Throne room of Griffinia Castle.

One of the largest room in the castle was also one of the tallest, with a ceiling so high that servants had to work from the upper balcony to clean it. Like a lot of room in the castle, the walls were made of white stone, while the shining ground was made of ivory marble. On the vast floor Grifinia's coat of arms had been pictured, a roaring golden winged lion. From the ceiling were hanging long silvery banners with the same golden coat of arms pictured on them.

Around the room, surrounding the entire place were balconies. They were circling around the room on two level, one level just above the tall wooden doors facing the throne, five metres from the ground, the other at an upper level, two meters from the ceiling.

A long red carpet was going from the entrance to the throne, where a magnificent piece of work was facing the ones coming to see the king.

The throne, made of dark wood, was covered by beast skins and feathers, surely to make it more comfortable for the king sitting on it, a fine piece indeed but what was really impressive was the statue situated behind it.

A gigantic Griffin, made of silvery marble, was looking down right where the ones speaking with the king were supposed to stand as if judging them and it’s large wings were made of gold. It’s wings were opened wide and they were so large that they were almost touching the ceiling and the walls, several metres away.

The throne room an important place of the castle since it was built several centuries ago, had seen numerous actions being taken care of by Kings and Queens of Griffinia along the years. Alliances, rewards, ennobling, but also war threats or in this case, judgements.

Arima and her mother the queen were standing in front of the stairs leading to the throne, where a man was currently sitting, reading some parchment while massaging his temple.

Aremik, king of Griffinia, was a tall and strong-looking man with long black and grey hair and greyish blue eyes. The military inclination of the man could be seen in the fact that he was always wearing a chainmail under his royal dress. On his head was a crown, looking a lot like a Celtic one, made of a golden ring circling around the king's head, a small lion's head with a ruby in his mouth at his forehead level.

A stylised shield and sword were laid against the throne's two sides, the king's weapons had always been at his side, 'just in case' as he said.

Next to the king's throne was a simpler one, reserved for the queen, although there wasn't her place at the moment.

Right now, her place was next to her daughter, facing her husband.

"You called, my King?" Asked the queen as the guards made way for her to pass, standing straight along the red carpet, the ones behind stood there, cutting any possible retreat.

The king looked up from the parchment, his heavy look resting on his wife, the shadow of a smile passed on his mouth before he started to talk.

" Indeed, my Lady. I've received some intriguing news I would like you to enlighten me about..."

Looking back at the parchment, the king continued without looking at his younger daughter.

"It is written here that my eldest daughter hasn't been seen in the castle for at least a week. Also, I have been informed that you were the last one to have a conversation with her before she went missing..."

The king looked once again at the queen, a disturbing calmness could be felt in his voice and behaviour.

"Would you care to explain?"

Alexandria, in all her beautifully executed etiquette, smiled at her husband while slightly bowing.

"Certainly I can, my King. Our..." The queen emphasised the 'our' "...our daughter is on a political training journey. I thought it was time for her to start to acting like a true Princess and so I sent her away."

"And don't you think it would have been wise to consult me beforehand?" Said the King as he put away the paper.

"My King, you seemed to be bothered by other matters that required your attention at that time, I only thought it would be wise to..."

"YOU THOUGHT WRONG!" Shouted the king as he stood from his throne, his voice resonating in the room surprising everyone inside, particularly Arima who slightly hid behind her mother.

"I DECIDE WHEN AND WHOM IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO DECIDE BY YOURSELF WHAT IS FINE TO DO WITH MY DAUGHTER!?" Vociferated the man.

Arima wasn't daring to look at her father.

As far as she could remember, this was the first time she heard him shout like that, and at her mother to make things worse. In her memory, the king, her father, was a strong man, smiling at her and fair in his decisions, not the dark looking man currently shouting.

The queen, as if the shouting man was nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum, calmly answered.

"May I remember you, my King, that she is my daughter too? I did what I thought was right, even if you disagree. Maybe if my King had spent more time worrying about his children’s well-being with me rather than letting his own flesh being taken away, I wouldn't have thought of acting by myself..."

"How dare.." Wanted to say the king but wasn't allowed by Alexandria.

"Those children, should I remember you I carried the three of them? Don't talk to me as if I wanted to send our daughter away. Thinking about any of my children being away from the city without us is tearing me apart, but we must let them fly by themselves, as all Griffin must one day learn to do."

"I...you're right..."

"My King surely remembers the way of the Griffin family...doesn't he?" Asked the queen, her eyes piercing the king's.

"In...indeed. You're right, my lady...I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..." Apologised the man as he let himself fall back on his throne, his hands going back to his temple, massaging them with force.

Using the little moment of silence, the queen continued to talk.

"If we may continue on a more joyful subject, I think my King would be happy to know his youngest daughter has returned from her journey..."

Now completely hiding behind her mother, Arima looked behind her to look at the reassuring sight of her guardians. Alariel and Arca smiled at her with a reassuring smile giving her the bit of strength she needed to dare to show herself to her father, gracefully bowing.

"Father..."

As he saw his daughter, the king seemed to finally realise the girl was present. He straightened himself in his throne as a smile appeared on his face.

"Arima! My dear Arima, I'm sorry my daughter, I didn't know you were there. Come to me, let me look at you."

Looking a second at her mother, Arima received a slight head gesture from her in response and she approached her father.

As she was stepping closer, she could see how tired the monarch looked.

His once powerful looking frame was now looking feeble, as if the strong body of the king had been emptied of his energy. The one or two grey hair he had were now far more numerous, almost completely covering his head. His blue eyes, which used to shine with life and seemed to smile at her, had now almost lost all colour and life in them, becoming grey. If the king was alive, it wasn't showing on his face right now.

A feeble smile passed on his face as he once again looked at his daughter. His hands left his temples to touch her cheeks.

"So? How is my daughter doing?"

Arima put her hands on her father's, worried by how cold they felt.

"I'm fine, father. But you...are you alright?"

The little girl had trouble looking at the man's eyes, so different than what she remembered it to be. She wasn't sure it was still her father facing her at the moment. The man still looked at her as if he hadn't heard her.

"My daughter, looking so much like your mother already..."

The smile disappeared from the king's face as he closed his eyes while his hands went back to his temples, massaging them again.

"This headache… is troubling my thinking. I'm happy to see you, Daughter. Go now, there are matters that needs to be discussed by adults. It is not the place for a child to be here.”

The king's words hurt Arima. He, who was the very one who had talked to her about the coat of arms. He, who would have made his generals stopped their speaking when she had to talk to him. The same man was now asking her to leave without even asking her how her journey ended.

"Father, I..."

"Listen to your King, child." Said a voice coming from the other side of the room.

...........................................................................................................................................................

The castle's prison, made of several cells all facing a single corridor leading to the exit, was only letting in the smallest bit of light. Humid and cold, the black stones weren't giving any sense of security to the prisoner behind the bars. All sorts of criminals had spent times in here, waiting for judgement or execution. Killers, robbers, traitors, all sorts of criminals indeed...Only this time, the cells were occupied by others.

"LET US OUT! WE'VE DONE NOTHING!"

One of the soldier from Paron group had been yelling for quite some time now.

The group of soldiers had been separated in different cells, other soldiers from the group who had gone home had been brought soon after, reuniting everyone in the castle prison.

"Shut your mouth, they will come when they think it is necessary, not before." Ordered Paron, calmly sitting on the large bench in the common cell a part of the group had been put in.

"But Paron Sir, aren't you upset about this? We are treated like...like..."

"Like suspects of treason. You should be glad, we have only been put in a cell while we wait for our trial, not being interrogated."

"Interrogated? But we haven't done anything!" Exclaimed the soldier, the others looking at each other, worried.

As his status suggested, Paron was the most experienced soldier of the group, and it showed in the way he was keeping calm in that situation.

"Don't worry so much, this is just some kind of mistake in their intel, that's all. You can be sure that as long as Captain Arca is looking after us, we aren't going to stay in this cell for long. Calm yourself now, there is no use exciting yourself on those bars."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry Paron, Sir." Said the soldier before sitting against the cell's wall next to one of his comrades.

*Yes, Captain Arca will set things right. * Thought Paron as he was trying to convince himself.

...........................................................................................................................................................

The one who had entered earlier and interrupted princess Arima was a priest, as the robe was indicating. The man was fat, clearly living a life of opulence, his head without a hair was covered by a golden hood barely large enough to enveloped his big head. His body was covered by a long robe, with white golden threads picturing some kind of religious symbol, a rising sun with a closed fist before it.

The man was advancing in the throne room as if it was his own, making his long golden priest stick tapping on the floor at each step. It wasn't as if the man needed aid to walk straight, the stick, ending with a three-dimensional reproduction of the religious symbol on his dress, was there only to show everyone around who he was.

Following him were two tall men, or so it seemed. They were completely covered by black armour and helmet, with their face covered by a golden mask representing an asexual face which didn't let any of their body features be seen and making it impossible to say if they were men or women.

The two, more than two metres tall, were armed with large and tall black metallic shield, the same religious symbol pictured with gold on them, and black sword so big and long that a normal soldier could have used it as a two-handed weapon.

"Cardinal Elgan..." Said the queen as she slightly bowed, only the minimal bow required by the protocol though, Alexandria didn't like the man.

"Your Majesty, it is truly a pleasure to see you again." Said the man with the same kind of gesture, clearly feeling the same about her.

The cardinal continued on his way without a simple look at the guardians or the maid, directly speaking to the king.

"Your Majesty, I've arrived to judge, we should begin immediately, our time is precious." It was hard to say if the cardinal was talking to the king and himself or if he was talking only to himself alone, but the king nodded nonetheless.

"Indeed, there is no time to waste, who are the ones suspected?" Inquired the king in a defeated tone which horrified princess Arima, making her stepping back to go to her mother's side. She wanted to say something, anything, but was hushed by the queen.

The fat man bowed slightly as an unpleasant smile appeared on his face.

"My king, I'm afraid the heresy has passed the walls of your castle once again. Should no action be taken, your daughter, Princess Arima, may very well be in danger..."

At the mention of his daughter's name, the tired eyes of the king seemed to burn once again, even if just for a second.

"Arima? Who is it, Cardinal? Who is threatening my Daughter?" Slowly asked Aremik, each word filled with a calm fury.

"'Who' you ask, my King? But who else could it be than the ones she trusted the most? The ones that managed to infiltrate the close entourage of your Daughter..."

Theatrically turning on himself to point at the queen's group as his stick hit the ground once again, the Cardinal said.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT HER GUARDIANS, OF COURSE! THE ELF AND THE ORC, CARRIERS OF UNHOLY BLOOD!"

"WHAT!?" This came from the king and Arca at the same time. Arima didn't know how to react, while the queen and the maid weren't showing any emotion on their faces.

"YOU TWO!? YOU, WHO WE TRUSTED WITH OUR DAUGHTER'S SECURITY!?"

"MY KING! IT'S A LIE, WE'VE NEVER..." Tried to explained Arca but was cut in her sentence by the king himself.

"SILENCE!!!" Ordered the king has he hit his throne's armrest with his closed fist. "GUARDS, SEIZE THOSE TWO!"

In an instant, Arca and Alariel were surrounded by the guards pointing their spears at them while, from the balcony, several bowmen and mages stood ready to attack if ordered to.

By reflex, Arca put a hand on her sword's pommel but was stopped by Alariel, dissuading her by a simple head's movements. She respectfully bowed to the king as she put her magic staff down at her feet before speaking to him.

"My king...may I ask you how many years Arca and I have served your family?"

"No one has allowed you to speak, elf." Said the Cardinal, a haughty smile on his face.

"I did, Cardinal." Imperiously said the queen, cutting all sentences the man could have thought of. "If my King has trouble remembering, I can do it for him. Alariel and Arca have served under yours and mine command for years, dozens of years in Alariel's case. They have my trust, be sure of that."

The unpleasant smile didn't leave the fat man's face.

"It could very well be that her Majesty is too concerned about the subject to make a good choice on the matter. If I may suggest, my King, maybe we should continue this in private."

"No..."

That came from the king, who was still vigorously massaging his temple as if fighting against his headache.

"I...I trust my Queen...Her judgment has always been...BY CARENDAR THIS HEADACHE!! My Queen's opinion...matters."

This clearly displeased the cardinal, but he soon hid his annoyed face behind another protocol smile.

"As my King desires...trusted or not is not the question here, Queen Alexandria. We have proofs."

"That I would like to see..." Growled Arca before Alariel made her shut her mouth with a hit from her elbow.

"And what are those proofs, Cardinal?" Asked the queen, serving as the two guardian's lawyer in their judgment.

The Cardinal raised one of his fleshy fingers, almost completely covered by golden rings of different kinds and forms.

"First, I have been informed by one of my inquisitor of their actions, actions not really...how to say it without being too direct...not really 'faithful to the light'."

"An inquisitor? We haven't discussed with any inquisitor!" Said Arca, looking at Alariel to check with her, but the elf told the same thing.

"No, no, you misunderstood me. I never said the inquisitor had talked with you...or at least not openly. Because I suspected heresy in your group, I asked my inquisitor to infiltrate the Orc's group and..."

"YOU DID WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU, YOU F..." Arca, as the cardinal was explaining his actions, had trouble containing herself. She was, once again, stopped by her elf friend who didn't want to see her fellow guardian being killed by the guards.

The Semi-Orc’s reaction was clearly pleasing the Cardinal, though.

"See? Didn't I tell you before, my King? Those beasts tend to be a bit too savage, to really accept the blessing of Carendar's light."

The queen, after she looked at Arca, silently pleading for her to calm down, continued to defend them.

"It's not savagery but indignation, Cardinal. Our dear Arca places honour above everything. To hear one of her soldiers was actually an inquisitor in disguise is certain to upset her, but that is something you already knew, isn't it?"

"You think too high of my humble self, Queen Alexandria. To say I could have planned for her to be angry is giving me intention I don't have." Said the Cardinal, obviously lying.

"And who is that inquisitor? I think his words would be better heard of directly from his mouth."

"Unfortunately, the inquisitor isn't in condition to appear before us today. The mission left some injuries and he needs resting for some days, at least if I trust the healers of the church, is what's best for now. But be assured that the testimony has been judged as true by other inquisitors and me. "

"It still doesn't tell us who is that inquisitor. For all we know, he could be a product of your imagination...or simply a lie."

The eyes of the Cardinal burned with anger for a second but he hid it in an instant.

"To suggest a Cardinal could lie is blasphemy, Queen Alexandria. It would be a good idea to think about your words next time...As of your accusation, I can assure you my inquisitor is real."

"His name... what's his name?" Asked Alariel before Arca exploded once again.

.........................................................................................................................................................

"You've got a visitor, prisoners." Said the gaoler as he opened the door leading to the corridor of prison, leaving the newcomer enter with a lighted torch. All head turned to look at who it was, only to wonder what was happening.

Paron, eyes wide opened, was the one who talked for everyone.

"What is the meaning of this? I thought all of the captain's group had been made prisoners...how come they only bring you now?"

The one facing Paron from outside the cell smiled at him.

"I'm not exactly here to be put behind bars, Paron."

One of the soldiers jumped on his feet as he heard the words being said.

"It's 'Sir' Paron, soldier! But I think we could overlook your little verbal fault here. Let us out, would you?"

The soldier outside of the cell slowly shook his head from left to right.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. You have to stay here for a bit, but be sure that you'll receive a fair judgment."

"A fair judgment? But for what? By whom? What the hell is happening here?!" Paron was getting frantic, not understanding what was the problem with that soldier.

It was at that moment that another soldier came in the corridor, carrying some kind of fabric in his arm. As he saw him, Paron growled.

"You! Freaking Ratman, what are you doing here?"

Ratman laughed a bit after his eyes rested on the soldiers in the cell.

"Kekekeke, what a pleasing sight it is to see you all at your place. I'm just doing my job as a Trainee, Paron. About that..."

Ratman unfolded what happened to be a long black coat, the inside covered with a golden chainmail, the same religious symbol as the cardinal Pictured on the back.

"I brought you your coat, Inquisitor Milne."

All the soldiers looked as dumbfounded as Milne, the same Milne, Maximilian had helped survive the spider's poison in the dungeon, put on the black coat.

"You? An inquisitor? How is that possible?" Asked Paron, as surprised as the others.

"You really thought his Holiness the Cardinal wouldn't keep an eye on the Princess with her brother's crimes? The Cardinal asked me to infiltrate your group and to observe in his place what was going to happen."

"But...you fought with us, you even got hurt doing so...The Princess herself was listening to your last words! Now you're telling me this was all an act!?"

Milne tilted her head from left to right then right to left, thinking.

"Not 'everythin' was an act. I really was going to die down there...and was truly honoured to have helped the little Princess in her quest. Believe it or not, the inquisitors have always sought the truth and purity of the light for the kingdom, but that doesn't mean I wasn't glad to help Princess Arima."

Paron spat on the floor.

"Don't take me for an idiot. Everybody knows that you inquisitor are nothing more than fanatics. You despise those 'not worthy' of Carendar's light, and we all know what that truly means..."

.........................................................................................................................................................

"MILNE?! IT WAS MILNE?! YOU BASTARDS!!!"

Alariel and Arca who were being threatened by the guards, was shouting and roaring at the smiling Cardinal.

"YOU KNOW WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!!! TELL THEM TO LET US GO RIGHT NOW!"

"In the light of the information given by my inquisitor, then confirmed by one of the present soldiers, the two guardians of Princess Arima are to be disposed of. By the light of Carendar, I sentence those two to death."

"NO!!!"

Princess Arima, her eyes going from her guardians to the cardinal, then on her mother, was desperate. The events were succeeding too fast and now her guardians and friends were going to die? She didn't want that.

The shout coming from the young girl stopped everyone in the throne room. The queen smiled at her daughter, putting a hand on her shoulder to show her support.

"It is not the place for a child to talk, Princess." disdainfully said the cardinal.

"On the contrary, Cardinal. The ones you try to sentence to death have always been loyal subjects of the crown, as well as close friends of mine and my daughter." Defended the queen. "I refuse to let you take their life without a word."

The unpleasant smile didn't leave the cardinal's face, sure of himself that no one would stop him. The king was watching the scene with near to none reaction, his eyes seemingly lost on an invisible point.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but as the highest authority regarding heresy or other religious problem in the city, there is no one who can go against my will on the matter."

"Aren't you forgetting someone, Cardinal? My husband, the King, IS the highest authority on every decision concerning his subject, heretic or not."

The queen's words made the Cardinal smirk for a second.

"Well...why not asking the King himself?"

The cardinal turned, facing the king as he hit the floor with his staff.

"Is there any objections to my sentence, my King?"

The vague look on the king's face momentarily stopped on the group, but no word left his mouth. The smirk on the cardinal's face became a victorious smile.

"See? His highness doesn't judge them worthy of a single word! I think this is good enough, so n..."

"Father!!! I asked another judgement!"

Once again, the voice of Arima echoed in the throne room, surprising the guards, enchanting her friends and exasperating the Cardinal.

"Some child clearly don't know when to stay silent in this castle..."

Not letting the fat man continue, the princess advanced a bit, staying near her father. At least, as near as she could before having her path blocked by the two tall armoured figure.

"Let me through!" Said Arima as she tried to pass them.

"You shouldn't bother the adults, child or you might get hurt doing so..."

The two figures didn't say a word, but raised their unarmed hand, reaching for the Princess, she screamed as she was lifted off the ground.

"LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER THIS INSTANT! GUARDIANS!!" Shouted the queen.

Hearing their Queen's order, Arca and Alariel acted.

In a second, Alariel staff was back in her hand and, with a hit on the floor, she provoked a magic wave who pushed back the guards around the two guardians. Arca jumped, her sword in hands. With a roar, she swung the big blade at the two tall figures who lifted their shield, completely blocking her attack.

"You really think a beast can win against a holy Paladin of Carendar?" A man's voice came from under one of the golden mask before the tall figure pushed Arca back with ease.

"And what about two beasts?" Said a voice from under the two.

They looked down to see Alariel, crouched with the princess in her arms and pointing at them with her magic staff. She had used the diversion offered by her semi-orc friend to get back Arima.

"MANA WAVE!"

As the spell left the elf's mouth, a strong magic wave came hitting the two armoured paladins who got pushed a few metres back, giving the guardians enough space to secure the Princess near her mother.

The cardinal, teeth gritting in rage, accusingly pointed at the queen's group in anger.

"HOW DARE YOU!? THOSE ARE HOLY SOLDIERS OF CARENDAR! RAISING HANDS AGAINST THEM IS HERESY!!"

Arca smirked, clearly happy to see the fat man losing his temper.

"And how do you call it when someone raised a hand against a Princess? Here, we call it treason!"

In the room, be it the guards with spears around them or the mages and bowmen on the balcony, all seemed to have trouble deciding who to aim their weapon at.

"ENOUGH!" Shouted the Cardinal, hitting the ground once again with his staff. "MY WORDS HAS BEEN SAID AND THE SENTENCE HAS BEEN SET. GUARDS! KILL THE GUARDIANS!"

"One second, Cardinal, I still have to talk to my husband."

The queen's words, although spoken at a normal volume, clearly had more impact than the cardinal's words. The guards around, respecting their queen's authority, let their weapons down a bit, allowing Alexandria to advance in her husband's direction. She arrived before the two armoured silhouette.

"I would like to talk to my husband, your King..."

There was no threat nor order in her voice, but the message was clearly 'get out of my way'.

The two silently moved aside and the queen advanced till she arrived before her husband who still had a lost look on his face, his eyes hardly looking at anything precisely.

"My King..."

The king didn't answer, as if asleep with his eyes open. The Cardinal didn't even try to suppress a laugh.

"Kekekeke, I'm sorry, your Majesty, but it seems the King isn't willing to discuss more about this."

Not paying attention to the cardinal, the queen put her hand on her husband's.

"Aremik...please, my love."

The tired looking king blinked several times, his eyes finally looking at the woman right before him, sadly smiling with her hands above his.

"A...Alexandria? What is it? What is happening? I think I might have closed my eyes for a bit..."

"Stay with us, Aremik. There is a matter on which your decision is required...we need you." Said the queen, sadly looking at the man she loved, but who today wasn't more than the shadow of his old self.

The king painfully straightened himself on his throne, looking at the scene before him like he had just arrived.

"What is the meaning of this? Why are my daughter's guardians facing Carendar's Paladins?"

The cardinal, visibly not pleased that the king had got out of his sleepy states, smiled nonetheless.

"My King, those two have been judged as heretics and should be dealt with accordingly..."

This seemed to surprise the king, if only a bit.

"Dealt with? Without a trial from the church and I? Your faith and passion are appreciated, Cardinal, but we're talking about loyal subjects, like my son..."

As he thought about his son, the king interrupted himself, putting once again his hand on his temple.

"Aremik, dear..." Enquired the queen as the king growled a bit.

"A...trial...in a few days...when her Holiness will be available..."

" Lady Maria...of course, my King." Said Alexandria as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"But...why wait when..." Tried the cardinal, only to be cut by the queen.

"You heard the King! His holiness lady Maria will come herself to judge those souls. Let it be heard that the King has talked!" Imperiously said the queen.

Several noises were made by the soldier with their feet and the mages with their staff hitting the ground one or two times to show their silent approval.

The cardinal looked around, trying to identify who were those siding with the queen, but was unable to. He turned and left the room without another word, followed by the two tall figures.

The leader of the guards who had brought the queen's group there coughed a bit before saluting.

"My Queen. By the laws of the kingdom, the two waiting for judgement are to be locked in a cell while they wait..."

The news pained the queen, but not as much as Arima.

"Mother? Is it really necessary?"

"I'm afraid so, Arima. With the events being as they are right now, we shouldn't give any more way for the Cardinal to attack them on the day of the judgement. We will follow the kingdom rules, so nothing can be blamed on them. Guards, take the guardians to their cells...but show them the respect they deserve."

The guard's leader saluted once again.

"Of course, your Majesty!"

The man cleared his throat to speak loud, as required in that situation by the law.

"Lady Arca and Lady Alariel, guardians of Princess Arima. By the law of Griffinia, you will be put in separate cells while waiting for your judgement. No interrogations are to be conducted, nor violence. Your weapons are to be taken away..."

Two other guards came before them, taking the weapons the two guardians were presenting to them, Arca's sword and Alariel's staff.

"...and will be given back to you once you will be proved innocent. No salute nor recognition of your rank are to be made as long as you will be suspected. May the law be respected and the King saluted!"

The guard leader ended the official speech with a salute to the king and the queen before the two guardians bowed and were taken away.

"Arca! Alariel!"

Arima ran after the group of guards, jumping to hug the two ladies, tears in her eyes.

"I promise! I will set you two free, I promise!"

The two returned the hug from the little girl they had protected for so long, smiling at her with show of affection.

"We don't worry, Princess. We know you will do all you can." Said Arca.

"And if you need help, know there will always be someone ready to help you." Added Alariel.

The princess let go and the two guardians left the room, escorted by the guards.

"Kitsu, I think my Daughter and I have much to talk about..." Said the queen as she looked at the two being taken away.

"I figured so, your Highness, I took the liberty to ask for your room to be prepared for tonight. Mandarine should be done by now" Said the maid.

"I tend to forget you know me so well, my dear Kitsu." Said Alexandria with a smile.

"You give this old fox too much credit, my Queen." Answered the fox lady.

The queen politely bowed to her husband, already back to looking vaguely at some point on a parchment, then leave the throne room with her maid and her daughter.

...........................................................................................................................................................

While being escorted to their cell, Arca and Alariel were silent.

The group came across an unpleasant sight. The cardinal, still sided by his two paladins, was speaking to Milne, Ratman silently standing behind her.

"I'll do as ordered, your Excellency." Said Milne as she put a knee on the ground to kiss a red stone on one of the golden ring decorating the cardinal's hand.

"I trust you will, my dear Milne. I have to go now, the air has become kind of impure around here..." Said the cardinal as he saw the group of guards escorting the guardians.

Passing next to them, the cardinal let another smirk show on his face.

"I suggest you use this time to make peace with yourself. Because after the judgement will have ended, so will your lives..."

And with that last threat, the cardinal was gone.

"Kekekeke, what a great day it is. Now the orc and the elf will join their little friends in the castle's prison." Said Ratman, clearly pleased with the situation.

Alariel didn't make the effort to answer Ratman, instead, she spoke to Arca.

"Don't you think the castle have a serious pests problem?"

Arca made a sound midway between a growl and a laugh before answering.

"You're right, between the rats and the traitors, the King really should do something about that..."

"YOU F..." vociferated Ratman as he advanced in their direction, his hand going for his weapons. He was surprised by the guards pointing their spears at him.

"By the law of the king! No harm is to be done to them! Stand back this instant!" The guard's leader spoke in small sentences, making sure he was understood.

"Trainee, don't forget your place..." simply said Milne, Ratman growling a bit as he came back to stood behind her.

"Trainee? So you give your soul away to the Cardinal too? I wasn't thinking very highly of you, Rat, but you are even worse than I thought." Said Arca.

"This man has made the right choice. He will add his testimony to mine at your judgement. We only rewarded his devotion with a chance to become a true soldier of Carendar."

"You mean one of the Cardinal's fanatics..."

"Think what you want, it is not important."

The group of guards began to march again, taking the guardians away.

"You realise he will come, right? He has offered Princess Arima his friendship, he will come to help her, to help us." Said Arca, a little smile on her face.

"Oh but I'm sure he will come, Arca. Actually, I'm on my way to bring him back to the capital, the Inquisition have a lot of questions to ask him."

This made Arca laugh a bit.

"Because you think you two will be enough to capture him? Good luck with that!" mocked Arca.

"Capture him? Why would I bother to capture him when I can make him come where I want willingly?"

The mischievous smile on the inquisitor's face wasn't a good sign.

"What do you mean?" Asked Alariel.

"I don't see how telling you could help me with my plan. I'll just wish you a good stay for the days to come..."

...........................................................................................................................................................

"What is your plan, Inquisitor?" Asked Ratman as the two got out of the castle.

"First, I'll take some days to completely heal my wounds at the temple of Carendar. It is a good thing us Inquisitors can enjoy the healer's talents so quickly and freely..."

"Indeed. Speaking of which, I have to thank you for my arm."

"No need for you to thank me, Trainee. As a part of the Inquisition, you have some privileges..."

"Like this new armor...really nice."

Proud of himself, Ratman looked once again at the new light black leather armour he had received. It wasn't anything fancy, but still a better quality than the basic soldier uniform he was wearing before.

"Like your new armour, yes. Now go back to the Inquisition headquarter to receive your new assignment. I won't need you for the days to come."

"If I may ask...how are you going to find him?" Inquired Ratman as his hand passed on his arm, the phantom pain of his previously crushed limb still there.

"You will learn something very soon, Trainee. A good Inquisitor has to be good at following signs, as well as traces. I simply will follow his..."

"You mean...like a hunter?"

"Exactly like a hunter. But we chase special kinds of beasts..."

And, as the Inquisitor Milne continued to advance, she concluded by...

"We chase heretics!"

...........................................................................................................................................................

"So...what do we do now, Captain?" Asked Paron after the guards had left the Guardians in their respective cells. Arca and Alariel had been placed in separate cells, away from the others, each one in their own.

"I don't know, Paron...Alariel, can you teleport out of here?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Arca. Even with my catalyst, it would be hard and risky. The walls of my cell have especially been enchanted for people like me."

"What? Elf?" honestly asked a soldier before receiving a slap on the back of his head by Paron.

"She meant mage, idiot! Excuse him, Lady Alariel."

"No harm was done. If I had some catalyst and enough time, I probably could find a way out, some kind of hole in the magic shield, but like this...No, right now there is nothing I can do, Arca."

"Well shit. I guess we have to wait for now. Let's think of something while we have the time...say, Alariel?"

"What is it?"

"Milne is an Inquisitor, right?"

"That seems quite obvious...Why this question?"

"Didn't you scan everyone before we went that day? How come you didn't see her level was different than a normal soldier?"

"She must wear some kind of artefact, one like what you thought Maximilian was wearing. But instead of simply hiding her stats, it made them appear differently, more 'normal'. I saw what I wanted to see, a normal soldier, I have been had, that's all."

"We've all been had in her case, Lady Alariel." Said Paron.

"Wait till I'm out of this cell, she will get a good kicking, that's for sure!" Said a soldier, approved by his friends.

"Good luck with that, soldier. If she is an Inquisitor, that means she is at least level thirty and trained to kill the 'heretics'." said Arca.

"So...what you mean is..."

"Inquisitors are, and have always been, the private assassins of the Cardinal, nothing more, nothing less."

...........................................................................................................................................................

Several days after those events, a certain farmer was discussing with the smith of the village near their house while the tall man was using his hammer on a red piece of metal.

"So Arold, how have things been lately?"

"Quite good to be frank. I came to see Woboc, do you know if he is in town today?"

"Couldn't tell y..."

The two were interrupted by a woman, probably a soldier if judging by her uniform.

"My apologies, sirs. I was wondering if one of you two could help me?"

"Greetings to you too...Soldier?"

The woman nodded, showing the man he was right.

"How can we help you?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine and he may have passed by this village."

Arold scratched his chin.

"I can't say if I'll be of great help, I live outside of the village."

"What about you, Smith? A man, tall, large shoulder, blue eyes and light brown hair."

The smith thought for a bit.

"What you told me until now can correspond to a lot of people, don't you have more info?"

"Let's see...quite good-looking, he seems to have some sparkles of gold in his eyes, he wears rich clothes, a long dark red coat. What more...oh yes! A beast girl follows him around, a panda-kin."

"Maximilian? You look for Maximilian?" Asked Arold, quickly seconded by the smith who remembered the man too.

A smile appeared on the woman's face.

"Indeed! You know him too? That's a relief! Can you show me where he is? I really need to see him."

"See him? I'm sorry Soldier, but he and his friends left some days ago already."

*DAMN!*

"Oh...that's unfortunate. Could you tell me in which direction he went to?"

"From what he told me, he was heading to the capital. But seeing how long he's been gone, he probably isn't that far from it now. You should wait for him at the capital instead of running after him."

"You said he has been gone for days?"

"Yes. He came here, stayed one or two days, then he was gone. I didn't count, but it has to be less than two weeks. He should have passed Corpsenburg by now."

The female soldier thought for a bit.

*Hmmm, I figured he would be out of the dungeon, but so far already? Impressive, I should go to that small village near the capital, if it's where he is heading I will be able to catch him there.*

"Thank you for your help, I should be able to reach him soon enough. Good day to you two s...my, hello little one."

Appearing from behind the smith, a little girl showed herself, silently looking at the soldier.

"Princess, be polite."

"Hello."

The woman remarked something around the girl's wrist. A magnificent jewel, a crystal bracelet with a butterfly on top of it.

"That's a beautiful bracelet you have, Princess. Is it your father who gave it to you?"

The little girl shook her head from left to right.

"Kind mage gave."

"It was your friend Maximilian who gave it to her, actually. He made it appear from a single stone, can you imagine?" Said the smith, completing his little girl's incomplete response.

*So...he can do that kind of things too...*

"Well. It was a pleasure to speak with you, but I still have to find my friend."

"Greet him for us when you see him."

"That will be done." Said the woman before she took out a parchment and teleported elsewhere.

...........................................................................................................................................................

"You want us to do what?" asked the Trainees.

After a day of following Maximilian's traces, Milne had a good idea where he could have been and had come back to the inquisition's headquarter, needing some help with her plan.

"You heard me right" answered Milne "I want you three to hurt me. Hit me, cut me, attack me until I order you to stop."

"But, Inquisitor Milne, attacking an inquisitor is blasphemy!"

"Not more than it is to not obey one. See this as a test of your faith. I put my life in your hands. Now attack!"

The three hesitantly looked at each other before the first one approached and hit her in the stomach, only to be slapped in the face by Milne, the force of the hit making him fall.

"I SAID TO ATTACK, NOT TO CARESS ME!! ATTACK NOW OR LEAVE THE INQUISITION!"

The trainee stood up and hit her, harder, in the face.

"That's better! You three, come and attack, use your training swords too!"

Milne had taken off her inquisitor uniform, putting back on a soldier uniform.

After a while, she was covered in bruises, cut at several places and other joyful things.

"Stop! That should do it..."

The three stopped immediately, putting down their swords.

"We must get a healer to tend to your wounds, Inquisitor."

"Don't be stupid! Do you think I would have let you touch me only to be healed right after? This is merely enough to disguise me for my prey...and as long as I wear this..."

She touched a pendant around her neck, representing the symbol of Carendar church, before hiding it under her pants.

"If I may ask, Inquisitor..."

"Be quick about it."

"Why do you hide a pendant in your underwear? Shouldn't you wear it around your neck?"

Milne laughed a bit, a laugh without joy.

"That, Trainee, is because I'm not supposed to show this pendant to anyone stranger to our order. And let me tell you that no one will find it there."

She patted her hips, where the pendant was hidden.

"As long as it touches me, it works. Go now, I don't have any use for you right now."

The three trainee saluted her and left the room, leaving the beaten up inquisitor alone. She sat on a desk in the training room, took out a parchment and started to write on it, a letter which would play part in her plan. She was just finished when a voice echoed in the room.

"Sister?!"

Milne looked up from the desk to see a young girl, dressed in the trainee attire, looking a lot like her, but younger.

"Nilem? What are you doing here? Don't you have to see a healer at this hour?"

"That's what I was doing, but I heard three Trainee talking as I was going back. Why did you order them to hurt you like that?"

Milne rolled the Parchment and hid it with the pendant.

"Don't worry about that, I'm only doing what I need to complete my mission."

"Of course I'm worried! You are my big sister, of course I'm gonna be worried if I see you hurt like that!"

Milne stood from the desk, sighing, before she came next to her sister, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Go back to your duty, Trainee, your superior is fine."

She started to walk out of the room, only to be hugged from behind, her sister putting her head on her back.

" PLEASE! Please...take care of yourself, sister...don't leave me alone." Said the younger girl before she coughed a bit, letting go to put a hand on her mouth, some blood tainting it.

Milne closed her eyes for a second, smiling. She turned and hugged her little sister for a second.

"Never. I'll be back soon, stay safe. Now go see the healer, you clearly need his help."

"Same goes for you...come back soon sis."

They broke the hug. Nilem stood straight and saluted her sister.

"May Carendar enlight your way, Inquisitor."

Milne smiled before returning the salute.

"May he enlighten the world."

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Playing unconscious had been part of Milne’s plan from the start. She was going to play dead for a bit before painfully awakening and asking for help. How lucky she felt when she heard Maximilian's voice answering the chief.

*How lucky...now here comes Milne the actress...*

She growled a bit, slowly opening her eyes and looking around, as if lost.

"Where...where am I?..."

"Don't worry, you're safe here." Said Maximilian has he stepped closer to her.

*And here comes the prey...*

Milne opened her eyes wide as she 'recognised' Maximilian.

"S...Sir Maximilian? So it works..."

The man was already taking some things from his magic bag, surely to help her.

"What happened to you? What about the others?"

*And now for the big scene...*

Milne lifted a hand and gripped Maximilian’s coat, horror in her eyes.

"Sir Maximilian...Lady Arca! Lady Alariel! The others, they are all going to be killed!!!"