Song Offering

The lake wind blew, and heads crowded the fields in every direction, yet there was little clamor. Hearing that the king had summoned him, High Priest Xutl nodded and followed the messenger away.

The High Priest's attire was especially grand that day. He wore the full ceremonial regalia: a ruby divine crown upon his head, a sun cloak over his shoulders, a gold-and-silver robe of sun and moon, golden feather bracers around his wrists, and black wolf-feather shoes on his feet. In his hand, he held an inherited sacred relic of religion—the Drooping Feather Divine Staff depicted in the Sun God mural! Its head curved downward, ending in a golden snake head.

The High Priest walked slowly yet resolutely, passing through the corridor parted by the "Shorn-Hair Warriors" and arriving before the dazzling, fearsome "Skull Warrior."

The sight felt strangely familiar to Xolotl. He held no profound reverence for divine authority; it merely reminded him of certain action games he had once been obsessed with. Yet when he looked around, he saw that priests, nobles, and warriors alike all held their breath and lowered their eyes. None dared disturb the sacred scene, nor even look directly at it.

"Skull Warrior" Tizoc rose from his palanquin. Looking down from above, he appeared especially tall and imposing. He spread the same sun cloak behind him, then drew the Sun God's Scepter from his waist and touched it to the Divine Staff in the High Priest's hand. This represented communication between gods.

The two sacred suns completed a silent, elaborate ritual, like a pantomime. Only then, beneath everyone's reverent gaze, did they resume communication as mortals.

"This theocratic system of the city-state age is somewhat like the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. They rely on myth to rule people's hearts, and once the myth is shattered, those hearts have nowhere to turn."

Xolotl kept his head bowed and assumed a respectful posture, though his mind was occupied with thought.

King Tizoc and High Priest Xutl's mortal exchange was quite brief. With solemn expressions, they merely spoke a few simple words before nodding to one another.

Soon, Xutl beckoned. The burly Xoloc stepped forward, lowered his head, and knelt on one knee, allowing the king to seize his hair. Xolotl had seen this scene in murals and guessed that it represented a vow to offer up one's life. Then he stole a glance at the king. Between the gaps in the bone helmet, vivid painted patterns crossed over his face. His features could not be made out clearly, but he seemed to be around forty.

When it came to Xolotl, the ritual was much simpler. The king merely glanced at the youth—or rather, at his nephew from afar—and gave a slight nod. With a wave of his hand, he bestowed a finely crafted Obsidian Dagger, its hilt set with splendid Turquoise. Xolotl's old one had been given away during the prisoner capture, so he casually tucked the dagger into his clothes.

After meeting his relatives from the Holy City, the king summoned several great nobles and priests in turn, holding a number of formal loyalty rituals. Then the High Priest invited the king into the ancient city to enjoy the evening banquet together.

This banquet was the most lavish meal Xolotl had ever had in his life. First came corn, pumpkin, and beans in heavy pottery vessels, representing the three most important staple foods bestowed upon mortals by the gods. Yet this seemed more like a ritual; on such an occasion, no one would eat them.

Then came a bowl of blood-red Cacao drink, mixed with chili, honey, and Allspice, deliberately colored to resemble fresh blood. This was the drink of warriors and nobles. Everyone had to finish it with a solemn, dignified expression, leaving not a single drop.

After drinking it, Xolotl's face changed color completely. It was bitter, spicy, sweet, and intensely Cacao all at once.

The dishes that followed were much more ordinary: boiled tomatoes, boiled turkey, boiled venison, boiled cactus, boiled papaya, boiled avocado, and Tequila mixed with insects or chili, all freely chosen according to preference.

The banquet was grave and solemn. Xolotl stopped after eating a little, and everyone else did the same. His utensil was a small Obsidian knife, ground with a shallow hollow in its middle; it could cut meat and also serve as a spoon or fork. Obsidian was sharp, however, so one had to take care not to cut one's mouth. On such a formal occasion, the wooden spoon Xolotl usually liked could hardly be brought out.

After several rounds of Tequila, High Priest Xutl waved his hand, signaling for the people before His Highness to offer their dances.

First, naturally, came the ritual dance. Tobacco and spices were lit in braziers, and their mystical fragrance drifted through the great hall, leaving hearts and minds dazed, as though they had stepped into the Divine Kingdom. Then a group of priests clad in feathers and crowns, adorned with rings and pendants, stepped forward. Some danced, some performed, and they began to sing an ancient, rustic song:

"My heart is a flower,

It blooms in a fleeting instant,

A king in the night,

Oh ya, oh ya, oh ah ya.

"The goddess returns from afar,

Our Earth Mother,

She gives all things to me,

Oh ya, oh ya, oh ah ya.

"I am the Corn God, born in heaven,

In the place where flowers bloom.

That flower alone in the world,

Yang Tala, Yang Tala, ah ya ya ah.

"I am the Corn God, born in the land of rain and mist,

The cradle of humankind's childhood.

The homeland of the mountain gods,

Yang Tala, Yang Tala, ah ya ya ah.

"Dawn arrives, with a splendid sunrise.

With a rainbow-colored spoon,

I drink honey from standing flowers,

Yang Tala, Yang Tala, ah ya ya ah.

"Upon the Earth,

I walk through bustling markets.

I, Feathered Serpent Quetzalcoatl,

Am lord of the world,

Yang Tala, Yang Tala, ah ya ya ah.

The priests' singing was distant and deep, their ornaments chiming softly, while an ancient, weathered divine charm drifted away upon the wind. King Tizoc was completely enthralled. Keeping time with the rhythm, he gently nodded his head. When the song ended, he savored it for a long while before finally coming back to himself and asking with concern.

"High Priest, what divine song was that? I have never heard it before."

"Honored King, it is Feathered Serpent's Song."

Xutl smiled and nodded, pride evident on his face.

"These past years, the priests of the Holy City have studied the murals left by the ancient city's ancestors. Many of the myths there differ from those passed down among us. This song tells of how the Feathered Serpent was once lord of the world!"

Hearing this, Tizoc's expression became solemn, and he nodded.

"After the banquet, High Priest, please tell me of the ancestors' myths. After many long years, we God-descendants of the mortal world must always return to the Divine Kingdom."

Next came the nobles' song. Several noble girls wore splendid cloaks over their shoulders and passionate light garments beneath, shaking jeweled bracelets as they sang a joyful song of noble pleasures:

"I love the colors of the world,

Brilliant flowers and feathers.

In the season that stirs your heart,

Light the intoxicating Divine Smoke.

"Dance with us,

Let your bitterness flee,

Adorn yourself with them,

Those beautiful Gold Cacao flowers.

"Then kiss beneath the flowers,

Share your joy and mine,

Sing beautifully here.

The happy songs of sparrows and parrots

Echo beside the chiming spring.

"You are like a cup of Cacao,

With you, joy fills my heart,

My heart is flying,

My heart is flying.

The girls' voices were sweet and joyous, like larks at the edge of the sky. Their cloaks whirled, revealing graceful figures touched with a trace of charm and temptation. At last, the passionate dance ended, sweat soaking through their light garments. The girls panted softly and looked toward the king upon the dais with moist, expectant eyes.

Perhaps he had understood the blazing passion hidden in the song, or perhaps he had caught the fragrance of the girls so close at hand. Xolotl felt hot blood rush to his head, and before long, his face reddened.

The others before the hall remained composed. Clearly, such singing and dancing was nothing more than a small spectacle to the nobles present.

Tizoc lightly clapped his hands in praise, his expression calm.

"The singing and dancing are good. Though not as grand as those of the capital city, they possess a different kind of purity."

At this, High Priest Xutl smiled and nodded, asking softly.

"Does the king have any interest in the singing and dancing here?"

The meaning of those words was naturally whether he wished to select girls to attend his bed. Tizoc considered for a moment, then shook his head. His expression did not change as he refused.

"While marching, there is no need to hasten toward the pleasures of song."

Hearing this, the High Priest waved his hand and had all the beautiful girls withdraw.

Last came the warriors' dance. The city-state's finest warriors entered the hall, led by Jaguar Olorosh. Their bodies were adorned with vivid flowers, and they carried ancient shields and wooden clubs without Obsidian blades set into them. Then, striking shield against club, they moved with powerful vigor and sang the song of warriors and flowers:

"A warrior's life drifts away like flowers,

All glory shall someday depart,

All dazzling honor returns to dust.

Is there a most brilliant moment?

"Let flowers die as they bloom,

Leaving songs that cannot be forgotten!

Let my heart be offered to the Earth,

This mortal world is but a hurried passing~

The warriors' dance began with gentle calm, then rang out with clashing force, and at last all returned to solemn stillness. Finally, Olorosh, who led them, stepped before the hall, knelt on one knee, and offered Tizoc a bouquet of flowers symbolizing warriors.

Tizoc merely nodded faintly, maintaining the aloofness of a god. He said nothing and did not accept the flowers.

Seeing this, Xutl raised a brow. He waved his hand, dismissing the somewhat dissatisfied warriors. Then he smiled and asked.

"King, what do you think of the warriors' dance?"

"It is acceptable."

Tizoc answered simply, clearly lacking much interest in the warriors.

"High Priest, now that the singing and dancing have ended."

Tizoc turned slightly to one side, expectation coloring his voice.

"Tell me in detail of the ancestors' myths. Once this campaign is over, beside the Sun Stone Sacrificial Disk in the Temple, I can carve both myth and conquest into a new Sacrificial Disk, recording my offering to the gods!"

"Honored King, I am willing to serve you!"

The long banquet finally came to an end. The enthusiastic king spoke for a long while before bidding farewell and departing. Once everyone in the hall had dispersed, the three generations of grandfather, father, and grandson were finally able to gather together and discuss that evening's banquet.

After looking around and seeing no one nearby, Xoloc asked softly.

"Father, you deliberately arranged three kinds of song and dance. Did you discern the temperament of the new king?"

"He is an outstanding God-descendant, a qualified noble, and an inadequate commander."

High Priest Xutl pondered for a moment before speaking with certainty. The aged wrinkles on his face did not diminish the sharp gleam in his eyes.

"This campaign will likely be difficult to win, but it will only end in a minor defeat!"

Xolotl froze for a moment, only then understanding something. This banquet had itself been a test! In this Warring States period, where wars were frequent and states stood side by side, every city-state leader retained a measure of independent judgment.

"In the world today, not only does the ruler choose his ministers; ministers also choose their ruler."

Xolotl murmured softly, deep in thought. Looking at his grandfather's weathered face, he was utterly convinced.

The songs in this chapter came from a Mexican Aztec culture website. They were translated from Spanish into English, then freely adapted and rewritten by the author.