Part Nine
Ardeth Bay had had an unusual feeling as he had set out on his horse that morning, going to survey the ruins of Hamunaptra.
The place was not the threat it once was. Imhotep was buried deep under tonnes of sand, his immortal soul having been ripped from his body and carried to the dark underworld by the chariot of Anubis. Now the Medjai's main concern were robbers. Scientists and explorers he had some degree of tolerance with. With the threat of the curse lifted, he had decided to allow them a little leverage to investigate the city. He understood that the thirst for knowledge was a powerful thing and as long as they restricted it to that, he would not stop them. He had even gone so far as to allow them to remove a few of the treasures that had accidentally surfaced as the sand churned up and the city sank. The Medjai Council of Elders had questioned that decision. Surely it was their duty to protect Hamunaptra's treasures? But, Ardeth had argued, what was available to the scientists was merely a few trinkets compared to the real haul buried in the sand. If the Medjai were to go in, swinging their swords and causing the explorers to flee, they would be sending out the message that there was something to find there, and more people would come. No, it was better to let them scrape the surface and go away satisfied. And, sure enough, after a few weeks the men had left, heading back to Cairo to write their reports, most probably never to return.
Where he drew the line however was at simple grave robbers. Those who would try to loot the city and steal its riches. Every day he would ride out there and survey the area for any potential trouble. It was a settled part of his daily routine. Had been so for years. So why he felt so uneasy about it today he wasn't sure.
At least until he arrived anyway.
A set of hoof prints wound their way through the fallen debris and into the heart of the city. Ardeth knew that they must be fresh for there had been a huge sand storm the night before which would have cleared any old prints away.
Ardeth frowned and let one hand slip to the hilt of his scimitar. It may be just some lost traveller stopping for a rest. Or perhaps it was a scientist come to investigate, although he doubted that as experience had taught him they always travelled in packs. The other option, of course, was a thief, which was the reason he reached for his weapon. They rarely left with gently persuasion.
Trotting his horse forward, he followed the trail, keeping his sharp eyes pierced for trouble.
The tracks stopped where he found a cream-brown Arab stallion milling around by the half-fallen statue of Anubis. Dismounting, he noted that the animal did not have the look of a stray. It was well groomed and the saddlebag it carried looked full. There must be a rider around somewhere.
Stepping closer to the animal, he grabbed hold of its reigns steadying it, finding it to be calm and unbothered by such human contact. Again, it suggested the presence of a rider.
It was a fine, handsome creature, strong and powerful.
"Well, my friend," he said quietly, patting it reassuringly, "Lets see if we can figure out who your master is..."
He carefully undid the leather strap holding the saddlebag shut. Perhaps its contents could give him a clue. His fingers delved inside, swiftly running over the things there. Two canteens of water and a large sheathed dagger. Whoever this person was, they understood the merits of packing light and being prepared when travelling through the desert.
And whoever they were, he realised as he removed his hand, they were standing right behind him.
Ardeth quickly surmised that his assailant was clever. He had crept up behind the Medjai, directly facing the sun so as to cast no shadow which might have given his approach away. It was only Ardeth's highly alert senses that allowed him to detect the presence at all.
He bided his time well, waiting until the other man was in striking distance before he let him know that he was well aware of him. When he struck, it was fierce and firm.
He swung his blade up sharply, knocking the pistol from his assailant's hands. The other man, dressed completely in black, his face masked with only eyes showing, immediately recovered, jumping back and pulling out a large ornate dagger. It was an unusual design, the blade large and slightly curved, fanning out into three claws up its left side. The thief clearly knew how to use it, as he swiped at Ardeth, before quickly dodging the Medjai's return strike with an instinctive agility. Ardeth swung at the smaller man again, almost catching his midriff. The thief back flipped with amazing dexterity, avoiding the next low blow. Ardeth realised that this was a warrior of great skill and would not be easily vanquished.
The thief evaded another series of swipes, moving with lightning speed. Ardeth jabbed at him quickly, making him jump aside and leaving him off balance. The Medjai tried to take advantage of this, but it seemed as if his attacker had banked on him doing just that. As he moved, the thief flicked the blade into the sun, momentarily blinding Ardeth with the light that reflected off of it. Then he kicked out sharply, landed it exactly on his wrist, sending the scimitar he was holding in that hand flying. Ardeth immediately drove at the thief with a cry, knowing that he could not allow him to start swiping at him with that deadly looking dagger. He grabbed the thief's the wrist as he ploughed into him, knocking him to the ground. The thief locked his legs around Ardeth's as he fell, pulling him to the floor with him. Taking the momentary advantage, the thief tried to get up, but Ardeth dove at him again, grabbing him. The momentum of the collision sent the both tumbling down a sandy embankment. Somewhere in the fall, the thief must have dropped his dagger, because when he jumped to his feet and planted himself in a fighter's stance, ready to face the Medjai leader again, he was unarmed. Ardeth was somewhat relieved to see this. The odds were now far more stacked in his favour. He had a definite physical advantage in both height and stature over the other man. He feinted a swing at his face before punching his fist into the thief's midsection, causing him to double over as the wind rushed out of him. Ardeth tried to press on his advantage, but again the thief was up to the challenge. He shoved him back with more force than he would have given someone so small credit for. That was followed by a vicious high kick to his jaw. He reached for chin, taking his fingers away to feel the blood there.
Exhausted in the burning heat, Ardeth and the thief circled each other in a deadly waiting game. It was clear that this was a battle to the death. Without warning, the Medjai swung a punch, which the thief ducked. He went for another high kick, but this time Ardeth blocked with his arm. He grabbed the attacker's leg, meaning to topple him. With another remarkable feat of agility however, the man swung his free leg up, twisting to kick him sharply in the ribs. They both fell to the floor with a heavy thump, spraying up sand, Ardeth clutching at his sore chest.
The thief was on his feet first, heading straight back up to the embankment, going to retrieve the dagger that could be seen sticking up in the sand. Ardeth grabbed hold of him just as the blade was in his hands. He swung the man round, making sure he had a tight grip on the wrist holding the dagger. He used his physical superiority to slam the smaller man into one of the semi-fallen columns of stone, hard enough to rattle his bones.
At last, it made his assailant show some kind of weakness. His eyes widened in pain and he yelped. Not the type of sound Ardeth had expected to hear at all. Frowning, confused, he held the attacker against the wall with his body, using his free hand to tear away the folds of material covering his face.
Make that 'her face'.
Realising with surprise that his attacker was actually a woman, Ardeth loosened his grip slightly, not entirely sure what to do next. Fortunately he noticed the rather glazed look in her eyes and was quick enough to stop her ploughing into the sand as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Frowning more deeply, concerned at how badly he may have hurt her, he knelt beside her prone form and checked her quickly for serious injury. His hands found the stickiness of blood on the upper sleeve of her right arm. Pushing aside the folds of material, he firstly noticed the large gash there. It wasn't a fresh wound, but it was recent and he must have re-opened it during the fight. Her face was unhealthily pale and he surmised that she must have lost a fair amount of blood from that wound. The second thing he noticed was a multiple of bruises in different stages of healing. It looked like she had been involved in a fierce battle. The final thing he noticed was the tattoo in a band around her upper arm. Fairly new, by the looks of it. Part of it was in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. A name and a motto of some sorts. The symbol in the centre, surrounded by a large dark circle was of more immediate interest however. It was the goddess Sekhemet.
Ardeth Bay had had an unusual feeling as he had set out on his horse that morning, going to survey the ruins of Hamunaptra.
The place was not the threat it once was. Imhotep was buried deep under tonnes of sand, his immortal soul having been ripped from his body and carried to the dark underworld by the chariot of Anubis. Now the Medjai's main concern were robbers. Scientists and explorers he had some degree of tolerance with. With the threat of the curse lifted, he had decided to allow them a little leverage to investigate the city. He understood that the thirst for knowledge was a powerful thing and as long as they restricted it to that, he would not stop them. He had even gone so far as to allow them to remove a few of the treasures that had accidentally surfaced as the sand churned up and the city sank. The Medjai Council of Elders had questioned that decision. Surely it was their duty to protect Hamunaptra's treasures? But, Ardeth had argued, what was available to the scientists was merely a few trinkets compared to the real haul buried in the sand. If the Medjai were to go in, swinging their swords and causing the explorers to flee, they would be sending out the message that there was something to find there, and more people would come. No, it was better to let them scrape the surface and go away satisfied. And, sure enough, after a few weeks the men had left, heading back to Cairo to write their reports, most probably never to return.
Where he drew the line however was at simple grave robbers. Those who would try to loot the city and steal its riches. Every day he would ride out there and survey the area for any potential trouble. It was a settled part of his daily routine. Had been so for years. So why he felt so uneasy about it today he wasn't sure.
At least until he arrived anyway.
A set of hoof prints wound their way through the fallen debris and into the heart of the city. Ardeth knew that they must be fresh for there had been a huge sand storm the night before which would have cleared any old prints away.
Ardeth frowned and let one hand slip to the hilt of his scimitar. It may be just some lost traveller stopping for a rest. Or perhaps it was a scientist come to investigate, although he doubted that as experience had taught him they always travelled in packs. The other option, of course, was a thief, which was the reason he reached for his weapon. They rarely left with gently persuasion.
Trotting his horse forward, he followed the trail, keeping his sharp eyes pierced for trouble.
The tracks stopped where he found a cream-brown Arab stallion milling around by the half-fallen statue of Anubis. Dismounting, he noted that the animal did not have the look of a stray. It was well groomed and the saddlebag it carried looked full. There must be a rider around somewhere.
Stepping closer to the animal, he grabbed hold of its reigns steadying it, finding it to be calm and unbothered by such human contact. Again, it suggested the presence of a rider.
It was a fine, handsome creature, strong and powerful.
"Well, my friend," he said quietly, patting it reassuringly, "Lets see if we can figure out who your master is..."
He carefully undid the leather strap holding the saddlebag shut. Perhaps its contents could give him a clue. His fingers delved inside, swiftly running over the things there. Two canteens of water and a large sheathed dagger. Whoever this person was, they understood the merits of packing light and being prepared when travelling through the desert.
And whoever they were, he realised as he removed his hand, they were standing right behind him.
Ardeth quickly surmised that his assailant was clever. He had crept up behind the Medjai, directly facing the sun so as to cast no shadow which might have given his approach away. It was only Ardeth's highly alert senses that allowed him to detect the presence at all.
He bided his time well, waiting until the other man was in striking distance before he let him know that he was well aware of him. When he struck, it was fierce and firm.
He swung his blade up sharply, knocking the pistol from his assailant's hands. The other man, dressed completely in black, his face masked with only eyes showing, immediately recovered, jumping back and pulling out a large ornate dagger. It was an unusual design, the blade large and slightly curved, fanning out into three claws up its left side. The thief clearly knew how to use it, as he swiped at Ardeth, before quickly dodging the Medjai's return strike with an instinctive agility. Ardeth swung at the smaller man again, almost catching his midriff. The thief back flipped with amazing dexterity, avoiding the next low blow. Ardeth realised that this was a warrior of great skill and would not be easily vanquished.
The thief evaded another series of swipes, moving with lightning speed. Ardeth jabbed at him quickly, making him jump aside and leaving him off balance. The Medjai tried to take advantage of this, but it seemed as if his attacker had banked on him doing just that. As he moved, the thief flicked the blade into the sun, momentarily blinding Ardeth with the light that reflected off of it. Then he kicked out sharply, landed it exactly on his wrist, sending the scimitar he was holding in that hand flying. Ardeth immediately drove at the thief with a cry, knowing that he could not allow him to start swiping at him with that deadly looking dagger. He grabbed the thief's the wrist as he ploughed into him, knocking him to the ground. The thief locked his legs around Ardeth's as he fell, pulling him to the floor with him. Taking the momentary advantage, the thief tried to get up, but Ardeth dove at him again, grabbing him. The momentum of the collision sent the both tumbling down a sandy embankment. Somewhere in the fall, the thief must have dropped his dagger, because when he jumped to his feet and planted himself in a fighter's stance, ready to face the Medjai leader again, he was unarmed. Ardeth was somewhat relieved to see this. The odds were now far more stacked in his favour. He had a definite physical advantage in both height and stature over the other man. He feinted a swing at his face before punching his fist into the thief's midsection, causing him to double over as the wind rushed out of him. Ardeth tried to press on his advantage, but again the thief was up to the challenge. He shoved him back with more force than he would have given someone so small credit for. That was followed by a vicious high kick to his jaw. He reached for chin, taking his fingers away to feel the blood there.
Exhausted in the burning heat, Ardeth and the thief circled each other in a deadly waiting game. It was clear that this was a battle to the death. Without warning, the Medjai swung a punch, which the thief ducked. He went for another high kick, but this time Ardeth blocked with his arm. He grabbed the attacker's leg, meaning to topple him. With another remarkable feat of agility however, the man swung his free leg up, twisting to kick him sharply in the ribs. They both fell to the floor with a heavy thump, spraying up sand, Ardeth clutching at his sore chest.
The thief was on his feet first, heading straight back up to the embankment, going to retrieve the dagger that could be seen sticking up in the sand. Ardeth grabbed hold of him just as the blade was in his hands. He swung the man round, making sure he had a tight grip on the wrist holding the dagger. He used his physical superiority to slam the smaller man into one of the semi-fallen columns of stone, hard enough to rattle his bones.
At last, it made his assailant show some kind of weakness. His eyes widened in pain and he yelped. Not the type of sound Ardeth had expected to hear at all. Frowning, confused, he held the attacker against the wall with his body, using his free hand to tear away the folds of material covering his face.
Make that 'her face'.
Realising with surprise that his attacker was actually a woman, Ardeth loosened his grip slightly, not entirely sure what to do next. Fortunately he noticed the rather glazed look in her eyes and was quick enough to stop her ploughing into the sand as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Frowning more deeply, concerned at how badly he may have hurt her, he knelt beside her prone form and checked her quickly for serious injury. His hands found the stickiness of blood on the upper sleeve of her right arm. Pushing aside the folds of material, he firstly noticed the large gash there. It wasn't a fresh wound, but it was recent and he must have re-opened it during the fight. Her face was unhealthily pale and he surmised that she must have lost a fair amount of blood from that wound. The second thing he noticed was a multiple of bruises in different stages of healing. It looked like she had been involved in a fierce battle. The final thing he noticed was the tattoo in a band around her upper arm. Fairly new, by the looks of it. Part of it was in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. A name and a motto of some sorts. The symbol in the centre, surrounded by a large dark circle was of more immediate interest however. It was the goddess Sekhemet.