The endless sea of sand stretched into the distance, bright sea birds circling and singing loudly. The desert was always sparsely populated, with only a faint touch of green here and there. Yet, behind the desolation lay the vitality hidden in the North, with boundless lands!
At this mont, Chiwaco stood on a dune, gazing at the new northern mountains and seas. They were vast and desolate mountains, and the sea of the desert. mories from months poured into his heart, leaving him infinitely emotional.
In mid-December of last year, the Kingdom Fleet officially set sail from the mouth of the Tarsas River. They travelled along the coast, filled with the unknown and apprehension, heading northwest of the world. Then, Kate asured for the first ti, it was at 18 degrees North Star.
At the end of December, the fleet reached the heart of the Southern Tekos Tribe, resupplying at a village on the edge of the Fire River Plains, and encountering an envoy from Fire River City for an inquiry. The recorded position was about 19 degrees North Star.
In early January this year, the fleet reached the mouth of the Lerma River, the center of the Northern Tekos Tribe, the prosperous Three Rivers City. There, they were attacked by the hostile Tekos Tribe, resulting in more than ten casualties. The location was near 21 degrees North Star, having travelled approximately fifteen hundred miles!
In late January, the fleet arrived at the mouth of the Tarsas River, encountering the first unknown tribe, the Totoi people. The group resupplied at Fish Mountain Village and heard of the northern Mayo people. As for the location of Fish Mountain Village, it was presumably between 22-23 degrees North Star.
In early February, the fleet reached the mouth of the Mayo River and encountered the powerful coastal tribe, the Yoreim Tribe of the Mayo people. Following traditional customs, Chiwaco danced with the Yoreim Tribe’s Chieftain Kalan, wearing a deer head. Subsequently, the two had a pleasant conversation, sharing their backgrounds and reaching a fair trade, even exchanging young warriors.
In the Yoreim Tribe, the fleet first learned about the islands where flocks of birds resided, located on the northwest seashore. They heard about the Yaji people along the northern coast, the Opata people in the northern mountains, the Kochimi people on the western peninsula, the Teli people in the distant northern desert, and the desert people in the farther wilderness.
The group also witnessed the abundant gold and copper mines of the Mayo people and learned about the tribal firestone fields, which were coal mines. The location of the Yoreim was between 25-26 degrees North Star, nearly three thousand miles from the starting point at Tarsas River mouth.
In mid-February, the fleet reached the mouth of the Yaqui River, encountering the even stronger Yoe Tribe of the Yaji people. The Yoe Tribe not only produced copper and gold but also had extensive open-pit coal mines with impressive reserves. Chiwaco made the acquaintance of the warrior leader of the Yoe Tribe, Viejo Mountain Eagle, and visited the Yoe Tribe’s firestone fields, exchanging for so hard quality coal fairly.
The location of the Yoe Tribe was crucial, serving as the trade center for surrounding tribes. The fleet encountered rchants from the mountains belonging to the Opata people, carrying red copper weapons for trade, confirming the rumors of the Opata red copper mountains. The group also t tribespeople from the edge of the eastern wilderness, the Makuvi Tribe. From these people, they heard about the powerful Taro Tribes in the eastern wilderness and the fierce Apache Alliance in the northern grasslands.
The position of the Yoe Tribe was approximately between 27-28 degrees North Star.
In late February, the fleet learned precisely in the Guaima Tribe that the island inhabited by the Teli people, the gigantic and peculiar "Tahkoi" Island, was known as the Sea Bird Island.
In early March, after a long trek, the fleet reached "Tahkoi" Island. The island was ho to many seabirds and towering mountains. Chiwaco nad it "Bird Mountain Island". The group explored the island, digging up so oddly colored guano rocks, soon engaging in severe conflict with a hunting party of the Teli people.
Shortly after the initial conflict, a larger battle ensued. The fleet landing on Bird Mountain Island was like stirring a hornet’s nest of Teli people from all over the desert.
Thousands of Teli warriors rushed in day and night from all directions of the desert to defend "Tahkoi". The fleet abandoned the island and took to the sea, engaging in a sea battle with the Teli. They lost more than a dozen n, while the Teli suffered over a hundred casualties. The chieftain of the Lobster Tribe, Pikam, was captured.
That night, Chiwaco shook hands and reconciled with Pikam. The two swore a blood oath, their blood mingling, dispelling the enmity brought about by the battle. From Pikam’s words, Chiwaco learned that Bird Mountain Island was the sacred holand of the Teli people, where the Spirit Whale resided, forbidding outsiders from entering. There were many other islands with guano rocks around Bird Mountain Island.
The fleet first realized they were in a particularly narrow bay, and the long, narrow peninsula in the west shielded them from the turbulent sea. If they continued to sail northwest, they would reach the end of the bay, at the edge of the Northern Continent!
As for the location of Bird Mountain Island, it was around 29 degrees North Star, over four thousand miles from their initial departure.
Afterward, the fleet discovered "Snakebird Island," with similar guano rocks, about a hundred miles west of Bird Mountain Island. The group collected so guano rock samples and proceeded towards their final target.
Today, in mid-March, the fleet finally landed at the edge of the desert, at the end of the bay! This was the endpoint of the Kingdom’s first voyage and the beginning of the endless Northern Continent!
This was 31-32 degrees North Star, a full five thousand miles from the Tarsas starting point!
Northeast from here was the Apache Alliance of the hunting grasslands; due north were the desert people occupying the sea of sand; northwest were the Kuyaay people who occupied the Salt Lake. Behind these tribes were vast endless lands and countless Northern Tribes like the grains of river sand!
"Five thousand miles travelled, without seeing the end of the world... What a vast land, what an endless world!... What a blind Chief Divine!!..."
After a long ti, Chiwaco finally woke from his extended reverie and involuntarily shouted softly.
At this mont, he gazed at the vast northern desert and hills, with pure curiosity in his eyes, like that of an innocent child. At this mont, under the vast sky and sea, he forgot all the burdens he carried on his shoulders. He had only one abrupt question rising from his sea of mind, a question he had never thought of before.
"So, just how big is this world?"
The old Militia had no answer. He wanted to know the answer, yet he wasn’t eager to seek it. His heart was small, unable to contain such a vast world, only holding a small ho. His heart was also big, with enough resilience to bear the hardships of exploration and searching in the vast world.
After a mont of wistful thought, Chiwaco finally gathered all his thoughts. At this mont, having completed the task given by His Majesty, a strong desire to return ho had already surfaced in his heart. The longing for his daughter and ho overwheld him like a surging tide!
"Hmm, let’s dig up so sand here to bring back to His Majesty!... You all should keep so for yourselves too, as a nto."
Chiwaco solemnly ordered. The group then took so sand, placing it inside their cotton bags with them.
The Teli had long departed, leaving only two tribal scouts to observe the actions of the large ship’s people. Seeing this scene, they were sowhat puzzled and sowhat amused.
"Have these tribespeople who travel on large ships never seen sand? This endless sea of sand would take a whole month to traverse! And sand is the most abundant thing in the world..."
"Shush! It seems they’re leaving after digging up so sand."
"Leaving? To where?"
"They seem headed southwest. Once they cross to the other side of the bay, that’s the land of the Kochimi, beyond the concern of us Konkak people."
"Oh, leaving is good! Let’s go too then!"
"No! They didn’t take the deer, we must take it... It would feed us for days!"
"Huh? They didn’t take the deer!? What foolish tribespeople! We’d better hurry, the desert people might co back!"
"Alright!"
Soon, the two Teli scouts lifted the wild deer and stood on the sand dune, staring blankly at the fast-departing large ships.
Chiwaco stood at the stern, wearing an old eagle feather crown, gazing towards the north. The vast sea of sand receded far behind; the boundless Northern Continent remained shrouded in the unknown. However, the entire Kingdom Fleet had reached the limit of their exploration, with no more energy to delve further into the unknown North.
Along the way, the exploration fleet had been attacked several tis, in addition to the constant attrition, the crew had suffered heavy casualties! There were over a hundred Kingdom’s Warriors and sailors at the ti of departure, but now more than a third were lost.
The shortage of many sailors was filled by tribespeople recruited along the way. However, the losses of the Kingdom’s Warriors were irreplaceable. The diminishing morale of the fleet was irrediable, even with devout faith and the Divine Revelation of the Royal Decree!...
"It’s ti to go ho! We’ve traveled so far, enough to report back to His Majesty. And the journey ho still spans five thousand miles!"
After a mont of gazing, the old Militia Chiwaco turned around. He looked towards the vast southern sea and sky and called out loudly to everyone.
"Praise the Chief Divine! May He protect us across the endless waves!"
"Praise the Chief Divine! Let us cross the waves!"
Sailors and warriors shouted in unison, voicing their hopes and aspirations fervently.
"The Ancestors will also protect us, as we return ho to the Kingdom!"
"Ancestors protect us, as we return ho!"
"Let’s go, we’re going ho!"
"Ho!!"
The fiery shouts echoed in the northern sky and sea, carrying a blazing will. The powerful long wind ca from the northern mountains, carrying away the calls in the wind. This long wind blew southward, over the desolate desert, crossing the rugged mountains; it ascended the rolling highlands, followed the lively rivers, continuing to the east...
Finally, it paused at the riverside over six thousand miles away, arriving at a brutal battlefield. The real fire was fiercely burning in a strategically crucial City-State in the mountains, lighting up the entire sky!
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