"Buzz...Bang! Bang!"
Rows of trebuchets trembled outside the city walls on the east and north sides, roaring loudly and throwing burning fireballs! More than twenty fireballs were like roaring meteors, flying over a distance of two hundred steps, and landed hard on the west wall of Feathered Serpent City. When the fireball fell, the burning charcoal and sulfur scattered instantly, and large flames rose up, followed by billowing smoke.
Thousands of Tlaxcala warriors shouted fiercely, holding on to their position at the top of the city, suffering in the drifting smoke. Thousands of city-state militiamen were busy, using baskets of soil to cover the fireballs and extinguish the raging fire. Pungent poisonous smoke rushed towards the face, carrying the terrifying smell of the volcano. Many people's faces were blackened by the smoke, their hair was matted, and they kept coughing, as if they were about to cough out their lungs.
Quehuiz, Lord of the Feathered Serpent City, stood high in the city, watching the battle in front of him, silently clenching the snake-patterned staff in his right hand.
Quiahuiztlan, the feathered serpent city, is one of the four core cities of Tlaxcala. It was built in the shortest time, only about a hundred years. It is located in the northernmost part of Zhucheng and controls the north entrance of the valley and mountains. In order to guard against the Mexicans, the walls of this strong city were reinforced many times and were seven or eight meters high. The outer layer of the city wall was built with volcanic stone from nearby materials, while the inner layer was thickened with soil. Both layers were bonded with mortar, making it difficult to dig and destroy.
The entire Feathered Serpent City is not large, only about three square kilometers. It is said to be a city, but in fact it is more like a fortress. To the south and east of Feathered Serpent City are the intersection of Rio Atenco and Rio Apizaquito. The two rivers merge into a fold, protecting half of the city wall. In later generations, this place was called Apizaco, which means "the shallow place where the rivers meet." The sides of the river are extremely muddy, making it difficult to deploy troops. The Mexicans could only attack Feathered Serpent City through the north and west sides.
Generally speaking, the city defense of Feathered Serpent City is quite strong, and it occupies the terrain advantage, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. In fact, this is also the common feature of the four core snake cities in Tlaxcala: they are four solid fortresses built in dangerous locations purely for war!
"There are still three thousand warriors and seven thousand militiamen in the city, and they have two years of food reserves. And thirty miles to the southwest are the other three snake cities, which will continue to come to support... The God of Hunting bless me! I will definitely be able to defend this place!"
Quehuiz prayed silently, unresolved worries surged in his heart, but his face remained calm. After all, he is the leader of the gods in the city and one of the most noble four kings of the Tlaxcala people, and he must always maintain his majesty.
Hundreds of feathered serpent guards, wearing leather armor and holding obsidian war clubs, surrounded the city lord. They are always ready to support the warriors and militiamen at the top of the city and die for the most noble god!
"Order the moths in the city to dig more soil! Tear down the wooden walls of the nobles' mansions and make wooden shields for the city! ...Start from my palace!"
Quehuiz watched for a moment, until the incoming fireballs were extinguished by the mothmen, and then he gave a stern order.
"Invite the priests of the God of Hunting to come and hold a prayer ceremony behind the city wall to protect the warriors guarding the city! Remember, the God of Hunting will protect Snake City!"
"Yes! The God of Hunting will protect Snake City!"
More than a dozen guards shouted, bowed their heads, and then dispersed. Soon, the small city was filled with shouts and became even busier.
Thousands of moth people prepared supplies for the defense of the city, using stone tools to make simple shields, arrows and rolling stones. Thousands of warriors were waiting behind the city walls on both sides, ready to support at any time. Dozens of temple priests lit sacred fires, cut their cheeks, and prayed like crazy for days. The military nobles in the city also mobilized. They maintained order everywhere, guarded the walls on all sides, and faced the front line of the battle with the Mexica.
At this moment, in order to resist the attack of the old enemy, the gods, nobles, priests, warriors and moth people are united together! Because they all know that the outcome of defeat is death and sacrifice, and there is no way out!
Two quarters of an hour later, the thick smoke at the top of the city gradually dissipated and no longer obstructed the view. The Mexican military formation outside the city also took action. Outside the city walls on the west and north sides, there were a thousand elite royal warriors on each side. They wore bronze helmets and armor, held long bows, and were well equipped. The royal bow warriors lowered their heads, lined up in a loose formation, braved the arrows from the top of the city, and quickly advanced to within sixty steps.
"Swish swish!"
As soon as the bow warriors stood still, a round of sharp copper arrows shot up, suppressing the Tlaxcala archers at the top of the city! Dozens of screams rang out from the top of the city, and dozens of corpses immediately fell from the top of the city. The Tlaxcala archers crouched on the ground and fired arrows desperately towards the city.
Waves of bone arrows fell on the royal warriors, making "ding-dong" sounds as they collided with the bronze armor from time to time. Several warriors groaned and were hit in the face and neck by accurate marksmen, and immediately fell to the ground dead.
"Swish swish!...Swish swish!..."
The continuous rain of arrows crisscrossed up and down the city wall, constantly taking away lives and consuming the archers' physical strength. After several rounds of arrow rain, the arrow rain fired by both sides became obviously sparse. Then, the drumbeat of charging sounded from the Mexica army formation at the rear.
"Dong dong dong!"
Outside the city walls on both sides, there were a thousand city-state militiamen on each side, dressed in simple commoners, carrying dozens of seven or eight-meter-long ladders, and quickly approached the city wall. As soon as they got closer, a large number of spears fell from the top of the city, followed by thrown wooden blocks, stones, and a few lime jars.
"ah!"
The city-state militiamen who attacked the city screamed, and hundreds of people were killed or injured in an instant. They were either hit by arrows in their bodies and fell down wailing; or their heads were hit by rocks and fell down instantly to death; or they covered their eyes covered with lime and shed tears of blood in severe pain. However, the drumbeat of the attack became more intense, and the militiamen fell back and died, so they had no choice but to continue to attack the city!
"Bang bang bang!"
The city-state militiamen tried their best to set up long ladders, hooked the city walls with copper hooks, and tried their best to climb to the top of the city. Then they were shot to death by arrows from the city top, crushed to death by falling stones, and killed by warriors' war clubs.
"Swish swish!"
The bronze-armored bow warriors under the city fired arrows quickly. They didn't care about accidentally injuring the militiamen attacking the city, and just kept shooting at the Tlaxcala warriors who leaned out.
After a round of arrow rain, dozens of warriors were hit by arrows and screamed, falling from the crowded city. Their fate was sealed. Even if they did not fall to death, they would be killed by the militiamen below the city.
"Bang bang bang!"
The defenders at the top of the city threw down, and the unarmored militiamen suffered heavy casualties. After another half-quarter of an hour, the remaining hundreds of militiamen could no longer hold on, wailing and retreating to the rear. The defensive equipment at the top of the city was also consumed a lot, and there was no time to replenish it.
"Dong dong dong!"
The second round of war drums sounded immediately. The royal war supervising team drew out their war clubs and prepared to execute the first two hundred militiamen who retreated according to the king's order. The two thousand city-state warriors who had been preparing for a long time shouted in unison and ran towards the ladder set up at the top of the city.
"Praise the Lord God and fight for God!"
The city-state warriors held up their shields, gripped their war clubs, and rushed to the city in a moment. They are the real siege team, and the previous militia is just consumption to pave the way.
"kill!..."
The warriors shouted and quickly jumped up to the top of the city. Then, with red eyes, they waved their war sticks as hard as they could, and fought desperately with the Tlaxcala defenders who were also shouting!
"Yes. The Tlaxcala people's morale has not declined. Today's siege is still based on consumption."
King Avit stood on a high hill, with the royal flag of the "Evil Spirit Commander" behind him, surrounded by hundreds of noble eagle warriors. His face remained calm as he looked at the shouting crowd at the top of the city and the blood spots that were blooming, as if he were watching ants fighting.
The king wore brand-new skull armor, with cloth-covered bronze on the inside, leather, bone ornaments and feathers on the outside, and bright gems and gold particles. At a glance, he is shining in the sun, like a heroic spirit in Mexica mythology!
"The physical strength of the first batch of royal bow warriors is almost exhausted."
Avitt squinted his eyes and looked at the royal warriors who were shooting at each other. Then, he waved the command flag and gave orders to his personal guards.
"Bang the war drum! Let the second batch of royal bow warriors line up and get ready to attack!"
"By your will, Most High King of Mexica!"
The guards raised their chests and shouted, then ran towards the front of the formation. Soon, the drums of the Legion became more urgent.
"Dong dong dong!"
War drums beat, city-state warriors fight at the top of the city, and royal warriors shoot arrows below the city. Warriors kept screaming and falling from the high city top, turning into a pile of corpses. After just a moment, a messenger came from the military formation on the other side.
"His Majesty the King, the commander of the Mountain Legion, the glorious noble Iser, sincerely pleads with Your Majesty! He said that today the Mountain Legion attacked the North City and has suffered casualties of two warrior squadrons of 100 people and a militia battalion of 1,000 people... Please Your Majesty the Supreme King, let the loyal mountain army retreat for a moment and regroup!”
"Haha! Izel, this little naughty guy..."
Avitt laughed and cursed in a low voice. Then, he waved his hand and shouted in a deep voice.
"Let Trocan State's Mountain Army attack for another half moment, and then replace it with Weipuchtland State's Xiajin Army!"
"By your will, Most High King of Mexica!"
The messenger raised his chest and shouted again, then immediately turned around and left with the order.
