2. Beregost

Heat.

Sweat, dirt, and blood streak down Dieter's face and body as he tries to spot the fleeing wizard. Between the black smoke and dancing flames it's hard to see much of anything. He nearly trips over the body of one of the apprentice smiths; the poor fellow looks to have been run through by one of the swordsmen.

Noting that the ceiling above the front door has collapsed, blocking that way out, Dieter continues his search of the warehouse as quietly and quickly as possible.

It's when he sneaks past a toppled, flaming cabinet that he feels something grab his ankle!

"Pl... please... h-hel...p."

One of the smiths is trapped under the cabinet. Blood seeps from a vicious head wound. With strength nearly gone, the man's feeble hand releases Dieter's boot.

The apprentice tries to speak, but ends up coughing instead. He closes his eyes in resignation.

Even through the smoke and fire Dieter spies his quarry. The wizard is in the far corner of the smithy, bare hands scrabbling at the wooden walls in mindless desperation. He's still under the effects of Aiwe's fear spell.

He'll have to pick his way across the room carefully to avoid flaming wreckage, but Dieter thinks he can close the distance safely and quickly if pushes himself.

Dieter tears the shield off his arm, no doubt ruining the straps and buckles, but then magical bow in his hands sings true. His two arrows whiz through the air. The first one takes the mage in the back, who gasps a lungful of smoke and sinks against the corner as he coughs. The second pierces his chest, and that's the end of this caster of fireballs.

As Dieter turns to help the smith, there's a groan of wood from above as a portion of the ceiling comes crashing down.

Stella's wet cloth helps considerably with her breathing amid the smoke, and with clear presence of mind she sees motion a couple dozen feet to her right. Part of the ceiling caves in there, and she sees Dieter dodge cleanly to one side as a heavy beam nearly crushes him.

Dieter's reflexes save him. As he regains his bearings, he notes that the fallen ceiling missed the trapped smith by mere inches. The man's eyelids flicker.

Though he's just endured hard-hitting blades and spells, Dieter shows no sign of faltering. He's about to grab part of the flaming cabinet to lift it off the fallen smith, when Taerom taps him on the shoulder. "Let me lift where the fire is worst. You grab that side." Working together, they move the dangerous cabinet safely off of the apprentice, and set the injured man onto Dieter's tower shield.

Meanwhile, Stella's ministrations are quick, efficient, and effective. She's sure the smith will survive his wounds, so long as they get him out of this place and she can continue work on him.

Dieter pulls the makeshift shield-sled, Taerom moves aside burning debris that has fallen between them and the back wall, and Stella cleverly uses her magic to protect the group from any further incidents... and then they are out of the burning building and into the fresh, clean air!