Aztec Eternals

The warm spring breeze comes from the ocean, bringing moist and fresh breath, which refreshes people's spirits. The sun shone on the calm Patzcuaro Lake, and there were bright waves, like the smile of a god. The surface of the lake is like a huge silver mirror, reflecting the clouds in the sky and changing the unknown future.

In the sky, flocks of wild geese go north from time to time, singing and flying, overlooking the quiet water town. Along the shore of the lake, the fertile fields are covered with green weeds and unknown wild flowers. Hares are jumping in the barren farmland, and birds are perching in the lonely village. The tropical monsoon never stops, and when the crowds disperse, new vitality comes quietly. It erases all traces of cruelty and depicts a picture scroll of natural luxuriance. This is the land in the lake in March, the vast and fertile land promised by the gods.

Chihuaco, an old militiaman, stood on the tall city wall of Qincongcan, turning a blind eye to the scenery of the water village outside the city. He was wearing a warrior leather armor with a pattern of hummingbirds, a soft hat with a special ring on his head, and a sharp bronze spear half as tall as a man in his hand, showing some rare might. At this moment, with a ruthless look on his face, he grabbed a middle-aged militiaman by the collar with his spare left hand, and repeatedly asked sharply.

"How many people are there in the Mexica army in the north?"

"A lot, as much as corn in the field." The middle-aged militiaman was sluggish. His face is thin and yellow from starvation, and his body is covered with mud hiding in places, like a groundhog emerging from a field.

"How many reinforcements did you have from Chapala?"

"Much, much more than there are pumpkin leaves in a field."

"Compared with the Mexica, which one is more?"

This is a difficult question. The middle-aged militiaman stayed where he was, thought for a while with his fingers, and then opened his mouth uncertainly.

"It seems that there are more of us? Our people have filled the field, and there is still space among the Mexica. Yes, we are more! When we scattered and fled, the Mexica couldn't catch up with them, so they could only grab the warriors. The master's team will not let go!"

"Damn! Then tell me, why did you lose the first battle and disperse like cowardly ducks?! Sending messages here every two days, bluffing to come to support, but there is no shadow of the capital. touch!"

Chivaco roared. There was a tremor in his voice, and there was deep fear in the tremor. Fear turned into anger, causing him to fiercely press the middle-aged militiaman against the city wall, staring closely at him.

The middle-aged militiaman struggled like a teal, shouting in panic.

"The Chapalans are never afraid of dying in battle! We have traveled for a long time, from our hometown, just to rescue you. It's just that the priests of the Mexica used magic, summoned the gods to descend, and released thunderous thunder! How can mortals resist the gods? Even the noble descendants of the gods can't resist, and I saw the big head fleeing ahead, so I ran away with him!"

Hearing the words of the middle-aged militiaman, Chivako was startled, and let go of his hand a little. He recalled the fire on Yurilia Lake and the explosion at the river mouth fortress, so he asked with a solemn expression.

"God descends. What does the thunder look like? Is it a smoking ball?"

The middle-aged militiaman gasped for breath. He didn't dare to look directly into Chivaco's eyes, and tilted his head to answer.

"The militiamen in our village are at the outermost edge of the army, so they can't see very clearly. They seem to be two evil beasts that look like tree trunks. They will make a sky-shattering roar, and then the thunder will fall in the army. Everyone is very scared. Many warrior masters Kneel down and then the Mexica rushed up calling the name of the god. Smoke? There is a lot of smoke, ball? I don't know what ball."

"Evil beast like a tree trunk. Roaring, thundering and smoking"

Chivaco muttered in his mouth, trying to recall the scenes he had seen before, those longbow warriors who ignited rockets, and northern barbarians who threw balls. Immediately, his cloudy eyes brightened, and he continued to ask sharply.

"Does the divine beast in the tree trunk need someone to command it? Then it will send out thunder?"

"It seems that there are indeed priests of different gods, terrifying evil gods holding strange torches!"

The middle-aged militiaman tried hard to recall, and the nightmare scene resurfaced again, and finally his body trembled violently.

"Horrible evil god!! The big boss has escaped, the head of the village is dead, the villagers are all scattered, and my son is gone. I lost my way and fled here. I want to go back, I want to go home, my son!"

Hearing this, Chivako's eyes darkened. He let go of his hands completely and sighed involuntarily. The old militiaman looked at his hometown outside the city. Birds were flying over the village, but there was no more smoke from the kitchen.

Not far behind, the new nobleman Puap frowned and strode forward. He grabbed the mentally deranged middle-aged militiaman, and hit him on the back of the head with a palm and a half. The militiaman's eyes turned white immediately, and he fell limply to the ground, and the noisy voice finally disappeared.

"Old man Qi, why are you asking so carefully? It's just annoying! The incompetent Chapalans are defeated. Look at the solid city wall under your feet. As long as we guard here, can the Mexica still fly in? ?”

Facing the samurai captain, Chivaco immediately bowed his waist, letting his pointed hat lower than the forked feathers on the opponent's head, which is the symbol of Tarasco's nobility.

"My lord, you are right! It's just that this matter is very important. The Mexica always have new weapons that can change the outcome of the war."

"What's the use of caring about all these things? Naturally, the supreme chief will worry about major military affairs! As warriors, we only need to obey orders and mind our immediate affairs!"

"Yes, it's the nobleman. We all obey your orders!" The old militiaman squeezed out a wrinkled smiling face and replied respectfully.

Looking at the obedient old militiaman, "Grey Dust" Puap patted the opponent's head carelessly. Then, wearing the bright costumes of the hummingbird nobles, he glanced around the top of the city until all the 100 members of the warrior team bowed their heads in salute, and then nodded complacently. Afterwards, he recruited the samurai cronies behind him and asked loudly.

"What have the Tekos barbarians been up to lately?"

The samurai confidant bowed his head in reply.

"My lord, the barbarians are quite honest. But it's not a big deal to kidnap a few ordinary businessmen, kidnap the women of more than a dozen families of civilians, and kill a few people in tribal fighting."

Puap nodded and replied casually.

"As long as no nobles are involved, it's not a big deal if some civilians die. Anyway, the food in the city is not going to be distributed to them. These messy tribes have enmity with each other. It doesn't matter if they fight, but don't kill people. We still have to suppress it. Otherwise, I will not be able to explain to the chief!"

Hearing this, the confidant understood and complimented with a smile.

"That is, the master is a big man who can speak in front of the chief!"

Pu Apu laughed loudly, and continued to speak proudly.

"Our Huitu family has served the supreme chief for generations, and now there are five generations!"

At this moment, another trusted samurai hurried over and said anxiously.

"My lord, the Terkos militiamen heard about the defeat in the north, and once again clamored! They launched a few representatives and demanded that the west return to their hometown!"

Pu'apu's expression sank and he let out a sneer.

"Stupid barbarian! Entering the city and wanting to escape, how can there be such a good thing?! At this time of year, even the nobles can't leave!"

Then, the new nobleman shook the bronze spear in his hand, with a fierce look in his eyes.

"These savages still need to be dealt with. You come with me, choose two people who have no foundation, and make a fuss, and kill Jiqi directly! Well, the chief has ordered, we will get some wine, pancakes, cotton women, and head people Calm down."

Having said that, "Grey Soil" Puap let out a loud "Bah" and yelled in a low voice.

"Damn it, the nobles are honest, but the barbarians are making trouble in the capital. The world has really changed!"

The new nobleman kept talking, and the expression on his face changed. After these months of seeing and hearing, he finally understood. The unprecedented war has disrupted the world, only the sharp weapons in the hands and the warriors following behind are the foundation of standing! As for the aristocrats of the gods, and the centuries-old bloodlines, they are all mortal bodies in the war, and they cannot escape the blow.

Having figured this out, Puap put on a smiling face and looked at the warriors behind him.

"Brothers, after cleaning up the barbarians, come with me and go to the logistics camp to get things! When the time comes, let's have fun and enjoy it!"

The following warriors burst into laughter and promised loudly. They clenched the weapons in their hands, as if they had grasped everything they desired.

"Old man Qi, are you going?"

Puap turned to ask Chivako.

"Master Noble, I will stay and guard the city wall. I will take care of my daughter when I go back."

The old militiaman laughed with him, and the wrinkles on his old face turned into a flower.

"Then you just guard the wall and watch what's going on outside the city. You old wood, let's have fun together last time. Everyone else got a good-looking girl, but you got a younger daughter!"

Puap patted Chivaco on the shoulder with a smile, with a touch of kindness in his rudeness. Then, he smiled and asked the other six people included. Weizti, who was wearing a turban, shook his head, and the bachelor Yayuli readily agreed, and the others half stayed in the city, and half followed swiftly.

For the militiamen in a team of seven, Puap did have a mind to woo them.

These people have all seen blood and experienced battles, and they are obviously different from the strong men drawn from the city. They are extremely clumsy, and for some reason, they are all dominated by ordinary-looking old men. In fact, he has weighed it himself. These militiamen are scattered, and their individual martial arts are only average. But once they form a spear formation, they are quite powerful and can fight with real warriors. Among the grass-headed warriors under him, there are only more than 30 out of a hundred who can fight. At this time, there is a shortage of samurai in the capital, and most of the new squads are like this.

As the sun slanted to the west, Puapu held his head high and led the crowd away. The laughter of the samurai spread far away, and the civilians along the way retreated one after another, and even the houses of the nobles were silent. The old militiaman stood silently at the top of the city until sunset and the replacement militiamen arrived. Then he returned to his residence in the city with the remaining three militiamen.

Along the way, the bustling capital showed a little bit of panic. The market is sparsely populated and sparsely populated, only craftsmen making weapons are working day and night, and the sound of "jingling" is carried far away by the wind. In the setting sun, the sacred "House of Winds" pyramid casts a deep black shadow, and the majestic "Palace of Winds" glows bloody.

Chihuaco looked at it for a moment, then lowered his head and walked straight to the civilian area in the south of the city. Except for the priest's shrine, the king's palace, and the noble mansion, most of the civilians only lived in simple thatched huts, even ordinary warriors.

When passing a large mansion, the old militia took a few extra glances, and there were vague figures of several women inside. This is the stone house Captain Puap recently bought. It is a large courtyard with several entrances and exits. He often invites everyone to party and drink. The original owner seemed to be a big spice merchant, and now he has been executed for the crime of collaborating with the enemy, and all his property has been confiscated to supplement military supplies.

Chivaco felt a little envious. It doesn't matter that the house looks good, the key is that it is strong and spacious. If there is such a big house, everyone can live together and take care of each other, so that they can feel more at ease. He continued on in a hurry, and finally came to a rather large thatched hut, and said goodbye to two militiamen with a smile, only Weitzi followed along.

This is a new house in the capital city, which was built with the help of the captain, and it is also a home carefully cared for by Chihuaco. The hut was pitch black, and the old militiamen called out twice before they heard movement in the corner. Then, he leaned forward and held up a torch to take a picture, and it was his daughter who was shrinking in the corner.

"Lu Wei, Daddy calls you, why don't you say a word?"

Little Reed lowered his head, hugged his legs, and huddled in the haystack in the corner of the room. She is only thirteen years old, oh, she is already fourteen after Chinese New Year, but she is still a little bit small. At this moment, most of the girl was covered by the grass, only her small head was exposed, like a thin reed. In fact, the old militiamen are only in their early forties when they say they are old. It's just that the country people are exposed to the wind and sun and work hard all year round, which makes them look very old.

Seeing that Reed was silent, Chivako sighed. He stepped forward and touched his daughter's head affectionately. The girl trembled all over, shrunk down in fear, raised her eyes to see her father's face clearly, and then relaxed a little. then. She lowered her head again and buried it in her lap, still not speaking.

The old militiaman looked at his daughter with rare tenderness on his face. This is his own daughter, who was finally found from the logistics camp, and was almost given to the ferocious Tekos barbarians. The old militiaman was full of fear, he knew what would happen to those women.

"Lu Wei, Lu Wei, I only have you now, and you have only me. Your brother is the second batch of militiamen, and he has already gone to the southeast front. The village chief who killed you is the third batch of militiamen, and he also went to the battlefield. It's too cold to think about it. There was a fourth batch a few months ago, but you are my last hope."

Chivaco muttered softly, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart. I heard from the samurai in the capital that the frontline in the southeast was extremely cruel. Even nobles and lords died like weeds, and the depleted militia could not be replenished. It was too far away, and my son had never experienced a battle, so he probably had no hope. It's just that he didn't see the body, so he always kept a thought. And the daughter he finally got back in front of him is his only sustenance.

The old militiaman touched his daughter's thin face again, feeling extremely distressed. He took out the cornbread that he gave out in the morning from his pocket, and handed it to Reed. The pancake was missing a corner and had a few tooth marks on it. He only ate two bites in the morning and saved most of it for his daughter. Following the warrior captain, there is still a stable source of food, unlike the civilians in the city, it is difficult to buy even a piece of food now.

Reed took the pancake, and his eyes shone brightly. The girl gnawed a few mouthfuls forcefully, and then let out an anxious whine. The cold pancake was too hard, and she was too weak to chew it.

Chivaco sighed again. He brought back the pancakes, lit a bonfire, and boiled a pot of hot water. Then, he carefully soaked the pancakes until they were soft, and tasted that they were not hot before handing them to his daughter with the clay bowl attached.

Lu Wei stared at his father in a daze. Then, her eyes lit up again, she lowered her head and gnawed on the pancakes carefully, like a little hamster. The old militiaman looked at his daughter with a smile on his face. Wezti, who was wearing a turban, took two steps away, looking at the old militiaman and his daughter. He remained silent, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

After a long time, the old militiaman poured a bowl of hot water and drank the remaining residue until the reeds were finished eating and they retracted into the haystack again. Then, he turned around and asked with a serious expression.

"Stupid wood, your wife and child, haven't you found them yet?"

Wezti shook his head dismally.

"Uncle, I can't find it."

Chivaco looked at Wezti for a while and asked softly.

"The noble lord asked you to pick up a girl, why don't you want to?"

Wezti stood quietly for a moment before shaking his head again.

"Uncle, I don't want to. I, I'm afraid I'll lose it again."

The old militiaman lowered his eyes and sighed deeply again. He looked at his daughter in the haystack, then at Wezti who was standing there blankly, before he spoke for a long time.

"Stupid wood, you lost your wife, and I lost my son, so let's make do together! You also help me take care of Lu Wei."

Wei Ziti was silent for a while, didn't say anything, just nodded vigorously. After a while, he asked.

"Uncle, the gentlemen are defeated, the Mexica are coming, what shall we do in the future?"

The old militiaman turned around, took off his leather armor, and put on his pointed hat. Then, holding the spear that never left his body, he said slowly.

"Take a step, take a step. Uncle, I will always find a way out for you and Lu Wei!"

While speaking, he looked at the towering Palace of Winds through the hole in the thatched hut, with a strange look in his eyes.

In the center of the king's capital Qincongcan, the majestic Palace of Winds is still as majestic as in the sky, looking down on everything on the ground. The capital city is windy and the battle situation is dangerous. The civilians were in a precarious situation, the tribal militiamen were clamoring and restless, the warriors held their soldiers with dignity, and the nobles stopped singing and dancing. Only the priests were still singing all night, praying more and more.

The chief minister, Jinjinni, stood at the top of the palace with his hands behind his back, watching the flickering flames of the capital, like an envoy of God who overwhelmed the world. The long wind rolled up, blowing the old man's white hair and brushing his old face. Feeling the coldness of the night wind, the chief minister did not speak for a long time, like a frozen sculpture.

In heaven and earth, the night in the royal capital is full of silence, only the singing of sacrifices. After a while, there was a sudden commotion in a certain corner of the capital. A faint voice came along the night wind, and then the indifferent chief spoke solemnly.

"Where is the Terkos tribe's resident?"

"Yes, Chief." The personal guard behind him replied with a bow.

"What happened?"

"Puap of the Huitu family dealt with the clamoring Tekos militia not long ago. Now, he has taken the drink girl and is appeasing the tribal leaders."

"Yeah." The chief nodded calmly. Then, he changed the subject.

"I heard the news of the defeat in the north, how are the priests and nobles in the city?"

"The low-level priests held ceremonies day and night. The high-level priests met several times in secret, and there was no inappropriate idea. The elders summoned the temple guards and firmly protected the priest's temple next to the pyramid. All the nobles fell silent. Nothing happened."

"The Mexica launched a war of gods, and the priests and elders have no way out. Although they are short-sighted, there is no need to worry at this time. Let the monitoring staff focus on the nobles, especially the big nobles with many private soldiers! These cunning wolves are As long as the Mexica promise fiefs and titles, their loyalty will be scattered like fallen leaves. If necessary, they can be dealt with decisively!"

"Obey, chief!" The guard bowed his head and obeyed without hesitation.

Zinjin looked north. Under the light of the bright moon, the flat field stretches to the north, which is an unknown danger.

"How many of Chapala's remnants have gathered?" The chief's voice was hoarse.

"Less than a thousand militiamen. The Mexica sent out jaguar fighters to drive them away, and most of the broken legions fled to the West."

Jinjinni clenched the magic staff in his hand and gritted his teeth hard.

"Damn it! The crocodile is brave and foolish, and its feathers are flashy. They should all be sacrificed to the gods! One of them rushed forward impulsively, the other fled cowardly, and together they ruined the north of the kingdom!"

Hearing the chief's anger, the guards behind him lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"Did the remnant soldiers explain clearly what the god-given weapons used by the Mexica were? I know the combat power of the Chapala Legion. The 30,000 army shouldn't be so vulnerable."

The chief minister asked seriously with a solemn expression.

"It seems to be a wooden beast several meters long. It can roar and emit smoke and thunder. The Chapala Army suddenly encountered this weapon, and its morale was greatly damaged. The warriors were shaken, and the Mexica took the opportunity to charge and broke into Army. Then, the Feather Marshal of the Central Army fled first, and the Legion was then completely disintegrated."

The personal guard explained in a low voice, not daring to add any personal views.

Jin Jinni frowned and thought for a long time. The new weapons of the Mexica emerged one after another, changing the situation of the battle time and time again. He didn't have any clue, he could only sigh softly.

"His Royal Highness Mexica in the north is not very old, but he is a formidable opponent! Have you sent the king's envoy?"

"Yes, Chief."

"Send another envoy to ask the king to be careful of the new weapons of the Mexica. Once the king's army returns to the army, they must travel lightly and don't stay on the way!"

"Yes, Chief!"

The chief minister turned around and looked to the southeast. Under the stars at night, the undulating mountains are looming, like a crawling monster, silently chilling in the wind.

"Has the situation improved around Patzcuaro?"

After a while, Jinjinni asked again, his voice low and hoarse.

"Chief, there are not enough warriors on patrol, and the food delivery team is the same as before."

The chief minister closed his eyes and did not speak. After a while, he sighed deeply.

"Take a step, take a step. As long as the king retreats in time, we still have hope. The night is long, and we are waiting for the dawn!"

After that, there was no more words around, only darkness and deepness. The night wind is mighty, passing through the top floor of the Palace of Winds, ringing the rapid wind chimes. The sound of the copper bell is sad and distant, floating in the vast night. Singing and mourning at night, wandering in the garden pavilion, swaying the sacrificial bonfire, and sinking into the hut of the military camp. The clouds in the night sky are scattered and the stars are falling, but the wind is rushing in the capital of the king.