The True Gods Chapter 8

Disclaimer I do not own any of the characters mentioned only the plot.
"Blah" speaking
"Blah" thinking
"Blah" mind speak

Daniel sat on the bed slowly massaging his temples with his fingers - making small circles clockwise 5 times then counter clockwise 5 times - it was helping him relax enough that he could actually try to organize his thoughts, absorbing all the new information he had been given. Ok, first off did he believe that the Theos were what inspired people to believe in the 'Gods'? That they in fact were the first 'Gods'? The answer was that he didn't know. This was an idea completely foreign to him. The truth was that Ares could easily be lying to him to gain his help, or he could simply have told the lie enough times that he now believed it himself. But there was a chance that he could be telling the truth. He could be part of a species so ancient and powerful that they'd been mistaken for Gods; he could honestly want to help protect the people of earth, people who he thought of as children that he and his kind once failed. If the Theos was telling the truth he knew that they would make great allies against the Goa'uld - Ares certainly hated them enough, which Daniel certainly understood. The Goa'uld seemed to have hurt the Theos almost as much as they'd hurt the Tau'ri. However, his instincts were telling him that he should trust Ares, despite the fact that he had, without permission, read his memories. No, what Daniel was having trouble deciding was if he could afford to risk awakening the Theos. What if they decided to try to rule the world, and make people worship them for power again? He didn't know what to do.

Daniel stood up and began to wander the room. He had been slightly distracted by Cupid when he had first entered. Looking around he noticed that a mosaic of tiles covered the floor. The white and black lines in large swirling patterns across the floor had a calming and peaceful quality which was infectious. He looked up and saw that the ceiling had the same type of pattern. Covering the walls were large curtains that went from the floor to the ceiling. They were a deep burgundy colour and cut the corners of the room diagonally, making the room octagonal in shape. At the entrance of the room the curtains were tied back and showed a hallway which Daniel assumed led to the main temple. The candles were placed on tables, except for two main candlesticks that stood either side of the entrance. Daniel's attention returned to the middle of the room and the bed Cupid occupied, it was a circular bed that briefly brought to mind the spinning bed in the movie 'Austin Powers Man of Mystery', which Jack had forced him to watch in lieu of hockey once. He admitted to himself that he thought the movie was pretty funny, not that he would ever tell Jack that – he'd never hear the end of it! He glanced around the room once more and his eyes landed on the cradle that stood at the edge of the bed, Cupid's head facing it.

Now that he thought of it, it looked like Cupid was trying to watch his son before the sleep had overwhelmed him, maybe wondering if he would ever see him again. Looking at the cradle a feeling of dread came over him. Ares had said that some of the weaker Theos had died in their sleep. Was there a chance that the child in the cradle was now a corpse? He nervously walked over to the crib, gathering his courage and slowly looking in. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Inside was a beautiful toddler, whose tiny chest when looked at carefully could be seen slowly rising and falling with every breath the child took. He looked to be about two years of age, and with his small amount of baby fat, the blond hair, and wings like his father he was quite possibly the most beautiful child Daniel had ever seen. He looked like a little cherub, one that would be at home in the clouds.

Daniel gazed at the child for a long while and then he could not resist carefully picking him up and holding him gently. Looking at the sleeping form of Bliss in his arms Daniel made his decision. Even though he knew that the Theos could become even worse than the Goa'uld if they chose, his instincts were telling him that this would not happen. And how could he deny this child the chance to grow up? The chance to learn, to play, to fly again in the clouds? Looking down at the sleeping form of Bliss in his arms Daniel smiled. He couldn't. He would help Ares to wake up the 'Gods'.

Meanwhile, in another part of Olympus, Major Samantha Carter was waking up. Blinking, she looked around to find herself in completely different surroundings to those she last remembered. "Good grief!" she thought. Could they not even manage to go on one mission where they didn't get kidnapped, attacked - she glanced down at herself - or stripped of their belongings? She shook her head and started studying the room; it appeared to be a large temple, of Greek origin judging by the eight pillars (four on each side). There seemed to be two entrances into the temple, one on either end. The one closest to her seemed to be the main entrance - it was incredibly large and flanked by a rearing horse on either side. The other entrance seemed to be a small door that probably led to other parts of the temple. It was beside a large throne with steps leading up to it, and it had a pillar on either side of it with a statue of an owl with majestically spread wings on top of each. In the middle of the room was a large olive tree which it bore no leaves, as if it was winter despite the fact that the temperature was quite high. There was a large pit in the centre of the room with steps leading down into it, and it was in this that the tree stood. Looking between each of the eight pillars Sam noticed that large murals covered the walls. They were all depicting the same single woman in different scenes. Glancing at one Sam guessed that the woman was the Goddess Athena. She remembered hearing somewhere that Athena had been born by leaping out of Zeus' head as a adult in full armour, and that was definitely what that picture was displaying.

Sam decided to begin searching, hoping that she could find the rest of her team mates. She remembered Colonel O'Neill and Daniel disappearing with the strange man before she lost consciousness, so she hoped that it meant that they were here somewhere. She began walking towards the main entrance, hoping that the doors wouldn't be locked. When she reached them she discovered that they would not budge, whether she pushed or pulled. She didn't see any trace of a lock, but she knew that that did not necessarily mean there wasn't one. She started walking towards the other entrance, alert and listening for any strange noises. As she walked she glanced again at the murals on the wall, noticing that Athena seemed to be a very fierce warrior, pictured holding a spear that was about a foot taller than herself and wearing a helmet in all the images. There were, however, other images which seemed to show another side of her - things like her sitting at a great loom or attending horses and oxen. "I wonder who would send me here?" Sam thought as she reached the other entrance "and why? What purpose could this serve?" She pushed the door and was very relieved when it opened.

Sam found herself in a small dark hallway with several doors. Up ahead the hallway curved and there was a light shining around the bend. Walking along the corridor she tried the doors as she came to them, and realised that they were all locked. She rounded the corner to find a doorway at the end of the hall with some fabric blocking the view. Walking down to the end she pushed the fabric out of the way and stepped into the room beyond. She stood still, staring. Right in front of her was a giant bed, and lying on it was the woman in the murals. She had just walked into Athena's bed-chamber.

That is another chapter sorry it took so long I was having computer problems.

All the information I got about Athena I got from this page so tell me what you think!

P.S

To all the people who reviewed and gave me encouragement the comments my old beta told me got me a bit down. I fully admit well I knew some people would not like my story I was not expecting to get told in such a negative manner. But all the comments I got after cheered me up. So once again thank you very much.

P.P.S

Thank you to all the people who offered to be my new Beta and thanks to Sarah-Louise Tinklin for beta this chapter for me you are way better than my old beta.