You walk back into the camp to find that many of the soldiers are wrapping up the supplies and shelters. As you move in, still carrying Mykel with his brother Raylond, two medics come up with a cart to place him. You assist the medics in placing Mykel in the cart before walking away with Raylond to the command tent, that was still constructed though you could see the soldiers preparing to take it down. You walk into the tent to find that many of the tables and chairs were already packed, though Aertis and Papis were still there in the center of the makeshift room.

“Ah, welcome back,” announces Papis as he turns to you with a smile. “Where is Mykel?”

Raylond appears dejected as he approaches the two commanders. “There was a problem and we were ambushed by several of the creatures of Loccaris,” he explains timidly. “Mykel is alive, but we had to subdue him after the creature known as Dedrish entranced him with her magic.”

“Creature?” asks Aertis.

“She looks like a beautiful woman, but she has a magic that possessed Mykel and the rest of the soldiers with him. Mykel took them down before he finally succumbed to her foul ways,” Raylond continues. “What’s worse, is that she was simply a high level pawn. We were all entranced by the magic but released by the master, the General, Lorian.”

Papis’s eyes open wide as he listens to Raylond tell the story of your adventure. Aertis, not impressed or even moved, steps forward and places his hands on Raylond’s shoulders. “What of the mission?” Aertis asks sternly. “Are they headed anywhere other than Werz?”

Raylond nods solemnly. “Yes, Dedrish is leading forces to Fierrak while Lorian is leading the bulk of the Loccaris forces to Werz.”

Aertis lashes out and flails his arms in anger. “We don’t have the forces to stop a two pronged attack!” he screams while Papis folds his arms and looks down at the ground. Aertis paces through the tent with his hands on his hips, trying to think of a way to save the people of Dun-I, frantically talking to himself while trying to form an idea.

“Any garrison you send to Fierrak will simply fall on the way,” Raylond inserts into the silence. “We ran into these small, impish creatures who emerged from the brush. They had already defeated some of the Fierrak forces on the path when we arrived. Sending anyone to aid them would be sending them to their death.”

“You could send someone by water, perhaps,” announces Papis as he looks up from the ground. “A small vessel should be able to reach Fierrak, though I don’t know if it would make it in time. You’d be traveling upstream.”

Aertis shakes his head. “I don’t know if we can afford to lose any forces,” he says reluctantly. “Papis, we have to make a hard decision now. The way they’re marching toward Werz, there is no way that the grand army of Shorrek will be able to assist. They would attack the flank currently, or perhaps pincer them, but I don’t know if we could get to Shorrek in time to alert them.” He pauses for a moment before sighing. “We have to fortify Werz. Fierrak will have to defend herself without the assistance of the Soldiers of Derrien.”

Papis nods reluctantly. “The only way we can survive this war is if we concentrate our current forces in one location and push against them with everything we have.” You glance over to Raylond with an odd expression as the two leaders condemn an entire city to their death. 

“Then it’s settled. Raylond, take the adventurers to what’s left of the barracks and pack everything up. We march for Werz within the hour.”

“Yes sir,” Raylond nods as Papis steps forward.

Papis glances over to you and smirks before raising his hand slightly. “Actually, can I borrow the adventurers, Aertis?” asks Papis with a curious look on his face. “I need their assistance with a few things in my garrison, meaningless tasks mostly. I’m sure it’s the same thing you were going to have them do.”

Aertis smirks without even looking toward you. His disdain for you is palatable. “Fine, take them. I don’t much care for them anyway.”

Papis nods while motioning for you to follow him, out into the cold afternoon air. “Thank you, Aertis. We will be on our way,” he states politely. You follow Papis out of the tent with a good pace. The chill from the outside air makes your skin crawl a bit as you turn away from the tent and over to a path. “What a fool,” Papis says under his breath but loud enough for you to hear. You walk for a few feet, out of eyesight or earshot of anyone else, when Papis stops and looks at you into your eyes. “You are far more powerful than he gives you credit for,” Papis states plainly while looking at you closely.

The wind is blowing hard across your body while you stand still with Papis on the trail. He turns and looks down it before calming his nerves slightly. “Sunshire,” he says softly. “I’ve always felt that there was something amiss about that place. Too many people who go there, whether travelers or passers-by, don’t come out the same, if they come out at all. My father and the rest of the Consortium of Small Kingdoms tend to look the other way, unwilling to investigate so long as the commerce continues to flow through it.”

The wind picks up around you and chill goes down your spine. “Inside the city of Sunshire, at the edge of the city, sits an old prison. It’s made of nothing but wood, but it’s rumored to have been there since the time of the Gods.” Papis pauses while folding his arms and nodding. No one dares to venture into the stockades because no one has ever been seen coming out of it. Every curious adventurer who ventures inside its walls never returns, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. I’ve never seen anyone go near it.”

Papis looks at you briefly before turning away. “Head down this path and it will take you to Sunshire. Once there, head to the stockades and investigate it. Perhaps you are strong enough to clear the place of that magic and perhaps there is something there that can assist us in our fight against Loccaris.”

The Journey Continues in Chapter 6: The Dusty Streets of Sunshire