AC: The Inquisition

[Cara214]

"If you strike quickly enough they won't be able to attack you." Aldo following Marco's teachings attack him again. He watches how Marco blocks him and tries to change his attack angle.

[Lady Rawr]

Marco laughed slightly - it was a short chuckle that surprised even him "Well yes - a perfectly acceptable answer, though not what I had in mind, a perfectly skilled warrior avoids being hit by his opponent." He said switching from deflect Aldo's blows to simply avoiding them, dodging ether left, right or backwards each time he swung.

After a few more moments Marco blocked one of Aldo's swings and said "Enough, it is safe to say you can swing a sword which is enough at the moment. Before you can learn to strike and kill a man - you must first learn how to avoid being killed yourself. First enough will be simple - I shall attack you slowly and clearly so I can again observe how you naturally defend yourself." With that he lifted his sword and held it ready to swing downwards in an arc towards Aldo. "Ready?" He said before swinging his sword at him, and then after attacking in the same way from several directions in turn.

[Cara214]

Aldo blocks the first blow but then he quickly gets over powered by Marco. He winces after getting hit in his side.

[Lady Rawr]

"Again" Marco said swinging towards Aldo once more. He wasn't too aggressive with each swing so whenever he broke through his defense the blows would only sting and leave small marks. Each time Aldo was unable to defend Marco said "Again" once more until Aldo was able to defend each blow that he aimed at from each direction several times. Without saying anything Marco then suddenly stopped going back over to the side of the room and placing his wooden sword down. "Good" he said moving back across towards Aldo "This was a good first test - and my remarks after it are this, you are quick and have good reflexes. Though you obviously lack in any training your instincts are definitely good enough to perhaps one day be a master. I'd remember this lesson if I were you - it will be the easiest of many."

With that Marco made his way towards the exit trusting that Aldo would follow him. He lead him back through the grand hallway and down to another room, which had a rough stony hue to it and a stairway descending down again into the rock. As he lead Aldo down the stairway the temperate around them grew steadily hotter before the emerged into a large chamber filled with large pools of water that were crystal clear and steaming hot. Marco stood gazing at them fondly and simply said "Welcome to the volcanic hot-springs of Villa Di Portici".

[Cara214]

Aldo would look around amazed at the pools of water. "I was told that the mountain heats the water" he looks at Marco confused. "What are we doing here?"

[Lady Rawr]

Marco nodded before explaining “Yes that is correct – these pools are filtered through layers of volcanic stone over hundreds of years before they pool here and are heated by streams of magma deep underground. Not only is the water naturally beneficial but the warm temperatures sooth and relax the weary – which you will be frequently. But these are not what I wanted to you, at least not the only thing.”

Marco moved across to the edge of the room and pushing his body flat against the wall he made his way along a ledge which was above the pools and lead to the other side of the room. Once there he lead Aldo through a small opening that he had not seen from the other side – which after a short tunnel emerged into a huge chamber which extended upwards beyond Aldo’s sight.

“This cave leads all the way to the surface” Marco explained “and it is possible to climb up until you reach the top and then emerge near the base of the volcano, though it is no easy task. For today I’d simply like you to climb up there to that marker and then back down” he said pointing up to a carving of the assassin’s symbol that was high above them in the cave wall. The walls themselves were natural rock and had many handholds and toeholds that could be used to reach that level, though the further up that one travels the harder it becomes to find the route to the top. Marco stood waiting for Aldo to begin as a quiet dripping in the distance resonated throughout the cave.

[Cara214]

Aldo looks around the cave for a route. He then goes to the wall and feels the wall. It was sharp and jagged. He still goes to climb the wall and it was hard for his first time. After about a min his arms start to hurt as he climbs

[Lady Rawr]

As he watched Aldo climb Marco called up "Do not worry if it is difficult - it is supposed to be. The cave may look natural but the higher you climb the new you shall see that the rock had been shaped to increase the difficulty of the task." And with a smirk he added "I for one, have only scaled the entire system less than five times, and that was in my younger days."

He waited for Aldo to reach the symbol before deciding that he was definitely a natural climber and would quickly improve his skills. "How do you feel?" He shouted up at Aldo.

[Cara214]

Aldo pants "tired.......and hungry a bit" He goes to climb back down but he slips and almost falls.

[Lady Rawr]

Marco did not move as he slipped and simply watched without expression, once Aldo had recovered he said "I would be careful, three men have died attempting to climb this cave, good men. It is a chance you take when you climb anything - anything worth climbing at least. Once you reach the fourth symbol it is practically impossible to climb back down, and the only way is up. Keep that in mind Aldo."