Rushing back to the parking area, they discovered that Jonothan had broken the key to the car, and they would need an alternate form of transportation. He had grabbed one of the museum busses, something with plenty of room for all of them. They rushed onto the bus, Ardeth detouring just enough to grab the rest of the ammunition and a few more weapons from the back of the car. Willow tried to reassure herself that this wasn't a complete disaster, they had rescued Evie, nobody had been killed, she'd put up a barrier... But weren't busses a bit slow?
"Drive, and drive fast. The barrier won't hold them forever."
Jonothan started the bus forward with an awkward lurch, and they began moving away from the museum. Howls could be heard from the museum, and Willow could feel the minions pounding against the barrier, feel it shudder every time they struck it, not from the physical force of it, but from the magic that had animated them. If Imhotep decided to break the barrier, it would fall quickly. Nobody complained about Jonothan's uneven driving, or the way the speed and bumps in the road made the bus lurch, almost throwing them to the sides.
There was a sudden crash of destructive magics against the barrier, and Willow felt it snap, the snapping of it back lashing to her, her face going pale as she dropped to the floor of the bus. "He broke the barrier... they're going to be after us."
"Willow? Are you... you look unwell." Concern was laced through Ardeth's voice.
"Imhotep broke the barrier. It's just the backlash... and I really don't like the feeling of his magic. It's all gritty and dark, and it feels old, like... like the first bit of air when you open up a room that's been shut for a long time?" She smiled at him, touched by his concern. Was it just because she was helping? Could there be more behind it, maybe enough more that he cared for her? She found herself gazing into his eyes, memorizing the shape of his face, the feeling of his hand on her shoulder...
"Guys? We have company." Rick's voice dragged her out of her moment, a moment that he also seemed to have been lost in.
Looking out the windows on the back of the bus, it was easy to see the minions chasing them. The fact that they were undead meant that mortal limitations didn't apply to them, and they kept up with the bus, actually gaining ground as they watched. Rick picked up a large gun, and shot at the minions, the bullet hitting one and sending it to the ground in a twisting pile. Rick grinned, hopeful that the thing would stay down. Ardeth took aim at a second minion, the bullet causing the shoulder of it to jerk back.
Unfortunately, the minions were made of more durable stuff than mere mortals, and despite being shot they kept pursuing. After a few more shots had been fired, the four minions parted, two to the right and two to the left, and instead of running on the street behind, they were running over the sides of the buildings, in defiance of gravity.
"How... " Rick was not happy with the new development, and was clearly reluctant to shoot at the passing buildings.
"Let me try something..." Willow had an idea. Magic had rebuilt these things from the sandy dust in that urn, could she use magic to turn them back into dust? She concentrated on one of them, and felt her whole world narrow down to the shriveled mass of reconstituted flesh, and the threads of magic that were giving it shape. She reached out, seizing the threads of power that tried to shift in her grasp like a handful of sand. She yanked, pulling the threads of power apart, and the creature just... disintegrated into dust, falling in a scattering of powder to the street.
Her head was throbbing now. Imhotep's power was strong, and the shape of his spells was unfamiliar. Both of those things made it much harder to counter his efforts. She knew that she wouldn't be able to destroy all four minions by herself.
"Willow! That was... can you do that again?" Rick was amazed, and a bit worried. What were the limits of Willow's abilities?
"Maybe one more minion, but... there's no way that I can get them all. His magic is pretty strong." Concentrating once more, she reached once more, to the pair of minions running to the left. She grabbed for the threads of power, trying to rip them apart, to scatter the minions to the mercy of the wind. She felt one give way, its body falling to dust in the wind. The second came loose, but her pull had lacked the power to break its cohesion. She tried again, and with a sickening sinking feeling, she felt her energy give out, and she sank to the floor, darkness claiming her as she sank into a dreamless unconsciousness.
She was unaware of Ardeth catching her, of the concern in his eyes and near panic as he frantically checked to make certain that she was still breathing, the tender way that he put her on a seat to be a bit safer than the middle of the floor. Had Willow seen this, she would have had no doubt of Ardeth's feelings for her, his love and concern were obvious to anyone who looked at him. As chance would have it, only Evie and Alex saw his face, read the concern.
With only two undead minions attacking and trying to get inside, Ardeth and Rick were able to keep them from getting inside, although they ended up with holes blasted into the roof and walls of the bus. Bits of the minions that had continued to move after being separated had made their way in, although some of them were crumbling at the separation, leaving bits of sand behind them every time something hit against the broken end.
And everything would have been much better if not for the fact that their enemies had plentiful resources. Somehow, the mortal men working with Imhotep and the curator had a car, and they managed to cut off the bus. Jonothan was only an indifferent bus driver, so he had to pull the bus to a stop to avoid colliding with one of the cars. While he was trying to shift gears and get them out of there, the bus was boarded by several large men, who grabbed Alex and dragged him away, heedless of his protesting shouts and thrashing kicks. Rick was prevented from pursuit by the door being shut in his face, and one of the men punching him through a hole blasted into the door. He was left stunned long enough that the kidnappers got into the car and were away, accelerating fast enough that despite chasing after the car, Rick could not catch them.
end part 32.
"They took my son." Rick's words were a pained whisper into the night air. He was staring down the bridge, looking as if a vital piece of him had been torn out.
Ardeth came out, placing one hand on Rick's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. "We will get him back. They will undoubtedly seek to use him to go to the valley of Amon Shere, to seek the Scorpion King. We must follow them and rescue Alex. Did he not mention the pyramids? We shall have to start there on our quest."
"He's only seven... What can he do against them? How will we get to him in time?" Rick's voice was low, as if he feared that voicing his worries would lend them strength.
Jonothan's voice carried over to them. "So, do we know anyone that can get us to Egypt within twenty four hours or less? This sounds very urgent. And is Willow alright? I don't see her..."
Ardeth's answer carried traces of worry and something else. "She collapsed after causing the second undead tracker to disintegrate. She's on one of the bench seats of the bus. With good fortune, she will revive soon."
Carefully, they brought her into the mansion as they tried to figure out what would happen now. They knew that it was important to get Alex back, not just for his own safely, but for the safety of the whole world. But how? Ardeth sat by Willow's side, one hand slowly stroking her hair as he tried to figure a way to follow the undead sorcerer. Hadn't Alex said something about the pyramids? Had he meant the three pyramids of Giza? How could they get there in time?
It was then that Rick remembered a few of his less reputable friends. People he'd spent a great deal of time getting in and out of trouble with before he'd met Evie. People who knew all sorts of ways to get into and out of places, fast, or unnoticed, but rarely both at the same time. But the only people they needed to worry about this time were the bad guys, not the police. Surely that would make things simpler.
"I think we might be able to do this. I know some people... I just need to make a few phone calls."
Meanwhile, Willow had began to dream. They were strange images, confusing fragments of her life in Sunnydale set among ancient ruins. She walked through a sand choked hallway carved with hieroglyphs, and entered the high school library, finding Jesse and Tara sitting at the table. They looked as if they were waiting for her, and Willow could feel tears well up in her eyes at the sight of them.
"I've missed you both. But... how are you here? This... it's all jumbled." She was hugging them both, too overjoyed by the sight of them to wonder why she was seeing or dreaming of her dead friends.
"We needed to say goodbye. Nothing turned out how I expected, how either of us expected. I'm sorry to have left you alone, Wills. I'm sorry I never got to tell you goodbye." Jesse's voice was soft, filled with more maturity than she could ever remember from him.
"Time doesn't matter as much to spirits. I'm sorry Willow, there aren't enough words to tell you how much I regret that the last thing we did was argue." Tara tucked her hair back, her words without the nervous tremor that had so often plagued her.
"I'm a bit sorry that I wasn't around to see how gorgeous you grew up to be." Jesse's voice was teasing, more the way she remembered him.
Willow could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Tara... I'm sorry."
"For what?" Tara looked at her, smiling gently.
"Ardeth." Willow's voice cracked with the complex load of emotions that he inspired in her. "You haven't been gone very long, and here I'm... I feel like I'm betraying your memory."
"No, there's nothing wrong. The fact that you care for him doesn't mean that you cared any less for me. But what we had is over now. Don't be afraid to love again." Tara was looking encouraging.
Jesse grinned at her. "If he'll make you happy, go for it. And if he breaks your heart, I'll... well, I really don't know what I can do. But I want you to be happy."
The library walls and the stacks of books were eroding into tiny specks of colorful sand, as if they were being reclaimed by the desert. She could see her mother standing outside, talking to the minions of Imhotep, trying to analyze their behavior, accusing them of having exhibitionist tendencies, and being clearly insecure in their life and their choices if they were willing to become someone's minions for all eternity. Then she tried to blame it on the bad influence of 'the bunny girl'.
Willow's sleepy murmur of 'but mom, they never met Buffy, they died thousands of years too early, and Buffy hasn't been born yet...' drew Ardeth's attention immediately, distracting him from Rick's fragmentary statements of an old friend who owed him, and something about a balloon.
Ardeth pulled her close to him, hugging her as he murmured things in his own tongue, things that Willow didn't understand. But he sounded as if he had been very worried. Was some of that concern for her? She hoped so. She didn't want another unreturned crush, or maybe more than a crush.
end 33.
They did not know that at that very moment, a small group of people looked out at London, planning for the future. Imhotep, his mystically animated body scarcely more than a skeleton wrapped with withered remnants of muscle and skin, oddly whole eyes over fleshless cheeks walked out, standing beside the woman who had proclaimed herself the reincarnation of his beloved Anak-Su-Naman. She was looking over the city, her smile cold and calculating.
*Soon we will be at Amon Shere. I will kill the Scorpion king, and then...* His voice had an odd quality to it, most likely caused by the fact that physically, he should not be able to speak.
She turned, looking at him with an expression of anticipation. *And then we will rule the world.*
The Curator approached, a bit hesitant, no longer certain that Imhotep would be guided by his advice. *My Lord? They have the Scepter of Osirus.*
*It will not matter. By the time we reach Amon Shere, my powers will have fully regenerated, and I will have no need for the Scepter.* He turned away from the curator, his attention once more on the woman. He brushed one leathery hand over her cheek, and then, as his power caused his memories of his mortal life to flow into her mind, they kissed.
In practically no time at all, the careful preparations for their departure were set into motion, and they were on their way to Egypt, the party increased by one unhappy boy, trying to hide his fear. The large guard who had been in his parent house carried him towards a train car, a small unfriendly smile on his face. Alex had the feeling that wherever it was that he was being taken, it wasn't going to be fun.
Alex wasn't certain if he was relieved or not when the dark haired woman motioned for the guard to stop. She walked over, her dark gown clinging to her, reminding Alex of dark wings over a fly... no, she wasn't a fly, she was something nasty and evil and poisonous.
She brushed one hand over his cheek, her nails tracing little lines into his skin. Her voice was a syrupy coo, and it set his nerves on edge. "You will behave for us, won't you?"
"Why would I behave for you? I don't even behave for my parents." Alex wanted to get away from the woman.
Her smile held no warmth, and reminded him of a nasty dog snarling. "Because your parents wouldn't put poisonous snakes in your bed." She gestured for the guard to continue, to take him to see their leader.
He was dragged into a room, the walls partially concealed by rich panels, illuminated by flickering torches with something like an alter set up at one end. There was a tall figure in long robes, his entire body concealed from sight. Alex got a really bad feeling about the person in the robes.
*I know that you can understand me, little one. You must listen carefully, because you are the chosen one. You will lead me to Amon Shere. The sands of time are running out.* The voice had an odd echoing quality.
Suddenly, Alex knew that he didn't want to know what was under the mask. There was something horrible wrong, unnatural and evil. "Because I have the Bracelet. I've heard all that already. What if I... get lost?"
*Did they tell you that if you are not within the pyramid by sunrise of the seventh day, you will die?*
Alex felt fear twist in his stomach, and the flicker of courage that he'd managed to hold on to ebbed away. "umm... I missed that part."
The robed figure nodded, as if unsurprised by this statement. *Do you have anything else to say?*
Alex mustered a little bit of something, almost courage. "My Dad is going to kick your ass."
The robed figure knelt down, the mask that covered his face level with Alex's face. Reaching up with one gloved hand, he removed the mask, revealing a withered skull with a gaping hole over the temple, desiccated bits of flesh clinging to bones, and two moist eyeballs resting in the sockets. *I do not think so.*
Alex gasped in fear, all too willing to allow the large guard to haul him away, to busy being relieved that the man was actually a real living man, and not some sort of thing like the robed person.
He really wished that Willow could be here with him. She would make everything less scary somehow.
end part 34.
Willow felt almost as if she'd been carried away by some sort of whirlwind as they made their trip to Egypt. There was a feeling of panic and urgency, as well as something that wasn't quite hopelessness, but a sort of desperate determination in the face of horrible odds.
They'd arrived here, in this city that she hadn't quite caught the name of. It was a little past midnight, and Rick and Ardeth had gone to try to accomplish a few things. Rick needed the location of one of his old friends, someone that he hoped could provide them transportation. Ardeth had said something about warning his people, needing to let them know that the danger they had been born to defend against had arisen. Evie and Jonathan had retired to a hotel room, exhausted by the trip and their fears.
She couldn't sleep. They'd been served tea on the train, and now she was wide awake, even if it was the alertness of caffeine and sugar. She had the feeling that this would be very dangerous, and had a feeling that she might want to try to pick up a few little supplies. Things for protective spells, and some for major healing spells. Just in case.
The market of this city was... amazing. Little shops had everything from wine to spices to silks and tapestries to perfumes to dried fruit to rare herbs and oils. It was that area that Willow went towards, knowing that the things she needed might be expensive, and would not be in the main area of the market.
The narrow streets made her shiver, not from the chill, but from the certainty that they would be the perfect hunting grounds. The streets twisted and turned, causing people to vanish from view within seconds. Sometimes, a few seconds was all it took.
She could feel someone following her. Opening her sense a little, she felt the cool presence of a vampire, not terribly hungry, several centuries old, and... right behind her.
Willow spun around, her eyes wide with worry. There was what looked like a man behind her, dark hair and eyes and skin proclaiming that he was from this region, his ancestors had lived here and so had he. He was dressed in dark robes, not dark for ritual and meaning like Ardeth's, just... dark to blend with the night. He was looking at her, his eyes curious, hands at his sides, no visible weapons, although considering that he was a vampire, he really didn't need any. She could hear the babble of people from the building next to them, some sort of tavern or restaurant.
He spoke to her, his voice calm, his words accented. "What brings someone here, when it is clear that you are from foreign lands?"
He was being civil... always better than random attacking. "There is a very old very dangerous something out there. I'm not sure how to label him... he's old, and was cursed to eternal suffering... Once, he was a priest to a powerful Pharaoh, and now... he's the walking dead. All withered and evil power."
The vampire recoiled, eyes widening as they flickered amber for a moment. "no... Not the one who was cursed to the Living Death, his body food for the Eternal Scarabs, his soul bound in torment to his body for all time? One who betrayed his King, broke his vows..."
The way he phrased that reminded her of Ardeth. "You were one of the medjai, weren't you? Yes, it's... him. We're trying to stop him from gaining power over the Scorpion King."
"He has power over the sands, over all of the Old Kingdom. How can you stand against him?" His voice was curious, and held more than a little concern.
Willow thinned her shields, knowing that the vampire would feel her power. "I know some magic. Not the same as the traditions of the Medjai, but I can do a few useful things. If I don't stand against him, who will? If I won't try to stop him... there isn't a place remote enough, or a hole deep enough to hide if he gains the Army of Anubis."
The vampire closed his eyes, reminding Willow of a cat basking in sunlight. "Truly, you are powerful, sorceress, and your words hold truth. I can only offer you my humble wishes of good luck in your efforts. Know you that Samir al Hanbran wishes you well, and I shall let it be known that your mission places you beyond the bounds of hunting, you and your companions. By what name shall I call you?"
The noise from the building crested to appalling levels as she answered, drowning out most of her words. "... Rose..."
"If you seek the herbs and oils for powerful magics, go to the sign of the Eagle. The door will be hidden unless you seek it with magic, and once you go inside, they should have everything that you need. Seek it two streets to the west." He gave a small bow, offering her respect.
She gave a smile and a half bow, and continued trying to find her supplies, leaving the strange vampire in the alley, hopeful that his influence would be enough that they went undisturbed for the short time that they were here.
In the alley, Samnir watched the powerful sorceress go, her presence humming in his bones. He'd never met anyone that strong... She had a strange, foreign beauty, like a delicate flower. Much like the flower that had been the only part of her name he'd caught. The Rose.
end part 35.
To Willow's dismay, Ardeth hadn't returned by the time Rick was getting everyone ready to travel in the morning. She wondered for a sleepy moment how he would find them, but then she remembered: not only had Rick told him the name of the person he was looking for, but he could just use a tracing spell. He'd gone to seek his people, surely he would be safe.
As it turned out, Rick's 'old friend' had a small business in one of the well, Willow wanted to think of it as a suburb of this city. They didn't exactly merge, but people from the small village worked in the city, and came to the city to sell and buy things. She was feeling a bit sleepy as they approached the small, somewhat run-down building, a faded sign proclaiming 'Magic Carpet Air trips'.
The tall wooden gate opened, and a man in what Willow couldn't help but think of as aviator leathers emerged, taking a few steps before looking up and seeing the smiling face of Rick O'Connell.
"Izzy!" Rick's voice was cheerful, the particular sort of cheer that meant he wanted something.
The man, Izzy, stopped, and an almost desperate plea of "Oh no, not you." was the only warning before he turned around and ducked back inside the gates, slamming it shut behind him.
"He definitely remembers you." Evie's voice held a bit of dry humor as she spoke to her husband.
Willow could feel herself snickering, amused by the whole thing for the moment. She wasn't at all surprised when Rick pulled a gun, shooting the lock of the gate before kicking the door open. Sometimes, he just reminded her so much of Buffy that it almost hurt. They even had the same eyes.
She trailed after Jonathan as he struggled with the luggage. When a quick glance showed that nobody was watching, she murmured a small spell that made her luggage as well as some of the rest float after her, far easier to transport. They were going to be headed after Alex in... the most battered, beat-up, old blimp that she'd ever imagined. Dear God...
She heard Izzy speaking to Rick, catching the defensive "she's faster than she looks. And quiet."
There was a thunder of hooves, and Willow turned, her jaw dropping along with everyone else's at the sight. Thirteen robed men mounted on the prancing desert horses, their robes billowing, their horses hung with tassels. One carried a falcon upon his hand, and near the center was Ardeth Bey.
Ardeth walked towards them, his robes billowing dramatically. "These are the chieftains of the twelve tribes of the Medjai. If he does manage to gain power over the Army of Anubis, they will do everything in their power to stop him." At a gesture, the falcon flew to his hand, alighting with a calm that seemed almost uncanny. "With Horus, we will be able to keep them appraised of our progress."
Rapidly, they loaded everything onto the boat-like passenger portion, and slowly, gracefully, they lifted into the air. The view was impressive.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" Jonothan's voice held impatience, and the same worry that filled Rick and Evie's faces.
Izzy looked at him, annoyance on his face. "The engine only has so much fuel. The only other source of movement is the wind. So, unless you can whistle us up a tailwind, no, we can't go faster."
Jonathan looked a bit chastened, and his quiet 'oh, sorry then' seemed to deflate him.
"I'm not too good at whistling, but maybe I can come up with something." Willow's voice was soft, and nearly unnoticed in the tension filled air. Sighing, she carefully reached out, feeling for the currents of the air. She tried not to disrupt anything else as she tried to urge a wind to carry them towards the faint pull of Alex.
The answering gust made Izzy and Jonothan both gasp, and Ardeth's hand fell comfortingly on her shoulder. Their speed had easily doubled.
"How long can you sustain it?" Ardeth's voice was low in her ear.
She looked at him, her eyes bright with purpose. "As long as I need to."
But even with mystically maintained tailwinds, they could not catch up to Imhotep. They followed, aided in part by the trail of models that Alex had left them, signs of the next stop on the desperate race against time. They weren't catching them, but they were slowly gaining.
They only hoped they weren't gaining too slowly.
end part 36.
Eventually, the pursuit of the undead sorcerer brought them to a series of twisting canyons. As the dirigible floated between the towering walls, the winds slower to allow navigation, Willow began to get an odd feeling. It prickled at her, like drops of icy rain down her spine. But there was something almost familiar about it, and she could feel her body half tensing, preparing herself to fight. Just like she would have at home... Glancing over, she saw that Ardeth was frowning as well.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Her words were soft, not wanting to alarm the others.
Ardeth nodded, a thin line on his forehead betraying his worry. "There is a dark power here, something evil and old. I am surprised that you can be so calm as you sit there."
Reaching one hand out, she let the air from the canyon flow over her skin. She tried to feel and understand the energy flows in the area, to try to figure out what was ahead of them. She could feel the power, like sand and wind and something that felt like the green of algae. But the feeling of darkness, of corruption was familiar, almost like a breath of home, seasoned with old magics from Egypt. "There's evil... and corruption. But it's Egyptian, otherwise it reminds me of home. But the energy... I don't think it's a Hellmouth. When we get there, there will be dangers. And there's enough power and evil that I won't be able to feel Imhotep until we're very close to him."
Ardeth shuddered. "I can not imagine living over such darkness. How did you ever learn to control your power?"
"With a lot of accidents and things going wrong. It wasn't fun. But I'd been there all my life... it wasn't until I ended up in England that I understood how different things were elsewhere." Her almost smile hinted at the frustration of her studies.
Then, there was something, a shift in the air, no, in the magic flowing through the air. They both felt it, their hearts speeding as their senses screamed in warning. Ardeth sent the falcon Horus into the air, a desperate effort to keep the Medjai aware of what was going on.
"Izzy! We need to move faster! It's very very important..." Willow's frightened warning was interrupted by a deep rumbling noise, almost like thunder.
Izzy was frantically pushing at buttons and shifting levers as the rumbling sound drew closer. The scent of water filled the air as a humid wind struck them, pushing the dirigible a bit as the engine kicked in, sending them forwards with a jolt just as the towering wall of water came into view. Evie and Jonothan screamed, staring in horror at the face in the water, sixty feet tall, the unmistakable features of Imhotep.
Combining the full thrust of the engines and using the winds, they sped away from the huge wave. Suddenly, as if in answer to a prayer, the canyon wall opened to the right, and with a hard turn, they turned down the side passage, the engine beginning to rattle ominously. But the force of the turn had flung them to the ground, the spray of the wave drenching them as it had roared past, still inside the main canyon.
"Was there something that you forgot to mention?" Izzy sounded halfway between furious and terrified, shouting at Rick as he pulled himself upright, half collapsing over the wheel.
Jonothan had picked himself up, and turned around, looking ahead of them. He froze, gaping for a few moments. "ahh... I think you should see this."
Those words came mere moments before the dirigible shot out into the air over a valley, lush trees filling the bowl of the valley, waterfalls and streams glistening like silver in the sunlight. A pyramid rose in the heart of the valley, something incredibly brilliant glistening at the top like a piece of the sun brought to earth. Unfortunately, the engines sputtered, wisps of dark smoke rising from them.
"Dark smoke from engines is never a good thing." Willow's words fell into the still air.
As if waiting for recognition, the engine sputtered one last time before falling silent, the smoke going from delicate wisps to a vast, choking cloud that reeked of oil. As if that wasn't enough, they were slowly sinking, the mass of the balloon becoming less firm. There must have been some sharp stones caught up in the water, sharp enough to tear the cloth, releasing the air.
"This can't be good." Jonothan stated the obvious, his whole body showing nervous tension.
As if the forces of fate were laughing at them, the rumbling came back, and the wall of water emerged from the canyon wall, crashing into their vessel with brutal force. Izzy tried to keep them aloft, but no amount of skill could prevent the craft from going down, the impact of the water collapsing the balloon, hurling them towards the trees. It came to rest by a small cliff, towering trees slowing the descent as the branches snapped and shattered with loud noises that seemed to carry far better than they should in the humid air. Vines as thick as Willow's ankles roped over trees and rocks, and the space under the trees seemed dark and gloomy. Almost dark enough for vampires... They landed abruptly, the impact causing the basket to shudder, nearly hurling them to the ground. Izzy insisted on staying to try to repair his ship, which it desperately needed. Perhaps the dark forest frightened him, it certainly seemed to frighten everyone else.
They started towards the middle, knowing that the massive pyramid would be the destination of Imhotep. This was the oasis of Amon Shere, the dwelling of the Scorpion King, chosen and bound to Anubis. The ritual would take place in the pyramid if at all. Time was running out, and they had to try to rescue Alex before it was too late. Willow clutched at her carry bag, carefully wrapped herbs and oils inside giving it a reassuring weight.
"I don't think this forest is empty. Something lives here, something evil and predatory." Willow wished that she had some idea what to expect.
With small noises that sounded almost like chirps of welcome, a falcon flew down, fluttering around Ardeth as if seeking his attention. He reached out with his hand, the falcon landing on his arm, over one of the straps holding a knife, allowing his arm to be undamaged by falcon claws. Ardeth seemed to look into the bird's eyes, and they both grew very still before the falcon once more took to the air.
Horus had been in the air only a few minutes before there was a loud noise, a gunshot from the south. Ardeth spasmed, his body shuddering as his face grew pale. "Horus!"
He took a few steps towards a gap in the tree branches, his eyes scanning the patch of sky. Ardeth was frowning, one hand skimming over the straps that held the knife at his wrist. "I must warn the Medjai... we must make preparations to try to fight the army of Anubis."
"No... I need you here. You have to help me find my son." Rick's words were tight with the desperation of a parent. He didn't know if his son would be safe, and he needed to save him.
Ardeth looked torn. If the medjai were not warned, the army of Anubis might run unchecked. But he wanted to stay, to help Rick. His dark eyes flickered back and forth, showing his conflicting desires.
end part 37.
Willow touched his arm, her fingers curling over him, savoring the feel of his muscles. "What about a spell to communicate with the Medjai? If there's someone that you can contact... then you can warn them now and still be able to help rescue Alex."
"A spell to contact... it would require dried aloe and lotus oil, which I do not have. And I am not certain I could reach anyone from here." There was a sorrow in his eyes.
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Well, that's simple then. I picked up a few things before we left, and I happen to have both dried aloe and lotus oil. I'll work with you, if we combine our power, there should be enough for you to warn the Medjai."
They paused in a small area that was almost a clearing, the trees a bit farther apart. Willow knelt down, pulling from her bag the dried aloe, which looked like shriveled, spiny lengths, almost like something that could have been attacking some pitiful water dwelling creature, and the vial of lotus oil. She glanced at Ardeth, suddenly unsure how he meant to proceed. So many of his spells worked differently than her own magic... He smiled at her, producing a short sword with a broad blade and a small knife. He carved slivers of the aloe, letting them fall to the blade of the sword. Then, he tipped the vial, allowing the lotus oil to wet his finger, and brushed it over his eyelids and ear lobes, reaching over to do the same to Willow. He then applied the knife to the tip of his smallest finger, allowing a few drops of blood to fall onto the slivers of aloe. He then reached out, linking his hands to Willow's and began a soft chant in a language that Willow didn't recognize.
She felt his energy entwining with her own, like warm, golden sunlight over cool green. The combined power went out, seeking an image in his mind, the look and feel of someone, one of the Medjai mages. After a while, she couldn't say how long, the questing tendrils of the spell began to touch what had to be auras, testing each one until it found the right person, the mage that Ardeth was trying to contact.
Against her eyelids, she saw the image of the other mage's face, his skin bearing blue tattoos like Ardeth's, but more of them. A network of creases and lines framed his eyes and lined his mouth, and his hair was a dark grey from the passing of many years.
-Ardeth... what has happened? Are you not beyond the range of your power to reach us? Where is the abomination?-
-My father, we have found the oasis of Amon Shere, and have seen the pyramid. But our vessel was broken, and we may not be in time to prevent the army of Anubis from being raised.- Ardeth's mental words were filled with worry and urgency.
There was a sense of deep fear and worry from the older mage. -This is very grim news. But how... you are combining power with another. Who?-
-She is Willow, the woman swept from her time to the home of the O'Connells. She is a sorceress in her own right, and has surprising skills.- There was something like pride in his mental voice as he mentioned her.
-If we survive this, bring her too meet us. I shall gather the army of the Medjai, and we shall be ready to face the army of Anubis if you can not prevent their release. May the winds of the desert smile upon you, my son.-
Ardeth released the spell, his hand shaking just a bit as he made a gesture over the slivers of aloe, which had somehow burned to fine grey ashes. "The army of the Medjai shall be gathered. We must hurry if we are to prevent the release of the army of Anubis."
They resumed their trek, hoping to make rapid time to the pyramid, praying that they weren't already too late. Rick and Evie were discussing the fragments of legend that Evie could recall of the valley, attempting to plan ahead. Jonothan seemed very nervous, and Willow had the definite impression that he was wishing he was back in England where it was safer.
Of course, that got her thinking about what England was for Jonothan, familiar, safe, home, the birthplace of his family. And that made her wonder... exactly why did Ardeth want to introduce her to his family? "Ardeth? Why exactly did your father want to meet me?"
Ardeth made a few little noises, as if he was trying to find the words to answer and failing utterly. He also seemed to be blushing. "I... think it would be good for you to be able to speak to other mages. And... I think... I hope that you would like my family."
Willow smiled, delighted that he would want her to meet his relatives. Could that possibly mean... did she have a chance for a future with him? Provided that they survived this, of course.
end part 38.
Alex shivered as he looked around. The sorcerer, the one that seemed to be running things was impatient to get to the pyramid. Earlier that day, he'd sent a giant wall of water after Alex's parents, most likely leaving them crushed and drowned, their bodies either drifting towards the ocean or laying on the rocks, food for the scavengers. Either possibility was horrible, and the images left him feeling hollow and numb inside.
Oh yes, the royal dead guy was looking much less scary now. He didn't look like a shriveled up body now, he looked almost normal. Except for the fact that people didn't normally run around in linen kilts anymore. He looked like a piece of ancient Egypt brought to life... which was fairly close. But he wasn't alive.
They were walking through the jungle, thick ferns and vines making it hard to see, hard to walk. Especially since Imhotep had apparently ordered them to keep traveling, and it was now night. Soldiers carried torches, their smoky light illuminating small patches. There were noises, the sounds of crickets and something else that made an almost peeping chirpy noise, the whine of insects, most of which seemed to be mosquitoes intent of devouring the group of red robed intruders before they even reached the pyramid. The bugs also swarmed at Alex and the curator, but left Imhotep and the woman at his side alone. Maybe they didn't like the way they tasted.
Still cursing the mosquitoes, the lead soldiers stumbled into a clearing. There was an open area, a few stunted trees with large cages dangling, woven wooden structures with near skeletal bodies inside. From the poses, the people had perished inside, wracked with torment. Maybe they had died of hunger or thirst... Alex looked around, seeing other bodies in similar conditions tied to posts, skulls dangling from poles in the entire area that was lit by the torches. It wasn't a graveyard, that would require the bodies to have been put to rest. They were still out, reminding Alex horribly of someone's toys left out while they went into another room.
There was another noise now, a low gurgling growl. The noise was coming from the underbrush all around them, and there was something almost like a clicking or chittering that accompanied it. Alex didn't like either noise, they made his skin crawl.
Alex actually pulled loser to the red robed guard as they walked through the clearing. Yes, the man had been harsh, mocking him the whole trip, but... he was human. He wouldn't really lock him in a cage to starve to death, if he could, Alex would simple be dead.
As they walked through the place of cages and corpses, Alex felt himself shuddering. Whatever had done this hadn't been human. Looking at the bodies in horrified fascination, he identified the tattered remnants of uniforms from Napoleon's army, and a few that wore the tattered garb of the Roman legions. Something had captured these soldiers, once part of the finest armies of their times, and brought them here, tormenting them until their deaths. A tiny voice from deep inside was whispering that the 'something' responsible was still here, still waiting and watching from the darkness.
And they wanted new toys.
Ahead, the leader of the guards was conferring with the curator. Somehow, Alex knew that they were discussing how much longer he would be useful to them. From the looks of the way they were smiling, he didn't think it was very much longer.
Taking a breath to steady his nerves, he twisted away from the guard, leaping into the underbrush and running away, ahead. Towards the pyramid that he could somehow feel, like a tugging at his wrist.
With angry shouting, the curator directed the guards. *Fan out! Eyes open! Guns up! Find the boy!*
The guards spread out, guns and torches raised as they looked through the growth of ferns and grasses that rose to their shoulders. The only sounds had been that weirdly unnerving growling noise. As they spread, a wind picked up, a cold wind that carried fear with it. Something terrible was watching them, and it was preparing to strike.
end part 39
Elsewhere in the jungle, Rick and Ardeth looked over the jungle. They had paused on a cliff, hoping to catch their breath and take the chance to look around and be certain they were going in the right direction. Evie was checking over the few weapons they had with them. The sounds of birds and crickets had died, the chirping and peeping of tiny frogs had also faded. The only noises that carried through the jungle air were the nearly imperceptible sounds of the dozens of waterfalls.
"Do you hear that?" Rick's voice was filled with tension as he looked at the jungle.
Ardeth looked over at him. "Hear what?"
"Nothing. Everything's quiet." It was obvious that Rick had been in enough situations to know that when all the wildlife fell quiet, something was wrong.
Willow sat there, trying to feel for the thread that connected her to Alex. He was alive, and didn't feel like he was injured, but... there was still a feeling of something wrong. She could also get a feeling on which way he was, to the east. With a smile, it dawned on her that even if she couldn't tell Imhotep's evil apart from the evil of the oasis, she could still feel Alex. And since Imhotep had Alex...
Jonothan was poking at the vines growing on the back of the cliff. "Oh, shrunken heads. How do they do that anyhow?"
Willow's first reaction was to smile, the question so much like one that she would ask. Her smile faltered though. "What sort of heads, and umm... who shrunk them?"
Jonothan gave a small frown. "Human heads, naturally. But I don't really know who did it, but there are rather a good number of them."
Willow frowned, trying to figure out what she was sensing from the energies of the oasis. Something had changed, shifted. Years of living on the hellmouth had taught her that when energy currents shifted in an evil place, it boded trouble. "It's starting."
Ardeth looked over, his eyes dark with worry and something else. "What's starting?"
All she could do was shake her head. "I don't know. But it's bad, dangerous. I think... it's just a guess, but remember how I said this place is probably inhabited? I think whatever made those shrunken heads is awake and about to cause some trouble."
Looking below them, they could see torches illuminating small patches of ferns and grasses, showing red robed men with guns. The soldiers of the Curator, of Imhotep. Standing very close to Imhotep was the woman in the dark gown, and she seemed almost comfortable in the oasis. Suddenly, one of the torches dropped down, the soldier seemingly pulled down into the plants.
Perhaps that had been the signal, because after that, the torches were falling quickly. There were loud noises, almost like monkey howls, but wrong somehow. Red robed figures scattered, some vanishing, others arcing in pain before falling into the ferns. Some of them began shooting, aiming into the undergrowth around them.
Rick and Ardeth were moving through the undergrowth, searching for Alex. Rick had a pair of pistols drawn, ready to fire if anything attacked. Ardeth was to his right, sword drawn as he moved forward. They were also reassured by the fact that Evie and Jonothan were up on the cliff with their rifles, ready to cover them if there was danger.
"Dad! Dad!" Alex's voice carried over the gunfire and screams.
Rick moved closer, grabbing Alex just as a towering figure in red swung his sword through where his son had been. Flinging Alex over his shoulder, he turned to head back to the cliff. Ardeth counted an effort by the red robe to try to attack while Rick's back was turned, and they battled, swords clashing with the ring of metal.
As Rick was running back to the cliff, the underbrush behind them was shaking, the angry chitterings coming closer. He got nearly to the base of the cliff, and turned, warned by Alex's cry. A thing burst from the underbrush, small and manlike with shriveled grey flesh stretched over bones. Hands ended in sharp little claws, and one hand held what looked like a blowpipe made from a hollowed arm bone. It screeched again, leathery lips pulling back over sharp teeth just as Rick fired his gun, causing it to explode into dusty chunks. A blur of motion made him fire again, this time at one of the creatures that had tried to attack from a tree, swinging on a vine towards them.
Joyfully, Rick stopped right at the base of the cliff, Evie flinging her arms around Alex, hugging him close to her. She was reassuring herself that her son was alive, that he was unharmed. Alex seemed just as glad to see her.
"What on earth were those creepy little pygmy things?" Jonothan's voice shook just a little, despite the way he'd
Rick gave a tired little smirk towards Jonothan. "Oh, just the local natives."
end part 40.
