Chapter 13 Prophecies and Astrology

The King stayed in the ancient city for two days, listening to the High Priest interpret the murals of the ancient Holy City, with Xiulote also listening to the mythological stories for two days.

"...And so, the world emerged from nothingness, when there was neither Heaven nor the underworld, no Father Divine nor Mother Goddess. At the beginning of all things, there existed only the first divinity Ometeotl, the object of veneration and the source of the Otomi's name."

"He possessed two opposing natures, being both heaven and earth, both fire and water, light as well as darkness, order and chaos. These opposing natures gave birth to two divine beings, one male, one female. Their union bore the War God Huitzilopochtli, the original Sun God Tezcatlipoca, Xiulotel—god of death and rebirth, and Quetzalcoatl—the Feathered Serpent Divine."

Xutel gently caressed the ancient mural carvings, slowly interpreting them for King Tizoc.

"I see. Since the War God Huitzilopochtli inherited the esteemed position of the Sun God and promised us, the Mexica people, a fertile valley, he shall be the sole Chief Divine," Tizoc nodded, "The Otomi people claim to be descendants of the primeval ancestors. In this campaign, we must compel them to hand over the temple carvings, destroy the old gods' statues, and convert to the great Sun God."

"Very well. The Sun God will bless the King," Xutel assured with a gentle tone.

Tizoc smiled in satisfaction. Then, as though asking casually, "By the way, isn't your grandson named Xiulote? And he's twelve this year?"

"This," Xutel faltered slightly, recalling the other's theological expertise and his own impulsive excitement from years ago, and he couldn't help but clench his hand.

Trying to be as truthful as possible, the High Priest replied, "Return to the King. Xiulote was born soon after the great Montezuma I passed away. On that night, the Night Star shone brightly in the sky. I named him after Xiulotel, the Night Star Divine, hoping to capture the essence of Venus, the Morning Star."

"Indeed. I too noticed the sky on that night of my grandfather's passing. The Morning Star was shining brightly," Tizoc stared intently at Xutel's face, watching the old man's expression, "Xiulotel, the Morning Star, also symbolizes death and rebirth. I have heard these two days that the child has always been bright, seemingly born with knowledge."

"Xiulote is indeed precocious, but he only knows numbers well, and is naive about worldly affairs," Xutel quickly bowed his head, and his tattooed cheeks seemed to be dissolving in sweat.

"Great Montezuma I, a descendant of the Sun God, had the merit of sacrifices and glorious conquests, and on the day of his death, he was surely personally received by the Sun God and led into the Divine Kingdom; he could not possibly return to the world of the living. The bright Night Star was indeed a sign of the Sun God's descent!"

"As for Xiulotel, merely an escort for the sun during its nightly travels, how could it influence the sun's death and rebirth?" Xutel raised his head once more, his face now sincerely earnest.

Tizoc remained silent. His eyes held a hint of murderous intent and suspicion, fixed intensely on Xutel. Xutel maintained an expression of genuine openness. The great hall suddenly quieted down.

Xiulote was gazing at the simple and abstract murals, pondering how these ancient myths, so long-standing and abstruse, were ultimately subject to the priests' interpretation. Suddenly, did he hear his own name?

As the young man turned around, he saw the scene frozen like sculpted stone carvings. The King and his grandfather stood facing each other, engaged in a "deeply affectionate" exchange.

Curious, he moved closer, and a sudden insight came to him; he looked at the King innocently, then at his grandfather, and blinked his eyes.

"Haha." Tizoc suddenly burst into hearty laughter upon seeing Xiulote's oblivious and ingenuous face.

"The High Priest speaks wisely. I too have received divine messages in dreams that my grandfather has already been led by the Sun God back to the Divine Kingdom, assisting the Guardian God in governing the mortal realm. These years of prosperity and wealth in Mexica are the blessings of the Heavenly Divine and our ancestors."

"However, being born on the day of the Sun God's descent is an auspicious sign," Tizoc again chuckled, "The Tengu Xiulotel who escorts the sun at night surely also escorted my grandfather back to the Divine Kingdom. Xiulote's birth is a manifestation of this event in the mortal world. This child is the blessing of the Tengu."

"Come, bestow the garment," Tizoc beckoned to someone behind him, and a Tonsured Guard stepped forward, unfolding a meticulously crafted black feathered garment. The garment was quite ornate, its back adorned with a depiction of Xiulotel, the beast that shields the sun, in a Tengu Costume—clearly prepared in advance.

As for whether there were any other preparations, Xiulote glanced at the group of silent, Tonsured Samurai behind, but he couldn't tell.

Upon donning the Tengu Costume, Xiulote felt that it fit him perfectly, much to his surprise. He thanked the King profusely, blissfully unaware that he had narrowly missed a potentially fatal disaster.

The King smiled and patted his head, then said to Xutel, "I see this child is quite sharp and has taken my fancy. Let him accompany me during this campaign for his safety, and that he may learn something about conducting war. Once the campaign is over, I shall return him to the High Priest."

Xutel looked at the young man, then at the King, and could only nod in agreement, "Your Majesty's favor is this child's honor. Xiulote's learning in numeracy is already not far behind mine. However, in conduct and understanding the world, he is still naive and ignorant. If he unwittingly gives offense, I pray that Your Majesty will forgive him."

Tizoc gave a noncommittal "oh." He then laughed and said, "High Priest, do not worry. Since we share the same bloodline, I will treat him as my junior."

The two then exchanged formal goodbyes. Xiulote didn't understand what had transpired in between but saw his grandfather entrusting him to the King. The young man suddenly felt as if he had been sold. With a face full of question marks, he bid farewell to his father and followed the King out of the city.

"What was all that secretive talk about just now?" Xiulote recalled the conversation and remembered something about stars and Heavenly Divine, "Astronomy, divinations, truly hard to understand." he muttered.

By this time, the King's palanquin had arrived at the lakeside camp. The large army filled the entire lakeshore, with more than ten militia legions having already arrived. Along with a mixed legion from Teotihuacan, a grand total of twenty legions, a force of one hundred sixty thousand soldiers.

Even as the officers tried their best to maintain order within the camp, it was still a scene of utter chaos. The Samurai, having rested for a day, still presented a decent military appearance. The newly arrived Militia, however, were already in disarray, taking water to cook and causing a ruckus by the lake.

It was upon Tizoc's return that he witnessed this scene. The King's countenance showed no change as he whispered a few words to a tall man standing by his side.

The youth saw the tall man nod. He had a stern face with Tonsured stripes, wearing a special double-sided cloak that somewhat resembled a person in a poncho. The front of the cloak depicted the iconic Aztec Sun Stone, while the back featured a feminized giant Serpent.

The tall man then walked over to a group of officers behind the palanquin. Xiulote noticed several men in double-sided cloaks. On the front of each cloak were sun stones of varying sizes, and on the backs were different weapons drawn: Javelins, War Clubs, Shields, Stone Spears, Obsidian Daggers, and even slings and bows and arrows.

After a brief conversation, a man with an Obsidian Dagger depicted on his cloak hurried off. It wasn't long before the camp erupted in commotion, and then quickly fell silent.

A Tonsured Guard was seen holding a Long Spear high, its tip adorned with a dozen freshly blood-dripping heads. Witnessing this, a chill ran through Xiulote's spine. He began to form some conjecture about the significance of the Obsidian Dagger.

The man led the Imperial Guards along the lakeshore to make an example, while the village Bailiffs were also loud in their efforts to organize the ranks. Soon, the previously disorderly Militia regained proper discipline.

Upon returning, the man with the cloak painted with a Dagger respectfully reported back to the King on the palanquin. Xiulote then saw the King nod slightly, as though giving him another instruction.

The man nodded in acknowledgment. He then stood up and strode towards Xiulote.

Only then could Xiulote see clearly. The man appeared to be about the same age as his father, muscular, and quite handsome, but his face always carried a hint of an elusive smile. Perhaps it was psychological, but the young man felt as though he could smell fresh blood.

After sizing up the young man for a while, the man revealed a sincere grin, showing his teeth, "Hello, Xiulote. I am Ahuizotl."