As the TARDIS landed, the Doctor sat back with sigh. Ever since he lost Rose, traveling just didn't seem as fun anymore. He checked his console once more to make sure this was where the beacon was coming from and stepped outside onto a ravaging battle field. "Get down!" he heard a woman yell before he was tackled to the ground. Plasma bolts shot through the air where his head used to be. The woman kept a hand on his chest as if to hold him down while she returned fire. "Come on!" she said as she tugged him the relative safety of a ditch nearby. "I'm Wyvern by the way."
"I'm-" the Doctor began, but before he could finish, Wyvern was firing at whoever was shooting at them again.
"Sorry Aniile," She said as she came back down. The Doctor stared at her as if he were in some kind of stupor.
"How do you know my name?" How did she? He hadn't gone by that name since the Time Wars ended nearly 10,000 years ago.
"Oh right, sorry. You like to go by the Doctor nowadays isn't it?" More shots zoomed overhead. An impact grenade landed a few feet away and created another ditch. "What do you say we continue this conversation in the relative safety of your TARDIS? I promise to explain everything once we're inside that indestructible blue box of yours.
The Doctor warily agreed. The sooner he got information, the better. And by the looks of it, he wouldn't be getting any while they were out here. He worked on getting the TARDIS door open while Wyverin drew their fire. Once he was inside, he yelled for her to hurry up. Wings, majestic, bluish black, falcon wings, grew from Wyverns's back and she glided into the open TARDIS door. She closed the door as she landed, and the wings retracted into her shoulder blades as if they never had existed.
"Start explaining," the Doctor said, his voice stern, but his face the picture of bewilderment.
"You might want to get a cup of tea. This is going to take awhile."
The Doctor and Wyvern settled down in front of the main consol inside the TARDIS. Each cradled a cup of tea. Outside, explosives were being hurled at the TARDIS, but they ignored it. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments. "Where to begin?" Wyvern asked with a sigh. "You already know about the four great races of the Milky Way, the Alterran war with a sect of their own people known as the Ori, and how the Wyvern race began." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. "Then let me start with the plague that forced both Alterrans and Ori to ascend. The Ori had developed it, biological warfare. And for the most part, it worked. But they were hasty. They released the plague before they had a viable cure for it, and in the end, they never were able to find a cure."
"I remember that. It was before the Time Wars."
"Yes. The two sides forced themselves to evolve, a false ascension. On the ascended plane, they continued their stupid war, except now the ideologies had changed. The Alterrans believed in not interfering with the lower world and the Ori proclaimed themselves God."
"Much like another species that plague's the Milky Way," The Doctor commented.
"Ah yes, the Goa'uld. I will get to them in due time. They factor heavily in my tale," Wyvern replied with a smirk. "But first, the original plague. With no one to attack, it mutated and began attacking the other races. By this time the Nox had already steeled themselves away from the workings of the universe and were relatively safe. But the same is not true for the Asguard and Furlings. The Asguard were cursed to sterility, and instead of dying out, they began to clone themselves, hoping to one day reverse the effects. Now, they are barely hanging on by a thread."
"And what happened to the Furlings?" he asked as he leaned in.
Wyvern gave a small, sad smile. "Those with one animal form became stuck in them. Those who refused to stay in animal form forever stayed human and eventually became stuck that way. The Furlings became extinct."
"What about those with multiple animal forms?"
"They eventually became stuck in one animal form. All except a smart few who stayed in demi-form until we could find a cure."
"And you did," he said as he leaned back, stretching a little.
"Yes and no. Salvation came in the form of Rosh'na, a slave drug. It was created by the Goa'uld to enslave a certain race of humans who were impervious to implantation. By the time it was created, there were about five multi-formed Furlings left. It was odd how we found it. One of us was on the planet when the Goa'uld enslaved it. He was tired of always being in demi-form and gave up hope. He became human and waited for it to become permanent, but it never did. He was fed Rosh'na, and although he didn't become addicted to it like all the others, he was free. He stole a few vials and came to find the rest of us. The Goa'uld followed him. At first they tried to use us as hosts, but we are strong willed people. Then they tried to enslave us. We became game, sport they hunt. Our heads became very valuable, our DNA even more so."
The TARDIS shook as a particularly strong explosive was thrown to it. "Those out there," the Doctor motioned with his head.
"Bounty Hunters, the lot of them. So Aniile, you have two choices: either save me, or throw me to the wolves. Not that any of them would ever qualify for being a good wolf."
"And you would know this how?"
"I am part wolf, cheetah, falcon, king cobra, and I have some monkey and hawk blood."
"Well, you sure are diverse. But you never answered my question. How do you know my name?"
"The Last Goa'uld who had me did a few experiments. With one touch, I know everything that is stored in that persons mind. I have become even more valuable alive to them. They would never need to interrogate their captives again. I refuse to let myself be used as an instrument of their evil."
The Doctor leaned back and took a good look at the girl in front of him. She looked so young, but she was so old. Her skin was a smooth as butter and as radiant as the Earth's sun. Her body was slender and agile. It was built for speed, both in the air and on the ground. Under the thin linen sleeves of her leather top, her muscles rippled with undeniable strength. Her hair was a dark bluish black colour, the same colour her wings had been. He guessed that was her primary colour in animal form. But it was her eyes that bewildered him. Dark pools of amethyst with onyx slits for pupils. "You said you had falcon blood. I thought the Falcons were against interspecies couples?"
"They are, but every now and then a drunken falcon decides to have a little fun with the inferior species. My Grandmother was raped. Before then, Hawk was the dominant bird blood. I am a descendant of Danica Shardae and Zane Cobriana."
"When you say you're name is Wyvern, you really mean that you are Wyvern."
"It is the only name I have ever known." She paused and let the information sink in. "So then Doctor, what is your choice?"
The Doctor bowed his head and thought. After what seemed like an eternity, he returned his attention to the beautiful woman in front of him. "Where do you want to go first?"