THE PURE ARROGANCE OF ALL THINGS WHICH ARE BEYOND YOU

Akemi walked past the long walls with there many patterns, she breathed in deeply why did it always take a day or more to get to the really interesting part of this main temple? Ehecatl looked around him as they carried on moving there were hundreds of carving all over the wall all of them looked ancient. The myth was that the first humans in this land were created here by the creator gods these people had built this city then for a reason which no one had ever come to know the answer to they had all left abounding the city. He put his skeleton hand on the stone it was so wonderful to see these peoples legacy in these walls.

Akemi felt her smile widen were now in the main temple of the gods in the lower level the level above was the ancient throne room with its meeting table. It had a small number of servants who lived in a room close by but and they were nothing to be concerned about. They were just the run of the mill servants and nothing out of the ordinary. True they'd done great things to obtain their place in side the main temple but they were still no more than cleaners and blood givers in her view. That was all they were good for and they weren't allowed to question the godly messengers. She felt her hand form a fist not that she ever spoke to them they were bellow her in status.

She turned another corner watching as a long wide set of stairs came in to view. They were huge wide steps which looked slightly aged she'd been up them once before. Any one who was a messenger of any god knew that they led to a dead end or so they thought, she knew better there was no such thing as a dead end in Mexica. The Aztec gods were very good at hiding there secrets be it their dirty little secrets or their special treasures. She carried on moving she couldn't stand their obsession with stairs though. Every stupid temple had stairs and they took forever to climb up, it was something she'd come to loath during her time in this land.

Her eyes moved past all the walls she also hated all there over elaboration of there lives which they had carved in to the walls. Not that these carving were anything to shout about. They were so old that they were grumbling in places and paint was coming off in most of the images in places. Ehecatl looked up this was so fascinating none of the carving matched those he'd seen in other temples. Despite that were starting to crumble they were wonderful to behold. What he wouldn't give to watch the carvings as they were being made. He liked to watch the sculptures he always had even when he'd been alive.

He'd spent most of his later un-dead life watching them from a distance making sure that no one ever caught him doing so. Because he knew that they'd use to get to him in some manner if they ever found out. Sculptures in Tezcatlipoca's city had been seen as a lower class like peasants despite the work they did. It was sad as most in his city had been slaves and were treated brutality did any one who could create such wonders deserve that kind of treatment? As a child he'd marvelled at them and sat near their work place watching them until his father who had been a higher ranking warrior had found him and shouted him down telling him not to go near such dirty fifthly slaves.

A part of him wished that he had been able to get away from his warrior birthright. He'd had no choice but to go down the warrior's path only for it to end in tragedy. He'd been slain by a hummingbird warrior named Coaxoch on the battlefield. There was nothing he could have done to stop the on coming army they'd been outnumbered ten to one. As punishment for his failure Tezcatlipoca had brought him back as a skeleton warrior and so had begun his long and painful accent to the top. He'd had to take the pain of his father disowning him firstly because of how he looked and because of his failure on the battlefield. He'd later had to watch his father die from a vicious plague some ten seasons later he'd been helpless and unable to save him.

After that he'd given up and he'd no longer cared and so had begun his descent in to a dark, bloody and brutal world as his rage and anger had taken over fully. This was followed with his coming to terms with his loss of humanity over thirty seasons later. He'd known though that despite his almost untouchable rank that he was lonely. He'd very much started to just give up on everything and a part of him had wanted the warriors under him to just pull him off his high ranking position because the chances were that he'd ether be killed permanently by his god or he'd be exiled . Ether way he could have oblivion and that was all he wanted.

That had all changed though when Akemi had in walked through his doors. He could picture that day with crystal clarity he had been so angry that morning because he'd had two lesser skeleton warriors trying to undermine his authority. Something which he'd dealt with by breaking both their jaw bones and rib cages. He'd been finishing their punishment when she had just walked through the main doors not caring that he was busy much to the anger of Amimitl. She'd come in and dropped of a scroll not really caring that his second was shouting at her. He'd just found himself enjoying her pure bravo and lack of care for anyone, who threatened her.

He hadn't seen spirit like that in so long it had been so great to see it once more all he wanted was to see her again. She'd kept on coming back dropping off scrolls much to his pleasure. Somewhere down the line admiration had turned in to wanting, lusting and needing been she'd always been out of his reach until now. He touched the wall with his skeleton fingers truth was he still wanted her and nothing would ever change that. He looked down he wouldn't have met her if he'd been a sculptor. A small part of him still wanted to be a sculpture and carve things like this though it would bring him so much joy and pleasure even though it was out of reach and always would be.

Akemi turned eyeing Ehecatl who was looking at the wall. "Stop daydreaming we don't have time for it!" Ehecatl turned sharply meeting her annoyed gaze. "Don't you ever stop to admire anything?" Akemi sneered in disgust as she carried on moving watching as he slowly followed her. "No I don't care for admiring things." She felt her feet hit the stone steps hard as she began to walk faster. "There's nothing worth admiring in this land." Ehecatl shook his head. "I think your being harsh." Akemi turned eyeing him for a long moment. "You people don't even have snow and you have no idea what a real temple or shine should look like."

She eased out her hand. "Everything with you people is about harsh lines and jagging edges you have no perception of what a flowing curve is!" She turned as she carried on walking. "On top of that your colours are all harsh and you can't even seem to grasp the concept of using a paintbrush. Hell you don't even paint symbols instead you like to draw jagged little people, your even worse than the Egyptians!" Ehecatl blinked as he looked up he'd heard of Egypt and it's pharaohs who called themselves kings. He also seen their weapons and skeletons on the Xiuhcoatl shore but he'd never met any off them in person. If there clothing was anything to go by they had rotten colour coordination their clothes decorative colours looked more like a badly coordinated rainbow.

He eased up his skeleton hand slightly. "Egypt is full of fools, we are not fools." He grinded his jaw bone. "Unlike them we live up to our reputation as warriors." Akemi rolled her eyes. "Oh yes you live up to that reputation all right." Ehecatl turned sharply. "What is that supposed to mean!?" Akemi sneered slightly she stopped leaning closer to his face. "Why don't you, figure it out!?" Ehecatl watched as she turned away. "I believe that would be a waste of my efforts since most of what you say is geared towards insults." Akemi snarled as she turned away. "Well wouldn't you rather have the truth than lies?" Ehecatl looked up laughed slightly. "You don't tell the truth you keep secrets."

Akemi walked faster watching as the huge stone wall came in to view at the top of the stars. "Shut up!" Ehecatl raised both hands. "See with you its ether that or a half truth!" Akemi turned back eyeing him. "I need you to shut up I cannot open this with you talking. So snap your jaw bone shut!" Ehecatl turned eyeing the wall. "There's nothing here it's just a dead end, how are you meant to open it?" Akemi slowly eased up the pendent. "That's why I need to you to quite, so I can open it!" She ignored the sound of his jaw bone grinding in annoyance as she pulled the pendent up higher while using her other hand to feel the stone.

She carried on searching hearing nothing but the cold silence as it hung in the air. It had be here, she'd read that it was here! She moved her fingers only to feel a small area of the stone move. Yes this was it! She slowly pushed the stone watching as it parted revealing the round opening set deep in side. Ehecatl blinked as he leaned forward eyeing the round area in confusion here was no key hole no indented pattern nothing only a round hollow with an outer ring. "I don't understand, this has no lock, how do you open it?" Akemi sighed as she looked at him. "You think in such small terms." She pulled the pendent free from her neck easing it up so it was facing the round hollowed out stone.

She paused before pushing it in waiting until she heard the harsh click. "This wall needs no key a combined the pendent is the key." She tightened her grip on the pendent as she started to turn it hearing the violent clicking inside the wall. She felt a smile widen as the hard crunch was heard inside the wall. The pendants red and purple light shot outward from under her fingers moving up the wall lighting up the huge groves which couldn't be seen normally. She eased her hand out then moved it forward pushing down on the pendent hard. She wanted to cry out in joy as the groves began to widen even more as the light forced against the stone groves pushing them further apart.

Every moment it kept forcing the wall further and further apart, it was fascinating to watch. Ehecatl stood still as the wall parts were forced back fully leaving the pendent floating in mid air, its light filling the room. This intense light seemed to vanish in an instant as Akemi grabbed the pendent out of midair. He looked up seeing the enormous room as it came in to view it was very well lit despite that no fire torches. There were hundreds of beautifully coloured carvings none of which had faded like those on the outside. At the end of the room was a massive gold carving of the sun stone which was decorated in jade and all manner of precious metals.

He turned quickly following Akemi inside as while eyeing the carvings. "Fascinating what is this place?" Akemi eyed the walls all around her C'thulon really had put effort in to this place unlike the rest of the temple. "It's called the wall of time, it's meant to show the past the present and the future." She looked around her at the room. "Ask any of these walls about something and they'll changes to show that thing and its future." She walked up to one of the walls. "Or at least that's what the scroll said when I took the time to read through it." Ehecatl turned eyeing one of the walls. "Will it work right now?"

Akemi sighed as she looked up. "It's a miner part of C'thulon's magic but I believe it always works." Ehecatl turned sharply to the nearest wall. "Show me the Star Coyote!" He found himself over breathing in sharply as gold light blasted out of the wall causing the shimmer as its carving changed in an instant and the gold light drifted outwards disappearing. He let his gaze drift over the images the most prominent was the two warriors fighting in the very centre which took up part of the wall because of its size. He could see the Blood Jaguar who had been painted with dark skin just as Akemi had been. He put a hand on his jaw bone as he leaned forward reading the writing aloud his voice filling the silent room with sound.

The greatest warrior's soul does not know what it seeks, only that it seeks everything and nothing.

For one life was eternal while the other was reborn and here they will both fight.

Eternal rivals of will, love, and hate forever bound to fight this battle.

One will be forever remembered as the bloody destroyer and conqueror.

While the Bloody one will find nobility, glory, and honour.

He stepped back as he carried on reading. "For eternity has no measure to ether as they fight with in the echoes of time." He blinked as he looked up. "Interesting piece on you, and Gabrielle but I don't understand the rebirth part." Akemi moved forward eyeing the wall. "What does it matter? The little blonde bitch is dead she won't be coming back any time soon." Ehecatl raised his finger tapping the wall. "Yes but I'm dead and here I am still walking, death doesn't mean much in Mexica." Akemi shorted in disgust as she moved toward the golden sun stone calendar on the other side of the room. She eyed it for a long moment before putting the pendent back over her head.

She felt a smile form as she caught sight of what she'd been looking for she grabbed hold of the inner central face hearing it creak as she pulled off the covering plate throwing it on the floor hard ignoring Ehecatl's shock. She caught sight of what she was looking for hidden deep with in the round hollow which was coated in gold. The eyes of the golden skull stared back at her she eased her hand in pulling it free watching as it gleaming gold caught the light. It wasn't heavy despite that it was a mixture of solid gold and crystal, but then it had infinite power which no doubt made it as light as a feather. She turned meeting his red glowing gaze. "Here's what makes everything work."

She turned smashing her fist into the hallow feeling the thick lever push back inside. She stepped forward watching as a large cycle of stone rose up from the floor it outer rim matching that of the calendar as it floated in mid air. "This is the fourteenth skull the skull of time that controls all the others." She could see all seven crystal skulls seated all in the groves of the outer stone circle. She smiled watching as another smaller circle rose up floating in front of its counterpart it had six more crystal skulls inside it. Two smaller circles slowly rose up forming the rest of the calendar. She breathed in feeling the joy as she caught sight of the open groves in the third circle as well as the first which was far smaller.

She eased up the golden skull gently pushing it in to the opening in the third circle watching as golden light burst outwards causing the other two huge heavy outer rings to spin while the one in front of the golden skull remained stationary. Ehecatl was about to say something only to find himself stopping as the whole room started to shake violently. He blinked in shock as huge pillars flew up from the floor locking in to the ceiling as the whole room began to widen it walls multiplying as new walls with carving appeared one after the other as the pillars forced everything outwards making it longer and larger. More pillars flew up their gold light spraying outwards as they locked in to the ceiling.

Akemi felt her smile widen as the walls carried on getting wider while ten new circles of stone came up from the floor floating in mid air as they took their place close to the sun stone calendar. She could see the ceiling above parting to reveal the throne room whose ceiling began to open revealing the dark sky high above. Everything went quite as the room stopped moving only the spinning sound of the calendar larger first and second pieces could be heard. She didn't think as she pulled the pendent off moving towards the spinning calendars un-moving central ring, she was so close! In a second it would all be hers! Ehecatl came forward stopping her by putting his hands on her shoulders. "What are you doing I don't understand any off this!?"

Akemi pulled away watching as he followed. "C'thulon gave his children godly pendants and items, all of them can be merged in to each other! When merged they can control all manner of things, time, eternal youth, minds, souls and even bodies." She turned to the spinning calendar. "That power is nothing compared to what any of these merged pendants can do when placed in the central ring of this godly creation." She opened his arms. "This gives them C'thulon's power, making anything possible." She stepped closer seeing the inner slot for the pendent there were in fact three slots in all, all for pendants. The hollow eyes of the golden skull were looking in to this slot. She raised the pendent gently slotting it in to the last grove.

She stepped back watching as silver and golden light burst out of the central calendar part as it started to spin. These streams of light flowed outwards moving over the other stone circles. All the stone enchasing each calendar part start to crack it fell away revealing gleaming gold jade and gemstone underneath, the stone that fell away disintegrated in to dust before it hit the floor. The other ten stationary stones rings cracked apart as it started to do the same, revealing the pure gold underneath. She could now see that the calendar parts holding the crystal skulls had them locked in place with sacrificial daggers on all four sides on every opening. She put her hands together as all their crystal jaws began to open

The golden and silver light steams went in side them lighting up their eyes and their hidden Aztec patterns engraved in the crystal. The same thing happen as the golden skulls mouth opened showing off gem stone inner teeth while silver and gold light burst through its eyes. She stepped away admiring the scene in front of her. She turned eyeing Ehecatl who looked both shocked and completely out of his depth. "Here is the vessel of C'thulon's power! He feared this godly creation would be used by his children so he made it so that they would never be able to work it instead only mortals would have that ability. Because he knew that no mortal would ever try to use it out of fear of his power."

She watched as the calendar parts carried on spinning. "Seasons later he realized that mortals in their arrogance and greed may try to use it despite his wraith. Fearing that they'd give his children a means to dethrone him and banish him like the Titans and Egyptian gods had, he forced every mortal to leave Teotihuacán and build new cities along with his children who had always lived there." She smiled slightly. "While that was going on, he buried this godly creation away in the temple sealing it from everyone and destroying nearly all of the scrolls on it, hoping that it would become no more than a myth over time." She felt her smile widen. "Until now that is, I got to hear all about this place in the seventh hell. The ancient demons like to talk about it since there was a time that they lived among mortals back in the beginning."

She folded her arms. "Until they were sent in to the seven hells to guard and govern the dead with ether pleasure or pain, some of them even saw this godly device as they were told to seal it away for eternity." She looked down feel the pain burn in her chest. "The one I spoke to was very easily swayed when I offered my body to him, he told me everything I wanted to know." She looked away refusing to meet Ehecatl's red glowing gaze. "I'm going to kill him when all this is over and done with." Ehecatl looked down slightly. "I'd never do anything like that to you." Akemi turned eyeing him for a long moment before turning away. "Everyone hurts everyone else it's the way life works."

She leaned over pulling the broken dagger free which she'd used on Gabrielle she slowly ran it across her palm watching as the red blood began to flow. She raised her hand moving in front of the central ring of the calendar. "If not you then it would be someone else." She narrowed her gaze watching as the blood floated through the air. It hit the pendent causing it to glow brighter she looked up as all the calendar rings stopped spinning. Everything went completely still as all the skulls eyes burned even brighter with white light. She stepped closer that was correct wasn't it? Blood had to be given to call up the fourteen crystal skulls to life. She looked up in annoyance only to stop still as fourteen cold voices hit the air some were male and others female and all spoke in union as their jaws bones moved.

"We are the fourteen we were created in the beginning and we have seen the end."

Akemi looked up sharply eyeing all the skulls whose voices hit the air once more. "You call upon us to do your bidding, you have chosen the echoes of time as your vessels and you alone now hold it in your hands." Akemi stepped closer eyeing them. "So you're the fourteen, the first humans ever created in Mexica." She smirked. "You tried to overthrow C'thulon and were cast down and your skulls turned to crystal, with your souls forever trapped in side them." The golden skull spoke his harsh voice hitting the air. "I was the one who escaped and ran through time, but time has no meaning to C'thulon. I was caught and given a punishment of gold and not crystal to show that my crime was much worse than theirs."

Akemi eyed the golden skull. "Fascinating you got to be the centre piece." The gold skulls eyed glowed red for a moment before turning white again the anger in his voice was obvious as he spoke again. "A curse you may share as you have chosen time as your vessel." Akemi sneered as she eyed the skull. "I'm much smarter than you are I won't end up like you." The golden skulls eyes glowed red again. "As much as you will, as much as you want, your future is sealed you can not run from it nor hide from it your destiny is written in the echoes of time. Do as you will, go where you choose and change what you will, for in the end it will change nothing of that I can promise."

Akemi laughed enjoying the mocking sound. "You know I knew this little blonde bitch called Gabrielle who blew your whole inward notion to the wind. She made C'thulon change everything for her so she could have her lover back." The golden skull was quite for a moment before it spoke again. "You refer to the Blood Jaguar sometimes called the one of blood, or the bleeding heart of sorry and joy. Very rarely she is also called the woven bloody soul of darkness and light." It paused again before speaking. "You forget that her sacrifice on the temple was her destinies price for her lover. Her act was selfless, your act is not selfless and that sets you apart from her." Akemi eyed he skull she'd never heard those other titles used for Gabrielle. The skull was mocking her, she eyed it in disgust. "Selfless or greed what difference does it make? All roads meet somewhere." The skulls eyed glowed red again. "Unless, you make the choice of forcing those roads to your will, then your fate can only be your own making." Akemi folded her arm what an arrogant bastard even for a dead soul he was annoying. She narrowed her gaze. "How's about you shut up centre piece and open all the doorways in to the future past and present for me as I command!"

End of part 83

Silvermoonlight