“They say a ghost train crashed into the station in the third circle,” I had overheard while walking through the courtyard of the Abbey. It had just been the latest gossip, with much speculation running rampant among the young clergy. “I heard it was bandits.” One priestess theorized. “No it had to be the pirate Deadman Jack!” the other argued. Though I was certain it was the Malefic, as it was likely no nun would have been stationed on a refuge train. In the end, it mattered not, I had much more pressing matters to attend to. Such as the jolly oaf who was approaching fast. 

“Stay your tongues sweet ladies, for the church is no place for such dire talk,” a handsomely overdressed man chastised the priestess’

“Commander Ada, forgive us, we were just discussing the incident,” one priestess said.

“It is a criers’ place to spread bad news, and a priestess's place to spread the love of the Goddess, is it not?” He waxed poetic.

“Oh certainly sir,” the other answered him, “we won’t worry ourselves further.” 

“See that you don’t, you are the light of Haven, don’t let your shining brilliance be darkened by fear.” he caressed the priestess’ faces as he spoke and they giggled like young schoolgirls. 

“Ah, Sister Marionette,” He unfortunately caught me as I had passed him by, “Sister Marionette if you have a moment please,” 

“Commander Ada, what business do you have with me, are you here to flirt with me as you do with these chaste priestesses?” I had tried to put an emphasis on chaste, though I’m sure he hadn’t noticed.

“A sharp tongue for a Nun, perhaps your wit is just as sharp? Alas, I have come to escort you my dear sister,” He said his head bowed, while tipping his feathered hat. “Oh and call me Ban, if you’d please.”

“And what need have I for an escort, Commander Ada?”

“Sweet sister, your coldness is almost a match for your beauty,” he sighed, his body hunched over. “You are to leave for the first circle are you not? I too have been assigned this mission, and so I thought I would accompany you there.” His demeanor was chiper once more.

“How kind of you, good sir,” I said dryly, “but is it really the place of a commander, to play the role of bodyguard for one of near equal rank?” My pace quickened, and to my annoyance, he did so as well. 

        “It is not a question of rank, but of honor. Or perhaps if I am to be true, I am drawn by that gorgeous violet complexion, and am cast under the spell of your piercing eyes.”  

My eyes rolled of their own will at his shameless flirting. “How bold of you, to attempt to woo a Nun, such reprehensible behavior, even for you Commander Ada,” 

“What you see as reprehensible, I see as the only natural response one could have when faced by your renowned elegance.” He winked.

Ha, renowned you say? That’s trying too hard even for you. “Commander Ada, if you are to accompany me further, then this has to stop,” I shot him down once more. 

“Very well, my Daevael enchantress, I shall stay my tongue and deny my heart its chance to speak,”  I shot him a deathly cold glare. “Last time, I promise.” His body tensed up, his composure family beginning to crack. 

I decided I would make use of his unwanted company and ask him a few questions. “What do you know of this mission,” I asked first, just as we passed through the gates of the abbey, and crossed into the city proper. 

“I know that we aren’t the only security being placed on the train,” he answered, “the higher ups have called in some high ranking Inquisitors, as well as the captain of the outer guard’s unit.”

“The Captain of the Outer guard, I don’t believe we have met.”

“Ah, he’s a bit of a boorish fellow, not much fun at all. He’s one of your kind actually. Though I have to say, Daevael women fair far more attractive than the men.” 

I ignored his passive flirting and inquired further, “Which unit from the Inquisitors did they send?”

“If what I’ve gathered is true, it’s Grand Inquisitor Seta, and her team of witch hunters that all came from the outer wastes, if you could believe it.”

That much I had already known, “yes, but what can you tell me that isn’t common knowledge?”

“Not very much, sadly. She is a mysterious woman,” he sighed longingly, before adding, “I could only imagine what beauty she must be hiding behind that mask of hers.”

“Is beauty all you care about?” 

“Beauty is the gift of the Goddess,” Ban answered, “We the knights Ada know to worship all that is beautiful, for to do so is to worship the Goddess herself.”

My eyes were beginning to grow sore from rolling over and over. To think that the church could produce such an odd sect as these Knights of Ada, I can not begin to fathom how they’ve lasted this long. “And what of the so-called package?” I asked my most pressing question, “Perhaps you have some insight on whatever this object we are to protect truly is?”

“As much as I would love the intimacy of discussing such details with you, the truth is I probably know no more than you. Although,” he paused for a moment.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Rumor is that it has something to do with a certain inquisitor named Salem,” He whispered.

So both the Grand Inquisitor, and the infamous Salem are somehow involved. My curiosity had only grown deeper, though it had seemed Ban had no more information to share. So I walked on in silence, while he just continued to jabber about beauty and other useless topics. 

Outside of Ban’s voice, the city was decently quiet, though not as serene as my garden. At this hour, only the servants were typically out, running their morning errands for their masters, while the majority of people were at home resting. Passing by, they would keep their heads low, occasionally paying some semblance of respect for the Commander and I, though even I could tell it was out of obligation not admiration. Gratefulness and appreciation did not seem to be something many were capable of, even in the Fifth Circle. It didn’t matter, Adela Abbey would continue to protect the people, no matter how ungrateful they were.     

Paying no more mind to my surroundings, we made our way, until at last we arrived at the train station. Minister Bosk waited with a group of other church officials, though his old bodyguard was strangely absent. Aside from the Inquisitors, whom I’d already known of, were three others I was unfamiliar with. The most peculiar out of the bunch was a strong brooding man, who stood nearly twice my height. He had spiraling horns, and sinewy muscles. His body bore little clothing aside from a vest, and a loin cloth that left his goat like legs exposed. Though it was my first time meeting one officially, I recognized he was in fact a Kydael. 

“Ah Sister Marionette, Commander Ada, you have arrived just in time,” the minister greeted us, “allow me to acquaint you with your fellow guards on this mission.”

I restrained my urge to groan, and instead gave a small genuflect, “I am Sister Marionette, third in command of the Warbride Nuns.”

“Ah yes, the Lightning Witch if I’m not mistaken,” an Ael man, dressed in inquisitor armor, yet strangely without their signature masked helmet, said. “I am Judeka, a researcher of sorts, you might say.” He fixed the position of his thick lensed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

“Judeka here has been a major contributor to the utilization of Malecite, improving anti-witch armor a great deal. Perhaps he’ll even find an alternative means to fight the Malice,” Bosk explained with a jovial laugh, “his mind has been touched by the Goddess, a true genius for our time.”

“Please your praise is not earned, good minister,” he said, unable to hide his prideful smirk.

“And I am sure that the Inquisitors here need no introduction, not after their visit to the abbey.” the minister’s grin stretched across his wrinkled face.

I glared into the beaked mask of the Grand Inquisitor, a death like emptiness staring back. My heart ached as it imagined this, the final sight of many witches, looming before them. 

“No,” the inquisitor spoke, her voice muffled by the respirator that connected her mask to a tank on her back. “You are mistaken Bosk, I have not been to the abbey in a very long time.” 

“Oh, is that right? It’s so hard to keep track of you all, perhaps you could just color code your coats and make it easier for the rest of us, then again that would defeat the point of it all wouldn’t?” he laughed his grating laugh, a vein in my head twitching with each guffaw.

As he moved on, the Inquisitor simply stood there, ignoring the ministers rambling. Her gaze was fixed on me, my whole body trembling ever so slightly underneath that haunting stare.

“Oh and let’s not forget the bounty hunter Achak,” Bosk said, breaking the tension forming between us.

The Kydael bowed his head, “Pleasure meetin’ ya,” he looked me in the eyes as he rose back up. 

“Come now, let’s not tarry here,” the minister waved his hands and began to walk towards the boarding platform, “You’ll meet with the Captain of the Outer Guard when we reach the First Circle, though do take care to not offend him, being amidst the rabble of the slums must have him on edge.”

Ban and the others followed after, only the inquisitor and I lingered; our eyes, presumably, still locked. I could hear the echoing cry of sister Agast, my mind clouded with the thoughts of her final moments, the fear she felt. Her screams were among the many, the hundreds of Nuns, Witches, and heretics slain by this Inquisitor and others like her. 

“My condolences,” Seta spoke up, breaking the tension abruptly.

“What?”

“I heard that a nun was executed at your abbey, I am sorry you had to lose a sister like that,” she said then walked away to join the others. I watched her walk away, my eyes fixed on her in a scowl. What sort of audacity she must have had, pretending that she was not guilty of taking a nuns life. Fist clenched tight, my head pounded with the harrowing sounds that haunted me, until it all went silent as I heard the soothing sound of Rafa’s voice coax me to calmness.    

 

At the platform, the train had just pulled in, a small crowd of clergymen and women taking their leave, returning to the abbey from whatever missions they’d been sent out on. I never put much thought into the comings and goings of the others, but now the secrecy of my own task has gotten me curious. Truth be told, I knew very little about the organizations that made up our order, beyond us Nuns of course. The knights of Ada, for example, based on what I know of Commander Ada, I would guess they were preachers. Boisterous preachers, and perhaps a bit heavy handed for my own taste, but that did not explain their armament. They carried outdated weaponry, a single shot flintlock pistol, and a saber. You could say it was ornamental, it hardly would make for good protection afterall, but why did they carry it? And why send a preacher to protect a package? It all very well could be a ploy, a diversion to make this mission look no different from any other, still it befuddled me. 

Then there was the minister, the facilitator of our abbey. Was organizing our missions really all there was to his job? In the end, is he just a glorified babysitter for us nuns, directing us and keeping us in line? It seemed there was only one agency that I truly knew the purpose of, only one group that was transparent in all that they did. The Inquisitors. 

My pondering was cut short by an announcement from the conductor to begin boarding. Minster Bosk stood to the side, and allowed for the others to enter through the car’s door first. 

“Ah, a Waterford 57, top of the line, we should arrive in the first circle in no time,” Ban marveled, “such a beautiful crafted model, finest diesel engine on the market, and made of a lighter metal than most.”

“You know alot about trains, commander?” I inquired as we entered.

“A bit of a hobby of mine, the beauty of Ael made ingenuity is yet another way we take after the Goddess,” he praised.

“Technically this model is Mestael made,” Judeka corrected.

“Ah but an Ael is an Ael, no matter what prefix you attach, we are all made in the beauty of the Goddess,” Ban argued. “Even if our appearances can differ greatly our hearts are all the same.”

“Quite the preacher aintcha?” Achak laughed.

“It is the duty of the Knights Ada to spread word of the Goddess, the same as it is for all in the church, is it not?” 

“I leave the preaching to the clergy,” Judeka said.

“It’s important though, to spread the true word. Do you know why all Ael-kind have long ears?” Ban asked, and without giving anyone time to respond he answered, “so that we might be able to hear the song of the Goddess when she returns to this world.”

Achak groaned, and I couldn’t agree more with his response. If Ban didn’t shut up, it was going to be a long ride.

Almost no passengers were present as we took our seats, though refreshing in some ways, it also gave the train an eerie atmosphere, though it may have been just my own paranoia unnerving me. This would be one of many trains we’d have to take on our way to the first circle, as no direct line existed, and why would it? There’s no reason to go to such a place for most of us. Though if the Minister was to be believed, a direct line was created for our way back, just for this very mission. I took my seat, unfortunately commander Ada took his next to me, while Inquisitor Seta sat opposite of me. Temptation to pull my veil over my eyes and feign sleep grew stronger as Ban began to speak. 

“So mind if I ask you a question?” He directed his question at the Inquisitor, “Do you people ever take those helmets off? It just seems so impractical to have them on all the time.” 

“We do,” Seta answered, no elaboration given.

“Ah okay, so then, how about we see your face? I bet you’re quite the beauty underneath that thing,” he truly did not know when to stop.

“Never in the presence of a witch,” she said, staring directly at me.

“Oh come now, Sister Marionette here is a member of the church same as you and me, we can trust her,” he vouched for me, an unwanted levy of praise.

“It is forbidden,” she said, her words mirroring my own I had spoken a thousand times. 

“Yes, but does the Goddess not forgive? Surely just one time wouldn’t hurt,” she stopped answering his questions, and eventually he gave up. She continued looking straight at me, for hours as the train flew past the wastes between the fifth and fourth circle, though I could not see them, her unblinking eyes burned into me. The four hour ride between the two rings felt longer than any I had taken. I tried not to squirm, not to waver, to pay no mind to the Inquisitor before me, but my conviction was betrayed by a sudden jolt through me. I sat restlessly as we rode, wiggling like a child on their first long trip. 

Just as the train entered into the fourth ring, I stood up, and began to walk away.

“Where are you going dear sister?” the commander asked.

“I just need to stretch my legs,” I answered, walking as quickly as I could.

“I can accompany you,” he called after me. I merely shook my head, and made my way to the dining cart.  

 Ban’s marveling of the train was not misplaced, I noted as I entered into the interior of the dining car. A beautifully crafted stonewood counter wrapped around a fully stocked bar, even some of the finest saloons in the inner circles would have had a hard time comparing. The whole room felt perfectly picturesque from the plush leather stool seats, to the phonograph playing relaxing music. The mess hall of the abbey was just a prison cafeteria when compared. I stepped over to the counter, and was greeted by the chipper voice of a young bartender. She wore a puffy pinstriped dress, and a white apron. Her deep red hair was pulled back in a braided ponytail, with a blue pinstriped ribbon tied at the end in a bow. 

“Well howdy, not often we get to serve a Nun, what could I get for you, sister?” she said sweetly, a charming smile spread across her face. 

“Just water is fine,” I answered, looking at the many colorful bottles of different shapes that were held behind glass cabinets. 

“Are you sure about that? I could at least fix you up a snack. It’s going to be a long ride afterall,” the girl offered. 

“I suppose that would be fine.” 

“Alrighty! Then let Cindy here whip you up something real fine.” Her smile widened, her cheeks turned rosy. She walked over to the other side of the bar, where a small cooler full of various food items sat, and began to prepare a simple dish while humming. 

As I sat there waiting, Rafa whispered to me, “The inquisitor frightens you my love?”

“No, it isn’t fear I am feeling,” there was a pause in my words, “I am just anxious about the mission.”

“You have had many missions, fought many Malefic, and even many of your own kind, but never an Inquisitor. Do not worry sweet Marionette, I shall ensure no harm comes to you,” she reassured me, offering me a slight sense of calmness.

“Rafa, thank you for your words, but I am fine,” I sighed. 

“Here you go sister nun, a longhorn steak sandwich on weedwheat bread, my specialty,” Cindy said, placing a small plate of food in front of me, “Oh and a drink of course!” she snapped her fingers then quickly fetched me a glass of water.

“Thank you,” I said before taking a bite of the sandwich, my sharp teeth cracking into the dry chalky bread, and tearing the tough meat within. A surprisingly sweet liquid gushed in my mouth, dribbling down my chin as I ate. Opening the sandwich there appeared to be a slice of some kind of red fruit, soft and watery, resting on top of the meat. 

“Oh, never had a blood apple before, have you?” Cindy asked, noticing my confused expression. “My family owns a farm in the Sixth circle, one of the only ones to still grow blood apples. Normally there’d be a greenwater leaf as well, but those are out of season, sorry.”

I took another bite, restraining myself from devouring the sandwich whole. “No need to apologize, it is very delicious,” I said, swallowing. 

“Glad you like it, veggies are hard to come by, but they really do enhance the flavor of food when you can add them,” she grinned. 

“How much do I owe you for the food?” I asked.

“Oh no, it’s on the house. I can’t go charging church folk, that wouldn’t be right,” 

I shook my head, “If it’s your family’s livelihood I couldn’t possibly take it for free.” I dropped a couple of Ylda onto the counter, “I know vegetables do not come cheap, please accept this atleast.”    

“Well thank you kindly, but I don’t think the ministers would like it if they knew I charged you,” She refused.

“It’s a donation from the church then.” 

“Guess I can’t refuse a donation, though it seems weird receiving money from the church,” she smiled and pocketed the coins. “I wish more church folk were like you sister, though don’t tell anyone I said that.” 

“What do you mean?” I tilted my head.

“Oh, forget I said anything, I shouldn’t be saying nothing bad,” she waved her hands, “I’m just happy to meet someone so nice for once, is all.”

“Well you’re quite friendly yourself, Miss Cindy,” I smiled at her.

 I finished my food and water, as Cindy cleaned her workspace. After some time had passed, I resigned myself to return to my seat. Turning to stand, a woman with hair like fire and deep emerald eyes grabbed me by the arm and brought her face to mine. “Beloved, successor of the Witch Queen, you must save your betrothed.” As suddenly as she appeared, she was gone leaving me bewildered and alone.