There was no fluffy kind word to describe it, not a single one to soften the harsh blow to Ardeth's ego- he had failed. He had a promise to the Med-Jai, his trusted brotherhood of warriors that risked their lives for generations to keep trouble at bay and he had simply just let evil steal their most promising key to open the gates of Hell, unleashing the most terrifying evil that the brotherhood had ever faced.
But what was most troublesome was that Ardeth had made a promise to her- Sara Case. Just her name alone made his skin burn, his hair stand on end. Everything reminded him of her, the way her ancient name sounded like the wind blowing across the desert in a small breath, the way the sun shone like her eyes did when she looked at him in the dim light of the bus, the way the silk of his cloak reminded him of the soft velvet texture of her long flowing mane; Ardeth was infatuated.
He had always heard stories of the Scorpion Queen's beauty, but they were always just passed as old folk tales told by his peoples around the fire at night to the tribe's youth. It was Ebe-Djabenusiri's that caused the Scorpion King to sell his very soul to save her when she was kidnapped by the King of Thebes' men.
The story took place in the ancient world, about 3067 BC; while the royal party was out of the kingdom, the group was ambushed by those of the other kingdom and the Queen was taken, along with some other women, weapons and jewels. The men who had raided the party were subjects of the King of Thebes, who had also heard tales of the Queen's beauty and has sent his followers to take the pricey possessions from the rival kingdom next to his. When the Scorpion King, Mathayus, had heard the news of his wife's kidnapping, he had gone insane with rage and instantly ordered his men to prepare an attack on the kingdom of Thebes.
The vicious campaign against the kingdom of Thebes lasted several long years, until the Scorpion King's men were defeated and driven deep into the sacred desert of Amsheer. As the soldiers of Mathayus' army slowly died off in the vast sea of sand, he trenched on, devising a plan to gain back his Queen. Near his death, the Scorpion King made a pact with the dark god Anubis; that if Anubis spared his life, let him concur his enemies and save the woman he loved, he would give him his soul.
Anubis accepted the king's offer, and gave the Scorpion King command of his army; and like an evil flood, they washed away all that laid before them. They quickly overcame the high, impenetrable walls that seems like such a challenge to the king's army earlier with ease and quickly set chaos upon the kingdom of Thebes. The stench of death rose upon the kingdom, mixing together with the thick black clouds of smoke that streamed from the burning buildings as the black dogs of the underworld invaded the kingdom like locus.
It is said that the Queen, Ebe-Djabenusiri, watched in horror at the unearthly chaos that came upon the kingdom, waiting for her doom. The doors to the palace room were flown open and a group of the demons walked in, their bodies that of a man's and heads the form of dogs-surely they were Anubis's army, come to kill her as well. As she knelt in front of them, begging for mercy, they bowed down before her. Behind them, Mathayus strode in. He gently picked her up, taking the Queen far away from the chaos of the kingdom that she was taken to against her will.
Unfortunately, the Queen did not survive their journey back to their kingdom. The Scorpion King swore to the gods, each threat and curse full of anger and pain- surely if he had sold his soul, a possession that was his entire existence, Anubis could have prevented his love's death. In return for his servant's remarks, Anubis cursed the Scorpion King to an eternity of loneliness, fulfilling each day of his immortality angry and broken hearted.
The Scorpion King supposedly is still now hidden away in the pyramid of Amsheer, a mysterious place with an unknown location, made to serve the god Anubis for all of time until he once again is reunited with his Queen. His army was returned to the sands from once they came; where they wait, silently, to be awakened once again.
Even as a young boy, Ardeth was captivated by the fable, in awe at the descriptions of the Queen's beauty and her astounding allure to all men. But now, once he was actually in the story, had witnessed the second coming of the Queen, her reincarnation, he could understand. Ardeth felt motivated, almost willed to help Sara, to save her from any danger. But she was now his assignment by the Med-Jai, his responsibility to the world as well as his tribe, and nothing else. He was expected by his people to have no emotional attachment and to not be under the Queen's spell, even if it was by her reincarnation. But all he could think of was her brilliant smile and the warmth of her hand on his.
Ardeth wasn't the only one to notice his own familiarity towards his mission at assignment; with every mention of her name instead of reference to the key or the distance moods his had been in lately, the Med-Jais were becoming suspicious of their leaders uncharacteristic changes. He had always been a strong leader, never easily distracted by anything but lately the Med-Jai would catch Ardeth's glazed over expression at the mention of the key's name, or his quick gesture to correct them by using her full name- Ms. Sara Case. Ardeth could tell the men had figured it out, the spell he was seemingly under, by the unpleasant reactions by his tribesmen; he could see the sharp glares and grimaces' as they road on towards where Rick and Evie were located.