The ship meant to transport them to the promised land was crowded and smelly. The crew through their filth overboard in bags. Seinaya held her babe close. She didn't know who else was here. She didn't trust any of them really.
She never chose to leave home, or her tribe behind, but as the needs of the Great empire grew, they trapped themselves in hubris. Not satisfied with what they had, they'd dragged themselves to an unsustainable point, and so the only resort was to cross the sea the sun came from and find the lands on the other side. She didn't deserve this. Her people didn't, but the empire and the selfish needs of its capital people always had to come first. Now she was going to be one of the first settlers of the New World.
"Seinaya," a voice spoke out. "Don't be fearful, this is what the Bird Beyond All wishes for us." It was Wamiyitl, whom she had met when boarding the settler ship. The older woman walked into her quarters and sat beside her.
"Do you think your bird knows where I feel now?" Her love Sekoatl, father of her child was fighting on the front lines, though whether it was the northern offensive or the larger southern one, she did not know.
"Of course he does, young one. He knows all of our plights." Wamiyitl was a much older woman, past fifty, whereas Seinaya had only turned two and twenty recently. Wamiyitl had lost her sons while they were fighting the Opichaka Confederation in the west ten years ago, and her grandchildren were at home with their mothers. She was lonely in all of this. That was something they shared at least. Perhaps she was wrong not to trust anyone.
"Your bird god gives you courage, friend," Seinaya sighed. "It is shameful my own are not so merciful." Seinaya was of the Natapachi tribe of the northern borderlands, a free people whose tribes once bowed only to the spirit gods of nature, before the Choqitex came expanding north and took them as tribute. With the weapons and techniques they had taken from the legendary wolfmen, they didn't stand a chance. The gods of her people had let this happen to her people, how could they be listening now? Especially so far away. "They are far away on the plains, not here with us."
"Honestly, young one, I don't know what these northern lands will bring, but the lands of the wolfmen and the winged serpent are not lands we should enter, mark my words." Seinaya had heard a thing or two about this 'winged serpent' of Choqi myth, but not the whole story. She would ask one day, but she felt differently.
"Why don't we get some fresh air, Wami?" Wamiyitl seemed happy to take part, and the two of them went out of the room, holding little Noya in her arms.
As she went past the other rooms, she noticed similar situations. Only a few rich or lucky families were intact, particularly those of the Choqi people's, almost none from other tribes of the empire. The vast majority of common families had the able bodied men and boys about to become men either as security in the ships or serving on the front line, ready to take land for the Empire.
"The ship certainly is nauseating," Wamiyitl said. "I don't think I've been sick so many times in the last fifty years as on this few months going on ship!" Seinaya wasn't motion sick often, but she knew the same.
"Indeed." She pointed to the stairs. "Just up there, Wami." The two guards, with bronze armour and obsidian clubs stepped aside to let them through. At least there were none of those horrible 'checks' this time.
It was good to see fresh air whenever possible. It was a shame the horizon was obscured by the ships. Nine other settler ships and five others for transporting the beasts were near, along with a phalanx of warships for defence. Ahead of them, over forty other ships would lead the direct assault on the enemy. Or was it fifty?
"Look!" One of the young boys cried out. "Dolphins!"
There they were, coming briefly out of the water to catch flying fish. Beautiful creatures by all measures of the word.
A soldier came out on a cigar break. Made from a plant of the jungles of Choqi itself, some soldiers would wrap it up and set it alight to relieve stress while on the job. Take too much and you could end up dazed and confused before battle. He was a slim and clean shaven man, his hair cut into a long strip around the centre, five inches long, and with green tips dyed in. "Greetings, ladies." She shouldn't be looking at him that way, for her husband was likely on one of those ships ahead, but he was hard to resist.
"Greetings, soldier." Seinaya replied with a smile. Wamiyitl did the same. Seinaya was curious about something though. "May I ask what is in the support ships?"
He laughed. "Ah, well the war beasts are kept there from all around the empire. We even have some of those animals the wolfmen bought, as they're just so good to ride! What are they called in your plains? Hox? Horx?"
"Hoziss" Seinaya said with a giggle. His naivety was appealing in some strange way. "When the wolfmen took over the east coast, some of their hoziss escaped and settled in our plains. Even long after their kingdom collapsed, the hoziss remain." She took a sigh. "I imagine there'll be alpacas and Toxis for transport?"
"You'd be right." The soldier said. "Not just that, but the Brickskins will be there to knock down soldiers with their tails. Brickskins she remembered were huge turtles, seven feet tall with spiked carapaces and mace like tails that could kill an armoured man in a single swing. "There's dozens of the Lockjaws of course for guard duty, as with my friend here." One of the fierce predators prowled by, with a pouch indicating she was a mother. Seinaya wasn't any less unnerved by that commonality. He whistled and a huge beetle as large as a monkey came over and climbed up his leg.
"Oh, I might go again!" Wamiyitl said as she went to the side to throw up again at the sight of it.
The soldier continued regardless. "Firetongues like my friend here can hardly fight in battle, but their acid spits can cut through even the thickest armour or rock if given enough time."
"And that is all you your forces have?" Wamiyitl asked. "They should be good to ride or scout, but I doubt they would be that intimidating based on how Opichaka went." Seinaya knew it bought Wami pain today remember those times.
The soldier raised an eyebrow. "Those are some of our forces from our heartland, but by no means all. A few Gifted over there have controlled the truly wild beasts like the Krokiteps and Thunderhorns, they will certainly be of use."
"They are truly a strange gift, to be able to tame a monster like a thunderhorn." That frightened Seinaya much. On the great plains of Sepinata, thunderhorns were great beasts second only to the Baraka in size, with a club like horn on their head, and a temperament that made them impossible to tame without the unnatural Gift. Even the bloodmages of old could only temporarily control them. "And doesn't the Empress's cousin ride a Krokitep into battle?"
The soldier nodded. "Protector Neshtaka indeed is bonded with a fire-coloured one called Sunbite, yes. One of the biggest ones I've seen. The cruelest creature in those jungles for sure, even if they pale compared to what our Crown Prince has managed. You should see Shaman Xoqunaq's Teroxilotl, but it can't live in seawater, so it remains back home."
"What of the northern plains of Septinata? My old home?"
"Hmmm." He looked ahead. "Your lands have some of the most useful beasts though. Thunderhorn, Crushjaws, gigalpachas and we've even got some Barakas with archer towers in that ship there!" He pointed to the leftmost cargo ship. Beasts as big as that must produce so much waste, she thought. Crushjaws form the vanguard of our cavalry because they can eat almost anything, including men! You'll see the prince and his friend soon enough. He will be coming to the ship soon to tell us the plan."
Seinaya was nervous at that. She had never seen the prince before, being of low birth, and he was coming here? It was said his mother had wolfsblood in her, and along with his father's divine bloodline of the Thunderbird, this made him truly exceptional. "When will this be, sir?"
He eyed one of the military ships. "I believe any moment." He turned to her, smiling. "How rude of me to not introduce myself to you ladies. I am Diya." He took his hand and place it out, and they slapped one another in the traditional Choqi greeting. She could tell from his name that he was from another people though.
"And I am Seinaya, and this is Wamiyitl here. I hope the remainder of your shift goes well."
He smiled. "And you too, I have-" he stopped. "Oh damn." He rushed to the side of the boat and shouted. "He's on his way! The prince is coming!"
At this all the soldiers readied the common people and the different castes into place. The soldiers, the merchants, the slaves, the untouchables, the plains people like herself, and the Choqi elite. As she looked, she saw a great two winged shape approach, growing in the sky. The ship deck was cleared. It appeared this one was indeed the first.
The Thunderbird was massive as it hovered to land. Each of its legs was longer than even the tallest man, with talons like knives. It didn't use its feet to kill prey, but clearly it's huge head, with a beak as long as Seinaya was tall. It's feathers were silver but with a blue streak in them like lightning, and it's eyes golden. She could see the reigns and saddle on the beast as it landed. When it did, it called out, far louder and deeper than any normal bird, and the crowd went in uproar. What a magnificent bird!
"The Bird Beyond's fledgling, clearly!" Wamiyitl cried out in hysteria.
The Thunderbird lowered its huge body down, still over eight feet from back to belly, and the crown prune hopped off to great cheers. He looked every bit the warrior, with piercings of gold and bone across his lips and face, and tattoos covering almost his entire upper half. The prince wore a crown of red feathers on his head. His eyes were as amber as those of his mount and teeth as white as pearls. He wore no shirt, and seemed to flaunt his appearance with a toothy grin on his face. He certainly seemed like a vain man, though who could blame him with that thing he rode? The guards came forward and gave him a cloak to wear. She noticed a hole shaped mark on his lower abdomen, supposedly the result of an accident during a crushjaw jousting event.
"I see you all are ready and eager!" Many cheered. "Your sons and fathers in the ships ahead will make all of you proud, trust me. I know many of you didn't want this, I know you lost sons or husbands in the west, I do, and my heart goes out to you now." This felt shallow to Seinaya, but the people ate it regardless. "But that was my father's mistake, not mine, and he didn't have what we've got!" His eyes turned white, and his great bird reared up, fifteen feet at the hip and cawed out, and lightning came out of its mouth! It is small wonder that the Choqi modelled their goddess of war off this creature.
"Exactly, sons and sisters!" He cheered out. "Our home is sick, the earth is groaning for our foolishness and transgressions, the Winged Serpent seeks to break free from below the earth. If were aren't ready to face it, then it will swallow us all!" Many, including Wamiyitl were hysterical now. He's riling them up. Who only knows what he's done with the soldiers. "Therefore, I tell you. Your men will be out there taking land, food and slaves so our people can live. I will watch over you and lead your boys into glorious battle, but all of you are the heroes of the future! For even the lowest caste of you will enjoy freedom like never before! You will be at the frontier of a new age for our empire! You will bring glory to the Bird Beyond All and all the other gods and goddesses! You will save our people!" The uproar was almost deafening.
"Save our people?" Seinaya said to herself. "You mean you end them."
Ooc: any questions will be answered later tonight or tomorrow.