So, now we're getting somewhere with this fanfic. I apologize if this chapter is a little bit dramatic. The next one might be as well. Also, if anyone wants to know, I'm kind of getting chills (but the good kind) writing this part of the fanfic. So without any further ado, here is chapter 9. You may or may not be getting chapter 10 tonight. I've been writing these couple of chapters in the car while we've been traveling back from our vacation. Anyways, enjoy!
The Doctor and Dani walked into the colosseum and sat down on one of the stone seats. The whole place was buzzing with excitement as they waited for the goddess to show up. There were guards stationed at the entrances just in case anything unruly should happen. Dani leaned forward a bit and noticed something interesting going on in the main event area. A group of 5 young women about her age were gathered in a circle around a fire. They were wearing long white hooded tunics with blue on the ends of the sleeves. Even though Dani couldn't hear them, they seemed to be chanting something.
She leaned closer to the Doctor. "Who are they?" She whispered to him, hoping he'd have the answer.
The Doctor considered his companion's question with a thoughtful frown. The only answer that he could come up with was that they were some sort of group of priestesses, which was definitely sending warning bells in his head and making his Time Lord senses go crazy.
"They look to be a group of priestesses." He whispered back. "Although, the only equivalent of priestesses I know of are the vestal virgins. Now those were some interesting women. Since they weren't allowed to marry for 30 years, along with their duties as a vestal virgin, they were also given a higher up rank and allowed to do many of the things that other women of that time wouldn't be able to do." He continued talking about the virgins until Dani had to get his attention.
"Doctor, focus!" Dani said, clapping her hands. "So are they priestesses or not?"
"Right!" The Doctor said. "To answer your question, yes they are. Which is highly unusual for a goddess to have a group of priestesses. At least here." He knew that there was something going on, he just didn't have a clue as to what was happening yet.
The Doctor took out the sonic from his jacket pocket and was about to scan the place, when suddenly the people around them fell into a hush. The group of priestesses fell to the ground, still in a circle. From the fire rose a bird that formed into the figure of a woman. Her skin was the type of pale that can only be described as porcelain. She had waist length hair the color of a sunset that seemed to be flowing around her like a cape. Her eyes were a piercing orange color with yellow around the irises. She was wearing a long flowing gown that was the same color as her flashing orange and yellow eyes. On her arms were bracelets that snaked all the way up to her forearms. She also had orange and yellow wings that moved with her. Dani's eyes were wide with shock as she tried to comprehend what she just saw. Suddenly, the goddess Faenia spoke.
"My faithful followers!" She cried out in an ethereal voice. "I have come to grace you with my presence!" Cheers of "Oh, great goddess, we bow down to you!" could be heard as people started to bow and some even started to kneel and put up their hands. Faenia waited until the cheering stopped before she spoke again.
"My loyal followers, you have been so good to my birds. I am grateful that you have appeased me so much. You will all have a bountiful harvest this year. However, I ask for a small favor. In order for there to be a bountiful harvest, I must ask for the young woman to become priestesses."
At that, the crowd started to become restless. They were talking among themselves asking if it was really worth it having their daughters or wives become priestesses. That would mean they may never see them again, which was a bit concerning. Even the girls were anxious. Dani's heart broke when she heard some of them start crying. It wasn't hard for her to figure out that something was definitely off. Especially seeing some of faces in the crowds. These were faces of worry. Faenia took advantage of this moment.
"I will take the females by force!" She said, which caused everyone to gasp. Some even screamed. Faenia raised her arms and let out a huge hawklike screech that reverberated throughout the whole colosseum. The whole crowd whispered in fear, except for the girls, who were all of a sudden bending over in pain, their hands covering their ears.
"Of course!" The Doctor said, finally figuring out what type alien it was. He was about to tell Dani, when he heard a groan beside him. He turned to see Dani in the same position as the other girls, grasping her head and bending over in pain. The Doctor immediately went from being excited to being concerned. "Dani, hey. Look at me." He said, gently, trying to get her up.
Dani shook her head in pain. "I can't." She managed. "I can't focus!" She groaned some more as she tried to fight whatever was happening to her, to no avail. It almost felt like something was trying to take over her. She groaned some more.
An eerie calm landed over the colosseum and the girls stopped bending over in pain and got up. For a second, it seemed like everything was back to normal, as people started sighing with relief. However, their relief was short lived. The girls started walking, almost robotically down the steps. Their parents and/or husbands tried to stop them, but they brushed them off and continued walking. Dani was one of them, as she started walking down, not of her own accord. The Doctor, noticing this strange behavior, grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
Dani, again, not being in control of her own body, struggled to break free of from the Time Lord's grasp, but The Doctor, who had grabbed both of her forearms, held firmly to both of them so that she wouldn't run away. Eventually, she stopped struggling and stood there like a robot, which in a way was good for him because he needed to figure out what was wrong with her. Looking into her eyes, he noticed that they were blank and vacant, void of her usual sparkle. He scanned her body with the sonic screwdriver and looked at the scan, groaning inwardly as he realized that she'd been put into a trance. But, he was determined to get her out of this trance. He wasn't going to lose another companion, not this soon after already losing Rose.
