Chapter Two

When the light faded, the Doctor looked around and noticed he was in a room made out of gold. On the walls were several paintings depicting the lion headed goddess Sekhmet in various poses, being worshipped and adored, fighting demons and things similar to that. At the back of the room was a doorway and the cat was walking towards it. When she reached the door she looked over her shoulder and meowed at the Doctor.

"Let me guess, you want me to come with you," he said.

The cat meowed again and walked through the doorway. The Doctor mentally shrugged, stuck his hands in his pockets and followed her. He froze when he went through the doorway. Sitting at a low table made out of gold was River, Rory and Amy. They were sitting on plump gold cushions and each one had a plate of food and a golden goblet. Between them was a lavish spread of food, fruits, vegetables, breads and meat and a gold pitcher of wine. River and Amy jumped up and ran towards him, taking turns embracing him while Rory stood up slowly and waited his turn to greet him.

"What are you doing here?" Amy said as she let go of him.

"I'd ask the same question," the Doctor said while he hugged his wife.

"That cat brought us here," Rory said, pointing to the cat who was now at the head of the table grooming herself.

"Me too," the Doctor said. "Although why I've been brought here is still a mystery."

"We know just as much as you do," River said. "That cat led us in here and we found this food."

"And you just sat down and ate it without testing it?" the Doctor said incredulously.

"Um…we were hungry?" Amy said sheepishly. "It's good. Have some."

The Doctor picked up a pomegranate from a gold bowl, inspected it, sniffed it and then took a bite.

"Hmm, not bad," the Doctor said. "But is that the reason we were brought here? To be wined and dined? Where is our host?"

The cat stopped grooming and while they watched a golden light enveloped her. When it faded, the cat had morphed into a young naked woman with the cat's head in place of a human head.

"I am Bast, Sekhmet's sister. She is your…host…as you put it."

The Doctor tried not to look at Bast's ample breasts, especially since his wife was eyeing him. He stepped forward while the others followed.

"Are you an Osirian?" he asked her.

"Osiris is one of us," Bast said in confusion.

"No, an Osirian. Aliens who pretended to be Egyptian gods," the Doctor said.

"I am no pretender," Bast said. "I do not know these Osirians but we are not impersonating anything. I am real."

"Yeah. Forgive me for not believing you straight away. The "gods" I've encountered have all been false ones."

"Then perhaps we can prove you wrong." Bast said. "But for the moment, my sister wishes to speak with you. If you would like to eat while you wait for her. I will go and tell her you are here."

There was another bright light and when it faded, Bast was gone."

"I've seen so many unbelievable things since I've been with you that I'm sure I'd be sectioned if the wrong people found out," Rory said, shaking his head.

"Doctor, what are these…Osirians?" Amy said.

"Just a bunch of aliens who pretended to be gods. I battled one called Sutekh in my fourth life. This Bast might claim to be the real thing but I'll reserve judgment."

He bit into the pomegranate and sat down beside River while Rory and Amy sat across the table from them. He gazed at the food in front of them. There were assorted breads, some onions and the bowl of fruits. There was roasted goose, pheasant and gazelle. The Doctor peeled a strip of flesh off a nearby goose and tasted it.

"Wine, love?" River said as she held up an empty goblet.

"Yeah, might as well get pissed while you wait for the gods to show up," Rory said.

The Doctor accepted the offer. River poured him some wine, gave it to him and he gave her a brief kiss on the lips before clinking goblets with her. He tasted the wine and his eyes widened in delight.

"Mmm…this is delicious," the Doctor said. "One of the best wines I've ever tasted."

"Why do you think we're well on our way to getting pissed?" Amy said.

They jerked their heads to the head of the table when another bright flash came out of nowhere. Standing at the head of the table was Sekhmet. She had a woman's body with a lionesses head. Atop her head was a cobra that was coiled around the top of her head like a crown with the head raised up above its body. Behind her head there seemed to be an otherworldly glow, a bright aura that bathed her fur in a golden light. Unlike her sister, she was wearing a scarlet colored dress with a golden belt around her waist.

"Greetings. I am Sekhmet, the oldest of all the gods," she said.

"I am…"

Sekhmet looked at the Doctor when he started to speak.

"I know who you are, Time Lord. I know all of you. I have watched over you since you were first loomed. Before you were born, I set you apart from your people to be a protector of the universe and fight evil for me."

"For you?" the Doctor said. "I fight evil because I want to. Because it's the right thing to do."

"And who gave you the desire to do such a thing? I put that desire in your hearts so you would fulfill your destiny as one of my champions of the light."

"Um…I don't worship the Egyptian pantheon," the Doctor said. "I don't subscribe to their religion either."

"That doesn't matter. The people I mark as my own come from all walks of life. Like you, they have made it their life's mission to combat evil all across the universe."

"What about us?" Amy said, gesturing to Rory and River.

"You were destined to help the Doctor in his mission as were many others who he called his friends, allies and companions."

"So…is this a dinner congratulating him for doing good?" Rory said, pointing to the food.

Sekhmet turned, waved her hands and Rory was shocked when a golden throne appeared out of nowhere at the head of the table. Sekhmet sat down in it and smiled at Rory.

"If only it was, Rory Williams. No, I have need of all of you. I wish you to go on a quest for me. The dinner was just a polite formality."

"Wait, wait, wait, the last time I went on a quest was when the White Guardian commanded me to go and I went all over searching for the Key to Time," the Doctor said.

"And that was another example of you protecting the universe for all beings of light," Sekhmet said. "The quest I have for you doesn't involve you looking for individual parts of a key. But you must confront an evil sorcerer who has been trying to summon the evil gods to do his bidding."

"If you're so powerful, why do you need us?" River said. "Why don't you take care of this sorcerer yourself?"

"Because I have limited involvement in the human realm. That is why I choose champions who act in my stead. The Doctor is one such champion and he is one of the most powerful beings who ever lived. This sorcerer is equally powerful and I think he is one of the only ones who could defeat him. Will you help me and help the gods who serve order and light, Champion of Time?"

His companions looked at him while the Doctor considered that.

"This sorcerer. He's threatening Earth?" he finally said to Sekhmet.

"He threatens all the universe, Doctor. If he can harness the power of the evil gods and use them, he can unleash them on the universe and destroy it."

"Then I have no choice but to accept," the Doctor said.

"You always have a choice, Time Lord, but your desire to help others is so great that you will willingly risk your life to save the universe. This is your calling and your destiny."

"Yes, I s'pose it is," the Doctor said. "What about my friends?"

"That is your decision. I'm not telling you how to stop him or who to take with you. It is your choice alone, Time Lord."

"You are taking us," River said.

"Yeah. We're not leaving without ya. We're bored and we want some adventure," Amy said.

"Well…actually, I could use a little less adventure than an evil sorcerer but I will follow you anywhere," Rory said.

"Then we accept," the Doctor said.

"Thank you, Time Lord," Sekhmet said. "Now listen closely while I tell you what you need to know."