On the night before the ritual treating Epona was due to end, the members of Orniskem made camp in front of the city’s main kiva, intending to wait for the equine goddess to come out the following day.
The kachina atop the kiva and the priests below continued dancing without pause, even though nearly eight days had already passed. Smoke still rose from the center of the enormous structure, and around it a kind of translucent white barrier had formed, preventing anyone from drawing near because of the immense sacred power it radiated.
The kiva stood on a kind of mound, accessible only by a staircase. The space around that sacred mound and the surrounding houses was quite broad, leaving a large circular paved plaza between the dwellings and the temple. So the gods settled there in the square, spreading out mats they had bought in the markets, along with others Ana had kept in her cabin.
The scene was lit by the full moon above that curious architecture, together with countless stars. Around the city, bonfires were burning, while soldiers watched over the walls from guard towers. A little music and merriment could be heard throughout the city, showing how alive it remained at night while the people enjoyed themselves, though without alcohol, since it was not something consumed in that region.
“Impossible to enjoy oneself without a single drop of beer,” Loki said, still in his female form, sitting provocatively on one of the mats.
“It is better without beer, Loki-san,” Susanoo said, seated cross-legged upon another mat.
“I agree with Susanoo. Alcohol only twists your brain,” Tania added, sitting beside Ana.
Tul then pulled several corn cakes from her bag, which she and Tania had prepared together from the ears of corn Menrva had bought. Some were filled with meat, while others contained only chard and mushrooms.
“Xiipalo’ob, me and my ch’úupal Tania made these little cakes together. You’ll see, they’re super yummy!” Tul said as she handed one corn cake to each member of the group.
“And you’d better enjoy them, because that whole process of boiling xi’im with water and ash is a huge pain,” Tania added threateningly.
They all began to eat and were delighted, while Tul wore a pleased expression as she watched them enjoy the food.
“Tul-chan, thou art without question an excellent cook,” Susanoo said as he enjoyed his corn cake stuffed with bison meat and topped with berry sauce and a few chiles.
“Of course! I tried all the local stews so I could copy their recipes,” the rabbit goddess replied happily. “The moment I tasted them, I just knew everybody would love ’em!”
Tania then remembered when she used to go down to Carthage to learn human cooking, and the memory filled her with deep nostalgia.
Anpiel, who had eaten a corn cake filled only with chard, said as he nearly finished it, “I am certain Epona would enjoy this, since it has no meat.”
Ana and Rodrigo exchanged a worried look, but kept eating.
“Don’t worry, yuum Anpiel. We made lots of them. I’m sure when she wakes up, she’ll get to try some too,” Tul replied to the angel.
Next, the rabbit goddess handed each member of Orniskem a small cup filled with hot chocolate.
“What is this drink?” Menrva asked in confusion as she looked at the foamy brown texture of it.
“This is what they make from the seeds we use as money in this city. Actually, in Mayapán and in Tollan, it really is a form of money,” the rabbit goddess explained, finally sitting down beside Tania.
They all blew on the drink a little and took a sip. At once, their eyes lit up and huge smiles spread across their faces.
“This tastes much better than ambrosia,” Ana said in astonishment, while all the others nodded.
“With a little alcohol, it’d be perfect,” Loki remarked.
“In some parts of Tula, they use pulque with this drink, which is the alcoholic beverage of our cultural region,” Tul said.
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“Now I understand why that seed was so valuable,” Anpiel said. “What is this drink called?”
“In my homeland it’s called chukwa, but the one from Tula is more famous: Chocolatl,” Tul replied.
“I was amazed by the flavor too when Tul first gave me some to try. It really is marvelous,” Tania said cheerfully.
At that moment, Tul once again made the little gesture she always used when she wanted Tania to praise her. The Punic goddess patted her on the head while the rabbit goddess purred with happiness. By now, Tania had already learned to recognize several of her new companion’s mannerisms.
“It’s a blessing Tul can cook too, because if we had to depend on Ana in the kitchen, instead of little cakes we’d be eating charcoal right now,” Tania said cynically, just to annoy Ana, which earned her a look of contempt from the Irish goddess.
Everyone began to laugh, but then they noticed that Tul had burst into giggles.
“Hey, bunny girl, are you criticizing me or what?” Ana asked challengingly when she saw Tul clutching her stomach while she kept laughing.
“No, no, sowwy... it just made me laugh a lot, ch’úupal,” Tul kept laughing as she apologized.
“Thou must not be so rude to Tul-chan, Ana-hime,” Susanoo said, trying to keep the two goddesses from clashing.
“You stay out of it, Susanoo,” Ana shot back, while the others continued laughing.
After eating, Rodrigo turned to the gigantic kiva and looked at it with nostalgia.
“I hope tomorrow we’ll all be able to eat and laugh together,” the young tannin said.
“Is she special to you, chan Rodrigo?” Tul asked as she moved closer to him. “You gotta tell everything to your kiik.”
“Well... she and I are... together,” Rodrigo said shyly. Those words hit Ana hard, but she chose to remain silent.
“Don’t worry, chan, she’ll be okay. I promise,” the rabbit goddess said, patting the young man’s head.
Almost by reflex, Ana rose from beside Tania and sat down next to Rodrigo, discreetly nudging Tul aside.
“I support you too, Tul. She’ll get better,” Ana said.
“And you learned your lesson, bunny girl. You’ll earn a shove from Ana if you touch her ‘Rui,’” Loki remarked sarcastically, while Anpiel started laughing.
“Uh! It’s a love twiangle!” the rabbit goddess cried out excitedly. That made Ana blush, while Rodrigo was left speechless.
“And with that, our lovely little rabbit girl becomes the last person in the group to figure it out,” Loki added in his usual cynical tone.
“Of course not, he’s my disciple, you perverts!” Ana shouted angrily.
“I’m the new one here, but I noticed from the very first day I saw y’all together,” Freyja said, raising her hand.
Everyone kept laughing, while Ana turned to Rodrigo and told him to ignore them.
“Besides, Loki, you’re only jealous, because the other day you told me you loved me,” Ana said sarcastically, turning to the Norse god.
“Oh my, the plot of this comedy grows ever more complicated,” Menrva said cheerfully while eating popcorn from a plate.
“Loki!” Freyja shouted furiously when she heard that.
“Well, I don’t intend to deny it the way others do. A pity I cannot compete with your ‘Rui,’” the Norse god replied with a tone of indifference.
Freyja then stood up and kicked Loki in the stomach so hard it created a shockwave. The Norse god doubled over and crashed face-first to the ground, writhing in pain.
“Sorry, I gotta put a leash on this dog,” the fertility goddess said, hoisting Loki over her shoulder and carrying him away.
“Was that the intermission?” Menrva asked with a laugh while Anpiel came closer to her to eat popcorn too.
“The twio turned into a quartet! This group is amazing!” Tul cried out excitedly again. Everyone laughed except Ana and Rodrigo, who had turned redder than cherries.
“What was that, bastard?” Freyja asked Loki, who had blood in his mouth from the kick the Norse goddess had given him.
The two of them were now several streets away from where the gods were camping. Freyja had dropped Loki onto the ground and was interrogating him over what Ana had said.
“I merely expressed what I feel for that girl. Is it a sin to love someone?” Loki asked, still aching from the kick.
“You’re just scum who uses women,” Freyja said furiously. “And what about your wife? You haven’t even gone to see her.”
“Oh, and the woman who cheated on her husband every time he went off on a journey is going to lecture me about morality,” Loki replied, glaring at her.
Freyja kicked Loki again at those words.
“Still hurt, huh? Knowin’ you enjoy the feel of a bunch of men’s cocks in your mouth more than the love your husband gave you? And you’re gonna talk to me about usin’ somebody?” Loki shot back defiantly, still coughing and spitting blood from his mouth.
“You are filth!” Freyja shouted in fury. “I was a fool to believe you had changed.”
“I have changed... and I did not lie, nor do I intend to use her,” Loki replied.
“That girl truly makes me feel things I have never felt before, and I am willing to stake my life to help her and protect her,” he confessed.
“And your wife? Do you know how much she suffered taking care of you?” Freyja asked.
“In the same place as your husband, who had eyes only for you. What was his name again? Cuckold? Naïve?... Ah yes, I remember now—Ódr,” Loki replied while standing up again.
Freyja wanted to smash his face in with a punch, but held herself back. Something deep inside told her Loki was not lying, and though she disapproved of the whole thing, she knew she should not interfere.
“If you break that girl’s heart, I’ll rip your balls off and make you eat ’em,” Freyja said angrily, then turned away.
“If they don’t end up in your mouth first, lustful goddess,” Loki replied cynically while struggling back upright after the Norse goddess’s blows.
Freyja and Loki returned to the camp, where the gods were singing and laughing while Tul danced merrily to the rhythm of the songs. Freyja quickly joined the chorus, while Loki sat down on his mat and remained silent.
And so they spent the night awake, unaware of the terror that they would all experience the next day.