Draiks and Angels: Survivor

8 - Taken

The group reappeared in the village right where they had been "rescued" by Maximón. The villagers were incredibly surprised and rushed to retrieve Dinael.

The young man hushed the crowd and turned to the winged people, "Everyone is quite eager to learn what you can tell them about those beings that attacked you and where you have been for the last week."

"Week?!" Ava exclaimed. "We've only been gone for at most a day and a night!"

"And we probably shouldn't stay long," Satiya apologized, "or those things will probably come back, and we don't want to put you all in danger."

"What are they?" Dinael asked.

"They are the things that took Tadeas," Husani explained. "Minions of an evil being. It has reasons for wanting to capture... some of us, and it has become quite powerful."

"And where have you been?"

The Angels looked at each other, but Tadeas responded, "Maximón took us to their realm and some of the other gods have lent us their power. We are going to defeat that being."

"We need to leave," Satiya waved in farewell and the others followed her as they left the village.

"Where are we going?" Ava asked.

"Just away from them," Satiya replied. "We can't get them caught up in anything."

"I know of a small temple nearby that we can go to," Tadeas offered.

"Lead on," Husani nodded.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they were trudging through the jungle and Tadeas was waiting for them to catch up again, Husani had an idea, "I've been thinking about these relics. The Maize God said we could use them however we wanted to, so I was wondering if we could use one to keep the Shadows from being able to attack us?"

"That would be really nice," Ava agreed.

"That sounds really difficult," Satiya pondered.

"It's a god! Why not?" Husani countered.

"Couldn't hurt to try," Satiya shrugged.

When they arrived at the temple, they stood in front of the building in the clearing as Husani pulled out the copper water droplet. Unsure how to activate it, he held it in both hands and concentrated on it, squeezing both eyes shut.

"Husani!" Ava exclaimed, pulling the knife out of her shorts' sheath.

"They're here!" Satiya cried, casting her own blade.

Tadeas drew his dagger that Ava had given him from his waistband as well, and at that moment, everything froze. The Shadow blobs that were rising from the ground got no taller, and did not move. The leaves on the trees did not quiver. There wasn't a breeze. Then on the top of the temple appeared Chac, the god from the relic that Husani held in his hands.

"What would you wish of my power?" he asked.

Husani opened his eyes, but didn't drop his hands, "Can we use your power to prevent the Shadows from attacking us?"

Chac walked down the stairs a step at a time, "The power in this relic is not enough to do what you ask. Even if I was there myself, I may not be able to do what you ask, for the one called Yom Cimil is very powerful now. It could be possible to prevent him from teleporting you via his portals, however there is only enough power to work on two of you."

Husani and Satiya looked at each other and at the frozen Shadows around them.

Without hesitation, Husani said, "I would like to prevent the being called Yom Cimil from teleporting Ava and Tadeas, using the power from this relic."