Description: High atop Mount Olympus, a man eats a potato. It was a time of myth, and legend. Where the agent gods were petty and cruel, and played mankind with suffering. But only one man dared to challenge their power; Makarucles! Dramatic music here as Makari fights Salvatore atop the Throne of Zeus!
Even in normally warm Greece, it's a bit chilly up here. It is not, however, the kind of chilly that calls for a full-body fur cloak. That's not stopping Makari.
One of the first places the young man went after striking out from Strolheim was the legendary mountain of Olympus. Greek myth has always fascinated him, and he fancied a walk in the home of the gods. He's here, not too far from the peak of Mytikas (the highest peak, thanks wikipedia), with one foot propped on a rock and a sandwich in his hand - sauerbraten, tomatoes, and lettuce. In his other hand is a single potato - boiled. He takes a bite of the potato, and then one from the sandwich, heaving a contented sigh.
Freedom is always good, even if your prison was one of velvet.
The Master was disappointed in his star student. "Salvatore, you have grown stagnant. It's been almost as if you were a character in a text-based roleplaying game, and you hadn't logged in or scened in over a year. I am very disappointed in you."
It was the D word that stuck out the most, because to Salvatore, the Master was like that father-figure, having chosen him from the depths of poverty to be raised as a heir. And that disappointment was like a hot poker to the rear of the dark-haired man, spurring him to train at the highest of peaks, the seat of the Gods.
Of course, somewhere in all that training, /he was no longer alone./ And that's why Salvatore has been watching the burly man eating the potato and sandwich for some time now, finally opting to make his presence known.
"Achem."
Standing there in a long black coat, he seems the typical European who just happens to be here at the top without any substantial hiking gear to reach the Throne of Zeus. "Are you just eating that potato by itself, with nothing on it?" he asks, in the local language no less.
Makari's a difficult man to sneak up on.
That's a lie, Makari's an extremely easy man to sneak up on. Had /no idea/ Salvatore was behind him, but most of the body language that would betray that is hidden in that huge cloak. He also happens to be lacking any kind of climbing equipment, unless you count the gigantic sword harnessed to his back.
Smoothly, Makari turns toward Salvatore, his expression one of interested curiosity. He glances him over, takes another bite of his potato, and says - with his mouth half-full - and in slow Russian - "Sorry. Do not speak Greek." He gives Salvatore an affable smile.
There's a brief pause as Makari speaks in another tongue entirely, and during that pause the keen eye may pick up a trick of light; Salvatore's eyes shift, from blue to green, and with a smooth smile in response he speaks. "Ah, my apologies," that's in Russian now. Only, the same keen eye will likely pick that the lips don't quite match the words. "I was merely wondering, why no toppings on your potato?"
Those shifty eyes dance, taking in the sword he'd naturally already noticed before Makari turned about. Now he sizes the man up in that coat, wondering at the path of life that would lead such a burly man to such a lofty height.
He takes a step forward, his coat opening just enough that, should Makari like what he sees, the sheath of a sword may be noted at the man's side.
Makari's powers of keen observation only really apply to fighting - also he's unironically watched so many kung fu movies hilariously dubbed into Russian that a little lip-synching anomaly completely slips by him. He observes the last of his potato, and pops it into his mouth. "Makes it more difficult to eat." He grins again. "I think a plain potato suits mountain climbing, don't you?"
He does notice Salvatore's weapon, and his now-empty hand slips casually inside his cloak. One of the big man's eyebrows goes up, and he cocks his head back, pointing with the beef sandwich. "Is that just an accessory for you, or can you actually wield it?" He takes another, closer look at Salvatore, weighing him differently. He doesn't recognize him at all - he's definitely not on his list.
"Oh, this old thing?" Salvatore says with another smile, opening that side of his coat to show the sheath off in finer detail. The bait seems to have been taken, as he'd hoped. "Why yes, I can, although the blade is dull. A gift from my master," he adds, as if that were quite normal for a man with a sword to be up here talking about such things.
It must be, with Makari present with an even larger blade. "I take it you know how to use that," the Assassin gestures, "and given your fondness for doing things the hard way, you may prove quite the interesting fellow.
His lips twist beneath that European nose, the jovial tone continuing. "Your name, if you'd be so kind? Or would you rather we clash swords first and talk after?"
"Makari Maksimillian," he responds immediately, shoving the last of his sandwich into his mouth, "of Strolheim." His prominent jaw works at the beef as he shifts his stance, both hands falling completely within the cloak. He gets ready with no subtlety, rolling his shoulders with a clatter of metal.
"And you?" He asks, but doesn't actually give Salvatore the time to answer. The cloak ripples and his hand darts out, a single short-bladed dagger whipping through the air. In contrast to his finely-made sword, the dagger looks like something an apprentice would make on his first day on the job. Makari starts moving, circling toward Salvatore, getting away from the cliff's edge. Good thing they're on a conveniently wide portion of the mountain! It's like a stage or something.
COMBATSYS: Makari has started a fight here.
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Makari 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Salvatore has joined the fight here.
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Salvatore 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Makari
COMBATSYS: Makari successfully hits Salvatore with Red Dagger.
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Salvatore 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Makari
The dagger flies through the air with the greatest of ease -- and Salvatore leaps with it, the sheathed weapon coming away from his side in an attempt that does not quite work as planned. That dagger sinks in, and sinks in hard, piercing through the flapping coat to pin it against his side. "Nggkk--" he grunts out a universal sound of pain, landing several paces back.
Pulling the dagger from his side, he glances at it, before casting it over his shoulder. "You make that yourself?" he draws a conclusion, although fighting sure isn't the time for talking, however much his gums do flap.
His eyes surge green, wafts of mist starting to lift from his sockets. That same green dances down the sheath of the weapon -- and Salvatore steps forward, drawing it one smooth motion. That motion continues, the air slashed -- and a wave of green psycho energy thunders into existence, striving for the burly man with a murderous intent! Or just a slashing. Probably just slashing, since the bleeding man is still jovial.
COMBATSYS: Makari blocks Salvatore's Benediction.
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Salvatore 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Makari
"We all need hobbies!" Makari replies, his hand once again emerging from his cloak - this time holding an elegant-looking cavalry saber. The blade swipes through the psycho power, disrupting most of it because that's just science, though the energy manages to blast through him before completely dissipating. Makari takes a hard step back, flicking Maksimilian to the side with a curious frown. That attack... was different than anything he's felt.
Oh well! Makari keeps the saber out, armor clinking beneath his cloak as he charges the distance. He can fight at range, but it's not something he especially /enjoys./ "I notice you did not give your own name! One could feel insulted by that!" The saber sweeps across, a shallow cut for the chest, Makari immediately transitioning it to a punch with the opulent - but no less sturdy - handguard. Stepping in close, he then grabs at Salvatore's coat collar, with the intent of flinging him roughly into the side of Mount Olympus itself. Makari is not a man that fights... gently.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore dodges Makari's Armed Combo.
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Salvatore 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Makari
The blade returns to the sheath as Salvatore finishes the maneuver, watching with a slight grin as the energy is met by the blade -- and still washes on. "Oh, forgive me," he winds up saying, apparently to blame for the player not fully reading the prior pose. "Salvatore," he introduces, even as that saber whistles for his chest.
It fails to strike. One moment the man is there, and the blade is intent on slashing his chest, and the next he's just an inch back, out of range. It happens again as the combination soup continues, the punch just missing his jaw, and the attempt to grab his collar resulting in Salvatore just not there at all. He's disappeared.
"I don't intend to offend!" the man says from behind Makari. He's no teleporter like some kind of No Ordinary Villain, he's just really fast; and he strikes at the opponent's back with the sheathed sword, like one really slender fly swatter.
COMBATSYS: Makari fails to interrupt Medium Strike from Salvatore with Biting Steel.
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Salvatore 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Makari
If only Makari had the power of catching, this would have gone better. Salvatore didn't go completely un-tracked, and as Makari is turning, he's already sweeping the saber in a wide arc, his left hand dipping back under his cloak. Regrettably, Makari didn't think the sword would still be /sheathed/, and his steel slides uselessly along the top of Salvatore's weapon. It bangs hard into his chestplate, and the broad-headed double-bladed handaxe Makari was pulling falls to the rock as he loses his grip on it.
"Hahaha! You're quick!" The weaponmaster reclaims his axe and returns his saber to its sheath, once again obscuring his hands. Christ, does he have anything /else/ in there?
The clang against the chest plate draws a slight raising of Salvatore's brows. "Hnggh," he thoughtfully sounds, quick-stepping back a pace or two as the opponent gathers those weapons. "My, you're a walking armory, aren't you?" he wonders aloud, grin on his face.
It seems likely that if Makari's power of catching has failed, that so too will Salvatore's ability to move really fast. If only he had super math instead, that'd make the upcoming strike so much easier. Opting to see just how he physically compares to this tall mountain of muscle, the man shifts his stance, one gloved hand flaring open, fingers stretching.
And then he steps in, flashing forward, likely to be cancelled like that show Flash Forward, getting up close and personal with Makari. It's the collar that he reaches for, aiming to use leverage to send the blademaster tumbling through the air in a classic aikido throw. That's as descriptive as it's getting!
COMBATSYS: Makari blocks Salvatore's Last Judgement.
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Salvatore 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Makari
Salvatore grabs the White Collar of Makari's cloak, and heaves him right up in the air - but he has the defensive instinct of a Castle. The Fringe of his furs slip right out of Salvatore's hand, and Makari completely techs it, landing in a hard crouch with enough balance to walk on The Wire.
Makari finally abandons his Entourage of smaller weapons, opting instead to finally pull the zweihander from his back. Making no Bones about it, he holds the weapon by the middle of its length with a newly-gauntleted right hand, trying to press Salvatore right off the ground and flip him over. It doesn't take a Mentalist to determine that Makari's trying to put a real Memphis Beat on Salvatore.
CSI.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore effortlessly blocks Makari's Medium Throw.
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Salvatore 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Makari
It really seems like Makari is about to Batman Begins this--wait that doesn't work at all, that makes no sense, let's abandon that now. The weapon comes in flat, aiming to catch the quasi-Italian. But with an 'ooh! ooh!' he leaps back, one fist raised, instead performing a neat back-flip instead of being sent flying by the leveraged throw.
"Clever!" Salvatore compliments, the land hurting his knees a little but not too badly. Kicking one leg out to the side, he stretches the joint, misty-eyes never leaving the opponent's burly frame.
It's that very frame he seeks to exploit, surging forward again, aiming once more to send Makari flying -- only this time, there's a follow-up, a potent blast of green energy surging down the left arm of the Assassin, intent on ripping through Makari's schemes like some kind of FBI Monster.
COMBATSYS: Makari dodges Salvatore's Ragnarok.
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Salvatore 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Makari
Makari's not quick... but he's not slow. He throws back his cloak after pulling the zweihander, revealing his armor and his array of weapons, keeping his arms completely free. Salvatore comes on, and Makari feints his sword to the left, suddenly spinning to the right, with a "Hoh!"
He wastes little time after that, concious of having placed Salvatore and the cliff's edge - which is fine by Makari. Now it's time to bear him toward that edge and get him nervous, try to get Salvatore to make a mistake. His right hand slides nearer to the pommel, increasing Makari's range. "Four Pillars Holding Up the Sky!" The zweihander sweeps up, down, up, down, Makari stepping to the left and right with each swing, boxing Salvatore in.
"--to--"
With an explosion of movement, he shifts his hand again, both hands on the sword's grip, and he makes three gigantic, looping horizontal swings. "The East Wind Tears Through the Forest!"
COMBATSYS: Salvatore fails to interrupt Four Pillars to East Wind from Makari with Agnus Dei.
- Power fail! -
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Salvatore 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Makari
Forcing the half-Italian closer to the edge brings him one step closer to the edge and he's about to break... break! Frowning, conscious of his proximity, Salvatore is forced into strict defense, which is a mistake. Everybody knows that the best defense is a good offense! And that's what he attempts to do, to prove that age old adage correct and right and true and proper!
So the semi-gripped sword weaves about, boxing him in. He seeks instead to break through the impromptu blockade, stance shifting, that sword coming out from within the coat -- but the bellow and the change of weapon flow from Makari catches the Assassin off-guard as he makes a forward motion with his sword held backwards!
"Urrkk--" he finds himself sliced into by the massive swings, pieces of his coat thrown up into the mountain top air as one swing after the next catches him cleanly. The last sends him spinning up, making a full three rotations times before he hits the floor right near the cliffs edge. His momentum slides him forward, one arm over the edge, the sword's strap held by a fingertip only. He slides a little further, a fall beckoning as he attempts to gather himself--
Makari turns a full circle after the last swing, the sword's momentum playing out, tip scraping on the rock. As he walks toward where Salvatore is sliding toward the cliff edge, he shakes his head, looking... disappointed? "Come now! You overreached your grasp, but that's no excuse to give up!" His grin has a harder edge than before as the zweihander dips down, the tip hooking Salvatore's clothes. With no apparent effort, Makari lifts Salvatore up and away from certain death. "If you die here, how do you expect to get stronger? How do you expect to fill your potential in this world?"
Makari then flicks his weapon to the side, tossing Salvatore into a clump of rocks. "Only a weak man would be defeated by that. Come! Get back up!" Makari shifts the zweihander into the fool's guard position, across his back, blade pointing down, his body wide open. He beckons Salvatore with his gauntleted hand.
COMBATSYS: Makari gains composure.
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Salvatore 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Makari
Coming back into consciousness somewhere amidst the mild taunting, Salvatore grunts sourly, finding himself on a pile of rocks rather than slipping into oblivion. He picks himself up, climbing back to his feet, hunkering over slightly as he touches his chest to check the damage done there. "You're more adept than I gave you credit for," he says, self-admonished by the verbal revelation.
"And here I was, thinking you were just some stranger eating a dry potato! This Strolheim of yours must be an interesting place!" He's sure it's somewhere on the Master's radar, but if it isn't, it will be by the end of the day.
A laugh follows that, short and sharp, cut off as he launches himself into another quick motion. Salvatore flashes, reappearing in front and above of Makari, swinging a heel from way up high down towards the crown of the burly man's head!
COMBATSYS: Makari endures Salvatore's Light Kick.
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Salvatore 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Makari
Makari looks a little surprised at that, eyebrows up. "You haven't heard? Well!" Unflappable, even with Salvatore doing his blur-stepping, Makarijust tilts his head to the side, letting Salvatore's foot crash into his huge round shoulderplate. His armor jumps, and Makari's hands tighten on the grip of the zweihander. "A little surprising. If you are looking to get stronger, there's no better place. They accept any challengers!"
Makari's booted foot comes up to force Salvatore away, and then he shows off the advantage of the Fool's Guard - you don't have to wind up for a powerful strike, because you already have. Makari takes a step forward, rolling his right shoulder as the sword whips around with amazing force, cracking the rock where it lands - if Salvatore doesn't intercept it in the interim.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore blocks Makari's Fierce Strike.
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Salvatore 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Makari
"Forgive me, I've lived somewhat of a sheltered life," Salvatore replies as he hangs there, boot against shoulder guard, ultimately forced back into the air by the massive hand of Makari. And in the air, he flips backwards, just in time for that massively long sword to come rushing in. Bracing one arm against his side, still upside down, he suffers through the blow, knocked solidly to the ground where he somehow lands on his feet.
Sliding back in a three-point stance, he shakes off the pins and needles feel that courses through the left side of his body. "I'll have to visit sometime. Are all the people there like you?"
And taking a moment of his own, he proceeds to lift the limit, charging up his laser and all those other kind of good things. His eyes flash green, glowing, mist raising with an increased intensity as he straightens to his full height. The air about him shifts, motes of power lifting from the ground in a circular pattern.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore gathers his will.
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Salvatore 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 Makari
"Strength of combat is strength of spirit," repeats Makari, a catechism of one of his teachers. "But... like me? That is difficult to say!"
The Zweihander is buried deep enough into the rock to stay right there when Makari lets it go, his cloak once again falling forward with a shrug. He steps around, hops up, and then bounces off the blade, charging for Salvatore as he sits there gettin' pumped. "None of those men..."
Makari's arms come back out, an axe in each hand. But, as usual, he doesn't so much use them as chopping weapons as he does scoops, slamming them both into Salvatore's body, trying to lift him up and body slam him back down. "...will lead the house someday!" It doesn't sound like a boast coming from Makari... he seems to think that's something that will absolutely happen one day.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore blocks Makari's Biting Steel.
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Salvatore 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Makari
"Interesting," is about all Salvatore has time to say. He's still busy gathering his energy when the blademaster decides that it's time to chop him down to size. So those blades come whistling down to embed and allow the left; they catch his forearms, which still hurts like hell, but at least they don't shatter. Leaping with the upwards pull, he flips over Makari, landing lightly.
But then he does the logical thing; he acts like Johnny, and he sweeps the leg.
Should that prove successful, and with leverage such as pulling the guy from behind after kicking his leg out, it's going to be a fun little production that follows. Fun, in that he sends his fist thundering down for the belly, aiming to send not one, not two, not three, NO WAIT THREE, blasts of potent green energy into Makari's body!
COMBATSYS: Salvatore successfully hits Makari with Megiddo.
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Salvatore 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Makari
The big man's been getting cocky, as he usually does when a fight is really going his way, so at first he thinks he's managed to throw Salvatore. Imagine his surprise when he... hasn't.
As his legs sweep out, he starts to react, bringing one axe down to prop himself up. Salvatore isn't done, though, his hits visible as plumes of more green energy blasting out from Makari's back, rippling his cloak. He falls after the hit, dropping to his knees. "Hoooh..."
His axes slip behind him, clipping behind his belt.
"Looks like I overreached that time!" Grinning, he digs deep, heaving himself back to his feet, his saber whistling out of its sheath. It appears to travel in one slow, lazy arc, but in reality the sword whips back and forth several times, the air between Makari and Salvatore bright with steel. "Falcon!" As he brings it back to his sheath - again, slowly - the whole thing happens again, the blade whining through the air.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore just-defends Makari's Maksimilian Falcon!
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Salvatore 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Makari
The face of Salvatore is painted with mild surprise when it becomes apparent that that was STILL not enough to put the big burly man down. "What are you made of?" he inquiries amidst the joviality between the two, sharing that grin. But even as that grin appears, the big man's arm is moving -- and Salvatore has no choice but to act!
The will to act is thankfully something drummed into the man. He brings his sword out, dull though the edge may be, clearing the sheath with a practiced ease. It proves timely, as the weapon is moving far faster than one would normally anticipate.
What follows is a shower of steel, sparks flying as the two weapons clash again and again -- and again and again and again! Somehow, Salvatore manages to fend the whole flurry off, going so far as to just barely cast aside the last series of strikes. Sweat beads his brow by the end of it, the two standing there and delivering their all. Net result, no blood loss. He's thankful for that.
"This House of yours interests me! I'll have to visit sometime. But for now, let's finish this! I hope you have another potato for me!"
And like the sun setting for a Mexican standoff, Salvatore rushes forward, seemingly in slow motion because that's what a dramatic moment is. He surges forward in actuality, driving his elbow towards the chest of Makari -- following it with an uppercut, the sheathed katana held in hand, case dancing with green energy!
COMBATSYS: Salvatore successfully hits Makari with Vexilla Regis.
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Salvatore 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Makari
YEARS AGO
"A weaponmaster is never unarmed, my boy." Efim Maksimilian sits in front of a fireplace in the Maksimillian mansion, a man with the kind of strongman's build that makes you look fat, the saber Makari now carries naked across his knees. He watches the fire play on the Damascus steel blade. "Anything in the world is a weapon to one properly trained, even one's own clothing. I once killed five men with my pants, boy." Efim lifts Maksimilian, turning it, the room lighting up as the fire reflects from the metal. "Remember that. Versatility will be your greatest strength.
Behind Efim's chair, the 10-month old Makari stacks blocks.
NOW
Beneath his cloak, with the ridiculously fast hands of a Maksimillian Weaponmaster, the Russian is at work, tearing a nonessential leather strap off his harness, wrapping it around Viktor. The bear's head axe explodes out of Makari's cloak as Salvatore comes on, the end of the strap in Makari's hand, hooking his distant zweihander still plunged into the ground. With one yank, he brings it into his hands, the axe's strap wrapped around his left hand, and starts pulling it over to guard.
Not fast enough. His sword flies wide, leaving him wide open for the uppercut, which sends Makari spiralling through the air, landing with a crash near a cliff's edge, slamming his sword down to keep from flying off.
Slowly, Makari pushes back to his feet, still grinning. He hasn't lost quite yet, after all, even as blackness threatens to overtake his vision. "Always plenty of potatoes at the Strolheim cafeteria. Butter, if you go for that sort of thing!"
Makari prepares himself, shifting his stance again, holding the blade low to the ground. He takes a step forward.
...landing right where he impaled the rock. The rock decides its done with this shit, suddenly cracking violently to either side, leaving Makari on an unconnected platform. His mouth pulls into a thin line. "Hmm."
Without further ado, he drops from sight... but you never hear him land?!
COMBATSYS: Makari takes no action.
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Salvatore 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Makari can no longer fight.
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Salvatore 0/-------/---====|
Watching with surprise as the cliff suddenly falls away like a cartoon, Salvatore rushes to the edge in mild concern for what may well be a friend. That's an odd word to him; friend.
Staring over the edge, he instead sees nothing, left alone for his gaping expression to slowly become a pensive frown. This House of Strolheim, it must be powerful to produce such a variable weaponsmaster as that. And there are stronger people there?
He must report to the Master of this. Another den of corruption, decadent corruption at that, in need of cleansing? "That potato will have to wait," he quietly intones to himself, the mirth dissolving. He exits stage left, off the other side of the mountain.
COMBATSYS: Salvatore has ended the fight here.
Log created on 17:17:59 10/18/2010 by Salvatore, and last modified on 00:59:37 10/19/2010.