Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The mighty Tampen River originates from the Eastern Madre Mountains of the central highlands. It connects southward with the Lake Texcoco water system, while to the north, it winds and flows past Xilotepec and Suiqiu City, rushing downward into the territory of the Vastek people. Finally, this thousand-mile-long river surges into the seaside, forming a series of great lakes northeast of Otter City, ultimately flowing into the Caribbean Sea.

In Navajo, "Tampen" means otter. At this moment, however, this land of otter habitat has welcomed an uninvited guest with red hair.

"Whiz!"

A bone arrow flew out, swift as lightning, shooting towards an otter that had built its den between the lakes. In just an instant, the otter let out a shrill cry and died on the spot.

Then, a young female hunter with red hair flowing, agile and graceful, strode forward confidently. She slung the bow behind her, stretched out her strong, slender fingers, pinched the otter's tail, lifted it upside down for inspection, and smiled with satisfaction after just one glance.

"My heavens!"

Another young hunter, carrying a long spear and holding a light hunting bow, quickly arrived from behind. He glanced at the hunted otter and exclaimed in amazement.

"Ah! You hit the otter's eye again! That's smaller than a bean, and it moves!..."

"..."

The nimble female hunter turned her head slightly to glance at the young hunter without speaking. Then, she looked around but didn't see any large beast tracks in this lake-dense water network. The female hunter extracted a delicate Obsidian Dagger, squatted by the small lake, and skillfully gutted the otter and skinned it.

The other young hunter packed up his hunting bow and took out a long spear to stay alert. He kept watching the south as he talked with the female hunter.

"Ah? Why are you still using that old dagger! It's been years, and the blade has been replaced many times..."

The young hunter pursed his lips, cautiously approached, and asked with a sheepish grin.

"Alan, uh, the dagger I gave you before? Why don't you use it..."

"...Hmm?"

The female hunter Alan raised her head, her eyes as sharp as blades, coldly looked at the young hunter. The young hunter shrank his neck at this fierce gaze and gently called out.

"Alan sis..."

"Mm."

Without expression, Alan lowered her head again to continue processing the fur. Her technique was very skilled; in just a quarter of an hour, she separated the otter's skin from its flesh and cleaned the fur initially. For further tanning, they would have to return to the tribes to soften it with smoke, rub it with ash and kiln soil, and beat it using stone slabs and wooden rods.

"Take it!"

Alan stood up, her figure tall like a deer and movements agile as a fox. She placed several pounds of otter meat into the young hunter's hands and instructed with an elder sister's tone.

"Go back, make some soup to nourish yourself. Qipa, you need to train yourself every day, to be more powerful, faster, fiercer, so you can survive each battle!"

"...Uh. Alright!"

Qipa held the otter meat, stammered a bit, and then placed it into the bamboo basket behind him. Otter meat has a sweet taste and warm properties, like deer meat, it can improve physical weakness and nourish the kidneys and vital energy.

However, as Qipa saw it, he didn't feel the need for replenishing himself. Over the years, he was no longer the fledgling new to war; he had become a warrior seasoned in combat! His long spear had already killed no less than ten enemies, and his close combat skills were as natural as breathing. But his hunting skills...

"Alan sis, you promised to keep teaching me archery! You are the most outstanding hunter in the tribes, your disciples need to have at least half your skills!"

Qipa approached again, wearing a cheeky grin. He looked into Alan sister's bright and sharp eyes, at her distinct facial features, and was momentarily entranced.

"As years passed, Alan sis has become more resolute, her spirit filled and vibrant... like an eagle on the wilderness... Ah, such piercing gaze pierces the heart, cold to everyone except me..."

"Bop!..."

Alan reached out, curled her index and middle fingers, and gave Qipa a flick on the head. Then she frowned slightly, tugging at her dyed red hair, finding herself at a bit of a loss.

"Qipa, I don't know how to teach you. Archery...is just about seeing, aiming, and releasing. But the first step is seeing... I can see, you can't."

"Ah! Alan sis, aside from you, who can see bugs on a tree three hundred paces away? Are you lying to me?..."

"I'm not lying to you."

"You are!"

Qipa retorted loudly, covering his head angrily. Then he turned his eyes and said with a sly smile.

"How about you stand behind me, teaching hand-by-hand! Teach me a few more times, a few more days, and I'll naturally get it!"

"..."

Alan stood up, expressionless, and cast a glance at Qipa. Suddenly, her pointed ears twitched, and she retrieved the greatbow from her back, clutching three arrows at once.

"Alan sis?"

"Shush! Someone's coming, it could be a Vastec scout."

Hearing this, the smile on Qipa's face disappeared instantly. His expression turned serious, gripping the long spear tightly, crouching into a battle-ready stance.

"This way!"

Moments later, Alan's expression turned cold. She drew the hunting bow, aiming at the shrubs where the sound came from, her gaze sharp like a hawk ready to hunt. Then, a bowed silhouette appeared before her eyes, quickly locked onto by her. And just as she released her right hand, her gaze suddenly changed, her left hand rapidly lifted.

"Whiz!"

A swift bone arrow described a slightly high arc, skimming over the silhouette, lodging into the large tree within the jungle. That figure froze, hair tossed by the arrow's wind, and legs buckling in fright, sitting down on the ground. Looking up in terror, it turned out to be a twelve or thirteen-year-old Vastec girl.

"..."

Alan, holding the hunting bow, and Qipa, carrying the spear, walked to the girl's side. She examined the girl's bare upper body, a Vastec Tribe custom. She also noticed the girl's shell necklace and small grass bag, indicating she was the daughter of a mid-level warrior from the tribes. After observing for a moment, Alan, using fluent Vastec language, asked sternly.

"Where did you come from? Are you alone?"

"I... I... am alone."

The girl raised her head, glanced at Alan's striking red hair, eyes filled with unshakeable fear. She knew this was the fiercest and strongest hunter among the fierce northern tribes that had come south. Trembling, she struggled to organize language to answer.

"My tribe, in the southwest...warriors with tiger skins, spearmen, axemen, lots of warriors, shouting and killing their way in... Dad died in battle, I escaped... ran for two days... please, don't kill me!..."