The Serpent Codices: The King and the Feathered Serpent
Chapter IX: Enchanted (Part 2)
Intrigued, he ventured deep into the trees, drawn by the source of the sound. It was strikingly similar to the roar of waves breaking against a shoreline. The boy could not be mistaken: the further he pressed on, the clearer it became. Reaching a thicket of shrubs, he froze. The sound emanated from just beyond them. Swallowing hard, he summoned his courage and parted the branches with his bare hands. A dazzling light blinded him for a heartbeat.
When he finally opened his eyes, the sight before him stole his breath. He stood paralyzed.
"It can’t be!" he cried out, dismayed. "This is... the village lake," he whispered, incredulous.
Indeed, in the blink of an eye, he had returned to that intimately familiar landscape. In the distance, he could see the island shaped like a crocodile. Nearby, his father's old canoe rested peacefully.
"I’m home! But... how is this possible?" he murmured, unable to believe his senses.
He turned around and found himself no longer in the jungles of Aztlán, but facing the majestic mountain with the cross upon its summit. Everything was exactly as he remembered. Was it a dream? An illusion?
His thoughts flew to his parents, and without a second thought, he broke into a sprint toward his old home. The paths, the trails, the mountains—everything was unchanged.
Gasping from the exertion, he paused for a moment and looked up. In the distance, he glimpsed the small cabin where he had lived with his parents. Emotion overwhelmed him, and he resumed his race. Upon reaching the fence, he stopped dead: his eyes filled with tears. There, before him, his mother was feeding the chickens.
"Mama!" he screamed with all his might, rushing to embrace her in desperation.
"My son!" she exclaimed upon seeing him. "Where have you been hiding?"
"Where is Papa?" he asked anxiously, running toward the back of the house.
There was the old man, chopping wood as he always did. Without hesitation, Elías threw himself upon him, hugging him tightly.
"What’s wrong, son? Why so much excitement?"
"Nothing, Father. I just needed to hold you."
"Son... Ernesto, it’s time to eat!" María called out from inside the house.
Father and son walked together toward the cabin. The young king was so swept up in emotion that he had completely forgotten the events of the past few days. Nor did he notice that his parents asked nothing of his disappearance.
The three sat at the table. It was the same table, splintered at one corner, that he remembered from childhood. He tasted the chicken soup he loved so much. That flavor, 그 scent... that was home.
At that moment, Doña Eulalia entered with her shrill voice, just as he remembered her.
"I hope I'm not late for the meal. The foreman barely let us off work," she said, taking a seat.
Elías gave a start. Seeing her, he remembered his friend David.
"Where is my boy?" the woman asked as she settled at the table.
"Forgive me, Doña Eulalia... David..." he began, then faltered. Everything happening felt strangely familiar, as if he were reliving a memory. Growing suspicious, he continued, "He accidentally took my bracelet and left this world... I haven't found him yet, but I have faith that I will," he added sadly.
"What are you saying?" Eulalia asked, puzzled, before bursting into laughter.
Then, a haunting voice rang out, sending a shiver down the boy's spine. Though it seemed impossible, it was David's voice.
"Mama, don't interrogate Elías. I ran away from the hacienda on my own. I’m sick of working there."
The young king could not believe it. There was his friend, standing before him. But something didn’t fit. That conversation... it had happened before. It was repeating.
"David, how did you return from Aztlán?" he asked, bewildered.
"What are you talking about? What is that?" the youth said with a nervous smile.
"I went looking for you. I was worried something had happened. I even thought you might be the pretender king... Do you have the bracelet with you?"
"Are you saying he... is not King Alarii?" Doña Eulalia interrupted, her face a mask of surprise.
Elías’s heart raced. How was it possible for her to know that name?
"How do you know that name?" he tried to ask, but the woman cut him off, standing up abruptly.
"So, he isn't a god? He’s of this world?" she murmured, her gaze lost on the horizon.
Eulalia’s words shattered the facade: this was not real. He was trapped in a vision... or a trap.
Then, horror erupted. A blade, lunging from the outside, pierced María’s chest. Elías froze. He watched her collapse to the floor, dead.
Before he could react, a brutal blow sent him flying against the wall. Dazed, he tried to rise, but Eulalia’s silhouette loomed over him—deformed, her gaze sinister, her skin cracked like broken porcelain.
"Answer me!" she demanded. "Is what you said true?" she asked, though her voice was no longer human. "I don’t need to ask. I can scour your mind," she added, seizing him by the throat.
The woman pressed a finger to his forehead. Elías felt an unbearable heat searing the inside of his skull. He screamed in agony. His mind began to betray his memories: his childhood, his family, his encounter with the gods, his arrival in Aztlán... and David, and the day he vanished on Crocodile Island.
Amidst the chaos, a second blade struck, this time into the woman’s head, releasing Elías from the nightmare. Instantly, everything began to dissolve: the walls of the house vanished before his eyes, and seconds later, he found himself back in the heart of the jungle.
Still shaken, he saw a figure approaching rapidly from the distance.
It was a woman of commanding beauty. Her hair was the color of dark chocolate, braided back and adorned with multicolored flowers. Her eyes were large and obsidian. She wore white, the fabric draped delicately around her body and cinched at the waist with a green belt. She wore jade necklaces, bracelets of red stone, a golden band on her right arm, and wide rings around her ankles.
"Enchantment!" she cried as she drew near. "Who are you?" she asked, her eyes darting in every direction.
"My name is Elías," he replied.
The woman gave a short laugh. "I asked who you are, not what you are called."
"And you? What is your name?" he asked, intrigued.
"My name doesn't matter now," she replied without looking at him, her attention fixed on the surroundings as she gripped two daggers made of razor-sharp stone. "Be careful. Those creatures are still close. They are slippery, and with them, it is hard to tell the real from the false."
No sooner had she spoken than a child of about three or four years appeared before them. He was entirely naked, staring at them intently.
"What are you doing here, child?" Elías asked, though he already sensed something was wrong.
"Don’t be naive!" the woman snapped, not taking her eyes off the newcomer. "It isn't what it seems."
Then, the child's gaze turned diabolical, and he suddenly lunged at them. Mid-leap, his body contorted, transforming into a serpent-like beast. Driven by instinct, Elías threw himself to the ground, dodging the attack. The woman, swift and certain, flung her blades and wounded the monster in the shoulder. The creature writhed and vanished into the brush.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Childish laughter began to echo through the jungle, as if several children were running in circles around them. Trembling, Elías drew closer to the woman.
"What are those things?"
"Do not be afraid. They feed on fear," she replied, drawing more blades from a sheath on her back. "They are capable of weaving illusions. They are called Chaneques. They take the form of children to hide their true nature."
Two more children appeared. Without warning, one lunged at Elías and knocked him down. It shifted into a beast with a serpent's tail, snapping at him as he struggled to keep its jaws away.
"Help me!" he cried in desperation.
"I’m a bit busy myself!" the woman shouted back, battling the other Chaneque.
With agile grace, she managed to drive a blade into her opponent. Elías, for his part, reached for a stone and smashed it against the monster’s head, dazing it. The warrior took the opening to wound it, and seeing themselves defeated, both creatures fled.
Exhausted, Elías lay flat on the ground. Slowly, he caught his breath and pushed himself up.
"By all the gods, boy! We’ve finally found you. Are you alright?" said Yarátu, arriving astride Mixtu’, the feline now fully recovered. "We thought the pretender had snatched you... or worse," he added, relieved.
Zazil and Ikal arrived a moment later.
"Zazil! You’re awake!" Elías exclaimed, seeing him on his feet and looking much improved. He embraced him warmly.
"Easy, young king! I’m not entirely mended yet," Zazil said with a wince of pain. "Don’t embarrass me in front of my friends," he added, noting the grins on Yarátu and Ikal’s faces.
Then, Elías remembered the woman who had saved his life.
"Where is she?"
"To whom are you referring?" Yarátu asked.
"The woman who saved me just moments ago," he replied, searching the area. "She was right here with me."
"Saved you from whom?" Ikal inquired.
"From the Chaneques that attacked us. She was here... just now."
"Chaneques in these lands? They haven't dwelt here in ages. Most are in the capital," Zazil remarked, nervously scanning the perimeter. "Now I see why you vanished. You were lucky to escape with your life."
"The woman you mention... did she use stone blades as weapons?" Yarátu asked thoughtfully.
"Yes... how did you know?"
"I know exactly who she is," Yarátu said in a low voice. "Béelia," he whispered.
"Béelia? So that is her name," Elías said, having caught the word.
"Where is that cursed woman?" Zazil growled, gripping his sword.
"What would she be doing so far from her realm? These were Zempoaltecan lands. They’ve been abandoned since the fall of the kingdom," Ikal stated.
"Who is she? She didn't seem evil to me," Elías commented.
"You will know her soon enough!" Yarátu affirmed. "I was already planning to see her. The time has come to visit the City of Thunder. Let us return to camp; we must depart at once."
"But Yarátu, she is with the enemy. Surely she came to spy on us and send our location to the pretender," Ikal warned.
"They already know where we are. If we stay here, they will come for us. Besides, we are out of provisions. We need medicines, and in the Dajin, there are excellent healers—the best in the empire. It is time to speak with her. Remember, she was once our ally... and a friend to the Eagle Warriors."
"Yes. Until she betrayed us. She betrayed us all!" Zazil spat with rage.
"Enough!" Yarátu commanded. "That is what we shall do."
He remounted his puma and turned to Elías.
"We must be cautious. The Chaneques that attacked you were almost certainly sent by the pretender."
"Could it have been a coincidence?" Zazil doubted.
"I don't think so," Elías intervened. "Those creatures came to kill me. And they mentioned the pretender."
"Zazil, in this war, there are no coincidences," Yarátu said gravely. "Let’s go. There is much to be done."
They all began the journey back toward the camp...
..."
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