APEDEMAK

“Are you real?” I breathed, staring in wonder at the majestic creature before me. “Or just an illusion?’

“Touch me and discover for yourself.” The male voice coming from his mouth was deep and rich as music, with the soft echo of a roar at the end of his words, and I reached out with my hand to stroke his glorious mane, my touch hesitant, ready to snatch it back in a second.

His black fur felt like dark smoke given substance. I could feel the individual tufts of hair, soft as down, yet my hand passed through them as if nothing was there. “Come closer and touch my face.” I took a step forward and let my fingertips slide along his jaw. He moved his head and I felt my fingers pass through his skin and touch his teeth, felt their bony hardness even as they went through them to the inside of his mouth.

I pulled my hand back. “Please forgive me, but I do not want to hurt you.”

“You could not, even if you wanted to.” He was speaking the Queen’s English, which for some reason comforted me. “Plunge your hand into my head.” I did as he asked, my fingertips touching skin, then the bone of his skull, and finally into his brain. I could feel its tissue, blood vessels, everything.

Pulling my hand back again as I curled my fingers, I took a shuddering breath. “I have experienced many strange things since coming here, yet I believe what I just did was the strangest.”

He chuckled. “I would have to say the same. I shift as I desire, from non-corporeal to flesh so dense that even the bullets of the automaton’s weapon would have trouble piercing it. You, however, are trapped in a corporeal form that can be modified, yet never changed, your mortal self experiencing sensations I now feel in the vibrations of our bond forged in your blood.”

His eyes had the swirl of stars within them. “You are the Star-Jaguar who gave me this.”

I touched the scar running along my chin and he inclined his great head. “Call me Apedemak. When the bond was forged, I touched not only you, but the memories of those who lived before you.” He touched his broad chest with his paw for a moment. “I understood what Apedemak meant to your people and thus chose this shape and its name.” His large paw reached out and touched my chest. “I am your guardian spirit now,” his paw lowering back down to the stone platform, “the one who will guide you in your struggle against those your people call the old gods.”

“Jonathan,” Professor Bella said in a sharp voice as she strode towards us, “do not listen to this thing. It is an illusion, as were all ze creatures we saw last night. I should not have let my uncertainty cloud ze truth.” She turned on Ran-Li and snarled, “This is your doing. So help me, I will-”

“Bella,” Apedemak said in French, looking at her as she approached, “the one I serve, known to mortals as the Lord of the Night, will give you one chance to take your men and your machine of brass and return to Europe.” He motioned behind him with his paw. “You may take all the gold your men can stuff in the bags they carry. Do this: board the airship now preparing to fly here, without taking anyone else with you, and return to the one you serve. Your mission here is over.”

“Jonathan must come with me.”

Apedemak shook his head. “You may not have him, unless he agrees.” Apedemak looked at me. “Are you with Bella, or against her?”

“Against,” I said without hesitation. I held up the two items in my hand. “Even if it was an empty gesture, I planned to give the Camazotz statue Myste’s gold locket, to show I would never join their side.”

“You misunderstand what the gesture means. Rune,” Apedemak raising his voice as his English changed, “is Kerry gonna change her mind and abandon Bella’s cause if Jonathan remains here, Ja?”

Turning around, Rune stood on the stairs just below my grandfather and Rainbow. He hesitated for a moment. “Kerry does what she wants, don’t ya know.” He turned towards Bella, who was glaring at him. “I don’t have any choice, Ja, and I’ll break my sword bond with her if I must.” His gaze moved to me as he added, “I like you fine, but you understand why I’m not staying here.”

I understood, but was also surprised. “You mean if I remain, she will want to remain with me?”

Rune shrugged as Apedemak’s voice switched back to the Queen’s English. “Kerry will do everything possible to convert you over to Bella’s side. However, if Bella was destroyed and there was no chance of your return to Europe, she would likely abandon all else and remain with you.”

“The ringlet of hair braided with gold means I want to remain here in the Yucatan and make a new life,” I said, finally understanding my choice. “Myste’s locket means returning to my old one.” Glancing back, my grandfather grasped Rainbow’s hand and squeezed it, giving her a smile as she gave him a questioning look. Would my grandfather want to remain here if I did? Events were happening so fast I was not sure, as I turned back towards Apedemak. “The gesture is not meaningless after all.”

“Of course it is,” Professor Bella sneered in a voice sounding almost brittle, as if she was shaken and trying hard not to show it. “I have no intention of letting you go.” She stabbed her finger at Apedemak. “So, what will you do to stop me?”

“Nothing,” the lion said, sounding amused. “To stay with Jonathan wherever he goes upon the Earth, I must remain in a non-corporeal state.”

Professor Bella gave a triumphant smile. “I thought so. Ran-Li, in exchange for your help in re-acquiring Jonathan, I promised to let you perform this ritual. I keep my promises. So, stop this nonsense and get on with it, before I lose my temper.”

Ran-Li’s deeply wrinkled face remained inscrutable. “As wish. Jonathan, make decision.”

“I already have.” I held onto one and put the other in my pocket. “Should I place it on the statue’s hand?”

Ran-Li gave me a wicked smile. “No need. Camazotz-Ahau come to you.” Far above us at the edge of the darkness, where the men had filled their sacks and were now returning, a pair of blood red eyes opened.

I gasped and those behind me did the same as the shadow of monstrous wings unfurled. The floor shook as the gigantic creature, well over fifty-feet tall, took a step forward and then another. Glancing over their shoulders, the looters cried out and ran for their lives, a couple of them dropping their bags with a metallic clatter while the rest pelted headlong away from the creature as fast as possible.

The floor shook as the Camazotz-Ahau walked closer. Its body, bat-like with matted black fur, had dark yellow fangs and claws crusty from dried blood, or so it seemed as its bat face looked down on us from a great height with its red eyed, bestial gaze. Professor Bella began backing towards the rear stairs as the automaton muttered, “Object classification not recognized. Checking files, checking files, checking files…”

It was only Ran-Li’s hand on my arm that kept me from turning around and bolting. “We go to edge,” she said in a soothing voice. “You give gold, dance lion dance with Apedemak. Make Camazotz-Ahau happy.”

My eyes meeting hers seemed ready to fly out of their sockets. “Are you not afraid?”

She gave me a derisive snort, so much like her that I began to calm down a bit. “Years ago, fear burn away. Show respect, all well.” She tugged on my arm. “Come to edge.”

Taking a deep breath, I let Ran-Li guide me to the edge of the platform as the Camazotz-Ahau knelt down, shaking the floor, and began extending its arm towards us. The massive hand reached out as I extended my own, my body trembling so much I thought I might throw a fit like an epileptic.

Yet, as the hand moved so I might more easily place the gold upon it, I realized the creature knew how its presence was affecting me, as if I were a small mouse staring up at an ogre. The creature was trying to be as gentle as it could. The knowledge comforted me, and as the black palm came close, I leaned forward to give the Camazotz-Ahau my gift of gold.

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The automaton gave a loud metallic click. “Threatening behavior detected, unit opening fire.”

“No!” I screamed at it as the Gatling gun began spitting out bullets at the creature’s hand. It roared, leaping backwards as the wind from its wings blew us off our feet.

Crouched together on the platform, my eyes met Ran-Li’s. “Now afraid. Run!”

Apedemak vanished as we leaped to our feet and raced towards the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder. The Camazotz-Ahau reached back into the darkness behind it and brought out a leaf bladed staff like the statue’s, which it grasped with both hands.

Ran-Li and I reached the stairs and flew down them as the automaton continued firing, and as we caught up with Rainbow and my grandfather, I risked another look back.

The Camazotz-Ahau lifted the metal blade of the staff over the automaton, firing its Gatling gun with as much effect as a toy soldier shooting at a man, and brought it down. Brass screeched as the blade smashed the automaton into pieces, the Gatling gun flying away as the blade bit deep into the platform. The Camazotz-Ahau ripped the blade from the stone, then used it to sweep the pieces off the platform, smashing the Camazotz statue into bits as it did.

The Camazotz-Ahau bent down to retrieve something, but I looked forward again as we reached the opening of the monster mouth and rushed outside. The sun had never been so welcome as I panted, “Ran-Li, will it follow us?”

She shook her head. “No… will summon… Zotz.”

“But the Zotz… cannot tolerate… daylight,” Rainbow panted. Ran-Li only shook her head again and kept running for the far stairs.

“I cannot… keep up… this pace,” my grandfather gasped as he slowed.

I slowed down with him. “Sir, we have to keep moving.” He nodded, clutching his side as I looked at Rainbow. “Can you catch up to your grandmother and find out what she meant?”

Rainbow gave me a sour look. “She’s a nasty old goat who runs rings around everyone. But I’ll try.”

She took off after her grandmother as pieces of the automaton came flying from the monster mouth as if the great stone bat head spat them out, clattering on the uneven rock as the shadowy form of the Camazotz-Ahau came to the edge of the light. To my relief it remained where it was. Professor Bella had also slowed, along with her men and Miss Rose, who seemed to be having an argument with her as my grandfather and I caught up to Mr. Stephens and Catherwood.

The Eldarion was trying to fold up the Camera Obscura as Mr. Stephens grabbed his arm. “Leave it. If the monster smashes the Artifact, I swear we will find you another.”

“I prefer this one,” Catherwood said in a testy voice, trying to force the tripod to close. “Jonathan, would you take my satchel? It is getting in the way.” I wrapped the leather strap over my shoulder as he said to Mr. Stephens, “Calibrating a new one takes far too much time-” From the monster mouth came a roar like thousands of Zotz chittering in unison, and Catherwood froze. “What was that?”

From the caves in the rock walls the Zotz answered, and Mr. Stephens clutched at his head. “No, the creature is promising them a feast of blood.” An expression of absolute terror swept his face. “Our blood.”

That was enough for me. “Come on, sir,” I said as I picked up our pace, the leather satchel bouncing on my back as we ran. My grandfather gamely tried to match my gait as I glanced back.

A thick stream of oily looking smoke had begun pouring out of the monster mouth. It rose into the air, but instead of reaching the upper level of the sinkhole and continuing to rise, it stopped as if reaching an invisible barrier and began spreading out. Blotting out the sun above it.

Darkness grew across the bottom of the bowl as bat-like forms crept from their holes and flew out into the gloom.

Others were beginning to notice as well. “John, come on,” Catherwood said as his friend staggered, almost dropping to his knees. Catherwood dropped the Camera Obscura he was holding and pulled on his friend, the Artifact wobbling, then falling to the ground where it smashed into pieces. Professor Bella was running full out with her people at her heels, but the oily cloud was spreading fast and the darkness gaining on us all.

Rune was outrunning it. “Jon,” he called out behind me, “you need to hurry, Ja.”

“Leave me,” my grandfather gasped. “Save yourself.”

“Never,” I panted, pulling on him to make him go faster. “You are not… dying here… today.” The darkness, swirling with black shapes, picked up its pace as it reached Miss Rose, who was lagging behind the others, and moved past her.

She screamed as Rune put his arm around my grandfather and practically lifted him off his feet. “Jon, run ahead of us,” he said as they lumbered onward together. “I’ve got him, Ja.”

“John, get up. John!” I glanced over my shoulder. Mr. Stephens had gone to his knees, the swirling darkness approaching as Catherwood frantically tugged on his khaki shirt. “I will not leave without you.”

Mr. Stephens had his hands pressed against his ears. “They scream for our blood. I cannot stand it anymore, cannot fight them anymore.” He looked at Catherwood as the swarm of Zotz raced towards them. “Please do not leave me. Please?”

The Eldarion Catherwood knelt with him and wrapped his arms around the human. “Never.” As the darkness bore down on them, he cried out his daughter’s name. “Rainblossom!”

I stumbled on uneven ground and looked forward once more. The stairs were close and I put on a burst of speed, reaching the steps, then taking them two at a time for several seconds. Breathing hard, I stopped and turned around.

The swirling darkness was consuming Professor Bella’s men, the darkness no sooner reaching them when claws and sharp fangs would pull them off their feet, a dozen or more Zotz swarming each man as more flitted onward for the next. One by one they were pulled down until only Professor Bella remained. She never faltered, never looked back, but finally the darkness reached her, and she too was pulled down.

Rune panted as he and my grandfather reached the stairs. “Hurry up,” I yelled at him as the darkness rolled on like a baleful wave of hunger. I turned and raced up the stairs so as not to trip him. I reached the halfway point where the ledge was, and turned around again.

Rune was barely keeping them ahead of the leading edge, the tips of their claws slashing at his legs. Looking outward, I realized I was slightly above the oily cloud, and my heart rose. “The ledge is safe,” I yelled, moving down towards them a few steps as they continued upward.

“Rune,” Dame Kerry’s voice shouted from somewhere close behind me, “leave the old man and run, you bastard.” In response, he hung on tighter as the darkness began rolling over them. With a last gasp, he threw my grandfather farther up the stairs, turned and drew his sword as the Zotz swarmed him.

I raced to reach my grandfather as the oily black cloud drew close, my grandfather frantically putting on a final burst of speed as Rune began chanting in Norse. Zotz screamed as he slashed at them. My grandfather drew level with the oily cloud, but then stopped, and drew himself up. His eyes rolled up into their sockets and he fell back.

I screamed his name and tried to reach him, but strong hands grabbed my shirt and pulled me back. “He’s gone,” Dame Kerry said in a harsh voice, pulling me with her back up to the ledge and heaving me onto the stone. “Stay there,” she snarled, and went back to the stairs. “Rune!” Wild laughter answered as more Zotz screamed, the black cloud reaching the stairs and lapping at it like a gentle wave.

It swirled, then roiled as a white haired head with a black furred creature attached to it struggled upwards into the sunlight. The Zotz shrieked and let go as it burst into flames, the creatures letting go of Rune as he staggered farther up the stairs until the oily cloud reluctantly let him go. His arms bore puncture wounds as did his face, the pain he felt reflected in his grimace.

But he made himself grin up at Dame Kerry, who curled her stubby fingers into a fist. “You bloody bastard, don’t do that to me again.” Rune laughed, using his sword to support himself as he turned around and made a rude gesture down at the cloud.

Black smoke roiled as a corpse-white figure threw itself onto Rune and bit out his throat. Dame Kerry and I both gasped, too stunned to move as Professor Bella rode him down as he fell backwards, Rune landing hard on the steps as his blood sprayed her face and front. She did not seem to care, savaging him with bloody teeth as she ripped out chunks of flesh and swallowed them whole.

Dame Kerry came to her senses first and drew both her axes. “You shagtail walking corpse. I should’ve chopped off your head and mounted it on a stick days ago.” The undead Eldarion looked up as the Koncava limped down the first step. “Time to remedy that.”

Dame Kerry stopped as Professor Bella pulled the pistol from her pocket and cocked the hammer. “Cut off my head? I hardly think so.” Professor Bella moved off of Rune and got to her feet without taking her eyes off us, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, which only smeared the blood on her face. “You were ze one planning to betray me all along, you and that old witch. You planned this together.”

She aimed the pistol at Dame Kerry’s head as a scrambling sound behind me began coming closer. I dared not look as Professor Bella bared her bloody teeth. “So, she and all ze rest of ze expedition dies, Jonathan is bundled up onto ze airship and delivered to ze head of our movement. But you die fir-” Her eyes widened, and I flinched as a dark shape bounded over me and slammed into Professor Bella.

The pistol flew from her hand and clattered down the stairs as an enormous black dog knocked her down and stood on her chest, growling. I moved beside Dame Kerry as I recognized who it was. “Ripper, good boy.” The massive dog continued growling at Professor Bella, but the tail wagged as I took a step down.

Dame Kerry dropped one axe and latched onto my shirt. “Leave that thing alone. We’re leaving, you and me, and shaking the dust of this place off our feet so fast-”

She stopped speaking as the sound of a pistol’s hammer being cocked came from behind us. “Reckon I’d rethink that strategy.”

My eyes widened as I turned. “Jack?”

Jack Watson had the barrel of his pistol pressed against the back of Dame Kerry’s head. He glanced at me and smiled. “Good to see you too, Old Hoss.”

This is why you should never, ever, give an automaton autonomous control on the battlefield.