Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully ignored.

For information on Neftu, see the bottom.

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Hail to the King Part 7: Gods and Monsters

Smoke drifted across the courtyard, and the battle seemed to go quiet as the surviving Jaffa ran for safety. The two armies separated, no one firing as they re-formed their battle line ready for the next.

O'Neill re-loaded his P90 and made his way down to the courtyard and found Teal'c, the former Jaffa still brandishing his sword, "I don't think we can take another attack like that, and it's only a mater of time before they attack again."

"[I agree.]" Arthur appeared at their side, "[The battle is all but lost. All we can do is sell ourselves dearly, and hope the force-field Merlin erected will keep the townspeople safe.]"

An ear-splitting cry filled the air, and everyone looked to see a large eagle-like bird circle above. It cried-out again as it swooped down. Arthur held out his gauntleted hand and the eagle parched on it, it's beady eyes looking at O'Neill like he was lunch. Arthur carefully unclipped a small pod from the bird's leg and it took flight, gaining height with every flap of its powerful wings. Arthur was still reading the message when a low droning sound came from the woods behind Osiris' army. The volume grew steadily, until it was almost painful.

"To the west!" A lookout cried from high on the battlements, "It is Sir Bedivere!"

The three men ran up the steps that led to the top of the castle walls, stopping at the top to look towards the forest. At first it looked like the threes where marching, and O'Neill had a momentary flashback to reading Macbeth at High School. His field glasses reviled the truth: armoured soldiers carried long wooden pipes with fierce images of dragons and wild animals carved on the end. It was from these instruments that the bellowing sound came.

Rank after rank of troops marched from the woods, weapons at their shoulders, the faceplates of their armour shinning in the sunlight. Brightly collared banners and flags flew above the army as they formed rank after rank.

"What the hell?" O'Neill focused in on the center ranks, "Those look like Jaffa!"

"[Indeed they are, in a way.]" Arthur handed over note he ad taken from the eagle, "[I told Dr Jackson that the lands to the East are wild and unsettled. That is not entirely true.]"

"I do not recognise them." Teal'c looked confused, "No System Lord I know of uses the emblem of a cat."

"That is because it has not been used for almost 3,000-years." Merlin appeared at their side, his holographic projector hiding his true form, "They belong to one who was banished by the System Lord's for disobeying their rule."

A green flair shot up from the massed army on the hillside. Merlin produced a tube, and pointing it to the sky, fired off an identical green flair, "That is to let them know we still control the castle." He explained.

"[Now we must go meet with Osiris and try and talk this out.]" Arthur started down the steps, O'Neill and Teal'c following close behind.

Two members of the Guard followed behind them as they made their way across the courtyard and out of the main gate. O'Neill could see a similar sized party making it's way down from the tree line. Defiant to the last, Osiris refused to meet them half way, forcing them to walk to her.

O'Neill glanced at the other party: three of them wore the same heavy armour as Arthur and his guards, while two appeared to be dressed in the robes of the Goa'uld. O'Neill looked at them carefully: they where both women, apparently of Arabic descent. The taller of the two walked with a swagger that O'Neill had long come to associate with the Goa'uld. The slightly shorter one moved more like a Tok'ra, and kept half a step behind the leader.

Osiris stood surrounded by her personal bodyguard, but finally stepped forward to great them, "[You have come to offer your surrender?]"

"[HA!]" The taller of the two new women laughed, "[Do you truly believe that you can still win? I see that your imprisonment has not changed you Osiris: you are still a fool.]"

"[I know you!]" Osiris' eyes went wide, "[I was told you where dead!]"

"[Like Anubis?]" The woman smiled, "[The others tried to kill me: they chased me across half the galaxy, destroying those loyal to me at every turn, until I alone survived.]" She looked at Arthur, and smiled, "[Until I found sanctuary.]"

"[My dear, your words flatter me: I meanly offered to help a kindred sprit.] Arthur bowed, "[Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, may I introduce my consort and queen of the East, Neftu.]"

 "Neftu the Destroyer!" Teal'c's eyes went wide in shock.

To Be Continued…

Neftu is not, as far as I can tell, a real ancient Egyptian goddess, but she was mentioned in a book I once read, so I'm going to use her in this story. In the book she was a cat-god, normally know as Neftu the Destroyer. Her sect was banished to the gates of Egypt when they became too powerful.