Escape from the burning temple

Noise was heard from outside. Gadaric went to investigate and took a peek behind the door. It was the same crowd of fanatics as during the day, but this time they had come with more followers. They carried makeshift weapons, such as torches and pitchforks, and once again a stage had been built for the fanatic speech giver.

Gadaric rushed back to the others and said, "We have a problem."

They all went to see what was happening. The man was causing a massive riot and inciting the Sassans to boil with rage.

The fanatic mob outside the temple was a diverse group of Sassans, united in their fervent belief in the pureness of their deceased god Cyrus. They carried torches and pitchforks, their faces contorted in anger and righteousness. Many wore robes adorned with symbols of Cyrus, while others wore tattered clothing, indicating they may have come from lower classes. They were chanting and shouting, their voices filling the air with a deafening roar as they pushed against the soldiers trying to hold them back.

The leader of the mob, a zealous preacher, stood on a makeshift stage, his voice amplified as he railed against the temple and those who dared to worship other gods. The mob was a frenzied and dangerous force, fueled by their intense devotion and willingness to do whatever it takes to prove that their god was still with them.

"This place of worship was built not only for Cyrus, but for a god who is not even Sassan. It is an abomination for Cyrus and he will not stand for such a place of heretical worship," the zealous preacher yelled to the crowd.

The crowd started to push through the soldiers, forcing the noble with divine power to intervene. He used his powers to blast a few protestors to pieces, but more kept coming. They overwhelmed the guards and started to rush the noble.

Rufus, Suomi and Gadaric watched as the zealots overpowered the leader of the guards. He was pushed to the ground and surrounded by the masses. Rufus, Suomi and Gadaric watched in horror as the fanatics ripped the noble apart, lifting limbs up in the air.

They closed the door and pushed a statue down to hold it shut. The masses started to bang on the door violently.

"You said this wouldn't be dangerous!" Suomi yelled at Rufus.

"Gadaric, we need to defend Suomi at all costs. She is an outsider and not a fighter like us," Rufus ordered.

"Should we fight ourselves out of this? I think we could do that," Gadaric asked.

"We don't want to cause a scene here. We should try and find a way to sneak out," Rufus suggested.

Smoke started to enter the building. When the rioters couldn't force themselves in, they decided to burn the entire temple down. Torches were thrown inside, lighting the dry records and shelves quickly. The grand halls were now filled with smoke, the frescoes and carvings on the walls obscured by the thick haze. The sound of the rioters was muffled by the thick stone walls, but the three of them could still hear the chaos outside. Time was running out.

Rufus then used a divine sphere and blasted a hole in the ceiling. He quickly grabbed both Suomi and Gadaric and summoned his divine wings. As the ceiling was crumbling down, he started to fly off. Gadaric then snapped his fingers, creating a shockwave of sound that blasted the falling rubble away. With Rufus carrying them, they flew away from the temple just as it was about burn down.

The three of them landed on a nearby rooftop, watching as the temple burned to the ground.

"We barely made it out alive," Suomi said, her voice shaking.

Gadaric moved his mask slightly to let the ash fall from beneath his mask and face.

The crowd of fanatics could be seen from their vantage point, cheering and hollering as the temple burned to the ground. They were dressed in ragged clothes, their faces twisted in a mix of anger and excitement. The speech giver stood on his makeshift platform, his arms raised in triumph as he watched his plan come to fruition.

"We need to get out of here before they spot us," Rufus said, his voice low and urgent.

The three of them quickly made their way through the streets, trying to keep a low profile as they made their escape. The sounds of the riot could still be heard, and they knew they needed to put as much distance between themselves and the mob as possible.