Raven walked up to them, bowing before turning to SG-1. "It is customary to bow to the priests after the ceremony."
None of them moved, the priests appearing uncaring as one brushed past them, moving to dial the DHD as the others waited.
Daniel moved closer to Raven, quietly speaking to her. "Why do the priests have blood on their mouths?"
She gave him an odd look, appearing confused by the question. "Do your people not get food on their mouths as they consume it?"
"Yes."
"There is your answer."
She walked to the group of priests, whispering something to them as the gate sprung into life again.
The first priest walked straight through the gate, the rest of the group rushing past to join him. Raven followed after, pausing by the wormhole and turning to face them. "Come on," she shouted before stepping through. They ran up the steps to the gate, just making it through before it shut down.
Jack heard Daniel gasp as they exited the Stargate. They were in some kind of temple; the Stargate placed in the centre.
The room was large, with easily enough space to place another Stargate each side of the actual one, the walls a pale blue colour, steadily getting paler until it was almost a white colour where the walls joined the glass ceiling. The sun was shining brightly through the glass, yet the room was cool, almost as if there was a constant breeze passing through, preventing the sunlight from doing its job.
Daniel quickly pulled out his camcorder, gazing in awe at the walls; the pale blue dotted with stones full of text, and even the occasional picture.
Sam touched Jack's arm, tilting her head towards their right, to the group a few feet in front of them. The priests had replaced their hoods, only the quiet voices and occasionally glimpses of skin suggesting that there was a group of people there at all.
"Where's Raven?" she asked, noticing that there was no sign of the woman in the room.
"She left immediately," Teal'c replied, "exiting through the door as I entered."
They all looked towards the door directly in front of them, its solid wood finish giving no clue of what lay beyond. There was one other doorway in the room, to the left behind the Stargate and Teal'c slowly moved towards it, his mannerisms appearing to show him reading, or at least looking at, what was written on the wall.
Jack returned his attention to Daniel, who was busy talking under his breath as he started to translate the walls. "I wonder what they say?" He muttered, staring at one of the images, a naked woman running through a forest.
"I'm sure Daniel will let you read the rude parts," Sam absently replied, crouching down beside the Stargate.
"Carter?"
"The Stargate has been tampered with." She pointed to a device attached to the side, moving her hand up to reveal more, evenly spread out around the edge. " There must be twenty of them."
"What do they do?"
"I have no idea," she admitted, only able to shrug at his raised eyebrow. "They could be batteries, bombs, maybe even lights. Or they could just be to keep the Stargate upright."
"So you have no idea."
"No Sir."
Jack scanned the room, looking for any other potential threats, finding the room empty except for the people. "Carter? There's no DHD."
"It's behind the priests, I caught a glimpse of it as we came through the gate."
One of the priests suddenly cried out, moving quickly to Teal'c. "Away demon, you may not enter."
Teal'c nodded, walking slowly towards Sam and Jack, Daniel almost running to join them, scared of upsetting them further.
The priest stared at them; his bright grey eyes the only thing they were able to see in the darkness of his hood.
"Raven should not have brought them, we have never had to perform the ritual on four before."
"We swore never to perform it on a woman!" One of the other priests stepped forward, his words angry.
"You would rather she be treated as the other women?" The first priest asked, a tint of horror visible under his clam exterior.
The other priest did not reply, could not, for either answer would have decided her fate. Instead he stepped back, disappearing back into the group.
The first priest moved towards SG-1, appearing to almost glide upon the floor. "You know nothing of what you have agreed to by coming here."
"So tell us," Jack answered, his voice completely humourless.
"I cannot. It would have been better had you never come."
"We could go now," Daniel offered, his desire to find out about the culture diminishing with every word he heard.
"Just because I do not wish to see you subjected to this does not mean I am willing to die to prevent it." The priest sounded insulted at the very idea of putting their lives before his. "I cannot help you, I am sorry."
The priest moved back to his group, all of whom were standing in silence, waiting.
"I believe he was sincere," Teal'c whispered in Jack's ear, confirming what he had suspected, although without seeing the priests expression it was hard to be sure.
Jack was about to say something when the door burst open, two men in forest green armour marching in, protecting a gold cloaked man.
He wore a highly decorated crown upon his head, red and green gems intricately placed along the backs of interlocked snakes.
He pushed through his guards, walking towards SG-1, pausing level with the priests. "I am Amar, Raven's uncle, ruler of this land. You must be the Tau'ri." He stared at them, looking them up and down in distaste. "You trespassed on our sacred ground."
Daniel stepped forward. " We are sorry, we did not realise, the planet appeared unoccupied and it took me a while to translate the text."
"You cannot read?"
Daniel looked insulted and Jack knew he was about to say something that would get them in more trouble. "What my friend means is that he does not read this language, ours is…well different."
"You speak the same language as us but do not write the same?"
"Yep."
Amar nodded, accepting their argument even if he did not appear to totally believe it. "If you would follow me, it is time for the meal. I take it you will partake?"
"Of course." Daniel hastily replied before Jack had a chance to object.
Amar turned and started to walk out of the room, SG-1 quickly following, unconsciously gripping their weapons tighter as the guards brought up the rear.
"Are you sure it's safe for us to eat that food Daniel?" Sam asked, whispering everyone's concern.
"I believe it would be unsafe not to," Teal'c replied, his expression sombre. Daniel nodded, not willing to bring up the danger they appeared to be in so close to their host.
Daniel moved ahead of them, bringing himself in line with Amar. "May I ask you a question?"
"You just did, but yes, you may, whether I will answer is not ensured however."
"Where is Raven."
Amar paused, staring at the archaeologist for a few seconds before resuming their trek. "She is busy."
"Doing what?"
"You must be Daniel Jackson, the nosy one."
Daniel looked at him in shock. "How do you know that?"
"Raven told me." He looked behind them, "Teal'c, the dark skinned devil, Colonel O'Neill the witless, Major Carter the woman."
All three shared a look, Jack grabbing Sam's arm to prevent her from doing or saying anything.
"You need not concern yourself with Raven any longer," he concluded, "you will not be seeing her again."