The samurais spent a sleepless night atop the ruins of the settlent.
It was still the latter part of the dry season in xico, which corresponds to early February, so there was no rain throughout the night. Early the next morning, Xiulote rose from beside the campfire and went with Ters to fetch water.
The most essential items in the rainforest were food and clean water. The semi-nomadic settlent could not have much food storage, so the warriors simply scavenged so smoked at and cornal, showing no interest in the unknown wild vegetables, dried fruits, and insects.
Olosh used sturdy agave ropes to organize the captives into two parallel lines, then led Xiulote and Ters, with half their troop clearing a path upfront while Makali and the other half followed behind.
The paths in the rainforest were always rugged and difficult, with tall trees blocking the sky and colorful venomous snakes amidst the branches. Swamps and mud pits were scattered underfoot, and the waterweeds teed with poisonous frogs and mosquitoes.
Here was a green desert, each still pond hiding parasites and venom.
Luckily, Olosh was not only a courageous jaguar warrior but also an expert in jungle survival. He applied a pungent ointnt on everyone and quickly found a river. The group then followed the relatively clear riverbank, winding southward.
Walking along the muddy riverbank, Xiulote carefully kept a distance from the "dead wood" in the river to avoid encountering surprises like jaguars. Curiously, he asked Olosh, "Teacher, where does this river lead?"
"This river is called Tampen. If you follow it upstream, it takes you past two city-states of the alliance. In just over half a month, we could return to the Holy City of Teotihuacan. Three days south of there lies the great capital city of the alliance, the sun god's promised ho for the xica people, the city in the lake, Tenochtitlan.
What a grand and beautiful city it is! There are a thousand canoes laden with goods, a thousand Chinampas planted with corn, a thousand communities full of xica warriors, and a thousand boulders piled up in the Great Temple! It is the greatest city-state of the alliance and the center of the world. Both your family and I co from there."
Xiulote nodded. Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Aztec city-state alliance and the wealthiest and most powerful of them all. This magnificent lake city ultimately fell to Spanish colonizers, signifying the demise of the Aztec civilization.
Above the ruins of Tenochtitlan now stood xico City, loyal to the Lord.
After pondering the prosperity and beauty of the capital city for a while, Xiulote again asked, "Teacher, have you ever been to the lower reaches of the Tampen River?"
This ti, it was Olosh's turn to fall into reminiscence. After a long while, he answered, "Many years ago, I followed the great Montezuma I on a campaign against the Vastec city-states. From here down the Tampen River, after more than twenty days of travel crossing the mountains, you reach the plains. At the end of the plains and the forest lies the Vastec city-state of Cukuxicapan.
Behind the city-state lies a boundless great lake, which is the end of the world but also leads to every corner of the world.
The lake contains many distant islands. Tribesn from those islands would arrive by boat to trade feathers, pottery, and cotton fabrics. Legend has it that to the north of the great lake lies an endless forestland, inhabited only by savages experiencing terrifying divine calamities annually that slay all life with white ash."
Xiulote paused, realizing that the Great Lake was the Caribbean Sea, the islands were the Caribbean archipelago, and the forested and snowy continent was North Arica. There was no mountain range running east-west across North Arica, and during winter, a dreadful cold wave from the Arctic swept down, destroying all settlents, repeatedly devastating erging civilizations.
For the Aztecs of the Stone and early Bronze Ages, the city-states of warm Central Arica were their entire world. In the rainforest, without roads and carriages, a three or four-month walk, covering at most five to six hundred kiloters, was the limit of their known world.
In their world, the city-states of the Maya on the southeastern Yucatan Peninsula were difficult to reach as foreign lands, the islands in the Caribbean Sea of the Eastern Lake were tales told by the elders, the Indian tribes of North Arica and the Inca Empire of South Arica were unknown legends, not to ntion the distant Spanish conquerors yet to arrive from across the ocean.
Contemplating the unknown world and future, Xiulote fell silent and simply followed Olosh. The paths of the rainforest also greatly drained his strength.
During the march, the troop paused once upon discovering a wild deer drinking by the river.
Olosh ordered everyone to be quiet. He advanced alone, taking a two-ter-long wooden javelin and fitting the feathered end onto a one-ter-long javelin thrower. Grasping the javelin thrower in his right hand and using the trees for cover, he crouched and stealthily approached the target.
The jaguar warrior seed to blend into the woodland. He stealthily approached to within thirty ters of the target when suddenly, the deer stopped drinking and lifted its head to look around, seemingly sensing sothing. At that mont, a shrill whistling sound t the air, and then the deer collapsed heavily, instantaneously lifeless.
The warriors all cheered together, chanting the na "Jaguar." Even the distant captives couldn't help but show fear on their faces.
Xiulote stepped forward to examine it and saw the javelin deeply embedded in the deer's heart, its force so great that it passed right through the body.
The youth was astonished by the precision and power of this long-range weapon. With a mix of admiration and envy, he said, "Teacher, this javelin is incredible, can I learn to use it?"
Olosh's face showed a hint of pride as he nodded and then shook his head.
"I will teach you, but it takes more than a year or two to master the javelin. Soon you will enter the Temple to begin your Priest training. The Alliance never lacks Jaguar nobility warriors, but every Priest is sacred and important."
Having said this, Olosh set up camp by the river, lit a fire, and had Ters prepare the deer carcass, skinning and smoking the at. He sent half the warriors into the woods to hunt, to replenish their food supplies. He himself took out a small obsidian knife, reshaping the tip of the javelin by the campfire and baking it dry over the fire.
In terms of sharpness, wood and stone weapons could perhaps compare with early bronze weapons, but their durability was worlds apart.
Thus, they trekked for two or three days, the altitude gradually increasing, the trees thinning out, opening up their view.
From a distance, Xiulote finally saw a wisp of cooking smoke rising, sparse corn growing in the vast fields. The fields were crudely marked, a sizable village slowly coming into view at the end of their sight.
As the group of warriors approached, a sharp whistle suddenly pierced the air in the village.
Xiulote saw chaotic figures gathering in the village, while Olosh led his troops to stop about a hundred ters away in an open field; twenty warriors stood silently, shields and clubs at the ready.
After a while, a bustling crowd surged out of the village, over two hundred strong n wielding various wooden clubs and stone spears, and about ten hunters clutching crude, easily broken bows and slings. At the forefront, they were clustered around an old man adorned with feathers and silver decorations.
The elder, seeing the "Jaguar" attire, wore an unmistakable look of anxiety.
He rushed forward with several villagers, bowed deeply, and said, "Esteed Jaguar warrior, I am the village Elder, what brings you to our village?
Our Vastec people have been submissive to the great Alliance for many rainy seasons; we have always made our tributes on ti. The tribute for the beginning of this year was even paid early. The harvest season hasn't arrived yet, and our storage contains neither grain nor hides."
"The great Asayacatl has returned to the Heavenly Divine's realm, and his brother Tizoc has ascended as the new Tratuoani. A grand coronation ceremony will be held this year!" As he ntioned the coronation ceremony, Olosh glanced at the village Elder.
Fear appeared on the Elder's face, and he imdiately fell to his knees, "We Vastec people have never wavered in our loyalty to the Alliance; we are willing to offer more tributes to celebrate our great King's ascension."
"Very well. As long as you remain loyal to the Alliance, you will not beco sacrifices at the ritual. We have just returned from capturing Sacrifices in the northern jungles." As he spoke, Olosh pointed to so captives in the distance. "We now need food for a hundred people for ten days, mainly cornbread and the rest in black beans."
"Of course, we won't take without giving." After observing the Elder's rather unpleasant expression and looking over at the two hundred ard n nearby, Olosh thought for a mont and pulled out a small, bulging cotton bag, handing it to the Elder. "This is two palm-sized pieces of cotton and two handfuls of cocoa beans. We just captured them and are in a hurry to return to the city, so we will not linger in your village."
This statent acted like the final weight tipping the scale, and the village Elder reluctantly nodded.
The Elder went back among the villagers and loudly gave a few orders. A small commotion ensued among them, which was quickly subdued under the Elder's scolding. Then two villagers went to the largest building in the village and carried out two large bundles of cornbread, each holding a large pottery jar.
Xiulote saw them bowing their heads, fearfully handing over the cornbread and pottery jars to the warriors. Once back among the villagers, however, their expressions turned resentful.
Olosh weighed the cornbread, opened the pottery jars, tasted the black bean paste inside, and then nodded satisfactorily to the village Elder before gesturing for his n to follow. The warriors then tucked their obsidian clubs behind their backs, taking the food and captives with them as they departed.
After walking for a while, Xiulote looked back at the distant village, where the villagers seed to still be holding their crude weapons, watching as the warriors left. Cooking smoke still rose slowly from the village, flas seemingly flickering quietly beneath it.
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