I don't own the Mummy, the Scorpion King or any of the characters besides Rissa and her people.

Trinkets and Curses

Recap of last time:

"Rissa! Why did you not tell me you were the descendant of a Sorceress?" Ardeth fixed his gaze down on the young woman beside him.

"You didn't need to know. It's not like I want everyone to know all my tricks," Rissa rolled her eyes. "Besides, I can trust Mathias. I'm still not sure if you deserve my trust. Alex, I have complete faith in… but you are another matter entirely!"

"Rissa, Ardeth, STOP FIGHTING!" Alex yelled loudly getting everyone's attention. "Now look, this gentleman has said we can join him against Memnon, who is supposedly the best Warrior-King in the known world. Get rid of the tyrant now, argue latter! They're acting like they're younger than me!" Alex muttered irritably.

Chapter 8

"So, where are we headed?" the thief asked Mathias.

"To an oasis," Mathias replied.

"Oh no! Not another one!" Alex stopped walking, "I refuse to have anything to do with another bloody oasis!"

"Alex, this one is not like the one where we were at," Ardeth replied softly.

"So… no mummies, Pygmies, or Giant bugs?" Alex asked.

"Alex, what did you do before I met you?" Rissa stared at the younger boy, before a shiver ran up her spine and a vision of what had happened to Alex popped into her mind. "I just HAD to ask!" Rissa grumbled in annoyance.

"Rissa, what happened? What's wrong?" Alex asked worriedly.

"I had a vision of what happened to you in the oasis that you spoke of. I doubt Mathias would lead us into a nightmare such as that…" Rissa sighed when she realized that Mathias was the 'Giant bug'.

"What did you see?" Mathias asked.

"The future, distantly, but all future is subject to change," Rissa replied.

"Rissa, what's gonna happen when we get to the Oasis?" Alex whispered.

"Do not drink the water, we will not be harmed, tell Ardeth."

"Alright," Alex frowned and told the Medjai the message. Ardeth turned around to look at Rissa curiously. Rissa ignored him and began to chat up with the Sorceress.

"So, is there a way to control the visions? I mean, I hardly get a moment's piece every time someone says something to do with time or the past."

"You must be powerful if you can not control it yet," the sorceress replied.

"Well, it's not my fault; my stupid ancestor just HAD to be this famous sorceress and this stupidly brave Akkadian warrior…"

"Rissa, you do know that you are talking about them, right?" Alex whispered.

"Yeah, and so far I've been right. Deal with it."

"What have you been right about?" the sorceress asked curiously.

"Well, for one, that my idiotic stepbrother would try and attack Alex in his home on my stepfather's orders. Not to mention the fact that I can now read pieces of the be-spelled scrolls of my family. Then of course we ran into you and Mathias, and the scientist… I always did seem to forget his name. Oh, by the way, what is your name? 'Sorceress' just doesn't seem to fit you."

"My name is Cassandra," the sorceress laughed merrily.

"Glad to meet you Cassie!"

"Cassie? Is that a nickname?" Cassandra asked curiously.

"Yup! Alexander is Alex, and Ardeth is… Ardeth. There's no way on earth I'm shortening his name or Mathias' they are warriors and if I tried to do so, it would come out dreadfully wrong."

"And if this Ardeth's name was shortened?"

"Deth," Rissa frowned. "As I said, it would come out bad and as much as I have seen, Ardeth has as much of a gift in fighting as Mathias, but I do not wish to associate him with a murderer when he is a protector."

"And Mathias?"

"Math," Rissa scrunched up her face. "I believe you use an abacus to figure out how much money someone owes. It doesn't suit him."

Neither female knew all four males were listening intently. Mathias chuckled, "Well, at least I know why she didn't feel the need to shorten my name."

"I am uncertain as to why Rissa…would care so much of my opinion on this," Ardeth frowned.

"Females, whom are we to understand their smaller minds?" Mathias smirked.

"Oh REALLY!"

Mathias turned his head to find the sorceress and the girl behind him with angry looks on their faces, "…"

"You know, I doubt you could take advantage of a group of men without lifting a hand to slaughter or harm the lot of them, just like those harem girls did to you," Rissa growled. "And women actually have the same size brains as men. Not to mention that most men think with their other end. So really, you have to wonder who is the cleverer of you and Cassie. Truthfully, I'd say it was Cassie. She's tricked Memnon more than once and she will continue to do so until it is time…" Rissa stopped as another vision washed over her.

"Rissa?" Alex asked her in concern.

Rissa shook her head, "You know, that really gets annoying fast! Cassie, I really need your help to learn how to control these damned visions! I get just about anything from anyone and anywhere! One time I was in the middle of a brawl with some of the local thieves and it nearly cost me my eye!"

"Rissa, you must learn to focus on having a vision… but they will continue to happen no matter what you do…" Cassandra sighed.

"So, that explains one reason why you like muscle-boy, huh? Even if he is a bit annoyingly arrogant?" Rissa pressed.

"In a sense," Cassandra shared a conspiratorial wink with Rissa.

"Do you get the feeling we're missing something?" Alex asked Ardeth.

"Constantly, but at least she is not as troublesome as…" Ardeth stopped himself.

"So, you have fought thieves before, milady?" the thief broke in on the conversation.

"Well, there aren't that many calls for an assassin… so I had to keep my wits sharp. Besides, where I'm from I'm friends with the king."

"King of your country?"

"No, the King of Thieves," Rissa smirked. "He's really like an older brother, been taken care of me since my idiot of a mother married and died because of the damned man she remarried. I mean, my stepbrother is an evil mastermind criminal! How can she marry a man whose son is just as evil as the man himself! In a way, I should be glad that Midas found me when he did. He has trained me well, to the point that he considers me his daughter. You would not wish to mess with an assassin-thief, of the high court of the Rogue, would you, thief?"

"No," the thief replied grinning momentarily before running ahead.

"I've been wondering how to get him to keep quiet."

"Mathias, as far as I am concerned you are not living up to my expectations of you. And yes, I have heard that you will do great things, but you will also do terrible things. Nothing lasts forever in this ever changing world.

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