The Serpent Passage

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Yax glowered at the Serpent Priest. “Well…?”

Priest Quisac cleared his throat and said, “The evening star has arrived. King Aztuk has honored the gods by waiting until this moment. Yet there is no need to delay the invasion until the morning, other than benefiting from the light of day.”

“He could attack at any moment. Why not begin when we are unprepared?” Yax paced back and forth, considering the options. “None of us will sleep well this night anyhow. We will go to our positions in the west and wait for the approaching army.” He pointed at the stocky chief of the royal guard. “Etznab, give the signal!”

A moment later, the low-pitched bellows of seashell trumpets echoed, capturing the attention of the entire community.

“You all know what to do,” Etznab shouted to the nobles and warriors who had gathered outside the King’s palace.

“Spread the word,” Yax said in a commanding voice. “The time has come! Ready yourselves, and meet at your assigned positions.” He gave William a determined stare, turned, and marched inside the palace.

The crowd dispersed in various directions to prepare for battle. As they hurried into the palace, William exchanged a knowing look with Betty and Teshna; the time had finally come.

William ran to his room and scrambled to get dressed, worried that the invaders could come storming through the palace gates at any moment. He fumbled with his leather vest and put his heavy cotton skirt on backwards at first. After getting his uniform sorted out, he tossed his headdress to the side and replaced it with a helmet made from the hard skin of an armadillo, adorned with bright blue macaw feathers.

Through the flickering light of the torches near the entrance to his room, William saw Teshna standing there. A tense look haunted her face, accentuated by the red and black streaks of war paint across her forehead and cheeks. William became transfixed on the Princess-dressed for battle, looking like some sexy war goddess as she stood there with her bow in hand, and a quiver of arrows slung against her back. For a brief moment, he completely forgot about the looming battle.

Teshna leaned her bow against the wall and approached William with a cup in the palm of her hands. She stared into his eyes with a nervous gaze, dipped two fingers into the cup, and ran streaks of paint across William’s forehead and cheeks.

“So it all comes down to this day,” William whispered.

“Yes, Balam,” Teshna said. “Today we fight because… it’s the right thing to do. Isn’t that what you said?”

William nodded reluctantly. “Yes, that’s what I said. I only hope my words aren’t leading everyone to their deaths.”

Teshna held William’s hand; the energy of the bloodstone tingled through his fingers. “Your actions and your words united us. The gods brought you here to save our people, and they spoke through you that night. If you had not come here, we would already be dead. You gave us a new life… a chance for our future.”

William smiled. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“There is something else I have to say before we go, Balam.” Teshna turned her back to him.

“What is it, Teshna?” he asked with concern, spinning her around with a gentle tug on her shoulder.

She stared at him with misty eyes. “I know your true home is in another world. I know that at times you miss your life there. Perhaps you still think about returning. But I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want to lose you. I love you, Balam. I had to tell you so my mind will be clear for the battle. I would hate to die without telling you.”

“You are not going to die, Teshna,” William said. “We’ll get through this-all of us.” He gazed into her eyes and rested his hands softly along her neck. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately, feeling her tension melt into his arms. Their lips parted for a moment, and William sighed. “This is where I belong now. I can’t imagine my life without you, Teshna. We’re going to survive this.”

Teshna jumped into his arms, kissing him again and again.

“Teshna! Balam!” the Serpent Priest said in a scolding tone. They both straightened up with the guilty look of teenagers who had just been caught fooling around. “Destiny calls upon us. Teshna, the other women are waiting for you outside the palace. Go now. I must speak with Balam privately.”

Teshna gave William a wink, grabbed her bow, and hastened out.

Priest Quisac reached into a sack and pulled out one of the sacred items-the ancient weapon that would be used to fire a bolt of lightning at the enemy forces. “I now entrust this with you, Balam,” the Serpent Priest said, his head bowed and holding the weapon out. William accepted the sacred item with a nod in return. “Remember, you must wait until the enemy is near before using it.”

“What if they don’t charge at me, like we’re expecting? What then?” William asked.

“When King Aztuk realizes that the aerial assault upon you has failed from the sun shield, he will indeed send his men in heavy force upon you. His desire for the bloodstone will be too tempting for him to do otherwise. In that moment, you will kill hundreds with the energy of this weapon. But it can only be used twice, and then you must retreat to your next position.”

William nodded with a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”

Priest Quisac bowed. “Here is where we must part, my friend… until it is over. You know the Ritual of Resurrection. You can break the soil plague even without me, if necessary.”

“Thank you, Priest Quisac… for everything. We can win this battle.”

“Only the gods know our destiny, Balam. The stars speak of an end… yet not in a manner that I understand. I must meditate on this while we wait for the attack. Go now. The captains of the royal guard will take you to your place.”

William marched beside Salmac and other royal guards along the trail leading west from the city. They joined a procession of hundreds of warriors, streaked with war paint, clutching their spears and clubs with anxious grips. The path twisted through the jungle for nearly an hour before opening into a huge field. Thousands of torches lit the area like a football stadium at night.

“Balam!” Yax called out as he approached.

William almost didn’t recognize the young King with his red and blue painted face; his head appeared swallowed between the jaws of the jaguar headdress he was wearing. He grasped Yax’s hand and they exchanged a serious nod when their eyes met. “Good luck, Yax.”

“I would say the same to you, but the gods are on your side, Balam. You don’t need extra luck. Now take your position. It may be too soon, but it’s better than being caught off guard. Salmac and the other captains are taking their positions in the field as well.”

William turned to face the clearing ahead. He took a few steps and paused to look back. Glancing into the trees, he knew Teshna was among the group of archers hidden high up in the branches; he could somehow sense her love, even though he couldn’t see her.

Upon reaching his position in the middle of the clearing, William planted his torch in the ground and looked back at the long line of flickering torches near the jungle’s edge. He shifted his gaze in the opposite direction, to the western side, where he knew the invasion could begin at any time, and he took a deep breath.

The hours passed. As the last lingering flames from his torch went out, and the smoldering embers turned to ash, darkness consumed him. William expected to hear war drums or some noise from the approaching army, but instead, an uncomfortable quiet enveloped him. Not even the sounds of chirping crickets were there to keep him company. He resigned himself to the idea that the battle would not begin until dawn, as they had originally assumed. Having the battle at daybreak was preferable so William could take advantage of the sun to create a strong sun shield. The sun shield could also be activated from the light of the moon, but he couldn’t sustain it as long as he could with sunlight.

He strained his eyes to spot any movement in the jungle, while nervously scratching the whiskers on his chin. It occurred to him that he had never let his facial hair grow out that much before. Although his beard was still a little sparse-compared how his dad’s used to get-it made him feel older. His mom always made him shave it off before it got too long.

While thinking about how long it took to grow his beard, William recognized how much time had passed while living with the Mayans. He wondered if his mom still mourned him. William wished he could let her know that he was okay, but then recalled his promise to Teshna… that he would never leave her. He sighed and shook his head with a nervous chuckle, realizing that if he didn’t survive the battle, those concerns wouldn’t matter. He had to