Chapter 77: Fire

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The night sky was clear, with the moon hanging high and the stars swaying like nooses suspended in the dark curtain. The rooftops of the Lower City reflected the red glow of fire. The closer one got to the burning mansion, the denser the panicked citizens fleeing became. Under the blue-tinged moonlight and the red glow of the fire, faces of confusion and despair appeared. Some were escaping, some gathered at the nearest safe places pointing and whispering, while others ran frantically towards the fire scene that hadn't yet fully erupted into flames.

Surveying the scene: individuals in casual attire hastily departing from their dwellings, others clutching their wooden staffs and cautiously peering outwards, still more with clothes hastily thrown on leaping out of windows—a diverse array of responses. There are even young women, half-naked, dashing out of their homes towards the site of the fire, all resembling ants scattering from a disrupted nest, swarming chaotically in every direction.

The alarm bells clanged incessantly, and the city guardsmen trotted with heavy, thunderous steps. The endless whispers and wails of the populace merged with the tolling of the bells and the shouts of the guards:

"That accursed man has my child inside! Let me pass! Let me pass!!"

"Is this the site of those cultists' activities?" "It seems likely." "Why not just let them all burn inside?" They whispered, with common responses when confronted with situations that do not directly impact one's own life.

"Madam, passage is prohibited here!" the guard interjected, blocking the path of the frantic woman.

Commander Astro received an order from the high councilor Savonas—rumored to be based on intelligence obtained from the "Children's Holy Legion of Cast City Guard" of those brats: 

"Upon arrival at the residence of the followers of the evil god, mitigate the damage caused by the suicides and attempt to halt their rituals as much as possible. If the cultists barricade themselves inside their mansion, surround them with troops, form battle lines, and remain highly vigilant against potential cult spellcasters. Persuade them to surrender and acknowledge their mistakes, offering them the hope of forgiveness. If they surrender, register each believer, shackle them with manacles and leg irons, ensuring none escape, and transport them all to the lower levels of the Tash Prison for interrogation—regardless of age. If they repeatedly refuse to comply after being advised, forcibly arrest them, minimizing bloodshed, and be prepared to extinguish any fires. If the fire becomes uncontrollable, accompany the mages in demolishing the building, rescuing all those who can still be saved from the rubble."

Astro was a seasoned veteran who had participated in minor skirmishes between Cast City and the Moranth insect people, sustaining injuries in the trade wars near Cloudmist Forest. To be honest, those buzzing giant insects were quite terrifying, but he would rather charge alongside mages, facing the threats of the black Moranth's gunpowder bombs and giant insects, than dealing with these deranged cultists. They commit suicide for their mad gods, yet he is held responsible—it's utterly absurd!

Astro took a few steps forward and saw the half-naked woman running towards him, her face as pale as a corpse, driven to madness.

He had no desire to engage, signaling his subordinates to remove the wailing woman. She struggled as she was carried away, but her howling cries seemed to come closer, or grow louder, as if directly resonating in his ears.

The fire had not yet spread completely, leaving hope for the accompanying mage to extinguish it. He ordered the troops to remain in place, blocking those who had come running due to their family being inside. Without a weapon, he entered the tall building alone, knocking on the window.

"Oh Master of the Dream of Rebirth! Forgive us! Send us into the dream!"

No response came. The wooden house was eerily silent, as if the flames were merely someone playing with fireworks. The only sounds were the crackling and the smoke seeping out of the windows. Although the mansion wasn't entirely made of wood, delaying too long would be disastrous.

The commander knocked again, repeating loudly:

"OH MASTER OF THE DREAM OF REBIRTH! FORGIVE US! SEND US INTO THE DREAM!"

Still, there was no sound, making the house feel like a coffin. The indifferent onlookers whispered behind him, while those with family inside wailed under the guards' restraint, and the crackling inside the house grew more intense. Suddenly, he felt a surge of panic, as if this eerie place truly were a coffin—with him standing on the edge.

"OH MASTER OF THE DREAM OF REBIRTH! FORGIVE US! SEND US INTO THE DREAM!" he bellowed out.

The window slowly opened, revealing a narrow gap through which light spilled, and a disheveled woman peered out.

"Who are you! I've never seen you in our sect!" she screeched in a hoarse voice.

"We are here under the council's orders to guide..."

"We don't believe in any filthy council! We are here to offer our lives to the god for the requiem prayer! We will sacrifice ourselves for the Master of the Dream of Rebirth! We will be reborn in the Dream Warren! We will not surrender to the persecutors, never!" the woman screamed frantically, then suddenly calmed down, her expression changing so rapidly it was almost eerie. With a solemn, reverent tone, she said, "If you wish to be saved with us, you may join us in the requiem prayer. The ritual will send us to the legendary Dream Warren, where we will walk towards eternal life together."

"Enough, madam! This city is fine; abandon your delusional plan of mass suicide and return to your homes. No one will lay a finger on you people..."

"Tell that nonsense to a child!" she shrieked again in a frenzy, "We've long known you're all just liars!"

"Calm down, madam! I swear by my honor that I will not arrest a single person, not lay a finger on any of you," Astro declared loudly.

The small window slammed shut with a sharp sound.

Astro sighed, then turned back to direct the soldiers and the accompanying mage, saying:

"Avoid using excessively lethal actions and dangerous weapons; there are many women and children among them, and many were coerced or deceived into this. Safely apprehend those individuals, and we will question them one by one after returning."

The mage began to communicate with the Warren, while the soldiers prepared sledgehammers, ladders, wet sheets, and ropes. They also filled numerous buckets with water to assist the mage in extinguishing the fire. Additionally, they readied long poles with iron hooks to drag people out from the flames.

Silently, they erected ladders and positioned them against the wooden house.

Suddenly, a window on a higher floor opened, and another woman leaned out, shouting:

"Stay back! Get away from here! Someone has brought Moranth powder that can explode!"

More than a dozen hands pulled her back inside, and then the window slammed shut with a bang. Those outside exchanged bewildered glances.

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