“Ch’úupal, ch’úupal, wake up!” Tul cried, shaking Tania’s body energetically as she remained unconscious after being kicked by the hawk god.
Tania slowly opened her eyes and looked at Tul in confusion.
“What happened?” the Punic goddess asked.
The rabbit goddess had cleaned the blood from Tania’s face, so she no longer looked as badly injured as she had a few hours earlier. Even so, the fire-haired goddess had very little strength left and could scarcely move.
“A guard came and brought this,” Tul said, showing Tania a clay tray laden with several dishes.
One held three buffalo steaks covered in berry sauce. Another was a small bowl of corn soup. And there was also a roasted ear of corn, along with two thick cakes that looked to be made of maize. Beside them sat a small jug of fresh water.
“That food? But... why?” Tania asked.
“I think it’s because of what you told that man earlier—that you’d be set free or something, because you’re the sister of someone important,” Tul said.
“I see. They do not want me to die because it would truly cause trouble for them with Lel,” Tania murmured.
Tul then brought the tray closer and picked up the roasted corn, raising it toward Tania’s mouth.
“Go on, ch’úupal, I’ll feed you your food,” said the rabbit goddess.
Tania smiled.
“You eat first, Tul,” she said.
“But this isn’t my food. They gave me another potato, and I already ate it,” Tul replied.
“How about we share this instead? It is far too much food for me alone,” Tania said with a broad smile.
Tul could not help showing a look of joy and anxious excitement.
“Really, ch’úupal? You mean it?” she asked.
“Of course. Start with that strange thing you handed me.”
Tul immediately began devouring the ear of corn with great enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Tania reached for one of the berry-covered steaks and began to eat.
“I suppose you’re like a friend of mine who doesn’t eat meat, are you not?” Tania asked as she chewed.
“Mmff, nah, I doe eat meef” Tul mumbled while still stuffing herself with corn.
Tania could not help remembering Athena talking while eating. It had looked dreadful when the Greek goddess did it, but she forgave Tul for it, because she looked so cute and innocent.
Then Tania noticed the soup and pushed it toward Tul.
“Look, I do not think it has any meat in it. Go on. I shall eat the steaks,” she said with a smile.
“Well then, thank you, ch’úupal,” the rabbit goddess said, taking one of the corn cakes. Then she started drinking the soup as though it were water.
Tania continued eating the steaks and realized they were delicious.
They must have had a very fine cook prepare this. Are these people truly so afraid of Lel? she wondered.
The goddesses finished their meal and both drank from the cup of water. With that food, Tania finally had enough strength to sit upright. Though she still could not see much, she could tell Tul was very happy, and that gladdened her deeply.
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“A little while ago you said something about ‘Lel.’ What is that, ch’úupal?” Tul asked curiously. “Are you, like... a princess or something?”
“Something like that,” Tania replied.
“How exciting, ch’úupal! Or should I call you Princess?” Tul asked eagerly.
“No, please... I do not know what ch’úupal means, but that is fine,” Tania said, blushing.
“It’s a friendly way we call girls where I’m from,” Tul explained.
“Then that is fine, Tul,” Tania replied. “I hate formalities.”
Then Tania wrapped her arms around her legs and lowered her gaze. She noticed that the trousers they had given her in Greenland were now torn and filthy. She also realized that despite the horrible stench in the room, they had both eaten heartily.
We were truly that hungry.
“Lel is a vast and powerful kingdom on the other side of the world. It wants to control everything through a pair of intolerant religions, and by causing wars in the human world. It seems this empire has an alliance with them,” Tania said gloomily.
“That sounds a lot like the kingdom of Tula. They’re bad and cruel, and they want to conquer everything,” Tul said.
“We came here because one of my companions seems to be from that kingdom of Tula, and he wishes to learn about his past,” Tania continued.
“But it seems he was sent there as a prisoner, and I must go rescue him. Before that, though, I have to rescue my other friends, who must be somewhere in this place,” she added.
“Wow, all that is super interesting, ch’úupal! I’d really, really love to help you!” Tul said, just as she watched Tania struggle to her feet.
“Well, first we need to get out of this latrine if we are to rescue my friends and leave this place,” Tania said.
“But while we’re in here, we’re inside a very powerful anti-divinity field. We wouldn’t even be able to break this wall,” Tul said.
Still swaying, Tania approached the wall and began punching it, but her blows were useless. On the contrary, her fists began to bleed, and the goddess leaned against the wall, exhausted and drained.
“You don’t have enough strength for that, ch’úupal,” Tul said, embracing Tania to keep her from hurting herself further.
Tania ground her teeth in fury.
“There must be some way out of here, or my friends will die,” she said.
“I have an idea, ch’úupal,” Tul said, gently pulling the Punic goddess away from the wall.
Tul then explained her plan, which made Tania look at her with visible disapproval.
“I do not think that will work,” Tania said.
“But why not, ch’úupal?” Tul asked sadly.
“It is too... childish,” Tania said, embarrassed, though she did not want to speak so bluntly to the little rabbit girl, who seemed like a child.
“It’s not childish, it’s genius! You’ll see, it’ll work!” Tul said excitedly, flashing such an adorable smile that Tania could not help being moved by it.
“All... right... I shall try,” the Punic goddess said, still blushing, and made her way toward the cell door. It was wooden, though fitted with copper bars.
“Guard! Hey, guard!” Tania called.
A soldier soon appeared at the barred opening in the door.
“What do you want?” the guard asked in Pawnee. Tania understood nothing, but guessed well enough what he meant.
“I feel very ill from lying in filth, and I think I may become sick. Surely you do not wish my sister to grow angry if I die in this cell, do you?” Tania said, doing her utmost to look pitiful.
“Fine. Wait here,” the guard replied in Pawnee, and left.
“What happened, ch’úupal?” Tul asked curiously.
“I do not know. The guard said something and left,” Tania replied, puzzled.
The soldier, who understood the divine tongue though he could not speak it, approached his superior and told him what Tania had said.
“Damn it,” muttered the officer. “I have been told they still have not managed to contact that Anat, so for the time being, that girl must remain our prisoner. But if we leave her in the sewers, she may well die just as she said.”
“Shall we move her elsewhere? She might accuse us to her sister of treating her like a rat,” the guard said.
“Take her to the guest chambers above, but place anti-divinity seals on the door and window so she cannot escape,” said the officer, and the guard nodded.
The guard then opened the door and gestured for Tania to come out. Tania, still beside Tul, hugged her and said:
“I am not leaving without her. I want her as... my pet.”
The guard looked uncertain and turned to glance at his superior nearby. The man indicated that it did not matter and that he should proceed. So the guard nodded to the Punic goddess and signaled for her to step out.
Tania and Tul rose, and the two of them, still holding each other, finally left the disgusting cells where they had been kept. Yet when they emerged, they realized it was not truly a prison, but rather part of a sewer system beneath the place. Tania felt disappointed not to find either Anpiel or Susanoo there.
“Follow me. We are taking you to the guest chambers,” said the guard, motioning for the goddesses to follow him.
Both of them nodded and did as told.
The captain then took the goddesses and bound their hands with enchanted cords. Tania immediately felt that it was something like the divinity-blocking effect within the cell. Clearly, it was meant to keep them from escaping. The goddesses continued walking beside the guard, leaving his superior behind.