A/N: It's been a while, hasn't it? I am sorry, but my muse has been busy
inspiring me to write on one of my other fanfics lately. Plus, I have been
working out details on an original story of mine that I'm thinking of
posting on fictionpress. To be honest, I haven't touched either of my
'Mummy' or 'Xena' fanfics in weeks. I apologize again and hope this
chapter is to your liking.
Jckidsmart: I have updated. Thank you for being such a consistent reviewer. I really appreciate it.
Deana: I'm glad you thought my 'weird' comment was funny. I struggle quite a bit when it comes to writing humor (as if you couldn't tell). Thanks for that little bit of encouragement.
LiRA: Yes, the gold book is very pretty. But don't get ahead of me on the Alex and Gabby thing. I'm still working on that. And there's no need to apologize for being crazy. If there were, most of the people I know would be walking around saying 'I'm sorry' all the time. (And if there's anything I can't stand, it's groveling. Every time I turn around it's 'sorry' this and 'forgive me' that and 'I'm not worthy'.) There now, you see? I just quoted Monty Python out of the blue. That proves I'm crazy, too.
Deb2: Oh, dear. I was sorry to hear about all those things. Is it mice that chewed through your phone lines? You can borrow my cat if you wish. Somewhere in my house, there are bound to be live mice. But I never see them because my kitty pounces on them if they venture into the open. I think the body count is up to nine. I hope none of the family emergencies were of the sorrowful nature. And I'm glad to see Hurricane Isabel didn't dampen your spirits, at least. Was anything of yours very badly damaged?
Maya: Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you like the story so much
CatEyes1: Thanks for your review. I hope you like the next chapter.
Spacecatcadet: I am adding more, but I'm afraid I didn't hurry like you asked me to. My deepest apologies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan seemed to have summed up the situation rather well. Xena, Gabrielle, and Autolycus weren't exactly sure what the 'Book of the Dead' was, but they were able to perceive that it wasn't a good thing. However, Autolycus being Autolycus, he just had to ask the question.
"Is the Book of the Dead made of gold, too?"
Never in his life had Autolycus been stared down by such angry brown eyes. Ardeth Bay inched closer to him, trying to surmise what this man was capable of.
"The Book of the Dead is a dangerous tool. It is not a treasure. Many men have died trying to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. No mortal man should ever have access to it."
"Ah, but what about immortals?" came a voice. Ardeth and the O'Connell's looked around, trying to figure out who the voice belonged to. They didn't have to wonder long. A tall, dark man in black leather appeared virtually out of nowhere. Evy gave a small gasp and moved closer to her daughters while Ardeth, Rick, Alex, and Jonathan surrounded her and the children instinctively. The man regarded them with thinly veiled contempt.
"What pathetic tactics," he began, but Xena cut him off.
"Enough, Ares! What do you want with this book?"
Ares thought up a sarcastic reply, but the icy blue gaze directed at him made him change his mind. Why not just get right to the point?
"Well, Xena, it seems this "Book of the Dead" contains the power to resurrect the dead. I have someone in mind that needs a little 'resurrecting'."
"The Book of the Dead can do more than that," Ardeth spoke up. "If used incorrectly, it can unleash an evil too terrible to be spoken of. You could wind up destroying the world. Even destroying yourself, God of War."
Xena watched as Ares let his gaze linger on Ardeth. He was trying to figure this Med-jai out. But Ardeth's mask of inscrutability had fallen neatly into place and not even the great god of war could penetrate it.
"I'm glad to see you know who I am," Ares finally said. "But you don't really show the proper respect for a god, do you?"
"You are not my god," was the reply. The next moment, Ardeth was on the ground, Evy was kneeling by his side and Rick, after unreasonably trying to shoot the immortal god of war, had decided to join his wife. Xena had drawn her sword just a split second before Ares had attacked Ardeth and she now found herself wishing that Ares would come just a hair closer, but he stayed tantalizingly out of reach. Gabrielle was the only one who spoke.
"He's just being truthful, Ares. Ardeth is Egyptian, not Greek."
"And I'm supposed to care why?" Ares inquired, his hands in the air.
"Come on, Ares. Who could you possibly want to resurrect with this book?" asked Xena. "Strife? I know he's your nephew, but I always thought he got on your nerves."
"Good guess, Xena, but you're slipping. You used to be one step ahead of me every time. No, I have no use for Strife. Maybe I'll resurrect him later. If I get bored enough."
"Can you read Ancient Egyptian?"
The question was spoken by Evelyn and Ares shifted his gaze. Immediately, Evelyn O'Connell felt as if he could see right through her blouse. Ares smirked as he prepared a reply, but Gabrielle beat him to the punch.
"Egyptian? Ha. He's lucky to get through the Greek alphabet without any mistakes."
Xena, though she tried not to, smiled at her friend's comment and Ares glared at the bard. But Gabrielle was no shrinking violet. She returned his gaze unflinchingly and the god of war was somewhat disconcerted that he seemed to have no effect on her.
"Oh, I don't need to know Egyptian. I have someone in my custody that can help me out just fine."
No sooner had he spoken than Alex, Tierney, and Taryn all disappeared from Jonathan's side, then reappeared behind Ares, bound and gagged. Rick started towards them, but soon joined Ardeth on the ground. Evelyn, too, went for her children. Ares started to knock her back as well, but then thought better of it. Instead, he simply disappeared with Alex and the girls. Evie stared in shock at the empty space that had once been occupied by her children. Then, just as Jonathan had known she would, she went into what Rick jokingly referred to as 'Nefertiri mode'.
Evelyn O'Connell was gone and in her place was a very angry, very dangerous Egyptian princess. Still, her first concern was to make sure her husband and friend were okay. The blows delivered by Ares had simply rendered them unconscious. Satisfied that her children were the only ones in immediate danger, Evie began to focus on getting them back.
LATER
"We can't just track Ares down," Xena found herself explaining for what seemed the tenth time in the same amount of minutes. She was finding that Evelyn O'Connell had a will almost as strong as her own. But she had to convince this woman to trust her.
"Be sensible, Evie. I'm sure Xena knows what she's doing."
Her brother's interference was not helping matters. Evie was furious and impatient.
"That's easy enough for you to say, Jonathan. You still have your daughter with you. But my children are gone. Taken off to God knows where with some lunatic god of war. I'm very sorry if the loss of your nephew and nieces doesn't upset you, but I am not going to stand here and listen to this drivel. I am going after them."
Now it was Jonathan's turn to be angry and he grabbed Evie's shoulders in a vice grip. Evie was surprised. Jonathan had never spoken harshly to her in her entire life, much less ventured to touch her in a way that was less than gentle.
"Come off it, Evelyn! I'm just as worried about Alex and the girls as you are. How dare you say I don't care! Alex is like a son to me and I love the girls as much as I love Lynnea! Listen to reason for once instead of going off half-cocked, trying to play the hero and more than likely getting yourself killed in the process!"
He released his sister and walked off, taking Lynnea with him. Evie watched him leave. She was stunned by his behavior. But even more stunning was the look in the eyes of Ardeth Bay when she turned and met his gaze. Ardeth had come to just a few minutes ago. He had known immediately that Evie would be hard to dissuade. But he had not thought her capable of a personal attack on her own brother. His look was condemning and Evie felt about two inches high when his deep brown eyes pierced hers. He said not a word, but walked over to her and took her by the arm. Gabrielle continued to tend to Rick, Xena continued preparing for their journey, and Autolycus followed Jonathan. Ardeth steered Evie out of sight and sought for the right words to say to this woman whom he loved so dearly.
"Xena is right, Evelyn. Ares is a god. We can no more track him than we could track the wind. She seems to know him well. We will find your children."
Evie was silent. She was rapidly becoming ashamed of her behavior towards her brother. Jonathan hadn't done anything to deserve the things she had said to him. Ardeth once again revealed his uncanny ability to read people's thoughts.
"Your brother did not deserve what you said. He is worried, Evelyn, as am I. We know nothing of these gods, really. All of us are so familiar with Egypt that we forget sometimes about other civilizations, other gods. These Greek gods could be just as dangerous as the Egyptian gods we have encountered. What would Rick do, Evelyn, if you went after your children only to lose your life and the life of your unborn child?"
Evie's head shot up in surprise and she saw a faint glimmer of laughter in Ardeth's eyes.
"Oh, yes. I know. Do not make the mistake of thinking Rick does not know. You kept this from him so you could go on the dig. We have discussed it. Your children that have been born are not the only ones in danger. You need to think of this one as well."
Properly chastised and unable to speak, Evie nodded her head. Ardeth, in a rare display of affection, put his arm around her comfortingly. Always, in his heart of hearts, he had wanted a sister. Evie had filled that position perfectly for him. Ardeth's comforting was cut short by a yell. A very familiar yell.
"Evelyn! Evelyn, where are you!"
Evie and Ardeth dashed back to their former location, where they found Rick looking very confused. Neither of them was surprised. Rick's blow had inflicted some damage to the back of his head when he fell, so it was only natural that, upon regaining consciousness, he would be a little, well, off kilter.
Rick grabbed his wife as soon as she got to him and held her close.
"Thank God. I thought you were gone."
Evie remained silent after catching a glimpse of Gabrielle. The bard shook her head slightly and Evie knew that Rick had not yet remembered his children had been taken. She also knew that, when he remembered, it would be a very unpleasant experience for everybody.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malloy and kagome-chan4: Thanks for your reviews. Just received them. I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope you keep reviewing.
A/N: Do you want me to write the next chapter about Xena, Gabrielle, Ardeth, and the O'Connell's? Or would you like me to pick up with Alex, Tierney, Taryn and Ares? Review and let me know.
Jckidsmart: I have updated. Thank you for being such a consistent reviewer. I really appreciate it.
Deana: I'm glad you thought my 'weird' comment was funny. I struggle quite a bit when it comes to writing humor (as if you couldn't tell). Thanks for that little bit of encouragement.
LiRA: Yes, the gold book is very pretty. But don't get ahead of me on the Alex and Gabby thing. I'm still working on that. And there's no need to apologize for being crazy. If there were, most of the people I know would be walking around saying 'I'm sorry' all the time. (And if there's anything I can't stand, it's groveling. Every time I turn around it's 'sorry' this and 'forgive me' that and 'I'm not worthy'.) There now, you see? I just quoted Monty Python out of the blue. That proves I'm crazy, too.
Deb2: Oh, dear. I was sorry to hear about all those things. Is it mice that chewed through your phone lines? You can borrow my cat if you wish. Somewhere in my house, there are bound to be live mice. But I never see them because my kitty pounces on them if they venture into the open. I think the body count is up to nine. I hope none of the family emergencies were of the sorrowful nature. And I'm glad to see Hurricane Isabel didn't dampen your spirits, at least. Was anything of yours very badly damaged?
Maya: Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you like the story so much
CatEyes1: Thanks for your review. I hope you like the next chapter.
Spacecatcadet: I am adding more, but I'm afraid I didn't hurry like you asked me to. My deepest apologies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan seemed to have summed up the situation rather well. Xena, Gabrielle, and Autolycus weren't exactly sure what the 'Book of the Dead' was, but they were able to perceive that it wasn't a good thing. However, Autolycus being Autolycus, he just had to ask the question.
"Is the Book of the Dead made of gold, too?"
Never in his life had Autolycus been stared down by such angry brown eyes. Ardeth Bay inched closer to him, trying to surmise what this man was capable of.
"The Book of the Dead is a dangerous tool. It is not a treasure. Many men have died trying to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. No mortal man should ever have access to it."
"Ah, but what about immortals?" came a voice. Ardeth and the O'Connell's looked around, trying to figure out who the voice belonged to. They didn't have to wonder long. A tall, dark man in black leather appeared virtually out of nowhere. Evy gave a small gasp and moved closer to her daughters while Ardeth, Rick, Alex, and Jonathan surrounded her and the children instinctively. The man regarded them with thinly veiled contempt.
"What pathetic tactics," he began, but Xena cut him off.
"Enough, Ares! What do you want with this book?"
Ares thought up a sarcastic reply, but the icy blue gaze directed at him made him change his mind. Why not just get right to the point?
"Well, Xena, it seems this "Book of the Dead" contains the power to resurrect the dead. I have someone in mind that needs a little 'resurrecting'."
"The Book of the Dead can do more than that," Ardeth spoke up. "If used incorrectly, it can unleash an evil too terrible to be spoken of. You could wind up destroying the world. Even destroying yourself, God of War."
Xena watched as Ares let his gaze linger on Ardeth. He was trying to figure this Med-jai out. But Ardeth's mask of inscrutability had fallen neatly into place and not even the great god of war could penetrate it.
"I'm glad to see you know who I am," Ares finally said. "But you don't really show the proper respect for a god, do you?"
"You are not my god," was the reply. The next moment, Ardeth was on the ground, Evy was kneeling by his side and Rick, after unreasonably trying to shoot the immortal god of war, had decided to join his wife. Xena had drawn her sword just a split second before Ares had attacked Ardeth and she now found herself wishing that Ares would come just a hair closer, but he stayed tantalizingly out of reach. Gabrielle was the only one who spoke.
"He's just being truthful, Ares. Ardeth is Egyptian, not Greek."
"And I'm supposed to care why?" Ares inquired, his hands in the air.
"Come on, Ares. Who could you possibly want to resurrect with this book?" asked Xena. "Strife? I know he's your nephew, but I always thought he got on your nerves."
"Good guess, Xena, but you're slipping. You used to be one step ahead of me every time. No, I have no use for Strife. Maybe I'll resurrect him later. If I get bored enough."
"Can you read Ancient Egyptian?"
The question was spoken by Evelyn and Ares shifted his gaze. Immediately, Evelyn O'Connell felt as if he could see right through her blouse. Ares smirked as he prepared a reply, but Gabrielle beat him to the punch.
"Egyptian? Ha. He's lucky to get through the Greek alphabet without any mistakes."
Xena, though she tried not to, smiled at her friend's comment and Ares glared at the bard. But Gabrielle was no shrinking violet. She returned his gaze unflinchingly and the god of war was somewhat disconcerted that he seemed to have no effect on her.
"Oh, I don't need to know Egyptian. I have someone in my custody that can help me out just fine."
No sooner had he spoken than Alex, Tierney, and Taryn all disappeared from Jonathan's side, then reappeared behind Ares, bound and gagged. Rick started towards them, but soon joined Ardeth on the ground. Evelyn, too, went for her children. Ares started to knock her back as well, but then thought better of it. Instead, he simply disappeared with Alex and the girls. Evie stared in shock at the empty space that had once been occupied by her children. Then, just as Jonathan had known she would, she went into what Rick jokingly referred to as 'Nefertiri mode'.
Evelyn O'Connell was gone and in her place was a very angry, very dangerous Egyptian princess. Still, her first concern was to make sure her husband and friend were okay. The blows delivered by Ares had simply rendered them unconscious. Satisfied that her children were the only ones in immediate danger, Evie began to focus on getting them back.
LATER
"We can't just track Ares down," Xena found herself explaining for what seemed the tenth time in the same amount of minutes. She was finding that Evelyn O'Connell had a will almost as strong as her own. But she had to convince this woman to trust her.
"Be sensible, Evie. I'm sure Xena knows what she's doing."
Her brother's interference was not helping matters. Evie was furious and impatient.
"That's easy enough for you to say, Jonathan. You still have your daughter with you. But my children are gone. Taken off to God knows where with some lunatic god of war. I'm very sorry if the loss of your nephew and nieces doesn't upset you, but I am not going to stand here and listen to this drivel. I am going after them."
Now it was Jonathan's turn to be angry and he grabbed Evie's shoulders in a vice grip. Evie was surprised. Jonathan had never spoken harshly to her in her entire life, much less ventured to touch her in a way that was less than gentle.
"Come off it, Evelyn! I'm just as worried about Alex and the girls as you are. How dare you say I don't care! Alex is like a son to me and I love the girls as much as I love Lynnea! Listen to reason for once instead of going off half-cocked, trying to play the hero and more than likely getting yourself killed in the process!"
He released his sister and walked off, taking Lynnea with him. Evie watched him leave. She was stunned by his behavior. But even more stunning was the look in the eyes of Ardeth Bay when she turned and met his gaze. Ardeth had come to just a few minutes ago. He had known immediately that Evie would be hard to dissuade. But he had not thought her capable of a personal attack on her own brother. His look was condemning and Evie felt about two inches high when his deep brown eyes pierced hers. He said not a word, but walked over to her and took her by the arm. Gabrielle continued to tend to Rick, Xena continued preparing for their journey, and Autolycus followed Jonathan. Ardeth steered Evie out of sight and sought for the right words to say to this woman whom he loved so dearly.
"Xena is right, Evelyn. Ares is a god. We can no more track him than we could track the wind. She seems to know him well. We will find your children."
Evie was silent. She was rapidly becoming ashamed of her behavior towards her brother. Jonathan hadn't done anything to deserve the things she had said to him. Ardeth once again revealed his uncanny ability to read people's thoughts.
"Your brother did not deserve what you said. He is worried, Evelyn, as am I. We know nothing of these gods, really. All of us are so familiar with Egypt that we forget sometimes about other civilizations, other gods. These Greek gods could be just as dangerous as the Egyptian gods we have encountered. What would Rick do, Evelyn, if you went after your children only to lose your life and the life of your unborn child?"
Evie's head shot up in surprise and she saw a faint glimmer of laughter in Ardeth's eyes.
"Oh, yes. I know. Do not make the mistake of thinking Rick does not know. You kept this from him so you could go on the dig. We have discussed it. Your children that have been born are not the only ones in danger. You need to think of this one as well."
Properly chastised and unable to speak, Evie nodded her head. Ardeth, in a rare display of affection, put his arm around her comfortingly. Always, in his heart of hearts, he had wanted a sister. Evie had filled that position perfectly for him. Ardeth's comforting was cut short by a yell. A very familiar yell.
"Evelyn! Evelyn, where are you!"
Evie and Ardeth dashed back to their former location, where they found Rick looking very confused. Neither of them was surprised. Rick's blow had inflicted some damage to the back of his head when he fell, so it was only natural that, upon regaining consciousness, he would be a little, well, off kilter.
Rick grabbed his wife as soon as she got to him and held her close.
"Thank God. I thought you were gone."
Evie remained silent after catching a glimpse of Gabrielle. The bard shook her head slightly and Evie knew that Rick had not yet remembered his children had been taken. She also knew that, when he remembered, it would be a very unpleasant experience for everybody.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malloy and kagome-chan4: Thanks for your reviews. Just received them. I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope you keep reviewing.
A/N: Do you want me to write the next chapter about Xena, Gabrielle, Ardeth, and the O'Connell's? Or would you like me to pick up with Alex, Tierney, Taryn and Ares? Review and let me know.