Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 862 - 481: Exploration of the Kingdom of the Lake, The Inevitable Naval Battle

Chapter 862: Chapter 481: Exploration of the Kingdom of the Lake, The Inevitable Naval Battle

The edge of the Great Island, within the bay, the waves were calm as a lake, and the birds chirped like the wind. Amid this picturesque scenery, two fleets were rapidly approaching each other. They were filled with murderous intent, hesitating not at all, rushing to the battlefield of death.

The galleys swiftly advanced, breaking the calm waves, bringing with them a howling wind. Chiwaco stood at the bow, grasping a spear, shouting loudly.

"Beat the drums!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The fierce battle drums immediately sounded. Both sides had arrived within sixty paces, entering the range of the Kingdom Fleet’s archers.

"Fire the arrows!"

"Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!"

The Prepetcha Warriors were mostly gathered on the flagship. Having been prepared long ago, they collectively drew their longbows, a volley of dozens of copper arrows shot out like lightning.

"Thud!"

The sharp arrows flew, deeply embedding into bodies. Seven or eight warriors of Sri screamed in agony, tumbling over from the small boats, then with a "splash," they fell into the water. They wore no armor; being hit meant severe injury or death.

Yet, these few casualties did not shake the morale of the Sri people. Instead, it provoked them into wild cries. In the desolate and harsh Sonora Desert, death was the most common occurrence. In the tribe, apart from the chieftain, leaders, and witch doctors, few lived past thirty. For a sip of spring water, dozens could die or be injured, let alone for the holy ancestral land of the Sri!

Soon, sixty or seventy small boats swarmed in a rush, closing to within forty paces. The tribal warriors on board, drawing their hunting bows, lifting their javelins, ready to engage at any moment.

"Fire the arrows!"

Chiwaco, his face stern as water, gave the order again.

"Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!"

Dozens of copper arrows shot out. This time, the distance was even closer, and the accuracy was significantly higher. The two foremost small boats were subjected to a concentrated attack, a dozen or so Sri warriors were either killed or injured, falling into the water one after another. Large patches of red spread in the light blue seawater, the small boats on the surface losing power, spinning in place like splendid ocean flowers.

"Itako, quick!"

The sixty-plus small boats continued relentlessly, ignoring the injured in the water. The Sri people shouted wildly, rowing desperately, charging towards the large ship thirty paces away. The tribal hunters on the boats fired bone arrows, tracing low arcs, "bang bang," nailing into the shields of the galleys!

"Swish swish swish!"

Bone arrows flew, emitting sharp whistling sounds. The dark red arrowheads piercing like a death god’s greeting,

"Oh! Blind Heavenly Divine, please protect me!..."

Seeing hundreds of charging Sri warriors, the old militia Chiwaco shuddered instinctively. Though simply dressed, he stood at the center of the warriors, an eagle feather symbolically stuck in his helmet. The Sri hunters glanced, and all aimed their poison arrows at him!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Chiwaco was wearing sturdy leather armor, a bronze helmet, and holding a shield. He felt impacts on the shield, his head, his body, looking down to see several dark red poisoned arrows lodged in. However, as both boats were moving, the galleys had erected tight shields. The range of the Sri hunting bows was insufficient, weak and powerless. Those poisoned arrows either fell to the ground or slanted into his body without penetrating the defense.

"Chief Divine bless!"

Chiwaco murmured softly, sweat slightly visible on his forehead under the armor. His legs trembled a bit, yet his face showed no sign. This time was different from the past; as a militia or militia leader, retreating was an option. Saving a few men would satisfy his conscience. But now, as the leader of the expedition fleet, commander of hundreds, he could not show fear, nor could he retreat an inch. If he retreated, the entire army would waver, possibly leading to a rout. At that moment, who knew how many would die!

"Damn this blind Majesty! Putting me on the fire for roasting!"

The old militia spat, cursing silently. Then, holding up his shield, he shouted sternly.

"Accelerate! Charge! Sailors, row with all your might! Increase the speed, ram them with the bow!"

"Accelerate! Charge!"

Hearing the order, more than twenty sailors puffed their cheeks, rowing with all their strength. The 20-meter-long, 6-meter-wide flagship, like a gigantic shark, with violent splashes, fiercely rammed into the 6-7 meters long, 1.5-meter-wide canoes. The canoes, like frightened fish, wobbled in the waves, trying to avoid. By then, the galleys’ speed had reached its peak! In just a few breaths, the sharp bronze ram gleamed, heading straight for the side of a small boat!

"Crack... Snap!"

The sound of wood breaking was so sharp and piercing! The rammed canoe only held for a few seconds before suddenly snapping under the fierce impact! Two Sri warriors were killed on the spot, shards of wood flew like blades, injuring the remaining four. Soon, the sounds of falling into the water followed successively, large patches of red quickly rising to the surface. The blood in the air was but the prelude to the event.

"Haha, satisfying!"

Puap, holding a longbow, stood on the port side. Though his body swayed, he stood firmly on the deck. The violent collision shook the big ship too, but the use of high-quality pine and keels made the Kingdom’s warship much sturdier than the small boats of the Sri. The Huitu warrior swayed twice but then drew his longbow again. Slightly aiming, he released an arrow, killing a tattooed Sri warrior!

Chiwaco, holding onto the ship’s rail, slightly squatted, hiding his upper body behind a great shield. Surveying the surroundings, he saw the Sri people, impacted by the large ship, were momentarily in disarray, not immediately swarming. Yet, bone arrows kept flying in. The flagship already had two warriors and a sailor down by arrow wounds. As for the fallen or drowned Sri warriors, there were more than thirty!

"Bang! Crack! Snap!"

Several intense collisions came from both sides, overpowering all voices. The other two galleys followed the flagship, launching fierce charges, ramming and capsizing three or four small Sri boats. These two ships had fewer warriors, fired fewer arrows, but had plenty of sailors, charging like stampeding wild bulls.

Chiwaco quickly surveyed his surroundings. The Sri people’s canoes, though numerous, had shallow drafts, making them panicked under ramming. They had never encountered such large ships, unable to respond immediately. A brief thought, and the old militia decisively ordered.

"Continue! Accelerate the charge, break through the Sri fleet! Chief Divine bless!"

"Chief Divine bless!"

The rowers strained, the decelerated galleys moved again. This time, Chiwaco adjusted the strategy, no longer ramming wildly, but brushing past the sides of the canoes, capsizing them with the advantage of the larger ship. Within less than a quarter, four or five Sri boats were tipped over, dozens of Sri warriors jumping into the water, becoming arrow targets.

The other two large ships followed the flagship, charging furiously, crashing through the enemy fleet. Feathered arrows flew wildly over the water, drastically reducing accuracy. The galleys stood tall, armed with great shields and longbows, holding an absolute shooting advantage.

"Haha, refreshing! Truly refreshing!"

Having broken through the Sri fleet, Puap panted, laughing heartily. During the brief charge, he shot over a dozen arrows, killing at least three Sri warriors. Their returning bone arrows did not penetrate his leather armor. Of course, this was partly because he had secretly removed his feather crown, wearing only ordinary warrior gear.

"Old Chi, let’s turn around and ram them again!"

Chiwaco pursed his lips, not speaking. This round of charging saw the Sri losing at least a fifth, an estimated seventy to eighty men. Many tribal warriors merely fell into the water, temporarily losing combat capability. The flagship’s casualties were only three or four.

"Adding the casualties of all three ships, that’s over a dozen."

The old militia frowned, pondering. He wasn’t dwelling in the advantage but thinking of turning the tide. Killing these Sri warriors held little meaning for the expedition fleet. The deaths of the Kingdom’s warriors and sailors were real losses.

Though the fleet had restocked ample sailors from friendly tribes, bringing back an extra Prepetcha would mean an extra life saved!

"Yes... with so many small boats, so many Sri warriors, there must be a leader!"

In the swift and fierce clash, the fleets crossed paths again. By now, they were a hundred paces apart, temporarily disengaged.

Chiwaco did not hurry to attack. Squinting, he closely watched the movements of the Sri fleet, seeking truly valuable targets. Soon enough, a tattooed Sri warrior caught his eye.

"Icátax! Icatas! Come here, come here!"

The tattooed warrior Pikam urgently commanded the small boats to regroup. These canoes and warriors came from different tribes. They were strangers to each other, some even with blood feuds. The recent chaotic battle saw them barely touching the enemy!

"Damn, listen to me! Coyotes hunting down a lone buffalo must circle it! Circle it! ...The enemy, few ships! We, many boats! In the coming battle, stick to the lead big boat, eat it! Ignore the rest!... Icatas! Icatas!"

In the fleet, the tattooed warrior Pikam held the highest position. He was a chieftain of a small coastal tribe, with the most boats directly under him, accounting for a third of the fleet. In Sri, Pikam (ptcamn) meant a resilient and water adept lobster. Yes, the big lobsters were plentiful in this era’s seaside.

"It’s him!"

After observing for a while, Chiwaco finally locked in the target. Under the tattooed warrior’s command, the enemy fleet was rapidly regaining order. Without hesitation, the old militia pointed a red flag, sternly ordering.

"Accelerate! Accelerate! Accelerate! Full speed ahead, towards the direction I point, right at the enemy fleet’s center!"

"Full speed ahead!!"

"Heave ho! Heave ho!"

The fleet rowers chanted, mustering their last bit of strength, rowing desperately. The flagship gradually picked up speed, the wind blowing past the bow carrying a fierce whistle.

"Chieftain, the enemy is coming again!"

On Pikam’s small boat, an experienced tribal warrior squinted, looking toward the enemy fleet. This time, it seemed the enemy was...

"Listen to me, surround them! Icatas! Charge!"

Pikam stood at the bow, waving his arms vigorously, directing the nearby small boats. He surveyed the surrounding warriors, raising a javelin high, roaring like a mountain lion.

"Itako! Kill!"

"Bang! Bang! Crack! Crack!"

The three galleys fiercely advanced, crashing into the canoe group once more. This time, the Sri fleet was slightly dispersed, with a few more canoes capsizing. However, the remaining boats did not fall into chaos. Instead, led by several war boats, they closed in from both sides, gradually approaching the Kingdom fleet’s flagship.

Seeing this, Pikam’s face revealed a smile. But such smile was short-lived, as rainstorm-like arrows shot out from the enemy’s large ship!

"Swish swish swish!"

The Prepetcha warriors did not hold back, wildly firing to both sides. Dozens of Sri warriors fell into the water, causing the closing canoes to halt momentarily, showing signs of hesitation. The tribal warriors on each boat looked to others for cues before deciding the next move. In this gap, the flagship giant boat surged, its speed abruptly rising, charging straight ahead.

"Chieftain! The enemy, they’re ramming... ramming... ramming us! Aaaah!"

Pikam’s eyes widened in rage. He stared at the approaching large ship, its bow gleaming with a golden cold light, like the fangs of a giant beast. Then, the dreadful giant beast struck with a roar, completely capsizing the unfortunate small boat!