Hello everyone and sorry about that dry period. You know what university exams are like and boy what a rough one it was. Not because of the questions, more the utter train-wreck that was everything around it.

But anyway I would like to announce something for the Summer. Since Dalekcember was such a success I've decided to try something similar with DrWho's next best villains (or at least they have the potential to), the Cybermen. For the whole Summer I'll review every Cyberman episode (bar cameos) in single journals....yes even the New Series, which I'm not looking forward to There's a great Cyberman episode in the New Series during Capaldi's run but to get there I need to sail across a sea of meh and crap episodes.

Now a little word on the Cybermen.
Many people, mostly New Who fans for some reason, say the Daleks are the scariest villains of Doctor Who, to which I say No. They're a great alien race for sure, but not exactly terrifying. The only time they were scary was in Power of the Daleks, which is 52 years old now and most of their New Who appearances were kind of crummy. For my money the Cybermen were a lot scarier, or at least in theory. While the Daleks have many gems in their catalogue like Genesis of the Daleks, the Cybermen have always struggled with bad writing in their TV appearances.
Which is a real shame because compared to mutant Nazis the Cybermen are utterly terrifying. Basically they are people who have converted themselves into unfeeling cyborgs to free themselves of their frail bodies, shorter lifespans and weakness of those silly things called 'emotions' (Who needs 'em!)
Something about their blank skull like faces and the fact they want to turn you into them is just terrifying. And granted while that terror is diminished somewhat in some stories, there's a lot of potential for them.

This series won't be uploaded by any rigid timescale. But I'll try and get them all done by Summer's end. It'll be tough, but be on the look out!




Tales of the Eternals, Chapter 23 Return to Egypt

It had been over a month since the ship departed Rhodes and the ship’s new crew had settled into a routine. Altallo had joined Shern’aath and Kiya washing the deck, while Basilus took kitchen duties. They had travelled around the edge of the Mediterranean, docking in Cyprus, Phoenicia and several Greek islands, but with no luck. There was no record of any Rhea statues being sold and the Selene had not stayed moored for long. As the days dragged into weeks, tempers were running high. Kiya’s hands were blistered and her knees ached. Her once pristine dress was now ruined and in tatters. All the while Solon was growling under his voice at them and Kiya had to bite her tongue to stop herself from yelling back. Altallo and Shern’aath, while more used to muck and dirt, were also
At the dawn of their second month at sea, Altallo peers into the mirror, rubbing his chin where brown hairs had started to grow.
“Mmm, do you think I should get rid of them?” he asks Shern’aath who had just entered. The raptor puts his arms around Altallo and kisses his cheek.
“I think they look good on you. My little fuzzy Altallo.”
“Oh stop you sly lizard!” Altallo giggles, giving Shern’aath a playful nudge in the ribs, causing the raptor to chuckle.
The door bangs open and Kiya stomps, red in the face and smelling foul. She jumps face down into her hammock and seethes. Altallo and Shern’aath jump apart from each other.
“Erm...are you okay Kiya?” Shern’aath asks awkwardly.
“What do you think?” She mumbles into the pillow. “I had to clean out a horrible barrel full of rotten bits of fish. And please, you can keep cuddling each other while I’m here, I don’t mind!”
“I’ll talk to her.” Altallo whispers to Shern’aath who nods and then starts preening his feathers.
“What’s wrong?” he asks sitting next to Kiya.
“Oh I don’t know. The fact we’re on a ship with dumb sharks? I’m tired, I’m dirty, I’m sick of all this!”
“Hey I heard that!” Solon’s voice bellows from above.
Kiya buries her face into a pillow and groans. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”
Altallo awkwardly pats her on the shoulder.
“I’m sure we’ll find the ship soon. Besides the next stop is Egypt again. You could show us around your home town, that beautiful temple again and all the other sites-”
“I don’t want to go back though!”
Kiya bolts upright, glaring at Altallo and Shern’aath stops his preening, his tongue sticking out comically, to stare at them.
“I’m not some tour guide or curiosity!”
“I wasn’t suggesting that, I just thought-”
Kiya lurched off her hammock and stormed out. Altallo sighs and Shern’aath sits next to him and puts an arm around him.
“I’m still really bad at this.”
“Oh I shouldn’t worry. I’m sure when we’ll reach dry land she’ll bounce back eventually. She has a point though, these sharks are pretty dumb.”
“Stop hurting my feelings!” Solon screams again, followed by sniffles and blubbering.

The next day, they land at a port town in the Nile Delta, where the winding branches would soon join into the mighty river as they flow southwards. Altallo and Shern’aath jump ashore and eagerly rush over to a stall selling papyrus maps of sites across Egypt. Kiya hangs back looking moody, while Asterion stands behind her looking concerned.
“We’ll be here all day,” Basilus says to the group. “Be back here before then or we’ll leave without you. Got it.”
Asterion nods solemnly and Kiya merely shrugs.
“Don’t keep us waiting now!” Loukianos calls to them with a smirk while waving a cloth. “It would break our hearts if we had to leave you behind.”
Altallo and Shern’aath meanwhile are obsessed with their papyrus map.
“Oh look, there’s a lion with a man’s head!” Shern’aath exclaims, pointing to a drawing of the great sphinx. “And why is that man green?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe its his favourite colour and he painted himself-”
“Ugh, its Osiris god of the underworld!” Kiya groans, snatching the map from them. “He’s green because it symbolises vegetation and therefore is a sign of rebirth in the afterlife. What are you reading anyway?”
“Its an advert for a guide down the Nile and all the hotspots like these triangles and that lion with a human head.” Shern’aath says excitedly.
Kiya snorts dismissively. “I thought we were here for something more important than sight seeing.”

They make their way into the town’s market, they start searching.
“We’re getting nowhere.” Kiya huffs after an hour. A pair of girls in full make up, wigs and fine gowns walk past, their noses wrinkled when they see Kiya. One whispers something to her friend and they both erupt into giggles. Kiya’s face turns bright red and she seems to deflate.
“Want me to roar at them and tell them I’ll eat their faces?” Shern’aath asks with a smirk.
“Doesn’t matter. Lets just get out of here.”
Altallo looks slightly guilty but then notices a nearby manicurist and his expression brightens
“Come on, lets get you refreshed.”
“But what about-” Kiya starts but Altallo interrupts her.
“Oh never mind about that. I won’t have my friend sad and gloomy. Besides we could all do with a freshen up.”

Inside the manicurist, Kiya sits on a stool while several young women buzz around her. One combs her damp hair, while two others file her nails. A fourth applies make up to her face, green and black around her eyes and reddened lips. Kiya looked more relaxed and happier now, as she chatted and giggled with them. It was unusual to speak to people from her own country after so long. After an hour, one of the women hands her a bronze mirror and she examines herself in its polished surface.
“This is beautiful! Thank you so much.”
“Your friends are almost done too.”
In an adjacent room, Asterion is having a bath while Shern’aath and Altallo have their eyes painted with black kohl. Shern’aath peers doubtfully at himself in a mirror.
“Why exactly do we need to do this?”
“Because it makes you look more presentable.” Kiya replies. “It’ll also keep flies and other pests away. Now if only you’d do away with that smelly old rag and wear more-”
“I beg your pardon! I’ll have you know-”
“Thank you ladies!” Altallo says loudly over Kiya and Shern’aath. “Come on children stop arguing, its embarrassing.”

Outside they see the two girls who had laughed at Kiya earlier. At first they seem taken aback by her appearance, but one of them starts sneering.
“Do you smell that? I think that’s the stink of fish!”
The girls start laughing again, but stutter to stop as a shadow looms over them. Asterion glares down at them, his arms crossed and in front of him, Shern’aath grins, showing off his sharp teeth.
“You know what, I always wanted to know what Egyptians tasted like. Leave my friend alone, or you’ll find me outside your house tonight.”
The girls shriek and run pelmet down a street.
“Welp, they won’t be causing us any more trouble. Hey have any of you seen Alty?”
“Now that you mention it, no,” Kiya starts. “He was here a minute- oh there he is.”
Altallo rounds a corner and dashes up to them.
“Where have you been?”
“Oh er, just...erm, saw something interesting and went to go and see it!” Altallo replies cautiously, rubbing the back of his head. “But anyway lets go! I really want to see the Nile again.”
Kiya and Shern’aath don’t look convinced, but decided not to press the matter.
“You know I really wish I got one of those.” Kiya casually comments as they pass a store display with busts wearing wigs.
“Why?” Altallo asks surprised, while Asterion sniffs at one of the wigs. “You still have your hair.”
“Yeah but its fashionable to shave your hair and wear one of those. Plus it ensures you’re always clean.”
“Sounds stupid to me,” Shern’aath grunts and Kiya shoots him a filthy look. “What? Don’t look at me like that! I like my feathers. I wouldn’t want to wear a silly pile of fluff like that on my head.”

As they round a corner Kiya’s fall upon a massive building with elegant striped columns and large stone walls. A knot clenches in her stomach and her throat goes dry; she was home again. Glancing back at the others and without really thinking, she drifts towards the temple. Inside, it was completely deserted, without a single soul in sight. But everything was as she remembered; towering brightly painted statues of gods and goddesses, an altar with vases full of holy water and small sealed shrines. The scent of incense hung in the air. It had been so long since Kiya had smelled it and it made her start coughing.
“Who’s there?!” a voice rings out from the bowels of the temple, accompanied by the taping of wood on stone.
A large and lumbering tortoise hobbles into the temple. He glowers down at Kiya.
“The temple’s closed. Get out of here.”
“Erm, I wanted to know if there were two priests here, a cat named Neferure and a crocodile named Ramos.”
The tortoise raises an eyebrow.
“They’ve been dead for over a year now.” he says bluntly. “Why?”
Kiya’s face had drained of all colour and her limbs had started to shake.
“N-nothing.” she mutters and staggers out of the temple.

“There you are, we were worried about you and—hey are you okay?”
Kiya ignores Shern’aath’s questions and walks past him.
“Lets just get back to the boat.” she says in a barely audible whisper.

“Welcome back you two!” Loukianos booms, arms wide open and a massive grin on his face. “You’re back early, what gives?”
Kiya glides past the shark without barely looking at him. Loukianos’ smile faulters.
“What’s with the little princess over there?” he asks Shern’aath.
“No idea, she’s been like this all the way back. Any sight of Altallo and Asterion?”
“Nope. They got a few hours left anyway.”
“You really wouldn’t just leave them here?” Shern’aath asks in alarm as Loukianos returns to sewing up a damaged sail.
“Oh I’m sure Solon was just joking. He won’t give up any payment, seems like we’re always in the red. And the old girl could use some love.” he pats the ship’s mast and sighs.
Basilus lumbers past with a barrel slung over his shoulder.
“Not to sound rude, but the captain won’t be too happy seeing you making idle chitchat.”
“Ah yes you’re right.” Loukianos jumps and starts sewing up a damaged sail.
The sun was hanging low in the sky when Asterion and Altallo returned, looking rather forlorn.
“It was another dud I’m afraid. No statues of Rhea were sold or unloaded on any market in this city. Lots of crocodiles and jackals though for some reason,” he continues, holding up a tiny figurine of a jackal holding a staff. “Where’s Kiya?”
“Shut up in the cabin. Alty I’m worried about her, something’s eating her up inside. She won’t speak to me.”
“Lets try all together this time.” Altallo says and walks over to the cabin door. He knocks. “Kiya? Is it ok if we come in?”
No answer.
Altallo pushes the door open. Inside Kiya is sitting on a bed. She had changed from her brand new garments into her older clothes and had washed the make up from her face. The skin around her eyes were red and irritated looking, she had obviously been crying. Asterion sits beside her and gently nuzzles her head, while Altallo and Shern’aath drag some stools over to sit in front of her.
“Kiya what happened?” Altallo asks. Kiya doesn’t answer at first and just stares blankly ahead.
After a pause, Altallo exchanges a look with Shern’aath and Asterion and then gets up. “We’ll give you some breathing room.”
Before they could exit, Kiya speaks up in a croaky, dry voice. “They’re gone.”
The others turn back to her.
Kiya was looking out of the small porthole