“Yochi. Inform all Nacons that we wait on Papan. If he does not return within one k’ab, we prepare to march. As I briefed before, Eztli, Ichik, and Huehue will go to the south peninsula, find the war canoes there and paddle up to the north peninsula. You will go with them, Yochi. Ikan, Namacuix, and Chicahua will go to the north peninsula with me as will Teyacapan, Choj, Bo, and Patli.”
“And if there are no war canoes, or if they have been destroyed?”
“Then march to the north peninsula. If we also have no canoes, we march back into the jungle and decide on a new plan.”
Chiac heard no sound as Yochi went. He sat, leaning his back against the same tree he had been against earlier. He gazed up to the canopy. All was dark and he knew that he did not have to fear that the moon would suddenly
appear. It was the night before the new moon. It would remain dark and his Warriors would not be visible.
Chiac listened for the sounds of the jungle at night, the haunting and eerie call of the icim, the soft huff of the ajwoyotz’ among the trees as it searched for food, the sounds of the haaleb, its grunts, growls, bark, and tooth-grinding noises. He listened for the whistling of the ek baläm. There were none of those things, just the silence of an unnatural jungle. That wasn’t the jungle he loved.
It was nearly a k’ab later that Papan returned and crouched beside him, giving his brief. “The two peninsulas are empty except for the dead. There are a lot of dead, both from the Topoxte Militia and the Kechelaj Jupuq.”
“And the reinforcements?”
“Most have already crossed the ulew-q’a’m to K’aay. It is safe for us to move.”
Chiac nodded then smiled, joylessly. The time is now. At last! It was too dark for Papan to see the smile. “Tell Ukab Nacon that we march now.” Chiac heard the hit on Papan’s chest as he moved into the jungle.
Within seconds Chiac was surrounded by the Warriors going with him, only their breathing making him know that they were there. “We move to the north peninsula. Papan says all is clear, but we approach like the Warriors we are. Ko’one’ex.”
Although Chiac could see practically nothing and hear nothing, he knew that they were moving in an extended single file with just enough space within each Warrior that they knew where each other was. The movement was slow because of the darkness and the increasing shrubs on the jungle floor, the canopy thinning as they approached Ha’ Yaxha. As they were accustomed to the jungle and the darkness, however, they moved without incident. The Warriors also knew that should one get injured, he could make no cry. The Warrior beside him would know that something was wrong and come to him.
Chiac moved north then east onto the northern peninsula. Yochi moved southeast then turned north towards the southern peninsula. As they moved out the jungle to the cleared peninsulas, the stars gave them enough light to see around them.
Teyacapan looked up at the stars. “At least Itzpapalotl has not ordered her Tzitzimimeh to hide the stars.”
Bo looked up at Kaán. He chuckled. “No, she hasn’t.”
“Even for Itzpapalotl, it would be difficult for her to have Mahanamtz see the stars and not us.”
“Or, maybe, we are receiving a blessing from someone else,” interjected Chiac.
“Perhaps,” murmured Teyacapan, doubt marking his voice.
It was as Papan had said. There was nothing left of the small village on the northern peninsula. Of the huts, only live embers remained. The peninsula was covered with bodies of men and boys, of batz, and of hach-k’ek’ens. Many of the copses of the militia had been torn apart and some had been partially eaten. The smells of smoke, death, blood, and carnage were everywhere.
Chiac ordered his Warriors to the eastern beach of the peninsula and they advanced in a low crawl so as not to be seen by any of Mahanamtz’ scouts that may have been posted nearby to monitor the field of operations. They moved beside and over bodies, crawled through entrails, blood, vomit, and shit. They found several intact small war canoes, with paddles, pulled high up on the beach. Each could carry seven Warriors easily, and as Chiac had a platoon of thirty-six, he ordered that six of the canoes be pulled to the water’s edge. When that was done, including avoiding the áayins that still feasted there, they lay low about twenty feet from the ha’, awaiting Yochi.
About a k’ab later, Yochi and his platoon of twenty arrived quietly and almost unseen in three war canoes which they stealthy pulled up beside those Chiac had at the water line. Yochi blew the whistle of the baläm and Chiac answered. Yochi told his Warriors to remain crouched in the canoes and he crawled forward. He whistled again and Chiac whistled back. Yochi moved to Chiac and they lay on their backs looking up at the stars.
“The stars are beautiful tonight,” said Yochi, softly. “I have seen many u-k’is-ch’imils.500 And there’s Mam Kutach501 and Mutz502 he said, pointing upward, “and T’uyul.” Chiac was puzzled at Yochi’s comment. “I just want to keep looking up. When I look around all I see is death. Even for a Warrior, this is too much. This is not a war like the wars we fight. It is different. It is not natural.”
“I worry too, Yochi,” said Bo, who was beside Chiac. “I worry not only about the battles, but that this is the beginning of the end of everything we know. I just can’t get rid of that premonition.”
“Only old women worry, Bo,” retorted Yochi. “Warriors, alaxels, and ajawinels do what have to be done. They then accept the consequence of their actions. It might be you, Chiac, who has to stop all this,” he added.
“Why, Yochi?” queried Chiac, turning his head to look at him.
“It all started with Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’, my friend. Mahanamtz chose her for his woman and you took her away. Then you brought her here and she brought the story of the Raax Ch’ayom Puaq. Since then Mahanamtz has been on the rampage. You have made her your woman, Chiac. You will have to take her away and back to your kingdom … or kill her. K’an II will have to remove the Raax Ch’ayom Puaq from our necks, irrespective of what Lady Batz’ Ek’ commands. Probably it is only then that Tzultacah will be able to take Mahanamtz far away.”
“Why can’t Tzultacah take Mahanamtz now?” Chiac questioned.
Yochi chuckled. “Perhaps, he is weakened, Chiac, weakened by the Raax Ch’ayom Puaq. Perhaps, all our gods are being weakened. They will not welcome that. They will pour down their wrath on us. They will not allow themselves to fade away from the limbs of Yaxché.”
Chiac was silent for a while then asked, “How was it on the south peninsula?”
“All dead. Half eaten. Dismembered. Everything burnt. The place stinks of enchantment. But there are many of Mahanamtz’ troops dead as well. The militia fought like Nim-q’ij Warriors.” Yochi hit his chest three times and Chiac did the same, without hesitation. “We are ready to kill Mahanamtz. Don’t let us wait much longer.” Yochi took in a deep breath. “Where will we beach on Alaj Topoxte?”
“We beach on the west. If there are scouts watching Yaxha, they will be on the east. Give instructions that any scouts or guards found there are not to be killed. They will have information helpful to us.”
“Then we are ready. We should go now as we have only two k’abs before aq’abil.”
“Yes, Yochi. We are ready. “Ko’one’ex,” ordered Chiac. “Patli.”
“Nabe Nacon!”
“Pass the word. We now paddle to Alaj Topoxte. Eztli, Ichik, Ikan and Namacuix sections have a canoe each. Teyacapan has two canoes, the priests divided among the two. I do not want all of them together. Huehue’s and Chicahua’s fireteams will each have one canoe. Yochi, Patli, Bo, and
Choj will canoe with me. And take note of the áayins. I don’t plan to lose any of my Warriors … especially to an áayin.”
“And Papan?” asked Yochi, as he crawled away to organize the platoons.
“He has not returned. He is doing what he has to do. Ko’one’ex!”
The áayins did not prove as problematic as Chiac though they would have.
Most of them had had their fill and any that approached were met with the heavy force of a maquahuitl from the Warriors that carried them. Soon they were moving across Ha’ Yaxha, keeping their bodies as low as possible for, even though there was no moon, the stars gave a dim silvery light over the waters of the ha’. Also, occasional green flashes in the northwest painted the ha’ with a luminescent hue. The paddles cut softly into the surface, each forward stroke in synchrony with the other, the bow and stern paddlers paddling on opposite sides of the canoe, the paddler at the stern keeping the canoe moving in a straight direction, no splashing, no turbulence. They paddled northeast initially to avoid northern K’aay then easterly towards Alaj Topoxte.
“K’aay no longer burns,” said Choj to Chiac, “but Yaxha still does. Yax Mutul’s victory is not coming easily. If it were not for Naj Tunich, my al-ch’utin-nan would have sent Warriors to Yaxha.”
“Isn’t Ox Te’ Tuun on its way?”
“It will be too late for Yaxha, and it is Ox Te’ Tuun and Ox Witz Ha that are allies. Ox Te’ Tuun will go straight to Ox Witz Ha to fight the battle against Naj Tunich.”
“Maybe after the battle with Naj Tunich,” Chiac suggested.
“At that time, we will not be able to take on a victorious Yax Mutul. Yaxha’s Warriors will have been eliminated and Yax Mutul will send its own reinforcements, and others from its allies, to Yaxha, knowing that there is a combined force of enemies nearby. Also, our armies will have been weakened. No, Chiac. Yaxha will be a vassal city of Yax Mutul for some time to come and there is nothing we can do about it. There will no longer be an Ahau, just an Ajawal who Max Mutul will enthrone after killing the present Nim-q’ij Family.”
They remained quiet and very soon were landing on the northwestern beach of Alaj Topoxte. There were no áayins about and as the jungle came down close to the water’s edge, they soon had the canoes pulled into the trees. They all gathered around Chiac.
“Ikan and Eztli!”
“Nabe Nacon!” they answered.
You and your sections will sweep across the island from north to south, marching eastward. Any scouts or Warriors you meet will be captured and brought to me. Alive! The rest of us will move to the southeastern end where we can observe Topoxte and Paxte. Now go.”
Silently, they disappeared into the undergrowth and Chiac and the others moved through the jungle to their destination. Aq’abil had just begun to light the east when Ikan and Eztli and their sections returned, pushing captives in front of them. As Chiac approached, Ikan and Eztli threw their captives to the ground. “Kneel,” said Eztli. The four men lifted themselves into a kneeling position. Chiac stared at their eyes. They were young men. There were signs of fear and each had a small bruised swollen area with dried blood on the side of their head. Their loincloths and lej-xajäbs were decorated with feathers and pompoms and they wore necklaces, earplugs, and bangles. Their skin was painted and their hair tied and held upward. Their foreheads were slanted and the eyes slightly crossed. They had the perfect look of the elite.
“Any problems, Eztli? asked Chiac.
“None, Fuck. We silenced them together. They didn’t even know what hit them until they woke up.” I nodded.
“Are you Nobles and Nim-q’ij Warriors?” asked Yochi. “And what are you doing on Alaj Topoxte?”
The one in the middle started to stand and Eztli was about to hit him with the shaft of his long bate’, but Chiac raised his hand. Eztli pulled his bate’ back. Chiac indicated to the young Warrior to stand. He saw that the young man was struggling to control his fear. Chiac concluded that, other than the fact that they had been captured and probably faced death, the young man was not used to battle and definitely not used to seeing Warriors all dyed q’eq, black.
“I am Amoxtli,503 Nim-q’ij Scout of Ahau Topoxte.” He indicated to the closest of the two men on his right. “This is Ihicamina.504 He is my Kaán Runner. He uses his sk’op to shoot messages to Topoxte. The other is Nopaltzin,505 he is my Ha’ Runner. He takes messages to Topoxte by canoe.” He indicated to his left. “This is Tezcacoatl.506 He is also a scout. Yes. We are all Nobles.”
“I am Nabe Nacon,” said Chiac. He indicated to Yochi. “He is Ukab Nacon.”
“So Amoxtli, Ihicamina uses his sk’op to shoot messages to Topoxte … all the way to Topoxte,” snickered Eztli.
Amoxtli looked at Eztli with disdain. “His canoe takes him as far as he needs it to, only a few canoe lengths from here.” He smiled. “You would need to be just a few canoe lengths from Topoxte.”
“Stand, all of you,” interrupted Chiac, knowing that Eztli’s arrogance would soon take control of him and he could see a fist fight in the making. “And your purpose on Alaj Topoxte?”
Amoxtli hesitated. Eztli lifted his bate’. “We were stationed here to observe the movement of the Warriors of Yaxha. Tension has increased since K’an IIs Warriors have begun travelling north. Ahau Topoxte feared an attack from Yaxha and Ox Witz Ha.” He shrugged. “Now, Yaxha burns.”
“K’an II has no intentions to attack Topoxte,” said Chiac. “Now there is war, as you are aware. Yes! Yax Mutul has attacked Yaxha.”
Amoxtli bent his head. “I am but a scout, Nabe Nacon.” He looked up again. “Making political decisions and war are not my duties.”
“But you are a Nim-q’ij Scout, are you not? questioned Chiac.
Amoxtli frowned then stood straight. “Yes, Nabe Nacon.”
“And are you all of the Nim-q’ij Dynasty of Topoxte?”
“Yes, Nabe Nacon.”
“It is good for you and your comrades that you are brave and do not allow fear to make you lie, Amoxtli.” Chiac looked deeply at the men then looked back at Amoxtli. He knew that he needed every Warrior he could get hold of. Amoxtli was sweating, but some defiance was beginning to appear in his eyes. He stood straight, his head upright, his right hand opening and closing as if he was used to having a weapon there. “You have a choice, Amoxtli. We are Warriors of Ajawinel K’an II. We are not the enemy of Topoxte. Did you see K’aay go up in flames?”
“Yes, Nabe Nacon,” he replied, his face expressionless.
“That was not us. That was Mahanamtz.” Green u-hatz’il-cháaks scorched Kaán to the northwest and thunder roared. The growing defiance in Amoxtli was lost and fear returned to his eyes. The men beside him cringed openly. It was obvious that those young men had not seen battle, or much of it. “Mahanamtz, his Kechelaj Komon, and his Kechelaj Jupuq will destroy Topoxte. Not even Yax Mutul will stop him. We are here to kill Mahanamtz and rescue my woman, Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’.” Their eyes opened wide.
“Xch’úup, Xch’úupXma’ K’aaba’?” stammered Amoxtli, in disbelief. Then realization spread across their faces.
“Yes. I am the Great Warrior Fuck, T’oit’ik-jolom of Ajawinel K’an II of Ox Witz Ha,” confirmed Chiac. They immediately kneeled again. “Stand,” Chiac ordered. They got up hesitantly. “You have a choice. You fight with us against Mahanamtz, or we cut out your hearts right now and offer them to Ek Chuah.” The men looked at each other. “Patli!”
“Nabe Nacon!” he answered, loudly.
“Get the priests. Tell Ah-k’inob Coatl there’s a sacrifice to do. Also Teyacapan and tell him to bring his knives. He has four hearts to cut out.”
“Nabe Nacon!” said Amoxtli, calmly, all fear removed from his eyes. “Can I speak with my comrades?”
“Are you Nabe Nimal Nacon of this fireteam?”
“Yes, Nabe Nacon.”
“Then it is for you to decide. They are Warriors and will follow the command of their Nabe Nimal Nacon.”
Amoxtli nodded, not looking at his Warriors. “We are trained Warriors, but we are more scouts and runners.” He paused. “We will fight Mahanamtz, but we fight for Topoxte, not for Ox Witz Ha.
“Let’s sacrifice them to Ek Chuah and be done with it,” urged Ikan. “We have not yet given any sacrifice to Ek Chuah.”
Chiac raised his ha
nd. “Then you and your scouts and runners will live, but if at any point in this battle, you decide to undermine us, we will cut out your hearts, even if it is the middle of battle.”
“We are Warriors of Topoxte and members of the Nim-q’ij Dynasty of Topoxte, Nabe Nacon. Our words are not broken.”
“Again, that is good for from now on, Amoxtli, you and your men are Warriors, your rank is waach, nothing else; and as long as you are in this platoon, you are one of us and I am your Nabe Nacon.” Amoxtli hit his chest. Ihicamina, Nopaltzin, and Tezcacoatl quickly followed. “And while you are with us, you do not hit your chest. You raise your right fist. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Nabe Nacon.”
“You will also learn our war-whoop.” Amoxtli raised his right fist. “Where are your weapons?”
“They are by the outpost. We have knives, short bate’s and to’bal-ribs,” answered Amoxtli.
“We fight differently from the way Warriors are trained,” said Chiac. “You will make you skin q’eq, like chay. Wear only lej-xajäbs and loincloth, remove everything else including all adornments. You will not use your to’bal-ribs.” They frowned. “You have only today to train, for tonight we fight.”
“Not until tonight?” queried Eztli, apparently confused.
“Nabe Nimal Nacon!” warned Yochi, sternly. Eztli nodded then raised his fist.
“Warriors,” continued Chiac, turning and looking at all of them. “We fight tonight because that is how we fight. We fight in the dark and we fight silently. We kill silently.” All Chiac’s Warriors raised their fists, quickly followed by Amoxtli and his Warriors.
“Eztli. You will train Amoxtli.” Amoxtli lifted one hand to the wound on his forehead, absentmindedly. “But first, Amoxtli, you will tell Ukab Nacon and me everything I want and need to know about Topoxte. Ichik trains Ihicamina. Ikan, you have Nopaltzin. Namacuix, you have Tezcacoatl. Warriors. See what you can find to eat. Train. Rest.” Chiac raised his voice. “Tonight, we fight.” Before the Warriors could raise their fists, the ground swung under their feet, throwing most of them down, followed by a roaring worq’otik as if Cabrakan himself had spoken. The canopy of the jungle shook itself free of thousands of screaming and shrieking birds while hundreds of flapping sheg507 ran from the surrounding beach onto the water’s surface thereby gaining rapid momentum for flight. Water burst through the jungle floor and waves rose on the ha’ hitting each other, some hurling themselves across the island leaving fish jumping on the mud and sand. Everywhere on the ha’ bubbles were rising from its bed and a green mist began to rise. Green u-hatz’il-cháaks tore Kaán in the northwest and an explosion of thunder shook Alaj Topoxte. Yet, Maria did not move towards Topoxte. Between the islands of K’aay, Paxte, and Topoxte, the bed of Ha’ Yaxha was again pushed up and more land rose through the surface of the ha’ reinforcing and widening the ulew-q’a’ms until they could hold a rank of a hundred Warriors. Mahanamtz began his march on Paxte.
Sisimito III--Topoxte Page 54