Neophyte

Premonition

Metztli had her eyes closed; she wanted to open them, but her eyes felt glued together. "What is going on?" she thought. Her eyes eventually softened, and she was able to open them. 

She stood at the center of the Mission, but something looked off.

Metztli saw the Padres in the Mission, standing in different areas, but what was off was the position of the Padres; their backs faced toward her. The Padres didn't stand alone on the outer parts of the Mission; there stood the Neophytes, who had either sad or terrified expressions. 

"What's happening? Mariana, Guillermo, Valentina?" None were seen or even walked forward. "B-Bishop!?" No response. Metztli turned and called out to anyone who would speak to her, but no one moved or made a sound.

Something appeared before her, making her stop in her tracks. It appeared to be a body wrapped in a white cloth, decorated with many patterns, and tied with ropes. The body was on top of a wooden pyre. Metztli's heart pounded as she slowly motioned forward to uncover who was beneath the cloth, but then she saw a figure before her.  The figure looked to wear a Padre's robe and sandals, but something was off.

Drips fell to the ground. Looking at the drip, Metztli noticed that it looked like blood. 

Her heart suddenly pounded with a mix of anticipation, fear, and sadness. Metztli feared looking at who stood before her, but a force urged her to look up. Her head trembled while she lifted it, and her eyes widened in horror. 

Her lips immediately dropped. 

Standing in front of her was Padre Lucas. She would have wondered why he would be before her, but that question was far from her mind. Metztli was horrified at the state he was in. Padre Lucas looked like the living dead. His head was broken, and parts of his brain were visible; blood dripped down like a waterfall. His eyes were bloodshot red, filled with sadness. "Ay Dios mio (Oh my God)..."

Padre Lucas' shoulders slumped as his blood continued to flow down. His eyes looked as if they were looking straight into her soul. "R-Run..."

He spoke, causing Metztli to flinch violently. "What?"

"Run."

"What are you talking about!?" Metztli looked down at the covered body and pointed at it. "Who is this!?"

Padre Lucas suddenly began to hyperventilate. He was struggling to breathe, and he then pointed behind Metztli. 

"METZTLI!"

"Gaaahhh!!!" Metztli immediately woke up and felt her sweat drip from her forehead and the back of her neck. Her heart pounded uncontrollably.

"Breathe," Valentina said while sitting beside her.

"V-Valentina!?" Metztli slowly sat up, placing a hand over her heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Valentina raised an eyebrow but looked unbothered. "It is already morning, and you still haven't awakened. I arrived to wake you, but you were having a nightmare. "I was about to wake you, but you called out for the Bishop."

"I-I did?"

"Yes, you sounded scared. You sounded as if you were asking for help." Valentina was silent momentarily until she continued, "This is not the first time you have had nightmares. I am starting to believe that these nightmares are premonitions. They are trying to tell you something is going to happen."

The thought of the nightmares being premonitions made Metztli shiver. She didn't want to think about the possibility, but many of the nightmares shared similarities. "Maybe Valentina is right. I might be dreaming of premonitions, but what do they mean? Is something terrible coming?"

"I am here because Nonantzin made breakfast, and you promised me that you would teach me fighting skills. Guillermo is eating, and he is preparing himself for our practice."

"I see. Where is Esteban?"

"Keeping guard outside the village. He wants to ensure that the other Soldados de Cuera are not acting out of turn. Well, get dressed. I will wait for you outside so you can eat your breakfast." Valentina walked out.

Metztli massaged the back of her neck where her sweat was slowly drying. "I need to bathe, but maybe I'll ask how I can prepare for one." She got off her handmade cot, went to her wooden chest, opened it, and put on a light brown dress with beautiful patterned decoration. She then put on the earrings that Mariana had given her and stepped out of the kizh. 

People were walking around the village. "I need to find Mariana and..."

"Buenos días, Metztli." Esteban walked toward Metztli, but he wasn't wearing his typical uniform; he was only wearing dark brown pants, black boots, and a loose white shirt. 

"Oh, buenos días, Esteban. I was wondering about your whereabouts. I heard that the reason you weren't at the tribe's festivities is that you were busy guarding." 

Esteban had a white towel and wiped his right arm. "I was."

"Valentina told me that you were ensuring that other Soldados de Cuera were...kept in check. What did she mean by that?" Metztli noticed that Esteban didn't look comfortable and seemed reluctant to speak further. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I don't want to keep secrets from you. We had reports that many Soldados are becoming mercenaries and kidnapping many people from different villages for other Missions and ranchos for free labor."

"You mean, for slavery."

Esteban looked slightly away. "Yes, for slavery. I can only do so much, I-"

"I understand, Esteban. You are just a person. I know you can't change the world around you. Still, I'm relieved that there are still good people in this world." Metztli smiled at him, making Esteban blush.

The Soldado cleared his throat. "So, what are you planning to do today?"

"Well, I am going to teach Valentina some self-defense moves. Guillermo is coming with us, where he is going to be my assistant."

"Really?" Esteban looked intrigued. "May I come along? Could I also bring some of my men? They can be restless if they have nothing to do. Believe me, they will not do anything that will put you or anyone at risk."

Metztli smiled, but when Estaban noticed her smile, he knew that it wasn't any ordinary smile. The smile looked mischievous, and Esteban began to regret his suggestion slowly.

"Of course, you guys can come along. The more, the merrier."