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The ceremonial fires had died back, he the Iimmortal One’ had gone, taken by the Sun God to watch over them.
Atahaulpa walked upon the top of the temple walls. His father had named both him and his brother, as rulers.
To rule the Empire after his ascension to join the Gods. He spat at the ground, cursing his brother.
He would NOT be sharing anything with him, least of all the vast Inca empire.
The premature death by measles of the reigning Sapa Inca, Huayna Cápac (1493-1524), opened the way for a dynastic struggle between the Emperor's two sons, Huáscar, (from Cusco) and the illegitimate Atahualpa
(from Quito), who each had inherited the Empire.
High Priestess Pqua looked at Huáscar. “You know he will do everything to kill us ? I have already received word he intends to sacrifice us both, at the festival of the sun!
“They” She pointed at the crowds below.. “Will do nothing to save us, even if we have loyal friends amongst them, Atahaulpa will see them dead before they rally to our aid. Most will hide any ties with us, in fear of him. “
Huascar nodded, he knew all too well that he was not strong enough to take on his brother. Atahualpa had been gathering information on those who would support his coup. Whispers were feeding back to Huascar.
Friends warning him, of his impending fate! Some suggestions had been made that were making sense.
The Empire was huge. A vastness that was held together by various deities in charge of temple areas, separate yet as one loyal to the Emperor. Those in charge of those areas, the deities might be persuaded to join him.
Fleeing to them in the far south, would give Huascar time to build up his forces and take on his brother.
Atahualpa would be too occupied with establishing his power here. Even rallying his forces to move south to take on Huascar would take time. There were no doubts that there would be war, Atahualpa would not accept anything less.
“I suggest we take the journey south. It will not be easy. The journey will be fraught with danger.
Some of those loyal to Atahualpa? Even if its just fear of him, will not allow us to pass through?”
“Death ? I will take the chance on living! Better that, than the short and swift one, Atahualpa has planned for our trip to the stars “ His head was down, his eyes off her, but she could clearly see him nodding, in agreement, with her. “Then it is settled ! Before sunrise, we shall be gone from this place. I will pack us enough maize and water for our journey and may the Immortals have pity upon us !”
How they escaped undetected, was simple enough. They bribed the guards to keep their mouths shut.
Onto the main path, then off it, to hide their trail. Taking care to cover their tracks.
Incas were good at following, particularly their enemies. They were also good walkers, good travelers.
Some of them covered huge distances, on a regular daily basis, transporting goods and news, whilst traversing their Empire.
Atahaulpa was enraged. Realizing his sister the Priestess and, his brother, had escaped his clutches.
Summoning some of the males they were dispatched, on pain of death, to find them and bring them back to him. Preferably alive.
Whether they, were beaten to a pulp and barely alive, did not worry him. He needed to tear their hearts from them on the sacrificial stone, to drink their blood in victory and for ALL to see him as the one and only Emperor!
Whether those in pursuit took their time deliberately, or thought they could join up with Huascar is something we will never know. The fact is, they eluded them. The Empire was eventually split, with each brother ruling one half, or close, of the Empire.
There were savage encounters, the Incas were not nice, when it came to taking prisoners.
Often they would sacrifice their enemy, one by one cutting out their hearts, or smashing their enemies bones so that they died slowly and painfully.
All Inca people collectively worked the lands of the Inca. They answered to their deities, who served as representatives of the Sun God. Those who displeased, were beaten to a pulp or sacrificed.
Those who obeyed, received food, as well as chicha and coca leaves (which were chewed and used for religious rites and for medicinal purposes); or they made cloth and clothing for tribute, using the Inca flocks.
They regularly performed mita, or service for public works, such as roads and buildings, or for military purposes that enabled the development of the state.
The Inca people also maintained their Deities family and the bureaucracy, centered in Cusco.
In return, for these services, the Inca allocated land and redistributed part of the tribute received--such as food, cloth, and clothes--to the communities, often in the form of welfare.
Tribute was stored in centrally located warehouses, to be dispensed, during periods of shortages caused by famine, war, or natural disaster. In the absence of a market economy, Inca redistribution of tribute served as the primary means of exchange.
The principles of reciprocity and redistribution, then, formed the organizing ideas, that governed all aspects of the Inca Empire, from community to state.
After a five-year civil war (1528-32), Atahualpa (1532-33) emerged victorious and is said to have tortured and put to death more than 300 members of Huáscar's family. This divisive and debilitating internecine conflict, left the Inca particularly vulnerable, just as Francisco Pizarro and his small force, of adventurers came marching up, into the Sierra.
Pqua had escaped yet another onslaught, from the huge army of Atahaulpa, some might have thought it bordered on a madness, an insanity? None would question his actions, his enemies trembled before him scared and intimidated they capitulated daily and bowed to his command.
In return he allowed them to live, though he did insist on having sacrifices made by them.
The ‘Chosen’ picked by him from their families, sacrificed, their blood their skulls and smashed, fragments of bones, to be found centuries later, alongside the sacrificial stone as a living testament to his cruelty.
Trembling as she watched from a distance the slaughter of her family and the only companion, she had was her lover. The knowledge of his giving and her taking of his loins would seal her fate.
As a Priestess she could not join with another male. She had signed her death warrant. YET he had saved her life, taking her away, almost dragging her when the settlement had been attacked.
Luckily they had not been at the top of the temple, now being stormed, by those loyal to.Atahualpa.
However he was not after them, having no inkling that Pqua was there. No! Atahualpa was after the prize, set within a huge stone head, to be found at the top, within a chamber. A gemstone; the Eye of the Sun.
“At least they will NOT have this” Her lover, stopped. He smiled. His hand shifted, to remove something from within his tunic. She looked closer, it was a massive, yellow in colour, gem stone. Round with serrated edges?
She recognised it, almost instantly, gasping.
“It is, the eye of the Sun God himself !” “Its heavy enough!! Thankfully I thought to leave the stone head!!
Their smiles, were interrupted, by the screams suddenly dying away.
In the distance they could see the wisps of smoke, rising from the burning of the houses and the sacrificial fires which would burn, long into the days ahead. Atahualpa now realised the truth, the gem was not there !
Taking several of those whom he wanted answers from, but got nothing, to sacrifice them, ripping their hearts out, man, woman, child. In their families, butchered by him and his soldiers.
Pqua was feeling the heat, the sweat pouring off her as she stumbled, her foot caught against a root.
He caught her in his arms. Lifting her to carry her, he left the trail and moved to the side of it amongst some bushes, their presence concealed.
“I think we can rest! “ He laid her down, to sit against a tree, as he peered around. No sign of any movement in the valley below, nothing moving along the path, or off it, to where they were? “I scavenged, some food, before leaving. Amongst some leaves that he now opened, sat food.
Soon they were fed and refreshed. They closed their eyes, huddled together, the coolness, beneath the large leaves of the plants, around them. It would be hours later. The morning damp, cold air, the increasing light, with the sun rising; that would see them stir.
Refreshed, they were headed back onto the main trail and coming to a spot where he stopped, glanced around and them smiled muttering. “This is the place! “
Stepping off the trail, towards a distinct rocky outline at the top, that would serve as a marker?.
A large stone jutted out from the mountain. A square shaped slab surrounded by trees and bushes, below them, almost concealed beneath it, what looked like a cave opening ?
Taking the rope he had brought with him, he tied it to the tree. “Keep down and quiet, I won’t be long ! “
He slid down the rope, to swing across, landing on the flat slab. Minutes later he had hidden the gem and was now climbing up the rope to rejoin her. “Now I am much happier!”
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