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| “ | Jolom has spoken the truth. I am the son of Jaguar-Paw. I was present when the warriors of Fire-Born marched into the city of Tikal. I watched as the barbarians of Teotihuacan raped and killed my mother and sisters. Today is a new dawn for the people of the Waterlilies. Spread the word far and wide to all the scattered and downtrodden of the Lamaya in all the forests and hills of the earth! Tell them to prepare for their liberation from the oppressors of the north. Let those who will fight gather as quietly as the midnight Jaguar to this place in the forest and here we will build and army that will contend with the murderers of Spearthrower Owl and his son, Blue-Crocodile. An army that will restore to the throne of Tikal the righteous descendants of Yax-Chaac-Xok for now and many generations to come! The people of the Waterlilies will again rule earth and sky! The Sun has decreed it! The Moon has foretold it! And the wisdom of Kukalcan and his noble companions will guarantee our victory! | „ |
| ~ Lamanai's speech to the people of Seibalche declaring his royal lineage and intentions to rise to power |
| “ | I do not fear you, Apollus Hunaphu. You are but a god in human form, and your powers are fading. Soon they will be extinguished entirely. It is the nature of your spirit to attempt to rise above your alloted purpose. And it is a testament to the far greater power of the gods of my fathers that I recognized your treacherous ambitions in time. So here you are, like a caged panther, your claws clipped and your fangs ground down to the gums. Take my advice and fight tomorrow with all that remains of your waning powers. Let it be your final act of glory. Afterwards your spine will be broken and your spirit delivered to the world of light. For you are cursed, Hunaphu. I curse you. And unless I lift this curse at some future day, yours will be an existence of eternal torment in the fires of Yum Cimil, Lord of Death of the Lamaya, and Kisin, Lord of Death of the Lacandon. | „ |
| ~ Lamanai to Apollus after his betrayal |
| “ | In Tikal, I served Itzamna's will. It is not the privilege of Spearthrower Owl or Lord Curled Snout to feast upon the heart of Nephite kings. It will never be the honor of Siyak K'ak' to consume the flesh of Moroni-Iqui-Mahucatah. This honor belongs to the children of the Lamaya! | „ |
| ~ Lamanai to Moroni |
Eagle-Sky-Jaguar, or better known as Lamanai, is one of the villains who appears in Chris Heimerdinger's Tennis Shoes Adventure Series. He serves as a supporting protagonist and anti-hero in Warriors of Cumorah, the main antagonist of Kingdoms and Conquerors, a major antagonist in Sorcerors and Seers , and one of the overarching antagonists in Drums of Desolation, and one of the main antagonists of Thorns Of Glory, Part One. He is the last surviving member of a lineage of Lamanite royalty who wishes to attain the throne that his ancestors had, as well as annihilate the Nephites that his people have had conflict with for generations. He also becomes the nemesis of protagonist Apollus Severillus.
Biography
Past
Lamanai was born to the king of the Great Jaguar-Paw, the king of the Lamanites. Lamanai's parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles were all killed by Fireborn in an attempt to purge the royal lineage of Yax-Chaac-Xok. Lamanai was taken by the priest Hapai-Zin to the forest of Seibalche, where Lamanai was adopted by the shaman Kanalha. Lamanai was forbidden to reveal his true lineage to anyone other than Kanalha, who took a blood oath to keep the secret.
Warriors of Cumorah
Lamanai is introduced midway through the book, in which he narrates a chapter. He and his stepbrother Pacawli track down a wounded jaguar, hoping that they can kill it. The two of them split up, and Lamanai comes across the river coming from a cave that leads to the Rainbow Room. As Apollus, Meagan Sorenson, and Ryan Champion emerge from the river, Lamanai is astonished and assumes them to be the Mayan gods Hunahpu, Ix-Chel, and Xbalanque, respectively. Lamanai accidentally reveals his presence to Apollus, Meagan, and Ryan, who curiously ask about his origins. Lamanai reluctantly reveals that he is the son of the Great Jaguar-Paw of Tikal, and that his people are descended from Lamanites. He also reveals that the Nephites no longer dwell in these lands, as they had signed a treaty with the Great Jaguar-Paw and are being forced northward by Fireborn's armies.
Apollus and Meagan then ask Lamanai to bring them to his village. Lamanai agrees to bring them to the shaman, hoping that with three Mayan gods at his side, he can take the throne for himself. As he is leading them to the village, they come across Pacawli, who was killed by the jaguar they were hunting. The jaguar returns and tries to kill Lamanai, but Apollus kills the jaguar. The quartet brings the dead jaguar with them as they go to the village.
Lamanai brings Apollus, Ryan, and Meagan to Kanalha, eager to prove that their arrival is a sign of the people of Tikal rising up and defeating Teotihuacan. On arrival, Lamanai's other stepbrother, Kux-Watch, sees that Pacawli is dead and inquires about Meagan, Ryan, and Apollus. Lamanai tries to convince Kux-Watch that they are gods, but Kux-Watch doesn't believe him. Right then, Kanalha arrives and checks out the new arrivals. He deduces that Ryan is actually Kukalcan (the mythical Mayan equivalent of Jesus). Ryan goes along with this notion, cementing the belief. Lamanai tries to contradict this by saying that Kukalcan was prophecied to come down from the clouds, but Kanalha shoots down the argument. Afterwards, Lamanai demands Ryan to prove that he is a god by declaring that Lamanai is supposed to be king. Ryan, though freaked out at the prospect of being a god, agrees.
That night, Lamanai accompanies Kanalha and Kux-Watch to a ceremony with Ryan, Apollus, and Meagan at Kanalha's house. At the ceremony, the tamed jaguar named Huracan comes to greet Ryan. Huracan brings Ryan a dead monkey as a gift, but Ryan turns it down and lets Huracan eat it. After Huracan licks Ryan's hand and leaves, Lamanai reveals the truth about his origin. Kux-Watch and the villagers refuse to believe this, saying that if there was a member of the Yax-Chaac-Xok lineage was still alive, then Fireborn would not have conquered the kingdom and Blue-Crocodile wouldn't have taken the throne of Tikal. However, Kanalha reinforces the belief that Ryan is Kukalcan.
When word reaches Meagan's, Ryan's, and Apollus' ears that the Nephite commander Moroni has been captured by Fireborn, they propose to convince Lamanai to rescue him. The next day, everyone in the village gathers in the village square to hear Lamanai make an announcement. Lamanai's priest, Jolom, declares that Lamanai is the prince Eagle-Sky-Jaguar. The people are schocked to hear this, but Lamanai confirms it to be true. He also declares his intentions to rise up against Spearthrower Owl and his son Blue-Crocodile. Ryan speaks up and suggests that, in order for Lamanai to recieve God's approval, Lamanai rescue Moroni and the other Nephite captives. Jolom and Quillkiah convince Lamanai that, if he allies with the Nephites, then he can drive off the armies of Fireborn and Spearthrower Owl. Lamanai agrees, declaring that the battle of freedom is beginning.
Lamanai, along with Apollus and Ryan, leads a group of Lamanite soldiers to Tikal, where Moroni and three other Nephite captives are imprisoned. On the way, they formulate a plan to attack the prison: Quillkiah will lead a team to set fire to a Spearthrower Owl shrine as a diversion, while Lamanai, Apollus, and Ryan, along with Ryan's newfound bodyguard Jacobah, will march on the city and enter through one of the city gates, while the other warriors enter at random times. After rescuing the captives, everyone will rendezvous at the north end of the Portico of the Dead.
Sticking with the plan, Lamanai, Apollus, Ryan, and Jacobah attack the gate of Tikal and fight their way through. Apollus and Ryan make it to the prison and find Moroni, along with his fellow captives Gilga, Tz'ikin, and one other. Moroni tells them that a messenger, Kux-Watch, had already came to the city and warned Blue-Crocodile. As a result, Fireborn had sent thousands more warriors to protect the city.
Apollus, Ryan, Moroni, Lamanai, Jacobah, Gilgal, and Tz'ikin rush to escape the city, battling many Lamanite warriors in the process. They manage to escape via a mangrove-filled river and come to the remains of the estate of Calak-Tun, one of Lamanai's father's noblemen. They discover a slew of horses that they use to ride to Seibalche to warn the people of Fireborn's soldiers marching for the city.
Shortly after Huracan saves Meagan from Fireborn and Kux-Watch, Lamanai, Apollus, Ryan, Moroni, Tz'ikin, and Gilgal are reunited with Meagan. Lamanai, hearing that Fireborn killed Kanalha before Meagan's eyes, swears vengeance on him. Moroni reminds him that his motive should be the well-being of his people, to which Lamanai reluctantly agrees. Moroni continues to talk and negotiate with Lamanai, and Lamanai agrees to join forces with Moroni and unite the Nephites and the Lamanites. The group decides to go to Cumorah and try to forge the alliance.
Kingdoms and Conquerors
Lamanai, Moroni, Apollus, Meagan, Ryan, Tz'ikin, Jacobah, Huracan, and Gilgal continue their journey to Cumorah and pass through the settlement of Korihab. Gilgal makes a comment about this nephite village being overran and defiled by the Lamanites, which Lamanai takes in offense. He returns by saying that Lamanites' buildings tend to last longer than Nephites', and that the Nephites can still return to their homes.
Lamanai, Apollus, and Gilgal browse the market and obtain essential supplies for their journey. As they are leaving, several of the village shamans reveal themselves as Fireborn's Lightning Warriors in disguise. Lamanai, Apollus, and Gilgal rush to the riverbank, where their companions have bartered for a set of boats. Gilgal gets into a canoe with Ryan and Tz'ikin, while Lamanai and Apollus join the canoe carrying Meagan and Moroni. They float down the river while being pursued by Fireborn and his warriors. When Lamanai runs into Fireborn on the river, he is disturbed to see that Fireborn is wearing the face of his father Jaguar-Paw, having preserved his face for years and fashioning it into a mask. He vents out his hatred toward Fireborn, promising to feed his heart to the volcano and erase his name and memory. He and his companions manage to escape Fireborn's army and proceed on to Tz'ikin's homeland-the Lacandon mountains.
On the way to Lacandon, Moroni invites Lamanai to be baptized as a member of the Church. Lamanai responds by saying that he will only be baptized in Tikal, with his people as witnesses. Later, Lamanai questions Moroni's faith in God, inquiring if God really wanted him and his people to endure all the trials and hardships they experienced. Moroni insists that God does indeed know all things. Meagan, Apollus, Ryan, and Jacobah bear their testimonies of God, much to Lamanai's frustration. In his own self-pride, Lamanai has disregarded any beliefs of deities.
When the group arrives at Lacandon, they visit the home of Tz'ikin's father K'ayyum. Lamanai tells K'ayyum that Fireborn and his Lightning Warriors are gathering and that they must be defeated, and that K'ayyum and his people will soon hail him as their leader. His words disturb K'ayyum. K'ayyum reveals that his life was affected in a negative way by Fireborn, and that he sympathizes with Lamanai's prejudice against Fireborn.
Lamanai, Tz'ikin, Jacobah, Meagan, Apollus, and Ryan then attend a lunch hosted by K'ayyum. While eating lunch, Lamanai questions K'ayyum about his history with his father. K'ayyum reveals that Fireborn had blackmailed him into lying to Lamanai's father, which led to his death. Lamanai is infuriated to hear this and lashes out at K'ayyum. K'ayyum defends himself by saying that he did not foresee his actions having the consequences that they did.
Just then, Meagan, Ryan, and some others begin to fall asleep after eating the tomatoes served with their meals. Apollus observes the tomatoes and finds that they have been injected with a drug. Noticing that Lamanai hasn't touched his tomatoes and isn't freaking out, Apollus suspects Lamanai of having a hand in drugging the tomatoes. But before he can do anything, he falls into deliriousness caused by the drugged tomatoes.
Lamanai and K'ayyum take Apollus and Meagan to the land of Desolation, where a gladiatoral contest is being held. The Lancandon and their rivals, the Chamula, will pit their two best champions against each other in a fight to the death. The tribal chief of the winner will select thirty of the enemy's warriors to use as sacrificial victims. Lamanai and K'ayyum plan to enter Apollus as their champion, and use Meagan (who Apollus has fallen in love with ovet the course of their journey) as leverage to get Apollus to fight.
On the way to Desolation, Lamanai talks to Apollus as the latter comes off of his sleeping drug. Lamanai reveals that the night before their arrival in Lancandon, he was visited by his father's spirit and encouraged to trust in his own instincts and true destiny. Lamanai had realized that freeing Moroni had stirred up the anger of Fireborn and Blue-Crocodile, acting as the spark that would lead to the battle that would annihilate the Nephites. This battle, as Lamanai believed, would allow him to unite the dispersed people of Lamaya and overthrow Fireborn once and for all. Having been seduced by his own rank and position, Lamanai made a deal with K'ayyum and decided to use Apollus (who he still believes is Hunaphu) in the upcoming gladiator battle and dispose of his companions.
Lamanai tells Apollus that Moroni, Ryan, Jacobah, and Gilgal had been sentenced to death in Lancandon, and that Meagan has been brought with them. He also informs Apollus of his plans for him fighting in the arena. Apollus flatly refuses to fight, and that he will destroy Lamanai should he survive the next day. Lamanai expresses his lack of fear toward Apollus and reiterates his intentions with him. He then leaves Apollus in his cage.
Apollus is brought to the arena in Desolation, where he is told that the Chamulan champion murdered Meagan. Lamanai is a spectator to the battle where Apollus duels the Chamulan champion, who is really the Nephite warrior Gidgiddonihah. Since the both of them are dressed in thick armour, Apollus and Gidgiddonihah fight each other to the death. Gidgiddonihah eventually comes close to killing Apollus, but is distracted by the voices of Harry Hawkins and Mary Symeon. Harry and Mary had been captured by the Chamulans and used as leverage to get Gidgiddonihah to fight, as Meagan had with Apollus. Apollus and Gidgiddonihah realize each other's true identities and stop fighting one another. Lamanai and K'ayyum flee the spectator's box as Apollus and Gidgiddonihah work together to escape.
Outside, Lamanai, Chief Mensabak, and some of the other Lacandon and Chamulan chiefs are cornered by the army of Lamanites led by Sa'abkan and accompanied by Steffanie Hawkins, Pagag, and Rafa. Apollus joins them and demands Lamanai to reveal where Meagan is. Lamanai denies knowledge, but Mensabak states that K'ayyum took her and escaped. Apollus angrily threatens to kill Lamanai, but Mensabak tells him that Lamanai is too important to kill. The Lamanite warriors are shocked to hear that Lamanai is the lost prince Eagle-Sky-Jaguar, who they had thought was dead. Lamanai tells them that Apollus can testify that he is Eagle-Sky-Jaguar. Apollus, though reluctant, testifies Lamanai's identity. The Lamanite soldier known as First Deer tells Lamanai that Steffanie and Pagag had saved several Lamanite children from the Wolf Witches, and that Sa'abkan had ordered his soldiers to kill the people who kidnapped their companions. Lamanai talks to First Deer and confirms the rumors that Fireborn and his army are marching on Cumorah to take part in the battle between the Nephites and Lamanites. He declares that the tribes of Teotihuacan and Tikal should unite to defeat the Nephites. He then abruptly murders Mensabak and tells the surrounding village elders that they must follow his orders now. Regarding Apollus, Harry, and their companions, Lamanai decides to let them go, as they have now served their purpose in restoring Lamanai to his rightful position. However, Lamanai and Apollus vow that should they cross paths again, neither of them will show mercy to the other.
Sorcerers and Seers
Lamanai is present alongside Fireborn and Spearthrower Owl when they hold a meeting at Cumorah with the Nephite leaders, including Mormon, Moroni, Zenephi, and Apollus. Fireborn and Spearthrower Owl offer the Nephite leaders to give up their lives for the Nephite people to live as slaves of the Lamanites. When only some of the Nephite commanders accept, Zenephi panicks and tries to speak for everyone. Fireborn refuses to accept his offer and sends the Nephite commanders packing.
Drums Of Desolation
Although Lamanai does not physically appear in the twelfth book, his and Fireborn's armies continue to keep the Nephites under siege at Cumorah.
Thorns Of Glory, Part One
While Apollus is on a mission to find Moroni, he runs into Lamanai on the battlefield. Initially, Lamanai avoids Apollus, but Apollus is soon captured by Antionum and taken to the Lamanites' camp where Moroni is being held captive. Lamanai confront both Moroni and Apollus in this camp. Moroni speaks up and reveals to the surrounding Lamanites that Lamanai had helped rescue Moroni from Tikal. Although the Lamanites are surprised to hear this, Lamanai insists that he did that so that he would have the opportunity to slaughter the Nephites instead of Spearthrower Owl or Fireborn. Lamanai also tells Moroni that he should be grateful that the Lamayan gods have spared him, to which Moroni expresses his belief in God and Jesus Christ. Lamanai reiterates Moroni's words, but twists them in a way to support his own beliefs. He also claims that Moroni's father, Mormon, has already been killed on Cumorah.
Lamanai then tells Moroni that he is the living god of the Nephites, just as how Lamanai is the living god of the Lamanites. The surrounding Lamanites take the opportunity to declare undying loyalty towards Lamanai. As Lamanai tries to goad Moroni into fighting one of his bodyguards, Apollus butts into the conversation. Lamanai turns on Apollus and tells him that if he were to be involved in this fight, it would mean nothing, as Apollus is not a Nephite. He then calls forward a Lamanite named First Deer to challenge Moroni. Lamanai's intent is to rob his Nephite prisoners of their confidence and instill in the Lamanites that Lamanai is indeed a living deity who surpasses Moroni in power.
Apollus angrily asks Lamanai why he isn't fighting Moroni himself, much to Lamanai's anger. He tells Apollus that he has no authority, and that he does not represent the Nephite Priesthood. Apollus contradicts this, reminded Lamanai of the miracles that he and Ryan performed on the people of Seibalche with the Priesthood. Moroni supports Apollus' claims of holding the Priesthood. Antionum also supports Apollus' claims, but Moroni rounds on him for betraying him earlier.
The new Earth-Stone chieftain, Zo'akban, speaks up and urges Lamanai to fight Apollus. Zo'akban, along with a few other Lamanite chieftains, tell Lamanai that if he kills Apollus, then they will pledge their entire tribe's loyalty to Lamanai. Another Lamanite chieftain says that if Lamanai severs ties with Spearthrower Owl and Fireborn, then he will pledge his allegiance as well. Lamanai agrees to the surrounding Lamanite chieftains' terms, but he reiterates that First Deer must do the fighting for him. Apollus calls Lamanai a coward, much to Lamanai's anger. He orders First Deer to fight Apollus, which he does. However, Apollus quickly gets the upper hand in their fight. When this happens, Lamanai orders his Lamanite soldiers to bind Apollus. Apollus faces Lamanai and remembers the day when they first met. He apologizes to Lamanai for enlisting him to accompany him to Tikal and unknowingly sowing the seeds for Lamanai's betrayal. Lamanai begins to address the crowd again, but he is cut off when Apollus tackles him, snaps his neck, and kills him.