It was the end of summer, and Cloud Snake Mountain City was warm and sweltering, the plateau mountains lush and green. Inside the Temple, the dawn redwoods stood tall and sinewy, their trunks marked with black-red scars as if scorched by fire and stained with blood. Outside the Temple, the white oaks had bare branches; their bark and leaves had long since been eaten clean.
"The great fire scorched the tall trees, and the multitudes ate the bark to the last strip. The god-descendants offered sacrifice here, and the divine statue rotted and crashed down... Light fell, bloodstains vanished, and all glory belongs to the Main God!..."
Captain of Warriors Bertad looked calm as he took in the scene inside and outside the Temple. He knew everything that had happened here, and he also knew of the sacrifice held yesterday; he simply had not taken part in it himself. Then he instructed his guards to summon the important participants in yesterday's sacrifice, and began arranging the final matters.
"Go! Summon Black Snake Tlilcoatl!"
"Yes, Holy Eagle Marshal!"
A moment later, Black Snake Tlilcoatl came respectfully, his body bowed. By now, he had changed into a dark-green Mexica War Garb, and around his neck he wore the Main God's Sun Amulet. Most striking of all was the red emblem of the Main God carved into his forehead. One glance at the breadth and depth of the stone-dagger cuts was enough to make one's own forehead ache.
"May the Main God bless us! Honored Holy Eagle Marshal, Black Snake offers you his greetings!..."
"Mm. Black Snake Tlilcoatl, according to His Highness's promise, you will be granted the status of a Level 2 Hereditary Noble of the kingdom. As for your fief, it lies on the distant Northern Continent, in a bay valley