Zane Obispo

"Easy for him to tell me not to worry. He didn't just eat an ancient mud person!"

- The Fire Keeper

Zane Obispo is the main character and narrator of the Storm Runner series. He is a fourteen-year-old Mayan godborn, the son of Hurakan, one of the two Mayan creator gods and the Mayan god of wind, storms and fire, and an unnamed human woman. He was the foretold one in the Prophecy of Fire, the Storm Runner.

Early Life
Zane Obispo was born to Hurakan, the Mayan god of storms and fire, and Mrs. Obispo, a mortal woman. Before he was even a year old, Zane would speak in complete sentences. Around this time he also touched his mother’s curling iron without being burned. He would also try to crawl out into the desert. When he was two his maternal grandmother died, with her grave being close to his house.

When Zane was eight his mother gave him a five part encyclopedia set on the history of Mexico, he would heavily favor the second volume.

He once accidentally broke his uncle‘s taillight with his cane and stole a pack of sour patch kids from the dollar store.

Finding Rosie
When he was about nine or ten he found Rosie, a half-boxer, half-dalmatian mixed breed dog, wondering the desert and took her in after promising his mother he would take care of her.

Dropping out of School
When Zane was twelve he dropped out of school because of constant harassment from bullies about his uneven legs. He agreed to be home schooled for one year until his mother could find another school.

During this time Zane would work as an assistant to his two neighbors, he would work as Ms. Cab’s assistant in her phone psychic business to pay for Rosie’s food and help Mr. Ortiz with his pepper gardening. Zane would also teach himself a variety of different facts by reading books during his homeschooling days.

The Storm Runner
One night his mother joyously informs him that he was accepted to the Holy Ghost Private School and would be starting the next day. He tries to talk her out of it to no success and reluctantly agrees. She gives him a new cane as a present. After relaxing in his room for a brief time he goes hiking up the Beast, a nearby volcano. Rosie is eager to leave but he does not. Zane sees a mysterious craft crash close by and sees a creature in the downed aircraft. Soon after, he falls off the cliff. When Zane wakes up his mother finds him and hugs him. He gets worried when he does not see Rosie, but she shows up and he hugs her. He is checked out by the paramedics and questioned by the police. Mr. Ortiz and Ms. Caballero soon arrive to check up on Zane. Soon Rosie bolts into the desert and Zane follows after her. When he catches her he sees the creature in the craft. It starts to approach him until his mother arrives and vanishes. His mother states that she did not see it. Later that night he checks his encyclopedia and sees a picture of the creature, a demon of Xib’alb’a, the Mayan underworld.

The next day at school he is beat up by a kid who claims to hit him by accident until he hits him in the head with his cane, resulting in Zane being sent to Father Baumgarten’s office. While waiting he meets a girl named Brooks, who vanishes when he gets out of the office. When at home with his uncle later that night Brooks arrives at his house and says they need to talk. He slams the door in her face and she knocks until Hondo lets her in. She asks to speak somewhere private until his mother comes home and she decides to come back to following night. The next day he asked a secretary about Brooks, however she says no one with that name attends the school. He gets frustrated by this and asks her his name, resulting in detention. Mr. Ortiz picks him up and Brooks is waiting for him. He tries to ask her about the demon but she keeps telling him he is in danger. They go into the backyard and Rosie nearly attacks her. Just as he calms the dog down, Brooks vanishes. He soon finds that she turned into a hawk and perched in a nearby tree. He tells Hondo that Rosie was barking at nothing and his uncle returns to wrestling. He calms Rosie down and gets Brooks to come out of the tree. She tells him to come to the volcano and Zane reluctantly agrees. She tells Zane she is a Nawal, a Mayan shapeshifter, and what he saw the other night was a Demon Runner. She also tells Zane that he is the subject of a Mayan prophecy. As they reach the entrance, Brooks tells him of how Ah-Puch was imprisoned in an artifact by the others gods and locked away. She tells him that by finding the entrance, he sent out a signal to the death god’s henchmen. Brooks also tells Zane he is destined to free the Ah-Puch. He is alarmed by this, but Brooks tells him he just needs to find it so she can take it away. She tells him it can only be opened during a solar eclipse where it was buried. They hear a noise and see a demon runner. Brooks tries to fend it of but her plan fails and they run. He chooses to sacrifice himself to save the others. However, Rosie gets past him and bites the creature’s thought as it oozes poison. Zane shoves the monster and gets poisoned himself. It rips Rosie off and throws her against a wall. Zane then agrees to help it before driving his cane into the creature’s stomach. It dissolves in a pile of goo.

He cradles Rosie as the poison kills her and she dissolves before his eyes. Brooks drags him out of the cave and they head down the volcano. She tells Zane he is supernatural before leaving when a pair of headlights arrive and he passes out. When he wakes up he is in Ms. Cab’s living room and she tells him she is a Nik’wachinel, a Mayan seer, who came to watch over him and informs Zane that he is only part human. She tells Zane that is the reason he survived the poison and his excellent vision at night. She does not know what or who his father is, but only his mother knows. He urges her to bring Rosie back, but she says if she does Rosie will not be the same. He urges her to do this and she agrees if he promises to stay home for the rest of the night. He agrees and goes home.

While waiting for his mom he reads about Xia’alb’a and Ah-Puch. He gets fed up with waiting and has Mr. Ortiz drive him to the bank. He gets his mom’s attention and asks who is father is. Just then an Alux shows up and tries to kill him. They try to find a safe place but it gets in before they could reach the safety deposit box cage. Honda arrives and distracts it so they can escape. Despite his please not to leave his uncle, his mother drives until they break down at a farm. She gets out and tells Zane to run. He sees the alux hold a knife to his mother’s throat, but Brooks arrives before anything happens. He follows them in the field after checking up on his mother. He returns with Brooks and they head home. His mother offers her to stay the night and she accepts. They wonder who sent the alux to kill Zane and are determined to not release Ah-Puch. He wakes up at 2:30 the following afternoon to Hondo telling him his mother is out. He goes to change clothes and bathe and after hears Rosie coming from the volcano.

He hobbles toward the volcano to find Rosie, he reaches his entrance and goes inside. Zane touches a wall that was covered in demon runner venom. Brooks arrives and told him to squeeze it out. She slits his forearm and he does so. Brooks tells him that the call came to him as Rosie’s distress call. He hears it again and finds a cavern with a pool and sleeping demon runners on the ceiling. He senses that Ah-Puch is in the pool and soon the demon runners wake up and surround them, telling him to free the death god. He takes Brooks by the hand and plunges into the pool. He leads Brooks to another underground chamber, but before he can help her out she is dragged under by a demon runner. He frees her and watches as the creature disintegrates. He tries to save Brooks to no avail. Zane sees a glowing column containing a small ceramic owl, the prison of Ah-Puch. Zane agrees to release him if he can save Brooks and bring Rosie back. After he agrees, Zane climbs the wall and smashes the owl.

After Ah-Puch is freed he sends Zane and a newly arrived Muwan to a penthouse balcony in Los Angeles. He pleads with the death god to save Brooks and return Rosie. Ah-Puch agrees, but only if Zane becomes a soldier of death and answers his call in three nights. He hears a man’s voice saying no and sees someone in a neighboring skyscraper. He agrees and pledges himself before being blown away. While falling he sees his mother with the man who told him to reject Ah-Puch, realizing he is his father. He wakes up in his bedroom with Brooks and looks for Rosie to no success. He and Brooks hear each other's thoughts. She realizes that Zane is the son of a Mayan God. He asks her how to turn it off and she leaves in frustration. When he catches up Brooks, she realizes Zane agreed to survive Ah-Puch. He tells her this will never happen. Hondo tells them a giant chicken is at the door and they follow it to Ms. Cab’s house where Mr. Ortiz soon shows up. He soon realizes that the chicken is Ms. Cab. She tells him all the soothsayers have been turned into animals and translates for the other. Hondo and Mr. Ortiz quickly accept what he tells them and goes with Brooks and Hondo to find an entrance to Xib’alb’a. Before they leave he takes one of Ms. Cab’s eyes and goes with Mr. Ortiz. He gives Zane La Muerte, a pepper so hot it can paralyze the eater for hours, to use against Ah-Puch. He goes home to help Hondo with a not to his mother and they find a way to Xib’alb’a in Venice Beach, California and realize Ah-Puch wants revenge against the hero twins. Brooks tells them the twins are arrogant, but they think this is the best option. She tells them their Birthday is the following day and says she was invited. The three set out.

On the road he dreams of Rosie and sees knock-off like reflections in trees. He wakes and they stop for dinner at a fast food restaurant in Yuma. As they finish they see demons disguised as themselves in biker outfits approach them. They leave they see them in the parking lot as doubles of themselves and demand Brooks. A fight breaks out and he struggles briefly before defeating his double along with his uncle. However five more arrive and take the form of Brooks. After the real one snaps at him he and Hondo take care of the rest. While on the road, Brooks tells him she lost her powers. He is surprised by this and asks Brooks to explain, but she does not. He dreams of Ms. Cab telling him to attack Ah-Puch in his blind spot. When he wakes up he sees they at a beach in San Diego. He tries to wake Brooks before going to put his feet in the Pacific Ocean. He sees a woman who tells him to come closer. She introduces herself as Pacific, the former Mayan goddess of time. She tells him his father sent her because a pact was made to not sire anymore demigod children under the threat of death for them and their children. Before leaving she gives him jaguar jade and calls him storm runner. She sends Zane back to shore. When he returns to Hondo and Brooks they dead to Venice Beach. He sees a tarot card reader who knows about the prophecy of fire. Before he can ask more, Brooks drags him away. He and Hondo follow Brooks to a shop run by her friend Jazz. He gives them obsidian coins to see the twins and tells them the gods know of Ah-Puch’s escape and they are blaming one another for it, he also says he will personally punch who ever released Ah-Puch out of the Milky Way. After helping him keep his blood sugar up, he hears Jazz hum the song the tarot card reader was humming. He asks how Zane could know this because he was invisible. Before Zane can answer her feels a stabbing pain in his leg and passes out.

When he wakes up he finds himself in a jungle by a pyramid as a jaguar. Another jaguar appears and introduces himself as Hurakan, the god of storms and his father. Zane is in disbelief as he questions his father and that they are in a place called the Empty, a realm of his creation. After awhile he believes him. He asks his father why he chose to contact him now, however his father told him that he sent the storms to hide him from the other gods who he was scared or angry. Zane asks him why Pacific called him storm runner when he realizes he can not run from Ah-Puch. His father scolds him for making the deal with Ah-Puch. He tells his son to seek out the White Sparkstriker in the old world. Zane says he has his own plans and runs off. Before Zane leaves, Hurakan catches up with him and says Zane short leg is his snake leg and it makes him strong. He returns to his body and the tell him he was out for hours. Brooks tells him they told Jazz he faints when he gets nervous. The giant gives Zane hot chocolate that, unknown to him, can only be consumed by a supernatural. Jazz calls him out on this but Brooks says he is a magician. Jazz gives them formal wear to make them more attractive and lends them his fastest scooter. During the ride he tells the others his father is Hurakan. They avoid the police when Honda hits the turbo button. They arrive at the Beverly Hills Hotel and head to the third floor. Brooks tells him and Hondo they will have to play a game with the twins and offer to trade magic to get the information they need to stop Ah-Puch.

They find the ticket taker and Brooks manages to get them in. She calls him Rana (frog), and they head to the elevator. They arrive and the party and one of the twins, Jordan, says hello to Brooks. Zane learns that he is forcing Brooks’s sister to marry him and he takes them to Bird, the other twin. They ask the twins for advice on how to defeat Ah-Puch, but they brush off the question. After watching a man reluctantly trade his daughter‘s beauty for a job, Zane becomes enraged and shows his jaguar jade. This intrigues the twins and they agree to a game and to give them the information they want if they win, if they get the jaguar jade if the they win, Zane agree. They flip a coin, Jaguar or death, he calls jaguar but it lands on death. As they exit Jordan finds his spiked hot chocolate and drinks. He notices Hondo is feeling out of place and Brooks informs them that Hondo has been poisoned. Zane is infuriated and they start the game. The twins allow him to score and the hoop bursts into flames when he does so, however he is not burned. Bird notices this and Brooks calls for sudden death. Shortly after Muwan and Ah-Puch arrive and thank him for leading them to the twins. Zane realizes that the tattoo is a tracking becan that can lead the death god to him. Ah-Puch tells Zane how the twins lied about defeating him to boost their image for humanity and trick the gods into their pact. Before leaving with the twins, he tells Zane he will see him soon. He and Brooks struggle with Honda until Jazz arrives and takes his uncle. The giant leads them to the edge of the building where they jump onto a flying cart manned by Flanco. Flanco takes them to Jazz’s boat and they jump into the sea with him supporting Brooks. He feels pure hatred for wasting time on the twins and for what they did to Hondo. Jazz informs them that they are heading to the Old World through one of the god’s gates. Zane starts to worry when he learns Jazz put cameras in their enchanted clothes, but is relieved when he learns thy do not pick up audio.

After Jazz heads below deck, Brooks explains why she came to him. She tells him how she promised Ixtab Ah-Puch in exchange for her sister’s freedom. She also told him he had a choice to ignore the call. Zane says he could not do that since she was going to die. Soon after Brooks falls asleep he sees a figure approaching the boat. The figure introduces himself as K’ukumatz and, with Pacific who arrives moments later, they explain that they are going to shave a few hours off their trip to the Old World. Zane gets frustrated that Hurakan does not see him in person, the two tell Zane that he will reach his full potential in the Old World. The pair leave and Brooks wakes up soon after. He tells her K’ukumatz and Pacific were going to shorten their trip and she is upset he did not get K’ukumatz’s autograph.

He dreams of Ms. Cab, who tells him to hurry and that his mother and Mr. Ortiz are okay. Jazz wakes him and Brooks to give him a personal item to open the gateway. He donates his cane and it opens the gate. Jazz questions him on his connection to the gods. Soon the walls start to close in and his mark burns and peels away to reveal Ah-Puch’s eyes. Jazz inflates a raft and hoists everyone but Zane on board. He gives Brooks his jaguar jade, which she drops, and he plunges his wrist into the water. As the fish start to eat his wrist Brooks pull him out and bandages his hand. He is relieved when Hondo wakes up and hugs his uncle. The walls stop and they get back on the boat until they can not sail anymore. When they head to shore he tells Jazz he is godborn and the giant realizes Zane was the one who freed Ah-Puch. Brooks intervenes and says she would be dead if it was not for Zane. This calms Jazz down and they head to the lightning striker to train Zane.

After walking for about an hour the group finds five pyramids that Jazz says was once the meeting place of the five most important gods and goddesses in the Mayan pantheon. The giant tells them to make camp and a few hours later he comes face to face with a masked figure. He follows her and she introduces herself as Nobody before turning into an eagle and flying off Zane finds a hole leading to an underground river with quick flashing lights coming out of a cave on the side. He goes down in the hole to investigate. He finds Saqik’oxol and she gives him a spear-cane and he fishes a lightning bolt out of the pool. She tells him to lay on her slab so she can pound the bolt into his serpent leg. Zane is reluctant and she tells him that by doing this, she will unlock whatever powers he inherited from Hurakan. Zane agrees to this and Saqik’oxol proceeds with the procedure. He soon spirit jumps to the Empty and speaks with his father. Hurakan tells Zane that he has received one of his powers and he quickly realizes it is fire. Hurakan tells him to draw in energy from the sun, but he nearly burns up before a wave cools him down. His father tells him to release the energy or he will burn from the inside out. He is then pulled back into his body and informs the sparkstriker of his dominant power. Shortly after she tells Zane that Ah-Puch has arrived.

Nobody soon returns and he realizes she is Quinn, Brooks’s sister. Saqik’oxol has a vision and she informs them the gods are near. He and Quinn take of to find Ah-Puch. He reveals that, unless he kills Ah-Puch, he is bound to serve him. As they fly over his camp, he sees Jazz and Hondo but not Brooks. He tells Quinn to look for her but she says they must do it later. Soon they are attacked by Muwan. The owl slashes one of Quinn’s wings sending then spiraling down towards the jungle bellow, however Zane hits Muwan in the chest with his spear, send her down as well. He manages to get Quinn to land in a clearing, soon Brooks arrives with the jaguar jade he lost earlier. Soon Ah-Puch arrives and brings his demon runners. Zane summons his spear and takes one out. Moments later Ixtab arrives and tries to burn Ah-Puch with a fireball. Zane blocks it and walks away unharmed. As Ah-Puch is distracted, he goes in for the kill. However Ixtab summons two Hellhounds, one he realizes as Rosie.

Zane is shocked to see Rosie again. However, Ah-Puch imprisons him in a smoke cage and he watches the battle. The death god soon releases Zane and the throws his spear, only for Ah-Puch to teleport behind him at the last second. As Ah-Puch squires his neck, the gods arrive. He father announces Zane as the one in the prophecy of fire and his son, he feels heat explode through out his body and his father tells him his full power has now been awakened. Ixtab manages to convince the gods to let Zane fight him and they accept. Rosie then breaths fire at him, he sends both him and Ah-Puch to the Empty. The death god, in the form of a snake with maggots, tells Zane he will die regardless of the outcome and offers once again to train him. Zane declines and attacks him, Ah-Puch throws Zane off and the godborn runs towards an abyss. He throws both himself and Ah-Puch into the abyss and throws fire at him, setting him falling to the bottom on fire and swearing vengeance.

When he wakes up, he finds himself in a cell in Xib’alb’a. Ixtab comes over to him and tells him to write his story on a sheet of truth paper from Itzam-yée that multiplies to as much as he needs and a pen. She tells him his story will be used as an example to all gods who break the oath and, when he is done, he will pound stone until he turns to dust. He asks the goddess if he is dead, which she confirms. However, when he finishes she takes him to a room and tells him he is actually alive but he will have to hide to insure the gods think he is dead. Ixtab reveals that she and Hurakan have been working together for weeks to give Zane a fighting chance against the former ruler of Xib’akb’a. She summons Rosie and the two happily reconnect. She says that his father is imprisoned for the moment, the gods decided that they may need his power someday. She tells Zane that there were other godborns, but they were hidden away and have since died, then she tells him they must move.

As they travel he wonders what will become of Pacific and Mat. When they arrive he sees his hiding place, a two-floor beach house on Isla Holbox. Before leaving Ixtab gives him his cane and Rosie. He is greeted by his mother and Hondo, who tell him they plain to open a surf shop. As they drink and relax on the deck, they are greeted by Mr. Ortiz and Ms. Cab, who is back to human, when they come to visit. Later, when he and Rosie are relaxing on the beach, Brooks arrives. She tells him that she and Quinn are now fugitives. He tells her he plans to liberate Hurakan, but she tells him to wait. He watches her fly off as he and Rosie play in the water. He feels that Ixtab is wrong, that there are still other godborns out there, they might've been reading his postscripts.

Zane would celebrate his fourteenth birthday on the island.

The Fire Keeper
During lent, Zane and Brooks are paddling along an underground river on Isla Holbox to meet an informant sent by Jazz to tell them about the current status of Hurakan, who is moved every few weeks by the gods for security reasons. When they exit the tunnel they enter a rainstorm and Brooks transforms a giant hawk and flies Zane to the meeting point, a white sand beach. As the messenger bird arrives with the coconut containing the message, Rosie appears out of nowhere and attacks the bird. Brooks turns into a hawk and the son of Hurakan rides on her back. As they try to calm the bird Rosie attacks it. Just as the bird reaches the limits of Isla Holbox, it vanishes and the coconut falls into the Caribbean Sea, Brooks hits the force feild around the island. They catch the coconut and return home. They crack it open and find that Hurakan is being held at WaTiki Indoor Waterpark Resort in Rapid City, South Dakota and is scheduled to be moved on March 24th, in four days. Rosie returns and Brooks searches the barrier for weak points. While she is gone Zane pets Rosie and questions if she hates him for becoming a hellhound. Brooks returns and reveals she found a weak point, but it closed as soon as she tore a hole in it. Zane then considers using The Beast, something Ixtab told him to do only if the gods find out he is alive and Brooks suggests they use the Gateway Map to find a portal out of the island. They decide to set out in the morning and Hondo calls them for dinner.

He soon finds out that the nearest portal is in Cancun and considers using his Jaguar Jade to break the barrier by giving it to Brooks. That night he hears someone telling him “time for the story to escalate” and “she’s here”. The son of Hurakan goes outside and finds a girl in a row boat rowing to shore. Soon Rosie arrives and starts to bark, but soon calms down and becomes friendly with the stranger. The girl reaches shore but falls and hits her head and the two rush over. After Rosie heals her, the girl pushes him away in fright before realizes who he is and gets exited, saying she read the book the gods forced him to write. The girl introduces herself as Ren Santiago, another godborn and explains her story to Zane. He tests her by using telepathy to talk to her and she responds, confirming her status. When she is done he notices shadows behind her and she says she can control them and demonstrates. Zane questions what to do with her and tells Ren to stay on the island for the time being. Soon she falls asleep and something comes out of the boat. He and Rosie fight of the creatures and are soon joined by Brooks. Their attacks have no effect against the creatures until Ren wakes up and banishes them. She explains how the creatures sometimes materialize from her dreams and that they leave when she tells them to. Brooks pulls him aside and asks what to do, he says to convince his mother to let her stay and that their plans have not changed.

He sleeps in a hammock outside Brooks’s castia and Hondo wakes him at 9:00. Zane rushes to get ready and Hondo reveals he knows about the book and Ren. He explains that his mother took her ar town and as they reach his room. Soon after his mother arrives and asks Hondo to ready a cart for a tour and scolds Zane for sending out a call to other godborns. She tells him he has a tour and that Ren is with Ms. Cab and her abeulo is on his way down. Zane worries he will be followed and his mother leaves. Zane then goes to wake Brooks and the part-nawal scolds him for letting her sleep so late. She asks where Ren is and rushes to get going, however he leaves to find Ren first.

He reaches Ms. Cab’s house and she offers him homemade chocolate that he takes, she mentions a vision, something the island’s magic prevents her from having and she then has him read a not that said Ixtab trapped him on Isla Holbox with no way out, Zane feels angry and dizzy and realizes that this Ms.Cab is a fake. She then opens up a nearby bird and releases a swarm of beetles that attack the son of Hurakan. He has visions of a red dessert with messages written in the sand asking for help and soon Brooks and Rosie arrive as well as Mr. Ortiz. The fake Ms. Cab then appears to snap out of some kind of trance and he shields her when Brooks has Rosie incinerate Ms. Cab. Zane absorbs the fire and puts out the fake Ms. Cab, only to find her and Ren tied up in the kitchen. He and the others free the two and they explain that a Mud Person ambushed her and took her place. They brainstorm on what it was after and realize someone wanted to know how Zane‘s powers work and that someone knows he is alive. Ms. Cab explains that she had a brief vision and warns Zane that whatever path he chooses, the gods will be angry and that the Prophecy of Fire is only the beginning. He rushes away and suggests they use The Beast to get to Xib’alb’a, Brooks calls him crazy but Ren backs zane‘s plan. He then becomes flustered when Ren says he described how Brooks looks in a dress. Just then Hondo arrives and reveals he knows Ren is a godborn and asks to join their quest when they fill him in. He reluctantly agrees and the five head out.

They hike to the beast Zane writes a note to his mother and has Rosie drop it off at Ms. Cad. When Ren zones out, he and Hondo put her on Rosie’s back and continue. They reach the entrance and Ren wakes up. The five wander through the tunnels until Rosie senses something in a dead end. He uses Fuego to open a gateway to a snowy landscape. All but Ren enters, who feels that its the wrong way, and the doorway vanishes. Soon the ice starts to crack and Brooks realizes Zane is melting the ice. After Hindo inadvertently triggers Rosie, the ice cracks and they end up in a snowy tornado. He and Hondo are saved by Brooks and Rosie sprouts bat wings and flys. However the room freezes over and they are trapped in an icy cavern with giant eyes everywhere. Soon Ren appears out of an elevator and Quinn arrives to ask why they are there. She agrees to help them get through the underworld in exchange for the Gateway Map and does not promise Ixtab will not notice them before they head down an escalator. Quinn takes them to Clementino, who desires what is salvaged and destroyed in Xib’alb’a, for new clothes and a sanitizing to hide their human sent. The four are given old fast food employee uniforms and new sneakers, with his pair being to small for his larger left foot, and they set out into the underworld. They reach a door and Quinn tells them to make no sound and breath only when necessary. She pushes it open to reveal a waist land and she and Brooks change into giant birds and fly the others across it. He and Hondo go with Quinn and Ren goes with Brooks while Rosie scouts out ahead. They encounter a winged Demon Runner and more arrive when Hondo screams. The nawals take evasive maneuvers and retreat into the mountains.

Zane braces himself for impact but soon notices they are somewhere else. Quinn tells them Ixtab knows they are there and they must see her now. When they arrive Ixtab asks why they are in Xib’akb’a. He tells his that a mud person appeared on the island to steal his powers. She dismisses it and then, after a telepathic conversation with Ren. scolds Zane for sending out a call to other godborns and reveals that in doing so, he revealed the godborns to the gods. She asks the others to leave so she can speak with Zane alone and she takes him to the terrace. She reveals that she has gotten visions of children ranging from ten to fifteen being abducted from their beds and shows Zane them. He notices a golden cuff link in the image and Ixtab recenizes it as the symbol of Tlaltecuhtli, the Mexica earth goddess and believes they are responsible for the abductions. Ixtab brushes the theory off and explains that due to the conquest by Hernan Cortez, the Mexica Gods went extinct along with their worshipers with only a handful of royals who could not enter the afterlife remaining. Zane thinks they could be working with a Mayan god and she considers this before Quinn arrives and tells the goddess she has a call. Quinn then tells Zane to take Brooks and his friends and get out. Ixtab returns and tells them “It has begun.” She tells Quinn to ready her forces and takes Zane to a rowboat in the blood river. She explains that he must set out to rescue the godborns as he is the one who put them in danger and she explains that she sent out her forces to destroy the extra pages of his book. Zane agrees to do so if she can free his father, which Ixtab refuses as if they gods learn she helped Hurakan escape then she will be killed and, as his safety net, Zane will be hunted down by the gods until he is dead. She asks Zane to put his hand in the river to strengthen his connection to the godborns, the son of Hurakan refuses and she tosses him overboard. While he was submerged his darkest secrets inadvertently reveal themselves and Ixtab asks if zane is th one to find the godborns and something tells her “yes”. He returns to the patio and Ixtab tells him she must temporarily kill him for three days to hide him from the gods, however if he does not return to Xib’alb’a by then he will die permanently. He tries to get Ixtab to free his dad in return but she does not budge. His jade vibrates like crazy and he goes to tal to the others.

When he reaches them he asks Ren what she and Ixtab talked about earlier. She hesitates but before she can answer Itzel arrives with their new rental clothing to protect them even outside Xib’alb’a. He is given gray sneakers, jeans, and a purple t-shirt. After they change he tells Brooks about Ixtab’s plan to temporarily kill him so they can rescue the godborns and she is against it due to all the ways it could backfire. He then feels the jade vibrating and chooses to speak with his father in The Empty. After telling her they could learn where he is being taken next, she agrees to watch over his body.

When he arrives in The Empty, he sees it falling apart and hears a voice. He runs down to find Hurakan, hagard and disheveled, and tells him to abandon his quest for him and search for the godborns and that The Empty will die with him. He also says he has been waiting for Zane but did not call him as he could not. His father vanishes and his voice tells Zane to go to the pyramid. When he reaches the top Zane finds a letter his father wrote before facing Ah-Puch in the Old World. After he tells his father that supernaturals are losing their powers, Hurakan realizes the Fire Keeper, a mythical being who fans the fires of life and can manipulate the powers of others as well as the future and can see everything, is behind the loss of powers. Hurakan tells him to find the Fire Keeper before he is ejected from The Empty. He ends up back in his body and tells Brooks what happened and decides to accept Ixtab’s offer. He meets up with Ren and Hondo and tells them his plan and they set out to find Ixtab. The four wander through a battle to find the queen of Xib’alb’a, Along the way he pushes Brooks out of the way of a flaming arrow and controls the fire, leading them to realize that hi powers work best under stress. Soon Quinn, Rosie and Ixtab arrive and he accepts her deal. He shakes Ixtab’s hand and she gives him a blue corn kernel that will allow him to return to Xib’alb’a from anywhere and warns him not to miss the deadline and vanishes, leaving Quinn to complete the rest of the Death Ceremony. As they walk he asks Ren what Ixtab told her but she says nothing. They reach a waterfall and dive into it.

When they emerge the are at a wedding reception in San Miguel de Allende and Quinn informs them that, despite spending spending ten hours in Xib’alb’a, only two hours have passed since they entered the land of the dead. She takes them through a church, where he lights a candle and makes a silent prayer to save Hurakan and the godborns. They come to a house named El Grito to meet with Fausto, a dark magician who will perform the death ceremony. As they enter they see trees with masks dangling from them and are soon greeted by Fausto. He tells Zane to pick a mask and put it on. He selects a jade mask with large eye and nose holes but the mouth is closed and Fausto tells him it belonged to the Red Queen. Before he puts it on Fausto gives him a list of side effects and informs Zane it will reduce his life essence to two percent, to low for the gods to pick up, and the son of Hurakan puts on the mask. He is then taken to a tomb and speaks with the Red Queen. She tells him that he must find the fire keeper at Land’s End, her descendant, to save both Hurakan and the godborns, however he must go alone as only a god one with the blood of a god can find the fire keeper and his identity must remain hidden.

Zane returns and the others stare at him while Rosie growls and backs away. Fausto lets them spend the night and they have chicken wings for dinner. Before going to bed he does research and find a Land’s End at Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur. He wakes up at 4:03AM and decides to sneak away. He sneaks into Brooks’s room to check the Gateway Map and finds one at a bus stop fifteen minutes away that closes in fourth five minutes. When he exits he sees a cat that turns into Quinn, who lets him go but informs him Hurakan will be executed rather then moved. She then leaves to attend to other matters and as he leaves Rosie spots him and grows. She then sofens up to Zane and they see Ren sleeping on a bench before shadow creatures attack them. He and Rosie fight it until Ren wakes up and banishes the creature. He makes excuses to leave but Ren refuses to leave his side. She then reveals she knows he is not telling the others something about the Red Queen and she reveals wh Ixtab told her, that if the gods found out her family wer brujos, they would be killed. She explains it has something about being Mexican but stops when Ah-Puch shows up. He uses his clothing’s camouflage feature but Ren has trouble with hers and she has the shadows mask her. As Ah-Puch walks by he calls Zane out and he turns the camouflage function off. After Ah-Puch explains how he got out of The Empty and formed a connection to Zane, spying on his through his jade and calling him to The Empty. Ah-Puch offers the son of Hurakan a deal, to take him to the Fire Keeper within minutes and allows Zane to make the terms in exchange for restoring him to his full power. After Ren and Rosie pled with him, Zane agrees to restore Ah-Puch to full power if he can take them to the Fire Keeper, obey his every order until freed, not harm or kill him or anyone or the godborns, not start any wars or take back Xib’alb’a from Ixtab and Ah-Puch agrees.

He gives him pieces of the maize Ixtab gave him to strengthen him enough to take them to Cabo San Lucas. Ah-Puch succeed in making a gateway just as the sun rises. But just as they are about to jump in Brooks finds them and sees Ah-Puch. Before he can explain Ah-Puch pulls him in. When they exit it is sundown and Ah-Puch explains he had to take an “under the radar” gateway. Furious at losing a day, Zane berates the god of death when he sees a blue monkey that no one else can. It vanishes and Ah-Puch says he smells something coming at them and they run. They head to the docks and Ah-Ouch steals a boat and they set sail. Soon they see a cloud and Zane throws Fuego at it, releasing a colony of bats. He has Ren hide while he and Rosie fight them off. As he is attacked he creates a smokey net to keep Ren safe. He reluctantly gives Ah-Puch the kern, and eats it. Rosie shoots fire and incinerates the bats, but not before Ah-Puch consumes some of their blood. During this time, the Fire Keeper tells him to figh like a destroyer. As they stare at Ah-Puch, he turns his attention to Ren, who is unharmed and says they were after her. He berates the death god for devouring the bats, but reminds him they are not under his agreement. They return the boat and catch a cab to a a five star hotel, curtesy of the unknowing K’ukumatz‘s hotel credit, and spent the night in a luxury villa with room service dinner. During dinner Ah-Puch explains that the bats were sent by Camazotz, the Mayan bat god, and Ren explains the gods want her family dead because they have something in them that is not Mayan, but she has a seizure and blacks out before she can tell him more. After Ah-Puch catches her puts her on a couch, the death god tells Zane to surren to the fire rather than try to control it. He thinks back to the bat attack on the boat wonders if his powers are instinctive rather then voluntary. As Ah-Puch goes out, Zane tries to go with him, but he death god tells him he will slow him down and to rest. He calls his mom and goes to a fire with Rosie to try and speak to the Fire Keeper. An ember emerges and he sees a tourist binder with a listing for a arch shaped rock formation called El Arco and figures he can find it there. He tries to find transportation but everything is closed, soon the blue money returns and offers to take him to El Arco in a canoe, as they head to the arch the monkey turns into a man, who introduces himself as Itzamna, the Mayan god of the moon and writing and creator of the calendar. He informs Zane that he had the Red Queen bring him to Cabo San Lucas to speak with him and that he has been speaking with him, but he is not the Fire Keeper. Itzamna tells Zane he is a fan of his writing and to keep writing his story. He tells Zane his journey to find the Fire Keeper will most likely result in death and that he would not make things easy for the son of Hurakan before vanishing.

As he drifts alone in the Sea of Cortez, Zane uses his godborn leg to propel him toward El Arco. When he arrives, he sees the rock move and ht throws Fuego at it. It lands and the rock creature sets out a wail of pain. Soon a man arrives and reveals himself as Antonio Marcel De la Vega, the Fire Keeper. Zane recognizes him as Santiago from Venice Beach, and has Zane apologize to Chiquita, the name of the rock formation. They go to his jam pad and he tells Zane he has the eternal flame within him. Before he can ask Antonio to help, he tells Zane it is to late for his father and the godborns, and the forces of the underworld are preparing for Wayab, five extra days in a month in the Mayan calander, in four months. Zane the realizes Antonio is the one weakening the sobernaturals powers.

Appearance
Zane Obispo is a tall Hispanic teenage boy with dark hair and brown eyes with an olive complex. His right leg, his serpent leg, is shorter than the left, in addition his right foot is two sizes smaller than his left foot. He originally stood at five foot nine inches, but grew two inches taller to five feet eleven inches by the time of the events in The Fire Keeper.

After agreeing to serve Ah-Puch, Zane receives a skull tattoo on his inner wrist to symbolize his loyalty to the death god. Later he plunges his tattooed wrist into the water and the top half was eaten away by flesh eating fish. The mark has vanished by the time he faces the death god.

In the Empty, Zane takes the form of a jaguar with claws and spots.

After undergoing the Death Ceremony, Zane becomes deathly pale with sunken eyes with dark circles around them.

Personality
Zane is a adventurous and courageous boy. He has a strong desire to keep his loved ones safe from harm and feels devastating when he fails. He is also determined, as he goes to great lengths to save his dad.

Abilities
 
 * -|General Abilities=
 * Wrestling: Zane knows some wrestling moves taught to him by his uncle.
 * Spanish: Zane knows some works in Spanish, whether he is fluent or not is currently uknown.
 * Swimming: Zane is shown to be a strong swimmer, as he was able to swim through an underwater tunnel while carrying Brooks.
 * Dreams: Zane has visions of people and events from faraway, such as Ms. Cab when he is not in New Mexico.
 * -|Demigod Abilities=
 * Night Vision: Zane has perfect vision in the dark.
 * Telepathy: Due to being half-god, Zane can both read the thoughts of and project his thoughts to those closest to him.
 * Toxikinesis Resistance: Due to his supernatural heritage, Zane is able to survive some supernatural poisons.
 * Spirit-Jumping: Due to the Jaguar Jade, Zane is able to spirit jump, astral project his spirit, into the Empty.
 * Pyrokinesis: Zane inherited his father’s affiliation for fire.
 * Fire Immunity: Due to being the son of Hurakan, Zane is immune to fire.
 * Heat Sensing: Zane is able to sense heat sources that are near by, such as the deep fryers at the In N’ Out Burger in Yuma.
 * Fire Generation: Zane can generate fire, as shown during his fight with Ah-Puch.
 * Pyrokinetic Healing: Zane can heal himself when in contact with fire.
 * Typhokinesis : Zane can generate and control smoke, forming a Smokey net to keep Ren safe when they are attacked by bats in Cabo San Lucas.

Magical Items

 * Jaguar Jade Tooth: Zane was given a tooth made from jaguar jade, an ancient magic that can be bestowed with any power when passed on, from his father that allows him to communicate with the storm god. When entering the Old World, Zane loses the tooth but it is found and returned by Brooks.
 * Fuego: Given to him by Saqik’oxol, the indestructible silver cane with a jade handle can hide his limp and turn into a spear. Zane named it Fuego because it was as fast as fire, it can return to him when called. When not a weapon, it turned into a letter opener which Zane wore in his sock.

Family
 Zane is close with his mother, he cares for her but at the same time feels she is keeping too many secrets from him. While he was head to the twins, he asked Ms. Cab how she was doing.
 * -|Mrs. Obispo=

While Zane cares for his maternal uncle, the son of Hurakan feels that he slacks off from time to time and leaves the hard work to his mother, which angers him.
 * -|Hondo Obispo=

Most of the time however, Zane sees Hondo as a surrogate older brother due to the both of them being close in age.

When Zane set out to free himself from Ah-Puch’s control, he accompanied his nephew without a second thought, showing the strong bond the two have.

For his entire life, Zane questioned who his father was. When he finally learned his father was one of the Mayan creator gods, he became enraged that he did little to nothing to stop him from freeing Ah-Puch and that the only time he contacted him was after he realesed the death god.
 * -|Hurakan=

After Hurakan claimed him in the Old World, he was saddened to see him get chained up and sentenced to death. After his family was relocated to Isla Holbox, he makes a plan to free his father, showing a loving side for the creator god. 

Friends
 After he found Rosie wondering the desert, Zane immediately grew attached to her due to both of them have problems with a leg. After Rosie sacrificed herself against a Demon Runner to save Zane, he was saddened. Days later he was surprised to see her as a hellhound. Their shared affection help trick the gods into thinking he was dead. Despite her being a hellhound, their connection and bond has not changed.
 * -|Rosie=

In the months between stopping Ah-Puch and rescuing Hurakan, Rosie has somewhat distanced herself from Zane, with the son of Hurakan feeling she blames him for dying and becoming a hellhound.

When first seeing her, Zane found her attractive. However, he became uneasy when Ms. Cab told him that Nawals were tricksters. This did not change as during their quest the two grew closer and became good friends. During their quest, Zane came to trust Brooks greatly.
 * -|Brooks=

He greatly cares for her and tries to avoid hurting Brooks.

Unknown to the son of Hurakan, the seer has been looking out for him his entire life. He was close to her in return and acted as her assistant for calls. When she became a chicken, he promised he would turn her human again.
 * -|Antonia Caballero=

Zane was close with his neighbor and helped him with his greenhouse. Mr. Ortiz also cares for Zane, going as far as to give him La Muerte, the hottest pepper in the world, instead of putting it in the Guinness Book of World Records. When he and Ms. Cab visit him in Isla Holbox he is thrilled. 
 * -|Mr. Ortiz=

Etymology

 * Zane is a name of Hebrew origin meaning gift from God.
 * Obispo is Spanish for bishop.

Trivia

 * Zane is the second Rick Riordan, and the first Rick Riordan Presents, P.O.V. character to swear openly. The first being Magnus Chase.
 * He has perfect eyesight.
 * Zane’s condition of different length legs is called leg length discrepancy. This is normally caused, in real life, by a crooked pelvis.
 * His birthday is in December.
 * Zane has cut class seventeen times.
 * His mother often drags him to church to confess his sins.