Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 8-12

At this point in the story, it has started to become clear as to where Rudolfo Anaya is going with Antonio's journey. Obviously, as we know that he is spending more and more time with Ultima, reaching the point where she decides to take him with her to save Maria's brother from the grips of death, it seems as if my earlier prediction about him becoming the next "Ultima" if you will. However, the storyline has developed even further to extend my prediction further. When Ultima gave Antonio her necklace that is meant to keep you safe, it seems as if that was the first step in her "passing the torch" to Antonio. From there, the story can go to ways. With Ultima no longer having that sacred protection, it is likely that she may become ill, and it may rely on Antonio in order to cure her. However, it could a different direction. Ultima's owl has been mentioned way too much to simply be any owl, and it seems likely that that owl could be Ultima's predecessor in animal form following her and guiding her as she does her duties. In this case, the story would continue to a point where Ultima herself changes form and follows Antonio on his spiritual journey. This spiritual aspect seems more likely, as the mentioning of the Golden Carp seemingly goes hand in hand with that scenario. Either way, I am pleasantly surprised at how interested I have become in this story.