CHAPTER 3: THE NIGHT AXE (PART 1)
Yolotl and Hyats’i were frozen in place. What was that noise they just heard? The forest was eerily quiet now and they could feel the danger. Something was lurking out there. Waiting. Watching. Hyats'i uncomfortably shifted on his feet while Yolotl stood still, his face a blank slate. There was no way to see past the brush of trees that hid them. The tattooed boy sighed. It seemed his peaceful life was about to take a turn for the worse.
“Did you see anyone else harvesting when you made your way up? Maybe they struck a tree too harshly.” Yolotl uttered as he continued to stare off into the direction where the sound had come from.
Hyats'i gulped audibly.
"It's probably the wind. Let's not bother." The taller boy quickly suggested, but Yolotl had already begun walking away, Hyats’i turned and watched as his best friend disappeared deeper into the forest.
“Yolotl! Hold up!”
“The wind does not sound like a tree crashing down, Hyats'i."
Hyats'i caught up with Yolotl in a few long strides. He was a few inches taller than the other boy, his legs longer and his stride larger. He gripped his friend’s shoulder.
"We need to be careful. It is not smart for us to be out here by ourselves, Yolotl.”
“It's a tree. Come on. I'll hold your hand if you're scared.” He rolled his eyes and pulled his friend along.
"No way. It might be a bear or something." Hyats’i scowled. He pulled his arm back.
“Come on, we need to go and make sure whoever is out there is alright. It's our responsibility."
The taller boy knew Yolotl was right. The other boy was always right. He hated it sometimes. He also knew he could not stop him, even if he tried. Yolotl was not easily intimidated and could not be swayed, especially when it came to protecting one of their own.
That was the only reason Hyats'i went along with him. Hyats'i was no coward. He just had common sense and the two of them alone could not protect the people if something really did attack.
“Fine. But if it is a bear, you're the one who's going to get mauled."
The two boys make their way towards the noise. Hyats'i's heart was beating so loud that he thought the other boy could hear it. Yolotl didn’t look as worried. He was looking around with curiosity and determination, his dark eyes alert.
The air around them was hot and sticky, and the sounds of the birds had stopped completely. The only noise they heard was the snapping of twigs underneath their feet. The teen boys could not see anyone nearby, not even a sign that there was another human around. They did not see anyone or hear any sounds of movement.
“Yolotl.” Hyats’i whispered. “We have to leave.”
His companion shook his head, he was determined to find the cause for the noise despite the uneasiness beginning to seep into his bones.
"Something is off.” Yolotl whispered and held up a finger to his mouth, signaling for him to be quiet. His body was tense and his fist tightly clenched around the copper axe.
The booming noise of thudding footsteps sounded what seemed to be a couple of feet ahead of the two. The ground rumbled with every step and the few remaining birds scattered, flying off into the distance. The teens tensed, looking around frantically. The rumbling seemed to have stopped momentarily and gave the boys a chance to get a breath in.
The other boy was getting uneasy. He didn’t like the feeling that there was something nearby. Something dangerous.
"Come on." Hyats'i began to slowly make his way back. “Yolotl!”
Hyats’i’s plea was swiftly interrupted by something they could not sense. A strong presence, one that made it hard to breathe and move. Yolotl watched as his surroundings faded away into black. The two boys seemed to be standing in some void. When he tried to take a step forward he found that his foot wouldn't budge. He was frozen in place, unable to move. Yolotl could not comprehend what was happening.
Was this a nightmare? Was he dreaming?
He could not see his friend, who was just a few steps ahead of him, but he could hear his panicked gasping. He could not prove it but I felt that this presence had to be the reason behind the warm air he felt just moments earlier.
'How strange. Why do I feel so warm?' Yolotl wondered, sweat pouring down his face. He felt a chill run down his spine.
This was wrong.
They hear that same loud cracking noise from earlier, that one they had originally believed to be from a tree. No, it seems it had belonged to the looming headless being in front of them. The monstrous figure had its hands in side its chest, cracking it open to reveal its heart and entrails. The heart was a bright white and beating, pulsating and squirming. It almost burned his eyes with how bright it was but he could not look away.
The two Hñähñu teens could not move. Their eyes were glued to the scene in front of them. Yolotl could only stare at the creature. It was terrifying.
Its appearance was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was not human, nor was it animal. It was monstrous. He felt a burning sensation in his throat. The air felt hot and thick. He could not breathe.
Despite having no head or eyes to glare with, the creature seemed to survey them cooly.
“Kneel.”
The low rumble came from the creature's mouth, or what was supposed to be its mouth. There was no jaw, only a jagged hole where one should be. A sharp pain shot through Yolotl's knee as he fell to the ground. His head hung low, his forehead resting against the dark ground.
He tried to stand up, but his body would not budge. Yolotl dug his nails into the dirt, trying desperately to lift himself off the ground. For some reason, he could not do it. He heard some shuffling beside him and glanced out of the corner of his eye to see that Hyats'i had followed suit, kneeling onto the hard soil and grinding his own fists into it. The ground rumbled as the creature stepped towards the two boys. It seemed to be observing them. The creature's hand reached out, its sharp claws ready to scrape against the skin of their bodies. It examined Hyats'i first, its bony fingers running over his arms and back. The creature grabbed his hair, twisting his head to the side and pressing its thumb up against his cheek. It lifted his head up to look at him more closely.
"Enough! Let him go!" Yolotl exclaimed, pushing himself onto his knees. His dark brown eyes shot up at the monster, searching for an answer. The teen boy felt nothing but pure contempt, his teeth gritting together as his cheeks flushed red. He slowly attempted to raise himself up, anger flaring within him as he clenched his fists but his feet gave away under him.
As if inconvenienced, the creature dropped the young man onto the ground with a huff, watching him roll over as it stood there still. It turned to Yolotl, hand reaching for his scalp. He defiantly narrowed his eyes and stared back at the creature before him. It was as if they were in a game of who would break away first, and Yolotl refused to lose. He would not budge. And he wouldn't.
When the headless being finally reached the boy, it flinched and quickly withdrew its claws. Upon examination, its pale ashen fingers were blistering and the flesh surrounding it was peeling away. Yolotl furrowed his eyebrows, confused.
“Interesting.” It spoke again, its voice deep and booming. “How incredibly interesting."
One would think that coming from something without any of the normal organs to make such noises should sound hollow and empty, but instead it sounded like it came from the deepest pits of its innards, the rumble of its voice echoing and overlapping itself endlessly, so loud it left his ears ringing and his mind reeling. Yolotl felt a pounding headache erupt inside his skull, so intense he thought it might split open. The creature's words seemed to pierce his ears, and Yolotl forced himself to keep his jaw clenched in order to not cry out.
The creature seemed to disregard Yolotl entirely now and began to muse aloud.
"Toci, Toci." It mocked, its voice like boiling blood in the middle of the earth, almost chanting the name.
The longer the two boys were near the creature, the dizzier they became. The beast was too foreign, too strange, so unlike anything they've seen before, and its form was unnaturally draining for the human mind to take in for long periods of time.
“This is where you have been off to?” The creature rumbled on, seemingly conversing with itself.
Hyats'i trembled, his hands quivering against the cold ground. He knew whatever this thing was in front of them was something that wasn't made up of the earth. Nothing they could have ever fought against. He was frightened to the very core of his being, but he only had one thought in his head now.
The older boy looked over at Yolotl. He looked like he was ready to jump up and do whatever was necessary to get him and Hyats'i out of this. He couldn't let that happen. Yolotl was young and brave, but more foolish than anything else and Hyats'i was not about to let a headstrong idiot who was filled with some sort of selfish bravery get himself killed or sacrifice himself to get him out of harm's way. Even if there was no chance to escape, he couldn't let the kid leave his side. If they had the chance, Hyats'i would be the one to take it, and bring them both out. The horrifying beast suddenly began to cackle.
"I cannot believe it! To think you were here this whole time! I'm hurt." It said with mock disappointment. It turned its attention away from the two boys once again. "What? Didn't want me to meet your little friends?"
Silence. It loudly sighed. If it had eyes, it would surely be rolling them, annoyed and impatient.
"Toci." It growled.
The only response was more silence.
Yolotl trembled violently, his body quaking under the weight of his own muscles. His bangs fell over his eyes, making him shield his face from view. He slowly rose to his feet, wobbling slightly. Anger filled Yolotl's veins. How dare this thing, this creature, speak to them in such a way? He felt his face grow hot and his blood boil. The creature took notice of the boy’s rage and began to laugh once more. Yolotl cursed aloud, spitting onto the ground as he threw himself towards the monster. He could not contain the hate that overwhelmed him in his very being and before he knew it his hands were slamming into the solid mass of the creature's thigh. Its skin seemed to sizzle at his touch, yet it stood still, watching him with amusement. With a swift motion the beast took hold of Yolotl by the neck, lifting him up into the air.
Yolotl struggled to escape, grabbing at the pale claws wrapped around his throat and gasping for breath. Hyats'i leaped up, scrambling across the floor to save him but was kicked aside before he even got close.
"What a feisty little thing." The monster seemed to purr. "Just like Toci. I see the resemblance now!"
"You bastard! Let me go!" Yolotl spat angrily, his thrashing coming to a screeching halt as his energy seemed to fade. Despite his fleeting movement, his anger continued to burn strong.
"I could snap your neck with a single flick of my thumb." It darkly threatened, its thumb lightly brushing up against the boy's throat.
"Do it then...You coward!" The tattooed boy choked out. Yolotl dug his fingertips into the beast's icy skin with all his might, scratching at its palm with a ferocity but his struggles were weak. The beast tilted its stump to the side in feigned curiosity, then snickered and continued talking.
"Humor! And so much bravery! Fascinating." The creature squeezed the young man's throat tightly. "I like you. I see why she chose you now."
He kept dangling there, kicking his feet and trying to struggle. Hyats'i clambered onto the beast, pulling on its arm and trying to rip Yolotl free from its grasp. It shook him off as if he was nothing more than a fly buzzing around its ears and it loosened its grip on Yolotl, allowing both two boys to fall down onto the ground with loud thuds. This only seemed to amuse the creature further as its cackling echoed through the area. Hyats'i scrambled to help Yolotl, trembling in fear of the beast looming over them.
After what felt like ages, the laughing came to a halt. Its taunting and smugness subsiding.
"Such fire." The creature said. "I am impressed. But I do not have time for your games."
The creature's voice dropped an octave. The temperature suddenly felt cold, and the air was heavy. Yolotl felt as if he was going to suffocate.“Where is Toci, boy.” The headless being raised its clawed hand and Yolotl was forced to his feet. It was not his choice, as if he was being pulled by an invisible force.
"I will tear you from limb to limb, until all that is left of you is a bloody mess." The beast hissed, its voice sounding like thunder striking in the middle of a howling storm, sending chills through Yolotl's body. Yolotl grit his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to fight the creature, but he couldn't. Not now. Not like this. He couldn't move.
“Speak.” The monster commanded, it's voice filled with anger and impatience.
He doesn’t know. He didn’t understand why the creature was so desperate to know where the person called Toci was. It was infuriating. Whoever Toci was, Yolotl couldn’t help but curse their very existence.
If this person this monster was after did not somehow involve them, then perhaps they could have been safely harvesting trees, instead of being held hostage by a monstrous being. He felt his mind fog over. There was a pounding in his head, and he couldn’t seem to think straight.
“We do not know.” Hyats’i answered for them both, using his body to shield the younger boy from the beast. He kept his tone calm and level, not wanting to anger the being any further. “Who is Toci?” He asked.
The creature seemed annoyed by the question, its claws flexing as though ready to lash out and attack the two. "It does not concern you." The monster's voice was gruff and filled with irritation. Yolotl struggled against its invisible grip, trying to free himself from the monster's hold, but its grasp was too tight.
“How shameful. You have no idea who she is, yet you reek of her.”
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