Chapter 11

Everyone watched Mat disappear. Rick, being the only one who didn't know who or what Mat was, was looking confused. He then realized who was still there.

" Uh, guys… we aren't done yet." Rick said in his serious voice.

Everyone turned to find the now real form of Kurai.

" You think you can kill me?" Kurai said with an evil grin, much more than it had ever been.

" No, but I think we can." Mariana said looking at Ardeth with a smile.

Ardeth got the hint and walked over to her. They looked at each other and nodded.

" Well, we shall see how strong you are!" Kurai said

" Likewise." said both Ardeth and Mariana as they charged at Kurai

As Evelyn saw that she was going to be caught in the middle of the battle, she jumped out of the way.

* Are they going to be able to beat him?* Evy thought. * We don't know if he is mortal, or even what Mat did to him* she continued thinking.

" Evelyn!" Rick yelled.

She looked across the room to see Rick standing there worried.

" I'm fine. Help them!" she replied.

Rick looked at Ardeth and Mariana, who seemed as though they were doing fine. He looked at them and watched at how good of a team they were.

* How long is this going to go on until it starts to get violent? That is, if this guy really does have "real" powers compared to Imhotep.* Rick thought with a grin.

Ardeth and Mariana were circling Kurai, who was looking a bit worried or at least beginning to. Ardeth had his sword in hand as he twirled it around to "warm up". Mariana had her guns aimed but hadn't shot yet, not knowing whether Kurai was immortal or not.

" You think you are going to win?" Kurai said

" We are just about as sure as you are Kabul!" she said with a slight grin

" Its Kurai!" Kurai yelled

" Whatever, I don't think it even matters, you wont be here long enough for it to go down in history anyway." Mariana said with a grin.

" We shall see." Kurai said.

Mariana could tell Ardeth was getting weaker… she wasn't about to tell him to back out though…

* Kurai must have a weakness.* Mariana thought looking around the room.

She noticed then that he was always standing in the darkest parts of the room.

Mariana smiled to herself.

" Everyone cover your eyes!" she yelled.

Ardeth looked at her in a quisitivly way, but did as told.

Mariana concentrated and spoke the words of " Forever Light". A light that cast out demons.

" Impekit-say, et-en sesuay, yatu-ay, yatu-ay, yatu-ay." She chanted.

The room blasted with emence light. Being that she was the caster of the spell, it did not effect Mariana. She watched as Kurai frantically looked for a place to hide and finding none, tried to attack Ardeth to get Mariana to stop.

" No!" she yelled, the spell already starting to wear off.

Kurai smiled. To her horror his image dissolved into some whirling sand, that Rick and Evy had seen before. Rick charged over to Evy and knocked her to the ground to protect her yelling:

" Here we go again!" Rick yelled.

" Damn, I thought we had that monster for sure!" fumed Rick as he paced back and forth in front of Evy, who was sitting in a chair just nodding in agreement.

" Do you have any idea who that freak in ribbons was?" Rick asked

Before Evy could answer, there came a hammering on the door. More than slightly miffed, Rick yanked the door open.

" What do you…" he started to say, the rest of the sentence stopping unsaid in his throat.

Before him were his two friends, Ardeth and Mariana, who had a look on their faces that could freeze the Nile. Without a word spoken, they entered and closed the door behind them.

" Okay tattoo boy, just what do you plan on doing about our newest visitor from beyond?! I thought that girl creature thingy back there took care of him so why the hell did he get away and how?!" Rick yelled punctuating every third word with his finger causing Ardeth to step backward as Rick continued to question him. Mariana, who had been leaning against the door during the exchange, had seen about enough. Before Ardeth could answer, Mariana reached out and caught Rick by the wrist, surprising him. She held his wrist with strength that would not be expected from someone her size.

" Ah, can I have my hand back now!" Rick said in a stern voice.

Quietly Ardeth said, " I would not do that again my friend, it would not be wise."

Evy cleared her throat and said, " Right, can we get down to business now?"

Rick still looked at Mariana.

" Mariana let him go, he meant no harm my young Medji, he was venting frustration.." Ardeth explained.

Mariana obeyed her master but still stood between Ardeth and Rick.

" Know this O'Connell, the next time you tough him, I'll break you wrist." Mariana warned

" Uh, yeah, I didn't touch him in the first place, but whatever." Rick said.

Mariana gave him a look. Rick turned and went to sit by Evy.

Ardeth suppressed a giggle as Rick sat down.

" Now back to the original question. Kurai is only Imhotep's younger brother who fell in love with Anck-su-namun." Ardeth started to explain.

" Who?" Rick asked

" Imhoteps girlfriend." Evy answered in a whisper

" Oh." Rick said.

" Kurai is trying to raise her back from the dead… the women that came, whom you probably saw as a pillar of light, O'Connell, was the goddess Mat. She is the goddess of order. She has trapped Kurai in his most vulnerable yet magical form." Ardeth finished.

" So there's a way to defeat this guy, but he still has powers at the same time?" Rick asked

Mariana nodded.

" That's what we came to tell you two about." she explained

Rick blushed.

" Oh." he almost whispered.

There came another knock at the door before they could continue their conversation. Rick opened the door to find Malik standing there with a whole bag of riches.

" UH, where did you get this stuff?" Rick asked

Malik looked innocently around.

" They appeared mysteriously into my possession." she answered hoping it would work.

They all glared at her.

" What?! They way you guys are looking at me, you would think I stole them." she stated indignantly.

Mariana chuckled and rolled her eyes.

" We'll talk about this tomorrow… let us get sleep." she suggested.

Quite frankly, everyone agreed.

Everyone left to go to their rooms except Rick and Evy who were already in theirs.