𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑨 - Ardeth Bay

TWENTY ONE

21|ENGLAND

It was late at night when the married couple finally arrived in England. Tiye sat quietly in the back of the taxi watching as the glowing city passed as a blur. Although it was far into the evening the city was still alive.

Ardeth asked the taxi driver to drop them off outside the gates and the pair stalked towards the large mansion. Tiye gasped as she saw strangers in her families home and quickly grabbed the small dagger attached to her thigh.

"Come on." The couple walked through the door and noticed the men surrounding Evelyn, Alex was standing behind his mother.

"I think not." Ardeth announced their presence in the room and stepped forwards to be beside Evelyn while Tiye stood beside Alex.

"Ardeth, Tiye, what are you doing here?" Evelyn asked with confusion, glancing back at her adopted sister who held on to Alex tightly.

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later." Ardeth suggested as he looked at the armed men in front of them.

"Ardeth Bay." The front man chuckled as he stair at the Chieftain.

"Lock-Nah." He replied. Ardeth rushed forwards to fight while Evelyn ran back to her son, fighting anyone who got too close. Tiye grabbed the sword from her belt and raced forwards, attacking men with the skills Ardeth had taught her.

"Not bad for a Medjai." Lock-Nah stated while watching Ardeth fight off three men.

"What's in the chest?" Ardeth asked Evelyn while going to attack Lock-Nah.

"The bracelet of Anubis!"

"They must not get the bracelet! Get it and get out of here!" He shouted while blocking the incoming sword.

"Such a pretty face, I would hate to harm it." A man sneered as he approached Tiye. She smiled before lunging forwards and striking his sword. The two sword fought until he moved forwards and hit her arm, scratching it.

"You will regret that." Tiye grinned, putting her sword into her other hand and ran forwards, attacking him with adrenaline. Once she was close enough she grabbed her dagger with her blood soaked hand and shoved it under the mans chin, killing him instantly. "Told you."

"Mum look out!" Alex shouted causing Tiye to look back. Evelyn was knocked over and fell to the floor.

"Evelyn!" Tiye rushed forwards as she noticed a man carrying her unconscious adopted sister away. She was too late but helped her nephew up from the floor. "Are you okay?"

"Mum."

"She will be fine, she is the strongest woman I know." Tiye noticed her husband leant against a wall bleeding from his shoulder. "Come on, we need to get Evy."

Tiye helped her husband to stand and grabbed Alex as they ran outside, finding Rick and Jonathan in the driveway.

"Dad!" Alex ran to his father, hugging him tightly.

"Your arm?" Ardeth asked, noticing the blood dripping down Tiyes arm. She quickly ripped the bottom of her skirt and tied it around her arm, stopping the blood flow.

"All better."

"O'Connell." Ardeth greeted the man.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rick grabbed Ardeth by the collar and shoved him against the statue in the driveway. "No, scratch that. I dont care. Who the hell are those guys? Where are they taking my wife?"

"My friend, I'm not sure, but wherever this man is, your wife will surely be." The Chieftain grabbed Rick's shoulders to reassure him. He grabbed a photo out his pocket and showed it to him.

"Hey, I know him." Alex said as he yanked the photo out of Ardeths grasp. "He's the curator. He works at the British Museum."

"Are you sure?" Tiye asked, placing a hand on the boys shoulder.

"Believe him. He spends more time there than at home." Rick led his son over to their car as Ardeth grabbed his wife and helped her along, Jonathan following. "You two are here, the bad guys are here, Evys been kidnapped. Let me guess."

"Yes, they once again removed the creature from his grave." Ardeth confirmed Rick's theory.

"I dont mean to point fingers, but isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen?" Jonathan accusingly pointed his finger at the Chieftain.

"The woman who was with him, she knows things that no living person could possibly know." Ardeth explained. "She knew exactly where the creature was buried. We were hoping she would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did."

"And now they have it." Tiye sighed in annoyance.

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." Alex stated causing everyone to stop and stare at him. He rolled up his sleeve and revealed the bracelet of Anubis.

"Is that gold?" Jonathan asked causing Tiye to slap him over the head for his obsession with gold.

"When I stuck it on, I saw the pyramids at Giza. Then whoosh! Straight across the dessert to Karnak." Alex stated.

"By putting this on you have started a chain reaction that could bring the next apocalypse." Ardeth looked down at the scorpion bracelet.

"You, lighten up. You, big trouble. You, get in the car. You, I missed you." Ricked pointed at Ardeth, then Alex, then Jonathan, and then Tiye who he happily hugged.

"Hows your wound?" Tiye asked her husband once they were in the car and driving to the museum.

"Fine, it will be another scar." Ardeth smirked at his wife, knowing how much she loves tracing his scars.

"And you, look how big you have grown!" The Egyptian woman turned to look at her nephew, ignoring her husband's suggestive comment. "I remember when you were only a baby."

"I'm all grown up now, Aunty." Alex grinned at his Aunt, allowing her to hug him tightly.

"I am sorry if I alarmed your son, but you must understand, now that bracelet is on his wrist, we have only seven days before the Scorpion King awakens." Ardeth apologised to Rick while explaining the dangers of the bracelet.

"We? What we?" Rick asked, briefly taking his eyes off the road.

"If he is not killed, he will raise the Army of Anubis." The Chieftain warned.

"I take it that's not a good thing." Jonathan piped up from the back seat.

"Oh, he'll wipe out the world." Rick stated sarcastically.

"The old "wipe out the world" ploy." Jonathan joked.

"Whomever can kill the Scorpion King can send his army back to the Underworld or use it to destroy mankind and rule the Earth." Ardetb continued his explaining.

"That's why they dug up Imhotep." Rick sighed. "He's the only guy though enough to take out the Scorpion King."

"That is their plan." Tiye stated. "Rick, we need your help."