The warm breeze blows, the sunset reflects in the evening, and the fragrance of flowers drifts in the wind. The time of lovers always flies by. The young man and the girl hugged and kissed each other in the garden, talking to each other, and then held hands and watched the red sunset side by side. At this time, the hearts of the two of them were filled with warm happiness, and even the smiles on their eyebrows became sweet.
"YoYo!"
A loud eagle cry came from not far away, with a hint of joy.
Shulot was startled for a moment, and then he remembered the neglected little golden eagle. He looked at Alyssa and asked doubtfully.
"Alyssa, where did little Avelot go? I came from the palace and heard its cry, so I found you..."
"Little Avelot, he is eating fish by the fish pond, with the little green snake."
Alyssa blinked and smiled cutely. In order to prevent little Avelot from causing trouble, she sent the little golden eagle to the fish pond in advance.
"Xulot, I will take you to see the little fish!"
"Uh, okay!"
The two of them held hands, shoulder to shoulder, and came to the fish pond in the palace.
The area of the fish pond is not large, but it is dug very deep. Tropical fish are extremely beautiful, and the game of watching fish has always been a favorite pastime of the alliance nobles. Hundreds of fish are swimming up and down in the fish pond. Gold, silver, blue, yellow, red... multicolored lights interweave under the water, like a swimming rainbow.
The little golden eagle was squatting next to the fish pond, holding a small red fish under its paws, lowering its head and pecking at it. Seeing the two people approaching, it tilted its little head, raised its head, and barked twice in joy.
"YoYo!"
With a smile on his face, Shulot stretched out his hand and flicked the little golden eagle's head quickly, eliciting a dissatisfied cry. The little golden eagle shook his head, glanced at Alyssa, and rubbed her face flatteringly. Then, it flapped its wings and pointed at Shulot.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
Seeing the complaint from the little golden eagle, Alyssa bent her eyes and smiled handsomely. Shulot looked at the girl's beautiful smile, and her curved eyebrows, like soft crescent moons, tightly captured his heart.
"Bad brother, don't bully little Avelot!"
Alyssa stretched out her hand, gently touched Xilot's forehead, and flicked it hard. Then, she looked at the confused young man and smiled coquettishly.
"Little Avelot even sent me a letter. It's amazing!"
"ah!"
Shulot touched his forehead, subconsciously stretched out his hand, touched Alyssa's tender face, and squeezed it gently.
"If I don't bully little Avelot, then I'll bully you!"
The young man grinned, pretending to be a grinning coyote. The girl shrank her neck and pretended to be an innocent deer. The coyote chased the fawn, finally caught her, then snarled, bit her little face, and then licked her.
“It’s so delicious!”
"Uh, uh...bad...bad brother!"
The two fought for a while and finally stopped out of breath. Shulot hugged the weak girl and then remembered the topic just now.
"Alyssa, did little Avelot send all the letters I wrote before successfully?"
"Well, I sent it back!"
Alyssa blushed pretty and nodded.
"Little Avelot can fly seven hundred miles in a day, flying back to the capital from the lake kingdom. He also brought back a grass rat and caught prey in the process. The letter he sent back is a little wet, so it's best to seal it next time water proof..."
After hearing this, Shulot looked thoughtful and pondered for a moment.
"Flying seven hundred miles in one day! The golden eagle is so convenient, and it is not afraid of raptor attacks. When I return to the kingdom, I will raise a few more in the capital, and then send them to the capital to serve as messengers in emergencies..."
Alyssa looked at the brooding handsome young man and studied it quietly. His eyebrows are like stars, his face is like jade, his demeanor is calm when thinking, and his expression is as determined as a green pine. Unknowingly, the girl clung to the young man's chest again, and hugged him hard into her arms.
"Xulot, from now on, I will always be by your side. There is no need to travel as far as the golden eagle..."
Shulot reacted and hugged the soft girl as well, stroking her hair gently.
"Okay, okay! Alyssa, you are by my side, and I am by your side..."
"Chirp?"
Little Avelot tilted his head and looked at the two masters in front of him in confusion. They were hugging each other, why did they kiss each other again? ...The little golden eagle looked at it curiously for a moment and shook his head. Then, it felt a cold feeling on its feet, and a low threatening voice suddenly came from the side.
"Hiss, hiss!"
Little Avelot was startled, flapped his wings, and jumped two meters in an instant. It turned around suddenly and was on guard, only to realize that it was its old rival, the Little Green Snake, who had just crawled out from the bottom of the fish pond.
After not seeing each other for four or five years, it might be a little inaccurate to call him "Little Green Snake" again. At this time, Xiaoqing has grown to more than 1.5 meters long, and her arms are thick. When fully extended, it is almost as tall as a human being. Xiao Qing shook her head, looked at the "timid" old man with her cold vertical pupils, and then looked at Shulot, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
"Hiss, hiss?...Hiss, hiss!"
The little green snake looked at it doubtfully for a moment, sniffed it several times, and then suddenly became excited. It crawled towards Shulot quickly, its whole body was wet, leaving water droplets in the grass. Then, it raised its tail and shot out with a "swish", wrapping around Shulot's legs.
"Um?"
Shulot's calves felt cold and he lowered his head in surprise. He saw a thick viper wrapping tightly around his right leg, then crawling up quickly. The swift snake body brushed against his body, bringing a cold touch and a bit of moist smoothness.
"ah!"
Shulot exclaimed and was about to pull out the obsidian dagger in his arms, but was held down gently by Alyssa.
"Xulot, don't worry, it's Xiao Qing!"
"Huh? Xiaoqing? So big!"
Shulot blinked. Xiaoqing didn't stop, now she was already wrapped around his waist. Then it poked its head out, hooked it lightly, wrapped its arms around the young man's neck, put its head against Shulot's face, and made a simple exclamation mark, "!".
"Hiss!"
The cold touch refreshed Shulot's spirits. He tilted his head slightly and stared at Xiaoqing's familiar vertical pupils, and long-lasting memories came to his mind. Xiao Qing once accompanied him through the seven days he was imprisoned by the elder, and also accompanied him in the royal capital for more than a long year.
In Shulot's memory, Xiaoqing was still a young snake about the thickness of a stick, more than half a meter long, and could only hunt frogs. At this time, Xiao Qing in front of me is already the king of the water, an adult snake that can hunt big fish!
"After a few years, I didn't expect you to be so old!"
A smile appeared on Shulot's face. He gently touched Xiaoqing's forehead, and then carefully pinched the other person's snake body. Xiaoqing didn't refuse at all, and shook her head happily as before.
"Hiss!"
"The trees are like this, how can people be embarrassed?"
Xiulote caressed Xiaoqing and felt an inexplicable emotion in his heart. However, this sentiment may be a bit hypocritical for him who is still young. Soon, he remembered an old man who had gone through many vicissitudes of life.
"I don't know how my respected elder is doing now..."
The large temple stands tall and towering, shining with a god-like brilliance under the setting sun. Thick shadows cast from the pyramid, pulling out the elder to the east. Most of the chief minister's palace was hidden in the shadow of the temple, leaving only the top red flat roof, which still shined persistently in the sunset. However, as the night slowly approaches, how long can this last glory last?
At the top of the palace, the old man was lying on the soft cloth bed, raising his head slightly and staring at the afterglow of the sky. He had just woken up from an involuntary drowsiness, and his eyes were still a little cloudy.
"Montezuma...brother..."
"God bless you! Elder, you wake up!"
Kakamatsu held the elder's withered hand, carefully lifted him up and sat him down on the bed. He rushed back to the palace early and saw the elder sleeping, so he patiently stood beside him, not wanting to interrupt his father's rest.
Since this year, the elderly's condition has worsened significantly. He couldn't eat, his legs and feet were weak, and he gradually couldn't walk. He fell into drowsiness from time to time, and the time he spent in drowsiness became longer and longer, and the time he was awake became shorter and shorter. In his sleep, he would dream of many old people who had passed away, whether they were friends or foes, all welcoming him with open arms. He will also think of many little things that he once forgot, and the scenes are all clear before his eyes. The passing years are rushing in like water, and he is sinking into the water.
"Brother..."
The elder called softly twice, and then the turbidity in his eyes gradually dissipated. He looked at Kakamazin who was standing beside him, lowered his eyes slightly and said nothing.
Kakamazin felt his father's skinny body under the thick robe and couldn't help but have tears in his eyes. He gently sniffed the smell of the old man that was getting stronger at the end of his nose and asked in a low voice.
"Father, your body..."
"Call me elder."
"Yes. Elder, you..."
The elder had an expressionless face and waved his hand. Then, he glanced at the warrior standing on the other side, holding a clay pot, and the shadowy captain of the guard, Chevali.
"Bring it here."
Chevali nodded and took out a bottle of light green potion from the clay pot. Then, he opened it carefully and fed it to the elder bit by bit.
The elder lowered his eyes and took two sips. The power of the herbal medicine spread throughout his body, gradually regaining consciousness in his old brain. Feeling that his mind was recovering, the elder stopped calmly, waved his hand again without drinking too much.
Chevali carefully put the potion away again. Then, he stood quietly on the spot and transformed into a sculpture again.
The elder closed his eyes and took a breath. Soon, he opened his eyes, and his eyes were once again filled with unquestionable determination. He thought for a while and then spoke calmly.
"Kakamazin, this time, I ask you to meet the child. What's your impression?"
Hearing this question, Kakamazin lowered his head and thought carefully. The elder was not in a hurry, just waiting silently. After a while, Kakamazin looked serious and answered in a deep voice.
"Elder, my great-nephew Shulot, has the posture of Emperor Montezuma!"
"Brother..."
Hearing this, the elder's expression changed slightly, and then quickly became expressionless. He recalled the remnant dream that had just faded, and a heroic face was vaguely visible. After a while, he calmly ordered.
"Be more specific."
"Yes. Elder, my grandnephew Xiulote is young and has a heroic and determined appearance. He is extremely determined, must do what he says, and takes decisive actions. He obviously has clear goals and long-term plans... These are the characteristics of a king. The most important quality.”
"Well, will and determination."
The elder nodded slightly and listened calmly.
"...He is neither arrogant nor arrogant, and is quite friendly to others. Even for ordinary sailors, he will show some kind of hidden respect. I heard that in the Kingdom of the Lake, he has always been known to care for the common people, but he treats ordinary sailors The noble is very harsh... It can be seen that his guard warriors all respect and love him from the bottom of their hearts."
"Nobles, commoners, and samurai...the samurai returns home."
The elder pondered for a while, his face expressionless.
In his view, nobles are an important source of alliance power, but they are not so easy to control. As time goes by, the old nobles will become more and more hidden dangers. Common people are the bottom class. Although they are large in number, they do not have much strength and voice. They just need to remain stable and submissive. The only power that can really be relied on is the middle class warriors, the warriors who fight on the battlefield.
"How many warriors are there now in the Kingdom of the Lake?"
"Elder, according to the reports from the priests and the king's advisors, there are about six full legions. Five of them are old legions that have experienced fighting, and one is a new legion. Among the six, there are three standing armies and three semi-full legions. garrison."
"Six legions?"
Hearing this number, the elder frowned slightly.
"Exactly. The Kingdom of the Lake inherited most of the military strength of the Kingdom of Tarasco, and also incorporated the Guakili tribesmen from the north. In the past few years, the kingdom has sent troops to fight every year..."
The elder lowered his eyes and interrupted softly.
"I know...go on."
"...The thing that puzzles me the most is the divine revelation he received."
Kakamazin said this with some hesitation. He organized his words and tried his best to express what he saw.
"In the few years he spent in the Western Kingdom, the child developed some new weapons with great power... One is a large cannon made of bronze, which can fire stone bullets and destroy wooden fences and shields from hundreds of steps away. . There is also a small artillery that can defeat the enemy in the field..."
"Hmm? Hundreds of steps away, destroying the wooden fence?"
The elder's eyes opened instantly and he looked with invisible authority.
"Did you see it with your own eyes?"
"Yes. Indeed."
Kakamazin nodded. When he stopped on the way, he asked to see an artillery fire. Shulot didn't refuse and showed it calmly. The scene at that time left a deep impression on him and will never be forgotten!
"Elder, with this kind of bronze cannon in hand, you can attack small towns and easily break through wooden strongholds. And if it is in the name of the power of the gods, many weak tribes will probably be afraid, their resistance will be greatly reduced, and they will even surrender. ..."
"Divine inspiration...in the name of the gods..."
The elder was silent. His eyes flashed, obviously deep in thought. After a while, he asked tiredly.
"Any more?"
"There is also a huge rowing warship. There are sails hanging on the ship, which can use wind and manpower to quickly travel back and forth along rivers and lakes... Ordinary canoes cannot compete with it."
"The galley warship...is it the Mayan type?"
The elder recalled for a moment, and several pictures of what he saw at the seaside emerged. He was still young at the time and was serving as an envoy to the seaside city-state of the Totonac people. He was deeply impressed by the large merchant ships that sailed in Mayan city-states.
"The sails are somewhat similar, but the shape of the ship is more tapered. It should be more suitable for combat."
Kakamazin isn't so sure. He didn't know much about water warfare.
"Yeah. Is there any more?"
"...Gone."
Kakamazin shook his head.
"Elder, according to your will, I will preside over the wedding of the child and Alyssa. I will report to you again after some time!"
"Yeah. Go ahead and organize the wedding!"
The elder nodded calmly and waved his hand. He slowly sat back on the wooden bed and looked deeply at the dark sky outside the palace.
"It's getting dark, the sun is going to set... If I can live another ten years..."
Scenes flashed through the elder's mind. Conquer the world, reform the alliance, and inherit the royal family. If he is still here, there will be no problems!
"It's a pity...it's dark..."
