Aztec Eternals

The night has come. Darkness fell from the airy ceiling, covering the corners of the big tent. A slightly cold breeze blew in, and the bonfire swayed dimly, drawing a deep silhouette on His Highness's face, like a black eagle that couldn't be seen clearly on a high mountain.

Following His Highness's inquiry, the hall was silent for a while. Ezpan was shaken. He raised his head and opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't make a sound for some reason. He peeked at His Highness's expression, and felt that it was difficult to distinguish between joy and sorrow like a sculpture, and he couldn't fathom it. But looking at the warrior commander next to him, Berthard just looked calm, like a centuries-old tree, guarding His Highness's side.

Ezpan opened his mouth again, and just said "Yeah.", mixed with Tarasco's dialect. He shut up in fear, and kowtowed to the ground again. The bump and pain in the head woke him up and made him reorganize his speech, remembering the Mexica sounds.

After kowtowing ten times, he finally gathered enough courage, looked up at His Highness's still calm face, and shouted loudly for his own destiny.

"Your Highness, I want to be the head of the new army! I can lead the new army well!"

Shulot stared at the Tarasco kneeling in front of him. There were no emotional ups and downs in his gaze, and no obvious changes in his expression. After a while, it was not until Ezpan's courage was exhausted that he prostrated himself on the ground powerlessly that he heard His Highness's divinely inspired words.

"Ezpan, how can I trust you?"

Ezpan lifted his spirits, as if illuminated by a light. He firmly grasped the sun amulet on his chest, raised his head and said eagerly.

"Your Highness, although I am from Tarasco, my parents died when I was a child. Since I was fourteen years old, I have entered the Qincongcan mine, digging from the open-pit copper mine to the dark underground. From the rising of the sun to the After the sun went down, I didn’t have a full meal. I worked like this for eight years. Then, I was drafted as a pike militia, and followed the kingdom’s army to conquer the Tekos. I never had a decent cotton armor, only the one in my hand Bronze lance. Be the first to charge every time, and fight like this for eight years."

Speaking of this, Ezpan's voice gradually amplified, with a touch of anger and sincerity.

"I served the kingdom of Tarasco, and I have never been treated favorably! The spear militiamen have no armor and shields, and they have been charging in the toughest battles, with heavy casualties every time. Almost all the old brothers in the mine died I have not received any pensions. Many times, I was only able to survive by luck!"

As if to prove something, Ezpan took off his Mexica battle suit, revealing his scarred chest. There was one of the largest wounds, which ran from the shoulder to the lower abdomen.

"Your Highness, you also know that in the last battle, we were sent across the river as stepping stones for the warriors and firewood for the army. I have no nostalgia for the Kingdom of Tarasco!"

Seeing the scars all over Ezpan's body, Shulot moved slightly and fell silent.

Behind him, Bertard looked solemnly. He took a step forward, stretched out his thick and powerful hands, and brushed across the large slanted scar on Ezpan's chest. He gestured to the width and coherence of the wound, and then asked seriously.

"Is this just one blow? What kind of weapon is this? It's so strong and sharp that it can cut out continuous and extremely long wounds?"

Ezpan's emotions were interrupted instantly. He looked at the samurai commander in astonishment, confirming that the other party's question was not a joke, and then tried hard to recall.

"We were in charge of attacking a large Terkos tribe. There were thousands of them. The camp was built in the mountains and it was difficult to fight. Most of them had only wooden sticks or stone spears. A few had obsidian war clubs. Only the leaders of the tribe There is a very sharp black knife. It is said to be black, but it is actually white near the edge.

The wound on my chest was that when I was besieging the strongest chief, he chopped off the spear first, and then cut the cotton coat with the second knife. However, he was also stabbed to death by the brothers."

Hearing this, Xiu Luote's face became serious. He had some vague guesses, and immediately asked in a deep voice, his voice fluctuating slightly.

"Where is the Terkos tribe you speak of? Is it Kolima State? Is that black knife on you?"

Ezpan tried hard to remember, with a wry smile on his face.

"Your Highness, I don't know where Kolima State is. We landed at Lake Chapala, and we were directed to go southwest for more than ten days. There are continuous mountains, not many people, and the road is very long. Difficult to go. The tribes of Tekos gathered in the mountains, the outer tribes surrendered to the Kingdom of Tarasco, but the inner tribes refused to pay tribute and often came out to plunder. However, I remember the location of that tribe, if I can get there again , should be able to find it."

For the first time, Ezpan noticed the ups and downs of His Highness's expression. He was slightly happy in his heart, and continued to speak.

"As for the black knife, of course it was taken away by the nobles of Tarasco! After I was cut, I immediately fell to the ground bleeding, and then I couldn't move. My brothers bandaged me and arrested a tribal witch doctor. I heal. Some of them have tried the black knife, it is said that it is only slightly sharper than the bronze spear. It is fine if it is taken away before it can be hidden in time.

Later, the nobleman asked the militiamen to search around, and the whole tribe only had this black knife. The tribal witch doctor said that this is an artifact built by the former great witch with the power of the gods, as a symbol of the tribe's inheritance"

Shulot felt turmoil in his heart and fell into deep thought.

According to Ezpan's description, it must be the Colima area, with continuous mountains and complex terrain, as well as the Tekos tribe who defected. The black knife should be an oxidized iron knife. With the metallurgical level of the tribe, the iron knife is indeed not much sharper than the bronze weapon. According to the local mining capacity, there can only be sporadic iron ore picked up from the surface, so only a weapon was forged.

Colima's iron ore is buried deep below the surface, with a shallow layer of tens of meters and a depth of even hundreds of meters. These sporadic iron ore are just a drop in the bucket for the alliance. But their existence is of great significance, and can help determine the location of shallow iron mines, and then the alliance can invest huge manpower and material resources to dig.

Thinking of this, Shulot looked at Ezpan again, with a little more gentleness in his eyes. He smiled and nodded.

"Ezpan, the lord god blesses you, let you survive from hundreds of battles, throw yourself into the embrace of the great alliance, and let you meet me. Put aside the matter of the black knife for now, and continue to prove your loyalty!"

Seeing His Highness's smile, Ezpan breathed a sigh of relief. Although I don't know where to cater to His Highness's wishes, the future seems to be much brighter suddenly. So he replied excitedly.

"Your Highness, the great alliance is far stronger than the decayed kingdom. The capital in the lake is unparalleled, and it is the kingdom of gods on earth that I have never seen in this life. There are hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the alliance, and no one in the world can stop it

And Your Highness, you are wise, wise, decisive, and far more simple and kind than the greedy and brutal Tarasco nobles. You value ability in employing people, regardless of birth. Not only can you promote craftsmen to military nobles, but you can also promote civilians to serve as battalion commanders and regiment commanders. You are the only hope for civilians. Witnessed by the Supreme Lord God, I am willing to dedicate my loyalty and life and follow you forever! "

Having said that, Ezpan prostrated himself on the ground again and kowtowed vigorously. Then, he looked longingly at His Highness, full of anticipation in his heart.

Xiu Luote's face was already calm. He looked at the Tarasco in front of him indifferently, waiting for something.

Seeing His Highness's unmoved expression, Ezpan's heart turned cold. As a soldier of Tarasco, how difficult it is to prove his loyalty and gain the trust of the king!

Ezpan gritted his teeth. He thought of the rumors that had recently spread from the priesthood, and the ceremony of loyalty of the northern warriors to the alliance. He suddenly lowered his head and bowed deeply to the warrior chief.

"Your Excellency, please lend me a dagger. Under the witness of the Lord God, let me sacrifice flesh and blood to prove my loyalty!"

Berthard was slightly startled, and he looked at Shulot. The young man thought for a moment, then nodded. The samurai commander then took out his battle stick and held it in his hand for protection, then handed the obsidian dagger at his waist to Ezpan.

Ezpan took the dagger and fell to his knees. He stretched out his non-dominant left hand, stretched out his little finger, curled up the other four fingers, and pressed them on the ground. Then, holding the sharp dagger in his right hand, he gestured at the half finger, then gritted his teeth again, moved to the weak joint at the base of the finger, and finally cut it off with all his strength.

Tarasco's training adjutant's face suddenly turned ferocious. As he exerted his strength slowly and firmly, fine beads of sweat quickly seeped from his forehead, and then gathered into a stream on his face, rushing down. When the flesh and blood finally separated, he let out a deep roar, his face paled from the pain.

Xiuluo nodded, praised Ezpan's determination and perseverance, and thought highly of him in his heart. Then, the young priest stood up, moved the brazier to the center of the big tent, and softly sang the prayers of the Lord God.

"Praise the Lord God Vitzilopochtli! I pray to the Supreme God, sacrifice the flesh and blood of the pious, and also offer the soul of the convert. This is the loyalty under the watchful eye of the Lord God!"

Listening to His Highness's prayer, Ezpan threw down the bloody dagger and took two steps closer. He held the sacrificial little finger with his good right hand, looked at it reluctantly for the last time, and threw it into the fire. Soon, a burnt smell of burning sebum came quickly, and then drifted in the wind. The faint green smoke rose, taking away part of his body forever, and really took away part of his soul, and ascended to the distant kingdom of God.

Seeing Ezpan's performance, Shulot smiled in praise and said gently.

"Ezpan, from now on, under the witness of the Supreme Lord God, you will swear to Him and obtain the sacred duty to glorify the glory of the Lord God! Come, chant His name together with me, and praise the Supreme Vizilop Chitley!"

Ezpan knelt down again obediently, raised his head slightly, and looked at the burning "sacred fire". He was a little dazed, but also looking forward to it, and whispered softly with the satisfaction of being finally recognized.

"Supreme Vitzilopochtli, I offer all my allegiance to the Alliance!"

"Supreme Vitzilopochtli, I dedicate all my loyalty to fight for Your Highness!"

"Supreme Vitzilopochtli, I dedicate all my loyalty to Your Highness, and fight for Your Highness!"

Hearing Ezpan's consciously changed blessing, Shulot was stunned for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction. He waved to the warrior commander.

"Wrap him up and use the best wound medicine."

Bertard nodded calmly, and took out the boiled cotton cloth and refined herbs from his arms. Then, he bent down, held Ezpan's left arm, stopped the bleeding of Adjutant Tarasco who was limp on the ground, and then carefully bandaged it. On the ground, the dripping blood pooled into a mirror, reflecting Ezpan's strangely smiling face.

After a while, Ezpan knelt down again, and his expression returned to normal from the trance of baptism. Shulot looked at him with a gentle smile and decided his fate.

"Ezpan, you have shown your ability and loyalty, but it is not enough. The head of the new army has already been determined in advance, and it is impossible to take the position with your qualifications. However, as long as you do what you should do, you will always submit to the gods. Prove your piety, and you will have a new starting point! Train the Pike Corps well, and when the legion is formally formed, I promise you the position of deputy commander!"

Hearing His Highness's decision, Ezpan's expression was gloomy at first, and then his face was filled with surprise and brightened. He said a few words of "hmm", without knowing what to say, then knelt down vigorously, and kowtowed on the ground with "bang bang".

This time, Xiulot didn't count and wait. He laughed loudly, continued to promise the future, and inspired the loyal generals.

"Ezpan, I have high hopes for you. I don't care about your birth as a foreign miner, but the alliance will care, and so will other warriors and militiamen. So, you need to double prove your ability, and double prove your Loyalty!

Once a Tarasco, now a Mexica, you must make your mark in the Alliance's Western Expedition! And when the Alliance conquers Tarasco, I will form a new Tarasco Legion, where is your truly great future! "

Hearing His Highness's bright promise and thinking of the ups and downs of this life, Ezpan suddenly choked up. The smooth path of hope was in front of him, but he couldn't help but burst into tears. He kowtowed hard, held the wound of his severed finger, and awakened himself with pain again. After a while, he could speak hoarsely.

"Willing to die for Your Highness!"

Seeing Ezpan's true feelings, Xiulot suddenly felt a little emotional.

"If I was also born in a poor family of common people, when will I be able to struggle and step onto the stage of the world?"

After thinking for a long time, the boy laughed at himself. He looked at Ezpan gently, and waved his hand.

"Go down, Ezpan, and take this bottle of medicine. I will leave the camp tomorrow, and you should do your training first. Soon, the new legion commander will arrive to replace the chief training officer Barda."

Ezpan knelt on the ground respectfully, and stepped back to the door on his knees. Then, he got up, carefully backed out of the tent door, and disappeared into the vast night.

Shulot watched the tent door close again, and the darkness was isolated in the distant world. He thought for a long time and shook his head.

"Balda was born in a noble family, and he is an eagle noble warrior. After all, he is not suitable to lead a civilian army. Berthard, are you willing to be the commander of the new army? This is a bit of a grievance to you, but this new army It will continue to expand, and I will also let you serve as the marshal during the Northern Expedition."

Shulot looked at the warrior commander, this is his most trusted subordinate, no matter in terms of loyalty or ability. In fact, deep down, he even considered Bertard a half-teacher.

Berthard looked serious. He has followed Xiulot for a long time, and he can already judge the young man's intentions, and he can also confirm the importance His Highness attaches to the new army. After thinking for a moment, the warrior chief still shook his head.

"Your Highness, I am willing to stay by your side all the time. I can serve as the head of the new army for a short period of time, but it is not suitable for a long-term position. As your chief guard, I should not be a marshal, because I have too much contact with military power."

Shulot lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and nodded slightly. Then, he said with a friendly smile.

"Bothard, you have followed me for many years, and you know each other well, so don't worry too much. I don't have experience in commanding an army. I must rely on you and Teacher Olosh for this expedition on the North Road. And you are the best in my heart. Marshal candidates!"

Hearing the boy's voice, Bertard's face was moved. He bowed deeply, pondered for a moment, and opened his mouth slowly.

"Your Highness, as a warrior from a commoner background, it is difficult for me to deter noble generals. I am not qualified to be a marshal. In fact, there is a most suitable honorable person for the position of marshal."

Shulot was taken aback. He looked at Bertard's vicissitudes of face, and asked in a deep voice.

"who is it?"

"Your father, Captain Xiusoke." Bertard bowed his head respectfully and suggested.

Hearing this, Shulot suddenly stood up and turned to look north. The young man's thoughts drifted away, and when memories flickered, thoughts flooded in like a tide.

After standing still for a long time, he murmured to himself.

"Would you like to let my father be my assistant during the Western Expedition? It's really good."

The big tent became quiet, and fresh wind came from the zenith. The bonfire flickered for a while, and then burned again, releasing more light and warmth.

It's the weekend, I sincerely ask for support!