The dull sound of the explosion made their ears ring. Purple smoke mixed with black soot instantly filled the basement in a split second. The sudden shockwave rattled the old brick walls, sending years of accumulated dust and spiderwebs raining down on them from the ceiling.
Kanos coughed hard. He waved the thick smoke away from his face using his left hand. The smell of burnt copper and rotten sulfur sharply stung his nose, making his eyes water. His face was covered in black dust. His gray cloak hood even had tiny holes burned into it from the hot sparks. He quickly patted down a smoking ember on his shoulder before it could burn through his shirt.
At the corner of the table, Sili was laughing so hard he had to hold onto the back of a rickety chair so he wouldn't fall over. The skinny information broker slapped his own knee, completely entertained by the disaster unfolding in front of him.
