Thread Tools
Old May 25, 2003, 20:01   #1
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Flashes in Time
I have constantly been amazed by the stories that have been posted here. I have been inspired by the writings of ChrisiusMaximus, EastHaven I, Skilord, Prince Jason and many more. As such, here is my first attempt at a story. I hope you like it, and any feedback is highly appreciated.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 25, 2003, 20:03   #2
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Chapter 1: The Librarian

Adolphus Gustavus, son of Gustav Adolphus stared out over the great city of Carthage, capital of the Carthaginian Empire. He stood on the uppermost balcony of the Great Library at Carthage, a bastion of learning for nearly 2,500 years. The Library had attracted the world’s greatest thinkers, generation after generation, allowing the Carthaginians to stay ahead of their fellow countries in most things technological. In fact, the proliferation of great minds had enabled them to often reverse engineer many of their competitors’ inventions and make them their own. When all the great thinkers were stumped or too busy contemplating the meaning of life (“2”), the Carthaginians hoodwinked their neighbors by offering shiny trinkets and obsolete weapons in exchange for whatever knowledge was needed.

Adolphus knew all of this and a great deal more of course, because he was the Chief Librarian of the Great Library at Carthage. He was the 237th Chief Librarian (Librarians know these things), in the history of the Great Library. It had once been a hereditary position, but in 703 AD, the Chief Librarian and all of his family had been killed in a tragic fire that had destroyed hundreds of volumes of rare books. Many thinkers debated what was the larger loss: the librarian and his family or the rare books.

After that great tragedy, the Chief Librarian was selected by a council of the Senior Librarians, based upon who was best suited for the position. As the position was no longer hereditary, over time individuals who were not born in Carthage or any part of the Carthaginian Empire for that matter were able to become Chief Librarian. Ever since he was a small boy, Adolphus had dreamed of becoming Chief Librarian of the Great Library. He had studied at the University of Berlin, in his native Germania, and had gone on to graduate studies at the famed University of Leptis Magna. After a decades of working his way through the highly structured Library staff, he had a ascended to the position of a Senior Librarian, and the only five years earlier, Chief Librarian. At 68 years old he had been one of the oldest to ascend to the position of Chief Librarian, and he was only the third German to attain the position.

The focus of Adolphus’ gaze was a large platform on the outskirts of the city, barely visible to his eye. Given the great distance and the deterioration of his eyes at his advanced age, to say that the platform was large would be an understatement. It was without a doubt the largest construction project in the entire Carthaginian Empire. On that platform, rested the great Space Ship Hannibal, preparing for the epic journey to Alpha Centauri. The ship had been named for the heroic leader who had founded their nation and after whom all leaders of the Carthaginians had been named.

Adolphus shifted his view to the city before him, and he could easily detect the signs of overcrowding and pollution that had driven the entire world to seek refuge in the stars. Skyscrapers blotted the skyline and a cloudy haze clung to many of the monstrous constructions. To tell the truth, although the Library was a rather tall building in its own right (numerous additions over the ages), and contained many balconies like the one Adolphus stood upon, only this one, outside his personal office, afforded him a view of the S.S. Hannibal.

The city itself was in a frenzy as the launch of the Hannibal was only hours away, Carthage had won the space race decades earlier with the launch of the Jupiter Mission. That early jump on its rival nations allowed them to overcome the greater productive capacity of both the Egyptians and the Americans. Carthage would become the first to reach Alpha Centauri, but the Americans and Egyptians would certainly follow. However, Carthage would be the first and would be able to select the prime locations and therefore dominate Alpha Centauri much as they dominated Earth, perhaps even more completely.

Adolphus thought about the oldest an most treasured book in the vaults of the Library, a rendering of the story describing the founding of the Carthaginians by Hannibal. He thought it appropriate that in the moment of Carthage’s greatest glory that he remember their humble beginnings, thousands of years earlier. The book itself was nearly a thousand years older than the library, and had been saved by the youngest son of the Chief Librarian in the great fire of 703. The son had died from a combination of smoke inhalation and third degree burns when he had broken from his mother’s arms and rushed back into the Library to save the book. The book was now far too fragile to touch and was preserved in a controlled environment, however many copies had been made and preserved. Not surprisingly, Adolphus had read and memorized the story as a child and he marveled at the great strides…
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 25, 2003, 20:42   #3
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Chapter 2/Part 1: The Leader (Some 6,000 years earlier)

Malchus marveled at the great strides of Hannibal as he traversed the camp in search of the scoundrel responsible for letting the harvest of grapes rot. Malchus often found himself in awe of his friend and leader Hannibal. Hannibal’s size and strength often inspired loyalty from his fellow Carthaginians, but it was Hannibal’s intelligence that often impressed his friend Malchus. The Carthaginians were a nomadic people who roamed across the plains, through the forests and over the hills. They would stop for no more than a season if the mood struck them, but no more than that. Hannibal’s newest idea was to turn their people from their nomadic ways to those of a stationary and sedentary people. He thought that Hannibal was crazy to attempt such a thing, but he was loyal to his friend and he was willing to follow him in anything he did. He couldn’t wait to hear how Hannibal was going to convince the nomadic Carthaginian people to settle down. Malchus decided to run after his friend and see how he was going to deal with the wayward youth who let the grapes spoil.

“Hey, Hannibal. Wait up.” Malchus yelled as he chased after his friend. “I wouldn’t miss this for all the tea in China.” Hannibal slowed his stride marginally, but just enough so his friend could catch him without running a full out sprint.

By the time Malchus caught up with Hannibal he was nearly out of breath and Hannibal was nearly to the tent of the wayward youth he was searching for.

“Thanks for waiting,” Malchus complained good-naturedly. A grunt was the only response he got from his taciturn friend. “What do you plan to do to Marcius?”

“Actually, nothing. I’m pretty sure by now that he has heard from others that I’m here to tear his hide apart, and his imagination is far more creative than mine. After I scream at him a little, and promise to throw him out of the tribe if he screws up again, I’m sure he’ll be more concerned with tending to his duties than drawing pictures.” Hannibal gave a wan smile as he headed for the tent.

“Marcius!” Hannibal yelled as he barged through the tent flap of the young artist. The young man was cowering on the floor on the far side of the tent.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” whined the young man as he groveled on the floor.

“Hurt you. You think I’m going to hurt you?” Hannibal asked incredulously. Malchus found it hard to keep a straight face at the degree of sincerity in his friend’s voice. “When I’m through with you, you are going to wish that I had hurt you. You need to learn a little responsibility, and the first step towards that goal is by having you clean up after the animals for a few weeks. That’ll keep you too busy to find time to draw pictures when you should be working. If you do that well, I may have a use for those artistic talents of yours.”

“Oh, thank you. Thank you. You are too kind.” Marcius continued to whimper, although he was obviously relieved..

“Cut it out. Don’t make me change my mind and order you whipped.” Hannibal muttered disgustedly as he turned and stormed out of the tent.

Once again Malchus found himself hurrying to catch up. “That was certainly anti-climatic, but I think you’re right. He will certainly think twice before shirking his duties again, and at the same time he will be grateful that you didn’t thrash him. I don’t know how you do it, I would have just beaten him to a pulp and expected that to do the job. Everyone know you are capable of it, and at times you’ve had to use violence, but you seem to be far more effective without it.”

“I don’t like violence, Malchus. I use it when I must, but if I think I can avoid it I will. That I have proven my skill in battle only helps me to avoid violence because most people would rather not test me. I play on that to get most people to do what I want. However, I don’t think I’ll be able to do that with the whole tribe tonight.” Hannibal sighed as he thought of the speech he planned on making at the meeting tonight.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton

Last edited by Paulypav; May 29, 2003 at 22:33.
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 25, 2003, 20:47   #4
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
The rest of Chapter 2 will come later, I haven't exactly written it yet, so you'll have to be patient. There will be a lot of dialogue and I'm not very confident with dialogue. I hope you all like the story.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 25, 2003, 23:17   #5
SKILORD
Never Ending StoriesCivilization III MultiplayerApolyton Storywriters' Guild
King
 
SKILORD's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Don't you feel silly now?
Posts: 2,140
I'm impressed.

No, really, I am. It's pretty good and your dialouge isn't half bad at all, so feel confident.

:thumbsup: to you. Keep it up.
SKILORD is offline  
Old May 26, 2003, 04:45   #6
ChrisiusMaximus
Civilization III PBEMApolyton Storywriters' GuildCivilization III Democracy GameC3CDG Blood Oath HordeC4DG The HordeC4BtSDG Rabbits of CaerbannogCiv4 SP Democracy GameCivilization IV PBEMC4WDG éirich tuireann
Emperor
 
ChrisiusMaximus's Avatar
 
Local Time: 03:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Staffordshire England
Posts: 8,321
Great start, glad to see you take the plunge and start a story.
__________________
A proud member of the "Apolyton Story Writers Guild".There are many great stories at the Civ 3 stories forum, do yourself a favour and visit the forum. Lose yourself in one of many epic tales and be inspired to write yourself, as I was.
ChrisiusMaximus is offline  
Old May 27, 2003, 11:01   #7
Kaos XIII
Warlord
 
Kaos XIII's Avatar
 
Local Time: 21:20
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: May 2003
Location: beautiful coastal city of... Que te Importa
Posts: 255
Very good, especially being your first. Keep it coming!
__________________
"The Pershing Gulf War began when Satan Husane invaided Kiwi and Sandy Arabia. This was an act of premedication."
Read the Story ofLa Grande Nation , Sieg oder Tod and others, in the Stories Forum
Kaos XIII is offline  
Old May 28, 2003, 21:25   #8
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to have the next section up sometime tommorrow, but I've been a little busy. It's about 3/4 written.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 08:01   #9
unscratchedfoot
Prince
 
unscratchedfoot's Avatar
 
Local Time: 11:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Love me tender. Love me sweet.
Posts: 839
Not bad, not good either.

Just joking, its a fine start. Keep the goods coming or we'll try to make you sedentary.
unscratchedfoot is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 20:28   #10
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
I hope to get something typed up later tonight, although its gotten rather larger than I expected. I had some time to write in class today. The professor was going over stuff I had already done before so it was a good time to get some writing done.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 21:09   #11
Ksim3000
Chieftain
 
Ksim3000's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 84
Nice start! I can't wait to see how this one turns out!
Ksim3000 is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 22:19   #12
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Chapter 2 Part II – The Meeting (That Evening)

A hush settled over the assembled crowd of village elders, parents, young adults and children as Hannibal stepped upon the rock that had been settled upon as the best spot from which to speak. There were approximately 700 men, women, and children assembled out of the 2,000 or so tribe members. As with any group there some who were not interested in listening to speeches, but the bulk of those missing were attending to other valuable tasks, including attending their families, and those hunting for the tribe or protecting the outskirts of the tribe’s camp. Of course, just about everyone consider to be important was in attendance. Sitting in places of honor at the front of the assemblage were the tribe’s elders, as well as the elders of the four other Carthaginian tribes. While in theory, the five tribes were autonomous; Hannibal was looked to as the nominal leader of them all.

Hannibal gazed out upon the gathered throng and took a deep breath to calm himself. He didn’t mind addressing large crowds, although he once had been, but years of practice had eased any nervousness that he had once felt. However, the magnitude of what he was about to say caused him a great deal more nervousness than he had felt in some time. Once he steadied himself he began:

“Esteemed Elders, Brothers, Sisters, Sons and Daughters, for I consider you all part of my family, thank you for coming. I have asked all of you including our brothers and sisters from our fellow tribes because I feel that we have come to a critical point in our lives.” Hannibal paused briefly to allow that thought to sink in. “For hundreds of years our people have traveled the plains, living off the land, gathering fruits, berries and other edible foods, and hunting the herds of buffalo and deer. However, as our people have grown more numerous the herds have thinned and it becomes hard to gather enough food from what grows naturally to survive. We are proud of our nomadic heritage, our ability, our freedom to pack up and move whenever and wherever we choose. We have mocked and jeered our brethren who have forsaken the life of the road and chosen one place to live. But remember, they too survive just as we survive. Their ways may be different, but they do work, and they may work for us.” Some members of the crowd jeered and hissed his words, but Hannibal continued. “In fact, I do not believe that we can survive as a people roaming freely across the plains. We have simply grown too large for that way of life to remain successful.”

At this declaration there was a much larger chorus of boos and hisses, spattered with applause, although most of those who clapped were stared down by their neighbors or elbowed roughly in the ribs. Then the shouts began:

“You’re crazy!”

“I’ll never live in one place!”

“Have you been smoking the peace pipe?”

“But we’ll starve.”

“How will we protect ourselves?”

“I’m not a stinking farmer!”

Hannibal stood there and absorbed the assorted complaints and insults, for it was nothing that he had not expected. The Carthaginians were a proud people and not overly willing to change, but change they must if they were to survive. What heartened him greatly was that none of the elders had joined in with the protest, although based on their reactions and the huddled whispering there was sure to be some objections. Again not unanticipated. Some of the elders looked as if they had just bitten a lemon, a feeling not unlike his own feelings when he had first grasped the idea. Hannibal had a grander view of the way life in the tribe was going and it was clear to him that they could not survive living free on the plains, smaller groups would continue to exist, but some large groups needed to settle down.

Hannibal sensed his friend Malchus moving up protectively behind him, and he motioned him back although he appreciated the gesture. He then held his hands up in a supplicating gesture asking for silence. The muttering and shouts continued for a moment or two longer and then died down.

“Please let me address your concerns, those that I could hear, but as I am only one man, I can only address one problem at a time. Many of you are concerned about feeding ourselves if we settle down, but is for just that reason I feel we must settle down. Are there not many people who live in one place and do not starve? Do they not grow crops for themselves? Do we not trade our goods for some of their food?” Hannibal paused and looked out at the crowd. He spied Janus, the tanner, with his hand raised patiently waiting to be noticed (right on schedule, Hannibal noted). “Yes, my brother. What troubles you?”

Janus spoke with great concern, “A farmer can grow crops enough to feed himself and his family, and still have some to trade. But there are many, many more of us, not just a farmer and his family. How can we survive on just one farm?”

Hannibal smiled, Janus’ performance was perfect. He was glad that he had approached the venerable tanner ahead of time and asked him to set up the response Hannibal needed to make. “Since we are many people, we must have many farms, larger farms, with many farmers. The grass grows green and long across most of the plains, why wouldn’t corn and wheat grow just as well?”

“What about droughts?” Shouted a voice from the crowd.

“What about them?” Hannibal asked rhetorically. “If we pick the proper location, one near a water source, like a lake or a river, a drought will not be that bad. We will be able to irrigate our crops and only in extreme cases will a river or lake dry up, if a drought is that bad we would be hurt just as much living freely on the plains as we would in a settlement. I believe that we can grow more than enough crops to supplement our diet of meat that we will continue to acquire with the help of our hunters.

“However, I believe that we should also gather many of the buffalo and cattle that gather on the plains and guide them near to wherever we choose to live. It is an idea for the future for there are few buffalo or cattle that will allow a man to force them where to go. At the very least we can set up camps nearby the herds that can keep tabs on the herd, gathering some for meat and hides.” Hannibal could see many people talking animatedly among themselves, seeing how food might not be a problem, but there were still more problems to be addressed before the people would support him.

“I know that many of you are worried about our safety if we stay in one place, where our enemies, few that they may be can easily find us. If all five tribes are gathered together who would be willing to attack a group of our size. What warriors among you plan on putting down your swords?” The hisses he got from the warriors among the crowd were all the response he needed. We will still need men to fight and protect us just as we always have. I do not think that we need fear our enemies, for we will grow strong as we grow.”

At this point, Hannibal noticed a burly warrior pushing his way to the front of the crowd. When he reached the front he asked, well more like stated “Why should we chain ourselves to one place? Always have we traveled the plains like the birds through the sky, free and unfettered. We value freedom and we always have, if we settle in one place that freedom will be lost and we will be tied to the land. I for one greatly value being able to pick up and move whenever I choose.” The good feeling that had been growing throughout the crowd disappeared and much of the previous discord returned, albeit diminished from its height. This was the point that Hannibal needed to win, if he was to convince them to change their lives in order to save themselves. Solid, tangible things like food and shelter were easy to convince the people about for the methods to assuage their fears existed. But an intangible concept like freedom, that was hard to argue especially when what you asked your people to do appeared to be asking them to give up that freedom.”

“Honored warrior, you speak of the bird and its freedom, the eagle soaring through the air, the sparrow flitting from tree to tree. Does not the eagle have its aerie, the sparrow its nest, so must we have a home to return to. We need not spend all of our time in our settlement, like the hen on her nest protecting her eggs, but we can leave our ‘nest’ soaring about the plains, but at night, or after many nights we will have a nest to return to. Even better than the eagle or the sparrow our fellow Carthaginians will be protecting our nests so that the weasel cannot enter and steal our eggs.

“Just because you choose to join a settled community does not mean that you must remain there at all times. Will we not need warriors to protect our lands roaming the countryside looking for enemies? Will we not need hunters to bring us meat? Will we not need trappers to find us furs? Will we not need scouts to explore the land? In that way can you be part of our settled community and still travel about the land living the life that we all live now, but cannot continue to live we wish to survive.”

The warrior looked much relieved, “I had not thought of it in that way. Let me be one of the first to volunteer to be a warrior to protect our new settlement if that is what must be. I mourn the loss of freedom to those of my brothers who will live in the villages, but I see the need and will protect them to the best of my ability.” He bent to one knee and held his hand to his heart. “Hail, Hannibal my liege.”

At this, there was much muttering among the tribal elders, Hannibal turned to address them. “My brothers, there is something that is troubling you can I help address your fears?”

An elderly man stepped forward “To be blunt, who do you intend to have rule this settlement?”

“I do not see why our current arrangement needs to change. Why cannot we all work together to run the community?” Hannibal hoped that this would fall apart because of petty jealousies.

“It appears to us that you plan to grab all of the power for yourself.” Many in the crowd cried out to protest the comment and the tone with which it was stated, although many others shouted out Hannibal’s name to show their support for such an idea. “You are the one with all the answers and so all the people will look to you as their savior.”

“It is not my intention to seize power, it is to save our people. I will gladly step aside and let anyone else lead our people if they can lead them to salvation. This is far bigger than any one man.”

It was in that moment that Hannibal truly endeared himself to the people, for he showed he was willing to sacrifice power in order to save his people. The elders were mostly satisfied that Hannibal was not looking to take power for himself, and after a few more procedural questions they agreed to bring the idea back to their own tribes.

The tribe itself met for several more hours that night and on many nights after that where they continued to discuss the merits of the idea. Hannibal and his staunchest supporters were everywhere answering questions and receiving suggestions that were often incorporated into their plans. Over time it became generally accepted by the members of Hannibal’s tribe that they would find a place to settle and the discussions turned from the merits of settling to where they should settle.

Within a few months, representatives of each of the other four tribes contacted Hannibal’s tribe announcing their intention to join Hannibal’s tribe in forming a permanent community. After much hand-wringing and argument over suitable locations a site for the town of Carthage was selected. Near a bend in the Apollus River, and within a few miles of what would become known as the Iron Hills, in the middle of a vast grassland and within reach of a small forest was formed the town that would one day become the site of perhaps man’s most important event…
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 22:23   #13
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Wow, can't believe that parts finished. It's probably lacking a little blood and guts for the war-mongers among you, but rest assured there will be some in this story.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 22:32   #14
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
...Adolphus snapped back to the present. He had a rare gift among people, his imagination was so vivid that he practically experienced the stories that he had read, none more vividly than the story that he knew best, the founding of Carthage. From the founding of a civilization to the launch of a planet saving expedition had not been a breeze. Adolphus remembered the first meetings of the Carthaginians with the French and the disastrous repercussions it had on both nations in their infancy. In fact, the great historian Livius had written a stirring peace on the early encounters between the two civilizations…
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 29, 2003, 22:37   #15
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
So a really long section followed by a much shorter section. For any who are confused by the flashback to our librarian, I plan to use him as an introduction to a collection of events in the history of the Carthaginian Empire, of which I will only tell a small part. If there are any particular stories that anyone would like to see done in more detail, or more importantly since I have to write them, that I would like to see in more detail, I will probably do so in a new story thread. Enjoy and thanks for reading. Once again feedback is highly appreciated.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old May 30, 2003, 09:58   #16
unscratchedfoot
Prince
 
unscratchedfoot's Avatar
 
Local Time: 11:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Love me tender. Love me sweet.
Posts: 839
I hope a war is coming!
unscratchedfoot is offline  
Old May 30, 2003, 12:20   #17
Kaos XIII
Warlord
 
Kaos XIII's Avatar
 
Local Time: 21:20
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: May 2003
Location: beautiful coastal city of... Que te Importa
Posts: 255
The flashbacks are Now let's here about the meeting with the French.
__________________
"The Pershing Gulf War began when Satan Husane invaided Kiwi and Sandy Arabia. This was an act of premedication."
Read the Story ofLa Grande Nation , Sieg oder Tod and others, in the Stories Forum
Kaos XIII is offline  
Old May 30, 2003, 15:42   #18
ChrisiusMaximus
Civilization III PBEMApolyton Storywriters' GuildCivilization III Democracy GameC3CDG Blood Oath HordeC4DG The HordeC4BtSDG Rabbits of CaerbannogCiv4 SP Democracy GameCivilization IV PBEMC4WDG éirich tuireann
Emperor
 
ChrisiusMaximus's Avatar
 
Local Time: 03:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Staffordshire England
Posts: 8,321
Good stuff Pauly, damn fine idea with the librarians flashbacks.
__________________
A proud member of the "Apolyton Story Writers Guild".There are many great stories at the Civ 3 stories forum, do yourself a favour and visit the forum. Lose yourself in one of many epic tales and be inspired to write yourself, as I was.
ChrisiusMaximus is offline  
Old June 10, 2003, 22:46   #19
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
It's been hard to find time to write, but I finally have gotten another section written. It's getting more action oriented and the next section will have even more action.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old June 10, 2003, 22:48   #20
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Chapter 3 Part 1: The Farmer(The Warrior)

Rantu shuffled behind his pair of oxen as they plodded across the field, breaking the soil for the coming years’ planting. The sun glared down upon the sturdy farmer, baking his skin in the noontime daylight. Rantu was taking advantage of an extremely early weeklong break in the spring temperature, which had allowed the ground to thaw early. Normally, this time of year there would have been frost on the ground in the morning, if not snow, and the day would have been cold, damp and windy. Rantu’s gnarled hands gripped the yoke tightly as he prepared to turn his oxen at the edge of the plowed field. This was the point where his property came closest to that of his neighbor and long-time friend, Didrian.

Suddenly, the oxen shifted in their traces, jerking Rantu to full awareness. He looked about to see what had startled the oxen, expecting to see a squirrel or some other tiny forest creature darting in their path. He did not see any small creature, nor did he see or hear anything unusual. He was about to resume his work when he detected a hint of smoke in the air. “That fool, Didrian. Lighting a fire on such a fine day. Certainly, nothing to worry about.” Like many a farmer, Rantu talked to his beasts to calm them and to pass the time. He pushed hard on the yoke to inspire the oxen to move forward again.

He managed a few more steps, when it became obvious that the smoke came from more than a hearth fire. Didrian’s farmhouse was nearly two miles away through the woods that separated their farms. As he gazed through the trees in the general direction of his friend’s home he began to notice smoke creeping through the trees.

“Merciful God.” Rantu thought to himself at the sight of the smoke. Before it really registered in his mind, he was crashing through the trees towards his friend and neighbor’s home. Rantu was not worried about his own home as it lay well away from the woods and was in no immediate danger from a fire. His friend liked being close to the woods and so had built his home right up against the forest edge and a forest in the woods would endanger the home. Luckily, the main path to his friend’s home appeared to lie well away from the fire and the thick smoke did not yet choke the path. As he grew nearer to the house, wisps of smoke had reached the path and the clearing was engulfed in smoke.

Rantu could hear the crackling and roaring of the fire from the general direction of his Didrian’s home, several hundred yards away. He tore a strip from his shirt and covered his mouth, then he bolted frantically towards his neighbor’s house in what was sure to be a vain effort to save Didrian and his family from the roaring inferno. It seemed fairly obvious that the source of the fire had to have been relatively close to the house if it wasn’t the house itself.

Halfway across the hazy clearing he tripped and fell over what seemed to be a fallen log. He scrambled quickly to his feet and kept running. His legs were damp from the combination of sweat and dampness from the fall. As he got clearer it became painfully obvious that the house was engulfed and flame and the nearby woods had not caught fire.

“Didrian!” Rantu screamed. “Marcius! Antonia! Anybody!” Rantu wailed as he tried to get near to the house, but the heat was far too intense. If Rantu had been thinking rationally it would have been immediately clear that there was nothing he could do to save the house or his friends if they had been trapped inside. All too soon, Rantu was choking on the smoke through his hastily improvised mask and he collapsed to the ground. He began crawling away from the house in an attempt to get some clearer air to breath. Behind him there was a great groaning noise and the house collapsed upon itself, Rantu felt searing heat along his back and he began rolling over afraid he had caught fire.

Rantu resumed crawling, sobbing all the way, mourning the loss of his long-time friend. Through the haze, he could began to make out an indistinct lump on the ground ahead of him. It was unusual enough that he decided to investigate, the air was clear enough that he could breath without too much effort. As he approached the shape it became readily apparent that the shape was that of a man crumpled on his side. Dread clutched his innards and his greatest fears were confirmed when he saw that the body was that of his friend, Didrian. Hoping against hope that Didrian had passed out from smoke inhalation, he scrambled to his friend’s side prepared to help him. His friend’s shirt was soaked in blood and the body was twisted awkwardly on the ground. He could also see that two feathered arrow protruded from his friend’s back, his friend was not unconscious and fire and smoke had not caused his death. With great certainty, Rantu felt that the bodies of Didrian’s wife and daughters were burned in the house or laying somewhere out in the field.

Rantu had spent five years as an archer in the Carthaginian Army and these arrows were like nothing he had ever seen. The shaft was slightly longer than the ones he had used and the fletching was made of brightly colored feathers, the likes of which he or no other Carthaginian had ever seen. Although, 20 years had passed since he had left his archer regiment to start his farm (sacking barbarian villages had been sickening, but highly profitable), his military training kicked in and he began to think of protecting his home and warning the nearby village and the small garrison located there. It was clear that Didrian’s training had not saved him, but he had not been prepared, Rantu was.

Rantu knew that the path he had taken between Didrian’s farm and his own was barely noticeable, and looked like nothing more than a deer run at the point it connected to the clearing. It should be safe for him to return to his own farm via that path. He hoped that the invaders who had slaughtered his friend had traveled away from his farm and not towards it. The smoke would work to conceal his own movements from anyone who might be looking for him or anyone like him. He was not worried about making noise as the path he was taking was well away from any other paths, nor was he particularly loud when traveling through the forest. Rantu hunted to supplement the harvests from his farm and had learned how to move silently through the forest even at speed. He needed to return to his home so he could retrieve his bow, arrows and sword to protect himself and his wife whom he had to get away from his home and to a place of safety. Rantu considered himself a fairly good archer, although not nearly as good as he had been 20 years earlier.

When he emerged from the woods close to his own home he was startled at movement in the fields right where he intended to leave the forest. A quick glance told him that his oxen had remained placidly standing where he had left them. Seeing no sign of the enemy about his fields he decided to make a mad dash for his farmhouse. It was nearly half a mile from the woods to his front door and he had a dreadful feeling that a dozen archers were going to spring up from nowhere just as he got to his home. No such invaders were waiting for him and he burst through his front door without incident.

“Lucia, Lucia,” he called delicately; afraid his voice would carry to unfriendly ears. His heart skipped a beat when he heard her call back softly.

“Yes, my dear.” His wife’s voice came weakly from the bedroom. He had forgotten that she had not been feeling well when he left this morning to plow the fields. She had probably been lying in bed taking an early afternoon nap after completing the morning’s chores.

“Lucia, we must leave immediately. We are in grave danger.”

“What!” She bolted up in her bed, the previous malaise gone as the shock energized her system.

“Didrian’s farm has been burned to the ground. Someone put a couple of arrows in his back before that. I couldn’t find Marcius or Antonia, but I fear the worst for them as well. We must leave before they find us here.” Rantu could see a thousand questions on his wife’s face, but she got up and began changing into clothes suitable for the road. He began rummaging through his belongings stuffing clothing and other useful items into a small sack. “Go to the kitchen, grab as much useful food as you can and put it in this sack.” He handed her another small sack, large enough to carry a few days supply of food. “I’ll pack some clothing for both of us and a few other necessities, but we must move quickly and quietly.”

As Lucia moved to the kitchen, Rantu reached under their bed and pulled out the oilskin, which contained his polished Yew Longbow and a quiver with 25 arrows. He also pulled out his scabbard and short sword from under the bed. He was not well trained in the use of the sword, and if it came to hand – to – hand fighting, he was in trouble, but the feel of it on his hip comforted him, nonetheless. He slung the bow and quiver over his back, stuffed some clothing for his wife into a separate sack and returned to the kitchen he had passed through only minutes earlier.

Rantu had finished quickly, his years in the army had taught him to travel quickly and lightly. Lucia had nearly completed packing the food when he entered the kitchen, selecting those foods that would be best preserved while on the road. Rantu helped her to pack the last few items of food and picked up the pack of food, he handed her the sack with her clothing and personal items and motioned silently for her to leave by the back door. At this point, he wanted to minimize the noise that they made to prevent their unknown enemies from being alerted to their presence. More importantly there were a number of trails that led from the woods that lay behind the farmhouse. They formed a maze of paths that would require time for even an expert tracker to follow and would hopefully give the couple a fair head start if they were chased. Additionally, he intended to double back and create a few false trails, which would further delay any unwanted pursuers. The woods began nearly a thousand yards from the farmhouse and Rantu headed towards what he considered the main trail from the woods. None of the trail were obvious from as close as the farmhouse, but upon close inspection could be seen with little difficulty. The couple walked in silence down the main trail, Lucia was fairly teeming with questions, but she knew that the time to ask them had not come. After about 10 minutes of walking down the trail, he stopped his wife to explain his plan.

“What are you doing?” Lucia whispered.

“I am going back to set some false trails to confuse and delay them. I want you to head for the small clearing further down this path. It should take a few hours for you to get there, and I should arrive within an hour after you. If I’m not there within two hours after you get there, head for your sister’s home in Utica.” He embraced his wife of 17 wonderful years. “Go now, I Love You, and I will be with you in a few hours.”

“I Love you too.” She kissed him and turned and headed down the trail. Rantu turned and headed back to take care of concealing their trail.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old June 11, 2003, 07:01   #21
unscratchedfoot
Prince
 
unscratchedfoot's Avatar
 
Local Time: 11:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Love me tender. Love me sweet.
Posts: 839
Are you running from INTERPOL or something? You seem to know good about shaking off pursuers. That episode was fine but I'm wondering how these 3 pretty much unrelated parts fit together.
unscratchedfoot is offline  
Old June 11, 2003, 14:22   #22
ChrisiusMaximus
Civilization III PBEMApolyton Storywriters' GuildCivilization III Democracy GameC3CDG Blood Oath HordeC4DG The HordeC4BtSDG Rabbits of CaerbannogCiv4 SP Democracy GameCivilization IV PBEMC4WDG éirich tuireann
Emperor
 
ChrisiusMaximus's Avatar
 
Local Time: 03:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Staffordshire England
Posts: 8,321
Yes that was a nice addition and as Scratch says how these three parts fit together needs to be explained.

I will add however that youre last part has the makings of a story in its own right.

Looking forward to more .
__________________
A proud member of the "Apolyton Story Writers Guild".There are many great stories at the Civ 3 stories forum, do yourself a favour and visit the forum. Lose yourself in one of many epic tales and be inspired to write yourself, as I was.
ChrisiusMaximus is offline  
Old June 11, 2003, 16:31   #23
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Each of these stories are intended to comprise the history of the Carthaginian people through a sequence of characters. We first saw the establishment of the Carthaginian people through Hannibal, now we see the Carthaginians facing perhaps their first invasion as alluded to by the words of the librarian.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
Old June 11, 2003, 17:35   #24
ChrisiusMaximus
Civilization III PBEMApolyton Storywriters' GuildCivilization III Democracy GameC3CDG Blood Oath HordeC4DG The HordeC4BtSDG Rabbits of CaerbannogCiv4 SP Democracy GameCivilization IV PBEMC4WDG éirich tuireann
Emperor
 
ChrisiusMaximus's Avatar
 
Local Time: 03:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Staffordshire England
Posts: 8,321
Ive just realised that you had already made that clear after part 2, and as such I would definitely like to see part three continued as a seperate tale as and when you see fit
__________________
A proud member of the "Apolyton Story Writers Guild".There are many great stories at the Civ 3 stories forum, do yourself a favour and visit the forum. Lose yourself in one of many epic tales and be inspired to write yourself, as I was.
ChrisiusMaximus is offline  
Old June 11, 2003, 21:56   #25
Paulypav
Warlord
 
Paulypav's Avatar
 
Local Time: 02:20
Local Date: November 2, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Shirley, NY, USA
Posts: 120
Don't worry I intend to continue part 3. I expected the parts to be shorter when I first conceived of them, but I have found upon writing them that I had more to say than I thought I did. It had been a while since I had posted something, so I decided to find a convenient place to make a break. When I get more time I will certainly continue the storyline.
__________________
“The American people have now spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what
they said.” — President Clinton
Paulypav is offline  
 

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 22:20.


Design by Vjacheslav Trushkin, color scheme by ColorizeIt!.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Apolyton Civilization Site | Copyright © The Apolyton Team