Gardinal rested for only a moment before quickly rolling off the crushed heretic and trying to catch his breath. Instead, all he got was a lung full of smoke. Dammit, he thought, it was worse in here than he had expected. Rising from the ground into a crouch, Gardinal tried to make out his surroundings. Fire raged all over, consuming the wood structure he had once called home. A thick haze of smoke covered everything, and the glaring flames made it hard to see as well. Sweat poured from Gardinal’s skin, the intense heat turning it to steam in heartbeats.

“Ethinia.” He whispered, roughly, under his breath. “Help me.” At his beseeching, Gardinal felt the First Mother’s familiar light seeping into his muscles and bones. It wouldn’t help him breathe, the Mother’s light couldn’t create in the hands of men. Nor would it hold back the flame as the Bishop might be able to do. Gardinal’s talents with the Mother’s light only came in strengthening himself. As his muscles weakened from the fire and lack of air, his body would continue to move. That was all that mattered, even if it was a corpse that carried Her Radiance from this inferno. At least she’d be safe.

First, he needed to breathe. He wouldn’t be much use at all if he fell unconscious. Ripping his sash free from his waist he lifted it to his mouth and breathed. The breath was still laboured, but it came at last.

“PROPHETESS!” He shouted, lowering the sash for a moment. The flames raged and crackled in response. Wood creaking and cracking, ready to surrender at any moment. Gardinal looked to the stairs, she was most likely to be in her chambers or the second-floor study. The staircase still stood, for now at least. Despite the intense raging of the fire, it couldn't have been long since it was set ablaze.

Gardinal gritted his teeth as he struggled up the stairs. Climbing the creaking wooden rise, his left leg broke through a weakened plank. Splinters slashed through his legs. A howl of pain was cut short by a burst of fire, singeing up his left side and over his arm. Gardinal cursed, this place was getting worse by the heartbeat. If he didn’t find Her Radiance and get out soon then neither of them were likely to make it out alive. With a heave, Gardinal ripped his leg free of the wood and forced himself up the flight of stairs quickly, wooden planks buckling with every step.

The smoke was worse on the second floor, even with the cloth covering his mouth Gardinal struggled to breath. The hallway ahead of him was wreathed in flame, priceless artworks on the walls now ash and cinders. Gardinal stumbled past them. A glance into the study showed an empty room full of burning books. Her chambers then, Gardinal thought. He moved forward, ducking low under a fallen wood support beam. Seeing her door closed, Gardinal charged, bursting through Celeste’s door.

Nothing. Fire engulfed her bed, the posts pyres to his failures, but The Prophetess herself was nowhere to be seen. Of course she wouldn’t be up here, he realized, she was smart. Far smarter than a stupid old Khazimi like himself. Smoke travelled upwards, she would have moved away from it. The cellar? Gardinal could only hope he was right. Shifting his weight, he moved toward the door, heading back to the stairs. Descending them would be dangerous but...

The floor collapsed.

Gardinal fell through the air, burning splinters of wood and chunks of plaster cutting into his face and arms. When he hit the ground, a raging fire engulfed him. Flesh singed at the flames. Gardinal gritted his teeth through the pain, but rolled. He didn’t have time to burn, didn’t have time to hurt. He had to get to her. Looking to his left arm, he saw the bright teal light of Ethinia woven around it, holding a snapped bone jutting free in place. The fist still clenched the shield, refusing to let go. The pain was excruciating, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Nothing could hurt as much as losing her would. He had to get to her.

Looking around, Gardinal got his bearings quickly. He had fallen into the kitchen. A small amount of luck seemed to finally be with him, as he spotted the cellar stairs only a few steps away. With his one functional arm, he pulled himself across the floor. Wooden splinters like small daggers lodged themselves into him as he forced himself forward. But he persisted.

Flames beat down on him. And as pieces of wood fell from above, he forced his arm to move, lifting his shield to cover the blows. Blessedly, it seemed to work. Pull and pulse. His arm quivered under the strain, not of the blows, but of the light being pulled free of his arm. He persisted. Every time debris struck his shield, it blasted away. Pull and pulse. Unfortunately, the blasting debris exacerbated the problems of the building, ripping free supports and bringing it ever closer to collapse.

With an outstretched hand, Gardinal reached the staircase to the cellar. Gardinal gritted his teeth, he was so close. With a burst of strength, he pulled himself forward and tumbled down the stairs. He fell down at a bone rattling pace, every crash and every blow shaking him. Wooden steps cracked and snapped under the force of his fall, but the stairs blessedly held. By the time he hit cool stone, Gardinal’s head spun.

“M… Master Gardinal…” A voice called out over the sound of crackling wood. An old voice, creaking and desperate. Gardinal looked up, his blurry vision slowly steadying. The cellar seemed mostly intact, thankfully, but a large, flaming wooden beam had fallen free from above. Looking at it now, Gardinal saw the source of the voice. The old Jöln caretaker, trapped beneath the blazing wood. Gardinal's eyes darted around, but Celeste and the handmaidens were nowhere to be seen. Dammit, were where they?

“Please master… help me…” The caretaker croaked. Gardinal cursed himself, he had to find Her Radiance. But he had made an oath to the First Mother. He would not abandon a soul in need. Forcing himself to his feet, pain wracking his body, Gardinal stumbled over to the man. The stone walls and flooring down here had at least kept the fire at bay, leaving a small pocket of breathable air.

“I’ve got ya.” Gardinal assured the man through clenched teeth.