The other shore flowers bloom, and early sumr is a magnificent season. Blue wildflowers sway in the seaside grass. The continuous shrubs extend their green branches. Adding the red birds flying in the sky and the gray rabbits running on the grass together create a vibrant picture.
Such a splendid scenery, falling into the eyes of those who have survived drifting and adversity, is simply unforgettable. Old militia Chiwaco kneels on the beach, greedily watching everything before him, breathing in the comforting scent of the earth. And when he sees the beautiful pelicans stopping by, he drools with joy.
"Such a plump pelican... so wonderful!"
The fleet docks, and the archers on the ship finally have a chance to showcase their archery and hunt for ga. By dusk, the longship is anchored on the beach, and the bonfire rises on the shore. The warm roasted at carries a fragrance, accompanied by freshly cooked thick white fish soup and appetizing soft-boiled turtle eggs, as if one has instantly reached the Divine Kingdom.
After eating and drinking, everyone finally cos alive. Lying on the solid ground, they can at last have a good sleep. As the morning sunlight falls on their faces, new hope leaps in everyone’s heart. Along with it cos another critical question.
"Where is this place?"
"Chief Divine bless us! Still around 23 degrees north latitude... it should be the land of the Vastec. We need to return to the kingdom’s occupied area, and must follow the coast southward!"
Upon hearing this answer, the old militia nodded. He counted the crew, twenty-one people, one-third of whom were injured, along with two children. As for a few Mayan shipwrights and beekeeping slaves provided by the Kokom family...
"On Tawalu’s ship, probably ended up in the hands of the Totonac people."
"Hmm."
The old militia was silent for a while, and then went to check the cabin. The cabin has weapons for forty people and more than a dozen sets of bronze cloth armor. As for the precious Cuban crops, there are two baskets of cassava stalks and a bag of seeds from the Malab tung oil tree. Fortunately, cassava stalks are inedible, and the oil tree seeds are poisonous, so they were all retained. As for the assets, there is a small bag of herbs, two bags of gemstones, over a dozen rolls of cotton cloth, and so mineral samples collected from Cuba. Originally there were also two bags of cocoa beans, but they were eaten clean during their drift.
"And the sea chart given by that Maya for traveling to the Southern Continent?"
"With , I’ve always kept it, and have looked at it several tis."
Priest kate touched the sea chart closely stored in his bosom and said softly.
"However, so annotations are not easy to understand."
Hearing this, the old militia shook his head. The Maya rchant Tikalo is gone, and no one can explain these unclear annotations. However, if Tikalo had fled with the fleet, the chances of survival might be even less than ending up in the hands of the Totonac people.
"Let’s go! Heading south. Best to find a Vastec village, let the wounded rest for a while."
The longship follows the coast southward, neither catching the wind nor riding the current. The crew row reluctantly, with insufficient rowers, managing only thirty miles a day. Two days later, they finally arrive at a broad rivermouth. And following the rivermouth upstream, they row over ten miles and finally find a small village of the Vastec people.
"Can’t go further! Must let the wounded rest for a few days, and seek so herbs..."
Old militia Chiwaco squinted his eyes, examining the small village by the river. The so-called village was rely a few huts, several semi-underground pit houses, and two lush green fields. The tribespeople of Vastec in the village were bare-chested, only wearing a loincloth. They chatted, curiously observing the docked longship. And because there were few people from the fleet, the villagers were not fearful.
"Chief Divine bless us! The Vastec tribes are loyal subjects of the alliance... there are many gemstones and cloth on the ship, we can rest here for so ti, replenishing so food... if we can recruit so sailors, that would be even better!..."
Priest kate held the sun amulet around his neck and piously prayed a few tis. Then, he walked towards the village on the shore and patiently communicated with the only elder in the village who could speak xica Language.
"Rain Divine! Are you... warriors of the Great Alliance, surviving from the storm at sea?"
The elder of the village was surprised, looking at the two leaders of the crew. His old eyebrows twitched for a while, wanting to say sothing, but ultimately just sighed.
"Warriors of the Great Alliance... finally I see the warriors of the alliance!... twenty people, only twenty people... alas! Rain Divine!"
Listening to the village’s vague xica Language, old militia Chiwaco and Divine Revelation Priest kate looked at each other, unclear about what the elder was lanting. The old militia patiently waited for a while until the elder’s emotions cald down before asking.
"Respected elder of the village, we want to rest here for a few days, exchanging so food and herbs... we have gemstones and cloth that can be given in exchange..."
"Ah? Rest for a few days, in the village?"
"Yes! The wounded on the ship must lie down for healing. They have external injuries that haven’t been properly treated..."
"Oh! Okay! That’s fine, that’s fine... you stay here!"
The elder of the village hesitated for a while, looking at the sincere and persistent old militia, finally nodded. His aged and wrinkled face was hard to read but showed a slight change in expression.
"You stay! There is food! I’ll give you my hut..."
With the promise from the village elder, the old militia was full of gratitude. He led the remaining crew to settle down peacefully in the village.
This Vastec village was clearly not wealthy, but at least there was enough food. The style of the huts in the village was quite new, seemingly just built less than two years ago, possibly recently relocated from sowhere.
The old militia wanted to find soone to inquire about and chat, but he couldn’t understand the tribe’s Vastec Language. In the gestures between the two sides, he only vaguely guessed that this tribe ca from a "war in the South," migrating from the south.
"War in the South? Canine Descendants and Vastec people?"
Upon hearing this, Priest kate was also puzzled. To the priests of the kingdom, the Vastec coast was too distant, and intelligence from here was rarely transmitted to the Kingdom of the Lake. During the years he spent at sea, he had not paid attention to the Vastec land.
"Chief Divine bless us! Why not ask the elder who speaks xica Language, then we’ll know?"
"The elder is not here. Before he left, he said he was going to other villages to borrow so food and herbs..."
"Oh! Captain Chi, then let’s wait for him to return and ask! Anyway, we need to rest for a while, not rushing southward."
"Hmm."
Old militia frowned, always feeling sothing was amiss. A sense of foreboding lingered in his heart, yet he couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason. Until the morning of the second day, the village elder reappeared. And simultaneously appearing were more than eighty fierce-faced Canine Warriors, raiding everyone who was preparing breakfast!
"Ha! Truly a group of weak and fat prey!"
The red-haired leader of the Canine Warriors held a copper spear and, along with a team of warriors bearing bows and raised spears, surrounded those who couldn’t don their armor in ti. He looked at the weapons in everyone’s hands and then at the longship by the shore, eyes gleaming with excitent.
"Capture them, and tie them up! Surrender your weapons, do not resist, so you can live! Otherwise, I’ll shoot you dead!"
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