Takmet led the girls out of the palace, on the way stopping for the servants who brought better-suited clothes for the foreigners.

“Take them. They will be easier to work in,” Takmet said as the servants hustled the girls off to change their clothes. Sasaki and Chloe exchanged a glance. These clothes were made of even less material than the ones they had on. And what was with the servants dressing them?

“Hey! Hey! I can get dressed myself,” Chloe said as she swatted at the young servant girls who giggled at her reaction.

“No, really. We’re fine,” Sasaki said, backing away from the nearest servant girl.

“Who do you believe took care of you when you first arrived here? This is our work,” one of the girls giggled.

Sasaki blinked. “Oh. Well what’s all this giggling about then?” Sasaki asked as she let the girl get on with her job.

“You act as if you’ve never had anyone do this for you before,” she giggled. “And your honored friends are acting silly.”

Sasaki glanced at her friends, quickly changing their clothes themselves while the servant girls watched in astonishment. “Well, none of us have ever had anyone to wait on us,” Sasaki explained.

“You jest!” the girl cried, then, remembering herself, quickly bowed. “Oh, forgive me for raising my voice, honored one.”

“Don’t worry about it. And don’t call me ‘honored one’,” Sasaki rolled her eyes. “My name is Sasaki.”

“Quite a strange name. Pardon me for saying so,” the girl said as she stood straight. She was a little shorter than Sasaki, with short, straight black hair and almost black eyes. “It doesn’t really suit you does it?” The girl cocked her head a little at Sasaki. “Oh, I am sorry!” she cried, bowing again, eyes down. “We very seldom receive visitors, and I have a tendency to let my words run off with me!”

“It’s all right,” Sasaki said, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I never really liked it either. What’s your name?”

The girl looked up in shock. “M-mine?”

“Yeah. What is it?” she smiled.

“Shu,” the girl said, surprised. This was the first time anyone of importance had asked her name since she came to the palace.

“Nice to meet you. This is what we do where I come from.” Sasaki grabbed her hand and shook it up and down as Shu watched, then got the hang of it, smiling.

Chloe had stopped trying to swat at her designated attendant and was chatting fervently with her about how cute the men were.

“That Takmet’s a hunk!” Chloe smiled.

“Oh, no. I believe the honored pharaoh is more of a “hunk”, as you put it,” the girl giggled at the strange word.

Shu glared at her. “Kehpri!”

The other girl immediately shut her mouth, lowering her eyes, blushing in embarrassment. She got up and backed away from Chloe, joining the line of other girls.

“Awww, and we were getting to the rest of them!” Chloe sighed.

“We must take our leave,” Shu said as the girls disappeared from sight.

The four teenagers walked back to Takmet, feeling a bit self-conscious, because to them, this was the equivalent to walking downtown in a bikini top. The skirts were shorter as well, allowing for freer range of movement. To Takmet, it was more natural. He gave them all light cloaks to ward off the noon sun, and took them to a place where the mounts were kept.

“Camels?” Mandi asked.

“You know of a better way to travel across the desert?” Takmet looked over his shoulder as Hotep brought two camels to him.

“Yeah. It’s called a Jeep,” Mandi said flatly.

“A what?”

She sighed. “Never mind.”

Hotep brought three more of the smelly beasts, and aided the girls in mounting them. Chloe seemed to have a particular revulsion towards these animals and Takmet had to help her on himself while Hotep was helping Sasaki and Ami on. It must have been Chloe’s favorite part of the day because he grabbed her waist to help as she attempted to get on the disgusting blond creature. That and the fact that the whole journey to Takmet’s ‘training ground’ she got camel-sick. They did call them “ships of the desert”, after all.

* * *

“I don’t feel so good....,” Chloe moaned over the side of her camel, face beginning to turn a pale shade of green.

Mandi, who was bringing up the rear, rode up to Chloe’s side. “It’s like being on a boat, Chloe. You just have to get used to it.”

“I get sea sick,” Chloe whined.

“Close your eyes and pretend we’re back home lounging in the pool,” Mandi suggested. Chloe did so willingly, sighing uncomfortably, but her face turned a couple shades closer to her natural color.

Sasaki looked back at her motion-sick friend hanging over her camel. “Is she going to be all right?” Sasaki asked.

“She’ll be fine,” Mandi answered. “Just motion sick.”

Sasaki faced forward again, already used to the awkward gait of the desert beast. The water containers bounced against the camel with each step, brushing her leg once in a while. Takmet rode ahead of her, and even with the cloak on she could see the suggestions of his broad shoulders and strong back. He rode easily, back straight and hands securely on the reigns, rocking with the gait of his mount.

Sasaki caught herself staring and was glad there was no one to see her blush in the cover of her cloak. Takmet was a good person. Compassionate, friendly, and honorable. Why in the world isn’t he married yet? Sasaki wondered. He would no doubt be a great...Sasaki cut off her own thought, blushing again. She had no experience hiding these types of feelings, because she had never really liked anyone seriously before. This is not the time, she scolded herself. Poor guy. He must’ve been alone almost his whole life. Not unlike herself, but her friends had kept her going.

Takmet was pondering his own thoughts. What had happened with the mage? So the girls had power, great power. From the future? How could he doubt it after the old man’s own testimony? The revelation that Sasaki felt something for him came as a partial surprise, for he’d hoped that it might be possible, but after three days? It was too unlikely. The old man had revealed Takmet’s own feelings quite bluntly to say the least, causing Takmet to realize how deeply he felt for her already. That and breaking down Sasaki’s wall for a few heavenly seconds, which was when Takmet saw the furious blush that was her reaction to the mage’s accusation.

Takmet looked behind him to check on the future girls that followed. Mandi rode parallel to Chloe, still hanging over he side of her camel. Who in the name of Ra gets camel-sick? They must really be from the future. Ami was in front of Chloe and Mandi, seemingly enjoying the trip and even being friendly with her ride. Then Sasaki was in front of her. Takmet’s heart skipped a beat as he saw how she rode.

Her posture was almost divine, her back straight, shoulders poised, and her body synchronized with the camel’s stride. Her head was inadvertently held high and radiated confidence, until she caught his eye. The young woman Takmet had observed was not Sasaki, he realized, but someone different. She vanished, replaced by the hesitant but considerate future girl he had saved three days ago. The confidence she had radiated disappeared as she averted her gaze to the rolling grains of sand, controlling her blush. But she ventured to look at him once more, and the regal young woman returned for a split second, both of them recognizing something in the other which they could not explain. Then she was gone again, leaving only Sasaki.

Takmet returned his attention to the course of the journey ahead, even more confused but his feelings for Sasaki even stronger. He shook his head in surrender to the will of the gods and they rode on.

Takmet dismounted in an area where there had once been great structures, the remains of which protruded from the dunes. Giant columns peeked out of the sand and several arches, still intact, cast monstrous shadows, providing some shade.

Takmet glanced up at Sasaki on his way to help the other girls dismount, showing her it was she he would rather put his arms around. He absent-mindedly aided Chloe off the great beast, who completely forgot her motion sickness at that moment. Mandi returned to level ground with no assistance, but Ami was dangling from her furry friend, her legs not able to reach the floor. Takmet quickly helped her down, smiling fondly.

Sasaki was already lounging on the exposed portion of a column as if she were sun bathing. Suddenly she jumped up as if she remembered what they were there to do, threw off her cloak, and took a fighting stance. “All right! Let’s get down to business!”

“You will not be working on that now,” Takmet said as he unloaded the water and food from the camels, which had found a comfortable spot in the shade of an old column. But still he could not prevent himself from smiling at her enthusiasm.

“Huh?” Sasaki asked, relaxing her stance.

“Whom would you practice with? Certainly not me,” he said as he walked back towards the girls, “and your friends have no such experience. I can only teach you to control your powers. You and I will help your friends with the physical part.” Takmet set the supplies down in the shade, wishing it were otherwise. “First your powers, then your fighting.”

They found a spot in the shade and sat on partially uncovered stones. Takmet took his time in demonstrating the basics that they would need to control before going on to bigger things, explaining that they were safe from spies on the holy ground. The girls watched intently, unable to believe that they would also be able to do such things, and they learned quickly.

“It’s all a matter of what you want. Imagine it, and it will happen.” Takmet held out his hand and a pebble floated freely in his palm. That was just the beginning of an incredible day.

Chloe was absently drawing circles in the sand, not really listening to what Takmet was saying, just the sound of his voice. He’s so sweet, she thought. Taking us under his wing like this. He hardly even knows us. She just listened to the sound of his voice, wishing he was in love with her instead of Sasaki. Chloe was so deep in her daydream she hardly noticed the circle she had been digging filled with water.

When she noticed her fingers were wet, she called attention to it. “Hey, what’s this?”

“That’s not me,” Takmet replied, rather surprised. “That’s you.”

“I’m doing this?” Chloe asked astonished.

“Try to pick up the water,” Takmet suggested after thinking for a moment.

“That’s impossible! You can’t pick up water.” Chloe looked at Takmet as if he were a madman.

“Imagine it, and it will happen as you see it.”

Chloe hesitantly placed her palm over the disintegrating water, lifting it up slowly. To her surprise, the water went with it, forming a small globe being tugged on by her hand.

“Wow! Chloe, that’s so cool! Can you make it any bigger?” Ami cried, for now it was only the size of a ping-pong ball.

“I’ll try.” She concentrated, and at first nothing happened, but then it did grow to about the size of a tennis ball. Chloe was excited to see that what she wanted was happening, and was content to play with the shape of the little globe.

“Nifty,” Mandi said, staring at the suspended water.

“That is an enormous step,” Takmet said. “Work with that and explore the possibilities. I cannot teach you how to handle what I do not have myself.”

Takmet continued to work with the simple abilities, the girls learning quickly as their tutor instructed them. It wasn’t that difficult once they got the hang of it, they could do almost anything to a small degree. But they soon tired from concentrating too much and took a break for snacks and water. Sasaki gratefully sat down in the shade of the columns, her friends following suit.

They hadn’t been sitting ten minutes when a bright flash caught Sasaki’s eye. Sasaki got up and walked to it, bending over and plucking it from the sand, brushing the stubborn grains off of it.

“Hey, Mandi,” Sasaki called over her shoulder, “look at this.”

Mandi sluggishly got up and joined Sasaki. “Looks like a bottle,” Mandi said, studying the glasswork, while Sasaki fiddled with the stopper. Mandi thought for a moment. “Did you ever watch ‘I Dream of Genie’?”

“No, actually,” Sasaki replied, still playing with the stopper.

“Never mind then,” Mandi said, shaking her head. “I wonder what’s in it....”

Takmet, curious as to what his two pupils were doing, looked up at them and immediately recognized the object in their hands. “Don’t open that!” he yelled as he scrambled to get up.

Too late. The stopper fell to the floor and smoke issued from the opening, causing Sasaki to drop the bottle in shock. A female figure materialized from the haze, stretching happily.

“Ooo…That feels so much better!” the woman said. After she was finished stretching she turned to the two girls. “All right then. Where am I?” She looked at Sasaki expectantly while Takmet shook his head.

“Uh...E-Egypt,” Sasaki answered.

“Oh, Egypt?! Great! Then get on with your wishes, I have someone to look.....for.....” The air bound woman halted as she caught sight of Takmet who was sighing with regret. Her expression lit up a little and she disappeared from Sasaki only to reappear hovering behind Takmet. “Long time no see!” she smiled as she hung around his neck.

Takmet remained unfazed, though still looking like the world had just turned against him. This is one spectacular surprise...he thought without emotion. He patted her arm briefly and replied. “Nice to see you too, Rei.”

Chloe, Ami, Mandi, and Sasaki only looked on in amazement. “A genie?!” Ami and Chloe said out loud. “You’re friends with a genie?” Chloe finished.

“A little closer than that,” Takmet said, unenthused. “She’s my sister.”

“SISTER?!” the girls yelled in disbelief.