DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything from Stargate! I own Ahmes, but I do not own her as a species from the Stargate franchise…if that makes sense. Also do not take any Abydonian translations as fact, I have probably got them completely wrong but hopefully I have the gist of most of it~ Ra is a bit OOC, but try to roll with it? xoxo
FAR FROM ABYDOS
! ~ Stargate ~ !
Kasuf and Ahmes, speaking of the mining progress being slower than normal, halted in their vocal exchange as Kasuf's son, Skaara, came running and yelling over the sand about the God sending his spirits to them. Ahmes, a young girl of ten years with skin darker than the face shield of their God, was not so sure of this despite Kasuf beginning to panic that He would not be happy with them. Every year He would return exactly and stay for seven of their sun rises but Ahmes would be given warning first with the medallion, given as a gift before leaving her on Abydos for the first time. It would grow and fade in a strange yellow light until He arrived before her.
She silenced Kasuf from his panicking with few words and told him to hold himself with dignity. All the people around her were miners for Him, extracting a metal which He made into weapons and structures on His other worlds. Despite the fact that she dressed as they did and not in the proper garments He gave her, Ahmes was the only one aside from Kasuf and even then that was null when He returned to this world.
Ahmes' high-pitched voice gave more words to the Abydonian people around her, obeying immediately and moving quickly. They may be disappointed that she dressed as the Abydonians did, similar to His thoughts when Kasuf confessed that she did not wear what He ahd given, but she would do so with the dignity of His daughter. Skaara lead them towards the travelers, the closer they got the more people Ahmes saw bowing to the, and Nabeh holding onto him and flapping his free hand to Ahmes. She didn't know if this was to make her hurry or a request to hold her hand, as he sometimes did when she made attempts to keep herself separate from the rest of the Abydonians.
His mind was slow but his intentions were never malicious always being kind and treating her as he does everyone else. Nabeh became a very precious person to her because of this; he had managed to worm his way into her heart becoming a dear friend despite Him striking fear in Nabeh with only a single glance. But Nabeh's treatment of her gave Him no trouble of mind towards the boy's intentions and He was assured after only one minor occasion that Nabeh would be sure to protect Ahmes to the best of his abilities.
Laying her eyes on the beings Skaara had thought were His messengers Ahmes became very confused. They were certainly not His messengers or soldiers, they didn't wear the garments, head shields or carry weaponry that was typical of them. And He never had that shade of green on His Jaffa, He thought it unsightly for an odd reason Ahmes was unsure of.
Skaara took a light hold of one of Ahmes' hands, breaking her thoughts and shedding her face of the confused expression she had. Her brown eyes looked to him, the sun shining in them showed the yellow flecks in her iris' that He had told her were like precious gold. He whispered to her while his father Kasuf made interaction with the newcomers, telling her that one of them wore His sign on a small place around his neck.
Kasuf called for his people to rise after politely introducing himself the travelers, then requesting the water women to bring carriers to the men. Ahmes kept an eye on Sha're in case the travelers made untoward interactions to the women. One man, who did not wear an odd headdress and grew hair like the colour of the sand around them, interacted with Kasuf. He spoke with the man on his right who held himself like a First Prime and then back to Kasuf, offering something from within his garments. Kasuf respectfully called for her and she moved forwards, letting go of Skaara's warm hand, between the taller, older Abydonians to stand beside the village leader.
"Why did he call to a child?" Kowalsky asked. He eyed the young girl with dark skin and the same headdress as the water women.
"I think she is a woman of status," Daniel told him. "They give her space, avoid eye contact and had low posture. She dresses like them but that might be to blend in or something. Not a popular idea or a good one in our ancient Egyptian culture."
The traveler offered the item to her also. Ahmes' eyes widened at what it looked like. She turned her body away from him with wide eyes in a show of disagreement until the traveler at some of the item himself. He made an approving sound and then offered it back to Kasuf. The old man took it and copied the newcomer's actions, smelling the item then eating it, surprised that something that looked very much like excrement tasted delicious and like nothing he had ever had before. Kasuf told Ahmes that it was food, a grin within his white beard as he offered it to the girl to try. Ahmes was still suspicious but trusted the old man who housed her while He had her hidden on this world.
The taste that erupted in her mouth caused it to fill with water. She had never once had anything like this in her mouth, not even when He had been feeding her the most delicious foods among the stars from all of His worlds. Ahmes nodded to Kasuf and he offer the travelers to come with them to their home. The travelers spoke amongst themselves in the same tongue that neither her nor the people of Abydos spoke. The man with the sand hair spoke with the leader, whom Ahmes deduced was the one on the right who had the big black eyes, made the same motion that Kasuf had made. Ahmes whispered to Kasuf that they were trying to understand what he had been saying to them.
As everyone in the mining area began to move off with their goods, Ahmes moved from her place near the Abydos leader and to the outstretched arm of his daughter, Sha're. They turned back to looked at the travelers and were grateful they followed and what Kasuf had requested did not get lost in translation.
"Are they His?" Sha're whispered to the younger female.
"I do not know," Ahmes confessed. She didn't want to scare the woman whom had become a comrade to her. "He is at war with other worlds so this could be a disguise for his soldiers. It could be a test also. He has not had one for the people in some time."
"What if we failed? Will He take you away?" Sha're asked, scared for her people with the various ideas about what He would do to punish them again.
"Unless He arrives and says you have failed then do not assume," Ahmes told Sha're. Her voice had a finality in the tone and Sha're did not push for further insight into His decision should this prove to be a test. Ahmes dug into the tawny cloth she wore and managed to sneak a peak at the medallion without anyone seeing. The coloured portion of the jewelry did not glow as it did before, maintaining its silence through the absence of His presence.
These men did not come to this world on His orders. They were from somewhere else but Ahmes did not think they posed a threat to her hidden position. They could very well be from a world protected by the enemies of Him, as He and the others like Him did not permit societies on their worlds to advance to the point the travelers seemed to appear to be at.
They all held disappointment in their minds; her gift of insight probing into the travelers gave her a little information on each. The man that interacted most was curious and excited even though the Abydos culture seemed primitive. Two of the others were slightly curious but were unfortunately much more disappointed in their surroundings; Ahmes presumed this was due to some reason of how they managed to get to this world. And the last held a deep, fresh wound within his mind and body, though Ahmes could not see any physical wound she was determined to heal it. If she induced her heart to beat quickly as it did before she would be able to give him her Healing Touch, as Skaara had called it once. She was able to heal all wounds small and great with a single touch if her heart was beating quickly enough. She had saved Skaara in such a way before, when she had first been placed in the protection of the Abydonians.
Ahmes and Sha're jumped when the curious one made a loud noise after Kasuf had shown the travelers their home. He made it again and took out a white cloth, pressing his face into it. Neither female knew what had come onto the man but he managed to handle it on his own. Ahmes heard Sha're laugh at him when the large group of boys followed closely behind, Nabeh grabbing hold of the traveler's cloth and looking at it as if it were the most godly item in the world. The wounded one shook his head and sighed. Ahmes was curious now once she felt anger rise in him also.
A quick grasp on Sha're's arm and the young girl moved to walk beside the man. She tapped his arm at a short distance in case he lashed out as a Jaffa had done once when she was much smaller, he was no longer breathing after that day, and smiled at him when his blue eyes turned with his head to look at her. He gave an awkward smile back and Ahmes hastened her pace to walk at his own beside him.
"Ahmes," she revealed her name to him patting her chest. He knitted his eyebrows together in confusion and Ahmes pointed to herself instead then repeated her name to him. He called out to the curious one who responded loudly, apparently clearing up the miscommunication and gave his name to Ahmes.
"O'Neill," he said loud and slow. Ahmes repeated his name while pointing him, getting a smile and nod from O'Neill in return. He had done that when she answered a question correctly during her stay with Him before He hid her with the people of this world. Ahmes gave a big, bright smile to him in return and even gave a laugh to him, a quirk of hers when she realised she had done something right and was excited about her intellectual triumph.
O'Neill was distracted for only a few moments by the apparent native girl and managed to stumble on a weed bunch in the sand. He caught himself before falling in the sand but was helped by the girl beside him. She took his hand with a smile and spoke to him in the indigenous language. He figured she was telling him something comforting about tripping on the plant because she turned and poked her tongue out to it before concentrating in front of her. She felt his fingers were rough and his hands strong, like that of Jaffa who worked hard in craft and trained under Him to assume a position in the standing armies of their worlds.
Ahmes continued to hold O'Neill's hand in her own when they entered Nagada through the large doors that gave entrance past the wall. She spoke his name again, gaining his attention, and pointed upwards. He followed her direction looking away from the new people around him and up to the people converging on the bridges that connected the higher levels of the structures built by stone.
Kasuf had hurried up onto the podium and called out to everyone, turning with his arms spread wide. Ahmes followed the actions of everyone else, bowing as the cloth that hid the shield of His eye rose to reveal it to the travelers. She didn't need to do this and would often not, instead chanting out a prayer for whichever event or time of day it was. The curious one and the wounded one spoke for a few moments before a word she recognised came from their voice.
"Ra," the curious one asked, pointing to the shield. Ahmes rose from her bow and asked him in the Abydos tongue how he knew of Ra just as the horn blew for the sandstorm. They were powerful and dangerous and had the worst timing. Wherever the travelers came from they could not return to it now; they would have to wait for the storm to pass but they did not seem to understand that.
Ahmes felt panic enter all four of their minds. The gates were closed and barricaded, desperation touching Ahmes from the travelers now. Abydonians were pushed out of the way and one traveler held one in a constricting hold, the wounded one held out the black item Ahmes had seen him hold away and sparks flew out hitting the ground at the feet of the people. They screamed and Ahmes was pulled back behind a large group of the Abydonians, protecting her as He had commanded years back and every year since.
Kasuf asked them to stop, telling them of the storm but the language barrier got in the way again. Ahmes cursed the many languages of His worlds. The old man seemed to suddenly remember her and began asked for the girl while Skaara slowly attempted to explain in few words the situation.
"Storm," he said, his body open and defenseless. "There is a storm. Come see. Come see. Come see." Ahmes moved through the people avoiding their hands by some miracle and was stopped by Kasuf, whose aged hands manage to hold onto her strongly. They watched as Skaara took the leader higher to see the storm approaching from the wall. It was a few moments more before O'Neill spoke down to the other travelers and the held Abydonians were released. Both Abydos leader and girl sighed in relief that Skaara had managed to get the traveler to understand what was going on. The curious one approached and repeated the word storm, Ahmes presumed for clarification, and Kasuf did his best to explain. Another approached after he moved towards the other Abydonians and spoke to them, bowing his head in what they realised was an apology.
Ahmes looked around and called to Sha're.
"What are you doing Great Daughter," Kasuf asked.
"I will help prepare the food," Ahmes declared. Kasuf's weary eyes became wide and he implored her not to perform the chore. "I wish to make an impression on His behalf. Allow me to do so." Kasuf let go of the girl and lowered his head before she left. Ahmes took out the medallion from beneath her clothes and looked at it again. It still did not shine and dim in light so he was not here yet. She hid it again beneath her clothes but made sure it was beneath all her layers.
The women were very surprised to see her as well and refused to allow her to assist in the chore. Sha're made comment that He may be offended that Ahmes was refused a wish of them and the women allowed the girl to help prepare food for their people and the travelers. It took a long time but the food was ready as soon as it could be and shared among the community.
Ahmes, with Sha're brought some food to the podium where Kasuf and the priests dined with the travelers. Sha're went to her father and Ahmes to Skaara, passing him some washed vegetables which he thanked her for, then she went with a plate of various foods in small portions to O'Neill. Kasuf's voice hit her ears in volume and speed, worried that serving the traveler instead of her being served would anger Him. Ahmes quickly replied to calm the old man that she was here in His stead and whatever she does or wishes to do is what He would do or wish. In all honesty Ahmes doubted that this was what He do but it did calm him and he sat down, eating his food in smaller portion and with a tinge of paleness to his skin.
Sitting just off to his side she held the plate up to him, the curious one speaking to him before O'Neill took it with a nod. Ahmes sat up on her knees and pointed to a steamed fungus, telling him the name of it. O'Neill held the piece of food up repeating the word the girl had said, applying it to memory when he took a bite and found he liked it. The girl smiled and did the same for the other foods she had presented. This went on for a while, the other travelers laughing a little at them, even when a native reptile was brought to the travelers and they seemed amused and concerned with it. The curious one smiled to the others and said something then made odd noises until he wrote in the sand in front of Kasuf.
Despite Ahmes' wishes and requests to Him, the people of Abydos were still forbidden from reading and writing. The curious one wrote and outside of the monastic order on few worshipping worlds none of the people or Jaffa could write, only read. Kasuf again became very concerned, telling the curious one not to write and then sent Sha're off, asking Ahmes for His forgiveness. She waved at him and gave it nonchalant, leaving O'Neill and standing beside Sha're as some of the older women took the curious one with them, preparing him for the marriage consummation with Sha're.
The travelers stood and watched him leave but did not do anything to stop the women, all curious about what would happen to their companion. Ahmes took Sha're's hand and lead her back to the home they shared most nights to prepare her too. They wiped the sand off of her body and brushed her curled locks placing a purple veil over to cover her head, a purple garment slipping over her comparably pale skin. Ahmes wished Sha're a good evening and left the woman to herself to find Skaara or O'Neill. Neither female noticed the medallion beneath the young girls' coverings begin to shine signaling His return or hinting that the other four travelers at the pyramid the Abydonians didn't know about were being incapacitated by His Jaffa.
Ahmes managed to find Skaara through the mass of people and found out the travelers had retired after the curious one had left.
"I am going to see then," Skaara said. "Would you join me?" He held out his hand to her and Ahmes took it with a small smile. Skaara lead the girl by her hand higher up and across the connecting bridges until they reached the doorway. Both Skaara and Ahmes poked their heads inside and greeted the men, the two off behind pulling apart their devices replied and waved at the two. O'Neill nodded and continued to smoke the small white object. Ahmes had only ever seen Him smoke from a long thin pipe; even let her once and never again did she indulge.
"What is that," Skaara asked Ahmes.
"I think it has dried plant in it," she told him. "I saw Him prepare a pipe once."
"The shiny fire creator," Skaara clarified, pointing to the small object creating fire for the tiny burning white pipe.
"Shiny fire creator," Ahmes replied sarcastically. Skaara gave Ahmes a withering look, his dark brown eyes meeting her yellow specked ones. Rolling her eyes and breaking their contact with him, Ahmes pulled herself through the doorway and moved closer to O'Neill, kneeling in front of him. She tapped to the lighter and raised her dark brows.
"Lighter," O'Neill said slowly.
"Lie-tar," Ahmes repeated. O'Neill reached out and patted her head, noticing how rough the girl's headdress was. Ahmes turned back to Skaara and pronounced the name of the object loudly to him. He brought himself further through the window to get a better look but shied back quickly when O'Neill flicked the lighter creating a small flame. Ahmes also drew back, falling on her rear and scooting back to the wall.
O'Neill said something to him and flicked the small flame away. Skaara moved in through the window and was given the lighter by O'Neill. Skaara stared wide-eyed at the gift, awestruck, and then instructed through one action how to make the flame with it. Ahmes watched and moved closer to her friend, watching as he took one of the small pipes and copied O'Neill. Skaara took one deep breath just as O'Neill did, then with one look of terror and disgust began coughing and sputtering violently causing both O'Neill and Ahmes to laugh. Ahmes laughed at her friend's unfortunate first smoke with gusto the same way He had when He had witnessed her first smoke with His pipe.
Skaara made a motion for O'Neill to take his lighter back after dusting it off from where he had dripped it but O'Neill made a reply motion to keep the object. Skaara's face brightened with a huge smile and thanks him for the gift, Ahmes vocally thanking O'Neill also. Skaara stepped forward again and asked about the weapon O'Neill had laid beside the group of pipes Skaara had take one from. One look and O'Neill moved quickly with a voice that became loud and angry, smacking the weapon away from Skaara. O'Neill grabbed it in his hand and Skaara grabbed Ahmes roughly, scared for both of them, then pushed her out in front of him running away from the travelers calling for Kasuf.
He thought he had angered the messengers of Him, that they were performing all manner of tests to see how safe Ahmes was and that he had failed one of them. Ahmes managed to calm both father and son but while Skaara was assured by his friend Kasuf was not so assured. Kasuf had been witness to what happened when He was displeased. Ahmes sent Skaara off while she remained with Kasuf, continuing to speak with him. By the time she left it took a while to find Skaara but she did and he had gathered quite a crowd of the Abydonian youth to show the lighter to. Her approach caught Nabeh's attention and he made a motion with both his hands for her to come.
The others bowed their heads low as she moved closer, which she thanked so they would stop their show of respect. Nabeh embraced Ahmes as she knelt down beside him and then returned his attention to the lighter Skaara was showing. One motion of the device and the small flame emerged again, the entire group of young Abydonians moved back and away in shock of the sudden appearance of the flame. Skaara spoke to them calmly, assuring them it was safe and the was no trick to the fire. They had grown close again and Nabeh placed his hand over the flame, burning his fingers on the heat proving Skaara was telling the truth that there was no trickery to the flame.
Skaara's gaze left his friend and was pointed to something out the gate of the barn. Ahmes was the first to follow his sight catching O'Neill and his traveler companion conversing. They made a gesture to each other when all the youth were watching them and separated, O'Neill heading towards them carrying something that looked like what the curious one wore before he had been taken to Sha're.
Skaara was the first to emerge from the barn and everyone followed, Ahmes close behind him with Nabeh by her side, O'Neill stopping in front of the group with annoyance touching Ahmes' mind. The flow of the large flame from the torch hid the growing glow of the medallion Ahmes had hidden beneath her clothes. Ahmes listened with the others and O'Neill began talking to them, holding out the garment of the curious one. He made a motion with his hand moving down his face and then made circles with his fingers over his eyes. O'Neill started speaking more after a disappointed silence, anger rising within him that made Ahmes wonder what he was talking about and wishing she could understand. She and Skaara understood what he wanted when O'Neill jerked his head forward covering his face with a "pft" noise.
"Bwah!" Skaara sounded. He made the same sound over with his arms tucked and flapping the same way as when the curious one had done at dinner after eating some of the reptile. O'Neill pointed his hand to him and then stretched his arms out when he realised they knew who he was talking about. Skaara shouted to the others to stop their noises and lightly struck Nabeh whom continued; Ahmes moved past Skaara to take the garment from O'Neill then turned to Skaara again.
"The Mastadge can find him by scent," she asked him.
"They will," Skaara confirmed, taking the item from her and rushing to the animal to get it to track the man down. A loud growl and Skaara opened the gate to release the creature which moved fast past them. Ahmes took O'Neill's hand and pulled him with the crowd of youth, telling him to follow to find the curious one, the other two travelers following from behind when they passed them. The noise they all made did not diminish until the creature lead them to the old ruins He had had sealed off so long ago.
"You hear best," Skaara said to Ahmes. "Lead us to him." He stretched his arm from her to the open entrance into the ruins. Ahmes nodded and moved forwards, her hand still in O'Neill's and pulled him through the tunnels. Her sharp ears caught the curious one's voice quickly and even heard Sha're's voice, both speaking in the tongue of Abydos. Ahmes picked up speed and found the two quickly. They weren't far in the ruins and the youth touched the walls of writing in curiosity.
Ahmes turned the corner with O'Neill and pointed to Sha're and the curious one. O'Neill spoke quickly, annoyance and anger rising in him, surprising the curious one Sha're was teaching. Ahmes turned her gaze from O'Neill to the walls, reading the writing of the ancestors and quietly reading it aloud to Skaara at the same time that Daniel was retelling it to O'Neill. The more she read the more she became curious and hurt about Him and what He had told her. He had stolen a human body, someone like her and the people He had protect her, and used it as a parasite to continue His tyranny for many more millennia. A rebellion on another world incurred the outlaw of knowledge on this one so the humans would not rise up against Him. Ahmes had seen Him make and pass various decisions on other worlds but she now wondered if it had all been an act so that she would not think of Him like the one that had used her body for horrible things.
She was taken from her thoughts when O'Neill gently placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her curiously. Ahmes looked past him to the curious one who had concern on his face.
"What causes you pain?" he asked in the Abydonian tongue. Ahmes couldn't find her voice and felt tears fall down her cheeks. O'Neill lifted her head to him and wiped them away with his fingers, not wanting to see the girl cry. Ahmes smacked O'Neill's hands away and roughly moved between the Abydonians to get away from the ruins, ignoring the curious one calling out to her. He had lied to her about the Tau'ri, He made it sound like a place of legend and paradise that did not exist. Now she finds out it was real and he had done bad deeds. Ahmes ran back through Nagada and past concerned people, ignoring them calling out to her. Reaching the home she shared with Kasuf and his children Ahmes entered, greeted by Kasuf who grew incredibly concerned in a mere second.
"What is wrong Great Daughter?" he asked the girl.
"He lied to me," she told the old man. "I trusted Him and he betrayed me. I do not know how to look at Him now."
Kasuf brought Ahmes into his arms, softly patting her back as she cried into his coloured clothes.
"If He has lied it is for good reason," Kasuf said softly. "He is our God and He is your father. Trust that He wanted only to protect you."
"He had my trust; there is no reason to lie," Ahmes countered. Kasuf gave a tired smile and lead the young girl away from the entranceway, sitting down and holding her as he did with his own children. He started humming a song of the Ancients she had taught him years ago after He instructed the people to protect her. Ahmes eventually stopped crying and fell asleep feeling warm and safe with Kasuf, awoken after the sun was dawning by Sha're who brought food for the young girl.
"The men have gone," she told Ahmes. She nodded to the woman and rose from the spot she had been sleeping, taking a few strands of the fungus she managed to get O'Neill to eat last night after taking her headdress off. Sha're sat behind her and began to comb her long black hair, much straighter than Sha're's curls Ahmes was envious of.
"At least He is not here to see them," Ahmes said softly. Sha're hummed in agreement. He would have been very angry if the travelers were her had he arrived.
"I am sure he will return," Ahmes told Sha're. She of course had no idea if that were true or not but there was little she could do otherwise to comfort the new bride. Concerning herself with Sha're's feelings distracted her from her own, which was something she preferred at this point. Ahmes had taken pride in being the one being He had let close to her and to know that there was something she didn't know hurt her more than any wound she had received.
"Why were you sad in the ruins," Sha're asked. "You have never cried aside from the first season He hid you here with us." Ahmes swallowed the lump in her throat and confessed to Sha're of His lies to her. The woman embraced the girl from behind, gently rubbing her arms.
"I do not think I will see Him the same way," she told Sha're.
"If you call Him back to this world and confront Him, will He not tell you the truth?" Sha're wondered. "I am certain that you would be the only one He would not punish for such request." Ahmes shook her head and curled her finger around the hold chain hanging from her neck, pulling at it until the medallion emerged from the clothes she wore.
"It does not call him. Only reveals when he has arrived to this world," Ahmes elaborated. Both female's eyes looked at the medallion and widened at the bright shine from the centerpiece. They remained silent for a few moments before Ahmes told Sha're to warn the people that He had arrived and may be angry with them for hosting the strangers. Ahmes ran out of the home and down into Nagada, colliding with Kasuf whom was also running through Nagada to warn the people of His return. Saddling a mastadge Ahmes jabbed her hand hard into the rise between its shoulders, a loud call emerged from its mouth and it immediately moved with great speed, her long black hair flying out behind her.
Ahmes reached the sight of the pyramid much sooner than if she were on foot, His ship already sitting on it. A small band of the Abydos youth were climbing the dune to see into the enormous structure, no doubt lead by Skaara following the travelers. She lifted herself off the mastadge and landed on the sand with a soft thud then ran as fast as she could towards the pyramid, hoping the travelers were not year at His mercy. She reached the long platform that lead down from the pyramid and ignored the call of Skaara to her once he caught sight of her from his peripheral. Ahmes moved much faster once out of the sand and was inside the pyramid to see one dead traveler.
Realising there was more than just the four travelers she and the Abydos people had hosted Ahmes became desperate to prevent Him from causing harm or death to them. Ahmes moved to stand under the rings that would send her to His ship; she raised her hand and roughly slammed the centerpiece of the medallion. The ceiling opened for the portal rings to come rushing down and sent her up to the ship where she would meet Him again, as she has done every year since He hid her away on this world.
The rings disappeared once Ahmes was aboard the ship her eyes meeting His from the podium directly ahead of him, her garments clearly of inferior status compared to the coloured material of Him and the children around Him. She ran forwards just before O'Neill struck a Jaffa and took his staff weapon, killing one of the guarding Jaffa. Ahmes maneuvered herself behind O'Neill and beside the curious one to stand before Him.
Daniel was waving his arms around his companion and the Jaffa, telling them to stop and the armed man, or alien to Daniel, shot a fire at him. He fell to the ground in great pain from the new wound he was dying from and from the weight that was now on top of him.
"Ahmes," he whispered placing a gentle hand on the native girl. She looked at him without blinking and realised quickly that she wasn't exactly looking at him as that would require sight, which wasn't possible from the amount of blood that was leaving her body staining his uniform and the ground. He knew his wound was fatal and would take a little more time to die from, but he thanked whatever God there was that Ahmes died quickly from trying to shield him from the blast. Daniel was thankful that the young girl didn't suffer any pain before her death and let out a sigh.
Jack stared wide-eyed and haunted at the two bodies. He saw Daniel and the native girl only for a moment before they turned into the bodies of Charlie and Sarah. He lowered the weapon he'd taken from the disarmed alien and in that split moment where he also lowered his guard, they disarmed him. Jack was out before the preceding blows to him were received from the Jaffa standing above him.
"ENOUGH!" Ra yelled at his slave. He hurried from his chair and to the young girl he had taken into care. Ignoring the peasant clothes she wore Ra turned her over and held her in his arms shocked at the blood that had been drained from her body now staining the world outside of where it should be. Eyes glowing He screamed out, angrier than He ever remembers being and holds out his hand, the kara kash quickly building in power and throwing the Jaffa whose weapon had struck his child against the wall. A resounding crack from his head pleased Ra, knowing the lesser being had struck his head hard against the structure and was now dead.
"Move them to the chamber," Ra ordered. "I want my child healed quickly!" The Jaffa did as ordered, quickly taking hold of His daughter and the stranger, moving the two to them healing chamber their God slept in. Watching Ahmes being taken away Ra ordered the others to leave immediately, desiring to be alone.
The lesser beings of this planet did not do as he asked of them. To think he, a God, had lowered Himself to make a request of such insects to guard the life of his child, their Princess and future God. They let her die. And for that they will be punished, he would not so forgiving as in the past when she had lied for them. For now he would breathe, then when the first of his slaves would come they would punish the insects.
Ahmes awoke to the feel of silk surrounding her and a gentle hand stroking her head, her vision was blurred but she felt little pain as she normally would have. It was only due to the various colours Ahmes saw swirling around that she knew He was sitting beside her while she had slept.
"Lord Father, I feel no pain," she slurred out. He hushed her from speaking further, desiring to see her sleep away the pain she felt rather than fight it.
"The sarcophagus healed you," He said. "It brought you back to me my treasured child. Now rest, you do not heal as these bodies do. Your mind will be clouded for some time now." Ahmes nodded slowly, closing her eyes at her father's request but nausea kept her from sleep and hear the curious traveler enter and address her father.
"I was dead?" he asked. There was silence and Ahmes felt her father's irritation rise. He spoke freely thinking that Ahmes was sleeping safely.
"That is why I chose your race, your bodies, so easy to repair." At least Ahmes now knew why her father had chosen the humans as a host. "You have advanced much, harnessed the power of the atom."
"What are you going to do?" the traveler inquired.
"You should not have reopened the gate." Ahmes heard the sneer her father gave to the traveler. "Soon, I will send your weapon back to your world with a shipment of our mineral, which will increase your weapon's destructive power a hundredfold."
"Why would you do that?" Ahmes was curious for the answer also.
"I created your civilisation. Now I will destroy it!" His anger touched Ahmes and while the rebellion from the walls could be an easy scapegoat she doubted it was why he suddenly became so angry. She felt the bed move heard the footsteps of her father getting further and further away from her. "You bring question and curiosity to my workers, and you take the life of my treasured child. I will keep this weapon and lock the gate here, by having you prove I am their one God and killing your companions."
"If I refuse?" the traveler challenged. Ahmes' nausea passed and she felt the fatigue take hold, barely remaining awake enough to capture her father's last words with her ears.
"Your world is now a threat to my legacy, and these insects will be buried with you, your knowledge and the gate, for their failure to protect the Child of their God, Ra." Ahmes' mind and body calmed, overwhelmed by the need to heal the pain inside pushing her conscious to fail. She slept secure in the ship of the only one she has known to be a father.
Ahmes opened her eyes again many hours later, so many that the night had come and gone without her knowing or setting sight on the stars she had grown up under. She felt the breeze of the day blow through the enormous structure, something she always enjoyed no matter where she was, and the light fabrics surrounding her blowing slightly from the breeze. Her yellow-flecked eyes looked around the room she was in, finding silk sheets covering her body and a few of the children He surrounds himself with waiting for her to awaken. Ahmes rose from her place of rest, her eyes never leaving the female children waiting on her.
"I wish to speak with my Lord Father," Ahmes told the children. She slipped from the silk and stood, the clothes from the Abydonians long gone and burned at His request. Ra had kept them out of his sight each year and had them returned but this time he was determined to keep his daughter by his side and protect her himself.
Ahmes waited for the girls to bring out a dress and stepped into it once they laid it down, sliding it up her legs and the tight white fabric and bronze threat held itself against her dark skin. The elaborate neckpiece was clipped in place at the back of her neck assuring the dress would not fall when she moved. Raising her arms the girls slid another piece on, a thin revealing fabric that touched the ground and trailing behind her slightly, sewn into a torso piece with gold threat. Gold cuffs decorated with hieroglyphs were slid up her arms and wrists, her feet placed in sandals.
Ahmes took a seat on the silk sheets as the smaller two girls each took a brush and combed her long black hair. Whenever Ra found himself stressed before Ahmes was hidden on Abydos he would stroke her hair, an action that would calm both himself and the child he claimed as his heir. The tallest of the girls held up the gold diadem, a thin red disk held in place at the front symbolizing which God she was heir to, and a large round ruby on either side attached to a long white ribbon and two thin gold chains. The two smaller girls pasted dark powder around her eyes before all three moved away, their heads low as Ahmes stood from the sheets fully dressed for an audience with her father.
The girls turned and walked in front of her, bringing her to their God as he sent one of his Jaffa flying with his kara kesh. Ahmes had only seen him use it once when he first claimed her as his own child. There was no shared blood between them, nor was she of similar human origin to his host as he had said years before, calling her special instead of different. Somehow when she had been held down and another creature attempted to take control of her, the deepest desire of hers to be taken away from all the horror she had experienced and desire to be safe reached him, taking her away that very day destroying all evidence the one before him had possessed of her. Somehow she was the only one he would listen to.
"Stop Lord Father," she requested. All eyes turned to her.
"He has did not perform in his duties," Ra addressed Ahmes. "He deserves punishment for his failure."
"What does one learn in death when there is no chance to redeem lost honour?" Ahmes countered. "I want to knew of the world you lost." Ra's eyes flashed and his whole being surged in anger at her worlds. Keeping his angered gaze on the girl he demanded all those present leave. The children were lead away by the Jaffa, the injured one finding the strength to stand and assist his brethren. Once alone Ra spoke with his child again, his tone dangerously low but the attempt to remain calm was felt by Ahmes.
"You were in the ruins," he easily concluded.
"I was," she confirmed. "Those men who came through the stargate, they are from the world you lost. It is the only one that was mentioned and the only one you lied about."
"I did not lie," Ra quickly told her.
"You said it was gone, lost in everything but the legend of the servant origins," she said. Ahmes stood beside the System Lord, taking his decorated hand in both of her smaller ones. "They said it was for you to protect me. What is it that you wished to protect me from? They may be advanced yet their curiosity shows they have yet to use their gate for any purpose."
"It was buried a long time ago for you, but not so long for myself." Ra guided Ahmes to his throne. He sat on the steps and gently brought her down, holding the child close as he did every year he returned. "I did not think their spirit would be so strong and I lost an asset, part of my territory, to the native primitives. It is a failure that I learned from and one I wish to forget."
"What were the people called?" Ahmes asked. There were thousands of cultures within her father's territorial planets and each had its own name for their people.
"Tau'ri," Ra responded. "This lie was to avoid your curiosity from searching for them. I did not want your spirit to break as I have done to the many worlds I control."
"Perhaps it is from them that my spirit was born," Ahmes suggested.
"I have yet to discover your home world my treasure," Ra sighed. "What I have found is merely the few elements of your being are not biologically present within my territory. I do not think I can request further information to others without raising suspicion."
"I have gained more gifts," Ahmes confessed. Ra pulled away and looked at her with pleasant surprise. He asked her to tell him of her new talents, a proud parent preparing to show off his prodigy child.
"I learn of people from a connection with their mind," she revealed. "I was not certain until the Tau'ri travelers arrived. There is a curious one, he strives to learn of others and is not wanting in educative desires. The one in the pyramid, dead by the gate, he was nervous but desired to prove himself. The other was always watching, wary and prepared to protect others. And the leader, O'Neill, he has a wound that is eating at him like I sometimes feel with loneliness."
"How do you feel lonely?" Ra wondered. "There are many humans here you can socialize with."
"But they are not like me," Ahmes said quickly, guilt building in her stomach and chest. "They are human and I am not, even though I take the appearance of one. The one before you did something, pushed away and hid part of who I was and now I cannot find it. The people of Abydos are kind and hard working, but these people, the Tau'ri, they have travelled from a new world and I with their advancements I might be able to find something there."
Ra was silent for the entire time his daughter was speaking. The more she said the more he saw her in a new way. She never once expressed feeling alone, isolated because she did not know of her people or culture. He, as a goa'uld, had never needed to think on that. She made him think on it though, had him search for solutions to problems he would never have bothered with. With one last sigh, he looked directly at his daughter with only a single question.
"Is this truly what you want?" Ahmes nodded, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears she didn't want to shed. Gently bringing her to his chest and surrounding her with his arms, he told her that he only wanted to keep her safe, that it was the one thing that he always thought about.
"Go to them," he told her. "They and the people of this world trust you. Bring the leader and the curious one to me. I have a proposition and would like to speak with them." Ahmes blinked at her father for a few moments and watched him stand in shock. He called his First Prime who arrived quickly and told him to go with her to the travelers as a guard, returning safely with her, the curious one and O'Neill. The Jaffa bowed to his God and was left with the princess who was still gaping in shock.
"Great Daughter," the Jaffa addressed respectfully, "I think we should hurry. Our God does not enjoy to be kept waiting." Ahmes agreed with him and stood, walking towards him and asking him to stand. He did so and followed the girl, using the rings to transport to the flight bay begin the journey back to Nagada. Ahmes was nervous to approach, the Abydonians knew of how her appearance changed when Ra would return for her but the Tau'ri would not.
The First Prime selected one of the gliders given as a gift from his God's brother. His own Udajeet was faster, slimmer and easier to maneuver but it was a one pilot device. The gliders held two and were similar in the way of piloting, so he did not doubt that the princess would have difficulty co-piloting after managing to teach her to control the Udajeet.
"What is this?" Ahmes asked.
"They were gifts from Lord Apophis to our God Ra," he told her. They had been presented not long after they had left from their last visit to the planet. He didn't like it here, too much sun with too much sand. He assisted Ahmes into the co-pilot seat, adjusting runaway stretches of her garments, and sat in front of her. The fly to Nagada was not long and until it came into sight he had forgotten about the destruction his God had commanded of for punishment against the people. He remained silent as the girl wondered what caused the destruction.
"Please remain here," he requested before leaving the glider. He called to the leader, Kasuf, wanting to know where the newcomers were. The old man did not know and asked that the Jaffa punish him instead of his people. The Jaffa said no one would be punished but Ra wants an audience with them, and should they return to let them know.
"Where are they," Ahmes asked when the First Prime returned.
"The people do not know," he replied. Ahmes thought quickly about the hiding places where they would go. Or rather where they would be taken, especially with Skaara as their guide. Ahmes held onto the edges of the cockpit and jumped out of the glider, the Jaffa calling out to her to return. The Abydonians saw how she was dressed and bowed to her. She ignored them for the first time and ran as fast as she could to the Caves of Kaleemah, which was very difficult in the dress she wore, the Jaffa following close behind with his staff weapon and calling out her name louder each time. Ahmes climbed into the cave entrance she and the other youth played in, careful not to tear her clothes or dirty them too much on the rock passages and sand. The First Prime grumbled as he followed the child and wondered about the caves. Neither himself nor his fellow Jaffa knew of these hidden caves the people used.
Ahmes stopped and held her hand out to her father's First Prime. She asked him to have the weapon pointed to the ground and to stay quiet until she came out with the two Tau'ri. He didn't want to but obeyed, spinning the weapon so that the end used for execution was against the ground, then leaned against the wall of the hidden caves. Ahmes nodded then advanced on the light coming from the cold dark.
"Skaara," she called out, "I return." Skaara stood quickly with a bright smile and would have embraced her but stopped short upon the sight she held, dressed in the garments Ra would gift her with. He and the other Abydonian youth stopped everything they were doing and bowed to her, the white clothing she dressed in glowing in the light of the fire.
"Please do not," she requested of the people. "I need to bring O'Neill and the traveler who learned our language to an audience with my Lord Father. He wishes to speak with them."
"O'Neill! Daniel!" Skaara called out. Both Tau'ri stepped out of the respective hiding places and stared wide-eyed at the girl. O'Neill spoke to Daniel and Daniel responded. Ahmes rose her hand and pointed to O'Neill then Daniel, saying their names, then patted her lips saying the word Speak before pointing upwards with the final word Ra. O'Neill understood from her gestures what she wanted and Daniel understood the words she used.
"Why does Ra want to speak with us," he asked in the Abydonian tongue. "He already has his mind made up." Ahmes looked very surprised to hear Daniel was incredibly coherent so quickly after arriving.
"My Lord Father had made his mind up with you," she replied, shacking her initial surprise. "He did not with me. I convinced him to speak with you. He has a proposition but it will not last forever."
Daniel looked at O'Neill and repeated in English everything Ahmes told him. O'Neill scoffed and rolled his eyes not believing but a few words from Daniel made him start to think about the girl's request.
"Please come with me," Ahmes pleaded. "I can protect you. There have already been enough lives taken. My Lord Father is the Supreme System Lord of a great many of worlds. He never speaks with anyone unless he wishes it!"
"Ra is your father?" Daniel asked. He wanted to confirm this one thing.
"Yes," she replied. "As much as the exception of blood will permit us."
"He adopted you?" Daniel pressed.
"He chose to love me over his own blood." Ahmes revealed. "It is why he hid me here. Abydos is one of the only worlds of his territory sparsely populated."
"His enemies wouldn't find you," Daniel finished. "That's why he calls you his treasure." Ahmes nodded, Daniel finally getting the information he wanted. He turned back to O'Neill and spoke for a few moments in their home world language, with most recognizing only the word Ra, before O'Neill sighed. "We will come with you to speak with your Lord Father."
Ahmes nodded and gave a smile.
The time for talking came too soon for Ra. He had hoped his daughter would return without the two Tau'ri, yet here they both were bowing before him with his First Prime. Ahmes raised one of her brows at him, remembering that she told him of her newly developed gift. With a sigh and flourish of his hand, Ra commanded the three to rise.
"Come," he said after they stood. Ra stretched out his hand to Ahmes and brought her ahead of the Tau'ri when she took gave her own hand to him. A large table was prominent in the entrance of the next room, Daniel's books piled neatly on one side and the disarmed, disabled bomb on the other.
"Your books, curious one," Ra directed to Daniel with a flick of his wrist. "And your device, O'Neill." Daniel quickly jumped in realising that Ra had never got his name.
"My name is Daniel," he said, quickly adding sir to avoid incurring his wrath.
"Daniel," Ra repeated. "It does not sound as interesting."
"I'm sorry?" Daniel apologised, not sure whether Ra was ignorant, uninterested or insulting him. He didn't take it to heart seeing Ahmes try to hide a smile. "Forgive us for our first introductions, with your permission I would like to reacquaint ourselves to you, your eminence." Ra raised a brow at him the same way Ahmes had not long before.
"If you wish," he allowed.
"I am Daniel Jackson, a Doctor of ancient languages and societies. My comrade is Colonel Jack O'Neill, a soldier to some of our people," Daniel introduced formally to the Sun God. "We have arrived from a world we call Earth after figuring out how to work and dial our stargate. We pose no threat to your or the people of this world, we only wish to discover and expand our knowledge of the stars."
Ra had taken a seat by the time Daniel had finished speaking. The God turned to his daughter and spoke in a language that Daniel couldn't decipher. She returned the language with her own voice, Daniel realising she was multi-lingual like he and Ra. She wasn't very old; he'd guess maybe eleven or twelve. O'Neill had said in the caves that she could not be much older then ten years old during his bout of doubt in Ahmes' influence with an obviously powerful and far more influential alien species.
"I have thought on something my daughter has said which you have resonated," Ra began, using the language of the Abydonians. "Curiosity."
"She told us that you had a proposition," Daniel asked.
"I have been told that there was a marriage shortly after your arrival," Ra probed. "I believe it was your own, Doctor Daniel Jackson." Daniel nodded in confirmation. "I understand that in cultures from your ancient societies marriage formed alliances. As did the adoption of orphan children, rarely though."
"Indeed," Daniel said slowly in confirmation seeing where Ra was going with this. "You're suggesting an alliance between us?"
"Knowledge for knowledge. You found my treasure on this world and I believe my other enemies may also do the same. But your gate is believed to be long gone by all except myself and the people of this world."
"Hide Ahmes on Earth? In exchange for what?" Daniel was confused with Ra's explanation.
"I wish my treasured child safe and that appears to be on Earth. You wish to help the people of this world. An exchange would create an alliance and default measures will be in place." Ra elaborated for Daniel.
"Exchange and default?" Daniel wondered.
"Yourself and Ahmes. The people here will learn from you, and Ahmes will learn from O'Neill. Earth will be under my protection so long as Ahmes and yourself remain in a planetary exchange." Daniel nodded, understanding what Ra was proposing.
"You won't try to conquer my world?" he asked. Ra nodded once.
"Only a handful of scout ships to act as sentries and first defence of your world." Ahmes put in. Ra had done this for other worlds also, where large populations of Jaffa experiment with new weaponry and ships.
Ra asked Ahmes and Daniel to leave him alone with O'Neill for a few moments to speak privately. Both wondered how he would communicate and surprised them both by repeating his request in English. Daniel held his hand out to Ahmes and led her out. She looked back at the two men before she told Daniel to turn the corner his back was to. Ahmes quickly rushed Daniel to another room and made a shush gesture, then opened a manual air duct just above the floor. She was disappointed that the two were speaking in a language she couldn't understand so Daniel quietly whispered into her ear the translation.
Ra was telling O'Neill that Ahmes had influenced him to feel in a way he never has before and resulted in his constant desire to assure her safety which was something he was uncertain her could provide her with any longer. He proposed an alternative to the deal: Daniel would teach the people of Abydos but he would teach Daniel of the stargate and in return O'Neill would take her in as his own. O'Neill rejected the alternative and offered another man named Kowalsky to care for her instead, revealing he has just lost his own child to his own weapon that was meant to protect him. Ra replies that he wanted O'Neill because of the wound from the lost of his child, revealing that Ahmes had died for the first time the day before and knew exactly what that pain is. Ra was asking O'Neill, from one father to another, to care for and protect his child. There was silence for a few moments before O'Neill sighed and agreed.
"You may both return," Ra called out. He was not so influenced by his child that her overwhelming curiosity was lost on him. Daniel stepped in front of Ra and Jack first bringing a bashful Ahmes behind him holding her hand.
"Gather your people and return to the Stargate," Ra told Jack. "There are a few words I have left to give my child." Jack nodded and made a hand motion that told Daniel to follow him. Ahmes and Ra were quickly alone to themselves. Ra moved away from his daughter and made a similar motion to her, small feet hitting the floor to catch up to his graceful strides. Ahmes found her father's destination was the pyramid his ship was sitting on.
"Why are we here," Ahmes asked. She was answered with silence and huffed at him, continuing to follow her guardian. Ahmes' eyes watched as Ra moved to a wall inscribed with how he took his power from the sun and using the kara kash strapped to his hand to open a secret door. Ahmes dropped her jaw and raised her brows well into her fringe.
"Come," Ra said. He outstretched his hand to the young girl and she took it, following his lead. Ahmes' eyes widened at the treasure room she had just been brought into.
Abydos is truly his most trusted world, Ahmes thought the more she stared at the sparkling jewels and shining metals. Ra gently pulled her further and further then let go when they reached a wall. He pressed a symbol from an inscription on the wall to open another hidden room, or rather a hidden chamber within the hidden room. Ahmes' dark lips fought a losing battle to avoid smiling at Ra's fetish for the hidden and puzzling.
Ra reached in and pulled something out before turning to her. Grasping Ahmes' small hands Ra placed the treasure in them.
"This is the Eye of Ra," he said. "It is one of five that bring extraordinary power."
"Why are you giving it to me?" she asked.
"To hide it," he told her as if it were the simplest thing ever.
"But would I not be the first one an enemy will look to in search of it?" Ahmes' eyes widened in panic.
"You are the most obvious choice that it would be illogical," he explained. "I trust you most of all, more than my First Prime. It would stand to reason that I give the Eye to you. However that is also why I am giving this to you to protect, because I am not the most logical when I hide what is precious to me."
Ahmes blinked up at Ra far more confused now than before. He just chuckled and stroked her cheek adoringly. Her smaller hand reaching up and placed upon his.
"One day you might understand," he told her. "For now promise me you will hide it well and take care of yourself." Ahmes nodded and allowed him to kiss her forehead.
"You are an odd creature my treasure," he whispered earning a laugh from her. "How have you made me love you so much?"
Hope you enjoyed~ Didn't really have the original Stargate movie planned out. Had the series' done before I realised the whole thing started with the 1993 film.
Let me know what you think. xoxo