NOVEL WEB 23: Close
It was dusk when Zigarete's hunting party entered Sidim. She felt the length of the journey weighing down on her. To be honest, it wasn't so much the length that was the problem as it was the length of the Tracker. Each night the Tracker would have his way with her, mercilessly fucking her pussy with his undeniably large cock. Sometimes two or three times in a row. That, combined with riding her forrin had left her nether regions quite tender. Zigarete felt humiliated having to offer her body for the Tracker's services but that was his one and only condition of service. The Tracker had a good relationship with the Emperor, it could even be described as a friendship, ordering him to join her hunt would have ended badly for Zigarete. She decided it was best not to cause the Emperor any more trouble than she already had. So she swallowed her pride and swallowed his cock. At least they were finally out of the forest.
Zigarete never liked Sidim. The Church of the Sisters is the most stuck-up and frustrating organisation in the whole Empire. They exude an aura of unearned superiority. On top of that, they had immunity to Zigarete's Inquisitorial authority, a perk that the Emperor does not give away lightly. Rumours, often circulated by the traders passing through the city, talked about private military research being conducted by the Sisterhood in the deep recesses of the Sister's sacred catacombs. Research that was magical and deadly. Zigarete suspected that the rumours were true but it was outside of her jurisdiction and duty to do anything about it.
According to the Tracker, Zigarete's hunting party were at most a day behind their quarry. He also mentioned that the sorcerer had gained another follower at some point during their trek in the forest. How he was able to determine that was beyond Zigarete. That is why she needed him. Captain Garth and his whining men? Zigarete didn't need them nearly as much.
Complacency had infected the Cliffside guard ever since the end of the last war and it showed. A once proud and strong garrison had turned into a corrupt and lazy bunch of slackers. A body is a body though and having more men was going to make capturing the sorcerer much easier.
There was almost no one else on the superbly clean streets of Sidim. People tended not to stay out after dark here. Those that did watched the entering column from afar and those who noticed an Inquisitor at the head of the column sank even farther away from the hunting party. Nothing good came from Inquisitors.
"They're here." the Tracker said with a sniff.
"Are you certain?" Zigarete asked, grasping her spear tightly. In her experience the Tracker had never been wrong but she had to be sure.
"Yes." The tracker looked keenly around the deserted street, taking in its sights, sounds and smells. He pointed towards the chapel in the centre of town.
"There." Short. Direct.
"In the chapel? He couldn't be that stupid could he?" Zigarete quaffed. Surely the sorcerer that was able to best her had a better plan than simply hiding in the most obvious place in the city. He didn't seem like the smartest person from what Zigarete had determined but no one was that stupid.
"No. Underneath."
"That seems way too obvious." Captain Garth chimed in. "Shouldn't we ask around town and gather some information? Maybe he left a trail."
"Waste of time." the Tracker muttered, Garth was uncertain whether the Tracker was referring to his idea or to Garth himself. The tracker advanced out in front of the column. He didn't have the time or patience to explain his process to the fools behind him. They were close. Very close.
Zigarete ordered the party to keep up with him. The Tracker always got more energetic when his quarry drew near. The blood lust poured out of him and infected everything nearby. The column stampeded through the otherwise dead street. It didn't take them long to reach the chapel doors. Three Sisters, dressed in black gowns, were waiting there for them in the moonlight.
"Move aside." the Tracker said as he dismounted his bird.
"I am afraid we are unable to comply with your request." The middle Sister announced.
"Not a request." The Tracker gritted his teeth and reached for his maces.
"Hold on." Zigarete demanded as she jumped off her forrin. "Sisters, there is a dangerous sorcerer that we believe is hiding under your chapel."
The Sisters looked at each other with concern.
"We were made aware of the sorcerer that recently arrived in Sidim by one of our Priestess-Protectors but we are afraid that he is not taking refuge within our chapel." The leftmost Sister spoke up. "The Sisterhood is off-limits to the Inquisition by royal decree from the Emperor himself." The rightmost Sister added.
"Can't we make an exception? It is a matter of great importance. The Emperor has tasked me with this sorcerer's capture at all costs." Zigarete added keeping her voice calm.
"We can not. The chapel and sacred catacombs are strictly forbidden to the Inquisition and her investigations. Whatever the circumstances. I am sure if you could get a sealed royal decree from the Emperor we could give you temporary access to investigate the whereabouts of your missing sorcerer." The middle Sister added that last part smugly.
"That's not an option, it would take too long. We need to get past now." Zigarete's professional demeanour started to crack.
"Trust us," the leftmost Sister added. Zigarete didn't. "-it is for your own safety and wellbeing."
"Enough of this." The Tracker pushed through the three Sisters standing in front of him and entered through the chapel's doors.
"The Emperor will hear about this!" the rightmost Sister shouted as Zigarete's party followed the Tracker's lead and pushed past them.
"Good, tell him how you tried to halt my investigation. We both know the Emperor is the forgiving sort." sarcasm coated Zigarete's words.
Besides some harsh looks, the Sisters did not put up a fight.
"Inquisitor." The lead Sister said, void of emotion or warmth. "Do be careful down there."
Zigarete ignored her advice.