Sisimito III--Topoxte

by Henry W. Anderson

  Yochi nodded. “ The war whoop is good. What do we do now, Nabe Nacon?”

  “We move to North House and set up the wedges. If Cipactli is not back with the priests by then, we begin our assault. The forward area of the battle is drawing closer, and I fear for the life of Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’.”

  “How will we know when to take the guards out?” inquired Chicahua.

  “I will give you time to set up the wedges, to crawl and set up. When you hear the whistle of the baläm, or our war cry, you take them out.”

  “The guards will hear the whistle or the war cry,” warned Huehue.

  “Perhaps, but by then they will have ch’abs in their throats,” said Chiac, with conviction. “Nothing must go wrong.”

  Huehue raised his fist. “Ko’one’ex fireteams.”

  “Ko’one’ex Warriors,” ordered Chiac.

  The sounds and smells of battle, the roar of thunder, the sizzling of green u-hatz’il-chaaks, then suddenly, battering gusts of cold wind, cold rain, and hail was in Topoxte. Occasionally, the ground still moved and weakened buildings were weakened even more, stucco falling as crumbled pellets. The

  green mist continued swirling over the ha’, being fed relentlessly by large bubbles coming from the ha’s bed.

  Teoxihuitl and Yolotli had ordered their Warriors to make a strong assault against the Kechelaj Jupuq and although the Kechelaj Jupuq was slowly being pushed westward, at times, they held their ground and the casualties on both sides increased.

  Cipactli got the priests and escorted them without any problems to North House where Chiac was already waiting. The entire band of priests were shivering with cold, or fright. “I have instructed them,” briefed Cipactli. No problems, although I did tell them I would kill them if I had to.”

  “Good,” said Chiac.

  “Fok! The fireteams won’t be able to hear the whistle,” advised Yochi, irritably. “With all that’s happening up in Kaán and here on U Wach Ulew, there’s too much noise. I didn’t want to use the war cry as not only the guards, but the other enemy Warriors will be alerted. They are too close.”

  Chiac swore loudly. “ They must not be aware of our advance until we’re upon them. Namacuix. Crawl to the nearest Warrior in the wedge. Tell him to send the message forward that they can take out the enemy whenever they are ready. Do not wait on our signal. We will rush once they are back in cover. They will then advance as planned. Then get your xut’ back here.”

  Namacuix went and returned without problems and Chiac, Yochi, and the platoon watched and waited then, in the flash of a u-hatz’il-cháak, the wedges were seen moving swiftly into the ready position. Because of the u-hatz’il-cháak, the guards saw them, but before they could move or give the alarm, two sets of ch’abs had penetrated their necks. When the next u-hatz’il-cháak came, no guards were seen, no fireteams were seen.

  Chiac waited until two u-hatz’il-chaaks had passed. “Ready Warriors?” He heard no sound from them. “Once you see that we have entered the battle, begin your invocations to Ek Chuah, Ah-k’inob. Ah’-cuabs. Roll your la’j-tun and blow your ch’aw-baq. Extic. Loni. Huitl. Do ypur duty and protect your packages.” He looked to his Warriors and raised his fist. “Remember the Raax Ch’ayom Puag. Ko’one’ex!”

  Chiac led the charge of the flanked short column formation, Choj, Bo, Yochi, and he making up the leading rank, Ichik and Eztli leading the two flanks. Mahanamtz’ guards were immediately aware of their approach and hurled themselves at the Warriors. The enraged Batz swung their heavy sharpened q’osibals and it was only because of the agility and expertise of the trained Warriors that many did not find their mark. The two ranks behind Chiac began spreading out on either side of him, while Ichik’s section quickly engaged the guards advancing on him. They were able, however, to continue their push eastward to the corner of the building, but Eztli had to abandon his advance as the guards that were stationed at the east face of the building rapidly engaged his fireteam, stopping their advance, and there were no signs yet of Chicahua’s and Huehue’s sk’op fireteams approaching from the north.

  Chiac tried to concentrate only on his fighting, but his mind was pulled back to the time when he fought his first battle as a Warrior at Ox Witz Ha. This time he was fighting against Mahanamtz, his Kechelaj Komon, and his Kechelaj Jupuq, but the feeling was the same. He was in the noise and smell of war. The taste of blood was in his mouth. The scent of sweat and blood filled his nostrils. The cries of agony, the frantic shouting, the whoops following weapons well placed, the whistling, the beating nim-tums of horror, the urgent trumpeting of the töts. In addition, were the barking, grunting, purring, woofing, coughing, loud deep guttural growls, howls, roars, and moaning. The crazy laughter of the kos, Wah-co!-Wah-co!-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha was everywhere as was the tortured cry of Xwáay Chikoop, Skinny, skinny, yu no know me? He did not allow his reminiscence and awareness to distract him. They had all become a part of him and he used his maquahuitl and knife, killing without thought.

  Chiac heard his Warriors breathing beside him and, suddenly, there was the repeated hiss of the ch’abs in flight and the thud as they penetrated their targets; the sk’op fireteams had arrived. He heard Yochi’s voice and even though he knew that Yochi was right beside him, the voice seemed far away. In the midst of the fierce battle and his savage struggle to stay alive, he heard the distant haunting clatter of a dragging chain and the image of Patzapik was forced into his mind. If you hear the rattling sound nearby, Patzapik is far away. If the rattling is distant, Patzapik may be near enough to touch you. Chiac swung his maquahuitl so viciously that both tusks of a Hach-k’ek’en leaped from its completely crushed head.

  He heard Yochi’s voice again, that time shouting at him. “Drift back, Chiac. Choj and Bo will take your place.” Chiac could not understand why Yochi wanted him to drift back and he did not like the idea of having the two alaxels facing the troops without his protection, but before he could think any more, Choj and Bo were already in front of him.

  Yochi pulled him away from the combat. “You’ve been fighting alone, Chiac. You have been advancing out of formation. We have to keep protecting you. You’re not seeing what’s happening. You’re not only endangering yourself, but us also. You’re not here with us and you’re bleeding all over. You’re Nabe Nacon! What’s wrong?”

  Chiac frowned. “Yes! I know I’m Nabe Nacon. What the fok are you talking about?”

  “The battle is changing for us. Topoxte and Yax Mutul are pushing the Kechelaj Jupuq back, but onto us. If we do not get into Mahanamtz’ Command Post, immediately, we may not escape,” stressed Yochi. “We’ll soon be completely surrounded by the Kechelaj Jupuq. And we have no immediate intelligence to confirm that Mahanamtz, Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’, and the Kechelaj Komon are still there in the Command Post.”

  Chiac was in a daze and couldn’t believe that he had allowed himself to become so distracted by his close combat and his fighting for his life that he had lost touch with the overall battle. He shook his head, trying to bring back some clarity, trying not only to be Nabe Nacon, but the T’oit’ik-jolom he was.

  “We have to get into the Command Post now, or retreat and regroup,” urged Yochi.”

  “If we retreat, we lose all we have gained,” countered Chiac, roughly. “And we may not be able to advance again.”

  “We may have already lost it.”

  Chiac looked around. The u-hatz’il-cháaks were continuous and the smell of thunder was heavy in the surrounding air. He furrowed his forehead. “Do you smell that, Yochi?”

  Yochi glared at him. “What the fok are you talking about? We have to get into the Command Post or get the fok out of here. Smell? Yes, I smell. I smell the shit and stink of war. Is that what you are talking about?”

  Chiac shook his head, almost violently then stared at Yochi, almost glassy eyed. “The Kechelaj Komon is in the Command Post. They have not left. Can’t you smell the pungent sweet fragrance of the Dam
a de la Noche orchid flower?515 That means that Tata Ponopik and the Kechelaj Komon are very near.” Yochi stared at Chiac, puzzled. Determination marking his face, Chiac shook his head again. “Yes! We go in now, Yochi. We go in now,” he bellowed, and drove towards the door nearest to him, but he was blocked by a wall of Batz. He saw Choj using his long bate’, trying to get an opening through the wall, then he saw a q’osibal smash into Choj head and shoulders and Choj going to the ground. A Hach-k’ek’en dove towards the fallen alaxel, extending its tusks, but Bo’s maquahuitl slammed across its head, showering them all with blood, bones, and meat. Bo threw himself into the frenzy, standing in front of Choj, protecting him with his own body. Chiac glanced briefly around. Patli was beside him. “Get Choj out of here,” Chiac shouted and Patli reached down and grabbed the alaxel, tossed him over his shoulders, held his short bate’ at the ready and began working his way to the southern end of the Command Post. Bo and Yochi quickly filled the space Choj had left.

  “We have to retreat,” shouted Yochi, as he fought. “We have other injuries, and for each Warrior down, we lose the other Warrior taking the casualties to the beach to be picked up. We have to leave the injured and dead if we are to complete the mission … to live. We need every Warrior to fight.”

  “I will not desert my Warriors.”

  “Then let’s fokin fight, but with order, complete the mission, and get out of here with the blessings of Ek Chuah. Is that your command?”

  “And the Blessings of Ix Na Li Kawa,” added Chiac, not responding to Yochi’s question about the command.

  The rear of the frontal area was only twenty feet away and almost on top of them. It wouldn’t be long before the retreating Kechelaj Jupuq would know that they were there and descend upon them. But Chiac knew that he was very close to Molly and there was no way he would give up. Yet, thoughts of what he would find raced through his mind, distracting him. Yochi and Bo kept close to him, protecting him, seeing interference marking his face. He couldn’t help wondering if he would have to kill her. He moved just in time as a q’osibal grazed his shoulder and arm, burning him, taking away a large area of skin. He swung around with his maquahuitl, crushing the chest of the Batz, and as he watched the black pelt of the falling Batz, he began to remember. He began to remember an encounter with a majestic black animal.

  “Chiac! What the fok’s wrong with you? You’ll get yourself killed. You’ll get us all killed. Wake up. What are your orders? Do you need me to take command?”

  Chiac shook his head briefly. “Buaidh no bas!” he shouted. “Victory or death.”

  “What?” yelled Yochi

  “We fight! We get into the post, complete the mission, or we die.”

  “Nabe Nacon,” shouted Yochi.

  “Shield me, Yochi.”

  Yochi placed himself in front of Chiac, and Bo was suddenly there also. Chiac closed his eyes, held his Green Scapular, and delved deep into his mind for a place and time that seemed so long ago. He sought, he battled, and he recaptured when he and Noh-il, the Ix Balanque, both looked at the stream in Kaab Ya’ax of Yaxché as it flowed with golden ripples and cascades amidst pale blue mists. “Noh-il! I need you now, Noh-il.”

  “Madafoka!” swore Choco, holding his long bate’ in mid-air.

  A magnificent Ix Balanque stood beside Chiac, eyes of ya’ax-chich, roaring through white fangs that glistened green in the u-hatz’il-cháak until all that was heard throughout Topoxte was Noh-il’s thunderous outcry. Then the Ix Balanque leapt between the Warriors of the Kechelaj Jupuq preventing Chiac from entering the building, crushing their skulls with his powerful jaws, tearing at and ripping apart their bodies with his claws. The Batz and Hach-k’ek’ens howled in panic as Noh-il attacked from all sides opening a narrow passage to the doors of the post. Then, as suddenly as he had come, he was gone.

  “Madafoka!” swore Choco, once again.

  “Fight!” shouted Yochi, pulling Choco from out his trance. “Warriors! Form a perimeter. Keep the Jupuq away. The Warriors quickly formed a crescent facing outward, around Chiac, Yochi, and Bo. Chiac burst into the room. There was no one there, only blazing torches.

  “What the fok!” shouted Chiac, half-crazed. “Where the fok is Mahanamtz? Where the fok is Molly?”

  “Nabe Nacon! Nabe Nacon!” shouted Amoxtli, who had entered the room.

  Chiac started hitting one of the columns, causing dust and pebbles to fall from cracks the kabraqan had caused in the ceiling.

  “Nabe Nacon!” shouted Amoxtli, again. Chiac turned to him. “I know where they are.” He moved to one corner of the room, where a large fire pit was. “Help me move this.” Yochi and Bo rushed over and they began pulling the pit aside, revealing a hole with stairs leading down. “It is a chultun and this one is not only used for storage. This one is for hiding and escape. There is an upper tunnel that leads to the southwest end of the island where it divides into two. One goes to the ha’ where you can enter and leave by getting into the water. The other goes to a small building where canoes are kept. There are hiding places in the tunnels that can be sealed off with trapdoors. There are other trapdoors that can seal off whole sections.

  “Mahanamtz will not be going into the ha’,” said Chiac. “He will be going where he can escape by the canoes. We have to stop him.” He fought off his distraught as he tried to think. “Bo! Get me Namacuix. Take his place.” Bo rushed through one door and, soon after, Namacuix entered through the next.

  “I need to get back out there,” shouted a bloody Namacuix. “I’m needed to fight!”

  Chiac hesitated, briefly, then spoke. “Mahanamtz, his Kechelaj Komon, and his guards have gone into the chultun. They have Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’” Chiac indicated to the opening. “You and your section, follow them in the tunnel. Look for trapdoors that can seal them off. Do not engage if you don’t have to.”

  Namacuix looked shocked. “But we need all Warriors here.”

  “Do as ordered, Namacuix,” stormed Chiac. “That is the Way of the Warrior. We’ll meet you on the beach. Amoxtli. Go with them. Now get your Warriors and go.”

  “What am I to do in the tunnel, Chiac?” shouted Namacuix, angrily.

  “Follow them. Once they are out, stop them from escaping … even if you have to kill them all. No quarter given.”

  Namacuix appeared puzzled, momentarily, then he lifted his fist and rushed through the door to get his section and they soon disappeared down the stairs of the chultun, taking a torch to light the passage.

  “Yochi. The rest of us will rush to the canoe house and await Mahanamtz there. We’ll pick up the priests on the way. Now, let’s get outside to replace Namacuix’s section.” But Chiac was not prepared for what was happening outside.

  The Warriors that had formed the crescent for protection were fighting fiercely, injured and bloody, struggling to stay alive. As the armies of Topoxte and Yax Mutul continued to push southwestward, Mahanamtz’ Kechelaj Jupuq had poured into the southwestern part of the island where they were making a determined stand not to retreat any further. Hach-k’ek’en Ajchaq’e was rallying his troops and Etzelal Iq’ was playing a decisive role. Etzelal Iq’ had built up powerful buffeting gusts against the wind and rain out of the north and was also hurling short vigorous blasts across the advancing armies. Some of the Topoxte and Yax Mutul Warriors began to tremble violently and fall as they breathed in the enchantments in Etzelal Iq”s wind. Above the battle, Kaán became more violent as many circular u-hatz’il-cháaks from Maria erupted as she tried to disrupt Etzelal Iq”s onslaught.

  “Tight Defensive Circle Formation,” ordered Chiac, loudly, “and let’s battle our way to the beach.” Now we need the fokin to’bal-ribs. The Warriors quickly went into circle formation and began fighting their way to the southern corner of the Command Post, after which they planned to turn westward. The archers formed an inner circle, trying to take out targets approaching the formation’s periphery; but they were almost out of ch’abs.
Once a Warrior’s ch’abs were finished, that Warrior moved into the outer perimeter for hand-to-hand combat. But even though Chiac’s Warriors held off their attackers, the Kechelaj Jupuq’s assault was relentless and with each casualty that Chiac had to move into the center of the circle, Chiac’s detail’s ability to defend itself and withdraw from the forward area became less and less. As they rounded the corner of the target, the Command Post, however, there were only a few Batz there, most of the Kechelaj Jupuq combating in the battle to halt Topoxte’s and Yax Mutul’s advance. The archers quickly took them out and Chiac’s detail rushed southwestward. They approached the zone that was relatively congested with buildings, the area they were in initially, rushed across scattered pieces of masonry, passed North House, then entered the western of the two buildings where they had their first encounter with the Kechelaj Jupuq. They helped their nine casualties to the floor. Rhys and Iccauhtli were concussed from head injuries; Mazatl, and Iuitl had received serious wounds to the chest and abdomen; Ilhicamina, Cualli, Nopaltzin, Itztli, and Necalli injuries were not very serious having from cracked ribs to broken arms, lacerations, and large blood filled swollen bruises. Chiac pulled in a deep breath as he glanced at his blood covered body. The air smelled of blood and death.

  “So, you’re in trouble, Fuck.” Chiac swung around, gripping his maquahuitl. His Warriors froze, but with weapons ready. Chiac turned and stared at Emataly and Nikai, standing against the wall across from them.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “What do you think?” answered Emataly. “You’re failing in your mission to kill Mahanamtz and rescue Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’. So, we just dropped in to say ‘Hi’.”

  Chiac sighed, sharply. “Just get out of your disguise. You don’t need them here. And I don’t have time for this.”

  “Okay, Fuck. We do as commanded,” scoffed Emataly. “After all, we are only gods. We’re only the sun and the moon. You are the Great T’oit’ik-jolom of Ajawinel K’an II of Ox Witz Ha and you’re about to suffer defeat”