Steel Butterfly

22

Kalia's POV

When I woke up, I was being dragged away again. Wonderful. I saw Ronan behind me. He smiled softly at me. I could hear crying from my stepmother, my sister and Ronan's mother sobbing.

I saw the executioner holding his ax. I was slammed in front of the block and my head was forced on the curve where there was fresh blood at. Well this is how my life will end. If I'm lucky, the executioner will get it on the first try.

"Kalia Malinalli, what do you claim yourself as before the hour of your death?" The Elder asked me. I said nothing at all.

"Any last words, then?" He asked, looking at me. I saw my stepmother sobbing in Diego's arms. For a second, I thought his eyes were watering. My sister was being held by my other brother.

"To my family, it's okay. We'll see each other next time around. To Aetnara and Xochitlizin, thank you for being good friends." I told them. "And Ronan," I smiled as I said his name. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kalia." He tells me. I close my eyes and wince, expecting the executioner's ax to my neck. Instead I feel an insane amount of power by me. I lifted my eyes to see a jaguar growing at the executioner. The man puts the ax down and runs off, screaming. I get up from the block as the jaguar sniffs me.

"Hey!" I protest. The jaguar transformed back into a man. I recognized him as the man who had been admiring the carvings on my mother's lintel.

"Who are you?" Those were the first three words that escaped my lips.

"I do apologize for this, my Lady. I wished that our meeting was the same as the first."

"You're Tezcatlipoca." I told him. "Aren't you?"

"I am. We have much to talk about." He tells me. I noticed that the Nahuweri, Ikikunari and the Irechewka in the group were kowtowing on the ground. The Britanni were kneeled.

"I can't execute her, that is a god protecting her!" The executioner spoke, pointing to me.

"What punishment do you wish for the ones who tried to kill you and your friends?" Tezcatlipoca points to the Elders.

"Please, be merciful, Kalia! We didn't know- Oh Gods!" One of the Elders fainted and one wretched nervously at the sight.

"I don't want you to punish them, they were just trying to protect the town." I spoke. "But I do want you to hear me now, since you couldn't bother with it not too long ago." The Elders turned their attention to me.

"So, I want you to remove the punishments you placed on Aetnara and Xochitlizin. You will treat Xochitlizin for the madness you caused her." I crossed my arms. "Aetnara will stay here in her hometown. And you will not execute Ronan. You will protect him from the other Guilds."

"You're demanding a lot." Elder Matthias stated.

"Well, I have a god behind me so I think I can be a bit choosy now." I told him.

"I will not argue with you on that one." Elder Matthias sighed, leaning against his chair. "We will do so."

"But Ronan is a Beast. We are-" Elder David shouts at Matthias.

"Listen to the girl. Or are you willing to defy a god?" Tezcatlipoca asked him in a booming voice.

"Fine. But if he harms our people, he is out." David crosses his arms.

"Fair enough." Tezcatlipoca seems content with that.

I walk off the platform and head to Ronan, embracing him warmly. I place my face on his shoulder and he strokes my hair. I was thankful for being saved but I had a lot of questions for my savior.