Aztec Eternals

"Praise the Lord! I, Dracosa, am guided by the merciful Lord, undertake the mission of Queen Isabella, and receive the blessing from the hands of the Archbishop of Granada!"

The Christmas Day prayers come to an end, and the Caribbean sea sparkles with waves. Towering masts are anchored in the natural harbor, and low thatched huts are scattered along the green coast. Under the erected wooden cross, Captain Dela Cosa raised the silver cross amulet around his neck and looked around at all the Castilian sailors. Declare loudly.

"I swear that I will take all of you back to my hometown smoothly and receive the queen's favor!..."

Taking advantage of the power of the prayer just now, Dracosa once again pulled off the queen's "tiger skin" and clearly revealed the archbishop's background. And all his words and deeds are to increase his prestige among the sailors as much as possible before the long and difficult ocean voyage with the risk of rebellion, and to rebuild the order of the fleet that has long since collapsed after constant rebellion.

"Witness the Lord! The voyage back is before us, the homeland of Castile is before us, and the glory and wealth of discovering the new route are also before us! ... I swear by the beak of the plague that I will not treat everyone unfairly. A sailor who follows me will not lose anyone’s royal bounty! Otherwise, I will be infected with the Black Death and burned alive by the flames of the church’s judgment!…”

Captain De La Cosa's eyes were bright, and while promising riches to return home, he swore by the witchcraft that the sailors believed in. He carefully watched the expressions on the sailors' faces, following their awe and longing gazes.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the silver cross. It seemed that what they were in awe of was not the captain's power to kill, but the religion and law of "God's world" and the "strict order of civilization." It was only at this moment that he nodded slowly, confirming that the beasts in the sailors' hearts were temporarily restrained and it was time to return.

"God bless you! Seven days later, it will be the first day of the New Year, a good day guided by the Lord! ... Everyone is ready, re-check the grain and dried meat in the cabin, and fill all the buckets! We will meet in the New Year On the first day of the new year, we set off to sea, returning to the port of Seville through a route that we have already traveled through without any risk!... From the new year onwards, every day, we will be closer to home!..."

"Ah! Praise the Lord, praise Captain De La Cosa! Come home, come home!..."

Upon hearing the clear return date, the remaining eighteen sailors cheered excitedly. Even the lookouts on the observation deck excitedly grabbed the cables on the more than ten-meter-high mast and danced the unrestrained flamenco dance of the Gypsies.

"It's really God's blessing! This voyage and exploration, which was like a nightmare and lasted for three or four months, is finally coming to an end!..."

"Holy Mother! So many people died...but we were able to survive and survive from the terrible Sipangu natives!..."

"Praise the Lord! We have discovered a new route to the east! After we go back, we will definitely receive a lot of money, many royal bounties!..."

The Castilian sailors cheered and celebrated, and the surrounding Taíno villagers also laughed honestly. Although they couldn't understand what these friendly white-skinned tribesmen were saying. But these distant "friends" are so happy, and they feel happy from the bottom of their hearts. After all, the Taino tribe has been so enthusiastic, kind and honest for generations. They have never seen war, and they have never known how cruel slavery and massacre between different races is! …

"Haha! Everyone, go down and get ready!..."

Captain De La Cosa smiled and waved to every sailor, but also greeted the natives with a smile. He even gave the old native village chief a warm hug and thanked him for the food supplies. When everyone dispersed, he instantly put away his smile and walked towards the navigator Pedro, who was bowing his head slightly.

"How is Commander Columbus doing?"

"Boss, the natives have applied strange herbs to him and have been taking good care of him... Now, he has overcome the fever and his wounds have begun to heal... In fact, not only does he have the strength to yell and curse, I also watched him yesterday When I saw him, he secretly got out of bed and walked around slowly..."

"Oh? He was so seriously ill and was actually cured by the natives?... He just used herbal medicine, not even bloodletting?..."

Hearing this, Captain Dracosa narrowed his eyes and subconsciously held the rapier at his waist. After a moment, he suddenly smiled and nodded to the navigator Pedro.

"Let's go! Let's go visit the kingdom's outstanding admiral..."

The bright tropical sunlight fell on the village chief's wooden house, making the flying dust clearly visible. The navigator Pedro smiled and led the old native village chief to smoke leaves together in the distance. In the simple and open room, there were only two people lying and standing, looking at each other in silence.

"Vaffanculo! Dracosa, you finally couldn't bear it anymore. Do you want to kill me before leaving?!..."

After looking at each other for a moment, Columbus gritted his teeth and looked at Dracosa fiercely, unable to help but curse first.

"Merda! You're a cruel poisonous snake. Haven't you long wanted to kill me, monopolize the glory of discovering the new sea route, and take away my position as commander? Come on, do it! Why are you hesitating?!..."

"clang!"

De La Cosa had no expression on his face. He pulled out his rapier and stared at Columbus' neck with cold eyes. Make eye contact with the other person. Columbus shuddered, huddled up on the straw bed, and shouted with a stern look on his face.

"You...you dare to come here?! I am an admiral and fleet commander personally appointed by the queen!...If you kill me here, you will never end well when you return to the kingdom!...No! Don't come here..."

"hehe!…"

De La Cosa raised the corners of his mouth contemptuously, staring coldly at the half-crouched Columbus, but did not move closer, nor did he feel proud. He just had a sullen face, glanced at Columbus' half-curved left leg with a scrutinizing gaze, and his right hand secretly hidden in the thatch, and said coldly.

"Okay! Stop pretending!...Columbus, you are a kicking donkey and a wild dog that can't keep its mouth shut. But you have never been a plotting snake, and you can't pretend to be successful in front of me!...Put your Take out your right hand! Want to kill me in a surprise attack? You don’t have that ability yet!…”

".Diamine! You **** poisonous snake who is good at sneak attacks!..."

Seeing Dracosa, who was motionless at his feet and slowly raised his rapier, Columbus cursed angrily and desperately. As the stabbing sword approached, he helplessly sat up from the straw bed, revealing his right hand holding the stone dagger.

"Dracosa, you!..."

"Dear Admiral, please throw over the native dagger in your hand... This is to protect you, lest you make any violent moves when you are excited... I can't help but hurt you or cut you off. Your only other ear!"

"Vaffanculo! How dare you threaten..."

"Leave it behind!..."

"boom…"

"Okay! That's good!..."

Dracosa lowered his sword, and the coldness on his face disappeared, turning into a friendly and warm smile. He then took a step closer, looked down at Columbus, who was sitting slumped on the grass bed, unarmed and recovering from a serious illness, and muttered with a smile.

"Commander, I have said it before...your biggest shortcoming is that you are too impatient!...Hey! Why don't you believe me? I said I will not harm you, and I will keep you even in the worst case. A life...but you still don't believe it, and instead want to harm me!..."

"Tsk tsk! Look at your face, it's red with anger, and you're sweating so much in a hurry... You're just a little bit old, but you can't even hold the knife firmly, and you're so anxious to do it!... But! Commander, You are a merchant's child, not a knight... You have never learned a sword or a scimitar!... If you really want to use your hands, you can't defeat me alone!"

"Hey! If Alana were here, he had been trained as a knight's squire. Although he is stupid, he is very agile, and he is really a difficult threat... What a pity! You abandoned him!...Tsk tsk! In order to escape for your life, Not even my loyal brother-in-law who is a sailor!…”

"Minchia! Dracosa, what the **** do you want to say?!..."

Upon hearing Alana's name, Columbus's eyes instantly turned red, his only ear trembled, and even his face became ferocious.

Such a violent reaction did not mean that the friendship between him and his brother-in-law was truly a life-and-death bond. But Alana's accidental fall into the water was the biggest turning point in his overturn by Dracosa! All of a sudden, the commander who decided life and death on the ship became a prisoner slaughtered at will in the hands of the opponent...

"Huh? What do I want to say?...Well...Actually, I just want to come and see you and see the miraculous healing effects of the natives!..."

Dracosa blinked, still smiling, but the rapier in his hand was ready to go, vaguely pointing at Columbus's vitals.

"God bless you! Now I see it! You are indeed recovering well...you can rest in the cabin!..."

"Diamine! Dracosa, you want to imprison me in the cabin again?!..."

"Imprisonment? No, no, no! Commander, please don't misunderstand...How dare I imprison you?..."

De La Cosa smiled and shook his head, explaining sincerely, just like appeasing a Spanish bullfighting breeder.

"How could it be?... I just think that a quiet cabin with a locked door and no sunlight is more suitable for you to calm down, settle down and recuperate, and be prepared to meet with the Queen and write back the documents... After all, you have been cheated. The wound from a person's poisonous arrow may relapse at any time before it fully heals... If you suddenly fell ill and died, how sad the sailors would be! I would also really feel sorry for you..."

"You **** of a sheep..."

"I think you also want to go back alive, proudly report back to the great and holy Queen, gain the glory of discovering a new sea route, and trample all the navigation scholars and royal nobles who once looked down on you under your feet, right?!..."

"I…"

"Not to mention, the generous reward that the queen will give you after discovering a new route to the East! Nobles from all over the world will flock to praise your discovery that shocked the world of God, and then beg you to take them sailing! Especially The Portuguese seafaring nobles who have rejected you and laughed at you many times, and King Joao II who has never accepted your suggestions and never taken you seriously for more than ten years!... Think about that scene! That should How wonderful it is!…”

"."

After hearing these direct words, Columbus's face twitched and his expression changed. He didn't speak for a full quarter of an hour, and his eyebrows gradually knitted together. And when he spoke again, for the first time he didn't curse.

"Dracosa, are you really not going to kill me? Are you going to let me return to Castile alive to see the Queen alive?..."

"Of course! The Lord is a witness! This was my plan from the beginning and this is what I did... Otherwise, as long as I didn't save you or hand you over to the natives... you would have died on the ship!..."

"Merda!...Only a fool would believe a poisonous snake!..."

Columbus gritted his teeth and cursed himself before glaring at De La Cosa and asking.

"Dracosa, are you not afraid that I will accuse you of rebellion in front of the Queen?..."

"Oh? Responsibility for rebellion?..."

Dracosa smiled nonchalantly and asked.

"So, how many people are responsible for the rebellion? The three Pinson brothers who were beheaded by the natives? The royal steward and notary who were captured? Or the entire exploration fleet, all the crew members, dead or alive?..."

"Damn it! The idiot Hiramatsu family has been dead for a long time! The royal butler and the notary can't come back!...Now, I only need to accuse you!..."

"Oh? Only accuse me?..."

Dracosa smiled, looked at Columbus who was gradually regaining his senses, and asked.

"But Commander, will it do you any good to accuse me, the only surviving second-in-command captain?..."

"Dracosa, you rebelled against me! You must be punished!..."

"What about you? Where is your guilt?…"

Dracosa chuckled and shook his head, asking meaningfully.

"Witness the Lord! After you went to sea once and was betrayed by everyone, do you still have the qualifications to serve as the navigation commander again? Will the queen rest assured and hand over the kingdom's navigation fleet to you again? And once I truthfully explain the voyage Everything that happened, the responsibility for losing the royal steward and the notary, the responsibility for rashly starting a war with the ancient kingdom of Sipan, the responsibility for losing the Queen’s Credentials... How are you going to carry it?…"

"Holy Mother!... Betrayed by everyone... Lost the Queen's trust... Is it all my fault?..."

Hearing this, Columbus opened his mouth and looked a little enlightened as he recalled the ups and downs of this ocean exploration. At this moment, he stared blankly at the native wooden house and the lonely and blasphemous idol wood carvings, as if he vaguely saw his own future, a heretic who returned from the East with glory but was not accepted by the upper class...

"Ah! I...I'm not guilty! How could I be guilty?! I discovered the East, I found India, I didn't do anything wrong!...It's obviously all of you! It was you who betrayed me one after another! You don't listen to me Just like the idiot Hiramatsu who started a war with the natives without permission, and like the royal representative who left the flagship without authorization..."

"Yes! Commander, you have indeed done nothing wrong! Your firm belief has indeed guided the fleet and discovered the brand-new East... It's just that you were born with original sin, an original sin that is difficult to be accepted by the kingdom! ... "

"My original sin?..."

"Why!…"

De La Cosa sighed softly, as if he really felt sorry for Columbus. At this moment, he looked sincerely into Columbus's eyes and said softly, seductively.

"Commander, you are an outstanding navigator... But unfortunately, you are not Castilian! You are not of noble blood!... With such a limited background, you can find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com no matter how talented you are. , how can you command the kingdom’s fleet and make all the Castilian captains obedient?…”

"Your contribution is difficult to turn into the prestige of commanding the fleet... But once you are guilty and make a mistake, everyone will remember it!... Because everyone has never regarded you as one of the kingdom's own. !…”

"Even if the Queen appreciates you again! Even if the Queen believes in you again! But even Elijah, the prophet of God, will be shaken when facing the evil of Jezebel... and just once! If you fail just once, you will fall off the high ground. There is no chance of climbing up the high cliff..."

"So, respected Commander Columbus! You are alone and really need helpers and allies from Castile! ... And we have gone through this difficult voyage of exploration together, and experienced the cruel and terrible cruelty of the natives. Fighting and finally surviving together, we are truly partners witnessed and blessed by the Lord!…”

"In this current voyage, all the important people have died, and only our two captains have survived... And as long as we work together to properly 'organize' the process and findings of the voyage, we can give the Queen and the royal family a solution that cannot be faulted. Report back!...Then we will all receive the Queen's reward, share the honor of the new route, and gain the leadership of the next voyage together!..."