Bronze and leaf armor clanged on warriors, Militia lay prostrate by the roadside, birds and beasts hurriedly retreated; together, they made up the homeward road of kings. By the time the sun had set and the moon had risen, and the bonfires blazed high, the two had already returned to Tree Snake City and stepped together into the Tlaxcalan Temple.
Looking around the great hall, deep blue colors sank from the heavens, and the carvings shone with splendor. The golden statue of the God of the Hunt had vanished, replaced by a newly carved statue of the Main God. The statue must have been made in great haste; its features were rough, its strokes broad and bold, yet it carried the domineering aura and majesty of the Mexica Main God. The murals on the four walls of the hall had already been half-covered, and with no time to paint new images, they had been replaced by the Sun Hummingbird of the Main God, with mysterious square glyphs written beside them.
"The sky and earth were dark and yellow; the cosmos vast and desolate. Those who obey the god shall ascend to the kingdom of heaven and enjoy eternal peace. Those who defy the god shall sink into the Abyss, turn into Goldstone, and never be released. You must believe in our god Huitzilopochtli; His might is infinite, from past to future, controlling all existence, until the end of days descends!"
Xolotl recited in a low voice. This was the opening general chapter of the foundational scripture, the Sutra of Ali. In the eyes of the priests of the Main God, carving such sacred scripture into a conquered Temple could not be more fitting!
"The sun and moon wax and wane; the stars and lodges spread in ranks. The sun, moon,