"The Tempest"

Anakaris stood on the roof of Sage Smith's apartment building, looking up at the sky filling with clouds

"<Hmmmmmmm. I wonder how long it will take for the powers of the Amulet to take full effect,>" he muttered to himself.

"<Not long,>" said a voice from behind him, "<or rather it will not take long for you to get the chant wrong and release me!>"

Anakaris spun to face the one who spoke. "<Who?>"

The one who stood there was dressed in the garb of an ancient Japanese scholar, had slanted glowing white eyes and had lightning playing over his body, (hmmmmmmm he looks allot like the Sages that sometimes visited Ram-Ho-Tep...apart from the eyes and the lightning,) thought Anakaris

(Keep your mind on the moment, not the past, he may be a foe,) Thought The Lord Of Sand.

"<I was sealed in that Amulet centuries ago by the Wizard Lo-sang. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Tempest, Master of the Elements, and you are...ASH>" he threw out a hand and a bolt of lightning flashed out of his extended finger at Anakaris.

The Lord of Sand threw himself to the side away from the blast and pulled the sceptre from his belt ."<Is that so? We will see.>" He pointed the sceptre to Tempest. "<Cobra, Strike for your Master!!>"

A translucent green cobra appeared and struck at the element-wielding apparition who recoiled back and blasted the cobra with a bolt of lightning.

Tempest dealt with the magical cobra with ease. (HA, What a weak spell, he is obviously no mage.) he thought, turning back to the muscle-bound cretin that released him to find he had closed the gap between them. "<What?>"

"<Fall, Misbegotten Son Of A Jackal, Emperor Anakaris Is Your DOOM!>" roared the fool, swinging up a fist to strike Tempest in the chin and throwing him across the roof.

Tempest lay on the ground and pointed a hand at Anakaris.

Anakaris cursed to himself. (That is the last time you get to fight Emperor. You should have staved in his skull with the Sceptre, not hit him away from us where he can use his powers again.)

(Oh shut up, We are Anakaris Emperor of Egypt! we can destroy any paltry wizard with ease!) thought the Emperor.

(What about Ram-Ho-Tep, that time we were sent insane by that Vampire mage and he stoped us cold with one spell!) thought Anakaris back.

(That was different. Ram-Ho-Tep was...special.) thought the Emperor

(Sorry to interrupt but he has pointed a hand at us and I think he is ABOUT TO FRY US WHERE WE STAND SO STOP ARGUING!!!) thought the Lord of Sand angrily.

Anakaris threw himself to the side, out of the way of a crackling sheet of white hot energy, and rolled to his feet.

Tempest was back on his feet and smiling evilly. "<I SUMMON THE THREE STORMS!>"

Anakaris struck his palm to his forehead. "<That is what I was supposed to say, I remember now he told me that the other Chant was to let out the Demon Sorcerer inside.>"

Three bolts of energy shot from the amulet and hit the ground in a line in front of Anakaris, causing three men to appear

"Goodbye fool, I leave you to your fate." Tempest turned into a bolt of lightning and streaked away.

The three warriors all wore wide brimmed cane hats, but that was where their resemblance ended. One was large and even more hugely muscled than Anakaris, wore baggy pants, but no shoes or shirt, and carried a large Hammer. The second was smaller and dressed in grey garments of simple cloth and a black cape. Across his back were two swords. The last was dressed in a padded black one piece garment and had electricity arching over himself.

The largest one stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice. "<We are The Three Storms, Thunder>"

The second also stepped forward and said in a voice like the wind, "<Rain>"

The third followed suit. "<and Lightning.>"

The one who identified himself as Thunder hefted his hammer and pulled off his cane hat. "<We were summoned from the amulet to defeat you but what Tempest did not know was that the one who wears the amulet is our Master.>"

Anakaris nodded "<good then....>" he noticed that Thunder had not stopped talking.

"<...then he will be the Master>" finished Thunder.

"<What did you say?>" said Anakaris.

"<You must defeat us to Become our Master,>" said Rain as Thunder began to turn red in the face. "<Thunder will go first.>"

Thunder stepped forward and dropped into a ready stance.

Anakaris and Thunder circled around each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

Anakaris charged directly at Thunder and swung with his sceptre with all his might.

Thunder reached out a hand and caught the head of the sceptre.

"<That is bad,>" Anakaris said.

Thunder swung his hammer with the other hand and knocked him back with a mighty blow.

(I Defeat!, Let me free!) Thought the Mummy

Anakaris frowned. (Well I suppose that IS what you are there for, yes?)

Thunder frowned as Anakaris grew to twice his normal size and bandages appeared on his body. The head of his sceptre grew to the size of a pumpkin, making it a fearsome crushing weapon.

"<UUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOW I CRUSH YOU>" bellowed the Mummy, now released.

Thunder paled as he looked up at the huge Mummy who towered over even him. "<Crush me? errrrrr...>"

The Mummy swung his mighty sceptre downward and struck Thunder a mighty blow in the chest, throwing him back to land beside his Brother Storms on the other side of the roof.

<Your strength is great, but can you stand up to this?> he said, swinging his hammer around his head and causing thunder to rumble, louder and louder, to the point that the sound would have caused anything that could hear it to fall through sheer volume.

The Mummy just walked over and picked Thunder up by the hammer "<I stuff bandages in ears, no hear anything>" he slammed Thunder down onto the roof and brought his huge fist down onto his head

Thunder went down as if he was poleaxed. "Rain, Lightning get him," he cried before slumping to the ground in a heap.

Anakaris turned to face the other two Storms.

Rain pulled off his hat and threw it aside, then drew the two swords from across his back.

Lightning pulled off his own headgear and raised both hands in front of his face as energy began to crackle between them.

"<BURRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH>" roared The Mummy before charging at them. Rain flipped directly over his head to land behind him. Lightning dodged to the side and let lose a blast if electrical energy that staggered the behemoth.

(The Mummy is too slow, he could never catch them,) thought The Lord Of Sand.

(Then I suppose it is up to me again,) thought Anakaris back. (Mummy, It is my turn.)

The huge, towering form of The Mummy shrunk and turned back to the True Form of Anakaris. "<Now we battle.>" He lunged at Rain

Rain leapt to the side and slashed out at Anakaris with the sword in his left hand.

Anakaris ducked the slash but ran straight past Rain.

(What I wouldn't give for a Blade in my hand right now,) thought Anakaris as he dodged a blast from Lightning.

(You cannot stop both of them alone, but maybe you can use them against each other,) thought The Lord Of Sand .(Lightning is quick and fiery, perhaps the same is true for his temper.)

Anakaris smiled slightly and dodged another blast. "<is that all you can do? I've seen puddles that were more dangerous>" he jeered at the Storms.

Rain leapt toward The Pharaoh with his swords swinging, Lightning yelled a battle cry and blasted at Anakaris again

Anakaris rolled forward underneath Rain causing Lightning to miss, then rolled to his feet. "<come on you can do better then that you fugitive from Set's kingdom!>"

Lightning's face turned bright red and then threw a huge bolt of electricity at Anakaris.

Anakaris ducked and the blast shot over his head...and struck Rain, who was creeping up behind him, in the middle of the chest throwing him back and knocking him out.

The Emperor charged at Lightning. "<FALL, MISBEGOTTEN BROTHER OF A CAMEL,>" he yelled as he brought the sceptre down on his head knocking him out cold.

"<That is the end>" said a voice from behind him.

Anakaris turned to face The Three Storms with their Cane hats back on and kneeling before him

"<We are defeated.>" said Thunder.

"<You are Worthy.>" said Rain.

"<And so you are Master of The Storms.>" said Lightning.

"<Call on our powers whenever you wish.>" said Thunder.

"<They are yours.>" said Rain.

"<Call us to battle at any time.>" said Lightening.

"<We will come.>" said Thunder.

"<The Language does not matter.>" said Rain.

"<We speak all.>" said Lightning.

"<Only the words are important.>" said Thunder.

"<Now...>" said Rain.

"<...Farewell.>" said Lightning.

They all stood and bowed then turned into shafts of light and flew into the amulet.

Anakaris walked downstairs back into the apartment and fell onto his bed, asleep before he hit it.

Doctor Smith walked up to the open door of the room Anakaris was sleeping in and said, "<Anakaris?>"

Anakaris said something on the lines of "<wrasifgl?>"

"<Did you hear about that storm last night? Supposedly it was HUGE.>"

His only answer was a loud snore.