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:

"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.

Chapter 9

"Rissa, I wish to speak with you," Ardeth whispered as there was a party going on around them. The outcasts had captured them and after a fight between Mathias and one of their leaders… well, let's just say Mathias and the group were accepted into the outcasts.

"Ardeth, you already are," Rissa teased gently.

"Yes," Ardeth chuckled slightly. "Why do you not tell them of you?"

"Sometimes it is better to know someone as a friend than as family," Rissa frowned as she stared up at the stars. "You know, as often as I've wished to meet them… I'm not sure I like knowing what will become of them." Ardeth remained silent, letting her continue, "It's sad to know that I'm truly the last and when I die… well, the last of the Akkadian blood dies with me. Am I making any sense at all?" Rissa sighed tiredly as she pulled her knees to her, crossed her arms on top of her legs, and laid her head on top of her arms.

"I understand," Ardeth smiled sadly as he placed his arm around the Akkadian girl.

"Thanks Ardeth, I'm glad that we aren't at each other's throats and nearer to becoming friends," Rissa yawned tiredly and fell asleep on his shoulder.

"As am I, Rissa, as am I," Ardeth murmured, and held her tightly.

"Ardeth, where am I supposed to sleep?" Alex asked softly when he spied Rissa sleeping.

"You will sleep with us, tonight, Alex. We shall stick together like papyrus when wet with sap."

Alex smiled as he yawned and laid down on Ardeth's other side, "Thanks Ardeth. Good night."

"May Ra protect you while you sleep… my young friends," Ardeth smiled sadly at his two charges, the boy of his brother Medjai and the sorceress-girl with ancient blood. "May the Gods have mercy on us all…"

"Ardeth," Rissa was awake, but whispering.

"What troubles you, Rissa?"

"Cassie will leave tonight. In the morning Mathias shall head to Gomorra. There she will save him and we will give them aide. Ardeth, there is another interfering with the flow of time. He does this for ill reasoning. He is who we will be after."

"Do you know who he is?" Ardeth asked sharply.

"… It seems like I should… but something is… HIM! NO! NOT HIM! PLEASE NOT HIM!" Rissa began to cry into Ardeth's shoulder.

"Who is he, Larissa?"

"My brother… Loxias…" Rissa bit her lips and nearly began to despair but she remembered, "He does not know of the scrolls! Mother gave them to me! He can not read them! He does not 'see' what will happen!"

"Does this not mean that you are the last of your blood?" Ardeth frowned.

"No, I'm the last. Loxias is my older half-brother. My father married his mother before my own. He went to live with her, and has never cared for me. My father… he had a gift… though I've not been certain on it… until now."

"What was this gift?"

"The ability to make objects take him back in time… He did it before… to save mother and me when we were nearly killed by a bad-tempered nurse who was trying to play god with our lives…" Rissa remembered. "That is why Loxias is here. He always was a terrible person, though not nearly so vicious as my stepbrother, but he was terribly clever and in his heart there is a darkness I have sensed since I was in the womb of my mother."

"You could sense darkness that early?" Ardeth chuckled.

"Ardeth he is, in many ways, more of a threat than Memnon. He's ambitious and slightly insane… it is a bad combination to add that he is crafty and is not without his methods of dealing with the dark."

"That is a bad combination," Ardeth frowned. "Do you believe he can be stopped?"

"Yes, I do…" Rissa sighed and turned away from Ardeth.

"But?"

"There is always a price, Ardeth. There is always a price to be paid for every battle won, always a consequence unseen. I don't know what it is, but it frightens me, Ardeth. I wonder if we win will it be worth the price we pay?"

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