Chapter 13: ACT I, SCENE 5.5

ACT I, SCENE 5.5Day 28 Hours and 48 Minutes Since the Ash FellCathedral — CryptAs the echo of Kendra’s whisper fades, Vespar notices that his face isn’t bitterly cold anymore. There is a distinct smell of burning lumber. How did I miss that? Vespar starts to catalogue the rest: unwashed bodies, incense, and the missing silence, replaced by a low hum. There is no way to distinguish more—too many conflicting sounds, too chaotic.He turns to Kendra. “Wait. I will come back for you in thirty seconds if it is clear.”He looks up the rungs of the ladder, straps his bow across his back and draws his short sword in his left hand. One step. Man. Two steps. Child. Three steps. He glances back down at Kendra, who actually gives him a nod. Deep breath. He continues to the top. He eases the hatch open a crack. It hits him—hard.