PlaymoFriends
Creative => Story-Telling => Topic started by: Rhalius on September 27, 2015, 09:05:03
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(http://i.imgur.com/rFym209.jpg)
It has been two months since the Romans took controll of Lord Gregorius his castle. They saved him as well as the royalty and knights captured by Prince Edward, who is still their prisoner. They have build a grand arena which attracts an audience from their homeland as well as the locals.
Worried about the threat the romans might pose, King Phillip has send Roderick, Frederick and Henry to see what this arena is all about. They also wish to know what became of Prince Edward the Lion and his men. These Romans might be up to something, but what could it be?
They have a lot to think about on their way to the Romans, where they will arrive soon.
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8-) great pic
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Oh yay, looking forward to this.
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Me too ;D
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:rock:
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Beautiful picture & majestic Lion :love: :love:
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:o
Great picture!
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Leaving their horses nearby, they proceed on foot. That big arena sure looks very impressive.
(http://i.imgur.com/qPBPjHR.jpg)
Henry: "I am curious about how they fight in that arena. Will it be like our knight tournaments?"
Roderick: "I am affraid not Henry. In the history books about the Romans it says that slaves and prisoners where forced to fight against their will, and in in our tournaments everyone participates willingly."
Frederick: "Maybe they changed that in all those years?"
The gates are opened for them, and a centurion seems happy to see them.
"Welcome, knights of King Phillip. We seem to be having a problem that perhaps you might be able to help us with!"
(http://i.imgur.com/dAJh4OG.jpg)
Roderick: "Why would you need our help for?"
Centurion: "Just come with me and see for yourselves."
As they walk into the castle, they can hear Lady Mary scream angrily at a very intimidated roman General. Near her, Sir Hugo is standing next to his horse alongside another knight and a squire. Presumably they are there as Lady Mary's escort.
(http://i.imgur.com/Dzs04Xe.jpg)
Centurion: "I've fought barbarians, pirates and wolves without any fear, but that woman scares me."
(http://i.imgur.com/upv8FFP.jpg)
Mary: "... And I demand that you release my husband right now! He did not have my permission to go fight in that war, he was supposed to be home before dinner!"
Siegfried: "I was captured by these Romans!"
Mary: "That's no excuse! You are not allowed to hang out with these ruffians anymore, I forbid it! and you, release my husband before I get angry!"
General Secundus: "I.. I am sorry lady, but he is our prisoner. He is scheduled to fight in the arena today."
As Lady Mary looks about ready to assault general Secundus, general Primus has observed the events from the balcony.
(http://i.imgur.com/tUuryqO.jpg)
General Primus: "We can make an exeption this time, release Siegfried Rodich."
As the door is opened, the guards have to drag a frightened and reluctant Siegfried out of his prison. As his last chance, he tries to plead with general Secundus.
(http://i.imgur.com/gipDGog.jpg)
Siegfried: "Please, I don't want to go! Don't let her take me away from here! I will fight anything you want in the arena! Lions, Tigers, Bears, Elephants, Dragons, but please let me stay here!"
General Secundus: "I am sorry, but we can't keep you apart from your loving wife. Seriously, our legions are not trained for that."
Mary pulls him along. "The poor dear is dillusional, look what you did to him! Now he can't leave my castle for months since he needs time to recover."
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While Siegfried gets his arms and armor back, lord Hugo recognizes the three knights who stopped him at the last tournament. "You there! I'll take on all three of you at once! Because of you three I was put in prison!"
Otto: "Calm down brother. They are not worth it."
(http://i.imgur.com/TJQAdHW.jpg)
Roderick: "We stopped you from murdering Sir Constantine, it was a fair punishment."
Henry: "You would never have been released if you succeeded."
Hugo: "These weak romans won't be able to stop me from fighting you!"
General Secundus: "There will be no fighting here. If you want to fight, I hereby challenge you to a battle in the arena, if you dare."
(http://i.imgur.com/GWgBwwf.jpg)
Hugo: "I will crush you first then, puny Roman! come at me with all you have!"
General Secundus smiles. "Trust me, I won't hold anything back. The arena will be opened in an hour so prepare yourself."
Otto: "I will fight with my brother, I don't trust you."
General Secundus: "Very well, I will take you both on at once. Now leave me with my guests."
While Siegfried and Mary return home, and the two dark knights prepare for their battle, General Secundus has time to speak with his three new visitors.
(http://i.imgur.com/jbUs795.jpg)
General Secundus: "Welcome, knights of King Phillip. I am General Secundus, commander of the second legion and owner of this new arena. Have you come to see your enemy, Prince Edward, fight in the arena?"
Frederick: "Fight? But he is a prisoner."
Roderick: "A prisoner of royalty even. I don't think his father would be happy about this."
General Secundus: "Emperor Tiberius wants to see his conquered enemy in the arena, so that is what's going to happen. Feel free to take it up with General Primus who captured him."
Henry: "We will."
As they walk up the stairs to make their way to General Primus Maximus, they see Prince Edward being taken from his prison, with guards everywhere to ensure he won't escape.
(http://i.imgur.com/upOOu3N.jpg)
Roderick: "We better hurry, it looks like they are going to prepare him for the arena."
Henry: "Maybe its not that bad to see him fight in the arena, considering what he did."
Frederick: "He'd have plenty of time to think about what he did in prison."
Despite his soldiers objections and his own, Prince Edward is taken from his prison to fight in the arena.
(http://i.imgur.com/gazb7ov.jpg)
Prince Edward: "I am the prince of Alion, I am not here to fight for your amusement."
General Secundus: "You are a prisoner of the empire and will do whatever pleases the emperor."
General Primus seems friendly enough to the three friends when they get to meet with him.
"Welcome, knights of King Phillip. I believe you have not met General Tertius, commander of the third legion yet?"
(http://i.imgur.com/A77vQAb.jpg)
General Tertius: "Well met. My legion is not here right now, but I was invited to come watch the grand opening of the new arena and to guard emperor Tiberius."
Frederick: "The emperor is here? May we meet him too?"
General Tertius shakes his head. "I am affraid the emperor does not grant everyone an audience, if there is any business you have with the empire you can discuss it with us."
Roderick: "I suppose that makes sense. What we wanted to ask about is, why are you going to force Prince Edward to fight in the arena? Why force any prisoners to fight?"
General Primus: "Why would you care about this? I stopped him from killing Sir Stephen, another of your king's knights. He gets what he deserves."
Henry: "He did terrible things, but that is not an excuse to do the same to him."
General Tertius: "Don't worry too much about it, we just want to scare him a bit. General Secundus trained a Lion. He wants to make the Lion Prince look foolish by making him run from the very symbol of his kingdom. Only his pride will be hurt."
Frederick: "Well that might be fun to see."
Henry: "Yes, he deserves that."
Roderick: "Well yes, he does.. but what about King Richard? It sounds like this would greatly offend the entire kingdom of Alion."
General Primus: "That does not concern us, a broken king and a shattered kingdom are of no concern. The games will begin soon, let's make our way to the arena."
((to be continued soon.))
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Poor lion, roar loudly for you are a beautiful beast, down with Romans
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Great pics :) (and with romans!)
Otto: "I will fight with my brother, I don't trust you."
The NERVE. So you challenge a guy.. and then... "ah, but I'll fight with my brother, cause, you know, that one on one thing may be overrated, and I don't trust you"... !? And it is allowed?!
I suppose that fearsome Lady Mary didn't mind having her guard greatly reduced.. then again, who'd be mad enough to mess with her? ;D
Looking forward to more!
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Thanks for that perspective Tahra, it just makes me want to scream " this family must cooperate"
Thanks for sharing your perspective... :wow:
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it just makes me want to scream " this family must cooperate"
:lmao: :lmao:
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Great to see a new update. The lion may not chase him though, that prince doesn't really look all that appetizing.
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((Just take into consideration that General Secundus seems to allow them to team up against him a little too easily perhaps, so maybe the distrust is waranted? ;) ))
In the meanwhile, prince Edward has been given his weapons back for his fight.
(http://i.imgur.com/AncjHIO.jpg)
Prince Edward: "If I am to fight I want a full plate armor suit, an armored white horse, a crossbow and a lance."
Gladiator Domitius laughs. "You will fight with whatever master Secundus provides."
Centurion: "Just follow Domitius his example. He is fiercely loyal to General Secundus and is his best gladiator."
While Prince Edward argues about his equipment, a small crowd is growing at the gates.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xksklM.jpg)
Romans have come from their island to watch the games in this exotic location, and curious locals want to see a classic arena battle which they have only read about in books.
It appears there is a late arrival as well: Sir Sigurd, the copper knight of the south.
(http://i.imgur.com/rPm4CA7.jpg)
Considering Craftkeep's alliance with these Romans, it seems only natural for a craftkeep knight to be here.
A Centurion arrives to greet the guests.
(http://i.imgur.com/WhAMD5V.jpg)
Centurion: "Romans, friends, guests, the games are about to start. Please make way to the arena. Both traditional gladiators and native warriors from this continent will fight today, it will be a grand show I promise you that!"
Curiously they look at the Centurion, and also behind him at Prince Edward.
Everyone makes their way to the arena, the generals and the three friends Roderick, Henry and Frederick too. Everyone is talking about the upcomeing games.
(http://i.imgur.com/8xsNfaX.jpg)
All exept one man, who seems to be sneaking off unnoticed.
What could he be up to? This will be revealed soon.
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Nice attempt at a disguise, but I see through you sneaky guy...
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Great story as always some great humour there with Lady Mary and his men no wonder Siegfred wants to stay in his cell, I look forward to seeing the Princes battle with the lions and seeing where things develop.
Nice attempt at a disguise, but I see through you sneaky guy...
I noticed that first thought was it was an interesting custom but, yes that does make sense another potential plot twist
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:D Great!
I love the variety of the crowd that's gathering. Marco Polo and Dürer! ;D
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I'm sorry, Lord Rhalius, but I need more of this.
NOW.
;)
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((I wrote everything down now ahead of time, so I will post everything over the course of this week.))
He makes his way to the edge of the woods, where a horse is waiting for him and where he exchanges his disguise for his more familiar equipment.
(http://i.imgur.com/nCE0XN1.jpg)
As fast as his horse can go, he makes his way to a small building hidden within the forest.
(http://i.imgur.com/jgygwVc.jpg)
Here, a Lion captain and two more soldiers are waiting for him, they all wear the equipment of Prince Edward's personal guard.
As the soldier dismounts and gives his tired horse some water, everyone is eager to hear what he has to say.
(http://i.imgur.com/QPySXrc.jpg)
Captain Sirius: "Have you learned anything? What are the Romans up to with their arena?"
Soldier: "They are planning to make Prince Edward fight in the arena, but I don't think it would be to the death. He's too valuable to them."
Captain Sirus: "Leave the thinking to me. We will send word to King Richard that the Romans are about to execute his son in their arena, and I will send our friend here to deal with these romans in the meanwhile."
As a soldier prepares to send the intended message to King Richard, a familiar archer steps out of the house.
(http://i.imgur.com/rwYQMcV.jpg)
Blue Shadow: "The Blue Shadow stands ready, you have paid the Blue Shadow's fee. Give your instructions and it will be done."
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In the meanwhile the games are about to begin. Romans and guests are placed on seperate sides of the emperor. The three friends are eager to see how the games will go.
(http://i.imgur.com/UT5xY8l.jpg)
Gladiators: "Hail Emperor Tiberius! those who are about to die salute you!"
It seems like a strange thing to say to the three friends, but they are soon distracted by the ensueing battle.
(http://i.imgur.com/D1vUd3s.jpg)
Frederick: "A trident and a net? Is he trying to catch a fish?"
Henry: "He sure knows how to use them though. Look! he catches his sword with the net!"
Roderick: "I'd still rather fight with a sword. though."
The emperor and the roman generals seem to really enjoy the games.
(http://i.imgur.com/oIOM78E.jpg)
General Tertius: "You trained them well, where did you get the Retiarius from?"
General Secundus: "I won him in a gambling match with general Decimus of the tenth legion. He was not happy about losing his best gladiator."
General Primus: "All that matters is that our guests get to see the glory of Rome. They will need to get used to it."
Emperor Tiberius: "Indeed my friend. Soon your legion will return from our island, Tertius his legion is under way as well along with general Quartus and the fourth legion."
Domidius proves to be the better gladiator, and has defeated his challenger. He looks up to the emperor and waits for his judgement.
(http://i.imgur.com/gTPzCuR.jpg)
Emperor Tiberius raises his thumb up. "He may live. Let it be known that I show mercy to those who know when they are defeated."
Roderick, Henry and Frederick now realise that this was not a mere game, and that if the emperor gave the word, that poor man would have been killed on the spot.
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General Tertius raises his voice to announce the next battle.
"Two knights of the kingdom of Falcona have challenged General Secundus to a battle in the arena, Let's see who emerges victorious!"
(http://i.imgur.com/1MvnrUf.jpg)
Heavily armed and armored and on horseback, Sir Hugo and his brother Sir Otto enter the arena.
When taking their position, Hugo notices Roderick, Henry and Frederick in the audience.
(http://i.imgur.com/F3iIk5X.jpg)
Hugo: "You three will be next after this!"
Otto: "Let's focus on the fight at hand first."
Hugo: "Crushing that puny roman will be easy."
When General Secundus enters the arena however, he is not alone.
(http://i.imgur.com/n2T2m67.jpg)
Riding a scythed chariot, he is accompanied by six gladiators.
The romans cheer for their general, while the two knights look in surprise at this turn of events.
(http://i.imgur.com/tvdVN3w.jpg)
Otto: "Cursed roman, you are cheating! This fight is between us, no other people should be involved."
General Secundus laughs. "Your brother said I should come at him with everything I have. These gladiators are my property. Slaves I trained to fight for me. They are not people, they are weapons at my disposal."
Sir Hugo: "Cowering behind your slaves won't help you, I will cut my way through them to get to you!"
The two sides charge at each other, Hugo knocks over one of the gladiators but the others hold their ground.
(http://i.imgur.com/AZIm6yf.jpg)
General Secundus manages to knock Otto from his horse when he throws his pilum at him, and two of his gladiators are quick to subdue him once he is down.
(http://i.imgur.com/VsGm8ps.jpg)
Hugo is quick to dismount to better fight the gladiators on foot.
He is completely surprised however, by their skill.
(http://i.imgur.com/hhwYCFQ.jpg)
They are well trained, and give him a tough fight.
The three friends are just baffled by whats going on.
(http://i.imgur.com/jd9ILHN.jpg)
Roderick: "How can they be so cruel to these people? Forcing them to fight. They even forced a woman to fight."
Henry: "At least they seem well trained, they are defeating Hugo. He won't like being beaten by a girl."
Frederick: "Now there is a woman who knows how to catch a man, with a net."
Defeated and surrounded, the two brothers are helpless to do anything when General Secundus declares his victory.
(http://i.imgur.com/lF7xRC6.jpg)
Emperor Tiberius: "Well done general Secundus! I had no doubts that you would defeat this primitive rabble. They may live since they clearly are no threat to our glorious empire."
Hugo is about to try and stand up at this insult, but Otto keeps him down, speaking in a hushed voice to him. "Patience brother, we will strike at them from a position of strenght."
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This seems to work. While they gather their horses and leave the arena to return home, humbled, the emperor announces the main event.
(http://i.imgur.com/er7PxAF.jpg)
Emperor Tiberius: "Romans, friends, guests. Two months ago General Primus arrived on this continent with the first legion. Prince Edward of Alion foolishly dared to defy my mighty empire and raised arms against us! But here he is before you, General Primus defeated him and subdued the kingdom of Alion! Now he will fight here in the arena for your amusement!"
Reluctantly Prince Edward walks into the arena while the romans are booing at him.
(http://i.imgur.com/DnQamqe.jpg)
He has no idea what awaits him, and is not happy at all about having to fight on foot and without armor.
General Secundus: "You dare call yourself the Lion Prince, well, now we will watch you run from a real lion! Release Cecilius!"
(http://i.imgur.com/wd6fymo.jpg)
The gate is pulled up, and a big lion walks out with a roar! Somehow Prince Edward does not seem frightened however.
In fact, he puts his sword away and smiles, offering his hand to the lion who slowly walks up to him and licks his hand.
(http://i.imgur.com/5TrSPEl.jpg)
Prince Edward: "So you are Cecilius? I will call you Cecil. I grew up with lions at the castle, it has been a custom for Lion princes and kings to be accompanied by a Lion for protection."
While the audience laughs at this unusual turn of events, general Secundus is enraged.
"Why you! this is not supposed to be like this! He is mocking us! Cecilius! kill him! Obey your master!"
Cecil however just ignores Secundus and purrs as Prince Edward scratches him behind his ear.
Emperor Tiberius puts his hand on Secundus his shoulder.
"What is this Secundus? He was to be humiliated so that everyone can see the might of my empire! We can't have conquered enemies making a mockery out of me!"
(http://i.imgur.com/K87nZsf.jpg)
General Secundus: "What can I do to correct this mistake, mighty emperor?"
Emperor Tiberius: "Release the beast!"
General Secundus: "Are.. are you sure? it was a gift from the copper knight."
General Tiberius: "Do as I say or I will have you tossed in the arena as well! You invited me to these games you organised and make me look foolish! Make the beast angry and release him in the arena! I want that prince dead!"
Growling can be heard as the arena gates are opened once more.
(http://i.imgur.com/pCOtVoc.jpg)
The three friends are leaning forward to try and catch a glimpse of it.
What manner of beast are they going to release on Prince Edward?
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:love:
Brilliant way to use the pitiful half arena we get.. You made it look great!
He looks up to the emperor and waits for his judgement.
The posing on the gladiator looking at the veredict is AMAZING!
Good to see those idiots getting a taste of their own medicine (and having the nerve to complain about it)! And the female gladiator too, fixed :)
Great scenes with the kitty :love:
(more?)
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Brilliant way to use the pitiful half arena we get.. You made it look great!
That's the full arena. You can tell because it has the columns behind the central seating.
The posing on the gladiator looking at the veredict is AMAZING!
Agreed! The posing throughout is meticulous!
On the whole a fantastic job.
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That's the full arena. You can tell because it has the columns behind the central seating.
What playmobil sells as a full arena is a poor excuse for the arena, imo. That it's tiny is normal. Than half the surrounding pieces are simple walls instead of seats is quite bad. My opinion, anyways.
I think it was brilliantly done, by hiding half of it, it looks like it's there! ;D
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What playmobil sells as a full arena is a poor excuse for the arena, imo. That it's tiny is normal. Than half the surrounding pieces are simple walls instead of seats is quite bad. My opinion, anyways.
I think it was brilliantly done, by hiding half of it, it looks like it's there! ;D
Oh right I thought you meant the actual half arena, which is a different set. The "full" arena is probably that way because package size; it's easily upgradeable by ebaying extra seating sections. That's what I'm doing with mine.
Rhalius's story only needed a tiny audience so it worked out perfectly!
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Excellent story continuation! Great scenes!
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((thanks everyone! :) ))
A gigantic grey beast with a horn on its nose rushes through the gates, straight towards the prince and his lion, who both run away from this angry monster!
(http://i.imgur.com/Km0ZlrR.jpg)
The guard who opens the gate narrowly manages to get out of the way by jumping on the gate!
The three friends just can't believe they would unleash such a big beast.
(http://i.imgur.com/hr9l7BD.jpg)
Frederick: "What have they been feeding that unicorn? its huge!"
Henry: "I don't think its a unicorn, but it looks unstoppable!"
Sir Sigurd: "Can't you see that is a rhino? It was meant as a gift to the emperor and was not intended to fight in the arena."
Roderick: "Just call it off! that rhino is going to kill the prince! He can't outrun him forever!"
General Primus: "The emperor will use his gifts however he pleases, and if he wants that rhino to kill the Lion prince for his defiance, than it will be done."
Roderick: "Well I can't just watch and let that happen."
(http://i.imgur.com/HSQNg8k.jpg)
Roderick draws his sword and looks down the arena, where Cecil the brave lion is knocked aside when trying to protect his new master and the rhino is about to attack Prince Edward who has no where to run.
Without any hesitation, Roderick jumps on top of the rhino to distract it, and save Edward's life.
(http://i.imgur.com/xNCxQN4.jpg)
Roderick: "Get to safety!"
Prince Edward: "Th.. thank you, I am in your dept!"
Quite confused about why Roderick would save him, the prince runs away as far as he can from the rhino.
Henry is ready to jump into the arena as well to help Roderick, but Frederick stops him.
(http://i.imgur.com/oKAXG4L.jpg)
Henry: "We should help him, we can't let him fight alone against that beast!"
Frederick: "Wait here and watch those romans, I have an idea."
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Frederick is up to something, but so is the Blue Shadow who arrives unnoticed.
(http://i.imgur.com/NivVlLa.jpg)
Armed with a bow and a grappling hook, what instructions could Captain Sirius have given him?
He manages to climb the tower unnoticed, while most of the soldiers are distracted by the spectacle in the arena.
(http://i.imgur.com/uxKmQfz.jpg)
Henry stands ready to jump in the arena if need be.
(http://i.imgur.com/FArIisO.jpg)
Henry: "I sure hope Frederick knows what he is doing.."
Sir Sigurd: "Stay right where you are, swan knight. You will leave my rhino alone. If you jump in there you will have to deal with me."
Henry: "I don't care how tough you are, you won't stop me from saving my friends if need be."
Henry does his best to hide his fear, he still remembers that the copper knight defeated the Dread Baron together with two other Craftkeep knights.
The gates of the arena swing open and Frederick bursts out of them riding a chariot! Suprised roman soldiers have to jump aside.
(http://i.imgur.com/3Btbo5f.jpg)
He stops near Roderick and Prince Edward, while the Rhino charges at them.
(http://i.imgur.com/nEFWlJc.jpg)
Frederick: "Hop on, we are getting out of here!"
Both are quick to jump on the chariot.
Roderick: "Nice thinking Frederick!"
Sadly, the romans close the gates behind Frederick, forcing them to ride circles to try and avoid the angry Rhino comeing after them.
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In the meanwhile, the Blue Shadow managed to knock out a tower guard and stays hidden, while the crowd goes wild at the unexpected turn of events in the arena.
(http://i.imgur.com/CvCKPZE.jpg)
He seems to be waiting for the right moment to strike.. What is he up to?
But the rhino is slowly getting closer to the chariot.
Prince Edward: "Faster! he is moving closer!"
Frederick: "I am doing the best I can!"
(http://i.imgur.com/VS3drvI.jpg)
General Secundus: "This is a disgrace, they stole my chariot!"
General Tertius: "Well the crowd loves it, I rarely saw them this exited!"
Emperor Tiberius: "They laugh at my weakness, I should have those traitors tossed in the arena with them!"
General Tertius: "Surely they are only focused on this chase and don't doubt your greatness, my emperor?"
Emperor Tiberius: "Well I will remind them of their place! General Primus, send in the best legionaires to finish off these knights!"
General Primus: "Just a moment, it may not be needed after all, look!"
And indeed, the raging rhino rams the side of the chariot, causing it to fall over!
(http://i.imgur.com/2uKuSlk.jpg)
Nobody is seriously hurt, but everyone struggles to get back up, they are at the rhino's mercy!
Henry is quick to jump in to distract the rhino.
(http://i.imgur.com/djVR2uC.jpg)
Henry: "Get over here you oversized unicorn! I challenge you! Waagh!"
The noise he makes seems to draw the rhino's attention.
Sir Sigurd: "I warned you not to interfere! Now you will face me."
Henry looks to his right at the slowly approaching rhino, and then to his left at the angry copper knight. What trouble did he get himself into?
(http://i.imgur.com/en3mYrV.jpg)
Henry: "Listen, just calm down your rhino and no one needs to get hurt, yes?"
Sir Sigurd: "Perhaps, but the emperor does want a good show.."
Henry: "Well you can fight me and my friends, just friendly sparring. We will give it our best."
Sir Sigurd: "Alright I am listening.."
While the others get back on their feet, suddenly the sound of a flying arrow draws everyone's attention!
(http://i.imgur.com/RZ1mvfY.jpg)
((What will the target be? The story continues tomorrow!))
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This is really well crafted.
I will say though that a different captioning system would put the images into a different class.
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Fantastic! :munch:
The posing on the gladiator looking at the veredict is AMAZING!
Agreed 8-) And that shot of the chariot with Frederick bursting into the arena!
I will say though that a different captioning system would put the images into a different class.
Yeah it would make things easier to read, for sure. More smoothly.
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((sadly picture editing programs are a pain to work with for me so I'll have to stick to this caption system.))
Then panic ensues, as the emperor is struck by the arrow! His praetorian guards rush to his side but are too late!
(http://i.imgur.com/Cqy1Em3.jpg)
Weakly, the emperor speaks his last words: "..Kill them.. all.."
General Tertius: "The emperor has been murdered!"
General Secundus: "grab that archer and bring him to me!"
General Primus: "Sigurd, kill those knights! They must be working with the assasin!"
And so the battle continues in the arena, the enraged Sigurd attacks Henry but Frederick is quick to come to his aid while Roderick keeps his eye on the rhino.
(http://i.imgur.com/0T0PE3Z.jpg)
Sigurd: "I should have known you three cannot be trusted!"
Henry: "We have nothing to do with this!"
General Secundus: "Lies! I should come down there and kill you chariot thieves myself!"
General Primus: "No, we must secure the fort first!"
General Tertius: "No, we should tend to the emperor!"
Surrounded by enemies, the situation seems quite hopeless. This is not at all how the three friends imagined their visit to the romans.
(http://i.imgur.com/AOpy0WZ.jpg)
Roderick: "I think I saw the assasin, he looked like the Blue Shadow! But he is in our prison, do you know anything about this Prince Edward?"
Prince Edward: "How would I know? I have been in prison here for months!"
Frederick: "We can talk about all that later, let's get out of here alive first!"
Sir Sigurd: "None of you will leave this arena alive!"
The Blue Shadow has to deal with the roman legion however, they all make their way to the tower to catch the assasin of their Emperor!
(http://i.imgur.com/oDAT4PI.jpg)
He managed to buy himself some time by barricading the hatch with a roman spear, the pilum, so that he can use is hook to make his escape.
(http://i.imgur.com/VWI8gtP.jpg)
A few vigilant romans spot him and throw their pilums at him.
(http://i.imgur.com/p4j3Hkf.jpg)
But the Blue Shadow manages to narrowly avoid them as he jumps on his horse.
The praetorian guards arrive with more legionaires, but they can't hope to catch up to him on foot.
(http://i.imgur.com/EaGNrDR.jpg)
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As they watch the assasin ride off into the distance, a distressed roman scout arrives on horseback.
(http://i.imgur.com/6espVkb.jpg)
Praetorian: "Scout, go after that man! he murdered the Emperor! We will grab our horses and be right with you!"
Scout: "My horse is exhausted, I rode as quickly as I could to bring you urgent news: The lion army is moving right towards us! They will be here soon!"
Praetorian guard: "What?! We must prepare for a siege then! Quickly, warn the generals!"
The generals have already left the arena to deal with the assasin, and the audience does no longer feel safe. The scout is quick to reach them and inform them of the situation.
(http://i.imgur.com/Kl7Bicd.jpg)
General Tertius: "We should still go after the assasin, he can't get away with this!"
General Secundus: "I say we meet this Lion army in the field instead of cower behind walls!"
General Primus: "No, we should not give up our advantage! We will hold the fort!"
Divided without their emperor and all being of equal rank, the generals bicker about their course of action all the way to the castle.
A captain and a soldier have been left at the arena to make sure no one escapes.
(http://i.imgur.com/wZr1n2N.jpg)
While Sigurd is clearly the superiour swordsman, the three friends manage to hold their own against him by working together, while at the same time doing their best to avoid the rhino.
All involved in the arena however, are too caught up in their fight to hear the sounds of King Richard's approaching army.
(http://i.imgur.com/jxy7u9O.jpg)
Even still, the three generals are bickering about who should lead the defense!
(http://i.imgur.com/0m8LhsM.jpg)
General Primus: "Look, I captured this fort from the lion Prince, and I will defend it!"
General Secundus: "His army was not even at the fort that time, and its my legion that is stationed here!"
General Tertius: "And they already failed to protect the emperor, so clearly you are not fit to lead this defense!"
The roman civilians hiding in the castle fear for the worst as they can hear their bickering.
(http://i.imgur.com/z9vy8cX.jpg)
The local civilians left, its not their fight after all but the romans had hoped to find protection in the fort now that they feel all the locals are out to get them.
A new lion prince steps forth from the army, to lead them on.
(http://i.imgur.com/UTVUDNP.jpg)
Prince James: "For Alion and King Richard, we charge forward brave soldiers! Secure the castle and free Edward. Show them that the lion still has claws! To war!!"
And so it begins.
((The story will continue tomorrow.))
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Wow, that's a lot of development for one episode! Tons going on there. Love the big unicorn!
Also have to point out the meta level of the three arguing generals of equal rank after the death of the emperor and the comparison to the Playmobil company board after the death of HOB. Don't know if that was intended or not but it echoes nicely for me.
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:munch:
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((I didnt intend to reference any specific situation, I just went with the familiar saying of having too many captains on a ship. Without a clear leader and all being of equal rank, things can often turn ugly when ego's clash.))
Soldiers already move with ladders to the walls while a special ballista is pushed forth.
(http://i.imgur.com/3iwxlq2.jpg)
Prince James: "Bring down that gate!"
The roman soldiers look in shock at the large army and its siege engines, but their captain manages to inspire them in the absence of their generals.
(http://i.imgur.com/lAsMx5h.jpg)
Roman captain: "Hold the line men, no matter what they throw at us, protect these walls! Don't let any of them get through! Strenght and honour!"
The flaming projectiles of the ballista make quick work of the wooden doors, but there is still a porticulis behind it.
(http://i.imgur.com/Vxg14oK.jpg)
Lion soldiers try to get onto the walls with ladders, but they can't get through the defense of the romans.
(http://i.imgur.com/4L2ws6d.jpg)
As the siege tower is pushed towards the porticulis to let the battering ram do its work, the roman legionaires are gathering behind it to form a last line of defense.
(http://i.imgur.com/Bh0ZBoa.jpg)
While the soldiers fight to get through the gate, the knights on horseback are send to the arena to ensure Prince Edward's safety.
(http://i.imgur.com/0EflDWE.jpg)
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Hopefully they will be in time, since the three friends are fighting a losing battle against the more experienced copper knight.
(http://i.imgur.com/OeVPBi7.jpg)
Sir Sigurd: "You three fought well, I will grant you that but this ends now!"
Henry: "I can't.. keep him away.."
Roderick: "Get out of the way!"
Frederick and Edward manage to jump to the side as the big Rhino comes charging through and Henry manages to narrowly roll to the side as Sigurd gets trampled by his own rhino!
(http://i.imgur.com/ixIMHdB.jpg)
The rhino is stopped as it rams into the iron gates, breaking them open as he drops unconcious.
(http://i.imgur.com/Mzr4bFd.jpg)
Henry: "That was close, is the copper knight..?"
Roderick: "He seems mostly alright, he is just unconcious."
Prince Edward: "Let us leave this place then, I hear a battle going on at the castle."
Frederick: "Maybe we can get out of here unnoticed then."
Captain: "Arm the gladiators, we will stop them here and now, even without the legion!"
(http://i.imgur.com/3KJVzGB.jpg)
Soldier: "Right away captain."
As the friends try to leave the arena with Prince Edward, a line of gladiators is blocking their path.
(http://i.imgur.com/azfJeX7.jpg)
Captain: "Attack! Leave none standing!"
But the gladiators see an opportunity to regain their freedom, and turn on their captors!
(http://i.imgur.com/XYkF0aO.jpg)
Captain: "No! Obey your masters!"
Gladiator: "We are free now, as free as these knights, to go where we please!"
The three friends smile as they watch the gladiators reclaiming their freedom.
Continueing on their way, they encounter the Lion knights send to resque Prince Edward.
(http://i.imgur.com/4oH7MiH.jpg)
Prince Edward: "I See that my father has finally decided to come free me?"
Sir William: "He could not allow you to be executed in the arena, sire. The army was rallied the moment he heard of it."
Prince Edward: "If it where not for these three knights I would have been killed by a huge horned monster. The lot of you should to be ashamed! I expect better from the knights of Alion."
Sir William: "... Yes sire, I still remember their bravery in our earlier war with them.."
He also remembers the treachery of his prince that caused that war.
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In the meanwhile, the battering ram has done its work, there is a breach! It seems the generals finally stopped their bickering, and General Primus is here to guard the gate.
(http://i.imgur.com/Aif9veD.jpg)
General Primus: "Stand fast men! You are Romans! The finest soldiers the world has ever seen! This fortress will not be taken under my watch! Don't let a single one of these bumbling fools set foot inside these walls!"
On the outside, the battering ram is moved aside to let the troops pass through.
(http://i.imgur.com/3WrqHXh.jpg)
Prince James: "Charge forward men! For King and country!"
And the king himself stands proudly on top of the siege tower, looking with pride at his nephew who he made his new heir.
(http://i.imgur.com/2ZI0JO4.jpg)
Royal guard: "The men are eager to fight, sire. They believe in Prince James."
King Richard: "Yes, he is there with them leading the charge. Soldiers tend to appreciate a leader who is there with them."
Royal Guard: "You don't regret leaving the command in his hands, sire?"
King Richard: "Not at all my friend. Front line fighting is for the young."
General Tertius however, sees the king on his tower as a beautifull target..
(http://i.imgur.com/gqtz1xq.jpg)
General Tertius: "They killed our emperor, we will kill their king! Fire when ready Marcus!"
Felix: "But my name is Felix."
General Tertius: "Just fire that ballista, soldier!"
Luckily for King Richard, his trusted guard saw the attack comeing and manages to block it with his shield!
(http://i.imgur.com/TwGTE6o.jpg)
King Richard: "That was close, exellent work!"
Royal guard: "Good thing they don't have heavier bolts, sire, let's get you off this tower."
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At the gates the romans have managed to keep the lion soldiers at bay, but now they come with crossbows before sending in a second wave of infantry!
(http://i.imgur.com/kCiyNEc.jpg)
They also just keep comeing at the walls, hoping to push through but the romans are not letting them through under the command of General Secundus.
(http://i.imgur.com/a2XD175.jpg)
General Secundus: "Is that the best you can do? Hah! these soldiers are no match for roman legionaires!"
The siege tower however, is being pushed closer to the walls and is dropping down it's bridge.
(http://i.imgur.com/BgXwvhd.jpg)
Centurion: "More of their soldiers? we can fight them all day if we have to! Ready your weapons, men!"
But much to their surprise, templar knights and not lion soldiers come charging out of the siege tower!
(http://i.imgur.com/5oZTcZ5.jpg)
Sir Charles: "Forwards, my brothers! Rid this land of these cruel romans!"
Their attack is covered by crossbowmen on top of the tower.
Who will be victorious? The roman legions, or the Lion troops with the aid of the templar knights? And what are the three friends to do in this war?
These answers will come soon!
((tomorrow comes the conclusion of the story! :) ))
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Great developments, but wow, that photo of the ballista bolt coming at the top of the tower!!! :love: :love:
That is a fantastic photo, beautifully done!
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((sorry for the delay, had a lot of work the last two days.))
The experienced templars completely overwhelm the surprised romans, who expected to fight mere foot soldiers.
(http://i.imgur.com/cfZ9VM2.jpg)
But when properly motivated, the mere foot soldiers should not be underestimated either!
(http://i.imgur.com/jlP34Bd.jpg)
Inspired by the powerfull warrior prince leading the charge, the lion soldiers keep pouring through the gates and push the romans back!
The soldiers in prison can sure appreciate the view of the ongoing battle.
(http://i.imgur.com/gLNhF0V.jpg)
Soldier: "Yes, thats it! keep pushing forward! Free us from this cesspit of despair!"
Crossbowman: "They treat us like animals! Last night they served us warm wine with our roasted pork and ceasar salad!"
General Tertius sees quite well from above his tower that things are starting to look bad as the templars are securing the gatehouse.
(http://i.imgur.com/GYSZNeK.jpg)
General Tertius: "How is this possible Marcus? How can this rabble be defeating our mighty legion?."
Felix: "My name is Felix!"
General Tertius: "Oh, shush you, and follow me! back into the fort!"
With the gate secure, the templars are starting to push forward on the walls with the help of the lion soldiers, the walls are lost.
(http://i.imgur.com/qhxKdI5.jpg)
In the courtyard the romans are quickly getting outnumbered now that the gates are wide open and the lion army is free to march right in.
(http://i.imgur.com/FVWmAoc.jpg)
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Realising he cannot win the fight here, General Primus must make a decision that is not easy for him.
(http://i.imgur.com/YuwTKvY.jpg)
General Primus: "Fall back! Fall back to the keep!"
The soldiers and the praetorian guards do their best to cover the retreat of the generals, trying to move as many of their men as possible back into the keep before pulling up the stairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/PLPJeZR.jpg)
In the meanwhile, Prince Edward's personal guards are moving in to free the prisoners.
(http://i.imgur.com/Qaw6jdc.jpg)
Freed soldier: "Captain Sirius! Great to see you again!"
Captain Sirius: "Considering it was a full legion I will excuse you lot for your faillure to keep the prince from being captured, but don't let this ever happen again!"
With the courtyard secured, the lion knights ride through the gate.
(http://i.imgur.com/jtVYlqu.jpg)
The holed up romans as well as the lion troops hold their fire for now, they watch as Prince Edward and the three friends follow the lion knights through the gate.
(http://i.imgur.com/72hVwxG.jpg)
General Tertius: "There he comes, the source of all our troubles."
General Secundus: "We should have executed him straight away."
General Primus: "And those three knights along with him."
Cecil the lion roars as he walks into the castle at Prince Edward's side.
(http://i.imgur.com/3jPuzpy.jpg)
Soldier: "Prince Edward has returned! And he has brought a lion with him! We are blessed!"
Roderick, Henry and Frederick are not so sure yet about that, but they are happy to at least see the romans defeated.
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Two lion princes standing face to face can only mean trouble however.
(http://i.imgur.com/wDQjuRN.jpg)
Prince James: "So there you are, my cousin Edward. The man who tarnished our family name and who now dragged us into war."
Prince Edward: "I started no war with these romans, and whoever you might be, you are wearing a crown that is mine by birthright!"
Prince James: "You don't remember me? My father died protecting his older brother, your father, the king! Back when our kingdom fell all those years ago. I was only a child back then, my mother took me to the court of Chivalia where I was trained to be a knight. Since you betrayed your father and the kingdom, he made me his heir."
Prince Edward: "I will speak with my father about this."
And there comes King Richard, greeted with cheers by his men as he enters the castle.
(http://i.imgur.com/FVFAznu.jpg)
Soldiers: "Hail King Richard!"
He walks towards Prince James, who bows before him.
(http://i.imgur.com/c07Znok.jpg)
Prince James: "The romans are defeated, great king Richard the Lion. I thought you may wish to have a word with them before we attack the keep."
King Richard: "Exellent work, I can always count on you. Now, I wish to speak to General Primus."
General Primus: "We will fight you to the bitter end, false king!"
King Richard shakes his head and looks up while Prince James moves to stand at his side.
(http://i.imgur.com/b20MZr0.jpg)
King Richard: "Don't be foolish. I know you have civilians up there. You are also outnumbered and trapped. And I wish to offer you a way out."
General Primus: "Why should I trust the word of the man who ordered the assasination of our emperor?!"
King Richard: "I had no part in that, but I realise that may be difficult to believe. I will allow you and your people safe passage back to your ships. Return to your island and bury your Emperor with honour. If your new Emperor wants to resume the war, so be it. But I hope he will think twice about trying to invade this continent again."
The three generals seem to consider this.
(http://i.imgur.com/3g3mjcF.jpg)
General Tertius: "We should accept this, the emperor must be buried with honour."
General Secundus: "No, we should fight them to the death! They are not to be trusted!"
General Primus: "Silence! It is futile to continue fighting, we are outnumbered. We will strike back from a position of strenght. King Richard, we agree to your terms."
With the romans surrendering and preparing to leave the fort, King Richard moves to speak with his son.
(http://i.imgur.com/Sdy4Y1X.jpg)
King Richard: "Edward, I am happy to see you are unharmed, no doubt that lion of yours brought you good fortune! I trust that you did learn your lesson during your captivity?"
Prince Edward: "Of course father, it was wrong of me to try and take the throne before it is my time to rule. I have much to learn from you still. I offer you this lion, Cecil, as a token of my goodwill. These three brave knights saved me from death, even while they where my enemies in the past."
King Richard: "You three have my gratitude, please stay a moment. I wish to speak with the three of you after matters are settled here."
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Quite soon, the romans march out of the castle, the soldiers have been quick to decorate it with lion banners once more.
(http://i.imgur.com/idn1YqP.jpg)
General Tertius: "Let's step on it Marcus, I wish to return to new Rome as quickly as possible."
Crixus: "My name is Crixus."
General Tertius: "Just shut up and drive my chariot."
General Secundus seems to prefer to steer his own chariot, keeping his trusted gladiator close.
Broken and defeated, the roman people and the soldiers follow behind the chariots, carrying their emperor.
(http://i.imgur.com/81r0B6e.jpg)
But will this be the last we see of the Roman Empire?
Not if General Primus would have anything to say about it.
(http://i.imgur.com/HLlqXpe.jpg)
General Primus: "Mark my words, King Richard! We will elect a strong new emperor, and we will return! With the full strenght of our legions!"
King Richard: "We will be prepared for them, and you might need to elect new generals as well if you hope to stand a chance. Now begone from my kingdon, before I change my mind."
On his way out General Primus sees his ally, Sir Sigurd the copper knight of the South.
(http://i.imgur.com/CF3xPHi.jpg)
General Primus: "We may have need of you and the other Craftkeep knights soon."
Sir Sigurd: "Considering how carelessly our gifts are treated and your blundering here, we will have to reconsider this alliance. I am taking my rhino back to Craftkeep."
General Primus: "We will speak more of this later, but not here."
The copper knight is called before King Richard.
(http://i.imgur.com/9UXSSBO.jpg)
King Richard: "What am I to do with you, Sir Sigurd? You raised your sword against my son in the arena, but I have no quarrel with the other craftkeep knights who I respect. Out of that respect I will let you return to craftkeep, but you will be forbidden to enter my lands again untill further notice."
Sigurd just nods silently in agreement and turns away after a slight bow, to look at the three knights he fought earlier.
(http://i.imgur.com/w7ICLbL.jpg)
Sir Sigurd: "You three fought well, I can respect that. Time will tell if saving that prince his life was worth it. I don't trust him, and neither should you."
Roderick: "Just like you we will have to wait and see."
Henry: "I hope this does not make us enemies of craftkeep?"
Sigurd: "No, my rhino is unharmed. Come visit Craftkeep sometimes, and we might try a rematch under friendlier terms."
Frederick: "Well good to hear thats all cleared up then!"
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As Sir Sigurd departs, Lord Gregorius, the original owner of the castle, steps forward.
(http://i.imgur.com/cEszJqF.jpg)
King Richard: "I suppose you wish to have your castle back, Lord Gregorius?"
Gregorius: "Oh no, too much fighting here, I have had it with this place! You can have it! I will be leaving to find a more peacefull place to live! Good luck to you, good king Richard, and farewell!"
King Richard: "That is settled then, this castle shall be the capital of the returned kingdom of Alion!"
And lastly, the templars step forward.
(http://i.imgur.com/80RQNbx.jpg)
King Richard: "The three of you have played a vital part in the victory here today, and you saved me from my prison months ago. I am forever in the dept of your order."
Templar knight: "You owe us nothing, honoured King. Where ever these barbaric romans try to set foot on the continent, we will be there to push them back! It is our sworn duty."
As the templars turn away to leave, Charles turns to his old friends.
(http://i.imgur.com/Q31zMld.jpg)
Sir Charles: "It is good to see you three again, and from what I hear the right decision was made. If it was not for that assasin, you three might have prevented the war."
Roderick: "I just hope that war is over now, and that the romans won't return."
Henry: "I think this defeat only made them more eager for war."
Charles: "I fear the same, Henry. Perhaps we will fight them together next time. Take care!"
Now it is their turn to stand before the king.
(http://i.imgur.com/rp3ws7g.jpg)
King Richard: "I can't thank you enough for saving the life of my son. Even while he was your enemy, if it is possible for the three of you to forgive him after all he did, then so can I."
Roderick: "Thank you sire, but we had hoped to prevent the war."
King Richard: "Let's hope they learned their lesson and stay on their own island from now on. This continent is no place for them."
Prince Edward: "My thanks again for your assistance, brave knights. Perhaps we will be able to have a friendly tournament again soon."
Henry: ".. I still remember the last tournament."
Prince Edward: "Such deception will not happen again, I promise."
Frederick: "Well maybe if you organise it with a nice banquet or such it might be fun.."
King Richard: "That's the spirit! Forgive and forget! Let's leave the troubled past behind us!"
And so the three friends return back to their castle, but they are still not sure if they did the right thing.
(http://i.imgur.com/gehW6WJ.jpg)
Henry: "I dont know about this, can Prince Edward ever be trusted? He did so many terrible things. I'm not letting my guard down for certain!"
Roderick: "That's probably wise, we best keep an eye on him. But if we did nothing we might have been enemies of King Richard now."
Frederick: "And King Richard seems gratefull! Besides, that Prince James is his heir now anyways so we shouldnt worry so much!"
As they walk out of the gate, they are greeted by the freed gladiators.
(http://i.imgur.com/9JUljsg.jpg)
Gladiator: "Thank you for helping us win our freedom."
Henry: "You fought for your own freedom, no need to thank us. What will you do now?"
Gladiator: "We are still thinking about it. Some of us wish to return home, but some of us might put our skills to use for a cause of our own choosing."
Frederick: "Well I wish you all good luck with it, perhaps we will meet again some day!"
Gladiator: "Indeed! Take care!"
-
After their departure, King Richard has matters to consider. He looks at Edward as he strokes the lion he was given.
(http://i.imgur.com/Z7LxU7I.jpg)
King Richard: "You know Edward.. even though you put me in prison for so many years, you have shown cunning and strategic talent in those years. Perhaps now that you have learned your lesson, we can put that to better use. I am not sure yet which one of you should be my heir, when the time comes, I will choose the one who is most worthy."
Prince Edward: "Of course father, that is your choice to make. I have wronged you after all."
Prince Edward seems to have changed his ways.. but has he really changed?
(http://i.imgur.com/O5KSdu8.jpg)
Captain Sirius: "It seems everything worked out well, the blue shadow performed his task well and you are regaining the trust of your father. Seems you had three unexpected allies as well."
Prince Edward: "Yes, those fools helped me perfectly. I could not have planned it better myself. Their sense of honour was quite convenient."
Captain Sirius: "So what now my liege?"
Prince Edward: "Best we lay low for now while we plan our next move. I won't make the same mistake again."
They both go quiet when they hear footsteps approach, it appears to be Prince James.
(http://i.imgur.com/0q3WnAR.jpg)
Prince James: "You may have fooled your father, but I am keeping a close eye on you. You won't bring harm to King Richard or the kingdom of Alion ever again under my watch."
It appears Prince Edward continues his schemes, but it seems he will not be able to plot freely this time. And what of the romans? Will the new emperor persue peace, or war?
Only time will tell, but for now, this story draws to a close.
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Well the Romans should have won, but apart from that, a ripping yarn!
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Very interesting ending to the story. Good to hear the rhino was unharmed and will be returning home.
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Well the Romans should have won, but apart from that, a ripping yarn!
Yes :)
Good to hear the rhino was unharmed and will be returning home.
VERY VERY good.
Loved the lion with the prince...
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Haven't managed to comment much on this story but, it has been great to watch it unfold. Many great twists and turns and battles scenes not to mention the lion befriending Prince Edward, it will be interesting to see what scheme he comes up with next :knight: :roman: