BLOOD OF MOON: THE HEAVENLY HEIST

THE DIVINE INFIRMARY

We sat again. Itzamna looked, for once, shaken. The happenings at the field outside the palace, which was pretty much destroyed now, had shaken him slightly. Mama sat in her place, calmly. Huracan and Kukulkaan were discussing something. We were sitting on guest chairs. The fight had taken a toll on us. Ixcacao helped me to my chair, despite me asking her not to. Apparently, the gods don't listen to humans. Nakon was rubbing off nagual blood from his macuahuitl. In the end, everyone got into their place. Then, Itzamna spoke.

"Today was a difficult day. Everything seems to have gone wrong. The front side of our palace got decimated. These kids lost their human parents. We lost a battle. And now Seven Macaw roams free in the world. While we saved our jewels, it has come at a great cost."

"You and your hunger for power." Ixcacao said, "All of you are responsible for these. Had you not been so power-hungry..."

"Just a second, mija." Chaac interrupted her, "You don't know the situation, and hence, you can't go straight up and blame us all. Do you have any idea the population of the gods when Seven Macaw started ruling the world?"

"No."

"We were in hundreds. Now, we are just a few who have lived over the last millennium. Either Seven Macaw and his sons had killed our brethren, or done something so bad to them that they faded away, with their grief outliving them. Why do you think Ahau is not the Sun anymore?"

"They attacked Ahau?" Ixcacao asked.

"Chaac!" Huracan asked him to stop. I looked at Mama, who looked perplexed and embarrassed as if some old wound had started to pain again. I knew who Ahau was. Sun god Kinnich Ahau was Mama's first husband, ex-husband, who had taken a huge effect from Seven Macaw's manipulations and turned abusive. It took Ixchel a lot of strength to get out of such a relationship. Ahau hadn't taken it well. He became so depressed that he retired from his responsibility as the god of the Sun, and sulked in his house. We don't know if he still does. Mama doesn't like talking about him, and hence, we do not push.

"Anyway," Itzamna changed the topic, "We can't fight among ourselves. I know we, as gods, don't always see eye-to-eye, but we have to stay together at this hour, while Seven Macaw is still loose. He's vengeful, he's still very massively powerful, and he's dangerously murderous. We must be ready for his next moves. Huracan, you must take care of updates in the human world. Given his sons lived there, he must be trying to find a way to bring his sons back to life. He'd also be searching for his eyes, which are, of course, in Xibalba. Ixtab..."

"I know." Ixtab promptly answered.

"Good." Itzamna gave her an impressed look, before continuing, "Kuk, you are the lord of time and the seas. You must ensure that the sea creatures don't pledge allegiance to the wrong side. And lastly Ixchel."

"Yes." Mama replied.

"You must build your army of godborns. It's been long enough that we, the gods, have ignored our little families down in the mortal world. But it happened to be a few of them who ended up finding out about Seven Macaw and alerted us. I am proud that these two are my stepsons, and I will protect them for they earned it. Though they won't need it."

"Fabio definitely won't." Kukulkaan said, "Boy could absorb godly powers too."

"Only at a mild level." Mama said, "He could barely scratch my powers' surface." She knew that I had absorbed some of her powers during the fight. I looked down, embarrassed.

"We need to find more godborns, Ixchel, we need to build our army. It is their fight too." Itzamna said.

"I understand." Mama replied.

"Anyone volunteering to help?" Itzamna asked the room. We raised our hands, and beside us, so did Ixcacao. Itzamna smiled and said, "I expected nothing less. Nakon, Alom?"

"Boss?"

"You are the strategists among the gods. Work together and prepare for a proper strategy so that whenever the need arises, we can be ready."

"With him?" Alom asked.

"Why? You scared that I'll dislocate your shoulders again?" Nakon asked, smiling slyly.

"No." Alom hid his face.

"Anyway, Chaac, you must be aware of helping everyone whenever they need it. You are connected to the roads."

"I got it."

"And now, Fabio needs treatment. Take him to the infirmary." And so, Mama got up from her seat, picked me up like I was nothing but a big teddy bear, and carried me to the infirmary. I knew better than to resist.

The infirmary was a huge hospital room inside. It seemed to have all the medical facilities that would be available in Mexico. From the outside, it looked like another enlarged Maya building made with stones. However, inside, the halls were as modern as they could get. High ceilings, polished floors. Chairs were placed in the waiting lounge. The reception table was painted wood-like. The rest of the walls matched the table's color, painted on stones. Mama took me past the reception, towards the ER. The inside was like a typical emergency room, with many beds with blue pads. Curtains separated the beds. The beds had saline bottles with them. The walls here were white, though rough and stone-made. Mama put me on one of the beds opposite the ER door and the medicine shelves. A healer woman quickly tended to me. In ancient Maya, she spoke, "He can't feel his legs. See that he feels them."

"Yes, my Lady." The healer replied. Nope, I still don't speak Maya. But I understand it. I've always understood it.