Darkness obscured Itzpapalotl as she came closer to the enemy forces. She and the other Otōntin had been send to take out a scout team of the maya. She closed her eyes and listened. Rain fell it big, heavy drops and made the background noise of the whole jungle into one single, loud rush. the big leaves that grew everywhere to hundrets where hit by the rain drops that fell to thousands, making the noises of drums hit by the numbers of a whole civilation. When she opened her eyes again she felt like smiling but didn't. She was in her element, yes, but Chaac's eye surely was looking at her, and she wouldn't grand the god a single smile. A whistle blew close by, hard to hear if one hadn't been waiting for it. A sign from their leader to attack. Like angry demons covered in black, rain wet panther pelts they attacked. The Otōntin were known for their brutal fighting style, for their shock tactics and theirs howling. They were known to be loud. But in the violent storm they were as quiet as everyone else even while screaming. They where howling without beeing heared:

"Nohuaxca!"

The maya had been taken by surprise and when they reacted it was already to late.

Itzpapalotl and her troup were already amongst them and the first fell like prey, struck by a well placed arrow. The remaining ones fought back though, but the sudden death of some of them already did work on their bravado. One of them came to close to Itzpapalotl and she felled him with one brutal swing of her obsidian blade, screaming:

"Ximiqui!"

But the sounds of the storm drowned her voice and only the man she fought might have heared her ... and Chaac. It had been directed at both. But the fight stopped as fast as it had begun when a bright light illuminated the sky above them. It came from one of the giant metal birds the outsiders some times rode over their land. It had been struck by lightning and was now sinking and burning. The maya took the opportunity and ran for their lives and the Otōntin let them.

Dishonor was worse for them then death. But Itzpapalotl began running as well, not after the maya, but towards where the metal bird was coming down. The leader of her group yelled a warning after her, not to get to close to the forbiden crafts the outsiders held, but didn't stop her at all. She was a warrior, a free women and the Otōntin respected the free will of the strong ones a lot. A loud crashing sound informed Itzpapalotl after some time of the location of the metal bird and she ran even fast with her wrapped feet splashing mud and water with each step. As she finally reached the crash side the rain finally stopped. She immediatly felt better as she knew that Chaac didn't watch her anymore, but also felt anger. Chaac denied the fallen bird the water that could extinguish it burning wounds. What else to expect of the cruel Chaac. But there was no helping the bird probably anyways. It was ... incomplete somehow. The head and the wings were missing. And the outsiders sprinkled all over the floor were already dead. Then she finally found a survivor. He had been flung away from the metal bird and had landed a bit inside the jungle, which probably safed their life. As Itzpapalotl kneelt down she asked:

"Piali. ¿Huelis tinechcaqui?"

And then bit her lip remembering the outsider didn't speak nahuatl. So she tried:

"Hola. ¿Puedes ... entender?"

No reaction.

"Hello? ... You can ... understand?"

Finally. Eye contact. She sighed reliefed and offered a hand to help them up, saying:

"I Itzpapalotl. I noyolikni ... friend. I friend!"