Post by zennistrad on Mar 19, 2023 15:17:56 GMT -5
Here's a new story that I'm working on inspired by my faerie hissi, who was in turn inspired by another OC from a previous fanfic of mine).
Taking place in an original land called Excanta, the general story follows a search for a legendary artifact called Kalahnto, which has the power. If you're familiar with certain Neopets lore, that name might sound familiar, and with good reason.
The inspiration for the story is largely from the Ixalan story arc of the Magic: the Gathering story, as well as an observation I made about how a certain Neopian "lost city" seems to be based on Mesoamerican architecture and iconography, in sharp contrast to the Polynesian-ish design of Mystery Island. I set out to write something that could explain that odd discrepancy (besides the more obvious explanation that Neopets just wasn't very culturally sensitive in the 00s), and in the end came out with something that I feel could make a very strong adventure story.
I only have the first chapter written so far, and I'm not sure exactly how the rest will go yet, but I have a strong general outline of how the story will progress — a massive earthquake opens up a passage from Excanta to the rest of Neopia, and the main character Ihhuitl is sent to search for possible aid, and in the process discovers an ancient secret deeply tied to the history of her land.
Taking place in an original land called Excanta, the general story follows a search for a legendary artifact called Kalahnto, which has the power. If you're familiar with certain Neopets lore, that name might sound familiar, and with good reason.
The inspiration for the story is largely from the Ixalan story arc of the Magic: the Gathering story, as well as an observation I made about how a certain Neopian "lost city" seems to be based on Mesoamerican architecture and iconography, in sharp contrast to the Polynesian-ish design of Mystery Island. I set out to write something that could explain that odd discrepancy (besides the more obvious explanation that Neopets just wasn't very culturally sensitive in the 00s), and in the end came out with something that I feel could make a very strong adventure story.
I only have the first chapter written so far, and I'm not sure exactly how the rest will go yet, but I have a strong general outline of how the story will progress — a massive earthquake opens up a passage from Excanta to the rest of Neopia, and the main character Ihhuitl is sent to search for possible aid, and in the process discovers an ancient secret deeply tied to the history of her land.
There is a legend among the people of Excanta. A legend of a city of gleaming gold spires, and a magic that could conquer death itself.
In the ancient city of Atlazan, the great Emperor Coatl built a grand pyramid in honor of the sun, the wind, and the seas. Atop this pyramid was the great Sun Stone Kalahnto, an artifact made to be more powerful and valuable than any other. Its magic could produce boundless wealth, command nature, and grant eternal life to all who gazed upon it. Under the Sun Stone’s blessing, the people of ancient city were brought into a golden age.
But as with any age, it did not last forever. No one knows for sure what happened to the Golden City, or why it had been abandoned. But the people who once called Atlazan their home migrated far, far away, until they reached the land that would become Excanta.
Now, nestled on a plateau between Altador and the Haunted Woods, the Excanta Empire has built a new age of prosperity for itself. But Atlazan’s fall has not been forgotten — and many believe that one day, the light of the great Sun Stone will bless the people of Excanta once more.
---------------
“Almost... almost... a-ha!”
It had been so long. One failed bid for eternal life, many years ago, had very nearly cost him what finite life he had. It had cost him his status, his riches, and the loyalty of all his men. For a time, he had truly thought that he may be better off dead.
But now he had found the key to getting it all back. He had traveled halfway across the world, past the seemingly impassable mountains west of Altador, into a lush green plateau with a civilization no one had seen in centuries.
Yet that wasn’t what had caught his interest. It was an ancient, forgotten cave, somewhere on the very outskirts of the plateau, that he found what he had come for. The cave opened up into an expansive, elaborately constructed, yet all the same dilapidated tomb, one that had clearly been built for the purpose of deterring would-be intruders. He knelt down and ducked underneath as a circular razor saw jutted from the sides of the cave, just barely not slicing off his his own head.
Many similar traps lay among the cavernous tunnels, but he had come prepared. The strange journal he found in Altador had led him here, to the place where he would find his eternal fortune.
Eventually, he came face-to-face with his prize. In the final room of the cavern, in a chamber littered with bones, was a single stone statue. A statue of an Aisha, face contorted into a horrific scream, gripping a bright red artifact in its claws. It was a red stone, carved into the shape of a shield and place in the center of an amulet, and it shine faintly under the dim light of the cavern.
He had meticulously pried the Aisha’s claws off the stone, careful to avoid damaging it. The statue seemed to respond to him as though it were alive, each of the Aisha’s fingers releasing its grip over the stone one-by-one with the sound of grinding rock.
The last of the Aisha’s fingers curled away, and the artifact was finally his. The stone glowed dimly under its own power, illuminating his dark scales, sharp teeth, and the pitch-black bandanna over his forehead.
“At long last,” he said through a grin, “the Eye of Kalahnto is mine.”
As if responding to him, the Eye suddenly flared, shining in the darkness like a crimson beacon in the night sky, nearly blinding him with its power. A sudden stillness hung over the air.
The statue let out an ear-shattering scream, and the earth beneath his feet began to shake with violent force.
---------------
Ihhuitl carefully adjusted her mantle and headdress as she gazed into the mirror. The feathers on her hand-wings were immaculately preened, as were the feathers on the larger pair of wings across her back. It was rare for her kind to have an additional pair of limbs. To the Outer Kingdoms on the edges of the Great Plateau, she would simply be called a ‘Faerie Hissi.’ But to the people of Tonaltecan, her extra wings were a mark of something far greater.
Ihhuitl was nobility, and she had to look the part, especially for a meeting so important. The Emperor had personally selected her to represent the capital city of Tonaltecan during the annual negotiations. Her family, House Chaneque, had lost the Emperor’s favor after a string of humiliating military defeats. But slowly, through clever diplomacy and connections, she had managed to regain the status her ancestors once held.
One last time, Ihhuitl checked over her appearance, making sure there were no wrinkles in her fabric or imperfections in her face paint. Once she was assured of her appearance, she turned and slithered out the dressing room door. As she passed through the foyer of her mansion, she gave her personal butler a nod and bid him goodbye, then met with the escort of guardsmen that were waiting just outside the door.
Tonaltecan itself was a vast metropolis, built atop an island in the center of a massive freshwater lake, connected to the mainland by great stone bridges to the north, west, and east. The guardsmen, green Hissi in steel armor and wielding feathered spears, escorted Ihhuitl through the nobles’ district and into the center square. It was there that all the most impressive buildings stood tall and proud, great constructions of painted stone that attested to the strength of Tonaltecan — and thus, the strength of all of Excanta.
The escort brought Ihhuitl to the Emperor’s palace. A massive complex over three city blocks wide, coated in patterns of bright reds and blues, and supported by ornately-painted columns. And in the center was a great courtyard with succulent fruit trees and equally vibrant tiled walkways, leading to a central building that towered above all the others.
It was here, within the center palace building, that Ihhuitl would finally have a chance to prove herself. She nodded to her escort of guards as she approached the front steps, and they stayed behind as she slithered up the staircase. Another set of imperial guards were stationed directly in front of the door, and with another nod, Ihhuitl signaled for them to allow her inside.
Through the door was a meeting place that few were allowed to witness. In the far end of the room was a throne, upon which the Emperor made his presence known to all. A Rainbow Hissi of immense stature and size, his mere presence seemed to silence the ambient noises of the bustling city outside, as though sound itself dared not approach him with anything less than quiet reverence.
Naturally, Ihhuitl wasn’t nervous. Definitely not one bit. Not at all.
...No, don’t lie to yourself. Lying never helps.
Pushing the thought to the side, Ihhuitl swallowed her fear and turned her attention away from the Emperor, towards to the two ambassadors present in the room. With herself included, now all three of the Excanta Empire’s major city-states had representatives present.
Standing in front of her, just to the left of the Emperor’s throne, was the ambassador of the northern mountain city of Ecatli. He was a Vandagyre, much like most of Ecatli’s population, with a yellow coat and wings, an elaborate headdress of red feathers, and a cape of swirling red and gold.
On the other side, to right of the Emperor’s throne, was the ambassador of the southern marsh city of Achapan. She was a Blue Nimmo wearing a short headdress of green feathers, a necklace of turquoise beads, a purple-and-gold dress, and red face paint.
The Nimmo glared at Ihhuitl with disdain evident on her lips. The alliance between Achapan and Tonaltecan was tense even on the best of days, and the looked on her face made this abundantly clear.
“You are late,” she sneered. “I would expect the representative of the great city of Tonaltecan to respect our precious time.”
Ihhuitl felt a tension building within her chest. Already, things had started to go poorly. “Well, I’m here now,” she replied. “And we have all the time we need. With the blessing of our great Emperor, we will discuss the terms of our alliance for the next yearly cycle.”
“Honestly, I still don’t understand why the Emperor can’t discuss this with us himself,” said the Vandagyre. “I mean, he is right there, isn’t he?”
Still sitting on his throne, the Emperor’s eyes narrowed. “Do you question my judgment, ambassador of Ecatli? Ihhuitl has served the people of Tonaltecan dutifully for many years. I am certain she will prove herself worthy of this task.”
Ihhuitl turned to the Emperor and gave a bow. “You are too kind, Your Majesty.” She hoped her nervousness was not audible within her voice — this meeting was as much the Emperor testing her as it was a diplomatic affair. If anything went wrong here, her once-esteemed house would lose any chance of restoring its former glory. “Now, shall we begin?”
And so, the three proceeded with the annual negotiations. Discussion with the ambassador of Ecatli went smoothly, as to be expected. The King of Ecatli, it seemed, was content with city’s position. Though the least populous of the three city-states, it more than justified its importance to the Alliance with its prestigious libraries and scholarship programs, which supplied the Empire with many of its most accomplished engineers. All it asked for in return was protection from the armies of the Outer Kingdoms, as well as access to the economic gold mine of Tonaltican’s trade routes.
But the ambassador of Achapan was another story entirely. It was clear that the King of Achapan was unsatisfied with his current political position, and some believed that he intended to one day declare Achapan the true capital of the Empire. Whispers of civil war were no more than rumors, as far as Ihhuitl was concerned, but the Nimmo’s attitude made her think that they might have a grain of truth to them after all.
“The terms of our alliance are changing,” the Nimmo spoke confidently. “We had agreed to grant Tonaltecan fifty percent of our annual cocoa harvests, in exchange for a meager thirty percent of your maize.”
“More than enough to feed your city’s population,” Ihhuitl responded. “And given the economic value of cocoa, you will be more than able to trade with the Outer Kingdoms for any of your other needs.”
“And for that, you think you can bleed us dry of our greatest resource?” the Nimmo jabbed. “To demand half of our cocoa is absurd! Going forward, we will grant you no more than fifteen percent. This offer is final.”
Ihhuitl bristled internally. This was exactly what she had feared might happen. Tonaltecan’s position as capital rested on the other two member cities of the Empire cooperating with their trade agreements. If the agreements fell apart, the Empire would fracture.
But there was also a reason that Tonaltecan had maintained its position of dominance for so long, and it seemed the Nimmo had forgotten this.
“I see,” said Ihhuitl. “And what happens if I say no to your offer?”
The Nimmo’s eyes narrowed. “Just what are you trying to imply?” she pointedly replied. “Our cocoa is of immense value to the whole of the Empire. If you do not agree to our terms, then you will receive nothing! You would dare send the Imperial economy into ruin over your stubborn pride?”
“I am wondering this as well, Ihhuitl of House Chaneque,” the Emperor added. “Where exactly are you going with this?”
Ihhuitl steeled her nerves, fighting as hard as she could to suppress her anxiety. She could feel the Emperor’s gaze bearing down on her, judging her. She inhaled deeply through her nose, letting the warm air fill her lungs and ease her worries.
“Simple, Your Majesty,” she responded. “Per our previous trade agreements, the city of Achapan is to devote eighty percent of its own agricultural capacity to the production of cocoa. And we all know full well that cocoa alone cannot feed a city. So what happens to the people of Achapan, if Tonaltecan were to stop trading maize with them entirely?”
The Nimmo’s body visibly stiffened. “You wouldn’t dare…”
Seeing the winds of diplomacy change, Ihhuitl pressed her advantage.
“It’s only a hypothetical. What do you suppose would happen? Where would your city’s people obtain their food?”
“There are plenty of others who would trade with us! The Outer Kingdoms—”
“The trade routes to the Outer Kingdoms are unprotected, and unreliable,” Ihhuitl cut in. “Those who bring your city its food may take days to arrive, and they are vulnerable to attacks from bandits. And that is ignoring that they may not be able to produce enough food to sustain Achapan at all.”
The ambassador of Achapan scowled fiercely, but no words came from her mouth. Ihhuitl could almost see the steam coming from her ears as her anger boiled over.
...Yet at the same time, a pang of sympathy struck at her heart. Achapan truly had been in an unenviable position for the past century, having the terms of its own alliance placed beyond its own control. Diplomacy required a show of strength, that much Ihhuitl knew. But there was a fine line between strength and ruthlessness.
“Forty percent.”
“What?”
“I understand that you wish to keep more of your own cocoa. Going forward, we will ask for only forty percent of your harvest yield,” Ihhuitl elaborated. “Any less, and we will give you nothing. Do we have an agreement?”
For several seconds, the Nimmo said nothing, stewing silently in her own indignation. Her eyes darted to the Emperor, to the ambassador of Ecatli, and then back to Ihhuitl.
“…Fine,” she eventually said through gritted teeth. “These terms are… acceptable.”
And so, begrudgingly, the Nimmo reached out with a hand. Ihhuitl reached out with her own wing-arm and accepted the handshake, sealing the terms of the agreement. As she did, her eyes glanced to the side, to the Emperor’s throne.
The Emperor’s gaze was unreadable. Had she done well? Had she done poorly? It was impossible to tell.
And she never would have a chance to see what the Emperor thought, as it was then that disaster struck.
The earth let out an ear-splitting roar, and the floor beneath their feet began to tremble and buckle. The walls of the imperial palace cracked, little bits of stone and tile falling from the ceiling.
“A-an earthquake!?”
“The civilians!” Ihhuitl blurted. “We have to protect them!”
Without even so much as a second thought, Ihhuitl barreled out the door, past the guards and down the steps. The quake only grew more violent, more intense, very nearly causing her to trip over herself and tumble down the staircase.
When she finally reached the courtyard, the earthquake had grown so intense. All around, she could see the palace columns begin to crumble and fall apart. The integrity of Tonaltecan’s buildings was rapidly falling apart. Nothing in the city was built to withstand such an earthquake.
It was then, with a deafening crack, that the ground beneath her sheared in two. A fissure opened beneath her belly scales, and the earth swallowed Ihhuitl whole.
In the ancient city of Atlazan, the great Emperor Coatl built a grand pyramid in honor of the sun, the wind, and the seas. Atop this pyramid was the great Sun Stone Kalahnto, an artifact made to be more powerful and valuable than any other. Its magic could produce boundless wealth, command nature, and grant eternal life to all who gazed upon it. Under the Sun Stone’s blessing, the people of ancient city were brought into a golden age.
But as with any age, it did not last forever. No one knows for sure what happened to the Golden City, or why it had been abandoned. But the people who once called Atlazan their home migrated far, far away, until they reached the land that would become Excanta.
Now, nestled on a plateau between Altador and the Haunted Woods, the Excanta Empire has built a new age of prosperity for itself. But Atlazan’s fall has not been forgotten — and many believe that one day, the light of the great Sun Stone will bless the people of Excanta once more.
---------------
“Almost... almost... a-ha!”
It had been so long. One failed bid for eternal life, many years ago, had very nearly cost him what finite life he had. It had cost him his status, his riches, and the loyalty of all his men. For a time, he had truly thought that he may be better off dead.
But now he had found the key to getting it all back. He had traveled halfway across the world, past the seemingly impassable mountains west of Altador, into a lush green plateau with a civilization no one had seen in centuries.
Yet that wasn’t what had caught his interest. It was an ancient, forgotten cave, somewhere on the very outskirts of the plateau, that he found what he had come for. The cave opened up into an expansive, elaborately constructed, yet all the same dilapidated tomb, one that had clearly been built for the purpose of deterring would-be intruders. He knelt down and ducked underneath as a circular razor saw jutted from the sides of the cave, just barely not slicing off his his own head.
Many similar traps lay among the cavernous tunnels, but he had come prepared. The strange journal he found in Altador had led him here, to the place where he would find his eternal fortune.
Eventually, he came face-to-face with his prize. In the final room of the cavern, in a chamber littered with bones, was a single stone statue. A statue of an Aisha, face contorted into a horrific scream, gripping a bright red artifact in its claws. It was a red stone, carved into the shape of a shield and place in the center of an amulet, and it shine faintly under the dim light of the cavern.
He had meticulously pried the Aisha’s claws off the stone, careful to avoid damaging it. The statue seemed to respond to him as though it were alive, each of the Aisha’s fingers releasing its grip over the stone one-by-one with the sound of grinding rock.
The last of the Aisha’s fingers curled away, and the artifact was finally his. The stone glowed dimly under its own power, illuminating his dark scales, sharp teeth, and the pitch-black bandanna over his forehead.
“At long last,” he said through a grin, “the Eye of Kalahnto is mine.”
As if responding to him, the Eye suddenly flared, shining in the darkness like a crimson beacon in the night sky, nearly blinding him with its power. A sudden stillness hung over the air.
The statue let out an ear-shattering scream, and the earth beneath his feet began to shake with violent force.
---------------
Ihhuitl carefully adjusted her mantle and headdress as she gazed into the mirror. The feathers on her hand-wings were immaculately preened, as were the feathers on the larger pair of wings across her back. It was rare for her kind to have an additional pair of limbs. To the Outer Kingdoms on the edges of the Great Plateau, she would simply be called a ‘Faerie Hissi.’ But to the people of Tonaltecan, her extra wings were a mark of something far greater.
Ihhuitl was nobility, and she had to look the part, especially for a meeting so important. The Emperor had personally selected her to represent the capital city of Tonaltecan during the annual negotiations. Her family, House Chaneque, had lost the Emperor’s favor after a string of humiliating military defeats. But slowly, through clever diplomacy and connections, she had managed to regain the status her ancestors once held.
One last time, Ihhuitl checked over her appearance, making sure there were no wrinkles in her fabric or imperfections in her face paint. Once she was assured of her appearance, she turned and slithered out the dressing room door. As she passed through the foyer of her mansion, she gave her personal butler a nod and bid him goodbye, then met with the escort of guardsmen that were waiting just outside the door.
Tonaltecan itself was a vast metropolis, built atop an island in the center of a massive freshwater lake, connected to the mainland by great stone bridges to the north, west, and east. The guardsmen, green Hissi in steel armor and wielding feathered spears, escorted Ihhuitl through the nobles’ district and into the center square. It was there that all the most impressive buildings stood tall and proud, great constructions of painted stone that attested to the strength of Tonaltecan — and thus, the strength of all of Excanta.
The escort brought Ihhuitl to the Emperor’s palace. A massive complex over three city blocks wide, coated in patterns of bright reds and blues, and supported by ornately-painted columns. And in the center was a great courtyard with succulent fruit trees and equally vibrant tiled walkways, leading to a central building that towered above all the others.
It was here, within the center palace building, that Ihhuitl would finally have a chance to prove herself. She nodded to her escort of guards as she approached the front steps, and they stayed behind as she slithered up the staircase. Another set of imperial guards were stationed directly in front of the door, and with another nod, Ihhuitl signaled for them to allow her inside.
Through the door was a meeting place that few were allowed to witness. In the far end of the room was a throne, upon which the Emperor made his presence known to all. A Rainbow Hissi of immense stature and size, his mere presence seemed to silence the ambient noises of the bustling city outside, as though sound itself dared not approach him with anything less than quiet reverence.
Naturally, Ihhuitl wasn’t nervous. Definitely not one bit. Not at all.
...No, don’t lie to yourself. Lying never helps.
Pushing the thought to the side, Ihhuitl swallowed her fear and turned her attention away from the Emperor, towards to the two ambassadors present in the room. With herself included, now all three of the Excanta Empire’s major city-states had representatives present.
Standing in front of her, just to the left of the Emperor’s throne, was the ambassador of the northern mountain city of Ecatli. He was a Vandagyre, much like most of Ecatli’s population, with a yellow coat and wings, an elaborate headdress of red feathers, and a cape of swirling red and gold.
On the other side, to right of the Emperor’s throne, was the ambassador of the southern marsh city of Achapan. She was a Blue Nimmo wearing a short headdress of green feathers, a necklace of turquoise beads, a purple-and-gold dress, and red face paint.
The Nimmo glared at Ihhuitl with disdain evident on her lips. The alliance between Achapan and Tonaltecan was tense even on the best of days, and the looked on her face made this abundantly clear.
“You are late,” she sneered. “I would expect the representative of the great city of Tonaltecan to respect our precious time.”
Ihhuitl felt a tension building within her chest. Already, things had started to go poorly. “Well, I’m here now,” she replied. “And we have all the time we need. With the blessing of our great Emperor, we will discuss the terms of our alliance for the next yearly cycle.”
“Honestly, I still don’t understand why the Emperor can’t discuss this with us himself,” said the Vandagyre. “I mean, he is right there, isn’t he?”
Still sitting on his throne, the Emperor’s eyes narrowed. “Do you question my judgment, ambassador of Ecatli? Ihhuitl has served the people of Tonaltecan dutifully for many years. I am certain she will prove herself worthy of this task.”
Ihhuitl turned to the Emperor and gave a bow. “You are too kind, Your Majesty.” She hoped her nervousness was not audible within her voice — this meeting was as much the Emperor testing her as it was a diplomatic affair. If anything went wrong here, her once-esteemed house would lose any chance of restoring its former glory. “Now, shall we begin?”
And so, the three proceeded with the annual negotiations. Discussion with the ambassador of Ecatli went smoothly, as to be expected. The King of Ecatli, it seemed, was content with city’s position. Though the least populous of the three city-states, it more than justified its importance to the Alliance with its prestigious libraries and scholarship programs, which supplied the Empire with many of its most accomplished engineers. All it asked for in return was protection from the armies of the Outer Kingdoms, as well as access to the economic gold mine of Tonaltican’s trade routes.
But the ambassador of Achapan was another story entirely. It was clear that the King of Achapan was unsatisfied with his current political position, and some believed that he intended to one day declare Achapan the true capital of the Empire. Whispers of civil war were no more than rumors, as far as Ihhuitl was concerned, but the Nimmo’s attitude made her think that they might have a grain of truth to them after all.
“The terms of our alliance are changing,” the Nimmo spoke confidently. “We had agreed to grant Tonaltecan fifty percent of our annual cocoa harvests, in exchange for a meager thirty percent of your maize.”
“More than enough to feed your city’s population,” Ihhuitl responded. “And given the economic value of cocoa, you will be more than able to trade with the Outer Kingdoms for any of your other needs.”
“And for that, you think you can bleed us dry of our greatest resource?” the Nimmo jabbed. “To demand half of our cocoa is absurd! Going forward, we will grant you no more than fifteen percent. This offer is final.”
Ihhuitl bristled internally. This was exactly what she had feared might happen. Tonaltecan’s position as capital rested on the other two member cities of the Empire cooperating with their trade agreements. If the agreements fell apart, the Empire would fracture.
But there was also a reason that Tonaltecan had maintained its position of dominance for so long, and it seemed the Nimmo had forgotten this.
“I see,” said Ihhuitl. “And what happens if I say no to your offer?”
The Nimmo’s eyes narrowed. “Just what are you trying to imply?” she pointedly replied. “Our cocoa is of immense value to the whole of the Empire. If you do not agree to our terms, then you will receive nothing! You would dare send the Imperial economy into ruin over your stubborn pride?”
“I am wondering this as well, Ihhuitl of House Chaneque,” the Emperor added. “Where exactly are you going with this?”
Ihhuitl steeled her nerves, fighting as hard as she could to suppress her anxiety. She could feel the Emperor’s gaze bearing down on her, judging her. She inhaled deeply through her nose, letting the warm air fill her lungs and ease her worries.
“Simple, Your Majesty,” she responded. “Per our previous trade agreements, the city of Achapan is to devote eighty percent of its own agricultural capacity to the production of cocoa. And we all know full well that cocoa alone cannot feed a city. So what happens to the people of Achapan, if Tonaltecan were to stop trading maize with them entirely?”
The Nimmo’s body visibly stiffened. “You wouldn’t dare…”
Seeing the winds of diplomacy change, Ihhuitl pressed her advantage.
“It’s only a hypothetical. What do you suppose would happen? Where would your city’s people obtain their food?”
“There are plenty of others who would trade with us! The Outer Kingdoms—”
“The trade routes to the Outer Kingdoms are unprotected, and unreliable,” Ihhuitl cut in. “Those who bring your city its food may take days to arrive, and they are vulnerable to attacks from bandits. And that is ignoring that they may not be able to produce enough food to sustain Achapan at all.”
The ambassador of Achapan scowled fiercely, but no words came from her mouth. Ihhuitl could almost see the steam coming from her ears as her anger boiled over.
...Yet at the same time, a pang of sympathy struck at her heart. Achapan truly had been in an unenviable position for the past century, having the terms of its own alliance placed beyond its own control. Diplomacy required a show of strength, that much Ihhuitl knew. But there was a fine line between strength and ruthlessness.
“Forty percent.”
“What?”
“I understand that you wish to keep more of your own cocoa. Going forward, we will ask for only forty percent of your harvest yield,” Ihhuitl elaborated. “Any less, and we will give you nothing. Do we have an agreement?”
For several seconds, the Nimmo said nothing, stewing silently in her own indignation. Her eyes darted to the Emperor, to the ambassador of Ecatli, and then back to Ihhuitl.
“…Fine,” she eventually said through gritted teeth. “These terms are… acceptable.”
And so, begrudgingly, the Nimmo reached out with a hand. Ihhuitl reached out with her own wing-arm and accepted the handshake, sealing the terms of the agreement. As she did, her eyes glanced to the side, to the Emperor’s throne.
The Emperor’s gaze was unreadable. Had she done well? Had she done poorly? It was impossible to tell.
And she never would have a chance to see what the Emperor thought, as it was then that disaster struck.
The earth let out an ear-splitting roar, and the floor beneath their feet began to tremble and buckle. The walls of the imperial palace cracked, little bits of stone and tile falling from the ceiling.
“A-an earthquake!?”
“The civilians!” Ihhuitl blurted. “We have to protect them!”
Without even so much as a second thought, Ihhuitl barreled out the door, past the guards and down the steps. The quake only grew more violent, more intense, very nearly causing her to trip over herself and tumble down the staircase.
When she finally reached the courtyard, the earthquake had grown so intense. All around, she could see the palace columns begin to crumble and fall apart. The integrity of Tonaltecan’s buildings was rapidly falling apart. Nothing in the city was built to withstand such an earthquake.
It was then, with a deafening crack, that the ground beneath her sheared in two. A fissure opened beneath her belly scales, and the earth swallowed Ihhuitl whole.