When night finally fell,
The Nile shimmered under the silver light of the moon as the riverboat glided quietly downstream. Lanterns swayed with the rhythm of the current, casting soft golden glows across the deck.
Daniel sat on one of the benches, watching Rick O'Connell methodically clean and check his guns. The faint click of metal echoed through the night air.
Rick looked up. "You want one?" he asked, holding out a polished revolver.
Daniel shook his head with a smirk. "Nah. If I have a gun, I'd be more worried about the people around me than the things we're fighting."
Rick chuckled. "Fair enough." He went back to loading his bullets.
"So, tell me—why are you and that fancy bunch going to a cursed city? Nothing there but bad luck and corpses."
Daniel leaned back, gazing at the river. "We're looking for something… precious. Treasures, knowledge, relics—depends on who you ask."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "And what about you?"
Daniel smiled faintly. "Let's just say I have my own reasons."
Before Rick could ask more, Evelyn's voice cut through the quiet.
"Dan! Did you take the box?" she called, walking toward them .
"Yeah, I've got it safe," Daniel said, glancing over his shoulder. The box — the key — was with him, locked away where no one could touch it. He had no intention of losing something that important, not in this place seconds away from becoming chaos.
(Safe in his inventory, naturally — not that he could tell her that.)
"Next time, at least tell me before you—" Evelyn's words stopped short when her eyes fell on the deck table, covered in guns, ammo belts, and knives.
Her jaw dropped. "What on earth is this? We're going on an archaeological expedition, not a war!"
Rick looked up, deadpan. "Well, precaution never hurts. Things tend to get... unpredictable out there."
Evelyn crossed her arms. "Unpredictable? It's just a historical site, Mr. O'Connell. The only things waiting for us there are sand, stones, and possibly some fascinating relics."
Daniel grinned slightly, unable to resist. "Evy, maybe listen to the guy. There are strange things buried out there. You'll see soon enough."
Evelyn huffed, clearly annoyed that he was siding with Rick. "Fine. When you two blow something up, don't say I didn't warn you."
Rick leaned back in his chair,
"So… is there a thing going on between you two?"
Daniel looked at him, then shrugged casually. "So-so. Not confirmed yet."
Rick chuckled. "Well, good luck with that. She seems a little too smart for her own good—" he smirked, "and those are always the hardest to handle."
Daniel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Tell me about it. She can argue an ancient pharaoh into submission."
Rick laughed, clearly amused. "Then you're doomed, my friend."
Rick was about to reply when something outside the lamplight caught his attention.
"What is it?" Daniel asked, noticing the sudden change in his demeanor.
Rick didn't answer immediately. He stood up, his hand instinctively moving to his holster. "I just saw an old friend," he muttered grimly.
As Rick slipped away to follow his friend into the shadows of the boat, Daniel leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
"Well, that confirms it," he muttered to himself. "If things are still going according to the script, the Medjai will be paying a visit any minute now."
He glanced up at the moonlit sky, the soft waves of the Nile glimmering silver.
Around them, laughter and music from the other passengers carried through the night — calm before the inevitable storm.
"Alright then," he said under his breath, a faint smirk on his lips. "Let's see if I can keep this boat from burning down this time."
Two hundred meters away from the riverboat, the still waters of the Nile rippled softly.
Under the pale moonlight, several small boats glided silently through the current — their occupants cloaked in black, their faces wrapped in scarves that left only their eyes visible. Each man held a curved scimitar that glinted faintly in the darkness.
The Medjai.
Silent, relentless — the ancient guardians of Hamunaptra.
They had followed the trail of those who dared to seek the forbidden city — the ones who now sailed the riverboat, unaware that watchful eyes were upon them.
To the Medjai, these outsiders were intruders, dangerous in their curiosity, and their duty was clear.
They came to stop them — before the City of the Dead was disturbed again.
*****
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