Cursed Births

 It was still Friday, May 8, and the Three Amigos decided that they had some more questions for the Antahueca Apache and Chief Nascha Alonzo Ruiz. By now, the tribe was somewhat used to Cannon, Ashford and McCloud, and they had graciously accepted the plentiful gifts that Ashford had bestowed on their impoverished community. Chief Ruiz invited the Three Amigos into his back yard, and they were just going to have some coffee when a horrifying wail echoed through the small Apache settlement. They all rushed to a house, where Chief Ruiz said that Johanna Fast Bear was giving birth, although the terrifying cries seemed to reach far beyond even the rigors of natural childbirth. As they all stepped in, Johanna seemed to have passed out splattered with blood, and a child was bundled up by a terrified midwife. Frank Cannon demanded to see the offspring, and both he and his friends where horrified to see an abominable half-serpentine creature, a mix between infant and snake, writhing about in a wicker bascinet. It had rudimentary scales, a split tongue, and pearly white incisors that snapped after Cannon's fingers.

Contents to horrible to envision!

The abomination - for this creature truly deserved the term abomination - was secured in a papoose as Fran Cannon and Lotus Ashford started questioning the dumbstruck family. McCloud was sent to find Nurse Pettenkoffer, who'd recently returned from Arkham, so that the poor Johanna might get proper care. However, Johanna and her family seemed to live perfectly ordinary, if impoverished, lives, and they were also known as loving parents with two older children welcomed into their family. This entire situation did not match any of the more current items in the verbal legends handed down by the Antahueca Apace, but Chief Ruiz whispered that he could not help thinking of the myths of Yig and the decadent tribe that lived in the region before being vanquished by the brave Apache and that worshipped the serpent god named Ha-Yonig, Yiagath, or just Yik. Chief Ruiz and the Three Amigos subsequently decided to take a peek at the medicine man, Medah Old Horse's, cottage, and Chief Ruiz gave them each medicine bags to help then on whatever endeavor may come.

Then, finally, Nurse Pettenkoffer arrived with much of her medical equipment, and after a thorough examination it was determined that Johanna would live, although she would have to be taken to the small hospital in Carrazozo for further care. The Three Amigos realized that there was little more that could be done in the Apache settlement, but they decided to have a conversation with Father Bose. Perhaps he would have some other insights to contribute? 

The drab weather had turned even worse as the Three Amigos rode up to St. Mary's church. The church bells were ringing, which was odd for a Friday late afternoon, and as Ashford, McCloud and Cannon entered the small church they realized that a funeral service was taking place. Two caskets, one very small, and one standard-sized, were displayed by the altar, and all Three Amigos felt an inescapable sensation of unrelenting dread. They waited for the mourning and bereaved to leave St. Mary's before they approached Father Bose. Their worst fears were confirmed. This was case of an aberration being born, although neither the mother nor the offspring survived the gruesome and gory birth. father Bose actually did not mind opening the smaller casket, This infant/serpent hybrid was even more deformed than Johanna Fast Bear's offspring. It had a fully developed tail, fangs, and slit-like pupils similar to the eyes of a snake. Father Bose quietly closed the lid to the casket and led the Three Amigos to the rectory. Many questions were asked, and although Father Bose himself had not experienced anything even remotely similar to the horrifying events of this accursed Saturday, he explained that there were myths of almost forgotten serpentine gods that predated the Bible, and he mentioned in a hushed voice the surviving fragments about the mythical snake-people of Valusia and how the justified and ancient inhabitants of Mu had struggled to defeat the Valusian snake people and their god, often mentioned as Yik, Jig, or Yig. Mention of snake-people could be found all over the world: in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and both of the Americas.  

The Three Amigos were still struggling to figure out what was going on. Why were there so many signs of serpents everywhere? Did this have any connection with the solar or lunar cycle? Yet, one feature seemed to feature prominently: the Carrizo Mountain itself. This was one of the sites that the Antahueca Apache medicine man, Medah Mitchell Old Horse, preferred to seek out. This is where the Tabernacle Church of God was heading, and this is where they found the tomb of the man with the red right hand (and where Frank Cannon found the strange necklace around the neck of the corpse). Now, who could follow the cold tracks of Medah Mitchell Old Horse up Carrizo Mountain? The Three Amigos were planning on leaving that Sunday, May 10.

But first, the communication with Arkham had to continue: