The First and The Last (Balthazar)

[Ezner]

Timestamp: Vhalar 59, 720

The previous trial, Ezner had spent clearing all of the furniture and niceties out of one of the sitting rooms at the Dey Estate. He was standing in the room, alone, waiting on Mr. Dey and another man. Ezner still bore the bruises and cuts on his face, hands, and arms from all the previous fights he'd been in. Ever since his owner had gotten the idea to establish this so-called "Gilded Gauntlet" idea, Ezner had had a brawl with a different person every single trial.

He was getting better at it both giving and taking a beating, but he was beginning to see just how much further he still had to go. He wasn't even up to snuff by the average Rharne citizen it seemed. He'd lost more fights than he'd won for sure. But he had to keep pushing forward.

Totrial was a special trial it seemed. Mr. Dey had reached out to a man known to be quite the brawler in a lot of taverns. His name was Balthazar Black and he had a growing reputation it seemed. Mr. Dey had sought an audience with the man, and invited him here to his home, in the hopes of hiring him to fight Ezner. Mr. Dey was determined to make Ezner into the strongest fighter within the Gilded Gauntlet, and was planning to invest a significant amount of coin into it. After all, the gambling and prize money would be astronomical in those rich circles.

So Mister Dey was waiting around inside the entrance of his home, to see if Balthazar would be announced. Ezner was to wait in the room set aside for the fighting. Jazella, thankfully, was out for the trial, visiting her parents. If Balthazar arrived, Mister Dey would exchange pleasantries while guiding him toward the fighting room.

Ezner stood there with his eyes locked on the intricately woven carpet. So many twisting colors and threads. His arms were crossed behind his back, his posture straight. He wore a white, thin, long sleeved shirt, sleeves rolled up over his forearms, and a pair of cotton breeches. His boots were left at the door to the room, so he was barefoot. He'd been instructed to act the part of being a hired fighter for Mr. Dey. Mr. Dey did not know Balthazar's opinion on slaves, and didn't wish to ruin the potential deal.

And so, Ezner waited.

[Balthazar Black]

59 Vhalar 720

Jethrow Dey. Balthazar did not like him. He wasn't certain what it was about the man that irritated him but he knew that there was something. Who was the mage to judge someone by their appearance? When he wasn't soothing his Rupturing spark he looked arguably inhuman. But Jethrow Day just rubbed Balthazar the wrong way. He felt like a man who'd never worked a trial in his life. He talked about work like one. Elisabeth had told him nothing but the worst things about Jethrow and that hadn't improved Balthazar's opinion of the man. Balthazar would have refused the offer to fight if he hadn't mention Ezner.

Balthazar had heard that name a few times. It had come up while he was speaking with Elisabeth one of the many times they spoke. Ezner. He wanted to meet the man and so he accepted Dey's offer as a way to get inside. He wore a black shirt and black pants with no shoes. The ground beneath his feet was the least irritating thing to the mage. In Rharne there was nothing the mage could do to put Dey in a less comfortable situation. No... that wasn't true. Balthazar, as he was lead to the fighting room, realized that he could probably do a great many things to disrupt Dey's trial. He couldn't do what he wanted to do, but there was more than one way to make a bomb. Figuratively. It didn't matter, he was here to meet Ezner.

And he did.

Balthazar did not like the thought of being a hired fighter but it served a purpose and a few nels would not hurt. Ezner not seem like a fighter. That much was immediately clear and only made Balthazar's opinion of Dey decline. Ezner had the bruises a fighter would but he did not stand like one. At least not like one he had ever fought. Most combatants in the taverns of Rharne had been bolder and louder than the man standing before Balthazar. "Is this Ezner?" Balthazar asked Jethrow when they arrived.

[Ezner]

Mr. Dey beamed, "Yes, this is Ezner. We first met in Sirothelle. I was impressed with his fighting there, that I made him my bodyguard. Can't ever be too careful these trials. But you can't take the fight out of Ezner. He wishes to become better, and I want to help him achieve that."

Ezner knew that most of this was a lie. Mr. Dey had bought him in Sirothelle, after seeing him win one match at a slave fighting pit that people gambled on. He was Mr. Dey's bodyguard, as a slave. But Ezner had no desire to fight, nor any desire to become better, and Mr. Dey certainly wasn't trying to help him. This was all because of this new business venture of Mr. Dey's.

"I thought maybe you two could start with a full test bout? No holding back. I know you're quite the champion Balthazar, my chap, but don't go easy on him. He needs to be stronger and tougher. After that, perhaps we can work on some other things? I promise, my coin won't run out on you, good sir."

The offer was put out there, and Mr. Dey moved to the side of the room. Ezner looked up, his fiercely intense gaze settling on the man and his striking white hair. Ezner made no judgements about the man, he did what he always did. He put himself back in that first slave fighting ring, where it was survival. Win or die. And his dark, earthen eyes showed that hunger, that willingness to keep living no matter what. He had a reason to keep living, to keep fighting.

Elisabeth was going to save him. She was going to set him free. But he needed to stay alive to see that trial. His arms slipped from behind his back, and as he raised them up, his body turned and his legs spread, as he entered a right handed boxer's stance. He kept loose fists at the ready, held high at his guard, and he slowly bounced back and forth, shifting his weight about from his lead foot to his back, tightening up his range of balance. His severe gaze never left Balthazar though, and he never uttered a word. If he was to come out of this whole Gilded Gauntlet mess alive and whole, if he was to take care of himself as Elisabeth desired, he had to become stronger.

He needed to win these upcoming fights.

He had to become more than he was. And for the last thirteen trials, each and every single trial, he had fought a new person. Some he lost, some he won, a couple ended in a draw. It was evident in his face, in his bleeding, tape wrapped hands, in the bruises and cuts on his arms, this man had been through the ringer as of recent times.

And he wasn't about to slow down or back down. He had to keep pushing forward, harder than he ever had before. This was the only way he could be free. Every fight was so he could see her again. Every fight was so she could see him one trial. Truly see him, not as a slave, not as a man needing saved, but as the man he was. As the man he wanted to be.

So, instead of taking the normally defensive, reactive posturing, Ezner advanced slowly on Balthazar. He was particularly mindful of his own footing, as well as that of his opponent. He'd learned the importance of that all too often recently. And once he was in range, he started with a range testing left jab, followed by a right straight, both aiming toward center mass on Balthazar.

[Balthazar Black]

59 Vhalar 720

Lying came easier to some than it came to others but it was never wise to lie to a detective, not that Jethrow had many choices in his given situation. He did not know what Balthazar knew and so Balthazar did not fault him for trying to conceal the truth. It didn't change anything. Balthazar was there to see what he could and learn what he could. He couldn't act without a full picture of what was going on and even then, if it was not illegal they would need to get creative to put things the way they thought they should be. Dey shouldn't have tried to sell Ezner as such an enthusiastic fighter to the mage who was a genuinely enthusiastic fighter. It seemed the difference between Balthazar and Enzer, well one of many, was that Ezner seemed to be a man who did not like to fight that was frequently forced into fighting while Balthazar was a man who liked to fight but found himself unable to do so as a result. Well it was a result of Vri recognizing he liked to fight. Lord Warrior. Ha.

After Dey put out his offer the mage gave him a small nod. However when Jethrow began moving to the side of the room, Balthazar's hand shot out and gripped his shoulder far more firmly than was necessary. "I'll put him through it." And the mage let Jethrow go to his little hideaway. Balthazar took a deep breath and stepped closer to Ezner as he prepared for the fight. He bounced a little on his feet to get his blood flowing but did not raise his fists in any clear defensive. Ezner moved in and the mage kept his hands down. Jethrow wanted a show and he'd get one but Balthazar was going to get what he wanted as well.

Ezner came in with a very direct attack and Balthazar wasted no time. He used his left hand to sweep Ezner's first jab aside and he sidestepped Ezner's second, hooking an arm underneath Ezner's and pulling him into half of a headlock. "So, I hear you know Elisabeth." He whispered before shoving Ezner forward and gesturing for him to attack again.

[Ezner]

Ezner found his punches swatted away with a speed faster than he was expecting. Far faster. It was but a blur when the man had an arm around his neck, Ezner just barely getting his chin down to prevent a full choke. But the half choke was certainly more than enough to drop him to unconsciousness if Balthazar had been so inclined. It would've been Ezner's fastest defeat. But then the man did something that no other opponent of Ezner's had done.

He whispered into his ear, then shoved Ezner away, resetting the fight.

He said her name. Ezner's eyes went wide, shell shocked by this man's connection to the only friend Ezner had, to the woman he cared so deeply for. To the only person he trusted far more than himself. His face was entirely unable to hide his emotions, so Balthazar would be able to plainly see what Ezner himself hadn't yet realised. He was fighting a man in love, a man in an impossible situation. Ezner didn't know who this man was to Elisabeth, but he had to assume he was a friend of hers as well. Sent by her perhaps.

It had been six trials since the incident at Storm's Edge. Six trials of punishment in the form of doubling the number of fights per trial Ezner had to go through for his training. Six trials where Elisabeth had no idea whether Ezner was alive or dead. Six trials where Ezner's nights were spent staring at a wall, as he had to fight down the urge to walk down the hall, around the corner, and kill Mr. Dey, and flee the city, hopefully with her in hand. He could do better than that foolish plan. He would do better.

But for now, he had to do this.

And so, Ezner, brought his hands back up, was coming forward again. As he his eyes found those of his opponent, Ezner gave a subtle nod, distinctly different from the rest of the movements he'd used so far. The man, this Balthazar, was fast, and Ezner was under no illusion that he was better than the man. But he did truly wish to improve, if only so he could survive. So he gave it his all. If the man was going to deflect his punches, he'd have to try something else. Once Ezner closed the gap, he moved in close, launching a heavy right straight for Balthazar's jaw, assuming the man would swat it away. Ezner planted the right leg that had stepped in with the punch, and used it to pivot, swinging a heavy leg low, aim to catch the man in the side of the knee or thigh.

[Balthazar Black]

59 Vhalar 720

Ezner knew her. The small nod, in addition to his rather surprising reaction to her name, gave away a lot. As a detective, Balthazar learned to tell whether or not he was being lied to rather efficiently but he'd never put the stock into deciphering emotions that he should have. A good detective but not a good interrogator. All he recognized was that Ezner did mean to come at him again. The slave's surprise seemed into determination and he brought his hands back up. Balthazar took a small breath and watched his opponent's advance. He didn't want to hit Ezner. Elisabeth would have disapproved. However Dey was paying him to hit Ezner. Then again... Dey could rot for all Balthazar cared.

Ezner was smart to adapt quickly and attempt a kick but unfortunately Balthazar never let him get that far. Now that he knew this Ezner had indeed spoken with Elisabeth, he knew the truth of what she'd told him. He could see it clearly on the man's wounded body. Ezner threw a straight punch and Balthazar pushed in this time, casting Ezner's right arm over his shoulder while he grabbed Ezner's left shoulder with his right arm and right shoulder with his left arm. This time while he held the fighter, he whispered, "When I hit an arm or leg, make it limp. You don't have to get hurt." He gave the man no room to swing his leg before twisting and throwing him a few feet away. Balthazar looked for another nod to see whether or not Ezner would go along with the lie. He wasn't sure Ezner could, but he was certain that he could deceive Dey who seemed to know little of real combat.

He gestured for Ezner to strike again.

[Ezner]

Ezner's kick never happened as he was pulled into a face to face grapple, his arms bound between their bodies. And in that moment, Balthazar was speaking again, giving him commands. Ezner's first instinct was to do what the man said. It was hard wired into him to follow orders given, to do as he was told, immediately and without question.

And then he was thrown bodily onto the carpeted floor, not fully sure how he'd ended up there.

But that landing, that insecurity in his own ability to fight this man, was creating something new within him. He was fighting for his own survival, yes. He was fighting so that he could be free. He was fighting so he could see Elisabeth again. But in this moment, as Ezner rolled over, and picked himself up, something new was born within him. He raised his fists, his feet, back to their boxing position, and he set his eyes on Balthazar.

He didn't know this man. He didn't know why he was here. All he knew was that he knew Elisabeth. That wasn't enough for Ezner. Not enough to keep him from his silent promise to her. He needed to become stronger, he needed to get through this. Every choice he made, every breath he took, had to be dedicated toward this shared goal of his and Elisabeth's. He couldn't be distracted by this man.

Ezner gave a slight shake of his head, a subtle gesture, before he pressed forward again. The man could block every punch, he could toss Ezner about this room like a ragdoll. It mattered not. Ezner knew the only way out of this life was going all in on the escape, or die trying. He started forward with a short straight right, and a jabbing left, his typically opening combination. But Ezner was aware of their vast difference in skills, so he decided to try something a bit off script, just to see if he could catch this Balthazar off guard, capitalize where he could. His punches were thrown hard, but he expected them to be blocked, deflected, or caught. And that was why Ezner stepped forward following the punches, waiting for an ideal moment to slam his forehead toward the man's nose with everything he could muster.

[Balthazar Black]

59 Vhalar 720

It did not seem that Ezner meant to accept the offer of mercy. Balthazar often told his students to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy but he could not deny there was some flaw in the logic. Mercy was useful when carefully applied. Yet the small shake of Ezner's head told Balthazar all he needed to know. Ezner had chosen pain over mercy. Balthazar could not understand why Ezner had chosen to fight but he would respect the decision. The man with no independent will moved to attack again and Balthazar accepted that he was going to have to actually disable him to bring the battle to an end. The two punches came in and Balthazar parried them to their respective sides with his hands before Ezner pushed in to slam his forehead into Balthazar's nose and the mage reacted accordingly.

He had plenty of time to think through what he wanted to do but he was not thinking very hard. Instinct guided him. Balthazar was durable and he knew it. Ezner and Balthazar were both mortal men but Balthazar had many advantages that he'd acquired over a long career of making dangerous decisions. He was reforged. His bones were like iron and his skin was like leather. Ezner went for a soft spot on the mage's face, his nose. It was a good idea but he was facing a man who could have put a hand up and blocked Ezner's attack altogether. So Ezner's head moved in for Balthazar's nose and instead connected with the mage's own forehead.

A loud thunk broke through the room and Balthazar stumbled back, his brain pulsing but his sense not entirely thrown off. Balthazar moved forward, striking in the wake of the collision of minds, and launched into a quick five jab combination. Each jab was aimed at Ezner's midsection and each came with more speed and force than the last.

[Ezner]

Ezner's forehead thunked hard into an unexpectedly hard surface, and his mind went white with pain. His world started to spin, as the slave stumbled backwards, dazed and confused and dizzying. He tried to fight it off, tried to keep his legs beneath him, but it was such a completely dedicated blow that the backlash was equally as large. And eventually Ezner succumbed, his eyes rolling back into his head and he dropped to the carpet in a heap, out cold.

Mr. Dey walked over, away from the wall, not even bother to cast a concerned look down at the unconscious slave of his. He had a broad smile upon his face, was clapping slowly, "Well, you certainly are the real deal, Balthazar Black. I so greatly appreciate you coming like this. Do you think Ezner here has the potential to become a much stronger fighter? We have a friendly competition coming up, just some of our close friends, and he'll need to be ready to impress."

Mr. Dey walked over to the door of the room, pulling on a string that triggered a bell system in the house. Three pulls, and a servant came, carrying a lock box. Mr. Dey pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the box, counting out some coins, and putting them into a small pouch. He turned back to Balthazar, "Here's your first payment, for this. Would you be willing to stay on and train Ezner more? I'll pay whatever you require. I'm sure he'll wake soon, he usually does. The man fights so often, he gets knocked out once or twice a week."

Mr. Dey looked down, to see Ezner beginning to stir, "See? Already feeling better. He always gets back up and always gets back in the ring. Couldn't keep him from fighting if you wanted to." Ezner's eyes were beginning to flutter just a bit, his hands gripping at nothing as the blackness of unconsciousness was only starting to recede. He was hearing voices, but they were muffled, and he had no comprehension of them. All he knew was the pain behind his eyes and that he had to escape the blackness. He was always running from it, and he knew something bad would happen if he allowed it to over take him. A small groan escaped him as he continued to regain his strength.

"Well, Mr. Black? Are you interested?"

[Balthazar Black]

59 Vhalar 720

Balthazar knew the moments before someone fell unconscious rather well. He'd hit more people than he could count and watched their eyes roll or glaze over just a little bit before their legs buckled. It wasn't every trial that he knocked someone out with their own hit, but it did happen. Ezner buckled and fell and Balthazar was too slow to catch him so he didn't really move to attempt it at all. Once Ezner hit the floor, the mage moved over and knelt down beside him, glowing eyes indicating that Balthazar was attuning to Ezner to assure he was alright but Dey probably wouldn't notice or know what the glow meant. When he was sure Ezner was alive, he knew the notes to indicate death, Balthazar rose from the unconscious slave's body.

Then the irritating voice of Jethrow Dey broke the silence and Balthazar found himself clenching his teeth. It wasn't incredibly noticeable and he could argue he was battling the headache from Ezner's strike, but he clenched his teeth all the same. Balthazar turned to Jethrow who was speaking about a tournament he and a few close friends were preparing to throw. Another tournament. How many had he fought in since he'd come to Rharne? Three? Four? He did one in every quarter and two in the dust quarter... so five? Only he wasn't being asked to fight for this one- which set off a few red flags. Why not ask the Champion of The Copper Prince to fight for you rather than a slave who made an ill-advised strike? There had to be more to this group of "close friends" who were gathering than Balthazar knew. Dey was up to something.

But he was also paying so Balthazar took the pouch of nels in his hand and looked at the unconscious Ezner on the ground. Would he train him for Dey's tournament? No. Well he would and he would not. As the one training Ezner, he would have the ability to check in on Ezner's health. He would be able to work against Dey and entirely tournament from the inside. So for the first time in what felt like ever, Balthazar joined a cause he knew was unjust so he could destroy it.

"I'll train him, but no more totrial. He need a trial of rest, maybe two. If he goes into your tournament exhausted like he came into this spar, he won't get far." Balthazar explained to Dey. "Get him something filling and give him the night to recover. I'll come around totrial or the one after that to give him a more formal lesson but I need him stronger than he was when I arrived.."