The Road back to El Dorado.
(The Road to El Dorado II)

Summery: After arriving in Spain Tulio and Chel find their spark dying, and a few months later Chel and Tulio part as friends. Chel leaves for Africa while Tulio acquires passage back to Mexico to find El Dorado and Miguel aboard a schooner captained by an Irishman called Jack, but things rarely go according to plan...

Rating: M for this chapter. Better safe than sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Road to El Dorado, but I will!

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'What?' Tulio's mind refused to register the green eyes looking at him couldn't see him.

'I can't see.' Miguel stated tensely.

'Oh, tough luck laddie.' Jack said. Tulio elbowed him, hard. 'Right, I'll just shut up then.'

'Who's that?' Miguel went ridged at the sound of a new voice. Tulio moved closer to comfort him.

'Jack, a friend and an idiot, among other things.' Tulio explained.

'Captain as well.' Jack added, then winced at the glare Tulio sent his way. 'Sorry, forgot. Shutting up.'

'Captain? Really?' Miguel's enthusiasm returned so quickly Tulio was stunned. 'What kind of boat? Are you a pirate, or a trader? How long have you been at sea? What adventures -'

'Miguel...' Tulio growled lightly. 'Let the doctor see your eyes.'

'Doctor?' Miguel started looking around the room, even though he couldn't see anything. 'Where?'

'Dr. Valentine.' The man grasped one of Miguel's hands and lifted it to his face. While letting Miguel paint a picture of his face with his hands, he continued. 'What happened son?'

Miguel hesitated, and Tulio suspected it had something to do with El Dorado.

'Only tell him how you injured you eyes.' Tulio said, trying to give Miguel a hint. 'No need to tell the whole adventure.'

He drew his finger across his neck as Jack opened his mouth again. Catching the gesture Jack pouted.

'A group of barrels exploded next to me.' Miguel said slowly, closing his eyes. 'Threw me several metres. When I woke I couldn't see. At first I thought I was blindfolded, but I felt around and there was nothing. That was... 6 days ago? Maybe 7?'

'Can I take a look?' Dr. Valentine asked sincerely. Miguel shrugged, opening his eyes. Dr. Valentine peered into them before saying, 'Jack, could you get me a candle?'

'Sure!' Jack bounded off, returning a moment later with a candle. The doctor didn't seem impressed.

'A lit candle.' He added. Miguel laughed, and Tulio grinned at hearing it again.

Jack stormed out, but returned soon after, this time with a burning candle.

'Close the shutters as well.' Dr. Valentine instructed. Jack obeyed, sulking. Dr. Valentine then shielded Miguel's eyes from the light of the candle, then lifted his hand, watching the green orbs intensely. He did this several times with each eye. When he moved the candle closer Miguel leaned back.

'You saw it?' Tulio asked hopefully.

'Felt it.' Miguel answered. 'Too hot.'

'I've seen enough.' Dr. Valentine said, blowing out the candle. 'You can open the shutters Jack.'

'Well?' Tulio said impatiently.

'I've seen it before.' The doctor started. 'When a cannonball or unchecked flame ignites a powder barrel. The flash blinds any man nearby.'

'Do they recover?' Tulio asked, holding Miguel tighter seeing as he was very still.

'Some do.' Dr. Valentine scratched his chin. 'It's unusual. Those who recover do so in seconds, or minutes. Those who don't lose all the response in their eyes, and often show signs of burning on the eyes. But you Miguel, are different.'

Right you are, Tulio thought. That's why I lo- stop right there Tulio! Now is not the time to be thinking that.

'How?' Jack had blurted out during Tulio's moment of distraction.

'He lacks sight, but his pupils still respond to the changing light.' Dr. Valentine shook his head. 'I've never seen anything like it.'

'Will he see again?' Tulio failed to keep the stress out of his voice.

'Honestly, it could go either way.' He said. 'I'm afraid only time will tell.'

Tulio's heart fell. He'd found Miguel, alive, only to have fate deal them a devastating hand. Tulio himself wouldn't think less of Miguel, but the golden haired adventurer loved to see everything, read anything he saw, watch the sun set over different landscapes and stare up at the stars for hours. How would he do that now?

Miguel slumped against Tulio, eyes closed. Tulio quickly checked for breathing and found it, steady and calm.

'Let him sleep.' Dr. Valentine said softly. 'Now help me finish cleaning these wounds, then I'll show you how to bandage his chest, along with some things you'll need to know to care for his... condition.'

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'Jack!' Tulio barked at the Irishman. 'Why didn't you wake me?'

After Dr. Valentine had left Tulio refused to leave Miguel's side, only doing so when Jack offered to take watch and wake him if Miguel woke. He'd only closed his eyes in the early hours of the morning but now it was almost midday. However it seemed as soon as Miguel woke Jack started telling him of his adventures. If he hadn't been in Jack's debt for the necklace and finding the doctor he'd kick the Irishman through the door.

'Err...' Said captain cringed under Tulio's gaze. 'I will... I am going... have important... err... stuff to do. By Miguel!'

He darted out the door and was gone.

'Why'd you do that?' Miguel whined. 'Now I won't find out the ending.'

'It seems a lot of stories these days are unfinished.' Tulio commented, closing the door and the shutters before sitting on the chair next to the bed. 'Besides, I want to hear your story, mainly how'd you leave El Dorado and ended up in the company of slave traders.'

'Well,' Miguel begun, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. 'It began around a week ago...'

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'Miguel!'

That was the only warning he received before four little girls tackled him, clinging to his legs and waist.

'Tea, Jul, Bella, Del, where's your father?' Miguel smiled, returning each of their hugs.

'Over by the tunnel.' Tea, aged 10, chirped.

'Then let's go visit him.' Miguel started walking but Bella and Del, twins, stood on each of his feet.

'Give us a ride?' They pleaded, eyes wide.

'Me too Miguel.' Jul jumped onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Afraid of being strangled, Miguel secured her legs with his arms.

'I'll lead the way.' Tea said, old enough to know Miguel couldn't carry any more weight, but young enough to be disappointed.

Miguel moved awkwardly, following Tea. When the tunnel came into view Miguel was sweating, but the girls jumped off him when they saw their father.

'Daddy!' They screamed, lunging themselves at Chief Tannabok.

'How's the tunnel coming chief?' Miguel asked, using the stone of the mountain to support his tired frame.

'Just needs a little decoration.' Chief Tannabok replied, urging his daughters into it.

The people of El Dorado had at first been happy to be cut off from the outside world, but after a few months the hunters began to worry about the amount of animals remaining, and the healers about herbs they needed that didn't grow in El Dorado. Chief Tannabok and Lord Miguel had devised a plan to built a small tunnel through the mountain, easy to hide, hard to find.

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'So they still think you're a god?' Tulio interrupted.

'Yea,' Miguel laughed. 'Even after I fell down the temple stairs and broke my arm.'

'What!' Tulio shouted at a laughing Miguel.

'It was after a feast, I was still hung over. Tripped on my mandolin.' Miguel explained. 'There was blood all over me, but the new High Priest, Mecca-Kan, said something about gods appearing in many different forms, and this time I'd... we'd chosen to be mortals, which is why I bled and you... err... umm... could... err... well do Chel.'

'They know about that?' Tulio's face turned crimson, but Miguel couldn't see it.

'Yea, they figured it out.' Miguel's smile faded slightly. 'Where is she?'

'We parted.' Tulio sighed. 'We didn't last.'

'Oh.' Miguel said quietly. Tulio couldn't tell what emotions he was feeling at the news, because he always relied on Miguel's eyes to tell him. They were still closed.

'Finish this tale first, then I'll tell you mine.' Tulio said, wanting Miguel to continue.

'Alright, so Chief Tanni and I had come up with the idea...'

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'Just don't make any maps this time.' Miguel joked. Chief Tannabok laughed before looking around.

'Where's Azul?' Azul was his eldest daughter, at 14 years.

'Was she playing with the others?' Miguel asked, not remembering seeing her on his walk.

'No, she went down to the river.' Chief Tannabok's cheerful attitude was disappearing quickly.

Miguel sighed. 'I'll go look for her. She probably just lost track of time while drawing. You know how she is.'

Azul, after Miguel had described how European's portraits differed from their own, had taken to practicing the foreign form of art. She'd started shakily but now her artwork was so lifelike Miguel had her repaint the inside of the god's temple.

'Azul!' He shouted, heading towards the river. 'Azul!'

'Azul!' He was at the river now, and there was no Azul. Something crunched under his foot. It was her paintbrush. Azul would never just leave it. Miguel heard a scream and ducked down behind a bush. Two years training with the El Dorado guards meant he knew how to creep up on someone. He slowly made his way towards the sound.

Five men were gathered around a large tree, a horse and cart not far away. The men, white men, were shouting up at a figure in the tree. Squinting, Miguel could see it was Azul. He crept around to the horse and unhooked the animal. When it failed to move Miguel slapped it on the rump. The horse bolted off into the jungle, making two of the men run after it.

Miguel crawled into the cart, finding it full of barrels. He poked around some more and found a rapier. He wished Tulio was here to form a better plan, but he wasn't, so Miguel had to rely on the element of surprise.

Jumping out he cut down one of the men before the others could react.

'Azul get out of here!' Miguel yelled, parrying one man's sword. Azul leaped into another tree and jumped, taking off as soon as her feet touched the ground.

Miguel didn't want to kill any on the men, just wound them. Dodging a slash that would have cut through his arm Miguel knocked over a torch. As it rolled down the slope it headed for the cart. One of the men screamed something but Miguel couldn't made out what, as the cart exploded, sending him crashing into a tree. He felt blinding pain in his eyes, then nothing.

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When Miguel came too he groaned. He opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see the jungle.

Nothing.

There was just darkness. At first Miguel thought it was night, but when he looked up there were no stars, no moon.

Nothing.

Refusing to panic Miguel raised his hand to his face to clear whatever was blocking his vision.

There was nothing.

His hand touched his eyelashes, causing him to blink. Now he started to panic. He couldn't see! He rose to his feet and look all around him, tying desperately to see something, anything.

Nothing.

Miguel felt a tree behind him and leant against it, slowly falling to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his knees and cried silently. He felt the hot tears on his skin, so he knew whatever had caused his blindness hadn't destroyed his eyes.

A horse's whine cut through the darkness. Miguel stood up again.

'Hello?' He called, immediately regretting it. He didn't know if the horse was alone or was pulling someone, and if that someone was friendly or not. It was too late to take it back, as hoof beats came closer, followed by the sound of a whip and chattering.

Miguel heard the horse stop as its owner stepped off. It must have been a big man, as the leaves and branches beneath his feet broke violently. There was silence for a minute.

'Sir?' Miguel hesitated. 'I... I can't see, and I was wondering -'

CRACK!

The man struck Miguel across the cheek with what must have been a whip. Miguel cried out and held his hand up to the wound. Hot liquid told him he was bleeding.

CRACK! CRACK!

Two more lines of pain appeared on his stomach. Miguel shrunk against the tree and whimpered. He couldn't see the man raise the whip, so he didn't know when the next blow was coming.

A hand latched onto his wrist and pulled him forward. Miguel resisted but received a hard slap to his uninjured cheek. The hand turned his head left, then right, and then shoved him to the ground.

Sticks poked into his chest, but Miguel didn't dare more.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The whip came down on his back, harder than the two previous times. Miguel bit his tongue so hard it bled.

'You little blonde bitch.' The man said from above him. 'Did you do this?'

'Do what?' Miguel questioned.

CRACK!

Miguel screamed that time, as the stroke went across a previous whip mark.

'My men and the gunpowder.' The man sneered. 'You did this, didn't you? Well, I should kill you, but that wouldn't cover my losses.'

Miguel didn't like the man's tone, and swallowed. He gasped as the man's voice appeared in his ear.

'You'll make a pretty slave.'

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'God Miguel.' Tulio breathed, hardly believing someone could be that cruel. 'How'd you survive?'

'It was only a week.' Miguel dismissed it, but Tulio wasn't so convinced. Moving onto the bed he placed a hand on Miguel's back. The blonde flinched by instinct, but leant into Tulio's touch when he was sure there wasn't a blow coming. 'And you rescued me.'

'I wouldn't say that,' Tulio blushed again, cursing himself for acting like a girl. 'I may have lied to the trader, but I still had to buy you.'

'You were the one who stopped him whipping me.' Miguel realized, moving back to lean against Tulio's chest. 'I heard a horse whining then a man shouting. I knew the voice, but I was to tired to find a name...'

'Well you're mine now, and I'm not letting you go.' Tulio mentally kicked himself for saying such a romantic line, but as usual it went right over Miguel's head.

'I was going to be sold later that day.' Miguel said slowly.

'The trader said something about that.' Tulio had suspected the trader hadn't been lying; now he knew he was right.

'When the buyer, a man, approached me I could smell expensive perfume and hear coin's rattling from his purse. He touched my face, I didn't like it.' Miguel shuddered at the memory. 'He hit me when I turned away, and although I couldn't see him, he seemed... evil.'

'Well he can't get you now, can he?' Tulio shifted so he leant against the wall while Miguel leaned against him.

'Tell me about Chel.' Miguel asked suddenly, all sadness gone from his voice. 'And Spain. Has it changed much? What did you do while you were gone?'

Tulio laughed and told him everything, well except the part about why he and Chel and grown apart.

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Diego collapsed into his chair, disappointed. The young nobleman who'd brought the blonde haired slave didn't show up, but Diego still had hope he'd appear tomorrow. Unlocking a draw he pulled forth the necklace the man had traded for the slave. It was quite a beautiful piece, a golden eagle with emerald eyes spread out to cover the upper chest, with a thin but strong chain attached to wrap around one's neck. Diego had taken it in to the local jewellers, but had to be turned away; the man didn't have enough gold to trade for it.

The door was kicked open with such force the lock broke. Diego reached for his sabre but stopped when he saw whom it was.

Count Salar was a tall but pale man, with neat, black hair and blue eyes. He'd heard the count described as handsome, but his personality and nature were cruel. Slaves sold to his plantations lived for an average of 10 months, pleasure slaves only could expect a few weeks before they were disposed of.

'Count.' Diego smiled nervously.

'Where is he?' Salar demanded.

'The slave?' Diego stuttered. 'Ah well... I had a better offer and -'

'He was mine!' Salar moved forward and slammed his fists onto the desk, causing several cracks to appear. 'Who brought him?'

'Didn't catch his name.' Diego whimpered, not wanting to receive the count's temper. He spotted the necklace. 'He paid with this though.'

The count snatched it up and held it to the candlelight.

'Very expensive, very unique.' Salar said to himself, turning it over in his hands then placing it back on the table. 'What else do you remember about the man?'

'Young, black hair, blue eyes.' Diego scratched his neck. 'Had a purple ribbon in his hair, rode a white horse... that's all.'

'That's all?' Salar repeated. Diego nodded. Salar sighed and turned to leave. Diego released the breath he'd been holding.

Salar suddenly swung around, sword flashing in the light. Diego fell from the chair quite dead. Wiping the sword on the dead trader's robe, he sheathed his sword and picked up the necklace again, ignoring the blood that had splattered onto it. 'I wonder which noblewoman is missing you?'

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Ohh so the new bad guy makes an appearance. Just in case any of you didn't understand Diego was the slave trader who sold Miguel to Tulio, but I think you could work that out yourselves.

'It seems a lot of stories these days are unfinished.' - Tulio

Reference to all the unfinished stories floating around; so if you're an author with an unfinished story on get typing!

Desert Thief