𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑨 - Ardeth Bay

TWENTY SEVEN

27|A LIFE FOR A LIFE

"You're going to be alright. Isn't she, Dad?" Alex's voice was barely louder than a whisper. Tiye wrapped an arm around his shoulders and brought him into a side hug, trying to comfort him as much as she could.

"She'll be fine. She'll be fine." Rick told his son although it sounded more like he was convincing himself.

"She's going to be alright." Alex cried, looking down at his pale mother.

"Just get him, take him." Rick told Tiye and Jonathan, indicating to take Alex away.

"Mummy's fine. It's okay." Jonathan hugged Tiye and Alex, reassuring his nephew. "Your mother's gonna be fine, okay?"

"Evy..." Rick cried, trying to stop the bleeding. "Oh my God! You're real strong. You're gonna make it. You're gonna make it."

"What do I do? What do I do, Evy?" The grieving man repeated over and over, his voice breaking each time.

"Take care of Alex." The dying woman barely managed to say, her breathing slowing down.

"No. Sweetheart, no."

"I love you."

Alex buried his face into his Aunties neck as she did the same to Jonathan, everyone grieving the loss of a dear family member. A sister. A friend. A wife. A mother.

"Stay here." Rick told his son after embracing him tightly while Tiye and Jonathan looked over Evelyn. He left them all and wandered into the pyramid. The three watched in awe as a massive shadow covered the land, the Army of Anubis.

"Try to think of it like this, Alex." Jonathan nudged his nephew as they sat in the sand grieving. "She's gone to a better place. You know, like it says in the good book."

"The book." Alex put his head up as an idea sprung to his mind.

"What?" Tiye and Jonathan both questioned.

"That's it." The boy jumped to his feet. "That's it! Come on, Uncle Jon, Aunty Ti!"

"That's what?" Jonathan asked, allowing Alex to grab his hand and pull him to his feet.

"The book!"

"The Book of the Dead!" Tiye finally understood what he meant, scampering to her feet and following after Alex along with Jonathan.

Jonathan picked up his sister body and carried it into the pyramid while Tiye and Alex walked in front with a torch in Alex's hands, a dagger in Tiyes.

"You realise, of course, that this can only be done by someone who can actually read ancient Egyptian." Jonathan stated. "I don't know about you, Alex, but I'm a tad rusty."

"Jon, I speak ancient Egyptian." The Egyptian woman rolled her eyes at the forgetful man.

"Oh yeah, now where do we go." He asked as the came to two way corridor.

"We go right." Tiye and Alex both said.

"How do you know?" The older man asked.

"Kasheesh Osirian Nye." Alex read out the writing on the wall. "Basically, "this way to the Scorpion King". Mum taught me."

"This just might work." Jonathan spoke to himself as he followed the others down the corridor. They finally reached the room where Anck-su-namun and the book where. Jonathan placed his sister down and walked towards the evil woman.

"It's time someone taught you a lesson, wench. Come on." Jonathan placed his fists up, ready to fight.

"He does realise I could of done it." Tiye whispered to Alex. "My husband is a commander of the Medjai and taught me how to fight."

"If he gets beat up badly then you can step in." Alex shrugged.

"This is for my sister." The man went to punch Anck-su-namun but she attacked first. She kept attacking him, getting more hits in than him. Finally, he managed to punch her nose causing it to bleed slightly.

"I shall go help." Tiye sighed as she watched Anck-su-namun grab knives from a statue. Grabbing her sword she jumped forwards, defending off an incoming attack.

"Go help Alex." She commanded Jonathan to do. As the other Egyptian went for another attacked, Tiye kicked her in the stomach, pushing her back. The fought back and forth, Tiye managing to cut Anck-su-namuns arm and drew blood.

"Ti, we don't know what this last symbol is!" Jonathan called to the woman.

"What's it look like?"

"Its a bird! A stork!" Alex shouted.

"Think Jonathan!" Tiye knocked a knife out if the woman's hand and brushed her long, white hair out her face.

"Wait! I know this one!" Jonathan shouted, remembering it from their last adventure. "Ahmenophus!"

"Good boy, Jon!" Suddenly Tiye fell backwards, her feet being knocked out from under her and a knife cutting her collar bone. She dragged her body up against a statue but Anck-su-namun lifted her knife high and went to stab Tiye straight in the chest. A hand grabbed the woman's wrist, stopping her.

"Why don't we have a rematch?" Evelyn sneered, pushing Anck-su-namun back.

"Evy! I am so happy to see you!" Tiye gasped. Jonathan rushed over and helped the bleeding woman to her feet.

"Take Alex. Go help Rick." Evy commanded. Tiye sat down and held her hand over her wound, stopping the blood while Jonathan dragged Alex away.

"But mum!" Alex complained.

"No "buts", Alex." Evelyn took two knives from another statue and prepared to fight.

"Nefertiri."

"Anck-su-namun." Tiye watched with confusion and pride for Evy as the two women fought. Upon hearing a loud roar the two women stopped and ran to where their men were, Tiye following behind.

"Rick!" Evelyn screamed in worry over her husband who was being thrown around like a rag doll.

"Evy?" Rick's eyes lit up at the sight of his now alive wife.

"Jonathan, quick!" Evy screamed to her brother as her husband was attacked again by the giant scorpion. As she ran to her brother Anck-su-namun grabbed her and pushed her against a wall.

"Get off my fucking sister, you bitch!" Tiye spat, grabbing the woman's long black hair and pulling her backwards, away from Evy.

"Yeah!" Alex cheered as him and Jonathan managed to unlock the spear.

"Jonathan, throw it!" Evelyn shouted to him. "Kill the Scorpion King! Send his Army back to the Underworld!"

"Step aside, Alex. I'm a professional." He boasted, pushing his nephew back slightly to safety. As he threw it Imhotep grabbed it from the air.

"Rick!" Evy warned her husband of the incoming spear. Rick jumped forwards and grabbed it before it hit the Scorpion King. As Rick fell down a crack in the ground he stabbed the scorpion.

"Go to hell, and take your friends with you!" Rick screamed at the creature. It vanished in a black smoke that surrounded the land.

The pyramid began and Rick held on tightly to the ledge, not wanting to fall to his death.

"Evy, no! Get out of here!" Rick shouted as he saw Evelyn looking for a way to help her husband. "Just get out of here!"

"We will get Alex to safety." Tiye reassured the woman, grabbing Alex's hand and Jonathan's. The three watched as Evy grabbed Rick and helped him up. "Let's go!" They ran through the tunnels and up to the pyramid, climbing to the top.

"This whole damn place is gonna get sucked up!" Rick stated as they watched the green valley around them get sucked into the pyramid. "Let's move up! Go!"

"Rick, we're trapped!" They huddled together in fear, not knowing what to do. Their lives hanging on a thin thread.