The village of Dena was a few hours horse ride to the east, or so Nene had been told. After hastily thanking the priest for his hospitality, she left at dawn. The truth was that she had hardly slept that night, struggling with guilt.

Weariness set in, making it difficult to keep her head still as Oo, her horse, proceeded slowly along the path.

The vegetation gradually became thicker. It was said that outside the Principality savages worshipped blasphemous deities and used forbidden arts to grow dense forests, in which to hide and live like beasts. To the east, at the border of the land protected by the Church and the Archangel, oak groves were majestic, and inspired many poets. Nene was an avid reader, she used to spend her free time immersed in their poems, however seeing that dense forest with her own eyes caused her fear and disgust. It might have appeared as a marvel of creation to an artist's eye, but she knew the sinister truth behind that supposed natural paradise. She noticed a small pile of stones, along the path, arranged in a circle. People in that region used them as signals for travellers. They indicated that the path was leading to a town. In the absence of a proper direction system as in the capital, it was reassuring to have some clues to follow.

«Let's keep going, Oo»

She spurred the horse, which increased its pace. She rummaged in her purse, looking for something to eat, when she suddenly recalled something: the purification rite. It was against the Inquisition’s dogma to take the life of an innocent, and against the laws of nature taught by the Archangel to commit murder. The Inquisition purged the damned in the name of God. Still, after a purge, it was fundamental to make amends, and invoke forgiveness through a specific ritual. She had to perform it as soon as possible, as soon as she got to Dena, or she risked losing her soul.

She looked at the piece of bread she was holding: she was hungry, she hadn't touched food the previous night. However, she decided to keep fasting, as a sign of repentance for being late with the rite. Reluctantly, she closed her bag and went back to look at the road. She felt so tired…

She awoke from her slumber, hearing the sound of running water. Sleep and hunger had gotten the better of her. She raised her half-closed eyes to the sky: the light that filtered through the fronds dazzled her. It was about noon since the sun was high. Oo had continued to follow the trail, and his trot had lulled her almost to sleep. However, the horse had stopped in front of a small river. Nene dismounted from the saddle, grabbed the bridle, and accompanied him towards the water. The animal began to drink. She took the opportunity to look around, hoping to recover from her sleepiness a bit. She saw no bridges of any kind. The road stopped as soon as it reached the river and resumed its course just beyond it. They had to go through it.

«Well, let's try it out», she told herself.

The water was clear, to the point she could see the stony bottom of the river. Oo could cross it without difficulty, she just had to convince him. She mounted again.

«Let's go, buddy», she encouraged him.

She caressed her horse's neck, which snorted and took hesitant steps. Water enveloped his paws. Nene continued to talk to him and caress him. They advanced one step at a time, very slowly, until they had completely crossed. Oo shook his head, and Nene smiled.

«Good job. Thanks, I couldn't have done it on my own»

Nene had always had a habit of talking to animals, so much so that sister Liaria, another cadet, had mocked her in front of the whole dormitory on several occasions, especially after she had been seen conversing with one of the fighting dogs trained by the Church's Knights. In truth, Nene had never managed to make many friends among the other cadets and, after that episode, her reputation had plummeted. Years later, however, she had brilliantly passed the selection and received the Archangel's blessing. She smiled at the memory of Liaria’s jealous face that day.

Ahead of her, the path went deeper and deeper into the woods. She had to arrive before nightfall, or she might have gotten lost. Her best hope was to be on the right track. The woods grew thicker and thicker. Nene was born in the Capital, and raised in the Citadel, the seat of the Church, so she was used to urban environments. The sounds of almost untouched nature put her on the alert, the twilight brought to her mind horrible stories, stories older cadets and Liaria had terrorised her with when she was still a child. All those stories of witchcraft, of dark sects that worshipped the Evil One... It was as if she was living the prologue of one of those legends: a young girl all alone, entering unaware into a deep, cursed grove.

She took a breviary from her bag, hoping to distract herself. She read a few lines, notes written by her during one of many master Inquisitors' sermons. They were old notes, she deduced, both from her handwriting and from the content, on the importance of silver-embroidered garments, useful for chasing away the damned, who felt pain by mere contact. She made sure she had the cloak tied tightly around her neck. Then, she heard a familiar sound, of creaking wood and running water: a mill.

The mill wheel was spinning lazily, pushed by the weak current of the river she had just crossed. She approached the stone building.

«Is anyone there?», she said aloud.

She got no answer. Through a half-opened wooden door, she saw the millstone in motion. There appeared to be grain in the millstone, a sign that the structure was not abandoned. She had hoped the miller could give her directions, but they weren't there. However, she noticed the signs of the wheels of a cart, which from the entrance to the mill headed along the dirt road. She followed them, since they could have led her to a settlement before nightfall.

A few minutes later, Nene reached a stone bridge. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing an unequivocal sign of civilization. She had no idea how far she was from the borders of the Principality, and wondered why people would ever settle in such a place. Crossing the bridge, she saw a house built with huge tree trunks, almost camouflaged in the middle of the forest. Then a second, and a third: a whole village was there. She slowed Oo down and came closer to the settlement. The sound of human voices and distant farm animals soothed her: she was no longer alone in the forest.She saw an old man, wearing a straw hat, weaving a rope at the back of a house. She trotted towards him.

«Excuse me, sir…»

«Uh?», he murmured.

The man looked up absently and frowned. Nene had been informed that, at the borders, people were mostly ignorant of faith. She was not surprised that the man had not recognised her clothes.

«Is this the village of Dena?»

«Maybe…»

She sighed and dismounted from the horse. The man pretended to ignore her, but he had stopped weaving. The girl approached him, which made him even more cautious.

«I am a member of the Inquisition. I was summoned by the priest of the village of Dena»

«An Inquisitor?!», he marvelled. «So young…»

Nene pouted. She was sixteen years old. She was an adult, and she couldn't bear not being considered as such because of her height. She cleared her throat.

«Can you help me?»

«Sure, forgive me…», he stammered, bowing his head. «This is Dena. The church is in that direction, towards the lake. Follow the river»

«Good. Thank you», she replied through clenched teeth.

She remounted and followed the man’s directions. After just a hundred metres, she saw the daylight filtering through the trees: the forest gave way to a large clearing, bordering a crystalline lake. Several buildings similar to the houses she had seen in the woods were clustered around a small stone church. A cold breeze caressed her face, a sign that fall was about to come.

A child at the side of the path stared at her. She smiled at him, but he ran away. It wasn't the kind of reception she was used to: people were usually thrilled to see an Inquisitor. For sure someone like her stood out in that place. Several people were watching her: a woman walking along the path, carrying a basket; a man had stopped chopping wood on his stump, another was keeping an eye on her from inside his pig pen. Nene stood motionless. She told herself that everything was fine. Surely they didn't understand who she was, they thought she was just any foreigner. Perhaps her appearance intimidated them. After all, she carried a sword.

«Hey, you», a deep voice said.

Nene jolted: a colossal man walked towards her, so huge that their faces were almost at the same height even though she was on horseback. He had shaggy red hair and beard and was looking at her. He wore a simple shirt and pants, similar to the other inhabitants. On top of that, he had a white apron, dirty with something she couldn’t recognise.

«H-hello…», she stammered.

«You're putting on quite a show here», he said reproachfully.

He got so close that she could smell sweat mixed with food. He continued to speak to her, in a lower voice.

«Is that you, the Inquisitor?»

Nene felt relieved. That giant had struck her in awe, but there was no reason to fear him. Behind him, she saw the boy she had met just before. Seeing her coming, he had run to warn the man wearing the apron. She must have misunderstood the situation, perhaps still scared by the trip into the woods.

«Exactly, I was summ…»

«Shh! Shut your mouth!»

She was dumbfounded. A villager was giving her orders and was trying hard to conceal her identity. What was happening in that village?

«I have to… meet the priest…», she whispered.

«I know. Come with me. Trust me»

Without waiting for an answer, the stranger walked towards the village. After a few steps, he turned around again, realising that Nene wasn't following him.

«Hurry up, little girl», he ordered. «My name is Argor, I won’t eat you»

Nene obeyed. She was intimidated to the point that she didn't know how to behave. The abrupt manners of that man prompted her to follow him without fighting back. She and Oo followed suit, as people were still watching her. They walked among the wooden buildings. The village seemed much more prosperous than the one she had previously visited, despite being located in an even more remote area. The houses were large and well-built, with smoking chimneys. Small dirt roads branched off throughout the village, bordered by wooden fences. They passed a sawmill, powered by a waterwheel. Several people were working, carrying huge logs to a mechanism equipped with a vertical saw. That type of technology wasn't rudimentary at all. Nene remembered having seen similar ones in the countryside around the Capital, she never expected to find something like this at the edges of the world.

They walked along an alley that led away from the town centre. Nene could see the church from down there, so tall the bell tower was. She took courage and spoke.

«Where are we going? The church is over there»

Argor snorted, stopped walking, and looked into her eyes.

«Listen… Father Cosco said so. He will explain everything, have a little patience»

«But… the church…»

«Young girl, you may be an Inquisitor, but maybe you should listen to the adults, sometimes»

Without giving her a chance to reply, he resumed walking. Nene followed him, incredulous: her role seemed irrelevant down there. Was she in danger? How could she manage without people’s cooperation? The Church instructed common folks on how to behave to prevent and contain damnation, but what if she had ended up in such a remote place that the locals didn't know the Archangel's words? It would have been like entering enemy territory. Yet that village had its own church, and a priest had sent a letter to the Citadel asking for help, so it couldn't be the case, could it?

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They stopped in front of a large two-story structure, the lower one made of stone, the upper one of wood, covered by a plank roof. A small stable stood in front of the building, a pair of horses resting inside. A woman with a pitchfork was foraging for them. She smiled at Argor, but not at her.

«Anita, you can take the day off», the man said.

«Something wrong?», she asked.

«No, no», he lied. He pointed to Nene. «The lil’ princess over there is a niece of Cosco’s. Be a good girl, say hello to Anita»

«Uhm… hello…», she obeyed.

«Oh, does Cosco have a family? I had no idea. Then tell me, sweetheart, where are you from? A noble house or something? What are you doing here?»

Nene glanced at her guide, who jumped into the conversation.

«Can't you see she's shy? Let her be, you…! Here»

He took a few coins out of his purse and gave them to the woman, who smiled satisfied.

«See you tomorrow, then»

The stablewoman walked humming towards the village. Argor breathed a sigh of relief.

«You can tie up the horse there. I’ll wait for you inside. In the meantime I'll send my apprentice home»

She followed the instructions. Oo seemed very calm, unlike Nene. Why was Argor trying to conceal her identity from the villagers? She hadn't sensed anything evil in the people she'd interacted with. Could she trust him?

She looked at the building. It was an inn, but something wasn't right: it was unlikely there were many travellers in that region. By no coincidence that was notoriously one of the poorest lands in the Principality. As if that weren't enough, the village had a mill, a sawmill, and a relatively large church, as if some master architect from the Capital had designed those buildings for them. Or rather, as if they had taught them how to build them themselves. Was it the work of man, or that of the Evil One?

She left her bags on Oo's back, in case she had to flee. After making sure she had both her sword and silver dagger with her, she took a deep breath and went in. The main hall was quite dark. The extremely high ceiling was made of raw wooden beams. At the centre of the room stood a large, dark wooden counter. Behind it, a young man was arguing with Argor.

«But... we have to finish preparing the stew. What are you gonna do about the guests' dinner?»

«I'll take care of the stew», Argor explained. «Come back after dark, I'll need you»

«If you say so… You aren’t going to take the day off my pay, are you?»

«No, no, you don't get it. I just want you to get off… To take a break»

«Are you feeling alright? I can go get Nila»

«No need. Come on, fuck off! Tonight there will be all the work you want, waiting for you»

The boy ran a hand through his long blond hair. Nene realised how different the people looked over there, compared to the Capital: they were all very tall, big and wild-looking.

«As you wish, boss», he gave up. «At least let me take these potato peels outside»

The young man carried an enormous canvas sack over his shoulder as if it were weightless.

«Take the back door. Oh, actually there’s something you could do for me»

«What is it?»

«Go and call Father Cosco. Tell him I'd like to see him here as soon as possible»

«As you wish»

The boy looked worriedly at his master and glared at Nene. When she finally saw him walk away, she breathed a sigh of relief.

«Make yourself comfortable», Argor invited her.

The room was littered with tables and chairs. In one corner, a large hearth was crackling. A cauldron was resting above it, which gave off a good scent. Instinctively, Nene went to sit in front of the fire.The innkeeper began to stir the contents of the cauldron. The aroma captivated Nene, so much so that it must have been obvious by her face.

«You hungry, little one?»

«I… I'm fasting. For my sins»

«Sounds tough... Listen, are all folks from the Inquisition like you?»

«What do you mean?»

«How do I put it? Father Cosco sent a letter to the Church, and all they sent us is a midget in a nice dress?»

Nene glared at him, but he didn't flinch. He continued to hum as he stirred with a wooden spoon.

«These robes protect me from the touch of the damned», she explained. «I passed the selection and received the blessing from the Archangel Himself, I’m no midget, sir!»

«You mean you saw the Archangel? Does he really exist, then?», he marvelled.

Nene could not believe that such blasphemy was being uttered in her presence as if nothing.

«How can you doubt it?!»

For the first time since meeting him, the big man hesitated, perhaps surprised by her sudden change of tone. He sat in front of her, took a handkerchief out of his pocket, and rubbed his hands with it. Nene took a breath: she had lost her temper and had jumped on her feet. She sat back up.

«Did your priest not instruct you about the Archangel and the Evil One?»

«He did his best, I guess. Listen, your Citadel is so far away that hardly anyone here gives a damn about your war»

«It's not "our war", the Archangel is trying to protect people from the Evil One!»

«How is he? The Archangel», he asked.

Nene calmed down. Antagonising the populace would not have served the mission. She could have compiled a report on the local situation once the work was done, so that the Church would send more scholars to the region, to better educate its inhabitants.

«He does not manifest His physical form in front of mortals. It is said that just looking at Him could incinerate a human»

«Wow!… So how did he bless you? How do you know it was him?»

Her anger gave way to compassion: it was commendable for an ignorant person to be curious about things. She couldn't blame him if his questions were unknowingly blasphemous.

«His voice alone is enough to grant His gifts. Inside the Citadel, in the Conclave, a forbidden place where the Archangel resides, there I heard His words»

Argor nodded, enraptured by the conversation.

«How was it? Did you feel something?»

«Pain», she admitted.

«How come?»

«It is said that when the Archangel blesses someone, He gives them a part of Himself. Our bodies are not meant to accommodate such a thing, so they initially feel pain. After a few days, I was fine»

«Just like a disease?»

Someone knocked on the inn’s door. Argor went to open it. A rather young man came in. He wore a dark robe, his head was shaved. It had to be Father Cosco. He was carrying a shoulder bag that seemed to weigh heavily on him.

«Are you all right, pal?»

«I've had better days…»

The two walked to the counter. Argor grabbed two pints and filled them from a barrel of ale. He offered one to the priest, and they took a sip together.

«You wanted to see me?», the priest asked.

The innkeeper nodded in Nene's direction, and only then did the priest notice her.

«Oh, God! An Inquisitor!»

The priest grabbed his pint, hurried awkwardly towards her, and gave her a slight bow.

«Are you Father Cosco?»

«I am. Thank you for answering my call»

He sat next to her. Argor joined them. Nene, tired, hungry and distracted by the smell of stew, had a hard time staying alert. She still didn't know if she could trust those two, given the unusual situation, but her gaze kept falling on those foaming pints.

«It is my duty. However, I demand an explanation: why so much secrecy?»

The two exchanged a look. Nene prepared to reach for her sword.

«Forgive us for the unusual welcome», the priest explained. «I thought it was wise not to tell the entire village of your coming. Let me show you»

With both hands, he pulled a large alembic from his shoulder bag. It was filled with water. cloudy water. Red streams floated inside the container. When she realised what it was, Nene gagged.

«A few days ago, the farrier entered the church, scared. He said he saw blood in the urn of holy water»

Mass was the practice by which the Church kept an eye on the activities of the Evil One. The faithful were gathered regularly, and they submitted to the imposition of the cross or of the water blessed with it. Both rites caused an immediate reaction in the servants of the Evil One, thus allowing them to be identified as soon as possible.

«This is a rural village, Inquisitor. Even a priest like me has to help with manual work. So I usually leave an urn outside the church in case someone who missed mass needs it»

Nene nodded. She hated that the common practice hadn't been applied, but at least she had to acknowledge the priest’s good intentions.

«So I'll have to purge the farrier»

Argos laughed. He took a sip of beer and watched her mockingly.

«Life doesn't mean much to you, am I right?»

«We value life more than anything else, except the salvation of the soul», she replied like a textbook.

«Please, calm down, both of you», Cosco interjected. «Argor, the Inquisitor could never harm an innocent»

«Of course not, it's against the tenets of my order. Wait… An innocent?»

«Yeah. The farrier is not damned. I used the cross on his forehead, he’s clean. This blood does not belong to him»

«To whom, then?»

…

«We have no idea»

Nene shivered. She took a moment to think, trying to figure out the implications.

«A… fugitive?», she concluded.

«Well yes. I fear that whoever they are, they’ve gone into hiding»

She brought both hands to her forehead, shocked. Cases of fugitives were extremely rare, and every Inquisitor's nightmare. There were no specific procedures on how to handle such cases. According to her studies, it hadn't occurred in years. Thanks to the widespread diffusion of churches in every corner of the Principality, the faith taught by the Archangel had become common knowledge. Not even the craziest of persons would have avoided surrendering themself to the Inquisition, had they discovered being damned. To not get God's forgiveness was the worst fate that could happen, everyone knew that.

«The village is in danger. We have to do something!»

«Please calm down. There’s more»

«My God…»

«Since that day I have paid more attention during mass. I couldn't check every single inhabitant, or I would have revealed the situation, but luckily the village don't seem to be under an epidemic»

«Why? Why do you keep it a secret? People are in danger!»

«Wake up, girl!», Argor snapped. «What if the damned were still in the village, hiding?»

«Exactly», the priest said. «If the damned hides among us and we put them on alert, they might flee. Also, I don't want to cause a panic, or people might start taking justice into their own hands»

If the damned had left the village, they could contaminate other settlements, or join some sect just beyond the borders. Nene started thinking of a solution.

«What to do?», she said to herself.

«I'm afraid you'll have to go undercover», Cosco suggested. «I’ve crafted an alias for you. I also made Argor aware of everything, since I trust him»

Nene glared at the innkeeper, who sighed.

«Go ahead, if you really have to…»

She pulled the cross from a pocket under her cloak and brought it to his forehead. The Inquisitors were extremely sensitive to the presence of the Evil One, if she had found herself in front of a damned she would certainly have noticed, but a double check would have at least reassured her.

There was no reaction from the man. She did the same with the priest, getting the same result.

«So am I supposed to go around your village and discover a damned who is hiding, without asking people questions, and without using my authority as Inquisitor?»

«Forgive me, I haven't had a better idea»

«What would be my alias, then?»

«Didn't you hear what I said before?», Argor said. «I said you're Cosco's niece, visiting. If anyone asks questions, make it up that you're from the Capital. They can tell from a distance that you are not from these parts»

She observed her clothes, and compared them with those of the two: she would definitely catch attention.

The priest's plan was totally unheard of and ignored an endless list of safety procedures. Was there any other choice?

«I would like to think about what to do. For now, I will stick to your plan, Father Cosco»

«Uncle Cosco», the innkeeper said, grinning.

«Be blessed!», he rejoiced. «You will be a guest here at the inn at my expense for as long as you need. Help us, please»

Nene crossed her arms. The situation was dangerous, poorly documented, and mysterious, the ideal premise for getting herself killed. She should have been careful and thought of her next moves carefully. Too bad it was impossible, after almost a whole day of fasting.

«So be it. I'll start searching tomorrow. I have to take care of a personal matter first. Yesterday I visited another village, and I still haven't made amends…»

The priest's eyes widened. He seemed to understand and turned to the innkeeper.

«Argor, could you give the room with the tub to the Inquisitor?»

«Only the best for your niece?»

«No, this is serious»

The man wiped the mocking grin from his face and nodded.

«You'll have to fill it with cold water», the priest explained. «And get some common clothes for her»

«My name is Nene», she said. «If we're going to stage this little play, I guess you'll have to call me by name»

«Do you need anything else? Our village boasts an excellent herbalist»

«It would be nice»

It was sunset already. Father Cosco left. After recovering her luggage, Argor accompanied Nene along a narrow staircase leading to the upper floor. The attic of the inn was used as guestrooms. A narrow corridor led to a door slightly larger than the others.

«My best room, complete with a bathtub, as requested. It will take a while to fill it. Are you sure you want cold water?»

«Of course. Thank you»

«As you wish»

She entered the room. It was indeed a decent accommodation. The room was warm, probably above the hearth on the lower floor. A well-made bed was at the centre. It also had a table and chairs. In a corner, partially hidden by a canopy, she glimpsed the copper tub of which Argor was so proud. She shivered at the idea of using it, and of the day ahead. It was her second purge, and she was faced with a challenge already. She closed her eyes, praying that the Archangel would watch over her.