Revolutions

28 - Teqosa

As we descend the rocky hills that mark the boundary of Qantua territory, a vivid reminder of the arduous journey awaiting us unfolds before our eyes, conjuring a visceral sense of the challenges that lie ahead. It's clear we're no longer in our home lands, with the air getting drier and the ground becoming flatter and golden in hue from the dried grasses. With no dedicated path to traverse, the wheels of the cart struggle to negotiate the arid, cracked ground, frustrating the stubborn and restless llama that has to be forcefully dragged along. The respite is a large patch of trees off in the distance, where the ruins of Wichanaqta should be found just beyond.

The three of us struggle to navigate the rugged terrain, exhausted from our limited sleep before taking off to the north. Shortly after our conversation that followed being ambushed by zealots of this so-called Eye in the Flame cult, Upachu and I quickly concluded that we needed to depart the Temple of the Titans with the chest. Traveling without Qaschiqe was an easy decision—having someone eager to bring the papyrus to Anqatil while practically announcing its existence to everyone would leave us exposed to treachery. I'll let Upachu deal with apologizing to his longtime friend if and when our paths cross.

I'm astounded when I consider that, at one time, these lands contained nothing but farms from here to the Atima capital. Now, it's nothing but barren devastation, gradually dotted with husks of houses amidst the untreated ground. The people who used to inhabit this region are typically known as innovators, concocting clever contraptions and methods for agriculture, among other inventions, used prominently by all factions throughout Pachil. Though their people may have gone nearly extinct, their legacy lives on through all of their creations bestowed upon the world.

"The last time I was here," Upachu says, chewing on one of the remaining coca leaves from his pouch (much to my chagrin), "there was nothing but corn as far as the eye could see. Not as excellent as the corn grown in Qantua, of course, but still not bad. I will acknowledge, however, that they provided our people with the capabilities of developing our terraced farming system. Pretty genius, pretty genius."

It's difficult for me to follow Upachu's conversation, his scattered line of thinking certainly influenced by the coca leaves, but one item I reflect upon is the lack of corn prominently overwhelming the landscape. While I've always been aware of the Timuaq's destruction of Wichanaqta, it's disheartening to see that they destroyed the surrounding lands, as well.

To my relief, the stone ruins of Wichanaqta subtly peer out from the trees as we approach the line of trees, nearing the end of our journey to the north. Even from this distance, far from the city center, what was once a large, sprawling city has been almost entirely leveled. The sounds of a buzzing, busy scene have been replaced with an utterly haunting quiet. Having been told about it was heartbreaking enough, but to see it for myself is too overwhelming for me to put into words.

A nearby farmhouse just on the outskirts of the city catches my eye, and I begin drifting toward it. While all the surrounding ruins are still and dormant, this one building is smoldering, a column of smoke streaming up into the sky. Most of its walls along the perimeter have crumbled, stones spilling onto the ground, yet the area appears freshly tilled. Has it been rebuilt, only to suffer recent destruction? Is someone still living in that home?

"Do you see that?" I ask Upachu, pointing to the smoke and making sure I'm not imagining things due to my exhaustion. He slows the llama and the cart, then walks over, contemplatively munching on the leaf as he inspects the area. He furrows his brow and strokes his chin with his free hand, bobbing his head about as if altering his perspective will allow him to draw a better conclusion.

"There isn't supposed to be anyone left," he says, mystified as he comes to the same realization I did. "This whole region was annihilated by the Timuaq, with very few able to flee to neighboring lands. If anyone survived, why would they stay here?"