The setting sun slants to the west, leaving behind the last afterglow and the last warmth. The golden sun shines down, refracting the shining hills and painting the magnificent forest fields.
This is where the Otomi forest meets the edge of the Valley of Mexico. Going south from here, the trees gradually thin out and the mountains gradually become flat.
Hundreds of warriors with long bows and bronze spears walked steadily and headed south without hesitation.
A young commander wearing a helmet and covering his face was walking in the center of the team. He is small in stature, holds a shield in his hand, carries a war club on his back, and wears the commander's sunstone cloak, with a large bow painted on the back of the cloak. Around his neck is an extremely delicate obsidian necklace, symbolizing his status as a high priest.
Where the warriors were walking in solemn silence, flocks of birds flew up from time to time, and the cries of eagles could be heard.
The boy saw the eagle flying among the brilliant red clouds, saying goodbye to the golden sun and the warmth of the world.
Beside him, a particularly strong jaguar warrior was listening intently. A similar eagle cry was repeated several times before he nodded in understanding.
"Xulot, the prey has moved to the east, half a day's journey away from us, and is drinking water." Orosh said confidently.
Shulot nodded slightly. He wore a face-covering helmet to maintain the majesty of the commander and prevent the warriors from seeing the young man's handsome face.
"Teacher, is it gone?" The young man kept his posture. After a long time, he looked at Orosh next to him with a surprised look on his face.
"Of course! The eagle signals imitated by the Jaguar warriors can only convey simple messages: east, west, south, north, half a day, one day, two days, drink water, eat, sleep. This is not human language, what else do you want? How about it?"
Orosh looked at the boy and rolled his eyes. He had stayed with the boy for a long time and learned this action very early.
"Also, in the army, there are clear levels of hierarchy. You need to maintain your authority, just call me by my name!"
"Okay, teacher."
Xiuluo nodded and then shouted an order: "Turn eastward!"
The warriors followed the order and chased eastward.
This hunt has lasted for two days. In the past two days, the jaguar warriors of the holy city of Teotihuacan finally had the opportunity to show off their traditional skills: hunting.
Unlike their wealthy colleagues in the capital, Teotihuacan's military nobles did not have enough land and villages to support themselves. The high priesthood also occupies an absolutely powerful position in the distribution of the city-state's wealth.
The military nobles of the Holy City can only take matters into their own hands to support their families.
They often go hunting in the mountains and forests of the north, catching tigers, leopards, deer, wolves and crocodiles to obtain hides and meat. The animal skins can be used to make or repair leather armor, and the meat can be used to supplement the youth in the family who participate in warrior training.
And every once in a while, when large-scale sacrificial events required the preparation of sacrifices, the warriors would gather into small teams and go deep into the territory of the Otomi, Huastec, Tarasco and even Tlaxcala people to capture the local people. The canine savages attacked hostile villages and even captured the samurai of the opposing force. This is capture.
Capturing prisoners could bring promotion and honor to the participating samurai, but it also hid a cruel death. Male sacrifices could bring temple rewards, and female captives could be exchanged for wealth in the market, or simply stay at home to weave cloth.
The young men of Teotihuacan always experienced the first battle in their lives while capturing prisoners, just like Shulot himself. When senior warriors are promoted to military aristocrats, most of them will join the Jaguar Chapter, which is good at raids, to further improve their hunting abilities.
In hunting, the most important skill is tracking and the most valuable quality is patience.
In order to capture an unparalleled warrior like Totek, Shulot had enough patience.
The jaguar warriors in the holy city were scattered into the forest by the young commander. They closely monitored Totec's movements and sent signals with high-pitched eagle cries.
Tisoke's whereabouts were always locked, and Totec tried to break out several times, but in the end he failed.
During the two days of hunting, the hunters continued to inflict wounds on the prey, consume the prey's physical strength, and wait for the chance of a fatal blow!
Whenever the guards drink, eat or rest, a small team of longbow warriors will quietly arrive. The firing longbows brought deadly arrows, taking away exhausted lives one by one, leaving the guards unable to rest.
By now, nearly half of the more than 150 imperial guard warriors have been lost. The remaining loyal guards were also injured and exhausted. They didn't even dare to light a bonfire at night, so they could only chew cold dry food and endure the cold wind.
Once the angry Totec prepares to pursue him, other teams will loom in the mountains and forests on all sides, waiting for the opportunity to shoot the king. Totec is like a ferocious beast whose hands and feet are trapped, and Tisok is the rope that binds his hands and feet.
If you cut off this rope, will the beast surrender to you? The young man thought leisurely.
At this moment, under the guidance of the Jaguar warriors, Stanley came from the mountains and forests to the east. He walked hurriedly and looked slightly tired, but very excited.
"I have contacted the warrior group in the south. Three thousand warriors have been surrounded from the south. Early tomorrow morning, we will completely trap Tisok."
"Well done!" The young man took off his visor, revealing his delicate face. His air was full of confidence.
"Tomorrow morning, let us launch a fatal blow!"
Nights without a campfire are always difficult. Totec's eyes were slightly closed, and a vigilant guard stood beside Tisok.
Surrounding the king were guards with shields on guard. For two days, they marched and fought, harassed and harassed without sleep, and the guards struggled with exhaustion. From time to time, they closed their eyes and lowered their heads, their helmets tapping lightly on the top of their shields. Then they woke up for a moment, and soon closed their eyes and fell asleep again.
Totec listened carefully, but heard no annoying eagle cry or the low sound of the longbow. He felt slightly relieved. Tonight, the rebels rarely disturbed me. He glanced at the exhausted and scarred guards again, but said nothing.
Everyone enjoyed a rare rest, and the king was finally able to sleep peacefully. In his sleep, he roared inaudibly. In the past two days, the troops marched southward with difficulty, and the rebels harassed them day and night. They had to sleep with half an eye open.
In a difficult situation, the king inspired the tenacity of a warrior. He no longer complained or cursed. Instead, he inspired the loyal guards from time to time and made promises for the future.
"These are the descendants of the late king Montezuma." Totec thought quietly, "Don't be obsessed with theology and despise loyal warriors. Don't be bewitched by the words of the chief priest and have murderous intentions towards your brother. .”
"If it had been like this earlier..." Totec shook his head slightly. Once things in this world have passed, they can no longer be changed. Since they cannot be changed, there is no need to think about them again.
"If you can return to the capital this time, the king will definitely change and become a British master like the previous king!"
Totec tried to remember the face of his late king, but he could only remember a tall and vague figure. Perhaps, in the distant past, in his boyhood, he never dared to look squarely at the great and glorious Montezuma. He just obeyed the order of his late king, loyally served the king, and kept in mind the oath of protection.
As a hairless guard, he guarded the previous kings; as a commander-in-chief, he guarded Tisok. He thanked the king for his promotion, but the official position and rewards actually meant nothing to him.
He was just alone, without a wife, relatives or friends, and lived the simplest life, as pure as the rock on the top of the mountain. Because the life of a samurai is nothing more than being loyal to his mission and fulfilling his promise until he dies peacefully!
Peaceful time always passes quickly, and in a blink of an eye, the horizon is already a new red sun. The morning sun brings infinite dawn and hope, illuminating the vast world and climbing to the highest peak, just like the emperor in the world.
When the red sun rises, its path shines brightly.
Totec looked at the gorgeous morning glow, which dyed the clouds in the sky. The clouds spread out from the east, like a gate leading to the kingdom of God. A smile of understanding rose in his heart: the old sun had left, and the new sun had just risen. This was truly a beautiful day, just right for a peaceful death.
That night, Shulot slept well. He woke up in the dawn and stood up facing the rising sun on the horizon. Then the young man dressed up neatly and led the warriors eastward under the guidance of the eagle's cry.
Before noon, he received urgent information. A few miles away to the east, Totec led eighty guards and was about to break through the obstruction of a thousand-man battalion. It was not known how long the two thousand-man battalions behind them could hold off.
The young man cursed secretly in his heart: "These royal warriors are useless at work!"
He immediately gave the order, and the eight hundred warriors turned into a torrent and hurried toward the east.
