Post by Zhuge Liang on Nov 4, 2009 16:05:22 GMT
Midnight. Somewhere in a small workshop in Chang Sha, a strategist spends his free time modifying an arbalest. A single candle hanging from the ceiling lightened the room. There, Zhuge Liang was walking around, mumbling mostly to himself as he wondered what to do with this arbalest in order to make it more effective. After all, he was always trying to find new ways to win wars, and when he couldn't find new ways... He just invented them. "If I remove the top and substitute that part with a..."
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud snore coming from the door behind him. Zhuge Liang shook his head with a smile. "..." For a moment the strategist remained silent as he tried to recollect his thoughts. "Remove the top part with something that holds bolts for the arbalest, but the ammo is too big so that means..."
Another loud snore interrupted him once more. Kongming rolled his eyes as he walked towards the door. Outside there was a woman leaning against the wooden frame of the door. Asleep. The strategist only chuckled as he flicked the woman's forehead. "You're supposed to be assisting me and keeping an eye on my enemies, Mei Ling..." Zhuge Liang said as he returned to his work inside. The woman didn't wake up, just snored. Very loudly.
Once again inside, the strategist rubbed his shoulder. He was working literally all day trying to come with a new invention for Shu. "Now let's see..." Zhuge Liang stared at the arbalest, his fingers playing with the feathers of his fan. "I cannot make this machine to repeatedly fire its bolts. Unlike the crossbows and repeating crossbows, arbalests use a different kind of ammunition. What to do..." He covered his lips with his fan, thinking deeply. "...What to do."
"Heeeey! It's a giant Chu Ko Nu!" A familiar voice cried out from the door. Zhuge Liang turned to see Mei Ling clumsily pointing at the arbalest behind him. He just rolled his eyes. "No, it's not a repeating crossbow, it's a..." Before he could finish his sentence, trying to explain the nature of the siege weapon to his almost brain-dead assistant, Mei Ling interrupted Zhuge Liang once more "I wonder how many Chu Ko Nu bolts it has to use~"
"No, it uses a different kind of ammunition. It has a different purpose than a repeating crossbow." Zhuge Liang said as he turned towards the arbalest. "Which means that it needs to be constantly reloaded and..." Once again, he was interrupted by his assistant who seemed to be in a world of her own. "Why don't you make a giant Chu Ko Nu instead? That way you won't have to reload and reload and reload and reload..." Meiling said with a clumsy smile on her face.
The idea of a giant version of a weapon was dumb. Even for someone who knows nothing about military and siege weapons. However, for Zhuge Liang was different. In fact, he raised an eyebrow as he carefully listened to Mei Ling's words. Even the dumbest idea from a dumbest person can be effective if used correctly. This was one of those occasions.
"Mei Ling... Thank you." Zhuge Liang said to his assistant. "You can go home now and sleep." Mei Ling was confused for a moment and left with no idea of what she did, without saying a single word. Kongming just kept staring at the arbalest in front of him with a big, knowing smile on his face.
The next morning...
"Fire." Zhuge Liang said as his newest invention unleashed a barrage of bolts against a line of stray dummies. It was a mixture between the siege arbalest and the repeating crossbow. By pulling a lever each time is fired, it allows the arbalest to reload and be ready to fire in matter of seconds. "However, there's a drawback. It uses a different kind of ammunition, therefore it's not as potent as the arbalest itself and needs to be reloaded every five shots. However, it can be used against infantry and non-armoured targets."
"Master Liang! Master Liang!" Mei Ling said as she approached Kongming. "Is that your new invention? Wow! You're really smart! I wish I had the imagination to come with weapons like these, Master Liang!" The cheerful assistant said with an almost childish smile. "I take inspiration from unexpected sources, Mei Ling." Zhuge Liang replied keeping his eyes on the new weapon while raising his fan to the air as some troops readied another load of bolts for the new weapon.
"Fire."
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud snore coming from the door behind him. Zhuge Liang shook his head with a smile. "..." For a moment the strategist remained silent as he tried to recollect his thoughts. "Remove the top part with something that holds bolts for the arbalest, but the ammo is too big so that means..."
Another loud snore interrupted him once more. Kongming rolled his eyes as he walked towards the door. Outside there was a woman leaning against the wooden frame of the door. Asleep. The strategist only chuckled as he flicked the woman's forehead. "You're supposed to be assisting me and keeping an eye on my enemies, Mei Ling..." Zhuge Liang said as he returned to his work inside. The woman didn't wake up, just snored. Very loudly.
Once again inside, the strategist rubbed his shoulder. He was working literally all day trying to come with a new invention for Shu. "Now let's see..." Zhuge Liang stared at the arbalest, his fingers playing with the feathers of his fan. "I cannot make this machine to repeatedly fire its bolts. Unlike the crossbows and repeating crossbows, arbalests use a different kind of ammunition. What to do..." He covered his lips with his fan, thinking deeply. "...What to do."
"Heeeey! It's a giant Chu Ko Nu!" A familiar voice cried out from the door. Zhuge Liang turned to see Mei Ling clumsily pointing at the arbalest behind him. He just rolled his eyes. "No, it's not a repeating crossbow, it's a..." Before he could finish his sentence, trying to explain the nature of the siege weapon to his almost brain-dead assistant, Mei Ling interrupted Zhuge Liang once more "I wonder how many Chu Ko Nu bolts it has to use~"
"No, it uses a different kind of ammunition. It has a different purpose than a repeating crossbow." Zhuge Liang said as he turned towards the arbalest. "Which means that it needs to be constantly reloaded and..." Once again, he was interrupted by his assistant who seemed to be in a world of her own. "Why don't you make a giant Chu Ko Nu instead? That way you won't have to reload and reload and reload and reload..." Meiling said with a clumsy smile on her face.
The idea of a giant version of a weapon was dumb. Even for someone who knows nothing about military and siege weapons. However, for Zhuge Liang was different. In fact, he raised an eyebrow as he carefully listened to Mei Ling's words. Even the dumbest idea from a dumbest person can be effective if used correctly. This was one of those occasions.
"Mei Ling... Thank you." Zhuge Liang said to his assistant. "You can go home now and sleep." Mei Ling was confused for a moment and left with no idea of what she did, without saying a single word. Kongming just kept staring at the arbalest in front of him with a big, knowing smile on his face.
The next morning...
"Fire." Zhuge Liang said as his newest invention unleashed a barrage of bolts against a line of stray dummies. It was a mixture between the siege arbalest and the repeating crossbow. By pulling a lever each time is fired, it allows the arbalest to reload and be ready to fire in matter of seconds. "However, there's a drawback. It uses a different kind of ammunition, therefore it's not as potent as the arbalest itself and needs to be reloaded every five shots. However, it can be used against infantry and non-armoured targets."
"Master Liang! Master Liang!" Mei Ling said as she approached Kongming. "Is that your new invention? Wow! You're really smart! I wish I had the imagination to come with weapons like these, Master Liang!" The cheerful assistant said with an almost childish smile. "I take inspiration from unexpected sources, Mei Ling." Zhuge Liang replied keeping his eyes on the new weapon while raising his fan to the air as some troops readied another load of bolts for the new weapon.
"Fire."
