Back at the celibration for Senator Connie,the guests were eating,drinking and making merry,many were envolved in conversation,talking politics while other watched as Erin was being crucified. She had been on the cross for a few hours and was growing weak,her death slowly approaching,many of the guests laughed and mocked her,whwile Senator Connie and the Emperior were seated at the dineing table watching the slow death of the elfgirl warrior,Connie looked at her daughter wishing she could something to help her,but she could not show to anyone that she cares for her,as far as they were concerned Erin was an enimy of Rome and she must die.Connie wished she were somewhere else,for she could stand to see her young daughter suffer.Connie said to the Emperior:"Could you just have one of the gaurds take his sword and run her through...it would be more merciful that way and her suffering would end."The Emperior looked at her and was surprised by her remark,it was so unlike her,her reputation as a cruel governor was well known."This is so unlike you my love,as I recall you once had your own mother flogged for not paying her tax's...what does the suffering of this girl mean to you?"
"Nothing...it's just that..."
"Remember my love,mercy is for the weak,and this girl like anyone who defies Rome will pay a heavy price...we must show no mercy."Suddenly a soldier ran into the room."ROME IS UNDER ATTACK,HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BARBARIANS ARE COMING THIS WAY!!!!"The Emperior stood and and said to the guests:EVERYONE LEAVE NOW,AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"He turned to Connie and took her hand."Come ,we must leave now!"
"But what about Erin?"
"What about her...she is dead my dear,it's too late for her."They could hear the loud roar as the barbarian's were now storming the palace."COME WE MUST LEAVE NOW!"He grabed her hand and they quickly ran from the room leaving Erin in the room alone on her cross...amfew moments later Alaric and and about a hundred of his men burst into the room,upon seeing the crucified Erin,Alaric orderd his men to to remove her from the cross while the other men to find the emperior,and senator Connie.Gently they removed poor Erin from the cross and removed the spikes from her hands then gently layed her limp blood stained body on the floor."How is she?"asked Alaric.One of his men replied:"She is near death...we are too late to help her."Just then they heard the vioce of a girl behind them."Stand aside,I will help her."They turned a saw a young girl approach,they stood aside and let her through,they watched as the girl knelt down at Erin's side.Erin was barely alive,her eyes had no life in them.The men watched as the girl took Erin's hands into her's,the girl closed her eyes and bowed her head.Suddenly Erin's hands began to glow a bright white,and a few moments later Erin's eyes opened,the men were amased to see a girl who was on the brink of death come back to life.Erin looked up at the girl and saw her pointed ears..she was an elfgirl...she smiled at Erin and said:"I am a healer."Erin reached up and carresed the girls face."Thank you!"Erin replied.Erin then looked at her hand's...the nail wounds were gone,then feeling her strength returning Erin stood up,she looked at Alaric who smiled at her."Are you alright?"he asked.
"Yes I am fine....where is the Emperior and Senator Connie?"she asked.
"They must have escaped."
"No,I know where they are...I'm going after them."As Erin started for the door she heard Alaric say:Erin!!" She turned and Alaric said:"You will need this!"He tossed her The Sword of Asaroth.
"Thanks!"she said.Then Alaric told her:"Erin...do em in!!!!
"Oh you can count on that!"she replied.Erin then quickly ran from the room in search of the Emperior and her cruel mother.Erin ran quickly to the far east side of the palace where the Emprrior's quarters were located...she knew he would be there,and her mother too.But when Erin burst into the Emperior's bed room she found the Emperior laying on his bed...he was dead with a dagger in his chest,he had taked hie own life.Erin knelt down and wisperd in his ear:"You got off easy,you sonofabitch!"She then turned and ran to the horse stables at the rear of the palace,she knew her evil mother would make her escape from there.At the stables Connie loaded her saddle bags with as much gold as she could carry and loaded them on her horse and was about to make her escape when suddenly she heard a voice behind her say:"MOTHER!" Connie turned and saw Erin,she had her sword drawn and was ready to strike down the cruel senator,Erin had the look of vengence in her eyes.Connie then dropped to her knees and pleaded with her daughter."Erin...Please!"Erin wanted to strike her down for the crimes she had commited in the name of rome,for all of the people she had crucified or sent to prison.But she looked into her mother's eyes,she saw the look on her face as Connie pleaded for her life...Erin's eyes softened and slowly she lowerd her sword,and waved her off."Go!"she said.Connie quickly mounted her horse,she looked at Erin and smiled,the quickly rode off into the night making her escape.Erin stood alone in the stables alone for a moment wondering why she had shown compassion for her mother,but then hearing the fighting all around her Erin then rememberd that there was still a battle to be won so she rejoined her army to help finish the war that they had started.The fighting went on well into the night and into the early morning,the Roman army fought bravely but were no match for the invading Barbarians who over whelmed them,they were slaughterd one by one as rome went up in flames.Erin fought like a wild woman that night,showing no mercy for the Romans as she cut them down.By dawn it was over...the romans were defeated,there army was slaughterd,those who were not killed fled into the mountains or were taken as prisoners,The barbarians were now in charge of rome and her riches.Erin walked through the streets of the once great city as the barbarians looted the riches and took roman women as prisoners to be sold later at the slave auction's.She saw captured romen solders being crucified by the barbarians.Alaric was at the palace at the make shift command post directing his men as the last of the roman army were being rounded up and taken prisoner.Alaric saw Erin as she approached the command post...he called to her "Erin!"The two of them shook hand in victory."It's all over,he said.Rome is our's!"Erin was tired and bloody...but joyful of the hard fought victory.
"Where is the emperior?"he asked.
"He is dead...by his own hand."
"And the cruel one called Connie?"
"She is dead...I killed her."Erin lied.Erin knew better then to tell the truth about her mother,this secret she would forever keep to herself."Come."said Alaric.Help yourself to the riches that our now our's while we excicute some roman solders.
"I have seen enough blood spilled to last two life times."Erin replied "My war is over!"Erin then whisled and her horse rode up to her,Alaric watched as Erin mounted her horse.
"What are you doing?"he asked.
"I'm going home."said Erin.
"Back to Ireland?"he asked.
"Yes,I have had enough of war."Alaric and Erin then shook hand's."I'm sorry to lose you,Erin...you are a great warrior." He then handed he a large bag of gold."For your trip home...you will need it."
"Thank you!"said Erin.
"Goodbye,Erin of Ireland."
"Goodbye Alaric."She then slowly rode away,and her own army of amazons and goths then drew their swords and chanted "ERIN,ERIN,ERIN!" She gave her army a subdude wave.Outside of Rome Erin rode toward home,her world was now free from roman rule and she could now relax knowing that her quest was over.Suddenly Erin stopped and looked off in the distance...on a hill top about 200 yard's away she saw a lone figure on horse back...a woman with red hair...Erin knew this person well.She rode her horse to the top of the hill where her mother sat on her horse looking off in the distance and the once great city of rome.Connie looked at her daughter and said:"your victory is compleat Erin...the war won...and the enime distroyed."Erin looked at her mother "I see no enime."
"Who do you think you see?"she said."An evil woman who gave you up when you were just a baby,a woman who stood by as you were being crucified...an evil woman who's only love was that of power and wealth and Rome...there is still enough of a woman left here for you to hate!"
I don't hate you mother,I have had enough of hate.Connie looked at Erin and asked:"you could have killed me back in Rome at the stables...why did'nt you?"
"I wanted to,I was ready to...but when I saw your eyes pleading with me to let you live,I could not do it...you may have been a cruel govenor but you are still my mother."Connie smiled at her daughter and asked:"Where are you going?"
"I'm going home,back to the shire in Ireland."
"Will I ever see you again."said Connie.
"When ever comes...we'll see...and what about you?"
"I will start a new life else where,there is nothing for me here anymore."
"Do you need any gold?"asked Erin.
"Don't worry about me,I have plenty of gold and riches for me to live on?"
"Then mother I bid you fairwell...take care of yourself...maybe our path's will cross again."Erin turned her horse around and started to ride away when she heard her mother ask.:"Can I come visit you in Ireland at the shire?"
"I would like that...but dye you hair a differnt color,the evil senator is dead now."Connie watched as her daughter rode away,then she looked off in the distance at Rome as the once great city now lay in it's death shroud.She gave the roman salute one last time to rome,then she turned her horse and headed west for a ship out of the country...and a new life.
EPOLOGUE
For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph-a tumultuous parade,In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals from the conquered territories,together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments.The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot,the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him.Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot,or rode the trace horses.A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning:"that all glory is fleeting."
General George Patton.
and don't forget I'm the judge and the other (strip)story about Nunn Siss goes on too and indeed we have a redhead too in that story
