Dreams & Nightmares

Author: Miss Lizz

Rating: R for disturbing scenes

Disclaimer: I don't own the mummies or any related characters but you should know that.

Author's Note:  This is a story taking a different view on Scarab's quest and the near untouched upon burgeoning romance between Jakal and Nefertina and how a horror visited on them affects the two.  Contained in this are scenes of disturbing acts, blood loss, language, and other things some readers may not be comfortable reading.

Viewer discretion is advised.

            Mad laughter echoed through the pyramid, Scarab was pouring over an ancient tome, devouring it with his eyes.  It was brilliance, sheer brilliance, and it was not even Egyptian.  Why had he not thought of this?  He felt like dancing for joy but had to stop when that bloody crick in his back acted up again, causing him a large amount of pain.  Damn these old bones.

            He started laughing again.  These bones wouldn't be old and stiff much longer…  By the end of the night, he would be a whole new person.

            With the excitement of a child at Christmas, the ancient sorcerer told Heka his latest scheme to be young again and waited for a reaction from the gold cobra.  She blinked.  The thin old man grumbled darkly at her and stalked out of the room.  He would do this on his own if need be. 

            Later that night, once some loose ends were taken care of and all materials were gathered, Scarab stood atop the glass pyramid.  A strong wind had picked up, rolling in ominous, black thunderheads and making his cloak billow; it was the perfect setting for what was to come.  Lightning crackled insanely across the sky and thunder exploded through the thick air; he could smell rain.  It was melodramatic, and even a bit clichéd but it was perfect.  One of his dreams was coming to fruition.

            Even the four elemental stones were in his control and in their cardinal places around him:

            Fire to the South.

            Water to the North.

            Air to the East.

            Earth to the West.

            In the center stood a brazier alight in iridescent flame from the power of the elements.  Scarab stood resolutely beside it, showing no fear or trepidation in face of the forces he dealt with.  He tossed pellets of frankincense into the 'fire' and waited a moment before a strip of cloth scrawled with a spell containing the name of the intended vessel written in his own blood was also thrown into the pyre.  Lightning again exploded across the sky, split directly over the brazier and hit each of the stones in a blinding flash.  For a moment, it appeared as though nothing happened, that moment ended quickly when the stones lit up and enveloped Scarab in beams of power and crackling energy.  His soul and mind fled his body in a flash of light amid silence. 

            It went with a purpose over the city.

            With the spell completed, Scarab's lifeless husk of a body fell and turned to dust.

            A loud, colourful curse erupted from an exasperated royal scribe as the Hot-Ra belched foul-smelling, acrid, black smoke and spat oil into his face.  Rath had been cursing much this night.  Eventually, he gave up with a promise to force a certain charioteer to fix her own disasters.  How dare the little imp automatically expect him to fix everything she destroys every time it happens!  He spent more time up to his elbows in machines than he did in his beloved scrolls thanks to her.  How dare the girl run off afterwards and leave him here!  It might be fun to turn her into something that can't cause trouble for a day or month or so…

            The hood suddenly fell on him with a dull thud.

            He struggled and cursed to no avail for several seconds before Jakal came and lifted the hood back up with a chuckle.  Rath failed to see the levity in the situation and glared at the hunter.  For all his famous discipline, the man was much too lax in the area of the young charioteer, in Rath's opinion.

            "Have you seen Nefertina?  She took the prince home hours ago and hasn't come back yet."  He asked in all seriousness.

            Rath straightened his hat and 'harrumphed,' "She probably went to one of those dance halls she frequents.  This work can wait until she decides to show her face.  This time, it will be she who fixes her own disaster.  Good night, Jakal."

            The thin man left the garage, wiping the worst of the oil and grease off of him before he could wash and gave no more thought to the conversation or the vehicle disaster behind him.  It was near midnight and he was exhausted.

            Jakal did not so easily forget.  A deep feeling of dread was twisting in his gut, making him break out in a cold sweat.  The dull boom of thunder echoed overhead outside, further fueling his need to find the wayward charioteer and make sure she was safe.  Evil was traveling the winds tonight; he could feel it in his soul.  Something bad was going to happen.

            He had to find her. 

            With a firm decision in mind, he hurried outside where the air was thickening into the dense blackness of a powerful storm.  He transformed, it would be easier and faster to search from the air.  If only he knew where she had gone…

            Please, Ra, keep her safe.

            Young and timeless gray eyes stared up at stars that were quickly being covered by ominous black clouds that cast its shroud over everything.  Strange.  The weather master in the magic box never said a thing about rain.  Those clouds did not look nice at all. 

            She sighed; it figured even the weather left her no room for solitude.  Sometimes she would spend hours atop this bluff overlooking the stormy Pacific but apparently not tonight.  The white-haired girl got to her feet and shoved a stray bit of hair from her eyes.  It might be easy to lose track of time here but she should head back before it rained and she became drenched.  That's just what she needed, another thing to yelled at for.  Maybe they'd all be asleep when she got home and won't have to listen to their harsh, hurtful words.

            Nefertina was walking back to the jetcycle when she felt the sudden urge to look heavenward.  Something that looked like a shooting star was blazing across the sky, but as it got closer, it turned out to be a crackling ball of energy instead of a star.  It hit her hard in the chest, slamming her into the ground on her back.  Of a sudden, horrific pain exploded and grew deep inside of her…

End ch. 1

Sorry about the hanging ending.  Is this worth another chapter?  Please tell me.

Thank you,

Miss Lizz