The terrain becomes dry and rocky as the Retainers cut to the West, hoping to lose their pursuers within Kobold Canyon. The Royal Imperial Army splits itself into two separate forces, one trailing the Retainers and the other group cutting across the open field to try and cut off the Retainer's chosen path. The trailing group launches another flurry of arrows, aiming them in front of the Retainers to try and slow them down so the others can catch up. Kintar, noticing the arrows, veers his horse to the left, avoiding the arrows while adding extra distance between himself and the second unit of Imperial soldiers. The rest of the Retainers follow his lead and circle to the left, dodging the falling storm of arrows. In the distance ahead, Kobold Canyon rises into the sky. Spotting their haven, the small band of Retainers let out a cry of joy as they ride onward, realizing that they might pull off this miraculous escape.

As Kintar and company draw nearer to Kobold Canyon, the second Imperial force closes in on them. Panic rushes through Garath's mind as he realizes that everything is hopeless. The only thing resistance bought them is a prolonged death. They can't possibly reach their destination before the Royal Imperial Army catches up with them. Freedom is so close, yet at the same time it is also too far away. Nothing can save them now.

A horde of over-ambitious soldiers start to pull away from the group, wanting to be the men to take down the rebellious Retainers. Kintar notices this and motions to several of his troops, each of whom responds with a knowing nod. The three Retainers guide their horses alongside those of their companions and then leap onto the other horse, leaving three rider-less horses galloping alongside the group. The three men draw their swords and hack at the legs of their horses, causing the three rider-less horses to drop to the ground, laying between the Royal Imperial Army force and the Retainers. Too close to react in time to this new obstacle, the leading soldiers trample over the fallen steeds, their own horses tripping and falling to the ground, throwing their riders in the process. Chaos ensues in the form of a chain reaction as the first unit collides with the second unit, sending hundreds of armed soldiers tumbling to the ground. The distance between the Retainers and the Royal Imperial Army increases once again and Kintar reaches Kobold Canyon's entrance with only a small pursuit behind him.

"All right boys," Kintar bellows to his comrades as they gallop through the winding pass of Kobold Canyon, "this is our chance to give these men the slip. You all know what to do. These two will go with me to the left and you will go to the right, leading them up to the top of the canyon. Just make sure nobody will find them afterwards, okay men?"

A loud, unanimous 'Yes, sir!' echoes through the canyon walls as they round another corner. Looking around Garath notices the walls to the canyon are smooth and have a polished gleam when the sun shines upon the canyon wall. Most of the stone has a red tint to it, but the center has streaks of gray and black running through it in a zigzagging pattern. A thin layer of rust-colored dust covers the ground, being kicked up into large clouds of dust as the horses gallop through the pass. As they approach the fork in the road, Kintar slows the pace so that the dust slows down, helping to hide which way they are traveling.

Soon thereafter, they reach the fork and Kintar guides his horse to the left. Garath urges his horse to follow and the rest of the Retainers take off down the right-hand path at a full gallop. Not long after taking the left fork, the path turns sharply to the left once more. They guide their horses downhill at a slow canter, being careful not to make much noise or to kick up much dust. Kintar leads them through several more forks in the road, taking each turn without any signs of hesitation. Curiosity ends up getting the better of Garath and he pulls up alongside Kintar, breaking the silence.

"So where is it we are going, Kintar sir?"

"We are taking you to the Retainer Headquarters. We need to find out who you are and why the Royal Imperial Army wants to capture you."

"You mean you don't know why they want to kill us?" asks Riana.

"I don't think they are wanting to kill you, my lady. As far as I can tell, they want you both alive. Did you two steal something from them?" Kintar responds.

"No," Garath replies, "I've never seen or heard of them before. They came and destroyed our village. They burned it to the ground. Our families and friends were all killed or captured. We have done nothing to them, so why would they want us?"

"That is exactly what we hope to discover. Our leader, Baigan, is sure to have a few questions for you. Perhaps he might even have a few answers, as well."

"So where is this headquarters of yours?"

"That, my friend, is a secret I cannot reveal at this time. I can tell you that we are close to reaching our destination, though. We should be there by sundown, if all goes well."

They follow a path that twists and turns for nearly an hour before Kintar turns to the right, leading them back toward the center of the canyon. The sun sinks lower in the sky as the three travel onward, moving at a slow trot. Finally they reach the base of a very large hill and Kintar motions for Garath to fall behind him and takes the lead. As soon as he reaches the top of the hill, he brings his horse to a sudden stop. Sensing danger, Garath rides forward to see what surprise awaits them. When they reach the top, Riana lets out a shriek of terror and buries her head in Garath's shoulder.

At the bottom of the hill are the bloody corpses of the Retainers who took the right path at the beginning of the canyon. Several swords protrude from the chests of two of the men, and the rest are filled with dozens of arrows. Blood seeps from their wounds, forming a thick pool on the ground. Flies swarm around the rotting bodies, feasting on the carrion. Beyond the dead Retainers are fifty armed guards from the Royal Imperial Army, brandishing bloody swords or bows with empty quivers. A small campfire burns bright as a few men roast wild game and a thin stream of black smoke drifts into the air. Kintar turns his horse around in an attempt to backtrack and escape, but a dozen armed soldiers are barring the path behind him. Kintar lets out a sigh of despair as he turns back toward the main force, awaiting their terms of surrender.

From among the crowd of men, a lone woman steps forward, flanked by two rather large men. The men appear to be identical in appearance, both tall and very muscular. They are both wearing pants made from the skin of some unidentifiable wild animal, fastened around their waist with a thick leather strap. Both of them have shaved heads, the last few stray rays of light glaring off their scalps. Their eyes appear to be red, but Garath convinces himself it is simply a trick of the light. Their noses are crooked and look to have been broken at least a few times over the years. Both of them are wielding large battle axes, stained with fresh blood.

At first glance, Garath finds the woman to be attractive, yet lethal at the same time. Long, brown hair reaches down below her shoulders. Bright blue eyes capture Garath within a hawk-like gaze as she watches his every move. Thin, white cloth covers her from head to toe, clinging tightly on her skin, revealing her shapely figure. Patches of light chain mail cover her arms and legs, providing reasonable protection for her limbs. Encasing her upper body is a suit of thin plate armor that is polished to a bright shine, with a few random bloodstains from the previous battle. In her left hand she is wielding a long sword with a pair of bright red rubies embedded within the hilt. On her right arm she is carrying a small iron shield with the picture of a howling wolf painted in the center. She takes a few steps toward Kintar, followed closely by the barbarian twins. She brushes a random strand of hair from her face before speaking.

"Commander Kintar, how kind of you to join us. As you can see, your little friends here have already fallen in battle. Hand over the Chosen One and we might have an opening in the Royal Imperial Army for a man with your talents."

"Lieutenant Racheal," replies Kintar, "We meet again. I hate to be the one to disappoint, but I'm afraid I cannot comply. There is nothing you can offer me that would make me betray my country and my kin. If you want these two, you'll have to go through me first."

"With pleasure. I have waited a long time to have your head on a pike. I'll be sure to decorate the main gate with your head, Kintar. Gorim, Dorim, dispatch this rebel at once and bring me the others. I want those two alive." Racheal orders. The two men grin with glee as they brandish their axes, walking toward Kintar with malicious intent in their eyes.