Aztec Eternals

The vast night is always busy, and the scattered days are also in a hurry. During the alternation of night and day, the warriors of the Kingdom of Tarasco mobilized quietly, disturbing the birds in the mountains and forests, leaving only the faint sound of the wind. The auspicious day of the Sun God is approaching, and the scouts of the Mexica Alliance have shrunk significantly. The Legion is preparing for a grand ceremony, bringing a brief moment of peace to the front.

Late at night the next day, the wooden door of the alpine fortress opened silently. Under the protection of the copper ax guards, the inherited king's flag is at the forefront. The eagle flapped its black wings and sank into the western forest. The 10,000 elite gradually gathered from the several fortresses in the rear, forming a retreating torrent. Holding scattered torches in their hands, the warriors galloped quietly towards the western capital.

The morning star lights up the eastern sky, heralding the arrival of dawn. In the flowing sunlight, Suangwa ascended the hill by the stream and looked back at the fortress of the mountain.

The mountain road is winding and long, and the eagle flag on the top of the fort has turned into tiny dots, only the bright golden color flickers in the morning light. And beside the dot, a figure as thin as a pine needle stood quietly. Across a long distance, the two most noble descendants of Tarasco stared at each other. Before the sun rises, they leave their last attention, then say goodbye silently, and walk towards an unknown but unchangeable path.

The morning light gradually brightened, and the morning sun rose slowly. In the same mountain range, King Avet was wearing a red royal robe, a slender feather crown, and an emerald belt, shining like the incarnation of a god. Standing on the heights of the fortress, he looked towards the bright east. Stratus clouds spread out to both sides, like waves unfolding in layers, revealing the gate of the Kingdom of God. A big red sun is slowly rising from the sky. He shines on the verdant and verdant Sitacuaro forest, and also illuminates the thousands of Mexica warriors under the tall fortress.

Avit raised his head, raised the topaz scepter high, and saluted the rising sun god. Accompanied by the king's actions, the war priests sang ancient songs, lit the hot flames, and prayed for the coming of the Lord God.

This is a grand funeral, on the auspicious day of the sun god. A huge holy fire burns in the center surrounded by warriors. All the torn cotton armor, frayed batons, and broken shields are piled up into hills with distinct layers, surrounding the fire, entrusting the lost souls of the warriors.

Under the priest's ceremony, the sun god lowered his brilliant eyes. His gaze is fixed on the earth, the stream at the bottom of the valley is floating like a jade belt, and the undulating mountains are hidden and stretched into the distance. The evil moon remained in the western sky, driven by the power of the Lord God, and fled to the lair of the royal city of Tarasco. When the light of the clouds rises into the clouds, the resplendent Lord God finally descends into the world, turning into a dazzling golden color, and spreading over the whole world!

".God has come! He leads the souls of the dead to the red country! He promises to the world: the warriors who died for God will open their eyes again. Under the red sky, they welcome the red dawn!"

King Avit spread his arms and shouted with all his might. The loud voice echoed in the fortress, like the promise of the gods. Then, the priests shouted in unison, praising the supreme Lord God.

"Praise the Lord God Vitzilopochtli! He saves the believers who pray devoutly and receives the souls who sacrificed for God!"

The fierce battle drums were beating, and the loud and clear flute was playing. In the chanting of the priests, hundreds of nobles and thousands of warriors faced the rising sun in the east at the same time, piously praising the gods. The rising sun fell into the eyes, the sun was shining brightly, and it made people's mind sway in an instant. The warriors then fell to the ground, holding the talisman of the main god. They followed the guidance of the priest, closed their eyes, imagined the glory of the kingdom of God, and then shouted in unison, calling the name of God three times.

"Believe in the Lord God Vitzilopochtli! Praise the Sun God Vitzilopochtli! Dedicate yourself to the God of War Vitzilopochtli!"

When everyone opened their eyes again, Chaoyang could no longer look directly at him. The priests once again danced to celebrate the gods and sang songs of praise. The warriors chanted in a low voice, made wishes to the main god, and sent messages to the dead. The nobles stepped forward one after another, threw the clothes of the war dead into the fire, and sent them to the red country.

A moment later, King Avit waved his scepter again, respectfully sending the Lord God away. Outside the fortress, the eagle warriors also put away their bright red obsidian daggers to clean up the traces of sacrifice. When the grand ceremony ended, Avit walked down from the highest point of the fort amidst the cheers of thousands of people. His eyes lingered slightly outside the fortress, and then left indifferently. There has been an extra rolling hill. All Tarasco wounded who could not work were sacrificed and buried here.

The cronies and guards immediately stepped forward, followed the supreme king, and returned to the main hall of the main castle. Avit washed the sweat off his face, unloaded the heavy royal clothes, and put on a light cotton robe. Then, with a smile on his face, he asked in a relaxed tone.

"Gilliam, are all the nobles and nobles of the legion here today?"

"Your Majesty, today is the auspicious day of the Sun God. Except for the chief officers stationed in each castle, all the honorable nobles and hereditary nobles have arrived. The jaguar and eagle battle groups have also gathered here to guard the surrounding area. .”

Gilliam saluted solemnly, and replied earnestly.

"Excellent! Let them all stay. Prepare wine and meat, hold a banquet tonight, and get drunk with the generals!"

Avette laughed loudly. After half a year of fighting, exposed to the wind and the sun, his face was slightly flushed, his outline was clear and tough, and his expression became more determined. While chatting and laughing casually, he showed more unruly heroism than before, and also showed a little more ruthless chill.

"Your Majesty, do you need to add some herbs to the wine?"

"Well, according to the priest's practice, there are three batches of wine before and after, with different medicinal herbs. The opening is the black feather jade of enlightenment, the middle is the hallucinogenic psilocybe mushroom, and the ending is tranquil sage. Remember, the dosage is the priest One-third of that, don't add more."

After thinking for a while, Avit answered clearly with a smile. For his beloved daughter Alyssa, he picked up the herbalism he learned when he was young, and his profound attainments surpassed many high priests.

Gilliam nodded respectfully. Immediately, he asked softly.

"Your Majesty, do you want to prepare girls to serve the generals?"

Avit lowered his eyes and shook his head.

"The samurai's tent should not be stained with customs. At most, some musicians and dancers should come. As for the singing girls, they should be sent directly to the nobles' private tents."

Gilliam bowed his head in resignation. Soon, he raised his head again and asked calmly.

"Your Majesty, a few months ago, the warriors intercepted some of Tarasco's envoys and captured two princesses of Tarasco's royal family. The priestesses accompanying the army have been trained for two months and can guarantee that there is no threat. Do you want them Follow around?"

Hearing this, Avit was startled. He recalled a little, and cast a majestic gaze.

"The royal princess of Tarasco? Is that the group of envoys to Tlaxcala?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, the group that was raided by the Jaguar Group. After the Western Expedition, marrying a royal princess from Tarasco will allow you to better subdue the people in the lake. And if the royal families of the two countries If you can give birth to the next bloodline, you will be a better candidate for the prince. Your descendants can rule the vast Mikancho region for the great alliance."

Gilliam saluted again. He was frank, without any personal affair.

Arvette looked serious. He pondered for a long time before speaking with certainty.

"Princess Tarasco doesn't need to be in a hurry. You can wait until Qin Congcan is captured. As for the Patzcuaro Lake District, the enfeoffed prince is Shulot, and this will not change!"

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Shulot is the heir to the royal family, and he will eventually return to the capital. The Patzcuaro Lake District in front of him is six or seven hundred miles away from the capital, and it will take a month for the messenger to travel. And the farther The Chapala Lake area is even thousands of miles away, and even an eagle has to fly for ten days. These frontier lands can only be handed over to the princes of the royal family for guarding. The world in the future is unpredictable, and it is beneficial to prepare early now. The royal family, too, is good for the Union."

Avit smiled, noncommittal. He looked at the intelligence officer and asked about the information he was concerned about.

"The savage Tlaxcalans have invaded the border of the Union. How many troops are there now, and how is the battle going?"

"The four states of Tlaxcala have mobilized 30,000 warriors and 30,000 militiamen to invade the southeastern state of Wattstepec. The local city-state nobles abandoned the fields and villages, guarded fortresses and cities, and asked for reinforcements from the capital in the lake !"

The king frowned. The grain road of the South Army passed through Laziko State in the southwest, only two hundred miles away from Watts Tepek State. If the Tlaxcala army breaks through Huatstepec, the enemy's vanguard can touch the Mexica Valley, and it will even threaten the rear of the army.

"How did the religious elders of the holy city of Cholula react?"

"The religious elders acquiesced to the mobilization of the leaders of the four states. The Tarascos promised to convert, a condition the elders could not refuse."

"What did the religious leader Petel say? Acap gets along well with him, can he be persuaded again?"

"Your Majesty, a cunning old fox cannot be bought by sweet honey. His Royal Highness Shulot conquered Huayamo and came to the city of Qin Congcan, which greatly shocked the religious elders. They were close to the alliance on the surface, but secretly But they started to be wary. They are afraid of the alliance's growth!"

"Well, no matter. Trask people and our generational blood feud, it is always inevitable to have a battle. Send more holy water to Akap, so that the religious elders can meet the gods more often!"

Gilliam nodded knowingly, showing a slight smile. He continued talking.

"The city-states in the southeast have been operating defense lines for a long time, and they can hold on for at least three months. The problem now is that the city-states in the southeast have a small population and insufficient warriors. If there are not enough warriors in the defense line, there is no ability to attack and harass!"

Avit thought for a while and asked aloud.

"Is there an enemy attacking the northeast city-state?"

"The Vastecs in the Northeast met with Tarasco's envoys in private, and it seems that there is some instability. The nobles of the Northeast and the Northeast need to guard against the Tlaxcalans, but they are actually unwilling to go south to support the nobles in the Southeast."

"These city-state aristocrats, Shulott, are right. Only by strengthening and centralizing power is the future of the alliance! Then we will draw 5,000 royal warriors from the South Road to form a supporting army. Order them to advance along the Talsas River and deter the south bank. The Mixtec people. These wandering 'people in the clouds' interrupted the New Year's tribute, and just sent an envoy to reprimand! In addition, let the northern general Othelor be careful, and if necessary, he can attack first and suppress the various tribes of the Vastec !"

Gilliam took out the charcoal pencil and recorded them one by one on rough paper. He is extremely self-disciplined and smart. After studying for a year, he is now proficient in writing and writing. Afterwards, the intelligence officer raised his head, revealing his deep eyes.

"Your Majesty, in the past nine months, the royal warriors have suffered nine thousand casualties, and the southern city-state has also lost four thousand warriors. Even with the addition of two thousand aristocratic regiments, there are only thirty-two thousand warriors in the army. More than a month ago , Marshal Iscari led 5,000 legions to the west, and now he has sent 5,000 warriors to the east to help, and the troops on the south road are slightly insufficient. It is the slack season in the Texcoco Lake area, should we continue to mobilize the militia?"

Hearing this, Avit turned around and walked to the window of the main hall. He raised his head slightly, looking at the forest in the northwest and the steep fortress on the mountain. The bottom of the fortress was stained dark red with blood, and the bluestone walls were covered with traces of smoke and fire. On the top of the fortress, Tarasco's king's flag stands at the highest point of Sitacualo, and the eagle's flag is flying.

The king stared at it for a while, then sighed helplessly.

"The mountain is steep, and the catapult is useless. The Tarascos imitated a large number of longbows. This kind of mountain fortress can no longer be captured by manpower. The Tarascos are unable to counterattack, and we cannot break through. In this case, No matter how many troops gather on the southern front, it is just a waste of food and grass! Mobilize 10,000 militiamen from the Lake District, ready to support the southeastern city-state. As for Sitacuaro, it is only necessary to maintain the pressure on the front line, and no more reinforcements are needed.”

Gilliam nodded and continued writing. Arvit looked away. He was in high spirits and looked towards the western sky.

"Fortunately, Shulot has captured Huayamo Fortress and opened up the situation in the north! Tepopolo's detachment also went deep along the lower reaches of the Tarsas River, landing in the southern hinterland of Tarasco and heading north. ! As long as one of these two legions can continue to advance and cut off the enemy's food supply, the victory of this Western Expedition will come!"

Soon, Gilliam finished recording. He bowed down and saluted the king solemnly.

"Your Majesty, judging from the information collected from various places, Tarasco's national power has been exhausted. They can't hold on anymore. The alliance will surely win, and you will also become the greatest leader in the epic, forging the immortal reputation of jade !"

Avit laughed. He patted Gilliam on the shoulder.

"Although this Western Expedition is difficult, it is only the beginning of a long journey! As the leader of the Mexica, you must follow the example of the great Montezuma I and spend your life in the army. Gilliam, go down first. Military order, prepare the banquet!"

Gilliam bowed his head and left the hall backwards. He walked under the shadow of the building without making any sound. After he walked out of the main castle, he recruited his attendants and conveyed the military orders in detail. The order after order is smooth and clear, without omissions. At the end of the speech, the intelligence officer suddenly paused. He thought for a moment before opening his mouth with a solemn expression.

"The priestess is here. Get her ready to bring the princesses of Tarasco tonight."

The servants lead away. Gilliam stood silently in the shadow of the house, gazing at the bluestone walls. The ancient tarasco patterns carved on the wall record the vicissitudes of hundreds of years, but it reminds people of the not-too-distant future. After a long time, he suddenly looked back, revealing a pair of bright and captivating eyes, deep but without emotion.

In the main hall, Avit was still standing in front of the window, admiring the rolling hills and observing the high mountain fortress. Immediately, his eyes narrowed and he stared closely. Next to the distant eagle flag, there is a faint figure like a dot. The figure's clothes were full of brilliance, but the specific appearance could not be seen clearly.

Avit closed his eyes, scenes of the past emerged in front of his eyes, and deep-rooted memories flooded his heart. He firmly grasped the magic staff in his hand, and murmured to himself in a low voice.

"Sholot, my student, you will never let me down. Su Angua, my old friend, I look forward to the day when I meet you again!"