***
Yet another discovery awaited them as they returned to the camp. While cleaning up the area, one of the servants had found the shattered urn, now badly burned. He showed it to the prince and the high priest, and Umar’s eyes went wide.
“So this is what happened to it,” he said. And, after a moment’s reflection, he added, “And this also explains the manifestations we saw. Oromasd alone knows how we were spared, but we owe him many thanks for so blessing us.”
Turning to the prince he said, “Your Highness, this is what’s left of the urn that was stolen from the Royal Temple several nights ago. The thief must have hidden it with our supplies to get it past the guards at the gates. During the fighting the urn was broken and whatever was in it escaped, causing those miraculous apparitions.
