The three of them trudged exhaustingly up the steep, mountainous
steps. Their stamina wore thin as they journeyed on up the
pyramid and they had to stop to catch their breath twice. It
took them half an hour to reach the top. Jack was the first to
step onto the roof, followed by Aragorn and then Will. All of
them were out of breath, and put their hands on their knees and
stooped over.
"We're...here," panted Jack.
"You don't...say," snarled Aragorn.
"Where to now?" puffed Will.
"Let me see," said Jack, standing up. He looked into the temple. "Ah good, he's in."
Aragorn turned around and looked there as well. There was a man sitting in front of a round stone blazing with flames. He was bald but for a thin black queue on the top of his head. He sat in a lotus position and was moving his hands as though to boost the fire upwards. He wore nothing but a brown loin cloth and a black feather headdress. He seemed to be chanting some sort of incantation.
"Who is he?" asked Aragorn.
"His name is Tliq – Tlilponp – Tlilpotonqui," said Jack, trying to pronounce the Aztec's name. "He is the High Priest of this village."
"What do we need him for?" asked Will.
"He is also the Head of the town," said Jack. "He has command over the army. A small army, but enough for a crew."
"Do these people know how to run a ship?" said Aragorn.
"Not in the least," answered Jack. "But they can defend us if we get into bother. Now keep schtum while I talk with him."
Jack approached Tlilpotonqui. "Excuse me Tla – sir," he said.
The High Priest's rigid body suddenly slouched and the fire died down spookily. His legs dislocated in a most unusual, disgusting and (probably) unnatural way, and then rejointed to their normal state when he was out of the lotus position. He stood without supporting himself with his hands and turned slowly to face Jack. He had a large, hooked nose much like Constable Obstinée's, and narrow, charcoal black slits of eyes. Aragorn noticed, horribly, that there was blood running down his temple. The man's palms were very scarred and red, from bloodletting from them. There were two fresh, glistening gashes there.
"Jack Sparrow," he hissed. "It has been many moons since last our paths crossed. In the time since we met, the year of the jaguar has passed. That of the serpent has begun."
"Frankly, why would you think I care?" asked Jack rhetorically.
"You are ignorant," said Tlilpotonqui. "What is it you wish of me?"
"I would like you and your men to aid me," said Jack. "I'm having a bit of an holiday and needed you to guard my ship."
"Why is that my concern?" asked the Aztec.
"If you help us," said Jack, "you will most probably be able to put those fine clubs and bows of yours to work. Heads will roll, blood will spill, it will be a fine tribute to your Gods."
"Indeed it would," said Tlilpotonqui. "However, you will need to convince me more, Smoking Sparrow."
"I do wish you wouldn't call me that," muttered Jack bitterly.
"I can tickle your interest with this, perhaps," he said, and extracted from his pocket, on a silver chain, a golden coin. It was decorated around the edges with runes, and in the center was carved a grotesque skull.
"Sparrow!" barked Aragorn. Dragging him everywhere trying to find it, and having it in his pocket all along. "You – "
"Who are these?" demanded Tlilpotonqui. "Sacrifices, as payment, perhaps?"
"No, no!" said Jack. Then out of the corner of his mouth, "Aragorn, shut up!" He began speaking to Tlilpotonqui again. "No, they are my friends. In case you do not know what that means, they are my allies."
"I see," said Tlilpotonqui, and turned his attention rapidly back to the gold. His beady eyes stared at it greedily. "Our gold..." he whispered mysteriously and reached for it. Jack quickly snatched it back.
"Ah, ah, ah," said Jack like a mother scolding a child, "mustn't touch. But, if you help me, you will see much more like this. I know where much gold is hidden."
"Our gold?" asked Tlilpotonqui.
"Only if you want to be cursed for eternity," said Jack.
"Then how is it you come to have one and be not cursed?"
"Found it," said Jack casually. "A certain old friend of mine, a monkey named Jack (what a coincidence, eh?), had it.
"So, do we have a deal?"
"We do, Smoking Sparrow," nodded Tlilpotonqui.
"Excellent!" said Jack jovially, clapping his hands together. He took the gold in his hand and put it back in his pocket. Aragorn's anger ceased; it was not the same gold. "Collect your army then, and we'll be off."
The rather small Aztec army was quite a sight for its size. They wore little of armour: a red shirt and black loin cloths, with gold bands around their arms and legs. They wore black sandals and headdresses like eagles' heads. There were three lines of ten warriors. The first line was comprised of warriors carrying spears and round, feathered shields. The second line carried the shields but instead of spears they carried flat, rectangular, wooden clubs edged with sharp obsidian blades. The third line had neither club, spear, nor shield, but carried longbows.
"My sincere apologies for the miniscule size of the army," said Tlilpotonqui, leading Aragorn, Jack, and Will around, inspecting it. "They are our finest Eagles and Jaguars."
"Also your only Eagles and Jaguars," said Jack.
"What do you mean by Eagles and Jaguars?" asked Aragorn.
"Eagles are the club and spearmen, and Jaguars are the archers," said Jack, like this was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Actually, the Jaguars bear the clubs and spears," said Tlilpotonqui. "Eagles carry bows."
Jack narrowed his eyes and moistened his lips in deep concentration. "Of course I knew that," he said suddenly, turning around. "I was merely stating that Eagles and Jaguars are the military ranks."
"They will serve me unquestioningly in battle," said Tlilpotonqui. "I will tell them to do as you order."
"Good," said Jack. "Well, I mean, it could be much better obviously, but it'll do."
Several of the spear men brandished their weapons at Jack, who merely drew his pistol and pointed it at them, still looking at the High Priest. They lowered their spears immediately.
"Let us be off then!" Jack said.
-------------
In case anyone was wondering, 'Schtum' means 'Quiet'.
I'll update soon!
"We're...here," panted Jack.
"You don't...say," snarled Aragorn.
"Where to now?" puffed Will.
"Let me see," said Jack, standing up. He looked into the temple. "Ah good, he's in."
Aragorn turned around and looked there as well. There was a man sitting in front of a round stone blazing with flames. He was bald but for a thin black queue on the top of his head. He sat in a lotus position and was moving his hands as though to boost the fire upwards. He wore nothing but a brown loin cloth and a black feather headdress. He seemed to be chanting some sort of incantation.
"Who is he?" asked Aragorn.
"His name is Tliq – Tlilponp – Tlilpotonqui," said Jack, trying to pronounce the Aztec's name. "He is the High Priest of this village."
"What do we need him for?" asked Will.
"He is also the Head of the town," said Jack. "He has command over the army. A small army, but enough for a crew."
"Do these people know how to run a ship?" said Aragorn.
"Not in the least," answered Jack. "But they can defend us if we get into bother. Now keep schtum while I talk with him."
Jack approached Tlilpotonqui. "Excuse me Tla – sir," he said.
The High Priest's rigid body suddenly slouched and the fire died down spookily. His legs dislocated in a most unusual, disgusting and (probably) unnatural way, and then rejointed to their normal state when he was out of the lotus position. He stood without supporting himself with his hands and turned slowly to face Jack. He had a large, hooked nose much like Constable Obstinée's, and narrow, charcoal black slits of eyes. Aragorn noticed, horribly, that there was blood running down his temple. The man's palms were very scarred and red, from bloodletting from them. There were two fresh, glistening gashes there.
"Jack Sparrow," he hissed. "It has been many moons since last our paths crossed. In the time since we met, the year of the jaguar has passed. That of the serpent has begun."
"Frankly, why would you think I care?" asked Jack rhetorically.
"You are ignorant," said Tlilpotonqui. "What is it you wish of me?"
"I would like you and your men to aid me," said Jack. "I'm having a bit of an holiday and needed you to guard my ship."
"Why is that my concern?" asked the Aztec.
"If you help us," said Jack, "you will most probably be able to put those fine clubs and bows of yours to work. Heads will roll, blood will spill, it will be a fine tribute to your Gods."
"Indeed it would," said Tlilpotonqui. "However, you will need to convince me more, Smoking Sparrow."
"I do wish you wouldn't call me that," muttered Jack bitterly.
"I can tickle your interest with this, perhaps," he said, and extracted from his pocket, on a silver chain, a golden coin. It was decorated around the edges with runes, and in the center was carved a grotesque skull.
"Sparrow!" barked Aragorn. Dragging him everywhere trying to find it, and having it in his pocket all along. "You – "
"Who are these?" demanded Tlilpotonqui. "Sacrifices, as payment, perhaps?"
"No, no!" said Jack. Then out of the corner of his mouth, "Aragorn, shut up!" He began speaking to Tlilpotonqui again. "No, they are my friends. In case you do not know what that means, they are my allies."
"I see," said Tlilpotonqui, and turned his attention rapidly back to the gold. His beady eyes stared at it greedily. "Our gold..." he whispered mysteriously and reached for it. Jack quickly snatched it back.
"Ah, ah, ah," said Jack like a mother scolding a child, "mustn't touch. But, if you help me, you will see much more like this. I know where much gold is hidden."
"Our gold?" asked Tlilpotonqui.
"Only if you want to be cursed for eternity," said Jack.
"Then how is it you come to have one and be not cursed?"
"Found it," said Jack casually. "A certain old friend of mine, a monkey named Jack (what a coincidence, eh?), had it.
"So, do we have a deal?"
"We do, Smoking Sparrow," nodded Tlilpotonqui.
"Excellent!" said Jack jovially, clapping his hands together. He took the gold in his hand and put it back in his pocket. Aragorn's anger ceased; it was not the same gold. "Collect your army then, and we'll be off."
The rather small Aztec army was quite a sight for its size. They wore little of armour: a red shirt and black loin cloths, with gold bands around their arms and legs. They wore black sandals and headdresses like eagles' heads. There were three lines of ten warriors. The first line was comprised of warriors carrying spears and round, feathered shields. The second line carried the shields but instead of spears they carried flat, rectangular, wooden clubs edged with sharp obsidian blades. The third line had neither club, spear, nor shield, but carried longbows.
"My sincere apologies for the miniscule size of the army," said Tlilpotonqui, leading Aragorn, Jack, and Will around, inspecting it. "They are our finest Eagles and Jaguars."
"Also your only Eagles and Jaguars," said Jack.
"What do you mean by Eagles and Jaguars?" asked Aragorn.
"Eagles are the club and spearmen, and Jaguars are the archers," said Jack, like this was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Actually, the Jaguars bear the clubs and spears," said Tlilpotonqui. "Eagles carry bows."
Jack narrowed his eyes and moistened his lips in deep concentration. "Of course I knew that," he said suddenly, turning around. "I was merely stating that Eagles and Jaguars are the military ranks."
"They will serve me unquestioningly in battle," said Tlilpotonqui. "I will tell them to do as you order."
"Good," said Jack. "Well, I mean, it could be much better obviously, but it'll do."
Several of the spear men brandished their weapons at Jack, who merely drew his pistol and pointed it at them, still looking at the High Priest. They lowered their spears immediately.
"Let us be off then!" Jack said.
-------------
In case anyone was wondering, 'Schtum' means 'Quiet'.
I'll update soon!