Cody had woken up. He had fallen asleep inside a hollow formed in the broken remains of an ancient Maya stela, toppled long ago by time. He had been so exhausted he hadn't noticed he was lying beside a nest of spiders; it was their tiny legs crawling across his face that finally woke him. He shot upright with a yelp, brushing them off as he stumbled away. Only then did he realise it was already night.
He decided he would definitely not crawl back into that burrow again, and began to walk, guided only by the moon's silvery glow. The sounds of the jungle surrounded him; he had no idea where he was going, but he knew one thing: he had to get away and head for the sea—far from the Spaniards.
He had read many adventure stories about pirates exploring impenetrable jungles, and now he found himself inside one of those scenes… except he had no idea what to do, and fear clamped tight around his chest.
He kept moving cautiously, minding every step, when he began to hear footsteps behind him.
That was not good.
He looked back—only darkness and foliage. He quickened his pace. The footsteps followed, stopping whenever he stopped. His breath caught in his throat. He took three steps… and three steps answered.
"Bloody hell…" he whispered, and bolted.
He could clearly hear the footsteps chasing him. A rise in the terrain sent him stumbling and rolling through the undergrowth. When he lifted his head, he thought he saw a shadow—something sniffing the air. Cody froze solid; his heartbeat pounded in his ears. Then the creature turned toward him, and two luminous eyes flashed in the dark. A shriek tore across the night, freezing his blood.
Cody grabbed a branch within reach and ran like a madman, not caring about the scratches the jungle carved across his face. He couldn't see the thing, but he could feel it closing in on him.
He reached a mound. Looking up, he saw the silhouette of a structure rising against the starry sky. He made to climb it when he heard a series of clicking sounds.
"Though I walk through the valley of the dead… I will fear no… actually I'd never go into a valley with death…" he muttered frantically. "Don't be afraid… Jesus…"
The clicking noises grew louder. Two red points glimmered between the leaves and began to glide forward, as if letting him know he was cornered. Suddenly a flare lit the sky and dropped among the bushes. A shriek followed. Seconds later another flare streaked through the air. More howls… and then silence.
Cody stood there, hyperventilating. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He screamed—high-pitched—and threw himself to the ground, swinging the branch wildly in panic.
"Easy…" a voice said.
Cody pushed himself up, still holding the branch defensively. In front of him stood a boy; the light made it hard to see his features clearly.
"Who are you?" Cody demanded, startled.
"I'm Yax. And you? What are you doing here?"
"It doesn't matter who I am… I'm lost. Well… my crew will be coming for me any minute now."
"From what I can imagine, your crew has already been subdued by the Spaniards, and you've very little chance of surviving alone out here… so relax, I won't harm you."
"How do I know you're not… a cannibal?"
Yax snorted.
"Suit yourself then," he said, and began climbing the mound.
Cody watched him for a moment, drew a shaky breath, glanced anxiously around the jungle… and began to climb after him.
At the top he discovered the structure was an ancient Maya sanctuary, nearly devoured by the jungle. Yax had already slipped into the narrow chamber and looked up when Cody appeared at the entrance, still wide-eyed.
"Not so fierce now, are you?" Yax teased.
Cody said nothing and pressed himself into a corner.
"Sorry… I must confess I'm terrified. Something was chasing me through the forest… it started prowling as soon as I arrived."
Yax said nothing, turning instead to scan the surroundings from the doorway.
"It could've been a Kisin or a Camazotz," he said softly. "They come out at night and hunt whoever's unlucky enough to cross their path."
Cody swallowed hard.
"What the hell are those things?"
"They're… devils. Demons. They look for blood—or life force."
Cody stared at him, unsure what to believe.
"I'm Cody Harris," he said at last.
"What's your story?"
"I'm from the Garnor's crew."
Yax raised a brow.
"I unloaded several barrels for you lot… never saw you."
"I never went ashore until now… and everything fell apart."
"I was the only one who managed to escape. Kwame, the assistant to Xul-Kan's administrator, told me to get help. There are Maya rebel groups, and guerrillas… I want to see if they can aid us."
Cody straightened, suddenly hopeful.
"That's an excellent idea… We can rescue my crew and get back to my ship. I'm sure she's still nearby."
"What makes you think they didn't abandon you?"
"I have complete faith. The captain is strict and short-tempered, but he has one thing: he's loyal to his crew."
"Nothing like Rafael," Yax muttered. "The leader of the pirates who settled in Xul-Kan."
At that moment, a series of howls echoed around them. Yax signalled for silence and moved to the edge of the pyramid. Cody followed.
"They're hunting us," Yax whispered.
"Demons… what are we going to do?"
"They don't enter sacred places," Yax replied. "But just in case… we'd best keep quiet. They already know we're up here."