Chapter Twenty: Natalie. The Word "Banished" Loses All Meaning

Here's chapter twenty of Heroes: The New Level.

The Word "Banished" Loses All Meaning
The temple of Xolotl.

This was the temple where my adventure began. And now I was back here. Only now, I have a clue. Only now, I have Maldito. Only now, Tara, Raymond, and Eddie are right beside me. Now, I'm prepared.

We walked into an intricately decorated chamber, with two pools of fire in the center. Run! a voice - probably Set - screamed in my head. Get out of here NOW!

The prophecy Clarisse gave us rang as well. What if this was misfortune's hall, where one of us would be lost? Cam said that Xolotl was the god of misfortune... Suddenly, coming here seemed like a terrible idea. I was tempted to take Set up on his offer and just get the Mictlan out of there.

Suddenly from one of the fiery pools leaped a great beast. The Ahuizotl. Xolotl must have been controlling it just like the sphinx and the lamiae. But how could it be here? Didn't Tlaloc banish it?

I remembered Tlaloc's exact exile of the Ahuizotl. The Ahuizotl could never attack his representative under Tlaloc's domain. The pools of fire weren't part of Tlaloc's domain - they were Xolotl's. And Tara, Raymond, and Eddie didn't rep for Tlaloc.

"What is that thing?" Tara asked.

"An Ahuizotl," I told her. "Aztec sea monster. Tlaloc banished it awhile ago, but it looks like Xolotl un-banished it. Watch out for its tail and you should be good."

As if on cue, the Ahuizotl struck with its tail, right at Eddie. A couple of the tail-fingers were lost to Vicis Tincidunt Vivamus in a second before the remainder unset it and grabbed Eddie's throat. One shall be lost... Misfortune's hall.

"No!" I shouted. "Ahuizotl, fight me. I'm the one you want." I don't know where that came from but I kept Maldito steady and never broke my gaze. Excellent, Set told me. Just make it sound like you're stronger than it. Pride will be its downfall.

The Ahuizotl released Eddie and hopped into the other pool, closer to me. I felt the power of storms come to me... my Greek father Zeus and Roman father Jupiter channeled lightning, my Aztec master Tlaloc channeled rainfall, my Egyptian god within Set brought a sandstorm forth. Even gods I had no idea about sent storm waves through my core.

A torrent of mud - a Tlaloc river mixed with Set's sandstorms - flooded from my hand, supercharged with Dad's lightning. The Ahuizotl shot back pillars of fire, laced with its allegiance to Xolotl. I forced harder, but the flames burned too hot...

I leaped into the fire without thinking and struck the Ahuizotl with Maldito. The cursed blade struck its mark in the sea monster. Like the lamiae that had died, the Ahuizotl disintegrated with just a few last words that would haunt me for who knows how long. The Merge will aid me.

"Way to go," Eddie said as he wiped burnt fur off his throat. "That's another monster tken care of... for now at least. Now let's see if we can find Xolotl."

"Eddie, you rep for Xolotl's brother," I said. "If any of us has a chance of finding him in here, it's you."

"No need to search for me," a rough voice said. Through the next doorway was a skeletal doglike man with reversed legs. His eyes shone with vicious flames. The New Level heroes and I raised our weapons.

"Xolotl," I breathed.