"No way! Forget it! Absolutely not!" Manny argued.
"Look all you have to do is trick him into pursuing you which I will catch on camera." T.J said.
"Quick question why can't we get Andrea to do it?"
"Because she's my woman but we can always have Frida do it."
"No! I refuse to let that behemoth touch her!"
"Alright then it has to be you."
"Why can't you do it?"
"Because he might recognize me and besides you don't know how to work a video camera."
"Ugghhh! Fine."
"Great now use these illusion leaves." He handed him the leaves.
"This goes against the laws of nature, God, and my pride." Manny groaned walking off to change.
"You sure this will work?" Frida asked. "Most of the time men who dress like women aren't exactly beautiful, in fact they're ugly."
"I know but if the illusion leaves are used properly he will look like an attractive woman."
"Okay if you say so. By the way where's Andrea?"
"She's helping the ambassador give tend to the people in poverty."
"That's nice, why don't you go with her?"
"Someone has to catch Tzekel's little secret on camera."
"What do I do?"
"See if you can find my grandfather okay? Here's a map to some of the places he might be."
"Okay. Good luck guys."
She took the map from him and left. T.J then began packing up some things they may need in case things got out of hand.
"Come on Manny! Hurry up!" He shouted impatiently. "What could be taking him so long? Oh hello!"
He spotted what appeared to a very attractive teenage girl with long dark brown curls.
"Hello there lovely lady." T.J told her flirtatiously while groping her butt. "And what is your name?"
She glared at him and punched him right across his face.
"Ow!"
"Drop it T.J! It's me!" The person shrieked in a girl's voice.
"Manny?"
"Yes! You moron! And if you ever touch me there again I'll claw off your manhood!"
"Oh I gross! I touched a guy's butt!"
PUNCH!
"Ow!"
"For the record I hate you so much right now!"
"Sorry dude but desperate times call for desperate measures and I must admit you make one convincing girl."
"I know and I will be certain to make you pay for this atrocity!"
"Again I'm sorry."
"Whatever let's just get this over with."
"Right we have a pervert to expose but one question before we go."
"What?"
"Are those real?" He asked pointing to the boobs on his disguised chest.
PUNCH!
"Ow!"
"Anymore questions you filthy lecher?!" Manny growled.
"No I'm good."
At the moment Tzekel was alone drinking booze which was another thing his tribe forbade.
"Okay so the plan is simple we are going to walk in, I am going to introduce you as my virgin cousin, give him the fake book, hide the camera, then leave you alone with him. Tzekel will take the bait I know it." T.J said told Manny.
"Are you sure we can't try another way to expose him?" Manny asked.
"No now work with me on this."
"Ughh! You breathe one word of this to anyone and I will hurt you in ways so horrible they're not even in your nightmares."
They knocked on the door, Tzekel quickly but his alcoholic drink away and answered the door.
"You're pretty foolish returning here." He said to T.J. "And even more foolish for bringing a woman here, that's just as bad as drinking."
"Hypocrite. I can smell the booze on your breath." Manny thought. Tzekel's large hands that had burn marks on them and briefly turned green eyed. "And you laid those boarish hands on FRIDA!"
"Yes I am unworthy which is why I have decided to give you the book." T.J said.
"You have?" Tzekel questioned.
"Yes, you are truly worthy of your title as the chief and even more worthy of keeping the book. You must forgive me for bringing my cousin but she is homeless so I couldn't just abandon her and I can assure you she is no sinful creature. For she is a pure and good hearted virgin."
"Well virgin or not I never trust a woman. Now then would you mind bringing me my scrolls?"
"Now?"
"Yes now."
"Of course."
T.J quickly slipped the small camera behind a cushion but made sure it would tape the actions that would take place then left giving Manny an apologetic look. Once he was gone Tzekel began staring at Manny in a way that held both lust and disgust.
"No. It's just...I don't...You are a virgin yes?"
"Yes but frankly it's none of your business and why do you care? Don't all women disgust you?"
"Most for most of them descend from the sinful Eve but here are those who did not come from her. Those who come from heaven those like the dancers I saw earlier."
"I see so are you attractive to women?"
"Of course not! How dare you accuse me of disgusting thing."
"You don't have to shout and being attracted to a woman isn't that bad of a thing is it? After all we are so attractive." Manny cooed while flipping his hair seductively.
"Oh God this feels so wrong!" He thought "Okay just grin and bear it and later kill T.J for this unforgivable humiliation."
"Are you trying to seduce me?" Tzekel asked.
"Maybe but then again." Manny said lifting up his skirt to expose what appeared to be a perfect and attractive female leg. "Women are taboo here are they not?"
Manny could sense the lust and desire bubbling up inside of the corrupted priest. Tzekel found he could resist no longer and he almost attacked him when he noticed Manny's eyes, they held something he had never seen in any eyes ever. They were the eyes of great rage and fire.
"What are you?" He asked.
"Beg pardon?"
"What are you?"
"I think I am a woman."
"A woman! Oh please! Do you think I'm stupid?"
"What?"
"You're merely disguised as a woman! I know a man when I see one!"
"How rude but if you're so sure then prove it." Manny puffed at his chest. "Check and see if they're real."
"Demon you won't trick me like that celestial maiden!"
"Celestial what?"
"A rare beauty she was, she seemed most heavenly especially with that blue hair."
Manny felt anger spark when he realized who he was talking about but remembered he couldn't go off at least not yet anyway.
"So you are attracted to women? Just as I suspected. No sane man can ever resist a lovely young woman. They are a man's greatest weakness."
"Yes it's true."
"Finally a confession." Manny thought relieved. "Now to change back before I throw up."
"I must admit I did long to make her mine." Tzekel admitted making Manny's sparking anger grow.
"Di...Did you now?" He asked trying so hard to keep up his facade.
"Yes but she rejected me like I was the one who was repulsive. I realized that she was a witch trying to draw me into sin so I tried to destroy her."
The fire of anger in the halfling boy disguised as a girl continued to rise with each word from the priest's mouth.
"But she got away using her witchcraft. But she won't escape and when I find her I intend to beat her senseless and burn her at the stake."
"You son of a bitch!" Manny shouted in his normal voice. He punched Tzekel across his face, grabbed his throat and pinned him into the wall. "I'll see you in hell first before I allow you to even look at her again! You hypocritical bastard!"
"So you are a man?! I must admit you had me fooled for awhile but the minute I saw the fire in your eyes I knew you couldn't possibly be female! I'm not even sure it's human!"
"Well surpise!" Manny said cracking his knuckles."I'm half spirit! And you're going to pay for what you did to Frida!"
"Is that her name? How pretty especially for a girl like her. Such a shame that such a young and radiant maiden will have to burn!"
"That's it!" Manny shouted changing back. "I'm going to tear you limb from limb!"
He began choking the priest only to have T.J pull him off.
"Manny no!" He said. "You can't kill him!"
"Just watch me!"
Once he was free Tzekel pulled a switch and a cage fell onto the two boys.
"You were right about one thing demon boy." Tzekel said. "A woman is a man's weakness especially if he desires her. Right T.J?"
"You're a funny one to talk!" T.J snapped. "You were pretty attracted to Frida and Andrea last night."
"They bewitched me."
"You wish!"
"Thank you kindly forgiving me the names of these lovely ladies. Finding them should be easy now."
"What are you going to do to them?"
"Well it's obvious the one that's got your friend so riled up here is a witch so she'll have to either be burned as for the other one well who knows, maybe she'll be more submissive."
"No! Don't you dare!" T.J shouted getting angry. "Don't you touch her! Not now or ever!"
"Ta-ta gentlemen. I'll make sure you're both hanged for treason when I'm through with your women."
He left the room chuckling and locked the door.
"You idiot! I can't believe this!" T.J snapped at Manny. "We were so close but thanks to that little stunt you pulled we're trapped like rats!"
"If you hadn't stopped me I would've ripped that caveman to shreds and this ordeal would be over!"
"You would've broken the seal and destroyed us all genius!"
"I don't have time for this! We have to get out of here!"
"Forget it! The bars were made specially to contain humans, demons, and spirits. So we're trapped and tomorrow we'll be hanged."
"If you think I'm just going to sit here and let that bastard burn Frida at the stake you've got another thing coming! I will get to her! Even if I have to chew my way through this bird cage!"
"I agree with you but we can't just try to break our way out of here!"
"Well check that bag of yours, see if there's anything that can help us."
"Okay I'm looking. I just hope the girls are somewhere safe."
"You and me both."
Meanwhile Frida was having a difficult time reading the map T.J gave her. She never was good with navigation or directions, she found herself hopelessly lost.
"I knew I should've stayed with them. Maybe I should ask someone if they can understand this."
She noticed a crowd of men gathering in the tribe for what appeared to be an announcement. She hid herself behind some trees and listened for what was going on. A man stood above them, it was Tzekel. Seeing him made her shudder remembering what he did to her.
"My fellow men." He spoke. "I have just learned that there are two women who have been sneaking around in our village. One of them in particular is a witch."
The men gasped and began whispering.
"Yes, this woman must be captured. Do not be fooled by her innocent appearance for the devil dwells in her. Find them and capture them alive."
"What will you do with them?" One man asked.
"The witch must be burned and as for the other woman she will be tested. True all women are wretched creatures but maybe there are some exceptions."
"What do they look like?" Another asked.
"I do not know what the other woman looks like but the witch looks like a young maiden and her hair is a most unusual color, it is blue."
"Oh crap he means me." Frida thought.
"Find her but be warned she may try to trick you so if she appears like an innocent and harmless girl do not be fooled for it is one of her tricks."
"Great a witch hunt is after me, what else can go wrong." She thought.
Suddenly the branch she was standing on which was really weak, broke and she fell down right in front of the men.
"There's the witch!" Tzekel pointed out. "After her!"
Frida quickly stood up and fled for her life as the men chased after her. She wasn't much of a runner but she still had one of T.J's smoke bombs. She pulled the bomb from her dress pocket and threw it to the ground filling the area with smoke and blinding the men after her.
"Witchcraft!" Tzekel gasped. "Don't let her escape!"
But the men couldn't see her through the smoke giving her a chance to get away. But in her haste to get away she tripped over a root and fell down causing her foot to hit a stone. It hurt terribly and she couldn't walk, she could hear the men coming closer. Suddenly she felt a hand touch her, she let out a scream.
"Shh! Don't be scared." It was old man, awfully frail, feeble, and blind. "I'll help you escape."
"Why should I trust you?"
"You have no reason to but what choice do you have?"
"Good point but I can't walk."
"I shall carry you on my back."
"Are you sure?" She said.
"Trust me I'm stronger than I look."
He proved her right by lifting her on to his back and carrying her to an old hunt. It looked like it was made entirely of nature but inside everything was man made. He sat her down and began to bandage her foot.
"Thanks." She said. "But don't you think I'm evil?"
"Why would I think you're evil? I just met you."
"Well last I checked the men here thought women were to blame for all bad things happening here."
"Bah! Tzekel and his ridiculous theories! Anyone who believes him must be confused or just plain stupid. He claims that he wants to protect my people yet he banishes the poor wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters from their home and steals male children from their families. When I was chief I would have never approved of such a thing."
"Chief? You mean your the previous chief."
"I was until Tzekel had me removed and left to live in this jungle."
"Your T.J's grandfather!"
"T.J?"
"Tulio Julian. I'm a friend of his."
"So my grandson is alive? What's he like? No doubt he's a fine young man."
"Well he's a good friend but he's a lecher."
"Why am I not surprised? Like father like son. Where is he?"
"He's trying to catch that crazy chief guy messing around with a woman."
"He's attracted women?"
"I think so, he attacked me the other night and once we catch him in the act of it and expose it he'll be out of there."
"Don't underestimate Tzekel. He may be insane but he's not stupid nor is he someone to not fear. He is a master at manipulation and can cause the death of innocents."
"Yeah well he shouldn't underestimate T.J and Manny, they're pretty clever and most of the time they know exactly what they're doing."
"So they've never failed at anything."
"I wouldn't say that but they're very resourceful and they always have a plan.
...
"I have no plan." T.J said. "It's hopeless, we're trapped."
BANG! POW!
While T.J was sitting on the floor having a terrible time thinking of a plan, Manny was trying to break down the bars.
"Will you stop it already? You've been at it for six hours." T.J said.
"I will not!"
creep"You're gonna give yourself a head concussion."
"I don't care! I will not die here! I will not die by a hanging!"
"Well we're never gonna get out of here. So accept it."
"Why are you so quick to accept death?"
"I don't know. To be honest I think I deserve it."
"What?"
"Tzekel may be out of his mind but he was right about one thing. I left my people, my father, and my grandfather to die. I ran away like a coward, I always felt guilty that I didn't stay and fight. I deserve to hang."
"Come here big guy." Manny said making it look like he was going to hug him but when T.J leaned in Manny punched him again. "Are you nuts?! That was eleven years ago! And you were a kid! Of course you ran away! No one in their right mind expects an eight year old to fight a demon! You need to stop beating yourself up over this!"
"But I-"
"Get a grip! We need to get out of here! If we don't not do we die! But so do the girls! Tell me the truth! Do you really want that creep to hurt Andrea?!"
"Of course not!"
"Then stop beating yourself up about something in the past and think of something stupid!"
"Alright, alright, I'm thinking." T.J thought long and hard. "I have an idea, it may not work but it's all I've got right now."
"Anything as long as I don't have to dress like a girl again."