Where can we go where death does not exist?
But, do I weep for it?
Fill your heart, here no one lives forever.
Even the princes came here to die.
He does not wish to lose any more men.
I too lose men every day.
You and your father promised to obey me.
Be true to your word. Tell him.
The captain asks you to please go with his men.
He went with Captain Olid.
I know. I know.
But this time you will go alone.
You will not be held back by the Castilians.
You know this place better...
...and you can move among the Mexica unobserved.
We are holding Moctezuma and his family here.
They are our greatest shield, but we have to feed them.
¡Kemma! ¡Kemma! Eat! They must eat!
Tell him. And to bloody well move! We cannot debate every last thing.
Nobody move!
Stay still or things will only get worse for you.
We only came for the food.
You are a warrior?
Yes, and you a miserable Tlaxcalteca bastard.
Kill the other one. We will take them both with us.
Tie up these women and the children.
Let us go and fetch the food.
It is very little.
This will quell two days' hunger.
Seize those sacks. We will take it all.
The squash and the beans, too.
Put them in sacks, too.
Cortes's caravan, en route to Tlaxcala. 1519
- What are you writing, Captain? - A letter, Botello. A letter.
To some lady?
Gentlemen. No, do not get up.
According to the Totonac, we are one day away from Tlaxcala.
And tomorrow, you will go out to survey the terrain.
Yes, Captain.
- I can accompany him if you wish? - Very well.
And if you come across any villagers, let them see you.
Above all, I do not want any clashes with them.
I do not wish to frighten them.
They must be waiting to see what we are doing and what we want.
They will surely be watching us.
We cannot allow them to reach our village.
We have shed much blood to protect our people from invaders.
They have entered our territory... They must die.
Why confront them?
They have not attacked us.
Is it not wiser to receive them peaceably...
...and find out what they want?
No. They have reached the slopes of Matlalcueitl.
They are in a weak position.
We have already waited too long.
It is said they are powerful.
They produce fire from their hands. Some are half men, half deer.
If we take them on, they will kill us...
...just like the Chontal Mayans of Potonchan.
They made an alliance with the governor of Cempoala,
they received Moctezuma's emissaries.
We cannot allow allies of that old lizard to enter our land.
They are gods.
We should receive them like brothers, in friendship.
They are men, and they come...
...to subjugate us and kill us!
Only Camaxtli can tell us what he wants.
We will fight.
Are we all in agreement?
Yes... yes... yes.
Maxixcatzin?
My lord, if all are agreed...
Xicotencatl, son... go... fight...
- What has happened? - They were waiting for us, Captain.
And without so much as a word.
Sons of bitches! Bring me the Totonac!
Now!
On his knees.
Why did the people of Tlaxcala attack us?
Did you know it was a trap?
Why did the Tlaxcalteca attack us...
...instead of welcoming us with gifts?
I do not know!
Speak up fast if you want to avoid my Captain's wrath.
The Tlaxcalteca are ferocious warriors.
They do not want anyone entering their lands.
The Tlaxcalteca are strong people. They want no-one on their lands.
And your Cacique did not know? Could he not have warned us?
Look him in the eye. Look!
Who is captain of those warriors?
Who is the general that leads those warriors?
It may be the son of Old Xicotencatl...
...great Lord of the Tlaxcalteca.
They call him the Youth.
I have never seen him...
...but they say...
...that he is a brave young warrior.
Xicotencatl?
How can I find him?
You do not need to search for him.
If he attacked you, he will find you.
He has already declared war.
Bring me those deer.
Catch them! The one belonging to the leader.
And you, go forth... Take prisoners!
Soldiers!
The time has come, my sacred company.
May blood flow to protect our kingdom.
Fight without fear. Have no fear, gentlemen.
For not only are we envoys of the King...
...but soldiers of God!
We shall follow the cross.
If we have faith, with this signal we shall conquer.
We have no fear!
For Christ! And for the King!
Arquebusiers!
Take up your positions!
To the death...
Do you think I came all this way to kill you? Eh?
Soldiers!
No... no...
Coward!
My men, to me!
Let me go! Soldiers!
No!
Soldiers! No!
Take him home, and the deer too. Go!
Return!
Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...
Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Captain!
Do not worry. Do not worry.
Move. Captain!
Ask him what happened.
Why did they retreat?
Not at night.
For them it is forbidden to fight at night.
Tomorrow the battle continues.
Tell me what time so I am not late!
Bring me the prisoners.
I wish to send a message to the chief of Tlaxcala. Go!
I came here in peace, seeking your friendship.
I held out my hand to you...
And you have tried to tear it from me!
Your enemy is my enemy.
I want us to go to Tenochtitlan together.
But if you insist on fighting...
...I promise you only death.
What is he saying?
Lady... are they gods or men?
They are the beings of thunder and lightning.
Give this message to your leaders.
And tell them it would be best for their people...
...if they received them in peace.
They will pass the message on.
Pedro... you know what has to be done.
At your command, Captain.
...it is the message they have sent.
I told you! We should have received them.
Welcome those who did this?
To die and to kill in battle is honorable.
What honor can there be in an act like this?
They deserve to be destroyed!
We cannot beat them. They are gods!
They are men!
Blood flows from their bodies and they die like we do.
And I can prove it!
Xicotencatl!
Father!
My daughter. Where are you?
Father.
I want to see them.
Come with me.
The Indians have brought us food!
No! No!
Step aside, animal!
Get away from the food! Get away!
Stop, stop, stop! Sheathe your swords.
Xicotencatl, Lord of the Tlaxcalteca,
I am grateful for your bravery, and that of your warriors...
...going out there to bring food for all of us.
We shall share it out.
Take the sacks to the kitchens. Tell the women to start preparing food
for Moctezuma and his family, now! Move!
Sebastian, take it.
Captain!
God Almighty!
Tell him – no trophies!
Burn those corpses! I do not want the dead in this palace.
Sons of bitches.
You will burn in hell!
But first I will gouge your eyes out.
We will kill him!
Brother!
Do not touch him.
Your men are dying of hunger.
We went out for the food, but they have given us none.
I demand respect for our people!
And you should do the same!
You go near her...
...and I will rip your head off!
Maria Luisa.
Tlaxcala, one year earlier
Their leader is no god! Nor is his deer divine.
It is an animal, just like a jaguar or a rabbit.
We have been fighting the Mexica for some time...
...and we have suffered enough.
We cannot afford another enemy.
Father... do you not understand?
They are even worse! The Mexica demand tribute.
But them... if they could...
...they would sweep us off the face of the earth.
We know how they fight.
Their lightning bolts kill and thunder.
But there is a long time between them.
We must attack them now...
...when they are injured and weak.
You fight if that is what you want.
Send your people to a pool of blood.
But do not count on the support...
...of the other Tlaxcala rulers.
So, at dawn...
...the warriors of Tizatlan will go out and fight!
Will you finish him off, or shall I do it?
Let him go, he is more use to us alive than dead.
Let us give thanks to God for the victory.
Let us leave.
A tremendous pain floods through me, my son.
I have failed.
It is decided.
We will make an alliance with the faraway men.
Their arrival is an omen. This is a new era.
To make it a true alliance...
...your sister will marry the leader of the foreigners.
No...
She agrees.
The goddess Xochiquetzal lives in Temoanchan.
She must be there so that her servants can care for her.
She is the heart of Temoanchan and of her servants.
We cannot spend all our lives ruled by the Mexica.
I prefer the Mexica to those foreigners.
They reek, they do not speak with truth.
They have defeated you.
They are stronger than us.
I cannot let what they did to us be forgotten.
They could take revenge on us.
And then they will end us...
...and all the other peoples too.
But at least there will be no more Mexica left to roam the earth.
I will go to Tenochtitlan with you.
Someone has to look after Xochiquetzal.
Tenochtitlan, one year later
What are you looking for?
We have to leave, we are going home.
I am not going anywhere.
I will not allow them to humiliate us...
...and treat us as if we were their dogs.
I came with you to look after you and protect you...
...but now it is time for us to return to our home.
No, Xicotencatl!
I have not finished what I came here to do.
Moctezuma no longer has any power.
Your husband spilt Mexica blood in the Great Temple.
Now you have your revenge.
No! Not until they are all dead.
Until Tenochtitlan no longer floats on water.
Do not shout!
We are trapped!
Find canoes!
No, there are too many of us, they would see us straight away.
Let us go back to the palace!
Sir!
Take me away from here!
Go back!
Tlaxcala, one year earlier
My lord is grateful for these offerings.
But more than the gold and precious objects you bring us,
...he wishes to have the bravery of the Tlaxcala on his side.
If we fight together, we can put an end...
...to Moctezuma's despicable power.
You have shown us that you are great warriors.
We accept the offer of alliance.
He accepts the alliance.
And to make ours a true alliance...
...I offer you my daughter as your wife.
What did he say?
He says to make the alliance, you will marry his daughter.
You do me an honor, but I cannot accept.
I am already married, and my god does not allow me...
...another marriage. Tell him.
But... but in exchange, I offer you one of my Captains.
So that he may marry your daughter.
Tenochtitlan, one year later
Open the gate!
Shore up the gates with that crate. Marina!
Get up there!
Company! Move! Marina!
The Mexica have destroyed all the bridges.
- What were you doing out there? - They were trying to escape.
Follow me.
Marina!
Moctezuma!
Your people are angry, they come to seek revenge.
You disrespected Huitzilopochtli...
...- guardian of the universe. - This is not over.
You insulted Huitzilopochtli, that cannot go unpunished.
Do not tell me you want more blood to be spilt?
This siege must end.
I ask you, I beg you to go out there and talk to your people.
We must regain the peace that we had before. Tell him!
I ask you to please go out and speak to your men.
A leader does not ask his men...
...to forgive those who kill and humiliate them.
A leader does not ask his people to forgive one who kills and humiliates.
We will not surrender without a fight, and we will fight tooth and nail.
Rivers of blood will flow. Do you not realize?
Do you want to see your people disappear?
Is that what you desire?
Tell him!
We will not surrender without a fight.
A lot of blood will flow.
Do you want to watch your city being destroyed?
He will talk to them.
I will tell them to calm their desire for vengeance...
...and to lower their weapons, but...
He will tell them to calm their desire for vengeance and lower their weapons.
... only so that you can leave the palace and the city.
...and do not stop until you reach the sea.
Go back the way you came.
But we must leave the city.
And never come back.
Agreed. We will leave the city.
If you ever come back, we will greet you...
...with the mighty wrath of Huitzilopochtli.
We will kill everyone.
Go away!
Death to the distant men!
They are shouting again.
Mexica!
Listen to your ruler!
Our first grandfathers...
...our first grandmothers,
...walked a long way to find this sacred place.
They established their city here...
...and now it is time to defend it.
We have suffered through difficult days.
They humiliated us and disrespected Huitzilopochtli.
We will avenge our great god Huitzilopochtli!
But now, we must allow the foreigners to leave Tenochtitlan.
They are no longer welcome.
Go and put the causeway bridges back and let them flee.
This is what the gods command.
Traitor! Coward!
I am your ruler!
On the ground!