Chapter 16 - Instituitionalized Corruption

<---Chapter 15 - Repercussions|Table of Contents|Chapter 17 - Seductive Serpent--->

The arctech enforcer wagon rumbled as it crossed rugged and poorly maintained cobblestone streets, a far cry from the pristine capital of the Yual Dominion that Kitana was used to during her training. Her partner inquisitor grinned at her obviously uncomfortable face, smoking an Euria pipe.

The blue smoke drifted across his grey beard, with each breath relaxing his old, tired wrinkles that seemed to mark every part of his face.

“First time out of Tryas?” The old inquisitor joked as he retrieved more crushed Euria Seeds powder and placed them into his pipe.

“I’m afraid so,” Kitana muttered in reply, glancing through the back of the covered enforcer wagon. A grimy street trailed behind, with squatters half-drunk on the side of the road.

The entire pavement was half covered in piss, vomit or some other form of liquid. Gangs of young teenagers roamed the streets, harassing others, while dejected factory workers languished in piles of trash, blackout from overdoses of various black market concoctions.

It was vastly different from the prim and proper feeling of the Central Sector. Here in the South Sector, the fumes of the factories ballooned high above, while the dense streets were full of travellers, traders, mercenaries and exiles from not just the Yual Dominion but other nations past the border as well. It was a pure melting pot of cultures, people, and the lowest of scum.

“Statistics,” Kitana muttered to herself, her eyes darting around at seemingly nothing. So, I’m still level one – I guess Mother was right about having to kill people to level up. She glanced around the streets, smirking internally to herself. Plenty of targets here just asking to be killed accidentally in the line of duty.

She caught the old inquisitor glancing across at her, calming herself down. Better to play a zealous naïve girl for now to stave off any suspicion. The more naïve I make myself, the better.

Just as the wagon passed yet another common thug fight, Kitana stood up to stop the driver. The old inquisitor stood up to stop her as well, sitting her back down with a stern look. “Calm down, girl. Do you think you can take on all ten of them? Sit down and wait till we get to the office.”

Visibly fuming, she sat down back on her seat, glaring at the partner inquisitor. His old face showed no signs of anger or righteous fury. “What kind of inquisitor ignores crimes occurring against the Sanctum of Yual happening right before their very eyes?” Kitana kept up the act.

“The practical kind.” The old inquisitor sighed. “I’ve seen plenty like you get killed in no time because they have no tact. Want to survive long enough to make a difference? Play it cool.”

“How the hell did you become an inquisitor?”

“Because I do my job. No more, no less.”

“Isn’t your job to punish crimes?”

“Oh, dear. This is what they get when they send such a fresh girl straight from Tryas. Listen, girl, stay behind me and let me do most of the talking when we’re at the office, alright?” The old man sighed, continuing to puff his smoke. Kitana internally celebrated. Good, saves me the scrutiny.

The enforcer wagon soon stopped in front of a chapel, where the South Sector’s enforcers’ headquarters was. “We’re here, esteemed inquisitors. Welcome to the Magda.”

The Magda was the South Sector’s enforcer headquarters - a block of buildings centred around the main chapel, providing the logistics and support necessary to each of its enforcer branches situated in each district. Thousands of cases and reports were handled here, as well as equipment procurement.

The old inquisitor and Kitana hopped out the back of the wagon, following their driver. They were led not into the chapel but into a side office building. Floors upon floors of administrative clerks handled requests for arcite ore or fuel, enforcer wagon repairs and arctech equipment. Arctech phone lines rang non-stop to the station while stressed interns ran about with stacks upon stacks of paper. Printing press shuddered violently as they operated nonstop, copies of case evidence and documentation churning out in a never-ending stream.

The two inquisitors walking through the office drew many eyes and whispering from the other enforcers, their white uniforms and decorative lapels sticking out like a sore thumb. Everyone they passed bowed to them, with the old inquisitor simply smiling and waving them off.

They soon reached their destination: the Bishop’s office.

A grand room with a ceiling two stories high, bookshelves lining the walls as the light from the sunset shone through the stained glass windows, filled with depictions from the Sanctum of Yual.

“Ah, Mason. Thank Yual that they posted you here instead of that oaf Fredrinn.” The Bishop smiled as she got out of her chair. Kitana noted her scarred hands as they approached the table, which was filled with piles of papers requesting her approval.

Mason chuckled as he came to a stop in front of the table, giving a half-hearted mock salute. “Inquisitor Mason and Inquisitor Kitana, at your service, Bishop Vernette.”

“This young? Are they sure about this? I would have thought the posh ones would have all remained in Tryas, or maybe sent to a coastal city in the north.” Vernette commented as she examined Kitana from head to toe.

“Or maybe someone above has other plans for her. Who knows.” Mason replied with a half-shrug before walking towards a sofa on the side and plopping down, retrieving his Euria Pipe again. “So, what’s the deal?”

“I think it’s better if I let Baron Cain do the talking. He’ll be here any minute. Would you like a drink, Kitana?” Vernette sat back in her chair, smiling gently.

“What deal are we talking about here? Are we not here to clean up the city?” Kitana ignored the offer, still playing the naïve zealous girl. She also had to put up such an act in front of the Bishop.

Vernette simply shot a fierce glare at Mason, who laughed in response. “Girl, as I said, let me do most of the talking here.”

“My name isn’t girl, it’s –“

Before Kitana could finish, the doors to the office swung wide open, with Baron Cain walking in flanked by two knights. The baron was decked from head to toe in ‘luxury’: a posh velvet cap, a well-pressed suit adorned with jewels and initials at the cuffs, and a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, nicely folded marked with the insignia of the Yual Dominion. The knights were equally domineering, clad in arctech armour with engravings all over the painted metal.

“Ah, my requested inquisitors have finally arrived,” Cain smiled with open arms as he did not bow nor salute to any of them, strutting across the room. With a loud plop, he sat comfortably on the sofa next to Mason while the bishop and two inquisitors immediately stood up and bowed with respect.

Nobility was far higher than those in the religious order, so even Bishop Vernette had to bow. Someone had to pay the budget.

“Hmm, you seem familiar,” Cain remarked as he took a closer look at Mason.

“Yes, sir, I’ve worked here before with your father on a different operation previously in this city a decade or so ago. Inquisitor Mason at your service. Though I won’t claim to know the intricacy of the underground any longer.” Mason said respectfully.

“Ah! Then you’re the best man for the job. The nature of this operation is the same as before, and I’m sure you’ll meet a lot of old faces. I’m short on time and have a party to attend in an hour, so let’s get right to it. You two, bring out the map.”

The two accompanying knights walked into the centre of the office, rolling out a map of the city that had already been marked by red lines and red stars indicating points of interest. “Unlike the other sectors in Raktor, the South Sector is relatively stable. However, it is this stability that is hurting my finances. I take it you understand, Mason?” Baron Cain raised his eyebrows, taking note of Mason’s expression.

Mason immediately bowed. “Of course. You want us to rough up the current status quo. Keep them on their toes. Knock the gangs down a peg.”

“Exactly. But not too much, lest they start to move their ratholes around.” The baron held a wide grin on his face before his expression became even more solemn.

So, beat up the gangs a little to shake some money from their pockets. A protection racket, but run by the Baron. Intriguing. Kitana listened intently.

“There is another reason why I have asked for you all to come here. There have been a few spies smuggling guns out of our military factories and bases that are contracted to produce new types of guns and various classified arctech equipment. We lost a shipment a month ago, and I’m sure Bishop Vernette here recalls how that went.”

“Poorly. We didn’t find a single trace of it. Perhaps you can consider increasing the budget – twenty enforcers to a district of thousands is hardly enough.” Bishop Vernette shot back.

“You can’t get military equipment out without having an insider somewhere in the military,” Mason remarked. “If we don’t have access to the military personnel itself, it would be difficult to clamp down on it.”

“That’s for the military to solve, not us. We don’t have the legal authority to do so anyway. However, it is clear that another gang or smuggling organisation within the South Sector is helping that said insider. And I want to know who. If it’s that slimy Sebastian, I want to know immediately.”

“Sebastian is still around? Interesting.” Mason took a closer look at the map on the floor, counting the number of red stars marked. “That’s… that’s a lot of factories. Do we even have enough enforcers to cover them?”

“You don’t. I’m not planning to give you any more money until you prove your worth. Get the gangs to pay me, and maybe we can talk about increasing the budget.”

“Any leads?” Mason asked.

“None as of now,” Bishop Vernette replied in place of the Baron. “But there are mild suspicions that it is the work of a foreign nation trying to steal our military technology. Or it could be neighbouring Kregol and Perial trying to get the upper hand on us.”

“Those damn backwater counties are always jealous of Raktor. I have a good mind to petition the Duke for a tribunal against them.” Baron Cain scoffed. “Regardless of who it is, under no circumstances can the technology be leaked any more, especially if it is being sold to the civilian population. That last shipment was the final straw. The other barons have already increased checkpoints and security at the exit and entrances of the city.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. We’re here to protect some random factories instead of cleaning up the city?” Kitana interrupted the baron, her naïve zealous act on full display. “From what I’ve seen on my way here, this entire Sector is a lawless place! If you knew about it, you would have raised the budget immediately.”

Baron Cain was slightly taken aback before an incredulous expression took over his face as he glanced between Mason and Vernette, who simply shook their heads in response.

“What? Why the fuck has everyone been hiding stuff from me ever since I got here?” Kitana challenged the three of them.

“Mason, could you please do the honours?” Cain motioned with his hands.

“Yes, sir.” Mason bowed before walking sternly up to Kitana.

“Wha-“ Kitana’s face was punched hard by Mason, the sound of her cheekbone cracking from the blunt force. Before she could stumble backwards, Mason grabbed her by the uniform’s collar and kicked the back of her knees, forcing her to kneel in front of the Baron.

Kitana groaned in pain as she held her broken nose, her mind spinning as blood trickled down through the seams between her fingers, staining the carpet. “What’s her name?” Cain asked Vernette.

“It’s Kitana, sir. I’m afraid she’s fresh from Tryas.”

“Fresh from Tryas… Well then.” Cain got up, patting his suit down before walking over to Kitana and standing in front of her. “One rule to learn during your short, pitiful life here: don’t you FUCKING talk back to me. Ever. I pay the bills around here, so I’m the law. Got it? As for the rest of you, I expect to see results.” Cain spat on her head before leaving with the two knights out through the door.

The moment Baron Cain left, Mason immediately took out a Health Potion and stuffed it down Kitana’s mouth, forcing her to drink it. The green aura slowly mended her face, but the blood stains were still all over her face and floor.

“Girl, I already told you to leave the talking to me. What were you thinking, shouting like that?” Mason sighed as he let Kitana down to rest on the floor.

“Mason.” Bishop interrupted him with a stern expression. “If she doesn’t change, she’s going to die here immediately. You know someone above is counting on that.”

Kitana was still slightly conscious, hearing them speak. She struggled to get up, with Mason helping her up. “Who? Who is going to kill me?”

“Don’t you know why some fresh graduating inquisitors are sent to Raktor?” Mason asked. “It’s usually because of three things: one, you’re too talkative. Two, you’re too zealous. Three, you’re too naïve. And as far as I can tell, you’re all three of them.”

Might be true for the other nine, but they don’t know I’m the only one who volunteered myself because it’s where the most action happens… legally.

Kitana grumbled as she stood back upright, slapping away the hand offered by Mason. “You’re telling me they trained me to be an inquisitor so I can look the other way? I still don’t understand what the fuck is the purpose of us coming here!”

Mason suddenly pulled out an arctech pistol, aiming it right at Kitana’s head. Kitana’s training instinctively kicked in, with her trying to draw her pistol as well. However, her pistol was missing.

“Recognize this?” Mason motioned with his head to the pistol, which was clearly nicked from Kitana.

“The truth is this: You’re a young, naïve, half-baked inquisitor who was sent here to die. Do you know why they don’t have to assassinate you? Because, based on your current attitude, you would have died in less than a day out on the streets of Raktor. You can’t even defend yourself or keep your pistol secured - what hope do you have against the gangs?” Mason berated her. “If I kill you right now, it would be a mercy.”

The sound of the arctech pistol’s safety being clicked frightened Kitana, her heart pounding as she stared at the barrel aimed right at her forehead. Mason’s hand suddenly jerked, causing Kitana to flinch instinctively. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw that Mason had tossed the pistol on the floor instead.

“Your safety was off,” Mason remarked as he sat back down on the sofa. “Girl, look. I will do everything in my power to keep you alive for the duration of this operation. Once this is over, you can return to your zealous, holier-than-thou solo crusade and kill yourself for all I care. At least it’s off my record. Follow me, and I’ll train you to survive. Do we have a deal?”

Kitana nodded. “What are we going to do about protecting the factories? We don’t have enough bodies to cover all of them.”

“I heard there are a few organisations around this Sector that specialise in protection; let’s knock down some doors tomorrow with a bit of lethal force. Maybe talk with Sebastian. For now, get some rest first.”

The two of them were shown to their quarters, a luxurious studio apartment. Kitana checked the room before closing the curtains, ensuring no one was spying on her.

She nearly couldn’t stop the wide grin on her face as she checked her statistics again. I was right to choose Raktor – I’m going to surpass my siblings within a year. With this much EXP running around the streets waiting to be killed, who can stop me now?

<---Chapter 15 - Repercussions|Table of Contents|Chapter 17 - Seductive Serpent--->