Submitted: 3 July 1997


Antanos Attacks Crossing: Defeated Soundly

by Blaine Firebrand

(Crossing, Zoluren)

Bah.

I might as well get around to telling this, before it finally slips my mind for good. Not that it *could* slip outta my head, mind you, but Dreamy is paranoid about these things. So here I am.

I don't really mind going over this day again, it makes me look all nice and hero-like. Problem is, I don't like hero-like. Hero-like isn't my thing. Used to be, but that's not what you're here to hear, now is it? And besides, if I tell it as if I was some great and powerful warrior, I'd get all embarressed in the long run. And in the short run, my hand starts throbbin' like a devil all over again.

Bah.

Lets get started.

S'far as I know, Kalthas was the first one in it. By first one in it, I mean first one killed, really. He was on the Northern Trade Route, doing that awe-inspiring dance between trader outposts, when he took an arrow to the gut. From what I hear, it was a particularly nasty arrow too, barbed like a serpent's tail with little grooves in the shaft to help blood flow. And 'Togs like Kalthas have a lot of blood, belive me. And Kalthas, bein' the solid Gor he is, didn't mind the arrow much, dispite the distrubingly heavy flow from his abdomen. No, it was the pike that really got him. In the head, to be exact. And this, via that great communication device known as the Gwethducian, is what we all heard.

"Gods alive there's Sluagh on the trade route!"

Followed quickly by the scream of Kalthas's soul being ejected from his corpse. Never, ever a good sign.

Bah.

This is where it gets bad, friends and neighbors. This is where Death really get's her claws into the 'ole Crossing. For you see, this is where we get cocky.

"Sluagh?" The more thoughtless amongst us think, "Sluagh die easy, and those claws don't even dent my armor." "I shall save the Crossing!"

And so, dozens of warriors, young and old, dash out of the Northeast gate... only to meet armored, armed Sluagh in place of the bare creatures found in the Zaulfung. Arrows flew and pikes fell... and screams of souls filled the air.

Looking at this from a slightly older, more technical standpoint, I can see the brillance of the Sluagh's maneuvering. They first appeared out of the forest just north of Kaerna village, and from they swept southward, killing Karthas and taking the town. From that position they separated the Crossing from Riverhaven to the north, as well as isolating the greater warriors who were fighting west of Kaerna with the Rock Trolls there from joining the main fray.

Sluagh, those hulking, merciless brutes, are not known for their intelligence. Their territory normally restricted to Zaulfung swamp, they rarely venture forth into the brighter countryside to pray on the 'drylanders' such as ourselves. This is partly to blame for the people of the Crossing's underestimation of the threat before them. But it was, after the carnage of the first assult was still uncomprehended in the minds of the remaining denizens, that another, unfamilliar voice was heard over the 'Gweth..

"People of the Crossing! I am your new mayor! Submit now, or be destroyed!"

It is how Antanos introduced himself. From what I have gathered since, it is not unusual. His threat was met with jeers and taunts my the still cocksure membor's of the Crossing's fighting class. And so a second wave of fighters issured forth, only to meet with the fate of the first. The Sluagh army marched southward.

Bah.

Here is where I come in. Yes, me, your buddy Blaine. As was normal, I was teaching and practicing my skills with Phae -- this was back when I still gave half a damn for advancin' in this guild of mine: long, long ago, ya see -- I woulda been in that second wave if I hadn't been so paranoid about the entire Sluagh race. So when Antanos started broadcasting his happy-hello speech, I was still alive to hear it.

"Resistance is useless! Throw down your weapons and bow to me, and you may be spared."

Snort. All there is to say.

"My first action as mayor will be to tear down the Warrior Mage tower and execute all within!"

To understand my reaction to this, you must understand my mindstate at this time... you must remember, this was back when I actually cared a bit about the guild, and didn't wish daily for Damaris to get it over with and take the lot of you fools to Urrum'Tier with him.

Bah.

No, I don't really wish that, I'm just still angry. Why? Geez, which story do you want to hear, anyway? Thought so, sit.

In short, that last little bit of friendliness served to douse my fears of Sluagh-kind for a bit, and gathering up Phaedra, I left for the front.

Blast it, I can feel it comin' up now. My hand starting to itch... that little white scar, see it? In a moment it'll start to burn again. In a bit I'll start braggin' about how I stopped this whole affair, but that isn't right, and I know it. And worse, this scar knows it. Won't let me forget, either. Itching and blistering and feeling like its opened up all over again. I would wager if Unspiek in haven took his hammer...

Bah. I'm losing track of myself now.

I deposit Phae at the North Gate, where she promply busies herself dragging and tending to the dead and wounded (she really missed her calling when she joined this thrice-cursed guild) and I ventured out into the wilds, and found the front was now dangerously close to the gate. Anyway, I'm going to spare us both some pain and skip the heroics out there. I'll say that a Sluagh Archer is in it's grave because of me, and this scar, No, not the one on my hand, the one here, on my neck, see it? The one that bulges out like an arrowhead -- that was the beastie's gift to me.

This being a serious wound for a fighter like myself, I dash to the hospital and am swiftly tended to my Martyr, gods bless her soul. And there, lying prone and still rather dazed....

"My second act as mayor will be to rid the city of those ridiculous paladins, with their stuffy guildleader the first to go!"

And thus, in the semi-stunned state I was in, my mind full of clouded thoughts, I took to wondering. I wondered much, I did. I wondered what I would do, to be mayor. I wondered what I would do.. yesss... I would, wouldn't, I?

I jumped up so quick I almost passed out from the blood rushing away from my head. Screaming (and I mean that -- for those of you here who've never seen me panic, it isn't a pretty sight) over the Gweth for Phae and my very, very good friend and mage-at-arms Mokikikako, I dashed from the hospital and to the town green. On the way, I had to dodge several Sluagh. They had broken through the gate.

I had little time.

Phae and Moki quickly came, and followed me, a slight look of puzzlement on thier faces. They didn't ask questions though, mainly because I gave no time for them to ask. I was moving quickly.. I had to move quickly. We dashed down the street, rounded the corner, and strode through the wide-open doors of the Town Hall.

Here (blast it all) is the hero bit.. and as predicted, my hand's trobbing like a nightmare. I gotta tell it quick, before this gets *too* bad and I start shaking again.

I don't like shaking. I had enough of that the first time.

Moki, Phae and I burst into the foyer of the Town Hall, and came face-to-face with a troop of Sluagh, with a one-eyed human standing in their midst. For a second, we all stood stunned. I might have predicted the next words, if I had had the time to think.

"Ah, subjects."

Said in that incredibily insolent and annoying tone of one who knows full well that he has one up on you.

At this point, I freely admit, I was all for turning tail and running. After all, who would blame me? But right then, I heard the clank of plate armor from behind me, and Eben came striding up the steps and into the Hall. You can never run in the presance of a Paladin. Or I can't. Just the thought makes my hand feel like its going to explode.

Antanos didn't give him a glance though.

"Join my army now and I will see that you are well treated."

Being foremost, having led Moki and Phae in, after all, and feeling Eben's gaze silently sweeping the room, I gathered the courage to reply.

"Bah."

Antanos raised an eyebrow. I have the feeling he would have raised both in suprise, if he would have still had his left one.

"Your Sluagh are being beaten back, you know. Our ranks swell by the minute, just as yours decrease"

Maybe I didn't sound so brave as that, but it's close enough.

Antanos looked puzzled, and I went on.

"Retreat now and you might still have a remnant of an army in the morning."

After all, I just wanted him to get out of town, nothing more. But this time, though, I swear his other eyebrow *did* move in sync with the bushy right, as he gave me a look of genuine suprise.

"Sluagh can be replaced, you think I'm worried about *them*? No, no, no! I can always get more and attack another day. It's truely futile to resist me."

He laughed. The Sluagh surrounding him didn't look fazed, they were obviously some sort of bodyguard, used to putting up with this sort of abuse.

Antanos gestured, and a Sluagh Archer dashed in from the Mayor's office and stood by his elbow.

"You see? I call, they come. Much better than even those vermin you call familliars. Though not brighter, I must say. Cannot do anything on thier own."

He laughed again, and placing his hands on his hips, faced me (I was rather flabbergasted, as you might imagine), positioning himself perfectly to miss the slightly darker expression that passes for a Sluagh-scowl on the Archer's face.

I eventually piped up again.

"More may come, but they will just suffer the same fate as this army -- death!"

Big words, little backing, as Antanos guessed. He laughed, even more mockingly than before.

"Then I'll just get *more* Sluagh, foolish boy. Do you think they're smart enough to not want to march into certain death, as you proclaim it to be? My dear fool, they are eager!"

The Archer standing behind him fidgeted, leaning from side to side. The bodyguards remained unphased, though.

I sputtered, I squeeked, but nothing came out. I looked from Phae to Moki to Eben... no help.

Bah.

I have to stop soon, my hand hurts. Eye's are gettin' hazy... here, let me lean back a bit.

Anyway, seeing as I was not going to spout anymore patriotic nonsense,

"Ah, pity. You'd make a poor soldier at best, boy. Worse than these Sluagh, even. Archer, dispatch this fool."

The Sluagh Archer stepped forward, and with a fluid movement, put a barbed arrow through the palm of my hand. Yes, it scarred over later, but no, it's not *the* scar. That's another story. Though I have often wondered... here, lean a little closer, friends. See the bright white scar, here? That's *the* scar. See this little white one, just a bit over from it? That's the one the archer gave me. See how they're almost in the same spot? A last-minute twitch from landing dead in the same place? Friends, I've lost more sleep than I've gained thinkin' on the signifigance of that.

Have to finish.

The archer fired again, the next arrow bouncing off my chain mail. That seemed to be the signal for general chaos to break loose. The bodyguard Sluagh all began advaning (one of the scariest sights I've ever seen) and the Archer re-loaded its bow. Moki and Phae dashed up the stairs, and Eben grabbed my shoulder -- me being stunned and all -- and began hauling me out. Antanos laughed his mocking laugh, and my last sight of him as Eben drug me through the door was the manical grin on his face -- his one good eye not seeing the Archer, devoid of yours truely as a target, piviot on its heel, and with a snarl of hatred, launch an arrow.

As Eben laid me in the street, I heard Antanos' soul scream.

Eben, paladin that he was, quickly removed the arrow from my palm and bandaged the wound.. and in a short time we re-entered the hall. The large picture-window in the mayor's office (since walled up, I think) was smashed through, and the Sluagh seemed to have departed. Of Antanos there was no sign.. but his gear was strewn about the foyer, as if it was ripped off him. Of it much was very nice.. the prize of the day being the bastard sword he carried, a gift Eben somehow thought I deserved.

But he's a Paladin, and Paladin's are odd sometimes.

Bah.

Got out of that a long time ago.

Not going back, I tell you, I can't go back.

But... what? I'm sorry, my mind is fuzzy from this hand of mine. I have to stop and rest.

The story ends here, friends and neighbors... without Antanos to lead them the Sluagh army fell apart and slunk back to Zaulfung... the death toll on their side was innumerable. However, the Crossing regulars were not without their fallen. On that day it is estimated 150 adventurers fell, with scores more wounded. It remains to this day one of the greatest battles in modern Crossing history, and was the most exciting day of my life.

Did I say I was going to make myself a hero? Hrm. Maybe I did a better job this time. If you somehow still think I even came close to *deserving* this sword I got on my hip, I only have one thing to say to you.

Bah.