Morgan's breathing began to grow unsteady.
The conclusion of the story, the answer to his question, made it impossible for him to think about anything else.
Xol took a brief breath and continued, but something in his voice had changed. It sounded more melancholic now. A little sad.
"Some time after that great feat, the new humanity spread across the planet and developed itself in every corner of this world. Some faster than others. They were given the freedom to decide, to question, to deny their own creators and choose new ones, granting themselves a different origin, a new explanation for their existence and for the creation of the world they now walked upon.
This angered the gods greatly. They were being denied after everything they had given them. They had been erased, their names changed.
The gods believed it was only fair to destroy their own creations. To punish them for such blasphemy.
But once again, the Serpent intervened on behalf of those he already considered his people. He argued that the gods had neither the right nor the reason to punish them, that as living beings it was their right to live, to make their own choices, to be free in what they believed and what they did not.
And that if anyone threatened that freedom—the freedom he believed they deserved—then he would fight whoever he had to in order to defend it.
Knowing that facing the Serpent was a death sentence, the gods accepted his words. And to prove his point, the Serpent declared that he would walk among men and show them how magnificent they truly were.
Determined to prove himself right, he drank with them, ate with them, danced with them, and walked at their side. He did not proclaim himself their ruler. And during that time, there was no kingdom more peaceful or more prosperous than his.
It was the last kingdom that still believed in the gods. The last one that still worshipped them.
However, for a long time, those people had sacrificed one another to demonstrate their love and devotion to the gods. Acts that the Serpent viewed as barbaric and believed should be stopped, for he thought that love should not be expressed in such a way.
So he put an end to them. He forbade such acts.
This only enraged the gods even further, many of whom still delighted in those sacrifices and saw them as the only tribute of gratitude they had left from their creations. But now, with the Serpent guiding humanity, they were losing even that.
The Jaguar, seeing the resentment his brother inspired among the others, decided it was time to set his revenge in motion.
And one day, during one of the Serpent's great celebrations—festivals held in honor of the moon, the sun, the stars, and life itself—he committed one of the most terrible acts imaginable.
The Jaguar spilled his own blood and mixed it into a drink to give to his brother. By itself, it would never have affected a god. But mixed with the Jaguar's blood, it became something else entirely.
The Serpent had invited his brothers to the celebration so they could mingle with his people, believing that only then would their bonds grow stronger. They could only understand one another if they truly came to know each other, just as he had.
Among them was the Jaguar, who offered him the drink. The Serpent did not doubt him. He knew the Jaguar had harbored some resentment toward him for quite some time, but he still loved him and remained grateful for what he had done for him that day long ago.
So he drank without hesitation, taking it as a gesture of goodwill, a reconciliation.
As the night went on, it grew heavier and heavier. The Serpent drank and drank from that beverage, celebrating joyfully among his people and his brothers.
He did not know when he lost his senses. He only knew that now he was in his chambers with a pounding headache.
Then he felt something cold running from his mouth. Something dripping.
He wiped his lips and saw his cinnamon-colored skin stained red. The same sensation was on one of his hands. Frightened and confused, he looked up, but the darkness prevented him from seeing clearly.
It was not until dawn illuminated his chambers that he realized the horror for which he was now responsible. A nightmare he wished were not real.
That image—so horrifying, so atrocious—would mark the beginning of his downfall.
The downfall of the Serpent.
End of Chapter.
Next Chapter: The God Who Wept.