Nice update again. I thought Mongolia was also at war or was about to be with England.

As Miles Teg said, Wikipedia is a wonderful thing.

Hmm, I don't remember that part of Dune... :p

Hmm, I don't remember that part of Dune... :p

No? It was in the scene where Gurney Halleck is showing Duncan Idaho's clone how to use Google. You really don't remember? ;)

Now lemme think, here...
Okay, Rome has Rifles. Rome and England are best buddies/lovers. England is at war with Greece. Rome is chivalrous. Rome defends English lady-friend with said Rifles.
So...Roman/English Alliance pitted against Greeks. Did you enable PAs at all, or no? Also, since PAs are enabled by Fascism, it'll be awkward. "Rome bows down to Mussolini, then institutes a PA with England." The first part is accurate, the second part not so much...

No? It was in the scene where Gurney Halleck is showing Duncan Idaho's clone how to use Google. You really don't remember? ;)

Oh god, the images! CHOAM lecturing on the pop up ad industry, A Bene Gesserit monograph on the Lolcat meme, Thousands of scams trying to sell you partial ownership of Dune, Tleilaxu in the porn industry...

Can you imagine how big the internet of the Million Worlds would be? And after the scattering..

Since I forgot to say so earlier, Nice update!

I'm wondering, were there always only three civs on the second continent or were some wiped out? I havent seen any non-English/Mongolian/Greek sounding cities but I haven't really been paying that close of attention to the screen shots.

I'm wondering, were there always only three civs on the second continent or were some wiped out? I havent seen any non-English/Mongolian/Greek sounding cities but I haven't really been paying that close of attention to the screen shots.
It was a standard-sized map, so I chose the standard 7 civs. Rome, Spain, Japan, and the Aztecs wound up on my continent, while England, Greece, and Mongolia were on the other one.

do i hear the beating of war drums in the near future?

reminds me of an old old song (can't remember the singer): i hear the sounds, of distant drums....

'The drums, the drums, the never-ending drumbeat! ...I... AM... THE MASTER.'

Next thing you know, the cabinet will be gassed, eh?


EDIT: Sorry, I'm still kind of a Doctor Who fan...

Princes 14 – Child’s Play

Part 5: The Games of Nations

“What do you think?”

Li Jin did not answer his son’s question. He could only stare, dumbfounded.

The uniform of Rome’s legions had changed remarkably, adjusting not only to changing fashions but to the new realities of the gunpowder era. Armour could not hope to prevent injury from the new, powerful weapons, so it had been abandoned. The military had compensated by adopting a more lightweight uniform that allowed troops to be more mobile, both in battle and over long distances. They also compensated through sheer weight of numbers. Rome’s modern legions were larger than ever before.

And Li Wei was determined to be one of those countless soldiers fighting for the glory of Rome. He stood before his shocked father and his teary-eyed mother in his brand new uniform. He wore a high, dark shako upon his head decorated by a single eagle’s feather in the front. A dark blue short coat and white cross-belt adorned his broad chest, while his legs were clad in white breeches that were neatly tucked into dark brown boots. At his side, its stock resting upon the floor, was a Li Rifle—the weapon that Jin and his father had worked their entire lives to create.

Li Jin could not take his eyes away from his uniformed son, who stood so proudly before them in their small home, even though he wanted to wipe the sight from his vision. Eventually, he found his voice.

“You… enlisted,” Jin muttered, stating the obvious. His son nodded proudly. “But… you were accepted into the university…”

Wei shook his head impatiently. “Father, how many times have I told you that I’m not cut out for that type of life? This is what I want to do—to fight for my country, for the greater glory of Rome!”

“No,” Jin whispered. “No!” he said more firmly, shaking his head as he pushed himself up from his chair. “Take it off! I forbid it!”

“Father, please…”

“NO!” Jin shouted. “You are my only son! And you want to throw your life away?”

Something in Wei’s deep brown eyes hardened. He picked up his rifle and held it out towards his father.

“Look at this, father. It’s a Li Rifle. Named after our family. Are you trying to tell me that we can create such a weapon, but that our family is too good to carry them? Are you?”

Jin shook his head and stared angrily at his son. “You foolish child! Rome will be at war soon!”

Wei’s eyes widened excitedly at the news. “Truly?” he said as his lips broadened into a smile. “Are you sure, father?”

Jin was taken aback by the boy’s enthusiasm for conflict. But of course, like so many other young men, he would know nothing of war; no one on the continent had, not for generations. But soon, he would know. Far too soon, if Jin had read Caesar’s behaviour correctly.

“How can you look forward to war? To death?”

Wei looked at his father as though he’d suddenly sprouted horns. “The business of Rome is war, father. We made it a profession. We perfected it! You and grandfather devoted your lives to it,” he said, gesturing toward the rifle. “You honoured our family with your achievement. Would you have me shame our family by refusing to serve?”

To that, Li Jin had no answer. He sat down heavily in his chair, his eyes staring emptily at the floor.

Wei sighed. He couldn’t understand how his father could have devoted his life to developing a military weapon without considering its obvious, logical use.

“My legion leaves for Antium in two days,” Wei said. “I don’t officially have to report in until then. I was hoping to spend that time with my family, but if you’d rather I go…”

“No,” Jin said quietly. “Stay here, with your mother and I, until you have to go. This is your home. You are always welcome here.”

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes14_05.jpg

Wei nodded, then reached down and affectionately held his father’s hand for a moment. Then he turned and strode from the room, heading for his own bedroom. Once he’d gone, Jin’s wife, Xue, sat down heavily upon the arm of Jin’s chair. She wiped her eyes and placed one hand upon her husband’s shoulder.

“Do you think… do you think he’ll be all right?” she asked softly.

Jin shook his head. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “I don’t know…”

As his wife gently pressed her head against his and sobbed softly, Jin could only reflect on the enormity of his actions, which he had not appreciated until now. So many boys, just like his own, would be marching to war soon. And they’d be carrying the weapon that bore his family’s name. They’d mete out death to other boys, the children of Mongol or Greek parents—whoever Caesar’s first target would be. All those boys, all of them thinking of glory and honour, none of them with any idea what they were truly getting into. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. Child’s play, he’d called it when the germ of an idea that led to the rifling innovation had occurred to him. Child’s play indeed.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes14_06.jpg

To WAR!!!!!!!!!

Thx Sis

I want a uniform!

Great Update!!
War has come at last!

Does Li Wei have a love interest?
This song would have been ideal...

Distant Drums by Jim Reeves ( covered by Roy Orbison)

I hear the sound of distant drums
Far away, far away
And if they call for me to come
Then I must go and you must stay

So Mary marry me, let's not wait
Let's share all the time we can before it's too late
Love me now for now is all the time there may be
If you love me Mary, Mary marry me

I hear the sound of bugles blow
Far away, far away
And if they call, then I must go
Across the sea, so wild and grey.

So Mary marry me, let's not wait
For the distant drums might change our wedding date
And love me now, for now is all the time there may be
If you love me Mary, Mary marry me

Well done. Let's go kill us some Mongols.

For a second I thought you declared war on England. Phew...

Great updates Sis.:goodjob:

Very great job for war with the mongols:goodjob:


Annihilate them quickly!!!;)

Off we go to war on the Mongols

Get me a uniform!

Oh boy, it's gonna be Epic...
And the 14th legion is still active. That's good, I suppose they'll be leading the fight.

Nice update Sisituil. The screenshots look awesome using the flying camera (and thanks to this thread I just learned how to use it :)), and the writing is polished as usual with one error in a billion words or something. Just wondering, but how many parts do you think this chapter will have?

Nice update Sisituil. The screenshots look awesome using the flying camera (and thanks to this thread I just learned how to use it :)), and the writing is polished as usual with one error in a billion words or something. Just wondering, but how many parts do you think this chapter will have?
That's it for this chapter, but I plan on having Li Wei show up again in the next one.

The next chapter deals with war, I assume :devil:
The imminent demise of the (supposedly) Great Kahn :devil:

Now that I come to think about it... We havent heard too much about the Roman Navy, and since this war is overseas, perhaps next chapter will not cover the war, but the war-preparations.

Now that I come to think about it... We havent heard too much about the Roman Navy, and since this war is overseas, perhaps next chapter will not cover the war, but the war-preparations.


that would be nice, but i suspect that good ole Sis has already mapped out his upcoming chapters.

I think that Johannes Ferrarius would be the Latin translation of John Smith. Smith, literally translated into Latin, is "faber ferrarius", but I think that Ferrarius has a better ring to it.

Anyway, I'd like to request my addition into the story (I may be the last in a large queue of requesters, but ;) ...). I'm Spanish, so being a Spaniard (please, GREAT SCIENTIST!!!) in your story would be nice :). If you plan to put a Spaniard to the front, don't doubt to call me!

What do you say about my proposal, Sis? Being Spanish, I believe that I should have more opportunities at appearing at your story, since we Spaniards are being ruled by Julius Caesar!

(Pity that Isabella didn't build Granada, is where I come from!)

One picky detail ... flicking the wrist causes wobble on a football. The key to a good spiral is to lead with the elbow and keep your wrist stiff. ;)

edit: typo

What do you say about my proposal, Sis? Being Spanish, I believe that I should have more opportunities at appearing at your story, since we Spaniards are being ruled by Julius Caesar!

(Pity that Isabella didn't build Granada, is where I come from!)
PM me your name and I'll see what I can do. No promises. I am at the mercy of my muse.
One picky detail ... flicking the wrist causes wobble on a football. The key to a good spiral is to lead with the elbow and keep your wrist stiff. ;)

edit: typo
I throw like a girl.

Give Milarqui a scene where he dies running while away from the fight. :lol:
Looking forward to the smell of gunpowder, the screams of dieing and wounded Mongol soldiers, and the pounding of Roman artillery.

So im guessing this would be the the story's version of WWI, right? im sure there will be about the same amount of :ar15:

I Hope that you will fully use the power of Racket(one after another fireing) and Uber Reload (2 Lines.... 1 shot per 3 seconds) in your stories!

Give Milarqui a scene where he dies running while away from the fight. :lol:

Now that's just mean. :lol:

Finally! After almost a week of reading, I've finally reached the latest chapter. I've been itching to...to...to commend you for this awesome piece of work!

This story has been moving, exhilarating, humorous, witty, educational and more!

Thank you for sharing your talent.

I don't know about educational. If you were to write on a test that Rome conquered Spain, and Japan I doubt you'll get a very good grade.

I don't know about educational. If you were to write on a test that Rome conquered Spain, and Japan I doubt you'll get a very good grade.

But, on the other hand, the principles of rifles.

...or the various positions and purpose in a Legionary formation...

I don't know about educational. If you were to write on a test that Rome conquered Spain, I doubt you'll get a very good grade.

Well, they did. Spain as we know it is post-Roman.

Well, they did. Spain as we know it is post-Roman.

Haha. Pwned :snowlaugh:

Post-Roman, and post-Moorish as well, o' course.

Just stopping in to say thanks for another great story arc. I can't wait to see Roman rifle legions in action.

I knew Spain was past Roman when I wrote it but I was too lazy to change it. I was basically talking about Isabella being the leader, they also never built the Pyramids. :)

They also never built the Pyramids. :)

Well technically... (http://www.crystalinks.com/pyramidspain.html[url)

Na, I know what you meant

I don't know about educational. If you were to write on a test that Rome conquered Spain, and Japan I doubt you'll get a very good grade.

I don't aim for the stories to be didactic, but like most writers (I suspect), I'd like to think that if you "learn" anything from the story, it's at a thematic level rather than being overly specific and therefore somewhat trivial. ;)

Hi!

Sisiutil, thanks for this great story!

Miles Teg, your link didin't work. Maybe this works (http://www.crystalinks.com/pyramidspain.html)

Give Milarqui a scene where he dies running while away from the fight. :lol:
Looking forward to the smell of gunpowder, the screams of dieing and wounded Mongol soldiers, and the pounding of Roman artillery.

Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, mate. Maybe next time Sisiutil could portray you as a carrot that foams and is dropped to the sea, don't you think so? :lol:

Nah, seriously, I'd rather be a victorious soldier/general, marching over those Mongols like a couple marches through the glass.

VICTORY TO ROME!!!

I clicked through the link to this in your sig the other day, Sis, and read through the first 11 chapters in one sitting. I polished it off tonight.

AND IT'S NOT FINISHED YET?! Oh, man! I'd assumed that as you'd started writing it last October, all the necessary blood would have been spilt by now. It's like renting a library book to find some vandal's ripped the final chapter out.

Of course, now the horrible realisation that this is still a work in progress has passed, and I can come to terms with the situation; I'm now able to enjoy the remainder of the story along with everyone else. There's no complaint here, just compliments :)

Just tell me you backup your hard drives regularly. If something calamitous were to happen... brrr. Doesn't bear thinking about.

I felt the exact same way when I got to the end of the previous chapter when i read this in about August this year. Been subscribed here ever since then for new updates :) Very high quality work here.

So does this mean we'll be getting the next chapter sometime in April? :(

felt the exact same way when I got to the end of the previous chapter
And me! :hammer2:

So does this mean we'll be getting the next chapter sometime in April? :(

Nah, this weekend. I've got the Rifles-era story plotted out and the first couple of chapters written now.

Redcoats? :)

the weekend can't come soon enough!!

Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, mate. Maybe next time Sisiutil could portray you as a carrot that foams and is dropped to the sea, don't you think so? :lol:

Nah, seriously, I'd rather be a victorious soldier/general, marching over those Mongols like a couple marches through the glass.

VICTORY TO ROME!!!

I actually had a picture of a carrot foaming at the mouth holding a gun as a spray for counter strike. Although it was my brother who made it since he's better with computer art type stuff.

Secondly Rome couldn't get redcoats e350tb, I guess Liz could but she's probably hugely technoloically backwards unless she's been giving Ceasar paticularly good sex. ;)

the weekend can't come soon enough!!

Came and went, as it turned out. :blush: Sorry for the delay. I got pwned by a non-Civ story idea that wouldn't let me go until I'd written it out.

I'll have the opening part of the next story up early this week. Promise.

Came and went, as it turned out. :blush: Sorry for the delay. I got pwned by a non-Civ story idea that wouldn't let me go until I'd written it out.

I'll have the opening part of the next story up early this week. Promise.

don't worry about it :)

bumper xmas issue maybe?

Came and went, as it turned out. :blush: Sorry for the delay. I got pwned by a non-Civ story idea that wouldn't let me go until I'd written it out.

I'll have the opening part of the next story up early this week. Promise.

Hmm...another story? Seeing as how Princes... turned out, I'd be interested in reading that story as well. Link please?

He only said an idea, could be a while before he turns it into an actual story. I'd be interested in reading some of his other work though, lets hope he gets his stuff published.

bumper xmas issue maybe?
Then we'll be waiting even longer.

Hmm...another story? Seeing as how Princes... turned out, I'd be interested in reading that story as well. Link please?

My other work--the stuff that isn't completely original (fan fiction, that is) is available HERE (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/626364/Sisiutil). Feel free to leave feedback. ;) The recent "story that wouldn't let go" is the new Star Wars tale.

I'm saving the wholly original stuff for publication one day (fingers and toes are crossed). :please:

EDIT: Fixed the link, sorry.

Just love this story keep up the great work Sisiutil, I hope there will be a new part soon!

Wow. Prolific writer, aren't you? Seven stories on FF.net. :thumbsup:

Looks like I'll be up reading again. <sigh>

Can't wait until the next update

Excellent Chapters , Sis! Be lookin' foreward to seeing the next...

Princes 15 – Scipio's Spy

Marcus Scipio and the Mycenian Campaign, 1740 AD

Part 1

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_01.jpg

The cannon rolled down the cobbled street, making a dreadful racket as they passed; their heavy wooden wheels clattered on the irregular cobblestones, and the ungreased axles groaned and squealed as the wheels turned. Lieutenant Marcus Scipio watched the cannon roll by and couldn’t help wincing.

“You overindulged last night, didn’t you, sir?”

Scipio turned and glared up at the man who’d spoken to him. Sergeant Necalli, “Cal” to his friends, was grinning cheerfully, apparently enjoying his commanding officer’s discomfort. The tall, dark-featured Aztec was standing at attention, his dark blue Rifleman’s uniform doing little to hide his powerful frame. Scipio himself was a tall man, and strong, but Necalli was a giant. Not for the first time, Scipio was thankful that the Sergeant was on his side in this war. But he wasn’t thankful enough not to be annoyed by his Sergeant’s chipper attitude.

“We all bloody overindulged,” Scipio grumbled. “Including you. So how is it that you’re so damned cheerful?”

“Water,” the Aztec responded. Scipio continued to glare at him, but quizzically. “Dehydration causes the hangover, sir,” he explained with an impudent grin.

Scipio now vaguely remembered how the big Aztec had come across a rain barrel during the previous evening’s revelry and had dunked his head in it, a sight which the other men had found extremely comical. He’d then proceeded to drink nearly a quarter of the rain barrel’s contents.

“And here we thought you were just stocking up for a pissing contest,” Scipio muttered. He regretted speaking even as he did so. His head felt incredibly tender, his ears oversensitive to any noise, and his tongue felt fat and dry in his mouth. He could feel that his sandy hair was plastered to his head by sweat beneath his shako, despite the coolness of the day.

But if a hangover was the price he had to pay, he’d pay it. Yes, he’d overindulged the night before, along with most of the Roman army, but no one could hold it against them. They’d fought the first battle of the Mongolian campaign and had taken the city of Mycenian after a protracted fight. Afterwards, the soldiers had celebrated their victory. They had also celebrated simply surviving, not being one of the many Roman casualties, nor the more numerous Mongolian dead. And of course, none of them knew if they’d still be alive to celebrate anything in a day, a week, a month, let alone a year or longer. So they’d gotten drunk, practically the entire Roman army, and Scipio along with them. He’d enjoyed it and had no regrets. Today, however, they all paid the price. The General was seeing to that.

Lieutenant Scipio stole a glance across Mycenian’s town square at his General. Gaius Rutullus Lepidus just sat there on his horse, staring balefully at his men, his dark blue uniform with its gold epaulets immaculate, his high cocked hat perfectly positioned atop his patrician head, concealing most of the close-cropped auburn curls that adorned his head. He was too canny, the General was, to punish the men outright for drunkenness; there would have been too many men to punish and too few to mete out the punishment. Instead, he’d ordered them out onto parade first thing in the morning and made the hungover troops watch… and listen… as the groaning, squealing cannon rolled by. As punishments went, Scipio had to acknowledge ruefully, it was excruciating, and brilliant. He swore that the only thing that rivaled the cannon in volume that morning was the gnashing of hundreds of Riflemen’s teeth.

The last cannon rolled by and left the square, and the men breathed an audible sigh of relief. Then they noticed the General watching them severely and braced themselves for whatever punishment he had in mind for them next.

“Well, I sincerely hope you miserable bastards enjoyed that,” General Lepidus said, speaking loudly and clearly from atop his chestnut brown stallion.

Several of the men around the square smiled ruefully. He was a hard man, they knew, but he’d led them well yesterday--led them to victory. That forgave a lot of sins, or in this case, fiendishly ingenious discipline.

“Just remember this,” the General continued. “From now on, you only get drunk when I give you permission to do so. Next time I’ll do much worse than simply aggravating your hangovers,” he growled. “Dismissed.”

The assembled soldiers perceptibly relaxed now that the ordeal was over. After receiving a nod from his Captain, Lieutenant Scipio turned to his own unit and quietly braced himself.

“Company… dismissed!” he called out, doing his best not wince as the sound of his own voice made his head throb painfully.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_02.jpg

“Should we go find some of the hair of the dog that bit you, sir?” Sergeant Necalli asked.

Scipio glared at him. The tall, broad-shouldered Aztec was still irritatingly pleased with himself.

“I’ll settle for a bite to eat,” Scipio responded, “provided I can keep it down.”

Scipio and Necalli had first met on board the transport ship Minerva that had brought them from Rome to Mongolia. The passage had been rough and long, the quarters cramped, the food terrible. Many of the Riflemen, unaccustomed to sea voyages, had become seasick. Many more had threatened to mutiny. Scipio and Necalli had caught wind of the impending mutiny and, with a few other soldiers, had taken it upon themselves to suppress it.

Their actions hadn’t been an act of duty or patriotism on their parts as much as enlightened self-interest. Every man on board a ship that had suffered a mutiny was likely to be punished with a flogging at the very least, regardless of their level of involvement. Nevertheless, the two Riflemen had been promoted for their actions before even seeing their first battle. The experience had also led to the two men forming, if not quite a friendship, at least a partnership—a mutually beneficial relationship between an officer and his sergeant.

The two men turned and strolled out of the city’s central square, heading down a side street. They kept their wits about them, eying each window and door for trouble. They’d won the battle and taken the city yesterday, but the locals, of course, would not welcome these conquerors from a distant continent. There would be unrest and resistance, so they remained watchful.

“You in the mood for army rations,” Necalli asked, “or some of the local fare?”

Scipio gave a brief, derisive laugh. “You think the Mongos will actually serve us?” He asked in a skeptical tone. ‘Mongo’ was, of course, the soldiers’ somewhat pejorative term for the Mongolians. Considering the much coarser terms used yesterday to refer to the enemy during the battle, ‘Mongo’ seemed almost polite in comparison.

Necalli shrugged. “There’s always a few practical-minded businessmen ready to take anyone’s coin,” he said. “Businesswomen, too,” he added, stopping as something in a nearby alley caught his attention.

Scipio turned and looked to where his Sergeant was staring. There, in the darkness of the alley, he could just make out the silhouette of a woman. She stepped out hesitantly into the light, and Scipio’s breath caught. She was Mongolian, and she was quite beautiful.

The woman was a head shorter than Scipio. Her hair was long and dark; her almond-shaped eyes matched her hair colour. Her skin was golden. She wore a white buttoned shirt and a dark green skirt which was just short enough to reveal a few inches of her well-shaped calves; her pert breasts pressed against the fabric of the shirt and immediately caught Scipio’s eye, especially since the top buttons of her shirt were undone, revealing an enticing hint of cleavage.

She favoured Scipio with a come-hither glance and an inviting smile. How long had it been since he’d been with a woman, he wondered? Too damn long. Not since that skirt in the Subura, the tavern-keeper’s wife, the reason Scipio had found it necessary to join the army and get out of Rome until the whole ugly business blew over. He watched the young Mongolian woman approach him and felt the old, familiar hunger starting to catch fire in his body.

“I think I just found the cure for my hangover,” he muttered to Necalli with a grin. He slid his rifle off of his shoulder and handed it to the Sergeant.

“Ask her if she has a friend,” the Aztec replied as he took the weapon.

“Hello, love,” Scipio said to her, his smile broadening. He had a good smile, he knew; he had all his teeth and they were straight and clean.

“Hello, Rome soldier-man,” the Mongolian woman responded. She placed one of her hands upon a white-washed wall and placed the other upon her shapely hip, which she thrust out in a provocative pose. “You want good time?”

“Do I ever,” Scipio said, his tone low and intense.

Even as he approached her, he instinctively evaluated her as a threat. She carried no weapons that he could discern; her clothing was too tight-fitting, pleasantly so in his opinion, to conceal anything. No, she seemed like the genuine article. This pleased Scipio all the more. He’d managed to hang on to some of his coins last night, not spending them all on drink, and would be more than happy to leave a few with this delightful creature.

“I don’t suppose you have a friend around?” Scipio asked, generously remembering Necalli, who was leaning back against the wall on the opposite side of the alley, watching the encounter with a bemused expression on his face.

The woman eyed the big Aztec for a moment, her brows raising in appreciation as she took in the man’s size and masculinity. Then she shrugged.

“I do you, then I do him. Okay?” she said.

Scipio turned to glance at Necalli and grinned. “Rank has its privileges,” he quipped. Necalli just rolled his eyes.

“I have place. In here,” she said, indicating a doorway behind her with a brief nod of her head. “Two Rome coin each, okay?”

“Sounds fair to me, love,” Scipio said agreeably. She took his hand to lead him down the alley.

“See you in a minute, sir,” Necalli called after him. Scipio turned around briefly and held up his index and middle fingers, the back of his hand towards his Sergeant. The Aztec smirked and chuckled lowly at the rude gesture.

The woman led Scipio a few paces down the alley. He followed her into a doorway and found himself in the empty storeroom of what appeared to be a disused general goods store. He glanced around for a mattress but saw none.

“Standing up then?” he said with a smirk. “Fine by me, love…”

Suddenly the smile disappeared from Scipio’s face. Even in the dim light of the abandoned shop, he could see the change that had come over the woman, and it startled him. Gone was the enticing, come-hither stare. She was staring at him levelly in a manner that reminded him of a cat eying prey. He knew that look that had suddenly appeared upon her face. He’d seen it enough times in the Subura back home. This was no mere prostitute; she was a predator. Instinctively, his right hand moved to his belt, to the knife he carried there.

The woman made a derisive sound as she watched him.

“Relax, lieutenant,” she said in clear, unaccented Latin. “You’re not in any danger. Unless you try to rape me, in which case I’ll take that knife and relieve you of your manhood before you make another move.”

“What the hell…?” Scipio said, his pale blue eyes opening wide as he stared at the woman.

“I don’t have much time,” she said. “I have a message for the General.”

“Lepidus?” Scipio said, his mind still reeling.

“Is there another Roman General in Mongolia?” the woman asked him with more than just a little sarcasm in her voice.

Scipio still struggled to clear away his confusion. “I’ve never even spoken to…” he began to say.

“I’m going to tell you something,” the woman went on as though he hadn’t spoken. “A set of phrases. It will mean nothing to you. But you must memorize it and relay it, word for word, to General Lepidus himself. Understand?”

Scipio nodded; his mind was finally catching up to the situation. Even so, he felt completely out of his depth.

“I’m no spy…” he began to say.

“I’m well aware of that,” the woman muttered impatiently. “But you’ll have to do.”

There was a noise out in the street in front of the shop. The woman’s body jerked suddenly in alarm and she turned to look through a doorway to the store’s grimy front windows that were partially boarded up. She briefly saw a child run by. Her slender shoulders slumped as she breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re in danger,” Scipio observed.

“My, you’re a quick one, aren’t you?” the Mongolian woman said in a cutting tone.

“Maybe you should come with me and my Sergeant and deliver this message in person,” Scipio suggested.

The woman blinked twice, expressing her surprise. Then an amused half-smile appeared upon her lips.

“Very gallant,” she said. “But completely impractical. Now listen closely. ‘Hercules has cleaned the stables, and is rounding up the mares. The lion is slain. The cattle remain free.’” She made him repeat the statement several times to prove to her that he had memorized it.

“There’s a problem, though,” Scipio told her. “I’m just a lieutenant. The General won’t give me the time of day.”

“Just tell them the message is from Larentia,” she said, and made him repeat the name several times as well. “I have to go,” she said suddenly.

With that, she turned away from him and cautiously made her way through the darkened store towards its front door. Scipio’s mind was still whirling; he stood and watched her go. She opened the store’s creaking front door and stepped into the street.

Just then, Scipio heard a man’s voice shout and saw Larentia tense. She turned to her right, away from the voice, and took a step as if she was about to break into a run, but then stopped. She turned around and grasped the handle of the store’s door, but she never got a chance to open it. In a heartbeat, over a half dozen Mongolian men swarmed around her. Scipio watched as she quickly struck and felled two of them with skill and grace, but their numbers overwhelmed her. They grabbed her arms and held them tightly and painfully behind her back. One man, a tall, burly fellow who was apparently the ringleader, stepped forward and slapped her face, hard. She shook her head, then glared at the man and spat into his face. He slapped her again, and this time her head slumped forward.

Scipio felt his gorge rising. His teeth gnashed and his hands clenched into fists. He was about to run out of the darkened shop to her aid when suddenly she looked up and her dark eyes gazed directly into his. She gave a brief, barely susceptible shake of her head. Then the men holding her pulled her upright and dragged her away.

The leader of the gang remained standing out in front of the store. He turned and looked through its grimy windows. Scipio took a step back into the darkness deep in the abandoned store, but his eyes remained riveted on the face peering in towards him. The man was tall for a Mongolian, as tall as Scipio himself; he had a broad face and two long, thin mustaches that dropped down on either side of his mouth towards his chin. His eyes were narrow and hard, his mouth equally so. Scipio memorized every feature, hoping in his heart to see that face again when he had the advantage. Then the man grunted and walked away.

“I was right,” Necalli said with a grin a moment later when Scipio reappeared in the alley. “That didn’t take you…” his voice trailed off as he noticed the grim look on the officer’s face.

“Come on, Cal,” Scipio muttered as he retrieved his rifle from the big sergeant, “let’s go.”

“Where? What the hell is going on?” Scipio turned to glare at him, so Necalli quickly added, “Sir.”

“I have to go recite a bit of nonsense to the General,” Scipio replied. “A woman may have just given her life for it, so it damn well better mean something to somebody.”

Wow this is just great it certainly was worth the waiting!!!Anonther Great part! love where this is heading!Very nice Sisiutil!

Yay! Christmas Eve update!

Excellent, as usual. :)

Hi, Sis! It has been a very good chapter, the last one! I'll keep reading your story, and I frankly hope that, in the end, I end being one of the characters of your story! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

UUUUUPPPPDDDDDDAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! YAY!

So yeah, can't wait 'till the next one. :)

Woooooooooooooooooootedfuffda


simply and purey

yay!

Great, brilliant, good ect. :) And happy xmas everyone!

Great update as usual Sis!!, thnx again.

:xmassign: everyone,.... and merry :beer: as well!!

:p

very interesting update. i wonder if scipio's ans larentia's path will cross again?

very interesting update. i wonder if scipio's ans larentia's path will cross again?

Of course..... a writer rarely defines a personnage as laurentia just to let her dye in a dungeon ( btw I bet that in fact she is a japanese or a chinese pretending to be a mongol )

And Alex is coming.... isn't it ? ;)

Of course..... a writer rarely defines a personnage as laurentia just to let her dye in a dungeon ( btw I bet that in fact she is a japanese or a chinese pretending to be a mongol )

And Alex is coming.... isn't it ? ;)
Alex? :confused:

Or do you mean Axel, over at FanFiction.net? I'll post the next chapter tonight. The next Princes update will be this weekend.

Okay, some bad news. :(

My original Civ IV disc is permanently damaged, so no updates until I remedy the situation and can grab more screenshots.

Does anyone know if Firaxis will provide me with a replacement disc if I send them the damaged original? I'd rather not have to buy the game again.

Alex? :confused:

Or do you mean Axel, over at FanFiction.net? I'll post the next chapter tonight. The next Princes update will be this weekend.

He means Alexander. I don't think they'll replace your disc, but I could be wrong.

GREAT UPDATE Sis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you get a new disc soon!!:D :D

I just wanted to say that this thread is one of the reasons for me moving from lurker status to registered member of these forums, simply to say:

Excellent work, sir (or Sis, if you prefer)! I hope to see more to come once your technical difficulties are resolved, but as has been stated by many (and surely many more to come), your tale is both intricate and captivating. Kudos!

Same here, my primary aim in registering was to say thanks.
I sincerely hope you can solve your problem, because I'd loathe not to see the conclusion of this awesome story.
Nevertheless I wish you a happy new year.

Hmm. That is a problem; How about this:
Make this into a cliffhanger. Then, go into BTS, start PotU, Part 2, where the Romans look back into the past, with stories by Scipio's descendants about how
"The spy gave him information, which he rushed to the General; but it was too late-The Greeks had already regrouped and joined the Mongolian offensive..."; Same Civs, but have the Japanese join the Romans, the Spaniards and Aztecs together, or something to that effect. Augustu Caesar, leader of Rome, and Grandnephew of Julius Caesar, will lead the Romans back into the books of history as a people of honor and power, all while discovering what truly happened to destroy the world as they knew it...

The only problem with that would be the map would be completely different. I agree he should upgrade though. BTS adds so much...

Theoretically, he could claim that what caused the many tribes to return to the Stone Age also changed the global landscape (play on an arid map or something) OR plate tectonics did it..

The only problem with that would be the map would be completely different. I agree he should upgrade though. BTS adds so much...

Agreed, but I'm not playing out the game for strategy/game feature illustration here, unlike the ALCs. I'm telling stories. And I want to finish this one.

I e-mailed Firaxis support. If they can't help, I'll just purchase a used copy of the game via Amazon or eBay. After all, I'd like to be able to reinstall it if the need arises.

I'll see if I can't dig up a few suitable existing screenies for the next part of the current story, though.

Maybe you could post without screenshots in the mean time. I know you probably want it to look just as you picture it (and that is with screenies) but that may be a temporary fix. You still wont be able to go past whatever you have already written and, well you'll still need that precious cd because it should be an item of worship to every one here but might give us all a bone to chew on.

Or we could all just wait and see.

Princes 15 - Scipio's Spy

Part 2

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_03.jpg

A great oak door opened, and a heavy-set man in a dark blue coat with gold buttons and clean white breeches walked out. The sword hanging from his left hip indicated he was an officer, the red sash around his waist—not to mention his presence in the general’s chambers—meant he was a high-ranking one. Scipio quickly spied the two silver epaulets on the man’s shoulders and then knew the man held the rank of Major. He had short brown hair and a long, drooping mustache, and the way he eyed Scipio reminded the rifleman of how a cat sized up a mouse in the dark, dirty alleyways back home.

“Lieutenant Scipio?” the man said, and Scipio was on his feet at full attention in an instant.

“Sir!” he said, staring at a spot on the wall just above the Major’s head.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” the Major said.

The right side of man’s mouth twitched upward for a moment, indicating he found Scipio’s adherence to rigid army formality—which only served to advertise his anxiety—mildly amusing. Bastard, Scipio thought as he relaxed his stance as much as his body let him.

“Follow me,” the Major said.

A good soldier, Scipio did as he was told. He followed the Major into a large chamber, still decorated in simple Mongolian style and native woods, but now sporting some Roman additions, such as several large flags, all bearing a gold oak crown on a field of purple, the standard of Rome. At the far end of the room, two golden eagles atop oak staffs stood on either side of a large desk; behind the desk, on the wall, was a portrait of a man wearing the purple-striped toga of a senator, a patch over one eye, and, more significantly, a grass crown upon his head. At the desk sat a man with auburn hair speckled with grey that formed short, tight curls upon his head. He was dressed in a blue coat with gold epaulets, and was studying several papers in front of him.

Scipio followed the Major to the front of the desk, where the officer cleared his throat to get the General’s attention. The man at the desk looked up, then gently laid the sheet of paper he’d been studying upon his desk and slowly rose to his feet.

“General Gaius Rutullus Lepidus,” the Major said, “may I present Lieutenant Marcus Scipio.”

“Sir!” Scipio said, assuming a stance of full attention yet again.

“At ease, at ease,” the General said with a wave of his hand. He strode casually from behind his desk until he was standing in front of it and staring hard at Scipio, who did his best to stand steady before that intense, unwavering gaze.

“Tell me what she said,” the General ordered without preamble. “Verbatim, Lieutenant. Every word, exactly.”

Scipio repeated his message, fully aware of the General’s intense gaze that seemed capable of seeing clear through into the depths of his soul. Though the message meant nothing to him, he was aware that it was code and could have deep meaning for these two men, and therefore for the war. Scipio also assumed that the lovely young Mongolian woman who called herself Larentia had very likely risked her life to deliver the message to him.

When he finished, the General turned to Major Scaurus. The two senior officers shared a long, silent look that nevertheless seemed to convey a great deal of unspoken information. Then the General turned from Scipio and walked back behind his desk, his face pensive.

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Scaurus said brightly, with a feigned friendliness that made Scipio all too aware that he was about to be dismissed. “That will be…”

“There’s more, sir,” Scipio said.

“More?” Scaurus said, his expression suddenly suspicious. “You did give us the entire message, didn’t you, Lieutenant?” he asked, his tone implying that there would be trouble for Scipio if he was holding out on them for some reason.

“Yes sir, every word,” Scipio replied. “But after she gave me the message, the woman was captured, sir. By a bunch of Mongos… sorry, Mongolians. They were… treating her quite rough, sir.”

A long, heavy silence hung in the room. Scipio watched as the Major and General shared yet another silent but significant communicative glance.

“Unfortunate,” the General said with a sigh, his lips pressed together grimly. “She’s been very useful to us.”

“Indeed she has, sir.” Scaurus said.

Every sensible instinct he possessed told Scipio to keep his mouth shut. He knew that the best thing he could do would be to deliver a smart salute and then beat a hasty retreat. But some other part of him wouldn’t let it go. He was all too familiar with that part of himself; it was the very reason he was in uniform fighting in Mongolia rather than relaxing in a tavern on the other side of the world. He could no more deny it than he could stop breathing.

“Sirs,” he said, and felt a cold sweat break out on his skin as the two senior officers suddenly focused their attention on him. They both looked somewhat appalled that he even had the temerity to speak up, but Scipio ploughed ahead. “Surely she must still be in the city somewhere. Some sort of… rescue operation can’t be out of the question, can it?”

The Major and the General were silent for a moment. Then Major Scaurus began to chuckle, a low, mocking laugh that made the blood rise to Scipio’s cheeks.

“Rescue?” Scaurus said. “Oh, you are a gallant one, aren’t you, Lieutenant?”

“She’s obviously been acting as a Roman agent, sir,” Scipio continued, though the sensible part of his brain was silently screaming at him to stop. “Surely we owe her…”

“That is quite enough, Lieutenant,” the General said testily. “I don’t need to be lectured about quid pro quo with our agents by my junior officers.”

Scipio’s teeth gnashed together and he stared long and hard at his general, long enough to be considered insubordinate. Just as Lepidus’ brows rose, Scipio lifted his gaze to a spot on the wall above the General’s head and brought himself to attention.

“Sir!” he said, checking the anger he felt.

Lepidus sighed heavily and rose from behind his desk. “In war,” he said to Scipio in a tone that was surprisingly gentle, “sacrifices must be made. If you try to keep everyone from getting killed, you wind up getting them all killed. Perhaps if you rise higher in the ranks you’ll come to understand that, Lieutenant.”

“Sir,” Scipio said, his anger at the General’s seeming callousness dissipating. Even so, the abandonment of the woman continued to bother him.

Lepidus turned and marched back to his desk, nodding at Scaurus as he did so.

The Major simply turned to Scipio and said, “Dismissed, Lieutenant.”

Pretty nice update you've got here. If I were to give you advice, I'd say to just start trying to publish some of your best works.

Just wondering, though, why the parts don't have their own specific names to them. Like in previous chapters with multiple parts, each part had its own distinguishable name. Nothing major, anyway.

Is "Scipio's Spy" going to cover the entire Mongolian war, part of it, or more?

Just wondering, though, why the parts don't have their own specific names to them. Like in previous chapters with multiple parts, each part had its own distinguishable name. Nothing major, anyway.

Is "Scipio's Spy" going to cover the entire Mongolian war, part of it, or more?
I just couldn't think of any chapter titles this time around, so I didn't bother.

This story will probably just cover part of the war. I haven't decided on whether I want to deal with the rest of the war in a series of lengthy stories (which would feature Scipio, mostly) or if I just want to cut to the chase. Still gotta get to Alex after this, y'know. I guess I'll see how I feel when I get this one done and what the feedback is like.

Some good news on the disc front: Take 2 Interactive will replace damaged discs. You just need to send them the disc with a cover letter and a cheque for US $7.50 (which, with the current Yankee Peso exchange rate, is now about $1.25 Canadian or something :lol:). So I should be able to get vanilla back up and running for more screenshots in a little while.

Good news indeed, and thanks for the small update.
One thing I'd love to read, is a Roman being captured by the Greeks, and as he's brought to the gallows he stares at the silent crowd and shouts "I AM A ROMAN CITIZEN !"
I'm sure you'll even do better than Thomas Harris.
Keep up the good work.

Great update, Sisiutil!

Your chapters are awfully short though. But I guess that's part of the charm. We, your readers, end up truly wanting more each time you post.

Also glad you've sorted out your disc problem. Looking forward to the next chapter!

Some good news on the disc front: Take 2 Interactive will replace damaged discs. You just need to send them the disc with a cover letter and a cheque for US $7.50 (which, with the current Yankee Peso exchange rate, is now about $1.25 Canadian or something :lol:). So I should be able to get vanilla back up and running for more screenshots in a little while.

Yeah, our economy is going dowhill:crazyeye: . You don't have to laugh at it though, it's not the economy's fault it's going downhill;) .

It's INSUBORDINATION!!! Love the twist.

Now all we need is for Scipio to mount a rescue mission all on his own.

Nice update....
So,. how's the Mongolian Campaign going on? I suggest you end it quick before LIz is overrun by the Greeks (they are involved, aren;'t they?!)

I actually think Sisiutil has already finished the game and is just writing about it. :thumbsup: So, I think the Greeks have been dealt with. I'm just curious as to how Caesar is going to deal with Elizabeth. :)

I actually think Sisiutil has already finished the game and is just writing about it. :thumbsup: So, I think the Greeks have been dealt with. I'm just curious as to how Caesar is going to deal with Elizabeth. :)


I believe we all know... how Ceasar deals with Liz. :lol:

:p

PS: Happy new year!

Hi all. It's my first day as a member here, though I have been lurking for ages. 5 minutes until this day is over (for me anyway) and I didn't want this day to be over without telling Sisiutil what a great story he has here.

So Sisiutil, great story you have year and I hope your writing career is sucessful.

Count me in for someone new but loving this peice of great work.

great updates sisiutil!!
and a happy new year to all!

Great story Sistuil! scimmed through the whole thing. cant wait to hear more. Surprised after 43 pages you haven't conquered the world yet.

Great story Sistuil! scimmed through the whole thing. cant wait to hear more. Surprised after 43 pages you haven't conquered the world yet.

40 of the pages are spam though, so :p

keep it up Sitsuli :)

more like 24.;)

40 of the pages are spam though, so :p

keep it up Sitsuli :)

It's not "spam"--the mods would remove that. It's reader commentary, mostly.
Remember that if you want to read the story without the commentary posts, you can always go to GamerTales (http://www.gamertales.com/).

I'm waiting to hear back from Firaxis, now that I sent them the damaged disk and the cheque.

I read this over the holidays and enjoyed it immensely. You have two of my favourite series on this board, ALC and now Princes, keep it up! :D

I know I'm looking into the distant future, but I think a story thread with BTS would be very interesting, I can see the random events adding tons of interesting plot twists. But that's not for a long time if ever.

Keep it up!

I read this over the holidays and enjoyed it immensely. You have two of my favourite series on this board, ALC and now Princes, keep it up! :D

I know I'm looking into the distant future, but I think a story thread with BTS would be very interesting, I can see the random events adding tons of interesting plot twists. But that's not for a long time if ever.

Keep it up!


I'm sure he said that he wouldn't do any more free stories. We can only wish though...

Yeah, our economy is going dowhill:crazyeye: . You don't have to laugh at it though, it's not the economy's fault it's going downhill;) .

The American economy is going through a downturn, but it's a cycle, as with all free market economies. The exchange rate decline is actually good for the manufacturing sector, since it will be cheaper to build stuff here (vs abroad) than before... music to Detroit's ears. And the President actually has very little control over the economy since it's a free market economy. The Congress levies taxes, which is the bulk of the manipulation it does to the economy.

Sorry for the off topic post, but it bugs me when people speak ignorantly about economic matters.

The American economy is going through a downturn, but it's a cycle, as with all free market economies. The exchange rate decline is actually good for the manufacturing sector, since it will be cheaper to build stuff here (vs abroad) than before... music to Detroit's ears. And the President actually has very little control over the economy since it's a free market economy. The Congress levies taxes, which is the bulk of the manipulation it does to the economy.

Sorry for the off topic post, but it bugs me when people speak ignorantly about economic matters.

Sorry, I haven't touched the economy subject in my civics class yet. So, of course I'm very ignorant when it comes to economies.:blush:

Sorry, I haven't touched the economy subject in my civics class yet. So, of course I'm very ignorant when it comes to economies.:blush:

Sadly, if this is a high school class, you probably will be taught by someone who doesn't know what (s)he is talking about either... and you'll be told a lot of useless stuff. I shouldn't have blamed you. Sorry about jumping to conclusions.

Sadly, if this is a high school class, you probably will be taught by someone who doesn't know what (s)he is talking about either... and you'll be told a lot of useless stuff. I shouldn't have blamed you. Sorry about jumping to conclusions.

It's no problem, we all have our pet peeves:lol: .

The government has some influence on a free market society. However as Fetch stated it is not the largest reason. The war in Iraq probably isn't helping the American economy, and if another great depression were to happen, something which is unlikely with a number of safe guards put in place since the first depression, then Canada's economy and possibly the worlds would go to . .. .. .. ..

Sorry to go way off topic since this is for Sistuil awesome story.

Jeez. Sisutil, you are the second-most Canadian person I know. My Candian friend, born and rasied till 3rd Grade in Nova Scotia, came here. I've know her since 3rd grade, and she recently enrolled at a prep-\/boarding school in Rhode Island- She beat you out for the top spot.

Jeez. Sisutil, you are the second-most Canadian person I know. My Candian friend, born and rasied till 3rd Grade in Nova Scotia, came here. I've know her since 3rd grade, and she recently enrolled at a prep-\/boarding school in Rhode Island- She beat you out for the top spot.
Since I still live in Canada and she doesn't, I would argue that I am in fact more Canadian than her and therefore deserve the #1 spot. So there. :p

Unless, of course, she ends every sentence with "eh?" (and since she's from the maritimes, that's a distinct possibility). That definitely would make her more Canadian than me. ;)

Since I still live in Canada and she doesn't, I would argue that I am in fact more Canadian than her and therefore deserve the #1 spot. So there. :p

Unless, of course, she ends every sentence with "eh?" (and since she's from the maritimes, that's a distinct possibility). That definitely would make her more Canadian than me. ;)

How can someone be more canadian than someone else ? It's like being home : either you are or you aren't, but there's no gradation. Or maybe you're more home if you're in front of your house than your wife who's at work ?

Really enjoying this one. Thanks!

Another round of perfect story-telling I see! :D

Good news!

I got my replacement CD for Civ IV vanilla from Take 2 today, so I should be able to get more screen caps and post more story very soon. :goodjob:

Yes, very epic indeed.

Great looking forward to the next update sisiutil

YAY!!!!!! you got it back finally! I hope you update soon!!

Hope you still got the save! lol jk. Great story! keep it up!

I hope he posts the next part soon!

I'm dying while waiting for the next part.......:lol:

I hope he posts the next part soon!


Well S. is currently posting the final part of the current ALC so hopefully he'll have time for this story soon.

Well S. is currently posting the final part of the current ALC so hopefully he'll have time for this story soon.
Yes, now that the Ragnar ALC is done updating this story thread is my next priority, even before starting the next ALC. :D

Yes Updates are comming:goodjob: all hail sis

Yes, now that the Ragnar ALC is done updating this story thread is my next priority, even before starting the next ALC. :D

those words are sweet sweet music to my ears (or eyes if you want to be literal)

Great news! do you have a guess about how long it will take?

Great! But I actually think you should start the Pre Game Thread for the Shaka ALC first, or better, roll a position so we won't have to waste time discussing where the first city (Ulundi) will be.

Great news! do you have a guess about how long it will take?
Friday at the latest.

Princes 15 - Scipio's Spy

Part 3

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_04.jpg

“Bloody rifles,” Corporal Ancus Silo muttered.

His comment came on the tail end of the other Riflemen’s grumblings about their billet, a somewhat derelict warehouse near Mycenian’s port district. The roof leaked, rats scurried across the floor, and the place reeked of sulphur and potash and other goods that once had been stored there. What any of the complaints had to do with their weapons was unclear to an uninformed observer, but among the men of Rome’s 14th Legion, the comment prompted the usual response: appreciative chuckles from the other men, and a heavy sigh from Private Li Wei.

If only, Wei told himself, he’d had the sense to keep to himself the fact that he was the son of the man who had developed the Li rifle, which was standard issue in their unit. As soon as the other riflemen had found out, he’d spent the entirety of an evening listening to a litany of complaints about the weapon. Most of the problems were a result of manufacturer’s defects, poor maintenance, or simply the heavy use the weapons endured during warfare, but Wei became the de facto sounding board for every little issue with the rifles.

And then it got worse. Before long, whenever anything went wrong, the men blamed it on the rifles. Especially if Wei was within earshot, the implication being that his father and by extension he himself was somehow to blame if their biscuit was too hard, the weather too cold, or the officers were in a foul mood. Something would go wrong, a man would mutter “bloody rifles”, and all eyes would stray to Wei. And they’d laugh.

The young private felt a hand on his shoulder. “You shouldn’t take it so hard, my young friend,” Private Lallena told him. “It’s just a little good-natured ribbing,” the Spaniard insisted.

Wei’s lips pressed together. “It’s a slight on my family’s honour,” he muttered.

“No it isn’t!” Lallena said with a laugh. “It’s a joke, and you should regard it as such. It’s even a sign of acceptance and dare I say affection. Though frankly, that heavy sigh you give each time the rifles get blamed for something is a cherished part of the routine, so by all means keep it up.”

Wei rolled his eyes, which only made his Spanish friend laugh yet again. Then he shrugged and laughed. Perhaps Miguel had a point, he thought…

Wei’s ruminations were interrupted by the sound of the warehouse door slamming open, followed by several heavy, rapid footfalls. The men fell silent. Lieutenant Scipio had returned from his audience with the General, and he was in a foul mood, that much was obvious.

Sergeant Necalli followed Scipio as he stormed into the warehouse. The Lieutenant stomped past his men and went straight into the former shipping/receiving office, now his makeshift quarters. He slammed the door behind him.

“I take it that our esteemed Lieutenant’s meeting with el General did not go well?” Lallena said to Necalli.

The big Sergeant shrugged his broad shoulders. “He wouldn’t say, but it’s a safe bet,” he commented.

“What’s all this about, anyway?” Wei asked.

Necalli told the young private as much as he knew: that he and Scipio had met a Mongolian woman who was, in fact, some sort of Roman agent. She’d given Scipio a message for General Lepidus, then she’d run off and gotten captured by some local ruffians—probably resistance fighters, or worse. Wei shuddered a little upon hearing the story; he could well imagine how a perceived traitor would be treated. The fact that she was a woman would make her punishment all the more sordid and gruesome.

A few minutes went by, and the men’s interest in the Lieutenant’s business with the General quickly waned. Necalli pulled out a deck of cards, and Silo, Wei, and Lallena joined him, sitting upon barrels around a wooden crate to play a hand or two of whist, a game imported from England that had become very popular in all of Rome’s territories. They’d just dealt the first hand when Scipio opened the door to his quarters and stepped out. The tall lieutenant’s eyes roamed about the warehouse for a moment, then came to rest on the four riflemen playing cards.

Necalli sighed. “So much for our game, lads. Here it comes…” he muttered.

Scipio walked up to the group of four riflemen. “I’m going for a walk,” he announced. They looked up at him expectantly. “I think it would be a good idea to mingle with the locals. Make their acquaintance and such. Chat them up. You never know what interesting things they might have to say to you, once you persuade them to loosen their tongues.”

Necalli knew where this was heading. “The General said there would be no rescue effort,” he reminded his officer.

“He said he wouldn’t launch one, that’s true,” Scipio said. “But he didn’t order me not to attempt such a thing myself. Besides, who said anything about a rescue? I’m just going for a walk.”

“In an enemy city we just captured yesterday?” Silo said. The Corporal was a sly man in early middle age, a poacher from Capua. His profession explained why he was in the army, as well as how he had become a crack shot.

“Well,” Scipio said, “if some of my men want to accompany me on my little stroll—to valiantly protect their officer, or just for company—I can hardly object. Not that I’m asking. Let alone ordering. Understand?” The riflemen glanced at one another, then nodded.

“Aren’t we awaiting orders or something?” Wei ventured.

Scipio looked at the young Private sharply. “That we are. In the meantime, our time is our own. Word is that Lepidus is deploying our guerrilla troops on the hills east of the city in anticipation of a counter-attack. The 14th is specialized in city raiding; that leaves us with some time on our hands, doesn’t it, Private Li? So. You can sit around in this musty, rat-infested warehouse. Or you can come with me for a walk in the fresh air.”

And attempt to rescue a woman, he didn’t say, but every man heard it. And attempt to rescue a female Roman spy from the men who’ve captured her and may be torturing her as we speak…

As one, the four riflemen rose to their feet.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_05.jpg

“Nice evening for a walk,” Silo commented.

“Night air is good for the constitution,” Lallena agreed cheerfully.

“I had my fill of whist on the trip over anyway,” Necalli muttered. “And besides, the Spaniard cheats.”

Lallena’s mouth dropped open. “I damned well do not, you big mentula!” he shouted in indignation.

Necalli cast an amused sideways glance at him. “And why exactly did you join the army, anyway?” he asked with a knowing grin.

“I don’t cheat anymore…” Lallena muttered as he shuffled his feet.

“We should grab our ‘bloody rifles’, shouldn’t we?” Wei commented with a wry grin.

“That we should, lad,” Silo said with a smile, “that we should. Bayonets too, and several rounds of ammunition. You’d be surprised what sort of game you can find, even in the midst of a city.”

A few minutes later, the five riflemen left their makeshift barracks and walked out into the streets of the captured Mongolian city. The sun was setting in the west, visible as a burning orange orb across the Bay of Mycenian. Above it, the scattered clouds were the colour of blood.

Good to see you posting again, dude! I'm awaiting more with intrest.

:clap::clap::clap:

Hooray! An update.

All hail Sis writer if the best story's for civ

the much awaited updated has finally arrived!!

sweet!

YAHOO!!!.com He updated it!!!

I hope the woman's going to appreciate being rescued. She may be exactly where she wants to be. Says much for Scipio that sme of his men will actually volunteer to accompany him on the "non"-mission.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

update!

update soon again!

OH SNAP!



Ahem...;) Great update, Sis, and keep up the good work!:goodjob:

I hope the woman's going to appreciate being rescued. She may be exactly where she wants to be. Says much for Scipio that sme of his men will actually volunteer to accompany him on the "non"-mission.
Maybe they're just bored. ;)

Maybe they're just bored. ;)

Dang :( There was I thinking the next update had already been posted. :crazyeye: Slaps wrist and mutters 'patience'.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: [party] [party] [party] :thanx: :thanx: :thanx: :thanx:
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you very much, Sis!!! You really did what you said you would do! I love being a soldier next to Li Wei! I feel really honored to work with the son of the man that invented rifles! :bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

Anyway, apart from my stellar aparition in the series, I really liked this new chapter of the story. Please, keep it up! You are doing a very good job! :goodjob:

Ah, another good update keep them coming please

Nice update. Looking forward to the next one.

Excellent stuff, Mr Sis. Are you a reader of Bernard Cornwell by any chance?

Excellent stuff, Mr Sis. Are you a reader of Bernard Cornwell by any chance?
Busted! :blush: :lol:

Uh, it's not a rip-off, it's an homage. Yeah, that's it... :mischief:

Busted! :blush: :lol:

Uh, it's not a rip-off, it's an homage. Yeah, that's it... :mischief:

Well considering how brill' Cornwell's stories are, paying homage (or copying) his writing-style can only benefit your story ;) :lol:

But anyway, excellent stuff. Looking forward to the next update.

Thanks again Sisiutil. Keep up the good typing!

A.
W.
E.
S.
O.
M.
E.

S.
T.
O.
R.
Y.

A small note.

I am chinease and my name in chinease starts with Li.

Wei is a chineas surname for the lack of a better word.

I was wondering if Li Wei meets up with another Rifleman Li Dong

Not going to diclose my full name due to the fear of scammers.

A small note.

I am chinease and my name in chinease starts with Li.

Wei is a chineas surname for the lack of a better word.

I was wondering if Li Wei meets up with another Rifleman Li Dong

Not going to diclose my full name due to the fear of scammers.

Busted! I'm just an ignorant white guy. :blush:

Or, uh, in this strange parallel but eerily-similar universe, Wei is a Chinese "given name". Yeah, that's the ticket.

Busted! I'm just an ignorant white guy. :blush:

Or, uh, in this strange parallel but eerily-similar universe, Wei is a Chinese "given name". Yeah, that's the ticket.

That way you can have Li Li and Wei Wei.

Wouldn't the Chinese have followed the Roman practice of naming and add a third name for the clan - for at least the aristos? There again, it's been how long since the Chinese became part of the Roman Empire and you still haven't got them following proper naming conventions?

That way you can have Li Li and Wei Wei.

Wouldn't the Chinese have followed the Roman practice of naming and add a third name for the clan - for at least the aristos? There again, it's been how long since the Chinese became part of the Roman Empire and you still haven't got them following proper naming conventions?
There's no Canada in this game, so the Romans are being multicultural to make up for it. So there. :p

And is it just me, or do "Li Li" and "Wei Wei" sound like toddlers' euphemisms for bodily functions? :blush:

Princes 15 - Scipio's Spy

Part 4

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_07.jpg

Jambyn Bayar looked up from the glass he was drying as five Roman riflemen walked into his tavern. He barely managed to withhold a curse. As if their mere presence here wasn’t bad enough, each of them was armed; all five men had rifles slung over their shoulders, while the officer also had a sword in a scabbard hanging from a belt around his hips. As the soldiers entered, the conversation in the room died. Over two dozen Mongolian men eyed these representatives of the conquering army warily.

The officer in the lead of the group was a tall, sandy-haired man, who was nodding to the local patrons as though they were acquaintances he saw every day. The officer’s smile and friendly manner did not deceive Bayar in the least; the man had a lean, hard look to him and moved like he knew how to handle himself. At his right shoulder was a mountain of a man with bronze skin and dark features; the mere sight of him convinced any Mongolians in the bar who were considering attacking these soldiers to restrain themselves. The other three riflemen looked no less confident and formidable.

And why shouldn’t they be confident, Bayar asked himself quietly. The Romans had arrived in force, as he’d known they would, and had captured Mycenian after a single day’s fighting. The Mongolian’s own riflemen had been unable to withstand the withering barrage from those Roman cannon. Bayar could still hear the echoing booms in his head, like deadly thunder that had made his children weep in terror. Just the sound alone had been enough to unnerve many of the defending troops; the terrifying effects of the cannonballs on them had been even worse.

But the Romans were here now—in Mongolia, in Mycenian, and now, of all places, in his bar. Bayar had little choice, therefore, but to force a wary grin onto his face and acknowledge the soldiers as they walked up to his bar. A half-dozen Mongolians vacated the bar as they approached; the Romans appeared to not notice this at all. The officer sat down on one of the stools while his men remained standing and turned to watch the crowd.

“D’you speak Latin?” Scipio asked Bayar.

“Some,” the bartender admitted.

“Whiskey,” Scipio ordered as he tossed a bronze Roman sestertius onto the counter.

Bayar stared at the coin without making a move to pick it up. “We no take Rome coin,” he said in broken Latin.

“Well you’d better damn well start,” Scipio said in a low tone that made no attempt to conceal the threat it contained. He smiled, then turned to look back at the other patrons who were watching him and his men sullenly. “You’d all better get used to having us around,” he said loudly. “When Romans go somewhere, we tend to stay. Just ask my Spanish or my Aztec friend here,” he went on, pointing at Lallena and Necalli in turn.

“They’re stubborn,” Necalli conceded with a shrug of his massive shoulders.

“Like barnacles,” Lallena added.

“So how about that drink?” Scipio said over his shoulder. Bayar sighed, took the coin from the counter, and reached for a bottle. “Not the cheap rotgut,” Scipio said, without even turning around to watch the barkeep.

Bayar’s hand drifted to a different bottle. He uncorked it an poured its contents into a glass for the Roman officer.

Scipio took a sip from the glass and rolled it around in his mouth. His brows rose. “Not bad,” he said, then tossed the rest of the drink back. “If you Mongos can make whiskey like this, I think we’ll get along just fine!”

“I no want trouble,” Bayar said to him nervously. “This good place.”

“We don’t want trouble either, friend,” Scipio said as he turned around on his chair to look at the barkeep. He lowered his voice so that only the barkeep could hear him. “In fact, you might be able to do us a favour. Then we’d be in your debt. That’s a very nice place to be, having Romans owing you something. Rather than the other way around.”

Bayar’s brows furrowed and his dark, narrow eyes regarded the Roman with undisguised suspicion. “What favour?” he asked warily. His eyes shifted to the other tavern patrons. He was well aware that cooperating with the invading army could earn him a world of trouble. He might have little choice in the matter, but that excuse would not curry any favour with the local resistance leaders. And Bayar had a wife and three children to worry about…

“I’m looking for someone,” Scipio said, still keeping his voice low. “Mongolian, tall bugger—tall as me. Broad face, two long moustaches,” he said, gesturing at his own face with one hand to illustrate his description. “Nasty fellow. You know him?”

As Scipio watched, the tavern owner’s eyes widened momentarily. Then he dropped his gaze to stare at the bar. “I no can help you,” he said.

“You know him, don’t you?” Scipio said. He reached into his money pouch for another coin, gritting his teeth when he felt how few were left there. He reluctantly brought out his last silver denarius and placed it on the bar.

“I say I no can help you!” Bayar shouted. “You keep money! I no can help!” He turned away from the Romans and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Scipio paused, staring at the bartender a moment longer. “Fine then, friend,” he said. “Thanks for the drink.”

He got up and walked out, his men following him. Only when the door closed behind them did Bayar let out the breath he’d been holding.

***

A couple of hours later, Bayar closed and locked the tavern’s front door and his shoulders sagged. He knew it was inevitable that some Romans might find their way to his establishment, but so soon? And then for them to start asking about Manlai! Trouble like that he didn’t need. At least they’d left without any fuss. He hoped that any other Romans that made their way into his tavern would want nothing more than a drink.

He told himself to relax. All told, it hadn’t gone too badly. Everyone there had seen him do no more and no less than any good Mongolian could be expected to do, under the circumstances. Refusing to serve them would have just resulted in trouble; but at the same time, he’d refused to give them anything more than what his establishment offered. Bayar allowed himself a smile and let his thoughts drift to his wife and his three children, who would all be asleep upstairs by now. He’d just sneak a peek in on them, as he did every night…

“Hello, friend.”

Bayar gasped and instinctively took a step back. He turned to his right, and there he was: the tall, sandy-haired Roman. He didn’t see his companions, but they couldn’t be far. Bayar nervously glanced around the bar even though he knew they were alone.

“I no your friend!” Bayar insisted. “You go!”

“I’m not going until you tell me what I want to know,” Scipio said. “You know the man I’m looking for. Who is he, and how do I find him?”

Bayar shook his head. “You no want to find him,” he said.

“Oh, but I do. You see, the big bastard took off with a Mongolian woman of my acquaintance. Pretty little thing, too. He’s probably torturing her—hurting her right now, as we speak. You can help me stop that.”

“I no can help—“

“Are Mongolian women fair game, then?” Scipio asked pointedly. “Is that what you people go in for? You treat your women as punching bags?”

Bayar didn’t understand every word that the Roman had said, but he caught the gist of it, and it made the gorge rise in his throat. He thought of his own beloved, precious wife, as well as his two daughters. He drew himself up, summoning what national pride he could muster.

“No!” he asserted. “We treat women good. Mongolian women, they get re… re…”

“Respect?” Scipio prompted him. The barkeep nodded. “Yes, well, that’s not what this woman I’m worried about is getting. What she’s getting is tortured, and eventually killed. You can help me stop that.”

Bayar stood there, his head shaking, his mind filled with images of the same fate befalling his own wife and girls. The best way to protect them was to send this man away without any help. But what if it was his own wife, or one of his girls, in Manlai’s hands? Wouldn’t he want someone, anyone, even a Roman, to rescue them?

Scipio was about to turn and walk away when he heard the man mutter something. “What was that?” he asked.

“Manlai,” Bayar said. “His name Manlai. I not know where you find him, but you ask, you find.”

Scipio nodded. Things worked much the same way in the Subura back home. If you made enough noise looking for one of the local bosses, eventually they’d come to you, or bring you to them, just to find out what the fuss was about. Men like that operated in the shadows; it wasn’t good for their business to have someone stumbling around, reminding the world that they existed.

Scipio reached inside his money pouch for a coin, but Bayar shook his head and held up his hand.

“No Rome coin. Bad if I have many,” he said.

Scipio nodded. “All right then,” he said. “My name is Lieutenant Marcus Scipio. If you ever need a favour, you come and ask for me.” He then turned and left, leaving by way of the tavern’s back door, the same way he’d come in. Necalli was waiting for him in the dark alley outside.

“Anything?” the big Aztec whispered.

“A name,” Scipio said. “It’s a start.”

The Sergeant nodded, and they warily walked down the alley to rendezvous with their three companions. Back inside, in the living quarters above the tavern, Bayar’s children were sleepily puzzled when their father pulled each of them out of bed to embrace and kiss them in turn.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i193/sisiutil/Princes/Princes15_06.jpg

Yay, update!

Great update!

Looks like you have a long way to go. Can you include your battle plans in the story, maybe as an order from Caesar? I'd like to see how you plan on conquering Mongolia.

Great update. I noticed from the screenshot that Corinth is the holy city of Christianity. From there, it is gradually spreading to the Mongols, but hasn't reched the completely Hindu areas of Turlan, Myceanae, Otrar, and New Sarai. I like to track how religions spread from one place to another. ;)

Great update, Sis!

Just wanted to point out to you a minor typo in the third paragraph:

"Bayar could still here the echoing booms in his head..."

I believe the here above should be hear.

Looking forward to your next update!

Just wanted to point out to you a minor typo in the third paragraph:

"Bayar could still here the echoing booms in his head..."

I believe the here above should be hear.


Ah... I'm not the only one who noticed then. ;)

yes another update.

One question thou how do you get so advanced so early?I for some odd reason can't do that.

Great update Sis!:D

update soon!

Great update!

Looks like you have a long way to go. Can you include your battle plans in the story, maybe as an order from Caesar? I'd like to see how you plan on conquering Mongolia.
This story will all take place within a few days in the city of Mycenian, so we won't see a lot of varied screenshots.

However, your suggestion is an excellent idea for a follow-up story, since the conquest of Mongolia will inevitably follow.
yes another update.

One question thou how do you get so advanced so early?I for some odd reason can't do that.
You should check my strategy articles and the ALC game threads for the answers to that question. ;) Also keep in mind that this was a game in vanilla Civ IV at Prince level, so I managed to build the Oracle, pull off a CS Slingshot, and win the Liberalism race, among other things. Ah, the good old days...

Great update, Sis!

Just wanted to point out to you a minor typo in the third paragraph:

"Bayar could still here the echoing booms in his head..."

I believe the here above should be hear.

Looking forward to your next update!
As per the grand Soviet revisionist tradition, this typo you speak of no longer exists. Nor will you, comrade, if you question the infallibility of the great leader again. ;)

(Seriously, thanks for the heads-up.)

Great update, Sis!

Just wanted to point out to you a minor typo in the third paragraph:

"Bayar could still hear the echoing booms in his head..."

I believe the here above should be hear.

Looking forward to your next update!

Typo? What typo are you speaking of, comrade Yaba? Are you doubting about the excellent grammar of our Immortal Leader Sisiutil, perhaps? Be careful! You could be seen as a traitor of the Glorious MotherLand!

...

...

...ok, let's stop it :lol:

Great story, by the way. I like how you are using CIV only for the basic storyline or casual picture, writing everything by your own. There are people who basically copy their game log :crazyeye:

So, great job :goodjob:

great update!
wonder what caesar is up to?

Phew, I've just slogged through 46 pages, and each one was worth the effort


Even the ones without any updates on...

Seriously though, great story- really enjoying it, keep up the good work, etc, etc!

Great, great story. I can't wait to see how the Mongolian chapter ends. And the duel - have you thought of putting Genghis on a horse, fighting Julius on his feet?

wasn't there only one duel where the leader duel was detailed though?

Yup ,the tokugawa one... great writing BTW. And JC kept the Toku sword ;)

wasn't there only one duel where the leader duel was detailed though?

Yup ,the tokugawa one... great writing BTW. And JC kept the Toku sword ;)

So I guess we're overdue, aren't we? ;)

Hmmm.

Have Genghis dodge a blow from JC, then jump out of the window onto a horse. A waiting horse is for JC. Then, the duel on horseback, Genghis with whatever Keshiks use. Finally, JC leaps off his horse, and sinks his sword into Genghis heart, through his horse as well!

Wow, I am seriously bored. That idea was pretty bad...

well, it was a good try!


Please update soon Sis!!!!:D :D

Thanks, CivFan, but it's okay, I know it sucked!:D

No, I don;t have an inferiority complex, I just recognize bad things when they occur. :lol: Anyways, when's the next update Sis? I assume after you wrap up the Shaka ALC..

Thanks, CivFan, but it's okay, I know it sucked!:D

No, I don;t have an inferiority complex, I just recognize bad things when they occur. :lol: Anyways, when's the next update Sis? I assume after you wrap up the Shaka ALC..

Oh, no, I won't take that long. I'll try to post the next entry this weekend.

Cool.

Also, this is labeled PotU, Part 1. What's Part 2 about? BTS I hope. Augustus Caesar carrying on his grand-uncle's legacy as he colonizes a truly New World? Another Civ besides the Romans?

Cool.

Also, this is labeled PotU, Part 1. What's Part 2 about?

This question came up earlier. I believe it's titled this way because at one stage S. thought he might post more than one thread about this story. Instead it ended all being in one thread. Before you ask, S. has indicated that he's very unlikely to do a similar thread again.

yeah, he said from after this story, he's gonna be publishing books! well, writing books and getting them published! big time for Sis!!:D

yeah, he said from after this story, he's gonna be publishing books! well, writing books and getting them published! big time for Sis!!:D
I hope. :please:

Great update as usual!

But Sisutil... :( ;)

Anyways, I forsee one problem. When your books become outstanding bestsellers, we won't know you wrote them, since we don't know your true identity!:lol:

:dunno: :ninja: :hide:

yeah, that's a problem...... I'll just read every book that comes out and hopefully I'll recognize the writing style....

Hmm. Sis, you should leave a dedication to your wife...Then, in silvery, faint ink, say "Sisutil, you helped a lot as well!" or something like that, so other people don't know who it is, but we CFCers do!

But Sisutil... :( ;)

Anyways, I forsee one problem. When your books become outstanding bestsellers, we won't know you wrote them, since we don't know your true identity!:lol:

:dunno: :ninja: :hide:
Who do you think I am? Batman? :confused: :lol:

If and when I get a book published, do you really think I wouldn't be flogging it here to a bunch of potential revenue-generators... er, potential readers? ;)

Look! In the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...

Sisutil!

Faster than a hundred Keshiks, more powerful than twenty Panzers, its Sisutil!
:lol:

Anyways, you may have to create a sub-forum for that purpose; or create a whole website where you post the ALCs and force the legions to pay! :mwaha:

Seriously though, you had better flog it to the potential revenue base. We may rise up and kill you otherwise... :mischief:

Seriously though, you had better flog it to the potential revenue base. We may rise up and kill you otherwise... :mischief:

Thank you for that reminder of why the word "fan" is derived from "fanatic". ;)

I'd buy a sisiutil written novel...

I'd buy a sisiutil written novel...

Great, I'll let the potential publisher know that I've got one buyer lined up. That oughtta convince 'em. ;)

Seriously, though, thanks! :goodjob:

I'd buy it too! is the update coming soon?

I would certainly buy this in book form! MAtter of fact, I have lulu.com saved under my favorites in anticipation! :lol:

After writing about exceptional individuals, it's definitely fresh air to see a brainless soldier getting himself and probably half the Roman army into trouble, getting thousands killed for saving one person. I thought he wouldn't have the heart to do something like that, and then he did it. Just don't ruin it with a happy ending. Wars never have happy endings until the war ends.

After writing about exceptional individuals, it's definitely fresh air to see a brainless soldier getting himself and probably half the Roman army into trouble, getting thousands killed for saving one person. I thought he wouldn't have the heart to do something like that, and then he did it. Just don't ruin it with a happy ending. Wars never have happy endings until the war ends.
"Brainless"? If it were possible for you to meet Scipio in person, I'd dare you to call him that to his face. ;) As you'll see, Scipio is far from "brainless". Reckless and foolhardy, perhaps, but not brainless.

As for whether an ending is happy or not, that's something that stands on the logic of the story itself.

As you'll see, Scipio is far from "brainless". Reckless and foolhardy, perhaps, but not brainless.
A little bit too much "quixotean" for a rifle age, maybe? ;)

I want to agree with the above: time for the Romans to do something foolish - after all, success after success brings overconfidence, right?

Hmm, is it me or their something very "Richard Sharpish" about this storyline? Sisiutil this isn't straying from "paying homage" as you described it to, *GASP*, copying!? I'M DOBBING ON YOU!

Hmm, is it me or their something very "Richard Sharpish" about this storyline? Sisiutil this isn't straying from "paying homage" as you described it to, *GASP*, copying!? I'M DOBBING ON YOU!
:lol: I think I admitted above that I am indeed a huge fan of Cornwell and especially his Sharpe series (though frankly, all of his work is worthwhile). It would be copying if I blatantly plagiarized Cornwell's words or perhaps an exact story idea, which I'm not. At worst, think of it as fanfic. ;)

As for the Romans making a mistake... well, for that to happen, I would have to make a mistake. And you all know from the ALC series that I never make mistakes. Right? :D Right? Hello?

Chapter Twelve: The Merchant

Part 5: The Chimes at Midnight

[...]
“You owe me 50 drachmae, [B]Jack Falstaff!” Zorba said accusingly, prodding his finger into Jack’s prodigious belly.
[...]


I'm lurking here for over a year at this time. And YOU are to blame for registering myself at last ;)

The sun is rising in my part of the world, still my eyes are fixed on my screen and I'm reading this one for around 24 hours by now. Not to mention the first three ALCs. And - no, why should I ever sleep, that's just waste of time, every civver knows that.
And now that one - Falstaff ! I knew it has to be some Shakespeare stuff as I've read the headline, but - Falstaff ?? :goodjob:

Ok, dude, you got me. I'm in. And I'm addicted.

This is awesome. Epic. Nearly perfect. And I need to prolong my days to 48 hours (at least) just to read all your stories in the forum. And believe me - I hate you for doing that to me :D

Whenever your first book is ready - advise me of it :bowdown:

Ok, dude, you got me. I'm in. And im addicted.


Welcome to the group. We meet every tuesday and thursday at 8. Please sign up to bring refreshments at the table in the back.

Welcome to the group. We meet every tuesday and thursday at 8. Please sign up to bring refreshments at the table in the back.

Help is always appreciated :crazyeye:

So, you've founded the "Anonymous Sisiutils Addicts Group" already ? That's kind of - comforting http://212.227.42.12/extern/smileys/meditate.gif

But, for me being not wealthy enough to fly to the U.S. twice a week, maybe you could give me the address of the European HQ ?

It's in my basement if you can find it.
Funny how Sisiutil makes people actually register to say thanks.
I had been lurking for a few months before I found his story and did the same.
Welcome to the fan group.

Add another to the list of people who registered just to compliment Sisiutil on his great story!

Well, actually, it seems I registered more than four years ago and never got around to posting anything, but it inspired me to dig out this old account, at least. It's all the same in the end, really. :mischief:

At first I was scared by the size of this thread - I long delayed even opening it, especially as I looked at the first pages and theywere indeed full of updates. I thought I should book a month to read it without going blind, but finally did and am grateful I did. :D

good for you! all I can say is I hope Sis updates soon........

Yeah, he hasn't updated in a while...

Oh well, at least he'll still respond unlike say Flouzemaker who simply left everyone in the dark about why he discontinued Pacal's Court...

Yeah, he hasn't updated in a while...

The last update is less than a month old. :p

The last update is less than a month old. :p

Oh shush you, I'm a somewhat impatient person. Anyway, I need something to alleviate my mind from the pressure of exams!

Epic story is epic.

well, we had to wait like three months once so.......no pressure........

Hi

Well maybe we could keep Sisiutils in the thread and not let him go until he does more updates. So lets build a Sisiutils trap :)

::Takes box and props it up at one end with stick. Ties string to stick. Puts unprotected worker under the box.::

Now we just take turns holding string until Sis goes after bait :) hehe

Kaytie

Hi

Well maybe we could keep Sisiutils in the thread and not let him go until he does more updates. So lets build a Sisiutils trap :)

::Takes box and props it up at one end with stick. Ties string to stick. Puts unprotected worker under the box.::

Now we just take turns holding string until Sis goes after bait :) hehe

Kaytie

Nah. No one would ever fall in such an obvious trap.

*Watches an AI rifleman going after the worker and being trapped.*

Uhm...meh.

The wait is so intense that it's already felt like three long months

Good things come to those who wait and all that. Then again this is at the bottom of my rounds and I rarely make it down here. I figure it's a treat when he updates.

Sorry for the delay; material I need to update is on the hard drive from my dead computer. I have to wait until the new one shows up this week so I can install it and retrieve what's needed.

ok.........thanks for telling us!

Sisiutil;

This story shows with not even a shadow of doubt that you have what it takes to tell a captivating story that keeps the audience riveted.

In particular the segment about the great lighthouse and the penance paid at the end was particularly engaging and brought a tear to my eye. After starting your story late last Tuesday evening, i couldn't help but read the story through. Stopping only to eat and grab a short nap, i am now caught up.

You have brought a new perspective on the game for me (which i have been playing since Civ I came out in 91). Thank you.

I wish you the best in your publishing career.

Sojolly

Must eat your brains if you don't update... cuz I have free time and free space and update myself with your brains.

Must eat your brains if you don't update... cuz I have free time and free space and update myself with your brains.
I can always spot a George Romero fan... :lol:

Who is George Romero???

and no I am not his fan!!! Whoever he is!


Ur Worng!

Sisiutil;

This story shows with not even a shadow of doubt that you have what it takes to tell a captivating story that keeps the audience riveted.

In particular the segment about the great lighthouse and the penance paid at the end was particularly engaging and brought a tear to my eye. After starting your story late last Tuesday evening, i couldn't help but read the story through. Stopping only to eat and grab a short nap, i am now caught up.

You have brought a new perspective on the game for me (which i have been playing since Civ I came out in 91). Thank you.

I wish you the best in your publishing career.

Sojolly

QFT. And welcome by the way.
You know Sis, I can't remember if I've said it before, but the same happened to me. I remember being transfixed in front of my monitor reading your story (the lighthouse part) and suddenly tears were streaming down and I had to stop for a while.
Maybe I was emotional at the time, but this is what truly differentiates great stuff from regular fanfic. If you can bring emotion in your work (and you did), then you have the signs of a great writer.
They say this is what video games lack (can a video game make you cry ?), you have succeeded where so many have failed.
Again, thank you.

Well, enough with the compliments... Where's the update ?? :mad:
;)

Who is George Romero???

and no I am not his fan!!! Whoever he is!


Ur Worng!

Gearge Romero made the ....... of the Dead movies, basicly creating the zombie apocolypse story. Check em out, they 're very good though may I suggest you not watch em if you can't handle large amounts of blood and gore.

EDIT: No longer relevant, removed.

EDIT: No longer relevant, removed.

Note: Sorry for the lack of screenshots for this entry, but it's been a while since the last update and I didn't want to keep you folks waiting any longer...


Princes 15 - Scipio's Spy

Part 5

“Someone’s asking about you,” Bekhter said.

Manlai turned to face him. “Who?” he asked after a moment’s hesitation. He had a broad face that rarely displayed any emotion at all. Many men assumed, upon first meeting him, that he was stupid: the broad face, the lack of expression, the slow manner of his speech were all reasons for this. And they were all misleading. They soon came to realize the error of their assumption. Many came to regret it. Deeply.

“A Roman. An officer,” Bekhter told him.

Manlai stroked his moustache with his thumb and his forefinger. “Has he said what it’s about?”

“Not that I’ve heard,” the other man said. “You think it has something to do with our guest?”

Manlai then shook his head. “I doubt that. The Romans wouldn’t be so stupidly obvious.”

“What do you want to do about it?”

“Have this Roman informed that I’ll be at the Jargal teahouse for lunch. I’ll find out what he wants with me there.”

The man nodded and walked out of the room, allowing Manlai to return his attention to the interrogation. He nodded to the other two men in the room, and they responded by tilting the long wooden board back so that the end that had been immersed in the basin came up out of it. The woman who was strapped upside-down to the board coughed and sputtered and gasped for breath as her head finally came out of the water.

“Once again, Nara,” Manlai said to her. “What was the last message you passed along to the Romans?”

The young woman panted down several breaths. Her dark eyes stared back into his, and he could see the anger and the spite was still there, even after several hours of this treatment that left her gasping and shuddering as each dunking brought her within a hair’s breadth of drowning. Still she said nothing. A stubborn one, and strong, he silently acknowledged, but she would break. Everyone did, sooner or later. Manlai grunted, then nodded to the other two men. She barely had time to gasp down another breath before her head plunged back under water again.

***

“You speak pretty good Latin,” Scipio said. “You know, for a Mongo.”

Manlai gave the slightest of nods, acknowledging the compliment and ignoring the insult. “It’s always wise to know the ways of one’s adversary,” he said. Scipio just shrugged and stared at him blankly. “I hear you’ve been looking for me,” he said from across the table. His right hand idly held a small glass of tea. Scipio had refused some when offered.

“Yeah, well, I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” Scipio said. “The way I see it, you owe me a denarius. That’s half a month’s pay to me, so it’s not small change.”

“How so?” Manlai asked, his face impassive. He’d studied and practiced the stone face since he’d been a child, and was a master at it. The Roman officer sitting across from him, on the other hand, could barely sit still.

“One of your girls, she cheated me!” Scipio said indignantly.

“One of my girls…?” Manlai said evenly.

“Oh, don’t act all innocent,” Scipio said. “We’re men of the world, aren’t we? I’ve heard about you. You run the girls in this town. Well, one of them took my money yesterday and didn’t give me what I had coming.”

Manlai shook his head as he raised his glass of tea. “You must be mistaken,” the Mongolian told him. “My girls never…”

“Her name was Larentia,” Scipio said.

And for one of the very few times in his life, Manlai failed to maintain his stone face. His brows rose, and his glass of tea stopped half-way to his lips.

“Ah, that rings a bell, doesn’t it?” Scipio said accusingly. “She took my money and ran off without me getting what I’d paid for. What kind of a business are you running, anyhow? If you cheat every soldier in the Roman army this way, there’s going to be trouble, my friend.”

“Larentia…” Manlai said. “I may know of her,” he said cautiously. “But I’d have to know more about your transaction with her if we’re to settle this amicably. You wouldn’t happen to remember what she said to you…?”

Scipio frowned and shook his head. “She jabbered some sort of nonsense at me like it was supposed to mean something. Like I could remember—I was hungover, and she was supposed to be the cure for it,” he said with a smile. “Now look. I’m not an unreasonable man. You settle up with me, give me my denarius back, and I won’t go spreading word around the barracks that your girls are skippers. Deal?”

Manlai took a deep breath. “I’ll want to make my own enquiries about this matter. Come back here tonight for dinner, and we’ll resolve this.”

Scipio sighed, then pushed back from the table and stood up. “You’d damned well better be here,” he said, then glanced angrily at the other three big, burly Mongolians seated beside Manlai at the next table. “You can bring your girlfriends along again if they make you feel safer,” he said with a derisive laugh, then turned and walked towards the door.

Once he was gone, Manlai turned to look at Bekhter, who was standing by the back entrance of the teahouse. Manlai nodded, and a heartbeat later, Bekhter had disappeared.

***

There was really only one question running through Scipio’s mind as he walked out of the teahouse and turned down a nearby alley that led towards the Roman garrison’s barracks. Now or later?

He caught the movement behind him and to his right. He had to fight off the instinct to react quickly enough. Instead, he allowed the blow to come, which it did, hard into his side just above the kidney. He did his best to roll with it. It still hurt like hell. Then the black cloth bag came down over his head, blinding him, and more blows, until he sagged to the ground and felt them tying his hands behind his back. Then he felt hands grabbing hold of him under his arms, and he was dragged down the alley.

He reflected that it was ironic: he had no idea where they were taking him, and yet he knew exactly where he was going. Before long, he knew, he’d be seeing Larentia again. He just hoped it wouldn’t be for the last time.

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

Thanks very much for this Sisiutil. Mind you it looks as though there are at least another two parts, quite possibly more, before this particular tale is finished. :eek: Hopefully you can manage to post further updates slightly faster? :please:

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

Thanks very much for this Sisiutil. Mind you it looks as though there are at least another two parts, quite possibly more, before this particular tale is finished. :eek: Hopefully you can manage to post further updates slightly faster? :please:

I'll do my best, the story was sidelined by a recent computer failure--but the new computer is up and running. FYI, Scipio's story has about three or four more installments to go.

I'll do my best, the story was sidelined by a recent computer failure--but the new computer is up and running. FYI, Scipio's story has about three or four more installments to go.

3 or 4 more installments? I'll be looking forward to it! Thank you, once again, for your excellent writing.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEW UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great update as usual sis!

Thank you!:woohoo::woohoo:

Sisiutil, great as always. :thumbsup:

Wow, you got hate issues Niklas :nono: When you get so bad that you are insulting the compliments other posters are leaving on stories, then you don't belong here anymore.
If you just want to compliment Sisiutil, could you please put the story part in spoilers?

great update sisiutil!
hooray for the new PC!!

hmmmm this thread seems to have pick up an unusual sort of fan...

Great update! I wonder if Scipio has a GPS on him to help the Romans to locate him... ;)

I saw aHare a few days ago and thought, Romans. Then I saw my RTW disk and thought, Romans? Finally whilst making my way to the SG forum I thought, Romans!

Nice update Sisiutil.

Great update! I wonder if Scipio has a GPS on him to help the Romans to locate him... ;)
I don't ever recall seeing GPS devices on the tech tree, so no. ;) But let's hope he has another trick up his sleeve. :D

I don't ever recall seeing GPS devices on the tech tree, so no. ;) But let's hope he has another trick up his sleeve. :D

I guess GPS won't be available until after Satellites :D. Great update, Sis!

Our prayers have been answered! The Lord of Awesomeness has blessed us with an update!

Greek fire, maybe, the age-old phosphorus compound which ignites when in contact with water? Easy way to flare. Though they have Rifles, so maybe flares already exist.

Anyways, good update, blah, blah, blah...when's the next one? ;)

Seriously, though, nice! :goodjob:

:clap::clap::clap::clap:

Scipio took along four helpers. I surmise that one of them is a tracker and the Romans could bring in the entire company and might just take the inn apart and "question" everyone until they get answers.

I don't ever recall seeing GPS devices on the tech tree, so no. ;) But let's hope he has another trick up his sleeve. :D

No need to hope - I know he has ;)
Thanks for ending an unbearable drought with the beneficial rain of your words, master :bowdown:

The Lord of Awesomeness has blessed us with an update!

Sis, if not in your user title, this one should be in your sig :D

I haven't been reading for a while and just started again and I'm completely caught up. Thanks alot for such a wonderful story..or epic novel as I should say lol.

After lurking here for ages I have finally decided to come out of hiding and give you some kudos. You are fantastic writer, this story is better than stuff I PAY to read. Its not every day that you get tier one story written about your favorite computer game. I almost got teary eyed reading the last section about the light house. I think you for giving your time and energy into writing theses amazing stories for us.:goodjob:

P.S. Are you planning on becoming a full time writer?

P.S. Are you planning on becoming a full time writer?

If I can ever tear myself away from playing civ long enough to write one of the many novels I have ideas for, YES! :lol:

Speaking of which, I know I need to get back to this story and relate Scipio's fate. I'll get there, I promise. Thanks everyone for your patience. In the meantime, remember that I have some more (admittedly non-Civ) stories available HERE (http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil).

If I can ever tear myself away from playing civ long enough to write one of the many novels I have ideas for, YES! :lol:

Speaking of which, I know I need to get back to this story and relate Scipio's fate. I'll get there, I promise. Thanks everyone for your patience. In the meantime, remember that I have some more (admittedly non-Civ) stories available HERE (http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil).

It says user no longer an active member when I click the link, is this true?

It says user no longer an active member when I click the link, is this true?

That's odd, the board software or something changed the URL. It should be the following: http://www.fanfiction.net/~sisiutil (http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil)

That's odd, the board software or something changed the URL. It should be the following: http://www.fanfiction.net/~sisiutil (http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil)

It still says no longer an active member, are you SURE you fixed it? :crazyeye:

It still says no longer an active member, are you SURE you fixed it? :crazyeye:

Try copying and pasting the URL instead of clicking on it. The board software, near as I can guess, is substituting "%7" for the tilde ("~").

I also got the same error message, and I can confirm that copy+paste instead does work. Weird. :crazyeye:

Try copying and pasting the URL instead of clicking on it. The board software, near as I can guess, is substituting "%7" for the tilde ("~").

OK, it works. Thank You!

That's odd, the board software or something changed the URL. It should be the following: http://www.fanfiction.net/~sisiutil (http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil)

The www.fanfiction.net website is violating web standards.

"http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil"
and
"http://www.fanfiction.net/~sisiutil"

by web standards refer to exactly the same website.

The www.fanfiction.net (http://www.fanfiction.net) website is violating web standards.

"http://www.fanfiction.net/%7Esisiutil"
and
"http://www.fanfiction.net/~sisiutil"

by web standards refer to exactly the same website.

Well, shame on them! ;)

such a waste that this epic will have no closure or will it?

one can only wonder...
has sisiutil lost interest in this story?

such a waste that this epic will have no closure or will it?

one can only wonder...
has sisiutil lost interest in this story?

He's a busy man. He'll post when he posts.

such a waste that this epic will have no closure or will it?

one can only wonder...
has sisiutil lost interest in this story?

No, I haven't lost interest, and yes, it will have closure. In fact, I wrote the end to this saga months ago. It's all the in-between stuff that sometimes takes awhile. ;)

In fact, I wrote the end to this saga months ago. It's all the in-between stuff that sometimes takes awhile. ;)

As a fellow writer, I can't agree more!

A most excellent story, can't wait for the next part!

Wasn't Bekhter Genghis Khan's brother IIRC?

A most excellent story, can't wait for the next part!

Wasn't Bekhter Genghis Khan's brother IIRC?
Yes. I was hard up for a Mongolian name and used it.

I was wondering about that....btw Sis, when can we expect to see a new addition to the story?