Plot

The invasion of Mexico by Cortez, as seen by a young Spanish officer fleeing the Inquisition.

Spain, 1518: young caballero Pedro De Vargas offends his sadistic neighbor De Silva, who just happens to be an officer of the Inquisition. Forced to flee, Pedro, friend Juan Garcia, and adoring servant girl Catana join Cortez' first expedition to Mexico. Arriving in the rich new land, Cortez decides to switch from exploration to conquest...with only 500 men. Embroiled in continuous adventures and a romantic interlude, Pedro almost forgets he has a deadly enemy...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

In the spring of 1518, in Spain, nobleman Pedro de Vargas helps an Indian slave and his friend Coatl to escape from the cruel Diego de Silva and then he rescues the plebeian Catana Perez from two men of Diego de Silva. He goes to the inn where Catana works to explain why the sheets are torn up, and Pedro befriends Juan Garcia, a simple man that made fortune in Cuba. When he comes home, Pedro finds that Diego de Silva has used his political influence to accuse Pedro and his family of heretics and they are imprisoned. Diego's executioners torture and kill Pedro's twelve years old sister but Juan Garcia and Catana help Pedro and his the family to escape from prison: Pedro's parents go to Italy and Pedro, Juan and Catana go to Cuba and join Cortez' expedition to Mexico. They participate of the fall of the Aztec Empire in the beginning of the Spanish colonization of the New World.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

After helping a native Mexican escape from his owner, Pedro De Vargas is accused of heresy by aristocrat Diego De Silva and is imprisoned awaiting trial before the Spanish Inquisition. He is rescued by a recently made friend Juan Garcia who convinces Pedro to go to the New World and join Hernando Cortez' expedition to Mexico. Once in Mexico, Vargas is promoted to Captain and Cortez sets out to conquer the land and its people. Vargas is not too please when De Silva arrives from Spain but when the aristocrat is killed, he becomes the main suspect.—garykmcd