The theatre had been transformed into a shantytown.
Inside the roof was leaking, the rows of seats stripped of cloth, ragged clothed mimics passing to and fro around little fire pits. All stopped and stared at Kenji, before hurriedly bowing. On the stage, a girl pleaded for her life, a man with a wicked sneer threatening her with a rose, while a glorious shining knight roared for some poison to end her torment.
"Actors, you see our people love to pretend. Inheritor, your people have been pushed to the edge, forced into becoming common mercenaries and thieves while you have been away. But long waited, you are here at last."
"How am I your 'inheritor'?" Kenji muttered.
"We are all indeed mimics, and you are of course our Inheritor. We felt it the instant we saw you, although please forgive us, we had to take some time before we understood what the feeling meant."
Pushing past the stage curtains, Kenji's eyes went wide to discover a great array of cushions, couches, tables, gold, food, clothes, make-up and a seemingly endless number of haphazardly stacked stage-props.
"Here we assemble the tools for our roles, and keep the stolen goods from our nights of mischief."
"What happened at the arena wasn't mischief," Kenji growled, "because of you a whole lot of people are dead. Hundreds maybe, so don't play innocent with me."
Freezing, the mimic wilted where he stood, flowers bursting by the bunch from his hands only to wilt and die.
"We thought we were hired only to distract the audience while three nobles were to be assassinated. Then plans changed, we were to sneak people into the crowd, and more into the noble's area. Before we could cleanly cut but three throats, those people turned out to be rebels and demons, our wounded rising exponentially from the clean operation it should have been! Then there was that woman, the Northern General, if not for her I might still be a foot taller."
"Who hired you then, who tricked you?" feeling an opportunity arise, Kenji placed a hand on the mimics shoulder, "who is the target of your revenge?"
Patting that hand, the mimic sighed and dramatically leaned against Kenji's side.
"Why, none other than that dreadful-"
"LANDO? Get your grey blooded ass out here and face me!"
The mimic shot to his feet, eyes peering uncertainly through the curtains.
"I'll be right there!" he called and patted himself down before forming twin daggers at his side.
"I'm guessing your Lando?" Kenji said.
"Indeed, please hide Inheritor, these men are not to be crossed."
Throwing the curtains open, Lando strode through, Kenji seizing a gap to peep through.
Mimics scrambled to hide in the shadows of the ruined theatre, as a hulking Sidkani warrior armoured and twitching as much as the deceased champion stomped down the red carpet. Behind him swaggered a gang of lessor Sidkhani, with butchers blades and bulging biceps.
"Spiderknight Sander, how wonderful it is to-"
"LANDO! You know why we are here, why should I not cut you down where you stand?"
"This is about the assassination, correct? Well you see, you failed to inform us of the demonic presence, nor that of the rebels indiscriminate slaughter. You through us off and then-"
"Lando, this was your final chance to prove yourself. You have failed."
"Now hang on just one moment!" Lando said gruffly, and raise an extra foot high at the expense of his ass, while the three actors assembled behind him with morphed weaponry in hand, "this whole operation was your idea, and then your operatives screwed it up! We killed two of the nobles on the list too, High Lord Exaltier only escaped because of your mess!"
The pause was deafening, only the odd creak of ancient timber to underline the dark aura of the Spiderknight spilling across the carpet.
"Seize them."
Mayhem ensued as the gangsters charged the watching mimics to pull them howling and screaming outside, Lando and his three actors moved to help, the Spiderknight champion pulling free a sickly green scimitar.
"Make a choice Lando, visit Venom with enough treasure to placate his wrath, or we will turn them into coin, understand? You have until sunrise."
Shoving Lando down, the Spiderknight spat to the side and stomped away.
When Venom's men had left, Kenji rushed down to help Lando up.
"What am I to do? How am I supposed to-"
"I'll help," Kenji said, mimics appearing again from where they had hid as Kenji approached, "I needed to take down the Spider gang anyway. It just so happens I have tickets to the Casino, if you're willing to join me, then I'm willing to save those mimics taken away."
Angrily rubbing the tears from his eyes, Lando nodded.
"Show us the way Inheritor, your long awaiting servants will not fail you."
"About that, what is this Inheritor business?"
Lando appeared confused.
"Why, you are the [Forbidden Mimic], yes? Long ago one of your kind told us to wait for her Inheritor, one who would lead us as she did. We know not of how you have come, but you are undoubtedly the one fortold to Inherit the shifting lady's will."
Feeling that something he should investigate when he got the chance, Kenji waved at Lando to follow.
"Leave someone to run this place, but I need you to come with me Lando. I have people for you to meet if we are to see your people free, oh, and you'll need to appear like yourself instead of pretending to be one of my friends. "
First thing Kenji wanted to do when he got back, was track down where the hell Kragg was.