It was a little while later and the servants had put Evelina in her bed. Donna and Thyra were sat in the room with Metella who was caring for her daughter and sat by her side on her bed. Metella sighed sadly. "She didn't mean to be rude. She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..." She shook her head as she unwrapped a cloth from Evelina's arm.
Thyra looked at her arm. "What's wrong with her arm?" She couldn't help but ask. The arm looked severely bad and she was glad her injury when she finished looming was not that severe. She only had a scar that would last her through all twelve of her regenerations but Thyra did not mind her scar for it was a part of her identity. Liked the Corsair believed he or she should have a tattoo on every regeneration to identify him or her. She admired the Corsair very much so.
"An irritation of the skin, young child. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night." Metella paused in her work, unsure if she should show these strangers and she hesitated slightly. She needed help. She bathed it in olive oil and other ingredients but nothing seemed to work. Perhaps these strangers knew of something that could help her to heal her daughter and she looked at them desperately. "Evelina said you have all come from far away. Please, have you seen anything like it?"
Thyra and Donna shared a look with each other before Donna walked closer to Evelina and run her fingers along Evelina's arm, feeling the texture very familiar to something she knew to well back home and she ran it through her fingers. "It's stone."
Thyra looked at it more closely before looking slightly grim. "Aye, it's stone."
Caecilius, Romana and Braxiatel were sitting around the hypocaust in Caecilius villa. Braxiatel removed the grille with ease. "It's been a long time since I've been near any hypocaust." He commented.
"We're very advanced in Pompeii. In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces, but we've got hot springs...leading from Vesuvius itself." Caecilius replied, putting down a torch next to them. It was one of the many reasons why he moved down here all those years ago. It was a better place for his children. A place where they were all accepted and less chance of dangers than they had in Rome.
Romana glanced at him. She knew they shouldn't be staying here longer than necessary but what Lucius had commented about their pasts disturbed her. Not only that, the marble circuit that Caecilius had designed was way too advanced. No doubt some aliens were behind this but the questions was, who and why? "Who thought of that?"
"The soothsayers after the great earthquake seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage but we rebuilt." Caecilius grimaced, remembering the incident very well. His son was barely even two years old then and yet he had lived through one of the greatest Earth quakes in history.
"Soothsayers," Romana gave a long-suffering sigh. "We're never going to hear the end of them are we?"
Braxiatel looked down into the Earth where he heard loud grating and rumbling noises coming from below and he frowned, listening patiently. "That noise...why is it so loud?"
"Don't know. Happens all the time. They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring." Caecilius replied and Romana held back the urge to roll her eyes.
Gods of the Underworld? More like ordinary aliens who are living beneath the Earth! She angrily thought but she knew that humans in this time period only had limited intelligence. "Might I ask, after your earthquake, did the soothsayers start to make sense to you?" She asked bitterly. She never believed in seers or magic. She was always a very logical person, one who stuck to science and her own believes and no one else. No matter what, it always came down to Science in the end in one way or the other.
Caecilius nodded, not seeing Romana's bitterness towards the soothsayers. "Oh yes, very much so. I mean, they'd always been...shall we say, 'imprecise?' But then...the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex-all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision."
Romana and Braxiatel glanced at each other, both holding their tongues back to avoid them from saying anything about tomorrow. "And these soothsayers...they all consume the vapours, is that correct?" Braxiatel managed to ask, treading carefully.
"That's how they see."
Braxiatel and Romana leaned into the hypocaust and Caecilius looked at them with a worried expression. "Look, you really-"
Braxiatel suddenly straightened up as he pinched tiny particles of rock. "They are all consuming this."
"Dust?" Caecilius blinked in confusion.
"It's just tiny particles of rock." Romana replied as Braxiatel sprinkled some before tasting and Braxiatel grimaced, making Romana shake her head. "You are so like your brother sometimes." Romana scolded him with a teasing smile before looking more serious. "It's more than dust Caecilius. They're breathing in Vesuvius."
It was a little while later, Romana and Braxiatel had explained to Donna and Thyra were they were going. They were more than happy to stay with Evelina and Romana was more than happy for Thyra there because she knew it was safer with where they were going. No doubt they will end up getting caught or something but Romana was still going to tread carefully anyway.
They walked arm in arm into the lounging area where they found Quintus drinking wine. Braxiatel peered into his mind briefly and saw that Quintus was actually studying to be a Doctor in private because his father wanted him to continue with his business after he retired but Quintus didn't want that so he turned to drinking as a result. Braxiatel cleared his throat, letting Quintus know they were in the room. "Quintus, tell us...this Lucius Petrus Dextrus, do you know where he lives?"
"Nothing to do with me." Quintus replied in a bored tone.
Braxiatel walked up beside lounge. "This Lucius Petrus Dextrus..." He pulled a coin from behind Quintus ear, a trick that he would often show Thyra to do back in the TARDIS. "Where does he live for if you do not tell us..." He shrugged casually. "Then we'll simply tell your father you are studying to be a Doctor." Quintus gaped at him, wondering how he could possibly know and Braxiatel smirked. Oh, he did love a good blackmail.
It was now night time and the three of them were in the streets of Pompeii, Romana had a red hood over her head and ducked low, avoiding to be seen as Quintus held a torch and was leading the Time-Lord's through the streets. He was still baffled at the fact at how Lord Braxiatel knew he was studying to be a Doctor. How did he know? Had he been following him in secret? But Quintus had never seen the man before and he wondered if he was another soothsayer like Lucius. He paused outside Lucius house before turning to the Time-Lord's fearfully. "Don't tell my dad." He pleaded, knowing if his dad found out about this or him trying to be a Doctor he would be in deep trouble.
Braxiatel leaped onto a barrel before climbing onto the windowsill, Romana following his path. Braxiatel turned to look at Quintus and gave him a sly smile. "Only if you do not tell my dad."
"Brax!" Romana scolded, making him chuckle quietly before they entered the villa and they found it was dark except for the light from the hypocaust in the room. Romana turned back to the window, holding her hand out to Quintus. "Pass me that torch, will you?" She asked, as Braxiatel checked to make sure that no one was around.
Quintus nervously looked around him before handing the torch to Romana and climbing through the window. Braxiatel and Romana made their way behind a curtain before Romana handed Quintus the torch. Braxiatel pulled down the curtain to reveal what appeared to be more circuits just as Romana lowered down her hood.
"The liar! He told my father it was the only one." Quintus looked at the circuits in disgust.
"Pompeii is full of marble merchants. Lucius would have told all these merchants the same thing to get all the components from different places so no one can see what he is building."
Quintus frowned, not understanding where they were heading. "Which is what?"
"The future!" Lucius cried and the three of them turn around to find Lucius and some of his men behind them. "We are building the future as dictated by the gods!"
Evelina and Thyra were laughing and giggling as Donna got used to her new gown. The maids had given her new clothing and Donna decided to try it on to cheer Evelina up and to see if she has impressed Thyra yet. Donna couldn't help but smile as she saw the two young girls laughing. It was nice to see them in a cheerier mood and not afraid of anything. "You two are not supposed to laugh! Especially you Thyra. Laughing at poor old Auntie Donna now are we?" Donna gave her a mocking telling off but this only made Thyra giggle even more. "Okay, you two. What do you think?" She struck a pose, something she has seen some of the models in London Fashion week doing before fluttering her eye lashes. "The goddess Venus."
"Oh, that's sacrilege!" Evelina replied, still laughing.
"It's nice to see you laugh, though." Donna sits beside her on the bed, putting Thyra in her lap. "What do you do in old Pompeii then...girls your age? You got...mates? Do you go hangin' about 'round the shops? T.K Maximus?"
Thyra couldn't stop laughing before she whispered in her auntie's ear. "Auntie Donna! You know there is no T.X Max yet!"
Evelina smiled at the little girl. The little girl seemed so sweet and friendly but yet Evelina knew there was a storm raging inside her. Something dark inside the young girl was stirring within her and she wondered if Thyra even knew it yet. She shook her head slightly. "I'm promised to the sisterhood for the rest of my life."
Thyra frowned. "You can always break promises. Though, mummy never breaks her promises. Mummy always keeps them!"
"She does, doesn't she your mother?" Donna smiled fondly at Thyra before looking at Evelina and couldn't help but agree with Thyra slightly. "Though, have you got any choice in that?"
"It's not my decision. I have the gift of sight. The sisters chose for me."
Donna looked sadly at her, knowing tomorrow this young girl was going to be burnt to death. Then a thought struck her. "Then...what can you see happening tomorrow?" Thyra was about to protest against Donna but Donna quickly placed a finger on Thyra's lips as if to silence her and Thyra sulked, knowing her Auntie Donna was going to be in deep trouble with her mummy and daddy.
"Is tomorrow special?" Evelina asked curiously.
"You tell me. What do you see?"
Evelina closed her eyes, concentrating. "The sun will rise. The sun will set. Nothing special at all." She opened her eyes.
Donna looked at her anxiously. "Look...don't tell Braxiatel or Romana I've said anything 'cause they'll no doubt kill me...but I've got a prophecy too."
Evelina quickly closed her eyes with her hands, creating a link with the sisterhood and the sisterhood listened to what Donna had to say.
"Auntie Donna!" Thyra tried to mutter through her closed lips, trying to stop her.
Donna ignored her. "Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out. Evelina, can you hear me? Listen."
"There is only one prophecy." Evelina replied.
"But everything I'm about to say to you is true. I swear. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please listen. The air is going to fill with ash and rocks...tons and tons of it and...this whole town is gonna get buried."
"That's not true!" Evelina cried, not wanting to believe her. It couldn't be true! There was only one prophecy! One prophecy that had already been set in stone!
"I'm sorry but it is. Ask Thyra, Romana or even Braxiatel. I'm really sorry, but everyone's gonna die." Donna continued sadly. "Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town...just for one day, just for tomorrow. But you've got to get out! Just leave Pompeii!"
"Auntie Donna, no!" Thyra whined, pulling Donna's fingers away from her mouth. "Mummy and daddy are going to get mad again now!"
"This is a false prophecy!" Evelina replied, sounding very upset and she removed her hands away from her eyes, breaking contact with the rest of her sisters.
In Lucius's villa, Braxiatel and Romana were carefully arranging the marble slabs together. "I'll put this one here..." Braxiatel muttered to himself as he took a slab from Romana, Quintus watching them with confusion. "Romana my dear, put that one over there whilst I'll keep this one upside down." He placed another slab upside down whilst Romana helped to place the last one before they both stepped back. "Complete."
"Enlighten me." Lucius commented dryly, trying to figure out what the Time-Lord's have built.
Romana snickered. "The soothsayer does not know? He's got together all these circuits yet, he does not know what for? What sort of blind idiot follows those instructions?"
Lucius stiffened, his lips curling into a snarl as Romana mocked him. How dare she! "The seed may float on the breeze in any direction."
"Oh please. That's not even an answer!" Romana kept on snickering. "However, if you really do want to know the answer to your problems then you have asked the right people. What you have built here is an energy converter."
"An energy converter of what?"
"I would tell you but you were ever so rude to us earlier." Romana smirked. "Then again, saying that. If I asked you who designed this you will not give us the answer now will you?"
"I think you've babbled long enough." Lucius growled.
"She's always babbling." Braxiatel chuckled, earning a mocking glare from Romana. "Then again, so are we. We are famous for our talks back home."
"You've both insulted the gods and you've both insulted me! At arms!" Lucius demanded and his guards came closer as the Time-Lord's backed away, Romana putting her hood back up once more.
"Oh, I'm so scared. My dear good lord, save me!" Romana put her wrist to her forward, mocking Lucius in pretending that she was going to faint.
"But it was them, sir. They made me do it. Sir Dextrus, please don't." Quintus begged, not wanting to die.
"Where's your honour Quintus? Your dignity in death?" Braxiatel asked before holding out his arm towards Lucius. "We respect your decision to kill us Lucius. How about we shake on it and discuss it properly over a game of chess mmm?" Braxiatel held out his arms. "A dying man's wish? I'm sure our daughter would be greatly disappointed to hear your refusal on my behalf." But Lucius still did not budge and Braxiatel lunged towards him and grabbed Lucius hand and yanked his forearm off to reveal it was made out of stone.
Quintus stared at it in horror. How was that possible? He was half human, half stone! "But he's..."
"Made out of stone." Romana finished off for him, studying the arm that Braxiatel held. "Show us the rest."
Lucius threw back his cloak to reveal the stump of a stone arm. "The work of the gods!"
"Really? I'd say it's the work of science." Romana replied just as Braxiatel threw his arm back. "Time we retreat!" She, Braxiatel and Quintus ran, Quintus throwing the torch at one of the guards and climbed out of the window after Romana whilst Braxiatel used his sonic pen one the circuits, making them all fall down and to distract Lucius.
"The carvings!" Lucius roared as Braxiatel jumped out onto the street and landed next to Romana.
"Time for the running part!" Romana laughed as she, Braxiatel and Quintus ran through the streets in the darkness, Romana feeling the wind whip at her hair and it felt good. Oh! How she missed having her long, black hair. In all her regenerations so far, Romana always made sure she had long hair. She loved to brush it and run her fingers through it and most of all, she loved it when Braxiatel ran his fingers through her hair. She loved the way he would gently brush apart the strands of hair, playing with it or massaging it and he was excellent at what he did.
"You like my massages then mmm?" Braxiatel communicated telepathically as they ran and he sounded somewhat pleased and Romana knew that he had grown an even bigger ego from moments before. "Remind me again to give you another massage when we get back to the TARDIS."
"Oh I shall." Romana smirked at him before they stopped for a moment, letting Quintus get his breath back for they knew humans could only run so far. She glanced over her shoulder, peering around underneath her hood. "No sign of them. No wonder, Lucius didn't look exactly to be an athlete although, I'm curious as to why he did not send any of his guards after us."
Quintus shook his head, trying to process what had just happened to Lucius. "Romana, Braxiatel...his arm! His arm is made out of stone!" He looked at them with a horrified expression. "Is that what's happening to Evelina?" He didn't want that to happen to his sister. He cared about her too much for something that horrifying to happen to her.
Suddenly a loud booming noise could be heard and Romana grasped Braxiatel hand at the sudden noise, both Time-Lord's looking around in alert. "What was that?" Romana breathed.
"The mountain?" Quintus weakly suggested as the noise continued to get closer and closer to them.
"Too far away for it to be the mountain." Braxiatel replied, watching and listening. The thudding continued and he noticed the stalls and baskets fall over despite nothing being there but Braxiatel noticed something else. He noticed the sound had a symmetric rhythm to it. One. Two. One. Two. One. Two, over and over again. "They sound like footsteps."
"It can't be." Quintus replied, not sure if he wanted to believe him.
Romana listened, turning her ears towards the grounds as if to get a better sound as the sound drew even closer. "More like footsteps underground." She commented.
"What is it? What is it?" Quintus panicked but Braxiatel grabbed Romana's hand and indicated for Quintus to follow and the three of them continued running through the streets and just as they passed the vents, the steam blows up like a geysers.
The three of them managed to arrive in Caecilius villa lounging area, Metella and Caecilius looking confused at the loud noise. "What is it? What's that noise?" Metella asked, confused.
"Doesn't sound like Vesuvius." Caecilius replied, noticing his son coming in after Braxiatel and Romana.
"Thyra!" Romana shouted for her daughter, wanting her to be within her sight. "Thyra! Where are you?!"
"I'm here mummy!" Thyra replied, running over to her with Donna right behind her and Romana quickly scooped her up in her arms. "Mummy, I'm four years old now!" She protested. "I'm a big girl!"
Braxiatel looked over towards Caecilius. "Caecilius, you all need to get out. Something big and dangerous is heading this way."
Donna ran up to Romana who was conversing with her daughter. "Romana, what is it?"
"We have been followed by Lucius true bosses." Romana replied and as soon as she said it, the grille over the hypocaust was blown into the air.
Braxiatel ran over to Romana and Thyra, wanting them out of harms reach. "Everyone get out of here!" He tried to warn them and he indicated for Caecilius to herd everyone out the door just as the ground beneath the hypocaust cracks and a loud growling could be and Thyra leaned forward slightly to try and get a better look but Romana gently pulled her back in, nobody else moving as a creature made out of stone and magma forced it's way through from the ground.
"The gods are with us." Evelina breathed, not believing her sight.
"Everyone grab some water! We need as much water as we can get! That is an order! Quintus, all of you get some water! Donna!" Braxiatel yelled, rushing to get some water as well as the others, doing as Braxiatel had commanded. Romana gently put Thyra to the ground as she rushed to be by Braxiatel's side, taking hold of Thyra's hand and keeping a firm grip on her daughter.
Suddenly a servant walked forward to the creature, his arms widespread. "Blessed are we to see the gods." He spoke loudly but then the creature breathed fire and the servant screamed as he was turned to ash. Thyra quickly looked away, hiding behind her mother and Romana knelt down and hugged her daughter close to her, not wanting Thyra to have to see that.
Braxiatel moved forwards angrily, not wanting the Pryovile to harm Romana or Thyra. Oh he knew what the creature was all right. He had seen them in books and drawings at his Collection a few times and knew they could be deadly. He could see Thyra was clearly scared of the creature after she had just witness it burn a man to death and he couldn't blame her. She was still just a Time-Tot. "Stop! If you have a brain in your head, then listen to me. We can negotiate this. We too are from a different world. You have no need to hurt these humans. I, Irving Braxiatel demand you-Pryovile to talk!" The Pryovile merely roared and prepared to breath on him and Romana looked at him with dread, not wanting to see Braxiatel burn just as she had done with her people when Quintus ran back into the room with the servants with buckets, dipping the bucket into the pool.
"Braxiatel!" Quintus warned and they threw the water at the Pryovile and it froze before it fell into tiny pieces and crumbled to the floor and in that moment, Romana felt extremely grateful towards Quintus before she rushed over to Braxiatel, throwing her arms around him.
"Next time, warn me if you are going to be burnt into a piece of bacon." Romana breathed, nuzzling her head into his neck. Feeling so relieved she or Thyra didn't have to watch the man they loved burn before their eyes.
Braxiatel pulled her in even closer, resting his hand on the back of her head and breathing in her scent. He did love moments like these. It showed him that his feelings for Romana were being returned and he liked that. He liked that a lot. "Mmm. Perhaps I should be a dare-devil more often if this is the way I'm going to get treated every time my life is on the line." He pulled Romana in for a kiss on the lips.
"Ewww! Mummy, daddy! That's gross! Yuck!" Thyra stuck her tongue out in disgust as she saw her parents kiss each other, Evelina and the others laughing slightly as to relieve the tension they have just witnessed and Romana and Braxiatel quickly pulled apart, Romana hair slightly messy and she blushed. "Yuck. Grown up things." She shook her head, her tongue poking out and Romana laughed before placing a kiss on Thyra's cheek and Thyra tried to dodge but it was too late for her mother had all ready placed her kiss.
Caecilius breathed a sigh of relief, glad the monster had finally disappeared. "Might I ask...what was that thing?"
"A Pryovile," Braxiatel replied, smiling at his small family before noticing Caecilius confusion and Braxiatel sighed. "It's a creature of Carapace of Stone. In more simpler terms, it is held together by internal magma. Very simple to stop if you have plenty of water but I have a feeling that is just the foot soldier."
Metella glared at him, making her way to her husband. "Braxiatel, Romana, Thyra...Or whatever you're true names are...you all bring bad luck in this house."
Romana snapped her head towards the other woman. "Your son was brilliant tonight. He saved all our lives. Are you not going to thank him? He not only saved your life, but he saved my daughter's and Braxiatel's life and for that, I am forever in his debt."
Quintus looked at Romana, amazed that Romana would say something so honourable about him. It was rare that he got praised and he rarely got praised for anything for it was mainly his sister that was the good one in his family and to hear Romana say something like that touched him and his mother hugged him tightly and he leaned into his mother's hug, liking the feel of her embrace.
Romana looked at Braxiatel, squeezing her daughter's hand. "If the Pryovile are working in Pompeii and if it's volcano day tomorrow, then that is not a good thing. I rather not we stayed but we cannot leave this unattended." She gave a sigh, knowing that deep in her blood it was wrong to stay here and change the course of events but she knew she had to stay and stop the Pryovile from interfering with time, all without trying to put Thyra at risk. Romana looked around before looking at Braxiatel. "Donna has been very quiet all of a sudden. That's unusual for her. Where is she? I've sent her to get some water."
"Auntie Donna!" Thyra shouted, making the others look for Donna. "Auntie Donna, where are you?" Only she didn't reply and she frowned. Auntie Donna would always reply to her. "Auntie Donna!"
"Donna!" Romana screeched, looking around for Donna only to find her companion no where in sight and she looked at Braxiatel with wide eyes. "She's gone."
"You have got to be kidding me." Donna grumbled as she was lying on a sacrificial alter and one of the Sisters, Spurrina if she remembered correctly was holding a dagger above her head. One minute she was with the Time family and the next thing she knew she had been kidnapped by the Sisterhood and was going to be executed! Oh, she was going to execute them when she got out of here!
"The false prophet will surrender both her blood and breath!" Spurrina proclaimed.
Donna turned her head towards her, glaring daggers at her. "I'll surrender you in a minute. Don't you dare!"
"You will be silent!"
"You might have eyes on the back of your hands but you'll have eyes in the back of your head by the time I finish with you! Let me...go!" Donna snapped, trying to break free from the chains around her wrists. The Time family had to rescue her! Did they even notice her disappearance? Surely Thyra would since she was just with the little girl moments before and Donna was extremely relieved at the fact the Sisterhood did not kidnap Thyra as well.
"This prattling will cease...forever!" Spurrina raised the dagger above her head in preparation to strike only for the dagger to hover far above her head and far out of reach and she looked up with horror. "How is that possible? Who is doing that?!"
"I am!" Thyra cried with delight as she presented herself, looking extremely pleased with her telekinesis skills and she furrowed her eyebrows, concentrating as she made the dagger fly over towards them and Romana grabbed it and carefully puts the dagger away. "No one gets to harm my Auntie Donna!"
"My brilliant daughter." Braxiatel praised, walking in after her whilst holding Romana's hand and Donna never felt more relieved to see Thyra or the Time family before.
Spurrina narrowed her eyes at them. "No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sybil."
"Braxiatel, looks like you're going to have to regenerate and change your gender for one day." Romana teasingly threw the comment at him, making him scowl and Thyra giggled slightly.
"I wouldn't mind if daddy was a girl." Thyra replied innocently.
"Yes, thank you Thyra." He cleared his throat, wanting to change topics. Yes, Time-Lord's could change their genders if they wanted to when they were regenerating. A few Time-Lord's he used to know did that, believing when they regenerated they should change every aspect of themselves including their gender. The Corsair, the Time-Lord pirate Thyra loved to hear about.
"Oh now you can change genders?" Donna asked sceptically. She knew the Time-Lord's regenerated. Romana had told her that much but she didn't expect them to change genders as well and she tried imagining Braxiatel as a woman and Romana as a man but she couldn't picture it and she shuddered at the thought.
"Oh yes. The Corsair used to do it quite often. The Council never liked it though. Apparently when he was female, she had a roguish smile." Romana replied casually as she started to walk up to them, Thyra following her with her little legs and Braxiatel walking behind Thyra, making sure none of the Sisterhood tried to attack his daughter. She stopped in front of Donna. "You all right there? You look very cosy I have to say."
"Oh, never better." Donna replied sarcastically.
"I like your new toga. Suits you." Romana commented as she watched Braxiatel reach into his pocket to take out his sonic pen.
"Thank you. And the ropes?" Donna asked, hinting at Romana she wanted to get out of here. Now.
"Certainly not your style." Romana smirked as Braxiatel used his sonic pen on the ropes.
Spurrina stepped back with a frightened expression as Donna came free from the ropes, Thyra helping her with her ankles. "What magic is this?"
"It's not magic, it's science." Romana grinned victoriously before she walked closer to Spurrina. All the primitive species really did believe in magic didn't they? "The Sibyl, the founder of this religion would be deeply ashamed of you all. Why has all her great wisdom and insight turned sour and bitter? That is not what the founder of this religion would want! On the blade of a knife as well?"
"Yes! The knife that will soon welcome your deaths!" Spurrina snarled.
"Show me this family." A voice demanded and all the sisters turned towards the curtains before kneeling.
"High Priestess, the strangers would defy us!" Spurrina protested. Did she really want to see the intruders that they have been warned about? The intruders that have come in the blue box with the storm in their wake?
"Let me see. These people are different! The family...they carry Time and Starlight in their wake." Thyra clutched her mother's hand before the Time family and Donna approached the curtain.
"Very perceptive. May I ask, who are we speaking too?" Braxiatel enquired.
"The gods whisper to me." The high priestess replied.
"Oh please. Enough with the gods all ready!" Romana chortled impatiently but Braxiatel sent her a glance and Romana sighed.
"I'm sorry about my lady Romana. However, may we request an audience to look upon the High Priestess?" As soon as Braxiatel asked, the curtains pulled apart to reveal the high priestess who sat upon the bed with her body nearly converted completely to stone.
"Oh my god! What's happened to you!" Donna gasped with horror.
"The heavens have blessed me.
"May we...?" Braxiatel motioned that he and his daughter would like to step closer. She raised her arm and he kneeled and touched it, showing his daughter who looked at it in a curious manner.
"Does it hurt?" Thyra asked innocently though she knew the high priestess must be in a great deal of pain for being so stiff. Thyra tried to imagine herself being stiff and she couldn't, something she was thankful for.
"It is necessary."
"I wonder who told you that." Romana muttered underneath her breath.
The High priestess turned her gaze towards her, hearing her words. "The voices."
"Is that what's happening to Evelina?" Donna glanced around at all the other sisters in the room in disbelief. "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"
Spurrina approached her, pulling her sleeve back to show them. "The blessings are manifold."
"They're stone." Donna breathed in awe as she gently touched Spurrina's arm like she did with Evelina earlier that night.
"Aye." Thyra noted and Romana raised an eyebrow at her daughter who merely shrugged before looking at her mother innocently. "Mummy...why are they turning to stone before the big volcano erupts?"
The High Priestess glanced back at the Time family and Donna. "This word...this image in your mind, this 'Volcano', what is that?"
"More to the point, let's speak to the people who are in charge here." Romana replied, changing topics quickly.
"I am in charge. I am the High Priestess of the Sibyline."
"Yes, we know that. But I want to talk to the creature that is nesting inside of you." Romana pressed. "The creature that is seeding itself into a human body in the dust of human lungs and turning into something new."
"Your knowledge is impossible!"
"Oh I know." Romana replied, giving the high priestess a fixed gaze. "If you can read my mind then you know of the things that I am capable of doing and know who you really are. I, Romanadvoratrelundar, demand you Pryovile to name thyself!"
"We...are...awakening!" A voice echoed through the high priestess.
"The voice of the gods!" Spurrina cried and the sisterhood all knelt down in front of the high priestess, rocking their bodies back and forth gently. "Words of wisdom, words of power. Words of wisdom, words of power." They all kept repeating the words, looking upon the high priestess.
"Pyrovile, name yourself!" Braxiatel snarled.
Suddenly the high priestess threw her hook back. "I AM PYROVILE."
"Pyrovile. Pryovile."The Sisters kept on chanting and Thyra glanced at them briefly before turning her gaze back upon the Pryovile.
"What's a Pryovile?" Donna asked weakly. Was the woman in front of her the creature? But that was impossible. She was human! A human woman turning to stone.
"The creature inside her." Braxiatel corrected her. "Only she is at the halfway stage."
"Well, and that turns into what?"
"The creature from the villa." Thyra piped up, Braxiatel nodding in agreement. "That was the adult one, this is like a baby Pryovile."
"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you all!" The creature inside the high priestess roared.
"Not when we're armed!" Thyra cried and she pulled out a TARDIS blue water pistole, one she had founded in her pockets a few nights ago.
"Where you get that from young lady?" Her mother reprehended her in her mind but fondly but couldn't help but be relieved at the fact that they had some sort of weapon to fight against the Pryovile with.
"Donna, get that grille open." Braxiatel demanded.
"What are...?"
"Just-" Braxiatel jerked his head and Donna went to the hypocaust, doing as he says before he turned back to the high priestess. "What are the Pyrovile doing here?"
"We fell from the heavens. We fell so far and so fast and we were rendered into dust!"
"Because creatures of stone shatter on impact." Braxiatel nodded thoughtfully. "That was seventeen years ago yes?"
"We have slept beneath for thousands of years."
"And seventeen years ago you woke up and are using human bodies to reconstitute yourself. I get it. But why give them psychic powers?" Romana enquired, Thyra arms still raised with the water pistol in her arms.
"We opened their minds and found such gifts!" The High priestess replied.
"So you force yourself inside a human brain and use the latent psychic talent to bond. We get that, even we're not that stupid. But why do you want to see into the future? That is beyond psychic and you can see through time. Your species shouldn't even have that gift!" Romana told them coldly, not pleased by the fact these creatures have the ability to see into the future but she knew she held a grudge against them for looking into her past without her permission. She preferred to keep her past behind locked doors.
Spurrina glanced between the Time family as the High Priestess moaned.
Donna managed to lift the grille with satisfaction. "I got it!" She yelled.
"Get down there!" Braxiatel yelled as he gently steered his family towards Donna, steering Thyra away gently so she did not trip over as she still aimed her water pistol at the high priestess.
Donna blinked in surprise. "What, down there?" She glanced back down nervously at the drop.
"Down there, yes! Now what I want to know is why you are blocking the vision of the Volcano. Why are you hiding of one of the most historic events in Earth's history?"
"Sisters, I see into his daughter's mind. The weapon is harmless but she is not." Spurrina warned, remembering what Thyra did to her dagger and she eyed the little girl nervously.
"I bet it's gonna sting though. Now Thyra!" Braxiatel encouraged and Thyra shoots the water at the High Priestess who moaned in pain. "Get down there!"
Donna dropped through the opening, Romana following and Braxiatel helped to lower Thyra down and Romana caught her before jumping in after them, all of them inside the volcanic tunnels and it was very, very hot.