The waves rolled, the winding coastline turned from the north to the east. The beach was wide, and the smoke from salt boiling rose amidst the village. This was already the northwesternmost part of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Salt Village of the Canul Guardian Clan territory. A seaside village that produces sea salt, not very large, but quite prosperous.
The sea breeze ward, seven Kingdom Longships were anchored by the coast of Salt Village, but no one disembarked. Old militia Chiwaco stood on the ship’s prow, watching the dense crowd on the beach, listening to their uproarious shouting, straight left him dumbfounded.
"This? This?... What are they doing?!"
The flagship crew were equally at a loss, looking at the shore without a word. Only to see on the not-so-large beach outside Salt Village, five large teams of Maya city-state warriors with feathers on their backs and javelins were gathered. These Maya warriors seed to co from different villages, led by different Feather Crown Divine Descendants. Each team varied in number, the smallest about two hundred, the largest around four hundred.
At this ti, the largest team of Maya city-state warriors stood closest to the beach, waving stone spears and darts in their hands, shouting at the ship. While the two smallest teams were crowded to the sides, gazing from afar.
As for the remaining two evenly matched Maya warrior contingents, they didn’t even glance at the ship but instead tensely confronted each other. They cursed each other while waving weapons closer. The Divine Descendant leaders almost face to face, spewing saliva as they cursed, then ordered their warriors to drop weapons and proceeded to wrestle with naked fists!
"What?!"
Old militia Chiwaco widened his eyes, watching the two Maya warrior contingents beat each other with real punches, instantly feeling the familiar sensation of village head brawls. He grabbed Tikalo, pointed at the chaotic crowd opposite, and loudly asked.
"Tikalo, aren’t they all from that Canul Guardian Clan? Why are they fighting each other?"
"Uh... maybe, maybe they have a longstanding enmity... and now t, they want to fight for priority trading with our fleet?"
Mayan rchant Tikalo watched for a long while, also at a loss. He listened intently for a while, full of curses involving mutual ancestors, suddenly shocked. Then, he listened to the nearby shouting and finally figured out sothing.
"Captain Chi, they’re asking the fleet to quickly co ashore! They want to trade gemstones with the ship!"
"Quickly co ashore, trade gemstones?"
Old militia Chiwaco furrowed his brows, exchanged a glance with Chief God Priest Tomate, and both shook their heads. The old militia pointed at the warriors by the shore, asked in a deep voice.
"They haven’t brought goods apart from weapons, what are they trading gemstones for? Isn’t it obvious, they want to steal, want to rob?"
"This... direct robbery... shouldn’t be likely."
Mayan rchant Tikalo listened for a while longer, relaying the city-state divine descendants’ words.
"War God, Guardian God of rchant, Ek Chuaj witness! Quickly co ashore, we will not harm the rchant fleet from afar! However, this is Canul Guardian Clan’s territory; passing rchant fleets must pay tribute! This is War God’s request for protecting rchant teams, also the Kapok Code’s rule! Quickly co ashore!"
"What? We haven’t even co ashore, and we have to prepare to pay taxes?"
Chiwaco squinted his old eyes, counted the city-state teams on the shore, and sneered coldly.
"There are five teams of Maya warriors here, are we going to be taxed five tis?"
"Chief Divine witness! Greed has taken these people’s hearts, letting them hold malice, speak deceitfully."
Priest Tomate prayed, shaking his head.
"However, even so, the Chief Divine hasn’t abandoned them, offering them a chance for light!... Captain Puapu."
Gray Soil Nobles Puapu had already donned armor, picked up a greatbow, staring at the noble divine descendants by the seaside. Hearing Priest Tomate’s summons, he turned his head, eyes full of killing intent.
"Hmm? What?"
"Let the fleet approach, then shoot a round of feathered arrows, give them so warning!"
Priest Tomate commanded in a deep voice, then embraced his ever-present scriptures, hanging a few amulets around his neck.
"Then, I’ll go down, et with them for a bit."
"Ah?... You still want to disembark?"
"Yes! I have co with His Highness’s prophecy, I must let them know!"
"... This big tomato, hopping back and forth, sooner or later he’ll be gnawed by wolves..."
Gray Soil Puapu glanced at Priest Tomate’s resolute face, cursed in his heart with irritation. Then, he gritted his teeth, ordered the Prepetcha Warriors on board.
"Raise the flag, inform all the ships! Ships approach, raise the bows and shoot! Shout fiercely, intimidate the silly turkeys over there!"
"As ordered, Captain!"
In just a mont, the Kingdom fleet approached the beach. Then, over a hundred skilled archers simultaneously raised their bows, aid and shot at an angle.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
The fierce rain of arrows brought death’s whistle, soared over the Maya warriors on the shore, plunging straight into the sand behind, penetrating an inch deep. Then, hundreds on the fleet simultaneously raised weapons, shouted loudly.
"Chief Divine protect! We fight for the gods, fearless! Those who obstruct will suffer divine punishnt, dood!"
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
The whistling arrows crossed overhead, the thunderous shouts suddenly exploded. The Maya warriors who were shouting abruptly fell silent. Even the two Maya warrior contingents fighting at the back gradually stopped. A mont of quiet descended on the shore, as if wolves scrambling over waterfowl suddenly discovered, ahead of them was not a gentle waterfowl, but a fierce Jaguar!
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