Knights strolled through the streets of Damascus in small groups of threes and twos, carrying themselves with the arrogance of conquerors, yet not lacking the awkwardness of country bumpkins visiting a big city.
Bang—
Several martial monks lifted iron picks, smashing the reliefs on the lintel of the Holy Fire Temple's entrance. They hung a large wooden cross they carried over the temple and looked at their handiwork with satisfaction.
The monks of the Saint Lazarus Order immediately sealed off the library of Damascus, where they discovered tens of thousands of valuable manuscripts. The span of these texts ranged from the successors of Greece to the Ancient Empire, the Eastern Empire, and even various Saracen dynasties, many of which were not even available in the famously well-stocked library of Constantinople.
"Your Majesty, wonderful news!"
