The Day God Wept

The Cleansing

Running through the city streets of Jerusalem, Edric only saw chaos. Citizens running every which way in terror, trying to avoid any of the vengeful Christian soldiers who now stalked through the streets, slaughtering as they desired. Corpses lay in the roads and draped over the sides of buildings. Houses had been broken into,and some set on fire. Smoke billowed into the sky from multiple locations. It was a city-wide sweep.

The synagogue rose ahead of the Paladins as they approached. Tall and impressive, it dominated its section of the city. Rows of stairs led to the main entrance, which was now obviously barred from both sides. A small band of Jewish defenders stood in front of it, weapons drawn. But there was fear in their eyes. Edric saw that plainly.

"Surrender, and we shall show you mercy!" he called, as his attack force fanned out around him, brandishing their weapons very noticeably. Every man in his company was an experienced veteran of many campaigns. These Jews looked as though they barely knew how to hold a sword, much less fight with one.

The defenders made no response.

It took the Paladins barely five minutes to put the entire defending force to the sword. Edric himself slaughtered nearly half their number, moving from man to man like a hurricane. Bloodstained the massive pillars at the top of the steps, and ran down the stairs in streams. Limbs and broken weapons lay strewn about the threshold of the synagogue. During their attack, several dozen citizens attempted to enter the building and take refuge. They also met the unforgiving blades of the Paladins.

It took only a few minutes for them to break down the doors leading into the building. Edric and his comrades entered the massive open chamber just beyond, to find a small crowd of people waiting. Men, women, children—all of varying ages. Dozens of eyes were fixed on them. The air was suddenly deathly quiet after all the chaos and noise of the battlefield.

"What have we done, that the Lord should send his holy warriors to strike us down?" someone in the crowd called woefully.

Edric flourished his blade, as his fellow Paladins moved in around him, advancing on the crowd.

"You have failed the Most High God," he said simply. "The Lord taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rest assured that we shall not either."

Blades were drawn on both sides. Several of the Jews in the crowd advanced, trying to protect their friends and family. Edric smiled grimly. It was a pointless effort, albeit a noble one. He walked up to one of the defenders, who backed away a step suspiciously, body rigid and tense. Edric raised his blade, pointing it at the man in front of him. Then, leaning forward on the balls of his feet, he drove his blade full force into the man's unprotected torso. The charge carried his blade into two more people before he raised the weapon, with a strength born of vigor, and slammed it down point-first against the floor.

"This is what your betrayal has brought upon you, you of little faith!" he bellowed, as his fellow Paladins moved through the crowd,  beginning a mass slaughter. "The will of God is carried out! The promise of his wrath is fulfilled!"

Screams and cries came from the crowd, as one by one the Paladins cut them down. Within minutes, the entire crowd lay on the floor, which was rapidly turning a shade of dark red.

Edric was about to begin the process of ordering men in groups to search the building, when one of his comrades tapped his arm. Edric turned, and saw the man raise a torch in question. The Paladin nodded.

"Burn this whole place to the ground," he said grimly. "Grab a squad of men with a short ram, and have them collapse the pillars. We will burn them and their heretical sanctuary to the ground!"