It was uncertain what exactly made the final spark. Was it the battle to rescue some Secret Flame disciples that had been led into a trap inside the Theocracy of Spirits or was it the Council of War simply being making a permanent beachhead in the Mao Kingdom? It could have been both or simply all the steps leading up to both.
It could also have simply been patience running out, but Lind now looked out at a burnt out city that once stood in the Mao Kingdom. The merchants had pleaded for his intervention but his own spies revealed they had played both sides and been caught at it.
The city had not had as much loss of life as it could have as both the Council and the Theocracy had carefully evacuated children and those not directly involved in combat. Even a few production masters that had no affiliation had been allowed to leave.
It was a strange thing to find that thousands that died were involved but it did not lessen the horror of war.
