“You caused this situation!” An angel told Inquisitor Cain, standing seven feet tall, clad head to toe in decorated gold and silver plated armor with nothing inside it but a white flame-like light. “You killed that family!”
“I felt a message needed to be sent, the heretics who refused to confess-”
“General Khan Stray and Lieutenant Inquisitor Amit Lonetree, were found dead, beaten to death in the same manner you killed that child! The words ‘For the Serra Morningstar’ were written on the wall in their blood.” Pause. “She knew nothing and you turned that family into martyrs!”
“Immanence I-” The Inquisitor began to speak.
“And now you cause an incident.” The angel interrupted. “The Nethambqah have filed a complaint.”
“Immanence, they lie. She is in that forest. A force should be sent into-”
“That would be an act of war! God does not want a war with them.”
“Immanence they are pagans, we shouldn’t tolerate such evil.”
“Are you questioning God?” The Angel yelled.
“No immanence, I would never question God or you.”
“You caused this situation. Bring her back, alive and unharmed, or you will forfeit your place in paradise.”
“Yes immanence.” The inquisitor said fearfully.
“Captain Rune is in command. Do not fail.” Told the Inquisitor threateningly slowly.
“Yes immanence.”
The angel dismissed the inquisitor and returned to a carriage. In the carriage the angel sat across from something wrong. A wall of pulsating flesh with multiple eyes. “Why did I do that?” The angel asked the pulsating mass.
“Saul Cain is inflexible in belief, irascible, and enjoys having power over others, Dusk Rune still believes in the gods. Saul Cain will loose control and kill Patrica out of pure rage if they find her. He will be blamed for his failure. Civil war will come and the gods will intervene.”
“Yes, Set.” The angel replies doubtfully
“You have doubts?”
“You promised you would free us, we have done everything you asked. We are still trapped.”
“Have faith, Cathilian, we will soon have our revenge and then I will free you, as we agreed.”
“It has taken longer than expected.”
“You have spent a millennia in your domain, a few more years will not matter.”
“Yes, Set.”
“They will sense my manifestation soon. Trust me as you have trusted me, you will be free.” The Wrongness shrunk and vanished.
Outside the carriage Sargent Palvel Granite gathered the men of the thirty eighth regiment, many of whom watched the angel enter the carriage, having never seen one before. “Alright men! Listen up!” The Sargent yelled.
“Our mission hasn’t changed.” Captain Rune informed, standing next to the Sargent. “We however will not be able to go through the Barrier Forest, we will have to go around, south to the Grain River.”
“Up the river?” Private Meed Crescent asked.
“Yes, it will take longer but we have our orders.”
“What about the Inquisitor?” Private Vice Faith asked. Multiple men looked at Inquisitor Cain.
“He will accompany us as before. You will respect him as you respect each other and me, that is an order!” Rune said sternly.
The platoon almost in unison responded with: “Yes sir!”
“We leave in the morning, so get some rest, that is also an order.”
Again the platoon said almost in unison “Yes sir!”
Captain Rune dismissed his men. The Sargent began directing the setting up of a camp.
Rune looked at the carriage begin to leave, he had hoped to speak with the angel before it left, for both religious purposes and to request to leave the Inquisitor behind. Rune looked at the Inquisitor, walked up to him. “You know the orders?” Rune asked the Inquisitor.
“Yes.” The Inquisitor answered.
“I am in command here.” The Captain said sternly.
“Yes sir.” The Inquisitor corrected his response.
“I expect my men to show you respect and I expect the same from you. This will be a long trip. I do not want to see any arguments or fights, if I see any I will discipline you the same as any solder under my command. Understood?”
“Yes sir.” The inquisitor said, barely hiding his disdain.
“And if see any insubordination from you,” The Captain placed his hand on his side arm. “I will respond the same as any other solder under my command.”
The Inquisitor looked at the Captains hand on his side arm, then at the Captains face. “Yes sir.”
The two assassins looked at the platoon from a distance, too far to notice Inquisitor Saul Cain.
“They’re looking for her.” Zhinn said.
“Yes.” Hue replied. “They seem to be setting up camp for the night. This is a chance to get ahead of them.”
“We should find a smuggler to get us across the Forest.”
“Too risky, if we are caught we may be killed. We’ll go around them tonight, get ahead of them.”
“Are you sure she’s going to that valley?”
“After what she suffered, why else would she be going through the forest?”
The two men mountain their horses, road west, around the platoon
Image by Reinhold Silbermann from Pixabay
C.L. Who Writes 
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