Long version (longest yet, actually):
*****
Plenty of things could have gone wrong since Eczie left for the Sunrise Forest. Plenty of things had. But she was satisfied at how it had turned out.
Shazlan had turned back early, before they even reached the forest. He had left after a heated argument, so at first she wondered if the decision was rash. But traveling on her own was emotionally easier, if lonelier and more dangerous. Even if the trip had been hell, nothing would have convinced her to return back to the Yilfruit tribe and give her father the satisfaction of being right.
She had journeyed on, past the pyramid to the eastern end of the jungle. When the air became crisper and the undergrowth thinner, she knew she had reached her destination. Before long she met the forest’s other inhabitants, and she was overjoyed that the rumors were true -- the forest village was populated by people just like her who had rebelled against their parents and left other areas of Aztlan. They welcomed her even more heartily than she had imagined they would.
In many ways the Sunrise Forest was the paradise it had promised. All were expected to assist in gathering food and building shelter; none exerted authority over any other; prayer and sacrifice to the gods was mostly foregone, as it was seen as an unnecessary vestige of generational tyranny; and love was free for those who consented. The last of these had earned the forest its greatest reputation throughout Aztlan, which is why so many young people flocked to it and so many of their parents dreaded it. Suffice to say, an assertive girl like Eczie never wanted for a bedmate on nights when she wished for one.
But Eczie’s life in the forest changed the night one young man tried to partner with her when she didn’t have mind to. She was clear on her feelings, but he kept pushing and pushing. When he went a step too far, she broke his arm. Real violence, especially from women, was rare in the forest, so Eczie’s reputation immediately changed. At first she became worried, thinking the others feared her, but she noticed that their actions were not so much fearful as reverent. Her peers spoke to her less casually and less often, but when they did seek her input it was to resolve conflicts, answer mysteries, and provide the proper pressure to those who freeloaded on the tribe’s good will.
In breaking one arm, Eczie had gone from an outspoken member of the crowd to a de facto chieftaness of the forest. It was not made official and none would do so much as to call her their leader, but it was known throughout the tribe that she should be consulted for important decisions, and she spoke for the forest as a whole when interacting with other tribes. She would never admit it, but most of the time she was called upon to lead, she modeled what she grew up watching her father do. So, since Eazulotl’s leadership was on her mind more often than she might have liked, Eczie was uneasy when she and some of the other Foresters journeyed to the main pyramid to see her father.
Tenochtitlan had sent runners around the kingdom to gather all who would hear to receive the famous Eazulotl of House Grey, Citizlan of the Yilfruit tribe. Eazu was to speak on the philosophy of their civilization and begin the next stage of Aztlan’s legacy. Eczie dared not be the one to back down from such a confrontation. She was determined to interact with her father formally and as equals -- the leaders of two tribes -- rather than as ruling father and subordinate daughter.
She had all of her close friends assure that she was at maximum presentability for the event. She wore a toga covered in fresh-plucked green leaves which covered one shoulder (unlike her father’s silver tunic which covered both shoulders) and tied tightly around her waist with hempen rope. Above her left breast she wore an emblem of a tree with a rising sun behind it, intricately carved by one of her many male suitors back home. And her silver-grey hair was bound into a tight braid which reached down to her lower back. She was determined to project to her father and the rest of Aztlan that the Sunrise Forest was a respectable tribe, just as any other was.
Eczie, among the throng of people who had gathered to hear Eazu talk, stood at the foot of the many-staired pyramid at the center of Aztlan’s kingdom. After being introduced, Eazulotl climbed the first eight steps, turned to the crowd, and spoke.
“Tribes of Aztlan, thank you for your welcome. It is delightful to see all of you here. The Pyramiders, the Yilfruits, the Gems, the independent houses of Perzien and Joatzli...and the Sunrise Forest.” He looked down at Eczie. It was the first time they had made eye contact since their argument the day she left. Some emotion interrupted him, but she couldn’t tell what it was from the distance.
“Each of the tribes of Aztlan define themselves well, and have rich character,” Eazu continued. “But I speak today of what we all share, and that is our greater heritage.
“There is a legacy, forged of old blood and allegiance, which makes all of us different from any group of barbarians. We all pray to the same gods, we follow the same Tlatoani, and we wish to see not only our individual tribe, but all of Aztlan prosper across the future of this earth.
“But for this triumph to happen, there must be more than shared interest between our tribes. We must enact ways of life and strong principles that have shown to bring prosperity. We must allow these policies to guide us in all we do as a people, and we must let it virtuously differentiate us from all other civilizations.
“My fellow Aztlan, today we must declare ourselves allies of Liberty. We must respect the choices and lives of our tribesmen, and allow them to live their lives as they choose so long as they do not unduly infringe upon the lives of others. We must do this even if it pains us or inconveniences us,” Eazu looked at Eczie on this line, “because the humanity of our families and our countrymen is larger and more important than any selfish desires we have.
“Of course, the reason why the tenets of Liberty will define Aztlan is no decision handed down by me, by our Tlatoani, or even by the gods. The reason why we can announce Liberty as a value of our people is because we already believe in it.
“Consider these. Within the lands of Tenochtitlan, Citizlans and peasants may move freely to settle the lands they choose, and tenants may even flee chieftans and leaders of whom they do not approve. We do not force our young men to become warriors, but merely send to the field those who hunger to prove themselves in battle. Between our various tribes, we have established many ways of life that should not and will not be infringed upon; my own Yilfruit tribe lives differently from the Gem tribe, who lives differently from the Jaguar Warriors, who live still differently from the new tribe in the Sunrise Forest.” He looked at Eczie again. “All these ways are good and proper, as they all fundamentally respect the Liberty of those within them. Some day, some group of our brothers and sisters will leave the lands of Tenochtitlan to found yet more cities, all of whom will add to the legacy of Aztlan. May our tribes number many, many more and spread throughout the world.
“Embracing Liberty as our creed will indeed encourage our spreading throughout the world, as allowing freedom of choice has led to wondrous advances even in our lifetimes: the Gem people are on the verge of a revolution in land cultivation; more and more Citizlans are taking responsibility of tending their own lands, which has brought wealth and prosperity to many; even among the warriors to the south, my own son has taken part in pioneering freely-arranged commerce and trade that will benefit all those involved.
“So again, thank you all. Thank you for attending this momentous day in the history of Aztlan, but you deserve a greater thanks for cultivating such a lush and deserving culture among our people. This character brings favor from the gods each and every day. May it never end.”
Eczie of course supported the Liberty policy, she cheered as loud as the rest when Eazu finished, and she enjoyed the following feast of Quetzalcoatl with her Forester tribesmates. She still successfully avoided her father, though, and she left for home without speaking with him.
In his speech, Eazu had clearly tried to reach out to her, to say that he respected her choices. Within herself, she respected him as well. But for Eczie, respect was different from reconciliation.
*****
Short version:
Eazulotl will adopt the Liberty social policy, offering 1 Fame.
Ebzulotl will give 4 Food to Lieutenant Sparthage.
Eczulotl will train Fame to level 2.
