Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The northern plains of Puerto Rico are winding bays, vibrant mangrove forests, high grasslands, and low hills. The northeastern trade winds bring lingering rains, nourishing the fertile land. The terrain is low and well-drained, suitable for cultivation. Taino villages are nestled here, cultivating many small plots of land, growing cassava, cotton, tobacco, corn, peppers, and passion fruit.

Heading south from the northern plains for forty or fifty leagues, you will reach the Central Mountain Range (Cordillera Central), or as the Taino say, the "Ridge of the Earth Mother." The sea breeze halts before the mountains, and the moisture condenses into fog. The terrain rises sharply, elevating directly from sea level to over 800 meters.

The flat plains are quickly replaced by red hilly mountains. Dense towering trees fill the mountains, untouched by human hands for thousands of years. The bark of the peach blossom heartwood (caoba) and the tall kapok trees (ceiba) rise into the clouds, many reaching heights of 60 to 70 meters. Beneath the dense forest lies thick layers of decomposed leaves, and unseen stones, roots, and hidden holes.

Undoubtedly, such terrain is challenging even for those familiar with the woods. To the armored Castilian Expeditionary Army and the tall horses of the knights, entering these mountains for just a day is an unbearable torment.

"律!!Hiss!..."

Knight Inigo de Escalante’s warhorse suddenly tripped over a tree root hidden beneath the soil, letting out a painful neigh. Inigo, who was leading the horse, stumbled and fell onto the decomposed leaves. Ignoring himself, he immediately knelt to check on the horse. After just a glance at the horse’s leg, his face turned ashen, and he let out a pained cry, even more anguished than if he were injured.

"Demonios! Damn demons! Leon, my horse! It’s sprained! It’s crippled! My precious Leon!!..."

"Knight Inigo? What’s with the hysterics? During a march, you must maintain silence!"

Church Knight Captain Thomas frowned, leading his own horse, and strode over. He walked ahead of the horse, carefully treading the path, while the horse cleverly stepped in his footprints. Upon approaching, his pupils constricted, and he immediately halted his horse.

"Holy Mother! What happened? Your horse broke its leg?"

"It didn’t break its leg, just sprained it!... Maldición! There’s a hidden root beneath these decomposed leaves... Damn it! It’s all those stupid infantry scouts’ fault! What kind of terrible path did they choose?... No! Knight Captain Thomas, we can’t proceed any further, this mountainous forest is a nightmare for cavalry! I need to take Leon back. It’s only a sprain. As long as I slowly nurse its hoof, even if it can never charge again, it can still live as a packhorse..."

Knight Captain Thomas was silent for a moment, his frown deepening. After a while, he tenderly looked at his own warhorse, Babik, glanced at the still-rising mountains, and nodded.

"The Almighty watches over us, you’re right! Inigo, look after my Babik. I need to inform Captain Pedro that our Church Knight Team must return!..."

"The Almighty witnesses! Such steep, dense mountain forests are not suitable for us. If they still wish to search for the lairs of the fleeing natives, to attack the villages in the mountains... let those infantry go on foot themselves!"

With that, Knight Captain Thomas loosened the reins and gestured for the "smart" Babik to wait. Then, he walked alone towards the infantry battalion ahead, leaving only his back under a big tree. Soon, intense arguing erupted from under the tree, growing louder and louder.

"Knight Thomas! Just persevere for one more day, just one more day! The natives’ footprints are becoming increasingly clear. With just one more day, we can reach their hidden mountain village! Once we break through the native village, I will calculate the spoils of war for you all as three shares for each person, issuing threefold!"

"No, it’s impossible! You infantry don’t need to think much, just go forward killing and looting. But we cavalry have valuable companion warhorses, so we must consider much more... Captain Pedro, please understand, no matter what kind of spoils, nothing compares to a knight’s closest warhorse. Besides, these native villages... except for the people, there might be no spoils. Or perhaps only some cotton balls, shells, and a white paste, paste that even horses won’t eat."

Knight Thomas pursed his lips and shook his head, glanced at the dusty infantry hacking branches and clearing the path ahead. The pride, disdain, and stubbornness of the knight raised the corners of his mouth. Resolutely, he told Captain Pedro, who wore a breastplate and the Holy War Cross.

"Esteemed Captain Pedro! We knights only follow the priest’s orders to assist you in defending the Isabella Castle under construction, to crush the threatening natives around. And here it is already five leagues (30 kilometers) from Isabella Castle, along the way, we’ve only seen natives with no weapons, no clothes, no threat, fleeing everywhere..."

"The Almighty blesses! In my view, the fleeing natives are no longer a threat, the cavalry’s military mission is complete! I’m sorry I cannot risk the warhorses any further to accompany your search for native villages, looting, and engaging in such merciless and meaningless slaughter that spares not even women and children... The church knight team will hereby return, this is not a discussion, but a notification! Sorry!"