Is Marek..Dead?
- This happen somewhere near the clearing between the abbey and Ferravale **
Marek is waiting for a shipment of ale for the Ferravale Tavern, with the threat of Zurrgg so high, he opted an unconviental place to perform the trade: a clearing that is a short distance from the road itself. Thinking himself safe enough, but knowing better than to jump to conclusion, Marek awaits the arrival of the merchant's caravan while holding a sword in one paw.
Zurrgg has decided to walk around the woods on his own, sending his right paw beast Cayson elsewhere. He has his twin swords and the stolen crossbow, loaded with a bolt, with him. He slows when he sees Marek and slips behind a tree before glancing around at the stoat.
Marek sniffs the air as he grips his sword tighter in his paw, he is now beginning to realize that something is terribly wrong here, and when he notices a rustling of leaves he takes a deep breath and holds his sword to the ready. "I have spent seasons, even years on spotting a hidden enemy, and it has saved my life on more than one occasion. Your charade is no different, Zurrgg. If you're going to strike out at me, at least have the common courtesy to show your putrid face"
Zurrgg chuckles dryly and steps out from behind the tree as a grin forms on his muzzle. "Greetings old -friend-. And how are you this lovely evening?" He has the crossbow slightly aimed "I could give you a gift but I rather it of been a surprise an you have spoiled it"
Marek grins as he has now drawn both of his swords and taken a battle-stance. "Oh, I am quite fine. I will be more so when you have breathed your last"
Zurrgg tilts his head and smirks "Oh a good old sword fight, that does sound fun but I do believe your be the one to breath their last. As you see I am past due on killing a beast as seems others keep getting in my way, but" He lays down the crossbow and draws his own blades" No one but us are here Marek"
Marek realizes that allow Zurrgg to get the upper hand is simply not an option and lunges to attack first. With one swift motion, Marek makes an attack at Zurrgg's back, believing it to be an obvious weakness, and manages to get a few slashes in before losing the blade's grip on flesh and falling to the ground. Marek manages to quickly get up to his feet though, ready for whatever Zurrgg may throw at him next.
Zurrgg is surprised; one slice is placed on his upper back, but not too deep. He growls as his ears flatten on his head and he angles his blades and slices at Marek’s sword arm. The second blade goes to slice at the stoat’s neck.
Marek quickly responds by blocking the blade to his throat, but ends up leaving his other side wide up open, realizing his mistakes too late, Marek attempts to rectify them by slashing at Zurrgg's chest.
Zurrgg jumps back just in time to avoid serious injury and comes back with a couple quick slices at Marek's chest. He is still very quick on his foot paws and keeps focused on any move the stoat makes as he tries to predict the next move before it happens.
Marek stumbles as the battle is clearly already beginning to take his toll, but refusing to let his opponent know that, he begins to slash a flurry of blows with one blade while leaving the other open to block attacks, hoping to gain a foothold in a battle that is quickly becoming futile
Zurrgg smirks as he blocks a hit an then a 2nd one, “You grow tried Marek." A slice forms on his arm as he hisses and goes to sweep one of his feet under the stoat to trip him, then stab downwards with one of his blades.
Marek grunts as the wildcat's dirty tactics cause him to fall to the ground, his blades flying through the air and into a tree, landing stomach first onto one of Zurrgg's blades, a small pool of blood forms although it is clear from the size and location of the wound that this is far from fatal. Marek coughs up a bit of blood and struggles to get up, only to discover that he can no longer reach his blades.
Zurrgg grins and goes to put away one blade to use his claws. He swipes at Marek's back and laughs coldly, the blade is slashed at his side. “This is becoming...fun"
Marek grits his teeth as the claws cut deep into is back, luckily not all the way to the bone but it’s still a nasty wound. He barely rolls to avoid a slice to the side with the blade and sends out his left leg in a sweeping motion in order to rip the wildcat.
Zurrgg catches the movement of the leg but not in time to totally avoid almost losing his balance. He snorts as he glares at Marek and gives an evil chuckle, “That was almost a good move. You have improved since last we truly fought, but you have not improved enough.” He growls and springs forwards both his blades in a deadly arch as he swings them at his enemy Marek with skilled lightening quick movement.
Marek goes to reach for his blade that is still just barely out of reach as his fingertips brush across the tip. He eyes the crossbow, HIS crossbow, now beside him and goes to grab it just as metal meets flesh as he screams in pain as a deep wound is open in his side and another on his right shoulder blade.
Zurrgg goes to kicks Marek in the stomach and chest area before laughing insanely over the stoat, “I want you to feel pain, I want you to remember this fight and how you lost your life. I want to see the light of life leave your eyes and you breathe your very last breath”
Marek gasps as 3 ribs are broken and as he is kicked in the stomach he coughs up blood and shivers as pain and blood lose stats to take its toll, he claws at the forest floor and gets a paw full of dirt and aims a throw at the wildcat and releases the paw full of dirt and rocks.
Zurrgg is hit in the eyes and stats rubbing his eyes to clear them, his vision blurry he stabs down at Marek with both his blades “DIE!!”
Marek chuckles weakly and coughs up a bit of blood again, it hurts to laugh, it hurts a lot. He holds in a scream as one blade enters his leg, the other barely misses his throat.
Zurrgg pants and is worn out. He glares down at Marek and then starts to laugh softly at first and then it gets louder as he kicks at his side and yanks both blades up and smirks” I have a much better, fun idea. You will die slowly. In fact I will go ahead and make your grave for you and let others know the former great and redeemed Marek is dead.” He grins and snaps his fingers showing he was not alone. A couple ferrets and 3 weasels come, one more should be here and he is not…”Where is Cayson?”
The main weasel gulps “Dead sir. One of the new troops..a rat named Pip saw that old badger behead Cayson, Cayson is dead s..sir”
Marek coughs and has no energy to move much. He has lost a lot of blood and has broken ribs, a broken leg and a possible broken toe. He shivers as he tries to get up and falls to his side weakly.”Ha…an old…badger your so..so called…..top assassin…”
Zurrgg growls and then nods “Well…never send another to do a job one should do themselves. I will find that old fool and kill him myself, but first…” He nod to the gathered beasts” Make a grave for Marek and put him in it.” He smiles coldly “And bury him.”
The deed is carried out as Marek grows weaker and weaker and slips into very deep faint. A shadowy figure watches them as he caught the tail end of the fight.
Zurrgg smirks as he finishes and drops a flower onto the grave he made “ You won’t be missed and most likely mourned by few” He snaps his fingers and walks into the woods, crossbow over his shoulder and blades at his side and his followers, follow after him into the thick woods.
The shadowy figure waits till the wildcat and his group finish before he makes his move to unbury Marek with his faithful shovel –Sara- and goes to check a pulse.
Marek is lucky the Ferravale Undertaker, Markalaway is here. His pulse is barely there and he has slipped into a very deep faint. He has lost a good deal of blood and there is a low chance he might survive the next few hours and if he does he is still far from out of danger of death as is life even now hangs by the thinnest thread.
Markalaway makes a means to get him away from the area and take him elsewhere, but it’s not clear where that elsewhere is as that’s only known to the undertaker.
--A few hours later after ,Markalaway made sure Marek was gonna stay alive, even if just a few hours he went straight to Scioto’s office and didn’t even brother to knock as he walked up to his desk and spoke “Come with me and bring only the mole” He turns and walks on out.
Scioto jumps at the suddenly creepy voice and lays a paw on is sword. Seeing who it is he blinks and starts to speak. He decides to stand and follow him out of the office, if Markalaway is in his office and tells him to follow something major has happen or is about to happen and the chieftain a worried and maybe slight fearful look on his face as he quickly locks the office door and follows Markalaway to where ever it is he is leading him.
