Montezuma Caesar sat on his bed within the great temple of Tenochtitlan. He ran his hands over his obsidian blade, feeling the cold black glass move over his skin. The fireplace within the room painted shadows across the brown bricks, illuminating the man's face. He had come far since his father had taken over, and tomorrow he would expand his territory once more: by taking over Texas and restoring the Aztecs to their former glory.
He adjusted his toga as he stood up, grabbing his crown of leaves and walking toward his door. The guards moved to the side and bowed as he walked past them, his advisor Brutus walked up to the emperor.
"Sir, he's here. He's waiting within the garden," Brutus stated.
"Hmm, I'll head there now, thank you Brutus," Brutus bowed as Caesar walked toward the garden. On his way he passed a large portrait of a man. This man was Titan Caesar, the current king's father. He was born in 1960 in a small town within Texas.
Titan woke up one day and walked to his study, picking up his latest book and beginning to read it. He was a historian who was obsessed with the Aztec empire. Every book he owned was one about the Aztecs and their empire. A young boy walked in and sat down on a chair.
"Hello Montezuma, how are you doing today?" Titan asked, not looking up from his book.
"I'm tired," the boy simply said.
Titan nodded and wrote down some notes.
"Father, why do you need to research so much?"
Titan looked up and set the book down, "Do you want me to tell you a secret?"
Montezuma nodded and leaned forward, his father spoke, "I'm on the verge of discovering what made the Aztecs so great. Soon we're going to move down to Mexico to be the new leaders! Someday you'll be a great king, just like the real Montezuma," he pointed to a picture of the king on his wall.
Montezuma stared at the picture in awe, picturing himself as a king one day, "I want to be just like him!" He looked confused for a second, "but I think I want different clothes…"
Titan laughed and went back to his research.
In present times, Montezuma smiled and continued to walk toward the garden. He suddenly stopped and walked back toward a corridor lined with guards. He entered the door at the end to a fully furnished room fit for a queen. In the corner of the room sat a bored looking Sophia, the daughter of the president.
"How are you doing?" Montezuma asked.
"I'm a prisoner of war, how do you think I'm doing?"
The emperor shrugged, "I've tried to make it the best it could be here, we asked for an alliance between the Neo Aztecs and the United States, but they just called us savages. I'm sorry you got caught up in this mess, they weren't supposed to even kidnap you, it was supposed to be the president."
Sophia glared at him, "my father will send a special squad of elite officials after you, there's no escape!"
Caesar nodded, "I know, but I believe what I'm doing is right. The United States has become corrupted, their ways of democracy are dead. The president has served 17 terms, that is corruption in it's finest. The American people aren't free. I am only wishing to help."
Sophia spit at her captor. Montezuma looked down and left the room. He was brought back to his first day moving to Mexico.
A young Montezuma looked back at his school as he walked away, "why can't we stay here? Why do I have to leave all my friends behind?"
Titan looked down at him, "our destiny is not here, we need to go to Mexico in order to make a better future."
"But I'll be all alone there…"
Titan stopped and kneeled down to his level, "Montezuma, we are the only people on Earth who know how to save the people in Mexico. We could be heroes, not just me, us together. I know times will get hard and you might feel sad, but do not let these feelings get to you. I know what we are doing is right, please just listen to me… trust me…"
Three years later, a 15 year old Montezuma is bound to a chair within the headquarters of a cartel. Around him stand guards holding guns. A door opens and a large man wearing a suit walks in.
"Ah, so this is the fabled 'Caesar' I'm hearing about? The heir of the ancient Aztecs? Haha, I cannot believe that! This is a wimpy teenage boy, a worthless individual!" The boss walked closer to Montezuma, "you thought you could reform the Aztecs, make Mexico into anything but a playground for us? Haha, you are out of your league, kid."
Montezuma remained calm and stared at the man.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation, kid. You are going to die today. I just want to know, why did you think you would succeed? You can't beat us. We are invincible!"
Montezuma smirked as one of the guards fell down to the ground, dead.
"What?!" The boss shouted as he ran up and pulled an arrow out of the dead man. The tip was black and shiny, made of obsidian. Another guard suddenly fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of the back of his head.
The guards began shooting randomly out of fear, the darkness around them seemed to close in. Two more guards fall to the ground, leaving only one who falls to the ground and covers his head. Montezuma raises his hand as arrows pierce the two ropes tying him the the chair, he raises his hand and catches a large obsidian blade and begins walking toward the boss.
The boss pulls out a pistol and takes a shot at Montezuma, the boy turns his blade sideways, blocking the projectile.
"How? How does your blade deflect even bullets?"
"It is made of a combination of both obsidian and many metals, making it the strongest blade on Earth."
A look of fear passes over the boss as he begins to back away. With one clean slash, Montezuma cuts the man's gun in half, leaving him defenseless.
"The Aztecs will make Mexico free!" Montezuma shouted as he stabbed the man in the chest. Two archers walked out of the shadows along with Titan Caesar.
"You did good, son. Without a leader, the cartel will crumble," Titan said.
Montezuma nodded and looked over to the one guard left, he helped the man to his feet, "what's your name?"
"Brutus…"
Back in the present, Montezuma gave a small smile. He walked out into the garden to meet the person who had come to help him and his empire. A large individual with the head of a bird stood before him.
"Thoth?" Montezuma asked.
Thoth nodded, hiding the darkness that had corrupted him, "have you prepared for the sacrifice?"
Caesar nodded, "Cory should be here soon, our spies have dug up a lot about him, he's an agent of the president and possesses some sort of magical charm that connects him to kek."
Thoth nodded, "he needs to be sacrificed, otherwise the reptilians will be able to cross over more freely due to him killing one."
Caesar nodded, "and you're sure that's true? I don't wish to sacrifice anyone, even if it is an American agent."
Thoth nodded, "you doubt my wisdom?"
"No of course not, I just need to be certain."
"I am the god of wisdom, I cannot be wrong."
"I understand that, now I have business to attend to, so please make yourself at home."
Montezuma walked away from the man, going back into his chambers. There had only been one sacrifice in the history of the Neo Aztec empire. Montezuma cringed as he thought back to it.
It was a dark day atop the large pyramid, Montezuma pulled out the large knife used for sacrifices. Before him laid a man wearing a mask, donning a rebel faction symbol. This man had captured Titan, and presumably killed him. A crime like that could not go unpunished. Titan was the entire reason this empire existed.
"For your crimes against this empire, I must put you to death. It is against our customs to do this, but you leave me no choice. For killing our leader, and my father, you must die."
He brought the black blade to the man's chest and pushed down, a determined look on his face. The man began to speak.
"It is your turn now, you must… lead…"
A look of fear passed over Montezuma's face as he reached for the man's mask. He pulled it off to reveal the man to be Titan, his own father.
"Father," Montezuma cried, "why?"
Titan said with final breath, "you must know… loss… in order to lead…"
"Father no!" Montezuma cried as the guards pulled him back away from the dead king.
In present day, an older Caesar still thought back to that day, crying every time it was brought up. Loss was the worst feeling in existence. Montezuma needed to create a perfect world with no loss. It might be impossible, but he would die trying.
Montezuma walked out onto a balcony overlooking his city. Children played, the elderly were all accompanied by someone. Peace flourished. This needed to be the entire world, there was no excuse, he needed to succeed.
Montezuma thought to the future, how death would soon engulf the Alamo. Atop the balcony, looking out into the city of peace, the emperor wept.