"Be gone fool! Can you not see that I already have enough pillows stuffed behind my back? My nose is almost touching my food!" Rhadamanthus grumbled some more before the servant got the hint and scurried away, almost crashing into Telamon in his haste.
"Father, I am sorry to interrupt but I have some news."
The old man turned his face towards his son, his nose swollen and ugly. "My Son! Come, sit. Tell your father of Ptah, was he pleased?"
"Yes. Major Carter and Pandora were very much to his likings. He did not send word of his promise to you, but I am sure he will provide you with what we seek very soon." Telamon sat gingerly at the foot of the bed.
"That is good news. And what word have you of SG-1?"
SG-1... he had almost forgotten! Fumbling for the right words, Telamon rose to his feet. "They have not been found as of yet. Pollux's brother is also missing."
"I want them found." Came the snarling reply.
"I shall see to it myself right now father. I shall leave you in peace." Telamon almost ran out of the bedroom, angry with himself for not seeing to the matter earlier. Whipping down a flight of stairs he rounded a corner and ducked into a room below his father's. The rest of the members of the High Council of Elysian were seated at a large dining table, chatting quietly.
"Pollux, Aenaes, come with me. There is work to be done." This time Telamon was not enlisting the help of some bumbling guards. He wanted the job done right.
Slowly, Pollux rose from the table. Aenaes was a little more eager and was already crossing the floor towards Telemon. Slightly shorter than Jack, Aenaes was the pretty boy of the High Council. His good looks and baby blue eyes often earned him a joke cast at his expense, but Telamon knew that under that mop of blonde hair lay a very smart, very cunning mind. He also knew that Aenaes knew how to follow orders. Pollux on the other hand, was a little more unorthodox, but he had been Telamon's best friend for many years. He could be trusted.
"Telamon?" Pollux swiped his hand across the table and grabbed the rest of his breakfast - some kind of croissant - before deciding to join his edgy friend.
"We have work to do." Came Telamon's steely reply.
Pollux grumbled a bit, he hated skipping breakfast. He was usually the last to leave the table after helping himself to more than enough breakfast for three men. But, when you considered how stocky and muscular he was, it was no surprise that he needed all the fuel he could get. Finishing off the rest of his food while he walked, Pollux came to stand next to Telamon.
Aenaes crossed his arms over his chest and lent against the door frame.
"SG-1." A statement, not a question. Aenaes never missed a beat.
"We are going to find them, and when we do they'll be sorry that they ever stepped foot here." Telamon cast a glance at both of them, gathering silent agreements and then stalked out of the room. Aenaes was hot on his heels, his golden hair bobbing with every step. Pollux rolled his eyes at the man and followed steadily behind, still chewing.
"Where are we going Telamon?" Pollux's voice boomed down the corridor.
"SG-1 have an advantage Pollux. They're a day ahead of us, and they're armed. At the very least, we must be too, and not with those poison darts my father loves so much..."
"So, to the armoury then?"
"To the armoury."
A smile crept across Pollux's face. Sure, the armoury was great. Nice shiny weapons that had never seen a day's use (except in practise), and Pollux was a master with a blade. But the best part was that to get to the armoury from where they currently were, they had to go through the kitchen. His stomach was already growling at the thought. The narrow corridors didn't help Pollux in keeping that a secret.
"And Pollux, try not to weigh yourself down too much. Leave room in your pockets for important items."
The red haired man grunted in amusement.
"I shall meet you there Telamon. I am in need of a change of clothing." Aenaes made a sharp turn to his left and darted up a small flight of stairs that would lead him to his room. Telamon turned to Pollux, his expression suddenly a little more grave.
"Pollux there is something I must tell you. Your brother has not been seen for a day. It is true that he may be simply seeking some solitude, he must be missing Pandora. But there is also another explanation."
"You think Ajax has sided with SG-1."
"Yes. I know you would not be so quick to believe it as I have, but I find it too much of a coincidence."
"I see." Pollux stared straight ahead. He knew that his brother was the more compassionate of them. He was easy to manipulate, easy to talk to, easy to gain the trust of. Despite that however, Ajax was loyal. Pollux was having a hard time convincing himself that his brother would simply join SG-1 over Pandora's exit from Elysium. He decided to hold on to the chance that Ajax had fallen victim to SG-1's deception.
"He may be SG-1's captive." Pollux hadn't actually meant to say it out loud.
"Let us hope that is the case my friend. Your brother is a good man. We will find him." Telamon laid a hand on Pollux's shoulder.
After a short silence, they reached the door to the huge kitchen. Telamon opened the door in one movement, to find Aenaes already inside, perched on a bench.
"We took our time." Aenaes tossed Pollux another croissant and gracefully descended off the bench.
"I won't ask how you got here before us Aenaes." Telamon shook his head and pushed through the kitchen and its staff. The armoury was through the door on the opposite side of the room and down another short corridor. Pollux followed last, scooping up articles from benches and crates as he went.
The armoury wasn't well lit. In fact there were no artificial lights down the whole corridor. Telamon had to light the way using a torch that he had ignited in the kitchen. The armoury was not used, and so to conserve power the lights in the area had been turned off. The last time the armoury door had been opened was over a year ago when Pollux and a dozen other men had gone through weapon training. Despite the fact that the weapons had hardly been touched, they were in perfect working order. One shot to stun, two to kill, three to vaporise. A gift from Ptah many years ago, the armoury was full of what SG-1 would call Zat guns.
Telamon smiled at the sight. His father was fonder of the poison dart guns that the guards carried than the louder unfamiliar weapons from Ptah. But the dart guns were only good for short distances and were hard to aim. Plus, wielding a Zat gun was more fun.
When the three of them realised that they had just been standing in the doorway to the armoury, lost in their own thoughts, Pollux took a step forward and provided each of them with a Zat gun and a sharp, long blade. The blades had been crafted by an old friend and teacher of Pollux's. Golden handles, intricately carved with images of flying eagles and mountain ranges. Like their craftsman, they were beautiful, but deadly. Each blade came with a sheath that could be fastened around the waste. Pollux wore his with pride. His teacher was long gone now. She had been chosen as a Significant soon after she completed the blades. Her memory was still warm in Pollux's thoughts.
Shaking himself out of his daydream, Pollux finished fastening the buckle and stepped out of the room. Aenaes and Telamon were right behind him. Now they were set. Telamon walked swiftly back down the dim corridor and made a right turn. They didn't have to go back through the kitchen this time. There was a back door that would lead them straight out of the palace and into Elysium.
Telamon knew what he was going to do; he just had to find a way to actually accomplish it. Even though they had a head start, he was going to find SG-1, take them captive by any means necessary, and then, provided his father didn't have any great plans for them, he was going to inflict so much bodily harm on them it would make Ptah look like an amateur.