Ardeth stared at Catlanda's limp form in his arms. "Cat," he whispered.
She didn't reply, and he held her close to his body as tears started to fall down his face. 'What did you do to deserve this?' he asked himself.
***
Rick, Evie and Marok patiently waited in a room for Sharak. Rick was pacing back and forth as the Medjai walked into the room. The two saw him and hurried up to him.
"How is she?" asked Evie.
"She'll live. The bullet did some damage but we managed to find her before she became worse and died. It's a good thing too. Catlanda would be devestated if Isis died. It would just the same if Ardeth or Geb was in the same situation," he replied with a sigh.
"Now all we have to do is find Ardeth and Catty. They're around here somewhere and it's a big city to search," Rick said.
"If we could only command the Spire to show us where they are but we all know only Catlanda can do that," Marok mentioned.
The eyes suddenly glowed and moved from where Evie laid it. Everyone watched as it it hovered in the middle of the room.
"What is it doing?" wondered Marok.
"You got me," Sharak replied.
A light came from the eyes to form a figure closely resembling a person. It came into clearer view and it was Catlanda. The four gasped at the sight.
"If you are seeing this, then I have been captured. I am with no doubt in my mind in the same place where Ardeth is being held. I have tracked him down with the Spire to being in a building right outside the city. This is the place you should look first to find us," the image made of light said.
It disappeared into thin air and the four looked at each other. The Spire dropped to the ground and Evie walked over it to pick it up.
"Looks like we don't really have to worry about where they are anymore. I say we check it out in the morning," Evie told the others. "And I wonder how she did that?"
"Be prepared. I want to get an early start to look for them," Sharak told them as he looked at them.
"Of course. I'm sure we all do," Rick replied as Evie walked over to the window.
She looked out and gave a small sigh.
'I hope that you'll be safe when we find you. I don't want anything to happen to either of you,' she thought to herself.
***
Ardeth was trying to stay awake as long as he could. Catlanda was still unconscious and Ardeth feared the worst as he cradled her in his arms.
His eyes were barely open and his mind was a bit foggy when he noticed a faint light coming in through the windows before he succumbed to sleep.
***
The four quickly got ready for their search outside the city. They were all worried about the two and knew to be careful.
"Remember, we don't know what we're up against and we don't know how we're going to find those two but when you find them, stay with them. They'll need as much help as they can get right now," Sharak told the others.
They nodded before they started off. Once there, they gazed around the area.
"Now where is it that we're supposed to look? There's a couple buildings out here that they could be in," Rick wanted to know.
As if the Spire knew, the same image from the night before appeared.
"Ah, I see you have made it here. You're probably wondering where to go from here now that you see there are choices. The one you're looking for is the one that's almost windowless one side. You should see that building when you head west and it's the second one," the image told them before disappearing.
"Can't go wrong with that! What would we do without you Cat?" Marok mumbled as they headed west.
***
Ardeth awoke to the sound of horses outside. He climbed to his feet and listened more carefully.
'Horses. Has someone come to rescue us?' he wondered as a loud ringing suddenly echoed in his ears.
He put his hands over them, but it became louder and louder as the horses came closer and closer to their location.
***
A man ran up to Naseentay, who was at his desk.
"There's a group heading this way fom the city. Four in total and two of them are dressed in the same garb as the two we captured already," the man said as he gasped for air.
"How did they find us so quickly?" Naseentay demanded as rage burned in his eyes.
"What do we do now boss?" the man asked him.
"Prepare the troops. We've got a job to do," Naseentay replied before he walked out the door.
The man watched him leave before walking out himself.
***
The four looked out onto the desert. They saw several men surrounding the building in question.
"Looks like they were expecting us," Rick said.
"Yes, they are. Do you think we should've brought some more Medjai with us?" wondered Evie.
"Of course Evie, it's not everyday we find Isis, Geb, Catty and Ardeth outside the city of Cairo. When we first came here, we didn't know we were going to find them," Rick told her with a smile.
Suddenly, a noise came from within the city. The four looked to see several men riding out on horses and carrying swords. The group looked at each other.
"Looks like the calvary just arrived. The Medjai from within the city have come to help us," Sharak said with a smile.
"We don't have to worry about where our help is coming from anymore Evelyn," Marok agreed as the hurried up behind them.
The four led the group down to the building, where the men formed a line stopping them.
"We know they're in there. Give them back to us!" Sharak cried at them.
"You will never see them!" yelled one of the men before they attacked.
***
Ardeth sat beside Catlanda, his head suddenly pounding. He heard Cat gasp beside him and he looked over at her. Their eyes locked.
"Ardeth, it's here. They've found us. We have to help them," she whispered to him.
"How are we going to do that now? What's here? Who is it?" he asked her.
"The Spire. The O'Connells. Sharak. Marok. They're here. Ardeth, you can control the Spire once it gets closer," she quietly replied before closing her eyes again.
Ardeth looked at the wall, not believing what he was hearing.
***
Evie handed the Spire over to Rick before he ran through the crowd, heading for the building. He ran into it and hurried through the hallways, looking for Ardeth and Catlanda.
He opened up a door to reveal Naseentay, a sword and gun in hand.
"Hello. I am Naseentay. I suppose you're looking for your friends. They're here but you're going to have to get through me first," he told Rick as he lifted up the sword.
Rick lifted up the Spire and the two began to duel.
***
Ardeth looked at the door. He could hear the ringing even louder in his ears.
"Spire, give us back our robes and open the door," he quietly said before looking away from the door.
He suddenly thought about something before sighing.
"And take away any weapons Naseentay has!" he added
***
Rick blocked one shot from the man and the eyes began to glow.
"It is done," the Spire said.
The two stopped what they were doing and stared at it confused before Naseentay's weapons disappeared into thin air. He growled as he stared at Rick.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
He lunged at Rick and he heard a gunshot. He stopped and looked down, seeing that he was bleeding from a stomach wound. He reached down and covered it as Rick lowered his gun.
"I'm sorry but that's for them," Rick told him, a smile on his face.
Naseentay fell to the floor, wide-eyed as Rick ran out of the room. He ran down another hallway and into another room.
It was there that he found Ardeth and Catlanda.
"Ardeth!" he cried.
Ardeth carefully picked up Catlanda and unsteadily walked towards his friend. "We have to get to Cairo immediately," Ardeth told him.
Rick looked at his face. "You don't look so good," he mentioned.
"I know, let's just leave this place, please. Catlanda and I both need assistance," Ardeth replied as he walked out the door.
Rick noticed his limp as they headed out. 'I'm not even sure I want to know what happened,' he thought to himself.
TBC...
Author's Note-Deana, thanks for looking this chap over for me.
She didn't reply, and he held her close to his body as tears started to fall down his face. 'What did you do to deserve this?' he asked himself.
***
Rick, Evie and Marok patiently waited in a room for Sharak. Rick was pacing back and forth as the Medjai walked into the room. The two saw him and hurried up to him.
"How is she?" asked Evie.
"She'll live. The bullet did some damage but we managed to find her before she became worse and died. It's a good thing too. Catlanda would be devestated if Isis died. It would just the same if Ardeth or Geb was in the same situation," he replied with a sigh.
"Now all we have to do is find Ardeth and Catty. They're around here somewhere and it's a big city to search," Rick said.
"If we could only command the Spire to show us where they are but we all know only Catlanda can do that," Marok mentioned.
The eyes suddenly glowed and moved from where Evie laid it. Everyone watched as it it hovered in the middle of the room.
"What is it doing?" wondered Marok.
"You got me," Sharak replied.
A light came from the eyes to form a figure closely resembling a person. It came into clearer view and it was Catlanda. The four gasped at the sight.
"If you are seeing this, then I have been captured. I am with no doubt in my mind in the same place where Ardeth is being held. I have tracked him down with the Spire to being in a building right outside the city. This is the place you should look first to find us," the image made of light said.
It disappeared into thin air and the four looked at each other. The Spire dropped to the ground and Evie walked over it to pick it up.
"Looks like we don't really have to worry about where they are anymore. I say we check it out in the morning," Evie told the others. "And I wonder how she did that?"
"Be prepared. I want to get an early start to look for them," Sharak told them as he looked at them.
"Of course. I'm sure we all do," Rick replied as Evie walked over to the window.
She looked out and gave a small sigh.
'I hope that you'll be safe when we find you. I don't want anything to happen to either of you,' she thought to herself.
***
Ardeth was trying to stay awake as long as he could. Catlanda was still unconscious and Ardeth feared the worst as he cradled her in his arms.
His eyes were barely open and his mind was a bit foggy when he noticed a faint light coming in through the windows before he succumbed to sleep.
***
The four quickly got ready for their search outside the city. They were all worried about the two and knew to be careful.
"Remember, we don't know what we're up against and we don't know how we're going to find those two but when you find them, stay with them. They'll need as much help as they can get right now," Sharak told the others.
They nodded before they started off. Once there, they gazed around the area.
"Now where is it that we're supposed to look? There's a couple buildings out here that they could be in," Rick wanted to know.
As if the Spire knew, the same image from the night before appeared.
"Ah, I see you have made it here. You're probably wondering where to go from here now that you see there are choices. The one you're looking for is the one that's almost windowless one side. You should see that building when you head west and it's the second one," the image told them before disappearing.
"Can't go wrong with that! What would we do without you Cat?" Marok mumbled as they headed west.
***
Ardeth awoke to the sound of horses outside. He climbed to his feet and listened more carefully.
'Horses. Has someone come to rescue us?' he wondered as a loud ringing suddenly echoed in his ears.
He put his hands over them, but it became louder and louder as the horses came closer and closer to their location.
***
A man ran up to Naseentay, who was at his desk.
"There's a group heading this way fom the city. Four in total and two of them are dressed in the same garb as the two we captured already," the man said as he gasped for air.
"How did they find us so quickly?" Naseentay demanded as rage burned in his eyes.
"What do we do now boss?" the man asked him.
"Prepare the troops. We've got a job to do," Naseentay replied before he walked out the door.
The man watched him leave before walking out himself.
***
The four looked out onto the desert. They saw several men surrounding the building in question.
"Looks like they were expecting us," Rick said.
"Yes, they are. Do you think we should've brought some more Medjai with us?" wondered Evie.
"Of course Evie, it's not everyday we find Isis, Geb, Catty and Ardeth outside the city of Cairo. When we first came here, we didn't know we were going to find them," Rick told her with a smile.
Suddenly, a noise came from within the city. The four looked to see several men riding out on horses and carrying swords. The group looked at each other.
"Looks like the calvary just arrived. The Medjai from within the city have come to help us," Sharak said with a smile.
"We don't have to worry about where our help is coming from anymore Evelyn," Marok agreed as the hurried up behind them.
The four led the group down to the building, where the men formed a line stopping them.
"We know they're in there. Give them back to us!" Sharak cried at them.
"You will never see them!" yelled one of the men before they attacked.
***
Ardeth sat beside Catlanda, his head suddenly pounding. He heard Cat gasp beside him and he looked over at her. Their eyes locked.
"Ardeth, it's here. They've found us. We have to help them," she whispered to him.
"How are we going to do that now? What's here? Who is it?" he asked her.
"The Spire. The O'Connells. Sharak. Marok. They're here. Ardeth, you can control the Spire once it gets closer," she quietly replied before closing her eyes again.
Ardeth looked at the wall, not believing what he was hearing.
***
Evie handed the Spire over to Rick before he ran through the crowd, heading for the building. He ran into it and hurried through the hallways, looking for Ardeth and Catlanda.
He opened up a door to reveal Naseentay, a sword and gun in hand.
"Hello. I am Naseentay. I suppose you're looking for your friends. They're here but you're going to have to get through me first," he told Rick as he lifted up the sword.
Rick lifted up the Spire and the two began to duel.
***
Ardeth looked at the door. He could hear the ringing even louder in his ears.
"Spire, give us back our robes and open the door," he quietly said before looking away from the door.
He suddenly thought about something before sighing.
"And take away any weapons Naseentay has!" he added
***
Rick blocked one shot from the man and the eyes began to glow.
"It is done," the Spire said.
The two stopped what they were doing and stared at it confused before Naseentay's weapons disappeared into thin air. He growled as he stared at Rick.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
He lunged at Rick and he heard a gunshot. He stopped and looked down, seeing that he was bleeding from a stomach wound. He reached down and covered it as Rick lowered his gun.
"I'm sorry but that's for them," Rick told him, a smile on his face.
Naseentay fell to the floor, wide-eyed as Rick ran out of the room. He ran down another hallway and into another room.
It was there that he found Ardeth and Catlanda.
"Ardeth!" he cried.
Ardeth carefully picked up Catlanda and unsteadily walked towards his friend. "We have to get to Cairo immediately," Ardeth told him.
Rick looked at his face. "You don't look so good," he mentioned.
"I know, let's just leave this place, please. Catlanda and I both need assistance," Ardeth replied as he walked out the door.
Rick noticed his limp as they headed out. 'I'm not even sure I want to know what happened,' he thought to himself.
TBC...
Author's Note-Deana, thanks for looking this chap over for me.
