True to my suspicions, I awoke refreshed and ready for the next day. Despite sleeping the day away yesterday, Ani grumbled as I woke him, his eyes shooting daggers and promising future retribution.
"You deserve this," I told him as I hefted him into my arms. With everything in my inventory and nothing to pack, I left my apartment earlier than I originally intended, shooting Ember a quick text on my way out.
Her response was quick.
Again?
Yes
They're sending you out a lot…
I'll be back in a couple of days.
What about Ani? Do you need me to catsit?
No. They're letting him come with me
Huh…
Once we arrived in Mexico, we were quickly snatched and ushered down into the maze of tunnels beneath the country before we could so much as blink. Neither of our human guides bothered to keep our path hidden–but they didn't need to. Much like the catacombs in Paris, the existence of a network of tunnels beneath Mexico was well-documented. So were the rumors of those who'd entered and never retired. No unauthorized individual, one guide explained, his voice lifting slightly in apprehension, had reached the golden gates in thousands of years. Even those in contact with the El Doradians kept close to their more populated areas, afraid of losing their way in the expansive maze.
Ani and Ranch drew closer and closer to our feet as we descended, taking our guide's words to heart.
We were passed like lumps of trash long after our phones had lost service, and our brains had lost track of the turns and twists. We thought he was human at first, but before we fully rounded the corner and caught sight of his massive protruding cranium, our eyes eventually drew down to the abnormal length of his neck. The look was still emulated in some cultures today, perhaps, I mused, as a tribute to their close neighbors.
Tezcatlipoca applauded my deductions condescendingly. "After the flood, many of our people stayed above to help your people in their efforts to rebuild." He smiled. "Nearly all of your most intelligent members or powerful mages had some of our blood flowing through their veins." He paused to duck beneath an overhang, sealing us in with a massive stone door. In the bright light provided by his crystal lamp, he gestured to Cove's slightly longer-than-average neck. "Take, for example, your friend here. With that much power, there's no doubt that he has more than just a smidge of our blood in his veins. Such power is unheard of in pure humans."
Somehow, The El Doradians seemed more condescending than the Agarthians had, if that were possible. The rest of our journey was padded with Tezcatlipoca's explanations on how all of humanity's accomplishments and achievements were actually a result of the El Doradians, despite their lack of contact with the outside world for the last few thousand years. This, of course, is why they accepted our offer so soon–they couldn't bear to let their precious and weak descendants fall prey to the wicked snakes.
Right…I had a sneaking suspicion that, as with the Agarthians, few to none of the El Doradians could match Cove in sheer power. I choked my words back, tasting their iron in my throat as Cove's hands flexed at his sides. We were here to establish a connection, not change their view on humans.
Our relief upon arriving at the massive golden doors that stood guard over the city was so great, as though a ton of weight were lifted from my shoulders. The doors shone brightly in the small room, the light of the lamp catching on the zig-zagged outlines and the two carved heads that muraled the inside of the door, their skulls arching back to mirror over two massive, hand-sized keyholes.
Tezcatlipoc moved swiftly to the edge of the left-hand door and reached into the side of the frame. There was a click, and he withdrew a huge, fold-plated bar from a hidden compartment in the doorframe. He slotted it into one of the keyholes with practiced ease, twisted it, and then yanked it to the side, prying the doors apart without so much as a groan. A brilliant light shone from beyond like a star, the glimmering gold of the city reflecting the light of the artificial sun in every direction. The light moved a few degrees to the right at the chime of a clock, the shadows and highlights shifting rapidly and dizzyingly across my vision.
"Grand, isn't it? Patala pales in comparison," he said, smug.
Once again, I doubted his claim. The last time either city had contact was nearly 12,000 years ago before Mu sank to the bottom of the ocean and its citizens scattered across the seven seas.
I noted that the structure of El Dorado, as my eyes finished adjusting to the light, had a familiar structure. It was played out in a large circle, with more elaborate government, religious, and business buildings congregating in the center. Around the outer edge were millions or more homes. Like Agartha, the city was connected by a series of trans whose tracks arched over the city. The roof contained depictions of the 12 zodiac constellations, whose white gold stars shone like silver in the sky.
That was where the similarities ended. As legends had predicted, El Dorado was truly a city of gold, not crystal. White gold rose gold, and sunlight gold formed tracks, roads, and buildings. Each and every piece was well-kept, casting a golden glow over the city. Colorful jungles lined the city's outer walls and space between buildings, giving the city an almost jungle-like appearance.
The streets were packed to the brim with hurried partners and kids of every skin, hair, and eye color. Their robes and large tunics hung loosely on their frame. The hair of both females and males was pulled or pinned up against the neck, and their heads were adorned with golden hats and nets that were specifically designed to show off the odd shapes of their heads.
Snickers and quiet murmurs about our appearance and intelligence followed us through the city, adding to the flames of my irritation.
Tezcatlipoca led us around the outskirts of the city, using every opportunity he had to explain the superiority of his culture. Each child was an example of how few natural deaths they had. Each woman and man is an example of their wonderful manners of courting. Our path took us past stalls on either side of the street until we reached a five-story building with curtains that fluttered in the wind through open windows.
"We understand you must be exhausted after your trip. I'm surprised humans can last as long as you did."
By sheer force of will, I kept my exhausted legs from trembling beneath his scornful gaze and met his eyes squarely. Violet eyes darted off to the side as Tezcatlipoca showed us up the French-style stairwell and into a luxurious suite at the very top of the building. The golden walls were decorated sparsely, arranged to show the three huge, stunning garden paintings that drew all the attention of the room.
"They're paintings of the greatest garden in Mu," he said proudly, pressing a button on the right side of the wall. A panel slid back behind the painting to reveal the entryway to a comfortable-looking bedroom beyond. With another press, another room opened.
"REst and prepare for tomorrow," he said, "We'll head out once you're both ready."
Cove and I both utilized the quick change function of our inventory, slapping comfortable clothes on before passing out with Ani and Ranch, our muscles twitching with exhaustion.