IT'S ALIIIIIIIVVVVEEEE!
This story only had eight chapters and OVER 14k views! That's over TWICE as many views compared to 19 chapters of my other fic. So, back by popular demand and an incredible amount of guilt, here's the beginning of the end.
The armadillo gave a loud squeak and wound itself around their legs like a cat, nearly tripping them in the process. Altivo huffed at the little creature happily, apparently remembering him as well. It curled into a ball and rolled around his hooves, then skittered back over to them, ears twitching madly.
"Where did you come from, little guy?" Miguel stooped down and patted the armadillo's head for a moment. The two men stared at where he'd emerged from, but no sort of break or gap in the rocks was visible. Wouldn't there be water on the other side? Miguel's face fell, realizing that there was no way they could fit through anything this tiny animal could, anyways. Although his adorable company was welcome. Fondly, they recalled how the creature had helped them cheat at their ballgame.
"Well, that got my hopes up and crushed them, oh, immediately..." Tulio grumbled, beginning to pace. Clouds of dust kicked up at his feet with each step, swirling around and marking his trail. The armadillo pranced along behind him, narrowly avoiding being trod upon. "Now what?"
"Well, just standing here isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's try those smoke signals!" Miguel suggested enthusiastically, trying to keep their spirits up.
"Do you even know how to make smoke signals?"
"Well, not exactly, but... we have to try." He stood up straight and began wandering around the clearing, gathering as many sticks as he could find that weren't burnt to a crisp already. Tulio watched him for a few minutes, standing there with his arms crossed, before joining in. Miguel could tell that Tulio was on the verge of giving up, and he couldn't let that happen. Not when they were so close.
They each secured an armload of decent-looking sticks and branches over the next twenty minutes or so. Tulio made the mistake of picking one up from a still-smoldering pile of ash and declared they had enough for now, letting his burned hand soak for a minute in a pool of cool water first.
So there they stood, Two men, a horse, and an armadillo, staring at a pile of firewood about a foot tall. Miguel looked anxiously at Tulio, who was still cradling his tender hand. "So... you've always been better at starting fires..."
"I know! I just..." He stared down at the red, blotchy skin on his palm, wondering if it would blister. "This might be interesting."
Rubbing two sticks together to start a fire is much, much more difficult than one might imagine. Miguel did most of the (attempted) work, as Tulio's burned hand could barely stand the friction. After snapping the fourth stick in a row, Miguel cried out in frustration and tossed the stick to the ground in a fit, feeling hopeless.
"I don't know if we can do this, Miguel," Tulio said sadly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and crouching down beside him.
"We have to. Don't you want to make it back to the city? Back to El Dorado? We've come this far..." A single tear trickled from his eye and he rubbed it away furiously. "It's where we belong. Can't you feel it?"
Tulio heaved a sigh and pushed himself back to his feet. Maybe he didn't care that much about going back to El Dorado? No, no. Miguel knew that if Tulio hadn't wanted to be here, they wouldn't have put this plan in action in the first place.
Nightfall. They'd managed to start a fire, but only once it was too dark to attempt smoke signals. It would have to wait for morning. As soon as the first shadows of evening crept in, Tulio had busied himself with building another lean-to for them to sleep in, while Miguel frantically continued working on the fire. The first sparks finally ignited just as the ashen air grew cold, and they curled up together in the shelter with the heat of the flames and each other for warmth. Miguel buried his face in Tulio's shoulder and hoped he wouldn't wake up alone again.
Tulio found himself awakened sharply, jolting out of a dream. He blinked a few times, staring straight ahead in the darkness. Miguel stirred beside him and rolled over, mumbling something soft and inaudible in his sleep.
There it was again - the sound that had woken him. The snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves. Was it just Alivo? Or worse - a jungle predator that survived the fires, out on the prowl? Filled with anxious thoughts of jaguars and enormous poisonous reptiles, Tulio crept out of the lean-to, careful not to disturb his dearest Miguel. The fire was now no more than dim embers, but the moonlight through the trees provided just enough light for him to make out his surroundings. There was Altivo, sleeping peacefully just a yard or so away, with the armadillo curled into a ball on his back. He squinted at the gray outlines of tree trunks and boulders surrounding the clearing, taking in the ominous looming shadow of the "Great Big Rock".
With a hard swallow, he took a few steps away from the shelter, peering into the darkness. If they were in danger, he needed to know so the lot of them could escape.
His first instinct was to put himself between the source of the sound and Miguel, as the rustling from before grew louder and closer. He braced himself, fists clenched, exposed and weaponless but ready for fight or flight.
Peering into the bushes, he could just barely make out a crouched figure in the darkness, and then the dark, mottled spots of a jaguar.
It was too for him late to run. He knew that if it was coming for the kill, he may as well already be dead. But Miguel might have a better chance. He opened his mouth to shout, "Miguel!" He cried, backing away slowly as the cat crept nearer. "Miguel, wake up! Run!"
"My lord? Is that... you? Lord Tulio?"
At first he thought that was a weird thing for Miguel to say, especially after being woken up with screams to run. But then he realized - it was coming from the jaguar.
The man wearing the pelt stood up slowly and fully emerged from the shadows, holding a spear tightly in one hand. "It is you! The gods have returned to us!" He all but fell to the ground in a hurried attempt to bow at Tulio's feet.
"Tulio? Tulio! What's going on, where are you?" Miguel staggered groggily from the shelter, stumbling blindly forward, fists swinging.
"Miguel!" Tulio ran to him, steadying his lover gently, letting him come to his senses. "I'm so sorry, I thought you were in danger. It's alright now. We're okay."
"Oh... alright... good..." His breathing slowed and he looked around, puzzled, eyes finally settling on the pelt-wearing stranger. "Who is that?"
The man, still bowing, beamed widely, and they could just make out his white smile. "My lords, thank you for returning to us. I am Xan, humble hunter of El Dorado. Never would I have expected to be blessed with your presence!"
"You're... from El Dorado?" Miguel stared wide-eyed at the man - Xan. Could their salvation really be so simple? He raised his gaze to the heavens and thanked the gods above for giving imposters like them a second chance.
"Yes, my lord!"
"Can you take us there?" Tulio asked eagerly, looking ready to embrace Xan in his excitement. Both of the Spaniards did their best to stay calm and collected - after all, this man worshipped them, and now was not the time to reveal that they were simply mortals. Or outlaws, for that matter. That last little tidbit might stay between the two of them forever.
The man hopped up to his feet eagerly. "But of course! We can be there by sunrise! I would be most honored to guide you." He bowed deeply and then snapped upright hastily, clearly overwhelmed by finding two 'gods' out in the middle of the night. The poor guy was probably part of a simple hunting party, trying to put meat on the table for his family and others. Miguel felt a tinge of guilt realizing that he would be escorting them now instead of hunting.
"Certainly... certainly, yes, that would be incredibly kind of you, Xan, we, ah, appreciate your service. Allow us to prepare for departure." Tulio stroked his chin and then spun around, taking long strides towards Altivo. Between the two of them, they roused the horse (and armadillo) and doused the fire.
Miguel yawned and watched as Tulio mounted the horse and then extended a hand towards him to offer support. The two of them sat astride Altivo and Miguel had to strain his eyes to see Xan in front of them. He hoped that the hunter had skilled night vision, because all he could see for himself were various shades of gray and misshapen silhouettes. Xan began to lead them away from the camp, and Altivo obediently trotted along behind him, Unable to make out much of their surroundings passing by, it created the uncomfortable feeling of hovering in one place. Miguel squeezed his eyes shut, but that did little to ease the disorientation.
The forest around them was peaceful, though still heavy with the stench of ash. Insects chirped and hummed from hidden stations, and streams of moonlight illuminated the never-ending dance of dust motes as they passed by. Miguel smiled softly and leaned his forehead on Tulio's back. This was it. They were finally going to be back where they belonged, back in the place he never wanted to leave. The place where not only were they treated with respect, they were revered. In El Dorado, the tough life of crime disappeared. They were changed men within the city of gold, and it was certainly a change for the better. Yes, they'd started their journey looking for riches. But in the end, they'd found a second chance at life.
How far had they traveled now? How much time had passed? Leaves and twigs cracked occasionally under Xan and Altivo's footsteps (more often Altivo's, considering he didn't exactly step lightly). An unseen insect buzzed past Tulio's ear, eliciting a cringe. The moon was briefly shrouded by clouds, and they were plunged into an even thicker darkness for several feet, causing the sensation of a long, tired blink.
"Nearly there," Xan informed after an hour or so of trekking through the terrain, startling both oft them by piercing the silence. Miguel snaked his fingers around Tulio's waist and embraced him tightly, soaking up his warmth.
"Tulio," Miguel whispered, quietly enough that Xan couldn't overhear.
"Hmm?" Tulio half-turned around on the horse.
"What if we hadn't rolled a seven that day?"
"What do you mean, Miguel?" Tulio raised an eyebrow in questioning.
"Remember, that day we were playing with the loaded dice, and we had to use the regular dice to win the map to El Dorado... What if we hadn't rolled a seven that day?"
"What made you think of that all of a sudden?" Tulio reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Oh, just lost in thought... It's amazing how all of this happened because of numbers on a dice. What would have happened to us without that map?"
"Well... I suppose we would've cut our losses and gone on with our lives. Or stolen the map and the money anyways and made a run for it." Tulio gave a soft chuckle, and both of them could easily imagine the scene playing out similar to how it did in reality - with a bit more sleight-of-hand.
"You've probably got a point there. I'm just happy that after everything that could have happened to us... I'm glad I'm here with you. We could've been arrested for using loaded dice, or flogged and enslaved by Cortez, or we could've died on that rowboat, or even gone home when we thought the giant rock was all there was to find... But we found El Dorado. We might be the only outsiders to ever know it really exists."
"I've thought about that, too," Tulio admitted. "About everything that could've gone wrong. My stubbornness being one of them."
It was Miguel who emitted a gentle laugh this time. Altivo twitched his ears and huffed, cutting off whatever he was about to say.
"Just through here now..." Xan interjected, slowing his pace. Miguel and Tulio each peered over Altivo's head to observe his shadowy figure in front of them.
Within moments, the ground beneath their feet began to slope downward, and eventually they came upon what appeared to be a rock face covered in lichen. With a deep inhale, Miguel suddenly realized the smell of burnt vegetation had all but cleared. Perhaps Cortez didn't come this far?
"Through here, my lords," Xan instructed, holding aside a curtain of lichen with his spear. It was just tall enough for Altivo to walk through comfortably, but not tall enough for them to continue riding him. The two men dismounted and stumbled on into the damp stone tunnel after the hunter, with Altivo holding up the rear. Miguel found Tulio's hand as the faint moonlight receded behind them, plunging their small group into absolute darkness. Altivo whinnied nervously and nudged their shoulders, seeking comfort as well. They each extended their free hands towards the horse and patted him reassuringly. The armadillo skittered about at their feet, squeaking with excitement.
Eventually, the echoes from their footsteps grew more distant, suggesting that the tunnel around them began to widen. Xan trudged ahead with increasing speed, and they hurried to keep pace, fearful of being left behind in the dark tunnel. It seemed to stretch on endlessly, and once again Miguel got the sense of walking in place, unable to see his feet or surroundings as they moved onward.
"How much further?" Tulio finally inquired, at the risk of sounding naive.
"We are nearing the end, sire," Xan replied. He sounded exhausted, and Miguel found himself experiencing a mixture of guilt and relief for having the privilege of riding Altivo most of the way there.
At first he thought it was his eyes tricking him when faint shadows and then clear outlines of Miguel and Xan became visible around him - but no - Tulio breathed a sigh of relief to realize they were near the end of the tunnel, and the palest rays of dawn were filtering through the far end. They left the night behind them in the time it took to cross through the long passageway.
When they finally emerged out into the pinkish-gray young sunlight of the new day, Tulio and Miguel rushed forward, finding themselves on a side street at the far end of the city, near the arena where they played ball with the citizens. Altivo galloped alongside them, joining in with joyful neighs as they cried out in jubilation.
"We made it! By god, we really made it back!" Tulio grabbed Miguel by the waist and lifted him in a small twirl, leaning in for a deep, passionate kiss. They smiled around each others' lips, and neither of them had ever known such peace.
"I'll awaken Chief Tannabok and inform him and the council of your return," Xan said with a smile in his voice. "Feel free to resume residence in your temple, my lords." He bowed once more, the jaguar pelt on his shoulders rippling with the movement.
"Thank you Xan," Miguel stepped back towards him, grinning widely. "Could you let the chief know that we'd like to have a little, oh, a gathering with everyone in the morning?"
"Certainly, my lord."
"Thanks again, really," Miguel patted their guide on the shoulder. "We never would have found our way back without you. We'll make sure you're rewarded, my good friend."
As Xan scurried away in the direction of the Chief's place of rest, Miguel fell back into Tulio's loving arms. Gradually, the two of them began making their way to the familiar temple at the heart of the city. The golden and turquoise structures all around seemed to come to life as rays of sunlight spread throughout the city. The waterway streaming towards the now-destroyed gates shimmered with ripples as the enormous fish began to stir. A multicolored flock of birds soared lazily in the sky overheads, singing an assortment of good-mornings. Altivo spotted a barrel of yellow apples and wandered off to gorge himself.
They climbed the ever-staggering flight of stairs towards the temple entrance side by side, out of breath when they finally reached the top step. Tulio stumbled onward towards the temple entrance, looking forward to a long rest undisturbed by fear and doubt. But Miguel tugged at his sleeve, pulling him back.
"Wait, Tulio, sit with me." He released his hold on Tulio's shirt and plopped down on the top step, gazing out over the city of gold. Tulio obliged, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling himself closer. The blonde rested his head on his love's shoulder with a content sigh.
Together, they watched the final minutes of the sunrise. Golden bricks, sapphire waters, and bejeweled mosaics all glistened bright, bathed in warm sunlight. Below, they could see Altivo wandering back and forth along the wide main street, poking his face around corners and drinking from the sparkling streams and fountains. The early-morning workers soon began emerging from their homes, trickling out into the streets, unaware of their returned visitors.
"So... what exactly are we calling a city meeting for, anyways?" Tulio asked.
"Just trust me. I figured out how to get around the whole everyone-thinks-we're-gods thing. You do trust me, right?"
"Of course, Miguel." he breathes a long, tired sigh. "Did you ever imagine it would end like this?" Tulio whispered in his hair.
"Well," Miguel chuckled, recalling their near-death confessions aboard the stolen rowboat, "The horse is a surprise."
The two of them managed to catch a few hours of blissful, uninterrupted, heavy sleep before the booming voice of Chief Tannabok echoed through the temple. Tulio stirred and stifled a yawn, finding himself gazing into Miguel's emerald eyes when he opened his own.
"Good morning," Miguel chimed sleepily, giving him a quick peck on the lips.
"Morning," Tulio mumbled back, watching the muscles of Miguel's back as he stood and stretched.
They dressed hastily in their previous formal robes and headdresses, rushing when the Chief called to them again. By the time they emerged from the temple together, the Chief was standing at the entrance with the whole city gathered below.
"My lords! Welcome once again! We are so pleased that you should return to us! But tell us, why have you come back to our humble city?" Chief Tannabok gestured widely with his arms, a large grin on his face. Miguel knew that the Chief had figured out they weren't gods, and caught his eye, wondering why he hadn't told everyone the truth. But it wouldn't matter soon enough.
The three of them descended the long golden staircase together, with the Chief leading the way. When they reached the bottom, the eager silence was so thick, it was as if everyone in the city was holding their breath.
"My... friends," Miguel began hesitantly, trying to speak as loudly as possible so everyone could hear. This was it. The end of their godly days.
"After much thought," he continued, "We have decided to return to El Dorado, and stay here. But, to do so..." he swallowed hard and threw Tulio a glance, "We have chosen to give up the life of gods and live amongst you as mortals." He ceremoniously removed the intricate crown from his head, and Tulio followed suit.
A collective gasp passed among the citizens, followed by emotional and excited chatter. Miguel gave Tulio his most sincere, loving expression, hoping he wasn't angry that he'd just cost them an immense amount of riches and worship. But Tulio was smiling, his eyes watery. The crowd burst forward, full of questions, each person rushing to embrace them. Within moments, they found themselves hoisted into the air on the shoulders of the people. Music started seemingly out of nowhere, and a celebration quickly ensued. Chief Tannabok stood off to the side, and when Miguel caught his eye, he nodded with approval.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of celebration. Wine was poured, food was served. An elegant feast more elaborate than when they'd first come to the city was prepared, and the air was filled with music and laughter well into the night.
Tulio suggested that they live somewhere besides the main temple now, no longer being gods. The Chief agreed, but still insisted on housing them in a small yet still-elaborate place near the base of his own temple instead. It was cozy, and it was where they would call home for the rest of their lives. Immediately, plans were made to build a stall for Altivo out back.
Xan and his family were, of course, rewarded heavily for guiding them back to the city. They were told that the new tunnel entrance used to be an aqueduct, and they had to redirect water flow all over the city after the main gate was destroyed. The two of them informed everyone of Tzekel-Kan's enslavement, and Chel's betrayal and presumed fate aboard the distant shipwreck. They publicly proclaimed their love for one another, much to everyone's pleasure, and snuck more than a few kisses throughout the evening.
"Are you going to be happy here?" Miguel asked, when he and Tulio finally got a moment alone together. Not far off, the citizens were taking part in a large and intricate dance, cheering all the while. "I know you wanted us to be kings, or gods. We may never see Spain again."
"Of course I'm happy!" Tulio reassured him, his blue eyes brimming with joy. "We don't have to beg or steal or be homeless ever again, and we're together, in the most beautiful city on Earth."
"I'm glad you think that," Miguel sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I was worried you wouldn't like my idea to tell them we're mortals now."
"It was a brilliant idea, Miguel. Now come on, let's dance!" Tulio took him by the hand and dragged him back into the festivities, where they stumbled and laughed their way through the dances of the people.
Days passed. Then weeks, then months. Life in El Dorado continued on as before. Eventually, the vegetation was regrown from the ash outside the city, and hunting became more bountiful as well. Miguel occupied himself most days wandering the streets of the city with a handmade lute, learning the ways of the people. Tulio often followed at his side, or went off with Altivo to explore the land. And every night, they returned home and fell asleep in each other's arms.
Altivo, of course, resumed his pampered life. Nobody from El Dorado had ever seen any horse besides him, and despite the fact that giant turtles and birds ran amok, he still fascinated them. Especially the children, who enjoyed brushing and braiding his mane every day. Some of them were even building up the courage to ride him.
At the end of one long, sunny day, Miguel and Tulio found themselves sitting at the edge of the main waterway, bare feet dipped into the water. The giant fish ignored them, but tiny ones tickled their toes on occasion. The familiar armadillo frolicked and splashed around with a few children, and Altivo drank long, thirsty gulps beside them. People milled about on their daily business, a few smiling and waving hello when they noticed them sitting there. It was a beautiful, peaceful moment, and neither of the men could stop content smiles from creeping across their faces.
"Miguel?" Tulio said quietly, swirling his feet in the water and causing a few fish to dart away.
"Hmm?"
"This is home. This moment, right here, right now, with you. I never want to be anywhere else. I love you so much. All my life I was searching for one adventure or another, and with you, I've found the best one of all. You've given me more adventure than I ever thought possible." He leaned down and stole a kiss, breathing in the smell of his love deeply.
"I love you too, Tulio," Miguel whispered, feeling his face grow warm with a blush.
Overhead, a few cottony clouds drifted across the sun, causing defined patches of sunshine to stream down through them. The water at their feet sparkled with drops of light, and it was as if the gods themselves had flecked the surface with gold.
THE END
I'm thankful to all of you who stuck around through my ridiculously long breaks in between updates. And for those of you lucky enough to discover it after completion, thanks for joining! This was the very first fanfic I ever started writing, just because I watched the movie with a friend one day and she said "Ya know some people say they were originally supposed to be a couple?" And thus my first otp was born. I hope you all enjoyed this adventure with me :)
You know why it took so long for me to finish this story (aside from outright procrastination and writer's block)? They were just going to climb over the rockslide. But they had to have a freaking horse.
