unscratchedfoot
War is a good thing.
Spoiler :
The gods were pleased. Well, some of them. Others raged at Montezuma and cursed his actions, and others still teased his mind with temptations and promises. Though he was immortal, and contained a spark of divinity within, Montezuma was...disturbed...by so many contacts with these gods.
A shadow in the deep recesses of Montezuma's mind began to grow, and fed upon the contact with the gods when they visited. Montezuma himself was unware of this, and only time would tell what this shadow could mean.
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Montezuma again sat before the map of the known lands in the war room of his palace, advisors gathered 'round. They were not sure what to expect, for the Aztec lord had a strange look in his eyes. All of them knew of the changing of the lands around them, but were not sure which of the gods had been responsible for what.
"Scribe." Montezuma spoke.
The young slave rushed forward, presenting the advisors with a list, the contents of which made all their faces turn pale. For on the list were the words and demands of the gods, and they knew that no matter the course their ruler chose, the Aztec people would feel the wrath of one or more deities.
Montezuma, though, was calm.
"Some of these gods order, some demand, but Montezuma has the right of it. Montezuma knows which gods favor the Aztec, and which gods are merely jealous! This is Montezuma's plan!"
With that, the slave unrolled a larger parchment, and, slowly at first, Montezuma's advisors smiled, and nodded in agreement with the immortal. Surely with these plans, the gods would be well pleased.
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In the north, near York, the Aztec forces found themselves facing a number of chariot units from both Sumeria and England. While strong fighters, the Aztec axemen rarely fared well against these foes. However, always willing to sacrifice where necessary, the Aztecs cunningly teased and taunted the enemy with the chance to recover their enslaved workers. Then, they would strike!
Unfortunately, not all things go according to plan. Although they had the advantage, the troops stationed in York were routed. Gilgamesh captured the city.
It was of little concern, though, as a Jaguar squad easily mopped up the skeleton force of chariots that had invaded the city. York would remain in Aztec hands.
Near the homeland, though, it was as if the wild men of the jungles had gone mad - hordes of barbarians threw themselves against the Aztec cities and troops. They were everywhere!
The homeland was safe, for the Aztec warriors were fierce and strong!
Victoria could not say the same for her lands, however. By Montezuma's orders, Nihil's siege machines had been painstakingly transported to the walls of London. Now, they rained death upon the city.
The English capitol was now in Aztec hands, and the survivors fled to the north, where the English had established a small refuge town.
Roosevelt, the very-friendly American, was contacted with an offer to share the Aztec knowledge of Mathematics in exchange for some useful bits.
Still the barbarians came. But, still was the Aztec homeland safe and protected.
With the army recovered and rested from the battle of London, they marched to put an end to the English foe for good. The English troops fought to the bitter end now, and the captured ones were brought before Montezuma.
Standing at the edge of the sea, Montezuma heard its call. The waters held a strange pull on his soul, and Montezuma wondered if it was the goddess Aquaris. He would know soon enough, for he had done her bidding and the rivers of England ran red with the blood of the Aztec nation's enemy. Now, those few English soldiers that had survived the final battle at Hastings were gathered in shackles on the desert sands by the sea near Teotihuacan. The civilians had all been pressed into slavery and were busy improving the lands that were now home to Aztecs.
Raising his arms, Montezuma called out to the goddess.
"Montezuma has done the bidding of Aquaris, and the lands of the English are no more! Their queen, Victoria, lies dead at Aztec hands! All this we have done for you, goddess, and in defiance of the god of Aether!
Now Montezuma calls upon you, goddess! Show your favor to the Aztec people, and make these dead lands wash away, and be home to the fish of the sea so that the people of Teotihuacan and elsewhere may benefit from this bounty. Montezuma asks this, and also calls upon you to protect your faithful from any wrath of this Aether god!
For this, we give you a final sacrifice!!"
With his final words, Montezuma slashed his hands downward, and the throats of all the English soldiers on the beach were cut as one...the desert sands stained red.
With this victory, Montezuma was elevated even further amongst the Aztec people, and was proclaimed sole monarch, answerable to none but himself and the gods.
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The fury of the wild barbarians continued unabated, crashing through the jungles towards the Aztec lands in great numbers. But still the Aztecs held. And so too did the lands of Techenhuan, for the Chotec gate had been reinforced by a formidable fort. Montezuma ordered that a garrison be stationed there, to defend the fort and keep any and all from entering the lands within.
The army had not been idle. Bolstered by new troops from the homelands, they marched straight for the Sumerian lands. Gilgamesh had not been idle, though, and new Sumerian cities were discovered. It mattered not to the Aztecs, though - all Sumeria would burn!
And so it did, starting with the city of Kish.
Desperate and pathetic in the face of the Aztec might and fury, the Sumerians attempted to reconcile. Montezuma would hear nothing. The so-called god king Gilgamesh would die.
The army assembled at the mighty walls of Uruk, bolstered by their siege machines. The Aztecs would not be leaving without a fight this time!
Uruk burned. Only Eridu remained of the Sumerian cities. Montezuma would not wait - it must fall NOW! Sumerian troops had been spotted near the city of Tlaxcala, and there was no time to reinforce it. It was a desperate gamble by the Sumerians, but it would be in vain.
With the fall of Eridu and the death of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian army disbanded and scattered. Some were later captured, and along with those taken in the battles in Sumerian lands, Montezuma had enough to give in sacrifice to both the Lizardmind and the god Nihil.
Finger pointing at the sky, Montezuma addressed Nihil.
"Nihil god, Montezuma calls on you now! The mighty Aztec have conquered both the vile English and the cowardly Sumerians. The builders of the "great wall" have learned well their lesson. Now, all that is left of Sumeria's so-called army is gathered here in chains.
Montezuma has fulfilled your task, Nihil god! Now we await your rewards and blessings!"
The hand chopped, and so too did the axes of the Aztec standing near each captive.
Later, Montezuma stood in the fort at Chotec gate, with a collection of Sumerian workers captured in the lands around the now-burned cities. Looking out over the fort wall into the jungled lands of Techenhuan, Montezuma spoke, hoping that the thing calling itself Lizardmind could hear.
"Montezuma has aided Lizardmind, and the purpleclad Sumerians lay dead! Montezuma brings these last few to Chotec gate, so that Lizardmind may witness the actions that the Aztec take. Chotec gate is defended, and Sumeria is burned, because of the Aztec.
Watch now, what the Aztec have done for you."
Montezuma turned back to the huddled Sumerians and nodded to the Aztec warriors gathered around. The Sumerians died.
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Back at his palace, Montezuma read the reports from his commanders in Sumeria. The army had regrouped, with some elements sent out to ensure that no Sumerians remained to pose a threat. Unwritten, but understood by Montezuma, was that the war machines from Nihil had not been destroyed ... this due to a silent and unwritten communication between Montezuma and his general Leonidas before he had gone to the front.
Looking out to the sea, Montezuma wondered what the consequences and rewards of this action would be.
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The end of the Aztec campaign against the English and Sumerians also coincided with the development of a time-marking calendar. Well pleased with all that had been done, Montezuma declared the day of the final battle with Sumeria as a kingdom holiday.
And once again, the Americans were contacted to share some knowledge.
The gods demands had been heeded, and the Aztecs stood strong. But of a majority, their hearts belonged to the religion of Tree, which had spread to nearly all corners of the Aztec lands, and was the only established religion amongst all the gods the Aztecs knew.
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Spoiler The Aztec continent :
I dig the garb on those inspired fanatics. I want one of those outfits to wear in the summer and show off my six pack.
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Though luck for monty. As conquering them back from Izzy is out of the question and if she becomes Brennus' vassal well that would be fun.
Or doesn't it work that way?
