Captive

"You stupid turkeys, getting yourselves hurt taking a settlement this tiny!"

Ahead of Xolotl, Jaguar Olorosh was beside himself with rage, roaring furiously at several warriors grazed by spears and short arrows.

"Idiots! Hurry up and treat those wounds! Smear on healing yucca juice, then press Ink Leaf leaves over them to stop the bleeding! If Death God Xolotl chooses you, you can rot in the rainforest on the way back!"

At this, the wounded warriors lowered their heads and hurriedly took out their prepared little agave-cloth bundles. They removed the natural medicines and skillfully treated one another's wounds.

As a classical militaristic society that had waged war for half a century, the Aztec city-states already had a full set of effective methods for dealing with injuries. Yucca and Ink Leaf were two effective antibacterial plants—or rather, natural herbs.

"And you, why are you tying up these old men and children? Are you going to carry them across ten-odd days of rainforest? Let them go! Old men, children, weak women, let them all go! That way, when the next great sacrifice comes, we can still come back and catch people."

"Captain Olorosh, there's a hunter here with an injured leg."

"Hm?"

Hearing this, Olorosh glanced at the tribal hunter on the ground. Xolotl finally gathered some of his attention and looked toward the hunter as well.

The hunter was around thirty, with a weather-beaten face. His eyes were slightly lowered, his left leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Beside his right leg lay a scattered spear and a simple bow. His whole body was curled up by the tribe's fire pit. He made no sound, as if he had already lost all strength.

Jaguar Olorosh stepped closer and kicked away the spear on the ground. Then he looked at the other man's slightly curled hand and its calluses. His pupils contracted slightly, and his right hand moved toward his Obsidian war club.

"This one can't be left alive! Marli, the hunters shot you with an arrow just now. This hunter is yours!"

"Yes, Captain."

A young warrior with leaves pressed over his right shoulder approached, carrying a long staff, his face full of a cruel smile. Without hesitation, he viciously swung the staff down at the hunter on the ground.

Yet the instant the staff moved, the hunter's right leg kicked hard, and he sprang from the ground like a hound! Then his right arm shot out. At some point, his right hand had gained a bone arrowhead, which thrust straight toward Marli's throat.

"Ah!"

Marli recoiled in terror, and the staff in his right hand swung through empty air.

Just as the sharp arrowhead was about to pierce his throat, an Obsidian War Club struck first despite moving later. The shaft first slapped the hunter's arm, immediately twisting it away from its target. Then the tip of the club lunged forward and struck the hunter's chin. A cracking explosion of bone followed with a crack!

Xolotl saw the hunter's eyes fly wide open, filled with that familiar hatred once more. The staff had shattered the hunter's cervical vertebrae. His head tilted to one side, and his body fell limply onto the muddy ground, never moving again.

Marli came back to his senses, a wave of lingering fear rising in his heart. Furiously, he beat the hunter's body on the ground. It swung with the stone club like a battered rag doll, flesh and blood turning to mush.

"Father!"

Xolotl heard a stifled sob. Looking toward the sound, he saw a small trembling body among the children not far away. An eleven- or twelve-year-old girl was crying as she lay facedown on the ground, looking toward the hunter's body.

"Marli, stop!"

Xolotl's emotions had been churning all this while, and at last he could not hold back any longer.

"He's already dead. What glory is there in tormenting a corpse?"

Marli abruptly turned around and glared at Xolotl, bloodthirsty wolf-like light in his eyes. He did not know who this young noble warrior was. He only knew that the other boy could not fight at all.

"Stop it, you stupid turkey!"

Seeing this, Olorosh frowned.

"Be more alert next time. Go do something useful and tie the young Captives together."

Only then did Marli stop. He shot Xolotl a hateful glare, turned, and walked away.

"Xolotl, my student, how was today's hunt?"

Olorosh strode over and warmly patted the boy's shoulder.

"Xolotl took down a novice warrior today. His shield-raised thrust was excellent."

Tercer answered with a simple-minded grin.

"Not bad!"

Olorosh finally showed a hint of a smile and nodded.

"Tercer, go count the Captives. Those two over there are for you. Xolotl, what are you doing?"

Xolotl crouched down and met the lifeless eyes for a moment. Then he slowly closed the hunter's eyes. The crying in the distance seemed to grow louder.

Olorosh watched Xolotl's actions, raised a brow, and sighed softly.

"Fine. He was a warrior worthy of respect. Xolotl, don't waste your time on dead enemies!"

Xolotl silently nodded. He did not know whether it was for one of Olorosh's words, or perhaps none of them.

"Captain, I counted them. There are two palms minus one palm of qualified Captives."

Tercer ran back excitedly to report.

"Five times ten minus five. That makes forty-five." Xolotl calculated silently.

This tribe had no more than a hundred people at most. Losing forty-five young men and women at once, along with the few who had died in battle, meant it had practically been wiped out.

How long could the remaining fifty elderly, weak, sick, and crippled survive in this savage jungle? Even if they dragged out a miserable existence for a time and recovered after more than ten years, the captive-hunting parties would set their sights on them again, continuing this bloody cycle.

What can I possibly do in this age of cruel slaughter?

Xolotl looked at the burning settlement and thought silently. He had no answer yet, but he would seek one.

"Good! Each man has roughly two or three Captives. We can prepare to head back."

Olorosh counted on his fingers, then roared loudly.

"Praise the God of War, the battle is over! Now you may go find some fun for yourselves. But you turkeys, remember this: not a single offering that can be brought back is to be killed!"

The warriors answered in a thunderous chorus. Swiftly, they removed the shields from their left hands and tucked their Obsidian War Clubs behind their backs. After choosing and feeling about, they happily hoisted female Captives over their shoulders and headed toward the dark woods.

Xolotl suddenly noticed Marli. Wearing a savage grin, he walked straight toward the crying girl.

"Marli, what are you doing?!"

Looking at such a tiny, helpless girl and thinking of the fate awaiting her, Xolotl became truly enraged. The boy rushed forward, forcefully raised his shield, and blocked Marli.

"She's only eleven or twelve! She's just a child!"

"Ha! So what? That old hyena almost poked me to death with an arrowhead just now!"

Marli gave a disdainful laugh and roared back.

"I'm going to get it back from his daughter!"

"Bastard! If you have any skill, you should be going after strong warriors!"

Xolotl glared at him and cursed angrily.

"You're just a coward! A coward who attacks children!"

"What did you say?!"

At those words, Marli's eyes instantly reddened, and his hand reached for the war club on his back. In Mexica society, where brave warriors were revered, cowardice was the most despised thing of all.

"Do not draw weapons against your own people!"

Just then, a roar suddenly rang out. The "Jaguar" charged over like a wild beast, pinning Xolotl down with his left hand. With a hard pull of his right, Marli stumbled backward, nearly being flung away.

"Xolotl, what is going on between you two?"

Olorosh separated them, looking at Xolotl with displeasure, though concern was hidden in his eyes.

"Marli... he was going to attack that girl!"

"That girl is that hyena's..."

"Shut up!"

Hearing this, Olorosh turned and roared, the anger on his face clearer than ever before.

"Marli, I don't care what you wanted to do, but you are not allowed to attack your own people!"

"Xolotl is a warrior, and he will soon become a noble War Priest! War Priests are sacred in the army. You must respect his will, especially over such a trivial matter! Go apologize to him."

"But he's only twelve, and he can't even fight—"

"Apologize to him, Marli!"

"I'm sorry, Xolotl. I was wrong." Marli lowered his head, his expression impossible to see. He spat out the apology word by word, then viciously glanced at the girl cowering in the corner before turning away. Though the Alliance's legions especially revered martial prowess, a warrior's rank was equally important. Faced with a seasoned Jaguar Warrior, he could only retreat respectfully.

Olorosh watched Marli leave, anger still on his face. Only then did he turn back, look at Xolotl, and reveal a faint smile.

"Not bad, Xolotl. Daring to stand against a warrior stronger than yourself is the path of a warrior. These warriors are all unruly wolves. Only by growing stronger than every one of them can you become the Jaguar who commands them."

Then Olorosh looked again at the girl huddled in the corner, his brows furrowing slightly.

"This girl is too young and too frail. The road is too long; she can't be brought back to the city-state. If you want to do anything, do it here!"

After hearing this, Xolotl nodded and walked forward. The girl fearfully shrank farther back.

The boy merely took out the cotton cloth in his pocket and wiped the tears and ash from her face. Beneath them was an unexpectedly delicate little face.

He was slightly surprised. Then he untied the ration pouch at his waist and placed it in the girl's hand. Her touch was icy cold. After thinking for a moment, he took off his Kan shoulder cape and draped it around her.

"Leave this place. Go north, as far away as you can. Don't come back."

The lovely girl seemed to have forgotten to cry. She stared blankly at Xolotl, then at the north he pointed toward, not knowing whether she understood.

The boy nodded, smiled gently at her, and rubbed her little head as though petting a timid hamster.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Xolotl turned to look back, but saw no one. Olorosh had already left. The other children had also somehow hidden far away.

The softness of his previous life surfaced in the boy's heart. He untied the Obsidian Dagger from his waist and placed it on the ground. His own name was carved into the dagger. Only after giving the girl one last look did the boy silently turn and leave.

May I hide all my softness here. Then let me truly face this world! Everything can change—me, and the world as well.

Xolotl sighed softly. Then he straightened his spine, his face resolute, as if he had undergone some kind of baptism. He strode forward. Behind him, the girl's crying sounded again.

This time, the boy did not turn back. Like a newborn tiger cub, he walked into the jungles of Mesoamerica, toward the blood-stained future of slaughter that awaited him!

A quick note: I made an account on bilibili to talk about the background and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Qidian compresses uploaded images, so the high-definition maps for this book will be posted there too, along with this author's adorable cats. Just search the pen name "Hui Jian Zhan Yunmeng"! Meow!