Chapter 11
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As soon as Scarab was gone, JaKal landed gently on the ground beside Kiriana, laying his hand lightly upon her shoulder. She looked up into his dark blue eyes, tears of fear streaming down her pale cheeks.

"Are you all right, young one?" he asked kindly as Sierra and Natalie came up to them.

"I...I think so. But my father was hurt..." she stammered, her voice trembling just as badly as the rest of her body.

"So was Nefertina," Sierra spoke up, startling poor Kiriana.

JaKal regarded the princess in silence for a moment, his deep blue eyes filled with concern. Then he turned back to Kiriana.

"We need to get you two someplace where it's safe. Natalie, go with Kiriana and find her father. Then we will tend to Nefertina," JaKal said.

"How...how did you know my name?" Kiriana gasped.

Natalie lay her hand gently on the frightened girl's arm in a comforting gesture. She understood all too well Kiriana's fear and uncertainty. After all, she herself had been in a similar position almost two years ago when she had first met up with Presley and the Guardians.

"It's all right. We have no intention of harming you or your father. You're among friends. Come on, let's go find him before he starts to worry that something has happened to you," Natalie replied, helping Kiriana to her feet.

"Actually, he's right over there, where that...that thing threw him," Kiriana sniffled.

She gestured towards her father, who lay nearby, still unconscious on the ground beneath the tree that he had collided with. Natalie followed her gaze, shaking her head sadly as she, too, caught sight of Eric lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Oh, dear. One of us is going to have to carry him," she said.

With that, she made her way over to where Eric lay, Kiriana following right behind her.

Sierra watched in silence as they walked away, waiting until they were out of earshot to speak again. "We need to find somewhere safe for them. Who knows when Scarab will crawl back out of his hole again," she muttered thoughtfully.

"Yes, but where? Don't you find it the least bit strange that he seemed to be more interested in that girl than the young prince?" JaKal asked.

Sierra nodded her agreement. She had the feeling that she knew what his reaction was going to be to what she was about to suggest, but she had to try. She suddenly wished she had the others there to back her up on this.

"We could take them back to the Sphinx with us," she said.

"No, Princess. It's too dangerous," JaKal said.

"JaKal, I think under the present circumstances, that would be for the best," she replied, not about to give up on the argument. "Besides, the girl is a friend of Presley's, not one of Scarab's minions."

The head Guardian gazed at Sierra in silence for a long minute, then sighed, realizing that there would be no changing her mind on this.

"Very well, my Princess," JaKal finally relented as Kiriana and Natalie returned, Natalie holding Eric's limp body in her arms.

"Come on, let's go meet up with the others," Sierra said.

With that, they rushed off to where they had left their companions. They found them a few minutes later, gathered around Nefertina, who lay on the ground, still unconscious.

Just as Sierra and the others approached, Nefertina let out a soft, agonized moan as she started to come back to consciousness. Rath gently helped her to sit up, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are you all right, my love?" Rath asked, his green eyes filled with concern.

"Ugh. Wake up and smell the humus, Rath. Of course I'm all right, I just got some sense knocked into me, that's all," she groaned, clutching her head in her hands as she glanced at her love.

The others exchanged hopeful glances. By now they were totally devoid of their enchanted armor. Kiriana lay her head on Presley's shoulder, watching the whole scene in total confusion.

"That sounds like the Nefertina we all know and love," Armon chuckled.

//Yes, but I have to try something, just to be certain...// Rath thought to himself. //I hope this works...//

"We should get going soon. At least the HotRa has not been wrecked..." he remarked, his voice trailing off. It was a test. He was hoping to get her usual reaction. He did.

"Now look here, Rath...I resent that, you sneaky, deranged cobra!" she shot back, narrowing her eyes. The air became deathly silent for a few minutes as the others merely sat there, staring at her in shock.

"What did you say, Nefertina?" Valeius asked finally, breaking the awkward silence.

"I called him a sneaky, deranged cobra...RATH! I remember everything now!" Nefertina cried happily, throwing herself into his arms.

"Thank Ra!" Rath cried, returning her embrace.

Standing up, he helped Nefertina to her feet. Then his lips brushed lightly against hers as he kissed her tenderly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the passionate kiss, and for just a few moments, they were the only ones left in the world.

"Umm...could someone please tell me what in the realm beyond the Western Gate is going on here?! " Kiriana asked in frustration as Rath and Nefertina pulled away from each other.

"It's far too complicated to explain right now," Rath answered.

"Huh?" she asked, looking at the cobra Guardian strangely.

"At least until we get back to the Sphinx, little one," JaKal added.

Kiriana's eyes widened and she stood up quickly, glancing from JaKal to Presley and back again.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. The Sphinx? You mean that thing that's connected to the museum? You actually live in that thing?" she asked. Lakira nodded.

"Yes, and it's the only safe place for you and your father right now," Lakira replied, holding Kiriana's sapphire gaze with her onyx one.

Kirana glanced down at Presley helplessly, but he merely shrugged. Rubbing the back of her neck nervously with her left hand, she turned back to face Lakira, a weary sigh escaping her lips as she finally relented.

"All right, but can you guys at least tell me who you are first? I mean, obviously I know Presley here, but I don't recognize anyone else here. Except for my father, that is," she said softly.

"Kiriana, I'd like you to meet my Guardians. That's JaKal, Natalie, Princess Sierra, Valeius, Armon, Lakira, Nefertina, and Rath," Presley said cheerfully.

"Guardians?" Kiriana asked, now looking even more confused than ever.

"It's a little complicated. I'll explain later," Presley answered evasively.

He smiled innocently at her as he and the others stood up. Kiriana sighed, shaking her head, and followed them over to the waiting HotRa and Jetcycles.

//Sheesh, what have I gotten myself into this time?// she wondered.

Popping open the dome-like roof of the HotRa, Natalie gently set Eric down in the back. Presley and Kiriana climbed in next to him. Rath took the front passenger seat while Nefertina took the wheel.

The others hopped onto the Jetcycles as Nefertina closed the dome again and revved up the engine.

Kiriana shrieked as Nefertina stomped down on the gas pedal and sped off towards the Sphinx with the others following close behind her, taking the hairpin turns of the streets of San Francisco at breakneck speed.

"Nefertina, slow down! Oh my God! We're gonna die!" Kiriana screamed. Her eyes grew wide with terror, her knuckles turning pure white from the death-grip that she had on the back of the driver's seat.

Presley smiled sympathetically at her. He could tell the poor girl was frightened half to death. He didn't blame her after everything that had happened today, on her birthday of all days.

"Don't worry, Kiriana. She drives like this all the time. You wouldn't believe how many times she's wrecked this thing. Hey Rath, how many times have you had to put the HotRa back together?" Presley commented.

"I've lost track, my prince. But it's been far too many," Rath replied, glancing over at Nefertina meaningfully.

"Hmph!" Nefertina scoffed, glaring at Rath.

"Umm...Rath? Ix-nay on the ince-pre," Presley gritted out, gesturing towards Kiriana.

But Kiriana hadn't even been paying attention to the scribe. Instead she turned towards Presley again and shot him an evil look, her dark blue eyes becoming angry, narrow glittering slits of sapphire.

"Presley Carnovan, that is not a very comforting thought!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Hehehe...sorry. I was just trying to help," he babbled nervously.

But then he caught the annoyed expression on her face and, deciding that it really just wasn't even worth it, quickly backed down, realizing that Kiriana apparently was not at all amused.

//Sheesh, what a grouch// he thought to himself as he reluctantly let his hand fall away from her arm.

Kiriana sighed and shook her head as she glanced over at her father worriedly. He still had not awakened.

//This whole situation is starting to become *way* too weird// she thought.




TBC...next part: Kiriana discovers a long-kept secret that will change her life forever. And it's kinda funny how people never seem to figure out that if someone got amnesia from a hit to the head, another clonk would get rid of it, isn't it? And yes, there is a bit of an emotional attachment other than friendship b/w Kiriana and Presley.
~*Celestia Vitaria*~