The Storm Runner

“It took twenty minutes for the shuttle to get to school, ten minutes for me to get my schedule, and five minutes for me to get sent to Father Baumgarten’s office. I had promised Mom I’d try my best to make friends and stay out of trouble, but when the freak-probably-ate-it dude knocks you into the lockers and elbows you in the gut ‘by mistake,’ and a bunch of stupid lookie-loos crack up, any self-respecting guy would launch his cane at the dirtbag’s head. Accidentally of course. It was either that or risk getting knocked around all year. No one was laughing after that.”

This passage comes from Zane’s first day at his new school and represents the type of situation that led him to seek homeschooling in the first place. The bully in this scene is an example of the cruelty that people sometimes show toward someone who is different. Though the bully likely has his own reasons for his actions, they do not excuse such behavior. While Zane’s reaction is also inappropriate, his determination to stick up for himself is a logical one. This entire situation occurs within a few minutes of Zane arriving at school, showing that Zane has the strength and bravery to become a hero.

“‘No, I don’t drink blood, and whoever told you that is an idiot.’

‘No one told me,’ I said. ‘It’s in a book.’

‘Then whoever wrote it is an idiot.’

‘Except that in the last two days, two mythical creatures from that idiot book have appeared.’”

This exchange between Zane and Brooks comes after Zane learns of Brooks’s supernatural identity and has looked shape-shifters up in his book of Mayan legends. Brooks protests against the accusation of blood-drinking is connected to the quotation from Chapter 1 in which Zane observes that authors often lie. As Zane ventures into the hidden Mayan world and discovers strange new beings, he must also learn to discern truths from embellishments in the course of making decisions that affect a broad range of people.

“A scratching sound nearby caught my attention. I lifted my gaze to see an owl blacker than ink perched on a boulder above me. It was the same one from the other night. That couldn’t be Brooks, could it? The owl’s yellow eyes glowed like two flickering flames as they peered at me. No, Brooks only knew how to turn into a hawk. And she wouldn’t choose the form of an owl even if she could. Mom said they were omens of death and to stay far away from them.”

These lines come after Zane’s second confrontation with the demon runners. His dog has just died, and the owl represents the death that has just occurred, as well as foreshadowing the fact that Zane will nearly lose Brooks a few chapters later. The owl also represents yet another example of Cervantes’s talent for adapting ancient Mayan myths and beliefs to create the richly imagined world of The Storm Runner. Because Mayan stories link nighttime to the concept of death, the nocturnal owl is also linked to the god of death. The owl in this scene is later revealed to be one of Ah-Puch’s servants, and its appearance foreshadows the fact that Zane will free Ah-Puch, triggering a potential cataclysm with worldwide consequences.

“‘Those humans were smart and could understand too much, so the gods sent a great fog to obscure some of their knowledge.’

‘First they want smart humans, then the humans are too smart,’ I grumbled. ‘Geez, these gods have serious issues.’”

This exchange between Zane and his neighbor comes after she saves him from the volcano and reveals herself as a seer. Prior to this excerpt, they discussed the mythological story that the gods remade humans and the world several times before settling on a concept they liked. This story reveals that the gods are not afraid to destroy everything to start fresh. The neighbor’s information deviates slightly from traditional Mayan mythology. The smart group of humans described here are the ones made from corn. In the original myth, this version of humanity was the final, unmodified product. In the novel, however, the gods view these humans as too smart, which demonstrates their willingness to intervene in any situation they don’t approve of. Zane’s final line here is a direct criticism of the gods, and he knows that they will read it because the entire novel is later revealed to be an account that he is writing for their benefit.

. “‘It’s in there,’ I said, pointing to the pool.

‘That puddle? Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure.’

‘Like eighty percent, or a hundred?’ Brooks asked, frowning. ‘I mean, there’s a big difference.’”

Here, Zane and Brooks are exploring the volcano, and they find the sacrificial chamber the demon runners created to free Ah-Puch. Zane feels Ah-Puch’s presence through the pool of water, which proves that he and the god are linked. Brooks’s skeptical question references her dislike of water. Brooks doesn’t want to go in the pool because she can’t swim, so she wants to make completely sure that swimming is necessary. The exchange highlights the fact that although these characters will eventually become very close, they have not yet developed the level of instinctive trust in each other that they will need to complete their quest.

“Aren’t you tired of being a weakling? A boy who can’t run? Can’t fight? Can’t do much of anything? You are no warrior, Zane Obispo. But I can make you one.”

Ah-Puch throws these taunting words at Zane after the protagonist frees him. The god’s conniving nature is revealed as he appeals to Zane’s greatest weakness—the fear that his shorter leg makes him weak and helpless. With Ah-Puch’s offer, he promises to give Zane the strength that he so desperately wants, and the fact that Zane pauses to considers the deal reflects the true depth of this desire. However, Zane proves his heroic nature by ultimately refusing. Within this exchange, Ah-Puch symbolizes the irresistible nature of temptation. For Zane, Ah-Puch’s offer represents the easy way out, but although the god may grant Zane his wish, the underlying implication is that the hidden price will be one that is too costly to pay, as is often the case with offers that seem too good to be true.

“‘I felt something the moment he was released.’ Ms. Cab shook her skinny chicken head. ‘The earth stood still for a split second. Of course, none of the gods would notice, being such dense, self-obsessed beings. But we seers—we knew. Problem is, there was nothing we could do about it, because we couldn’t pinpoint his location. It was like he went off the grid. I lost all contact with the other seers, which tells me they’re all in nonhuman form, too.’”

These lines are spoken telepathically to Zane by his neighbor after she has been turned into a chicken. The seer’s understanding of the moment that Ah-Puch was released illustrates the nature and function of the magic in the world of the novel. Seers have unique gifts that give them insight into things that humans don’t see and that the gods may not pay attention to, and this unique mindset foreshadows Ixtab’s later revelation that the seers are intentionally turned into chickens to keep them from learning about Zane’s identity and Hurakan’s plan to defeat Ah-Puch. This scene also contains another jab at the gods, showing that Zane is not the only one who finds them to be difficult, fickle beings.

“‘Destiny smiles on me, Zane. She was asleep for many years, and now she has come to my door so I could give you this chance. All I had to do was open it.’

I gripped the sack. ‘But if your destiny had been something else, something dangerous…would you still have opened the door?’

Mr. Ortiz thought for a second, rubbed his chin, then looked at me. ‘If you don’t open the door, she will come in through the window.’”

This exchange between Zane and his human neighbor comes just before Zane, Brooks, and Zane’s uncle set out on their quest to find and defeat Ah-Puch. The neighbor has just given Zane his hot pepper and has concluded that growing it to help stop Ah-Puch was his destiny. Zane’s question about accepting a dangerous destiny reflects the questions he still has about his own, for he wonders whether he has what it takes to defeat Ah-Puch and save the world. His neighbor’s response speaks to the inevitability of fate. Zane cannot escape his involvement in the Mayan world or his responsibility to set things right. This exchange suggests that people’s destinies are set, and while Choices and Their Consequences still play an important role, the conversation is just what Zane needs to accept the fact that he must move forward despite his fears.

“I’d never been out of New Mexico, so crossing the state line into Arizona felt like a get out of jail free card. The whole landscape changed from familiar yucca and mesquite to funny-shaped cactus with arms—Hondo called them saguaro. In the dark, the tall cactus looked like living things that could uproot themselves and chase after us. Okay, so I was paranoid. But who wouldn’t be after the day I’d had? Fighting off demon runners, swimming through darkness, cutting deals with the lord of the dead, talking to a very angry chicken, and saving a life. Bet that’s even more than you gods typically do in just a few hours.”

These lines represent a transitional passage in which Zane realizes that the world is much bigger than he ever knew. His tumultuous mindset is reflected in his description of the plans, for he only personifies them as threatening figures because his last 24 hours have demonstrated the danger and unpredictability of the Mayan world. The final line of this quotation also highlights the fact that throughout the novel, Zane-as-narrator is directly addressing the gods. These moments provide comic relief even as they emphasize Zane’s position, for as he makes his case, it becomes clear that his account is designed to convince them not to punish him.

“I kicked off my sneakers and socks. The coarse sand was chilly and damp. Sharp bits of white shell poked out. After a few steps, I realized the stick was worthless. This is no different from balancing on the edge of the volcano, I told myself. One foot in front of the other, placing just the right amount of weight on each foot. I’d come face-to-face with the god of death and killed a demon runner. Surely I could walk across the sand.”

Here, Zane’s group has arrived at a beach in California and stopped to refresh themselves before continuing their drive. This is the first time Zane has seen the beach and the ocean, and he is determined to experience both, partly because he doesn’t know if he’ll get another opportunity. His journey across the sand shows how he has trained his body to work with his disability and highlights his newfound sense of determination. His determination is reflected in the final line of the quotation, for after everything he has survived, he refuses to let the sand or any other obstacles stand in his way.

“‘Jazz-E,’ the giant corrected. ‘And no, I didn’t steal my’ name from Jay-Z. More like the other way around. But you can call me Jazz. Just don’t confuse me with Sipakna,’ he insisted. ‘That hombre was an arrogant, wicked giant, giving us all a bad name. I come from much better stock.’”

These lines are spoken by Brooks’s giant friend when the group first meets him. The first part of the quotation is another example of Cervantes’s focus on bringing Mayan mythology into a mainstream focus. In this passage, Jazz references the popular rap artist Jay-Z, which establishes the novel’s setting firmly in the early 21st century. The mention of Sipakna also represents an allusion to Mayan mythology, for in the original stories, Sipakna is the son of the bird-demon Vucub Caquix and is known for mocking and killing 400 boys that he deems to be weaklings. This is why Jazz wishes to dissociate himself from the infamous giant. Sipakna was later defeated by the hero twins, and this explains Jazz’s reasons for avoiding the twins.

“‘The Empty?’

‘This in-between place I created, away from wandering eyes and wicked ears. A replica of the great pyramids of Tulum, Mexico.’ he said. ‘It’s the only safe place we can talk. And because I created it, no other gods have power here.’”

This exchange between Zane and his father comes when Zane “spirit walks” for the first time. Zane has arrived in the Empty—a secondary world that his father created. As a result, the place diminishes any power not belonging to Hurakan or his blood (Zane), which foreshadows Zane bringing Ah-Puch there for the final confrontation. The Empty itself shows Hurakan’s true power. As one of the original Mayan creator gods, Hurakan can shape nothingness into whatever he wishes, and the pyramids he replicates here are a well-known site of grand Mayan architecture. During this conversation, Hurakan also describes the void surrounding the Empty, which inspires Zane’s final move against Ah-Puch.

“Brooks and Hondo left to change and I stood alone in the sea-blue room, staring at the clothes and wondering, Will they hide my limp? Was I shallow for wishing they would? For wanting to be someone people noticed for something other than what was wrong with me?”

Here, Jazz has given Zane and his group magical clothes that will hide their most disliked imperfections. This will cause the hero twins to notice them, for the siblings only approach people they deem to be beautiful. Zane’s wish that the clothes will hide his limp indicates that he is still struggling with the idea that his disability detracts from his inherent self-worth. He has not yet realized that people already notice him for reasons other than his limp. His own fixation on what he perceives to be a flaw keeps him from realizing the positive ways in which others already view him.

“‘Yeah, he’s human. Comes every year to ask for help with his music career. The twins have big connections in Hollywood, and most of the people here are looking for access to those. That butterfly girl over there? She probably wants to be a model. And that shark?’ She pointed to a short, stout guy. ‘An actor.’”

Brooks makes this comment when she and Zane arrive at the twins’ party. The party is the most lavish affair Zane has ever attended, and he is surprised to see regular humans mingling with the Mayan elite. Brooks explains that humans attend the party every year because the twins have powerful connections that people are willing to trade anything to use. From this, the twins represent the effects of temptation and desperation. The people who trade with the twins get what they want for a time, but eventually, the magic wears off, leaving them without the thing they traded and without the thing they wanted.

“‘You remember the Yant’o Triad, surely?’ Ah-Puch addressed Bird in a self-satisfied tone. ‘Allow me to reintroduce you to Yant’o, Usukun, and Uyitzin—otherwise known as Good, Bad, and Indifferent. Except we all know there isn’t any Good, but it sure rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?’”

Ah-Puch makes this comment to the hero twins after he destroys the magical barriers and illusions of their fancy hotel world. These lines expand on Cervantes’s use of Mayan myth even as they serve to illustrate the essence of Ah-Puch’s character. In Mayan legend, the Yant’o Triad were as Ah-Puch describes them here—three brothers known for being good, bad, and indifferent, respectively. There is no definitive link between the triad and Ah-Puch in the original mythology, but Cervantes appropriates the figures for her own use because the triad is associated with evil and with Xibalba. This makes them ideal candidates to be Ah-Puch’s henchmen in Cervantes’s story.

“‘He’s still your dad, even if you don’t call him that.’

‘It’s not the same,’ I muttered as I loosened and took off my tie.

‘Same as what?’

‘Family. Like my mom, and Hondo…’ And Rosie, I thought, my throat throbbing painfully. Being a member of my family wasn’t automatic—it had to be earned.”

This exchange between Zane and Brooks comes while they are sailing to the entrance to the Old World. Brooks observes that Zane’s father is influencing events, but Zane refuses to accept that Hurakan is his father. This discussion symbolizes the true definition of family. Hurakan may be Zane’s biological father, but as far as Zane is concerned, the god has done nothing to earn Zane’s love as his son. By contrast, Zane’s uncle, mother, and dog have proven they love him and have earned Zane’s love, making them the ones that Zane views as true family. This conversation represents Zane’s struggle to accept his father’s identity, and it foreshadows the fact that Zane will eventually come to think of Hurakan as family—so much so that he will make plans to free Hurakan from imprisonment.

“‘Why is it so awful?’ I asked, trying to take tiny breaths to avoid the rotten smell.

‘Hasn’t been kept up,’ Jazz said, flicking on a flashlight. It looked a lot like the burning-flesh kind Brooks had lost in the volcano. ‘When the new gateways were built, these were forgotten. Death has a way of infesting whatever it touches.’”

Here, Brooks, Zane, and Jazz have crossed into the gateway to the Old World, which is rusty and smells like dead fish. Jazz’s explanation reflects the fact that beliefs and myths change over time. Long ago, the old gateways were the main pathways between worlds, and they were much nicer than the dilapidated version that Zane experiences. As the old gateways were forgotten, much like old beliefs, new gateways were opened that are better maintained because they are the preferred way to travel. This dynamic mirrors the story’s background conflict between Ah-Puch and Ixtab, who fight over Xibalba. Ah-Puch represents the old underworld and its associated beliefs, while Ixtab brings new changes that cause the abandonment of the old ways.

“‘This is how the marking of time came to be,’ Jazz declared. ‘It was invented in this place. The legend says that the gods competed for seats here—that’s how the council was formed. Each temple represents a different god of the council: Nakon, god of war, and Ixtab—she’s running Xib’alb’a these days—then there’s Hurakan, god of storms…’ My breath caught in my throat.

Jazz went on, ‘Ixkakaw, goddess of chocolate…I think she overthrew another goddess, maybe Ixchel? She was the goddess of healing—didn’t like fighting. And then there’s Alom, god of the sky.’”

Jazz makes this comment when the group arrives at the sacred temples in the heart of the Old World. Cervantes uses this passage to supply missing information about Mayan mythology, explaining how the gods invented time and presided over their creation from seats on a grand council. Hurakan and Ixtab are familiar names here, which allows the reader to place the other gods in context. This also sets up the appearance of the five major gods during the battle with Ah-Puch and foreshadows the quarrels that the gods have amongst themselves.

“‘The gods’ language is…hard to translate for the human mind,’ she said. ‘There are many meanings. Runner can also mean—how do I say it?—channel, a conduit, power.’”

These lines of dialogue are spoken by the Sparkstriker as she helps Zane unlock his full powers. As Hurakan’s son, Zane is a storm runner because his father is the god of storms. Up until this point, Zane has hated this description because his disability makes it impossible for him to truly run, and thus, he has felt that he will never be able to live up to the expectations that this name places on him. The Sparkstriker’s explanation accelerates The Journey of Self-Discovery and shows Zane that defining something gives it new power. As a “runner” in the physical sense, Zane feels unable to be who he must. However, once he begins thinking of a runner as a conduit of power rather than a physical action, the limitations that he placed on himself disappear. Defining the word in a different way makes it something that he can achieve.

“‘The sky looks like it’s going to rip open,’ I shouted as we flew higher and higher.

‘The gods aren’t united,’ Quinn said. ‘The world will collapse if they really do go to war.’

‘Don’t they care about this place?’

‘Some do, some don’t. Some might even want to see the old ways destroyed.’”

This exchange between Zane and Brooks’s sister, Quinn, comes as Quinn flies him to the final confrontation with Ah-Puch. With the arrival of the gods in the Old World, the place has begun to fall apart from all the power in use. Quinn’s observations emphasize the fact that old beliefs are replaced by new ideas that in turn affect the tone and substance of the original myths. The gods have left the Old World behind, choosing instead to inhabit the modern world in order to benefit from potential worshippers. As a result, the Old World has fallen into disrepair and is vulnerable. Some of the gods care about this deterioration, which shows that they cling to the older beliefs. However, other gods do not, representing a broader shift away from ideas that no longer serve them. This divide does more damage to the Old World, potentially bringing about its destruction.

“Straight dark bangs framed the eyes belonging to the goddess of chocolate, who actually didn’t look a day over, like, thirty. She was small and willowy, and she walked more gracefully than the others. This fact was made even more obvious by her brown cat-woman-like bodysuit. Her bronze skin glistened as she narrowed her eyes, then smiled. ‘And you’re smelling as foul as ever, Ah-Puch.’

The burly dude looked me over, then said to Ah-Puch, ‘We end this tonight.’

‘Oh, you mean to send me back to my prison, Nakon?’ Ah-Puch said, faking a shudder.

So the burly motorcycle dude was the god of war? Kind of a cliché, if you ask me.”

This passage comes right after the gods arrive and confront Ah-Puch. Cervantes builds upon the Mayan world of the novel by describing the gods in more detail. The goddess of hot chocolate—a revered drink in Mayan civilization—has the same coloring as the drink she holds power over. Cervantes’s description of the god of war shows him as a tough guy; this is also a dig at Rick Riordan’s world of the Greek gods, wherein Ares (the Greek god of war) is represented as an over-the-top thug on a motorcycle. While the reference is primarily a joke on the part of the author, this passage also highlights the similarities across pantheons. Though the ancient Greeks and Mayans lived on separate continents, their polytheistic religions includes gods that represent very similar concepts. Thus, it is reasonable that their respective gods of war would have similar appearances.

“Don’t panic. That’s not how my story ends. But I couldn’t write any more down, because I would’ve had to lie to protect myself, and the magic paper would have…Huh. I’m not sure what it does when you try to make stuff up.

Anyway, everything up until now is absolutely true. So’s this next part. But I can’t let the gods see it. They can never know the whole story.”

These lines introduce the first postscript and pick up where Zane’s account for the gods stops. As Zane speaks directly to the reader, thereby forging a direct connection between the real world and the world of the novel. This dynamic lends a sense of authenticity to Zane’s story and brings additional tension into the narrative. It also recalls Zane’s observation in Chapter 1 that authors lie. Zane didn’t lie in the story he wrote on the gods’ enchanted paper, but he also omitted the full truth, which makes him little different from the author of his Mayan mythology book. Zane’s uncertainty about writing lies on the enchanted paper reminds the reader that, as much as he has accomplished, there is still much that he needs to learn.

“Wow! Before, all I’d ever wished was to be like everyone else, and now? I actually liked the way those words made me feel.

I didn’t even mind the fact that I still had one shorter leg. Yeah, Sparkstriker’s lightning-bolt surgery hadn’t permanently fixed it. I kind of thought my limp would have disappeared now that I was a claimed godborn who could control fire, but I guess magic doesn’t work that way. Still, it didn’t bother me. It didn’t seem like a weakness anymore, just part of who I was. And besides, it connected me to my dad, ole One Leg.”

This passage reflects Zane’s thoughts after Ixtab explains the need for him to go into hiding with his family and avoid using his powers. When she tells him to live a “normal” life, Zane finally understands that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of. Instead, he accepts all the ways he is different because he knows that those differences are really strengths.