~Begin Chapter~
In five days, the O'Connells, Ardeth and Russ had made it to France and were traveling through the French countryside, hoping to make it to Egypt in a few weeks time.
Evy had actually grown stronger, and and started to eat to more to regain her shape as she was before Rick fell ill.
Alex was learning to be stronger so he could pull through this. He had done so much research the last few weeks, and still he didn't know what would've possibly done this to his father. He had no idea the horror of it all.
Jonathan was very sober and more serious. He hadn't drunken a drop of liquor. He carried Rick with the help of Ardeth. The task was difficult but he was willing to do it for the sake of his sister and nephew.
Ardeth was still puzzled by Russ. There was just something about him that seemed familiar and so…godly…Ardeth had spent the whole of the time pondering on it but never receiving an answer.
Rick was still like a dead mean. He couldn't speak and it barely looked like he was breathing, but even the slightest movement he made caused him much pain. He was going through a lot of pain whenever Jonathan lost his grip or they set him down to rest and even being carried, he was going through so much pain, it was disturbing at how much pain it was and he couldn't even say "ow" from the lack of energy he had!
Russ rarely spoke except in giving directions. When he was asked how he knew of all this he merely replied, "The Gods are telling me to do this."
Finally in two weeks they had reached the shoreline. They had come into a small town that had docks and some small boats and an old wooden ship that was from the 1700s. Russ lead them to a small tavern. He bidded them to stay outside and rest on the bench as he went inside.
"Hello," he said to the Tavern keeper in perfect French.
"Hello," he replied while cleaning a mug. "What can I do for you?"
"I would like four rooms please," Russ said.
"That'll be twelve Francs," the tavern keeper said holding out his hand for the money.
"I only have ten," Russ said holding out the money.
"Then get three rooms," the tavern keeper said. But all of a sudden his mood changed and he nodded, "I'll let ye slide on this. But don't tell anyone."
"No one knows," Russ said. He walked out side holding the keys to their rooms. "Let's go in now."
They did so. Russ had his own room, Evy and Alex shared a room with Rick and Jonathan and Ardeth had their separate rooms. After putting Rick in bed Evy and Alex met the others downstairs at a table.
"Listen carefully now," Russ said. "We will need to take that old ship to sail to Egypt."
"Why didn't we just take a direct ship liner to Egypt in the first place?" Jonathan asked.
"Because, it would've given us less time to prepare for the oncoming battle. Let me tell you this, my friends, there is a battle that will come up and it will decide the future of not only the world, but the spiritual world as well. You see, this evil we're dealing with, he has powers of a god and the power of Evil himself in him. Once he takes over this world, he has full access to the Spirit Realm. This evil will fight the Gods and Godesses and with enough of his army and the power he has in himself he can conquer. You see, his power increases with the more he destroys and the more land he conquers. I'm amazed he hasn't tried to take over this land yet," Russ said in a whisper so no one on the neighboring tables could hear him.
"What is this evil?" Evelyn asked. Russ looked at her.
"It is the evil you met, when you read that chest," Russ said.
"How did you know?"
"It's quite obvious, really, this power I sense is not like the power of the first two evil you fought, and only the great power of Evil himself can do this."
"What is the name of this evil?" Jonathan asked.
"His name…his name is Seth," Russ said.
"Seth? The God Seth?" Ardeth exclaimed.
"No, not exactly the god Seth, but the human embodiment of him."
"So what are we to do?" Alex asked.
"We have to fight him, fight him in Egypt," Russ responded.
~~In Rick's Room~~
Rick laid on the bed, in a semi-peaceful rest, the pain still throbbing on his body from the long travel.
Outside the window two figures were working, working on pulling out the window. The two figures were tall and muscular; they were Imhotep and Mathyus. The stole into the room and grabbed O'Connell causing him more pain than he was suffering from the journey. The poor man, he couldn't scream or yell his pain, nor in his kidnapping!
~~In the Tavern~~
Evy looked up to her room all of a sudden, Russ looked at her confused, "What is it?"
"I feel, something bad has just happened," Evelyn said. She tore out of the table room and up the stairs to her room she opened the door hastily and looked inside. HE WAS GONE! She fell to her knees sobbing. "No! No! He's gone! They've taken him!"
Russ ran up after her and his eyes widened when he saw Rick missing, "Oh no, he has gone against prophecy! He's gone against…the will of Ra, he's become more powerful than I had thought he'd be!"
Ardeth came up and then it finally struck him! He pulled Russ to the side, "I know who you are now!"
"I knew you'd figure it out, Medjai," Russ said. "I knew you would. Tell no one. If you do my powers will be taken from me and all that will be left is a dead Medjai warrior. It is why I don't tell either."
"I will tell no one," Ardeth said.
"Rick is gone! What are we going to do?!" Jonathan asked in a panic. Russ turned to him.
"Be at peace!" he said. And Jonathan was instantly calm. "Now, the enemy has gone against prophecy, he's taken Rick and he's going to kill him. Rick is our only hope for survival of this world! He's the one! The special Medjai, a Sacred Medjai and the last of them too. We need to go to Egypt now!"
They nodded and left hastily.
~~In Egypt~~
Imhotep and Mathyus came into the courtroom of their leader, Seth and threw the limp body of Rick O'Connell before him and bowed.
"He seems dead already, Lord," Imhotep said. "Why should we kill him now, if he is no threat?"
"Silence fool! He is a threat but I don't want to kill him now. I want to gain more territory and see if he is capable of fighting! I can make him good use as a soldier in my army. Yes, there is something in him I sense that is very powerful."
"But sire, you wanted us to kill him," Mathyus said.
"Well I don't want you to now!" Seth snapped. "Now leave my presence and take this limp body to a bedroom to stay. And don't be careful with it!"
Imhotep and Mathyus did as they were told. As they walked up the stairs they talked to each other.
"It was really he who was sent to kill me was it?" Mathyus said. Imhotep shook his head.
"No I was, but without my powers I didn't really have a chance as I would with my powers. I had come to rely too much on my powers," Imhotep said.
"I thought so," Mathyus said. "So why was he there?"
"To save his family," Imhotep said. "He's become the hero of the world."
"I see, I think he's the one who's suppose to fight Seth," Mathyus pondered a bit. " We should help him."
"What?"
"We should help him! Seth is too unstable to rule his foot! He's a madman! He shouldn't rule anything!" Mathyus said. "So we should help this man defeat Seth!"
"And what'll we do afterwards?!"
"Perhaps just start a new life, I guess."
"Alright, sounds good to me," Imhotep said. They talked about new plans for a revolution against Seth, but what they didn't know what Seth had eyes and ears everywhere.
~~End Chapter~~