7th of February, 1494, Month 12 Year 10 of the SuaChie Calendar.
Link City, Cape Verde.
The dawn over Link City was a symphony of human ambition, both ancient and novel.
Christopher Columbus awoke in the guesthouse assigned to him, a solid structure built with local stone and timbers he did not recognize, yet boasting a functional, clean design alien to the mud and overcrowding that characterized many newly-built European ports.
Light filtered through a window that used not glass, but a thin, translucent membrane, and the air, heavy with salt and moisture, carried the clamor of ceaseless work.
The bustle of the city began early.
Just opposite, in the improvised harbor that grew day by day, stood the vessels of the Suaza Kingdom, anchored with a discipline that impressed the Genoese mariner.
Ships were unloading materials—logs, sacks of a resilient fiber, and something that looked like clay—and loading other goods, probably the samples of gold, cacao, and jade that had caused the frenzy in the Court of Castile.
In the distance, six Suaza ships cast imposing silhouettes: three were anchored in strategic waters for a quick departure, with the sails meticulously furled, while the other three patrolled the nearby waters, a tacit exhibition of force and sovereignty.
Columbus, peering out of a window, surveyed the panorama of the bay.
Merchant ships, both Portuguese and Spanish, mixed with the Suaza vessels. Sailors and merchants spoke familiar tongues, the rugged Castilian and the vibrant Portuguese, which mingled with the fluid syllabics of the Suaza interpreters.
The clang of hammers, the sound of planks being sawed, and the shouts of coordination showed that Vinculo City, although for the moment no more than a fortified village, continued its vertical and accelerated expansion, like a hungry, living organism.
The house he inhabited was one of the residences for special guests, a courtesy extended by Chewa, the principal envoy of the Suaza Kingdom and Leader of its Chamber of Commerce.
Housed within were Columbus and the main Castilian emissaries: Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the rugged noble and soldier whose sole presence served as a reminder that diplomacy was underpinned by the sword, and Luis de Santángel, the royal scrivener and lender, whose interest lay solely in the economic viability of this new contact.
In the neighboring house, the Portuguese delegation mingled with the Spanish clerical contingent: Fray Hernando de Talavera, a man of faith and future Archbishop of Granada, stayed alongside Fray Juan Álvares of Portugal, and the Portuguese nobleman Juan Cortizos.
All had arrived the previous day from the port of Palos for this formal diplomatic visit, escorted by Apqua, the Suaza envoy who had visited Barcelona and now served as the chief interpreter, displaying a linguistic ability that bordered on the supernatural by European standards.
Columbus, while dressing, allowed his mind to relive the moments of the previous day's tense meeting.
They had met with Chewa in a large communal house in the center of Link City. There, Apqua, who already commanded Spanish quite well, introduced them all, including the Portuguese delegation.
At first, Columbus, who had spent months in the opulent, yet linguistically limited, Court of the Catholic Monarchs, thought the language barrier would be an insurmountable obstacle.
However, to his astonishment, there were already Suaza interpreters who could express messages with a nuance and precision that surpassed many European translators.
He recalled his previous stay as a 'guest' in Dawn City, where he had witnessed, day by day for three weeks, how the Suaza could master his language with astonishing ease.
To see now that they had done the same with Portuguese, a sister tongue, yet distinct, surprised him anew.
They possess an intellectual discipline I have not witnessed even at Salamanca, he told himself.
The rest of the first meeting was, to him, a waste of time. Greetings were exchanged, the formalities of the Crown established, and occupations were shared as a form of rapprochement.
Luis de Santángel, the merchant of Valencia, connected immediately with Chewa, who was revealed to be a fellow merchant, leader of the Suaza Chamber of Commerce.
But Columbus, whose objective was the glory of the exploration, cared nothing for the logistics of trade.
The only conversation that raised the tension was that concerning Suaza naval might.
Gonzalo Fernández, the rugged and direct soldier who had already evaluated the anchored ships, tried to elicit information without tact, using language that barely respected formalities.
"Your naval might is notable, Lord Chewa," inquired Gonzalo with an almost discourteous frankness. "But the eyes of the world observe your fleet. How many of these singular vessels do you have at your disposal? For we see only a handful here."
Chewa did not appear in the least intimidated by the military tone. His response, translated by Apqua, was of a disarming and worrying honesty.
"Esteemed General, in the territories near you, which include these islands, we have approximately fifteen warships and exploration vessels. Three of them are of great capacity like the flagship vessels seen in the nearby fleets. The rest operate in other regions that require our presence."
Chewa's answer caused palpable surprise. Columbus, who had seen only the same number of ships since his arrival at Cape Verde, wondered where the rest were.
Had they remained on the other side of the ocean?
No. Something told him that Chewa was sincere in his words, but deceptive in the context. Those ships were stationed in another strategic territory; one they were unaware of.
Two days later.
Columbus was in his living quarters with two key men: Juan Cortizos, the Portuguese nobleman whose presence was a constant reminder of the Iberian rivalry, and Luis de Santángel, the voice of Castilian capital.
The meeting was secret, informal, and vital.
Santángel, a man of numbers, began the conversation, his commercial enthusiasm overcoming the solemnity of protocol.
"The products, Mister Christopher, are a marvel... The city is filling with warehouses, and gold flows. The commercial intentions of the Suaza Kingdom are undeniably real. With the fervor they have caused in Seville and Lisbon, these products will sell immediately. It would be a grand opportunity for us to trade these products with other European kingdoms."
Juan Cortizos, the Portuguese, took the floor, his tone ambitious and devoid of shame.
"I already held a private meeting with Lord Chewa attempting to secure an exclusive trade deal for Portugal. It was fruitless. I refused to believe his refusal and, I must admit, I mentioned that King John II could easily withdraw their island permission. That Chewa, with his irritating calm, did not seem intimidated in the slightest."
Cortizos struck the table with an open palm. "He is a noble with the soul of a merchant and the temperament of a soldier."
Both important men focused on the economic benefits of this rapprochement, and even Juan Cortizos had tried to gain an advantage over them, the Spaniards, but had failed.
Columbus, whose principal interest was not commerce, but the map that might unfold beyond, decided to share the information Apqua had confided in him the previous day.
"Gentlemen," Columbus said, adjusting his wool cap. "Yesterday, I approached Apqua with a query. I had noticed an African man in the port, and also, what seemed to me more unusual, another dark-skinned man as a crewmember on one of their largest vessels."
He paused dramatically.
"Apqua, with his usual candor, replied that they have commercial dealings and alliances with some settlements in Africa."
The revelation struck like a thunderbolt. Santángel and Cortizos exchanged a look of sudden comprehension that connected all the scattered points.
"By Heaven!" exclaimed Santángel. "The rest of their ships! They are not on the other side of the sea. They are stationed on the western coasts of Africa."
Cortizos nodded with a somber seriousness. "They have a base of operations, not just on these islands… If they have dealings and crewmembers, it means they are a strategic power on the other coast of the African Mare Nostrum. Their routes are secured. And Chewa did not lie: he simply failed to mention where the other ships were."
The atmosphere was charged with a new gravity. The Suaza Kingdom was not just a distant curiosity; it was a military and commercial power that had strategically approached both Iberian nations.
Columbus, who had seen the naval and military power subtly displayed in Dawn City, knew that the next diplomatic steps would be fundamental for the future of Spain and Portugal.
However, his mind, instead of concentrating on how to contain the Suaza influence or coordinate a response with Portugal, was obsessed with a single thought, the desire that had dominated his life.
If this kingdom has arrived from the West with such ease, they must know the oceanic routes better than anyone else.
His original ambition, the one that burned ceaselessly, was to convince Chewa to grant him the necessary exploration permits to navigate, under the Suaza flag if necessary, and finally, reach the East Indies.
His main diplomatic objective in Link City was not the gold, jade, or cacao, but the route to Cipango.
A week later.
16th of February, 1494, Month 12 Year 10 of the SuaChie Calendar.
Dawn Ocean.
One week after the tense and revealing meeting in Vinculo City, Christopher Columbus found himself where he felt best: at sea.
The rhythmic sound of the waves striking the robust hull, the constant whistling of the wind lashing against the sails, and the feeling of the salty air on his skin were vivid stimuli that the Genoese loved above any courtly formality.
If there was something profoundly different about this voyage, it was not the sensation of the journey itself, but the vessel that bore him.
He was not on a Castilian caravel, nor a Portuguese carrack, but aboard a first-generation Tequendama, a Suaza vessel sailing east on a friendly test voyage and patrol.
He had departed along with the charismatic Captain Sogeking and his crew, in addition to a selection of Spanish sailors and the inescapable Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.
Gonzalo's presence had required considerable persuasion.
The soldier had initially refused, considering that participating in such "tests" could set a dangerous precedent or end in extortion.
However, Columbus had argued that the Suaza Kingdom, despite its superior naval power, would not risk a frontal conflict with Europe while establishing its commercial base; they needed acceptance as much as resources.
Furthermore, this voyage could serve them as a way to observe the Suaza vessels.
The Tequendama I was an elegant and functional ship.
Although, to Columbus's initial disappointment, its operation on the high seas closely resembled that of large European vessels.
The capstans turned, the sails were hoisted, and the ship cut through the water comparably.
His initial excitement about finding arcane secrets had been tempered by the reality of the functional design.
Nevertheless, two details stood out above the rest, signaling a fundamental difference in Suaza naval philosophy: the strict training of the sailors and the artillery capability.
The Suaza mariners seemed to recognize ranks similar to those used in Europe, but their attitude and discipline were of a military uniformity that Columbus had only seen in the most disciplined war galleys.
The Genoese could not help but mentally compare this crew with his previous expedition's crew, largely composed of men forcibly recruited or outright criminals freed from prison.
Sogeking's crew moved with cold precision, without unnecessary shouts, maintaining the deck immaculate.
It was a discipline born, not of fear of the lash, but of an unbreakable functional hierarchy.
The other important aspect was the artillery.
The firearms, while not seeming intrinsically distinct in their basic design, were slightly larger than the usual falconets and bombardes, and were much better distributed throughout the ship.
The number of cannons was superior to what European merchant vessels were accustomed to, who were used to not using these weapons in confrontations, not to mention their cost.
And the most notable thing, which Columbus had studied avidly, were cast iron plates beneath each cannon.
These plates not only seemed to serve to secure the cannon absolutely to the deck planking, but also allowed for an easier and safer rotation system, implying greater speed of aiming and less need to readjust the entire gun carriage after each shot.
It was a simple, yet tactically brilliant improvement.
Just as he was immersed in the observation of a gunner checking the safety of a cannon, Columbus was approached by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.
The soldier, who usually maintained a stony composure and an attitude of contempt toward everything non-Castilian, seemed immersed in deep thought.
"Mister Christopher," Gonzalo said, his voice rugged but low. "I have spent the morning observing these men and the distribution of their weapons.
I must grant you the point... You were right.
These people not only build large ships; they seem to be prepared for large-scale naval warfare, a war that we are not prepared to face.
And their discipline far surpasses ours, save perhaps that of the most veteran infantry."
Columbus felt a pang of satisfaction.
That a soldier of Gonzalo's stature and experience should realize the naval power disparity he had warned the Catholic Monarchs about was a crucial validation.
However, it was no time to celebrate trivialities.
"This is not the worst, General," replied Columbus, leaning toward him to speak in a low voice.
"The truly unsettling thing are the other two classes of vessels we have seen from afar. The ones Apqua and Sogeking call the Tequendama II and the Yaguar. If we manage to neutralize this first generation, the other two will be the true challenge."
Columbus explained the difference with knowledge: "The Tequendama II, which we saw from afar in Cape Verde, is considerably larger.
If its design is proportional, it could have almost fifty percent more artillery capacity than this one we stand upon, turning it into a true floating fortress that would require a fleet of galleys to besiege it."
He paused dramatically.
"And the other, the Yaguar, is the true phantom.
Captain Sogeking has told me that it is much swifter than any of our known ships.
There would be no human way to catch it or to escape it, even if we wished to."
Gonzalo remained silent for a moment, the sound of the waves seeming amplified by the weight of the information.
"Then, are we facing an enemy with total superiority at sea? Mister Christopher, as a soldier, I must ask you: have you found any weakness in the design or construction of these ships?"
Columbus pondered, recalling the hours he had spent walking the deck and examining the seams and materials with the eyes of a naval architect.
He began to name the subtle details that could be the ruin of the Suaza fleet in a war of attrition.
"Yes, General, they have one," Columbus replied, touching part of the deck planking with the tip of his boot.
"I have noticed that the ship's wood seems to have been hurried in its drying.
In the Mediterranean or even in Cádiz, the timber is left to dry in ovens or air for years.
This, on the other hand, seems to have been assembled urgently.
The result, in the long term, will be accelerated rotting of the wood, especially with the tropical humidity."
"Time!" exclaimed Gonzalo, with a spark of understanding.
"The naval war, if prolonged, would be ours.
The patience and experience of our shipyards could be our greatest ally."
"Exactly... And there is another detail in the sails.
They appear to be made of cotton or a similar fiber, treated, yes, but inferior to the hemp or thick linen we use.
This makes them more prone to moisture, and over time, could also cause rot or tears that would reduce their performance.
Our vessels, built with the rigor of centuries of tradition, would last longer at sea than theirs."
Both men realized the strategic implication at the same time.
The Suaza superiority was immediate and tactical, but the European advantage lay in the durability and the strict naval construction process that had passed through the filter of centuries of tradition.
Gonzalo asked: "Any other structural problem, Mister Christopher?
Any weakness in the rigging or the mast?"
Colón negó con la cabeza, su ambición de explorador chocando con su deber de estratega.
"We would need to disassemble one of these ships in dry dock, General, to know more.
For now, we must be content with this.
They are fast, potent, and long-term disposable."
Three weeks later.
9th of March, 1494, Month 1 Year 11 of the SuaChie Calendar.
Great river City, Northern Quyca.
The sound of hammer blows had been replaced by the clamor of a vibrant market. Columbus found himself once again in Suaza territory, having accepted an unexpected invitation to travel with Sogeking.
They had anchored in a coastal city completely different from Vinculo City or Dawn City: Great River City.
Being back on the other side of the ocean, in Suaza territory, was no coincidence; rather, it was due to factors that arose after the voyage in the waters near Cape Verde.
The test voyage had ended and Captain Sogeking, who was due to report the results of the diplomatic meetings to the heart of his kingdom, had approached Columbus with a mocking smile.
"Mister Christopher," Sogeking had said as they were bidding farewell to Gonzalo in Vinculo City, "I was unaware that in your kingdoms you had the custom of abandoning your men."
Columbus, who did not understand the reference at the moment, curiously asked what he meant.
Captain Sogeking, with a tone of mockery devoid of true malice, simply uttered a name: "Rodrigo de Escobedo."
At that moment, Columbus felt his blood run cold. He had completely forgotten the men who remained in Dawn City, the first Suaza city that he and his sailors had visited on their expedition, and especially, the royal scribe, Rodrigo de Escobedo.
Sogeking, who laughed at his evident oversight, offered him a solution. "I have an immediate journey back to the kingdom to pass on the first results of Chewa's negotiations. It is the fastest route to reunite with your men."
Columbus, whose desire to continue exploring and obtain more information about the Suaza kingdom was stronger than any formality, accepted the help immediately. He notified a stunned Gonzalo Fernández of his temporary absence and departed with Sogeking.
That was why he now found himself in Great River City.
Columbus viewed the city with astonishment from the port. This metropolis was visibly larger than Dawn City, with a port that handled a much greater and more organized trade. For a moment, he thought it might be the kingdom's capital, but he doubted it; the scale and development, though enormous, lacked the centralized formality he associated with a royal seat.
Furthermore, this city, unlike Dawn City, had many more people, and the diversity of garments and faces was surprising. It seemed that the city gathered different cultures, a melting pot that had always attracted him to this new and enigmatic kingdom.
In the city's central plaza, a wide and well-paved space, he found Rodrigo de Escobedo. The scribe, whom he had left in what seemed to him an alien kingdom, had a radiant countenance, completely unlike that of an abandoned man. He was seated in a carved wooden chair, taking meticulous notes, absorbed in what he saw.
Just as Columbus approached, the scribe turned, looked at him, and his face lit up with a genuine smile. He approached Columbus with an energy the Genoese did not recall seeing in him for a long time.
"Mister Christopher! You have finally returned!" exclaimed Rodrigo, the joy in his voice palpable. "I feared you had forgotten me entirely. Tell me, do you bring good news? I have so much to tell you, so much I have been able to document about this place..."
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
I apologize for the delay, but I had to double-check historical facts about real people.
Also, I had written part of the chapter as if Columbus were a citizen of the kingdom. Therefore, I had to change a lot of dialogue and internal monologues.
UFD: (I OWE IT)
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Read my other novels.
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future (Chapter 87)
#The Walking Dead: Emily's Metamorphosis (Chapter 33) (INTERMITTENT)
#The Walking Dead: Patient 0 - Lyra File (Chapter 13) (INTERMITTENT)
You can find them on my profile.]