First Ride

"Marigold, you'll choke if you keep doing that."

Marigold choked on her quesadillas for a few seconds, her wings flapping instinctively; Xibalba temporally drove his attention away from his huevos rancheros and patted his daughter's back firmly to help her swallow the mouthful.

"There. Better?" he inquired with worry.

"Yeah." Marigold nodded her head, drooping her wings temporally. "I'm sorry, papi." She was just so excited! Her father would teach her how to ride a horse, she wanted to go straight to it as soon as possible!

"You have nothing to apologize for, Marigold." Xibalba ruffled her hair playfully. "Just try not to swallow before you chew."

"It's just I'm excited, papi."

"Yeah, I can see that." Xibalba chuckled, taking a sip of his orange juice. "You're much more excited than your mother was when I first took her for a ride."

"She didn't like riding horses?" Marigold asked incredulously.

Xibalba let out a hearty laugh at her question. "Not on the same horse with me! She said I was too reckless. But she was a proficient rider on her own accord, much more graceful than me. She could make a horse move like a deer, but she lacked my maneuverability. " He chuckled at the last part.

"Do you think I could make a horse move like a deer, papi?"

"Someday you will, mi florecita." The dark good chuckled as he refilled his daughter's glass with juice. "But for now, let's just finish eating, okay?"


Although he only had one horse, the stable of Xibalba's castle was very spacious, in part because he wanted his steed to be as comfortable as possible. It was located at the ground level, near the narrow stone bridge that connected the castle with mainland across the lava lake. It was carved out of obsidian, with a box stall made of ebony wood, with warm straw and clear water inside. In that moment, Juárez, the lizard in charge of caring for the horse, was busy tightening the cinchas that kept the saddle in place.

Medianoche was ready for the day. His elegant-looking gear was all colored black with phosphorescent green trimming, like his body. His leather saddle was big enough for his master and another person to sit on, the cinchas were thick and flexible, not too tightened so that the steed wouldn't get angry, but not too loose either. The breast collar was equally thick and had trimmed snakes on it, connected with the front cincha. The saddle blanket was dark green, with a few red swirls.

By the time Juárez was done adjusting the saddle, Xibalba and Marigold were already stepping into the stable. Medianoche perked up his ears upon seeing his master, and snorted in greeting.

"He's ready, My Lord." Juárez bowed his head at his master and stepped away from the horse.

Xibalba nodded his head at his servant. "Bien. You may go."

Juárez scrambled away under his master's cold stare, but he hadn't the heart to ignore Marigold's friendly waving, and he waved his hand at her with a small grin. While Xibalba didn't really mind his daughter being friends with the servitude, it didn't mean it didn't bother him when they did that in his presence. Still, he gently tugged his daughter's hand.

"Come on, mi florecita."

Medianoche approached his master and extended out his neck, gently pushing him backwards in a playful manner; Xibalba chuckled as he released Marigold's hand to pat his horse's neck. He then lifted his closed hand near Medianoche's mouth and opened up his palm, revealing a sugar cube. The stallion immediately devoured the treat, snorting in delight.

"Hi, Middy." Marigold grinned at the horse and patted his leg.

She didn't say anything yet as her father picked her up and placed her on Medianoche's back, then he climbed unto the saddle and accommodated Marigold on his lap.

"Lista?" Xibalba inquired with a grin, taking the reins.

Marigold nodded eagerly. She tightened her grip on the saddle when Xibalba squeezed Medianoche's side with his legs, and the horse galloped out of the stable and across the bridge. The dark god thought that the best place to teach her how to ride was in the outskirts of the Land of the Remembered, where it was a simple desert with no giant, pointy stalactites, pointy rocks nor giant chains.

"Marigold, close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Confía en mi."

Marigold didn't near to hear it twice. She buried her face into her father's chest and closed her eyes shut, until her father would tell her otherwise. She heard Medianoche's hooves crunching against the ground, her father's wings extending, and energy cackling. But she did not open her eyes, no sir. The cackling of energy only lasted for a few seconds, before she heard hooves crunching on softer ground.

"You can open your eyes now."

When she did open her eyes, she realized they were no longer in the Land of the Forgotten, but in a desert with a sky of yellow, purple and red, she could spot a few rocks and canyons in the distance.

"Where are we, papi?"

"Halfway between the Land of the Remembered and the Cave of Souls. It's the best place for you to learn, there are no stalagmites nor sharp rocks as much as down there. " Xibalba explained, then offering Medianoche's reins to his daughter. "Here."

"P-Papi…" Marigold gulped, taking the large reins in her small hands.

"Don't tell me you're getting the cold feet!"

"No! I'm just nervous… I think."

Xibalba rolled his eyes with a grin, and dismounted, making Marigold panic.

"Papi, where are you going?!"

"I'm not going anywhere, mi florecita, I'm just going to show you how to control a horse." He accommodated Marigold's legs at Medianoche's sides, and straightened her back. "Always keep your back straight. Do you remember how to make a horse walk?"

"I'm supposed to squeeze his sides with my legs, right?"

Xibalba nodded. "Yes, Behind the girth, but since your legs don't reach there just yet you'll have to do it where your toes reach."

Marigold gently kicked Medianoche's sides with her toes, but he did not move. She tried again, but Medianoche simply snorted.

"He won't move, papi."

"If he doesn't respond, you have to squeeze a little harder. But the actual reason he didn't move is because I'm holding him back." Xibalba chuckled, and Marigold realized her father was holding Medianoche's bridle, indeed preventing the horse from moving. "You can't make a horse advance if you don't know how to make him stop."

"I just pull the reins, right?" Marigold inquired.

"Yes, but you can't squeeze him with your legs at the same time, or you'll confuse him. Besides, when making him stop you have to lean back a bit."

"Is that it?"

"For the moment, yes." Xibalba took a few steps back, and came to a halt when he was two meters away from her. "I want you to lead Medianoche towards me, slowly."

Marigold gulped. "What if he starts running?"

"He won't unless you order him to. Trust me, mi florecita, you can do it."

With another gulp, Marigold gently kicked Medianoche's sides with her legs, but this time the horse started to walk towards his master. The little Goddess was all tense and rigid, afraid that she might fall off, but she did pull back the reins when they were in front of her father, making Medianoche stop.

"See? It's not that hard." Xibalba grinned and patted his daughter's back. "And you haven't even galloped yet, that would freak you out."

"Not when you're with me, papi."

With yet another soft laugh, Xibalba approached his daughter and took his hands to his daughter's. "To turn the horse, take your hand to the direction you want to go and squeeze him with your opposite leg."

"If I want to go right, I pull the rein rightwards with my right hand?"

The Lord of the Forgotten nodded. "And you squeeze with your left leg."

"I guess it's the opposite if I want to go left, right?"

"That's right, mi florecita." Xibalba stepped back once more. "Now try and walk around in a circle."

Once again, she stiffened as soon as she made Medianoche walk once more, and followed her father's instructions; the horse slowly turned left, letting out snorts every now and then. On one occasion, he even lifted up his hooves in a cantering manner, though she hadn't made him do so. Once she was back at her father's side, Xibalba was smiling proudly.

"That's my girl." He glided upwards with a small flap of his wings and ruffled Marigold's hair playfully. "If you keep doing it like that, it won't be long before I can teach you tricks."

"Tricks? Can horses do tricks like dogs?" Marigold inquired curiously.

"Not exactly like dogs, but yes. I taught Medianoche a few when I was younger."

"Could you show me?"

Xibalba was hesitant to do so when his daughter was on inexperienced, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to show her some tricks. He lifted her off the saddle and placed her on the ground, pulling her back a bit so she wouldn't get hurt. Then he looked towards his horse. "Medianoche, siéntate."

To Marigold's amazement, the steed lowered on his hindquarters and sat down, almost like a dog, and she couldn't contain a giggle. "He looks like a doggie." She hid behind her father when Medianoche gave her an annoyed glance and snorted, standing up.

"Come on, chico, where's your sense of humor?" Xibalba chuckled and patted his horse's rear, but Medianoche swatted his long hairy tail and smacked the back of his master's head, turning around until his rear was facing both Xibalba and Marigold.

"What? You want an apology?" Xibalba chuckled in a teasing tone and crossed his arms. "Is that why you're pouting, big baby boo?"

Marigold laughed when Medianoche neighed in retort and stomped his hoof, not turning around. Xibalba teleported in front of his horse. "Well, too bad." He turned his back on Medianoche with a playful grin; Marigold noticed he had something in his closed fist. "I was going to give you this." Xibalba lifted his left hand and opened his palm, revealing a pair of sugar cubes. Immediately, Medianoche took steps towards his master and tried to take the sugar cubes from Xibalba's hand, but the trickster god moved his hand away. "Not so angry now, are you?" Nevertheless, he allowed his horse to take the sugar cubes from his hands.

Marigold approached Medianoche from behind to take a peek, but as soon as Medianoche felt someone behind him he panicked; Xibalba barely had time to move Marigold away from Medianoche's hooves as the horse kicked the air with his massive leg.

"Marigold!" Xibalba mildly reproached his daughter. "Rule number one about horses, never stand behind one!"

"Sorry, papi…" Marigold whispered, then looked towards Medianoche. "Sorry, Middy."

The stallion snorted, accepting her apology.

"Papi, can you show me more tricks?"

Despite the former tension in the air, Xibalba chuckled and patted his daughter's head. "Why not?"