Hear now the singing of our song

Children of the Korek.

We now sing to you,

The cleansing of our sin.

-Korek Song of the Covenant

“Ethinia grant me strength to protect her.” He prayed. His legs raged in pain, but he felt the pressure ebbing as the silver-teal web of light began to cover them. With The Mother's light empowering him, Gardinal pushed even harder. He didn't care if it wasted his entire body. He needed to save her.

Gardinal had been running for less than an hour, but at full tilt his lungs burned fiercely. Her Radiance was in danger. After all the horrors he had seen and done, her life was the last claim he had of being a good man. With each laboured breath, the unthinkable horror of his life without her light crept into his mind. To ward off those paralyzing thoughts, Gardinal continued his prayers as a mantra. “Ethinia grant me strength to protect her.”

Gardinal saw the thin plume of smoke and smelled the ash before his burning home came into view. Was he too late? No, he was close, too close to second guess. He pushed himself even harder, tall buildings and crowds passing him by in a blur as he tore through the streets. The column of smoke guiding him home.

If he failed... If she died... Gardinal forced himself not to think of it. He would save her. That was the only reason he lived; to protect her. He had left his Bishop to die. Left him and Derenath the Redeemer, a man he admired, alone to face Daemons. He would do it again, he would let this whole city burn to cinders if it meant saving her. Gardinal would likely burn it himself if he ever lost her.

Rounding the corner, Gardinal's home for the past decade came into view. A column of flame, smoke, and ash. Fiery tongues lashed out of every window, a gaping maw of death for any within. In the small, gated space in front of his home a dozen men stood in black robes, admiring their work.

“The Prophetess.” Gardinal gasped, using every ounce of the Mother's light that he held to keep himself from collapsing to his knees. She was in there, right now. In his home, burning away. Gardinal's eyes fell upon those robed figures. They did this.

But if she was in there, she needed his help. The deaths of these heretics would have to wait. She was the priority. Always. If he was going to get in there, he would have to get through them. He clenched his fist around his hammer’s leather hilt. The First Mother forbade unnecessary violence. Yet all he could see, looking at those men, was their blood across the dirt. He had to get into that house, and if they were in the way then violence there would be.

Gardinal rushed in. Looking over the men, he planned out his attack in his head. As much as he wanted to stain the earth with their heathen blood, he had no time. His goal had to be getting into the house and saving Her Radiance. Their punishment would have to wait.

With shield in hand, Gardinal bashed it into the fence. As the shield struck the iron bars, he felt a pulling sensation followed by a pulse. The fence exploded, blasting straight forward off its hinges and directly into the closest cultist. With a sickening crunch the man fell, and the rest turned to Gardinal. Even with the cacophony of the collapsing building , the sound of Gardinal’s accidental blast echoed for blocks.

The robed men hesitated for a moment in confusion. Gardinal didn't delay. Two were near, a Korek straight ahead and a Fereni to the right. Gardinal charged to the right, lifting his light-empowered leg up and slamming it directly into the Fereni's gut. The man flew back at the force of the kick and skidded twice as far on the dirt, only stopping when he crashed into a burning wall.

“KILL HIM!” The nearby Korek shouted. Gardinal spun, bringing up his hammer with a quick motion into the man’s jaw from below. The red-face man dropped his raised dagger as the lower half of his face collapsed. With a heave, Gardinal pulled the hammer free of the man’s face, blood and bone falling free. Gardinal ignored the sickening gurgles of pain and returned his sights to his goal. The front door.

Thankfully, the structure still stood. Though the creaking of the building threatened its collapse at any moment, with Her Radiance still inside. Gardinal gritted his teeth. Nine men still stood in his way. Half of them wielding knives, the others crossbows. Gardinal locked his sight on those directly in his way. Two men, one a snout nosed Fereni, the other a gnarled old Fershya with more wrinkles than years left. Both brandishing blades. Gardinal charged.

Crossbow bolts hurtled towards him, Gardinal lifting his shield just in time. As a series of metallic clanks clattered along the surface of his shield, Gardinal was pleased to find that the projectiles felt as powerless against the relic as falling leaves. Gardinal thanked Ethinia for Her protection. Though he couldn’t help but wonder where this shield had been when he was pinned down by archers in the Shaded Lands? Glancing over his shield, Gardinal saw his first target approaching. The ugly old Fershya.

Gardinal braced his shoulder under the shield, preparing to slam it into the man. Then the pulling sensation hit him once more, as if the shield itself was sucking in some of Ethinia's light. Gardinal's legs felt weakened for a moment. Then the pulse. The old man was blown off his feet, flung wildly into the nearby iron fence. Unprepared for the ease of pushing the Fershya away, Gardinal lost balance and began stumbling fast towards his final obstacle, the snout nosed Fereni.

With the shield at his side, Gardinal didn't have time to pull it back before colliding with the man. The cultist held a dagger high above him in anticipation. The shaking blade ready to drop when Gardinal neared. Gardinal cursed, if he stopped now he was sure to be skewered by half a dozen bolts. No, the only way was forward. Gardinal tossed his hammer away and brought his shoulder forward. He was going to get into that house, and this man would be his key.

With the full force of his heavily muscled body, Gardinal slammed into the man. His shoulder struck the man’s sternum who instinctively wrapped his arms around Gardinal. Gardinal pushed forward. With all the strength he had, he rushed towards the burning building. Towards the door that separated him from The Prophetess.

Pain shot through Gardinal body as he felt the dagger lodge into his back. Then the man pulled it free and drove it in again. Twice, three times. The dagger tore at Gardinal's flesh.

Then they hit the door. Wood and bone together made a sickening crack. The solid wood door exploded inwards, and the two men collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap.