Gods Don't Bleed: Tzekel-Kan

Info Chapter

Name: Erendira (pronounced aay-rahn-dee-rah)

Eye Color: Hazel

Height: 5'6"

Hair: Black, and up in a bun

Outfit: Similar to Tzekel-Kan's, except blue with gold trim, longer cloth around waist, a tube top-like cloth around chest, blue and gold earrings, blue and gold necklace, and gold bands around biceps

Place in Story: New-Comer to El Dorado

*The story takes place before Miguel & Tulio get to El Dorado*

Characters Used: Tzekel-Kan, Erendira, Chief Tannabok, and the citizens of El Dorado


The high priest awakens from a long nights sleep. He lifts his weary head from his pillow and looks around, trying to adjust his eyes to the daylight. Tzekel-Kan rather disliked the process of waking up in the morning, but once he got fully awake he felt like his usual self.

Once he regained all his senses, he heard the faint sound of music and chattering voices. A celebration? For what? But then he reminded himself that the non-believers of El Dorado would use anything as an excuse to celebrate. It made his skin crawl. Slowly, he raises his muscular body from his blankets and stands up.

Tzekel-Kan slides his slender fingers through his long obsidian hair. He finds that to be quite soothing on his scalp. He then puts his hair up in the usual style and walks to the entrance to his temple. He looks down on the people he loathes and sees them singing and dancing like fools. Some of them to drunk to even stand. He idly wonders what kind of torture or sacrifice they should suffer to make up to the gods for their foolish behavior.

"Disgusting…" he muttered to himself as he stepped out into the early morning sun. He figured that he should go see what the fuss was about (and why it was going on so early). When he finally reached the party, he saw immediately what the celebration was about. Apparently there was a new comer to the city. There was a young woman in the midst of all the familiar faces he'd never seen before. And by the looks of it she was being welcomed with food, pulque, and hospitality. But Tzekel-Kan knew that she would be the same as every other person in El Dorado; lazy, selfish, and over-indulgent. Not giving anything to the gods that graciously gave us this city and the life we live.

Then suddenly, a drunken man stumbled up to him and said "Tzekel-Kan *belch* sir! Have you met Erendira?"

Tzekel-Kan shoved the drunken man out of his way, ignoring everything he said. He was going to have a word with Chief Tannabok about all this nonsense. As the high priest was working his way through the crowd, people around him stopped what they were doing and tried to look somewhat decent. Most of the citizens of El Dorado were scared to death of Tzekel-Kan. As he made his way to the chief, someone roughly bumped into him, knocking him off course. When he looked around to find the source of the unwanted physical contact, he found the unfamiliar face in the crowd.

She stood before him with an apologetic look on her face and gasped "I'm terribly sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." Tzekel-Kan spat indignantly. "So you must be the foreigner?"

"Yes I am. The name's Erendira. Might I ask who you are?" she asked gingerly.

"I am Tzekel-Kan, high priest and speaker for the gods." He said this in such a way that implies that she should already know who he is.

She smiled and replied "I was a priestess in Tikal."

This sparked Tzekel-Kan's interest. 'Hmmm, a priestess. I wonder what her city's rituals and policies were. Every city is different.' he thought to himself.

"Why have you come to El Dorado?" he inquired.

"I was looking for something new. I was growing tired of my city's people and their methods of worship. I had heard of this beautiful city and wanted to find out if it's as great as everyone says it is. " Erendira had a look of excitement on her face.

"Well it seems you and I have similar feelings about the people that inhabit our cities." Tzekel-Kan purred, a devilish smile growing wider upon his handsome face.

And before Erendira could think of a response, the priest spoke.

"May I be so bold as to make you an offer?" the priest asked. All the while giving her such a look that made Erendira nervous and curious all at the same time.

"Sure. What is it?" she said anxiously.

Tzekel-Kan replied, "How would you like to be beside me as a high priestess here in El Dorado?"

The look on Erendira's soft face brightened instantly. She's always wanted to become a high priestess. Being closer to the gods and having all that stature and power has always appealed to her.

"Yes! I'd love to!" she said excitedly. "But I would need more training and experience."

"I'd be happy to teach you." Tzekel-Kan said smoothly. "We'll start…say…early morning tomorrow in my temple?"

The smile on Erendira's face grew wider. 'This man is so generous', she thought to herself.

"Sounds perfect. I'll be there." She said, barely able to control the happiness bursting inside of her.

The high priest smiled and said in a voice nearly inaudible amongst the party, "See you tomorrow…" and walked away.

As Tzekel-Kan walked back up to his temple, Erendira studied his appearance. His shoulder-length black hair in a ponytail, the unique bone structure of his face and the tattoos across the bridge of his nose and his chin, his deep brown eyes, and the muscular body underneath his red and gold wardrobe.

He was quite handsome. 'But I must not let that get in the way of my goal. They may not even allow priests and priestesses to have lovers here.' Erendira shook the thoughts from her head and headed back to her new home she was assigned when she arrived. She must get all her belongings in place and turn in early for her big day tomorrow.

Back in his temple, Tzekel-Kan thought about this foreign woman. "Erendira *hmm* the one who smiles. Beautiful name." he spoke out loud to himself. "Perhaps I can make this woman see that humans are horrid creatures and they deserve to be devoured piece by piece at the hands of the divinities. But I don't know if I can trust her. We'll see how devoted to the gods she really is." The priest chuckled softly to himself and drifted off into daydreams of chaos and suffering.