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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 13, 2022 20:24:12 GMT -5
Gerhart finally felt confident stepping out into a city for once. He had already seen a few places Charon had to offer and broadened his horizons quite a bit. The new armor and clothing he picked up in the Crescent Isle also helped with that confidence. Stepping into the market place, it was still hard not to get immediately overwhelmed. The sheer size of everything was hard to comprehend when you’re much more used to little hamlets outside some woods.
The young adventurer made his way through some stalls, making sure to grab a few souvenirs and gifts for his family back home. It felt good to be have the money to do things like this, to put the days of scrounging for food behind him. To actually be able to reliably provide for people.
As he walks, his ears perk up to a disturbance in an alley. The yelp mostly muffled by the noise of the market. Curiously, Gerhart makes his way towards the noise in the alley. “Hey is everything all right back there?” He tries to peer his head around and get a look at what is happening without causing too much noise. He didn’t want all of the market descending onto this alley and causing even more trouble than he was likely about to cause.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 14, 2022 7:56:04 GMT -5
“Hey, is everything alright back there?”
What Gerhart sees as he rounds the corner is a charcoal skinned tiefling dressed in dark clothing standing in the alleyway with a terrified human pinned against the wall, the tiefling's grip firmly holding their shoulder.[1] The tiefling's gleaming golden eyes stare Gerhart down as a toothy grin spreads across his face.
"Everything is fine. Be on your way." He says in a friendly tone. Though the scene suggested there was nothing friendly going on here at all.
"Please, stranger! Help me! He's going to kill me!" The human man pleads.
The tiefling laughs. "No, no, do not listen to this one. He is mistaken and quite unwell. Too many drinks early in the day can do wonders to the mind." The words are spoken with such confidence that it was hard to pick out any attempt at deception.[2]
"Please! I have a fa-aaagh!" The man yelps in pain as the tiefling squeezes his shoulder.
"This man is quite crazed. I worry he will hurt someone or himself at this rate. I will escort him to a physician. Please, go on with your day."
[1] Iron Grip [2] Smooth Talking
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 14, 2022 8:10:56 GMT -5
"Drunk or not it seems like you're handling him a bit more roughly than need be." Gerhart does seem to accept the man could be drunk, but something still seems off about this.
He eyes up the both of them to try and assess the situation as best he can. He certainly didn't want to overstep too much, but he would feel bad if he just let this go.
"How is he unwell? I've a little bit of first aid knowledge, I'm sure I can help." Gerhart takes a few steps forward into the alley just so they don't have to be shouting across the way to each other. Looking over Zarius at a quick glance, the tiefling didn't seem armed, at least not with a weapon that Gerhart would immediately recognize.
"If there is something going on here, I'm sure I can help with that too." He gives a gentle laugh. "I'm used to mediating disputes, it's always a good idea to get an outside opinion when you can't agree on anything right?"
As he approaches Gerhart makes no effort to hide his pair of fighting knives and armor. His tone and posture is far from intimidating, but he was banking on making it known he wouldn't be an easy target would be enough to calm any tension.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 14, 2022 8:30:18 GMT -5
The tiefling's eyes narrow as he approaches and the expression darkens. "I assure you, I have this under control. Be on your wa-."
Shnk!
While the tiefling's attention had been off him, albeit briefly, the human had managed to slip a knife out of his pocket and then drive the blade deep in between the ribs up to the hilt. It went it easily, revealing that this individual of fiendish heritage was not wearing any armor under his garb.
The tiefling winces, but does not loosen his grip. His free hand clenches into a fist, and with a bone cracking THWACK, he punches the human in the face taking him to the ground, unconscious.
The tiefling lets out a long breath and removes the dagger from his side and throws it onto the ground. A red stain starts to spread out from the wound as he turns to face Gerhart, that smile on his face taking on a hint of annoyance. "Well, I must thank you for the new hole in my outfit."
He steps over the unconscious human and starts to approach Gerhart. "I do not appreciate random strangers sticking their noses into business not their own."
"So, let us fix that." He extends out a hand to Gerhart. "Pleasure to meet you, my name is Zarius, and you are?"
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 14, 2022 11:32:31 GMT -5
Before Gerhart can get any sound to escape his throat, the tiefling is stabbed and the man knocked out. He stops and looks at the scene with a sigh. Dad did say life in a big city moves fast, he just wasn't expecting it to be this fast. How could that man even move so fast? It was impressive to say the least. Taking a glance at the man on the ground he didn't look dead which was good, but how hard are this guy's fists he can knock him out in one punch? That's just unreal, was everyone in the city like this or just this guy?
'Ginma's blessings, don't tell me my first interaction in a city and I end up finding some assassin and I just ruined his job.' The panicked thought crosses his mind.
"I have been told my nose is likely to get broken one of these days with how often I poke around." The laugh that comes out is quite a bit nervous as Zarius approaches.
Gerhart looks down at the hand nervously, not expecting such a polite greeting, but offers out his own. "I really am sorry about that, obviously I uh didn't meant to uh.....yeah....Gerhart."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 14, 2022 11:58:45 GMT -5
Zarius eyes the young man. Ah, so he was some country bumpkin and this was his first foray into the urban drama. He wore armor and clearly was armed, though lightly. Maybe it would be good to test if he knew how to use them. He'd have to learn one way or another, probably best for him to learn from someone with nothing to gain from killing him.
He shakes his hand, still with a smile on his face. "It is no trouble. A simple misunderstanding." His grip tightens on Gerhart's hand and he leans in with a menacing smirk. "Though I would hate to make a liar out of whoever gave you that warning."
With a sharp tug, he yanks Gerhart forward and hooks his leg with his foot to trip him up as he releases his grip. "Do you even know how to use those knives? Or do you just carry them for show?" He asks as he circles Gerhart and rolls his shoulders to loosen up.
"There are plenty of people in the world who will not hesitate to gut you should you cross them. Consider this a lesson. If you are going to be nosey, you better be able to defend yourself. And do not think for a second that armor will protect you all the time."
He suddenly closes the distance between them again and palm strikes him square in the chest. A resonating sound reverberates through the cuirass and somehow it feels like the punch connects with Gerhart's sternum.[1]
[1] Resonating Strike.
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 14, 2022 13:13:48 GMT -5
Gerhart does stumble forward, quickly able to roll with the momentum and scramble to his feet. He frowns, not particularly wanting to get into a fight but here he was. Before he can fully draw his blades and respond he feels that vibration hit his chest. Thankfully the padding underneath absorbs some but he still staggers back coughing. Damn this guy was fast.
“I do know how to use these, but I was hoping I wouldn’t have to. I would’ve paid for a new shirt, but now I’m not so sure.” Gerhart spits out a bit of blood before steadying himself.
Time to at least try to go on the offensive. With shorter blades than a typical sword, Gerhart can keep the close distance. He steps towards Zarius, making a feinting strike with his left knife aiming high. If Zarius takes the initial bait, Gerhart would go for the exposed midsection, looking to strike the pommel of his knife right into the wound Zarius already has. A cheap shot maybe, but the fight started that way so Gerhart wasn’t going to worry about decorum. But he also alwasnt going to immediately go to the edge of his blade, he didn’t want to kill the stranger regardless.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 15, 2022 0:19:12 GMT -5
Zarius grunts as Gerhart strikes his wound. A little trickle of blood runs down his chin. "Good thinking. Taking note of your enemies weak points is important. But what will you do against a foe you can't see." He smirks and suddenly a shimmer falls over his form as he turns invisible.[1]
He steps back and circles around Gerhart, stepping silently as he moves to not give away his position.[2] Once he gets behind Gerhart, he makes a fist and slams his knuckles into the back of his calf muscle. As he makes the quick jab, his form becomes visible, but the damage has already been done by the time Gerhart can react and he follows up with another quick punch to his armor again.[3] Gerhart feels an intense pain radiate from the hit dealt to his leg, but then a numbness comes over his leg as he loses feeling in it.[4]
The tiefling grins in his face. "Controlling your foes movements is key in any street brawl. If you lose that, you are at your foe's mercy."
Was he talking the young human seriously? Yes, actually. He keeps a close eye on those daggers and Gerhart's expression, watching for any panic, fear, or anger. How would he handle this situation? He was curious. Being cornered was a stressful position to be in. How he reacts would help inform Zarius' opinion on this up-and-comer. Was he just some country punk? Or was he more than what he appeared? The tiefling was keenly interested in the answer.
Was he indulging himself just a little? Yes. Playing the villain in this situation was fun. At least for him it was. Gerhart may not agree.
[1] Invisibility [2] Silent Step [3] Two Piece [4] Stunning Blows
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 15, 2022 8:38:05 GMT -5
Gerhart does look a bit surprised when Zarius turns invisible. He shifts to a more defensive stance, slowly making a circle. Going invisible and getting behind someone seemed the obvious tactic, but there was little he could do to get a step ahead of Zarius.
He grunts through the pain of the strikes, pivoting quickly on his good leg to try and bring his knife across Zarius chest before he can disengage entirely and go invisible again. "The other thing about street fights is it that nothing really matters but coming out on top, even if you have to take cheap shots."
Gerhart shifts his weight to his good leg before springing forward with as much speed and strength he can muster to headbutt Zarius. It was unorthodox, unexpected, and stupid which Gerhart hoped was just confusing enough to throw the tiefling off his balance.
It was quickly starting to feel like he was being toyed with, but what was he going to do? Pout and go home? He was smart enough to see at how much of a disadvantage he was at, but he also knew you can't walk into every fight expecting to be better. This may be the ass kicking of a life time, but Zarius could see by the way he grit his teeth that Gerhart was willing to see this out and maybe learn something from this.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 15, 2022 10:08:19 GMT -5
Gerhart's blades slice through the fabric and there's a brief flash of annoyance on the tiefling's face before the invisibility obscures his form once again. The kid was fast, he'd give him that. He had a good handle on his weapons as well. With some more time and experience he would become a very competent fighter.
Zarius steps back only to see Gerhart lunge forward with reckless abandon.
This brat had guts, he'd give him that.
The tiefling assumes a defensive stance and slides one foot back to brace for the impact. The illusion of invisibility breaks as he blocks the headbutt with his forearm and with his free hand he catches Gerhart under the arm. He uses the human's forward momentum and his hold on under his arm to lift him off his feet and and slam him down onto the ground.[1]
He jumps back and lets the invisibility drop. His side was throbbing with pain, but he doesn't take his attention off of Gerhart. The human had already proved that he was willing to use dirty tricks and exploit any distraction or weakness. Best not to give him those openings too often.
"Come on, you have more in you than that." He gives Gerhart a 'come at me, bro' hand wave all the while wearing the smuggest of grins on his face.
[1] Reverse of Momentum
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 15, 2022 12:09:58 GMT -5
There is an audible cough as his back hits the stone, but he scrambles back to his feet. This guy was clearly used to fighting unarmed, he should've expected something like that to fail, but you miss every shot you don't take as they say.
"I suppose I should be thank you for not showing me more, you're holding back." His leg still tingles and he can feel the haggard breath occasionally catch in his chest from the resonating strike early. For not having any visible wounds, Gerhart felt like death. Quietly he hopes Zarius is some sort of elite fighter at the top of the list, because if there were people stronger than him then Gerhart has a lot of work to do.
He lets out a slow breath to focus himself, let's at least take a look at what this guy can do. He's definitely more elusive than Gerhart and faster, but so far he has at least relied on Gerhart to overreach rather than outright overpowering him. Landing a hard blow is going to take a bit of work though.
As he steps forward again, Gerhart switches to hold one of his knives in a reverse grip to make it easier to strike backwards if Zarius tries to slip behind him. He jab steps towards Zarius to swipe with his dagger, following behind with a horizontal slice at the midsection testing his opponent for any opening.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 15, 2022 17:43:19 GMT -5
Zarius watches him get back on his feet. Resilient. Or stubborn. Either way that was promising. He could take hits pretty well for being a little green. A twinge of pain causes his smile to break and he places a hand on the deeper stab wound in his ribs, applying pressure to it. It was still seeping blood. That was not less promising.
"...you're holding back."
He smiles again, the taste of iron in his mouth. "Ah, well, do not take it personally. I would rather not have to dispose of two bodies today."
The tiefling slowly assumes a defensive stance with both his fists raised and his knees slightly bent like a boxer. "If you want me to get serious though, I will oblige."
As Gerhart closes the distance between them and makes his first swipe, Zarius actually steps in close to him and lands q quick jab into the surface of the cuirass. The hit isn't as heavy as the first one that rang Gerhart like a bell. Zarius takes note of that as the second blade swipe slices into his side. The tiefling grimaces then grabs Gerhart's wrist and gets him in a grapple.[1]
[1] Iron Grip
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 15, 2022 19:09:24 GMT -5
Gerhart laughs softly at the remark about disposing if two bodies, “My sisters say I’m too stupid to die” He takes note of the stance and the wincing, frowning slightly.
There’s a bit of a smirk as his tactic somewhat fails successfully as the second blade lands it’s mark. With his wrist grappled, Gerhart attempts to pull his hand away and step back but rather than escape he tries to pull Zarius off balance and knee him in the side where that wound is. As he raises his leg for a moment though he stops and sighs. Gerhart raises his hands and drops his knives.
“I think we can both be honest and say you won…You’re way better at fighter….even if I won it wouldn’t feel right if you’re already injured.” He smiles and laughs at how this has all progressed. First he stumbles into some business he’s clearly not meant too, gets in a fight, then just surrenders. “Fair is fair, I’ll help you get rid of that if you uh….don’t kill me? That seems like a good deal on my end, I don’t know about you.”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 15, 2022 19:47:58 GMT -5
“My sisters say I’m too stupid to die.”
There's visible hesitation as Zarius raises his fist aiming to smash Gerhart in the face. He freezes in place and glances down at Gerhart's knee just inches from his side. His golden eyes narrow as the human steps back and drops his daggers which clatter onto the ground. Zarius releases his grip on his wrist and stands back a bit while eyeing the human.
"Siblings say ridiculous things sometimes. I on the other hand will say that recognizing your own limitations and knowing when to stop is very mature of you."
He puts pressure back on the knife wound. "Fairness is subjective, but I appreciate the offer." He looks back at the unconscious guy. "I do not think he is at that point yet. I still have questions I need answered but that will have to wait until he wakes. For the time being, you can carry him for me in exchange for leaving with an intact nose."
The tiefling walks over to the guy and checks his pockets and pulls a few pieces of paper out. He doesn't immediately read them and instead tucks them away in his bag.
"You fight quite well. Are you self taught?" He asks and waits for Gerhart to pick up the guy and follow him to a different location.
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Oct 15, 2022 19:58:35 GMT -5
Gerhart does offer out a strip of cloth for a bandage to Zarius. “If this we’re a real fight I wouldn’t be so worried about being fair, but like I said I could tell you were holding back.” As Zarius checks on the man, Gerhart will collect his knives and put them away. ”All self taught, whatever kept me alive in the woods is what I know….kinda why I wanted to come here. Find people who actually know what they are doing and learn something.” Gerhart gives Zarius a few moments to check the guys pockets before coming closer.
“So are you like an assassin or something?” He looks back at the tiefling as he leans down to hoist the man over his shoulder. A few glances around the corner to make sure no one heard the sounds of their fight as he follows after. “I thought assassins were supposed to be like…in all black, only come out at night, or just poison meals, stuff like that.” He gives a little laugh, despite the beating and the pain in his chest when he laughs he keeps a big smile.
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