"Crossing the Rubicon"

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Dont mind me Civ3King I was just being a little too sentimental and your story is great. In reality the Gauls and the Romans would gladly have exterminated each other and as Psycho suggests I myself am a total warmongering b@stard when playing Civ3.

Keep up the good work and are we going to see the Romans give chase to the Celts ?

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Desparately waiting for some more please!!

[Civ3King]

Sorry you guys....school started down here and my teacher knows no mercy.. I'll try to start the first part of the last chapter. I hope this can hold you telll the end.

Part 1 Of Chapter 5: "End Game"


Brennus couldn't believe he was marching even farther down the Roman continent....His men had terrorized the once mighty empire and had turned its capital into a wasteland. "What more could they do?", Brennus thought to himself. Yet still, his soldiers were not done. They had out voted Brennus, the one man who's tactics and sheer brillance had brought them this far,into going futher down enemy territory. The Celtians were becoming addicted to the deadly drug of revenge.


His plan was simple, they would march to the southeastern coast of the Roman Empire to the plains of Antium.
Antium was the main grain supplier of the Roman Empire and it would be there that Brennus would cut the life vein of the empire.
The heavly populated city of Antium lyed on a a skinny strip of plains that jutted out into the water, called the Tyharrian Peninsula. In less then a week, Brennus hoped to make camp there, burn the fertile plains, and hopefully have enough food left to last his army until they reached the Rubicon.

Meanwhile Hadrianwas getting word from Ravena that Brennus was continuing his march southwest.....

Hadrian thought to himself as he studied the map. He looked at the town of Ravena which was a few miles north of Antium then he slowly looked down to Antium anf finally along Brennusess expected path.

"Whats he planning", Hadrian pondered to himself.

Hadrian eyes wondered down the predicted path down to Antium
"Maybe he's going to raid Antium....Or maybe....."

Hadrian was cut off by the sound of somones voice behind him voice..."He's not going for the Antium. He's going for whats around Antium. The grain feilds."

Hadrian turned his head around slowly to reveal it was Flavius.
He then turned around to the map and rubbed his chin.

"Oh, well how do you think we can stop him?"

Flavius pointed to the map and moved down the thin strip of land with his ring finger. "We don't stop him, we trap him. We should continue letting him push futher down into the penninsula and allow him to destroy and burn whatever he wants. That should buy us some time to construct a wall and possibly a moat across the opening of the penninsula. He would then be trapped with little if any food and eventually starve, forcing him to surrender."

Hadrian's smiled at the brillance of his second in command, "Perfect Flavius. Will needa sharp thinker on are next encounter with the Celts."

Flavius shook his head slowly and looked down, " I won't be coming general."

"What? Why in the gods name not?", He belowed out.

Flavius lifted his head upwards at Hadrian this time meeting eye to eye. "Hadrian,Ive followed you on your personal quest for glory and power. Your ambitouse and often ignorant decisions has cost countless Roman lives and even the capital. Yet I still stayed quiet. No more Hadrian....no more will I blindly follow you towards certain death. Goodbye General, I have a family to go home to."

Hadrian was in utter shock. How could his second in command leave him in his time of need?

Hadrian looked at him with sturn and unforgiving eyes. "Very well Flavius....You may go. Thank you for your services."

Flavius nodded for the last time and started to head out the tent.

"Wait Flavius..I want to tell you something before you leave. Come here."


Flavius turned around to face his former general and took a few steps up to him. "What is it Hadrian?"

Hadrian slid out a dagger from under his pillow as Flavius approached him.

"Thank you, Flavius."

Thank me? Thank me for what Hadrian.......I dont underst....."

Hadrian thrusted his two edged dagger from behind his back. The dagger cut through the bellly of Flavius. Hadrian pushed it deeper into his flesh..releasing all of his anger into the weapon.
Hadrian looked down at his former freind with the same evil, ambitouse,and mad eyes that Flaviuses dreaded.

"I wanted to thank you Flavius for reminding me what a true Roman isn't"


Flaviuses coughed up trickles of blood as he fell back,out the blade and onto the floor below Hadrian. In suprise to Hadrian, Flavius began to laugh to himself as the pain set in.

"Before I die Hadrian.......I just want to say thank you."

He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head as he looked down at the bleeding Flavius. "Thank me for what?", he said with an arrogant chuckle.

Flavius managed to sputter out his few last words...
"I wanted to thank you for showing me who the TRUE savage is."

His eyes closed slowly and his arms and legs came to a peaceful stop. Flavius was dead.

His chuckle came to stop as he thought about what his commander said. He shook his head and then kicked the lifeless body in he side.

"Coward!!", Hadrian said under his breath.

At the same time the camp night watchman was passing by the tent. "You there! Watchman!", He called out.

The watchman looked over to his general who had already thrown the bloody dagger on the ground beside the body.
The watchman tried to pretend that he did not see the bloody body of Flavius and saluted his general. "Umm.....yes sir?"

"Despose of the body......The poor fool went mad and tried to kill me. Luckily I managed to stop him. Make sure no other see's him. I don't want morality going down in the camp."

Without question the young watchman nodded and carried the lifless Flavius out the tent and towards a nearbye ditch.Hadrian shook his head and quietly gazed at the bloody dagger.


It had been six days and Brennus had made it to the penninsula without opposition. He was actually expecting the Romans to strike at his army in avegence to there ruined capital, but.....nothing. Brennus decided to think about military strategies and plans for tommorow. Tonight, he would feats, party, and enjoy the bounties of his sucesss.

The middle of the camp was in full festivity as Celtian men feasted apon the meat and bread that had been worked by the hands of Romans.They danced around with Roman women who reluctently joined the party.

"Feast on and enjoy my Celtian brothers. You have all earned it!! Let the wine pour like Roman blood!!", Brennus spoke out to his fellow clansmen.

Brennues grinned as his soldiers yelled out with rejoice in response. He was about to speak again until someone caught the corner of his eye. He turned around towards his tent where the person......a young women infact,was motioning for him to come. Brennus smiled and walked over to the women as if she was pulling him bya leash. Brennus locked eyes with the blue eyed Roman women. She giggled and then ran into the tent. Brennus threw the wine cup that was in his hands behind him and rushed into the tent.

On the bed layed the brownhaired women. Brennus smiled twice as large as before as he looked apon her. She once again motioned him to come over to her. He sparred not time in laying on the bed beside her and instanly began to passiontlly kiss her on the lips. She moved her hands around his waist and kissed back with equal passion. She then slid her right arm behind her and reached for an object in the shadows. She looked with her left eye down at Brennnus who was still enjoying the kiss and with her right hand reached for the long iron sword resting against a nearby table. She slowly moved the sword away from the desk, hopping not to catch the attention of Brennus. She then brought the sword up and over the head of Brennus and with an angry scream she thrusted downward at him....


Phew......thats all I had time for now. I (hope) will finish this story in the next part of this chapter. Just please try to stay with me. I know its been long Thanks again readers

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Phew thats a nice cliff edge to leave us staring over!!

What is to become of our Brennus ?

Great!! absolutely great stuff

[TheGuitarist]

This is an excellent story; I just read the whole freakin' thing. Awesome writing - keep it up, man.

[Easthaven I]

I just read it too. I am impressed, very unpredictable. I have no idea who's going to be the victor.

I'm alittle confused though. I thought Crassius died during that first battle where Brennus was bottled up on that mountain. And what happened to Hadrian? Were names mixed up maybe, or am I just not getting it?

[Civ3King]

AHHHH I just want to kill myeself.........I made such a big mistake!!! For all those confussed........Crassius was SUPPOSED to be Hadrian.......uggh......Im sorry about that......I'll change it as soon as possible. Thats what I get for waiting too long between chapters..... Thank you for pointing that out East.

[Easthaven I]

I figured that. No problem, man. Keep the goods coming.

[vovan]

Well, as many thumbs as I have, they are all up for this story.

[Psycho1]

Very good I bet Brennus doesnt die not that way anyways but yes please keep it up!!!

[Civ3King]

Part 2 of Chapter 5: "End Game"


The sword came swiftly at his head as the woman finished her cry. Brennus however, had been through many battles and knew when danger was on his tale......or head in this situation.

"Oh crap!!", Brennus yelled out as he rolled off the plush bed and onto the floor with a "plop".

"Damn!!", the women yelled as she realized her fatal error. She quickly tried to pull the heavy blade out the bed it had become embeded in.

Brennus had now gottin onto his feet and was prepared to deal with his would be assassin. He charged around the bed and towards the struggling lady with his arms out and ready to hold her down.

Luckily for the women the blade had became lose from its former prison and as she moved the blade free she swong at the Celtian king. He instinctivly ducked the oncoming blade and moved forward at the women. In panic the women dropped the heavy blade and kicked upwards into the jaw of Brennues. Brennus staggered back from the blows impact about 3 feet. He regained his footing and continued to charge. Finally he managed to grab the women by both of her wrist and pined her to the wall.


He looked at the face of his assassin who was trying to avoid contact with his eyes. "Well well....beautiful and deadly, eh?...... Who are you and who sent you?"

The women looked downwards, still trying not to make contact eye to eye. "Why should I tell you?", she muttered under her breath.

Brennus quickly moved for the sword that was now laying on the floor behind him. He then set the sharpened edge on her neck.
"Ask that again.", he said with a smirk.

The lady sighed and finally looked upward to meet his eyes.
"My name is Ginovia......I was payed to kill you by a Roman general named Crassius something...."

His eyebrows perked up as the women talked.
"Where is he and his army now?", he said with more intrest as he let her wrist go.


"I don't know....he was North from here making some kind of wall and moat or something....to keep you locked down here while you cause trouble.", she said letting her hands down by her side.

Brennus turned released the blade from her neck and turned around towards the exit. He then walked towards the outside of his tent.

"Wait.....arn't you going to do something about me?", she asked a bit puzzled.

Brennus stopped in his tracks and turned around, to face the women who had dared to kill one of the most feared men in the Roman world. "No, your free to go......just don't try it again."

Ginovia smiled to herself as the burly man strutted out of the tent...She was beggining to like him.....




Hadrian sighed as he walked along the top of the newly constucted wall, ment to keep the celtian "beast" from busting out its cage. Things had gone from bad to worse for Hadrian. Rumors of Flavius's true death was floating about the camp and not only that, but Ceasar and Trajan were back from there conquest of Persia and were ordered to finish off what Hadrian didn't. It was becoming a battle for time.

"General.. we have news from the enemy", a foot soldier cried to his superior as he jogged up behind him.

Hadrian turned around to face the foot soldier who was holding a letter in his right hand. "What is it?", he set immedietly looking down at the letter.

The foot soldier handed the letter to his general and saluted him. "Its from the Celtian leader.". With that, the soldier jogged away from Hadrian,into the hazy night.

Hadrian muttered something under his breath, opened the letter, and began to read.......


To Genrel Hadrian of the Roman Army.


We have beeten your armies time and time again and have destroyed your crops and cities like your armies did to ours twenty years ago. Despite this....Im willing to negotaite peace with you and only you. If you agree...then you must allow my army free passage back to are home land of Gaul. If you do not accept then will hed north and destroy the wall you have challanged me with and continue are ramapage over the empire. It is your chose Hadrian, I pray to the gods you make the right one.......

Hadrians face stayed emtoionless and stolid as he finished the last sentence of the letter. He quietly wrapped the letter back into its orginal shape and chucked it into the mout that flowed along side the wall. Hadrian watched as the letter landed softly onto the water and floated away. He muttered something to himself and walked off.....


Brennus looked across the ocean which was on his right. The sun was just begging to set and the tide had lowered, revealing the true length of the beach. He sighed happily to himself as thoughts of finally going home entered his mind. Oh, how wonderful it would be to see his family and freinds once again. He especially wanted to get back to Gaul and restore order within his kingdom. But for now....he would enjoy the cool mist of sea spray that trickled onto his forhead.

Brennus closed his eyes, taking in all the sights and sounds of the beach. The seaguls cawing the water hitting the silky sand and washing back into the vast ocean..... He smiled once again as the sea spray met the side of his face and opened his eyes. However, what he would see was not sea spary, but Celtian blood........

Brennus looked in horror at his hands and cloths wich were covered in blood. He looked about him on every side until finally looking left. As he moved his head thousands of Roman troops were marching down the hilly sand dunes of the beach with there swords out and ready. He then looked down to a fallen Celtian man whoes blood had spirted from his arrow wound onto Brennus.

"How could this be? Hadrian agreed to peace!!", he yelled out in his mind.

Though he was yelling in his mind, he could not force himself to yell out commands to his troops who badly needed it. Already the first two groups of soldiers who had reacted quick enough to avoid death were being slaughtered by the Roman line. Finally he regained his senses and called in order for his men to form a tight defensive circle with there backs to the seashore.

In an instant, the new command spread throught out the Celtian ranks and a semi-circle was formed aound his position. The circle was so tight that man could smell the stink of echother and breathed the same warm air as theyreneighbor. Even though it was uncomfortable......the circle held against the onslaught of Roman troops that seemd to poor down endlessly from the hills.

Even Hadrian himself was down on the battlefeild fighting with his fellow Romans, which was quite a suprise to his troops and gave them a boost of confidence. "Left wing move towards the left side of there defensive circle and right wing move to the right!!", Hadrian cried out to his troops as he smashed his shortsword onto the Celtian sheild.

"Men!! Move forward into the center of there line.", Brennus called out to his own men. This was a dangerouse gammble, since it would make his sides less weaker, however if the push forward was strong enough he could break the middle line of his enemy. As dangerouse as it was....it was a risk he had to take.

The Celts shifted there defense into a full out offensive onto the center line. Brennusess plan seemed sucessful as the line began to weaken and the legions began to scatter to the sides. Hadrian who was at the very front of the line, looked in horror as he saw the Celtian King storm through the line in his exact direction.
"Troops, shift all offensive to the sides, do not hold back", Hadrian cried to his troops, hoping to counter his opponents move. It was clear to both Hadiran and Brennus that only one army would come out of this alive. It had become a deadly end game......


Brennus and his men had pushed deeper into the front line and Hadrian could now see the white of his eyes as he approched. Hadrian tried to lift his sword for to face Brennus, but he had frozen. Brennus took his chance and dashed at his frozen enemy, thrusting his sword forward with the charge. Hadrian could only close his eyes and wait for the cold iron to cut into his flesh........

That moment would never come.


Hadrian opened his eyes in relief as he saw about six Roman foot soldiers fending of Brennus from there leader. He managed to cut through two of them, but as mighty as Brennus was....he was out done. The soldiers hacked him down to the ground until the body could not be identified as the former terror of the Roman Empire it once was. Hadrian dropped his short sword to the ground and fell to his knees praising Jupitor for sparring his life. He then looked about aswhat was left of his right wing was picking off the last remaing remnants of the Celtian army. The battle and the war was over.....


Hadrian waved to the cheering crowd of Pompeii citzens who were standing along the main street of the cities forum. His army was sprayed with wine and loving wives of soldiers clinged to the returning husbands. Even those who had lost there husbands smiled and cheered, knowing that justice had been done. The sound of celebration and victory music filled the forum and echoed off the cities wall and grand aqueducts. Hadrian smiled gently and herocily to his addoring fans, but his happpy expression masqued the true feeling he had inside.

Hadrians chariot stopped on the steps of the Great Library towering over the forum and gracefully he walked up the steps towards the govener of Pompeii, Talaus. He stopped infront of the govener and piveted around to see the crowd.

"For his valor, strength, brillance, and most of all courage on the battlefeild against the nothern barbarians.....I personlly thank you on behalf of the Roman population and present you with this golden metal.", Talaus pronounced to Hadrian and the audience.
The crowd roared into a chears and appualse and chanted Hadirans name. Hadrian had one the trust of the people, the war, and most of all.....power, but still he was not happy......


Hadrian adjusted the leef crown that layed crooked on his head and turned around to walk into the shady buidling. His smile had drooped down into a solemn stare as he thought to himself.

"Hadrian..you just saved Rome from certain destruction, how can you look so down?", Talaus chuckled to himself as he spoke.

"Talaus....I don't deserve these awards for valor, strength, and courage. Talaus....I sneaked attacked the Celts when they declared peace......I murdered my own commander.....", Hadrian looked up at the Governer with ashamed eyes.

The governer stood quiet for a second then pointed to the crowd of Romans who were still celebrating. "They don't know that Hadiran.....and as long as you keep it to yourself.....then it dosn't matter. Besides, there only barabrians."

Hadrian shook his head, "Ive seen them fight Talaus.....theyremore then the savage barabrians we think they are.....they faught with more brillance, courage, and valor then any Roman general alive could. The way I see it governor.....They won the war.....", Hadrian took of the golden metal and dropped it in the hands of the governer. He shifetd his eyes forward and walked into the buidling......Striding in the same rythm Brennus had strided when he crossed the Rubicon......


*Breathes* Finally the end.... I hope you all enjoyed the story.

I want to personally thank Chrisius for staying with me on the story and encourging me to get off my lazy bumb to continue writing. Id also like to thanks everyone else who read my story and gave comments. I would appreciate anymore comments about my story (good or bad). Until then ...Cya next story

[vovan]

Very nice. Good story, Civ3King. I did enjoy it. The plot and the writing style are all pretty nice, though I found some of the dialogue a little awkward. I am gald you were able to finish it Hope you enjoyed writing it enough to undertake another one eventually.

[Easthaven I]

That was awesome, bro. Kind of reminded me of Hannibal's march through Italy. Totally unexpected ending, Bravo! I'll be looking forward to another one of your stories. Hopefully another Roman one.

[Civ3King]

Thanks Vovanism......if you could explain what you mean by akward dialogue or give an example, I would appreciate that....because I really want to improve on my writing.

[vovan]

Originally posted by Civ3King
Thanks Vovanism......if you could explain what you mean by akward dialogue or give an example, I would appreciate that....because I really want to improve on my writing.

Well, you see, it is kind of hard to explain and it might be just that I am way too picky. But you seem to like the ... a lot. It is surely fine to use every now and then, especially taking into consideration that we do not by any means strive for prefect grammar, according to strict rules - in other words, it is fine to make a mistake here and there, as long as it does not hinder the understanding of the story - but the places you plug it in in dialogues seem a little strange to me sometimes. The way I think you choose the places to stick the three dots atis like this: you know, how when we speak, we from time to time make very short pauses to take a breath? It seems to me that if I were to read the dialogue out loud, the places I would pause at to take a breath would be exactly at the points of your ... (ellipsis is it called? Any way, I'll call it that from here on, and if it is wrong, please correct me). But I think that they just interrupt the flow of speech in kind of strange ways. To me, the ellipsis means a longer pause than you would need to take a breath. Indeed, such pauses are actually denoted by a comma. The three dots, to me, mean a sort of long pause -- used for dramatic effect. But if you plug those in every four-five words, it seems a little odd.

And also another issue is, maybe you could type a little slower, or maybe proof-read your posts after you are done with them to weed out some of the typos? I noticed that some parts are quite good in that respect, while others seem to be typo-magnets. It's not a huge deal, but I think that to me it just suubconsciously takes away from the story.

Finally, I want to say this: in writing the above feedback, I tried to be as logical and constructive as possible, and tried to choose my words carefully. But I am afraid I still might have sounded too harsh. I want you to realize that I still like your story a lot, and by no means try to discourage you. On the contrary, I know for a fact that the more you write, the better you become. So, keep on writing.