NEW CARGO

The truck passed by the thick iron gates of the Dredge into it's entry yard, parking by in preparation to unload it's contents. The movement continued at the yard, with a new batch of inmates performing their duties, carrying the cargo boxes and barrels strewn about to the respective areas, under the watchful guns and whips of the hardened trenchcoat-wearing, masked guards. The drivers, guards of the Dredge as well, had descended from the vehicle, as did a third one at the back of the truck, this one apparently curved and walking as if he were limping, but still the rifle on his hand.

The two others seemed more relaxed which he seemed tense. A bit stiff perhaps, gazing at the vastness of the chamber just entered into the most guarded prison, close to the one called Stilwater.

A pair of guards walked close by to receive them.

"The new batch?", the first receiving guard asked.

"Heaters and feeders.", the first driver answered. "Water too, right for below."

The first receiving guard nodded and turned around, waving at the distance, no doubt for some inmates to be driven to the truck and start unloading.

The second receiving guard noticed the third, curved guard, looking around and somewhat stiff. "Is he okay?", he asked.

The two guards from the driver seat stared at the third one, as well.

"I'll manage...", this third one answered, tilting the head, the voice a bit strange.

"Whatever, you can do the filing now, let's get it moving.", the second receiving guard replied, waving his hand aside as about a sextet of inmates arrived, led by a guard carrying a whip - a cat o'nine tails with small metal shards at the tips - which was already used in one of them to get a slow inmate moving on.

"Get it moving, slow shit sacks!", the whip guard ordered. "You want motivation, I've ALL the motivation right here! Get it moving!"

The truck guard trio started walking right into the chamber, the third one walking a bit erratically, moving his head around as if he were a newcomer to the place.

So many details, so little time to experience them as the trio walked towards close to another pair of iron doors, with two other doors, but open ones, indicating elevator shafts...

"Hey! Hey, you three!", a voice called from behind, then. It was the guard with the whip. "The hell happened to this one?"

The guard pointed his whip to a large wooden crate, almost the size of a person, which one of the sides seemed totally off - the absurd amount of nails at the borders, almost like it was overkill, given only a few could've been used to keep the crate in place.

"The hell...", the first truck guard mumbled.

"It fell?", the one with the funny voice answered, snickering nervously. "I just put it there in the back..."

The whip guard stared at it for a while, as did the trio, before the whip let his breath out, shaking his head. "Those jackasses upstairs...", he grunted. "They do all sorts of bullshit and *we're* the ones to handle...", he then glanced at the trio. "Move along, let someone else handle this..."

"Come on.", the first truck guard gestured and the trio started following, but then the third one waned a bit off and towards the borehole elevator at the back end of the chamber, where that odd crate was also being taken to. The curved guard entered the elevator as the odd crate also entered, on which the whip guard found odd, but asked no questions.

The trio didn't notice the third one leaving until it was too late, the name 'Hout' being spoken loud twice, when the elevator started going down, with the supposed 'Hout' inside, the odd crate and two others, plus some barrels, all headed down and deep into the Dredge.

"Going fine, so far...", 'Hout' commented, approaching his face to the odd crate.

The odd crate where *two bangs* were heard from.

JAYCE

"Have you any ailments, Councillor?"

The question, apparently casual, was as unexpected and intrusive to Jayce since he returned to Piltover's northside and tried remaining in his office to cool his head off, yet an enforcer came to his office informing the Warden-Marshall 'requested' - more for demanded, that is - his presence at the Central Precinct, which became a makeshift headquarters since Article 42 was approved. He couldn't even have a proper shower or rest, not that the latter would help him, with most things swarming his head, or at least eat something.

But at least he was on his feet, this time, and not as tied up as he was before. That didn't make it *any* better, though.

The Sheriff's office was slightly altered, most of the files now having been neatly organized, the globe of Runeterra shifted over to one of the file cabinets. Atop the Sheriff's desk lied a plate with a kettle still steaming as well as two teacups, one of which the Warden-Marshall was pouring tea into.

Camille noticed Jayce's dead stare and silence from his weary face, and simply raised her eyebrows. "It's a relatively straight question.", she noted, picking two sugar cubes and pouring them on the tea, before starting to stir it with a small tea spoon. "Ailments? Impairments? Family-inherited conditions?"

"I don't know, what do you think, Lady Camille?", Jayce asked, clearly not in the mood for that.

Camille took her spoon off the teacup and grabbed it, blowing some wind into it. "I'd like to think you're as healthy as any other well-nurtured human being.", she then took a brief sip, before laying the teacup back down and gulping the contents. "With a sole exception: that often what is told you sadly enters one ear, and leaves the other shortly after..."

"Can we please skip the cryptic talk and get on with it?", Jayce asked, annoyed and tired.

"First commandment.", Camille replied, coldly, staring at Jayce's eyes. "Thou shalt never hassle a lady. And it's 'Warden-Marshall', mind you."

Jayce closed his eyes for a moment, showing frustration.

"Regardless, you must surely have recalled our previous conversation.", Camille started again. "Especially the part where I stated you are a Councillor and thus you're supposed to be a mountain. Instead, you insist on being pebbled on."

"It's about the Firelights, I bet?", asked Jayce.

"You march in force to the Fissures and suddenly, at the first sight of a clandestine hideout, juvenile as it seems, you back away.", Camille said. "Have you *any* idea how this looks, mister Talis?"

Jayce's stared at the Warden-Marshall for a moment, nodding slightly as if expecting that to happen. "They surrendered the gemstones.", he started, holding his position, and the Warden-Marshall was barely impressed. "Caitlyn and her partner turned themselves in. They even dropped those boards-"

"You've just repeated the same blunder that you had done with Silco.", Camille interjected, speaking disciplinary as a teacher would a student. "To start boldly your show of force, but failing to follow through, regardless the odds or impediments. And you expose this frailty before our enemies and your fellow men."

"Oh, so I was supposed to just raze the whole place?", Jayce asked, incredulous and growing into upset anger. "Even after they surrendered, to my surprise!? Well, how we're any better than the Ironhands, then? That's something you'd rather ask a... ", he let his breath out, eyes darting off.

"A Noxian?", Camille raised her eyebrows, as Jayce glanced back. "Do you know how they *remained* an empire for so long, Councillor? Every city, or village or even district rearing it's head, they didn't negotiate or attempt dialogue. They quashed their revolts without even flinching. Because to compromise with those who'd intend to put fear in institutions or leaderships is weakness. And a sign of weakness is all one needs. Perhaps you can learn a bit further on this from our... recent acquaintance. She's still in the city, with her escorts, and she could as well be of assistance..."

Jayce's eyebrows raised. "You expect Ambessa Medarda to work with us?", he asked. "Well, then I might ask if you have any memory issues, Warden-Marshall, because if I recall well, you locked up her daughter!"

Camille's eyes remained fixed at Jayce's, not flinching from the subtle provocation. "Indeed, I have.", she said. "And there's no better leverage."

"Leverage?", Jayce asked, a second later.

"The last family member she's left.", Camille answered, a second later, too. "What mother wouldn't go to extraordinary lengths? A fair price as any for her release..."

Jayce felt his stomach turn at that incoming information. He closed his eyes, trying to shut his mind at that thought.

"Such discomfort...", Camille noticed. "*Normally*, she'd be prosecuted. I thought you'd want her release and she avoiding that..."

Jayce took a second, staring at Camille's eyes, as he took a breath. "Just leave those kids alone.", he said. "That's the only thing I'm asking of you."

"You don't need lose sleep, Councillor, nothing will be done to them.", Camille replied, the tone purposefully unconvincing. "As you said, they surrendered the gemstones and two of them turned themselves in. We wouldn't want to be known for duplicity now, would we?"

Jayce pointed a finger at her. "I'll hold you to these words.", he then turned around to leave.

As he walked out, Camille took one more sip.