<a name="ch3">Chapter 3 – Possessed</a>

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// For one horrible moment it thought it had returned home. The heat, the dim lighting, the moist sand, those it missed terribly. But it never wanted to encounter its people again. They were blind pacifists who could never understand the thrill it found in its work. There was a reason it called itself ‘Death’ after all. Though they did not believe in violence, they were quick to smite those like itself who did. And they were the only ones who could take Death’s freedom away. //

Teal'c paused at the entrance behind Daniel Jackson. For a moment, the sand extended itself beyond the confines of the hut. Steam rose from piles here and there. Though he could see multiple suns, it was dim, as if he were indoors. With the scene came a sense of longing, hunger, and fear. Teal'c blinked. As quickly as it came, the vision and its feelings were gone.

"I had a…" He searched for a word and could not find one to adequately described it. "…feeling," he finally decided on. "What you described as déjà vu."

"I am not familiar with that word," Goran said, eyes darting from one man to the other.

Goran’s brow furrowed. "You were here earlier today. Do you not remember?" He looked at Teal'c with concern.

Daniel Jackson tried to hide his smile. Teal'c had said something very similar the first time he heard the explanation, and gave the younger man a look which mirrored Goran’s.

"I do," he answered. "I was reminded of someplace else I have been." Though he could not remember what place that was. It was a strange sensation.

"Ah." Goran seemed to accept the explanation. Daniel Jackson, it was clear from his expression, did not. But he also chose not to discuss now. There were more urgent matters at hand.

"So let me get this straight," Daniel Jackson said to Goran, following the older man to the blanketed middle. "Anala thinks I’m… possessed? Because of a nightmare?"

"I have seen many nightmares in my years, young traveler. The spirit within me even more. What you experienced this night was more like a memory." Goran sat and looked up at his visitors. "Anala, of course, is wrong. She’s still young yet and she does not speak to her spirit. Neither, I fear, do you." He looked back and forth between two men sitting before him.

"The spirit within will give you answers. It will bring out the memory or block it, depending on which is best for you. Either way, you and your friends will be able to rest easy again. If you communicate with it."

"How do you do that?" Daniel Jackson asked, filling in Goran’s pause. Teal'c had to wonder at his verve for cultures and religion, even when said culture thought he was not himself.

"Most meditate. But there is a ceremony for those who cannot reach their spirits. A few who are sensitive enough can communicate with the spirits while awake and without help. But they are rare, even among the Spirit Walkers. My son was one such."

"Molan. Which is why he wears the mark." Goran held up his left hand to show the lightning bolt painted on it. "We share the same spirit now."

"Did you not wonder how it was I knew you were coming? That he saw your glass pieces and knew you, at least, were no demon?"

"You did not speak long enough to communicate all of this," Teal'c said, voicing the thing which had had him puzzled.

Goran laughed. "No, no. It only happens when the spirit must leave the body, but does not take all of itself. Then the new body and the old become connected.

"The spirits have come to you, then left. I do not understand why this would happen, but the spirits say all four of you have been touched by them. They can sense these things."

"No." Goran smiled at them. "It is a blessing your group shares this thing." He frowned. "The problem is, the spirits also say you two share a spirit. But they cannot tell which of you the spirit resides in."

Daniel Jackson frowned back. "Why not?" he asked, trying to puzzle through Goran’s meaning.

Goran opened his mouth, then closed it. He sighed. "It is difficult to explain. That which connects those who share a spirit is also what the spirits use to… *know*, I suppose, where other spirits are. It is as if… It is as if they see the same spirit in two places. Do you understand?"

Teal'c glanced at Daniel Jackson, who just shook his head. "No, we don’t. But why is that a problem?"

"You share a spirit. But you do not know how to communicate with it. So I must perform the ceremony for you. But I must perform it on you both because I do not know where the spirit is."

Goran looked at each with a faint smile. "The ceremony is a private thing. Not even the guards are allowed in." He nodded toward the entrance, empty of the usually presence. "The ceremony is not much of ceremony, I’m afraid. It’s just a few things to help the spirit within to come out."

Goran stood and approached the table holding the water pitchers. He returned with two cups and held them out to his guest. They took them, but hesitated in drinking.

"It is the same spirit water as you drank earlier in the entrance hall," Goran supplied. "You must drink. It prepares the body, makes it easier for the spirit within."

Teal'c sniffed his glass. It smelled salty, just like the water they had before. There had not been any obvious ill effects. Daniel Jackson shrugged at him. He apparently came to the same conclusion, for he drank the water quickly, his face showing his dislike for the taste.

Goran waited for them to finish and took the glasses back. "Good. The spirit water to prepare the body. And lightning to give the spirit strength."

"Daniel Jackson!" Too late. The weapon whined and discharged before he had the chance to move. Teal'c made it to his knees before pain engulfed his body. He saw Goran sit calmly beside them before he lost consciousness.

What exactly had happened, it was not sure. All Death knew was it was now in control. The barriers were gone. It had movement, memory, freedom. It felt oddly invigorated. No one at home knew how to ease the melding like this. And if it required the use of a drug and a weapon, they likely would never know.

It sat and stretched, exalting in the use of a body not its own. With its memory slow in recovering, it had forgotten the joys of sensation it could not experience on its own. Its body was far too fragile, and did not come properly equipped to enjoy things such as sight and sound.

"You have found the spirit within?" The one who knew of its kind sat on the edge of the blanket, not quite touching the hot sand.

The one called Goran smiled. "Good. And what does it say? Does it know how to help?"

Goran’s eyes widened. He sat straighter, attempting to recover from the shock. "You are the spirit?"

It chuckled. "I think your apprentice had it right." It still could not get the voice to work correctly.

It stood and wondered to the tables lining the walls. It ran a hand over the scrolls. It gazed over the writing developed by their first hosts, long before they ever encountered either Goa’uld or Human. It had only been familiar when it had looked on through its host’s eyes. Now, in its new awakening, the patterns held meaning.

It walked on, pretending to ignore Goran’s confusion. It has been too long since it had been able to torment. Even while recuperating from its injuries, while dormant and unaware, Death had missed the simple pleasure of witnessing confusion and fear before the end.

"But... but," Goran stuttered. He paused a moment. When he continued, his voice was smoother, in more control. "You are not of the demons."

"The Goa’uld?" It snorted, touching the defunct staff weapon. "Hardly." Leave it to the Goa’uld to leave behind such evidence of their existence. There were better ways to enjoy the power without giving yourself away to potential enemies. "But you know that."

It listened to Goran stand and move out onto the sand. It smiled to itself. "I realize you have to pass yourself off as something," Death continued, picking the staff weapon up. It turned around to face Goran. "But *spirits*? You couldn’t find something more original? Or useful, at least?"

It turned the staff weapon over in its hands, pretending fascination in the ancient technology.

"It was expedient at the time," the ‘spirit’ within Goran said. "We were under attack by the Goa’uld."

Goran smiled. "Both." Goran’s head tilted to a side. "What of you? You are not of our family. Where did you come from?"

"There." It used the staff weapon to tap on the scroll with the address of home.

Goran’s face was a picture of astonishment. "Goran was right? That does say where we come from?" It was amused at how excited Goran, or rather, the ‘spirit’ inside Goran, sounded.

"Can you read it?" The spirit asked, approaching with no fear at all. "Have you come to take us home?"

"They won’t let me back," it said softly. "And I will not give up my freedom."

Goran’s brow furrowed in non-comprehension. It smiled. Neither fool had any idea what was coming.

"You have shown me how to take control," it said, pointing the staff weapon down. "For this I am grateful." It touched the activation lever. The end flowered open without the usual spark of life. "And for this, I will be quick."

It swung the staff weapon up, hitting the other man in the temple, then across the throat. Death had kept its promise and acted quickly. Goran died before his body reached the sand.

It knelt before the body and put its hand over Goran’s mouth and nose. It’s brethren, if it survived the attack, would have to exit immediately. It waited a moment, but did not feel the resistance which spoke of life. Satisfied, Death smiled.

And frowned at the faint shout from outside. It didn’t know how, but someone knew it was here.

It quickly rubbed the open tip of the staff weapon in the sand, removing the little blood staining it and returned the weapon to its customary spot.

It grabbed the container of ‘spirit water’ and hid it on its body. Wiping evidence of its motion from the sand, it returned to the blanket and the host’s companion. It laid down, withdrawing before either its host awoke or Goran’s people discovered them.

The first thing Teal'c became aware of was the pain in his head. Secondly that he was laying down. With a rush the events came back to him. Goran talking about spirits, giving them the salty drink, firing a zat gun at Daniel Jackson and himself.

Teal'c sat up, ignoring the growing head ache. Beside him he saw Daniel Jackson curled on his side, face still scrunched in pain and eyes closed. "Daniel Jackson," he called quietly, reaching to check for a pulse. He was alive, but he should not be unconscious.

Neither of them should have been. Zat guns caused a great amount of pain, but both of them had been shot before without passing out. He wondered why it was different this time.

Satisfied his friend was safe, Teal'c took in his surroundings. He found Goran crumpled beside one of the tables. Teal'c pushed himself to his feet, hating the rubberiness of his legs. He staggered to Goran’s side and fell to his knees. He could tell even before he reached for a pulse that Goran was dead. His eyes were open, but unseeing. And his neck was caved in just below his chin.

Teal'c froze. From the corner of his eye he could see the sharp tip of a spear. The warriors had succeeded in sneaking up on him yet again. He slowly shuffled away from the body a few inches, then turned to face the painted guards.

Five of them were in the room, three with their spears aimed threateningly at him. Two stood around Daniel Jackson, spears at the ready. One of them nudged him with a foot, then a second time, harder, when the first elicited no response. Teal'c started to his feet, but the tip of a spear found its way to his chest and poked at him warningly. One of the warriors turned Daniel Jackson over, the other covering him. A moment later he stood and signaled to the others.

The leader of this group signaled back. The two near him pulled Daniel Jackson up and half dragged, half carried him out of the sanctuary. At a second signal, the remaining warriors got a firm grip on Teal'c’s shoulders, pulling him to his feet. The leader motioned toward the entrance, and was the last to leave.

The second shout sounded like it came from right outside the hut. Jack was out the door in seconds, Carter immediately behind him. He found a cluster of warriors, supporting Molan among them.

"What happened?" Jack asked, approaching the slow moving mass. Molan’s face was twisted in pain, he leaned heavily on his companions. Another held his spear for him. Jack couldn’t see a wound in the torch light.

"My father." Molan groaned and shook his head. "Goran and his spirit are dead," he said dully.

Molan and the other warriors continued past them toward the center of the village. Jack shot Carter a questioning look, and followed after.

A large crowd had gathered outside the spirit sanctuary. The people parted for Molan, allowing him access to his warriors who stood in the center of the group. Jack narrowed his eyes at the scene. Daniel and Teal'c were in there somewhere.

Jack pushed his way through the people, avoiding flames from the torches and ignoring the looks being thrown his way. He saw Molan disappear into the hut. Two of the warriors who had been supporting him took up positions at the entrance. And to one side of the door way, surrounded by a contingent of warriors, were Teal'c and Daniel.

Jack shoved his way further into the crowd until he stood before the only warrior not pointing his spear at the two members of his team. Daniel was on his knees, shaking his head as if to clear it. Teal'c helped him to his feet, though Teal'c didn’t look all that steady himself.

"O'Neill," Teal'c greeted, steadying Daniel, who looked about ready to return to his former position.

"The last thing I remember is the zat gun," Daniel muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Zat gun?" Jack asked inanely, eyeing the spears and painted bodies of the warriors. "They have zat guns?"

Jack opened his mouth to say something when Molan staggered out of the hut. He stood at the entrance, looking out over the crowd, appearing to be in shock. "Spirit Walker Goran is dead," he said finally.

A murmur went through the people gathered around. Jack had a bad feeling the restless crowd would soon turn into a mob, with his people as their targets.

"Murdered," Molan started. "Spirit Walker Anala must perform the rights. We will have the burial tomorrow, at first light. They," he pointed toward Teal'c and Daniel, "will be held until the spirits decide what should be done." Molan’s gaze swept over his people. A tear on his cheek reflected firelight. "Go now," he said, his voice quiet but easily heard. "Return to your homes for the night. Nothing more can be done here. Leave."

The murmur took on unpleasant tones at the people dispersed. Some gave SG1 nasty looks, others wondered off in a state of shock, and a few were crying as they walked away. Soon, all that remained was Molan, SG1, six warriors, and Anala.

Anala looked at each in turn, then approached Molan. "I must speak with the spirits," she informed.

Molan closed his eyes, nodded, moved out of the way. His gaze wondered to Daniel and Teal'c, anger flashing in his pained eyes. "Take them," he said finally. "I don’t want to see them right now."

One of the men guarding Teal'c and Daniel inclined his head and motioned for the others. All six ushered the two men off, the rest of their team following.

Jack paced outside the hut they had taken Teal'c and Daniel to. He watched the guards watching him, wondering what was taking the major so long and just how they got themselves into this mess. Daniel’s dreams, he reminded himself. He cursed himself for letting Daniel and Teal'c into that sanctuary place alone. He should have known something would happen when Goran said he knew of a way to ‘cure’ Daniel’s nightmares. Once they got out of this, he was going to shoot Daniel for having them, and himself for letting him come here in the first place. He promised himself he was not going to let Daniel talk him into anything else ever again.

Jack’s mental grumbling ended the moment he saw Anala approach. She was accompanied by Molan and two guards and none of them were very happy. Not that Jack could blame them. But Anala, at least, looked vindictive as well.

Jack met them at the entrance to the hut. Anala raised a brow, looked him up and down, turned her attention to the men guarding the hut. She ordered them to stand aside so that she may "convey the wishes of the spirits". She motioned Molan and her guards in before her. Almost as an after thought, she added to Jack, "You may join us."

This hut was tiny, barely large enough for the group to stand in. It was windowless, cold, with the one small fire, hardly the size of one of the torches the guards carried, lit in the center of the room. Teal'c stood near the wall furthest from the entrance. Next to him, Daniel scrambled to his feet.

"I have consulted with the spirits," Anala said to the room in general, but her eyes were fixed on Daniel. "We have double cause for mourning this day. The spirit within Spirit Walker Goran died before it could pass on its knowledge. Goran had hoped to strengthen the spirit within you, instead he reached the demon. Come first light, after we lay Goran and his spirit to rest, we will put out the demon."

"We were unconscious. He shot us with a zat gun." Daniel’s eyes flickered from Anala to Molan to Jack, and back again. "The person you want is still out there somewhere."

"No," Anala repeated. "The lightning gives strength to the spirits. And your demon, too, it would appear." She paused, looked down at the fire. When she looked up again, Jack thought he saw sorrow in her eyes.

Anala stood straighter. "I know you did not kill the Spirit Walker. Your demon did. It must be destroyed, before more are killed. I am sorry." She turned towards the door.

Anala paused, half in, half out of the hut. "There is no talk with the demons." She shook her head sadly.

"No." Anala’s guards herded Teal'c out with jabs of their spears. "You can not stay, I am sorry. The demon might try to possess a new body to save itself. He must be isolated until the morning."

Molan pushed Jack outside, leaving only Daniel and Anala in the hut. "There is no escape for your demon," Anala told Daniel. "But if it knows any mercy, it will leave you, and then you may leave."

Daniel rushed around the fire to the door as Anala motioned the guards to close it. "Jack!"

"We’ll get you out of there," Jack promised. He hoped the young man heard with the door being closing on his words.

"He will not leave," Anala said. "Unless the demon leaves him, which is not likely." She gave them both a sympathetic look. "At least he will be the demon’s last victim." With that she stalked away, her two guards close behind. Molan gave the door one last, hateful glance before silently disappearing between buildings.

"O'Neill," Teal'c started quietly, eyeing the warrior guards at the hut’s entrance. "We must free Daniel Jackson and leave this place."

"We will, Teal'c." Jack patted him on the arm. "Let’s get Carter and get this show on the road."

Jack absently scratched at his face. The stuff Anala had coated his hands and face with was starting to wear off, leaving a white powder and the itch.

He watched the people of the Red Lightning Tribe gather before the largest hut in the center of the village. It looked like everyone was going to show up for Goran’s funeral. He was surprised by the number of warriors in the crowd; the black and white faces out numbered the unadorned people. Good, he thought. This might give them a head start for the Stargate.

Anala and Molan exited the spirit sanctuary and called for attention. As they started what sounded like a eulogy, Jack slipped away.

"It’s showtime, folks," Jack said into the mic. He pressed a hand to the ear piece, and smiled grimly. He was pleased with his people’s quick response, but not happy there was a need for it to begin with.

A scream erupted from the tiny hut they were keeping Daniel in. Though on the outskirts of the village, Jack could hear a rising murmur from the inhabitants in the middle. Then Anala’s voice, sounding clearly above the others.

"He fights the demon," she shouted. "Let us hope he succeeds, or we will have more to mourn than two souls this day."

Over my dead body, Jack thought sourly. At least her words gave them some time to get Daniel out of here.

He took up position behind one of the large trees, rifle up and ready. He spotted Teal'c, who nodded his readiness. Jack surveyed his surrounding one more time. The guards glanced often at each other, turning nervously toward the door at the quiet mutterings from inside. Dammit Daniel, he thought, why’d you have to fall asleep *now*? Well, he admitted to himself, it might work to their advantage. They knew where he was in the building now, so it was less likely they’d hit him when the time came.

One of the guards nodded to the other, set off toward the village center. Now there was only one, who had his back to Jack. Now or never. Jack gave the signal.

Teal'c raised his staff weapon and took aim. Why did those things have to be so noisy, Jack wondered, not for the first time. A large portion of the wooden wall disintegrated. The Jaffa disappeared inside.

The warrior guard gave a shout and started to unlatch the door. Jack fired off a round at his feet, forcing the man to take cover behind the next building. There were a lot of shouts and hollers coming at them from the direction the other guard took off in.

"Come on, Teal'c," Jack said under his breath, eyes scanning the huts and trees. On cue, Teal'c stepped out of the tiny hut, Daniel slung over his shoulders in a fire-man’s carry. A quick check showed Daniel apparently unharmed. His eyes were open, but he was unaware of the danger they were in.

"The demon must not escape!" Anala’s voice carried easily over the hew and holler somewhere behind them. Jack silently urged Teal'c to hurry.

They met Carter at the prearranged place. Jack paused a moment to shoulder the pack she handed him. He wasn’t about to leave their gear behind. Who knew what these people would do with the stuff they found.

Carter took point, swiftly leading them towards the Stargate, trying to avoid obstacles in the forest dimly lit by the early morning sun. Jack brought up the rear, keeping them covered, though he saw no sign of pursuit. He could no longer hear the uproar from the village.

"Found one of those cob webs." She softly cursed again, swiping ineffectually at her face.

Teal'c gently put Daniel down. "Do not move, Major Carter." He pulled the empty spider web away from her before more could fall on her face.

Daniel rubbed at his eyes. "Of course I’m awake with all that shouting." He stopped, taking in his surroundings. Daniel frowned up at Jack. "What happened?" he asked warily.

Daniel was answered by a spear landing a few inches from his feet. Jack roughly pulled him to his feet. "That’s what happened. We have to move, now!"

Carter, her forehead turning pink, ducked under the remains of the spider web, Teal'c close behind her. Jack pulled Daniel along around that particular tree.

Except for SG1, the woods were silent. Still, the spears were flying closer each time, and growing in number. One took a chunk of Jack’s pants with it.

"Where the hell are they?" He turned around, running back wards. The only clue to the warriors’ existence was the spears dotting their path. Lacking a target, Jack fired at the base of the trees, then at the tree tops.

Finally they reached the little clearing and the Stargate. "Daniel, get us out of here." Teal'c and Carter took up positions near the Stargate, staying away from the where the activated wormhole would whoosh out at them. Daniel squeezed between the trees surrounding the DHD and frantically dialed home.

The Stargate burst into life just as another spear came too close to its mark. Daniel stared in shock at the point imbedded in the tree, pinning the collar of his jacket. Jack yanked him down, shouting at Carter and Teal'c to go. Jack and Daniel half crawled toward the Stargate, Jack firing blindly in all directions. He once again pulled Daniel to his feet, shoving the younger man toward safety, diving into the Stargate after him.

Jack and Daniel plummeted out of the Stargate to the shouts of "close the iris". Jack landed hard on the ramp, jumped quickly to his feet, his gun trained on the wormhole and the closing iris. One spear made it through, followed closely by faint thumps as others couldn’t quite reintegrate because of the iris.

A tense moment was broken by the announcement of, "Wormhole disengaged," and silence.

Jack turned back to his team, all in one piece. And all staring at one multi-tipped spear stuck fast in the metal ramp.

"I’m sorry," Daniel said for the second time in as many minutes. He stared dejectedly at his feet.

Jack looked at his friend and sighed. "We all made it home safe," he reminded Daniel. Teal'c was already healing from the blisters caused by the caustic web. Dr. Frasier was administering to Carter as they waited, removing the remains of the web from her hair before it caused anymore damage. At some point during their flight, Jack’s itch went away. Not too bad, considering what would have happened had they not acted.

But Daniel sat frowning at his lap. "I didn’t kill Goran," he said finally, glancing quickly at Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud, Daniel!" He stopped pacing to stand before Daniel. "If you think we ever believed that then there is something really wrong here."

Jack sat on the bed next to his friend. "Look. Someone was probably itching to get rid of the guy. We just happened to come along at the right moment to take the blame. That’s all." He rubbed at the knot in the back of his neck.

"But," he said sternly, eliciting a quick glance from Daniel, "we aren’t going back out there until we get those dreams of yours fixed." Jack put up a hand before Daniel could protest. "No arguments, Daniel. I let you talk me into going out because they weren’t doing anything more than keeping the rest of us awake."

"Yeah." Jack patted Daniel’s shoulder. "Hey, we’ll get those tests done and get them figured out. Nothing to worry about, okay?"

But by that time they had gone into hiding, almost as if the dreams knew they were under scrutiny and were about to be found out.