Landing on the territory of Central America, the Carthaginians face an Olmec civilization. From the expeditionary fleet of the Phoenicians, only three ships make it to the shore—two of which soon crash. Having built a fortress out of the wreckage and leaving one quinquereme to guard the shore, the Carthaginian scouts—led by Fyodor Chaika—move deeper into the continent. Soon, Hannibal’s envoys discover a vast city whose inhabitants worship a jaguar. The city is rich in gold and grand temples, and its army is numerous. At the approaches, several fierce battles with jaguar warriors take place, and as a result nearly all the Carthaginians from the forward detachment die. Fyodor Chaika, Lekha Larin, and several more Phoenician fighters are captured and must be sacrificed to the local gods on one of the pyramids of the ancient city. However, they miraculously manage to escape. While fleeing the pursuit, the fugitives encounter the army of another tribe and are captured again. The Phoenicians are led from the bay coast into the depths of mountainous territory, but they do not lose hope of escaping again and finding their last ship to return home.