Meanwhile, on the other side of Snow Eagle City, in the depths of a street long since breached, Earl Foss had long since collapsed among rubble and blood.
His silk outer robe had been burned through by sparks, and the magical crystal rings on his hands had been lost during his escape.
Around him lay the corpses of knights who had died fighting to escort him from Snow Eagle City.
"I-I'm the Earl of House Foss!" Foss wailed incoherently, his cheek pressed against cold stone slabs like a dead dog.
He tried to crawl forward on the ground, but a Snow Swearer warrior's boot pressed hard on his back, making him emit a sharp scream of pain.
"Spare my life, sir... I have money, I have mines, castles... I can offer everything to you, please don't kill me..." he begged.
The warrior standing on him laughed: "If we kill you, won't all of that be ours anyway?"
