The Trials of El Dorado
(The Road to El Dorado III)

Rating: M, to be safe

Summery: While Miguel battles with his blindness Tulio struggled to contain his feeling for his partner a secret, knowing to reveal them would mean loosing him forever. Meanwhile back in civilisation Count Salar is still pursuing the duo, using an unwilling Jack and an exiled priest to track the pair in hopes of revenge and the plunder of El Dorado.

IMPORTANT NOTES, MUST READ TO GET THE STORY (Well most of them) :

1) You kind of have to read 'The Road Back To El Dorado' (El Dorado II) to understand this story. It's not compulsory, but recommended

2) This story is slash (love or loath it) so giving you the head's up now.

3) I'm not a historian, doctor, sailing ship captain or any other expert in any field, so if facts are wrong on things exist a few years - or centuries - before they were discovered I say sorry now, and tell me so I know for the future.

4) You want to put this story on another website, fine by me, but ask first and give proper credit ok?

5) I live in Australia, and our spelling can be a little strange at times, so by all means point out any mistakes you see, but just remember your color may be my colour.

6) Last one. I do not own The Road to El Dorado or any of the characters portrayed in the film, if I did, there would so be a slash filled sequel, which would explain why I don't own it. As for Jack and other OC's scattered here and there, if you can convince them to appear in your stories then they can.

Special Thanks: To RosylaGypsy again, for pestering me to finish this, and being the dreamer in our duo.

Jack finished off his god-only-knows-what-number drink and without any hesitation ordered another. He deserved it, he told himself, for escorting Tulio and Hat- err Miguel down to coast to El Dorado's first marker. The story he'd concocted about them being Arabian princes was a hit. All Jack had to do was tell it loudly in a crowded tavern three days ago and now he was hearing it repeated everywhere he went, in several different versions.

The drink was placed in front of him and he took a large mouthful of the liquid when the tavern door was kicked open. Turing to inspect the Jack's heart skipped. Salar, the count who'd originally been promised Miguel as a slave, was standing proudly in the door frame, and he wasn't alone. Jack suddenly felt very sober.

Salar pointed in his direction and gave his men orders, but Jack couldn't hear what they were, as he'd already jumped over the bar and ran upstairs.

Bursting into a room he was momentary distracted by a barmaid who was getting changed, but her scream made him shove the shutters open and, seeing a cart of hay parked almost directly underneath him, jumped.

Jack was quickly several streets from the tavern and still running hard. Looking over his shoulder for pursuers he didn't see the man he ran into. Jack was knocked to the ground, but the other man didn't flinch.

The man seemed to be one of the native breeds, with dark skin and black hair, which was sleeked back, but his tattoos were what caught the Irishman's attention. One ran across his cheeks and nose horizontally, the other was a small triangle on his chin. They were both crimson, like blood.

Jack went to sit up but the native said something and made a hand gesture. Jack felt his muscles freeze, as if under a spell. His mind was working perfectly, but all his body could do was breathe and blink. Jack wasn't sure, but he didn't think this man was going to help him.

A heard a horse approach, but couldn't turn his head to look at the rider. The native bowed.

'My Lord.' He droned.

'You're sure he cannot move.' Salar's voice came from above him. Jack heard feet hitting the ground and footsteps approach. The count's face appeared in his range of vision, with a look of near curiosity. He nudged Jack twice in the side but all Jack could do was scream curses inside his head.

'Yes My Lord.' Was the reply. The count seemed pleased, and gave Jack a harsh kick.

'Well done Tzekel-kan.' Salar praised. 'Now knock him out.'

Jack knew that name had something to do with Tulio and Miguel's adventures in El Dorado, but before he could think what Tzekel-kan snapped his fingers, and Jack knew no more.

Well there you go, the prologue for the seriously overdue sequel I promised over a year ago. All I can say is my interests turned elsewhere when I was halfway through writing this and so it sat forgotten on the USB until a few days ago when I decided to finish it. (I just watched Road to El Dorado for the first time in months, and it re-sparked my interest in the story.)

Miguel and Tulio appear in the next chapter, but I warn readers around half of the first half (works out to be a quarter right?) is through the eyes of Jack, so giving the heads up now.

Yes I hired Tzekel-kan to play the role of another bad guy, because I find too many OC's make my head spin. Also the following chapters are much longer, don't fret.

Update in a week if all goes well, so watch this space. (Or just add to story alerts.)

Desert Thief