At a place on the outskirts of town.
"SuaChie Chuta… We are standing before you", said all the leaders, standing with one hand on their hearts, as they stared at me, searching for some divine sign.
"I suppose I must show you something", I thought, determining that would be enough to demonstrate my wisdom. I looked at them all, moving my head from side to side, scanning their faces, leaving none behind. Some noticed my eye color, and that seemed to be enough for them to determine that I was the man of the prophecy.
"Sit down", I said in a solemn voice as I raised my hand and lowered it, pointing to the blankets on the floor. Although I tried to make my voice a little deeper to give it more impact, all that came out of my mouth was a sweet voice clearly recognizable as that of a baby. At least I hadn't let out one of those involuntary babbles I had when talking to my family.
Everyone was surprised by what I had done and how I had done it, and to my relief, they didn't pay much attention to my tone of voice. Some of them followed my instructions immediately, albeit slowly due to the shock, while others were still standing. However, the rest who were standing were not doing so in protest, but rather in deep surprise.
"Follow your instructions", said the priest, seeing the state of the leaders.
"At once, High Priest", they said, a little fearful and embarrassed. "We are sorry, SuaChie Chuta", they said once they were seated, bowing to me in apology.
"No need to apologize", I said in a cordial tone, trying to keep my tongue from babbling. "Welcome everyone to this meeting convened by our priests. As you know, my name is SuaChie Chuta. However, out of respect for the gods, and to make this a more family-oriented meeting for everyone, please call me just Chuta", I told the leaders as I tried to look at everyone at once.
"We couldn't", some of the leaders said, thinking about the punishment their lack of respect might bring. The rest who hadn't responded were nodding or just staring in astonishment.
"No need to worry", I said, calming their concerns. "The gods sent me to be part of our people, not to watch from afar. We are all family, and together we will advance to horizons never before explored", I said with a touch of theatricality. I needed to convince them that I was special, and that I cared about them.
"Although, it seems that with just my first sentence, I've already convinced them", I thought as I watched their reactions. Some remained cautious, others were moved, and some looked at me with even greater respect.
"Leaders, follow SuaChie Chuta's instructions", said the High Priest, supporting my decision. "However, as is part of our duty, the priests may call him 'Son of Heaven,'" the priest continued, seeing that the leaders accepted his words. The priests also seemed to respect my decision and the High Priest's way of addressing me.
"First of all, I want to know who still has doubts about the prophecy and the Son of Heaven", said the High Priest, looking at the leaders. He didn't have to look at the priests because their faith and trust in me was a given.
"No one", most said, while the rest nodded.
"In any case, I will ask a few questions or tell you about some experiences I have had with the Son of Heaven, so that there will be no doubts now or in the future", he said seriously. "Do you agree with this measure, Son of Heaven?", he asked me respectfully.
"Sure, no problem", I said.
"First, I will tell you some of my experiences speaking personally with the Son of Heaven… I promise the God of the Sun, who accompanies us today, that everything I will say is true", he told the leaders, drawing their attention in a solemn tone. "He asked me, a few moons ago, about the great peoples that lie north and south of our location, something that shocked me. Then, I deduced that he knows those who control the southern mountain ranges and also knows the barbarians of the north. This is only possible if he comes from the sky and saw those people from above", he said, staring at everyone. Most were even more surprised by my speech; some bowed toward me again, murmuring prayers to the gods.
"He should have told me so he wouldn't have talked less", I thought as I looked at the faces of the leaders, including my father's.
"He also asked me about the endless lakes, which he called oceans, which further reinforces their origin", the High Priest continued, pointing to the sky. "On the other hand, as you know, his wisdom is immense, a true gift from heaven, and he has decided to use it for the benefit of our people", he added, looking at me with gratitude.
"Thank you, Son of Heaven", "Thank you, wise Chuta", the priests and leaders expressed in a tone of respect. They all showed deep gratitude and a spark of hope for what the future held.
"All for the people", I replied solemnly.
"For the people", they repeated in unison.
"I will now proceed to ask you some questions", the High Priest announced.
I spent several hours answering the various questions they asked me. Most of them came from the priest, although some leaders also joined in. The queries revolved mainly around the Gods and the fate of their ancestors. I tried to answer the simpler ones, reserving the difficult ones for a time when the people were truly united.
"Finally, it's over", I thought with relief as I saw the sun positioned directly overhead. Although the temperature was pleasant thanks to the cool air, there was no respite in sight.
"Now is the time for the Son of Heaven's guidance", the High Priest declared excitedly, looking at me, while I felt somewhat annoyed at the interruption of my long-awaited respite. "Though, more than annoyed, I surely look adorable", I reflected, trying to compose my expression so that it looked appropriately solemn.
"I'm going to pronounce some directives", I announced with an air of majesty, which was overshadowed by a glimmer of tenderness. "First, five large groups of leaders will be formed, each of which will constitute a community of people we will call cities. One of these will be located in the center of our territory and will be the largest, while the others will be located at the far ends of our lands", I explained, trying to outline an initial plan I hadn't considered before.
"The leaders of these cities will be chosen by the village leaders, according to the specific needs of each extreme", I continued. "If a strong leader is needed to confront our enemies, they must choose someone capable of guiding the people. On the other hand, if a wise person is required, as is the case with the central village, that person must be selected for their knowledge… cough", I concluded with a light cough. I wasn't used to talking so much, and evidently, my body hadn't grown enough to perform such a feat.
"Here is water for you, Son of Heaven", the High Priest offered me, handing me a small bronze container of water. "I don't think he's going to die, right?", I thought, feeling uneasy as I looked at the glass and considered the possibility that its contents were contaminated with lead. However, I accepted it, as my throat was sore.
"In each city, towns and villages will be established, each with their respective leaders. These will abide by the orders of the elected leaders and some decisions I will make myself, which will be communicated through messengers or priests", I continued, explaining some of the measures. "If any dispute arises, whatever it may be, it will be reported to me directly, and I will do my best to mediate and resolve the issues expeditiously. We cannot afford fights between people of the same village; it is time to unite and move forward together", I warned in a serious tone.
"Once these cities are established, we will hold meetings with the leaders of the five communities every change of season. In addition, every moon of the year, these leaders must send a messenger with important information and any problems their people face. I will strive to resolve their concerns as quickly as possible", I explained, adding one of the last ideas that occurred to me. "Finally, following the orders of the gods, I will create a visual representation of our language, which we will call the alphabet. The priests will help me create it, and later they will teach it to the leaders of each city, town, and village. Later, the wisest of each community will be able to learn it. This is so that our people may be united, and we can leave our culture and history engraved in stone, so that our children's children will know it", I told the leaders. Some understood the purpose of this measure, while others would simply follow my orders to the letter, simply because that was what I had planned. "I think it will be much easier to move forward with new technologies", I reflected, observing the surprised faces of the leaders and priests. They seemed to consider my words as divine guidance.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone, new chapter.
In this one, we were able to see what, in my opinion, would be the way people with beliefs based on the stars and the supernatural act. They could associate something as shocking as having a baby with Chuta's abilities with the gods just to make sense of unknown things. It's human nature, after all.
Comment if you have any questions.
By the way, I'm trying to be as accurate as possible about the Muisca people's way of life. And they're not a native people of my country; I live further south.
Read my other novel called The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.
You can find it on my profile.]