He didn't know where he was.
He couldn't see, couldn't hear, could barely even think above the almost reflexive confusion that swirled around, then everything was blindingly clear, and he was in the desert. He blinked, wondering what had happened. The last thing he had remembered was a loud, popping sound…
And then a sudden, sharp pain, and the French child crying out 'no!'.
Then blackness.
Was he dead?
He shuddered at that, and hoped to Allah he was not. Not yet, not when the three Germans still had to be stopped. And he was in the desert…? He looked around. Nothing, just the immensity of the Sahara. He tried to cry out, but could not. He had no voice…he was mute and alone…
Suddenly, a thundering noise came from far off, causing the ground the shake and a whirlwind of sand appeared over the horizon. Something was coming…something large.
Dangerous.
He took out his gun…which was not a gun, but a scimitar. He stared at it, shaking his head, wondering if this was some sort of test for entering the Afterlife. Some sort of judgment. He hoped to Allah he was not dead, but if he was, well, then…
He would pass this test.
The thundering grew closer and the sand parted, revealing the strangest army he had ever seen. First off, it almost seemed that the men went on forever…there were more of them then he could ever imagine. Secondly, and perhaps more strangely, it was a fusion of ancient-looking Egyptian troops, Classical warriors, European-clothed soldiers, and others he could not identify, and at the head was one man on a large, black horse.
Something glinted off the horse.
The bridle!
He steadied himself. The ancient Warrior-King, who had founded the power of the bridle, raised a golden sword, leading the army of timeless soldiers forward…closer…
Suddenly, he heard a very, very familiar voice cry out in fear. He looked over in shock.
"JONATHAN!?" he cried, rushing over to the Englishman, who was looking around in sheer terror. Jonathan didn't seem to hear him, he just continued sweeping the invaded desert fearfully.
He was about to reach over and touch the Englishman to alert him to his presence when another familiar figure appeared, a woman wearing a golden necklace with an aquamarine pendant.
Greta von Lintzer.
"Take this! Please!" Greta pleaded, removing the necklace and thrusting it at Jonathan. Her eyes were big and wide, and filled with tears, and her hands shook as she shoved the necklace forward.
The army was getting closer…
Then two large men appeared, and he felt like he was in the middle of some odd reunion…they were Josef and Gerhard, of course. If he were dead, he reflected, a lot of other people were as well.
The two large Germans grabbed Greta's shoulders before she could hand the necklace to Jonathan, who was staring at the pendant in horrified intensity.
The roaring mass of soldiers from every imaginable type of army was almost there, and the Warrior-King on his black horse was visible against the white-hot sun of the Sahara. The sun-beams glinted off the aquamarine jewels of the horse's elaborate bridle, and an aura of total, unchecked power emanated from the man.
The Warrior-King cried out something in the ancient language of the Sahara. He translated it quickly as 'THE ARMIES OF THE DESERT ARE MINE!'
Gerhard and Josef had dragged Greta and the necklace from Jonathan, who was starting to chase after them, and the Armies of the Desert were upon them…
Suddenly, a small, scared voice…
And a light…a different sort of…
"WAKE UP!"
Ardeth Bay's eyes flew open, and he looked around in disorientated confusion.
***
Suzette almost burst into tears of relief when her Med-Jai friend awoke, looking up at her blearily. She had been so afraid that he had been…dead. Suzette had only known these men a few days, but they already meant something to her. After all, you can only go through so many near-death experiences with someone before striking some sort of bond with them. And she wanted more than anything for the Med-Jai to be all right. He simply had to be!
"Ardeth! Are you all right!?" Rick demanded, gently pushing Suzette aside so he could check his friend.
"Y-Yes, I think so…" Ardeth muttered, his voice fuzzy with pain.
"Where did they shoot him?" Evelyn demanded. She and Jonathan were standing over Rick and Suzette, holding hands in fear.
"In the side." Rick replied, the anger in his tone almost tangible. He had cut a strip from his jacket and had bound the bullet-wound, which, luckily, was not as bad as it could have been. Yet it still was bad. Rick wanted nothing more, at that moment, then to strangle those three Germans…even the woman. No one hurt his friends and got away with it…no one. Rick O'Connell would make sure those three Krauts learned that lesson.
"J-Jonathan…" Ardeth started. Talking hurt.
"Shh…it's all right," Jonathan started, seeing the agony the Med-Jai was in.
"No!" Ardeth breathed slowly. He had to tell them what he had seen. Jonathan walked away from Evelyn and knelt down in front of Ardeth, Suzette and Rick backing up to give him room.
"I-I saw…I saw your dream. The armies…and the woman…" Ardeth explained haltingly.
"What dream?" Evelyn frowned. Then she noticed Suzette for the first time. "And…I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Suzette Bonnvillian. My damned necklace started this whole thing." Suzette replied in disgust.
"Evelyn Carnahan." Evelyn introduced.
Suzette nodded, mustering up a half-hearted smile. She felt so damned guilty. This whole thing had started with her…if she had only taken that pawn-shop owner up on his stupid thirty francs, this whole thing would never have happened. And…she prayed fervently that Ardeth Bay would be all right. If anything happened to him, she would never be able to forgive herself. She stared down at the Med-Jai, trying not to cry.
"I had a dream…about a woman wearing the pendant. And it turned out to be Greta." Jonathan explained quietly. Evelyn still appeared confused, but she didn't persist. Jonathan turned back to Ardeth. "You saw it?"
The Med-Jai nodded.
"All right, we can discuss this later." Rick decided, eager for action. "Suzette, go start the car." He tossed the keys to the distraught French girl, who nodded and rushed out of the gun shop.
"Hey, is he gonna be all right?" Petey asked, peering up from behind the desk. He had been watching the proceedings in a nervous confusion…all the talk of dreams and pendants and such made absolutely no sense to him.
"I shall be fine." Ardeth assured, but he sounded weak and bleary still.
"I hope so. Come on, Jonathan, help me move him to the truck. We have to stop those damned Krauts before they manage to destroy the world, and besides that. I wanna teach them not to mess with my friends." Rick instructed, his voice taking on that authoritative tone he always slipped into when a situation looked bad. Rick O'Connell was good with pressure, and also good with pay-back.
"Can you stand at all?" Evelyn asked the Med-Jai.
"Perhaps…" He grunted, and struggled to his feet, but almost doubled-over in pain. Jonathan and Rick quickly supported him on both sides, leading him slowly and gently out of the store. Evelyn followed, grabbing her brother's rifle.
Out at the car, Suzette climb out of the cab and hopped into the bed as Rick and Jonathan laid out the Med-Jai so he would be somewhat comfortable. Then Rick and Evelyn got into the cab, and Rick started the truck.
"Suzette!" He called through the window. "Where did she say?"
"A British outpost, an abandoned British outpost…you said you knew where it was…?" Suzette returned.
"Oh, yes. Don't worry, we'll get there and take care of those jerks. Make sure he's all right." Rick instructed, and they pulled out of Petey's under-the-table gun market.
***
"An hour or so, and we should be there." Josef reported, glancing over at Greta. She was staring out the window, but her gaze was a million miles away. The light from the pendant was growing steadily brighter and brighter, bathing Greta's face in an odd, slightly sinister aquamarine light. Gerhard, in the back seat, smiled a bit. Soon.
"Why me?" Greta suddenly murmured. Her voice was different…darker.
"Why you what?" Gerhard demanded.
"Why is it me? I was chosen…not because I am an Egyptologist, or because I know the ancient world. It was something else, wasn't it? There is something…some connection between me and the pendant." Greta did not really ask this. It was more like a statement that she was laying out for Josef and Gerhard to confirm
"Ja, fraulein. The Fuhrer does not know that, though. We recommended you to him only on the basis of your studies alone. But we knew. We knew the truth of it. We knew that you would be the one to unlock the power of the bridle." Gerhard nodded in a dangerous, almost sensual tone. Greta smiled in a sinister way, the aquamarine light shinning deep in her eyes. It did not appear to be reflected light, either. The light seemed to be coming from Greta herself.
"The ancient King. The Warrior-King whose name has been lost to history…he foretold this." Josef added thoughtfully. "He foretold someone would rise up and harness the power that he built into the pendants. And you are that someone, Fraulein von Lintzer."
"Ja. Ja…and the Armies of the Desert…" Greta stared at the Sahara, rushing past them.
"Will be ours." Josef nodded in dangerous satisfaction.
He couldn't see, couldn't hear, could barely even think above the almost reflexive confusion that swirled around, then everything was blindingly clear, and he was in the desert. He blinked, wondering what had happened. The last thing he had remembered was a loud, popping sound…
And then a sudden, sharp pain, and the French child crying out 'no!'.
Then blackness.
Was he dead?
He shuddered at that, and hoped to Allah he was not. Not yet, not when the three Germans still had to be stopped. And he was in the desert…? He looked around. Nothing, just the immensity of the Sahara. He tried to cry out, but could not. He had no voice…he was mute and alone…
Suddenly, a thundering noise came from far off, causing the ground the shake and a whirlwind of sand appeared over the horizon. Something was coming…something large.
Dangerous.
He took out his gun…which was not a gun, but a scimitar. He stared at it, shaking his head, wondering if this was some sort of test for entering the Afterlife. Some sort of judgment. He hoped to Allah he was not dead, but if he was, well, then…
He would pass this test.
The thundering grew closer and the sand parted, revealing the strangest army he had ever seen. First off, it almost seemed that the men went on forever…there were more of them then he could ever imagine. Secondly, and perhaps more strangely, it was a fusion of ancient-looking Egyptian troops, Classical warriors, European-clothed soldiers, and others he could not identify, and at the head was one man on a large, black horse.
Something glinted off the horse.
The bridle!
He steadied himself. The ancient Warrior-King, who had founded the power of the bridle, raised a golden sword, leading the army of timeless soldiers forward…closer…
Suddenly, he heard a very, very familiar voice cry out in fear. He looked over in shock.
"JONATHAN!?" he cried, rushing over to the Englishman, who was looking around in sheer terror. Jonathan didn't seem to hear him, he just continued sweeping the invaded desert fearfully.
He was about to reach over and touch the Englishman to alert him to his presence when another familiar figure appeared, a woman wearing a golden necklace with an aquamarine pendant.
Greta von Lintzer.
"Take this! Please!" Greta pleaded, removing the necklace and thrusting it at Jonathan. Her eyes were big and wide, and filled with tears, and her hands shook as she shoved the necklace forward.
The army was getting closer…
Then two large men appeared, and he felt like he was in the middle of some odd reunion…they were Josef and Gerhard, of course. If he were dead, he reflected, a lot of other people were as well.
The two large Germans grabbed Greta's shoulders before she could hand the necklace to Jonathan, who was staring at the pendant in horrified intensity.
The roaring mass of soldiers from every imaginable type of army was almost there, and the Warrior-King on his black horse was visible against the white-hot sun of the Sahara. The sun-beams glinted off the aquamarine jewels of the horse's elaborate bridle, and an aura of total, unchecked power emanated from the man.
The Warrior-King cried out something in the ancient language of the Sahara. He translated it quickly as 'THE ARMIES OF THE DESERT ARE MINE!'
Gerhard and Josef had dragged Greta and the necklace from Jonathan, who was starting to chase after them, and the Armies of the Desert were upon them…
Suddenly, a small, scared voice…
And a light…a different sort of…
"WAKE UP!"
Ardeth Bay's eyes flew open, and he looked around in disorientated confusion.
***
Suzette almost burst into tears of relief when her Med-Jai friend awoke, looking up at her blearily. She had been so afraid that he had been…dead. Suzette had only known these men a few days, but they already meant something to her. After all, you can only go through so many near-death experiences with someone before striking some sort of bond with them. And she wanted more than anything for the Med-Jai to be all right. He simply had to be!
"Ardeth! Are you all right!?" Rick demanded, gently pushing Suzette aside so he could check his friend.
"Y-Yes, I think so…" Ardeth muttered, his voice fuzzy with pain.
"Where did they shoot him?" Evelyn demanded. She and Jonathan were standing over Rick and Suzette, holding hands in fear.
"In the side." Rick replied, the anger in his tone almost tangible. He had cut a strip from his jacket and had bound the bullet-wound, which, luckily, was not as bad as it could have been. Yet it still was bad. Rick wanted nothing more, at that moment, then to strangle those three Germans…even the woman. No one hurt his friends and got away with it…no one. Rick O'Connell would make sure those three Krauts learned that lesson.
"J-Jonathan…" Ardeth started. Talking hurt.
"Shh…it's all right," Jonathan started, seeing the agony the Med-Jai was in.
"No!" Ardeth breathed slowly. He had to tell them what he had seen. Jonathan walked away from Evelyn and knelt down in front of Ardeth, Suzette and Rick backing up to give him room.
"I-I saw…I saw your dream. The armies…and the woman…" Ardeth explained haltingly.
"What dream?" Evelyn frowned. Then she noticed Suzette for the first time. "And…I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Suzette Bonnvillian. My damned necklace started this whole thing." Suzette replied in disgust.
"Evelyn Carnahan." Evelyn introduced.
Suzette nodded, mustering up a half-hearted smile. She felt so damned guilty. This whole thing had started with her…if she had only taken that pawn-shop owner up on his stupid thirty francs, this whole thing would never have happened. And…she prayed fervently that Ardeth Bay would be all right. If anything happened to him, she would never be able to forgive herself. She stared down at the Med-Jai, trying not to cry.
"I had a dream…about a woman wearing the pendant. And it turned out to be Greta." Jonathan explained quietly. Evelyn still appeared confused, but she didn't persist. Jonathan turned back to Ardeth. "You saw it?"
The Med-Jai nodded.
"All right, we can discuss this later." Rick decided, eager for action. "Suzette, go start the car." He tossed the keys to the distraught French girl, who nodded and rushed out of the gun shop.
"Hey, is he gonna be all right?" Petey asked, peering up from behind the desk. He had been watching the proceedings in a nervous confusion…all the talk of dreams and pendants and such made absolutely no sense to him.
"I shall be fine." Ardeth assured, but he sounded weak and bleary still.
"I hope so. Come on, Jonathan, help me move him to the truck. We have to stop those damned Krauts before they manage to destroy the world, and besides that. I wanna teach them not to mess with my friends." Rick instructed, his voice taking on that authoritative tone he always slipped into when a situation looked bad. Rick O'Connell was good with pressure, and also good with pay-back.
"Can you stand at all?" Evelyn asked the Med-Jai.
"Perhaps…" He grunted, and struggled to his feet, but almost doubled-over in pain. Jonathan and Rick quickly supported him on both sides, leading him slowly and gently out of the store. Evelyn followed, grabbing her brother's rifle.
Out at the car, Suzette climb out of the cab and hopped into the bed as Rick and Jonathan laid out the Med-Jai so he would be somewhat comfortable. Then Rick and Evelyn got into the cab, and Rick started the truck.
"Suzette!" He called through the window. "Where did she say?"
"A British outpost, an abandoned British outpost…you said you knew where it was…?" Suzette returned.
"Oh, yes. Don't worry, we'll get there and take care of those jerks. Make sure he's all right." Rick instructed, and they pulled out of Petey's under-the-table gun market.
***
"An hour or so, and we should be there." Josef reported, glancing over at Greta. She was staring out the window, but her gaze was a million miles away. The light from the pendant was growing steadily brighter and brighter, bathing Greta's face in an odd, slightly sinister aquamarine light. Gerhard, in the back seat, smiled a bit. Soon.
"Why me?" Greta suddenly murmured. Her voice was different…darker.
"Why you what?" Gerhard demanded.
"Why is it me? I was chosen…not because I am an Egyptologist, or because I know the ancient world. It was something else, wasn't it? There is something…some connection between me and the pendant." Greta did not really ask this. It was more like a statement that she was laying out for Josef and Gerhard to confirm
"Ja, fraulein. The Fuhrer does not know that, though. We recommended you to him only on the basis of your studies alone. But we knew. We knew the truth of it. We knew that you would be the one to unlock the power of the bridle." Gerhard nodded in a dangerous, almost sensual tone. Greta smiled in a sinister way, the aquamarine light shinning deep in her eyes. It did not appear to be reflected light, either. The light seemed to be coming from Greta herself.
"The ancient King. The Warrior-King whose name has been lost to history…he foretold this." Josef added thoughtfully. "He foretold someone would rise up and harness the power that he built into the pendants. And you are that someone, Fraulein von Lintzer."
"Ja. Ja…and the Armies of the Desert…" Greta stared at the Sahara, rushing past them.
"Will be ours." Josef nodded in dangerous satisfaction.