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The sun shone, warmed his face up. This could not be true, in a dungeon rotten with damp and mold, which had not seen even a fleeting ray, the Sun itself had descended, incinerating the filth with its brightness. And in Och-kan's soul, hope grew. For a spirit steeped in hatred, embittered at its own people, in that fire it saw the world's deliverance from the fear borne by dragons. Och-kan placed a mask upon his face, to conceal the bestial patterns and not be shamed by the grime of his origin before the light of Xbalanque. And Och-kan assisted Xbalanque in all deeds and undertakings. After the triumphant slaying of Xiuhcoatl, the Sun received the reverence and power it rightfully deserved. Yes, Och-kan rejoiced that the Light had granted people freedom and that dragons no longer held sway in the affairs of Natlan. His spirit sang, and his soul felt a daring zeal for the Archon's will. And, warmed by the radiance of Xbalanque's countenance, he forgot his hatred for his own people; his only thoughts were of accomplishing the tasks entrusted by the King of Flame.
The engraving that adorned the walls of Och-kan's chambers filled his soul with happiness every evening before sleep; the memory of his salvation was the most pleasant after Xbalanque's ascension to the throne. Waking when the birds had not yet begun to sing and the crickets had already wearied of their nightly trill, Och-kan plunged headlong into preparations for the main holiday of the year—the Day of Liberation. The organization lay on his shoulders, but he was only glad for this burden. Finding himself in the kitchen, where sleepy workers had already begun to appear, striving to gather strength for their tasks, Och-kan, blinded by love, was full of energy. The cooks perked up at the sight of the Sage; the head cook tore himself from his duties, wiped his hands on a towel, and approached to report to Och-kan.
"Holy Sage, we have commenced our work."
"Do you have everything in abundance? Many people are expected at today's celebration, and it would be disrespectful to the Lord Sun if any of them were to go without food."
"You asked this yesterday. Our storerooms are full; I do not think we will face difficulties. Everything was prepared a week ago, and the plan itself was nurtured for half a year. Everything should be perfect." Och-kan had to set an example of how to properly conduct a celebration in honor of the Sun.
At the venue, the assembly of furniture had only just begun. They worked slowly, incorrectly, and Och-kan had to join the assembly. Tightening the third bench for the guests, he tested it for stability and sturdiness, trying to wrench off its legs. He looked at the sky, where the fiery ball was approaching its zenith. They were moving faster than his plan, yet time had passed unnoticed. When Och-kan checked the fuel supply for the torches and the setup for the musicians, evening was beginning to fall. The work had tired his body, but his spirit yearned to see how pleased the Sun would be with this festival, and this gave him strength. The cajón began its battle, and other melodies joined its rhythm.
Raising a cup of wine, Xbalanque began the first speech.
"My dear brothers and sisters, I am overjoyed that we are all gathered here. Tomorrow, I will merge with the Primordial Flame. This will be the price for the victory we celebrate now, and for the future victory over the Abyss, which our descendants will celebrate."
At that moment, the earth swapped places with the sky, and a sharp pain struck his chest. His heart, like a tursuk overfilled with funeral oil, burst, and bitterness, like that oil, spilled into his soul. Stepping away from the table, Och-kan felt the pressure on his head ease slightly. He decided to take a walk in the darkness, to calm down, but thoughts continued to whirl, not allowing him to breathe fully. An escape from despair seemed impossible, until he realized only one option remained. His legs carried him home of their own accord. Bursting into his quarters, he overturned the table by the entrance, then a chest, and scattered his belongings. Och-kan finally found what he was looking for—a bundle of white silk. He had wanted to gift it after today's celebration, but now he could only hope it would become a gift for the Sage. The musicians and guests were singing songs, missing the notes. Dances and games were in full swing; at that moment, no one was unhappy. A festival of life, heralding death. Och-kan rejoined the feast, not letting the bundle leave his hands.
Xbalanque seemed unconcerned about the morrow; his hair ignited as he lunged playfully toward Yupanki.
"Trying to win by blinding your opponent?" Yupanquidodged the feint, swung a fist, aiming for the ribs. "You're just jealous you don't have this. Want me to tell you the secret?" Xbalanque chuckled, caught the opponent's arm during an attempt to break free, and struck at his foot. Losing his balance, Yupanquigrabbed Xbalanque to drag him down. They fell to the ground, guffawing like children after mischief. "If that's the slaying of Xiuhcoatl, it won't work again. Ah, I'll never get to cook food on my hair," he laughed heartily. "I think if you win in the battle for the Gnosis, you might get a weapon to blind enemies." The Sage sprang up to help the Sun to his feet.
"And what about a friendly paw for me?" said Yupanqui with continued mischief, his mouth twisted in a sarcastic grin. They continued to ignore him.
"Why don't the lizards like me? What am I doing wrong?" Lianca rolled its draconic eyes.
Och-kan turned to face Xbalanque.
"If you are free, we could step aside to talk," he uttered quietly; the others were not to hear.
"Yes, of course." Xbalanque moved away from curious ears into the darkness. Och-kan followed him; the music gradually grew quieter. The Sun stopped. His light illuminated the night's darkness so that one could see. Looking around and seeing no one nearby, Och-kan began to speak.
"Is this because of Yupanki? Don't be angry, you know he doesn't mean it, he's just joking. It's not funny." Och-kan was never offended by the truth, and he would be the happiest lizard if the plan worked. The Sage knelt before him. The standing man's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Och-kan leaned against the Sun's thigh. 'Now or never,' Och-kan pronounced at the edge of audibility. Trying to gather the strength to execute his plan, he pressed closer to the Sun; tears began gathering in the corners of his eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong, come on, get up." Xbalanque tried to lift the Sage by the shoulders, but in vain.
Och-kan drew out the cloth bundle. Freeing it, a fully golden flamberge was revealed to sight; its point had seen no blood and was not dulled by mundane tasks.
Och-kan placed the dagger into Xbalanque's hand, clamping the Sun's palm tightly into a fist, and rested his head against the forearm.
"I cannot live without you. It will be agony, to realize you are no more. Show mercy, kill me before you go."
By the end, his voice grew hoarse from tears, moisture covered his face, and even the mask became wet. He was shaking.
"Please… Kill me…" The sobs became ever clearer, and his body pressed harder against the dagger. The hope for peace of soul was melting away, like darkness in the light of a candle.
"I beg…"
"I am not going to kill you. If you wish to, do it yourself." He flung the flamberge beyond visibility. A shudder ran through Och-kan's body. Raising his eyes, in which despair was reflected, a blow seemed to strike his head, but there was no pain—perhaps it hadn't happened. He wanted to shut down. How could he have thought himself worthy of death by that light? How foolish he was.
"Come on, get up. You should wash your face before returning."
The next day, the Sun was extinguished. The warmth and light it had bestowed departed with it.