"The Land Troops closed in, gathering Balthazar and the assassins to take back to their hall for interrogation." - Nellies' Girls: The Hand That Feeds (2) [Wealth Skill: Investigation]
36 Zi'Da 719
Molly noticed him first as she came out from behind the bar to bring drinks to a table a little bit passed him. Her eyes widened when she saw him and she froze in place for a moment. He narrowed his eyes towards her and she slowly began walking again, unable to avoid moving passed him. "Stew and bread." Balthazar said to Molly as she passed by and Molly nodded. She walked away from him a lot faster than she'd walked towards him. Balthazar looked around at the converted space. It didn't seem as if it had been designed for what it was being used for now but Balthazar didn't know enough about design to figure out what would have been a better layout. His fingers began to drum idly on the table before him while he waited for his meal.
Before long Molly returned and set his bowl down in front of him with shaking hands. "Sit." Balthazar spoke with a gentle tone at first, inviting Molly to join him at the table. She seemed reluctant and so Balthazar repeated, in a more stern and commanding tone, "Sit," and Molly did. She folded her hands on her lap and began fidgeting with her apron. Her eyes didn't dare rise to Balthazar's gaze, instead they remained fixed on the bowl of stew she'd just brought to him.
"I really shouldn't-" Molly began with a shaking voice.
"You've done a lot of things you shouldn't have. What's one more discussion between friends?" Balthazar interrupted before sliding the bowl of stew across the table to Molly. "Have that as well, I'm not hungry." But Molly seemed repulsed by the idea. She shook her head quickly and held up her hands as if to defend herself from the bowl of stew.
"No! I- I'm not hungry either." She seemed to ease a little by the end of her sentence but her voice was still shaky. Molly looked up at Balthazar for a moment before losing the confidence she'd gathered and looking back down at the table. "I- I'm sorry about-"
"I'm not here for you, Molly. I understand that you were afraid. You thought she was trying to help," Balthazar said, his tone more assuring as it had been before he commanded her to sit. Part of him, the part of him that had made Yaralon such a pleasant home, wanted to take revenge on Molly as well. He had an assortment of scars across his body that he could blame her for. However he could also blame his failure to react fast enough when the assassins came for him. But it had all worked out in the end and as such he couldn't bring himself to fully blame Molly for what had transpired. "but it is over. Bring her to me."
Molly was shaking more now than he'd ever seen someone shake before. She rose on wobbly legs, giving the mage a small nod, and she turned to fetch Madame Nellie. Balthazar looked down at the bowl of stew sitting on his table, noticing that he hadn't been given bread like he ordered... another small reason that he began to bear a dislike toward Molly. He did his best not to put himself above people but he couldn't help but think Molly should have acted sooner. Then again, any of the girls should have and could have acted sooner and none did. Madame Nellie had a way of controlling people that Balthazar had to admire. This brothel was named perfectly to represent the owner because it was quite simply Nellies.
Balthazar wondered for a moment if Madame Nellie had told Molly to poison his stew, given her other efforts to kill him had failed. But the thought was banished from his mind when Madame Nellie herself swept into the room with a smooth stride that seemed to command the attention of those around her. She wore a smile on her face that feigned friendship and took a seat in front of Balthazar who hadn't risen to greet her.
"I must say I am glad to see that business with Esme didn't scare you off. Most men would flee to The Siren's Embrace after something like that." Madame Nellie, who will hence forth be referred to as Helen O'Hare (for Balthazar sought to reject all her lies in his mind,) said.
"It was nothing compared to what I was doing to that man for you." Balthazar replied calmly. Helen's eyes narrowed for a moment and her smile hollowed but it was still there. Balthazar was quick to comment "Sorry, did that bother you?"
"Not at all, I'm used to blunt men."
"I'm sure you've handled your fair share." Balthazar replied sharply before sitting forward. Helen remained unflinching in her chair, sat back comfortably. "But I'm more interested in what you've done to your girls."
"Balthazar Black, you scoundrel." Helen said, playing it off as if Balthazar meant he wanted to know of her intimate interactions. Balthazar's face showed plainly that he'd not been amused and it unnerved Helen just a little more. He wasn't playing the game the way she wanted it played anymore.
"Enough, Helen." Balthazar began, sitting back slightly. "You've attacked, what? A dozen of your girls? Just for a few more nels?" The befuddled mind tended to question the less significant things. Balthazar wondered why she had to go through the masquerade when she could just charge more?
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Black." Helen said, her tone taking a more sharp edge than trills before.
"It took me a bit to figure it out. I admit, I'm a slow learner... but I do learn." Balthazar began. Helen shifted her weight in her chair.
"I know you are the one who has been attacking your girls. I know they've been lying to the Elements to protect you. I can't fathom why they'd protect you but I know it was you."
"That's ridiculous. I love my girls, I'd never hurt them. And I would certainly never have hired you if I was responsible!" Helen defended.
"But you didn't hire me." Balthazar corrected. "I was at the Element's Hall when I heard about the attacks. I offered to help you and you refused. Then I insisted and you sent me to the Buckle & Chain where miraculously the man you described was looking for me with a few of his friends. But I handled it, and I brought one back here to find out why he attacked the girls-"
"Enough. I don't have time to listen to you-" Helen stood from her chair and Balthazar rose with her, raising his voice so that it would echo through her brothel.
"Funny thing is that the moment I think I might get something from him, you pull me away and one of your girls kills him." Balthazar lowered his voice to a moderate level "And you were very quick to call the case closed after that. You gave me a few nels and sent me off. Then a few trials later I hear that you cut an 'x' into the face of men who abuse your girls. I admit its a reach but what a coincidence that your girls also had their faces carved when they were attacked."
"That's speculation."
"It was, it was, so I convinced Molly to get you to think I was closing in. Don't blame her, she didn't know. I just had a strong feeling that if she had to choose between helping me turn you in and helping you silence me, she'd choose you. She did, and you sent two assassins to kill me. They got closer than Floyd and his boys, I'll give you that, but they were not nearly as willing to keep your secret."
"What? What are you talking about?" The amusement had long since drained from Helen's face and she looked at Balthazar with much colder eyes now. The cold eyes that her girls had seen in the dark alleys before they were attacked.
"As a Defier I find this a little ironic, but the Elements are on their way Helen. The assassins gave you up." A silence filled the room after the words left Balthazar's lips. Everyone in Nellies was looking at them now- no not at them, at Helen O'Hare. They were watching her to see how she reacted. Customers watched with curiosity while many of her girls watched with a chilling dread as the uncomfortable truth of their lives had been laid bare. No one was disappointed in what Helen did.
A guttural cry rang out from her lungs as Helen pulled a dagger from her boot and slashed at Balthazar with it. Balthazar instinctively brought his left hand around to try and parry Helen's arm but she was fast enough to slash his left hand with the blade. Suddenly a screen of flame burst forth between Helen and Balthazar, his spark responding to the sudden attack and his kin leaping to shield him. Balthazar recoiled and with a wave of his hand dispelled the flames, trying to prevent a fire from breaking out while Helen advanced, swinging the dagger at the mage as she cried "You bastard! You little shit! How dare you try to take my girls from me! How dare you!"
Yet at the sound of Helen's scream, the doors at each entrance and exit of Nellies caved in and the Elements filled the room. They moved in on Helen quickly but she was too close to Balthazar. Fortunately Balthazar was- despite the lingering pain in his back, abdomen, hands, arms, legs, and fingers was still more skilled than Helen. Balthazar swept his slightly charred bowl of stew off the table at Helen who threw her arm up to block it and in doing so lost sight of Balthazar enough for him to act. Balthazar took the chance to draw his right hand around in a circle above his head, conjuring a strong breeze and a funnel of blue flames which quickly whipped into sparks arching around Balthazar's circling hand. Then he thrust the hand forward towards Helen firing a bolt of lightning into her leg.
She let out a cry of pain and Balthazar stumbled back as the Elements moved in to seize Helen O'Hare.
