In the underground dark prison, with holes of light, there is no longer a darkness that does not distinguish between day and night. There is bright sunlight during the day and a slight moonlight at night. These rays of light shine through the holes, reflecting the light and shadow of the sun and moon.
"The sun is a sacred disk. The light and shadow it casts on the ground are also perfect circles... It is also a sacred petal. It is the most gorgeous flower produced on the kapok tree that reaches the sky, the sun flower..."
The Mayan merchant Tikallo leaned against the corner of the stone prison, staring at the sun spots on the stone slab and talking to himself. He recited the Mayan myths he had memorized since childhood, and the round shape of the sun was reflected in his eyes. In this lonely and even dark dungeon, only this constant talking to himself could keep him awake and not be defeated by despair and fear.
"The sunflower unfolds like a disk, and the Lord of the Sun, Ah Kin, wakes up from his deep sleep! He is the incarnation created by the ancient god of the Serpent, and will also leave a shadow in the world...the ancestors of the Serpent! They Embracing the rays of the sun, falling from the petal-like disk, falling from the sky! And the descendants of gods with the blood of the Serpent inherit his divinity... just like my nephew, Tiakim..."
"The descendants of gods in the human world inherit the divinity in the sky. It is an eternal inheritance and the origin of the first coming of the gods!... Our hands and feet, twenty fingers and toes, correspond to the month...ten guarded by the gods. Eight ancient gods created the year, plus five and a quarter of the nameless god’s days, it becomes a year…”
"And I stayed in the first dark stone prison for half a year and three days more. In the second stone prison with light, I stayed for two twenty-day months, but three days less..."
Mayan merchant Tikalo murmured, counting the days. It has been 37 days since the last time Priest Pap came. I don’t know next time either…
"Dengdengdong..."
The low footsteps seemed to come from above the stone prison. The voice was faint, but obviously a little urgent. What was even clearer were some chaotic and distant shouts, whose location could not be identified, as if they were echoing throughout the entire water village.
"Um?"
"Dengdengdong..."
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and the shouts suddenly disappeared. Mayan businessman Tikalo pricked up his ears and leaned against the stone wall, like a clever old fox. He listened for a while, then quickly sat up straight, rubbed his pale face vigorously, and even straightened his dirty short robe.
"Boom!..."
Before it was time for breakfast and dinner every day, the heavy stone door was suddenly pushed open. The light from outside the stone prison suddenly came in, illuminating Ti Carlo who was sitting cross-legged with a calm smile on his face.
"Dear Priest Papu! God bless you! We meet again!"
Priest Pappu outside the door looked serious and remained silent. The sacrificial robe on his body was still stained with blood, and there was a faint white color on his neck, which was the mark of vicissitudes left by the evaporation of sweat and sea water. And if you look closely, the face of the priest, who has always been confident, seems to have aged a lot overnight.
"Cuchute. Take your people and guard the door!"
"Yes! Lord Priest!"
The leader, Chuchut, wore damaged leather armor and held a red copper ax with a missing blade. The dark red marks on his armor reminded people of fighting on the battlefield. The cruel blood and flames of war, as well as the thunder that exploded again and again, and the shouts of crazy charges, were all traced on his body and deeply engraved in Chu Chute's heart. At this moment, the face of this tribal leader, who had always been carefree, was already full of exhaustion. But when he looked sideways, the look he held with Ti Carlo seemed to contain a forced smile, and a hint of expectation that was hard to hide.
"Um?!"
Mayan businessman Tikalo's eyes flashed and he straightened his spine. He smiled, looked at Priest Papu, and asked aloud.
"Dear Priest Papu...Have the sacrifices to the lake resumed? Can I take a bath there as a sacrifice?..."
Hearing this, Priest Pappu pursed his lips and looked deeply at Ti Carlo's face. This time, he was not in the mood for small talk, nor the patience to make detours. After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath, his eyes sharpened, and he said bluntly and intimidatingly.
"Mayans! Just yesterday, the Mexica army captured Lake Sacrifice City! The priest elder you know, Tezozomoc, also lit a fire in the Quetzalcoatl Temple and went to the Kingdom of God devoutly. !…”
"At this moment, Black Wolf, the leader of the Mexica army, has sent out the red-haired vanguards to attack this water village! It is estimated that at least tomorrow at this time, those barbarians who shoot arrows will arrive here, and they will also burn the burning Bring death!…”
"Witness the gods! Tonight, I will take the water master and retreat to the water village of the Hidden Snake Holy City. As for you, the Maya who offended the gods! Whether you die or live depends on my thoughts right now. between!…"
"Oh haha!…"
Upon hearing such implicit threats, Mayan businessman Tikalo's eyes suddenly brightened. At this moment, he not only saw the light, but also stretched out his hand and embraced the light into his arms, just like the ancestor of the mythical serpent!
"Dear Priest Pap, I am just an ordinary Mayan businessman. And my humble life and death are actually nothing compared to your sacred life and death..."
Mayan businessman Tikalo stood up with a smile. He lowered his head slightly and saluted the feathered serpent priest in front of him. Then, with a sincere and respectful smile on his face, like a servant serving the god, he asked respectfully.
"Witness the Lord God! The sun rises from the west, illuminating the easternmost seashore. The raging tide has already hit, and the ancient sacred place is destined to win a new life... Dear priest, may I have the honor to listen to your thoughts? , are you going to find a new snake ring for you?"
"."
After hearing these words and seeing Ti Carlo's posture, Priest Pap lowered his eyes, put away his threatening expression, and did not respond for a long time. After a long while, he let out a long sigh, spoke calmly, and called out the Mayan merchant's name for the first time.
"Ti Carlo, you are very smart. From the first conversation, I knew that you are a smart and cunning fox!"
"The Mexica people captured Jihu City, killed thousands of warriors, and captured tens of thousands of tribesmen... At this moment, the Hidden Snake Holy City, less than two hundred miles away from Jihu City, was already crumbling, like a big tree with its roots cut off. ...And in my opinion, the Mexica army is unstoppable. Its subsequent fall will only be a matter of time..."
"And I, after fighting for the Holy City for so long and defeating the kingdom's fleets several times... can be considered worthy of being the chief priest of the seaside in the Holy City of Hidden Serpent, and worthy of being the statue of the god in the Ancient City of Feathered Serpent!..."
Having said this, Priest Pappu raised his eyes and stared at Ti Carlo's expression. His eyes were cold and sharp, like piercing obsidian daggers.
"Gods bless you! Now, I want to find a safe escape route for my warriors and the tribes that follow me! ... But this retreat must be a real way of survival, not any dead end!"
"To be honest! I have a lot of Prepecha blood on my hands, a lot of Totonac blood!... Compared with this blood, the blood of the Mayans is the least... and the fleeing Maya will also be My last choice..."
"I don't believe in the Black Wolf Commander of the Mexicans! I have seen him destroy the ancient feathered serpent city and sacrifice hundreds of feathered serpent priests... That is a truly cold and heartless beast! Therefore, I will never surrender to the black wolf! And the only one who can make me willing to surrender is His Majesty the Death God, who always values promises and whose reputation is more valuable than my life!"
"Ti Carlo, to be honest, I don't believe you either! I don't believe you will help me, I don't believe you can convince His Majesty the Death God... But, I am willing to give you a chance!"
"The gods witnessed it! The ancestors witnessed it! Right here, right now!..."
Under Ti Carlo's surprised gaze, Priest Pap suddenly pulled out a dark red obsidian dagger from his waist. He put the dagger directly on Ti Carlo's neck, gritted his teeth, and roared fiercely, like an American tapir trying to bite someone.
"Find a way to convince me! Otherwise you will die here!..."
(End of chapter)
