Chapter 4 City-State

After leaving the Vastec village, the team hurried southward for another two days.

The rainforest had long since disappeared, replaced by sparse mountain forests. The sky became clear and open, and the traces of human activity grew increasingly dense along the journey. The land became fertile and easy to farm, with roughly cultivated fields spreading out along the banks of rivers.

It was not until midday that Xiulote saw a small lake with a floating island-like field in the middle, at a tributary of the Tampen River.

The edges of the floating field were supported and fixed by a fence, half of which was submerged in water. The center of the floating island was neatly intersected by canals, dividing the island into uniform plots. Atop the fields of the floating island, corn, pumpkins, and beans—the three main crops—were densely planted, along with chili peppers, sunflowers, and precious herbs.

"This is the first Chinampa on the way back," said Olosh, finally showing a smile as he looked at the field in the lake. "We've finally returned to the land of the Mexica city-states. We can have a good night's sleep tonight. Mestitlan City-State is not far ahead. Xiulote, you and Ters can go for a stroll in the central market and buy some small items you like."

Indeed, not long after Xiulote set off, a city in the Middle American style appeared near the river.

A ring of earth and stone walls about four or five meters high could also be called a strong city in the Middle Ancient Times, decorated with dark red patterns. Beyond the walls, one could immediately see the unique twin pyramids of the Aztecs, towering dozens of meters high, dedicated to Tlaloc, the deity of agriculture, and Huitzilopochtli, the Guardian God.

It was still the afternoon, and the city gates were wide open. Villagers began to return from the city, mostly bare-chested with only a long cloth tied around their waists, carrying newly bought stone and pottery. Very few tightly held a length of cotton cloth and hurried away with care.

The city-state warriors wore white or yellow vests as regular uniforms, with loincloths or leather skirts tied at the waist, carrying small shields and war clubs on their backs. They gathered in groups of three or five, discussing something. The sound carried on the wind, and the young man faintly heard words like "legion", "war", "Otomi people".

A little further away, several nobility and priests sat calmly on palanquins carried by slaves, slowly approaching as peasants and warriors made way for them.

Xiulote glanced at their colorful shawls and feathered headdresses, then at the flowers and herbs on the palanquins, guessing they had just returned from a walk in the noble's gardens.

The youth smiled, the Aztec social hierarchy was indeed clearly visible at a glance. In short, the more you wore, the higher your status, the more splendid the colors, the more veneration you received.

The team set up camp outside the north gate, and Olosh left a few warriors to guard the captives, exchanging a few words with the gate guards. The Jaguar warriors then led the team into the city, and it didn't take long for the warriors to disperse to find their own amusement.

The moment he entered, the city gate guard caught a glimpse of the Obsidian Necklace around Xiulote's neck, his face showing a mix of surprise and reverence.

The first thing Xiulote saw upon entering the city was the Pyramid Temple. The temple was the center of the city, with divine authority ruling over the city-state.

Below the temple was the central square of the city-state, spanning thousands of square meters. On festival days, it served as a sacrificial site and was also a market for everyday trade, reminding Xiulote of the farmers' markets in his "past hometown".

Around the farmers' market were small stalls of villagers and city-dwellers, with a variety of goods. Peasants brought turkeys, dogs, rabbits, corn cakes, black bean paste, pumpkins, chili, sunflower seeds, and last year's avocados.

The city's potters, on the other hand, sold various daily use pottery, some also offering stone farming tools.

At one booth, Xiulote spent two cacao beans for a handful of sunflower seeds. He cracked them as he wandered around aimlessly, followed by Ters who was also looking around curiously.

A turkey was worth eighty cacao beans, a corn cake about three cacao beans, and the price of black beans and pumpkins was roughly the same. A pottery soup pot was around one hundred cacao beans.

The young man then saw a farmer shove a turkey, several corn cakes, and a jumble of avocados and cactus tubers all at once to a potter, taking away a large pottery jar and leaving happily. Neither farmers nor potters were likely to have enough cacao bean currency. In fact, most transactions in the market were barter trades.

Moving further inside were the craftsmen with their myriad Obsidian products dazzling the young man, with shapes of warriors, animals, divine symbols, various small statues catching his eye.

Xiulote looked around, wanting to pick a warrior statue for his father in this life, but feeling something wasn't quite right with the various "expressive", primitive faces. He then continued further into the market with Ters.

Walking deeper in, there was a sense of a more formal market. Xiulote passed the boundary where several warriors stood and was surprised by the bustling inner market.

The lead warrior, wearing a pointed hat, looked stern and unyielding. He first stared fiercely at Xiulote, then was drawn by the Obsidian Necklace on the young man's neck. The warrior's gaze lingered on the necklace for a moment, then without a word, he turned his head back to watch the outside.

A gleam of precious metals filled the inner market. The youth saw simple and elaborate stalls alike, each displaying an array of silver and gold ornaments.

The streets were bustling with nobility clad in colorful robes and adorned with gold and silver. There were also priests with necklaces and long feathered headdresses.

Xiulote turned the corner of the street and was immediately astonished to see Olosh. The imposing Jaguar Warrior was lounging in front of a fancy fabric tent, contentedly puffing away with a lit cigarette clasped between his fingers. The group of people around him also looked satisfied as they shared this relaxing ambiance.

The youth approached to take a closer look. The cigarette was wrapped in leaves, filled with dried tobacco leaves, mixed with unknown herbs and spices.

Turning his head to look at the shopkeeper, he was shocked again to see a head fully twice the length of his own, which "elegantly" curved backward from the forehead, extending into a long, crest-like skull cap adorned with tall feathers and hanging silver ornaments, as if an alien had descended.

Xiulote stepped back in surprise, finally seeing the shopkeeper's chubby face with a sincerely warm smile radiating from it.

"Greetings, young priest," the round-faced alien quickly glanced at Xiulote's Obsidian Necklace and smiled even more sincerely.

"As you see, I have newly acquired Divine Smoke from the distant eastern Rainforest Holy Land, the sighs of the gods left among mortals. Just a tiny one allows you to connect with the gods for a quarter of an hour, to feel the wonders of the Divine Kingdom."

With that, the "alien" took out a small cloth bag the size of a palm. "As a gift for our first meeting, this bag will only cost you a small gold ornament, or cloth enough for two people, or five hundred cacao beans."

"Cunning Maya!" Xiulote had not replied when he heard Olosh's signature roar. "I'll flatten that misshapen head of yours with an Obsidian War Club! This is my student Xiulote, how dare you try to cheat him! Cloth for two people is enough to buy five bags of your low-quality cigarettes!"

"Oh, Olosh, it's your student," The alien was neither scared nor angry, just chuckled softly.

"Well then, let me introduce myself. I am Tikalo, a Pochteca who specializes in long-distance trade, from the distant eastern Rainforest City-State of Tutulxiu. A long skull is a symbol of our divinity. We Maya nobility are descendants of the gods, inherently graceful and kind, and forever friends of you Aztec people."

"Damn it, call me a Mexica, don't use the general term Aztec!" Olosh said discontentedly.

"Alright, respected Mexica Jaguar Warrior. When are you going to pay back the cotton and cacao beans you owe me?" Upon hearing this, the youth's teacher suddenly fell silent.

"By the way," Maya merchant Tikalo winked at Xiulote again, "Now you can buy five exquisite bags of cigarettes from me with five hundred cacao beans. Trust me, the priests love this flavor."

Xiulote was curious about what the original Maya cigarettes tasted like. Olosh, however, was strongly against it. "Trying Divine Smoke too early can drain vitality, sapped by the gods, and is detrimental to a warrior's strength."

Then, the Jaguar Warrior almost carried Xiulote away under his arm, leaving the Maya shop behind.

"Those Maya nobles are all no good," Olosh grumbled as he walked, "Sly as monkeys in their thoughts, weak as squirrels in their bodies, dressed like buntings, yet with silver tongues and unfailingly accurate with numbers! Somehow you always end up owing them money. If we were on the battlefield, I could take on ten of them!"...

Xiulote couldn't help but want to laugh, yet dared not make a sound. He simply looked back at the Maya merchant who stood out from the crowd.

In his past life, he had visited Cancun, watched so-called "Maya" performances in a large theme park, and driven around the marvel that was the Chichen Itza pyramids. What had been mere hours of flying and driving now seemed like a mighty chasm.

The arduous half-a-year journey through the rainforest and the treacherous solo canoe trip on the sea made a return to Chichen Itza seem like a wish for a lifetime.

"What is the present splendor and beauty of the Maya City-States like now? Possessing Yucatan, I could soon reach the Caribbean island tribes and maybe even the European landing points." The youth's mind wandered as was its habit.

"Perhaps, when I return to Chichen Itza again, it will not be alone." Following Olosh, he looked at the majestically fierce Tiger Helmet of the Jaguar Warrior, against the backdrop of the imposing Aztec pyramids.

Unaccountably, a new, conquering desire began to smolder within the Mexica boy's chest, the heart of a warrior.

"Mexica warriors will always face the known world with their own weapons! To conquer the unknown future!"