"Alright, alright, I'll give it to you. Just don't hurt them," sighed Rick as he held out his arm.

"Dad, what're you doing? You can't just give it to them!" protested Alex, pulling on his father's arm.

"I have no choice Alex," he replied as the man took the Spire from his hands.

The man laughed as he headed towards the door.

"Thank you very much. I knew you woud see it my way," he said.

He ran out the door and disappeared around the corner. Rick and Alex watched them go. Sarah and Patrick walked up behind them, their mouths open.

"Why'd you do that? Now they have the Spire! I wonder what your friend will think of you now? I think she's going to be very angry at you," Patrick told him, the anger evident in his voice.

"Actually, I think she'll say I was very clever. You see, that wasn't the real Spire I gave him but a fake. I wonder how long he'll realize that?" Rick replied before turning around and walking into the room.

Sarah and Patrick were just as surprised as Alex as they watched him walk up to Nick.

"How're you feeling?" asked Rick.

"Good. Great idea. Though where's the real one?" Nick quietly asked.

"With your friends. I asked them if they could keep an eye on it for a while," Rick replied.

***

Ardeth's head drooped as time passed on. Evie became more and more worried by the minute.

"Catlanda, something's wrong," Evie called over to her.

"What is it?" she asked as she hurried over to them.

"I'm not sure. It seems like he's really sick," Evie replied as she held onto Ardeth's arm.

Catlanda held Ardeth's face in her hands and forced him to look at her. They stared into each other's eyes. Ardeth's eyes seemed lifeless to her.

"I feared this but I should have known it would happen," Catlanda said as Isis sat beside her.

"What?" wondered Evie.

"I remember reading here that if someone gets hurt as the time travel spell is taking place, the person will suffer greatly. The life is slowly being sucked out of him," Catlanda replied. "And there's nothing we can do until we get the Spire back in this time as well as Rick and Alex before it fully claims his life."

Evie was shocked.

"You can't be serious! You mean that if we don't get Rick, Alex and the Spire back here real soon, Ardeth will...simply die because of his injury?" Evie asked her.

Catlanda gave a deep sigh.

"That's exactly what I mean," she replied as Isis whimpered. "Come on. We have to find it before it takes his life."

***

Rick walked through the halls and headed for the nurse's station, where he saw Jackie and Harriet standing behind. They were quietly talking to each other before they looked over at Rick.

Hey Rick, come over here for a moment please?" called Jackie, motioning with her hand.

Rick walked over to them.

"Yes?" he asked.

What exactly is the importance of this thing that came with you two?" asked Harriet.

Rick was a bit surprised by the question.

"You know those friends I was talking about earlier? Ardeth and Catlanda? Well, Catlanda has been entrusted to protect that thing until the day she dies. If I lost it just because of the safety of strangers, she'd have my head," Rick explained as they handed him the Spire.

The two looked at each other in amazement.

"What if you can't get back? That means she'll never have your head," Harriet said with a smile.

"You're right, she won't but I'd rather her have my head than having to stay here forever," Rick told them before he left the two and out the door with Patrick, Sarah and Alex.

"Life has been sooo weird lately it's not even funny," Jackie told Harriet.

"I am not arguing with you on that," she agreed.

"First with the 'Troublesome Two' coming in, then that class trip, now this. I wonder what more things could happen?" wondered Jackie beofre they went back to what they were doing.

***

Ardeth was going in and out of consciousness as the two frantically searched for the answer to find a way to wherever Rick and Alex went to.

Catlanda rushed up to him as Evie continued on.

"Dad! Wake up! Please don't leave me now!" she cried as she firmly grasped his shoulder.

His head lifted slightly and his eyes were in her direction.

"Cat. What's happening to me?" he quietly asked, his head falling to one side.

Catlanda put a hand on his cheek and turned his head so they looked at each other.

"You've been really honest with me over the years Dad so I can't do any less for you. You're dying and you will die if we don't get the Spire returned with Rick and Alex," she explained as her usually calm voice started to get overcome with sadness.

She burst out into tears and she sat down beside him. Ardeth put an arm around her and held as if she were a young child.

"You will get them back. I know you will if even if it is too late for me," Ardeth whispered to her.

"No, I won't let that happen. We will find it in time and you will okay alright," she whispered to him as he stroked her hair.

She put an arm around him. Evie looked over at the two. She sighed at the sight. She knew they were very close and one would be devestated if something ever happened to the other.

'Looks like this time, there's nothing we can do for him in time. Poor Catlanda and Ardeth. They're together, yet they're still apart,' she thought to herself as she continued to search for the inscription.

She slowly moved her fingers over the hieroglyphics, mumbling the translations as she did so.

"Let me see here, sand manipulation, time travel, controlling the weather, inability to aide in healing..." Evie started.

She suddenly stopped and realized what she just said

"Time travel?" she asked herself, going back to make sure she read what she thought she read.

Indeed, there it was staring right back at her. The section of wall about time travel.

"Catlanda, come here," she called over to them.

Catlanda perked up, gently released herself from a now sleeping Ardeth's grasp and hurried over to her.

"What is it?" she asked the Englishwoman.

"There," Evie replied, pointing towards the wall.

Catlanda couldn't help but smile once she saw it.

"He's going to be saved," she said.

TBC...