Crusader's Legacy

[vovan]

CDG?

You are posting your story at three forums at the same time?

[SKILORD]

Creative Design groiup, not a story forum, go there for my America MOD in easier downloads.

[SKILORD]

good news for you who want a chapter soon, i'm using snippets of free time to compose a way longer chapter(s) on the notepad.

[SKILORD]

Well a freind talked me out of her ("She won't say no, but in the end you'll wish she had"), and I didn't get my car back (bloody mechanics) so my weekend plans are pretty much blown to hell.

I'll get a chapter up this weekend.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Well never mind young, SKILORD youve got plenty of time to meet a nice young lady, and as it is with most of us chaps there will come a time in your future when your wife is nagging you to talk to her instead of playing your silly games, and writing your stupid stories all the time, and your kids keep arguing with eachother and making loads of noise so as you cant get any GODDAMN PEACE anywhere. Daddy Darrels just hit me on the head with his skateboard, Yeah dad but she pulled my hair first blah blah blah blah on and on and on it goes oh please lord get me out of this madhouse.

I suppose what Im really trying to say is never mind and make the most of a bad situation while you still can.

As for the wife and kids well I wouldnt want to be without them really, well not all the time.

[SKILORD]

Chapter 5: Adversity

A legion of pikes pointed out, calling to their enemies. The men watched proudly, the red falcons upon their chestplates marked them Caeser's men. They were unafraid of the great beasts of war across the field, the Romans had long known the secret of Elephants....

Archers, armies, sat atop those elephants, watching, unassured by their surroundings, a general feeling of unease pervading their moving camp. A sea of boundless might set to clash with that rock, Pompeii.

Pompeii had long been the fortress of Caeser, built upon a great hill the Legions themselves had laid the groundwork for the settlers who came to conqure later. It was the pinnacle of Roman millitary might, of the brilliant engineering the people of that small empire enjoyed.

Fluffy white Clouds watched the scene dispassionately, as an uncaring sun magnanimously shed it's beams upon the feild for the armies to draw blood by.

-

Shiva and Mars eyed each other unsteadily, a feirce rage apparent in the flaring eyes of one party, he was more than prepared to rend his opponent to peices.

His opponent was Anugrahamurti, the merciful.

Samaharamuti had not manifested, the destroyer had elected not to fight this battle, the Merciful one had found himself alone, a hundred names he bore, but they would not be called tonight.

A sword was in his hand, but he was no war god, a horrific staff, fitted with a flame shaped blade on the end, not a roman weapon, but Mars' weapon of choice nonetheless, a belt holding his gladius (who can spell in Latin?) hung wearily from his hairy side, his long dark beared lifted in an angry grin.

"You have become quite the bully Shiva, first the Japanese, now....." he opened his arms wide, guestuering at the battlefeild they now held alone.

"There is little choice for the righteouss, we must survive, and to survive is to conqure, in this wold."

Mars laughed, "You could surrender now Anugrahamurti, there is little hope for you in my blade."

His head defiantly facing upwards Shiva spat.

"To survive is to conqure," he repeated.

"I'll enjoy this." Mars intoned.

-

From one side of the long, virgin battlefield to the other the armies charged, an angry red sea of Pikemen building a quick wall of their weapons against the charging elephants.

The sun had left, Apollo's chariot had ended it's cycle to rest beyond the great clouds which roared thunderously. The sound of Zeus's angry javelines rocking the world as a cradle. The cracks of light against the dark clouds lit the world, as the tears of angels were shed upon the once bountiful field.

But the riders had mostly dismounted, swords were drawn and the brave Indians forced their flesh past the pikes, past the death around them. When they closed there was no stopping them, death had found it's way to many sections of the Roman line.

But for the most part that line held, a wall of Iron and blood against the attackers. The elephants were harassed until they stampeded away, leaving an army of once mounted swordsmen behind and in their wake dead soldiers.

The Red Legions cheered. As victory lay seductively before them.

-

Metal clashed on metal, Shiva's sword lifted just in time to keep the deadly staff at bay. He backed away, a hasty retreat, sensing Mars's strength, knowing he couldn't match it.

Mars cocked his head, watching Anugrahamurti amusedly. Suddenly he charged forward, staff high shouting in an uncontrollable charge, the heavy Halbeird weighting his arms impossibly the axe came down, and Shiva's feeble sword rose to the challenge, prepared to take some of the great strike.

With incredible strength Mers stopped the Halbeird, shifting it's spin in the opposite direction, smashing Shiva's knee woth the blunt end, Shiva collapsed.

Something suddenly felt right, even as Mars continued to amuse himself, prodding the Indian God's body violently. For the first time in the battle, Shiva knew he could win, he felt a new presence within himself, a rising manifestation nearing culmination angrily, woken from a great slumber by the urgency of the situation.

Samaharamuti suddenly felt quite in control of the situation, as he began to prop himself up, even as the blunt blows fell mercilessly.

-

Ribbons of blood composed the dress of mourning, even as thunder lit the evening. Many a weary soldier crawled to the battlefield to held the land against their likewise weary counterparts, a dull silence pervaded the field, the birds were silent, most having died, only a few clangs of metal sounded wher halfhearted charges met half dead defenders, the positions mattered little now, they only gave the illusion of battle. The now red grass was more exciting to watch than the twin forces that faced each other.

-

"I'm in command now."

His was a confident voice, reinforcements often felt they could overcome that wich some inadequacy in their forebears had left undone. The new general was little different. He was young, clean shaven, a shining smile rare in his times matched with a golden hair rarer still in his dark italian nation.

"General Octavian, I understand you feel a certaint..."

"I feel," the newly arrived general cut in," That your men are unsuited to the task at hand. They are waiting for the Indians to make a mistake, we cannot waste our troops in such a way, while the Empire is at war. Pompeii is not alone in it's struggles, there are other cities out there." The voice became demeaning, challenging the intelligence of the man who had stood so long with his men outside Pompeii, had for so long, in Caeser's eyes at least, failed Rome.

The older man, his age exhaberated by lack of sleep and food looked down, in Japan he would have thrown himself upon his sword, but in Rome they were civilized, he could only wish he had that option as the ancient Legions took to the battle.

"God help us...." he muttered, finally beyond Octavian's control.

-

"Auxiliaries?"

"Uhhhh..... no sir," the assistant looked down at his crude wax tablet, still favored by the legatus's of the conservative roman army, "All the troops are purebred Romans."

"Good," Octavian was more than a little against the presence of other races in the army, they served their purpous, true, but they were an unpretty compromise until Romans could master all the skills of war.

He watched the men trudge into a sorry attention, their aching muscles unable to pay homage to his greatness, or so he thought.

"We are here today, to kick some butt...." he nodded at his own brilliant prose, his personal stenographer took it down quickly, soon it would be in every Roman newspaper.

"I promise you victory men, defeat isn't a n option for us. We will fight like ducks!"

A few mutters proved sufficiently that the army was, in fact listening to him, out of his line of vision the stenographer added the new quote.

Octavian giggled like a teenage girl as he watched the confused expressions.

"Just making sure you were listening," a general sigh came forth suddenly.

"Here's my plan, you guys," he pointed at the Pikemen who had kept the lines for weeks," are going to be renamed, the Cleanup crew, your new job is to get the Legionairres," he indicated his own men," whatever they need."

A growl began silently, but began nonetheless.

-

Suddenly the shaft broke. Mars looked curiously down at his victim to find a pair of flaring eyes looking back up at him.

"Ahhh, sh*t."

His Gladius leapt from it's scabbard and suddenly swung at Samaharamuti, who dodged it lazily.

A punch landed in Mars' solar plexus. he staggard back as Shiva's legs began an onsault to his face.

He picked up his sword from where it had fallen, as Mars regained equilibrium and prepared to parry. The blades came at supersonic pace, parry and thrust intertwined delicately in a dangerous dance.

Mars was wounded, slashes to the arms and legs had bled him weak, he began to fall back.

A stag suddenley knocked Shiva back, just as he found Mars falling.

Cerrenuos began to laugh, watching the frustration on Samaharamuti's face.

-

Ghandi looked up.

"What now?"

he was tired, long nights had taken their toll, hard days had robbed him of more, bags had formed under his wrinkled eyes.

"Ummmm... not good sir."

Ghandi sighed.

"Get it done with, i've been expecting it."

"The, ummmm, well the Celts..."

The crumpled paper, which had traveled many journeys, finally collapsed upon it's destination.

"oh... oh my."

[SKILORD]

Long enough there?

CFC's edition ill take a while. It is in the works.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Brilliant stuff SKILORD the best chapter yet!! this is really getting good and Im loving it dude.

[SKILORD]

thnx Chrisus, i should hope that it was good, took a good long time to write.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

It was excellent, but dont let me stop you from getting on with the next part

[SKILORD]

not tonight my friend, and I have to write the CFC edition first anyway (vova would notice if it didn't show up, though noone at CFC would)

EDIT: Damn, it's not night anymore....

Maybe I shouldn't yhave staid up so late.....

[vovan]

Absolutely astonshing! Both the quality and the quantity. Many a thumb up on this one, SKI. And yes, I do notice that the CFC version isn't up yet, but let me tell you, if you are going to do half as good a job for them as you did for us, I am ready to wait. (Not too long, though. )

[SKILORD]

Good news if you're reading the CFC edition, their alternate 'Adversity' chapter will be up thyis afternoon (since snow and hail has locked me at home)

[SKILORD]

vovan, the CFC chapter is up, and is, if I do say so myself, damn good.

[SKILORD]

Well, I expected to get a chapter up this afternoon as I had a day of absolute blessed freedom.

Events have rapidly turned against me in this particular theater, as I must now attend a job interview. (My 1st)

Wish me luck, and tell me what you think about the CFC version of Ch. 6 (It even got some feedback from them, eother that or my constant moaning