Gilean materialized amid swirl of gold dust just outside the eastern gate of Westbridge. He quickly spotted a Vectorian guard near the gate and strode over to him.
'Guard...'
The Vectorian turned to face Gilean with obvious annoyance. 'What do you want?'
'I have some information you should know.'
The guard frowned with displeasure. 'This better not be about those assholes from the west gate. I don't have anything to do with them and what they do to you people.'
Gilean sighed with frustration but he was begininning to have second thoughts about his plan. 'No... it's not that... I heard that...' Gilean faltered for a moment.
'Yes?' The guard scowled upon Gilean with waning patience.
Gilean saw the arrogant impatience of the Vectorian and the face of Velentham flashed into his mind. As Gilean stood, hesitating, the celestial was already seeking out Sanria. Soon his cousin would be passing through here on the way to her house on his way to smash whatever peace the woman had found. Something had to be done. These Vectorians could do what Gilean could not. Detain him, prevent him from reaching Sanria.
'I heard that there is a powerful esper coming through town. He plans on making some kind of trouble.'
The guard grew immediately serious, 'Esper? Here?'
'Yes,' Gilean continued, 'he'll be coming from New Thalos.'
'Always the idiots. We'll have him killed and fueling a light before he gets within a thousand paces of this city. What does he look like?'
Gilean's stomach turned to ice as he began to realize his foolishness. 'Killed?'
'You must mean detained... questioned?'
'We don't worry about that. You like your lights on, don't you?' the guard stated matter of factly as he pulled out a communications crystal from his pocket. 'Now, what's he look like?'
Gilean felt sick. Maybe he had been away too long, seen too much in the Hells, but he should have known better. The Vectorians didn't simply detain rebellious espers. This wasn't what he wanted. He had made a terrible mistake. Gilean tried to turn away but the guard grabbed him by the shoulder.
'You provide the information like a good citizen and we won't have problems. If you protect this troublemaking esper, you'll be thrown in jail. Understand?'
Gilean was disgusted... with the Vectorian and with himself. He brushed the guard's hand from his shoulder and began backing away. Gilean tried taunting the guard, trying to cover things up as a joke but the guard was having none of it. The Vectorian was already on his communication crystal notifying his fellows of the impending attack of this 'large esper' and to 'shoot to kill'.
The guard made a rush for the retreating Gilean and with a word the priest relocated himself away. Just before he disappeared he had a final thought: How in the name of Lathander was he going to fix this.
