When Tul saw Otontecutli prostrated before her, she turned red and tried to stop the protocol from continuing.
“Please, don’t bow before me,” the Maya goddess said nervously.
“I have very important matters to discuss with you, Rabbit of the Moon,” the man said. “But please, rest today in my humble kingdom, and we shall speak of it tomorrow.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Otontecutli,” Tul replied, embarrassed, while the man rose.
The king then looked at the group of deities approaching Tul and prostrated himself before them as well.
“Are you the gods rumored to have come from the other side of the ocean?” he asked in the divine tongue.
“Are you the god of this kingdom?” Tania asked, puzzled.
“Indeed. My name is Otontecutli,” the man replied, “and I am the god of the Hñahñú kingdom. But I wish to thank you for destroying those beasts that tormented my people.”
“Lord Otontecutli, please, raise your face. We do not like this kind of behavior,” Anpiel said.
“Yes, I understand,” the Otomí god said, lifting his head. The gods looked at him with strange expressions.
“Why were those monsters attacking you?” Menrva asked as she approached the Otomí god.
“Please, rest for today. Tomorrow I shall speak with you about the calamity that has fallen upon these lands,” he said.
The god apologized and left, accompanied by his escorts. The soldiers then told Tul they were welcome in Xaltocan. Immediately, everyone stepped aside to create an entrance path for the gods of Orniskem.
Outside the city, several cornfields could be seen, though many were destroyed and in poor condition. It was clear that the monsters had damaged those areas.
In the background stood a red-and-white wall protecting the city. Soldiers kept watch atop the structure in case any monster returned to attack their capital.
Roads made of volcanic stone and enormous red pyramidal and rectangular structures beautified the city, though traces of battles against the beasts were evident on several buildings. The smell of death and fire was clear everywhere.
The gods were taken to the main palace in the center of the city. It stood before an enormous esplanade. To the left of that esplanade was a gigantic pyramid, much larger than the one they had seen in Tlacuitlapán.
On the floor of the esplanade were red drawings of what appeared to be a sun and several birds. These drawings, it should be noted, were gigantic, covering much of the enormous structure.
The gigantic palace was a rectangular building, and stairs had to be climbed to reach the main entrance. The staircase was so wide that it was divided into three sets of steps. In front of the entrance, wooden posts with extravagant shapes rose like guardians of the facility.
“Every city we visit looks more and more exotic,” Ana said in surprise.
“I hope someday you go to Chichen Itzá,” Tul added. “It’s one of the most impressive cities you’ll ever see.”
“Of course, Tul. I would not miss it,” Tania said, giving the rabbit goddess a smile.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Inside the palace, servants quickly indicated the room the gods were to use. It was a gigantic chamber with sleeping mats called petates, made of palm fiber. In addition, on the central table there was fruit such as guavas, melons, avocados, and nanches; and beside them, a jar of chocolatl and a set of tamales wrapped in corn leaves.
None of the gods were familiar with what they saw, but Tul quickly explained the food of those regions to them. The gods began eating enthusiastically.
The enormous room also had a gigantic bathroom, with a large tub of warm water and a set of latrines. The tub was kept warm thanks to an ingenious heating system using pipes.
“It is very similar to the baths of ancient Rome,” Menrva said in surprise.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. When Ana opened it, servants were carrying a set of clothes for both men and women. The gods realized that the clothes they had acquired in Chaco were already quite damaged and dirty. Tul approached and thanked the women for the gesture, and they withdrew.
After bathing and eating, the gods finally fell asleep after the exhausting journey and the mortal battle they had fought upon arriving in Anáhuac. However, Rodrigo remained awake, speaking with Ehécatl.
“How did you end up in that state, Ehécatl?” Rodrigo asked.
“In Tula, before Quetzalcóatl was condemned to die,” the wind god said. “I attempted to help Quetzalcóatl flee when he was captured by Yayauhqui’s men, but I was mortally wounded and took refuge in the mountains of the region after my lord was sacrificed.”
“That’s terrible,” Rodrigo replied.
“It was thanks to medicine that I was able to survive, but my internal wounds were left shattered,” Ehécatl continued. “Still, my oath is what has driven me to continue my search… to find you.”
“How did you know it was me?” Rodrigo asked.
“Because of your resemblance to my lord,” the god said. “In addition, your energy, the element you call Venus, feels very similar to his.”
“Thanks to the explorers from the other side of the world, I was able to escape this barrier and began searching for you across the continent. But after more than fifteen years of searching, I sensed your energy in Chichilcitlalli and hurried there as fast as I could,” Ehécatl continued.
“Where is that?” the young tannin asked, puzzled.
“Ah, forgive me. I heard that it was called Mars,” Ehécatl replied.
“I see. You saved my life that day,” Rodrigo answered.
“I ask your forgiveness for not intervening during the Ttzinacan attack, Lord Rodrigo,” Ehécatl apologized. “But I felt that it was the duty of you, the living, to fight those dead creatures.”
“What do you mean by dead?” the young man asked, confused.
“Huitzilopochtli has drawn those creatures out of Mictlán, that is, the underworld,” Ehécatl replied. “Those creatures had been eliminated long ago by my people and my ancestors. However…”
The wind god then fell silent for a moment.
“Is something wrong, Ehécatl?” Rodrigo asked.
“It concerns what happened to your beloved Epona. You remember it, do you not?” Ehécatl said.
“The monstrous creature that was inside her?” the young man asked.
“Indeed. But these creatures died long ago, and they once possessed reason,” Ehécatl said.
“What do you mean?” Rodrigo asked.
“That these beasts have become hollow shells without consciousness, monsters that seek only destruction,” the wind god replied. “You must find whoever controls these monsters to prevent further tragedies.”
“We are facing a very difficult and complicated situation right now,” the young man answered with a worried look.
“Even so, tomorrow we shall depart for the ruins of Cholollan, Lord Rodrigo,” Ehécatl continued. “As for your friends, it would be best for them to remain here, because if those in Tollan learn that three of their monsters have disappeared, they will attack again.”
“Do you think it is wise to leave them in that situation?” the young man asked nervously.
“Yes, Lord Rodrigo. You must have faith in them,” Ehécatl replied. “It is part of the essence you now call Tawa.”
Rodrigo nodded and turned to look at Epona. The goddess was sleeping beside him, her lips slightly parted.
Rodrigo leaned toward her mouth and slowly kissed the moist lips of the woman he loved. Epona woke with a start.
“Rodrigo, what is it?” the equine goddess asked, but Rodrigo kissed her again.
“The first time I saw those lips of yours, I only dreamed of kissing them, Epona,” the young tannin answered after kissing the Irish goddess.
“It is not like you to be this affectionate,” Epona said, resting her head on the young man’s chest.
“Tomorrow I will leave for those ruins of Cholollan, Ep,” Rodrigo said. “You must all take great care of yourselves.”
“Is that why you woke me up, dummy?” Epona asked, a little annoyed. “I already knew that, but I know you will be fine because I trust you completely.”
“And I trust you and the others, Ep,” Rodrigo replied. “But I cannot stop feeling a little nervous.”
The two gods lay down, holding each other, until they fell deeply asleep.