Ichor Cell-Interlude 2 - Desperate Measures
The new captain stood at attention, hands clasped behind his back, while the Miganos family head leafed slowly through a folio of parchment.
The room was quiet but not still. Runes glimmered faintly in the inlaid wood, their lines crawling with restrained energy, like veins under skin. Every time the powerful mage turned a page, the faintest shimmer stirred through the chamber, as if the air itself acknowledged her motion.
“You are settling into Cyril’s post.” The family head said at last, without looking up.
“Yes, family head.” Cassian kept his voice measured.
“Good.” She set the folio aside and finally raised her eyes to him. Pale, sharp, unblinking. “Then you can begin your .”
“Of course, family head.” He nodded. “The beggar we sent off has been killed. We managed to confirm where the creature resides, and it seems to require blood to survive. Unfortunately, the equipment we provided has also been lost; the creature thoroughly looted the body after it was done.”
A pause stretched. The old woman fingers tapped once against the desk, soft as a heartbeat. “Unfortunate. The amulet was one of the weaker designs, but even the weakest tool in enemy hands is one we can't afford.”
Cassian did not allow any disagreement to show on his face. “It accomplished its purpose, family head. The creature was found. It reacted. It survives.”
The head leaned back in her chair. “A beggar, was it?”
“Yes. Pulled from the streets.” Cassian kept his crisp, factual. “He was given the blade and the amulet with a simple order: strike the one it pointed to. Nothing more.”
“And he obeyed.”
“He did.”
“And died.”
Cassian inclined his head. “Almost immediately, from what we could tell.”
The woman made a soft sound—approval, not pity. “Good. His purpose was to draw a line between suspicion and fact. Now we know that our theory was correct, and where the thing keeps its lair.”
Cassian let silence answer.
The mage’s gaze lingered on him, weighing. “Tell me, captain. If the beggar had succeeded, would that have satisfied you?”
“No.” His answer was immediate. “It would completely undermine the purpose of the guards if a random beggar could accomplish what an entire team failed to do.”
Her eyes narrowed, just slightly. “You answer quickly.”
“I have had plenty of time to think about it.” Cassian said evenly.
The family head turned her chair toward the large painting behind her desk. It showed a vast, shadowy expanse, the darkness broken up by little spots of flame, their lights illuminating dozens of elaborate residences. “Time is the most expensive coin, captain. Steel can be reforged, blood can be spilled again, but time does not return once spent. Your predecessor spent mine poorly. You will not.”
Cassian bowed his head once in acknowledgment.
“Good.” She rose smoothly, stepping into the window’s pale reflection. “Now tell me what you make of it, this creature.”
Cassian considered his words. “It hides well. No beast would linger in a shop, work for an old man and serve customers. It is intelligent, almost human. In fact, all its actions up to now are at odds with what we encountered that night. If we were not so certain that it was the culprit responsible, I would never have doubted it was anything more than a young man.”
“Good.” Her voice was calm, though her eyes flickered with a glint Cassian couldn’t name. “That means it can be measured. Intelligent things leave patterns. They form attachments. They believe themselves clever.”
He gave a short nod. “All the easier to map its habits, so long as we don’t rush.”
The old mage leaned back, satisfied. “Yes. Patiently, quietly. No zeal, no careless pursuit. If a man dies trying to prove his bravery, I will hold you personally responsible. I will not reward wasted lives or time.”
Cassian stood silent.
“You will assign observers.” She continued. “Never the same faces, never the same routes. If they lose it, they do not chase. If it notices them, they are reassigned. Do
not
let it know we are watching.”
“It will be done.” Cassian said.
The family head studied him for a long moment before letting the faintest smile tug at her mouth. “Good. You may yet prove useful.”
She reached down, smoothing the parchment as though the matter were settled. “Go. And remember, captain—clever people believe themselves smarter than their opponent. That is when they make their first mistake. I trust you will be more careful.”
Cassian bowed. “Understood.”
Lucia Miganos was not having a good week.
The Disaster level mage leaned back in her chair and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as exhaustion nibbled at the edges of her consciousness. She felt as if the gods had sent this trial her way just to test her.
“When it rains, it pours, huh?” She muttered.
As if dealing with the
thing
wasn’t enough, the Miganos family’s problems had compounded. The manpower she had been forced to divert to hunt down the creature was causing a shift in the delicate balance of power between the various forces in the city.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, the violation.
This chance was of course not missed by the Kerune family, their long-standing rivals, who used the opportunity to put more pressure on various Miganos businesses, causing them to suffer quite a few losses. It was a situation she had hoped to avoid, but the sudden and dangerous nature of their new enemy had left her with little choice.
Now, even though she had only diverted a small part of her forces to hunt the creature, the Kerunes were beginning to make their move. The old bastard at their helm was a cunning snake, and once he spotted a weakness he would not relent until his prey was squeezed dry.
She could feel their pressure on her trade routes, subtly choking the lifeblood of her operations. He was testing her, probing for weakness, but where he expected to find weakness…
‘I will show him pain.’
Lucia sat back in her chair, her fingers massaging her temples. “Why now?” She muttered bitterly. “Of all times...”
A knock came at the door, interrupting her thoughts.
‘What now?’
She straightened up and smoothed out her expression. “Enter.”
“Family head.” The door opened without a sound—its enchanted hinges ensuring that no rust could build on its pristine surface—and her most trusted adviser, Darius, stepped into the room. The older man was sharp-eyed, his demeanour calm even in the face of impending crisis. He was one of the only people in this entire family whom she trusted to get things done.
“What is it, Darius?” The old mage relaxed back into her chair. “I could really use some good news right now, so I hope that’s what you bring me.”
Darius paused at that, the words he was about to say getting stuck in his throat. Instead, he simply stood in his spot with pursed lips, his actions already telling her everything she needed to know.
With an audible groan, the woman waved for him to speak. “Get on with it. I just wish I didn’t have to hear it.”
“Well… Technically this isn’t a new problem.” The advisor cautiously began. “Just a consequence of an already existing issue that has reared its head at a very inconvenient moment.”
“And what issue might that be, Darius?” The head sighed in exhaustion, her mind racing through all the possible problems that could have flared up now. “I don’t have all day, so spit it out.”
“The issue… is related to the marriage.” Darius cleared his throat. “The one with the Levoris family.” He quickly clarified.
“Marriage with the…” The old woman bore a puzzled look on her face before her eyes suddenly widened in horror as she briefly lost control of her emotions. “SHIT!”
“Yes,” Darius ignored the outburst, his tone heavy. “As you know, Anna was set to marry into the Levoris family. It was an important alliance, one that would have solidified our position and given us the power we need to completely suppress the Kerune family. But with her…” He hesitated, glancing at Lucia’s expression. “Demise… the marriage will obviously no longer happen.”
Lucia clenched her fists as she struggled to contain her aura. “That damn creature has already cost us so much! If we lose the Levoris family’s support and they decide to side with the Kerunes in retaliation, we may as well gift the city to them on a silver platter!”
“The Levoris family does not yet know of what happened, though it is only a matter of time.” Darius added, his voice holding little optimism. “Young master Tasos especially will not be happy with this turn of events. He was completely enamoured with Anna, and to now have her die just a few months before the day of the event…”
The advisor quietly looked at the powerful mage. “Family head, if I may be blunt, should they decide to side with the Kerunes because of this… We are going to struggle to even survive in this city, much less prosper.”
Lucia’s mind raced, piecing together the consequences. Losing Anna had been a deep blow, one that affected her personally, but this—this was a threat to the entire future of the Miganos family. The Levorises had substantial power. If they decided to side with the Kerune family when push came to shove, everything they had built in this city could come crumbling down; especially with a portion of their agents out looking for the elusive monster.
The old woman stood and started pacing again, her thoughts a maelstrom of rage and urgency. “If the Levorises back out… we’ll be vulnerable. The Kerunes will sense it and strike. We cannot allow this to happen.”
Darius remained silent, letting her mind work.
“We need to move quickly,” Lucia finally said, her voice a low growl. “Contact the Levoris family. We need to salvage this alliance, somehow. Offer them compensation, land, trade routes—whatever it takes to keep them on our side. And as for the creature…” She stopped pacing and turned to Darius, her eyes burning with determination. “Darius, you are less emotionally invested in this than I am. Tell me, do you believe hunting this creature is worth it? Is our position too precarious to worry about avenging her?”
“This…” Darius carefully weighed his response. “While logic dictates that we cannot afford to stretch our forces so thin at the moment and that we should focus on recovering what we can from this loss… Catching the creature responsible may actually be the only way out of this.”
Lucia frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“Instead of land, money or the like, presenting the Levorises with the culprit may be the best way to avoid a falling out between our families.” He explained his reasoning. “If we can bring them the monster that killed Anna, we might still be able to salvage this alliance. It won't bring her back, but it would show that we protect our own. They need to see that we are capable of avenging any slight against us, and more importantly, that we are still strong enough to stand against any threat, be it the Kerunes or even themselves.”
Lucia’s eyes narrowed. “You’re suggesting that capturing or killing this creature could convince them move forward with the alliance?”
“Exactly.” Darius nodded. “If we can deliver the head of the beast that took Anna, we might turn this from a situation of failure into one of vengeance. Show the Levoris family that we are still strong, even in the face of loss. This would not only honour Anna but also strengthen the bond between our families.”
“Hmm.” The mage hummed noncommittally. “That could work, but we would be risking everything. If we cannot catch the monster, it will be over.”
“But family head, do not think it is already over?” The old advisor gave her a deep look. “We are backed into a corner. I do not believe the Levorises will be swayed with material possessions, at least not by the amount we are willing to give. Better take a gamble that might not pay off than resign ourselves to a slow and pathetic death.”
Lucia’s fists tightened, her knuckles turning white as she considered Darius’s words. He was right, of course—she would never admit it, but they were backed into a corner with few options left. The creature that had attacked them was now not only a personal grievance but also a potential way to salvation for the family.
"Very well," Lucia said, her voice steady but cold. "We'll take this gamble. We will present the Levoris family the creature’s head, and we will salvage this alliance. I will not let this family be brought to ruin, not by that thing, and not by the Kerunes."
Darius bowed slightly. “I’ll see to it that we are ready to act when you give the order. We will succeed, family head.”
Lucia nodded, her jaw set in determination. “See that you do, Darius. Failure is not an option.”
As Darius turned to leave, Lucia’s thoughts wandered back to her memories of the time she spent with her granddaughter. Due to her responsibilities as head of the house, she had not had much time to play with Anna as a child, but the times she did, she remembered fondly. Her granddaughter had grown up into a bright and talented young woman, destined to help their family’s status rise even further. And now, the very survival of the Miganos family depended on avenging her death.
"How cruel fate is..." Lucia’s fingers twitched as she thought of the creature that had taken so much from them through such a seemingly simple and insignificant action. This would be a great test for the Miganos family—either they would rise stronger from this ordeal, or they would forever fall into ruin.
She would ensure it was the former.
Interlude 2 - Desperate Measures
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