Dragon of Blood and Fire, PG-13

[tsaiko]

The universe has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. This time is the eighth incarnation. As each universe dies, it falls into the darkness and becomes another level of the underworld. When this cycle of rebirth happens thirteen times, the earth that shall be left will be paradise. Before that though, there must be sacrifice.

There are those that believe that people should hasten this cycle along. They kill. They steal. They lie. They rape. They pillage. In every action they take, they try to hasten the destruction of the world so that it will fall. Standing against them are the gods and those that follow them.

The warriors of the Sun God did not mean to help the agents of chaos. In fact, it goes against everything they stand for. All they knew, all they thought they knew, was that one of their own had betrayed them. Ilhuiti had just finished his turn guarding against the rise of Eztilinhuica when the other warriors gathered.

When the warriors of the Sun God cast Ilhuiti into the depths of the volcano, they cast his armor and spear with him. It was as if a key had been fitted into a lock. The dragon of blood and fire rose free. He killed as many of the warriors of the Sun God as he could and in his grief, he sought to destroy the very world.

This was how the eighth world was fated to end. In pain. In grief. In fire.

It hasn't happened yet. It will. And those that follow the will of chaos will do everything in their power to make it come to that.

***

"Tlazi? Can I speak with you?"

At first Tlazi couldn't place the voice that spoke from the shadows. It sounded familiar, but there was something... off about it. He turned towards the voice, wishing for the spear he carried when he went to the lower temple. Which was ridiculous. There was nothing to fear here in the temple on the rim.

Xipel, third warrior of the Sun God, stepped into the light. Tlazi relaxed. Ever since Eztilinhuica's had made his odd request, Tlazi had been on edge. He had started to notice things. Tlazi didn't know if this was normal and the dragon of blood and fire's words just made them seem strange or if something was actually going on.

"Sorry, Xipel. I was lost in thought. What did you want to talk about?" Tlazi said.

"Do you think we could go somewhere more private?" Xipel asked. Tlazi looked around the deserted hallway they stood in. Footsteps tended to echo. There was no way anyone could sneak up on them.

"This should be fine. What's going on?" Tlazi asked. For a second he thought he saw a flash of annoyance in Xipel's eyes but it was there and gone before Tlazi could be sure it had ever existed.

"I know that you and Ilhuiti are not exactly close, but you seemed to know each other..." He let the sentence trail off.

"We are from the same province," Tlazi replied. None of the other warriors had seemed to care about how Tlazi and Ilhuiti and the thinly veiled animosity between them. Why was this being brought up now?

"Ah," Xipel said. The word held a lot of meaning that Tlazi couldn't even begin to decipher. "Perhaps you are not... well. There's no one else to talk to. You keep an eye on Ilhuiti and you would know..."

"Speak plainly, Xipel." The warrior had a habit of dancing around subjects, hinting instead of stating the fact. It had always annoyed Tlaz. He tended to be plain spoken almost to the point of rudeness, as Ilhuiti was wont to point out. "I do watch Ilhuiti. What is this about?"

"There have been rumors."
Tlazi resisted the urge to reach out and shake the words from the warrior. "What kind of rumors?"

"We all know exactly why the dragon of blood and fire chose Ilhuiti. Well, maybe not at first, but it's quite obvious to everyone that the both of them are close

He went very, very still. "The Ilhuiti of legend did not betray the Sun God."

"We don't know that. Some of the legend say that there was no betrayal, but some of them say there was. Why else would the warriors of the Sun God turn against

"What does this have to do with anything?" Tlazi demanded. He did not like where this was heading. At all.

"Some say that history is repeating itself. That Ilhuiti is no longer following the Sun God's orders. I myself don't believe it, but others are..."

"Who is saying these things?" Tlazi demanded. His hands were clenched fists at his sides. "Who would repeat such lies?"

"That is not for me say. I just want your opinion on the subject."

"Ilhuiti is the most loyal..." Xipel cut off Tlazi's words.

"But loyal to who? He was, after all, chosen by Eztilinhuica," Xipel replied. Tlazi shook with rage. His thoughts were nothing but a red haze. "I've upset you. I'm sorry. I'm sure it was just a rumor. Ilhuiti would never betray us."

"No, he wouldn't," Tlazi said. His voice was harsh. "I can't believe you would think for a second that he would."

"My apologies. You are right. I should not go around repeating unfounded rumors," Xipel said. "Have a good day, Tlazi." Xipel turned sharply on one heel and walked away. Tlazi wished he could punch the other warrior in the face or call him out on his words. There had been no accusations though. Only rumors. One thought echoed in Tlazi's mind as he walked down the hall and towards the lower temple.

He had to tell Eztilinhuica.

***

"What happened? Did Tlazi pass the test?" Yaoti asked. Xipel shook his head, grabbing the leader of warriors of the Sun God and pulling him into the shadows. Only when no light could touch them did Xipel speak.

"It is worse than we thought. Tlazi is under the influence of the dragon of blood and fire. He does not as the Sun God commands, but as Eztilinhuica bids him," Xipel said. "He has turned."

Yaoti drew in a sharp breath. "You are sure?" he asked.

Xipel nodded before realizing that Yaoti could not see him. "Yes. I saw it with my own eyes. Remember how I told you about overhearing Eztilinhuica command Tlazi to watch Ilhuiti? As soon as I spoke about our concerns, he left me to go speak with the dragon."

"I cannot believe that Eztilinhuica does not trust his own chosen. I cannot believe the Sun God would allow the dragon of blood and fire to choose any of his captors," Yaoti said. His voice was tight with the fury of a zealot.

"Who are we to understand the thoughts of the gods? It is what the Sun God decreed. We can do nothing about Ilhuiti, nor should we." Xipel kept the smile out of his voice through force of will. "But Tlazi is another matter. He has betrayed us."

"I remember the stories. The warriors of old thought Ilhuiti had betrayed them and their actions almost destroyed the world." Yaoti had heard the story many times. "How can we be sure this is different?"

This was the breaking point. It was now or never. Xipel put every ounce of persuasion in his voice that he could. "That was different. That was love and even the Sun God respects the power of love. Eztilinhuica does not love Tlazi. He is simply using him and Tlazi, for whatever reason, is letting himself be used. That is betrayal. We as warriors of the Sun God cannot stand by for it."

For a few seconds, Yaoti wavered. Then something cold and hard settled in his heart. "You are right. We will act tomorrow."

"Tomorrow then," Xipel agreed. His eyes flared briefly dark, as black as night, but Yaoti did not see them. "Tomorrow it will end."


*insert ominously dramatic music here*

Comments

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

I think in this universe, the gods can intervene only when they are called upon. So until someone says "Yo Sun God! You're warriors are about to screw things up again.Why don't you stop it?" there's nothing he can do.

I do have the feeling that he is getting very tired of this happening.

[andra-sashner.livejournal.com]

Dun-dun dun-duuuun.

Where is this Sun God and what does he have to say for himself? I, personally, am very curious to know how the Sun God "chosses" when Tlazi admitted he was voted in. So are the Gods quiet? And if Eztil is such an ancient being, why is he content to remain captive? To what purpose... or perhaps at whose request? I cannot think having him free is so bad if he has Ilhuiti by his side and his love comes back to him everytime in each life time.

More and more questions,
me

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

Like I explained unusualmusic, the gods can't do anything until they are called upon. Right now, his hands are tied. The Sun God chose the first warriors, but after that it was mostly voted on in some way. He just makes sure that those that are not qualified are removed from the voting.

The rest of the questions are plot points. XD

[theotherdibbler.livejournal.com]

What was running through my mind as I read: Oh no, oh no, oh shit, oh crap, aaagh!

Congrats, you have made me extremely nervous about what is going to happen.

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

It probably won't reassure you if I tell you it's going to get worse.

[theotherdibbler.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm expecting it to get worse. Hence the nervousness. :D

[wittyilynamed.livejournal.com]

*Glares with the full heat of HELL (or the Sun God) behind it*

...You better fix this. *pouts and waits for you to make it all better*

[skylark97.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD!!! *sputters* PINCHING! I am PINCHING THOSE JERKS SO HARD IN MY MIND!

GRR!!!

*cough* More please? ^_^ Hopefully with someone smacking the hell out of Xipel and Yaoti? *puppy eyes*

[mechante-fille.livejournal.com]

LOL, bloodthirsty much? ^___^

I totally agree, though. ^___^ Commence with the pinching!

[kiyoshi-chan.livejournal.com]

*has jitters like a crazy dude* OHMYGOD. *wrings hands until the next bit*

[stoplightgodess.livejournal.com]

Where are my steel toed boots so I can kick Xipel in the nuts...several hundred times. Extremely hard. Mud-sucker.

[carib-nymph.livejournal.com]

...
.......................................

Dang.
More, plz?