TEZCATLIPOCA “Smoking Mirror”
Mexico, Present Day
Miranda raised her hand to run her finger over the rough stone surface. As Tlaco had said, it had remained amazingly intact over the years.
“If I didn’t know any better I would have thought the Aztec Empire had only fallen yesterday.” Tim remarked in delighted wonder. An awe inspired grin flashed through the stubble on his chin. “It’s barely decayed at all!”
From beside him Tlaco watched with an amused smile creeping across his lips at Tim’s marvel of the Central pillar. “Indeed, it’s nothing short of a miracle.” He agreed. “In just the past six months we’ve unearthed a large section of the remains of the village surrounding the Acantuns.”
“So there was a village here?” Amy questioned, as though clarifying the fact.
“Most certainly.” Tlaco said, with a nod of his head.
“Mmmmn,” Amy’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the fourteen foot statue. “Do you have any idea how or why this village became deserted?”
“Well from what the expeditions have been able to gather in the last six months is that this village was abandoned in a hurry. If you take a closer look as the base of this central Acantun you’ll see the scorch marks that were created by a large fire.”
“Wild fire?” Tim suggested to Tlaco as Miranda crouched down to examine the blackened stone.
“Possibly.” Tlaco shrugged. “Perhaps the fire happened years later, after the village was deserted. It’s still a mystery.” He summed up with a deep sigh.
“So much for protection gods.” Amy remarked, pointing at the Acantun. “Something bad obviously happened.”
“Ahh! But the Acantuns aren’t to be held souly responsible. The fault also partially lies with the B’alams who assisted the Acantuns.” Tlaco remarked knowingly.
“Who, or what were the B’alams?”
“Jaguar spirits.” Miranda heard Tim answer absent mindedly from behind as she stood up again and stepped back to marvel the relic.
“Jaguar spirits?” Amy repeated, turning to the older archeologist in curiosity.
“Myth has it that each night they would creep into the villages and sit upon the Acantuns to ward off any unwanted visitors.” Miranda explained, turning to Amy pleased to see that she had taken an interest.
“But during the day no one knew what became of them.” Tlaco added, with a mysterious air. “My grandfather claimed he glimpsed one in his youth.”
Amy raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Not just a regular jaguar was it?”
“So I asked him myself.” Tlaco said, brow furrowing in an expression of doubt. “He claimed he witnessed it take the form of a human at daybreak. Of course as soon as he said that I lost all faith in the story.”
“No doubt he thought it would have been a good yarn to tell the grand kids.” Tim remarked with a laugh, removing his glasses to wipe his sweaty face with the edge of his sleeve.
“Well it’s not a yarn of sorts but there’s one last thing I should show you. I’m sure you’ll find it fascinating.” Tlaco said, raising a hand over his eyes and scanning the land.
“What is it?” Miranda asked, inquisitively.
Tlaco moved his hand to shoo a fly from his face. “A tomb.”
“If I didn’t know any better I would have thought the Aztec Empire had only fallen yesterday.” Tim remarked in delighted wonder. An awe inspired grin flashed through the stubble on his chin. “It’s barely decayed at all!”
From beside him Tlaco watched with an amused smile creeping across his lips at Tim’s marvel of the Central pillar. “Indeed, it’s nothing short of a miracle.” He agreed. “In just the past six months we’ve unearthed a large section of the remains of the village surrounding the Acantuns.”
“So there was a village here?” Amy questioned, as though clarifying the fact.
“Most certainly.” Tlaco said, with a nod of his head.
“Mmmmn,” Amy’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the fourteen foot statue. “Do you have any idea how or why this village became deserted?”
“Well from what the expeditions have been able to gather in the last six months is that this village was abandoned in a hurry. If you take a closer look as the base of this central Acantun you’ll see the scorch marks that were created by a large fire.”
“Wild fire?” Tim suggested to Tlaco as Miranda crouched down to examine the blackened stone.
“Possibly.” Tlaco shrugged. “Perhaps the fire happened years later, after the village was deserted. It’s still a mystery.” He summed up with a deep sigh.
“So much for protection gods.” Amy remarked, pointing at the Acantun. “Something bad obviously happened.”
“Ahh! But the Acantuns aren’t to be held souly responsible. The fault also partially lies with the B’alams who assisted the Acantuns.” Tlaco remarked knowingly.
“Who, or what were the B’alams?”
“Jaguar spirits.” Miranda heard Tim answer absent mindedly from behind as she stood up again and stepped back to marvel the relic.
“Jaguar spirits?” Amy repeated, turning to the older archeologist in curiosity.
“Myth has it that each night they would creep into the villages and sit upon the Acantuns to ward off any unwanted visitors.” Miranda explained, turning to Amy pleased to see that she had taken an interest.
“But during the day no one knew what became of them.” Tlaco added, with a mysterious air. “My grandfather claimed he glimpsed one in his youth.”
Amy raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Not just a regular jaguar was it?”
“So I asked him myself.” Tlaco said, brow furrowing in an expression of doubt. “He claimed he witnessed it take the form of a human at daybreak. Of course as soon as he said that I lost all faith in the story.”
“No doubt he thought it would have been a good yarn to tell the grand kids.” Tim remarked with a laugh, removing his glasses to wipe his sweaty face with the edge of his sleeve.
“Well it’s not a yarn of sorts but there’s one last thing I should show you. I’m sure you’ll find it fascinating.” Tlaco said, raising a hand over his eyes and scanning the land.
“What is it?” Miranda asked, inquisitively.
Tlaco moved his hand to shoo a fly from his face. “A tomb.”