Free Serpent and Storm by Marella Sands

the new day bring blessings to the people of the earth, Maya and Teotihuacano alike. May your rays shine down onto people filled with happiness and joy and your light provide comfort to all those touched by its rays.”
    Sky Knife shivered, unused to the chill of the air, and held his arms close to his body. How could the Teotihuacanos stand it? He tied the bag containing his sacrificial knife around his waist and adjusted his skirt. The solid blue skirt reached almost to his ankles, a symbol of his status. In Tikal, only priests could wear unrelieved blue, and only those men of high rank—priests, scribes, courtiers—could wear the long skirt. It had taken a long time to get used to the feeling of the material tugging at his ankles, as if it were trying to trip him. At least it was warmer than just wearing a loincloth.
    â€œGood morning.”
    Sky Knife turned to see Deer at his door. “Good morning,” he said. Deer was dressed in a long white tunic belted in by a red leather cord. “How’s the king?”
    Deer shrugged and smiled. “If you mean me, I’m fine. If you mean my other half, he’s tired and a little bit scared. I think he expects snakes to just appear in every room and hallway now. At least Talking Storm will have him this morning to instruct him on parts of the ascension ritual, so snakes won’t be a problem.”
    â€œProvided Talking Storm isn’t a problem.”
    â€œYou said you didn’t think he was. Do you think my Little Weed shouldn’t be with him?” Deer frowned, worried.
    â€œI’m sure he’s fine,” said Sky Knife. “I just can’t help wondering who else could have sent the snake last night.”
    â€œHow about you?” asked Deer. At Sky Knife’s glance, he raised his hands defensively. “I don’t believe you did. I just meant, what if you could? Perhaps someone besides Talking Storm could do it, too.”
    Sky Knife brushed hair out of his eyes. “It never occurred to me to try it,” he said. “I don’t know if I could or not. I didn’t even know if the snake last night would come to me, but…” Sky Knife touched the serpent tattoo at his neck reverently. “But … it just worked. I knew a rainbow serpent once, a chic-chac. Sometimes, it seems, it still protects me.”
    â€œA rainbow serpent?” asked Deer. “I’ve never heard of those. Here we have the lightning serpent, whose scales are the mountains and whose tongue is the forked lightning of the storm. The Storm God is the master of the lightning serpent—that’s why Talking Storm can call and control snakes. Perhaps the lightning serpent serves your god, too.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” said Sky Knife. “I doubt the Storm God would like to share his power over such a great creature.”
    Deer shrugged. “I don’t know about the gods that way,” he said. “That’s what priests are for.”
    Sky Knife walked out of the room. Deer stepped aside to let him pass. “Where’s Jaguar’s Daughter?” Sky Knife asked.
    â€œYou won’t find anyone this morning,” said Deer. “All the family are in isolation to prepare for the chaos of the next few days. I think Jaguar’s Daughter and the Corn Priest want to move the ascension to tomorrow night.”
    â€œTomorrow night?” asked Sky Knife. “They’ll prepare for your ascension in two days?”
    â€œWell, normally, such a thing would take weeks of planning, inviting high-ranking foreigners, praying, sacrificing—you know, everything. But we’ve only four more days to the Unlucky Times, and with the attack on the boy last night, Jaguar’s Daughter wants her son installed as soon as possible. He’ll be less vulnerable once the Storm God is his official guardian and the other half of his soul is in the next world.”
    Deer couldn’t