Talion's blue eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene.  This didn't make a lot of sense.  He knew more about slavery than he would have liked; it was big business in Nexus.  The Guild loved buying and selling people literally as well as figuratively.  But the children being there was disturbing to say the least.  And the smell...Gods great and small, the stink!  But it was also different that any slave market or pen he'd ever had the misfortune of being near.  It smelled like a slaughterhouse as well.  And that was even worse.<br/><br/>Spearmen...in a clear uniform.  Mercenaries?  Had to be.  But that strange man...what was he?  He was on the guards' side but they were clearly scared of him.  They were in a shadowland.  Could it be a ghost?<br/><br/>There was a thump from out near the water and he turned his head.  His eyes widened and only years of operating as a thief kept him from blurting out an exclamation.  When the hell had those other boats gotten here?  Damn, that one might actually be a full on ship!  Masts and sails and all!  And there was someone leaping from it, that was the thump he'd heard, bounding from broken pillar to pillar with easy despite wearing a coat of mail that clinked with each leap.  A pair of axes were in her hands.  Her?  Yes, he was pretty sure it was a her.  Though he wasn't close and it was dark here.  She was also making an amount of noise that was almost blasphemously loud in the strange stillness of this death soaked place.  There was no way those within couldn't hear that.  Though you could never overestimate how much some folk dropped their guard when they were in a place of strength.<br/><br/>The other vessel that was approaching was smaller and battered; it looked like it had been in a fight with a giant squid, lost, and then been put back together in a ramshackle but nonetheless effective way.  He could make out a trio of figures, one dramatically larger than the others.  What in the name of Jupiter's secret and hidden perky posterior was happening here?<br/><br/>Whatever it was, this was an opportunity.  These people would create a terrific distraction for him to get in there.  Though getting in there wasn't even half the task.  If any guards were left, he'd have to deal with them.  The maybe ghost was an unknown factor.  Then he'd have to get all those people free and get them back to shore.  Would any of the water going craft here be large enough?  The fully rigged ship sure would be.  Would he have to steal that too or would they cooperate?<br/><br/>"And I thought it would be a boring night," he murmured under his breath, a thin smile starting on his face.