Ardeth Bay watched as the fight began, his heart ached for those who would die here today but he could spare no mercy, the secret needed to be protected, no one could survive. Gun shots pricked the air sending a line of curling white smoke up from the battlements, nearly a hundred warriors fell but it hardly made an imprint of their vast numbers. He watched, along with a few from the council and his most trusted warriors, as the large dust cloud, kicked up by the horse's hooves, entered the sacred ruins of Hamunaptra. They scoured the city clean, cutting down man after man. The French legionnaires no match for the curved scimitars and the horses speed. The screams hit the air like knives, but he stayed emotionless. Inside he was fighting his own eternal battle, was it right to kill so many, need they all die so horrifically? It was a needed precaution, no one could know what was hidden in the cities depths, no one could release this monster on the world. He, as always, questioned his ancestors actions in cursing this creature so causing their future descendants to be curse in turn to continuously watch over the dead city in fear of the monster buried within.

Looking on at the devastation laid bare before him, he suppressed a sigh. It had been a long week. Eyes straying up to his hawk and companion Horus he wished it had never come to this. Months ago he'd been free from this pressure. The dregs of childhood leaking away as a bot became a man. No stresses, no worries. It had been easy back then, back when he didn't have the concil breathing down his neck, to pretend that being cheif meant something. That is was more than mindless killing. As a child he had pictured himself as a warrior. Respected, feared and loved. A man his family could be proud of as he rode into battle with his scimitar raised high in the desert sun. But it wasn't like that at all. He'd decived himself into thinking it was than just sitting there watching as others, less important others, died in his place. His heart longed to be down there, fighting beside those who would lay their lives down for a cause that their ancestors had handed them.

Instead he sat like a gargoyle on the cliff watching the blood shed below.

The battle had not lasted long, those still standing quickly fled the ruins, they had no desire to be there. He stayed watchful. They had to be certain no one had survived. A broken man stumbled away from the ruins. How unlucky for him to have watched his brother be cut down like hay. His feet scuffed against the bloodied sand but immediately stopped and straightened, tuning to see them on the ridge.

"Should we kill him?" Ardeth watched as the man turned and tripped away from them, loathing the death that he had already caused he decided against ending this man's life under his own whims.

"No, the desert will kill him." With finality Ardeth turned his horse, Zameel, away from the hill top. The bells Bint-tel-nil, his sister, had woven into the halter sang with Zameels every movement. Sand swirled around both horse and riders as they rode off into the desert, the council following behind with speculative glances. Let them speculate and titter about his ineptitude, he had more important things to worry about.

As they sped down the slope of the cliff he called to one of his brothers. "Take the concil back to the encampment, there is something I must do."

He jerked the reins tightly, verring away from the others in a cloud of dusty sand. They would dislike not knowing what he was up to. Old men who thought too highly of themselves as they sat and watched the youth die in battles they had instigated. They were certainly not fans of a young chief who had designs of his own.

12 hours later

Ardeth had been riding throughout the night. Zameels flanks shivered with exertion underneath him, the bells on his harness chiming, reminicant of the high pitches of childhood laughter. As the biting chill of night settled heavily on the air a whinny carried faintly from behind the approaching due. It was follwed by a barely audible hushing.

Dismouting with a practiced leap, his landing cushioned by the windswept sand, Ardeth crept towards the ridge. He was one with the darkness, moving as little more than a shadow. Zameel pawed a the ground where he had been left and Ardeth glanced back at his companion. With a dark glare she shook his head at the horse whoes head bowed with gilt.

Despite how muched he loved his friend, he was easily the most impatient beast he had yet to meet.

With another warning glare he continues to the ridge, body pressed against the warmth of the sand.

What he saw left him shocked. There was a woman, her figure moving with a leathal grace in front of the dying embers of what must once have been a fire. He could only see her silhouette but he had a clear view of the beautiful stallion. Its pelt reflected the firey orange of the daying embers, but as its head shifted he caught a gleam of silver. The horse was an obvious Arabian, as the muscles trembled they gave away its thourabred origins.

He remained stationary, watching as the woman neared the firelight. Her features remained indisctint as she glanced out into the blackness. Strands of hair whiping about her form. He shifted, sand cascading down from the dunes crest. In mere seconds the stallions eyes met his own. Like below zero water he froze, muscles stiffening like drying concrete. Stallion and man stared across the sand. As their eyes connected the stallion let out a snorting breath before turning back to its mistress. Taking the oportunity he slid back down the ridge. Grabbing the reins of Zameel, he faded into the desert.

3 weeks later

It had been three weeks exactly since both Rick and Charlie had returned from the desert and it had been two weeks, six days since Rick had been chucked into Cairo prison, and it had been two weeks, four days since Charlie had found out and she was pissed, no livid, wait...murderous.

It had hardly been a day and Rick, the stupid bastard that he was, got thrown into jail for fighting in a brawl among, apparently, other numerous crimes that the warden had conveniently forgotten about when Charlie had the audacity to actually ask. She had been trying her best to buy him out but the fat-lazy-ass-good-for-fuck-all warden was having none of it. Angrily she kicked the wall, fuck, unfortunately she forgot that were not soft and now she had the throbbing foot to prove it. Cursing wildly she stormed out into the busy streets of Cairo.

There was always a market on, every day, the streets constantly plagued by carts, animals, and people all pushing a shoving their way to reach their own destinations. Air laden with incense, the aroma of Eish Masri, a type of hearty Egyptian bread, Samak mashwy, grilled fish, and her personal favourite Mahshi waraa enab which was a concoction of rice with sauteed ground beef seasoned with Egyptian spices stuffed in a cooked grape vine leaf, she bought one. Nimbly she weaved her way through the crowd in the direction of Cairo prison. If she couldn't get Rick out through bargaining then she would break him out, there was no way in hell or heaven that she would lose her best friend and only family member.

She stopped at a small alcove, reaching in she pulled out the tool she would need. It was a system that she and Rick had developed. Cairo was a large city and it would be a waste of effort to continuously return to their home when they wanted something, not to mention you don't want to lead those with ill intentions to your door. By concealing objects in particular places it allowed them to move throughout the whole city and it reassured Rick that if she got in trouble, because they hid guns and ammunition in these places as well, she'd always have something to defend herself with. She'd scoffed at that, like she didn't carry enough weapons around with her at his request.

Out of habit she studied the people around her. An old lady selling a soup, she had three children, as the western tourists stopped to look at her produce the children robbed them. A shifty looking man who was selling rip off jewellery, a drunken rogue picking food of the street hardly fit for a rat. Tourists oblivious to their missing goods enjoying the 'life and liveliness' of Cairo city. She laughed quietly when a young boy bumped into one knocking him to the ground and while he helped him up the boys sister robbed the man. That's what she and Rick used to do, they called it double teaming; they'd been so young back then, too young really for what they did.

Shaking the onslaught of memories from her head she continued on determined that Rick would make it out of that hell hole.

~oOo~

Heavy booted footsteps moved closer to his cell, he'd been in here for over two weeks, when he found that rat who started that brawl he'd punch in square between the eyes. Charlie must of been worried sick, that or she was beyond pissed at him. It wasn't his fault, not really. Okay he was drunk, and sure he'd decided to play cards, and alright he'd cheated, and okay he'd acctually thrown the first punch the fight but what can he say, he was only looking for a good time after the hell he'd been through, surely he'd earn't it.

The footsteps stopped outside his door.

"Hello boys missed me already." He winced as they roughly grabbed him chucking him into the outside enclosure of the cell.

"What, what is this man in for?" Ooo goodie visitors.

"He'd said he was looking for a good time." The guards shoved him roughly again.

"Who's the broad?" He'd never seen these two people in his life, so he asked the obvious question. Apparently, if the sharp intake of breath and the standoffish retort, she'd taken offense. Not his fault.

"Actually this is my sister."

"Not a total loss then."

"I beg your pardon?" she sounded offended...ha!

The warden interrupted whatever she was about to retort. "I'll be back in a moment!"

Calming down slightly Evelyn moved closer to the cell, knowing that Jonathan will only muck about, unsure of how to start the convocation she stammered. "We...um...we found your puzzle box and we've come to ask you about it."

No they haven't, they've come to ask about Hamunaptra. He thinks to himself. "No"

"No" Evelyn questions, shock and disappointment evident on her face.

"No...you've come to ask me about Hamunaptra." Rick watches in amusement as brother and sister look around in fear that anyone heard him, they unconsciously remind him of his own sister who was quietly sneaking in through the gate of the prison...what?!

"How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?"

"Because that's where I was when I found it!" He's not really involved in the convocation but instead watching his sister sneak past the guards, Oh he was going to kill her when they got home, that's if she didn't kill him first, of course.

"How do we know that's not a load of pig swallow?" Losing sight of Charlie Rick turns to look at the man, he was sure he'd seen him somewhere before, he was certain of it.

"Do I know you?" Rick arrows his eyes, searching this man's face.

"Um...well you see...I...I just have one of those faces—." Launching his fist out he connected the dots, or rather flesh. Rick did recognise him, the man who'd stolen from him. Well mission accomplished—OW. Rick cursed under his breath as his forehead connected with the unforgiving metal bars, he turned slightly glaring at the guard.

"You were actually at Hamunaptra?" There was something about the way that she completely ignored her brother, stepping over his unconscious body that reminded him of Charlie, this girl had spunk, that was for sure.

Smiling slightly at her boldness he replied. "Yeah I was there."

"You swear?"

"Every damn day." Jesus Charlie's sarcasm was really wearing off on him.

"No that's not what I mean—"

"I know what you mean. I was there, alright, Seti's place. City of the dead."

She moved closer. "Could you...could you tell me how to get there?"

Charlie was going to kill him for this, but then again he was probably dead already. "You really want to know?" He said drawing her closer.

"Yes!" She was too eager, he motioned her closer till she was inches away from him. Forcefully grabbing her chin he kissed her full on the mouth, she wasn't bad.

"Then get me the hell out of here!" The guards grabbed his upper arms dragging him out of the cell. "Do it lady." The door closed. Rick expected to end up back in his own cell but when they continued to drag him towards the courtyard he started to get a bit nervous. "Uh lads the cells back that way?" He said unsure of himself.

"You're not going to the cell, you're going to take a one way trip to hell where you belong." One word...SHIT!

~oOo~

Same day, same place

Oh he was dead, a goner, and she was going to enjoy every moment of killing him. Charlie was shocked that he'd do such a thing. She moved closer to the woman and the warden.

"Where are they taking him?"

"To be hanged, it seems he had a very good time."