CHAPTER NINE: TZEKLE-KAN'S CURSE

"No…" Miguel whispered hoarsely, staring around him. The city was in ruins. Half of the golden temples that once stood were now reduced to piles of rubble. Bridges had been knocked out, trees ripped out of the ground, and the streets and peoples homes were lying covered in a thick black mass…all leading from the Volcano. Molten rock. The volcano had erupted.

"Where…where is everybody?" Miguel asked, his voice becoming steadily higher with panic.

"Miguel," Tulio began, but his partner was no longer listening to him. He already pulled away and was limping unsteadily towards the deserted village. "Where are all the people?!"

"Somebody? Anybody!? Please! Someone answer me!" Miguel shouted, his voice echoing in the empty village.

Tulio came to stand beside him. "Miguel…I--" he began.

"My Lords?" a soft voice came suddenly. The two turned towards the sound to see a figure slowly emerging from a near-by dwelling.

"Chief Tani?" Miguel asked hopefully. And indeed it was. The Chieftain of El Dorado emerged slowly. His was considerably thinner than he was at their last meeting, though he was still twice the size of Tulio and Miguel put together. His face no longer had the jovial glow it had before, understandable with the devastations that was around them.

"You have returned! But how--?" The Chief stuttered in disbelief.

"It's a long story Chief, believe me." Tulio replied. They watched as eyes began to peer out at them from inside darkened doorways and windows, and slowly the remaining people of El Dorado emerged, all stunned and amazed to see Tulio and Miguel standing before them once more.

"Forgive us our silence, my Lords, we thought you were the strangers." Chief Tanibuck said.

Miguel and Tulio exchanged glances. "Strangers?" they asked.

"The men who came from the sea on great ships, bringing armor and weapons."

"Cortez!" Miguel gasped.

The Chief nodded.

"Have they been here?" Tulio asked worriedly.

The Chief shook his head. "No, they have not discovered the city…yet. But that is a long a tale, and you both look tired."

He saw the splint around Miguel's leg then, and Tulio's bloody feet. "You're injured!" he gasped.

"Never mind that now, tell us what happened." Miguel urged. The chief put his massive arms around the two of them, leading them down the road that was slowly beginning to fill with people again, all smiling and staring. "In due time. You need rest and care."

The Gods Temple, amazingly enough, still remained untouched from the disaster, and stood in the center of the city looking as glorious as it ever did. Despite their curiosity to learn what had happened to the city, the two companions were more than glad to be off their feet and resting on something softer than the hard ground. They were brought plenty of food and wine to drink, and the Chief had Miguel's leg tended to at once, while Tulio soaked his feet in small pool inside the temple. Altivo too was well taken care of, and given all the able he could eat, and wine too.

The people of El Dorado for all intents and purposes still believed that Tulio and Miguel were the Lords of El Dorado, even if the Chief knew better. They did not question the fact that, if the two were Gods, how was it they bleed or had injuries? It was irrelevant to them, for they loved Tulio and Miguel, as they had saved them from Tzekle-Kan's wrath before. They were heroes, even if they weren't divine spirits.

"Chief, you still haven't told us happened." Miguel said as Tanibuck turned to leave. He sighed and shook his head, sinking down onto the one of the cushioned couches.

"It began sometime after you had sealed the gate," he began quietly as the two men listened intently. "The volcano had been looking angry for sometime, smoking quietly. We thought it had gone out all together, but then suddenly, it erupted with so much fury it was frightening. Much of the city was covered under the lava, and we lost many lives. But some of the people escaped from the village, for the eruption had caused a great opening in the mountain side that was impassible before. They fled into the jungle, and there they met him. The man you call Cortez. He took many of our people captive. Only one managed to escape, one of my guards. It has been many months now since their capture, I fear for their lives." he concluded.

Miguel and Tulio soaked it all in slowly, and then slowly turned to look at each other. "Well, that settles it then." Miguel said simply.

"Oh no…" Tulio moaned, knowing what was coming.

"We'll simply go and search for them!" he said jumping up as if he'd go right this minute, but his ankle throbbed painfully and yelped, falling back down again. It was extremely tender as dragging up that mountainside.

"My Lords, I am honored that you wish to help, but you are in no condition. Please, rest here until you are well, and then we will see what we can do."

Tulio nodded, "You're exactly right, Chief, thank you so much. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're both a little tired…" he began.

Chief Tani nodded, smiling as he stood up. "Of course," he said as excused himself, drawing the curtains behind himself as he left the temple.

Tulio sighed in relief, slumping back against his couch. "Ahhh…I could sleep for a week." he sighed. The two of them got up to move towards their bed, when they remembered…there was only one.

As friends, this had never been a problem, but now as lovers…

"Uh…I'll just sleep over here on the couch," Tulio said, but Miguel caught him by the belt buckle, pulling him back.

"Oh no you don't," he said slyly, pulling him towards the bed. They had both had quite a lot of wine, and Miguel was a bit out of it any from his medicine. Tulio gulped as Miguel pushed onto the bed, climbing in beside him and began kissing him softly and sweetly, holding him tightly. Tulio gladly returned it with the same feelings flooding through him, but he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. After all, Miguel was hurt, and drugged, and drunk…

"Miguel…Miguel," Tulio said, breaking away from his kisses. "Miguel, we can't…" he said.

Miguel nuzzled his neck, purring like a large house cat. "Why not?" he asked, giving Tulio's earlobe an affectionate nip.

"Because you're hurt…" Tulio began, feeling Miguel's bare skin against his hands as the blonde-Spaniard tugged off his shirt.

"I feel fine!" Miguel insisted, giving Tulio the same treatment. The two held each other tightly, feeling flesh against flesh. Tulio moaned at the sensation. Holding his best friend close to him like this made him feel a way that no woman he'd ever had made him feel.

Miguel smiled up at him, "Why Tulio, is that a gold brick in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Tulio blushed, but then grew serious. "Never mind that, Miguel, I need to know, right here right now, are you sure about this? Is this what you really want?"

Miguel stared back at him with those deep green eyes, full of love and longing. "I'm sure. I love you, Tulio."

That was all the reassurance Tulio needed. They drew the curtains closed around their bed, and blew out the candle light, leaving them in warm loving darkness.

***

Margarita just stared.

Their boat had landed upon the shores of the new world, and all that laid before her was sand and jungle. They had received Lorenzo's letter shortly before his boat had set sail, and she stood with her father, waiting to be greeted by the renowned explorer and conquistador Cortez, along with the survivors of the ship.

"They went into the jungle?" she gasped when Lorenzo had told her the news.

"All the tracks lead there, senorita. We can only follow them so far, then they disappear." he replied.

"I see," she said at length, looking to her father. "No matter. My daddy will find him."

"But senora…" he began.

"My father can track a falcon on a cloudy day, he can track that man." she replied snootily. Cortez approached then with a strange looking native at his side. The Count and the conquistador greeted each other with cool familiarity. The Count gazed at the tracks leading away into the dense undergrowth.

"They must be very desperate, or very brave, or very stupid." he said.

"A little bit of all I should think." Lorenzo replied.

"Do you mean to follow them?" Cortez asked gruffly.

"They will either live or die in there. If they die, I have no wish to join them. If they live, I will greet them on the other side." Ferdinand replied.

"It is too far around. I believe I have a better idea," the native next to Cortez said suddenly.

"It talks!" Margarita gasped.

Cortez cuffed him across the face for talking out of line, but the strange man's smile never faltered. Still Cortez asked, "What do you mean?"

"I know of who you speak, and if you take my advice, my lords, you will be able to bring them to you…" he said darkly.

***

Tulio woke to warm late morning sun shining in through the temple windows, and the feeling of a warm naked body next to his. He looked down to see Miguel curled against him, head resting on his chest, arm wrapped around his torso, breathing softly.

Tulio sighed in contentment, combing his fingers through Miguel's soft golden hair. He could live his life happily like this, just he and Miguel and the quiet peace of El Dorado. He would have been content to spend the rest of his days just like this, holding the man he loved. "Te amo…" he whispered, kissing his partner's hair softly.

The other man sighed then in his sleep, moving a bit closer, holding Tulio tightly. He blinked, coming into conscious, and looked up sleepily at Tulio, who simply gazed back at him warmly.

"Good morning." he said.

Miguel grinned, "That it is." he replied. "I barely dare to believe this is all real." he admitted.

Tulio held his hand to his heart, letting him feel the heart beat beneath. "As real as anything, love."

"I love you." Miguel said, kissing his mouth softly.

"I love you too." Tulio replied.

Then there was the sudden rustling of fabric and the Chief's head appeared. "My Lords, I--"

Miguel and Tulio stopped in mid-kiss, staring with wide eyes, before screaming and leaping under the blankets, Miguel kicking Tulio clean out of the bed, sending him to the floor in a tangle of sheets and pillows as the Chief himself staggered backwards.

"Chief, Chief!" Tulio cried, standing up, trying to smooth things over, wrapping one of the blankets around his waist. "How can we help you?"

"I am very sorry to intrude," Chief Tani replied, looking quite embarrassed, "I was simply coming to tell you that we have spotted smoke on the horizon." he said.

"It has to be him," Miguel said popping his head out from behind the bed taperstries, tugging on his pants as he did so. "Tulio let's go."

"We'll get right on it, Chief, uno momento, could you excuse while we make ourselves decent?" Tulio asked, and Tonibuck gladly replied, although he was smiling smugly to himself as he left the room.

"Well THAT was mortifying." Tulio grumbled, sinking down on the edge of the bed.

"I agree, but we can't worry about that now." Miguel said, struggling into his shirt and grabbing his sword from it's place on the floor. "We have to find the captives!"

"Hold it there, amigo!" Tulio cried, grabbing Miguel by the seat of his pants and pulling him inadvertently into his lap. "You shouldn't be traipsing around looking for conquistadors on a broken ankle."

"Oh Tulio, it's fine! I've got a bit of a limp and it aches a bit, but I can still walk!" Miguel insisted.

"Then I think you were exaggerating back in the jungle." Tulio replied.

"I was not! It's this native healing power," Miguel argued. Tulio just gave him that blank stare, so Miguel licked his cheek the way Altivo would to snap him out of it.

"Ugh! Yick!" Tulio gasped.

"Yeah, that's not what you said last night…" Miguel said, smiling smugly, climbing out of his partner's lap. "Come on Tulio, our people need us! Miguel and Tulio, Mighty and Powerful Gods of El Dorado, to the rescue!" The blonde cried, charging, as best he could, towards the door.

"Not again…" Tulio lamented.

***

And so they set out into the jungle again, this time with ample supplies, and both equipped with swords and spears. They followed the smoke that was floating above the tree line for many miles, and little by little they began to see signs of where Cortez's army had been. Slashed and burned trees, the ground trampled with many foot prints, and the lack of wildlife.

At last they could see looming in the distance the source of the smoke. Cortez's camp. It was huge, and filled with soldiers all heavily armed. However, none of them seemed to be paying much attention to them. They were all rather engrossed in their drinking and merriment.

It was Miguel who spotted the captives first. They were all sitting, about a dozen of them, shackled in a small circle in the middle of the camp.

"Tulio, there they are," Miguel said, tugging on his sleeve as they crouched in the undergrowth. "Lets go."

"Whoa, whoa, hold it Miguel, I don't like this…" Tulio said, gazing suspiciously at the captives. Something didn't feel right. "I think we should---"

*Click*

"Don't move!" a voice from behind them barked. The two men froze, feeling the tingling sensation of a gun barrel at their backs. It was the Count, and behind him was Margarita.

"Surrender!" he demanded.

"You mean you wish to surrender to us? Very well, we accept." Miguel said. Tulio stared at him.

"I give you gentlemen full marks for bravery, do not make yourselves fools." The Count grunted. "Surrender!" he demanded again.

"Ah, but we know the secretes of the jungle, and we can live there quite happily for sometime, so if you ever feel like dying, please, come visit." Tulio said this time, trying to bluff his way out the way he always did.

"It's clear that this man must have kidnapped him, daddy. Kill him." Margarita said glaring at Tulio. The Count raised his gun again.

"NO!" Miguel cried, throwing himself in front of him protectively, eyes wide in fear. He glared at Margarita. She knew she had him. There was nothing he could do, except…

"Will you promise not to hurt him?" he asked.

"What?" Margarita asked.

"If I go with you, If I MARRY you, will you promise to let this man go free? And these people you hold captive?"

"I give you my word as a lady." Margarita said.

Tulio clutched Miguel's hand. "Miguel, no, what are you doing?!" he cried. Miguel turned to him, looking heartbroken.

"I lost you once, and it nearly destroyed me. I could not bear it if I lost you again, not while I can save you." he said softly. Tulio shook his head slowly in disbelief as the Count stepped beside him, taking his shoulder firmly, leading him away as Cortez approached, looking more menacingly than ever.

Cortez and the Count paused to each other briefly, whispering one to the other.

"When we have gone, take him and your captives out of the camp, I don't care what you do with them from there, just get them out of my sight." the Count muttered.

Cortez smiled. "Of course." he replied, approaching Tulio as Miguel and the others slowly disappeared into the camp. "Round them up!" he shouted to his men, who moved towards the captives.

Tulio glared up at him, trying to look a lot braver than he felt. "You and I both know you have no intention of setting me or any of the others free." he said.

"Well said, heathen." The Spanish conquer growled, grabbing his wrist and dragging him along side him, his sword held ready. "You are going to show me where the city of Gold is, but you will not speak of it to anyone. When those other heathens arrive, you will tell them that you are taking them home, and that I am escorting you, and if you some much as utter a syllable otherwise, I will cut you from naval to nose." he growled.

Tulio glared back at him contemptuously, feeling utterly horrified. They were doomed.