Title-The Serpent's Realm
Author-Winnie
Rating-T
Disclaimer-Don't own any rights to the character, and no money was made from this story
Comments-I really enjoyed Ben Browder's portrayal of Cameron Mitchell and hope this story helps keep the characters of SG1 alive for other fans
Cameron Mitchell hadn't felt this bad since that first week after the rigorous training he'd taken to become a pilot. His friends had decided he needed to celebrate his victory and taken advantage of the three day leave pass they'd been given. They'd gotten so damn drunk that he'd been sick for two days afterward. The difference between then and now was that he hadn't touched a drink.
Cam made his way to the gate room, hoping this mission would be as easy as Carter and Jackson seemed to think. They were going to PK3-4XY to help the people, who called themselves Talosians, with the negotiations that would bring peace and harmony to both sides. Peace and harmony, a hell of a way to describe what they were doing considering how long the war between the two factions had lasted. Their part in this was simply to watch and give advice to the head honchos.
Both sectors of Talosian society were well advanced in scientific and military aspects, but one side seemed to think they were the chosen. They'd described themselves as being the original inhabitants of the planet. Jackson had found several placards that seemed to suggest neither side could lay that claim, but for now it wasn't up to them to prove that.
The Talosians lived in single homes spread out over several miles along a river that divided the society much the same way their beliefs did. The homes were built of wood, but the window coverings were unlike the panes of glass found on Earth. Whatever the Talosians used made it impossible to break, and Mitchell wondered if it was indigenous to the planet or if it was a formula left by the original inhabitants, if Jackson was right on that score. Cam stretched his neck and wished he could crawl back into his bed, but it would have to wait until the mission was complete.
"Colonel Mitchell, did you not sleep well?"
"Not really, Big Fella," Mitchell told the Jaffa who'd joined him without his having heard him.
"Perhaps you should speak with General Landry. This mission does not require all of us," Teal'c offered.
"I'm good, Teal'c," the colonel said as they reached the gate room and were joined by Carter and Jackson.
"Mitchell, are you all..."
"I'm fine, Jackson," Cam said and walked toward the gate. "Let's get this show on the road."
"SG1, you're clear to go," Walter told them as the last Chevron locked and the shimmering whirlpool appeared.
Mitchell led the way through and exited on the other side milliseconds before the others. He thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned it was no longer there. A chill ran down his spine, but he shook it off as he looked around the clearing, frowning when there was no sign of the inhabitants. He listened for the sounds he'd come to associate with the area around the gate, and frowned when nothing moved, not even a breeze rustled the trees.
"It would appear the Talosians have forgotten our arrangements," Teal'c observed.
"It's too quiet," Mitchell observed.
"Maybe they were able to complete the treaty on their own," Carter suggested.
"They've been at each other's throats for over a century. Somehow a peaceful settlement doesn't seem possible," Jackson said.
"Do you smell that?" Carter asked.
"It smells life someone's got a fire going," Mitchell answered and looked around until he spotted smoke in the distance. "Looks like there's something happening at the meeting place so I guess that should be our first stop."
SG1 had been to the city and the meeting place appointed because it was on a spot that had once been considered sacred by both sides. The Talosians had no idea who built the building or why, but they had never used it until SG1 suggested it s neutral ground. The last two meetings had went well and the only thing left to work out were a couple of minor detains like how many members of each side would be allowed to sit in on meetings now that the planet was allied with Earth.
"Jackson, you take point...I've got our sixes," Mitchell ordered as the team moved toward the path that would lead them to the structure. Cam glanced around as the others moved out and felt as if he was being watched.
"Colonel Mitchell, are you all right?"
"Huh," Mitchell said, shaking his head as he realized he hadn't moved while the others had. "Sorry, guess I was daydreaming."
"Indeed," Teal'c said and studied Mitchell closely. "Perhaps it would be best..."
"I'm okay, Teal'c, let's just get this done," the colonel said and knew the bigger man was worried about him. He smiled and nodded toward Jackson and Carter before moving into step beside his friend. Cam rotated his shoulders and glanced around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, except the lack of sounds.
Teal'c watched the other man as they moved along the trail and knew what had spooked Mitchell, but until they reached the meeting place there was no way of finding out why everything seemed so still.
Mitchell could feel Teal'c watching him, and wished the man didn't have such an uncanny ability to read him. They 'd been on the path for nearly fifteen minutes when Jackson signaled for them to stop. Cam and the others did as he said and they listened for anything that might alert them to trouble ahead.
"What's wrong, Jackson?"
"I thought I heard someone scream," Daniel answered.
"By scream you mean something out of a scary movie or someone playing a prank?" Mitchell asked.
"Horror movie kind of scream," Jackson answered.
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Mitchell said and took a deep breath before speaking. "We need to find out what's happened, but we take it slow. Keep an eye out for trouble."
SG1 continued down the path, the smell of smoke weighing heavy on the air as they approached the structure set in the center of a large clearing. During the first few visits, while Carter and Jackson were speaking with the Talosians, Mitchell and Teal'c had checked out the building and the clearing. The structure was made of stone and mortar and placed perfectly at the center of a large circle of trees that looked to be exactly the same height. The path leading from the gate was well marked and again the trees rose high above them and seemed to be the same height as those that encircled the structure.
Mitchell and Teal'c stepped into the clearing just behind Carter and Jackson. They were met with an eerie silence and the unnatural stillness that seemed to permeate the area. The smoke seemed to come from the center of the building and rose steadily upward without deviating form the column.
"It appears deserted," Carter observed.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.
"Callisia! Teronis!" Mitchell called the names of the two Talosians who had been appointed to speak with them on behalf of the two factions. He strode toward the building and frowned when he saw movement at the edge of his vision. He turned, but there was nothing there and faltered as the others joined him.
"Cam, are you all right?" Carter asked.
"I'm not sure. I keep seeing something out of the corner of my eyes, but y the time I look there's nothing there," Mitchell explained.
"What sort of things are you seeing?" Jackson asked.
"That's just it, Jackson, I don't know," Mitchell answered and wrinkled his nose when he smelled something fowl. "Do you smell that?"
"All I smell is smoke," Teal'c said.
"Cam, what's wrong?" Carter asked, worried when Mitchell seemed to sway on his feet.
Teal'c reacted instantly and caught the man before his legs gave out. Mitchell's face was whiter than the clouds that peppered the sky overhead. Teal'c and Jackson supported him to the circle of stone set near the entrance to the structure and made him sit down.
Cam felt them watching him and opened his eyes, slamming them shut when the bright sunlight stabbed at his skull. He could hear the others talking, but concentrated on keeping the contents of his stomach where it belonged. He swallowed convulsively and felt someone rubbing circles on his back as he fought to open his eyes without being sick. He felt the world around him shift as if everything was suddenly out of focus and felt the darkness reach for him.
Carter watched as Mitchell's eyes rolled back in his head and he would have fallen had it not been for Teal'c and Jackson holding him in place. "We need to get him back to the gate! Teal'c would you carry him?"
Teal'c simply nodded and watched as Jackson removed Mitchell's pack before taking the unconscious man and positioning him over his shoulder. He waited for Carter to take the lead while Jackson took up the rear. Whatever had happened here would have too wait until they figured out what was happening with their friend. It would take them half an hour to reach the gate, more if they ran into trouble.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Cam felt the motion of his body swaying side to side and tried to make sense of what was happening, but his head felt ready to explode. He'd been dreaming of something that stayed just out of his field of vision. A creature with claws that could tear the meat from his bones. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the winged serpents depicted in the fantasy lore books he'd read as a child. He'd been standing inside the building, surrounded by the Talosians who seemed to be chanting something that drove the creature into a frenzy. It's claws lashed out and Cam felt it tear through his chest.
Mitchell realized they were moving rapidly along the path and tapped at the solid back and was soon eased to the ground as he opened his eyes. He wallowed the bile that rose in his throat and reached up to touch the area where the creature from his dreams had slashed at him. It hurt like hell and he looked at his hand, shocked to see a smear of red on his palm.
"Easy, Cam," Carter said as Teal'c moved aside to let her check on Mitchell. She looked at his hand and lifted her head until their eyes met. "Are you hurt?"
"I don't...chest," Mitchell told her, tight lipped as the area on his chest burned as if he'd been scalded.
"Let me take a look," Carter said and helped Mitchell open his shirt, surprised to see two long gashes that ran from his right shoulder to just above his navel.
"How did that happen?" Jackson asked.
"I don't know," Mitchell said as Carter reached for the first aid kit in her pack.
"I'm going to patch you up and we'll get back to the gate," Carter ordered.
Mitchell nodded her head and frowned when he saw something moving in the shadows cast by the trees. He tried to bring it into focus, but it was gone before he could make sense of it. A strange, eerie whistling sound accompanied the burning sensation in his chest as Carter covered the wound with gauze.
"Cam, we need to go," Carter said and watched the man's face closely. There was something strange happening around them, yet it seemed Mitchell was the only one physically affected by it. The wounds on his chest were not serious, but she had no idea made them and was worried about infection.
Mitchell tried to stand, but felt as if his legs were made of rubber. He shook with fatigue and frowned when Teal'c reached for him. "I can..."
"Lean on me, Colonel Mitchell," the big Jaffa said and helped the man stand before supporting him as Jackson took the other side. Carter took the lead, her eyes peeled for anything that could have caused the wounds. She didn't want to think about the fact that Mitchell had been thrown over Teal'c's shoulder at the time they happened.
Cam was glad of the support as they made their way toward the gate. The silence was strange and unnerving, especially when he kept seeing things that were just at the edge of his vision. His stomach muscles cramped and nausea churned through his gut as the gate came into sight. He breathed a sigh of relief that was short lived, as he convulsed and pulled away from Teal'c and Jackson. He dropped to his knees as the contents of his stomach came up in a forceful stream.
Carter knelt beside the ailing man and frowned at the way his body shook with the force of his heaving. She looked at Jackson and Teal'c and saw the worry and fear on their faces.
"Sam, we need to get him home," Jackson advised.
"I know, Daniel," Carter said and moved aside when Teal'c reached for Mitchell. The Jaffa lifted him into his arms and carried him toward the gate, but stopped when Mitchell cried out.
Cam felt the claws rip at his legs and heard Carter say something as he was lowered to the ground. He breathed through tightly clenched teeth and opened his eyes. Jackson and Carter were both examining his legs, but he didn't really see them as he looked at the creature that faded in and out of focus as it perched on the gate. The eyes followed his every move and Mitchell realized it wanted something form him.
"What is causing the wounds?" Teal'c asked.
"I don't know," Carter answered.
"Up there...can't you see it?" Mitchell asked weakly.
"There's nothing there, Cam," Carter said.
"It's there...ugly sonofabitch," Mitchell told her.
"Well, it can stay there, but we need to get you through the gate," Jackson said and moved to help lift the injured man.
"You can not take him through the great ring."
Mitchell leaned against Jackson as the voice spoke from the treeline. He could see her as she stepped out of the thick foliage and stepped toward them. The creature that was perched on the gate had disappeared and he wondered if it belonged to the woman who appeared before them.
"Who are you?" Carter asked as the woman slowly walked toward them.
"I am Layonna of the Mastyques. I have come to warn you not to take him through the great ring."
"We are not from this world..."
"I know you are not from Talosia, Dr. Jackson, but the laws of this world and Mastyque apply to all who step through the gate,"
"Layonna..."
"If you try to take him through the great ring, Colonel Carter, he will be torn to shreds."
"By what?" Carter asked angrily.
"By the creature only he can see. It may not be real to you or the others, but as long as Colonel Mitchell is tied to the realm of the Mastyque he is at the whim of the creatures that reside there."
"Why can't we see them?" Jackson asked.
"It is not often that they choose to show themselves to outworlders, but when they do there is nothing you can do to change what will transpire," Layonna answered, her body wavering in the bright sunlight.
"We've heard that before," Carter said.
"Indeed," Teal'c readily agreed.
"If you value Colonel Mitchell's life you will heed my warning."
"Teal'c let's go," Carter ordered and aimed her weapon at the woman.
"You have been warned," Layonna told them and moved away as SG1 headed for the gate. She sighed tiredly when the man cried out and the creature flapped its massive wings in protest. "You must leave him."
"No," Jackson said.
"Then you condemn him," the woman said and motioned toward Mitchell whose face was contorted with pain. "He can not go through the gate."
"There has to be a way," Carter spat.
"Perhaps, but it is not for me to decide. He has to prove worthy or the serpent will devour him," Layonna explained.
"What serpent?" Jackson asked and looked around the clearing. "There's nothing here!"
"Because you do not see it does not mean it isn't there, Dr. Jackson," Layonna told him. "What we cannot see with our eyes we can only fight with our minds. Colonel Mitchell's mind is open to the creatures of the Mastyque and until he is able to turn from them he must remain here. It is the way of my world."
"It's not the way of our world," Carter said.
"Perhaps not, but you are not on your world, Colonel Carter. Your years of traveling through the gates should have taught you not to turn your back on the beliefs of others. He must stay here," Layonna said and closed her eyes before motioning with her hands.
Carter, Teal'c, and Jackson could only stare as Cameron Mitchell was lifted into the air and disappeared with the gust of wind that shook the gate to its very foundations.
"Where is he?" Carter snapped and searched the area for the woman, but she had disappeared into whatever realm she'd come from.
"It seems she's taken Colonel Mitchell with her," Teal'c observed. The air around them seemed heavy as the wind rustled through the trees and the sounds they associated with Talosia returned. The trio searched the area, but there was no sign of Mitchell or the woman as they returned to the gate.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
"It is time to wake up, Cameron Mitchell."
Cam opened his eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar setting and sat up with a soft moan. He rubbed at his aching head and looked down at his chest. The bandages were still in place, but a thin line of blood showed exactly where the wounds were. They didn't hurt, more like a slight burning and he realized his right leg was also injured.
"They will heal, but you must not leave the Mastyque."
"What the hell is this place?" Mitchell asked and waited for the world to come into focus.
"This is Talosia as it was 10,000 years ago. A time before the war between the Talosians when creatures inhabited both worlds and we controlled the path between the realms."
"Why am I here?" Mitchell asked.
"You saw things that were not meant for outworlders and so you were brought here. It is something very few have seen and none have escaped."
"Escaped? So I'm a prisoner?" Mitchell asked and watched as the woman simply nodded.
"You will live out your life here in servitude."
"No, I don't think so," the colonel said with a hint of a smile.
"You have no choice, Colonel Mitchell."
"I've been told that before," Mitchell said and stood on shaky legs. "The thing is my bible thumping Grandma said I never listened very well. Now if you'll excuse me I need to find my team and get the hell out of Dodge."
"There is no way for you to go back."
"Been told that before too...never did like being told what I could or couldn't do," Mitchell said and brushed past the woman. He reached the door and placed his hand on the stone, but soon felt the claws at his back as his body was lifted and thrown across the room. He hit the wall hard and landed in a heap on the floor as the serpent like creature landed in front of him. It spread its wings and covered him with them as darkness claimed him and a sorrowful cry echoed through the room.
TBC
