Topic: The First Lover { Cyrce & Gardenia-mooN

[Gardenia-mooN]

Rick didn't have time to focus on Imhotep and honestly he didn't want to focus on the other male. If he thought too much about the other things deep in his body started to feel heated and tense. There were strange things twisting around deep inside of him that he didn't want to confront or think about. It was so much easier to just focus on Evie, to put all of his attention and energy on her and her alone. He couldn't afford to think about the mummy, to dwell on the way the other male was making him feel, none of those feelings meant anything.

"He and the beast can fight over the damned world for all I care." Rick grumbled bitterly. "He doesn't seem the same as before, I think we don't have to worry about whatever he's focused on, it doesn't seem to involve us or the fate of the world." He said that part a bit louder and continued his determined trick to the airfield.

When the large cat pushed past him he ended up grunting but the sight of the creature didn't intimidate him. Rick had dealt with many different kinds of creatures before and he was good with animals. In fact there was something oddly familiar and comforting about the large cat and he almost reached down to pet the creature. He stifled that impulse though and focused instead on their mission.

Ardeth was worried about Rick and Alex but the further they got from Imhotep the less frightened he felt for his two friends. When Alex spoke he ended up nodded emphatically. "I wish we could keep an eye on him as well but I believe trying to bring him along would end with a fight that we might not be able to win at the moment. For now we must regroup and do what you and your father most wish to do." He didn't think there was anything in heaven or earth that would alter Rick's path.

The sight of the large predatory cat had him raising an eyebrow and he briefly smiled at the creature. It was dangerous but the large cat was also a symbol of luck and would probably protect them all from Imhotep. He looked at Alex and gave him a reassuring smile. "This is a good omen, Bast blessed our journey."

[Cyrce]

Alex nodded at both his father and Ardeth’s assurances. They were right in a way, from their point of view Imhotep was acting completely differently from what they remembered. He’d keep any eye out though, and be on guard. There was no way the Mummy wasn’t trying to trick them in one way or the other. It just surprised him a little that his father was letting go of rushing after and defeating the monster so easily. The only version of Richard O’Connell he’d ever known was one that would dive headfirst into any adventure. This man that was so wrapped up in loss was so different. But Alex wasn’t much different. This was his mother!

”Let’s hurry.” He muttered and was thrown a little off balance, bumping against Ardeth when the caracal shoved its way between himself and his father. The big cat was a blessing? From his studies about Bast, she had been characterized as a domesticated cat and a symbol of motherhood, but she had once been represented as a lioness and a protectress of Ra. “A blessing... Should we take it with us? Izzy wouldn’t mind having a blessing coming along.” He remembered after he’d been rescued when he was a child a story about his father and Izzy’s escapades that generally ended with his father in a far better position than the pilot they were going to be imposing on.


The sand caracal blinked at all three men. These were the men that had killed his master several times already. His master had gifted him with claws and teeth; he could easily rend them apart. The youngest, at least, wouldn’t be a problem to rip apart. But his master had told him to be his eyes. He would obey. One of the men foolishly thought he was sent from Bast. The caracal made a soft rumbling noise and rubbed against the humans’ legs, winding round and round them. In this form none of them would suspect his true master was watching.

Imhotep closed his eyes once his feline sand servant left his presence. As the servant was purely made of sand and his own magic, it was a direct conduit to his own mind and would be able to enact his will from miles away. It was the ideal warning system and the O’Connells and their Medjai ally did not question the appearance of the carnivorous predator at all. Excellent. Now he could ensure that anything they did at Karnak was under his watchful eye. It was his responsibility as the only priest of Ra to watch over the books that the youngest out of the three carried with him.

Imhotep reopened his eyes and surveyed the room he had been left alone in. There was one more body to absorb the fluids of before he would be free of the fear of felines. Perhaps he could beat the O’Connells arrival to the sacred pool there if he hurried. The priest took a deep breathe, running a hand over his bald head. Almost whole in body and he would be whole in soul and mind when he found Pakhom. After wrapping his face in cloth, Imhotep left the apartment unhurriedly and headed for the outskirts of the city. From there he would ride the sand after the last poor victim of the Hom-dai.

[Gardenia-mooN]

Ardeth felt worried for both Rick and Alex but he was also firmly latching onto the hope for something better. Things had to get better, there had to be a way to bring Evie back and hopefully return the two men to their regular selves so that they didn't spiral down into an abyss of despair. He didn't want that, he wasn't sure a world without the strange adventurous family was really worth living in. He loved them and he just wanted to protect them and continue to be a part of their lives. He was determined. When he saw the cat he latched onto the hope that it brought.

"Yes, a blessing. If it wishes to come with us then I do not see how we can refuse, it truly is a blessing and such things are no easily ignored." The way the cat rubbed against their legs, buzzing with pleasure and treating them so affectionately only seemed like proof. "I don't believe Izzy will mind." He spoke thoughtfully as they grew closer to the airfield, the sight of all those flying machines really was thrilling for him. His eyes were wide as he absorbed all the whirling and spectacular machinery.


Rick vaguely listened to his son and Ardeth but he was far more focused on the task at hand and couldn't worry too much about what the other two were talking about. He grunt a little as the cat rubbed against him, moving back and forth across their legs and lacking low pleased sounds. He knew that normally those cats weren't that tame and he wondered if this was a blessing of some sort. Rick didn't reach down to pet the creature but some of the tension in his body did seem to relax at the sight of the animal.

They reached the airfield and it didn't take Rick long to find Izzy, who practically lived on his plane. When he found the other he gave him a desperate serious look. "Izzy we need your help..." The other seemed panicked by the body in Rick's arms and grew flustered at the explanation but his expressions of surprise and worry quickly turned to resignation. There was no arguing with Rick when he was like this and Izzy understood helping his friends, plus he liked the kind woman who had been so good to him before.

"Come on then, everybody in, the blessing too. Lord knows we're gonna need it..." He grumbled and was quick to start prepping his plane for flight while Rick moved into the plane and carefully strapped Evie's body in as well.

[Cyrce]

This was really too simple. The caracal yawned as he followed the older O’Connell onto the aircraft. This group was all too trusting simply because of the form that his master bestowed up him. Now he wouldn’t have to try and follow after the group from the ground, racing a flying craft to their destination.

As the humans piled into the plane, the caracal watched them closely to see which he ought to stay closest to. The one with the books would make the most sense—his master was the true wielder of their power, not the youngest human. But the two others he had followed were the more dangerous ones. He yawned again before settling by the older O’Connell’s feet. This one was the more dangerous of the two, being the one that had ended his master directly. The dark haired one had been in supporting role each time at most.


It was a rare sight to see Ardeth so fascinated by something. The man was always so serious and composed, a guide for Alex whenever he felt at a loss over the supernatural events he and his parents were drawn into. That it was aircrafts of all things to bring out this side of Ardeth was intriguing. No one would think twice about them, but a Medjai such as Ardeth who was used to the strange and the supernatural looked at them in almost childish delight. Alex nodded, drawing the conversation back to their unlikely fourth companion. “If he’s a blessing then taking him along might soothe Izzy a bit.” As if summoned, his father’s friend appeared before them and seemed to try to escape before conceding to help. Alex smiled weakly when he saw Izzy. He felt a little sorry for the man. It was clear that he wanted a quiet life out in the desert but that was never the case for long. Always being dragged around by Alex’s father into one adventure or another. This adventure wasn’t anymore risky than the last, but at least there would be any supernatural walls of water to chase Izzy.

“Sorry, Izzy. It’s just a trip to Karnak. No crazy end of the world stuff.” Leaving out the beast that had been revived by the rogue Medjai would be the safest right now. Especially since they weren’t going anywhere near the thing right now. Alex glanced at his mother’s wrapped body before settling into the back half of the plane and opening up the black Book of the Dead. He needed to prepare as much as possible before reviving his mother a second time and would spent the rest of the flight to Karnak pouring over every inch of the book.


Imhotep flew across the sands towards the last of his victims. It took two days to catch up to the last one. Once that one was done with, he could have set his sights on the beast that had escaped, focused on finding and protecting the reincarnation of his first lover, or on taking over all of Egypt—though dictatorship had never of his interested before and wasn’t now either. Instead, however, the fully-restored priest rode the sands to Karnak. It would take him another two days to reach the decayed city and the sacred pool. Every night, though he did not need it, Imhotep would stop and sit. He would reach out with his mind and touch his Medjai’s soul. But these nights it was different, it felt as though something had changed from when he mediated in the afterlife. Pakhom’s soul has never been a calm one; he’d always carried a restlessness to him. But this time there was overflow of depression. It bothered Imhotep. What had he missed during his revival? The sooner the Beast and the books the O’Connells still had were dealt with, the sooner he could care for his Medjai.

[Gardenia-mooN]

Rick was relieved that Izzy accepted them and their weird cat companion. He left Alex and Ardeth to their own discussions and things, instead focusing on the pit of darkness and pain that seemed to be welling up inside of him. He didn't know what to do or how to fix this. He was trusting in his son and the books but the reality of his situation was wrapped up in those blankets and settled in on the seats in the plane.

The caracal didn't do much to soothe or comfort him but when the cat sat at his feel he felt an old yet familiar sadness inside of him. It was strange and he tried to ignore it. That feeling, much like his odd dreams, was something that he just didn't have the time or energy to think about. He couldn't deal with whatever was twisting around inside of him. He didn't want to confront the dark desires and impulses that were twisting somewhere far back in his mind and memory. He had to focus on Evie, he had to save Evie, whatever beast haunted his dreams was merely a dream and nothing more.

---

Ardeth felt thankful to Alex once again as they entered the airfield. He was a bit too overwhelmed and impressed by all the flying machines to be completely at his best and Alex was able to explain everything and get Izzy to agree with them far easier than he could. He was still amazed that such a large heave machine could really go up in the air and fly. It truly was a miracle of man and it impressed and pleased him far more than any dark or strange magic ever could. When they were allowed onto the craft he helped pack everything up inside of it and then took his time in the aircraft, wandering around to look at every single nook and cranny before finally calming down enough to go back to Alex's side and settle down by the young man.

Ardeth could see that Alex was working hard on memorizing the spell and his role and he didn't want to bother the other male so he sat still and silent next to him. He didn't even try to go near Rick because he could see the pain in the other male's eyes and he didn't want to hurt him anymore or upset him more than need be. It was better to just sit in silence and let the two men think about what needed to be doing. When the craft took off he could not keep himself from letting out a small sound of pleasure and his gaze couldn't help but go out to the view from the window.

[Cyrce]

Alex appreciated that Ardeth generally kept his silence during the flight to Karnak. There was more than simply reviving his mother once they arrived at the city. They were all relying on Imhotep's word that the pool at Karnak would revive Alex's mother but there was a chance that the Mummy was deceiving them in some way. To discount anything that the other a. Alex needed to memorize where the general spells were in order to be able to react to whatever would happen once he revived his mother.

When they finally landed, Alex hung back, letting his father pick up and carry his mother's wrapped up body off the plane before he even began to approach the door to get off. He didn't want to think of his mother's...condition. He'd end up breaking down if he did and that wasn't what anyone needed from him when he was now the only one who could read and invoke the ancient magic contained in the two books.

Returning to Karnak was not something Alex had really expected, though. Seeing the sandblasted ruins sent an involuntary shiver along his spine but Alex straightened and walked to where he’d once been caught by Imhotep when he’d been kidnapped. “Dad, I think the pool was that way.”


The caracal kept his place at Rick’s feet until they landed at Karnak. The moment Izzy landed and the door opened, he jumped out and stalked back and forth in front of the entrance to the deteriorated city until all the men disembarked. His master had not yet arrived at Karnak, but he was close. The caracal yawned and choose to follow after the group as they moved through the ruins of Karnak. His master had ordered him to keep watch on these humans.

Several leagues away was the resurrected Egyptian priest, now while once again. Imhotep used his servant’s eyes to check on the O’Connells’ progress to Karnak as he prepared to cover the last stretch of distance between himself and the city. The men had already arrived and were already approaching the edge of the pool it seemed. He would not be able to arrive before they attempted a revival of Nefertiri. It was unfortunate, but better for them to try and fail. He was whole now and could deal with any negative consequences that might arise from the attempt.

The option of completely ignoring the men had crossed his mind but he didn’t trust the O’Connells to leave him be. Better to insert himself into their little group until he could be assured of his own safety. Imhotep chuckled before the sand whipped up around him and he started towards Karnak.

[Gardenia-mooN]

Ardeth was silent for many reasons, mainly he just genuinely couldn't think of one thing to say that would make this alright. He felt like Alex's whole world was crumbling around him like that sands of the desert and there was nothing he could do to help the young man or protect him. All he could do was sit near the other and hope that his presence and support were understood by the other male. He sighed out and glanced at the other when they finally landed. He waited for Alex and watched with the other as Rick carried his wife off of the plane.

He moved by the younger male's side, determined to watch over him and protect him while Rick was heartbroken. He moved towards the ruins with Alex and looked at the younger male's worried face with a frown. He briefly reached out and squeezed the other male's shoulder. "We shall not repeat the tragedies of this place, Alex. It will be alright." He tried to sound confident with the younger male as they moved deeper and deeper into the ruins.

---

Rick grunted when his son and Ardeth spoke, he had to show that he was listening but he remembered this place well enough that he didn't need his son's directions. In fact this place seemed more real to him now more than ever. Every step cemented some knowledge deep inside of him that he didn't know he had. He walked with his wife in his arms and felt more confident than he ever had before. It was strange and bizarre and he couldn't explain the feelings that were twisting inside of him.

He felt the presence of something getting closer and he attributed it to the wildcat following him. The presence was larger and darker than the cat but Rick couldn't think about it. He refused to think about it. He clutched his wife's body closer to him and quickly made his way to the heart of the ruins and the pool that would surely bring her back to him.

[Cyrce]

Alex nodded half-heartedly to Ardeth’s attempts to soothe. He couldn’t risk be distracted—the spell would need his entire concentration to call his mother’s soul back to her body. He looked up at Ardeth and forced smile. “Of course not. There isn’t any crazy undead priest trying to take over the world this time.” Just raising his mother back from the dead a second time. Once Evelyn O’Connell was revived, everything would be better and he’d be able to relax a little. Then they’d be getting back on the plane and probably going after the rogue Medjai, unless they came across Imhotep first. Both monsters needed to be put down.

It wasn’t long before the pool came into view. Just a small, shallow body of water. Alex still remembered when he was a child the Mummy had caught him here after the bracelet showed him the next leg of the journey. The monster had walked across the waters of the pool without a care but it unnerved Alex, particularly as the water reflected back an eerie blackness that someone could drown in rather than a smile shallow pool.

“Dad, lay mom down just at the edge.” Alex himself knelt beside the pool, laying the two books out in front of him. He looked to his father, waiting for him to lie his mother by the pool so he could begin the incantation.

The caracal leapt ahead of the last of the men when the pool came into view. It stretched out at the opposite edge and mimicked a yawn before looking back at the humans. Soon they would be attempting to use the books to revive the dead human without any sacrifice. It was aware that this had happened before, when Anck-Su-Namun stabbed the human female outside of the pyramid. Would it be successful? His master was certain that it would not.

Imhotep himself was still approaching Karnak. He was in no rush to confront the O’Connells. His mind was turning over what needed to be done next instead. His Medjai and the newly freed beast were of primary importance, everything else could be left where it lay. Unfortunately, for the beast treating with the O’Connells would be a necessary step. And Imhotep did not want his Medjai exposed to that family. So the beast would come first, but he intended to be a presence within his Medjai’s mind.

[Gardenia-mooN]

Ardeth couldn't help but feel a pang when Alex nodded and looked so grim. He wished the boy could just be happy, that his heart wasn't so weighed down with all this tragedy and responsibility. When the other spoke and smiled that small forced smile Ardeth gave the young man a weary smile in return. "That is right, at least we don't have to deal with that priest for now." That was the only positive, Imhotep was distracted with his own troubles and so he wouldn't interrupt what they were doing or try to stop it the way he had in the past. There was at least one small silver lining for them at the moment and Ardeth was willing to focus on it for all of their sakes.

They reached the pool and Ardeth let out a small sigh. This was a place of great power and importance and he still felt that even after all of their brutal adventures. He moved off to the side of the entrance so that he could keep watch and guard his friends while they worked their magic. He kept his eyes on what Alex and Rick were doing but kept the rest of his senses alert just in case something were to happen.

"Right..." Rick murmured lowly when Alex spoke and did what his son said. He laid Evie's body down at the edge of the pool and let out a low shaky breath at how limp and cold she felt. God he just wanted her back, he silently prayed as he let her go and took a step back.

He felt so hollow without her, with the knowledge that his own weakness caused her to sacrifice everything to reach out for help to that damned mummy. Once she was back he would prove to her that they didn't need Imhotep's help, they didn't need to beg for the other to assist them when he was just as evil and heartless as the beast that had been released. The other only knew how to betray others and hurt them. He wasn't like Evie at all, who was so warm and devoted.

For some reason the aching he felt so often recently returned and a bitterness bloomed on his tongue. Imhotep had definitely done some awful things to them personally but for some reason his bitterness toward the other male felt even more personal than before. It was strange and confusing and he wanted to shake his head and clear his mind of the other. None of this mattered he just had to focus on Evie!

[Cyrce]

Alex nodded and tried to relax himself as his father laid down his mother beside the pool. Despite his bravado, he felt unsure of what he was about to do. Nothing was really different from the last time. Just read the inscription and his mother would be back with them. Everything that happened in the last 24 hours, all that grief and powerlessness, would become a fleeting memory and a lesson not to mix the magic of life and death. Alex took a deep breathe as he set aside the Book of Amun-Ra, opening the Book of the Dead. Part of him wished to know what incantations his mother had used to bring back that monster, but that was for later. Much, much later.

After glancing towards his father Alex began reading the incantation. The water rippled in response slowly, the waves growing in size. His hands gripped the book and Alex didn't realize that his voice was growing louder as he finished the incantation. Just like that time in his childhood, a bright light filled the air above his mother's body. He smiled and gave a small laugh as he sat back.

Evelyn’s body didn’t seem to react immediately. There wasn’t a sudden start or inhale of breathe. She lay still as when she was set down. In spite of the beautiful light that had appeared, nothing seemed to change immediately. But her body had already started to warm and her pallid complexion began improving. It wasn’t long before her eyes fluttered open, gaze hazy as she looked to the men standing around her. “R-Rick? Alex? Ardeth? What...? Oh my, Izzy?”

Despite her surprise at seeing all of them around here, Evelyn didn’t immediately stand up as was ‘only proper’. She remained lying on the ground, only turning her head to look at the men around her and smiling at all of them.

At the entrance to Karnak, Imhotep pauses and took in the sight. It had been, from what he understood, almost two decades since he’d last set foot in the ruin but it seemed as though it had been frozen in time since then. The sands had not piled up within the dead ends, columns that had partially fallen were forever stuck at an angle now. As he walked slowly through the ruins, he felt the power that lay at its heart. Power that one of O’Connell’s group was stirring up. Imhotep looked through the caracal’s eyes in time to see the burst of light and Nefertiri awaken. Ah, he had been wrong then. It wasn’t a complete failure of resurrection.

Imhotep folded his arms over his chest and continued to observe through his servant’s eyes. At Rick’s feet the caracal stared unblinkingly at Evie, not making a sound. It almost looked like a statue, just sitting and staring so intently.

[Gardenia-mooN]

Ardeth watched as Rick set Evie down and his gaze inevitably turned back to Alex. The other was trying to do a monumental task and he felt so impressed by the other male's courage. He was still a child in Ardeth's eyes and the fact that he was trying to do something so powerful was amazing. The other had his father's grief and his mother's life in his hands and he was handling it so well. When the magic started to work and the light of life filled the beautiful woman, Ardeth ended up gasping softly. Evi was brought back to life and the sight of her eyes opening and the sound of her voice was a huge relief, what was an even bigger relief was hearing Alex's laugh and seeing his joy.

Rick watched what his son did with a weary desperate gaze. The other was trying so hard and Rick appreciated it but he was also so damn fearful for Evie. He just wanted her back, he needed her back and nothing else mattered. His desperation was replaced by hope as the other male's words grew loud and the light started to surround and fill up his wife. Alex was really doing it, he was really bringing her back!

Suddenly her body warmed, his pale skin seemed to fill with the blush of life, her eyes fluttered open and Rick let out a hoarse cry. He stumbled toward her and away from the caracal and fell to his knees on the ground beside her. He reached out as she spoke and his hands shook with emotions. Tears were in his eyes as he looked at his beautiful wife and he felt his heart ache and burst at the mere sight of the beautiful woman.

"Evie...Evie Darling..." His voice was low and broken as he looked at her and caught her gaze with his eyes. He let out a low breathy laugh full of his desperate relief. "Thank god...w-we brought you back, Alex brought you back."

Rock babbled and his hands were open and reaching for his wife. "Never scare me like that again, dammit." He cursed but looked so desperately happy to see her. Her coming back to him almost didn't feel real, nothing really felt real in this moment.

[Cyrce]

Alex didn't crowd around his mother with his father. He was a little tired from all the worry and anxiety that had pressed upon him and his father these past few days. It, it had only been three days since everything that had happened in that cave. He rubbed his face and looked up at Ardeth. "We should give my parents some space and plan what we need to do next." After all, there were those two monsters wandering around the world now, risking the safety of the entire world. And there was also that rogue Medjai that they hadn't been able to capture. Who knew if and when he would come after Ardeth and, by extension, Alex and his parents. It wasn't yet time to rest when there were still so many dangers still to be dealt with.

“Alex did? I hope...” Evelyn paused and reached out, catching one of Rick's hands and stopping him from completely embracing her. With her other hand, she reached out and carressed her husband's cheek. “I didn’t mean to. When I used both books, I may have overestimated myself. I won't be doing that again." She smiled apologetically. Evie's eyes fluttered and she looked down before looking back up at Rick.

Imhotep pulled back from spying on the O'Connells through his servant and instead walked to the pool himself. Instead of striding into the joyful group, he peered in from entryway and watched. Nefertiri was basking in the arms of her husband, who was clearly ecstatic to have his wife back. There was the love that had opened his eyes to the truth of his relationship with Anck-Su-Namun. The priest sighed and folded his arms over his chest, a faraway look in his eyes. Really, his Medjai was just as dedicated, until everything went wrong. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, frowning. There was no need to retread what had happened in the past yet. He needed to find his Medjai before anything else.

When it sensed its master nearing and not watching through its eyes, the caracal followed after Rick. It purred and looked between Rick and Evie. Evelyn blinked at the noise and jumped in surprise when she saw the large cat standing behind. "O-oh my! Rick, where...?" She trailed off and looked at the caracal again before shaking her head. "Nevermind. It's not important. Rick, I am glad to see you." She sighed and leaned against Rick. While her body had warmed from being revived, it was still cooler in her limbs and didn't seem to be warming. Rather, Evelyn O'Connell's body was starting to cool a bit.

[Gardenia-mooN]

Ardeth was stunned at what Alex could do, the young man was beyond amazing and he seemed to surpass everyone's expectations of him. When Alex moved towards him he ended up wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him in for a half hug. "You did well. Your abilities always astonish me, Alex." His voice was low and warm and happy, Ardeth felt truly hopeful. He nodded at Alex's words and moved away from the couple with the other. "You're right, we need to plan out what we should do. We need to think of the future now and of our strategy." His words were low and serious. They did have two monsters that they needed to face now and it was important that they focused on the dangers at hand now that Evie was alive again.

Rick felt such a sense of utter and complete relief, he reached out for his beloved wife and let out a small sound when she caught his hand and his face. Her delicate hands were so fragile yet so powerful, they was she touched him moved him. It was like she was the sun and he was merely pulled by her presence. "Thank god for that. Don't scare any of us like that again...you are worth more than this whole damn world Evie."

Rick didn't care about the caracal behind him, he just shrugged at her confused words. "Don't know why it's so obsessed with us, doesn't matter." He murmured and leaned in close to his wife to pressed their foreheads together. He felt her shockingly cool body and wondered why she wasn't warming up more. "We need to heat you use, you're chilled Evie." As he spoke his arms made their way around his wife's body and he pulled her in to hold her. "Maybe we can make some coffee or something to warm you up...We can get out of this place together, nothing else matters." A dark cold place deep inside of him was afraid that this was all temporary but he refused to pay any attention to that fear.

[Cyrce]

Alex leaned against the older man as the Medjai praised him, feeling a little embarrassed and exhausted now that all the stress. All Ardeth was really praising was his ability to read ancient Egyptian. It was the magic of this place that had been the main driving force, coupled with those words, that had revived his mother. Without the powers present it would have been a failure. “It wasn’t that much more than what I did at Ahm Shere.” He scratched his cheek and moved with Ardeth away from his parents.

A foreboding thought flirted through his mind and Alex looked up at the Medjai. “Where do you suppose both of them are? Could they still be in Egypt?” Both Imhotep and that monster were from Egypt’s past but the world was much wider now. The last time they met Imhotep wasn’t in Egypt but in the cold streets of London. What if the Mummy and the monster were already at opposite ends of the earth? Maybe they should have at least dragged the Mummy with them. The old priest hadn’t immediately attacked them when they’d gone searching for him.

The caracal sat ignored by the O’Connells, unbothered by the lack of attention. It did keep close to Rick, however, in spite of Imhotep’s instruction to watch all of the men in the group. Evelyn watched the large cat, sensing that something was off about it, but ignored it in the end to focus on her husband. When he commented on her body temperature, the smile that had been on her face faltered a little before widening, tears forming in her eyes. “Oh, Rick. I don’t think coffee will do the trick this time. Ah...” The words she wanted to say escaped her as she was cradled in Rick’s arms. She wanted nothing more than this, as always, but this time it was not meant to last.

“I used the books to call back the one that had defeated that monster before. You need to work with Imhotep and get rid of that thing. He knows more about that beast than anyone. Do let Jonathan know what happened and ask him to come back. He might not be as good as Ardeth or Alex, but he can help in his own way.” She knew that it was hurting Rick to say all of this, but her return was probably a small gift to properly say their goodbyes. It felt like it had before when she slipped away after summoning Imhotep back from the dead. She didn’t have that much longer left. Evie smiled again and lightly kissed her husband. “I love you Rick. After all of this is over...please be happy.”

[Gardenia-mooN]

Ardeth felt a small rush of warmth as Alex leaned in against him, the other had grown so much and he felt like a man now. He could feel the muscles that had been built over the course of many years and even more adventures. The boy was stronger now in far more ways than one, he had truly grown. Alex's humility and bashful words made Ardeth smile a little bit and shake his head. "There is magic in this place but the words are important and the will behind them is important as well. A corrupt or weak will would not be able to do what you have done."

Ardeth couldn't hide his admiration for the younger male, he couldn't hide his fondness either. When Alex brought up the threats his warmth cooled and he grew serious and stony once more. "Imhotep is certainly still in Egypt, this is his land and if he wishes to gain power it will be here...but that beast, I do not know its ways or thoughts." Most of the things Imhotep needed were in Egypt as the land had taken back many of its objects of power and put them back in their own museums but that beast was an unpredictable and dangerous being and could go anywhere.

Rick didn't care about the wild cat, he didn't care about his disturbing nightmares or even the strange need that had been haunting him, all he cared about was Evie. She was in his arms and she was back and that was all that mattered to him. He noticed the tears in her eyes and that brought tears to his eyes, they burned at the sight of his wife looking distraught and when she spoke he started shaking his head desperately. "We'll find something, it will be okay Evie, I swear it..." He clung to her and tightened his own on her weakened body. Her voice broke and he let out a low hopeless sound.

"Dammit Evie...h-how am I supposed to work with that bastard? I'll call for Jonathan don't worry but you know that you are the only one who can really make things work, you've always been the brains of this operation Evie." He joked weakly, trying to argue with his wife and keep her with him somehow. He continued to shake his head and the tears that burned in his eyes started to slip down his cheeks as she spoke to him. The kiss caused him to sob out and he kissed her back roughly, trying to cling to the life in his beloved. "I love you too...please don't leave me I can't be happy without you, I can't be whole." His voice was low and raw and the grief in his eyes was real as he clung to his wife.