TO ALL MY READERS: I want to apologize to you all for not getting the chapters out for this fanfiction sooner than I promised. I had a lot of goals set out throughout 2019, but life had other plans for me. This past March, my grandmother was diagnosed with Stage Four Endometrial Cancer. I was physically and mentally shattered. I am very close with my grandparents, and when I received the news, I wanted to do whatever I could to save her. I dedicated all my time to help her with treatments, cooking, cleaning, caring for my grandfather, anything and everything to make it easier on our family. Unfortunately, over the last few months, her health deteriorated drastically and became terminally ill. She is now into her last few days on Earth and I plan on spending every second with her until she gains those beautiful white wings. So, please enjoy this chapter until I come back in 2020, fully rejuvenated and an undying desire of dedication. I have a lot in store for Samantha and I don't plan on giving up on her yet! Thank you for reading and understanding. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Now on to Chapter Seven!

The chilled desert air that surrounded us started to thin, my heavy breathing dominating over the crackling sounds of the campfire and the ripples of the river nearby. I stared into Ardeth's kind expression like a deer caught in headlights. I tried to form the words, but couldn't seem to get them past my lips.

"Ardeth, I'm very flattered," I began to turn him away, but small movement in the shadows over his shoulder caught my eye.

I gasped and shot to my feet, watching the three figures walking towards us. I planted one foot behind me, ready to run if I needed to. Ardeth jerked his head behind him, but his vigilant nature relaxed upon the sight of our visitors.

He wrapped a hand around my forearm. "It's all right, Samantha. These people are here to bring you gifts. They asked for my permission to meet with you."

"Gifts?" I asked.

I cocked a curious brow before the unknown group came in closer, the roaring fire illuminating a faint glow upon their kind faces. I first noticed the older woman back at the infirmary, a broad smile spreading across her friendly face. She held a large basket between her fingers, filled with a bountiful variety of fruits and vegetables. I noticed a pair of eyes watching me behind her hip, the young boy shyly following closely. When I met his stare, he softy smiled, his sweet innocence causing me to flash a small smile of my own. He gently wiped his dark curls away from his face, the soft white sack swaying from his wrist. Then two other men followed, both wearing the clothing and tattoos of the Medjai. The identical middle-aged males watched me intently as I took in the steady gaze. The one closest to my right carried long yet narrow bag around his muscular back.

"Ardeth," I attempted to protest my position as a universal goddess, but the boy stopped me in my tracks. He gently tugged on my shirt, causing me to look down into his big brown eyes. I couldn't understand the Arabic he was speaking, but the look on Ardeth's face promised me that his words were just as adorable as his face.

"Samantha, this is Abraham, Judith's son," Ardeth announced. "He said that no matter what his mother may think, he knows that you can save the world."

I sighed with sadness swallowing my features. Abraham doesn't let my guilt affect him, and he hands me the sack that was around his wrist. I took it with a small grin and carefully opened it with both hands. I pulled out the necklace, admiring the golden eye pendant that hung from its chain.

"It's the Eye of Horus," Ardeth explained. "It's used for protection and good health."

My lips curled back in a grin, and I couldn't hold back my gratitude. I knelt before the young boy, holding up the chain for him to take.

"Would you like to put it on for me?" I asked.

Ardeth translated for Abraham, and the boy took the chain with excitement. I chuckled as he placed the chain over my head before wrapping him in a big hug.

"Thank you, Abraham," I said.

"You already know Judith's mother," Ardeth called, my eyes drifting to the infirmary woman. "Anuket, but she prefers Anu."

"Anu," I nodded in greeting, standing to my feet. "It's nice to put a name to the face finally."

Anu holds the basket up, mustering only two words that Ardeth perhaps assisted her. "For you."

Ardeth takes the woven basket from her while speaking to her softly. I gave her a friendly nod, thanking her, then drift my attention to the twins that approached me. They both held the stiff stance of a soldier, the strength in their steps signifying the importance of their roles. They had me straighten my back by the looks of them. The brother that held the pack around him spoke first, the deep bass of his voice vibrating to my core.

"This is Ishmael and his brother, Mohammad. Ishmael heard that you might be joining us in battle," Ardeth said. "So they had the blacksmith make something for you."

It then occurred to me what was in the long narrow holder around him, and my guilt dug a hole deeper within my chest. Ishmael removed the cylinder-shaped pack around him and pulled out my "gift" wrapped in cloth. He presented it to me with both hands, and I unwrapped the fabric with a hesitating hand. I gasped at the sword that nestled safely in its holster, the sword of a Medjai, now my sword. My hand gently caressed the smooth black leather of the handle.

"Wow," I breathed. "This is..."

I trailed off for a moment, admiring the craftsmanship, but then my guilt creeps back in and overflows. I drifted up towards the smiling soldier before me, with my mouth hanging open. Denial was on the tip of my tongue, but the way he looked at me prevented me from saying it. He seemed happy and almost hopeful. His eyes held onto mine, channeling his faith that I was the answer to their prayers. If only I had the strength to tell him otherwise.

"Thank you." I grinned. "This will be very helpful, indeed."

I took my sword with my free hand, the weight of it almost causing me to lose my balance. I gave a light chuckle to hide my embarrassment. Ardeth chatted with them for a while, figuring that he was thanking them for me and explaining tomorrow's plans. All the while, my attention drifted off in the distance. I leaned my sword against my leg as my hand found the gold chain that hung around my neck. I twirled it between my fingers as all my thoughts and emotions ripped me in two. My head kept screaming, demanding that I shouldn't fall victim to this fairytale belief that I was whom these characters claim me to be. My heart, on the other hand, tells me that I have no other choice but to go along with it. I need to get home to Zoey, no matter what the cost.

The feeling of thin arms wrapping around my waist broke me out of my trance, Abraham pulling me into a tight hug. I run a hand through his thick curls with a chuckle. He spoke to me some more as his chin rested on the core of my stomach. My eyebrows rose listening intently, even though it wouldn't help me to understand. Abraham then scurried away by Anu's call, and the group took their leave. I gave them all a wave goodbye before turning back to Ardeth.

"What did Abraham say?" I asked.

Ardeth chuckled lightly before answering. "He said that he would keep praying for you. He will ask for the other gods to help guide you on your path."

"I'm going to need all the help I can get." I scoffed.

"Does that mean you will be coming with us?" Ardeth placed the basket beside our seats, watching me with a hopeful expression.

"I don't have a choice." I sighed. "I can't hide forever. I got myself into this mess. Now I need to get myself out."

I reached for my sword, and my strength quickly put to the test. The muscles in my arm begged for mercy, fire radiating up my shoulder and down my back as I lifted the heavy steel up to examine its length. My body took enough beating this past couple of days, but I can't stop now.

"Could you teach me?" I quirked a brow. "Could you teach me to fight?"

Ardeth stood tall with his hands promptly placed on his hips. He hesitated to answer as he took in the beaten sight of me. After all, I'm not as physically fit as the rest of them, and I only have one workable arm.

"I can," he finally stated. "But I will warn you, Samantha. I'm not going to be soft on you."

"I don't expect you to be," I replied. "Now, what do we do first?"

Ardeth started to circle me with a smirk, studying me from the curls of my head to the tip of my boots. I followed along with his gaze as I carried a puzzling expression.

"First, you will learn how to commit to the fight." He explained. "You need to accept the truth that your opponent has the intention to kill you and will do whatever is necessary to do so, which brings me to your first lesson. If an attacker is coming towards you with his sword held high, what would you do?"

"I would block him with mine," I stammered. "Maybe maneuver out of the way."

"Let me put it in more simplest terms." He stopped to face me. "What part of his body would be more vulnerable in that position?"

"His torso," I answered dumbly. "Maybe even lower than that."

"That is correct," he smiled. "Use it to your advantage. Even though you have one arm, you still have two legs, a strong shoulder, a jabbing elbow." He motioned as he pulled and pushed me like a doll."Your body is a weapon before any object. Utilize it to your best potential."

Ardeth showed me different techniques for what seemed to be hours, sweat pouring down my forehead and damping my curls. My muscles ached, and my legs felt weak, but I didn't let it stop me from my lessons. My feet created streaks of sand as I rose my legs high into the air. My hips rocked and maneuvered swiftly out of harm's way. My eyes and mind focused on the one thing that mattered most, and nothing broke my concentration. Well, almost nothing.

I winced by the sudden pinch ripping at the bottom of my stitches. I instinctively raised a hand to cover my shoulder while sucking in a breath through gritted teeth. Ardeth quickly comes to my side with outstretched arms and worried eyes.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"It's my shoulder," I admitted. "I think I aggravated it. Maybe we should call it a night. I don't want to overwork myself."

"Yes," he nodded. "We only have a few hours left until sunrise. You must rest."

He kindly led me back towards my tent before turning back to gather my gifts. He placed the basket and sword inside then met me again at the entranceway. Ardeth seemed rather skittish, stumbling on his words as I hid a grin while looking at my boots. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated to let it out. He finally gave up and took a deep breath.

"Goodnight, Samantha." He said.

"Goodnight," I gulped. "Thank you for the lessons."

"It was my pleasure," he smiled warmly. "I will be back in the morning."

Ardeth strode off without another word, and I couldn't help but watch him leave. I tried to fight the smitten smile that attacked the corners of my mouth as the heat started to fill my cheeks. For a split second, I felt the wave of tenderness wash over me. My mind unlocked to flood my senses of him. I trace my fingers over my hand, still able to feel his warmth on my skin. The strength of his gaze seizing my chest, making it hard to breathe. I realized that perhaps the attraction was not a one-way street.

"I'm in intense trouble," I mumbled to myself.

It was difficult for me to sleep that night. I couldn't help from tossing and turning, quarreling between the anticipation of facing Imhotep and the bothersome aching of my shoulder. It felt as if I kept waking up every hour on the hour. My eyes would fly open to gaze off in the pitch black that swallowed around me with endless racing thoughts and scenarios. I occasionally would rub the soreness away of my shoulder before eventually drifting off back to sleep. When morning finally arrived, the sun invited the first few dim strays of light leaking through the fabric of my tent. I sat up as I took a few deep breaths before reaching for my shoulder again. The soreness started to swivel into undying ich, and I couldn't take it any longer. I freshened up as much as I could and headed straight for the infirmary.

Luckily when I arrived, Anu was there attending other patients. She locked eyes with me the moment I entered and softly smiled. I returned the greeting with a small wave and tried to explain my pain as best I could with a simple gesture towards my shoulder. Anu led me to an empty bed and immediately attended my needs. She carefully pushed my blouse aside and pulled back the covering to evaluate the condition. I gaped at her face, watching the soft lines of her forehead wrinkled in astonishment. I licked my lips nervously at the thought of a bad infection mingling its way in my system and looked down at myself in a panic, but instead, a new alarm arouses. New pink skin peaked around the patch that held my wound closed, the threads swallowing into the original scar. Every muscle in my body froze as my mind tried to process what my eyes were witnessing.

"I'm healed?" I breathed.

Anu stopped a couple nearby, the demand in her tone sending the couple flying for the exit. She then shuffled to grab a few supplies and returned to me to take out my stitches. As she worked, my mind wandered. Nothing could magically heal a stab wound this quickly, and that when it hit me. Magic! Last night, I started to believe in my journey. I began to alter my vision of myself. I gained self-confidence and courage. I embraced my position in this storyline. Is this magic? Could I slowly be turning into Isis? How else could this be explained?

"Sam?" I lifted my chin to gaze into the worried faces of my group. Rick was the first to approach me, looking over Anu's shoulder to examine mine. His face too scrunched in confusion. "This is not possible."

"But it is," Ardeth commented, admiring my quick healing. "You are the answer to our prayers. This is your fate, Samantha. You are the chosen one to defeat Imhotep. You are undoubtedly Isis."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ardeth!" Evelyn scoffed. "Are you mad?"

"Well, she is healing rather quickly, Evie." Jonathan scratched his head. "You've seen the books and the pictures. Maybe, just maybe, she could be this Isis lass."

"I agree," Judith called from the entrance.

She sauntered in with a smile of triumph as her eyes locked onto mine. Everyone cleared her a path to soak in the sight of me. I could channel her unspoken words, her glee that I listened to her instructions last night. I was finally starting to believe so I could put an end to all this evil and chaos. I didn't return her smile, but the determination framing my steady gaze declared what I wanted to do next. Judith caught on quickly and nodded her head in approval.

"Ardeth," she called. "Bring Samantha with you to prepare for battle. Then get her the best horse we have to give."

"Whoa," Rick intervened. "I get it that you're chief and all lady, but this is crazy. Sam should stay here."

"And who are you to have a say?" She snapped.

"I'm her friend." He growled before turning to me. "Sam, please tell me that you're not going through with this."

"I have to," I answered proudly. "I was there that night in Haminaptra too. I'm a part of this no less than you are. Face it, Rick, I'm going rather you like it or not. But, it will be a lot easier if you accept it."

I didn't falter as Rick glared down at me. I stood to my feet, rolling my shoulder to rid of the remaining soreness. I then turned to Ardeth with my back a little straighter. "Let's get ready. We can't waste any more time."