Harsh Empire

Seven-thousand feet above the sea
A nomadic tribe reveals their destiny
The serpent is prey to the hunt at dawn
Thus was born the city of tenochtitlan
Banished and cast out by all that they knew
They fell to their knees and prayed
Nomadic people through trial and fate
A God-sent sign on the lake

Slithering snakes are carved in stone
Guarding the secrets that the temples hold
Towering above the sacred lands
The pyramids point to the answers in the stars
By nightfall the moon lights the path of the dead
The priests watch for what lays ahead
Star constellations are holding the key
To unlock their mysteries

Nightfall, blackened sky, the shadow land unfolds
Darkness, black God of the north, enveloping the sun
Light, sacrifice to save the light
Aztec blood to end the night
Plant the seed of the new sun
Flaming ceremonial torches in our hands

Praying for our families and souls of the damned
Rebirth of a century with a newborn fire
Rising up in front of the harsh empire
Bloodshed upon the peak, the priest holds up the heart
Burning, a funeral pyre, the calendar begins
Brave souls playing on the courts of clay
Gather around and watch the ritual game

Bow to the feathers, bow to the gold
Until the day you rest your tortured soul
The blaze of the sun beats down hard on their backs
The warriors prepare to defend
A triple alliance that all must obey
Imprison those who will betray
What have our people done?
Dawn of the newborn sun