Pre-Battle Sacrifice

The Lerma River came from the eastern plateau, winding westward. The rainy season had made river water turbulent. Here lay a natural ford across the Great River, where it was only two or three hundred meters wide.

The fleets of Tarasco and Mexica People canoes were moored on opposite banks. At this moment, the boat forces on both sides, along with one hundred thousand warriors, gazed at the Tarasco pre-battle sacrifice.

Xolotl watched his Tarasco counterparts with great interest, observing how they performed this morale-rousing display.

The priests wore feathered crowns spread wide like palm fans, favoring indigo-blue feathers. Each wore a necklace around the neck, with one or several round ceramic containers at its center, shaped somewhat like gourds. The youth was curious what these "ceramic gourds" were for.

One by one, the priests placed ritual objects upon the newly built Divine Altars.

The first Divine Altar represented Curicaveri, the Tarasco Main God of the Sun. He ruled the sky of the cosmos and was the most important god. Upon His altar, the priests set down a golden sun several meters across, its dazzling golden radiance flashing beneath the sunlight.

The second Divine Altar represented Cuerauaperi, the Tarasco Earth Mother. She ruled the earth of the cosmos and bestowed harvests and mineral wealth. The priests carried over an enormous chunk of copper ore and placed it upon Her altar. Its mottled surface flowed like ripples of water under the sun.

"These strange Tarasco people—where did their beliefs come from?" Xolotl asked curiously. "They worship neither the God of War nor the Feathered Serpent. They are completely unlike the other tribes of Mexico."

"Their beliefs likely came from the Bajio People and Michoacan people whom they conquered centuries ago. It is the native faith of the Patzcuaro Lake Region. They believe the Patzcuaro Basin is the center of the cosmos, providing the force that keeps the world turning. The cosmos, in their view, consists of three parts: the sky, the earth, and the underground realm of the dead," Avet explained.

"So the Tarasco have an entirely different language, culture, and faith. They are an alien people cut off from all under heaven?"

"Exactly! That is also why the Tarasco have no allies anywhere under heaven." Avet nodded.

"But we Mexica People have no allies either," Xolotl replied.

"The strongest need no allies." The two laughed heartily and continued watching the ritual across the river.

The final Divine Altar represented Halatana, the Tarasco Moon Goddess. She was the daughter of the Sun Main God and the Earth Mother, ruling the underground world of the cosmos—the realm of the dead. The Tarasco especially revered the Death God and had even invented the Day of the Dead for "Halatana."

Before long, dozens of priests carried over an unusually huge ceramic jar filled with many yellow chunks. This was the symbol of the Moon Goddess.

"What is inside that ceramic jar?" Xolotl asked curiously.

"That is Stone of the Dead, gathered from the cracks of the world. It comes from the underground realm of the dead and can link the world of the living with the realm of the dead." Avet spoke solemnly of the intelligence he had learned.

"???" The youth's mind went a little blank. He knew what the cracks of the world meant—they should refer to the western volcano craters. The underground world surely meant beneath the earth. But what was Stone of the Dead? And communicating between life and death? Could this be some fantasy plane?

With seven parts curiosity and three parts confusion, Xolotl continued watching.

The Tarasco priests soon finished placing the symbols. Then, directly before the three Divine Altars, laborers hauled over great quantities of firewood and thatch, piling them into an enormous pyre.

Next, an exceptionally imposing old man wearing a magnificent feathered crown raised a torch high and lit the pyre, bestowing upon it "the flames of the gods."

The priests immediately used wooden sticks to draw "divine flame" from the pyre. They lightly touched the fire to their ceramic gourds, then held the gourds to their nostrils and inhaled the smoke drifting from within, utterly absorbed.

"Divine Smoke?" Xolotl asked in astonishment.

"Yes. Unlike our War Priests, Tarasco priests carry Divine Smoke with them at all times. They add many strange plants and minerals to it. It is said this allows them to communicate with the gods more easily."

The youth was speechless. Soon, the smoking priests fell into a world of visions. They began dancing wildly upon the Divine Altars, using all manner of bizarre poses to create a mysterious atmosphere.

The dance quickened, the flames surged upward, and thick smoke rose into the sky, shifting into strange shapes. The priests both above and below the altars began chanting loudly together. Their bleak, ancient incantations resounded through the heavens, praying for the descent of the Sky Family.

At the side, Avet briefly translated the prayers. First came blessings for the Sun Main God, followed by thanks to the Earth Mother. Finally, they communed with the Moon God of the Underworld, begging Her to let all those slain in battle rise again and enjoy wealth and peace forever beneath the earth.

Under the reverent gazes of the warriors on both banks, the altar ritual finally reached its climax. The wildly dancing priests drew Obsidian Daggers and, without hesitation, sliced open their own cheeks, letting blood trace mysterious patterns. Then piercing prayers spread across both banks of the Great River as they shouted Halatana's divine name.

That exceptionally imposing old man appeared once more. He directed dozens of priests to lift the huge ceramic jar from the Moon God's altar and hurl it fiercely into the burning pyre. The jar shattered in an instant. Yellow chunks scattered everywhere, then swiftly ignited amid the flames.

Immediately afterward, a dazzlingly brilliant blue flame rose from the pyre. Like ghost fire from the Underworld, it carried a strangeness and splendor that did not belong to this world, branding itself wildly into the eyes of every onlooker.

At the instant the Blue Fire rose, all Tarasco people fell into unthinking frenzy. Whether Samurai or Militia, all eighty thousand warriors dropped to their knees and cried out Halatana's name together.

This time, the shouts were like thunder in the rainy season, splitting the clouds in the sky, blasting apart the open field below, and shaking the Mexica Warriors across the river. Many warriors fell in worship toward the blue flames in panic. Even the fierce, proud Jaguar Warriors looked at one another in alarm, their faces revealing fear of this pagan deity.

At that moment, Avet abruptly rose to his feet and stared fixedly at the command banner across the river. There stood the only Tarasco who had not knelt. Avet could not make out the man's face, but he would carve him deep into his memory.

At the sight of the blue flames, Xolotl too rose in shock. "Heavens! Stone of the Dead is sulfur!"

The youth estimated the volume of that huge ceramic jar just now, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

The early Bronze Age Tarasco could easily produce thousands of jin of sulfur. This proved that within the lands they controlled, there had to be natural sulfur mines with vast reserves. On the western coast and the islands of Baja California, there was also ample guano to serve as a source of saltpeter. Add the ubiquitous timber used to make charcoal, and the production of Gunpowder in Mesoamerica was truly favored by heaven and blessed by earth.

The youth stared absently at the gorgeous Blue Fire. That crystalline beauty seemed like a blessing from the heavens. As long as we overcome the developmental bottleneck of the Ironware Age, the age of Gunpowder will arrive right after it. The future is always filled with hope!

Xolotl could not help smiling, only for his teacher and friend to suddenly pinch his cheek.

Avet asked rather seriously, "Xolotl, looking at those blue flames, do you believe the Tarasco just summoned the Death God?"

Xolotl was amused by his friend's solemnity. "That is merely the color produced when a special mineral burns. If we have sulfur, we can burn blue fire too."

Avet relaxed as well. Though he did not believe it, he had been somewhat tense just now.

"You need to quickly lead the War Priests in a ritual prayer to the God of War and restore the morale of the Mexica Warriors."

After hearing this, Xolotl carefully observed the warriors behind him and found that their spirits had indeed been shaken, their faces ashen. These battle-hardened heroes, fearless even of death, had actually been frightened pale by myths and blue fire, their morale plunging.

The youth could not help shaking his head. "These Heathens putting on this god-and-ghost act!" Then he quickly began directing the priests accompanying the army, who also began putting on a god-and-ghost act.

The pre-battle ritual across the river soon reached its end. The priests loudly shouted words the youth could not understand, likely some kind of promise in the name of the gods. Then thousands upon thousands of warriors burst into cheers, their morale soaring like a rainbow.

Spurred on by their surging morale, five thousand Tarasco spearmen became the first to board the canoe fleet, sailing north toward the bank with fighting spirit blazing.