Kaah Taak'in

By Terry Godfrey

A large band of young adults flee from the only home they have known. They are led by the third son of their demanding ruler. The people are pursued for a time by their ruler. Later, they are confronted by many adversaries. The Taak’inal, as they call themselves, must walk for over a year before they find a location to build their new home. Upon this path, they face not only many enemies but also harsh weather and elements they had never before encountered.

Along the way, the Taak’inal learned to work together in harmony and enjoy what they have. The leader Erdrich, the son of the old ruler, grows into a trusted and loved ruler. He puts the needs and comforts of his people before his own desires.

Once they arrive at the location on the plains, they build a great city. Again, they must face enemies as they complete the construction of a city lined with gold. Together they are strong and content with their lives.

As the people that had left their homes from tyranny grow old and die, the younger generation takes over. Within a couple generations, the happiness and harmony is replaced with greed, immorality, and laziness. This leads to the total downfall of the civilization and eventually the total collapse of the once great city their forefathers had created.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638854487

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Game Begins

Erdrich grew up playing with Carillace. Her mother, and later Carillace, were personal slaves to Akna, his mother. Now as he approached adulthood, Erdrich had begun looking upon Carillace with desire. Erdrich confided his interest in Carillace with Hadwin. His best friend and cousin Hadwin warned him that he would never be allowed to have a slave as his woman. Aapo Ajaw was Erdrich’s father and had led the raid which had captured the slaves from Cusco.

Carillace enjoyed being around Erdrich and instigated ways to be near him. Though she liked him, she knew there would be no chance of her marrying the ruler’s son. She was a slave from Cusco and was not acceptable to Aapo Ajaw. Although she was from Cusco, all she knew was the ways and people of Tikal. She had been born on the trip to Tikal from Cusco when her mother, Cusi, was taken as a slave. She had rarely even been outside of the palace in the center of Tikal. Carillace had not been outside of the city since she had arrived as a newborn baby. She knew nothing of the city, the people, or the ways of her heritage. She was but a slave, and she adored the third son of the Ajaw. Her mother had told her many times though that in Cusco, Carillace’s father had been a prince.

Akna, on returning into the palace from the gardens, noticed Erdrich peaking around a corridor. She walked around the corner to see what held his attention so attentively. Rounding the corner into the room, she found Carillace on her knees cleaning the floor. As Carillace stood, Akna observed how lovely she had become.

Continue your work, Akna said as she walked on by.

Later, Akna spoke with Aapo about what she had seen with Erdrich. Aapo informed her to keep watch, but he couldn’t be distracted by household affairs at this time. He then told her that perhaps it was time to find Erdrich an atan, or wife, and she was to make a recommendation. She asked if there were other problems, and he informed her that they had captured a raiding party from the xaman. Tikal would hold games in a week in which their firstborn son Cadmael would lead the red team. The blue team would be made up of the captives, with their leader, captain of the team. They would give the captives little to eat and drink before the game. Afterward, they would not need any food.

Cadmael was very pleased with himself. He would be captain of the red team in the upcoming game. It would be an easy win for him and the warriors he had chosen as his team. He had also suggested to his father that the opposing team be starved and given barely enough water to keep them alive. Being invaders from far away, it was unlikely they would understand the game anyway. He would be the hero of the day after he won this game. Cadmael spent two hours of each day practicing on the ball court. Though it was very difficult and seldom seen, during a game, he had put the ball through the loop.

The ball court was sixteen meters long by five meters wide. It was open on the ends with slightly sloping walls twelve meters high. Six meters up in center on opposing sides were two loops. The ball was made of solid rubber thirty and a half centimeters and weighing three kilograms. The loops were thirty-one centimeters, barely allowing room for the ball to pass through. Members from one team could not pass beyond the center of the court. Points were gained or lost by movement of the ball. If you returned the ball without it touching the ground, you gained a point. If it touched the ground twice, you lost a point. If you attempted to throw the ball through a loop and missed, you lost a point. If you bounced the ball off of a wall and hit an opposing player without them returning it, you gained a point. The first team to get seven points won. Passing the ball through a loop was an instant win. On predetermined games, the winning team, or at times just the captain, would behead the opposing team or captain.

Akna began her search for an appropriate mate for Erdrich. She went to the market courtyard and talked with a Yuum Konol, gentleman salesman. Konol was from nearby Uaxactun, a kaal or small city, to the northeast. The ajaw of Uaxactun had a daughter which would make a good laak’, or spouse, for Erdrich. The girl’s name was Sacniete, white flower. Konol planned to remain in Tikal until after the upcoming game, then return to Uaxactun. At that time, if agreeable, he would speak to his ajaw about the proposal. Akna informed him she needed to speak to Aapo about the arrangement first.

Erdrich had many friends. Gabor and Eloy, the leaders of his guard, were totally loyal to him. They did not like his brother Cadmael as he was cruel. Cadmael looked to anyone other than his further or himself as something to be used. When Erdrich walked through the city, all greeted him with admiration and respect. In retrospect, when they saw Cadmael coming, they all cowed in fear.

As Akna completed her conversation with Konol, they noticed a commotion in the courtyard. Erdrich appeared as the people gathered to meet him. Akna pointed him out to Konol to inform him that was her son which she hoped to match with Sacniete. Konol was impressed with how handsome and well-liked the young man was. Akna told Konol they would talk later then told him good day. Not wishing to be noticed by her son, Akna slipped away going back to the palace.

Later that day, upon returning to the palace, Erdrich nearly walked into Carillace. Laughing, he asked her to walk with him into the garden. They sat together in the garden with Gabor and two of his guards watching over them. Erdrich could feel his blood heating up with the nearness of the beautiful object of his affection. Each time he saw Carillace and even the thought of her name brought longing and desire to his heart. By suuk or custom, he, by his right of master, could take her, but that was not his inclination. He wished to have her as his laak’ or spouse. He had never and would never take a woman that wasn’t his laak’. Today they talked and laughed together till Carillace had to return to her work.

Carillace knew her place as a slave, and if Erdrich wishes to take her, she would submit, and gladly as she adored him. Erdrich had never shown any intention of anything but love to her. She was certain that he truly did love her as she loved him. With this knowledge came great sadness as they would never be allowed to be together as they both obviously desired.

Gabor asked of Erdrich if he would like him to arrange for Carillace to attend his mother Akna during the game. In this way, they would be near each other at that time. Erdrich was thankful but informed Gabor that discretion was needed in the implantation of such an act. If his mother were to guess the reason behind this, she would be very unhappy with him. Part of the arrangement would be to see that Cusi was busy that day on important household matters as she would normally be attending Akna. Gabor would have Hugo talk to Cusi and assign such a task for her.

Cusi understood her place. She had been a master before and was used to being part of an elite family. Hugo had approached her privately to enlist her support in the plot to get Carillace and Erdrich together. Cautiously she agreed and would do her part. Cusi had more freedom of movement than Carillace and often went to the market.

The market was just outside of the main palace. Each day, goods from near and far were brought into the market for sale or trade. Household slaves often came to get the supplies needed for their masters. The merchants knew which household each slave attended and charged their masters accordingly. Cusi met many of her old friends and countrypeople there. They too were slaves and remembered their lost freedom. There were others which had been taken from cities near their beloved Cusco that they had met. On the days a member of the ruling class entered the market, the slaves and underlings would yield to them. A clear path would open in front of the masters as the commoners scampered out of the way.

Cusi talked to her closest friends about Erdrich and Carillace. They all wished that the young couple would be able to find happiness together. No one believed that the pair would be allowed to be together. Her friends expressed willingness to help the two anyway they could.

The week after the capture of the raiders was nearly over. The game approached, and the people of Tikal prepared for a cha’an, or celebration. Much cheba, or ale, was being brought in for the crowd. Musicians prepared to play before the game started to keep the spectators jovial. The red team, Cadmael as the captain and four wach, or soldiers, were well trained and ready. The members of the red team each prepared an oversized ball and sacrificed the ball in the great well. The blue team in contrast had been kept in a hole in the ground and only given a small piece of bread and cup of water each day. Their wounds from the battle had not been treated and indeed had festered. The blue team members were already in dire condition.

The day of the game was a great day of cha’an. Music was playing around the ball court, and cheba was flowing for all. The red team was dressed in warrior armor, a leather that had been soaked in saltwater, then dried. This armor covered all the vital parts of their bodies. Cadmael also had a cloak adorned in colorful feathers with a large feathered headdress. The other four members too had feathered attire but not to the extent of their revered captain. Before the game, the red team paraded around the inside of the ball court for all to see. Cheers rang out as the ajaw’s favored player and son passed through the court.

Hissings and gasps sounded from the crowd as the blue team appeared. The captain was identified only by a headband of briars. They were each protected by only a small loincloth. The only explanation of the game conferred to them was that they could not cross to the other side of the court. They must return the ball to the other side of the court by hitting it with a knee or other body part. They could pick it up and throw it if it bounced before an opposing member obtained it, also that if they tried to leave the court out the open end behind them, they would be tortured to death.

Before the game began, Cadmael and the red team went to the north side, and each raised an arm toward Aapo, their ajaw. Aapo had told Cadmael the night before that he should stretch out the game as long as possible. He was not to overtax himself too much on the first game though as there were two blue teams for him to face that day. The empire had ten xunaan, foreign raiders, to be executed that day. After honoring the ajaw, they removed their cloaks in preparation for the game.

The game started as a visiting ajaw threw out the ball onto the center of the court. Care had been taken to assure that it would bounce to the red team. A wach hit the ball with his hip, sending it flying forcefully at a blue team player. The ball bounced off the blue team player, knocking him down before rolling back to red team’s side.

One point for red, proclaimed the judge.

The blue team member that was knocked down struggled to stand up. He felt as if he had been run over by a wakax, bison bull. As the ball rolled back, another red player kicked it straight at the same blue player. The injured man, seeing the ball again coming at him, used the last energy in his body to dive to the ground, dodging the ball. A teammate rallied the strength to kick the ball back toward the red team’s side. Doing so though felt as if he had broken his leg. For them, being weak and scantly clothed made making contact with the solid rubber ball painful.

Too soon, the red team neared the winning points of seven to zero. Cadmael scooped up the ball and attempted a half-hearted shot at the loop. This cost his team a point which would cause the game to go longer. The attempt did excite the audience, bringing cheers for him. He stole a look at his father to see a smile of approval. The blue team had become wary of the ball and tried to avoid being hit by it. They would pick it up and throw the ball to return. Still the red team was able to knock each player of the blue team down. Two members of the blue team were no longer able to get up from the ground.

Finally, Cadmael looked again to his father and saw him nod. Cadmael again shot at the loop. This time, the ball passed smoothly through the opening, ending the game. Thinking they had survived the game, the blue team at first felt relieved. Then warriors grabbed onto the blue team, holding them down. Cadmael had been handed a macuahuitl, wooden sword with obsidian embedded in the blade edges. His macuahuitl was decorated with jade and jewels. Cadmael went to the captain of the opposing team as warriors held him kneeling. Cadmael held his macuahuitl high, looking at the crowd. Then he swung the instrument of death aimed at the loosing captain’s neck, decapitating him. The other red team members then followed his lead, executing the remaining blue team members.

After a short break to refresh themselves, they would return to the court and face the other blue team. In an area prepared for them, servants waited to undress the victors and wipe them down. Cooled and given drink, they were soon revitalized and ready for the next game. They returned to the court amid cheers to see that the bodies had been removed and the next blue team was awaiting bunched together on their side.

The red team honored the ajaw to receive his approval. The game began as the first, with the ball bouncing toward the red team. On the first bounce, it was returned from a hip of a red player. The ball hit the head of the nearest blue player who went down and never got up again. In this game, one of the blue team succeeded in getting two bounces on the red team’s side before it was returned. This gave the blue team the only point scored against the red that day.

The ball remained in motion for a long period without any other score. At that time, the red already had four points. Cadmael glanced at his father. Seeing a smile and a nod, he prepared to end the game. He took the chance of losing a point and again threw the ball at the loop. He had practiced shooting at it many times with success. The ball glided through the loop, ending the game. Amid cheers, the blue team were executed in the same way as the previous team had been.

The cha’an would continue through the night with drinking, music, and dancing. Cadmael and the other red team members would be the heroes of the day. The entire city wanted to be near them. Aapo and the entourage with him enjoyed the festival for a time before returning to the palace. It had not gone unnoticed by him and certainly not by Akna that Erdrich had been sitting the entire game next to Carillace. Aapo knew at that time something had to be done to crush that situation.

On their return to the palace, Akna informed him of the conversation she had with Konol. She then sought his approval to send word to Uaxactun about Sacniete. Aapo consented that they send word to the ajaw. The ajaw and his daughter should come be their guest for a few days at their earliest opportunity. Hopefully this would work out and put an end to the distasteful romance that seemed to be budding.

Aapo summoned his son Erdrich to his presence. He told his son that he was not to continue any semblance of courtship of this slave girl. If he wished to take her, that would be acceptable. He would not be allowed to be seen with her again, nor would she be accepted as his laak’. The other alternative would be that she would be put to death or sold far away. Erdrich, as suuk dictated, stood facing his father silently, showing no emotion. Aapo then proclaimed he wished for acknowledgment from his son. Erdrich simply said, Yes, Father, as he turned to walk away.

Erdrich, upon being called to his father’s presence, immediately dressed accordingly and rushed to the ajaw’s court. He knew better than to argue or question the ajaw even though he was his father. Erdrich listened sadly to his father and planned what he must do for his own happiness and for the one he loved. As his father laid out the ultimatum, Erdrich plotted their escape. It would take much planning and secretive cooperation. Fortunately, he was well revered with many friends. His first move would be to enlist the help of Gabor and Hugo. Gabor was a warrior and totally trustworthy to him. Hugo was very wise and loyal to him as well. Together