on it!"

"Am I going to die!?" Carol asked anxiously.

"Not today!" Bonnie answered with determination.

"Carol! Bonnie!" General Minue said, coming over to them. They were startled when flaming rocks rained down around them. Bonnie realized they were pieces of the wall of the main palace. The fire had spread.

"Not bad, Izmir!" Memphis said when Izmir sliced his cheek, too focused on his fight to notice.

"Alert!! The capital is about to collapse!" Hittite soldiers began to shout. "Run away! It's about to crumble!"

"You're good Memphis!" Izmir said, also too involved in their fight to care. People began to scream and yell as they continued to cross swords.

"Ahh!"

"Ah!"

"The column collapsed!"

"Leave this place! Run!"

"It's too dangerous!"

The wall crumbled. The flames spread.

"Oh…! My prince!!" Kurush shouted, trying to get his attention, but Izmir and Memphis continued to fight as if nothing else mattered.

"They're too busy fighting!" Carol said, worried. "They don't know anything! Ah!" she gasped and held her shoulder.

"?" Izmir and Memphis said when some rocks fell among them, and they finally noticed the chaos surrounding them.

"Enough!" Bonnie shouted at them, and the ground shook, making the walls crumble faster.

"Ahh! Run, quick!" someone shouted. "It's an earthquake!"

"Hmm… It seems the gods don't want me to kill you today… for another time, then!" Izmir said, glaring at Memphis through the falling chunks of wall.

"Wait, Izmir…!" Memphis said.