Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The gale howled, like the roar of divines in the sky. Waves surged, like giants rising from the sea. Under the dark and deep sky, seven longships of the Kingdom's exploration fleet struggled in the turbulent and profound sea like straws swept away by the torrent. The fleet drifted with the waves, spinning uncontrollably. Until signals from the flagship raised the sails at both the bow and stern, the howling gale extended its hands, pulling apart the bow-like sea surface, launching the tiny longships!

"Chief Divine! Ah!..."

Huitu Puapu clung tightly to the mast, feeling the speed of the ship like wind and lightning, and screamed in terror. The gale blew away his Eagle Helmet, and the tide soaked through his Leather Armor. Even his feet were about to be lifted off the deck by the fast-moving longship.

"Ah! Divine Eagle! This is the curse of the remnants of the Divine Eagle, wanting me to fly like an eagle and then crash into the sea..."

Huitu was shouting hysterically, yet the raised sail was fully inflated and hit something. Moments later, a storm petrel collided with the sail and fell from the mast top, landing straight on Huitu's head.

"Thud!"

"Divine... Ah..."

Huitu's vision went black, his head muddled, but his hands still clung to the mast. Waves of wind and rain struck continuously, and the tides occasionally tilted the longship. Chief God Priest Tomate, bound to the gunwale, still held his head high, fearlessly shouting into the storm, inspiring all the sailors.

"Chief Divine protects us! He shields us against the impediments of the Evil God! We will definitely, definitely pass through the storm and waves, and reach the fertile land of Divine Revelation..."

"MeKate!"

"Captain, just steer a bit to the left. Good, now a bit to the right..."

Old Militia Chiwaco stood at the stern, struggling to control the rudder, trying to keep the bow facing the East. He didn't know where the fleet would be blown by the gale, but could only let fate lead the way. Yet deep down, he was certain that as long as they got through the storm's heart, the fleet would surely survive!

"Oh unpredictable fate... May you be more reliable than the divines..."

The old militia muttered under his breath, standing at the stern, bound with ropes. The longship swayed, and he stumbled, but never fell.

The clouds hung low, the waves were capricious, and the gale grew fiercer. The Kingdom Fleet was carried by the gale, moving forward like spinning arrows without knowing how long they'd gone. Old Militia Chiwaco gritted his teeth, relying on stubborn strength, refusing to yield, standing firmly on the ship despite his knees weakening.

The ship sped swiftly, the flagship's bow being pulled by the wind, repeatedly lifting up and pressed down by the waves. Amidst this rhythmic swaying, a stunned storm petrel slid toward the stern, ending under Chiwaco's feet.

"Uh? This stunned sea bird?... Is it an omen?..."

Chiwaco stared, looking at the fallen bird in the storm, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. But soon, he realized and his eyes lit up with delight.

"No, that's not it! With sea birds appearing, we should be at the edge of land! Cavado, the storm has weakened. Carefully climb the mast and look around!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Upon hearing, Mountain Bird Cavado, soaking wet like pulled from the water, climbed the deck. He nervously hugged the slippery mast, grasped the extending ropes, and climbed several meters high. After observing for a while, he shook his head and shouted.

"Captain, it's too dark! Can't see anything! It's all pitch black in the distance..."

"Alright... Come down!..."

"Bang!"

A delayed lightning streaked across the dull sky, illuminating the path ahead. Mountain Bird Cavado suddenly trembled. He reached out, excitedly pointing forward, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Land! Captain, suddenly there's land ahead! It's a shoal! No, it's a small island, no wait, it's a chain of small islands!... Ah, a long chain of islands, right in front, so close! ...Oh no! We're going to crash... about to crash..."

"Boom! Thud thud!"

Violent crashing sounds suddenly erupted at the ship's bottom! The entire longship shook violently, rushing onto the shore, abruptly reducing from over a dozen meters per second to zero. Old Militia Chiwaco staggered, finally couldn't stand, and fell toward the bow. Mountain Bird Cavado screamed, falling from several meters high mast. Luckily, the rope on him entangled his legs, hanging him at the mast's tail, barely brushing by the God of Death. As for the crew, they all tumbled in the fierce collision. As for Tikalo in the cabin, he was thrown multiple times, his head swelling from the bumps.

"Chief Divine bless us! He has guided us to the Land of Prophecy!"

After a while, Chief God Priest Tomate was the first to stand. He raised the Sun Amulet high, walked to the bow, gazing at the longship beached on the sand. The sand was gray-white like bones, desolate. At the tidal edge, no traces of human creation could be seen.

Then he looked around, an arid and narrow small island appeared before his eyes. This small island seemed only two or three miles around, with visible boundaries at a glance. On the sides of the sea, more scattered islands formed a long extending chain. From afar, this island chain looked like a fishing line drawn from the sea, stretching from the Northwest sky to the Southeast horizon, with no end in sight, its length unknown. The Kingdom's longship was blocked by this long string-like island chain, stranded on the barren beach.

"Uh... is this the fertile soil, Cuba?"

Priest Tomate rubbed his head, uncertain. The storm had weakened, the sky brightened a bit. He surveyed the surroundings, carefully observing the wild forest on the small island, still seeing no signs of human activity.

"Kuba, where is this?"

Chiwaco's face was pale, pulling the Mayan merchant Tikalo with one hand and the guide Kuba with the other, walking to the gunwale. Tikalo's face was paler than Chiwaco's, almost like crushed bone powder. He held back the tumultuous nausea in his stomach, leaning against Kuba, asked softly.

Kuba stood by the ship, dazed, gazing at the sky dim yet bright, looking at the vast endless blue sea, and the scattered extending island chain. He sniffed the fresh sea breeze forcefully, like wanting to smell the ancestral homeland in the wind. The crowd gathered around him, held their breaths, not disturbing the guide's memories.

"A long island chain, I recognize it... This is, here is..."

Kuba's face gradually lit up, like a dull board painted with bright colors. These colors were inscribed deep within him, marking the ancestral imprint. Kuba's mouth gradually curled up, eyes moist. Almost laughing, almost crying, wanting to shout but unsure what to shout...

After a while, this Guanahatabey guide, for the first time in Tikalo's presence, straightened his back. He extended his hand, pointed at the islands to the Southeast, softly said.

"This is the Feathered Serpent's Long Feather, falling on the island chain in the sea. And not far to the East, is the scaled Great Island, the scales and flesh of the Serpent divine."

Then Kuba turned around, pointing at the islands' Northwest, gazing at the brightening sea sky, with a sparkle in his eyes, his voice turning excited.

"There, at the end of the Long Feather... is the tail of the Feathered Serpent divine, the mountain ranges by the sea to the West, where the ancestral Tribes are! The end of this island chain is the fertile soil, Snake Island Cuba!"