A Kingdom Beneath the Waves

by Bowles, David;

  “Yeah, I know. And I’d like it if we could talk some more, but the apiyaztli’s probably already fading. I’ve got to go.”

  Swallowing hard, Ana nodded.

  “Please, just…remember that Maxaltic is my brother. Protect our people, Johnny, but try to keep him safe as well, if you can.”

  An unexpected ache tightened his chest.

  “Of course, Ana. I’ll do my best. Good-bye, now.”

  “I suspect you are not ready for this,” she muttered, “but I simply cannot resist.” Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. “Goodbye, Johnny. I hope one day we may meet again.”

  Overcome by feelings he couldn’t describe, unable to say anything in reply, he took his mother by the hand and called up his tonal, searching the water for signs of the tunnel.

  There it sputtered weakly, just a few meters off the port side.

  “Okay, Mom, grab both my hands.”

  He led her to the railing, and with a final glance back at the transformed siren and dolphin, they leapt into the sea.

  The entrance was already closing. Johnny scrabbled at it with savage magic, wedging it open for an instant more.

  “Hold your breath!” he shouted, and then he pulled his mother into the apiyaztli with him.

  This time the shortcut through Tlalocan took them directly over the sprawling jade palace that crowned the mountain at the center of the realm. Johnny could see that it was circular, like Mictlan, with concentric rings of different vegetation, including a broad river that separated the mountain from the rest of the paradise.

  Then the tunnel lifted, boring into clouds and beyond into the physical plane.

  Johnny and his mother sprawled into wet earth at the edge of Jabali Lagoon. Looming like a nightmare above them was a twisted, mammoth merging of squid and human. It clutched one fist high in the air, and from between those massive fingers black tendrils of shadow magic curled, twining along the tentacles and burrowing into the monster’s eyes.

  Below it lay Johnny’s father, hands raised in supplication, surrounded by human-shifted members of the Encante.

  All around sprawled the unconscious bodies of atlacah and tlacamichimeh.

  “No, Sweetie!” Oscar Garza screamed. “You have to fight it!”

  “Oh, dear Mother of God, it’s Carol!” Johnny’s mother cried, rushing to his aid.

  The lagoon bubbled and echoed with dark laughter, familiar to Johnny despite coming from a squid’s mouth beneath the surface.

  Tezcatlipoca had possessed his sister.

  “Johnny!” came a familiar, gurgling voice. Standing in the water just beyond Carol’s monstrous form was Rikar Tzaaq, brandishing a staff. Johnny understood immediately that this was the scepter of Epan Napotza, perhaps the only tool on earth capable of destroying the Shadow Stone.

  While his mother struggled to drag his father away from danger, aided by the Encante, Johnny ran toward the tlacamichin, determined to save his sister by shattering the ball of verdigris in her hand.

  Before he could reach the staff a figure leapt from the water to seize him and drag him under. Maxaltic’s hands went round Johnny’s neck like a noose.

  He shrugged and shifted into glowing, deep sea plankton long enough to escape the prince’s grasp, then became a tlacamichin and dragged him out of the water, holding him with a single webbed hand.

  “Really, you jealous punk? You’re going to pick a fight with a nagual?”

  Maxaltic spat in his face.

  “Oh, you did not just go there, dude. Alright, this is for Anamacani, you freak. She deserved a better brother than you.”

  Johnny curled his other scaly hand into a fist and punched the prince right in the jaw, knocking him completely out.

  Rikar Tzaaq had reached his side, and extended the staff.

  “I shall watch over him, Johnny. Go save your family. Go save us all.”

  Johnny grabbed the staff, nodded and turned.

  The fist was coming down.

  His mother and father were in its path.

  “No, Carolina, ¡no lo hagas!” screamed Verónica in frantic fear.

  Johnny lifted the staff, trying to sense the stone in his sister’s hand.

  And then the strangest thing happened. The monstrosity simply collapsed with a thunderous clap and flash of light. The Shadow Stone tumbled into the mud not far from his parents, rolling to a squelching stop at their feet.

  Standing unexpectedly in the shallows were Carol—the Robe of Mayahuel draped loosely over her long limbs—and a large wolf, its yellow-gray pelt and black markings a familiar sight.

  For a moment, no one said a word.

  Carol broke the stunned silence with a laugh. Reaching out to rub the wolf’s head, she shouted, “Hey, everybody, I’d like you to meet my tonal!”

  Johnny shook his head, incredulous. “No. Freaking. Way. Dude! You can split into two? That is totally not fair!”

  He ran to his sister and wrapped his arms around her.

  “He almost got me,” she whispered in his ear. “Almost bent me to his will, Johnny. But we’re not alone. No matter how bad things get, we’ve got allies. We’ve got family. We’ve got each other.”

  The wolf nuzzled in between the two of them, looking up at Johnny with eyes he’d seen many times before.

  …and…you have…us…

  The jaguar stirred within him, joyous at the snarling voice. His parents came stumbling over, and the whole Garza family fell together in a tearful embrace.

  When they at last pulled away from each other, the Encante and Rikar Tzaaq stood, waiting expectantly.

  “There is still one more task for you, my friends,” the tlacamichin said, the Nahuatl words harsh in his gilled throat.

  He gestured at the Shadow Stone, which was sinking deep into the mire at the edge of the lagoon, as if trying to slip away from them and save itself for greater mayhem.

  Johnny looked at the scepter in his hands and glanced at his sister.

  “What do you say, Carol? Want to play ball?”

  She smiled and crooked a finger at her tonal, which crouched down and jumped at her, going insubstantial at the last second and burrowing into her chest. Her eyes went yellow for a second; then she shrugged the loose gown into jeans and a t-shirt.

  “Heck, yes,” she said, laying her hands on the staff near his.

  Their father cleared his throat as they took aim.

  “Um, kids? Are you sure that’s safe?”

  Johnny looked over at him and gave a little shrug.

  “Nothing’s safe, Dad. But that’s okay. We got this.”

  And their animal selves rushed eagerly down their arms and into the carved bit of the World Tree, howling together in feral glee as they blasted the ancient verdigris to ash with waves of savage magic.

  Coda

  A few days later, Carol lay back on the sand, staring up at the star-studded darkness over the Pacific. Regional music echoed loudly all around as revelers prepared themselves for New Year’s traditions and celebrations.

  Her mother dropped a bag on the towel beside her and sat down with a sigh. “Well, I finally found grapes, though they cost me an arm and a leg. Aprovechados.”

  “Where’s Dad and Johnny? It’s almost midnight.”

  “Well, el menso de tu hermano insisted on going back to the hotel to get his tablet. I swear, you millennials and your technology…”

  Carol laughed, “You know what he’s waiting for, Mom.”

  “Yeah, but I’m his mother. You can’t fault me for being over-protective of his heart.”

  Thudding steps came louder and louder, and the two Garza men dashed toward them across the sand, racing each other.

  “Oh, look, Mom. How cute! Dad thinks he can still beat Johnny in something physical.”

  “Shhh. Don’t let him hear you. Mid-life crisis y todo eso.”

  Johnny and Dr. Garza collapsed on their towels beside Carol and her mother, breathing heavily.

  “That
’s cutting it pretty close, guys,” Carol scolded them. “Was it at least worth it, Johnny?”

  “Yeah. She had Saúl Sandoval—the youngest, remember?—send an email with a video attachment.”

  Verónica yanked at Johnny’s tablet.

  “Well, come on, let’s see it. Unless…I don’t know…it’s too private?”

  “Ya basta, mamá. That got old days ago. Hang on a second.”

  The screen flickered on, blinding them all for a moment. Then Johnny hit play on the video application, and the face of Princess Anamacani filled the screen. She was in human form, sitting on the shore of San Benedicto Island, being filmed by one of the Sandoval family members.

  “Hello, Johnny and Carol. Greetings to your parents as well. As promised, I bring you news of the consequences of Maxaltic’s rebellion. Rikar Tzaaq arrived safely among us, with my brother in custody. The prince is now awaiting trial along with Mihuah. The Encante brought as many of the rebel atlacah as possible to the shores of this island, and they are likewise imprisoned. We have seen no sign of the tlacamichimeh that escaped the battle of Jabalí Lagoon, but the Royal Guard remains ever watchful.

  “Tenamic has recovered from the madness that drove him to attack you. Rikar Tzaaq conveyed to the Queen and King your desire that he not be prosecuted. He has been stripped of his authority and position, and he has expressed a wish to live out his days as an adept of the Order of the Deep.

  “As for me, I am well, despite having lost my only brother and best friend to treachery, despite being separated now from my two new friends by so many rods of ocean.”

  Carol giggled. “Oh, I bet it’s me that she misses.”

  “Ya párale, loca,” Johnny groaned, exasperated.

  Sighing, Ana continued, “But my duty to my people is clear, as is yours to all Blessed Creatures. Perhaps we will once again join forces against dangers that threaten life beneath the waves and above them. Until then, remember me fondly, as I remember you.”

  Standing, she saluted the camera before leaping into the ocean and disappearing from view.

  Carol saw the glisten in her brother’s eye and decided not to tease him. Instead, she reached out and squeezed his hand.

  “Come on. Check the time, Johnny.”

  He pulled up the clock.

  “Oh, dude, one minute!”

  Their mom frantically handed out twelve grapes to each member of the Garza family, firm believer in Mexican tradition that she was. As they counted down to the New Year, they plopped the plump spheres into their mouths, laughing at the juice that ran down their chins.

  When the clock clicked to midnight, they hugged each other tight, shouting best wishes and expressions of affection over the blare of trumpets and sawing of violins on the boardwalk.

  Then the sky was filled with fireworks, bright blossoms that lit the sky and sea. As her parents gave each other a sort of embarrassing kiss, Carol noticed Johnny slipping down to the water’s edge. She followed him, leaning her head against his shoulder as he stared at the reflection of fire upon the water.

  “We’re two of the good ones, right?” he muttered.

  “Of course we are. And you know why? This. Because this is what matters to us. Not power, not kingdoms—just you and me and the people we love, standing on a beach beneath fireworks and stars.”

  He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

  What a goofball. My sister, the nerdy poet. Happy New Year, Carol.

  Happy New Year, Johnny.

  In the distance, under the lingering traces of smoke, pink dolphins danced among the breaking waves.

  ~~~

  The adventures of Johnny and Carol will continue in

  THE HIDDEN CITY

  GARZA TWINS: BOOK THREE

  coming in 2017

  Guide to Pronunciation

  Words in Spanish and Nahuatl (the human language that the merfolk of Tapachco also speak) have pretty much similar pronunciation rules, so they are combined below.

  Vowels

  a—as in “father”.

  e—as in “bet”.

  i—as in “police”.

  o—as in “no”.

  u—as in “flute” (Spanish only).

  Diphthongs (vowel combinations)

  ai—like the “y” in “my”.

  au—like “ow” in “cow”.

  ei—like the “ay” in “hay” (Spanish only).

  eu—a blend of “e” of “bet” and “u” of flute (Spanish only).

  ia—like the “ya” of “yard” (Spanish only).

  ie—like the “ye” of “yellow” (Spanish only).

  io—like the “yo” of “yodel” (Spanish only).

  iu—like “you” (Spanish only).

  ua—like the “wa” in “want”.

  ue—like the “whe” in “where”.

  ui—like “we”.

  Consonants

  b—as in “baby” (Spanish only).

  c—like “k” before “a,” “o” and “u”; like “s” before “e” and “i".

  d—as in “dog” at the beginning of a word; like the “th” in “that” elsewhere (Spanish).

  f—as in “four” (Spanish only).

  g—like the “g” in “go” before “a,” “o” and “u”; like “h” before “e” and “i" (Spanish).

  h—silent before vowels; a glottal stop like the middle sound of “kitten” after vowels.

  j—like “h,” but harsher (Spanish only).

  l—as in “like”.

  m—as in “moon”.

  n—as in “no”.

  ñ—roughly like the “ni” in “onion”.

  p—as in “pet”.

  r—like the “dd” in the American pronunciation of “ladder” (Spanish only).

  s—as in “see” (Spanish only).

  t—as in “ten”.

  v—like “b” in “baby” (Spanish only).

  x—like “sh” in “she” (Nahuatl) or like “h” (Spanish only).

  y—as in “yes”.

  z—like “s” in “see”.

  Digraphs (two letters always written together)

  ch—as in “check”.

  cu/uc—“kw” as in “queen”.

  hu/uh—like “w” in “we”.

  ll—like “y” in “yes” (Spanish only).

  qu—like “k” in “key”.

  rr—a “rolled r” (Spanish only).

  tl—roughly like the “ttle” in “bottle”.

  tz—like the “ts” in “cats”.

  Note also that all Nahuatl (and most Spanish) words are stressed on the next-to-the-last syllable:

  Anamacani—a/na/ma/CA/ni.

  Maxaltic—ma/XAL/tic.

  Tezcatlipoca—tez/ca/tli/PO/ca.

  Quetzalcoatl—que/tzal/CO/atl.

  Glossary

  Abyss, the—Amictlan, the lowest point of the Acapulco Trench.

  ahuah—(pl. Ahuahqueh) A Lord of Water; another name for one of the tlaloqueh.

  Ahuecapan—The depths of the sea, i.e., the region where the Atlacah live.

  ahuitzotl—(pl. ahuitzomeh) “Water dog", a sort of magical aquatic creature with a hand at the end of its tail.

  Air Sage—Ehcamatini, an atlacatl who can assume human shape.

  Amictlan—See “Abyss, the”.

  Anamacani—The Princess of Tapachco; Air Sage and Royal Historian.

  Apan—The Pacific Ocean.

  Apixqueh—Guardians of all permanent entrances to Tlalocan.

  apiyaztli—Sacred tunnels connecting temples or realms.

  Aquimichin—Cihuacoatl and Minister of State for Tapachco; sister of Queen Iztalli; mother of Mihuah.

  Archmage—Chief sorcerer.

  Assembly of Calpolehqueh—The parliament of Tapachco.

  atenhuatl—“River-dweller,” an Air Sage who exiles himself to the human world.

  atlacatl—(pl. Atlacah) A siren (mermaid) or triton (merman).

  Atlan—Ancient islan
d continent that sank 80,000 years ago.

  Atlixco—“The Surface” or realm of human beings.

  Atoyatl—Mythical current in the Deep that leads to the Abyss.

  Botaben—Leader of a node of the Encante.

  cehualli—See “shadow magic”

  Cehuallocozcatl—See “Shadow Stone, the”.

  Celic—A former Royal Historian of Tapachco; monk of the Order of the Deep.

  Cenaman—A marshal in the Royal Guard of Tapachco.

  Chalchiuhtlicue—See "Matlalcueyeh".

  Cihuacoatl—The title of the minister of state of Tapachco, see “Aquimichin”.

  chay abah—A large obsidian mirror used to travel between realms.

  cocoah—Fraternal nagual twins, especially male-female pairs.

  Compact of Blessed Creatures, the—A treaty among the major sentient races (humans, Little People, merfolk, the Encante, etc.) established by Quetzalcoatl at the beginning of the Fifth Age of the world.

  Cuauhtemallan—Guatemala.

  Dark Lord, the—See “Tezcatlipoca”.

  Deep, the—The ocean within the Acapulco Trench.

  Ehcamatini—See “Air Sage”.

  Ellelli—A siren of Tapachco.

  Encante, the—The collective name of a species of sentient pink river dolphins able to assume human form.

  Enehnel—A member of the Royal Guard of Tapachco.

  Epan Napotza—The emperor of Atlan; ancestor of every nagual and Ehcamatini; twin brother of Quelel Huetzo.

  eztemalli—The blood magic of the tlacamichimeh.

  Fatherless, the—The Ahtahtehqueh, a group of tlaloqueh expelled from Tlalocan.

  Feathered One, the—See “Quetzalcoatl”.

  First Age, the—The era from the creation of the earth to its first destruction by Tezcatlipoca.

  Fifth Age, the—The present era of history.

  Fourth Age, the—The era during which Matlalcueyeh ruled the earth; destroyed by a flood.

  Five Nations, the—The major merfolk kingdoms in the Pacific Ocean.

  Green Magic—Matlallotl, the ability to manipulate living creatures, principally plants.

  House of Napotza, the—A noble family in Tapachco that traces its roots back to the Emperor of Atlan.

  Huitzilopochtli—The god of war.

  Huixtocihuatl—Goddess of salt worshiped in Tapachco.