An Old Man's Quest: Part 2

[Marcus Biscay]

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Bahh, I like reading reactions in EXTREME DETAIL xD Speaking of extreme detail... This post is lacking :-\ I found myself oddly unmotivated... BUT then I watched a bit of Zorro, and that pulled me through! :-)

Marcus did not, by any means, endorse murder. He had always wished that those around him would do as he said, and not as he did. If posed with an enemy, he would be much more inclined to knock them out with a blow to the head than to stab them through the chest. Yet his life, as complicated as it was, could never allow him to do such a thing. There was always the one man who would get back up, and add a scar to the old man's collection. He simply couldn't risk it.

At Ghita's question, Marcus stayed remarkably still. He thought about his cane, and the many ways it could be manipulated. He thought about the sword on his ship, and how similar the two weapons could be. For what was his cane, other than a walking aid? It was a long, hard object which could easily knock someone onto the ground within seconds. "I know how to wield this cane as many things. One of which is a fighting tool, yes." he replied, slowly regarding it's copper grip. Then, he mimed the many uses of his apparatus. "It can also be an arm, a lever, a prod--" his attempts to avoid violent uses soon ran out. He returned his glance to the grip, and held it up. "A club," he said, somewhat sarcastically. The sarcasm was however, uncalled for. That copper pistol grip, fastened to the end of Marcus' cane could easily break an arm, leg, or rib, given the appropriate amount of power, accuracy, and leverage.

Marcus continued to scan his cane. Originally, it was a gift from Alisa, his mate. She knew he would need it eventually, and also knew that he would want a few upgrades added. She visited the local carpenter, and then made a trip to London to visit a blacksmith. Sparing no expense, she bought long, bendy cane, made from the finest wood, and had the carpenter hollow out a cavern inside. In London, she purchased the finest steel, and the most beautiful copper, to have a pistol gripped sword made, matching the exact specifications of the hollowed out cane. She then had the two fitted, and put a latch onto the neck, preventing any accidents. Over the next few months, Alisa would make several attempts to inform her mate of her little 'upgrade', but always found some distraction to keep her from telling him. To this day, Marcus has never found out. He remains completely daft to the true lethality of his walking stick.

The old man ran his fingers along the curvatures of his cane. At Ghita's next inquiry, his hand stopped, and was brought to his side. He looked up to her, and sent a straight look into the back of her head. "Yes. Yes I could teach you. Speaking generally, I could teach everyone in this pack. The trouble is, one can never know how a skill will eventually be put to use," said Marcus. "If I were to teach you how to use your injury to your advantage, I would be turning that stick into something much more---" His tone grew strong, and serious, "Helpful, than a cane used for walking," and then settled back to normality. "I understand you, Ghita. I know why you're asking this of me, and that is why I will agree. But understand that you will have to be patient. This will take time, and this will take dedication. This may even take a certain degree of pain. But I can promise you, once you are ready, you will praise the day Old Red came down." A pain shot through the back of the old man's head, and then receded. He felt badly for bringing up Ghita's past once again, but the feeling was soon lifted. He knew what it was to be made stronger by a travesty. He knew it all too well. It was painful, and morbid, and it was outrageously hard, but most of all, and best of all, it was triumph in it's purest form.

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