Hunza Village.
This village, located in the northeastern part of the Muisca territory, was one of the largest and most populous. It was led by a Cacique, or more commonly known as 'Zaque', who held the maximum power within the village.
The Zaque of the Hunza village was named Hyba and today was a day of great importance for him.
Just on the first day of spring, the village midwives had informed him that his wife, Za, was going to have her third child. But, unlike the previous ones, the priest had followed his wife's pregnancy with great attention.
The Priest, named Simte, interpreted that his son was the one chosen by the gods, predicted by an ancient prophecy. This prophecy spoke of a man who would lead all the Muiscas with wisdom and strength to face an impending catastrophe.
Hyba, although he deeply believed in the gods, this prophecy did not seem important to him. All he wanted was for his son to be born healthy and for his wife not to suffer during childbirth.
After more than an hour of labor, the baby was born.
However, unlike normal situations, this newborn did not cry.
Everyone in the room was surprised, but this was not the only thing that astonished them. The child looked around with great attention, something other babies would not be capable of doing. And most importantly, one of his eyes was bluish-gray and the other dark brown, like his parents'.
Feeling the strange silence, Simte, the village priest, quickly entered, frightened for the health of this prophesied newborn. Noticing that the baby was healthy, he sighed with relief, but then he noticed the strangeness of those present and directed his gaze to where they were looking.
"Son of the Sun and the Moon," the priest murmured, surprised.
9 months later.
Za was in her new kitchen preparing the day's meals.
She greatly enjoyed cooking but began to enjoy it much more when her son Chuta started talking and recommending other ways of cooking that greatly improved the flavors of the food.
As the prophecies had foretold, her son was born with great wisdom. He was more attentive than many of the other children, and more intelligent than many adults. Simte, who had accompanied him from the beginning, communicated with Chuta from the moment he could move.
Chuta, without speaking, was able to communicate with our entire family, including Simte, and only after a few months had already begun to speak. Such an achievement had attracted the attention of other leaders from nearby villages, and especially of the priests who began to preach about this newborn chosen by the gods. Now they firmly believed that the knowledge Chuta would provide would save them from disaster.
Among the knowledge Chuta showed, cooking came first.
Cooking was one of the first skills he showed others due to the meals they wanted to give him a few weeks ago.
Za, who had prepared a soup for Chuta, was met with displeasure on her son's face. A little hurt by her son's expression, but concerned, she asked him what the problem was, to which he only said: "I will help you create a dish that the gods taught me."
She, curious, followed her son's instructions, creating a dish he called 'Meat Stew'.
This dish, unlike the traditional way, used many more aromatic herbs, the cooking of the meat and potatoes was different, and he even thought of a variation for adults, adding ground chili.
The dish was magnificent, and everyone in their house adored it.
Her husband, in particular, had enjoyed the new dish so much that he prayed to the gods, thanking them for sending their son with such knowledge.
After a few days, Hyba took it upon himself to spread the word about the 'divine' dish.
From that moment on, everyone wanted to be guests at the Zaque's house to try the new dishes that Za and Chuta created from time to time.
Za, passionate about food, and Chuta, with a new approach, began to 'sell' or exchange food dishes for materials or labor.
Chuta wanted to improve the living conditions of his family and his people, so he used this means to create new homes, much more resistant and comfortable. Za, seeing that her son was doing all this to help their neighbors, began to proactively promote this way of working.
The rest of the village, noticing that the prophesied child, or as everyone called him 'Son of Heaven', was doing all this for them, began to help him without expecting anything in return.
After a few weeks, everyone lived in much better conditions than before. The village had completely transformed, and a sense of attachment and unity formed in the Hunza village.
3 months later.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange.
"Chuta, you must get up… The leaders of other villages will meet with you early," Za told Chuta, who was sleeping beside her, sucking his thumb.
"Waaah… I want to keep sleeping, Mom," Chuta complained, unconsciously reaching for his mother's breast.
"It seems you want to have breakfast before waking up," Za told Chuta with a warm tone.
Chuta, realizing his involuntary action, blushed, but did not refuse his mother nursing him.
"How sweet," Za thought as she watched her son. She gently stroked his hair and, occasionally, fixed her gaze on his lighter eye, a beautiful greenish-gray hue.
She had felt deep concern during the past few months.
"Will he be alright?" Za questioned in a whisper, with worry settled in her chest like a heavy stone.
Her son, unlike what other infants his age would do, spent much of his time inventing things or assisting people.
He didn't sleep as much as the other babies in the village; he dedicated extensive hours to instructing farmers, builders, artisans, and even priests about divine mysteries.
It was an immense burden for such a small body.
She didn't fear his physical appearance; Chuta never pushed himself beyond his childhood limits. But his intellect… his intellect was a different matter.
Finally, Za managed to wake Chuta with gentle caresses.
She dressed him in his finest clothes, a tiny outfit crafted with vibrant colored threads, worthy of the 'Son of Heaven'.
As she carried him in her arms towards the meeting place, a group of priests joined her. Za perceived the expectation hanging in the air.
The residents of Hunza gathered in the streets, whispering and pointing at Chuta with a mix of reverence and pride.
The transformation of the village was undeniable: the new dwellings stood solid and comfortable, the fields displayed more abundant harvests thanks to Chuta's guidance, and a palpable tranquility had settled over the community.
Upon arriving at an open area on the outskirts of the village, a small crowd had already gathered.
The leaders of the neighboring villages awaited, adorned with their tribal insignia, displaying a mix of curiosity and doubt.
Chuta, upon seeing them, showed not the slightest trace of shyness.
The priests accompanying her led her small infant to a stone chair with engravings alluding to the prophecy.
Simte, the chief priest of the village, who had assisted Chuta during recent months, approached the side of the chair where Chuta was seated.
"The prophecy assembly begins," Simte announced with a resolute tone.
"SuaChie Chuta… We stand before you," everyone proclaimed in unison as a sign of respect for Simte.
Thirty minutes later.
Simte had been introducing Chuta to those present, and in the company of the other priests, they highlighted Chuta's vast knowledge of the world, even referring to the infinite lakes, the North Lake and the West Lake.
After all that formality from the leaders, Chuta would proceed to speak.
Za's heart pounded intensely, the uneasiness on her face was evident.
"Greetings, leaders," Chuta articulated with a clear voice that astonished several. "I have convened this assembly to discuss the future of our communities. The prophecies warn us of an imminent catastrophe. However, they also offer us the opportunity to unite and prosper as never before."
The leaders exchanged glances.
Some nodded cautiously, while others maintained an expression of uncertainty.
"Young Son of Heaven," began an elderly Zaque from a neighboring village, his voice deep. "We have heard about your wonders in Hunza. Nevertheless, words are fleeting. Our communities face diverse challenges: water scarcity in the north, plagues in the southern crops… How can an infant like you offer us solutions to problems that have afflicted us for countless generations?"
Chuta smiled. It was a smile simultaneously childlike and peculiarly sagacious.
"Wisdom has no age, Zaque. And problems, though they may seem dissimilar, often have shared origins. A vast shadow looms over our lands, one that does not come from the sky or from drought. It will bring with it a transformation that will challenge everything we know: our traditions, our very existence."
His words resonated with an authority unbefitting his age, and a shiver ran down the spines of those present.
The gray-haired leader frowned.
"Not this time," Chuta replied, his voice now more powerful. "This time, it is not the earth that will sicken on its own, but rather it will be forced to change. There will be those who do not perceive the whisper of the wind or the lament of the trees and will seek to take without returning. We must gather as never before, and safeguard our essence, for the trial will be monumental."
Za observed how the faces of the leaders transitioned from disbelief to perplexity, and subsequently to a nascent apprehension.
Chuta's words were not merely a prediction, but a warning of a profound metamorphosis. Although her maternal instincts and her extensive conversations with her son led her to deduce that this alteration would come from outside.
"The challenge we will face will not be as trivial as a water shortage, illnesses caused by spirits, or superfluous disputes between our communities," Chuta continued, his voice adopting a more didactic tone. "We can save ourselves from this, but it is fundamental that we stop considering ourselves as dissociated peoples. True salvation lies in collaboration. In sharing our goods and knowledge. The gods have revealed a path to me, a path of unity and prosperity that we can build together."
The assembly extended for hours. Chuta, with admirable patience, answered every question. He even began to discuss crop rotation, water management, and the relevance of reforestation.
Concepts that none of the attendees knew, but which, after the explanations, everyone understood. Even the most erudite among them immediately noticed the benefits.
Additionally, Chuta persuaded the leaders about the establishment of large cities governed by the most prominent and sagacious leaders among them.
Now they would no longer be just the Hunza people; they would become a nation.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
Before continuing with the A/N as usual, I wanted to say that this chapter and the next one can be considered filler, or rather complementary.
This chapter and the next one were one very long chapter, which I wanted to publish for quite some time, but to avoid boring anyone, I hadn't included it.
However, since my mother's birthday is approaching, I'm posting them now. This is because she helped me with many feelings I don't understand, and she helped me capture them in the novel.
End of explanation.
Za, Chuta's mother, gives us another perspective on Chuta's growth. We also get another perspective on what happened at that first meeting of leaders in Year 1 of the SuaChie calendar.
Unnecessary Fact of the Day: The exact date of the 'Discovery of America' is not October 12th. This date was kept because the Julian calendar was used at the time, which was quite inaccurate. The date updated to the Georgian calendar would have been October 21 or 22, 1492 (I don't remember exactly, but it was close).
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Read my other novels.
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.
#The Walking Dead: Emily's Metamorphosis from Visions of Future Saga.
You can find them on my profile.]