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Introduction My role in the Aztec community is to sacrifice for the sun god (Huitzilopochtli) so that he may bring prosperity & life to our people. We sacrifice to our gods as they did when they sacrificed themselves to bring us here, & in a way we are repaying our debt to the heavens. I am a priest of the city of gold and this is my life.. -Day 34: It was the day of sacrifice & our warriors had captured people from a native tribe nearby. We had been preparing for this following days for almost a year now as it was the 52nd year & the year of eternal sacrifice.
We started off with a preparation sacrifice which consisted of one helpless child… ‘As he climbed the temple stairs he was whimpering and quivering the whole way up. As he gets to the top and lies down on his back, my men grab a hold of him as tight as the sacred cobra. He gazes over to me in despair… I could almost taste the fear… I pulled out my sacrificial knife and healed it over my head and drove it into his chest. I then pulled out his heart… still beating in the sunlight. I put it up to the sky while my men tossed his body down towards the raging crowd.
The pool of blood ran down the stairs which seemed to please the awaiting peasants down below. After my sacrifices were complete the celebrations had only just begun which would later continue till dawn. ‘ -Day 35: The morning had arrived and I could still smell the ever lingering blood in the air. The night came & we prepared as it was the day before the eternal sacrifice. When the evening star reached the top of the sky we stretched the captive over the alter, lit a fire on his heart & inside his chest, then cut it out and held it up to the sky. I then placed the heart in a bowl of sacrifice which held the heart for tomorrow.
Later that night the celebrations continued but the fear of the ending of the universe was still held in our people’s minds. -Day 36 As morning arose the thought occurred to me of what could happen on this very day.. The prediction was of this year that our saviour would return to these lands & claim our city as his own. If we did not please our gods then the prediction would alter in a way that would lead to the destruction of our lands. The day had started with offerings and ritual dances to the gods, but the night had held for something much different.
As the night came I started my preparations by changing into my ceremonial robes & meeting with the sacrificial victim. The man chose himself to be sacrificed as it had brought him a full year of beautiful women & wealth at the cost of death. I walked to the top of the temple while eagerly awaiting the sacrifice. I could tell the crowds where getting nervous as the chants had turned silent. The order was given to distinguish every fire within the city and it was followed by the victim being brought up. I drew the blade from its sachet… holding it towards the moonlight.
As I started the chant of the gods the chose victim began to startle and shake, getting closer and closer to the edge of the table. He leapt from his position, somehow avoiding the guards & ran down the temple stairs, only to meet a swift death from the crowds down below. The people had not realised that they had just killed our only prepared sacrificial victim… Now we waited… until the sun would arise (which meant that our kingdom would be safe for another 52 years). We waited but hour after hour the crowds got more worried as they eagerly awaited our salvation.
The worst prediction had come true and the sun never arose, only to be replaced with dull clouds and rain. That was it… it had meant the end of the world for our people. However I would not lose hope in our gods and proclaimed to the people that the gods where satisfied. I lied, but only to protect our people. -Day 37 The morning arrived and I went into town to see how our people had taken the recent series of events. No one seemed to be scared of worried. I on the other hand was very wary of what was going to happened and I had not forgotten that we had failed to please the gods.
I had given my peoples false hope and led them to believe that we would continue to prosper and live undisturbed for another 52 years. As I had said blasphemy, I was forced to remove my own ear in repayment to the gods. Ironically tho this did not seem to make me forget about our cities inevitable destruction. -Day 38 Today while walking through the markets of Tenochtitlan I noticed a strange man who must have been an outsider visiting the city. He was a light skinned man with a broad rimmed hat, with feathers protruding from the brim.
Something however was different about this man, yet I could not seem to put my finger on it. [ PAGES MISSING… ] -Day 43 They came through our city with spears that shone in the light.. They rode upon large beasts & weld batons made from something harder than rock. I watched my people die at my feet… The terror of these invaders had caused chaos within the city walls… These people came because of me. I have failed my people… and I have failed the gods. My name is Tianozomo & I am a rightful servant to my leader Montezuma. They’re coming to me now , as for all my people… please forgive me for what I have done.