Chapter 10

They had silently ridden closer to the site of Am Shere and Ardeth split up his men, giving each group a section of the site and the half-excavated pyramid to take control over. It did not take the experienced band long to overpower the German soldiers positioned across the site and kill or take them prisoner. After the Medjai had taken control, Ardeth collected a group of Medjai around him and followed the O'Connells and Jonathan into the pyramid, leaving the rest to stand guard outside and be prepared to fight the army of Anubis should it raise up.

Silently, the group made their way through the darkness inside the pyramid of Am Shere. In the distance, they could see flickering lights and heard voices chanting. Ahead of them was an opening in the dark stone wall, leading into the main chamber. Ardeth placed his finger over his lips in a motion to be quite and then pointed down the corridor. His people had guarded the pyramid of Am Shere for centuries and even though he himself had never been inside, he knew the layout from the old scriptures. The O'Connells and Jonathan followed him down a small corridor and up a flight of stairs until they found themselves on a balcony overlooking the main chamber. Down below them, they could see a group of German soldiers and Evie recognised Professor Schwanter among them. He stood in front of a stoner altar, which was decorated with candles and flowers. Around the edges, Evie could make out hieroglyphs, but she was too far away to be able to decipher them.

"Well, looks like we're not too late." Rick whispered and pulled his gun out from its holster.

At that moment, Schwanter placed the bracelet of Anubis onto the altar and raised his hands above his head, chanting solemnly. The pyramid shook and sand trickled from the ceiling at the German's words and out of the ground rose the army of Anubis.

Ardeth looked at Rick. "You were saying?" he hissed and pulled his scimitar out from his belt.

Outside, the Medjai watched as an army of unholy creatures rose from the sands in front and around them. Steadying their weapons, the black-clad warriors breathed hard, waiting for the creatures to attack them. But the Anubis warriors didn't move and stood as if waiting for some command. The Medjai exchanged confused looks.

Inside the pyramid, Ardeth and Rick also exchange confused glances. "Why are they not attacking?" Rick whispered and Ardeth shrugged.

"I am not sure."

Evie peered over the balcony. "I think they are waiting for a command from their master. And unless the German's finish the spell, they won't move for anybody!"

Below, the German General had recovered from his initial shock at seeing half decomposed creatures raise from the sands. He took a deep breath and paced between them, sizing them up and feeling increasingly move comfortable in his shoes. Then he turned to Schwanter. "Schwanter, they're just standing there! How do we control them?"

Schwanter cleared his throat. "I think we need some sort of command. Something like a key to unlock them. It's got to be in this text somewhere."

The General looked over at the academic. "Well, Professor! Do your thing!"

Schwanter wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and looked down at the scroll in front of him. "It talks about a chosen one and his return."

The German soldier sighed. "Yes, well, we'll deal with him once he gets here. What about the Army of Anubis? Switch them on already! We don't have all day!"

Schwanter's eyes searched the document. "There are many symbols in this text I have never seen before. They are definitely not ancient Egyptian or Coptic, but . ah, here it is! Once the army has risen a second time, through the sacrifice of a warrior heart a man can . can . can .

"Can what?"

"I don't know. I have never seen this symbol before!"

"What do you mean? I thought you're the great linguist here!"

"Well, it looks like . looks like . er . 'command'! 'Through the sacrifice of a warrior heart a man can

command the unholy army'."

Above the chamber, Rick turned to Evie and smiled. "You were right, Evie," he said. "They didn't get the translation right!"

Evie nodded. "It's 'destroy' not 'command'!"

Jonathan leaned over. "But how does that help us now? Unless of course we can find some poor sod who is willing to let himself be sacrificed by the Germans to send the army back!"

Rick and Evie exchanged a worried glance and looked past Jonathan.

"Where is Ardeth?" Evie asked, but somehow she knew the answer already.

"Damn!" Rick swore and looked carefully over the ledge down into main chamber, searching the room below them for their Medjai friend. He spotted him standing behind a pillar in the shadows. Rick slumped back down with his back against the wall. "I swear, he is killing me with this!" The American opened the cartridge of his pistol and checked the amount of bullets left in it and reloaded. "If he does this 'save the girl, kill the creature!' thing one more time, then I swear to God, I will ."

"Rick!" Evie said and shook his arm. Rick slowly turned, looked over the ledge and froze. Below them, a German soldier was holding a gun against Ardeth's head and pushed him out of the shadows and into the centre of the room.

The General walked leisurely up to the Medjai and stopped in front of him, glearing into the other man's eyes. "Mr Bey, we meet again." he said. "We missed your company when we visited your home. And the hospitality of your people. Especially your wife. I have heard that she is quite a beauty."

Ardeth's eyes narrowed in hatred and he struggled against the arm that restrained him. "As Allah is my witness, you will pay for what you have done."

Professor Schwanter walked up to the Medjai and held the scroll in front of him. "Can you read this?" he asked.

Ardeth's eyes flew over the text and he shrugged. "Maybe." he said.

He didn't have enough time to brace himself, before the German soldier behind him drove the but of his rifle into his back and he gasped as the motion drove the air out of his lungs and sent a flash of pain through his body.

"Can you read this?" Schwanter asked again.

Ardeth steadied himself after taking a few deep breaths and looked at the German academic. "Yes." He hissed under clenched teeth.

"Then what does it say?"

Ardeth seemed to hesitate for a moment and then took a deep breath. "Through the sacrifice of a warrior heart a man can destroy the unholy army."

In their hiding spot, Evie gasped. "What is he doing, for God's sake? He's giving it all away!"

Rick took her hand and squeezed it.

In the main chamber, the General walked up to the Medjai warrior and looked him over. "Destroy, huh?" Then he turned to Schwanter, a questioning look in his eyes.

"He's lying." the Professor said and shrugged. "He is obviously trying to stop us from controlling the army. Afterall, that is what he's sworn to do. Our translation must be correct!"

The General nodded, disgust in his eyes. Then he laughed dryly. "Yes, I agree, Schwanter. And as we need a warrior heart to sacrifice, I guess we just found us one." He looked at Ardeth. "I guess you are the chosen one."

Ardeth looked at the German soldier, trying to suppress his fear of what was about to happen to him.

The professor stepped closer to the Medjai and in a flash he raised his hand, holding a ceremonial dagger and sliced across the Arab's chest, drawing blood. Ardeth hissed in pain, but tried to keep his eyes focussed on the man in front of him. The German took the dagger, now covered in blood and walked over to the altar. He placed the weapon in the middle of the circle and instantly, the symbols around the sides of the rock began to glow.

"You are the one." he stuttered in astonishment. "Unbelievably lucky for us! You are the chosen one. Two flies with one slap!"

Ardeth's eyes went wide in shook. It was Rick who carried the mark of the chosen one. How could the altar mistake his blood for that of ... Suddenly all made sense and Ardeth understood. The prophecy was true, just as he had tried to convince his American friend. Rick O'Connell was the chosen one, the lost Medjai whose arrival was prophecised by the elders. He was of the same of blood as the Medjai. But time was running out now and in Ardeth's head, he heard the words of Hassan over and over again: only the sacrifice of a warrior heart will sent the Army of Anubis back into their realm and seal their faith.

And Ardeth knew what he had to do.

"Yes, I am the one." he said firmly as he raised his head up proudly. "If it is a sacrifice you require, then it will be me."



*



Above the chamber, Rick stared at Evie at the words of the professor and Ardeth's reply in shock. "Oh no, he is not getting away with this." Evie grabbed his hand and he looked at her. "He is not gonna sacrifice himself for me." He checked the remaining ammunition in his revolver. "This Medjai honour thing and this chosen one business has gone far enough."

Evie shook her head. "What his he doing? Why is he playing that game with them and allows them to kill him?"

Jonathan stood behind the couple. "Well, he knows something they don't."

Rick turned around. "What?"

The Briton shrugged. "I don't know. I mean he knows he's not the chosen one, but maybe he believes that his death will stop the Army of Anubis?"

Evie and Rick stopped dead and stared at each other. Jonathan looked at them. "What? What did I say?"

"The sacrifice of a warrior heart!" Rick and Evie said as one.

"That selfish son of a ..."