Mayan Jaguar Arc 1 Chapter 1

Temple of The Mayan Jaguar
"Don't Let Go"
Chapter 1: Light of The Dawn

The sun rose over Tenochtitlan, once a great city of Man, now a haven for Jaguars.
Many generations ago, humans had brought the solitary nomadic jaguars in from the forests, decorating them with gold, emeralds, and jade. These jaguars came to adopt the ways of humans, living in tribes and fighting alongside humans in times of war. Then, horrible things occurred, strange men had arrived from the sea. With them they had brought disease, which killed human and jaguar alike, wiping out cities full of humans, and sending the royal families of jaguars into the forest. The gold dressed tribes lived on. Many found their way back to the cities, but those descended from King Tlacatl of the capital city Tenochtitlan took up the mantle of Shamans. Their fur had always been pale, a sign of their ritual purity, they traveled from city to city, seeking refuge and offering blessings. It was into this life she was born. Tlahuizcalli, the daughter of Holy King Teoctli, the leader of the pale tribe. But she was more than any pale jaguar, she was pure white, her rosettes were the faintest of grey, and her eyes, when they opened and gained their color, were the brightest of blue. In the eyes of her tribe, and any who saw her she was holy. Ixchel, the goddess of motherhood, who watches over every birth had blessed her, marked her as her own. Great things were destined for Tlahuizcalli, “The Light of Dawn”. As she grew, she was met with offers of betrothal from many tribes, some that would bind her to males older than her father, others to year old cubs. Her father denied them all, his daughter was descended from the royal line of Tenochtitlan, by all right she should be its Queen, not the mate of the leader of a refugee tribe that lived in the city now.
It was in this frame of mind she was raised, her father declaring her the rightful Queen, speaking low of the tribe that inhabited her family’s ancestral home. She was taught to interpret dreams, and the histories of her tribe. As she traveled she taught herself to fight, chasing off would be suitors from various tribes, as well as solitary Nomads. Her father taught her the history of her tribe, which they were decended from Kings that ruled beside men. Tlacatl, who sat beside the throne of Montezuma, the last great king before the Strangers came. When the disease spread, Tlacatl’s daughters fled to the forest, along with their mother and her guards. As time passed they became paler and paler of fur, eventually taking on the light greys and yellows they now wore. But still, in their veins, flowed Royal blood.
When she was a full adult, Tlahuizcalli learned something important. The New Tribe at Tenochtitlan had lost their leader, and now his son Achto claimed to be King, even going so far as to wear Tlacatl’s crown found by ocelots deep in the city’s hidden places. And he had two sons, his line was secure, if Tlahuizcalli wanted to return to her family’s rightful place she needed to act fast, or stand losing the chance at Tenochtitlan forever. Her only chance stood in her tribe’s “holiness”. She was seen as Holy for her fur color, a thing she had always hated, fur was fur. But now it would work to her advantage. She had a plan, a plan that many would call sacrilege, but she didn’t care. Her place was in Tenochtitlan, it was in her blood.
When enough time had passed from the news of the new King rising to power, Tlahuizcalli approached her father, head low, eyes nervous. “Papά? I-I need to ask you something…” The pale grey male turned to look at his daughter, eyes holding concern for anything that could be troubling her. “Tlahuizcalli? What’s wrong my cocotzin? Has something happened?!” The white female looked up to the Holy King, her face fallen with worry. “I had a dream, but I don’t understand it.” She looked away as if ashamed. Her father approached her his head low as he spoke to her, dreams were important to him, he believed them to hold meaning. She spoke softly when she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper in the forest. Her fur shone in the dappled sunlight, appearing to glow in comparison to her father’s pale grey. “I don’t understand what it could mean. Why me? Why would I have to be the one?” Her eyes filled with tears, as she looked to the grey King. The male put a paw on his daughter’s shoulder comforting her, whatever the reason. “Tlahuizcalli, just tell me what is wrong, my cocotzin…my little dove.”


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Okay, so that things would make more sense, I'm taking a break from writing in Killa and focusing on her parents' story. I've been tempted in the past to do them, but always decided to passing mention in Killa's story. Well here it is.

Temple of the Mayan Jaguar, all characters and art (c) me aka Daughter-Of-Wolves
Do not reproduce without my permission or aknowlagement.