Izamal, Mexico.
"Pinche pendejos." Miguel cursed as he watched some of the soldados messing around across the street from atop of the villa he was in.
"Oh let them have their fun mijo! You were like them too you know?" His father Hector commented as he sat down at his desk and poured two glasses of fine liquor.
"We can't have fun right now papa. We're at war with Belize! We need to focus and not be screwing around!" Miguel countered.
His father merely waved off his concerns however.
"We're always at war, Miguel. Last month it was Chiapas. The month before it was with that gang from Guatemala. Next month it will be someone else."
"Which is why we need to be alert and not relaxing!" Miguel hissed.
His father sighed though.
"Miguel. In this business, yesterday's friend is today's enemy is tomorrow's business partner. That is the nature of our business. If you can't relax from time to time the stress will kill you long before any gunman ever will."
Miguel, however, didn't share his father's lack of concern. He turned back towards the soldados laughing and messing around and yelled at them.
"HEY! GET BACK TO WORK!"
The soldados jumped like boys getting scolded for misbehaving and resumed their guard across the street from the villa. Hector sighed as he saw how tense his son was. Of course Hector was worried about their war with the Belize Cartel. But this wasn't the first war he's been in since he founded the Peninsula Cartel years ago. Then again, the Belize Cartel has been particularly savage in their warfare with them of late, Hector thought.
He sighed as Miguel continued to berate the soldados down below. Maybe he was just getting old. He recalled a time when there was rule and code when it came to cartel warfare. Sure it got bloody. All matters pertaining to life in the underworld did. But there was at least a sense of decorum among the cartels at the time. Now it seemed like no one was safe from the savagery. Family, tourists. It didn't matter to this younger generation it seemed, Hector thought as Miguel finally ceased his berating and walked over and sat across the desk from his father, leaving the glass of whiskey untouched.
Hector sighed once again. Perhaps it was time to see about getting out of this life, he thought. Not like they didn't have enough money in legitimate sources that his family couldn't retire for generations. He was getting older though. People like Miguel and others still had that fire in them. That fire that made them want to prove themselves. To bare their teeth and beat their chests.
"To get themselves killed." Hector said to himself quietly.
"What papa?" Miguel asked.
"Nothing, mijo. Just an old man talking to himself is all." Hector said as he watched his son continue to eye him with concern.
He shouldn't have said it aloud, Hector thought. It was bad enough they were hiding out in Izamal for the time being after a close call back in Merida. It wouldn't help ease Miguel if he saw his father talking to himself. If he wanted any chance at potentially getting his family out of this life this war with Belize would have to end soon. But given the recent reports of brutal violence that has even the other cartels nervous, he wasn't sure peace would be an option.
Hector looked at his son as he fidgeted in the seat across from him. His eyes kept darting to the door and towards the nearby windows as if some hit squad would rush in any second to kill them. At this point the stress alone really would kill Miguel long before a bullet would, Hector thought.
"Miguel, I have a job for you." Hector said at last.
"Papa, I'm needed here!" Miguel stated.
"You're going stir crazy watching over me like a hawk."
"Someone has too! Not like those shitheads will be worth a damn!" Miguel countered.
"Then take them with you! Show them how it's done!" Hector encouraged.
"Be better off taking a couple of burros than them." Miguel muttered.
Hector sighed.
"It's a simple job. You go there and report back what you see. You'll be back within a few hours."
"What is it about?"
"Some of our friends in Cancún report attacks in the jungles."
"So? How is that our problem?"
"Because, a friend in need is a friend indeed. We keep our friends in Cancún happy and show them that we're still in charge it'll make our war with Belize easier. If you're worried now just wait until our 'friends' think we can't even handle small protection jobs like this and turn to our enemies instead."
"With friends like those why do we keep them around then?"
"Because not everything can be solved with a gun. We need people like those just as much as they need people like us, mijo."
Miguel sighed.
"Fine. When do you want me to head out?"
"The sooner this is handled the better."
"Alright. I'll be back soon papa." Miguel said as he left his father at his desk to get ready to head out.
Hector sighed wearily as he glanced at his cellphone. If he truly wanted Miguel to outlast this life there would have to be peace between them and the Belize Cartel. He had to make the effort at least, he thought as he picked it up as he heard Miguel shouting for the soldados to join him as they drove away from the villa.
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Jackasses, Miguel thought as they sped along the road towards Cancún. It was important to keep a low profile to avoid any of their enemies from planning an ambush down the road, it certainly didn't help that of the three cars full of men, two were driving like they just stole their vehicles!
He was brash when he was younger, but he didn't recall being such a shithead, he thought as he picked up his phone and dialed the numbers of the other two cars and proceeded to yell at them in order to get them to drive at a reasonable speed.
Then again, there was that one time with the mayor of Merida's daughter and his Mercedes, Miguel thought fondly. At least the car was returned unharmed and her father was non the wiser that the baby was his. If the old man ever knew it wouldn't matter though, he thought as the two cars slowed and formed a line along the road. The Peninsula Cartel controlled the Yucatan and every mayor would crawl on hands and knees if they demanded it of them.
Or at least they used to, Miguel thought. Since this recent war though he's noticed that former officials don't seem quite so eager to bow and scrape like they used to. Even some of the small time thugs that loiter around the cities and towns ready to make a name for themselves enough to either join the Peninsula Cartel or a competent enough street gang have been reported to be eyeing their soldados like sharks in the water.
But after this mess with the Belize Cartel is finished they'll be right back to coming when called like good dogs, Miguel thought as he leaned back to rest for the remainder of their drive to Cancun. He didn't like leaving his father with fewer men especially during a war. But his father was right, they needed to show people that they still meant business or else those sharks might start thinking now would be a good time to take a bite out of them.
Almost four hours later, Miguel and his men arrived to a worn dirt road that worked its way North of Cancún. If his contact back in the city was correct, then they'd have to drive almost thirty minutes before heading along another road towards some lumber camps where the violence was recently reported.
Miguel cocked his pistol as they turned onto the road as the men in the back of the car did the same as they all checked their weapons as well. SMGs, pistols, AKs and ARs. Even some shotguns were brought along just because they could. Twelves guys armed to the teeth should be enough to scare anyone away. If not? Well, that's what the guns themselves are for, Miguel thought as they pulled up to a recently abandoned lumber camp.
It wasn't hard to see why it was abandoned, Miguel thought as he and his men got out and surveyed the gruesome scene before them. Bodies littered the area. Blood coated anything and everything as it looked more like a wild animal attack than something even the cartels would do. The air was thick with flies and the smell of rot and death.
"Madre Dios." Miguel heard some of his men utter as the more religious made signs of the cross. Even the less superstitious muttered something under their breaths as they spread out.
"Keep a look out. This happened recently so whoever did this might still be in the area." Miguel called out as he and his men moved cautiously.
Something didn't feel right, Miguel thought as they moved through the camp. Every body they've seen so far has been a worker. But there weren't any bodies of soldados. No spent casings. Nothing. He was really starting to think this was an animal attack when some of his men found animal tracks amidst the blood and mud. But it couldn't have been animals, Miguel thought when he saw the tracks that were much too big to be a wild animal.
There were two kinds from what he could see. One looked like a jaguar. If a jaguar was the size of a grown man and then some by the size of the pawprint that was bigger than his own foot. They also moved in a strange way. Like they walked on two feet instead of four. The other set of tracks just added to their confusion and worry as they found some large flat prints among the others. Just a single set from the looks of it. Same thing as the others, whatever caused it was huge and seemed to move on two legs rather than four. The former they at least partially knew, but these other ones had all of them scratching their heads as they tried to figure out what the hell happened here.
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Especially to the other workers that seemed to have gone missing. According to the payroll, there were at least eight others missing from the site. Those missing haven't been accounted for in town or have returned to their homes and families. From the tracks it seemed whatever attacked them took prisoners.
"Bunch of savages." Miguel muttered as they prepared to follow the tracks deeper into the jungle. Cartel warfare wasn't pretty. But even this made some of the hardened vets queasy as they covered their mouths to prevent flies and decay from entering their nose and mouth. Even that didn't help much as the air was thick with the insects that took every opportunity to irritate and bother them.
Entering the jungle wasn't much better. Even during this time of year it was hot and humid and didn't deter the flies from following along after them as they searched for who, or what, attacked the lumber camp. Miguel paused as his phone began to vibrate, his men took the chance to take a break and either smoke, drink, or have a snack as he looked at the caller ID and saw that it was his father calling.
"Papa?" Miguel asked as he put the phone to his ear.
"Mi- it's- re-" His father's voice cut in and out as the signal tried to fight with the thick forest around them.
"Papa? What? I can't hear you!" Miguel said as he tried to move around in an effort to get a better signal.
"No- Bel- Dan-"
"What?!" Miguel asked again just as the call dropped and he looked and saw that he no longer had any bars.
"Fuck!" He cursed and looked around at his men that looked at him expectantly.
Well, they came this far, may as well see it through, Miguel thought as he drove his men onwards and further into the jungle following the strange tracks.
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"Miguel?! Mijo?!" Hector yelled as the call dropped.
He stared helplessly at the screen for a long moment. If only that damned federale didn't give him the run around he might've gotten in touch sooner, Hector thought as he tried to get a hold of his son again only to curse when it wouldn't even connect.
He had called a contact of his that would've put him in touch with Carlos of the Belize Cartel in order to broker a possible peace between them. So he was rather surprised when he called the number provided and instead of talking to Carlos, he was met by someone claiming to be a federale on the other end!
While the federale was being cagey, Hector was able to get enough out of the man to learn that the Belize Cartel were all dead! He wasn't able to learn the what and how, just that they seemed to be moving into their territory and were attacked by something on their way. Belize sent reinforcements and they too were attacked. Eventually they sent everything they had after whoever attacked them.
After none returned, the bosses of the Belize Cartel went into hiding. Several were found dead having looked like they were attacked within their remote safe houses by wild animals. Others were supposedly found to have been attacked and taken. But Hector couldn't get much else out of the man before he was promptly hung up on.
At first he was skeptical. That this had to be a ploy or something. But this wasn't the first time he's heard of strange animal attacks lately. He paid them no mind though as usually it was just a cover story for cartel violence. But both the Peninsula and Belize Cartels were only in the area. Well them and some minor gangs. But nothing that should be able to seemingly wipe out an entire cartel over the course of a few weeks!
So he had hurried to call his son and order him back home so they could sort things out and plan for whatever was coming. But now? Now all he could do was hope and pray that his son returned home safe and sound.
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Pinche jungle, Miguel thought as they continued to be harassed by flies and covered in sweat. Whoever took the workers had took them far it seemed as the tracks just seemed to lead on and on until even those started to grow sparse. While it wasn't dark by the time they arrived at the lumber camp, the light was fading since they entered the jungle. If they didn't want to get lost out here in the dark they were either going to have to turn back soon or hope they found their targets.
At this point he would settle for either, Miguel thought as he took a sip from his trusty Safe 13 canteen. As he was getting ready to call his men back though, those he sent up ahead to scout returned.
"Jefe! We found something!"
So Miguel and the others followed after the scouts. The jungle got denser and denser until it was damn near impossible to go through it except in single file. They soon arrived to what the scouts had said they found. It was an old stone pyramid. Not really anything new for the peninsula though. Miguel turned to the scouts.
"And?"
"Where did they go?!" One of the scouts asked the other fearfully as the two of them began to look around.
"What do you mean? Who?" Miguel asked.
"El tigres!"
"What?"
"They were here! There were dozens of them! We saw-"
"AAAAAHHHH!!!!" One of his men cried out from behind.
The entire group of now eleven turned and saw nothing more than a splash of blood before something rushed from the foliage and took another of his men. Then another. Then another. There was more than one and they were fast, Miguel thought as he picked up a discarded AK and pointed it towards the jungle.
"Don't just stand there! Fire!"
At his command the jungle rang out with gunfire as his remaining men emptied everything they had into their surroundings. Foliage and wood burst as bullets impacted and tore through anything nearby. None of them stopped firing until they were out and even then they hurried to reload in order to continue.
But the attacks didn't stop. Slowed yes, but not stop. Men would cry out as they were pulled down into the thick jungle brush and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of gunfire as Miguel and his men continued to throw everything into their attackers.
Miguel turned his attention to a sound behind him and swung his AK around to meet whatever it was that was behind him. Only to have his swing stop cold as something strong grabbed onto the barrel long before it could be used against it. Miguel turned his gaze towards his opponent and saw something that made him wish he had turned back when he had the chance to.
"Madre Dios." He muttered as the sounds of gunfire lessened all around him just before the seven foot tall tiger man knocked him unconscious with a growl.
Miguel was awoken at last when something hard impacted his face. He spat out some blood and a couple teeth as he glanced around blearily at his surroundings. They were in a stone room illuminated by torches. Probably the stone pyramid, or another one nearby, Miguel thought as a deep voice spoke in an unfamiliar language.
He turned towards the voice and saw an elephant sitting on a pile of stones made to look like a throne with foliage to act as cushioning. The some ten foot tall elephant sat upon the throne like someone that was used to looking down on others. While it looked like an elephant like he's seen in zoos, the only difference was that its hands were human shaped but with four fingers instead of five. The elephant creature was adorned in silk and pretty fabrics as well as no small amount of jewelry that clinked and jingled with every breath of the elephant thing.
Its tusks were as long as his leg was and equally adorned in imbedded jewels and ringed with gold while its rough skin was painted with some kind of tribal markings that extended down its trunk. It stared down at him with cruel brown eyes and spoke again in that unfamiliar language. When Miguel didn't answer he was kicked by one of the tiger men that were standing nearby.
The elephant man seemed to sneer down at him and pulled on a chain that forced someone forwards. It was a man, at least to Miguel he was even though he only just failed to notice his pointed ears. The elf spoke in a fearful and exhausted voice.
"The Great Rajoosh demands to know why you trespass upon his land."
Miguel blinked and looked between the man that spoke in a strange accent that sounded just as strange as the language the elephant man spoke.
"W-what?"
No sooner had he finished that another large paw from a tiger man slammed into his ribs. He heard something break and found it difficult to breath after that, he wasn't sure if it was just the impact or if that meant he now had a punctured lung. None around him seemed to care though as the elephant man spoke again and the chained elf translated once more.
"The Great Rajoosh demands you speak or your hide will be flayed and turned into a rug for which he will wipe his mighty feet upon."
Miguel spat out a wad of bloody spit and turned to glare at the tiger man that kicked him before glaring up at the elephant man.
"My name is Miguel Villaromos. I came here with my men to see what sort of savage beasts lurked in the jungle."
As soon as the elf finished translating for him, Miguel found yet another paw coming towards his face and could only roll with the blow enough to make it hurt not quite as much as before. As he laid there, the elf translated.
"The Great Rajoosh finds your attitude annoying. He desires yet more to serve him yet he has found few that please him enough to keep. You will join the others as their blood soaks the stones of this inferior palace. May it act as the foundation for him to claim his new princedom in this strange new land."
It was with these words that Miguel looked down and found himself laying in blood. The blood of his men if the translator's words were true. He looked around as he tried to find a way out or some way to fight back. His eyes landed upon a nearby table that was piled with their weapons! Far more than what they brought with them though, he thought as he spied an RPG among the pile! It was still loaded as well! If he could just get close enough he could turn that elephant into a smear on the wall! The blast would also probably kill him as well, but at least he wouldn't be going out alone!
"Why? Too fat and lazy to do it yourself?! Puta Madre! Pinche coño!" Miguel spat as he tried to turn himself so that when the inevitable kick arrived it sent him flying this time and right into the stone walls of the room they were in. If he didn't have a broken rib before he had several now, Miguel thought as he made to push himself the extra couple feet to where the guns were piled haphazardly. Only to be stopped before he could leave the ground as something cold and sharp cut deep into his side, preventing him from jumping forwards.
He gasped and choked as he looked behind and saw a tiger man holding the curved sword that was now biting deep into his side. The tiger man growled and withdrew the blade, causing a flood of blood to pour from Miguel's side. He stared down at the wound that was going to kill him. He tried to inch his way forwards towards the weapons, but found a heavy paw placed on his back from the tiger man that prevented him from moving any further.
Looks like we were both wrong papa, Miguel thought as his vision started rapidly fading as a comforting coldness began to fill the place where his lifeblood had been just seconds before. He always thought it'd be a bullet that got him. His papa said it would be stress. Miguel chuckled out the last of his breath at the thought that they were both wrong in the end.
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Prince Rajoosh stared down at the fallen human. He was growing tired of such impetuous creatures defying him. Since arriving in this new world he's barely been able to acquire decent slaves from the locals. He's already lost more of his Fang Guard than he'd like from their strange weapons that spit fire, thunder, and metal.
But they were still no match for the Fang Guard! It must truly be divine in nature that portal that was called forth while he was having an incompetent servant whipped for spilling his honeyed wine brought them to a place that was so perfect for them to fight in! It wasn't the deep lush jungles or sprawling temple cities of the erefrat. But it would be the start of his new princedom!
But why stop at being a prince, Rajoosh thought as the body of the human was tossed into the center of the room where the rest of its blood pooled with the others. A large stone pool big enough to easily encompass the great frame of several erefrati lay in the center of the room that depicted some sort of plumed serpent when Rajoosh and his caste of tiger warriors arrived here after their recent raid upon the local human population. He wanted to march with his forces into the nearest city and take it over as was his divine right. But the place was loud and dirty and not at all fitting for an erefrat to inhabit.
But these stone pyramids littered the landscape and the jungles were trivial for him and his Fang Guard to get through. Eventually they found this one. While not ideal, it would do until he can replenish his forces and build up a workforce. He turned towards the pile of strange weapons that the humans around here used. They were so strange and deadly. But his Fang Guard disliked them. They said they were either too small for them or too loud.
He wasn't sure what to do with them yet. Maybe they'll make nice trophies, he thought just before the sound of stone grinding against stone began to sound around them. His Fang Guard growled and hissed as they flexed their claws and swords as they prepared to face whatever threat it was.
Rajoosh gave a hearty laugh however as he noticed the central pool draining the crimson liquid that had accumulated so far. Perhaps these crude dwellings weren't so bad after all, he thought as he pictured a luxurious bath that was drained and refilled regularly in the center instead. He hoped he could acquire more slaves. The portal closed before he could get many across and those few that did come fared little in the heat and sickness of this world. Those left were weak and fragile, barely surviving the environment let alone his harsh labor standards.
He did miss his bath slaves though. The way they would lather refreshing scented oils across his hide after a long afternoon at the various ceremonies that required his attention, or at least his presence. Or the sweet fruits that would be fed to him along with his honeyed wine. The local fruits were, admittedly, decent enough. Not comparable to the refreshing lemon poppies of Karash, or the spicy horn fruit from Hardresh. But it would suffice.
He was brought out of his musings as the bottom of the stone pool began to recede into the sides and the body of the human fell down into the dark hole. His Fang Guard were on edge. Then again, Rajoosh thought. They were always on edge. Irritable tigers. He especially hated it when they hiss!
"Enough of that!" He bellowed to the tigers.
He looked around for the offender but found that all the tigers were silent. The hissing wasn't coming from them, he noted. He turned his great elephant ears towards the source. The hole in the center that rumbled as something large began to rise from the depths. His tigers all began to growl as they prepared for combat.
Then a great gust of wind erupted upwards from the hole! It crashed into the stone roof with such force that it cracked and debris blew away and impacted several of the tigers. They weren't immune however and found themselves blown off their feet and crashing towards the stone walls. The weak slaves barely knew what happened before they were smashed against the walls leaving nothing but bloody smears where they were battered against.
Only Rajoosh remained where he was. In part because of his large frame and because of the stone throne he sat upon. But only just. Even as the wind crashed against him with the force of a mighty storm he could feel his thick tough hide shearing and the stone throne cracking as the wind pressed down upon him.
Then all at once it stopped. The Fang Guard, those still conscious anyway, pulled themselves off the floor and walls and limped towards the hole. Rajoosh himself was outraged! What creature dares assault him within his own palace now?!
He didn't have long to speculate though as a gigantic reptilian maw pulled itself from the hole. The scales were a vibrant red that made any ruby pale in comparison. But then came it's feathered plumage and wings. They were an assortment of blues, greens, and golds that would look positively lovely among his treasures!
Before whatever this beast was could fully unfurl itself free from its hole, Rajoosh ordered his Fang Guard to attack it. Those still conscious jumped at the erefrat's command. The great plumed serpent hissed and snapped its head towards Rajoosh at the sound of his voice and swiped its feathered wings around and either sent the tigers crashing against the walls once more or hit them with such force that they ruptured apart!
With none to stand between the erefrat and the giant coatl, Rajoosh did what any self respecting erefrat prince would do. He ordered the beast to kneel before him.
"Kneel beast! As my divine right I command you to serve me!"
But the coatl didn't much care to serve another. Not when its been the one who was served so long ago. The blood offering was just a taste of what it once had and it would have it once again. With a roar it tore the top of the pyramid off and bellowed out into the sky to announce its return to the world. The ancient coatl turned its gaze down at the pitiful creature below it. Still ranting and raving. Such a futile thing, it thought before calling forth the winds once more and shearing the flesh from its bones with a mighty roar.
It then looked around. Where once was a great city of stone dedicated to its worship was now seemingly endless jungle. But there in the distance it could hear and sense life. Mortal life. Devotion. Blood. Sacrifice. It hissed joyously. It wasn't sure how long it slept for. But it didn't matter. It would reclaim its home and the mortals would offer up their blood to it once more.
With a roar that rattled the sky and roused the wind, the ancient coatl took to the skies with a mighty beat of its multi-colored feathered wings and headed towards the nearest city, with wind and death in its wake.