Chapter Text
It was about time it happened.
The sounds around him were somehow soothing, the absence of human voices, human civilization noises making him feel better. That particular silence was comforting. That didn’t mean the jungle was muted, however. There were the loud screeches of birds, the ever present buzzing of bugs, and the sound of water flowing down the waterfall and crashing into the lake below.
Perhaps dying among the voices of the jungle would be a good way to put an end to his pain.
Sitting by the edge of the cliff, Saczoh sometimes eyed the abyss and questioned his odds. Did he have the courage to jump down and hope for the best, to be destroyed upon coming in contact with the water and rocks below? Honestly, it seemed like a good plan, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength to do it. Every time he tried to swing his legs or push himself forwards with his arms, it turned out to be impossible. His body was paralyzed, almost as if a force was keeping him from ending his own life.
It wasn’t the first time he had thought about it. Everything had been a pain up until then, not a single nice memory to cherish saved in his mind. It was almost as if he was cursed, having the worst luck in the entire world and being condemned by the Gods to suffer. Treated as a disgrace, as a disease by his family, for being born with inhuman features unfit for a possibly benevolent demigod destined for greatness, but instead perfect for a monster, harbinger of calamities; discarded once he was old enough to live on his own, and given a house as far away from the village as possible; and then the peak of his journey, the final verdict he knew would be coming sooner than later: being exiled from his so-called home.
It made sense, at least for them. It was easier to blame disasters on some God’s cruelty, and when too many disasters struck, it was easier to blame those on the odd one, in an attempt to find the cause of the God’s anger. Saczoh, being the natural-born anomaly no one wanted in the village, was obviously the blasphemy making Tlaloc go crazy on them.
A flood made sense once a year. Twice, if he was in the mood. But a full month of non-stop rain was evidently a divine signal, telling them to get rid of the hideous virus living innocently in a shack just outside the small town.
He sighed, and looked up at the sky. Perhaps they were right, perhaps he truly was a mistake, seeing how the infinite field over his head had become a perfect, intense blue since the day he left. Not a single cloud blocked his vision, and the unforgiving Sun threatened to scorch his pristine white skin at all times. The trees were nicer to him, though. They offered him company, covered him in shadows, cooled him down after aimlessly walking for hours. But besides that small comfort, there was not much else to point out. Only that his exile, his death sentence, had been for the greater good.
At that moment, however, there was a more pressing question: where was he going, if his life was over already? He had no idea, but for as long as he couldn’t bring himself to die, he would have to wander around the jungle and hope for some carnivorous animal to end his suffering.
Now there he was, resting by the edge of the cliff, splashing himself in cold, fresh water every once in a while, watching with exhausted eyes as the Sun went down in the distance. If he survived long enough, he would make it his next goal to reach the mountains, see where the Sun goes after hiding behind them. Maybe it was true that the entrance to the underworlds was there, maybe not. In any case, he would never know unless he tried to find out on his own.
Darkness fell on him, and with that he let himself be claimed by exhaustion, and trusted in Yohaulticetl to watch over him as he closed his eyes and drifted off.
Maybe, if he wished hard enough for it, she would claim his life in the peace and quiet of the night and allow him to go painlessly in his sleep. Yeah, that was a nice thought. Nice enough to put a rare smile on his face.
*
There was someone in his domain.
The temple of the Sun stood tall, menacing, nothing but an enormous, ominous silhouette cutting all roads to an end in the darkest moment of the night. While the great star was gone and only darkness reigned in the skies, the structure served to scare away visitors, a sudden apparition in one’s path that was enough to make the bravest warriors tremble in fear.
At the very top of the ancient building, sitting on the most sacred stone there was as if it meant nothing at all, was a lonely figure, staring at the horizon. The strong, cold winds of the east brought their long hair to life, alongside an excessive set of ornaments on top of their head, a strange mixture of bizarre elements waving with the breeze. To his back, they felt the mountains rumble softly, and lowered their head in brief mourning for the souls who had just crossed over to the Mictlán, carried by the wind.
But then they raised their head again, and abruptly stood up, eyes fixed on the shadowed jungle, trying to pinpoint whatever, whoever was making them feel so anxious. A visitor, a stranger, an invader. Someone not quite human was out there, somewhere in the jungle, and the God who lived in and ruled over it knew it wasn't a simple matter.
If they were human, he wouldn't have felt anything. They were too insignificant for him. If it was a dangerous beast, the jungle would've done something to protect him before it got so close. If it was another deity seeking to confront him, he would've felt them coming from miles away, giving him enough time to hide the temple and set up deadly trials in the road to find him. Yet this being didn't fit in any of those categories, and it both intrigued and unnerved the God.
ーWho are you?ー He tried to call out to them, his voice not like thunder, but like a soft breeze. ーI know you're out there, you can't hide from me. If you can hear these words…
What were they to do if they heard him? He wasn't one to start fights, absolutely not. In fact, the other deities hated him for choosing the path of a pacifist and refusing to accept human sacrifices. He couldn't force this stranger to reveal themselves and explain why they were there. On the other hand, he didn't feel like it would be right to flat out tell them to leave. What did he know? Maybe they were looking for something he was unaware of, maybe they knew what they were doing.
Whatever the case… they were in his domain. They were something neither him nor the jungle had ever seen before.
ー…if you can hear these words, come to the temple of the Sun. Ichtalcoatl demands to see you.
It was only right for them to meet.
*
Saczoh couldn't say he was an early bird, least of all now that he was exiled and therefore exhausted most of the time. That being said, it was quite a shock when he realized he had woken up before sunrise, and had no desire whatsoever to roll over on the dirt and keep sleeping.
Sitting up, he yawned loudly and brought a lazy hand up to cover his mouth, his senses still groggy but his brain fully awake. He slid his hand backwards through his white hair, and calmly took some time to get rid of the knots in it. Once he was comfortable enough, and felt like his legs were ready to go, he pushed himself up and stood tall, gazing down at the spot of leaves and grass he had slept on and wondering how he managed to not roll over and fall down the cliff in his sleep.
There were more pressing matters than that, however, one of them being his growling stomach. He sighed and scanned the closest trees for anything edible, his eyes finally landing on some colorful fruits and his body automatically moving to go climb up and get them. As much as the idea of dying was sweet and appealing, the concept of starving to death still didn't sit well with him, and one way or another he would end up eating something before it was too late.
He reached the top of the tree fairly easily, his life experiences and survival skills polished enough to allow him to get to the highest branches in just a minute or two. The fruits looked ripe and tasty, and he instantly cut one off and brought it to his mouth. He settled down on the strong branch, sitting with his legs hanging loosely, and took his time to enjoy the food, having little to no care for his manners as he splattered himself with juice. He cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand, then shrugged after giving one quick glance to his clothes. They were torn and dirty already, it didn't matter if he made them worse.
His hunger satisfied after the third portion, he wondered what to do next. The road to the mountains would be a long journey, and by thinking logically, it would make sense to be on his way there as soon as possible. On the other hand, there wasn't really any rush to get there… he could take as much time as he wanted.
Then again. Was there anything interesting to do with that time?
He sighed. What kind of thoughts was he having? Never before had he over thought anything so hard. It would be easier to just climb down and be on his way. There was literally nothing else to do, nothing else to waste his time on.
…except, maybe, watching the sunrise.
From his spot at the top, surrounded by leaves and lianas, he carefully moved a few out of the way when he felt a prickle of warmth reach his body. Far at the other end of the world, he widened his eyes as he watched the sky turn into colors he had never seen before, and then brought a hand to shield his vision when the Sun began to peek over the horizon.
He had never been up so early before, and now he understood why some people were so in love with the first sun rays in the morning. They were indeed a beautiful spectacle to behold.
The calmness of the moment ended when he noticed there was something just as bright shining behind him.
Saczoh almost fell off the tree as he scrambled to turn around. The mountains were behind him, and the Sun was right in front of him. There was no way for anything to be brighter than the major star, it just wasn't possible- unless, of course, a God was involved, but they didn't meddle with humans so simply-
And yet, there it was. Not so far from him, in the middle of the jungle, right by the river. An imposing temple he definitely hadn't seen before, with something shining with unbelievable brightness on top of it. It rivalled the Sun itself, and forced Saczoh to shield his eyes.
He felt a strange breeze come from the west, not so strong as to make him lose his balance, but enough to make his hair wave with it.
Come to the temple of the Sun.
He blinked.
Did he just hear a voice in the wind?
Ichtalcoatl demands to see you.
He didn't need any more confirmation.
Losing his composure in the heat of the moment, Saczoh rushed down the tree, accidentally slipping and falling when he was midway through. He grunted, but stood up immediately after and began his race to reach the temple. His heart was beating wildly, almost as if it would explode any moment. Running like his life depended on it, he internally thanked the fact his bare feet were used to the uneven terrain, making it easy to sprint through the giant roots and trees surrounding him.
He ignored the increasingly louder noises around him. Monkeys were screaming and yelling like he had never heard before. Birds were chirping madly, boars and deer were growling and howling. He even thought that he heard the roar of a jaguar.
The entire jungle was either celebrating, or terrified out of its mind.
Ten minutes after the initial outburst, it all went back to silence.
Saczoh's legs buckled, and he wheezed as he collapsed, his hand firmly gripping the closest trunk and making an effort to keep him up, ultimately failing when he fell for good. God, that had been a horrifying race fueled by panic. His body couldn't stop shaking, the effects of adrenaline just starting to wear off.
But no matter how exhausted he was, it was worth it. He was kneeling right in front of the temple now. He had made it. He grinned victoriously; at least this was proof he wasn't losing it.
Up close, the place was… far more intimidating than expected. It was built the traditional way, that was clear, though he definitely admired the men who had the will and strength to build such a massive monster. It was a wonder how he hadn't seen it before. It easily surpassed the tallest trees in height, making it impossible to miss.
Now that he was calming down and getting some much needed air back into his lungs, the obvious questions finally dawned on him.
What the hell was happening?
ーHey, are you ok?
He screamed. The man who had just appeared out of nowhere also screamed.
ーW- wha- who the hell are you!?ー the white haired man couldn’t help but yell at the stranger.
ーI- huh!? I should be the one asking you that!
ーWhere did you come from!? Get away from me! Ghost!
The other man squinted his eyes and smiled tensely.
ー"Ghost"!? Did you just call me a ghost!?
Saczoh didn't notice the moment he was on his feet, but it sure was convenient. He frowned at the fancy stranger: a guy with ridiculously long orange hair adorned with an equally wild crown of gold with exotic feathers on top, wearing a traditional poncho that left his abdomen exposed and knee-length pants with even more feathers and accessories made of gold. He then took a hesitant step back after scanning him from head to toe.
Nope, he looked like danger. That wasn't a good sign.
The other man seemed to realize his intentions, and quickly snapped his hand forwards while yelling.
ーOh no, you don’t! I'm not letting you go anywhere!
The white haired man stuck his blue tongue out before sprinting away, technically running for his life. No way was he getting horribly and tragically killed there.
However, his sprint didn't last a minute before he was painfully tackled from behind with the strength of an enraged boar.
ーI said , you're not going anywhere!
They both fell roughly on the ground, and rolled over a few meters while fighting for dominance. To his horror, Saczoh was easily overpowered and soon found himself face flat on the dirt, the other man standing over him.
ーGet off me! Let me go!
ーTell me who you are first!
ーThat's none of your- ACK!
The orange haired man locked Saczoh in a firm grip, and was holding his arm back, threatening to break it. When the white head grunted and refused to answer for the second time, he pulled harder and pressed his foot deeper on his shoulder.
ーI- gh- stop that! You're going to rip my arm off!
ーI said, tell me who you are, and I may consider letting you go!
ーJust don't break my arm, damnit, that's my good arm!
ーOh, is that so?
Saczoh didn't even get to question anything before he was abruptly moved and almost turned around with a strength and skill he had never seen nor felt before. He yelped in surprise, and before he knew it, he was back at square one… but with his left arm this time.
ーD- did you just…?
ーYour name. Now.
He gulped. Well, if he died, he died. Nothing he could do about it now.
ーSaczoh. My name is Saczoh.ー he finally gave up and admitted it while decidedly looking away.
The pressure on his arm lessened, but it didn't go away.
ーThere, was that so hard?
ーLet me go now.
ーSorry, but not yet. Where are you from?
ーWhy do you care? I'm from nowhere, that should answer your question.
ーIf you're a nomad, just tell me where you come from, your homeland. You know that at least, right?
The man on the ground growled.
ーI'm an exile. Happy?
The other man paused.
Saczoh didn't know why the stranger had fallen silent, but he didn't tempt his luck with another escape attempt. He was strong, back at the village he had been known for his animalistic, ruthless way of fighting, always winning, never forgiving. He had trusted his instincts at first, when the so-called ghost showed up for the first time and scared the living lights out of him; however, things were extremely different now. To begin with, he had never been tackled to the ground and pinned in place with such outstanding ease. A normal person could never do that, no matter how hard they tried. Saczoh was too good.
Whoever was standing on him right then was as much of a monster as he was. Perhaps, even more.
ーWho are your parents?
Amidst the chaos that were his thoughts, the white haired man was caught off guard with the sudden question. For a brief moment, there was tense silence between them again, but he sighed after a while and gave his truth away.
ーI don't know.
ーLying to me is a bad idea.
ーI really don't know. Why would I lie about that, huh?
ー…how? Surely there must be something-
ーI wasn't raised by them. I don't look similar to anyone in the village to try and figure it out myself. I'm an orphaned monster who was raised by everyone and no one at the same time and who got exiled after they got tired of me. What a tragedy. Boohoo. You can laugh at me now.
As if to make his point clearer, he barked a laugh and hid his face in the dirt, amused with himself for how terrible, yet somehow cliché, his life sounded like. In most legends he had heard up to that day, heroes suffered many trials at the beginning point of their lives; they were orphans, or rarely had connections with other people; they were inhumans, in the bodies of humans; they were abandoned, isolated, left behind, almost forgotten… but then something special would happen, and the tides would be turned, and their homes would recognize their mistakes, apologize and welcome the hero with glory and open arms. The Gods would notice whatever amazing deed they had accomplished, and reach out to them to grant them honors unseen before, seats among the deities up in the heavens, divine gifts to make them stronger and exalt their already grandiose legends.
It was inherently funny, then, how the only thing Saczoh had earned in his life was getting kicked out of his home and attacked by an apparition. No amazing stories to tell besides those two. All he was was a troublemaker. A curse.
Certainly not a hero.
ーWhy are you laughing?
His voice began disappearing, soft chuckles turning to dead silence. Was this ghost not amused by his joke of a life?
ーDon’t you find it funny? Really?
ーWhy would I?
ーI… I don’t know, it’s funny.ー he gulped. ーIt’s like hearing the tale of someone great, then finding out it was all about a loser.
ーThis isn’t funny, Saczoh, at all.ー as he spoke, the orange haired man slowly lifted himself, getting off the other man’s body, and let his grip soften until he let go. The exiled one didn’t make any attempt to escape this time, more focused on listening than running away. Slowly, he made himself comfortable, now taking on a sitting position and stretching his strained muscles. The “ghost” continued. ーYour life isn’t something to laugh about. You’ve suffered too much.
ーYeah, that’s the joke.
ーYou haven’t found happiness.
Saczoh’s mouth curved downwards. He frowned.
ーWhat does that have to do with anything? Are you pitying me?
The other man closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head.
ーNo. I don’t understand why you value your pain so little. This isn’t what you deserve.
Saczoh barked another laugh. He cursed internally upon realizing the other man already knew it was fake.
ーSo, enlighten me, what do you think I deserve, huh?ー trying to mask his panic and shame, he attempted a confrontation. No matter how hard anyone tried to be nice to him, jumping straight to the point always made them back off and reveal their true feelings.
In the end, everyone saw him as a beast. This man wasn’t going to be any different, and Saczoh would force him to admit it if he had to. He had no intention to make the encounter last any longer than necessary.
ーLike I said, you deserve to be happy. You deserve to value yourself. I don’t understand why someone like you, who has so much power and potential, wouldn’t feel happy about who they are, or try to exploit said power to its limit, or… I don’t know. You’re just so weird. I’ve never seen anyone like you.
ーWhat are you talking about?ー he gave a genuine laugh, though this time it was soft and filled with nervousness. This guy had to be nuts. ーI don’t have any “power”. I’m strong, yeah, but you saw how easily I fell against you. This isn’t anything special, anything to be proud of.
ー...nonsense. Nonsense!ー the orange haired man abruptly stood up, his expression twisted with unexpected anger and confusion. Saczoh flinched, then stood up and took a few steps backwards. ーYou don’t get it, do you? I called you here because I felt something in you. Do you really not know who you are?!
ーWhat do you mean you called me here? I heard it in the wind , you didn’t-
ーAnd who do you think ordered the Winds of the East to pass on the message?
Silence.
The Sun was still slowly rising in the distance, unbothered by the fated encounter happening on the Earth. Reaching a certain point, the light began seeping through the leaves, the jungle lighting up in a mixture of yellow, green and white. It continued to claim territory, bringing everything to life with the arrival of the ruler of the day, until it reached the two men.
Saczoh’s breath was caught in his throat when the light touched the stranger’s hair. The long orange, almost reaching the ground, was already a weird thing, something he had never seen, and that was considering he was quite weird himself.
But what he had never imagined to see, was for said orange to shine with its own light.
He wasn’t a ghost.
ーI told the winds to carry on my voice and bring you to me. I’m the one who guides the Sun through the skies, and the one who can make the mountains bow. And you, you’re not a human, but you’re not anything I know either. I want you to stay with me.
ーWho… who the hell are you?
The man stared at him. Brown orbs locked with Saczoh’s intense yellow, and for a moment he felt like this wasn’t the first time they had met.
Rather, he felt like this was what fate had reserved exclusively for him.
ーI’m a fragment of the deity who rules over the Gods and Goddesses your people worship. I am Ichtalcoatl, child of Quetzalcoatl… I'm the primordial God of the Sun.
This was the beginning of his journey.