book

Chapter 13

Xoctol’s predictions were slowly coming true. Riots at the gates had become
daily actions now, and a gun shot was not scaring them off as easily. The city was
gradually picking themselves up off of the ground that the whites had pushed them on.
The Rejects were also becoming railed up and the emperor was no longer having the
control he once did. The Rejects had grown to twenty sets of hands, and the weapons pot was growing to. The people were getting more and more angry, and they would finally rise up and get blood to appease the gods.

A week of small fires in the Aztec’s hearts had grown into a flame. The riots were growing and becoming skirmishes, but soon they would become small battles as the
Aztecs were getting more desperate. The whites were becoming more and more edgy as it
became harder and harder for them to obtain supplies. Finally Xoctol agreed it was time for the Rejects to make themselves known. He gave orders for the secret weapon to be brought then he went out at the front of his group thrilled at the sight of all of his work finally being put into action. He knew war wouldn’t begin now, but he needed to encourage the people. And hopefully in a few days the city would be in an uproar if Xoctol could capture at least one white. The Denied ambled down the road. A few people came rushing out of houses to join them, as they ran up to gate. He turned to see some of the Denied running up behind with a huge sharpened log. They slowly carried it forward and he gave orders for positions on the log and he armed his bow. The log slowly began to make an impact on the gates, he smiled when he saw the fear in the eyes of the white. The numbers of the Aztecs were growing as more and more people joined them.

Xoctol raised his bow and shot at a white at the top of the wall. The white was hit in the leg tumbled down the wall but was still alive. The whites ran up with more
reinforcements and began to open fire. The Aztecs began to fall but Xoctol gave orders for the grabbing of the fallen white man. The Denied grabbed him and ran off satisfied at the result of the skirmish.

Xoctol stared resolutely at the prisoner. The white man watched with scared eyes as the circle of Aztecs gradually tightened, their intentions were obvious. Xoctol gave orders to guard him and then went off into a side room with one of his leaders. They discussed what should be done and finally agreed on handing him over to the priests. They would know what should be done. So Xoctol had the prisoner tied up and brought to the priests. They didn’t portray their intentions but Xoctol had an idea what would happen for a man so hated by their country.

The people gathered watched sullenly as the white prisoner was slowly led up the steps to the top of the temple. Xoctol felt no guilt for his part in his capture, this blood was needed for it was the start of the annihilation of the whites. The only thing that could commensurate for the lives lost was the destruction of the whites. And every Aztec gathered was ready to pay the ultimate price for that. There was no raucous chantingfor this sacrifice. This was the beginning of a long hard war, the dawn of a revolution, and the birth of people strong and proud. Who would no longer sit and watch themselves be persecuted and killed. They would no longer watch their wives be murdered for some trinkets made of metal, or their husbands be led away to made an example. They werenot weak and if there was to be blood let it begin with the white’s blood. Tonight they were weak men and women who couldn’t defend themselves or protect their city. But tomorrow they would become a gigantic army who would spread across the city destroying every remnant of the whites coming.

Chapter 14

War has begun! Aztecs all over the city were grabbing any weapons they could.
Last night at the sacrifice, the priests announced their plans. The emperor has betrayed the city they said, gasps had swept around the room like leaves in a storm. The priests were now the only hope for leadership. They encouraged all resistance groups to no longer remain waiting and to get their weapons. Xoctol ran home to spread the word. The morning had come and the Denied had started to arrive. Xoctol was passing out weapons as soon they arrived. Some brought their own but most didn’t. Xoctol gathered them all for a meeting and yelled out. “We are no longer Denied, but are now freedom fighters! And we will no longer let the whites take our food, destroy our buildings, and hurt our families. We will fight back! Today we will take back what they have taken from us in white blood. We’ll destroy the palace even if we have to fight our way in, and kill all the whites. We will not stop until either their blood will flow down the temple steps, or we will lay in a pool of blood by the palace gates. We are not weak but strong. This day we will show that to the world, even if everyone should stand against us. The men watched proudly as their leader riled them up. His eyes were fierce as he cheered the men on to fight for their freedom. Xoctol yelled out a name from the people gathered. “You Cacama, how did you feel when you came home to find your family brutally murdered for a few golden coins?” Cacama’s eyes flashed. “These whites will pay for the wrongs they’ve done,” he said as he strutted to the front. When he reached the front of the room he cried out, “Xoctol, I will lead the first charge with you, and I will not retreat until they are all dead.” The soldiers murmured agreement. “And Axayaca,” Xoctol said, “How did you feel when you saw your mother’s body thrown down the temple steps?” Axayaca yelled as he ran to the front, “I too, will lead the first charge with you.” “And Tangaxoan and Xolotl,” Xoctol screamed, “How did you feel when your family’s bodies were hung up on the walls as an example?” Xoctol spit the words out. Tangaxoan replied for both of them, and for the hundreds of other Aztecs who had suffered the same pain of lost loved ones. Raising his voice so all could hear, “I didn’t think anyone could fall to doing such despicable acts. To kill a harmless unarmed man, woman, and child, simply for some food. These whites that have done this to us are not worthy enough to be sacrificed to the gods. Their bodies aren’t good enough to be
thrown into a stream, where their foul blood could curse the clean water. I wouldn’t feed them to my dogs because they would get sick on their spinous hearts, devoid of any feeling or compassion. We must kill them all, and I and Xolotl will lead the charge of the sword that will plunge into the hearts of the whites!”

With these words spoken from the soul of the Aztecs, every being became filled
with vehemence. Even those that hadn’t had human losses felt like they’d lost everything. The Aztecs raised their weapons shouting for all their worth. And the flood of fury swept off down the hill. Some grabbed the log for the gates and the rest ran outside and assembled then sprinted off down the road. This time they wouldn’t run as soon as there was conflict. People flooded the streets, the words of the priests in their minds. Every person armed with handmade weapons were rushing off to the palace. Then silence, at the front stood the high priest. He raised his arms and yelled to the war god.

“For You” was the cry. The crowd picked it up, as everyone thought about lost loved
ones and friends. The “For You” got louder and louder echoing down the streets as the
group got larger and larger until thousands were running down the street. “For You,”
“For You,” For You,” Thousands to ten thousands to hundred thousands of voices yelled
the plea. The palace was in sight and the mob of people rushed towards it. But then the emperor climbed up onto the wall. Shock spread throughout the mob, but they ignored his plea for them to return to their homes. They no longer trusted in him and a few rocks were thrown, one struck him and he fell. Some Aztecs felt guilt but he had betrayed them, and everyone who helped the whites deserved to die. The people made way for the logs as they hammered against the gates, again and again and again. Smoke and gunshots began to fill the air as the whites opened fire. The steady impact of the logs slowly began to make a mark. Cries of pain were beginning to sound but the deaths were almost unnoticed as more people went up to take their place. The whites on the wall seeing it was useless shooting into the enormous mob began focusing on the log carriers. One by one they fell, but more stepped up to take their place. The gates were gradually weakening. Xoctol was surprised that the entire army of the whites was not on the walls, and he feared some witchcraft. The deaths continued, but so did the logs and the gates were almost down. The bodies were beginning to pile up on the sides as more and more people were dying. The Aztecs were throwing themselves uselessly upon the walls, gladly giving their lives for the hope of reaching the whites. The gates were almost broken open and the people were beginning to prepare their weapons for a charge, when suddenly the gates burst open. The people rushed in, but Xoctol watched cautiously. He couldn’t believe how easily the gates had opened, when with horror he saw the reason. Xoctol could see just inside the gates the army of the whites waiting. The explosion of their guns killed thousands of Aztecs. But the Aztecs were now crazed and regardless of the danger they were charging anyway. Then the whites moved to the side, and Xoctol could see it, the metal witchcraft. The explosion knocked the mob off their feet, and the shot felled hundreds of the Aztecs. The rest ran away in shock and terror. Xoctol discouraged went off with them but this wasn’t the end. The Aztecs no longer cared about loses and camped around the city waiting for morning to continue attacks.

The sun rose and the Aztecs woke refreshed and ready to continue the battle. As
they got ready the bravado returned. But they were frustrated to find out that the
gates had been repaired in the night. The Aztecs once again started attacks and once again they suffered immense loses but they continued in numb determination. Once again it looked like the gates were falling, and the Aztecs were encouraged. Their hopes were suddenly dashed when the gates opened to reveal the whites mounted on their gigantic four-footed animals. The whites charged forward with a yell. And once again the Aztecs were mowed down. But this time some of the Spanish were captured, and others killed.

Hope returned despite the enormous slope in the Aztec loses verses the whites. The captured whites were sacrificed that night in view of the palace so that it would terrify the whites. And the white men began to have fear. They knew that they had the better weapons, but they were outnumbered by 20 to 1. And they were running low on supplies. They wouldn’t be able to get anymore, and they didn’t know how to fight against a people who would sacrifice 100 of themselves to kill just one white man. The white leaders discussed the problem all through the night and finally decided on a very bold but possibly fatal plan. It seemed their only hope. The sun rose that day and the whites once again pretended the Aztecs were breaking through the strong gates. When the gates broke through, the cannon fired, and the whites rushed out yelling and screaming with the men on the creatures making a path. The rest of the whites followed running through the seam made in the crowd of Aztecs. The Aztecs were finally able to fight them hand to hand and rushed at them but they weren’t able to kill them all. The whites continued running across the bridge. The Aztecs got into their boats, and began to kill the whites as they tried to cross. Tens of whites were falling and when they finally reached the other side they had only half their force left. They ran away from the city in defeat. Cheers and shouts of joy erupted from the crowd. They had finally defeated the whites. They had retaken their city and recovered their freedom.

Joyful shouts filled the air as the Aztecs rejoiced. Xoctol knowing that the war
was not over, yelled for his men to follow him but he was ignored. “We’ve won they
all thought!” so they screamed with joy. Finally after weeks of conflict the whites had been conquered. Xoctol didn’t understand. Didn’t they know that the whites would only return with more troops and they needed to follow and destroy the remaining whites while they still could. But no one believed Xoctol. The victory was theirs and they would enjoy it. Xoctol regretfully watched the whites fade into the woods. They were not defeated Xoctol knew but he couldn’t follow them by himself. Unfortunately he could only hope that the whites were so scared they wouldn’t try to return. He knew that the whites having seen all the gold that the Aztec’s had. Would return with more troops and try and conquer the city. But because no one else believed him he was forced to stay at the city, he regretfully turned with deference.