Note: Most is this is a figment of my imagination but some is related to the movies, but it is just a bit of fun and my interpretation of the mysterious man. It includes most of the famous Ardeth Bay quotes and fictious accounts of what he does off of camera and the bits on camera are skimmed briefly so it is really essential to have seen the movies before you read this (it's longer than I originally wanted).

Ardeth Bay is a member of the Med Jai, a desert people who have sworn to protect the world from "The Creature" who was a man cursed and buried at Hamunaptra. They have been guarding him for over 3000 years, watching and deterring.

Ardeth Bay's father, Metkar, was a hard man, he took his job very seriously. All of the Med Jai commanders who had been in many battles with him respected and adored him, all except one, his son. Ardeth didn't even know his mother as she died in childbirth and Ardeth's father blamed him for it, Ardeth was brought up by other village women with all of the other village children without really knowing his father.

One day when all of the children were playing a friendly game of "Warrior" Ardeth accidentally split one of the older boys head open. Metkar was furious and took the young Ardeth to the warrior training ground to put him in his paces, but even though Ardeth was younger than all of the other boys, he used his smaller size to weave in and out of battle in order to win. As the years went by Ardeth got better and better, stronger and stronger at his craft.

An old commander by the name of Byeth took a shining to Ardeth, as he knew that Metkar was growing old and soon this impulsive young man would become their leader and he needed to be taught. So over the years Ardeth alternated between his warrior training, learning to be a leader from Byeth and avoiding his father. But one afternoon when he was on his way to Byeth's tent he was confronted with his father. Metkar towered over the arrogant adolescent, his harsh face with black tattoo's, Ardeth braced himself but was surprised when his father offered him his hand and said come with me, bewildered Ardeth followed and was led to a dark tent. Metkar then sat down and proceeded to tell Ardeth all 

about "the Creature" and how when he passed on, Ardeth had to stop the creature from surfacing. Ardeth didn't have the heart to tell his father he already knew this and sat listening in silence, then Metkar opened the tent to admit a gnarled man who proceeded to tattoo Ardeth's face and arms. Metkar watched in silence as his son didn't even make a sound.

on a bleak day a small bunch of riders were seen over the ridge, Ardeth Bay had come home. Metkar stood, waiting until his son came up to him and handed him the talisman, then looked after the horses and his men. A shocked Metkar brimmed with pride and placed the talisman on a leather thong and gave it back to his son, "Son, this has been lost for countless generations and never found, you truly are a Med Jai leader," and walked away.

Ardeth went to have something to eat and was nearly knocked over by an incoming warrior who rushed passed and straight into Metkar's tent. He watched in wonder as the various commanders went into the tent and the messenger came up to him, "Your father wants you in there." Ardeth stood and walked into the tent, his father got up and touched him on the shoulder, "If I don't come back, Ardeth here is your leader, he is young and impulsive but he will be a great man, treat him like you would treat me." He then walked out of the tent and saddled his horse and gathered a small band of men, Ardeth rushed up to him, "Where are you going?" To which Metkar replied, "They are getting ready to wake him, I must stop them." Ardeth stood back, knowing who 'they' were, the group of warriors, much like the Med Jai, only darker and dangerous, there had been many battles between each other and this looked like to be another, "Let me come with you." 

"No, you have to stay here, they need a leader, good luck my son," he then rode off.

Ardeth waited for months with no word until a wounded and weak Med Jai came through with his father's falcon flying high above, Ardeth rushed up to him and lowered the man to the ground, the messenger's head lifted up, "Your father has been taken captive, you must save him," and proceeded to tell Ardeth where he was beginning held. Ardeth got the commanders together and rode out with a small army behind him, his father's falcon on his arm.

They rode until they found their camp, with Metkar tied up in the middle. Metkar looked up and saw them on the horizon, but his movements were seen and the battle lines were drawn. Ardeth lead the Med Jai as they rampaged through the camp and he jumped off of his horse to rescue his father, but as he was untying the reigns a large man walked out of the tent, "You will not leave here alive Metkar." Ardeth finished untying the reigns and stepped in to protect his weakened father only to be pushed away, "Ardeth, go."

"But, father."

"Go, I'll deal with Lock Na," and he grabbed his weapon that Lock Na had thrown at his feet. Ardeth watched in horror as his father was worn down by the younger man, his father looked at him before Lock Na could complete the final blow, "Go, Ardeth, stop the creature from rising," and he was killed. Ardeth looked at Lock Na in horror and went in for vengeance only to be stopped by one of his men, Ardeth rethought it over and got back on his horse, he tipped his sword at Lock Na, "I'll be seeing you." Lock Na laughed as Ardeth and the rest of the Med Jai rode away, Ardeth with his father's body draped over his horse.

Many years later Ardeth stood on the top of the cliff face and watched as Tuareg's battled with a legion of white men over the top of the creature's grave site. He watched as they were cut down one by one until only one man was left running through the ruins, bullets blazing behind him until he found that he was blocked by a large statue, Ardeth watched and held his breath a little as the man was about to be executed and watched in horror as the creature's face was formed in the sand leaving the man to run into the desert. "The creature remains undiscovered," he says as the man dashes off into the desert and one of his men looks at him, "What of this one?" Ardeth looks down as the man turns around to look at them, "Should we kill him?" "No. The desert will kill him." They then left and watched and waited until the creatures discovery was in jeopardy again.

3 Years passed and nothing happened until Ardeth was given an important message from Cairo is said: "Key has been found, I burnt the location off the map but they have found a man that has been there, they leave Cairo port tomorrow morning. Bey." He gathered a group of his men and placed Jolar as their commander. "You are to recover the map and the key at all costs no matter the lives, we must stop the discovery of the creature." Jolar nodded and packed his things, placing his hook carefully in his saddle bags.

Ardeth waited for word until a lone Med Jai returned, "They were well armed and escaped, Jolar got the map but I saw a British man with the key as he dove over board." Ardeth nodded and gathered a troop of his men and went to watch the horizon and saw Rick come back and stare at them once again, "This one is strong," and watches some more, as dawn breaks they go to stop the men, only to be stopped by a band led by Lock Na. Lock Na stood and ordered the challenge "I have come to finish what was started some time ago," Ardeth looked around in desperation and at the now rising son, this little war would slow them done and the creature may have been found by then. Seeing no option, Ardeth lead his men down the dune and into the fray, they fought all day until Lock Na retreated, "The is not the end Bay, this is not the end." Ardeth looked at the now setting sun and sped off with his remaining men for Hamunaptra. They arrived at night and rushed down into the camping people, they fought but were severely brought down by the guns. Ardeth rushed into the fray only to be knocked down by the same fellow they left to die 3 years ago. He called stop when Rick brought out the dynamite and jumped on his horse with a, "Leave this place or die. You have one day." 

Ardeth watched from the ridge for the entire day and was horrified as the Book of the Dead was brought out, one of his men tapped him on the shoulder, "They haven't left." Ardeth nodded and thought about how he was going to either kill them or make them leave, then he thought about Rick. Ardeth hears a roar and looks back in horror, "The creature has been awakened." They dash off of the ridge and gallop down into the city. He confronts the men, "You have unleashed the creature we have feared for over three thousand years," and ignores Rick's "I got him," and turns in anger "Know this, this creature will never eat, he will never sleep and he will never stop," and goes into the tunnel. One by one the Med Jai are taken out, knowing that the search is futile Ardeth takes his remaining men and leaves the place, hoping the wards they put up would stop the creature for a while until reinforcements could come. Ardeth sends messengers off to the various commanders and leaves for Cairo himself.

In Cairo Ardeth meets up with Bey, to discuss what they could do and is confronted by Rick again. He listens to the idle conversation and looks up as the sun is blackened out, "His powers are growing." Ardeth looks at the woman in wonder as she tells of the creatures affection for her and thinks of how he could use this to his advantage and is shocked when she suggests the Book of Amun-Ra could stop him. She could be of some use he thought. The escape the museum only to be blocked off, Ardeth looks at the woman in bewilderment as she sacrifices herself for them and follows Rick's lead and jumps into the sewer. As they venture down the sewer Ardeth says a little prayer for his fallen camaraderie.

As Ardeth boards the plane he looks at it in wonder and wonders were he will go, he agrees to be strapped to the plane wing and becomes horrified as they fly. As they crash land he takes the machine gun off of the plane as a trophy and looks at it's mechanics, I could get used to this. They venture back into the City of the Dead and open a side passage as Rick lights it up Ardeth looks around in wonder as he sees all of the gold all at once then he sees

the hands and the mummies. He lets the gun rip as they walk backwards. After a while the mummies find them at the base of Horus's statue, "Push that lever there, no traps." He looks at the mummies and chances them into the tunnel, seeing that Rick still hasn't left "What are you waiting for, go,"  and shields himself from the blast. The mummies over whelm him and his talisman falls out and shines brightly in their faces, they dash off in horror and he manages to squeeze out before the city collapses in on itself. He steals on of the camels and watches as Rick, Evelyn and Brendan dash out of the city and the creature is buried again.

Years go by and Ardeth keeps an eye on the site where Hamnuptra used to lie, after 10 years or so Ardeth notices a women walking around the rubble and just as he is about to see what she is up to he notices Lock Na and his men leading a whole bunch of cranes and excavation equipment across to the site. As he watches the woman looks up and sees him and barks at Lock Na who sees him as well, knowing he has been discovered Ardeth dashes back off to camp. And plans. He goes to his commanders, "I will pose as one of their slaves and find out what they are up to, I'll keep in touch." And he goes off. He works and listens as one of the workers for weeks and pockets one of the photographs of the excavation and watches as they uncover the Book of the Dead and the Book of Amun-Ra, with Lock Na at the head. He goes to send a message and hears the deep rumbling of the ground as the scarabs break the surface then the almighty cheers as Imhotep is uncovered. As they load Imhotep onto the plane Ardeth stows away and follows them to England. At England he follows them to Rick's mansion and watches as they barge in they goes to help Evelyn only to be confronted by Lock Na again, Ardeth battles Lock Na's men in an attempt to get at him but looks in shock as they steal Evelyn and the bracelet, knowing that he has to stop them from raising the creature again. When he notices Rick's tattoo, he looks at him in wonder, No wonder he is so strong. Ardeth thinks hard about what he has to do to stop Imhotep from being reborn and groans when he realises he is too late again but understands why they wanted him again. He follows Rick and Evelyn as they bounce from monument to monument down the river Nile in search of Alex, keeping his commanders in touch along the way.

When they find the oasis Ardeth sends Horus to tell them were they are and is deeply hurt when he hears the shock ring through the air, Lock Na. After he helps Rick get Alex back he finds himself face to face with Lock Na. They stare at each other and battle, thrust, parry, swing, block, swing, they fight until Ardeth sees the upper hand and swipes Lock Na across the chest then once across the neck, bursting the blood vessel and manages a smile as Lock Na looks at him in shock, For my father Ardeth's look said and Lock Na died. As he thinks about his next move he hears a shot ring through the air and looks at the ledge in shock as the warrior falls at his feet, glancing up in thanks he rushes through the bush. He jumps over logs and runs through puddles as he speeds towards the desert and out to the waiting commanders, he rushes past the damaged balloon with little thought and across the rising waters of the Nile and out into the desert where the commanders are waiting.

He gathers the commanders around him, "The Oasis is through this canyon but the best place to fight the army is over here," he motions on a map. The Med Jai commanders nod and the army leaves for this destination, knowing about the sun on the horizon. They form up and waiting, hoping that Rick gets there before it is too late. But they watch as the dark scorpion follows over the land and the army forms up in front of him. Ardeth watches as each black blob forms into a jackal headed warrior and motions for the army to run and meet them. 

He fights with great precision, knowing their heads off one by one, throws his sabre like a frisbee and ducks and rolls from the Anubis warrior and finally cuts of its head and looks around as the dust settles and sees no more warriors, not venturing a cheer Ardeth looks back and rushes through his men as his talisman glares in warning and notices a greater army across the ridge. Looking at his men he yells "To death" and stands ready as the Anubis warriors dash towards them, Ardeth thinks about all those people that he knew in his life, his father, Byeth, Jolar, Horus, Rick, Evelyn and even Jonathon.

He feels rather than sees the army turning to dust and shields his eyes from the blast as the entire army turns to dust in front of them. Knowing that Imhotep has been beaten Ardeth screams in victory and praises Allah. And knows he father is looking down on him, proud.

He waits on the top of the dune and watches as the Oasis turns to sand and buries Imhotep forever. He glances up into the sky and sees his old friend is okay and rears his horse in joy and thanks and watches as the balloon slowly becomes a small dot in the sun.

A couple of months later a small messenger comes up to Ardeth and hands him a package. Ardeth opens the package and sees the letter inside:

Ardeth, thank you for all of you help, I couldn't have done it without out you. I hope we never see each other again. No offense but I'm sick of protecting the world and all. Imhotep's buried forever and we wont see him again. Enjoy life out there in the desert and enjoy your gift. Rick

Ardeth smiles and opens the rest of the package to reveal a Thompson machine gun and a whole heap of cartridges.

The End - now it is up to you to write some more Ardeth Adventures