Bannhammer

Martel sat quietly, allowing the mare to speak for herself. He was about to speak up and answer her questions, but the smaller stallion seemed intent on being an idiot. The mercenary simply scoffed, turning his head and spitting on the floor beside him. "I guess I hit poofy pony too hard in the head! You did not win, the only victory you had was in keeping your life, and that was mercy more than anything. You may tell yourself that you were winning, I do not care." He looked up, back at Argenta, and spoke slowly. "I did not have time to be getting a license, there was, and IS a criminal to catch!" Martel's gaze narrowed, and he took a quick breath before continuing. "He is a thief, having stolen much from many ponies, leaving them with nothing but their cutie marks. He fled here, and I am tracking him down to make him pay for his crimes. A brown unicorn, his cutie mark is a mask, he should be hiding as an actor here in Stalliongrad, that is all I am knowing. If you are wanting him to be caught before he steals from your town, you should be letting me go."

The large stallion stoically followed the mare, looking straight ahead the entire time with his head held high. The boos from the crowd did nothing to him, and his focus was entirely on getting this business over with so that he could go after his target. Once he had his hammer back, Martel would simply be on his way, and hopefully never return to the damned city of Stalliongrad. The guardsmare introduced herself, and Martel snorted derisively as the poofy stallion attempted to flirt with her. "Poofy pony does not wish to share his own name? That is fine, flirt if you wish, tiny colt. My name is Martel Von Starkhuf, gepanzert Infanterie from Saxoneigh." He sat on his rump, in front of the mare's desk, and looked dead at her. His eyes shot daggers into her heart as he cursed her with his gaze. "When will I be getting my hammer back?"

The crew responded to his presence, and Martel simply nodded in response. Each of the ponies (and other creatures) present had their own air about them. A diamond dog, presumably the ship's cook, spoke of the fare for tonight. The mercenary hadn't seen too many of his kind, and when he did, their encounter normally ended in a violent manner. It was refreshing to see one who wouldn't try to claw his eyes out. Nodding slowly, the Germane spoke in his deep, rumbling voice. "Sounds good, Kameraden. Maybe you will be adding some extra 'protein' in for ponies, ja? I am vegetarian as much as next pony, but what we don't know won't be hurting us..." The Germane winked and gave the canine companion a hearty slap on the back. Martel was used to eating 'loaded' slop, a mix of beans, wheat, and mashed up meats. Ponies didn't have the teeth to chew meat, so mushing it up and sticking into slop made it easy to eat and completely undetectable. The special diet, while abominable to others, served his purposes well. He turned to face the other ponies present, and found himself being addressed by a small earth pony. She called herself Starless Shroud, and Martel found himself slightly impressed by her demeanor. He was far larger than her, yet she seemed neither intimidated or hesitant in any way. The Mercenary snorted loudly and extended a hoof towards her. "Celestia segne euch heute und immer Frau Shroud. I am new here, but I am not new to my job. If I am not tracking ponies down, I am training them to defend themselves. By the time we set sail, you will strike fear into anypony against you." Martel chuckled loudly and gave her a hard slap on the back. He opened his tunic a bit and revealed his chain maille. "Perhaps puny ponies could get armor as well, Ja? Would be making my job easier!" He gave another loud laugh before pulling back. The smile quickly faded from his face and a stern look took its place. "Being blunt, the first lessons start tomorrow at Dawn. Everypony who is wiling to risk their lives, show up, everypony willing to lose their lives, do not attend." The mercenary paused, letting his message sink in before speaking plainly. "Why are puny ponies so quiet?"

"It sure is, especially when the company is you." Maximilian smiled as he trotted side by side with the mocha mare. Everything had gone as planned, maybe even better! She had at least agreed to the date, although it was still yet to be seen whether she returned his feelings or not. Such crushes were alien to the Rockefilly, but he was determined to see it through to the end, darn the consequences! Let Celestia decide what the outcome would be. Their trot lasted a bit longer, with Maximilian staying quiet as he occasionally looked to his side to see if Madame Bistro was still there. Every now and then, he would open his mouth as if to speak, only to shut his muzzle and face straight ahead with another blush on his face. Part of him wanted to keep the conversation going, maybe get to know her a little better, but every time he just clamped up, afraid to jeopardize the moment. No, he would wait for the right time. After Miss Snowfall was placated, the pair would have their coffee date. Bloomberg rose into view, the special tree quite the sight even from a distance. Maximilian was the first to actually reach the tree, placing a hoof gently on its trunk as the others trotted in. As soon as everypony was settled, Max picked Miss Snowfall out of the crowd and gave Bloomberg a nice, loud tap. "Well, Miss Snowfall, what do you think of the orchards? It's hard putting the spirit of the Appleoosan ponies into words, but the love and dedication they have for the land around them is evident in this apple field, don't you agree?"

"I have no doubts on the matter. The white unicorn shook Glitzen's hoof politely, only to hear somepony crashing to the floor. His first response was to check himself to see if anything had made its way onto his Tuxedo. Once he was assured that disaster had been averted, his attention shifted to the well being of the grounded pony. Before he could say anything, the pony he had chosen to invest in excused himself. Maximilian adjusted his suit, slightly shifting the lapels as he stood in place. The two seemed to know each other, at least to some extent. It would be far out of place to intercede in any way, so the rich stallion decided instead to stay in one spot, observing the crowd and maybe catching another sight of Silk Scarf before the night was over.

(OOC: made some edits and such to make it easier on y'all)

Maximilian blinked a few times, waiting for the mare's words to fully register. Once they did, his jaw hug open for a moment before he composed himself. The Rockefilly never expected Madame Bistro to say yes, and it took all of his strength not to immediately jump for joy and shout to the heavens. It would be his first real date! As a dignified business stallion, only a curt nod and a stoic smile were acceptable responses. Maximilian bowed and swept a hoof out in front of him, allowing the beautiful mare to take the lead. "I'd never doubt the quality of your bistro's work, but I don't think I'd be able to complain about much if I'm with you." His cheeks shone with a red lighter than bricks, the faintest of blushes creeping onto his face, though the whiteness of his muzzle made even the lightest tinge of red seem that much deeper. Max's inexperience in the area only contributed to the blush, stemming from the self doubt present in his mind. Should he have asked her somewhere else? Should he pay for her, or split the check? Why was he worrying about that now? After a brief pause, a steady stream of words poured from the stallion's maw. He had big things to focus on, and they were the top priority for now. "I want to thank you for your help yesterday. You certainly helped diffuse the situation, and I know you're certainly making Miss Snowfall feel like a lot more comfortable here. Braeburn and I see eye to eye, and I can only hope he's giving our guest the same treatment you did!" He chuckled nervously, still unsure as to what to say or even what to do. Max's voice trailed off, allowing Madame Bistro to seize the initiative and hopefully give the stallion an idea of what to do.

Martel shouted in anger as his weapon was carried away. He hadn't expected them to simply take it away! A hoof reached out after the two rookies, and he snarled as Zornstahl left his sight. "I swear on my honor, and you steal my weapon away? I disarm myself and yet you still don't trust me?" He stomped a hoof and glared at both ponies. Part of the Germane wanted to start the fight up again, but that might not end so well now that he wasn't armed. Martel raised his voice and pointed a hoof at Argenta, then at Dunder. "Fine, take me to your 'station', but I will tear you all apart if you put a scratch on my hammer!"

Max smiled warmly, watching the emotional response from the stallion before him. His journey was a tough one, but moments like this made it all worth while, knowing that somepony was going to have a chance at their dreams. The wealthy unicorn offered a hoof, chuckling slightly as he waited for Glitzen to compose himself. "You have much more at your disposal, never be afraid to fail. While I wont fund a half effort, I'll never turn my back on somepony willing to try."

The large stallion growled at the much smaller pony who had just insulted him again. That blasted colt was making it much harder to try and be peaceful with the authorities. Of course, Martel still wouldn't give in for not reason. He calmed himself down and detached the hammer from his tail, leaving him totally unarmed. After raising a hoof, he slowly started to approach Argenta. "I am without weapon, Frau, let us ask any questions now and here. I will not go to the station with you, not until I find my criminal. If you let me go, I swear on my honor that I shall return once my job is done. Do NOT harass me further, or I will be forced to do more damage than before." He stood in front of her, tall and proud, and he let his offer stand. A Germane took honor seriously, and he knew that if she didn't take this deal, no deal could be done. "Either ask your questions or let me go, this is your choice."

The twirling hammer did it's job, snagging the oncoming blade in its trailing chain before it got too close. Unfortunately, the sword managed to tangle up the chain, sending the entire thing crashing down to the ground into a metal lump, far too heavy and twisted for Martel to use effectively. Snarling in anger, the mercenary tried his best to untangle the mess, but it wasn't going anywhere. That damned stallion once again found a way to muck up his plans, and now, with that mare back, he was facing two angry ponies with plenty of backup. Conceding might be the best option for everypony, just cut your losses, spend a few days in the clink, and move on. Martel shook his head. 'No, The criminal might slip away, and I have to bring him to justice!' he thought to himself as he shook his head. There was no room for giving up, and a true Von Starkhuf never stopped if the contract could still be continued. There might be a way to talk them out of it. He looked up from the mass of chains and towards Argenta, speaking in a low and threatening voice. "Frau, I am going to give you a chance to let me go. I will not be taken in. Let me find my criminal, and I will be out of your city. Continue to harass me, and do not be giving me blame for what happens after." Hopefully these ponies would see reason, any continuation of the fight would only end in more damage for the city, and somepony could get seriously hurt, especially with that dolt throwing swords everywhere. "If you are going to be arresting me, arrest the Mexicolt over here as well, does he not need a licence too? Let us all simply part ways... before it is too late."

Max didn't speak a word, instead he silently looked at the gown in front of him. It was a beautiful piece, that couldn't be denied, but Max was more focused on the details. Every stitch was done just so, not a single thing was out of place. That was just what he was looking for, the attention to the miniscule that showed a devotion to the craft. It was obvious that this stallion cared about his work, if he were to put a price on it, it could fetch a pretty penny. Max started to seriously consider putting some bits behind Glitzen. "It's an astounding piece, I'll grant you that..." The unicorn lightly brushed it with a hoof, careful not to damage it as he mulled everything over in his mind. This stallion seemed very dedicated and skilled, and he could be a very worthwhile investment. Nonchalantly, the Rockefilly reached into his Tux's inside pocket and withdrew a slip of paper. Levitating a pen out as well, he slowly started to write. "One hundred thousand bits is all I can put on one of these checks, I'm afraid." With a smile, the white unicorn levitated the check over towards Glitzen. "I hope we both don't regret this, Mister Glitzen."

Maximilian grinned sheepishly at Madame Bistro's kind words. It wasn't often that somepony gave him such a compliment. She was a nice mare, it wasn't just her looks that had the Rockefilly practically drooling over her. "Ah, Madame Bistro, I hope one day the history books will take note of the ponies who truly make a difference." As he started to trot, Max looked thoughtfully over towards the horizon, trying to think of what to say. Part of him wanted to come right out with it, but the more cautious side of the unicorn urged him to be calm and take it slow. Who knows how she would respond? Maximilian wasn't even sure of what he was supposed to do! Having been groomed to succeed his father, social gatherings were never used to find friends, only to find contacts and resources. He could handle the stock market, make millions in the blink of an eye, and yet the most difficult thing Max could try was expressing how he felt. He walked beside her, taking a small breath before resuming where he left off. "I didn't build my place in history, it was given to me. I understand you too inherited your coffee shop, but you've built it into something far greater than before. I make bits, that's all I do. I don't sell a product, or make ponies happy, all I do is shuffle millions of bits around and make a few more pop out of nowhere for my own pockets. To be honest, it's ponies like you that deserve a place in history." "Maybe eventually, once I've finished this project and made up for some of my... mistakes, I'll be worthy of such an honor, but until then, I'll leave that place to you. The pony who makes great coffee, puts smiles on our faces, and does a lot more for Equestria than I'll ever hope to achieve." Maximilian smiled and slowed his pace, hoping to draw out every moment with the mocha mare. Was it time to ask? He wasn't sure, part of him just wanted to get it over with, see what happened, darn the consequences! Before the back of his head could stop him, the words came tumbling out. "Would you like to grab some coffee together, after the tour? I... I know it must be a bit silly, being asked out to your own establishment, but for lack of a better option..." Max cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. "Would you do me the honor?"

Maximilian Rockefilly Jr now makes his home in Appleoosa, to oversee the construction of the new railroad, and to get away from Manehattan.

Martel was about to rear up, ready to bring his forehooves down on the annoying stallion in front of him. Those hopes were dashed as he felt four sturdy hooves slam into his back. If he hadn't been wearing the chain maille, a bruised back might have been the least of his worries. With a pained shout, the large mercenary lashed out with his tail, hoping to hit something. For a moment, the Germane found himself out of breath, and with a terrible ache in his back. That mare had hit him, hard, and he needed to get some space before they capitalized on their window of opportunity. "Why not bring your men into this fight? It will take twenty of you to be stopping me! I was just going to track down a criminal, but now... now you are becoming a hindrance in my job!" The large pony shoved Argenta aside, giving himself some space as he tried to catch his breath. With as much effort as he could exert, he had the hammer spin around him at dizzying speeds, sure to catch anypony who was willing to try their luck and get through to Martel. "You hit hard, I will hit harder! I will tear this whole verdamnt street apart if I am having too! If you were true guard, you would be helping me to find criminal, but now... it is being too late!" He put a hoof to his chest and took a few deep breaths, hoping to compose himself soon.

It seemed that the stallion had been hindered by that blow, but not enough to keep him from pointing that rapier in Martel's face. The mercenary growled, rubbing his head as he angrily protested vein thrown back down, but his rage simmered as he noticed the blade before him. The stallion coughed a few more times, and the large stallion noted a distinct weakening of his grip. With a snarl, one of the mercenary's large hooves lashed out, smacking the side of the blade and pushing it away from his face. The large stallion got to his hooves as quickly as he could, and on the way up he smashed his head into the other pony's face. Martel was so occupied with the stallion, that he hadn't even noticed that the mare had escaped his chains. He could barely make out shouts and orders being given, but they were of no concern to him right now. "My head is stronger than steel!"

The speech seemed nice enough, and from what Maximilian could tell, it was genuine too. It always pleased Max to see a pony with gumption, an infinite amount of good ideas didn't mean anything if nopony wanted to make them a reality. The best of designs were useless if there wasn't anypony who would strive to bring them to life. With a nod, Max continued browsing the attire before him, even taking a sleeve in hoof as he admired it more closely. "I don't invest in just anypony, Mr.Glitzen, somepony really needs to impress me, but once they do, they'll be given whatever they need. I believe putting some bits on you would be backing the right horse, but I need something to convince me, your piece-de-resistance, if you will. Show me the one piece that you put the most pride in, the work that defines you. Show me that, and then I'll know where to put my bits.

The mare on the ground put up a struggle, doing little more than strain the chain that held her in place. His tail yanked with even more force, trying to keep her in one spot. The chain was connected to the base of his tail, which was braided around it for extra strength and control, making it easy to use and hard to break. That pesky stallion lunged foreword, and ducked underneath Martel's outstretched hoof. He felt himself being pulled over as Dunder utilized leverage against him. The mercenary knew that he was due for a topple, but he wouldn't go down easy. With a shout, his rear left leg lashed out and struck the swordpony's chest. His brace squeaked at the effort, and the steel hoof certainly packed a punch as it connected. "An eye for an eye, and a hoof for a hoof!" Martel's victory didn't last long, as he soon landed on his back with a mighty thud. The chain was still holding the mare tight, but who knew how long it would take for the stallion to recover from the blow and strike again? He didn't have time to waste! As quickly as he could, Martel struggled to get back to his hooves, his metal hoof and heavy armor making the job that much more difficult.

Max put a hoof to his chin and thought for a moment, they were all right, a luxury resort would never compete with Las Pegasus. Instead, a different idea took its place and Max shrugged as he put it out there. "With the advantage in altitude, why not build an observatory up there? Since we're not in the mountains around canterlot, we wouldn't have to worry about scope or scale, and we could probably build the largest one in the world on top of one of those mesas! Just a thought, of course, there are greater matters to take care of first." He paused as Braeburn spoke, blushing slightly at his first comment but quickly composing himself for his next words. The farm pony was giving him an amazing chance to woo Madame Bistro, and he would certainly need to be properly thanked for it. "Splendid Idea, Mister Braeburn. We'll all meet up in due time." With that, Maximilian turned and offered the crux of his outstretched leg to Madame Bistro. He smiled warmly and bowed his head. "I do hope I'm not too much of a bore, Madame."

A loud slam could be heard as the door to the lower decks was flung open by a rather large stallion. Martel Von Starkhuf looked around, sizing up each of the ponies as he made his way down towards the bow. It seemed a merry band of misfits he'd been hired to join, but if his job was to keep them all from getting their tails handed to them, then he'd do it. Normally he stayed as far away as possible from air ships, mostly because he found the prospect of flying high above the air with nothing but metal to keep you from plummeting back down a bit unnerving. Alas, the last thing Martel could afford was fear, lest it be shown to the rest of the crew. His metal hoof clanked behind him as he trotted, the large hunk of steel secured only by a few errant springs and equally strained pieces of wood. The thick boards of the deck did their job, and not a one broke under the Von Starkhufs stomping. Finally, after a long, silent, trot, the mercenary arrived with the rest of the group. His stoic demeanor might have been a little off putting, especially when combined with his more than imposing figure and chain maille covering. Martel knew that these ponies had to at least respect him before they could even start to like him, and far before they would listen to him. Some of the ponies were familiar, the captain was the one who hired him, and Martel distinctly remembered Grandya, seeing as how she was the one in charge of actually paying him. The others, however; were completely unknown to him, and he wanted to start off on the right hoof. "Allo... he boomed, " I am sergeant at arms, pleased to be meeting all of you." He awkwardly offered a hoof to the group, more used to military-esque greetings, not these attempted pleasantries that left feeling more like an outcast than anything else. Hopefully they wouldn't be too off put by his appearances and style.

Max's eyes lingered for a moment as he watched Silk leave, before turning back towards Glitzen. "Oh, I'm sure you have much more candy for the eye..." He put a hoof to his chin and examined the garments before nodding his head. "Good composition, amazing colors, interesting fabric choices... I must admit, I'm quite pleased! Especially with this..." His hoof pointed to a suit, naturally, and he paused for a moment before speaking. "So, mister Glitzen, what's your goal, your dream? Why do you do what you do?" Max loved the products, but he would never invest based on quality alone, he needed to know more.

How in the heck did these ponies do it? They seemed to know what he was doing and predict every move. Martel grunted in frustration as his attack was deflected. [color#800000]"Verdamnt!" He didn't have long to mope, however; as the stallion and the started into a charge. Martel reared up, presenting his thick chain Mille as a target. The poofy pony went up, and The mercenary felt his rapier strike him on the side of the head. The mare feinted, and once she unleashed her hind legs Martel felt them slam into his chest. It hurt, but the armor did its job and diffused the impact. He'd be bruised in the morning, but nothing was broken. Now, he had two angry ponies on top of him who were more than willing to strike again if he gave them the chance. Reactively, Martel's hammer was yanked back from behind the two, and he made sure to get the perfect angle on it. The heavy chain wrapped itself around Argenta's legs, pulling her down on the ground as Martel shouted in delight. "And THAT is how we say 'goodbye' in Saxoneigh!" He tugged on the chains, squeezing her as much as possible while he turned to face Dunder. "Do not think I am forgetting YOU! Try and hit me when we are face to face, if you can!"

The chain had done its job, and in the moment before Dunder got to his hooves, Martel gave an enthusiastic shout. He didn't have much time to celebrate, however; as the rapier wielding pony was back on his hooves quickly. His attack was a bit quicker than Martel expected from a recently hurt pony, and he had to rear up to avoid becoming a rather large shish kebab. His troubles weren't over yet, as the blade was still moving towards his face. Without many other options, the large stallion turned his face and allowed the blade to strike his cheek. It hurt a lot, and he knew he'd feel it tomorrow morning, and probably for the next week at that. His focus was solely on the pain at hoof, and he'd barely been able to hear the loud clopping of hooves behind him. Almost immediately after being hit by Dunder, his other cheek felt a bronze covered hoof smack into it. Part of him was happy that it didn't hit the back of his head, but his face begged to differ. With a roar, Martel shoved both ponies away, giving himself some space to recover. His entire face felt like it was on fire, with a large welt on his right cheek and a hoof print on his left. Thankfully, he had gotten them away long enough to collect himself. Martel knew that he needed a new strategy, the mare was more than capable of dealing damage, and that damned stallion seemed intent on being a nuisance. Martel snarled and pointed at the two. "You have been annoying me for long enough! Now it is time to be finishing this..." It was then that Martel grabbed his hammer and chain. He normally didn't have to be underhooved or sneaky with his fighting, usually his strength and skill were enough, but when times were tough he found that there was one move that always served him well. Slowly, he started to knot up the chain, seeming to make it shorter for close quarters combat. To most ponies, this was simply a warning, letting them know that he was about to get up close and personal. In reality, there was something a bit more devious going on. A simple school filly's trick, the fantom knot. It seemed that his chain was now adorned with a couple strong knots, but as soon as it felt a bit of tension, the knots would unravel. The idea behind the trick is that these ponies were much faster than Martel, so if he couldn't out pace them, he had to out smart them. With another roar Martel surged foreword, getting far closer than he was before and unleashing his hammer at a breakneck speed, right for Argenta's midsection. Now was where his trick would hopefully pay off. His reach seemed far shorter than before, and a simple step backwards might be enough to escape. However, once the hammer hit full stretch, the 'knots' in the chain unraveled, moving the hammer a few feet farther back instantly, right before impact. Martel smiled to himself, not caring if he left himself wide open to an attack from the other stallion. If the mare dodged foreword or to the side, she would get to see how his chain felt. If she stepped back, then his hammer would do the job; and if she was crazy enough to try and deflect it, then she'd probably get the worst hit of all. Unfortunately, he knew that this trick would only work once, these ponies weren't dumb enough to fall for it multiple times. "Taste steel, wretch!"

So, it seemed that this stallion wasn't as dumb as he looked. Martel quickly ducked back, and the rapier cut a swath through his mane as he dodged. The large hammer returned to its spot behind him, and the mercenary took a moment to brush a hoof through his newly styled hair. He now knew that no mercy could be shown to this poofy pony, he could hold his own. "I am done playing now, Kerl, if you are going to run, I am suggesting that you are doing it now" Martel's hammer once again started to swing, but at a much faster pace than before. He was pulling out all the stops, and Zornstahl whirled around at a dizzying pace. Without warning, it shot out like a cannon and screamed through the air.The strike was aimed a little bit behind Dunder, even if the hammer didn't hit him, the chain behind it would cause problems of its own. For a moment, Martel if that strange mare would be coming back at all, or if he'd scared her off for good.