The mystery of the clay figurine

"You are nothing but a glorified translator and there's nothing to translate in the platform of the great Jaguar!" Professor Schlieman said pushing Uriel back. If he wasn't an evolved he would have most likely dropped the clay figurine, but thankfully he managed to hold on to it. "Now scram and let the professionals take care of everything, you are not needed here."

"I had it! who is in charge of this site? I need to have a word with them." Uriel asked Flanagan, but he didn't know the answer. The only high ranking Mapple corp. employee was Nika and she was nowhere to be seen.

'Great, just when I really need her she's gone.' He sighed.

For so long Uriel had walked in the crowd with the feeling he didn't belong anywhere, like he was walking in a dark alley and was able to see the city lights but not quite able to reach for them. Now that he had a taste of the perks of stepping into the spotlight he wasn't going to let anyone bully him, not anymore.

"I asked who's in charge of this site, do I really need to repeat myself?"

Professor Schlieman didn't seem to want to cooperate in the slightest, but it all changed when someone stepped from the shadows.

"That would be you, Mister Sage. You've been appointed by Mister Walter Works himself as head archaeologist until further notice." Faithful to her style, Nika startled everyone present, everyone but Uriel who was now a bit used to her shenanigans and already expected her to appear from out of thin air.

"What took you so long?" He said in a whisper.

"I was finishing taking a bath, would you like to see some proof?" She whispered back with a devilish smile that Uriel ignored altogether.

"Call for every single archaeologist and research assistant on site please, I would like to put a theory to the test in front of everyone. Oh, and bring some essence orbs too!"

"Heck yeah! Now things are finally in motion!" Nika grinned as she disappeared into the shadows right in front of everyone and not even five minutes later she came back with a group of about fifty people.

They were all older and, of course, even the less scholarly among the assistants already had a Phd. before 'the arrival'. Because of the way Uriel was recruited into the expedition none of them knew him and only a few had heard about this supposed college student with incredible knowledge in the ancient language.

"Before I begin I'll introduce myself," Uriel faked a cough and proceeded to speak louder. "My name is Uriel Sage and I'll be in charge of this site until further notice, yes I am still in college, yes, I am not an archaeologist but I really want to become one and, before you start spitting nonsense, let me show you why do you guys need me." Uriel proceeded to cross the yellow tape and step into the Great jaguar platform and placed the jaguar figurine right in the middle.

For just a second, even the skeptical professors expected the ground to open, the rocks to move or some sort of mechanism activation, but none of that happened and they all stared blankly at Uriel trying to hide their disappointment.

"Why are you even placing that idol over there? We found it buried near the Mayan ball-court and..." Professor Schlieman spoke in a condescending manner.

"First, this is not an idol, and second, there's no need to point out the fact that the ballcourt was Mayan since it's pretty obvious. Everything in here is Mayan!"

"What do you mean it's not an idol?" Professor Friedriksen, a man on his sixties with a pronounced belly and a very neat white mustache, asked with genuine curiosity.

"Idols are made with the purpose of adoration, impulsed by religious beliefs. This one has nothing to do with religion, it's actually a summoning stone." Uriel said with feigned confidence in his words, in all truth he didn't know what a summoning stone was.

All he knew was that the figurine was covered in carvings and, from what he was able to read, the figurine was actually a device to summon a Jaguar spirit. About why should the stone be placed on the great Jaguar platform, it only made sense to do so, since none of the other structures had a direct relationship with jaguars at all.

When Nika handed him the essence orbs he asked for, Uriel promptly crushed one right in front of the figurine. The previously dull clay-like figurine started shaking and several arcs of yellow electricity appeared on all four corners of the small platform, then a confused jaguar covered in flames appeared out of thin air.

"Don't shoot!" Uriel shouted, timely preventing the trigger happy Mapple corp. employees from attacking the cryptid in front of them. Before the cryptid could even understand what was going on, he was sucked into the figurine along with the strange energy.

The small figurine seemed to grow in size and then the clay cover peeled off revealing a golden jaguar in a different position than before. The small golden sculpture now portrayed a very confused Jaguar in the exact same position as the cryptid that briefly appeared in front of everyone.

All of those present, researchers and Mapple employees alike, were gaping at the sight. Even Nika was taken by surprise because no one really knew what to expect. She didn't stop mumbling 'witchcraft' during the whole process, crossing herself with a terrified expression on her face.

"Does this mean that the jaguar beast is gone?" Nika finally managed to ask all covered in sweat.

"I guess, I don't know where it went but it shouldn't bother you guys anymore." Uriel smiled as he slid his sleeve on his forehead to wipe his own sweat off. He too didn't know exactly what was going to happen.

"But... How did you know what was going to happen!?" Professor Friedriksen asked, still in a daze after the miracle performed in front of his eyes.

"Believe it or not, the clay figurine came with instructions. It said the Jaguar spirit was the guardian of the Kukulkan Pyramid, it also said more or less how to activate it."

Although it could be called a complete success, deep inside his mind Uriel regretted the fact that the essence orb he crushed to seal off the jaguar spirit didn't make him stronger. Still,the short demonstration managed to get everyone's attention and earn him the respect of their now 'peers'. He was also a lot more confident now in his ability to translate and maybe open the hidden passage towards the mysterious underground structure beneath their feet.