Author's Notes/Disclaimer: Hay yall, let me know whatcha think! =)
Thanks ~Kei
Standard disclaimers apply, always... Bye!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Akayla Bay: Chapter Three~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Akayla stared impassively at the outsider she held at sword tip. Few
ventured so far into the uncharted desert save foolish soldiers and
greedy tomb robbers... This man did not look like a soldier.
"Well outsider," she asked, taunted of this pale, sun burned man, "any
last words?" He smiled and the sight intrigued her. There was no
fear in his face, of either her or his imminent death. He replied
easily, even though his adam's apple bobbed and let a thin line of red
color his throat.
"Two actually... Ardeth Bay."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The woman's hand trembled slightly at his words and her face,
beautiful even in its sharpness, flashed once with a pain he had
rarely seen unmasked. Those who rarely experience grief have trouble
hiding it.
For one instant Alex was transported back, over twenty years ago, to
the moment he had lost his mother. He had never seen his father
grieve, before or since, but in that moment all shields, all guards,
had been rent, torn, broken by a loss so great it had been, and was
even now, in the twilight of their lives, unimaginable. The moment
passed and the coldness there rivaled the desert night.
"How did you learn that name? That name is too good for you...
How did you learn his name?!" The sword wavered and pressed tighter
against his throat. Alex held his breath as an elderly Medjai stepped
forward.
"Akayla..."
"Go away Geitran. You are a visitor here, nothing more, I am leader
of these men." The man ignored her harsh words and walked through the
ranks of gathered warriors to kneel at Alex's side; dark robes pooling
around him like ink. Alex's cool gaze met the Medjai's own dark,
secretive eyes. They searched him, probed him, remembered him.
"You cannot kill this man Kayla, for you, all of us, owe him a great
debt." The woman's face darkened and her eyes flashed at the
challenge she perceived in the elder's opposition.
"And why would I owe a grave robber anything Geitran? Enlighten me!"
The old man rose, dusted sand from his robes, and raised white
eyebrows in response to the imperiousness of youth. He dared to put
one weathered, restraining hand on the slender one that unerringly
held the sword that sought Alex's life.
"Because his name is Alex O'Connell. Because he was there when Ahm
Shere vanished beneath the unforgiving sands. Because he read from
the Book of the Dead and brought his mother back to life. Because he
wore the Bracelet of Anubis. Because the monster was defeated once
and for all through events that centered entirely upon him. Because
he is not a grave robber." The sword was taken from stiff unresisting
fingers, and handed to a silent warrior before Geitran leaned down and
gripped Alex's hand tightly, bringing the younger man to his feet.
Alex was faintly surprised to find himself a good head taller than the
woman who had laid claim on his death. She glared at him, arms folded
defiantly across her breast, even as he bowed, face straight despite
the inane urge to smile, with respect.
"All that Geitran says is true. I was but a child but they are still
true. I... I was asked to come by Ardeth..." Again that flash of
sadness was there and gone in the eyes of the strange woman nomad. He
reached into his vest and retrieved the crumpled letter. Alex held
it out to the woman who did not deign to take it.
Geitran's gnarled fingers gently claimed it. The old Medjai read it
in silence. He turned to the woman, face a carefully neutral mask.
"Mr. O'Connell speaks the truth Akayla. Ardeth asked him to come..."
The fully roused Akayla whirled, both to Geitran and to him,
oblivious to the utter embarrassed silence of the men surrounding
them.
"Then he made a trip for nothing didn't he Geitran? Because Ardeth is
three weeks dead and gone. I should know, I flung his ashes to the
wind myself!" Geitran moved to reply even as Alex's world reeled.
Ardeth, Ardeth his confidant, his friend, his second father was dead?
"How?" Alex croaked in a daze, interrupting Geitran's reprimands. The
full fury of the fierce and pain filled Akayla turned on him. Had he
been any other he would have withered beneath her gaze but he had
faced the iron mask of Imhotep without flinching... mere mortals held
little fear for him.
"A scorpion sting. It slipped into his tent one night, while he
slept. He never woke again. Why would you care?" Stung Alex roused
himself, found shelter from grief in too easily accessible anger.
"Because when my world was troubled, when it was frightening I knew I
could always turn to Ardeth and find a friend... Find a sort of uncle,
a second father if you will. He raised me as much as my own family
did. That's why I care... Why the hell do you?" The girl's face
shut down, became an unreadable shuttered thing... granite, marble, an
immovable statue. She looked at him, truly looked at him, and Alex
shivered because for one moment her eyes had rivaled the beast that
had been two decades in the earth. Two decades not long enough.
"He..." she paused and for the slightest moment the marble cracked and
faltered before Akayla finished, voice fading softer as she spoke the
words, "because he was my father." She turned away from him and it
was like a slap. The woman walked away without another word,
shoulders set in a thin, proud line, dark curls flowing behind her
like a shroud of mourning. Her people, silent, still, parted before
her like the sea.
Alex looked, helplessly at Geitran. The older Medjai sighed. "Her
name is..."
"Akayla Bay," Geitran finished. "She was born nine months after Amh
Shere. Ardeth loved her with all his soul." Alex stared, unseeing,
into the distance.
"And now Ardeth is dead." Geitran bowed his head.
"Yes."
"She is leader of Ardeth's tribe?"
"Yes."
"I won't leave, not until I know why Ardeth summoned me. I was not
called lightly." Geitran flinched.
"And you have not been dismissed lightly. Akayla has much of her
father in her along with several other less desirable traits. She
lives with her heart young O'Connell, her heart and her sword. If you
cross her you shall regret it." Alex looked at the older Medjai and
shrugged.
"Then I shall stay out of her way but I will stay, until I understand
what's happening." Geitran nodded once, briskly, and sighed again,
louder.
"Very well. I may be a visitor at this camp but I am not a
stranger. I can at least offer you hospitality. Come..." The Medjai
elder turned and walked towards the cliffs that surrounded what was
once Hamunaptra. The Medjai trailed behind them like ghosts as Alex,
after grabbing his bedroll and the lead rope of his exhausted horse,
followed.
Thanks ~Kei
Standard disclaimers apply, always... Bye!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Akayla Bay: Chapter Three~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Akayla stared impassively at the outsider she held at sword tip. Few
ventured so far into the uncharted desert save foolish soldiers and
greedy tomb robbers... This man did not look like a soldier.
"Well outsider," she asked, taunted of this pale, sun burned man, "any
last words?" He smiled and the sight intrigued her. There was no
fear in his face, of either her or his imminent death. He replied
easily, even though his adam's apple bobbed and let a thin line of red
color his throat.
"Two actually... Ardeth Bay."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The woman's hand trembled slightly at his words and her face,
beautiful even in its sharpness, flashed once with a pain he had
rarely seen unmasked. Those who rarely experience grief have trouble
hiding it.
For one instant Alex was transported back, over twenty years ago, to
the moment he had lost his mother. He had never seen his father
grieve, before or since, but in that moment all shields, all guards,
had been rent, torn, broken by a loss so great it had been, and was
even now, in the twilight of their lives, unimaginable. The moment
passed and the coldness there rivaled the desert night.
"How did you learn that name? That name is too good for you...
How did you learn his name?!" The sword wavered and pressed tighter
against his throat. Alex held his breath as an elderly Medjai stepped
forward.
"Akayla..."
"Go away Geitran. You are a visitor here, nothing more, I am leader
of these men." The man ignored her harsh words and walked through the
ranks of gathered warriors to kneel at Alex's side; dark robes pooling
around him like ink. Alex's cool gaze met the Medjai's own dark,
secretive eyes. They searched him, probed him, remembered him.
"You cannot kill this man Kayla, for you, all of us, owe him a great
debt." The woman's face darkened and her eyes flashed at the
challenge she perceived in the elder's opposition.
"And why would I owe a grave robber anything Geitran? Enlighten me!"
The old man rose, dusted sand from his robes, and raised white
eyebrows in response to the imperiousness of youth. He dared to put
one weathered, restraining hand on the slender one that unerringly
held the sword that sought Alex's life.
"Because his name is Alex O'Connell. Because he was there when Ahm
Shere vanished beneath the unforgiving sands. Because he read from
the Book of the Dead and brought his mother back to life. Because he
wore the Bracelet of Anubis. Because the monster was defeated once
and for all through events that centered entirely upon him. Because
he is not a grave robber." The sword was taken from stiff unresisting
fingers, and handed to a silent warrior before Geitran leaned down and
gripped Alex's hand tightly, bringing the younger man to his feet.
Alex was faintly surprised to find himself a good head taller than the
woman who had laid claim on his death. She glared at him, arms folded
defiantly across her breast, even as he bowed, face straight despite
the inane urge to smile, with respect.
"All that Geitran says is true. I was but a child but they are still
true. I... I was asked to come by Ardeth..." Again that flash of
sadness was there and gone in the eyes of the strange woman nomad. He
reached into his vest and retrieved the crumpled letter. Alex held
it out to the woman who did not deign to take it.
Geitran's gnarled fingers gently claimed it. The old Medjai read it
in silence. He turned to the woman, face a carefully neutral mask.
"Mr. O'Connell speaks the truth Akayla. Ardeth asked him to come..."
The fully roused Akayla whirled, both to Geitran and to him,
oblivious to the utter embarrassed silence of the men surrounding
them.
"Then he made a trip for nothing didn't he Geitran? Because Ardeth is
three weeks dead and gone. I should know, I flung his ashes to the
wind myself!" Geitran moved to reply even as Alex's world reeled.
Ardeth, Ardeth his confidant, his friend, his second father was dead?
"How?" Alex croaked in a daze, interrupting Geitran's reprimands. The
full fury of the fierce and pain filled Akayla turned on him. Had he
been any other he would have withered beneath her gaze but he had
faced the iron mask of Imhotep without flinching... mere mortals held
little fear for him.
"A scorpion sting. It slipped into his tent one night, while he
slept. He never woke again. Why would you care?" Stung Alex roused
himself, found shelter from grief in too easily accessible anger.
"Because when my world was troubled, when it was frightening I knew I
could always turn to Ardeth and find a friend... Find a sort of uncle,
a second father if you will. He raised me as much as my own family
did. That's why I care... Why the hell do you?" The girl's face
shut down, became an unreadable shuttered thing... granite, marble, an
immovable statue. She looked at him, truly looked at him, and Alex
shivered because for one moment her eyes had rivaled the beast that
had been two decades in the earth. Two decades not long enough.
"He..." she paused and for the slightest moment the marble cracked and
faltered before Akayla finished, voice fading softer as she spoke the
words, "because he was my father." She turned away from him and it
was like a slap. The woman walked away without another word,
shoulders set in a thin, proud line, dark curls flowing behind her
like a shroud of mourning. Her people, silent, still, parted before
her like the sea.
Alex looked, helplessly at Geitran. The older Medjai sighed. "Her
name is..."
"Akayla Bay," Geitran finished. "She was born nine months after Amh
Shere. Ardeth loved her with all his soul." Alex stared, unseeing,
into the distance.
"And now Ardeth is dead." Geitran bowed his head.
"Yes."
"She is leader of Ardeth's tribe?"
"Yes."
"I won't leave, not until I know why Ardeth summoned me. I was not
called lightly." Geitran flinched.
"And you have not been dismissed lightly. Akayla has much of her
father in her along with several other less desirable traits. She
lives with her heart young O'Connell, her heart and her sword. If you
cross her you shall regret it." Alex looked at the older Medjai and
shrugged.
"Then I shall stay out of her way but I will stay, until I understand
what's happening." Geitran nodded once, briskly, and sighed again,
louder.
"Very well. I may be a visitor at this camp but I am not a
stranger. I can at least offer you hospitality. Come..." The Medjai
elder turned and walked towards the cliffs that surrounded what was
once Hamunaptra. The Medjai trailed behind them like ghosts as Alex,
after grabbing his bedroll and the lead rope of his exhausted horse,
followed.