The city of Ava, after the war, had changed beyond recognition. The Austrian bombing was targeted, sparing few except military installations and landmark buildings.
Anything that stood out was bombed. By contrast, the less conspicuous civilian areas suffered relatively less damage, with most buildings merely affected rather than destroyed.
The fires caused by the bombing were quickly extinguished, but cries of despair echoed throughout the city. With the collapse of order, looters indulged in their rampages.
Many Ottoman soldiers, who ought to maintain order, joined the looting, revealing the dark side of human nature. Tonight, Ava wept.
If someone had kept track, they would have found that the chaos claimed more lives than the bombing itself.
Facing such turmoil, Akeul and his apprentices dared not venture outside. Recently, some thugs had attempted to loot amidst the chaos, but were driven off by Akeul and his apprentices wielding shotguns.
