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12

Tulio tried to ignore the pain tearing through his body as he continued to roll down the stairs. He only say Miguel's face and heard his voice. He looked weak and scared, and that caused Tulio more pain than any blunt object slamming into his body could. He finally crashed at the bottom of the stairs and rolled slowly onto his side. He groaned in pain and closed his eyes. He knew a majority of his ribs were bruised, if not broken, and his left arm was in a lot of pain. All he continued to think about was Miguel. I have to help him. I can't just let Tzekel-Kan keep him from me. He'll die if I don't save him!

"Tulio! Tulio, wake up!"

Tulio groaned again and opened his eyes. He looked up and saw an extremely worried Thelina kneeling over him. "Thelina?"

"My lord, thank the heavens!" Thelina exclaimed in relief. "I thought for sure tat fall would have killed you."

Tulio tried to push himself up, crying out n pain. Thelina grabbed him and helped him sit up. "M-Miguel," he choked out.

Thelina frowned in worry. "Tzekel-Kan is taking him to the ledge near Xilbalba. Tulio, what happened?"

"Chel," Tulio said angrily. "She…got in the temple. She stabbed…Miguel." He coughed and winced, touching his chest. "He's…dying."

Thelina's frown deepend. "Where is Chel?"

"Gone…fell in the well…in the temple." He looked back up at her. "I have to get to him…before it's too late."

Thelina put her hand on his shoulder. "Tulio…"

"I can't let him die," Tulio choked out, a desperate look in his eyes. "Thelina, I can't…I'll never forgive myself."

Thelina saw the look in his eyes. Not only were they pleading, but they were full of love. She knew she had to let Tulio go after Miguel, even if he was in horrible shape. She nodded slowly after a few moments. "I'll help you up to the temple, but I won't dare go any closer."

Tulio nodded. "Thank you."

Thelina helped Tulio to his feet, and the two slowly began to walk towards the temple. She silently prayed to the heavens that Tulio would come back in one piece, and that both he and Miguel would live. She bit her lip, thinking about Miguel, and that now he was in even worse shape than earlier.

Tulio saw her look out the corner of his eye, and a small feeling of sadness settled over him. If I don't end this, we'll both lose the person we love. At least if he doesn't want me he'll be happy with her. Seeing that they were now almost to the temple, he looked at the healer. "Can you…promise me something?"

"What is it?" Thelina asked

"If I don't make it…will you stay with Miguel? Take care of him?"

"Tulio, I-"

"Please," Tulio begged. "I need to know that he'll be safe, that he can be happy again."

Thelina just looked at Tulio for a moment before answering. "Yes…yes, I promise. But you have to promise me something too."

"Anything," Tulio said.

"You have to promise to come back alive so you and Miguel can be together."

Tulio smiled weakly. "I promise."

Thelina smiled back a little. They were soon at the temple, and she stepped back. "Please be careful."

"I will," Tulio said. He made his way towards the ledge as quickly as he could without hurting himself. He soon spotted Tzekel-Kan, who was chanting something and twirling his hands through what looked like more green smoke. Behind him on the ground was Miguel, curled up on his side. Tulio bit his lip, saddened at the state his partner was in. He continued forward until he was right behind Miguel, and looked down at him. "Hey."

Miguel slowly looked up at him. "H-Help…me," he said weakly.

Tulio knelt down and gently touched his cheek. "I am, Miguel, don't you worry. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you." He looked up at Tzekel-Kan who was oblivious to what was happening behind him. He stood and walked around to stand in between Miguel and the high priest. "You just don't quit, do you?"

Tzekel-Kan turned and glared at Tulio. "You just won't die, will you?"

Tulio smirked sarcastically. "I try to avoid it."

Tzekel-Kan was furious, seeing that Tulio once again stood in between him and the object of his desires. "It was a mistake for you to come up here. I am in need of a blood sacrifice to Xilbalba in order to heal my companion." He grinned wickedly and held up a dagger for Tulio to see.

"Then why don't you throw yourself in and save up both the trouble?" Tulio asked. "Oh, and Miguel isn't your companion. He's my partner, and he always will be."

"Not if I can help it!" Tzekel-Kan scowled, once again launching himself at Tulio.

Tulio lunged forward as well and tackled Tzekel-Kan. He cried out when the high priest brought down the dagger and cut his already injured arm. He pushed him closer to the edge of the ledge. "I've had enough of you causing problems for this city!"

"Ah, but I've seen you cause more problems for one person that I have for an entire city," Tzekel-Kan taunted, glancing back at Miguel. "Everything will fall into place soon. I'll rule this city with him by my side. The citizens like him better than you anyway."

Tulio narrowed his eyes as he continued to wrestle with the high priest. "I don't care if they like me or not. All I care about is Miguel."

"That's not what you said when you arrived in El Dorado," Tzekel-Kan sneered. "All you cared about was the gold and glory, and that woman. You agreed to marry her despite your partner's objections. That doesn't seem like caring to me."

Tulio was ready to snap. He didn't need to be reminded of his actions the past couple of days, how me managed to destroy everything he and Miguel had with just a few simple words. "I love him," he said with determination.

"You lie," Tzekel-Kan said with a wicked grin.

"I lie for a living…but this is one thing I would never lie about."

"We'll see about that." Tzekel-Kan quickly tripped Tulio and pushed him to the ground right at the edge of the cliff. "I will end you!" He raised his dagger and brought it down with all his strength.

Tulio's life flashed before his eyes. His childhood, being abandoned by his family, meeting Miguel and saving from being murdered by his own father. Him and Miguel growing up together, just being there for each other. How he loved when Miguel would look at him with his beautiful green eyes and a smile that was only for him. I'm not ready to give that up yet. Before he could register what he was doing, he grabbed Tzekel-Kan's wrist and twisted it. He felt the high priest's body fall on top of him, and he heard him yell. He pushed him off and rolled away. He looked back at Tzekel-Kan to see the dagger protruding from his chest.

Tzekel-Kan looked at Tulio, shock on his face. "Unbelievable," he mumbled. He suddenly toppled sideways and tumbled off the ledge into the whirlpool below.

Tulio was shocked for a moment as he stared at the spot Tzekel-Kan had just fallen from. He's gone…he's finally gone. He snapped back to reality when he heard Miguel cough and then whimper in pain. "Miguel," he said, frantically rushing to his partner with what little strength he had left.

Miguel was laid out on his back. He was deathly pale and shivering. It didn't help that he was still I his god's attire and had no shirt on. He was trying to cover the wound on his stomach, but blood was slowly seeping through his fingers and running down his side. He looked up when he sensed Tulio coming down next to him. "Tulio," he whispered weakly.

"I'm here, Miguel," Tulio said. He carefully pulled Miguel into his arms, resting the blonde's head against his chest. "Tzekel-Kan is gone, he can't hurt you anymore."

Miguel leaned against Tulio and shivered, smiling weakly when Tulio tightened his hold on him. "Did you..ever imagine it would end…this way?"

Tulio frowned and rested his cheek on Miguel's head. "No…no, I didn't."

Miguel frowned. "I…thought we…would grow old…together. You and me."

"We will, Miguel, you can't give up," Tulio begged. He could hear the citizens rushing up the stairs to the ledge. "Help is coming."

Miguel coughed again and wheezed, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. He could feel Tulio nuzzling his head with his cheek. He didn't want to leave Tulio alone after everything that had happened. But he was too weak; he knew he was dying. He slowly looked at Tulio, noticing the guilt, love and utter sadness in his eyes. "Tulio?"

"Yeah," Tulio replied, bracing himself for what he knew was going to happen.

"I…love you," Miguel said. He rested his head on Tulio's chest and closed his eyes.

Tulio frowned and made a small, sad noise when he felt Miguel go limp in his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut and hugged his partner as close to himself as he could. "I love you, too," he said sadly, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I promise I won't ever let you go." He was overwhelmed with sadness, guilt, and hate for himself and for Tzekel-Kan and Chel. He hardly heard the voices of Thelina and the chief, for he too closed his eyes and let darkness take over.

TBC

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