22 Saun 722
Griff proceeded to explain that Lyanna told him to wait outside the shop while she went in to speak with the owner and shortly after he heard the sounds of fighting inside. Very brief fighting. About ten bits later the Elements arrived and surrounded the place. Whoever had attacked was shouting demands for members of the Council but the Elements didn't seem like they were going to convey those demands. Instead, according to Griff, it seemed that the Elements were preparing to storm the building and take the criminals with overwhelming force. People could get hurt with that tactic but it was better than sitting and waiting out the robbers. Still... Balthazar knew that he could do something about it that the Elements could not. He could be in and out before they stormed the building. He could disable the thieves, get Lyanna and get them both out of there.
Balthazar donned a dark cloak and similarly dark clothing then set out with Griff and two other Cats to go evaluate the situation in person. It wasn't hard to find the shop given the heavy Element presence around the building. A quick glance showed Balthazar that there were about five different archers, armed and stationed on the rooftops around the building. They would make it hard to slip into the shop without being noticed by the Elements. They'd make it even harder for the thieves to slip out of the building. A handful of Land Troopers and a recognizable Flame Trooper were gathered outside the main entrance, looking over what Balthazar deduced was probably a list of demands.
"What's the plan?" Griff whispered to the mage who lead them. Balthazar's brow furrowed slightly and he turned to his small group of Cats.
"You three find good vantage points around the building. I'll see if I can make a deal with the Elements. The one in charge worked well with me a few times before I was fired. He knows what I can do." And refusing help from Balthazar would probably be a poor judgement choice. With the orders given, the three Cats nodded and spread out to find good places for them to watch the show from. Balthazar approached the Elements gathered in front of the shop with his hands empty and raised. "Trooper Bean! You've healed well." Balthazar shouted to the Flame Trooper in charge.
When he last saw Osmond, the trooper had been injured in a fight with pirates. They got along fairly well and their work had brought many different killers to justice. When Osmond turned and saw Balthazar now, however, he seemed more tired and distressed than he'd ever been before. A small look of relief crossed his face before he seemed to recall that Balthazar was no longer one of them.
"Mister Black, it is good to see you but we are in the middle of a delicate situation here." Osmond said, making his most polite effort to tell Balthazar that now was not the time to socialize.
"I know- a friend of mine is among the hostages. That is why I'm here." Balthazar said in a more professional tone than his introduction. "I can see from your manpower that you could take the building, but I have a different idea. One that would hopefully reduce the risk to the hostages, and your people." Balthazar watched Osmond's face closely, trying to determine how he felt about what he was hearing.
"This in an Element matter, Mister Black, and you are not one any longer." Osmond countered.
"I know, I understand the situation this puts you in, but can you honestly say I'm not the most capable of going in and saving the hostages? You've seen what I can do and I assure you I've only improved with time. For immortals sake I snuck onto a pirate ship without being caught. Give me five bits and I will bring everyone out safely. I know you prefer to resolve things peacefully and this is the safest option for everyone." Balthazar implored the Flame Trooper.
"Alleged pirates, Balthazar, and you were fired for sneaking onto the ship, were you not?" Osmond pointed out.
"Yes, but I wasn't wrong. They were up to something and I was the one who figured it out. I know I crossed a line, but people are safer because of it. I will get in there and I can stop the thieves. You know it is true, just as you know that if you go in there with your force, someone will die. You fight with swords and bows. I use my hands. I can bring the thieves to you. I can get them to the Elements and you can learn what caused this strange string of crime. Go in without me and you fight with weapons made to kill. You'll have no one to question."
"I can't send a wildcard into an active situation." Osmond countered, "You have to understand that, at the least. It doesn't mean I don't want your help, I just can't risk you getting people hurt."
"You know I'm not a wildcard. You know I can do this. I won't even use magic on them, I'll bring them to you as gently as possible."
"What do you propose?Magnetic Personality - Balthazar has attempted and failed enough efforts in negotiation that he has developed a subtle but useful counter to his failure. By leaning on his supernatural and mundane abilities, Balthazar has learned to convince whoever he attempts to negotiate with that even if they do not want what he is offering them specifically, he is an asset that they do want. This ability ensures that even if initial negotiations fail, the party opposite of Balthazar will present a few other options in an attempt to convince him to work with them rather than simply being willing to let him leave empty-handed. While the opposite party may not present terms Balthazar finds agreeable, they will present terms with the intent to convince him to join them.
This ability focuses specifically on NPCs and would not change how a PC feels about Balthazar, however it would hopefully be taken into account."
"Send me in as a negotiator, I'll clear the room and bring the hostages out." Balthazar suggested.
"We already sent a negotiator, the thieves will know we are making a move if we send another... but I could have my archers stand down long enough for you to go in the back. If they don't know you're coming, it shouldn't put the hostages in any unnecessary danger." Osmond offered. He was clearly still uncomfortable with the idea and he felt he was going to face the wrath of the higher ups, but he was one of the few Elements who preferred the most peaceful solution. He had seen Balthazar's skills firsthand while they hunted and fought a brutal crew of pirates. He was one of the few who Balthazar knew would feel conflicted. That was why Balthazar chose to work through him instead of around him.
"I can make that work. I promise, this is the best way forward." An arc ago, Balthazar wouldn't have been able to convince Osmond to put his neck out there like this. Beneath, he wouldn't have been able to do it at all if they hadn't worked together. Osmond was a kind heart. He wanted to believe the best in people. Balthazar was smart enough to use that.
"Five bits, then my people move in whether or not you've come out. We can't stall any longer than that. These thieves are unstable and time will make them more dangerous."
"I understand, but between the two of us their time is up. I'll be back shortly." Balthazar said as he turned his attention towards the building. He'd have to be careful not to make noise or draw attention to himself until he had the jump on the thieves. Given that it was never dark in Saun, he couldn't rely on the shadows to keep him concealed like they would in Cylus. He could approach from any side of the building that had windows but fortunately he didn't need to. The western side of the shop was an entirely wooden wall. The thieves wouldn't be able to see him approaching it so that was the side he decided to begin his infiltration from. When he had his plan ready, Osmond gave his archers the signal to stand down.
Stepping lightly, the mage made his way around to the western side of the wall. The Element archers stationed atop the shops beside it watched him closely but fortunately they didn't fire on him. It was a good idea to go through Osmond. They'd have certainly fired on him otherwise given his tendency to wear black made him look like a criminal trying to sneak around. Then again if he'd worn a mask it wouldn't have mattered if they fired on him. Two or three arcs ago he might have just opened portals around to quickly knock out the archers before moving in to deal with the problem himself. Now... now he negotiated so he could handle it himself.
When he reached the wall, he began to crouch lower to further limit his size and profile. He pressed a hand against the wall and closed his eyes, listening first to the information his mundane senses could give him. He could vaguely make out the interior of the room from the sounds alone. Little noises like footfalls, whimpering hostages, and small squeaks from moving furniture painted a picture in his mind that omnivision confirmed for him when he finally pushed his sixth sense through the wall to get a firm idea of what he'd be facing. The room seemed to be a closet of sorts and not a large one. There was a mass curled up inside who seemed afraid though that was only divined through the slight whimpering noises. Boy or girl, this one was hiding from the thieves inside and apparently had not been discovered.
Balthazar knocked gently on the wall and the mass shifted suddenly to look towards him. He knocked once more, quietly, and he waited. The mass didn't flee the room it was hiding in. Hopefully what came next wouldn't cause them to either. He pushed against the wall with both his hands and began to splinter through. Technically he wasn't breaking his promise to Osmond. He wasn't using magic on the thieves. His hands moved through quicker than the rest of him due to his mutations but his body completely pushed through the wall and into the closet after a trill or so. It was a quiet form of rupturing but it was not without noise. The mass turned out to be a young woman, probably one of the workers from the shop who took cover as soon as the thieves came in. She seemed frightened by Balthazar's display but her hands were clasped tightly over his mouth. She didn't want to be found and the small knocks had given her all the warning she needed to keep herself at least composed enough to be quiet as the mage moved in.
"You're safe now. Stay here until I come back for you." Balthazar whispered to the young woman who's red and teary eyes seemed to look through him. "Do you understand?" He asked as he put a hand on her trembling shoulder. She nodded slowly and shifted back to where she had been moments ago while Balthazar moved over to the closet door.
"I swear I heard something." A voice said as two set of footsteps moved by the door. "Kinda like a... campfire dying?"
"Do you hear yourself?" Another voice said, "Check it out and get back to the lobby, we can't take our eyes off the Elements." The second voice ordered before the footsteps Balthazar tied to it began to move away from the door. Balthazar's eyes shot to the hinges on the door. It opened inward, and it was slowly beginning to creep open. He took a step back, lingering behind the door for a few final trills before the thieve's head came into view and when it did, Balthazar decked him with a hard, hard hit.
The man dropped quickly but Balthazar managed to catch him and slowly bring his body to the ground to avoid making loud, unwanted, revealing noises. The girl in the corner seemed to jump slightly at how suddenly Balthazar had knocked the first man unconscious but she didn't make noise. At this point, he was beginning to think she couldn't speak. Balthazar bound the man's hands using the rag he'd been wearing over his face and he carefully dragged the man into the closet. The girl didn't seem to like sharing the space but she didn't protest. She understood the need for them not to be found. With the man secure, Balthazar moved carefully out of the closet and began making his way down the hall where the other thief had walked off.
He kept himself low to the ground, crouching as best he knees could support him to make himself harder to see. He came to the end of the hallway and closed his eyes again to focus on the sounds. Inside the shop it was much more effective than outside. He could place everyone in the room from the sounds of their feet moving or their bodies shifting beneath the restraints that the thieves were using. There were four people in the front of the shop. Two of them stood by windows, watching the Elements outside while the other two paced back and forth in front of their collected hostages. Balthazar carefully looked around the corner to get a visual confirmation of what he expected and in doing so he also saw what they were armed with. Swords, short swords but swords all the same. Nearly small enough to be considered daggers.
The hostages, including Lyanna, were bound with ropes and while most everyone had their hands bound in front of them, Lyanna's were bound behind her back. She was also the only one among them who was gagged but Balthazar had a feeling he knew why that happened. She had quite a way with words when she was angry. At least she didn't seem to be hurt though who knew how long that would last? Balthazar could tell she was trying to get her hands free. She probably had a knife on her that they hadn't seen when tying her up. He needed to act before she got herself hurt. He promised Osmond he wouldn't use magic but it quickly came to the forefront of his mind as the best way to shut things down. He could use his hands but... he didn't feel as confident in that. Then again, he'd yet to find a better hand to hand fighter.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself for what came next.
He pushed out of the corner on quick feet, staying low but closing the distance between him and the nearest thief before any of them had the chance to turn around. They certainly would have, because as soon as his dark silouette emerged from around the corner, many of the victims looked right at him. Thanks, hostages, you nearly ruined the element of surprise.
He was quick with his first strike, planting it into the lower back of the first thief and causing it to spasm a little with paralytic pain.Paralyzing Strike Capstone As they involuntarily began to drop to the ground, he pressed onwards to the next thief watching the hostages just as he realized that he was under attack. He began to swing his small blade but Balthazar was too close and stopped his arm with another paralyzing strike that shocked him enough to make him drop the blade onto the ground (where Lyanna's foot quickly found it and dragged it back to her). With the arm neutralized, Balthazar's next strike hit hard into the thief's face and set him onto the ground beside his companion.
Now the two at the windows had noticed him and tried to circle around him with their blades in mid-guards. Balthazar had no trouble tracking the both of them as the first one lunged in with a stab and Balthazar dodged it to the left. As he did, the second came in from behind with a downward slash bent on outlining the mage's spine with blood. Balthazar dodged forward from that, causing the blade to slip just a few inches short of him. He turned quickly, having forced the two of them into his reach and pushed in with his hands ready to block their next attacks.
One lunged while the other slashed and this time Balthazar shifted to their left. The slash ended up striking the extended stabbing sword in an effort to move with Balthazar, and as a result it simply jarred the two thieves for a moment. Then Balthazar swiftly kicked the closest thief in the stomach with a hard boot and sent him crashing into his friend. They tumbled onto the floor from the force of the kick as the first thief began to rise again behind Balthazar, who was well away that the paralytic force of his strike had worn off. He turned without putting much thought into it and smacked the rising thief across the face with a kick that sent them down for the count.
The other two were rising again now but they were fumbling not to cut each other as they did and Balthazar took the opportunity to throw a nearby chair into the two of them. It hit hard and sent them down again allowing Balthazar push forward and knock one of them unconscious with a stiff punch to the face. The thief's head recoiled from the strike and hit the ground, which is what knocked him unconscious. The last one began to rise with fear in his eyes. His friends had been quickly put down by one man and now he was all alone. He was smart, he turned to run. Not that smart though, since he ran out into the arms of the Elements waiting to arrest him.
"Everyone alright?" Balthazar asked the hostages who Lyanna was beginning to cut free with the dagger she'd claimed. There was a wave of different responses but in general it seemed the hostages were unharmed- apart from the emotional toll. "Lyanna, there is a woman in the closet down the hall with one of the thieves, go help her when you're done with them. I need to surrender myself to the Elements so they can take my statement." Balthazar gave off the orders quickly and Lyanna gave an understanding nod.
The mage sighed slightly and looked around to ensure none of the thieves were rising again, then he walked out with his hands raised. Osmond seemed relieved as soon as he saw Balthazar but he steeled himself. He'd have to include the mage's involvement in his report and hopefully, the fact that they'd gone through it without anyone getting seriously injured would keep his superiors happy- even if seeing the mage's name wouldn't. It was going to be a long night, but Balthazar did not regret the decision to go and save his friend... yet.
