Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I have no claim on any of the characters, except for the "mystery woman", and I do not in any way attempt to make a claim. I write only to entertain.

Ardeth awoke to find himself being dragged across sand. Although the world still blurred and shimmered, it was not nearly as bad as back at the house, and he could determine the shape of a partly ruined temple rising before him. He tried to struggle against whoever held him, but his limbs had no co-ordination, and he had little control over them.

The air inside the temple was blessedly cool, the darkness a relief from the blazing sun outside. Was it still the same day, or had some time passed? He tried to think of temples that were near Cairo, but his mind failed him, unable to think coherently.

They finally reached a large room, and Ardeth was released. He sagged to the floor, unable to support himself with his bound hands, but doubting that he would be able to, even had his arms been free. The stone floor was cool and gritty against his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to summon greater concentration and focus.

"Thank you. You can go now."

The woman's voice rang out, clear and sweet, and unmistakably English. Also unmistakable was that tone of her voice - the sense of authority not expecting to be disobeyed. Ever. The sound of feet heading away from him told him that her order had been obeyed.

Painfully, Ardeth managed to struggle to his knees, swaying with exhaustion and disorientation. As his vision finally stopped blurring, and proper eyesight returned, he stared at the woman sat before him. The young woman. She had long, golden hair that tumbled in waves around her face and down her shoulders. She was beautiful, but her expression was proud. And cruel. And mocking. Her long, slender fingers were clasping a sword which rested over her knees. A sword which seemed much to large and heavy for her to hold. A sword Ardeth recognised. His own.

"I don't suppose you recognise me". The woman leant forwards, hair tumbling over her shoulder, her voice quietly amused.

"I do". In contrast, Ardeth's voice was ragged, strained, a hoarse voice that he scarcely recognised as his own. The woman raised one flawless eyebrow in a kind of amused curiosity, but Ardeth was speaking the truth. He didn't really recognise her face that well, but he could see in it the features of the girl he had seen years ago. And her eyes were the same. He didn't think he could forget her stunning, dark blue eyes - a colour they rarely, if ever saw among the desert people. Most of the emotions in them were different to the ones he'd seen all those years ago, but there was no mistaking her eyes.

"I'm impressed". The young woman stood up and walked down the steps from the throne where she'd been sat, hefting the sword as she did. She held it in one hand and flipped it around, testing the balance, spinning it so that the blade caught and reflected the sunlight streaming in to the room and sending it spraying out in shards of brightness. Then she caught Ardeth's eye, gave him a sweet smile, and brought the sword crashing down onto the stone ground.. The curved metal sword blade hit the stone and shattered, thousand of tiny fragments sent flying outwards. Some hit Ardeth, and he flinched despite himself. But the metal shards barely hurt him - didn't even pierce his flesh. Because they weren't metal anymore. He stared at the woman, who held the hilt of his shattered sword in her hand.

"That's impossible" he whispered despite himself. It was impossible that anyone could shatter a metal sword that well-crafted so easily, but the shards that had hit Ardeth weren't metal. They were ice. Even now, the fragments lying around the temple were melting, dissipating. He felt as if one shard of ice had lodged in his heart, sending ice pouring through his veins.

"Just to let you know that all your skill won't be of any use to you here." The woman gave another self-satisfied smile, and tossed the hilt carelessly away. It hit the temple wall and bounced away, falling to the floor. For one long moment the echoes of the contact chimed through the air, and then even they were lost, leaving nothing but the broken hilt of a fractured sword behind.

"I notice that you still wear yours" he commented, nodding towards the slender sword strapped around her waist. She just shrugged, and smiled again. He shivered despite himself, the smile sending another echo of ice shivering through his veins. He had, in his time, faced the minions of the Creature, if not the Creature itself, but a smiling young woman seemed somehow more frightening.

"Why are you doing this?"

The woman took several steps closer and reached down, lifting up Ardeth's chin with one finger and tilting his head towards her. She stared into his eyes, dark-blue eyes blazing with power meeting his own dark-brown eyes, which possessed as much strength of character but much less confidence. For once, she didn't smile. "Revenge" she murmured softly, and as Ardeth stared into the young woman's eyes, both of them remembered the past, the first time the