~ Thank you, thank you , thank you. A big get well to Lula J. Oh, by the way I learned something interesting I want to share with you, though you may already know it. So, I recently read that ancient Egyptians did not kiss on the lips, but they rubbed their noses instead! The kiss on the lips was taken later in their decay by the Greeks! Oh! I almost forgot. This chapter is for Christine, my English teacher because she had the patience to have a look at my other story and because if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be able to write anyway!~

The sand colored lioness with the red marking on her shoulder growled again deeply her throat and prepared for a second attack. The warrior who was facing her was trying to keep their distance by holding his scimitar away from his body in defensive posture. She leaped elegantly aiming for his throat but he moved sharply to the left and she landed on the sand with the grace of a well-trained dancer. She turned around immediately moving her long tail from side to side nervously. She attacked him again directly and with more power this time. He couldn't avoid her this time. More out of instinct, which has come from a long training he sliced with his weapon horizontally. She collapsed to the ground, this time clumsily. The med-jai fell to his knees looking at the dying animal not wanting to accept it. She moaned almost like a human. He approached her and gently placed the golden head on his lap. The blood running freely from her throat was soaking his robes but he didn't care. He run his hands through the thick fur and bit his lower lip until it bled. He was numb to the physical pain at this moment. The animal struggled in his arms and turned her eyes to his face. They were clouded but full of affection. He gasped. "Heterity… no! please don't leave me! Oh Allah, what have I done? What have I done?" He clutched her fur until his knuckles turned white from the pressure. The lioness let her head drop again and with a final struggle the royal head stopped moving. Ardeth screamed at the top of his lungs, as loud as he could. Nobody heard his voice apart from some stray birds who flew away scared. There, in the silence of the desert night he mourned and cursed gods and demons until dawn.

Ardeth woke up gasping for breath. He struggled to regain his composure. The sheets were wet from sweat and tears. His hair was matted from perspiration. That was so horrible. His fears, haunting him in sleep and action alike. He got up to wash his face and drink some water. And when he came back he saw her. Lying casually between the sheets, yawning slightly, with the red mark on her shoulder was the huge cat. Ardeth blinked, and the thing disappeared. God! I am either aging, or worries are driving me mad. Then the door flap opened. In the dim light he saw a small female figure. But this time it was neither a nightmare nor a hellish vision. She was standing there, in flesh and bone. He now realized how worried he had been that something might have happened to her away from him. He run up to her and squeezed her in his arms strongly. She rested her head on his chest returning the hug.

"Where have you been? Is everything alright?" he asked moving backwards to have a look at her, although now that the flap was closed he couldn't see many things.

"I am afraid that it is not Ardeth. Things have got much more complicated than I could ever imagine. We have many more pawns in the game. The O'Connells are here. why don't you put your robes on so that we can discuss it all together?" she said with a sad and tired smile.

Ardeth's expression became darker. Of course. The thought that we would get away so simple was so naïve of me! He was now full of concern, not only for the bad news which would certainly follow but because he could hear a strange tone to his wife's voice.

"Heterity… come over here please." He pulled her nearer to an oil lamp and lit it. She resisted slightly. He examined her face, saw the dried blood and the still open wound on her temple. She tried not to flinch when he passed his hand over it.

"My god… What happened to you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I am fine. It is just a scratch. I will tell you. Just throw some clothes on you, I am going to fetch Rick and Evy."

~

Ardeth embraced gently his friend and Evelyn.

"I am really happy to see you again my friends. I feel safer when you are at my side."

Rick smiled at the compliment. He was very happy and relieved to see Ardeth again. And somehow, he believed too that now everything would be alright. It was just like old times again. They had won then, why not now? Back then they were going against Imhotep, who was undead and had all these strange powers, now they were facing a mere mortal with a group smaller than the med-jai. He explained his thoughts to the others. Eve nodded in agreement and Ardeth just frowned, thinking. He was already informed by Heterity who, in response to Rick's opinion, dropped her head to her hand tiredly.

"I wish it was that easy. But he we should not underestimate him. He is very dangerous, because he has nothing to fight about. No ideologies, no power, no love, nothing. Just revenge. He is desperate about it, and he thinks he is the one who should take it. he will fight until he is killed, and that is not an easy thing."

"Yes." Ardeth said "We can not launch a straight-forward attack because…"

"He has the stone!" Rick and Evy said at the same time turning to look at each other.

"After we get it, there is nothing easier than crush him with a focused and determined attack. But such a little object will not be retrieved by army. It needs just one person." Ardeth went on with his plan.

"Let me tell you this. He doesn't know the power of the stone. He doesn't even know its existence. He wants the sword as a symbol of power, because it was mine and because it killed someone… very important."

"I noticed something." Rick said suddenly. "His group is not made up by the same persons. There are a few people that belonged to the original group, there are some strange guys, some desert bastards and some simple criminals."

"I got it!" Evy snapped her fingers. "A group like that is only united by the leader. But if the leader is killed…"

"They will scatter… or panic… even better they will start killing each other." Heterity completed the sentences thoughtfully. "Yes… that is a correct idea. Now, I think we should take out decisions now, unaffected and tell the council later. And to make things simple, I will go there. After all I have the personal difference with Ibrahim."

"I don't think so Heterity. I made the serious mistake of leaving you alone once, I am not going to do it again. I will come with you. After all it's my responsibility."

"I have come with you up to now. I am not going to leave you alone when you really need me ." Rick said giving a glance to his wife who nodded.

~

Heterity could at last have some sleep. Ardeth should be talking with the leaders right now. But she felt her lids heavy and her body felt like slowly sinking in warm thick water. Before even understanding it she fell asleep.

My sister. Wake up your mind. Listen to me. I have come to you through another world, I crossed some lines to talk to you, to warn you. Heterity woke up. She looked around. She was sitting in her old home, the palace, by a little artificial pool. She jumped up surprised and saw Matma coming her way.

"Brother! Where am I? What are you doing here?"

"I brought you here for a while. We are back home. Now I need you to listen carefully, for the dead know things the living can not imagine of."

"What? What do you know? Quit talking in riddles, it has always annoyed me!"

"Always impatient… anyway, I don't have all the day either. Now the little piece of information we were talking of… what are you going to give me, if you want me to tell you?"

"Matma!"

"Ts ts ts. You temper is not going to get things anywhere…"

"Matma! Gather yourself!"

"Ok, ok. I have always been a good person deep down…"

"Extremely deep though. Will you tell me the answer?"

"Heterity. An asp is brewing in your arms. Beware of the poison! Beware!"

Heterity opened her eyes. "An asp in my arms?"