I own and claim no rights to the motion picture, 'The Mummy,' or 'The Mummy
Returns.' Only characters not featured in either movie are created by me,
as well as the plot, and no similarities to any other fics are intended.
...............................................................
The Mother...
...............................................................
Ardeth and Siamun entered Userib's tent and eyed the emotional man sitting on cushions near his wife's side, his mother beside him. Nyla lay on the soft bed, one side of her face swollen and purple. When she saw her chieftain and his son enter, she tried to sit up only to be gently pushed down again by Sati.
Ardeth approached the bed with a concerned frown. "Nyla, I know this is a difficult thing for you, but we must know what happened. Mia, Iset, and two other woman are gone."
Tears appeared in Nyla's eyes, and fell slowly down her cheeks. "I couldn't help her. I didn't know what to do."
"Do you know who took her Nyla?" Siamun urged, his face filled with strain and worry.
Nyla shook her head. "There were two riders. I heard one of them call the other Gyasi. Iset distracted them to give me time to escape, but she was captured. The last thing I remember is them riding up towards me, and then nothing."
Siamun ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. Then he placed a hand against his neck for a moment and frowned. "If anything happens to her..."
Ardeth put a hand on his son's shoulder. "We won't let that happen."
Userib stood. "We will have to leave as soon as possible."
Ardeth nodded. "The men are getting ready to leave. You have time to speak to your wife before we head out."
Userib nodded thankfully.
Siamun and Ardeth strode out into the late morning light, and looked around. The burned remains of former tents lined the sand, and beside them were new tents being risen by the men that were being left behind to protect the village and the stronger women that had returned from hiding in the desert earlier that morning.
On the far side of the village, the men were saddling their horses and sharpening their swords. Ardeth noticed Musa and Peyes saddling their horses and frowned. He stalked over to them. "Musa, Peyes, what do you think you are doing?"
Musa looked over at his father and raised his chin defiantly. "We are going to help you find our mother and sister."
"You are to stay here and take care of our people. I will not risk your lives," Ardeth muttered with fatherly concern.
"But--" Peyes began.
"Ardeth!"
The Beys turned toward the voice of Bakare, who stood on a far dune, pointing toward the sun. Ardeth and Siamun looked in that direction and were alarmed to see several figures on horseback heading quickly toward them. Hurriedly, Ardeth and Siamun mounted their horses and charged toward the riders, with several of their men following. It took only a few moments to discover who the riders were, and Ardeth cursed savagely.
Rick, Evee, Alex and Jonathan were hurrying through the desert. Once the two groups came upon each other, Ardeth demanded, "What has happened O'Connell?"
Rick leaned forward in his seat, anger and worry etched all over his face. "Cleo and Sithathor were kidnapped. Taken from Alex's home."
"WHAT?" Siamun roared, a buzzing beginning to sound annoyingly in his ear.
"There were several men," Alex informed them, his face bruised, but not severely.
"Men in crimson and black robes?" Ardeth asked in surpressed anger.
Alex's eyebrows rose. "Yes."
It was then that Alex noticed what his parents and Jonathan were staring at. "My god, what happened here?"
"Last night raiders attacked my village," Ardeth answered hoarsely.
"Raiders in crimson and black," Rick clarified.
"Yes," Ardeth supplied.
"Is everyone alright?" Evee asked worriedly.
"Several women are missing, my wife, and my son's wife included. A woman was hurt by Iset's kidnappers, but she will be fine," Ardeth answered. Motioning them to follow, he continued, "They attacked without warning, and but for a few minutes. There was a battle, but they retreated within minutes."
"What were they after?" Evee asked.
"We believe they were after my son's wife," Ardeth replied solemnly.
"Iset?" Evee breathed worriedly.
"And now Sithathor and Cleo," Siamun said.
"Three women from three different families. Why? Why are our children so important to them?" Ardeth demanded to himself, and the gods.
*********
Oh Allah! Iset's mind groaned painfully. She could feel a burning in her arms, and slowly opened her eyes. She almost screamed in surprise, as she realized she was several feet off the floor. Looking up, she could see her hands were tied above her, on a heavy wooden bar, suspended almost seven or eight feet in the air. The memories of what happened just before she was knocked unconcious came flooding back, and with it, a growing sense of some understanding that was just beyond her reach. Glancing to her side, she gazed with startled happiness mingled with worry, the unconcious form of Sithathor hanging beside her, hands tied above her head. The older woman's head hung limply forward, her face pale, and set in a mask of dull pain.
"Sithathor?" Iset whispered fearfully, her fear increasing, as only a deathly silence met her inquiry, and the only sounds were soft sway of the ropes against the wood. Looking below her, Iset judged the distance of the fall, then tested the strength of the rope. Using her upper body strength, she attempted to pull herself up, to untie the ropes from the beams herself. Several minutes of failed attempts later, Iset jerked back into her original position, arms burning with pain.
"Sithathor?" Iset tried again, panic in her quiet voice. "Sithathor, please. I don't think I can do this without your help.... Sithathor?" Sithathor's face remained pale, and deathly silent, her head bobbing forward slightly.
"She can't hear you," a cold voice told Iset.
Iset's head whipped toward the voice, and watched as a cloaked figure walked forward, passed several patches of light to stand just before her. "She can't hear or speak where she is at. All she can do is feel...feel the pain, the fear...the darkness that surrounds her. She is dead to the outside world, only aware of the world we have made for her within."
"What do you want with us?" Iset demanded.
"Oh my child," the deep masculine voice answered, amusedly, "It's not really you or Sithathor I care about. No, you two are simply a means to an end."
Iset heard a muffled cried behind the hooded man, and watched as two men carried in a struggling Cleo, bound and gagged, her arms tied in front of her, but she was giving a hell of a fight, for one her size.
"Ah! And the child of The Soldier of God, and the Egyptian Princess. Miss Cleopatra O'Connell, how wonderful to see you, my dear," the figure told the girl. Though Iset was in no way fluent in English, she did at least know that the words that Cleo responded with, muffled or not, were clear and obsene, simply by looking at the girl's eyes, and posture.
The figure sighed. "Such language from a cultured young Englishwoman. Tsk tsk. I worry about what your parents have been teaching you child."
"Ock ou!" Cleo screamed at him behind her gag.
The hooded man motioned to his soldiers, and they threw the still struggling Cleo onto the floor several feet away from Sithathor and Iset, and began to tie her hands with a length of rope to the post there. The man hunched down to the child's level. "Behave, and you just might survive this ordeal."
Cleo responded with a hard kick to the man's shin, causing him to curse loudly. His hand rose and fell hard against Cleo's cheek. With a jerk, the hooded figure, and his soldiers vacated what Iset could now tell was an enormous tent. After they left, there was a short silence, then Iset murmured a sympathetic, "Are you alright, child?" in english.
Cleo nodded, rubbing her shoulder against her throbbing cheek. Within seconds, Cleo began to employ a technique that Sithathor had taught her, using her tongue to edge the gag out of her mouth. A minute later, she let out a small cry of triumph, as the gag slide down from her mouth and hung loosely around her neck. "Where are we?" she asked, as she began to work on the thick ropes around her wrists.
"We are definitely in the desert, but as far as that, we could be anywhere. Miles away from the Bey Village, or just over the dunes, who knows?" Iset responded morosely.
"Don't worry, we'll get out of this," Cleo muttered absently, then looked up. Her eyes widened as she viewed Sithathor properly for the first time. "Oh my god! What is wrong with her?" she demanded worriedly.
"I don't know," Iset responded with just as much fear and worry. "For now she is lost to use. We must come up with a way to get out of here, so we can get her some help."
"There is no way you can help her now," a familiar feminine voice called out from the entrance of the tent.
Cleo dipped her chin forward and took the gag in her mouth, as a smug looking Sheret strode into the light, carrying a tray of water bowls, and a third bowl, filled with an odd colored liquid.
"Sheret," Iset hissed angrily. "How can you be a party to this despicable act?!?"
"Simple, Iset," Sheret spit out disgustedly, "Because women like you will always be the first wife...but I will never let myself be second. Never again!"
Sheret took a bowl full of water, and knelt down beside Cleo, removing the gag carefully, before forcing the bowl to Cleo's lips. "No matter what happens now, I have a high place among these people. Men will beg at my feet..." Sheret smiled as Cleo defiantly spit out the water. "No matter. You will die before long without the nourishment." She took Cleo's gag and shoved it hard, back into the girl's mouth. Sheret walked back to the tray and removed the second bowl of water from it. With a grin, she tipped it over, allowing the contents to color the sands. "Well...Iset, you shouldn't have knocked the bowl from my hands! No water for you then."
Iset eyed the woman with disgust.
Taking the final bowl, Sheret walked to Sithathor's side, and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back. With the edge of the bowl, she pried Hathy's lips apart, and slowly poured the bowl's contents through her lips.
"What are you doing?" Iset demanded.
Sheret hummed softly, smoothing Sithathor's hair from her face as she ensured that the liquid in the bowl was finished. "We can't have Sithathor waking up now, can we? Not until we are ready. She now resides in her head. Pain and suffering is all she knows. Look at her face. Look at the pain. The wonderful darkness that has almost taken her," Sheret said softly, stroking Sithathor's cheek. "So near death...when this is over, we are going to make her beg for the end." Sheret looked over at Iset. "We are going to make you beg too."
Taking the empty bowl, Sheret replaced it on the tray and began exiting the tent.
"Sheret, come back. You must tell us what is going on. What have you done to Sithathor...? SHERET!" Iset cried. But the woman didn't reply, nor pause in her exit. Seconds later, Iset and Cleo were alone again, with Sithathor hanging limply beside them.
"What are we going to do?" Cleo asked Iset fearfully.
Iset looked beside her, at the girl who's strength had held them both strong, but now hung at the edge of death. "I...I don't know. I just...I don't know."
*******
Ardeth swung atop of his horse, and looked over to the O'Connells and his sons. "Last night several people saw them head east from here, toward the battle grounds. So we will search the west."
"West? Why the west?" Peyes asked in confusion.
"Misdirection my son. The enemy left too strong a trail for it to be a real one. The only explanation is, they headed around, and went due west. To the North, Radames' village. To the South, Zahur's village. Unless either of these warriors are helping the bandits, their only options are East and West. Just in case, I sent several men to the East, to search, but we will go West," Ardeth explained.
"Sounds like a plan," Rick nodded, nudging his horse forward, as they headed into the desert to search for their loved ones.
*******
Darkness was beginning to fall on the tent that had become their prison. Iset tried her best not to move at all, as her arms had long since become burning masses of pain. A single twitch any way, and she was biting her lip to hold back a scream of pain. In the hours since Sheret had come to give them water, only two other people had walked in and out of the tent. A female servant, in veil and robe came and gave Iset and Cleo water, while giving Sithathor another dose of the mysterious liquid. The second, was a person in a hood and cloak, similar to the man, but shorter and more feminine in form and walk, walked to them, studied them intently, then left. Cleo of course, glared the whole time, but Iset returned the veiled gaze of the hooded woman with cold dignity.
"What the hell do they have planned?" Cleo demanded angrily, after another hour passed without a single person coming or going in the tent. "The waiting is terrible. If they are going to kill me, they need to get it over with."
Iset turned raised eyebrows on the young girl, who shrugged.
"You know what I mean," Cleo mumbled.
"You must be patient," Iset mumbled, though inside she was screaming. "The longer it takes for them to put their plan into action, the less time it will take for our families to find us."
"Fine, but I am getting tired of just sitting here," Cleo argued.
"At least you are sitting," Iset said slowly, calling forth the lessons in english taught to her by Siamun and Sithathor. "I am hanging from wood, and--"
Iset quieted as Gyasi, Kheper and another man entered the tent. Gyasi approached Iset with a smug grin. "Hello little one. Your time has come."
From the corner of her eye, she watched Kheper shake his head, and move over to the now gagged Cleo. With one hand, he threw her over his shoulder. With a loud, "oofph," as her belly connected with Kheper's shoulderblade, Cleo began to struggle against his restraining hands. "Leave her alone," Iset cried, her body jerking slightly, causing a bolt of intense pain to shoot up her neck and arms. "She is just a child."
"Children grow up," Gyasi replied.
As he came to stand just in front of her, Iset shot her leg forward, ignoring the screaming pain that engulfed her body. When Gyasi doubled forward in pain, Iset spit at him in disgust. "You are a coward, as your leader is a coward. And by Allah, I will live to see the day you die."
With a grunt of anger, Gyasi straightened slowly. "Maybe not, maybe not."
This time, the hit was across the side of the face with such a force that it knocked Iset unconcious, but not before she got a view of the third man pulling Sithathor down from the beam, and walking away with her in his arms. Before the blackness consumed her, she felt a pull of recognition for the other man, but couldn't place him. Seconds later, she slipped into the darkness.
*******
"Oooooooooh...oooooooooh...ooooooooh..."
Iset squeezed her eyes together, a dull throbbing ache on the side of her face. Attempting to cover her ears, she realized with increasing annoyance that something wasn't allowing her to.
"Oooooooooh...oooooooooh...ooooooooh..."
Who is making that terrible noise? Iset thought to herself. Then a muffled curse pierced through the haze of semi-unconciousness, and the memories came flooding back. Eyes flying open, realizing that she lay on a stone altar. Her gaze flew upwards, toward the sound she had heard.
Above her, atop a stone dias, Cleo sat, her tied to the armrests, her mouth gagged, and her eyes wide with fright.
"Wha..?"
"Ah, the Timid Warrioress has returned to us!" the male voice said.
Iset looked up, and took in the picture of a middle aged man, with glasses, who looked down at her. "You are our captor?" Iset asked in disbelief.
"Yes, amazing isn't it? That a man of my stature and outward appearance could manage to steal away the three greatest treasures known to this world," he responded in amusement.
"What are you talking about?" Iset demanded.
"You three are connected my dear. You always have been. From the day you were each born. Sithathor was destined to marry Alex O'Connell, as you were destined to marry Siamun Bey. Cleopatra, the third piece of the puzzle, is a pure member of the great bloodline. Together, you complete my almost ten year quest," he said with a happy tone.
"I don't understand," Iset said.
"Of course you don't.," he told her.
With a flourish, he removed a sheer sheet from the stone altar beside her, revealing the still face of Sithathor.
"What have you done to her, you bastard?" Iset growled angrily, her eyes searching her friend's face with worry.
"Nothing," the man said, sounding insulted. "I would never do anything to the mother of Lord Imhotep."
Iset's eyes widened in horror, and above her, she could hear the muffled scream come from a very frightened Cleo...
****************************************
A/N: Yeah...I know. Kind of left it hanging here, but hopefully I will have the next chapter up soon, with the explaination, and all that. The end is near...thanks to those who reviewed before.
...............................................................
The Mother...
...............................................................
Ardeth and Siamun entered Userib's tent and eyed the emotional man sitting on cushions near his wife's side, his mother beside him. Nyla lay on the soft bed, one side of her face swollen and purple. When she saw her chieftain and his son enter, she tried to sit up only to be gently pushed down again by Sati.
Ardeth approached the bed with a concerned frown. "Nyla, I know this is a difficult thing for you, but we must know what happened. Mia, Iset, and two other woman are gone."
Tears appeared in Nyla's eyes, and fell slowly down her cheeks. "I couldn't help her. I didn't know what to do."
"Do you know who took her Nyla?" Siamun urged, his face filled with strain and worry.
Nyla shook her head. "There were two riders. I heard one of them call the other Gyasi. Iset distracted them to give me time to escape, but she was captured. The last thing I remember is them riding up towards me, and then nothing."
Siamun ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. Then he placed a hand against his neck for a moment and frowned. "If anything happens to her..."
Ardeth put a hand on his son's shoulder. "We won't let that happen."
Userib stood. "We will have to leave as soon as possible."
Ardeth nodded. "The men are getting ready to leave. You have time to speak to your wife before we head out."
Userib nodded thankfully.
Siamun and Ardeth strode out into the late morning light, and looked around. The burned remains of former tents lined the sand, and beside them were new tents being risen by the men that were being left behind to protect the village and the stronger women that had returned from hiding in the desert earlier that morning.
On the far side of the village, the men were saddling their horses and sharpening their swords. Ardeth noticed Musa and Peyes saddling their horses and frowned. He stalked over to them. "Musa, Peyes, what do you think you are doing?"
Musa looked over at his father and raised his chin defiantly. "We are going to help you find our mother and sister."
"You are to stay here and take care of our people. I will not risk your lives," Ardeth muttered with fatherly concern.
"But--" Peyes began.
"Ardeth!"
The Beys turned toward the voice of Bakare, who stood on a far dune, pointing toward the sun. Ardeth and Siamun looked in that direction and were alarmed to see several figures on horseback heading quickly toward them. Hurriedly, Ardeth and Siamun mounted their horses and charged toward the riders, with several of their men following. It took only a few moments to discover who the riders were, and Ardeth cursed savagely.
Rick, Evee, Alex and Jonathan were hurrying through the desert. Once the two groups came upon each other, Ardeth demanded, "What has happened O'Connell?"
Rick leaned forward in his seat, anger and worry etched all over his face. "Cleo and Sithathor were kidnapped. Taken from Alex's home."
"WHAT?" Siamun roared, a buzzing beginning to sound annoyingly in his ear.
"There were several men," Alex informed them, his face bruised, but not severely.
"Men in crimson and black robes?" Ardeth asked in surpressed anger.
Alex's eyebrows rose. "Yes."
It was then that Alex noticed what his parents and Jonathan were staring at. "My god, what happened here?"
"Last night raiders attacked my village," Ardeth answered hoarsely.
"Raiders in crimson and black," Rick clarified.
"Yes," Ardeth supplied.
"Is everyone alright?" Evee asked worriedly.
"Several women are missing, my wife, and my son's wife included. A woman was hurt by Iset's kidnappers, but she will be fine," Ardeth answered. Motioning them to follow, he continued, "They attacked without warning, and but for a few minutes. There was a battle, but they retreated within minutes."
"What were they after?" Evee asked.
"We believe they were after my son's wife," Ardeth replied solemnly.
"Iset?" Evee breathed worriedly.
"And now Sithathor and Cleo," Siamun said.
"Three women from three different families. Why? Why are our children so important to them?" Ardeth demanded to himself, and the gods.
*********
Oh Allah! Iset's mind groaned painfully. She could feel a burning in her arms, and slowly opened her eyes. She almost screamed in surprise, as she realized she was several feet off the floor. Looking up, she could see her hands were tied above her, on a heavy wooden bar, suspended almost seven or eight feet in the air. The memories of what happened just before she was knocked unconcious came flooding back, and with it, a growing sense of some understanding that was just beyond her reach. Glancing to her side, she gazed with startled happiness mingled with worry, the unconcious form of Sithathor hanging beside her, hands tied above her head. The older woman's head hung limply forward, her face pale, and set in a mask of dull pain.
"Sithathor?" Iset whispered fearfully, her fear increasing, as only a deathly silence met her inquiry, and the only sounds were soft sway of the ropes against the wood. Looking below her, Iset judged the distance of the fall, then tested the strength of the rope. Using her upper body strength, she attempted to pull herself up, to untie the ropes from the beams herself. Several minutes of failed attempts later, Iset jerked back into her original position, arms burning with pain.
"Sithathor?" Iset tried again, panic in her quiet voice. "Sithathor, please. I don't think I can do this without your help.... Sithathor?" Sithathor's face remained pale, and deathly silent, her head bobbing forward slightly.
"She can't hear you," a cold voice told Iset.
Iset's head whipped toward the voice, and watched as a cloaked figure walked forward, passed several patches of light to stand just before her. "She can't hear or speak where she is at. All she can do is feel...feel the pain, the fear...the darkness that surrounds her. She is dead to the outside world, only aware of the world we have made for her within."
"What do you want with us?" Iset demanded.
"Oh my child," the deep masculine voice answered, amusedly, "It's not really you or Sithathor I care about. No, you two are simply a means to an end."
Iset heard a muffled cried behind the hooded man, and watched as two men carried in a struggling Cleo, bound and gagged, her arms tied in front of her, but she was giving a hell of a fight, for one her size.
"Ah! And the child of The Soldier of God, and the Egyptian Princess. Miss Cleopatra O'Connell, how wonderful to see you, my dear," the figure told the girl. Though Iset was in no way fluent in English, she did at least know that the words that Cleo responded with, muffled or not, were clear and obsene, simply by looking at the girl's eyes, and posture.
The figure sighed. "Such language from a cultured young Englishwoman. Tsk tsk. I worry about what your parents have been teaching you child."
"Ock ou!" Cleo screamed at him behind her gag.
The hooded man motioned to his soldiers, and they threw the still struggling Cleo onto the floor several feet away from Sithathor and Iset, and began to tie her hands with a length of rope to the post there. The man hunched down to the child's level. "Behave, and you just might survive this ordeal."
Cleo responded with a hard kick to the man's shin, causing him to curse loudly. His hand rose and fell hard against Cleo's cheek. With a jerk, the hooded figure, and his soldiers vacated what Iset could now tell was an enormous tent. After they left, there was a short silence, then Iset murmured a sympathetic, "Are you alright, child?" in english.
Cleo nodded, rubbing her shoulder against her throbbing cheek. Within seconds, Cleo began to employ a technique that Sithathor had taught her, using her tongue to edge the gag out of her mouth. A minute later, she let out a small cry of triumph, as the gag slide down from her mouth and hung loosely around her neck. "Where are we?" she asked, as she began to work on the thick ropes around her wrists.
"We are definitely in the desert, but as far as that, we could be anywhere. Miles away from the Bey Village, or just over the dunes, who knows?" Iset responded morosely.
"Don't worry, we'll get out of this," Cleo muttered absently, then looked up. Her eyes widened as she viewed Sithathor properly for the first time. "Oh my god! What is wrong with her?" she demanded worriedly.
"I don't know," Iset responded with just as much fear and worry. "For now she is lost to use. We must come up with a way to get out of here, so we can get her some help."
"There is no way you can help her now," a familiar feminine voice called out from the entrance of the tent.
Cleo dipped her chin forward and took the gag in her mouth, as a smug looking Sheret strode into the light, carrying a tray of water bowls, and a third bowl, filled with an odd colored liquid.
"Sheret," Iset hissed angrily. "How can you be a party to this despicable act?!?"
"Simple, Iset," Sheret spit out disgustedly, "Because women like you will always be the first wife...but I will never let myself be second. Never again!"
Sheret took a bowl full of water, and knelt down beside Cleo, removing the gag carefully, before forcing the bowl to Cleo's lips. "No matter what happens now, I have a high place among these people. Men will beg at my feet..." Sheret smiled as Cleo defiantly spit out the water. "No matter. You will die before long without the nourishment." She took Cleo's gag and shoved it hard, back into the girl's mouth. Sheret walked back to the tray and removed the second bowl of water from it. With a grin, she tipped it over, allowing the contents to color the sands. "Well...Iset, you shouldn't have knocked the bowl from my hands! No water for you then."
Iset eyed the woman with disgust.
Taking the final bowl, Sheret walked to Sithathor's side, and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back. With the edge of the bowl, she pried Hathy's lips apart, and slowly poured the bowl's contents through her lips.
"What are you doing?" Iset demanded.
Sheret hummed softly, smoothing Sithathor's hair from her face as she ensured that the liquid in the bowl was finished. "We can't have Sithathor waking up now, can we? Not until we are ready. She now resides in her head. Pain and suffering is all she knows. Look at her face. Look at the pain. The wonderful darkness that has almost taken her," Sheret said softly, stroking Sithathor's cheek. "So near death...when this is over, we are going to make her beg for the end." Sheret looked over at Iset. "We are going to make you beg too."
Taking the empty bowl, Sheret replaced it on the tray and began exiting the tent.
"Sheret, come back. You must tell us what is going on. What have you done to Sithathor...? SHERET!" Iset cried. But the woman didn't reply, nor pause in her exit. Seconds later, Iset and Cleo were alone again, with Sithathor hanging limply beside them.
"What are we going to do?" Cleo asked Iset fearfully.
Iset looked beside her, at the girl who's strength had held them both strong, but now hung at the edge of death. "I...I don't know. I just...I don't know."
*******
Ardeth swung atop of his horse, and looked over to the O'Connells and his sons. "Last night several people saw them head east from here, toward the battle grounds. So we will search the west."
"West? Why the west?" Peyes asked in confusion.
"Misdirection my son. The enemy left too strong a trail for it to be a real one. The only explanation is, they headed around, and went due west. To the North, Radames' village. To the South, Zahur's village. Unless either of these warriors are helping the bandits, their only options are East and West. Just in case, I sent several men to the East, to search, but we will go West," Ardeth explained.
"Sounds like a plan," Rick nodded, nudging his horse forward, as they headed into the desert to search for their loved ones.
*******
Darkness was beginning to fall on the tent that had become their prison. Iset tried her best not to move at all, as her arms had long since become burning masses of pain. A single twitch any way, and she was biting her lip to hold back a scream of pain. In the hours since Sheret had come to give them water, only two other people had walked in and out of the tent. A female servant, in veil and robe came and gave Iset and Cleo water, while giving Sithathor another dose of the mysterious liquid. The second, was a person in a hood and cloak, similar to the man, but shorter and more feminine in form and walk, walked to them, studied them intently, then left. Cleo of course, glared the whole time, but Iset returned the veiled gaze of the hooded woman with cold dignity.
"What the hell do they have planned?" Cleo demanded angrily, after another hour passed without a single person coming or going in the tent. "The waiting is terrible. If they are going to kill me, they need to get it over with."
Iset turned raised eyebrows on the young girl, who shrugged.
"You know what I mean," Cleo mumbled.
"You must be patient," Iset mumbled, though inside she was screaming. "The longer it takes for them to put their plan into action, the less time it will take for our families to find us."
"Fine, but I am getting tired of just sitting here," Cleo argued.
"At least you are sitting," Iset said slowly, calling forth the lessons in english taught to her by Siamun and Sithathor. "I am hanging from wood, and--"
Iset quieted as Gyasi, Kheper and another man entered the tent. Gyasi approached Iset with a smug grin. "Hello little one. Your time has come."
From the corner of her eye, she watched Kheper shake his head, and move over to the now gagged Cleo. With one hand, he threw her over his shoulder. With a loud, "oofph," as her belly connected with Kheper's shoulderblade, Cleo began to struggle against his restraining hands. "Leave her alone," Iset cried, her body jerking slightly, causing a bolt of intense pain to shoot up her neck and arms. "She is just a child."
"Children grow up," Gyasi replied.
As he came to stand just in front of her, Iset shot her leg forward, ignoring the screaming pain that engulfed her body. When Gyasi doubled forward in pain, Iset spit at him in disgust. "You are a coward, as your leader is a coward. And by Allah, I will live to see the day you die."
With a grunt of anger, Gyasi straightened slowly. "Maybe not, maybe not."
This time, the hit was across the side of the face with such a force that it knocked Iset unconcious, but not before she got a view of the third man pulling Sithathor down from the beam, and walking away with her in his arms. Before the blackness consumed her, she felt a pull of recognition for the other man, but couldn't place him. Seconds later, she slipped into the darkness.
*******
"Oooooooooh...oooooooooh...ooooooooh..."
Iset squeezed her eyes together, a dull throbbing ache on the side of her face. Attempting to cover her ears, she realized with increasing annoyance that something wasn't allowing her to.
"Oooooooooh...oooooooooh...ooooooooh..."
Who is making that terrible noise? Iset thought to herself. Then a muffled curse pierced through the haze of semi-unconciousness, and the memories came flooding back. Eyes flying open, realizing that she lay on a stone altar. Her gaze flew upwards, toward the sound she had heard.
Above her, atop a stone dias, Cleo sat, her tied to the armrests, her mouth gagged, and her eyes wide with fright.
"Wha..?"
"Ah, the Timid Warrioress has returned to us!" the male voice said.
Iset looked up, and took in the picture of a middle aged man, with glasses, who looked down at her. "You are our captor?" Iset asked in disbelief.
"Yes, amazing isn't it? That a man of my stature and outward appearance could manage to steal away the three greatest treasures known to this world," he responded in amusement.
"What are you talking about?" Iset demanded.
"You three are connected my dear. You always have been. From the day you were each born. Sithathor was destined to marry Alex O'Connell, as you were destined to marry Siamun Bey. Cleopatra, the third piece of the puzzle, is a pure member of the great bloodline. Together, you complete my almost ten year quest," he said with a happy tone.
"I don't understand," Iset said.
"Of course you don't.," he told her.
With a flourish, he removed a sheer sheet from the stone altar beside her, revealing the still face of Sithathor.
"What have you done to her, you bastard?" Iset growled angrily, her eyes searching her friend's face with worry.
"Nothing," the man said, sounding insulted. "I would never do anything to the mother of Lord Imhotep."
Iset's eyes widened in horror, and above her, she could hear the muffled scream come from a very frightened Cleo...
****************************************
A/N: Yeah...I know. Kind of left it hanging here, but hopefully I will have the next chapter up soon, with the explaination, and all that. The end is near...thanks to those who reviewed before.