The sun rose and set, and ten days hurried by. The dark night curtain was studded with the river of stars, yet dawn's morning light still had not come. Spring flowers bloomed in riotous profusion, and the red, delicate, dazzling poinsettias, here in their native tropical Americas, opened into the last of their flowering season, painting the spring scenery in brilliant colors. And messengers with hurried steps trod over petals that had begun to fall, coming from the eastern front where the fighting raged, bringing back the latest dispatches.
"Family head, a dispatch from the front! After Black Wolf conquered Cone House City, under High Priest Itri's direction, he held a large-scale conversion ceremony and converted more than thirty thousand Totonac tribespeople!"
"After that, he led five thousand vanguard troops to the walls of Coyote City. He has already swept clean the area around the city-state and taken the surrender of ten or twenty thousand Totonac tribespeople. And as soon as the transported Bronze Cannons arrive, he'll be able to capture Coyote City and completely subdue the more than twenty thousand Coyote tribespeople inside!"
The guard captain Ekat unfolded the dispatch, gave it a quick scan, then respectfully reported to the king.
It was still by the Adobe River, still the same small hill. Ruler and retainer stood on the high slope, gazing at the deep-green forests across the great river. Beneath their feet, tribal militia transporting grain were like tiny ants, struggling along the newly opened forest paths, trudging forward slowly under heavy loads. Along the riverbank, several tall wooden poles had also been erected, with more than a dozen deserters' heads hanging from them, using cruel military law to silently warn the lax surrendered tribal troops.
"Mm? The Kingdom Legion arrived, and Coyote City didn't surrender, but actually