There was far too much work to catch up on. Caeli Oratori, Inquisitor for the Church of the Goddess, yawned as she reviewed a case proposed for hearing. Beside the folder and arrayed sheets of paper on her desk was a disassembled pistol, the parts of which she was cleaning. Caeli often found it difficult to focus on her work of late, preferring instead to practice her skills as a gunner. However, her obligations to the Church could not be ignored, regardless of whether or not she enjoyed the tasks she had to perform.

The case before her was like most any other. One neighbour accuses another of heresy because of a past difference between them, the other denies it, and the entire matter must then be taken to an inquisitor because of it. Most such cases were quickly dropped, but some were indeed centred in truth. None could therefore simply be ignored, which often resulted in such differences to quickly fill an inquisitor's schedule. Unfortunately, harsh punishment for bringing forth obviously false claims failed to deter greatly from the practice.

Caeli scrawled some notes on a sheet of paper, which she added to the folder. There was sufficient evidence to warrant a hearing. Withdrawing her datebook from the desk drawer, the young Inquisitor found an open spot four days from the next. She pencilled in the hearing for late morning and closed her datebook, yawning again as she did so.

Glancing at the time on her wristwatch, Caeli decided that she had worked enough for the day. She gathered all the papers related to her new case and replaced them into their folder. Securing it with an elastic band, she placed the folder at the top of a disorganised pile of nearly identical folders. Reassembling her pistol, Caeli idly wondered how she would manage to find it among its kin in the morning, but decided that she would cross that bridge when she got there.

Straightening out her desktop, she stretched and rose from her desk, turning off the lamp. As she closed the door to her office and left the Inquisition Offices, her bed seemed to grow more appealing by the second.

The next day proved to be a break in routine. Upon awaking, Caeli learned from an aide that Inquisitor-Captain Abrams wished to see her as soon as possible. Groaning, she reasoned that the Inquisitor-Captain could at least wait for her to shower and eat a decent breakfast. Twenty minutes later, she was in her superior's office, handgun on her hip and notebook in hand.

Inquisitor-Captain Abrams wore a look of perpetual sternness and displeasure. His grin bore more resemblance to a smirk than a smile, and in all her years of being his student and later subordinate, Caeli Oratori had never once heard the man laugh. His manner of speaking was blunt to an extreme and often reproachful, but rarely did it ever contain any malice--at least not to his peers or subordinates. Today, her superior wore a sterner look than the norm.

As Caeli closed the door to his office behind her, he put his work aside and motioned for her to sit. He did not look at all pleased. Removing a massive folder from a drawer in his desk, Abrams noticed his half-finished cigarette sitting in the simple ashtray on his desk. Contemplating it a moment, he reached over and crushed it adroitly.

The Inquisitor-Captain removed the elastic band from around the massive folder and opened it before him on his desk blotter. Caeli could see that the label on the folder read Firestorm, J. Grasping a pen, the Inquisitor-Captain began tapping its top against the stack of wearing paper, refreshing himself on the general facts. After a moment, his tapping slowed and stopped, and he fixed Caeli with a less-than-flattering gaze--much to her discomfort.

"Inquisitor Oratori," he began, disappointment thick in each syllable, "I have been considering offering you this assignment. However, there is a--" He tapped his pen again and let it fall to the desk. "A problem."

Caeli cleared her throat. "A problem, sir?" The Inquisitor-Captain nodded.

"Given your record, I am uncertain of your ability to handle such a delicate and demanding assignment."

"Regardless of my record, sir, I can assure that I am willing to undertake any assignment given to me, and that I would perform to the best of my abilities." As she spoke, Abrams fished a package of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, and lit one with a lighter from the same pocket. He took a drag from the lit cigarette and frowned as Caeli finished.

Grasping a sheet of paper atop a small stack of folders, he took another drag and began reading.

"12th of Snowbreak, a twenty-five-year-old woman tried for witchery, Inquisitor Oratori presiding. Subject found guilty and sentenced to forty-five lashes and twenty days' confinement." As the Inquisitor-Captain read, his voice gained a tone of interested surprise.

"30th of Zephyrwind, a fifty-year-old man tried for heresy against doctrine, Inquisitor Oratori presiding. Subject found guilty and sentenced to five months' confinement."

"7th of Bloodwind, a thirty-eight-year-old man tried for heresy against doctrine, Inquisitor Oratori presiding. Subject found not guilty due to lack of evidence and released. Upon further investigation, subject was found guilty by Inquisitor Teminos. No new evidence had been presented."

Abrams leaned forward in his chair and spoke coldly. "Need I continue, Inquisitor Oratori?"

Caeli shook her head. "No, Inquisitor-Captain."

"Then explain." Intimidated--and perhaps frightened--by her teacher and Captain, Caeli fought to keep her voice steady.

"I used my best judgement in trying these cases, sir. If I have erred, I apologise and ask for your forgiveness." Crushing his cigarette again while only half-expended, the Inquisitor-Captain leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.

"These are heretics, Inquisitor Oratori; they deserve no leniency from you, our organisation, or anyone else." He righted himself and took his pen in had, absently flipping it about with his fingers. "I trust you understand that."

Caeli nodded. "Yes, sir, I do." She was growing increasingly uncomfortable, and was beginning to sweat. This was not going well.

Abrams frowned. "Then I can expect competence from you for the duration of this assignment?"

"Sir? Uhh, yes, Inquisitor-Captain." This caught Caeli by surprise. She was expecting further berating, and would not have been surprised had he suspended her. Instead, he leaned forward in his chair and handed Caeli the ridiculously thick folder on the Firestorm case.

Overwhelmed, Caeli rose from her chair and fumbled with an elastic to bind the folder, nearly spilling its contents in the process.

"We begin tomorrow," Inquisitor-Captain Abrams informed her. "Familiarise yourself with the case in the meantime."

"Yes, sir." She moved to the door and opened it, but a thought occurred to her, and she turned. "What of my current workload, sir?" Her superior waved a hand in dismissal.

"My aide will reassign your work for an indefinite period. This is an extended assignment, Inquisitor."

"Yes, sir." Stepping through the door, Caeli was happy to quickly put some distance between herself and that room.

Back in her own office, Caeli Oratori resisted the urge to clean her second pistol. Simply staring at the mound of information that was the Jahn Firestorm case was enough to make her spirits sink down to new lows. Her Captain had given her a day to review the information he gave her. In all honesty, she estimated she would need two weeks at least. Apparently, the next few days would be quite hectic for her.

Caeli exhaled heavily and steeled herself for the task presented her. It was probably impossible to compress two weeks' worth of study into one day, but somehow she would manage. In the end, her career as an inquisitor probably depended on her completing this assignment successfully. However, in the back of her mind, part of her wished to fail.