Please enjoy, I am not sure how long this one will be. ALso credit from a dear friend for brainstorming this with me. Review my other works too! Thank you!

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1591

Somewhere along the Mexican coast…

The sea can give and the sea can take away, that is what the people knew. Though they lived some miles from the sea the presence of its power was felt in the rain, in the soil, in the wind. So when the scouting party happened through the rainforest, trailing the coast for any sign of unwanted individuals they were instead struck by what they found.

Some few hundred feet from the shore, bound by a sand dune in the water, was a wooden ship of massive proportions. The mast broken in the storm the night before and the sail was ripped to shreds, hanging by a few ropes and the ship itself was battered from the sea cloven in two almost.

But most surprising of all was the single body that lay in the shadows as if barely able to crawl up to the shore before losing consciousness. Approaching it was a woman, a maiden, fiery red hair soaked with sea water. Turning her onto her back she had delicate features, her gown torn at the hem and flecked with brown specks and splotches. The leader motioned to wrap her in a deer hide and carry her for to survive such a storm was beyond that of any human surely. For as they searched what they could there were no other survivors. The sea had swallowed them up.

It was a three day trek through the rainforest to reach the monolith that marked the opening of their secret city. The jaguar warrior carried the fire haired woman who had skin like the paleness of an orchid, she had not woken even as they loaded her into the boat to go deep in the caves that lead to the city. Breathing softly there wasn't a bruise on her body that they could see, they did not disturb the modesty of this maiden as she could have been delivered by the gods to them. A gift from the sea.

Sun broke out over the boat as it moved through the water to the main pavilion before the chief's palace, the high priests temple and the largest, the temple of the gods that sat vacant waiting for their descent.

Climbing out of the boat the warrior sent an eagle headed warrior to the chief's palace and another to the high priests who was known to be a great healer. When he wished. Laying the woman on the ground he stepped back as the large chief Tannabok hurried out of his palace at the news of a pale stranger who washed up out of the sea. The high priest Tzekel-Kan took his time because he had been in meditation of the dreams he had the night before.

Malignant dreams of blood and of broken chalices on fine rugs plagued his thoughts and deprived him of his much needed sleep. As he moved through the crowd that had gathered he could see a stranger wrapped in a deer hide in a strange dress, a sky blue dress that was torn from hem to mid knee and splattered with brown speckles. That he, in his infinite knowledge, recognized as blood.

"Move aside." He stood over the woman who, if he had been a common man, would be quite comely with large eyes, a small nose and a pleasing mouth. He put an ear to her chest and could hear a faint thump of a heart and the soft breath of the maiden brushed his ear.

"You are a great healer. Wake her." The chief crossed his large arms over his chest and Tzekel–Kan wanted to roll his eyes as he knelt by the woman. Putting his hands on her chest he said a prayer to the gods and used the ancient magic taught to him to awaken the body of this comatose woman.

Suddenly she arched up to him and overhead lightning cracked as her eyes snapped open and a silent scream escaped her before she collapsed back to the ground. Even he was surprised by this response and he had almost jumped back as her chest began to move rapidly, as if panting. Her limbs shivered as she pulled herself onto her side and began to cough up sea water.

Eyes fluttering she hacked up more sea water and looked up at him with eyes the color of sky, bright and piercing as if he had caught the gaze of a jaguar. For a fleeting second fear, raw and primal, clawed up his spine but was gone as soon as she looked away. No one else seemed to feel this inane, strange moment of terror but Tzekel-Kan dismissed it.

As she pulled herself up she stumbled and he caught her arms, her body briefly brushing against his and she felt thin as if she had not eaten in many days. Unlike the curvy women of El Dorado, this woman, this barely a woman, he felt her ribs and she pulled away sharply from him. Looking around at the crowd, the chief then up at him, for she barely came up to his shoulder, swallowing quickly as she pointed at Tannabok.

"Mopil ka miktok." The words were deafening as the chief turned pale and Tzekel-Kan, who normally would relish in this, was purely surprised at this woman speaking their tongue. Yes, the chief's eldest son had just died in battle.

It wasn't possible.

Prophecy was his speciality and this little bitch was–

"Niuala iuikpa in ueyatl. Ninikan axkan."

I come from the sea. I am here now.

The words boomed in his mind and she pointed to the sky, snapping her fingers and lightning cracked as the sudden downpour hit them all.

"Behold my coming." Lowering her arm as the rain continued, it soaked her dress and hair as the people dropped to their knees, bowing to her. The chief bent to bow and Tzekel-Kan was the first to bend at the waist to this creature.

This goddess.

For only the gods could control the rains that came from the heavens and she stepped forward, looking around as the rain hit her pale skin. It was quick to introduce himself as the high priest before the chief got a word in, cementing himself as first.

"My lady, please. Allow your humble servant to show you to your temple." He looked up slightly and she was looking at him, a faint smile on her lips and she spoke again, softer now.

"Show me."

With a sigh of satisfaction he led the way, the chief following him as he liked and the goddess walking in the rain behind them to the largest pyramid. By the time they reached the foot of the pyramid she spoke again.

"I grow tired of rain." He heard her sigh. Within a few seconds the rain began to slow and the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds, the warmth on his cool skin was welcoming and it cemented in his mind that she was a goddess.

His mind ran through the possibilities as the sun began to beat down upon them once more as they climbed. Upon reaching the top he swept aside the curtain to show her the lavish couches and golden offerings that awaited her. She stepped past them and into the secluded area, pausing to look back at them.

"What may we call you, my lady?" He asked, his hands cupped in front of him. She stared at them for a long moment before speaking in that soft voice again like the gentlest of midnight rains.

"You may call me Agrat." It was a strange name but yet had a feminine, almost delicate ring to it as he ran his tongue over it.

"I believe tomorrow at dawn demands a ceremonial sacrifice–" Tzekel-Kan began as he smiled crookedly before the chief interrupted him, smiling brightly.

"Ah, then tonight I may prepare a glorious feast for you."

"Which would you…prefer?" Tzekel-Kan asked through his teeth and she looked at them both, a small smile on her pink lips.

"Both. I would desire both. Allow me to change then I will be down for the celebration." She stepped into the temple and with her back to them began to unlace her bodice. Both men quickly looked away and closed the curtain, bestowing privacy upon her. Standing at the edge of the landing they looked out upon the city that was beginning to light up with the night.

"So begins the Age of the Jaguar…happy new year." He sighed and chuckled to himself as Tzekel-Kan began to walk down the temple steps, it was time to prepare his sacrifice for this bountiful and strange goddess.