Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 688 - 361: Settling the Canine Descendants, Birds of Spring Fly

Chapter 688: Chapter 361: Settling the Canine Descendants, Birds of Spring Fly

The March spring breeze was warm and nurturing, like the gentle hands of the Goddess of Plants and Trees, as it tenderly brushed over the lands by the riverbank. The spring grass was a rich green, and the spring water shimmered with ripples, filling the banks of the Lerma River with vitality.

On the north shore of the Long River were dense forests. Red Feather’s tits were soaring among the trees, while white-winged doves perched atop the cacti. Scattered wooden forts dotted the forest, garrisoned with Otomi Militia who had opened up farmland at the base of the forts. In the early spring, the fallow fields sprouted patches of green grass, and unknown wild flowers bloomed in the fields, attracting brightly colored butterflies to dance.

There were even more farmlands on the south bank of the Long River. From the Rivermouth fortress going south, along the edge of Cuitzeo Lake, as far as the eyes could see, there were endless Milpa farms revived with vitality, village settlements bouncing back to life, and hundreds of single-log canoes.

The lake dwellers of Prepetcha were sailing on the lake. They caught plump river fish as tribute to nourish the frequently training Spear regiments. They collected silt from the lakebed to fertilize the communal fields of the village soon to be cultivated. This was the new teaching of village Priests, just as accumulated manure, it was the "Chief Divine’s gift of vitality, to moisten the earth and achieve a bountiful crop harvest."

Not far away, the banner of the Chief Divine flew high, beside it the Royal Banner of the Black Wolf. The Rivermouth fortress lay like a silent beast, calmly watching over the spring scenery of the riverbank. This was the last leisure period before the sowing of the spring crops, and it was the quietest time of the year. And beside the blue stone fortress were two newly constructed vast barracks. Thousands of Guajili warriors were training in the barrack amid shouts that startled flying birds. They were undergoing basic formation and discipline training under the command of Mexica officers. When the military training paused for a moment, orderly prayers arose in the barracks, drifting far with the spring breeze.

"What a joyous spring scene,"

Xiulote stood quietly in a white robe atop the Rivermouth fortress, taking in everything before him.

Suddenly, a fierce wind howled in the sky! A massive golden eagle spread its wings, pouncing from a great height at a speed of forty meters per second. In just a few seconds, it fiercely descended in front of the King, bringing with it a chilling wind pressure that ruffled the King’s hair. Then, the golden eagle abruptly stopped, extending its eagle claws that could tear through tigers and wolves!

"Clack!"

A plump river fish fell from the eagle’s claws, accurately hitting the King’s foot. Following that, little Aviloztli flapped its wings proudly, emitting a delighted shriek.

"Whoo-hoo!"

Xiulote looked down to see the river fish by his feet, not yet dead, its tail still reflexively flipping. He then lifted his head, silently gazing at the returning little golden eagle.

"Aviloztli, why have you come back?"

Little Aviloztli cocked its head, gauging its master’s expression. It then rolled its round eyes to look at the dangerous person beside its master, feeling utterly threatened. After pondering for a moment, it flapped twice on the fortress’s rooftop and swooped into Xiulote’s arms.

"Whoo-hoo!"

The grown little golden eagle, even with folded wings, was nearly one meter long. Xiulote staggered as it pounced on him. He smiled bitterly as he reached out his arms to hug little Aviloztli, much like holding a giant turkey.

Behind the King, Head Warrior Bertade silently put away his Longbow and Copper Arrows, a faint smile on his face.

Xiulote affectionately tousled the "giant turkey" in his embrace, then extended his left arm as a sign.

Little Aviloztli landed on the ground, flapped twice more, and jumped onto the King’s left arm. It carefully retracted its sharp talons, revealing slender eagle legs. Around them was a small roll of tightly bound cotton cloth, containing the letter Xiulote wrote to Alisa, narrating the concluding events of the northern campaign.

By late November, Xiulote had reclaimed Pamus Valley and held a victory ceremony and conversion ritual. He then left two thousand Samurai, five thousand Canine Descendants Tribes, and all the Otomi Agricultural Slaves with Balamo. By the end of November, an army of twenty thousand and tens of thousands of captives began to head south.

From Pamus Valley to the Rivermouth fortress was a journey of over seven hundred miles. Canine Descendants Tribes were rearranged into dozens of flags, each with four thousand people, who, under the supervision of Samurai and Militia, migrated south in batches. Along the way, the mass migration left deep marks, and sporadically robust Canine Descendants fled, only to be captured by patrolling Red Monkey Tribe and subjected to whipping, fasting, or even hanging.

Tens of thousands marched out of the undulating mountains, trekked across vast wildernesses, passed towering mountain cities, and arrived at the mouth of the Lerma River. There, the long-awaited Naval Forces of the Kingdom ceaselessly ferried batch after batch of Canine Descendants across the great river, settling them in villages on the southern bank. The mighty Lerma River surged tumultuously. Once across the great river, the Canine Descendants said their final goodbye to the wilderness, with no return in sight.

On the return from the northern campaign, the Royal Banner of the Black Wolf moved very slowly. It was not until the end of December that Xiulote finally reached the Ototpan Mountain City and held a New Year’s ceremony in the city. The banner of the Chief Divine waved in the Temple of the mountain city, Otomi Priests chanted the new scriptures from the Book of Ama Colley, guiding a hundred thousand Otomi people to pray jointly to the Chief Divine. Only after praying to the Chief Divine would they address the now Subordinate God, the Primordial God.

After the ceremony, Xiulote convened Otomi nobility and Priests for a feast that lasted into the dawn. The Otomi nobility presented gifts, Priests offered poetry, and the King reciprocated with gemstones.

Thereafter, he consulted with the elderly Priest Oorta, Prince Jiowar, and Chalki Great Chieftain on the arrangements of fiefs for the three northern states, rewarded nobles who contributed to the northern campaign, and punished chieftains who had failed to send troops. He then left two thousand stationed Longbow Militias near the mountain city before continuing the journey southward.