The Serpent Passage

Teshna’s hand as they went along. He wanted to ask her if she planned to go with her people to the other world, but he was afraid she would ask him to go with her. He wasn’t sure how he would respond. He turned to Betty, walking beside them. “So how was it up there?” he asked her in English.

Betty shot a quick glance back at Seblinov and Jensik; they were maneuvering the shiny cylinder up the path behind them. She looked paranoid that they might hear her thoughts. “Oh, it’s… comfortable enough, I guess,” she said in a pleasant voice, while sticking her finger into her mouth and pretending to gag. “It’s a little sterile for my taste. Did you know that there’s no dirt anywhere? The trees and plants grow right up from the floor. Weird, huh? There are a few birds flying around and some smaller animals, but I think it’s all for show… to make it more comfortable for them.”

“Does it seem safe?” William whispered.

Betty looked away. “I guess so. But the warriors still haven’t returned. Others are missing now, too. Plus they’ve been mixing in people from other kingdoms. It’s all a little confusing.” Betty suddenly had a hopeful look, as if she remembered something really important. “I told Jensik about the Serpent Passage… how we can’t go back because it’s underwater. He seemed really interested about that, and said they would set up two of their suits for us to use… so we can go back!”

“Oh, I see,” William said. He glanced over to Teshna with an anxious feeling coming over him. He had put the idea of going back to his own time out of his head, and he preferred believing that it was not a valid option. Having one less possibility to consider had been a relief. Now it was back on the table again.

Betty noticed his strained face. “If you’d rather stay, I totally understand,” she said, acknowledging Teshna beside him. “I could tell your mom for you… let her know that you’re okay. You could write her a note.” She smiled at the idea.

William’s face lit up. “Really?” He realized what a relief that would be for his mom to know what really happened to him.

As they entered the ceremonial center, Yax pointed at the moon above them. “Look,” he said, indicating the beginning stages of the lunar eclipse.

The group picked up their pace to the ballcourt. When they arrived, the eclipsing moon had begun to darken the land. Seblinov and Jensik tapped at the controls on the side of the cylinder, dropping the platform to the ground with a heavy thud. Jensik pressed a few buttons, causing the liquid inside to evaporate.

“We shall draw the blood that you require from the specimen,” Seblinov said. “However, he must first be awakened, for his blood is not active at the moment.”

William stayed by Priest Quisac’s side, waiting for his directions for the ritual. The Serpent Priest approached Seblinov, looking worried. “I must profess, Master Seblinov, that your method will not satisfy the requirement of the gods for breaking the curse of the soil plague. King Aztuk must be sacrificed. His soul needs to be freed from his blood.”

“Although we respect your beliefs, Priest Quisac, we disagree,” Seblinov said. “It is only the blood of this individual that is required-a chemical reaction to release the negative ions, amplified by the bloodstone. This will counter the effects of the soil plague by bonding with the electrical force of the eclipse.”

Priest Quisac shook his head. “It is only the act of the sacrifice that will restore order. You have been far too removed from the natural laws within a living world to understand this. A balance must be maintained!”

“This individual holds… properties… that are desirable to us,” Seblinov said in a disturbing manner. “We prefer to keep him intact for further use after this ritual.”

As the gaseous liquid finished evaporating from the cylinder, King Aztuk slumped against the side. His body jerked and twitched.

“He is restored,” Jensik said. He reached into a pouch at his side and retrieved a large vile, positioning it near the control panel. After turning a knob, the blood of King Aztuk filled the vile, like he was pouring himself a glass of grape juice from a soda fountain.

“It will not work like this, Seblinov!” the Serpent Priest said.

King Aztuk seemed to hear Priest Quisac’s words, for he suddenly awoke and snapped his stare in every direction.

“The eclipse is nearly complete!” Teshna said.

“What is this?” King Aztuk asked in a muffled voice from inside the crystal chamber. He staggered to his feet.

“Re-suspend the specimen,” Seblinov said with urgency in his voice.

Jensik handed the vile to William and returned to the control panel. King Aztuk slammed his body into the crystal wall, rocking the cylinder forward. Jensik took a step back when King Aztuk pressed his hands and face against the glass, peering out. He rammed his body into the side of the cylinder again.

From the ballcourt, Betty called out, “The eclipse!”

The Serpent Priest snapped a look at the moon, seeing the total eclipse. “Quickly, Balam… we must try.”

While rushing to the northern end of the ballcourt, William held the bloodstone over the vile. It glowed in his fist as it rapidly absorbed the blood. Yet the bloodstone craved for more. William shared the feeling of desperation that the bloodstone suffered through; he could sense it thirsting for the King’s life essence. He felt infuriated that he couldn’t have more, and he wanted to go back for the rest of his blood.

Priest Quisac called out to him, pulling his attention back to his task. “Finish it, Balam!”

William dropped the bloodstone into a ceramic jar and held it above his head. While facing the eclipsed moon, he spoke the prayer of resurrection, “Hok’sah numya!” He felt the jar shaking in his hand when he threw it. The jar smashed on the surface of the ballcourt near the same spot where Honac-Fey had first set the curse in motion. William backed away, studying the area around the broken fragments of the jar, along with everyone else, waiting to see what would happen.

King Aztuk drew their attention back by ramming his body from one end of the crystal cylinder to the other, making it rock back and forth. Jensik stepped further away from it, unable to work the controls with it moving. With a final push, the cylinder tipped over. It came down with a crash, opening a fissure along the side of the chamber. King Aztuk kicked at the crack in the crystal wall, widening it further.

Priest Quisac studied King Aztuk inside the chamber and then shifted his attention back to Seblinov. “There is still time, he must be sacrificed. We must remove his head!”

“I should have known you were behind this, Serpent Priest!” King Aztuk said, pressing his face up to the crack in the cylinder. “Yes, let me out of here. I would like to see how you intend to sacrifice me.”

“What should we do?” William asked.

“Ah, this must be Balam… the precious warrior of the gods,” King Aztuk said in a mocking tone. “In truth, you are the Serpent Priest’s slave! Get me out of here, and you can be my slave instead.” He spit at the glass.

William pressed his hands against the crystal and glared at King Aztuk with more hatred than he had ever experienced, fueled by the bloodstone that burned for the man’s life.

He vaguely heard Teshna yelling behind him. “Something’s happening,” she hollered.

A red light illuminated the cylinder, coming from the ballcourt where William had cast the bloodstone during the ritual. Seeing King Aztuk so clearly made William crave to take his life even more. He slammed his fist against the wall, shattering fragments of the crystal loose. He clawed at the little pieces, trying to dig the man out with his hands. The tips of his fingers bled, and he smeared his blood across the cylinder. “Yeah, get your ass out of there, you piece of crap! I’ll rip your head off myself!”

“That’s the spirit!” King Aztuk said with a wicked smile.

Spotting the stone axe, William rushed over and grabbed it with a wild look in his eyes. He charged at the cylinder and smashed the heavy axe into it, shattering a chunk of crystal loose.

When he leaned back to take another swing, the Serpent Priest grabbed William by the shoulders and jerked him backwards to the ground, “No, Balam!” Priest Quisac said. “Your rage is damaging the bloodstone. Look!”

William turned his attention to the bloodstone on the ballcourt; blood flowed out from the stone, creating a red puddle that began to boil. The bubbling blood burst into flames for a moment, and then fizzled out. William calmed down as the glow of the bloodstone faded. He stood and approached with Priest Quisac, watching the bloodstone dim to a dull black.