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[color=F92D00]”Prepare yourself Birger. Our task begins at the first sight of smoke.”[/color] Gerard expectantly touched his staff, which was hidden on his back by his slightly oversized traveller’s cloak. The two men stood at the ready near the base of the hill next to a wooden cart, waiting for their fellow infiltrators throughout the city to follow through with the plan. They were accompanied as well by three Parrenchmen in disguise. The nearby civilians had either evacuated the immediate area or locked themselves in their homes. Word of the rampaging pinniped was spreading quickly. 

[color=a0410d]”I have been prepared for this long before you set foot on our motherland. I knew it would come to this someday.”[/color] Birger looked solemnly up at the majestic Grontempel, its richly decorated spires just barely visible over the hilltop. Gerard’s expression was inscrutable as he looked sideways at the Eskandr convert.

[color=F92D00]”Get a good look. This will be the last time you’ll see it again.”[/color] He warned. Birger looked back at the wizard but made no reply. 

After several minutes passed, the signs of the raid became visible. A grey plume of smoke rose from the northwest quarter of the city, growing darker and larger until a cloud began to form over Meldheim. The fire attack had begun. Clandestine agents had been distributed at key locations with jugs of oil. At the predetermined time, they were ordered to set parts of the city ablaze in order to sew chaos and occupy the garrison. The Parrench had purposefully set the fire upwind so that it would continue to perpetuate through the wooden city on its own. The flame would become an inferno within the hour. 

[color=F92D00][i]Long have I waited for this.[/i][/color] Gerard pulled out his staff and held it up high, drawing upon the infinite power of the sun. He greedily syphoned as much solar energy as his four wheel capacity would allow. Once he was at his limit, the priest opened the door and let his magic free. Hundreds of little flames erupted from the staff’s dragon pearl core and set every house in the vicinity on fire. There was an immediate reaction as a few dozen civilians escaped their homes in a mass panic. When they saw the overwhelming amount of smoke and ash blowing in from the west, the disorganised mob began running towards the seaboard. Gerard and his followers gave the people a wide berth as they passed by, going mostly unnoticed as the herd mentality overtook the fleeing citizens. 

Using the torched houses as fuel, Gerard pulled the blaze towards him and sent a tongue of fire towards the green temple. It was a beautiful work of art, and impressively large too, but it was not a stone castle of the north. The Grontempel exploded into a wildfire just as easily as the rest of the wooden city. 

[color=F92D00]”Okay, let’s go.”[/color] Gerard ordered. Birger and the other men started pushing the cart up the hill as fast as they could while the Rezaindian gave them all an invisible push. During their hurried advance up the hill they passed many fleeing pilgrims, some of whom were being carried by their friends and family. Whether knocked unconscious by smoke or scorched by the heat, many failed to escape the burning temple uninjured. When Gerard saw the harm he had done, for a moment he felt guilty. However, the compassion he had shown when rescuing a child was now quieted by seething hatred. These people had chosen to turn from the Pentad’s light and now he was here to deliver their punishment. If they wanted to be spared the coming fire they should have converted long ago, as Birger had. 

 [color=F92D00]”Wait.”[/color] Gerard stopped his squad a few metres away from the gate. He closed his eyes and reached with his mind towards the ocean. He channelled the endless motion of the waves and, wielding his magic like a hammer, ripped apart the ancient double doors. It was not an elegant solution by any means, but his teacher was the murderous witch named Thorunn Silverhair. 

The wagon was brought into the temple while Gerard held the flames at bay with sorcery. Much of the treasure had been damaged by his unrestricted assault, but there was still enough loot within to buy a small castle in the countryside. Anything made of valuable metal was pilfered. Every heirloom neskal was plundered. The Parrench took what they could and left the rest to collapse, desecrating generations of Eskandr history in less than an hour. 

“The wagon is nearly full!” One of the soldiers yelled out as he dumped one last armful of silver candelabras. Gerard nodded and marched to the exit. 

[color=F92D00]”Then let us be off!”[/color] The troops threw a pelt over the top of the wagon to protect their plunder and proceeded with dragging it out of the temple. It was a considerably heavier burden now with all the valuables piled within. Getting downhill without dropping the cart wouldn’t be easy. 
 
Before the team exited the temple, Birger caught the priest’s sleeve. 

[color=a0410d]”Wait a moment Sir Castello. I would ask a favour of you.”[/color] There was a grave tone in the man’s voice that caught Gerard’s full attention. He stopped in his tracks and faced the Eskandr conspirator. 

[color=F92D00]”Explain yourself Birger.”[/color]

[color=a0410d]”There is one more thing I must do here, but it will not be possible without your help. I beg thee to hear my request.”[/color]

Gerard’s face was even more severe as usual as he studied Birger’s face. He looked for signs of dishonesty and cowardice. There was a great deal of tension in the air, and heat as well. Were it not for the red Rezaindian’s arcane expertise they would already have been cooked alive. Staying in this place for much longer was inadvisable.

[color=F92D00]”...Take the wagon and go to the meeting place ahead of us. I shall hear what our friend has to say.”[/color] Gerard half wondered if the men would protest, but maybe they were too concerned with escaping the burning building to care about his intentions. They departed the scene without complaint and took the spoils with them. 

[color=F92D00]”What is it that you want Birger?”[/color]

[color=a0410d]”Many of us are expected to die before this stratagem reaches its completion. If I fall in battle today I would like my soul to go where it truly belongs…”[/color]