William marched beside Salmac and other royal guards along the trail leading west from the city. They joined a procession of hundreds of warriors, streaked with war paint, clutching their spears and clubs with anxious grips. The path twisted through the jungle for nearly an hour before opening into a huge field. Thousands of torches lit the area like a football stadium at night.
“Balam!” Yax called out as he approached.
William almost didn’t recognize the young King with his red and blue painted face; his head appeared swallowed between the jaws of the jaguar headdress he was wearing. He grasped Yax’s hand and they exchanged a serious nod when their eyes met. “Good luck, Yax.”
“I would say the same to you, but the gods are on your side, Balam. You don’t need extra luck. Now take your position. It may be too soon, but it’s better than being caught off guard. Salmac and the other captains are taking their positions in the field as well.”
William turned to face the clearing ahead. He took a few steps and paused to look back. Glancing into the trees, he knew Teshna was among the group of archers hidden high up in the branches; he could somehow sense her love, even though he couldn’t see her.
Upon reaching his position in the middle of the clearing, William planted his torch in the ground and looked back at the long line of flickering torches near the jungle’s edge. He shifted his gaze in the opposite direction, to the western side, where he knew the invasion could begin at any time, and he took a deep breath.
The hours passed. As the last lingering flames from his torch went out, and the smoldering embers turned to ash, darkness consumed him. William expected to hear war drums or some noise from the approaching army, but instead, an uncomfortable quiet enveloped him. Not even the sounds of chirping crickets were there to keep him company. He resigned himself to the idea that the battle would not begin until dawn, as they had originally assumed. Having the battle at daybreak was preferable so William could take advantage of the sun to create a strong sun shield. The sun shield could also be activated from the light of the moon, but he couldn’t sustain it as long as he could with sunlight.
He strained his eyes to spot any movement in the jungle, while nervously scratching the whiskers on his chin. It occurred to him that he had never let his facial hair grow out that much before. Although his beard was still a little sparse-compared how his dad’s used to get-it made him feel older. His mom always made him shave it off before it got too long.
While thinking about how long it took to grow his beard, William recognized how much time had passed while living with the Mayans. He wondered if his mom still mourned him. William wished he could let her know that he was okay, but then recalled his promise to Teshna… that he would never leave her. He sighed and shook his head with a nervous chuckle, realizing that if he didn’t survive the battle, those concerns wouldn’t matter. He had to focus on the task at hand, and returned his attention to the jungle.
William thought he saw something move in the shadows. His subconscious filled in the gaps, creating thousands of little faces staring back at him through the brush. The wind rolling across the tall grass in the field became warriors sneaking up on him, and he tried to focus on the shapes. His heart raced as he pulled his pack with the sacred weapon near. He gripped the bloodstone, readying himself to use it.
When he rubbed his eyes, the images were gone, and he could only see the quiet jungle again. With his mind playing tricks on him, William decided to rest for a while. He knew the royal guards were also keeping watch; they would signal with seashell trumpets at the first sign of the enemy. Within minutes, William drifted off to sleep, feeling the sensation of floating on water.
William dog paddled in the middle of the Cenote Azul. He heard a familiar voice; it was his mom. “William,” she said. “Come home… this way.”
Startled by the voice, William gagged on a mouthful of water. He splashed around, looking for his mom. She stood near a thatched table at the restaurant. He swam toward her.
A different voice called to him. It was Teshna. “Balam,” she said. “Stay with me. You promised.” Teshna stood at the other side of the cenote, waving him back.
Frustration surfaced as William bobbed in the cenote. He didn’t know which way to swim. While treading water, something bumped against his feet. It floated up, rubbing along his body as it ascended. Terror shook William as the thing became visible. It was his father’s decapitated head. While supporting it by the hair, he noticed that the head was missing an ear and eyeball… as though he was continuing where he left off from his previous nightmare-when he dreamt of his dad’s head on a platter.
“Free me!” his dad’s head demanded over and over in the demon’s creepy voice.
William dropped the head and watched it sink back into the depths of the lake. It continued to mouth the words, “Free me,” as it descended. A giant bubble burped out of the head’s mouth and popped at the surface. The water began to spin around him-faster and faster-until William felt himself drop down the whirlpool.
William kicked as he snapped awake from the falling sensation of his dream. He bolted to a sitting position, alarmed that he had slept too long. The sky had transformed to a lighter shade of blue; it was already dawn.
“Do not be concerned,” Priest Quisac said from behind him. “I came to keep watch with you. It is well that you slept. The others have also been resting in turn.” He handed William a jug of water and some food.
William took a swig from the jug and chewed on a crunchy tortilla. “Shouldn’t you be at your position?”
Priest Quisac looked across to the western side of the clearing, about two hundred yards away. “Something is not right.”
“What do you mean?”
“I do not sense an approaching army.”
William scratched his head, still shaking off the cobwebs of his sleep. “Could the attack start on another day?”
“To take advantage of the energy from the evening star, the battle must occur before sunset today.”
“How do you know they’re not there,” William asked. “Maybe they’re just being really quiet.”
The Serpent Priest stood with a concentrated gaze, holding his palms out at the jungle ahead. “The living energy from thousands-especially those focused on battle-is something that I can sense from a distance. I feel nothing.”
William stood when he saw a small group coming from the east. It was Yax, Teshna, Betty, Etznab, Salmac, Lamat and some other guards; they all had similar, puzzled looks on their tired faces.
“What’s going on?” Yax asked. “Calakmul’s forces should be here by now.”
“Yes, where are they?” Betty asked in her broken Yucatec-Maya. William had been teaching her their language over the months, but it still surprised him to hear her speaking it.
“It’s a trick!” Etznab said. “They are attempting to draw us from our positions, to put us off balance. We should wait as planned.”
“They are not there,” the Serpent Priest said with certainty. He looked troubled. “Perhaps I have misinterpreted the meaning of the evening star. I did not expect the flashes of light from the jungle or foresee the delay in the battle. I believe there is an alternate truth behind these events.”
Yax walked a few steps away, his back to the others. He stared across the clearing for a moment before spinning back with a decisive look. “We have to search for signs of their movement. Priest Quisac, Etznab, and Salmac will scout ahead. We will wait here in case they attack from another direction.”
William felt the bloodstone burning on his chest. “I’m going too,” he said.
“No, Balam!” Teshna said. “You must stay behind… with us.”