Fire of the Inquisitor

It didn’t take long for Sable to catch up to the person in the cloak. He had tracked her to the fields where the humans grew their food, surprised her as she hid among the tall stalks. He had not been able to get a glimpse under the person’s cloak, his target had made sure to keep themselves hidden from his eyes. The were also extremely fast, not many species could outrun an inquisitor, but the cloaked figure didn’t show signs of slowing down. At the risk of slowing down, Sable threw a dagger at his target’s back, only to be surprised when the cloaked figure moved out of the daggers way without even looking.

“Strike her down,” his lady’s voice said in his mind.

Sable wanted to obey his queen, but he also wanted to know who was behind the dragon’s appearance in the human’s village. It was his inquisitor training that drove him toward the truth and at the moment he needed to know why someone of the light would ally with a creature of darkness. He hated to destroy the human’s property, but he ignited the grains stalks in front of them caused them to fall in his target’s way.

The cloaked figure immediately spun around and swung a bow at his head. Sable dodged the attack by falling back and then moved back in with an uppercut to the stomach. His target deftly raised a knee to black and swung a fist toward his temple, dropping the bow. The inquisitor raised his arm to block and it quickly became a fist fight, with neither fighter able to break through the defense of the other until his enemy landed a savage kick to his head. He saw the shapely figure of a woman body under the cloak of his target as fell to the ground.

Sable scrambled to his feet, having a sinking feeling that if his opponent reached her bow he would be dead. The inquisitor reached the cloaked figure just as she was putting arrow to bow and redirected the projectile just past his shoulder. A brilliant beam of light shot out from the bow, humming like siren’s song into the sky above. Knowing that he would end a prolonged fight, Sable ignited the bow that separated them, sending the flames in his targets eyes.

“I have failed you, my lady,” his opponent said, as she fell to the ground.

Sable put his weight on her chest and restrained her by the wrist, he then ripped off her cloak confirming what the arrow of light and woman’s fighting style had already told him. That he had somehow survived a fight with one of his lady’s soldiers, a vanquisher. The woman scowled at him, her angular face covered with the traditional paint of a warrior.

“How could you betray our lady?” Sable growled.

“It is you Rose Sable who has betrayed her,” the vanquisher hissed. “You have let these human insects bring ruin to our world.”

Sable unsheathed his sword and brought it to the soldier’s neck. “You have jeopardized the peace our queen has brokered with them.”

“I am protecting our lady from those who would diminish her light,” her voice began to strain. “It has already started, or don’t you remember breaking your fast.”

It felt like Sable had been punched in the gut. He removed the sword from her neck slightly. “What is your name?”

The vanquisher took a couple of deep breaths. “I am Just Harvest.”

“Just I think you may have come under the sway of a witch,” the inquisitor said. “Recommit yourself to serving our lady and you will be spared.”

The soldier started shaking with laughter. “You still don’t understand, all this is for her.”

“Kill her Sable,” his lady’s voice commanded. Sable tried to bring his sword to her throat again, but he found his hands were shaking.

“Do it,” the vanquisher said, steadying his hand with hers. “If this is my lady’s will then I will accept it.”

“Kill her Sable,” the voice said again.

Sable closed his eyes and tried to picture his lady. “But she is our sister.”

“And I am your queen.” He saw her sitting on her magnificent throne. “Complete your mission.”

“Or you could join us,” Just looked up and smiled at him. “You could be her greatest champion.”