Stained Sand: The Glory of the Arena

Chapter 1 – Crimson Rain.

'Killing blow! Killing blow! Killing blow!' The mob roared their demands, their blood thirst echoing throughout her body. It soared over the stadium with merciless wings, cutting into her with the need of her life force.

Teyla side stepped quickly, and again. She ducked. She stood and dodged, feeling the sword scratch her breastplate. She stumbled back and blocked the next attack with her own sword; her opponent growled his frustration and hit her viciously. Teyla fell onto the sand hard, the sword tumbling from her hand and spraying her with the yellow grains. She felt the blood flow from her lip and looked up in time to roll and avoid the point of the blade slamming into the ground next to her. She pushed up with her hands and whacked her long leg into his ugly face. He stumbled back and she flipped to her feet, advancing.

Her opponent was not human. It was large and deformed; it wore its armour more for the crowd's appreciation than real protection. She had cut it many times, but still it did not seem to tire. The truly bad thing was that she felt the exhaustion creeping into her limbs, pleading with her to stop. But the fact remained that if she stopped, she died. And that was not an option.

Teyla punched it several times before delivering an elbow to the stomach and following it with a back hand to its face. It stumbled back and Teyla used its poor balance to deliver a round house kick that finally sent it to the ground.

She took the moment to look up at the thousands of people staring down, shouting and laughing, betting and moaning. The stone building was massive; she had never seen anything like it. The only light source came from fire, five rings which surrounded the walls, one under each of the levels of the stadium, the heat and light forever circling her. And yet she had never felt so cold…

The beast stirred at her feet and she took a fighting stance. Sweat beaded on her brow, blood and filth covered her body, pain and exhaustion screamed throughout her being. She couldn't take much more.

Her brown eyes glared down with a fury, but also a calmness that came with years of experience. It was not his fault she was here and she would not blame him. Her strong stance planted her resolve to the ground and she spoke, breathing hard.

'I do not wish to harm you, there is another way.' She insisted.

The creature looked up at her through sunken eyes, beady and black, they narrowed. Teyla stepped back as it rose slowly.

'No other way. The Emperor commands it.' He rasped through a lopsided mouth. He lowered his head with a menacing eye. 'Die well.' He rushed her.

It was unnaturally fast, and Teyla side stepped too late. It clipped her and she fell to the ground, rolling to her front. It dragged itself to her side and thrust her onto her back, slamming its joined hands into her stomach. Teyla cried out in pain – she couldn't breathe, could hardly see. Through the pain and squinting eyes, she saw a flash of metal and thrust her hands up. She stopped the sword from penetrating her chest, her hands holding either side of the blade, shaking with the force of his thrust.

It growled at her, clenching its yellowing teeth. She could smell its hot, putrid breath. Teyla looked into its eyes before glancing down at the sword. Breathing was difficult and her strength was waning. She snarled her own frustration, releasing the pressure she felt, the knowledge that if she let go for a second that she would die.

She felt the sword push down to her chest, the point touching her bronze skin, stinging her. The sweat rolled down her fore head, and the creature grinned at her. The audience chanted once more, but she could not hear the words through the many voices. They were expecting a kill, and she feared that they would get one.

Three days ago…

'This is pointless! I mean, come on, you may not have better things to do, but I have. Way better and more important things, I might add.' Rodney whined, folding his arms and dragging his feet to a halt.

John Sheppard rolled his eyes before turning to his comrade, his hands resting on the P90 at his side. 'Rodney, we've been here a grand total of two minutes.'

'And in two minutes, I have assessed this planet as being totally useless to us – so! Let's go home.' He pointed back at the Gate defiantly.

'Nice assessment genius, but all we've seen is a couple trees, a nice lake and one local.' John informed him.

'Yes, one incredibly technologically inferior local.' Rodney pointed out, speaking to him as though he were a child.

Teyla stepped forward and gave him a frown. 'Rodney.' She nodded her head toward the woman they had only just met who looked at them with confusion.

Rodney smiled agitatedly at her and then stepped forward to Sheppard's side, turning his back on the woman. 'I really need to get back and do some work, I'm sure you guys can handle this one without me.'

John put an arm around the scientists shoulder and led him along the path. 'Rodney, you're part of the team. Besides, we need you to be here just in case.' John smiled at Teyla knowingly. The only way to soften him up was to appeal to his ego. And it was a very large ego. Rodney grinned, preening self importantly.

'I know that my infinite knowledge and skills are essential to the success to just about every mission but –' He paused, his face fell. 'What do you mean just in case?'

'Oh, you know – or you never do, which is why it's just in case.' Sheppard grinned, walking to Ronan's side as he scoured the road ahead. Rodney frowned at him.

'What?' He said incredulously, following the Colonel quickly.

'Don't worry Rodney, we'll get you back for some quality time with Doctor Evans –' John stopped abruptly and re traced his words with a gentle half smile. 'I mean, the new staff.'

Rodney tensed and then stumbled over a stone in his haste to reach the Colonel's side. 'Doctor Evans is new and I want to make sure that she doesn't make a mistake – my interest is purely professional.' He barked.

'Right, and that's why you got her dinner.' Ronan stated, grinning at Teyla.

'She didn't know where the lunch hall was! I was just being a gentleman – something you wouldn't understand.' Rodney scowled at the Satedan who merely raised his eyebrows and looked back at the road undamaged by his words.

'Rodney, we can tell nothing about a world by its appearance, take the Genii for instance.' Teyla offered.

'Oh, nice example.' Rodney said loudly.

'Yeah, not the best.' John frowned at her. 'Still, she's right. Not all of these planets are the Genii in disguise…at least, I don't think they are.' He said unsurely.

Rodney drooped. 'Yeah, this is gonna end well.'

'Mr Positive.' John muttered. Rodney was about to launch into an argument when John cut him off. 'So, Milarya. How far is your village?'

The middle-aged woman looked back and smiled. 'It is a city, Colonel, and it is not far. You shall hear it before you see it.'

John raised his eyebrows and Rodney groaned. 'That was nice and cryptic.'

'A little trust Rodney will go a long way.' Teyla said gently.

'Yes, let's put our trust in the hands of a woman whose name sounds like a disease.' He said shortly.

Sheppard shook his head and continued along the path. The Sun shone brightly over head with blue skies far clearer than any he had seen on Earth. He plucked his sunglasses from his vest pocket and slipped them on, squinting up. His first thought was to remove his jacket, he was already roasting under the beautiful sky, but his attention was drawn to something ahead on the road.

Ronan had seen them already, his hand straying untrustingly to his weapon. A man with a horse and cart plodding along the path toward them. He was old with leathery skin that had seen one too many years of Sun, but his hair and beard were a shocking white – it reminded John of Santa. He caught up with Milarya.

'You know this guy?' He asked. Milarya nodded with a smile, she jogged forward, pulling up the long cream dress she wore. It was a simple cloth draped over her body with nothing more than a modest gold brooch pinning the material at her shoulder.

'Quintus!' She called brightly. The man looked up from his absent minded humming and his face broke out into a smile.

'Mila! Mila, my dear! Good day to you!' He slowed the horses and hopped down with little difficulty. Rodney gaped.

'Not bad for a man who looks about a hundred.' He muttered to Teyla, before joining the rest of the team in meeting him.

'Mila, who are these with you?' He squinted at them. 'New priests?'

'Hah! Ha, no, uh, no…not today, not ever, not really…' Rodney fumbled. 'I mean, these two are definitely not.' He shook his head with a smile, pointing at Sheppard and Ronan.

'Thanks Rodney, very articulate.' John said firmly before turning to the old man. 'My name is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. These are my team mates Ronan Dex, Teyla Emmagan and Rodney Mckay.'

'Doctor.' Rodney corrected, stepping forward and offering the man his hand. 'Doctor Rodney Mckay. Hi.'

Quintus reached for his hand before pulling him closer. Rodney stumbled forward as the man leaned in to examine his hand with his nose mere millimetres from his skin.

'So fair!' He exclaimed, looking up at Rodney with surprise. His eyes were star blue, and coming very close, too close, nearer, just inches from his own face. Rodney leaned back as the man squinted into his eyes.

'Yes, well, nice to meet you.' He pulled his hand back and stepped away, breathing in his own personal space once more. The man watched him with a small smile.

'Quintus.' Milarya prodded. 'They came through the Deus Astrum.'

Quintus looked at her with a puzzled expression. 'Through?'

Rodney frowned. 'God star?' He said. 'Well that's not a good name for it…we call it the Star gate, that's much better.' He nodded.

John sighed. 'Rodney?'

'Deus Astrum – God star. It's Latin; you should recognise the vowel pronunciation as Latin is a derivative of Ancient. These people could be descendents, or were once taught by the Ancients, their language developing over the thousands of years, much like ours did. Except they use Latin and English…strange.' He explained, taking the Ancient Pad from his pocket and tapping the screen with a frown.

Milarya watched Quintus frown and explained further. 'It opened with a great flash of light, shining like one of the stars in our nights sky, but the surface was like water – and these walked through…'

Quintus gaped at her, and then at them. 'You are the Gods?'

John stared for a moment and then shook his head quickly. 'No! God no, no, we're travellers, we use the Gate to go to other worlds – we're not Gods.'

Ronan and Teyla glanced at each other before Ronan stepped forward. 'You don't get Wraith coming through the Gate?'

'Wraith? The ghost lords?' Milarya queried.

'Yeah, tall, alien dudes with white hair and pointy teeth – big in the life sucking department. Also not known for manners.' John explained. Teyla smirked at him.

'They are called Wraith.' She reinforced gently.

'Yes. They come…from the sky.' Quintus looked up.

'Never through the Gate?' She frowned.

They looked at her with puzzled faces.

'Deus Astrum.' Rodney reminded.

'Oh, well, no, they have never ventured through the Astrum – our Gods will not allow it.' Quintus paused. 'But they have allowed you passage.' He said suspiciously. 'You say you are not Gods. You are their messengers?'

'No.' Rodney said indignantly. 'We're not messengers, we're explorers. You're Gods didn't have anything to do with our coming here.'

Teyla frowned at his harshness. 'What Gods do you speak of?'

The two villagers looked stunned that she had not heard of the Gods and continued to gape for several seconds before talking rapidly under their breath, but it was not in English.

'Wow, hey, uh…Rodney, what are they saying?' John stepped forward.

'My Latin isn't all that good, Colonel, but I think…we're strangers, no purpose, something about the Gods intentions…they're not sure what to do with us.' Rodney said slowly. 'Hey, I believe the Colonel asked you to take us to your leader? As clichéd as that sounds.' The two continued to speak in hushed tones. 'Hey, uh…audio! Audio!'

The two stopped and watched. Milarya spoke. 'Ille fatur parilis nobis. Quam es nos pergo?'

'He speaks like us…how are we to continue, proceed?' Rodney translated. 'It's a very loose dialect, the cohesion is severely poor – hey, didn't I just say that we want to see your lead-?'

'Obviously they have some hesitations.' Teyla said calmingly. 'Perhaps we should allow them to become comfortable with our presence first?'

'And how long will that take?' Rodney whined.

'He's right.' John stated. 'Look, we're not here to cause trouble. We're here to learn, and in order to do that, we'd like to meet whoever's in charge.' He smiled warmly.

'To the temple or to the High Steps? The Altus Domino would be displeased if we kept this from him.' Quintus asked.

'Dominoes?' John echoed.

'Domino, not dominoes you schmuck. Altus Domino – or High Master.' Rodney explained. 'And he is…?'

'The Altus Domino is the first hand of our Emperor Titus.' Milarya said with a frown. 'He is known across the land.'

'Too many names and titles.' Ronan muttered frustratedly.

'No kidding. Okay, so, how about we go and see this Emperor guy?' John said confidently. Quintus and Milarya laughed nervously.

'Not possible, not even for you. The Emperor believes in only one God and the rest are folly to him, he indulges the people in our worship merely for support. Even travellers from the Astrum will not be seen.' Milarya said doubtfully.

'Perhaps…' Quintus started. 'They would be seen.' He stated, turning to the woman. 'He worships only one God, may be that will be enough of a pull to see them. What will persuade him most is the power they hold.' He turned back to the team. 'The threat you pose.'

Teyla walked forward. 'We have said already that we are not here to cause harm.'

'Does not matter. You're presence has harmed him already.' Quintus walked forward to the team and lowered his voice. 'Our Emperor is a great man, powerful and arrogant in his belief that he is almost as great as the Gods. But he was born here. You have travelled through the Astrum, through the very circle of our Gods. The people would follow you before they even thought twice about what Titus would do to them.' He paused. 'We must hide you as best we can, or Titus will have his revenge. You will be sent to the Arena.'

'Arena?' Ronan asked.

Teyla was unsure of what exactly they were talking about, but from their expressions, she could tell that it was nothing good. She felt oddly cold on this hot summer's day, the wind blew feebly, interrupting the uncomfortable silence. Quintus nodded.

'Yes, the Arena. If you do not know of it, then I will not speak of it, and we must hope you never have to find out.' He gave Milarya a hurried look and she rushed to his cart taking his hand as he helped her to sit on it and then joined her. He was looking over the horse looking quite flustered when he caught site of the newcomers just standing and watching him with frowns. He gaped for a moment and then nodded emphatically to the back. 'In! In!'

'Maybe we should just go back…' Rodney suggested nervously.

John was considering this when Quintus shook his head emphatically. 'No! I'm afraid that time had come and gone! It is far too perilous!' He seemed to want to speak more but his desperation to make them understand halted his words, he glanced at Mila.

'The harvest festival begins today and the Emperor will pray at the temple before travelling to the Astrum to give his blessings there. The temple is too close and his guards will undoubtedly be scouting the area before his arrival.' She looked timidly to the forest with a pale face and eyes darting.

'We can evade them.' Ronan stated. John nodded.

'We're pretty good at this kind of stuff.' He said encouragingly.

'Usually.' Rodney added.

'No, no, no, no! Ah, the Astrum is visited regularly by our people to bring gifts and to pray, someone will have seen your arrival! Someone other than Mila! Someone who will inform the Guard! We must leave! If you make a scene, or worse, kill any of the Guard, we will be the ones to suffer!' He said harshly, looking to Mila. 'No, you must come with us, and we will hide you until the harvest is over, then you may return.'

The team looked at each other with expressions of thought and wonder. John paused. 'How long is this harvest?'

'Several days.' Mila answered hastily.

'Several days!?' Rodney echoed angrily. 'Oh, I say we go back there, kick some ass and go home. I'm not waiting several days to walk all the way back!'

'Rodney.' Teyla scolded. 'We cannot allow ourselves to be seen like this. I do not believe that Mila and Quintus should suffer for our presence.'

'Yeah, but that's just it, isn't it? Our presence! We haven't hurt anyone or done anything overly evil and disruptive – unless you count me shooting that snake back there – ' He cringed.

'Almost shooting that snake, you mean.' John corrected.

'Okay, two inches, alright? Can we give it up please?' Rodney said waspishly, his cheeks flushing. 'My point is, we haven't done anything to deserve this.'

'Deserve what?' John said loudly. 'Nothing's happened yet, Rodney.'

'Yeah - yet. This is the "just in case" you needed me for, so instead of needing me to fix a problem, how about we avoid getting into a problem which I then have to fix by oh say…going home.' Rodney eyeballed the Colonel.

'What?' John said lazily. Rodney dropped his shoulders and turned around beginning several curses and not knowing which to choose. Ronan approved and Teyla scowled. This wasn't exactly the best time to be goading Rodney because that could last for days.

'Colonel, we must decide.' She prodded.

'Yeah…we'll go with Quintus.' He stated and walked toward the cart. Rodney turned quickly and stumbled.

'What? Why? You came to that decision way too fast!' He exclaimed, following the group.

'Rodney, if I can avoid killing people we've just met, then I'm gonna. Something tells me that bullets in the gut just don't do it like the friendly neighbourhood gift basket.' John hopped onto the back of the cart, avoiding the various fruits and packages. Ronan waited for Teyla and Rodney to climb on and find a space before he sat on the end next to Sheppard, legs dangling.

'Move the fruit and please don't sit on them!' Quintus called back as he forced the horse to turn around. 'The Goddess of the Harvest will not appreciate the waste.'

Rodney paused mid crunch, laying the now un-offerable apple back in its basket and giving his team mates a look of innocence.

Teyla smiled and closed her eyes, feeling what little wind there was brush against her skin. The trees above provided some shade, but the Sun still splashed through in all its brilliance. She heard birds. She heard the sound of hooves on the ground and the wheels of the cart gently moving over the leaves and mud. She could smell a blossom – she had no idea what it was or where it came from, but it was sweet and light. It reminded her of the days when her people kept animals on Athos, had made small patches of ploughed earth, hidden in the forest. It had survived four cullings. Her father, before he died, had deemed it too risky. It kept them tied down to one region, and that was dangerous for the Wraith would not have to search far. Teyla opened her eyes and glanced at her friends under the shade of the trees. Rodney was sleeping, resting his head on a melon. Ronan and John were talking quietly. John had a piece of straw sticking out of the side of his mouth and continued to look completely at ease with the whole situation. There were not a lot of things that could ruffle this mans feathers.

'I knew a boy in my school whose Dad had a farm. Great Birthday parties, funniest damn thing you've ever seen – he made a huge fort of straw bails with little tunnels. Little Jimmy Lawford – geek of the highest degree – got stuck in the middle and was convinced that the chickens were purposefully trying to stop him from leaving…' John informed an amused Ronan. Rodney groaned.

'Yes, yes, yes – interesting, but why don't you-' He paused, looking up. 'Why a geek of the highest degree?'

'He was a science nerd, big into computers and the whole star trek scene – 'John informed him with a frown as he recalled the memory.

'Hey, I'm a science nerd - ! A Scientist. Besides, the job requires for me to use computers, that doesn't mean I'm a geek, it's just me doing my job.' Rodney said defensively.

'And is part of your job to watch reruns of The Next Generation?' John asked, eyebrows raised.

Rodney paused and then slumped. 'Star Trek is under rated, Roddenberry was a genius.' He said sulkily.

John smiled at Ronan. 'Uh huh. Hey Quintus, mind if I ask what your people are like? You know, nice, evil, industrial, religious – perky?'

'We are a hard working people with a respect for the gods, Colonel.' He answered from the front. 'We must not anger them.'

In the Arena.

Her opponent growled and made a final thrust, the pressure lessening for only a second before he intended to push with all his strength. It was enough for Teyla to get a better grip on the blade and summon her own anger to thrust the hilt into his face.

The crack of his skull fracturing could be heard over the din. The crowd roared its approval at her renewed fury and watched with anticipation as the beast fell back, blood gushing from its head.

Teyla flipped onto her feet, angry, hurt, tired – and more than ready to end this. The deformed creature looked up at her with a sleepy expression, a large piece of its skin dangling from the wound. It managed a pitiful snarl whilst kneeling on the ground before she punched it hard. Again, and again. She paused as the creature bled heavily, each time she hit it, it looked back with defiance – but its wounds made it slower each time. He took several seconds to look up at Teyla for a final time.

She glared down, blood staining her hands and face. She saw its hand move to the large belt at its waist and retrieve a small jagged dagger. She gritted her teeth.

'Do not.' She whispered. It smiled faintly, and lunged forward.

Teyla sidestepped into a roll as it came after her, retrieved the sword from the sand and spun, thrusting the blade upwards as the enemy bore down on her.

The crowd roared. It was deafening. Teyla could not hear his death rattle, but only see the wide eyes as the life slipped away from him. Her heart stopped for a moment as she looked down to the blade penetrating his stomach, poking out on the other side, the blood gushing down the metal and flowing onto her hands.

It fell to the ground with a thud and the sword fell with it. Teyla stared at the lifeless body at her feet before looking up, turning to take in the thousands of people standing and roaring their appreciation at her kill.

At her kill.

Teyla raised her hands and watched the blood drip onto the sand like crimson rain. Suddenly the mass fell silent and left a feint ringing in her ears, she looked up, uncertain of why they stopped. Teyla let her hands drop and with an intense feeling of loathing, turned.

The lowest circle of the five towering above and around her, containing the thousands of bloodthirsty people, had a large stone arch set back into the wall. Within it sat a grand stone-carved chair with intricate detail of figures and events she could not see, and could never care about. A man rose from the throne – tall and broad with dark hair and dark eyes, and even darker purposes.

He wore a long robe which fell to the floor and draped masses of red material over his arms, billowing with the movement of his steps. He crossed to the front of the circle and into the light, the crowd eerily quiet. His high cheekbones and thin lips marked his middle-aged face as handsome, an attractiveness that Teyla could not deny, but would give anything to hurt. She watched him stare down at her, his ring-laden hands clasped together. He smiled.

'Well done! I commend you!' He laughed. 'Admittedly, I believed you nothing more than a beautiful woman, clearly, there is more to that fine figure than I would have suspected.' He grinned wickedly. 'I praise you!'

He wandered to the left, sweeping the robe across and out of his path. 'The beast you have slain was a decent warrior – an excellent test of your abilities – but simple in comparison to what awaits you.' He stared down at her, a shadow moving across his face. 'You must improve if you are to survive, and you must learn that the Arena does not know mercy.' He folded his arms. 'And neither do I.' He nodded to his side and Teyla heard a loud scraping behind her.

Stone doors of such magnificence it made her gape, opened behind her, and a dozen men, heavily armed rushed toward her and created a horseshoe. There was only one place to go and that was through the doors. She could not fight all of them and hope to live.

Teyla glared up at the robed man with brown eyes searing through his handsome face before walking unsteadily toward the doors. The man smiled.

To his right, the Altus Domino rose and moved forward swiftly. His midnight blue robes and naked bronze chest moved into the light, his pointed face and balding head recognised by all. Piercing blue eyes commanded the room as he raised his arms to the crowd and yelled. 'Congratulate our Emperor for his victory!'

The crowd chanted obediently in a hollow echo. 'Titus! Titus! Titus!'

Titus swept his red robes around him and marched from the Arena, a wide smile on his face as the chanting increased to a deafening buzz that the entire city could hear.

For today, the Arena was done, with the promise of more bloodshed tomorrow.