The Serpent Passage

by Todd Allen Pitts

  “Do not be concerned,” Priest Quisac said from behind him. “I came to keep watch with you. It is well that you slept. The others have also been resting in turn.” He handed William a jug of water and some food.

  William took a swig from the jug and chewed on a crunchy tortilla. “Shouldn’t you be at your position?”

  Priest Quisac looked across to the western side of the clearing, about two hundred yards away. “Something is not right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I do not sense an approaching army.”

  William scratched his head, still shaking off the cobwebs of his sleep. “Could the attack start on another day?”

  “To take advantage of the energy from the evening star, the battle must occur before sunset today.”

  “How do you know they’re not there,” William asked. “Maybe they’re just being really quiet.”

  The Serpent Priest stood with a concentrated gaze, holding his palms out at the jungle ahead. “The living energy from thousands—especially those focused on battle—is something that I can sense from a distance. I feel nothing.”

  William stood when he saw a small group coming from the east. It was Yax, Teshna, Betty, Etznab, Salmac, Lamat and some other guards; they all had similar, puzzled looks on their tired faces.

  “What’s going on?” Yax asked. “Calakmul’s forces should be here by now.”

  “Yes, where are they?” Betty asked in her broken Yucatec-Maya. William had been teaching her their language over the months, but it still surprised him to hear her speaking it.

  “It’s a trick!” Etznab said. “They are attempting to draw us from our positions, to put us off balance. We should wait as planned.”

  “They are not there,” the Serpent Priest said with certainty. He looked troubled. “Perhaps I have misinterpreted the meaning of the evening star. I did not expect the flashes of light from the jungle or foresee the delay in the battle. I believe there is an alternate truth behind these events.”

  Yax walked a few steps away, his back to the others. He stared across the clearing for a moment before spinning back with a decisive look. “We have to search for signs of their movement. Priest Quisac, Etznab, and Salmac will scout ahead. We will wait here in case they attack from another direction.”

  William felt the bloodstone burning on his chest. “I’m going too,” he said.

  “No, Balam!” Teshna said. “You must stay behind… with us.”

  “I have to go, Teshna,” William said, touching the stone. “Something is out there. The bloodstone wants me to find it.”

  Yax’s eyes grew wide when he saw the intense look on William’s face. “If the bloodstone is speaking to you, there has to be a reason. The bloodstone is a channel to the gods, and we must follow their calling.”

  “I’m also going,” Betty said in her limited native vocabulary. She turned to William, speaking in English again. “After stressing out all this time while waiting for this stupid battle, I want to know what the hell is happening here!”

  Teshna moved close to William. “I will also go.”

  “No, Teshna,” Yax said. “You need to stay… to lead the women.”

  Teshna glared at her brother, but he held firm. She gave William a quick hug before storming off with a disgruntled face, muttering to herself as she returned to the eastern side of the clearing.

  Yax sighed, looking discouraged. “How could the gods misdirect me? I was made to believe that a battle would start at this very moment. Have I angered the gods in some manner to be fooled?”

  “No, King Stone Frog. It is my error,” the Serpent Priest said, looking ashamed, his head hanging down. “I also believed an attack would commence. I thought this day represented an end to a nation—either ours or theirs. It made sense. However, it seems that the stars have been speaking of an end to all our people in these lands… while also speaking of a new beginning.”

  Yax stared blankly at Priest Quisac, looking unsure of what to think. “Go now! We have to know where King Aztuk and his army are,” he said, and went with Lamat back to the camp.

  William hiked at a fast pace beside Betty, a few steps behind Priest Quisac, Etznab, and Salmac. A contingent of ten royal guards blanketed the team, keeping a careful watch for the enemy. They continued on for several hours in a westerly direction through the dense jungle trail until a massive field came into view. The smell of smoke lingered in the afternoon air.

  As they crept ahead William was certain they would find the Calakmul army there, just beyond the trees, ready to charge at them. But when he looked down into the valley, his blue eyes grew wide with curiosity—a reflection of the mood shared by all those who gazed below.

  “Where is everyone?” William asked as he stared into the deserted camp.

  Chapter Sixteen

  After surveying the area from a distance and discussing their options, they decided to investigate the empty camp. William found it odd to be walking right into the heart of the enemy base, while following the group down the hill. He worried that it might be a trap—that the Calakmul warriors could be hiding in the surrounding jungles, waiting to ambush them. Yet Priest Quisac had assured everyone that the vicinity was clear, and so William pushed his trepidation aside.

  The once massive Calakmul army had occupied an area spanning the length of a couple football fields. Hundreds of recently erected huts were filled with the personal belongings of the temporary residents. A thick stench of burning food permeated the air, drawing William’s attention to the remnants of a large campfire, where blackened clay pots had cracked from cooking too long, spilling their contents; the food had burned to a crisp on the hot coals.

  “I’ve seen some ghost towns in my day, but this one sure takes the cake,” Betty said to William, scratching her head.

  “What do you make of this, Priest Quisac?” William asked.

  The Serpent Priest scanned the area and picked up a spear from the ground. Weapons and armor were scattered everywhere, as if dropped right where their owners had once stood. “They would not leave their weapons behind if they intended to attack from another direction,” Priest Quisac said.

  “It is the same as the farming village that disappeared after the lights,” Etznab said, studying the area with suspicious eyes.

  “Take your men and search the perimeter,” Priest Quisac said. “Look for any signs of their departure.”

  Etznab motioned to Salmac and the other guards, and they ventured further into the camp, scouting the edge of the clearing.

  William followed Priest Quisac as he rummaged around the camp, observing how he searched for clues. The Serpent Priest deduced that a degree of panic had existed at the scene: he pointed out footprints that had stirred up the ground in an erratic manner. Yet nothing could explain how such a large army could vanish.

  After investigating for nearly an hour, Priest Quisac plopped down beneath the shade of a tall zapote tree; he looked worn out, as though he had just survived the battle that everyone had been expecting to come. William sat beside him with a relaxed smile spreading across his face; it was a huge relief to discover that there wouldn’t be a battle. He began to fantasize about the idea of settling down with Teshna. “I know this isn’t what we planned, Priest Quisac, but if King Aztuk is no longer a threat, then maybe we can rebuild somewhere else. We can leave this dead land behind us.”

  Betty came over, holding a big piece of overcooked meat that she found on the coals of a smoldering fire pit. She ripped off a chunk and tossed it to William.

  Priest Quisac shook his head with unease. “Something larger is at hand. It approaches like a great wave.”

  “What do you mean?” William asked.

  The Serpent Priest stood with a bewildered look. “Do you hear that?”

  “What?” William asked. He could only hear the crispy meat crunching in his mouth as he chewed.

  “Do you not hear the humming noise—like a bee hive?”

  William swallowed his bite
and listened closer. “Oh yeah, I hear it. It’s getting louder.” He bolted up.

  They looked in all directions, but couldn’t tell which way the noise was coming from. Suddenly, a flash of light drew their attention to the south. When they turned, William spotted the royal guards sprinting toward them, about a hundred yards away. A shadow enveloped the land around them as a dark cloud moved in. The humming intensified as the cloud drifted closer; it seemed to be following them. The dark cloud shimmered for a moment, and then blasted out bright orange bursts of light, vaporizing the guards on contact. Salmac ran as fast as he could, but the dark cloud moved faster. Another flash of orange light lit up the ground, and Salmac vanished.

  “Holy smokes!” Betty screeched.

  “It’s coming for us,” the Serpent Priest said. “Balam, the sun shield—focus the shield above us. Do it now!” He grabbed Betty’s wrist and pulled her closer to him.

  As they huddled together, William tossed his helmet off and removed the bloodstone. He angled the broad side of the oval stone toward the sun. “K’in Chimal, Hanab Pakal,” William chanted. While rotating the bloodstone over his head, he redirected a focused wall of light above them, just as the dark shadow of the cloud enveloped them.

  While a grating noise buzzed like a chainsaw, orange bursts of light bounced off the sun shield. Through the foggy filter of the sun shield, William could see a large object inside the cloud above them.

  The bloodstone became heavier the longer he channeled the sun shield. He flexed his muscles to push through the pain, twirling his arm in counter-clockwise circles. His arm trembled; he couldn’t hold the sun shield much longer.

  Abruptly, the buzzing and flashing ceased like a switch had been flipped. The cloud moved on; it passed over them and continued out of sight. William lowered his arm, deactivating the sun shield. He rubbed his sore muscles while contemplating the crazy event. “I’ve seen a lot of strange things since I’ve been here, Priest Quisac, but what the hell was that?”

  The Serpent Priest returned a blank stare in response.

  “How can you be so calm? That cloud just killed twelve people!”

  “I did not sense their deaths. They were… taken.”

  “Taken? What does that mean?”

  “There is no time to discuss this now,” Priest Quisac said, with an intense look in his silver eyes. “The cloud is moving to Dzibanché.”

  William threw his arms up. “Teshna… Yax… It’s going to take them!”

  “But why?” Betty asked.

  “That is what we must determine,” Priest Quisac said. “We need to return.”

  Without further deliberation, they grabbed their packs and charged through the enemy camp, scurrying up the embankment and onto the trail that would lead them back to Dzibanché.

  After marching for a few minutes down the path, seven Calakmul warriors jumped out of the brush ahead of them, armed with spears; they moved in, surrounding them.

  “Oh, crap,” Betty muttered.

  “Well, is this not a fortunate reunion,” a familiar voice spoke from behind them. Betty and William turned to see the man with the diamond tattoo on his forehead.

  Priest Quisac stared at the traitor with a hateful glare. “Honac-Fey,” he muttered with contempt.

  Honac-Fey chuckled. “This is simply too good. Not only have I captured the great Serpent Priest, but also Balam, Bati, and the bloodstone,” he said with exaggerated gestures. “This will bring me great respect in the new world order.”

  “King Aztuk has been using you, Honac-Fey. When he has what he wants, he will discard you,” Priest Quisac said. “Perhaps he has already done so, for why is it that you are not with him now?”

  “He… he sent me to scout for…” Honac-Fey appeared a little off balance as he thought about Priest Quisac’s comments. “King Aztuk has ascended to take his place with the gods. I was left behind to capture you. When we join them, my success here will secure a position of high status for me.”

  “It is not too late to reverse what you have done,” Priest Quisac said.

  Honac-Fey laughed. “You are in no position to demand anything of me. I will possess the bloodstone. When I do, King Aztuk will be begging for my services.”

  “If it’s the bloodstone you want,” William said in a daring manner, “why don’t you come over here and try to take it from me.”

  Honac-Fey moved in a few steps, glaring at William. “You don’t deserve the bloodstone. I killed its former master, the Great Jade Owl.” Honac-Fey became livid. “It took years of planning. The bloodstone is rightfully mine.” He glowered at Priest Quisac. “If our helpful Serpent Priest had not run off with the bloodstone just before…” He growled and shifted his attention back to William. A cocky smile spread across his face when he lifted an obsidian dagger from his side, waving it in little circles as he spoke, “I regret to inform you, Balam, that in order for me to possess the bloodstone… you must be dead. However, I can see that you are in no rush to die of old age. Allow me to help you with that minor detail, to free you of the bloodstone’s heavy burden.” With his dagger, he waved his men forward.

  The Calakmul warriors closed in with their spears. Honac-Fey gritted his teeth as he approached. On his next step, a fluttering sound ended in a crunching thud, with an arrow pierced clean through Honac-Fey’s back; its bloody tip jutted out through his right shoulder blade. He shrieked from the pain, dropped his dagger, and spun around to see his attacker; a shocked expression spread across his face.

  William could not believe it when he saw Teshna there, crouched beside a tree; she held a focused rage that he had never seen in her before. “Our father, the Great Jade Owl, sends his greetings, Honac-Fey!” she said. She launched a second arrow, impaling another warrior in the chest. Teshna readied and released again, catching a third warrior in his neck.

  In the moment the arrows began to fly, Priest Quisac jerked a dagger from his belt and—with the reflexes of a cat—slit the throat of the nearest warrior. He sprang toward the next warrior, jamming his blade into the man’s back.

  William ducked under the swing of a club, while simultaneously snatching a spear from the ground. Thrusting up, he gouged the weapon through his attacker’s chest. He tried to pull the spear free, but it was stuck in the man’s ribs. As Priest Quisac finished off a warrior near them, William glanced over to Teshna and spotted the last of the Calakmul warriors rushing at her, about to strike her down.

  Teshna hurried to set another arrow, but her fingers slipped, and the arrow dropped to the ground. She held her bow out, preparing to block the warrior’s attack. Before William could even call out, Teshna’s attacker caught an arrow dead center in his forehead. He turned with an empty stare before falling by Teshna’s feet.

  William glanced to his left and saw Betty with her bow held out. A startled look spread across her face; she seemed stunned by her accomplishment. “Great shot, Betty!” William said as he rushed over to Teshna.

  Betty shook off the jitters of what she had just done and said, “I was actually aiming for his gut.”

  William lifted Teshna from the ground with a big hug, relieved to have her safely in his arms.

  Teshna pulled away from him, scanning the dead bodies. “Where is he?” she asked.

  William spun around, searching for Honac-Fey with wild eyes. Somehow the man with the diamond tattoo had snuck off in the heat of the melee. “He’s not getting away this time!” he said. William grabbed his pack from the ground and yanked out the sacred weapon. He ran down the path, following Honac-Fey’s trail of blood. William stopped and scanned the area, but he could not see him anywhere.

  A scream broke the silence as Honac-Fey came storming out of the jungle, swinging his arms wildly over his head. His white owl had drawn him out; it appeared to be attacking him. The owl fluttered above Honac-Fey, slashing its sharp claws at his face. When the owl spotted William, it flew off.

  Honac-Fey broke free from the jungle and staggered back onto the trail. Wo
unded and half-blinded from the owl’s attack, he stumbled along the trail, about fifty yards away. William aimed the sacred weapon at Honac-Fey, just as Teshna and the others caught up.

  “Balam, no!” Priest Quisac yelled from behind him.

  Feeling the intensity of the bloodstone’s fury, its demand for revenge against the man who had cast the soil plague on it, William couldn’t resist pressing the button. A tremendous thunderclap rocked the ground as a bolt of lightning burst forth from the sacred weapon, chasing Honac-Fey down the trail, ripping through his body, and exploding him into a million little pieces—splattering fragments of his skin, bone, and blood across the jungle.

  William felt a deep anger burning in his heart as the bloodstone glowed vibrantly on his chest. “That’s it!” he said. He gripped the bloodstone in his left hand, with a glazed look on his face. “King Aztuk started this, and he must also die. We will find him and kill him!” William glared at the sky. “We’re coming for you! Do you hear me, you bastard? We’re coming for you!”

  The white owl caught William’s attention; it appeared above the trail, soaring right at him. He thought the crazy bird was going to attack him—like it had with Honac-Fey—and he reached for his dagger. But instead, the owl flew within a few feet and paused, hovering just before him. The bird locked eye contact with William, and for a moment he found that he was staring back at himself through the owl’s perspective. He could feel the strain of its flapping wings and noticed its rapid breathing. William had inadvertently activated the bloodstone’s possession skill. Strangely, he also perceived the owl’s thoughts; it felt rage for Honac-Fey, just as he did. Like William, the owl’s urge for vengeance was also coming from the bloodstone.

  “Balam,” the Serpent Priest grabbed his arms, shaking him. He immediately lost his link with the white owl, and it flew off, soaring high above the trees. “Release your anger at once. The bloodstone is feeding on your negativity and intensifying it.”