Disclaimer:Just as before.
Authors note:Um, I had this checked by a friend whose name is Evelyn, and she changed all the "Evy"s to "Evie"s.
So, if you see both spellings in this chapter...thays why. This part is silly...so enjoy it.
Emily walked into the large back yard. It was really a large garden. She followed a path until she came to a large clearing in the middle of it. 5 paths all came to this large spot. She stood there, a light breeze flowing around her. She breathed in the perfumed air. She instantly liked this very spot. She seemed at ease here, it was calm and peaceful here.
She couldn't see the figure coming up from behind her. But she felt that it was a large man, ready to attack her. When she felt the hand reach for her shoulder, she didn't look, but in one movement, she grabbed the hand, bent over, and flipped the large being over her shoulder, letting him land in a heap at her feet.
"Ardeth?" she said, recognizing the man who lay at her feet. He groined slightly, and looked at her. I must have 75 or more pounds on her, how the hell did she just do that? He thought, staring up at the woman. A few wisps of her hair hung loose, her olive green eyes looked at him, concerned and soft. She looked very simple, but beautiful. He smiled up at her, and it made her laugh. She walked around and held out a hand, helping the man to his feet.
"Well," he said, wiping the dust off his robes. "It seems that you can tell when someone is sneaking up on you."
She smiled. "Yeah, I can. If I were you, I wouldn't want to do that again. I usually go for the crotch."
He winced as he remembered the way she dropkicked one of the attackers right in that special spot. He looked over and saw Ahmad and 2 other warriors walking towards them, carrying 5 sword shaped sticks. Each one of them had a colored cloth wrapped around the "blade". Ahmad handed Ardeth one with a green cloth, and handed Emily a red one. He took a blue one out of a warrior's hand. One warrior held a yellow one; the other had an orange one. Emily held the "sword", it was the weight of one, and she looked closely at the cloth, realizing it was red chalk on in. she looked over at Ardeth puzzled.
"These are what we use when we teach the young warriors in my tribe. They are, as you can see, the exact shape and weight of a normal sword. The chalk is to tell when someone is struck. If you can see, at the tip, there is a small amount of pant, to tell where you have been 'stabbed'."
Emily nodded. "I want the green." She said. Looking at him. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and switched the "swords". She looked at it, then at him, smiling. "It is my favorite color." She said softly. Ardeth shook his head, and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes." She said.
"Then I will give you a 20 second head start, run!"
She took off down a path, then turned and ran into the garden, careful not to harm the flowers and plants. She found a large tree, and hid behind it, listening carefully, she heard Ardeth tell his men to show no mercy towards her, and then he yelled out a battle cry. She heard him coming closer to her, she ran to the side, seeing his large figure through the plants. She stepped over the flowers carefully, wondering for a second if they were doing the same thing. Although it was a delayed reaction, she dropped to the ground right as a yellow "sword" swung where her head would have been. She rolled onto her back and kicked the warrior in the stomach; it sent him flying into a bush, making more noise then she hoped it would. She jumped up and ran towards the man, her weapon held high, he shoved his own weapon up just in time, to save himself from being "cut" by Emily. She gritted her teeth and kneed the guy, as he doubled over, she swung her "sword" across his back, leaving a large green line on his black robes. This did not stop him, he quickly stood up and kicked her feet out from under her, she landed on her back, looked up, and rolled over, nearly missing the blue "sword" that came down at her, on her back, she grabbed one of Ahmads ankles and pulled up, causing him to fall. She rolled over and stood up, ready to bring her "sword" down through his chest. She felt another "sword" come down on top of hers. She threw her head back, but it did not hit anything. She only saw a red "sword" come down, leaving a thin red line on her shoulder. She twisted around and kicked Ardeth in the stomach, jabbing her "sword" towards him. He jumped out of the way, and swung his own at her, she ducked just in time. She heard 2 come at her from behind, and she took off sideways, running through a makeshift path. She found another large tree and climbed up it, hiding amongst the branches and leaves. She heard Ardeth say something to his men, and then heard as he made his way after her.
She is a good fighter. He thought as he came up on a large tree. He didn't see the figure drop from the tree and land on top of him, knocking him to the ground. He quickly threw her off of him. They both stood and cycled each other. She gave him a crocked smile and he lunged at her, their "swords" clashing together. He tried to trip her, but as she fell beck she regained herself, coming face to face with Ahmad and the 2 other warriors. 4 to 1, she thought, not good odds. She never paid attention to the odds. She ducked as a yellow "sword" came at her, and jumped back as a blue one came towards her. She dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, missing ardeth's red "sword". She stood up and kicked the orange "sword" out of the warrior's hands. She jumped up, grabbed it, and threw it at the yellow warriors chest, the "blade" landed against his chest, right where his heart would be, and left a bright, orange line. They all looked at it for a second and Ardeth nodded his head towards the man he was out. The man scampered up the tree, wanting to watch the rest of the battle.
The battle went on, and in one quick move, Ardeth had managed to knock Emily's "sword" out of her hands, and it flew through the air, landing right next to the orange "sword", both she and the orange warrior made a dash for the weapons, but she was a second slow and he got to both of them, picking them up and pointing them at her. She smiled, turned, and kicked the blue "sword" out of Ahmad's hands. She punched him in the stomach, and tried to "stab" him, but he threw himself out of the way, he ran and jabbed her green "sword" out of the warriors hand and went after Emily, swinging the "sword" at her, she tried to knee him, but it didn't work, so she swung her "sword" at him, leaving a nasty blue line across his chest. It was not that bright, so it was not deep, but it took his mind off the battle for a split second, and she swung her "sword" again, leaving a brighter line across his arm. He countered, and left his own green mark across her side. She jumped back and saw Ardeth coming at her from the side. She brought her leg up high and kicked Ahmad in the chest; he slammed back into the orange warrior. She turned her attention to Ardeth, he swiped at her and left another red mark across her wrist, it stung like hell, but she didn't let it stop her, they both blocked each others blows until the orange warrior came up from behind. In a split second, she made the choice and slammed her elbow into his stomach, and swung her arm up, punching him in the face. In doing so, Ardeth took his chance and brought the red sword across Emily's chest, leaving his red mark. She knew this would slow her down, but not by much. The "sword" switched hands and she brought it behind her, jabbing the tip right into the orange warrior's body, taking him out. He to climbed up the tree. The "sword" was knocked out of her hands from behind, and as she turned, she had to duck. Ahmad swung his "sword" at her neck. She rolled to the side and stood up. Realizing that she had no weapon. She saw one, right between and back from the 2 men. She took her chances and ran for it, missing both "swords" that came at her, she kicked the ground by the yellow "sword", and it flew up. She grabbed it, turned, and brought the tip right into Ardeth's stomach area. He stopped, looked down, and then looked at her. He fell to his knees. It was a damaging wound. Ahmad looked stunned, and let his guard down for a second. She used this and brought her "sword" across his neck, leaving a bright yellow line across his throat. He stumbled back, and dropped to his knees, his eyes wide. She stood triumphant. Her "sword" hand dropped to her side and her chest heaved up and down. She had beaten them. As the thought ran through her mind, she felt a sharp jab right into her lower back. It hurt like hell, and she turned around, staring wide-eyed at Ardeth, who was standing, holding his red "sword".
Her hand reached around to her back and she felt the wet paint. Bringing the hand around, she saw the red on her fingertips. She looked at him, shook her head and smiled. Then burst out into laughter. She fell to the ground and rolled up into a ball, her laughter filling the air. All 4 men came towards her, standing around her as they watched her laugh. And they started to laugh. Emily rolled out onto her back and looked up, her laughs turned into a chuckle, and she wiped a tear away from her eye. Ardeth held out a hand, and she took it. He pulled her up gently, and put his arm around her shoulder. Pulling her close to him.
"You, Miss Emily Kilgore, are one hell of a fighter."
"Thank you." She said, in between gasps of air. She looked around, and realized that they were in another small opening. Thank god. She thought. Evywould have killed us if we trampled her flowers.
"Come, "Ardeth said, "We will rest, and I will give you some tips."
With his arm still around his shoulder, they walked to the main clearing. There, they all sat in the shade. And talked of the battle. For the most part, Emily got good reviews. But it was Ardeth Bay himself, who told her she had to be more alert.
"Don't think, that just because you have wounded an attacker, that they can't still kill you. A wound to the chest or surrounding areas is damaging. They will take the person down. But they can still work up enough strength to wound or kill you." She nodded softly.
The rest of the day was spent with the warriors teaching Emily different techniques. Ahmad showed her different ways to use daggers and smaller swords. The orange and yellow warriors, Hajeb and Sabi taught her different punches and kicks. And finally, Ardeth showed her some new moves with a sword. At the end of it all, she was grateful they had taken the time to show her these things. But couldn't help but feel that they had gone easy on her during the first battle. It was around 4 o'clock when they went back into the house. Tired, thirsty, and sore. As they stood around the kitchen, downing glasses of cold water, Emily looked at her outfit, and at the warrior's outfit. They were covered in dirt and chalk marks.
"Is this going to come out?" she said, pointing to a large red line across her chest.
"It should." Ardeth said. "But only if you wash it right away."
She sighed and sat down her empty glass. "Very well then, I'm going to change, shower, and take a nap. I thank you for you time, gentlemen, excuse me."
They all watched her as she walked out the room
After a quick shower, Emily never felt better. She sighed as she stretched, her body hating her for what she put it through. She changed into a light, thin, simple, dark purple dress. She brushed her hair and looked at herself in a mirror. Her hair fell into curls around her head. She looked at a scratch on her shoulder, and wondered when it had happened. She and the rest of them would be pretty bruised after today. But she felt it was well worth it. She yawned and climbed onto the bed, she was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.
It was close to 7 o'clock that evening when one of the Med-jai posted around the O'Connell's property shouted that a car had pulled up to the outside gate. The gate opened and the taxi drove up the drive.
"Evy," Rick O'Connell said, as he opened the door and stepped out. "Is there any reason why there are Med-jai warriors posted around our house?"
"I don't know Rick, but I have a feeling this is not going to be the quiet vacation we had wished for." She smiled as she took the hand O'Connell held out for her. As she got out of the car her husband said, "Is it ever when we come down here?"
O'Connell went around to the back of the Taxi and opened the trunk. The driver had gotten out as well and started to help him unload their luggage. Evy, mean while helped Alex out of the car. Jonathan followed him closely.
"Happy to be here Alex?" his mum asked.
"Oh yes!" the 10 year old said brightly, "What a relief to get out of London!"
she smiled and looked over her shoulder. She saw a familiar figure walking towards him.
"Many happy hello's." she heard Ardeth Bay say as she walked towards him. Dressed in his formal Mad-jai robes, with silver lining. They hugged and Evy said back, "Many happy hello's to you as well."
They walked over to Rick, to help him with the luggage. Jonathan took the Med-jai's hand and shook it. "Hello ol'boy!" he said happily.
"Hello Jonathan." Ardeth replied as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
He was just about to reach out his hand to Rick, when he felt something hit him, and wrap itself around his mid-section. Looking down, he saw young Alex O'Connell smiling up at him. He laughed and picked the boy up, holding Alex at eye level, his little feet hanging about 3 feet from the ground.
"HI!" the boy said happily.
"HI!" Ardeth said back. "You like the weather up here?"
Alex giggled as Ardeth sat him on top the taxi. "I like it a lot."
Again, Ardeth turned to Rick. "Need any help, old friend?" he said, a white smile in a dark beard.
"You know how Evy packs" he grunted as he pulled out a large suitcase. "Of course I need help." Ardeth couldn't help but laugh as he bent down and picked up 3 suitcases. It never failed to amuse him at the way Evy packed. They would be here for 4 weeks, and she had packed like they were moving here. Every one helped with bringing in the many suitcases. Everyone was in good spirits, but Ardeth couldn't help but see the looks of concern passed between Rick and his wife as they passed the Med-jai guarding the door.
They all set the luggage down, picked out their own pieces. Jonathan and Alex both had only 2 suitcases with them, Rick had 4, and Evy had 6. This made Ardeth giggle some more. He watched as Alex and Jonathan raced up the stairs to their rooms. Then he heard Evy breathe in deeply, and then sigh with content.
"I am so happy to be here. In the sun…in the warmth of Egypt." She said, a smile across her face.
"Ardeth, old friend," Rick said, "I have always trusted you, with my life, with the life of my family. Even with the life of my slimy brother-in-law." Evy kicked him lightly as he said this. "I know your judgment is sound and solid. And you would never really do anything to place my family in harm, right?"
"That is right."
"So, will you please explain to me why there are Med-jai warriors with guns all around my house and property!"
Ardeth sighed and told them the story. Rescuing the girl, the Mystics, the Fajarah, the dream, how she was a reincarnated Mystic, the Djinn, right down to how well she fought, and even the spell only working with her blood. When he finally stopped, Evy was staring at him with wide eyes, and Rick threw his hands up and said, "Why can't we come down here and have a normal Vacation?"
"I do not know, my friend, but I had no where else to take her. She needed some medical attention, and this was the only place I knew to take her where they wouldn't look. I am sorry that this has put a minor dent in your plans, but I did not know what else to do."
Rick looked at him softly, grinned, and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. "Any friend of yours, is a friend of ours, and is welcome in our home."
Ardeth's face lit up. "Thank you friend."
"You say she is in the guestroom?"
"Yes."
"Well, I hate to have to go in there, but that is where I plan on keeping the weapons." He indicated a large bag. "I don't want Alex OR Jonathan finding them."
"Oh honey, you can put them in there later…MARIA!" Evy turned her attention the small house sitter as she poked her head out from the kitchen door, down the hall.
"Dinner…ready…5 minute." She said, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
"Well," Rick said, "I guess I can take them in now and wake our guest." He picked up the heavy bag and started to take it down the hall.
"Wait…" Ardeth protested, knowing Emily would not like the stranger in her room.
"It will be fine!" Rick called back "Go get my kids ready for dinner!"
Ardeth sighed as he started to climb the stairs, calling Alex and Jonathan's names.
Emily woke to a strange sound in her room. She opened her eyes and saw a strange man standing in the closet. The only light was coming from the light bulb in the closet. He looked tall, taller then Ardeth. She thought about yelling for him, but decided against it. She would take him out on her own. She reached over to the table and grabbed her empty water glass, and just as she was about to throw it at his head, he turned around and looked at her.
"OH! Hello." He said, his voice soft but firm.
American. She thought,
"You must be Emily…"
"And you are?" she said, coldly, glass held high, ready to throw it at the man at any second.
"I hope you weren't sleeping to well, but diner will be ready soon."
"AND YOU ARE?!" she said again, even colder. But the man just smiled and laughed. He nodded his head towards the picture frame on the table.
"I am Rick O'Connell, and you are in my guest bed." She made an uneasy glance towards the picture, in the dark of the room, she could barley make out the face. Then light flooded the room. She looked at the man. And he had his hand on a switch by the closet door. She looked the picture and saw that it was indeed the same person. She lowered her glass.
"OH! Mr. O'Connell! I am soo sorry…I didn't know…"
"Its ok, Emily, Ardeth told me about you…I understand completely."
All she could do is stare at him, wide eyed.
"Believe me, its ok. Come, diner will be in a few minutes….you can meet the rest of my family."
"Um…thank you. I will. Give me a few…"
He smiled at her. Dashing. She thought. He had dirty blond hair and blue eyes and a bright white smile. He was a very handsome man. But she would still pick Ardeth over him, any day.
"Join us when you will." He said, closing the closet door. "I know my wife really wants to meet you." He crossed the room and left.
She swung her legs off her bed and stood up, becoming a little dizzy as she did. She regained herself and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. She leaned over and took the picture frame studying the picture closely. It was the same man, but older. He had about 2 inches on Ardeth, and a good 6 inches or so on the other man in the picture. The woman was about the same height as her brother. They all seemed so close. God only knows what they went through together. What did he mean by the undead kicking their butts? She thought. She sighed and fought with herself about joining them. She would just be the odd man out. She hated that. But she had a feeling that Ardeth would be there, to help her along. They did seem like nice people. But it still doesn't help when you threaten the man of the house. She thought. She sighed and finally decided to join them. If nothing else, she could spend some time with Ardeth.
Emily stood outside the door to the dining room. She could hear them giggling and talking. They were very close. She poked her head around. the woman was sitting at the head of the table, on one side was a little boy and Ardeth. On the other side were Rick and the other man from the picture. The other head of the table was empty, but a plate was set, and there was food on it, with wine in the glass next to the plate. She watched them for a minute, and then adjusted her weight. The floor creaked, and it caused everyone to look up at her. she felt her self blush. She felt now she had no choice and stepped into the room. Every one stood as she crossed to the table.
"Hello!" the woman said, "I am Evelyn O'Connell. You must be Emily."
Emily smiled and nodded. "Nice to finally meet you." She said.
"Like wise." Evelyn said. She indicated her son, "This is Alex, my son. I believe you know Ardeth, this is Jonathan, my brother, and Rick, My husband."
"We've met." Rick said softly.
Emily smiled and said her "Hello's" and then sat down. After she did, so did everyone else. They all looked her over, and she felt her face turning bright red. There was a strange silence.
"WELL!" Evy said, trying to start a conversation, "Why are you in Egypt, Emily?"
"My grandfather was born and raised here. He taught me all about it. And when I had the chance to come here, I couldn't pass it up."
Ardeth turned to her. "Is he who taught you Arabic?"
"Yes, he was."
Alex attention piqued up. "Mum taught me some Arabic!"
"Really?"
"YEAH! And she taught me to read, write, and speak Egyptian!"
"How wonderful! My grandfather taught me a little Egyptian. Just enough to get by when needed."
And so it went. The conversations started again, and Emily told everyone about herself. And listened with joy to the stories they had to tell her. And before anyone knew it, they had been sitting at the diner table for 2 hours, laughing, talking, and enjoying the company of their new friend.
"Come Emily," Evy said, grabbing her hand, "Lets go to the balcony!"
"Balcony? Um…ok…" Evy grabbed the wineglasses and pulled her up stairs. To the end of the hall, and opened the door to a small room. It was a tiny library, quite like the larger one they had down stairs, tucked in at the side was 2 large French doors that led to a large balcony. Emily had not seen it from outside, nor did Ardeth show it to her when he gave her the tour. On it was a few chairs and a large padded bench. They sat in the chairs, and put the wineglasses on a small table in between them.
"Oh Emily," Evy said with a sigh. "I am so happy to be back here."
"How long has it been?"
"About a year. But the last time we came down, it was only for a short while. About 2 weeks. I had to pick up something's for the British Museum."
"You work for them?"
"Yes, I am one of the Curators."
"That's really neat."
"Yes, its close to home and Alex's school. So he is always there with me." she sighed happily.
"You have a wonderful family, you all seem very close."
"Thank you, and we are. God knows we have been through a lot together."
"Ardeth mentioned something about seeing something come back from the after life and you all took a beating from it…what did he mean by that?"
Evy laughed and said, "If by something, he means a 3000 year old mummy."
Emily was just about to ask what she meant, when Rick and Jonathan walked out to join them. Followed by Ardeth and Alex. Jonathan and Alex took the padded bench, and Rick sat in the only other chair. Leaving Ardeth to stand. But he didn't seem to mind it. He walked around the balcony, looking over the edge for any sign of danger. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he walked over to Emily and leaned against the wall by her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"Fine."
"You sore?"
"Oh god yes."
The both looked over and saw that everyone was staring at them, a puzzled look on their faces.
"Ardeth taught me some battle moves today, it was quite a workout." Emily said quickly.
"I bet it was." Jonathan said softly. Causing him to get a look of death from both Ardeth and Emily. But they all laughed at it. Rick stood and crossed into the house, he turned on a radio that was next to door. He came back out and held out his hand for Evy, pulling her up into his arms. They danced softly, talking about how nice it was to be there. Jonathan and Alex both rolled their eyes and started to talk about something. Ardeth sat in the chair next to Emily, smiling as he did so. She smiled back at him and tipped her head up, starring at the vast night sky that was above them. The night was warm, and a soft breeze blew around them. Ardeth to stared up at the sky. Thinking about the O'Connell's and Emily. He looked over at her, and she looked beautiful bathed in the soft light of the almost full moon. He couldn't help but find her attractive, and had a feeling she felt the same way towards him. So he stood up and held out his hand to her. She gave him a puzzled look, but took his hand. Letting him pull her into his arms.
"Dance?" he asked softly.
"Love to." She said back, swaying back and forth with him. They were silent for a while, not noticing the looks they were getting from the rest of the small group. After the song ended, Rick turned to them and said, "May I?"
Emily looked at Evy who was smiling, so they switched partners. Emily felt strange about dancing with the married Rick, but she looked over at Evy and Ardeth, who were talking and laughing. So she didn't feel that bad.
"Where you from?" she heard Rick ask.
"Excuse me?"
"What state, where are you from."
"OH! New York. But I moved to Arizona when I was...god...7. I lived there, until I came here." She paused for a second. "What about you?"
"As far as I know, California. But I grew up in many different Cairo orphanages."
"Oh." She fell silent again.
"How'd you get this scar?" he said, indicating her hand.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Ardeth told you about my dream?" Rick nodded. "It happened sometime during my dream. Woke up and I had it. It's the strangest thing that has ever happened to me."
"Well," Rick laughed, "Stick with us and you might just see a bunch of mummies get up and walk around, lord knows it happens just about every time we come here."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she said, catching him a little off guard. "You, Evy, Ardeth, you all have said something about the dead coming after you. WHY?"
The song ended, and Rick led her back to her chair. Evy and Ardeth were close behind him.
"You will find out someday." Rick said with a laugh.
Authors note:Um, I had this checked by a friend whose name is Evelyn, and she changed all the "Evy"s to "Evie"s.
So, if you see both spellings in this chapter...thays why. This part is silly...so enjoy it.
Emily walked into the large back yard. It was really a large garden. She followed a path until she came to a large clearing in the middle of it. 5 paths all came to this large spot. She stood there, a light breeze flowing around her. She breathed in the perfumed air. She instantly liked this very spot. She seemed at ease here, it was calm and peaceful here.
She couldn't see the figure coming up from behind her. But she felt that it was a large man, ready to attack her. When she felt the hand reach for her shoulder, she didn't look, but in one movement, she grabbed the hand, bent over, and flipped the large being over her shoulder, letting him land in a heap at her feet.
"Ardeth?" she said, recognizing the man who lay at her feet. He groined slightly, and looked at her. I must have 75 or more pounds on her, how the hell did she just do that? He thought, staring up at the woman. A few wisps of her hair hung loose, her olive green eyes looked at him, concerned and soft. She looked very simple, but beautiful. He smiled up at her, and it made her laugh. She walked around and held out a hand, helping the man to his feet.
"Well," he said, wiping the dust off his robes. "It seems that you can tell when someone is sneaking up on you."
She smiled. "Yeah, I can. If I were you, I wouldn't want to do that again. I usually go for the crotch."
He winced as he remembered the way she dropkicked one of the attackers right in that special spot. He looked over and saw Ahmad and 2 other warriors walking towards them, carrying 5 sword shaped sticks. Each one of them had a colored cloth wrapped around the "blade". Ahmad handed Ardeth one with a green cloth, and handed Emily a red one. He took a blue one out of a warrior's hand. One warrior held a yellow one; the other had an orange one. Emily held the "sword", it was the weight of one, and she looked closely at the cloth, realizing it was red chalk on in. she looked over at Ardeth puzzled.
"These are what we use when we teach the young warriors in my tribe. They are, as you can see, the exact shape and weight of a normal sword. The chalk is to tell when someone is struck. If you can see, at the tip, there is a small amount of pant, to tell where you have been 'stabbed'."
Emily nodded. "I want the green." She said. Looking at him. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and switched the "swords". She looked at it, then at him, smiling. "It is my favorite color." She said softly. Ardeth shook his head, and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes." She said.
"Then I will give you a 20 second head start, run!"
She took off down a path, then turned and ran into the garden, careful not to harm the flowers and plants. She found a large tree, and hid behind it, listening carefully, she heard Ardeth tell his men to show no mercy towards her, and then he yelled out a battle cry. She heard him coming closer to her, she ran to the side, seeing his large figure through the plants. She stepped over the flowers carefully, wondering for a second if they were doing the same thing. Although it was a delayed reaction, she dropped to the ground right as a yellow "sword" swung where her head would have been. She rolled onto her back and kicked the warrior in the stomach; it sent him flying into a bush, making more noise then she hoped it would. She jumped up and ran towards the man, her weapon held high, he shoved his own weapon up just in time, to save himself from being "cut" by Emily. She gritted her teeth and kneed the guy, as he doubled over, she swung her "sword" across his back, leaving a large green line on his black robes. This did not stop him, he quickly stood up and kicked her feet out from under her, she landed on her back, looked up, and rolled over, nearly missing the blue "sword" that came down at her, on her back, she grabbed one of Ahmads ankles and pulled up, causing him to fall. She rolled over and stood up, ready to bring her "sword" down through his chest. She felt another "sword" come down on top of hers. She threw her head back, but it did not hit anything. She only saw a red "sword" come down, leaving a thin red line on her shoulder. She twisted around and kicked Ardeth in the stomach, jabbing her "sword" towards him. He jumped out of the way, and swung his own at her, she ducked just in time. She heard 2 come at her from behind, and she took off sideways, running through a makeshift path. She found another large tree and climbed up it, hiding amongst the branches and leaves. She heard Ardeth say something to his men, and then heard as he made his way after her.
She is a good fighter. He thought as he came up on a large tree. He didn't see the figure drop from the tree and land on top of him, knocking him to the ground. He quickly threw her off of him. They both stood and cycled each other. She gave him a crocked smile and he lunged at her, their "swords" clashing together. He tried to trip her, but as she fell beck she regained herself, coming face to face with Ahmad and the 2 other warriors. 4 to 1, she thought, not good odds. She never paid attention to the odds. She ducked as a yellow "sword" came at her, and jumped back as a blue one came towards her. She dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, missing ardeth's red "sword". She stood up and kicked the orange "sword" out of the warrior's hands. She jumped up, grabbed it, and threw it at the yellow warriors chest, the "blade" landed against his chest, right where his heart would be, and left a bright, orange line. They all looked at it for a second and Ardeth nodded his head towards the man he was out. The man scampered up the tree, wanting to watch the rest of the battle.
The battle went on, and in one quick move, Ardeth had managed to knock Emily's "sword" out of her hands, and it flew through the air, landing right next to the orange "sword", both she and the orange warrior made a dash for the weapons, but she was a second slow and he got to both of them, picking them up and pointing them at her. She smiled, turned, and kicked the blue "sword" out of Ahmad's hands. She punched him in the stomach, and tried to "stab" him, but he threw himself out of the way, he ran and jabbed her green "sword" out of the warriors hand and went after Emily, swinging the "sword" at her, she tried to knee him, but it didn't work, so she swung her "sword" at him, leaving a nasty blue line across his chest. It was not that bright, so it was not deep, but it took his mind off the battle for a split second, and she swung her "sword" again, leaving a brighter line across his arm. He countered, and left his own green mark across her side. She jumped back and saw Ardeth coming at her from the side. She brought her leg up high and kicked Ahmad in the chest; he slammed back into the orange warrior. She turned her attention to Ardeth, he swiped at her and left another red mark across her wrist, it stung like hell, but she didn't let it stop her, they both blocked each others blows until the orange warrior came up from behind. In a split second, she made the choice and slammed her elbow into his stomach, and swung her arm up, punching him in the face. In doing so, Ardeth took his chance and brought the red sword across Emily's chest, leaving his red mark. She knew this would slow her down, but not by much. The "sword" switched hands and she brought it behind her, jabbing the tip right into the orange warrior's body, taking him out. He to climbed up the tree. The "sword" was knocked out of her hands from behind, and as she turned, she had to duck. Ahmad swung his "sword" at her neck. She rolled to the side and stood up. Realizing that she had no weapon. She saw one, right between and back from the 2 men. She took her chances and ran for it, missing both "swords" that came at her, she kicked the ground by the yellow "sword", and it flew up. She grabbed it, turned, and brought the tip right into Ardeth's stomach area. He stopped, looked down, and then looked at her. He fell to his knees. It was a damaging wound. Ahmad looked stunned, and let his guard down for a second. She used this and brought her "sword" across his neck, leaving a bright yellow line across his throat. He stumbled back, and dropped to his knees, his eyes wide. She stood triumphant. Her "sword" hand dropped to her side and her chest heaved up and down. She had beaten them. As the thought ran through her mind, she felt a sharp jab right into her lower back. It hurt like hell, and she turned around, staring wide-eyed at Ardeth, who was standing, holding his red "sword".
Her hand reached around to her back and she felt the wet paint. Bringing the hand around, she saw the red on her fingertips. She looked at him, shook her head and smiled. Then burst out into laughter. She fell to the ground and rolled up into a ball, her laughter filling the air. All 4 men came towards her, standing around her as they watched her laugh. And they started to laugh. Emily rolled out onto her back and looked up, her laughs turned into a chuckle, and she wiped a tear away from her eye. Ardeth held out a hand, and she took it. He pulled her up gently, and put his arm around her shoulder. Pulling her close to him.
"You, Miss Emily Kilgore, are one hell of a fighter."
"Thank you." She said, in between gasps of air. She looked around, and realized that they were in another small opening. Thank god. She thought. Evywould have killed us if we trampled her flowers.
"Come, "Ardeth said, "We will rest, and I will give you some tips."
With his arm still around his shoulder, they walked to the main clearing. There, they all sat in the shade. And talked of the battle. For the most part, Emily got good reviews. But it was Ardeth Bay himself, who told her she had to be more alert.
"Don't think, that just because you have wounded an attacker, that they can't still kill you. A wound to the chest or surrounding areas is damaging. They will take the person down. But they can still work up enough strength to wound or kill you." She nodded softly.
The rest of the day was spent with the warriors teaching Emily different techniques. Ahmad showed her different ways to use daggers and smaller swords. The orange and yellow warriors, Hajeb and Sabi taught her different punches and kicks. And finally, Ardeth showed her some new moves with a sword. At the end of it all, she was grateful they had taken the time to show her these things. But couldn't help but feel that they had gone easy on her during the first battle. It was around 4 o'clock when they went back into the house. Tired, thirsty, and sore. As they stood around the kitchen, downing glasses of cold water, Emily looked at her outfit, and at the warrior's outfit. They were covered in dirt and chalk marks.
"Is this going to come out?" she said, pointing to a large red line across her chest.
"It should." Ardeth said. "But only if you wash it right away."
She sighed and sat down her empty glass. "Very well then, I'm going to change, shower, and take a nap. I thank you for you time, gentlemen, excuse me."
They all watched her as she walked out the room
After a quick shower, Emily never felt better. She sighed as she stretched, her body hating her for what she put it through. She changed into a light, thin, simple, dark purple dress. She brushed her hair and looked at herself in a mirror. Her hair fell into curls around her head. She looked at a scratch on her shoulder, and wondered when it had happened. She and the rest of them would be pretty bruised after today. But she felt it was well worth it. She yawned and climbed onto the bed, she was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.
It was close to 7 o'clock that evening when one of the Med-jai posted around the O'Connell's property shouted that a car had pulled up to the outside gate. The gate opened and the taxi drove up the drive.
"Evy," Rick O'Connell said, as he opened the door and stepped out. "Is there any reason why there are Med-jai warriors posted around our house?"
"I don't know Rick, but I have a feeling this is not going to be the quiet vacation we had wished for." She smiled as she took the hand O'Connell held out for her. As she got out of the car her husband said, "Is it ever when we come down here?"
O'Connell went around to the back of the Taxi and opened the trunk. The driver had gotten out as well and started to help him unload their luggage. Evy, mean while helped Alex out of the car. Jonathan followed him closely.
"Happy to be here Alex?" his mum asked.
"Oh yes!" the 10 year old said brightly, "What a relief to get out of London!"
she smiled and looked over her shoulder. She saw a familiar figure walking towards him.
"Many happy hello's." she heard Ardeth Bay say as she walked towards him. Dressed in his formal Mad-jai robes, with silver lining. They hugged and Evy said back, "Many happy hello's to you as well."
They walked over to Rick, to help him with the luggage. Jonathan took the Med-jai's hand and shook it. "Hello ol'boy!" he said happily.
"Hello Jonathan." Ardeth replied as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
He was just about to reach out his hand to Rick, when he felt something hit him, and wrap itself around his mid-section. Looking down, he saw young Alex O'Connell smiling up at him. He laughed and picked the boy up, holding Alex at eye level, his little feet hanging about 3 feet from the ground.
"HI!" the boy said happily.
"HI!" Ardeth said back. "You like the weather up here?"
Alex giggled as Ardeth sat him on top the taxi. "I like it a lot."
Again, Ardeth turned to Rick. "Need any help, old friend?" he said, a white smile in a dark beard.
"You know how Evy packs" he grunted as he pulled out a large suitcase. "Of course I need help." Ardeth couldn't help but laugh as he bent down and picked up 3 suitcases. It never failed to amuse him at the way Evy packed. They would be here for 4 weeks, and she had packed like they were moving here. Every one helped with bringing in the many suitcases. Everyone was in good spirits, but Ardeth couldn't help but see the looks of concern passed between Rick and his wife as they passed the Med-jai guarding the door.
They all set the luggage down, picked out their own pieces. Jonathan and Alex both had only 2 suitcases with them, Rick had 4, and Evy had 6. This made Ardeth giggle some more. He watched as Alex and Jonathan raced up the stairs to their rooms. Then he heard Evy breathe in deeply, and then sigh with content.
"I am so happy to be here. In the sun…in the warmth of Egypt." She said, a smile across her face.
"Ardeth, old friend," Rick said, "I have always trusted you, with my life, with the life of my family. Even with the life of my slimy brother-in-law." Evy kicked him lightly as he said this. "I know your judgment is sound and solid. And you would never really do anything to place my family in harm, right?"
"That is right."
"So, will you please explain to me why there are Med-jai warriors with guns all around my house and property!"
Ardeth sighed and told them the story. Rescuing the girl, the Mystics, the Fajarah, the dream, how she was a reincarnated Mystic, the Djinn, right down to how well she fought, and even the spell only working with her blood. When he finally stopped, Evy was staring at him with wide eyes, and Rick threw his hands up and said, "Why can't we come down here and have a normal Vacation?"
"I do not know, my friend, but I had no where else to take her. She needed some medical attention, and this was the only place I knew to take her where they wouldn't look. I am sorry that this has put a minor dent in your plans, but I did not know what else to do."
Rick looked at him softly, grinned, and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. "Any friend of yours, is a friend of ours, and is welcome in our home."
Ardeth's face lit up. "Thank you friend."
"You say she is in the guestroom?"
"Yes."
"Well, I hate to have to go in there, but that is where I plan on keeping the weapons." He indicated a large bag. "I don't want Alex OR Jonathan finding them."
"Oh honey, you can put them in there later…MARIA!" Evy turned her attention the small house sitter as she poked her head out from the kitchen door, down the hall.
"Dinner…ready…5 minute." She said, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
"Well," Rick said, "I guess I can take them in now and wake our guest." He picked up the heavy bag and started to take it down the hall.
"Wait…" Ardeth protested, knowing Emily would not like the stranger in her room.
"It will be fine!" Rick called back "Go get my kids ready for dinner!"
Ardeth sighed as he started to climb the stairs, calling Alex and Jonathan's names.
Emily woke to a strange sound in her room. She opened her eyes and saw a strange man standing in the closet. The only light was coming from the light bulb in the closet. He looked tall, taller then Ardeth. She thought about yelling for him, but decided against it. She would take him out on her own. She reached over to the table and grabbed her empty water glass, and just as she was about to throw it at his head, he turned around and looked at her.
"OH! Hello." He said, his voice soft but firm.
American. She thought,
"You must be Emily…"
"And you are?" she said, coldly, glass held high, ready to throw it at the man at any second.
"I hope you weren't sleeping to well, but diner will be ready soon."
"AND YOU ARE?!" she said again, even colder. But the man just smiled and laughed. He nodded his head towards the picture frame on the table.
"I am Rick O'Connell, and you are in my guest bed." She made an uneasy glance towards the picture, in the dark of the room, she could barley make out the face. Then light flooded the room. She looked at the man. And he had his hand on a switch by the closet door. She looked the picture and saw that it was indeed the same person. She lowered her glass.
"OH! Mr. O'Connell! I am soo sorry…I didn't know…"
"Its ok, Emily, Ardeth told me about you…I understand completely."
All she could do is stare at him, wide eyed.
"Believe me, its ok. Come, diner will be in a few minutes….you can meet the rest of my family."
"Um…thank you. I will. Give me a few…"
He smiled at her. Dashing. She thought. He had dirty blond hair and blue eyes and a bright white smile. He was a very handsome man. But she would still pick Ardeth over him, any day.
"Join us when you will." He said, closing the closet door. "I know my wife really wants to meet you." He crossed the room and left.
She swung her legs off her bed and stood up, becoming a little dizzy as she did. She regained herself and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. She leaned over and took the picture frame studying the picture closely. It was the same man, but older. He had about 2 inches on Ardeth, and a good 6 inches or so on the other man in the picture. The woman was about the same height as her brother. They all seemed so close. God only knows what they went through together. What did he mean by the undead kicking their butts? She thought. She sighed and fought with herself about joining them. She would just be the odd man out. She hated that. But she had a feeling that Ardeth would be there, to help her along. They did seem like nice people. But it still doesn't help when you threaten the man of the house. She thought. She sighed and finally decided to join them. If nothing else, she could spend some time with Ardeth.
Emily stood outside the door to the dining room. She could hear them giggling and talking. They were very close. She poked her head around. the woman was sitting at the head of the table, on one side was a little boy and Ardeth. On the other side were Rick and the other man from the picture. The other head of the table was empty, but a plate was set, and there was food on it, with wine in the glass next to the plate. She watched them for a minute, and then adjusted her weight. The floor creaked, and it caused everyone to look up at her. she felt her self blush. She felt now she had no choice and stepped into the room. Every one stood as she crossed to the table.
"Hello!" the woman said, "I am Evelyn O'Connell. You must be Emily."
Emily smiled and nodded. "Nice to finally meet you." She said.
"Like wise." Evelyn said. She indicated her son, "This is Alex, my son. I believe you know Ardeth, this is Jonathan, my brother, and Rick, My husband."
"We've met." Rick said softly.
Emily smiled and said her "Hello's" and then sat down. After she did, so did everyone else. They all looked her over, and she felt her face turning bright red. There was a strange silence.
"WELL!" Evy said, trying to start a conversation, "Why are you in Egypt, Emily?"
"My grandfather was born and raised here. He taught me all about it. And when I had the chance to come here, I couldn't pass it up."
Ardeth turned to her. "Is he who taught you Arabic?"
"Yes, he was."
Alex attention piqued up. "Mum taught me some Arabic!"
"Really?"
"YEAH! And she taught me to read, write, and speak Egyptian!"
"How wonderful! My grandfather taught me a little Egyptian. Just enough to get by when needed."
And so it went. The conversations started again, and Emily told everyone about herself. And listened with joy to the stories they had to tell her. And before anyone knew it, they had been sitting at the diner table for 2 hours, laughing, talking, and enjoying the company of their new friend.
"Come Emily," Evy said, grabbing her hand, "Lets go to the balcony!"
"Balcony? Um…ok…" Evy grabbed the wineglasses and pulled her up stairs. To the end of the hall, and opened the door to a small room. It was a tiny library, quite like the larger one they had down stairs, tucked in at the side was 2 large French doors that led to a large balcony. Emily had not seen it from outside, nor did Ardeth show it to her when he gave her the tour. On it was a few chairs and a large padded bench. They sat in the chairs, and put the wineglasses on a small table in between them.
"Oh Emily," Evy said with a sigh. "I am so happy to be back here."
"How long has it been?"
"About a year. But the last time we came down, it was only for a short while. About 2 weeks. I had to pick up something's for the British Museum."
"You work for them?"
"Yes, I am one of the Curators."
"That's really neat."
"Yes, its close to home and Alex's school. So he is always there with me." she sighed happily.
"You have a wonderful family, you all seem very close."
"Thank you, and we are. God knows we have been through a lot together."
"Ardeth mentioned something about seeing something come back from the after life and you all took a beating from it…what did he mean by that?"
Evy laughed and said, "If by something, he means a 3000 year old mummy."
Emily was just about to ask what she meant, when Rick and Jonathan walked out to join them. Followed by Ardeth and Alex. Jonathan and Alex took the padded bench, and Rick sat in the only other chair. Leaving Ardeth to stand. But he didn't seem to mind it. He walked around the balcony, looking over the edge for any sign of danger. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he walked over to Emily and leaned against the wall by her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"Fine."
"You sore?"
"Oh god yes."
The both looked over and saw that everyone was staring at them, a puzzled look on their faces.
"Ardeth taught me some battle moves today, it was quite a workout." Emily said quickly.
"I bet it was." Jonathan said softly. Causing him to get a look of death from both Ardeth and Emily. But they all laughed at it. Rick stood and crossed into the house, he turned on a radio that was next to door. He came back out and held out his hand for Evy, pulling her up into his arms. They danced softly, talking about how nice it was to be there. Jonathan and Alex both rolled their eyes and started to talk about something. Ardeth sat in the chair next to Emily, smiling as he did so. She smiled back at him and tipped her head up, starring at the vast night sky that was above them. The night was warm, and a soft breeze blew around them. Ardeth to stared up at the sky. Thinking about the O'Connell's and Emily. He looked over at her, and she looked beautiful bathed in the soft light of the almost full moon. He couldn't help but find her attractive, and had a feeling she felt the same way towards him. So he stood up and held out his hand to her. She gave him a puzzled look, but took his hand. Letting him pull her into his arms.
"Dance?" he asked softly.
"Love to." She said back, swaying back and forth with him. They were silent for a while, not noticing the looks they were getting from the rest of the small group. After the song ended, Rick turned to them and said, "May I?"
Emily looked at Evy who was smiling, so they switched partners. Emily felt strange about dancing with the married Rick, but she looked over at Evy and Ardeth, who were talking and laughing. So she didn't feel that bad.
"Where you from?" she heard Rick ask.
"Excuse me?"
"What state, where are you from."
"OH! New York. But I moved to Arizona when I was...god...7. I lived there, until I came here." She paused for a second. "What about you?"
"As far as I know, California. But I grew up in many different Cairo orphanages."
"Oh." She fell silent again.
"How'd you get this scar?" he said, indicating her hand.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Ardeth told you about my dream?" Rick nodded. "It happened sometime during my dream. Woke up and I had it. It's the strangest thing that has ever happened to me."
"Well," Rick laughed, "Stick with us and you might just see a bunch of mummies get up and walk around, lord knows it happens just about every time we come here."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she said, catching him a little off guard. "You, Evy, Ardeth, you all have said something about the dead coming after you. WHY?"
The song ended, and Rick led her back to her chair. Evy and Ardeth were close behind him.
"You will find out someday." Rick said with a laugh.