Days And Nights (Book of Life and Maya and the Three One Shots)

Backing Off

Micte steps up to defend a young Zatz from getting picked on.

Micte had been walking through the halls of her temple home, enjoying the silence of the evening. 

That is until she heard Hura say, "Well then, little half breed, show us what you can do."

Oh, no.

Micte walked forward, looking for where Hura and Can were. She turned a corner to see Hura and Can towering over Zatz, who was cowering in the corner he was backed into.

"I... I can't do anything yet." Zatz sheepishly said.

Much of the pantheon treated Zatz poorly, as he was a demigod, especially Mictlan. It wasn't often Micte witnessed it, but she always intervened whenever she did. 

She couldn't imagine what this was doing to the poor boy.

"Just as we thought." Hura scoffed, "Can and I practically manifested all our powers at your age."

Can picked up Zatz and hung him upside-down by the leg, Zatz yelping in surprise as he silently whimpered at the older gods. 

"You're a lot weaker than I thought." Hura said, "How about we show you what real gods can do?"

"Hey!" 

Hura, Can and Zatz froze and stared at Micte as she walked towards them, "Hura, Can, have you got nothing better to do than tormenting a child?"

Hura and Can looked at each other sheepishly, "Uh, it-it's not like that at all, we were just-"

"Threatening to use your powers on him as well." Micte crossed her arms with an arched brow, "I believe this is something Mictlan would be interested in hearing about." Micte threatened. 

While she knew Mictlan treated Zatz worse than any of the gods, he still made sure the child was left unharmed for his own... malicious reasons.

Hura and Can began to panic, "No, no, no, no, no! I-It won't happen again, we promise, my lady."

"Good. Now, put him down."

Can turned Zatz right-side up and set him down on the floor.

The moment his feet touched the floor, Zatz made a beeline for Micte, hiding behind her.

"Good day to you both."

Hura and Can bowed their heads before quickly making their way down the hall, Micte glaring at them until they were gone. 

She turned her attention to Zatz as he sniffed, wiping away his frightened tears. She bent down to ruffle his hair, "Don't listen to them, my dear." She said softly, "There isn't an age for powers to come. Do you want to talk about it?"

Zatz looked up at Micte and shook his head. 

"Why don't I take you home?"

Zatz said nothing but held his little arms up towards her.

Micte understood his request, bending down to pick up Zatz in her arms. He rested his head against her shoulder as she carried him back home. 

As she walked, she knew Zatz was silently crying against her shoulder. Micte soothingly rubbed circles along his back in an attempt to comfort him. 

In a way, she knew it worked.