Rodrigo then remembered when he had met Tezcatlipoca in the desert, and how Bellona had referred to him as the king of Tula. If Itzpapálotl was the new regent, then he no longer was.
“Wait, then. That so-called king of Tula is no longer the king of the Toltec Empire?” Rodrigo asked again.
“Are you referring to Yayauhqui?” Ehécatl asked.
“Yes, exactly,” Rodrigo replied.
“No. In fact, no one knows his whereabouts,” Xólotl said. “He, along with several Toltec gods, was exiled from Tula.”
“As for Quetzalcóatl, Yayauhqui already explained that matter to you,” Ehécatl continued.
“He became king of the Toltecs and led the empire into a new golden age. Until foreign gods arrived and demanded his head, accusing him of being a serpent god,” he explained.
“Yes, the king of Tula told me that,” Rodrigo replied.
“In any case, Quetzalcóatl knew he was going to die, so he instructed me to search for the person to whom he would leave his legacy, so that I might bring that person to the great pyramid of Cholollan,” Ehécatl said.
“That has been my duty ever since I found you. But since I saw that you yourself were attempting to reach this continent, I allowed events to flow naturally,” he added.
“Does that mean we no longer need to enter Tula, and we can just let Rodrigo go to that pyramid you mentioned?” Epona asked with a hopeful look.
“Indeed. The matter of Tula should not concern you,” Ehécatl said.
However, Ana got up abruptly.
“No, wait,” she interrupted.
“What is it, Ana?” Menrva asked, puzzled.
“When I was fighting Anat, she said something about a king she would place in Tula. Like some kind of puppet of Lel,” Ana said.
“Was she talking about that Chichimeca goddess you mentioned?” Ana asked the two gods, confused.
Ehécatl and Xólotl looked at each other and breathed deeply.
“It would be best if you did not face him. He is extremely powerful, even by our standards,” Xólotl said.
“But we cannot allow a puppet of Lel to create a bastion in this region,” Tania replied.
“We will try to break the barrier and face him,” Menrva said. “No matter how strong he is.”
“I wish you to know that he is a deity who demands massive human sacrifices every day, justifying them through a war he suffered as a child, one that left him gravely wounded,” Ehécatl said.
“Essentially, he has been performing the New Sun ritual constantly,” he explained.
“I think, for some reason, Anat chose him precisely because of that,” Epona said nervously.
“I believe they are right, Tania. Let us help Rodrigo reach that pyramid and leave this place,” Anpiel interrupted.
“After all, we still have to rescue Athena, and time is short,” he added.
Menrva sighed.
“I, too, would like to leave this continent as quickly as possible,” she said.
“And I’d like to get back to Father Odin, now that they’re evacuatin’ Yggdrasil,” Freyja added.
“Mina-san,” Susanoo interrupted. “Dost thou not recall what our mission upon this continent was?”
“To take Rodrigo to Tula and find Odin?” Epona asked.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Iie, Epona-chan,” the eastern god replied. “It is to become stronger. And only thou, Rodrigo-san, Tania-san, and Ana-hime hast partially broken the barrier.”
“That is true. I still have not been able to fly over this continent,” Freyja said, ashamed.
“We shall not depart from this continent until every one of us hath completely broken the barrier,” Susanoo said, raising his katana.
“It is our duty. Otherwise, we shall merely prove ourselves burdens in the wars yet to come,” he explained.
“Are you implying that we must fight the new king of Tula?” Anpiel asked.
“Mochiron,” Susanoo replied.
Immediately, the eastern god turned to Rodrigo.
“Rodrigo-san, at present, thou art perchance the strongest among us. Go to that pyramid and uncover the truth of thy past,” Susanoo said. “We shall continue our march and destroy the barrier in our own way.”
“Thank you, Susanoo,” Tania thought, feeling more relieved.
The goddess could not stop thinking about what would happen if that Itzpapálotl continued reigning over an empire as powerful as the Toltec one. She thought of the crimes Heshuka had committed against his people, and she felt disgusted at the idea of allowing the same thing to happen in Tollan.
“I agree with Susanoo,” Ana interrupted. “Leaving a bastion of Lel on this continent would be bad for all of us.”
“I suppose I’ll have to accept that as well,” Loki said, raising his hand.
“Besides, I’ll follow Ana to the end of the world if I have to,” he added.
Ana blushed and thanked the Norse god. Tania felt increasingly irritated by her friend’s attitude.
“My emotions blind me when it comes to making decisions,” Menrva said. “But I will accept the challenge and become stronger.”
As she spoke, the goddess once again looked at the spear Bellona had left her in the form of an idol.
“As a warrior goddess, I accept the challenge as well,” Freyja added.
“What the hell. Fine, I’ll go,” Epona said, disappointed.
“I’ll go with you too,” Tul said cheerfully.
“I must admit that, although you almost never speak, you know how to say what this group needs, Susanoo,” Anpiel said, and then accepted going to Tula.
“Before you go,” Xólotl interrupted, “those among you who have not yet broken the barrier will not be able to do much with such low power.”
“We know. That is why we must become stronger,” Menrva replied.
“If you cross the Chichimeca kingdoms and head southeast, you will reach the Otomí kingdoms. It is possible you may train there,” Xólotl said. “I cannot assist you in your mission, as I am a Chichimeca king and must remain neutral, though I did not participate in Itzpapálotl’s advance.”
“The Otomí kingdoms lie on the road to the ancient city of Cholollan,” Ehécatl said. “I shall guide you there, and from there, I shall continue guiding Lord Rodrigo farther south.”
“In fact, if you plan to invade Tula, it will be easier from the Otomí kingdoms,” Xólotl added.
“Before we leave,” Anpiel interrupted. “Could you tell us something about this famous new king of Tula?”
“I believe there is not much you need to learn… for you already know him,” Xólotl said.
“What do you mean?” Tania asked, puzzled.
“I mean the man with whom you befriended here in the stands, and who forced me to spare your lives,” Xólotl replied. “The hummingbird god, Huitzilopochtli.”
“That was the god Huitzilopochtli?” Tul shouted in terror.
“No, wait. Someone as kind as him cannot be an enemy,” Ana replied.
“We do not know him well, because he is a king from a land far from these parts, but the fame of his strength is known even among the Mapuche kingdoms in the south,” Xólotl continued explaining as he sat on his throne.
“I could not feel even the slightest trace of divine power in that individual,” Tania said.
“But we should have suspected he was not just anyone when he flew out of here,” Anpiel added.
“But that’s good,” Rodrigo interrupted. “It is possible he is not evil, and that we can negotiate with him.”
“The problem, then,” Tania said, “is that if he is not the kind of person who likes to govern, it is very likely that this Chichimeca goddess governs in his place.”
“And as Xólotl has said, she is likely a very cruel and ruthless queen,” Anpiel continued explaining.
“Indeed, that is so,” Xólotl said.
“On the other hand, Rodrigo,” Tania continued, “he may seem like a kind person, but if he receives so much blood from human sacrifices made to him, it is very possible that he has developed a kind of addiction and may reveal his violent side at any moment,” she concluded.
“Then, as a group, are you certain you wish to face Itzpapálotl and Huitzilopochtli?” Ehécatl asked, looking fixedly at the members of Orniskem.
“We will go and win as a group,” Menrva answered, and everyone nodded with determined expressions.
“Very well, then. Let us fly to the Otomí kingdom immediately,” Ehécatl said, and then the god disappeared again.
Rodrigo’s totema then reappeared and returned to his neck.
“Do not worry. I shall be here, guiding you there,” said the Toltec wind god, whose voice emanated from the totema.
Rodrigo nodded and looked at all his companions.
“Shall we go, then?” he asked.
Everyone nodded.
Menrva turned to look at Xólotl.
“One day, you will pay for what you did to us. But for now, we have a mission to fulfill. So farewell,” she said.
Rodrigo turned to look at Xólotl, but said nothing. It still felt strange to him that there was someone with his exact same face.
The gods then flew in the same way they had traveled until now, using a platform created with Ana’s dark matter power, carried by Tania. All of them then received Ehécatl’s instructions in their minds on how to reach the Otomí kingdoms.
“Go on, then. Defeat Itzpapálotl and Huitzilopochtli,” Xólotl said with a smile. “That city shall be mine once you leave it with a power vacuum.”
Then the god began laughing maniacally.