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.
There was a moment of quiet, and then the plants began to rustle again, little chitterings and growls that made it clear that there was something out there, and whatever was there was dangerous. The insects were still silent, the air ominously still, and scented with the bitter smoke from the torches that had fallen to the ground.
"They aren't going to give up that easily." Willow hated to have to say it, but she would be far more unhappy if those things-that horde of undead pygmies-swarmed them because they thought they'd gone away.
Evie looked over, her eyes still white ringed with fright from the rescue of Alex. "Is there any good news that you can share with us?"
"Mum, I have to get to the temple! He said if I'm not there by the time the sun falls on it, I'll die!"
"Temple? Which way to the temple?" Jonothan sounded almost numb, as if he was bordering on shock.
Gesturing towards the pulsating mass of evil and complex spells that she could feel, looming like some massive giant, Willow spoke. "That way, and I think we should hurry."
The first little nasty emerged from the shrubbery, this one holding a sharp knife chipped from stone in one clawed hand.
It was as if they had suddenly been hurled from a catapult, the way they went from horrified stillness to frantic flight. Their feet pounded on the earth, and the leaves of the plants beat at them, seeking to wrap around and cling, to slow their passage.
In the scramble, Willow and Ardeth got separated from the others, the path they were on suddenly no longer the same as the one that Evie and Rick were on. They'd also lost sight of Jonothan.
"How do we kill those things?" Ardeth's voice was low, as if he was thinking out loud.
Willow licked lips gone dry with fear. "I think... just about anything would work if you could hit them." Willow glanced at him. "But I think there's going to be a lot of them, so we should keep running towards the amazing mass of evilness that is the temple."
A deep gulley opened before them, and they had no choice but to try to leap across, hoping, praying that there was something slightly safer ahead. Ardeth made the jump, turning in time to see Willow do something that made her eyes glow, and she moved forward-farther than her jump had carried her-and one foot touched down at the edge of the gulley... right before the ground crumbled under her foot. She slipped, a small squeak emerging and Ardeth reached out, grabbing her wrist to pull her to solid ground.
"Thanks." She wanted to put so much more into the word, but... Now certainly wasn't the time for a declaration that she thought she was falling in love with him, even if it was more like had fallen, and she had no idea how he'd feel about that. "Almost feels like Sunnydale was safer after all..."
As they kept running, there was a screeching noise, and one of the grey skinned undead pygmies leapt at them. Willow almost snarled a word in Latin, and flung a yellow green ball of flame at the creature. It began to shriek, jumping around frantically, and they kept running. Willow's gaze flickered back at the creature, now frantically rolling on the ground in an effort to extinguish the flames.
"Okay, fire freaks them out, but it doesn't seem to be killing it. Or making it fall apart, since it's already dead and all..." The worry in her voice was easy to hear. "And they have a lot of relatives out there."
They kept running, going towards the towering mass of ancient evil. They could both feel the pyramid, and that prevented them from losing their way and getting lost in the jungle, which would have been a short fate. Getting lost would have allowed the pygmy things to find and kill them. The breath was burning in Willow's lungs and it was only Ardeth's hand on her arm that let her continue.
They finally broke out of the underbrush, into an open courtyard lined with statues of human headed crouching rams facing what looked like miniature obelisks of some dark stone. The sand was scuffed and it looked as if there had been some sort of fight, especially since there were blood spots.
And Evie's unmoving body lay on the sand. The sight of it was like a punch to Willow's stomach, and she stared, a soft noise that wasn't quite a whimper spilling from her lips. "Evie?"
The sunlight filled the area with bright light, which reflected on the sand. The blood looked far too dark, too... final. The sense of evil and power that were so thick that they could taste them in the air.
end part 41.
"Can anything be done for her?" Ardeth's voice was low, the words almost pulled from him by something.
Willow didn't even turn, her eyes caught by the raw pain and grief in the scene before them. "She's dead. Unless you have some way to raise the dead or turn back time... how could you do anything?"
"Raise the dead..." Jonothan looked at her, his eyes slowly regaining reason instead of raw pain and shock.
"Willow, you're brilliant!" Alex's shout startled everyone, and he darted off, words of 'the book' pouring forth as he vanished into the pyramid.
Something flared from deep inside the pyramid, some dark power that made Willow and Ardeth shiver. It was like a winter wind had passed near them, leaving the air disrupted.
"There will be a battle... I should be with my people." His eyes were dark and frantic as Ardeth whispered.
Willow looked at him. While she would rather have him with her, stay at his side, she understood the need to face the danger. It was the same thing that Buffy had always done. "Can you... Can you form that link with someone there? If you can... if they can... sort of be an anchor to pull you there? I've been practicing teleportation, but I... I wouldn't want to risk you getting hurt. If we can get an anchor to sort of catch you? It should work..."
"Yes... I can try to form the link. Are you certain that you can move something the size of a man? I am much bigger than a crossbow." His eyes were filled with hope.
"Absolutely. Besides, with someone to catch you, it won't be as hard as moving you all by myself, and you'll know where you'll go." She told him, trying to hide her worries. She could move him, but would she still be awake afterwards? How exhausted would the spell leave her? No, she didn't want him to know about those doubts. She wouldn't let her weakness prevent him from his sacred duty.
He pulled the knife and bit of dried Aloe again, and formed his link. When he looked up, there was a glimmering of magic in his eyes. "Send me. We do not have much time, I fear."
Willow wrapped him in her power, feeling the threads that bound him to the other Medjai, golden as the sunlight on the sand, the pale blue or deep cerulean of the open sky, the cool green of an oasis... They would catch him, make sure he arrived safely. She pushed him towards them, following their threads of power. He would arrive there, guided by the link, his landing made safe by their skill.
"Be as careful as you can, Ardeth Bey..." Her whisper followed the whooshing sound that the air made as it closed in on the place where Ardeth had stood a heartbeat ago.
Her head spun and throbbed, and something tickled at her lip. She was on her knees in the sand, and wasn't quite certain when that had happened. She'd been standing before the spell. Reaching up, she wiped at it with the back of her hand, the resulting smear of blood looking horribly bright.
She looked up to see Jonothan carrying Evie's body into the pyramid, Rick having already vanished.
"Well... it looks like this is going to be an indoor occasion." She lurched to her feet, trying to keep up with Jonothan. She had no idea what he intended to do with Evie, but it couldn't be worse than staying out here.
Outside the Oasis of Amon-Shere, the small group of Maji that had gathered to discuss the options blinked. When Ardeth had contacted them, they had wanted him to be there with them, to fight alongside his people. His claim that the sorceress with him could send him there had been met with concern and doubt. But they'd told him that if she could send him at least half the distance, they could ensure his safe arrival.
They hadn't expected the rush of power, green as growing things, sparkling with flecks of sun-bright gold and deep shadows. The sense of power had left them almost breathless, and they had 'caught' Ardeth, bringing him safely into the tent, his body reforming to the pattern of his essence. The feeling was of focused wind, directed by will, unaccompanied by the echo of ancient ritual, or the scent of herbs.
"Ardeth... so good of you to join us." Khalim's voice was dry, but there was a trace of humor to it.
Ardeth rose to his feet, straightening his robes. "My place is with my people. It is almost certain that the Army of Anubis has either just been released or will be shortly. I am a Medjai, I will fight and die with my people."
end part 42.
Imhotep and Anak-Su-Naman entered the depths of the pyramid, moving confidently towards the heart of it, the lair of the Scorpion King. Soon, he would pass the Sacred Place, and after the Shrine, he would face the Scorpion King to determine who would control the Army of Anubis. He would rule the world, with Anak-Su-Naman at his side at last.
He felt nothing but confidence as he walked closer, descending along a ramp of sandstone, torches burning and the light flickering off gleaming gold. That confidence did not waver until he passed between the Columns of Judgment. The tendrils of dark power reached out, seizing him, reaching deep into his being, and they froze, they pulled, it hurt. The breath from his lips and lungs was ripped away, as was the warmth from the sun. His pride would not have allowed him to scream, even if the breath had remained in his lungs, considering it beneath the dignity of a Priest of Anubis. He could see nothing but darkness, and the cloud dispersed, carrying shimmering sparkles of gold light with it. He felt so weak...
Reaching his hand towards the gleaming golden offerings, the platters and incense boxes, he tried to pull something to him with the sorcerous power that he'd mastered so long ago. He watched as the large platter trembled, but it stayed on the alter. Nothing flew into his hand. Nothing.
*It seems that Anubis wishes me to face the Scorpion King as a mortal.* He tried to conceal the feeling that crept through him, to dismiss it as yet another tendril of the cold that had been left in place of his power.
But it wasn't simply the absence of heat. It was fear... or dread. He knew that his abilities as a mortal would not be sufficient to defeat the Scorpion King. He would need another plan by the time he faced him.
A vast doorway of elaborately carved stone was the only way across a deep chasm that let oddly scented smoke into the air, the writings on it warning of the power of Anubis, the might of the Scorpion King. Warned that this place was guarded by the King of Scorpions.
Reaching to lift a weapon, he looked across the empty space to the place where he would find himself facing the Scorpion King. *This is my destiny*
Anak-Su-Naman grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with emotion. *No... you must not! The danger...*
*I must do this, my love.* Turning, Imhotep began his descent to the lair of the King of Scorpions.
Elsewhere in the pyramid, the Curator had found the golden bracelet, feeling it's power. While he didn't know why it had been abandoned in the sands, he could make use of it. He wanted power, and here it was, glittering before him. He smiled as he grabbed it, snapping it closed on his wrist as he entered the pyramid.
There would be more power within.
He came to a room, undoubtedly the first impassable barrier to prevent the power of this place from being taken. The floor seemed dark at a casual glance, but at the same time, it seemed to ripple... With horror, he realized that it was covered with scorpions. One hand clutched at his throat, dread of the crawling things chilling him, while the other was flung out, as if to gesture them to stay away.
The teeming horde of scorpions were pushed away, and began to retreat into a deep cleft in the floor, crossable by a simple bridge.
Crossing the narrow bridge, he entered a corridor. It had a high ceiling, and the remains of old torches lined the halls. It must have been awe inspiring then, gleaming light and golden stone... But now it was cold and dark.
The hallway lead to a large open area at the corner of two halls. A large shape of gold and bronze covered most of the wall, looking almost like a scorpion, but somehow more terrible. There was a hole in the center, slightly larger in diameter than his fist. With a deep breath, he plunged his fist into the hole, hoping that the gleaming bracelet would protect him.
There was a faint noise, like something moving, and his hand was seized by a terrible pain, like a thousand sharp needles and a terrible heat that burned and itched and there was something scraping... He screamed, tugging at his hand even as a wave of something-some energy-spread forth, transforming the grey stone to golden sandstone. The torches flaring to life, the whole place looking more alive, more welcoming. His hand didn't hurt anymore, leaving only an only raw throbbing sensation.
He pulled his hand out, the sense of wrongness growing. He gasped at the sight of the desiccated skeletal hand below the bracelet. His flesh was gone, stripped from the bones but for a few tattered shreds... the bones darkened as if from the passing of many years. The sight was horrible. He began to shake at the sight, his whole arm beginning to feel numb.
"Small problem?" The voice of Rick O'Connell sounded behind him, a voice filled with anger.
Still clutching his arm with the hand that had remained whole, he gasped and darted down the hallway, certain that things were wildly out of his control. This was not how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to gain enough power to rule the world, or at least a part of it, not become crippled in a remote corner of the ancient world, with nobody to obey him or offer any aid. Imhotep would be able to fix this, and surely the undead owed him...
end part 43.
Jonothan carried Evie after Alex, a sharp pain inside him as she lay still, unmoving in his arms. Alex thought that they could use the Book of the Living to bring her back, to restore her to life. He wanted to believe that it could work, wanted his sister back so badly that that hurt as well. There was just one small problem... "You do realize that this can only be done by someone that can actually read ancient Egyptian, right?"
The hallway came to a wall, leading off to either side. Carved hieroglyphs decorated the walls, and patterns underneath that might have been merely decoration underscored them. Alex paused a moment. "We go right."
"How do you know?" He shifted Evie, feeling as if something inside was cracking.
Alex spoke a few words, things that sounded almost familiar but not. "Basically, it says this way to the Scorpion King." He paused, looking up with eyes that were soft with tears. "Mum taught me."
Jonothan followed, hope welling up inside. Of course Evie had taught him, and Evie... "This just might work."
They came to an open area, and it was apparent that there was something important through the doorway, the imposing carvings that framed the portal made that clear. Firelight flickered, and he could hear the dull roaring noise. "They went through there. If we can distract them long enough to grab the book..."
Carefully, he lowered Evie to the ground, his mind trying to form a plan. Peeking through the doorway, he saw the woman standing at the top of a ramp, the book beside her on what looked like a pedestal.
"I'll distract her, you grab the book." He whispered to Alex, hoping that he could keep her busy long enough.
Taking a breath for courage, he waited until Alex had slipped into the open area, disappearing from sight before he stepped into the area. He raised his hands into his best boxing form, trying to look fearsome "You... This is for my sister."
It turned out that his best boxing form didn't intimidate her at all. She gave this annoyingly condescending smile, pushing at his hand with surprising strength. Her smile grew wider, showing the tips of pointed teeth, and she gave a little hissing chuckle before raising one hand, swatting casually at his face. Her golden nails raked over his cheek, leaving burning trails of pain. She pushed him again, knocking him into the wall, where he slid down, feeling oddly short of breath. She then gave that same condescending smile, waved her fingers in a casual goodbye, and turned from him, walking away as if he was nothing.
Using the wall for support, he pulled himself to his feet, feeling unexpectedly dizzy. How hard had he hit the stone? Carefully, he staggered back to the place where he'd left Evie. Alex knelt beside her, the book in his hands as the tears streamed down his cheeks. Willow knelt beside him, looking pale and shaking a bit as she murmured something.
"She isn't human, Jonothan. I'm not sure if that was incredibly brave of you to face her like that or incredibly foolish..." Willow smiled at him, her eyes filled with emotions and memories. "Sit down, you look a bit wobbly. Let me fix those scratches before you get a nasty infection."
Willow ran her fingers over the welts, murmuring soft words in what he thought might be Gaelic, and it felt as if they were in the sunshine, a moment of almost painful warmth, and then they felt cool. The dizziness retreated, and he felt much better, although still a bit embarrassed by his dismal showing. She seemed to almost collapse back into a seated position, her skin pale, tremors running over her body. "whoa... got to rest a bit... no more magic or I'll pass out."
Alex opened the book, reading the ancient words slowly in a voice that shook with pain. Willow rested a hand on one shoulder, and Jonothan put a hand on the other shoulder, offering his support and hopes that this would go well. It felt almost as if something was tugging at him, pulling at his stomach, and he gasped, looking at Willow's eyes, wide with shock and astonishment.
There was a small gasping noise, and Evie arched up, gasping for breath, her eyes now open, wild with fear and uncertainty. "Alex... Jonothan... where?"
"Alex used the book to bring you back." Willow's voice was soft, breathy. Her eyes looked black, and Jonothan wasn't certain if it was just from her pupils being dilated. "Imhotep and Anack are through there... looking for the Scorpion King." One hand waved weakly towards the doorway.
"You look... rather dreadful actually." Evie sat up, one hand touching her stomach hesitantly.
Willow tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "Too much magic. I think I'll just sit here... I have no idea where Rick is, Imhotep's in there trying to gain control over the evil accursed general for Anubis, the evil undead army is outside where Ardeth and the other Medjai are prepared to fight to the death to stop them... You aren't dead anymore... Just like old times, only more sand."
Jonothan hugged Evie, pulling her close, wanting to feel her in his arms, to know that she ws alive again. "It's good to have you back, sis."
"Then you may all die together." The cold voice of Anack-Su-Naman rang into the room, sending chills down his spine.
Evie pulled back a bit, rising to her feet and pulling a pair of curving Egyptian daggers from a statue. "Jonothan, take Alex and help Rick."
"What about you?" His voice was a bit unsteady. He didn't want to lose his sister twice in one day.
There was something hard and angry in Evie's eyes as she faced the other woman. "I'll be just fine."
end part 44.
Rick hefted the ax, the double blades shimmering bronze, reflecting the torchlight as he hurried down the hallway. Imhotep and his girlfriend were in here, and he intended to make them pay for Evie. He dismissed the curator, knowing that he would never be able to escape the Oasis, but that such a departure would be well within the abilities of Imhotep. That damn mummy should just stay dead.
The hallway opened along a wall, a smaller entrance to a grand open area with massive pillars and elaborately carved walls. Fire burned everywhere, torches, braziers, big pots of fire. Something else, a dark, somehow menacing reddish light came from a large crack in the floor. There was a loud clanging noise, the sound of someone repeatedly hitting a gong. It carried, echoing through the hall, probably well outside. He almost imagined that the fires flickered in time with the reverberating sound.
Moving closer, he jumped the crack, a wave of dizziness slamming into him over it, making his wobble and almost fall backwards into it. Instinct screamed at him, demanding he get away from the crevasse, that something very, very bad lay inside it. He moved towards the noise, seeing Imhotep, looking entirely whole and human, dressed only in one of those little Egyptian kilt-skirt things and a sash, beating at a gong.
His face twisting with anger, he charged at him, axe raised high. Something must have alerted Imhotep, because he turned, blocking the axe with the wrapped staff that he'd stuck the gong with. Rick tried to press the axe, a corner of his mind insisting that this was one of the dumber things that he'd done. Imhotep shifted his footing, changing the angle of his pressure, and the axe flew back, both it and the mallet both flying into the crevasse. There was no sound of them striking anything.
He punched Imhotep, fist connecting to teeth and jaw through the thin layer of lip, drawing blood. Watching the other man wipe away that tiny red smear, he felt something, a fierce and angry hope raise inside him. If he was for some reason less indestructible, then he could make this hurt for the dead man. Smiling, he attacked again.
Imhotep pulled back, glaring as he spoke something that sounded serious and a bit threatening in that Egyptian of his.
The fight resumed, blows sending both of them staggering back. There were more weapons, axes, swords, and this long thing that Imhotep had grabbed that had a curving arched blade at each end. It was unlikely that they would both walk away from this alive. Rick glared back at the Egyptian, prepared to do anything to take him out. His resolve didn't waver even when the fight sent him crashing into one of the burning cauldrons, flaming oil spilling forth, the heat almost raising blisters on his back.
Something made the floor shake. There were booming noises, almost like giant footsteps echoing on stone. Rick had a sinking feeling that he really wouldn't like the source of those noises. There was this deep rumble, almost like a growl that had been made deeper, lower. He felt it in his bones, and they were not happy.
It came into view, not remotely human, despite a face that seemed human, a torso that was almost like a man's. The fact that instead of hands there were great pincers and that the human like torso merged into the body of a scorpion large enough to dwarf an elephant removed any sense of humanity. Even larger pincers were attached to the scorpion body, easily large enough to cut a man in half. From the rear, an enormous stinger rose, the wickedly curved tip gleaming with venom. This could only be the Scorpion King.
"This is bad."
He found himself gripping the axe in his hand more tightly, even as he stepped back, almost bumping into one of the pillars. That thing... it wasn't human. It was terrifying.
Imhotep's eyes had grown very wide as well. Carefully, he backed away, until with a sudden forceful gesture, he flung away the halves of the double bladed thing, falling into a position like a crouching bow, arms crossed in front of his chest as he shouted something.
The Scorpion King paused, and pulled the claws back a bit. After a pause, it... he spoke, saying something in the same language, most likely the Ancient Egyptian.
After a pause, Imhotep nodded his head, and then gestured towards Rick, his words sounding angry. Rick had the oddest feeling that he'd just said something along the lines of 'he did it, not me.'
The Scorpion King turned towards him, an angry look on his face, and Rick knew that he was in trouble. That was all the warning he had as the Scorpion King moved towards him, claws snapping, the massive stone pillars shattering as Rick frantically dodged the huge pincers.
Rick turned, running down the hall, desperately hoping for something, anything to give him a way out of this. He came to a halt beside some large wall carvings, gleaming gold accenting them. There was a figure with a mark on his wrist, the same mark that was on his own arm, and it held Jonothan's golden scepter thing. The next figure showed the scepter becoming a spear, and the one after that showed the spear-scepter embedded in a man with the hieroglyph of the Scorpion King.
Ardeth's words of fate and destiny echoed in his mind, and he looked again at the mark on his wrist and at the wall. "Okay, now I believe."
He passed the shuffling form of the Curator, confident that the Scorpion King could drop that man easily enough. He didn't turn to watch, knowing that he had to find Jonothan, had to find the scepter-spear. Rick didn't see as the Scorpion King seized the curator, tearing him apart with the huge claws.
There, at the end of the hall! Jonothan and Alex, eyes wide, the golden scepter in Jonothan's hand.
He began shouting, hoping that they would hear him, hoping that his words would make sense to them.
end part 45.
Willow watched, her vision a bit fuzzy around the edges as Evie faced Anack-Su-Naman. They both held matching sets of curving blades that reminded her of Japanese sais. Maybe if they lived through this, she could ask what the name of the weapons was in ancient Egypt... Evie moved a bit differently, confident, wary, but with the grace and balance of a warrior. Her aura had shifted a bit, still Evie, but also... a bit different. Almost like she'd aged several years during those long minutes of being dead. Willow could feel herself trembling, shaking with the exhaustion of pushing her magic.
She had two options, she could sit here practically helpless, praying that Evie won and nothing else dangerous found her, or she could try to gather a bit of power. She gave a small snort at the idea. She was sitting in the inside of an evil temple to an ancient scary god whose undead army had just been released, having chased a mummy and his inhuman girlfriend across the globe. Of course there would be something else that was dangerous. Closing her eyes, she opened herself a little bit, trying to pull in a little of the energy of the place, hoping that she could filter out some of the raw power, claim it as her own. Surely, as much energy as there was in this place, a little bit so that she could stand, walk, run away if need be would never be noticed?
Blades flashed in the flickering fire light, metal hissing and clanging as the women became a dizzying blur of motion. Anack-Su-Naman spoke to Evie in the old language, the words almost clear to Willow as she sat there, open to the power of this place, watching the fight with worry. She felt like this was all the echo of some older, earlier fight. Were they just repeating some dreadful pattern over and over again? Had Evie connected with an Egyptian ghost? She could almost see them, both clad in glittering gold and short wraps of linen, kohl making their eyes long and exotic as a man in royal robes sat on his throne... Voices whispered, chanting filled the air, the echoes of the spells in the construction of this pyramid, the deeper voice that shook her bones repeating the words that formed the Oasis.
Willow could feel it soaking into her, the burning heat of the desert sands, the brightness of the light like a hammer, the biting dryness of the wind, the scouring of the sandstorm, the burning venom of the scorpion... This was a mistake. She shouldn't have opened herself to these magics, they were older, more powerful than anything that she'd encountered, more powerful than any mortal...
She tried to gather her will, to force the images to slow. She would not loose herself in this. She'd helped close a Hellmouth, she'd restored a soul, she'd faced Glory. She wasn't about to let the residual Egypt-ness of this power drown her! Gasping for breath, she stood up, watching the women stare at each other for a long moment before they turned and bolted down the passage towards the Scorpion King.
Willow followed them, feeling the rage of something that had become attuned to the power in these walls. Whatever it was, it was old, and powerful, and not human.
This angry something... it was linked... linked to many lesser somethings far away... outside the Oasis... With a start, she realized that the angry something was the Scorpion King, and the lesser somethings were the individual soldiers in the Army of Anubis. The web of power that lurked behind the stones was clear to her, she could read all of it...
Evie was wrestling again with Anack-Su-Naman, at the top of the ramp down to the place where Rick stood, facing the Scorpion King. Imhotep was there as well, the webs of his presence somehow changed, dulled. There was no magic inside of him now...
Willow closed her eyes and tried to follow one of the threads of power that lead to one of the soldiers. She couldn't influence it, couldn't control it, but with a jolt, she could see where it was, see the sands gleaming in the sunlight, watch things move by in a rush of speed as it charged in a line of thousands of other soldiers towards a line of dark robed men. The Medjai stood ready to fight the Army of Anubis.
She wrenched herself away with a lurching, stomach twisting jolt, unwilling to watch as Ardeth's people fought those things, unable to take the chance of seeing this Soldier fight Ardeth. It would hurt too much to see something happen to him. But they were there, ready to fight.
Jonothan finally made the scepter into a spear, the parts that had been tucked inside shooting out. He said something, gesturing for Alex to stand back, and hurled the spear towards Rick. Unfortunately, Imhotep stood up, grabbing the gleaming spear from the air with a triumphant smile.
Willow looked away, knowing that this strange awareness of the power inside the temple would keep her aware of how that struggle turned out. She looked at Evie and Anack-Su-Naman, hoping that the ancient Egyptian got beaten to a little pulp.
She felt the jolt that went through the fabric of the magic as the spear struck the Scorpion King, felt the power rip as the Scorpion King died. It hurt, feeling almost as if something inside of her had been ripped. The power trembled, and the threads of the soldiers unraveled, the Army falling to dust. The temple began to shake.
"This is going to be very bad." Her words fell unheeded into the room, unnoticed as the walls began to shake, the ceiling developing cracks that released jagged spikes of stone to plummet onto the bridge. A dusty hand emerged, griping the ramp. Soon, it was apparent that both Rick and Imhotep were trying to struggle their way out of the chasm, impeded by the somethings that filled it. They weren't quite undead, they weren't quite spirits, and they weren't quite in this world, but they were close enough to all three to try to drag the men down with them.
Evie screamed for Rick, charging across the ramp as more jagged stones fell, grabbing her husband to help pull him up, struggling to save him.
Anack-Su-Naman stood by the doorway, her eyes wide and frightened, looking at Imhotep as he called to her, hoping for the same aid that his rival was receiving from his beloved. Anack-Su-Namun shook her head, screaming a denial before she turned to flee. Imhotep watched this with wide eyes filled with pain and shock.
Willow understood his expression. Everything that he'd done had been for that... woman, he'd broken laws, defied his king, his gods all for her. Now, she was rejecting him. The pain from that had to be almost as bad as the curse that had been inflicted on him by the Pharaoh's priests. He released the ramp, pushing himself backwards, deliberately plummeting into the chasm. If he could not have his beloved, he did not want to live.
She felt tears well up at the depths of his emotions. Yes, he was evil, and yes, he was very dangerous. But to have loved that deeply... She couldn't let his soul be torn to shreds by the what-evers in that chasm. Reaching out with the power of this pyramid, she pulled his spirit away from his flesh, the bonds already weakening. The soul slid from her grasp, pulled away to face... whatever the afterlife brought. Perhaps judgment, perhaps he would be reincarnated, perhaps nothingness, although Willow preferred to think that there would be something that awaited him. She sent a last whispered thought towards him, uncertain if he would hear. "I will remember the depths of your love."
Running with the others, they made their way out of the pyramid, leaves and twigs carried on a wind rushing into the heart of the pyramid. As they ducked out, they beheld a terrifying sight - the whole oasis seemed to be swirling through the air, uprooted and being sucked into the pyramid. Leaves were joined by trees, and the undead pygmies, all being sucked inside.
"We've got to get up! This whole place is being sucked down!" Rick's shout carried, and they began a frantic climb to the top of the pyramid, hoping to escape.
They scrambled upwards, reaching the top of the pyramid, Evie and Alex both clinging to the bronze Scorpion that topped the pyramid, fearful that the whirling winds would snatch them up, dragging them into the heart of the pyramid as well. Something was out there, something that wasn't touched by the power of Ancient Egypt.
With a glad shout, Rick waved frantically for Izzy to bring the dirigible closer. They began scrambling aboard, although they almost lost Jonothan. In the end, they got a wonderful view of everything being sucked into the temple before a powerful wind blew them upwards, hurtling through the sky and away from the place the Oasis had been.
There was frantic rejoicing from Jonothan and Izzy as they realized that they'd made it, they'd survived. Evie gave Izzy several delighted kisses, so happy that he'd arrived at just the right time to carry them away. She then went to Rick, murmuring what could only be the post averted Apocalypse 'I love you's and 'I was so worried's. They looked so happy together. Looking over the side, Willow noticed a single figure. Ardeth Bey, mounted on his black horse, watching at the dirigible carried them all away. She felt inescapably sad at the sight, one hand reaching towards him, only able to watch as he grew smaller with distance.
end part 46.
Several hours later, the dirigible landed at a small town. Izzy had been insisting that it needed some proper repairs, and honestly, the whole group of them would be quite happy to stop, to rest and unwind a bit. Food, bath, and rest... the idea sounded almost heavenly.
She found herself almost understanding the words of the villagers. As if she knew a language that was close to the one they spoke. But she'd never learned any of the Egyptian languages. There was a broken obelisk in the center of the town square, and she found herself staring at it, part of her seeing it as it had once been, tall, gleaming in the sun, the sacred words carved deep into its base, proclaiming to all that this was part of the Lands of the Two Kingdoms. She whispered the words as her fingers traced the weathered hieroglyphs.
Understanding dawned for her. She'd dosed herself with more than magic inside that temple, she'd dosed herself with Egypt. Not the land as it was now, but the echoes of the land that the Scorpion King had walked, the land that Imhotep had lived within. She knew the Sacred Writings, knew the sound of the words, the legends of their gods, the rituals of their kings... "What have I done?"
"Willow? I had hoped to find you again." Ardeth's voice pulled her attention back to here and now. "It is good to see that you are well."
"It's good to be well. It was a very close thing... Too close. I'm sorry about your people... I know there must have been loses to the Army." She reached towards him, the fingers that had just been resting on the hieroglyphs brushing lightly over his sleeve.
"I had wanted to talk to you, but..." He sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "I found it easier to face the Army. To face near certain death. But there are things... questions that I have for you."
"We could go to the small pool that's two... three small dunes past the market, and talk in peace?" She offered slowly, part of her wondering HOW she knew there was a pool of water, let alone where it was.
They walked there slowly, neither speaking. Willow sighed, savoring the feeling of Ardeth Bey, wishing that she could stay with him. She cared about him far more than she should, especially considering that she was not from here. Could she fit in among his people? Assuming that he'd want her to try... But she didn't mention any of that.
"How did you know this pool was here?" He reached out, his fingers touching the back of her hand.
She looked up, for a moment loosing herself in his eyes. "I... I'm not sure. I did something rather foolish, back there. I opened myself to the magic, and it did... something. I knew the pool was here, I know what the carvings on the broken obelisk say. I just... I wish I knew what this meant in the long run."
"It means that Egypt lives within you now. It will be a home to you, always. Perhaps... perhaps you would stay?" His hand had moved, touching her hair, almost touching her cheek.
She looked at him, trying to memorize the sight of him, feeling how he belonged here, how he fit into the pattern of this land. She smiled, inhaling the scent of him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that sounded like a proposal of some sort."
"Perhaps it should be. Would you be willing to stay here for a time, to learn more of these lands, of... of my people? I must warn you that my family wishes very much to meet you." There was something in his eyes, as if there were more that he wanted to say but didn't quite dare voice.
Willow smiled, wondering if magically trained warriors became as nervous about emotions as normal guys, suspecting that Ardeth Bey was proof that they did indeed become stammering, awkward, blushing boys just like the rest of the male gender. "I think I'd like to meet your family, Ardeth Bey. I'd very much like to learn more about your people, more about you. Considering that I'm sure Rick and Evie only asked me to teach Alex as an excuse to keep an eye on me, I have nothing else planned for... oh, the rest of my life."
He smiled, and Willow felt as if her chest had become a little too tight. "Then come away with me... you shall be like a rose in the desert. I offer myself as your companion and guide for as long as you will have me."
"As long as I'll have you? What if I don't ever want to let you go?" She'd stepped closer, feeling the warmth of his body prickle over her, resting her hand on his shoulder as she looked into his eyes.
"Then I would be delighted to grow old and grey by your side." Leaning down, his lips brushed over hers.
She reached up, her fingers buried in his hair as she deepened the kiss, tasting him, savoring the feeling of this wonderful moment. Eventually, the kiss broke, leaving them pressed close together, arms wrapped around each other as they smiled into each other's eyes. "That sounds good to me."
end part 47.
End Time for Change.
