Chapter 11

After a while Mutt asked, "What are they looking for?"

All eyes were on Aurelia. She wrung her hands and looked down at the ground.

"After risking our lives I think we have a right to know," Mutt frowned.

Aurelia nodded. "It's a Philosopher stone."

"I thought that was a bed tale," Indy frowned.

"What's a Philosopher stone?" Marian asked.

"It's a stone that brings someone back from the dead," Aurelia said quietly. "And I think I know who they want to bring back."
Indy nodded. "Stalin."

The only thing that could be heard was the fading drone of a black car off in the distance.

"I'm going back in there and read that sarcophagus," Aurelia said after a couple minutes of silence. "I want to know where they're going."

Sala nodded and gave her the flashlight. The two climbed back into the tunnel. Indy, Marian and Mutt stayed where they were.

"Why do you think they want to bring back Stalin?" Mutt asked.

"The usual," Indy sighed. "Win the war. Take over the world."

Mutt was silent.

"We'll have to have Aurelia's leg looked at when we get back," Marian said. "It must be painful."

Mutt stared at his hands. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he still felt a little guilty about her being hurt.

The stars started to come out as the world grew darker and colder. Marian shivered.

"Come on," Indy said, motioning them to the tunnel, "We'd better go inside. Looks like we'll be sharing with Senenmut."

Mutt frowned but followed his parents inside the tunnel. The darkness of the tunnel was absolute. He couldn't tell if he was moving forward or if he was upside down. Mutt hated not feeling in control.

Eventually they could hear Aurelia's and Sala's voices discus something about Hatshepsut.

"Sala, I need a light." Indy called out.

Light came towards them along with the sound of pattering feet. Sala was huffing, motioning them to follow him back to the burial room. The family followed the Egyptian. There was a faint light in the burial room. Aurelia was sitting down with the flashlight behind her. She was making shadow puppets, unaware of the others.

Indy cleared his throat. Aurelia jolted and reached for the flashlight. The group walked towards her and the sarcophagus. Aurelia glanced up and Mutt caught her eye. Her face instantly heated up and she looked at the floor. Mutt smirked. She was sort of cute.

Mutt frowned and shook his head but the thought didn't leave. Eventually the sound of an intense discussion drew him out of his thoughts of a certain young blonde woman with big blue eyes. Mutt's frown deepened and focused on the discussion.

"But we don't know where that is!" Indy growled.

"I would guess that it wouldn't be too far from here," Marian said. "Just in case something happened at one of the tombs she could be moved to another quickly."

"Plus she wouldn't be that far away from Senenmut," Sala added. He stooped over the sarcophagus cover once more when Aurelia pointed at some hieroglyphics. The two muttered to each other before Sala retrieved a map from his bag. They hunched over it. Soon Indy and Marian were peering over their shoulders.

"Geographically, I would have made a tomb here," Sala said, pointing at the map. "Wadi Sikkat Taka ez-Zeida would be the best bet."
Indy nodded. "Let's go there in the morning."

"Yeah," yawned Marian. "But I'm not sleeping in here with him," she frowned, pointing at the open sarcophagus. Aurelia shivered.

The group silently stood up and walked (or in Aurelia's case, limp) over to the next chamber. They laid by the steps. Marian curled up against Indy. Sala was already softly snoring. Mutt and Aurelia had a couple feet between them.

Without the flashlights the darkness pressed around Aurelia. She did not feel comfortable in the dark in a tomb where a mummy was resting, even if the mummy was in a different room. Aurelia shivered and curled up into a ball, accidentally bumping Mutt.

"Watch it," he muttered. He turned over and settled once more into the cool sand.

"Sorry," she whispered back.

The silence was almost oppressive. It crushed Aurelia, leaving her to whimper softly in her curled position. The darkness was an empty void, sucking her in, suffocating her. She whimpered again.

"What is it?" Mutt grumbled.

Aurelia paused before confessing, "I'm scared."

Aurelia thought that it wasn't too bad that she confessed to Mutt in the darkness. He couldn't see her face. No doubt she would look pale.

Mutt sighed. The silence came back, stronger this time. Then it was broken by the soft slither of sand moving. Warmness engulfed her. It almost burned into her back and her middle.

"Relax," Mutt chuckled into the top of her head. "Afraid of the dark?"

She nodded. Aurelia could hear his heartbeat. That steady noise helped relax her. His breathing was slow. Both things calmed her down. She blinked, sleepily.

Aurelia might have been mistaken, but she thought she heard him whisper, "Don't be."

Marian woke up slowly, stretching her sore body before sitting up. She didn't know how long they were asleep for and she didn't know if it was actually morning. Indy shifted beside her. She turned on a flashlight and briefly let the light flit over Sala. He was snoring softly. Every once in a while he murmured something in Egyptian.

The light then flicked briefly on Mutt before the light moved on. Marian blinked and turned the light back onto her son… and Aurelia. She was curled up against him for warmth. Much like how she did with Indy.

Indy sat up, a bit groggily, and kissed Marian on the cheek. Marian grinned. Silently Indy focused on the light up figures of Mutt and Aurelia. He almost chuckled. Nothing like having blackmail on a moody son.

Sala snorted loudly before mumbling, "The camels are worth the same as the car."

Mutt gradually awoke. He felt warm and comfortable. Slowly he opened his eyes. With the light from a flashlight on him he was able to see Aurelia in his arms. He quickly pulled away and sent a fierce glare at the flashlight wielder, his Mom.

"She was cold," he growled. Mutt scratched his neck, wondering if he should reveal Aurelia's fear of the dark, but decided against it.

Aurelia stirred and stretched. She blinked and was relieved when she saw the pale illumination of the flashlight.

Meanwhile Indy was attempting to wake up Sala. Indy shook the Egyptian but Sala mumbled to himself and rolled over.

"Marian, give me the light," Indy ordered. Marian tossed the flashlight over to him. Indy pointed the light at Sala's face while shaking the sleeping figure with his other arm. Sala woke up with a snort and sat up, blinking.

"I am awake," Sala sneezed. He brushed some sand out of his beard.

"Ready to go?" Indy asked. The group nodded. "We'll have to go out the air shaft then climb down."

Aurelia didn't feel too nervous about the climb. She had climbed up one of the giant oak trees at the farm. She also had climbed onto the two story house back in the country. How bad could climbing down some rocks be?

Out on the ledge, Aurelia was nervously looking at the impending climb down. It looked a whole lot different than climbing down a tree. A tree was a living thing. The rocks, however, were not. There was something terribly finite about the thought of the climb down. Aurelia shuffled backwards a couple of steps.

Indy looked down at the drop then at his companions. He didn't think Sala was up for the climb down. Marian, he knew, would go if he went. That didn't mean that he wanted her to. He didn't want to risk his son on the climb and Aurelia was out of the question. She was his responsibility, even if her leg wasn't bothering her as much.

"I'll go," said Mutt. Mutt had come to almost the same conclusion as his father. The only difference is that he didn't want to put his mom or pop in danger.

"No," frowned Marian. "There has to be another way."

Tension was added to the heat in the air. Marian was glaring at Indiana. Indiana looked frustrated at Marian. Mutt stood straight as if trying to prove his strength. Sala and Aurelia looked back and forth between the three. It was a battle of wills.

Mutt broke the silence, "I can do it, Mom. I can climb down and unblock the door so everyone can get out."

Marian and Indy rounded on their son. Both were angry, hungry, and a little proud for Mutt to do this.

"If this is what you want," Indy said. "I believe in you."

Marian gave her son a hug. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince her son otherwise. Once he had an idea in his head he stuck to it. He was as stubborn as Indy…. As her even.

Indy gave his son a hug. He was both scared and proud of his son.

"Well," Indy sighed. "You better head out now before it gets too hot."

Mutt nodded. Sala clapped him on the back, his eyes watery. "Good luck, son of Indy."

Aurelia awkwardly stepped closer, unsure of what to do. After a moment she looked up at him and said, "Good luck, Mutt."

Mutt nodded as he mentally prepared himself for the long climb down.

The sun was almost at its peak in the sky. They had all watched Mutt climb down until he was hidden by some jutting rocks. Sala mumbled something about checking to doorway before he crawled back through the ventilation shaft, leaving Indy, Marian, and Aurelia out in the heat.

It was silent.

Mutt, about halfway down, was now sweaty, sore, tired, and hungry. His fingers were sore from gripping the rock face. His feet hurt from contorting to keep his balance. His eyes even stung from the heat. After this he was definitely going to get a root beer float.

That is…. If he made it out alive.

His foot slipped again. Mutt took a deep breath through his nose, remembering the rule of climbing that Indy had told him before he left.

"If you don't have three good holds on the rock it isn't safe."

He was already hanging by his arms and his right leg. He wasn't breaking the rule, so he continued onwards.

The sun was now on its slow descent. It was mid-afternoon now, and still no sign that Mutt had reached the bottom.

Aurelia had left with a flashlight to go check on Sala a couple of hours ago. It was just Indy and Marian sitting on the ledge now. Indy held Marian close to him, both of them comforting each other while their son was doing something they couldn't help him with.

It was now early evening and still no sign from Mutt. Marian was beside herself with worry. Indy kept whispering that Mutt was one of the strongest men he knew and Mutt could do it.

Their attention was caught by a scrapping noise behind them. Aurelia had appeared with a huge grin on her face. Marian and Indy were instantly crawling through the ventilation shaft to get to their son. Aurelia had to run to keep up with the pair.

They trio ran towards the light to where Sala, but more importantly, their son was. Marian swept up Mutt in a bone crushing embrace. Indy joined in. Sala and Aurelia grinned at each other, both happy with the reunion they were witnessing.

Mutt broke away from his parents with a cocky grin. "What are we waiting for?" He asked. "Let's go stop the Russians!"

The group grinned and made their way out of the ruins and towards where they hoped Sala's car was still located.

On the trek to the last known location of the vehicle, Aurelia squashed all of her feelings of jealousy of Mutt being reunited with his family. They were on the way to rescuing her own dad and retrieving the Philosopher's stone, like her father would want.

"Have you seen such a magnificent thing before?" Sala asked, motioning at his car. No one could deny that the weathered, old, sand stained vehicle was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Next stop, Wadi Sikkat Taka ez-Zeida!" Sala cried.

I am alive! I'm so sorry that it took so long! But... Chapter 11! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me thus far. And thank you to all of the new readers.

A special shout out for: CrashkiddX, EvilPurpleCookiePenkeyMonguin,HufflepuffFinder98, LilweenGalatrass, and lotsofbrolly for reviewing!

And thank you so much! For you to say that the story looks like an Indiana Jones film is a huge compliment! That made my day!

Finals are coming up but I'll try to update once or twice a month. I know it isn't once a week like I had promised earlier, but I am a college student and soon I will be working in the summer. I would appreciate it, and absolutely love it if you stayed with me to follow the gang's adventure.