Dragon Tales 06: Quetzacoatl 02

With the comings and goings of the larger village, word spread throughout a good portion of lower Mexico and Guatemala of the gods' blessings and how it had affected village life. Gradually, Sam's villagers began to notice an increase in the number of trading parties visiting their community, bringing more and more trade goods, but also just wandering around and spending a large amount of time in the central plaza near the benches and fountains. In fact, they started to set up camp there with their trade goods and a sort of market began to develop. The villagers became used to answering questions about their water system and gardens. They just told how the gods came among them and made it happen in a matter of days.

Eventually, my family and I started getting some of the traders at our home and Jacob's village. Then one day it happened - I (Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, as the apparent "senior" or ranking god) was formally asked by a group of traders if I and the other gods would become their gods too. I was rather taken aback. They wanted us as their gods? After a little consideration, I understood why they had asked - Jacob's and Sam's villages had us as their gods (although unsolicited) and had benefitted greatly, with very little apparent down-side to the situation from the villagers' perspective (and apparently the single women in Sam's village were not complaining at all).

I left this group of petitioners with a short, "I'll get back to you on that."

_ _ _ _ _

I blinked over to Doug's place - fortunately, he was in-between paramours - and called to Dan and Dave to join us, which they soon did. I explained the situation to them, how things were changing in the village (they had noticed, but not paid much attention as it didn't seem to affect their lives or their love lives). I then told them of the petition that I'd received for us to become gods of another village. This woke them up and got their attention.

We decided to blink out for a brief working vacation up along what has now become the California coast near Big Sur, where (in various dragon forms) we laid about, hunted and gorged ourselves, swam with the seals and otters, and had some serious discussion about this whole god situation.

Our decision reached (and after another couple days of just playing in the surf), we all blinked back to my place, assuming our large Mayan forms.

The petitioners were still standing there, sort of wondering where I'd gone when four rather large, imposing guys appeared in front of them. They were rather shaken when the gods appeared and almost fell to their knees (they just weren't used to it).

I told them that we had deliberated upon their request. They should return to their village and send out messengers to all of the other villages in the area to each send a delegation of two men and two women to Sam's village in one month's time. These delegations were to have decision-making authority from their respective villages, and should bring some gifts for Sam's folks as a token of their appreciation of Sam's village hosting this gathering, and of their desire to truly have us become their gods (I wasn't being greedy here - I didn't need anything - but I figured that I was going to lay a bit of work on Sam and his folks - and the inconvenience of hosting a big party - so they might as well receive some recompense). I then sent the group on their way.

The guys and I sat down with my family and I explained what was happening. Doug blinked down to Jacob's village and told them we were going to have a big party at Sam's place in a month and they were invited. I blinked to Sam's place and told him the situation (the petition) and how we intended dealing with it - which involved a big party as his house in one month, and that he was hosting.

I told Sam that the four of us and my family would help organize the whole festival, feast and celebration, but realized that it would be a bit of imposition upon him and his people. I then asked how he would like the delegates housed (I figured that the delegates (party goers?) would swell the population of the village by 40-50 people at least. Sam had a couple of options - take them into the villagers' huts, build some new huts (another couple of enclaves) within the existing village, or build a new, larger enclave outside of the existing village (maybe even across the river). I just had to smile at his face - it was sort of a "well god damn it all" look. We told him to think about it a bit and took our leave.

_ _ _ _ _

Sam had a terribly important decision to make about the village's potential growth. One thing we had not really considered was the future impact upon the village by the influx of people. The villagers had already seen the market area slowly develop in their central plaza - which had its pluses and its minuses. Now, if they opened up their village to others, would there be some sort of permanent growth (nobody had really seen one up to then, but we were looking at the potential development of a market town or city). And the question was, how did they want to incorporate those new people into their village structure and organization?

Did I mention that I really liked Sam? Did I mention that he was a really smart guy? Sam and the villagers decided that they would and wouldn't incorporate the growth into the village (they rather liked the layout and did not want it to change too much). They wanted another enclave added onto the side of the village, next to and part of, but not intruding upon the existing village structure and layout. It should have its own water supply and pools, and an area that could be a market, thus freeing up their central plaza for the villagers to use (as they had before it became overrun with transients). They also thought that it might be nice if they could eventually lure artisans (or those with some special skills) to the enclave on a permanent basis thus forming a more permanent market area and attracting even more trade and amenities to the village

We four gods got busy. Over the next couple of days, we cleared out an area for the expansion and built a number of huts. We put in water and bathing pools, shaded areas for actual market stalls, benches, a few fountains and numerous shade structures - sort of a small village within the village. We expanded the water system from the river, made some bridges to handle more traffic across the river from different directions, and connected the entire water system to a new downslope leach field / garden (figuring that potential future growth would require the growing of more foodstuffs). There was a large contingent of Sam's villagers present when we finished and opened up the new water system. There were quite a few people eager to try out the new facilities.

One thing we had not anticipated was that several of Sam's village families decided to move into the new area. These were some of the people who had some of those special skills. Recognizing the opportunity now available (and having been part of the discussion of what might happen), they thought they would get in on the ground floor so to speak. We were rather surprised, but figured it would all work out as we could spread some of the delegates into the newly emptied huts around the village.

A week before the planned festival, I moved my family into one of the vacant huts. Mae, Mary, Jane and the kids got settled in and began helping to plan to meet the needs of the expected influx of people. Which influx started happening a couple days earlier than expected. We were soon busy getting people settled into different huts. We four gods also got busy blinking in and out, hunting game, and gathering fruits and vegetables from farther afield so we didn't adversely impact our local ecosystem.

By the day before the festival, the vacant huts were fully occupied and there were some improvised camps outside the village proper. The market was quite busy with people starting the bartering process to obtain necessary food and supplies (the women had seemed to know there would be a market for new mats, hammocks, etc. and had been busy gathering and weaving).

The festival day dawned clear and pleasant. My family and I started it off with a quick bath and then some food. The entire village was engaged similarly. Then the women started cooking. Wow, Mae had really thought it out and organized the women into preparing the huge amount of food. There were numerous barbeque pits busy, as well as all the other cooked cakes and breads and fruit dishes being prepared. They did an awesome job of it - in fact everyone pitched in and helped, even the delegates.

The feast was primarily held in the newly created market area, but people were wandering throughout the village, wherever they could find a place to sit in the shade and share the food and some company. Let's just say that everyone got enough to eat and then some.

Sam and we four gods (hmm, I'm already using their term instead of dragons - scary) then gathered in the central plaza by the fountains. We created a small pile of furs and such we placed on some benches so we would be higher than the others in the area and took our places. We then called everyone together (it took a while).

I stepped forward and raised my hand to get folks' attention. As they quieted down, I addressed them. I told briefly of my coming to the area, of meeting my wives and Jacob's villagers, and of our encounter with Sam's hunters and what we had done afterwards. I pointed out some of the features in Sam's village - the layout, the water system, the central plaza, the garden - and how it was due to my and the other gods' willingness to work with the villagers, as well as the villagers welcome to us - a mutually beneficial arrangement.

I then told everyone of the petition from the traders from a month before and opened the proceedings for presentations from interested villages, starting with the original group that had approached me at my home. The next couple of hours were interesting.

The first group came up to our dais, laid out a bunch of nice furs, obsidian blades and some other interesting stuff and pleaded their case. They desired that we become their gods too and help them in their village (which was of a similar size to Sam's). In exchange, they stated that they would honor us amongst them (I wasn't exactly sure what that meant). They stated that they had several people with some good skills to bring to the group, showing as an example the goods they had already brought forward. They then stepped back.

The first group was followed by a second, a third, etc. until about 15 villages had made a petition to be taken under the gods' collective wings (no wonder there was such a crowd). Some of these folks had traveled a considerable distance, and the trade network that they represented was quite extensive (involving their villages, and even more villages that were linked to them but not actually present - I think they mentioned contact even to the coast). The things they brought forth and presented to us included more furs and worked obsidian, colorful feathers, actual birds and monkeys, woven cloth of cotton, different styles of pottery and jewelry of turquoise, gold, coral and shell. I was astounded, as were my fellow dragons (Sam was just in shock).

My fellow dragons and I had been mentally talking and commenting through the entire series of presentations, which had taken a couple of hours. At their bidding I resumed control of the meeting. Standing before the crowd, I morphed into my plumed serpent form and the others morphed into their eagle, jaguar and Shiva forms. We then reformed as Mayan. I then told them that we would confer and return to render a decision to their petitions.

We four blinked out, back to Big Sur, sat down and had some serious discussion. What we were being asked to do would have some serious consequences as far as we could tell. We would be linking these previously unaffiliated villages in a larger network with Sam's village at the center. We were looking at increased trade, and the potential growth of Sam's village (and maybe others) into larger towns. And we really didn't have any experience or previous examples to follow. The work we were being asked to do was not a big deal (a few weeks' work to set it up), but we were not really sure of the long term ramifications of becoming "gods" for the larger Mayan community. (Although Doug, Dan and Dave were liking the idea of increased access to young women wanting to breed with the gods.)

As the different villages were obviously very serious in their desires, and due to the fact that there would be obvious benefits to their quality of life (we thought), we decided to grant their petitions. We blinked back to Sam's village about a minute after we left. This disappearing and reappearing thing really got the attention of the visitors (Sam's and Jacob's folks were more or less used to it).

Raising my hand for their attention, I then stated that the gods were prepared to grant their request. We would begin in one week's time with the first village, and then work our way around to each of the other villages in turn. In return for granting them our favor, we expected a hut in each village be prepared for our use when we were visiting. We expected them to remain on good, friendly terms with each of the other villages and with villages that they traded with (no more raids and stealing women, etc.). We told them that if there were problems, we expected them to bring them to us and to Sam (as our representative; surprised Sam). We also expected them to have an annual feast or festival in each village to remember this day and the agreements they were making with each other and with their gods.

While we met with each of the delegations in turn to discuss the logistics involved in our new undertaking (like "where do you guys live?"), everyone else resumed feasting and partying. As the sun went down, many folks stripped down and went bathing with their new friends (and yes, the bathing in many cases became more sensual and sexual in nature - I'm sure that we would see a surge in the birth rate in about 9 months).

The atmosphere was as sensual in my hut with my three wives. I was smothered (in a good way) by their love. Hands, lips, tongues and other body parts kissed, caressed, licked, sucked and were inserted in other body parts - oh, I love my wives - until all four of us were fully sated (and I may well have impregnated Mae again (grin)).

The next day people started preparations for their return to their villages. The leave-taking was interesting, as many relationships had begun to develop in the week we'd been together. People were already planning for more formal trading trips and there might also be a few budding romances.

I blinked my family home, where we quietly resumed our routine - sex, playing with the kids, hunting, gardening, and more sex (yes!). One thing that I made a point of doing was to blink out with each of my women individually for a couple days at the beach; blinking us back home so that little time was lost in our home routine, but we were each rejuvenated and they were each feeling loved and appreciated.

_ _ _ _ _

The next few weeks were busy. The four of us gods blinked to each village in turn where we followed the same process as that we had used at Sam's village. We consulted briefly with the headman for each village, then we rearranged the village, put in a water system that went to each enclave, with a larger pool, fountains and benches in the central plaza, and connected it all to a leach field / garden area. We took frequent breaks where we would blink out to rest and relax. I would go home to my wives and children for a while to visit and relax. Doug, Dan and Dave would take off to points unknown - but usually with a willing female in hand. Let's just say that they had constant smiles on their Mayan faces, and there were a lot of smiling young women in the villages.

We now had 16 larger villages and Jacob's small community with fresh water systems for drinking and bathing. We had, without really planning it, created almost permanent towns - after all, who would want to uproot their home from these new amenities if they didn't have to?

For my part, I returned to my wives and children. Over the next few years, while I occasionally took the family traveling, Doug, Dan and Dave had more hands-on contact with the different villages (and with the young women). In fact, it seems as though they started families in almost every village, taking a woman or two to wife and having kids.

My children, in fact were growing, and then hit puberty (how did that happen?). With all of the home time that I'd spent, I made sure that they knew of their mixed heritage, of being of dragon descent. I had taken each of my wives and my children (including those born to Lily and Debbie) through time to see the world unfold and visit other dragons. I saw them develop a few dragon skills as they matured - and it varied from child to child - or should I say, from young adult to young adult. They also developed a thirst for knowledge that covered a wide range of topics.

I eventually made a small enclave attached to Sam's village where I gathered the children of the gods (including Doug's, Dan's and Dave's as they matured. The children became a separate community within the larger community. As a group, they began to study various things of interest. There were several who were interested in the plants that we grew. They wondered if we could make them better, make them more productive. They began actual experiments and developed new strains of some plants like maize and beans and squash. In fact, they discovered that if they moved the crops around each year, there was better production. They also produced better yields by taking garbage from the camp (vegetable matter primarily) and using it to build the soil.

The word spread from Sam's village outward. Some of the new ideas and techniques spread quite rapidly. People began to approach the little enclave of scholars with questions - and they responded by trying to find the answers.

Others were interested in the many uses of the plants that the Mayans had discovered and used over time. They had the idea of traveling to various locations and gathering information from the older "wise" women who did the healing. It got to the point that they had so much information that they needed a way to store it, so they came up with a system of writing - what modern people would call an alphabet - initially they wrote stuff on clay tablets, but that quickly proved too bulky, so they went to animal skins and then to paper. Hell, they even formed a library.

Now the creation of the library really resulted in some changes. It seems that huts just weren't a good place to store the scrolls (books) of knowledge that they were compiling. They needed something a bit more weather-proof. One of their ideas was to raise the floor level a bit so that there was no danger of flooding (which happened every now and then along the river). Then they started working on more protective walls, coming up with the idea for adobe bricks and even some stone buildings (using some of our cement or just mud or just laying them dry). Roofs were a challenge and it seemed that the thick thatching that was used on huts was still the best, as long is the roof was kept in repair.

But I get ahead of myself. Let us just say that over time (generations), learning went on. Communities grew in size and complexity, as did Mayan society as a whole. Some people got greedy and tried to make their own little fiefdoms or kingdoms. Some even made larger monuments (and, a nice touch, they put up a few nice stelae with inscriptions thanking the gods).

We saw our children grow into a class of scholars. The "gods" were worshipped, but not seen as much until few, if any, living Mayans had actually had contact with us, as we four dragons withdrew more and more to our families, and then from society as a whole as our wives aged and eventually passed away. I know that with the passing of Mae, Mary and Jane after many years of wedded bliss (and the occasional family spat) I had little desire to be actively engaged in society. I traveled occasionally around the region, sometimes checking in with children, then grandchildren and greats, etc., etc. And I tried to keep the knowledge of dragons alive within the scholarly (family) community. But in most of my wanderings as a Mayan hunter or warrior, I was not recognized. I saw the Mayan's rise up to a large, developed civilization. And I saw them return to being simple hunters again. Villages grew to towns, to cities, and then were reclaimed by the jungle.