"Sangre (Blood)" for day 3 of the 7 Days of Halloween Challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Napoleon and Illya, after finishing up some loose ends on their latest assignment in Mexico City, were graciously granted a few days off at UNCLE’s expense, by Mr. Waverly. Though Accounting usually balked at such gestures, the CCO periodically liked to reward his agents for a job well done.

“He couldn’t give us paid time off when we were in Tahiti two weeks ago?” Napoleon grumbled.

“For once I might agree with you as our current location is not the most exciting,” Illya said.”Other than hitting a few of the nearby cantinas for meals, there is little else to do except have drinks at our hotel bar.”

“Hmmm, yes. Oddly, there seems to be a lack of pretty señoritas in the immediate vicinity,” Napoleon added. “I suppose we could go do some sightseeing?”

Kuryakin’s jaw dropped. “You want to go see the sights instead of trolling for women? Napoleon are you unwell?”

“I’m fine, just not in the mood. Maybe a change of pace and scenery will do me some good.”

Illya pulled a travel brochure from his suit pocket. “Well since you asked, I was hoping to see the ruins of Tenochtitlan before our return to New York.”

“That's the capital of the Aztec empire until it was captured by the Spanish Conquistadors,"Solo chimed in.

“Napoleon, I am impressed.”

“Hey, I can read travel brochures too, tovarisch.”Solo winked.

“Then you would like to go?”

“Like? Not really, but heck why not? Nothing wrong with taking in a little of the local history, makes you a more well rounded person,” Napoleon smiled.

“Who are you and what have you done with my partner?”

“Come on I’m not that bad...am I?”

“My friend, since I have known you, your pastime has been nothing but girl chasing.”

“Yeah, I guess I have a one track mind don’t I?”

“No arguments from me there; so it is settled, we go see  the archaeological dig of Tenochtitlan. I will ring up for room service and have them prepare a boxed lunch for us as I am sure there will be no where to eat near the ruins.”

“Wait, it’s a dig?” Napoleon tried to hid his surprise.

“I see you merely skimmed the brochure,” Illya drew it from his pocket again. “The Aztec city was only discovered recently when Mexico city was building a subway, they found remains of the Aztec empire - such as a old temple, it is located in the middle of Lake Texcoco.”

“Thank you for the history lesson Professor, and by the way, you have a bit of a one track mind yourself as you’re already thinking of food.”

The Russian chuckled.” No arguments from me there either.”

After picking up their lunches which consisted of ham and cheese sandwiches, hard boiled eggs and a small cooler containing a few cold cervezas, (knowing to avoid drinking the water) they took their rented jeep and headed out.

Illya was behind the wheel, lest Napoleon’s lack of a sense of direction... led them astray. Conversely, the American’s acumen was always spot on.

It wasn’t that long a drive to the site, which upon arrival, they found quite desolate.

“No tour guides, “Napoleon said as they headed towards a tall stepped pyramid- like temple.  “I would presume the archeologists are taking the day off.”

The place was surprisingly vast, and that was when the decided to sit and eat their lunch and quench their thirst with some of the beer before ascending the temple.

“Millions of people lived in the Aztec Empire,”Illya said,” though eventually they were conquered by Hernando Cortes. When the Spaniards arrived in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec leader Montezuma and his people greeted them as honored guests according to Aztec custom, partially due to Cortes’ physical resemblance to the light-skinned god Quetzalcoatl, whose return was prophesied in Aztec legend.”

“Though the natives had superior numbers, their weapons were primitive and Cortes was able to immediately take Montezuma and his entourage of lords hostage, gaining control of Tenochtitlan. The Spaniards then murdered thousands of Aztec nobles during a ritual dance ceremony, and Montezuma died under uncertain circumstances while in custody.”

His young nephew Cuauhtemoc, took over as emperor and the Aztecs drove the Spaniards from the city. With the help of the Aztecs’ native rivals, Cortes mounted an offensive, finally defeating Cuauhtemoc’s resistance in 1521. In all, it is estimated that some 240,000 people died in the city’s conquest, which effectively ended the Aztec civilization. After his victory, Cortes razed Tenochtitlan and built Mexico City on its ruins.”

“How do you know all this tovarisch? I know you didn't get this out of that brochure. Wait, you don’t have to answer that, I know; you just read a lot.”

Illya merely shrugged.

“I read too, I just don’t have the same areas of interest as you...which come to think of it, is everything,” Solo laughed.

“Yes, Napoleon you are a well read man and you prefer the classics. My reading preferences are more eclectic. You also forget my friend, I have an eidetic memory and recall nearly everything I read.”

“Which has come in handy, I'll admit. I do remember reading somewhere that the Aztecs had human sacrifice and offered up their victims, which were usually prisoners of war, to their gods.

“Yes their religious ideology dictated human sacrifice in order to placate the sun god and prevent the rise of darkness and the end of the world. Their method of sacrificial murder was the removal of the heart; The victim was stretched out over the sacrificial stone high up on the temple.  A priest with an obsidian knife broke open his chest and ripped out his still beating heart, dashing it against the sacrificial stone. The Aztecs believed that they owed everything to the gods who created themselves as well as the world around them. They would perform sacrifices for a good crop yield or good weather among other things and believed that the best way to repay them was to offer up blood to them in regular rituals. It has been estimated that a few thousand people would have been sacrificed each year. After the ritual, the bodies of the victims were often kicked or otherwise thrown down the steps of this temple. Something else more morbid tool place; while maize and beans provided essential nutrients, they had to be eaten in great quantities,which was not always possible. That is when they turned toward human meat.”

“Cannibalism?”

“It has been surmised, though there is no proof positive.”

“Sheesh.” Napoleon looked at his half eaten sandwich, and suddenly lost his appetite. He rewrapped it and tucked it in the cooler with the rest of the beer. Looking up at the sky, he realized that it had suddenly become somewhat foreboding. Dark clouds had rolled in, blotting out the sun.

“Bad storm is coming Illya.”

Seconds later there was a loud thunderclap, confirming that fact. It became like night and the sky opened up, sending the agents running into a lower entrance at the base of the pyramid to escape the rain.

They shook the water from their khaki jackets; had it not been for this entryway, they would have been drenched. It was a torrential downpour with quite vilent the thunder and lightning.

“Damn,” Napoleon cursed,”the jeep is going to be soaked.

Illya pulled a small flashlight from his pocket. “Well let us do a little exploring while we wait for the storm to blow over, da?”

Together they carefully walked beneath the pyramid until they came to a large room. Without warning the room light filled the room, as torches on the surrounding walls burst into flame.

“I have a bad feeling about this, “Napoleon said.

“As do I. Time to make a hasty retreat.”

They turned but the tunnel down which they’d just walked was blocked by a large stone that rumbled into place.

“Boom-da-da Boom-da-da Boom da-da Boom…” The sounds of drums echoed around them.

Out of the shadows the figure of a dark haired woman wearing a feathered headdress and what looked like Aztec style clothing appeared.  At first she was transparent, until she solidified.

She swayed and danced to the beat of the drums, as she approached them, Napoleon in his typical manner, greeted her.

“Hello there, the name’s Solo, Napoleon Solo.”

She stared at him with seemingly blank eyes and that was when he switched to Spanish.

“Hola, el nombre es Solo, Napoleón Solo.”

She ignored him and turned to Illya, bowing low before him.

That was the last thing Napoleon remembered. When he woke he was laying on the ground in the same room, but what he saw, he couldn’t believe.

Illya was sitting on what looked like a throne made of carved stones. He was nearly naked, dressed only in a leopard loincloth. Adorning his neck was a turquoise bib, and on his head was an Aztec headpiece with long bright feathers. There was a golden figure of a serpent encircling his brow. Napoleon also saw that blood was trickling down his partner’s throat from two small puncture wounds.”

“Illya what the hell is going on?”

Kuryakin didn’t respond, and seemed to be in a trance. His blue eyes seemed more green now, looking like they belonged to a serpent.

The woman who’d appeared to them earlier was suddenly there and stepped in front of Solo, Her arms raised above her head like an animal about to attack. She opened her mouth and hissed at him, revealing a pair of long fangs. She growled not unlike that of a great cat.

“Whoa!” Napoleon hand went immediately to his gun. Drawing it, he aimed it at the creature...as surely she wasn’t a real woman.

She hissed. “You will not speak to the god Quetzalcoatl.” She pointed towards the pale skinned Kuryakin; her lips didn’t move, though Napoleon heard the words just the same...telepathy?

“Firstly, he’s not your god, he’s my friend and he’s leaving here with me.”

She snarled, diving at Napoleon, sending him backwards and down to the ground. Her mouth opened wider, like a great gaping maw as she snapped at him, intending to bite his throat.

Solo tried pushing her away, and in the struggle his gun went off. No sleep dart, it was a live round that went straight into her heart.

An was an echoing wail bounced off the walls, before the woman faded away into nothingness.

Napoleon pulled himself up, dusting himself off as he called to his partner.

“Illya!”

Kuryakin’s eyes began to blink, and as he returned to his senses he removed the crown from his head. His eyes were drawn to his near nakedness.

“Napoleon what is this? What is going on?” He reached up, touching his hand to his throat, and it came away bloodied.

“I’ll tell you once we get the hell out of here.”

Illya rose, but sank to his knees, apparently weak from the loss of blood. Solo helped him to his feet, holding onto the Russian as they made their way out via the corridor that was no longer blocked.

Once outside, the sun was shining.  As soon as they stepped into the light Illya’s clothes reappeared, as if he’d never been out of them, though the collar of his khaki shirt was blood stained.

They made it to the jeep, and sitting in the soggy seats. Solo taking the wheel, started the engine, and they took off like a bat out of hell, returning to the hotel in record time.

Twenty-four hours later Illya was recovered and they both agreed it was time to cut their little vacation short and return to New York, and they’d say nothing of what had happened to them at Tenochtitlan.

The one thing that dawned on them after the fact, that the date when this bizarre occurrence took place was that it was Halloween.  Not that one had anything to do with the other, but it did seem a coincidence.

A blond Quetzalcoatl...