focus on the task at hand, and returned his attention to the jungle.
William thought he saw something move in the shadows. His subconscious filled in the gaps, creating thousands of little faces staring back at him through the brush. The wind rolling across the tall grass in the field became warriors sneaking up on him, and he tried to focus on the shapes. His heart raced as he pulled his pack with the sacred weapon near. He gripped the bloodstone, readying himself to use it.
When he rubbed his eyes, the images were gone, and he could only see the quiet jungle again. With his mind playing tricks on him, William decided to rest for a while. He knew the royal guards were also keeping watch; they would signal with seashell trumpets at the first sign of the enemy. Within minutes, William drifted off to sleep, feeling the sensation of floating on water.
William dog paddled in the middle of the Cenote Azul. He heard a familiar voice; it was his mom. “William,” she said. “Come home… this way.”
Startled by the voice, William gagged on a mouthful of water. He splashed around, looking for his mom. She stood near a thatched table at the restaurant. He swam toward her.
A different voice called to him. It was Teshna. “Balam,” she said. “Stay with me. You promised.” Teshna stood at the other side of the cenote, waving him back.
Frustration surfaced as William bobbed in the cenote. He didn’t know which way to swim. While treading water, something bumped against his feet. It floated up, rubbing along his body as it ascended. Terror shook William as the thing became visible. It was his father’s decapitated head. While supporting it by the hair, he noticed that the head was missing an ear and eyeball… as though he was continuing where he left off from his previous nightmare-when he dreamt of his dad’s head on a platter.
“Free me!” his dad’s head demanded over and over in the demon’s creepy voice.
William dropped the head and watched it sink back into the depths of the lake. It continued to mouth the words, “Free me,” as it descended. A giant bubble burped out of the head’s mouth and popped at the surface. The water began to spin around him-faster and faster-until William felt himself drop down the whirlpool.
William kicked as he snapped awake from the falling sensation of his dream. He bolted to a sitting position, alarmed that he had slept too long. The sky had transformed to a lighter shade of blue; it was already dawn.
“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
“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
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
