I had my gun barrel pressed against her head, ready to pull the trigger, but the knots in my stomach held me back. It was as if an invisible force prevented me from moving my finger, all I had to do was say the words and pull to fire my wind bullet, and that would be one less enemy to worry about, but I couldn’t. A voice called out, a voice I did not understand, but she sounded desperate, the air felt hot, and my heart raced as her words passed through me. Was the nuns familiar pleading with me to spare her partner’s life? No, this voice did not sound like the one I heard before, but it did sound familiar. It was a voice I had heard many years ago. My muscles relaxed, and my heart rate slowed as their cries soothed my anger. For the briefest moments I could feel strong, comforting arms embrace me, like I was being held in a way I had not since I was a child. The feeling didn’t last though, as a sudden searing pain pierced my arm. 

I dropped my revolver, as blood dripped down my arm, I had been shot and I didn’t even hear the bullet fire. 

“Get down!” Reli shouted, snapping me from my stupor, alerting me to an Inquisitor standing in the doorway of the train.

She wore an imposing beaked mask, one I had not seen since the day my father died. Before I could react, she rushed at me, slamming her body into mine pushing me to the ground. She stood over me, her bayonet fixed on my head, and my blood began to boil at the sight of the dead hollow eyes of that awful leering mask. But, when I thought it was the end, she faltered, lowering her gun, and in that moment I sprang to action. Drawing the dagger that Kara gifted me, I lunged up at the witch hunter, knocking her rifle aside, and pushed her back all the way to the front of the train. She held my wrist, the malicite of her gloves burning my skin in her tight grip, but I was unrelenting. I was going to stab that monster in the throat if it was the last thing I did!

“Stop!” the woman cried.

“Shut up! I’ll kill you for what you did to my home!” I mashed my teeth, my face gnarled in a beastly rage. 

“Marionette, don't shoot her!” she cried again.

My fury broke, as I noticed the Nun standing behind me, her own gun pressed to my head, “she will kill you!” She answered back.

“You must not harm these Witches!” she ordered, “lower your gun now!”

“Seta, they are here for the weapon!” the nun argued.

“I know,” she grunted, still struggling against my attack, “I’m the one who arranged their being here.”

I lost my grip on the dagger, perhaps from the pain caused by her anti-eros armor, or maybe from the shock of her words. Either way the knife fell, and I buckled down on my knees, my mind and body drained. 

“What do you mean you arranged this?” the nun shouted.

“It’s as I told you, dear sister, the weapon must not reach the inner Sanctum,” she gasped a breath of relief as she spoke. 

“You have to be lying,” Reli said, approaching, her own gun fixed on the nun, “there’s no way the Grand Inquisitor would help us.

“Kara didn’t tell you, the less people who know about me the better,” she caught her breath, “though to be fully honest, I did not think this was how she would send you.” 

“You have been conspiring against the church this whole time,” the nun said, though she did not sound shocked, “and these are your accomplices?”

“Not exactly, they merely work for an old friend of mine,” she cleared her throat, “it is as I told you before, there are many forces after the contents of that coffin, each with their own motivation. I made certain that the news of the package would make it to both Kara’s and Deadman Jack’s attention.”

“And you trust these witches to have good intentions?” 

“I do, Kara would not have sent them if she did not believe in them,” she answered.

“How do you know Lady Kara?” Reli questioned her.

“Before I was the grand Inquisitor, she and I were close friends,” she explained, “we knew this day would be coming, though we did not know when. She had her own plans, and I had mine.”

“And what are your plans?” the nun asked, her gun still shaking against my head.

“That is still to be seen,” she answered. “lower your gun, Marionette, let them go,” her voice was commanding, but not unfriendly, “I will not ask you a second time.”

“I am to protect the weapon, I can not just disobey my orders,” Marionette argued.

“Still after all you have seen, all you have learned?” she questioned her, “both of you, go, we will not stop you.”

The nun hesitated, but reluctantly lowered her gun from my head. Reli however made sure to keep watch of the nun, as she cautiously approached. She helped me to my feet with one hand, shakily aiming her gun with the other. Standing up, I retrieved my revolver, sheathed my dagger, and glared at the inquisitor. 

“You need to bandage that arm, you’re bleeding badly,” she said as she stepped towards me. 

“I don’t need your help, witch hunter!” I snapped, pulling my arm away from her. Reluctantly I reached for my poncho, and hesitated, before tearing a strip of cloth from it, holding back tears as I once more damaged my mother’s poncho.

“You shouldn’t treat a gift so poorly,” the inquisitor said.

I ignored her as Reli helped secure the impromptu bandage over my wound. I would need Naomi to heal me later, hopefully we could get the bullet out, I thought.

“Forgive me,” the inquisitor said quietly, as I walked past her, “someday you’ll understand.”

We left the train car, and the two church members, behind us.