I set out like any other day. I prepped the forge, filled the quenching tank, and gathered my tools. Every thing started to change when I selected the steel. I found a piece with some odd marks in it, like two large snake fangs had been caught in it. It seemed to call to me. When I held it, I felt at ease and whole... I decided to use it for my sword.
 Well, the rest of the process went as usual, and I dropped the blade into the quenching tank. As I was cleaning up, I cut myself on a sharp metal shard. I dipped my hand in the quenching tank to sterilize the cut, and naturally some blood entered the water. That is when I saw the blood do a very unusual thing. It swirled down to the blade lying in the bottom of the tank, and seemed to disappear into the blade itself. Though it made me wonder about the sword, I ignored it and finished the sword.

For a fortnight afterward, I was plagued by nightmares. In them, I had becone a nosferau and was stalking my prey. I awoke everytime I began to drink the blood of another. One the last night I had the nightmare, I took a walk in the night air. I cam across a young woman and for some reason, I felt compelled to follow her. I cornered her in a dead end alley. I asked for a kiss and she refused. As if not in my body, I watched my hand tilt her head back, and then my other hand raise my sword. though not of my own free will, I severed her head, but never a drop of blood fell. That is when I realized what caused the marks in the steel...a vampire. 

Now my sword thirsts for blood. And since it was my hands that created it for my own use, my fate is tied to it. That is why in the course of this month, I have killed two score people. I am not insane, your Honor, the blade made me do it... you believe me, don't you?
BY 
Arminius the Pale-Skinned
 

As a young boy Alexander was strong and fearless.  At the age of twelve He impressed his father by tameing a horse  that no one could ever ride, Know as Bucephalus.  He so loved Hommer that he memorizied the Iliad and always slept with a copy under his pillow. Alexander was movativated by Hercules - a demigod. Achilles - a hero. Cyrus the Great - The Persian emperor.  His actions were aided by the sprit of Homer who Alexander said appered to him in his dreams.  Homers Illiad was Alexanders manual for war.  Alexander believed he was a superhuman much like Hercules and Achilles.  He risked much on and off the field of battle. 

Leonidas was his first teacher who instilled in him his ascetic nature for witch he was to become famous for.   Leonidas tought Alexander to live simple in the Spartan way.  Leonidas was then replaced by Lysimachus who tought Alexander the arts and music.   In  343 at the age of 13 Aristotles was brought in to Pella to instruct Alexander by Philip's request. Aristotles taught Alexander at the Mieza temple.  Aristotles was the one who interdoused Alexander to the arts and sciences.  Aristotles also taught him about war.    It was once said that Aristoteles who conquered the world with thought, was the teacher of Alexander who conquered the world with the sword. 

In September 338 at the battle of  Chaereonea Alexander was placed in command of the left wing of Philip’s cavalry. While Philip’s troops were vastly outnumbered Alexander showed great courage by chaging against the Thebans army a feat that had yet to be done. Philip’s men won that battle bringing Athens and Thebes under his command.
Alexander’s display of bravery and courage made his father proud.

In 337 Alexander’s family was in chaos Philip left his wife Olympias for Cleopatra.  At the wedding Philip and Alexander had a falling out with Philip almost killing Alexander, After the wedding Alexander and his mother left Philips company.  His mother going to Epirus
he himself going to  Illyria.  After a few months father and son were rejoined bitterly. The family of Cleopatra was trying to take the right of the throne away from Alexander.

It was also in 337 that Philip set out to declare war on Persia.  with the support of most of Greece Philip sent Attlus and Parmenion with an army of 10,000 men into Aisa Minor the free the Coastal cities.

Alexander took the throne in 336at the age of 20 after his father was assassinated.  He was quickly presented to the army as the new king of Macedon.   He then delt with all the rivals for the throne and forced his authority.  He quickly executed all alleged to be involved with his fathers’ death and all the fractions that opposed him.  He then sent for Attalus to be brought back to him to face the charge of high treason.  Alexander then marched to Thessaly and was made the supreme commander of the Hellenes to fight off the barbarians in the place of his father 
After Philip's death the people of the north and west broke away from the Macedon hegemony. Alexander Quickly marched against the Triballi and Ilyrians, which took him across the Danube. In the Spring of 335 he marched into Thrace then, attacked across the Balkans,  to vanquished the Getae and Celtic tribes.  After he turned to the west to quell a force of Illyrians who were invading Macedonia. Restoring Macedonian order to this area of land.

Thebans hearing that Alexander was killed in the battle with the Illyrians revolted.  After Alexander heard the news of the revolt he went in a fast forced marched and took the city by suprise a week later he was in Thessaly and a five days later he marched into Boeotia
14 days had passed and Greece was back under his command 

Look for part two in the next Issue

PVC Cannon:
Materials: 
(PVC is schedule 40 unless stated otherwise)
Tire Valve (from a small worn out bike tire is fine)
3" PVC Cap
3" PVC pipe (2 ft.)
3" X 2" PVC Coupling
Flush Bushing 2" X 3/4"
3/4" PVC Pipe (one piece about 2", and another piece about 12")
PVC Valve (3/4" if you see different sizes)

Tools:
Plastic Cement
Electric Drill

You should be able to get most of this stuff at a plumbing supply or hardware store. The clerks should be able to help you if you don't know specifically what you're looking for. Basically, you're going to create an air tank out of the 3" PVC, and then funnel it down from 3" to 2" to 3/4", ending it with a valve and leading into another 3/4" pipe.

First, get the bike tire, and cut the valve off. Keep in mind, it's probably better to cut too much off than too little, so make sure to cut a small bit of tire off with it. Next, you'll want to find a drill bit the same size as the valve. The object here is to drill a hole in the PVC cap small enough for the valve to fit snugly in. This should be airtight by itself, but if you want to make sure, use some plastic cement around the hole. Take the valve and slide it through the hole from the inside of the cap outward.

Next, glaze the rim of the 3” cap with plastic cement, and slide it into place on one end of the 3" PVC let dry for about ten minutes.  Then repeat the process with the 3X2 coupling on the other end of the 3” PVC. Do the same with the 2 X 3/4 Flush Bushing.  Next comes the shorter piece of 3/4 (2” long) PVC pipe.  Place the Valve on the end of that. And finally the larger piece of the 3/4 pipe let the valve stay open overnight to help air the cannon out, and that's about it. 

To Make the Shots:
You'll need cored funnoodle and uncored funnoodle for this, but the process is simple. Simply duct tape a "coin" of uncored noodle to the end of about 3 or 4 inches of cored funnoodle.  Make sure the duct tape seals off the airflow, and you're done.
To Operate:

You'll need a bicycle pump to use the cannon. I just use a small one from Wal-mart, but there are many other kinds, some more powerful or faster than others. First, you need to close the valve (the handle should be perpendicular with the barrel), load the shot, and start pumping the cannon. I usually only have to pump it about 15 times, but you might be using a different size pump, so it's hard to say with certainty. However, the PVC will hold if you pump too much air into it, but there is a cutoff where no matter how much air you put in, the shot won't go any farther. To fire, simply open the valve. Try to open it as fast as you can. It's recommended that you break in the valve by opening and closing it several times. 

Feel free to experiment with different factors. I've made heavier shots fly much farther, and I've been working on using multiple canisters, larger size, smaller size, shotgun effects, and everything in between. There are a lot of things you can tweak for a big impact. 

Nicholas