After time that could not be counted, the waters that covered the entire Earth began to recede. The sky became blue again, and the sun shone down once more upon the land. The gods watched from above and decided that now was the time for humans to populate the Earth.
'We need the bones of our ancestors to make humans,' announced one god. 'The humans will look like us and worship us.'
'Who will travel to the Realm of the Dead to get the bones?' asked a second god. All eyes turned to Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent.
Quetzalcoatl nodded his head in agreement: 'I will gladly take on the task. My magic rod will guide me to the Realm of the Dead.'
For many bright days and many dark nights, Quetzalcoatl flew over the earth until he came to a narrow cave he knew was the entrance to the Realm of the Dead. He marched into the gloom and hadn't been walking very long when he heard a booming voice shout out his name. It was the Lord of the Dead.
'What do you want, Quetzalcoatl? Why have you ventured into my realm?'
Quetzalcoatl told the Lord of the Dead he had come to ask for bones that the gods needed to make humans who would live on Earth. The Lord of the Dead asked a few more questions and decided to give Quetzalcoatl what he wanted.