Takmet found himself back in the advisor’s room, still pinned against the wall. It was as if no time has passed. Takmet glared at Sekat. The advisor instantly felt a change in Takmet and snapped his head up to meet Takmet’s iron stare. Green eyes burned with determination into Sekat’s light brown ones. The illusion of Sasaki faded. Suddenly Sekat threw a tremendous amount of energy at the seemingly helpless Takmet. Takmet only blinked and the attack dispersed before reaching the midpoint between them. Sekat flew into the opposite wall, bringing down some of the wall with him. He fell to the floor.

Takmet stepped from the wall he had been trapped against as if he had been only leaning on it. “You disgust me,” Takmet growled.

As Sekat pushed himself off the floor he gasped, “Damn it! You’ve been unsealed.” He flew into the wall again, still not adjusted to Takmet’s new power. Takmet wasn’t going to give him the time to do so.

“I tried to warn you, Sekat.” Takmet lifted his hands as the advisor pulled away from the wall and began readying another attack.

Sekat threw it and it dispersed against Takmet’s hands.

“You’re no match for me now,” Takmet said. He held his arm out to his side, palm facing down. Light cracked from the floor from around where the advisor stood. He looked down in dismay and looked back up into Takmet’s face. “Give my greetings to Anubis. It’s been a while since I’ve seem him.”

Sekat’s eyes widened as the floor he stood on exploded in a combination of red and yellow light. The ceiling dropped some crumbled stone as the shock and smoke and dust filled the room. When the dust cleared there was nothing there. The space where Sekat had stood was empty.

Takmet sighed. He made his way to the door but he almost collapsed. His hand on the wall kept him from falling. Being this powerful is quite tiring, he thought. *You’ll get used to it,* he heard a voice say. Takmet smiled. He hoped so.

Takmet arrived at Marton’s door after walking a distance. He did not have the energy to instantly move himself there. Takmet opened the door and made his way down the stairs rather quickly. As he entered the main room he saw Sasaki sitting up and Marton standing next to her. At the sound of someone entering the room Sasaki turned around.

“Takmet,” she said in surprise. She pulled the blanket she had around her shoulders. Sasaki looked him over and attempted to rise. She decided against it after her vision began to go dark and sat back down.

“Are you all right?” Takmet asked.

“Better than I was. What happened to you? You’re all beat up.” Sasaki looked up at him, wondering.

Takmet hesitated, but answered her question. “I went to take care of Sekat.”

“What do you mean by ‘take care of’?” Sasaki asked. “You…killed him?”

Her tone of voice caught him off guard. “Yes. I did.”

Sasaki’s eyes began watering, but the tears didn’t escape. She looked down at the floor. Takmet furrowed his brow in confusion. He sat down next to her, making a move to touch her arm. Sasaki flinched. Takmet remembered that damned spell and clenched his fist, taking it away.

“What?” Takmet asked her. He leaned down a bit so he could see her face.

She looked up and smiled a little. “Thank you.”

Takmet was taken aback by her answer. Marton stayed silent. “For what?”

She looked back at the floor. “Sekat killed my family. My family that I grew up with, save the man I knew as my father. My mother and sister have been avenged. Thank you.”

Takmet was shocked. He stared at Sasaki, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears that were quickly drying up to hide her feelings. All Takmet wanted to do was offer a comforting arm around the shoulder, but he couldn’t even express his sympathy. He looked away and closed his eyes forcefully, running his hands over his face.

The mage looked at him steadily, then turned back to Sasaki. “I think you should leave now.” Sasaki turned to face him, glancing at Takmet worriedly. “Can you walk?”

Sasaki nodded and pushed herself off the chair, dropping Marton’s blanket on it before she walked to the door. Takmet’s gaze followed her only a few feet and he closed his eyes again and faced the floor.

When Takmet heard the door shut he leaned back and sighed. “Why? Why does it have to be this way?”

Marton sat down next to Takmet and put his hand on his shoulder. “It won’t always be. Trust me.” He removed his hand. “I know the spell must be frustrating. It would not be easy to break even with more than one person working on it.”

“It probably could not be broken by a dozen people by the way Rei described it.”

“Why not?”

“The spell is connected to Sasaki’s life force. If it breaks, she dies. If she dies, it breaks. Either way involves her dying, and I would rather not have that happen.”

“I wasn’t aware of that…”

“Rei tried to break it before. Sasaki’s wish. Rei said there were several layers of protective spells. The process only caused Sasaki pain.”

Marton thought for a moment. “Maybe you’re going about it too quickly. You’ve tried to get to the main spell too fast. All the extra spells are probably very intricate and it may take time.”

Takmet looked up at him. “Do you think it is possible?”

“Perhaps. I couldn’t do it, though. I’m too old for all that detailed work. My nephew Nezbek could, most likely.”

“Would he be willing to help?” Takmet asked.

“If you tell him who sent you, then yes. He lives a little further down the Nile, but if you want to go, then I suggest you leave as soon as possible. The sooner you leave, the more likely it is that you will be able to avoid being targeted by Sekat’s partner for a while.”

“Now is as good a time as any I’d wager.”

Marton nodded. “Go to where they keep the camels when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.”

Takmet got up and left the room. He closed the door behind him as he emerged in the hall. Sasaki was leaning against the wall across from him. “I didn’t know you were waiting,” he said.

She smiled. “I’ve been waiting for a while. I’m getting used to it.”

Takmet winced. She wasn’t referring to just now. “Don’t talk like you will have to wait forever. It won’t be that long,” he explained as he started walking. She followed him. “We have to leave the palace.” They walked towards his room.

“To go where?” Sasaki asked, walking beside him.

“To someone who might be able to help us,” he said quietly, still looking straight ahead.

Sasaki was silent, thinking. “Do you think it’s a possibility?” she asked quietly. She tried not to let her faint hope shine through.

Takmet smiled. She was still suppressing her emotions. He realized he had become much more sensitive to them. “Don’t try so hard to be indifferent. My reaction was the same.”

Sasaki looked up at him and her beautifully smile half-appeared as a sort of grin. “Who is this amazing fellow then?”

“Marton’s nephew. I should not say any more in the hall, though…”

“I understand,” Sasaki answered immediately. She examined him again. “Are you all right? I think you should be resting with your injuries.” She thought that he was hardly able to continue walking.

“I am fine for now.” The fight had taken a lot out of him and he should have been resting as Sasaki said, but he had to get things ready for them to leave.

Sasaki didn’t ask him any more, sensing he really wouldn’t answer truthfully anyway. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

It wasn’t very far to the room the girls were staying in. Sasaki opened the door, letting Takmet close it on his way in. Sasaki gently woke up her friends, letting them know what was going on. Then they noticed her clothes.

“My God, what happened, Sasaki?” Mandi asked as she gathered her wits.

“I’ll tell you later. We have to go.” She and the other girls got dressed as Takmet waited outside.

Takmet was leaning against the wall, on the verge of sleep when the sound of the door opening jolted him awake. Sasaki nodded. He nodded back and led the four girls to where the camels were kept. Hotep, Rei, and Marton were waiting for them

“I took the liberty of telling Hotep and Rei about your little trip. I’m sure they’ll be helpful in some way.”

“That’s good,” Sasaki smiled. “Thanks.”

They loaded the camels with water and some food to snack on for the trip. They also donned cloaks to protect them form the chill of the night and the heat of the day.

“Well,” Marton began. “You should be off now. I can shorten you trip by a day or two with magic. Unfortunately I can’t get you all of the way there. Just keep following the river North. The city is unmistakable.”

Hotep was standing next to Takmet. “I hope this works, for your sake,” he said sincerely.

Takmet nodded, not turning his head.

“And for mine,” Hotep continued. “I’ll never hear the end of it if it doesn’t. Then you’ll be all mopey and depressed and I’ll have to find a more interesting best friend. I just won’t be able to take that.”

Takmet smiled and elbowed Hotep in the stomach. Hotep bent over slightly, holding the injury and choking back the sound that air escaping his lungs would have made. He chuckled and gave Takmet a look.

The mage began chanting and making hand gestures. The world shifted around the group of travelers and camels. Their stomachs were displaced temporarily as the scenery changed and then reformed. They were now far north of the palace, standing close to the banks of the Nile.

“I suppose we should be going,” Takmet said as he strained mounting his camel.

The rest of the party mounted fairly easily. Chloe and Ami received help from Hotep since Takmet was making an effort to get on his own camel. When they all were seated, they began their trek.

It was still the middle of the night, but the excitement of the trip and the possible solution waiting for them kept most of the party awake.

Hotep brought his camel next to Takmet’s. “Hey, you all right? You look real beat.”

“I am,” Takmet replied shortly.

“So what happened?”

“Sekat happened,” Takmet sighed. “Or rather, I happened to Sekat.”

Hotep’s eyes widened in understanding. “You killed him? I know you had a problem with him, but I never thought you would actually take him on. Why?”

“Sasaki’s life was on the line. What was I supposed to do? Talk it out with him?”

“I see,” Hotep said. He pondered in silence for a couple of moments, pondering what that really meant. He became serious. “You really love her.”

“More than you can know. I can’t describe it. I am for her. She is my purpose for living now, even if she does not realize it.”

Hotep grinned, attitude changing quickly. “All that and it comes in a very nicely wrapped package.”

Takmet half-grinned. “True.”

Hotep punched him playfully. “I’m glad you know who you’re living for again. Your personality is so much better when you have something to live for.”

While that conversation ended, the girls in the back were occasionally having their own. All talking quickly ceased, however. All of them were tired after riding for a couple of hours, and poor Chloe was the worst off, except for maybe Takmet.

The sun soon rose, sending a beautiful gold color reflecting across the sand. It seemed peaceful, alone in the middle of the desert, until Takmet heard and enraged voice.

You! How DARE you!

Takmet held his head in his hands as the voice echoed through it. It was deafening.

Sasaki was riding directly behind him and saw the motion. “Takmet?” she asked hesitantly.

The voice rose again, causing pain to shoot through Takmet’s body. How dare you kill him, all for your precious Sasaki’s sake!!

Takmet recognized the voice. “Yakumi?” he said out loud.

I want your head, Takmet!

Unbelievable pain scorched his body. He let out a muffled yell and doubled over.

“Takmet??” Sasaki asked again as she saw him bend over. She whirled, facing backwards, and gave Rei a look that said more than shouted words. Rei swiftly dismounted and appeared at her brother’s camel side. She grabbed the reigns, forcing the camel to kneel and then to sit. Sasaki and the others halted as Rei caught Takmet when he fell off his camel. Sasaki was off her camel and as close as Rei would permit her to be in an instant.

“It was you,” Takmet said. “The presence I always felt.” To the rest of the group he wasn’t talking to anyone.

I couldn’t help myself. You were so pathetic, but you could have become a nuisance. And I was unable to prevent that.

Rei spoke to Takmet forcefully, “Who is it, Takmet? What’s wrong?”

Another flare of pain shot through him and he grit his teeth. “Yakumi,” he managed.

Oh, the pain! the voice sneered.

“Leave me be!” Takmet raised his voice. Rei held onto him. Now Takmet’s symbol was glowing. His power was working to drive the intruder out of his mind.

Impressive. But if I can’t have you, I’ll take the next best thing! One who does not have the power to defy me.

In a split second Takmet knew whom Yakumi was going after. He looked into Sasaki’s eyes fearfully. At that moment the fading pain was gone from him. Sasaki’s eyes widened as she felt the intrusion. It felt as if her heart was being slowly picked apart. She cringed and began to choke back her whimpering. She clutched at her heart as she fell to her knees in the sand. Rei whirled as she hit the floor. When she began to fall from her sitting position Hotep caught her.