Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The sea breeze blew fiercely, with hair flying messily. The two people in front of the bonfire remained silent.

The old militia Chiwaco bowed his head, lost in the memories that he thought he had forgotten. Tattooed Chipawa gritted his teeth, grasping the earth like a wolf. He had just learned of his mother's death and his sister's survival. He had anticipated many things, and the current outcome was far better than his worst estimations. Yet at this moment, he still growled lowly, shedding tears of pain.

"Ah!... Damn Tarasco Royal Family! Damn Mexica people!"

After a long while, tattooed Chipawa finally wiped away his tears with one swipe, and lowered his head silently. Then, he took out a sharp Obsidian Dagger, cut off a section of hair, and threw it into the fire. With the pungent smell of scorching burning, he murmured softly, like a warrior of the wilderness, calling out lowly.

"Divine heavens and earth! Please accept my request! I beseech you, great one, to guide my mother's spirit into the womb of the Earth Mother Goddess. She will be reborn there, start anew... and if she is unwilling, let her rest there..."

"Earth Mother Goddess's womb..."

Old militia Chiwaco pursed his lips, watching his son's prayer. He had never seen or heard of such a ceremony or prayer in the Patzcuaro Lake region. Undoubtedly, this is a legacy from the wilderness. And his son, from body to soul, was deeply marked by the imprint of the wilderness.

"The faith of the northern wilderness..."

The old militia watched all this quietly until his son finished praying and looked at him again, asking.

"Dad! Why did you come here? And sail a Mexica people's ship?"

"I... I will talk about it later..."

The old militia opened his mouth to speak but did not know where to start. In the end, he could only tug his hair and ask back.

"You tell me about yourself first!..."

"Me? Let me think... Back then, I was drafted to the southern front, facing the sky full of flames and stone throws in those dim fortresses, along with endless Mexica warriors... I thought I was doomed, dying like most of the militia, in a burning, stone-filled corner, piled together with countless corpses..."

Recalling the southern battlefield of years ago, even as a warrior of the wilderness now, Chipawa couldn't help but shiver. Such brutal battles, even thinking of them now, still haunted him like a nightmare, even more unforgettable than the great fire in the Pamus Valley.

"Tarasco's army collapsed... I was captured by fleeing soldiers... They treated me as reserve food, the kind that could walk by itself... Then, I met the formidable Zucata Camp Commander... He scattered the fleeing soldiers, took me and a few others on a run north, joining the familiar Guajili Tribe... Red Monkey Tribe..."

"Zucata? Wooden stick?"

Hearing this name, old militia Chiwaco's eyes moved, showing doubt.

"Is he... a member of the Tarasco Royal Family?"

"The Camp Commander, he is..."

Wilderness warrior Chipawa hesitated for a moment, but thinking that everything had changed and past plans had lost meaning, he sighed and spoke.

"Oh! The Camp Commander was the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Army, a trusted guard of Prince Quiyus, possibly even the Guard Commander. Before the Royal Army collapsed, the Prince entrusted the Prince to him, letting him flee north... In the end, he made it to the north, but the Prince died along the way. The reason he saved me... is said, it's because I resemble the deceased Prince..."

"Ah? This! You... you survived... it's truly fate..."

The old militia remained silent for a moment, gently nodded.

"And then?"

"Then..."

Wilderness warrior Chipawa squinted, recalling another unforgettable battle, speaking low and trembling.

"We first joined the Red Monkey Tribe... then various tribes escaped... joined the Red Dog Tribe of Chichika Great Chief... then escaped again... gathered by Red Crow Chief... fleeing east all the way... until this prophesied fertile soil, the land of Vastec in the East!..."

"The Red Crow Great Tribe established here, conquering south and north, growing stronger day by day! I also followed Sister Alan, conquering tribes everywhere. The Great Chief sits in the south, plundering various Vastec tribes. Sister Alan conquers the north, subduing all canine descendants on the wilderness, establishing a new nest for the Red Crow Great Tribe! She tattooed the faces of all loyal followers, including me!..."

"And I, within a series of tribal battles, became a leader of an elite hundred-man team... There are a total of twenty teams like mine under Sister Alan! And other ordinary hundred-man teams, even more than twenty..."

Tattooed Chipawa rambled on about many things from the wilderness. Old militia Chiwaco listened patiently, though not understanding much, he never interrupted. Until the night deepened, and the bonfire almost burned out, tattooed Chipawa licked his dry lips and asked again.

"Dad, what about you? Why are you here?"

"Me? Oh... that's a long story..."

Old militia Chiwaco rubbed his face and remained silent for a while before lowly narrating. His narration was understated, as if past life and death were like clouds in the sky, quickly dispersed by a light wind.

"Back then I was drafted north, first guarding the River Mouth Fortress, then participated in a naval battle, escaping back to the fortress... The fortress fell, we fled all the way, only seven out of the conscripted militia survived... We returned to the village, but the village was empty... Your mother died, you were conscripted, your sister was taken to the Royal City by the warriors... We returned to the Royal City..."

"I found your sister, she was still alive, just barely... I left the city, helped the King's Royal Army. Then watched as the Royal Banner fell, the King captured by Mexica people, the Royal City reinforcements routed... We fled back to the Royal City, encountered a Mexica scout... Mexica army arrived, we defended the city. When the city couldn't hold... we opened the gates, led the Mexica people to the Royal Palace, avenged for the family!..."

"After that... life settled down... settled for about two years... stationed in the Lake Region... Your sister married, to the village's Weizti... Yes! The one with the head wrap. He lost his wife and child, couldn't find them. He seemed like a decent man, good to live with, so I betrothed your sister to him... When I return this time, they should have a child by now?"

When saying this, old militia Chiwaco finally showed some smile. He rubbed his hands, rubbed his face, and sincerely prayed.

"Chief Divine bless!..."

"Damn it! Cheap Weizti that guy! So old and so ugly, yet marrying my sister! If he dares to treat her badly, I will run back from here and kill him myself!"

In front of the bonfire, the wilderness warrior Chipawa cursed lowly a few times, but a smile appeared on his face. He added some wood to the bonfire, making the fire brighter. As a result, the reflected light in their eyes became gradually more moving.

"Dad, what else?"

"What else..."

The old militia reached out, tugging his hair. He had many things to talk about, many stories to tell about his upcoming explorations and sailings. But in the end, these turbulent, unpredictable exploratory voyages spoken by him were only brief.

"In recent years, somehow, I was chosen by Your Majesty of the Kingdom. He had me lead a fleet out to sea. I made a trip to the Western Sea, spending more than a year... Stayed home for less than a year, then sent to the Eastern Sea, searching for the Snake Island where the Feathered Serpent Divine transformed..."

"The Snake Island in the Eastern Sea, transformed by the Feathered Serpent Divine?"

Hearing this, wilderness warrior Chipawa also scratched his hair. He had only traveled on land; the vast sea was entirely unknown to him. He had no concept of the difficulty of sailing or the distances on the sea. In fact, most of the canine descendants of the wilderness were like him, close to the earth beneath their feet but keeping a respectful distance from the sea.

"Dad, is this Snake Island far away?"

"Hmm. A bit far."

"Did you find it?"

"Hmm. With some effort, finally found it."

"So, you returned from that Snake Island, passing through here?"

"Hmm... probably! We encountered a storm and drifted here... it wasn't on the route."

"I see!..."

Wilderness warrior Chipawa thought for a while, not understanding much, but it didn't matter, his father was here, and that was good. Thinking of this, he pounded his chest confidently, looking at his father who had been separated for seven years, and confidently persuaded.

"Dad! You should stay here, don't go back! I have people under me now, a lot of people, they can take care of you! You like farming, right? I'll get this village from Sister Alan for you! There are so many fields here; they will all be yours to manage! In the future, you can stay with me and live a good life here!..."