Beyond the Great Doors
Zia breathed a sigh of relief as the Condor touched down in the courtyard of the Winged Serpent temple. Tao had been so anxious when they left that she feared for her friends' safety, a feeling that was only heightened when she saw that Esteban and Tao had returned with passengers other than Mendoza. With some trepidation, Zia crossed the distance to the golden bird and noticed that Hisoka also moved to greet those emerging from the machine. Esteban quickly slid down the beak of the bird and smiled reassuringly at her, then looked back at Tao who seemed about to follow him down.
"...had better help him, Gaspar," Zia heard him say. "Moving improperly could make it worse." With that he too slid to the ground and joined his friends.
"Is something wrong, Tao?" Zia asked.
"Gomez was wounded by Cortés' men," the Hevan boy replied simply.
"Is it bad?" she said, her kind heart torn between sympathy or feeling it was just what the former Commander deserved.
"Perhaps I could be of assistance," Hisoka offered.
Tao shrugged. "If you want to..."
The strange man helped Gaspar get the wounded Gomez to the ground and move him into the shade of the temple. Mendoza was the last to exit the Condor and walked towards the others carrying a brown satchel that looked very heavy.
Esteban had rarely seen Mendoza look so pleased as when Hisoka greeted him. "I never thought I would see you again, my friend," Mendoza said with a wide smile.
"Nor I you," Hisoka replied shaking the navigator's hand warmly.
The children continued to watch curiously as the pair spoke. Zia, in particular, was surprised by the joy evident in the Spaniard at this reunion. You haven't often encountered old friends, have you? she thought with surprising gentleness.
"You don't seem surprised to see me. I hope that means you had warning from another."
"I did, in fact," Mendoza replied, "but it may be sometime before Anda arrives. For the moment we need to solve the mystery of this temple and leave as quickly as possible. Cortés will not give up the chase so easily." With that he turned to Gomez and Gaspar, his demeanor becoming firm and resolute. "I have kept my word, Gomez. I trust you will do the same."
The former Commander looked very pale, but his voice was clear and strong as he answered, "You will get the medallion pieces when I receive the reward you promised."
"The medallions!" Zia and Esteban exclaimed, but Tao shook his head and gave them a look that told them to remain quiet for now.
Mendoza didn't speak, merely throwing the bag down in front of the two soldiers feet. It clanged loudly, the sound of which stirring not only Gaspar and Gomez, but also Pedro and Sancho who had until then been standing nervously to the side of the group.
"Now see here, Mendoza!" Pedro yelled angrily as Sancho began to stutter, "B-but that's ou-ours!"
"We had an agreement," Gomez snarled dangerously, pulling a pistol from his coat as Gaspar's hand fell onto his sword. The two sailors looked at Mendoza worriedly. Mendoza ignored them as he watched Gomez open the sack, the gold within glinting even in the shadows of the temple. The light seemed to grow and intensify in the eyes of the former soldiers, their capacious greed evident on their faces.
"Very well," Gomez finally said. He reached into his coat and withdrew two small golden disks from their place of concealment. The Commander gave them to Mendoza who walked over to Esteban and Zia and knelt before them. He snapped the disks back into place, first in Zia's medallion and then in Esteban's. The navigator stood and stepped away from them as the light of the sun reflected dazzlingly off of the gold, like miniature suns. Esteban grinned and Zia said, "Thank you," very softly, her eyes momentarily filled with tears.
"Come on," Tao urged them. "We need to go to the underground temple!"
"You're right, Tao," Esteban agreed.
The trio ran cheerfully to the stairs that lead to the apex of the pyramid, quickly followed by Pedro and Sancho while Mendoza and Hisoka hung back as Gomez got to his feet. "It is not wise for you to go, Señor," Hisoka told him seriously. "You are still losing blood."
"I'll manage," Gomez snapped. Then he turned to Gaspar and ordered, "Bring the gold."
"I think I will stay behind, Mendoza," Hisoka said unexpectedly. "You will need a lookout to alert you if Cortés arrives sooner than expected."
"Still not interested in treasure, Hisoka?" Mendoza asked with some amusement.
"I leave treasure hunting up to others. Good luck!"
The other adults followed the children into the temple and arrived just as the secret passage opened. "Are they coming too?" Esteban asked incredulously, seeing the soldiers enter the room.
Mendoza shrugged and replied, "It hardly matters. And this way they cannot betray our location to Cortés."
The strange group walked single file down the narrow steps with the adults occasionally emitting cries of astonishment at the sight of the images that decorated the tunnels.
"How is this possible?" Gomez asked, stopping to stare at a picture that clearly was of a horse. "Many of these creatures do not exist in the New World! How could these effigies be painted inside a temple by a people that could never have seen them before!"
"And how do you know that the people who built this city did not already have a knowledge of the larger world?" Tao asked dryly.
"Because no one from here could have seen the Old World," Gaspar put in stubbornly as he followed his commander down the steps.
Tao shook his head and replied lightly, "You presume too much and know too little to make those sorts of assessments."
As Gaspar bristled at the comment, they reached the main chamber of the temple. The group spread out into the room, the torchlight revealing the hieroglyphics and the great doors beyond.
"Tell me," Tao asked curiously, settling into a scholarly posture, with his hands clasped behind his back, "what do each of you believe the cities of gold are? Why were they built?" He looked to the two soldiers and Gomez shrugged disdainfully in response.
"What does it matter? The only thing that interests me in the gold."
Tao's eyebrows arched in a contemptuous way and continued, "You can still say that after all that you have seen in your travels? After witnessing the power and technology that the Olmecs possessed and how it was countered by the city of gold itself?" He sighed dramatically and went on, "Then listen carefully for you are about to learn a great deal about the world you thought you knew."
Tao walked to a panel of hieroglyphs to the right of the doors and began, "Ages ago the world was very different. Long before the Incas and the Aztecs began to build their empires or Europeans discovered the New World, two great civilizations flourished on vast continents in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The scientific knowledge controlled by the people of these lands is unparalleled by anything created today."
In spite of themselves, Gomez and Gaspar appeared very interested by this tale, while Mendoza's expression was hard to read in the firelight. Pedro and Sancho, on the other hand, were examining the great sun disks on the doors, no doubt trying to figure out how to purloin them.
"If they were so great," Gaspar said, folding his arms across his broad chest, "why don't we know about them?"
Tao rolled his eyes and all but snapped, "Because all of this happened thousands of years ago. But there are those who do still remember those ancient days even if your people don't. If you hadn't been so blinded by your lust for gold you might have noticed that in every place we have traveled the people remembered this heritage, at least in part." Tao began to count off on his fingers as he said, "At Pizarro's fort, in Zia's village, at the High Peak, and especially in the Olmecs base there were legends, and sometimes even lost technology from the people of Hiva."
"Oh course!" Mendoza interrupted, his voice filled with realization and excitement. "That is the connection between all of our discoveries."
Tao nodded, looking very pleased with himself. "You weren't there when Zia and Esteban opened the doors of the city of gold and so you didn't have the benefit of the High Priest's explanation of how this came to be. I didn't truly understand it all myself," Tao admitted, "as I only knew part of the legend that had been passed down in my own family. Who knows? There may be other places or accounts of this from different regions of the world. But here," Tao turned again to wave his hand toward the writing on the walls, "a more complete tale is told."
"We don't have time for this, Tao," Pedro complained. He had stopped looking at the doors at Mendoza's exclamation. "Cortés will be here before long!"
"Then leave," Tao replied calmly. "You don't have to stay, but what I am saying is important."
The descendent of Hiva looked to his friends for support, but Mendoza said first, "I think it is in our interests to hear what these walls record, but be quick Tao. We only have an hour or so before Cortés and Marinche will reach the city."
The boy nodded and continued, "For many years Atlantis and Hiva coexisted peacefully with each other, but having little to do with the others' affairs. But," Tao turned to favor the adults with a sad smile, "the peace didn't last. The war between them ravaged the whole world. Green lands were turned into deserts and the primitive peoples that inhabited the other continents were devastated by a conflict they could not understand." Tao walked across the chamber as he spoke, gesturing to various panels as he continued. "One day, a man appeared in the court of the Emperor of Hiva. He was a sacred messenger, a traveling prophet, who warned the Emperor that the war would bring about the end of his realm and the destruction of their way of life."
"A traveling prophet!" Esteban exclaimed.
"Yes," Tao answered, looking at his eager friend. "The Emperor was deeply troubled by the words of the messenger and begged to know if there was a way to stop this calamity. The traveler replied that the only way to preserve a part of their world was to build seven cities that would contain their knowledge and help their descendants create a new world."
"The cities of gold!" Zia said earnestly.
"Exactly!" Tao nodded.
"But how could they rebuild their civilization if all of their people were destroyed in the war?" Gomez asked, looking as though he only half believed the boy's story.
"That brings us to the heart of the matter, doesn't it," Tao answered with a grin and walked to the last three panels in the room. "These hieroglyphs say that only a few of the people of Hiva believed the words of the prophet. They could not grasp how their empire could fail, fall. Those who did heed the words were sent to different places across the world to construct the golden cities. Not long after their work was complete the thing, which the traveler had prophesied, came to pass. The weapons of the sun were used and the two great civilizations of Atlantis and Hiva disappeared beneath the sea."
"The Emperor's family had been sent to the farthest reaches of their empire before the great calamity, but the effects of the use of the sun weapons were so horrible that all the Hivan colonies lost contact with each other. They also could no longer use the power of the cities of gold for they had been sealed and the keys that could open them were sent away. One had been given to the traveling prophet while the other was taken by the eldest daughter of the Emperor." Tao paused and smiled at the astounded Zia. "It would seem we have a common ancestor."
Sobering again, he continued, "The people did not know how to live in such primitive conditions and had it not been for the good will of the lesser cultures they encountered, they might not have survived. The descendants of Hiva worked to preserve their way of life, building cities like the one we stand in now, but gradually their vast scientific knowledge was lost or only dimly recalled."
"And yet they managed to build the three ruined cities, which contained the clues that would lead to the city of gold," Mendoza added as Tao fell silent.
The boy nodded. "Many treasures besides the cities of gold survived the great war, like the Solaris and the Golden Condor."
"So you think that another treasure like the Condor is hidden behind these doors?" Esteban asked excitedly.
"Yes, or at least, I think it has something to do with the Condor."
"Then lets open them and find out!" Zia and Tao nodded, following Esteban to the doors. Gaspar and Gomez also stepped closer eagerly, while the three sailor hung back as prior experiences had taught them to be wary of these ancient mechanisms.
Zia and Esteban removed the centers of their medallions and reached to put them into place. "Be careful," Mendoza warned them. "This city doesn't appear to have been damaged in the same manner as the third ruin, but there might still be other traps."
Esteban nodded and turned to Zia. "Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded and they placed the sun part of their medallions into the centers of the great sun disks. The trio stepped away quickly as a slight hum began to emanate from the doors. They began to open smoothly, a soft light spilling through the gap between them. The red glow of the torches was drowned in this new radiance and the travelers blinked and looked away from the brilliance. When he could, Esteban turned his gaze back to the doors and gasped in astonishment at the sight.
The room he looked into was elaborately decorated with another mural of the body of the Winged Serpent although, unlike the one in the upper chamber, this one had been created with what looked like gold and gemstones. The light issued from the ceiling and at the center of the room on a raised dais loomed the jeweled head of the serpent. Its scales were fashioned of gold and jade; its eyes were a black faceted stone that glittered as if it were alive.
The others made sounds similar to Esteban's and Zia said, "How lovely!" The children quickly stepped into the chamber closely followed by their companions.
"Don't touch anything in here," Mendoza warned them, his gaze falling on Gaspar and Gomez. "These temples often have hidden traps."
The pair looked incredulous until Tao said, "You do remember what happened to the temple in Zia's village, don't you?"
Gaspar, in particular, looked worried after this statement almost like he would he would rather not be in the chamber at all. "Are you sure that it is safe?" he asked.
The Hivan boy shrugged, but looked amused. "I just wouldn't touch anything if I were you," he replied and then turned to examine the dais.
"What is this, Tao?" Esteban asked, gazing curiously at one of the claws of the serpent, which held a golden sphere.
"I don't know." Tao's answer sounded puzzled. "I've never seen anything like it." As he moved his hand to touch the orb Pedro, Sancho, and Gaspar let out a hissing gasp.
"B-b-be careful Tao," Sancho warned, looking very afraid.
The boy felt the sphere tentatively then lifted it from its resting place. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief they hadn't realized they were holding. Tao looked at the object more closely and could only discern slight lines or decorations engraved on its surface, but he could not fathom their meaning.
"Are you sure it isn't the serpent's head that is the treasure you seek?" Gomez asked.
Tao looked at the figure again and shook his head. "No, I'm sure that the sphere is the prize the hieroglyphs referred to. I just don't know what it is...yet."
"We must be on our way, my friends," Mendoza urged them. "It won't be long before Cortés arrives."
Esteban nodded in agreement before turning away from the resplendent room. He and Zia paused a moment to remove the pieces of the medallions and the great doors slid close behind them. They had just crossed the chamber when Hisoka appeared at the bottom of the stairwell.
"Mendoza!" he said anxiously. "Does that golden bird usually glow and move with no one in it!"
"What?" Esteban cried. He looked at Tao, who seemed as shocked as he was, then the child of the sun bolted for the stairs closely followed by Zia, Tao and Mendoza. Pedro and Sancho glanced at Gomez and Gaspar apprehensively before following, leaving Hisoka who glanced at the commander and asked, "Do you need my help again?" The commander nodded reluctantly before climbing the steps supported by Gaspar and the foreigner.
Esteban emerged into the sunlight and had to hide his eyes from the radiance emitted from the Golden Condor. "What is happening?" he asked looking to Tao, but his friend's expression was one of shock and disbelief.
"We can't stay here," Mendoza said gazing around at the ruins. "Cortés could be here at any moment. This light will lead them straight to us!"
"But what about the Condor!" Zia exclaimed. "We can't..."
"There they are!" A voice yelled from the entrance to the courtyard. The children spun and saw Cortés' guards riding hard toward them.
"Back to the pyramid everyone!" Mendoza yelled. They all turned to run back the way they had come, but they were cut off by the horsemen from the entrance as well as guards who had scaled the walls of the enclosure.
"We're surrounded!" Esteban shouted.
"What can we do?" Zia cried.
"Do nothing," Mendoza said with forced calm. "They have the upper hand for now."
The circle of foes opened for a moment as Cortés rode into the group, with Marinche on the horse behind him.
"So we meet again, Mendoza," the conquistador said in a sinister tone. "Although I believe this will be the last time for such a reunion."
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," the navigator growled.
"Nor I, but we must set aside such pleasant thoughts for now," his gaze shifted to Esteban and Zia, who took a step back. The marquis' eyes gleamed maniacally, but his tone was moderated to that of a chastising father. "Ah, children! I am pleased that we have found you at last. I'm disappointed in your behavior, however. Do you not know how dangerous it is here? You could be hurt." His gaze slid over to the Condor. "But I am delighted with the gift you have given me. I wouldn't have believed that this great bird could fly, but you proved to me otherwise. I must know more about this extraordinary device."
"But first we must know what secret lies in the Temple of the Serpent," Malinche demanded abruptly. "What have you discovered?"
Mendoza shrugged as he replied, "Do we appear to be laden with gold? There was nothing to take in the temple." Tao resisted the urge to shift and better hide the lump that was created by the golden sphere that he had secreted away under his poncho before they were captured.
Malinche looked disbelieving while Cortés gave the navigator a scornful smile. "I will believe that when I see it." He turned to his guards and ordered, "You four bind their hands and bring Señor Mendoza and the children into the temple. Take the rest of them out of sight, but keep a careful watch on the golden bird. When the Viceroy arrives we must be ready for him."
Esteban and his friends were forced to climb the steps to the temple once again, each silent and concerned. Cortés and Malinche followed closely behind them. The conquistadors watched in astonishment when secret passage slid open, revealing the staircase to the underground chamber.
"Remarkable," the marquis murmured, "to think that such power has existed here all this time." He looked up at his prisoners and gestured to the opening. "After you, my dear children."
Tao gritted his teeth as they continued into the underground temple. Malinche ran her hands over the carved stone doors with a look of ecstasy on her face. Without glancing back, she commanded, "You will now open the doors, children."
Esteban looked to Mendoza who gave a hint of a nod. Taking each other's hand, they walked to the doors and put the medallions in place. Once again bright light flooded the room. The guards, Malinche, and Cortés gaped at the magnificence of the inner sanctum. As their captors stepped forward, Zia and Esteban backed away carefully. The Inca girl glanced to where Tao and Mendoza stood, no longer under watch. Tao nodded as the navigator whispered something to him and he warily joined his friends.
"If this goes as badly as I think it might," Tao breathed, "grab the medallions and follow us into the secret tunnels."
They all watched as Cortés and his men tested the room, looking for loose treasures. "Look," one of the guards called, "the head of this serpent moves."
The children tensed as the marquis ordered, "Pull it free!"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Cortés," Mendoza warned him. "All the temples we have encountered have been constructed with traps for those who are only interested in gold."
"Be silent!" the conquistador bellowed. "I have heard enough of your talk, had enough of your tricks. Torres, I will reward you handsomely if you will end this man's life!"
One of the men stepped away from his fellows and raised his rifle, preparing to fire. Mendoza pushed Esteban away from him toward Zia and Tao, both rooted in place with shock near the wall of the chamber. But before Mendoza or the guard could take any further action, there was a tremendous roar of stressed stone and the room trembled ominously.
The head of the serpent was illuminated in a terrible red light cast from the statues eyes that now blazed like fire. Cortés and his men backed away in sudden fear and Tao couldn't help but yell, "See! We warned you!"
The guardsmen quickly bolted for the stairway as the shaking intensified. The conquistador, however, pulled his pistol and yelled. "Up the stairs children. I still have need of you three."
"No!" Esteban began, but he was cut off by Mendoza who pushed him toward the stairs.
"Do as he says, Esteban, and hurry!" the navigator yelled over the frightening din.
The marquis cast him a look of pure loathing. "As much as I would enjoy shooting you, the thought of you being buried alive is too opportune. And how fitting, Mendoza, that you will die with her." He gestured contemptuously to where Marinche had sunk to the floor near the great stone doors.
"You cannot leave me! Please don't leave me here!" she said, her voice trembling piteously.
Cortés gave Marinche one last chilling smile as the first stones began to rain down from the ceiling. He then darted up the stairs without a backward glance, forcing the children on ahead of him, leaving his former mistress and the navigator to their fate.
Mendoza raced across the room dodging the debris and pulled the medallions from the doors, which were held open by fallen stones. He picked up the fallen woman from the floor and ran to the temple wall inscribed with a sun. Praying that the temple would hold together for a few more moments and that the collapsing temple wouldn't affect the passage, he pulled up its center section.
"Just leave me," Marinche cried bitterly as the secret passage opened. "I have nothing left to live for in this world!"
Mendoza face hardened and he didn't reply, but instead wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to the tunnel. He grabbed a torch from the wall with his free hand then ran forward into the tunnels with his broken nemesis. Moments later the roof of the serpent temple gave way in an avalanche of debris and dust.
Sancho and Pedro trembled in fear along with the rest of Cortés' men when the ground began to shake and the pyramid crumbled. Esteban, Zia, and Tao fled from the shrine followed closely by the conquistador just as the temple at the top of the pyramid collapsed in on itself, sealing the passage forever. The three children scrambled down the steps, but where met with drawn swords and ready rifles at the bottom.
Cortés was the last to step from the stairway and seemed nonplussed by the narrow escape. "An unfortunate loss, men," he told his soldiers, "but the real treasure lies before you. Young Esteban, I've seen that you can fly this strange craft. You will show me how this is done. Now!"
Esteban gritted his teeth, wanting to argue or fight, but he heard Tao hiss, "Do as he says, but take your time about it. Help is coming."
"Alright," the boy replied and led the way to the Condor.
"Once we are aloft," Cortés ordered his men, "take the children and begin the journey back to the city."
"And what of the adults?" his commander asked.
"They are of no consequence now. Take them deep into the ruins and dispose of them." The conquistador still carried his pistol in his hand and he motioned with it for Esteban to go to the Condor.
With a sinking feeling, the boy walked past the terrified Sancho and Pedro. He also saw the grim, but determined looks on the faces of Gomez and Gaspar. Esteban could only hope that they would all find a way to get out of their predicament even without Mendoza's help.
The light that had been emitted earlier by the Condor had faded and Esteban wondered what it had meant. It seemed clear that the ancient device still held many secrets. Indeed the interior of the bird had shifted. The three pilots seats remained in their original position, but the rear bench had been recessed farther into the Condor. It was deeply shadowed and Esteban didn't have time to fully observe his surroundings as Cortés quickly followed him into the great bird.
The child of the sun sat stiffly in the pilot's chair and the conquistador took the place to his left, his pistol still in his hand. "Amazing," he murmured, glancing around. "Well, young Esteban, show me how this great bird flies."
The boy nodded and removed the sun disk from his pocket. It slid into place and he felt some satisfaction when the conquistador flinched at the sight of the golden snake emerging from concealment. Esteban took one last look at the worried faces of his friend's as the glass dome closed. With a deep breath he pulled the control stick back and the Condor lifted into the sky.
Cortés cried out in delighted amazement and Esteban asked through gritted teeth, "Where shall I take you?"
Distractedly his captor replied, "Fly once around the ruins and then return to Mexico City. I wish to see my capital from the heavens."
Esteban obeyed the command, but felt a flood of frustration. He had to stop this evil man somehow! He wouldn't let Cortés take the Golden Condor or have Zia and Tao in his power. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Esteban caught sight of movement on the ground and instinctively pulled the controls to get a better look, saying quietly, "What is that?"
A column of horsemen was riding hard toward the city, their front lines almost to the limits of the ruins. "So, that fool of a Viceroy has finally arrived. Dive down on them, Esteban. I want their mounts scattered."
Before the boy could protest or comply, a calm voice interjected, "I don't believe that will be necessary, Esteban."
The Viceroy's men pulled up a bit and cried out in shock as the Golden Condor swooped over their heads. The governor of New Spain himself shouted, "Glorious!" as he watched in the bird in amazement.
A young woman in foreign garb reigned in her horse briefly to plead, "Please, Your Excellency, we must hurry on! There is nothing we can do about that machine while it remains in the sky, but there are people on the ground who must be found and dealt with." Anda spurred her horse on again and heard the Viceroy Mendoza calling his soldier's back to the task at hand. Desperately they raced down the wide avenue of the ruins searching for Cortés' men.
As they approached the far end, two children ran from an opening that led into a wide courtyard. Seeing the soldier's they hurriedly turned to flee again, but Andeanna called out, "Wait, Zia!"
The Inca girl looked round and caught Tao's arm. "It's you. We were afraid it was more of Cortés' guards."
"Where are they, little one?" the Viceroy asked the two children.
"Back there," Tao said, breathlessly pointing into the opening they had just rushed out of. "Hurry or they will be killed!"
"Forward men!" he called, but the woman was faster. She had galloped into the courtyard and rode hard toward the battle that was taking place at the center of the plaza. Eyes sweeping the scene, she saw one man already on the ground and another who stood over his fallen comrade. He was fighting several opponents at once with brutal yet effective swordsmanship, but Anda saw no sign of her companion Hisoka or Mendoza. Two other men were keeping the guardsmen at bay with stones from the rubble of a collapsed building.
Andeanna knew she was no match for the armored men in combat, but there were few who could compare with her riding skills. She spurred Hermosa toward the desperate battle in the middle of the square, charging at the guardsmen. Several backed away quickly while others did not notice the large beast until they were bowled over.
Pulling the horse around, she surveyed the results of the action. Her entrance had distracted the combatants, save one who took advantage of the diversion to move in to finish off the man who had fallen. Anda was about to call out to warn him, but the man in the gray coat was not about to be killed so easily. In a moment he was on his feet again and disarmed his opponent with stunning speed. Yet the movement cost him and he nearly doubled over in pain, clutching at his side.
Taking advantage of the lull, his companion in red yelled in gruff surprise, "Who the hell are you!"
"Well, who the hell are you?" she automatically responded.
Gaspar gave a bark of laughter before becoming all business once again. "Take the commander away from here, woman. I will take care of this riffraff." The man in the gray coat still looked as though he was in pain, but he took the hand offered to him and swung up behind her on the horse.
But in the few moments that these actions had taken, the guardsmen had had time to regroup their attack. Anda could see that both the commander and his friend were exhausted, yet determined continue the battle. "If we can hold them off for a few more moments, the Viceroy will put an end to this!" she yelled. The two weary soldiers nodded and prepared to continue the fight.
As their enemies surged around them, Gomez defended Hermosa with his sword while Gaspar continued to toss their foes aside as if they weighed no more than a doll. Andeanna did her best to keep the horse in motion, never giving the attackers a stationary target. Even Sancho and Pedro abandoned their stone throwing and threw themselves into the ring of protection formed by the three combatants.
"Enough! Halt in the name of the King!" A voice roared over the din of battle. "Lay down your weapons before I have you all imprisoned for defying the command of His Majesty's representative." Cortés' men appeared confused, but quickly obeyed this order after seeing the superior numbers that now faced them.
"Ah, we're safe!" Pedro sighed as sat up from the ground where he and Sancho had been cowering in fear.
"So it would seem," Gomez added, looking relieved and yet wary as well, as if he wasn't sure this turn of fortune would ultimately be in his favor.
"Yes, but I can only hope that the rest of our friends are fairing so well," Anda said, her eyes scanning the heavens.
Esteban quickly turned to look behind them in astonishment and saw the composed visage of Hisoka, who had appeared from somewhere behind them. Although, he had no idea where he had come from Esteban let out a delighted cry at the sight of the stranger.
Cortés, on the other hand, had not moved as Hisoka's sword tip was just touching his neck. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure, Señor."
"Nor shall you," Hisoka answered coolly. "Please take us back to the temple, Esteban."
But the conquistador wasn't about to give in so easily. His foot shot out and kicked the control stick sharply to the left. Hisoka lost his balance as the golden bird plunged suddenly toward the ground and his sword fell away from the conquistador's throat. This distraction gave Cortés enough time to train his pistol on the interloper.
"I don't know who you are, but I won't let you ruin my plans!" he roared, holding onto the seat to Esteban's right through the sickening plummet of the Condor.
Esteban looked over his shoulder in horror to see his would be rescuer on the floor, his hand gripping the base of the right seat. Reacting instinctively he yelled, "Hold on!" The boy pulled the controls hard to the right, completely rolling the Condor before correcting the bird again.
Cortés fell back against the cabin wall, but didn't lose his grip on the gun. In a moment, he had recovered and was training his weapon on his opponent again, but Hisoka was even quicker. Using the momentum of Esteban's desperate maneuver, he jumped up and over the seats to land a solid kick to the conquistador's jaw.
Esteban jumped to the far side of his seat, as Hisoka's right foot landed on the armrest of his chair. The foreigner completed the smooth rotation with ease, his other boot connecting with the pistol that was still gripped by Cortés. The gun flew across the control console of the Condor to land in the shadowed recesses of the far side of the bird. The marquis, however, fell heavily against the dome and remained where he landed, temporarily stunned.
Hisoka held his sword on the conquistador once more and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Esteban. That was quick thinking."
The boy nodded in acknowledgement, but his thoughts had already moved back to worry about his friends still in Teotihuacan. "We need to get back," he said seriously. Esteban could only hope that Zia and Tao were all right.
The afternoon was growing old as Esteban brought the Golden Condor back to the ruined city. He looked carefully around, trying to get the measure of the soldiers who quickly surrounded the flying machine. He was a bit worried until he saw two small shapes push through the crowd. Tao and Zia also looked anxious, but the sight of Esteban's grin caused them to smile too.
"Go ahead, Esteban," Hisoka said, his eyes never leaving Cortés' face. "We will follow."
The boy slid down the beak of the Condor to meet his friends who were joined by the Viceroy and Andeanna.
"Are you alright?" the woman asked, looking to her companion who now stood with the angry and visibly undefeated conquistador.
"Viceroy!" he said, stepping away from Hisoka and Esteban. "I demand that you arrest these men," he gestured from the foreigner to Gaspar, Gomez, and the others, "and take the children into custody. They have attacked me and my men in an attempt to steal this treasure that rightfully belongs to..."
"Marguis Cortés," Viceroy Mendoza cut in smoothly, "I think it unlikely that these strangers and mere children have caused any harm to you or your men, although they may not be able to say the same of you. Your actions here are very near treason!"
The conquistador flushed furiously, but his voice remained cool and calm as he replied, "I have only ever served the interests of the crown."
"I doubt that His Majesty will care for your explanations even if you were allowed to voice them in court. Now return with your men to the city!" the Viceroy commanded.
"And what of the Condor?"
"None of your concern!"
Cortés looked livid, but his greed and ambition were stymied by the vastly superior force controlled by Antonio de Mendoza. The Viceroy continued to watch him until he moved away with his men, then turned to regard the children with a warm smile.
"I am in your debt, young ones. If not for your aide, I have little doubt that the Marquis would heave seized this impressive device for himself. I can only imagine what he would have done with it in that event."
"Please," Esteban began, "if we have been of help to you, won't you now assist us?
Viceroy Mendoza looked at the boy closely and said, "You are asking me to let you depart, yes?" The trio nodded. "But the world is a dangerous place for such young ones as yourself."
"They will not be alone, Your Excellency," Anda said as she and Hisoka joined the conversation accompanied by the weary and dirty looking Sancho and Pedro. "These men have protected them before along with Blas de Mendoza, an excellent navigator."
"Where is this other Mendoza?" the Viceroy asked with a slight smile.
"Oh, I'm sure he will be along soon," Tao replied. "I doubt it will take him as long to find his way through the underground labyrinth as it did me."
"Very well, we will prepare to return to the Capital while you wait for your guardian."
When he had walked out of earshot, Zia queried, "But will Mendoza want to travel with us, and do we still want him too?"
"Gomez and Gaspar have his gold so I believe he will want to come with us again. Otherwise he would be going home empty handed," Tao answered with a wry smile.
"And I think you should consider the danger that faces you across the sea," Hisoka interjected gravely. "Cathay is not like the New World. I think that you will find that you need help."
"Are you offering to go with them as well?" a voice said from behind them. The children turned to see Mendoza descending the last steps of the sun temple carrying a very defeated looking Marinche. Setting her down on the last steps, he joined the group, saying, "My knowledge of the Orient is very limited, although I believe I could navigate the islands off to the Southeast if our path leads us that way."
"We can help you," Andeanna said earnestly, looking excitedly from her companion to Mendoza and the children. "We saw much of the world as we traveled back to Europe."
Hisoka appeared reserved if not also reluctant. "Are you certain you would want to travel through those lands once again? Not every experience along that road was pleasant."
"Yes, but there are good memories as well," she said anxiously, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Please!" she whispered.
"Very well," her companion answered, his expression becoming unreadable once again as his gaze shifted to Esteban. "We will join you, if you are willing to take us along with you."
"Then let's go," the Child of the Sun said happily. Tao looked curiously at their two new comers, while Zia appeared reluctant. But Esteban didn't seem to notice this as he walked towards the Condor, and his dearest friends in the world quickly joined him.
"You're going to go! Just like that!" Gaspar bellowed moving to cut them off.
"Yes, not that it is any of your business," Tao tartly replied, stepping around the big captain to follow Esteban and Zia into the great bird.
"Leave it, Gaspar," Gomez said unexpectedly from where he sat in the growing shadows. "We have what we came for."
"Well, if you say so, Commander." There was a strange note in the old soldier's voice, but he watched calmly with Gomez as the strange group of three children and five adults each settled into the Condor. The former commander almost smiled when he heard Pedro grumble something that sounded like "Here we go again" as he joined the others.
The Viceroy and his men watched in wonder as the Condor lifted into the air, disturbing a large cloud of dust that caused the Spaniards on the ground to cough and shield their eyes.
"How will you explain the loss of that magnificent machine, Your Excellency," Gomez asked, having moved to stand next to the soldiers of the king.
Viceroy Mendoza's expression did not change as he replied, "What machine, Señor? My report will state that all of this was just the heat-induced delusion of tired men. After all," he smirked, "Who would believe it anyway?"
Gomez shook his head, bemused, and watched until the Golden Condor had disappeared into the western horizon. Returning to his loyal friend, the former commander was surprised to see a sad look on Gaspar's face. "Do you think we will ever see them again?" the captain asked wistfully.
Gomez smiled indulgently and replied, "If we continue to follow the path that leads to the cities of gold, we will undoubtedly meet the children of the sun once more."
Our heroes intend to leave the Americas far behind them as they travel to distant lands in hopes of finding the other cities of gold. What new adventures await them? Find out in the next chapter of The Ancient Legacy