A City Burns

 -Lia had been busy, both before she and Jor left, and even more so since she had convinced Jor to allow her and one ship to return to Port Kar for the Caste meeting, her last, as she finally retired. Kings she hated this place so badly. It festered in her, maybe she had truly begun to see it through Jor's eyes, and not ones blinded by love of a rock. A rock that when she really truly thought about it, aside from her five children all being born Karian, had given her nothing but pain and suffering almost as long as she had sworn to it. She had left twice, the first time with Hades too many decades ago to count now, then with Nazarus several years ago. This, her third time, would be the last. She never should have come back. She should have listened to Hades and stayed in Kassau and never come back at all, no matter how many times Thorin asked her. But she had not, she had pleaded with Hades to let them come back. He might be alive today perhaps, if she had left it alone. He had stayed on Thassa constantly because he hated the city too, she was sure it was why he had died. She never should have come back after she left with Naz and the Black Fleet, but she did, because she was hurt, had thought she should, because she wanted to right a wrong, and she thought she could make a difference. How disillusioned she had been. Naz, she had not seen him in a long time, but suddenly her mind went back to the night he left Port Kar, right after that fateful Council of Captains meeting, when everyone thought he would be arrested. He escaped by setting a small fire, using the smoke as a screen to get to the docks and out of the city, never really intending for anything to burn, because fire, it was dangerous in Port Kar. Such could be deadly, what with the overcrowding, and the buildings all compressed together and the squalor. Yes, a fire would be quite devastating. She twirls the leather bracelet on her wrist, the one given to her by Mae four years ago after that fateful reading. She was to throw it on a fire to aid in her escape, the night she saw a blue halo around the three moons of Gor. That night had come and gone and there had been no need of the bracelet. What with it's tiny glass bead of oil. Oil, Mae had said it would be explosive. Yes it could work. The more she thought about it the more the idea solidified in her mind. Finally she formulated a plan which would ensure she never came back to the cesspool that is Port Kar and she would leave wreckage in her wake.

She had over the last several hands gotten everything she owned out of Steel Nykus. Most was heading north with Jor and her children. But some was sent to the family estate in Ar. Scrolls were sent out. She took care of the transfer of all her property to her son, and her ships to Jor, then a scroll was sent to Kol, her man at the slave house in Ar, and though what he read shocked him, he did as instructed. First burning the scroll, then he contacted a friend, making a discreet inquiry about hiring mercenaries. Catron, Kol's friend said he knew just the  man, Torrence, an outlaw, who had once been First Sword of Ar Station. Kol told him what was needed and Catron with a wicked grin and a gleam in his eyes, said he could handle the arrangements. A time line was set, a deadline, an ahn set for a signal. The targets not placed but an ahn before. The beauty of the plan is that no one beyond Kol knew Liandrin was involved at all. Kol presented the plan to Catron as his idea. A way to get back at a city both men had a dark history with. Catron indeed made good on his promise. Taking it upon himself to seek Torrence out personally. The men, also long time friends, enjoy a bowl or two of paga, the services of two slave girls and then spoke long into the night about the plan Kol had brought to Catron on how to destroy Port Kar. Torrence, had a particular hatred for several Karians, and the more he heard, the more plausible it seemed to be. He agreed to the hiring of his band of men at the price of 50 double gold tarn disks per man, given the odds of getting out of Kar would not be as favorable as getting in.

The plans were set, gold exchanged, and the band of 11 mercenaries made their way to Kar. Their ship docked, and they all dispersed into the City, nothing but a crew on a merchant vessel like hundreds of other men in the City. Catron had a arranged for a different ship with a standard delivery of tharlarion oil and it was already docked and through inspection. The mercenary crew unloaded the barrels, then each of them placed barrel and crate clusters in strategic locations throughout all the City districts. Some barrels were placed in large crates themselves. Soon the Red Urt district, with one large crate right up against the back corner of the Spotted Urt Inn and a few others placed at other key locations such as near the thieves den, were all targeted. Then more placed in the market and shopping districts near several shops known to have lots of flammable materials: book stores, scribe and dress shops.  More barrels were set behind the Twisted Herlit, and the Many Pasangs Inn, several other paga dens and taverns, not even the Waterfront Cafe was spared. No one notices men that just blend in carrying cargo crates here and there, setting things down, then, even sitting on them and talking. One thing about Kar, crates and barrels are everywhere; in alleyways, behind shops, along warehouse walls, and dock pilings. No one notices them because they all look alike, no one different from all the others. Then several were placed in locations throughout the warehouse district, still more in the Rim canal region, and even the floating spice market and the 25th of Se'Kara monument. Finally barrels were placed on the docks as well. No area was spared. Everything set, the men retreated to sniper positions and awaited the signal.

Meanwhile the Quarterless, with its dark sails unfurled and catching the wind, glided easily out of the harbor. Once clear and entering the Tamber, Liandrin looked up and nodded to the man in charge of raising the flags. "Now Darion." The man pulled the flag down that bore the symbol pennant of her fleet, the scroll worm, and put up a different one, this one black with a red flame sewn on the center of it, and then a lit lantern was waved from the crow's nest three times only to be immediately snuffed out. She held a spyglass up and watched the docks. Within 5 ehn of the flag being raised, as if out of nowhere a flame lit arrow streaked through the darkening sky striking the barrel of oil there on the docks cleanly. It burned and another arrow streaked by,  This arrow was special. Tied to it was a small leather corded bracelet, holding a small oil filled glass bead. The arrow narrowly missed a drunken sailor weaving to his ship. This arrow hit the barrel again and suddenly as the wood burned and the oil inside heated, the glass bead burst, there was a odd popping sound, right as the barrel exploded spreading fire along the docks as other barrels placed here and there caught fire and exploded. The bracelet adding to the explosion, just as Mae had said it would when thrown into flames. That drunk sailor's screams were loud when his pants then the edge of his tunic caught fire. He jumped into the water of the harbor to put himself out. The explosion and fire rapidly engulfing the docks was the signal the mercenaries had been waiting for. Suddenly throughout the city flaming arrows hit their targets. Barrels burned, crates exploded and fire spread immediately. Barrels of oil had been leaked into the canals themselves which were soon also burning along the top of the water, setting the skiffs tied along the many canal pilings aflame as well. The band of mercenaries, made sure their bows did not survive the flames and blended in with all the rest of the people fleeing the fires to each make their way home as and when they could.

Chaos engulfed the city as the flames spread swiftly throughout the densely crammed buildings, businesses, and homes. Buildings everywhere were soon engulfed in flames, an intense heat radiated in the air as the city burned. Flames jumped with no care for what it destroyed, and it destroyed everything in its path. The Red Urt district was burning so heavily, Lia doubted there would be any buildings left intact. The screams of the citizenry fighting or being consumed by the flames, and the alarm bells that clamored alerting anyone not already aware of the impending doom, rang out over the water. But it was the way the burning city lit up the night sky, that had the tiny red head smiling as her ship sailed away, never to return. Mal gave her a look, one of those, are you sure you know what you are doing, looks. Ignoring him for the ehn, looking down at her now bare wrist, as Mae's bracelet is gone. She looked up to the sky again, those three moons were now haloed in an oil smoke haze, and fire. Mae was right, the bracelet had proven useful finally. Even in a way, aided in her escape, she would have to thank the Haruspex when she saw her again. She looked to Mal then and gave him a smile, one that was meant to reassure him, and ease his worry. Yes she had just set fire to the city, committing arson and vandalism and in the process renounced her Home Stone.  This time truly by her society's standards she is an outlaw. But where she was going in Torvaldsland, they did not believe in Home Stones or Caste, and Port Kar's laws only extend to its walls. So did it truly matter? It did not, Jor's people would not consider her an outlaw. As for Port Kar, those she cared about had been warned what was coming, though cryptically. A simple unsigned note that said "Beware of fire" sent to four specific houses besides her son's. She could only hope they survived the fire unscathed.

She had spent many years in the north with Hades, now she would make a life there again quite happily, with Jor. Her ship met up with his fleet at the rendezvous point and she switched ships, boarding his flag ship feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The huge man's gruff voice called to her. "You finally done with that sewer they call a city, Liandrin?" She moved to him, sliding her arms around his side. "I am..now take me to your homeland." The combined fleet of ships sailed north as the coming Spring melted the ice flows.-