The Threat of the Mixtec

Sunlight blazed, illuminating the plain great tent. Warriors stood grim and murderous, guarding the king's dwelling. A messenger arrived from a long journey and prostrated himself to report. The king, divine staff in hand, rose to his full height.

"Several thousand more Mixtec warriors in Little Willow Stockade?"

Xolotl unfolded the map and searched among the basins south of Shuigu City. The first thing that entered his eyes was the small Tlaxcalan city eighty li to the south, Itzocan, the city the great army had captured—Itzocan, that was, Knife Road City.

In the Nahua Language, itz was the abbreviation of itztli, meaning "flint and small knives," while ocan was a transformation of ohtli, meaning "path, road." Joined together, they meant "the path of flint": Knife Road City. As the name suggested, the terrain here was likewise a basin ringed by mountains, with hills and rocky ridges rising and falling.

From Knife Road City, following the basin farther southwest for another seventy li, lay the Mountain Pass Fortress Group. This fortress group was likewise part of the great army's grain road. The great army's grain road followed the mountains, first heading southeast from High Mountain City to the Mountain Pass Fortress Group, then bending northeast along the basin, passing through Knife Road City, and finally reaching the foot of Shuigu City.

The grain road was nearly three hundred li long, and had to supply fifty thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of captives. The Militia teams transporting grain lowered their heads under their loads, team after team never stopping, maintaining the lifeline of the great army.

"Mountain Pass Fortress Group, Knife Road City..."

Xolotl stared at the army's rear, at the two most critical logistical nodes. Then he moved his finger, feeling along the basin where Knife Road City lay.

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