Chapter 1: Feathered Serpent and Restless Jaguar
The air is thick with heavy mist in the forest as Atem strolls with prickly curiosity. A dark tint of azul layers the atmosphere as if Atem's eyes become blind of any color other that what he sees right before him. He wears nothing and the wet ground almost covers his feet. Howling wind and sprinkles of water push against his skin while it tenses at the temperature. Disambiguous voices and chants were accompanied by sounds of animals and insects that crowded his ears. Atem's eyes are the color of grapes and hair of fire and lightning tries to stand out from the heavy azul yet only his earthy skin color can handle the saturation. A slithery, feathery creature is sensed in this place as do a spider as large as a monkey. A cave is found with stone being saturated by the azul color. Two humanoid hands take hold of the caves edges and a head that merges one of a bat and a man appears.
"What do you want?" shrieked the man-bat.
"I'm just wondering around here." answered Atem.
"Of course you are sorceror. Your kind always wonder in this world and bothering anyone of spirit, demon, divine, or of the underworld." The Man-Bat said with growling grogginess.
"Did not mean to disturb as I said I'm just wondering here and without knowledge of this world." Atem says apologetically.
"You are no mere sorcerer, you have divinity in your essence. Are you some god I have no knowledge of?" The Man-Bat asks after he smelled Atem.
"I'm told I'm an incarnate of the Feathered Serpent god and a descendant of a fertility goddess." Atem answered.
"Ah Quetzalcoatl. I have a friend who is interested in gods and he admires them and hates them. I do hope he is excited to meet you." The Man-Bat gleefully speaks as he lifts Atem with his feet and flies.
"What does he want with me your friend?" shouted Atem.
"You'll see, You'll see." The Man-Bat giggles.
Atem struggled with the grip of its feet as if he was prey to the babes of predator birds. But out of the forest came a creature resembling a snake with plume feathers and catched the Man-Bat with its mouth letting Atem fall onto the forest.
"Another trip from the spirit world?" asked Korra as she crouches beside him with an inquisitive look.
Atem woke suddenly with fright and adrenaline still in his nerves.
"Yeah it was." Atem answered.
"Mother wanted to wake you in order to help her with farmwork but she checked you to see if you were either in deep sleep or entranced."
Atem looked at Korra. Her light azul eyes draws his, hair tied in tails by beads, muscular in figure, endowed breast, dons only a loincloth even if women tend to wear long skirts.
"You want me to lie down with you?" asked Korra enthused.
"Yes." Atem calmly accepted.
Korra laid herself next to Atem with no second thoughts.
"How goes with the Tonati?" asked Atem.
"I still can't travel to the spirit world on my own I need someone like you or a Tonati and shamain to help with me on that, but I still can knock their asses." Korra said sourly and tiredly.
"Good to hear I still best you." chuckled Atem.
"You're mostly an equal you've never beaten me." Korra eagerly stated.
"True, but I'm just glad I'm the one who can fully match you in magic and combat." Atem said with pride in his words.
Korra closed her eyes in satisfaction.
"You still have energy for riding?" asked Korra.
"I think so." Atem answered with concern.
"Then get up you lazy ass and head to the horses!" Korra said as she stood up and hurriedly lifts Atem, not even helping him put on his loincloth. She drags him to the fenced area where they keep their horses.
The horses that Korra saddled resembled the Andalusian breed her own the color of white with black spots and Atem's a deep jade. Both got on and rushly rode through the community even almost trampling a few Tonati and Tanok, Korra's father and former warchief returning from a day of hunting. Soon they are riding through the tropical plains with Korra being ahead and showing her idea of playing is producing obstacles with her earthbending for Atem to try to get through such as spikes, small pillars and trenches.
"You're trying to kill me?" shouted Atem.
"Yes, no, yes." Korra says as she laughs with joy.
In the lead, Korra races downward toward the beach of light colored sand and foamy surf. The grey rocks lying in the bottom of the cliff gave the beach a jagged beard and collar. Korra jerked the reins, stopping the horse quickly. When her feet hit the sand she ran down the beach dropping her loincloth as she went. Atem halted also and jogged to Korra who's already waiting for him and gave him a satisfied smile with hands on her hips. Atem managed to get to the water but not without Korra splashing him with her waterbending skills. So Atem who's counter skill is lightning, but he didn't want to kill her so he grabs and spins with her to the ground. They roll together on the sand, one on top, then the other and playful wrestle until they both are sweaty and sand is stuck to every inch of skin.
Korra need this moment due to this day growing dull for her from the Tonati priest of the Wixarika main sun god Tao Jreeku. They were reading her Mayan scripts of mathematics and philosophies which should be an interesting matter itself. But how some of the Tonati, who to Korra are "bony old sticks with green pebbles as shit" and "the only way to arouse them is dust from codexes and fresh young males buying their ideals", reading them almost put her into an unconscious sleep. She didn't want her day to end in a sour note so she could not wait to have Atem be with her. Atem has been her only friend in the Wixarika state.
Atem was a name Tanok and Nakawe gave to him due to the more regal name that Mixcoatl and Chimalma gave him. Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, is too regal for a family living in a place considered backwater to the Toltecs and the other civilizations of obsidian, gold, jade and turquoise. Even if Tanok is related to the current chief of the Wixarika state and is a admirable man the people look up to among the young males, he traded his military career for his daughters and newly added son Atem. Korra is an incarnate of the sun god Tao Jreeku. The Tonati took great interest in both Atem and Korra and trained them to the limits which their knowledge can reach.
Atem is a master of air, lightning and summoning of spirits and demons with example objects like obsidian mirrors, fetishes, and conch horns. Korra is a master of fire, water, earth. Both are equals at close quarters with spears, obsidian club swords, knives and master shots with the bow and arrow whether on foot or horseback. Individually they are powerful in their own ways but together they are a force to be reckoned.
"Korra! Atem!"""shouted Tanok.
Atem and Korra both heard Tanok and looked at him on his horse waiting for them to get out of the water.
"The Tonati want to discuss a matter and Atem, your grandfather has something he wants to speak off." shouted Tanok.
"Fuck, this day was only getting better and now those Tonati and your horseshit pile of a grandfather want to soak it with their own piss." Korra bitterly spoke.
The place where civil matters are decided and a more strong defence against powerful invaders is a stronghold built in the mountains that the Wixarika people live near and on. Modeled after the Olmeca and Turquoise civilizations in design and architecture, the stronghold is an area where the Tonati and chief reside and Atem and Korra practice in. In a small round council room with symbols of the sun, moon, and animals on the walls, a sun roof lit group of Tonati garbed with turquoise jewels, red and white paint, and cotton capes sit with the current chief of the Wixarika Tenjuan. A man younger than Tanok who bares a smooth face that would steal the hearts of any Wixarika female or homosexual dresses in a white and blue feather cape and turquoise jewels. A short elderly man with thick grey hair, a headdress of plume feathers, and a loincloth and henequen rope wrapped around his abdomen like one of the Chichimecas. He is Nezahualcóyotl, a priest of Quetzalcoatl and Atem's grandfather from his mother's line. He greatly is impressed by Atem's abilities but feels that he needs to do more in order to channel the feathered serpent god within him.
"What is it you want from us?" asks Atem with concern.
"You are to be 18 correct Topiltzin?" asks Tenjuan using part of Atem's Toltec name.
"You can say that." answered Atem.
"I received word from your father Mixcoatl, the Toltec Emperor saying that when you are nearing 18 he will have you back to Tollan and rejoin the family." said Tenjuan in a sorrowful, sour tone.
Korra, while sitting next to Tanok and Nakawe drew her attention to the topic with an almost worrying look.
"I will admit I am surprised that he will want me back even if demons were involved for my settlement here. Already I'm like family with Tanok, Nakawe and Korra." Atem said with a unsteady embarrassment in his voice.
"Well soon you will have to leave and finally become the prince of Tollan that you were born as and rejoin with your blood family abandoning your surrogate one." Tejuan said with concern.
"He will not be with any family nor friend when he leaves this state." said Nezahualcoyotl with calming tone.
"Why is that grandfather?" Atem concernedly asks.
"You will leave with me in order to fulfill your role as a god, you've yet to fully realize his power." Nezahualcoyotl purposely states.
"Why not Korra? She's also yet to fully realize hers?" Nakawe urgently speaks.
"Korra is of little importance to Topiltzin, she will only get in the way of the path." Nezahualcoyotl holding back hidden feelings.
"What problem do you have with Korra being under your teaching?" Tanok states with building hate.
"Because she's someone hard to trust, she may not be a god incarnate but a tzitzimime, or worse if you don't know how to deal with females who dress in males garments!" Nezahualcoyotl says with medium rage which Korra, Tanok, Nakawe got angry and Atem paralyzed.
Korra then threw fire at Nezahualcoyotl which he deflected back and hit Korra, burning her. Korra wreaths in pain from the fresh burns on her torso, arms and face giving more anguish to Tanok, Nakawe and Atem.
"Nezahualcoyotl you fucking old bastard!" yelled Tanok as he bull rushed toward Nezahualcoyotl yet was suddenly knocked down by him. The Tonati stood up as with Tejuan. Tanok, one of the best warriors of the Wixarika is beaten down by a short old man, yet can't believe it to be right in front of their eyes.
"Nezahualcoyotl! For the insults and injuries you have given upon my niece and brother we the Wixarika banish you!" shouted Tejuan with unfiltered rage.
Nezahualcoyotl looked at Tejuan with surprise in his eyes as if he's done nothing wrong. The venom spewing sorcerer obeyed the sentence not wanting to cause harm to the Tonati. He rides away now in a centipede the size of a jaguar. Atem still in shock looks at Tanok and Korra as bruises and burns decorate their bodies. He goes to Korra as Tejuan goes to Tanok. Atem sees tears soak Korra's face and stinging burns.