TOME OF THE SIXTH SUN: A COSMIC DRAMADY

Hex Cycle V: Senary Scenes [Finale]

The Way to Wayobh

Citadel of Wayobh (AI image prompted by Obsidian Eagle).

Brother, we are already dead.

Yes brother, seven times dead!

~ Hunaph & Xbalanqh

Welcome back dear readers, to Tome of The Sixth Sun. The present segment closes Hex Cycle V out of XI in this experimental and extemporaneous manuscript. As always it can be read non-sequentially as a short story. However, if you’d like to start this particular set of cycles in chronological order:

[embed]Hex Cycle IV: Secondary Scenes Tome of The Sixth Sun — Lunacy Trilogy Book IIIplume.obsidianeagle.com

[embed]Hex Cycle V: Primary Scenes Fiesta in Xibalbamedium.com

You only need to know that these scenes are profoundly founded upon ancient Mayan mythos detailed in the Popol-Vuh, which are an integral part of the Author’s heritage. Hence, Obsidian Eagle proudly presents:

Mythic Ulterior — The Six Houses of Terror

Hunaph & Xbalanqh had humiliated the Xybalbh demons that ruled the underworld of Xibalba. At least they would have been humbled if they’d survived the hero twins’ cunning chops. King Kamazotz (the bat god himself) had been felled by their sword clubs, though not before relating the location of High Priestess Xqykh to them. Thus, the brothers were currently bound for the Citadel of Wayobh, where dwelt the seven Ajawabh — Lords of Death. However, that final destination could not be reached without crossing three treacherous rivers and passing through the notorious Six Houses of Terror.

The first river was made up mostly of scorpions. Centillions of them writhed on each other’s bellies and backs; all different colours and sizes. The roaring sound of their writhing alone was deafening beyond belief. Yet Hunaph & Xbalanqh met this obstacle with ingenuity. Using makeshift tools, they dug narrow canals along which they restricted the scorpions’ venomous flux. There they excoriated those arachnids with black tar and torches, at once joining their small bodies while toughening them too. From these they wrung long lengths of rope that they used to lasso nearby cliff tops, then swing across the larger aqueous body.

Scorching Scorpions (AI image prompted by Obsidian Eagle).

The second river a was torrential tide of blood that rushed unabated throughout the bowels of Xibalba. Luckily there were plenty of human bones and skulls laying around for the twins to fashion a sturdy raft and even a pair of paddles from. They went with the flow for hours on end until they passed a couple of stone pillars. At last the crimson current ebbed and brought them to a landing. After a short walk, they encountered the third river, composed completely of putrid pus!

Red River Rafting (AI image prompted by Obsidian Eagle).

Here there was no recourse. Hunaph & Xbalanqh drew the deepest breath, attaching skull-masks onto visage and plugging their ears and nostrils with pinky bones. Shutting their eyes and mouths they dredged feet first and rapidly sank into the sickening sludge. The twins didn’t know where this tributary of Xibalba emptied, but both strongly suspected that it led straight toward the hexad of hazing houses. Their instincts proved to be true — just when they thought that they would asphyxiate or drown gagging on grossness—a white waterfall tumbled them onto dark Earth once again.

Skeletal Scouts (AI image prompted by Obsidian Eagle).

The House of Darkness

Hunaph & Xbalanqh passed through the portals of the primary palace unchallenged. Although it immediately became clear that there was sure as hell nought light here. Even crude torches were useless, since no walls stood to reflect their brightness. Instead, everything was enveloped in sheer shadow. It was alarming to have so little certainty moving forward, yet the brothers plodded on without losing composure. A few times one or the other stumbled but his sibling picked him up. Eyes closed, they listened intently and heard the wind blowing near the far end of this lightless estate. Thence they exited that place.

The House of Coldness

The wind that they’d heard emanated from the front of the second house. When the brothers stepped inside it the temperature began to drop and kept dropping steadily as they walked. A snowstorm blew intense gales at them, which felt like icy blades that cleaved to their cores. It wasn’t long before they were shivering; teeth rattling. Nonetheless, Hunaph & Xbalanqh focused their anger and determination at the pit of their guts. They ignited their inner flames and felt the stirring of Gukumatz—the rainbow serpent. Now icicles melted and snowflakes evaporated upon their luminous cocoons. The second house experienced the first spring in an Æon thereon.

The House of Jaguars

If the second house was in springtide, then the third house was summer in full swelter amid the jungle. This was the thickest of thickets and the twins had to hack their way through dense foliage with machetes made of black volcanic glass that they found to be plentiful underfoot. Half the plants had spines or thorns while the rest were brightly coloured to bespeak paralyzing poison. Oversized insects buzzed around them and wriggled within the selva. Yet those weren’t the greatest dangers lurking here because that primeval forest was inhabited by giant ash gray jaguars from the first age. Their dark dapples were barely distinguishable from the sooty foothills. These came to life, issuing low grumbles.

This merely made Hunaph & Xbalanqh chuckle, seeing as far enough back they were descended from Balam Quytzeh — Jaguar Charming Smile. The twins shapeshifted into jaguars themselves and were permitted to pass.

The House of Bats

The fourth house had a cavernous entrance that led into a series of tunnels. When the brothers stepped onto the quaggy substance littering the cave floors, they recognized the rancid stench of bat guano. It took all their concentration to keep from slipping and falling there. Then they heard the shrill squeaking of thousands of bats hanging from the rocky rafters overhead. They looked up and made uneasy eye contact with the mother of all bats. She shrieked angrily, sending her brood into a crazed frenzy. Their combined cacophony echoed through the caves and was nothing short of maddening to the two brothers.

Although Hunaph & Xbalanqh had hewn Kamazotz (god of bats) apart, these lesser among his kin were much worse in such numbers. The twins were bitten repeatedly and suffered sickness to compound physical injury.

The House of Razors

After retching outside the fourth house’s exit, our heroes entered the fifth estate rather weakened. Unfortunately, these houses were utterly unforgiving. The so-called House of Razors affirmed its namesake by unleashing a flurry of daggers at them as soon as they crossed the threshold. From that moment unto the length of a day, they were under a steady barrage that only paused on the hour for an exotic new set of knives to be added to the mix. Hunaph & Xbalanqh moved with great rapidity but despite that they couldn’t dodge every single shank. Stoic or not, each cut stung their very souls. They emerged emptied of vital fluid and bled dry!

The House of Hotness

The last temple welcomed them with total thermal castigation. The ground here was always hot lava and fiery geysers spewed sparks and flames. The scintillation of those constant conflagrations charred the brothers, burning away skin, muscles, and tendons until exposing their skeletons. In the end, these selfsame frames were rendered into charcoal pelotons. Nevertheless, Hunaph & Xbalanqh’s spirits persisted well past the point of corporeal dissolution…

The Citadel of Wayobh

Hunaph & Xbalanqh drifted in tenebrous darkness. Their sixth and seventh senses apprehended a tower rising from an immaterial plane. They made their ingress near its base, having seen that it rose six levels. Therein resided the Ajawabh, Lords of Death, sitting in ornate alcoves. Upon each floor, the hero twins were confronted with an idle idol, but their intuition told them not to offer these deference nor reverence. Finally, they stood on the citadel’s conical cap. They’d been informed that this was where High Priestess Xqykh was being held but had yet to rescue her. Actually, it was she whom saved them. Etherealizing above the brothers, Xqykh explained:

“Hunaph & Xbalanqh — my faithful followers — I hate having to tell you this but you are too late. The Xybalbh have lured you into an inescapable trap and you are presently defunct. Nothing lies ahead of you except rebirth!”

In that moment Hunaph & Xbalanqh understood the predicament. Vukub-Kameh wasn’t an entity like any of the other gods. He was the absence of vitality itself — a sort of Anti-God — and they were wrapped within him.

“Brother, we are already dead.” Hunaph huffed, disembodied.

“Yes brother, seven times dead!” Xbalanqh exclaimed, dispirited.

Though as they despaired, Xqykh pointed upward and a swirling violet vortex opened amid the jet backdrop. When the brothers verged on its edges, Xqykh mentioned something immensely important:

“You ought not to concern yourselves with my wellbeing. I am this reality’s sanctified gatekeeper. I send you now toward another explicate order where you shall shine forever as a pair of celestial beacons.”

Hunaph & Xbalanqh expressed gratitude, diving into the violaceous void.

High Priestess Xqykh (AI image prompted by Obsidian Eagle).

To Be Continued…

[ Hex Cycle V Ends — Hex Cycle VI Follows ]

Further Readings

[embed]Chronicles of Quetzalcoatl Nativity of An Incarnate Deitymedium.com

[embed]The Four Tezcatlipocas Timeless Toltec Talesmedium.com

[embed]Aztec Poetry (In Triplicate) Intimations of Lost Loremedium.com

~ ItzQuauhtli; Toltec Scribe — Herald of Quetzalcoatl (AI image prompted by Obsidian Eagle).