What if The Gods Were One of Us
"Chel! We're not on the horse! Chel!" Tulio had been chasing the native for hours and he was beggining to realise that she was trying to lose him and . . . Miguel! "Miguel?" Tulio searched around him for his longtime friend and partner in crime. //I haven't heard him yelling for a long time!// He realised. //What if he's lost or. . .// "Miguel!"
An hour down the path a soft glint caught his attention from the deep foilage and he felt a twinge of need and thankfulness, not for riches this time, but for the owner of those golden lochs. "Miguel!"
"Tulio. . ."
A huge red stain was darkening his trousers at his waist. "What the. . ." Tulio snatched the shirt up and realized it was saturated with blood! Since it was red and he'd been distracted he hadn't noticed! "What happened?"
"When we jumped off the boat. . . some rocks. . . I thought Chel would be there for you. I'm sorry."
"Sorry? I've been letting you bleed to death and *you* are sorry?!" Tulio frantically tried to stop the blood flow, "Come on amigo, we can get you help, El Dorado is just a days walk. We can climb the mountain and. . ."
"Tulio, Gods don't bleed."
"But . . . I can't. . . you can't just die on me now! What about adventure?!"
"My whole life has been . . . a great . . . great adventure, since I met you."
"And there's more to come because I'm getting you to help."
"But Gods. . ."
"Tp Hell with being Gods! We loved El Dorado so much we gave up out God hood to protect it from Cortez and live there as men."
"You. . . you would stay there?"
"City of Gold, sounds like a good place to settle."
"Yes, you never saw the city. . . it's so beautiful Tulio. You'll love it there."
"And you'll be there too don't forget. I wouldn't go back without my partner."
"Mmm. . ."
"Miguel!" Tulio shook him, "Come on you can't do this to me! Damn!" He picked his friend up and carried him over his shoulders, picking his way back along the trail toward the sound of water, "Hang on Miguel. I'll get you to help."
That night came just as they reached the marker stone and blocker entrance. Miguel was pallid and shivering even though Tulio had given him his shirt to wear as well. Noticing the extra clothing wasn't helping Tulio slid into the two shirts with his friend leaning back against him and wrapped his arms tightly around him, holding him close to the warmth of his body. "Come on Miguel, almost there." He smoothed the soft hair and strocked the hard abdomine of the man he had been partners with for so long.
"You better live through this." He ordered, "You're the one who wanted adventure in the first place."
". . . You wanted gold."
"Miguel!"
"'m cold."
'I know, I'm trying to get you warm."
"You gave me your shirt."
"How perseptive, how else was I supposed to get you warmed up?"
"Fire?"
". . ." He felt very stupid. "Shit I forgot."
He made a move to stand and Miguel grabbed him, "No!"
"I'm going to make a fire."
"Forget the fire, don't leave."
"Miguel. . ."
"Tulio I. . ."
"Lord Miguel! Lord Tulio! What happened?!"
Tulio helped Miguel to his feet and slipped out of their 'mutual' shirts as the people approached. Two guards that Miguel had befriended during his romp thorugh the streets of the golden city. "M. . . I mean, Lord Miguel gave up his Go hood to stay with your people but he was injurred and I. . . um. . . I can't heal a former God."
A stretcher was assembled quickly and they started over the mountain path by only the waneing moonlight. "Tulio."
"Hang on Miguel almost there. Damn it why didn't you tell me you were hurt?!"
"Chel. . ."
"Forget her! Why?!"
"I wanted . . . you to be . . . happy."
"Brilliant! You think that I could be happy if you left me? You make my life rich, remember?"
The blond Spaniard tried to smile but couldn't manage, it hurt too much. "Sorry."
"Hey, you'll be fine! I can see the city now. You still have to show me around because there's no Way I'm going out into that without you. Miguel and Tulio, mighty and Powerfull Gods."
"Yeah."
"Chief Tally! Chief Tally!"
"What is. . . Lord Tulio! Lord Miguel?!"
"We found them by the gates, Lord Miguel gave up his Godhood to live among us and was injurred, he needs our help."
The large man easily lifted Miguel's slight frame and carried him to the temple after summoning the healer. Tulio trailing him the whole way. At the top of the steps the chief made Tulio wait outside and entered the golden house of their Gods leaving Tulio to sit there, over ooking the city Miguel loved so much. He sat there, lost, waiting for news.
"Lord Tulio?"
He looked up at the guard who'd helped them earlier.
"I am Tehik, a friend to Lord Miguel."
"Yes, thank you, for your help."
"Any one of our people would gladdly die for Lord Miguel even now that he is mortal."
"He's like that, everone loves him."
"Even you."
"I. . ."
"Do Gods take mates?"
"Yes, I mean. . . Miguel is my Friend, brother even but not. . ."
"He loves you."
"He. . ."
"He watched your affair with the temple theif. It hurt Lord Miguel badly. He would die though, before taking something away from you or hurting you by forcing a choice between the two of them. He would never take anything from you."
"He had better stay alive then."
"He will. Will you be all right?"
Tulio looked at the cloth door and nodded, "Yes. I'll be. . . fine."
Tehik nodded and left Tulio with much to think about.
It was three agonizing days before Miguel woke up and when Tulio knelt beside his pallet the blond erased all of the hurt with his laughter, "You need A bath!"
Tulio grinned, "You need more than that."
"Well I've been sick, what's your excuse?"
"You've been sick."
Miguel flinched at the pain in his companion's voice, "Tulio I. . ."
"Don't you EVER do that to me again!"
"Tulio."
Tears were streaming down over the dark man's face, "Damn it Miguel! You leave me and I swear I'll follow you all the way to Shebalba!"
"You could get another partner."
"But I can't get another soul. There's only one Miguel."
"Tulio?"
"Shh, get some sleep ok? We'll talk when you're well again."
Miguels eyes got a secret glint in them again and he smiled, "Give me a kiss? for luck?"
Tulio's grin was soon lost against and in Miguel's mouth and Chief Tallibuck watched with a smile as two Gods became very human to him, and to themselves.
"What a glorious day for El Dorado."
Tulio stood with one more glance at Miguel and followed the chief out, "And for us."
~END~