The Inquisition

***The Inquisition*** is the second novel in the *Summoner Series* by Taran Matharu.

## Synopsis

*More demons, epic battles, and fights to the death: introducing the unmissable next installment in the Summoner Series...*

On trial for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must face the Inquisition who will decide his future - the process is grueling, led by those who will do anything to see him suffer and haunted by ghosts from the past with clues to Fletcher's tragic origins.

But Fletcher has little time to dwell on these new revelations when the king announces a deadly challenge to the graduating students at Vocans. One that involves entering Orc territory to complete a risky mission. With loyal demons by their sides, commoners and nobles, dwarves and elves must overcome barriers of class and race and work together to triumph. The reward: a fortune in gold, the safety of an empire and PEACE.

With the entire empire watching, Fletcher has much to prove, but there are those out to get him and it soon becomes clear that there's a traitor in their midst, trying to thwart the mission and create unrest within the Empire.

With everything stacked against him, Fletcher must use everything in his power to fight his way to victory.

## Plot

The book sets off with the events of the last book one year ago, it starts with Fletcher in his jail cell after being captured by Didric and brought back to his old hometown, Pelt, which now has been turned into a prison. Fletcher is taken to the court room for his trial escorted by the scarred Didric, who gained the ability to summon after being attacked by Ignatius.

Luckily, Arcturus shows up as Fletcher defense, the court case begins and Arcturus slowly proves Didric wrong, that Didric's acquisition against Fletcher was false. Fletcher ends up winning the case but then Rook turns up with the inquisitors, accusing Fletcher of killing some men from the Forsyth Furies, which amounts to treason. This happened in the last book: The Novice, when Fletcher and Sylva followed Othello to the dwarven war meeting, to find that some humans were planning to ambush the dwarfs. This lead to Fletcher, Sylva and Othello to make an escape, which in turn lead to them killing some of the men.

Othello is brought in gagged and bound. Othello refused to quiet down leading to Jakov cutting off Othello's beard, which in the dwarven community is an offense. Captain Lovett shows up, to prove that Othello and Fletcher are innocent. But jury dismisses her evidence due to the fact that not many people can see through their demons without a scrying stone.

Later in the case Fletcher then realizes that it was only to brought up to convict Othello of the crime to further heighten the fact that dwarfs are a problem to the humans. Upon advice from King Harold, Fletcher then pleads guilty to the murders, saying it was all him much to the dismay of the Nobles in the crowd. The jury then convict and sentence Fletcher to death by hanging. Suddenly, Sir Caulder, the weapons master at Vocans shows up claiming that Fletcher is the son of the man he originally worked for, Edmund Raleigh. This would mean Fletcher is of noble birth, meaning only the king could convict Fletcher. The other nobles were not satisfied and decided that in order to see if Fletcher was really a Raleigh, they would inject him with Manticore venom which the Raleigh family are immune to, but if Fletcher was not a Raleigh then he would die from Manticore poison. Fletcher is stung by Charles’ Manticore and then falls unconscious.

After a few hours, Fletcher wakes up and finds himself in a room with Sylva and she tells him that she healed him with the medicine the elves had. Later, after meeting up with King Harold he told him that Fletcher was a Raleigh because instead of dying in the first few minutes, he was twitching on the ground instead and did not die, and therefore is now a Raleigh (and a noble) meaning that he now rules over Raleighshire. He had been pardoned by King Harold and his life no longer in jeopardy. He then attends a council that is aimed to solidify the alliance of men, dwarves and elves. They come to a decision where they enter Orc territory to rescue Alice Raleigh, - who was thought to be Lady Cavendish at that time - and to destroy goblin eggs.

Fletcher is then flown back to Pelt on Lysander where he convinces the former villagers to live in Raleighshire, and succeeds. After that, he returns to Vocans to watch the final match of the Tournament, where Cress beat Didric.

Then, Rook briefs them about the mission and the danger of missing the Celestial Corps, - who are meant to fly them back home - that they would have to trek the vast jungle in Orc territory back to civilization. They then choose their teams that they have to go with. They are grouped as four cadets, one sponsor's demon and one guide: Fletcher, Othello, Sylva, Cress with Lysander and Jeffrey. Seraph, Atilla, Rory, Genevieve with Sacharissa and Sergeant Musher. Malik, Verity, Penelope, Rufus with Caliban and Mason. Isadora, Tarquin, Didric, Atlas with Hannibal and Grindle. After the sorting of the four cadets, Fletcher's team meets Electra Mabosi, a botanist, biologist, chemist and demonologist working in Vocans. She gives them potions that can restore health and mana in an instant. After that, Fletcher chooses Jeffrey to be part of his team.

Following this, Fletcher and his team head to a tavern. They receive their uniforms and boots. Fletcher then receives his two guns, Blaze and Gale. Then, Fletcher, Othello and Jeffrey travel to the front lines to have a firsthand experience. There, Fletcher rescues a gremlin named Blue, whom he keeps in hopes of releasing him in the jungle afterwards. Around the same time, there is an attack at the encampment and many soldiers are killed. Fletcher leaves quickly. They prepare for the mission when they return.

The teams are dropped off by the Celestial Corps in the jungle. They discuss their way of route and split up. After saving Isadora's team from Orcs and Goblins, Fletcher's team is caught by gremlins, but are let go by Blue. They meet an elder female orc named Mother as she tells them that orcs were not bad before they were turned into monsters. Over time, someone is trying to kill Fletcher. They sail down the river into orc territory on leave-boats.

The 3 teams, without Isadora's team, enter the pyramid and destroy the eggs, and Rufus saves his mother and Fletcher and Mason save the other slaves. They leave the pyramid, but Rufus is dying and demons are dead. Jeffery shoots everyone with parallelizing darts, and it is revealed he has been trying to kill Fletcher over the course of the journey and he is a huge racist. He leaves but is taken down by a paralyzed Fletcher and an Oni kills him. Fletcher sends kinetic energy, destroys the walls, and his team is stuck in the pyramid. They open the portal after recovering, and before the orcs come in, they eat yellow flower petals that allow you to survive in the ether as they go in. It is revealed that the woman isn't Rufus's mom, but Fletcher's.

## External links

* The Inquisition's official site
* Excerpt