Prophecies and Portents

The sky was lofty and profound, the Holy City ancient and solemn. Tizoc, the new king of Mexica, stayed in the ancient Holy City for two days, listening as the High Priest interpreted the murals of the ancient city. Xolotl followed behind and listened to two days of mythic tales as well.

"So, the world was born from nothingness. At that time, there was neither Heaven nor the Underworld, neither Father God nor Mother God. At the beginning of all things, there was only the first deity, Ometeotl! Ometeotl was also the source of the Otomi People's name and the object of their reverence."

"He possessed two opposing divine natures: He was Heaven and Earth, fire and water, light and darkness, order and chaos. Those opposing natures gave birth to two divine persons, one male and one female. Their union bore Huitzilopochtli, the God of War; Tezcatlipoca, the primordial Sun God; Xolotl, god of death and rebirth; and Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent!"

High Priest Xutl stroked the ancient stone-carved mural, his expression solemn as he slowly explained it to King Tizoc.

"So that was it! Since Huitzilopochtli, the God of War, inherited the Sun God's exalted seat and promised us Mexica People the fertile Valley of Mexica, He is the one and only Main God!"

Tizoc nodded at this, his expression quite resolute.

"The Otomi People call themselves descendants of the first people. In this campaign, I will make them hand over the Temple carvings, destroy the old gods' statues, and convert to the great Sun Main God!"

"Excellent! The Sun Main God will bestow His blessings upon Your Majesty!"

Hearing this, Tizoc smiled in satisfaction. Then he turned his head to glance at the young Xolotl, seeming to ask casually.

"High Priest, speaking of which, your grandson seems to be named Xolotl? Is he twelve this year?"

"That is indeed so."

High Priest Xutl froze slightly. Remembering the other man's theological attainments and his own impulsive excitement back then, he could not help clenching his palm. After a brief pause, he answered as truthfully as he could.

"Honored King, when Xolotl was born, it happened shortly after the great Montezuma I passed away. That night, the evening star hung high in the sky, shining with extraordinary brilliance. Thus, I gave him the name Xolotl, after the god of the night star, with the meaning of the evening star that heralded dawn."

"Oh, indeed! On the night Grandfather died, I too watched the sky and saw the Morning Star shining brightly!"

As he spoke, Tizoc fixed his gaze on Xutl's face, paying even closer attention to the High Priest's expression.

"Xolotl, the Morning Star, also symbolizes death and rebirth. Over these past two days, I have heard that this child has always been clever, as though he was born knowing things, unlike ordinary mortals!"

"Xolotl was indeed precocious, but he merely understood numbers and was ignorant of worldly affairs."

At the king's praise, High Priest Xutl hurriedly bowed his head. Yet within moments, the facial tattoos on his cheeks seemed ready to dissolve beneath sweat.

"The great former king Montezuma I was a descendant of the Sun God, with the merit of sacrifice and great achievements of conquest! On the day he passed, the Sun God must surely have personally received him and led him into the beautiful Divine Kingdom. He could never have returned to the mortal world! And the bright evening star was precisely the sign of the Sun God's descent to receive the former king!"

"As for Xolotl, he was merely the Celestial Dog who escorted the Sun on His nightly journey. How could he possibly influence the Sun's death and rebirth?"

After saying this, Xutl raised his head again, his face already restored to its usual sincere calm.

Tizoc raised a brow but said nothing. Murderous intent and suspicion lingered in his eyes as he stared fixedly at High Priest Xutl. The High Priest's expression was frank and sincere. The great hall fell silent all at once.

Two steps away, young Xolotl was studying the primitive, abstract murals. He wondered how such ancient myths, obscure in meaning, could possibly be interpreted. Was it not all up to a priest's mouth? Then suddenly, he seemed to hear his own name.

When young Xolotl turned around, he saw the stone carvings in the hall frozen like statues. The king and his grandfather faced one another in a "tender" gaze, as though something else lay hidden beneath it. Behind the king, the Imperial Guard had all placed hands upon the weapons at their waists, silent and murderous.

"Ignorant of worldly affairs."

Seeing this, Xolotl's heart tightened, and an inexplicable unease rose within him. With a curious expression, he moved closer. Then inspiration struck. Remembering his grandfather's assessment, he put on an innocent face, looked at the king, then at his grandfather, and blinked with pure simplicity.

"Haaha!"

King Tizoc suddenly burst into hearty laughter. Seeing young Xolotl's innocent, youthful face, utterly unaware of anything, his expression eased.

"The High Priest speaks reasonably. I too once received divine tidings in a dream. Grandfather had long since returned to the Divine Kingdom beneath the Sun God's guidance, helping the Guardian Deity govern the mortal world! Mexica's prosperity and abundance through these years have all been blessings from the Sky God and our ancestors!"

"Still, being born on the day the Sun God descended must surely be an auspicious omen!"

King Tizoc paused, then smiled again.

"The Celestial Dog Xolotl escorted the Sun on His nightly journey, so naturally he also escorted Grandfather back to the Divine Kingdom. Nephew Xolotl's birth was the manifestation of this matter in the mortal world! This child bears the Celestial Dog's blessing!"

"Someone, bestow the garment!"

With that, Tizoc beckoned behind him. A cold-faced Shorn Guard stepped forward and unfolded an exquisite black feathered garment. It was quite magnificent. On its back was an image of Xolotl in beast form, the Celestial Dog protecting the Sun. It had clearly been prepared long ago.

As for whether any other preparations had been made, Xolotl looked at the silent Shorn Guard warriors behind the king, hands pressed to their weapons, but had no way of knowing.

Very soon, beneath the king's gaze, Xolotl changed into the Celestial Dog garment. He was slightly startled—the garment fit him perfectly! Then he thanked the king and, without a sound, brushed past a calamity that could have claimed his life.

King Tizoc smiled warmly and kindly stroked his head. Then he instructed High Priest Xutl.

"High Priest, I find this child quite clever and rather like him! On this expedition, let him remain at my side. First, it will be safer. Second, he can follow along and learn something of marching and warfare. When the campaign ends, I will return him to the High Priest."

At this, High Priest Xutl was startled. He looked at his grandson, then at the smiling king. After pondering for a moment, he could only nod in assent.

"It is this child's honor to receive the esteem of the noble king! Xolotl's numerical calculations are already not far behind mine. Yet in dealing with others, he remains innocent and naive, ignorant of worldly affairs! Should he inadvertently give offense, I ask that Your Majesty pardon him."

Tizoc gave an "oh," his expression unchanged. He merely smiled and agreed.

"High Priest, rest assured. We are of the same bloodline. I will regard him as one of my own younger kin!"

Afterward, the two performed the divine rites and bade each other farewell. Before leaving, the High Priest reached out, touched young Xolotl's hair, and cautioned him once more.

"Xolotl, you are innocent and naive, ignorant of worldly affairs. In the army, obey the king and do not speak recklessly."

Hearing his grandfather's words, Xolotl blinked and nodded. He pressed his lips together and memorized them.

"Innocent and naive, ignorant of worldly affairs. Obey the king. 'Do not' speak recklessly."

Then young Xolotl followed the king, leaving his father and grandfather behind like a token carried away. His face showed innocence and curiosity, but deep terror rose within his heart. He did not know what had happened between them, nor why his uncle the king insisted on taking him away. He only knew that, once he left the shelter of his father and grandfather, he could rely only on himself in the coming campaign.

"What exactly did Grandfather and the king say just now?"

Young Xolotl tried hard to recall it, remembering only words about stars and Sky Gods. In their discussion of celestial signs, both sides had deliberately used the priests' divine language, shrouding everything in clouds and mist.

"Astronomy and prophecies really are hard to understand."

Young Xolotl murmured a few words to himself, then lowered his head and followed the king's procession in silence.

By then, the king's palanquin had reached the camp by the lake. The unbroken army covered the entire lakeshore, and more than ten civilian legions had arrived. Together with one mixed legion from Teotihuacan, there were a full twenty legions—one hundred and sixty thousand warriors and Militia! The camps stretched out in every direction for ten or twenty li, a truly magnificent sight.

Though the officers did their utmost to maintain order in the main camp by the lake, the camp remained as tumultuous as a boiling cauldron. The warriors had been encamped for a day and still maintained decent discipline. But the Militia who had just arrived were already in utter chaos. They drew water from the lake at will to cook, shouted and quarreled, and even came to blows over good camping spots.

When King Tizoc returned, he happened to see this scene. His face darkened with displeasure, and he sharply issued several orders to a tall man beside him.

The tall man nodded and saluted respectfully. His features were hard and cold, his hair shorn and face tattooed. He wore a distinctive double-sided cloak, as though someone had been tucked inside a blanket. On the front was a classic Aztec Sun Stone, while the back bore the image of a giant feminine serpent.

Then the tall man, his expression icy, walked toward the group of officers behind the palanquin. Xolotl saw several military nobles there wearing the same "double-sided cloaks." On the fronts of their cloaks were Sun Stone divine carvings of varying sizes, while the backs displayed different weapons. There were throwing spears, War Clubs, shields, Stone Spears, Obsidian Daggers, slings, and bows and arrows.

The men exchanged a few simple words. Then a middle-aged nobleman whose cloak bore an Obsidian Dagger on its back hurried away. Not long after, a burst of commotion rose from the camp, only to swiftly fall silent.

A group of Shorn Guard held aloft spears several meters long, their tips impaling dozens of heads still dripping blood! At the sight, Xolotl's whole body went cold. He now had some idea what the Obsidian Dagger signified.

The middle-aged nobleman led the spear-bearing guard around the lakeshore once, displaying the grisly spectacle. The village leaders wore terrified expressions as they loudly berated their Militia and forced them into order. Very quickly, the formerly chaotic Militia recovered normal discipline, respectful and obedient.

Once everything had been dealt with, the middle-aged nobleman returned. He bowed to the king atop the palanquin and reported respectfully. Xolotl then saw the king nod slightly, seeming to give him further instructions.

The middle-aged nobleman looked surprised. After a brief daze, he nodded in assent. Then he rose and strode toward Xolotl.

Only when the man approached did young Xolotl see clearly that the middle-aged nobleman was probably about the same age as his father. He was strong-built and quite handsome, yet there was always a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face. Perhaps it was merely imagination, but as young Xolotl looked at him, he seemed to smell blood.

The middle-aged nobleman examined young Xolotl closely for a while before revealing a sincere, toothy smile.

"Praise the Main God! Hello, Xolotl! I am your distant uncle, Ahuitzotl."

For convenience in remembering the names, here is a brief explanation: in Nahua Language, Xolotl meant "wolf of the Death God," Ahuitzotl meant "lake monster," and Tizoc meant "penitent sacrificer." Bertad could simply be remembered as "Mr. Bert," while Totek meant "the first warrior." The Holy City Teotihuacan was the City of Departed Gods, meaning "the place where all gods departed," while the Lake Capital Tenochtitlan was Cactus-and-Rock City, meaning "the place of prickly pear cactus and rocks." Mexica's Main God was named Huitzilopochtli, which could be remembered by the sound "wee-chee-lo-bo-chee-tlee"!