[center][h3][u]Nillium Encampment, The Main Roadway[/u]
9:12 PM[/h3][/center]

	[b]Henry Delvitch[/b] walked casually at the center of a town patrol, surrounded be at least twenty men. He seemed terribly dour as his men combed the crevices lining Nillium's main roadway. [i]This was not how he wanted to spend his evening.[/i] But of course, something had to be done about another [i]entitled little asshole[/i] that thought they could escape the watchful eyes of Nillium's soldiers. Usually, something so small wouldn't put the entire town on [i]high alert.[/i] But this time was a little different. This time there were some [i]war-changing[/i] schematics at risk.

	Ayer Lecomte, a wretched and naive fool. He'd approached [b]the Don[/b] with his designs a week ago. [i]They were weapons[/i], plain and simple, but that miserable oaf seemed to have something other than military might on his mind. Of course, him babbling on about his grand scheme, or great prophecy, or whatever the hell he called it, was none of their concern. The Nilliums just wanted a way to mass produce his nifty little [i]death machines[/i]. Unfortunately, Ayer had escaped long before Nillium's researchers could plunder, or even hope to replicate all of his devices. Those that they manged to commandeer were completely [i]alien[/i] in their craft, and wouldn't you know it, that rat bastard was a little better at [i]running away[/i] than anyone gave him credit for. Henry was especially humiliated by his unit's failure to keep him [i]in his quarters.[/i] How that scrawny bastard had even figured out their intents was beyond him. Maybe he was a little smarter than he looked? He had to be. No [i]idiot[/i] could create something [b]that[/b] advanced.

	There was no escaping the encampment though. No way in [i]hell.[/i] Although the town guard lacked in many regards, the walls that kept their city safe were iron-tight. The Don prided himself on access control above all else and didn't take kindly to people with second thoughts. Once you entered Nillium, willfully or otherwise, the only way out was in a [i]body bag.[/i]

	Men split off from Henry's group in pairs, checking the alleyways and dipping into houses unannounced as they moved down the main street. Some climbed to the roof-tops and scanned the surrounding buildings, while others dove into the gutter that snaked through the entire town, into the ocean. Henry's group hadn't had any luck just yet, but the main street lead straight for the only way out of Nillium. If that crazy scientist wanted [i]out[/i], he'd have to make his way towards the [b]Main Gate[/b] at one point or another. It was one of the only two ways inside the wall, [i]the other[/i] being through Nillium's gutter. But that guy didn't look like he was climbing sheer concrete faces any time soon. Besides, several search parties were already sweeping areas nearest to the outer walls.

	Those that found nothing returned to Henry with confirmation. 

	[i]'aye, empty'[/i]
	[i]'Nobody'[/i]
	[i]'Nothing'[/i]
	[i]'It's clear Henry'[/i]

	The constant slew of failure did little to alleviate the man's sour mood. He rubbed his balding head vigorously, pushing back a migraine as his men continued their duties. Little did he know, their target was nowhere near his unit. But a glint of hope struck him, finally. 

	"Henry!" A man shouted across the street, running towards Henry's group from the [b]Burroughs,[/b] "We found him!" Like a machine, Henry snapped towards the man with a tired expression. He rose his hand and stopped the messenger half-way across the street.

	"Lead us there."

[center][h3][u]Nillium Encampment, The Burroughs[/u]
9:02 PM[/h3][/center]

	Buildings were packed tightly in the Burroughs, leaving only small walkways, slim alleyways, and the gutter to navigate the heavily-fortified part of Nillium. It hugged 50% of the outer wall and made up almost 20% of the town, acting as a sturdy defense against attackers from the west. Of course, it also made for a terribly [i]efficient[/i] hiding place for intruders. The rooftops were layered in a complicated manner, leaving places for people to hide, jump between buildings, and dive indoors at a whim. But with so many people patrolling the city, it was only a matter of time before people like [i]Ayer[/i] were caught.

	There were at least thirty men worming their way through the paths and alleys below, and [i]more[/i] making their way to rooftops in sequence. They weren't going to leave any stone un-turned in their search. Half-measures were met with [i]heavy punishment[/i]. Although the men working under Nillium's Don were not professionally trained, they were exceptionally persistent in their duties. Nobody bothered questioning their role though. Despite the tough teachings of Nillium's [b]Five,[/b] loyal and consistent grunts were treated [i]very well.[/i] 

	Three men were atop a few higher hanging roofs already, lining the edge of Nillium's Burroughs. Others wormed around, creating a mine-field throughout the grouping of structures. But none of them had demonstrated exceptional use of magic in their chase of Ayer. A few telekinetic attacks here, some elemental mastery there, but nothing to warrant worry. It seemed that the Nilliums were more familiar with [i]swords[/i] than magic. Almost every single guard wielded a sharp piece of metal around their waist, whether it was a cutlass, dagger, or [i]rusty shank[/i].

	The group that met Paric's flare were not stopped for long. A few of them suffered a momentary shock to their senses, while the man who took the brunt of his blast almost fainted from the combined exposure of light and sound. As soon as they were able to recuperate, perhaps 30 seconds or so, those that could still move continued their patrol. Two of the men ran up the stairwell that Ayer and Paric had used to escape them earlier, while the others sought similar patrol routes. From where they stood though, the outer wall was visible, just beyond 4 rows of uneven rooftops. But between them and it, there were likely to be guards. Not only that, but scaling the wall itself was to be a task of its own. The highest rooftops were just high enough for the most athletic to jump across, but if the guards were competent, they would have had those buildings [i]locked down.[/i] Of course, the [b]West Shipyard [/b]was just as close, and there were plenty of boats for the taking. But those massive wooden vessels were a significant cog in their distribution network. For them to leave their ships unguarded would be tantamount for structural [i]suicide.[/i]

	Paric couldn't have possibly known just how [i]badly[/i] the Nilliums wanted Ayer under lock and Key though. Ayer himself might have underestimated how desperate they were to get hold of his technology as well. Regardless of what they knew, or how they chose to approach their encroaching fate, the result of their actions would be clear [i]shortly.[/i]

	It [b]really was[/b] only a matter of time.

[center][h3][u]Nillium Encampment, Don Nillium's House[/u]
Earlier that night - 8:32 PM[/h3][/center]

	The edge of Nillium's mainland encampment was where the docks sat, lined up from the west coat to the east coast. The western Shipyard was far more compact, and held the brunt of their fleet, while the east coast was dedicated to fishing and diving operations. In the east, sitting half a kilometer away from the seashore, was also where the Don's humble home sat. Despite its unassuming appearance, it was one of the most heavily fortified locations in all of Nillium.

	"We can't - It's impossible, Don!" [b]Hedwick Nillium[/b] exclaimed, standing before his Don with one of Ayer's stolen contraptions on hand. The Don rolled his eyes at his [i]supposed [/i]scientist's objections, one hand tapping the golden trim of his chair.  "It's far more complex than anything I've ever seen. We haven't even had a chance to get our hands on a real [i]Psy-Stone.[/i] You can't expect us to make leaps and bounds here. We need his guidance."

	"I'm not too sure he'll be willing," [b]Don Nillium[/b] sighed, "My men tell me he's a bit... [i]Opposed[/i] to violence and conflict. If he's not as stupid as he looks, he'll have figured out what we plan to do with his creations by now." The Don tapped faster on his chair's arm, pushing himself deeper into the velvet cushions. Hedwick lowered Ayer's device, waiting for some kind of order as he stood perched over the coffee table. Don inhaled deeply and straightened his posture. "I'm going to make pasta," he sung, with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice, "Would you like some?" Hedwick blinked.

	"Uh, no. Thank you."

	"We'll approach him tomorrow about it - his inventions - and offer him an ultimatum. Most men crack under the threat of torture. I'm sure this Ayer fellow is no different. In fact, I suspect he'll crack if we [i]gently tug at his ears.[/i]" Don chuckled and stood up, moving towards the open kitchen near the back of his house. The ground rang hollow as his leather boots knocked against the wooden floor, and he opened a drawer. He looked at the contents and furrowed his brow. "On second thought, perhaps we should approach him tonight."

	"You don't think he's-"

	"I'm missing a knife," Nillium hissed. Hedwick froze. "I could have sworn it was here."

	"I'll tell Henry and [b]Bertha[/b] to fetch him right aw-"

	"Ask Bertha if she took my knife while you're at it," Don quickly interrupted, "That woman's fingers are stickier than [i]gutter juice.[/i]" Hedwick nodded and placed Ayer's machine on the Don's coffee table. 

	"I hope to return with good news."

	"Yes," Don muttered to himself, "Good news."