The screech of a hawk tore through the sky, causing Ardeth and Tarek to look up from their horses. They had been riding through the desert for a day and a half now, and there had not been much conversation. They would reach Cairo late in the afternoon, and Ardeth welcomed it. He would get supplies while Tarek hid. Both knew that some bounty hunters in Cairo would be looking for him.
The hawk swooped down and glided over the two, until Ardeth held out his leather gloved hand, and the bird landed on it with grace. Ardeth, who had stopped his horse, pet the bird gently and took a small bag off the bird's foot, pulling out the small note that was inside. Opening it, he read the note with a smile on his face, and sighed as he folded up the note.
"What did it say?"
"It said that when we get to Cairo, there will be identification there for you, with a new name and life. That we will use to get you out of Egypt."
"Anything else?"
"It said that my wife is going to Cairo to visit some old friends."
"Wife?" Tarek asked, eyebrow raised. "Do I know her?"
"Not likely, but if you did…I don't think it would surprise me."
Ardeth pulled out a tiny piece of paper and wrote a small message on it, folded it up, and stuck it into the small ouch on the bird's leg. He gave the hawk another quick pat, then sent it skyward. It flew off in the direction it had come.
"What did you say?"
"Just a message to my wife." He rode off again.
"So, who is this mystery woman who stole my little brother's heart?" Tarek said, as he rode along side Ardeth.
"Her name is Emily, and she is an American."
"Really? Well, how did you get that passed the Elders?"
"It was not easy, but I would not take no for an answer, and everyone in town loved her as much as I did, so we married. All the Elders except for Jakum excepted her. It took Emily saving his life for him to finally except her into the Med-jai."
"Huh, and what is this Emily like?"
Ardeth thought for a while, then said, "She is the very food of my life. If I did not have her with me, I think I would be dead right now. She is strong, loving, and beautiful. She is…a warrior and a queen. I love her more then life its self, and I could not even begin to think about what life would be like with out her. It pains me knowing I will be away from her for so long…"
"Well, brother, I'm happy you found love."
"I have found more then that…"
"She give you any children?"
"Yes, Tomas, and he is four. He is the greatest little thing in my life. Him and Em make me complete."
"Tomas?"
"It was her father's name."
"Hum."
"What about you, Tarek, have you found love?"
"I did, but sadly, I lost it."
"I'm sorry. May I ask the story?"
"Her name was Fara, and we fell in love the second we met. But she was…she was killed. It has been about five years since that happened."
Ardeth winced as he thought about almost losing Emily five years before.
"But I do not wish to go into the story more then that, it pains me so."
"I understand, believe me, I understand."
Tarek smiled at his little brother and the rest of the ride was silent.
~~
They reached Cairo at nightfall, and they hid Tarek and the horses in a small stable that was used by the Med-jai when they were in town. Ardeth sat out of foot to get what he needed, and he crossed town in record time, entering a small shop only 3 minutes after they reached the city. He crossed to the back of the store, behind the counter, and into a tiny back room. In there was a small elderly man who smiled as Ardeth entered.
"Master Bay, the paper work you requested." The small man handed Ardeth a large envelope. He opened it and spilled its contents on a table. In it was a passport, and identification card. Each had to be signed by Tarek with his new name, Furuz Mahkbhubi.
"Um…old friend, this name…it is a little…strange." Ardeth said, looking at the name.
"No, Master Bay, it is a perfect name. Believe me."
The Med-jai looked at the old man side ways, then sighed. There was nothing he could do but take the papers and hope no one asked questions. He put all the papers back into the envelope, paid the man, and left the store quickly. Again crossing the town in record time, he was relieved to find Tarek still in the stable when he got back. Ardeth handed his brother the papers and left again, off to pick up supplies and other things for the long trip they would be taking. He went to all the shops that the Med-jai used, and picked up everything he needed.
Placing everything on a tab, so he could save money for future stops in other towns. As he bought his items, he saw Evelyn O'Connell pass by the window of the store, talking with a tall man he could not see, but he assumed it was her brother or husband. Ardeth was happy they did not see him, for he did not have time to stop and talk with his old friends, although he did really want to at least say hello. He also made a quick stop at a tiny bank, getting a small amount of money out of an account he and Emily had there.
Went he got back to his brother, they loaded the horses and were ready to set out again. Ardeth knew it would be helpful if they got well away of Cairo before they stop to rest, but they did not leave just then. Ardeth, with the help of a small lantern, wrote a quick letter in a language that Tarek had never seen before. He wrote about a half a page of it, before folding the letter and placing it in a small envelope, and addressing the front in the same strange language. Under the strange words, he wrote something in English as well.
"Come on, we must ride through a part of Cairo so that I may drop off this letter." Ardeth said as he mounted his horse.
"What the hell kind of language is that?" Tarek asked as he mounted his own horse.
"It is a special language that only one other person in this world knows."
Tarek did not ask any more questions about the letter. They rode as quickly as they could, before coming to a stop in front of a large, gated home. Ardeth quickly jumped from his horse, took the letter, and stuck it in a small mailbox that was implanted in the wall. He mounted the animal again and they rode off, leaving the house behind them.
"Who's home was that?" Tarek asked, as they rode off.
"Just some old friends of mine." Came the reply. Then there was silence until they stopped for the night, about five miles out side Cairo.
~~
"Aunt Emily," the soft voice rang in her ears, "Aunt Emily, it is time to get up. You leave for Cairo soon."
Emily groined as she sat up, opening her eyes, looking into the face of her 16-year-old nephew.
"Ok, ok Codei, I'm getting up." She said, looking around, her eyes landing on her sleeping son, where her husband should have been. With a sigh, she swung her legs off her bed, as Codei left the room. Emily began to dress for the day, loose pants, and a tank top. It was really all she wore when she left the city; it was she felt most comfortable in. As she was doing so, Meelesh entered, in traditional Med-jai riding clothes for women.
"I suggest you wear the riding clothes." She said, "It will be hotter for you if you wear that."
Emily looked at her clothes, and then at Meelesh's clothes. "Oh...alright. By the way, where are you going?"
"I am going with you."
"Why?" Emily pulled out her own riding clothes, and began to dress in them.
"Because I want to, that's why. Besides, I want to make sure you and the baby are going to be fine."
"You really don't have to come, Meelesh, I will be fine."
"I am going with you wither you like it or not, so get used to having me around. We will leave in 20 minutes." She left the room.
With a sigh, Emily crossed to her sleeping Tom, and gently woke him up. She helped him get dressed and get his things together. He had not been to Cairo since he was one, and he was excited to go. Ten minutes later, Emily and little Tom left their home, and walked to the city kitchen, where they ate a small breakfast. All the time, Emily could not help but think of her missing husband, she wondered what he was doing, who he was with, when he would come home. Looking at their child, she realized how much he looked like Ardeth. His jet black, curly head of hair, his thin top lip and full bottom lip. He was a mini-Ardeth, except for his eyes. Tom had Emily's light, olive green eyes, and it made him more beautiful then both his parents. But that was fitting, for he WAS both his parents in one little body. She insisted that he be named after her beloved father, and Ardeth did not disagree with her. This memory took her back to another, when she had first told Ardeth they were going to be parents.
~~
"Ardeth!" Emily called out, her hand placed firmly on her stomach. She walked to the back of their city, where her husband was teaching young warriors to fight.
He was in the process of taking a young warrior down when he heard her call out his name. He did not look up; he went for a quick "kill" and ran off to his wife.
"You called?" he said with a smile. Since Emily and he married, his smiles were more frequent, and she loved it when he did smile.
"We need to talk, follow me." she moved her finger in a "Come hither" fashion, and started to walk to their tent. Ardeth's smile widened as he followed his lovely wife. When they entered their home, Ardeth removed his turban, and Emily grabbed his robes and pulled him into her, kissing him deeply.
When the kiss broke, Ardeth looked at her; his eyebrow raised a bit.
"What was that for?" he said, as Emily wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh...you know…just because." He wrapped his own arms around her back, holding her close to him.
"You pulled me away from training for that?" He said in a mocking manner.
"Not just that, I have some news for you."
"And that is…?"
She pulled away from him, took his right hand, and laid it on her stomach. As she did this, his eyes got real big, and he knew what was coming.
"We better get a bigger tent." She said softly, a smile making her way across her face. Ardeth went pale from the shock.
"Your…I mean…we're going to be…there's a little us in there?" His eyes lit up as they stared at her midsection; they were large and innocent, like a child's. He dropped to his knees and placed his hands on her sides, pulling her close, he then placed his ear up to her stomach, trying to hear their child. As he did this, Emily laughed and ran her hand through his hair.
"You could put it that way, yes." She said with a giggle. He took his head away and looked up at her, his eyes shining and wide.
"I though you knew about babies and all this stuff." She said gently.
"I do! I just have never had…a little me inside of someone before!" this made her laugh even harder.
"Well, I have never had a little person inside me before, so we're both new at this!"
He let out a little laugh and placed his head back on her stomach. Emily couldn't believe how this news turned her strong, powerful, warrior husband into an innocent child. He stood, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply.
"I want to see it!" He said when the kiss broke. "I want to see that it looks like!"
"No, no, no. You have to wait for a few months before you can see it."
Ardeth pouted, "Oh…how long do I have to wait?"
"Meelesh said I was about 2 months along, so you will have to wait for about 7 months."
He pouted again, "That's to long…"
When he pouted, she wanted to throw him on their bed and take him then and there, but she held back.
"I'm sorry, my love, but you have to wait!"
Ardeth kissed Emily again.
"I don't mind that at all," he said softly, "As long as it is no longer then 7 months."
"I hope not!" she exclaimed, "it's going to be hard enough to carry this him around for 7 months!"
"Him?" Ardeth said with a smile.
"Or her." She said, kissing him again.
"You know, I need an heir to the Med-jai…"
"I don't care, I want a daughter!"
They kissed again, long and deep.
"Or…a son would be nice…" Emily said, melting in his arms, Ardeth laughed.
That night, there was much rejoicing at the news of the pregnant queen. And seven months later, after screaming all the swear words she could think of, and swearing to never let Ardeth touch her again, Emily gave birth to their son, causing both mother and father to break down in joyful tears.
~~
"Emily!" It pulled her out of her memory, turning, she saw Meelesh looking at her.
"What?"
"Are you ok?"
"Fine…why?"
"You were just sitting there…staring."
Emily sighed and stood up, "I was just…remembering." She looked around and saw that Tom was gone, and with Meelesh at her side, walked to the City entrance. There, Codei was holding Tom, tickling him. They women mounted their horses, and Codei handed Tom up to his mother. She placed him in front of her on the saddle, and told him to hold on tight. At this point, Ahmad came out to bid his wife and sister-in-law goodbye, telling them to be careful, and that he would take care of everything on his end. Meelesh blew him a kiss, and told him she loved him, he did the same. Two of the Med-jai warriors packed up the supply horse, and then mounted themselves. When everyone was ready, the queen, prince, and princess of the Med-jai, along with six warriors, thundered out of the city and into the early morning.
~~
The two-day ride was uneventful. Tom loved riding through the desert, and wanted to stop at every interesting thins he saw, which, for a 4-year-old, was a lot. And except for Tom's persistent questions, and Emily's constant answers, the ride was silent. That night, they stopped behind a large dune, and sat up a small camp, complete with a tiny fire. Two Med-jai stood on top a large dune, keeping watch, and the other 4 sat with Emily, Meelesh, and Tom, by the fire. They all sat in silence, for little Tom had fallen asleep.
"How do you feel?" Meelesh asked, looking at Emily, who was laying on her back, one hand over her stomach.
"Fine," she said softly. "I miss Ardeth."
"I bet he misses you just as much."
"Why did you never tell me about Tarek?"
Meelesh let out a soft sigh, and stared at the fire for a little bit before she answered.
"Because, like with Ardeth, he is dead to me. I was only 15 when it happened, I lost my father and my brother in the same week, and it was horrible."
"Do you ever think about him, now?"
"Sometimes…but not often."
Emily sighed and sat up, tipping her head back so she could stare up at the sky. Oh…how she wanted to be in Ardeth's arms. She knew they were sappy in their affection for each other, but she did not care. She loved him, and he loved her. He meant the world to her, and being with out him for this long was going to be just horrific. Emily wondered what he was doing right then, and where he was. The night before she received a message from Ardeth's messenger falcon, and it told her he loved her, he would miss her, and would be back as quickly as he could. It also said to tell his friends hello for him, and that a letter would be waiting for her when she got to the O'Connell's house. With a yawn, Emily laid back on her soft bedroll, pulled Tom in close to her, and covered the both of them with a blanket. Meelesh too, laid on her bedroll and pulled a blanket over herself. They wished each other, and their bodyguards a good night.
~~
If silence is golden, then Ardeth and Tarek would be rich. Barely ten words passed between the two brothers during the day, and even less were spoken that night. And as Ardeth laid back on his own bedroll, staring up at the very same sky his wife was looking at, he thought about her, and how he had gotten into this.
~~
"Some things never change." Ardeth said bitterly, in response to Tarek telling him he was in trouble.
"Yeah, like your attitude towards me." Tarek shot back, staring his brother down. "Come on, cant you untie my hands? I'm not going anywhere."
Ardeth sighed as he crossed to the back of the chair his brother was sitting in, pulled out a dagger from his robes, and sliced though the robe that was around Tarek's hands.
"Thank you." He said, bringing his arms around to the front of his body, rubbing his wrists.
"So, why are you in trouble?" Ardeth said, crossing around to the chair that was in front of Tarek's.
"About…five months ago, I ran into this group of men, and they wanted me to take them to Humanaptra. I knew that if I were to take them there, not only would you kill them, but kill me as well."
Ardeth nodded. If any Med-jai were to ever tell another how to get to the city of the dead, they would be killed.
"Yet, I needed the money, so I told them I would take them there. Instead, I took them to the temple of Set, asked for my money, and then escaped that night. Since then, they have been hunting me down, wanting to kill me. There is a rather large bounty on my head, so there are now many who have been trying to find and kill me."
"Why does that sound like something that you would get yourself into?" Ardeth asked, his voice full of bitter feelings towards his brother.
"I needed the money, Brother, I did what I had to do. Do you understand what it has been like for the past twenty years, trying my damnedest to get by! Doing odd jobs all around this damn Egypt just to put food in my mouth!"
"You put yourself in that position, Tarek. It is no ones fault but your own that your life has ended up this way!"
"So, what, is every time I talk to you end up a guilt trip?"
"What do you want me to say to you? That it is all ok? All is forgiven, come back home with me and start over again? What do you want? Money? Food? Shelter? I don't know how to help you Tarek! It is your fault that your people disowned you! And maybe you should have thought about what could happen to you, before you went off with those thieves and ruined your life! So what do you want now? To come back to the Med-jai, pretending that everything is fine, just so you can stay alive a little while longer, because yet another bad choice YOU made has turned itself into your own death warrant!"
Tarek sat back, stunned. Never had he seen his little brother act like this, never had he seen Ardeth snap in such a way. They both sat silent for a minute, trying to figure out what to say next.
"Look," Tarek said finally, "I know that you must hate me for what happened. For what I did…but I need your help. There are about fifty men out there who want to kill me, and I don't want to die! I know I screwed things up for myself, and I can't change that. I don't know anyone else in this whole world that can help me but you, and if I have to get on my knees and beg for your help, I will. Why else do you think I came here? I knew that you would never let anyone take over a Med-jai well, but when I heard about some bandits who were stupid enough to try, I had to get in on it. It's not like I can just ride up to the Med-jai City and come see you. So I got in on this plan to take over that well out there, in hopes that it would bring me to you. And it did. So now I am asking for your help in fixing this mess I got myself into."
"I am not the one to clean up your messes, Tarek."
"I know, but who else in this whole damn world could I go to, huh? Can you name one person who would help me? Its not like I can just hop on a ship, and go somewhere else. They've got guys at the docks, with my picture, waiting for just that!" He lowered his tone. "Ardeth, I need to get out of Egypt. For so many reasons. And I know only you who could help me. Please don't turn me away." His eyes became small and sad, as they silently pleaded with Ardeth to help him.
Ardeth looked at his older brother for a long time, his mind working in a million different ways. How could he possible help the man who sat in front of him. Why would he want to help him. How could he get his brother safely out of the country. Izzy? Ardeth shot that thought down right after he thought it. He knew one thing for cretin, there was no way Tarek Bay could ever rejoin the Med-jai.
After all Tarek had done to the Bay family name, why should Ardeth help him? There Tarek was, young, strong, handsome, the heir to the kingship of the Med-jai. Yet he had gone off and gotten involved with thieves in Cairo. No one ever really knew why he got involved with them, but he had. Then, Omar Bay had been killed in battle, and it came time for Tarek to take over as king. But he was caught while stealing something from a home in Cairo, and he whole dark life discovered by his people. It shamed and pained his family to watch the events unfold, and it pushed his already brokenhearted mother to the breaking point. For days, she and the tribe elders discussed the future of young, Tarek Bay. And finally, they decided to disown him. It was a harsh punishment, and the elders nor Ardeth's mother never talked about why they decided it, but it was what they chose. So, Tarek was kicked out of the lives of the Med-jai, never to be allowed back into the twelve tribes again, and Ardeth took over as King of the Med-jai.
Ardeth himself hated Tarek for ruining his life in such a way. He had always looked up to his big brother for guidance and strength. Then he betrayed his people and his family in such a horrible way. And after all that had happened, an 18 year-old Ardeth was shoved into the kingship, not knowing what to do, and how to do it. All his life, Ardeth was never taught the ways of the Med-jai Chieftain, it was always Tarek who got those lessons. Then he was king, and he had no idea what to do. Ardeth was thankful for his mother and the elders, for they helped him through everything. Soon, all the Med-jai forgot about Tarek Bay. All, except Ardeth and Meelesh, who would stay up late nights to talk about their brother. But soon, even they had forgotten about him. Life went on with out Tarek Bay, and then there he was, back in Ardeth's life. Unannounced, and uninvited. Yet, Ardeth knew he could not turn his brother away, even after all he had done to him.
That night, Ardeth came up with a plan to get Tarek safely out of the country. They would pick up some false identification in Cairo, then go on the week long ride to Damietta, a port town at the very top of Egypt, right on the Mediterranean Sea. He would see to it that his brother would get on the boat safely, then leave, making the long trip back to his wife and child. The boat would take Tarek to where he wanted to go, so that he could start a new and better life. Ardeth had a small amount of money for his brother, and would get some more when they would reach Cairo.
The next morning, Ardeth discussed it with both Ahmad and Tarek, and they both agreed that it was the best plan. Tarek was overjoyed that Ardeth was going to help him, but Ardeth himself was not too happy about the whole thing. It would mean two or more weeks away from his family, but Tarek was family to, and he could not bare to see his brother's death.
~~
So, here he was. In the desert, under the stars, laying next to his brother on bedrolls, stomachs barely full, mind racing. With a sigh, he looked over at his older brother. Tarek was a year and a half-older then Ardeth, and he was about the same height. Had the same hair, color, length, and slight wave to it. For 19 years, Tarek had told him, he had covered his Med-jai tattoos with make up, so that no one would knew he was once a Med-jai, but now, on this small trip, his tattoos remained uncovered. They were very different from Ardeth's. Where as Ardeth had matching symbols on his cheeks, and a long string of symbols across his forehead, Tarek had two different symbols on his cheeks, and a short string across his forehead. Yet both men had the strange tattoos on their hands, the three points. Ardeth wore his sacred marks with pride and Tarek wore his in shame.
Tarek was laying back, looking up at the stars as well, when he felt his brother's glare. He turned to Ardeth, propping himself up on one elbow.
"Tell me brother, what has life been like as Chieftain of the Med-jai?"
Ardeth snorted. "More hectic then you might think. I have had to do more then Father had to do, that's for sure."
"Really? Like…?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Hey…we have not said 20 words to each other today, talk! I may not get another chance to spend such time with you."
For the first time today, Ardeth smiled. He to sat up, and began his story.
"Four years into my Kingship, Some foreigners came to Humanaptra, and while we attacked them, we did not kill them. We really should have, but we did not. You see, they found the Creature, and worse, they awoke him."
"They…they woke up Imhotep?"
"Yep. Oh…were the Elders not pleased. Well, the Creature went to Cairo to go after the men who had opened the sacred chest, and there, both he and I ran into the fools who brought him back. And the Creature wanted the Woman, Evelyn, as a human sacrifice to bring back Anack-su-namun…"
Ardeth spun the story of the first time they all had a run in with Imhotep, complete with the plane ride he took, killing the mummies, the room of gold, and right down to Rick using Ardeth's cheek to light a match.
"It hurt like hell." He told his brother. "So, Rick threw the dynamite at the mummies, and was able to kill them, but not stop all of them. So, as Rick and Jonathan got the Book of Amun-ra , I ran into this hallway full of these mummies, and I started to beat them off with this riffle, and I was doing an ok job, but couldn't get the upper hand. Something inside me told me to turn to the right, and I did, and right as I did, these huge blast tore through the hall. Burning all the mummies to…well…to death. And as I turned to look to see where it came from, I saw Rick and Jonathan run past me, and turn left, to go save Evy. They did not see me, but I saw them, and sent a prayer to Allah that they could save the girl and kill the Creature. They succeeded, and I am grateful that they did."
"Wow…" Was all Tarek had gotten out. Ardeth told the story like it was nothing, just a walk in the park. "You speak of it like it was nothing, like it was simple to take down the Creature."
"Well, that time, I had an easy part, but the second time…"
"Second time?"
"You see, Imhotep had some followers. I do not know why, but he did, and about nine yeas after he was put back into the ground, he was dug up again. His followers wanted to bring him back, so that he could go and fight the Scorpion King. So, they dug up the Creature, and went after the Bracelet of Anubis, which, luckily, had fallen into the hands of my old friends, Rick and Evelyn O'Connell."
Once again, Ardeth spun the story about the mummy returning. This one was more elaborate, and his hands moved about as he told his brother about the flying ship, the wall of water, Alex, the bracelet, the sand castles, Horus, Lock-nah, the pygmies, the Army of Anubis. Evy's death, how Alex brought her back, how she is a reincarnated princess, how Rick is a reincarnated Med-jai, his tattoo. The scepter, how they beat the Scorpion King, how the oasis collapsed in on itself, and, finally, how Jonathan had pulled the diamond off the top of the gold pyramid.
This time, when Ardeth finished the story, Tarek just stared at him, eyes wide. He sat for a minute, then finally said.
"Huh…and this Army of Anubis…good warriors?"
"Good…for nine-foot tall dog like creatures."
Another long pause. "Huh. Well, I think that is enough story telling for tonight, g'night."
"Good night, Tarek, sleep well. I will keep the first watch."
Ardeth watched as his brother rolled over, pulled a thin blanket over himself, and drifted to sleep. It was a sight that Ardeth had not seen on more then twenty years, and with a sigh, he continued to watch his brother sleep.
The hawk swooped down and glided over the two, until Ardeth held out his leather gloved hand, and the bird landed on it with grace. Ardeth, who had stopped his horse, pet the bird gently and took a small bag off the bird's foot, pulling out the small note that was inside. Opening it, he read the note with a smile on his face, and sighed as he folded up the note.
"What did it say?"
"It said that when we get to Cairo, there will be identification there for you, with a new name and life. That we will use to get you out of Egypt."
"Anything else?"
"It said that my wife is going to Cairo to visit some old friends."
"Wife?" Tarek asked, eyebrow raised. "Do I know her?"
"Not likely, but if you did…I don't think it would surprise me."
Ardeth pulled out a tiny piece of paper and wrote a small message on it, folded it up, and stuck it into the small ouch on the bird's leg. He gave the hawk another quick pat, then sent it skyward. It flew off in the direction it had come.
"What did you say?"
"Just a message to my wife." He rode off again.
"So, who is this mystery woman who stole my little brother's heart?" Tarek said, as he rode along side Ardeth.
"Her name is Emily, and she is an American."
"Really? Well, how did you get that passed the Elders?"
"It was not easy, but I would not take no for an answer, and everyone in town loved her as much as I did, so we married. All the Elders except for Jakum excepted her. It took Emily saving his life for him to finally except her into the Med-jai."
"Huh, and what is this Emily like?"
Ardeth thought for a while, then said, "She is the very food of my life. If I did not have her with me, I think I would be dead right now. She is strong, loving, and beautiful. She is…a warrior and a queen. I love her more then life its self, and I could not even begin to think about what life would be like with out her. It pains me knowing I will be away from her for so long…"
"Well, brother, I'm happy you found love."
"I have found more then that…"
"She give you any children?"
"Yes, Tomas, and he is four. He is the greatest little thing in my life. Him and Em make me complete."
"Tomas?"
"It was her father's name."
"Hum."
"What about you, Tarek, have you found love?"
"I did, but sadly, I lost it."
"I'm sorry. May I ask the story?"
"Her name was Fara, and we fell in love the second we met. But she was…she was killed. It has been about five years since that happened."
Ardeth winced as he thought about almost losing Emily five years before.
"But I do not wish to go into the story more then that, it pains me so."
"I understand, believe me, I understand."
Tarek smiled at his little brother and the rest of the ride was silent.
~~
They reached Cairo at nightfall, and they hid Tarek and the horses in a small stable that was used by the Med-jai when they were in town. Ardeth sat out of foot to get what he needed, and he crossed town in record time, entering a small shop only 3 minutes after they reached the city. He crossed to the back of the store, behind the counter, and into a tiny back room. In there was a small elderly man who smiled as Ardeth entered.
"Master Bay, the paper work you requested." The small man handed Ardeth a large envelope. He opened it and spilled its contents on a table. In it was a passport, and identification card. Each had to be signed by Tarek with his new name, Furuz Mahkbhubi.
"Um…old friend, this name…it is a little…strange." Ardeth said, looking at the name.
"No, Master Bay, it is a perfect name. Believe me."
The Med-jai looked at the old man side ways, then sighed. There was nothing he could do but take the papers and hope no one asked questions. He put all the papers back into the envelope, paid the man, and left the store quickly. Again crossing the town in record time, he was relieved to find Tarek still in the stable when he got back. Ardeth handed his brother the papers and left again, off to pick up supplies and other things for the long trip they would be taking. He went to all the shops that the Med-jai used, and picked up everything he needed.
Placing everything on a tab, so he could save money for future stops in other towns. As he bought his items, he saw Evelyn O'Connell pass by the window of the store, talking with a tall man he could not see, but he assumed it was her brother or husband. Ardeth was happy they did not see him, for he did not have time to stop and talk with his old friends, although he did really want to at least say hello. He also made a quick stop at a tiny bank, getting a small amount of money out of an account he and Emily had there.
Went he got back to his brother, they loaded the horses and were ready to set out again. Ardeth knew it would be helpful if they got well away of Cairo before they stop to rest, but they did not leave just then. Ardeth, with the help of a small lantern, wrote a quick letter in a language that Tarek had never seen before. He wrote about a half a page of it, before folding the letter and placing it in a small envelope, and addressing the front in the same strange language. Under the strange words, he wrote something in English as well.
"Come on, we must ride through a part of Cairo so that I may drop off this letter." Ardeth said as he mounted his horse.
"What the hell kind of language is that?" Tarek asked as he mounted his own horse.
"It is a special language that only one other person in this world knows."
Tarek did not ask any more questions about the letter. They rode as quickly as they could, before coming to a stop in front of a large, gated home. Ardeth quickly jumped from his horse, took the letter, and stuck it in a small mailbox that was implanted in the wall. He mounted the animal again and they rode off, leaving the house behind them.
"Who's home was that?" Tarek asked, as they rode off.
"Just some old friends of mine." Came the reply. Then there was silence until they stopped for the night, about five miles out side Cairo.
~~
"Aunt Emily," the soft voice rang in her ears, "Aunt Emily, it is time to get up. You leave for Cairo soon."
Emily groined as she sat up, opening her eyes, looking into the face of her 16-year-old nephew.
"Ok, ok Codei, I'm getting up." She said, looking around, her eyes landing on her sleeping son, where her husband should have been. With a sigh, she swung her legs off her bed, as Codei left the room. Emily began to dress for the day, loose pants, and a tank top. It was really all she wore when she left the city; it was she felt most comfortable in. As she was doing so, Meelesh entered, in traditional Med-jai riding clothes for women.
"I suggest you wear the riding clothes." She said, "It will be hotter for you if you wear that."
Emily looked at her clothes, and then at Meelesh's clothes. "Oh...alright. By the way, where are you going?"
"I am going with you."
"Why?" Emily pulled out her own riding clothes, and began to dress in them.
"Because I want to, that's why. Besides, I want to make sure you and the baby are going to be fine."
"You really don't have to come, Meelesh, I will be fine."
"I am going with you wither you like it or not, so get used to having me around. We will leave in 20 minutes." She left the room.
With a sigh, Emily crossed to her sleeping Tom, and gently woke him up. She helped him get dressed and get his things together. He had not been to Cairo since he was one, and he was excited to go. Ten minutes later, Emily and little Tom left their home, and walked to the city kitchen, where they ate a small breakfast. All the time, Emily could not help but think of her missing husband, she wondered what he was doing, who he was with, when he would come home. Looking at their child, she realized how much he looked like Ardeth. His jet black, curly head of hair, his thin top lip and full bottom lip. He was a mini-Ardeth, except for his eyes. Tom had Emily's light, olive green eyes, and it made him more beautiful then both his parents. But that was fitting, for he WAS both his parents in one little body. She insisted that he be named after her beloved father, and Ardeth did not disagree with her. This memory took her back to another, when she had first told Ardeth they were going to be parents.
~~
"Ardeth!" Emily called out, her hand placed firmly on her stomach. She walked to the back of their city, where her husband was teaching young warriors to fight.
He was in the process of taking a young warrior down when he heard her call out his name. He did not look up; he went for a quick "kill" and ran off to his wife.
"You called?" he said with a smile. Since Emily and he married, his smiles were more frequent, and she loved it when he did smile.
"We need to talk, follow me." she moved her finger in a "Come hither" fashion, and started to walk to their tent. Ardeth's smile widened as he followed his lovely wife. When they entered their home, Ardeth removed his turban, and Emily grabbed his robes and pulled him into her, kissing him deeply.
When the kiss broke, Ardeth looked at her; his eyebrow raised a bit.
"What was that for?" he said, as Emily wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh...you know…just because." He wrapped his own arms around her back, holding her close to him.
"You pulled me away from training for that?" He said in a mocking manner.
"Not just that, I have some news for you."
"And that is…?"
She pulled away from him, took his right hand, and laid it on her stomach. As she did this, his eyes got real big, and he knew what was coming.
"We better get a bigger tent." She said softly, a smile making her way across her face. Ardeth went pale from the shock.
"Your…I mean…we're going to be…there's a little us in there?" His eyes lit up as they stared at her midsection; they were large and innocent, like a child's. He dropped to his knees and placed his hands on her sides, pulling her close, he then placed his ear up to her stomach, trying to hear their child. As he did this, Emily laughed and ran her hand through his hair.
"You could put it that way, yes." She said with a giggle. He took his head away and looked up at her, his eyes shining and wide.
"I though you knew about babies and all this stuff." She said gently.
"I do! I just have never had…a little me inside of someone before!" this made her laugh even harder.
"Well, I have never had a little person inside me before, so we're both new at this!"
He let out a little laugh and placed his head back on her stomach. Emily couldn't believe how this news turned her strong, powerful, warrior husband into an innocent child. He stood, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply.
"I want to see it!" He said when the kiss broke. "I want to see that it looks like!"
"No, no, no. You have to wait for a few months before you can see it."
Ardeth pouted, "Oh…how long do I have to wait?"
"Meelesh said I was about 2 months along, so you will have to wait for about 7 months."
He pouted again, "That's to long…"
When he pouted, she wanted to throw him on their bed and take him then and there, but she held back.
"I'm sorry, my love, but you have to wait!"
Ardeth kissed Emily again.
"I don't mind that at all," he said softly, "As long as it is no longer then 7 months."
"I hope not!" she exclaimed, "it's going to be hard enough to carry this him around for 7 months!"
"Him?" Ardeth said with a smile.
"Or her." She said, kissing him again.
"You know, I need an heir to the Med-jai…"
"I don't care, I want a daughter!"
They kissed again, long and deep.
"Or…a son would be nice…" Emily said, melting in his arms, Ardeth laughed.
That night, there was much rejoicing at the news of the pregnant queen. And seven months later, after screaming all the swear words she could think of, and swearing to never let Ardeth touch her again, Emily gave birth to their son, causing both mother and father to break down in joyful tears.
~~
"Emily!" It pulled her out of her memory, turning, she saw Meelesh looking at her.
"What?"
"Are you ok?"
"Fine…why?"
"You were just sitting there…staring."
Emily sighed and stood up, "I was just…remembering." She looked around and saw that Tom was gone, and with Meelesh at her side, walked to the City entrance. There, Codei was holding Tom, tickling him. They women mounted their horses, and Codei handed Tom up to his mother. She placed him in front of her on the saddle, and told him to hold on tight. At this point, Ahmad came out to bid his wife and sister-in-law goodbye, telling them to be careful, and that he would take care of everything on his end. Meelesh blew him a kiss, and told him she loved him, he did the same. Two of the Med-jai warriors packed up the supply horse, and then mounted themselves. When everyone was ready, the queen, prince, and princess of the Med-jai, along with six warriors, thundered out of the city and into the early morning.
~~
The two-day ride was uneventful. Tom loved riding through the desert, and wanted to stop at every interesting thins he saw, which, for a 4-year-old, was a lot. And except for Tom's persistent questions, and Emily's constant answers, the ride was silent. That night, they stopped behind a large dune, and sat up a small camp, complete with a tiny fire. Two Med-jai stood on top a large dune, keeping watch, and the other 4 sat with Emily, Meelesh, and Tom, by the fire. They all sat in silence, for little Tom had fallen asleep.
"How do you feel?" Meelesh asked, looking at Emily, who was laying on her back, one hand over her stomach.
"Fine," she said softly. "I miss Ardeth."
"I bet he misses you just as much."
"Why did you never tell me about Tarek?"
Meelesh let out a soft sigh, and stared at the fire for a little bit before she answered.
"Because, like with Ardeth, he is dead to me. I was only 15 when it happened, I lost my father and my brother in the same week, and it was horrible."
"Do you ever think about him, now?"
"Sometimes…but not often."
Emily sighed and sat up, tipping her head back so she could stare up at the sky. Oh…how she wanted to be in Ardeth's arms. She knew they were sappy in their affection for each other, but she did not care. She loved him, and he loved her. He meant the world to her, and being with out him for this long was going to be just horrific. Emily wondered what he was doing right then, and where he was. The night before she received a message from Ardeth's messenger falcon, and it told her he loved her, he would miss her, and would be back as quickly as he could. It also said to tell his friends hello for him, and that a letter would be waiting for her when she got to the O'Connell's house. With a yawn, Emily laid back on her soft bedroll, pulled Tom in close to her, and covered the both of them with a blanket. Meelesh too, laid on her bedroll and pulled a blanket over herself. They wished each other, and their bodyguards a good night.
~~
If silence is golden, then Ardeth and Tarek would be rich. Barely ten words passed between the two brothers during the day, and even less were spoken that night. And as Ardeth laid back on his own bedroll, staring up at the very same sky his wife was looking at, he thought about her, and how he had gotten into this.
~~
"Some things never change." Ardeth said bitterly, in response to Tarek telling him he was in trouble.
"Yeah, like your attitude towards me." Tarek shot back, staring his brother down. "Come on, cant you untie my hands? I'm not going anywhere."
Ardeth sighed as he crossed to the back of the chair his brother was sitting in, pulled out a dagger from his robes, and sliced though the robe that was around Tarek's hands.
"Thank you." He said, bringing his arms around to the front of his body, rubbing his wrists.
"So, why are you in trouble?" Ardeth said, crossing around to the chair that was in front of Tarek's.
"About…five months ago, I ran into this group of men, and they wanted me to take them to Humanaptra. I knew that if I were to take them there, not only would you kill them, but kill me as well."
Ardeth nodded. If any Med-jai were to ever tell another how to get to the city of the dead, they would be killed.
"Yet, I needed the money, so I told them I would take them there. Instead, I took them to the temple of Set, asked for my money, and then escaped that night. Since then, they have been hunting me down, wanting to kill me. There is a rather large bounty on my head, so there are now many who have been trying to find and kill me."
"Why does that sound like something that you would get yourself into?" Ardeth asked, his voice full of bitter feelings towards his brother.
"I needed the money, Brother, I did what I had to do. Do you understand what it has been like for the past twenty years, trying my damnedest to get by! Doing odd jobs all around this damn Egypt just to put food in my mouth!"
"You put yourself in that position, Tarek. It is no ones fault but your own that your life has ended up this way!"
"So, what, is every time I talk to you end up a guilt trip?"
"What do you want me to say to you? That it is all ok? All is forgiven, come back home with me and start over again? What do you want? Money? Food? Shelter? I don't know how to help you Tarek! It is your fault that your people disowned you! And maybe you should have thought about what could happen to you, before you went off with those thieves and ruined your life! So what do you want now? To come back to the Med-jai, pretending that everything is fine, just so you can stay alive a little while longer, because yet another bad choice YOU made has turned itself into your own death warrant!"
Tarek sat back, stunned. Never had he seen his little brother act like this, never had he seen Ardeth snap in such a way. They both sat silent for a minute, trying to figure out what to say next.
"Look," Tarek said finally, "I know that you must hate me for what happened. For what I did…but I need your help. There are about fifty men out there who want to kill me, and I don't want to die! I know I screwed things up for myself, and I can't change that. I don't know anyone else in this whole world that can help me but you, and if I have to get on my knees and beg for your help, I will. Why else do you think I came here? I knew that you would never let anyone take over a Med-jai well, but when I heard about some bandits who were stupid enough to try, I had to get in on it. It's not like I can just ride up to the Med-jai City and come see you. So I got in on this plan to take over that well out there, in hopes that it would bring me to you. And it did. So now I am asking for your help in fixing this mess I got myself into."
"I am not the one to clean up your messes, Tarek."
"I know, but who else in this whole damn world could I go to, huh? Can you name one person who would help me? Its not like I can just hop on a ship, and go somewhere else. They've got guys at the docks, with my picture, waiting for just that!" He lowered his tone. "Ardeth, I need to get out of Egypt. For so many reasons. And I know only you who could help me. Please don't turn me away." His eyes became small and sad, as they silently pleaded with Ardeth to help him.
Ardeth looked at his older brother for a long time, his mind working in a million different ways. How could he possible help the man who sat in front of him. Why would he want to help him. How could he get his brother safely out of the country. Izzy? Ardeth shot that thought down right after he thought it. He knew one thing for cretin, there was no way Tarek Bay could ever rejoin the Med-jai.
After all Tarek had done to the Bay family name, why should Ardeth help him? There Tarek was, young, strong, handsome, the heir to the kingship of the Med-jai. Yet he had gone off and gotten involved with thieves in Cairo. No one ever really knew why he got involved with them, but he had. Then, Omar Bay had been killed in battle, and it came time for Tarek to take over as king. But he was caught while stealing something from a home in Cairo, and he whole dark life discovered by his people. It shamed and pained his family to watch the events unfold, and it pushed his already brokenhearted mother to the breaking point. For days, she and the tribe elders discussed the future of young, Tarek Bay. And finally, they decided to disown him. It was a harsh punishment, and the elders nor Ardeth's mother never talked about why they decided it, but it was what they chose. So, Tarek was kicked out of the lives of the Med-jai, never to be allowed back into the twelve tribes again, and Ardeth took over as King of the Med-jai.
Ardeth himself hated Tarek for ruining his life in such a way. He had always looked up to his big brother for guidance and strength. Then he betrayed his people and his family in such a horrible way. And after all that had happened, an 18 year-old Ardeth was shoved into the kingship, not knowing what to do, and how to do it. All his life, Ardeth was never taught the ways of the Med-jai Chieftain, it was always Tarek who got those lessons. Then he was king, and he had no idea what to do. Ardeth was thankful for his mother and the elders, for they helped him through everything. Soon, all the Med-jai forgot about Tarek Bay. All, except Ardeth and Meelesh, who would stay up late nights to talk about their brother. But soon, even they had forgotten about him. Life went on with out Tarek Bay, and then there he was, back in Ardeth's life. Unannounced, and uninvited. Yet, Ardeth knew he could not turn his brother away, even after all he had done to him.
That night, Ardeth came up with a plan to get Tarek safely out of the country. They would pick up some false identification in Cairo, then go on the week long ride to Damietta, a port town at the very top of Egypt, right on the Mediterranean Sea. He would see to it that his brother would get on the boat safely, then leave, making the long trip back to his wife and child. The boat would take Tarek to where he wanted to go, so that he could start a new and better life. Ardeth had a small amount of money for his brother, and would get some more when they would reach Cairo.
The next morning, Ardeth discussed it with both Ahmad and Tarek, and they both agreed that it was the best plan. Tarek was overjoyed that Ardeth was going to help him, but Ardeth himself was not too happy about the whole thing. It would mean two or more weeks away from his family, but Tarek was family to, and he could not bare to see his brother's death.
~~
So, here he was. In the desert, under the stars, laying next to his brother on bedrolls, stomachs barely full, mind racing. With a sigh, he looked over at his older brother. Tarek was a year and a half-older then Ardeth, and he was about the same height. Had the same hair, color, length, and slight wave to it. For 19 years, Tarek had told him, he had covered his Med-jai tattoos with make up, so that no one would knew he was once a Med-jai, but now, on this small trip, his tattoos remained uncovered. They were very different from Ardeth's. Where as Ardeth had matching symbols on his cheeks, and a long string of symbols across his forehead, Tarek had two different symbols on his cheeks, and a short string across his forehead. Yet both men had the strange tattoos on their hands, the three points. Ardeth wore his sacred marks with pride and Tarek wore his in shame.
Tarek was laying back, looking up at the stars as well, when he felt his brother's glare. He turned to Ardeth, propping himself up on one elbow.
"Tell me brother, what has life been like as Chieftain of the Med-jai?"
Ardeth snorted. "More hectic then you might think. I have had to do more then Father had to do, that's for sure."
"Really? Like…?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Hey…we have not said 20 words to each other today, talk! I may not get another chance to spend such time with you."
For the first time today, Ardeth smiled. He to sat up, and began his story.
"Four years into my Kingship, Some foreigners came to Humanaptra, and while we attacked them, we did not kill them. We really should have, but we did not. You see, they found the Creature, and worse, they awoke him."
"They…they woke up Imhotep?"
"Yep. Oh…were the Elders not pleased. Well, the Creature went to Cairo to go after the men who had opened the sacred chest, and there, both he and I ran into the fools who brought him back. And the Creature wanted the Woman, Evelyn, as a human sacrifice to bring back Anack-su-namun…"
Ardeth spun the story of the first time they all had a run in with Imhotep, complete with the plane ride he took, killing the mummies, the room of gold, and right down to Rick using Ardeth's cheek to light a match.
"It hurt like hell." He told his brother. "So, Rick threw the dynamite at the mummies, and was able to kill them, but not stop all of them. So, as Rick and Jonathan got the Book of Amun-ra , I ran into this hallway full of these mummies, and I started to beat them off with this riffle, and I was doing an ok job, but couldn't get the upper hand. Something inside me told me to turn to the right, and I did, and right as I did, these huge blast tore through the hall. Burning all the mummies to…well…to death. And as I turned to look to see where it came from, I saw Rick and Jonathan run past me, and turn left, to go save Evy. They did not see me, but I saw them, and sent a prayer to Allah that they could save the girl and kill the Creature. They succeeded, and I am grateful that they did."
"Wow…" Was all Tarek had gotten out. Ardeth told the story like it was nothing, just a walk in the park. "You speak of it like it was nothing, like it was simple to take down the Creature."
"Well, that time, I had an easy part, but the second time…"
"Second time?"
"You see, Imhotep had some followers. I do not know why, but he did, and about nine yeas after he was put back into the ground, he was dug up again. His followers wanted to bring him back, so that he could go and fight the Scorpion King. So, they dug up the Creature, and went after the Bracelet of Anubis, which, luckily, had fallen into the hands of my old friends, Rick and Evelyn O'Connell."
Once again, Ardeth spun the story about the mummy returning. This one was more elaborate, and his hands moved about as he told his brother about the flying ship, the wall of water, Alex, the bracelet, the sand castles, Horus, Lock-nah, the pygmies, the Army of Anubis. Evy's death, how Alex brought her back, how she is a reincarnated princess, how Rick is a reincarnated Med-jai, his tattoo. The scepter, how they beat the Scorpion King, how the oasis collapsed in on itself, and, finally, how Jonathan had pulled the diamond off the top of the gold pyramid.
This time, when Ardeth finished the story, Tarek just stared at him, eyes wide. He sat for a minute, then finally said.
"Huh…and this Army of Anubis…good warriors?"
"Good…for nine-foot tall dog like creatures."
Another long pause. "Huh. Well, I think that is enough story telling for tonight, g'night."
"Good night, Tarek, sleep well. I will keep the first watch."
Ardeth watched as his brother rolled over, pulled a thin blanket over himself, and drifted to sleep. It was a sight that Ardeth had not seen on more then twenty years, and with a sigh, he continued to watch his brother sleep.