In the following days, I had to explain to my mother about the new game or sport I wanted to create since the traditional game, though also common, had its religious touch.
This made it honestly unenjoyable for me, as you always had to be careful not to attract too much attention or offend someone, and that was a routine I wanted to avoid.
For that reason and with the previous one, I had enough reasons to start, even though soccer is similar to Tlachi, it has its own simpler rules.
To play Tlachi correctly, you have to train more than in soccer, as you are only allowed to use your elbows, knees, and waist. To score, you must lift the ball, which is heavy by the way, towards the goals that are above.
With one part of my plan resolved, while gathering the people in charge of making the ball used for Tlachi, I managed, at the cost of 90 minutes of my life, to learn the process to achieve my ball.
I also learned that the Aztecs had their system of measures quite advanced for their time and circumstances. For example, the "matzotzopaztli" was the measure of an arm span, approximately the distance between the fingertips with the arms extended to the elbow, which would be approximately 38.6 cm as a length measure or the calculation of an area matl that was equivalent to 2.5 meters from side to side.
They also had weight measures using the cacao bean as a reference; for example, an Xiquipilli was equivalent to 8000 cacao beans.
I was even amazed to find out they had investigated the volume calculation of a liquid, though not as precise, like the Quahuitl, approximately a cubic elbow, which was used to measure the volume of liquids or grains.
Having the list of materials ready, which included rubber, plant leaves, and herbs that could be used to fill the ball or create an outer cover, natural fiber cords, leather, or animal skins.
Although I must admit, I had some difficulties obtaining the materials, but luckily I am the prince, with the artisans' experience and the process previously obtained, I set out to make the ball.
First, by collecting the latex, which is the sap used to make rubber from a tree, then mixing the latex in water and molding it into a spherical shape. The latex is left to dry in the sun to obtain a solid rubber ball.
Then it is given the required spherical shape, as I am trying to make a soccer ball, its dimensions are 22 cm in diameter, which would be a bit larger than a Macpalli, which is almost 21 cm plus a Mapilli, slightly larger than what the artisans were used to making. Also, it had to be hollow inside, which was the most challenging part because when you thought it would be achieved, it deformed. So, we decided to fill it with grass to make it easier to remove later and prevent the ball from deforming again. Using various skills and after many days, it was accomplished.
I went to a nearby space to practice with the ball when my father arrived. I imagine he received news that my experiment, after much trial and error, succeeded, and judging by his look, he was quite interested in the new object I created.
_"Finally, I find you, my son, I have been looking for you since you haven't been seen for several days." He said this before pausing while he stopped to observe everything I was holding, I imagine he said it thinking I wouldn't know he was coming or that he wasn't paying attention to me.
Since the success of the chocolate, he has liked my ideas a bit more.
_"Oh, I see you have completed what you wanted. How about practicing with your father?"_ He continued so naturally that I had to praise his acting skills.
I noticed over the days that I had what you could call spies around me, very likely placed by my parents, which led me to realize something very important.
Then I responded calmly and with emotion, as I couldn't suppress it after so many attempts, I had managed a quite suitable prototype for playing.
"Of course, Father, I would love to play with you my new sport,"
I said this while slowly and gently kicking the ball in his direction with my feet.
"This sport is called football; you can use any part of the body, but playing with hands and arms is forbidden,"
I explained the basic rule of the sport, which was that, along with the various fouls that could be committed while handling the ball.
"Well, it has quite a few rules, though they seem very simple," said my father with some annoyance in his tone. Even though football is a contact sport, several fouls cannot be avoided.
Then I told him about the different modes of playing football since there are various ways. "And not only that, Father, there are different ways to play football," I explained patiently that there isn't just one way to have fun.
"How did you come up with all this? You are quite intelligent," he praised me since he seemed confused, and it is indeed strange for a two-year-old to come up with such things, one might suspect something.
"Thank you, Father, for the compliment," I didn't give much importance to his confused face; I just wanted to play, have fun, eat, and rest.
Then a week passed, playing sometimes with my father, with the guards, and even by my mother's invitation, with the children of the pipiltin (nobles) to play and have fun with my new sport. Initially, they thought it was a variant of Tlachi, but when I told them how to play, they understood, and I knew my mother was doing this to distract me from my friends from the lower class, the macehualtin.
I found myself needing my group of spies to collect any information or use them for various tasks, but I didn't have much idea since it was more complicated than what I had done before.
So, I started evaluating my options, discarding people because it would be too suspicious for a group to suddenly become loyal to me and also because hiding them without being recognized by my parents would be very difficult, raising suspicion and warning from them. I also ruled out aquatic animals and those that only walk since they wouldn't be very useful, they have quite a few deficiencies. So, I decided to go for birds; they are faster, and can reach any place, though not as deep in the water as a fish, but why would I want that? After evaluating the advantages, it was a good idea, but I wanted it to be discreet, fast, small, and intelligent. I had to ask my system, as I started calling what I obtained from my wish.
Although I was given some options, I didn't want them because I realized they were too small, for example, the flycatcher (Tyrannidae), although its scientific name sounds formidable, it is just a very small bird. The idea is to transmit messages, but they don't fly long distances, so they were ruled out, and I felt cheated since I wasted part of my life for nothing.
After properly formulating the question, I found the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), though it is a migratory bird, it likes to stay in large bodies of water to feed. Occasionally, they pass near Lake Texcoco, so it is a bird that the natives are accustomed to. It is medium-sized, not too big or too small. Additionally, I discovered I could use my lifetime to modify it, making it a bit more discreet and not easily spotted, capable of fulfilling my espionage missions, message delivery, and reconnaissance. They can fly long distances without tiring and adapt to different environments.
Thanks to that, I had a great idea; one of the problems I faced was long-distance mobility, though aquatic transport is a good idea, there are several areas not very accessible. So, we have to go by land, and since the American continent has no horses or similar animals, but there are American bison, I decided to use them.
To avoid high costs and since they are not native to Mexico, except for the north of modern Mexico, they had to be brought, but that adds a cost. I wanted to genetically modify some so they would only be used by my royal family for fun, class division, recognition, and prestige, which has a lot of benefits.
After convincing my mother to let me play with my other friends, I taught them football, though they found it a bit strange, they found it fun. My plan in my mind was almost ready.
More than a month passed quickly, my provisional stadium was quite in line with modern measures. The fields were made of stone, they were circular pillars, the field lines were painted with lime, and the stands had Mesoamerican Mexica architecture. A crowd had gathered, and the rumor of a completely different sports match had spread.
Moreover, it was free, and people were motivated to watch and know what was happening.
Yes, it was a match I organized myself to promote it, and if you're wondering who the teams are, they were the Golden Eagle Soccer Club, made up of noble children, and the other team was the Blue Axolotl Club, which were my friends from the lower class, the macehualtin. Who helped them come up with the names, don't ask me; well, I just gave some ideas, to be honest.
And who would be the referee, well, me, thanks to being able to spend a small percentage of my life to know if it's a foul, if it's out, who kicked it out, and everything else. I wanted this match to be exciting but also fair.
In the heart of Tenochtitlan, in a green area, a much-anticipated event was celebrated: a football match in the great
ceremonial field between two youth teams full of passion and extraordinary skills. On one side were the Golden Eagles, composed of young nobles dressed in tunics adorned with golden feathers, a symbol of their high status. On the other, the Blue Axolotls, a team of children from the common class, dressed in simple but vibrant blue garments, inspired by the resilient spirit of the axolotl.
The sun was at its highest point, shining intensely over the playing field. The spectators, from nobles to commoners, gathered around the field, creating an electrifying atmosphere. Amid the bustle, stood the referee.
The match began with a burst of energy. The Golden Eagles, with their rigorous training and refined techniques, quickly took the lead. They used precise tactics, moving the ball with grace and skill, while the Blue Axolotls defended with all their hearts, showing a tenacity that defied their humble origin.
As the game progressed, it became evident that the Blue Axolotls would not be an easy rival to defeat. With surprising strength and impeccable teamwork, they began to level the score, earning the respect of the spectators. The referee, watching every move with keen eyes, ensured that each play was fair, sanctioning without hesitation any foul committed by both teams.
The score was tied when the match entered its final minutes. The tension was palpable. The Golden Eagles, feeling the pressure to maintain their honor, redoubled their efforts. Finally, with a brilliant play, they managed to score the decisive goal. The crowd's noise was deafening, but it could not hide the collective sigh of relief from the young nobles.
Although the Golden Eagles had won, the victory was not as sweet as they expected. They looked at their opponents, the Blue Axolotls, who, though defeated, held their heads high, knowing they had fought valiantly. The Golden Eagles felt a mix of pride and bitterness, aware that their triumph had been harder than anticipated.
So, ending the match, I said to motivate the people, "Today we have witnessed a true display of skill and spirit," I said. "Victory and defeat are fleeting, but courage and fairness remain. Remember this day not for the score, but for the honor with which you have played."
The young players, nobles and commoners, looked at each other with renewed respect. At that moment, they understood that the true value of a match was not just in winning, but in how the game is played and the mutual respect that arises from fair competition.
It was better than expected; the class competition never ended. When people were preparing to rest, I was waiting for the most exciting part.
It was the roar of one hundred thousand bison, each costing me an average of 10 days of my life. I also modified 100 bison to be twice as big, twice as strong, and twice as fast, with white fur and a golden touch on their foreheads. It took almost a hundred days of my life, I spent nearly 3000 years, leaving me with only 245,000 years of life left.