Sometime later, Cairo, Egypt
A train whistle blew loudly in the bustling streets of Cario. The cult of Imhotep had hijacked it with little issue and prepared to use it as their means of transportation for the first leg of the journey. As the crowd dispersed around the train, the locomotive trudged along the tracks and across the desert to the Temple of Karnak.
Hafez was relaying the importance of their mission to Meela inside one of the passenger cars, pacing around the car as he spoke. "When Lord Imhotep last encountered the O'Connells and Zarha, they sent his and her immortal souls to the Underworld. As powerful as he will become, he is still vulnerable, not to mention Zarha is already at her full strength. I can only assume that she hasn't taken her own life to end Lord Imhotep yet is only because we have the boy. That remains our only trump card while we stay ahead of them."
He stopped in front of Meela, a grim look on his face. "And now that Zahra made off with the Book of Living, we cannot sever their connection. Only with the Army of Anubis will he be invincible once more and be able to contain Zahra without fear of her ending herself and taking him with her. He will need your help, Meela, more than anyone else."
He snapped his fingers, and a cultist brought him the Book of the Dead, handing it to him as Hafez presented it to Meela, speaking Egyptian, to relay its name, "The Book of the Dead." before speaking English again. "Keep this with you always."
Meela nodded and embraced the book, feeling its weight and power as she quickly looked over it. As this happened, Lock-Nah brought the now awake and struggling Alex aboard the train. Alex hadn't been kidnapped before, even when working with his parents on expeditions, given that tomb robbers and bandits were part of the job. He was scared but told himself to pretend to be oblivious and curious to hide his fear. It would make him less of a target for any abuse from his captors.
Alex then spotted the Book of the Dead in Meela's hands. "Hey! The Book of the Dead!" Lock-Nah put him down in front of Hafez and Meela as if to offer him up to figure out what to do with him, given that the Bracelet of Set was still attached to his wrist.
Meela was quite surprised that this kid knew what the book was. "What a bright little child." She walked over to him and leaned down, getting close to his face, mocking him with a motherly peck to his cheek and stroking his head. "Your mother must be missing you terribly. If you wish to see her again, you'd better behave."
Alex wasn't too disturbed by Meela and acted with a bit of sas to see what she was made of. "Lady, l don't behave for my parents. What makes you think I'm going to do it for you?"
"Silence, boy!" Lock-Nah ordered and shoved Alex around, knocking him into a wall.
The boy groaned as he felt the headache already coming on but froze when he saw the cold promise of death in Meela's eyes. "Because your parents wouldn't slip poisonous snakes into your bed while you were sleeping."
Alex felt the realization that these people were trained killers and had qualms killing a kid like him for whatever reason. He was only alive because of the bracelet, which would only keep him safe for so long.
Hafez took charge of the situation, relaying Imhotep's command. "Lord Imhotep wishes to meet the boy."
Lock-Nah grinned confidently and snidely as he shoved ALex toward Imhotep's cabin, chuckling darkly. "Now we shall see how brave you are."
Alex wasn't too happy to be pushed around like luggage. "Hey! Watch the suit! Hey!" as he was shoved ahead of the enforcer and out of the train car.
A sudden "Me fingers!" got the attention of Meela and Hafez as the three bandits from earlier at Hamunaptra, Spivey, Jacques, and Willits, brought in an ornate-looking chest with carvings and intricate designs covered in cloth.
"Nice," Willits said as he observed the luxurious furnishings of the train car. "Very nice."
Hafez's face was an indifferent mask as he approached the bandits. "Did you acquire what we asked?"
As he gave his report, Williet's face looked like a greedy, grinning little punk. "Oh, we acquired it, all right. You know what? We had to kill two of those guards at the mausoleum to acquire it."
Jacques made his concerns very clear. "This chest is cursed." he removed the cloth covering it, revealing it as Imhotep's cursed chest from Hamunaptra. "It says there is one, the undead, who will kill all those who open this chest."
Hafez dismissed his worries just to shut him up. "Yes, yes, and the creature will suck them dry, then become whole again himself. We've all heard this story before, peasant."
Willits glared at his boss for that remark. He may be a murderous bandit, but even he treated his pals with respect (most of the time). Putting his grin back on, Willits continued. "Yeah, but l heard the Yanks who found it nine years ago all died. Horrible deaths, they were. So, with that in mind…"
"We want ten! Ow!" Spivey interrupted, only to be smacked by Jacques when he put his foot on the chest.
"Quiet!" Jacques reprimanded his friend as he spoke in Eygptian to emphasize his warning. "This chest must never be opened."
Hafez felt his blood boil as the three men demanded more. How dare they make any demands of HIM, Lord Imhotep's vizier! Maintaining his calm demeanor, Hafez tried to keep calm. "The agreement was for five."
Willits shit-eating grin grew as he said, "Yeah, well, we want ten, or we'll take it elsewhere."
"If you-" Hafez was about to lose his cool, but Meela intervened to deal with the situation.
Meela gave them her signature smile, but they were too stupid to realize it promised nothing but death. "Ten will be just fine. Follow me, gentlemen."
Elsewhere on the train, Lock-Nah dragged Alex into Imhotep's quarters, the train car refurbished from a cargo car into a shrine for Imhotep. Candles and Egyptian artifacts decorated the room beautifully.
"Get in." He said, shoving Alex forward as he knelt to his master.
Alex was frozen stiff in fear as Imhotep, now garbed in a black hooded cloak, mask, and gloves, turned to face him. Imhotep slowly walked towards the boy, stopping a few feet before speaking. "l know you can understand me, little one. So you must listen carefully because you are the chosen one who will take me to Ahm Shere and guide me to my destiny."
Alex tried to be brave and said, "What if l don't? What if l get a little...lost? I mean, it is a great big dessert out there."
Imhotep chuckled and knelt in front of Alex. "You have strength, little one. You are your father's son. But l know something you don't." He raised his hand and used magic to force Alex to raise his arm with the bracelet. "This bracelet is both a great gift and a terrible curse. The sands of time have already begun to pour against you, child. Please, let me help you save yourself."
Imhotep places an hourglass upside down upon a table next to them, the sand slowly flowing into the bottom half. Alex remained unconvinced of what Imhotep was saying. "Yeah, yeah. I already heard this part. From the minute l put the bracelet on, seven days do l have before the Scorpion King wakes up. What did you mean 'save myself'? From you? Nice try, pal."
Imhotep let out a sad sigh and answered. "Your answer tells me that you haven't heard that if you do not enter the pyramid before the sun strikes it on that very morning, the bracelet will suck the life out of you. Otherwise, you'd beg me to save you the very moment that you entered my chambers."
Alex's eyes widened in realization, but he asked one last thing, unable to keep his growing fear out of his voice. "How do I know you're telling the truth? You could be lying to get me to do whatever you want!"
Imhotep leaned forward and put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "I am a great many things, child. But a liar is not one of them. Even I would not sacrifice a child for my ambitions."
Alex's fear grew as he realized his situation was dire. "But… that means I've only got five days left, or I'll…" He couldn't finish, his body now trembling in fright.
Imhotep looked into Alex's eyes through his mask, his own eyes relaying sorrow at the child's predicament. "Then I believe it will be best if we do not get lost. Don't you? I want to help you, little one, if you'll only let me."
Alex stared at the floor for a few minutes before looking up at the mummy in disguise, his eyes red and puffy as he held back his tears. "What do I do?"
Imhotep stood up and put both hands firmly on the boy's shoulder. "Simply guide us as destiny has intended you to, and I will ensure we make it to Ahm Shere with time to spare. I promise you that, little one. And I never break my promises."
Imhotep waved his hand to Lock-Nah, the enforcer grabbing the boy and dragging him away. Alex made no resistance as Lock-Nah took him from the cabin and shut the door, leaving the mummy alone. He turned to his alter and smashed his fist upon it, cracks spiderwebbing outwards from the point of impact.
"A curse upon you, Lord Set, for dooming a child as the sacrifice to your damnable pet bug." Imhotep growled quietly.
10 minutes later
Meela led the three bandits into the cabin, empty of occupants but still full of treasure. She ushered them in while staying close to the door, ensuring the chest entered the room as well.
"In here, gentlemen, you shall receive your just rewards," Meela said with a smile, still hiding her true intentions from the three men.
Willits, still a bit skeptical, warned Meela not to cross them, "No tricks now, woman. We're not giving up this chest till we're satisfied."
"Oh, don't worry. There is much satisfaction to be had," she said as she returned to the door.
A whisper of an unearthly wind blew through the cabin, but there were no windows large enough to withstand such a wind. The candles and braziers in the room flickered and sparked as the smoke warped and danced in the invisible wind. Meela, with an evil grin, quickly shut and bolted the door, locking the three men inside.
Willits quickly drew and cocked his pistol, now on edge with his friends. "What's going on?"
Spivey looked around, frightened, as his eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out. Jacques held firm but was shaking as he drew his gun, his superstitious fears getting the better of him. "This place is cursed."
Willits turned his head to him, a bit fed up with Jacques's "cursed" nonsense, asking him what his deal was. "What is it with you and curses? Can't you just have happy thoughts, for once?"
Spivey spoke up to try to lighten the mood with a joke. "He ain't happy without a good curse, Willits." before mockingly pretending that things around the room were cursed, "This golden mask with ruby eyes is cursed. That expensive-looking jar with a cat's head is cursed. It is all cursed!"
Willits found it amusing internally but told Spivey to be quiet, "Give it a rest, will ya? We can joke around after we get our mon-"
Jacques's scream cut them both off as Willits and Spivey turned to see the mummy materialize from the sand and roar threateningly at them, his arms stretched towards them as he marched forward. They both screamed, Spivery slamming against the locked door and desperately trying to open it, while Willits screamed. "JESUS CHRIST!" And opened fire with Jacques at the undead horror before them.
Imhotep stopped when he felt the bullets hit him, but they did nothing to him. Thus, the mummy laughed at their futility but stopped advancing, wishing for them to waste their bullets first before killing them. To his horror, Spivey kept banging on the door and tugging at the handle until it snapped off. Banging as hard as he could, his prayer for help was answered when Meela opened the sliding window of the door and said, "He wants you to open the chest! Open the chest!"
Doing as she said, Spivey rushed to the chest to get it open, but Jacques's warning came too late to stop him, "NO, DON'T!"
Spivery opened the chest, and an unearthly screech and a rush of fog emerged from its confines, covering the room floor. The three men returned to face the mummy, only to see he'd vanished. Spivery took out his gun in a jittery manner, frantically looking around the room for the monster. "Where'd he go? Where'd he go!?"
"I don't know! Stay sharp and stay close!" Willits ordered, his head on a swivel as he searched the room for the mummy, and Jacques did the same as they both took out a second gun from their belts.
A rustling sound caught Spivey's attention, and he slowly turned to see what it was. He was face to face with the mummy hanging upside down from the ceiling. He screamed, dropping his gun in his fright, and the mummy let out a laughing roar in response. Willits and Jacques also screamed in terror as the mummy circled their friend while crawling like a giant cockroach on the ceiling, knocking down some of the hanging trinkets that shattered on the floor.
The mummy then stopped right in front of Spivey and grabbed him, the man only able to scream as Imhotep drained him of his lifeforce, rendering him a withered husk, letting out its final whimper before collapsing dead.
"SPIIIIIVEEEEEYYYY!" Willets cried, tears of grief mixing with his terror as he and a misty-eyed Jacques shot at the mummy with all they had, Imhotep turning towards them and grinning darkly as he prepared to finish them off, their death screams silenced by the churning of the train's wheels.
Back in Cairo
Having a brief meeting with their old friend Terence Bey, Ardeth promising to meet up with them later, and dropping off the mummies who sought to return to rest and the Book of Living with Terence, it was time to get moving. Rick, Evy, Zarha (now garbed in her signature robes but keeping a few chains for safekeeping), Johnathan, and the four guardians (all adorned with similar concealing robes to hide their undead nature) all drove in a nice-looking car towards the Magic Carpet Airways. The area was a small village, with children playing and people tending to livestock.
Evy was not impressed by the small sign, ruined building, and worn-out, cracked doors. "This is the magic carpet?"
Zahra also voiced her displeasure. "Now I wish you weren't joking about real magic carpets earlier."
Rick reassured them things would be okay but was sad to say why. "He'll be fine. He's a professional. He's got the fastest airplane out here since Winston…" he stopped and looked a bit sad.
Zahra also remembered that brave man who helped them reach Hamunaptra to stop Imhotep in his plane, only to die in the crash, but was reunited with his brothers in wings in the underworld.
Zahra felt Rick needed to know. "Mourn him no longer, Rick O'Connell. Winston was welcomed by Anubis, along with his brothers in wings, into the halls of Osiris. The souls of my time find them heroes and quite the magical bunch." She said with a smile. "I even spoke to him a few times while at peace. He is quite a charming fellow when not drowning in… boredom and booze, I think he said."
Rick's eyes widened as Zahra recited Winston's signature complaint about being the last Royal Air Force piolet stationed in Cairo perfectly before smiling and hugging her, much to the female mummy's surprise, but she happily returned it.
"Thanks, Zahra. I needed to hear that. It's good to know he's still good company, even dead." Rick laughed, and his mood improved almost instantly.
He turned back to the Magic Carpet doors, and they opened as he was about to knock. An African man with mismatched shoes, a piolets hat, a rough-looking uniform, and an eyepatch walked out, seemingly looking for something, but he froze with a gasp upon spotting Rick.
Rick held his arms up as if expecting a hug, "Izzy!"
The man, now known as Izzy, let out a frightened shout as he whirled back around and slammed the door behind him, the locks on the other side clicking loudly.
Rick was not pleased. "Hey!"
Evy wasn't too surprised at that reaction. "He definitely remembers you."
Zahra agreed. "That is the appropriate response when you of all people come up to someone familiar and expect good relations to still be intact."
Rick rolled his eyes at the mummy and looked at his wife. "He's a little shy, that's all. I'll deal with the flight details, okay?"
Jonathan comes up, carrying his, his sisters' bag, and his brother-in-law's bags. "Uh, do I just hold these, or can I set them down here, Rick?"
"Just a sec, Johnathan. Let me get the door." Rick answered, pulling out his gun and shooting the lock off the door. He then looked to the guardians and pointed to Johnathan, "Help him, please?"
"Of course, friend." The third guardian said as he and his brothers helped Johnathan carry the heavier luggage as Rick kicked open the door.
"Honey, you're not a subtle man," Evy commented.
"We don't have time for subtle," Rick answered.
Zahra interjected. "Given the circumstances, Rick is right. Guardians, grab that smelly man!"
Without a word, the guardians put down the luggage around Johnathan so that he could comfortably sit on it until they returned to help him again. They then rushed towards Izzy, grabbing the startled man and dragging him to Zahra and Rick, kicking and scrambling to escape their iron grip before dropping him face-first in the dirt.
"O'Connell! Firstly, l don't care what it is you want or need. Secondly, the extra muscle isn't scaring me to help you either!" He got up and tried to walk away, but the guardians kept him in place.
Izzy scoffed, turned back to face Rick, and made his point clear again, "Forget it, O'Connell! Every time l hook up with you, l get shot! Last time, l got shot in the ass! I'm in mourning for my ass!"
Evy came from behind Rick and Zahra and whispered to him. "Doesn't look happy to see you. Does he really get shot every time?"
Now it was Rick's turn to scoff. "Never turned me down yet. And no, he doesn't get shot everytime-"
"Yes I do, and you know it!" Izzy interrupted, pointing a finger at Rick. "I still remember that Bank Job in Marrakesh!"
Evy, Zahra, and Johnathan were all surprised to hear that from Izzy. Was Rick a thief once upon a time? "Bank Job!?/Bank Job?" Evy and Johnathan asked, Evy out of shock and Johnathan out of greed, as usual.
"It's not like it sounds; besides, that was not the best time of my life. WAY before I met you, anyhow, honey. I'd never do something like that again, I swear!"
Izzy gave him a deadpan look. "Uh, It's exactly how it sounds, O'Connell." He turns to the others, "I'm flying high, 'hiding' in the sun. The white boy here flags me down, so l fly in low for the pickup. The next thing you know, l get shot!" Izzy threw his hands up, clearly having had enough of the situation, "I'm lying in the middle of the road with my spleen hanging out, and l see him waltzing up with some belly dancer girl."
Evy eyed her husband dangerously. "Belly dancer girl? Izzy, l think you and l should talk."
Izzy turned to her and gave her a handshake, "As long as l don't get shot, Ma'am. If you get the chance, leave this guy before he leaves you to get shot, too."
Evy understood Izzy's concerns but gripped his hand tighter for it. "As his wife, I don't think that's the best idea." She turned to Rick again with a small glare, " Honey, what do we do when we have issues to sort out?"
Rick was sweating buckets as he held his composure by a thread. "We… talk things out like reasonable adults and work together to solve our issues?"
Evy dropped the glare and smiled, "Yes, exactly, Rick. Thank you for your concern, Izzy, but we will be alright."
Izzy's jaw dropped as he repeatedly glanced between Evy and Rick until he stopped, the information finally processing. He then looked to Rick and said, "Well, if you, of all people, got married and your wife managed you, then maybe I won't get shot this time."
Rick sighed. "If it's any consolation, I'm sorry for all the times you got shot, and you're getting paid the time." He threw a large wad of money to Izzy.
Izzy caught the money, surprised by how heavy it was. He then looked at his friend again, "O'Connell, I appreciate this, but have you looked around here any? Huh? What do l need money for? What the hell am l gonna spend it on?" Izzy asked as he pocketed the money.
Rick got closer to Izzy and got to the point of his visit. "I'm gonna keep this short. My little boy is out there. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get him back."
Izzy's eye widened. "Wait, you got a kid? No, wait, better question, your son got kidnapped?"
Rick nodded. "Money is no object in this situation, Izzy. Name your price, and I'll get it for you."
Izzy looked at Rick seriously. "I won't take advantage of you like that, O'Connell. I'll help you; just get your things and meet me in the field. I'll get everything ready."
As he turned to leave, Rick stopped him one last time to ask him something out of concern. "Say, by the way, when did you lose your eye?"
"Oh. l didn't. l just thought it made me look more dashing." Izzy said, revealing that his eyepatch was fake and his left eye was still intact.
Rick took the eyepatch away and said, "Izzy, if you do that too much, your right eye will become stronger than your left eye, and then your vision's going to get all screwed up. Don't do that."
"And how would you know that?" Izzy asked sarcastically, "I didn't see a PhD on you when you kicked down my door."
Rick smirked, "Why do you think all the rich cats in London have monocles instead of glasses? Already too late for them."
Izzy chuckled at his friend's joke and turned to get his things ready for takeoff, but he spotted Johnathan holding the golden Scepter and froze, eyeing it like a hawk would its prey.
Jonathan noticed him staring at the scepter, moving it around in his hand, and watching Izzy's eye follow it. The man made a few noises as the scepter moved in his hand.
"Uh, Jonathan, was it? If you give me that gold stick there, you can shave my head, wax my legs, and use me for a surfboard." Izzy promised.
Rick suddenly felt nostalgic when Izzy said that, asking the man. "Didn't we do that in Tripoli?"
Izzy gave a sheepish smile, chuckling embarrassingly but nodding slightly.
Jonathan, wanting to use every chance he could to help save his nephew, threw the scepter to Izzy, "Take it and just help us find my nephew, Izzy. That's all we want."
Right as Izzy was about to catch the scepter, Zahra lashed out a chain and snatched it from the air, quickly bringing it to her face for closer inspection, the four guardians also crowding her to see what she snagged. Izzy didn't take kindly to his payment being removed from under him and tried to get it back. "Oi! That's mine! Give it ba-"
Izzy froze dead when the guardians glared at him from under their hoods, and his fear nearly made him faint. Zahra then whipped her head to glare at Jonathan in fury. "Once again, your stupidity was nearly the death of us, Jonathan Carnahan! You have NO idea what you almost gave away, you fool!"
Zahra then marched over to the now cowering Jonathan and slapped him so hard he fell to the ground, spinning a few times mid-air before landing face-first in the sand. He groaned in pain and staggered to his feet, rubbing his cheek as he groaned. "Ugh… ow! At least tell me what I did to deserve that! All the other women do."
The fourth guardian got in Jonathan's face and roared, "That STICK you just tried to give to the smelly man is the Spear of Osiris! The only enchanted weapon in the world capable of killing the Scorpion King in a single blow! It guarantees our victory over him should Imhotep beat us to Ahm Shere, you idiot!"
Jonathan stumbled again and hurriedly returned to the car, not wanting to anger anyone else today.
Izzy gulped loudly as the female mummy turned to him and walked up to him, her face still a mask of anger. He flinched as Zarha put a hand on his shoulder, casting the spell to let Izzy understand ancient Egyptian, and gave her proposition. "Listen well, you smelly little man. My companions and I desperately need a rescue vessel to prevent a cult out to awaken the Scorpion King and the army of Anubis that was stolen by Set himself. You will provide us with this vessel without issue and be rewarded for aiding us. Refuses us, and I cannot promise my guardian warriors or myself will remain civil."
Izzy nodded so fast that his head looked like it would fall off. "Yes, absolutely, ma'am. 100% on board- wait a minute… SMELLY!? Is that what you and your fancy bodyguards have been calling me?! I'll have you know I had a bath just this morning!"
Zahra scoffed, "In what? Camel spit, banana peels, or both?"
Izzy fumed at her words but marched off to get things in order. Rick gave Zahra a sideways glance and muttered under his breath. "He's not gonna help us if you keep insulting him, Zahra."
Zahra didn't hear, as she was far more interested in the approaching dust cloud that sounded like horses. She and her guardians got in front of the mortals in defensive positions, ready for a brawl. To their pleasant surprise, the cloud dispersed to reveal the Medjai and Ardeth on horseback.
Izzy sweated nervously and asked Rick. "You sure I'm not gonna get shot this time?"
Rick nodded, "If you get in the line of fire, I'll try to take the bullet for you this time." He then waved to the dismounting Ardeth as he approached them.
The mummies let their guard down as Ardeth came closer, bowing respectfully to him, and he did the same. He then introduced his fellow Medjai, "These are the commanders of the 12 tribes of the Medjai. They know all we have done when Imhotep last arose from the grave and are aware of the current situation." Ardeth turned back towards his fellows and called for his bird, "Horus!"
A falcon perched on one of the commander's arms let out a chirping cry and jumped off the commander's arm, flew to Ardeth's awaiting arm, and took perch there as Ardeth gently stroked the bird.
Zahra was astounded at how beautiful the falcon was. "That is the most beautiful falcon I've ever seen, Ardeth! You've taken amazing care of this wonderful creature." She walked over and joined in gently stroking the bird, Horus nudging his head into her palm for more pets.
Ardeth smiled at Zahra's compliment for his beloved companion. "Thank you, my friend. Horus is my best and most clever friend. I hatched him from his egg and raised him myself as a boy. He will inform the commanders of our progress so they may follow."
The four guardian mummies approached the commanders and bowed respectfully. Each removed their cloaks to reveal their mummified forms to the Medjai. A few of them flinched out of shock, and others simply went slackjawed at the sight of them.
The guardians turned to Zahra and knelt to her, the first guardian speaking for his brothers. "With your permission, Lady Zahra, we will go with the Medjai commanders and assist them in combat with the army of Anubis."
Zahra nodded and returned a respectful bow to the guardians, "Go with mine and Ra's blessing, brave warriors eternal. May Horus guide your blades and Anubis protect you from his stolen soldiers."
Nodding back, the guardians walked up to the commanders in formation, chanting the same rhythmic grunting they did in Hamunaptra, each drawing their weapons out of their bodies as if materializing them out of thin air: the first had a shield and Khopesh, the second dual-wielded a pair of Khopesh, the third held a spear and shield, and the fourth had both a Khopesh and a spear.
Ardeth turned to the commanders and guardians, speaking in Arabic, to give them a good send-off: "Harum bara shad!"
The commanders return the gesture, "Harum bara shad!" While the guardians let out a bellowing roar. The commanders galloped off to the rest of their forces, with the guardians easily keeping pace with them on foot as they ran like the wind.
Ardeth turns back to the others, "If the Army of Anubis arises, they will do all they can to stop it. I'd even dare to say that with the guardian's aid, they may have a chance to defeat them."
Zahra looks off toward the retreating dust cloud of the commanders and guardians, "I truly hope it doesn't come to that, Ardeth Bey. No force on Earth can withstand the full might of Anubis's army. It's why Set coveted them so much and stole them from right under him. Anubis still rages over it to this day. The memory of his own soldiers laying waste to Eygpt for a barbarian is a stain on his very soul."
15 minutes later
The group of Evy, Rick, Jonathan, Ardeth, Horus, and Zahra all approached the airfield where Izzy's plane was. Evy was still concerned that Izzy might not be as infallible as her husband claimed. "Rick, are you sure Izzy's reliable? Even with him being on our side of things?"
Rick told his wife again there was nothing to worry about. "Yeah, yeah, he's reliable-ish on bad days, and this is a very good day, so he's completely dependable."
They walked over the hill, and instead of seeing an Airplane, they saw a small blimp with a large boat attached by ropes and rigging with a propeller engine and what looked like oversized exhaust pipes.
Izzy was laughing and admiring his vessel, calling out to his passengers. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Rick was more surprised at what Izzy had traded his airplane for. "It's a balloon. Where's your airplane, Izzy? We kinda gotta get going fast, ya know?"
Izzy smirked and explained. "This is a dirigible, seeing how airplanes are a thing of the past nowadays. She's a lot faster than she looks, plus I can guess that Miss Zarha has a few wind spells or the like to give us a little boost and save fuel. And she's quiet. Real quiet. Perfect for sneaking up on people, which is an excellent thing."
Zahra was internally disappointed, as she remembered when she flew on Winston's plane and had enjoyed herself despite the situation.
Rick turned to Zahra to ensure she was okay with this. "Do you have any spells to help move us along, Zahra? If not, then Izzy was right, and he's gonna get shot."
"Hey!" Izzy exclaimed indignantly.
Zahra looked at the blimp and pondered. Sure, it was slower than a plane, but this would allow her to use her magic more freely since she didn't need to focus on keeping balance on the plane. Plus, she knew a few spells that could hasten their speed. "This will do, Rick O'Connell. Let us go now. We've wasted enough time as it is! To Karnak at once!"
After Zahra's command, they quickly boarded with their things, and Izzy cut the anchor rope. Taking off and receiving a fond farewell from the children, the blimp flew across the land, following the fastest air route to Karnak.
Izzy had one final question for Zahra. "Um, Miss Zahra, this plan to save Rick's kid wouldn't happen to be the approach of barging in face-first, guns blazing, and getting your friends shot in the ass, would it?"
Zahra simply shrugged. "That depends entirely on if you manage to get us to the boy in time, Mr. Izzy. And for your sake, you'd best pray you're not too late."
Izzy gulped and hoped that at least ONE god would hear him pray tonight.
Later
As Night fell upon the land of Egypt, Ardeth conversed with Jonathan to pass the time. Their topic was his concern that Rick was possibly a long-lost brother of the Medjai. "O'Connell does not want to believe, but he flies like Horus towards his destiny."
Jonathan was more interested in the pyramid of gold but didn't want to sound rude and brush aside Ardeth's ideas. "If it really is true that Rick is some sort of long-lost Medjai, how does that help us now?"
Ardeth shrugged. "Realistically, not much. All I hoped for when I discovered his mark was for him to accept his past, for a man cannot embrace his future if he does not learn from his past. And it is the missing piece of his heart. If O'Connell can embrace it; if he accepts it, he'll be able to do anything."
"Interesting perspective, old chum." Jonathan saw this as an excellent time to mention the Golden Pyramid. "By the way, could you tell me more about this gold pyramid?"
Ardeth was not surprised that Jonathan was interested in that. "Well, it is written that since the time of the Scorpion King, no man who has laid eyes upon it intending to steal from the Scorpion King has ever returned to tell the tale."
Jonathan shuttered but was mainly undeterred. "So that's where it was written: by the buggers too scared to try. Smart of them to leave the warnings."
Jonathan pulled out the scepter he'd gotten back from Zarha during the flight, looking it over. Ardeth was confused as to why Jonathan held it so close to himself. "Are you not afraid of Zahra's wrath should you lose that? Why not return it to her for safekeeping?"
Jonathan smirked. "Ah, my friend, that's why I am holding on to it. I know I've messed up more times than I can count, but this time…" His face went serious and stern. "This time, I will not allow my usual run of luck to get in the way of saving Alex. I won't let even the gods themselves take this scepter from my hands."
Zahra, having heard the conversation, walked over and took the scepter from his hands without issue, thanks to her telekinetic power. Jonathan flinched as she took it, expecting her to slap him again. But instead, she said. "I appreciate your devotion and seriousness to the situation, Jonathan, but you don't need to go that far UNTIL we get closer to Ahm Shere. Save your strength for the battles ahead." Before She handed him back the scepter and walked away toward Rick and Evy.
Jonathan is stunned to have received a compliment from the female mummy. Ardeth chuckles at the funny face Jonathan is making in his confusion.
At the front of the ship, Evy and Rick hold each other as Evy is again on the verge of tears. Rick does all he can to comfort her, but he is just as heartsick as his wife.
"I want him back, Rick. l want him in my arms." Evy's voice trembled, trying to stay strong but not holding up well enough.
"I know. We taught him well. He's smarter than you, and he's tougher than me. Evy, that kid's gonna drive those bastards crazy. Hell, they might just give him up since they can't handle him." Rick joked sadly, trying to lighten the mood.
Evy let out a small laugh, but it didn't last, as her longing for her child's safe return burned within her like a star: " I love him so much. I just can't…"
Rick held her tight. "l know. We both do, and Alex knows that, too. I'll get him back, Evy. l promise you, I will get him back safe."
Evy gave Rick a sad smile as a few tears streamed down her cheeks. "I know you will."
Zahra sighed sadly as she joined the O'Connells at the front. "Rick and Evy, you are blessed to have a child you can say such things about. You love him dearly; he must love you both so much, too."
But she turned away from them and stared at the starlight sky, the full moon shining like a beacon. "I envy you both for it. My sister stole the man I wanted to give my heart to for power, and now we are forever denied such a treasure of our own, doomed to dance this wretched game of good and evil for the sake of the world." Zahra put a hand shakily onto her chest, her eyes starting to mist as tears threatened to spill like a flood. "And my heart breaks a thousand upon a thousand times over at the fact that I never even had a chance to tell Imhotep how I felt, and still feel now, even after 3,000 years."
Rick and Evy looked at Zahra, and for the first time, they did not see a powerful, commanding mummy who sacrificed everything for the sake of everything around her. They did not see a fearless and honorable woman who would take her own life to bring down the creature that nearly destroyed the world as they knew it. No, what they saw was a woman, lost and alone in a world utterly alien to her, unable to contain her grief, misery, and heartache after three millennia of bottling it up and never once allowing herself to let it out. Ever.
Rick and Evy looked at each other and then at Zahra before embracing her in a group hug of comfort. Zahra froze, caught off guard by the gesture, until, at last, she returned it and wailed.
She was finally letting out all her grief at the death of her home and its desecration by explorers and thieves. She mourned the deaths of her people and the memory of a time she would never see again. And she wept for her broken heart, never to be mended so long as her devil of a sister held the man she loved in her hands like a puppet on strings.
Rick and Evy held Zahra tight and made her a promise. "Zahra, if we see him, I'm gonna drag that bald bastard by his ear and make him see that everything you did was for him. You gave up everything for him, became a mummy for him, and lost everything just for the chance to help HIM from himself."
Evy whispered into her friend's ear as if consoling a child. "We will make Imhotep see that you are the one he should have loved from the start. And if he can't see that now, after everything is said and done, then may the Underworld take him."
Zahra said nothing but nodded as the couple held her until she could not anymore. Afterward, she went to bed for the night, feeling slightly lighter but still, all twisted inside, wishing what the O'Connells had said would come true.
The next day, on the Cultist Train
The train continued moving throughout the night and into the early morning, ready to reach Karnak within the next few hours. Alex was sitting at a booth of a train car, looking out the window as Lock-Nah sat across from him, clearly bored of watching the boy despite his importance to their plan. Alex had said nothing, not wanting to anger the cultist enforcer who had been abusing him throughout his captivity. But he needed to use the bathroom and gambled to ask him.
"Uh… Mr. Lock-Nah?" Alex asked quietly, trying not to raise his voice.
Lock-Nah turned his head to face Alex, annoyed at speaking to the boy. He made his displeasure clear, saying it in a slightly angered tone. "What?"
Alex made his request quickly, as he didn't like speaking to Lock-Nah out of fear, preferably not at all. "I need to use the bathroom."
Lock-Nah rolled his eyes and gestured for Alex to follow him. The boy wasted no time and rushed after the enforcer, not wanting to get hurt again by making Lock-Nah wait.
In Imhotep's quarters
The mummified remains of the three bandits littered the floor, their mouths still open in a silent scream. Meela entered the chamber and precariously stepped over the corpses as she looked for Imhotep, not bothering to hide her disgust. Once past the bodies, Meela looked up and was stunned to see Imhotep fully restored as he was in her vision back in London, alive and well. She immediately bowed respectfully towards him, only for the now fully regenerated mummy to smile at her and gently raise Meela's head to face him. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled together before having their first proper kiss in over 3,000 years.
Back with Alex
Lock-Nah directed Alex to the restroom and opened the door. "Don't take too long, boy. We'll reach Karnak within the hour, and I will not tolerate any stalling on your part."
Alex simply nodded and rushed inside, closing the door behind him and locking it. Alex quickly looked around, hoping the rundown-looking room had a structural weakness he could exploit to escape. He tried to pull at the widow bars but to no avail. He tried to press against the wall to see if it would give, but no luck.
Seeing no other way out, Alex prepared to do his business but was met with a rude surprise. "Oh, my God! Doesn't anyone around here know how to flush a toilet?" He exclaimed in disgust as he pulled the lever to empty the bowl.
As the water followed, Alex noticed that the bowl had no actual piping, just letting the waste out through the bottom of the car and onto the track. Seeing his chance, Alex tore the toilet seat from the wall, widening the opening so he could slip through without getting covered in…nasty waste.
Alex's eyes darted around the room, seeking a means to help him with his new escape route, and spotted the emergency brake on the wall. He quickly reached for it and pulled it, signaling the cultist conductor driving the train to pull the brake. The men on top of the train who had been keeping watch quickly stood as the train soon stopped, the lot of them on alert.
But coincidentally, they had just reached Karnak, and the train stopped before the great temple. Seizing his chance, Alex managed to slip through the hole and make a break for it into the temple. One of the cultists spotted him and was about to fire his gun, only to be whacked in the side of his head by another cultist. Alex couldn't make out what they said as his Arabic was rusty at best, but it was something like not to kill him, or they'd lose the map to Ahm Shere.
Imhotep could hear the shouting and running of feet as the cultists ran from the train after the boy. The mummy was quick to conclude that Alex must have found a means to escape but was glad that none of his men had started to shoot at the boy. Opening the side door of his car, he and Meela spotted Alex just as he vanished into the temple grounds of Karnak, a trio of cultists on his heels.
Imhotep took Meela by the arm and gestured to the temple. "Karnak, the temple of Amun-Ra."
Back with Alex, he ran as fast as he could while the cultists were hot on his trail. Lock-Nah was now joining in the chase, his face a mask of rage as he led the pack after Alex. Alex ran until he made it to a small pond in the temple, stopping to catch his breath when suddenly the bracelet of Set reacted. A sudden burst of magic and the bracelet displayed an image of Karnak before rushing over the desert, along the Nile, and through a few craggy hills, ending at the Temple Island of Philae.
As the image retreated into the bracelet, Alex was grabbed by Lock-Nah and struck across his face with a powerful blow, sending him sprawling to the ground. Alex tried to get up, only to have the enforcer's boot to his gut, sending the boy tumbling through the sand and crashing against a stone column. Dizzy and in pain, Alex tried to get up again, only to have a robust and large hand grasp his shirt and lift him, putting him at eye level with Lock-Nah.
The enforcer struggled to keep his voice level but did not bother masking his fury. "Try ANYTHING like that again, and I will ensure you NEVER walk again, boy. Understand?"
Alex nodded, tears of fear and pain streaming down his cheeks, but he dared not let out a sob, fearing it would make the enforcer angrier. Before Lock-Nah could put the boy down, Alex felt an invisible force lift him into the air and out of his grip. Alex saw Imhotep approaching, inspecting him before setting him down on the ground.
The mummy put his hands on the boy's shoulders, wishing to know what the bracelet showed him but also slowly failing to mask a growing rage within him. "My little guide, tell me these things in this exact order: where did the bracelet show you our journey takes us next, and who struck you hard enough to give you a black eye?"
Alex flinched as he took his hand to check his eye, and sure enough, it hurt like hell. Alex spoke the truth, not wanting to anger anyone else today, especially with the mummy right in front of him. "T-the bracelet showed me the Temple Island of Philae, and…" Alex said nothing but looked at Lock-Nah.
The enforcer scoffed, expecting his master not to take the boy's side. But also, he didn't expect his feet to leave the ground or be thrown thirty feet before smashing into a stone column. Imhotep gave the enforcer a stern glare and lifted him again, throwing him into another column then another and another before bringing him back to him, bowing at his feet.
With Lock-Nah now bloody and bruised on the ground, looking like a kicked puppy before his lord and master, Imhotep warned him. "Strike that child again, and I will make you BEG for death when I am done making you suffer, Lock-Nah. From now on, any future… disciplinary actions upon my guide shall be dealt with by my hand alone. Understood?"
The enforcer nodded fervently, not making eye contact with his master. "U-u-understood…my lord."
Imhotep turned away from the beaten-down cultist and took Alex by his shoulder. "Let us tend to your injuries, little one. I swear to you, in the name of all the gods, this will NOT happen again." Before taking him away, he yelled out a few commands for the cult to make camp for the night.
Back on the blimp
Rick was talking to Ardeth about his possible past as a lost Medjai. "So Ardeth, me possibly being a Medjai also means I'm privy to a few 'need to know' facts, right?"
Ardeth nodded. "Yes, my friend. The possibility that you are also a Medjai would give you that right. Why do you ask?"
Rick smirked before he got to tell his joke, "So, when do I get invited to the secret meetings and dinner parties? My house is open for it. Bet we could fit a tribe or three inside."
The two men chuckled at the joke. Horus flew back to Ardeth after delivering another message to the commanders about where to go, the Medjai setting his friend down on a seat next to Zarha. Horus jumped onto her lap and sat down. The female mummy smiled and gently stroked the bird's feathers, eliciting happy chirping from the falcon.
Rick stopped laughing and got serious again. "So listen, Zahra. What can we expect from our old friend Imhotep?"
Zarha sighed tiredly as she petted Horus. "His powers are returning quickly, if not completely already. By the time he reaches Ahm Shere, even the Scorpion King won't be able to stop him. Only I have that kind of strength, and I doubt, even with my powers restored, I can deal with them together. If that circumstance does occur, Imhotep will likely use the chaos of our battle to strike down the Scorpion King and claim Lord Anubis' army."
Then she looked at Rick. "I will need your aid in the coming conflict, Rick O'Connell. While I deal with the Scorpion King, you must distract Imhotep by whatever means you can."
Rick nodded and stuck a knife back into its sheath on his belt.
That night, the blimp flew through a large cloudbank, its mist covering the ship, but it wasn't quite dense enough to obstruct their vision to change course. Evy stood alone at the front of the vessel, still looking towards the horizon mournfully as she longed for her son. As the cloud swept over her, a few small sparks of thunder echoed within its expanse; she swore she could hear someone speaking in ancient Egyptian, and she felt some strange power come over her as she closed her eyes.
At the same time, Back in Karnak, Imhotep had brought Meela back to the pool in the center of the temple grounds, intent on helping her remember her past life as Anck-Su-Namun.
Holding the Book of the Dead in his hands, Imhotep spoke wistfully of their love and how he'd show her who she was while his voice echoed softly by the power of his magic. "It is time to remind you of who you are…" The mist in the pool roiled and churned like a bubbling cauldron. "...and of who we are together. For our love is true love, an eternal love, our souls mated... together as one…forever." Imhotep waved his hand over the pool, dispelling the fog and creating a magical image of the past for Meela to see.
Back on the ship, by some strange happenstance, Evy was witnessing the same vision as Meela, the two of them being reminded of their ancient past lives.
In the vision
A pair of masked omen in light, Egyptian-styled clothes stood at the ready, each in a battle stance and wielding a pair of sias. Behind them was the Pharaoh Seti and his court, his harem around the base of his throne, his guards flanking them protectively, and Imhotep with his priests standing at Seti's right side while Zahra stood at Seti's left, armed to the teeth with weapons and magical charms while holding the Book of the Dead in her arms.
Seti clapped his hands, signaling to the two women to take positions. They turned from each other and walked a few paces away before returning to faceoff. Seti then gave the signal. "Begin!"
The two masked women rushed each other, clashing with their weapons in a deadly dance of bronze and metal. Neither one gave the other a chance to counterattack, and they were on equal footing and refusing to surrender to the other. One gets a lucky hit on the other, causing her to stumble and twist away from her opponent. She grabbed the other from behind, intending to end the fight by forcing them to yield with her weapon at the other's throat. But the restrained woman back kicked her captor, stunningly forcing her to let go.
Seti, Zahra, and Imhotep observed with increasing interest. Each of them smiled at the two combatants for different reasons: Seti and Zarha with pride for one combatant and Imhotep with love and joy for the other. As the two women continued trading strikes, one finally managed to trip up the other and make her land flat on her back. The victor twirled her weapons around as she stood confidently, the fallen women glaring up at her through her mask. The court clapped for the display of skill and sportsmanship as the victor placed her weapons under her arms and gave her hand to help her fallen opponent back up. The fallen woman lifted her mask, still panting heavily, revealing it to be none other than Nefertiri, her face a mix of disappointment and annoyance with her defeat.
The standing woman lifted her mask in response, revealing Anck-Su-Namun. She told Nefertiri to put her mask back on lest her face get damaged. "Put your mask on! Let's not scar that pretty face. Your chances with suitors won't fare well for you otherwise."
Nefertiri scowled at that snide remark and quickly flipped back to her feet. Anck-Su-Namun stepped back defensively to prepare herself, the two twirling their sais as they prepared to face off again. The court clapped again at the pair's resilience, Imhotep staring at Anck-Su-Namun with concern as he hadn't expected Nefertiri to be so skilled. The two women were back at it, trading strikes and blows with their sais as they quickly moved about the room, trying to leverage themselves to gain the advantage. Eventually, Anck-Su-Namun managed to disarm Nefertiri, forcing her to cross the room swiftly using impressive acrobatics. Antak-Su-Namun was still in hot pursuit, ready to finish the fight.
Nefertiri then scales up the palace wall, grabbing an ax that was hung there for decoration and using that for combat. Anck-Su-Namun saw this and prepared to do the same, throwing her sais across the room, impaling them into the crown jewels of a pair of statues. The court clapped at Anck-Su-Namun's skill as she raced up to the other side of the room and grabbed a spear from the wall to combat Nefertiri. Both women spun around their weapons in a deadly dance, the clacking of wooden shafts echoing throughout the room like rapid gunfire as they struck at each other without mercy and rushed across the room and used their skills to the fullest to try and catch the other off guard. Still, the battle remained even, and the stalemate appeared unbreakable. Seti, Imhotep, and Zahra were impressed beyond what words could describe as they watched the match, hungry for its finale.
Once again, Anck-Su-Namun disarms Nefertiti and attempts a finishing strike, only for her opponent to grab the spear, but the two of them are now deadlocked as they struggle for the spear. With a final burst of strength, Anck-Su-Namun heaves Nefertiri over her shoulder and onto the floor, pointing the spearhead to her neck. The court cheered and clapped at the beautiful performance of skill and cunning between the two warrior women.
Anck-Su-Namun looked down at her beaten opponent, a smug smile plastered to her lips. "You are learning quickly, Nefertiri. You do your father proud. I'll have to watch my back, step-daughter."
Nefertiri, on the other hand, held her strong demeanor. "Yes... and I'll watch mine, step-mother. For both our sakes."
Anck-Su-Namun's smile vanished, confused by Nefertiri's comment, but backed off with her spear, allowing the princess to stand.
Seti stepped down from his throne to congratulate the both of them. "Bravo, my daughter! Bravo, Anck-Su-Namun!" He then turned to a servant holding a chest. "Who better to protect the Bracelet of Set... than my lovely and brave daughter, Nefertiri? And who better to protect me than my future wife, Anck-su-Namun."
Anck-Su-Namun bowed respectfully to the pharaoh, but Nefertiri could see her eyes betraying her intent as if staring at a quarry she had nearly grasped.
Seti turned to his child and embraced her with a smile and a heart full of pride and joy. "Well done, daughter. Your mother would have been proud of you today. Anubis, rest her soul."
Nefertiri smiled and embraced her father. "Thank you, father. I love you."
Seti smiled again and kissed his daughter's forehead, whispering a short prayer for her safety and good fortune as the bracelet's protector. As he was doing so, Nefertiri noticed over her father's shoulder that as Imhotep and his priests were leaving, he and Anck-Su-Namun shared a look that appeared to be one of longing and desire. It caught the princess off guard, but she did not think of it much.
Once everyone else had left, including Anck-Su-Namun, Zahra approached Seti and his daughter, bowing before them both. They both laughed and embraced Zahra together like a member of their family.
Seti was happy to see his daughter's friend in such good health. "Zahra, good tidings, I hope? Will you still be able to join us for dinner tonight? We're serving fresh fish from the Nile with some freshly raised poultry! I am told they are called 'pheasant' and 'Heiring.'"
Ever since Zahra became the pharaoh's protector, on the night of every full moon, Seti would invite her to dinner with him and Nefertiri to uphold their strong family bonds.
Zahra smiled. "I will always come when you call for a good meal, My Pharaoh." She bowed again playfully.
Nefertiri's smile brightened as Zarha confirmed her arrival. "Wonderful! I'll ensure we provide only the best crops for tonight, Zahra."
They all left the throne room to prepare for the night, not knowing that it would be their last happy memory together, forever.
A few hours later, after dinner
As Anck-Su-Namun went through the curtains and walked up to Imhotep, who met her halfway, they looked at each other for a moment before she ran her right hand over his face in greeting. This only made Imhotep run his hands down over her face before he gently grasped her arms and they leaned together in a passionate kiss. But as Imhotep was kissing her, he failed to see that his right hand was smearing the paint, which would be proof of someone else having touched her.
But as Anck-Su-Namun had won Imhotep over, he was willing to risk life itself, so he could be with her.
A few minutes earlier on another balcony across from them
Zahra met Nefertiri in her room, with a sad look on her face, which the princess noticed. "Zahra, what's wrong?"
"Nefertiri, I...think Anck-Su-Namun is trying to seduce Imhotep. You know how I've always wanted to tell him that I am in love with him, but I've never had the courage to. But I fear it may be too late, because of my sister!" Zahra explained with contempt for Anck-Su-Namun. "You know I've always said she's been attracted to power her whole life and while your father may be the most powerful man alive in Egypt as of now, and while she does still want to be queen, Imhotep has a power he doesn't: the power over death itself. And I fear she desires the 1 thing no man has: immortality."
Nefertiri knew the worries her best friend had, as she had a strong dislike for her sister as well due to her instincts telling her she was nothing but trouble. And while her father couldn't see that, she was confident that a very smart man like Imhotep would. She then placed a hand on Zahra's shoulder, assuring her. "Zahra, my friend. You're right about that viper, but I believe that Imhotep will see through her tricks."
Zahra smiled but still had her doubts, so she and the princess walked out to the balcony together to watch the city. But then, both witnessed Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun kissing each other, much to Nefertiri's disgust but breaking Zahra's heart, as her fears were confirmed while Nefertiri briefly looked at the Medjai standing below them before looking back.
In the real world
Evy, under Imhotep's spell without him knowing it, looked below before looking back, as if in a panic.
But Zahra noticed it, making her raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Why is Evelyn in such a panic? I haven't seen that since…" Before she began realizing why, sensing a great magic from a great distance away from them. "No! The spell Imhotep is using to bring back Anck-Su-Namon. It's…the magic is affecting Evelyn too, even from this far away!"
Meanwhile, back in the vision
Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namon heard the doors open and the Pharaoh's voice a bit after, making Imhotep touch her arms in a panic. "The Pharaoh!"
Anck-Su-Namon knew she had to do something before her plans were ruined. "Hide. I'll stall him and make him leave." Before Imhotep did just that, running to the right as the curtains to the balcony closed.
Seti went through the curtains to find his future wife leaning next to a statue of Bast, making him smile before it faded when he saw the smeared body paint on her arm. He pointed to the mark and demanded to know. "Who has touched you?!"
Anck-Su-Namun looked at her smeared body paint and realized her mistake with shock, but her attention was quickly drawn to Imhotep, who had come up behind Seti.
Seti noticed her distraction and turned as well before seeing Imhotep. But in his surprise, he couldn't react as his high priest had quickly taken his own sword from him and held it threateningly but seemed very reluctant to kill off his best friend. "Imhotep?! My priest!"
Zahra and Nefertiri looked very horrified at what they were seeing before the princess called out to her father's most loyal and elite bodyguards: the Medjai. "Medjai!" Getting their attention. "My father needs you!" She said while pointing to where her father was, making them all start running to help their king.
'Please, Imhotep, don't do it! He's your best friend! Don't do it!' Zahra begged mentally, not wanting Imhotep to suffer the consequences of what was to come if he committed the worst act in all of Egypt.
But it was too late, as Anck-Su-Namun had made the decision for him: by getting out a dagger and stabbing the Pharaoh in the back, making him scream in pain, as well as his daughter and her friend gasp in horror before Imhotep joined in, slashing Seti with his own sword before they repeatedly stabbed him until he was completely dead while his priests looked on from behind the curtains with no remorse for the Pharaoh's fate.
"NOOOOOO!" Nefertiri screamed out. But in her horror, she leaned forward.
Back in the real world
Evy screamed as Nefertiri did, leaning forward too far and plunging off the side of the blimp. Rick was startled by the sudden move, grabbing hold of his wife's leg. "EVY!" But only to be pulled off himself.
Jonathan and Ardeth grabbed Rick's other arm as he grabbed his wife. Zarha grabbed both of them for extra support, forming a human chain, and they quickly pulled Evy back onto the blimp.
Back with Imhotep and Meela
The woman was so entranced by the spell that she thought she was Anck-Su-Namun as the events played out. Imhotep smiled at his work as Meela's spirit would fuse with Anck-Su-Namun's soul, and the two would become one entity. He wasn't so cruel as to banish Meela's spirit to the underworld just to make room for his love. No, they would become the same person, as Meela was Anck-Su-Namun reborn. Thus, Imhotep must love her just as profoundly as his lost love. What better way to do so than to make them the same person?
As Meela played out the last of Anck-Su-Namun's living memories, plunging an imaginary dagger into her gut, she went limp into a coma. At the same time, Imhotep chanted the spell to restore Anuk-Su-Namun's spirit. As he chanted, the water in the pool warped and churned, the mist parting as the water turned black and took a humanoid shape, drifting towards Meela's body and melding into her flesh. Meela gasped as the spell took hold, her mind flashing as she briefly saw things she didn't understand, only to understand their meaning a second later perfectly. Meela's last individual thoughts before she melded perfectly with Anck-Su-Namun was that she was finally whole, perfect to thrive in this world while still striving for what she DESERVED to have 3,000 years ago: an immortal empire with her as its goddess-queen.
Meela/Anck-Su-Namun looked around the courtyard in confusion, the memories of both women now settling into their new sense of self. After a few minutes of gazing around, her eyes fell squarely on Imhotep, and she instinctively ran her hand over his face as she had centuries ago.
"Imhotep?" She asked, unsure if she was dreaming.
Imhotep smiled and embraced his restored love. "Anck-Su-Namun."
Upon realizing it had worked, Anck-Su-Namun gave her best act and wept profusely with fake tears as she clung to her pawn, displaying a false sense of overjoy. Internally, she was pleased beyond what words could describe. She had escaped damnation from the Underworld and was alive again. That dangerous glint in her eyes, a hunger for power and control—all of it returned with Anck-Su-Namun. Meela was gone, having fused with Anck-Su-Namun to suit her better for this modern world.
Anck-Su-Namun was back, flesh and blood this time. And nothing would stand in her way of ruling this world. Not this time. Nothing.
Back with the blimp with our heroes
As the vessel sailed through the sky, Evy pulled Rick, Jonathan, Ardeth, and Zarha for a talk, explaining her dreams and what had just happened.
Rick remained unconvinced. "Evy, I know you haven't exactly been yourself lately with all these dreams and visions… but are you absolutely sure that you're Nefertiti reborn?"
Evy was more confident about this than anything else in her whole life. "Yes, yes, they're memories from my previous life. Honestly, I'm not losing my mind. It all makes perfect sense now. Zahra, I remember our last family dinner before Seti died: fresh Nile fish with Pheasent and Heiring."
Zahra froze, stunned by Evy's confirmation of that night before a wave of joy overcame her, and the female mummy embraced her old friend reborn with tears streaming freely from her eyes. "Yes! Yes! That's what it was! Oh, Nefertiti, my sworn sister! I missed you so much!"
Evy stroked Zahra's hair just like she did when they were children. When she was upset, she whispered into her hair in Egyptian. "I missed you too, my sister. I just didn't know how much until now."
Rick was stunned that his wife spoke ancient Egyptian perfectly, and thus, his final doubts about Evy's dreams faded, as did his misgivings about himself being Medjai. "Ok, now I'm a believer. But if that's true, why did we find the bracelet in the first place? Because you're its protector?"
Evy looked to her husband, still holding the weeping Zahra. "Maybe, but it was too forced, almost like the visions were being funneled down my throat. Ardeth, what do you make of it?"
The Medjai thought hard about what Evy had told them, and a horrible conclusion came to his mind. "My friend, I am most happy that you now believe. But I fear that a benevolent force did not preordain these events to stop the Scorpion King from rising. Usually, only the journey is written, not the end, but someone has decided to write the ending for us all."
Zahra had stopped weeping and looked to the Medjai in confusion. "What are you talking about, Ardeth Bey? Who or what could possibly benefit from all this madness aside from the Scorpion King himself?"
Ardeth gave them all the most severe look they'd ever seen on his face, speaking in a profound tone that could cut the air. "The God of Evil, Set himself."
Everyone froze solid as the words left the Medjai's mouth, a sense of dread filling their souls. Had a GOD set this all up? Jonathan interjected, wanting to confirm his friend's suspicions. "Ardeth, what gave you the ludicrous idea an actual GOD was out to cause all this trouble?"
Ardeth gave Jonathan a stern look. "My friend, there is a fine line between coincidence, fate, and manipulation. And Set is the master of masters in its craft. He sent Eveyln those dreams to push you to find the bracelet now worn by your son to lead us to Ahm Shere. This is all his doing."
Rick added his own two senses. "Ok, if that really is the case, why in the world would the literal God of Evil put on this whole pony show to begin with?"
Ardeth clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That, I am unsure of. The gods can be mysterious beings, but in the case of Set, he must be planning something truly maniacal."
Zahra interjected. "Whatever it is, it will most likely end with him as the sole ruler of the world, using his son's army to conquer and enslave humanity."
Rick looked to Zahra in confusion. "Wait… Anubis is Set's son? Evy, did you know that?"
Evy looked a bit flustered as she responded. "Well, yes, but it slipped my mind, and I forgot to tell you, given that we are looking to save our son."
Rick sighed, defeated. "Point taken."
Back at Karnak
The cult had set up camp, gathering and preparing camels to take into the desert to follow the path to the Temple Island of Philae, searching for the next step to Ahm Shere. Alex was chained to a pole next to Imhotep's tent, the mummy in question bringing back a tall thermos of water to the boy. Alex seemed a bit happy to see Imhotep, given that he was the only one who didn't beat him or threaten him during his time trapped with the cult.
Imhotep handed the boy the water and asked. "I trust you are feeling better, my little guide."
Alex nodded, taking a sip from the thermos. "Yes. Thank you… for before."
Imhotep gave the boy a small smile. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. No child should suffer at the hands of grown men. But tell me, honestly, are you so thirsty to need that much water? It is a lot for someone of your stature."
Seeing that he'd been caught, Alex didn't want to push away his only means of protection while imprisoned and spoke the truth. "No… I wanted to… build a sandcastle of the Temple Island of Philae. For my parents to find… so they could follow us."
Imhotep nodded. "Well, what are you waiting for, permission? Go on. Build it."
Alex was stunned by Imhotep's words. "But… I thought you would-"
"Reprimand or punish you? No. No, I want your parents and Zarha to find it. When they inevitably catch up to us in Ahm Shere, I will show them that they were wrong to stand against me and that the paradise I shall bring upon the world is for the best of the world. They deserve to be part of it, never to want or need ever again, for they are all good people but greatly misguided. I wish to show them the correct path once the army of Anumbis is mine." Imhotep explained that he knew the O'Connells and (begrudgingly) the Medjai were good people who deserved the paradise he would bring with Anak-Su-Namun. They just needed to understand that they were on the wrong side of things.
Alex stood there for a few seconds before pouring some of the water out onto the sand, wetting it, and allowing him to sculpt it. He didn't want to waste this chance to leave his parents a message.
Imhotep watched the boy do his work, impressed by how well he captured Philae's likeness. However, he spotted a few mistakes. "That building on the left is too tall. And that obelisk is too far to the right."
Alex turned, confused at first, but then spotted and corrected the same errors. "How'd you know that?"
The mummy smiled smugly. "Well, I was there in its prime, little guide. Naturally, I'd remember such things after visiting."
Alex kept going, with Imhotep helping him correct any more errors he saw in the design until it was finally finished. The replica was quite good, considering what Alex had to work with, plus Imhotep's guidance.
The boy turned to the mummy. "My parents didn't talk much about you after I was born, but they said a few things when they thought I wasn't listening." Alex looked away, a bit nervous to say but needed to know. "They said you were obsessed with your dead girlfriend, and you'd kill anyone to get her back. That you'd bring the end of the world if it made your goal easier to achieve." Alex turned to face Imhotep again. "You don't seem to be anything like they said. Why are you being so nice to me?"
The mummy sighed and sat upon a stone block before the boy. "All I wanted was to build the perfect world for my love. A world where mankind would never fight each other ever again, where everyone was given all they needed and would want for nothing. I wished to bring paradise upon this Earth for every man, woman, and child who thrived under the Sun of Amun-Ra." Then Imhotep looked into Alex's eyes. "A child like you is what I hope for after Anuk-Su-Namun and I have claimed the world and built our paradise. I wish to learn all I can about being a good father for a child I long to have one day. And children like you will bring great fortune and happiness to our future for all to see and to bask in its splendor."
Alex was speechless, not expecting such a touching speech from Imhotep. 'Wow. He's nothing like Mom and Dad and uncle Jonathan told me.'
The mummy stood and handed Alex a blanket. "Get some rest. We leave at dawn." And turned, leaving Alex alone with his sandcastle, blanket, and thoughts.
The next day
The heroes finally arrived in Karnak but were too late. While searching the campsite, they realized that the cult was long gone, having taken everything of value for the trip and abandoned the train. Ardeth scoured the train, hoping to find some clue to where they'd have gone with Alex, but was disappointed to find nothing, while Rick found Imhotep's train car and looked inside, shotgun ready for any traps, only to find an hourglass with sand still pouring down it.
Ardeth didn't want to say it but felt it was better to remove the bandage now rather than deny their failure. "They've gone. We've lost them."
Rick looked distraught, unable to take the grief of losing his son much longer. Evy searched the temple grounds with Zahra, trying to find a clue as to where they might have gone. They searched the courtyard and throughout the complex but found nothing. As Zahra floated up with her magic for a bird' s-eye view of the area, Evy looked around on foot in hopes of finding some sort of answer to her worries.
And in no time, her prayers were answered when she spotted a familiar tie hanging off a statue. Evy screamed for her husband. "RICK!"
Rick, Ardeth, and Zarha all came charging in, their guns and magic ready for a fight. They stopped when they spotted Evy holding Alex's tie in her hands. As Rick quickly approached his wife's side, he found her smiling as she gazed at the floor. "Alex left us his tie, and he made us a little sand castle. It's the Temple Island of Philae."
Zarha was astounded at how well it was constructed. "This can only mean one thing."
Ardeth was quick to agree. "Yes, they've gone to Philae. The boy is clever, indeed."
Rick felt a twinge of pride and a renewal for his drive to save Alex. "That-a-boy, Alex. Come on!"
The group rushed back to the blimp and made haste to Philae. Once there, they were unfortunate enough to have missed the cult again, but Alex had left behind another sandcastle hidden under his coat. This one was of the great temple of Abu Simbel. Ardeth ensured that Horus sent these messages to the Medjai commanders and the Mummified Guardians so they could follow, keeping track of how far behind they were to the cult as they pursued.
The O'Connells would save their son, and Zahra, her love and the world. And nothing, not mortal or undead, would stop them.
There you go, my dear friends. Thanks to Zerzenkul0981, I was able to get this chapter up much faster than usual. Hope you all enjoyed it. Rate and review and, hopefully, I'll be able to have the next chapter up in a few days or so.