As the servants set the litter down before Muluk, a semi-circle of Kohunlich warriors formed behind him. He bent over and pulled the red tapestry down. “It is indeed Ambassador Chen-Uk,” he said, and then gave William a double-take when he and the others moved in closer. All the Kohunlich warriors gawked at him. “I see the stories of the white warrior are true.”
Teshna motioned to William. “This is Balam… sent by the gods. He makes the journey to help in our task of requesting assistance from your kingdom.”
William took a step forward, the bloodstone glowing on his chest. “Greetings,” William said with a nod to Muluk. He scanned the faces of the Kohunlich warriors; they each took a step back when he looked their way, like they thought he was casting a spell on them.
After a short conversation, Muluk agreed to take Teshna and the others to Kohunlich. But due to the circumstances, he said they would have to surrender their weapons and travel as captives, until King Snarl Tooth could determine their fate.
Teshna believed it would benefit their cause to have a formal escort to Kohunlich. Being the highest ranking noble on the trip, her decision was final. “We will do as you say, captain Muluk.”
Just before departing, William overheard Muluk order three of his warriors back down the trail to confirm the details of the ambush near Kinichna. He wondered what would happen when they encountered Ik-Tanil and Axel by the dead bodies. Yet Teshna and the others kept quiet about it, and so he did the same, focusing his attention on the trail ahead.
When darkness settled, they made camp in a clearing. Soon, the delicious aroma of roasted venison wafted through the area as the Kohunlich warriors prepared a meal. William could tell that Lamat enjoyed their new company-or at least the food they had with them. The chubby noble devoured his chunk of meat and licked his fingers clean before settling back to sleep with a content look on his face.
Teshna reassured William that they weren’t in a typical captive situation. She explained how warriors captured in battle are stripped, bound, and taken for sacrifice. In contrast, they were being treated like political prisoners, as a formality to avoid potential conflicts on the journey to their homeland.
Later that night, William relaxed beside the fire enjoying how Teshna rested against him, using his side as a pillow, her eyelashes tickling his chest. He noticed her staring at Subiac with a troubled look. “What’s the matter?” he asked her.
She sat up and told him what Subiac had said atop the temple in Kinichna. “In a dream, the Sun god warned Subiac to stay away-said that if he were to look into his eyes, it would be his end.”
William shrugged. “Well, it was just a dream,” he said, trying to comfort her. But he recalled his own bizarre nightmare with his dad’s head on a platter, and he knew that the demon, Yum Cimil, had found a way to communicate with him through his sleep. However, he kept that memory to himself, not wanting to worry her.
The three warriors that had been sent back to investigate the crime scene in Kinichna returned. They approached Muluk; he was eating his meal by the campfire.
“It is just as they say,” one of the warriors said to Muluk. “They are all dead along the path.”
“Strangely though,” another warrior said, “the bodies are aligned with their heads to the north.”
“That hardly sounds like the scene of an ambush,” Muluk said loud enough for everyone to hear. His eyebrows rose when he stared at Teshna. While waiting for her response, he picked at a piece of meat stuck between his teeth.
“Yes, we did that, Captain,” Teshna said. “We could not carry them all with us, and did not wish to leave them in such a disrespectful position.”
Muluk glared at her for a time, as if trying to sense any deception. Teshna kept a steady look his way until Muluk turned. Seeming satisfied with her answer, he went back to chewing off the last bits of meat from a bone.
William wondered why Teshna didn’t say anything about Priest Ik-Tanil and the guard, or why the Kohunlich warriors didn’t find them. But he brushed it off. He was tired from the long day and cuddled up beside Teshna to get some rest.
After hiking all morning through the thick jungle, William found it refreshing when they passed through a wide open field of tall grass. It was nice to get a break from the somewhat claustrophobic sensation of being beneath a canopy of dense vegetation all the time. A pleasant breeze drifted by, causing waves to roll through the grass. The trail continued through the clearing for about an hour before they returned to the shade of the jungle again. The journey became strenuous as the contour of the land inclined. When they reached the plateau, the kingdom of Kohunlich was visible in the valley below. After a quick break to regain their strength, they continued on.
When they arrived in town, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows from the citizens who ran through the streets to see them. The Kohunlich warriors controlled the crowd like security guards escorting a rock band to the concert. The growing mob cheered, shook terracotta rattles, and banged drums as they followed the group along. Although William had only seen Kohunlich as ruins before, he recognized many of pyramids that they passed along the way. Tall cohoon palm trees swayed in the breeze, providing a peaceful contrast to the frenzied atmosphere of the townsfolk hustling around them. High atop the hills overlooking the ceremonial centers, William saw the nobles of Kohunlich descending from their residential areas and rushing to their place up front, following them through the vibrant city.
“The Temple of the Sun,” Subiac said, pointing at the bright red pyramid with orange steps.
William saw the masks that Kohunlich was famous for; six large stucco masks-three on either side of the stairway-painted blue and yellow.
When they reached the base of the temple, Teshna leaned to William and said, “The masks represent different incarnations of the Sun god, Kinich Ahau.”
Following Muluk’s instruction, they kneeled along the right side of the pyramid. William was beside Subiac, Lamat, and Teshna at the front. Salmac and the three royal guards were behind them, with the four servants at the very back of the group. They waited there for a long while, along with the entire city of thousands, forming a sea of bodies in the courtyard. The intense quiet was only interrupted by the ghoulish cries of howler monkeys from the jungle beyond.
When the sun reached a specific point in its descent, it cast an eerie reflection from the Sun god masks, making the eyes appear to glow. Seashell trumpets bellowed, and William saw King Snarl Tooth standing atop the pyramid. He wore a jaguar mask that covered the upper part of his face. His headdress had a strange combination of quetzal feathers and snakes dried into striking postures. He wore a jaguar-skin cape, bordered with jade beads. A dazzling array of gems glittered from the necklace resting on his plump belly.
King Snarl Tooth held his hands high as he loomed over the crowd. He made his way down the steps, accompanied by the deafening beat of banging drums, and moved to a throne beneath the Sun god mask on the first level, to the right of the stairway facing them. The drumming ceased the instant the King sat, replaced by a thousand shaking rattles that sounded like the static from a radio turned up full blast. King Snarl Tooth raised his hands again, silencing the rattles. William saw the King studying him through the eyeholes of his jaguar mask. The King let loose a big smile, exposing his sharp teeth that were bent and curved in strange angles. Beneath the jaguar mask like that, his real teeth appeared to be an extension of the jaguar’s actual jaw-like a fat creepy jaguar monster smiling at them.
“Call for the refreshments that I have requested,” King Snarl Tooth said to a servant in a scratchy voice. He removed the jaguar mask, revealing his wrinkled and tattooed face that resembled an old wild cat. His focus turned to Subiac. “My old friend, it is good to see you.”
Subiac bowed. “It is my honor to be in your presence, King Snarl Tooth.”
“Noble Lamat, they say your kingdom has a lack of food these days, and now I can see where it has all gone,” the King said, followed by a hiss of a laugh.
“The gods have been generous to me,” Lamat said with a nod.
“Princess Teshna,” the King said, greeting her with a warm smile. “It has been many tuns. You were but a young girl in your father’s shadow then. He would be proud to see the strong and beautiful woman here before me now.”
“Thank you, King Snarl Tooth. Yes, much time has passed,” she said, and retrieved a small bag from her pack. “I brought you a gift.”
William had forgotten about the gift that Teshna had asked Priest Ik-Tanil to get while they were in Kinichna, and he was curious to know what it was. A servant brought Teshna’s bag up the steps and handed it to the King.
