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In the name of Sekmet	By : darkangel985 Category: M through R > Mummy, The (All) > Mummy, The (All) Views: 8291 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own The Mummy movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
I'm so happy that I can
finally update again, even though my story rating has vanished :-( I
hope that some of my readers are still around and interested in the
story.

Chapter 14 – Through everything for you

Turning away from the
door Rick faced the barren wall, unwilling to look at his only escape
since he had chosen not to use it. The possibility to run would be
too tempting and his body too intend on survival to stay.

And stay he would, no
matter what would happen, whether or not
Ardeth would be in time to save him. Because in the end it didn't
matter. If he failed the task by escaping from the deadly trap he was
in he would loose Ardeth. And loosing the Med-jai and having to face
a future without him was worse than being dead.

Rick tried to ignore
the little voice in the back of his mind that told him that choosing
death over a possible life without his lover was cowardly. He had
listened to the voice before, had gone into the temple at Ahm-Shere
because that very voice had told him to
avenge Evy. It may have saved the world and eased his conscience,
but Evy had still been lost to him.

As the pressure on his
chest and back increased and breathing became more and more difficult
with each passing minute Rick let his mind wander back to the past.
He remembered how intend he had been on saving Evy from Nefertiri and
how guilty he had felt for feeling attracted towards Ardeth. A smile
spreading over his face at how different everything had worked out
from what he had originally planned Rick succumbed to the darkness
that overtook him as the walls moved another bit closer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breathing was almost impossible as Ardeth half ran, half stumbled
along another hallway. He hadn't yet given up on finding Rick in
time, but his hope was very slim now, a tiny flame still burning in
his heart. This hope and the knowledge that he couldn't go on if he
failed and lost Rick were the only two things keeping him from simply
collapsing in exhaustion.

Every muscle in his body protested as he pushed further, telling
him that he had to give up, had to let go of the last sliver of hope
he so desperately clung to. Ardeth almost didn't believe his eyes
when he saw light at the end of the long tunnel as he rounded another
corner.

Too good to believe it. It could simply be a trick Sekmet played
on him, but the flame of his hope had already ignited into a roaring
fire again, drowning out the pain and tiredness in his body as it
drove him towards the exit.

Stepping out of the tunnel Ardeth found himself on a large stone
platform, the only other thing in sight a dangerous looking bridge
that lead over a deep chasm. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead the
moment he saw the bridge, quickly praying to Allah that he wouldn't
have to go over it. But for once his prayers weren't answered as
another tall lioness appeared in front of him.

“Ardeth Bay, you may have continued the last task by never
giving up the search for your lover, but the goddess' favor isn't
secured yet. As a Med-jai warrior you have already proved
your strength, but your courage remains to be tested. Only if you can
vanquish your greatest fear, your tribe can be saved.”

With these words the lioness vanished, leaving him facing the
bridge, feeling as if he was a small child once again. The memory was
still vivid in his mind and as he stepped closer to the bridge and
looked down to the ground beneath him he was taken back to the first
day his father had taken him into the desert.

He had been so proud to ride with the
other warriors, to sit on his own steed next to his father and
surrounded by most men of the tribe. He had almost reached the age at
which he would be considered a man and his
father had deemed him old enough to join the warriors.

The whole group was headed towards Hamunaptra, the place they
guarded since ancient times. Ardeth had heard so many stories about
the place, but had never seen it with his own eyes. The terrain they
had to cross to reach the city of the dead was rocky, deep valleys
separating the desert's surface.

They were on the edge of one of these canyons, an old wooden
bridge the only opportunity to reach the other side without having to
take a day-long detour. As leader his father was the first to cross
the bridge, turning as he reached the other side and waiting for his
son to follow.

Ardeth wasn't afraid of heights, but he didn't entirely trust the
bridge that groaned under his horses' hoofs. Relief had already begun
to spread through his body as he had reached the middle of the
bridge, the sudden sound of a rope whirling through the air causing
him to turn his head.

One of the ropes, old and worn as it had been, had already been
strained to the limit by the weight of his father's horse and had
snapped now. The bridge started to sway dangerously, spooking his
horse that immediately tried to escape from the dangerous
construction. The animal's panicked movements not only caused Ardeth
to fall from the saddle, but also put more strain on the three
remaining ropes, causing them to rip apart.

The next few moments were blurred in his mind, but somehow he must
have held on to one of the ropes, instinctively saving himself as his
horse fell to it's death on the rocky ground. His father had pulled
the rope out of the canyon and he had collapsed in the Med-jai
warrior's arms, crying his eyes out. His father had then scolded him,
telling him that a warrior never weeped unless he was grieving
another warrior's death. Ardeth had always stuck to this rule and the
only time he had cried since then had been at the side of his
father's grave.

Trying to shake the memories out of his mind Ardeth gripped the
rope that made up the handrail of the bridge. He had to get over this
fear. After he had become the tribe's leader his fellow Med-jai had
never commented on the fact that he always took the long ways to
avoid having to use bridges, but now Sekmet forced him to confront
the one thing that scared him most.

Steeling himself against the panic that tried to get a grip on his
mind Ardeth stepped forward, the wooden bridge swaying dangerously
under his feet. He had to remember why he was doing this, had to
remind himself that he had to cross the bridge to save his tribe and
see Rick again. The image of his lover giving him strength
the Med-jai took another step forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rick didn't know what he had expected to happen after the walls
squeezed him to a pulp, but suddenly landing on his feet on a small
stone platform definitely hadn't been it. A sound next to him alerted
him to the presence of yet another lioness.

Like the ones before her she was dressed in regal Egyptian
clothing and richly adorned with jewelry.
Stepping up to Rick she started to speak: “You have completed
the task, even if you believe to have failed. You entrusted your life
in your lover's hands as it is common amongst fellow warriors and you
were even willing to sacrifice this life for a tribe that is not your
own. In this you have once again proved
your worth, but one more trial has to be completed.”

Stretching out her hand she showed Rick that the ground
surrounding the small platform was crowded with cobras, viciously
hissing at him and baring their fangs. Rick was still concentrated on
the sea of snakes, when the lioness told him to look up.

He could see that the stone platform was at the bottom of a canyon
and a little way down a frail looking bridge was the only crossing
available. Rick's heart almost stopped for a beat, when he recognized
the figure on the bridge, desperately clinging to the ropes as he
slowly edged forward.

His lover was too far away for Rick to make out the look on his
face, but his whole posture radiated fear, so uncharacteristic for
his usually fearless lover. There had never before been any
indication that Ardeth was scared of heights, but it seemed like it
now.

Startling a little when the goddess spoke again Rick managed to
wedge his attention away from his lover and faced the lioness. “Only
if he survives the task can the Med-jai be saved. If he dies, all
hope dies with him.”

Having said her part the goddess vanished, leaving Rick to turn
his attention back to Ardeth. His lover had made a little progress in
the short time he had listened to the goddess and Rick was certain
that he would make it to the other side. Besides, it was only a
bridge, so what could happen?

He cursed himself as soon as he had thought this, three of the
ropes that had held the bridge suddenly snapping. Sekmet's words were
ringing in his ears, seemingly mocking him as he watched Ardeth
struggle with the single rope that was still connecting the two
sides.

And then time seemed to move very slowly as the last of the ropes
snapped, sending Ardeth plummeting towards the ground. He had to
catch him. The thought was suddenly clear in Rick's mind. To do that
he would have to run through the cobras, risking their deadly
poisonous bite. But it was their only chance. And Sekmet had tricked
him into believing that he would die before.

Hope that he would somehow get through it alive lending him the
courage he needed Rick jumped from the small platform, running
towards the bridge and his falling lover. Too intend was he on his
goal to even notice the snakes' sharp fangs striking his legs again
and again, filling him with their venom. His eyes only saw Ardeth's
body, swiftly tumbling towards the ground, his only worry that he
wouldn't be there in time.

The impact of Ardeth's body landing in his arms sent him tumbling
towards the ground.

TBC...
- 13
- 14
- 15
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In the name of Sekmet