I fidgeted with my blank white mask in the fetid heat of the black barge. The holy braziers on the deck were pouring out hot smoke which drifted down through the half closed hatches turning the troop bay into an oven like purgatory and slicking my face with sweat. I stuck my fingers up under the edge of my mask and tried to use the entire thing as a makeshift fan for a few seconds but all I succeeded in doing was blasting my face with red hot air.


    Letting it drop from my sticky fingers back into position I leant back on the hard wooden pew and tried to ignore my discomfort. The stench of human bodies, incense, weapon oil and hot metal hung heavy in the still air as outside I could hear the repeated scraping of the barges clockwork motor blades glancing off the canals walls. Sometimes I thought that if there really was an Abyss then it would be waiting inside a black barge... Especially waiting to see if the violent madman you’re working for has caught up with the people you’re trying to keep away from him.


    Which is why I scowled (luckily it was hidden under my mask) when the door to the upper deck slammed open and Nightsbane swaggered down into the stinking boiling hold. Of course he wasn''t stuck down here with us that would never do. Instead he spent most of his time sitting pretty up on the bridge next to the Captain basking in the fresh cool night air only coming down to patronize us at regular intervals.


    Walking past the rows of bowing and scraping pyre-guardsmen he arrived at our corner of the hold and gestured for our attention.


    “Ok class,” he said, with pretension and sarcasm dripping from his tone in equal amounts. “A theoretical exercise whilst we wait, who can tell me the correct Inquisitorial capture procedure we should use in our current situation?”


    Valentine was about to answer as usual but for once Swain beat her to it.


    “Oh I know Inquisitor,” he simpered like a tame hound. “Capture procedure 81.4T?”


    “Don''t be ridiculous,” snorted Valentine. “We don''t have nearly enough Piranhas. It’s got to be 67.33G, that''s the most appropriate one for dealing with 4 magically enabled targets in a populated area.”


    “Valentine is correct in theory however on a practical test like the one you’re having next month hint hint,” he actually said that out loud... What a prick. “I would also accept 81.4T for the simple intimidation factor when dealing with any survivors, well done both of you.”


    I think they would have wagged their tails if they could have. I wanted to vomit... although that could be partially because of the choking smoke and the stench of sweat. As I thought that thought a tiny sound dragged me out of my stupor, the inquisitors Arcanum had begun to ring


    “Ok it’s time for another triangulation,” as he got up he turned back to us and beckoned. “You should see this as well. Who knows you might learn something.” This last was said with cocksure arrogance that caused the others to laugh and me to once again feel the rise of yesterday’s flat bread (the Inquisitions cloister-barracks are renowned for the quality of their education; less so for their meals). Honestly he was like a walking human grease stain.


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    Emerging up onto the deck I revelled in the ice cold night air. The barge was moving at quite some speed now, its clockwork motor burring away with a distinct rat-tat-tat, causing wind to slice across the deck and whip my robe into a frenzy of motion.


    I didn''t get to enjoy it for long of course. Nightsbane was already striding up the deck waving his arms at the nearby districts. “When stalking such cunning prey as a mage the most important thing is to never become complacent, an Arcanum may be able to track them, the Art may be able to harm them and a blade kill them but they are cunning, powerful and ruthless creatures especially in packs.”


    “Like the three we’re after right Sir?” Asked Swain ever the teacher’s pet.


    “Quite right Swain,” replied Nightsbane, ever happy to be pandered to. “Now for all we know they may have split up and scattered already and I do only have a lock on one of them. So just in case I want you to memorise all possible escape routes and hiding places you see as we cross this district in case we need to chase the remaining three down the old fashioned way.”


    The other initiates suitably distracted Nightsbane sat down on the armoured lip of the black barge and began to fiddle with the heavy device around his neck. Now I may have hated him but even I had to admit he was a true master of the Arcanum, which is why him having us watch was really just showing off. I knew we wouldn''t be allowed one of our own, even to train with, for at least two decades yet. But still he made sure all eyes were on him before he let his fingers dance across the ticksteel orb. Tapping here, caressing there, the ticking within the relic growing louder and louder as he deftly tuned it to an aether signature in its tape buffers. Even veteran inquisitors would have had trouble getting it aligned correctly in five minutes in less than two Nightsbane sat back with a smile and watched the orb intently.


    After a moment it pinged and a tiny hatch sprung open.


    It was honestly anticlimactic, Arcanum are hard to activate but when done successfully they just stick out a little glowy needle in the direction of the aether that they are tracking, no... Razzmatazz.


    Nightsbane looked out across the city and, as if responding to the whims of fate, the clouds above us parted and a beam of moonlight speared down upon a tall and ancient tower surrounded by ruined suburbs less than two districts away. Seeing it my heart skipped a beat it couldn''t be I thought staring in awe it just couldn''t be right?


    “Pyre-Captain you are to take your men and return to your barracks, obey standard mission abortion protocols[147] and do not leave until a team from the Order administers a purity test to you and your squad.”


    The pyre-Captain ripped off a textbook salute, as crisp as folded laundry, before marching back into the depths of the barge. A few moments later the whine of the engine changed tone and we began to move backwards slowly.


    The Inquisitor turned to us with a critical gaze.


    “We are going to continue our hunt alone, we will not need the guard for this final part and it is better they not be exposed to... dangerous knowledge.”


    The other three nodded believing no doubt that he was talking about magic about its manifest evil but I... I knew better and as I watched the tall spire of the distant church I felt a surge of hope.