Ichor Cell-Chapter 22: Showtime

Alex watched intently as the flow of arriving nobles gradually slowed, replaced by the steady hum of idle conversation beneath the grand gazebo. Lanterns shimmered gently, bathing the scene in golden warmth, and servants navigated gracefully through the crowd, carrying trays of food and drink.
It was an elegant picture, one utterly at odds with the dark purpose hidden beneath the glittering facade.
Just as the murmurs began to fade, an older gentleman stepped up onto a raised platform at the head of the gathering. He was thin and tall, dressed impeccably in richly embroidered robes, and spoke with practiced ease, clearly accustomed to addressing crowds of powerful people. Alex strained his ears, honing his senses to catch every word.
“My esteemed guests.” The man called, his voice deep and clear, a magnetic baritone that drew attention. “Welcome, and thank you all for attending tonight’s banquet. The Miganos family extends its sincerest gratitude for your presence, and hopes that this evening will serve to further strengthen the bonds between us.”
He paused dramatically, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd. “I see gathered before me tonight many of the city’s finest. Representatives from the honourable Levoris family grace us with their presence, alongside esteemed members of the illustrious Kerune household.” He bowed his head respectfully towards the former, while a markedly less respectful nod greeted the latter.
It seemed that Elara’s information wasn’t wrong. The dynamic between the three families was not harmonious; not that Alex expected it to be. It would be strange if the three most powerful families in the city didn’t have any conflicts of interest.
Whilst Alex mused, the man on the stage continued his speech, elegantly complimenting allies or slighting opponents in equal measure. Simultaneously showing Alex any potential helpers to be found in the crowd. This was all of course veiled beneath mountains of platitudes and charming welcomes.
Eventually he stepped back to polite applause.
The crowd quickly dissolved into pockets of cheerful conversation, idle laughter floating upward to their hidden perch. He sighed, frustration tightening his shoulders. He’d hoped they would at least hint openly at Grenil’s fate, but the nobles seemed more interested in enjoying the extravagant gathering, ignorant or uncaring of the purpose behind it.
“Looks like they’re not in a hurry,” Elara whispered beside him, her voice barely audible if not for her proximity. “Almost makes you forget they're planning on conducting a public execution of an innocent man.”
Alex nodded bitterly, settling back slightly. Now knowing that this was going to be a marathon and not a sprint, he just hoped that there truly would be an opportunity to act; that they hadn’t come here in vain. He didn’t think he’d be able to live with himself if he simply watched as they murdered the man who had helped him when he needed it most.
Time dragged slowly, the party continuing beneath them as the hours passed by. Alex found himself drifting in and out of attention, irritation and anxiety warring within him. Then, suddenly, raised voices snapped him back to focus.
Two nobles were standing chest to chest, voices raised and faces flushed with anger, their confrontation rapidly drawing the attention of the other guests. Alex leaned forward slightly, catching fragments of the heated exchange.
“Those are some brave words.” One man snarled, his voice tight with barely restrained fury.
“I merely stated what everyone already knows,” the other retorted sharply. “Your family’s loyalty has always been for sale to the highest bidder.”
The first man’s face twisted in rage, fists clenching as he took a threatening step forward. Before he could swing, however, guards swiftly stepped between them, roughly separating the men and diffusing the imminent violence. Alex exhaled softly, disappointment momentarily flickering across his face.
Yet the tension lingered, the crowd now buzzing with renewed energy. As if waiting for exactly this cue, an elderly woman stepped forward onto the raised platform, her mere presence instantly silencing the murmurs. Alex felt Elara stiffen beside him.
“Lucia Miganos.” She murmured, eyes narrowing in recognition. “The head herself.”
The woman’s sharp gaze swept across the assembled nobles, her presence alone enough to command their complete attention. She lifted her chin, a faint, amused smile playing across her lips as she addressed them.
“My guests.” Lucia began, her voice grating yet commanding, resonating clearly through the gathering. “We’re all here tonight as friends, or at the very least, as partners with shared interests. Such unsightly disputes serve no purpose among us. Since I see that tensions are running hot, we have prepared some entertainment just for today, for your enjoyment.”
She paused, allowing suspense to build, her gaze deliberately traveling across the crowd until every eye was fixed upon her.
“As many of you have doubtless heard, tonight we indeed have business beyond simple pleasures. It concerns justice—justice long overdue.” Her smile turned colder as she signalled discreetly behind her.
At once, a ripple passed over the area behind the stage, the air shimmering briefly before an illusion collapsed, revealing a large cage beneath a heavy drape. Gasps of surprise filled the audience as Lucia gestured theatrically, servants swiftly pulling the fabric away.
Within the cage sat an old man, his face and body heavily bruised. He wore rags that barely concealed his modesty, while heavy iron chains tied his arms to the floor.
Beside him, separated only by a single thin partition, paced a large, muscular beast.
It vaguely resembled a lion, if the lion was six feet tall at the shoulder and almost double that long, on top of having scales instead of fur and glowing red eyes. A spiked tail curled through the air behind it as it glared at the crowd with unconcealed malevolence.
Gasps rippled through the assembled nobles at the sight of the manticore thrashing against its bindings, its roar rippling out through the garden. Bloodied stumps fluttered where its wings used to be, though that did little to detract from its intimidation.
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Chains groaned as they strained to hold the beast down, while Grenil—pale, bruised, but alive—stared firmly ahead from the adjoining cage. His frail form looked almost invisible beside the monstrous creature, yet Alex’s eyes locked on him instantly. His jaw tightened.
Elara’s breath hitched beside him. Duran muttered a curse under his breath, his knuckles whitening.
“It’s going to rip him apart,” Alex murmured, voice tinged with despair. “There’s going to be nothing left for me to bring back.”
Before Elara could answer, Lucia raised her hand, signalling again for silence, though her smile remained.
“Tonight’s entertainment serves both as justice and as a lesson,” Lucia continued, her voice cutting sharply through the murmurs. “Some crimes are simply too severe to be forgiven.”
“What exactly is his crime?” A man called out, though his voice sounded curious rather than outraged. Alex turned towards the voice, noticing Elara tense beside him.
“The representative from the Levoris family,” She whispered anxiously.
Lucia regarded the noble coolly, her lips curving upward in an enigmatic smile. “The specifics will be shared with you at a later date. Rest assured, however, the Levoris family will find this resolution beneficial as well.”
Before she could continue, a stir ran through the crowd. A large man stepped out from the throng, his sheer size parting the nobles around him like reeds before a boat.
“Who’s that?” Alex asked woodenly.
“That.” Elara said as she trembled with sudden excitement, “Is Adam Adamantios, the captain of the Guard, one of the strongest people in this city, and our ticket to getting Grenil out of here.”
The murmurs of the crowd died the moment Adamantios spoke.
“Lucia Miganos.” His tone was level, but there was iron beneath it. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“Captain Adamantios.” The woman responded in kind, her eyes narrowing. “It is an honour to have you present at our humble gathering, though I can’t help but notice that you don’t seem to have received an invitation. I’m going to have to politely ask you to leave.”
The man let out a chuckle at that. “You nobles really are something else. You think that some connections with the acropolis and a small band of soldiers is enough for you to be able to disregard the law? To disregard
me
? The city will not stand for this."
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” The Miganos head’s voice sharpened. “But the city
stands
because of families like mine, captain. Do not presume to think that it is your efforts alone that safeguard our home.”
A ripple of murmurs ran through the crowd. Some nobles nodded faintly, unwilling to contradict the family head, but more looked uneasily at one another.
Adamantios took another step forward. “Safeguard? Is that what you call this? Shackling an old man in chains and parading him like some criminal without trial? This isn’t safeguarding, family head—it’s tyranny.”
Lucia’s smile was thin, sharp as a blade. “And yet the people sleep soundly, thanks to us. Monsters do not roam their streets unchecked, because we act when the guard is too slow. Too hesitant.”
“You act,” Adamantios said, his tone darkening, “Without oversight. Without restraint. Do you think the council blind? Do you think the city deaf? We can occasionally turn a blind eye, but here you have overstepped your bounds.”
“I have not overstepped
anything
.” The Miganos head said slowly. The words hard, each one set like a jewel. “We acted where action was required. The alternative was to wait for the council to argue while whatever threatened our streets ate its way through the night.”
“You speak as though these are matters of bookkeeping.” Lucia continued. “As though there was a council form to fill before a monster can be caged. You wear a uniform and you proclaim law from the barracks, but when the time came to do something useful,” She flicked a glance at the cage behind her. “You were not the one who did it.”
“What are you implying?” The captain’s tone dipped dangerously.
“Oh, nothing at all.” The woman shrugged innocently. “I’m just remarking on how surprisingly
ineffective
your guards have been against this threat. It’s almost enough to make one doubt whether it’s on purpose.”
“You should think
very
carefully about what you say next.” Adamantios took a single step closer. “Release the man. Submit him to the council. Allow the law to do what it must.”
“No.” Lucia’s hand rose, a simple, slow motion that gathered the light around it. “I don’t think I will.”
A ripple of shocked dismay spread through the nobles. A few voices barked protests; servants and guests hurried backward, rushing out of the venue. Guards on Lucia’s side shifted to form a ring around the stage.
“Are you sure you want to do this now? Over such a small issue?” Contrary to expectation, the captain was not worried, or angry. He just sounded curious. “What are you hiding that you’re this desperate?”
“I have nothing to hide.” Lucia replied flintily.
“Then you leave me no choice,” Adamantios said. His voice dropped an octave. “By the power vested in me by the Acropolis, I order you to stand down and produce the prisoner for lawful proceedings.”
Lucia’s laugh was a small thing, brittle as thin glass. “And you will make me?” Her fingers spread again. A pale runic sheen crawled along the rim of the platform, faint but visible to anyone who knew to look.
Adamantios advanced until the two of them were only a breath apart. He towered over her, looking down on the frail old woman. “Yes.”
The air between them trembled. The manticore whimpered and lay down where it stood, not daring to lift its head in fear of death.
Lucia cocked her head. “Show me then.” She said softly. “Show me what the law can do.” Her voice was an invitation and a dare. The crowd scrambled back even more.
Adamantios’ reply was a motion. He stepped forward and struck.
His fist came down like a hammer, the force of it thundering through the air as he swung. Lucia’s hand lifted, runes spilling into the air, forming a lattice of light that caught the blow. The impact thundered through the platform, sending a ripple of power outwards that knocked goblets from tables and silenced every last murmur.
The barrier splintered, shards of pale radiance scattering like shards of glass before winking out. Adamantios didn’t hesitate. He pressed forward, another strike already on the way, a blur of speed that belied his size.
Lucia slid back half a pace, her frail frame belying a speed that was not to be underestimated. With a flick of her fingers, the runes along the stage ignited, lines of silver crawling outward like veins of molten metal. They wrapped her in a shell of power, shimmering faintly under the lantern light.
“You mistake stubbornness for righteousness,” She said, her voice cold but steady. “But law without strength is meaningless.”
The captain’s reply was another punch that rocked the building.
Nobles screamed, scattering to the edges of the square. Some fled entirely, silks and jewels flashing as they scrambled through the gates. Others lingered at a safe distance, unwilling to miss the spectacle. Guards tightened their ranks around the platform, torn between protecting their head and avoiding being crushed in the duel.
The manticore let out a piercing cry, rattling its chains in panic, while Grenil stirred faintly, blinking through swollen eyes.
Up on the nearby rooftop, Alex blinked as the fight unfolded, filled with disbelief.
“There’s… there’s no way this is real.” He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “This is entirely
too
coincidental. Why would they be willing to fight out in the open like this, when they know I’m coming? It doesn’t make sense.”
“What?” Elara tore her eyes away from the spectacle below. “The Miganos are obviously desperate to lure you out, so this may be a ploy on their part, but the more likely scenario is that there was simply no way to avoid this, not with what they’ve done to Grenil. I’m honestly confused as to why they would make it so public in the first place. This was the only logical outcome. It doesn’t make sense.”
“But I have to take the bait even if it is a trap. I can’t just walk away when presented with such a good opportunity.” Alex sighed and turned to Elara, his gaze serious. “Can you cast your invisibility from a distance?”
The mage’s expression changed at that. “What are you thinking? You can’t go in there alone!”
“Elara.” He looked her in the eye. “I do not want to risk either of your lives unnecessarily. I alone am enough to do this, so let me do it.”
“I…” Conflicting emotions warred across the young woman’s face, before she sighed in defeat. “Fine. Though I can only store enough mana to power the spell for two minutes, so you better hurry.”
“Don’t worry.” He said as she started casting her spell. “We’ll be long gone by then.”