Chosen Legacy (Book Five of the Chosen Universe)

Chapter Forty-Four

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am skipping the details of a couple of the team battles which don't contain any major events that effect the story. There were a lot of people sent back into the past, and including every single side battle would start to take away from the greater point of the story. We're getting very close to the end and I really want to focus on what moves the story forward. I just wanted to explain why you won't see a few of the smaller fights here before the story continues.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
JAYDEN (Ancient Egypt)
They landed inside of a temple in Ancient Egypt. "Whoa... This place is beautiful," Emily said in awe. Seeing the pure joy in her eyes as they found themselves in the middle of history made Jayden smile. The world just seemed wrong when Emily was unhappy.

"I wonder who the temple is dedicated to," Lauren said as she looked around.

"It looks like it's the temple of a scorpion Goddess... Probably Serket," Stephanie said as she studied the paintings on the walls.

"Wait a second... Why would Zell be here unless...?" Mia began to ask with concern.

"Oh no..." Jayden said softly. He knew exactly what Mia was thinking, and it wasn't good.

A young girl came into the temple. Lex quickly flung a labyrinth around all of the Power Rangers before she could notice them. She held an offering on a golden plate. She placed it at the feet of a statue of Serket.

"Guys... She looks an awful lot like a younger version of-" Antonio began.

"Merkhet..." Dora whispered. "Shit."

"Merkhet?" Spike repeated. He suddenly looked terrified.

"Relax. Whoever she is, she can't get to us in the labyrinth," Lex reminded them.

"Merkhet was the one pulling Angie's strings when she was still running around calling herself the Sorceress," Jayden explained. "She was a powerful Demigoddess, the daughter of Serket and a Pharaoh. She was using Rita and Zedd to serve the God of Chaos, and when that failed, she turned to Zell. She was a big part of the battle when Tommy was abducted."

"What happened to her?" Charleigh asked.

"Billy and Josh finally destroyed her... No one earned that right more than those two. She abducted Billy and made everyone think he was dead for three years."

"Merkhet helped Zell reform the Alliance," Syd explained. "She had a body count that could have competed with Katherine."

They watched Merkhet carefully for a few minutes before someone else entered the temple. "Hello, my dear," Zell said.

Merkhet jumped. She spoke in what Jayden assumed was her native tongue.

"Ah, yes... You have not yet learned English," Zell said. He cast a spell of some sort. "Do you understand me?" He asked.

Merkhet nodded nervously. "Who are you?" She asked in English.

"I am Zell, Great Wizard of Eltar. You may call me Great Zell," he replied.

"How very humble of him," Stephanie quipped.

"This is a place of worship," Merkhet said. "I am here to honor-"

"Your mother," Zell said, cutting her off.

Merkhet looked suspicious then. "How do you know me?" She asked.

"That is simple, my dear. I come from the future, and you were once my ally. Unfortunately, you met with a dreadful end. I am here to see if you can prove to me that you deserve a chance to avoid such a fate." He paused. "You have not yet pledged yourself to serve the God of Chaos."