Shimmer and shine

Unwilling Sacrifice

He'd spent years dedicating everything he could to create this nation of Zaun. It had cost lives, a shit ton of money and a lot of his morals. And yet the council above still think they can send their people into the undercity with no repercussions.

Silco glared at the enforcers that had been thrown at his feet by Sevika.

They cowered in fear as he stood from his desk chair.

"I don't know if you're stupid, stubborn or merely oblivious." He started, "But you have no jurisdiction here."

He looks over at his son, Roy who was idly smoking a pipe in the corner and continued. "I've been told that you were targeting Zaunites."

He takes a knife from his desk and brandishes it lazily towards the men. "Now, I do believe that you should have been informed that permission and collaboration is expected if you're trying to track down one of my people."

"they stole something from Piltover." One of them growled out and Silco sighed.

"I never said they were innocent. I said that you weren't following rules." He chastises, "and that means that your lot need a reminder on why you agreed to this separation in the first place."

Their eyes widened in panic as he reached for their masks, removing and tossing them away.

He trailed his knife over one of their cheeks, and smiles, "so who would like to be the demonstration and who would like to give the bad news?"

--

"They left two enforcers at the bridge!" Hoskel shouted, "One dead the other dying, we can't let the insult stand."

Jayce frowned, rubbing his brow "What were they doing there?" he asked, looking over to the sheriff, "the treaty is very clear about co-operation on both our parts."

"Thieves had been breaking and entering here in piltover. We wanted to deal with it discretely, we know that Silco is soft on Zaunite kids.

Mel leaned forward with a frown, "you broke a treaty for children?"

The sheriff froze and shrank back, "They stole some important things."

"What?" Jayce demanded, slamming his fist on the desk, "what could have been so important that you would have broken our treaty for it?"

The enforcers in the room stayed quiet and Jayce sighed, "We need to find a solution to this. Silco will see this as a betrayal, a reason to void the treaty. We can't go back to fighting with Zaun. It drains our resources, and we lose too many people in the skirmish."

"we could give them something as reparations?" Salo offered, "show our sincerest apologies. Something that would show him we mean no ill will?"

Shoola nodded, "Silco has been fair in holding Zaun to their part of the treaty since it was put in place. It would be a shame if this peace with the undercity was shattered."

Jayce nodded, "Great, everyone in favour of brokering a new treaty?" he asks, and each of them raise their hand, Hoskel rolling his eyes but obliging them by rising his own.

"Okay. So, what can we give that showsour sincerity?" Jayce asked.

The room goes silent and they look to each other.

"We have trade agreements." Bolbok responded, tapping metal fingers against the table. "We can rework those."

Hoskel scoffed, "if we make that any more advantageous to them then we'll be giving things away."

Mel leaned back in her chair for a moment, "What if it isn't a material trade?" she starts cautiously.

All eyes turn to her. "Silco and his Chem-barons rule a city, we also rule a city." She continued, "Perhaps we create a stronger alliance with Zaun than trade agreements."