Hi guys sorry for the long wait, life got in the way again! Here's a long chapter for you. I have finally posted the first chapter to my Kaleido Star fanfic and its Leon/OC go check it out! Review please. They make the creative juices flow! Thank you to all of my readers and reviewers and to those that favorite and follow me; I really love you guys. Also thank you again to Emilie Bay for being such a wonderful beta-reader! I love you! Hugs!
9/3/2014
Disclaimer: I do not own The Mummy nor will I ever own it.
~ Chapter 17 – The Mummy and The Medjai ~
Ardeth
"Keep a close eye on them until tonight." Ardeth said to his second in command, Laham, as he walked to his horse and rode out of the Medjai camp. The woman that they had saved three years ago was with the British woman's group, and it angered him that she would bring them to that forbidden place after what happened to her there. He silently made his way to the group's camp site and dismounted, looking around to see if anyone was lingering about that could catch him entering into the French woman's tent. He hoped that Laham was keeping a good eye out, he did not want any surprises at that moment. The tent was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight through the tent flap. Little bits of pottery and ancient scrolls lay about on the small table of the tent. The blue bedroll was tucked away in the far corner and a bag sat near the tent flap. Seeing so few things in the tent and little to no personal possessions made it difficult to tell about the woman that he saved; if she had changed or stayed the same in these three short years. He quietly left the tent and made his way back to his horse, there was nothing of importance in the tent and he needed to be ready for the midnight raid tonight. As he swiftly made his way back to the Medjai camp he thought back to that day three years before. Belle's fighting skills were like those of the ancient warriors in Pharaoh's army. She was fierce like Sekhmet and had the grace and beauty of Hathor. She had hidden strength and power in Isis likeness. The woman was a complete mystery to him. He knew little to nothing about her and yet his heart raced and stomach tightened at the thought of her. Casting those thoughts to the depths of his mind, he arrived at the camp and after greeting the watchmen with a nod and telling Laham to follow him; he entered his tent and walked over to the small desk where a map of the valley was displayed. They both sat down on the pillows in front of the low table. The Chieftain rubbed his chin as he looked at the map, deep in thought. He was pulled out of his musings by Laham clearing his throat.
"Was there something you wanted to speak with me about my lord?" His deep green eyes shined in the dim firelight of the tent.
"Laham, the woman that we saved three years ago is with the British group that entered the city. It was dangerous for her to be there before but now the danger is far worse and still she follows them to that dark place. It angers me that our duty to protect Hamunaptra has been met with violence time and time again. It worries me that this time we may not be able to drive them out and that they will unknowingly wake the Creature." Ardeth's eyes darkened at the thought of the priest awakening and becoming a plague upon the land. He was starting to grow weary of the burden passed down to him from his father. Laham remained silent for a few moments before speaking to his Chieftain.
"My Lord, don't doubt our loyalty or faith in you for you are a strong leader. And though young; you are wise beyond your years. We will fight with you to the very end should the Creature ever arise. As for the woman, I have a feeling she was dragged along into this little adventure of theirs. We can only hope that our actions tonight will persuade them to leave the city." And with that Laham stood bowing to his Chieftain and exited the tent to prepare for the raid; leaving the younger man to his thoughts.
Belle's POV
"What do you suppose killed him?" Evy asked as we sat around the camp fire that evening, after witnessing the death of the warden. My mind had been wandering on my memories to the first time I 'visited' this place.
"Did you ever see him eat?" Jonathan said trying to lighten the situation. O'Connell came back to our side of the camp and sat down next to Evy.
"Seems the Americans had a little misadventure of their own today, three of their diggers were killed."
"How…?" Evy asked shocked at so many deaths in one day.
"Salt acid. Pressurized salt acid. Some kind of ancient booby-trap."
"Maybe this place really is cursed." Jon said right before a strong gust of wind flickered the fire low in the pit. A silence came over us as Jonathan and O'Connell shared a nervous look.
"Oh for goodness sakes you three," Evy laughed.
"What you don't believe in curses, huh?" Rick said as he went back to cleaning his gun.
"No. I believe if I can see it and I can touch it then it's real. That's what I believe." Evy replied, gazing at the fire.
"Curses are very real Evy." I warned her against taking them lightly. O'Connell cocked his rifle and voiced his opinion on the matter.
"I believe in being prepared."
"Let's see what our friend the warden believed in. Shall we?" Jonathan said reaching for the brown bag the warden was carrying with him when he died. An eerie silence hanged in the air, as if something lied in waiting, while he rustled through the bag. He pulled his hand back out with a cry, startling us and causing Evy to scream as Rick pointed his gun at the bag.
"Oh my God what is it?!"
"A broken bottle. Glenlivet. Twelve years old!" Jon said, pulling out the bottle of whiskey and tossing the bag away. "Well, he may have been a stinky fellow, but he had good taste." I rolled my eyes at Jonathan's carefree nature and looked back at the fire with a small smile on my face.
Suddenly we heard horses whinnying and hoof beats in the sand entering the city toward our camps. O'Connell stood up abruptly, handing off the rifle in his hands to Evy.
"Take this. Stay here." He said, and quickly went to investigate. Evy moved to catch up with him.
"No, wait, wait! Wait for me. Wait!"
"Evy!" I called, starting to go after her.
"Excuse me, but didn't the man just say "stay here"? Evy!" Jon yelled running after us. My heart pounded as I got closer to the chaos of men dressed in black, riding their horses into the city. Loud whooping and yelling followed as they bounded over rock and made their way closer to us, setting fire to the tents and killing the diggers. I ducked down and hid behind a column as they rode through. Gunfire soon followed as the Americans jumped awake and began trying to defend themselves. These men looked like the men that saved me from this place before; why are they attacking us? I heard a horse and a man yelling from my right, so I turned around fast and ducked under his sword. I looked up to find that Rick had shot him off his horse. I gave a quick nod and looked around for Evy. Suddenly a rider on a black stallion came heading for Rick and I, already chasing Jon, sword high in the air. Seeing Jon in trouble, Rick forewent his guns and jumped off the pillar onto the back of the horse, knocking the man off. They wrestled a bit before coming to a standstill. The small scuffle had caused the veil to fall from the man's face revealing a very familiar person.
"Ardeth…" I whispered softly, not expecting to see him again after three years. Rick shot the scimitar out of Ardeth's hands but was soon distracted by a nearby rider. After shooting him he turned back to Ardeth only to have his gun knocked away from him. I did not notice the warrior come up behind me until he had his sword at my neck. I stood stiff as a board and pulled my neck back from the blade, but his hold only tightened. I looked towards Rick to see him locking eyes with Ardeth with a stick of dynamite in his hand.
"Enough! Yallah!" Ardeth's strong voice carried over the field. "We will shed no more blood, but you must leave. Leave this place or die." He nodded his head in my direction and I was released from the man's grasp. I stumbled slightly, and made my way over to O'Connell. I looked towards Ardeth; he did not return my gaze.
"You have one day." A rider brought Ardeth his horse and he mounted, turning to look back at us one last time. We locked eyes this time, his gaze burned and his brow was set in a frown. I caught a look of betrayal in his eye.
"Yallah! Nimshi!" He called, turning his men about and leaving the city. Rick defused the dynamite and helped Evy up from the sand.
"See, that proves it. Old Seti's fortune's got to be under this sand." Daniels said, looking out after the long gone riders.
"For them to protect it like this, you know there's treasure down there." Henderson added.
"No, these men are desert people. They value water, not gold." Rick interjected, holding Evy close to his side. I simply started back to our side of the camp.
"You know, uh maybe just at night, we could, uh, combine forces, hmm?" Burns nervously asked, still some shaving cream on his face. O'Connell gave him a cool look and led Evy back to camp, followed by Jon, the bottle of whiskey tightly held in his grasp.
Later that night, a drunk Evelyn tried to learn how to punch someone from a laughing Rick; and I couldn't help but giggle at the whole spectacle.
"Hey, tough stuff, try a right hook. Ball up your fist and put it— put it up like that." He fixed her hand and patted his palm saying. "And then mean it. Hit it right here."
"I mean it!" Evy yelled, throwing the punch and falling into Ricks arms with giggles. I burst into laughter alongside her.
"Okay, it's time for another drink." I tried to reach for the bottle before she could get to it, but was brushed aside. She just popped the cork and took a swig.
"Unlike my brother, sir… I know when to say no." She took a deep drink from the bottle.
"Uh-huh. And unlike your brother, miss you, I just don't get."
"Ah. I know. You're wondering… what is a place like me doing in a girl like this." I smiled stroking the fire again. She would regret the drinking in the morning.
"Yeah, something like that."
"Egypt is in my blood. You see, my—my father was a very, very famous explorer and he loved Egypt so much he married my mother, who was an Egyptian and quite an adventurer herself." Evy said showing him her locket with a photo of her parents. My smile faded away as I thought of my parents and my grandfather. The pain was still too great to bear sometimes when they came to mind. I missed them so much. I fiddled with my necklace, leaving the two alone and going into my tent for some much needed sleep.
Morning came quickly and we re-entered the chamber. Evy seemed to recover quickly from her hangover as we neared the sarcophagus, it having been removed from its stone coffin. Rick and Jon propped it up against the far wall; I stood to the side a little, slightly weary of the thing. It left a sour taste in my mouth and I felt chills just being near it.
"Oh, I've dreamt about this since I was a little girl." Evy exclaimed, smiling brightly and looking over the inner coffin.
"You dream about dead guys?" Rick asked, a bit weirded out.
"Look, his sacred spells have been chiseled off. This man must have been condemned not only in this life but in the next."
"Tough break." Rick and Jonathan shared a look as Jon begins to open the coffin with the key.
"Yeah, I'm all tears. Now, let's see who's inside, shall we?" He grunted as they pulled at the lid to open the coffin. Evy waited in anticipation, but chills were going down my back and spreading through my body, and the stone at my neck warmed up. With a great pull the lid popped off and the body inside lunged forward. We all screamed at the suddenness of it all.
"Oh, my God, I hate it when these things do that." Evy exclaimed, walking closer to the mummy.
"Is he supposed to look like that?"
"No, I've never seen a mummy look like this before. He's still—still-"
"Juicy."
"Yes. He must be more than 3,000 years old and, well, it looks as if he's still… decomposing." She was right, it looked as if he was slowly rotting before my eyes. His jaw was twisted open at a weird angle, like a silent scream… and a hole could be seen where his brain somewhat remained, a very odd mummy indeed.
"Hey, look at that. What do you make of this?" Rick asked, looking down at the lid of the coffin where long, deep carvings were etched into the wood.
"My God, these marks were made with… fingernails. This man was buried alive. And he left a message: "Death is only the beginning." I could do nothing but stare at the mummy's face, a deep fear creeping into my heart.
Day turned into night and we were back at camp sitting around a big fire with the Americans.
"Say, O'Connell, what do you think these babies will fetch back home?" Gloated Henderson, holding a gold-and-jewel encrusted canopic jar for us to see.
"We hear you boys found yourselves a nice, gooey mummy. Congratulations'." Burns said, rubbing his jar with a cloth.
"If you dry that fella out, you might be able to sell him for firewood." Daniels teased, laughing at us.
"You do know that you are holding the organs of a dead person in your hands don't you?" I casually asked them, not even looking up from my book. They shut up.
"Look what I found!" Evy said loudly, walking over to us. She had been still in the chamber examining the mummy.
"You're in her seat." Rick said to Beni, who laughed weakly but chose to remain.
"Now" Rick demanded, and Beni moved with his tail tucked between his legs.
"Scarab skeletons, flesh eaters. I found them inside our friend's coffin. They can stay alive for years feasting on the flesh of a corpse. Unfortunately for our friend, he was still alive when they started eating him."
"So somebody threw these in with our guy, and then they slowly ate him alive?" Rick asked, skeptical about the whole thing.
"Very slowly." Evy laughed.
"Well he certainly wasn't a popular fellow when they planted him was he." Jon teased.
"Well, he probably got a little too frisky with the pharaoh's daughter." Rick joked. I shook my head at the two of them.
"Well, according to my readings our friend suffered the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses one reserved only for the most evil of blasphemers. But in all of my research, I've never heard of this curse having actually been performed." Evy explained
"That bad, huh?" Rick asked.
"Yes, well, they—they never used it because they feared it so. It's written that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt." The group was silent after that and then parted ways for the night. I awoke later that evening to Evy sneaking back into camp with a black book.
"That's called stealing you know." Rick called, waking from his light doze.
"According to you and my brother… it's called borrowing." I watched her grab the key from Jon's pocket and sit down with the book on her lap. I was wide awake now and chills were all over me again, not from the cool desert air.
"I thought the Book of Amun-Ra was made out of gold."
"It is made out of gold. This isn't the book of Amun-Ra. This is something else. I think this may be the Book of the Dead." I sat up and grasped the stone at my neck, feeling my stomach drop at her words.
"The Book of the Dead? Are you sure you want to be playing around with this thing?" Rick warned as Evy opened the key, in order to open the book.
"It's just a book. No harm ever came from… reading a book." The book clicked as the lock turned, and she opened it. A gust of wind passed through the camp. I could feel the stone in my hand grow warm.
"That happens a lot around here. So what's it say?"
"Evy, wait…" I started to say as she read from the book. The stone in my hand became scorching hot all of a sudden, and I pulled it from my neck so as not to burn myself with it. A sharp pain went through my heart and I doubled over, breathing heavily with each of her words. Neither of them even noticed, as she continued to read.
"'Amun-Ra, Amun-Dai.' It speaks of the night and of the day." She was cut off by a yell. The pain stopped.
"No! You must not read from the book!" The Egyptologist yelled. The wind howled loudly and the rest of the camp was awakened at the raised voices. The camels groaned loudly, unsettled by a far off buzzing sound that made its way toward the city. Suddenly, a moving black cloud of locust came into sight.
"Run!" Rick yelled, out taking Evy's hand. We all took off into the underground chambers of the lost city.
"Where the hell did they come from?" Henderson shouted, running down a corridor.
"I ain't waitin' around to find out." Daniels called back. Their voices faded as we became separated from their group. We continued to run, but had to stop short of a growing mound of sand and the rumbling of the corridor. We looked on as the mound grew and suddenly burst, sending scarabs running about.
"Scarabs!" Evy screamed.
"Run, Evy, Belle!" Jonathan grabbed Evy's hand and ran.
"Go, go, go! Run" Rick yelled, throwing the torch at the flesh eaters and running after us, away from the bugs, shooting at them as he went. We turned the corner into another room, with Evy and I jumping to one side and Jon and Rick jumping on to the pillar on the other side. We watched as the scarabs scurried past us, up the walking ramp and through another hall. I let my back rest against the wall with a sigh… but suddenly the wall was no longer there and both Evy and I fell through a short a tunnel and into another room. It wass dark and very little moonlight came from a shaft on the ceiling. We shook the sand from our hair and clothes, moving to stand, when we heard a soft moan of pain. Turning to the sound we found Mr. Burns standing in the shaft of light with his back turned to us. Evy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh thank goodness. It's you Mr. Burns; I was starting to get scared. We lost everyone…" Her voice faded and gave way to a scream when he turned around. I could only stare in horror. Both of his eyes were missing, the sockets empty and red, and he let out another painful moan. We both backed away and I turned when I heard Evy scream again. There, behind us, stood the mummy. The same mummy we had found at the feet of Anubis; looking at us with the eyes he had stolen from Mr. Burns.
My voice was lost and a my veins ran cold with fear as we backed up against a wall. Evy grabbed onto my arm and we both tried to shrink away from the approaching corpse. He gazed briefly in my direction, then turned his gaze to Evy.
"Anck-su-namun?" It stepped forward, - the sand seemed to swirl and dance around his flaking skeletal legs. Evelyn tried to back away a bit more, pulling me with her, and looked at Burns for help.
"Please… help us, please…" She whispered in his direction. Burns opened his mouth, but could only gurgle and moan. His tongue was also missing. I could only fear that what had happened to him would happen to us. The mummy opened his mouth to reveal a fresh tongue behind rotting teeth.
"Kadeesh pharos, Anck-su-namun." Evy was shivering in fear as he reached out towards her. I don't know what compelled me to do so, but I took a defensive stance in front of her; spreading my arms out to the sides, my body hiding hers.
"You will not touch her!" The words slipped from my lips so easily in the ancient tongue that it surprised both Evy and I. The mummy started to reply when suddenly O'Connell and everyone else came running in to the room.
"Would you two quite playing around! Let's get outta here!" Rick yelled, pulling at us, but he noticed our gazes pointing elsewhere. Following our eyes he jumped in fright, seeing the mummy as it made its way towards us.
"Whoa!"
The mummy then opened its mouth, stretching its jaw to an inhuman size and let out a horrific shriek. Rick looked back in shock and then shrieked right back at it, then proceeding to blast it with his shotgun.
A piece of its rib cage was blown away. We fled from the room making our way to the surface, it was only when we arrived to the door leading outside that I realized that Mr. Burns was left there with that thing. I wanted to go back but as soon as we hit the surface we were met with guns to our face.
We raised our hands in surrender; the same men that had attacked our camp the night before were standing before me now. Ardeth Bay stepped out from the group of men telling them to lower their guns. His deep brown eyes found mine and a softer gaze is but a flash before they became hard once more.
"I told you to leave or die, you refused, and now you may have killed us all. For you have unleashed the creature that we have feared for more than four thousand years" Ardeth's voice was cold and filled with anger. I winced, he believed that I had had a hand in this; though I couldn't blame him… I hadn't done a great job of stopping them either.
"Relax, I got him." Rick said, shouldering his gun.
"No mortal weapons can kill this creature! He is not of this world." Ardeth said, causing a hush to go over the group. We gasped, watching two warriors carry Mr. Burns over to us. He moaned in pain, and looked around with vacant sockets.
"You Bastards!" Daniels yelled.
"What did you do to him!?" Henderson asked, glaring at Ardeth.
"We saved him! We saved him before the creature could finish his work. Now leave, all of you, quickly, before he finishes you all." He motioned for his men to head into the tomb. "We must now hunt him down, and try and find a way to kill him, before he consumes the earth. Allah be with us." He started to follow his men but was stopped by Rick.
"I told ya, I already got him." He says trying to convince himself.
"Know this, this creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat, he will never sleep, he will never stop." Ardeth brushed past him and stopped again, this time behind me, his back to me. "You would come back to this place after what happened to you here. Why? Are you after the riches like the Americans or is it something else? What compelled you to come back to this place?" His voice was hard and distant. I stayed silent for a heartbeat, because my anger at his accusations was growing. With a heavy sigh I answer.
"Just so you know, I did try to stop them. I just didn't know this would happen until it was too late to do anything" With that I walked away with our group leaving him to follow the Creature. I wanted to be as far away from him and this accursed city as possible, and as fast as possible as well. The last thing I heard before the city faded away was a distant roar of the angered mummy. We were in serious trouble.
Word Count: 4,316
Whoa! long chapter, hope you liked it. Please leave your comments and questions in the box below and as always favorite and review! until next time…
DovieDM-1991-Promised Wings signing out!
