Aztec Eternals

"People of the hot land, wandering on the earth, like fallen leaves in the wind, falling to an unknown destination. Feathered snake god, light up the bright road ahead, the long migration road is full of rocks and thorns."

Priest Papu told about the horrors in the north, the head of Chuchute made a decision, and the Snake Lake tribe began to migrate immediately. This migration was so hurried without much hesitation, just like their ancestors. In the inherited epic, the ancestors of the tribe came from the far north and traveled all the way from the desolate Gobi. And now, it is another migration to the hot land in the south.

In fact, the meaning of "Totonac" is "hot land". "Totonac people" are "people of the hot land".

Time is tight, shouts and haste are everywhere. The young and strong people wore loincloths, bare upper body, and carried baskets of grain on their backs. The women wore concealed gowns, bowed their heads, and carried cloth and pottery on their backs. The headman, Chu Chute, personally commanded several strong men to carry the wooden carvings that symbolized the inheritance of the tribe.

As for the old people left behind by the tribe, they stayed in the village that was about to be emptied, looking at the lush farmland, waiting for a short and unknown fate. They sat cross-legged on an earthen altar outside the village, beat ancient leather drums, sang songs of the gods, and bid farewell to those who never returned.

"The tall sun god, guide the way to the south, look for the fertile soil for planting corn toward his scorching light. The old thunder god, control the endless East China Sea, remember to walk along the coast, there will be food and water. O rain god of the new day, roll up the terrible hurricane, do not go out in the season of his wrath, and escape the sweeping flood"

The old singing echoed in the fields and reached the ears of Priest Papu, making him stop and look back.

In the traditional polytheistic belief of the Totonac people, in addition to the feathered serpent god of prosperity, there is also the sun god who controls the sunshine crops, the old thunder god who controls the endless waters, and the new rain god who controls the hurricane. Their Nahua beliefs share many similarities with the Mexica of the highlands, as well as more unique deities.

"Headman Chuchute, bring so many things with you, and migrate slowly like this."

Priest Pap frowned, looked over the low hut made of palm leaves and branches to the quiet green jungle in the north, worried.

"How can we outrun the army of the Aztecs going south?"

"Without food, we cannot survive the autumn harvest. Without cotton cloth and pottery, we cannot get help from other tribes. And without inherited wood carvings, how can I lead the tribe in the name of our ancestors?"

Hearing Priest Papu's words, the headman Chu Chute shook his head with some disapproval in his eyes. Although he listened to Priest Papu's exhortation, he decided to migrate with his family. But he still had luck in his heart, and he didn't think that the Aztec army would get here so soon.

"What's more, there is still the mighty Cēmpoalli, the Erashui City tribe with more than 20,000 tribes, blocking us to the north!"

"The mighty Chinpo Ali, with two or three thousand warriors in the Nian Shui City Department."

Hearing this, Priest Papu's face froze, and some hesitation appeared in his heart. In Nahua, "Cēmpoal" means "twenty". "Cēmpoalli" (Cēmpoalli) is the "land of twenty waters", a rich city-state with many canals and lakes, the city of twenty waters.

Erashui City is located sixty to seventy miles south of Feather Serpent Ancient City, and it is a truly ancient city-state. It was established at the end of the Olmec era and the early Teotihuacan era, with a history of more than 1,500 years. It is said that when the kings of Teotihuacan conquered the Maya, they left a record board in Erashui City, blood sacrificed six hundred captives, and sacrificed to the old gods.

This ancient city is located inland on the coastal plain, next to the Actopan River, and more than a dozen miles from the coastline. When Priest Papu went south, he hurriedly rowed a boat and fled, but he didn't see the situation of Erashui City.

"When guarding the ancient city of Feathered Serpent, more than 700 warriors were sent out from Nian Shui City, but they were completely defeated by the Aztecs, causing a lot of casualties. Like many coastal city-states, Nian Shui City has no walls."

Priest Papu was worried and looked at the leader Chu Chute.

"Chu Chute, you have never seen the might of the Aztec Legion. In front of the Thundering Bronze Beast and the Burning Rockets, the Twenty Water City may not be able to resist for a few days!"

"Priest Papu, Erashui City is a large tribe of 20,000 people! Even if hundreds of soldiers are killed, they can still pull out three or four thousand militiamen. Although this city-state has no walls, it has many small fortress-like temples. Those temples are located at the height of the pyramids more than ten meters high. They are all built with bricks and stones, and then glued together with mortar fired from snails and shells. They are extremely strong! Even if you try your best and stab them with a stone spear, you can't hurt the stone temples. Not at all. The stone temple is not afraid of fire, not to mention it is still raining."

Chu Chute raised the corner of his mouth, recalling what he had seen and heard personally, and firmly believed in the fortification of Erashui City. Such a powerful city-state, no matter how bad it is, can hold back for several days.

"It only takes two or three days for us to follow the river, pass through the jungle, and go to Jinwan City. Counting the days you went south, the Erashui City Department will not be able to survive even three or four days, right?"

"Yes, indeed! If it takes three or four days, the Ministry of Erashui City should be able to last."

Priest Pap thought for a while, then reluctantly nodded. He stopped urging, and just quietly watched the migration of the Snake Lake tribe. A trace of hidden worry lingered in his heart, but he couldn't distinguish it clearly.

"Qinbo Ali. Twenty Water City was one of the first Totonac tribes to submit to the Mexica Alliance and pay tribute. It is the 'Land of Accounts' of the Mexica Alliance, and the envoys of the Alliance are stationed there to collect Toto There are Mexican envoys for the taxes and tributes of the various ministries of the vassals of Nak. It will never happen, has something happened?"

Priest Pap pursed his lips tightly, thinking for a long time, and anger welled up in his chest again.

"The Western tribes of Totonac have paid tribute to the Mexica Alliance for more than ten years! As a result, because of possible crimes, they were conscripted by the Legion of the Lake and massacred the descendants of gods and priests! From now on, the Aztecs All the tribes in the world will know the heart of the tiger and wolf! The nobles of Totonac must unite and fight to the death to the south of the Mystec and Zapotec tribes, and also establish a covenant."

The Feathered Serpent Priest's thoughts were complicated by the continuous drizzle, but fell into the moist fertile soil, and no real stream could be seen. He sighed, stretched out his hand, and helped the headman Chu Chute get busy, directing the tribe to migrate.

Night fell over the land, and torches were lit outside the village. The tribe was busy for half a day before it was considered tidy. The tribesmen rested in the village for the last day, and the crying and low shouting never stopped. In the early morning of the second day, the tribe of more than 2,000 people set foot on the dirt road in the forest for migration. And from dawn to dusk, all the people walked more than ten li. At night, the tribe found a flat place by the river and lit a bonfire.

Soon, the desolate Totonak singing sounded by the river again. This is a unique language, although it has begun to merge with the Nahua language, but it still retains the ups and downs of the distant plateau.

".The sun god sat on a tall tree, watching the people in the hot land, wandering on the barren land. He watched the Totonak people for a long time, and then generously ordered. 'You, people of the hot land, can Rest in the shade of the tree, from my most majestic light. But, with eyes closed, round the tree, and dance me a prayerful dance'."

"'O supreme sun god! Thank you!.' The ancestors bowed down and bowed to the sun god. They dared not step forward, they did not know how to dance around the tree with their eyes closed. They also dared not retreat, They dare not disobey the will of the gods. They thought, how can we have both?."

"'I'm coming!' The wise heroic chief stepped forward. With his head bowed and a long rope tied around his waist, he leapt forward and tied the rope to the tree. The sun god's burning eyes looked down, but the chief Close your eyes and stand upside down from the tree. Just like this, he closed his eyes, stood upside down, wrapped the rope around the big tree, and danced in the air, like a brave and flexible mountain eagle! "

In the desolate and generous singing, with unconcealable sadness, sang outside the moonlight and the woods. The tribal people listened to the songs and ate the boiled dried pumpkin, their expressions were gloomy and depressed.

Priest Papu gnawed on the precious tortilla, his brows twitched when he heard it. This ancient ballad also tells the story of the migration of Totonak ancestors. And as the story was handed down, there was also a sacrificial custom of the Totonak people, which has been handed down to later generations. It is like the eagle hunting, "trapeze dance".

"Chuchute! This singing really scares me! The migration of the hero chief was tested by various gods, and he died all the way. Go and stop the singer, it affects morale too much!"

The headman Chu Chute raised his eyebrows, thought for a while, and whispered a few words to the guards. The personal guard left in a hurry, and after a while, the singing stopped, and the camp became dead silent.

Priest Papu frowned, looked around at the Anxie Snake Lake tribe, and sighed. He sat in front of the campfire, his mouth was blistered in anxiety, and he spoke in a low voice.

"Clan chief Chu Chute, we are walking too slowly! There are so many sundries in the big basket and the small basket, can't we leave some of them behind?"

"Priest Papu, the tribe hasn't migrated for so many years, hurry up today, it's not too slow."

The headman Chu Chute shook his head, helplessly, and refused.

"These things taken away are necessary for the reconstruction of the tribe. The Aztecs did not show up, so I forcibly took the tribe and left the fields and villages to migrate. I have exhausted my prestige. If the tribesmen lose their If you donate property, the soldiers will stand up and oppose it!"

"If you wait until the Aztec army shows up, it will be too late!"

Hearing this, Priest Pap gritted his teeth, anger appeared on his face.

"Chuchute! When the time comes, you, as the leader, and I, as the priest, will have no choice but to die!"

".Pap, I believe what you said. I also want to hurry up and avoid the brutal Aztecs"

Chu Chute was silent for a moment before answering in a low voice.

"However, the warriors didn't think so. They felt that...compared with the terrible long migration, it might not be so bad under the Aztecs...to force them again"

"hiss!"

Papp gasped, his expression fluctuating. After a while, he slowly lowered his head.

"Well, what you said makes sense. Tomorrow, I will hold a short prayer ceremony to reveal the oracle of the Feathered Serpent God and tell the truth about the Aztecs colluding with demons."

The night gradually fell silent, the bonfire flickered and flickered changing shadows, until the dawn came. A short prayer ceremony was held on the tidal flats by the river.

Priest Papu put on a feather crown, and under the awe-inspiring eyes of everyone, he performed a dance to communicate with the gods. However, he had not had time to speak a new oracle. A few scouts on patrol came in a hurry, covered in sweat. They brought back a bewildered god-born nobleman, and two horrific updates.

"Yesterday, more than 20,000 people in the city of Erashui surrendered to the terrible Aztecs. No, the mighty Mexica Legion!"

"This morning, the red-haired barbarian's scout team appeared in the forest a few miles to the north. They and the scout hunters behind the palace looked at each other for a long time across the river! They must have discovered the migration of our tribe!"