Punishment

"Captain Garth!" Zigarete burst through the opening of the customs tent, her eyes burning with a deep seething rage. She had heard the reports about the captain's recent indiscretions from a report relayed to her by an Inquisition spy she had placed within the Cliffside guard. Zigarete was going to put an end to the guard's gross misconduct. Everyone involved will be punished. After all, they may have just let a dangerous sorcerer loose into the Empire. A sorcerer who had thoroughly humiliated her and in doing so stole the Spear of Narcese.

Although Zigarete had lost her most valuable weapon, she wasn't going to confront Captain Garth unarmed. She requisitioned a starmetal spear from the Imperial armoury. It was nowhere near as powerful as the Spear of Narcese, nor did it possess any magical qualities, but it was still a fine piece of Imperial craftsmanship. The blacksmiths who forged with starmetal were the best in the Empire and Zigarete was more than capable of wielding their creations with deadly force and efficiency. That was a good thing, because if things didn't go well in the next few minutes, she may have to.

"Grand Inquisitor Silverspear, what a lovely surprise." Captain Garth said in a tone which indicated that it was anything but. "Why have you graced us with your presence today?" The balding captain raised his eyes from the parchment he had been busily working on and stood up from his uncomfortable wooden chair.

"Cut the crap Garth. You know exactly why I'm here." Zigarete said coldly. She didn't have time for the game that the captain was playing. If Zigarete didn't capture the escaped sorcerer soon she would be screwed, literally. She didn't fancy the idea of being demoted to a royal bed warmer or the idea of ending up as some monstrous brute's plaything.

The captain raised both of his hands defensively. "Now, now, I've absolutely no idea what you're talking about." He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Zigarete wasn't sure if this was out of habit or if he was making an ill attempt to threaten her, but she wasn't taking any chances. She kept her spear at the ready. The two guards in the back of the room, who until now had been idly observing until now, stepped forward. Everyone was on the edge of a knife, and it wasn't going to take much pressure for someone to start bleeding.

"I know about your recent transgressions, captain. You have been purposefully overlooking the checks I ordered to be done in return for getting your dick wet." Zigarete banged the bottom of her spear against the floor. "And now you may have just let an extremely dangerous sorcerer escape Cliffside. I suggest you start cooperating fast." She paused. "Or don't, it's your choice. I just got a new stretcher delivered to the dungeon yesterday. I've been dying to test it out." The threat lingered in the air and zapped Garth of his guile.

"Ah shit. That scrawny bastard was a sorcerer?" The captain exclaimed. He knew better than to ignore Zigarete's threats. The last guard to interfere with a sorcerer investigation died after three days of pain-filled, blood-soaked interrogation.

"Who is this 'scrawny bastard'?" Zigarete pressed.

"A young guy called Jonn and his ashborn servant came through here. Claimed he was a merchant from across the Burning Sea. His servant girl said some cren-shit about his religion stopping him from undressing or something. I knew he was lying, but I thought he was just smuggling out some black market gog-root under his cloak." The captain sat back down at his desk. "It'd been a long day, and I wasn't keen on filling out all the repossession paperwork, so we decided to have a bit of fun with his ashborn servant instead. Freaky girl that one." The captain scratched the top of his balding head. "They were the only ones who we let through without a full search... recently. Your person on the inside must be good if they picked up on us that quickly."

She was. But Zigarete wasn't about to confirm her, or any of her other spies' existence to Captain Garth. As forthcoming as Garth was being, she didn't trust him in the slightest. Plus, she still hadn't made up her mind on whether to torture him or not. Zigarete's displeasure was evident on her face. Her eyes shot molten death at the three men in front of her. After a moment of thinking, she determined her next course of action. Sadly, it was looking like the stretcher would have to get a workout some other day. Every moment she wasted, the sorcerer would be getting further away from Cliffside, further away from her reach.

"How long ago did this happen?" She asked. If it was only a few hours ago then she would be in a much better position to track him down. If not, she was going to need help. Help from someone she would much rather avoid ever seeing again.

"Late yesterday afternoon." The captain replied.

"Well congratulations Captain Garth." Zigarete said as she shook her head, her contempt bubbling over. "You and your men's dicks have just volunteered you for an extended expedition outside Cliffside's borders." Captain Garth began to speak but was interrupted. "Don't worry, in your absence, your oh-so-vital position will be well looked after by one of your subordinates. You got us into this position captain, and you are going to help get us out of it." Garth tried to speak again but Zigarete continued to talk over the top of him. "You have until sundown to gather a dozen men suitable to join us on our noble journey. We will catch them, captain, or else." Zigarete didn't need to explain to Garth what the 'or else' meant, he had a pretty good idea.

"Yes, Grand Inquisitor." Garth stumbled over his words. He had plenty of objections to raise but none of them were getting him out of this predicament, he was going to have to take his lumps. He looked over to the two other men in the room and began to shout orders. "Go rally first patrol and tell them to gear up. Also, get the two men that were on customs with me yesterday, Borris and Sten." If Garth was going to be punished, his two accomplices that had joined in yesterday's festivities would too.

Without a word Zigarete left the customs tent and headed towards the Inquisition headquarters. There was one more person she would need if she had any hope of catching the fleeing sorcerer. A man that she loathed with every ounce of her being, even more so than the sorcerers she hunted. A man that was so vile that tales of his ruthlessness made the Emperor himself offer him a job in person. She needed her ex-lover. She needed the Tracker.