NOVPUB"At noon, the gods descended, and the Divine Kingdom opened! The gods have arrived to lead the souls of the deceased!"
The clear call echoed under the sky, and a thunderous roar ascended. The samurai in the camp suddenly became noisy. They shouted their final blessings, bidding farewell to the souls of those who died in battle, rising until the red kingdom. It was a long time before the shouting gradually quieted down.
Xiulote once again raised the Divine Staff in his hand, chanting the final farewell.
"The gods have departed, taking with them the souls of those who died in battle! The warriors who died for the gods have gone to the glorious Divine Kingdom, transformed into beautiful flora, forever enjoying peace and joy! Praise the Chief Divine, shout thrice His name!"
"Praise the Chief Divine Huitzilopochtli! Praise the Sun God Huitzilopochtli! Praise the War God Huitzilopochtli!"
The shouts in the camp boiled to a climax, turning into a powerful and orderly prayer. All the Mexica warriors lay face down on the ground at the same time, their faces pressed deeply against the earth, offering the most devout salutes to the Chief Divine! Soon, the camp was quiet, leaving only the distant sound of a flute and the far-off wind.
Xiulote slightly closed his eyes, meditated silently for three minutes, before finally chanting.
"The ritual is complete! The Sun God returns to the sky, promising this year’s harvest; the War God blesses us, the western campaign is about to be victorious!"
The deafening cheer rose again, even the air seemed to come alive. The samurai, smiling, began to rise from the ground. They greeted each other, fists clenched and arms crossed, hopeful for the fields’ bounty, and more so for the victory in war. The samurai responsible for the funeral began to fill the pits with soil. The warriors of the Alliance were buried in the main pit, with carvings of the sun and the Hummingbird on the sealed soil. The deceased of the kingdom were hastily buried in the surrounding subsidiary pits, keeping them in long company with their former enemies, lying side by side.
The ceremony ended, Xiulote slowly walked down from the divine platform, his back soaked with sweat. The weather in April had become hot, and the ceremonial dress allowed for no negligence. Accompanied by Bertade, he returned to the commander’s tent, changed into a comfortable shirt, rested briefly, then once more headed towards a side tent in the rear camp.
The side tent was small, yet guarded firmly by a dozen samurai. Xiulote lifted the tent door, looked directly at the grass bed inside.
Cazonci Su’angua of the Tarasco Kingdom was lying on the bed with his eyes tightly closed, a peaceful smile on his face, resting tranquilly. His injured right arm had been carefully bandaged, and the arrowhead had been removed; he had been changed into a clean white robe. At that moment, he looked like a sleeping white deer. Next to Su’angua, an elderly priest bowed respectfully, and a young priest nodded back in salute.
"How is Su’angua?"
"Respected High Priest, his wounds have been meticulously treated. Last night I administered a potent potion, and he has been sleeping since then."
"Good! Do not stop the priest’s potions, call for more from the rear if needed. Remember, he is the most sacred of sacrifices, you must sustain his life, he must not be allowed to commit suicide!"
Upon hearing this, the elderly priest nodded fearfully, and respectfully replied.
"Rest assured, High Priest! The use of hallucinogenic Holy Water and anesthetizing potions alternately will surely prevent any chance of suicide, and he will soon lose his clarity of thought!"
"Hmm, good. Now, wake him up!"
The elderly priest took out a jar of pale yellow potion, feeding it to Su’angua. Moments later, the young king coughed violently, painfully shook his head, and finally woke from his deep sleep again.
"Yuku... give me my armor..."
Xiulote stood still, silently watching the pale-faced king, saying nothing.
"Bring me honey water... guard? Yuku!"
Su’angua shouted out and abruptly opened his eyes, just meeting Xiulote’s gaze. His expression shifted from surprise to confusion, then to bewilderment and finally transformed into anger.
"Damn it! You are..."
"Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Mexica, Xiulote."
Upon hearing this, the young king’s pupils harshly contracted. He instinctively reached toward his waist, feeling a sharp pain in his right arm, but touched nothing. He then looked at his clothes, glanced at the Mexica warriors on both sides, and suddenly his face turned deathly pale, draining all his strength.
Xiulote slightly shook his head. The priests’ numerous potions acted on the nerves, and although potent, severely impacted the user’s thinking, causing memories to become scrambled. The high priests and veteran warriors of the Alliance were cautious with the use of potions to avoid adverse effects.
"The Divine allow us to meet! Greetings, Cazonci of the people of Prepetcha, the Divine Eagle of Tarasco! Xiulote of Mexica greets you!"
Hearing the familiar greeting, Su’angua tightly pursed his whitened lips, remained silent for a long while. After a while, the pride of the Royal Family compelled him to look up, responding in a low voice.
"With the Three Divine as witnesses! Greetings, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Mexica. The King of Tarasco greets you!"
Xiulote smiled and nodded. He examined the king’s expression with a smile, then spoke gently.
"Your Excellency Su’angua, how does your body feel? Is there any discomfort? The Alliance holds customs in high regard, if you have any requests, feel free to make them here!"
Hearing this, Su’angua gritted his teeth, clenched his fists tightly. After a long moment, he finally replied in a low voice.
"I, am well. Your Highness of Mexica, if you have anything to say, just say it!"
Xiulote paused for a moment, indeed having some thoughts... The young priest smiled again and spoke.
"Since you put it that way, I will speak plainly. Your Excellency, you are defeated, and the Tarasco Kingdom has no more armies. Though Capital City Qinchongcan is strong, it could hardly withstand the attack of the Alliance armies. The war has come to an end, and enough lives have been lost. For the sake of the lives of the capital’s residents, and this year’s spring planting, would you be willing to step forward and negotiate the surrender of Qinchongcan City?"
