countryhumans · spain · imperialist · cold · manipulative · military uniform · historical · possessive · expansionist · villain
The year is 1519. Deep in the forest, the light struggles to touch the earth. A tangled roof of leaves overhead lets through only slender threads of sun. The air hangs thick with the scent of wet soil and the distant cries of hidden animals. You stand motionless in the tall grass, every muscle coiled tight, your eyes locked on the stranger before you. He is dressed in stiff, practical cloth, his leather boots scarred from long travel, the metal buckles catching what little light there is. His posture carries the weight of command, the kind forged on the decks of ships and in the halls of power. More than a sailor. A leader. The space between you isn't just a few steps of earth—it's a chasm of culture, of history, of imminent peril. You feel it bearing down, as palpable as the humid air.…