{Mariana}
The life of an inquisitor often took one all around Enverna.
The god-king had enemies everywhere, after all. Some were more hidden than others, but all of them, without exception, were to be found and either destroyed or imprisoned.
For some, it was controversial. Those who could remember a time when humans, elves, and drasen shared spaces and formed communities together tended to lament what the god-king had done during his reign. In secret, of course. They'd have their heads cut off publicly if they did so outside the privacy of their homes.
There were songs about the inquisitors. Mariana had heard a couple of them, as she traveled from the Holy Capital to the cities and towns surrounding it. They were often portrayed as dark knights filled with the god-king's rage and fury, acting as his sword.
For Mariana, however, this was just a job.
She felt nothing as she hunted down the god-king's enemies. No sympathy, no elation, no satisfaction. It was just her duty, and, as her teacher always told her, an inquisitor had responsibilities.
"We're here," her teacher said.
The caravan got to the town in the afternoon. Most of the people in it were basic reinforcements, officers, and soldiers, but among them were three Inquisitors. As they emerged from the vehicles in their black suits of armor, the citizens whispered. Some gazed at them in fear.
Mariana looked around.
"So, this is Diosia." One of the Inquisitors, a boy with messy brown hair and a wolfish smile, told Mariana. "What a shithole."
"Just because it isn't the capital, Allen, doesn't mean that it's any less of a symbol of the kingdom. You must treat it as such." The oldest of them, Mariana's teacher for the past five years, Alverion, replied. "Are you alright, Mariana?"
"Yes." She tried to seem confident. "Just trying to get myself acquainted with the place."
"I see," Alverion replied. "Follow me." He told them.
She knew she needed to remain cool and collected. Her power, of course, was the biggest reason she had been allowed to become an Inquisitor, but she also understood that part of the job was the image. An Inquisitor needed to be a figure of strength. A glimpse into the power that the divine soul of the First Kingdom held, the god-king of the human empire. She was basically his representative and needed to act like it.
Still, as a 23-year-old on her first day, it was hard not to feel nervous.
"We're expecting great things out of you, Mariana. I know you won't disappoint."
Of course, he did. He had been the same teacher that watched her grow back at the First Kingdom's Central University. The teacher who'd recommended her to become an Inquisitor after he discovered her hidden power.
She could still remember that day, She'd walked out of her school, alone, thinking it would be just another ordinary walk home when her teacher walked up to her and gave her the offer that changed her life.
As the Inquisitors moved through the streets, a few officers pulled elves out of what looked like an abandoned home. Mariana stopped in her tracks. Alverion looked back at her and then glanced ahead at them as well.
"Business is picking up, it seems," Alverion said as the elvish family was forced into a cart where they'd be taken to the same station Mariana was heading to now.
"So," Mariana started, "what happens if they surrender?"
"Same thing that happens if they don't." Alverion shrugged. "It's up to them whether they wish to turn themselves in and offer their souls voluntarily or delay the inevitable."
"I..." Mariana raised a brow when she heard a baton crack against a man's leg. "What would we do in this situation?"
"What they're doing," Alverion answered simply. "As was decreed by the divine soul. Don't concern yourself with the morality of it, Mary." He told her. "Whether it's right or wrong is for the king to decide. His word is the law."
"Alright," Mariana replied as she followed Alverion and Allen to the Duchess's Manor. It was an exceptionally large house that doubled as a station for incoming Inquisitors. The trio walked up the steps and inside, where a lavish lobby awaited them.
"Ah," a short woman bowed to them as they entered. "The new Inquisitors?"
"Yes," Alverion replied. "Blessed be the divine soul."
"Blessed be the divine soul," Mariana repeated, bowing.
"Well, the Duchess is not present at the moment. She is speaking to another Inquisitor who came in earlier. Things took an unexpected turn yesterday." The woman informed them as she waved them over to where a paper was waiting for them. Alverion grabbed a pen and started filling it out as he asked:
"What happened?"
"An elvish family got away," the woman lamented. "They're being tracked as we speak. The Inquisitor simply wanted to let the woman know that he'd be informing the god-king of this."
"I see," Alverion replied as Mariana looked around. "In that case, it could be good to write a report. How about you get your first one out of the way, Mary?"
"What do I talk about?"
"Just what you've seen so far, what you just heard. It'll be a short one, don't worry too much. When you're done, we'll head out and look for this family."
"Action so soon?" Allen asked with a smirk. "I like it."
"Action? Not likely," Alverion responded. "Random elves don't stand much of a chance against us."
And so, a few blank papers were handed to Mariana and she got to work. She mentioned her arrival, the family she'd seen being taken from their home, and the one that got away earlier. She didn't have much to talk about yet, so she was done fairly quickly.
"Finished," Mariana stated.
"Very good," Alverion took the paper and folded it, putting it in a satchel he carried. "I'll mail it myself. Now, let's move. We don't want those elves to gain too much distance."
"Mhm." Mariana nodded.
The group was back in the streets of Diosia, heading for the opposite entrance to the one they'd arrived in. Mariana analyzed the people she saw. Most of them were normal-looking, but she noticed a few sad expressions on their faces. There were dried bloodstains on the cement, and more than a few buildings had broken windows and doors.
[The Purity Act must have taken a particularly violent turn in this town.] She thought as she continued to look around.
Back at the Holy Capital, it had been similar.
---
Mariana was walking home from school, alone, as she usually was. She had never been particularly good at talking to others, and her grades and strength often led to envy. The Holy Capital was known for its pristine metallic architecture, a mix of glass and steel that let every other city in the world know just how outclassed they truly were.
With a blank face, she started walking along a plaza, when she heard people chanting something in the near distance. She looked to her right with a raised brow. [Huh?]
The girl saw a crowd gathered. She walked up to it and looked for some nearby crates. Here, she climbed them and saw ahead. There were multiple drasen and elves lined up. Behind them, men and women in black armor held long silver swords over their heads.
When those swords came down, the crowd cheered. Mariana's only response was one quick blink.
She climbed down the crates and kept walking.
When she got home, her parents were watching the television. On the screen was the exact image Mariana had just seen live.
"Oh, Mary. How was your day?" Her father asked.
"Normal." Mariana shrugged, keeping her eyes down as she usually did.
"Ah, alright. Good." Her father turned back towards the tv. "They caught some more trying to sneak out of the city. Poor bastards. Just born unlucky."
Mariana watched the screen for a few moments before she started walking to her room. On the way, she thought:
[Is being born different really something deserving of being killed?] She shook her head. [Well, if the god-king says it is, then it is. That's how it works.]
---
Eventually, they were outside the city. Mariana was looking around. [Hm. The forest seems different from what the books talked about.]
This part of the world was supposed to be dry, as a result of elvish evil magic. Everything around here seemed vibrant, though.
A man ran up to the group.
"That way!" He cried. "We-, oh goodness, let me catch my breath, we saw an elf walking that way!"
"Hm..." Alverion nodded. "Good job, son. Get yourself something to drink," he told him, tossing a coin in his direction.
"Thank you, sir, thank you!"
"Come on, let's move."
And so, they began to pursue the elf in question. For a long time, they didn't see anything. [Had the man lied?] Mariana wondered. With a blank expression on her face, she looked around at the trees and the ground.
[Everything seems far more colorful than it should be.]
"This is probably a good time to employ this," Alverion stated, pulling something from his satchel. It was a black whistle of sorts. "You blow on this and you'll feel the presence of nearby elves. Try it out."
He passed it to Mariana.
"Alright."
The blonde nodded, inhaling and blowing on the object. It took a few seconds. She almost asked if she did it wrong. Then, she felt something. A warmth coming from the northwest.
"I think I feel it." Mariana indicated.
"Good, lead the way."
And so, Mariana did just that. She jogged through a set of trees with both men behind her. Alverion unsheathed his blade as did Allen. Mariana didn't do so just yet.
The warm sensation grew stronger as she went on.
Surprisingly, Mariana felt herself being pulled by it. Its allure was mind-numbing, to the point where her pace gradually grew quicker without her knowing.
"Mariana," Alverion said behind her. "Mariana!"
Their words faded into the background. Ignoring them, she moved even faster.
Running past fallen, dead trees, eventually, Mariana reached the source of that warmth.
There was no one here, however. No elves, no drasen.
Only a single tree, faintly glowing.
"Mariana!"
Her teacher's call registered in her mind once again.
"Y-Yes?"
"Don't run off like that," he said, chuckling. "You're putting this old man's legs to work. How cruel."
"Where are they!?" Allen asked with his sword pulled out as he looked around. "Where… Huh?"
Mariana did not respond. Instead, she stared at the tree that had all but called her here.
"How…?" Alverion spoke quietly, a hefty amount of surprise covering his words.
"What is this?" She asked as Alverion stood beside her.
"This is… A beacon of heretical power," Alverion stated. "It seems your whistle accidentally picked up this thing's aura… But, I am glad it did."
"Why?"
"These were supposed to have been torn down. It appears we missed one. I'll write about this to the god-king and ask him to send some equipment."
"Are we not strong enough to tear this down ourselves?" Mariana asked.
"Nah," Allen answered instead. "These aren't regular trees. They're empowered, fused with the energy of devils. Even we can't take these things down on our own."
[Devils?]
Mariana had heard that a few times. All humans had since the beginning of the god-king's reign. If she remembered correctly, the "devils" were a group of abominable, disgusting people who directly contradicted the god-king's power. They hated his purity, the perfection he brought, and would operate in secret, far from the Holy Capital, conspiring to take him down.
Many of them had been wiped out by inquisitors like Mariana. She had not yet run into one, however.
"Let's head back for now," Alverion said. "With this thing blocking the elf's signal, we won't be able to track down any runners just yet. It'll be best to double up on efforts to stop anyone from escaping."
Mariana's response was the same as always, though she didn't take her eyes off that tree.
"Understood."